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by Ralph H. Lutts
Published in Forest and Conservation History 36 (October 1992): 160-171.
Walt Disney's influence is so pervasive in American culture that it often goes unrecognized. It is easy to overlook the obvious. "All the world is watching the United States," proclaimed a bumper sticker, "and all the United States is watching Walt Disney." A pop-psychologist put it another way. "After all," she wrote, "Disney cartoons are a shared cultural heritage that predate Beaver Cleaver and Howdy Doody. They are the beginning of our global media village.... For better or worse, Uncle Walt pioneered the notion of a standard-issue childhood memory." Disney's animal characters, in particular, are truly "a part of our cultural DNA."(1)
One of these characters, Bambi, has played and continues to play a key role in shaping American attitudes about and understanding of deer and woodland life. It is difficult to identify a film, story, or animal character that has had a greater influence on our vision of wildlife than the hero of Walt Disney's 1942 animated feature, Bambi. It has become perhaps the single most successful and enduring statement in American popular culture against hunting. An examination of this cinematic statement will reveal some of the ideas underlying the present debate between those who support sport hunting and those who seek its end. The film was based on Bambi: A Life in the Woods, written in 1926 by Felix Salten (pen name of the Austrian novelist, journalist, and theater critic, Siegmund Salzmann), and published in the United States in 1928. Whittaker Chambers' superb English translation reflected his own deep, aesthetic love of nature.(2) The film's success was built on the foundation of a fine book, on superb animation that was scripted and designed by people who knew how to appeal to the interests of the viewing public, and on Disney's extraordinary marketing machine that has promoted Bambi for the past fifty years. In the process, Disney's Bambi acquired a content and character that are distinctly its own, despite its many similarities to Salten's original novel.
The Disney Version of Bambi
Walt Disney's version of Bambi opens with a long scene panning through the forest that establishes Its mysterious and lyrical beauty. Then birds announce the birth of the fawn, Bambi. Woodland animals, including Friend Owl and Thumper, gather around to observe the "Young Prince" and his first stumbling effort to stand up. A buck, his father, watches from a distant rock ledge. ("Dad isn't around much," noted a People Weekly reviewer. "He strikes macho poses on mountaintops, part of his job as great prince of the forest.") Later, Bambi sets off for his first walk during which he meets new friends including Thumper, the rabbit, and Flower, the skunk, and learns to talk.(4) He and his mother return to the thicket when it begins to rain, which leads into a musical segment about April showers.
The next day, Bambi's mother takes him to visit the meadow. She cautions that although it is a wonderful place, it also can be a very dangerous place. He must always be careful when he approaches the meadow. In the meadow he meets and plays with another fawn, his cousin Faline.(5) Soon a large herd of bucks arrives. The greatest of them all, his father, stops to look at Bambi and then walks away. He returns quickly though, to warn that Man is nearby, and the deer race off to the sound of a gunshot.(6)
Autumn arrives, symbolized by two lone leaves remaining on a tree, which are pulled off by the wind and float to the ground. Time passes and Bambi wakes to discover snow on the ground. Thumper appears and introduces Bambi to ice skating, but Bambi can do little but fall. This happy segment is followed by scenes of winter's harshness as the deer must strip bark from high in the trees to stave off starvation. Eventually there is none within reach. "I'm awfully hungry," Bambi tells his mother. "Yes," she replies, "I know." Then she finds the first sign of spring, new grass sprouting amidst the melting snow. Suddenly, as they are eating, his mother senses that Man is near and warns Bambi to run and not to look back. A shot rings out. Bambi reaches safety, but cannot find his mother and wanders off in a snowstorm looking for her. His father appears and tells him, "Your mother can't be with you anymore."
The next scene is an upbeat counterpoint to the death of his mother. Bambi has grown and proudly sports a rack of antlers. All the forest creatures are in love, but Bambi, Thumper, and Flower are determined to have nothing to do with females. Their resolve is short-lived as each finds a mate, including Bambi who falls in love with the beautiful Faline. He wins her, however, only after fighting with another stag, Ronno. Some time later, Bambi's father appears to announce the arrival of Man and warns him to seek safety deep in the forest. But Bambi must first find Faline who is being chased by a pack of hunting dogs. He saves her, but as he leaps to safety Bambi is shot. Meanwhile, the hunters' campfire escapes and quickly becomes a major forest fire. The Great Prince of the Forest appears beside the fallen Bambi and urges him to get up, despite his wound. After a great effort Bambi rises and they flee to safety on an island, where Bambi and Faline are reunited.
In the concluding segment, life returns to the scorched forest and Faline gives birth to twins. Bambi and his father watch together from a height. His father then walks off, leaving Bambi the new Great Prince of the Forest. The cycle is complete.
The Death of Bambi's Mother
The scene with the single greatest impact on the public was the death of Bambi's mother, an impact compounded by Bambi's vulnerability and dependence upon her. It followed the scene in which Bambi and his mother found the new spring grass, giving the impression that the winter's danger was over. Walt Disney proposed that the mother be the one who finds the grass rather than Bambi, because it would make the audience "feel he's more helpless and everything." Initially, Disney had considered showing the mother's death on screen, with Bambi later returning to find her impression in the snow where the hunters had dragged away her carcass. He finally decided that this would be too much for the viewer. The mother's death happens completely offscreen. Nevertheless, its impact is so great that many people will swear that they actually saw her shot. It was an emotionally compelling scene and even one of Disney's daughters chastised him for allowing Bambi's mother to be killed.(7)
Critics agreed that the scene was powerful. "It is one of the paradoxes of movie business," wrote film critic Pauline Kael, "that the movies designed expressly for children are generally the ones that frighten them the most. I have never heard children screaming in fear at any of those movies we're always told they should be protected from as they screamed at Bambi and Dumbo. Bambi's mother is murdered, Dumbo's mother is goaded to madness and separated from Dumbo; those movies really hit children where it counts." Another critic called the death "surely one of the most devastating moments in any movie." Even horror novelist Stephen King wrote that it was the Disney cartoons, including Bambi, that frightened him most as a child.(8)
Each time the film is rereleased parents worry about the impact of the death scene on their children. In the summer of 1988, for example, a psychologist told USA Today that the film "feeds into a young child's worst fear, that of losing a parent," and advised that children under the age of seven should not be allowed to see the movie. However, many parents found that their children handled the film well, especially if they prepared their children in advance for the death scene. One parent remarked, "I wonder if it was my own anxiety that played into what I'd heard about the movie. I'm a working mother and I'm loaded with guilt." Another commentator suggested that, "if parents want to use this movie for lessons, they might emphasize how Bambi learns to survive with his friends despite the terrible loss of a parent." (Good advice at a time when single parent households are increasingly common.) A Chicago Tribune editorial argued that it is really the parents who are most frightened by the scene. "What has made 'Bambi' arguably the most memorable of the Disney animated movies," the editorial continued, "was that it did touch some real human emotions.... Besides, how are [children] going to know what to worry about when it's their kids' turn to see 'Bambi,' if they don't get to cry at the movie now?"(9)
This death scene is central to the film's antihunting message. The dog pack chasing Faline, the shooting of Bambi, and the general panic among and killing of the wild animals during the hunt certainly contribute to this message. It is, however, the death of Bambi's mother that people remember. Disney spent nearly three-quarters of the film building sympathy for Bambi as a cute, lovable, vulnerable child. His mother nurtured and cared for him, and then, just as they had come through winter's hardships, she was killed. Bambi was left a virtual orphan, without his principal caregiver, alone until his loving but aloof and uncommunicative father appeared. The film never voiced a word against hunting. The antihunting message was conveyed on a completely emotional level through sympathy with its characters. It was targeted at children in their most impressionable, formative years. The memory of the incident remains with them even into adulthood.
The film's immediate impact was not limited to children. It also shaped the opinions of many adults. For example, one man told how his grandfather, an avid hunter, had taken him to the theater to see Bambi when he was a child. When the film was over and they were walking out into the sunlight, his grandfather said, "I'll never hunt again." He disposed of his hunting paraphernalia and never did hunt again."(10)
The "Bambi Factor" and the Anti-Bambi Backlash
Hunter opposition to Bambi began even before the film was released. Following a preview of the film, Raymond J. Brown, editor of Outdoor Life, sent Walt Disney a telegram pointing out that it was illegal to shoot deer in the spring. The film, he argued, unfairly implied that the nation's law-abiding hunters were "vicious destroyers of game and natural resources." He asked Disney to add a foreword to the film explaining that it is a fantasy and is not representative of American sportsmen. Receiving no satisfaction, he tried to have the film's distributor force Disney's company to attach a foreword to the him. When this failed, he condemned the film as an insult to American sportsmen and called upon the nation's hunters to rally to their own defense, confident that they would have the last laugh. Commenting on the flap, the managing editor of Nature Magazine wrote that "few rod and gun editors who have rushed into print on Mr. Brown's say-so" had probably even seen the film. For his part, though, he could not "believe that any real sportsman or conservationist will regard himself as the prototype of the invisible man in Bambi. As for the rest, we do not care what they think."(11)
It is not surprising that some hunters viewed the film as a threat. Public opposition to hunting did not originate with Bambi. Even before the twentieth century many people, particularly those who were economically comfortable, appreciated the grace and beauty of deer and regretted seeing them killed. This attitude became increasingly widespread in the late nineteenth century. An 1887 primary school reading lesson, for example, told of a child's delightful encounter with deer and ended with the hope that "the hunters will not find those deer." Disney provided a morality play and a national symbol that became touchstones for opposition to hunting. For example, although public outcries against killing does were not new, Bambi fueled the fire. In 1943, the year after the film was released, Aldo Leopold pressed for an antlerless deer season to control an overpopulated Wisconsin herd by reducing both its size and its rate of reproduction. Public opposition killed the proposal. Both Susan Flader and Curt Meine have suggested that Bambi played a role in shaping public opinion on the issue. (12)
"Take Bambi's mom. Please ...," recently urged a columnist addressing similar issues in Sports Afield. He complained that, whether from a misplaced sense of sportsmanship and sentimental reluctance to kill females or a fixation on antlered trophies, hunters are themselves responsible for much of the opposition to policies that encourage shooting does. Some of these hunters, he suggested a bit facetiously, "still felt responsible for Bambi's losing his mom."(13)
Over the years, "Bambi" has become almost synonymous with opposition to hunting. "Naturally," wrote Field & Stream columnist George Reiger, "once Bambi is raised in status from mere deer to Jesus Whitetail Superstar, man's hunting of deer becomes a crime comparable to the persecution of Christ." The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that, "A poll taken by supporters of a June ballot measure that banned mountain lion hunting in California found that people reacted more negatively to the lions when told that they regularly kill deer than when informed that lions had mauled a couple of children." Although the public may have responded to the mauling as little more than isolated incidents, the executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy concluded that "there was a real Bambi constituency out there." "After seeing 'Bambi,' nobody wants to kill a deer," commented an Institute for Advanced Study scholar regarding efforts to reduce the size of the deer herd on the institute's New Jersey grounds. On the same issue, Peter Benchley, author of Jaws, called the deer "wretched, sickly creatures starving to death" and lamented, "If only they didn't have those saucer eyes and Walt Disney behind them. The Bambi complex seems to have taken over around here."(14)
The "Bambi complex," "Bambi factor," and "Bambi syndrome" are three terms used interchangeably for sentimental, sympathetic attitudes toward wildlife, especially deer. They are usually used derogatorily and reflect a backlash against the humane, antihunting, and preservationist values, and the excessive sentimentality that Bambi has often come to symbolize. Anthropologist Elizabeth Lawrence found that, "Ranchers invariably 'love deer,' both by their own admission and the observations of wildlife personnel, who call this mystique 'the Bambi complex.'... Cattlemen are very proud of the fact that in winter they willingly let deer eat from their haystacks, 'even with the high price of hay."' National Park rangers also refer to visitors' willingness to treat wild bears as if they are tame storybook animals, or to oppose the use of controlled fires as a management tool because they may injure some animals, as manifestations of the Bambi complex. People who oppose hunting have been diagnosed by those who support hunting as suffering from the Bambi complex. "They anthropomorphize these animals and exhibit the brightness akin to a 10 watt lightbulb," wrote one such diagnostician."(15)
The anti-Bambi backlash is generally associated with people who support hunting or who view the issue as more complex than do those "suffering" from the Bambi factor/complex/syndrome. It can also be seen in the black humor voiced by the owner of a herd of fifteen hundred deer on his New York venison farm. He worried that the "Bambi syndrome" might cut into his market, but "[w]hen asked how he can possibly kill such beautiful animals, his response was: 'They're much easier to eat when dead." The backlash is perhaps best symbolized in the film Bambi Meets Godzilla, which makes no reference to hunting.(17) This short bit of animation consists of little more than an idyllic, cute image of Bambi grazing peacefully in the meadow until suddenly and without warning a gigantic reptilian foot descends from the sky, squashing the fawn. End of film.
There have been many satirical jabs at people suffering from the Bambi syndrome. A magazine article titled "Should They Shoot Bambi" began with a full page illustration of Bambi standing in the sights of a hunter's rifle, with Thumper watching aghast. "Whether or not starving deer feel pain," wrote the author Ted Williams, "will likely be debated until one of them, other than Bambi, speaks." Williams was writing about animal rights activists who had argued that starvation is painless. This was part of a controversy over the use of hunting to reduce an overpopulated herd of white-tailed deer on the Crane Memorial Reservation in Ipswich, Massachusetts. The controversy led to a number of tongue-in-cheek articles using and abusing Bambi. The Boston Globe published a hypothetical conversation among Bambi, Thumper, and Flower in response to an opponent of the hunt who proclaimed, "I'd rather see [the deer] starve to death than shot." An emaciated Bambi explained to his friends that he was starving because there were too many deer and the population had grown beyond the reservation's carrying capacity. His mother was already dead, not by hunters' guns, but killed by pet dogs when she was too weak from starvation to run. "Why are you sitting?" Flower asked, "Fawns don't sit." "I'm too weak to stand," said Bambi. "I think I'll lust sit here for a few days until I fall over and die." And he did."(17)
Another, more lighthearted contribution was a response to the proposal that the problem be solved by administering contraceptives to the deer herd. Science writer Chet Raymo concocted a conversation between Bambi and his father. "Bambi," the Old Stag said, "It's time we talked about the birds and the bees." "The birds and the bees," Bambi responded, "I often talk to Magpie, Jay and Owl. They tell me lots of things. I know all about the birds and the bees." "Hmm," muttered the Old Stag, "That's not what I had in mind."(18)
In some cases, the backlash against Bambi has even grown to encompass the whole environmental movement. A strongly negative review of Bill McKibben's The End of Nature, for example, appeared in Forbes. The reviewer wrote that McKibben "yearns to return to a nature 'independent' of mankind." But, he argued, independent nature produced the bubonic plague and "bound most of mankind to stoop labor. But never mind: People like McKibben and his admirers weren't raised on history but on a Walt Disney view of nature. For McKibben, nature is solely a 'sweet and wild garden.' Hi there, Bambi."(19)
What Disney did to Bambi
What is the "Disney view of nature?" Does Bambi actually present a terribly distorted view of animal behavior and woodland ecology? Walt Disney and his staff went to great lengths to present an accurate representation of deer and other wild animals in Bambi. In an effort to ensure accuracy in the film's backgrounds, he had an artist spend six months sketching forest scenes in Maine's Baxter State Park. A pair of fawns, named Bambi and Faline of course, was shipped from Maine to Disney's California studios where they became models for his artists, who underwent special training in drawing wildlife. Bambi, a Black Forest roe deer in Salten's book, thus became a white-tailed deer in Disney's film. The task of animating accurately the movements of four-legged deer as they walk, lie down, and get up, and of maintaining correct perspective for a rotating rack of antlers as a buck moves his head was daunting. The film set a new standard for naturalistic realism in animated films.(20) The "April Showers" segment, for example, ends with an image of ripples radiating from the last raindrops to fall on a pool of water. The splash of the raindrops is accurate even to the momentary central pillar that rises when the drop hits the water, although viewers must slowly advance their Bambi video frame by frame to notice it.
Disney, like Salten, tried to establish a relationship between Bambi and his father while respecting the biological fact that male deer do not form a lasting bond with females and do not participate in rearing the young. This is why the Great Prince remains a loner, aloof and uncommunicative. Bambi's father stands on the distant rock ledge because a buck would not be present at the birth of his offspring. In Salten's Bambi even Bambi and Faline are only temporary mates. Although Disney's version does not progress beyond their first mating season, Bambi joins his father on the ledge when Faline gives birth. Nevertheless, for the sake of the story both Salten and Disney set a limit to authenticity and anthropomorphize deer by establishing a caring relationship between father and son.
Disney, however, changed the nature of this relationship. The ability of Bambi's father to live a solitary life, to appear without warning, and then to vanish into the forest, are keys to his survival. To be visible is to be vulnerable. Bambi's maturation in Salten's story is a process of learning the lessons of survival. "If you live, my son," his mother explains, "if you are cunning and don't run into danger, you'll be as strong and handsome as your father is sometime, and you'll have antlers like his, too." Bambi's father, the Great Prince, achieved his stature by surviving to become the oldest and wisest of the deer. In Salten's book, the Great Prince is a teacher who passes his survival wisdom on to Bambi. He teaches mostly by example, but also with words. His first words to Bambi come at a time when the fawn is alone, crying for his mother. The stag suddenly appears and scolds, "Can't you stay by yourself? Shame on you!" Bambi learns his lessons well and eventually becomes as skillful and solitary as his father; he learns "the most vital lesson of the woods: 'Be alone'." These lessons in survival come full cycle years later when, at the very end of the book, old Prince Bambi comes across a pair of fawns crying for their mother. "Can't you stay by yourselves?" he scolds.(21)
In his effort to wrest a coherent plot out of Salten's episodic novel, Disney did away with the cycle of survival lessons and replaced it with the cycle from Bambi's birth to the birth of his own children. In the process, Disney made Bambi's father primarily a protector rather than a teacher and turned Bambi and Faline's love story into the film's central plot. It is a story of childhood's end as Bambi matures from an awkward child, who continually falls down, into a buck who must learn to stand up for himself and for his mate. This is best symbolized when he lies shot and in the path of the forest fire and his father appears and urges, "Get up, Bambi. Get up. You must get up."(22)
"All too often, animal books are highly emotional, over-sentimental stories of creatures who act amazingly like humans," pointed out the teacher's guide accompanying a Walt Disney Educational Products record album of Bambi. "Although the animals in Bambi speak, they still retain their animal characters, and the portrayal of their way of life is scientifically true. From Bambi, children learn accurate information as well as feel deep concern and tenderness for the characters." However, the same teacher's guide included an absurd picture of Bambi staring at a family of opossums hanging by their tails from a tree limb." In the film, Bambi meets these improbable opossums during his first walk. The forest fire segment even shows an opossum finding safety on the island, with her children hanging by their tails from her tail! Although opossums are capable of hanging by their tails, this is not a preferred behavior and they certainly do not sleep hanging by their tails.(24) Nevertheless, this bit of nature fakery appears again and again in children's books based on Bambi, even in spin-off books minimally connected with the movie.(25) The film and books have done more than anything else to perpetuate this folklore. The Disney Stores are even selling coffee mugs emblazoned with this scene.
The film is an extraordinary work of animation artistry. On another level, it is an odd mixture of beautiful, impressionistic backgrounds, naturalistic forest and wildlife images, and classic Disney cartoon characters. Virtually all of the film's birds are cartoon fantasies. Friend Owl can even turn his head completely around two or more times without choking to death or breaking his neck. The artists give Bambi antlers in springtime; fanciful appendages necessary to help the viewer distinguish his sex from Faline's. Bambi's touted authenticity is severely limited. The film is faithful to visual, artistic accuracy in the general appearance and movements of many of its animals, not to a scientific or ecological accuracy. Even the visual accuracy is compromised for the sake of cuteness: for example, the more traditional cartoony cuteness of Thumper and Flower, and the tail-hanging opossums.
In short, despite their efforts to be accurate, Salten's original version of Bambi underwent a transformation as Disney and his staff reshaped it to fit a different medium, their own sensibilities, and a mass market. In the process much of Salten's ecological and moral subtlety were winnowed away. From the start, what attracted Disney to Bambi was its potentially interesting cast of characters. It was the director/producer Sidney Franklin and the artist Tyrus Wong who managed to educate Disney and his staff to appreciate the artistic and poetic potential of the story. Nevertheless, Disney realized that to win the viewing public's attention he had to provide an upbeat story with sympathetic animal characters. The spotted fawn has long been recognized as a particularly cute and attractive image. This image of cuteness has become so popular that even adult deer are sometimes mistakenly shown with spots.(26) Disney, however, had a well-tested technique for carrying cuteness to an extreme.
Both Salten and Disney gave their characters distinctive personalities. However, Disney's medium required that he accomplish this quickly and visually, and the film lost much of the subtlety of Salten's novel. His artists habitually exaggerated the size of their cartoon characters' heads and eyes and reduced their muzzles, thus giving them the proportions of human infants. Initially, Disney's staff had tremendous difficulty rendering the deer in Bambi as sympathetic personalities capable of dramatic expression because they were trying to draw them too realistically. They finally solved the problem by reverting to some of their standard cartoon techniques. "A smaller muzzle and much larger cranium," wrote two of the supervising animators, "finally created the new design and made all of the expressions available to the animators." Note the difference between the preceding description and the photograph accompanying this article. Young Bambi's head became almost as large as the rest of his body. (One of Disney's artists called him "little pumpkin-head.") Disney's artists also added exceptionally large white eye patches surrounding and exaggerating his enormous eyes. "With a huge head dwarfing its trunk and a pair of oversized eyes with pupils and lashes," writes anthropologist Elizabeth A. Lawrence, "Disney's Bambi arouses sympathy and nurturance and a sense of parenthood toward this relatively sociable species that sometimes responds to human attention."(27) This technique of manipulating the viewer's emotions is also used in "motel art" paintings of sad-eyed puppies, kittens, and human waifs. Similarly, the large eyed, anthropomorphic face of baby harp seals help to motivate efforts to prevent their slaughter.
No wonder that Bambi, Thumper, and Flower win our sympathy; they display the features that elicit our nurturing sympathy for human children. Disney's Bambi relies on the child Bambi to win viewer sympathy. Although Bambi was an antlered buck through half of Salten's book, he remains a fawn through three quarters of the film. It is not surprising that most people picture only a cute, vulnerable fawn when they think of Bambi.(28) On a subliminal level, the Disney version of Bambi motivates opposition to hunting, in part, by representing deer visually as surrogate human children.
Disney also presents a distorted image of woodland ecology, one in which all animals live at peace. For example, Friend Owl, who appears to be a great homed owl, is Thumper's and Flower's friend. Apparently great horned owls do not consume their normal quota of rabbits and skunks in Disney's forest because Disney's world is a world without predation. In the world of Disney's Bambi, all wild creatures are friends. Children's books based on the film, including spin offs only loosely tied to the film, perpetuate this image of nature. For example, a recent children's activity book shows all creatures, predators and prey alike, in happy proximity. It even has Bambi and Thumper asking a friendly fox for travel directions. Predation does appear in one spin-off book when a fox tries to make a meal of Thumper. Bambi and his father save the day. This rare appearance of predation is placed within a very clear moral framework, however. Flower describes it as "a very mean fox," and it is obvious that the fox is morally flawed. But what alternative has the fox? Predation must be akin to original sin in this moral universe.(29)
The Disney version of life in the woods stands in sharp contrast with that of Felix Salten, which presents a far more ecologically and philosophically complex vision of nature. Although Salten's vision has its own limitations, comparing the two underscores the trouble with Disney's. Salten's Bambi found a very different world when, during his first walk in the forest, the fawn heard something rustle in the foliage. "A thread-like, little cry shrilled out piteously; then all was still.... A ferret had caught a mouse. He came slinking by, slid sideways, and prepared to enjoy his meal." Bambi asked, "What was that?" but his mother answered only, "Nothing." "'But,' Bambi trembled, 'but I saw it.' 'Yes, yes,' answered his mother. 'Don't be frightened. The ferret has killed a mouse."' When Bambi asked, "Shall we kill a mouse, too, sometimes?" "No," his mother reassured him, "Because we never kill anything." George Reiger has argued that this conversation underscores the book's failure as a life history, because the mother avoided the whole issue of death by saying deer "never kill anything." Also, she did not explain that ferrets must kill to live. She implied, he wrote, "that such creatures have a choice--like man." It seems more reasonable, however, to interpret her response to Bambi's questions as an effort to calm her very young child, who will soon learn more about such things. Reiger also noted that, "because even foliage talks to itself in Bambi and apparently has a soul, if not an afterlife, Bambi does 'kill things' by eating grasses and later destroying shrubs while thrashing the velvet from his antlers."(30)
Nevertheless, Salten's Bambi lives in a world in which the food web is a very active presence. The mouse's death was not an isolated incident. During a winter that produced far more suffering than Disney's, "the crows fell upon Friend Hare's [the original model for Thumper's] small son who was lying sick, and killed him in a cruel way. He could be heard moaning pitifully for a long while." In other incidents a fox killed a pheasant, a fox killed a duck, an owl killed a mouse, and a squirrel (that Bambi mistook for its father) explained that its grandmother was killed by a ferret and its father by an owl. These incidents are all presented in almost a casual manner. They are normal occurrences that may cause momentary pain and consternation ("You never know who's going to go next," one autumn leaf said to another as they debated the nature of death), but they are neither out of the ordinary nor evil.(31) Predation and death are ever present, independent of Man's presence, in Salten's woodland drama.
The process of creating the Disney version of Bambi was a process of erosion as the normal and pervasive, although uncomfortable, presence of predation and death emphasized in Salten's version was omitted or blunted. This process continues in the children's book spin-offs based on the film. They tend further to reduce the severity of winter starvation. They also have difficulty acknowledging that Bambi's mother was actually killed. In two coloring books, for example, Bambi says, "My mother's gone!" and his father says only, "You'll live with me now, son." Another book reports only that "The hunters had caught her," thus suggesting that she was still alive. A read-along booklet accompanying a Bambi audio tape omits any reference to the incident. As another example of this process, one children's book ends with a picture of Bambi in an anthropomorphic family setting with Faline and their fawns, rather than off on the distant hill.(32) As a result, Salten's sharp, naturalistic vision of woodland life is degraded into a fantasy of nature cleansed of the traumas and difficulties that may trouble children and that adults prefer to avoid.
One wildlife biologist has argued that despite its shortcomings Disney's film is really quite accurate in its representation of deer ecology, and that it presents a strong argument in favor of using hunting as a tool to manage deer herds.(33) In the film neither Bambi nor Faline has brothers or sisters. This presents a problem, since deer usually give birth to more than one fawn. Their mothers must have been under some sort of stress that caused them to produce only single births. The evidence, he argues, was in the meadow. On Bambi's first visit he saw a great many stags in the meadow, evidence of an overpopulated deer herd. Malnourishment must have led to the single births. During the winter, Bambi and his mother could find food only by stripping bark from high in the trees. This is a sure indication that the size of the herd had exceeded the carrying capacity of its range. Although the film blunted the severity of the winter's hardships, many deer in that overpopulated herd must have starved. However, starvation and the toll taken by hunters must have brought the herd back down to a reasonable size, thus reducing the stress on individual deer. The evidence? As the film ended Faline gave birth to twins.
This is an interesting argument that has biological merit, but Disney never intended the film to be open to this interpretation. Although this argument may tease animal rights activists, it is simply not apparent to the film's viewers. Disney's is a "Sunday school" vision of nature as a place without stress, conflict, or death. The sole exceptions are the difficulties of winter, which the film acknowledges but minimizes, and the short period of conflict between bucks during the mating season (they are friends at other times). The state of nature is a simple, uncomplicated, romantic state of happiness and virtue--an escapist fantasy. Disney did not create his audience's desire for such fantasies, but he did feed it. In short, he presented nature as an earthly Eden. There is, however, no place for humans in this garden.
Bambi and the Problem of "Man"
Humans, although never seen in the film, are the sole source of evil in the Disney view of nature. "'Bambi' does have a more vivid sense of evil than any other Disney film," wrote a movie reviewer, "perhaps because the evil isn't personified.... The warning issued by Bambi's mother--'Man is in the forest'- has the compacting force of a phrase from Brecht." Another reviewer called this line memorable and intimidating, and recalled that it "still creates shudders." No wonder that People Weekly listed "Man" among the top movie "Hot Heavies" adding, "That's the hunter who kills the hero's mom--the ultimate in dastardly deeds."(34) Hunters not only kill Bambi's mother, they also kill the woodland creatures indiscriminately, their dogs attack Faline, and their fire ravages the forest. The fierce, hungry flames that devour the forest and its creatures become a surrogate for Man that continues and subliminally magnifies the hunters' destructive hunger for the lives of Bambi and his friends.(35) Hunters are represented virtually as a satanic force. Disney adds to this impression by using crows, circling and cawing ominously over the forest, as dark harbingers of Man.
Salten's version of Bambi also presents hunters as objects of fear, perhaps even more than did Disney. Salten's hunting scenes are far more terrifying. Disney protected his viewers from the full force of the horror of Salten's major hunting episode, transforming Salten's wave of panic into a forest fire that appears only in the film. However, Salten represents "Man" not as satanically evil, but as a powerful force of godlike proportion. "Man" is always capitalized, just as one capitalizes "God." In Salten's book, Man is both a force to be feared and a puzzle. In the children's books based on Disney's Bambi, Salten's "Man" becomes "MAN." The awesome word spoken both with wonder and fear in Salten's book thus becomes virtually a scream in Disney's.
Bambi and the other creatures try to understand the nature of Man. They watch, they speculate, and they fear. A crow observed that, although she often saw Man, "no one can explain Him."(36) The problem of Man is one of the book's central themes, a problem that Bambi must solve in his effort to learn the lessons of survival.
At one point, when the deer have gathered together during the long winter, they discuss the nature of Man. The aging deer, Old Nettla, hates Man, saying "He is loathsome!" But young Marena offers, "They say that sometime He'll come to live with us and be as gentle as we are. He'll play with us then and the whole forest will be happy, and we'll be friends with him." Old Nettla heatedly scoffs at such youthful idealism. "Friends with Him! He's murdered us ever since we can remember, every one of us, our sisters, our mothers, our brothers! Ever since we came into the world He's given us no peace.... And now we're going to be friends with Him. What nonsense!" Nevertheless Marena persists, "'Love is no nonsense,' she said. 'It has to Come.'"(37)
With this dialogue Felix Salten framed a critical question for his readers. Is human nature mutable or is it fixed? Can humans make peace with the deer? Salten does not present an easy answer. The reader could see that Faline's brother, the weakly fawn Gobo, was not able to survive the harsh winter, and his life appeared to be shortened only a little more quickly when he lost his strength and was unable to flee the hunters. But Gobo reappeared in the summer. He had been rescued by the hunters, nursed back to health, and released. He had, however, lost his fear of Man and trotted out to meet his human friends during the next hunt. It was a fatal mistake. "Gobo lay with his bloody entrails oozing from his torn flank," and when the hunters reached him the other deer "heard Gobo's wailing death shriek." The hunters could give both life and death, a power proclaimed by a hunting dog in his argument with a fox he was about to kill. "He's all-powerful," the dog shouted exultantly. "He's above all of you. Everything we have comes from Him. Everything that lives or grows comes from Him."(38)
The climax of Salten's novel comes when Bambi learns that what the dog had said was wrong. His father brought him to see the corpse of a poacher lying against a tree. The bullet wound in his neck "gaped like a small red mouth. Blood was oozing out slowly." "He isn't all-powerful as they say," his father explained. "Everything that lives and grows doesn't come from Him. He's lust the same as we. He has the same fears, the same needs, and suffers in the same way. He can be killed like us, and then He lies helpless on the ground like all the rest of us, as you see Him now." Bambi pondered upon this lesson and concluded, "There is Another who is over us all, over us and over Him."(39) With this final lesson the old stag's work was done. His responsibility to Bambi was over, and he went off to die. The lesson, of course, was intended for Salten's readers. Humans and deer, he was arguing, are equal before the eyes of God.
Walt Disney intended to conclude his version of Bambi with this powerful scene and argument against hunting. It was to be the climax of the film. Bambi and his father were to find the corpse of a dead hunter amid the charred remains of the forest, killed by the fire caused by his own carelessness. But Disney's staff were unsure how to present a "real" death, rather than a fanciful or fairy tale cartoon death, in a way that was acceptable to the audience. They tried one version on a test audience and "four hundred people shot straight up into the air" when the corpse appeared. Thus ended Disney's efforts to bring a philosophical conclusion to the film. All that remains of Salten's powerful scene in the Disney version is the symbolic departure of the old stag, leaving Bambi on the mountain side overlooking Faline and her fawns.(40)
The Trouble with Bambi
Both Felix Salten and Walt Disney represent humans as intruders whose presence disrupts the Edenic forest garden of nature. However, it is not a human nature-lover whose contemplation of the garden is disrupted by the intrusion of hunter and gun. Nor is the viewpoint that of a frontier father hunting to feed his family or a sportsman seeking a trophy. Instead, the reader and audience are shown nature as experienced by the forest dwellers, the objects of the hunt. It is not the presence of the machine that disrupts this garden, but the presence of the human.(41) Despite this similarity, Salten's and Disney's versions of Bambi differ in their treatment of this theme. Both versions appear to represent biocentric views of nature. The test of their biocentrism, however, lies in the faithfulness of their fictional animals to the reality of their biological counterparts. Disney's Bambi falls this test even when granted the wide latitude that is appropriate for children's fiction.
Salten's Bambi presents a poetic vision of woodland life and a powerful statement against hunting. Although he humanized his animal characters, they live in a world of complex ecological relationships that includes the ever present reality of death by predation and winter starvation, as well as by the hunter's gun. Humans often bring death, as do other creatures in the forest, but Salten presents humans as a problematic force, rather than as an unmitigated evil. His Bambi offers some hope, however remote, that we may be able to establish a more gentle relationship with nature. People may, depending on their own views, praise or condemn his position on hunting. Regardless, Felix Salten should be commended for conducting his morality play on a naturalistic stage.
Walt Disney's Bambi is an extraordinary work of cinematic art that also evokes a poetic vision of nature and makes a strong antihunting statement. It presents, however, an extraordinarily one-sided view of nature and of people. There is no predation in Disney's forest. With few exceptions--Bambi, his mother, a few birds, and the rabbits--the animals do not eat at all. Although winters may be harsh, death comes only by the hand of Man, an evil force in the world. Disney did not set out to present this as his philosophical view of nature. Instead, Salten's complexities were whittled away in the pragmatic process of shaping the story for a visual medium and a mass market. Financial problems also forced Disney to cut the length of the film by nearly a third.(42) As a result, the story lost its ecological and philosophical depth, but the film gained an aesthetic elegance and simplicity that have earned it a reputation as one of Disney's finest works of art.
Nevertheless, what gives the film artistic elegance also gives it ecological shallowness. Bambi is not unique in its lack of ecological sophistication, and despite its shortcomings it is a joy to watch. However, the film was praised for establishing a new standard of naturalistic realism for its medium, including scientific accuracy. Its problems are compounded by the film's enormous popularity and the Disney corporation's tremendous, sustained success in bringing it to a mass market. The marketing of Bambi has also been the dissemination of a vision of nature, and its success also marks the success of that vision.
Marketing Disney's Bambi
Bambi was not the first wild animal character to capture the attention of the American public. Naturalistic stories and books sympathetic to the perspective of wild animals were first published nearly fifty years before Bambi appeared in theaters. Jack London's dog, Buck, triumphed in winning freedom in the Alaskan wilderness and leadership of a wolf pack. Charles G. D. Roberts's Red Fox raised his family and learned how to avoid hunters and traps. Ernest Thompson Seton's wolf, Lobo, symbolized wild cunning and devotion to one's mate. Seton's stories, in particular, have been read, reread, and continue to be read by generations of children and adults. However, no other wild animal character achieved the stature of Walt Disney's lovable fawn. No others have been so carefully shaped to appeal to a mass market or so successful in capturing the hearts and wallets of the nation.
The film received its world premier at the Radio City Music Hall on 12 August 1942. The following week, on 21 August, Disney released it for distribution via RKO Radio Pictures. it was generally well received despite some reviewers' difficulty in adjusting to an animal cartoon without zany characters and slapstick humor. ("Mickey wouldn't be caught dead in this," complained one critic.) The film did not recover its production expenses, however, and was considered a financial failure. Nevertheless, subsequent releases following World War 11 made the film one of the industry's great money makers. Based on total rental fees paid to distributors through 1988, Bambi earned $47,265,000. By comparison, Casablanca, also released in 1942, earned $4,145,178 during the same period. Only two films released between 1939 and 1969 had accumulated more rental income by the end of 1988: Gone with the Wind (1939), and The Sound of Music (1965). Gross sales during this time, estimated by Disney at $490 million, are even more impressive. In the last six months of 1988, the film's latest rerelease grossed $38.1 million .(43)
These figures do not include income from the video version of Bambi. In 1989, Disney launched an aggressive marketing campaign for Bambi and Roger Rabbit videos at a combined cost of $60 million. A senior Disney/Buena Vista executive called it "the largest [marketing] program ever in home video." The campaign included marketing tie-ins with Crest Toothpaste and M&M candies. Sixty percent of the initial release of ten million units of the Bambi video were shipped to mass outlets, such as K-Mart and Target. Finally, nearly fifty years after its premier, Bambi was first broadcast on television, via the Disney Channel, of course, on Sunday, 3 February 1991. The broadcast was repeated seven other times that month, and we are bound to see it on television again in the years to come.(44)
It is fair to say that Bambi has become an inevitable
part of the childhood education of most people in America and in many other
parts of the world. As a result of Disney's aggressive promotion, merchandising,
and licensing enterprises, many children meet Bambi long before they see
the film. Throughout the 1940s Disney used these mechanisms to bring Bambi
to the public's attention and keep it there, and also to ensure a steady
flow of collateral income. In
1941, the year before the film was released, a Bambi comic book giveaway was distributed through Horlick's Malted Milk and toy stores. A Bambi Sunday comic strip began running in newspapers on 19 July 1942, a month before the film was released, and continued to 4 October. RCA Victor released a three record set based on the film. Dell Publishing Company released a Walt Disney Bambi comic book in the same year and another in 1948. A Thumper comic book also appeared, as did Bambi's Children, a comic book based on Felix Salten's sequel to Bambi. In addition, the 1940s saw the publication of at least nine other Bambi books based on the original Salten story, the Disney film, or characters from the film. At least three manufacturers produced a variety of ceramic figurines based on Bambi, Thumper, and Flower. One company produced a set of Bambi children's dinnerware (plate, bowl, mug, and pitcher), and Bambi lovers could purchase their own Ingersoll Bambi wristwatch. In 1947, the New York Graphic Society advertised full color prints of scenes from Bambi.(45)
More books and other products continued to appear as the years passed. From 1950 to the present dozens of books, not to mention such items as an alarm clock, a lamp, and stuffed toys, based on Disney's Bambi have appeared in addition to new editions of Salten's classic novel. These include coloring books, a "scratch-and-sniff" book, children's introductory "A-B-C" and counting books, new comic books, ViewMaster 3-D reels, and new stories based on the Disney Bambi characters. A video comprised of clips from various Disney films was released for the Christmas market. It included the Bambi segment with Bambi and Thumper playing on the ice, opportunistically called "Bambi's first Christmas Day." Recorded versions of the Disney story continually appear on records and tapes, a number of film strip versions have been produced for classroom use, and Disney now markets packages that include a Bambi audio cassette and "read along" books for elementary school reading programs. Disney Educational Products has mined Bambi for a variety of educational offerings, including a film and video based on Bambi's first, memorable walk. The advertisement promises, "An encouraging lesson for youngsters who must overcome embarrassment at failure or fear of trying is demonstrated as the newborn Bambi tries to walk and talk for the first time." In addition, new Bambi character ceramic figurines and stuffed dolls, posters, books, and other items are sold through a growing national chain of well over one hundred Disney stores.(46) The presence and influence of Disney's Bambi has been and remains pervasive.
The Impact of "Bambi" on American Culture
The name Bambi has become a part of our language and is often used as a synonym for "deer." Examples abound. "Look," a parent will tell his or her child on spotting a deer, "there's Bambi!" When an orphan fawn wandered into an Iowa barnyard, the family raised it and named it Bambi. A Los Angeles Times article about radio tagging deer was titled, "Now, Bambi has a Beeper." When a Virginia game warden placed a stuffed deer beside a road to catch hunters illegally shooting from their cars, newspapers dubbed the operation "Bambi scam." Esquire gave a "Dubious Achievement of 1990" award to the hunter whose shotgun fired, killing him, while he was clubbing a deer with it. The magazine announced this honor under the score, "Bambi 1, Asshole 0."(47)
Bambi has also become synonymous with something soft and sentimental, even wimpy. An article in Art News told of a group of Native American artists who were "outspokenly opposed to the more lyrical, nostalgic and even, as they maintain, 'Bambi-like' traits of so much Indian arts around and before them." In a 1988 speech supporting the Dukakis/Bentsen presidential campaign, Senator John Glenn said, "Lloyd Bentsen believes that when other countries take advantage of us, you can't talk like Rambo and act like Bambi." Johnny Carson took advantage of the sharp contrast between the images of Bambi and Rambo. Disney was violent enough to kill Bambi's mother, the comedian offered, but he drew the line at creating "Bambo," and Carson displayed a drawing of an angry deer returning fire with an assault rifle.(48)
The film's influence has been far-reaching and sometimes quite surprising. Shortly after the film and its forest fire sequence appeared, the Wartime Council used Bambi and his friends in a national poster campaign to promote fire prevention. (Bambi was replaced a year later by the newly invented character Smokey Bear.) The Wall Street journal reported that former daredevil Evel Knievel had become an artist, selling inexpensive limited edition prints based on his paintings on various themes, including Bambi. A columnist spoofing the National Rifle Association reported seeing "ads for video tapes from the NRA, with the latest tips for Uzi-toting psychopaths. 'How to Shoot Bambi's Mother While Bambi's Watching.'" And, amazingly, actor Kiefer Sutherland told Playboy that Bambi was the first film he ever saw and, he said, "it's still the film with which I compare everything.... It taught me about--I guess on a broad scale--sexuality. I was in love with Thumper's girlfriend from the time I was seven until I was ten. She's got all that eye shadow on and she's looking real good."(49)
More important to the present study, Bambi has made an enduring mark on popular American ideas about the environment. One commentator recalled vividly remembering three things from her childhood viewing of the film: 1) "The extraordinary lyrical beauty of the forest setting;" 2) "The must-touch cuddliness of the major characters;" and 3) "The death of Bambi's mother."(50) Its powerful antihunting message, especially the death of Bambi's mother, left a lasting impression on the public. "Yes, it's sappy and sentimental," wrote a Sierra Club reviewer, but "this 45-year-old lawyer cries at every viewing." He added that the film promotes "at least a few wistful ecocentric thoughts." People Weekly, not known as an environmental publication, found that despite its anthropomorphism and "several too many shots of cute, twitching little tails... there is also what amounts to an early pro-environmental message about the havoc wrought in the forest by man's incursion."(51)
We are in the midst of a national debate over hunting and our proper role in the forest. It is a complex debate involving a tremendous diversity of perspectives and arguments. At one extreme are people who are defending an American tradition and a way of experiencing nature that is personally fulfilling. They argue that hunting is an essential and humane means of keeping game populations in balance with their environment. At another extreme are those who value the lives of individual wild animals and seek to prevent their destruction, arguing that hunting disrupts the balance of nature. Advocates on both sides profess a keen interest in wildlife protection. Effective action for the benefit of wildlife, however, requires a sound understanding of the natural history and ecology of wild animals, as well as humane values and a deep personal commitment to the cause.
It may be that more people have, consciously or unconsciously, based their understanding of deer and woodland life on Walt Disney's Bambi than on any other single source. Its images and concept of nature have been impressed on the American psyche and reinforced through decades of exposure to the film, its multitude of spin-offs, and Disney's marketing magic. Bambi has become one of our most widespread and emotionally powerful national symbols of nature, one that motivates deep concern, and dedicated action to protect wildlife. However, Disney's Bambi is an empty symbol, because the concept of nature that his fawn represents is impoverished. The film motivates, but does not educate. It may stimulate action, but not understanding. Instead of affirming nature, it represents a flight from the natural world into a comfortable nature fantasy. Ironically, it offers no hope for us poor humans to be anything other than destroyers of the natural world
Nature, symbolized by Disney's infant Bambi, an infant with endearing human qualities, becomes something fragile and vulnerable. It becomes something that we must nurture and protect. (52) This can be a useful metaphor, given our enormous technological abilities to destroy our environment. However, grave problems lie ahead if we confuse a fetching metaphor with the living reality of deer, other wildlife, or our environment. After all, the challenge we face is to protect real wildlife in a real environment, not the Disney version.
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Climate models at different spatial scales and levels of complexity provide the major source of information for constructing scenarios. GCMs and a hierarchy of simple models produce information at the global scale. These are discussed further below and assessed in detail in Chapters 8 and 9. At the regional scale there are several methods for obtaining sub-GCM grid scale information. These are detailed in Chapter 10 and summarised in Section 13.4.
The most common method of developing climate scenarios for quantitative impact assessments is to use results from GCM experiments. GCMs are the most advanced tools currently available for simulating the response of the global climate system to changing atmospheric composition.
All of the earliest GCM-based scenarios developed for impact assessment in the 1980s were based on equilibrium-response experiments (e.g., Emanuel et al., 1985; Rosenzweig, 1985; Gleick, 1986; Parry et al., 1988). However, most of these scenarios contained no explicit information about the time of realisation of changes, although time-dependency was introduced in some studies using pattern-scaling techniques (e.g., Santer et al., 1990; see Section 13.5).
The evolving (transient) pattern of climate response to gradual changes in atmospheric composition was introduced into climate scenarios using outputs from coupled AOGCMs from the early 1990s onwards. Recent AOGCM simulations (see Chapter 9, Table 9.1) begin by modelling historical forcing by greenhouse gases and aerosols from the late 19th or early 20th century onwards. Climate scenarios based on these simulations are being increasingly adopted in impact studies (e.g., Neilson et al., 1997; Downing et al., 2000) along with scenarios based on ensemble simulations (e.g., papers in Parry and Livermore, 1999) and scenarios accounting for multi-decadal natural climatic variability from long AOGCM control simulations (e.g., Hulme et al., 1999a).
There are several limitations that restrict the usefulness of AOGCM outputs for impact assessment: (i) the large resources required to undertake GCM simulations and store their outputs, which have restricted the range of experiments that can be conducted (e.g., the range of radiative forcings assumed); (ii) their coarse spatial resolution compared to the scale of many impact assessments (see Section 13.4); (iii) the difficulty of distinguishing an anthropogenic signal from the noise of natural internal model variability (see Section 13.5); and (iv) the difference in climate sensitivity between models.
Other reports in this collection
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National Chemistry Week Themes
National Chemistry Week (NCW) began in 1987 as National Chemistry Day.
Annual themes were added in 1997 to help give direction and variety to the celebration each year by changing the focus within the field of chemistry.
We hope these archived materials will be of use during anytime of the year.
NCW 2016 theme is "Solving Mysteries Through Chemistry" and will focus on the chemistry of forensics.
NCW 2017 will cover the topics on chemistry of rocks with the theme of "Chemistry Rocks!"
|Year - Topic||Theme Name - Main Focus|
|2018 - Outerspace
||Chemistry Out of This World NCW 2018 will focus on chemistry of air, plants and water in the outerspace.
|2017 - Geochemistry||Chemistry Rocks! NCW 2017 will cover the topics on chemistry of rocks.|
|2016 - Forensics||Solving Mysteries Through Chemistry NCW 2016 will focus on the chemistry of fibers and forensics.|
|2015 - Color||Chemistry Colors Our World NCW 2015 examined the chemistry of color.|
|2014 - Candy||The Sweet Side of Chemistry: Candy
NCW 2014 highlighted the chemistry involved in candy and confections.
|2013 - Energy||"Energy: Now and Forever!"
NCW 2013 explored how renewable and non-renewable energy sources power our planet.
|2012 - Nanotechnology
||Nanotechnology: The Smallest BIG Idea in Science!
NCW 2012 focused on the nanoscience contributions to the environment, energy, materials, and health.
|2011 - Chemistry and Health||Chemistry: Our Health, Our Future!”
NCW 2011 emphasized the importance of chemistry to our health and future.
|2010 - Movie Special Effects||Behind the Scenes with Chemistry!”
NCW 2010 explored the chemistry behind special effects in movies.
|2009 - Periodic Table||Chemistry – It’s Elemental!
NCW 2009 was in honor of the 140th anniversary of the periodic table.
|2008 - Sports Chemistry||Having a Ball with Chemistry
NCW 2008 focused on the chemistry of sports equipment, sports safety, and the body as it performs physical activities.
|2007 - Careers in Chemistry||The Many Faces of Chemistry
NCW 2007 emphasized the diversity of the discipline and its practitioners and coupled a career profile with a chemistry activity related in some way to the career.
|2006 - Materials Chemistry, Home Safety||Your Home—It’s All Built on Chemistry
NCW 2006 Focused on the chemicals found in objects common to most homes and how chemistry has helped to improve materials used in building homes.
|2005 - Chemistry in Toys||The Joy of Toys
NCW 2005 celebrated the chemistry in toys—the materials used to create them and some that use chemistry or chemical reactions as part of how they work.
|2004 - Food and Body Chemistry||Health and Wellness
NCW 2004 shared information about food choices and how they can influence some diseases, including diabetes. It also emphasized the chemistry happening in various parts of the body
|2003 - Atmospheric Chemistry and Chemical Reactions||Earth’s Atmosphere and Beyond!
NCW 2003 celebrated improvements in materials for flight, described the atmosphere, acid rain and the ozone layer.
|2002 - Soaps and Detergents||Chemistry Keeps Us Clean!
NCW 2002 discussed the chemistry of soaps and detergents, surface tension of water, and chemistry’s role in cleaning, including an article on the importance of hand washing.
|2001 - Chemistry and Art||Celebrating Chemistry and Art
NCW 2001 explored the role that chemistry plays in the arts and includes activities that use chemistry to make works of art.
|2000 - Kitchen Chemistry||Get Cooking With Chemistry
NCW 2000 examined the properties of powders used in cooking: baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, etc. It also looked at the power of chemistry in raising bread and making cheese.
|1999 - Polymer Chemistry||A Global Salute To Polymers
NCW 1999 investigated the properties of different polymers.
|1998 - Pigments and Dyes||World of Color
NCW 1998 featured use of natural plant materials in a global experiment to map the natural sources for eight colors.
|1997 - Chemistry Is Everywhere||Planet Chemistry
NCW 1997 celebrated the 10th anniversary of the program with activities focused on hard and soft water testing, measuring pH, and making crystals with Epsom salts.
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Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Warren A. Candler Hospital
In 1835 a new charter was obtained for the institution.
During the War Between the States a portion of the Hospital was used for the care of Confederate soldiers. In the area to the rear a stockade was erected in 1864, around the great oak that still stands there, for confinement of Union prisoners.
After Sherman`s occupation of Savannah and until 1866 the building served as a Union hospital.
The name was changed in 1872 to Savannah Hospital. From 1871 to 1888 the Savannah Medical College was located here.
In 1876 the building was completely renovated. However, the structure of the 1819 building was retained and remains as the nucleus of the present hospital. In 1931 the facilities were acquired by the Methodist Church, and the name changed to honor Bishop Warren A. Candler.
Erected 1964 by Georgia Historical Commission. (Marker Number 025-84.)
Marker series. This marker is included in the Georgia Historical Society/Commission marker series.
Location. 32° 4.137′ N, 81° 5.651′ W. Marker is in Savannah, Georgia, in Chatham County. Marker is on Huntingdon Street near Drayton Street. Click for map. Marker is in this post office area: Savannah GA 31401, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Savannah's Marine Corps Memorial (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Former Home of Henry R. Jackson (about 600 feet away); Forsyth Park (about 600 feet away); Armstrong Junior College (about 600 feet away); Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church Centennial (about 700 feet away); Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church (about 700 feet away); Massie Common School House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Lafayette McLaws (approx. 0.2 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Savannah.
Also see . . . Candler Hospital History. Candler Hospital moved to a new location in 1980.
Categories. • Charity & Public Work • Notable Buildings • Science & Medicine • War, US Civil •
Credits. This page originally submitted on , by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 6,618 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on , by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 6. submitted on , by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
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Crafts for Kids
Hands-On History for Ancient Egypt
Egyptian crafts for kids are some of the best! Make a pyramid, write with hieroglyphs, make a cartouche, wrap a clay mummy, or play senet. Hands-on history activities about Egypt are not only fun, they also keep kids actively engaged in learning! And most of these Egyptian crafts are FREE!
For reading recommendations, visit our Reading List for Kids on Ancient Egypt!
Find more Ancient History projects on our pages for Ancient Civilizations Crafts AND the page for General Ancient World projects.
This is one of the simplest -- and impressive, to boot -- Pharaoh headdresses that I've seen! Just print, color (if you didn't already print it that way), cut, and glue. Easy enough for the younger child, but something an older child wouldn't mind making as well.
Make a paper model of the Great Pyramid of Khufu.
The First Palette site has several great (& easy) hands-on-history ideas for Egypt. Create an Ancient Egyptian Collar or Necklace using a paper plate and some paint, a bracelet or armband out of a toilet paper tube (and other misc. supplies), and a headband meant for Ancient Egyptian royalty from cardstock, etc.
Make the Double Crown of Egypt! Ebook instructions are available from A Book In Time that you can download in minutes. This craft is perfect for a classroom history project! It's simple, uses inexpensive supplies, and requires minimal prep time. Kids love making & wearing these!
Click here for a variety of amazing Egyptian art projects from the Detroit Institute of the Arts, including canopic jars and a paper pyramid.
Hands-On History ideas for Canopic Jars seem to be one of 2 extremes...either really advanced, or super easy. So I bring you both! First, an advanced, and very impressive, model of canopic jars made from clay, mini flower pots, and acrylic paint is for older kids. It looks fun! For the second option, the younger kids can just cut & color canopic jars here.
Click here for a paper model of the Sphinx!
History Pockets: Ancient Egypt - Grades 4-6+
History Pockets, Ancient Egypt (Enhanced Ebook) by Marc Tyler Nobleman. Evan-Moor. UE
This History Pockets series offers a lot of easy, ready-to-go projects, and they can be kept in a Notebook.
For more info, read our review of the History Pockets series!
This site offers lots of good upper elementary Egyptian crafts, including directions for the crowns of upper and lower Egypt, a reed boat, a burial chamber, and more!
Drawing hieroglyphs can be challenging, and you will need a some good samples to copy! Here is a nice chart of hieroglyphs that is clear and colorful.
Fun with Hieroglyphs is the resource you need for all your hieroglyphic crafts and projects.
Includes 24 good-quality stamps, an ink pad, and a guidebook, which all fit neatly in a sturdy, book-sized case. Use the guide to spell your name in hieroglyphs. It's all phonetically-based, so going letter by letter won't work!
Make an Egyptian Cartouche out of clay!
Click the link (or the cartouche photo at the left) for more information and links to patterns!
(You will need Fun with Hieroglyphs (resource listed above) to make a really nice Egyptian cartouche.)
Make a Mummy! Have your students mummify an orange with this "Fruity Pharaoh" Lesson Plan!
Make a King Tut Death Mask out of paper-mache. Download this FREE Egyptian Craft Idea from Carol Henderson and A Book In Time!
Kids can create an Egyptian Death Mask out of household items (a plastic milk jug and paper plates) and some paint, etc. This craft is appropriate for small classroom settings or as a hands-on history project in the home school environment.
Build a Pyramid out of Sugar Cubes
This is another simple history project that kids love! Supplies needed are the cubes, glue, and a piece of sturdy cardboard (or paper plate or styrofoam tray, etc.) as your base.
Watch our A Book In Time video demonstration and read practical tips on our How to Build a Sugar Cube Pyramid page.
Build a Pyramid out of Miniature Marshmallows
Sometimes sugar cubes can be impossible to find, and sometimes the cost of an entire classroom of students to create sugar cube pyramids can be more than you want to spend. If you find yourself looking for an alternative to sugar cubes, miniature marshmallows are the answer. The kids like to build with these just as much, and possibly even more! Get details on how to make marshmallow pyramids here.
To make things even easier, you can watch our video on our How to Build a Miniature Marshmallow Pyramid!
Make a Pyramid Out of Paper at this site by simply printing out the pattern and having the kids cut & glue.
Play the Egyptian Mummy Race Game! Separate the kids into 2 teams and give each a roll of toilet paper. The teams choose a player to be their "mummy." At the signal, each team wraps its "mummy" (leaving room for breathing & seeing, of course!), and whoever is finished first wins!
Boise Art Museum offers a wealth of Egyptian ideas (developed by Shawn Phelps, art teacher at Blackfoot High School), including papyrus, jewelry, coloring sheets of the gods, senet, and the best cartouche craft out there! (If you want to make a cartouche, click here for tips!)
Find out how to dress like an Egyptian, including instructions for a collar, bracelets, and an amulet.
Find more Ancient History projects on our pages for
Ancient Civilizations Crafts AND the page for General Ancient World Projects.
Please e-mail us with any links to add to this collection!
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Welcome to the MAS website. We are an organization dedicated to protecting Manitoba's archaeological resources and creating an awareness of our province's diverse history. To learn more about the MAS and it's activities, please feel free to browse the menu above.
Some interesting facts about Manitoba revealed through archaeology - Did you know?
Manitoba has a great diversity of ecological zones, extending from southern prairies, through aspen parklands, boreal forest, subarctic 'barrens' and arctic coast. There is archaeological evidence that past peoples have lived in each of these regions for thousands of years, using the plant and animal resources for subsistence and trade.
