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Due to the weather, we are experiencing intermittent power outage and loss of internet. Please expect delays and or rescheduling of appointments during this time. We will reach out to you as soon as we can. Stay warm and stay safe!
Keeping the focus on safety
Our clients’ safety is important to us, and at Lords Chimney, we want to do everything we can to help you minimize the possibility of fire hazards in or around your chimney system, from regular chimney maintenance to necessary repairs. That also includes helping you develop short-term and long-term fire safety plans that add up to a cleaner and better-performing system.
Maintenance Sets The Stage
This list of smart practices will help you continue using your heating appliance as safely as possible.
Every Time You Use Your Fireplace
Use the right fuel
Wet or green wood results in an increase in creosote in your flue, and more creosote means a bigger chance of creosote ignition. Use kiln-dried or seasoned firewood (or make sure you dry your own wood for at least a year before using it) — that helps you achieve the optimum small, hot fire, creating the lowest levels of creosote. Stay away from burning trash, Christmas trees, cardboard boxes or anything else that isn’t seasoned firewood, too — and never ever try to speed up lighting your fire by using any kind of flammable liquid.
Don’t leave your fire unattended
If you’re burning wood, it takes a while for the fire to thoroughly extinguish. Don’t leave a smoldering fire alone — if sparks or embers get out of the firebox or another problem arises, you need to be there to handle it.
Use a spark screen
Fireplace screens are affordable and useful — placed in front of the fire, they can create a barrier between flames/embers and your living area and the people and pets in it.
Keep things clean
Make sure you clean wood ash regularly, in the right way: Deposit ash in a metal bucket, and allow it to cool completely before disposing of it a safe distance away from your home. Whatever fuel you’re burning, keep the area around your fireplace or stove clean — keep a good distance between the appliance and anything flammable, from furniture and window coverings to decorative items.
Things You Should Schedule Annually
Creosote will build up as you use your wood fireplace or stove, and it needs to be regularly removed from your flue for both safety and performance reasons. A cleaner flue is a safer and a more efficiently venting flue, and Lords Chimney can help.
If something goes wrong in your chimney system, you want to know about it — damaged parts and components can lead to leaks and water damage, dangerous carbon monoxide leaks and fire hazards. So keeping up with your recommended annual chimney inspection is important.
If a cracked flue liner, third stage creosote or any other issue is limiting your chimney’s safety and efficiency, Lords Chimney can find the problem and suggest and complete the work necessary to fix it.
Don’t Forget About Your Dryer Vents!
We talk a lot about fire safety associated with fireplaces, stoves and chimneys, but your dryer vent needs your attention too. Lint-clogged dryer vents can become a serious fire hazard — according to estimates from the National Fire Protection Association, dryers or washing machines were involved in nearly 17,000 home fires in 2010, and the most prominent cause of those fires was a failure to clean.
As you use your dryer, lint slowly builds up along the ducts, and over time, that build-up can begin to constrict the vent. That blockage allows heat to build up, and since lint is extremely flammable, that heat can cause it to ignite.
Keeping your dryer vents clean limits that possibility — and Lords Chimney can help with dryer vent cleaning services.
If you have any questions about safer fireplace, stove and chimney practices – or dryer vents – Lords Chimney is always here to help. Just give us a call!
It is an unfortunate fact that thousands of house fires occur every single year in the United States. These disasters leads to countless injuries, multiple deaths, and millions of dollars worth of damage. That being said, many of these were entirely preventable, meaning you can take steps towards preventing them from occurring in your home.
Ready to learn more? Read below. Then, count on the team at Lords Chimney to handle your fireplace, chimney, and venting maintenance, ensuring you stay as safe as possible in the years ahead.
If your dryer vents are clogged up and filled with debris, it won’t be long before things overheat. As you can imagine, when the high temperatures produced by the appliance combine with your flammable lint, a fire could easily ignite. An annual cleaning will ensure your system stays free of lint build up, and it should guarantee a better functioning appliance, too. It’s a win-win!
Leaving things like candles and fireplace fires unattended can increase your risk of fire significantly. It is also important to keep flammable items away from these things. We know how tempting it can be to decorate your mantle or place candles throughout your holiday decor, but these items can easily catch on fire before you even realize anything is wrong.
This is also goes for your cooking habits! Don’t leave pots, pans, or boiling water on a heated stove unless you are there to keep an eye on it. It only takes a second for something to go awry.
Sometimes a fire will start, but can be stopped immediately with the appropriate preventative measures. Smoke detectors are known for preventing countless fires and for keeping homeowners and their families safer, as well. Along with this, a fire extinguisher can make a huge difference when it comes to preventing further damage. Invest in yours today!
Frayed cords and wiring should always be repaired or replaced right away to decrease the chance of a fire starting. Also, never hide them under rugs, curtains, or furniture, as the heat from the electricity produced can cause harm, as well.
An annual chimney inspection is CSIA recommended, and it can make a big difference when it comes to operating a safer and more efficient fireplace. If you live in Houston or any of its surrounding areas, the team here at Lords Chimney can help you out! When you call us in, we can check for any flammable obstructions, such as birds nests or twigs, and we can look for excess creosote, too, which is known for triggering chimney fires.
Chimney inspections also allow us to spot chimney damages that could be putting your home at risk. Ready to get yours scheduled? Call our certified crew in today.
Are you excited to start lighting up fires this holiday season, but find yourself struggling to get any flames going strong? This is a common issues for fireplace owners, but there are some great tips and tricks out there to ensure you get a better burn every single time. Get the heat and comfort you deserve this season by reading some of our advice below!
Now, before you light any wood, you need to ensure it is well seasoned. This means it has been adequately dried out for at least six months and most of the water has had a chance to evaporate. When choosing pieces to light, look for ones that are dark and split at the ends. The less fresh the piece looks and smells, the better!
Seasoned wood is also lighter in weight and makes a hollow, clunking noise when smacked together. Stick to these guidelines and your fires should be stronger, warmer, and less smoky all season long!
There are various ways to build a fire, so it’s all about finding what method works best for you. One common option is the teepee method. You’ll start with a pile of tinder (dry leaves, wood shavings, etc.) in the middle of your firebox. Next, get some kindling, which will consist of small twigs and branches, and form a teepee around the tinder. Finally, place your bigger logs in their own teepee formation around everything else. All that’s left to do is light up your tinder, and let the flames spread!
There’s also a method known as the log cabin lay, which starts out the same as a teepee, then switches up a bit when you start laying your bigger logs down. Instead of forming an additional teepee at the end, you instead take your biggest pieces and lay them on either side of the structure. You then lay two more pieces on top of those, but on the opposite sides of the teepee. Continue this pattern with smaller and smaller pieces of wood (until you have a pyramid shape), light your kindling, and you’re all set!
The last method we’d like to highlight is the top-down burn, which has grown more popular in recent years. Rather than start off with the kindling, this method involves you to put the largest pieces of wood down first with the ends at the front and the back of the firebox. Then, pile on around 5 more rows of wood, each one utilizing smaller and smaller pieces. Finally, add the kindling and the tinder. Once your stack is complete, light up the tinder and let it burn!
Like we’ve said, there are lots of ways to build a fire, and we’re just focusing on the more popular options. If none of these work well for you, just keep trying out techniques! We’re certain you’ll soon find one that works, guaranteeing countless cozy evenings in this winter.
Now, no matter how well your fire-building skills are, you’ll never get a safe or efficient burn if your fireplace and chimney are not clean and well-maintained. Count on our CSIA certified team to check things over for you today!
We’ve got good news… National Fire Prevention Week is coming up fast! From October 8th to October 14th, you and your family can help raise awareness about fire safety and prevention. Learn more about this great opportunity to re-educate yourself and your loved ones by reading below. Then, give Lords Chimney a call to learn about keeping your home and fireplace safer all year long!
So, how’d National Fire Prevention Week kick off in the first place? Well, it all started way back in 1925, and it’s held in early October every single year to remember the Great Chicago Fire that occurred back in 1871. Since most of the city’s damage was done on October 9, Fire Prevention Week is always held the week in which October 9 falls. This way we can look back on just how dangerous fires can be and how important it is not to be reckless.
One notable thing about National Fire Prevention Week is that it always has a theme. This years theme is “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” It focuses on the fact that every second matters when a fire breaks out, so be sure to make at least two escape plans to help ensure everyone can get out of the building or home safely.
One tip is to draw out a map of your house and educate family members on their possible exit routes. Once this is done, run fire drills throughout the year, so your children can really nail down exactly where to go in the event of a fire. Also, remember to shut doors as you leave (to help contain the fire as you try to escape) and, once you’re outside, stay there until help arrives.
If you’re pumped and ready for National Fire Prevention Week 2017, then we’ve got some great ways that you can help spread the word! With tons of social media platforms out there, you can easily share news about this week through the Internet to help raise awareness. Also, feel free to contact local news stations and journalists, so that they can spread information, too.
Schools and daycares are great places to educate kids throughout the event and it’s a great opportunity to create a full week of fun and educational learning opportunities for the little ones. Parents will appreciate the extra attention to safety practices, and everyone involved will learn more about how to stay protected in various dangerous situations. Get started now, so you’re all set this October!
You can also help raise funds by seeking out assistance from local businesses or by throwing a fun event to provide education and accept donations. There’s no shortage of ways to stay involved!
If you own a fireplace, then you know that one of the best ways to keep your home and family safer is to invest in regular inspections, maintenance, and sweepings. Call on the certified staff at Lords Chimney today!
Having a chimney fire is a scary experience. No matter how large or small it was, many homeowners are left wondering about the state of their fireplace: when can I use my fireplace again? Does my entire chimney need to be torn down? Is it safe for my family to remain in our house?
The first thing you should do after a chimney fire is call a certified chimney sweep. A certified sweep is best equipped to evaluate the damage caused by a chimney fire as well as recommend the necessary repairs that may need to be made.
While flames spewing from the top of the flue are a guaranteed sign of a large chimney fire, smaller chimney fires often go unnoticed. This is because the signs of a chimney fire can sometimes be hard to distinguish from the results of a normal fire. Below are some signs that you may have experienced a chimney fire:
All chimney fires are unique; because of this, there is not one simple solution as to what repairs will need to be made after a chimney fire. Although a certified chimney sweep will be able to make the exact recommendations based on the condition of your home’s chimney, below are some of the most common repairs needed after a chimney fire.
The best way to prevent chimney fires is by having your chimney regularly swept. Because highly flammable creosote is often to blame for chimney fires, having it regularly removed can minimize the rest. The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends annual chimney sweepings for the majority of homes with fireplaces.
While creosote is a naturally occurring byproduct of fuel burning fires, there are a number of ways to prevent it from building up in your chimney. When it comes to choosing firewood, only seasoned firewood should be used. Other woods, including soft woods like pines or firs, can create more creosote when burned. Green or freshly cut wood with high moisture content can also cause excessive creosote buildup.
Living with a chimney fire – as well as trying to figure out what to do when it is over – can be a scary and stressful experience. If you believe your home has had a chimney fire, contact Lords Chimney today to learn more about chimney fires and to schedule an appointment to have your chimney evaluated.
A fireplace and chimney are creature comforts for many homeowners. Unfortunately, not every homeowner takes chimney maintenance as seriously as they should. Your chimney requires special care and attention to ensure it remains clear of debris and functions properly. Without an annual inspection, your fireplace and/or chimney can quickly become dangerous—even deadly.
In short, yes. According to the NFPA, the second leading cause of house fires is heating equipment; fireplaces, chimneys and wood stoves cause two-thirds of those house fires. Most of the afore-mentioned fires are the result of creosote. Sadly, most are preventable with regular inspections and maintenance.
If allowed to accumulate in large enough quantities, creosote can severely limit the flow of deadly combustion gases when you’re burning wood. One of these gases—carbon monoxide (CO)—is responsible for killing more than 200 people each year and sends more than 10,000 to hospital emergency rooms for treatment.
You can prevent your home and everyone in it from being included in these statistics by simply scheduling routine chimney inspections and sweepings to catch dangerous creosote before it has the opportunity to catch you.
The main purpose of a chimney is to vent the products of combustion from your home. That function is crucial. A well-structured chimney and flue are designed to offer protection to your family and home from these deadly combustion byproducts.
It’s not uncommon for a masonry chimney to be in need of repair. If left uncorrected, a few minor issues can quickly become huge problems in no time at all. Broken or spalled bricks and deteriorated mortar joints are definite signs that your chimney may need repair, as they create several hazards—improper venting of combustion gases and potential structural collapse. Both hazards could prove to be fatal.
Failing to waterproof your chimney could lead to a multitude of problems. By waterproofing your chimney, you enable it to repel up to 99.9% of the water that would otherwise penetrate the brick and/or other materials. Waterproofing is a true preventative measure that can add years to your chimney’s life.
Because it’s not a requirement, many homeowners deprioritize it; this is a big mistake! There are many issues that can develop as a result of water being on and getting in to your chimney, and, as such, swift and immediate action should be taken to ensure that you’re not faced with unnecessary and avoidable repairs bills.
Unless you’re just looking for a reason to get rid of your chimney, there really is no excuse for neglecting it. It’s time to have an experienced technician evaluate the condition of your fireplace and chimney, get them repaired if necessary, and have your chimney coated with a waterproofing product. If you live in the greater Houston area and are looking for a pleasant service experience and the knowledge that your job was done correctly, give Lords Chimney a call at 281-497-4000, or click here to request an appointment online! We look forward to showing you a level of professionalism and quality that you haven’t seen in a service provider!
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Lackadaisical attitude by business owner irks customers
You can call it sabotage, rivalry action, or callousness (or lackadaisical).
Business owners who don’t put thoughts into maintaining its web presence can only display its lack of professionalism. The trait is a letdown to potential customers.
Get professional help or web development platforms
A business should hire only professionals to maintain its website. If not, at least get an IT-competent staff to subscribe to web development platforms such as WordPress, Wix or GoDaddy to maintain their website!
Unsecured website is a threat to customers
Alas, their inaptitude can cause harm to customers/visitors who visit their website (Fig. 1-2).
Those with anti-virus will pick up the threat and render their website useless (Fig. 3).
Site can’t be reached. Conversion funnel is nil.
If businesses such as UTOC (Singapore) Pte Ltd can’t be bothered with its web security, it can only expect zero customer from CONVERSION FUNNEL attributed to website presence.
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Australian rail has been commemorated in a special edition coin.
The Royal Australian Mint has issued a new, coloured 50 cent coin with the Indian Pacific detailed on the reverse of the 50 cent piece.
The coin celebrates 50 years of the train’s service, which connects two oceans and crosses a continent, travelling from Sydney to Perth.
Now operated by Journey Beyond, when the service was first launched on February 23, 1970, it was a joint operation between the Department of Railways New South Wales, South Australian Railways, Commonwealth Railways, and Western Australian Government Railways. In February 1993 Australian national took over the service.
Since its first service, the transcontinental service now carries roughly 80,000 passengers a year.
This is the second time the Royal Australian Mint has commemorated iconic Australian train journeys, releasing a commemorative coin for 90 years of The Ghan in 2019. These coins acknowledge the status of such services, said Royal Australian Mint CEO, Ross MacDiarmid.
“The Royal Australian Mint is delighted to share this unique limited edition coin that celebrates another of Australia’s world famous railway journeys, a story which will resonate with the Australian public, train lovers, coin collectors and fans of the iconic Indian Pacific itself,” he said.
The possibility of having one service travel the 4,352km between Sydney and Perth was enabled by the east-west standard gauge project. Previously, travellers would have had to change trains six times, limiting the rail connectivity of Australia.
Journey Beyond’s chief commercial officer, Peter Egglestone, noted how the train journey showcases the best of what Australia has to offer.
“The Indian Pacific is a truly transcontinental rail adventure that journeys across the Nullarbor, through mountain ranges and rocky valleys and across arid deserts. The inaugural journey nearly 50 years ago was a significant achievement, which has now developed into the all-inclusive guest experience today with regionally-inspired food and wine, world-class service and off train excursions.”
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The adsistor gasoline sensor outputs a signal proportional to the concentration of gasoline vapor to which it is exposed. A user-selectable alarm threshold can be set to indicate when a predetermined concentration level has been exceeded. The adsistor gasoline sensor also stores the total amount of time that the gasoline concentration has exceeded the user-selectable threshold.
The sensor element is also rated intrinsically safe for use in hazardous locations.
The proprietary mirco-power wireless adsistor gasoline sensor can operate for years on battery or scavenged power.
* Above Ground Storage Tanks
* Floating Roofs
* Valve Stems
* Pipe Racks
* Vaults & Manholes
* Loading Arms
Technical Support (206) 368 - 9110, firstname.lastname@example.org
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Make cool looking sketches and scribble drawings using distinct visible lines and white space. The line spacing and the opacity of the line represents the intensity of the color. Lines are placed using controlled randomness. You can convert digital photos, paintings and drawings into a scribble line drawing.
Create impressive line drawings without drawing. The line art generator quickly turns a picture into a random sketch. Open the menu, load an image or video, select the options you want and hit Lines. As the lines are added to the canvas it will gradually form recognizable patterns. Continue to add lines and it will start to look like a regular drawing or a black and white copy.
The pictures were made using random lines. It uses random values when choosing a starting location and a direction but the randomness is limited. There are checks to make sure the lines are not more intense than the original color. You can reduce the realism by reducing the number of lines, decreasing the contrast or increasing the randomness. Changing the Alpha option changes how the color intensity is calculated. Changing the style changes the line options.
After seeing some amazing line art I wanted to make my own. So I wrote this program. See what you can make with it. Try it out on different pictures and use different options. It works best with high contrast photos and images with transparent backgrounds. If you need photos to turn into art then try searching for public domain images.
The idea is to create a new image by making abstract realism art. It looks like something but it is not realistic. Add lines until you get the results you want. Stop before it starts to look like a copy of the original. I added the intensity limits so it spends more time filling in the intense areas. It alternates between the high and a low limits. If you change the limits to 127 & 200 then it would only fill in the brightest and the darkest areas.
I have used this program to make dozens of drawings. The best ones look amazing and they only took a few minutes to make. You don't need to be an artist. You just need to start with a good picture and choose options that work with it. Experiment to find the best options for the image. You can manually add more random lines to the drawing by pressing down and and slowly moving a mouse or your fingers across the canvas.
Attribution is appreciated. While you are sharing your art let people know what you used to make it.
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We ask each other a lot of meaningless and trivial questions throughout every day:
“How are you?”
“How was your night?”
“How’s the family?”
Nothing sinister, sure, but how many times do we ask those questions because we are socially conditioned to do so? How many times do we ask those questions, and we don’t even hear the answer, because we have already moved on to the next socially-conditioned sentence in the conversation structure that we feel like we have to engage in every day.
Small talk, just for the sake of talking, is exhausting.
The one sentence.
But there is a sentence, just three words, that will not only start an engaging conversation that actually means something, and encourages people to authentically participate, but also almost always gets an honest response.
That sentence? “Are you happy?”
I am always surprised by just how honest some people will be when I ask them that, particularly when they are not the type of people who would generally engage in a conversation about their feelings or emotions or mental state usually.
As a conversation prompt, it’s disarming, and surprising really. It’s not the banal “how are you?” that in 94% of cases will be answered with “good thanks”, and that will be that.
It’s not asking someone how they are, and thus giving them the opportunity to come up with any number of adjectives to describe how they are (even though most people will default to the meaningless “good thanks”).
It’s not asking someone how they, or someone in their family, are doing when both parties kind of already realise that neither really cares and is just asking for the sake of asking.
It’s asking a question of someone which immediately shows that you, the questioner, cares and is interested in the answer.
For the record, I find that most people respond with either “yes”, “no”, or “mostly”. Every one of those answers, though, sparks a new and interesting conversation, and every one of them also allows me to meet someone – where they are – with kindness and empathy and curiosity.
How people respond to it.
If I ask if you are happy, and you say you are not, then the door is open for both of those to expand on that if we want to, and for me to somehow be of service in the life of whoever I have asked if they want me to be.
If I ask it and you say you are mostly happy, then again we both have the opportunity to expand on that if we want to, and by saying it out loud, take an important step towards being happy just that little bit more.
And, of course, even if I ask if you are happy, and you say you are, I always find that that answer comes from a more honest and genuine place than the standard “good thanks” answer will ever come from. I also find that someone thinking about their response, and then replying with “yes, I am happy”, actually makes that person even happier!
Try it out, I think you will be surprised.
So … are you happy?
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This recipe explains what does glance do in R
What does glance do?
Glance () — returns a tibble with information about the model i.e goodness of fitness measures and related statistics. The glance () is used for creating a single row summary known as a glance of a model or any other object. Syntax: **glance (x)** where, x: any model or R object whose summary is to be returned This recipe demonstrates an example of a 'linear regression model' and the glance () function is used in R. In this dataset the relation between the cost of bags w.r.t width of the bags is to be determined using simple linear regression.
install.packages("caTools") # For Linear regression
install.packages('broom') # for glance function()
The dataset attached contains the data of 160 different bags associated with ABC industries. The bags have certain attributes which are described below: 1. Height – The height of the bag 2. Width – The width of the bag 3. Length – The length of the bag 4. Weight – The weight the bag can carry 5. Weight1 – Weight the bag can carry after expansion The company now wants to predict the cost they should set for a new variant of these kinds of bags.
data <- read.csv("/content/Data_1.csv")
dim(data) # returns the shape of the data, i.e the total number of rows,columns
print(head(data)) # head() returns the top 6 rows of the dataframe
summary(data) # returns the statistical summary of the data columns
The training data is used for building a model, while the testing data is used for making predictions. This means after fitting a model on the training data set, finding of the errors and minimizing those error, the model is used for making predictions on the unseen data which is the test data.
split <- sample.split(data, SplitRatio = 0.8)
train <- subset(data, split == "TRUE")
test <- subset(data, split == "FALSE")
dim(train) # dimension/shape of train dataset
dim(test) # dimension/shape of test dataset
Here, a simple linear regression model is created with, y(dependent variable) - Cost x(independent variable) - Width
model <- lm(Cost ~ Width, data=train)
print(glance(model)) # returns statistical summary
"Output of code is :" # A tibble: 1 x 12 r.squared adj.r.squared sigma statistic p.value df logLik AIC BIC 1 0.760 0.757 182. 329. 5.74e-34 1 -701. 1408. 1416. # … with 3 more variables: deviance , df.residual , nobs
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Work, Social Inequality, Gender, Economy, Culture.
Faculty Associate, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies
Culture and markets; inequality; gender; consumption; service work; China.
Consumption and inequality in China, culture and social change in Chinese marketplaces.
My research centers on topics such as work, gender, and the cultural aspects of markets, and most of my research has focused on contemporary China. Past research includes a study of service work and class inequality in urban China, published by Stanford University Press as Service Encounters: Class, Gender and the Market for Social Distinction in Urban China (2008). More recent projects examine Chinese consumer goods in North America and food safety and imported milk in China. In a current research project, funded by a SSHRC research grant, I am looking comparatively at the regulation of street commerce in China and North America, and in particular at the way Chinese cities manage and in many cases are attempting to eliminate street vending, whereas (some) North American cities are embracing “street food” and food carts as emblems of cosmopolitan urbanity.
Hanser, Amy. 2008. Service Encounters: Class, Gender, and the Market for Social Distinction in Urban China. Stanford University Press.
About Service Encounters: Class, Gender, and the Market for Social Distinction in Urban China (2008):
This lively study explores how social and economic changes to Chinese society create new cultural values and forms of inequality. Amy Hanser examines changes to a particular set of jobs—service work, in this case salesclerk work—and the nature of the social interactions involved. It argues that a new “structure of entitlement,” which makes elite groups feel more entitled to public forms of respect and social esteem, is constructed in settings like new, luxury department stores. The book not only shows how this change involves increasingly unequal relations between clerks and customers, but also demonstrates how marketplaces have become sites where social differences—and inequalities—are recognized and justified. The study’s importance lies in its attention to ethnographic detail, its application of cultural theories of inequality to China, and its contribution to our understanding of contemporary China. Unlike other studies of inequality in urban China, this book takes a unique setting—the marketplace and the interactions between customers and salespeople—and a unique approach—the author herself worked as a salesclerk in three settings.
Available here from Stanford University Press
Articles and Book Chapters
Hanser, Amy. 2016. “Street Politics: Street Vendors and Urban Governance in China.” The China Quarterly, 226:363-382.
Hanser, Amy and Jialin Camille Li. 2015. “Opting Out? Gated Consumption, Infant Formula and China’s Affluent Urban Consumers.” The China Journal, 74:110-128.
Hanser, Amy and Zachary Hyde. 2014. “Foodies Remaking Cities.” Contexts, 13(3):44-49.
Hanser, Amy. 2013. “Yellow Peril Consumerism: China and North America in an Era of Global Trade.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, 36(4):632-650. dx.doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2011.631559
Hanser, Amy. 2012. “Class and theService Encounter: New Approaches to Inequality in the Service Workplace.” Sociological Compass, 6(4):293-305.
Hanser, Amy. 2010. “Uncertainty and the Problem of Value: Consumers, Culture and Inequality in Urban China” Journal of Consumer Culture 10(3):307-332.
Hanser, Amy. 2009. “Yellow Peril Consumers: China, North America and an Era of Global Trade,” in K. Merkel-Hess, K. Pomeranz, and J. Wasserstrom, eds, China in 2008: A Year of Great Significance. Rowman & Littlefield.
Hanser, Amy. 2007. “Is the Customer Always Right? Class, Service and the Production of Distinction in Chinese Department Stores.” Theory & Society, 36(5):415-35.
Hanser, Amy. 2006. “Sales Floor Trajectories: Distinction and Service in Postsocialist China,” Ethnography, 7(4):461-491.
Hanser, Amy. 2006. “Serving the State, Serving the People,” in J. Eyferth, ed., How China Works. London: Routledge.
Hanser, Amy. 2006. “A Tale of Two Sales Floors: Changing Service Work Regimes in China,” in C. K. Lee, ed., Working In China: Ethnographies of Labor and Workplace Transformation. London: Routledge.
Hanser, Amy. 2005. “The Gendered Rice Bowl: The Sexual Politics of Service Work in Urban China,” Gender & Society, 19(5):581-600.
Hanser, Amy. 2004. “Made in the P.R.C.: Consumers in China,” Contexts, 3(1): pp.13-19.
“Vancouver: Street Food and Urban Space,” paper presented at Histories of Capitalism, Social Science History Association 37th Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Nov. 1, 2012.
“North American ‘Street Food’: How culture shapes ideas about urban space,” Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China, April 9, 2012
“Eventful Consumption: Consumers, Crisis and the Foreign-Domestic Divide,” paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, Denver, CO, USA, August 19, 2012.
“Yellow Peril Consumerism: China, North America, and an Era of Global Trade,” paper presented at the International Sociological Association World Congress, Gothenburg, Sweden, July 15, 2010.
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In industrial and professional production and generation pop rivet guns perform an important position in the joining and fastening of steel and other components. In the aircraft manufacturing, the fuselage, air wing, and just about every exterior floor of the physique panels are mounted with pop rivet guns, creating them an indispensable producing resource.
On the commercial creation line, pop rivet guns are utilized to fasten issues like the handles on shovels, and suitcases, carrying cases, baggage and several other objects where the joining and fastening of parts and sections of products is essential. In higher volume manufacturing or assembly traces air pop rivet tools are used to make repetitive and constant riveting clean and efficient. In programs the place uniform fastening below higher torque situations are essential, the ratcheting or flex lever pop rivet instrument is commonly utilized to utilize the specified quantity of rigidity to a element for protected fastening. In the automotive industry small cordless guns will be used to in shape in limited areas underneath a dashboard, or other area in which larger guns will not in shape.
Taylor Pneumatic tends to make a variety of guns for just about each application, from residence repairs, to professional demands like truck trailer production and fix. The pneumatic pop rivet gun is typically utilised in substantial volume scenarios where speed and precision are needed in rapidly paced generation strains. These guns that fall short or break down continuously will keep up a manufacturing or assembly line and cause delays. There are also computer managed robots that carry out automated riveting with air pop rivet resources that are put in on an arm that can quickly and proficiently spots a massive amount of rivets on a part or segment of sheet metal faster than a human with far higher precision. These robots are extremely popular in car assembly traces.
The much more present day guns are created to be ready to use more substantial stainless steel or other sturdy rivets. The rivet guns are reasonably mild excess weight and can be operated with a single hand. This makes positioning rivets very near jointly easier and assures a very sturdy joint. In assembly lines significantly less complex guns are utilised to secure gardening resources, pc circumstances and even components of toys. As Primers in stock did the rivet gun. Right now there are guns that fasten and generate rivets, even though also slicing and smoothing any protruding areas of the rivet.
Pop rivet guns support automate and speed up the fastening and becoming a member of of metallic on assembly traces. They have turn into crucial to firms in which higher volume production requires top quality and efficiency. To be sincere it’s challenging to think about any assembly line operating efficiently with no rivet guns.
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Junk Instrument Workshop - 5th October - 1pm
£FREE (No Ticket Reqd.)
When : Sat 5th Oct at 1:00pm (Ends - 4:00pm)
Where : The Parochial Hall
Category : Workshop, Family
Transform your recycling and household objects into musical instruments and join our street parade on 12 October!
These hugely popular workshops, run by Marsden’s Rachel Ellis, are a brilliant opportunity to take part. Bring recycled items, such as sports cap drinks bottles, and other random household objects to work with. Decorative materials, inspiration and making ingenuity are provided.
This event takes place at the Parochial Hall in Marsden village.
Suggested donation: £5 per instrument. No need to book, just turn up.
Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult, please.
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The Midwest charm that brought so many people to the heart of Michigan has stayed intact in Lapeer County, and in no place is that more evident than Fick Farms. Fick Farms is a locally-owned farm that has been part of the Lapeer community for more than a century. Throughout the year, residents and visitors head to the farm for fresh seasonal produce, family fun, and community events.
About Fick Farms
Farming and agriculture have long played an integral role in Michigan, and Fick Farms aims to celebrate the farming industry in everything that it offers. This is a true seasonal farm that sells fresh produce based on what can be grown locally during that time of year, and it enhances the experience by offering unique events for people of all ages to take part in.
For example, if you went to Fick Farms during the spring season, you would be able to purchase flats filled with colorful flowers that are ready for planting, vegetable plants that can be inserted right into your garden, or fresh-baked Amish pastries and treats. Generally speaking, the farm opens before Mother’s Day weekend, which means that it’s the perfect place to grab those last-minute gifts for the special moms in your life.
By the time summer arrives, the season is in full swing at Fick Farms. During the summer months, the farm not only sells its fresh Michigan-grown asparagus and strawberries, but it also invites other local farmers to its location so that they can sell their own goods and products. People from all over come to enjoy their farmer’s markets. In addition, the farm has a u-pick flower garden that typically opens up by late June. It has become a popular spot for brides who want to craft a fresh floral bouquet for their wedding day.
The fall season is ushered in after Labor Day, and that is the time of year when families flock from around Lapeer County in order to enjoy the best of the harvest. This is the place to be if you are in search of hardy mums for your yard, cornstalks for your Halloween decorations, and fresh cider as well as hot donuts. The fall is also filled with a variety of family activities, such as hayrides, a corn maze, a u-pick pumpkin patch, and more.
Before the farm closes up for the long, cold winters that are guaranteed in mid-Michigan, visitors can stop by for locally-made wreaths and custom grave blankets. Most years, the farm closes up shop before Christmas arrives, and then it’s time to wait patiently for spring to show up again.
No matter what time of year you decide to visit Fick Farms, you won’t be disappointed, but we definitely recommend a visit to Fick Farms this summer!
More Summer Things to Do in Lapeer
You can continue your day in Lapeer with even more shopping, as this rural town has several shops that offer unique goods and local art.
Gallery 194 is a nearby art gallery that showcases the work of artists who live in the region. The exhibits vary and are switched regularly, but patrons can often find paintings, photographs, and other works of art that are available for purchase.
Another fun place to shop in Lapeer is Past Tense, which is a country store that specializes in unique home decor items. Its seasonal section is particularly popular, especially the year-round Christmas shopping area where guests can purchase their favorite holiday decorations throughout the entire year.
Best Eats in Lapeer
When you go from the farm to the streets of downtown Lapeer then you will likely end up craving a meal at some point during the day. Fortunately, there’s a food wagon in Lapeer that ensures that anyone can get the food they are craving as quickly and conveniently as possible.
YaEatYet? is a restaurant that was established in 2017 as a roving food truck, and it is now stationed on Oregon Street in Lapeer. Its menu includes several options, such as local favorite Koegel hot dogs, Cuban pizza, and BBQ tacos.
To complete your summer in Michigan day, you will need to grab a scoop of ice cream at Kookys ‘N Cream. This bakery and ice cream shop has become famous for its Cookie Cream concoction — which is an ice cream mixture that consists of equal parts ice cream and puréed cookie.
Lodging Near Lapeer
Want to spend a day or more exploring all the great Michigan summer bucket list things to do near Lapeer County? Book a night or two at one of these lodging options near Lapeer:
- Best Western Lapeer Inn
- Cozy Lakefront Lapeer House
- Beautiful Country Farm
- Holiday Inn Express Lapeer
- Wolverine Campground
We've included local campgrounds in most of the #MIAwesomeList posts to help you get the most out of your Michigan summer bucket list adventures!
No RV? No worries. You can save up to 25% on your travel costs this summer by renting an RV through RVshare!
Whether you want to pull it behind you or have it all set up at your destination, renting an RV is the best way to enjoy all your summer adventures in Michigan!
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Pore fabrication in various silica-based nanoparticles by controlled etching
KAUST DepartmentAdvanced Membranes and Porous Materials Research Center
Advanced Nanofabrication, Imaging and Characterization Core Lab
Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division
Chemical Science Program
Imaging and Characterization Core Lab
Nanostructured Functional Materials (NFM) laboratory
Physical Science and Engineering (PSE) Division
Permanent link to this recordhttp://hdl.handle.net/10754/561526
MetadataShow full item record
AbstractA novel method based on controlled etching was developed to fabricate nanopores on preformed silica nanoparticles (<100 nm in diameter). The obtained monodisperse nanoporous particles could form highly stable homogeneous colloidal solution. Fluorescent silica nanoparticles and magnetic silica-coated γ-Fe 2O 3 nanoparticles were investigated as examples to illustrate that this strategy could be generally applied to various silica-based functional nanoparticles. The results indicated that this method was effective for generating pores on these nanoparticles without altering their original functionalities. The obtained multifunctional nanoparticles would be useful for many biological and biomedical applications. These porous nanoparticles could also serve as building blocks to fabricate three-dimensionally periodic structures that have the potential to be used as photonic crystals. © 2010 American Chemical Society.
CitationZhao, L., Zhao, Y., & Han, Y. (2010). Pore Fabrication in Various Silica-Based Nanoparticles by Controlled Etching. Langmuir, 26(14), 11784–11789. doi:10.1021/la101949m
SponsorsThis work is supported by the collaborative travel fund (CTF) from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
PublisherAmerican Chemical Society (ACS)
- Preparation for highly sensitive MRI contrast agents using core/shell type nanoparticles consisting of multiple SPIO cores with thin silica coating.
- Authors: Tanaka K, Narita A, Kitamura N, Uchiyama W, Morita M, Inubushi T, Chujo Y
- Issue date: 2010 Jul 20
- A magnetic, reversible pH-responsive nanogated ensemble based on Fe3O4 nanoparticles-capped mesoporous silica.
- Authors: Gan Q, Lu X, Yuan Y, Qian J, Zhou H, Lu X, Shi J, Liu C
- Issue date: 2011 Mar
- Repetitive heterocoagulation of oppositely charged particles for enhancement of magnetic nanoparticle loading into monodisperse silica particles.
- Authors: Matsumoto H, Nagao D, Konno M
- Issue date: 2010 Mar 16
- One-pot synthesis and characterizations of bi-functional phosphor-magnetic @SiO(2) nanoparticles: controlled and structured association of Mo(6) cluster units and gamma-Fe(2)O(3) nanocrystals.
- Authors: Grasset F, Dorson F, Molard Y, Cordier S, Demange V, Perrin C, Marchi-Artzner V, Haneda H
- Issue date: 2008 Oct 21
- Superparamagnetic gamma-Fe2O3@SiO2 nanoparticles: a novel support for the immobilization of [VO(acac)2].
- Authors: Pereira C, Pereira AM, Quaresma P, Tavares PB, Pereira E, Araújo JP, Freire C
- Issue date: 2010 Mar 21
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The rate at which innovation has been increasing in these past few decades has made it so that things are quite different from how they used to be. A truly stark contrast that can be seen with how things work these days as compared to how they worked in the past is that is that homes no longer need to be built on the land that they will exist on until they are finally broken down. Rather, mobile homes are created in massive factories and you can buy a finished home from home builder brokers and have it shipped to you instead of having to wait for your dream home to be built!
The fact that mobile homes are built differently means that they will obviously use different materials once all has been said and is now out of the way. The reason behind this is that things like dry wall and concrete will make such a home really difficult to transport, and that’s why these homes tend to use vinyl on gypsum instead. This makes these homes lighter than might have been the case otherwise without compromising on the structural integrity that drywall can bring.
There are a bunch of other differences in the materials that are used as well, but the only thing that we feel like you should be aware of is that these homes are usually centered around a steel chassis or frame. This allows the home to be a lot more durable and you can keep adding on to it as you continue to live inside of it. Mobile homes are changing the way we think about houses and that is something that can influence the whole world.
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Rhondda Cynon Taf lies at the heart of the Valleys and at the heart of a wealth of biodiversity. This is where landscape and biodiversity come together, where the views have biodiversity substance and depth. This is a biodiverse landscape, which is ‘breath-taking’, dynamic and integral to a unique sense of place and belonging.
Back in 2000, a partnership of wildlife enthusiasts joined with the Authority to develop Action for Nature, setting out the priorities for understanding and protecting our natural heritage. The Partnership works together to implement the actions and update the Plan.
Our commitment to promote and encourage Biodiversity throughout the county borough is illustrated by the way some of our grass verges, flagship parks and countryside sites are managed. Whilst some sites are managed for biodiversity and can be enjoyed from a distance (for instance our grass verges with no public access), other sites within our countryside sites and flagship parks are there for you to come and explore. To view the biodiversity area nearest to you, check the map below:
If you would like to be involved in some of the initiatives currently taking place, why not Contact us to find out more. You can also take part in our Events, explore a Park or Countryside Site, Report Sightings or simply read the Recorders’ Newsletter.
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Facilities Management Services
For more than 20 years, FSG has been delivering award-winning facility management services that offers a one-stop-shop solution for customers, nationally. We add convenience, and value through a wide offering of services, such as;
What are facilities management companies & what do they do?
The primary function of Facility Management Company is to encompass multiple disciplines to ensure functionality, comfort, safety, and efficiency of the built environment, achievable through the integration of people, place, process, and technology.
Facilities Management is a combination of building functions that you can outsource to improve the quality of your commercial building’s performance, its occupants, and the productivity of the business in which it operates.
Want to know more about what Facilities Management Companies do? Read more here.
Why use a facilities Management company?
All activities related to keeping the complex operations of a property, can be incorporated by a facilities management company. A facilities management company manages facilities for commercial properties such as manufacturing, industrial buildings, and residential estates, office parks and buildings, retail centres, sporting facilities, hospitals, hotels, warehouses, restaurants and more.
These facilities can either be privately owned or publicly run. To tackle the varying facility needs of an organisation, a facilities management company has a variety of services and expertise which can assist your business with your day-to-day operational needs. Read more about five things you should consider when selecting a new facility services provider.
The roles of a facilities management company:
General upkeep like handyman services has traditionally been associated with facilities management. Nowadays the complexity of the facilities managers role is driven by numerous factors. Building fabric maintenance and repairs, amongst many other factors including property compliance, health and safety and energy efficiency are all part of facility management. Cleaning, and security, for example, have changed rapidly recently as well as the expertise required in mechanical and electrical maintenance.
Why outsource to a facilities management company?
Outsourcing to a facilities management company has several benefits that ensure a company achieves its long-term goals, they include:
Spring building maintenance add years to your commercial property, and with Spring rapidly
With the right landscaping services, urban and suburban greenery can be a feast
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Work to transform Sauchiehall Street into one of Glasgow’s new tree-lined ‘Avenues’ began yesterday (Monday).
The stretch of street between Charing Cross and Rose Street will soon have a two-way cycle lane on the northern side and wider pavements, to free up space for both pedestrians and licensed tables and chairs.
The £7.2 million project also includes planting 28 trees along the Avenue, as well as new bus shelters, cycle stands, seating and improved street lighting.
Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken tweeted the news, promising “economic, environmental and social benefits for the whole city”.
Sauchiehall Street is the first of 16 avenues planned for Glasgow city centre in the coming years, as part of a £115m Glasgow City Region City Deal fund - including Argyle Street east and west, St Enoch’s Square and Cathedral Street.
Councillor Aitken commented: “The Sauchiehall Street Avenue project will play a key role in the regeneration of one of Glasgow's most famous streets, one which for generations has been a leading destination for shoppers, workers, students, theatre and concert-goers as well as people visiting bars and restaurants.
"This project will make the Charing Cross - Rose Street stretch of Sauchiehall Street an even more attractive location and a welcoming gateway to the city centre. The work on the Avenue will improve connections for everyone, especially pedestrians and cyclists, and this greater connectivity will bring economic, environmental and social benefits to all those individuals and organisations who use the area.
"This is the first example of our new approach to realising the full potential of the city centre and in doing so, create economic growth for all of Glasgow's people."
The project is expected to be complete by summer 2019 and will include the four streets south of Sauchiehall Street too, between Elmbank Street and Douglas Street.
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The Indian government has defended the look of the national emblem on top of the new parliament building amid criticism over its appearance. The new statue, adapted from an ancient Indian sculpture, was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. The 6.5m (21ft 3in)-tall cast shows four Asiatic lions mounted back-to-back on a circular disc.
Critics say the new lions look “ferocious” and stray from their original depiction.
Opposition leaders have also criticised the government, saying that the new avatar of the emblem – adapted from the Lion Capital of Ashoka, a sculpture that was atop one of the several pillars erected by Emperor Ashoka during his reign in 250BC – was a “brazen insult to India’s national symbol”.
Read more at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-62131457
- 14 Jul 2022
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Bring power, precision, and depth to your tarot readings with this helpful and easy-to-use tarot book. It presents techniques usually found only in workshops, plus nearly seventy different themed spreads so you can choose or create the perfect spread for any question or purpose.
Tarot expert Barbara Moore explains what makes a great tarot spread and why, including how the principles of design and psychological response play a part. In addition to simple techniques that will make your readings more fun and more accurate, you will discover new ways to help you create a reading style that is all your own.
- Select a spread and use it effectively for guidance in important areas: love and relationships, achieving goals, spiritual journeys, financial abundance, health, and situation-specific advice
- Create your own spreads and modify a classic spread
- Perform a 78-card reading to deepen your understanding of tarot
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On Friday 12 November as the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) drew to a close, young people at Kibble held their own special COP26 Conference just a few miles along the road.
The Kibble COP26 Conference was organised by senior pupils at Goudie Academy and was a platform to discuss with senior staff how we can champion climate change across Kibble.
The event took place at the Gannochy Centre for Expressive Arts and each of the invited guests were warmly welcomed with teas and coffee served in a reusable plastic mug with environmental designs handcrafted by pupils. On the day’s busy agenda were questions around reducing food waste, improved recycling, sustainable transport, renewable energy use and methods for energy reduction. The conference was the amalgamation of months of hard work by pupils who are actively working towards their Eco Schools Award. To commence the conference pupils played a poignant video they had created in the classroom which showed the impact of climate change on our world, and the actions of our young people to help in the fight against it. This included them proudly walking and waving banners in the COP26 Youth March alongside thousands of others making their voice heard.
Each young person had a set list of questions to ask staff and there was great energy and enthusiasm in the room as we discussed electric vehicles, composting food waste, solar energy and ideas to reduce food waste. One young person impressed us with his extremely in-depth knowledge of cars and how hybrid vehicles operate, whilst another shared a story of turning off all the appliances in her house… including even the fridge freezer! After the conference reached a close, we agreed that this would just be the start and we would meet monthly to agree actions and next steps to continue this momentum.
Before pupils excitedly headed off for lunch to chat about the event and their incredible achievements, they proudly showed staff their COP26 timeline with dates of world leaders’ arrivals, climate marches, press cuttings, photos and messages of hope for the future.
We look forward to coordinating our approach and making a difference to our planet at an individual, organisational, cultural and collective level with others across the globe. Together, we can make a difference!
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I rescheduled my Creative Play Date to last Friday and had a wonderful day. I met a friend at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to tour the Matisse in the Studio exhibit. We also stumbled upon an exhibit of politically-motivated art, which was particularly appropriate since she is one of the curators of the Threads of Resistance exhibit being developed by SAQA. We toured the bookstores, where I had a heavy shopping day and then had to lug home three beefy books, and we enjoyed a lovely lunch in the cafe. I should do that more often.
The Matisse in the Studio show was wonderful. It was such a treat to see objects from his studio next to the works he created from them. I, of course, loved seeing the Islamic textiles from his collection.
Here are my key takeaways from the exhibit and from Matisse’s work in general:
- Matisse used the same objects as subjects repeatedly. This is a strength of the exhibit, being able to see the chocolate pot or vase itself next to several paintings that include the same pot. Such positioning makes clear just how often Matisse went back to the same objects for inspiration, but with very different results.
- Matisse experimented with different styles. The work that I consider to be his signature style only made up a small portion of the works exhibited. I was particularly struck by two roughly-contemporaneous paintings. One was dark and more realistic and the other colorful and more abstract. And in fact, the more colorful, more abstract one that is in more of what I recognize as Matisse’s style was made four years earlier than the other. The pursuit of one’s voice as an artist can still include experimenting with different styles.
- Matisse continued to experiment and evolve as an artist until the very end of his life. One of the things that I find so inspirational about Matisse is how he continued to create art in old age when he was no longer able to paint like he used to. The paper cutouts of Matisse’s later years are some of my favorite works of his and they only came about because painting was no longer an option for him. Rather than retiring, he found a new medium and continued to create incredible art; I hope to be able to do the same.
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You don’t have the power? The SparkFun Benchtop Power Board Kit has your back. This board will let you take advantage of your power supply to create a benchtop power supply with enough juice to run almost any of your embedded electronics projects.
The benchtop power board kit was created to provide quick access to the typical voltages needed when developing physical computing projects (embedded systems). After assembling the kit you’ll have access to four different voltages (3.3V, 5V, 12V and -12V) each with their own replaceable 5A fuse. Each power rail has a corresponding ground connection; all of the power rails are brought out to a binding post. The benchtop power board should be powered by a standard computer power supply with an ATX connector. With this rev we have finally added a power switch and made each standoff to a more appropriate height to fit the mounting posts.
This kit is simple to put together and shouldn’t take more than 30-45 minutes for a beginner.
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Bishops call for prayers for victims on World Day Against Human Trafficking
CNA Staff, Jul 30, 2020 / 06:00 am MT (CNA).- The U.S. bishops have urged Catholics to pray for the victims of human trafficking Thursday, as the United Nations again designated July 30 as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
“Today we take a moment to pray for all victims and survivors of human trafficking and to reflect upon our responsibilities as individuals and as a Church to make their well-being and protection a priority,” Bishop Mario Dorsonville, an auxiliary bishop of Washington and the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration said in a statement.
“We are renewing our call to educating about human trafficking and proclaiming the value of all human life,” said Dorsonville, adding that Pope Francis has made the issue a priority.
“We are called by our Holy Father to take a firm stance against this terrible violation of the dignity of the human person and to do everything in our power to eradicate it,” he said.
The United Nations first declared a World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in 2013. This year, there is an increased focus on the importance of first responders, who work to prevent trafficking and to rescue people who have been trafficked.
“This year’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons honours the first responders helping to end the crime of human trafficking: law enforcement officers, social workers, healthcare professionals, NGO staff and many others working around the world to protect the vulnerable,” said a published statement from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Guterres likened the work of these people stopping trafficking to that done by workers on the front lines battling COVID-19. He added that stopping trafficking is one of the key steps needed for society to recover from the effects of the pandemic.
“If the world is to put human dignity and human rights at the centre of the COVID-19 response and recovery, we need to do more to protect trafficking victims and prevent vulnerable people from being exploited by criminals,” he said. “On this World Day against Trafficking in Persons, let us pledge to work for inclusive societies and economies that leave no one behind.”
Due in part to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there have been increased reports to anti-trafficking hotlines, and there has been an increase in traffic to child pornography websites. In March 2020, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received nearly double the number of tips concerning child exploitation than it did in March 2019.
“COVID-19 has presented challenges and opportunities in the fight against child sexual exploitation,” said a July 16 statement from John Shehan, vice president of the NCMEC’s exploited child division.
“In the first quarter of 2020, NCMEC became aware of predators openly discussing the pandemic as an opportunity to entice unsupervised children into producing sexually explicit material. At the same time, we experienced an explosion in reporting to our CyberTipline from both the public and electronic service providers,” he said.