The earliest known evidence of people living in Manitoba was found near Riding Mountain dating to at least 11,500 years ago.
The oldest evidence of pre-European farming in Manitoba was found at the Lockport, just north of Winnipeg.
Fishing as it is known through archaeology, has been practiced in Manitoba as early as 5,500 years ago.
Manitoba is the furthest east that jade originating from British Columbia has been found.
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Wine Labels (Part 5)
named for the majority grape variety from
which they are made are known as varietal wines. Varietal
labeling began as a way for quality California producers
to get away from generic
still give credence to their efforts to create wines that
would compete in quality with the finest in the
A TASTE OF AMERICAN
WINE MARKETING HISTORY
Leading up to and for more than three decades following the period of American
most of the wine made in the United States was dessert
wine, fortified by the addition of distilled alcohol to
increase its strength.1 During the time of Prohibition, the majority of wine grape
vineyards had been replanted to grape types that ship
well (to supply the still-legal "home winemaking" demand)
and the best vinifera types were scarce. The demand for
fine table wine could be readily supplied by European
imports. American table wine, made from the best wine
grapes, was a rare find in the 1930s and 40s.
American soldiers returning from World War II were
introduced to their first experience with fine wine while in Europe. Demand began to
increase. Table wines from serious American producers
attempting to enter the market had no track record to
speak of and there was little basis or support for
geographic appellations. The labeling choices were to
either emulate the Europeans (generic) or work to
establish their own identities, through either proprietary
varietal labeling. Louis M. Martini and Inglenook were the earliest to adopt varietal labels in the modern era.2 The public was slow to embrace these unfamiliar names and new packaging.
Frank Schoonmaker, a
prominent and influential wine writer who later became an
importer and merchant, despised and condemned generic
labeling in the 1950s and 60s that tried to capitalize their products by riding on the coattails of the established European standards without respecting them.
As an alternative,
inspired by thw wines of France's Alsace region, he actively promoted and campaigned for the idea of
varietal labeling. Almaden Winery hired Schoonmaker as a
marketing consultant. In this capacity he was responsible for
introducing and promoting Grenache Rosé to the American broad market. It became one of Almaden's first, most popular,
and longest-lived product successes.
idea of varietal labels began to catch on with the public
in the "wine boom" of the 1970s. During the 1980s,
low-priced Chardonnay, White Zinfandel, and Cabernet
Sauvignon became known as "The Fighting Varietals" (sic3) which waged their
marketing battle with generic wines. Consumers embraced the
varietal nomenclature, as much simpler and easier to
remember and identify: a dozen or two grape types versus
thousands of geographic appellations and vineyards. By
the mid-1990s, grape names like Merlot and Chardonnay replaced European place names like Burgundy and Chablis, as the respective
consumer buzzwords for everyday red wine and white wine. Generic
labels have virtually disappeared from the wine
Varietal labeling is
also the predominant method of identifying wine types in
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina,
and most all other wine-producing countries of the New
World. It is much easier for the public to learn a dozen or so grape names than it is to learn hundreds of appellations as well as what grape varieties grow in each location.
THE FRENCH TAKE
Controleé system of wine identification is the bread-and-butter of
French wine. The whole premise of AC is that terroir, the site selection and ecology of the
vineyard, has as much or more influence on the flavor and character of
the wine than does whichever grape variety is used. The
regulatory agency INAO has always strongly discouraged
any label references to grape variety and publicly stated
in the 1990s that they planned to eventually eliminate
any varietal labeling of AC wines, even those of Alsace,
where varietal labeling was practically
of vines exist in many vineyards throughout France. The historical
tendency to use aliases and local names for types adds to
the confusion. Repeated anecdotal episodes that indicate
the superiority of certain vineyards, relative to
neighboring ones, makes wine lovers question, "Why?" The
growers offer a self-serving and simplistic logic. Where
both vineyard treatments and wine making methods are
similar, climate identical, grapes not distinguishably
different, it must, by default, be the vineyard and
therefore, the soil. The concept of terroir seems
to justify commercial variations without explaining or
even allowing inquiry into scientific ones.
Advances in ampelography, using techniques such as DNA
"fingerprinting", have greatly improved the ability to
distinguish between and identify grapevine species and
clones, leading to improvements in both
selection and verification of varieties throughout the
wine growing world.
The community of
growers and regional marketers have overly-emphasized the contribution of soil
composition as a factor to wine flavor, often presenting it as paramount when it is merely contributory. There
are even attempts to equate flavors with soil types: chalky
taste from chalky soil, flinty flavor from flinty soil,
etc. This traditional view began centuries before Pasteur explained the science of fermentation and the awareness of, let alone the ability to recognize and differentiate grape variety was in its infancy.
Soil composition impacts the smell and taste of wine far less than grape variety and probably less than many processes and decisions of wine making, such as the manner of fruit processing and selection of yeast. It
is not the mineral content of soil that influences wine
flavor so much as a particular soil's capacity for water
retention and drainage and, moreover, how the grower uses
that knowledge to manage the quantity and timing of
getting water to the vines.
Ongoing research in
Australia, California, and Europe points to varietal
(and clonal) selection as the prime flavor factors in grapes and wine.
According to the Federal labeling laws set by the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, a wine must be made
from a minimum of 75% of a particular grape variety to
use that grape name on the wine. The wine must also
qualify for and use an approved appellation of origin,
whether foreign or one of the American
The minimum content
of the named variety was increased from 51% to 75%,
in 1973. This change has been a mixed blessing
for both consumers and producers. Are wines that have
more varietal authenticity also better tasting? On one
hand, the change dictates increased purity in wines made
from delicate-flavored grape varieties like Chardonnay.
On the other, this somewhat ties the hands of wine makers
who excel at blending as a method to render more complex
wines. This restriction has led to the creation of Proprietary branding, such as used by the Meritage Associates cooperative and on the individual labels of
the "Rhône Rangers."
de la Loire
||*Legalities change: for example, the change to Riesling was originally supposed to be implemented on 1/1/1999 ...lobbyists have managed to get extensions and California wines labeled "Johannisberg Riesling 2010" were to be found on market shelves as late as 2014, although only by brands with several vintages of historical usage.
A very large
list of American Grape Variety Names is administered by the BATF
for approved use on wine labels. Although many of these are out-dated in the marketplace, some have yet to attain
commercial significance. Some semi-varietal or seemingly varietal names have had their
credentials pulled and will no longer be seen on wines
produced in America.
Beaujolais" confused the public for a many years. While this nom de plume is easy for non-French-speaking
Americans to pronounce and seems both poetic and
romantic, there is no wine grape variety by this name.
The variety required by the French AC to be grown in the
Beaujolais region is called Gamay Noir.
Ampelographers determined that the variety which grows in California and previously thought to be Gamay Noir is actually Valdiguié. Adding to the confusing mire, clones of
Pinot Noir that produced light-flavored fruit were
formerly allowed to be labeled "Gamay
Beaujolais". No California wine labels bearing the name
"Gamay Beaujolais" were permitted to be bottled after April 9, 2007. Advances in identification techniques, using DNA analysis, should help to prevent future varietal confusion.
THE FUTURE OF WINE
Worldwide trends in wine labeling are taking two
directions simultaneously. One is toward more "branding"
of appellations, wine producing estates, and vineyard
names. This geography-based method protects the exclusivity of the
producers, favors pricing limited only by demand, and
requires more knowledge and awareness on the part of the
The other direction
points toward increased use of varietal labeling. This
makes for more competition among brands, popular pricing,
and greater appeal to a generally less knowledgeable
consumer. Both methods will probably continue to grow in
usage and, in time, may eventually meld so that all wine
labels will then reveal both the vineyard locations and
the grape varieties used.
1. Production of dry table wine in the United States did not surpass sweet fortified wine volume until 1967. RETURN
2. American wines do have a history of varietal labeling that goes back to the late 1800s, but the public did not know what to make of names such as Riesling, Grenache, or Zinfandel and were more familiar with "generic" labels featuring famous names like Burgundy, Chablis, Chianti, Claret, and Rhine. RETURN
3. Preferred use of the word "varietal" is as an adjective (examples throughout this article); although popular usage of the word as a noun began circa 1983-85, this usage should only refer to qualified wine, never to grapes. The noun "variety" should always be used to reference grapes; e.g., In the market place, varietals often compete with proprietary blends, made from mixed varieties. RETURN
Dean Walters' Early California Wine Trade Archive site is really well-designed and should serve as harbinger of a wine-museum-yet-to-come. Several slide shows display photos, labels, bottles, postcards, etc., dating back to the mid-19th Century. Encourage Dean's mission by visiting and contributing if you can.
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Know the difference between a Hurricane Watch and a Hurricane Warning.
- A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the specified watch area within 48 hours.
- A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected to affect the warning area within 36 hours.
Prepare a Personal Evacuation Plan
- Identify ahead of time where you could go if you are told to evacuate. Choose several places -- a friend's home in another town, a hotel, or a shelter. You should tell a relative or friend outside the area where you plan to go and how you plan to get there.
- Have a list of important telephone numbers as well as a road map of the area. You may need to take alternative or unfamiliar routes if major roads are closed or clogged.
- Listen to NOAA Weather Radio and Newscenter 11 for evacuation instructions. If advised to evacuate, do so immediately.
Assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit
Kits should include the following items:
- First aid kit and essential medications.
- Canned food and a non-electric can opener. Remember the power may be out for several days.
- At least three gallons of water for each person in your family.
- Protective clothing, rainwear, and bedding or sleeping bags.
- Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries.
- Special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members.
- Written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas, and water if authorities advise you to do so. Remember, a professional will need to turn on natural gas service back on.
Prepare For High Winds...
- Install hurricane shutters or purchase precut one-half inch outdoor plywood boards for each window of your home. Install anchors for the plywood and predrill holes in the plywood so that you can put it up quickly.
- Make trees more wind resistant by removing diseased and damaged limbs, then strategically removing branches so that wind can blow through.
When A Hurricane Watch Is Issued...
- Listen to NOAA Weather Radio and WTOK for up-to-date storm information.
- Prepare to bring inside any lawn furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants, and anything else that can be picked up by wind.
- Prepare to cover all windows of your home. If shutters have not been installed, use precut plywood as described above. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking, so tape is not recommended.
- Fill your car's gas tank.
- Recheck manufactured home tie-downs.
- Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first aid supplies, drinking water, and medications.
When A Hurricane Warning Is Issued...
- Listen to the advice of local officials, and leave if they tell you to do so.
- Complete preparation activities.
- If you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors and away from windows.
- Be aware that the calm "eye" can be deceptive; the storm is not over. Often, the worst part of the storm will happen once the eye passes over and the winds blow from the opposite direction. Trees, shrubs, buildings, and other objects damaged by the winds before the eye can be broken or destroyed by the winds following the eye.
- Be alert for tornadoes. Tornadoes can happen during a hurricane and after it passes. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows.
- Stay away from flood waters. If you come upon a flooded road, turn around and go another way. If you are caught on a flooded road and water is rising rapidly around you, get out of your car and head for higher ground.
After The Storm...
- Keep listening to NOAA Weather Radio and Newscenter 11 for instructions and the updated information.
- If you evacuated, return home only when local officials tell you it is safe to return.
- Inspect your home for damage.
- Use flashlights instead of candles.
The above information was provided by the American Red Cross.
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This section characterizes the archaeological, ethnographic, and historical setting for the proposed transfer properties, along with the regulatory framework applicable to cultural resources for the properties involved in the proposed land transfers for Burney Falls, Ahjumawi Lava Beds State Park, and McArthur Swamp. Previous archaeological surveys and recorded sites within the transfer properties are discussed. The section concludes with a discussion of the potential impacts to cultural resources that could occur as a result of project-related actions and suggested mitigation measures to alleviate such impacts.
Ethnographic and Archaeological Background
All of the parcels involved in the proposed land transfers lie within the ethnographic territory of the Ahjumawi, who are more commonly referred to as the Pit River Indians. Several references discuss the culture and lifeways of these people (Dixon 1908, Kniffen 1928, Kroeber 1925, Merriam 1926, and Olmsted and Stewart 1978), and the following is summarized from these sources and from recent archaeological reports. Achumawi translates to "river (literally "it flows") people." The Achumawi occupied lands extending from Mount Shasta on the northwest to Lassen Peak on the southwest and from Goose Lake on the northeast to Eagle Lake on the southeast.
There are nine Achumawi tribelets, each of which occupied a portion of the Pit River and its tributaries, as well as lands extending some distance away from the river. The nine tribelets functioned as self-governing units, but were closely related through intermarriage. They shared a common language from the Palaihnihan branch of the Hokan family of languages, and although there were some dialectal differences, they were not different enough to prohibit communication. The proposed land transfers for this project includes lands in the traditional territory of three of these tribelets: Ahjumawi, Ilmawi, and Itsatawi.
Villages were centered around concentrations of food resources, such as fish streams and swamps. Structures used for habitation consisted of semi-subterranean winter structures with sloping bark roofs, and summer huts of brush or tule-mat. The winter village communities also contained a larger semi-subterranean structure used for gatherings.
The natural environment was rich with food resources, including fish, waterfowl, game, root crops, acorns, and other plants. Acorn processing was a staple of the indigenous subsistence patterns, and this resource was abundant along the Pit River. Streams, lakes, meadows, and swamps were especially important to the Achumawi because they provided such a large proportion of their food and shelter. Prior to the construction of powerhouses on the Pit River, salmon and other anadromous fish traveled up the Pit River and its tributaries. In Achumawi territory, there were about fifty miles of salmon streams and 150 miles of streams from which bass, catfish, lamprey, pike, suckers, trout, and a number of species of minnows were taken. Crawfish and mussels were also eaten. Vegetal foods were an important part of the diet, and a wide variety of roots, seeds, berries, nuts, and herbs were gathered in season. Hunting appears to have been secondary to fishing and gathering, but numerous species were taken.
Archaeological investigations in the project vicinity have provided a chronology for the occupation by prehistoric people in the area. One of the earliest archaeological investigations in the project vicinity was conducted by Baumhoff and Olmsted (1963) at the Lorenzen site in Little Hot Springs Valley, Modoc County; and more recent work has been conducted by Manuel (1983), by Kelly et al. (1987), and by Hull et al. (1999). The project areas appear to have first been inhabited by ancestors of the Pit River Tribe approximately 5,000 years ago, and there has been almost continuous occupation since that time. This chronology has been divided into seven phases, with the most recent being the historic phase (A.D. 1730-1850) which ended with Euroamerican contact. Between 3000 B.C. and 1350 B.C., the region appears to have been used intermittently, with hunting as the main subsistence activity; and hunting continued to be the major subsistence focus between 1350 B.C. and A.D. 750. The Elko projectile point is the most common type noted in the archaeological record during this period; and obsidian sourcing studies document obsidian from nine major sources within a 50-mile radius of Lake Britton. These sites around the lake continue to yield valuable data on prehistoric economies and subsistence patterns along the Pit River.
A change in the subsistence base and technology appears to have occurred around A.D. 750 when the focus changed to riverine resources. Rosegate and Gunther style projectile points represent the period between A.D. 750 and A.D. 1450. Between A.D. 1450 and A.D. 1830, the population appears to have stabilized with subsistence still riverine-based; and Gunther and Desert Side-notched projectile point styles then dominate the cultural assemblages.
The first Euroamericans in the project area came in 1832-33 with a Hudson’s Bay Company expedition led by John Work. The local natives shot and killed many of Work’s horses; and, thus, the Pit River peoples gained a reputation for being aggressive (Kelly et al. 1987).
Permanent settlement by Euroamericans began in the area some 20 years later; and through the 1860s, confrontation was common among the Pit River bands and Euroamericans, as the local natives resisted Euroamerican settlement of the area. This violence exploded in 1856 with the destruction of the small settlement and ferry at Lockhart Ferry, near the present town of Fall River Mills, east of Burney Valley. A retaliation effort in 1857 resulted in the killing of many Achumawi (Neasham 1957); and in 1859, a similar conflict took place between Euroamericans and the Atsugewi at Hat Creek Station (Garth 1978). Following the incident at Lockhart Ferry, George Crook, at the command of the U.S. 4th Infantry, Company D, built a fort in 1857 near Fall River Mills to establish a military presence in the area. Fort Crook was occupied until 1869 and played a major role in attracting new settlement to the region (Neasham 1957). A wagon road was built from Fort Crook to Redding (now submerged under Lake Britton); and communities developed in the area.
Glenburn is reportedly the first town in Fall River Valley. Originally called Burgettville, it was established in the 1860s by William Burgett, who, upon learning that it was illegal to sell liquor within a mile of a military post, paced off a distance of approximately two miles from Fort Crook and built his store and blacksmith shop (Smith 1991).
By the 1860s and 1870s, substantial Euroamerican settlement had occurred, and the violence between the groups had diminished, partly because indigenous populations had perished or had been moved to a reservation. Foreign-born disease was responsible, in part, for the devastation of local Native American populations; and in 1859, the State of California had moved the remaining Native Americans in the area to the Round Valley Reservation in Mendocino County. Later, however, the Achumawi and Atsugewi began leaving the reservation to return to their homeland (Garth 1978).
Burney, Burney Valley, and Burney Falls were named after Samuel Burney who died at the hands of local Indians in 1858. In 1877, the Ray family moved into the woodlands near Burney Falls. The family developed this land near the falls, and they farmed and grazed cattle. A water-powered sawmill, an irrigation ditch, and numerous outbuildings were constructed. In 1906, Issac Ray left the area, selling his 160-acre farm, which included the Falls, to Judge J. W. Logan of San Francisco, a land speculator.
In the second decade of the twentieth century, hydroelectric power became an economic factor along the Pit River. Above the mouth of Fall River, the Pit River was a minor stream with little force; but below that point, with the added volume of Hat Creek, the Pit River became a major watercourse as it flowed toward its confluence with the Sacramento River. Mt. Shasta Water and Power Company and Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) began to buy property along the Pit River to create lake storage behind proposed power-generating dams. In the Fall River Valley, PG&E acquired water rights from the McArthur brothers and other valley ranchers. Reacting before the fact, Frank McArthur, a rancher from Likely Valley in Modoc County, convinced his brother Scott, a Fall River rancher, to buy the Logan property that contained the Falls, because the McArthurs feared that PG&E planned to dam and divert Burney Creek above the Falls. Scott purchased the 160 acres around the Falls and transferred it to Frank and Ethel McArthur. The McArthurs then gifted the property to the State of California for one dollar in May 1920. In 1922, the State of California transferred the property to the Division of Forestry to manage; and in 1925, under pressure from the McArthur family, the Division of Forestry assigned a custodian to manage the property as a public facility and gave it a name, McArthur Memorial Park.
Meanwhile, PG&E was building the dam below the confluence of Burney Creek and the Pit River that would create Lake Britton. The company declared a piece of property surplus just to the north of the original park, and this additional 160 acres was gift-deeded to the Division of Forestry, making McArthur Memorial Park a 320-acre park. The park then went to the State Park System shortly after its creation in 1926 (Department of Parks and Recreation 1997).
The McArthur Swamp exemplifies mid-nineteenth and early twentieth century Euroamerican settlement patterns in the region. In 1860, settlers purchased nearby lands from the state of California and performed the first reclamation in the area by blasting out a section of rock to drain Big Lake. Much of the lake was drained, but the swamp area remained, and thousands of acres of tules flourished. This did not stop the ranchers, however, from leasing land in the swamp to graze cattle (Callison 1968). During years of heavy precipitation the swamp extended to near the present fairgrounds in McArthur.
John McArthur purchased land holdings in and around the swamp in 1868, and the family planned the town of McArthur where it presently stands. They also began constructing a drainage canal to divert drainage water into the Pit River; and as part of the same project, water diverted from the Tule River was conveyed to the town of McArthur to irrigate the McArthur family’s fields (Callison 1968).
In 1903, construction also began on 12 miles of levees around Big Lake, the Tule River, and the Little Tule River to protect the swamp from persistent flooding. Wagons hauled sediment to the required sites, and steam-powered dredges trawled out the river to form levees. Most of the original levee system was constructed using a steam-powered dredge. Over a period of 10 years, levees ten feet high and several drainage laterals were built; and the original dredge was used until 1914. Upon completion, however, the peat in the swamp soils was not as rich as hoped, and the area was left fallow (Callison 1968).
In 1922, PG&E opened the Pit 1 Powerhouse to generate power using the Fall River, but the project was initially hampered by the large amount of water being diverted by the McArthurs. PG&E then bought the land from the McArthurs in 1924. During that same time, PG&E built a muskrat farm in the swamp leased land to Jerry Masek. Masek built the original Big Lake Access building and a fence around the area for raising muskrats.
In 1963, PG&E contracted for the construction of a dredge with a 97-foot boom, using a 1.5 cubic yard side-draft clamshell bucket powered by a diesel engine. This dredge, named "Frances," is still intact and docked near the Glenburn Dredge site.
The levees evident on former PG&E property at Ahjumawi State Park are a result of early levee construction to control the water flowing from Big Lake. Bowman Ditch is also a man-made feature dating to the late 1930s or early 40s which was formed to direct water from several upland springs into the Little Tule River.
Paleontologists consider all vertebrate fossils to be of significance. Fossils of other types are considered significant as well if they represent a new record, new species, an oldest occurring species, the most complete specimen of its kind, a rare species worldwide, or a species helpful in the dating of formations. Even an area designated as having a low potential may yield significant fossils. Currently, no maps illustrating the potential for encountering significant paleontological resources is available for the transfer properties.
Paleontological information was obtained from available geologic maps, a review of previous environmental studies, and examination of records at California State University, Chico. Other resources considered in the determination of paleontologic potential are regional geologic reports, and site-specific field surveys. Geologic maps (available through the United States Geological Survey or California Division of Mines and Geology) show the surface expression of geologic formations along with other geologic features such as faults, folds, and landslides.
Geologic formations in which fossils are found range in thickness from a few feet to hundreds of thousands of feet. Even though a geologic formation may be known to contain fossils, the fossils are not usually distributed uniformly. If the fossils were part of a bay environment, for example, a scattered layer of shells may be preserved over large areas. If, on the other hand, a whale died in this bay, fossilized whalebones might only be found in one small area of less than a few hundred square feet. In addition, fossil-bearing formations are frequently discontinuous. Although sedimentary formations are initially deposited one atop the other, much like a layer cake, over time the layers are squeezed, tilted, folded, cut by faults and vertically and horizontally displaced, so that today, any one rock unit does not usually extend in a simple horizontal layer. In addition, because paleontological resources usually are deeply buried, their presence in an area is difficult to predict from surface inventories and existing geological maps. Even in cases where a fossil-bearing formation is found in a surface outcrop, the fossil-bearing unit may occur at the surface for only a short distance and from this evidence its depth or lateral extent would be difficult to predict. The following types of paleontological resources are known to exist in California:
- True Fossils: Lithified or replaced remains of plants and animals preserved in a rock matrix (e.g., microfossils, shells, animal bones and skeletons, and whole tree trunks);
- Trace Fossils: Molds, casts, tracks, trails and burrow impressions made in soft clays and muds which subsequently were turned to stone, preserving the images of past life (e.g., shells, footprints, leaf prints, and worm tubes);
- Breas: Seeps of natural petroleum that trapped extinct animals and preserved and fossilized their remains
The project area is within a region of California that contains large formations of sedimentary and igneous rock, which are highly conducive to the formation of true fossils and trace fossils. The Burney Falls transfer property is located in a formation that contains large quantities of diatomite, especially along the shoreline. Diatomite is the fossilized remains of ancient fresh water plant and animals. The McArthur Swamp, Ahjumawi Property, and Bowman Ditch are located in areas that have historically been inundated, and therefore, are less favorable for the preservation of true and trace fossils. However, extreme eastern and southern sections of the McArthur Swamp land base are mapped as containing volcanic and and/or diatomite rocks, and therefore, have a higher probability of containing potential paleontological resources.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYS AND RECORDED SITES
For information on previously identified sites or other historic properties located within or adjacent to the study areas, records searches were conducted at the Northeast Center of the California Historical Resources Information System at California State University, Chico (NE/CHRIS). The review of archaeological records conducted at NE/CHRIS involved a review of maps and records for archaeological surveys and sites in this portion of Shasta County and also included a review of the following documents: NRHP - Listed Properties and Determined Eligible Properties (1988, Computer Listings 1966 through 7/00 by National Park Service), the California Register of Historical Resources (2000), the California Inventory of Historic Resources (1976), California Points of Historical Interest (1992), California Historical Landmarks (1996), and the NE/CHRIS Historic Property Data File for Shasta County.
Burney Falls, Bowman Ditch, and Ahjumawi Property
An archaeological survey was conducted on these lands in 1984 for PG&E (Peak & Associates 1984). Six archaeological sites were recorded as a result of this survey: CA-SHA-383/H, -418, -1401, -1403-H, -1439, and -1745. Four are prehistoric sites including a cupule boulder, two lithic scatters, and a large site with lithics, bedrock mortars, milling tools, and rock cairn burials; one is an historic site documenting the Burney Falls cemetery, and one is a multi-component site that contains lithics, cans, and glass. Also, site recording and NRHP evaluation of Camp Britton was conducted (Maniery et al. 2000) and the camp was determined potentially eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Additionally, the transfer property is located within the Lake Britton Archeological District, which is listed on the NRHP.
Records indicate that the Bowman Ditch has not been previously surveyed for cultural resources. This ditch was reportedly constructed sometime in the early 1940s and, therefore, could potentially be documented as an historic site and evaluated for its potential eligibility to the NRHP.
Records indicate that the project area has not been previously surveyed for cultural resources with the exception of the entire shoreline within the parcel along Little Tule River, Ja She Creek, and Tule River (Hart 2000). No sites have been previously recorded within this parcel proposed for transfer, but 32 sites have been recorded within a ½-mile radius of the northern portion of the property. These consist of four historic sites, 22 prehistoric sites, and six sites with both an historic and a prehistoric component. Three of the prehistoric sites are immediately adjacent to the project parcel. This area is considered highly sensitive for cultural resources, and the Pit River Tribe has reported sites in the area. With the recent breach in the Ahjumawi Levee, however, all but the northern portion of the property is inundated on a year round basis and as a result, site surveys would be unfeasible.
McArthur Swamp and Glenburn Dredge Site
Garcia & Associates conducted an archaeological survey in 2000 for PG&E’s FERC relicensing project (Hart 2000). Surveyed lands include Hollenbeak Field (approximately 670 acres), the McArthur Swamp access roads, canals, levees (approximately 14 linear miles), and the shorelines of Big Lake, the Tule River, the Little Tule River, and the Fall River to within a mile of the Pit 1 Intake. Hart (2000) noted that in Hollenbeak Field, thick tules and grasses minimized ground visibility, but the archaeological sensitivity of this area was considered very low for occupation sites because during prehistoric times and prior to the 1860s, this area was completely inundated. Ground visibility along the edges of roads, ditches, and levees was good, allowing for an adequate survey; and the shoreline reconnaissance, conducted by boat, was targeted to identify locations where current levee damage and cultural resources coincided.
Five archaeological sites were recorded as a result of the Garcia & Associates survey, all of which are located along the access road from McArthur to the Rat Farm: CA-SHA-112/H, -591, -593, -3096, and -3097. These include the historic Rat Farm, three prehistoric lithic scatter sites (one of which also has groundstone artifacts), and a multi-component site with both prehistoric and historic material.
As part of the proposed project, additional archaeological surveys were conducted in the McArthur Swamp by Coyote & Fox Enterprises, Redding (Vaughan, 2000). This survey focused on the proposed areas of disturbance indicated in the project proposal which had not been previously surveyed or were not inundated: the proposed well site, the Rat Farm Pond, and the two areas designated for constructed wetlands (see Figure V-1). A pedestrian survey was conducted at each location with systematic transects at approximately 15-meter intervals, and approximately five acres were surveyed at each location. No cultural resources were noted.
As indicated above, a large portion of McArthur Swamp area has not been surveyed, but archaeological sensitivity for prehistoric occupation sites is considered low along the northern and central portions of the property, since these areas were mainly inundated up until the twentieth century. The Pit River Tribe, however, has expressed concern relative to cultural issues in the area and there are also known historic resources, these being sites CA-SHA-112/H, -591, -593, -3096, and -3097. Additionally, there are known historic resources, these being the historic reclamation features of ditches, canals, and levees.
Glenburn Dredge Site this area will be impacted by the proposed project because public access is to be reintroduced to Fall River through this area from McArthur Road. The shoreline of this area was surveyed during the boat survey by Garcia & Associates, and no cultural resources were noted at that time (Hart 2000). Coyote & Fox Enterprises (Vaughan 2001) recently surveyed the 200 x 1000-foot inland portion of the property. One prehistoric site was recorded as a result of this survey, a midden site with lithics and shell. This site, quite likely, has a subsurface deposit, and subsurface testing will be necessary to make this determination. Until such time as a determination can be made of the potential eligibility for inclusion on the NRHP for this prehistoric site, it must be considered potentially eligible and protected from public access.
Federal Regulatory Oversight
Federal regulations and policies pertain to those actions that involve federal funding, federal licensing, or federal permitting. Examples may include federal grants or licensing (FERC and ICC) and federal permits associated with vegetation and wetlands (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [Corps] Section 404 permits). Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and its amendments effective June 1999, requires that all federal agencies review and evaluate how their actions or undertakings may affect historic properties. Review under Section 106 is designed to ensure that historic properties are considered throughout the various stages of federal project planning and execution. Under Section 106, historic properties are those prehistoric and historic resources that are listed or have been determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The review process is administered by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). Recent changes to the Section 106 process have somewhat increased the role and authority of the SHPO and reduced the role of the Advisory Council.
Because the project involves certain birds under federal jurisdiction and an Army Corps of Engineers permit for wetland creation may be required in the future, the Section 106 process has been carried out for this project. Activities pursuant to the Section 106 process include cultural resource surveys for affected properties, the assessment of these sites, consultation with affected groups, and provision of mitigation measures for foreseeable adverse affects (Implementing Regulations: 36 CFR. 800).
Programmatic Agreement Regarding Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Pit 1 Hydroelectric Project (Project No. 2687-014-California)
As part of the FERC relicensing of the Pit 1 Hydroelectric Project, PG&E entered into a Programmatic Agreement (PA) with FERC, the California State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The PA applies to lands managed by PG&E that lie within the FERC Pit 1 Hydroelectric Project boundary, as shown in Figure 1-4. SHPO and PG&E signed the PA in July 2000. At that time, the Pit River Tribe had not signed the PA, however, had been involved with the reviews of the PA, and as a concurring party, they are not obliged to sign.
Included in the PA as a stipulation of FERC relicensing and approval is the requirement that PG&E (applicant) receive FERC’s approval of a Final Cultural Resource Management Plan (CRMP) specifying how properties included on or eligible for the inclusion on the NRHP will be managed in the Pit 1 Project’s area of potential effect, as defined in 36 C.F.R Section 800.16. The CRMP specifies several tasks as part of its implementation. These tasks include the identification of historic resources within the Pit 1 boundary or areas outside of the boundary that could potentially be affected by the project’s operation, protection of historic resources, mitigation of unavoidable adverse effects on historic resources, treatment of human remains, discovery of previously unidentified resources, public interpretation of historic and/or archeological values, coordination with SHPO and the Pit River Tribe during the implementation of the CRMP, and the development of a Traditional Cultural Properties treatment plan.
As part of the proposed land transfers, certain lands currently within the Pit 1 Project boundary, including the Bowman Ditch, Hollenbeck Field, other portions of the Ahjumawi Property, and the McArthur Swamp, would be removed from the boundary, and would no longer be subject to the existing CRMP.
State Regulatory Oversight
Under Section 15064.5 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, historical and cultural resources are those resources that (1) meet the eligibility criteria of the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHP), (2) are contained in local lists of historical resources, or (3) are deemed to be significant by the lead agency, in this case the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Historical resources can include, but are not limited to, archaeological sites from both prehistoric and historic times, historical places, important or exemplary buildings, or engineered structures and modified landscapes.
With the CPUC as the lead agency, California policies and regulations are the primary source of regulations and guidelines for the project. California criminal law prohibits any person (other than the owner) from willfully injuring, disfiguring, defacing, or destroying any object or thing of archeological or historical interest or value (Cal. Penal Code § 622.5). California law makes it a crime to willfully disturb or disinter human remains without legal authority to do so (Cal. Health & Safety Code §§ 7050.5(a) and 7052 et seq). If human remains are discovered outside of a dedicated cemetery site, CEQA identifies specific steps that must be taken with respect to the remains before the activity leading to the discovery may continue (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 7000 et seq.). If the remains are determined by the county coroner to be those of a Native American, the California Native American Heritage Commission (CNAHC) is responsible for identifying the most likely descendent of the deceased and assisting the descendent and the landowner in reaching agreement on how the remains should be handled (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 7050.5(c), Cal. Pub. Res. Code §§ 5097.98(a), 5097.94.).
California Department of Parks and Recreation. For lands to be transferred into the McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, the Park General Plan (1997) specifically identifies a set of directives for the treatment of archeological and historic resources.
1. Treatment of Archeological Sites:
Directive: Where the preservation and avoidance of sites are wholly impractical, archeological methods will be used to preserve information that can contribute meaningfully to the understanding of prehistory. PG&E’s archeological research designs for Lake Britton will be used to perform all necessary studies in the park. If any sites on PG&E lands cannot be preserved or avoided in the future, a PG&E archeologist will be consulted prior to the implementation of the studies.
2. Involvement of Local Native American People:
Directive: The department will consult with local Native American people, who are knowledgeable about these heritage values, on plans to construct or remove ground-based facilities. Native Americans will be invited to participate as monitors during major projects near sensitive areas. Such projects include, but are not limited to, removal of paved parking near the falls and construction of a new entrance road.
3. Indian Cemetery:
Directive: A management plan for SHA-1414 is recommended to protect and preserve this site of transcendent importance to the local Native American community. Such a plan could provide a syllabus for training staff, a format for documenting observations, and an outline of possible responses to vandalism and trespassing. Consultations with Native American representatives would be invaluable to the creation and application of this management plan.
4. Civilian Conservation Corps Structures:
Directive: The historical resources of the Civilian Conservation Corps will be protected and preserved for the future as a visible portion of the history of the state park. Adaptive use of these structures is allowed. A department cultural staff member on a case-by-case basis will review removal of any items, due to deteriorating conditions or conditions of public safety.
The Ahjumawi Lava Beds State Park is currently not covered by an existing Park General Plan. Rather, Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, Parks and Monuments governs uses within the park. More specifically, Chapter 1, Article 2 and Chapter 1.1.5, Articles 3 through 7 of the Public Resources Code pertain to cultural resources and their continued preservation.
State Historical Building Code
In California, the State Historical Building Code (SHBC) provides some degree of flexibility to owners of historic structures towards meeting building code requirements. The SHBC standards and regulations are performance-oriented rather than prescriptive, unlike most housing codes, which are more prescriptive. Jurisdictions must use the SHBC when dealing with qualified historical buildings, structures, sites, or resources in permitting repairs, alterations and additions necessary for the preservation, rehabilitation, relocation, related reconstruction, change of use, or continued use of a historic property. Historical buildings located inside the transfer properties, include the Camp Britton structure at McArthur-Burney Falls State Park and Rat Farm structure at McArthur Swamp. The State Historical Building Safety Board has adopted the following definition for a qualified historical house or resource:
A qualified historical building or structure is any structure, collection of structures, and their associated sites, deemed of importance to the history, architecture or culture of an area by an appropriate local, state, or Federal governmental jurisdiction. This should include designated structures declared eligible or listed on official national, state, or local historic registers or official inventories such as the NRHP, State Historic Landmarks, State Points of Historical Interest, and officially adopted city or county registers or inventories of historical or architecturally significant sites, places, or landmarks.
Under the provisions of the SHBC, new construction or modifications to a historic building must conform to prevailing codes, although the elements of the existing structure are given the flexibility of reasonable and sensitive alternatives. The alternative building standards and regulations encompassed by the SHBC are intended to facilitate the renovation in a manner that assists in the preservation of original or restored architectural elements and features, encourages energy conservation, provides a cost-effective approach to preservation, and ensures the safety of occupants.
County Regulatory Oversight
The Shasta County General Plan (1993) provides policies and procedures to mitigate impacts to prehistoric and historic cultural resources through its Heritage Resources Element, which is authorized by Section 65303 of the Government Code. The Heritage Resources Element states as its objective the protection of significant prehistoric and historical cultural resources. Policy No. HER(a) states that:
Development projects in areas of known heritage value shall be designated to minimize degradation of these resources. Where conflicts are unavoidable, mitigation measures, which reduce such impacts, shall be implemented. Possible mitigation measures may include clustering, buffer or nondisturbance zones, and building siting requirements (Shasta County Department of Resource Management 1998).
COORDINATION AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Native American consultation for this project is ongoing. A letter was sent to the California Native American Heritage Commission (CNAHC) requesting a search of its Sacred Lands files and contact letters have been sent to the Native American groups and individuals recommended by CNAHC to be contacted for this project. Two meetings have been held at the Pit River Tribal Office in Burney between members of the CPUC project environmental team and members of the Pit River Tribe, one on February 7, 2001, and one on April 3, 2001.
The Pit River Tribe provided a letter to the CPUC regarding comments on the April 3, 2001 meeting for McArthur Swamp. Comments received by the tribe centered around the lack of coordination and involvement by PG&E with the tribe as exhibited in the MSMP, the status and transfer of tribal allotment lands, and opposition to the transfer of State Park lands in Ahjumawi State Park to private ownership. The Tribe’s concerns have been considered throughout this analysis and addressed in the mitigation measures presented in the impact discussion below (Pit River Tribe, 2001).
Protocols for Native American consultation and involvement will comply with the standard procedures requested by the CNAHC and with the recommendations discussed at the February 4, 2000, meeting of CNAHC i.e., continuous consultation with the affected groups and true consideration of Native American concerns regarding prehistoric sites and resources. Members of the Pit River Tribe may serve as consultants and will be a part of the monitoring team in those areas containing resources that are important to the Tribe.
CULTURAL RESOURCE IMPACT DISCUSSION
Burney Falls, Bowman Ditch, and Ahjumawi Property
a-d) The transfer property within McArthur-Burney Falls State Park contains four archaeological sites, one historic site (Burney Falls cemetery), and one multi-component site. Additionally, the park is within the Lake Britton Archeological District, which is listed on the NRHP. As discussed in the Project Description, no change in the management or public use of PG&E’s lands within the State Park portion of the transfer is proposed. Additionally, no ground disturbing activities are proposed as part of the transfer within or near a previously recorded site. After the proposed transfer, the known archaeological and historical sites will be protected under the guidance of the existing McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park General Plan and the regulations contained in Division 5 of the Public Resources Code. As a result, no change in the significance of a historical and/or archeological resource, destruction of a paleontological resource, or disruption of human remains is expected to occur as a result of the proposed project.
The Bowman Ditch represents a historic landscape feature, constructed in the 1940s. Due to its age and historic use, this feature could potentially be documented as a historic resource and evaluated for its potential eligibility to the CRHP / NRHP. As part of the proposed project, the Bowman Ditch will be transferred to the DPR and be managed under the guidance of State Park regulations. Division 5, Chapter 1, Article 2 and Chapter 1.1.5, Articles 3 through 7 of the Public Resources Code set forth guidelines and practices for the management and continued preservation of cultural resources within State Park boundaries. Consequently, the transfer of fee title over the property to DPR would not result in a change of the significance of a historical, archeological, or paleontological resource, or result in the disturbance of any human remains.
No historical or archaeological sites have been previously recorded within this transfer property, however, 32 sites have been recorded within a ½-mile radius of the northern portion of the property. These consist of four historic sites, 22 prehistoric sites, and six sites with both an historic and a prehistoric component. Three of the prehistoric sites are immediately adjacent to the project parcel. With the substantial number of sites within close-proximity to the property, it is reasonable to assume that there could be undiscovered sites residing within the boundary of the property. This property is currently under the DPR’s jurisdiction and all uses are subject to guidelines and policies contained within Division 5, Chapter 1, Article 2 and Chapter 1.1.5, Articles 3 through 7 of the Public Resources Code regarding the identification and protection cultural resources.
As a result of the transfer of fee title to PG&E and subsequently to CWA, the property would no longer be under DPR’s jurisdiction or subject to regulations contained in Division 5 of the Public Resources Code. However, as mentioned in the Project Description of this document, there are no ground disturbing actions presently proposed for this property as a result of the land transfer, and the land would be protected under the proposed Conservation Easement and MSMP. Furthermore, the majority of the property is currently in a flooded state due to the failure of the Ahjumawi levy, and access to the area is limited. If, however, ground-disturbing activities are proposed in the future, guidelines contained within the proposed Conservation Easement and MSMP would require that an archaeological survey be conducted in consultation with the Ahjumawi Band of the Pit River Tribe to assess and mitigate any potential impacts to cultural resources. Therefore the transfer of fee title for this property would not result in a change of the significance of a historical, archeological, or paleontological resource, or result in the disturbance of any human remains and is not considered to be a significant impact.
McArthur Swamp and Glenburn Dredge Site
a-d) Five recorded archaeological sites reside within the boundary of the McArthur Swamp property and include the historic Rat Farm, three prehistoric lithic scatter sites (one of which also has groundstone artifacts), and a multi-component site with both prehistoric and historic material (Hart 2000). Additional cultural resource surveys were conducted as part of this environmental review for known areas of sensitivity where ground disturbing activities are proposed for habitat creation and restoration under the MSMP (see Figure V-1). As previously indicated, a large portion of McArthur Swamp area has not been surveyed, but archaeological sensitivity for prehistoric occupation sites is considered low along the northern and central portions of the property, since these areas were mainly inundated up until the twentieth century. Areas to the south, above the historic high water mark, however, are considered culturally sensitive.
Additionally, the levees, ditches, and canals within the McArthur Swamp potentially represent unrecorded historic resources. Due to their age and chronology of development (1860s to 1920s), it is likely that these features may be considered potentially eligible to the CRHP / NRHP as an historic landscape district. Any modification to the existing levees, ditches, and channels could alter the historical significance of these features, however, it is not anticipated that any of the proposed disturbance associated with the MSMP would result in a substantial adverse change in the significance of any historic resource as identified in Section 15064.5 of CEQA.
Currently, there are no known historic and/or archeological resources, as defined by Section 21084.1 of the CEQA Guidelines, located within areas expected to experience ground disturbing activities pursuant to the MSMP, including the Hollenbeck Field, Rat Farm Pond, Water Well, and the S2 and S1 reverse cycle wetland ponds. There is, however, the potential for such resources to be encountered during excavation activities in areas that are currently heavily vegetated. The greatest potential impact to archaeological and paleontological resources would occur as a result of construction-related activities from the implementation of habitat improvements associated with the MSMP. Excavation into an undiscovered resource could destroy portions of the site, disturb its integrity and context, unearth human remains, or impair the scientific value of the resource. This represents a potentially significant impact.
Impact V.1: Construction and/or excavation activities associated with the implementation of habitat improvements identified in the MSMP could encounter previously unidentified historic, archaeological, or paleontological resources. Excavation into an undiscovered resource could destroy portions of the site, disturb its integrity and context, unearth human remains, or impair the scientific value of the resource.
Mitigation Measure V.1a: Prior to the transfer of title of the McArthur Swamp, the applicant shall include specific language in the proposed Conservation Easement and MSMP requiring CWA to appoint a Professional Archaeologist (who is a member of the Registry of Professional Archaeologists), or Archaeologists, at least 15 days prior to the start of project-related vegetation clearance ground disturbance and grading, site or project mobilization, site preparation or excavation activities, implementation of erosion control measures, or movement or parking of heavy equipment or other vehicles onto or over unpaved or natural areas resulting from habitat improvements pursuant to the MSMP. The amended Conservation Easement and MSMP shall be submitted to the CPUC for review and approval prior to the transfer of title. As shall be specified in this new language, CWA shall provide the CPUC with the name(s) and statement of qualifications of its designated Professional Archaeologist (s) who will be responsible for implementation of all project-related cultural resources mitigation measures. The statement of qualifications must be sufficient to substantiate that the Archaeologist(s) meets the Secretary of the Interior’s proposed Historic Preservation Qualification Standards as published in the Federal Register (United States Department of the Interior 1997).
At least 10 days prior to the start of any project-related activity defined above, CWA shall confirm in writing to the CPUC Mitigation Monitor that the approved designated Professional Archaeologist will be available at the start of project activities and is prepared to implement the protocol specified in the MSMP.
At least 10 days prior to the replacement of a designated Professional Archaeologist, CWA shall obtain the CPUC approval of the proposed replacement Professional Archaeologist.
Mitigation Measure V.1b: Prior to the transfer of title of the McArthur Swamp and Glenburn Dredge Site, the applicant shall amend the proposed Conservation Easement and MSMP to include specific language requiring that prior to the commencement of construction and/or ground disturbing activities, the designated Professional Archaeologist shall provide all construction personnel with environmental training in a manner that will inform them of the possibility of encountering cultural or historical resources. The amended Conservation Easement and MSMP shall be submitted to the CPUC for review and approval prior to the transfer of title. All construction personnel will be trained in the identification of archaeological resources (which could include flaked stone, projectile points, mortars, pestles, soil containing shell and bone, or human burials), historic resources (which could include stone features, such as adobe foundations or walls, structures and remains with square nails, and refuse deposits), human remains, and paleontological resources (which could include true and/or trace fossils). In addition, the construction personnel would be trained on the appropriate protocol to follow if any resources are found, as discussed in Mitigation Measures V.1c, V.1d, and V.1e.
Mitigation Measure V.1c: Prior to the transfer of title of the McArthur Swamp, the applicant shall amend the proposed Conservation Easement and MSMP to include specific language requiring that in the event that previously unidentified historic, archaeological, and/or paleontological resources are encountered during habitat improvement activities, the construction crew will halt work within a 100-foot radius of the find and not collect or disturb the materials until the Professional Archaeologist has evaluated the location and determined an appropriate mode of action. The amended Conservation Easement and MSMP shall be submitted to the CPUC for review and approval prior to the transfer of title. The Professional Archaeologist retained by CWA shall evaluate such resources for California Register of Historical Resources eligibility ensuring that the evaluations are supervised by individuals meeting the Secretary of the Interior’s proposed Historic Preservation Qualification Standards (United States Department of the Interior 1997) for each particular resource type. An evaluation form shall be submitted to the CPUC, CWF, and the California Historical Resources Information Center. If the Professional Archaeologist determines that the resources are eligible for the California Register of Historical Resources, the Professional Archaeologist shall determine the appropriate action to be taken with preference given to preserving the resources in situ. If it is infeasible to be consistent with the objectives of the MSMP to leave the resources in place, the Professional Archaeologist shall conduct data recovery, if determined necessary to mitigate any significant project-related effects. If cultural resources are encountered during construction, Construction may resume once the Professional Archaeologist has determined (and implemented, if appropriate) an appropriate mode of action and has given the authorization to proceed.
Upon approval of this plan by the CPUC Mitigation Monitor, mitigation measures will be implemented prior to any project-related activities within 100 feet of the resource’s boundary.
Mitigation Measure V.1d: Prior to the transfer of title, the Conservation Easement and MSMP shall be amended to include language requiring CWA to notify a qualified paleontologist of unanticipated paleontological discoveries, made by either the Professional Archaeologist or construction personnel responding to their environmental training classes, and document the discovery as needed. In the event of an unanticipated discovery of true or trace fossil remains during construction, excavations within a 100-foot radius of the find shall be temporarily halted or diverted until the discovery is examined by a qualified paleontologist. The paleontologist shall notify the appropriate agencies to determine procedures that would be followed before construction is allowed to resume at the location of the find. Significant fossils shall be salvaged through a program of excavation, analysis, and documentation. Fossil remains collected during the salvage program shall be cleaned, sorted, catalogued, and then deposited in a public, non-profit institution with research interests in the materials. The amended Conservation Easement and MSMP shall be submitted to the CPUC for review and approval prior to the transfer of title.
Mitigation Measure V.1e: Prior to the transfer of title, the Conservation Easement and MSMP shall be amended to require CWA’s contractors to immediately stop all work in the event human remains are found during the MSMP’s activities within a 100-foot radius of the find. Following any such discovery, the Professional Archaeologist shall be notified immediately and will, in turn, immediately notify the Shasta County coroner, in compliance with Section 7050.5 of the California Health and Safety Code.
If the human remains are determined to be Native American in origin, the Shasta County coroner will notify the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) within 24 hours of the find. The most likely descendent shall be given an opportunity to make recommendations to the CWA and its contractors for means of treating or disposing of, with appropriate dignity, the human remains and any associated grave goods as provided in Public Resources Code Section 5097.98. Where conditions A, B, and/or C under Section 15064.5 (e) (2) occur, the landowner or authorized representative shall rebury the Native American human remains and associated grave goods with appropriate dignity on the property in a location not subject to further subsurface disturbance. The amended Conservation Easement and MSMP shall be submitted to the CPUC for review and approval prior to the transfer of title.
Mitigation Measure V.1f: Prior to the transfer of title, the Conservation Easement and MSMP shall be amended to require CWA to provide the opportunity for a Native American monitor, if interested, to be present on-site during project-related vegetation clearance, ground disturbance and grading, site or project mobilization, site preparation or excavation activities, implementation of erosion control measures, or the movement or parking of heavy equipment or other vehicles onto or over the project surface, within 500 feet of the boundary of known prehistoric resources and within 500 feet of the locations of modern and historic streams.
The Native American monitor shall be a member of the Ahjumawi Tribe and will serve in addition to the Professional Archaeologist. Monitoring by the cultural group representative is required within 500 feet of such sites. The amended Conservation Easement and MSMP shall be submitted to the CPUC for review and approval prior to the transfer of title.
Significance After Mitigation: Less than significant.
Glenburn Dredge Site
a-d) As part of the cultural resource survey performed for this environmental assessment, a prehistoric site was recorded within this parcel, however its eligibility for inclusion on the NRHP is unknown at this time and the additional testing and excavation required to make this determination is unwarranted at this time, since no change to this area is anticipated with the project. Until such time as a determination can be made of the potential eligibility for inclusion on the NRHP for this prehistoric site or consider it a historical resource under CEQA, it must be considered potentially eligible and protected from further impact.
As part of FERC’s recommendation as part of the Pit 1 Hydroelectric Project relicensing, a portion of the Glenburn Dredge Site has been proposed to be reopened for public access to the Fall River, with the installation of limited recreational facilities. This action has also been proposed as part of this project if the title transfer for the Glenburn site is approved. Therefore, the reopening of the public access is considered to be a reasonably foreseeable outcome of the proposed land transfer and has been considered in this document.
The reintroduction of public access to the site could potentially result in disturbance and a potential change in the significance of the newly discovered archaeological site and other potentially undiscovered resources on-site. Such an action could also expose the newly discovered site to potential vandalism and/or deterioration. This is considered a potentially significant impact.
Impact V.2: The reintroduction of public access to the Glenburn Dredge Site could result in a change in the significance of the newly discovered archaeological site and other potentially undiscovered resources on-site.
Mitigation Measure V.2: Prior to the transfer of title, the Conservation Easement shall be amended to include the portion of the Glenburn Dredge Site property that is bounded by the fence required by this mitigation measure and the Fall River. The Conservation Easement shall include language requiring that the new owner establish permanent protection of sensitive resources. The amended Conservation Easement and MSMP shall be submitted to the CPUC for review and approval prior to the transfer of title. The new conservation easement shall restrict any uses of this area of the site, except for the sole purpose of preserving the integrity of the sensitive resource. In addition, the Conservation Easement and MSMP shall be amended to include a requirement to reconfigure the existing fence layout at Glenburn to restrict access on and around sensitive resources. The Conservation Easement and MSMP, as amended, shall provide that a four strand barbed-wire fence effective to serve as a barrier to human and livestock access and shall be constructed at a location 100 feet from the boundary of the sensitive site or along the property line where it is closer than 100 feet from the boundary of the sensitive site (but not along the river). Construction of the fence shall comply with the protocols specified in Mitigation Measures V.1a-V.1f. The Conservation Easement and MSMP shall further be amended to provide for regular inspection and maintenance of the fence to ensure that it continues to be a barrier to access.
Significance After Mitigation: Less than significant.
- Baumhoff, M. A., and D. L. Olmsted, 1963. Palaihnihan: Radiocarbon
- Support for Clottochronology and Archaeology. American Anthropologist 65(2):278-284.
California Penal Code § 622.5.
California Health & Safety Code §§ 7050.5(a) and 7052 et seq.
California Health & Safety Code § 7000 et seq.
California Health & Safety Code § 7050.5(c).
California Public Resource Code §§ 5097.98(a), 5097.94.
- Callison, F. M., 1968. The Story of the McArthur Swamps. The Covered
- Wagon, pp 46-50. Shasta Historical Society, Redding.
- Department of Parks and Recreation, 1997. McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial
- State Park General Plan. State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation, Sacramento.
- Dixon, Roland B., 1908. Notes on the Achomawi and Atsugewi Indians of
- Northeast California. American Anthropologist Vol. 10:208-220.
- Garth, T. R., 1978. Atsugewi. In California, edited by R. F. Heizer,
- pp 236-243. Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 8, W. C. Sturtevant, general editor. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
- Hart, Daniel, 2000. Cultural Resources Inventory of Project Lands Upstream
- of the Pit 1 Forebay, Pit 1 Hydroelectric Relicensing Project (FERC No. 2687), Shasta County, California. Garcia and Associates, San Anselmo. Submitted to PG&E, Chico.
- Hull, Kathleen L., et al., 1999. Report of Enhanced Archaeological Survey
- for Pit No. 1 Relicensing Project, Shasta County, California: Additional Survey of Lands Outside of the Relicensing Area of Potential Effects.
- Kelly, M. S., E. Nilsson, and J. H. Cleland, 1987. Archaeological
- Investigations at Lake Britton, California: Pit 3, 4 and 5 Project (License No. 233) Archaeological Site Testing. WIRTH Environmental Services, San Diego. Submitted to PG&E, San Francisco.
- Kniffen, Fred B., 1928. Achomawi Geography. University of California
- Publications in Anthropology, Archaeology, and Ethnology 23(5):297-332. Berkeley.
- Kroeber, A. L. 1925. Handbook of the Indians of California. Dover
- Publications, Inc., New York.
- Maniery, M., J. Barton, and C. Baker, 2000. National Register of Historic
- Places Evaluation Pit River 3, 4, and 5 Hydroelectric System, Shasta County, California. PAR Environmental, Sacramento. Submitted to Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Francisco.
- Manuel, Don, 1983. Test Excavations at LAS-973, a Severely Vandalized Site
- in Northwestern Lassen County California. Paper presented at the 17th Annual Meeting of the Society for California Archaeology.
- Merriam, C. Hart, 1926. The Classification and Distribution of the Pit River
- Tribes of California. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 78(3):1-52. Washington D.C.
- Neasham, Ernest R, 1957. Fall River Valley: An Examination of Historical
- Sources. The Citadel Press, Sacramento.
- Olmsted, D. L., and Omer C. Stewart, 1978. Achumawi. In California,
- edited by R. F. Heizer, pp 225-235. Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 8, W. C. Sturtevant, general editor. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
- Peak & Associates, 1984. Cultural Resources Study for the Pit 3, 4, 5
- FERC-233 Project, Shasta County, California. Peak & Associates, Inc., Sacramento. Submitted to Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Francisco.
- Pit River Tribe, 2001. Consultation Letter: Comments on April 3, 2001
- Meeting regarding McArthur Swamp. June 13, 2001.
- Shasta County Department of Resource Management, 1998. Shasta County
- General Plan, October 1998, Redding.
- Smith, Dottie, 1991. The Dictionary of Early Shasta County History.
- D. Smith, Cottonwood.
- Vaughan, Trudy, 2001. Archaeological Reconnaissance of Proposed Impact
- Areas for PG&E's Proposed McArthur Swamp Land Exchange, Shasta County, California. Coyote & Fox Enterprises, Redding. Submitted to Environmental Science Associates, Sacramento.
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Barcelona, Spain: Researchers have shown for the first time that it is possible to stimulate a woman's ovaries to produce eggs for collection during the final phase of the menstrual cycle. The finding offers the chance for more women who have been diagnosed with cancer to restore their fertility following chemotherapy or radiotherapy cancer treatments that can seriously damage the ovaries, often permanently. The findings were presented at the 24th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Barcelona today (Monday).
At present, women who have been diagnosed with cancer may want to have some of their eggs collected and frozen in order to give them an opportunity of having children once their cancer treatment has finished. However, conventional protocols involve starting ovarian stimulation only at the beginning of a woman's menstrual cycle (the day that menstruation starts). Therefore, if the cancer diagnosis is made at any other time in the cycle, a woman could wait up to six weeks before it would be possible to collect eggs (or oocytes) after ovarian stimulation. For many women, six weeks is too long to wait before starting cancer treatment.
Dr Michael von Wolff, vice-director of the Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproduction Medicine at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, told a conference news briefing: "Depending on what phase of her menstrual cycle a woman is in when she receives a cancer diagnosis, it can take between two and six weeks to start ovarian stimulation and collect oocytes. Two weeks is an acceptable amount of time in many diseases to wait before starting a cancer treatment such as chemotherapy, but three to six weeks is far too long."
The researchers conducted a pilot study in 40 women in 2007 to see whether it would be possible to initiate ovarian stimulation during the luteal phase (the phase in the menstrual cycle from ovulation to the start of the next menstruation), without first having to give drugs to stop the luteal phase.
"Although other research has looked at giving medication to stop the luteal phase and then starting regular IVF treatment a few days later, to my knowledge, nobody has ever started ovarian stimulation immediately, without delay, in the luteal phase, either for IVF or for cancer patients," said Dr von Wolff. "This is because, in traditional IVF, ovarian stimulation has to be started at the beginning of the menstrual cycle, otherwise the endometrium is inadequately developed and a fertilised oocyte would be unable to implant successfully."
The researchers started ovarian stimulation in 28 patients in the proliferative phase of their cycle (the time from the start of menstruation to ovulation) using standard stimulation medications (GnRH-analogues and human menopausal gonadtropin, HMG, or follicle stimulation hormone, FSH). In a second group of 12 women they started stimulation during the luteal phase, using GnRH-antagonists and recombinant FSH (a synthetic form of FSH) in order to hasten the end of the luteal phase (luteolysis) and promote the development of new follicles containing oocytes.
The average time of ovarian stimulation was 10.3 days in the first group and 11.4 days in the second group. A mean average of 13 oocytes were collected from the first group and 10 from the second group. Nearly 77% and 73% of the oocytes were mature in the respective groups, and after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), 70% and 75% of the oocytes were fertilised respectively.
The researchers found that if ovarian stimulation was started in the second group during ovulation, then the luteal phase stopped after five days, and if stimulation was started in the mid-luteal phase, then it stopped within two days, enabling new follicles to start maturing.
Dr von Wolff said: "We found that the ovarian stimulation regime for patients in the luteal phase was successful in triggering the end of the luteal phase and the recruitment of a new cohort of follicles. The number of oocytes obtained after stimulation in the luteal phase was slightly but not significantly lower than those obtained after stimulation in the proliferative phase. However the oocyte quality was the same in both groups. This pilot study demonstrates for the first time that mature oocytes can be obtained before cancer therapy within a time frame of two weeks.
"This new protocol would enable patients with cancers such as breast cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma to have ovarian stimulation and oocyte collection. Waiting for two weeks before they start cancer treatment is acceptable for most patients while this process happens. For breast cancer patients, this technique can be combined with the anti-oestrogen drug letrozole. Furthermore, this protocol allows the combination of freezing and storing both ovarian tissue and oocytes, which results in the women having a higher chance of achieving pregnancy if their cancer treatment causes ovarian failure."
Dr von Wolff said information about these new techniques needed to be disseminated to oncologists so that they were aware of the options available to their patients to help them preserve their fertility. National networks of specialised centres capable of carrying out these techniques should be established, he concluded.
|Contact: Emma Mason|
European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology
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President Obama recently alerted Americans to the coming threat of a resurgent swine flu epidemic this autumn - and if a report that emerged in Michigan is any indication, obese Americans could face higher risk of complications from the H1N1 virus.
The issue is a significant one for the United States, as obesity is an epidemic unto itself.
"A high proportion of those who have gotten severely ill from swine flu have been obese or extremely obese, but health officials have said that might be due to the fact that heavy people tend to have asthma and other conditions that make them more susceptible," Associated Press reported
. "Obesity alone has never been seen as a risk factor for seasonal flu."
Michigan health officials examined the cases of 10 patients who had become severely ill with the swine flu bug. 90 percent of those studied were obese or extremely obese, and only 3 of the 10 had other health problems.
While this information is not necessarily enough to point definitively at obesity, AP notes, "Five of the patients developed blood clots in their lungs, and six had kidney failure. Those complications have been seen in some swine flu patients before, but not usually in such a high proportion."
"Clinicians need to be aware that severe complications can occur in patients with the novel H1N1 virus, particularly in extremely obese patients," Dr. Tim Uyeki, a flu expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told AP.
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In 1609, Captain Henry Hudson, an English explorer attempting to discover a northeast passage to the Far East, came upon the mouth of the great river that now bears his name. Before he entered the mouth of the river, sailing as far north as the place where Albany sits today, he took note of the unusual hills along the northern coast of what we call New Jersey, and the eventual home of Navesink Lighthouse.
What Henry Hudson established was that the uplands of the northern New Jersey coast were helpful aids in determining one's position relative to the mouth of the Hudson River.
This fact did not escape the attention of subsequent mariners in general and, some years later, of the United States Government in particular. So it came as no surprise to anyone that, in 1828, the federal government built a light station on the commanding, 200-foot New Jersey hills that Hudson had first surveyed.
To help distinguish the Navesink Lighthouse from others to the north and south, officials erected two octagonal towers, which were separated by a distance of about 320 feet.
The Navesink station was given high priority when it came to new technology.
In 1841, the two towers were given the country's first Fresnel lenses, imported from France and over nine feet in diameter.
So successful were these lenses in intensifying the twin lights that they could soon be found on lighthouses up and down the Atlantic coast. (Unfortunately, one of Navesink's historic lenses was damaged by vandalism at the Navesink Lighthouse Museum in 1991. It has since been repaired.)
The Navesink Lights were rebuilt in 1862. The south tower was given a square shape, while the north tower was octagonal. Centered between them was a fortress-like building, with huge flanking walls extending to either tower. The whole massive affair was made of brownstone and resembled a gigantic medieval castle, complete with turrets.
All of this elaborate design was intended to help mariners distinguish the Navesink Lighthouse from the Sandy Hook Lighthouse a few miles to the north. Any confusion could prove fatal, as a ship captain might turn his vessel toward the west prematurely, thinking he was approaching New York, and wind up grounded off the New Jersey coast.
In 1898, the north Navesink tower was decommissioned, and the south tower became the first lighthouse in the United States to use an electrically powered lighting device. The south tower continued serving mariners until 1953, when it was also decommissioned.
Today only a small, memorial-like beacon remains on the south tower, paying quiet homage to the historic role these twin lights played in developing and protecting commerce along the eastern seaboard.
One little-known but fascinating fact about the Navesink Lighthouse is that it was adopted as the official symbol of the American Army Corps of Engineers, who constructed it in 1862. For well over a century, the Navesink Lighthouse has been worn as an emblem on that service's jackets and caps.
The Navesink Lighthouse, which is also known locally as the Twin Lights, is easily visited. In fact, each year over 90,000 people visit the old lighthouse and its accompanying museum.
The station site, now a New Jersey state park, offers a commanding view of the Atlantic Ocean and the nearby coast. It is a good place to come, as many do, when the crowded steel and concrete canyons of the big city have grown wearisome and the soul feels the simple need for open skies, fresh sea breezes, and distant, unbroken horizons.
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Help support New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more all for only $19.99...
Of the Third Order of St. Francis, b. at Naples, 25 March, 1715; d. there, 6 October, 1791. Her family belonged to the middle class. Her father, Francesco Gallo, was a severe, avaricious man with a passionate temper, and from him the saint had much to suffer. He subjected her to much ill-treatment and hard, incessant labour which often brought her to the verge of the grave. Barbara Basinsin, her mother, however, was gentle, pious, and patient in bearing with the brutal conduct of her husband. Before her birth St. John Joseph of the Cross, O.F.M., and St. Francis de Geronimo, S.J., are said to have predicted Mary's future sanctity. At the age of seven she was admitted to Holy Communion, which she was subsequently in the habit of receiving daily. When Mary Frances was sixteen years old, her father sought to force her into a marriage with a rich young man, but the saint firmly refused, and instead asked leave to enter the Third Order of St. Francis. This request was at length granted her through the influence of Father Theophilus, a Friar Minor. At her reception among the Tertiaries of St. Peter of Alcantara, 8 September, 1731, she took the name of "Mary Frances of the Five Wounds of Jesus" out of devotion to the Blessed Virgin, St. Francis, and the Sacred Passion. Her body is said to have been signed with the stigmata, which, at her prayer, took no outward, visible appearance, and on Fridays, especially the Fridays of Lent, she felt in her body the very pains of the Passion. During her whole life the saint had much to suffer from bodily ills, and to her physical suffering was added mental pain from the persecution of her father, sisters, and other persons. Even her confessors, to test her sanctity, made her suffer by the severity of their direction. But over and above these mental and physical sufferings she imposed upon herself voluntary penances, strict fasts, hair-shirts, and disciplines. Her prayers and advice saved many souls from dangers. Priests, religious, and pious persons went to her for light and counsel. Her charity and compassion, especially toward the afflicted and miserable, knew no bounds. Like St. Francis, Mary Frances had a tender devotion to the Infant Jesus, the Holy Eucharist, and the Blessed Virgin. The last thirty-eight years of her life were spent in the house of a pious priest, Giovanni Pessiri. She was buried in the church of the Alcantarines, Sta. Lucia del Monte, at Naples, which contains the tomb of St. John Joseph of the Cross. She was declared Venerable by Pius VII, 18 May, 1803, beatified by Gregory XVI, 12 November, 1843, and canonized by Pius IX, 29 June, 1867. Her feast on 6 October is kept by the Friars Minor and Capuchins as a double of the second class, and by the Conventuals as a double major.
CLARY, Lives of the Saints and Blessed of the Three Orders of Saint Francis, III (Taunton, 1886), 278-86; STOCK, Legende der Heiligen und Seligen aus dem dritten Orden des hl. Vaters Franziskus (Ratisbon, 1886), 447-88; LAVIOSA-STROZZI, Vita della b. Maria Francesca, terziaria professa alcantarina (Rome, 1843); PALMIERI, Compendio della vita della b. Francesca (Rome, 1844); Nos Saints (Quebec, 1899), 241-2; RICHARD, Leben der hl. Maria Franziska (2 ed. Mainz, 1881); also Lives by MONTELLA, (Naples, 1867); ZAGARI (Milan, 1892).
APA citation. (1910). St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds of Jesus. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09755a.htm
MLA citation. "St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds of Jesus." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09755a.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Dennis McCarthy.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster at newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.
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About the CD
- Listen to this CD once a day (or more if you are keen!) Car journeys are especially good for this.
- Follow the book of tables to begin with, but after five days, try not to look at it. After ten days you will be amazed to find that you know your tables!
Note for parents: To begin with make sure your child only learns the tables relevant to their age group.
Running time: 50 minutes
"Just writing to let you know how FANTASTIC your CD is. My kids are singing along and really have learnt from it." ~ Ed Parry, Parent of Lauren and Rachel, Kent.
The Research behind
"Learn Your Times Tables"
The reason I decided to set the multiplication tables to music was for my son. Like most children, he did not wish to be bothered by having to practice, ad nauseum, his times tables after a long day at school. As a stressed out self employed mum of two, I didn't want to be spending my time motivating (and shouting at) him to study his multiplication tables.
So how to solve this problem, and find the best way to teach him his times tables?
Kids love music...
Music is an excellent resource for memory
When researching how best to write fun music for learning multiplication tables, I began by watching loads of cartoons. Kids love cartoons. And I noticed how my own children, and their friends, particularly enjoyed funny voices and could memorise the script and music after only one viewing. The more engaged they were by the character, the more they remembered the dialogue. I took the tip and decided to use strong characters, with some terrible jokes thrown in, to help the children memorise each multiplication song.
I called on my musical resources and began by writing a few of the times tables for Key Stage One (six to seven year olds) and then trying them out on children I knew. They liked them, and so I continued. I made each number have a unique song to make learning them easy. I then tested them in a real maths class of Key Stage One kids. The children enjoyed acting out all the different characters as they ran through the multiplication tables. They were having fun and learning their tables!
Parents, who knew nothing about my CD, started mentioning that their kids were singing their times tables over breakfast.
Spurred on by this enthusiasm I finished writing the rest of the times table songs and then we tested it out on a Key Stage Two maths class (eight to nine year olds). It was evident that a couple of the times tables were too fast, so I slowed them down. I returned with a new CD of music and to my delight out of all the numbers, everyone's favourite was the seven times table, which is reported to be the hardest to learn.
My son learnt his tables in about a week whilst motoring around France. He sat diligently with a printed sheet of multiplication tables on the back seat and sung them all, putting on silly voices and generally having a laugh. A few days later, we were out walking and suggested he try reciting them to us without the CD. He sang the whole lot, fluently and in a silly voice.
He was amazed that his daily practice of the times tables had paid off! He is now nine and very confident about multiplication.
But is it that surprising that this CD provides an easy way to learn the multiplication tables?
It is a well established fact that tips to aid memory come in the form of mnemonics, rhymes and songs. And as we all know, these methods are most effective if the subject is engaged by the music. When this happens, research has shown that music enhances memory, due to the amount of adrenalin which is released into the brain. However, if the music is deemed confusing or unpleasant, then the reverse can be true.
A study was done in 1998 at The Institute Of Education in London, to find out what effects, if any, music had on stimulating the brain and increasing memory resources. Three groups of school children were asked to perform memory tests. One group were played 'soothing classical music', the second 'aggressive modern jazz' and the third had silence.
The first group had significantly better results than the other two groups. The group who fared worst were played 'aggressive modern jazz'. Dr Hallam, who led the research group said "the differences were significant. The 'classical' group were better able to remember sentences that had been read to them than both the other groups, while the 'modern jazz' group had the worst results."
However, their improved memory and behaviour was not necessarily triggered by classical music per se. "It is really whether the music is perceived as arousing. We think that the music has an effect on the primitive mechanisms of the brain, and directly affects mood" said Dr Hallam.
I know that the music on this CD is arousing and that children respond brilliantly to it. I worked hard to achieve that. I believe that teaching multiplication facts through music in a fun atmosphere is the best way to teach the times tables to children so that they will hold this vital resource in their memory forever.
But remember, they must practice them every day, because as we all know, practice makes perfect!
♥ Julia Kitching
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| 0.980669
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Since 2001, the Foundation’s Social Inequality program has examined the social and political consequences of rising economic inequality. The program has investigated a variety of areas of social life, from education and health care to intergenerational mobility, to determine whether the increasing financial gap between the rich and poor has also exacerbated social inequalities of the kind that amplify and entrench economic differences. Recently, the program has turned to in-depth examinations of two key institutions the United States relies on to counteract market-driven inequality: public education and the democratic electoral system.
Voyer will carry out an ethnographic study to investigate how social inequality persists despite efforts to remove explicit barriers to the equality of opportunity. The project will focus on how everyday practices and cultural differences between socioeconomic groups become social boundaries that reproduce social inequality.
Jennifer Hochschild & Vesla Weaver
Jennifer Hochschild and Vesla Weaver will explore the rise of economic inequality within racial minority groups, looking at whether affluent and poor non-whites are divided politically as well as economically and residentially.
The Role of Private Schooling in Contributing to the Increase in Inequality of Educational Outcomes between Children from Low- and High-Income Families
Jointly funded with the MacArthur Foundation
Disparities in educational achievement and attainment between low- and high-income students have grown over the last four decades—an era of rising economic inequality. Some evidence has linked increased inequality and disparities in educational outcomes, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are much less clear. [...]
Does Attending an Elite University Help Low Income Students? Evidence From the Texas Longhorn and Texas A&M Century Scholars Program
Data from the Census Bureau show that the returns to a college education have increased over time and that by 2012, the gap in median annual earnings between households with a college degree and those with a high-school diploma was nearly $60,000. Despite this, increases in post-secondary attainment appear to have flat-lined, with low-income students particularly affected. [...]
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Author: Philip R. Goode
Affililation: Big Bear Solar Observatory
The Earth’s climate depends on the Sun’s radiative output and the Earth’s reflectance. Variations in the Sun’s radiative output have been carefully measured from space for more than twenty years. The Sun’s irradiance is about 0.1% greater at activity maximum. It is often argued that over the Holocene the Sun has been appreciably dimmer (upwards of 0.5%) than it is now at activity minimum. Is this possible? Recent information from the helioseismic detectors aboard SOHO have shed light on the physical origin of the evolution revealing that the Sun is probably cooler when its radiative output is greatest. The results also imply a sharp lower limit on the variation of the solar output. This limit implies that if the Sun caused the net sunlight reaching Earth to be lower in the recent past, the effect is indirect rather than direct. Combined with data from SOHO (later SDO), SORCE will provide essential data to advance our understanding of the connections between the Sun’s short timescale and historical timescale variations.
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Simple Definition of vocation
: a strong desire to spend your life doing a certain kind of work (such as religious work)
: the work that a person does or should be doing
Full Definition of vocation
1 a : a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action; especially : a divine call to the religious life b : an entry into the priesthood or a religious order
2 a : the work in which a person is employed : occupation b : the persons engaged in a particular occupation
3 : the special function of an individual or group
Examples of vocation in a sentence
This isn't just a job for me; it's a vocation.
people who follow a religious vocation
He never felt a real sense of vocation.
I'm a carpenter by vocation, but my hobby is painting.
Origin and Etymology of vocation
Middle English vocacioun, from Anglo-French vocaciun, from Latin vocation-, vocatio summons, from vocare to call, from vox voice — more at voice
First Known Use: 15th century
Rhymes with vocation
aeration, Alsatian, carnation, castration, causation, cessation, cetacean, citation, Claymation, cognation, collation, conflation, C ration, creation, cremation, crenation, Croatian, crustacean, dalmatian, damnation, deflation, delation, dictation, dilation, donation, earth station, elation, Eurasian, filtration, fixation, flirtation, flotation, formation, foundation, frustration, gas station, gestation, gradation, gustation, guttation, gyration, hydration, inflation, lactation, legation, libation, location, lunation, lustration, luxation, migration, mutation, narration, negation, notation, oblation, oration, outstation, ovation, palmation, palpation, plantation, potation, predation, privation, probation, pronation, proration, prostration, pulsation, punctation, pupation, purgation, relation, rogation, rotation, salvation, sedation, sensation, serration, space station, stagflation, stagnation, starvation, striation, substation, summation, tarnation, taxation, temptation, translation, truncation, vacation, vexation, vibration, way station, workstation
VOCATION Defined for Kids
Word Root of vocation
The Latin word vox, meaning “voice,” and the related word vocāre, meaning “to call”, give us the root voc or vok. Words from the Latin vox or vocāre have something to do with the voice or with calling. Anything vocal is produced by the voice. A vocation is the work that someone is called to do as a job. To evoke is to call forth. To invoke is to call on for aid or protection. To provoke is to call forth another's anger. The word voice also has vox as its root.
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up vocation? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
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Can My Child Hear?
Get your child's hearing tested right away if you think she has a hearing loss.
If you think your child has a hearing loss, get her hearing tested right away. Here's why:
- Children learn how to talk and use words during the first few years of life.
- After the first few years, learning how to communicate gets harder.
Read these pages to learn how your baby can be tested:
Today, hospitals often test babies' hearing soon after they're born.
Read this page to learn why they do it.
See how these programs work.
Visiting an Audiologist
See an audiologist as soon as you think your child has a hearing loss.
Read these pages to see what the audiologist can do for her.
Have you ever tried to do your own "test" for hearing loss?
Maybe you tried to make noises behind your child's head, like jingling keys or clapping hands. Those "tests" don't work.
Read about real tests for hearing on this page.
After the hearing test, you get a chart of what your child can hear.
The chart is called an audiogram.
Read this page to learn what the different parts mean.
Other Medical Tests
There are some illnesses that go along with deafness.
Read about some tests to find if your child has them.
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John McCarthy (computer scientist)
John McCarthy (September 4, 1927 – October 24, 2011) was an American computer scientist and cognitive scientist who received the Turing Award in 1971 for his major contributions to the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). He was responsible for the coining of the term "Artificial Intelligence" in his 1955 proposal for the 1956 Dartmouth Conference and was the inventor of the Lisp programming language.
- In 1936 the notion of a computable function was clarified by Turing, and he showed the existence of universal computers that, with an appropriate program, could compute anything computed by any other computer. [...] In some subconscious sense even the sales departments of computer manufacturers are aware of this, and they do not advertise magic instructions that cannot be simulated on competitors machines, but only that their machines are faster, cheaper, have more memory, or are easier to program.
- "Towards a Mathematical Science of Computation", Information Processing 1962: Proceedings of IFIP Congress 62, ed. Cicely M. Popplewell (Amsterdam, 1963), pp. 21–28
- Intelligence has two parts, which we shall call the epistemological and the heuristic. The epistemological part is the representation of the world in such a form that the solution of problems follows from the facts expressed in the representation. The heuristic part is the mechanism that on the basis of the information solves the problem and decides what to do.
The right way to think about the general problems of metaphysics and epistemology is not to attempt to clear one's own mind of all knowledge and start with 'Cogito ergo sum' and build up from there. Instead, we propose to use all of our knowledge to construct a computer program that knows. The correctness of our philosophical system will be tested by numerous comparisons between the beliefs of the program and our own observations and knowledge.
- John McCarthy and Patrick J. Hayes. "Some Philosophical Problems from the Standpoint of Artificial Intelligence", Sect. 2.1, Machine Intelligence 4, ed. Donald Michie (Elsevier, 1969), p. 463 ff., ISBN 0444197443
- [This] is or should be our main scientific activity — studying the structure of information and the structure of problem solving processes independently of applications and independently of its realization in animals or humans.
- John McCarthy (1974), quoted in: Joscha Bach (2009) Principles of Synthetic Intelligence PSI, p. 233
- LISP is now the second oldest programming language in present widespread use (after FORTRAN)... Its core occupies some kind of local optimum in the space of programming languages given that static friction discourages purely notational changes. Recursive use of conditional expressions, representation of symbolic information externally by lists and internally by list structure, and representation of program in the same way will probably have a very long life.
- One can even conjecture that Lisp owes its survival specifically to the fact that its programs are lists, which everyone, including me, has regarded as a disadvantage.
- John McCarthy, "History of Lisp," 12 February 1979; republished at www-formal.stanford.edu.
- Machines as simple as thermostats can be said to have beliefs, and having beliefs seems to be a characteristic of most machines capable of problem solving performance. However, the machines mankind has so far found it useful to construct rarely have beliefs about beliefs, although such beliefs will be needed by computer programs that reason about what knowledge they lack and where to get it. Mental qualities peculiar to human-like motivational structures , such as love and hate, will not be required for intelligent behavior, but we could probably program computers to exhibit them if we wanted to, because our common sense notions about them translate readily into certain program and data structures. Still other mental qualities, e.g. humor and appreciation of beauty, seem much harder to model.
- When we program a computer to make choices intelligently after determining its options, examining their consequences, and deciding which is most favorable or most moral or whatever, we must program it to take an attitude towards its freedom of choice essentially isomorphic to that which a human must take to his own.
- When there's a will to fail, obstacles can be found.
- John McCarthy (1983), quoted in The Sayings of John McCarthy, at www-formal.stanford.edu, March 1, 2007. Also quoted in Keith Cary Curtis (1996) After the Software Wars. p. 167
- It's difficult to be rigorous about whether a machine really 'knows', 'thinks', etc., because we're hard put to define these things. We understand human mental processes only slightly better than a fish understands swimming.
- Program designers have a tendency to think of the users as idiots who need to be controlled. They should rather think of their program as a servant, whose master, the user, should be able to control it. If designers and programmers think about the apparent mental qualities that their programs will have, they'll create programs that are easier and pleasanter — more humane — to deal with.
- Whenever we write an axiom, a critic can say that the axiom is true only in a certain context. With a little ingenuity the critic can usually devise a more general context in which the precise form of the axiom doesn't hold. [...] There simply isn't a most general context.
- He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense.
- PROGRESS AND ITS SUSTAINABILITY (1995 – )
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Editor's note: The material on this page was prepared before Genesis' Sept. 8 landing, during which the drogue parachute and parafoil did not deploy. For the latest on Genesis, click on the
"+ Genesis Main" link to the left. Pieces of the Sun
How was the solar system formed? How does life exist on Earth, but not on planets like Venus? These are some of the questions that scientists will try to answer with help from the Genesis mission, launched by NASA on August 8, 2001. Image right: The Sun.
+ Full image . Image credit: SOHO (ESA & NASA).
The Sun contains over 99 percent of the matter that makes up our solar system. With that in mind, scientists believe that pieces of the solar wind resemble the dust, gas and ice from which the various bodies of our solar system evolved. To better understand the connection between the solar wind and the evolution of our solar system, NASA's Genesis mission set out to capture particles of the solar wind and bring them back for study on Earth. What is Solar Wind?
While the Sun is mostly made up of hydrogen and helium, studies suggest that there are small amounts of over 60 other elements as well. The exact composition of the Sun is yet to be determined, as is an understanding of how that chemical makeup resulted in the diverse solar system we now know. The scientific theory behind the Genesis mission is that retrieving solar wind particles - pieces of the Sun's outer layer that are the mass of a few grains of sand - and analyzing those samples will give us greater insight into planetary formation and diversity. Capturing the Solar Wind Image left: This artist's concept shows the Genesis spacecraft in collection mode, opened up to collect and store samples of solar wind particles. + Full image and caption. Image credit: NASA/JPL.
To capture the solar wind, the Genesis team turned to such treasured materials as gold, sapphire, and even diamonds. These precious materials, along with silicon, make up the small tiles that are pieced together to form the Genesis spacecraft's collector arrays. In flight, an onboard computer decides which array would work best and deploys one of these bicycle wheel-shaped collector arrays to catch the particles when they collide with the tiles. Late in the mission, the collector arrays are all retracted and stored in the spacecraft's sample return capsule, which will protect them during their journey to Earth. A Mid-Air Recovery
The sample return capsule will separate from the Genesis spacecraft and coast toward the Utah Testing and Training Range (UTTR). At about 1.5 miles above the ground, the sample return canister will release a parachute which will slow its descent. A helicopter with specially designed retrieval equipment will move in, capture the capsule in mid-air and transport it to Earth with the solar wind particles safely intact. Related Links + Solar wind and the planets + En Espanol: Solar wind and the planets + Mission overview
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There seems to be two approaches to the Hollywood screenplay: those where the storyteller begins with a character and then creates a story around that character's needs, and those which someone first comes up with a “cool concept” and then later dumps in a bunch of people to carry it out. The stories invented in the latter concept-first, outside-in manner invariably wind up with characters who are flat, stereotypical, and emotionally superficial. This is because these characters are wholly defined by the function they play in relation to an already-constructed plot, rather than the internal needs, emotions, and impulses that make them distinctively human. “Concept-first” characters are little more than warm bodies used to connect the story’s dots. This is why most of them cannot help but become – to one degree or another – stereotypes. Quite often these human beings are defined solely by their occupation. How many movies have we seen with a police officer as the protagonist, even though the movie it is not a police drama? How many scientists have we seen in movies that have nothing to do with science? How many generic reporters, lawyers, and businessmen have we seen littered through the thousands upon thousands average-to-subpar movies throughout the years?
A true story begins with the creation of a character-
-a character with a strong INTERNAL NEED.
The “internal need” is something important missing from the character’s life- whether the character realizes it or not. It is the thing that keeps the protagonist from being a complete, emotionally satisfied human being. It could be a need for self-worth (Rocky), a need to grow up and learn your place in the universe (Luke in Star Wars), a need to recognize and appreciate the value of family and home (Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz). This need could be anything- as long as it is 1. authentically human, and 2. strong enough to influence the character's behavior. The storyteller performs his/her craft by first inventing a character with this need... and then placing the character into a dramatic situation where he or she is FORCED to pursue that need.
Robert McKee presents a concept from Renaissance philosophy in his seminal book “STORY” known as of the “Mind Worm.”
“Suppose a creature had the power to burrow into the brain and come to know an individual completely – dreams, fears, strengths, weaknesses. Suppose that this Mind Worm also had the power to cause events in the world. It could create a specific happening geared to the unique nature of that person that would trigger a one of a kind adventure, a quest that would force him to the limit, to live his deepest and fullest. Whether a tragedy or fulfillment, this quest would reveal his humanity absolutely.”It would be hard to find a better way to describe the creation of a character-centered story then the Mind Worm. However, I am going to give it a shot.
I prefer to think of the storyteller as the god of his or her story's world. The storyteller has absolute control, absolute power, and absolute knowledge over every single thing within that world. As the creator of the protagonist, the storyteller knows him or her down the smallest detail; the storyteller-god knows the character's strengths, and more importantly, knows his or her weaknesses. The storyteller-god is a benevolent god. He or she wishes the character to rise above his or her flaws and become a better, happier person. The storyteller-god knows exactly what the character needs in order to do this. However, the storyteller must be malevolent, even cruel in the methods he or she uses to bring this change about. After all, this great personal need cannot be simply given to the character. It must be earned. So, like the Olympian gods of mythology, the storyteller inflicts a drastic change upon the protagonist’s world. Conflicts and overwhelming problems rise up to meet the character. This is all a test, one designed specifically for the purpose of giving the protagonist exactly what he or she needs through struggle and conflict. This way, the adventure causes the character to grow into a fuller, better person. However, though the protagonist did not chose to go on this adventure, the success of failure is in the protagonist's hands. The protagonist can either gain the need and find victory, or refuse the need and meet ignominious defeat.
A character's struggle for his or her internal need must not to be confused with the Story Spine. The Story Spine is made up of the physical actions we literally see the protagonist take on screen. The Story Spine follows character's struggle against an external conflict through physical action after a tangible goal. The Story Spine represents the storyteller-god's test. The character's pursuit of his or her inner need is an internal struggle- a non-literal journey of change from a flawed, incomplete human being to a better, more complete person at the story's end. This secondary journey is known as the CHARACTER ARC.
The Story Spine and Character Arc are not two separate, divided lines of action. They are instead simultaneous journeys that not only interconnect and influence each other, but are dependent on each other for success.
To explain: in any given story, a character's personal traits influence how that character reacts to the situations presented by the Story Spine. A character's negative traits (lack of self-esteem, a bad attitude, an inability to connect with others, etc) will have a limiting effect on the character's success. As long as the character continues to have such traits, all of the story's obstacles cannot be overcome and the character will never reach his or her final goal. However, as the protagonist struggles against the Story Spine’s conflicts, these events cause a gradual and cumulative force that encourages the character to change internally. External conflict forces the protagonist to rise to the occasion and improve their flawed selves. As a character begins to change, he or she becomes better equipped to handle the conflicts he or she faces. Now new and improved, the protagonist gains the ability to overcome all obstacles, reach the story's goal, and complete the Story Spine.
To understand this better, it is necessary to look further into just where the “internal need” comes from, and how story events force character change to occur.
If we look at any protagonist, we will find that all characters possess two types of personality traits: CONSTANT traits, and traits that undergo CHANGE.
CONSTANT traits are traits a character possesses at the beginning of the story and maintain through the story's end. These traits are usually positive or neutral in nature, many of which are found beneficial to the character’s struggle. Examples would be James Bond's cool confidence in the face of danger, John McClane's sarcastic sense of irony, or Rick's strong silent nature in Casablanca. These traits make up the items in the character's personal toolbox – they are how the character has gotten what he or she needs in the past and how he or she will continue get what he or she needs in the future. These traits help define a character from your average, nondescript stranger, and will not change, simply because there is no need for them to change.
Then we have traits that undergo CHANGE. This is the stuff character arcs are made of. At the beginning of most stories (I should say all stories, but there will always be exceptions to every rule) the protagonist owns a collection of negative traits – traits that create adverse effects on the person's life. These negative traits are usually related, a bundle of traits that originate from a single, psychological FATAL FLAW. For example, if a character is flawed deep down by an unwillingness to connect with other people, this flaw will manifest itself as a collection of observable traits such as reclusiveness, loneliness, bitterness, or coarse and unfriendly behaviors toward others. If character's fatal flaw is a fear of taking chances in life, this will result in timidness, indecisiveness, or a hard time dealing with people who see him as dull, weak, or cowardly.
A character’s fatal flaw blocks the way to his or her internal need. To become happy and healthy, the character must learn to abandon the flaw and become its opposite. Once this happens, all the negative traits that impede the character's life will reverse one by one and the door will open to success and a greater well-being.
However, there is the most important thing to be realized about character change: the character's fatal flaw is always his or her OWN DAMN FAULT. Unlike a character's constant traits, negative traits are not the result of the real, physical world as it exists around the the character – but rather the result of the character's flawed PERCEPTION of the world.
Most therapists will agree that a majority of the emotional problems they see every day come not from their patients' actual reality, but from a false perception the patient has created of reality. Negative past experiences cause human beings to develop false sets of beliefs about their world, which in turn have negative effects on their behavior. A depressed person may in reality have plenty of friends, yet for whatever reason he honestly believes everyone hates him. A person suffering suffering a nervous breakdown may feel that her world is filled with insurmountable problems, yet in objective reality, this is not true.
In story, a character's fatal flaw comes from a deficiency in the way they view their world and their place within in. Casablanca's Rick (Humphrey Bogart) treats everyone with a cold, self-centered detachment because he has been led to believe that if he allows himself to care about someone, he will get hurt. The Matrix's Neo (Keanu Reeves) is reluctant to become humanity’s savior because he honestly believes he is an insignificant person. Goodfellas's Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) digs himself deeper and deeper into the world of organized crime because he refuses to see the truth about a life that can only end in violence and betrayal. But all of these problems are just in the character's heads.
So, here is how Character Arc works:
At the beginning of a story, a character's ability is limited by a defective view of themselves and/or the world around them. When that character comes face-to-face with a Story Problem and the conflict that comes with it, that character is FORCED to reevaluate this view. Pressured by the conflict, the character chooses to CHANGE. He or she then conforms to a more positive, truthful perception of his or her universe. Through this change, the character is able to overcome the Story Problem and bring the story to an end.
The whole of “plotting” - and by extension, the whole of “storytelling” - is simply finding a course of events that causes this change to happen.
Story comes from character.
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The United States spends an average of nearly $8,000 a year per person on health care — roughly double the average in western European countries. Yet despite high per-capita expenditures in the U.S., Americans under the age of 65 are less likely than their peers in France, Germany, or the United Kingdom to receive timely and appropriate health care.
In research undertaken in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and recently published in Health Affairs, we find that the United States has a higher rate of "amenable mortality" than these three European countries — that is, a higher rate of deaths from conditions such as diabetes or acute infection that could potentially have been treated with timely and effective care. In 2007 for example, U.S. rates of such deaths were almost twice those seen in France, which had the lowest rates of the countries studied.
The United States not only has a higher rate of amenable mortality than the other three countries studied, but also a slower rate of improvement in preventing deaths that could have been avoided by timely and effective care. Between 1999 and 2007, the rate of potentially preventable deaths among men under age 75 fell by 18.5 percent in the U.S. compared to a 37-percent decline in the UK, a 28-percent decline in France, and a 24-percent decline in Germany. For women, the rates fell by 17.5 percent in the U.S., compared to 32 percent in the UK, and 23 percent in both France and Germany.
The lag in improvement was most notable among American men and women under age 65. These individuals are more likely to be uninsured than are Americans over age 65, who are eligible for Medicare.
The observed differences are not inevitable. Other work has shown, for example, that the state of Minnesota has achieved outcomes on a par with those found in many European countries and an amenable mortality rate that is less than half that of Mississippi or the District of Columbia. Available evidence further suggests that these outcomes were achieved with patients receiving care that meets best-practice guidelines and receiving preventive care to reduce unneeded hospitalization.
Our research findings underscore the importance of improving access to timely and effective health care in the U.S.
Ellen Nolte directs the Health and Healthcare research team at RAND Europe, a division of the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.
This commentary originally appeared on RAND.org on September 30, 2012.
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Awareness of bullying has grown in recent years. But while the common images of bullying — kids shoved against lockers, and "mean girls" slinging gossip — emphasize bullying as a social ill, medical professionals increasingly see bullying as a public health issue.
Dr. Jorge Srabstein, medical director of the Clinic for Health Problems Related to Bullying at the Children's National Medical Center (CNMC), has long emphasized bullying's very real physical and psychological health effects. "Bullying is linked to a wide range of health issues, both physical and emotional symptoms," said Srabstein, who has both studied the issue and treated thousands of children in his practice.
Bullying affects "kids involved in bullying as victims, or as perpetrators, or as both," Srabstein said.
Those bullied and their bullies alike complain of headaches and stomachaches, have difficulty falling asleep and fall victim to psychological symptoms, most notably depression and "very significant anxiety," Srabstein said.
Interestingly, symptoms associated with bullying tend to appear in a cluster — that is, people affected by bullying don't often only get headaches. Instead, they get headaches accompanied by anxiety, stomachaches and depression, Srabstein said.
This clustering grants the appearance of a medical syndrome, Srabstein said, though there's not yet enough evidence to declare a "bullying syndrome." CNMC estimates 10 percent of U.S. children suffer this cluster of symptoms. Between 1 in 3 to 1 in 4 U.S. students report being bullied, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [10 Scientific Tips for Raising Happy Kids]
A public health issue
That cluster of symptoms has caught the attention of public health officials, physicians and other health care providers, said Julia Hertzog, director of the PACER National Bullying Prevention Center. Her organization, which advocates for children with disabilities, has received an increasing number of requests to educate health providers on recognizing, treating and preventing bullying, she said.
Health professionals can help in the fight against bullying in three main ways, Srabstein said: First, by contributing to community and school programs to increase awareness of bullying, thus promoting a more respectful environment. Such programs have too often left out public health officials, Srabstein wrote in a WHO statement.
But these programs, while essential, can only cut bullying behavior by about 40 percent, so health professionals must contribute in a second way: identifying bullying when it happens, Srabstein said. (Some studies show more modest effects for certain programs.) PACER helps hospitals and clinics incorporate bullying-related inquiries into their standard sets of health questions. Doctors might, for instance, routinely ask children if they feel safe at school.
Providers should share any evidence of bullying with parents, and suggest raising the issue with the school, Hertzog said.
Srabstein likens this medical campaign to historical examples of public health monitoring. "In the same way that schools have had to identify public health issues like the measles or curvature of the spine," schools and doctors need to work together to find signs of bullying, he said.
Treating bullied kids
But even public-health vigilance won't eliminate all cases of bullying, so health officials must make their third contribution, Srabstein said: treating the symptoms of bullying.
That means addressing headaches and stomachaches, but also the depression and anxiety that bullying entails. Psychological problems are particularly important, as victims and perpetrators alike face higher risks of self-harm, substance abuse and suicide, Srabstein said. A Yale study showed that bullying victims are two to nine times more likely to report thoughts of suicide compared with children who haven't been bullied.
"They are at a significant risk of hurting themselves," Srabstein said. "So, bullying is highly associated with suicide risk."
Reports and studies on bullying have increased over the last two decades, Hertzog said. The just-completed National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, created in 2006 by PACER, received White House support at the end of October.
The ongoing, increased attention for bullying should bring better understanding of the issue, too, Srabstein said. Both health professionals and the general public need to recognize that bullying can affect many different segments of society, not only students, he said.
"It's not an issue that just pertains to children in school," Srabstein said. Bullying can also affect children in the home, adolescents in relationships and even adults in the workplace, he said. "Bullying is a multifaceted form of maltreatment … It occurs across the world and across different social settings."
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Navaratri, a term
that can be literally translated to ‘Nine Nights’, is a festival that’s
dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Shakti as it celebrates the nine different forms
of the Goddess. Though there are four different Navaratris, the one that’s
widely celebrated is Sharana Navaratri in the months of September-October,
followed by Vasanta Navaratri that falls between March-April. Vasanta Navaratri
ends in Rama Navami and for this reason; it is also called Rama Navaratri.
The more popular
Maha Navaratri is called Dussehra in Karnataka and Durga Puja in West Bengal.
There are Dandiya nights where everyone does the Dandiya dance across North
India, particularly Gujarat. As this is a great
time to celebrate all that’s good with life like wealth, wisdom and family,
people visit with their family and friends and exchange sweets and gifts. This
is the start of the festival season; so many fairs are held around the country
in most villages, towns and cities.
Most people consider
this to be an auspicious time as they believe that the Goddess Shakti resides
in their house during Navaratri. People living in villages buy gold, vehicles and
land during this time.
Behind the Celebration
There are many
stories about the origin of the Navaratri festival. The most widely accepted
one is the story of the Devi killing the demon Mahishasuran in the present day
Chamundi Hills. People in the northern parts of India celebrate Navaratri as
the return of Lord Rama from Ayodhya and people in the western parts of the
country celebrate it as Durga Puja, one of the most auspicious times in the
calendar for them.
For people in the southern
reaches, Navaratri is a time to celebrate the Goddess in all her avatars or
aspects; so all houses are strung with decorative lights and dolls depicting
various themes and stories about the Goddess. Such a splendid display in a
house is called ‘golu’ and this is done mostly in Tamil Nadu.
During Mysore Dussehra
In Karnataka, Navaratri
is celebrated as Dussehra, including tenth day celebrations of Vijayadasami.
The Mysore Royal House celebrates Dussehra to this day with pomp and splendor.
The entire city wears a festive look and all government offices and buildings
are lit up beautifully.The Palace is strung
with lights visible from great distances and when viewed from the slopes of the
Chamundi Hills, it is a sight to behold!
performances are arranged, presided by the Royal family and singers and dancers
from all across the country come to Mysore for performing during Dussehra.
Giant screens set up around the city relay all the performances for the merriment
of the locals. On Vijayadasami, the famous elephant procession is held and this
is an awe-inspiring sight.
Something About Vijayadasami
considered to be a very auspicious time for starting new ventures. Most new
students are enrolled on Vijayadasami than on any other day. Even most schools
take new children in for the first time informally on Vijayadasami day.
Almost all arts and
craft lessons are started on this day and across India, all tools of the trade
are worshipped on Saraswathi Puja and used on Vijayadasami. Even buses and
trucks are washed and decorated.
When you take a trip
to India, make sure that you witness the Navaratri celebrations at their
festive best, whichever part of the country you might travel to.
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Bad Health IT ("BHIT") is defined as IT that is ill-suited to purpose, hard to use, unreliable, loses data or provides incorrect data, causes cognitive overload, slows rather than facilitates users, lacks appropriate alerts, creates the need for hypervigilance (i.e., towards avoiding IT-related mishaps) that increases stress, is lacking in security, compromises patient privacy or otherwise demonstrates suboptimal design and/or implementation.
Considering the problem of lost data (lost x-rays) that affects not one, but two versions ("versions 3.x and 4.x and higher") of a common GE PACS (radiology image management) system, as in the attached memo to hospital radiology and IT executives, one might ask:
- How long has this been going on before this 'glitch' was discovered?
- What validation and safety testing does GE use before releasing its health IT to production?
- Why was it discovered in several successive versions of PACS systems being used on live patients, instead of in laboratory testing?
- How many delayed diagnoses, injuries and/or deaths might have occurred as a result of this "disappearing image" bug?
- What is the likelihood this "workaround" will be uniformly adopted in short order?
- What levels of hypervigilance, stress and increased likelihood of error will this temporary "workaround" engender?
- When will it be fixed in all implementations worldwide?
Beware disappearing x-rays. Make sure every system user performs this workaround, too (click to enlarge).
|Page 2 (click to enlarge)|
It's not as if missing x-rays are a trivial matter. One routine x-ray lost to followup resulted in the needless and rather horrible death of an infant, and a $1.5 million settlement, as at the June 2011 link "Babies' deaths spotlight safety risks linked to computerized systems" (case #2).
Patient safety is being compromised.
Lack of regulation of health IT, and lack of reporting and accountability, needless to say, are major contributors to the prevalence of BHIT.
I also note for several years running, including in the latest report of 2013, the ECRI Institute (an independent tester of healthcare technology) reports health IT-related problems as among the top ten technology problems in hospitals (link to report):
...Five of the top 10 hazards explained in ECRI Institute’s report are:
1. Alarm hazards
2. Medication administration errors using infusion pumps
3. Unnecessary radiation exposures and radiation burns during diagnostic radiology
4. Patient/data mismatches in EHRs and other health IT (HIT) systems
5. Interoperability failures with medical devices and health IT systems
Three of the ten topics on the 2013 list are directly associated with the still-maturing [i.e., experimental - ed.] health IT field where the interplay between complexity and effectiveness and potential harm is most evident; several of the other topics are peripherally related to HIT issues.
“The inherent complexity of HIT-related medical technologies, their potential to introduce new failure modes, and the possibility that such failures will affect many patients before being noticed—combined with federal incentives to meet Meaningful Use requirements—leads us to encourage healthcare facilities to pay particular attention to health IT when prioritizing their safety initiatives for 2013,” says James P. Keller, Jr., vice president, health technology evaluation and safety, ECRI Institute.
The hazards included in the 2013 list, published in the November 2012 issue of ECRI Institute’s Health Devices journal, met one or all of the following criteria: it has resulted in injury or death; it has occurred frequently; it can affect a large number of individuals; it is difficult to recognize; it’s had high-profile, widespread news coverage.
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You are here:
Instruments and Methods
Training and Vacancies
Links to Partner
Environmental effects of transport
The transport sector is a major emitter of anthropogenic CO2. The annual growth rate of transport-related greenhouse gas emissions is larger than that of other mature industrial sectors. In the light of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and possible follow-up Protocols, this rate of increase creates a severe problem when trying to achieve emission reduction targets. Additionally, the impact of the transport sector on climate is complex and is mediated through more than just the list of gases in the Kyoto Protocol.
Climate impact of traffic
At the Institute of Atmospheric Physics we investigate the effects of various transport emissions on the constitution of the atmosphere and the climate. For example, the relative contributions of single transport means (surface transport, navigation and aviation) are quantified. For this we use laboratory studies, airborne measurements in the atmosphere with the research aircraft HALO and Falcon, as well as global climate simulations, in particular with the climate-chemistry-model EMAC.
Traffic noise and sound propagation
Traffic generates noise which impairs the well-being and health of humans. The institute deals with the propagation of traffic noise from both road and rail. It develops and operates simulation models that describe the system of atmosphere, topography and sound waves in a consistent manner.
Copyright © 2016 German Aerospace Center (DLR). All rights reserved.
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(BRONX, NY) As people age, their cells become less efficient at getting rid of damaged protein resulting in a buildup of toxic material that is especially pronounced in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Now, for the first time, scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have prevented this age-related decline in an entire organ the liver and shown that, as a result, the livers of older animals functioned as well as they did when the animals were much younger. Published in the online edition of Nature Medicine, these findings suggest that therapies for boosting protein clearance might help stave off some of the declines in function that accompany old age. The study's senior author was Dr. Ana Maria Cuervo, associate professor in the departments of developmental & molecular biology, medicine and anatomy & structural biology at Einstein.
The cells of all organisms have several surveillance systems designed to find, digest and recycle damaged proteins. Many studies have documented that these processes become less efficient with age, allowing protein to gradually accumulate inside cells. But aging researchers continue debating whether this protein buildup actually contributes to the functional losses of aging or instead is merely associated with those losses. The Einstein study was aimed at resolving the controversy.
One of these surveillance systems responsible for handling 30 percent or more of damaged cellular protein uses molecules known as chaperones to seek out damaged proteins. After finding such a protein, the chaperone ferries it towards one of the cell's many lysosomes membrane-bound sacs filled with enzymes. When the chaperone and its cargo "dock" on a receptor molecule on the lysosome's surface, the damaged protein is drawn into the lysosome and rapidly digested by its enzymes.
In previous work, Dr. Cuervo found that the chaperone surveillance system, in particular, becomes less efficient as cells become older, resulting in a buildup of undigested proteins within the cells. She also detected the primary cause for this age-related decline: a fall-off in the number of lysosomal receptors capable of binding chaperones and their damaged proteins. Could replenishing lost receptors in older animals maintain the efficiency of this protein-removal system throughout an animal's lifespan and, perhaps, maintain the function of the animal's cells and organs as well?
To find out, Dr. Cuervo created a transgenic mouse model equipped with an extra gene one that codes for the receptor that normally declines in number with increasing age. Another genetic manipulation allowed Dr. Cuervo to turn on this extra gene only in the liver and at a time of her choosing, merely by changing the animals' diet.
To keep the level of the receptor constant throughout life, Dr. Cuervo waited until mice were six months old (the age that the chaperone system's efficiency begins to decline) before turning on the added receptor gene. When the mice were examined at 22 to 26 months of age (equivalent to approximately 80 years old in humans), the liver cells of transgenic mice digested and recycled protein far more efficiently than in their normal counterparts of the same age and, in fact, just as efficiently as in normal six-month old mice.
Does maintaining efficient protein clearance in liver cells of an older animal translate into better functioning for the liver as a whole? Since a key function of the liver is metabolizing chemicals, Dr. Cuervo answered this question by injecting a muscle relaxant into very old transgenic mice and very old normal mice. The very old transgenic mice metabolized the muscle relaxant much more quickly than very old normal mice and at a rate comparable to young normal mice.
"Our study showed that functions can be maintained in older animals so long as damaged proteins continue to be efficiently removed strongly supporting the idea that protein buildup in cells plays an important role in aging itself," says Dr. Cuervo. "Even more important, these results show that it's possible to correct this protein 'logjam' that occurs in our cells as we get older, thereby perhaps helping us to enjoy healthier lives well into old age."
Dr. Cuervo next plans to study animal models of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative brain diseases to see whether maintaining efficient protein clearance in the brain might help in treating them. "Most people with these conditions are born with a mutation that gives rise to defective proteins, but they don't experience symptoms until later in life," says Dr. Cuervo. "We think that's because their protein-clearance systems can handle abnormal proteins when the person is younger but get overwhelmed as their efficiency falls with age. By preventing this decline in protein clearance, we may be able to keep these people free of symptoms for a longer time."
Dr. Cuervo will also investigate whether maintaining efficient protein clearance in all the body's tissues will influence longevity and prevent the functional losses associated with growing old. "There's reason to hope that drugs exerting a similar effect throughout the body may help us enjoy healthier lives well into old age," says Dr. Cuervo. Meanwhile, she notes, evidence is mounting that two dietary interventions low-fat and calorie-restricted diets help cells to maintain efficient protein clearance.
|Contact: Karen Gardner|
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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ObjectivesCommunication | Collaboration | Team Strategy
- 1’ x 1’ squares of cardboard or foam or rubber baseball bases work well also(half to two-thirds as many squares as people in the group)
- You can also substitute 8.5" x 11" pieces of paper
- 2 pieces of rope (or masking tape or 4 cones)
- Several Blindfolds (optional)
Source(s): River Crossing
Create a river by marking two river banks with the rope. Make the river wide enough to be a challenge for the group to get from one side to the other (look at about 15 – 25 ft.). Distribute the cardboard squares – 1 piece for every 2 people.
The object of the activity is to get all members of the group safely across the river. They must go as one big group, not multiple smaller ones. Also stress that everyone must be on the river before anyone can get off the river, forcing the entire group to be engaged at once. Participants cannot touch the water (floor/grass) and therefore must use rafts (cardboard squares) to cross. The water is filled with piranhas. Therefore if someone loses their balance and touches a hand in the water it gets eaten(put behind the back). Same goes for a foot. If a person completely comes off the raft they are gone and since this is a team exercise everyone must start over. I recommend using this motto with the group, "start as a team end as a team." You can also be creative and add challenges in as the group crosses. For instance you can say a fish jumped up and tail slapped someone in the eyes so now they cannot see(blindfolded). Tell them the river is acidic and when two people share a raft it tipped and now their legs are fused together(tie ankles together). Use these tools to help take away the natural leaders or more outspoken participants and it forces the others to step up and take on more substantial roles. No scooting or sliding on the squares. This can be a safety issue and it emphasizes individual work versus teamwork. Rafts must be in contact with a human at all times or they will be swept away with the current. Once the group has started the process, your role is to take cardboard squares that are “swept away by the current” and to watch for safety issues. Use this to your advantage as well. The participants will invariably slip up and leave some rafts here or there with no one contacting them, those you should steal. When the first group members get to the other side immediately start to encourage them to hurry and get off the river. Nearly every time the first few people will rush off the rafts leaving them unattended for you to steal and stranding some of their team-mates. Work this into your debrief, when working with a team you can't forget about your mates. just because you have made it to the finish line someone else may not have.
- Participants must stay in constant contact
- Each raft represents a symbol named by participants
- River Sections
- The tiles can only go forward. They cannot move backwards
- No one can finish until everyone has left the “bank” of the river
- Choose to add challenges like muting individuals, using only 1 arm, eyes closed/blindfolded, no one can talk, others can be "gators" in the river and try to impede those crossing the river, stand in front of the group with arms outstretched to simulate tree they must go around.
- Give group an object that they need to carry with them to safety and discuss what that might represent
- Create situations for them to draw from that are connected directly to their group
- What happened during the process? What worked? What didn’t or what hindered the process?
- What leadership was demonstrated during the process? How so? What did you observe?
- What were the individual roles people played? Were members comfortable with their roles?
- Who knew what the process for crossing was? Who didn’t? How did you communicate the plans to group members?
- What might the different aspects of the exercise represent in your group: the squares, the river, the loss of squares, the facilitator, etc?
- When the first people rushed off the river and stranded some of you how did that feel?
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8.4. CAM SIZE DETERMINATION
Cam size determination is related to the determination of the base circle of the cam. In almost all applications we would like to minimize the size of the cam being used. Large cams are not desired due to the following reasons:
1. More space is required.
2. Unbalanced mass increases
3. Follower has a longer path to follow for each cycle. Hence the angular velocity of the follower and the surface velocity increases.
However as we decrease the cam size, the following factors take into effect:
1. The force transmission characteristics deteriorate. The cam profile steepness increases.
2. The curvature of the cam profile decreases (sharp curves)
3. Strength requirements due to the forces and moments acting on the cam.
In practice the cam size is determined by considering two factors: the pressure angle and the minimum radius of curvature..
8.4.1. Pressure angle
The pressure angle, which is the reciprocal of the transmission angle m (i.e. a=p/2-m ) is defined as:
In cams there is point contact between the two profiles. The force is transmitted along the common normal of the two contacting curves. Pressure angle for oscillating and translating roller follower radial cams are shown below. For flat faced followers the pressure is apparently zero at all times (the normal to the profile is normal to the flat face, which is always constant). Curvature characteristics is used for the determination of cam size. In force closed cams, the pressure angle is important during the rise portion where cam is driving the follower, in return motion it is the spring force (or any other force used for forced closure) that lowers the follower.
The pressure angle is a function of cam rotation angle. We can express the force ratio expression for the pressure angle using the kinematics of the mechanism.
Consider an inline translating roller follower radial cam . The pressure angle is a function of cam rotation and the amount of rise, s (which is also a function of the cam rotation angle). At the instant considered, velocity of point B on link 3 (follower) will be vB3 along the slider axis (vertical). The velocity of a point B on link 2 (cam) at this instant is vB2 perpendicular to the line OB. These two velocities are related by the equation (see Chapter 2):
vB3 = vB2 + vB3/B2
In this equation:
vB3= Follower velocity = ds/dt=
vB2 = Velocity of point B on the cam= rw (r=OB= s+rb+rr. rb is the base circle radius, rr is the roller radius), The relative velocity direction is along the path tangent. Hence we have:
Here s’ is the derivative of s with respect to q. If the motion curve is known, the pressure angle variation can be determined (at the dwell periods note that tana=0 or a=0, no motion is transmitted). During the rise or return portion s(q) is monotonically increasing or decreasing. Except the double harmonic, for symmetric curves, s’(q) is maximum at the midpoint (s=H/2, q=b/2). Hence the pressure angle is maximum or minimum at half the rise or return motion for inline roller followers. It will be given by the equation:
Since , this value can easily be determined for a given motion curve. Usually rr is determined from strength considerations. The designer selects an acceptable maximum pressure angle and solves the above expression for the base circle radius.
Maximum pressure angle usually depends on the speed, load and place of application of the cam mechanism. In the literature as a rule of thumb:
If the cam speed is less then 30 rpm: amax ≤450
If the cam speed is greater then 30 rpm: amax ≤600
If the follower is eccentric as shown in, Then the pressure angle is given by the equation:
Where e is the eccentricity and c= or:
In force closed cams the follower is driven by the cam during the rise portion. In the return motion it is the spring force (or weight) that drives the follower towards the cam surface, hence the pressure angle is not that critical. Using eccentricity, for the same can size one can reduce the pressure angle during the rise while there is some increase of pressure angle during the return, or for the same pressure angle a smaller cam size can be used.
Determine the minimum radius of the base circle for the cam motion given in Example 8.2, assuming an inline roller follower radial cam, with maximum permissible pressure angle 260.
Since the rise is in cycloidal motion, Cv=2. Hence:
(rb+H/2+rr ) tanamax= 38.20 or rb+20+rr =38.20 /tan(260)= 78.32 mm
rb+rr =58.32 mm
If the roller radius is 10 mm (rr=10 mm) then a base circle radius of 50 mm (rb=50 mm) will be an acceptable choice for the cam.
In case of oscillating roller followers, The pressure angle is given by:
Where s=+1 or -1 if the cam is rotating away or towards the follower arm pivot. For example, for a counter clockwise rotating cam s=1. If the cam is rotated clockwise then s = -1.
( f(q) is the motion curve and , f0 is the value of the angle y when the roller is on the base circle:
8.4.2. Cam Curvature
In practice for roller followers it is common to determine the cam size using the maximum pressure angle criteria and then check that the cam curvature is satisfactory. In case of flat faced followers, the cam curvature is the determining criteria for the cam size. Graphically when laying out the cam profile, first the successive positions of the follower according to the cam motion curve is drawn while keeping the cam fixed. Consider the case shown below. According to the cam motion requirements, with the selected roller radius and base circle radius the positions of the roller are A,B,C,D and. It is not possible to draw a smooth curve that is tangent to all the roller circles. With Profile#1, the cam profile is tangent to the circles at positions A,C and E, and in Profile#2 the cam profile is tangent to positions A,B and E of the roller. There is no cam profile that will be tangent to all the positions of the roller. This is known as “undercutting” and occurs whenever
the radius of curvature of the cam profile is less than the radius of the roller (). The only way to eliminate this condition is that one must select a larger base circle radius or (if strength conditions permit) reduce the radius of the roller.
A similar case is shown in case of flat faced followers. The cam profile is not tangent to all the successive positions of the follower.