With schools remaining closed around the country, children do not have regular access to their teachers, who are mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse. Other social services programs have been overwhelmed due to the rising number of coronavirus cases.
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Jan/Feb 2011 In 2008 nearly 40,000 migrants entered Europe through Lampedusa, a tiny Italian island in the Mediterranean with a population of 6,000. During this period people migrating from all over Africa chose to enter Europe via Italian and Spanish islands in the Mediterranean, despite the deaths at sea of the thousands who had come before them.
At this time Lampedusa had also gained a reputation for its overcrowded reception centres – in one centre 1,800 people shared a space meant for 850 – and chaotic immigration administration. Like several other European countries, Italy’s panicked reaction to irregular migration often defied human rights laws and shocked NGOs. Even politicians felt compelled to comment:
“The island of Lampedusa is a symbol of Fortress Europe, an example of extreme barbarity, and a metaphor for the criminalisation of innocent men and women.”
This is the damning verdict from Guisto Canatania, an Italian Member of the European Parliament, after a visit to Lampedusa in 2005.
In the summer of 2008, Italy’s prime minister solved the problem through a wide ranging deal with Libya’s dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi. The so-called Friendship Treaty included a promise by Libya to stop asylum seekers and migrants getting to Italy. The Libyans were chillingly efficient.
By 2009 Médecins Sans Frontières left Lampedusa because so few migrants were arriving and Human Rights Watch reported that the reception centre once bursting was now empty. The tourists of Lampedusa got their beaches back, no longer blemished by wretched Africans, but the suffering of the migrants did not end. Many of those caught by Libyan police trying to get to Europe were imprisoned or dumped in the desert where many died of thirst or hunger. Libya’s mistreatment of migrants and asylum seekers is well documented by the UNHCR and Human Rights Watch.
When researching my project, I was told the notorious reception centre had been closed after riots and fire last summer, and that few immigrants made it to the island. If they did, they were shipped immediately to reception centres in Sicily. I decided to go anyway.
I arrived in Lampedusa, about a week after Tunisia’s former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled and so witnessed the first boats of Tunisians arriving on the island. I’d been sitting on some rocks idly waiting for sunset, after failing to illicit much reaction from locals about their once thriving migrant population, when I saw a tiny boat on the horizon.
It was the third boatload of Tunisians to arrive in Lampedusa since Ben Ali’s fall. I hitched a ride to where the Italian coast guard were bundling the Tunisians into a small minibuses, but once again I came up against the militancy of European immigration management. I am told to leave the area where the men are being checked over because it is military restricted.
(As I write up these notes, the world’s media is reporting the arrival of thousands of Tunisians in Lampedusa. The Italian government’s narrative that hordes of Africans are flooding its borders (a theory dismissed by the UNHCR) mean it is now imperative that dramatic pictures of boatloads of Tunisians are beamed to the rest of the world.)
Even before I left Lampedusa, when the number of refugee arrivals was less than a hundred rather than thousands, the island’s police struggled to cope. Determined to keep the reception centre closed, the coast guard shipped people immediately to Sicily by ferry or made them stay in local hotels. In the weeks following my visit, at least 5,000 Tunisian refugees have arrived in Lampedusa. A photo journalist I met on the island tells me that many are sleeping on the streets because there is nowhere for them to go.
The day after the 32 Tunisian men arrive, I wait at Lampedusa’s tiny airport from where I’ve been told they will board a 7.30am flight to Palermo.
The airport is small, almost claustrophobic, about the size of a corner shop. On one side are two check-in desks, on the other is a security barrier and a metre from that is the door leading to the plane. So when an officer from the Guardia di Financa (Italy’s coastguard) enters the airport, claps his hands three times and ushers in 32 Tunisians, everyone notices. Most of the men are quite young, in their late teens or early twenties. They carry their belongings in small plastic carrier bags. Two policemen herd them over to check in. They look exhausted, red eyed and hunched over; others appear relieved.
The airport is silent as everyone gapes at the men in astonishment. The pilot says from Palermo, the refugees will be taken to a reception centre in Porto Empedocle, Sicily. It’s the first time in all his years flying to and from the tiny island that he has carried ‘boat people’ (as the islanders call them), he adds.
Under the surly gaze of the guards, I try to speak to one of the Tunisian men. He explains that he and his friends left Tunisia because “the police are violent”. I approached him because I thought he looked less stricken than some of the other men, but the relief I thought I saw in his face was not there. He left his country partly because of the fallout from Ben Ali’s departure, but also because there is simply no work. The revolution hasn’t changed that, of course. I am not happy, he says, my family are in Tunisia.
The general view among the men is that they will work in Italy. Under Ben Ali it was difficult for many Tunisians to leave the country and most couldn’t afford papers to do so legally. But, according to Mario, a Lampedusan resident, a lot of Tunisians have a rose-tinted view of Italy. When he last visited Tunisia, he was surprised to discover the dominant presence of Italian culture, such as Italian TV Channels and shops. Like many Italians themselves, he says, Tunisians have been fed a false image of Italy.
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The deal is Google's biggest PPA wind commitment to date, bringing its total to 570MW.
The Happy Hereford farm is expected to be operational in late 2014 and is being developed by Chermac Energy, a Native American owned company in Oklahoma.
The farm will provide energy to the Southwest Power Pool, the regional grid that serves the internet company’s Oklahoma data centre.
Matt Pfile, Google’s data center energy and location strategy senior manager, said: "This type of power purchase agreement represents one of several ways we’re working to make additional renewable energy available for both our data centers and the communities in which we operate."
Pfile said: "Due to the current structure of the market, we can’t consume the renewable energy produced by the wind farm directly, but the impact on our overall carbon footprint and the amount of renewable energy on the grid is the same as if we could consume it."
In January, Google provided a $200 million equity investment in the 168MW Spinning Spur project, which is 56 kilometres from Amarillo.
The search company has signed a number of PPAs this year including the 72MW Maevaara wind farm in northern Sweden, Google's first in Europe, in June.
In January it signed an agreement with the Grand River Dam Authority to supply electricity from Atlantic Power Corporation-owned 48MW Canadian Hills wind farm in Oklahoma.
Google has set of goal of reducing its carbon footprint to zero and has invested more than $1 billion in renewable energy.
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Please note that tax, investment, pension and ISA rules can change and the information and any views contained in this article may now be inaccurate.
How to claw back portfolio losses
Most investors are comfortable with the fact their portfolio will go up and down, but a big slump in value is extremely stressful and can cause even the most experienced investors to panic.
The market has witnessed huge peaks and troughs over the last 20 years and it’s likely the next 20 years will see more of the same.
Your natural instincts will probably be to sell your investments when things take a turn for the worse, but history shows this can be very damaging for your future returns.
As an example, in March 2009 the FTSE 100 plunged to approximately 3,500. That’s less than half the current level.
Anyone selling their investments at that point would have missed out on the subsequent bounce to 5,000 six months later. They would also have got fewer shares for their money if they then bought back in to the market.
Try not to buy high, sell low
Patrick Connolly, head of communications at financial advice firm Chase de Vere, says people are generally happy to invest when stock markets are buoyant, but are more likely to sell out when they’re in the doldrums, effectively crystallising their short-term losses.
‘When investing it is important that you don’t panic. Very few people make good investment decisions as a result of panicking,’ he warns.
Connolly says if you have made losses it is often best to sit tight and not sell. ‘Stock markets go up and down and, unless you’re in a particularly risky or specialist area, if you stay invested your holdings should bounce back over time,’ he explains.
Take advantage of lower prices and consider buying more
Instead of selling, you could even think about investing more money in the market because you’ll be able to buy shares at a lower price.
Connolly says investors will be doing this anyway if they are regularly rebalancing their portfolio. This means selling some of your investments that have done well and reinvesting the money into those which have performed poorly.
‘Rebalancing ensures you don’t take too much risk. Also, by selling investments that have done well in favour of those that have done badly, you are effectively selling at the top of the market and buying at the bottom,’ Connolly adds.
Sally Merritt, head of product for Saga Investment Services, says investors need to realise that investing is for the long-term. She suggests investing
for three to five years as a minimum to help even out the rises and falls in the market.
What to do if you are worried
If you are concerned about short-term impacts on your portfolio it’s a good idea to ensure your overall asset allocation matches your personal appetite for risk.
If it doesn’t, you can adjust your portfolio accordingly. If you like investing in funds, Merritt says you should also research underlying fund manager track records to make sure their past performance meets your expectations.
‘Investors might want to look at their other liquid assets in conjunction with their share portfolio and decide whether the spread suits their particular needs and goals,’ she says.
Keep a checklist of why you bought stocks, bonds or funds in the first place
If your portfolio has done much worse than the broader market, or a particular stock, bond or fund has let you down, you should analyse the reasons for this.
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell Youinvest, says it helps to keep a checklist of why you bought the stocks, bonds or funds in the first place.
‘If all of the reasons are still valid; it may be a chance to average down and then sit tight. Time is on your side if the company has a sound balance sheet, strong business model and competent management,’ he says.
If events aren’t developing as you thought they would – perhaps there has been a profit warning or an overpriced acquisition by the company or the star fund manager has left – you should not buy more at a cheaper price.
‘It may be that you have to sell the position to limit further losses. Hope is not a strategy and sometimes admitting to a mistake is the best course of action, even if it is not a pleasant prospect,’ says Mould.
It’s important to be realistic in your return expectations. Carl Lamb, managing director at financial advice firm Almary Green Investments, says the market today is very different than it used to be.
‘Investors are much less willing to take proper long-term views. There is a pre-occupation with short-term results, and, crucially, the secular bull market in equities which ran virtually uninterrupted from 1982 for almost 30 years is over,’ he says.
Lamb reckons the low growth and low interest rate world makes investment decisions more important than ever before. He suggests coming up with a realistic plan that you are comfortable with – and then sticking to it. (EP)
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There are more than 100 kinds of changing techniques for tie-dyeing, bringing rich and natural effects. It is difficult for mechanical or digital printing and dyeing processes to achieve the effects of these unique patterns. Since the Eastern Jin Dynasty, this unique colouring technique has been used in such carriers as cotton and hemp fabrics for nearly two thousand years. We have started to consider whether there is a new possibility for this traditional colouring technique to be applied to other materials apart from fabrics, and utilizing this experimental method of overlapping integration across technology and materials is also the main way for us to study product design.
Because of our previous experience of making ceramics with cloth，we tried the combination of ceramics and tie-dyeing. The dyed cloth was wetted with mud and pasted on the surface of the ceramic body. After the moisture naturally evaporated to dry, the fibre and mud on the cloth stuck to each other firmly. In the case of high-temperature firing, organic fabrics such as cotton and hemp would be burned out and volatilized, but the halo pattern formed in tie-dyeing has been retained on the ceramic surface through the fabric.
This production form of pasting the fabric on the ceramic surface is similar to that of ceramic decal process: the painting paper is wetted and pasted on the glaze, and then fired twice (decoration firing). In the effect of the final product, we enlarged the action of “pasting” in the design and pasted the cloth strips of different lengths on the ceramic surface alternately. In addition to the pattern, the texture of the fired fabric and the wrinkled texture of the fabric left when pasting and coating can also be reflected on the final ceramic surface.
The particularity of ceramics itself is a good experimental field for us. One of its features is that the material will deform when it is fired at high temperature. For a long time, craftsmen have been improving the production process in order to reduce the scrap rate caused by ceramic deformation. However, we think that the “imperfect” effect brought by deformation is just one of the charms of this material. We used different structures to achieve the deformation effect on the surface of the ceramic bench so that it looks more like a seat after deformation. In other words, we set the starting point and direction of deformation by following the characteristics of the material and reducing the components of unnecessary decorative design. Through the two special dimensions including time and temperature, we made deformation become the catalyst of modelling.
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Could this be the answer to the subscription trap? New FREE SmartBill robot hunts down and cancels unwanted services for you
A new tool, SmartBill, claims it could save households as much as £300 a year by spotting and cancelling unwanted subscriptions for them with just a click of a mouse.
Millions of consumers unwittingly fall into subscription traps each year, handing over their details to take advantage of a free trial or temporary discount but failing to cancel after that - allowing the company to bill them automatically once the promotion ends.
Chancellor Philip Hammond took aim at these ‘misleading’ practices in March’s Budget, shortly after research from Citizen’s Advice revealed that two million people fall into the subscription trap each year.
The subscription trap: SmartBill hunts down the services you are unwittingly paying for
While savvy consumers can use trials to try something for free before having to commit, it is easy forget to cancel the deal before the promotion ends, and most companies won't remind users before their first payment is taken.
Some consumers may be completely unaware that these promotions, used on anything from TV and music streaming services or health and beauty subscriptions to credit scoring tools, will involve recurring payments at all.
It can cost households hundreds before they spot these transactions on their bank statement, with payments slipping under the radar particularly easily if money is taken infrequently or the amount is fairly small.
Hammond confirmed in this year's Budget that a consumer and markets green paper would be brought forward to crack down on these confusing terms and conditions
Citizens Advice chief executive, Gillian Guy, said: 'Subscription traps are one of the many nasty surprises that can be hidden in the small print.
'Firms are bamboozling consumers with lengthy terms and conditions and complicated clauses making it really difficult for people to know what they’re signing up to.
The government’s welcome clampdown in this area will help people know where they stand and challenge unfair practices.'
This subscription trap wastes as much as £4billion each year and those aged between 18 and 35 are the most likely to be affected, forking out as much as £1,164 each year on services they don’t use, according to SmartBill figures.
The SmartBill app, claims to solve much of the problem however.
So could SmartBill REALLY save you £300-a-year?
The SmartBill service automatically identifies recurring payments and allows you to choose which ones you don’t want to continue to pay.
This will help pick up any subscriptions you have forgotten about and gym memberships you have put off cancelling, as well as highlighting any you were not even aware you were signed up to start with.
It will then contact the company by email or over the phone to cancel these payments for you unless there is a cancellation fee.
Of course, you can choose to keep those for services that you still enjoy.
The tool is essentially offering a free way to help you ditch expensive and unnecessary services, so the savings claims will of course depend on how many services you are inadvertently paying for.
However, it also has a couple of other useful features. It promises to alert you if your provider ever puts up your monthly bill by email.
This could be a particularly useful prompt to encourage you to shop around and find a cheaper deal, or help you negotiate a cheaper price with your existing provider.
SmartBill will also spot if you have been billed twice by mistake or when your bank takes fees such as overdraft charges out of your account.
All of its features are free, so there are no fees which could cut into the savings you make by cancelling.
The company aims to make its money in future through partnerships and referrals to money-saving tools it will offer to customers.
Smartbill Hub: The tool also notifies you when your bills increase
How safe is it?
The service works with the same information required for most similar budgeting and dashboard tools.
You can add your bank and credit card details and SmartBill will access read-only information about your transactions.
Read-only access means no payments can be made out of your account using the tool and SmartBill says it has bank-level security and none of your details are stored on its system.
But, you will need to check your credit card and banking terms and conditions. Some providers see giving these third party aggregator tools your details being careless which can affect your rights if you are ever a victim of fraud.
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Not often, but sometimes, a company sends me a product to play with that helps me see the future more clearly. It just happened again after Netatmo sent me its Welcome video camera — a one-year-old device that arrived at my house only yesterday.
Welcome has one feature that sets it apart from every other $200 video camera sold for the home: face recognition. I have no idea how useful the Welcome will be as it’s still learning the faces of my family. But after less than a day with it, I’ve come to the conclusion that face recognition is a technology that could revolutionize home automation. But first, let me illustrate the problem with today’s so-called “smart” homes captured brilliantly in this single tweet.
When you're house sitting for millennials and ask how the lights work pic.twitter.com/Xli7ZdZeHW— Cate (@c8ters) February 16, 2016
I’ve been that guy too many times to list. One holiday, for example, I automated the Christmas tree. "Look at this!" I exclaimed proudly as I pushed a button on my smartphone and turned on the lights. Two days later I disabled it, after the family complained that they couldn’t turn the lights on or off unless I was home. Same for the sophisticated home theater setup I once installed only to find out that nobody else could figure it out. What I’ve learned, what’s become crystal clear to me, is that what works in a smart home for a single nerd, rarely adapts easily to my family of five.
That’s where facial recognition comes in. When my house knows who’s home then the door’s open to a vast array of personalized actions. When a camera sees me arrive home during working hours, for example, the Nest thermostat could set the heat in my office to my desired temperature as the Sonos begins playing my favorite playlist and the Hue lights dim to my preferred shade of Caribbean sunrise. When the kids get home my wife and I could receive text alerts or even a video clip if they enter the house with a stranger. And for security, the camera knows the difference between the neighbor coming over to water the plants while I'm away for summer vacation, and a stranger entering the house without authorization.
This isn’t a new vision of the future, of course. Companies like Jawbone have foreseen similar futures, albeit with one major flaw — they want me to wear something extra when I'm already wearing my identification on the front-side of my head. But facial recognition only helps with security and the automation side of the smart home. Something equally magical is needed on the control side: your voice.
The last time I felt so sure about advances in smart home technologies was at the launch of the Amazon Echo. Having a home automation hub capable of acting on natural language commands from anyone standing anywhere in the room is the stuff of Tony Stark’s Jarvis or Star Trek’s LCARS. And managing a shared Alexa is a far better alternative than equipping every family member with individual smartphones and all the relevant apps. I’m now convinced that voice and facial recognition technologies will form the basis of my own automated home. Someday.
We’re not there yet, of course. It’s still cost prohibitive to have devices like the $179 Echo speaker / mic and $199 Netatmo Welcome camera in every room of the house. And there’s still a lot of work to be done to build out compatible ecosystems that "just work." But the foundational technologies required for a truly smart home are finally within reach of many consumers. And thanks to the continued proliferation of smartphones, high-quality cameras are getting cheaper and cheaper even as voice recognition services like Siri, Alexa, Google Voice, and Cortana continue to improve.
I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that cameras, microphones, and speakers will be as commonly integrated into homes of the future as power sockets and switches are today. Only question is: when?
Five stories to start your day
One of the biggest names in China's smartphone market has come to the world's biggest mobile show to debut its next flagship, the Mi 5. Today, Xiaomi introduces itself to a global audience on the...
Boston Dynamics has a long history of producing terrifying robots, and its scientists have a long history of kicking, taunting, and teasing them. That ill-advised practice continues in the...
Sony will soon reveal more about PlayStation VR, its upcoming virtual reality headset for the PlayStation 4, after months without saying much about the platform. The company is holding a...
The sequel to monster movie Pacific Rim will be directed by the executive producer and head writer of Daredevil, Deadline reports. Steven S. DeKnight will helm Pacific Rim 2, his first ever...
Getting cargo to the International Space Station is expensive and difficult — that's a huge part of why there's been so much buzz over commercial space flight operations like SpaceX. So if I were...
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Monday, January 31, 2011
The Story of Mr. Blart
By: Joe Bender
Mr. Blart was not very smart.
Instead of a car he drove a grocery store cart.
“Today,” Mr. Blart did start.
“Today I will buy a car at Wal-Mart!”
When he got there he met Mrs. Dart,
a lady who worked right there at Wal-Mart.
What she said tore Blart right apart.
“We don’t sell real cars, cross my heart.”
That left poor Blart feeling real glum,
“A car at Wal-Mart, boy am I dumb!”
To cheer himself up he took out some gum.
It was his favorite and it made him say “YUM!”
But that still left him sad and his heart still numb.
Then poor Mr. Blart he started to hum
and on a guitar he started to strum.
Though nothing he did could make him not glum,
because after forty-three years he still lived with his mum.
“That’s it!” shouted Mr. Blart with might.
“I’ll change my life and I’ll put up a fight!”
Then Mr. Blart felt he reached a new height.
He felt like he was flying just like a kite.
He always wanted to feel so light.
He had never felt so cool so tight!
As he skipped home into the night
a smile came across his face full of delight!
He spread many books across the table.
He’d study all night if he were able.
One book had a very interesting label.
The title for it was Anne of Green Gable.
He read the book ‘til he didn’t feel stable.
Then he clicked the remote and fell asleep watching cable.
He had a dream about when he was a lad.
He got into trouble and acted real bad.
When the teacher yelled at him he got so mad
that he quit school and the whole life he had.
Waking up he felt very sad,
but only just a tad.
He wished that he still had his dad,
Though he knew he got shot by a Russian named, Vlad.
“I’ll do it!” Blart said “I’ll do it for dad!
I’ll do it for the dad I never had!”
And for him Mr. Blart went out on a limb.
He went to his old teacher, Mrs. Kim.
Mrs. Kim knew his chances were dim
but out of pity decided to help him.
Her husband, Tim,
bought some books on a whim.
With help from Mrs. Kim and Tim
he felt much smarter and they were so proud of him.
Then after that Mr. Blart was just fine.
He had an IQ of 2009.
He was so smart he could create things with some sticks and some twine.
He made a house, a garage, and a car with an engine 409.
He had lots of women all waiting in line
for Blart to say to one “You are mine!”
And so Mr. Blart turned his life upside-down.
He now wears a smile instead of a frown.
So the morale is if life’s got you down
and you’re always the loser in town,
work hard and you too, can turn your life around.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Ann Voskamp. Could she be the woman who has the power to change my life? To change me from a bent over, tear releasing, withering woman to one who learns how to feel joy again, no, more than feel it, to live joy? To live His joy-the joy He surely must have meant for me when He created me as a speck in my mother's womb? That day, nearly forty-six years ago, when He reached deep within her thirty-eight year old tired body, already the carrier of eight lives before my own, and changed me from His thought to a real, living human being?
I've been reading Ann's A Holy Experience blog ever since I started to write Imprisoned in my Bones in my effort to release the God that for too long I had kept bottled up inside of me, as if I were trying to contain the essence of EVERYTHING and seal Him back up within this real, living human body that He created. My first visit to Ann's place and I fell in love. Everyone does. Who could not love that little farmer's wife, mother to a brood of six homeschooling wonders, who turns mere words into wisdom and poetry and love; whose heartbreakingly beautiful piano music and photography of her family and her farm makes me turn to her page again and again; who took her own pain- unspeakable pain- and lifelong depression, and turned it into joy with a list. That's it. A list.
I've made a few stumbling attempts to follow her example, you've seen them right here on several Mondays. But, I didn't number my gratitude like she does. I simply wrote it. Maybe that will change now. Her book came in the mail this week. The book that I had pre-ordered online over a month ago; the book that arrived on a day so busy that I was going to go right from work to the school gym where I was signed up to volunteer at the admission table for my son's basketball tournament, collecting dollars from guests who came to cheer on their sons; the day where I would leave the house at 6:45 in the morning but wouldn't arrive back home until 10:30 at night.
First, I placed a quick telephone call home to say hello to my husband, and breathe a word of love to him through the phone line. He said, "Do you have a minute to stop at home and get your book?"
He didn't have to tell me what book he was speaking about. "It came? YES! I will be right there!"
Walking in the back door, I saw it, still in the cardboard cover, right next to a sandwich brimming with ham, lettuce and tomatoes for my supper. My husband loves me well. I quickly unwrapped One Thousand Gifts and embraced it close. I took my book, my sandwich and my daughter and headed to the gym where the rest of our family would meet us when it would be time for Jack's game to start.
In between taking the dollars from the sports fans-parents, grandparents and siblings who were bursting with pride for the young basketball player in their lives, and in between bites of my sandwich, and in between conversations with my daughter about her future hopes for marriage at age twenty-two with two children to follow, ("Not five, or seven, or ten?" "No, Mom, they might be bratty children and how would I handle so many of them?" "No life in a convent praying to the God you are so madly in love with?" "No, Mom, I will always, always be madly in love with God, but I don't want to be a nun.") -I began to read Ann's words. Her words of wisdom, poetry and love.
And when I read these words on page twenty-six-
"For years of mornings, I have woken wanting to die. Life itself twists into a nightmare. For years, I have pulled the covers up over my head, dreading to begin another day I'd be bound to just wreck. Years, I lie listening to the taunt of names ringing off my interior walls, ones from the past that never drifted far away: Loser. Mess. Failure. They are signs nailed overhead, nailed through me, naming me. The stars are blinking out. Funny, this. Yesterday morning, the morning before, all these mornings, I wake to the discontent of life in my skin. I wake to self-hatred. To the wrestle to get it all done, the relentless anxiety that I am failing. Always, the failing. I yell at children, fester with bitterness, forget doctor appointments, lose library books, live selfishly, skip prayer, complain, go to bed too late, neglect cleaning the toilets. I live tired. Afraid. Anxious. Weary. Years, I feel it in the veins, the pulsing of ruptured hopes. Would I ever be enough, find enough, do enough?"
I could feel my head nodding. Me too, Ann-Ann without the fanciful 'e', as she puts it. We share a name with or without an 'e', and we share pain. But, we both know that Ann(e) means "grace" and who better to show me how to live His grace, to accept His grace, to deeply live His grace, than a kindred Ann(e).
And I haven't gotten very far in the book. This morning, two days after receiving it, I open the book that I thought I would finish before leaving the basketball game and find that I am only on page forty-seven where she shares her story about how writing her list of One Thousand Gifts makes her feel happy. She says:
"Long, I am woman who speaks but one language, the language of the fall-discontentment and self-condemnation, the critical eye and the never satisfied...Well, if all these were gifts that God gives-then wasn't my writing down the list like...receiving. Like taking with thanks. Wait. 'And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them...' Gave thanks. This crazy-dare gift list-it's language lessons in eucharisteo! For real: But eucharisteo-it's the word Jesus whispered when death prowled close and His anguish trickled down bloody. He took the bread, even the bread of death, and gave thanks. I look down at my list. This thanks that I am doing-it seems so...crude. Trivial. If this list is the language of eucharisteo-this feels like...guttural groanings. But perhaps the "full of grace" vocabulary begins hauntingly, simply, like a child, thankful for the childlike. But doesn't the kingdom of heaven belong to such as these?"
I thought that I would pick up Ann's One Thousand Gifts and not put it down until I had devoured every last word along with my sandwich. The sandwich is long digested, but the book is going to take me forever to read through-each page gives me so much to consider, to contemplate. This book is taking me deeper into who God means for me to be. Thank you, Ann, without the fanciful 'e' for sharing your lessons with me, with everyone, and for carrying us along with you in your quest for gratitude.
It's time for me to really start my list...
1. rebellious son who wakes and finds me here typing, holds me long with his stretched out arms and whispers love, then asks "What time will you take me to confession?"
2. husband chef, who makes delicious sandwiches that nourish with love
3. kneeling low at a Holy Hour for life before an elaborate golden monstrance that houses the Author of life, and words from transitional deacon Christopher Klusman spoken in that glorious American Sign Language reminding all of their beauty that comes from the One who formed us fearfully, wonderfully, and I believe him, I believe that I am beautiful
4. words-words that drift from my mind through this keyboard and are shared with everyone on this blog, and with a few in intimate email messages, words of mine and words of others that have healing properties, words spilled out from me and words graciously meant for me, given to me by others, words that give love
5. women like Ann Voskamp who bravely share their pain and their searching for His grace so that I may learn how to find His grace as well
Thank you, Ann, for One Thousand Gifts!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
But they're the only times I've ever known
And I believe there is a time for meditation
In cathedrals of our own
Now I have seen that sad surrender in my lovers' eyes
I can only stand apart and sympathize
For we are always what our situations hand us
It's either sadness or euphoria"
Billy Joel- Summer, Highland Falls
How disappointing it is to work so hard for something only to see it slip through your fingers and escape your grasp. We've been getting a bit of snow here lately and my children were desperately wanting a snow day. An interesting story began to spread around the school and was inevitably acted out in our home. It was told that if they wore their pajamas backwards and inside out, placed a white crayon in the freezer, flushed an ice cube down the toilet and placed a spoon under their pillow before going to bed for the night, school would be canceled the next day due to excessive snow.
Can you imagine the excitement in my home when my two youngest heard this tale and decided to follow the directions? What great hope they held that they might be able to sleep in and avoid school the following day! But, when daybreak arrived and all of the snow had been shoveled and plowed away, the looks of disappointment on their faces made me want to cry right along with them!
Spoon Under My Pillow
For don't we all know
that deep disappointment,
that crushing of dreams, the letting go of our desires?
We want so badly to have control
of our little lives, but God
always sends surprises and we must humbly accept
And we find a place of comfort
deep within our hearts
where we can release our sorrow if only for a moment
We fall to our knees
bury our brokenness in our hands
and release the tears until numbness takes their place
But somehow we must hold on
to the hope that tomorrow offers
believing that God will carry us through to a new day
And so we place a spoon under our pillow,
a relic in our palm, a seed within the garden
and faithfully carry on
We trudge on through the snow
we pray and work our normal day
believing that tomorrow new joys will come our way
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Having just come from Tiffany's blog, Family at the Foot of the Cross, I find that I have been deeply moved by her story of a recent experience at Adoration where she witnessed a woman who was clearly in a deep love relationship with the Lord, and I feel that my whole perspective on my relationship with the Lord has been challenged.
Whenever I go to Adoration or attend a group Holy Hour or daily Mass, I always sit in the back (unless I'm the lector.) I guess it's my way of saying I'm not worthy to come closer and I also enjoy being able to see all of the other people who are there, drawing a feeling of loving community from them, realizing that we are all there to offer praise and worship to the Lord. I'd been in the habit of looking at all of the people gathered as one, and I always ask God to please hear all of our prayers, not simply my own.
But, maybe I've got it wrong-maybe I should be right in front, as close as I can get. Perhaps God is calling me to come closer in prayer and not let all of the other people distract me from Him. Maybe for the short time that I spend in worship at Church and at Adoration Chapels, He wants me all for Himself and wants me to feel His love as a gift for me alone. Could it be that through that hour of close and loving rest near His Eucharistic Heart, I will be strengthened to carry on with all of the responsibilities for which He has commissioned me?
O Lord, draw me close to you. Let me inside of Your Most Sacred Heart, where love and peace abound. Give me the courage and the strength to carry on Your will for me in this world of temptation and pain. Keep me forever within Your love. Amen.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Why is it so hard to remember? Like a child with attention deficit disorder, His lessons go through me and disappear. I need reminders-and they always include pain.
A rebuke from my supervisor.
An argument with my son.
A little word of restraint from a friend.
I wince when I learn once again that this life is meant to include sorrow, that this journey to the perfection of heaven means that I am not perfect yet, but must continue to work towards that ideal.
And then He brings me to silence. Bowed before Him in adoration, watching the blood spill from His side, wanting so much to stop it, to cup it in my hands, to hold it forever...but it drips right through my fingers.
He wants me to stay small and to give my love to others over and over again, even when I grow weary and would rather not put any effort into loving. Like His blood that keeps on flowing, my love is meant to continuously be given to others, not pridefully kept to myself.
Humble love...grown in the silence that follows hurt pride and embarrassment...requiring restraint of tongue and abandonment of self...it's His gift to me; the one thing that I can hold on to forever, if I will only remember...
“At some ideas you stand perplexed, especially at the sight of human sins, uncertain whether to combat it by force or by humble love. Always decide, ‘I will combat it with humble love,’ If you make up your mind about that once and for all, you can conquer the whole world. Loving humility is a terrible force; it is the strongest of all things and there is nothing like it.” — Fyodor Dostoyevski
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Sitting at Mass today, looking around at those who were sitting in the pews surrounding me, I was swept over by a warm feeling, a peaceful feeling like I hadn't known for a long time.
I realized that all of the other people present at Mass are beloved by God, just as much as His own Son is beloved by Him, and I offered a prayer of Thanksgiving for these beautiful people whose only desire is to draw closer to His loving heart and to carry a bit of that love in their own hearts throughout the coming week.
I thank you, God, for:
~the man who was sitting in front of me with his three children, the man who has given so much of himself to teach Christian formation to the children of our parish for so many years, as he bowed his head into his hands and wept while we listened to a recording from Archbishop Listecki explaining how the recent announcement that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy can be a sign of hope for us all.
~for our Deaf community, and our deaf Deacon, gathered week after week in the front rows of church where they can easily see the interpreter, joyfully signing the Mass responses.
~for the little girl with down's syndrome who smiles and hugs everyone around her, easily drawing us all into her joy.
~for the girls on my daughter's basketball team, many of whom were present at Mass today with their families.
~for my long-time friend who was the lector at Mass.
~for the young boy prodigy, not more than ten years old, who is learning to become an organist at Mass, and who plays with so much talent!
~for the entire community present at this Mass, who filled the church as if it were Christmas Day, many of them friends, more of them strangers to me, but all of them beautiful.
~for Fr. Dave, who took this occasion of the Baptism of Our Lord, to remind those who are seeking the Sacrament for their children, of the lifelong responsibility that Baptism requires of parents.
~for my son, John, who had attended Mass on his own the evening before because he is working on weekends, and for my son, Jack, who stayed home from Mass because he is sick with the flu. Both of my sons suffered in missing this Mass, Jack, simply because he was ill, and would much rather have been at Mass, and John, because he so enjoys lectoring, cantoring and singing with the choir at Mass and now, because of his job, those opportunities of service are much more limited.
~for my loving and wonderful husband, who is always by my side at Mass, worshiping the Lord with my children and I, setting the example of how a beloved child of God is to return to our Father all of our gifts at the weekly hour of worship.
Thank you, Lord, for blessing us all with peace. Amen.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
not by water alone, but by water and Blood." 1 John 5:6
Have you read Consoling the Heart of Jesus by Fr. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, yet? It’s a wonderful book, a retreat that can be completed in a weekend for the purpose of comforting Jesus who continues to suffer from our sinful natures and our rejection of the love He offers to us. The entire book was wonderful with many references to St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Faustina. I found myself profoundly moved by Fr. Gaitley’s suggested breathing prayer. There are three parts to the prayer: holding a breathless moment, the inhale, and the exhale.
After releasing an exhale but before inhaling once again, he suggests that we hold that breathless moment, recognizing that here, in this empty space, we are weak and in need of God’s mercy. At this moment the prayer is Ecce-“behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord” and we offer ourselves just as we are.
While inhaling, the prayer is Fiat. We tell God “yes, let it be done to me” and a flood of merciful love flows into our hearts.
Finally, upon exhaling, we pray Magnificat and let our soul magnify the Lord. We offer praise to God for all of the good things that He has done for us. (This part reminds me of St. Bernard’s Four Degrees of Love-the second degree-Love of God for self’s sake.)
According to Fr. Gaitley, this entire prayer is an act of trust, and can become a spiritual communion. “It becomes one if we make it our intention when we inhale to receive God’s rejected merciful love into our emptiness. It’s especially like receiving Sacramental communion if we imagine that the merciful love we inhale is coming down from the pierced side of Christ as blood and water.”
ECCE, FIAT, MAGNIFICAT-Lord, let me breathe in Your merciful love, fill my emptiness with a flood of Your blood and water and allow me to console You and praise You for all that You have done for me. Amen.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Today I learned that the Latin root word for courage is 'cor' or heart, and I think of the young girl who was told to rest her head upon His breast, to take His heart for her own. While adoring our Lord in the exposed Eucharist, He came. He showed His heart to her and asked her to spread devotion and love to Him through His Sacred Heart, pierced for our sins and on fire with love for all. He gave her a special friend, Fr. Claude de la Columbierre, SJ, to be her spiritual director and to help her promote this devotion. And reflecting upon the experience that St. Margaret Mary had with our Blessed Savior, I am inspired to take heart in my own life.
I've had a few rough weeks at work recently that included some difficulty getting along with co-workers resulting in misunderstandings, humiliating treatment from my supervisor, and the need to own up to my own sinfulness and mistakes that contributed to those problems. On top of that, the kids have been bringing home more than the usual difficulties from their schooldays like excessive projects that require the purchase of seasonal items that are hard to find at this time of year and their own misunderstandings with their teachers.
But God; God knows what to do to ease my worries and sufferings. He shows me that it's important to 'take heart' through the trials at work, because the clients that I serve, well, they really need and benefit from the WIC program and I so enjoy serving God by listening to the concerns and worries of these young mothers and by showing them a little compassion and care to help them meet the burdens of raising their families in poverty. And just when things seem black and ugly and I begin to wonder if I would be better off searching for a new job, He sends me some very special women who share their gratitude for the WIC program with me and my heart melts, and I remember the passion I have for my work, and begin to forget about the behind-the-scenes stress.
And then, as if He feels that He needs to prove His love to me beyond the visits from grateful women at work, He gives me a tangible sign, something that I can always hold on to when the going gets rough, something that will easily cause me to "take heart."
During the past year, I have been developing a particularly DEEP devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Last June, during the month of the Feast of the Sacred Heart, I began a Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and on the second day of the Novena, I was blessed to find a red piece of sea glass that looks just like a heart with a gash in the side where sword of steel pierced the heart of my Lord. In gratitude for this precious sign, my family and I enthroned our home and consecrated ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus with the help of a very special priest. I feel that Jesus' heart, throbbing with love, letting drops of precious blood fall with every pulsing beat for me, blood that saves me from my sinful nature and purifies me-slowly, steadily, unceasingly-is forever united to my own, and He uses his Sacred Heart to give me rest and to keep me close to Him by guiding me to others who also have a DEEP devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
So, when God united me in friendship with Fr. Jim Kubicki, SJ, it was no mere coincidence. I believe that God meant to bring Fr. Jim into my life because He knew that this was a man whose own heart beat in constant love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and all of the mysteries and beauty contained within that lovely vessel stabbed through to the very center and crowned, not with gemstones, but with sharp, prickling thorns. Jesus knew that Fr. Jim would encourage and nurture my devotion to His Sacred Heart, and through him and his kind and gentle words and beautiful loving actions, I would delve ever more DEEPLY into the world of love contained within His Most Sacred Heart. Recently I had shared a beautiful story with him from the blog Evlogia about a relic of the Holy Innocents. I told him that I wish that I had a relic of a special saint that would look over me with love and care, someone that I could turn to in times of need and look up to as a role model in faith.
Today my sisters and I spent some time helping at the Apostleship of Prayer's monthly volunteer day. After Mass and a pleasant morning spent working and visiting with the other volunteers, Fr. Jim, who is the National Director of the Apostleship of Prayer, told me that he had something very special for me. It was a relic of St. Margaret Mary, the very saint to whom Jesus entrusted His Most Sacred Heart devotions! He said that he was so happy to share the relic with me because of my own devotion to the Sacred Heart and because he felt that with this relic, St. Margaret Mary would help me to fall DEEPER into love with Jesus, to move DEEPER in hope and joy and faith to the very heart of God. At the very moment when Fr. Jim placed the relic in my hands, I felt a shift in my own heart, a DEEPENING, an awareness of the presence and love of God like I had never known before.
With this gift, I take courage; I take heart, and feel as though I have spent time resting on His breast just like St. Margaret Mary did. I am renewed and I know that with the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I do not need to fear trials at work or difficulties with my children and their education; I know that His perfect love will cast out all of my fears and together both Jesus and I will strengthen our wounded hearts until the day when we are permanently united in heaven with hearts that beat in unison for all of eternity.
"From the DEPTH of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power. Amen." - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Giving love to God through gratitude becomes my gift for the infant Jesus, my offering to lay at the foot of His crib. Ann Voskamp at Holy Experience has the right idea; she's been keeping a gratitude list for the past few years and is now counting praise in the thousands! Here's my latest contribution of thanksgiving to God for the blessings in my life, the things that cause me to love God for my own sake, as I work toward St. Bernard's Third Degree of Love: Love of God for God's Sake.
Today I am grateful for:
My faith-Catholicism; full of wonder, mystery, traditions, beauty, suffering, joy and romance with God-this is my greatest treasure.
While teaching my daughter the family tradition of making Czechoslovakian kolaches, hands working dough and hearts feeling love, she sweetly professed a desire to be just like me. Had she said this a year ago, I would have smiled and thanked her, but inside I would have prayed that she would grow to be anything but just like her mother; why would I wish a life of pain and depression for her? But this time, I truly was grateful for her loving comment, and thought, yes, I do hope that she grows to be like me in many ways, and can already see so much of myself in her-the good things and even some of the not-so-good, but I know that regardless of what type of adult she grows to be, she will always be in God's loving hands and all will be well.
On the last day before the air warmed and the snow melted in our area, I took my children and my great-nieces sledding at our favorite hill. What fun! Wind blowing past my face, weaving and whipping down the slope, screaming and laughing all the way down; it is my favorite childhood joy that I never tire of re-living.
Midnight hooting and hollering from the boys as they arrive home from a victorious Buck's basketball game with Dad; even though their voices woke me from my sleep, it was such a lovely sound to hear them all having fun together.
Watching my daughter happily playing in her first basketball game with Dad as her coach, and the joy of seeing her score two points...for the other team!!! And the greater joy of her upbeat attitude about her mistake.
For the fun of fortune cookies! My favorite ever fortune: "You are domestically inclined and will be happily married."
I am so blessed with a wonderful co-worker and friend, Melissa, who lets me share all of my faith stories and struggles, even though we don't share the same faith-she is a spiritual friend whom I can always count on when I need to speak of God and His works in my life.
It was such a lovely way to use our family heirloom Nativity Set from my childhood and leaves much gentler wear on the pieces than the way I used to use it as a child, which was throwing the pieces at my brother when I'd get angry! Kidding, of course! It was my brother who threw the pieces at me! No!!! :) But I don't know how else to explain all of those nicks and cracks and glued together pieces. I guess this set has just been well-loved through the years!
And, something about my broken-down manger feels right, after all, when Jesus was born in the stable, I'm sure it wasn't perfect; clean, fresh, and bright with all brand-new animals and farming implements-no; surely it was filled with some old and sick animals, a tired and worn down shepherd, tools that were worn and well-used, and a manger in which many animals guzzled their food. I think my worn down stable fits more closely with the actual scene that must have occurred that long-ago night in Bethlehem.
But wait! Who's that adoring Jesus in my manger? Oh! It's Archbishop Dolan! Well, he certainly gives those worn-down and broken manger pieces much more class, doesn't he? His picture of adoration on his card is so lovely and I decided to frame it so that all year I will be reminded of our need to adore the Holy Child.
(The trick here is the lovely Christmas Card that he sent to my family, tucked into our scene.)
And today, I am most grateful for the HOLY NAME OF JESUS-the name of which I never tire of saying or hearing, the name that brings more joy to my heart than any other, the name I vow to take deep into my soul until He spreads and grows and flows out from my soul to the world around me and my entire life will be deeply surrounded by His Holy Name-Jesus!
Won't you join in praising God with your own list of gratitude; your reminder of all those things for which you Love God for Self's Sake?
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Sexual Immorality? Living All Out for JesusAdrian Holloway on May 3, 2009 with 0 Comments
1 Thessalonians 4 1-8 – Preaching from ChristChurch London’s Sunday Service
Our text in 1 Thessalonians today is mainly about sexual immorality. So today, I will be talking about what sexual immorality is, and how we can avoid it.
And I just want to say, please bear with me, because on this subject, we are all coming at it from different backgrounds, and I want to try and take everyone with me in this talk.
Let’s start with what is probably the largest group:
It could be that at least half of you here today, have been brought up in a Bible believing home. If so, as a teenager, you were probably part of a church youth group, and maybe your youth leader asked: “what’s the number 1 question, you’d want answered?” and the number 1 question was “how far can you go?” In other words, “I have a girlfriend, how far can I go with her physically before it’s wrong.”
And so maybe your youth leader did a “sex talk” or to be more accurate, a “no sex talk.” And after a biblical pre-amble, he or she eventually said: “If you’re asking ‘how far can you go?’ You’re asking the wrong question.” And teenagers generally find that very frustrating because they still want to know the answer. Youth leader continues: “You’re asking the wrong question, because your motivation is all wrong, you’re basically saying how close to the wind can I sail without getting busted?”
Or maybe you were sitting on the carpet at Soul Survivor, or at Solid Rock at Stoneleigh Bible Week, listening to the annual “no sex talk” there, and at the end, the speaker gave the following guidelines in terms of ‘how far can you go?’ They said: “When boys and girls go swimming, they wear swimsuits. And that’s a helpful guideline. In other words, if you’re a boy, don’t put your hands on the parts of her body where a girl would wear a swim suit. Girls don’t put your hands where a boy wears his swim suit.”
Now even if, since then you’ve strayed from those guidelines, the fact that you’ve tried to live inside guidelines, makes you very different from someone here today who is say, 30 years old and you’ve never heard any of this before. You’re totally new to Church and Christianity, and the whole idea of not having any sex before you are married sounds all very noble and courageous, but it’s just doesn’t sound very realistic. Hearing a talk on total abstinence, is a bit like hearing a talk about how great it is to swim the English Channel from Dover to Calais. Channel swimming is a very heroic idea, and we all know that some very worthy and earnest people do it, but quite honestly, it’s got a pretty limited appeal.
Now in this passage, the Bible warns us very strongly against having sex outside marriage, but if I preach that, and I will, with the urgency it deserves, then there are others of us, who could spend this whole message feeling like damaged goods, because all you’re thinking is: “It’s too late. With the best will in the world, Adrian, I can’t undo the past. I can cry a thousand tears if you like. I can carry a bolder up a mountain if you want as a penance. But shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted isn’t going to change anything. Adrian, I understand that you have to preach what’s in the Bible, but you are 2, 10 or 15 years too late.”
Hey, I get that. I understand. Don’t worry. There’s very very good news coming your way.
So I want to show sensitivity to all of you, whoever you are, whatever your past has been, while at the same time, being faithful to this text.
Question: “I’m married already – do I get any air time in this sermon? You’re asking: “I’m married, am I capable of sexual immorality? Answer: Yes you are! Don’t worry, towards the end of this talk, you marrieds get a whole section.
OK Paul says:
Title: Living all out for Jesus
1Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4that each of you should learn to control his own body (a) in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8)
Footnote: Verse 4 (a) = Or learn to live with his own wife; or learn to acquire a wife
And I’ve tried to summarize these 8 verses in one sentence. A sentence which has 3 clauses, and they will serve as our three points. And here’s the sentence . . .
In this passage Paul talks about:
1. Living to please God (1-2)
2. By being sexually pure (3-5)
3. And if you don’t there will be terrible consequences (6-8)
So let’s look at firstly living to please God.
In the previous 3 chapters, Paul has given us loads of reasons why we want to live in a way that is pleasing to God. The first three chapters have been good news about what God has done for us. Now, he’s saying, because of how kind God has been to us in Jesus Christ, we want to live in a way that pleases God.
1. Living to please God (vs 1-2)
1Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
Verse two: “For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.” In other words this is not a moral code that Paul is imposing on you as a human opinion, no these instructions came to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
What are these instructions? Verse 3
2. By being sexually pure (vs 3-5)
3It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4that each of you should learn to control his own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;
It is God’s will that you should avoid sexual immorality. The Greek word for sexual immorality in verse 3 is “porneia”. NIV translates it as “sexual immorality.” Older translations say: “you should abstain from fornication.” What’s that? Fornication is sex before marriage, as opposed to adultery, which is sex during marriage, although not with the person you’re married to.
However, the way that the Bible writers use the term porneia, is that they use it like a bucket term and chuck into it all kinds of other sexual sins as well. So it’s not only fornication. Porneia is like a junk drawer at the bottom of a wardrobe, and the bible writers chuck into the porneia drawer lots of other extra-marital sexual activity, so sexual immorality is a good translation of porneia when it’s being used in that broad sense.
Question:“Why are Christians so pre-occupied with sex before marriage?”
OK, myth number 1 is that Christians are against sex, or they are all about making people feel guilty about sex, and Christians probably have less sex, or at the very least they are hung up about sex. Lies! Lies! Lies!
I can show you the surveys, Christians have better sex, they have a healthier view of sex. There is tons of independent research on this stuff.
Sex is a gift. God invented sex. He didn’t have to make it as pleasurable as it is, but he did, because he’s a good God, and he wants to give good gifts to you. Sex is a clue that God is good.
But the Bible’s hung up about sex! More lies!
There’s a whole book of the Bible that is a celebration of sex. In the Song of Solomon – there’s a focus on enjoying sex, and how to enjoy sex. In the Song of Solomon, there is no mention of kids.
Someone says: “No way, sex in the bible for enjoyment, not just as a way of making babies?”
Exactly, here’s verse 1 of Song of Solomon:
The woman says: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.” That’s the start. That’s Chapter 1, verse 1. The book starts with kissing and it goes on from there. You need to read it.
So God created man and woman and it was very good, and he creates marriage, which is also very good. Jesus said:
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Matthew 19:56 quoting Genesis 2:24)
The bible doesn’t have a low view of sex. The bible has a high view of marriage. Marriage is like God’s visual aid to show the world how great Jesus is. Jesus is a loving husband, who marries the church, his bride. That’s Ephesians 5. A great Christian marriage is like a demonstration of how wonderful a bridegroom Jesus really is.
So when you have sex outside marriage you are distorting that beautiful picture of Jesus in perfect union with his church.