The radius of curvature of a curve in plane is given in polar coordinates as:
For a radial cam with roller follower the radius of curvature of the pitch curve ( the curve described by the centre of the roller follower, when the cam is fixed) will be given by:
As a rule of thumb for roller followers the following recommendations are made to avoid undercutting:
- Use smaller roller diameter (this is limited by the contact stress at the surface)
- Utilize a larger cam size (this is usually not desired. It must be applied if necessary)
- Employ an internal cam (the curvature is less critical but they are more expensive to manufacture)
For flat faced follower, the radius of curvature will be given by:
The Location of the contact point P on the follower can be written in complex numbers as:
Equating the real and imaginary parts:
Noting that the centre of curvature does not change for an infinitesimal motion, the first rates of change of rC and a with respect to q is zero. Taking the derivative of OP with respect to q yields:
or dX/dq = -rCsin(a+q) ds/dq = rCcos(a+q)
From the above equations we can conclude:
- Xmax=(ds/dq)max and Xmin=(ds/dq)min (maximum velocity during the return motion) Hence the length of the follower L=Xmax-Xmin.
- The minimum radius of curvature is when d2s/dq2 is at its minimum (largest negative value). The radius of curvature must always be greater than zero (when r = 0, the curve has a cusp).
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Pink and Say
by Patricia Polacco
1. Copy of Pink and Say by
3. Computer with Printer
Before You Read
Chose one of these activities to
complete before you read Pink and Say. These activities will help you
understand the topic of the story better.
1. KWLS Chart
- Pink and Say is about two
boys who are involved in the civil war. The civil war is very important to the
history of our country. How does this story relate to the real civil war that
happened in our country? A good way to get ourselves ready to understand the story
is to complete a KWLS chart. This chart is a good place to organize our ideas that
we already know, the ideas and knowledge we want to learn, what we learn after we read the
story, and what we still want to know after the story. Click here
to go to the KWLS chart that has been made for you. You will need to print out the
page and begin working on it.
- After you have filled out the
information that you already know about the civil war, you will need to start filling in
the what you want to learn. This information can be more about the civil war or the
characters in Pink and Say and how they relate to the civil war. Also,
I have a couple of good Internet sites that are about the civil war. These sites
will help you come up with some ideas about what you want to learn after reading this
story. Try to use at least one site. When you are ready, just click on the
name of each site to go to it.
- It is important to make
predictions about a story before you read it. This allows you to see what you
already know about the book. It also lets you see what you understand about how
stories work. For this activity, you will be making predictions about Pink and Say
before you actually read the book.
- For your predictions, you will be
using a chart that I have already made for you. Click here
when you are ready to start making your predictions. Don't read any of the book!!!
- Hint: Use the title, author, and
the website below to help you make your predictions.
While You Read:
- Now you need to start reading Pink
and Say. As you read the book, you have a couple of things that you need to
do. First of all, if you come across new information that you have just learned,
write it in your KWLS chart. You can finish this chart after you have finished the
story, but it doesn't hurt to work on it right away.
1. Vocabulary Definitions
- Pink and Say contains many complex
sentences and words that you might not be very familiar with. As you are read the
story for the first time, write down words or sentences that are confusing to you.
After you write these words down, try to define them on your own. Use the words and
the text around the words to help with the definition. You will also need to try to
define a couple of words that I have chosen for you.
- After you write down your own
definitions, you need to figure out what the correct definitions are. Click on one
of the dictionary websites below to find the definitions. Then write four sentences
using as many of these words correctly as you can.
2. Story Pie
- As you are reading through the
books, think about how the plot is working throughout the story. The plot is very
important to the movement of the story. After you have learned more about plot,
complete the story pie activity below.
- Write down some of the
actions or events that occur that you think make the story work. Just write this on
a scrap piece of paper. After you have written all the events down and finished
story, look through your list. Pick 10 events that can be the main events of the
- Using the Paint Program on your
computer, draw a circle and print it off.
- Draw lines to create ten pieces
(looks similar to a pie)
- Write in the ten main events in the
slices of pie.
After You Read
You will need to complete one of the
activities below after you have finished reading the story. Also, don't forget to
finish filling out your KWLS chart!
1. Writing a Letter
- In this activity you will be writing a letter
from Say to his mother in Ohio. This letter will be written in a friendly letter
format. In this letter, you will need to write from the view point of Say. The
letter will be written from Andersonville Prison Camp, after he had been separated from
Pink. You will want to describe in the letter everything that has happened to Say
that goes along with what you read in the story. Also, you might want to describe
what the prison camp is like and how Say is feeling. Hint: Use your story pie or
KWLS chart for help. You will need to write this letter using Microsoft Word.
Below are some sites that you should explore to help with this activity.
- For this activity, you will using your
writing skills and knowledge about the story to interview Pink or Say. You will be
reporter during the time of the Civil War and have just found out about Pink and Say's
story. Your magazine has sent you to interview either one at Andersonville Camp for
the front page story. You editor has told you that you must ask at least ten
questions and try to find out as much as you can.
- When you have finished
viewing this site, you will need to write up your interview questions using Microsoft
Word. Print off two copies of the questions. You will need to answer one set
of the questions. You will find someone else to answer the other set of the
questions. These questions should follow what happens in the story.
EXTRA CREDIT: Write a one
page story summarizing the answers to your interview questions. This needs to be
typed and include at least one picture.
- Below are some links to magazine articles
about the Civil War. These would be interesting to read to learn about Civil War
stories. If you are going to complete the extra credit, you will want to check out
- The Civil War Times Illustrated
- America's Civil War
I have made a small quiz on the Internet that you need to take
after you have read the story and finished all of the activities above. Click
on Pink and Say Quiz to take the quiz. You might want to read the story one more
time before you take this test.
Beyond What You Read - Fun Extensions
Now that you have finished Pink and Say, I
would like you to write a short review of the book. When writing this review, focus
on some things you thought really made the story great or what didn't make it so
great. After you have finished writing your review click on the Patricia Polacco
website below and send her your review through email. Also, take some time to
explore her website, she is a very interesting person.
How does this book relate to other areas in
our life? There are many ways, but I have created two activities for you to complete that
help you to see this relationship. Choose one activity to complete and turn in for
extra credit. These projects will take longer for you to complete and will not be do until
two weeks after you have finished the book.
1. Civil War Reenactment
- The Civil War is something that many people
in our country are still very interested in. Many of them thoroughly study this war
and the effects it had on our country. Some even form clubs and reenact battles that
occurred during the real Civil War. You are going to create your own reenactment of
any famous Civil War Battle. This project will must have the following parts:
1. Location (a real place where a battle
2. Information about your Reenactment Group
- Name of the group
- Number of members and those participating in
- Membership dues
- Mission Statement (why do you participate in
3. Uniforms worn by those participating in
reanactment (these can be drawn by hand, with Paint on the computer, or printed off of
4. Two paragraph summary of how the reenactment
took place (what happened?)
- This project can be difficult to figure out
where to start. I have listed many different sites that you need to explore and take
notes to help with the project. The sites are listed in the order that you should
look through them. The final copy needs to be typed using Microsoft Word.
American Civil War
-Scroll down and click on Civil
War Images or Photos of Battles. This will allow you to see pictures of
reenactments and understand how they work. You will want to use this page to gather
information and learn about how reenactments take place. Also, you can learn about
the uniforms and outfits people wore during the real Civil War. Make sure you click
on many of the links on this page because they are very helpful!!!
Civil War For Kids Page
-This is the same link as
the one in the beginning, but you need to use it again. You need to use this site to
learn about the Civil War and the battles that took place.
...If You Lived At the Time of The Civil
War by Kay Moore
-This is not an Internet
site, but a book that would be very good to read. It explains what it was like to
live during the Civil War.
2. Civil War Journal
- The story of Pink and Say is true and
has been passed down through Patricia Polacco's family. Some of the Civil War
stories we know about now have been passed down through families. Another way we
learn stories is through reading journals kept during the Civil War. Some of the
journals that have been studied are from soldiers, while some are from people who were not
fighting in the war. These journals are very informative and interesting!
- For this project, you are going to
create your own ten day journal. Below are some of the guidelines that you need to follow:
1. Each journal entry is dated with the
2. Each journal entry needs to be at least one
3. Information about at least three battles
need to be included.
4. The person writing the journal needs to be
fighting in these battles or has a close relative fighting in the war.
5. The person who is writing the journal
needs to explain his view point on slavery.
- This project can be hard to figure out where
to start. I have listed some sites below that you will need to explore to complete
this project. They are listed in the order that would be best to look through
them. You will need to first look through some of the examples of journals I have
included so you can understand how people wrote during that time. Your final draft
can be handwritten, but should be binded in a folder.
- ...If You Lived At the Time of the Civil War by Kay
Moore (This is not an Internet site, but a book that will help you learn about the time
period of the Civil War)
- Diary of a Drummer Boy by Marlene Brill (This is also
not an Internet site. This book uses a diary format and tells the story of a
12-year-old's experiences as a drummer boy.
Whew! You have finally completed the Pink and Say
project! Now it's time to see how you did. The rubric below is how your projects
will be graded. Your final grade will be based on the teacher's score and your own
evaluation. Click here to go to your own rubric.
Print it out and turn it in with your final project.
|All of the activities are completed correctly. The
directions were followed and the final project is done neatly without many errors.
||All of the activities were completed and 100% effort was
put forth. Attitude toward project was positive.
||The completed activities show a strong understanding of the
story and its elements (plot, setting, etc.)
|All or only some of the activities assigned are
completed. The directions were not completely followed and the project had a few
||Some of the activities were completed and some effort was
put forth. Attitude toward project was average.
||The completed activities show only an average understanding
of the story and its elements.
|Not all of the activities are completed. The
directions were not followed completely and there were many errors.
||Not all of the activities were completed and a small amount
of effort was put forth. Attitude toward project was negative.
||The completed activity show a minimal understanding of the
story and its elements.
This lesson plan was created by Rebecca Cartwright.
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While the focus of formal education at WHOI is on the university level and higher, the Institution has a history of formal and informal educational outreach to the public, teachers, and students from pre-kindergarten through high school.
| Jian Lin
(left) and Karl von Reden, both of the Geology and Geophysics
Department, plan presentations for K-12 students at a
New England COSEE-sponsored workshop. (Photo by Andrea
For decades, WHOI staff have participated as judges, mentors, and advisors in local science fairs, with prizes to top winners donated by the Academic Programs office, the Cooperative Institute for Climate and Ocean Research (CICOR), and the WHOI Sea Grant program. Our researchers regularly
speak to school groups, visit classrooms, give lab tours, and make presentations at museums and conferences. Sea Grant also sponsors a lecture series on ocean topics every spring, and hosts a Web site on marine science careers (www.marinecareers.net), among other efforts.
The WHOI Exhibit Center hosts approximately 50 school groups each year, and WHOI employees are an important part of the regional Ocean Science Bowl competition. The Woods Hole Science Technology Education Partnership, now in its 15th year, involves local schools, research labs such as WHOI, and businesses,
with the common purpose of advancing science,
math, and technology education in the schools.
Outreach activities in 2003 reached more than 200 K-12 teachers, and ranged from hosting the annual conference of Massachusetts Marine Educators, to workshops in oceanography for middle
and high school teachers.
The Web continues to play an important role in outreach. Several
hundred educators registered in May and June on the Dive and
Discover Web site (www.divediscover.whoi.edu), created by senior
scientists Dan Fornari and Susan Humphris to access daily updates
from an expedition to the New England Seamounts and provide
classroom activities based on them. During the three-week cruise,
nearly 50,000 visitors from more than six countries followed
an investigation of deep sea corals. To extend the reach of
the Web site, WHOI worked with the Boston Museum of Science
to create a temporary exhibit featuring the Dive and Discover
Seamounts expedition, which included daily live phone connections
between museum visitors and researchers aboard the research
vessel Atlantis and the deep submergence vehicle Alvin.
In 2003, the Institution’s museum exhibition, “Extreme Deep,”
traveled to three venues: the St. Louis Science Center, the
Nauticus National Maritime Center in Norfolk, and the Great
Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. More than 175,000 visitors
encountered the full-size replica of the Alvin personnel
sphere and explored life in the depths—starting with spectacular
images of ethereal jellyfish, and culminating in a life-size,
3-D replica of the exotic life that dwells around seafloor hydrothermal
The New England Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (NE-COSEE) completed its first year of operation in 2003. The Center is among seven nationwide funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to enhance collaboration
and communication between ocean science researchers
and educators. The Center is a five-year partnership between WHOI, the New England Aquarium, and the University of Massachusetts. Led by Deborah Smith, a senior scientist in the Geology and Geophysics Department, the NE-COSEE team at WHOI surveyed the WHOI community to determine
which resources and skills researchers need to conduct outreach. Other activities included:
With the ever-increasing public interest in the oceans, outreach continues to play an important role in communicating the meaning and value of the research
and engineering conducted at WHOI.
- A visit by NSF Ocean Sciences Division Director Jim Yoder regarding the agency’s “broader impact” requirement;
- Developing a definition of “ocean literacy” to help evaluate educational material;
- Developing necosee.whoi.edu to inform and facilitate
- A one-week experimental Ocean Science Education Institute to bring together scientists and teachers.
Stephanie Murphy (firstname.lastname@example.org)
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Venice, last quarter 17th century
An Italian Auricular mirror frame carved out of walnut wood Venice, last quarter 17th century, attributed to Giacomo Piazzetta (Pederobba 1640–1705 Venice)
Depicting the myth of Pan and Syrinx, decorated with a grotesque masque and rocaille ornaments and scenes of fighting satyrs and maenads between oak trees. These mythological creatures were regarded in the 17th century as symbols of decadence and sexual debauchery.
86.5 x 71 cm
Private collection, Switzerland
The Auricular frame appeared in Europe between the 1630s and 1680s, usually designed to show off the technical skill of the woodcarver or sculptor. Their origin therefore probably lies in the work of early 17th century goldsmiths. This frame is an excellent example of the Italian Auricular style with its favour for grotesque and monstrous forms.
Giacomo Piazzetta, sculptor and engraver, father of the painter Giambattista Piazzetta, is well known for his sculptured decoration in the Biblioteca della Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice. Frames carved with such virtuosity are very rare. With its expressive organic forms it is an outstanding example for the Venetian sculptured works of this age and has to be mentioned with creations of Andrea Brustolon (1662–1732).
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Questions About Foot Orthotics
Orthotics are custom-made inserts that fit inside the shoe. They are designed to decrease abnormal motion of the foot while allowing for normal movement. They realign the foot to a more usual or "neutral" position, restore balance, improve sports performance and serve to eliminate or reduce foot, back and leg pain by improving function and efficiency. There are several styles which can be worn comfortably in most types of shoes.
Orthotics benefit people with foot pain or discomfort due to imbalance. Some imbalances are obvious, such as flat feet, excessive pronation, bow legs, knock knees, pigeon-toes, "duck feet" or high-arched feet. However, many foot deformities are subtle, and are not detected until symptoms occur.
People who must walk or stand excessively at their work will also benefit from the comfort of orthotics.
For those who are active in sports, orthotics will often increase endurance, performance and strength.
For overweight individuals, orthotics will help to counteract the extra stress on the feet. Small problems are often magnified due to the increased weight.
Orthotics will benefit people with special needs, such as diabetics or the elderly. These individuals need accommodation or increased softness in the orthotic. Orthotics can work in a preventative manner to avoid the development of future foot problems, such as skin ulcerations.
If you have arch pain, heel pain, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, shin splints, calluses, corns, bunions, or hammer toes, cramping, aching or tired legs, you can achieve an improvement. Certain types of leg, lower back and neck pain can be alleviated. The support that is provided helps control excessive pronation and helps with mid-foot, heel, ankle, knee, hip, and lower back pain. If you have a neuroma, geriatric, or diabetic foot problem, orthotics can provide you with needed protection and comfort.
Imbalance in your feet can distort the skeletal architecture of your body. While foot orthotics will not make a marked improvement in posture, they may eliminate posture problems or pain caused by your feet.
These articles can help you decide if your foot problem can be helped by using orthotics.
No. A prescription is absolutely not required. By providing us with the written information in the order form, and taking an accurate impression, the appropriate orthotics will be specifically manufactured for you. It will fit and function extremely well with your foot.
I notice in various ads that many types and styles of orthotics are available. How can I determine which are best for me?
The FootOrthotics™ that are shown here, are the highest quality available from any source, at any price! They will last longer than any other. They are designed and manufactured using the highest quality materials and equipment. Our guarantee exceeds the industry standards.
In media ads, you will find a variety of flat, thin, or more flexible devices, but none of these orthotics will compare to FootOrthotics™. Even more expensive systems involving a so-called computerized analysis of the foot, does NOT produce a better product.
Some orthotics start with a common plastic "shell", that is simply heated in the lab or office to fit the contours of the foot. Such a product, which often lacks a heel post, has limited effectiveness, but is often described as being a "custom" orthotic. Be cautious about being mislead about such arch supports.
Even though FootOrthotics™ may be identical to those available at your doctor's office, we make them available directly to you at less than half that cost. The reason is simple: the overhead of operating a medical practice is significant, and those costs must be recouped through the sale of services and products. Due to our low operating costs, we are able to pass the savings on to you.
Although the human body is an amazing structure, it does have some design problems. It is intended to support and balance a large, tall and often heavy structure, on two very small surfaces. The force through a foot during normal walking is enormous. This force is increased greatly during sports activities. Imbalances of the bones of the feet can result in abnormal foot motion. This can impair foot function which can result in abnormal rotation of the legs, and sometimes affect the knees, hips or back. If we combine these tremendous forces with the need for precise balance, we can see how small structural changes in the foot can make significant differences. Orthotics help to improve those structural changes.
Orthotics are particularly effective in relieving the fatigue and discomfort associated with "aging" feet. Years of walking and standing often cause the development of arthritis within the foot.
Arch supports merely push against the arch when you are standing, and are not designed with the dynamic needs of your foot in mind. Although a $15.00 arch support can be of some help, they are very limited, and are manufactured in bulk to fit an "average foot" (whatever that is).
Just like eyeglasses must be designed to meet the specific needs of your eyes, orthotics must be designed to treat the unique requirements of your feet.
No. Orthotics simply allow the muscles, tendons and bones of the feet and lower legs to function at their highest potential.
Your individual foot structure is captured in foot mold or impression. The orthotics are then fabricated, using these measurements, by a state-of-the-art computerized equipment, based upon your requirements. They are made from a variety of materials, depending upon your specific condition, activities, occupation, physical stature and the types of shoes in which you will be wearing them.
Most orthotics should last from two to four years, depending on the use. If your FootOrthotics™ fail for any reason within one year from the date of purchase, you may return them to us and we will replace them free of charge.
Sports activities result in unusually high amounts of movement and pressure on the foot. Slight imbalances in the foot not dangerous or detectable under everyday circumstances may render you vulnerable to injury with the extra stress of sports activity. By eliminating the need for your muscles to compensate for these "hidden" imbalances, orthotics reduce fatigue and promote the kind of efficient "muscle memory" that's crucial to outstanding performance. Orthotics help absorb these pressures, and can reduce abnormal rotation and side-to-side movement. Walkers, runners, rollerbladers/skaters, tennis players, cyclists, skiers, baseball players, soccer players, or anyone who engages in sports will benefit.
It is important to note that by aiding foot control or movement, orthotics not only improve the function of the feet, but also of the legs and torso as well. Often the difference is noted immediately.
Doctors charge $300-$500 for orthotics prescribed in the office. Through our simplified at-home measurement kit you can significantly reduce your costs. We charge $200.00 per pair, shipped within the U.S. If you order a second pair at the same time (such as one for work and one for sports), we will give you an additional discount of 25% on the second pair.
You may find your FootOrthotics™ will be comfortable right away, or you may need a few days to get used to them. When you first begin to wear orthotics, your feet will experience subtle, yet distinct changes. Like shoes that you wear for the first time, there is a normal break-in period. You have a 30-day unconditional guarantee on your FootOrthotics™ so don't feel rushed!
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Taking a Stand: Reducing Gun Violence in Our Communities
Publication Date: April 2007
Publisher(s): International Association of Chiefs of Police
Special Collection: The Joyce Foundation
Keywords: Gun Violence ; law enforcement
Coverage: United States
This report found that nearly 30,000 American lives are lost to gun violence each year—a number far higher than in any other developed country. Since 1963, more Americans died by gunfire than perished in combat in the whole of the 20th century.
When FBI data for 2006 showed gun violence rates rising for the second year in a row, with many Midwest cities leading the trend, the International Association of Chiefs of Police convened law enforcement leaders and others concerned with gun violence from around the Midwest in Chicago in 2007. The Great Lakes Summit on Gun Violence was organized with support from the Joyce Foundation.
“Taking a Stand” summarizes the summit’s proceedings and publishes its recommendations.
Attendees reviewed the research, listened to experts, shared information and worked hand in hand to draft recommendations. This report comes from a regional group, but addresses a national problem, and it demands national attention.
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Epilepsy and the Elderly
UW Health's comprehensive epilepsy program offers state-of-the-art care for patients with epilepsy or those suspected of having seizures, including epilepsy treatment specifically designed for older people.
Epilepsy in Older People
- Epilepsy occurs most often in childhood and again after the age of 60, and in some patients it persists from childhood throughout their entire lives.
- As people with epilepsy age, the chances of seizures increases. Eighty-five-year-olds are three times as likely to experience seizures as 70-year-olds.
- The causes of roughly half of the epilepsy cases in older people cannot be determined. Of those whose cause is known, stroke is the most frequent contributor (33 percent).
- Other causes include Alzheimer's disease, benign and malignant tumors, head injuries and infection.
Increased Susceptibility to Epilepsy
- Older people are more likely to develop disorders which may increase the likelihood of seizures, including low blood sugar levels, low sodium levels, diabetes, and thyroid and parathyroid disorders.
- Older people are also more prone to falls, which can lead to head injuries and make seizures more likely.
- Activities including hiking, hunting, and sports/exercise are encouraged for older people with epilepsy as long as proper precautions are taken.
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The slaves trade thrived through the 18th century. Africa thus made a substantial addition to the American population. There were about 500,000 African Americans here by the time of the American Revolution. The great majority were slaves. The unique quality of this migration had planted the seeds of difficulty that would permanently mark the nation.
- In the decade preceding the election of Lincoln, 2,598,214 immigrants came to U.S. mainly from Great Britain, Ireland, and Germany with few from Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands
- After the panic of 1857 and out break of the Civil War, immigration declined, but after collapse of Confederacy, immigration assumed a huge volume again
- Not until the 1840's did wave after wave of immigration was deposited on American shores from practically every country of Europe
- This is where Irish immigration began its wave, especially after the potato crop failure
- This "Era of Mass Immigration" was initially from northern and western Europe
- The 1830's was a surge of German immigrants
- In 1848, with the discovery of Gold, there was a spur of Chinese and Latin American immigrants to the west coast
- In the 1870's large number of Scandinavians, Chinese, and Canadians immigrated to the U.S.
- 1840's and 1850's - 1.5 million immigrants
- 1840's - 1880's (Germans) - 4 million immigrants
- Total number of immigrants in this wave is about 7.5 million
- In 1907 Japanese immigration was limited
- Chinese immigration was stopped in 1892 & 1902
- Cuban immigration picked up sharply during the 1950's as a result of increasing political turmoil in Cuba
- Many of the first Cubans to flee Castro's dictatorship in the early 1960's were from wealthy families and were well educated
- The U.S., granted asylum to these people and offered federal help to qualified applicants in finding homes and in making job contacts
- Most later Cuban immigrants were relatives of the first group or were poor people looking for work
- A major influx of Cuban immigrants was the arrival in 1980 of the Marielitos
- The Marielitos were about 125,000 people that the Cuban government wanted out of Cuba
- They included many unskilled workers, criminals, and mentally ill people
- These people were put aboard boats at the Cuban port of Mariel, and sent to Miami
- The U.S. government allowed these people to enter, not knowing that some of them were criminals
- Some were placed in U.S. prisons
- Many of them were rehabilitated and released
- Few were returned to Cuba
During the first period (from 1820 to 1860), most immigrants arrived
from Great Britain, Ireland and western Germany.
During the second period (from 1860 to 1890) The above three nations
continued to supply immigrants. Also, the Scandinavian nations became a large minority.
Thereafter, the proportion of immigrants from the northern and western
nations dropped, and the southern and eastern nations began providing more immigrants. This third
wave, (1890-1910), included a majority of immigrants from nations such as: Austria, Hungary,
Italy, and Russia. These nations constituted more than half of the immigrants during that wave.
Until World War 1, Immigration had generally increased in volume
annually. From 1905 until World War 1, An average of more than 1,000,000 immigrants a year came to
the United States. With the outbreak of World War 1, those numbers decreased sharply.
From 1915 to 1918, the average yearly immigrants was barely making
250,000, in 1918 the number showed a small rise, but it soon fell in response to a changing situation in
Europe, as well as new legislation that was placing a cap on immigration.
Thank you for browsing The American Immigration Home Page.
This page was created by Jonathan Lee and Robert Siemborski as a part of a project for our School.
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Composition Techniques and Song Forms
The Native American flute encourages you to play from the heart. The ease of creating a beautiful sound, the basic scale of the instrument, and the lack of ties to formalized classical music all lend themselves to songs that carry forth from the soul in a “stream of consciousness” style.
For the player, and often for the listener, this stream of consciousness style can be wonderful. But at some point, many players look to add some structure to their music. This could come up when starting to play with other musicians, from a desire to tell a particular story through song, or a want to expand musicality.
This set of web pages each describe a song composition technique or song form. Most are straightforward, some have you playing with another instrument, and all are fun:
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Through viewing and discussing cinematic films, students will learn to appreciate how China has been presented as a nation and a culture by generations of Chinese directors from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other cultural enclaves and by current film critics, both Chinese and western. Topics include the history of the Chinese film industry, major genres in Chinese cinema, the issues of cultural hegemony, as well as cinematic constructions of "so-called" Chinese gender, nationhood and individuality.
|Arts and Humanities||1 course|
Spring Semester informationSherry Mou
250A: China on Screen:From Confucius to Kung-fu
What does kung-fu mean? Did Confucius know kung-fu? How is gun-fu related to kung-fu? Through close examination, reading, and analysis of thirteen Chinese films and an assortment of readings on Confucianism and Taoism, we will investigate the world of Chinese knight-errantry. We will look at the philosophical orientations, world views, aesthetic features, and cultural motivations that produced what is broadly known as the kung-fu film genre, which for more than half a century has captured the imagination and interest of many Chinese and Western audiences. These films show how the rituals, spectacle, moral values, and social practices fostered in traditional theatre and in real life are re-presented on screen. We will trace the origins of important cultural traditions and ideas embedded in the kung-fu films, look at how they transform into action movies, and explore how the original ideas associated with knight-errantry are presented through various cultural signs, symbols, language, and codes of behavior.
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Once Ravi Shankar picked up his sitar and began playing, you could not tear yourself away. The music would begin at a slow pace, but in slow, introspective and fast flashy passages, he would improvise leaving his audience mesmerised, irrespective of where he was playing.
A Bengali Brahmin, he was born Robindra Shankar in 1920 in the holy city of Varanasi, the youngest of four brothers who survived to adulthood, and was brought up by his mother in relative poverty. It wasn't until eight years after his birth that he met his father, a globe trotting lawyer and writer.
Music and dance were an integral part of the Shankar household, and his brother Uday was a celebrated dancer who toured the globe with his dance troupe performing Indian classical dance. A young Ravi Shankar was also part of the troupe, touring with his brother and encountering western culture. And he wasn't a bad dancer either, a few of his performances earned him critical reviews.
But in 1938 he gave up dance to pick up the sitar and studied the nuances of the instrument under the accomplished, but mercurial, Allauddin Khan for eight long years.
“I returned to India to study the sitar with him for seven years. Only then was I ready to become a professional musician,” Shankar told The Guardian in an interview.
Following his training, he moved to Mumbai in 1944 and joined the Indian People's Theatre Association, for whom he composed music for ballets in 1945 and 1946, and then went on to work for All India Radio as their music dicrector from 1948 to 1956.
He grew from strength to strength. He created the music for Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy, and recomposed Mohammed Iqbal’s patriotic poem Sare Jahan se Accha at the age of 25. Already familiar with performing on stages outside the country's shores, Shankar spent the 1950s he toured nations taking Indian classic music far and wide performing with legends like Yehudi Menuhin.
But it was his meeting with the Beatles guitarist George Harrison in 1966 that catapulted him into popular Western culture. Shankar became an irreplaceable part of Harrison's life -- as irreplaceable, as Paul McCartney, John Lennon or Ringo Star, and remained lifelong spiritual influence.
Shankar once said, "I never thought our meeting would cause such an explosion, that Indian music would suddenly appear on the pop scene."
It was also this association that resulted in the sitarist dressed in traditional Indian attire performing at the drug-and-love fuelled Woodstock festival.
However, Shankar had a mild complaint about his rapid rise in the Western music world. "I don't want to identified just with pop," he told LA Times in an interview.
In 1971, moved by the plight of millions of refugees fleeing into India to escape the war in Bangladesh, Shankar reached out to Harrison to see what they could do to help.
In what Shankar later described as "one of the most moving and intense musical experiences of the century," the pair organized two benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden that included Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Ringo Starr.
The concert, which spawned an album and a film, raised millions of dollars for UNICEF and inspired other rock benefits, including the 1985 Live Aid concert to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia and the 2010 Hope For Haiti Now telethon.
The impression that Shankar had made on western culture was evident by this time.
“Whenever I travel abroad, and they see my sitar, the first thing they ask me ‘Ravi Shankar?’ That’s the kind of image Shankar had created in the world. Sitar is Shankar,” veteran classical singer Shubha Mudgal said.
Shankar was responsible for incorporating many aspects of Carnatic (south Indian) music into the north Indian system, especially its mathematical approach to rhythm. He also gave a new prominence to the tabla player in concerts. He would improvise his music 90 percent of the times and sometimes play for even ten hours at a stretch.
However, Shankar’s Indian audience wasn’t quite happy with his western influence and thought he was sacrificing them.
“….I do think that my Indian classical audiences thought I was sacrificing them through working with George. I became known as the "fifth Beatle"; in India, they thought I was mad," he said, describing the reaction of his audiences.
The laurels for his achievements came thick and fast. A recepient of the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, the Music Council UNESCO award 1975, the Magsaysay Award from Manila. He won three Grammy awards and is presently nominated for his last album, a record recorded at his residence in the US. He was also nominated for an Oscar for his musical score for the movie Gandhi.
Shankar also wrote three books: two in English, My Music, My Life and Raga Mala (the latter an autobiography), and Raag Anurag in Bengali.
Shankar was 61 when Anoushka was born to him and Sukanya Rajan, a longstanding friend of Shankar's. Anoushka started playing and touring the world with her father when she was 14. They performed all over the world—from US, to Japan to Bangladesh to South Africa--till even this November. His last musical performance was with Anoushka Shankaron on 14 November in Long Beach, California.
Shankar's personal life, however, was perhaps as tumultuous as his professional. His marriage in 1941 to his guru Allaudin Khan's daughter, Annapurna Devi, ended in divorce. In 1992, their son Shubho, a sitarist who had performed with his father at times, died unexpectedly at the age of 50. Though he had a decades-long relationship with dancer Kamala Shastri that ended in 1981, he had relationships with several other women in the 1970s.
In 1979, he fathered Norah Jones with New York concert promoter Sue Jones, and in 1981, Sukanya Rajan, who played the tanpura at his concerts, gave birth to his daughter Anoushka. He married Rajan in 1989 and trained young Anoushka as his heir on the sitar. When Jones shot to stardom and won five Grammy awards in 2003, Anoushka Shankar was nominated for a Grammy of her own.
Ever humble, the noted musician was once asked how he would like to be remembered? “For my music, if I am remembered for anything at all," he said.
In 2011 the Los Angeles Times ventured that "Music may not have, precisely, saints. But no musician alive is a closer fit." It’s a verdict that Shankar might have rejected, but the millions whose lives he touched with his music may agree with it.
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D-Day Historian Craig Symonds Talks About History’s Most Amazing Invasion
June 6, 1944—70 years ago—the Allied forces pulled off what many doubted could be done: the greatest armada in history transported the largest invasion force ever assembled into the most heavily defended coastline in the world and got ashore. The cost in lives, ships, and weapons of that D-Day assault was awful. But the liberation of Europe had begun.
The D-Day landings marked the final and long anticipated leap from England across the Channel to the Continent. After almost five years of war in Europe, two and a half years since the United States joined the fight, the ground war against Hitler and Nazi Germany from the west had begun. A year of fighting would remain, but that day’s singular achievement presaged the final downfall of the murderous Third Reich.
The story of “the longest day” has been told many times from many angles, from the horrors and heroism on Omaha Beach to the cutting up of the paratroopers dropped behind the lines to the close quarters combat through Normandy’s charming hedgerows and ancient villages. But D-Day was not a one-day affair. The landings culminated years of debate, planning, construction, bickering, invention, training, deception of the enemy and more. The operation on D-Day was known as “Overlord.” But D-Day was just the beginning of an invasion codenamed Neptune, starting with D-Day and culminating with nearly a million men from the U.S., the U.K., and Canada and everything they needed to live on and wage war streaming into France by the end of June. That was an undertaking on a scale like no other.
Lincoln Prize-winning naval historian Craig L. Symonds makes clear all that it took to pull off the complementary Overlord and Neptune operations in NEPTUNE: The Allied Invasion of Europe and the D-Day Landings. Starting out from the earliest days of planning for war in Europe that began years before the U.S. joined the fight, he shows how the Allies learned from their mistakes and successes in the invasions of North Africa and Italy to tackle the far greater challenge of landing in France. Along the way, he paints concise portraits of many of the key leaders involved, and also shows how many others less well known in the command structure planned and organized and then executed the invasion that started seventy years ago.
NEPTUNE is not Band of Brothers, but readers will understand just how the Allies accomplished the impossible on D-Day and set the stage for liberation.
Author of numerous books of American naval history, Symonds spent almost 30 years as a professor of history at the Naval Academy. A side note to Symonds’s teaching career at the Naval Academy: before he played Jack Ryan in the 1992 hit action-suspense movie Patriot Games, Harrison Ford shadowed Symonds to sample the life of a civilian history professor at the military college. Symonds denies, however, that Ford modeled Jack Ryan on him.
Marc Wortman: Give us a sense of the scale of what took place during the D-Day landings on the morning of June 6, 1944.
Craig L. Symonds: Well, it was absolutely unprecedented. Of all the searing memories that participants recalled afterward, the one nearly everyone recalled was the carpet of shipping that crowded the mid-Channel rendezvous. Numbers are sterile, but depending on how you count, between five and six thousand Allied ships, embarking from 171 ports, took part in the invasion. By nightfall on June 6, the Allies had landed 132,450 American, British, and Canadian soldiers on French soil, along with thousands of tanks, jeeps, trucks and other vehicles.
That was just the tip of the spear. What followed over the next days and weeks?
There is a tendency to conceive of the Allied landings on D-Day as a single event, but in fact it was just the first step. After seizing the beaches, the Allies then had to land hundreds of thousands of more men, vehicles, and equipment in a never ending stream that lasted for months, and they had to do it faster than the Germans could direct reinforcements to the threatened area. Then, the Allies had to supply all those men with hundreds of tons of food, fuel, and ammunition, all of which came by sea.
Many amphibious invasions have failed. How likely was it that the German defenders would throw the Allied invaders back into the sea?
On Omaha Beach they very nearly did. There is a tendency in looking back on historical events to see them as inevitable, to assume that the huge Allied armada, and the meticulous planning all but ensured success. But little in history is inevitable. While complete failure was not likely, Omaha Beach was such a mess two hours after the first landing that Omar Bradley seriously considered halting the invasion of Omaha and sending the follow up waves to the other beaches. At 8:30 a.m. the outcome still hung in the balance.
Nothing on this scale ever goes smoothly. We know Omaha Beach was especially terrible. What went wrong there and elsewhere during the invasion?
There is an old saw among military practitioners that no plan survives first contact with the enemy, and so it was with Overlord-Neptune. Lots of things went wrong: the preliminary naval gunfire was too brief and failed to knock out most of the German strong points; the aerial bombing, massive as it was, missed most of the targets; the gliders and paratroopers mostly landed in the wrong place; the current off Utah Beach put the soldiers ashore a half mile from their intended target.
Omaha Beach was a special problem for several reasons: geography was one—the high ground behind the beach was crescent shaped and allowed the Germans to maintain a crossfire over the beach from their 81machine gun positions. Another was the unexpected presence of the 352nd German division, sent to Omaha Beach just the day before for training. A third was the too-short naval bombardment, and the disappointments of the aerial bombing. Then, too, the crowding on the beach meant there was not enough time for the Navy Combat Demolition Teams to remove the beach obstacles. All that contributed to the chaos and bloodshed on Omaha Beach.
Simply put, how did the Allies pull off something so monumental? Who were the unsung heroes behind the scenes?
The Allies were successful for a lot of reasons but among the most important was American industrial productivity. Shipping was the principal strategic bottleneck, and U.S. shipyards were able to produce an unprecedented number of warships, especially destroyers to guard the trans-Atlantic convoys, plus more than 2,700 Liberty Ships—the essential transport and cargo vessels of the war, as well as thousands of specialized landing ships, essential to amphibious operations. In 1943 alone, American shipyards turned out more than 800 of the large LSTs and LCIs, plus more than 8,000 of the smaller landing craft known as Higgins boats after their designer Andrew Jackson Higgins. Even then, there were barely enough ships to meet the need. Given that, some of the unsung heroes were the shipyard workers back in the States who worked 60-hour weeks at 50 cents an hour to produce the ships.
Did Churchill and Roosevelt agree about the when, where, and how of D-Day and the invasion of France?
No. Indeed, the British and Americans had very different views. The simplified version is that Roosevelt and the Americans, led by U.S. Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall, wanted to invade France as soon as possible, preferably in the spring of 1943. Churchill and the British wanted to wait until Germany had been so weakened by aerial bombing and peripheral raids that an Allied landing would simply topple a collapsing regime. The wild card was the Russians, who were doing most of the fighting against the Nazi Wehrmacht, and who were desperate for a second front to take off some of the pressure. The Anglo-American “conversations” about the timing of the second front often grew heated and testy.
What was Supreme Allied Commander Eisenhower’s role in pulling off the successful invasion?
Eisenhower’s greatest contribution was his political sensitivity in commanding an Allied (British-American-Canadian) force. Aware that nationalist squabbles could wreak havoc with any plan, he made sure that soldiers and sailors of all nationalities were constantly reminded that they were Allied soldiers and part of an Allied command. Ike had to put up with (British Prime Minister Winston) Churchill’s constant meddling, (British Field Marshal Bernard Law) Montgomery’s officious posturing, (U.S. Army General George S.) Patton’s bloodthirsty eagerness, and the lobbying of the air commanders that they could defeat Germany just by bombing it. His patience as well as his determination was key.
Who chose the landing site and why?
From the beginning, it was evident that the landings had to be in northern France, since that was the only place where Allied aircraft, operating from Britain, could provide air support over the beaches. And in northern France there were only two possible sites: the Pas de Calais where the English Channel is narrowest, and the Bay of the Seine off Normandy. The latter site was chosen by a team led by Major General Frederick Morgan, whose curious title was COSSAC: Chief of Staff, Supreme Allied Commander. When Eisenhower replaced Morgan in 1944, he accepted Morgan’s decision.
How did Churchill and Roosevelt spend the day?
Roosevelt had hoped to fly to Britain and spend the day with Churchill, but his health made that impossible. Churchill then decided to embark on a British cruiser, the Belfast, and watch the landings from offshore. King George VI begged him to consider what a blow it would be to England should the Belfast be hit by a chance bomb. So in the end, Churchill remained behind on the south coast of England. (The Belfast, incidentally, was not hit.)
You’ve been to the landing site. Tell us something about the emotions you felt walking the beaches.
Many of the German concrete defenses remain in place on Omaha and the other Allied beaches, and it is an odd feeling to look or crawl inside them. You can also see the remains of the “gooseberry”—the artificial breakwater the Allies created off the beach. My first visit was the 50th anniversary of VE day, May 10, 1995, and I was moved by the hand-lettered signs the French had put in their windows saying, “Thank you, Americans, for liberating us.”
Most moving of all, of course, is the American cemetery where 9,387 men are entombed on French soil.
You’ve had a career teaching at the Naval Academy, and studied the cost of war. What have you tried to teach the young men and women about the past to prepare them for the challenges of modern warfare?
The first thing was to make sure they knew what happened there. D-Day was 70 years ago, and to midshipmen of today, it is all but ancient history. Second, it is important to show how the decisions and actions of ensigns and second lieutenants became absolutely crucial once the detailed plan began to fall apart. In the end, it was the ability of the senior non-coms and junior officers to adapt and adjust that made the landings successful.
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EVALUATING CONSERVATION EFFORTS THAT ADDRESS NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION USING A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM
Abstract:In 1998 the Upper Big Walnut Creek Water Quality Partnership and local work group requested conservation practice funding through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) to help protect water quality resources in the 121,600 acre Upper Big Walnut Creek watershed. This watershed drains into the Hoover Reservoir that serves as a water supply reservoir for over 500,000 people, mainly in the city of Columbus, Ohio.
Monthly water quality sampling of Hoover Reservoir begun in 1984 revealed seasonal levels of the agricultural herbicide atrazine was detected. Monitoring data for sediments and nutrients are not identified as water quality concerns in the reservoir for the Columbus Division of Water. Treatment technology was installed at the downstream drinking water facility. In order to help attain long-term water quality objectives, the community organized a watershed protection initiative to help improve water quality.
The Upper Big Walnut Creek Partnership was organized in the spring of 1997 to initiate and manage a water quality improvement project for the watershed. The Delaware and Morrow Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), the City of Columbus, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and agribusiness were instrumental in the initial start and success of this project. The State of Ohio provided 100,000 for project planning and implementation. County Conservation Districts in conjunction with the NRCS's conservationists provided technical resources to develop and implement conservation management plans. The City of Columbus provided monthly reservoir and stream monitoring and water sample analysis data for the project.
Agricultural cropland acreage in the watershed is targeted for resource conservation management plans. The Local Conservation Work Group established specific conservation practice goals for a five-year program of technical, financial and educational assistance. USDA provided technical, financial and educational assistance of more than 500,000 through the EQIP program. Farmers have been very receptive to the program
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: January 1, 2000
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Words formed when one letter is changed in mink
Letter 1 (M) changed: 11 words found:
Letter 2 (I) changed: 1 word found:
Letter 3 (N) changed: 3 words found:
Letter 4 (K) changed: 6 words found:
A total of 21 words can be formed from mink by changing one letter.
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World AIDS Day is Saturday, and the event is being observed here through quilts placed around the community to call attention to the special observance.
World AIDS Day is described as a day to increase awareness, fight stigma, improve education, mobilize resources and raise funds to better the response to HIV and AIDS. According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now more than 34 million people living with HIV. Started Dec. 1, 1988, World AIDS Day gives the world an opportunity to reflect on the epidemic.
As a further tribute to World AIDS Day individuals are asked to wear a red ribbon as a symbol of awareness.
Quilts, placed last week in the St. Augustine-St. Johns County area, will remain hanging through Saturday and in some instances for longer.
Quilts are on display at The St. Augustine Record, Flagler College and all the libraries in the county.
‘Getting to Zero’
The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) is also recognizing Dec. 1 as World AIDS Day, with the theme of “Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections; Zero discrimination; Zero AIDS-related deaths.”
“In Florida, over 100,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS, and having an informed community is a key step in keeping St. Johns County residents and visitors healthy,” said Dawn C. Allicock, M.D., M.P.H., FDOH/St. Johns County Health Department Director and Health Officer.
Awareness of personal HIV status at an early stage of infection allows Floridians to access medical care, treatment and support that can extend the length and quality of life. Early diagnosis of HIV infection can delay the progression to AIDS and reduce transmission of HIV to others.
The Florida Department of Health at St. Johns County Health Department offers free HIV/AIDS testing at 1955 U.S. 1 South, Suite 100, St. Augustine, FL 32086, Mondays through Fridays, from 9 AM to Noon, and 1 PM to 4 PM.
No appointment is required. Contact Paula Burns, at 825-5055, ext. 1066, or go to www.wemakethechange.com.
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The sun is the largest and the most massive object in the solar system, but it is just a medium-sized star among the hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
Radius, diameter & circumference
The sun is nearly a perfect sphere. Its equatorial diameter and its polar diameter differ by only 6.2 miles (10 km). The mean radius of the sun is 432,450 miles (696,000 kilometers), which makes its diameter about 864,938 miles (1.392 million km). You could line up 109 Earths across the face of the sun. The sun's circumference is about 2,713,406 miles (4,366,813 km).
Mass and volume
The total volume of the sun is 1.4 x 1027 cubic meters. About 1.3 million Earths could fit inside the sun. The mass of the sun is 1.989 x 1030 kilograms, about 333,000 times the mass of the Earth. The sun contains 99.8 percent of the mass of the entire solar system, leading astronomers Imke de Pater and Jack J. Lissauer, authors of the textbook "Planetary Sciences," to refer to the solar system as "the sun plus some debris."
It may be the biggest thing in this neighborhood, but the sun is just average compared to other stars. Betelgeuse, a red giant, is about 700 times bigger than the sun and about 14,000 times brighter.
The sun is classified as a G-type main-sequence star, or G dwarf star, or more imprecisely, a yellow dwarf. Actually, the sun — like other G-type stars — is white, but appears yellow through Earth's atmosphere.
Stars generally get bigger as they grow older. In about 5 billion years, scientists think the sun will start to use up all of the hydrogen at its center. The sun will puff up into a red giant and expand past the orbit of the inner planets, including Earth. The sun's helium will get hot enough to burn into carbon, and the carbon will combine with the helium to form oxygen. These elements will collect in the center of the sun. Later, the sun will shed its outer layers, forming a planetary nebula and leaving behind a dead core of mostly carbon and oxygen — a very dense and hot white dwarf star, about the size of the Earth.
— Tim Sharp, Reference Editor
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|(a) In a Rydberg atom, an electron (black dot) is far away from the atomic nucleus (red and grey core). (b) Probability map for an electron in a Rydberg atom shows that it has virtually no probability of being near the nucleus in the center. (c) An optical frequency comb for producing ultraprecise colors of light can trigger quantum energy jumps useful for accurately measuring the Rydberg constant.
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Max Planck Institute for Physics in Germany believe they can achieve a significant increase in the accuracy of one of the fundamental constants of nature by boosting an electron to an orbit as far as possible from the atomic nucleus that binds it. The experiment, outlined in a new paper,* would not only mean more accurate identifications of elements in everything from stars to environmental pollutants but also could put the modern theory of the atom to the most stringent tests yet.
The physicists' quarry is the Rydberg constant, the quantity that specifies the precise color of light that is emitted when an electron jumps from one energy level to another in an atom. The current value of the Rydberg constant comes from comparing theory and experiment for 23 different kinds of energy jumps in hydrogen and deuterium atoms. Researchers have experimentally measured the frequencies of light emitted by these atomic transitions (energy jumps) to an accuracy of as high as 14 parts per quadrillion (one followed by 15 zeros), but the value of the Rydberg constant is known only to about 6.6 parts in a trillion—500 times less accurate. The main hurdle to a more accurate value comes from uncertainties in the size of the atom's nucleus, which can alter the electron's energy levels and therefore modify the frequency of light it emits. Another source of uncertainty comes from the fact that electrons sometimes emit and reabsorb short-lived "virtual photons," a process that also can slightly change the electron's energy level.
To beat these problems, NIST physicist Peter Mohr and his colleagues propose engineering so-called hydrogen-like Rydberg atoms—atomic nuclei stripped of all but a single electron in a high-lying energy level far away from the nucleus. In such atoms, the electron is so far away from the nucleus that the latter's size is negligible, and the electron would accelerate less in its high-flung orbit, reducing the effects of "virtual photons" it emits. These simplifications allow theoretical uncertainties to be as small as tens of parts in a quintillion (one followed by 18 zeros).
NIST researchers Joseph Tan and colleagues hope to implement this approach experimentally in their Electron Beam Ion Trap Facility. The idea would be to strip an atom of all its electrons, cool it and inject a single electron in a high-flying orbit. Then the researchers would use a sensitive measurement device known as a frequency comb to measure the light absorbed by this Rydberg atom. The result could be an ultraprecise frequency measurement that would yield an improved value for the Rydberg constant. Such a measurement would be so sensitive that it could reveal anomalies in quantum electrodynamics, the modern theory of the atom.
* U.D. Jentschura, P.J. Mohr, J.N. Tan and B.J. Wundt, Fundamental constants and tests of theory in Rydberg states of hydrogen-like ions, Physical Review Letters, 100, 160404 (2008), posted online April 22, 2008.
From automated teller machines and atomic clocks to mammograms and semiconductors, innumerable products and services rely in some way on technology, measurement, and standards provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Founded in 1901, NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIST's mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.
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News and information
Neutrons reveal unexpected magnetism in rare-earth alloy June 16th, 2016
NIST's super quantum simulator 'entangles' hundreds of ions June 11th, 2016
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I thought I was going to faint the first time I saw a knitter use scissors to cut their knitted fabric, otherwise known as steeks in knitting. Why in the world would you want to cut a beautiful knitted project that you worked so hard on? Why would you even think about taking scissors to a perfectly lovely already-knitted sweater? Turns out there are many advantages to steeks in knitting.
Having a major freak-out just thinking about cutting your knitting? Find out what steeks in knitting are — plus, what they can do to help make your knitting easier!
Photo via Craftsy instructor Carol Feller
What is steeking?
Steeking in knitting simply means cutting your knitting. Yes, I said cutting. With scissors.
Knitting steeks doesn't just involve snipping away at your knitting for fun. There's a strategy involved, and you have to prepare for steeking. There are a few different ways you can do this, including crochet and hand-sewn stitching, but most involve prep work of stabilizing the stitches — preventing them from unraveling as soon as you snip them.
I know what you're thinking. Why in the world would I ever cut my knitting?! There are plenty of reasons to put those scissors to your knits.
Cardigan and pullover from Simple Sweaters: Stranded & Steeked class with Amy Detjen
How to use steeking in your knitting
To make sweater knitting easier
Steeking a sweater means that you can knit the entire sweater in the round, rather than back and forth in rows. This can be especially handy if you're knitting colorwork. Take a look at the sweaters from Craftsy's Simple Sweaters: Stranded & Steeked class with Amy Detjen in the photo above. Imagine what a pain it would be to knit in colorwork across a row, purling back on the wrong side rows. Instead, knitting steeks lets you knit in the round on the right side for the entire project. When you're finished, you'll cut holes in that in-the-round tube to make arm holes and any other openings you might need.
You can even use steeking to create necklines in knitting. You know how complicated stranded colorwork can be when there's shaping involved. You're following the chart while also trying to keep up with increase and decrease rows. Steeking makes that process easier by allowing you to knit in the round, then go back and snip that V-neck with scissors.
If steeking seriously freaks you out, enroll in Amy's Simple Sweaters: Stranded and Steeked class and watch Amy steek a sweater. It's not as difficult — or as scary — as it sounds and once you watch Amy do it, you'll have the courage to try it on your own.
To upcycle an old sweater
Have an old sweater that makes you say, "yuck" when you look at it? Steeking can help you give that sweater a little makeover by turning it into a cardigan.
To make cardigan knitting easier
This is traditionally what most knitters think of when they hear the word "steeking." Instead of knitting a cardigan in several sections -- left front, right front, etc. -- you can knit it in the round, then steek it as part of the finishing.
Even though knitting steeks does take some extra time, it's still easier than knitting back and forth when you're knitting stranded colorwork. In fact, steeking is most often used when knitting Fair Isle.
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Back in July, Christopher Taylor over at Catalogue of Organisms had a post about snails in which he casually mentioned that the giant African snail Achatina fulica was a predator of invertebrates. "What?" I exclaimed upon reading that, "This ludicrous error must be corrected!" and quickly left a comment on Christopher's post to indicate that Achatina fulica was a dreaded plant pest with the implication that it was unlikely to be a predator of invertebrates.
Imagine my surprise and embarrassment when the March issue of the American Malacological Bulletin arrived early in August (because I had become a member only a few months earlier) to present, among other interesting articles, a short note titled "Giant African snail, Achatina fulica, as a snail predator"1.
The paper reports that individuals of A. fulica have been observed consuming the slug Veronicella cubensis in Hawaii. On one occasion the authors offered a live slug to 3 juvenile A. fulica with the following results:
All three A. fulica climbed on top of the slug and proceeded to consume the integument of the slug. It took over five minutes for the snails to kill the slug. During the first three minutes, the slug crawled and pulled the snails with it as it moved. In the last two minutes, the slug seemed distressed and tried to curl up. After the slug stopped moving, the snails continued to consume the slug for a few minutes.According to the authors, carnivorous behavior by A. fulica has not been reported before.
Achatina fulica is an introduced species in Hawaii and many other places. It is considered a serious plant pest in areas where it is not native (more info from the USDA). Now we know that introduced populations of A. fulica may threaten not only agricultural and native plants but possibly also native gastropod species.
I have one criticism for the subject paper. Since A. fulica was observed eating slugs not snails, the title of the paper should have been "Giant African snail, Achatina fulica, as a slug predator".
1Meyer, W.M., Hayes, K.A. & Meyer, A.L. (2008). Giant African snail, Achatina fulica, as a snail predator. American Malacological Bulletin 24:117-119.
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God of the Moon, Magic and Writing
The Key of Life
Thoth's other names include Djehuty, Jehuti, Tahuti, Tehuti, Zehuti, Techu, or Tetu, Lord of the Khemenu. One of Thoth's titles, "Three times great, great" was translated to the Greek (Trismegistos) making Hermes Trismegistus.
Thoth was considered one of the more important deities of the Egyptian pantheon, often depicted with the head of an Ibis. His feminine counterpart was Seshat. His chief shrine was at Khemennu, where he led the local pantheon, later renamed Hermopolis by the Greeks (in reference to him through the Greeks' interpretation that he was the same as Hermes) and Eshmunen in Coptic. He also had shrines in Abydos, Hesert, Urit, Per-Ab, Rekhui, Ta-ur, Sep, Hat, Pselket, Talmsis, Antcha-Mutet, Bah, Amen-heri-ab, and Ta-kens.
Thoth and the Eye of Ra
He was considered the heart and tongue of Ra as well as the means by which Ra's will was translated into speech. He has also been likened to the Logos of Plato and the mind of God (The All).
Thoth, like many Egyptian gods and nobility, held many titles. Among these were "Scribe of Ma'at in the Company of the Gods," "Lord of Ma'at," "Lord of Divine Words," "Judge of the Two Combatant Gods," "Judge of the Rekhekhui, the pacifier of the Gods, who Dwelleth in Unnu, the Great God in the Temple of Abtiti," "Twice Great," "Thrice Great,"" and "Three Times Great, Great."
Thoth has been involved in arbitration, magic, writing, science and the judging of the dead.
In the Egyptian mythology, he has played many vital and prominent roles, including being one of the two deities (the other being Ma'at) who stood on either side of Ra's boat. In the underworld, Duat, he appeared as an ape, A'an, the god of equilibrium, who reported when the scales weighing the deceased's heart against the feather, representing the principle of Ma'at, was exactly even.
In art, Thoth has been depicted in many ways depending on the era and on the aspect the artist wished to convey. Thoth was usually depicted with the head of an ibis, deriving from his name, and the curve of the ibis' beak, which resembles the crescent moon. Sometimes, he was depicted as a baboon holding up a crescent moon, as the baboon was seen as a nocturnal, and intelligent, creature. The association with baboons led to him occasionally being said to have as a consort Astennu, one of the (male) baboons at the place of judgment in the underworld, and on other occasions, Astennu was said to be Thoth himself.
He also appears as a dog faced baboon or a man with the head of a baboon when he is A'an, the god of equilibrium. In the form of A'ah-Djehuty he took a more human-looking form. These forms are all symbolic and are metaphors for Thoth's attributes. The Egyptians did not believe these gods actually looked like humans with animal heads . For example, Ma'at is often depicted with an ostrich feather, "the feather of truth," on her head , or with a feather for a head.
Cairo Museum: Thoth, Sobek and Wadjet ... remind one of penguins.
Letter X = Above and Below
The Tree of Life
Thoth was thought to be scribe to the gods, who kept a great library of scrolls, over which one of his wives, Seshat (the goddess of writing) was thought to be mistress. He was associated by the Egyptians with speech, literature, arts, learning. He, too, was a measurer and recorder of time, as was Seshat. Many ancient Egyptians believed that Seshat invented writing, while Thoth taught writing to mankind. She was known as 'Mistress of the House of Books', indicating that she also took care of Thoth's library of spells and scrolls.
all forms Writing
and the Measurement of Time.
Thoth The Scribe
Thoth became credited by the ancient Egyptians as the inventor of writing, and alphabets (ie. hieroglyphs) themselves. He was also considered to have been the scribe of the underworld, and the moon became occasionally considered a separate entity, now that Thoth had less association with it, and more with wisdom. For this reason Thoth was universally worshipped by ancient Egyptian Scribes.
[Thoth the Scribe, wrote the story of our reality then placed it into grids for us to experience and learn through the alchemy of time and consciousness.]
Thoth became credited as the inventor of the 365-day (rather than 360-day) calendar, it being said that he had won the extra 5 days by gambling with the moon, then known as Iabet, in a game of dice, for 1/72nd of its light (5 = 360/72). When the Ennead and Ogdoad systems started to merge, one result was that, for a time, Horus was considered a sibling of Isis, Osiris, Set, and Nephthys, and so it was said that Hathor/Nuit had been cursed against having children during the (360) day year, but was able to have these five over the 5 extra days won by Thoth.
Thoth was a master magician
The Egyptians credited him as the author of all works of science, religion, philosophy, and magic. The Greeks further declared him the inventor of astronomy, astrology, the science of numbers, mathematics, geometry, land surveying, medicine, botany, theology, civilized government, the alphabet, reading, writing, and oratory. They further claimed he was the true author of every work of every branch of knowledge, human and divine.
Egyptologists disagree on Thoth's nature depending upon their view of the Egyptian pantheon. Most Egyptologists today side with Sir Flinders Petrie that Egyptian religion was strictly polytheistic, in which Thoth would be a separate god.
His contemporary adversary, E. A. Wallis Budge, however, thought Egyptian religion to be primarily monotheistic where all the gods and goddesses were aspects of the God Ra, similar to the Trinity in Christianity and devas in Hinduism. In this view, Thoth would be the aspect of Ra which the Egyptian mind would relate to the heart and tongue.
His roles in Egyptian mythology were many. Thoth served as a mediating power, especially between good and evil, making sure neither had a decisive victory over the other.
The ancient Egyptians regarded Thoth as One, self-begotten, and self-produced. He was the master of both physical and moral (ie. Divine) law, making proper use of Ma'at. He is credited with making the calculations for the establishment of the heavens, stars, Earth, and everything in them. Compare this to how his feminine counterpart, Ma'at was the force which maintained the Universe. He is said to direct the motions of the heavenly bodies. Without his words, the Egyptians believed, the gods would not exist. His power was almost unlimited in the Underworld and rivaled that of Ra and Osiris.
Thoth has played a prominent role in many of the Egyptian myths. Displaying his role as arbitrator, he had overseen the three epic battles between good and evil. All three battles are fundamentally the same and belong to different periods. The first battle took place between Ra and Apep, the second between Heru-Bekhutet and Set, and the third between Horus, the son of Osiris, and Set. In each instance, the former god represented order while the latter represented chaos. If one god was seriously injured, Thoth would heal them to prevent either from overtaking the other.
Thoth was also prominent in the Osiris myth, being of great aid to Isis. After Isis gathered together the pieces of Osiris' dismembered body, he gave her the words to resurrect him so she could be impregnated and bring forth Horus. When Horus was slain, Thoth gave the formulae to resurrect him as well. Similar to God speaking the words to create the heavens and Earth in Judeo-Christian mythology, Thoth, being the god who always speaks the words that fulfill the wishes of Ra, spoke the words that created the heavens and Earth in Egyptian mythology.
This mythology also credits him with the creation of the 365 day calendar. Originally, according to the myth, the year was only 360 days long and Nut was sterile during these days, unable to bear children. Thoth gambled with Khonsu, the moon, for 1/72nd of its light (360/72 = 5), or 5 days, and won. During these 5 days, Nut gave birth to Kheru-ur (Horus the Elder, Face of Heaven), Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nepthys.
In the Ogdoad cosmogony, Thoth gave birth to Ra, Atum, Nefertum, and Khepri by laying an egg while in the form of an ibis, or later as a goose laying a golden egg.
Thoth also went by the name of Tehuti,
the ruler of Atlantis
was originally the deification of the moon in the Ogdoad belief system. Initially, in that system, the moon had been seen to be the eye of Horus, the sky god, which had been semi-blinded (thus darker) in a fight against Set, the other eye being the sun. However, over time it began to be considered separately, becoming a lunar deity in its own right, and was said to have been another son of Ra. As the crescent moon strongly resembles the curved beak of the ibis, this separate deity was named Djehuty (i.e. Thoth), meaning ibis.
Thoth became associated with the Moon, due to the Ancient Egyptians observation that Baboons (sacred to Thoth) 'sang' to the moon at night.
The Moon not only provides light at night, allowing the time to still be measured without the sun, but its phases and prominence gave it a significant importance in early astrology/astronomy. The cycles of the moon also organized much of Egyptian society's civil, and religious, rituals, and events. Consequently, Thoth gradually became seen as a god of wisdom, magic, and the measurement, and regulation, of events, and of time. He was thus said to be the secretary and counselor of Ra, and with Ma'at (truth/order) stood next to Ra on the nightly voyage across the sky, Ra being a sun god.
Thoth became credited by the ancient Egyptians as the inventor of writing, and was also considered to have been the scribe of the underworld, and the moon became occasionally considered a separate entity, now that Thoth had less association with it, and more with wisdom. For this reason Thoth was universally worshipped by ancient Egyptian Scribes. Many scribes had a painting or a picture of Thoth in their "office". Likewise, one of the symbols for scribes was that of the ibis.
During the late period of Egyptian history a cult of Thoth gained prominence, due to its main centre, Khnum (Hermopolis Magna), also becoming the capital, and millions of dead ibis were mummified and buried in his honor. The rise of his cult also led to his cult seeking to adjust mythology to give Thoth a greater role.
Thoth was inserted in many tales as the wise counsel and persuader, and his association with learning, and measurement, led him to be connected with Seshat, the earlier deification of wisdom, who was said to be his daughter, or variably his wife. Thoth's qualities also led to him being identified by the Greeks with their closest matching god Hermes, with whom Thoth was eventually combined, as Hermes Trismegistus, also leading to the Greeks naming Thoth's cult centre as Hermopolis, meaning city of Hermes.
It is also viewed that Thoth was the God of Scribe and not a messenger. Anubis was viewed as the messenger of the gods, as he travelled in and out of the Underworld, to the presence of the gods, and to humans, as well. Some call this fusion Hermanubis. It is in more favor that Thoth was a record keeper, and not the messenger. In the Papyrus of Ani copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead the scribe proclaims "I am thy writing palette, O Thoth, and I have brought unto thee thine ink-jar. I am not of those who work iniquity in their secret places; let not evil happen unto me." Chapter XXXb (Budge) of the Book of the Dead is by the oldest tradition said to be the work of Thoth himself.
There is also an Egyptian pharaoh of the Sixteenth dynasty of Egypt named Djehuty (Thoth) after him, and who reigned for three years.
During the late period of Egyptian history a cult of Thoth gained prominence, due to its main centre, Khnum (Hermopolis Magna), in Upper Egypt also becoming the capital, and millions of dead ibis were mummified and buried in his honor. The rise of his cult also lead to his cult seeking to adjust mythology to give Thoth a greater role, including varying the Ogdoad cosmogony myth so that it is Thoth who gives birth to Ra/Atum/Nefertum/Khepri, as a result of laying, as an ibis, an egg containing him. Later it was said that this was done in the form of a goose - literally as a goose laying a golden egg. The sound of his song was thought to have created four frog gods and snake goddesses of the Ogdoad who continued Thoth's song, helping the sun journey across the sky.
Thoth was the 'One who Made Calculations Concerning the Heavens, the Stars and the Earth', the 'Reckoner of Times and of Seasons', the one who 'Measured out the Heavens and Planned the Earth'. He was 'He who Balances', the 'God of the Equilibrium' and 'Master of the Balance'. 'The Lord of the Divine Body', 'Scribe of the Company of the Gods', the 'Voice of Ra', the 'Author of Every Work on Every Branch of Knowledge, Both Human and Divine', he who understood 'all that is hidden under the heavenly vault'. Thoth was not just a scribe and friend to the gods, but central to order - ma'at - both in Egypt and in the Duat. He was 'He who Reckons the Heavens, the Counter of the Stars and the Measurer of the Earth'.
Thoth as Hermes in ancient Greece complied the Hermetic Text referred to him as Kore Kosmu. What he knew, he carved on stone [mataphor of physical plane] then hid most of the information. The sacred symbols of the cosmic elements he hid away using the secrets of Osiris, keeping and maintaining silence, that younger ages of the cosmic time clock might seek them out. Thoth was said to have succeeded in understanding the mysteries of the heavens and to have revealed them by inscribing them in sacred books which he then hid here on Earth, intending that they should be searched for by future generations but found by those of the bloodline.
Some of these sacred books are referred to as the 42 Books of Instructions or the 42 Books of Thoth which describe the instructions for achieving immortality plus 2 more books kept separately. The dating of the books is somewhere between the third century BC and the first century AD. Their influence has been tremendous on the development of Western occultism and magic. Neo-pagan witchcraft contains many rituals and much esoteric symbolism based upon Hermetic writings.
According to one legend Hermes Trismegistus, who was a grandson of Adam and a builder of the Egyptian pyramids, authored the books. But, more probably the books were written by several succeeding persons. According to legend, the books were initially written on papyrus.
A chronicler of pagan lore, Clement of Alexandria, stated thirty-six of the Hermetic books contained the entire Egyptian philosophy; four books on astrology; ten books called the Hieratic on law, ten books on sacred rites and observances, two on music, and the rest on writing, cosmography, geography, mathematics and measures and training of priests. Six remaining books concerned medicine and the body discussing diseases, instruments, the eyes and women. Most of the Hermetic books - along with others - were lost during the burning of the royal libraries in Alexandria. The surviving books were secretly buried in the desert where they are presently located. A few initiates of the mystery schools, ancient secret cults, allegedly know their location. What remains of the surviving Hermetic lore has been passed down through generation and published in many languages.
Most important of all are three works.
This file links to ....
Sacred Journey, Music and Meditation
|Emerald Tablet Bracelet||Emerald Tablet Pendant||Genuine Scarab Talisman|
David's work harnesses the power of spiritual symbols and sacred geometry from around the world to bring those wearing them health, happiness, vitality, abundance, excitement, and above all - love. David's jewels are meticulously crafted to work on conscious and subconscious levels to inspire people's lives. David's Work is based on Egyptian Jewelry, Sacred Geometry, Astrology Talismans, Buddhism and other ancient cultures.
The Book of Thoth - 'M' & 'W' Reversed
Reality is myth, math, and metaphor. It is a consciousness computer experiment in time and illusion created by thought consciousness. The name Thoth means 'Thought' and 'Time'. Thoth was the master architect who created the blueprint of our reality based on the patterns of sacred geometry or 12 around 1.
It is here, in the duality - duat - underworld - chaos - void - place of creation 'outside the box' of our experience - reflected in gods and goddesses, the landscapes of Egypt including the pyramids and temples - that we experience until we evolve in the alchemy of time and consciousness.
Thoth created a grid program of experience - electromagnetic in nature to allow for the bipolar aspects of linear time and illusion. Thoth constructed a pyramidal shaped vehicle which personifies the nature of reality. He placed half above - "As is Above" in the nonphysical and half below "As is Below" thus creating the sands of time - the hourglass - the X Box - at the center of the planet where it all began and will all evolve at Zero Point a time or place where all comes into balance.
Thoth was the 'god of the equilibrium' and considered depictions of him as the 'Master of the Balance' to indicate that he was associated with the precession of the equinoxes - a time when the day and the night were balanced.
In one role or another
Thoth played a crucial part in the design
orientation and mythology
of many famous ziggurats
pyramids and temples.
It is written in several ancient texts that Thoth wrote a
major work of scriptural importance that would one day be found.
Thoth allegedly wrote books in which he set forth
fabulous knowledge of magic and incantation then concealed them in a tomb.
Sumer: Enki among other creational forces depicted in myths about reality as a biogenetic experiment with extraterrestrial connotations
Rome: Mercury The Messenger
Greece: Hermes Weights and Measures, Travel
Celtic: Merlin the Magician and Storyteller
Atlantis Chiquitet, Tehuti,Zep Tepi
Persia Zarathustra or Zoroaster - Z
The list of roles this soul played is endless from all mythological gods, religious figures, famous people in science and history, creational forces including alien gods, etc.
According to a very old Masonic tradition, the Egyptian god Thoth played a major part in preserving knowledge of the mason craft and transmitting it to mankind after the flood. Our reality is a Masonic Program - Mother Sound - Creation by Harmonics - Symbolized by the Pyramid and the Eye - the Dollar Bill and the collapse of the economy at the end of time.
EGYPTIAN GODS INDEX
ANCIENT EGYPT INDEX
ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS INDEX
CRYSTALINKS HOME PAGE
PSYCHIC READING WITH ELLIE
2012 THE ALCHEMY OF TIME
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What is Sexual Health?
What is Sexuality?
- Awareness, acceptance of and comfort with one’s own body; physiological and psychological enjoyment of one’s own body and the bodies of others.
- The ability and need to experience emotional closeness to another human being and have it returned.
- The use of sexuality to influence, control or manipulate others.
- A sense of gender identity or expression that is anywhere from male to female or somewhere in between.
- Attitudes and behaviors related to producing children, care and maintenance of sex and reproductive organs, and health outcomes of sexual behavior.
Courtesy of Advocates for Youth
What needs to change for good sexual and reproductive health?
Working at multiple levels:
Sexual and reproductive health is more than simply what individual people experience. Sexual and reproductive health is shaped by factors at different levels of society, such as laws that affect what we do, social factors such as poverty, community norms, and what services are available to us. In order to improve sexual and reproductive health, we need to consider, and act on, the drivers of sexual and reproductive ill health at these different levels. The different levels can be summarized in this way:
- individuals, peers, relationships and households
- community norms, social attitudes, values and beliefs
- policies and structures
Based on learning from behavior change and health promotion theory and practice, it is helpful to think about what needs to change at these different levels in order to improve sexual and reproductive health. This helps us to organize our ideas and plans and to increase the effectiveness of our efforts.
Most people think about their sexual and reproductive lives in a holistic way with HIV or STIs as only one aspect. Working for broader sexual and reproductive well-being opens up many more opportunities to prevent HIV and STI infection and provide care for people with HIV, as well as improving sexual and reproductive health in its own right.
Examples of Sexual Health Programming:
- Women living with HIV who are pregnant, often feel worried about informing healthcare providers as they may disapprove of the woman having a baby. By accessing user-friendly family planning and prenatal services, she can enjoy sex and be able to plan whether or when to have children, and to have healthy children.
- Audiences are growing steadily for the BBC World Service Trust’s radio phone-ins on sexual health in Cambodia because they provide an opportunity for vulnerable groups to ask questions anonymously that they might not ask face-to-face. Surveys show that exposure to radio and TV programs increases knowledge of the benefits of condoms and creates support for discussing and using them.
- Promote safer sex that protects individuals from HIV, STIs and unintended pregnancy (dual protection). Provide individuals with the knowledge, attitudes, skills and confidence to enjoy safer, healthier and happier sexual lives. At the levels of social change, services and policy, create enabling environments for sexual and reproductive health and rights and HIV education as well as broader poverty reduction. For example, facilitate comprehensive sexuality and life skills sessions with young people and work with community leaders and parents to support healthy behavior.
Why does sexuality matter?
It matters because our sexuality encompasses more than s-e-x. It’s an important piece of who we are as humans, and it influences and is influenced by other aspects of our lives. Our sexuality does not exist in a vacuum.
|PLEASE NOTE: You will be leaving the MDH Web site. The views and information offered on external Web sites do not necessarily reflect the views of MDH. Materials found on some external Web sites regarding sexual health may be objectionable to some audiences.|
Minnesota Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Databook 2012 (PDF), produced by the Maternal and Child Health Program of the Minnesota Department of Health
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WASHINGTON — For all the miracle stories of tiny preemies who survive, the sad reality is that scientists know far too little about what triggers premature birth and how to prevent it. And despite some recent progress, the U.S. has a far higher rate of preterm births than other similar nations.
On Thursday, an international coalition said there are a handful of proven protections — and if the U.S. and other developed countries do a better job of using them, together they could keep 58,000 babies a year from being born too soon.
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This photo was taken in November 2006 near a town called Nes in the Nenets Autonomous District in Northwest Russia. The Nenets people are indigenous people in Russia that live in the Arctic region. Think of what it would be like to open your door to spy a reindeer in the morning!
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy of Julia Vishnevets
There are people of different cultures and backgrounds who live in the Arctic region. Read on to learn more about two of these cultures.
The Inuit are the native cultures that continue to live on coastal areas of Arctic tundra in Canada, Alaska (USA), Siberia (Russia), and Greenland. Over this broad area there are many different groups of people. Some share common ancestors, others probably do not, but most have similar ways of living in the Arctic. Inuit traditionally hunted for seals, whales, polar bears, caribou, birds and other animals from the ocean and the tundra. Inuit people invented the kayak and used these small boats to hunt for Arctic marine animals. Because of a great respect for these animals, Inuit have traditional customs that must be followed during a hunt. Inuit myths were inspired by the environment that they lived within including the magical appearance of the aurora in the night sky, the long dark winters, and the icy Arctic Ocean. Explore more about Inuit culture by visiting the links below.
Norse people were originally from Scandinavian countries. During the Middle Ages, between approximately 850 and 1066 AD, groups of Norse explorers and warriors called Vikings raided and colonized other regions within and near the Arctic such as Greenland, Iceland, and northern Russia (as well as warmer, lower latitude locations too). Today, many people living in these countries are descendants of the Norse people.
The Norse were excellent boat builders, crafting vessels out of wood called longships, which could travel across large expanses of ocean. There were many oars along the sides of the boat and often one square sail. Vikings would row the oars and wind would fill the sail, propelling the boat. The Norse people, including the Vikings, were known to be excellent storytellers. Explore some of the myths from the Norse people in the links below.
The Earth: Midgard
The Sea: Aegir
The winds: Njord
The Thunder: Thor
The sky: Tyr
The Sky: Odin
The Aurora: Freya
The Northern Lights: The Valkiries
The Sun: Freyr
The Planet Venus: Sif
The Milky Way: Bifrost
The Norse Family Tree
The Sun: Malina
The Moon: Anningan
The Sea: Sedna
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!Cool It!
is the new card game from the Union of Concerned Scientists that teaches kids about the choices we have when it comes to climate change—and how policy and technology decisions made today will matter. Cool It! is available in our online store
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Midgard is the realm where humans live, the Earth. It was created when the god Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve slayed the giant Ymir. In Norse mythology, the world was seen as a gigantic tree, called...more
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Jerome Robbins (1918–98) was the greatest American-born choreographer of the 20th century and one of the most influential figures in Broadway. He played a crucial role in the development of both American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet. His seminal ballets include Afternoon of a Faun (1953), The Concert (1956), Dances at a Gathering (1969) and In the Night (1970), all of which are in the repertories of The Royal Ballet and of companies around the world.
Robbins was born Jerome Rabinowitz in 1918 and grew up in New Jersey. He first learnt dancing from his sister Sonya and later studied modern dance at the Dance Center with Senia Glück-Sandor and Felicia Sorel, while also studying ballet with Ella Daganova and Spanish and Asian dance. Robbins joined the corps de ballet of the Ballet Theatre (later ABT) in 1940. His first work for Ballet Theatre was Fancy Free (1944), expanded the following year into On the Town for Broadway. Its success made Robbins the most sought-after choreographer on Broadway, his most popular subsequent works including The King and I (1951), West Side Story (1957) and Fiddler on the Roof (1964). He created his first work for NYCB, The Guests, in 1949, and through the rest of his life retained close links with both NYCB and ABT, and with George Balanchine, whose works were a tremendous influence.
Robbins was a pioneer in creating ballets that were intended to reflect his own era. His works are marked by his unique comic gift, his intelligence and deep musical sensitivity.
News and features
In a striking departure from ballet tradition, choreographer Jerome Robbins depicts a couple in the midst of a blazing row.
Our quick guide to The Royal Ballet's mixed programme, featuring two acclaimed works by Jerome Robbins and Kenneth MacMillan's masterful study of loss.
Though a mature masterpiece, Robbins’s ballet had one of the most fraught geneses of any in work the repertory, pushing its choreographer to near-breaking point.
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Facts about UHT Milk
Milk is always appreciated as one of the most necessary components of diet. These days, the UHT milk has lessened the demand for regular milk considerably. However, there are some facts that must be known before deciding which milk to go for.
Have you ever thought why some milk products can be kept without a fridge? It is the UHT (ultra-high temperature) pasteurization that helps the milk to retain its freshness even without being refrigerated! (Dairy Goodness)
Some people argue that the UHT pasteurized milk is advertised wrongfully if it is said that it is healthier and germ-free. In fact, the UHT process is introduced in the milk market only to increase the shelf life of the milk. (KristenM, 2013)
The UHT milk is treated at a temperature as high as 280o F which not only kills the spores of botulism but also decrease some of the nutritional value of the milk. (Locavoredelmundo, 2010)
The containers in which the milk is packed after getting UHT treated are made of paper, plastic, and aluminum, which cannot easily be recycled. (Locavoredelmundo, 2010)
For those who believe that the UHT pasteurized milk is safer to drink, check out the code at the bottom of the pack. If the code says B1235 then it means that the milk you are using is reprocessed. Shocking!! (Locavoredelmundo, 2010)
A recent study by the USDA shows that half of the US population is deficient in vitamin B-12. Is this actually because of the fact that Americans are the largest consumers of the UHT milk? Think about it! (Milk Unleashed, 2013)
Whether you consume skimmed, 1% or 2%, or even whole milk in the tetra pack, the nutritional content is the same! (Milk Unleashed, 2013)
A 1% UHT milk is safer for use in the sauces, desserts and casseroles, all those dishes which call for regular milk. The results are same!! (USDA Foods, 2011)
Do you think the article can be improved? Share Your Expertise
. (2013). Milk Unleashed. In Milk Facts. Retrieved May 7, 2013, from http://www.milkunleashed.com/whats-happening/milk-facts.html
. (n.d). Dairy Goodness. In UHT Milk: A Hot Topic. Retrieved May 7, 2013, from http://www.dairygoodness.ca/good-health/dairy-facts-fallacies/uht-milk-a-hot-topic
KristenM. (February 11, 2013). Food Renegade. In Just Say No to UHT Milk. Retrieved May 7, 2013, from http://www.foodrenegade.com/just-say-no-to-uht-milk/
. (June 14, 2010). Locavore Del Mundo. In Uncovering Hidden Truths (UHT Milk). Retrieved May 7, 2013, from http://locavoredelmundo.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/uncovering-hidden-truths-uht-milk/
“Household Commodity Fact Sheet, United States Department of Agricultureâ€Â. Published: February 2011. Code: B385.
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This practical challenge invites you to investigate the different
squares you can make on a square geoboard or pegboard.
This activity investigates how you might make squares and pentominoes from Polydron.
If you had 36 cubes, what different cuboids could you make?
Three white rabbits where hopping down a narrow path and three
grey rabbits were hopping up the same narrow path.
The only way they could pass is by jumping over each other, one
at a time.
What is the smallest number of jumps needed before all the
rabbits can continue along their path?
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Backyard Wind Turbines
Good sites for small wind generators are rare
Manufacturers of small wind turbines are enjoying a boom. Fascinated by the idea of generating their own electricity, many rural homeowners have invested thousands of dollars — sometimes tens of thousands of dollars — in a backyard wind generator.
Devotees of wind energy face several hurdles, however. A good site for a wind turbine — generally a large, rural lot with an average wind speed of at least 10 miles per hour — is rare. Moreover, many communities are reluctant to grant a permit for a wind tower, which may need to be from 80 to 120 feet tall. It’s not unusual for wind tower plans to run afoul of zoning regulations or neighbors’ aesthetic judgments.
Although the market for small wind turbines is growing, many energy experts remain skeptical of the devices’ usefulness. If you are lucky enough to own a great wind site, and if you don’t mind troubleshooting occasional glitches with mechanical and electrical equipment, a backyard wind turbine might make sense for you. Many purchasers of small wind turbines end up disappointed, however, so it’s important to do your homework before you shop for a wind machine.
Decades of wind turbine history
While photovoltaic(PV) Generation of electricity directly from sunlight. A photovoltaic cell has no moving parts; electrons are energized by sunlight and result in current flow. (PVPhotovoltaics. Generation of electricity directly from sunlight. A photovoltaic (PV) cell has no moving parts; electrons are energized by sunlight and result in current flow.) systems are now the dominant technology for on-site renewable electricity generation, wind came first. From the late 1920s through the 1940s, off-grid homeowners installed thousands of wind turbines to power DC lights and radios.
In the late 1940s, however, as the wires strung by the Rural Electrification Administration reached more and more farms, the market for small wind turbines began to dry up. When offered the chance, most rural residents jumped at the opportunity to hook up to the grid.
Three decades later, the Arab oil embargo sparked a small-wind revival. During the 1970s, hundreds of back-to-the-land hippies began restoring abandoned Jacobs wind turbines and hooking them up to 24-volt or 36-volt batteries. This renewed demand for small-scale wind equipment encouraged several new wind turbine manufacturers to enter the market.
Eventually, however, dropping prices for PV modules siphoned away some of the turbine manufacturers’ market for off-grid battery-charging equipment. By 1980, when the price of PV modules reached $9 per watt, PV systems began to become attractive for those living beyond the reach of powerlines. Since PV systems have no moving parts, they are almost always more dependable than wind systems. As the 1980s progressed, the price of both PV modules and oil continued to drop, dealing a double blow to manufacturers of small wind turbines.
These manufacturers are now enjoying their most recent growth cycle, sparked by three factors: the energy price surge of 2008; a kind-of “warm fuzzy glow” effect attributable to the growing acceptance of utility-scale wind turbines; and the available federal tax credit for 30% of wind turbine costs.
Only time will tell whether the current wind-turbine mini-boom will fade as quickly as the earlier booms of the 1930s and 1970s.
Understanding wind equipment
The typical small-scale wind system consists of a tower-mounted turbine with a rotor connected to a permanent magnet alternator that produces three-phase AC. The electrical output of the turbine is usually rectified to DC and then converted to grid-synchronized AC power by an inverterDevice for converting direct-current (DC) electricity into the alternating-current (AC) form required for most home uses; necessary if home-generated electricity is to be fed into the electric grid through net-metering arrangements..
Because the wind industry has not yet agreed to a standard procedure for rating wind turbines, there’s no easy way to compare the performance of competing models. Reputable manufacturers should be able to provide monthly energy production estimates (in kWh) for a variety of average wind speeds; although these numbers need to be taken with a grain of salt, they can be compared more fruitfully than peak-power ratings.
Rotor size is usually reported as the area of the apparent circle created by the spinning rotor. Known as the “swept area,” this number is an indicator of a turbine’s potential energy production. A turbine with a larger swept area almost always produces more energy than a turbine with a smaller swept area.
Wind power increases with height. According to Wisconsin wind expert Mick Sagrillo, the three most common mistakes made by installers of small wind turbines are “too short a tower, too short a tower, and too short a tower.” According to Sagrillo's calculations, increasing the height of a wind turbine tower from 60 feet to 100 feet can result in a power production increase of 344%.
A wind tower should be tall enough to locate the bottom of the rotor at least 30 feet higher than any object, including trees, within 300 feet. For small wind installations, the price of the necessary tower is often equal to the price of the turbine.
There are three common tower types: freestanding, fixed guyed, and tilt-up. To perform maintenance — typically consisting of tightening bolts — on a turbine attached to a freestanding or fixed guyed tower, the tower must be climbed. That’s why many owners of small wind systems prefer to install a tilt-up tower.
Tilt-up towers are hinged at the bottom so that the entire tower can be lowered to the ground. Tilt-up towers take up a lot of room, because of the need for guy wire anchors and the need for a clear area where the tower can be lowered for maintenance.
Assessing your site’s wind speed
Available wind power is proportional to the cube of wind speed. That’s why a site with an average wind speed of 14 mph can produce eight times more power than a site with an average wind speed of 7 mph. When it comes to wind power production, sites with low wind speeds are useless.
Before you purchase a wind turbine, it would be great to know your site’s average wind speed. Unfortunately, wind site assessment is expensive.
According to Anne Bijur, a customer communications representative for Earth Turbines in Hinesburg, Vermont, small wind turbine installations are usually installed without any prior wind monitoring. Most installers of small wind turbines look for clues to high wind speeds. “Look at wind maps and flagging on trees,” Bijur advises. “To get an anemometer up high enough, you need to spend about $7,000 for a tower, so you might as well put the money into a turbine.”
One rule of thumb: a site isn’t windy enough to justify a turbine unless the wind is frequently irritating to residents.
Steven Strong, president of Solar Design Associates in Harvard, Mass., has been involved with several successful wind installations. “We are advocates of wind when it makes sense, but it doesn’t make sense that often,” said Strong. “People thinking about wind ask, ‘Can we afford it? Will the neighbors hate us? Will it make noise and keep us awake?’ But the last thing they get to is the most important: ‘Is there any wind here?’ ”
Any calculation of the cost-effectiveness of a small wind turbine needs to account for maintenance. Most manufacturers recommend that bolts (including bolts at the top of the tower) be checked for tightness annually or every two years. Some turbines will require oiling or greasing on the same schedule. Additional maintenance tasks include adjusting and tightening tower guy wires.
Component failures are always possible; many small turbine owners have had inverter problems. Eventually, turbine bearings will wear out and need to be replaced.
Finally, since wind turbines are located at the top of a tall metal tower, they are particularly vulnerable to lightning strikes. Some installers of small wind turbines have reported that lightning strikes from a single storm have damaged half a dozen of their customers' turbines.
If you still want to take the plunge…
On the rare site where wind speeds are high enough — in certain areas of the Great Plains, on a mountain ridge, or on the Atlantic coast — a wind system may be a wise investment. But there are good reasons why small wind turbines are rare.
Even in locations where a $40,000 wind turbine will produce more electricity than a $40,000 PV system, it’s important to remember that a wind turbine will always require more maintenance, and will have more downtime, than solar equipment.
- Kansas Wind
Nov 23, 2009 9:53 PM ET
Nov 23, 2009 10:29 PM ET
Nov 25, 2009 11:08 AM ET
Nov 26, 2009 10:57 AM ET
May 24, 2010 8:39 PM ET
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Elementary School: The Foundation for Academic Success
I always quote former vice president Al Gore in my workshops. "We have to have parent involvement to raise successful kids," he said. "The most promising approach to improving our schools may be the oldest and most obvious: getting families more involved in their children's education."
So be involved! Get to know your student's teacher, keep up with the classwork and curriculum, attend school events, and know what is expected of your student. Encourage enrollment in cultural events, extracurricular activities, and math and science enrichment. Even at this tender age, your student can learn the benefits of volunteering and building a network of supportive teachers, administrators, and community leaders.
I know from hearing countless parents tell me they don't have time that there is a real gap between parental work hours and school volunteer hours. You're busy. We're all busy. Regardless, I still tell parents, your student's school needs you, and your student needs you at school. Do what it takes to put in the time.
Showing your "face in the place" sends the message to the school and to your children that school is important to you and the family. A lot of times my then-husband and I were unable to attend events, but we always sent snacks or money to help with supplies. Sometimes we would take a lunch hour and spend it in the school cafeteria instead of at work.
Stumped for what to do at your child's school? Try any or all of the following:
- Join the PTA.
- Bake for a bake sale, or help plan one.
- Act as a lunchroom or playground monitor.
- Chaperone field trips or any events that take place away from school.
- Help plan and chaperone dances, proms, or graduation ceremonies.
- Act as a classroom helper, or volunteer in the computer lab.
- Organize or assist with a club or special interest group.
- Help out with the gym or sports activities.
- Help prepare press releases or write grant applications.
- Work in the library.
- Sew costumes or build sets for theatrical productions.
- Help out with any arts, crafts, or design projects.
- When all ideas abandon you, ask your child's teacher!
More on: Parental Involvement
From Say Yes To College: A Practical and Inspirational Guide to Raising College-Bound Kids by Sharon Chandler and Elizabeth Crane. Copyright © 2005. Used by arrangement with Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
If you'd like to buy this book, click here or on the book cover.
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The Philippines and the United States Congress
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. has further intensified the Embassy’s engagement with the United States Congress since assuming his post as Ambassador on April 4, 2011. Ambassador Cuisia has met with Congressional leaders, Senators, and Representatives to highlight the importance of Philippines-United States Alliance in pursuing mutual goals of economic growth, democratic governance, and regional security.
The relationship between the Philippines and the United States Congress are steeped in history. From 1907, during the American occupation, the Philippines had been represented in the United States Congress by Philippine resident commissioners until the U.S. granted Philippine independence in 1946. The commissioners were chosen by the Philippine Legislature and the National Assembly, and they represented the Philippines as one congressional district.
Today, Philippine relations with the United States Congress continue to be actively promoted in view of the sustained and enduring close linkages between the two countries as well as the presence of some 3.5 million Americans of Filipino descent in the United States. Filipino Americans represent the second biggest Asian minority, and a good number of them have an active presence in practically all states and congressional districts.
Bills in the US Congress of interest to the Philippines are generally related to trade, economic and security relations, US assistance to the Philippines, and those that promote the interest of the Filipino population and the Filipino American community.
H.E. President Benigno Aquino III receives Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) and Senator Thad Cochran (R-MI) at the Malacanang Palace on April 30, 2011. Photo shows (L-R) Philippine Chief of Presidential Protocol Miguel A. Perez-Rubio, Philippine House of Representatives Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Philippine Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, President Aquino, Senator Cochran, Senator Inouye, Mrs. Irene Inouye and U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas.
Filipino Veterans of World War II
The most important piece of legislation in the US Congress that had been the focus of Philippine advocacy for many years was the Filipino Veterans Equity Act. The Philippine government was successful in leading a concerted effort with the Filipino American community in ensuring the passage of a version of the bill despite the political and economic obstacles the United States had to hurdle. In February 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law a provision recognizing the military service of Filipino veterans in World War II and providing them with lump sum benefits. Hundreds of thousands of Filipino soldiers fought during World War II under the flag of the United States. Champions in the US Congress such as Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii and Representative Bob Filner of California and many other congressional supporters had a vital role in the bill’s passage.
US Assistance to the Philippines and Defense Cooperation
The US Congress had allocated US$2 billion for the Philippines from 1999 to 2011. US assistance contributes to:
- building peace in Mindanao,
- strengthening democratic institutions in the country,
- enhancing economic growth, and
- reinforcing greater stability in the region.
The Philippines needs to fortify its defense, and President Benigno Aquino has made major investments in the upgrade of the nation’s defense equipment. As a treaty ally, the Philippines would like to engage the U.S. in contributing to the overall national effort in building an independent credible defense posture. Hence, the supplementary foreign military financing approved yearly by the U.S. Congress remains a very important component of the Philippine government’s effort to develop the country’s external defense capabilities.
Save Our Industries Act
To expand textiles and apparel trade between the Philippines and the U.S., the SAVE Act is an innovative win-win trade legislation that will sustain jobs and increase exports in both the United States and the Philippines. H.R. 2387, was introduced by Representatives Jim McDermott (D-WA), along with Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and Bob Filner (D-CA) co-chairs of the Philippine Friendship Caucus. The Senate companion, S. 1244, was introduced by Senators Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) on June 22, 2011. Co-sponsors include Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Pat Roberts (R-KS), and Charles Schumer (D-NY). The bill now has strong bipartisan support in both chambers of the US Congress. Visit: http://www.saveourindustriesact.com/
SAVE Act would:
- Allow for apparel products manufactured in the Philippines using U.S. made fabrics to enter the United States duty free
- Provide duty-free benefits for a limited number of non-import sensitive apparel articles containing fabrics of any origin to help re-establish a competitive Philippine apparel industry
- Develop the strictest levels of customs enforcement, putting in place measures to prevent any trans-shipment of apparel under the program
- Provide a necessary bridge to Philippine-U.S. free trade under the Transpacific Partnership
Friends in the US Congress
In the Senate, Senator Inouye is a leading champion of the friendship and alliance between the Philippines and the U.S. He has long felt that the US has shortchanged the Philippines, referring to Filipino soldiers who were not given benefits due them after they served in the US Armed Forces during World War II.
In the House, the Philippines-US Friendship Caucus has been an important institution that aims to support the friendship between the Philippines and the U.S. and to address the concerns of the Filipino American community. To date, the Philippine Caucus has 64 members and is led by Representative Bob Filner (D-CA) and Representative Brian Bilbray (R-CA) both from California. Members of the Caucus include U.S. legislators of Filipino ancestry namely, Representative Bob Scott (D-VA) and Representative Steve Austria (R-OH).
Shown above is Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. with Congressman Bob Filner (left) and Congressman Brian Bilbray (right) at their separate meetings on the Hill in 2011.
During the term of Secretary Albert del Rosario as Philippine Ambassador to the U.S., the Caucus was officially launched in Washington, D.C. in 2003 with 52 bipartisan Members of the US House of Representatives. The eight founding pillars of the Caucus are Representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA), Bob Filner (D-CA), Duke Cunningham (R-CA), Bobby Scott (D-VA), Todd Tiahrt (R-CA), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Lane Evans (D-IL).
On February 7, 2012, Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), a member of the Friendship Caucus, convened a congressional hearing by the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-proliferation and Trade which was devoted solely to United States-Philippines Alliance.
Interactions between United States legislators and Philippine officials
Interactions between United States legislators and Philippine officials
There have been active interactions between Members of the US Congress and Philippine government officials. The following legislators recently visited the Philippines:
- Senator Inouye and Senator Cochran, leaders of the Committee on Appropriations (30 April 2011)
- Congressional delegation led by Chairman Dana Rohrabacher of California (7 June 2011)
- Senator John McCain and Senator Joe Lieberman with Senators Kelly Ayotte and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (17 January 2011)
- Congressional delegation led by the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Chairman Hal Rogers (13-15 January 2011)
In Washington, D.C., Philippine officials, including Vice President Jejomar Binay and Secretary Albert del Rosario, have met with numerous congressional leaders both in the Senate and the House. Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. has frequented the Capitol Hill and met with key Members to raise their awareness on Philippines-United States relations. Ambassador Cuisia has also met with Members in their respective States and districts in the presence of Filipino American constituents and leaders.
Legislative Affairs Office
Tel. No. 202.467.9439
Mr. Ariel Rodelas Penaranda
Minister for Legislative Affairs
Mr. Gregg A. Angeles
Ms. Nomelie Anne C. Veluz
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Gain hands-on experience with SPARQL, the RDF query language that’s bringing new possibilities to semantic web, linked data, and big data projects. This updated and expanded edition shows you how to use SPARQL 1.1 with a variety of tools to retrieve, manipulate, and federate data from the public web as well as from private sources.
Author Bob DuCharme has you writing simple queries right away before providing background on how SPARQL fits into RDF technologies. Using short examples that you can run yourself with open source software, you’ll learn how to update, add to, and delete data in RDF datasets.
Get the big picture on RDF, linked data, and the semantic web
Use SPARQL to find bad data and create new data from existing data
Use datatype metadata and functions in your queries
Learn techniques and tools to help your queries run more efficiently
Use RDF Schemas and OWL ontologies to extend the power of your queries
Discover the roles that SPARQL can play in your applications
Chapter 1 Jumping Right In: Some Data and Some Queries
The Data to Query
Querying the Data
More Realistic Data and Matching on Multiple Triples
Searching for Strings
What Could Go Wrong?
Querying a Public Data Source
Chapter 2 The Semantic Web, RDF, and Linked Data (and SPARQL)
What Exactly Is the “Semantic Web”?
URLs, URIs, IRIs, and Namespaces
The Resource Description Framework (RDF)
Reusing and Creating Vocabularies: RDF Schema and OWL
SPARQL’s Past, Present, and Future
The SPARQL Specifications
Chapter 3 SPARQL Queries: A Deeper Dive
More Readable Query Results
Data That Might Not Be There
Finding Data That Doesn’t Meet Certain Conditions
Searching Further in the Data
Searching with Blank Nodes
Eliminating Redundant Output
Combining Different Search Conditions
FILTERing Data Based on Conditions
Retrieving a Specific Number of Results
Querying Named Graphs
Queries in Your Queries
Combining Values and Assigning Values to Variables
Creating Tables of Values in Your Queries
Sorting, Aggregating, Finding the Biggest and Smallest and...
Querying a Remote SPARQL Service
Federated Queries: Searching Multiple Datasets with One Query
Chapter 4 Copying, Creating, and Converting Data (and Finding Bad Data)
Query Forms: SELECT, DESCRIBE, ASK, and CONSTRUCT
Creating New Data
Finding Bad Data
Asking for a Description of a Resource
Chapter 5 Datatypes and Functions
Datatypes and Queries
Chapter 6 Updating Data with SPARQL
Getting Started with Fuseki
Adding Data to a Dataset
Changing Existing Data
Chapter 7 Query Efficiency and Debugging
Efficiency Inside the WHERE Clause
Efficiency Outside the WHERE Clause
Chapter 8 Working with SPARQL Query Result Formats
Bob DuCharme (http://www.snee.com/bob) is a solutions architect at TopQuadrant, a provider of software for modeling, developing, and deploying semantic web applications. He came to TopQuadrant from Innodata Isogen, where he did system and architecture analysis and design for a wide range of global publishing clients as well as cochairing the 2008 Linked Data Planet conference in New York City. Earlier in his career, he oversaw SGML and XML development at Moody's Investors Service and then moved on to LexisNexis, where he did data and systems architecture as they made the transition to XML-based systems.
In the XML.com newsletter, editor Kendall Clark once wrote “Does anyone write tech prose as clear as Bob?” Bob is the author of Manning Publications’ “XSLT Quickly,” Prentice Hall’s “XML: The Annotated Specification” and “SGML CD,” and McGraw Hill’s “Operating Systems Handbook.” He's written over 70 pieces for XML.com and has contributed to Dr. Dobb’s Journal, IBM developerWorks, Nodalities, DevX, perl.com, XML Magazine, XML Journal, XML Developer, O’Reilly Books’ “XML Hacks,” and Prentice Hall’s “XML Handbook.” Bob received his BA in Religion fromColumbia University and his Master’s in Computer Science from New York University. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife Jennifer and their daughters Madeline and Alice.
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There are three stages:
- We start with ideas about what our product could be.
- We're a software company, so what we do everyday is turn ideas into code.
- Hopefully, we find out what happened when people use that code, creating data.
- Implement (programming!) where we turn ideas into code the best way possible.
- Measure what happened, as quickly as possible.
- Learn from the data, letting it influence our ideas for the next iteration through the loop
Optimize speed through the whole loop. This sometimes steps on the favored opinions of functional specialists in any organization.
My personal favorite: "Code without data collection? Faster but..." Ever heard a programmer argue for ripping out all that pesky data monitoring code? It's slowing down the system, wasting resources, creating ugly code and uglier scaling problems. If we just stopped measuring, we could write code a hell of a lot faster.
If you have worked with a Professional Data Warehouse Expert, you might have seen: "Measure 10000 things? Comprehensive but..." No human being can learn from 10,000 graphs. It's overwhelming. To turn data into learning, you have to focus on the few key pieces of data the everyone agrees are important. And you have to get the decision makers and implementers to look at (and believe!) the data on a regular basis.
How about documentation that nobody reads? Reports that go unnoticed? Alerts that go off so often that they get ignored? Split-test experiments that go on forever? All of these are true waste, and they generally happen because somebody is optimizing for their particular part of the puzzle, not for the team as a whole.
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Primary Documents - Announcement of the First Provisional Government, 3 March 1917
On 2 March the new Russian Provisional Government was formed on the same day that ousted Tsar Nicholas II formally signed his Decree of Abdication. Reproduced below is the text of the public announcement of the formation of the Provisional Government, and which was published in Izvestiia on the following day.
Public Announcement of
the Formation of the
First Provisional Government
The Temporary Committee of the members of the State Duma, with the help and the support of the army and the inhabitants of the capital, has now attained such a large measure of success over the dark forces of the old regime that it is possible for the Committee to undertake the organisation of a more stable executive power.
With this end in mind, the Temporary Committee of the State Duma has appointed the following persons as ministers of the first cabinet representing the public; their past political and public activities assure them the confidence of the country:
Minister-President and Minister of the Interior Prince G.E. L'vov (Non-Party)
Minister of Foreign Affairs P.N. Miliukov (Kadet)
Minister of War and Navy A.I. Guchkov (Octobrist)
Minister of Transport N.V. Nekrasov (Kadet)
Minister of Trade and Industry A.I. Konovalov (Kadet)
Minister of Finance M.I. Tereshchenko (Non-Party)
Minister of Education A.A. Manuilov (Kadet)
Ober-Procurator of the Holy Synod V.N. L'vov (Centrist)
Minister of Agriculture A.I. Shingarev (Kadet)
Minister of Justice A.F. Kerenskii (SR)
The actual work of the cabinet will be guided by the following principles:
An immediate and complete amnesty in all cases of a political and religious nature, including terrorist acts, military revolts and agrarian offences, etc.
Freedom of speech, press, and assembly, and the right to form unions and to strike and the extension of political freedom to persons serving in the armed forces limited only by the demands of military and technical circumstances.
The abolition of all restrictions based on class, religion, and nationality.
The immediate arrangements for the calling on the Constituent Assembly on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage and secret ballot, which will determine the form of government and the constitution of the country.
The substitution of a people's militia for the police, with elective officers responsible to the organs of local self-government.
Elections to the organs of local self-government are to be held on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage and secret ballot.
Those military units which took part in the revolutionary movement shall be neither disarmed nor withdrawn from Petrograd.
While preserving strict military discipline on duty and during military service, the soldiers are to be freed from all restrictions in the exercise of those civil rights which all other citizens enjoy.
The Provisional Government wishes to add that it has no intention whatsoever of taking advantage of the military situation to delay in any way the carrying through of the reforms and the measures outlined above.
Duck-Boards comprised slatted wooden planking used for flooring trenches or muddy ground.
- Did you know?
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Java method calling
posted 8 years ago
If you start with Classname, then you are invoking its static method1 This method1 returns something which has a method called method2. You are calling method2 on whatever that is. Whoever coded that ought to have provided links in the Javadoc comments for whichever class it is to explain what its method1 returns. Whoever coded that class should have given an explanation about what method2 does.And Amit Ghorpade is right about displayed names.
I think this needs a beginner's explanation; it is really a beginner's question.Originally posted by Laxmikant Ruikar:
Classname.MethodName1() represent one object of class, and you are invoking MethodName2() method on it.
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Central Retinal Artery Occlusion
What is central retinal artery occlusion?
When one of the vessels that carry blood to your eye’s retina gets blocked, it can cause you to lose your eyesight. This problem often happens suddenly and without any pain. This called a central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO).
Your retina is the layer of nerves at the back of your inner eye that sense light. Like a tiny video camera, your retina turns images into electrical signals. Your optic nerve carries these signals to your brain. If a blockage of a blood vessel happens in your retina, it can be very serious. The blockage usually comes from a clot or fatty deposit in your blood vessel. This is an emergency. You will need medical help right away. If the blood clot breaks free and moves to the brain, it can cause a stroke.
The after effects of CRAO can come quickly and be very serious. Most often you will have some loss of eyesight. Even after treatment, your eyesight may not get better.
A disease that is like CRAO is branch retinal artery occlusion. This is a blockage in 1 branch of the arteries that brings blood to your retina. With this form of the disease, recovery is more likely. After treatment you are often able to keep fair to good eyesight.
What causes central retinal artery occlusion?
Central retinal artery occlusion is a blockage of the central retinal artery. The blockage usually comes from a clot or fatty deposit in your blood vessel.
Who is at risk for central retinal artery occlusion?
High blood pressure and aging are the main risks for CRAO. Glaucoma and diabetes can also raise your risk. So can problems in which your blood is thicker and stickier than normal. In women, the problem has been linked to the use of birth control pills.
What are the symptoms of central retinal artery occlusion?
The signs of CRAO are easy to spot. They are:
- Sudden blindness in 1 of your eyes
- Sudden, complete blurring of eyesight in 1 eye
- Steady loss of eyesight in 1 eye over a few weeks
The symptoms may last a few seconds or minutes. Or, they might be permanent. If you have only partial blurring or loss of eyesight, you likely have branch retinal artery occlusion.
The symptoms of CRAO may look like other medical problems. Always talk with your health care provider for a diagnosis.
How is central retinal artery occlusion diagnosed?
If your health care provider thinks that you have CRAO, he or she will do a physical exam of the eye. Your eye will be dilated first. Your health care provider may also do a number of other eye tests. These are done to find out the type of blockage and how much damage you have. One eye test that can make a clear diagnosis is called a fundoscopy. This test is sometimes done with a biomicroscope and slit lamp.
You will be tested for high blood pressure, glaucoma, and diabetes. If you are young, your health care provider may check whether your blood is thicker than normal. This can be done with a blood test called a complete blood count.
Your health care provider may also make other checks of your heart health to see if you have problems with clotting elsewhere. These health problems are often related.
How is central retinal artery occlusion treated?
Your health care provider will figure out the best treatment for you based on:
- Your age
- Your overall health and medical history
- How sick you are
- How well you can handle specific medicines, procedures, or therapies
- How long the condition is expected to last
- Your opinion or preference
The symptoms of CRAO sometimes look like other medical problems. Always see your health care provider for a diagnosis.
Doctors sometimes use a laser to fix the blockage. Experts say that if you arrive at the hospital with at least 20/40 vision, you will likely have fairly good eyesight later on. But if your vision in the eye is 20/200 or worse, the outlook for recovery is not good.
Some people have been treated with high pressure (hyperbaric) oxygen. The retina takes in more oxygen than any other organ in the body. This makes the retina more likely to be harmed if a blockage keeps oxygen-rich blood from reaching it.
In many cases, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can give enough extra oxygen to keep the retina healthy until normal blood flow returns. You will breathe pure oxygen in a special room. The extra oxygen in the blood can sometimes cause the arteries in your retina to get wider. This can help your eyesight get better.
How well this works depends on the type of blockage. It also depends on how quickly therapy begins after the blockage forms. This therapy may work best if started within 8 hours after the blockage begins.
In other cases, your doctor might try to open up the retinas manually. He or she will do this by massaging the affected area. Or he or she may use a clot-busting drug such as a tissue-plasminogen activator or t-PA. Several other treatments have been tried but they don’t work as well.
What are the complications of central retinal artery occlusion?
Central retinal artery occlusion can lead to partial to permanent loss of eyesight in the affected eye.
Can central retinal artery occlusion be prevented?
Central retinal artery occlusion is often linked to diabetes or heart problems. But these health problems don’t cause it. A good preventive step is to keep your heart healthy. You can do this by:
- Staying at a healthy weight
- Eating a healthy diet
- Exercising regularly
- Not smoking
Also, if you have diabetes, work to keep your blood sugar at a healthy level.
- Central retinal artery occlusion is the blockage of blood to the retina of 1 eye.
- It usually causes sudden loss of eyesight in 1 eye.
- You are higher risk if you are older or have high blood pressure, glaucoma, or diabetes.
- You are also at higher risk if your blood is thicker and stickier than normal.
- Central retinal artery occlusion is a medical emergency. You need to get medical help right away.
- Treatment choices include laser surgery, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and clot-busting drugs.
Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your health care provider:
- Before your visit, write down questions you want answered.
- Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your provider tells you.
- At the visit, write down the names of new medicines, treatments, or tests, and any new instructions your provider gives you.
- If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit.
- Know how you can contact your provider if you have questions.
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|Heritage Management in Africa
The hill complex entrance to Khami National Monument in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Situated between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, Khami, the capital of the Torwa state, prospered as a trading post and missionary stop from the mid-15th to mid-17th centuries. Chinese and Portuguese ceramics and Spanish silver have been found among Khami's granite walls. Today, vegetation damage, burrowing animals, and trespassers foraging for firewood and building stones threaten the site. Photo: Webber Ndoro.
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Whether you eat them by the handful, flick them into your mouth one by one, or blend them up into smooth, sweet butters- nuts and seeds are undeniably delicious. Beloved by many, these tasty little superfoods make powerful and convenient additions to nearly any type of diet. However, what often goes unrealized, is that nuts and seeds can be quite problematic and troublesome to digest when not cared for and prepared properly. Using questions from readers, I have pulled together this comprehensive guide for soaking nuts and seeds. Don't miss out on the proteins, minerals and healthy fats that these crunchy tidbits have to offer!
What's wrong with raw nuts and seeds?
Raw nuts, and even more so raw seeds, have notable levels of phytic acid, a form of bound phosphorous, which serves as a physiological protectant and antioxidant for plants. While phytic acid is useful to safeguard the seeds until germination, when eaten by humans it binds to minerals in the gastrointestinal tract, causing irritation and contributing to the potential for nutrient deficiencies. Some animals naturally produce adequate amounts of the enzyme phytase to breakdown this vexing anti-nutrient, however humans do not, causing phytate-heavy diets to be troublesome. Raw nuts also contain a significant amount of enzyme inhibitors, which act to prevent the nut or seed from sprouting prematurely in nature. Yet these enzyme inhibitors can also bind up minerals and and cause digestive strain for nut-munching humans. Most statements extolling the health benefits of raw nuts and seeds are inaccurate as they fail to take into account the fact that many of the nutrients they contain cannot be properly assimilated in their raw form.
Why does soaking help?
The phytates and enzyme inhibitors that make nuts and seeds so tricky to digest can be easily neutralized by soaking in salt water and low temperature dehydrating. The combination of minerals and heat works to break down irritating compounds, while preserving the beneficial fats and proteins. Many traditional cultures intuitively practiced these preparation methods using seawater and the sun, and passed this knowledge down through generations. The tools and techniques of modern science have unabled us to see in an even more detailed way, just how profoundly soaking increases the bioavailability of important nutrients (notably the treasured B vitamins) and activates helpful enzymes that increase nutrient absorption. Unfortunately, this tedious process is cumbersome and costly for large-scale manufacturers, and has been largely lost amidst the packaged convenience foods available today.
How do I soak raw nuts and seeds?
As strange as it initially sounds, soaking nuts and seeds is not difficult. Luckily the process of soaking is essentially the same for whatever type of nut or seed you chose to prepare, although the timing varies slightly to accommodate for differences in fat composition, size, texture, etc. Traditional soaked nuts and seeds, are made by following these basic steps:
1. Measure out 4 cups of raw, unsalted, organic nuts/seeds into a medium sized bowl
2. Cover with filtered water so that nuts are submerged
3. Add 1-2 tablespoons unrefined salt
4. Allow to stand covered on the counter for about 7 hours, or overnight
5. Rinse nuts to remove salt residue and spread out in single layer on a rack to dehydrate.
6. Dry at a low temperature (generally no higher than 150°F, although there are exceptions) in dehydrator or oven for 12-24 hours or until nuts are slightly crispy.
These steps are adapted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. If you want more information on this and other traditional food topics, I highly recommend getting a copy of her book. Also, see the pretty guide below for specifics regarding popular nut/seed varieties:
Do all types of nuts and seeds need to be soaked?
This question is a controversial one, as people have different opinions, traditions and information to support their claims on whether to soak or not. I won't pretend to have all the answers, but in my experience and based on the research I have read, the above nuts stand up well to soaking, while other varieties of nuts and seeds just don't. For example, flax seeds turn into a mucilaginous goo in water, and brazil nuts don't always soak well due to their high fat content. Peanuts can also be soaked, however I didn't include them as they should be consumed sparingly due to inflammatory and allergenic potential.
What about sprouting?
The practice of sprouting takes things even a step past soaking. By completing several cycles of soaking, rinsing, draining and air exposure over a 1-4 period, certain seeds will enter a state of germination in which physical sprouts actually appear. This extent of germination is highly beneficial as it not only reduces enzyme inhibitors, but increases the healthy enzyme content six fold. Sprouting is not possible with all varieties of nuts however, ands occurs far more readily in seeds, legumes and grains. Raw and nonirradiated pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds are all good candidates for the sprouting process. If you are up for the slightly more involved procedure of sprouting, which I haven't covered in this post, I recommended reading pages 114-115 of Nourishing Traditions.
Does everyone need to soak their nuts and seeds?
As much as I would like to jot down an exuberant "yes, of course!" here and move on from this question, I realize that things aren't always that simple. Soaking nuts can be time consuming, and it is important to know that the process is worth investing in. Apart from all of the scientific jargon and historical tales offering sing-songy praise to soaked nuts, it is really personal experience that will help you to decide if this method is helpful to you. And I can't help but add that I have a feeling it will be.
Generally, a robust and healthy digestive system can tolerate a certain amount of phytic acid and a varied diet will compensate for the actions of enzyme inhibitors without a problem. However, if you consume many high-phytate foods or use a lot of nut flours or legumes in cooking, then soaking will prove very useful. Many individuals don't even realize that they have trouble digesting raw nuts until they have nibbled up a handful of properly prepared ones. Plus, it becomes hard to resist the amplified taste and crispy texture that soaked nuts and seeds take on; but that is beside the point.
The following questions will help you decide if soaking nuts is worth a try:
- Do you ever experience low belly pain after eating nuts, seeds or foods that contain them?
- Do you ever notice pieces of nuts in your stool the day after eating them?
- Do you eat a significant amount of phytate containing foods- such as grains, beans, nuts and seeds?
- Do you struggle to consume enough minerals and B-vitamins in your diet?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you will likely benefit from soaking and drying nuts prior to chomping on 'em.
Are roasted nuts okay?
Roasted nuts are not the same as gently soaked nuts. Although their warm, smoky flavor may seem appealing, commercially roasted nuts are flash-fried in cheap, rancid oils, while dry roasted nuts are exposed to exceedingly high temperatures that denature the nutrients and cause the breakdown of fats, increasing free radical capacity. As you can see, the soaking process is much more careful, involving no weird chemicals or destructive heat shocks.
Are organic nuts always better?
As with most fresh food items, organic nuts are preferable to minimize pesticide risk and to support a framework of sustainable agricultural. Yet unfortunately less than 1% of U.S. tree nut farmland is certified organic, so hunting down organic nuts can be both difficult and expensive. There is largely inconsistent published data on the amount of pesticide residue present in the nuts after being hulled. Because the nuts are shelled and have a small surface area, some experts believe that they are at least partially protected from the dangers of pesticides and not of dire concern. However, others argue that nuts and seeds are apt to absorb pesticides readily due to their high oil content, and that the amount of pesticides used in nut growing has been consistently on the rise in recent years. Add to that the fact that non-organic nuts are often treated with fumigants (gases to kill bugs) after they are picked, and it is easy to see why some are wary of them.
What if I don't have a dehydrator?