So sex outside marriage is a serious distortion. When Jesus talks about porneia, Jesus says in Matthew 5 that not only is all sex outside marriage totally off limits, Jesus goes further and says that if you even look at a woman that you’re not married to lustfully, that you’ve already committed adultery with her in your heart. And just in case we didn’t get that, Jesus adds, “it’s better to gouge out your own eyes than to sin in that way. It’s a figure of speech, but it really drives the point home, don’t you think. “It’s better to get a knife and . . .”
So do you get the picture? God is all for sex. “It’s not what you do, it’s who you do it with that matters.
Sex itself is beautiful. It’s like fire.
Imagine a wonderful honeymoon first night. You drive miles from your wedding reception. Park up at this very romantic log cabin by the side of the lake. No-one else is there. It’s just the two of you. There is no heating in this log cabin apart from the real fire. And that night you build and light the fire, and it burns and it brings light to the whole house. It warms you, it’s powerful, it’s beautiful. Fire in an appropriate environment, wonderful. Take the fire out of the fire-place – trouble! Log cabin on fire, trouble. Forest on fire, trouble! It’s the same with sex. Inside marriage, wonderful, outside marriage – trouble!
Because Jesus says in Matthew 19, that when you have sex you become one flesh. One flesh? What does that mean? It means literally that you are glued together. It is not just a physical and biological union that takes place, but it is also an emotional, psychological, and spiritual union that takes place.
A sociologist says: “No, I disagree. If a man has sex with a prostitute, for example, he doesn’t care about her. She doesn’t care about him. It’s only an act.” The Bible disagrees. Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 6, that if you have sex with a prostitute, you become one flesh, with the prostitute. If you become one flesh with a prostitute who you don’t care about, then you’re definitely going to become one flesh with a girlfriend or boyfriend that you do care about.
But why would a loving God deny us something that is so good?
Jesus answer: ask any loving parent. Loving parents are constantly denying their children things. Why? Because they hate their children? No, because they love them and want the best for them.
If you do have sex before marriage in Britain you are 60 per cent more likely to get divorced. And not just divorced, divorced within 8 years. Is that like a Christian survey? No, it’s from the Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, it’s from the Office of Public Sector Information.
God wants us to avoid the 60 per cent more likely chance of getting divorced within 8 years. God wants the best for you. He doesn’t want you to get hurt, so he says, keep the fire in the fire place, and that way, no-one gets burned.
We’ve skipped verse 5 on purpose so we can come back to it later.
So, God says sex is for marriage so that you don’t get hurt, and also verse 6 so that others don’t get hurt.
3. And if you don’t there will be terrible consequences (6-8)
6and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
Verse 6 “In this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.” Myth number 2: It’s just between the two of us! NO! It’s not, there’s a really good chance that there are 4 people involved. There are a total of 4 people who are going to suffer damage here. One is you, two is your girlfriend, 3 is her future husband, (who incidentally you may already know, he’s not just some nameless face in the future, he could be a friend of yours) and 4 is your future wife. What am I saying? If you are getting involved physically in any way with someone you’re not married to, remember there’s a really good chance both of you are going to marry someone else.
Paul says: You are wronging your brother in Christ, because that woman may well end up being his wife not yours. And you’re taking advantage of him, because he’s not around right now. And why isn’t he around right now? I have no idea. Maybe he’s doing secret missionary work in Sudan, or he’s doing Bible translation work in India, but that’s not the point, the point is “get your hands off his future wife.”
OK, now we get some even more serious warnings . . .
The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
OK, let’s just pause for breath and come up for air. How are you doing? This is a hard teaching, isn’t? Before I was married at the age of 29, I found avoiding all forms of sexual immorality really hard, especially the not even looking at a woman lustfully bit. In fact at one point, I remember hearing about how in the First World War they gave the soldiers bromide biscuits, so that the soldiers sexual appetite was dulled by the bromine. I remember thinking, “Man, I need to get hold of those biscuits.” I literally remember thinking, how can I order some? You know what, I never did get hold of those biscuits, but after many failures, I did find a path towards personal purity, and I found it, funnily enough in the bible, and not in a biscuit tin.
So here’s what I found in the bible about how we can avoid sexual immorality:
1. Discover who you are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Now you are a Christian, you have a new power within you that wasn’t there before. The Devil is desperately trying to stop you believing that.
Because although living a sexually pure life with a sexually pure mind might seem impossible, actually it’s not.
It just seems impossible. Because it seems as tough as someone saying to you: “Sit down and write a play that is as brilliant as Hamlet or King Lear.”
If someone asked you to do that, you’d reply, “there’s no way, I could never manage that. It’s beyond me.” But if the spirit of Shakespeare came to live in you, then you could. With Shakespeare living inside you, you could write something comparable to Hamlet or King Lear.
It’s the same when you’re set the task of living a Godly life. When you look at the task, when you’re reading Matthew 5 about the lust of the eyes for example, it seems impossible, but now that you’ve got the Spirit of God is living inside you, it is possible.
Believing that is step one.
2. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2)
Here the key is replacement, not removal alone. You’ll never win the victory just by thinking: “I’m not going to think about XYZ. I’m not going to think about XYZ.” No chance of success.
The Scottish puritan Thomas Chalmers preached a sermon entitled: “The expulsive power of a new affection.”
If you want to kill a sinful desire within you, you’re going to have to replace it with a stronger desire. The goal is not to kill passion, but to have passion for the right things.
If you have a passion for something sinful, the way to stop feeding that passion, is to feed a different passion, to the extent that the different passion becomes the dominant passion. So that eventually you satisfy your thirst for joy and release in God through what John Piper calls Christian hedonism. That’s how you start winning in this area. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then I strongly recommend two books, Desiring God, and The Pleasures of God, both by John Piper.
Desiring God (Meditations of a Christian hedonist) – by John Piper
The Pleasures of God – by John Piper
If you ask me: How do I develop an overwhelming passion for God? I could just give you a list of spiritual disciplines couldn’t I? Read the bible for this long each day, and start with this passage. Pray for this long, and use these words. Do this. Don’t do that. I mean, coming up with a list of personal disciplines, that’s easy, but the disciplines are meaningless unless you’re first motivated to do them.
You have first got to be deeply persuaded that God invented pleasure and that he wants you to experience pleasure more than anyone else. That is part of Christian hedonism.
The problem is that the World, the flesh and the Devil will tell you that if you live all out for Jesus, you will end up having less pleasure, less fulfilment, less joy and you’ll be less happy. So you have got to be totally convinced that that is a lie, and that a Godward life is more pleasurable than anything else. That’s why I encourage you to read Desiring God and the Pleasures of God. Once you’re convinced that living all out for Jesus is the super-highway to maximum pleasure, then spiritual disciplines can become a joy and not a drudgery.
It starts with the renewal of the mind. Can I encourage you . . . don’t give in to self-pity. Very often Christians give in to sexual temptation when we are feeling sorry for ourselves. I have discovered that the powers of self-pity are very very great. And the antidote to self-pity is enjoying God.
So fight the power of sexual temptation by feeding a positive addiction in your life. Resist all enslavements, but one. Build a magnificent obsession for the Glory of God, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
3.Don’t feed your sin, kill it. (Colossians 3:5-8)
Put to death whatever belongs to the sinful nature. There is a new power within you, by which you can put sin to death. Don’t manage your sin, put it to death. Sin is an enemy. It separates you from God and the life he wants you to live. Dig out the root. And if the root is your high speed internet connection, dig it out. Literally. Take action. If you can’t be trusted with your laptop, give it to someone who can.
Flee from sexual immorality. 1 Cor 6:18. He who sins sexually, sins against his own body. All sin is equal James says, but sexual sin, Paul says has more damaging implications. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you? Your body is not your own if you’re a Christian. Your body now belongs to Jesus.
So run away from sexual immorality. Don’t put yourself in any situation, where within 3 or 4 steps time, things could escalate to the extent that you fall off the cliff.
Don’t indulge in the well-known Christian sport of brinkmanship. This is where you run as fast as possible towards the edge of a cliff, and then just as you’re about to fall off the edge and die, instead you pull away at the last minute, and instead run all along the edge of the cliff for two hours. At any moment you could trip up and fall off, but you don’t fall off. As if God is going to say, “Well done! That was impressive, that was the closest anyone has ever come to sinning, without actually sinning.”
If you’re that close to the edge of the cliff often enough, guess what . . . some day soon, you’re going to trip up, fall 200 feet and crash.
But what’s crazy is that even though we know this, we dice with danger again and again. Loads of Christians decide what their boundary lines are, and then live so close to the danger, that something is almost bound to go wrong. You’re like a matador, who gets as close as possible to the bull without actually dying. But here’s the news . . .You’re not a matador. In fact, you are one of the 99.9 per cent of people, who if you put them into a ring with a raging bull, will get trampled to death by the bull. Yes it’s true there are about 200 people alive today who can get into a ring with a bull and not get hurt, but they all live in Spain, and you are not one of them. If you go in the ring with a raging bull, there’s a 99.9 per cent chance of disaster.
Yeah, but Adrian, I don’t know if what I’m doing is a sin or not? I feel like it’s kind of borderline, or a grey area?
Well here’s how to find out if you’re OK, are you, verse 4, controlling your own body in a way which is holy and honorable, and not (verse 5) in passionate lust like the heathen who do not know God?
Would you do it if Jesus was there with you?
No, I guess not.
Well in that case, don’t do it, because Jesus is there!
That’s 1 Corinthians 6. Your body is a now a part of Jesus body. When you’re doing it, or thinking it, you are taking Jesus with you. He is there, when you’re doing what you shouldn’t be doing.
Two single Christians alone. Imagine Jesus on the sofa with you. Is he cool with what you’re doing?
I don’t know? I genuinely don’t know.
OK, then ask the other person out loud . . .
“Hey, do you think Jesus is cool, with what we’re doing?”
“But that would kill everything.”
“Exactly. That’s why I said it.”
What about if there’s no-one there, and I’m on my own?
OK, we have now reached the inevitable moment in the talk when I say the word masterbation. What about masterbation, surely that is OK? I mean there’s no one else involved! Yes, that’s true, as long as we remember that Jesus is still there.
I mean, the Bible says, do all things to the glory of God. Can you masterbate to the glory of God? Masterbation is not the worst thing in the world by any means, but it’s almost always accompanied by sexual fantasies, that you would never allow yourself to act out in real life. Can you really do it and flee lustful thoughts at the same time? Can you really do it to the glory of God?
Question: But Adrian, everyone masterbates!
Answer: Well, I’ve never masterbated, so I don’t know.
I do know that Romans 13:14 says “Make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.”
This may mean that you want to impose on yourself personal disciplines, which you don’t impose on anyone else. I do this. There are parts of my life where I am weak, so I need to take some steps.
So I set up some boundaries that stop me short of the edge of the cliff. They keep me about 2 miles from the edge of the cliff, so that I’m not in danger.
What are they? OK, a lot of them are bloke things,
1. I don’t watch 15 rated films, let alone 18 rated films. If I watch a film it’s 12 rated or under. I have watched Saving Private Ryan, and a few war films, but apart from that, I don’t watch 15s or 18s because there is a chance that there’ll be some sexual content in there that is not part of God’s best plan for my life.
Q. Doesn’t that mean that you miss out on a lot of really good films?
A. Yes, I’m sure it does. But I figure that if God really wants me to watch them, then he’ll make sure I watch them in heaven, and so I won’t miss out overall.
2. I never ever type a woman’s name in google.
Question: Adrian, Have you ever viewed pornography on the internet?
Answer: No, I have never viewed pornography on the internet, but I might.
And because I might, I invent rules for myself.
3. I have somebody ask me questions. He does accountability with me. We meet up. It’s in my diary. And here’s something that is crucial. I do not do accountability with him. Because if I am struggling in an area, and I know he is too, that ruins everything. We would just commiserate with each other about how hard it is to live a holy life. That is not what I’m looking for. I just want from him biblical standards, and wise advice. But if you can’t find one-way accountability, then mutual accountability is 100 times better than no accountability. Julia would be motivated more by mutual accountability. Great. Fine. It must be a man thing.
Question: I still want to know how far you can go?
Answer: I told you at the start with the swimsuit thing.
Follow up question: Before you were married, you had some sort of period of courtship and engagement with Julia?
Question: Did you kiss her?
Answer: Yes. But I couldn’t handle it, so we stopped. I was too close to the edge of the cliff. So we moved the boundary back another mile and for most of the time, before we were married, we didn’t kiss, because of my own vulnerability. OK, so I’m just trying to share my weakness with you, because I have not got it all together.
Q. So for most of the time, you sort of held hands and had the odd cuddle and that was it?
Q. So is that the Christ Church line?
A. No, that is Adrian Holloway’s weakness. Listen, legalism is when I put my own personal legalisms on you, and add to scripture, so that you feel condemned. You need to go away and ask yourself, as I’m doing this borderline thing, “am I fleeing, running away from sexual immorality?” Can I do A,B, or C to the glory of God? And then you come up with your own boundaries, which keep you two miles away from sin.
I don’t know what steps you need to take. “I need to move out of this flat, really soon. I will not be joining you tonight after all. I won’t be staying over as planned, I would like to cancel my subscription.” I don’t know.
4. Bathe your mind in the word of God and then pray to your sympathetic high priest. (Hebrews 4:14-15)
Wash your mind in truth, and then pray that truth in. Here’s the good news. Jesus is alive and he hears and answers prayer. Jesus won’t say: “You’re what. You’re tempted. I’m surprised at you. I expected something better from you.” Jesus will not say that because he is a sympathetic high priest who has himself been tempted in every way just as you are, yet without sin (Heb 4:14-15). Jesus was tempted to sin sexually. He understands, so go to him.
Don’t despair, because Jesus is on your side, in fact he’s on your inside and the bible says every time you’re tempted, Jesus will provide for you a way of escape.
It is not a sin to be tempted. The Devil cannot make you sin. It is possible to avoid any and every sin. Only you can sin. The Devil cannot make you sin.
5. Ask yourself a) Do I have the gift of singleness? And if not, b) what would I have to do to make myself ready for Christian marriage? (1 Corinthians 7: 1 – 40)
Paul says that in 1 Corinthians 7 that it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Ninety Three per cent of you will get married.
Generally speaking when it comes to marriage, men tend to do the proposing.
My understanding of 1 Corinthians chapter 7 is that Paul puts men into two teams. I’m going to call them the red team and the blue team. The red team are single men, who are ready to get married. If you’re on the red team, all you need to do is find a Christian woman who will marry you. ‘What if I ask someone out, and we go out but we don’t get married?’ No problem, if you’re on the red team and you ask someone out, and it doesn’t work out for whatever reason, you’ve done nothing wrong. Your intentions were honourable. If you’re on the red team, red for ready, there’s no shame, no problem. Dust yourself down, pray, and ask someone else out.
Blue team, different story. The Blue team are men who are not ready to get married yet, because you do not have your act together. You have not addressed your issues. And you should not ask any Christian woman out if you are not ready to proceed to marriage, because once you’ve been going out for a while, she is going to find it very confusing. ‘Where is this going? What are we doing? What exactly is the plan here?’ If you’re on the blue team, and you want to do yourself a favour and take the pressure off, just tell two people before you leave church today that you are ‘not looking to go out with anyone at the moment.’
Two people? Is that enough?
Don’t worry. Two is masses. Within 15 minutes everyone will know.
So Blue team. Pressure is off. Go away, sort out your issues. Take responsibility for every area of your own life, and then you’ll be mature enough to take responsibility to sacrificially serve someone else. Deal with your selfishness, grow up, and then officially join the red team, red for ready. Then make friends, pray, and ask a Christian woman out.
What if she says no? If she says “no” then when I walk into the theatre on the following Sunday, everyone will look at me and they’ll all be thinking: “Oh there’s that bloke that crashed and burned. To think that he thought.”
No, they’ll admire your courage. They’ll think: “Good on you. You seriously thought you had a chance. I like that kind of confidence. That’s a great attitude. He’ll make a good husband some day.” They’ll admire you, and so will I.
You know I preached on this two and a half years ago, and I literally had red team blokes asking me afterwards, “so you seem to be suggesting that I shouldn’t just be waiting for something to happen? You seem to be saying that I should actually take the initiative and ask someone out on a date?”
“For crying out loud yes.”
Man, within 6 months, I had so many thank you’s for that sermon. I got thank you’s at the weddings. I still get thank you’s now regularly 2 and a half years later.
OK, back to porneia.
The reality is that porneia usually refers to fornication, so that’s got the lion’s share of this sermon, but it can refer to adultery. If fornication for the single Christian is a train wreck, then adultery in Christian marriage is cataclysmic devastation.
How do I avoid sexual immorality once I’m married? Ask your spouse this question: How can I love and serve you?
In what area?
Any area. Every area. Household chores. Your habits. The way you speak. If the details are important to your spouse, the moment he or she said it, it became important to you.
‘But I don’t feel strongly about how often we see her parents?’
If she does, that just became important to you.
Someone says: “But surely the big danger is adultery. That doesn’t start with me not tidying up after myself, or being insensitive.”
Yes it does.
A good marriage is a servant married to a servant. That’s a great Christian marriage. A marriage with problems is a servant married to someone who is selfish. A marriage which is headed for cataclysmic devastation is Mr Selfish married to Mrs Selfish.
You need to take care of one another.
Ask your spouse:
Is there anything in my appearance or habits that I could change?
Is there anything in my character that I should change?
How can I love and serve you?
Almost every week, Julia and I will ask each other, how can I be better?
Someone complains: “My wife doesn’t want to be intimate with me.”
Answer: It’s about context. Actually she probably does want intimacy, but in the context of something else.
In the context of something else? What?
Oh! Yeah, that’s right. I remember. Romance. [pause] How do I do romance?
Answer: You have to study her.
That sounds complicated.
Compared to you, she is complicated. But it’s not that hard, there are certain things that she likes, and the clue is that if you ask her, she’ll tell you.
Man we are out of time, here.
It says in my notes that I should call the band up at this point, but I’d be amazed if there is a song that says, let’s all avoid sexual immorality. So, you may have to improvise, but anyway, perhaps the band could come up and join me?
I’m so glad that Julia and I were able to say to each other on our wedding night, that what I am about to give to you, I have never given to anyone else.
But if it’s too late for you. Here is the amazing thing about Christianity. It’s not too late. Because when you got born again, you became a new person. The old has gone, and the new has come. Behold old things have passed away, and all things have become new. All of us sinned. All of us fell short. Now if we’re Christians, we are all new creations. That’s the miracle of the cross, you are now genuinely as pure in God’s eyes as Jesus is. Let me say this, his sexual purity, the sexual purity of Jesus is now yours.
But maybe, you’re saying: “You don’t understand, I’ve blown it, as a Christian. Is there grace for me?” There’s amazing grace for everyone. Jesus died for all sin, past, present and future. That’s why grace is so amazing. Maybe you blew it last week, last month, last year. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Ministry leading into/praying:
If you’ve blown it, as a Christian:
None of us are in a position to throw the first stone. [Told story of woman caught in the act of adultery.]
The New Testament says that David was a man after God’s heart, yet he committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah her husband. Did he get forgiven? Yes! Did he get restored? Yes! Did David write Scripture after he’d committed adultery? Yes
The Bible is largely written by 3 murderers, Moses, David and Paul!
Q. What do we learn from that?
A. God has amazing grace for you
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Gay Rights vs. Religious Liberty?
Title: Gay Rights vs. Religious Liberty?: The Unnecessary Conflict
Published by: Oxford University Press
Release Date: June 2, 2020
Should religious people who conscientiously object to facilitating same-sex weddings, and who therefore decline to provide cakes, photography, or other services, be exempted from antidiscrimination laws? This issue has taken on an importance far beyond the tiny number who have made such claims. Gay rights advocates fear that exempting even a few religious dissenters would unleash a devastating wave of discrimination. Conservative Christians fear that the law will treat them like racists and drive them to the margins of American society.
Both sides are mistaken. The answer lies, not in abstract principles, but in legislative compromise. This book clearly and empathetically engages with both sides of the debate. Koppelman explains the basis of antidiscrimination law, including the complex idea of dignitary harm. He shows why even those who do not regard religion as important or valid nonetheless have good reasons to support religious liberty, and why even those who regard religion as a value of overriding importance should nonetheless reject the extravagant power over nonbelievers that the Supreme Court has recently embraced.
Koppelman also proposes a specific solution to the problem: that religious exemptions be granted only to the few businesses that are willing to announce their compunctions and bear the costs of doing so. His approach makes room for America's enormous variety of deeply held beliefs and ways of life. It can help reduce the toxic polarization of American politics.
“Andrew Koppelman is an essential voice for common sense and compromise in the bitter—and at this point, mostly unnecessary—fight between religious conservatives and the LGBT community. Both sides are here to stay, and they have to live with each other. Koppelman points the way and offers one possible solution.”
—Douglas Laycock, Robert E. Scott Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Virginia Law School and author of Religious Liberty, Volumes I-V
“Like everything Andrew Koppelman writes, Gay Rights vs. Religious Liberty? instructs, provokes, and scintillates. Koppelman packs his book with ideas and arguments that are like no one else's. He also happens to be right: a train wreck between gay rights and religious liberty is avoidable—if we act wisely and soon.”
—Jonathan Rauch, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution and author of Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America
“Koppelman’s persuasive argument . . . is a novel and useful contribution to discourse on LGBTQ rights. . . . [He is] one of the legal academy’s most prominent advocates for LGBTQ equality.”
—Linda Greenhouse, Pulitzer-Prize winning New York Times reporter, in New York Review of Books
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APPROXIMATELY 350 PASSENGERS boarded Pere Marquette Locomotive 1225 in Alma Saturday morning, Oct. 28 for their Curwood Highlander day-trip to Owosso. Upon de-boarding the 1225 early in the afternoon, the visitors toured Owosso, spending the afternoon shopping and touring many of the city’s unique landmarks, such as The Armory, Curwood Castle, the Shiawassee Art Center, Mitchell Amphitheater, Comstock Cabin, Fountain Park, and the Woodard Paymaster Building. As well as the Lebowsky Center, Owosso City Hall, the Owosso Wall of Fame, and of course, the Steam Railroading Institute. Many arrived just in time to catch the tail end of the Downtown Owosso Farmers Market.
(Independent Photo/Graham Sturgeon)
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Time:NOAA Teacher at Sea: Annmarie Babicki
Science and Technology:
The methodology used to collect data on sharks is called bottom longlining. This is when each hook are baited with mackerel and put on a gangion. We cut our own bait and attach it to the hooks. Each hook is assigned a number, one to one hundred, so that it can be tracked. That line is then systematically hooked onto another line that runs one nautical mile. Both ends of the line have what are called hi-flyers that float vertically in the water. They are bright orange and have a blinking light on the top, so that they can be seen from a distance. There is a weight placed on both ends of the line and one in the middle. The weights help to keep the baited lines well below the surface. After the last gangion is put on, we wait one hour and then begin to pull in all hundred lines. During this entire process the ship is moving, which can be sometimes challenging, especially in bad weather.
Although the focus of this survey is sharks, data is collected on all fishes that are captured. After the fish are pulled up on deck, data is collected and recorded by the hook number. The handling of sharks is different from the handling of fish. Only sharks are fitted with a tag, which does not hurt them. There are two types of tags, but to date we have only used one type. In order to attach the yellow tag, a small slit is made underneath the dorsal fin. The tag has a sharp point on one end, which is inserted into the slit. Also a small sample (5-10 cm) of the shark’s pelvic fin is taken. This is then taken to the lab where DNA testing is done. The DNA can be used to verify known species and unknown or new species. Also, scientists can compare the population of sharks in other oceans around the globe by their DNA. What I have observed on every catch is that the scientist carefully monitors the shark to ensure it is not being stressed or could be hurt in any way.
Today we caught this beautiful and powerful scalloped hammerhead shark. When very large sharks like the hammerhead are caught, they are not pulled up by the line because it can damage them and they are too heavy to handle. Instead they are guided onto a cradle which sits in the water. Once on securely they are hoisted to the side of the ship where scientists can collect the needed data. The hammerhead weighed in at 341lb. and was 8 feet long. What a catch this was, everyone was very excited.
The day started out cloudy but eventually turned over to showers and then to a hard rain. We are feeling the effects of the tropical depression, which explains why it is difficult for me to stay standing for any length of time. I am hitting and seeing more walls than I care to! Also, it is a very bizarre feeling when the chair you are sitting in moves from one side of the room to the other. Luckily I have fended of sea sickness, but I did have a mild case of nausea, however, nothing that stopped me from continuing to work on deck. Thank goodness for Bonine.
Sleeping has not been much of a problem for me except when the ship’s engine changes. The engines make a deep loud growling sound that wakes me for just a few minutes. Being out in the fresh air does make me tired, so I have to set my alarm clock or I will sleep through my next shift. It’s hard to know what day it is because I am working a noon to midnight shift. You keep track of time by when the next sampling is due.
Being at sea and doing this type of research is definitely only for the hearty. The weather changes often as does the pace of the work. There are many jobs to do during sampling and I am trying to learn all of them. Baiting a hook and taking off bait has been frustrating, particularly since it has to be done quickly. The type of hook they use has a barb on it that goes in a different direction from the rest of the hook, so it doesn’t just slide out. We wear special gloves to protect our hands from the hooks and skin of the sharks, which can feel like sand paper or razor blades depending on the shark. They say that practice makes perfect. Well, I have a lot of practicing to do!
My next adventure is to learn how to hold sharks and not be afraid of them. I’ll keep you posted.
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This paper contributes to conversations in Black Geographies by reflecting on the nature of anti-Black oppression. Much work within Black Geographies has (understandably and importantly) drawn out the ways in which race and class intersect with one another. This paper acknowledges the necessity of such an approach yet argues that scholars must be careful not to conflate anti-Black oppression with class-based oppression, as anti-Blackness is its own logic of oppression that eclipses class. I draw on three 20th-century examples of the displacement of middle-class Black communities in the USA to highlight how the logic of anti-Blackness leads to the spatial marginalisation of Blackness, regardless of class status. Specifically, I examine how 20th century infrastructure building entailed the routine destruction of Black middle-class neighbourhoods and commercial districts, a process made possible through the assumed a-spatiality of Black populations. I argue that while race and class do frequently intersect, examples such as those in this paper highlight the need to analyse Blackness ontologically. A scholarly commitment to rigour and political commitment to social justice demand that Black Geographies attend to the logics that structure anti-Blackness, as this is an important step toward acknowledging the struggles of all sections of the African Diaspora.
Bibliographical noteFunding Information:
The author would like to thank Chris Courtheyn for reading an early draft of this paper and offering constructive feedback. The author would also like to thank three anonymous reviewers for their help in clarifying the paper's arguments.
The information, practices and views in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). © 2019 Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
- Black Geographies
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Many maps for many parks
Just as every park is different, so too are park maps. Brochure maps are custom designed to emphasize parks’ significant features, ranging from arctic Alaska to Midtown Manhattan to the Caribbean coastlines. Whether you prefer paper or pixels, we have the right map for you.
Download park maps: www.nps.gov/carto
Over 1,000 park maps are available online in several file formats. Download a JPG or PDF map for onscreen viewing, or a layered Adobe Illustrator map that you can modify. All maps on the Carto website are in the public domain.
Panoramas show park landscapes as if viewed from an airplane window. Mountains, plateaus, and glaciers appear to “pop off” the page. You can spend a long time looking at these works of art.
Diagrams explain the hidden stories of parks. Whether a cutaway view of landforms or military action from a long ago battle, diagrams help you better understand a park.
Pinpoint your location on Android and iOS mobile devices with some 200 park maps now available in geospatial PDF format. A blue dot shows where you are on the map even without cell service. Access these maps by downloading the free Avenza Maps app.
Need a symbol? From stargazing to wheelchair access, chances are that our collection of 236 symbols has just what you need. Symbols are available in several common file formats.
Looking closer: 3D site maps
With a 3D map of a small park site, you can easily recognize important buildings while walking the grounds. These maps often include photorealistic detail like trees, gardens, walkways, and glistening water surfaces.
Last updated: May 21, 2019
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Probiotics are not just for digestive health. The gastrointestinal tract is where our body is able to determine which parts of the foods we eat should be allowed passage into our body, and which should not be allowed entry. We want to absorb nutrients from the food we eat, but we do not want to allow any infectious bacteria or viruses entry into the body through the GI tract. If an apple was contaminated with a pathogen, for example, the gastrointestinal tract would act to prevent the entry of this pathogen into the body, ideally sparing us from infection.
It makes sense, then, that the digestive tract can have an important role in immunity.
The gut microbiome, probiotics and immunity
The gut microbiome refers to the microorganisms (microbiota) living in our intestines. Gut microbiota play a role in gut health and management of several gastrointestinal disorders. The composition of the gut microbiome is affected by dietary intake and can be changed by dietary carbohydrates, fat intake, prebiotics, and probiotics.
Probiotics are defined as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”. Usually this benefit is exerted in the gastrointestinal tract. It is key to remember that the health benefits of probiotics are strain specific.
Probiotics exert health effects by nonspecific, species-specific, and strain-specific mechanisms. The nonspecific mechanisms vary widely among strains, species, or even genera of commonly used probiotic supplements. These mechanisms include inhibition of the growth of pathogenic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract, production of bioactive metabolites (e.g., short-chain fatty acids), and reduction of luminal pH in the colon. Strain-specific mechanisms can include vitamin synthesis, gut barrier reinforcement, bile salt metabolism, enzymatic activity, and toxin neutralization. Through all of these mechanisms, probiotics might have wide-ranging impacts on human health and disease. (National Institutes of Health Fact Sheet)
How do probiotics impact immunity?
Immune health is one of the more commonly studied health outcomes of probiotics. When it comes to researching immunity, studies often measure the frequency of the common cold, or upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and the duration and severity of cold symptoms among study participants.
A 2015 Cochrane Review titled Probiotics for Preventing Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infections, which included 13 randomized controlled trials, found that probiotics were significantly better than placebo for reducing the number and duration of upper respiratory tract infections. This means that probiotics are likely working with the immune system to have a protective effect against the pathogens that cause URTIs.
The authors of the review suggest probiotics can influence immunity in the following ways:
- Probiotics have been shown to help protect against infection by improving the strength of the intestinal barrier between the inside of the intestine and our body. This reduces the ability of infectious microbes to enter our body via our gastrointestinal tract.
- Some probiotics can produce proteins or acids that inhibit the growth of pathogens in the GI tract
- Some probiotics, or the products they produce, can interact with the immune cells of the human body to influence their effectiveness (LPI, Cochrane). For example, some probiotics can increase the production of cytokines in the intestine. These cytokines act as chemical messengers to regulate immune responses.
It is important to remember that the benefit will depend on the specific strain of probiotic being used in a study. For example, this study found that consuming Lactobacillus gasseri PA 16/8, Bifidobacterium longum SP 07/3, and B. bifidum MF 20/5 together for at least 3 months significantly shortened common cold episodes by almost 2 days and reduced severity of symptoms. This study found that providing BC30™ to kids for 12 weeks significantly reduced the frequency of cold symptoms. Any claims made against a probiotic would need to be substantiated by studies using that strain.
Probiotics and COVID-19
Probiotics are even being explored for COVID-19 to prevent secondary bacterial infection. However, the authors note “currently, there is no direct clinical evidence that the modulation of gut microbiota plays the therapeutic role in the treatment of COVID‐19, but we speculate that targeting gut microbiota may be a new therapeutic option or at least an adjuvant therapeutic choice.” This will be an interesting area to keep an eye on as the science progresses.
Choosing a probiotic
Resources from the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics
The probiotic marketplace can be confusing for consumers. See here for some basic information on choosing a probiotic and reading a probiotic label. Some basic principles to guide your search:
- There is no one strain or one dose that is best. Sometimes lower dose products or products with fewer strains have the best evidence.
- Any health benefit claim made should be substantiated with a human trial. But the types of claims allowed in the USA on foods and dietary supplements are restricted by law. Contact the manufacturer to get information on what studies have been conducted, or consult Clinical Guide for Probiotic Products Available in the United States.
- One of the biggest challenges in the probiotic market is keeping the probiotic strain alive. Responsible manufactures go to great lengths to be sure their probiotics retain viability and deliver an efficacious dose through the end of the product’s shelf life. Unfortunately, not all products on the market are responsibly formulated. Consumers should buy products from companies they trust.
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a meeting for execution of a group's functions
"it was the opening session of the legislature"
school term, academic term, academic session, sessionnoun
the time during which a school holds classes
"they had to shorten the school term"
a meeting devoted to a particular activity
"a filming session"; "a gossip session"
seance, sitting, sessionnoun
a meeting of spiritualists
"the seance was held in the medium's parlor"
A period devoted to a particular activity.
A meeting of a council, court, or legislative body to conduct its business.
This court is now in session.
The sequence of interactions between client and server, or between user and system; the period during which a user is logged in or connected.
Logging out or shutting down the computer will end your session.
Any of the three scheduled two hour playing sessions, from the start of play to lunch, from lunch to tea and from tea to the close of play.
The performance of music by local musicians in a public place, with its origins in Gaelic culture. A musical performance broadcast for a radio show.
Etymology: From session, from sessio, from sedeo.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Etymology: session, French; sessio, Latin.
He hath as man, not as God only, a supreme dominion over quick and dead; for so much his ascension into heaven, and his session at the right-hand of God do import. Richard Hooker.
Many, tho’ they concede a table-gesture, will hardly allow this usual way of session. Thomas Browne, Vulg. Errors.
They are ready t’appear
Where you shall hold your session. William Shakespeare, K. Lear.
Summon a session that we may arraign
Our most disloyal lady. William Shakespeare.
The old man mindful still of moan,
Weeping, thus bespake the session. George Chapman, Hom. Odys.
Of their session ended they bid cry
The great result. John Milton.
Call’d to council all the Achaian states,
Nor herald sworn the session to proclaim. Alexander Pope, Odys.
It was contrary to the course of parliament, that any bill that had been rejected should be again preferred the same session. Edward Hyde.
The second Nicene council affords us plentiful assistance, in the first session, wherein the pope’s vicar declares that Meletius was ordained by Arian bishops, and yet his ordination was never questioned. Edward Stillingfleet.
Many decrees are enacted, which at the next session are repealed. John Norris.
the act of sitting, or the state of being seated
the actual sitting of a court, council, legislature, etc., or the actual assembly of the members of such a body, for the transaction of business
hence, also, the time, period, or term during which a court, council, legislature, etc., meets daily for business; or, the space of time between the first meeting and the prorogation or adjournment; thus, a session of Parliaments is opened with a speech from the throne, and closed by prorogation. The session of a judicial court is called a term
Etymology: [L. sessio, fr. sedere, sessum, to sit: cf. F. session. See Sit.]
In computer science, in particular networking, a session is a semi-permanent interactive information interchange, also known as a dialogue, a conversation or a meeting, between two or more communicating devices, or between a computer and user. A session is set up or established at a certain point in time, and torn down at a later point in time. An established communication session may involve more than one message in each direction. A session is typically, but not always, stateful, meaning that at least one of the communicating parts needs to save information about the session history in order to be able to communicate, as opposed to stateless communication, where the communication consists of independent requests with responses. An established session is the basic requirement to perform a connection-oriented communication. A session also is the basic step to transmit in connectionless communication modes. However any unidirectional transmission does not define a session. Communication sessions may be implemented as part of protocols and services at the application layer, at the session layer or at the transport layer in the OSI model. ⁕Application layer examples:HTTP sessions, which allow associating information with individual visitorsA telnet remote login session
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
sesh′un, n. the sitting of a court or public body: the time it sits: the period of time between the meeting and prorogation of Parliament: the act of sitting, esp. the enthronement of Christ at the right hand of God the Father: (Scot.) the lowest Presbyterian church court, the kirk-session.—adj. Ses′sional, pertaining or belonging to a session or sessions.—n. Ses′sion-clerk, the official who officially records the transactions of a kirk-session.—Court of Session, the supreme civil court of Scotland. [Fr.,—L. sessio, sessionis—sedēre, sessum, to sit.]
Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
The actual sitting of a court, council, etc., or the actual assembly of the members of such a body for the transaction of business. Hence, also the time, period, or term during which a court, council, and the like, meet daily for business; or the space of time between the first meeting and prorogation or adjournment.
A meeting of a form of unity assembly, unity council, unity legislature, unity senate, unity house of representatives, unity government, local unity government, regional unity government, national unity government, european unity government and international unity government.
The unity governmental groups are in session for specific timetables during the year.Submitted by MaryC on March 17, 2020
British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'session' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2397
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'session' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2125
Rank popularity for the word 'session' in Nouns Frequency: #718
The numerical value of session in Chaldean Numerology is: 9
The numerical value of session in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1
I just want an answer. I just want to know what is going on here, you had (former Director of National Intelligence James) Clapper say there was no surveillance of the Trump campaign or Trump Tower. You've got press reports a FISA warrant was issued for Carter Page because of his ties to Russia. I just want to know what happened. And if we can't do it in an open session, let's do it in a closed session.
The gains are seen to be a technical rebound from the last session's losses, but the market's focus is on the OPEC meeting and how much Saudi Arabia and Russia would increase output.
Rushing this legislation through in an extraordinary session is a slap in the face to our democracy.
I'm disappointed, the historic role of the Treasury secretary is to appear before the Ways and Means Committee at the start of any legislative session.
After spending months propagating the lie that the 2020 election had been stolen from him, President Trump summoned his supporters to a rally in Washington on January 6, against this backdrop, President Trump addressed a crowd that he knew was armed and primed for violence. He falsely raged to the crowd that the Joint Session was the culmination of a treasonous plot to destroy America. He exhorted his supporters to.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for session
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- sessióCatalan, Valencian
- sezení, zasedáníCzech
- Sitzung, SessionGerman
- συνεδρίαση, σύνοδος, συνεδρίαGreek
- istung, seanssEstonian
- نشست, جلسه, همايشPersian
- istunto, kokousFinnish
- séance, sessionFrench
- suí, seisiúnIrish
- seisean, coinneamhScottish Gaelic
- սեանս, նիստ, նստաշրջանArmenian
- tornata, sessioneItalian
- 会期, セッションJapanese
- 회기, 세션Korean
- zitting, sessieDutch
- сеанс, заседание, сессияRussian
- сесија, засједање, sesija, састанак, сједница, sastanak, zasjedanje, sjednicaSerbo-Croatian
- oturum, toplantı, celseTurkish
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Many people are interested in digital marketing courses. The Internet has created so much demand for qualified professionals in this industry. A solid course will help you develop the skills required to be an effective digital marketer quickly and increase your earning potential. In this article, you will discover the top three digital marketing courses offered online. The top three courses include Free and Paid digital marketing courses from highly reputable companies.
You have two options when it comes to these courses it's free or paid. The one you choose should emphasize marketing basics such as how to create a compelling website, use search engine optimization techniques, and how to write copy that brings in business. Usually, an undergraduate student is not expected to have any background in web design or development. The undergraduate digital marketing certificate program normally involves learning the basics of search engine marketing and developing a basic knowledge of advertising theory.
After you have gotten your certificate, you can go on and enroll in an advanced course to enhance your understanding of marketing strategies. The programs offered in the certificate program are all about web analytics. Web analytics courses can be applied directly to your own work or they can be applied to the work of others in your field to enhance your understanding and skills. These courses give you a comprehensive overview of digital marketing strategies, including search engine optimization strategies, social media marketing strategies, and viral marketing strategies.
Another excellent option for marketers is a three-part program consisting of eight modules that address topics such as search engine optimization basics, psychology of SEO, social media marketing, link building, and content marketing. The marketing strategies covered in this course are designed to give you hands-on practice with real jobs, giving you the confidence to implement them in your own work. This program consists of eight modules, divided into three main categories. These include site analysis, online research and statistics, social media marketing, link building, and content optimization.
Web marketers also have another excellent option to enhance their digital strategy knowledge. It is called e-business training. This course is intended mainly for professionals who are running their own online business but who would like to improve their marketing skills. The course consists of nine modules that deal primarily with marketing principles and strategies.
Some online marketing schools offer courses that integrate e-business training with a digital marketing strategy. For instance, some of these courses incorporate a marketing workshop with marketing techniques and ideas, site audits and testing, and evaluation of a digital marketing strategy. In addition, these programs combine these workshops with advanced analytics so that marketers will have the data they need to maximize their marketing campaigns. These courses are good for professionals who are already running their own businesses.
Marketers can also take online classes that concentrate on developing and enhancing their core marketing strategy skills. Many marketing professionals today have become skilled at developing core courses. These include search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, and pay-per-click (PPC) techniques. Many online marketing courses teach students how to optimize their websites and blogs for specific keywords or phrases. They also get trained on how to use analytic software to track and measure the effectiveness of their websites and blogs.
Online digital marketing courses on marketing strategy is designed for the needs of marketing professionals in every type of industry. The curriculum offered by these courses is designed to teach students how to build a professional portfolio, conduct market research, evaluate their websites and blogs, develop and maintain a strong online presence, and develop and enhance their core marketing strategy skills. To become an effective business owner, it is essential for marketers to be up-to-date with all of the emerging trends and technologies in the field of Internet marketing. To do so, marketers need to take a look at the course options available to them.
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Podcasts are the kind of thing most of us have heard of, even if we don’t listen. Many of the most popular things to listen to can only be found in podcast form.
Since they have become more common, there are countless apps to help us find and listen, but not all of them are easy to understand. Google has been down this road before and is trying again.
They’ve released an app that’s simply called “Google Podcasts,” and it’s a great option for Android users who want to dive into podcasts but want to avoid confusion. It’s light on the bells and whistles, but if you’re only interested in listening to shows, it’s not a bad option.
Here’s how to use it
First, keep in mind that the app only works for Android. To start, you will need to go to the Play Store and download it. Just search for “Google Podcasts” and, once you find it, download it as you would any other application.
Once downloaded, the icon will appear on your home screen. Tap on it to open it.
The first screen you’ll see will be a home page that displays icons for what Google says are the most popular or trending podcasts. Shows can have all kinds of themes – it really depends on what everyone is listening to at the time.
And, if you’re looking for a specific podcast, click the magnifying glass in the upper left corner to open a search bar. Just type the name and find it.
From there, you can scroll up and down to see different sections, all of which will display various podcasts. You’ll find politics, sports, society and culture and other categories, all with popular choices within them presented right on screen.
Tap any of them to open a different page, one with a more in-depth look at the podcast you’ve chosen. It provides the name of the podcast, its hosts, and a brief summary of what to expect.
If this sounds interesting to you, hit the blue “Subscribe” button to make sure you get new episodes as they come out.
On this screen you will also see older episodes, which you can listen to by clicking on the circle with the triangle pointing to the right.
And that’s about it!
One of the best parts of Google Podcasts is its simplicity. Some people might want more frills in the app, but this one is for someone who is only focused on finding and listening to podcasts.
It’s easy to understand and pretty to sort through, without too much confusing or technical stuff. For many people, it’s a welcome breath of fresh air in a world where apps tend to offer way more than we need in ways that are hard to understand.
Hear Kim Komando talk about real topics that matter to you every day of the week Google Podcasts. You’ll hear facts, opinions and the latest technical information below the surface in just a minute.
Hear Kim’s take on Uber’s self-driving car crash and what Uber should do now.
It’s easy to listen to! Just go to itunes, google play Where Spotify via your smartphone or download individual episodes from our website here on your computer by clicking on the “Download” link at the bottom right of the summary of each episode.
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The Supreme Court justices lied under oath when they said they wouldn't overturn the abortion law, but none of them were confirmed.
Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the majority's opinion, declined to say in his 2006 hearing that the case was "settled law", but refused to classify it as something that can't be re-examined.
In his 1991 hearing, Justice Clarence Thomas said he had no reason to prejudge the issue or to rule one way or the other on the issue of abortion.
Supreme Court worthy as treatment of precedent like any other, and said precedent means the court "moves forward" after it decides a case, but did not say
Supreme Court justices don't get to pick and choose which Supreme Court precedents they follow and that's why he follows all of them.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett said in 2020 that she didn't think it was a good idea to overrule the Supreme Court's decision on abortion.
If abortion cases came before her, she would follow the law of stare decisis and respect court precedents.
Legal experts say it is unlikely that the justices have lied under oath. Northeastern University law professor Dan Urman told the university's newspaper that they were prepared to overturn the court's decision. It doesn't have any significance beyond that.
During his hearing, he said that he understood the importance of the decision to abortion. I don't reside in a bubble. I'm aware. I live in the present day.
She believes the Supreme Court justices should be investigated for perjury if they did, and that it is an impeachable offense. If we allow Supreme Court nominees to lie under oath in order to get lifetime appointments to the highest court of the land, we must see that through. There needs to be consequences for a hostile takeover of our democratic institutions.
Supreme Court justices can be impeached and removed from office, but only one, Samuel Chase, has ever been impeached. The justice was acquitted by the Senate after he was impeached.
After decades of precedent, the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion on Friday. Chief Justice John Roberts disagreed with the court's decision to overturn the law that allowed abortions until the fetus was viable. The decision, which has led to a wave of state-level abortion bans, has prompted new scrutiny on what the two Supreme Court justices said about the case when they were being confirmed. After the ruling, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) said they were surprised and disappointed by how the justices ruled. Collins said the justices' votes were inconsistent with what they had told her during their confirmation. According to the New York Times, during his meeting with Collins, he emphasized his respect for precedent and said he would uphold the law.
The Supreme Court overturned a landmark abortion decision.
Supreme court justices should be impeached.
They were accused of going back on their word. TheGuardian
Private assurances were given by the judge. He INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals says he misled her. The New York Times is a daily newspaper in the United States.
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Tektronix: The World's Standard in Digital Oscilloscopes
The digital oscilloscope is an indispensable tool for anyone designing, manufacturing or repairing electronic equipment. In today's fast-paced world, engineers need the best tools available to solve their measurement challenges quickly and accurately. As the eyes of the engineer, digital oscilloscopes are the key to meeting today's demanding measurement challenges.
The usefulness of a digital oscilloscope is not limited to the world of electronics. With the proper sensor, a digital oscilloscope can measure all kinds of phenomena. A sensor is a device that creates an electrical signal in response to physical stimuli, such as sound, mechanical stress, pressure, light, or heat. A microphone is a sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal.
Digital oscilloscopes are used by everyone from physicists to repair technicians. An automotive engineer uses a digital oscilloscope to correlate analog data from sensors with serial data from the engine control unit. A medical researcher uses a digital oscilloscope to measure brain waves. The possibilities are endless.
Not sure which Digital Oscilloscope is right for you?
You can learn more about the different types of digital oscilloscopes available, below. If you have questions, or need help deciding which digital oscilloscope is right for you, contact Tektronix for assistance.
Interested in learning more?
Check out the digital oscilloscope tutorial support page to help you learn more about digital oscilloscope basics, concepts and applications. If you are looking for product support, visit the Downloads Finder page for product-specific information.
New to using oscilloscopes or just want a quick “refresher” on interpreting their specs? You’re in luck! We’ve condensed decades of oscilloscope expertise into a 60-page primer that includes:
- Overviews of oscilloscope architecture, key controls, probe considerations, set-up and measurement techniques, and more
- Clearly illustrated, easy-to-understand explanations to help you get up to speed quickly
- Definitions of datasheet specifications to help you choose the best oscilloscope for your application
- Quizzes and answer keys, so you can be confident you understand the material you’re reading
- A glossary of oscilloscope terminology
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Response to “Let’s Really Reform Our Schools”
Anita Garland expresses her opinion about the current condition of our schools and ways to change them in her article, “Let’s Really Reform Our Schools.” Simply put, Garland feels that our schools are in terrible condition in regards to the school’s main focus. There is too much emphasis put on the social aspect of school, instead of what she feels should be the main focus: education (Garland 655, 658). She proposes several reforms in the article, including changing the attendance policy (who can and cannot attend school), wearing uniforms, serving healthier meals in the cafeteria, taking away competitive sports, and taking away the prom. Garland feels that if these changes were made, school would become a more appropriate environment for hard work and learning.
This article tackles a rather large subject. Each one of Garland’s proposed reforms can be a topic for its own article which, consequently, allows the article only enough room to cover the top layer of each change. She didn’t seem too interested in discussing the pros and cons of her ideas. I do strongly believe, though, that most of her changes, if carried out, would face much opposition. The ideas about the healthier food in the cafeteria and wearing school uniforms would probably have been received well. However, changing the criteria for who can and cannot attend school, ending competitive sports, and taking away the prom would open the door to angry peoples and new problems to replace the old ones.
The most controversial reforms Garland discusses is changing the current policy of mandatory attendance for students. According to Garland, “we must stop forcing everyone to attend school; we must stop allowing the attendance of so-called students who are not interested in studying” (655). The typical trouble-making students would no longer be allowed to attend school. While this may reduce the detention statistics, it will certainly make a lot of parents angry. No parent would be okay with finding out that their child was no longer able to attend high school due to their behavior. Garland does not offer an alternative for these students. So, instead of forcing these kids to go to school, we leave them free to do whatever they want to do all day, every day? Worse yet, we would be sending numerous young adults into the world without diplomas. There are enough students who slip through the cracks and go through life without diplomas by their own choice. Enabling more kids to do that is ludicrous. Perhaps, instead of blaming and punishing the students for their difficulties controlling their behavior, we need turn our attention to the teachers and parents and question their methods of handling these troubled adolescents. Garland insists that these “troublemakers” don’t want education, but maybe they just need to be taught discipline just as much as they need to be taught English (Garland 655). Kicking them out of school will not fix that.