It is important to dry out nuts and seeds at a low temperature in order to preserve the greatest amount of natural enzymes and fragile unsaturated fatty acids possible. 150° F is the maximum heat you would want to apply, although temperatures around 110° F are truly best. While dehydrators are ideal for the job, they can be expensive. Not to fear: if you don't have a coveted stainless steel dehydrators decorating your counter, it is certainly possible to use the oven for drying. Keep in mind that most ovens come preset with a low temperature of 175-200° F, so you may have to search for the oven manual and figure out how to down-regulate the base temperature. A stand-alone oven thermometer may be helpful for monitoring purposes.
Can I buy pre-soaked or sprouted nuts anywhere?
If you don’t want to spend time hunting down organic nuts, soaking, drying or sprouting them yourself, I recommend Better Than Roasted Nuts, Seeds and Nut Butters. These exquisite products begin with premium nuts and seeds that are raw, whole, and certified organic. They are then hand sorted, soaked, rinsed, and dried at a low temperature, not exceeding 108° F, to preserve the temperature-sensitive enzymes and nutrients. When possible, the nuts and seeds are also sprouted. It is rare to find such a delectable and tremendously healthy product on the market today, but wonderful to know that it does actually exist! You can find Better Than Roasted Nuts and other traditionally prepared food sources in the Weston A Price Shopping Guide.
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Chicago — All voting systems are not created equal.
That statement may not provoke a national outcry for election reform. But when you consider that faulty equipment and questionable voting procedures determine election outcomes and ultimately silence voters and undermine democracy, then it becomes an issue we cannot ignore.
The events of Sept. 11 reinforce the importance of basic freedoms and rights we often take for granted, such as choosing our political leaders in fair elections. Yet to preserve the honesty and integrity of the electoral process--the cornerstone of democracy--lawmakers and election authorities must act to ensure reliable election machinery and accurate vote counts.
The election debacle in Florida, which could have occurred anywhere, including Illinois, reveals that some existing voting systems do not have the precision or capability to accurately decide close races.
Simply put, not every vote is properly counted.
Although no existing voting system is infallible, the most meaningful election reform involves implementing error-detection technology that protects voter rights by alerting voters of unintended overvotes and undervotes, both of which result in unrecorded or "lost votes," before they leave the polling place.
Cook County's punch-card system is equipped with this special error-detection technology, which informs voters of mistakes right away and gives them a chance to make changes or corrections.
Although Illinois law prohibited the activation of the error-detection safeguards for punch-card counties in the November 2000 presidential election, a court recently ruled that the Cook County clerk's office and Chicago Board of Elections may use them in future elections. Similar error-detection technology is already used in 13 Illinois jurisdictions that have optical scan systems.
Still, modernizing voting equipment alone will not solve every election glitch or completely restore the public's faith in the electoral process.
Since last November's election, the clerk's office has made several changes as part of a long-term effort that will make a difference in the voting booth.
These reforms include:
- Testing voting equipment. Election authorities should scrutinize voting equipment, employing the same rigorous engineering and usability testing standards that companies employ to learn if their products have defects or if consumers will have difficulty using them. Stricter quality control standards are being implemented in Cook County to catch manufacturer defects.
- New voter education and outreach. Along with mailing voter information guides to every voter, the clerk's office has implemented new outreach programs targeting community and township organizations, churches and schools that emphasize proper voting technique and explain Election Day operations so voters know what to expect.
- Enhanced judge training. New hands-on training techniques and intensified training sessions, combined with an overhauled election judge manual, will better equip election judges with the tools to explain procedures, demonstrate proper voting technique, anticipate problems and pro-actively provide solutions.
- Better design and layout. With pro-bono help from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the clerk's office has redesigned and graphically enhanced the ballot card, ballot pages and polling booth instructions to make them less cluttered and easier to understand. We also promoted legislation to eliminate repetitive and unnecessary language from the retention judge portion of the ballot, which was signed into law last summer.
Above the hyperbole, rhetoric and one-size-fits all solutions, these initiatives serve as real election reforms that will ultimately limit errors and reduce voter confusion in future elections. Elections aren't perfect. But that doesn't mean we should not strive to make them so.
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Published on August 14, 2006
While the web contains a vast quantity of multimedia content—photographs, audio, video, animations—the primary task required of most internet users is reading. From e-mail to instant messages to blogs to interactive forms, it is the ancient technology of written language that defines our communications and drives the information economy.
More writing is created on and read from the computer screen than ever before, but the displays that have dominated the marketplace have left both creators and viewers of content in a consistently frustrating low-resolution environment.
In comparison to the leaps forward in computer-processor speed and storage capability, the monitor has changed relatively little in the past decade—a bottleneck in the information distribution process. Flat screens may take up less space, but they don’t display any more information than a comparably sized cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor. In fact, the rise of smart phones, Blackberries, and other small-screen internet devices has made the reading landscape worse. By ignoring legibility issues, we may be letting the cornerstone of our communication devolve.
My Eyes, My Eyes! (Or, Why Reading Online is So Difficult)
When you closely examine any computer display device, as you approach the surface, the screen image begins to dissolve into the dull edges and halos produced by the fuzzy phosphors. Unlike a printed page—for example, a map, which you can hold closer to your face to explore more fully—there is no hidden detail.
Our eyes are continually trying to make up for this lack of sharp focus, which is why, after extended periods of monitor-gazing, we need a break, some eye-drops, or an aspirin. The Effects of Video Display Terminal Use on Eye Health and Vision, a paper from the American Optometric Association, details the growing health difficulties that computer users face, including, “eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, and neck or shoulder pain.” While computer displays are probably not permanently destroying our vision, it’s safe to say that low-resolution displays are making it difficult to read anything at length. The experience of reading on the monitor is so difficult, compared to print, that the reader must slow down substantially, according to research by usability guru Jakob Nielsen. The result of all this is a real physical impatience with web reading. Our eyes can only take so much, and our bodies are telling us that something is wrong.
Computer Worker, Heal Thyself
We have developed a host of coping mechanisms for dealing with low-res eye fatigue. In addition to the headache medicines and rest breaks, it’s not unusual for someone to have a special set of glasses just for computer work. It’s also fairly common for people to print information rather than read it on screen—even the most basic ink-jet printer can provide a resolution of three hundred dots per inch, and laser printers can provide more than four times that. For the moment, paper and ink trump the less than one hundred pixels per inch of monitors every time. You may be able to make low-resolution viewing a bit less painful, though: Computer workers who spend countless hours viewing content on screen can reduce eye strain by setting CRT displays to higher refresh rates. User studies have shown that at 70Hz or more, flicker is not perceptible to most people. In the case of flat screen LCD monitors, stick with displays with faster response times—15 milliseconds or better—to avoid blurred imaging and low contrast ratios.
In his 1887 speech “The Benefits of Reading,” British Prime Minister Arthur Balfour said, “He has only half learned the art of reading who has not added to it the even more refined accomplishments of skipping and skimming….” Unfortunately, in a low-resolution reading environment, the accomplishment of skipping and skimming—the method we use to retrieve information—is not driven by a refined pleasure, but by real physical difficulties. Because it is so hard to read long text on a digital display, people have honed their scanning skills so they don’t have to focus on the screen quite so much. And because people scan, rather than read, web text layouts have evolved to accommodate this practice.
Text written for the web is generally much shorter than its print counterpart, and it’s more likely to be broken up by numerous headers and sub-headers that are set in bolder or larger type. Readers can cherry-pick the paragraphs that interest them, or just read the headers, circling back to the surrounding text if they need to. Most people really don’t want to read extended copy online.
It seems reasonable to conclude, then, that the wide distribution of the current generation of screens has played a pivotal role—coupled with rapid information distribution via the internet—in redefining the way we write.
The Evolution of the Species
There’s no doubt that the writing that forms the core of our conversations and relationships has changed. The long missives and artful correspondence of letter writing have given way to new forms. Short pieces of informal writing are now the norm in both the professional and personal areas of our lives: e-mail, instant messaging, blogging, and others. The rules that govern this new writing style have developed quickly, in a rapidly changing technological environment. In the process of accommodating these new conventions, we’ve learned to abandon detail in our writing, and to celebrate brevity. We’re more connected in some ways—commerce is quick and easy, and transactions are lightning fast. But we may actually be communicating and understanding less, just skimming along the surface.
The sheer quantity of disposable online writing reflects the quickly evolving landscape of our written interactions with each other. There is so much to take in, it hardly matters if only the tiniest percentage is actually worth reading. But at the same time, we are forced to sift through a lot of material in order to find what we need. In his speech on reading, Balfour also said, “The best method of guarding against the danger of reading what is useless is to read only what is interesting….” Balfour, however, never had a billion documents at his fingertips.
Another sure sign of a broad cultural change in writing can be seen in the magazines and newspaper redesigns that adhere to web composition trends. Short, punchy stories have superseded long-form pieces. The publishers expect that people who are used to obtaining news from the web will desire quick bites of information, rather than a full meal. And while the long form is far from dead, it is no longer dominant. Granted, the decline of the feature story began before the web, when flashy publications such as USA Today started feeding us our information in nuggets. But the web has firmed up the practice, making it commonplace, rather than an exception.
Understanding and Retaining Information We Read Online
Given the reading limitations of the low-resolution screen, it’s worth exploring a separate but related issue: the degree to which people are understanding and retaining what they read online. By scanning text and concentrating on only select pieces, online readers may be taking in substantially less than the full meaning that authors intend.
To make matters worse, the deep-reading skills that we’ve acquired and practiced offline—underlining, circling, highlighting, and writing notes in the margins—which create connections in our mind between the new text and what we already know, can’t be used on a web page. While tools such as PDF commenting in Adobe Acrobat are useful for indicating corrections to documents, they’re not very friendly for note taking.
The encyclopedic nature of the web and our ability to instantly access this information means that we do not need to remember everything we read, but rather only need to remember where to look it up. It is likely that, in conjunction with having difficulty reading online content, we’re paying even less attention, and committing less and less to our long-term memories.
Research on information retention and understanding is still underway, but early evidence has shown retention rates thirty percent lower for text read online than for text read in print. What can you remember from what you read online yesterday?
Redefining Our Communications, Our Writing, and Ultimately, Our Thinking
There can be little doubt that the end result of our day-to-day use of typical low-res displays for communication is the broad assignment, across a generation of computer users, of a significantly different set of cognitive skills for reading online than for reading print.
Our reading and writing habits affect and reflect our thought processes. So, are these legibility issues changing the way we think? Does it matter? Have we decided that low-fidelity is good enough? That more writing, in short bursts, with minimal editing, is better?
As we break our writing into smaller and smaller pieces, we also run the risk of learning bits of facts out of context. Often when we skim and scan, we experience the textual equivalent of the sound bite. In our quick reading, we run the risk of losing the context of the information, which is just as important as the content we’re absorbing. At a certain point, lower-resolution content is less valuable than its high-resolution counterpart.
Usability Issues Related to Legibility and Reading On-Screen
Reading long text online isn’t impossible, it’s just more difficult than it should be. So what do we do about it?
As with any set of design constraints, the requirements of low-res displays force us to make trade-offs during the creation process, the consequences of which we can’t always fully understand. Designers may trade crisp but jagged lines for the anti-aliased illusion of a curve, or close-up visual detail for a complete but less defined overview, or small difficult-to-read type for screen real estate.
Legibility is so often taken for granted because we know most people aren’t going to read every word we typeset for digital distribution. Is it because text is treated simply as another kind of content to be balanced with the other elements on the page? Or is it because the words alone are never enough—too weak to compete on their own with the other digital content?
All too often as digital designers, we are so focused on getting the information onto the screen that we lose sight of the person on the other side of that screen with whom we’re communicating. How do we ensure that messages are getting through? Our goal is often to say something quickly without losing some vital part of the meaning. Much web usability testing is task-oriented—as it should be—but we must pay more attention to legibility, reading comprehension, and long-term retention of information. Our readers aren’t lazy or stupid, it’s just that their eyes hurt.
Some Suggestions for Improving Legibility
Fonts and general legibility are given little attention in the grand scheme of web and interface design, especially when compared to aesthetic design, interaction flow, and usability. Too often, designers ask, “Can you read it?” when they should be asking, “Is it easy to read?”.
Thousands of years of typographic knowledge has culminated in the refined letter forms that appear on the printed page, yet we often ignore the lessons learned in that media when typesetting for the web. The shapes of letters are so important to our ability to read easily and quickly. Try reading a paragraph set in all capital letters, versus one set in upper and lower case, and you’ll immediately see just how critical the shapes are. We recognize words by their overall shape—the curves and bumps, ascenders and descenders—so the blocky forms created by capital letters are naturally hard to make out. The difficulties we have in recognizing letter shapes online are caused by different factors, but the end result is the same.
One key change in web typography could make a great difference in our ability to easily read text online. Body copy should be set large: Fourteen point is the traditional upper limit for print media; eighteen point should be about right for web copy. Aesthetically, the text may look a little unsophisticated at first, but you may be surprised how much more relaxing it is to read.
The fact that there are so few well-designed fonts for setting web text in English—probably a byproduct of Microsoft’s browser domination—is a little disheartening. Fortunately, we have two, Verdana and Georgia, which work admirably. Their wide bodies and large x-heights make our jobs as readers a little easier. While the question of serif versus sans serif type has produced a great deal of conflicting research, picking a font designed specifically for the on-screen environment is always a good choice. Microsoft has even designed a suite of new screen-optimized fonts for Windows Vista, when it finally arrives.
When you must set small type, use pixel fonts, also called bitmap fonts, which are screen optimized. At small sizes, anti-aliasing causes type to look blurry, and the clean—if jagged—lines of pixel fonts are the best way to make tiny letters legible. There are numerous pixel fonts to choose from. My favorite is the free Unibody, from Dutch foundry Underware, which contains upper and lower case, small caps, italic, bold, and extra bold.
Seeing the Future
Communicating using digital writing—traversing that distance between the symbols on the computer screen and real understanding in another human mind—is still one of the most important and most difficult tasks web designers face. The low-resolution display has shaped writing in ways we could not imagine when the personal computer and the web first became items for mass consumption. Until computer displays offer higher resolutions that are more comfortable to read, we can improve readability of text on the web by setting type large and choosing our fonts wisely, helping our users to more painlessly get the message through the medium.
See Jonathan Follett’s companion piece Display 2.0: A Look Forward to the High-Definition Web and Its Effect on Our Digital Experience running concurrently at UXmatters.
Jonathan Follett is a writer, designer, and musician living in the Boston area. He loves moo-shi pork, Underworld, and that cool Poang chair from Ikea.
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Part of what makes today's consumer-friendly DVD authoring tools so accessible is their success in shielding users from encoding and other techie tasks. But while ignorance may be bliss, aspiring DVD authors can't do competent commercial work without a working understanding of the encoding process. What's really happening behind the scenes, and what do you need to know about encoding to produce top-quality results?
Today's entry-level DVD creation tools enable users with little or no expertise in video encoding to make pleasing, playable DVDs. They may be audio producers expanding into DVD, 3D animators building DVD into their workflow, video editors with backgrounds in tape or other uncompressed media, corporate trainers migrating analog content, or novices and hobbyists with no technical expertise at all. But they all can become DVD authors, after a fashion, with little or no knowledge of the work going on behind the scenes. The embedded intelligence of today's tools renders encoding—the process that makes video DVD-compatible—virtually invisible.
However inviting this invisibility may be, it's anything but informative. The quagmire of entry-level authoring tools is that anyone can get involved in encoding video for DVD, but in order to advance to greater levels of customization—let alone the professional look that some argue comes only with sophisticated hardware encoders—they must understand the technology and take some control of the process.
With entry-level DVD applications, it's easy to breeze through encoding with little thought or attention on the user end. The software is such that the encoding process happens automatically, as most tools have wizards and presets that save users from even the most rudimentary parameter management. Consequently, the complexities of the encoding process are often hidden from the users within the software.
For those aspiring to work at a professional level, it is necessary to understand the "ins and outs" of the encoding process to achieve advanced levels of video quality. So let's take a closer look at what is going on in your software that you might need to know for a studio-caliber film, but don't (necessarily) have to know to capture and record your daughter's piano recital.
Encoding and Compression
Video captures the sequential movement of a series of still pictures. During the process of compression the pictures are compared, and the elements that do not change (redundancies) over time become compressed information. Compression consists of two fundamental processes: sampling and quantization. The sampling process separates the image into isolated pieces of picture rudiments called pixels. These pixels exist as signal points in 2D space. They are assigned to specific digital values and converted into a finite range of bits and bytes. This process of reducing the infinite scales of pixels to discrete numeric values is called quantization. Once the pixels are systematically converted to numeric values, a digital video file is created.
Because DVD capacity is fixed, the longer the video, the more compression it usually has to undergo. There is an inverse relationship between the level of quality and amount of compression. As a video undergoes more compression, quality will decrease, if only nominally in some cases, because of the video information removed. The closeness of the original video to the recreated video depends upon the amount of compression it undergoes and the way that compression is applied. The efficiency of the compression process is contingent upon the relationship between quality and the given bit rate. Encoders with better compression efficiency can deliver higher quality at lower bit rates, although much of this is dependent on the quality of the video source, and the degree of redundancy inherent to the content itself.
The Importance of the Algorithm
The calculations of the encoding process utilize numeric notations that stand for the individual characteristics of an image. As previously mentioned, the sampling process forms a collection of the numeric values that symbolize every pixel within the frame sequence. According to Richard Diercks, principal of RADCO Media and author of Aquaria, the first commercially available DVD-18 title, these sequences of numbers support the entire encoding process. "Each encoder is driven by a series of algorithms that compress/convert/transcode the digital video stream into an MPEG-2-compliant format in what amounts to a plain old computer file," Diercks says.
Encoding takes into account the process of describing the changes between pictures. The numeric values of the digital video file serve to flag such differences between frames, and the unchanged elements are referred to as redundancies. "In simple terms, video compression algorithms try to take advantage of spatial and temporal similarities within video frames," says William Chien, director of product development at Pinnacle Systems.
Encoding is the process of converting uncompressed video to compressed digital video using various standards, or codecs (compression/decompression algorithms) such as MPEG, Real Video, Windows Media, and QuickTime, depending on the playback medium, the platform that will be used to deliver the content, and the bandwidth available. The process of encoding includes describing the changes between each picture of a frame sequence. Encoding has the greatest effect on final video quality, as it is the process that determines the amount of compression a video stream undergoes.
Leonard Chairiglione and Hiroshi Yasuda created the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) in 1988 with the objective of standardizing video and audio for CDs. The standard method for DVD-Video encoding is MPEG-2, chosen for the high bit-rate video and efficient compression that it specifies. Complications of Compression
Ease of compression depends on the type of source material. The more similarities within the frames of a video, the easier that video is to compress. Furthermore, video streams with less action and detail are easier to compress than those that are action-packed.
A common example used to describe this assertion is the "talking-head sequence." Typically, if the action of a scene is limited to the facial movements of a subject, the pixels are relatively unchanged from one frame to the next. This degree of redundancy can make an enormous difference in the degree of compression possible and add considerable ease to DVD bit-budgeting, as well as simplifying the encoder's task. According to Richard Diercks, "A talking head in front of a soft-focus background can be compressed 200:1 without any loss of image quality." Only the pixels around the mouth and eyes are expected to change with each facial expression, as the background remains the same.
DVD authors can take advantage of scenes with little motion in several ways. First, redundancies make it possible to estimate where an object will move to in the following frame, while preserving all the details remaining constant from the previous frame. "High-compression codecs rely on predicting the future and holding onto the past," says Curtis Palmer, senior vice president and chief technologist of the Media Software Division at Sony Pictures Digital. Such situations cry out for careful management of the encoding process to exploit them effectively. Authors must be familiar with common video stream conditions and characteristics in order to encode flexibly and astutely to coax the highest quality level possible out of the lowest bit rates.
Award-winning DVD author and AlphaDVD managing partner Ralph LaBarge views the compression process as a "tradeoff between quality and quantity." The average bit rate and the amount of compression depend upon the amount and length of content, as well as the output medium used.
The average bit rates of DVDs encoded under the MPEG-2 standard vary based on the type of video. According to LaBarge, "The challenge in DVD authoring is to maximize the quality of video and audio content on a DVD disc while keeping the maximum combined data rate less than 10.08 million bits per second (Mbps). Ideally, the content should all be able to fit onto the DVD" delivery method chosen. This could mean DVD-R, DVD+R, or replicated DVD-5, which max out at 4.7GB; or an 8.5GB replicated DVD-9. While dual-layer DVD±R discs promising 8.5GB capacity are expected to become available in 2004, authors working with recordable media must work within those 4.7GB constraints for now.
Authors creating discs for distribution on replicated media and outputting their content to digital linear tape (DLT) for mastering can take full advantage of DVD-9's 8.5GB capacity. For all practical purposes, consumers, home video hobbyists, prosumers, corporate and educational users, commercial videographers, and just about anyone not expecting to distribute their DVD creations in mass quantities will be working with DVD±R, which means 4.7GB is the upper limit for single-disc projects, regardless of how much content they have.
In the absence of user-customized compression, most entry-level DVD tools encode video at three levels, typically designated "High, Medium, and Low" or "Good, Better, and Best." These euphemisms usually correspond to specific fixed video bit rates. Typically, if the user chooses "Low" or "Good," the software will encode the video at a bit rate around 4Mbps. A "Medium" or "Better" bit rate is usually 6Mbps, and a "High" or "Best" bit rate is 8Mbps. The most popular entry-level DVD authoring tool, Sonic's MyDVD, automatically encodes all video at 8Mbps, which limits you to 60-70 minutes per disc, unless you import it in MPEG-2 encoded at a lower bit rate and don't add any effects or transitions (which mandate re-encoding) once you've got it in MyDVD.
"In general, the tools used to put home movies on recordable DVD discs will use a fixed bit rate for video of 8.5Mbps for a one-hour movie, or 6Mbps for a 90-minute movie," says LaBarge. All other things (like redundancies) being equal, the general rule of thumb is that lower-quality video sources will withstand less compression than higher-grade source material. So most entry-level tools will do their best to push users into the 6-9Mbps range for home video encoding. Hollywood movies, by contrast, have an average bit rate of around 3-5Mbps.
These figures are only estimates and are not set in stone. Some entry-level tools offer custom settings, and involve the user more in the process. Pinnacle Studio 9, a consumer-oriented video editor that integrates DVD authoring into the timeline, assumes a somewhat better video background and offers users a range of options, including a "max-out" option that calculates the maximum bit rate possible according to the amount of video and other content in a given DVD project. Helpfully, Studio also calculates a quality percentage, based on the differential between the maximum bit rate for say, a 97-minute project, and a "100%" quality 60-minute DVD. CBR vs. VBR
There are two modes of DVD encoding, constant bit rate (CBR), and variable bit rate (VBR). When encoding in constant bit rate mode, the level of compression difficulty or motion within the video stream is irrelevant, because the same bit rate is used throughout the entire process. So a static talking-head segment of a given video project will be compressed at the same bit rate as dynamic, high-motion scenes, which does a disservice to both and makes inefficient use of the disc's overall bit budget. Most home videos are encoded in CBR because it is quick and less complicated. (Most entry-level tools don't even include VBR encoders.) So the quality of the final product is consequently compromised. According to DVD author Richard Diercks, "No professional video should be encoded in constant bit rate (CBR), even if bandwidth is high. Our experience is that variable bit rate (VBR) always looks better."
In variable bit rate encoding, the bit rate is adjusted according to the compression difficulty of the frame sequence. When an encoder encounters an inactive frame sequence, it will not allocate as many bits to the scene. "This allows the encoder to produce difficult-to-compress sequences like football scenes at higher data rates, say 5.5Mbps, which translates to higher quality video," writes EMedia contributing editor Jan Ozer in his Peach Pit Press book, Sonic MyDVD 5 for Windows Visual QuickStart Guide. For serious authors, VBR is a must-have feature.
MPEG-2 video is encoded in two ways: VBR and CBR. Some tools offer only CBR, and some offer both. For example, Sonic's professional authoring tools for Windows, Scenarist 3 and DVD Producer, incorporate both VBR and CBR modes of MPEG-2 encoding. Both Sonic products can be used with Sonic's SD series hardware encoders. Industry-standard for Hollywood and other high-end DVD creation scenarios (along with Sonic's Mac OS Creator), Scenarist 3 and DVD Producer are among the few authoring tools to include a hardware encoder.
Ulead's DVD Workshop 2, Pinnacle's Impression, and Apple's DVD Studio Pro 2 are pro authoring tools that utilize both CBR and VBR software encoding. Most entry-level software solutions such as Sonic MyDVD and Apple iDVD 3 operate strictly in CBR mode. Prosumer-class tools cost more and have steeper learning curves than MyDVD and iDVD for both authoring and encoding functions where greater customization and user control are desired. But the payoff for commercial-level work is evident in the output.
Managing the Bit Budget
Managing a DVD's bit budget means mediating between the intended length of the video and the corresponding level of quality possible within the capacity constraints of the disc. For the high-level of bit-budget management possible with VBR encoding, one must determine the bit rate for each segment of the source video before encoding . It is important to figure out ahead of time how much information is going to fit on a disc. The amount of disc space taken up by the video can be calculated by multiplying the data rate by the targeted playing time. DVD author Bruce Nazarian's www.recipe4DVD.com, provides members (anyone who enters a valid email address) with a Bit-Budget Calculator spreadsheet, which can prove an invaluable tool for allotting DVD capacity as you assemble the jigsaw puzzle of media assets. A similar spreadsheet is found on the DVD-Video/ROM disc tipped into Jim Taylor's definitive book on all things DVD, DVD Demystified.
Depending on the type of tool used, it is possible to limit the decision-making to the bit rate, as other factors are either rendered as constants or distributed according to presets. "For those new to encoding, Vegas and our other tools provide pre-made templates that divvy up the bits between audio and video based on typical cases," says Sony Pictures' Palmer. "This way, you will only need to decide what the final bit rate needs to be and choose the closest template."
In order to encode with greater efficiency and sophistication, one must understand the factors that determine the quality of audio and video when combined on a disc. One example given by Palmer is the difference in the type of audio being allocated. If the audio is mostly music it will require more bits; if mostly voice, it will require less bits. For professional DVD authors working post-post—that is, entering the project after shooting and editing, with a complete set of assets—the audio end of the process becomes much simpler, according to Richard Diercks. "Audio is a fixed bit stream," Diercks says. "There's little you can do about it. You look at your audio requirements as chiseled in granite and allocate video from there. You set your audio and play with the video for quality and fit."
There are different types of audio streams available, each differing in the amount of bandwidth they will occupy. "The only time audio becomes a big issue is when you have multiple audio tracks for the same video," says Diercks. Pulse code modulation (PCM), the uncompressed audio standard used for music CDs, occupies the most space at 1.5Mbps, and is therefore rarely used in DVD authoring. Dolby Digital, on the other hand is the audio specification most commonly used for encoding audio in DVD-video. Typical applications of Dolby Digital require .192Mbps, or .448Mbps for 5.1-surround, which means higher quality in significantly less space than PCM. The MPEG-Audio option offered in many consumer tools is a nice space-saver, but is too low-quality to be considered for professional work.
Software vs. Hardware Encoding
The use of software tools for encoding burdens processors with a heavy workload that they're often too slow or too distracted by tertiary tasks to handle quickly or reliably. Hyperthreaded and multiprocessor systems based on Intel (the 3+gHz Pentium 4 and Xeon) and IBM (Apple's G5) chips are a godsend in this area, since they make it possible to isolate processor-intensive tasks like encoding and rendering and leave the rest of the multitask-oriented PC (or Mac) to do its other work. But few DVD authoring tools are optimized to take advantage of these new processors (and virtually no entry-level solutions), so they're still fighting for the undivided attention of resource-addled machines. Consequently, stability and speed are the most desired characteristic of software tools.
Hardware encoders, which operate virtually or entirely independently of the workstation's processor, are specifically centered upon quality. Professional DVD authors use high-end hardware encoders, which sell for over $20,000. They use multi-pass VBR, segment-based re-encoding, pre-filters, and batch operation modes.
Hardware encoders' efficiency and flexibility is reflected in their high cost. "They don't hiccup, they don't lock up, they remember where they were, and many back up as they move along," says Diercks. And he doesn't mince words about the alternatives: "Software encoders should not be used by any professionals." Sony's Vizaro and Sonic's SD encoder series are examples of hardware tools that are paired with high-end software and used by the top authors in the field.
Sonic's SD Series encoders are PCI cards that plug directly into a PC and lift the entire encoding burden from the host machine's processor. These and other professional-level VBR encoders work in two modes, one-pass and two-pass. In one-pass encoding frames are scanned and encoded simultaneously. Compression takes place as the encoder is reading the entire file. In two-pass the encoder performs two trips through the frames for greater encoding and compression precision.
The first pass is for the purposes of file characterization. The encoder pinpoints scenes that are multifaceted and full of detail or action, which are consequently difficult to compress. Then in a second pass, the encoder variably deals out the bit budget funds over the sequential frames to produce the best quality video.
Although one-pass requires less time, the flexibility of two-pass encoding usually yields a final product that better preserves the quality of the source video. Two-pass encoding is the standard for professional DVD authoring, and users aspiring to that level of authoring should absorb it into their post-production workflow.
Secrets of Software Encoding
Hardware encoding is simply not an option for many users, no matter how high they intend to climb up the pro DVD ladder, so in choosing between speed and quality, users go through a bargaining process in which they must either compromise their time or the final product. As Sony's Curtis Palmer says, deviation from the original footage is inevitable, as "quality loss begins at the lens and the microphone." It is not possible to achieve both top quality and speed simultaneously during the encoding process. Furthermore, as a video undergoes compression, its level of quality decreases.
Most professional tools have an embedded MPEG-2 encoder so that authors are able to control the compression parameters directly. Consequently, professional users concerned with top quality should not encode for speed. "Quality is more important than speed, specifically quality at low average bit rates," says AlphaDVD's LaBarge. One-pass CBR mode generally produces the fastest results but does not elicit the highest levels of quality. Most consumer tools, however, aim for the fastest encoding times at the highest bit rate. Consumer software tools do not allow control over most compression parameters. Therefore, users are primarily concerned with achieving the fastest encoding times at the highest bit rate. But approaching these tools with some foreknowledge of the process—and how the user can manipulate it—can go a long way toward improving results with tools that offer some encoding flexibility.
Sony Pictures' Media Software offerings, including Movie Studio and Vegas, aim to accommodate the needs of beginners and professionals, respectively. "Encoding of audio and video can be a complex endeavor," Sony's Palmer says. "But that doesn't mean you have to understand the entire process to use our tools. However, as you learn more about the encoding process, our professional tools provide all the options necessary to take full control over each of the file formats and codecs."
Pinnacle Systems' goal in fashioning their video software line, according to William Chien, is to tailor their products to video editors and embed a portion of the compression process within their software. "In an advanced product it is appropriate to have advanced options, but the product should still do the right thing for the professional editor who is not a compression expert," says Chien. In Studio 9, Pinnacle's consumer editing/authoring tool, "technical bits" are taken care of automatically, while more video editing knowledge is required and rewarded in their professional software, Liquid Edition.
One example of an interactive feature in software encoding tools is the choice of encoding quality levels. This is one of the few common user manipulations during the encoding process. Sony's Vegas tool offers the following four quality levels of encoding: Draft, Preview, Good, and Best. Generally speaking, each level negotiates the tradeoff between fidelity, time, and quality. "Draft is fastest with low quality, while Best is slowest with high quality," says Curtis Palmer. "Preview is intended for the best real-time previewing performance while maintaining reasonable quality. Good is the default final render quality and is designed to produce great results relatively quickly for most situations."
Each adjustment for higher quality is made at the expense of time. The higher the quality level chosen, the longer the encoding process will take to complete. There's more at stake here than bit rate; it follows logically that, all other things being equal, it takes the same amount of time to encode 30 minutes of video at 8Mbps as at 6Mbps. What else is going on there?
Let's take a closer look at what each of the options in Vegas means to the video output, as well as the processing differences that correspond specifically to each chosen level. In Sony Vegas, the levels of encoding quality vary according to the following factors: scaling, field handling, field rendering, and frame rate re-sampling. The "Best" level uses bi-cubic integration scaling, while both "Good" and "Preview" undergo bi-linear scaling. The type of scaling used in "Draft" is point sample. The setting-dependent field handling and rendering functions only operate at the "Best" and "Good" quality levels, which enables higher acuity output and accounts for the longer rendering time. The frame rate re-sample function, which is switch-dependent, is also exclusive to these top two levels.
Pinnacle offers the same encoder, called SW, in both its professional and consumer products. It uses the one-pass method of VBR encoding. The SW codec boasts "greater speed and greater flexibility for rendering video to a MPEG-2 format for output of a file for DVD," according to Chien. With this, the just-released Studio 9 features smart rendering, which automatically renders edited sections of video and stitches together a stream. Nonetheless it is possible for users to make the choice between encoding for speed or quality.
"In our consumer products, a subset of the encoding parameters is presented," Chien says. "Usually only bit rate and resolution can be adjusted." A mode called "Fast" or "Draft" is optimized specifically for speed, while a high-quality mode option is also available if users choose to focus on quality. Users are able to choose from three possible encoding levels: "Good, Better and Best." These options differ according to "speed, quality, and file size," according to Chien. The "Good" option uses the MPEG-1 standard at a resolution of 352x240, and produces VCD-compatible video at a bit rate of 1.1Mbps. The "Better" level uses the MPEG-2 standard at a resolution of 480x480, and produces SVCD-compatible video at a bit rate of 2.5Mbps. Finally, the "Best" setting uses the MPEG-2 standard at a resolution of 720x480, and produces DVD-compatible video at a bit rate of 6Mbps.
The bottom line is that there are very efficient software solutions available to consumers who are content with remaining DVD hobbyists. However, any user who aspires to advance to the various professional levels of DVD authoring, or any media professional who intends to make their DVD skillset the equal of their expertise in audio or video editing, must have the mind-power to take advantage of the options that professional tools provide.
As Sony's Curtis Palmer says, "If you really want to push the limits of a particular codec, it will require experimentation and experience to get the best results."
Companies Mentioned in this Article
Alpha DVD www.alphadvd.com
Apple Computer, Inc. www.apple.com
DVD Demystified.com www.dvddemystified.com
Gnome Media www.recipe4dvd.com
Pinnacle Systems, Inc. www.pinnaclesys.com
RADCO Media www.diercks.com
Sonic Solutions www.sonic.com
Ulead Systems, Inc. www.ulead.com
Sony Pictures www.mediasoftware.sonypictures.com
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By Delia Quigley for Care2.com
Humans have been fermenting foods to aid in digestion for as far back as we can trace. Primarily they were fermented to improve holding and storing properties of foods. The milk from camels was fermented naturally to produce some of the first yogurts. Stored in goat bags and dropped over the back of camels in the hot deserts of North Africa with temperatures reaching 40C (110F) It was the ideal environment for lactic acid-producing bacteria to go to work. Pickles date back to ancient Egypt and vinegar was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans as a digestive aid, and to promote a healthy liver and gallbladder.
Every culture in the world has some form of fermented foods they eat with meals to aid in digestion. It isn’t necessary to eat very much, just enough to provide the proper enzymes to help break down food and make the nutrients available for absorption in the small intestine. Common in Indian, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine are sweet, sour and salty pickles; while in North and Central Europe you will find sauerkraut and, again, pickles; the Mediterranean countries serve a small glass of red wine, cider or beer with meals to provide digestive enzymes.
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Hi I need help with this question(View the diagram attached!)
The diagram shows the point P on the rim of a circular wheel, centre O and of radius 2m. A 4.5m length of steel PA joins P to a point A which is free to move along the horizontal groove OQ, as the wheel rotates about its fixed centre O.
i) How far will A be from the centre of the circle when P is vertically above O? (the answer is )
ii) What will be the closest that A comes to O?(the answer is )
iii) What will be the furthest that A can be from O?(the answer is )
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Speech: A gene on chromosome 7 has been linked to language development. Carriers of a mutated form of the gene, dubbed SPCH1, have severe difficulties with grammar and language, and their speech is virtually incomprehensible to the untrained ear. Identification of the gene should give researchers insight into the developmental pathways of speech.
Stamina: A gene variant found on chromosome 17 appears to boost physical performance. The gene codes for an enzyme, called ACE, that helps regulate metabolic efficiency. One form of the gene has been linked to increased endurance among high-altitude mountaineers and army recruits who carry it. It's thought that the variant allows carriers to work harder with less fuel.
Psychiatric illness: People with two copies of a mutant gene on chromosome 4 suffer from Wolfram syndrome, a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by diabetes, optic nerve atrophy, hallucinations, and progressive dementia. Researchers found that carriers of just one copy of the mutated gene are more likely to be depressed and anxious and are 26 times more likely to undergo psychiatric hospitalization than noncarriers.
Baldness: A mutation of a gene on chromosome 8 causes alopecia universalis, a rare form of baldness. People who have inherited two copies of the mutated gene have no body hair, eyelashes, or eyebrows. The gene, which is expressed in the skin cells and--for reasons unknown--in the brain, apparently turns on other genes involved in the hair-making pathway. The researchers hope that their discovery of the gene, named hairless, will lead to new therapies for other forms of hair loss.
Something altogether different: Red hair, early-onset obesity, and hormonal disruption are symptoms of a disorder first described this past year. The disorder is caused by a mutation of a gene on chromosome 2 that codes for a protein called pre-pro-opiomelanocortin, or POMC. It is normally made into three other proteins, which play a role in hair color, energy storage, and the function of the hormone-secreting adrenal gland. The finding may lead to drugs to correct the disorder.
Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy: Patients with this disease, one of Japan's most common genetic disorders, suffer from defects in neuronal growth during brain formation as well as progressive muscle degeneration. Researchers have linked it to a mutation in a gene on chromosome 9 that encodes fukutin, a protein involved in nervous system and muscle function. The mutation is apparently caused by a so-called retrotransposon, a roving snippet of genetic information copied into the chromosome 2,000 to 2,500 years ago. This is the first time a human genetic disorder has been linked to a retrotransposon.
Quivering hearts: Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation kills between 15,000 and 36,000 Americans every year. For no apparent reason--and in people with no history of disease--the heart stops beating and begins to quiver. Researchers have now identified a mutant gene on chromosome 3 that may be the cause. The gene codes for ion channels that move sodium across the heart's cell membranes, initiating electric signals and generating heartbeats. Mutations in the gene may disrupt these signals. The discovery should help doctors identify high-risk individuals and prescribe preventive treatment.
Mental retardation: Roughly 1 out of every 600 men suffers from a genetic form of retardation. The disorder has now been linked to a mutation of a gene on the X chromosome. The gene, called PAK3, seems to be involved in accurate reception of signals by neurons in the brain. Mutations in the gene hinder the normal response of neurons to incoming signals, thus decreasing the neurons' efficiency and leading to learning and behavioral difficulties.
Smell: Scattered throughout our chromosomes are up to 1,000 genes for sensing odors. Most of these genes code for olfactory receptors in the nose, which enable humans to detect about 10,000 different odors. But this past year researchers reported that about 72 percent of the genes are so mutated they're defective. The researchers think the dysfunctional genes accumulated over millions of years, perhaps leading to a gradual blunting of the sense of smell in humans.
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GLEN HAVEN, MI -- Four pairs of piping plover, a federally endangered shorebird, have made a Glen Haven beach their summer home, according to the National Park Service.
The birds have had limited nesting activity along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in recent years, and some areas of the beach currently are closed to respect the piping plovers' new nests.
All of the beach's shoreline remains open for walking and the National Park Service is encouraging visitors to take the chance to observe the birds and have any questions answered by park employees at the birds' nesting site. However, visitors are asked not to disturb the plover and observe them from a distance. Beachwalkers also are asked to ensure their dogs are kept on leashes, as adult piping plover who are startled and leave their nests might abandon them. Unleashed dogs also might harm or kill the plovers' chicks if given the opportunity.
The piping plover is named for its musical mating call, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The birds have sandy-colored feathers to match the beaches they typically make their home and are about 6 inches long. There were only 32 breeding pairs of the birds in the Great Lakes region in 1996, according U.S. Census numbers, and piping plover in the area have been considered an endangered species since 1985, as many of the beaches where they typically live have been transformed from residential and commercial use.
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Philadelphia, PA, July 16, 2008 Anxiety is a normal human response to stress, but in some, it can develop into a disabling disorder of excessive and irrational fears, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder. Effective treatments are available and can involve either behavioral therapy or medications. Although "it makes intuitive sense that combining these two treatments would result in even better results," David Tolin, Ph.D. notes that has unfortunately not yet been the case and the majority of the evidence suggests that combined therapy is no more effective than behavior therapy alone, and in some cases can even be less effective. However, Dr. Tolin is one of the three authors on a meta-analysis scheduled for publication on June 15th in Biological Psychiatry, in which they evaluated a potentially important new treatment paradigm for anxiety.
Dr. Tolin explains the impetus behind their analysis: "Recently, several researchers have tried a radically different approach: instead of just throwing two effective monotherapies at the problem, they have instead looked at medications that specifically target the biological mechanisms that make psychotherapy work in the first place." John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and another of the study's authors, adds that "there has now been a sufficient amount of research in this area to take a step back to look at the basic research conducted in animals and the initial clinical trials." This research effort has involved the addition of D-cycloserine, an old drug long approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of tuberculosis, to exposure-based fear treatment in animals and humans. The meta-analysis, a pooling of the published literature on this approach, provides evidence that D-cycloserine enhances the learning process in the brain, indicating that, unlike many other medications, it may improve the effectiveness of behavioral therapy.
There is a caveat, however, as the authors also discovered that tolerance may develop to this effect. Dr. Krystal comments that, if so, "it may be best used before therapy sessions to 'warm up the brain' and make it more responsive to the treatment sessions rather than as a daily treatment."
Dr. Tolin makes an additional, important observation regarding this line of work: "Another very exciting aspect of this work is that it's one of the few really good examples of translational research in psychiatry: taking basic science from the laboratory, in this case animal studies, and translating that research into useful interventions for humans." Although additional research is clearly necessitated, this confirmation of the effectiveness of D-cycloserine is a positive step forward in improving treatments for individuals suffering with anxiety disorders.
|Contact: Jayne Dawkins|
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Researchers in a new study examined earnings mobility, not physical mobility by geographic relocation. America's working poor value the work they do and have high hopes for their children's futures even though most believe it's now easier to fall out of the middle class than to rise into it.
How much would your parent's income matter if you're an American youth today wondering whether you'll move up the career ladder from poverty to wealth? Will you be able to reach a middle class economic level of income, education, and lifestyle or even get to enjoy it before your adult children move in and you spend your retirement savings just to keep family members from being homeless?
In the present generation, will you become richer and more educated than your parents or grandparents? New studies say that if you're growing up in the USA in this generation you are just as likely to climb the ladder of income success as your parents born a generation ago.
Maybe you went to college or technical school to learn a skill in demand in the job market. But you're parents didn't. And maybe your grandparents were able to buy a home and support a family on an elementary school education. After several generations, does it all matter how educated you are or self-taught when it comes to rising from poor to middle class?
You'd have a better chance at riches if you moved from middle-class to upper middle class
The landmark new study, from a group led by Harvard’s Raj Chetty, suggests that any advances in opportunity provided by expanded social programs have been offset by other changes in economic conditions. Increased trade and advanced technology, for instance, have closed off traditional sources of middle-income jobs, according to the January 22, 2014 Washington Post article by Jim Tankersley, "Economic mobility hasn't changed in a half century, economists declare."
Does where you live make a difference whether you'll grow up to be rich or poor? Or is your destiny driven more by whether your parents are poor or middle class? Geography may be a critical factor in the pursuit of the American Dream, says new research that points to the Southeast having more incidences of lower mobility over time than the Mountain West states.
Children growing up in America today are just as likely — no more, no less — to climb the economic ladder as children born more than a half-century ago, a team of economists reported today. Also, in another study, Pew research reveals that 43 percent of adults age 60-plus not working anymore are still helping their grown kids financially.
It seems to look like, according to the latest research that social movements that brought women and minorities into Ivy League schools through Affirmative Action programs or other opportunities that make college accessible to most people aren't making as much impact as the fact that if you're growing up poor, you still have the same odds of being trapped in poverty as your grandparents and great grandparents had in the post WWII generation.
The main reason why that's happening is due to the larger distance to climb to get up the economic ladder of success than your great grandparents had to climb. For example, your great grandparents in 1934 could buy a four-family house in a working class neighborhood and let the rentals pay the mortgage, which in those years was around $32 a month on a brick four-family apartment house, say in Brooklyn in a lower middle-class and working class neighborhood.
Or in 1968, that family's kids who moved to California, could buy a house with $1,800 down on a single family home on a relatively large canyon lot in San Diego in a middle class neighborhood (such as Claremont), with mortgage payments of about $150 a month in 1968-1970. If you were born seven to ten years before the Boomer Generation, you still had the chance to make it from poverty to upper middle class in home and neighborhood or educational and skill levels.
Not so today, and not so today in Sacramento, for example. In 1959, the average file clerk just out of high school earned $36 a week in a first job after graduation working in Manhattan and commuting by subway to his or her parent's home or apartment. What's changed is the difference between the bottom and the top of the economic ladder.
The consequences of mobility
Economic inequality in spite of more mobility affect young people growing up in this generation. Climbing the ladder of income increments still is difficult today. Economic inequality and the American Dream seem to be like Mother Nature and Father Time. You can fool Mother Nature, but Father Time catches up with consequences. There's more mobility today. But the consequences of being more mobile has changed due to the inequality.
Maybe Highway 66 is just a historic memory to reminisce about when people moved to California in the 1960s before the price of homes skyrocketed from $25,000 for a La Jolla home near the beach to close to a million and up with an ocean view. Check out the site, Interactive: How does your county stack up?
It's the inequality that puts a glass ceiling on people born near the bottom in this generation
If you're born into a poor or homeless family today, you're more likely to stay in poverty when you have children and grandchildren unless you remain single and don't have children, instead finding ways to educate yourself in some skill that's in high demand now with the outlook of remaining in high demand for the future of your work life. But one problem is that people tend to get married or reproduce at a young age before they've learned a skill and earned an income in a field that's in high demand where the pay rises to at least a middle-class range.
A typical example would be a young woman from a single parent home at the poverty level of income. She has the choice to join a program for women in technology, engineering, math, or science, but may not believe in herself that it takes more hard work than just being born 'smart.' Low self-esteem may keep her from getting into school programs that offer scholarships or other training opportunities. She may end up a single teenage mother in poverty in a long line of generations of poor families.
Is it harder to rise from poverty to upper middle class today?
Or the person, male or female may stay near the bottom because the family and neighborhood, the entire world of that person stays near the bottom. That's what researchers mean when they point to consequences remaining the same as the previous two generations compared to the belief in economic mobility.
It's news when stories are broadcast about immigrants coming to America with a few cents in their pockets and becoming billionaires as real estate developers, franchise owners, and other types of entrepreneurs. But that's the basis of a lot of people's faith in economic mobility.
Is it a myth that if you're born into poverty you can become middle class and then rich?
It's more likely that a kid from a middle-class home becomes rich than a kid from deep poverty living in a poor and hard-scrabble neighborhood with daily violence and crime constant and nearby, or a homeless kid finally put into a motel with his or her family. The problem that makers it harder on these kids is the slow recovery from recession and decades of middle-class stagnation.
It appears in news stories that in the previous generation it was a lot easier for someone to rise from poverty to wealth in a lifetime, at least according to news stories of immigrants arriving almost penniless and within a few years opening businesses from wholesale plumbing supplies to a chain of restaurants or in real estate development and philanthropy.
Why is it so hard to rise from poverty to wealth in this generation?
You see in the news immigrants from a variety of countries achieving this goal. But today, research says that it's more difficult to rise up from poverty to wealth or even to reach the middle class. If you look back to the 1980s, that's when mobility started its fast decline.
In the latest study, researchers from Harvard, the University of California at Berkeley, and the US Treasury Department’s Office of Tax Analysis looked at millions of anonymous earnings records and found that mobility has not changed appreciably since the 1970s.
What do you look for in earnings records that point to lower earnings mobility?
What the researchers examined were records for parents at a set age and for their children once they reached adulthood. For the most recent generation of children, many of whom have not yet started working, they measured college attendance, which correlates with higher earnings, explains the Washington Post article, "Economic mobility hasn't changed in a half century, economists declare."
The researchers also looked at a study that began in the 1950s. Back then social and economic mobility had been stable between 1900 and the 1950s. The immigrant who found himself and his family penniless on Ellis Island in 1902 may have been able to open a wholesale plumbing supplies business in Manhattan by 1925 and afford later to have bought and paid off a spacious apartment overlooking Central Park by 1959, which his children inherited eventually. That person may have passed on millions of dollars to his children.
On the other hand, kids born today to penniless people or rather people living below the poverty line may be stuck because mobility seems to be jammed or wedged and like an Internet connection caught at low bandwidth, remains slow. The result is that a child in the USA born into a poor family has a much harder time to climb into the category of the richest earners compared to a kid born in Canada or in some Scandinavian countries. Geography plays a part.
The question is which parts of the country have lower mobility? Researches found that in the USA, it's the Southeast compared to the Mountain West. Maybe it's still more difficult to rise to riches in some of the Southeastern states than it might be in the state of Washington, for example. After all, Microsoft is in Washington, not that it matters which Mountain West state you're in. Idaho, for example, is growing fast.
The mountain states are the nation's fastest-growing region. You may wish to check out the "USA Today.com article, Mountain West region becomes biggest Republican Bastion."
The mountain West is now the most solidly Republican part of the nation: Does it matter?
In 1992, Republicans held three of the region's eight governorships. Today, they hold all eight. In 1992, the GOP held a 23-17 lead in the region's U.S. Senate and House seats. Today, their lead is 31-9, explains the USA Today article. That's not to say the Democrats and Independents aren't as rich and mobile.
You can check out the article, "History of the Mountain West - American History USA." For some making a career of economic mobility from poverty to wealth has become a state of mind or a goal. And for others the goal is poverty to middle class, even as the middle class shrinks. You may wish to see, the NY Times.com article, "America's Sinking Middle Class," and the The Washington Post article, "Census: Middle class shrinks to an all-time low."
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Conservation has been part of federal farm policy since the first farm bills of the 1930s. The early focus on soil conservation represented a public investment to address the widespread implications of soil erosion during the “Dust Bowl” era, the maintenance of soil productivity, and the rationalization of federal farm income supports. Over time, conservation has grown in the farm bill to address multiple objectives and eco-system services and to respond to a wider array of stakeholders. In recent decades, conservation has become a large portfolio of programs and policies that preserve and protect natural resources.
Today, conservation programs include those that 1) retire land from agricultural production to conservation uses, 2) provide assistance to adopt conservation practices or structures on working lands, and 3) preserve land for agricultural or environmental uses. State, local, and public-private partnerships also help direct federal conservation toward local or regional issues and efforts. And, conservation compliance programs establish minimum levels of conservation efforts necessary to maintain eligibility for benefits from federal farm programs.
The Agricultural Act of 2014 (the Act), or commonly the 2014 Farm Bill (U.S. Congress, 2014), maintains these primary goals for federal conservation programs and policies, but substantially streamlines the existing portfolio of programs and moderately reduces overall funding levels. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) remains the largest single conservation program and the primary land retirement program, idling agricultural acres for conservation purposes. Working lands programs provide incentives and technical assistance for conservation efforts on land that remains in production and include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Several existing programs that retire or preserve wetlands and agricultural land have been combined in a new omnibus category called the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), based on their use of long-term easements as a conservation tool. The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), the easement portion of the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP), and the Farmland Protection Program (FPP) have all been repealed, but their functions are now part of the new ACEP. In addition, several partnerships and targeted programs from the 2008 Farm Bill are also repealed and consolidated into the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
The conservation title was not immune to the budget challenges affecting the overall farm bill debate. Just as the Act reduced total mandatory spending relative to baseline budget estimates, conservation programs also faced budget cuts. Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicate that the new Act will reduce conservation program spending by $4 billion (6.5%) from the existing $61.6 billion, 10-year baseline budget (as estimated in May 2013) to a total of $57.6 billion in spending over the fiscal years 2014-2023 (CBO, 2014a). However, many of the cuts are slated for 2018-2013, beyond the 2014-2018 authorization period of the 2014 Farm Bill. Projected spending on conservation programs during the five-year life of the farm bill will drop just $208 million, from the baseline estimate of $28.4 billion to $28.2 billion (1%), lessening the immediate impact of the budget cuts.
While overall conservation spending is projected to decline from baseline levels under the new Act, the allocation of spending among conservation programs provides insights into the changing focus of conservation efforts. Analysis from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service illustrates the changing conservation priorities since the 1996 Farm Bill (USDA Economic Research Service, 2014). Figure 1 shows the share of conservation spending by 2014 Farm Bill major program area (and their predecessors). Reduced spending for the conservation title primarily comes from reductions in CRP funding resulting from a lower enrollment acreage cap. While the CRP has been the largest single component of conservation spending since its creation in 1985, working lands programs (EQIP and CSP) are projected to comprise the majority of spending over the fiscal and program years 2014-2018. Working lands program funding is projected to continue its growth throughout 2014-2018, but at slower rates than the pre-Act baseline. And ACEP easement programs are expected to receive less funding under the 2014 Farm Bill than their predecessor programs received under the 2008 Farm Bill.
Reduced conservation program funding could reduce conservation efforts nationally, although the extension of conservation compliance requirements to crop insurance program participants should expand the requirements for maintaining at least minimal conservation practices on agricultural land across the country. The following analysis and discussion of these programs and policies provides detail and insight for producers, landowners, researchers, educators, and other conservation policy stakeholders. Program implications for both voluntary conservation programs and required compliance programs are presented. The analysis is based on interpretation of the legislation and expectations for implementation, but is subject to development and implementation of final USDA program rules as well as annual appropriations during 2015-2018.
The voluntary programs provide financial and technical assistance to producers and landowners enrolled in various conservation programs. The streamlined portfolio of programs authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill includes the CRP along with working lands programs, easement programs, and partnership and targeted programs.
The CRP was first authorized in the 1985 Farm Bill to set aside marginal, highly erodible cropland into a reserve for conservation purposes. Political support for the CRP during the Congressional debate over the 1985 Farm Bill came as much from efforts to reduce crop production in the wake of crop surpluses and low prices as it did from efforts to expand conservation programs. CRP quickly became the largest conservation program in terms of acres enrolled and program funding. The CRP is implemented by the USDA Farm Service Agency and provides contract holders a yearly rental payment in exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and establishing a sustaining land cover. The enrolled land provides environmental benefits that address societal goals of improving water quality, preventing soil erosion, and reducing wildlife habitat losses. CRP contracts run for 10 to 15 years on land that can be enrolled through either a general sign-up or a continuous sign-up. The general sign-up is a competitive process announced periodically by the Secretary of Agriculture to accept offers for entry into the CRP and competitively determine which offers are accepted and enrolled based on environmental benefit and cost factors. The continuous sign-up is focused on environmentally sensitive land and practices (not necessarily whole fields) and may accept offers for entry into the CRP on a non-competitive basis. While the continuous sign-up acres do not have to compete for acceptance into the CRP, the focus on environmentally sensitive land and practices is estimated to provide greater environmental benefits per acre (Claassen, 2014).
Figure 2 shows the enrolled acres by program year as well as the enrollment cap as adjusted by successive farm bills. The CRP quickly grew to more than 30 million acres from 1986 to 1990 and eventually peaked at 36.8 million acres in 2007 before steadily declining to 25.6 million acres as of the beginning of 2014. Through its first 20 years, the enrollment cap was non-binding, serving more as a target for enrollment than a cap. But both the 2008 and the 2014 farm bills have included substantial reductions in the enrollment cap, first from 39.2 million acres to 32 million acres under the 2008 Farm Bill; and now from 32 million acres to 24 million acres by fiscal year 2017 under the 2014 Farm Bill. Changing land values, crop economics, conservation technologies, and alternative uses may have encouraged landowners to voluntarily leave the CRP at expiration as opposed to re-enrollment. As such, the lower caps may have locked in reduced enrollments and funding. In any case, it is clear that the CRP will continue to shrink over the next three years to meet the new 24-million-acre cap by fiscal year 2017.
Figure 3 illustrates the growing importance of the continuous sign-up provisions. While overall enrollment in the CRP has been shrinking in recent years, acres enrolled under continuous sign-up provisions have steadily grown to more than 5.7 million acres as of the beginning of 2014. At current rates, land enrolled under continuous sign-up provisions could grow to more than 6.7 million acres by 2017, limiting the availability of enrollment via general sign-up.
The 2014 Farm Bill includes other provisions related to the CRP. Three provisions affect land during its enrollment in the CRP. Haying and grazing of CRP land is allowed without a payment reduction under qualifying emergency conditions. Managed haying and grazing as a normal practice is allowed as well, but will continue to incur a rental payment reduction. Rental components of the previous GRP have also been combined into the CRP. These provisions appear to increase the incentives for enrolling or keeping grasslands in the CRP.
Two other provisions affect the potential transition of land out of the CRP. Contract holders are given the opportunity for an “early out” from current CRP contracts during fiscal year 2015. Contract holders with expiring CRP land can earn additional CRP payments if they sell or rent that land to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher under the re-authorized Transition Incentive Program.
With the changes to the CRP enrollment cap as well as the “early out” provision for 2015, the biggest impact of the 2014 Farm Bill could be the transition of at least 2-3 million general sign-up acres out of the program. Five states—Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Texas, and Washington—each have over 300,000 acres of CRP set to expire in the next three years. All of these states except Minnesota also have a substantially higher share of their CRP land enrolled under the general sign-up than the national average, suggesting that these states and other similarly situated states or regions could see the greatest impact in the transition of acres exiting the CRP.
The environmental impacts of a reduced CRP and the economic impact of CRP acres that may transition back to agricultural production are questions of particular importance. Wu and Weber (2012) summarized selected CRP benefits of reduced soil erosion, recreation, and increased land values at more than $1 billion per year based on 1997 enrollment levels of about 33 million acres. In an earlier analysis, Hansen (2007) reported CRP benefits of reduced soil erosion and improved wildlife habitat at more $1.3 billion per year. While a reduced CRP will reduce total environmental benefits, the reduction of general sign-up acres—as opposed to continuous sign-up acres—could lessen the impact, given the greater environmental benefits of the continuous sign-up acres (Claassen, 2014).
Land management decisions on acres that exit the CRP will also have environmental and economic implications. A 2007 survey of South Dakota CRP contract holders suggested land coming out of the CRP was likely to return to crop production (61% of acres) as opposed to grass hay or livestock production (30% of acres) or other uses (9% of acres) (Janssen et al., 2008). Other economic studies analyze the potential for CRP acres to return to production, including studies of acres going into particular crops (Petrolia and Ibendahl, 2008), crop production systems (Williams et al., 2009), and agricultural production regions (Hellerstein and Malcolm, 2011). The potential for several million acres to return to agricultural production would be expected to impact the outlook for crop production, supply, and price levels. However, producer intentions and economic analyses are also dependent on current and future expectations for price and production. Those changing expectations, as well as other management preferences, resource limitations, or even policy regimes, will result in unique decisions for each parcel and landowner. While crop production seems to be the predominant choice for expiring CRP acreage, grassland for livestock production outside of the CRP or even expanded grazing activities within the CRP may offer other choices for producers. Keeping land in conservation uses but outside the CRP could also be a choice for some landowners, particularly for private or commercial wildlife purposes.
Working lands programs provide assistance to producers and landowners to adopt or maintain conservation practices or structures on lands that are in agricultural production. EQIP and CSP are the primary working lands programs in the 2014 Farm Bill and now incorporate some other functions such as the previous Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. Agricultural Management Assistance is also included in the 2014 Farm Bill to provide financial and technical assistance to producers using conservation practices to manage risk and address natural resource issues.
EQIP was implemented in the 1996 Farm Bill to combine several smaller assistance programs. EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to producers who adopt new conservation practices or structures on their operations. CSP was first authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill as the Conservation Security Program and then revised and renamed as the Conservation Stewardship Program in the 2008 Farm Bill. CSP provides financial assistance for adopting or maintaining conservation practices as well as incentives for adopting additional conservation efforts.
Both programs have grown substantially in authorization and funding since their creations. As noted above, funding for these two working lands conservation programs is expected to exceed 50% of the total conservation funding over the life of the 2014 Farm Bill. An analysis of working lands program funding in Figure 4 illustrates the growth in funding over time.
The graph illustrates the initial budget authorization for EQIP (including WHIP) and CSP, first in the 2008 Farm Bill and then the 2014 Farm Bill. Under the initial language of the 2008 Farm Bill, EQIP was authorized to grow from $1.285 billion to $1.835 billion per year by 2012 in spending for implementation and assistance. CSP was authorized to enroll 12.8 million acres per year at a legislated average cost of $18 per acre for implementation and assistance. Thus, as more acres were enrolled each year in five-year contracts (renewable to 10 years), total enrollment and spending was expected to grow from $309 million to $1.111 billion per year by 2012. However, for both EQIP and CSP, actual appropriations fell short of budget authority as changes to programs and limits on spending were included in subsequent legislation. By 2012, actual outlays for EQIP totaled $1.084 billion and for CSP totaled $905 million. This discrepancy between farm bill authorization and actual spending is a predictable outcome of the annual Congressional appropriations process as elected representatives consider funding priorities, challenges, and potential changes to mandatory spending levels (Monke and Johnson, 2010).
After the one-year extension of program authority (not illustrated) and spending in 2013, the 2014 Farm Bill establishes new budget authority for both programs. As the graph shows, the budget authority for both bills is reduced to lower levels in 2014 than what was initially authorized for 2012 in the previous 2008 Farm Bill. EQIP authority is reset to $1.35 billion in 2014 before climbing to $1.75 billion by 2018. CSP authority is reset to $1.049 billion before climbing to $1.781 billion by 2018 based on enrollment of up to 10 million new acres per year at an average cost of $18 per acre on top of continued servicing of existing contracts.
While the budget authority for both programs was reduced relative to baseline budget projections, actual outlays are still expected to climb. As shown in the graph, outlays are projected to grow year over year through 2018, up to $1.676 billion for EQIP and $1.781 billion for CSP. Thus, opportunities for producers and landowners continue to grow with the working lands programs, albeit at a slower rate.
With continued increases in the working lands programs, the environmental benefits should continue to grow as well. The Conservation Effects Assessment Project—a multi-agency and multi-department collaboration to quantify the environmental benefits of conservation practices—provides substantial documentation of the numerous environmental benefits of these programs and others, and includes a comprehensive reference and bibliography of environmental benefits research and literature (USDA National Agricultural Library, 2014).
The new and streamlined ACEP provides easements to preserve wetlands, grassland, and farmland. The program involves a partnership of federal funds, local agency or organization funds, and landowner contributions to establish permanent or long-term easements (or long-term contracts with native American tribes). The program helps restore, preserve, and enhance wetlands and helps preserve working agricultural lands in desired agricultural uses. A separate Healthy Forests Reserve Program uses easements and financial assistance to help protect forest resources, habitat, and ecosystems.
ACEP includes components of the previous WRP, GRP, and FPP. WRP was first authorized in the 1990 Farm Bill, and has been used to develop wetlands easement, contract, or restoration agreements on a total of 2.65 million acres through 2012. GRP was authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill and again in the 2008 Farm Bill to protect grassland from conversion into other agricultural or non-agricultural uses. Approximately 250,000 acres were placed in easements under the GRP from 2002 to 2012. The concept of conservation easements to preserve agricultural lands was introduced in the 1990 Farm Bill and expanded in the 1996 Farm Bill before culminating in the formal establishment of the FPP in the 2002 Farm Bill. A total of 1.1 million acres were placed in easements under the program through 2012. All enrollments under the earlier programs are continued under ACEP. (USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2014).
The ACEP program actually received increased funding relative to the budget baseline for 2014-2018, but with the paradoxical result of reduced funding relative to previous funding levels of previous easement programs. This odd circumstance is attributable to budget considerations during development of the 2008 Farm Bill, which left WRP, GRP, and FPP funding authorized through fiscal year 2012, but no budget authorized for WRP and GRP for fiscal years 2014-2017. Thus, WRP and GRP contributed to “budget savings” under the 10-year budget window for the 2008 Farm Bill, but then had no budget baseline available for re-authorization when debate began on what became the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2014 Farm Bill invests new dollars in ACEP, increasing expected spending for fiscal years 2014-2018 more than $800 million over the existing baseline. But this level of expected spending is still substantially less than what was actually spent over fiscal years 2008-2012 under the 2008 Farm Bill. Figure 5 illustrates the original budget authorization for the easement programs first under the 2008 Farm Bill and then under the 2014 Farm Bill in comparison to the actual and projected outlays as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (2014a and 2014b).
With reduced spending projected under the new easement program, opportunities for producers, landowners, and partnering agencies or organizations will be reduced as well. While easement programs will remain an important and attractive alternative in many regions of the country, the relative costs of purchasing easements on wetlands or agricultural lands limits the footprint such a program can have. To date, easement programs have enrolled less than 4 million acres nationwide as compared to the tens of millions of acres each in CRP, EQIP, or CSP. However, the conservation benefits of ACEP are permanent as compared to the temporary contracts of the other programs, where long-lasting benefits of the programs are targeted and expected, but subject to future decisions of landowners and producers.
The RCPP under the 2014 Farm Bill combines the elements of several pre-existing regional and partnership programs, including the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program, The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program, the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative, and the Great Lakes Basin Program. The RCPP encourages the development of local partnerships of producers and public or private groups to address natural resource issues on regional or watershed scales. Selected projects receive assistance to help install and maintain conservation efforts through existing programs such EQIP, CSP, and ACEP, among others. The RCPP is authorized for $100 million in funding for each of the fiscal years 2014 through 2018, essentially maintaining funding levels for the previously separate programs, although it is unlikely that funding will be directed solely to partnerships or regions that were funded under the 2008 Farm Bill.
Apart from the voluntary conservation programs, producers and landowners who participate in most programs administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency or the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service are subject to conservation compliance provisions. The 2014 Farm Bill expands those compliance provisions to include eligibility for crop insurance premium benefits and includes additional Sodsaver provisions—programs that help to conserve soil from erosion—affecting crop insurance premium benefits as well.
Conservation compliance provisions were established by the 1985 Farm Bill and affect producers and landowners participating in most USDA Farm Service Agency or USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service programs. To be eligible for assistance in the various programs, producers and landowners must comply with conservation provisions and requirements on highly erodible land (Sodbuster) and on wetlands (Swampbuster). To be in compliance, producers must establish and maintain a conservation system on highly erodible land that keeps soil erosion rates under control. Producers must also conserve wetlands and not convert wetlands nor produce agricultural commodities on converted wetlands. Wetlands converted or farmed prior to the 1985 enactment of conservation compliance provisions fall under a “grandfather” clause and can be considered “farmed wetlands” or “prior-converted wetlands” without violating the conservation compliance requirements.
While the 1996 Farm Bill eliminated the conservation compliance provisions for crop insurance, the new farm bill re-links them. The 2014 Farm Bill includes conservation compliance as a requirement for producer eligibility for crop insurance premium subsidies. For a producer to receive the benefit of any portion of the crop insurance premium paid by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, the producer must maintain conservation compliance provisions on highly erodible land and wetlands. For wetlands, producers effectively have a new grandfather date (the February 7, 2014, enactment of the farm bill) for prior-converted wetlands for purposes of crop insurance benefits only. Any violations affect eligibility for premium assistance in subsequent years. Additional provisions provide a transition period for producers facing conservation compliance for the first time because of the new crop insurance linkage, as well as protection for tenants on operations where the landlord fails to comply.
The 2014 Farm Bill contains new language in a Sodsaver provision to reduce crop insurance benefits on native sod converted to crop land. Existing legislation prohibited crop insurance benefits on native sod planted to an insurable crop in the Prairie Pothole National Priority Area. The new provisions in the 2014 Farm Bill allow crop insurance participation on the converted sod, but substantially reduce the benefits. For a crop insured on converted sod ground, the insurable yield is equal to 65% of the transitional yield available to the producer and the premium subsidy is reduced by 50 percentage points (from typical subsidy levels of more than 60%). The new Sodsaver provisions apply in the states of Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Nebraska—an expansion of the previously covered Prairie Pothole Region.
A review and analysis of conservation programs and provisions contained in the 2014 Farm Bill shows a continued public interest and investment in conservation practices on the nation’s agricultural lands. Total funding for conservation is expected to decline somewhat from previous baseline projections, but actual spending is projected to continue growing and the allocation of funding among conservation programs shows changing conservation priorities.
The CRP is destined to shrink through at least 2017 as it comes under a new, lower enrollment cap. But high-priority continuous enrollment land and practices are expected to continue growing, indicating continued environmental benefits for the public from the CRP over the life of the 2014 Farm Bill.
Working lands programs are slightly reduced from baseline projections and budget authorization, but actually continue to grow in terms of total spending, meaning more opportunities for producers and landowners and more total investments in conservation practices on agricultural land and in operations. The easement programs receive partially restored funding authority relative to a disappearing baseline under the previous farm bills, but they will move forward with less total funding than in previous years as they address wetland, grassland, and farmland preservation goals. Partnership programs continue to address regional and local priorities under a streamlined program and relatively stable funding.
New conservation compliance and Sodsaver provisions are linked to crop insurance benefits. With crop insurance programs as a foundational part of the federal farm income safety net and traditional commodity program payments forecast to shrink dramatically, the political impetus was to attach conservation provisions to crop insurance eligibility. New compliance provisions add highly erodible land conservation and wetlands protection as requirements to be eligible for crop insurance premium subsidy benefits. New Sodsaver provisions severely limit crop insurance benefits on native sod ground broken out for crop production.
Altogether, the investments in voluntary programs and compliance provisions continue to demonstrate that the farm bill plays a primary role in addressing conservation efforts on agricultural land across the United States. Total spending on voluntary conservation efforts has grown over time even as farm bill spending has been constrained. The level of conservation program funding and the role of voluntary conservation programs versus direct regulatory activities will likely be a major part of the debate over future farm bills and farm policy.
Claassen, R. (2014). 2014 farm act continues most previous trends in conservation. Amber Waves. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. May 5. Available online: http://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2014-may/2014-farm-act-continues-most-previous-treands-in-conservation.aspx
Congressional Budget Office. (2014a). Letter to the Honorable Frank D. Lucas, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, U.S. House of Representatives. Cost Estimate of the Conference Agreement on H.R. 2642, the Agricultural Act of 2014. January 28. Available online: http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/hr2642LucasLtr.pdf.
Congressional Budget Office. (2014b). USDA mandatory farm programs—baseline projections. Baseline projections for 2014 and previous years available online: http://www.cbo.gov/topics/agriculture/data-and-technical-information.
Hansen, L. (2007). Conservation Reserve Program: Environmental Benefits Update. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 36(2) (October): 267–280.
Hellerstein, D. and Malcolm, S. (2011). The Influence of Rising Commodity Prices on the Conservation Reserve Program. Economic Research Report 110. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. February. Available online: http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/131209/err110.pdf.
Janssen, L., Klein, N., Taylor, G., Opoku, E., and Holbeck, N. (2008). Conservation Reserve Program in South Dakota: Major findings from 2007 survey of South Dakota CRP respondents. Economics Research Report 2008-1. Department of Economics, South Dakota State University. Available online: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/37936/2/CRP2008.pdf.
Monke, J. and Johnson, R. (2010). Actual farm bill spending and cost estimates. Congressional Research Service Report R41195. December 13. Available online: http://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/crs/R41195.pdf.
Petrolia, D.R. and Ibendahl, G.A. (2008). Conservation programs: Will grain production reclaim acres in the South? Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 40(2) (August): 559–572.
U.S. Congress. (2008). Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. 110th Congress, 2nd Session. Public Law 110-246. June 18. Available online: http://beta.congress.gov/110/plaws/publ234/PLAW-110publ234.pdf.
U.S. Congress. (2014). Agricultural Act of 2014. 113th Congress, 2nd Session. Public Law 113-79 (H.R. 2642). February 7. Enrolled bill available online: http://beta.congress.gov/113/bills/hr2642/BILLS-113hr2642enr.pdf.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. (2014). Agricultural Act of 2014: Highlights and implications. April 29. Available online: http://ers.usda.gov/agricultural-act-of-2014-highlights-and-implications.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency. (2014). Conservation Reserve Program. May 2. Available online: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library. (2014). Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). May 28. Available online: http://wqic.nal.usda.gov/environmental -effects-us-department-agriculture-conservation-programs-0.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. (2014). Programs. Available online: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs.
Williams, J.R., Llewelyn, R.V., Pendell, D.L., Schlegel, A., and Dumler, T. (2009). A risk analysis of converting CRP acres to a wheat-sorghum-fallow rotation. Presented paper at the Southern Agricultural Economics Association 2009 Annual Meeting, January 31-February 3, Atlanta, Ga. Available online: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/45985/2/A%20Risk%20Analysis%20of%20Converting%20CRP%20Acres%20to%20a%20Wheat-Sorghum-Fallow%20Rotation.pdf.
Wu, J. and Weber, B. (2012). “Implications of a reduced Conservation Reserve Program.” The Conservation Crossroads in Agriculture: Insight from Leading Economists. Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics. Available online: http://issuu.com/c-fare/docs/implicationssofareducedconservationreserveprogram.
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Warm-Ups and Stretching
Warm-ups are an important part of each and every exercise session. Engaging in regular warm-ups can help to get your heart moving as well as loosen up your muscles, joints, tendons and bones. This can help reduce your risk of traumatic or overuse injuries (including sprains, strains, tears, pulls, fractures, dislocations, stress fractures, and more).
Standard Yoga positions are typically good for stretching and warm-up
Downward Dog is a yoga position that stretches your shoulders, spine, hamstrings and calves. It is a good stretch for the upper part of your spine between your shoulder blades.
Prior to engaging in any form of physical activity, you should engage in a five to 10 minute warm-up.
Sample warm-ups include
- Light walking (on land or on a treadmill)
- Using an elliptical machine
- Cycling in low gear
- Jumping rope
- Completing jumping jacks
- Sports specific warm-ups (i.e. if you play softball, throw a softball around with a teammate for five to 10 minutes.)
A good warm-up will help to get your blood flowing and improve your breathing rate. This can help to improve your exercise or athletic performance.
Gentle stretching should always occur for five to 10 minutes prior to beginning exercise or sports participation. Stretching is a form of physical exercise that specifically targets one muscle group at a time. During stretching, specific muscles are deliberately elongated in an effort to loosen them and prevent injury during physical activity.
There are several different types of stretching:
Static stretching is a type of stretching that requires you stretch a muscle to its furthest point (as far as you can possibly stretch it) and hold is at that point. Static stretches are typically held for 20 to 60 seconds and should never cause your any pain. If you are feeling pain or discomfort while performing static stretches, the stretch should be reduced in an effort to prevent over-stretching and muscle damage to the muscles you are stretching.
Basic Hamstring Stretch
This stretch is performed with you sitting on the ground with your legs together and straight out in front. Your knees should be straight. By breathing out and reaching forward, you will feel the pulling in the back of your lower legs.
Stand up straight with your feet positioned shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Rest your hands on your hips. Slowly bend to one side without leaning forward or backward. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Relax and repeat on the opposite side. Complete one set of 3 repetitions for each side.
Sit on the ground with your legs fully extended in front of you. Your knees and toes should be pointing toward the ceiling with your back straight and your heels touching the ground. Place your hands (palm side down) on the ground beside your hips. Slowly slide your hands in the direction of your ankles while leaning forward at the waist. When you begin to feel a stretch in the back of your upper legs, stop and hold this position for 30 seconds. Relax and repeat three times.
Stand with your hands positioned flat against a wall and assume a lunging position. Your front knee should be bent with your back leg fully extended. Both of your feet should be flat on the ground. Gently lean forward at your hips until you feel a stretch in the back of your straight leg. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Relax and repeat three times for each leg.
Dynamic Stretching may also be referred to as active stretching and is sometimes taking the place of static stretching during many warm-ups. Dynamic stretching can also be seen as a form of sports specific training as many of the moves during dynamic stretching replicate moves that are performed during various sports. Dynamic stretching takes muscles through their entire range-of-motion by starting out slow and gradually increasing the range of motion.
Knee bends can be used as a static or dynamic stretch
A knee bend standing stretch also strenghens your core and helps you learn proper balance. Similar knee bends repeated across the room in a walking fashion would become a variation of a high knee march, an example of a dynamic stretch.
Dynamic stretching may help reduce muscle tightness as well and is very effective before a work-out. Dynamic stretching harnesses the speed of movement and muscular effort by requiring a range of motion that is a bit more extreme than what would be typically required during that activity. It uses the inertia of your movement but then adds a stretch at the same time.
Dynamic stretches are usually performed following an initial period of cardiovascular exercise (ex. Running, swimming, cycling). Most dynamic stretching routines will include five stretches, which are performed in one set of 6-8 repetitions.
These are knee lifts that are performed in an exaggerated fashion performed when walking or running very slowly. You should forcefully raise your knees up toward your chest in a running motion much higher than would be required during a normal step. Drive your knee as high as possible and at the same time drive your opposite elbow forward.
Dynamic lunges are performed when walking slowly across the room. You basically drop your trailing knee to just above the ground while keeping your body upright. Your front thigh should be parallel with the ground and your back upright. Putting your weight on your front leg will help stretch the hamstring. These also provide a very strenuous workout for your gluteus muscles (your rear).
Cariocas are a hip rotation exercise performed during a side step motion. While side-stepping, you alternate your opposite leg to side step in front of and then behind your other leg. For example, if you are going to the right then your left leg will cross in front of your right leg with the first side motion. The second side motion you swing your hips and then your left leg will cross behind the right. Continue alternating in this fashion.
PNF stretching is short for Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation. PNF stretching can take on several forms including hold-relax, contract-relax and rhythmic imitation. PNF can be active or passive stretching. Passive stretching indicates that a muscle is taken through its entire range of motion with the aid of another individual (such as a physical therapist or trainer). This type of stretching is often used during physical therapy and rehabilitation. The hamstrings, feet, knees and hips may all be stretched using PNF stretching.
Why you should stretch:
- Increased range of motion.
- Relief from muscle soreness due to the promotion of blood supply and oxygen to your muscles.
- Improved capacity for activity.
- Relief from muscle stiffness.
- Helps to prevent sprains, strains and muscle tears. Can also prevent re-injury at the site of previous joint or muscle trauma.
- Increased tissue temperature, which means increased metabolic rate.
- Reduced muscle tightness.
- Important during rehabilitation.
Stretching Precautions for the Obese:
Start with easy stretches that can be performed when standing or seated.
Stretches on the ground may often be difficult and uncomfortable. Please make sure you are on a padded matt and start slow.
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During the WWII, the official Zionist leadership abandoned European Jews, considering them human waste unfit to join their socialist dream. Zionists refused ransom money the Nazis demanded for Hungarian and Romanian Jews.
At that time, a single Jewish group worked to save their compatriots. Headed by Hillel Kook (Rabbi Kook’s nephew), it became a prototype for Rabbi Kahane’s Jewish Defense League. The Bergson group pounded at the door closed by the American Jewish leaders, believers in the diplomacy so quiet that no one heard about it. Like the JDL, the Bergson group is an anathema to Jewish establishment as it saved more Jews than all the self-appointed Jewish leaders combined.
Yad Vashem refused Wyman Institute’s exhibition on Bergman group’s efforts. No wonder, as Hillel Kook’s work contrasts the Yad Vashem exhibition’s most striking feature: the complete absence of saving efforts during Holocaust.
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Use this tool to generate all the necessary codes needed to password protect a directory or selects files within it on your site via .htaccess. It encrypts the desired passwords, then outputs the corresponding codes to put inside your .htaccess and .htpasswd files.
Example: Click here. (Username: user Password: test)
Q: For 2) above, what should I enter as the path?
A: ".htpasswd" is a text file that is used to contain your usernames and encrypted passwords. Enter the path you will be placing your .htpasswd file (which contains the usernames/passwords) on the server. It should be a non user accessible location, such as directly above your public HTML folder. This is to prevent visitors from directly viewing this file in their web browser.
Q: For 2) above, how can I find out my server path?
A: If you're on a Linux server and have access to telnet/ssh, simply login and type the command "pwd." This will output your current absolute path, giving you enough information to construct the rest. Or simply ask your web host for this information.
Q: For 3) above, what should I enter, if anything?
A: If you wish your .htaccess file to password protect individual files within a directory, instead of the entire directory (default), enter the files names in this field, each separated by a comma if more than 1 file. Otherwise, leave blank as is.
Q: I've uploaded my .htaccess and .htpasswd files to the correct locations, but when I try and enter my username/password to enter the protected area, it still wouldn't let me in!
A: Make sure you've in fact uploaded your .htpasswd to the location as specified in the "AuthUserFile" line inside .htaccess. For example:
As mentioned, in Linux you can type "pwd" in telnet/SSH to find out your server's root directory (ie: /home/mysite). If the location is incorrect and your server can't properly locate .htpasswd, the username and password contained within this file won't be recognized either, and you are locked out. Regardless, you can reverse any changes and unpassword protect your directory simply by deleting the .htaccess file you uploaded to that directory.
Q: How come after I've uploaded my .htaccess file via FTP, I can no longer see it in FTP?
A: Depending on your server configuration, files such as .htaccess may be hidden from view in FTP. In WS_FTP for example, there is a blank box on the upper right of the screen (right under the "MkDIr" button) that allows you to input optional parameters. Simply enter "-a" and Refresh the view again to reveal your .htaccess file.
Q: Where can I learn more about .htaccess and its other features?
A: For an excellent tutorial on .htaccess, see: Comprehensive Guide to .htaccess.
Q: Is there another way to password protect directories?
A: Yes, some hosts such as Host Gator offer a visual control panel to easily password protect any directory on your site:
Through our partnership with Hostgator, you can try them for only $0.01 for the first month.
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Piaget chooses diamonds which combine the very best of the four criteria – the 4C – defined by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) in order to obtain an optimum result in terms of quality, esthetics and finish:
- Color: the rarest diamonds, pure white, graded between D and F
- Clarity: the clearest diamonds, classified between IF (Internally Flawless) and VVS (Very Very Small Inclusions)
- Cut: diamonds which brilliantly reflect the light thanks to the exceptional quality of their cut
- Carat: a wide range of diamonds including different carat weights, classified from 0.2 carats to over 3 carats.
Piaget adds to these criteria the notion of ethics with regard to the origin of the diamonds selected.
Colour: the brilliance of the most perfect diamond
The most valuable diamonds are pure white. To assess them, a scale evaluates the color of each stone from D (white) to Z (yellow).
Clarity: the search for absolute transparency
The most spectacular diamonds are clear; no cloudy or crystal inclusions must affect their clarity.
Each diamond is examined by Piaget gemologists using tools which provide 10x magnification of the stone, in accordance with best practice.
Piaget only chooses diamonds classified at the top of the clarity scale, between IF (Internally Flawless), with no blemishes visible even under 10x magnification and VVS (Very Very Small Inclusions), with minute inclusions invisible to the naked eye.
F.L – I.F: Flawless or Internally Flawless – no blemishes visible under magnification
V.V.S.1 – V.V.S.2: Very Very Small inclusions
V.S.1 – V.S.2: Very Small inclusions
S.I.1 – S.I.2: Small inclusions
I.1 – I.2 – I.3: Imperfect
Cut/the brilliant reflection of light
The cut is the only criterion affected by human hand and is of primordial importance. A perfectly cut stone magnifies the light which is reflected from one facet to another, giving the diamond an unparalleled brilliance.
Thanks to their expertise, Piaget gemologists select stones whose cut quality reveals the full beauty of the diamond.
Piaget's criteria for ideal proportions:
Carat/the measure of a perfect diamond
One carat is equal to 0.2 grams, or the weight of a carob seed (the fruit of the African carob tree and once used as a unit of weight in gold trading).
The higher the carat, the more precious the stone, provided of course that the best of the other three criteria are considered; this is the process used by Piaget.
Conflict free and Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) or ethical rules
Piaget is a member of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). This international project certifies and monitors all rough diamond transactions to ensure that diamond sales do not finance armed conflicts or criminal enterprises.
Piaget ethics and environment
www.kimberleyprocess.com - www.responsiblejewellery.com
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External validity concerns how far the results of a study can be generalized.
For example suppose the study at a "fine dining" restaurant (like Ruth's Chris Steak House in Louisville, KY) found that servers who introduced themselves by name got higher tips (23%) than those who did not (15%). The E concluded, " This shows personalizing service leads to higher customer satisfaction."
Now consider each of the external validity questions.
(a) External validity would exist for settings if the same result occurs in other places where tips are given. For example, would the same results occur in fine dining restaurants besides Ruth's; in other restaurant types like casual dining; country clubs; or even other settings where tips are given like to hotel maids, taxi drivers, baggage handlers and so on. The more of these different settings the same results are found in the stronger the evidence for the external validity of the finding across settings.
b) Populations means the type of people who participated in the study, the restaurant patrons. If people from different regions of the country; of different socioeconomic background; educational level; age; and so on show the same higher tipping pattern for servers who used name introductions the stronger the evidence for external validity for the population variable.
c) Treatment variables concerns what other types of personalization besides name introduction would work. For example; if the server asked the customer's name; the service worker commented on some personal item of the customer (e.g. "That's a neat watch."); or some aspect of the customer's preference (e.g. "If you like the pumpkin soup you would probably like the squash side dish.") and so on and those different types of personalization comments led to higher tips the finding would demonstrate external validity for treatment variables.
d) Measurement variables concern customers showing other signs of liking the personalized service besides giving higher tips. For example; if they ordered more items; visited the business more frequently; recommended it to their friends; and so on the findings would show external validity for measurement variables..
Remember it is first essential that the study have internal validity. If it does, then you can ask these external validity questions (which may lead you to look up other similar studies) to see how far the study results can be generalized. Research programs in psychology (e.g. Do 12 step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous work for other addiction problems?) are often based on doing more studies to test external validity.
In summary, external validity is for what other (a) settings, (b) populations, (c) treatment variables and (d) measurement variables can the same results be found? Practically, external validity is how and where else can the study be applied. Any one study is limited in the range of these possible variables it includes. Operational definition is the term for how a general concept is represented in any particular study. For example, in Osborn (1996) the setting was "small groups in a college classroom"; the population, the participants, were "male and female college students 18-21 years old enrolled in an introductory psychology class"; the treatment (makeup versus no-makeup independent variable) was represented by "10 color photos taken from a cosmetics ad of models either wearing makeup or not." The measurement variable, the dependent variable, physical attractiveness, was defined as a "rating from 1 (extremely attractive) through 8 (extremely unattractive)." Obviously all these factors could have been defined somewhat differently. To the extent other studies are carried out, varying these factors and coming up with the same results, we have confidence in the strength of the finding.
Return to Home
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To do this. Press ... Right one word. Ctrl+Right Arrow. Left one word. Ctrl+Left
Arrow. Up one line. Up Arrow. Down one line.
Oct 10, 2011 ... To move to the beginning of a line with the keyboard, press the ______ keys. ... to
move up one paragraph, press the ______ keys .... To move left one word, press.
the ______ keys ...
Once Cut Move to the next field and press Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert to paste the
text. ... down Ctrl + Shift and then press the left or right arrow key to move one
Apr 27, 2011 ... Keyboard shortcuts in Microsoft Word; small business software ... To move one
word at a time, press Control + Left Arrow or Control + Right ...
Oct 24, 2014 ... Press the Alt key to access the Ribbon shortcuts. ... excel word keyboard
shortcuts f3 ribbon undo redo find replace ... In Word, Ctrl+Right Arrow moves the
cursor across the document one word and/or punctuation mark at a time. ... Shift+
End+Right Arrow and Shift+End+Left Arrow highlight from the cursor ...
Jun 4, 2012 ... Ctrl+Left Arrow – Move cursor to beginning of previous word. ... Shift+Up or Down
Arrow Keys – Select lines one at a time. ... For example, you could press Shift+
End to select the text to the end of the current line, and then ...
For keyboard shortcuts in which you press one key immediately followed by
another key, ... Move one character to the left or right. ... Move one word to the left.
SHIFT TAB(Moves cursor to left). Open KeyCaps from Apple Menu, then press
Option, Option Shift, or to reveal hidden ... Left one word. Ctrl-Arrow Right Cursor.
[Backward apostrophe key] Press the backward apostrophe key to insert a line ...
Ctrl+Left arrow or Ctrl+Right arrow to move left or right one word at a time.
To use a keyboard shortcut, press all the keys in the shortcut at the same time.
Shortcuts for ... Move one character backward (works for left-to-right and right-to-
left text). Control-B ... Move to the beginning of the current or previous word.
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In Roman law, A diminishing or abridgment of personality. Tills was a loss or curtailment of a man's status or aggregate of legal attributes and qualifications, following upon certain changes in his civil condition. It was of three kinds, enumerated as follows: Capitis diminutio maxima. The highest or most comprehensive loss of status. This occurred when a man's condition was changed from one of freedom to one of bondage, when he became a slave. It swept away with it all rights of citizenship and all family rights. Capitis diminutio media. A lesser or medium loss of status. This occurred where a man lost his rights of citizenship, but without losing his liberty. It carried away also the family rights. Capitis diminutio minima. Tile lowest or least comprehensive degree of loss of status. This occurred where a man's family relations alone were changed. It happened upon the arrogation of a person who had been his own master, (sui juris,) or upon the emancipation of one who had been under the patria potestas. It left the rights of liberty and citizenship unaltered. See Inst. 1, 1G, pr.; 1, 2, 3; Dig. 4, 5, 11; Mackeld. Rom. Law.
What is CAPITIS DIMINUTIO?
Written and fact checked by The Law Dictionary
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| 0.957049
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CATEGORIES: Education, Entertainment, Games, Native
..RELEASED: 2/22/10, VERSION: 1.0 -- RATING: N/A Stars..
"Welcome to the NASA Lunar Electric Rover Simulator (LER). You don't need a driver's license, but you stil need to buckle up."
--OS and Age Rating: This app requires OS 2.2.1 or later. OS 3.0 Tested. Rated 4+.
--Tip/Tutorials: This app is a great Science, educational tool for kids also.
--Device: iPhone, iPod Touch
--Developer Link: NASA
--Twitter Link: @NASA_EDGE
--Facebook Link: NASA EDGE
NASA LUNAR ELECTRIC ROVER SIMULATOR
Fun Stuff - Word of The Day:
affinity analysis - A data mining technique that seeks to reveal undiscovered affinities and associations (such as, for example, between the purchase of canned fruit filling and pie shells). Specific tools used for affinity grouping include standard statistics, memory-based reasoning, link analysis, and special-purpose market basket analysis tools.
NOTE: *Visit Cool iPhone Apps often to check for the latest FREE CODES.
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| 0.821592
| 258
| 2.65625
| 3
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You may be able to write the most eloquent code in the history of embedded systems but without a way to run it on the hardware it will be worthless. In this installment of the tutorial series we will:
- Look at some of the available AVR programmer options
- Place the microcontroller on a breadboard and connect it to a power supply and a programmer.
- Use programming software to send some example code to the microcontroller
If you missed Part 1 take a few minutes to review that portion of the tutorial and then join us after the break.
- AVR Programming 01: Introduction
- AVR Programming 02: The Hardware
- AVR Programming 03: Reading and compiling code
- AVR Programming 04: Writing code
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| 0.841946
| 151
| 3.53125
| 4
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Definition of Tyrosinemia type I
Tyrosinemia type I: A metabolic genetic disease characterized by abnormally high levels of amino acid tyrosine in blood (hypertyrosinemia) and urine (tyrosinuria) due to deficiency of an enzyme called fumarylacetoacetic hydrolase, the last enzyme in the tyrosine pathway. Tyrosinemia type I is inherited as an autosomal recessive disorder.
The disease causes cirrhosis of the liver before 6 months of age and, untreated, leads to death from liver failure. A more chronic form is characterized by progressive cirrhosis of the liver, a renal syndrome (with loss of phosphate into the urine causing rickets of renal origin and growth failure) and recurring neurologic crises. Untreated, it usually leads to death by age 10 from liver failure or hepatocarcinoma (cancer of the liver ).
A diet with a special formula that lacks the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine can slow the inevitable progression of the disorder. Liver transplantation provides a better long-term outcome than diet alone. A drug called NTBC that inhibits the tyrosine metabolic pathway can reverse the symptoms of tyrosinemia and help the liver and kidney tissue to return to normal.
The usual treatment of tyrosinemia today is NTBC plus diet. This permits greater than 90% survival. Infants with tyrosinemia and cancer of the liver need a liver transplant to survive.Source: MedTerms™ Medical Dictionary
Last Editorial Review: 6/14/2012
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z
Search Medical Dictionary
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It will appear, from what has been said occasionally of the tide, that it is considerable in this river, and contributes very much to facilitate the navigation of it. It is high-water in the stream, on the days of the new and full moon, between two and three o’clock; and the tide rises, upon a perpendicular, between three and four fathoms. The reason of the tide’s being greater here than at other parts of this coast, is easily accounted for. The mouth of the river being situated in a corner of the coast, the flood that comes from the ocean is forced into it by both shores, and by that means swells the tide to a great height.
The variation of the compass was 25 deg. 40’ E.
Discoveries after leaving Cook’s River.—Island of St Hermogenes.—Cape Whitsunday.—Cape Greville.—Cape Barnabas.—Two-headed Point.—Trinity Island.—Beering’s Foggy Island.—A beautiful Bird described.—Kodiak and the Schumagin Islands.—A Russian Letter brought on Board by a Native.—Conjectures about it.—Rock Point.—Halibut Island.—A Volcano Mountain.—Providential Escape.—Arrival of the Ships at Oonalaschka.—Intercourse with the Natives there.—Another Russian Letter.—Samganoodha Harbour described.
As soon as the ebb tide made in our favour, we weighed, and, with a light breeze, between W.S.W., and S.S.W., plied down the river, till the flood obliged us to anchor again. At length, about one o’clock next morning, a fresh breeze sprung up at W., with which we got under sail, and, at eight, passed the Barren Islands, and stretched away for Cape St Hermogenes. At noon, this cape bore S.S.E., eight leagues distant; and the passage between the island of that name, and the main land, bore S. For this passage I steered, intending to go through it. But soon after the wind failed us, and we had baffling light airs from the eastward, so that I gave up my design of carrying the ships between the island and the main.
At this time we saw several columns of smoke on the coast of the continent, to the northward of the passage; and, most probably, they were meant as signals to attract us thither. Here the land forms a bay, or perhaps a harbour, off the N.W. point of which lies a low, rocky island. There are also some other islands of the same appearance, scattered along the coast, between this place and Point Banks.
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| 3
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Accessing the Power of the Internet for Public Health: Guidelines for Internet-based STD/HIV Prevention is a user-friendly document developed to aid health departments and community-based nonprofit organizations use the Internet as a tool for the control and prevention of STDs including HIV.
The Guidelines focus on three distinct types of Internet activities: Internet-based Partner Services (IPS), Outreach, and Health Communications. These three activities were chosen based on their current use in the field (IPS), and the overarching nature for which other online activities derive (Outreach and Health Communications). While IPS is a discrete interaction with a trained Internet-Disease Intervention Specialist, STD/HIV outreach and health communication activities carried out online are intended to be broad reaching.
This section of the Internet Guidelines makes recommendations for conducting Internet-based partner services (IPS), which includes Internet-based partner notification (IPN), for both STDs and HIV, in virtual settings, such as through e-mail, instant messaging (IM) and in chat rooms. STD and HIV IPS has been combined into a single set of recommendations, because, while programs may have different approaches to Internetbased STD/HIV work, certain basic programmatic and staff requirements are necessary for the work to be effective.
This section of the Internet Guidelines makes recommendations for conducting STD/HIV prevention outreach and recruitment activities on the Internet and through virtual settings, such as chat rooms, social networks, bulletin boards, e-mail groups, and other online communities. For the purposes of this document, outreach is defined as a virtual interaction between an STD/HIV prevention professional, such as an outreach worker, and a person or persons at risk for STDs or HIV for the purposes of providing STD/HIV related: health information and education, referrals and access to services, recruitment for testing and treatment, and support for reducing risk behaviors.
Released October 2009, the Guidelines for Internet-based Health Communications offer public health professionals useful information on creating health messages for new media. Information as to how to disseminate messages through newsfeeds, podcasts, videos, and blogs is also included.
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History of Spring Hill Library
Spring Hill Library is a fine example of late nineteenth century architecture and is a Grade II listed building. Its foundation stone was laid in 1891. Designed by the Birmingham architects, Martin and Chamberlain, it opened on January 7th 1893. Constructed in the red brick and terracotta style familiar in many of Birmingham municipal buildings of the day, its distinctive 65 feet tower with four clock faces has given the library an enduring presence amidst a rapidly changing landscape.
Spring Hill Library has made the news on several occasions. In its first year of opening it issued more books per day than any of the city branch libraries, and in 1895 a man was sentenced to six weeks in prison with hard labour for throwing books around the library and resisting arrest.
On March 16th 1949 a number 8 bus crossing Spring Hill from Monument Road into Icknield Street, collided with a fire engine travelling down Summerhill. The impact of the crash caused the bus to topple over onto the pavement outside Spring Hill Library. One person was killed and over 30 were taken to hospital. An inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death and found insufficient care caused the crash and both drivers were criticised. The scratch marks made by the bus can still be seen today on the library wall.
In the early 1970s the library was saved from demolition. Plans for the Middle Ring Road were re-routed at the last minute following a public outcry and Ladywood Middleway was diverted to leave the building intact.
In the last few years the adjoining local shopping precinct fell into decline and has recently been demolished. A new plan for the area will integrate the library with new retail units, improve surrounding landscaping, and provide a double door and glazed lift to improve access.
Spring Hill Library
Spring Hill Library's Architecture
Spring Hill Library, Coat of Arms
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Thousand Cankers disease (TCD)
was originally found in New Mexico and Colorado, where the native walnut trees are naturally resistant.
Black walnut is native to the eastern US, but settlers moving out west sometimes took black walnut trees with them, to plant at their new homes.
TCD was first found to be killing black walnut trees in Colorado in 2003. Read More...
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What is Art Song?
The Nature of Song
The human voice is a natural instrument with unique capabilities.
Speech and music have been combined since the earliest times,
so that Song is probably one of the oldest musical forms. Simple
definitions for song might be "a piece of music performed
by voice, with or without instrumental accompaniment," or
"a poem set to music."
Music enhances words with emotional energy that speech alone
cannot convey. But obviously, there is more to it than this! There
are vocal compositions, for example, with no articulated text
at all, called vocalises or vocalizzi in Italian. Although such
works traditionally have been used as exercises, some 20th century
composers have written concert vocalises as well. Additionally,
singing styles differ among cultures, reflecting such influences
as social structures, levels of literacy, languages and even sexual
mores. This has resulted in a wide variety of musical products
commonly accepted as "song."
A Little History
We do not have the space here to trace the historical development
of song in great detail. Since our focus is understanding the
nature of Art Song, we will focus instead on the predominate influences
that shaped this musical genre and its defining characteristics.
The advent of the modern art song marked a rejection of two prevailing
attitudes found in mid-16th century polyphony, that is when more
than one melody is played or sung simultaneously. First was the
principle that a given piece of vocal music could at different
times be performed in any number of alternative ways, sometimes
solo, sometimes ensemble, sometimes instruments alone. Second
was the idea that the song's text is merely a servant of the music.
An increasing concern for textual interpretation began to appear
in the mid-16th century. Emotionally significant texts in polyphonic
compositions were emphasized through the use of special rhythms
to make the text better understood, as well as through unexpected
harmonic progressions, chromaticism, the use of notes outside
the song's mode, and coloratura, that is florid ornamentation.
The final step in the transfer of these various techniques from
"part" music to genuine "solo" music came
at the end of the 16th-century, notably in Italian monody (expressive
melody with chordal accompaniment- Caccini and Peri come to mind)
and English lute songs by Dowland and Campian.
Seventeenth-century dramatic music saw further refinement of
song style that likewise influenced Art Song. Distinctions arose
between recitative, which is word-oriented and rhythmically free,
with simple chordal accompaniment, and the aria, which was more
virtuosic and melodically elaborate, with varied accompaniment.
Indeed arias came to dominate opera, cantata and oratorio because
they were more musically interesting, and in the 18th century
relatively little attention was paid to solo songs outside these
Back to Top
Art Song vs. Folk Song
In Western music, it is customary to distinguish folk song, popular
song and Art Song. Folk songs generally are sung with simple accompaniment
(guitar) or a cappella and usually are learned by ear. They are
written down only infrequently, so through generations of oral
transmission they are susceptible to changes in words and melodies.
Composers of most folk songs are unknown. Art songs, on the other
hand, are intended for performance by professional or at least
carefully taught singers, generally accompanied by piano or instrumental
ensemble. The words and notes are written down and therefore resist
incidental or casual changes. Popular songs stand midway between
folk and art songs with regard to technical difficulty, sophistication,
and resistance to change.
Folk songs often accompany activities such as religious ceremonies,
dancing, labor or courtship, or are intended to tell exciting
or sentimental stories. They have relatively simple melodies,
usually with only one or a few notes per syllable. The language
tends to follow certain conventions and often is repetitive. Music
and words are easily understandable. Art songs in the European
tradition are rarely connected with other activities. Texts and
melodies tend to be subtle, sophisticated, highly organized, wide-ranging
and complex, demanding repeated hearings for full comprehension
and appreciation. Art Song, like classical music, is essentially
an urban phenomenon, in some ways a lingering product of an aristocratic
society with origins in the medieval courts, colleges, cities
So What Really Makes It An Art Song?
Based on what we've discussed so far, an art song might be defined
as "a poem set to music, usually for trained voice and piano
accompaniment with a duration of about three minutes." The
German word for such classical song is Lied (singular) and Lieder
(plural), so that you will hear the terms "art song,"
"lied" and "lieder" used interchangeably.
In France the term is Melodie, and in Italy, Romanza.
But more than this simple definition denotes, an art song strives
to be the perfect combination of music and literature, based on
four elements: poet, composer, singer and accompanist. The composer
uses the full resources of the art form to embellish the poet's
text, sometimes even realizing potential interpretations that
were not explicit in the poet's words. In well-realized Art Song,
the composer creates a duet between the accompanist and the vocalist.
That is, the art song paints for us a picture of what the poet
might have envisioned. The performance of an art song literally
breathes life into this picture through a complementary, coordinated
partnership among the four significant elements. Art Song of the
17th century through the present reflects these mutual influences
of music and literature, and the most enduring masterpieces show
extraordinary sensitivity of the composer to the individual words,
to the prosody (poetic form), and the overall character of the
In the repertory of the 17th and the 18th centuries, the singer
is the prime interpreter of the text, though complete piano parts
began to appear regularly in the latter part of this period. Art
Song probably reached a climax in expression, appreciation and
perfection during the early 19th century. Beginning with Schubert,
the leading Romantic songwriters learned to exploit the device
of varying a strophic melody. The composer would use a basic musical
framework for each stanza but change voice and accompaniment details
to suit the progressing text. This concept eventually evolved
into through-composed songs where the music is so closely wedded
to the text that little repetition occurs and new motives or musical
ideas are constantly being introduced to more exactly express
the text. This technique reached it's apex in the songs of Hugo
Twentieth-century composers continued to explore the relation
of voice to accompaniment and to expand the singer's range of
expression and technique, sometimes treating the voice instrumentally
(as in vocalise). Although in some cases the accompaniment continues
to play a subservient role to the voice, since the 19th century
the trend has been toward greater participation in the interpretation.
The accompaniment may reinforce the emotional states of the poem,
represent external details in the setting, assist in building
to climaxes, and since Schumann, provide preludes, interludes
or postludes. It may even follow its own independent ideas and
therefore free the voice to express other meanings.
Thankfully, art songs are still being written, performed and recorded
today. In fact, some people view the present as another golden age of
Art Song performance. Since it has become very expensive to record operas,
many gifted singers now are recorded in art song recitals instead.
Back to Top
What to Listen for in Art Song
We mentioned above a quartet aspect of Art Song: the poet inspires
the composer, and the resulting musical product is interpreted
by the singer and the accompanist. The goal of Art Song performance
is direct and simultaneous communication of tone and word, with
the word-painting and feelings of the poet and composer both touching
and palpable. The accompanist should provide the harmonic significance
of the sung melody, and is not merely background to support the
singer! The interplay between accompanist and singer is on many
levels. Dynamics should be applied carefully to focus attention
on dramatic or intimate moments.
The singer's diction should be keen, with appropriate dynamics
and shadings of words regardless of whether the song is in his
or her native language. He or she should project joy in singing,
and possess sufficient charisma to convince the audience of complete
technical mastery and emotional identification with every song.
Just as a good song should progress harmonically, build in intensity
and change emotionally throughout its performance, the overall
program should be constructed with a variety of well-known and
lesser-known songs, and it should engage the audience through
contrasting scenes and emotions whenever possible. Humor is often
a welcome dramatic relief.
Art Song Today
Art Song performance persisted as a popular pastime in cultured
society before the advent of automated media such as radio, movies,
MTV and the internet began to dull our senses to the excitement
of live musical performance. Art Song interpretation became a
rarely practiced craft in our "modern," pre-packaged
and mechanized society. Perhaps because of this there has been
a resurgence of interest in Art Song composition and performance.
Listeners who are exposed to this genre do come to feel it is
an important musical form that needs to be preserved. We feel
that the spontaneous beauty of Art Song can help listeners re-connect
with authentic experience.
"Artsong is one of our most vital and communicative musical genres
– it flows and carries with it the language of our changing times."
Composer Libby Larsen.
For More Information
There are many excellent web sites that serve as starting points
for learning more about Art Song. We suggest the following:
African-American Art-Song Alliance
Latin American Art Song Alliance
The Lotte Lehmann Foundation
Lotte Lehmann League
Marilyn Horne Foundation
(Now part of the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall)
REC Music: Lied and Song Text Page
Ann Malloy was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and presently
resides with her family in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is a classical
voice student at the Academy of Music in Ghent where she studies
with Ms. Karen Scott. She has been a member of various choruses
and choirs and currently is a cantor and soprano section leader
at the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base Chapel in Norfolk under
the direction of Mr. Scott Sward. During the 2000-2001 season, Ms.
Malloy also was a performing member of the Norfolk Art Song Society,
an organization dedicated to the study, interpretation and advancement
of art song. She holds masters and doctoral degrees from George
Mason University and Old Dominion University in technical disciplines.
She is an engineering professional as well as an adjunct faculty
member at ODU.
Back to Articles
Back to Top
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<urn:uuid:d6f86f73-a4af-46c0-971a-2a8843349e38>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.artsongupdate.org/Articles/What%20is%20Art%20Song.htm
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403825.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00170-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.937534
| 2,413
| 3.65625
| 4
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Lockheed's "Starclipper" was designed under the supervision of one of the company's senior designer, Max Hunter, in 1966. The spacecraft was an elaboration of the USAF Flight Dynamics Laboratory's ILRV concept. The LSC-8MX spaceplane was 56.9 m long and had a 32.3 m wingspan. During ascent toward orbit liquid hydrogen fuel was drawn from two 7.22 m diameter drop tanks that were arranged along the leading edge of the sharply swept re-entry vehicle. A variable geometry wing deployed after re-entry to provide additional lift for subsonic cruise and landing. The high fineness lifting body vehicle's shape was based on the FDL-5LD and FDL-8H shapes developed at FDL through 1967.
The Starclipper had a gross lift-off mass of 1.6 million kg, and could carry 22,700 kg to orbit in its 6.7 x 18 m payload bay. Five engines provided 2.33 million kg of thrust at lift-off (in the publicly revealed alternative configuration). The propulsion configuration, classified until the 1990's, used a linear aerospike engine. The external tanks were jettisoned at 97.5 km altitude and 21,800 kph velocity, then splashed down in the ocean 4000 km downrange. The re-entry vehicle had a hypersonic L/D of 1.8, while the swing-wings gave it a subsonic L/D of 8.1 and allowed it to land at 290 kph. It was equipped with an air-breathing engine to allow go-arounds and missed approaches during the airfield landing. Lockheed used this configuration as the starting point for its Space Shuttle studies in 1968-71.
LEO Payload: 22,700 kg (50,000 lb) to a 555 km orbit at 55.00 degrees in 1985 dollars. Flyaway Unit Cost $: 28.000 million.
Stage Data - Starclipper
Status: Study 1966.
Gross mass: 1,600,000 kg (3,500,000 lb).
Payload: 22,700 kg (50,000 lb).
Height: 56.90 m (186.60 ft).
Diameter: 32.30 m (105.90 ft).
Span: 50.00 m (164.00 ft).
Thrust: 22,840.00 kN (5,134,630 lbf).
Apogee: 555 km (344 mi).
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<urn:uuid:957d620f-f4a2-4b31-a0f9-18215544cab0>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/staipper.htm
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00171-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.938592
| 519
| 2.828125
| 3
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Role of 14-3-3 proteins in eukaryotic signaling and development.
14-3-3 genes encode a ubiquitous family of highly conserved eukaryotic proteins from fungi to humans and plants with several molecular and cellular functions. Most notably, 14-3-3 proteins bind to phosphoserine/phosphothreonine motifs in a sequence-specific manner. More than 100 14-3-3 binding partners involved in signal transduction, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, stress responses, and malignant transformation have been identified. The 14-3-3 proteins form homodimers and heterodimers, and there is redundancy of the binding specificity and function of different 14-3-3 proteins because of their highly similar amino acid sequence and tertiary structure. 14-3-3 proteins can regulate target protein function by several mechanisms. Although the molecular and cellular functions of 14-3-3 proteins have been well studied, there have been fewer studies addressing the in vivo role of 14-3-3s. Here we review what is known about 14-3-3 proteins during eukaryotic development.
PubMed ID: 16125003
Article link: Curr Top Dev Biol.
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<urn:uuid:884d2dfa-e741-4e30-a977-7e9a1c1ea556>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.xenbase.org/literature/article.do?method=display&articleId=1452
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395166.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00117-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.92099
| 252
| 2.59375
| 3
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Here are some development tools useful for working with Android
adb is the android debugger - it also doubles as file transfer agent. The setup consists of an adbd on the target in the /sbin directory. On the host two programs are run: the adb application (in the SDK's tools directory) and an adb server, started by the adb application.
For emulators, adb will usually run automagically.
For real boards - with debugging over USB, you might need to do work, as is documented here: http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/device.html#setting-up .
For real boards that do not have a USB connection but have Ethernet instead, you might need to do a few tricks.
- make sure that adbd runs on the board. If it doesn't run, you might want to check the init.rc file.
- make sure that the network connection between host and the board is working - test pinging both ways.
- on the host, type the following (and yes, you need to specify the board's IP address on the host):
ADBHOST=<target-ip> tools/adb kill-server ADBHOST=<target-ip> tools/adb shell
- you should now get a prompt on the board, you can exit the prompt if you want.
- tools/adb devices should now list the device.
- Fastboot - Android Fastboot is a tool to boot and manipulate the partitions on an Android development phone.
- toolchains -
- logging system -
- Emulator - See http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/tools/emulator.html
The emulator is a version of QEMU, which mimics the instruction set of an ARM processor, and the hardware that one might find on a mobile phone. The emulator runs on an x86 system, but executes an ARM linux kernel and programs. The flow of control is:
- application ->
- dalvik VM ->
- C/C++ libraries ->
- ARM linux kernel ->
- emulated instructions and hardware (QEMU)->
- C libraries->
- x86 kernel ->
- real hardware
- agcc - A wrapper tool for compiling native Android apps (linked directly to bionic)
Android ships with a utility suite (called 'toolbox') that is not busybox.
You can get a binary busybox for Android here The site includes instructions for easy installation on your device.
- Statically linked binary available at: http://benno.id.au/blog/2007/11/18/android-runtime-strace
- Instructions for building Android strace - http://discuz-android.blogspot.com/2008/01/create-google-android-strace-tool.html
Serial Cable for G1
You can build a serial cable to use with the G1, which is helpful to see kernel boot messages on the serial console.
Back to Android Portal
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<urn:uuid:3a5d3d01-4a77-408f-9f26-c61893608315>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://elinux.org/index.php?title=Android_Tools&oldid=20205
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392099.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00032-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.848067
| 640
| 2.796875
| 3
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Last fall, the CDC released new data on cigarette and tobacco usage, reporting that formal cigarette usage was down but tobacco usage was up.
I shuddered for the United States, and I remembered what the State Health Director and the State Chair of the American Lung Association had asked me to do. When Dr. Cosgrove, CEO of Cleveland Clinic, and I were lucky enough to present to the Ohio State Board of Regents for Higher Education, we talked about banning cigarettes on all public university and college campuses in Ohio. The Regents, after hearing our arguments, voted unanimously to do that.
But when we got a second chance to appear (so that they confirmed their unanimous vote), some advocates had asked us to make it a tobacco ban rather than a cigarette ban. The Regents voted unanimously again to recommend that each state college and university campus ban all tobacco products. Why is that good for Ohio and good for the United States – or conversely why is what the CDC reported bad for jobs and bad health?
Tobacco use contributes more to chronic disease in America than anything else. You pay a lot even if you don’t smoke: We all suffer from ill health because of tobacco use, and we all suffer because of job discompetetiveness. The United States is not as competitive for jobs because we have four times the medical costs of Japan, Mexico, India and China; most of that increase in medical cost is caused by the four-fold increase in chronic disease caused by tobacco use, food choices and portion sizes, physical inactivity and unmitigated or untreated stress.
And tobacco is the biggest cause of ill health, even a big cause in non-smokers. What happened in Piedmont, Italy, when public smoking was banned? A 10% reduction in heart attacks in the non-smokers. What happened in Scotland? A 17% reduction in heart attacks and acute coronary syndromes in 18 months. What happened in Monroe County, Indiana? A 77% reduction in heart attacks over 2 years in the non-smokers with no other risk factors for heart disease. What happened in Pueblo, Colorado? A 41% reduction in heart attacks after 36 months. Thus, not having public smoking has a strong direct benefit to the non-smoker as well. Walking through building entrances laden with smoke causes a lot more problems than we think – and a direct decrease in competitiveness for jobs with other countries. Of course, smokers would stand to benefit directly, too.
So what is the message from this? The message is that it is all of our jobs to try to decrease smoking, physical inactivity, poor food choices, too-big portion sizes, and stress in America. Because, by reducing those, on college campuses, universities – and everywhere –we make America more competitive for jobs and we increase health for all. It is necessary to save Medicare, necessary to balance the budget. And health care due to chronic disease is so great an expense that this is all we have to do to balance the budget of our states, too.
Why is smoking so expensive? It is not just that the average smoker dies 12 years early. If all they did is die, then it would be their choice. No sweat on you. But the typical smoker suffers through 18 years of disability. We all pay for that disability.
Is it time to speak out – not only about this, but maybe also about those 36-ounces of sugary soft drink, your child’s school’s lack of physical activity and lack of teaching kids appropriately about nutrition, or how to manage stress?
It is only when you speak out about these things and do them yourself that you will make America more competitive for jobs, and improve your health and the resilience of the nation.