Taking away competitive sports from school is just plain unfair. Granted, they are given a little more attention than, say, orchestra or band, but activities that allow kids to accentuate their physical abilities is important. According to Garland, “school athletes quickly become the campus idols, encouraged to look down on classmates with less physical ability” (656). Maybe I’ve seen that in the movies, but that was never the case at my high school. We celebrated music students and debate teams going to state competition just as much as we celebrated sports teams going to state. The students who excel in sports don’t necessarily have the talents that music students or scholars have, and to take away their outlet would take away the opportunity for possibly finding their niche in life. Again, that’s not helping the kids.
Finally, the prom being removed isn’t going to help the students to get a good education. Not to mention it would be taking away a time-honored school tradition. Garland does bring up a valid point when she says there may be a lot of “unplanned pregnancies and alcohol-related accidents” that occur on prom night (657). But on the other hand, taking away the prom isn’t going to keep kids from having sex and drinking. If they aren’t being raised to make good choices, they’ll do it whether there’s a prom or not. The parents of these kids need to take responsibility for their children’s upbringing and teach them that prom isn’t all about extravagance and irresponsible partying. I understand Garland’s concern about high school being too focused on social activities, but high school is there to help kids grow into adults, which includes education and social adaptation. They’re not robots, after all. They are kids. From the beginning of time, a typical kid’s priority list inevitably has “have fun” on it. Don’t we want to teach the kids that life is fun too? The prom is supposed to be a fun experience, not an agonizing experience like Garland makes it out to be.
There is no doubt that our school system could use a tune up in some areas. But, making these drastic reforms that Garland proposes would do more harm than good. Making smaller changes and making those changes in moderation will be the best way to ease people into new ideas. Making school into a sweatshop overnight is going to turn so many kids off of wanting to go to school. The social aspects of school are used as a lure of sorts to make kids want to go to school. The more kids we have outside the school doors during the day, the more problems we’ll see with them getting in trouble by the law and giving themselves more long term consequences than getting detention once in a while.
Garland, Anita. “Let’s Really Reform Our Schools.” Reprinted from pp. 655-658 in Langan, John. English Skills With Readings. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2002.
Howser, Adrienne. “Response to ‘Let’s Really Reform Our Schools.’” Jim Roth’s Website, 21 May 2008, ol.scc.spokane.edu/jroth/Courses/ Writers'%20Resources/Help%20From%20Me/NEW%20ORGANIZATION/ SAMPLE%20STUDENT%20ESSAYS/Summary-Response%20Examples/ Garland--Adrienne%20Howser.htm. Accessed 6 July 2018.
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When you run a small, local business, you might wonder whether you need a website or not. While at first, it might seem unnecessary, it’s actually quite the opposite: a good, responsive page might make your business even more profitable than before. How is that possible?
Faster life means less time
Nowadays, our lives are full of responsibilities. Children attend many additional classes, adults have many tasks at work. Because of that, we lack time for tasks, which seemed to be normal for our parents and grandparents.
Instead of a long trip in the shopping mall – most young people choose to buy clothes online. Also, we look up services online rather than asking our friends, walking around the town or checking paper advertisements. That’s why it’s a great idea to set up a responsive, aesthetic website for a local service. If you aren’t really into doing it yourself, we strongly suggest hiring a web developers agency: people working there will be able to help you with preparing the best page possible.
How do we find services today?
As mentioned previously, our methods of searching services are way different than they used to be a couple of years back. For example, when we need a vet for a dog or cat – we rarely ask about it from friends or family who also have pets. More frequently, we just tap a few times on our laptops or smartphones and… voila. In the very front of our eyes – we can see a list of local veterinary clinics. What is more, if we’re lucky – next to at least some of them we will be able to find opinions about their work. This way we can pick the best local services for ourselves.
As looking for all the services nowadays usually takes place online – it’s important to have a good web page. Opposite to what used to be a common practice just a few years ago – people don’t only use the pages to find contact to the company and call them. How should a good page look?
Perfect website for local service – how should it look?
Like we said, the practice among people changed. While a decade or two ago, the webpages (if they were used by buyers) – were mainly used as a place where contact details could be found, this practice changed a lot these days. We search for company details, information about the employees (i.e. when it comes to medical services) and on many occasions – the price list. As the statistics show, we are more willing to stay on a page longer if there are prices specified even in the most general outline: information that the services are priced individually usually discourages potential buyers from even trying to make contact. It’s connected with the fact we don’t really have time nowadays. It’s hard to imagine talking with 2-3 companies whose services we think we might use knowing the prices – and calling or writing in more places just to find out the indicative prices – is almost impossible.
Again, we suggest checking out services of web developers agencies: they are specialized in preparing good, responsive pages that arouse interest of recipients. This way – your business can grow way bigger!
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Marijuana is called cannabis. In our brains, we have an endocannabinoid system and varying cannabinoid receptors. THC, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main active ingredient in marijuana which causes the brain to become intoxicated. This ingredient interacts with the cannabinoid receptors throughout the brain, causing different effects on the brain both structurally and responsively. The brain also produces its own cannabinoids, which are brain chemicals, that interact with the cannabinoid receptors. Together, the cannabinoid receptors and the cannabinoid chemicals create the endocannabinoid system.
People who become heavily intoxicated from marijuana describe the experience of being “stoned”. Feeling slowed down and heavy in the brain and body is caused by the cannabinoid receptors being flooded by THC and other cannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system is far reaching in the brain, interacting with different areas which cause different effects. Primarily, the cannabinoids slow down communication between the cells of all the different areas of the brain, slowing down brain function as a whole. As a result, the brain cannot function normally, creating that “stoned” sensation and all of its effects.
Areas of the brain and how they are affected by marijuana
- The amygdala is the brain’s resource center for regulating fear. Under the influence of THC, the amygdala cannot process emotion and fear, causing the common experience of paranoia marijuana users get.
- People who are “stoned” feel like they are moving slow- and many times they are. The basal ganglia is part of the brain which dictates muscle movement. THC slows down the body’s movement timing.
- More movement is impaired due to the slowing down of the cerebellum, the part of the brain which dictates balance and coordination.
- THC also slows down the hippocampus which processes new information and sorts information for memory storage. As a result, people under the influence of marijuana have impaired memory.
- “Munchies” or being extremely hungry, is a common side effect of being high on marijuana. This is caused by the hypothalamus slowing down, the area of the brain which regulates eating or cravings for food.
- Being high on drugs is addicting primarily because of the state of euphoria drugs cause in the brain. Euphoric sensations come from the nucleus accumbens, which is the reward center of the brain. Though THC can affect the nucleus accumbens, its the production of another brain chemical called dopamine, a neurotransmitter for pleasure, which floods the reward center.
At Tree House Recovery in Orange County, we’re transforming beyond sober. Life is meant to be lived to the fullest, without limitations. Our men’s treatment programs helps men find freedom from addiction by creating a total transformation of mind and body, inside and out. For information, call: (855) 202-2138
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Delta is trying a new idea this summer, on a trial basis: Speeding up boarding by having airline staff load passengers' carry-ons in the overhead before passengers board. They're calling it 'Early Valet' and will test it on a number of flights from Atlanta, NYC and other busy hubs.
The idea is to get the plane loaded faster; 1 in 4 U.S. flights leaves the gate at least 15 minutes late, and every minute late costs money, estimated at $30 a minute. Early valet, applied to vacationer-heavy flights, the ones with the most delay, is based on the idea that if the bags are efficiently stored in the overheads, people will get to their seats quickly...and there will be fewer disputes over the space.
The program started on about two dozen flights yesterday, and will increase over the summer. If it works...it could be permanent. Which might be the first really good news in airline baggage in years. MORE on this, and other attempts at faster seating.
Photo: Could the battle of the overheads be over? Wikimedia / Mattes
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Bulking how much weight per week, first week of bulking weight gain
Bulking how much weight per week
Bulking is when you gain weight in order to put on as much muscle mass as possible. In bulking, you eat to gain the most weight and muscle and then stop eating. This can be a good thing or bad thing depending on your goals. If your goal is to gain as much fat as possible at an optimal rate of speed, weight gain will put your metabolism to optimal performance levels quicker, lean bulk weight gain per week. And since most people who try bulking don't reach the same level of fat loss as those who achieve rapid fat loss, bulking can potentially cause you to gain even more fat than you lost, bulking how much weight per week. If you're trying to lose weight with intermittent fasting, then the best approach is to keep your meals pretty much the same everyday. Bulking is fine, but you'll still want to keep your body lean and supple so that you can reach your maximal potential with the training you're doing, bulking how much calories. 4. You eat too much, bulking calories calculator. Sometimes people don't gain weight in order to lose it -- they'll lose weight slowly because they need more calories to maintain their weight. This is known as metabolic adaptation where a person can adapt to a diet or exercise regimen and make it work, bulking how many calories per day. If you're trying to gain muscle mass, then the best approach is to eat fairly regularly in order to optimize your calorie intake for the duration of your training sessions. Most people who try bulking don't reach the same level of fat loss as those who achieve rapid fat loss, so the best way to achieve the results is to keep your calories low in order to maximize muscle mass gain. You see people lose a lot of fat on intermittent fasting, so this should be the same with intermittent fasting, weight much per bulking week how. I want to get my weight down, so I have to stay in a caloric deficit and eat as little as possible. The best way to do that to ensure I'm gaining as much muscle as possible is to eat more, first week of bulking weight gain. In order to optimize the results, you need to know what your current calorie intake is. 5. You eat foods that are unappetizing. I'm talking about foods that are high in calories and low in nutrition by volume. This is commonly called "food deserts". Your body doesn't want to eat these foods and you end up gaining weight, bulking how fast. If you're trying to gain fat on intermittent fasting, then you shouldn't eat those foods on a regular basis, bulking how much calories. Eating all your calories should be part of your calorie deficit and if you have any food allergies then I highly recommend you avoid those foods, bulking how long. 6.
First week of bulking weight gain
First of all, bulking up is not about eating everything in sight and trying to lift as heavy as possible hoping that all of the increased weight gain will come in the form of muscle. Not going into the gym in the morning before you run/run/bathe/eat to eat because you want to start the day heavy is not actually a bad thing. And getting your body set up with the right diet, training regimen and body composition is a great way to get your body pumped up after a long day's work, bulking of week first weight gain. We've provided you with some of the best nutritional strategies and techniques for bulking and it's always a good idea to pick up a box or two of these great guides. It's also always wise to be cautious and stay away from the kind of supplements that aren't going to help us get even closer to achieving our goals, first week of bulking weight gain. But that's all for now… That's pretty much all I have for now. Thanks for stopping by and check back soon, bulking how many calories per day! Cheers!
undefined Related Article:
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Double patenting occurs when a person or company submits more than one application to a government office for a patent on a single invention. The purpose is to extend the duration of a patent. The typical term of a patent is 20 years. A patent protects an invention by prohibiting others from using, selling, or otherwise infringing upon it. Nations that grant patents do not favor double patenting.
Organizations or inventors attempt double patenting by filing multiple applications for a patent. In the U.S., for example, one method inventors try to use is a continuation application to extend the duration of a patent. This, however, is not the purpose of a continuation application. The purpose is to protect new improvements to an invention.
The policy behind granting patents is to encourage inventions. A patent allows an inventor to benefit from his invention exclusively for a set period. At the expiration of a patent, the public benefits by being able to use the invention freely, and society thereby benefits as a whole. An inventor thwarts the system by unfairly extending the duration of patent through double patenting.
Most countries that grant patents use double patenting as a basis to deny an application. For example, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will reject an application if it determines that it is from the same applicant and for the same invention. This is a rejection based upon statutory law which does not permit multiple patents for a single invention from the same inventor. Patent lawyers refer to this as same invention double patenting. In other words, an inventor is entitled to only one patent for one invention.
The USPTO may also reject a patent application based upon court precedents that prohibit double patenting. The court system has established that a second patent is invalid if it is an obvious variation of a patent, owned by the same inventor, or subject to assignment to the same person. Patent lawyers refer to this as obviousness type double patenting. This is an equitable remedy to prevent extending the duration of a patent.
It is possible for inventors to remedy the problem of double patenting. For instance, an inventor may modify the application for a patent or may also submit a terminal disclaimer which states that the duration of the second patent would not exceed the duration of the initial patent. There are other methods to overcome a rejection depending on the facts of each situation.
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Following on from my last blog entry, I ordered a copy of Emma Stevens’ death certificate to ascertain how she died and whether she was indeed the Emma Stevens (nee Fisher) to who I am, albeit indirectly, related. Sure enough, the death certificate showed that she was married at the time of her death to John Stevens, a tailor, who at the time was incarcerated in Moulsford Asylum, where he remained until his death in 1888. Emma’s age at death is given as 38, meaning she was actually born in 1835.
When her husband John was incarcerated in 1871, Emma and her two youngest children went to the Reading Union Workhouse. With no income coming from her husband it seems she had little choice. Two years later, on 12th August 1873, in what must have been extremely grim conditions, Emma died of cancer in the workhouse. The story of John Stevens’ epilepsy was sad enough, but through the lives of his wife and his children, we can see just how it affected the rest of the family.
The two young girls who went with their mother into the workhouse later married. Martha Stevens, who was 2 when she went in, married George Amor in 1888 and had 6 children. Her sister, Kate, who was 4 at the time she entered the workhouse, married Charles Plested in 1892. Together they had two children. Kate died in 1943 at the age of 73. Martha died 7 years later in 1950 at the age of 81.
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04 November, 2015 · less than a minute to read
Salamander Active Directory can create Sims System Users
Another write back feature we have for Sims.net is the ability to create Sims System Users from your staff data. It’s not commonly used, but if you want your staff members to automatically have access to Sims, then Salamander Active Directory can create the users in Sims. This includes assigning group membership and capturing the generated password. It can also set the user to be inactive once they leave.
As Capita charge us a per school fee for write back, then there is an additional charge for writing back to Sims. This is the same charge as for writing back emails etc, so there’s no extra cost if you are already using that.
For more information, or if you want us to set this up, then please contact support.
Founder / Chairman
Richard started SalamanderSoft in 2007 after a successful career as a software developer. Wanting to start his own company and with experience in integrating school systems he set out to build the best integration system for schools and to exceed customer expectations. He starting out on his own, doing all the coding, support and sales until finally the growing number of customers meant he needed to start growing the team. He is still heavily involved in coding the core Integration Suite product.
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Last updated 5 months ago
I have just been watching basic strokes showing the position and movement of the bat, but the demonstration shows the ball bouncing to a convenient height to return the ball. What do you do when the ball bounces low and short, in other words, it could bounce twice in the middle of the table unless you get to it quickly?
If the ball is going to bounce twice on the table the more appropriate stroke is usually a push or flick stroke. The topspin or counterfeit strokes are usually played when the ball is bouncing a little longer.
Become a free member to post a comment about this question.
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A cat or dog microchip is a tiny implant that offers a permanent form of pet identification.
Little bigger than a grain of rice, a pet microchip can reunite you with your pet if they become lost, provide invaluable proof of ownership during a dispute over pet ownership, or make all the difference between euthanasia and medical care during an emergency.
Microchipping and registration of dogs is required by law in New Zealand and must be done by three months of age. It’s also required where dogs have been impounded or classed as menacing or dangerous.
Unlike dogs, cats have not been legally required to be registered or microchipped. However, growing social concern about the impact of cats on native wildlife has seen an increased awareness about the need for cats to be microchipped. Selwyn in Canterbury is the first South Island district in New Zealand to require cats to be microchipped from four months of age with effect from July 1, 2022.
Beyond legal requirements, there are several other very good reasons to have your pet microchipped...
Help to find your pet when lost or stolen
The main benefit to microchipping is that if your pet is lost or roaming and picked up by a local shelter or the SPCA, it can be quickly identified simply by scanning your pet. This means that if you have microchipped and registered your pet, they will be promptly returned to you. Our clinics have seen lost pets recovered within an hour of escape from a yard or car.
While collars with ID tags can often be lost, a microchip will be a secure way of providing identification for your pet. Also, if your pet is valuable, they could be a target for theft. Microchipping will help to provide evidence of ownership in the event of a legal dispute.
When natural disasters strike
Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods or fires can lead to pets being separated from their homes. In some cases, animal control must evacuate pets from a community into a central holding area. Being able to prove a pet is yours is invaluable in this situation, especially if your pet is difficult to identify from a photo or does not have distinguishing markings. Microchipping proved invaluable in helping reunite lost pets after the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes.
If a pet is injured while lost or roaming, a good Samaritan might bring them to a veterinary clinic for care. However, if your pet has no identification, you will be uncontactable and unable to make important decisions about their treatment (and you may never find out what happened to your pet). A microchip allows you to be notified so that you can decide on treatment and provide important medical history.
Taking advantage of the latest pet innovations
Microchips not only provide another way to identify your pet, in addition to a collar or tag, but they can also be used in modern pet products, such as automated cat flaps or feed bowls.
For example, microchip cat flaps are useful at stopping stray or wandering neighbourhood cats from entering your house and making a pest of themselves. They work simply by scanning for a microchip as an animal tries to enter, and only allowing your pets through.
A microchip ID is a small computer chip with a unique number loaded onto it. When a scanner passes over it, a signal is emitted indicating the unique identification number of the chip. It is inserted under your pet’s skin over the shoulders, using a specially designed needle.
Sedation is not normally required for this procedure and can be done during a routine vaccination. However, as it is uncomfortable, we often combine microchipping with routine anaesthetics, especially castration or spaying. Your cat or dog is scanned before and after microchipping to ensure that they do not already have a chip and to ensure that their new chip works.
Usually, during scanning, the chip is found near where it was inserted although sometimes, it can migrate and you might notice the ‘beep’ is found further down the shoulders or back.
The chip number is like a vehicle identification number on a car. It is registered in a central registry just as a car is registered and it is the central registry that has your personal information e.g. name, address, phone number, alternate contact and pet description.
Just remember, after the microchip has been placed you need to register your pet with the local council (a legal requirement for dogs) so their identity, microchip number and your details as the owner to be stored on the council database. If you do not send in the forms, the chip will remain unregistered. Likewise, cats need to be registered with the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR) and not just the clinic.
You also need to ensure your chip registration is up to date, such as if you move or change phone numbers. Also, if your chip is not registered and someone finds your pet and wishes to keep him, they may simply register the chip in their name if it has not already been registered.
Furthermore, if you plan to travel with your pet(s) outside your local district, you can register them on national databases as well.
Your Vetlife veterinarian can register your pet’s microchip during your microchip appointment for a small, one-off fee with New Zealand’s Companion Animal Register, (NZCAR), the leading national register. They can also update the register if you provide them with up-to-date details for free.
Speak to your Vetlife veterinarian about how microchipping can help keep your pet safe.
Pet Microchipping Facts
Is my personal information stored on a microchip?
No. Only the unique identification number is encoded on the chip. None of your personal information is stored on the chip. To link the number on the chip to you, your pet and their microchip number need to be stored on the New Zealand Companion Animal Register. This register allows any clinic or shelter to look up the number stored on your chip, bringing up your details. When your cat is microchipped, a small one-off fee is required to register your pet with the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR). This information is then stored for life.
Can a microchip be used to locate a lost pet?
No. A microchip is an identification device, not a locator. At present, GPS collars are available, but they are of limited use as they can easily be removed or can come off.
Do microchips have to be renewed annually?
No. Once the microchip is registered, that registration is indefinite. This means that the microchip never becomes unregistered after it has been registered. However, problems can arise when people move or the pet changes ownership and the chip information is not updated.
What is the difference between registration and licensing?
Microchip registration is different from licensing a pet. Many local councils include chip numbers in the license paperwork for a pet and maintain their chip database. However, it is best to register your pet’s microchip number both with the local council and the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR), as local councils do not share one central microchip database.
Are microchips safe?
Yes. There are no health risks associated with pet microchips.
What should I do if my pet is lost?
If your pet is lost, fill out the form on the NZCAR’s Lost Pet website, a free nation-wide service for lost and found pets. Also, inform your local clinic in case anyone brings in your pet.
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Breitbart posted an article today about a tax crisis in Sweden. The causes are something Americans need to consider as our southern border continues to be seen as a political issue rather than a national security and economic issue.
The article reports:
A Swedish municipality that took in one of the highest numbers of asylum seekers per population faces a crisis as natives move out and decimate the local tax base.
The municipality of Filipstad took in many asylum seekers during the migrant crisis of 2015 and now are facing increasing costs as unemployment among migrants has surged and financial assistance rates have tripled, broadcaster SVT reports.
Claes Hultgren, the local municipal manager, described the situation, saying of the migrant population: “In this group, unemployment and dependency are very high, while education levels are very low. This group runs the risk of ending in an eternal alienation that is already heavily burdening the municipal economy.”
The article concludes:
While many cities across Sweden are facing housing shortages, the rate of unemployment between native Swedes and migrants is stark.
A 2018 report stated that the unemployment rate for native Swedes was a mere 3.6 per cent while the foreign-born rate was much higher at 19.9 per cent. The city of Malmo, which has a high migration-background population, was shown to have double the national unemployment average.
At some point, we need to realize that generosity has to have limits. You can only accept a certain amount of people who are dependent on others for their basic needs before those policies have a negative impact on the people who are working to meet their own basic needs. Charity is a wonderful part of life, but it has to be voluntary and it has to be within the bounds of ability. The number of immigrants coming into Europe and America who have no marketable skills and do not know the language is a burden on the economics of the countries involved. Immigration needs to be controlled, and assimilation needs to be part of immigration.
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But not all of Scholasticism is specifically medieval and therefore definitively belonging to the dead past; there are perennial elements that are meant for every age, the present one included, three of which may be here distinguished. First, not only has Scholasticism held true to the normal historical rule that ideas, once thought and expressed, remain present and significant in the following time, but the medieval intellectual accomplishments have surpassed the rule and exerted, though more or less anonymously, a quite exceptional influence even on philosophers who consciously revolted against Scholasticism. Modern historical investigations have clearly shown that the classical modern philosophers Descartes, John Locke, Benedict de Spinoza, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz owed much to medieval ideas. Of Descartes, for instance, it has been said, contrary to the usual view, that he could quite well have been “included with the later Scholastics,” and even Charles Sanders Peirce, the originator of American pragmatism, referred not too rarely to Scholastic maxims. Secondly, there have been explicit attempts to go back to Scholastic thinkers and inspire a revival of their basic ideas. Two chief movements of this kind were the Scholasticism of the Renaissance (called Barockscholastik) and the Neoscholasticism of the 19th and 20th centuries, both of which were primarily interested in the work of Aquinas.
Renaissance Scholasticism received its first impulses from the Reformation. One of its leading figures, Cardinal Cajetan, whose Dominican name was Tommaso de Vio, had some famous disputations with Martin Luther. Cajetan’s great commentary on Aquinas’s Summa theologiae exerted for at least three centuries an enormous influence on the formation of Catholic theology. He was much more than a commentator, however; his original treatiseDe nominum analogia (1498; On the Analogy of Names), for example, can even pass as a prelude to modern linguistic philosophy. The so-called Silver Age of Scholastic thought, which occurred in the 16th century, is represented by two Spaniards: Francisco de Vitoria, of the first half of the century, and Francisco Suárez, of the second half, were both deeply engaged in what is now called the “Counter-Reformation.” Although they also commented on the works of Aquinas, the Renaissance Scholastics were much less concerned with looking back to the past than with addressing the problems of their own epoch, such as those of international law, colonialism, resistance to an unjust government, and world community. Although Suárez was for more than 100 years among the most esteemed authors, even in Protestant universities, Renaissance Scholasticism was eradicated by Enlightenmentphilosophy and German idealism. This, in turn, gave rise in due time to the Neoscholasticism of the 19th century, one of the most effective promoters of which was a German Jesuit, Joseph Kleutgen, who published a voluminous scholarly apology of patristic and Scholastic theology and philosophy and was also responsible for the outline of the papal encyclical Aeterni Patris of Leo XIII (1879), which explicitly proclaimed the “instauration of Christian philosophy according to St. Thomas.” The result, fed of course from many different sources, was that all over the world new centres of Scholastic research and higher learning arose, and a multitude of periodicals and systematic textbooks were produced. The immeasurable educational benefit of this enterprise for several generations of students, however, was as undeniable as the unique contributions of some Neoscholastic thinkers to modern intellectual life. A weak point, on the other hand, seemed to be a somewhat “unhistorical” approach to reality and existence. In any case, it is scarcely a matter of mere chance that the impact of existentialism and Marxism in the postwar period caused a noticeable decline in Neoscholasticism and that the positions of later “Scholastic” authors were already beyond Neoscholasticism.
The third and most important aspect of the enduring significance of the Scholastic movement implies the acceptance of the following fundamental tenets: that there exist truths that humans know, and also revealed truths of faith; that these two kinds of truth are not simply reducible to one another; that faith and theology do not, by means of symbols and sensuous images, merely say the same as what reason and science say more clearly by conceptual argumentation (Averroës, Hegel); that, on the other hand, reason is not a “prostitute” (Luther), but is the natural human capacity to grasp the real world; that since reality and truth, though essentially inexhaustible, are basically one, faith and reason cannot ultimately contradict one another. Those who hold these convictions appear quite unable to refrain from trying to coordinate what they know with what they believe. Any epoch that addresses itself to this interminable task can ill afford to ignore the demanding and multiform paradigm of Scholasticism, but to the problems posed it will have to find its own answer.
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for Steiner-Waldorf Schools
This book is an in-depth exploration of the curriculum of the first Waldorf school, expanding on the original ‘Lehrplan’.
Divided into sections, the book outlines Steiner’s comments on schools and lessons in general, as well as many details on his thinking on specific issues ranging from different age groups to classroom decoration and arrangement.
This important book for all Steiner-Waldorf teachers gets to the heart of Steiner’s ideas on education and child development.
Autor E. A. Karl Stockmeyer
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July 27-28, 2022 Online and Washington, DC
Join Lee Ann Potter, the Director of Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives at the Library of Congress, and a panel of educators from across the country, including Emerging America staff, from 12 noon - 1:30 on Thursday, July 28, 2022 at the Smithsonian's National Education Summit on July 27-28, 2022.
The conference is free to participants.
More information is available here: https://s.si.edu/EducationSummit2022 .
Read the SMITHSONIAN VOICES blog post below for examples of how teachers combine resources from multiple sources to fill gaps and offer choice.
Perfect Primary Source Combinations
How integrating digitized collections from across cultural institutions can create impactful learning experiences and more holistic narratives
Individual primary sources can be excellent teaching tools—but when they are paired with others that reflect a variety of media, they can be magical! They can offer multiple perspectives on the same event, engage all of our senses and appeal to different learners' interests. What a photograph shows, an oral history might tell. What one source whispers, another might shout. What one source proves, another source might contradict. And the more we share multiple sources with students—or encourage students to find them on their own—the more we model how knowledge can become wisdom...[Read the full blog post on the Smithsonian Voices website.]
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Without the basic necessities, life becomes a daily struggle to survive. A place to call home, a job and a sense of belonging are basic needs we all want for ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbours.
A thriving community is one where everyone has an opportunity to earn a living, support a family, and live with pride, confidence, dignity and achievement. When we help people support themselves and maintain stability for their families, we lift our entire community to a better place.
life & employment skills and social enterprise programs
Going further to help more families out of poverty
Enhanced financial empowerment initiatives
Networking 19 community partners together to reduce poverty and improve financial well-being.
What matters in Winnipeg.
1 in 10
Winnipeggers live in poverty, including 1 in 5 children.
Poverty is a root cause of dropping out of high school, poor physical & mental health, joblessness, homelessness, crime & violence and neighbourhood decline.
are homeless in our city on any given night.
People experiencing homelessness have an average lifespan 7 to 10 years less than the general population.
of homeless people spent time in care as a child.
One-third of homeless people who spent time in care as a child have children in care themselves, perpetuating an intergenerational cycle of homelessness & poverty.
said low income is a barrier to finding housing.
Manitoba has lost about 5000 affordable housing units due to expired operating grants in the last few years. With thousands more approaching their expiry dates, the supply of affordable housing may decrease even further.
Employment is one of the most important ways people in low-income situations can improve their well-being—but there are multiple barriers to them getting & keeping work.
How we’re changing lives
To help Winnipeg families plan for & earn a brighter future, your donations to United Way are invested in money management and matched savings programs, financial counselling, social enterprise and employment training programs that help people build their assets for long-term stability.
Creating job opportunities.
Your donations support programs that equip unemployed or underemployed Winnipeggers with the tools and knowledge to find and keep jobs to support their families.
This includes skills training, career guidance and employment services.
United Way collaborates with SEED Winnipeg, Assiniboine Credit Union and 10 agency partners to help people and families living in poverty save for life-changing assets like tuition, dental work, a computer and so much more.
Living on the Edge Poverty Simulation.
Groups from government, business, labour, education, healthcare and many other sectors get a glimpse into the lives, experiences and challenges faced by Winnipeggers living in poverty through a series of eye-opening, empathy-building role plays.
Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council.
A roundtable of community leaders working together to reduce poverty and its effect on Winnipeggers. WPRC‘s action plan outlines 10 aspirations for Winnipeg that will guide the council’s work until 2020. The first aspiration is achieving independence through income with an emphasis on Indigenous youth employment.
End Homelessness Winnipeg.
Launched in 2015, End Homelessness Winnipeg is a partnership between the City of Winnipeg, Province of Manitoba, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and United Way. It embodies a plan to end homelessness in our city within the next 10 years.
Your donations are helping these Winnipeggers out of poverty.
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I heard today about a company doing some really typical 21st-century business stuff. The founder noticed a gap in the market for a healthier version of a popular processed food, tapping into the current interest in clean living, exercise and healthy eating. He collaborated with an established partner to get his new product off the ground, and crowd-sourced the name, a portmanteau neologism à la chillaxing or Pinterest. To promote his new brand he engaged in an innovative bit of content marketing with a geolocation angle.
So far so absolutely standard, right? Except this isn’t a 21st-century company at all: the entrepreneur was Richard ‘Stoney’ Smith, who in 1887 patented a process for treating wheatgerm which meant it could be added back into flour to enrich it without going off. His partner was millers S. Fitton & Sons of Macclesfield, and the product was Hovis bread. The name was the result of a national competition: student Herbert Grime suggested it as a contraction of hominis vis – the strength of man.
And in 1899, the company published a series of branded cycle maps of England and Wales, listing Hovis-serving hostelries. You could tell you’d reach the right place because each inn had a plaque featuring the Hovis ‘H’ on a cycle wheel.
I sometimes wonder what the Victorians would have done with the Internet…
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RELIN: Relatedness and Informativeness-based Centrality for Entity Summarization
published: Nov. 25, 2011, recorded: October 2011, views: 2459
Report a problem or upload filesIf you have found a problem with this lecture or would like to send us extra material, articles, exercises, etc., please use our ticket system to describe your request and upload the data.
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Linked Data is developing towards a large, global repository for structured, interlinked descriptions of real-world entities. An emerging problem in many Web applications making use of data like Linked Data is how a lengthy description can be tailored to the task of quickly identifying the underlying entity. As a solution to this novel problem of entity summarization, we propose RELIN, a variant of the random surfer model that leverages the relatedness and informativeness of description elements for ranking. We present an implementation of this conceptual model, which captures the semantics of description elements based on linguistic and information theory concepts. In experiments involving real-world data sets and users, our approach outperforms the baselines, producing summaries that better match handcrafted ones and further, shown to be useful in a concrete task.
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Go ahead! Copy the HTML snippet !
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Finddupe is a tool for quick detecting of duplicate files on a hard drive under Windows. Duplicate files can be detected, hardlinked, or deleted. Finddupe can also search for hardlinked files on your computer.
Finddupe is a command line program. If you arent familiar with the "command prompt" under windows, this program might be a little challenging for you to use.
Finddupe has several possible uses:
Deleting duplicate files
When working thru somebody elses photo collection, or MP3 collection, this tool is useful for deleting the files that are duplicate. Depending on how the media is organized, there can be a lot of duplicate files in a collection.
Freeing hard drive space
Sometimes its intentional to have certain media in multiple places. By running finddupe, and hard linking the identical files, you can keep the files in multiple places, while only having one physical copy on the hard drive.
Detecting changed files for backup
Finddupe is useful for detecting which files have changed and need backing up. Simply back up the media, and then run finddupe to eliminate those files in the copy that are already contained in a previous backup.
Detecting hardlinked groups of files
Unknown to most, the winodws NTFS file system has the ability to hard link files together. If you use finddupe with the -listlink option, finddupe will search for files that appear in multiple places as hard links.
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Third American Constitution - Direct Democracy - Installment 6 - Article 1 - Section 2 -
A Speculation and a Vote Of Confidence.
Ideally, the best dedicated conceptual and experiential strength of Individual quality for superior social design and benefit to The Many, will be found in the "Volunteer Advisory House Of Representatives" and in the "Volunteer Advisory Senate""due to the accumulation of Wisdom and Experience of True Citizens in the "Volunteer House Of The American People". Ideally, in the "Volunteer Advisory House of Representatives", will be found the Best Minds of New America Direct Democracy Governance"but not necessarily so. The "Private Social" and "Private Business" sectors will have many superbly Evolved and experienced American Citizens in their numbers too.
Only, those Of The American People, that have Honorably completed their three months service in the central facility of the "Volunteer House Of The American People" are qualified to become candidates for the other volunteer, advisory, government branches, that are considered to be "higher services" for the Common Good of Our Nation. This calling to devoted duty, will be a matter of personal choice, unless it becomes difficult to fill the seats of advisement in these other branches and houses. If that happens then The People will consider, select and "call", candidates to serve in these challenging Advisory capacities. It is hoped that an available surplus of worthy candidates can be developed, from the relatively rapid turnover in the "Volunteer House Of The American People".
Item Nine and Ten: The intention of Items Nine and Ten is to show the direction of the Individual Citizen Evolution up through the Direct Democracy Governance Process. The basic direction is from "bottom" of society to "top", though there is also a corresponding direction, We could say, from "side to side""into the cultural fabric structure of society, as it Evolves. I hope that all the cultural elements of the New American Nation will contribute their "fair share" to its success.
The intention of the three month term period, in the Third House, is to provide as much opportunity as possible for Individuals to get a rotational chance to serve in the "Volunteer House Of The American People" and then upward to the Voluntary Advisory Houses of Honor. The flow of Citizens after the service in the People's House, will be more than the seat requirements of the Advisory Houses"due to the smaller membership numbers and the longer term periods in the Volunteer Advisory Houses.
A "Standard of Personal Improvement for the Purpose of Stronger Social Service" would apply here. This standard would include educational criteria that is contributive to this Individual quest"the best bodies of information to study, the best courses to take. These new and clearer standards of Citizenship and Governance are critical to the successful establishment of Direct Democracy. They are like guideposts that need to be learned early and thoroughly. Ideally, this Education would begin in the American Family Home, as Parents "Speak in Many Ways" and demonstrate the "Speaking" in the Living Of Life.
The "American Advisory Volunteer House of Representatives", a legislative advisory body of volunteers, of "previously proven integrity" in the service of Our Nation and Us, shall be composed of Members chosen, by Individual and Direct Vote, every second Year by the American People of the 51 States. The 1500 candidates are selected from the "best" of the Participatory Citizenry of Our Direct Democracy usually found in the upper levels of the "Volunteer House Of The American People". Levels that are Earned with personal performance of contribution to the nation.
The intention of Item Eleven is to indicate the way that quality proven and trusted candidates will enter service in the "American Volunteer Advisory House Of Representatives". There is also indication here of "levels" within the "Volunteer House Of The American People". These levels will probably be about different kinds of duties within the House, as well as leadership achievements within these "Duty Levels". These levels will Evolve with time and use.
The National Standards indicated above in this proposal will probably serve here as well. Reciprocal Application of the actions and experience of governance to the Standards will probably cause an Evolution of the Standards. A circular and Evolving process.
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Corn Germ Oil Production Line | sunflower oil production line
Automatic crude corn germ oil pressing and filtering by screw oil presser has the superiority of no need of filter aids, and low oil content in filter cake. 3. Corn germ pretreatment and corn oil pressing machine adopts durable and corrosion resistant design, which can withstand corrosion of sulfurous acid inside corn germ safely. 4. The corn oil of cooked embryo can be pressed out 50-70% from corn oil presser.
Corn Germ Extraction Line
Its by-product is corn germs, which is the main raw material for corn germ oil. The corn germ extraction line in alcohol plants can reduce production equipment input cost 25-30%. It doesn’t need the smashing section, and can save the cost 30% for fermentation section, 25% for distilling section and 30-40% for vinasse processing.
Corn Oil Production Technology Report
Now many countries use corn to make edible oil. One reason is that: according to research, the total fat content of corn grain is 3.1-5.7%, and 80-85% of the oil was enriched in corn germ. Therefore, the corn oil production mainly adopts germ extraction (separation) production technology.
Maize Corn Germ Oil Production Line Machinery - Cooking
Maize germ/ Corn germ oil is extracted from corn germ, which is one of the most commonly used cooking oil. Nowadays a complete corn germ oil production line consists of prepressing workshop, extraction workshop and refining workshop. In prepressing workshop, impurities entrained in corn germ being cleared.
China Maize Germ Oil Machine, Maize Germ Oil Machine
China manufacturing industries are full of strong and consistent exporters. We are here to bring together China factories that supply manufacturing systems and machinery that are used by processing industries including but not limited to: corn/maize germ oil production line, corn/maize germ oil mill, corn/maize germ oil manufactury equipment.
Corn Germ Oil Extraction Machinery Equipment Manufacturers
200TPD Soybean Oil Production Project In Russia We designs corn germ oil extraction line with durable stainless steel fixed grid plate and increases horizontal grid plats. This advanced design can prevent miscella in case of flowing back to blanking case and ensures high quality extracting crude oil.
Corn Oil Extraction Plant, Corn Oil Processing Plant
Introduction to Corn Oil Extraction Plant. Corn oil extraction plant extracts corn germ from corn and produces corn germ oil by solvent extraction method.The corn oil production line includes corn germ extraction process, corn germ pretreatment and prepressing process, corn germ cake solvent extraction process and crude corn germ oil refining process.
Corn oil processing Line, Corn Oil Manufacturing Plant
For the deodorized rice bran oil, tea oil, corn germ oil and other fat (wax) content of higher oil should also be carried out further dewaxing and degreasing. Suitable for oil varieties: rice bran oil, tea seed oil, corn germ, animal oil and other high acid prices, impurities and more fuel.
50TPD Corn Germ Oil Production Line/ Corn Oil Mill/ Crushing Plant
Corn Germ 1 - Продолжительность: 9:29 VincentCorp1931 62 562 просмотра.The Maize milling business in Kenya - Продолжительность: 15:45 Farmers'_TV Kenya.
How to Starting a Complete Corn Oil Production Line?
Corn Oil Production can be done on a small scale there are machinery and equipment that is easy to put together, to process the corn to get a considerable amount of oil output.The first step of corn oil production is Corn Germ Separation. It is also known as corn embryo extracting or germ extraction.
Corn germ oil production line
Learn about working at Corn germ oil production line. Join LinkedIn today for free.About us. Corn oil is extracted from corn germ,which is one of the most commonly used cooking oil.Nowadays a complete corn oil production line consists of prepressing ,extraction workshop and refining workshop.
Corn Germ Oil Production Line(id:10699003). Buy China
Corn germ oil is extracted from corn germ, rich in nutritional value, loved by everyone.Dingzhou Yongsheng Grain and Oil Machinery Co.,Ltd canMain Equipment Description for Corn Germ Oil Production Line: This process is used YZY260 style high efficiency screw oil pressing machine.The
Low investment cooking vegetable corn germ oil production line
All the corn oil production line equipment will be carefully inspected and packed with strong wooden cases to ensure its safety.With years of experience in exporting , designing, and installation of both small and large corn germ oil production line across the world.
Corn Germ Oil Production Line for Oi
Corn germ→Cleaning →magnetic separator →metering →conditioning→flaking→ pre-pressing→ cake for extraction and crude oil directly for refinery. Points for corn germ oil prepress plant : ♦ Magnetic separator, vibrating screen ,destoner are used to remove different impurities inside cottonseeds
Corn Germ Oil Production Line
Palm Oil Production Line. Peanut Oil Processing Plant.
10-50TPD corn germ oil production line
Corn germ→Cleaning →magnetic separator →metering →conditioning→flaking→ pre-pressing→ cake for extraction and crude oil directly for refinery. B. Points for corn germ oil prepress plant : ♦ Magnetic separator, vibrating screen ,destoner are used to remove different impurities inside
Corn Germ Oil Production Line - Corn Germ Oil
Corn oil processing Line (Keywords: Corn Oil Factory, Corn Oil Extraction, Corn Oil Plant, Corn Oil Manufacturing Plant, Corn Oil Production, Corn Germ OilIntroduction Our production complete line adapts to palm fruit , palm kernel, rapeseed , coconut, corn germ and many other oil seeds.
Corn Processing Line Equipment, Corn Oil Extraction, Maize Corn
We provide complete set of corn processing line machine, corn/maize germ oil equipment, corn germ oil extraction machinery with high capacity and reliable quality.PROJECT. 10TPH Palm Oil Processing Line In Thailand.
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CAKE may be best known for its stylish and highly-designed electric motorcycles. But the company’s latest teaser today seems to imply that a lighter electric two-wheeler is in the cards for the brand’s next model.
It’s hard to say exactly what CAKE is working on, as the image is zoomed in to show just two frame members welded at a sharp angle.
But those two frame members appear to use tubes that are narrower than those seen on CAKE’s larger electric motorbikes and e-mopeds.
They also join at an angle that quite closely matches with the top tube and down tube of a bicycle frame.
The teaser image also includes the following caption:
“The product line expanding, pre-launch starts soon. The new bikes are developed for a new user matrix, supporting the CAKE mission: To speed up the journey towards a zero emission society, combining excitement with responsibility.”
A move even further into light electric vehicles like electric bicycles would make sense for CAKE.
So continuing the trend of releasing even smaller and lighter two-wheeled EVs could eventually bring the brand to a true electric bicycle.
As a European manufacturer though, CAKE would be limited to European e-bike laws when selling on its own continent. That means low-power 250W motors and a paltry speed of 15.5 mph (25 km/h).
In the US, CAKE’s e-bikes could potentially feature three times that power level and nearly twice the speed, up to 28 mph (45 km/h).
Though this assumes CAKE is even building an electric bicycle at all. The frame members certainly look like they match the front triangle of a diamond frame on a bike, but CAKE could just be trolling all of us by purposefully photographing a small section of a different vehicle’s frame that looks vaguely bike-ish.
If you ask me though, I bet dollars to donuts that CAKE has an e-bike coming.
Just for fun, here’s the CAKE teaser image lined up decently well with the frame of the new VanMoof A5 e-bike just announced this week. See? It could work!
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.
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Why is steel cut oatmeal better than regular oatmeal?
Steel cut oats are rich in protein and fiber, improving fullness and helping to provide the macronutrient building blocks of a healthy diet. Cook up your half cup of steel cut oats for breakfast, and you’ve got a fiber packed, slowly digesting meal that will keep you full and energized until lunch.
Join Alexa Answers
Help make Alexa smarter and share your knowledge with the worldLEARN MORE
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Data breach is a security incident in which sensitive, protected or confidential data is copied, transmitted, viewed, stolen or used by an individual unauthorized to do so. Data breaches may involve financial information such as credit card or bank details, personal health information (PHI), Personally identifiable information (PII), trade secrets of corporations or intellectual property.
Data breach normally leads to degradation of employee customer trust, legal and regulatory liabilities and out of budget expenses.
Isecurion helps organizations help prepare for Data Breach and provide support in case of major data breach. Our expert Breach response team helps you in taking necessary action related to customer and legal communications and root cause analysis, containment and eradication of the threat vector associated with the breach.
- Quick communication with clients, employees and shareholders and defining the action items planned for the breach.
- Provide support is addressing the queries placed by the customers and legal entities.
- Reporting the Fraud related information in the breach to associated legal institutions.
- Get comprehensive report detailing analysis and evidence collection for legal requirements.
We use a methodical approach in conducting a series of analysis to identify, contain and eradicate the security breach. In addition to that we also provide support to our customer for legal and compliance related requirements. Our methodology of assessment is based on the following approach.
- Gather information from the affected teams.
- Collect and preserve the evidence.
- Communicate with client and business partners.
- Initiate containment and eradication measures.
- Communicate with regional CERT and regulatory authorities.
- Prepare report detailing impact of the breach and necessary actions taken with recommendations.
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All children require opportunities for fun, recreation, and play. Playing games and other activities relaxes children and tremendously aids in their development. Through these recreational activities, children learn to explore, experiment, and discover different things.
Play activities can be broadly classified into the following types:
Free play is an unstructured and impromptu activity initiated and directed by a child that involves minimal adult guidance and supervision. Children determine the direction and rules of their play activities. During free play, children have the freedom and opportunity to choose their playmates, the kind of games they want to play, and how they want to play them.
Free play allows children to express themselves freely without inhibitions; at R.A.D. Camps, we understand the importance of free play and natural playtime for children. We have designed our Summer Day Camps, After School Programs, and HooDoo Night Skiing to encourage free play, fun, and camaraderie in outdoor settings.
During our summer day camp programs, we explore over 50 pristine natural locations in the beautiful mountains and forests of Central Oregon. During the program, children enjoy swimming, climbing, hiking, and playing multiple outdoor games at their own pace.
Research proves that free or unstructured playtime has numerous benefits. It aids in child development in the following ways.
Nourishes Brain Development and Improves I.Q.
Children are naturally curious and want to learn and explore their surroundings. Their brains are highly functioning and process information rapidly, compared to the adult brain. Free play provides the perfect opportunity for children to learn and explore new things and use their mental energy to solve problems and polish their cognitive abilities.
During free play, children are exposed to multiple stimulants and challenging situations and use a more significant amount of their mental energy. As a result, children's brains develop new connections and pathways which improve their Intelligence Quotient. Hence, free play makes children more innovative and more intelligent.
Improves Social Skills
During early childhood, children learn essential verbal and non-verbal skills which help them interact with others. Their initial human interaction is limited to family members, namely parents and siblings. However, as they grow, their social circle broadens, interacting with schoolmates and teachers, etc.
Strong communication and social skills go a long way in shaping an individual's personality. Free play helps children improve their social skills in the following ways:
Through collaboration with other children to achieve a common goal.
Negotiating the terms of the game and asserting their point of view in the event of a conflict.
Listening to others' opinions and accommodating their perspective.
Leading the team or following the lead of another playmate.
Learning how to resolve the dispute amicably.
Learning to control their outbursts and display more socially acceptable behavior.
To give your child a memorable outdoor experience, enroll him in our R.A.D. Camps summer programs. Our summer day camp programs are located in Bend, Oregon. We have multiple fun-filled trips for children to the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests. Our motto is "no child left inside." We connect children with nature through fun-filled activities.
For more information, visit our website, contact us, or call us at (541) 410-7258.
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Sugar is a well-known component of any meal. Basically, this substance is a pure sucrose, which is needed for our body to have some energy. So, what amount of calories does sugar contain? Let us find out!
How Many Calories in a Cup of Sugar
Common sugar, called sucrose, refers to carbohydrates, which are considered as valuable nutrients that provide your organism with an energy it needs to work properly. There are some different kinds of carbs, but sucrose splits very fast, meaning you get energy from it almost instantly.
There are some different kinds of this sweet product which we usually use, such as white and brown. In addition, this product goes in granulated, powdered or natural states. The interesting thing here is that there is almost no difference between them, when talking about calories. Therefore, as a cup of white sugar worth 796 kcal, the same is true about brown one.
Coconut sugar is somewhat different. It is made from nectar of coconut palm flowers and contains not only carbohydrates, but also some proteins and vegetable fats. So, the caloric value there is a bit less.
Calories in a Tablespoon of Sugar
While brown sugar is almost the same, many people like it more. The thing is its slightly vanilla taste. Brown sugar may be a little more beneficial for your health, as it contains some vitamins, as well as fewer carbohydrates. There is actually something different in the content of this brown sweetness. However, as we have mentioned before, the calorie content is the same, and one tablespoon of sugar (that equals around 12,5 g of the product) contains 99.5 kcal.
How Many Calories in a Teaspoon of Sugar
It is better to count sugar with teaspoons, as we all use it likes this. Almost all people prefer their tea or coffee to be sweetened. Therefore, one teaspoon of sugar (that equals to the amount of 5 g) contains around 39.8 kcal. Remember that before drinking some tea, if you are on a diet.
Powdered type of this product is not different from a regular one. However, the amount of calories in there may be slightly less (It depends on the fineness of grind). There are even three various sorts of powder. Two of them are used in the confectionery industry, whereas the last is what you can buy in a mart. Remember to count sweet calories in powdered sugar if you sprinkle it on some bakery.