-Young Dr. Mike Roizen, The Enforcer
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<urn:uuid:b67c54d5-fcfc-4469-87d5-2357ecc47854>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://blog.doctoroz.com/oz-experts/quit-tobacco-to-save-the-nation
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00174-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.964199
| 787
| 2.5625
| 3
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Chinese Malay literature of the Peranakan Chinese in Indonesia 1880-1942
The novels with a Chinese or Peranakan setting generally claim to convey an edifying or moralistic message.
The socio-political background of the Peranakans, their everyday life and the realities of their society, the Westernized Peranakans and the relationship of the ethnic groups in Indonesia are discussed and then viewed as settings for the latter novels, including those with indigenous Indonesian themes.
School Location:New Zealand
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Date of Publication:01/01/1978
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<urn:uuid:c437cb53-3e2a-465c-9ae6-af3cee819a7d>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.openthesis.org/documents/Chinese-Malay-literature-Peranakan-in-552676.html
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402746.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00023-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.869684
| 123
| 2.546875
| 3
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House passes coal ash bill creating federal guidelines
The House backed the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013 on July 25 by a 265-155 vote.
For the first time, the bill sets a uniform national standard for disposal. The bipartisan vote shows the level of strong support for dealing with the issue.
The national standard will provide much-needed certainty for electric utilities and ensure that the reuse of coal combustion residuals will continue benefiting our economy.
In May 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed regulating coal ash for the first time under federal hazardous waste standards. Electric co-ops and other groups maintained that would unnecessarily drive up compliance costs and thwart the beneficial use of recycled coal ash in construction materials.
Approximately 45 percent of coal ash residuals are used in gypsum wallboard, concrete and other applications.
The legislation gives states, instead of EPA, primary responsibility for regulating coal ash impoundments in accordance with some federal guidelines.
Contrary to most environmental legislation that has cleared the House, the Obama administration did not issue a veto threat.
Leonard Hopkins, the Fuel Procurement and Compliance Manager of Southern Illinois Power Cooperative, testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy on the coal ash issue. He said coal ash from the co-op’s generating plant has been used for more than 20 years in making roof shingles, abrasive products, cement, fertilizer and for mine reclamation. Designating coal ash as a hazardous waste, as the EPA proposed, would have cost the co-op $11 million per year, or about 25 percent of the co-op’s current fuel bill.
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<urn:uuid:47a68f24-66b5-4f71-b775-eba827783f2f>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://icl.coop/house-passes-coal-ash-bill-creating-federal-guidelines/?pfstyle=wp
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399425.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00183-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.923522
| 342
| 2.6875
| 3
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Adopting NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence
Adopt the Guidelines With the Forest Service!
How can you promote quality environmental education? The answer is, Adopt the Guidelines! NAAEE and the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education has been working closely with the Forest Service to encourage FS employees to adopt the Guidelines and apply them to their work. By adopting the Guidelines, you will help to develop awareness of the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education, improve the quality of environmental education practice, and build credibility for the field.
What is the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education?
The National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education was initiated by the NAAEE board of directors in 1993. Since its inception, the project has produced a series of documents, published by NAAEE, that provide systematic guidance for the development of quality environmental education curricula and programs. In addition, the Guidelines have helped the field of environmental education develop credibility within Congress, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations across the country.
If our organization/agency adopted the Guidelines, what type of commitment are we making?
By adopting the Guidelines, the Forest Service has committed to:
- Promote the Guidelines around your conference or other events you sponsor
- Promote the Guidelines in your publications
- Actively reach out to other environmental education leaders and demonstrate how the Guidelines can help increase the quality of environmental education programs
- Use the Guidelines when developing programs, funding proposals, requests for proposals, & materials
Are resources available to help us promote use of the Guidelines?
Environmental Education website you can access and download all of the Guidelines publications for free. In addition, the project has developed a set of promotional materials (e.g., bookmarks, exhibit, newsletter items) to help you spread the word and instituted a Guidelines Trainer's Bureau. Guidelines Trainer's Bureau members are available to give presentations to a variety of audiences on how the Guidelines can be used.
The Forest Service, in partnership with the NPEEE, has sponsored a number of training courses in the last few years. Through an intensive, interactive workshop participants learn the ins and outs of using the guidelines in their work -- and training others in their use. The NPEEE/Forest Service website provides all the materials that you would access during a Guidelines workshop. Please contact the WO-Conservation Education office (202-205-3561 firstname.lastname@example.org ) if you are interested in participating in an upcoming workshop.
What other organizations or agencies have adopted the Guidelines?
The following is a partial list of national and state groups:
- North American Association for Environmental Education
- U.S. Forest Service
- Project Learning Tree
- Project WET
- Project WILD
- Environmental Education Association of Washington
- Environmental Educators of North Carolina
- North Carolina Office of Environmental Education (NCDENR)
- Texas Environmental Education Partnership
- Texas Association for Environmental Education
- Utah Society for Environmental Education
- Idaho Environmental Education Association
- Kentucky Division of Water, Nonpoint Source Section
- Environmental Education Exchangep
- New England Environmental Education Alliance
- Nevada Natural Resource Education Council (NNREC
- New Hampshire Environmental Educators
- National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)
- Environmental Education Association of Oregon
- Mid-Atlantic Conservation Education Cooperative (MACE)
- Environmental Institute of Houston
- Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE)
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<urn:uuid:d5437066-3837-471a-a9f8-195a2f441932>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/conservationeducation/programs/standards-guidelines/?cid=stelprdb5057673
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403825.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00059-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.901461
| 705
| 2.671875
| 3
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The 1906 Antiquities Act, which grants the president unilateral authority to protect broad swaths of land as monuments, has long stirred controversy in the West, where we don’t like the feds overstepping. The 1.9-million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, designated by Bill Clinton in 1996, is still a sore point because Utah’s congressmen and governor were given only 24-hours notice; it also blocked a proposed coalmine. Neighboring counties were still fighting its management plan in federal court in 2009.
But in New Mexico this April, the politics were surprisingly different as President Obama designated a monument called Río Grande del Norte. Its 240,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land stretch north of Taos to Colorado and encompass sweeping sage plateaus, 10,000-foot-high mountains and the most dramatic stretch of the Río Grande Gorge.
At a celebration in Taos, ranchers, Hispanic land-grant heirs and Taos Pueblo tribal officials rubbed shoulders with environmentalists and outdoor recreationists. Rather than decry presidential meddling, members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation touted how it would boost tourism and thereby create nearly 300 jobs and $15 million in annual revenue.
Why was Río Grande Del Norte so different? The effort to create it started out like any other environmental campaign, and it could have easily floundered in the divisive dynamics of outside groups pushing an agenda without community involvement. But here, the campaign was driven by local Hispanic leaders — from bottom to top.
“The proudest moments of my conservation career have been coalition meetings for the Río Grande del Norte, because they truly reflected the multicultural and multiethnic nature of the community,” says Michael Casaus, New Mexico director for The Wilderness Society.
But that representation was not true in the ‘90s, when, in a state with a majority Hispanic population, you could count the number of professional Hispanics in the conservation movement on one hand, sometimes on one finger. At the time, many rural Hispanics felt that white, mainstream environmental groups had done little for their communities but restrict access to public land and resources. It was a period of notorious flashpoints between the “brown and the green.”
So when then-Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D, held meetings on the Río Grande Del Norte in 2007 to prepare a bill for 2009, Esther García, current mayor of the village of Questa next door to the monument, emerged as one of its staunchest opponents. Garcia and her constituents worried it would hamper their cattle grazing and firewood and piñon-nut gathering, which date back to the 1700s.
“We called Washington and told them that without the land grants, it was a no-go,” says the 67-year old.
The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance then began helping Bingaman’s office with precedent-setting provisions that recognized land grant rights under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, required that grantees be consulted on management decisions and protected traditional land uses. Even so, Garcia’s trust proved elusive until the organization tapped John Olivas, a Mora hunting and fishing guide who studied environmental science, to be its traditional community organizer in 2008.
“If the movement didn’t happen within the Hispanic leadership, it wasn’t going to happen” in northern New Mexico, Olivas says. “Esther and I spoke the same language.” Garcia’s brother, who holds a grazing permit on the monument land, along with the Board of Trustees of the local land grant, slowly came on board; other traditional community members followed.
“It took a lot of pots of posole,” says Roberta Salazar of the local conservation group Rivers and Birds, who took up the cause in 2008, followed soon after by New Mexico Wildlife Federation’s Max Trujillo.
So it was that García, opponent at the outset, ended up in the Oval Office for the formal signing ceremony. “It was,” she says beaming, “a dream come to reality.”
Ernie Atencio is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). He is a longtime environmental organizer and writer in his native New Mexico.
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<urn:uuid:81c1d6dc-6ae1-47f9-a3ff-9fe50675644b>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.summitdaily.com/opinion/columns/6639772-113/mexico-environmental-grande-r%C3%ADo
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403826.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00021-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.951918
| 915
| 2.828125
| 3
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In March 1954, President Eisenhower sent this letter to George N. Craig, then the Republican governor of Indiana, defending his policy of not publicly criticizing the actions of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. The letter shows how carefully Eisenhower had formulated this tactic, and how often he had fielded questions about its appropriateness.
In 1954, McCarthy was at the tail end of a four-year hunt for supposed communist subversives in American government and public life. In late 1953, the senator had begun to accuse the military of harboring communists, which deeply offended Eisenhower. (Craig, a fellow veteran and leader in the American Legion, must have expressed a similar discontent in his initial letter.)
International relations scholar Kenneth W. Thompson writes that although Eisenhower “deferred to professional politicians” in refusing to attack McCarthy by name during the 1952 presidential campaign, the president later regretted not having spoken up. Thompson quotes Eisenhower biographer William Ewald’s opinion that Eisenhower came to see the decision to remain silent as “a terrible mistake,” and that it was something that the president was “very defensive about.”
Any regrets notwithstanding, some within the administration continued to believe that Eisenhower had done the right thing. Thompson quotes an interview that the Miller Center at the University of Virginia conducted with advisor Bryce Harlow:
Truman attacked [McCarthy] personally, by name. Thereby he created a monster. Eisenhower killed him and he did it by ignoring him. The press went almost wild trying to force Eisenhower to attack him …The result proved [Eisenhower] right.
In the end, as the Miller Center writes, although Eisenhower did “work quietly, behind the scenes, to frustrate McCarthy’s investigations,” the senator’s fall came about more organically: “What did far more to diminish the senator’s power was television’s ability to bring McCarthy’s surliness into American living rooms.” By the end of 1954, the Senate passed a censure motion reprimanding McCarthy, and his investigations ended.
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<urn:uuid:69cc21be-5d42-48f9-a858-8dea491c19f5>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2014/06/11/eisenhower_on_mccarthy_the_president_s_strategy.html
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392099.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00093-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.973636
| 425
| 2.859375
| 3
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In 1995 the Water Quality Monitoring Station was installed on Dutch Creek. The station automatically collects water samples during runoff events. The samples are analyzed for total suspended solids and total phosphorus.
One of the most significant events in the history of the Dutch Creek Monitoring Station occurred in 2008. On the weekend of June 7 and 8, 2008, the watershed was hit by a series of four storm events, roughly 8-10 hours apart. Each rainfall contributed about 1.5" of rain, for a total of about 6" over the weekend. Leading up to this weekend, the soils were already fairly saturated with almost 2" of rain in the 8 days prior. These were the rain events that also resulted in the breach and failure of Lake Delton, and widespread flooding in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. MORE...
Adams Creek Monitoring
The Department has been sampling Adams Creek regularly since 2001, and has used dissolved oxygen probes to continuously measure the dissolved oxygen level in the water since 2002. Much of the streambank stabilization and fencing work was done in 2003 and a storage pit for manure and feedlot runoff was installed in 2006 and 2007. Money for these projects came from a DNR Targeted Resource Management Grant and the County's Environmental Fund.
The highlight of the data is the improvement in dissolved oxygen levels. Figure 6 shows the dramatic improvement in 2008 D.O. levels compared to 2002. The County goal for dissolved oxygen is 5 mg/L. MORE...
County Wide Monitoring
Since 1998, the Land Conservation Department has sampled 28 streams at 35 individual sites in the county on a regular basis (the larger streams are sampled in 2 locations). Sampling is done only at base flow conditions – at a time when it hasn't rained for at least 3 days prior to sampling. Samples are analyzed for fecal coliform bacteria and total phosphorus.
An intense rain in September of 2007, combined with poor manure management practices resulted in a significant fish kill in La Crosse County. The data we gathered showed that the cause of the fish kill flowed down the creek several hours after the flow returned to normal. The source of manure was from a heifer feeding operation on top of a bluff at the headwaters. The manure traveled about 1.5 miles down the hill and through a pasture before it reached the stream. MORE...
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The Book of Esther tells a story of the deliverance of the Jewish people. We are shown a Persian emperor, Ahasuerus (loosely based on Xerxes, 485–464 B.C.), who makes momentous decisions for trivial reasons, and his wicked minister, Haman, who takes advantage of the king’s compliance to pursue a personal vendetta against the Jews by having a royal decree issued ordering their destruction. The threat is averted by two Jews, Esther and Mordecai. Their influence and intervention allow the Jews to turn the tables on their enemies and rout their attackers. This deliverance is commemorated by the inauguration of the Jewish festival of Purim on the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar (mid-February through mid-March). The book confronts the modern reader with important themes, the evils of genocide and racism.
Esther’s character matures over the course of the narrative. As a girl she is recruited for the king’s harem because of her physical beauty. But at a key moment in the book (chap. 4), she rises to the challenge to risk her life for the salvation of her people. At that point, she transforms her status as queen from a position of personal privilege to one of power and public responsibility.
Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, appears first as an adoptive father, whose solicitude for Esther leads him to the king’s gate, where he foils a plot to assassinate the king. When he learns of the edict against the Jews, he encourages Esther to confront the king. The book ends with Mordecai as the king’s chief minister.
The book is a free composition, not a historical document. Its fictional character can be illustrated by many examples of literary motifs: the use of extensive conversation to move the plot along; the motif of concealment (Esther is a Jew, related to Mordecai, but Haman does not know it, even as he comes to her banquet in chap. 7). A whole series of banquets structure the work: two by the king, one by Vashti, three by Esther, and the joyful banqueting that ends the book. Further artificialities are clear in the way characters are paired (e.g., Mordecai and Esther) and in the delays and the speed of the action (Esther delays the banquet in 5:3–8, but the tempo of chaps. 5–6 is particularly fast); Mordecai passes from the threat of death (5:9–14) to royal honors (6:10–11) within twenty-four hours. There are many exaggerations, and even sarcastic implausibilities (cf. the effect of Vashti’s disobedience in 1:17–18), and huge ironies (e.g., Haman in 6:6, 10). The work is a composite of reversals (cf. 9:1) in the lives of individuals and communities.
The book was probably written in the third or second century B.C. It has come down to us in two versions: an older Hebrew version, and a Greek version based on a text similar to the Hebrew, but with additions and alterations as described below.
One striking feature of the Hebrew version of the Book of Esther is that no divine names or titles are employed here; God is not mentioned at all. This would not be unusual in a book whose subject matter or outlook was more secular, but Esther is a book in which the religious element is prominent: the Jews fast in order to be delivered from imminent peril, experience deliverance at the eleventh hour, and commemorate their deliverance with an annual festival. Moreover, there are indirect references to divine activity (for example, in 4:14).
The Greek additions to Esther have many explicit references to God, as well as explicit descriptions of the beliefs and emotional states of Esther and Mordecai. They also elaborate on the content of the edicts from Ahasuerus as illustrations of Gentile attitudes toward Jews. While there are only a few contradictions between these Greek additions and the older Hebrew text, reading the book with these additions is a very different experience from reading the book without them. The additions to Esther are an excellent example of a process that occurs throughout the Bible: further reflections on the story become part of the story itself. Although the Book of Esther was questioned by some early Christians, even St. Jerome, the whole book, including the Greek additions, was included in the canon of Scripture by the Council of Trent.
The Greek version of the book dates from ca. 116 to 48 B.C. (see note on F:11). In the present translation, the Greek additions are indicated by the letters A through F. The regular chapter numbers apply to the Hebrew text.
The book may be divided as follows:
The order of the Vulgate text in relation to the order of the Greek text is as follows:
|Vulg. 11:2–12:6||=||A:1–17 at the beginning of the book.|
|13:1–7||=||B:1–7 after 3:13.|
|13:8—15:3–19||=||C:1–D:16 after 4:16.|
|15:1–2||=||B:8, 9 after 4:8.|
|16:1–24||=||E:1–24 after 8:12.|
|10:4–13||=||F:1–10 after 10:3.|
Dream of Mordecai. 1In the second year of the reign of Ahasuerus the great, on the first day of Nisan, Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, had a dream.* a 2* He was a Jew residing in the city of Susa, a prominent man who served at the king’s court, 3and one of the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had taken from Jerusalem with Jeconiah, king of Judah.b
4c This was his dream.* There was noise and tumult, thunder and earthquake—confusion upon the earth. 5Two great dragons advanced, both poised for combat. They uttered a mighty cry, 6and at their cry every nation prepared for war, to fight against the nation of the just. 7It was a dark and gloomy day. Tribulation and distress, evil and great confusion, lay upon the earth. 8The whole nation of the just was shaken with fear at the evils to come upon them, and they expected to perish. 9d Then they cried out to God, and from their crying there arose, as though from a tiny spring, a mighty river, a flood of water. 10The light of the sun broke forth; the lowly were exalted and they devoured the boastful.
11Having seen this dream and what God intended to do, Mordecai awoke. He kept it in mind, and tried in every way, until night, to understand its meaning.
Mordecai Thwarts an Assassination.* 12e Mordecai lodged in the courtyard with Bigthan and Teresh, two eunuchs of the king who guarded the courtyard. 13He overheard them plotting, investigated their plans, and discovered that they were preparing to assassinate King Ahasuerus. So he informed the king about them. 14The king had the two eunuchs questioned and, upon their confession, put to death. 15Then the king had these things recorded; Mordecai, too, put them into writing. 16The king also appointed Mordecai to serve at the court, and rewarded him for his actions.f
17Haman, however, son of Hammedatha, a Bougean,* who was held in high honor by the king, sought to harm Mordecai and his people because of the two eunuchs of the king.g
* [A:1] The genealogy of Mordecai is designed to reflect opposition to Israel’s enemy Haman, an Agagite (v. 17). In 1 Sm 15:1–9, Saul (whose father’s name was Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin) conquered Agag the Amalekite.
* [A:2–3] Repeats information from 2:5–6, on which see note, but states that Mordecai is already a court official. In the Hebrew text, Mordecai is not given this rank until 7:10–8:2.
* [A:4] An interpretation of the dream that relates its features to the plot of the book is given in F:1–6.
* [A:12–17] Retells the story in 2:21–23, but with several differences. Addition A has Mordecai inform the king directly, whereas in 2:22 Mordecai informs the king through Esther after she has become queen. A:16 has Mordecai rewarded immediately after his service, whereas the Hebrew text defers the reward of Mordecai to 6:3–13. In A:17, the failure of the eunuchs’ plot becomes Haman’s reason for seeking the destruction of Mordecai and his people, something which the Hebrew text attributes to Mordecai’s refusal to bow to Haman (see note on 3:2).
* [A:17] A Bougean: the origin of this term is unknown; it may represent a garbled attempt to render the Hebrew “Agagite” (3:1). In the Greek additions Haman not only knows the plot to assassinate the king, but is apparently a co-conspirator.
a. [A:1] Est 2:5.
b. [A:3] Est 2:6; 2 Kgs 24:15; 2 Chr 36:9–10; Jer 22:24–30; 24:1; 29:1–2.
c. [A:4–10] Est F:2, 4–6.
d. [A:9–10] Est F:3.
e. [A:12–15] Est 2:21–23; 6:1–3.
f. [A:16] Est 6:3.
g. [A:17] Est 3:1–15; B:1–7; E:13.
The Banquet of Ahasuerus. 1* During the reign of Ahasuerus—the same Ahasuerus who ruled over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia— 2while he was occupying the royal throne in the royal precinct of Susa,* 3in the third year of his reign, he gave a feast for all his officials and ministers: the Persian and Median army officers, the nobles, and the governors of the provinces.a 4For as many as a hundred and eighty days, he displayed the glorious riches of his kingdom and the resplendent wealth of his royal estate.
5At the end of this time the king gave a feast of seven days in the garden court of the royal palace for all the people, great and small, who were in the royal precinct of Susa. 6There were white cotton draperies and violet hangings, held by cords of fine crimson linen from silver rings on marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were on a mosaic pavement, which was of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and colored stones. 7Drinks were served in a variety of golden cups, and the royal wine flowed freely, as befitted the king’s liberality. 8By ordinance of the king the drinking was unstinted, for he had instructed all the stewards of his household to comply with the good pleasure of everyone. 9Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the royal palace of King Ahasuerus.
Refusal of Vashti. 10On the seventh day, when the king was merry with wine, he instructed Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who attended King Ahasuerus,b 11to bring Queen Vashti into his presence wearing the royal crown, that he might display her beauty to the populace and the officials, for she was lovely to behold. 12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the royal order issued through the eunuchs. At this the king’s wrath flared up, and he burned with fury. 13He conferred with the sages who understood the times, because the king’s business was conducted in general consultation with lawyers and jurists. 14He summoned Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven Persian and Median officials who were in the king’s personal service and held first rank in the realm,c 15and asked them, “What is to be done by law with Queen Vashti for disobeying the order of King Ahasuerus issued through the eunuchs?”
16In the presence of the king and of the officials, Memucan answered: “Queen Vashti has not wronged the king alone, but all the officials and the populace throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and they will look with disdain upon their husbands when it is reported, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded that Queen Vashti be ushered into his presence, but she would not come.’ 18This very day the Persian and Median noblewomen who hear of the queen’s conduct will recount it to all the royal officials, and disdain and rancor will abound. 19If it please the king, let an irrevocable royal decree* be issued by him and inscribed among the laws of the Persians and Medes, forbidding Vashti to come into the presence of King Ahasuerus and authorizing the king to give her royal dignity to one more worthy than she.d 20Thus, when the decree that the king will issue is published throughout his realm, vast as it is, all wives will honor their husbands, from the greatest to the least.”
21This proposal pleased the king and the officials, and the king acted on the advice of Memucan. 22He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, to the effect that every man should be lord in his own home.
* [1:1] The Hebrew text opens with a portrait of the power and luxury of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I, whose empire consisted of only about thirty provinces).
* [1:2] Susa was the winter capital of the Persian empire. The “royal precinct” (sometimes translated “stronghold” or “citadel”) was a well-fortified section of the city that included the king’s residence. The Book of Esther depicts other citizens living in this section as well.
* [1:19] An irrevocable royal decree: the first of several in the book. In a satiric portrayal, even a minor domestic disagreement is resolved through a sweeping international edict. The irrevocable nature of the decree is intended to increase its force, but creates problems if the king needs to adapt to new information or conditions. See note on 8:8.
a. [1:3] Jdt 1:16.
b. [1:10] Dn 5:1.
c. [1:14] 1 Chr 12:32; Ezr 7:14.
d. [1:19] Est 8:5, 8; Dn 6:8–9.
The Search for a New Queen. 1After this, when King Ahasuerus’ wrath had cooled, he thought over what Vashti had done and what had been decreed against her. 2Then the king’s personal attendants suggested: “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. 3Let the king appoint emissaries in all the provinces of his realm to gather all beautiful young virgins into the harem in the royal precinct of Susa. Under the care of the royal eunuch Hegai, guardian of the women, let cosmetics be given them. 4Then the young woman who pleases the king shall reign in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
5There was in the royal precinct of Susa a certain Jew named Mordecai,* son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6who had been exiled from Jerusalem with the captives taken with Jeconiah, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had deported.a 7He became foster father to his cousin Hadassah, that is, Esther,* when she lost both father and mother. The young woman was beautifully formed and lovely to behold. On the death of her father and mother, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.b
8When the king’s order and decree had been proclaimed and many young women brought together to the royal precinct of Susa under the care of Hegai, Esther also was brought in to the royal palace under the care of Hegai, guardian of the women. 9The young woman pleased him and won his favor. So he promptly furnished her with cosmetics and provisions. Then choosing seven maids for her from the royal palace, he transferred both her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 10Esther did not reveal her nationality or family, for Mordecai had commanded her not to do so.
11Day by day Mordecai would walk about in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was faring and what was to become of her.
12After the twelve months’ preparation decreed for the women, each one went in turn to visit King Ahasuerus. During this period of beautifying treatment, six months were spent with oil of myrrh, and the other six months with perfumes and cosmetics. 13Then, when each one was to visit the king, she was allowed to take with her from the harem to the royal palace whatever she chose. 14She would go in the evening and return in the morning to a second harem under the care of the royal eunuch Shaashgaz, guardian of the concubines. She could not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and had her summoned by name.c 15As for Esther, daughter of Abihail and adopted daughter of his nephew Mordecai, when her turn came to visit the king, she did not ask for anything but what the royal eunuch Hegai, guardian of the women, suggested. And she won the admiration of all who saw her.
Ahasuerus Chooses Esther. 16Esther was led to King Ahasuerus in his palace in the tenth month, Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17The king loved Esther more than all other women, and of all the virgins she won his favor and good will. So he placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. 18Then the king gave a great feast in honor of Esther to all his officials and servants, granting a holiday to the provinces and bestowing gifts with royal generosity.
Mordecai Thwarts an Assassination.* 19d As was said, from the time the virgins had been brought together, and while Mordecai was passing his time at the king’s gate, 20Esther had not revealed her family or nationality, because Mordecai had told her not to; and Esther continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions, just as she had when she was being brought up by him. 21e During the time that Mordecai spent at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the royal eunuchs who guarded the entrance, became angry and plotted to assassinate King Ahasuerus. 22When the plot became known to Mordecai, he told Queen Esther, who in turn informed the king in Mordecai’s name. 23The matter was investigated and verified, and both of them were impaled on stakes.* This was written in the annals in the king’s presence.
* [2:5] Mordecai: a Babylonian name, deriving from the god Marduk. Like Esther, Mordecai may have had a Jewish name as well, although in his case we do not know what it is. The chronology of the book makes him well over one hundred years old, since he was deported with Jehoiachin about 598 B.C.; cf. A:1.
* [2:7] Esther: a Babylonian name, deriving from the goddess Ishtar. She is given a Hebrew name as well, “Hadassah,” which means “myrtle.”
* [2:19–23] This story is retold and placed at the beginning of the book in Greek addition A:12–17, with significant differences (see note). The Greek also has a translation of the account in 2:19–23 at this point in the narrative.
* [2:23] Impaled on stakes: a method of execution used by the Persians, known from ancient records and reliefs.
a. [2:6] Est A:3; 2 Kgs 24:15; 2 Chr 36:9–10; Jer 22:24–30; 24:1; 29:1–2.
b. [2:7] Est 2:15.
c. [2:14] Est 2:19–20; 4:11, 16.
d. [2:19–20] Est 2:14.
e. [2:21–23] Est A:12–15; 6:1–3.
Mordecai Refuses to Honor Haman. 1After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, to high rank, seating him above all his fellow officials.a 2All the king’s servants who were at the royal gate would kneel and bow down to Haman, for that is what the king had ordered in his regard.b Mordecai, however, would not kneel and bow down.* 3The king’s servants who were at the royal gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s order?”c 4When they had reminded him day after day and he would not listen to them, they informed Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s explanation would prevail, since he had told them that he was a Jew.
Haman’s Reprisal. 5When Haman observed that Mordecai would not kneel and bow down to him, he was filled with anger. 6But he thought it was beneath him to attack only Mordecai. Since they had told Haman of Mordecai’s nationality, he sought to destroy all the Jews, Mordecai’s people, throughout the realm of King Ahasuerus. 7In the first month, Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, the pur, or lot,* was cast in Haman’s presence to determine the day and the month for the destruction of Mordecai’s people on a single day, and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar.d
Decree Against the Jews. 8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus: “Dispersed among the nations throughout the provinces of your kingdom, there is a certain people living apart. Their laws differ from those of every other people and they do not obey the laws of the king; so it is not proper for the king to tolerate them.e 9If it please the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them; and I will deliver to the procurators ten thousand silver talents for deposit in the royal treasury.”f 10The king took the signet ring* from his hand and gave it to Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.g 11The king said to Haman, “The silver is yours, as well as the people, to do with as you please.”*
12So the royal scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and they wrote, at the dictation of Haman, an order to the royal satraps, the governors of every province, and the officials of every people, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the royal signet ring. 13Letters were sent by couriers to all the royal provinces, to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, including women and children in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, and to seize their goods as spoil.h
* [3:2] We are not told the reasons for Mordecai’s refusal to bow. It may be the result of a form of Jewish piety that refuses to offer such homage to any mortal; see also Greek addition C:5–7.
* [3:7] The pur, or lot: the Hebrew text preserves the Akkadian word pur because its plural, purim, became the name of the feast of Purim commemorating the deliverance of the Jews; cf. 9:24, 26. The lot functions as a kind of horoscope to determine the most favorable day for the pogrom.
* [3:10] Signet ring: a ring containing a seal that was impressed on documents to authenticate them. With this ring, Haman can issue decrees in the king’s name.
* [3:11] Although Ahasuerus seems to refuse the bribe, this is probably a polite way of accepting it that makes him appear munificent (compare Gn 23:11–15, where Ephron tells Abraham that he “gives” him the field and, after a few more pleasantries, sets a very high price for it). Both 4:7 and 7:4 seem to assume Ahasuerus has accepted the money.
a. [3:1] Est B:3; 5:11; E:11.
b. [3:2] Est C:5; 5:9, 13; 6:10, 12.
c. [3:3] Est 4:16.
d. [3:7] Est 9:24–32; F:10.
e. [3:8] Est 3:13; B:4; E:24; Wis 2:14–15; Dn 3:8–12.
f. [3:9] Est 7:4.
g. [3:10] Gn 41:42.
h. [3:13] Est B:6; 7:4.
1This is a copy of the letter:
“The great King Ahasuerus writes to the satraps of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia, and the governors subordinate to them, as follows: 2When I came to rule many peoples and to hold sway over the whole world, not being carried away by a sense of my own authority but always acting fairly and with mildness, I determined to provide for my subjects a life of lasting tranquility; and, by making my kingdom civilized and safe for travel to its farthest borders, to restore the peace desired by all people.a 3When I consulted my counselors as to how this might be accomplished, Haman, who excels among us in discretion, who is outstanding for constant good will and steadfast loyalty, and who has gained a place in the kingdom second only to me,b 4brought it to our attention that, mixed among all the nations throughout the world, there is one people of ill will, which by its laws is opposed to every other people and continually disregards the decrees of kings, so that the unity of empire blamelessly designed by us cannot be established.c
5“Having noted, therefore, that this nation, and it alone, is continually at variance with all people, lives by divergent and alien laws, is inimical to our government, and does all the harm it can to undermine the stability of the kingdom, 6we hereby decree that all those who are indicated to you in the letters of Haman, who is in charge of the administration and is a second father to us, shall, together with their wives and children, be utterly destroyed by the swords of their enemies, without any pity or mercy, on the fourteenth day* of the twelfth month, Adar, of the current year;d 7so that when these people, whose present ill will is of long standing, have gone down into Hades by a violent death on a single day, they may leave our government completely stable and undisturbed for the future.”
* [B:6] Fourteenth day: only the Greek text here names the fourteenth of Adar as the day set aside for the destruction of the Jews. The Hebrew text consistently gives the date as the thirteenth of Adar (e.g., 3:13) as does Greek addition E:20; see note on 9:17–19.
a. [B:2] Est E:8–9.
b. [B:3] Est 3:1; 5:11; E:11.
c. [B:4] Est 3:8; E:24.
d. [B:6] Est 3:13; 7:4; E:11.
14A copy of the decree to be promulgated as law in every province was published to all the peoples, that they might be prepared for that day. 15The couriers set out in haste at the king’s command; meanwhile, the decree was promulgated in the royal precinct of Susa. The king and Haman then sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.
Mordecai Exhorts Esther. 1When Mordecai learned all that was happening, he tore his garments, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went through the city crying out loudly and bitterly,a 2till he came before the royal gate, which no one clothed in sackcloth might enter. 3Likewise in each of the provinces, wherever the king’s decree and law reached, the Jews went into deep mourning, with fasting, weeping, and lament; most of them lay on sackcloth and ashes.
4Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her. Overwhelmed with anguish, the queen sent garments for Mordecai to put on, so that he might take off his sackcloth; but he refused. 5Esther then summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had placed at her service, and commanded him to find out what this action of Mordecai meant and the reason for it. 6So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the public square in front of the royal gate, 7and Mordecai recounted all that had happened to him, as well as the exact amount of silver Haman had promised to pay to the royal treasury for the slaughter of the Jews. 8He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction that had been promulgated in Susa, to show and explain to Esther. Hathach was to instruct her to go to the king and to plead and intercede with him on behalf of her people.*
9Hathach returned to Esther and told her what Mordecai had said. 10Then Esther replied to Hathach and gave him this message for Mordecai: 11“All the servants of the king and the people of his provinces know that any man or woman who goes to the king in the inner court without being summoned is subject to the same law—death. Only if the king extends the golden scepter will such a person live. Now as for me, I have not been summoned to the king for thirty days.”b
12When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13he had this reply brought to her: “Do not imagine that you are safe in the king’s palace, you alone of all the Jews. 14Even if you now remain silent, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another source;* but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows—perhaps it was for a time like this that you became queen?”
15Esther sent back to Mordecai the response: 16“Go and assemble all the Jews who are in Susa; fast on my behalf, all of you, not eating or drinking night or day for three days. I and my maids will also fast in the same way. Thus prepared, I will go to the king, contrary to the law. If I perish, I perish!”c 17Mordecai went away and did exactly as Esther had commanded.
* [4:8] The Greek text adds the following to Mordecai’s message to Esther: “Remember the days of your lowly estate, when you were brought up in my charge; for Haman, who is second to the king, has asked for our death. Invoke the Lord and speak to the king for us: save us from death.”
* [4:14] From another source: probably Mordecai refers to divine aid; the Greek additions (C) are explicit about this.
a. [4:1] Jdt 4:12.
b. [4:11] Est 2:14; 4:12; D:12.
c. [4:16] Est C:12–13.
Prayer of Mordecai. 1Recalling all that the Lord had done, Mordecai prayed to the Lord 2and said: “Lord, Lord, King and Ruler of all, everything is in your power, and there is no one to oppose you when it is your will to save Israel. 3You made heaven and earth and every wonderful thing under heaven. 4You are Lord of all, and there is no one who can resist you, the Lord. 5a You know all things. You know, Lord, that it was not out of insolence or arrogance or desire for glory that I acted thus in not bowing down to the arrogant Haman. 6I would have gladly kissed the soles of his feet for the salvation of Israel. 7But I acted as I did so as not to place the honor of a mortal above that of God. I will not bow down to anyone but you, my Lord. It is not out of arrogance that I am acting thus. 8And now, Lord God, King, God of Abraham, spare your people, for our enemies regard us with deadly envy and are bent upon destroying the inheritance that was yours from the beginning. 9Do not spurn your portion, which you redeemed for yourself out of the land of Egypt. 10Hear my prayer; have pity on your inheritance and turn our mourning into feasting, that we may live to sing praise to your name, Lord. Do not silence the mouths of those who praise you.”
11All Israel, too, cried out with all their strength, for death was staring them in the face.
Prayer of Esther. 12b Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, fled to the Lord for refuge. 13Taking off her splendid garments, she put on garments of distress and mourning. In place of her precious ointments she covered her head with dung and ashes. She afflicted her body severely and in place of her festive adornments, her tangled hair covered her.
14Then she prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: “My Lord, you alone are our King. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, 15for I am taking my life in my hand.c 16From birth, I have heard among my people that you, Lord, chose Israel from among all nations, and our ancestors from among all their forebears, as a lasting inheritance, and that you fulfilled all your promises to them.d 17But now we have sinned in your sight, and you have delivered us into the hands of our enemies, 18because we worshiped their gods. You are just, O Lord. 19But now they are not satisfied with our bitter servitude, but have sworn an oath to their idols 20to do away with the decree you have pronounced, to destroy your inheritance, to close the mouths of those who praise you, to extinguish the glory of your house and your altar, 21to open the mouths of the nations to acclaim their worthless gods, and to extol a mortal king forever.
22“Lord, do not relinquish your scepter to those who are nothing. Do not let our foes gloat over our ruin, but turn their own counsel against them and make an example of the one who began this against us. 23Be mindful of us, Lord. Make yourself known in the time of our distress and give me courage, King of gods and Ruler of every power. 24Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion, and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy, so that he and his co-conspirators may perish. 25Save us by your power, and help me, who am alone and have no one but you, Lord.
26“You know all things. You know that I hate the pomp of the lawless, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised or of any foreigner. 27You know that I am under constraint, that I abhor the sign of grandeur that rests on my head when I appear in public. I abhor it like a polluted rag, and do not wear it in private. 28I, your servant, have never eaten at the table of Haman, nor have I graced the banquet of the king or drunk the wine of libations.* 29From the day I was brought here till now, your servant has had no joy except in you, Lord, God of Abraham. 30O God, whose power is over all, hear the voice of those in despair. Save us from the power of the wicked, and deliver me from my fear.”
* [C:28] Wine of libations: offered in sacrifice to the gods.
a. [C:5–7] Est 3:2; 5:9.
b. [C:12–13] Est 4:16.
c. [C:15] Est 4:16.
d. [C:16] Dt 4:20; 7:6; 9:29; 14:2; 26:18; 32:9.
Esther Goes to Ahasuerus.* 1On the third day, ending her prayers, she took off her prayer garments and arrayed herself in her splendid attire. 2In making her appearance, after invoking the all-seeing God and savior, she took with her two maids; 3on the one she leaned gently for support, 4while the other followed her, bearing her train. 5She glowed with perfect beauty and her face was as joyous as it was lovely, though her heart was pounding with fear. 6She passed through all the portals till she stood before the king, who was seated on his royal throne, clothed in full robes of state, and covered with gold and precious stones, so that he inspired great awe. 7As he looked up in extreme anger, his features fiery and majestic, the queen staggered, turned pale and fainted, collapsing against the maid in front of her. 8But God changed the king’s anger to gentleness. In great anxiety he sprang from his throne, held her in his arms until she recovered, and comforted her with reassuring words. 9“What is it, Esther?” he said to her. “I am your brother.* Take courage! 10You shall not die; this order of ours applies only to our subjects. 11Come near!” 12Raising the golden scepter, he touched her neck with it, embraced her, and said, “Speak to me.”a
13She replied: “I saw you, my lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was shaken by fear of your majesty. 14For you are awesome, my lord, though your countenance is full of mercy.” 15As she said this, she fainted. 16The king was shaken and all his attendants tried to revive her.
* [D:1–16] Addition D expands on and replaces 5:1–2 of the Hebrew text.
* [D:9] Brother: along with “sister,” a common term of affection between lovers or husband and wife. See, e.g., Sg 4:9–12; 8:1; Tb 5:22; 7:11.
a. [D:12] Est 4:11.
1* [Now on the third day, Esther put on her royal garments and stood in the inner courtyard, looking toward the royal palace, while the king was seated on his royal throne in the audience chamber, facing the palace doorway. 2When he saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she won his favor and he extended toward her the golden scepter he held. She came up to him, and touched the top of the scepter.]
3Then the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even if it is half of my kingdom, it shall be granted you.”a 4Esther replied, “If it please your majesty, come today with Haman to a banquet I have prepared.” 5The king ordered, “Have Haman make haste to fulfill the wish of Esther.”
First Banquet of Esther. So the king went with Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared. 6During the drinking of the wine, the king said to Esther, “Whatever you ask for shall be granted, and whatever request you make shall be honored, even if it is for half my kingdom.”b 7Esther replied: “This is my petition and request: 8if I have found favor with the king and if it pleases your majesty to grant my petition and honor my request, let the king come with Haman tomorrow to a banquet I will prepare; and tomorrow I will do as the king asks.”
Haman’s Plot Against Mordecai. 9That day Haman left happy and in good spirits. But when he saw that Mordecai at the royal gate did not rise, and showed no fear of him, he was filled with anger toward him.c 10Haman restrained himself, however, and went home, where he summoned his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11He recounted the greatness of his riches, the large number of his sons, and how the king had promoted him and placed him above the officials and royal servants.d 12“Moreover,” Haman added, “Queen Esther invited no one but me to come with the king to the banquet she prepared; again tomorrow I am to be her guest with the king. 13Yet none of this satisfies me as long as I continue to see the Jew Mordecai sitting at the royal gate.”e 14His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a stake set up, fifty cubits in height, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go to the banquet with the king in good spirits.” This suggestion pleased Haman, and he had the stake erected.f
* [5:1–2] The Hebrew text translated here is a short form of the account which is in Greek addition D.
a. [5:3] Est 5:6; 7:2; 9:12.
b. [5:6] Est 5:3.
c. [5:9] Est 3:2–3; C:5–7; 6:10, 12.
d. [5:11] Est 3:1; B:3; E:11; 9:6–10.
e. [5:13] Est 3:2–3; 6:10, 12.
f. [5:14] Est 6:4; 7:9–10.
Mordecai’s Reward from the King. 1That night the king, unable to sleep, asked that the chronicle of notable events be brought in. While this was being read to him, 2the passage occurred in which Mordecai reported Bigthan and Teresh, two of the royal eunuchs who guarded the entrance, for seeking to assassinate King Ahasuerus.a 3The king asked, “What was done to honor and exalt Mordecai for this?” The king’s attendants replied, “Nothing was done for him.”b
4* “Who is in the court?” the king asked. Now Haman had entered the outer court of the king’s palace to suggest to the king that Mordecai should be impaled on the stake he had raised for him.c 5The king’s attendants answered him, “Haman is waiting in the court.” The king said, “Let him come in.” 6When Haman entered, the king said to him, “What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to reward?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?” 7So he replied to the king: “For the man whom the king wishes to honor 8there should be brought the royal robe the king wore and the horse the king rode with the royal crest placed on its head. 9The robe and the horse should be given to one of the noblest of the king’s officials, who must clothe the man the king wishes to reward, have him ride on the horse in the public square of the city, and cry out before him, ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to honor!’”d 10Then the king said to Haman: “Hurry! Take the robe and horse as you have proposed, and do this for the Jew Mordecai, who is sitting at the royal gate. Do not omit anything you proposed.”e 11So Haman took the robe and horse, clothed Mordecai, had him ride in the public square of the city, and cried out before him, “This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to honor!”
12Mordecai then returned to the royal gate, while Haman hurried home grieving, with his head covered.f 13When he told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you are beginning to fall, is of Jewish ancestry, you will not prevail against him, but will surely be defeated by him.”
Esther’s Second Banquet. 14While they were speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman off to the banquet Esther had prepared.
* [6:4–13] Haman’s presumption that the king wants to honor him creates the irony that Haman himself prescribes and fulfills the elaborate terms of Mordecai’s reward. This comic reversal mirrors the fatal reversal to come: Haman and those who hate the Jews find that their plot to destroy them recoils on their own head.
a. [6:2] Est A:12–14; 2:21–23.
b. [6:3] Est A:16.
c. [6:4] Est 5:14; 7:9–10.
d. [6:9] Gn 41:42–43; 1 Kgs 1:33; Dn 5:29.
e. [6:10] Est 2:21; 3:2–3; 5:9, 13.
f. [6:12] Est 2:21; 3:2–3; 5:9, 13.
1So the king and Haman went to the banquet with Queen Esther. 2Again, on this second day, as they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, “Whatever you ask, Queen Esther, shall be granted you. Whatever request you make, even for half the kingdom, shall be honored.”a 3Queen Esther replied: “If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, I ask that my life be spared, and I beg that you spare the lives of my people. 4For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated. If we were only to be sold into slavery I would remain silent, for then our distress would not have been worth troubling the king.”b 5King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who and where is the man who has dared to do this?”c 6Esther replied, “The enemy oppressing us is this wicked Haman.” At this, Haman was seized with dread of the king and queen.
7The king left the banquet in anger and went into the garden of the palace, but Haman stayed to beg Queen Esther for his life, since he saw that the king had decided on his doom. 8When the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman had thrown himself on the couch on which Esther was reclining; and the king exclaimed, “Will he also violate the queen while she is with me in my own house!” Scarcely had the king spoken when the face of Haman was covered over.
Punishment of Haman. 9d Harbona, one of the eunuchs who attended the king, said, “At the house of Haman stands a stake fifty cubits high. Haman made it for Mordecai, who gave the report that benefited the king.” The king answered, “Impale him on it.” 10So they impaled Haman on the stake he had set up for Mordecai, and the anger of the king abated.
a. [7:2] Est 5:3.
b. [7:4] Est 3:13; B:6.
c. [7:5] Est 3:8–9.
d. [7:9–10] Est 5:14; 6:4.
1That day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai was admitted to the king’s presence, for Esther had revealed his relationship to her.a 2The king removed his signet ring that he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther put Mordecai in charge of the house of Haman.b
The Second Royal Decree. 3Esther again spoke to the king. She fell at his feet and tearfully implored him to revoke the harm done by Haman the Agagite and the plan he had devised against the Jews. 4The king stretched forth the golden scepter to Esther. So she rose and, standing before him, 5said: “If it seems good to the king and if I have found favor with him, if the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let a document be issued to revoke the letters that the schemer Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, wrote for the destruction of the Jews in all the royal provinces.c 6For how can I witness the evil that is to befall my people, and how can I behold the destruction of my kindred?”
7King Ahasuerus then said to Queen Esther and to the Jew Mordecai: “Now that I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have impaled him on the stake because he was going to attack the Jews, 8d you in turn may write in the king’s name what you see fit concerning the Jews and seal the letter with the royal signet ring.” For a decree written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.*
9At that time, on the twenty-third day of the third month, Sivan, the royal scribes were summoned. Exactly as Mordecai dictated, they wrote to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and officials of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia: to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. 10These letters, which he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the royal signet ring, he sent by mounted couriers riding thoroughbred royal steeds. 11e In these letters the king authorized the Jews in each and every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, kill, and annihilate every armed group of any nation or province that might attack them, along with their wives and children, and to seize their goods as spoil 12on a single day throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar.
* [8:8] A decree written…cannot be revoked: the king cannot directly grant Esther’s request (v. 5) to revoke the previous decree against the Jews because of the irrevocable character of the laws of the Medes and Persians (see 1:19 and note). He can, however, empower Esther to issue another decree in his name to counteract the earlier one. The second decree authorizes the Jews to defend themselves against those who would kill them, which is what they do in 9:2. This is why the outcome of the two decrees is that the attackers are killed instead of the Jews, rather than a simple cancellation of all hostilities.
a. [8:1] Est 9:1; Prv 11:8; 26:27; Mt 7:2.
b. [8:2] Prv 13:22; Dn 2:48–49.
c. [8:5] Est 1:19.
d. [8:8] Est 1:19.
e. [8:11–12] Est 9:1–4.
1The following is a copy of the letter:
“The great King Ahasuerus to the governors of the provinces in the hundred and twenty-seven satrapies from India to Ethiopia, and to those who are loyal to our government: Greetings!
2“Many have become more ambitious the more they were showered with honors through the bountiful generosity of their patrons. 3Not only do they seek to do harm to our subjects but, incapable of dealing with such greatness, they even begin plotting against their own benefactors. 4Not only do they drive out gratitude from among humankind but, with the arrogant boastfulness of those to whom goodness has no meaning, they suppose they will escape the stern judgment of the all-seeing God.
5“Often, too, the fair speech of friends entrusted with the administration of affairs has induced many placed in authority to become accomplices in the shedding of innocent blood, and has involved them in irreparable calamities 6by deceiving with malicious slander the sincere good will of rulers. 7This can be verified in the ancient stories that have been handed down to us, but more fully when you consider the wicked deeds perpetrated in your midst by the pestilential influence of those undeserving of authority. 8a We must provide for the future, so as to render the kingdom undisturbed and peaceful for all people, 9taking advantage of changing conditions and always deciding matters coming to our attention with equitable treatment.
10“For instance, Haman, son of Hammedatha, a Macedonian,* certainly not of Persian blood, and very different from us in generosity, was hospitably received by us. 11He benefited so much from the good will we have toward all peoples that he was proclaimed ‘our father,’ before whom everyone was to bow down; and he attained a position second only to the royal throne.b 12But, unable to control his arrogance, he strove to deprive us of kingdom and of life, 13and by weaving intricate webs of deceit he demanded the destruction of Mordecai, our savior and constant benefactor, and of Esther, our blameless royal consort, together with their whole nation.c 14For by such measures he hoped to catch us defenseless and to transfer the rule of the Persians to the Macedonians. 15But we find that the Jews, who were doomed to extinction by this archcriminal, are not evildoers, but rather are governed by very just laws 16and are the children of the Most High, the living God of majesty, who has maintained the kingdom in a flourishing condition for us and for our forebears.
17“You will do well, then, to ignore the letter sent by Haman, son of Hammedatha, 18for he who composed it has been impaled, together with his entire household, before the gates of Susa. Thus swiftly has God, who governs all, brought just punishment upon him.d
19“You shall exhibit a copy of this letter publicly in every place to certify that the Jews may follow their own laws 20and that you may help them on the day set for their ruin, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, to defend themselves against those who attack them. 21For God, the ruler of all, has turned that day from one of destruction of the chosen people into one of joy for them. 22Therefore, you too must celebrate this memorable day among your designated feasts with all rejoicing, 23so that both now and in the future it may be a celebration of deliverance for us and for Persians of good will, but for those who plot against us a reminder of destruction.
24“Every city and province without exception that does not observe this decree shall be ruthlessly destroyed with fire and sword, so that it will be left not merely untrodden by people, but even shunned by wild beasts and birds forever.”e
* [E:10] Macedonian: throughout the book Haman is identified with terms of contempt—in the Hebrew text as an Agagite (3:1, 10; 8:3, 5; 9:24; cf. note on A:17), thus making him a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites, a group hated by the Israelites; in the Greek additions Haman is identified as a Macedonian, reflecting the enmity between the Persians and the Macedonians after Macedonia’s conquest of Persia in the fourth century B.C.
a. [E:8–9] Est B:2.
b. [E:11] Est B:3, 6.
c. [E:13] Est A:17.
d. [E:18] Est 7:10; 9:14.
e. [E:24] Est 3:8–9; B:4.
13A copy of the letter to be promulgated as law in each and every province was published among all the peoples, so that the Jews might be prepared on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14Couriers mounted on royal steeds sped forth in haste at the king’s order, and the decree was promulgated in the royal precinct of Susa.
15Mordecai left the king’s presence clothed in a royal robe of violet and of white cotton, with a large crown of gold and a mantle of fine crimson linen. The city of Susa shouted with joy,f 16and for the Jews there was splendor and gladness, joy and triumph. 17In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king’s order arrived, there was merriment and joy, banqueting and feasting for the Jews. And many of the peoples of the land identified themselves as Jews, for fear of the Jews fell upon them.g
f. [8:15] Dn 5:7.
g. [8:17] Est 9:27.
The Massacre Reversed. 1a When the day arrived on which the order decreed by the king was to be carried out, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, on which the enemies of the Jews had expected to overpower them, the situation was reversed: the Jews overpowered those who hated them. 2The Jews mustered in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus to attack those who sought to do them harm, and no one could withstand them, for fear of them fell upon all the peoples. 3Moreover, all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, governors, and royal procurators supported the Jews out of fear of Mordecai; 4for Mordecai was powerful in the royal palace, and the report was spreading through all the provinces that he was continually growing in power.
5The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them; they did to those who hated them as they pleased.b 6c In the royal precinct of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred people. 7They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, 10d the ten sons of Haman, son of Hammedatha, the foe of the Jews. However, they did not engage in plundering.
11On the same day, when the number of those killed in the royal precinct of Susa was reported to the king, 12he said to Queen Esther: “In the royal precinct of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred people, as well as the ten sons of Haman. What must they have done in the other royal provinces! You shall again be granted whatever you ask, and whatever you request shall be honored.” 13So Esther said, “If it pleases your majesty, let the Jews in Susa be permitted again tomorrow to act according to today’s decree, and let the ten sons of Haman be impaled on stakes.” 14The king then gave an order that this be done, and the decree was published in Susa. So the ten sons of Haman were impaled,e 15and the Jews in Susa mustered again on the fourteenth of the month of Adar and killed three hundred people in Susa. However, they did not engage in plundering.f
16The other Jews, who dwelt in the royal provinces, also mustered and defended themselves, and obtained rest from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of those who hated them, but they did not engage in plunder.g 17This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar.
The Feast of Purim.* On the fourteenth of the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.
18The Jews in Susa, however, mustered on the thirteenth and fourteenth of the month. But on the fifteenth they rested, and made it a day of joyful banqueting. 19That is why the rural Jews, who dwell in villages, celebrate the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joyful banqueting, a holiday on which they send food to one another.
20Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews, both near and far, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 21* He ordered them to celebrate every year both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of the month of Adar 22as the days on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow into joy, from mourning into celebration. They were to observe these days with joyful banqueting, sending food to one another and gifts to the poor. 23* The Jews adopted as a custom what they had begun doing and what Mordecai had written to them.h
Summary of the Story. 24i Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the foe of all the Jews, had planned to destroy them and had cast the pur, or lot, for the time of their defeat and destruction. 25Yet, when the plot became known to the king, the king ordered in writing that the wicked plan Haman had devised against the Jews should instead be turned against Haman and that he and his sons should be impaled on stakes.j 26And so these days have been named Purim after the word pur.
Thus, because of all that was contained in this letter, and because of what they had witnessed and experienced in this event, 27the Jews established and adopted as a custom for themselves, their descendants, and all who should join them, the perpetual obligation of celebrating these two days every year in the manner prescribed by this letter, and at the time appointed.k 28These days were to be commemorated and kept in every generation, by every clan, in every province, and in every city. These days of Purim were never to be neglected among the Jews, nor forgotten by their descendants.
Esther and Mordecai Act in Concert.* 29Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote to confirm with full authority this second letter about Purim, 30and Mordecai sent documents concerning peace and security to all the Jews in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of Ahasuerus’ kingdom.l 31Thus were established, for their appointed time, these days of Purim which Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had designated for the Jews, just as they had previously enjoined upon themselves and upon their descendants the duty of fasting and supplication. 32The command of Esther confirmed these prescriptions for Purim and was recorded in the book.
* [9:17–19] According to Esther, Jewish feasting on the day after the defeat of their enemies establishes the date of the holiday. Since in Susa the fighting lasts for two days, the Jews of that community initially celebrate Purim a day later than Jews elsewhere.
* [9:21] Mordecai creates a compromise among the Jews by making Purim a two-day festival.
* [9:23] According to the story, the two-day celebration has its roots in popular observance, which Mordecai’s leadership reinforces and regularizes.
* [9:29–32] In attempting to give the impression of concerted action between Esther and Mordecai, the Hebrew text here presents several unresolved difficulties. Verse 29 makes Mordecai and Esther joint authors of a letter that is ascribed in v. 32 to Esther alone. Verse 31 makes Mordecai and Esther joint authors of a letter that is ascribed in vv. 20–22 to Mordecai alone. Finally, it is difficult to see the purpose of confirming a second letter in the second letter itself.
a. [9:1–2] Est 8:11–12.
b. [9:5] Jdt 15:6.
c. [9:6–10] Est 5:11; B:3; E:11.
d. [9:10] Est 9:15; Jdt 15:7, 11.
e. [9:14] Est 7:10; E:18.
f. [9:15] Est 9:10.
g. [9:16] Jdt 15:6.
h. [9:23] Est 9:29.
i. [9:24–26] Est 3:7; F:10.
j. [9:25] Est 6:5–13.
k. [9:27] Est 8:12, 17.
l. [9:30] Est 9:23–26.
The Rise of Mordecai Completed. 1King Ahasuerus levied a tax on the land and on the islands of the sea. 2All the acts of his power and valor, as well as a detailed account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king promoted, are recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia. 3The Jew Mordecai was next in rank to King Ahasuerus, in high standing among the Jews, popular with many of his kindred, seeking the good of his people and speaking out on behalf of the welfare of all its descendants.a
a. [10:3] 2 Mc 15:14.
Mordecai’s Dream Fulfilled. 1a Then Mordecai said: “This is the work of God. 2I recall the dream I had about these very things, and not a single detail has been left unfulfilled— 3the tiny spring that grew into a river, and there was light, and sun, and many waters. The river is Esther, whom the king married and made queen. 4The two dragons are myself and Haman. 5The nations are those who assembled to destroy the name of the Jews, 6but my people is Israel, who cried to God and was saved.
“The Lord saved his people and delivered us from all these evils. God worked signs and great wonders, such as have not occurred among the nations. 7For this purpose he arranged two lots:* one for the people of God, the second for all the other nations. 8These two lots were fulfilled in the hour, the time, and the day of judgment before God and among all the nations. 9God remembered his people and rendered justice to his inheritance.
10b “Gathering together with joy and happiness before God, they shall celebrate these days on the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month Adar throughout all future generations of his people Israel.”
Colophon.* 11In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, Dositheus, who said he was a priest and Levite, and his son Ptolemy brought the present letter of Purim, saying that it was genuine and that Lysimachus, son of Ptolemy, of the community of Jerusalem, had translated it.
* [F:7] Two lots: this passage of the Greek text gives an additional interpretation of the feast. The two lots are drawn by God to determine, respectively, the destiny of Israel and that of the nations; contrast with 3:7 of the Hebrew text.
* [F:11] Several “Ptolemies” (Greek kings reigning in Egypt) had wives named Cleopatra. This postscript dates the Greek version somewhere between 116 B.C. and 48 B.C.
a. [F:1–6] Est A:4–10.
b. [F:10] Est 3:7; 9:17–18, 21, 24–28.
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