Calories in a Gram of Sugar
It is very important to know the exact amount of sugar, for example, in wine, to calculate how much calories we can get from it. The good thing is that some manufacturers of different products put a content of this sweetness on packages.
Remember that one gram of sugar equals 3.98 kcal. This is actually a lot, as we are talking here about just a pinch.
Caloric Value of White, Brown and Coconut Sugar
|Name of a product||Calories in a cup (200 g)||Calories in a tablespoon (12,5 g)||Calories in a teaspoon (4 g)||Calories per gram||Percent of daily calorie intake (for 100 g)|
Notice that all the sweet product you can buy in a market goes granulated. However, there is also a natural one – a sugar you get right from beets or reeds (depending on a method of producing). It is not widely used in cookery, because it might be more harmful for health. The amount of calories there is not much different: ±0.2 per gram.
So, as you can see, one teaspoon of sugar is a huge dose of energy, and if you do not use this energy (e.g. on physical exercises), it will transform into fat. That is why it is recommended to control the amount of sweet calories you get, especially when you are on a diet. Anyway, it is hard to imagine our life without all these sweets. Just be reasonable with amounts.
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Wendot bent his head in voiceless assent. He knew something of his country's history, and that his mother spoke only the sad truth.
"My son," continued she after a pause, "it chances sometimes in this troubled life of ours that we are called upon to make choice, not between good and evil, but between two courses, both of which are beset with difficulties and obstacles, both of which mingle together evil and good, for which and against which much may be argued on both sides, and many things that are true be said for and against both. To some such choice as this has our poor country now come. Experience has taught us that she is incapable of uniting all her forces and of making of herself one compact, united kingdom. That course, and that alone, would be her true salvation; but that course she will not take, and failing that, she has to choose between being torn and rent by faction till she is an easy prey to the English king, who will then divide her territories amongst his own hungry and rapacious barons, or for the princes to submit to pay him the homage for their lands which he (possibly with injustice) demands, but which if paid will make of him their friend and protector, and will enable the country to live in peace and prosperity, assured that the king will support those who acknowledge him, and that he will not deprive of their ancestral rights any who will bring their homage to him, and hold their territory as it were from him. Understandest thou thus much?"
"Ay, mother, I understand it well; and though there is something in the thought that stirs my blood and sets it coursing through my veins in indignation — for I see not by what right the English king lays claim to our fair lands — still I know that conquest gives to the conqueror a right, and that if he chose to march against us with his armies, he might well find us too much weakened by our petty feuds to resist his strong veterans. And the English are not all bad. I have learned that these many days whilst our guests have been with us. I have thought at times that they would be true friends and allies, and that we might do well to copy them in many ways. In truth, if the choice lies betwixt being rent in pieces by each other and giving homage to the great Edward, who can be merciful and just, I would rather choose the latter. For there must be something grand and noble about him by what our little maid says; and to pay homage is no such hard thing. Why, does not he himself pay homage to the King of France for the lands he holds in his kingdom?"
A look of relief crossed the face of the mother as she heard these words from her first-born son. She took his hand in hers and said earnestly:
"Wendot, I am glad to hear thee speak thus, for thou art the heir of Dynevor, and upon thee much may fall some day. Thou knowest what thy brothers are — I speak of Llewelyn and Howel. I cannot but fear for them — unless, indeed, the rapacious greed I sometimes see in Llewelyn proves stronger than his fierce hatred to the English, and he prefers to do homage for his lands rather than lose them. But thou art the head of the family, and the chief power will rest with thee when thy father is gone. I counsel thee, if the time comes when thou must make thy choice, be not led away by blind hatred of the English. They may prove less cruel foes than thine own countrymen are to one another. If Wales may not be united under one native king, let her think well ere she rejects the grace held out to all who will yield fealty to the English monarch. That is what I wished to say to thee. Remember that the English are not always cruel, always rapacious. There are generous, noble, honourable men amongst them, of whom I am sure our guest is one."
"Ay, he has a grand face," said Wendot. "A face one can both love and trust. And all that the little one tells me of the king and his family inclines my heart towards him and his. I will remember what you have said, mother, and will ponder your words. Methinks it is no lovely thing to hate as Llewelyn and Howel hate; it makes men act rather as fiends than as honourable soldiers should."
The conversation ended there, and was not renewed; but the very next day Lord Montacute sought Wendot's room, when the lad was lying alone, wearying somewhat of his own company, and the light sprang into his eyes as he saw the guest approach, for in his own boyish way he had a great admiration for this man.
"Well, lad, I am glad to see thee looking something more substantial and like thine own self," said Lord Montacute, seating himself upon the edge of the bed and taking Wendot's hand in his. "This hand has done good service to me and mine — good service, indeed, to the King of England, who would have been forced to chastise with some severity the outrage planned upon a subject of his, and one dear to him from association with his children. Tell me, boy, what can I do for thee when I tell this tale to my lord of England? What boon hast thou to ask of him or of me? For thou needest not fear; whatever it be it shall be granted."
"Nay, I have no boon," answered Wendot, his cheek flushing. "I did but do my duty by any guest beneath my father's roof. I was responsible for the safety of the maid. I had taken that duty on myself. I want nothing; she is safe, and that is enough. Only if you would speak to my father for my brothers Llewelyn and Howel. I know they have merited deep displeasure; yet they are but lads, and doubtless they were led away by evil counsels. He would hear pleading better from you than from me."
"It shall be done," said Lord Montacute, still regarding Wendot steadily; "and now, boy, I would speak to thee seriously and gravely as man to man, for thou hast proved thyself to be a man in action, in courage, and in foresight. And thy parents tell me that thou art acquainted with the burning questions of the day, and that thy brothers' headstrong hatreds and prejudices do not blind thee."
Wendot made no reply, but fixed his bright eyes steadily on Lord Montacute's face. He on his side, after a brief silence, began again in clear, terse phrases:
"Lad, if thou livest thou wilt some day be Lord of Dynevor — master of this fair heritage, the fairest, perhaps, in all South Wales. Thou hast noble blood in thy veins — the blood of princes and kings; thou hast much that men covet to call their own; but thou art surrounded by foes who are jealous of thee, and by kinsmen who have already cast covetous eyes on thy possessions."
"Ay, that traitorous Meredith ap Res, whose mother is English, and who would — But pardon me. I would not willingly speak against your nation. Indeed, I feel not bitter as others do; only —"
"Boy, thou art right to be loyal and true. I like thee none the less for the patriotic fervour which breaks out in thee. But I am glad that thou shouldest see both sides of this matter, that thou shouldest see the peril menacing thy brothers from thine own kinsman, who has strengthened himself by an English alliance. It is useless to blind thine eyes to what is coming. They tell me thou art not blind; and I come to thee, lad, because I think well of thee, to ask if it would please thee to strengthen thy position in thine own land and in Edward's sight by an alliance with an English maiden of noble birth. Hast thou ever thought of such a thing?"
Wendot's wide-open eyes gave answer enough. Lord Montacute smiled slightly as he said:
"Ah, thou art full young for such thoughts; and thou livest not in the atmosphere of courts, where babes are given in marriage almost from their cradles. But listen, Res Wendot; I speak not in jest, I am a man of my word. Thou hast risked thy life to save my little maid. Thou art a noble youth, and I honour both thee and thy parents. The maid has told me that she loves thee well, and would be well pleased to wed thee when she is of the age to do so. These are but childish words, yet they may prove themselves true in days to come. It is in the interests of all those who have the peace and prosperity of this land at heart to strengthen themselves in every way they can. My little daughter will have an ample dower to bring her husband; and I will keep her for thee if thou wilt be willing to claim her in days to come. I should like well to see her ruling in these fair halls; and thou hast proved already that thou art a knightly youth, whose hand she may well take with confidence and pride.
"Thy parents are willing; it waits only for thee to say. What thinkest thou of a troth plight with the little maid?"
Wendot's face glowed with a sort of boyish shame, not unmingled with pride; but the idea was altogether too strange and new to him to be readily grasped.
"I have never thought of such things," he said shyly, "and I am too young to wed. Perchance I may grow into some rough, uncouth fellow, who may please not the maiden when she reaches years of discretion. Methinks it would scarce be fair to plight her now, at least not with such a plight as might not be broken. If our nations meet in fierce conflict, as they yet may, it would be a cruel thing to have linked her hand with that of a rebel, for such we are called by the English monarch, they say, when we rise to fight for our liberties bequeathed by our ancestors.
"Nay, noble lord, frown not on me. There be moments when methinks two spirits strive within me, and I am fearful of trusting even myself. I would not that grief or sorrow should touch her through me. Let me come and claim her anon, when I have grown to man's estate, and can bring her lands and revenues. But bind her not to one whose fate may be beset with perils and shadows. There be those amongst our bards who see into the future; and they tell us that a dark fate hangs over the house of Dynevor, and that we four shall be the last to bear the name."
Lord Montacute was looking grave and earnest. There was something in his face which indicated disappointment, but also something that spoke of relief. Possibly he himself had offered this troth plight with something of hesitation, offered it out of gratitude to the noble lad, and out of respect to his parents, who, as he saw, would prove valuable allies to the English cause, could they but be induced to give their allegiance to it. Yet there was another side to the picture, too; and Wendot was too young for any one to predict with certainty what would be his course in the future. The hot blood of his race ran in his veins; and though his judgment was cool, and he saw things in a reasonable and manly light, it would be rash to predict what the future might have in store for him.
"Well, lad, thou hast spoken bravely and well," said the Englishman, after a pause for thought. "Perchance thy words are right; perchance it will be well to let matters rest as they are for the present. We will have no solemn troth plight betwixt ye twain; but the maid shall be promised to none other these next four years, so that if thou carest to claim her ere she reaches woman's estate, thou shalt find her waiting for thee. And now I must say thee farewell, for tomorrow we ride away the way we came. I trust to see thee at the king's court one of these days, and to make known to his royal majesty the noble youth of Dynevor."
Wendot was left alone then for some time, pondering the strange offer made to him, and wondering whether he had been foolish to refuse the promised reward. He had never seriously thought of marriage, although in those days wedlock was entered upon very young if there were any advantage to be gained from it. A lad of fifteen is seldom sentimental; but Wendot was conscious of a very warm spot in his heart for little Gertrude, and he knew that he should miss her sorely when she went, and think of her much. Would it have been a sweet or a bitter thing to have felt himself pledged to a daughter of England? He felt that he could not tell; but at least the decision was made now, and his words could not be recalled.
Just ere the sun set that summer's day there came down the stone corridor which led to his room the patter of little feet, and he leaned up on his elbow with brightening eyes as the door opened and little Gertrude came dancing in.
"I thought I was to have been married to you, Wendot, before we went away," she said, looking into his face with the most trusting expression in her soft dark eyes; "but father says you will come to marry me some day at the king's court. Perhaps that will be better, for I should like Eleanor and Joanna to see you. They would like you so, and you would like them. But do come soon, Wendot. I do so like you; and I shall want to show you to them all. And I have broken my gold coin in two — the one the king gave me once. I got the armourer to do it, and to make a hole in each half. You must wear one half round your neck, and I will wear the other. And that will be almost the same as being married, will it not? And you will never forget me, will you?"
Wendot let her hang the half of the coin round his neck by a silken thread, strange new thoughts crowding into his mind as he felt her soft little hands about him. Suddenly he clasped them in both of his and pressed warm kisses upon them. Gertrude threw her arms about his neck in a childish paroxysm of affection, saying as she did so between her kisses:
"Now, it's just like being husband and wife; and we shall never forget one another — never."
CHAPTER V. THE KING'S CHILDREN.
"Dynevor —did you say Dynevor? O Eleanor, it must be he!"
A tall, slim, fair-faced maiden, with a very regal mien, looked up quickly from an embroidery frame over which she was bending, and glanced from the eager, flushed face of the younger girl who stood beside her to that of a tall and stalwart English youth, who appeared to be the bearer of a piece of news, and asked in her unconsciously queenly way:
"What is it, Sir Godfrey, that you have told this impetuous child, to have set her in such a quiver of excitement?"
"Only this, gracious lady, that certain youthful chieftains from the south have come hither to Rhuddlan to pay their homage to your royal father. In his absence at Chester they have been lodged within the castle walls, as becomes their station. It has been told me that amongst them are four sons of one Res Vychan, lately dead, and that he was Lord of Dynevor, which honour has descended to his eldest son. I was telling what I knew to Lady Gertrude when she broke away to speak to you."
"Eleanor, it must be he — it must be they!" cried Gertrude, with flushing cheek and kindling eye — "Res Vychan, Lord of Dynevor, and his four sons. It could be none else than they. O Eleanor, sweet Eleanor, bid them be brought hither to see us! Thou hast heard the story of how we went thither, my father and I, two years agone now, and of what befell me there. I have never heard a word of Wendot since, and I have thought of him so oft. Thou art mistress here now; they all heed thy lightest word. Bid that the brothers be brought hither to us. I do so long to see them again!"
Gertrude was fairly trembling with excitement; but that was no unusual thing for her, as she was an ardent, excitable little mortal, and ever in a fever of some kind or another. The young knight who had brought the news looked at her with unmistakable admiration and pleasure, and seemed as though he would gladly have obeyed any behest of hers; but he was fain to wait for the decision of the stately Eleanor, the king's eldest and much-beloved child, who in the temporary absence of her parents occupied a position of no little importance in the household, and whose will, in the royal apartments at any rate, was law.
But there were other listeners to Gertrude's eager words. At the far end of the long gallery, which was occupied by the royal children as their private apartment, a group of three young things had been at play, but the urgency of Gertrude's tones had arrested their attention, and they had drawn near to hear her last words. One of these younger children was a black-eyed girl, with a very handsome face and an imperious manner, which gave to onlookers the idea that she was older than her years. Quick tempered, generous, hasty, and self willed was the Lady Joanna, the second daughter of the king; but her warm affections caused all who knew her to love her; and her romantic temperament was always stirred to its depths by any story that savoured of chivalry or heroism.
"What!" she cried; "is Wendot here — Wendot of Dynevor, who held the Eagle's Crag against half a hundred foemen to save thee, sweetest Gertrude, from captivity or death? — Eleanor, thou knowest the story; thou must bid him hither at once! Why, I would thank him with my own lips for his heroism. For is not Gertrude as our own sister in love?"
"Ay, Eleanor, bid him come," pleaded Alphonso, a fragile-looking boy a year younger than Joanna, whose violet-blue eyes and fair skin were in marked contrast to her gipsy-like darkness of complexion; and this request was echoed eagerly by another boy, a fine, bold-looking lad, somewhat older than Alphonso, by name Britten, who was brought up with the king's children, and treated in every way like them, as the wardrobe rolls of the period show, though what his rank and parentage were cannot now be established, as no mention of him occurs in any other documents of that time.
The Princess Eleanor, as she would now be called, although in those far-back days the title of Lady was generally all that was bestowed upon the children of the king, did not attempt to resist the combined entreaties of her younger playfellows. Indeed, although somewhat mature both in mind and appearance for her years, she was by no means devoid of childish or feminine curiosity, and was as willing to see the hero of Gertrude's oft-told tale as her more youthful companions could be. Moreover, it was her father's policy and pleasure to be generous and gracious towards all those who submitted themselves to his feudal sovereignty; and to the young he ever showed himself friendly and even paternal. The stern soldier-king was a particularly tender and loving father, and his wife the best of mothers, so that the family tie in their household was a very strong and beautiful thing. When the monarch was called away from his own royal residences to quell sedition or rebellion in this turbulent country of Wales, his wife and children accompanied him thither; and so it happened that in this rather gloomy fastness in North Wales, when the rebellion of the warlike Llewelyn had but just been crushed, the king's children were to be found assembled within its walls, by their bright presence and laughter-loving ways making the place gay and bright, and bringing even into political matters something of the leniency and good fellowship which seems to be the prerogative of childhood.
Thus it was that one powerful and turbulent noble, Einon ap Cadwalader, had left as hostage of his good faith his only child, the Lady Arthyn, to be the companion of the king's daughters. She had been received with open arms by the warm-hearted Joanna, and the two were fast friends already, although the Welsh girl was several years the elder of the pair. But Joanna, who had been educated in Spain by her grandmother and namesake, and who had only recently come to be with her own parents, had enjoyed abroad a liberty and importance which had developed her rapidly, and her mind was as quick and forward as her body was active and energetic.
Intercourse with Arthyn, too, had given to the younger princess a great sympathy with the vanquished Welsh, and she was generously eager that those who came to pay homage to her father should not feel themselves in a position that was humiliating or galling. The gentle Eleanor shared this feeling to the full, and was glad to give to the young knight Sir Godfrey Challoner, who was one of her own gentlemen-in-waiting, a gracious message for the young Lord of Dynevor to the effect that she would be glad to receive him and his brothers in her father's absence, and to give them places at the royal table for the evening meal shortly to be served.
Great was the delight of Gertrude when the message was despatched. Her companions crowded round her to hear again the story of her adventure on the Eagle's Crag. Gertrude never knew how she had been betrayed by Wendot's brothers. She believed that they had been accidentally hindered from coming to her rescue by the difficulties of the climb after the eagle's nest. There was a faint, uncomfortable misgiving in her mind with regard to the black-browed twins, but it did not amount to actual suspicion, far less to any certainty of their enmity; and although Eleanor had heard the whole story from her parents, she had not explained the matter more fully to Gertrude.
An invitation from royalty was equal to a command, and the eager children were not kept waiting long. The double doors at the end of the long gallery, which had closed behind the retiring form of Godfrey, opened once again to admit him, and closely in his wake there followed two manly youths — two, not four — upon whose faces every eye was instantly fixed in frank and kindly scrutiny.
Wendot had developed rapidly during these two last years, although he retained all his old marked characteristics. The waving hair was still bright and sunny, the open face, with its rather square features, was resolute, alert, manly, and strong. The fearless blue eyes had not lost their far-away dreaminess, as though the possessor were looking onward and outward beyond the surroundings visible to others; and beneath the calm determination of the expression was an underlying sweetness, which shone out from time to time in the sunny smile which always won the heart of the beholder. The figure was rather that of a man than a lad — tall, strongly knit, full of grace and power; and a faint yellow moustache upon the upper lip showed the dawn of manhood in the youth. There was something in his look which seemed to tell that he had known sorrow, trial, and anxiety; but this in no way detracted from the power or attractiveness of the countenance, but rather gave it an added charm.
Griffeth retained his marked likeness to his brother, and was almost his equal in height; but his cheek was pale and hollow, while Wendot's was brown and healthy, his hands were slim and white, and there was an air of languor and ill-health about him which could not fail to make itself observed. He looked much younger than his brother, despite his tall stature, and he blushed like a boy as he saw the eyes of the ladies fixed upon them as they came forward, bowing with no ungraceful deference.
"Wendot, Wendot. don't you know me?"
The young man started and raised his eyes towards the speaker. So far, he had only been aware that there were a number of persons collected at the upper end of the long gallery. Now he found himself confronted by a pair of eager, dancing eyes, as soft and dark as those of a forest deer, whilst two slim hands were held out to him, and a silvery voice cried softly and playfully:
"O Wendot, Wendot, to think you have forgotten!"
"Ah, I am glad you have not forgotten, though methinks I have changed more than you these past years. I should have known you anywhere. But come, Wendot; I would present you to my friends and companions, who would fain be acquainted with you. They know how you saved my life that day, I have told the tale so oft.
"Let me present you first to our sweetest Lady Eleanor, our great king's eldest daughter. You will love her, I know — none can help it. And she lets me call myself her sister."
Young things have a wonderful faculty of growing intimate in a very brief space, and the formalities of those simpler times were not excessive, especially away from the trammels of the court. In ten minutes' time Wendot and his brother had grasped the names and rank of all those to whom they had been presented, and were joining in the eager talk with ease and with enjoyment. Joanna stood beside Wendot, listening, with unfeigned interest, to his answers respecting himself and those near and dear to him; whilst Alphonso had drawn Griffeth to the embrasure of a window, and was looking up into his face as they compared notes and exchanged ideas. It seemed from the first as though a strong link formed itself between those two.
"Your brothers would not come. Was that fear or shame or pride?" asked Joanna, with a laughing look into Wendot's flushed face. "Nay, think not that we would compel any to visit us who do it not willingly. Gertrude has prepared us to find your brothers different from you. Methinks she marvelled somewhat that they had come hither at all with their submission."
Wendot hesitated, and the flush deepened on his face; but he was too young to have learned the lesson of reticence, and there was something in the free atmosphere of this place which prompted him to frankness.
"I myself was surprised at it," he said. "Llewelyn and Howel have not been friendly in their dealings with the English so far, and we knew they aided Llewelyn of North Wales in the revolt which has been lately quelled. But since our parents died we have seen but little of them. They became joint owners of the commot of Iscennen, and removed from Dynevor to the castle of Carregcennen in their own territory, and until we met them some days since in company with our kinsman Meredith ap Hes, coming to tender their homage, as we ourselves are about to do, we knew not what to think of them or what action they would take."
"Are both your parents dead, then?" asked Gertrude, with sympathy in her eyes. "I heard that Res Vychan was no longer living, but I knew not that the gentle Lady of Dynevor had passed away also."
Wendot's face changed slightly as he answered:
"They both died within a few days of each other the winter after you had been with us, Lady Gertrude. We were visited by a terrible sickness that year, and our people sickened and died in great numbers. Our parents did all they could for them, and first my father fell ill and died, and scarce had the grave closed over him before our mother was stricken, and followed him ere a week had passed. Griffeth was also lying at the point of death, and we despaired of his life also; but he battled through, and came back to us from the very gates of the grave, and yet methinks sometimes that he has never been the same since. He shoots up in height, but he cannot do the things he did when he was two years younger.
"What think you of him, sweet Lady Gertrude? Is he changed from what he was when last you saw him, ere the sickness had fastened upon him?"
Several eyes were turned towards the slim, tall figure of the Welsh lad leaning against the embrasure of the window. The sunlight fell full upon his face, showing the sharpness of its outlines, the delicate hectic colouring, the tracery of the blue veins beneath the transparent skin. And just the same transparent look was visible in the countenance of the young Prince Alphonso, who was talking with the stranger youth, and more hearts than that of Wendot felt a pang as their owners' eyes were turned upon the pair beside the sunny window. But Wendot pressed for no answer to his question, nor did Gertrude volunteer it; she only asked quickly:
"Then Griffeth and you live yet at Dynevor, beautiful Dynevor, and Llewelyn and Howel elsewhere?"
"Ay, at Carregcennen. We have our respective lands, though we are minors yet; and our kinsman Meredith ap Res is our guardian, though it is little we see of him."
"Meredith ap Res! I know him well," cried a girlish voice, in accents which betrayed her Welsh origin. "He has ever been a traitor to his country, a traitor to all who trust him; a covetous, grasping man, who will clutch at what he can get, and never cease scheming after lands and titles so long as the breath remains in him."
They all turned to see who had spoken, and Arthyn — the headstrong, passionate, patriotic Arthyn, who, despite her love for her present companions, bitterly resented being left a hostage in the hands of the English king — stood out before them, and spoke in the fearless fashion which nobody present resented.
"Wendot of Dynevor, if you are he, beware of that man, and bid your brothers beware of him, too. I know him; I have heard much of him. Be sure he has an eye on your fair lands, and he will embroil you yet with the English king if he can, that he may lay claim to your patrimony. He brings you here to the court to make your peace, to pay your homage. If I mistake not the man, you will not all of you return whence you came. He will poison the king's mind. Some traitorous practices will be alleged against you. Your lands will be withheld. You will be fed with promises which will never be fulfilled. And the kinsman who has sold himself body and soul to the English alliance will rule your lands, in your names firstly perchance, until his power is secure, and he can claim them boldly as his own. See if it be not so."
"It shall not be so," cried Alphonso, suddenly advancing a step forward and planting himself in the midst of the group.
His cheek was crimson now, there was fire in his eyes. He had all the regal look of his royal father as he glanced up into Wendot's face and spoke with an authority beyond his years.
"I, the king's son, give you my word of honour that this thing shall not be. You are rightful Lord of Dynevor. You took not up arms against my father in the late rebellion; you come at his command to pay your homage to him. Therefore, whatever may be his dealings with your brothers who have assisted the rebels, I pledge my princely word that you shall return in peace to your own possessions. My father is a just and righteous king, and I will be his surety that he will do all that is right and just by you, Wendot of Dynevor."
"Well spoken, Alphonso!" cried Joanna and Britton in a breath, whilst Wendot took the hand extended to him, and bent over it with a feeling of loyal gratitude and respect.
There was something very lovable in the fragile young prince, and he seemed to win the hearts of all who came within the charm of his personal presence. He combined his father's fearless nobility with his mother's sweetness of disposition. Had he lived to ascend the throne of England, one of the darkest pages of its annals might never have been written.
But this hot discussion was brought to an end by the appearance of the servants, who carried in the supper, laying it upon a long table at the far end of the gallery. No great state was observed even in the royal household, when the family was far away from the atmosphere of the court as it was held at Westminster or Windsor.
A certain number of servants were in attendance. There were a few formalities gone through in the matter of tasting of dishes served to the royal children, but they sat round the table without ceremony; and when the chaplain had pronounced a blessing, which was listened to reverently by the young people, who were all very devout and responsive to religious influences, the unconstrained chatter began again almost at once, and the Welsh lads lost all sense of strangeness as they sat at the table of the king's children.
"Our father and mother will not return for several days yet," said Joanna to Wendot, whom she had placed between herself and Gertrude; "but we have liberty to do what we wish and to go where we like.
"Say, Gertrude, shall we tell Wendot on what we have set our hearts? It may be he would help us to our end."
"I would do anything you bid me, gracious lady," answered Wendot with boyish chivalry.
The girls were eying each other with flushed faces, their voices were lowered so that they should not reach the ears of the Lady Edeline, Joanna's governess, who was seated at the board, although she seldom spoke unless directly addressed by Eleanor, who seemed to be on friendly terms with her.
"Wendot," whispered Joanna cautiously, "have you ever hunted a wolf in your mountains?"
"Ay, many a time, though they be more seldom seen now. But we never rid ourselves altogether of them, do as we will."
"And have you killed one yourself?"
"Yes, I have done that, too."
"And is it very dangerous?"
"I scarce know; I never thought about it. I think not, if one is well armed and has dogs trained to their duties."
Joanna's eyes were alight with excitement; her hands were locked together tightly. Her animated face was set in lines of the greatest determination and happiest anticipation.
"Wendot," she said, "there is a wolf up yonder in that wild valley we can see from yon window, as you look towards the heights of Snowdon. Some of our people have seen and tracked it, but they say it is an old and wily one, and no one has got near it yet. Wendot, we have set our hearts on having a wolf hunt of our very own. We do not want all the men and dogs and the stir and fuss which they would make if we were known to be going. I know what that means. We are kept far away behind everybody, and only see the dead animal after it has been killed miles away from us. We want to be in the hunt ourselves — Britten, Alphonso, Arthyn, Gertrude, and I. Godfrey would perhaps be won over if Gertrude begged him, and I know Raoul Latimer would — he is always ready for what turns up — but that would not be enough. O Wendot, if you and your brothers would but come, we should be safe without anybody else. Raoul has dogs, and we could all be armed, and we would promise to be very careful. We could get away early, as Gertrude did that day she slipped off to the Eagle's Crag.
"Wendot, do answer — do say you will come. You understand all about hunting, even hunting wolves. You are not afraid?"
Wendot smiled at the notion. He did not entirely understand that he was requested to take part in a bit of defiant frolic which the young princes and princesses were well aware would not have been permitted by their parents. All he grasped was that the Lady Joanna requested his assistance in a hunt which she had planned, and with the details of which he was perfectly familiar, and he agreed willingly to her request, not sorry, either for his own sake or for that of his more discontented brothers, that the monotony of the days spent in waiting the return of the king should be beguiled by anything so attractive and exciting as a wolf hunt.
The Dynevor brothers had often hunted wolves before, and saw no special peril in the sport; and Joanna and Gertrude felt that not even the most nervous guardian could hesitate to let them go with such a stout protector.
"I do like him, Gertrude," said Joanna, when Wendot and his brother had retired. "I hope if I ever have to marry, as people generally do, especially if they are king's daughters, that I shall find somebody as brave and handsome and knightly as your Wendot of Dynevor."
For Gertrude and Joanna both took the view that the breaking of the king's gold coin between them was equivalent to the most solemn of troth plights.
CHAPTER VI. WELSH WOLVES.
The Princess Joanna was accustomed to a great deal of her own way. She had been born at Acre, whilst her parents had been absent upon Edward's Crusade, and for many years she had remained in Castile with her grandmother-godmother, who had treated her with unwise distinction, and had taught her to regard herself almost as a little queen. The high-spirited and self-willed girl had thus acquired habits of independence and commanding ways which were perhaps hardly suited to her tender years; but nevertheless there was something in her bright vivacity and generous impetuosity which always won the hearts of those about her, and there were few who willingly thwarted her when her heart was set upon any particular thing.
There were in attendance upon the king and his children a number of gallant youths, sons of his nobles, who were admitted to pleasant and easy intercourse with the royal family; so that when Joanna and Alphonso set their hearts upon a private escapade of their own, in the shape of a wolf hunt, it was not difficult to enlist many brave champions in the cause quite as eager for the danger and the sport as the royal children themselves. Joanna was admitted to be a privileged person, and Alphonso, as the only son of the king, had a certain authority of his own.
The graver and more responsible guardians of the young prince and princesses might have hesitated before letting them have their way in this matter; but Joanna took counsel of the younger and more ardent spirits by whom she was surrounded, and a secret expedition to a neighbouring rocky fastness was soon planned, which expedition, by a little diplomacy and management, could be carried out without exciting much remark.
The king and queen encouraged their family in hardy exercises and early hours. If the royal children planned an early ride through the fresh morning air, none would hinder their departure, and they could easily shake off their slower attendants when the time came, and join the bolder comrades who would be waiting for them with all the needful accoutrements for the hunt on which their minds were bent.
One or two of the more youthful and adventurous attendants might come with them, but the soberer custodians might either be dismissed or outridden. They were accustomed to the vagaries of the Lady Joanna, and would not be greatly astonished at any freak on her part.
And thus it came about that one clear, cold, exhilarating morning in May, when the world was just waking from its dewy sleep of night, that Joanna and Alphonso, together with Gertrude and Arthyn, and young Sir Godfrey and another gentleman in attendance, drew rein laughingly, after a breathless ride across a piece of wild moorland, at the appointed spot, where a small but well-equipped company was awaiting them with the spears, the dogs, and the long, murderous-looking hunting knives needed by those who follow the tracks of the wild creatures of the mountains.
This little band numbered in its ranks the four Dynevor brothers; a tall, rather haughty-looking youth, by name Raoul Latimer; and one or two more with whose names we have no concern. Britten, who accompanied the royal party, sprang forward with a cry of delight at seeing the muster, and began eagerly questioning Raoul as to the capabilities of the dogs he had brought, and the possible dangers to be encountered in the day's sport.
Gertrude and Joanna rode up to Wendot and greeted him warmly. They had seen him only once since the first evening after his arrival, and both girls stole curious glances at the dark faces of the two brothers unknown as yet to them. They were almost surprised that the twins had come at all, as they were not disposed to be friendly towards the English amongst whom they were now mingling; but here they were, and Gertrude greeted both with her pretty grace, and they answered her words of welcome with more courtesy than she had expected to find in them.
Llewelyn and Howel were submitting themselves to the inevitable with what grace they could, but with very indignant and hostile feelings hidden deep in their hearts. Their old hatred towards the English remained unaltered. They would have fought the foe tooth and nail to the last had they been able to find allies ready to stand by them. But when their uncle of North Wales had submitted, and all the smaller chieftains were crowding to the court to pay homage, and when they knew that nothing but their own nominal subjection would save them from being deprived of their lands, which would go to enrich the rapacious Meredith ap Res, then indeed did resistance at that time seem hopeless; and sooner than see themselves thus despoiled by one who was no better than a vassal of England, they had resolved to take the hated step, and do homage to Edward for their lands. Indeed, these brothers had to do even more; for, having been concerned in the late rebellion, they had forfeited their claim upon their property, only that it was Edward's policy to restore all lands the owners of which submitted themselves to his authority. The brothers felt no doubt as to the result of their submission, but the humiliation involved was great, and it was hard work to keep their hatred of the English in check. Those wild spirits had not been used to exercising self-control, and the lesson came hard now that they were springing up towards man's estate, with all the untempered recklessness and heat of youth still in their veins.
Perhaps there was something in the expression of those two dark faces that told its tale to one silent spectator of the meeting between the Welsh and English; for as the party united forces and pushed onwards and upwards towards the wild ravine where the haunt of the wolf lay, the twin brothers heard themselves addressed in their own language, and though the tones were sweet and silvery, the words had a ring of passionate earnestness in them which went straight to their hearts.
"Methinks I am not mistaken in you, sons of Dynevor. You have not willingly left your mountain eyry for these halls where the proud foeman holds his court and sits in judgment upon those who by rights are free as air. I have heard of you before, Llewelyn and Howel ap Res Vychan. You are not here, like your brethren, half won over to the cause of the foe; you would fight with the last drop of your blood for the liberty of our country."
Turning with a start, the brothers beheld the form of a slight and graceful maiden, who was pushing her palfrey up beside them. She appeared to be about their own age, and was very beautiful to look upon, with a clear, dark skin, large, bright eyes, now glowing with the enthusiasm so soon kindled in the breast of the children of an oppressed people — a people thrilling with the strange, deep poetry of their race, which made much amends for their lack of culture in other points.
Llewelyn and Howel, learning caution by experience, scarce knew how to respond to this appeal; but the girl met their inquiring glances by a vivid smile, and said:
"Nay, fear me not. I am one of yourselves — one of our country's own children. Think not that I am here of my own free will. I deny not that I have learned to love some amongst our conqueror's children and subjects, but that does not make me forget who I am nor whence I have come. Let us talk together of our country and of the slender hopes which yet remain that she may gird herself up and make common cause against the foe. Oh, would that I might live to see the day, even though my life might pay the forfeit of my father's patriotism. Let Edward slay me — ay, and every hostage he holds in his hand — so that our country shakes off the foreign yoke, and unites under one head as one nation once again."
These words kindled in the breast of the twin brothers such a glow of joy and fervour as they had not known for many a weary day. They made room for Arthyn to ride between them, and eager were the confidences exchanged between the youthful patriots as they pursued their way upwards. Little they heeded the black looks cast upon them by Raoul Latimer, as he saw Arthyn's eager animation, and understood how close was the bond which had thus quickly been established between them and the proud, silent girl whose favours he had been sedulously trying to win this many a day.
Raoul Latimer was a youth with a decided eye to the main chance. He knew that Arthyn was her father's heiress, and that she would succeed at his death to some of the richest lands in Wales. Possibly her father might be deprived of these lands in his lifetime, as he was a turbulent chieftain, by no means submissive to Edward's rule. If that were the case, and if his daughter had wedded a loyal Englishman of unquestionable fidelity, there would be an excellent chance for that husband of succeeding to the broad lands of Einon ap Cadwalader before many years had passed. Therefore young Raoul paid open court to the proud Welsh maiden, and was somewhat discomfited at the small progress he had made.
But he was a hot-headed youth, and had no intention of being thrown into the shade by any beggarly Welshmen, be they sons of Dynevor or no, so that when the party were forced by the character of the ground to dismount from their horses and take to their own feet, he pressed up to Arthyn and said banteringly:
"Sweet lady, why burden yourself with the entertainment of these wild, uncivilized loons? Surely those who can but speak the language of beasts deserve the treatment of beasts. It is not for you to be thus —"
But the sentence was never finished. Perhaps the flash from Arthyn's eye warned him he had gone too far in thus designating the youths, who were, after all, her countrymen; but there was a better reason still for this sudden pause, for Llewelyn's strong right hand had flown out straight from the shoulder, and Raoul had received on the mouth a stinging blow which had brought the red blood upon his lips and the crimson tide of fury into his cheeks.
With an inarticulate cry of rage he drew his dagger and sprang upon the young Welshman. Swords were drawn in those days only too readily, and in this case there had been provocation enough on both sides to warrant bloodshed. The youths were locked at once in fierce conflict, striking madly at each other with their shining blades, before those who stood by well knew what had occurred.
It was only too common at such times that there should be collision between the sons of England and Wales; and the suffering and the penalty almost invariably fell upon the latter. This fact was well known to the children of the king, and possibly prompted the young Alphonso to his next act.
Drawing the small sword he always carried at his side, he threw himself between the combatants, and striking up their blades he cried in tones of such authority as only those can assume who feel the right is theirs:
"Put up your weapons, gentlemen; I command you in the king's name.
"Raoul, this is your doing, I warrant. Shame on you for thus falling upon my father's guest in his absence, and he a stranger and an alien! Shame on you, I say!"
But scarce had these words been uttered before a shrill cry broke from several of the girls, who were watching the strange scene with tremulous excitement. For young Llewelyn, maddened and blinded by the heat of his passion, and not knowing either who Alphonso was or by what right he interposed betwixt him and his foe, turned furiously upon him, and before any one could interpose, a deep red gash in the boy's wrist showed what the Welsh lad's blade had done.
Wendot, Griffeth, and Godfrey flung themselves upon the mad youth, and held him back by main force. In Raoul's eyes there was an evil light of triumph and exultation.
"Llewelyn, Llewelyn, art mad? It is the king's son," cried Wendot in their native tongue; whilst Joanna sprang towards her brother and commenced binding up the gash, the lad never for a moment losing his presence of mind, or forgetting in the smart of the hurt the dignity of his position.
Llewelyn's fierce burst of passion had spent itself, and the sense of Wendot's words had come home to him. He stood shamefaced and sullen, but secretly somewhat afraid; whilst Arthyn trembled in every limb, and if looks would have annihilated, Raoul would not have existed as a corporate being a moment longer.
"Gentlemen," said Alphonso, turning to those about him, and holding up his bandaged hand, "this is the result of accident — pure accident. Remember that, if it ever comes to the ears of my father. This youth knew not what he did. The fault was mine for exposing myself thus hastily. As you value the goodwill in which I hold you all, keep this matter to yourselves. We are not prince or subject today, but comrades bent on sport together. Remember and obey my behest. It is not often I lay my commands upon you."
These words were listened to with gratitude and relief by all the party save one, and his brow gloomed darker than before. Arthyn saw it, and sprang towards Alphonso, who was smiling at his sister in response to her quick words of praise.
"It was his fault — his," she cried, pointing to the scowling Raoul, who looked ill-pleased at having his lips thus sealed. "He insulted him — he insulted me. No man worthy the name would stand still and listen. It is the way with these fine gallants of England. They are ever stirring up strife, and my countrymen bear the blame, the punishment, the odium —"
But Alphonso took her hand with a gesture of boyish chivalry.
"None shall injure thee or thine whilst I am by, sweet Arthyn. The nation is dear to me for thy sake, and thy countrymen shall be as our honoured guests and brothers. Have we not learned to love them for thy sake and their own? Trouble not thy head more over this mischance, and let it not cloud our day's sport.
"Raoul," he added, with some sternness, "thou art a turbulent spirit, and thou lackest the gentle courtesy of a true knight towards those whose position is trying and difficult. Thou wilt not win thy spurs if thou mendest not thy ways. Give thy hand now, before my eyes, to the youth thou didst provoke. If thou marrest the day's pleasure again, I shall have more to say to thee yet."
It was not often that the gentle Alphonso spoke in such tones, and therefore his words were the more heeded. Raoul, inwardly consumed with rage at being thus singled out for rebuke, dared not withstand the order given him, and grudgingly held out his hand. It was not with much greater alacrity that Llewelyn took it, for there was much stubborn sullenness in his disposition, and his passion, though quickly aroused, did not quickly abate; but there was a compulsion in the glance of the royal boy which enforced obedience; and harmony being thus nominally restored, the party once more breathed freely.
"And now upwards and onwards for the lair of the wolf," cried Alphonso; "we have lost time enough already. Who knows the way to his favourite haunts? Methinks they cannot be very far away now."
"I should have thought we had had enough of Welsh wolves for one day," muttered Raoul sullenly to Godfrey; but the latter gave him a warning glance, and he forbore to speak more on the subject.
Gertrude had watched the whole scene with dilated eyes, and a feeling of sympathy and repulsion she was perfectly unable to analyze. When the party moved on again she stole up to Wendot's side, and said as she glanced into his troubled face:
"He did not mean it? he will not do it again?"
Wendot glanced down at her with a start, and shook his head.
"He knew not that it was the king's son — that I verily believe; but I know not what Llewelyn may say or do at any time. He never speaks to me of what is in his head. Lady Gertrude, you know the king and his ways. Will he visit this rash deed upon my brother's head? Will Llewelyn suffer for what he did in an impulse of mad rage, provoked to it by yon haughty youth, whose words and bearing are hard for any of us to brook?"
"Not if Alphonso can but get his ear; not if this thing is kept secret, as he desires, as he has commanded. But I fear what Raoul may say and do. He is treacherous, selfish, designing. The king thinks well of him, but we love him not. I trust all will yet be well."
"But you fear it may not," added Wendot, completing the sentence as she had not the heart to do. "I fear the same thing myself. But tell me again, Lady Gertrude, what would be the penalty of such an act? Will they —"
"Alphonso has great influence with his father," answered Gertrude quickly. "He will stand your brother's friend through all; perchance he may be detained in some sort of captivity; perchance he may not have his lands restored if this thing comes to the king's ears. But his person will be safe. Fear not for that. Methinks Alphonso would sooner lay down his own life than that harm should befall from what chanced upon a day of sport planned by him and Joanna."
And Gertrude, seeing that a load lay upon the heart of the young Lord of Dynevor, set herself to chase the cloud from his brow, and had so far succeeded that he looked himself again by the time a warning shout from those in advance showed that some tracks of the wild creature of whom they were in pursuit had been discovered in the path.
"Do not run into danger," pleaded Gertrude, laying a hand on Wendot's arm as he moved quickly forward to the front. "You are so brave you never think of yourself; but do not let us have more bloodshed today, save the blood of the ravenous beast if it must be. I could find it in my heart to wish that we had not come forth on this errand. The brightness of the day has been clouded over."
Wendot answered by a responsive glance. There was something soothing to him in the unsolicited sympathy of Gertrude. He had thought little since they parted two years before of that childish pledge given and received, although he always wore her talisman about his neck, and sometimes looked at it with a smile. He had no serious thoughts of trying to mate with an English noble's daughter. He had had no leisure to spare for thoughts of wedlock at all. But something in the trustful glance of those dark eyes looking confidingly up to him sent a quick thrill through his pulses, which was perhaps the first dawning life of the love of a brave heart.
But there was an impatient call from the front, and Wendot sprang forward, the huntsman awakening within him at the sight of the slot of the quarry. He looked intently at the tracks in the soft earth, and then pointed downwards in the direction of a deep gully or cavernous opening in the hillside, which looked very dark and gloomy to the party who stood in the sunshine of the open.
"The beast has gone that way," he said; "and by his tracks and these bloodstains, he has prey in his mouth. Likely his mate may have her lair in yon dark spot, and they may be rearing their young in that safe retreat. See how the dogs strain and pant! They smell the prey, and are eager to be off. We must be alert and wary, for wolves with young ones to guard are fierce beyond their wont."
He looked doubtfully at the girls, whose faces were full of mingled terror and excitement. Godfrey read his meaning, and suggested that the ladies should remain in this vantage ground whilst some of the rest went forward to reconnoitre.
But Joanna, ever bold and impetuous, would have none of that.
"We will go on together," she said. "We shall be safest so. No wolf, however fierce, will attack a number like ourselves. They will fly if they can, and if they are brought to bay we need not go near them. But why have we come so far to give up all the peril and the sport at the last moment?"
"She speaks truth," said Wendot, to whom she seemed to look. "At this season of the year wolves have meat in plenty, and will not attack man save in self defence. If we track them silently to their lair, we may surprise and kill the brood; but we are many, and can leave force enough to defend the ladies whilst the rest fight the battle with the creatures at bay."
Nobody really wished to be left behind, and there was a pleasant feeling of safety in numbers. Slowly and cautiously they all followed the track of the wolf downwards into the gloomy ravine, which seemed to shut out all light of the sun between walls of solid rock.
It was a curious freak in which nature had indulged in the formation of this miniature crevasse between the hillsides. At the base ran a dark turbid stream, which had hollowed out for itself a sort of cavernous opening, and the walls of rock rose almost precipitately on three sides, only leaving one track by which the ravine could be entered. The stream came bubbling out from the rock, passing through some underground passage; and within the gloomy cavern thus produced the savage beasts had plainly made their lair, for there were traces of blood and bones upon the little rocky platform, and the trained ear of Wendot, who was foremost, detected the sound of subdued and angry growling proceeding from the natural cave they were approaching.
"The beasts are in there," he said, pausing, and the next moment Raoul had loosed the dogs, who darted like arrows from bows along the narrow track; and immediately a great he wolf had sprung out with a cry of almost human rage, and had fastened upon one of the assailants, whose piercing yell made the girls shrink back and almost wish they had not come.
But Wendot was not far behind. He was not one of the huntsmen who give all the peril to the dogs and keep out of the fray themselves. Drawing his long hunting knife, and shouting to his brothers to follow him, he sprang down upon the rocky platform himself, and Llewelyn and Howel were at his side in a moment. Godfrey would fain have followed, but his duty obliged him to remain by the side of the princess; and he kept a firm though respectful grasp upon Alphonso's arm, feeling that he must not by any means permit the heir of England to adventure himself into the fray. And indeed the boy's gashed hand hindered him from the use of his weapon, and he could only look on with the most intense interest whilst the conflict between the two fierce beasts and their angry cubs was waged by the fearless lads, who had been through many such encounters before, and showed such skill, such address, such intrepidity in their attack, that the young prince shouted aloud in admiration, and even the girls lost their first sense of terror in the certainty of victory on the side of the Welsh youths.
As for Raoul Latimer, he stood at a safe distance cheering on his dogs, but not adventuring himself within reach of the murderous fangs of the wolves. He occupied a position halfway between the spot upon which the fray was taking place and the vantage ground occupied by the royal party in full sight of the strife.
Arthyn had passed several scornful comments upon the care the young gallant was taking of himself, when suddenly there was a cry from the spectators; for one of the cubs, escaping from the melee, ran full tilt towards Raoul, blind as it seemed with terror; and as it came within reach of his weapon, the sharp blade gleamed in the air, and the little creature gave one yell and rolled over in its death agony. But that cry seemed to pierce the heart of the mother wolf, and suddenly, with almost preternatural strength and activity, she bounded clean over the forms of men and dogs, and dashed straight at Raoul with all the ferocity of an animal at bay, and of a mother robbed of her young.
The young man saw the attack; but his weapon was buried in the body of the cub, and he had no time to disengage it. Turning with a sharp cry of terror, he attempted to fly up the rocky path; but the beast was upon him. She made a wild dash and fastened upon his back, her fangs crushing one shoulder and her hot breath seeming to scorch his cheek. With a wild yell of agony and terror Raoul threw himself face downwards upon the ground, whilst his cry was shrilly echoed by the girls — all but Arthyn, who stood rigidly as if turned to stone, a strange, fierce light blazing in her eyes.
But help was close at hand. Wendot had seen the spring, and had followed close upon the charge of the maddened brute. Flinging himself fearlessly upon the struggling pair, he plunged his knife into the neck of the wolf, causing her to relax her hold of her first foe and turn upon him. Had he stabbed her to the heart she might have inflicted worse injury upon Raoul in her mortal struggle; as it was, there was fierce fight left in her still. But Wendot was kneeling upon the wildly struggling body with all his strength, and had locked his hands fast round her throat.
"Quick, Llewelyn — the knife!" he cried, and his brother was beside him in an instant.
The merciful death stroke was given, and the three youths rose from their crouching posture and looked each other in the eyes, whilst the wolf lay still and dead by the side of her cub.
"Methinks we have had something too much of Welsh wolves," was the only comment of Raoul, as he joined the royal party without a word to the brothers who had saved his life.
CHAPTER VII. THE KING'S JUDGMENT.
The great King Edward had been sitting enthroned in the state apartment of the castle, receiving the homage of those amongst the Welsh lords and chieftains who had been summoned to pay their homage to him and had obeyed this summons.
It was an imposing sight, and one not likely to be forgotten by any who witnessed it for the first time. The courageous but gentle Queen Eleanor, who was seldom absent from her lord's side be the times peaceful or warlike, was seated beside him for the ceremony, with her two elder daughters beside her. The young Alphonso stood at the right hand of the king, his face bright with interest and sympathy; and if ever the act of homage seemed to be paid with effort by some rugged chieftain, or he saw a look of gloom or pain upon the face of such a one, he was ever ready with some graceful speech or small act of courtesy, which generally acted like a charm. And the father regarded his son with a fond pride, and let him take his own way with these haughty, untamable spirits, feeling perhaps that the tact of the royal boy would do more to conciliate and win hearts than any word or deed of his own.
Edward has been often harshly condemned for his cruelty and treachery towards the vanquished Welsh; but it must be remembered with regard to the first charge that the days were rude and cruel, that the spirit of the age was fierce and headstrong, and that the barons and nobles who were scheming for the fair lands of Wales were guilty of many of the unjust and oppressive acts for which Edward has since been held responsible. The Welsh were themselves a very wild race, in some parts of the country barely civilized; and there can be no denying that a vein of fierce treachery ran through their composition, and that they often provoked their adversaries to cruel retaliation. As for the king himself, his policy was on the whole a merciful and just one, if the one point of his feudal supremacy were conceded. To those who came to him with their act of homage he confirmed their possession of ancestral estates, and treated them with kindness and consideration. He was too keen a statesman and too just a man to desire anything but a conciliatory policy so far as it was possible. Only when really roused to anger and resolved upon war did the fiercer side of his nature show itself, and then, indeed, he could show himself terrible and lion-like in his wrath.
The brothers of Dynevor were the last of those who came to pay their act of homage. The day had waned, and the last light of sunset was streaming into that long room as the fair-haired Wendot bent his knee in response to the summons of the herald. The king's eyes seemed to rest upon him with interest, and he spoke kindly to the youth; but it was noted by some in the company that his brow darkened when Llewelyn followed his brother's example, Howel attending him as Griffeth had supported Wendot; and there was none of the gracious urbanity in the royal countenance now that had characterized it during the past hour.
Several faces amongst those in immediate attendance upon the king and his family watched this closing scene with unwonted interest. Gertrude stood with Joanna's hand clasped in hers, quivering with excitement, and ever and anon casting quick looks towards her brother, who stood behind the chair of state observant and watchful, but without betraying his feelings either by word or look. Raoul Latimer was there, a sneer upon his lips, a malevolent light in his eyes, which deepened as they rested upon Llewelyn, whilst Arthyn watched the twin brothers with a strange look in her glowing eyes, her lips parted, her white teeth just showing between, her whole expression one of tense expectancy and sympathy. Once Llewelyn glanced up and met the look she bent on him. A dusky flush overspread his cheek, and his fingers clenched themselves in an unconscious movement understood only by himself.
The homage paid, there was a little stir at the lower end of the hall as the doors were flung open for the royal party to take their departure. Edward bent a searching look upon the four brothers, who had fallen back somewhat, and were clustered together not far from the royal group, and the next minute an attendant whispered to them that it was the king's pleasure they should follow in his personal retinue, as he had somewhat to say to them in private.
Wendot's heart beat rather faster than its wont. He had had some foreboding of evil ever since that unlucky expedition, some days back now, on which Llewelyn's sword had been drawn upon an English subject, and had injured the king's son likewise. Raoul had for very shame affected a sort of condescending friendliness towards the brothers after they had been instrumental in saving him from the fangs of the she wolf; but it was pretty evident to them that his friendship was but skin deep; whilst every word that passed between Arthyn and Llewelyn or his brother — and these were many — was ranked as a dire offence.
Had Wendot been more conversant with the intrigues of courts, he would have seen plainly that Raoul was paying his addresses to the Welsh heiress, who plainly detested and abhorred him. The ambitious and clever young man, who was well thought of by the king, and had many friends amongst the nobles and barons, had a plan of his own for securing to himself some of the richest territory in the country, and was leaving no stone unturned in order to achieve that object. A marriage with Arthyn would give him the hold he wanted upon a very large estate. But indifferent as he was to the feelings of the lady, he was wise enough to see that whilst she remained in her present mood, and was the confidante and friend of the princesses, he should not gain the king's consent to prosecuting his nuptials by force, as he would gladly have done. Whereupon a new scheme had entered his busy brain, as a second string to his bow, and with the help of a kinsman high in favour with the king, he had great hopes of gaining his point, which would at once gratify his ambition and inflict vengeance upon a hated rival.
Raoul had hated the Dynevor brothers ever since he had detected in Arthyn an interest in and sympathy for them, ever since he had found her in close talk in their own tongue with the dark-browed twins, whose antagonism to the English was scarcely disguised. He had done all he knew to stir the hot blood in Llewelyn and Howel, and that with some success. The lads were looked upon as dangerous and treacherous by many of those in the castle; and from the sneering look of coming triumph upon the face of young Latimer as the party moved off towards the private apartments of the royal family, it was plain that he anticipated a victory for himself and a profound humiliation for his foes.
Supper was the first business of the hour, and the Dynevor brothers sat at the lower table with the attendants of the king. The meal was well-served and plentiful, but they bad small appetite for it. Wendot felt as though a shadow hung upon them; and the chief comfort he received was in stealing glances at the sweet, sensitive face of Gertrude, who generally responded to his glance by one of her flashing smiles.
Wendot wondered how it was that Lord Montacute had never sought him out to speak to him. Little as the lad had thought of their parting interview at Dynevor during the past two years, it all came back with the greatest vividness as he looked upon the fine calm face of the English noble. Was it possible he had forgotten the half-pledge once given him? Or did he regret it, now that his daughter was shooting up from a child into a sweet and gracious maiden whom he felt disposed to worship with reverential awe? Wendot did not think he was in love — he would scarce have known the meaning of the phrase and he as little understood the feelings which had lately awakened within him; but he did feel conscious that a new element had entered into his life, and with it a far less bitter sense of antagonism to the English than he had experienced in previous years.
After the supper was ended the royal family withdrew into an inner room, and presently the four brothers were bidden to enter, as the king had somewhat to say to them. The greater number of the courtiers and attendants remained in the outer room, but Sir Godfrey Challoner, Raoul Latimer, and one or two other gentlemen were present in the smaller apartment. The queen and royal children were also there, and their playfellows and companions, Gertrude holding her father by the hand, and watching with intense interest the approach of the brothers and the faces of the king and his son.
Edward was seated before a table on which certain parchments lay. Alphonso stood beside him, and Wendot fancied that he had only just ended some earnest appeal, his parted lips and flushed cheeks seeming to tell of recent eager speech. The king looked keenly at the brothers as they made their obeisance to him, and singling out Wendot, bid him by a gesture to approach nearer.
There was a kindliness in the royal countenance which encouraged the youth, and few could approach the great soldier king without experiencing something of the fascination which his powerful individuality exercised over all his subjects.
"Come hither, boy," he said; "we have heard nought but good of thee. Thou hast an eloquent advocate in yon maiden of Lord Montacute's, and mine own son and daughters praise thy gallantry in no measured terms. We have made careful examination into these parchments here, containing reports of the late rebellion, and cannot find that thou hast had part or lot in it. Thou hast paid thy homage without dallying or delay; wherefore it is our pleasure to confirm to thee thy possession of thy castle of Dynevor and its territory. We only caution thee to remain loyal to him thou hast owned as king, and we will establish thee in thy rights if in time to come they be disputed by others, or thou stirrest up foes by thy loyalty to us."
Wendot bowed low. If there was something bitter in having his father's rightful inheritance granted to him as something of a boon, at least there was much to sweeten the draught in the kindly and gracious bearing of the king, and in Alphonso's friendly words and looks. He had no father to look to in time of need, and felt a great distrust of the kinsman who exercised some guardianship over him; so that there was considerable relief for the youth in feeling that the great King of England was his friend, and that he would keep him from the aggression of foes.
He stood aside as Edward's glance passed on to Llewelyn and Howel, and it was plain that the monarch's face changed and hardened as he fixed his eye upon the twins.
"Llewelyn — Howel," he said, "joint lords of Iscennen, we wish that we had received the same good report of you that we have done of your brethren. But it is not so. There be dark records in your past which give little hope for the future. Nevertheless you are yet young. Wisdom may come with the advance of years. But the hot blood in you requires taming and curbing. You have proved yourselves unfit for the place hitherto occupied as lords of the broad lands bequeathed you by Res Vychan, your father. For the present those lands are forfeit. You must win the right to call them yours again by loyalty in the cause which every true Welshman should have at heart, because it is the cause which alone can bring peace and safety to your harassed country. It is not willingly that we wrest from any man the lands that are his birthright. Less willingly do we do this when homage, however unwilling and reluctant, has been paid. But we have our duties to ourselves and to our submitted subjects to consider, and it is not meet to send firebrands alight into the world, when a spark may raise so fierce a conflagration, and when hundreds of lives have to pay the penalty of one mad act of headstrong youth. It is your youth that shall be your excuse from the charge of graver offence, but those who are too young to govern themselves are not fit to govern others."
Whilst the king had been speaking he had been closely studying the faces of the twin brothers, who stood before him with their eyes on the ground. These two lads, although by their stature and appearance almost men, had not attained more than their sixteenth year, and had by no means learned that control of feature which is one of nature's hardest lessons. As the king's words made themselves understood, their brows had darkened and their faces had contracted with a fierce anger and rage, which betrayed itself also in their clenched hands and heaving chests; and although they remained speechless — for the awe inspired by Edward's presence could not but make itself felt even by them — it was plain that only the strongest efforts put upon themselves hindered them from some outbreak of great violence.
Edward's eye rested sternly upon them for a moment, and then he addressed himself once again to Wendot.
"To thee, Res Wendot," he said, "we give the charge of these two turbulent brothers of thine. Had not the Prince Alphonso spoken for them, we had kept them under our own care here in our fortress of Rhuddlan. But he has pleaded for them that they have their liberty, therefore into thy charge do we give them. Take them back with thee to Dynevor, and strive to make them like unto thyself and thy shadow there, who is, they tell me, thy youngest brother, and as well disposed as thyself.
"Say, young man, wilt thou accept this charge, and be surety for these haughty youths? If their own next-of-kin will not take this office, we must look elsewhere for a sterner guardian."
For a moment Wendot hesitated, He knew well the untamable spirit of his brothers, and the small influence he was likely to have upon them, and for a moment his heart shrank from the task. But again he bethought what his refusal must mean to them — captivity of a more or less irksome kind, harsh treatment perhaps, resulting in actual imprisonment, and a sure loss of favour with any guardian who had the least love for the English cause. At Dynevor they would at least be free.
Surely, knowing all, they would not make his task too hard. The tie of kindred was very close. Wendot remembered words spoken by the dying bed of his parents, and his mind was quickly made up.
"I will be surety for them," he said briefly. "If they offend again, let my life, my lands, be the forfeit."
The monarch gave him a searching glance. Perhaps some of the effort with which he had spoken made itself audible in his tones. He looked full at Wendot for a brief minute, and then turned to the black-browed twins.
"You hear your brother's pledge," he said in low, stern tones. "If you have the feelings of men of honour, you will respect the motive which prompts him to give it, and add no difficulties to the task he has imposed upon himself. Be loyal to him, and loyal to the cause he has embraced, and perchance a day may come when you may so have redeemed your past youthful follies as to claim and receive at our hands the lands we now withhold. In the meantime they will be administered by Raoul Latimer, who will draw the revenues and maintain order there. He has proved his loyalty in many ways ere this, and he is to be trusted, as one day I hope you twain may be."
Llewelyn started as if he had been stung as these words crossed the king's lips. His black eyes flashed fire, and as he lifted his head and met the mocking glance of Raoul, it seemed for a moment as if actually in the presence of the king he would have flown at his antagonist's throat; but Wendot's hand was on his arm, and even Howel had the self-command to whisper a word of caution. Alphonso sprang gaily between the angry youth and his father's keen glance, and began talking eagerly of Dynevor, asking how the brothers would spend their time, now that they were all to live there once more; whilst Arthyn, coming forward, drew Llewelyn gently backward, casting at Raoul a look of such bitter scorn and hatred that he involuntarily shrank before it.
"Thou hast taken a heavy burden upon thy young shoulders, lad," said a well-remembered voice in Wendot's ear, and looking up, he met the calm gaze of Lord Montacute bent upon him; whilst Gertrude, flushing and sparkling, stood close beside her father. "Thinkest thou that such tempers as those will be easily controlled?"
Wendot's face was grave, and looked manly in its noble thoughtfulness.
"I know not what to say; but, in truth, I could have given no other answer. Could I leave my own brethren to languish in captivity, however honourable, when a word from me would free them? Methinks, sir, thou scarce knowest what freedom is to us wild sons of Wales, or how the very thought of any hindrance to perfect liberty chafes our spirit and frets us past the limit of endurance. Sooner than be fettered by bonds, however slack, I would spring from yonder casement and dash myself to pieces upon the stones below. To give my brothers up into unfriendly hands would be giving them up to certain death. If my spirit could not brook such control, how much less could theirs?"
Gertrude's soft eyes gave eloquent and sympathetic response. Wendot had unconsciously addressed his justification to her rather than to her father. Her quick sympathy gave him heart and hope. She laid her hand upon his arm and said:
"I think thou art very noble, Wendot; it was like thee to do it. I was almost grieved when I heard thee take the charge upon thyself, for I fear it may be one of peril to thee. But I love thee the more for thy generosity. Thou wilt be a true and brave knight ere thou winnest thy spurs in battle."
Wendot's face flushed with shy happiness at hearing such frank and unqualified praise from one he was beginning to hold so dear. Lord Montacute laid his hand smilingly on his daughter's mouth, as if to check her ready speech, and then bidding her join the Lady Joanna, who was making signals to her from the other side of the room, he drew Wendot a little away into an embrasure, and spoke to him in tones of considerable gravity.
"Young man," he said, "I know not if thou hast any memory left of the words I spake to thee when last we met at Dynevor?"
Wendot's colour again rose, but his glance did not waver.
"I remember right well," he answered simply. "I spoke words then of which I have often thought since — words that I have not repented till today, nor indeed till I heard thee pass that pledge which makes thee surety for thy turbulent brothers."
A quick, troubled look crossed Wendot's face, but he did not speak, and Lord Montacute continued — "I greatly fear that thou hast undertaken more than thou canst accomplish; and that, instead of drawing thy brothers from the paths of peril, thou wilt rather be led by them into treacherous waters, which may at last overwhelm thee. You are all young together, and many dangers beset the steps of youth. Thou art true and loyal hearted, that I know well; but thou art a Welshman, and —"
He paused and stopped short, and Wendot answered, not without pride:
"I truly am a Welshman — it is my boast to call myself that. If you fear to give your daughter to one of that despised race, so be it. I would not drag her down to degradation; I love her too well for that. Keep her to thyself. I give thee back thy pledge."
Lord Montacute smiled as he laid his hand upon the young man's shoulder.
"So hot and hasty, Wendot, as hasty as those black-haired twins. Yet, boy, I like thee for thy outspoken candour, and I would not have thee change it for the smooth treachery of courtly intrigue. If I had nought else to think of, I would plight my daughter's hand to thee, an ye both were willing, more gladly than to any man I know. But, Wendot, she is mine only child, and very dear to me. There are others who would fain win her smiles, others who would be proud to do her lightest behest. She is yet but a child. Perchance she has not seriously considered these matters. Still there will come a time when she will do so, and —"
"Then let her choose where she will," cried Wendot, proudly and hotly. "Think you I would wed one whose heart was given elsewhere? Take back your pledge — think of it no more. If the day comes when I may come to her free and unfettered, and see if she has any regard for me, good. I will come. But so long as you hold that peril menaces my path, I will not ask her even to think of me. Let her forget. I will not bind her by a word. It shall be as if those words had never passed betwixt us."
Lord Montacute scarce knew if regret, relief, or admiration were the feeling uppermost in his mind, as the youth he believed so worthy of his fair daughter, and perhaps not entirely indifferent to her dawning charms, thus frankly withdrew his claim upon her hand. It seems strange to us that any one should be talking and thinking so seriously of matrimony when the girl was but fourteen and the youth three years her senior; but in those days marriages were not only planned but consummated at an absurdly early age according to our modern notions, and brides of fifteen and sixteen were considered almost mature. Many young men of Wendot's age would be seriously seeking a wife, and although no such thought had entered his head until he had seen Gertrude again, it cannot be denied that the idea had taken some hold upon him now, or that he did not feel a qualm of pain and sorrow at thus yielding up one bright hope just when the task he had taken upon himself seemed to be clouding his life with anxiety and peril.
"Boy," said Lord Montacute, "I cannot forget what thou hast done nor what she owes to thee. I love thee well, and would fain welcome thee as a son; but my love for her bids me wait till we see what is the result of this office thou hast taken on thyself. Thou hast acted rightly and nobly, but in this world trouble often seems to follow the steps of those who strive most after the right. If thine own life, thine own possessions, are to pay the forfeit if thy brethren fall away into rebellion — and Edward, though a just man and kind, can be stern to exact the uttermost penalty when he is angered or defied — then standest thou in sore peril, peril from which I would shield my maid. Wherefore —"
"Nay, say no more — say no more. I comprehend it all too well," replied Wendot, not without a natural though only momentary feeling of bitterness at the thought of what this pledge was already costing him, but his native generosity and sweetness of temper soon triumphed over all besides, and he said with his peculiarly bright and steadfast smile, "You have judged rightly and well for us both, my lord. Did I but drag her down to sorrow and shame, it would be the bitterest drop in a bitter cup. A man placed as I am is better without ties."
"Also the days will soon pass by, and the time will come when this charge ceases. Then if the Lady Gertrude be still mistress of her hand and heart, and if the Lord of Dynevor comes to try his fate, methinks, by what I have seen and heard, that he may chance to get no unkindly answer to his wooing."
Wendot made no reply, but only blushed deeply as he moved away. He scarce knew whether he were glad or sorry that Gertrude came out to meet him, and drew him towards the little group which had gathered in a deep embrasure of the window. Joanna, Alphonso, and Griffeth were there. They had been eagerly questioning the younger lad about life at Dynevor, and what they would do when they were at home all together. Joanna was longing to travel that way and lodge a night there; and Gertrude was eloquent in praise of the castle, and looked almost wistfully at Wendot to induce him to add his voice to the general testimony. But he was unwontedly grave and silent, and her soft eyes filled with tears. She knew that he was heavy hearted, and it cut her to the quick; but he did not speak of his trouble, and only Alphonso ventured to allude to it, and that was by one quick sentence as he was taking his departure at bedtime.
"Wendot," he said earnestly, "I will ever be thy friend. Fear not. My father denies me nothing. Thy trial may be a hard one, but thou wilt come nobly forth from it. I will see that harm to thee comes not from thy generosity. Only be true to us, and thou shalt not suffer."
Wendot made no reply, but the words were like a gleam of sunshine breaking through the clouds; and one more such gleam was in store for him on the morrow, when he bid a final adieu to Gertrude before the general departure for Dynevor.
"I have my half gold coin, Wendot. I shall look at it every day and think of thee. I am so happy that we have seen each other once again. Thou wilt not forget me, Wendot?"
"Never so long as I live," he answered with sudden fervour, raising the small hand he held to his lips. "And some day, perchance, Lady Gertrude, I will come to thee again."
"I shall be waiting for thee," she answered, with a mixture of arch sweetness and playfulness that he scarce knew whether to call childlike confidence or maiden trust. But the look in her eyes went to his heart, and was treasured there, like the memory of a sunbeam, for many long days to come.
CHAPTER VIII. TURBULENT SPIRITS.
The four sons of Res Vychan went back to Dynevor together, there to settle down, outwardly at least, to a quiet and uneventful life, chiefly diversified by hunting and fishing, and such adventures as are inseparable from those pastimes in which eager lads are engrossed.
Wendot both looked and felt older for his experiences in the castle of Rhuddlan. His face had lost much of its boyishness, and had taken a thoughtfulness beyond his years. Sometimes he appeared considerably oppressed by the weight of the responsibility with which he had charged himself, and would watch the movements and listen to the talk of the twins with but slightly concealed uneasiness.
Yet as days merged into weeks, and weeks lengthened into months, and still there had been nothing to alarm him unduly, he began, as the inclement winter drew on, to breathe more freely; for in the winter months all hostilities of necessity ceased, for the mountain passes were always blocked with snow, and both travelling and fighting were practically out of the question for a considerable time.
Wendot, too, had matters enough to occupy his mind quite apart from the charge of his two haughty brothers. He had his own estates to administer — no light task for a youth not yet eighteen — and his large household to order; and though Griffeth gave him every help, Llewelyn and Howel stood sullenly aloof, and would not appear to take the least interest in anything that appertained to Dynevor, although they gave no reason for their conduct, and were not in other ways unfriendly to their brothers.
The country was for the time being quiet and at peace. Exhausted by its own internal struggles and by the late disastrous campaign against the English, the land was, as it were, resting and recruiting itself, in preparation, perhaps, for another outbreak later on. In the meantime, sanguine spirits like those of Wendot and Griffeth began to cherish hopes that the long and weary struggle was over at last, and that the nation, as a nation, would begin to realize the wisdom and the advantage of making a friend and ally of the powerful monarch of England, instead of provoking him to acts of tyranny and retaliation by perpetual and fruitless rebellions against a will far too strong to be successfully resisted.
But Llewelyn and Howel never spoke of the English without words and looks indicative of the deepest hatred; and the smouldering fire in their breasts was kept glowing and burning by the wild words and the wilder songs of the old bard Wenwynwyn, who spent the best part of his time shut up in his own bare room, with his harp for his companion, in which room Llewelyn and Howel spent much of their time during the dark winter days, when they could be less and less out of doors.
Since that adventure of the Eagle's Crag, Wendot had distrusted the old minstrel, and was uneasy at the influence he exercised upon the twins; but the idea of sending him from Dynevor was one which never for a moment entered his head. Had not Wenwynwyn grown old in his father's service? Had he not been born and bred at Dynevor? The young lord himself seemed to have a scarce more assured right to his place there than the ancient bard. Be he friend or be he foe, at Dynevor he must remain so long as the breath remained in his body.
The bard was, by hereditary instinct, attached to all the boys, but of late there had been but little community of thought between him and his young chieftain. Wendot well knew the reason. The old man hated the English with the bitter, unreasoning, deadly hatred of his wild, untutored nature. Had he not sprung from a race whose lives had been spent in rousing in the breasts of all who heard them the most fervent and unbounded patriotic enthusiasm? And was it to be marvelled at that he could not see or understand the changes of the times or the hopelessness of the long struggle, now that half the Welsh nobles were growing cool in the national cause, and the civilization and wealth of the sister country were beginning to show them that their own condition left much to be desired, and that there was something better and higher to be achieved than a so-called liberty, only maintained at the cost of perpetual bloodshed? or a series of petty feuds for supremacy, which went far to keep the land in a state of semi-barbarism?
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Buying a Business in California
Buying a business can be an advantageous investment for both individuals and companies. However, the transaction is much more complicated than a traditional purchase.
There are Federal and California laws concerning mergers, acquisitions, negotiations and securities exchange that may impact the purchase of a business.
What Parts of the Business Am I Buying?
The purchase of a business in Patterson is actually the buying of a right called "control". With this right, a party can direct business operations as it sees fit, it acquires ownership of business assets, and it assumes liability for all business debts. In order to protect the interests of all parties, there must be an accurate and complete picture of the financial position of the business. This picture of the company's financials is gained through a process known as "due diligence". Federal and California guidelines define the process of due diligence, and sometimes legal consequences arise when these procedures are not followed properly. However, the best informed decision about whether to buy the business can only be obtained through obedience to the due diligence process. Added benefits also include a smoother transition once the business is purchased.
How Much Will the Business Cost?
How much the right of control will cost depends on how much ownership stake is required. The value of the property of the business may add to the price as well. The process for how the right of control can be transferred or modified is defined by specific laws in California. Procedures may make buying a business more or less expensive than simply the market value of its assets.
How Can a Patterson Attorney Help?
There are unique requirements in California that a party purchasing a business must fulfill. In Patterson, an attorney knowledgeable in California law can inform you about the peculiarities of your investment and outline the cheapest way for you to purchase control.
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Prescription drugs used to treat mental health conditions are called psychotropic drugs; about 16 percent of American adults have taken them, according to a 2020 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The two mental health conditions most commonly treated with medication are mood disorders, depression and anxiety, says Dr. Alex Dimitriu, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine. Antidepressants, one of the five main categories of psychotropic drugs, are a first-line treatment for both depression and anxiety. “Antidepressants don’t make problems disappear,” says Dimitriu, “but they can make things hurt a little less so people can do the work in therapy.”
The efficacy of antidepressants is mixed. In one 2020 report, 40 to 60 percent of people said they benefited from taking them. On the flip side, that means antidepressants didn’t work for about half of respondents, a finding that’s consistent with one 2012 review.
Even when antidepressants are effective, they can take a while to kick in. While the precise timeline depends on the medication, it can take up to eight weeks for an antidepressant to work. But what does “working” even mean? Carmen Kosicek, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and founder of Alay Health Team, says the answer varies, and that it’s important for patients and providers to establish a shared definition of success.
Here’s a guide to help you understand when an antidepressant is (or isn’t) doing its job and how to discuss your progress with your provider.
Why medications work for some people and not others
Chemistry. There are several types of antidepressants, and they target a few different neurotransmitters, says Dr. Holly MacKenna, an integrative psychiatrist and founder of Dara Wellness in New Orleans. Three of the most common types are:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: SSRIs increase the available supply of the mood-regulating hormone serotonin.
- Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors: SNRIs stop cells from reabsorbing serotonin and norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that affects energy levels.
- Atypical antidepressants: These medications don’t neatly fit into one category because they don’t all act on the same brain chemicals. Bupropion (aka Wellbutrin), for example, prevents the body from reabsorbing feel-good chemical dopamine.
If a patient isn’t responding to one medication, it may be because they need one that affects a different neurotransmitter.
Biology. Though medications can alter brain chemistry to improve mood, innate biological differences appear to influence the efficacy of some psychotropic medications. “People’s [bodies] metabolize medications differently,” says MacKenna. Also, one 2019 study found that SSRIs were less likely to alleviate depression in people with abnormally shaped serotonergic neurons (which produce serotonin).
Interference. Alcohol and other medications can affect your brain and mood in a way that counteracts the medication’s effects. Some of these interactions can also be dangerous to your physical health. Speak with your provider about any other medications you are taking and your drinking habits.
Signs medication is working
Someone in your life notices that you seem different. “Oftentimes, when one is in a state of depression or anxiety, that [sadness or anxiousness] becomes the go-to feeling,” MacKenna says.
But medications can change the brain over time. Though it may take several weeks for you to notice significant changes, a loved one may pick up on more understated differences sooner.
“Once our brain starts to adjust to the medication, our behaviors and facial expressions will begin to subtly change,” says MacKenna. “Those who see us every day will pick up on these changes before we realize we are beginning to feel better.”
You start sleeping well. Studies suggest the relationship between healthy sleep and mental wellbeing is bidirectional. That means getting enough high-quality sleep leads to lower levels of depression and anxiety, and not feeling anxious or depressed leads to more restful nights.
“I don’t usually hear people saying, ‘I’m running through fields of daisies,’” Kosicek says. “They usually say, ‘I’m sleeping better.’”
Your work performance improves. Mood disorders can affect your ability to perform well at work. The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion each year in lost productivity. But some research links antidepressants to enhanced work productivity.
“For many people with depression and anxiety, there is a lot of wasted brain energy thinking about things that are not productive,” says Dimitriu. “Medications make it easier for people to let go of the past and direct that energy into the future.”
You notice a change in your energy. Mood disorders can have a negative impact on your energy, both how much you have and how it feels. Medications may help.
Dimitriu says patients with depression will often come in and note they have more motivation and energy to do the things they love, such as watching a baseball game. Meanwhile, patients with anxiety often report having a bit less negative energy: “People will say, ‘Wow, there’s actually peace and stillness. That’s a wonderful feeling.’”
Signs medication isn’t working
You feel apathetic. When you bang your knee, you might numb the pain with ice. But medication for mental health doesn’t serve the same purpose.
“You need to feel things to be able to deal with life,” Kosicek says. “Feeling numb is not what we are looking for.”
You notice the opposite of any of the above. If you find that symptoms worsen four to eight weeks after starting the meds, that’s a flag. But Dimitriu advises that patients give it that amount of time, as early side effects like fatigue are common.
“There can be a wobble,” Dimitriu says. “Things can get a little bit worse before they get better.”
That said, MacKenna emphasizes medication shouldn’t make it impossible for you to participate in day-to-day life. Call your provider if it is or if you are unsure.
What to ask and tell your provider about medication
Ask questions. Experts recommend asking your provider some questions before you start taking medication and as you go along. For starters, you should understand their reason for prescribing it.
“Ask, ‘Why do you think this is the medication for me?’” Kosicek suggests. “The prescriber should say, ‘You said this is the problem, and that is what this medication is for.’”
It’s also beneficial to ask about side effects before starting and as you experience them.
“Transparency can prevent you from going down a Google rabbit hole,” MacKenna says, adding that your provider can help you understand what is and isn’t normal.
Label feelings differently. We often think of our feelings as “good” or “bad,” Dimitriu says. He suggests delving deeper.
“Break it down into overall mood states,” he says. “Overall, how happy or sad do you feel? Overall, how anxious do you feel? I also like to look at motivation and sleep.”
As you continue treatment, this granular level of thinking can help you and your provider examine progress.
Collect and discuss data. Dimitriu says that his patients sometimes have difficulty recalling how they felt before taking the medication. But if you confuse your pre-medication feelings with your current ones, it’s challenging to evaluate efficacy. Journaling can help.
“I encourage my patients to take careful notes on how they felt before an intervention and how they felt after 15, 30 and 60 days,” Dimitriu says.
Before sessions, MacKenna suggests using your journal to make a list. At an appointment, tell your provider how many days or weeks you’ve experienced issues or improvements.
“Data is hard to argue against,” she says. “It gives you information so you and your doctor can have a more targeted conversation rather than talking in generalities.”
Medication isn’t magic
Even medication that works isn’t a cure-all. Dimitriu suggests a holistic treatment approach that includes strategies like talk therapy, exercise and meditation.
“Don’t just sit back and wait for the medicine to work,” he says. “It’s usually more than just the medicine that makes people better.”
Even if other, non-pharmacological treatments didn’t have a measurable impact on your mental health prior to medication, they may be more effective in conjunction with it. Your provider can help you put together a well-rounded treatment plan.
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Syrian Catholic Archbishop of Mosul Yohanna Petros Mouche leads the Palm Sunday procession for Iraqi Christian residents of Qaraqosh (also known as Hamdaniya), some 30 kilometres east of Mosul on April 9, 2017 (Photo: AFP)
Members of Iraq's Christian minority celebrated Palm Sunday in the country's main Christian town of Qaraqosh for the first time since it was retaken from the Islamic State group.
Hundreds of faithful gathered inside the town's burnt out Immaculate Conception church for mass before starting the traditional Palm Sunday march, a procession during which palms are carried to commemorate Jesus's entry to Jerusalem.
"Thank God, we are returning to our towns and churches after two years," Abu Naimat Anay, an Iraqi priest, said inside the church, which is Iraq's biggest and where jihadist inscriptions were still visible on the walls.
Qaraqosh, with an overwhelmingly Christian population of around 50,000 before the jihadists took over the area in August 2014, was the largest Christian town in Iraq.
It was retaken by Iraqi forces late last year as part of a massive offensive to wrest back the nearby city of Mosul from IS but it remains almost completely deserted.
The area is now considered safe and the Palm Sunday mass and march were secured by the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, an Assyrian militia.
Speakers playing hymns were set up near a large cross recently erected at the entrance of the town.
The archbishop of Mosul, Yohanna Petros Mouche, moved back to the town last week but it needs to be extensively rebuilt and basic services restored before displaced Christians can return en masse.
After the Palm Sunday service, he praised the high turnout and told AFP: "This is a message of trust and hope to our neighbours."
When the Islamic State jihadists took over Mosul, the country's second city, the Christian minority there was told to convert, pay tax or face death.
"Honestly, this makes the heart happy and sad at the same time, because we were torn away from our birthplace and this kind of devastation we didn't even see during the wars of the 80s and 90s," Aby Naymat Anay said.
Many of the more than 120,000 Christians believed to have fled their homes when IS swept across the region less than three years ago moved in with relatives or into camps in the nearby autonomous region of Kurdistan.
"There is a mixed feeling but sadness dominates. We fled to Arbil and we are not back yet," 62-year-old Yusef Nisan Hadaya said, referring to the Iraqi Kurdish capital.
The celebration in Qaraqosh already had a sombre mood when news broke among the faithful that IS had attacked two churches in Egypt, killing at least 38 people.
"The Christians are persecuted, but no matter how much they target us, our belief in God is great and we will stay here because we are not outsiders, we are the owners of the land," the archbishop told AFP.
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What do you call an agricultural laborer work is forced to work a lord’s land? A serf. What do you call an agricultural laborer who is forced to work a lord’s land but is allowed to keep half of his produce? A serf:
North Korea plans to allow farmers to keep as much as half of their produce in an attempt to boost agricultural output, it has been claimed, in a move that would be a major economic reform for the beleaguered country.
How fucking generous of the North Korean government. They’re only going to take half of the serfs’ food! Obviously the new Dear Leader is far more benevolent and generous than the list. At this rate North Koreans will be free individuals within 1,000 years!
Seriously, if the population of any country should be revolting it’s North Korea’s.
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Who is the Japanese shareholder? One image is the rapacious foreign financial investor who seeks to strip the fruits of decades of hard work and leaves a trail of corporate husks behind. While it is easy to anthropomorphize such a villain, the truth is more nuanced.
In fact, there are other corporate stakeholders that think like shareholders. Prime examples are newly minted employees. They are the future of the company. They are important stakeholders whose goals also are aligned with shareholders. Their future depends on finding new investment opportunities and generating sufficient investment returns for the company. New employees are also equity risktakers in the modern corporate world of Japan.
While counter-intuitive from the viewpoint of the classical Marxist struggle between capital and labor, the concept of the new employee as a shareholder makes sense if you consider the real meaning of equity, i.e., the residual claim on the assets after other obligations are satisfied. It is true that labor has a contractual claim to the value added of the company before the residual equity. But, consider the structure of the Japanese labor markets. New employees’ contractual claim on capital is structurally subordinated to senior employees, making their interests more closely aligned with residual claims. Senior employees take a greater share of value added in terms of compensation and fringe benefits, and when they retire, they take a lump sum of capital directly out of the company. New employees are left holding a residual claim in the form of a subordinated tranche. As time passes, new employees become the senior employees. From the employee perspective, a swap of equity for debt gradually occurs as they exchange their residual claims for contractual obligations that are structurally senior to a new generation of subordinate employees. And the cycle re-commences.
Meanwhile, a new generation of junior employees must hope that there is a strong business left when their seniors retire. New employees simply cannot rely on today’s excess financial cushion. But too often, excessively risk adverse senior employees are in charge, and they do not want to take on any risk that might endanger their ability to claim their already earned contractual stake. From a self-serving perspective, their actions are justified. If they take risk and succeed, their upside is not meaningfully enhanced, but if they fail, their ability to claim their full retirement benefits may be jeopardized. But from a new employee perspective, if the preceding generation has not created sufficient new investment opportunities to grow into, then they will be left with an empty cupboard.
And here is the real conflict of Japanese corporate governance. Japanese management practices are often praised for being able to take the long view. But this is not happening anymore. The current risk aversion of senior employees is mortgaging the future of the next generation and, consequently, the country. If companies are not willing to generate sufficient returns on equity, they need to return it so that it can be allocated to someone who will. Pensions and contractual obligations must be honored, but today’s excess financial capital is not a reward for past deeds well done. Those past deeds were already compensated for with yesterday’s cost structure. Instead, residual capital needs to be put to work into productive uses. Otherwise, there will not be sufficient economic activity to support the cost structure for today’s new hires when they become senior.
So what is a young prospective employee to do? Think and act like a shareholder: if a company is not efficient in utilizing its financial capital, how can it efficiently utilize its human capital? If financial capital is treated badly, it goes somewhere else and prices fall. Similarly, the human capital markets need to allocate the best talent to the best growth opportunities. Don't think about your entry level salary and current financial condition of the company. Think about the future of the company. An excessive focus on job security has turned the labor force into risk adverse entities that are not looking to grow the economic pie. Going where the pie of financial assets is currently the biggest and hoping to get your slice in the future is short sighted. Not only will others get their share first, those companies with excess financial capital generally do not have attractive re-investment opportunities. Otherwise, those financial resources would be put to work today. And if financial capital is not being put to work, then the human capital will probably not be effectively developed either. Young employees need to play a long term game and develop their own human capital so that they can create their own financial capital.
What should senior executives do?… (continued)
By Kouji Yamada; Chief Investment Officer, JCA Partners
Download the rest of the article:
(Click on Download Original Asset at lower right)
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These guys in Queens may be the world’s proudest Shabbos goys, but they’re hardly the most well-known ones.
Here are a few of the more famous non-Jews who have helped religious Jews skirt Sabbath restrictions by performing such forbidden acts as turning off lights or flipping on the A/C.
Harold Fruchter, a singer and guitarist in a Jewish wedding band, and the son of a rabbi, was born in 1952. When he was a baby, and up to the age of 2, his family lived in the upstairs apartment of a two-story flat in Memphis. Their downstairs neighbors were the Presleys. The two families formed a friendship, and the future King of Rock, just a teenager then, learned to pick up the cues when the Fruchters needed someone to turn on a light or unlock a door on Shabbos.
In 1999, while still in the Illinois State Senate, he shared an office suite with Ira Silverstein, an Orthodox Jew. Obama peppered Silverstein with questions about Orthodox restrictions on daily life: the kosher laws and the sanctions against certain kinds of behavior on the Sabbath. “On the Sabbath, if I ever needed anything, Barack would always offer,” remembers Silverstein. “Some of the doors are electric, so he would offer to open them … I didn’t expect that.”
Then Sen. Al Gore, probably because he had just finished campaigning for president in some of our neighborhoods in 1988, came over to me and said, “This is your Sabbath. Isn’t it? Where are you going to stay tonight?”
I said, “I am going to sleep in my office.”
“I won’t let you do that. My parents have an apartment across the street. They’re away.”
You know, in good European fashion I rejected his offer twice. The third time, I accepted! And, that night, he took me across the street. He understood everything; turned on the lights, and turned off the lights when he left.
Looking back I didn’t realize that it was my z’chus [merit] that I have had one of the prominent “Shabbos goyim” in the whole world! – who turned on and off all the lights. — Joe Lieberman
For two years in Independence, a Jewish family called the Viners lived next door to Truman’s family. As Sarah Viner much later recalled, her brother Abe was “very close friends” with the future president: “Harry was always over at our house … I think this was his first contact with Jewish people.” On the Sabbath, when observant Jews could not do household chores, Harry served as the Viners’ “Shabbos goy.”
Cuomo credited his sensitivity to the needs of the Orthodox to his childhood in Queens, where he served as a “Shabbos goy” for a synagogue up the street from the grocery owned by his Sicilian immigrant parents…
He was quoted as saying, “The Jews need a shabbos goy [Sabbath gentile] because they can’t do everything for themselves,” when he first ran for governor.
Today’s “Shabbos goy,” Cuomo suggested, was that “government has to get involved in helping Jews live their faith.”
Colin Powell spent so much time assisting a Jewish family in the South Bronx that he became fluent in Yiddish.
After beginning to work as a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, I finally had to tell him that – not only could I not work late on Fridays and on Saturdays because of my keeping of Shabbos, I needed to take off many days from work due to the upcoming fall season of Yomim Tovim. Justice Marshall replied to me, ‘Don’t worry, I know all about the rules of Shabbos, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos. You see, I was a Shabbos goy when I lived years ago in the Jewish section of Baltimore.’ — Orthodox Jewish Washington attorney Nathan Lewin
And one not-so-famous Shabbos goy: Abu Ali (not his real name)
Abu Ali, who asked to be identified only by his nickname because he’s kept his unusual job from friends and neighbors, is one of a select few Arab-Israelis working as a Shabbos Goy in Jerusalem. He’s an atypical Muslim serving Orthodox Jews in a city where the two communities more often collide than connect.
“When I am here on the Sabbath, I am the king,” he said one recent Friday at sundown as Orthodox men in black satin overcoats rushed by. “Everybody knows me. Everybody needs me.”
“But after the Sabbath, nobody knows me,” Abu Ali said with a shrug. “It’s the nature of things.”
Did you know? Anti-Semites use the term Shabbos goy to pejoratively refer to non-Jews who are friendly to the Jewish people and/or Jewish causes (like the pope!).
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About the webinar
What role does sport play in the curriculum of successful schools?
In this webinar, we will hear from teachers from around the world on:
- What role sport has played in schooling during the past year
- How is sport being used to support students to reintegrate back into physical classrooms?
- The challenges of running sports classes during the Covid-19 pandemic and the link between sport/exercise and mental health
About the panel
This will be a panel event, with speakers from around the world, followed by questions from the audience.
Susie Rodgers MBE is a successful former professional Paralympic swimmer who competed at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, winning six medals across both Games including gold and 5 bronze medals. In total, she has won 30 international medals throughout her career at all levels, including 17 gold. Susie has a First Class honours from Newcastle University in Modern Languages, holds a postgraduate diploma from the Financial Times in Non-Executive Director leadership and studied a course on leadership at IESE business school in Spain, recently completing courses in sustainability at Stanford in 2020 and in global leadership at Harvard Kennedy School in 2021. Susie is an expert adviser for global clients on disability inclusion and currently works for the UK Government in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as a Technical Adviser on Disability Inclusion. She also worked previously for the British Council; working with young people on educational programmes across different countries. Susie was awarded an MBE (2017) for services to Paralympic sport by Her Majesty the Queen. You can follow Susie on Twitter here.
Nick Moon is Associate Headteacher at Bishop Challoner Catholic College in Birmingham, where he has taught since 2006 following his PGCE at Birmingham University. Bishop Challoner is a mixed comprehensive faith school in Kings Heath, a few miles from Birmingham City Centre. They have 1200 students on roll inclusive of Sixth Form and within PE offer GCSE, A-Level, BTEC Sport and OCR National courses for Key Stage 3 & 4 cohorts. The College was one of the first Sports Colleges nationally in 2000 and has continued its' outward facing perspective as the current SGO hub site for the area. In addition, they work with 30 primary schools through their PE and Sport Premium Programme and 68 secondary schools through the Sport England Teacher Training Approach Project across the West Midlands. As Director of Study for PE and Community Sport, Nick is responsible for overseeing these programmes across the wide community of schools, ensuring that students are provided with the best experiences possible in PE and Sport.
Mpuuja Tom Mutebi is a Sports Director and Head of the Sports department at the Aga Khan Education Services Uganda and a Physical Education instructor at the Aga Khan High School. He has over 30 years’ experience teaching both national and international curricula. The Aga Khan Education Service Uganda is part of a global network of organisations that work towards improving quality of life in areas of Africa and Asia. Tom has extensive knowledge of the IGCSE and International Baccalaureate Physical Education programmes for ages 11-19, which he has taught for the last eleven years. Alongside teaching, he is a holder of a Level III FIVB Volleyball Coaches and Instructor’s Certificate and is a part-time Lecturer at Kyambogo University Faculty of Science.
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Award in Marketing
Course Reference: M2.4 MRK
Focus: Business and Management
This module aims to provide learners with an insight into the role and function of marketing. Learners will become familiar with marketing terminology, gather an appreciation of ethical marketing principles, and use several business tools to analyse and evaluate consumer behaviour, the market environment, and marketing processes.
By the end of this module, learners will be able to apply the principles of the marketing mix and create a marketing plan for a product or service.
Our tutors have excellent experience within their field of expertise as well as the necessary academic background. You will receive a high-quality delivery in a participative environment. You will be engaged in discussions, activities, case studies, presentations and group work creating a bond between you and other students that forges friendships and a new network of professionals.
There are no exams on this programme. The method of assessment to attain this award is based on different methods such as preparing a portfolio of work, building a reflective journal, writing an assignment, and others. The assignment brief is available to you in good time so that you can organise and plan your study time accordingly week by week. You will be guided through the assessment requirements, and you will also receive ongoing feedback throughout the course of studies.
Delivery of sessions are held in the evenings (typically starting at 17:30 hours) on different weekdays and according to the timetable of the modules. There is also the possibility of a few Saturday morning sessions.
Opportunities for further studies
Upon successful completion of this Award, you can:
- Take up the opportunity to follow other Awards in different areas of business and management, or
- Follow the Certificate in Business and Management (30 ECTS), and
- This Certificate programme will also lead you to further studies.
This award is designed for:
- Adult learners who want to have an immersive learning experience in this area.
- Working professionals, who have been working for a number of years, and who would like to acquire competencies, knowledge and skills in this area of business and management.
- Prospective learners, who already have a Level 4 and/or a Level 5 qualification, and who would like to challenge themselves within this area of business and management, to further develop their expertise.
The entry requirements are:
- Three MQF/EQF Level 4 individual single subject qualifications and at least 18 years of age.
- One MQF/EQF Level 4 qualification of at least 120 ECTS, or equivalent and at least 18 years of age.
- A minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience and at least 24 years of age.
- The MATSEC Matriculation Certificate. This comprises 6 subjects, and include passes in a language, a science subject, a humanistic subject, and a pass in the subject ‘Systems of Knowledge’. Two of the 6 subjects must be at an Advanced Level, three of the subjects must be at an Intermediate Level and a pass at the ‘Systems of Knowledge’ subject.
- A pass (at least Grade 5 of better) in the Secondary Education Certificate examinations in the following subjects: English language, Mathematics, and one other subject.
Other equivalent (international) qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
All learners must have proficiency in the English language (evidence of use of the English language at work, 0-level pass in the English language, English as the national language or mother tongue, or other equivalent foreign qualifications equating to Common European Framework (at B2), such as IELTS (overall score of 6.0 with no element less than 5.5), Cambridge English (overall score of 169 with minimum scores of 162), TOEFL (at 72) and others).
- Analyse critically consumer buyer behaviours
- Develop an effective marketing plan
- Select appropriate information communication tools and technologies to enhance marketing activities within a business
- Demonstrate an understanding of how not-for-profit organisations benefit from marketing
- The role and functions of marketing within different types of business concerns
- A range of different types of marketing strategies
- The role, benefits and application of the extended marketing mix framework for products and services
- The role and impact of information communication technology on marketing activities
- A range of consumer and market data that effectively inform business decisions
Applying knowledge and understanding
- Align marketing initiatives and strategies to business objectives
- Illustrate the decision-making process that underpins consumer buying behaviour
- Assess different market research methods used for gathering competitor information
- Develop a market segmentation study for a product or service e) Apply the extended marketing mix framework to a product or service
Judgement skills and critical abilities
- Review ethical marketing principles
- Assess consumer needs
- Examine the different influences on the consumer decision-making process
- Analyse the macro and micro factors that influence marketing
- Assess the target markets for a product or service
- Evaluate methods to measure the success of the different elements of the marketing plan
Module specific communication skills
- Discuss internal and external sources of secondary data
- Interpret marketing data to a range of stakeholders
Module specific learner skills
- Outline the differences between business buyer behaviour and consumer buyer behaviour
- Summarise how the marketing mix can be used in different contexts
|Accreditation Status||Approved Local Higher Education Programme|
|Level of Qualification||MQF / EQF Level 5|
|Mode of Delivery||Traditional / Face-to-Face Learning|
|Hours of Learning||Contact Hours: 40 / Self-Study Hours: 120 / Assessment Hours: 40 / Total Hours: 200|
|Study mode||Work based programme delivered in the evenings and some Saturdays.|
|Language of instruction||English|
|Programme Delivered||Malta Business School, Level 3, Sean Building, Psaila Street Birkirara BKR1908, Malta|
|Mode of assessment||Assessed pieces of work (no exam)|
|Teaching and Learning Approach||At MBS our teaching and learning approach is based on adult learning principles and is unreservedly participant centred and experiential in nature. Participants are expected to contribute in group work and discussions and actively participate during sessions.|
|Grading System as approved by MFHEA||Fail, Pass, Merit and Distinction|
|Date of Next Intake||To be announced|
|Registration||Send us your CV for review and without obligation so that we can check your eligibility for this programme.|
|Visa Requirements||Third Country Nationals are advised to read VISA requirements from here|
|Progression Pathways||Successful learners who achieve this Award might want to join the Certificate in Business and Management programme, the Diploma in Business and Management programme, the Higher Diploma in Business and Management programme, and the Bachelor in Business and Management programme. Talk to us so that we will guide you accordingly.|
Terms & Conditions apply, talk to us for further detail on this programme.
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Conveyor Belt Sushi - also known as Kaiten Sushi ]. "Kaiten" means "to rotate" or "go round in a circle." As the name suggests, a load of sushi goes round on a conveyor belt and the customer takes what she wants for om noms.
In other countries, I see that many kaiten sushi has each plate covered with a plastic cover but in Japan most are open like these ones.
This kaiten sushi place has dishes which are not typical Japanese like these ones - a huge mound of rice topped with salmon, ikura and onions. Many gaijins come to this place which is why some of the dishes are more adventurous ^^;
Price of the dish is decided by the color of the plate - gold plates are usually the most expensive.
Its not just fish to be found on a plate - drinks and dessert too.
If the belt does not have what you want, all you have to do is ask the chap behind the belt. For example "Engawa Kudasai!" (some Engawa please!)
There are some rules that you should follow when entering a sushi place which are all outlined in the video below. Be sure to watch before going for some sushi.
This type of sushi is called "Gunkan Maki" ] and is named because it looks like the shape of a battleship ("Gunkan" meaning battleship).
Ikura is salmon roe. For many years I didn't dare try but once I did I found that I love it! A dollop of it on rice is lovely.
The red and black containers contain green tea powder which you should help yourself to.
Usually there are cups at the counter for you to help yourself.
If you see a plate with a sign like this - its just to let you know whats available - if you fancy some then just ask the sushi guy.
Not everything available will be on the belt. They usually make stuff that they think is more popular and stick it out for everybody. Look around at the menus to see what else they have on offer.
This is gari which is sliced ginger - take a sensible amount to have with your dish.
Some places have an english menu - if you want one then just ask!
Forgot to mention - notice the black rubber button underneath the tap - dont press it like a friend did because boiling water will burn your hand and make you cry! Press the cup against the rubber bit to fill up.
Some places will sell bags of tea that is served in the restaurant - if you want some then just ask.
T'was christmas when we went.
The sushi place was Heiroku Sushi located in Harajuku - nearest station is Meiji Jingumae or Harajuku on the JR line.
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Q: What inspired you to write And Tyler No More?
A: I have written two prior nonfiction books concerning presidential nominating conventions in the 19th century.
In doing research for those, I came across the historical event that is the focus of And Tyler No More, which is an accidental explosion on a Navy ship in 1844 that almost killed President John Tyler.
I had always wanted to try my hand at writing historical fiction and decided to use that event and weave a presidential assassination plot into it.
Making it a work of fiction gave me leeway to create my own characters and explore what could have motivated sane and rational people to plot to kill a president, whether it could be justified, how would they go about doing it, and what would be the consequences of their success, or their failure.
Q: In an article for historynewsnetwork.org, you compared the January 6 attack on the Capitol to a march on the White House in 1841. What led to that earlier march, and were there any consequences?
A: The 1841 march on the White House, which became a mob attack similar to the January 6 one on the Capitol, was in response to President John Tyler’s veto of a bill reestablishing a national bank, which was the key economic policy of the Whig Party. It is the setting of a chapter in my book.
An angry crowd broke through the gates of the White House and an effigy of Tyler was hung from a tree and burned only feet away from the mansion.
The Whigs controlled both houses of Congress and Tyler had been elected as vice president on the party’s ticket the previous year. He assumed the presidency when William Henry Harrison died after only one month in office. His veto was viewed as a betrayal of the party that had elected him.
As a result of the veto, almost all of the president’s cabinet resigned in protest, and the Whigs formally tossed Tyler out of the party. It led to constant political battles, and stalemate in Washington, for the remaining three years of Tyler’s term of office.
Q: How did you research the book, and did you learn anything especially surprising?
A: I have always read a lot of books about American history. For this project, I focused on ones that dealt with the early 1840s, including biographies of the prominent political leaders of that era.
In addition to President Tyler, some of the other historical figures in my book are Senator Henry Clay and Dolley Madison.
The book also explores the status of slavery at that time, and the annexation of Texas into the United States, which was pending. Books and articles in history journals on those issues were very helpful.
If there is one surprising thing that I learned from my research for this book, as well as that done for my prior books on 19th century politics, it is that there have been several prior periods in American history when our politics have been very divisive.
Those who say that we are currently in an era where “it is the worst that it has ever been” are, in my opinion, mistaken. For one thing, we fought a Civil War.
Taking the historical facts of my book and placing them in a modern context, what if President Joe Biden had died shortly after taking office, if Vice President Kamala Harris took over as president and then vetoed all of the economic and social policy bills of the Democrats in Congress, if the cabinet resigned in protest, and if a President Harris essentially became a Republican?
Q: What did you see as the right blend of fiction and history as you wrote the book?
A: That is something that I wrestled with while writing the book. Fiction gives a writer the ability to make up things but, with historical fiction, those things have to be grounded in reality. You can’t stray too far from the facts.
I remember seeing somewhere that a historical fiction author writing about the Civil War can be creative with some facts, “but Lincoln still has to be tall.”
The trick is to present the real history through the eyes of the fictional characters in a way that is entertaining for the reader. Hopefully, those who read And Tyler No More will come away with the feeling that I was able to accomplish that goal.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: My plan is to have a trilogy of fiction books focusing on Monty Tolliver, the main character in the current book, with the second book dealing with the battles over the expansion of slavery into the territories in the 1850s, and the third taking place during the Civil War.
I also plan to write a third nonfiction book about presidential nominating conventions, taking the conventions up to the mid-20th century, and focusing on the careers of Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt, who were the two dominant political figures of that era.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I think the book will be of interest to anyone who loves reading about American history, on their own or as participants in history book clubs. I would be more than happy to address any inquiries.
For more information about the book, and for my contact information, please go to my website at www.stanhaynes.com.
Thank you, Deborah, for the work that you do with your Q&As blog, and for giving me the opportunity to share information about my book with your readers.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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Bone fracture remains a major public health concern. Internal fixation devices are commonly used in clinical practice for the bone healing. Nowadays, permanent or non-degradable metals are utilized for the fabricating materials, which brings about inevitably side effects and requires usually a second surgery to remove the implants after the bone healing. The concept of biodegradable becomes a new paradigm for the next generation of bone fixation implants and Zn-based metals have been considered as the leading candidate materials. However, their uncertain degradation/corrosion behavior as well as insufficient bio-compatibility/-functionality hinders their clinical translation. Surface modification offers a great avenue to address this key issue, most of current research remains still far from satisfactory from the standpoint of clinical application. Recently, a novel alendronate embedded zinc phosphate hybrid coating was constructed on Zn by Prof. Guojiang Wan’s group, which has been published on the academic journal Corrosion Science. The hybrid coating combined the desirable corrosion protective property and potential bio-compatibility. Thanks to its high quality, the hybrid coating serves as a effective kinetic barrier to slow down the corrosion rate of Zn as well as reduce the Zn2+ release. Moreover, the coated Zn turned to a more uniform corrosion mode, free of severe localized corrosion, which is beneficial to maintain a structural and mechanical integrity of the implants during the degradation process. More importantly, the coating shows a great potential for bone repairing functionality with a good balance between the bone formation and resorption.
For more details, please refer to this article(Xiaoshan Mo et al, and Guojiang Wan*, Corrosion Science 184 (2021) 109398): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2021.109398
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What isBrother Francisup to this time? Celebrating the seasons of Advent and Christmas! And you know what? You can come along with him! This fun-filled episode will help children understand why and how we celebrate the Advent and Christmas seasons, and prepare their hearts for the coming of the King!
This episode includes :
“Why Advent?” - A clear presentation of what it means to observe this wonderful time, as we anticipate the coming of Jesus!
“Clap Your Hands!” and “Someone Important is Coming!” - Two joyful ditties, full of meaning and fun.
“The Christmas Season” - Learn what this season is truly all about and how we celebrate it in faith and hope!
“Ring the Bells!” - An inspiring visualized song that celebrates the One who came to bring us salvation!
“Jesus is Coming”is a fun way to observe Advent and Christmas. Keep Christ in this season and bring the joy of Heaven into your home!
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With daily life upended and familiar people, places, and routines suddenly off-limits, there is no question that we’re in the midst of a stressful time. In the face of such enormous stress, it can be hard to remain calm, let alone feel that we’re thriving. Nick Pinkerton, director of Counseling Services, offers advice for taking care of ourselves and our mental health during difficult times.
Pinkerton recommends the following ways for students — as well as faculty and staff — to THRIVE in the wake of this unprecedented situation:
Having a sense of togetherness is critical in times like these, and can be challenging when, for the safety of ourselves and our community, we are practicing social distancing. Importantly, social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation, and there are things we can do to stay connected to one another. Reach out to friends on social media, video chat, and call people on the phone. Talk to friends and loved ones about how you are feeling. Share memories, hopes, and fears with those you care about, trust, and love. Remind others and yourself that we will get through this, no matter how hard it is, and we will do it together.
Remembering to practice good self-care is very important. Focusing on getting good sleep, eating well, and exercising are some of the most critical investments you can make in preventing illness and improving your overall health and well-being. Simple things like setting an alarm for bed time and waking time are wonderful ways to begin a healthy routine. Go for that walk, run, or bike ride you have been meaning to take if you only had the time. Get some fresh air, enjoy a bit of nature, and make and enjoy something healthy and tasty.
One of the hardest things to do in a stressful situation is to remember that you have not only have what it takes to get through it, you actually have the capacity to come out stronger on the other side. Sometimes our true strength is only realized in the wake of tremendous challenge and adversity. While the times ahead are going to be challenging in many ways, and there are many questions and concerns we are all facing, we can and will persevere and overcome.
In this time of reflection, practicing mindfulness and maintaining optimism are essential. Mindfulness is defined as purposefully paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Rather than getting caught up in the worries about what might come (what if’s) or upset about what has already happened (should have’s), ask yourself what you can do right here and right now to better your situation. Focus on the things you can control and try to let go of the things you cannot. Practice yoga, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or a host of other mindfulness strategies regularly, and begin to see the amazing benefits they can have on your life. Recognize when you are falling prey to negative thinking, challenge it, and settle into a more accurate and adaptive pattern of thought, feeling, and behavior.
Vitality is a zest for life. It is the thing that makes you grateful for breathing and experiencing the wonders of each and every moment. It is having a compassionate lens in the way you see others and yourself. Nothing is more attractive and invigorating than being with someone who has a love for life, and an appreciation for the good, the true, and the beautiful. Even in dark times, there is still so much to be grateful for. Practice vitality by remembering what you are thankful for, what you hold dear, and what is ultimately most important.
Having a sense of purpose and meaning in your life is more important than we often realize. What is it that gets us out of bed in the morning? Are we needed? Are we doing things that matter? Friedrich Nietzsche famously said that “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” Focus on your why. What goals do you have? What hobbies have you wanted to take on if you only had the time? What creative endeavors make you lose time and engage in flow? Write a list of these activities and begin making them a part of your daily routine. Break your goals into actionable steps that you can begin working on today. Get a buddy to help you stay committed to your tasks. Take pride in each new accomplishment, and feel the sense of joy that comes with empowerment.
Here are a few other resources that may be helpful:
“Keeping Your Distance to Stay Safe” (American Psychological Association)
Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Via Nancy Baym.
All those digits aren’t illegit,
they got it all mapped out for you…
Worth a listen/watch:
Via Nancy Baym.
All those digits aren’t illegit,
they got it all mapped out for you…
Worth a listen/watch:
There’s a really nice piece by Tarleton Gillespie in Issue 04 of Logic themed on “scale” that concerns the scale of social media platforms and how we might understand the qualitative as well as quantitative shifts that happen when things change in scale.
But the question of scale is more than just the sheer number of users. Social media platforms are not just big; at this scale, they become fundamentally different than they once were. They are qualitatively more complex. While these platforms may speak of their online “community,” singular, at a billion active users there can be no such thing. Platforms must manage multiple and shifting communities, across multiple nations and cultures and religions, each participating for different reasons, often with incommensurable values and aims. And communities do not independently coexist on a platform. Rather, they overlap and intermingle—by proximity, and by design.
The huge scale of the platforms has robbed anyone who is at all acquainted with the torrent of reports coming in of the illusion that there was any such thing as a unique case… On any sufficiently large social network everything you could possibly imagine happens every week, right? So there are no hypothetical situations, and there are no cases that are different or really edgy. There’s no such thing as a true edge case. There’s just more and less frequent cases, all of which happen all the time.
No matter how they handle content moderation, what their politics and premises are, or what tactics they choose, platforms must work at an impersonal scale: the scale of data. Platforms must treat users as data points, subpopulations, and statistics, and their interventions must be semi-automated so as to keep up with the relentless pace of both violations and complaints. This is not customer service or community management but logistics—where concerns must be addressed not individually, but procedurally.
However, the user experiences moderation very differently. Even if a user knows, intellectually, that moderation is an industrial-sized effort, it feels like it happens on an intimate scale. “This is happening to me; I am under attack; I feel unsafe. Why won’t someone do something about this?” Or, “That’s my post you deleted; my account you suspended. What did I do that was so wrong?”
Two excellent pieces by Anab Jain and Lucy Suchman that I recommend you read if you’re interested in studying technology (not just AI) that reflect upon Google’s announcement of its ‘AI principles’ and its apparent commitment not to work on the US Government’s “project Maven”.
Here’s a couple of quotes that stood out, but you should definitely read both pieces:
The principle “Be accountable to people,” states “We will design AI systems that provide appropriate opportunities for feedback, relevant explanations, and appeal. Our AI technologies will be subject to appropriate human direction and control.” This is a key objective but how, realistically, will this promise be implemented? As worded, it implicitly acknowledges a series of complex and unsolved problems: the increasing opacity of algorithmic operations, the absence of due process for those who are adversely affected, and the increasing threat that automation will translate into autonomy, in the sense of technologies that operate in ways that matter without provision for human judgment or accountability. […]
The overriding question for all of these principles, in the end, concerns the processes through which their meaning and adherence to them will be adjudicated. It’s here that Google’s own status as a private corporation, but one now a giant operating in the context of wider economic and political orders, needs to be brought forward from the subtext and subject to more explicit debate.
Given the networked nature of the technologies that companies like Google create, and the marketplace of growth and progress that they operate within, how can they control who will benefit and who will lose? What might be the implications of powerful companies taking an overt moral or political position? How might they comprehend the complex possibilities for applications of their products? […]
How many unintended consequences can we think of? And what happens when we do release something potentially problematic out into the world? How much funding can be put into fixing it? And what if it can’t be fixed? Do we still ship it? What happens to our business if we don’t? All of this would mean slowing down the trajectory of growth, it would mean deferring decision-making, and that does not rank high in performance metrics. It might even require moving away from the selection of The Particular Future in which the organisation is currently finding success.
This Data & Society talk by Virginia Eubanks on her book Automating Inequality followed by a discussion with Alondra Nelson and Julia Angwin is excellent. This seems like vital empirical analysis and insights that flesh out what is, perhaps, frequently gestured towards by ‘critical algorithm studies’ folks – ‘auditing algorithms’, analysing what’s in the black box, how systems function and what is their material and socio-economic specificity and what then can we learn about how particular forms of actually existing automation (and not simply abstract ideals) function.
Eubanks talks for the first 20-ish minutes and then there’s a discussion that follows. This is really worth watching if you’re interested in doing algorithm studies type work and in doing ‘digital geographies’ that don’t simply lapse into ontology talk.
This episode of the ‘Talking Politics‘ podcast is a conversation between LRB journalist John Naughton and the Oxford Internet Institute’s Professor Phillip Howard ranging over a number of issues but largely circling around the political issues that may emerge from ‘Internets of Things’ (the plural is important in the argument) that are discussed in Howard’s book ‘Pax Technica‘. Worth a listen if you have time…
One of the slightly throw away bits of the conversation, which didn’t concern the tech, that interested me was when Howard comments on the kind of book Pax Technica is – a ‘popular’ rather than ‘scholarly’ book and how that had led to a sense of dismissal by some. It seems nuts (to me, anyway) when we’re all supposed to be engaging in ‘impact’, ‘knowledge exchange’ and so on that opting to write a £17 paperback that opens out debate, instead of a £80+ ‘scholarly’ hardback, is frowned upon. I mean I understand some of the reasons why but still…
This is good. Via dmf.
Here’s an exercise to do, as a non-specialist, for yourself or maybe as part of a classroom activity: discuss what Facebook (data brokers, credit checkers etc etc.) might know about me/us/you, how accurate the data/information might be, and what that means to our lives.
One of the persistent themes of how we tell stories about the ‘information society’, ‘big data’, corporate surveillance and so on is the extent of the data held about each and every one of us. Lots of stories are told on the back of that and there are, of course, real life consequences to inaccuracies.
Nevertheless, an interesting way of starting the exercise above is to compare and contrast the following two articles:
The exploitation of personal information has become a multi-billion industry. Yet only the tip of the iceberg of today’s pervasive digital tracking is visible; much of it occurs in the background and remains opaque to most of us.
If you like percentages, nearly 50 percent of the data in the report about me was incorrect. Even the zip code listed does not match that of my permanent address in the U.S.; it shows instead the zip code of an apartment where I lived several years ago. Many data points were so out of date as to be useless for marketing–or nefarious–purposes: My occupation is listed as “student”; my net worth does not take into account my really rather impressive student loan debt. And the information that is accurate, including my age and aforementioned net worth (when adjusted for the student debt), is presented in wide ranges.
Of course, it does not matter if the data is correct – those inaccuracies have real-world consequences, and the granularity of the accuracy only matters in certain circumstances. So, thinking about how and why the data captured about us matters, what it might facilitate – allow or prevent us or those around us doing seems like an interesting activity to occupy thirty minutes or so…
Paula Crutchlow, with Ian Cook and I, invite submissions for the following session for this year’s RGS-IBG conference. Please do share this with anyone (doesn’t have to be geographers) who may be interested. As we say below, we welcome any kind of creative response to the theme. The session builds on Paula’s PhD project The Museum of Contemporary Commodities, which will be active before and throughout the conference in the RGS-IBG building.
How do we open out the messy digital geographies of trade, place and value to the world? How can we work with the digital beyond beyond archives, spectacle and techno-dystopian imaginations? How do we do so in a ways that are performative, collaborative and provocative of the digital?
This session builds on the planned hosting of the Museum of Contemporary Commodities (MoCC) in the RGS(IBG)’s Pavilion in the days leading up to the annual conference (and its partial installation in the RGS(IBG) building during the conference) where it will join the V&A, Science and Natural History Museums on London’s Exhibition Road. Developed as acts of valuing the things we buy today as the heritage of tomorrow, MoCC’s artworks take the form of dynamic, collaborative hacks and prototypes; socio-material processes, objects and events that aim to enrol publics in trade justice debates in light footed, life-affirming, surprising and contagious ways as part of their daily routines.
We invite prospective participants to offer propositions and provocations that stitch into or unpick the complex and sometime knotty patchwork quilt of data-trade-place-value. This is an invitation to contribute to and convene conversations that enliven geographical understandings of the governance, performance, placings and values/valuing of contemporary (digitally) mediated material culture. The resulting session is not conceived as a ‘conventional’ paper session. We invite submissions of ten-minute contributions that might take various forms, which might include essay, performance, video and many other creative responses to the theme.
This invitation should be understood in its broadest sense. We are interested in the commingling and mash-up of the theme(s) data-trade-place-value. We very much encourage submissions that push back against the normative authorities or discourses surrounding ‘the digital’ (however that might be conceived). So, we hope that all involved in the session will thereby be challenged and inspired by creative propositions and provocations that begin to get to the heart of how we open out the messy digital geographies of trade, place and value to the world.
Themes could include:
– David Murakami Wood (@murakamiwood) September 30, 2015
Interesting article on the Washington Post site, tweeted by David Murakami Wood (above), that talks about a service/app called “Peeple” that seeks to be a “Yelp for people” – to enable us to ‘rate’ and ‘review’ one another… A market-driven death-knell for treating one another like ‘people’ (rendering the name rather ironic) and another attempt to pull a further aspect of ‘ordinary’ life into the attention economy. This is an attempted renegotiation of the ‘normative’, what Daniel Miller and Sophie Woodward, in their book Blue Jeans, describe as the sense in which “the expectation that actions within a social field are likely to be judged as right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate, proper or transgressive”. What if reviewing one another became ‘normal’..?(!!) *sigh*
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For years, experts have recognized that the typical Western diet, with its emphasis on processed foods, meats, refined grains, and added sugars, is not the healthiest. In contrast, the traditional diets of people living in the Far East tend to be linked to much lower rates of many chronic diseases. So what can we learn about how an Asian-style diet may help promote health and lower the risk for such diseases? Read on to find out what health practitioners and researchers think about the Asian diet's potential benefits.
What Is the Asian Diet?
As there are many countries in Asia, and the cuisines vary greatly from one region to another, there isn’t a single “Asian diet,” says Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD, a professor of clinical medicine and the chief of the division of clinical nutrition at the University of California in Los Angeles. That said, the diets of people living in these regions have several things in common.
More than two decades ago, researchers at Cornell and Harvard universities developed an Asian Diet Pyramid for Oldways, a food and nutrition education nonprofit based in Boston. Similar to the Mediterranean diet, the Asian Diet Pyramid focuses on plant-based and whole foods and minimizes dairy and red meat. Some of the foods included in the pyramid are rice and rice products and noodles, plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, soy, nuts and seeds, and plant-based beverages, including tea (especially black and green).
The Asian diet is currently ranked 13 out of 40 diets in the U.S. News and World Report’s list of best diets overall.
Common Questions & Answers
How Does the Asian Diet Work?
“The Asian diet is a bit different from other diets in that it doesn’t focus on serving sizes,” says Alexis Supan, RD, MPH, who works at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine in Ohio. Instead, it outlines how often to eat specific groups of foods.
At the base of the Asian diet food pyramid are foods you’re encouraged to eat every day: leafy greens, legumes, vegetables, fruits, soy foods, whole grains, herbs, and spices. Moving up the pyramid, you have fish or shellfish twice a week; moderate portions of eggs, poultry, dairy, and healthy cooking oils; and “sometimes” foods like red meats and sweets. Plain water and unsweetened tea are encouraged, whereas sugary juices and soda are discouraged.
One interesting fact about the Asian diet is that, unlike many other diets, it allows for the occasional glass of beer, wine, or sake (traditional Japanese alcoholic fermented rice beverage). “It’s similar to the Mediterranean diet, where they say red wine is acceptable a couple of times a week, and it’s actually good because of the antioxidants it offers,” Supan says.
Potential Health Benefits of an Asian Diet
One of the big benefits of the Asian diet is that you’re likely to get more antioxidants than in a Western diet. “You’re certainly getting a lot more nutrients than the food label captures,” Dr. Li says. Antioxidants are substances that protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals — molecules that are created when your body breaks down food or you’re exposed to cigarette smoke — may play a role in heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases, notes Mayo Clinic. In this way, a diet high in antioxidants may protect overall health.
As many antioxidants double as pigments, the natural color of your food is one way to tell what types of antioxidants you’re getting. For example, pink and red fruits like tomatoes and pink grapefruit typically have lycopene as their primary antioxidant, Li says. Animal and test-tube studies suggest that lycopene may lower your risk of cancer and heart disease, though more research is needed, according to a review published in August 2020 in the journal Antioxidants.
Unsweetened tea is a staple of the Asian diet, and is a big reason why the diet is thought to stave off chronic diseases, Supan says. “Any tea is going to be packed with a good amount of antioxidants.” Teas are especially rich in a type of polyphenol known as flavonols, which have been shown to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, according to a review published in September 2017 in Nutrition Bulletin.
Here are some more Asian diet benefits that research has uncovered.
1. May Help Prevent and Control Type 2 Diabetes
Following a traditional Asian diet may extend benefits that lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. In a past randomized clinical trial, both Asian Americans and Caucasian Americans at risk of type 2 diabetes lowered their insulin resistance (a hallmark of type 2 diabetes) after following a rigorously controlled traditional Asian diet for 16 weeks. Those who switched back to a traditional Western diet for eight weeks after an eight-week stint on the Asian diet not only gained weight (up to 2 pounds [lb]), but they also increased their insulin resistance.
The Asian diet may help prevent diabetes because it emphasizes many foods that the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) recommends to keep blood sugar under control: whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans and legumes, and healthy fats. It also limits foods that tend to spike blood sugar and increase your risk of diabetes-related complications like heart disease and stroke, which include sweets, processed foods, sweetened beverages, and animal fats.
The Asian diet may also help control type 2 diabetes, but you may need to pay close attention to your portion sizes, especially when it comes to whole grains, Supan says.
2. May Lower Heart Disease Risk
For a study published August 2018 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers compared the eating patterns of more than 12,000 men from seven countries (United States, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Croatia and Serbia, and Japan) to see if there was an association between diet and death from cardiovascular disease.
They discovered a similar eating pattern between the Mediterranean group and the Japanese group: both favored seafood and vegetables and minimized their consumption of animal foods and animal fat. The Mediterranean and Japanese groups also had significantly lower risks of death from heart disease than the other groups.
One reason for this heart-health benefit may be the key role that fish plays in many Asian diets, particularly in coastal regions, Li says. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, a group of “healthy” fats that can help lower your risk of heart disease, heart failure, and stroke, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). In an analysis of four international studies published March 2021 in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers revealed that two servings of fish per week — which is the frequency suggested in the Asian diet food pyramid — is associated with a lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and death among people with heart disease.
3. May Promote Gut Health
According to Li, Asian diets typically include a lot of fermented foods like tempeh, miso, and kimchi. These foods are rich sources of probiotics, which are “good bacteria” that are beneficial to your gut.
Mainly, probiotics maintain a healthy balance between “good” and “bad” bacteria in your body, helping support immune function and control inflammation, notes the Cleveland Clinic. They may also treat and prevent diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and H. pylori (the cause of ulcers), according to Harvard Health.
Weight Loss Effect of an Asian Diet
While the Asian diet is more of a healthy lifestyle than a fad designed to promote weight loss, there is some evidence that the diet is associated with lower body weight. Research published April 2018 in the Journal of Nutrition found that people in Singapore who follow a healthy eating pattern the most closely are more likely to have better health outcomes. These include a lower body mass index (BMI), smaller waist size, and lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides (another type of fat in the blood). These effects may come from the limited amount of sweets, processed foods, and animal products you consume, Li says.
Still, that research only showed an association and did not prove cause and effect. “If you have just 5 or 10 pounds to lose, simply switching to the Asian diet probably isn’t going to do that for you,” Supan says. As she explains, the less weight you need to lose, the pickier you have to be about the foods you eat. “If you only have an extra 5 or 10 pounds on you, there is a pretty safe bet you're already following a healthy diet, so that's why you really need to micromanage what you're doing.”
Once your weight loss stalls, you may need to incorporate calorie and macronutrient tracking into your approach.
Foods to Eat and Avoid on an Asian Diet
Here’s a breakdown of foods to enjoy regularly and in moderation and foods to limit on the Asian diet.
Foods to eat
- Leafy greens
- Legumes and beans
- Nuts and seeds
- Tofu and soy products
- Unsweetened tea
- Plain water
- Whole grains
- Herbs and spices
- Rice and noodles
- Beer (in moderation)
- Sake (in moderation)
- Wine (in moderation)
- Healthy cooking oils (such as sesame and peanut oil)
Foods to limit
- Red meat
- Sugary treats
- Fruit juice
- Sweetened tea
Some experts warn against eating foods with monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer that’s often associated with Chinese food. It is believed that MSG can cause headaches, flushing, sweating, face pressure or tightness, numbness or burning in the face and neck, fluttering heartbeat, chest pain, nausea, and weakness, but researchers haven’t found a clear link between MSG and these symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic.
Further, while some people may be allergic to MSG, there is no scientific evidence that MSG causes lasting harm or that it is a primarily Chinese ingredient, per a February 2017 article in Poroi. In fact, MSG is found naturally in tomatoes, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese, the author adds.
If you notice a reaction after eating foods with MSG, you may want to limit or avoid them, suggests Mayo Clinic. Otherwise, there may be no reason to worry. Still, more research is needed.
A 7-Day Sample Menu for an Asian Diet
According to Supan, here’s what a week’s worth of eating might look like on an Asian diet meal plan for someone following a standard 2,000-calorie diet.
Breakfast Vegetable omelet
Snack 1 piece of local, seasonal fruit
Lunch Soba noodles in sesame oil with scallions and cabbage
Snack Small handful of almonds
Dinner Tofu and vegetable stir-fry over brown rice
Breakfast Millet porridge
Snack Small handful of walnuts
Lunch Thai peanut chicken with broccoli, carrots, and peppers over brown rice
Snack Roasted edamame and a cup of herbal tea
Dinner Salmon with sautéed bok choy
Breakfast Chinese tomato and egg stir-fry
Snack Pineapple lassi
Lunch Paratha and chickpea curry
Snack Small bowl of fresh, local fruit
Dinner Stir-fried shrimp and vegetables over a bed of brown rice
Breakfast Millet congee
Snack Small handful of almonds
Lunch Steamed fish and side of mixed bean salad
Snack Small bowl of mixed fruit
Dinner Pho with lean beef, mung bean sprouts, jalapeño, and cilantro
Breakfast Egg fried rice
Snack Small handful of almonds
Lunch Roasted tofu, garlic green beans, and buckwheat
Snack Yogurt and berries
Dinner Vietnamese shredded chicken salad (shredded chicken, napa cabbage, matchstick carrots, scallions, bell pepper, mint, cilantro, and peanuts)
Breakfast Aloo paratha (a type of bread stuffed with potatoes and spices)
Snack Small smoothie made with silken tofu and mango
Lunch Soba noodles with chicken and snap peas
Snack Small plate of raw vegetables
Dinner Salmon and tuna sushi, cup of miso soup, and seaweed salad
Breakfast Kimchi fried rice made with brown rice topped with fried egg
Snack Handful of almonds
Lunch Lentil soup
Snack Small bowl of fresh fruit
Dinner Chicken satay with peanut sauce, side salad with radish and cucumbers, and brown rice
Pros and Cons of an Asian Diet
A perk of the Asian diet is that it doesn’t outline set amounts of calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat to eat. So if you typically struggle to follow prescriptive meal plans, the Asian diet could be a good fit.
The Asian diet can be challenging to follow if you don’t have a lot of time to prepare food or if you don’t enjoy cooking. “A lot of the recipes are complicated,” Supan says. “They’re not meant to be a 30-minute dinner you cook when you get home from work.” If you meal prep and set aside one day to prepare your meals for the coming week, you might do just fine with the Asian diet.
Another pro of the Asian diet is that you don’t have to buy any specialty bars, shakes, or meal plans to follow it. All you need is whole food like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, tofu and soy products, fish, eggs, and herbs and spices.
That isn’t to say that the Asian diet is cheap. Fresh, high-quality foods can be expensive. “That’s one big downside, as we all know the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables is going up, which can make it difficult for people to get those in their diets,” Supan says.
Resources We Love: Asian Diet
Oldways is a food and nutrition education nonprofit in Boston. Together with experts at the Cornell-China-Oxford Project on Nutrition, Health and Environment, they created an Asian diet food pyramid. You can find the pyramid here, along with tips and recipes for starting the Asian diet.
Jointly run by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the National University of Singapore, the Asian Diabetes Prevention Initiative provides the latest research and strategies to help Asian populations prevent diabetes. The site includes information about the risks and benefits of traditional Asian diets, how to tweak the diet for better health, and other lifestyle strategies to reduce diabetes risk.
Find hundreds of classic and modern Japanese recipes on this blog. Search recipes by course, dietary needs, ingredient, preparation method, and dish type. You can also find cookbooks, tidbits about Japanese culture, kitchen and cooking tips, and details about common Japanese ingredients.
This food blog offers recipes from a variety of Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, and Thai. It also provides weekly meal plans, an ingredient guide, and an online shop.
Headquartered in California, this Asian-focused online retailer is a one-stop shop for groceries, beauty, home, and kitchen products. Shop Chinese, Japanese, and Korean products on the site or download the app.
Get fresh and traditional Asian groceries delivered to your door. This grocery delivery service offers free delivery for orders $35 and up across the United States in 48 states.
Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking
- Lang S. Cornell Scientists Help to Develop Asian Diet Pyramid. Cornell Chronicle. January 1996.
- Story EN, Kopec RE, Schwartz SJ, et al. An Update on the Health Effects of Tomato Lycopene. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology. December 2013.
- Asian Heritage Diet. Oldways.
- Williamson G. The Role of Polyphenols in Modern Nutrition. Nutrition Bulletin. September 2017.
- Antioxidants. Mayo Clinic. March 1, 2022.
- Mohan D, Mente A, Dehghan M, et al. Associations of Fish Consumption With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality Among Individuals With or Without Vascular Disease from 58 Countries. JAMA Internal Medicine. March 8, 2021.
- Picking Healthy Proteins. American Heart Association. November 1, 2021.
- Probiotics. Cleveland Clinic. March 9, 2020.
- Health Benefits of Taking Probiotics. Harvard Health Publishing. April 13, 2020.
- Diabetes Diet, Eating and Physical Activity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. December 2016.
- These Are the World’s Healthiest Nations. Bloomberg. February 24, 2019.
- Asian Diet. U.S. News and World Report.
- Rakhra V, Galappaththy SL, Bulchandani S, et al. Obesity and the Western Diet: How We Got Here. Missouri Medicine. November–December 2020.
- What Is MSG? Is It Bad for You? Mayo Clinic. April 20, 2022.
- Lemesurier J. Uptaking Race: Genre, MSG, and Chinese Dinner. Poroi. February 2017.
- Whitton C, Rebello SA, Lee J, et al. A Healthy Asian A Posteriori Dietary Pattern Correlates With A Priori Dietary Patterns and Is Associated With Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in a Multiethnic Asian Population. Journal of Nutrition. April 2018.
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How Factories Can Be More Eco-Friendly | Sustainability is the new buzzword among the upcoming generation, i.e., the millennials, when it comes to the impact of businesses on the environment. Saving energy and reducing waste are expected of today’s companies. Here are a few ways to work towards an eco-friendlier factory.
Renewable energy such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, or biomass are effective alternatives to fossil fuels. Not only can they reduce costs associated with traditional energy sources for your company, but these are clean sources of fuel that do not leave a carbon footprint.
Such changes can be introduced one at a time rather than all at once as you aim for a healthier atmosphere for your workforce and reduce your negative impact on the environment. Guidance from Lindberg Process Equipment can help get you started. Green technology is a relatively new field, but a lot of innovative products are being produced. Some suggested starting points are solar panels, heat pumps, and solar thermal. The big benefit of renewable energy is that it does not run out, unlike traditional energy sources.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
The well-known motto when it comes to eco-friendliness is to reduce, reuse, and recycle. This should be applied to all aspects of your business. Incinerating waste is the most resourceful way to dispose of it and produces a heat source that can be reused to generate energy. Finding partners that can reuse leftover products from the manufacturing process can reduce waste. It is also a good idea to review your working methods and aim to eliminate or lessen these excess materials. Waste adds to the carbon footprint.
Start by examining your factory processes and what waste products are produced. The next step is to see what can be reused and what can be reduced. For example, new packaging can be produced from old cardboard and paper that has been recycled. Don’t overlook your factory’s water consumption; find ways to decrease it.
Making use of locally produced raw materials will decrease the transportation costs and related energy burden of getting supplies from further afield. Plant-based packaging is another way to reduce consumption that is harmful to the environment. Circular manufacturing is an alternative to getting your own raw materials by utilizing by-products from another company’s processes.
Partner up with eco-friendly partners when you need your products packaged or to share equipment. Together you can contribute to reducing your businesses’ footprints. Consumers are demanding eco-friendly products and this trend is increasing.
Take advantage of modern equipment that has been designed for an eco-friendlier environment. Manufacturing software can enhance capabilities and lessen waste. Check your stock for redundant inventory to remove from your purchase list. Again, software is useful in managing your stock. Finally, upgrade old machinery and equipment when you can, as these consume more energy than modern technology which is designed to be kinder to the environment.
Remember that it is up to each individual and company to take responsibility for a cleaner, greener environment. By considering all aspects of your business, you will be able to understand your current contribution to waste and how you can decrease it.
image source: Royalty-free image
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Get access to everything we publish when you sign up for Outside+.
Historic Biltmore estate hosts new spring marathon
Photo by Eve Smith
Western North Carolina boasts a backdrop of verdant forests and an endless mogul of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Nestled in all that splendor rests George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate, site of the inaugural Asheville Marathon at Biltmore on March 3, 2013.
Runners will start by the mansion—a veritable Hogwarts—and tour the grounds where the views of the property and surrounding landscape seem straight out of France.
“Everything is lush and manicured,” says race director Daphne Kirkwood. “Going onto the estate is an escape from modern-day life. The vastness of the land, the gardens, the house…it’s like traveling back in time. Being part of the marathon is being part of Biltmore history.”
Far from the Outer Banks, far from Tobacco Road, Asheville is a regional hamlet that marks the terminus to the Blue Ridge Parkway in the mountains of western North Carolina. Wide pan shots of the property elicit a Tour de France-backdrop of tree-cloaked mountains and fields of grapevines flush with baby wine.
It’s called the Biltmore House—but calling this mansion a house is like calling Scott Jurek a “weekend warrior”. The mansion, a looming, domineering gothic chateau, was opened to friends and family of George Vanderbilt on Christmas Eve 1895. Vanderbilt envisioned it as a getaway, a remote place where he could live lavishly, but have the acreage to hike. The entire property spans 125,000 acres and marks one of America’s first managed forests.
“To see the race is going to happen makes me giddy,” says Kirkwood. “It’s a dream come true.”
Since the Biltmore Estate is private property, runners won’t be able to scout out the course before race day. Beginning with eight paved-path and road miles that snake through the property, the course becomes trail and carriage roads for the remainder of the race. It braids in and around the estate, up and down hills, by gardens and greenhouses, by farm animals and underneath circling raptors.
“There’s a new bridge connecting the east and west sides,” Kirkwood says. “The west side is where the vineyards are. It has a European feel to it. You get hillside views of old barns and houses. Run right through the vineyards, just beautiful, a view of the house never been seen before.”
The Asheville-area running community has been responding in kind. Kirkwood says elite runners are drawn to the challenge of running on a new course and the $6500 in total prize money.
Asheville native and 2006 Ultrarunner of the Year Anne Lundblad, 46, is thrilled to have a marathon in her hometown. She recently was part of the gold medal-winning U.S. 24-Hour Team that competed in Poland in September. For the Asheville Marathon, she plans to gear up with speed work.
“The course will be rolling,” says Lundblad. “I imagine we’ll be running by the French Broad River and beautiful gardens. I’ve seen deer and lots of birds, but it’s not a wild mountain run. It’s definitely well manicured.”
With the scenery, the 1300-entry cap, and road traffic largely prohibited from the property, there is a charming hybrid aspect to the race—the energy of a road marathon matched with the peacefulness of a trail run.
Important Race Details
Race entry includes all-day access to the Biltmore House and grounds. The inaugural Asheville Marathon is limited to 1,300 runners. Participants must complete the race within 6 ½ hours. Prize purse offered totaling $6500. A portion of the race proceeds benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Mission Cancer Center.
The Biltmore Estate prides itself on its upkeep and knowledgeable staff. Take the time and visit the mansion and get a sense of the life George Vanderbilt lived. You can be the judge as to whether you’d like it or not.
Admission includes self-guided tours of the mansion, gardens and Antler Hill Village.
Shuttle transportation will be provided to and from the race when you stay at the Race Headquarters Double Tree by Hilton. Directions: http://ashevillemarathon.com/travel/directions/
Race Headquarters: DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville — Biltmore and other Biltmore Farms Hotels. http://ashevillemarathon.com/travel/hotels/
What goes better with trail runner than beer? Asheville’s beer culture precedes them. It was recently named “Beer City USA.” Visit Asheville Brewing Company, Craggie Brewing Company, and/or the French Broad Brewery for recovery.
Other Trails to Hit Up
Bent Creek Trail at the North Carolina Arboretum
Over ten miles of hiking and biking trails sought out by tourists and locals alike.
Mountain to Sea Trail
The Mountain to Sea Trail is a 900-mile trail connecting the Smokey Mountains to the Coastal Plain in the eastern part of the state. Most of the sections are labeled “moderately rough” so expect this network to be gnarly.
The Appalachian Trail
Just 20 miles north of Asheville, runners can hit up the AT for as long or as short as you’d like.
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For businesses, communities, citizen groups, and the health of our ecosystems, it’s a moral imperative that we reduce our use of single use plastics. They require the extraction of fossil fuels and the processing of petroleum, transportation across thousands of miles, and then they’re in use for 1-5 minutes and last a thousand years or more. They leach chemicals that can end up in our food, and wildlife mistakes plastic bags for potential prey items like jellyfish, and end up ingesting them.
Lobbying groups like the American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical manufacturers, would like us to believe that recycling is the best option. Recycling plastics is, at best, a losing proposition. Plastics are not easy to recycle, as the chemical composition breaks down and is not so easily formulated into products with great flexibility. About 5% of plastic bags get recycled, with many millions ending up polluting our environment, and the main reason is that there is simply not much of a market for the recycled plastic material.
So what’s to be done? This video, taken during our June 2012 webinar (you can download the slides from that link) on reducing single use plastics, gives great strategies for all stakeholders. The panel included Priti Ambani of Ecopreneurist, Suzette Bergeron of Bulletin Bag, and yours truly. Enjoy, and feel free to embed on your own site to spread the word.
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Save the Planet - Open Doors is a youth-run federally incorporated environmental non profit based in Canada. We were founded in 2015 but federally incorporated in 2019. Since our beginning, we have accomplished many local, provincial and national goals and started several initiatives which are incredibly close to implementation. We are supported by dozens of individuals and organizations and have a volunteer and impact reach of over 14.5 million people which our initiatives.
A bit about our founder
Aryan Gautam is the youngest Founder & Director of Federally Incorporated Environmental Non-Profit Organization in Canada. He is the youngest member of Ontario Nature Youth Council, the Youth Director of Mississauga Climate Action, Administrative member of the Mississauga-Lakeshore Constituency Youth Council, a member of the Credit Valley Conservation Frontline Program, co-operating activist for Indigenous organizations Eagle Spirits of the Great Waters and Eco-Spirits. He has dedicated 10,000 volunteer hours working with many organizations and people to cast a change in his community; devoting his time in spreading awareness towards climate change, philanthropy and environmentalism. His accomplishments include receiving letters of appreciation and a leadership badge from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his contribution to the Liberal Party. His community work was published by news articles and various magazines for his efforts. Aryan was the youngest to be awarded the Community Leadership Award from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and MP Sven Spengemann in 2019 for his dedication and efforts towards community. In 2021, Aryan was recognized with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts – The Diana Award.
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[Zacchaeus] ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
Earlier this month, we read about Gideon, who was called out from under a tree to serve God in a special role (Judges 6). In this story, another unlikely man is called—but, in this case, Zacchaeus was up in a tree! This story captures the imaginations of children and adults because of the delightfully humorous picture of a short man clambering up a tree to see over the heads of other people as Jesus passes by.
We should pay attention to the immediate relationship Jesus begins with Zacchaeus. Notice also the muttering of the people who pass judgment on both Zacchaeus and Jesus. Nothing is said about Zacchaeus and Jesus’ response to the hostility of the crowd. Instead, we see how Zacchaeus and Jesus demonstrate vulnerability and hospitality and how Jesus makes space for repentance and forgiveness.
How does this story speak to you? Do you identify with Zacchaeus, having done wrong and having often been overlooked? Do you identify with the muttering crowd, who are on the lookout for the mistakes of others? Do you identify with Jesus, who looks over the crowd and sees people for who they really are: found, loved, and celebrated?
For every one of us, everywhere, let’s pray that Jesus will look up and call us from our perches and invite us to spend time with him. He will make things right in our lives so that we can extend compassion to anyone we may have misunderstood or taken advantage of along the way.
Lord Jesus, invite us to come and walk with you. Show us how to live as your fully loved and forgiven children. Amen.
See God's love, power, presence, and purpose in your life every day!
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Mixed selection of felting needles – 10 needles – 2 ea x 5 different needles. Triangular Fine (40G), Medium (38G) and Coarse (36G). Star Medium (38G) and Spiral Medium (38G) or 14 needles including Reverse 36G and Reverse 40G. Each pair of needles contained in a labelled polycarbonate tube with stopper in this set of felting needles. Felting needles for use individually on their own, with a felting needle holder or a needle felting pen that holds 1-3 felting needles. German quality steel needles with a length of 7.6cm / 3 inches. See details of the various felting needle types for their characteristics and function.
The barbs on a felting needle in conjunction with the continuous stabbing motion, encourage the fibre to matt together until a solid felt forms. When using any of these mixed felting needles, stab straight into and then out of the fibre in the same direction. Avoid wiggling or angling the needle when penetrating the fibre to avoid possible breakage. Use foam or a felting mat to protect your work surface. Felting needles are sharp, so please keep away from children. Wipe dry before storage if needle comes into contact with damp fibre.
Felting needle sizes
The gauge of a felting needle refers to the thickness of the needle shaft. The higher the number, the smaller the thickness /diameter of the needle. Fine 40 gauge felting needles make barely discernible holes , while a 32 gauge needle will create larger holes. To speed up the initial process of needle felting, use a larger or lower gauge needle. Work up to a finer needle with a higher gauge for final finishing touches.
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Daily Du'aa Series #1: Ahmad's Amazing Adhaan
Trim Size: 8.5 x 11
Format: e-Book (PDF download)
Color: Full Color
Recommended for Preschool -1st Grade (as a read-along with an adult), 2nd-3rd Grade (for independent study).
Ahmad loves listening to his older brother Talha make the Adhaan at the masjid. So, he asks when he can make the Adhaan by himself too. Follow along as Talha kindly teaches Ahmad that there is so much more to making the Adhaan than knowing the words and having a beautiful voice. Your child will learn the supplications, manners, and rewards for those who call the Adhaan/Iqaamah and those who listen as well!
Click below to see the book preview:
Ahmad's Amazing Adhaan
- Fun introduction to the daily supplications for children
- Arabic text, transliteration, and English translation of each du'aa taught
- Detailed Qur'aan & Hadith references
- Bright, playful illustrations
- Excellent lessons in Islamic manners from the Qur'aan and Sahih Ahadith
- Entertaining rhymes to make learning memorable for young children
- Footnotes explaining specific terms or Islamic concepts for new Muslims or non-Muslims
- Multiple e-books in the series with more coming soon, Insha-Allah!
- Available in high-quality, durable hardcover format as well (click here)
Each brightly illustrated e-book in the Daily Du'aa Series features ad'iyaa (supplications) taught through a playful rhyming story about a child just like your own. These ad'iyaa are the most important ones that every Muslim child should know from the earliest age.
This series is based on the classic text Hisnul-Muslim (Fortification of the Muslim) and supported with Qur’aan and Sahih ahadith, so you can rest assured that you are teaching your child from the most authentic sources.
What Parents are Saying About Ad-Duha:
"Masha-Allah, amazing customer service and brilliant and beneficial products. May Allah bless you for the good work you are doing, Ameen!"
Ad-Duha's mission is to help families provide their children with quality Islamic materials. Therefore, we ask that our customers help us in this task by honoring the copyright so that the school can stay financially viable (i.e., cover the costs of development, production, and marketing) through the legitimate sale of our products.
Purchasing books entitles you to use the books in your own home for yourself and your children. It does not grant ownership of the copyright or permission to make copies of the books for others in any form.
Please be aware that posting these books online, transferring them to a third-party printer/copier to be printed, sharing through email, or making additional copies (digital or print) for others outside your household (for free or for sale) is a breach of the copyright.
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June 1, 2009, New York, NY – In response to the murder of respected and celebrated OB-GYN physician and abortion provider Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas this week, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) issued the following statement:
“We join countless sister organizations in condemning the brutal killing of Dr. George Tiller by anti-choice crusaders. Dr. Tiller was shot at, had his clinic bombed and was the constant target of legal and political campaigns against him during his three-decade career by a violent anti-choice network. That he was assassinated on a Sunday morning at a place of worship should be a wake-up call for those who care about their rights and the right to safely exercise them.
“The reproductive rights of women are part and parcel of the constitutional right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. And yet, despite being ‘settled law’ for 36 years since the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade that right is in constant danger of rollback by a zealous opposition movement willing to stop at nothing. Dr. Tiller’s story is the story of countless others whose decision to protect American freedom and women’s reproductive rights is met with dangerous rhetoric and the violence it inspires.
“President Obama and his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Sonia Sotamayor, have said they seek to find ‘common ground’ with the anti-choice movement on the ’difficult issue’ of abortion. The Center disagrees—there is no common ground when it comes to reproductive rights protected by U.S. law. Judge Sotomayor must articulate her position on the right to choose, the right to privacy and the sanctity of settled law, and Americans must stand for justice without apology.”
CCR has historically been an important player in defending and protecting a woman’s right to choose. In 1988, CCR successfully established a precedent for the “buffer zone” around abortion clinics, where anti-abortion/choice protesters could not harass or intimidate women seeking medical services in the landmark case National Organization of Women v. Terry. In addition, in 1980, CCR challenged the restriction of poor women’s right to federal Medicaid funding for abortion (the Hyde Amendment) in Harris v. McRae. The case was lost in a 5-4 Supreme Court decision; however, Congress later allowed federal funding for abortions in life-endangering pregnancies and some rape or incest pregnancies only if the states agreed to cover them. In later appropriations, the rape and incest exception to the funding ban was eliminated in 1982.
The Center for Constitutional Rights works with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. Since 1966, the Center for Constitutional Rights has taken on oppressive systems of power, including structural racism, gender oppression, economic inequity, and governmental overreach. Learn more at ccrjustice.org.
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When working with files that are stored in Elvis, there may come a point that you want to save one or more files locally to use them in some way.
This article explains how to download files or folders in Elvis.
Downloading one or more files is done by searching for the files that you want to download, selecting them and subsequently clicking Download in the menu bar. You are then presented with various options to download the files, as explained below.
Figure: The various options in the Download menu (yours may vary depending on the setup and access rights).
Note: Depending on your access rights, you may or may not have access to all options. When in doubt, contact your system administrator.
- Download preview. This downloads any file that has a preview in the following ways:
- Images and videos are downloaded in the same dimensions but at a lower resolution.
- Documents and presentations are downloaded as a Web page.
- Layouts are downloaded as images.
- Collections are downloaded as a ZIP file containing a preview of every file in the Collection.
- Download original. This downloads an exact copy of the file.
- Download preset. Settings that are often used can be made available as Download Presets by the system administrator. This makes downloading files on a regular basis using the same download settings much more efficient. Simply click an available preset to download an image in those settings.
- Download custom. Use this option to download an image in a particular combination of format, dimension, resolution and quality. It is also possible to specify if the metadataof the original file or the color profile that was used to generate the preview needs to be included.
Instead of downloading a range of selected files, you can also download a complete folder including any available sub folders.
Example: When downloading the Demo Zone/Images folder, all files are downloaded that are in the Images folder itself but also all sub folders and the files that are in those sub folders.
This is done by using the Folder browser. In it, select a folder and do the following:
- For Elvis 6.39 or higher, open the folder menu and choose Download.
- For Elvis 6.38 or lower, click Download in the menu bar.
The folder, its content together with any sub folders and their content will be downloaded as a ZIP file.
- 17 March 2020: Updated section 'Downloading files' by adding a tip about creating a Metadata report.
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It’s been a busy summer for children enrolled in the Community Adventure Program at the Near North Enviro Education Centre (NNEEC) in Sundridge.
One of the activities the children have been taking part in is the turtle conservation program.
Abby Flynn, the NNEEC’s Environmental Program Development Supervisor, teaches the youngsters about how they can help the turtle population which is a species at risk.
“There’s not much we can do to help them breed,” Flynn said.
“But I’m teaching the kids about how we can help them survive and one way is building turtle nest protectors.”
Flynn says the nest protector is a small wooden box frame with a mesh covering on top and small holes on the sides.
“Once the momma turtle lays its eggs and leaves we go to that location and put a nest over it to protect the eggs,” Flynn said.
“The nest protects the eggs from natural predators like raccoons and birds.”
Flynn says the turtle eggs are left in the wild and the children and NNEEC have done all they can to protect the eggs so that they can safely hatch.
Flynn says the children have made several nest protectors at the NNEEC this summer.
She says the NNEEC relies on the public to help locate where the eggs are being laid.
“So if someone sees a turtle making a nest, they send us a picture of the location and we can head out and put a nest on the site,” Flynn said.
Flynn says the holes on the side of the nest are too small for predators to pass through but large enough for the young turtle to walk through once they are born and “leave to find a new home.”
The nest protector program is relatively new at the NNEEC and is in its second summer.
Flynn says pictures the public take of turtles can be emailed to her at firstname.lastname@example.org and the education centre staff will take care of the rest once the pictures arrive.
Flynn says Ontario is home to eight turtle species and they are all at risk.
In the Almaguin area people can find mostly painted, snapping and blanding turtles.
In the past, the NNEEC has brought up officials from the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough to talk and increase public awareness about turtles and the need to help them survive.
“We’ve tried to spread as much knowledge in the community as possible so we can help the turtles,” she said.
“But you don’t go out looking for them. You just happen to see them.”
Flynn says the NNEEC provides the public with turtle guides so that in the event they come across a turtle in the wild they can tell the NNEEC about it, where they saw it, what species it was and maybe if they’re lucky, snap a picture they can share with the centre.
Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the North Bay Nugget. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada
Rocco Frangione, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The North Bay Nugget
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U.S. consumers are currently paying the lowest prices for gasoline in about five years. Not only are U.S. consumers surprised by this development but so is the entire world oil sector.
The price of the world’s most watched and important single raw material declined 25% in four months. In June, world oil prices were hovering at $115 bbl. before dropping below $80 bbl. in November. Adjusted price forecasts are currently calling for even lower prices in the mid $70s.
How were oil price forecasts so far off and why have oil prices declined at such a sharp rate over a comparatively short time?
Several factors have contributed to the errors in oil price forecasts. First, the size and significance of increased U.S. oil production and its effect on world markets was not considered. Second, there have been major concerns over internal security and oil supply from the Mideast that have not occurred, and finally expected growth in oil demand outside of the U.S. has softened.
The recent dip in oil prices has shattered expectations of increasing world oil prices. Previous oil price forecasts called for stable to rising prices amid slow world production growth that would be outpaced by demand growth, particularly from emerging countries such as China. This situation has reversed with world oil production increasing, particularly in the U.S., and world oil demand slowing, particularly in developing nations.
But the effects of declining oil prices on the barge industry and the U.S. economy are positive. First, the projected range of price decreases will have little effect on current domestic exploration and production. Further significant oil price decreases appear remote and would have to be in the range of $20 bbl. to negatively affect U.S. exploration and production. Second, cheaper oil prices place competitive pressures on other energy sources such as natural gas and coal.
The barge industry stands to benefit directly from cheaper oil prices through lower costs for diesel. Sustained lower oil prices will be a win-win situation for everyone, particularly when it was totally unforeseen by the experts who live and breathe oil.
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Rare Sightings in Nature: Weekly Photo Challenge
“At the critical moment it is the rare few who can do what needs to be done.”
This week my husband and I returned to Kiawah after our summer adventures. As always, it was great to travel and just as great to get home! Soon after our return my neighbor called to invite me to photograph the gorgeously-colored monarch caterpillars (technically called larvae) which had taken up residence on her parsley plant. These little creatures are true eating machines, bulking up in preparation for their time in their chrysalis stage. Sadly, monarch sightings are becoming more rare every year. Scientists have noted their numbers have dropped 10-fold in the last decade.
“They’re so rare, those hearts that carry the blessing and lavish it over everything.”
We all know the American Alligator is NOT rare. However, it is (happily) rare to find one in your backyard. Yep, this guy was sitting in our back yard earlier this morning. Perhaps he just came by to welcome us home. 😀 And yes, I was using a 200mm zoom lens to capture him. Our local gators do not typically attack humans but I see no reason to test that theory!
“Everybody talks, nobody listens. Good listeners are as rare as white crows.”
Kiawah is known to have otters but as far as I know we do NOT have beavers. I captured this guy in our travels when I should have been paying more attention to my golf game. Combining photography with golf isn’t particularly good for scoring but it does add a different element of interest to the sport. As for rarity, the beaver is another species on the decline, with numbers estimated to have dropped from 60 million to less than 12 million. Especially in my neck of the woods, beavers are a rare sighting indeed.
Have a great week everyone, and as always, thanks to Ben for his interesting challenge.
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The hip joint is the joint between the thigh bone (Femur) and the hip bone (Pelvis). It’s primary function is to support the weight of the body. The hip joint is a very important part which helps in retaining balance of human body. Medically, this joint is referred as the acetabulufemoral joint or ball and socket joint. The hip joint is a synovial joint that is formed by the rounded ball shape of head of femur and cuplike shape of hip bone (Pelvis) which is called acetabulum. Both joint surfaces are covered with a strong but lubricated layer of hyaline cartilage. This cartilage permits both the surfaces to slide against one another very easily during the movements. Healthy hip enables the leg to have a wide range of movements and helps retaining the balance of human body.
There are many causes for hip joint pain, like injury to the bones through the joint, avascular necrosis and osteoarthritis:
Avacular Necrosis: In this condition the femoral head loses a portion of it’s blood supply and this leads to collapse of the femoral head and degeneration of the hip joint. Avascular necrosis can be caused because of excess use of alchohol, fractures, dislocation of hip joint and long term cortisone treatment for other diseases.
Osteoarthritis: The degenerative disease osteoarthritis leads to destruction of cartilage of the hip joint. As the cartilage gets degenerated completely, the eroded surfaces of joint start rubbing against one another and patient starts feeling severe pain while performing any activity like walking, running, sitting, etc. Stiffness of the joint, limited or no motion and deformity of the joint can be other symptoms.
There are number of ways by which pain in hip can be relieved but when medical management fails and pain of the joint is still constant, replacing the hip joint is usually suggested.
Total hip replacement surgery involves replacing the ends of both bones in a damaged joint. In total hip replacement surgery, surgeon replaces the upper end of thigh bone (femur) with a metal ball and resurfaces the cup like shape of hipbone (pelvis) with a metal shell and plastic liner. The surgeon may fasten new implant to the bones with or without cement. This surgery can be completed through small incisions.
The hip joint replacement surgery is a very successful procedure proven to be safe and effective.
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Map size in jpg-format: 6.87748MiB
Click to open in high resolution (open in new tab).
Interesting map of the world, published shortly after the third Voyage of Captain James Cook.
Cook's route around the world on his third and final voyage is shown, including a note showing where Cook was killed by native Hawaiians in 1779.
If you are a student, write to us in telegram: @antiquemaps and indicate what material you need and for what work you need a map in high detail. We are ready to provide material on special terms. For students only!
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This essay frames the 2020 Central Park bird-watching incident, in which a white financial analyst called police on a Black bird-watcher, in the context of histories of settler colonialism, extraction, and white supremacy. Situating ornithology as a white way of seeing, it considers the extermination and extinction of birds in terms of fugitivity, necrography, and eugenics, engaging the work of Audubon and the collection and display of birds at the American Museum of Natural History. It closes with a reflection on the Assembly of Birds in Aotearoa New Zealand, as depicted by painter Bill Hammond, and the work of decolonizing extinction.
All we knew was the birds
been debating for ages, no consensus or
conclusion had been reached.—Nathaniel Mackey, “Telling It to the Birds”
The weapon of theory is a conference of the birds.—Fred Moten and Stefano Harney, All Incomplete
The just person does not argue for their rights.
It is for others that they stand and fight.—Attar, The Conference of Birds
What is a bird? For the planter and colonist, it was often a pest, eating seed or fruit. For the poor and enslaved, it was a significant source of food, made into a commodity by mass killing. In settler colonial practice, the bird was rendered into a viewpoint, the bird's-eye view that has now become fully automated and digitized. White seeing takes place from the bird's-eye view, conceptually and physically, whether in racial hierarchy or from a balloon, plane, helicopter, or drone. Such “racializing surveillance,” to use Simone Browne's term,1 is now the predicate to any possible racial capitalism.2 For those whom racializing surveillance would contain and segregate, the bird was a visible example of freedom. Bird-watching, by contrast, is a metonymy of settler colonialism. The settler sees the bird, kills it, classifies it, and has it stuffed. Alive, the bird embodies freedom. Dead, first it was an extractive commodity; later, when displayed as an attraction in museums of natural history, it contained and expressed “higher” values of aesthetics. There are over 750 natural history museums in the United States, not to mention 2,400 zoos. Rendered into a commonplace extractive item of exchange, birds index the intersection of extinction, settler colonialism, and racializing capitalism. The removal of birds from colonized land clears the air and makes it open for militarized surveillance. In Palestine, the Israeli Defense Force continues to de-bird the occupied territories. For when the ground is claimed by settlers as nothing, terra nullius, requiring in response what Sarah Elizabeth Lewis calls “groundwork,”3 the air still remains. Christina Sharpe evokes the “air of freedom,” no metaphor to those incarcerated, and the possibility of aspiration.4 In the midst of the pandemic of a respiratory disease and one year in the wake of George Floyd, on the same day as the Central Park bird-watching incident, these questions are, again, in the air.
One of the foundational mythologies of settler colonialism has been white people's claim to dominion over all the flora and fauna of the planet as an inexhaustible resource. Moving beyond even the divine dominion given to Adam in Genesis, John Locke's Second Treatise of Government claimed: “Subduing or cultivating the earth and having dominion, we see are joined together.”5 Land could be taken, according to Locke, if it was not being cultivated—that is, if it was seen as terra nullius (nothing land), the Roman legal doctrine. Such cultivation of terra nullius gave dominion over land and life alike. Empire was coextensive with white nature—all subdued earth was both empire and white nature. Macarena Gómez-Barris succinctly summarizes: “European colonization throughout the world cast nature as the other and, through the gaze of terra nullius, represented Indigenous peoples as non-existent.”6 Gómez-Barris here insightfully considers terra nullius as a gaze. Someone arrives, looks at land, fails to see who and what is already there, and claims it for themselves. There will be maps, plats, titles, and the other apparatus of bureaucratic colonizing. The result is what she calls “the extractive zone.” The extractions are not just minerals, ores, and other raw materials; they are also birds, bison, fossils, archaeological traces, human remains, photographs, and moving images. That extraction is then turned into value, whether financial or cultural.
After the Haitian Revolution (1791–1801), with the terra nullius having risen up and created its own gaze, European natural history added extinction to extraction as a way of (un)seeing, as Ursula Heise and others have shown.7 Formerly considered heretical or impossible, extinction—also known as catastrophe or revolution—transformed natural history into life science (biology) in the era of the revolutions of the enslaved and abolition. Based on observation and display, the gaze of extinction, to adapt Gómez-Barris, served as evidence for white superiority by means of purportedly superior capacity for visual observation. Audubon claimed his art depicted “nature as it existed.”8 What geologist, comparative zoologist, and racial theorist Louis Agassiz termed “the naturalist's gaze” included extinction as a past or present possibility. Twinned natural history and anthropological museums were formed in order to collect species and specimens, whether human or other-than-human, before they became extinct. Under the gaze of extinction, those colonized should also be collected. Collection became the third leg of colonial administration, added to the long-standing imperatives of ordering and governing set by Barbados's slave law in 1660.9 After Haiti, and in the museum, the very idea of “nature” was and is inextricably entangled with race. There are thirty-six thousand African objects in the American Museum of Natural History. In 2021, the Smithsonian Institution revealed that it holds thirty thousand “items” of human remains, while Harvard University has a further twenty thousand. Nearly all were taken from Indigenous peoples, with a sliver devoted to the enslaved. All were said to be required for the gaze of extinction to consider.
In this frame of colonizing and extinction, the ecocide of bird populations is both persistent and pervasive. Birds were slaughtered in totally disproportionate numbers to any need or market. Long offered as commodities in the settler economy, sold for pennies in local markets, birds finally acquired some commercial and noncommercial value by virtue of scarcity on the verge of extinction. But the immense labor of causing extinction was itself a form of extraction. It eliminated a certain possibility of freedom and turned it into a commodity. The ornithologist Audubon recorded that the price of a passenger pigeon in New York went up from a penny in 1805 to four cents in 1830.10 That's a basic extractive commodity in a period where a laborer made about a dollar a day and farmed poultry was around twelve cents a pound. But, mused Audubon, their numbers did not seem to decrease. By that logic, slaughtering appeared to generate not scarcity but a modest rise in value. It made a certain kind of financial sense to kill everything in sight. But creating endangered species, human and other-than-human, was a more important component of the psychological wages of whiteness. Exterminating birds offered a particular form of violent pleasure by confirming and making visible the capacity of colonization.
May 25, 2020
May 25, 2020, the day on which George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, began with what became known as the Central Park bird-watching incident. It demonstrated that it is still inconceivable for a white woman with a University of Chicago master's degree and a career in finance to conceptualize bird-watching while Black. As types, blackness and birds, in the worldview personified by the dog walker Amy Cooper, are the objects of white taxonomy, not its performing subjects. New York City Audubon Society board member Christian Cooper asked her to leash her dog, as required to protect the wildlife. Instead she saw him not as a person but as a type, “African American,” as if she was observing wildlife. Her racialized seeing transformed his spoken request into a violent assault. This form of looking was known under Jim Crow as “reckless eyeballing,” meaning to look a whiter person in the eye, especially as a form of (alleged) sexual desire. Unable to envisage that a Black man might instead be looking at birds, Amy Cooper called the NYPD. By the time they arrived, Christian Cooper had left, but he released the cell-phone video he made of the incident. Amy Cooper's racialized seeing in Central Park was not an exception: it was constitutive of her role in finance capital. She worked for a trifecta of 2008 financial crash companies: Lehman Brothers, AIG Insurance, and Citigroup. While many others were ruined, Cooper did just fine, ending up as a head of insurance portfolio management at Franklin Templeton, a hedge fund managing $1.5 trillion in assets. Its webpage devoted to diversity—“top to bottom”—then showed a white woman like Cooper. Police in Minneapolis would view George Floyd in related racializing terms. It was only seventeen-year-old Darnella Frazier's cell-phone video that prevented Floyd from becoming just another statistic. When the prosecutor invited the jury to “believe what you saw,” it marked one of the very few occasions when such evidence was indeed taken at face value. By the same token, as much as it might be comforting to think of Amy Cooper as an exception, she was more exactly an example of the white way of seeing that renders life into types within a racializing hierarchy. And financializes the result. Astonishingly, exactly one year later, Cooper sued investment firm Franklin Templeton, her former employers, for wrongful dismissal on the grounds of racial discrimination. Cooper claims to have been fired because she is a white woman, exemplifying the resurgence of white fragility as a claim to white supremacy.11
Meanwhile, the Audubon Society had warned in 2019 of “a net loss approaching 3 billion birds, or 29% of 1970 abundance”—following from decades of such reports, stretching back to the nineteenth century. What birds there are to see now are a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of what there used to be. After 125 years of warnings, the de-birding of the settler colony is close to complete. The remaining sliver of avian life is sustained by human feeding, reserves, zoos, and the like as an attraction, as entertainment, and as a hobby. This is not an accident. The active extermination of Indigeneity was the product of the same elements that comprised the Central Park incident: extraction, whiteness, other-than-white life, and natural history. The result is not the expected white paradise but what the scientists call “an ecosystem collapse.”12
In the United States, there has been a particular relation between Atlantic slavery and birds that can only be outlined here. If, for the colonist, birds were an index of whiteness as property within terra nullius, they were for the enslaved the sight of what Walter Johnson calls “freedom as a bodily practice.” The enslaved dreamed of flight, and envied the birds their movement, while slaveowners feared that birds might convey ideas and practices of resistance.13 Even bird-watching and ornithology in the United States cannot be separated from slavery. The Saint-Domingue born slave-owner turned naturalist Jean-Jacques Audubon produced his legendary Birds of America as a taxonomy of terra nullius (or perhaps aer nullius, the nothing air). His name now authorizes the Audubon Society, for whom Christian Cooper serves as a board member in New York. In turn, as a refugee from one plantation economy turned settler in another, Audubon often had to decide who he was, indicated by his long list of names: John James Audubon, Jean-Jacques Rabin, Jean-Jacques La Forêt, and John James La Forest.14 Born in Saint-Domingue to a plantation owner and enslaver father and a Jewish servant mother, Jeanne Rabin, he became a refugee in France from postindependence Haiti. Finding his way to the United States as an adult, Audubon was haunted by abolition, the extinction of birds, and of the Indigenous population—whom he saw as doomed—and indeed of the American wilderness as such.15
Audubon turned to writing about birds after his debt-funded purchase of enslaved people to work at his Kentucky mill ended in bankruptcy in 1819. In his 1826 Mississippi River journal, written in his idiosyncratic Franglais, Audubon discovered a new means of accumulation through ornithology: “So Strong is my Anthusiast to Enlarge the Ornithological Knowledge of My Country that I felt as if I wish myself Rich again.”16 His last human property rowed him down the Mississippi to New Orleans, where he sold the two men. His famous drawings of birds were less original than many assume. Their large format and “action” poses were standard at the time in French (if not North American) ornithology.17 His scenes were not drawn from life in the wild but made in his studio, using dead birds suspended by wires. He worked in a variety of media but not oil paint. One of his most influential drawings was that of what he called the wild pigeon, now usually known as the passenger pigeon, because it became extinct in August 1914. Audubon's drawing stands in for the absent birds. The unreal sharpness of line; the sense that the body was assembled in geometric sections, which is to say, the body as a machine; and the hyperreal clarity of the colonized white space used as the ground combine to give a paradoxical sense of both precision and abstraction (fig. 2). In a word: whiteness.
Audubon's doubled settler status enabled his seeing of birds as colonial accumulation and as part of the property interest of whiteness.18 He authorized this technique as derived from the studio—a combination of art school and picture workshop—of the great neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David.19 While Audubon did have artistic training in France, there is no record of his having been part of David's extensive studio. David's style certainly centered on the depiction of line to create form, just as Audubon's work did. In painting of the period, to use “line” to structure the image, rather than “color,” was to define your work as History, meaning its most serious and morally important category. What History was Audubon depicting? It was the acceleration of the de-birding and de-wilding of America as an index of the formation of the settler colonial United States after the Louisiana Purchase. His originality was to express the resulting tensions between race, colonization, and extinction in a nonhuman but evocative form of History, which is to say, birds.
Fugitivity was a repeated figure in Audubon's work. In his Ornithological Biography, published as a textual accompaniment to the famous pictures, Audubon claimed to have encountered a maroon20 (whom he called a runaway slave) in the Louisiana bayou, living in a canebrake with his family.21 Here was yet another homme de la forêt, or as Audubon put it, mixing racialized metaphors: “a perfect Indian in his knowledge of the woods.” Developing his story, Audubon tells how this man had been resold following the bankruptcy of his first owner, separating his family. He memorized the destination of his wife and children, and after he himself had escaped, rescued them, and, with the cooperation of those still enslaved, made camp in the woods. The bankruptcy and family breakup again echo Audubon's personal, rather than ornithological, biography. He devised a fantasy ending in which the maroons obeyed him because of their “long habit of submission” and returned with him to their original plantation, where Audubon persuaded the new owner to take them all into his ownership. He ends his little reverie with the inaccurate statement that since this time it has “become illegal to separate slave families without their consent.” The pursuit and biography of birds led Audubon to imagine personal and political reconciliation within racial hierarchy and restored slavery, as if the Haitian Revolution had never happened. For him, the restoration of benevolent slavery was a happy ending. There was no illustration for “The Runaway.”
By 1851 a white doctor, Samuel Cartwright, claimed to identify “drapetomania,” or the “mental alienation” of running away among the enslaved. Reporting in the year of the Fugitive Slave Act to the Medical Association of Louisiana “on the diseases and physical peculiarities of the Negro race,” Cartwright claimed to be a pioneer of “observation,” the Audubon of enslaved human beings.22 For Cartwright the evidence for African incapacity was the absence of any progress in arts and sciences, including monuments. Inevitably, he added that if left alone they “would relapse into barbarism, or into slavery, as they have done in Hayti.”23 Based on these observations, Cartwright named and categorized drapetomania. Cartwright further diagnosed a wide-ranging “Dysaesthesia Aethiopica” (Black dysaesthesia), a “hebetude,” or laziness, of mind and body, especially prevalent among “free negroes.” Dysaesthesia was the opposite of the properly aesthetic conquest of nature, which he might have called euaesthesia (good aesthetic). Freedom was dysaesthetic, an alienation. Dysaesthesia caused the enslaved to “break, waste and destroy everything they handle. . . . They wander about at night. . . . They slight their work. . . . They raise disturbances with their overseer.” All of these actions were obviously modes of refusal and resistance. Noting how the enslaved destroyed the plants they were supposed to cultivate, broke their tools, tore their clothes, took things, and refused to respond to punishment, Cartwright inadvertently described the general strike against slavery in the making. Cartwright instead diagnosed them to be symptoms of lung disease, caused by “blood not sufficiently vitalized being distributed to the brain.” Similar beliefs have found their way into present-day police reports to account for the death of Black suspects by chokehold. For Cartwright, it was only slavery that beneficially produced the necessary “exercise” to “decarbonize their blood.”24
Audubon drew birds in the frame of a naturalized plantation economy, a “good aesthetic.”25 In 1831 Audubon observed what he called the snowy heron, also known as the white egret, near Charleston in South Carolina. In the background, Audubon's assistants had painted a plantation called Rice Hope, where the enslaved cultivated rice. None are to be seen here. Instead, Audubon, masked as bird hunters tend to be, is seen with his rifle, chasing fugitives, whether birds or people. The print represented supremacy as the intersection of whiteness, settler colonialism, the Second Amendment, and the invisibility of enslaved African labor. You can buy originals and reproductions of it all over the internet, teaching racialized vision, one print at a time. Audubon casually recorded how practices of enslavement affected even common songbirds. For instance, the blue jay was a prolific species with a habit of eating crops, so that in Louisiana “the planters are in the habit of occasionally soaking some corn in a solution of arsenic, and scattering the seeds over the ground, in consequence of which many Jays are found dead about the fields and gardens.”26 He did not need to mention that in Louisiana all planters used enslaved labor (fig. 3).
Audubon's writing was no pastoral. Rather, it was an account of how much killing is involved in making a settler colony. And making pictures from the results. A single blast from a shotgun killed 120 blue-winged teals, a duck, in New Orleans.27 Audubon saw one man in Pennsylvania kill 6,000 passenger pigeons in a single day. While the passenger pigeon has become a somewhat notorious example, almost every bird Audubon looked at comes with a story of mass slaughter. Take the golden plover. While in Louisiana, Audubon noted: “The gunners had assembled in parties of from twenty to fifty at different places, where they knew from experience that the Plovers would pass.” He estimated that 144,000 were killed. As a result, “the next morning the markets were amply supplied with Plovers” at a very low price.28 Cannier hunters would have brought fewer birds and made more. But by removing birds from the wild, hunters deprived both the enslaved and Indigenous of a food resource and forced the settler poor to buy them rather than hunt them.29 For bird hunters, killing was part of the emotional wages of whiteness, where to be “master” as Audubon had been in the bayou, whether over nature or the enslaved, was itself the reward. This is exactly what a certain kind of white person still says: give me liberty or give me death, where liberty is defined by access to guns.
By the late nineteenth century, these massacres had gone so far that new colonial institutions were created to preserve remnants as specimens and to display the past in museums. The real problem with the American Museum of Natural History is not its displays—as awful as they are—but the fact that it had to be created at all. The institutionalization of “nature” through museums, zoos, wildlife refuges, national parks, and the definition of wilderness marked the peak of empire's exterminations. By consigning the other-than-human world to this status as an attraction to be looked at, empire claimed full dominion over life. The dead animals displayed in the dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History teach children both that the role of nonhuman life is to die and that they are to be its killers. Its opening in 1877 was the corollary to the creation of anthropological museums in Europe, formed from the loot taken by colonial expeditions. Just as Dan Hicks sees the anthropological museum as an “implement of . . . imperialism made in the final third of the 19th century,”30 so too were museums of natural history, game reserves, and national parks tools of enshrining settler colonial dominion over all nature and making it permanent. This maneuver further closed the distinction between enclosed/colonized space and environment/uncolonized space, with the dangerous exception of the so-called reservation. As one part of this far-reaching process, ornithology was separated from natural history and institutionalized with the formation of the American Ornithological Union in 1883.31 Its function was to assert the primacy of other-than-exchange value for birds and, by extension, the natural world as a whole.
In 1886 a special supplement of the new magazine Science was devoted to the decline of bird species.32 American Museum of Natural History curator J. A. Allen exhorted his readers that despite their still-limited financial value, “birds may be said to have a practical value of high importance and an aesthetic value not easily overestimated.” He blamed five groups for their decline: market gunners, who hunted game birds; African Americans who trapped and sold small birds across the South for food; women, who wore hats with feathers, named as “the dead bird wearing gender”; immigrants who trapped birds for food; and even small boys who hunted for eggs. From this optic, the survival of birds was a blueprint for the eugenic survival of white supremacy in the uncertain conditions of modernity, which meant “reconfiguring the terms of being natural in culture.”33 The eugenic program developed by Francis Galton and enthusiastically received in the United States offered solutions to all the issues highlighted by Allen.34 White women were to give up their monstrous display of feathers and return to breeding the “great race.” Immigration was to cease, as the 1882 Asian Exclusion Act prefigured, followed by ever more restrictive legislation. Jim Crow would reassert control of the South, and public schools would discipline children. The United States found many other ways for men to satisfy their desire to shoot. But none of these eugenic policies much helped the birds. Americans continued to eat all kinds of bird in the period, including meadowlarks, blackbirds, sparrows, thrushes, warblers, vireos, waxwings, reed-birds, robins, and flickers. In 1897 William Hornaday of the New York Zoological Society concluded from two hundred questionnaires sent around the country that nearly half of all American birds had perished since 1882. As late as 1940 Eleanor Roosevelt wrote a column asking women to cut back on wearing feathers.
The display of animals in habitat groups within dioramas in natural history museums came to the United States in 1887 with the display of eighteen groups of nesting birds with accessories like foliage and flowers, created by the British museum modeler Mrs. E. S. Mogridge (d. 1903), who had worked for the British Museum and its Museum of Natural History with her brother H. Mintorn.35 While using just a fraction of the American Museum of Natural History's forty thousand birds, Mogridge's models changed its practice dramatically. She was credited by museum director Henry Fairfield Osborn for inspiring its famous habitat displays.36 Beginning in 1902 the president of the American Ornithologists Union, Frank Chapman, created a group of bird dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History.37 In Allen's contemporary description: “The area of these groups ranges from 60 to 160 square feet, to which is added a panoramic background, which in most cases merges insensibly into the group itself. The backgrounds are painted by skillful artists, generally from studies made at the actual site represented.”38 The panorama depicting wading birds was based on Cuthbert Rookery in Florida, where a game warden had been killed by feather poachers in 1905 and the birds were believed to be at risk of local extinction. Chapman conceived of the panoramas as three-dimensional perspective paintings, noting “the background is curved [convex backward] with the front opening so reduced in size that at the proper distance, or ‘correct view-point,’ neither the ends nor the top of the group can be seen. By thus leaving the actual limits of the group to the imagination the illusion of space and distance is greatly heightened.”39 The ideal spectator would then stand at the proper viewpoint and be taken in by the illusion, to get a bird's-eye view of the birds (fig. 4).
The Assembly of Birds
In a 2021 interview, Fred Moten and Stefano Harney stress how a key phrase to understand All Incomplete is the “conference of birds” and the murmurations that result. The word murmuration describes a flock of birds moving together to create fractal patterns in the sky. These moments are mesmerizing. Go and look at one of these videos.40 Afterward, imagine a murmuration with millions of birds in it, the flocks of birds that were commonplace before settler colonists systematically killed them all. Audubon described the “angles, curves and undulations” in the “multitudes of Wild Pigeons” as tactics designed to repel hawks.41 He estimated that there were no less than a billion birds in the murmuration. Now you have a sense of what the de-birding of North America has wrought. In his account of slavery, Frederick Law Olmsted, one of the architects of Central Park, often used the term murmur to mean conspire or revolt.42 A murmuration in that sense is the revolution. Perhaps the conference of birds is the past future that awaits.
In seventeenth-century Europe, the “assembly of birds” was a popular artistic theme, often treated by the Dutch artist Frans Snyders. The parrot and toucan in one version make it clear that it was always a colonial imaginary. The owl at the center is either directing the song or warning the birds of the human hunters following Aesop's fable. Or both. I like to think of it as an actual assembly, a democracy in which predators and songbirds have an equal say. Unlike humans, except in opera, there's no need for them to speak one at a time. Their chorus forms what settlers had heard as the “wild jubilee,” a celebration of the end of slavery in nature. There's a Concert of Birds (ca. 1630) by Snyders in the Prado without the owl, which is to say, an assembly without a visible leader, a direct democracy of other than human life (fig. 5). Some suggest that the owl was cut out at some point, but no matter. Someone wanted it to look like that.
Such assemblies have existed and do exist. In the remarkable paintings of Aotearoa, New Zealand, artist Bill Hammond, who sadly passed in February 2021, zoomorphic birds dominate the land (fig. 1). Hammond's work radically changed when he took a visit to Motu Maha, or the Auckland Islands, an archipelago to the south of Aotearoa that is designated as an “area outside territorial authority.” Early Polynesian settlement gave way to a whaling and sealing station until the immense massacre of the seals made the labor of extermination unprofitable around 1894. The islands are now a national nature reserve, and the authorities are attempting to remove all introduced mammals, like feral cats, rabbits, and pigs. This effort is what Juno Salazar Parreñas calls “decolonizing extinction. Care is not necessarily affection, but for me it is a concern about the treatment and welfare of others.”43 It might mean rehabilitating animals to the wild, as Parreñas describes in the case of orangutans born in captivity and raised “semi-wild.” Or it might mean rehabilitating the wild to animals, as is taking place in Motu Maha. On his visit, Hammond was struck by the way the birds on the island stood upright staring out to sea, and it reminded him that prior to the arrival of humans around 1300 CE, birds were the dominant species in the islands now known as Aotearoa. There were no predators, other than the pouakai (Haast's eagle), a giant eagle. The most populous species was the large bipedal flightless birds called moa, which were quickly made extinct by the first human colonists, now known as the Māori. They simply ate them all, in about two hundred years. Archeologists have identified three hundred moa-hunting sites in Aotearoa. Remains suggest that twenty thousand to ninety thousand birds were eaten at the Waitaki River bone midden alone.44
By 1873 the naturalist William Buller articulated the ornithologist's task in settler colonialism:
Under the changed physical conditions of the country, brought about by the operations of colonization, some of these remarkable forms have already become almost, if not quite, extinct, and others are fast expiring. It has been the author's desire to collect and place on record a complete history of these birds before their final extirpation shall have rendered such a task impossible; and it will be his aim to produce a book at once acceptable to scientific men in general and useful to his fellow colonists.45
The conditions were different indeed. The Maoris, he noted, said of the kākāpo¯, or owl parrot (Stringops habroptilus), “In winter they assemble in large numbers, as if for business; for after confabulating together for some time with great uproar, they march off in bands in different directions.”46 Buller recognized the sound of this freedom in the dawn chorus, comprising bell-birds, tui, whiteheads, and piopio: “Shortly after daylight a number of birds of various kinds join their voices in a wild jubilee of song.”47 Such natural democracy was, he believed, certain to become extinct as the deliberate result of the operations of colonization. Indeed, some thirty-five species that he might have heard have since become extinct.
Nonetheless, Māori proverbs recorded the speech of the assembled birds:
The speech of the birds enters human language here, their sounds forming words, just as murmuring melds into thinking. When the Europeans came and began doing what colonizers do, a new saying arose among those who, for the first time were now Māori (ordinary), as opposed to members of specific iwi (peoples):
The Māori may have been the cause of the moa's disappearance, but this saying suggests that they regretted it.
Musing on all this, after reading Buller, Hammond created a massive Fall of Icarus (1995) (fig. 1), in which the birds watch the human flight of Icarus end in failure. The space is a deep metallic blue, mingled with drips of black and white paint throughout. One of those drips, perhaps the white streaky column in the center-right, marks Icarus falling from his overambitious flight. Icarus would have been the first (white) colonist in Aotearoa had he been able to land. It might have been a hard place to fly, because there are two distinct horizons, marked by smoking volcanic islands. The birds stand in trees to the left and right from top to bottom, but the space nonetheless “works,” visually. The land is new, there are not yet human words to describe it, but the birds sing it into being. What are these two spaces? Colonial and Indigenous? Human and avian? Or a double vision of space, not yet colonized as space, not subject to the “laws” of perspective? Can you fly drones here? The birds look out from the trees, bipedal, wingéd, armed in the sense that they have arms, long-beaked, wearing one-piece costumes like superheroes. The stillness of their looking watches over this doubled space to live and keeps it possible, where humans would insist otherwise. Some stand on branches, others hang by their “arms.” What are the birds actively doing? They create community, they strike against colonialism and the invasion of humans, and they imagine the future. They are waiting, not for Godot, but for the end of whiteness.
This essay began as a talk for the 2021 College Art Association, and I would like to thank Maura Coughlin and Emily Gephardt for accepting my submission, as well as to the attendees for insightful comments. My thanks to everyone at liquid blackness, especially editor Alessandra Raengo, managing editor Corey Couch, and the two anonymous readers. Thanks to Fred Moten for being who they are.
Locke, Second Treatise, chap. 5, section 35.
Johnson, River of Dark Dreams, 209–10; quotation, 210.
I borrow the term necrography from Hicks, Brutish Museums, 25–37.
For example, Audubon described how Africans in Louisiana would make “gombo soup” from brown pelicans, of which “they kill all they can find” (Writings, 455).
“Notes and News,” 326–30. Her first names are not reported.
Quoted in Allen, “Habitat Groups,” 174.
Quoted and translated by Wehi, Whaanga, and Cox, “Dead as the Moa.”
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Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2022: Chapter 1
People and crisis
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In 2021, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance continued to increase. An estimated 306.0 million people were assessed to be in need, 90.0 million more than in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. Half of those requiring humanitarian support (155.9 million) lived in just nine countries. Long-term crisis is increasingly normal. The number of countries experiencing protracted crisis rose to 36 in 2021, accounting for three quarters (74%) of all people in need.
Covid-19 overlaid other pre-existing and emerging crisis risks, driving need and complicating response. Those experiencing humanitarian crisis have been left behind in efforts to recover from the pandemic, with people experiencing long-term crisis furthest behind. The average Covid-19 vaccination rate is 26% for countries experiencing protracted crisis, compared to 64% for countries without a UN-coordinated humanitarian appeal.
Climate change acts as both driver and multiplier of crisis risks, with those already in need of humanitarian assistance particularly vulnerable. In 2021, half of all people in need (50%, 152.6 million people) lived in countries with high levels of vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Multiple drivers of crisis intersect, compounding the risk of and exposure to crisis. Two fifths of people in need in 2021 (39%, 119.9 million people) lived in countries facing a combination of high-intensity conflict, high levels of socioeconomic fragility and high levels of vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The intersection of climate risk with the other two factors is particularly important, as high levels of fragility and conflict limit access to climate resources. High-intensity conflict can increase climate risk, in turn creating more fragility and increasing the risk of further conflict. Almost three quarters (217.7 million, 71%) of people in need of humanitarian assistance live in countries experiencing high-intensity conflict.
Even before the Ukraine crisis, mounting food insecurity has been a notable challenge. In 2020/21, the number of people experiencing food insecurity (crisis, food emergency or famine) grew rapidly, rising to 160.4 million, a third more than in 2019/20. Of all people facing food insecurity, half (52%, 82.9 million people) were in just four countries. Rising food prices in 2022, driven by the conflict in Ukraine, are now posing further threats to food security.
The number of displaced people continued to rise in 2021, increasing to 86.3 million people, 4.7% higher than in 2020. The consolidated picture from 2021 already looks markedly different as the outbreak of war in Ukraine has displaced many millions more. Since February 2022, an estimated 12.8 million people have fled the violence, to neighbouring countries or internally.
Figure 1.1: Many more people, in more countries, continue to be affected by humanitarian crises than in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic
People in need, type and severity of crisis, and funding requirements, 2021
|-||-||-||Crisis info||Crisis info||Crisis info||Risk dimensions||Risk dimensions||
|Crisis type markers||Crisis type markers||
|Financial data||Financial data||Financial data||Financial data||Financial data|
|Country||People in need (millions)||Severity score||Protracted/ Recurrent crisis||Years of consecutive crisis||Covid-19 vaccination rate||
|Physical disaster marker||
Country response plan
requirements (US$ millions)
response plan funding (US$ millions)
Regional response plan
requirements (US$, million)
response plan funding (US$ millions)
|CAF||Central African Republic||2.8||4||Protracted||19||19%||5||1||1||0||445||401||90%||n/d||n/d||n/d|
Source: Development Initiatives based on UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC), ACAPS, Our World In Data, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), INFORM Index for Risk Management, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research (HIIK), Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) and UN OCHA Financial Tracking Service (FTS) data.
Notes: Countries are selected using UN OCHA and ACAPS estimates of people in need. Countries with fewer than an estimated 1.5 million people in need are not shown.
In 2021, the numbers of people in need of humanitarian assistance continued to rise rapidly. The far-reaching impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing threat of climate-driven crises, as well as new and worsening conflicts, are driving a significant growth in the number of countries affected by crisis, the number of countries with high levels of humanitarian need, and the total number of people needing humanitarian assistance.
- In 2021, an estimated 306.0 million people living in 73 countries were assessed to be in need of humanitarian assistance, 90.4 million more than in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. Comparison with 2020 is complicated by the year's upsurge in needs related to Covid-19, and the separation of these needs from other non-Covid-19 related ones is a distinction only made in the data for 2020. Excluding needs related to Covid-19 there were an estimated 243.8 million people in need living in 75 countries in 2020.
- The Covid-19 pandemic drove demand for coordinated international humanitarian responses in more countries in 2020. In 2021, the demand remained high. There were 48 UN-coordinated appeals, 7 fewer than in 2020 but a third more than the 36 appeals in 2019, before the impact of Covid-19 (see Figure 2.2, Chapter 2).
- In 2021, the number of countries with high levels of humanitarian need (identified as having more than one million people in need) increased to 49, from 40 countries in 2020, with the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to compound other political, socioeconomic and climate-related drivers of crisis.
High numbers of people in need continue to be concentrated in a small number of countries.
- More than half (155.9 million) of the total number of people in need in 2021 lived in just nine countries.
- Ten countries had more than 10 million people in need in 2021: Yemen (24.2 million), Ethiopia (23.9 million), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (19.6 million), Afghanistan (18.4 million), Nigeria (16.4 million), Venezuela (14.8 million), Sudan (14.3 million), Syria (13.4 million), Pakistan (11.0 million) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (10.4 million). Of these, six countries have consistently had more than 10 million people in need since 2019 (Yemen, Syria, DRC, Afghanistan, Venezuela and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea).
- In 2021, there was a significant jump in people requiring humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia (increase of 15 million), Pakistan (increase of 8.0 million), Nigeria (increase of 7.0 million) and Afghanistan (increase of 4.4 million).
In many countries, people are experiencing a number of intersecting vulnerabilities, as the ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic compound conflict- and climate-driven crisis. In particular, the impacts of climate change are increasingly acting as a catalyst for crisis, especially in those states with the lowest levels of resilience (see ‘Humanitarian need and intersecting dimensions of risk’; ‘Climate finance flows’, Chapter 2; and ‘Development financing for disaster risk reduction’, Chapter 3). As these shocks compound existing crises, protracted crises have become more prevalent than ever.
- In 2021, the number of countries experiencing protracted crisis (countries with five or more consecutive years of UN-coordinated appeals) increased to 36, from 34 countries in 2020. A further 20 countries were experiencing recurrent crisis, with appeals in more than one consecutive prior year.
- Most people in need of humanitarian assistance live in countries experiencing protracted crisis: the 36 countries experiencing protracted crisis in 2021 accounted for 74% (227.3 million) of total people in need.
- Of the 36 countries experiencing protracted crisis, 25 were classified as having high or very high climate vulnerability.
The sustained impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic include economic disruption, school closure and increased health needs. These overlap with and compound existing needs in countries experiencing crisis. This disparity is illustrated by accessibility of vaccinations.
- Countries experiencing protracted crisis have lower Covid-19 vaccination rates: an average of 26% in countries experiencing protracted crisis, compared to 53% in other countries with a humanitarian appeal, and 64% in countries without a humanitarian appeal.
Figure 1.2: People in need increasingly face intersecting risks of climate vulnerability, socioeconomic fragility and conflict
Dimensions of risks and vulnerabilities facing people in need
|Socioeconomic fragility||Conflict intensity||People in need (millions)|
Source: Development Initiatives based on UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC), ACAPS, Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) States of Fragility (SoF) and Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research (HIIK).
Notes: Numbers of people in need are aggregated by country-level risk, vulnerability and fragility. Conflict risk is based on the presence of high conflict intensity (HIIK); high socioeconomic fragility is based on the top 20% of average social, economic and political fragility score (OECD); high climate risk is based on the top 20% of ND-GAIN score (ND-GAIN). Country dimensions missing data are classified as low vulnerability/hazard.
Systemic shocks like the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change are compounding other risk factors for crises, both sudden and slow-onset, with more countries experiencing protracted, long-term humanitarian need (see ‘People affected by crisis’). Where resilience is low, the likelihood of people experiencing crisis and needing more lifesaving humanitarian assistance, and for longer, is greater. Conflict, socioeconomic fragility and vulnerability to climate change, in isolation or combination, can serve as both drivers and multipliers of a crisis: worsening impacts, lowering resilience and frustrating efforts to provide the longer-term support needed for recovery from crisis. Understanding where people in need are exposed to specific and intersecting risks can help to identify where the likely impacts of shocks may be greatest, and where we need more and better joined-up humanitarian, development, peacebuilding and climate interventions.
Many countries continued to experience complex crises in 2021.
- Among the 73 countries with people in need in 2021, half (37) experienced more than one type of humanitarian crisis, including natural hazards and conflict-related or displacement crises. 16 countries experienced all three types, similar to the previous year.
- Overall, 43 countries experienced disasters associated with natural or technical hazards – with half of all people in need (50%, 152.6million people) living in countries facing high levels of vulnerability to the impacts of climate change – 30 experienced conflict and 47 experienced displacement.
- The severity of existing crises also worsened in 2021: the number of countries with crises classified as ‘very high’ severity doubled to 10, from 5 in 2020. A further 10 countries increased in severity level.
In 2021, most people in need of humanitarian assistance were experiencing at least one of the following three intersecting dimensions: high-intensity conflict, high levels of socioeconomic fragility and high levels of vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.
- 61% of people in humanitarian need (187.4 million people) were living in countries with at least two of the three dimensions.
- Two fifths of people in need (39%, 119.9 million people) were living in countries facing a combination of all three dimensions.
The need for a joined-up approach, addressing immediate humanitarian need as well as building resilience to socioeconomic and climate shocks and addressing underlying developmental and peacebuilding needs in crisis settings, is widely acknowledged. (See also ‘Climate finance flows', Chapter 2; and ‘Multilateral development bank financing to countries experiencing crisis’, ‘World Bank financing in crisis contexts’ and ‘Development financing for disaster risk reduction’, all Chapter 3). However, as the growth in the number of protracted crises illustrates, this has rarely been achieved.
The intersection of conflict and climate vulnerability can be particularly problematic. High-intensity conflict creates operational risks for development projects aimed at decreasing climate vulnerability, which can result in projects being relocated or, in unstable areas, not being accessed at all. Where this happens, a greater reliance on humanitarian rather than development interventions can occur, further exacerbating longer-term vulnerability. It also results in more funding being channelled through multilateral organisations, with less flexibility in quickly evolving situations and decreased local participation.
Addressing conflict is critical to preserve life, reduce humanitarian need and enable sustainable development. But it is also important as a means to reduce climate risk. In 2021, almost three quarters (217.7 million, 71%) of people in need were living in countries currently experiencing high-intensity conflict. In these contexts, people are less likely to receive resources related to climate adaptation, but conflict itself can also pose an increased climate risk. International law forbids specific threats to the natural environment but, from 1946 to 2010, conflict was the single most important predictor of declines in certain wildlife populations. This affects ecosystems’ ability to mitigate the worst effects of climate change, limiting the contribution they can make to reducing rises in global warming. Degraded environments also make it more difficult for communities to adapt to the risks presented by climate change.
Figure 1.3: Global levels of food insecurity are rising and concentrated in just a few countries
Food insecurity – 10 largest populations reported 2019/20–2020/21
|Country||Rank||High intensity conflict marker||2019/20||2019/20||2019/20||2020/21||2020/21||2020/21|
Source: Development Initiatives based on Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), and Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research (HIIK).
Notes: Acute food insecurity numbers and phases are as reported/projected by the year's closest IPC survey. People living in 'Crisis' (phase 3) or with higher food insecurity are shown. Because IPC survey coverage varies between years, only surveys that mapped ±25% of the 2020/2021 survey population share were used for comparison. 2019/2020 data for Yemen is based on the 2018 survey. Bubble scaling is not precise.
Food insecurity has become an increasingly important driver of humanitarian need and is likely to be even more significant as the conflict in Ukraine, supply-chain issues and a severe drought in the Horn of Africa drive up food prices. As with other dimensions of risk, there is an overlap between food insecurity and areas experiencing high-intensity conflict.
- Between 2019/20 and 2020/21, the number of people experiencing crisis or higher levels of food insecurity (food emergency and famine) increased by over a quarter (28%, from 124.9 million to 160.4 million people).
- Of these 160.4 million people, 33.9 million (22%) were experiencing emergency-level food insecurity, and 0.6 million people (0.4%) in four countries (Ethiopia, Nigeria, Yemen and South Sudan) were experiencing famine.
- A small number of countries accounted for a large proportion of those facing food insecurity. Just four countries were home to half (52%, 82.9 million people) of all people facing crisis or higher levels of food insecurity: DRC (25.9 million), Afghanistan (22.8 million), Nigeria (18.0 million) and Yemen (16.2 million).
- There is a notable overlap between people experiencing high levels of food insecurity and people living with conflict. Of the 10 countries with the highest levels of food insecurity, the top 7 were all also experiencing high-intensity conflict in 2021.
- In 2020/21, the severity of food insecurity increased for five of the largest populations experiencing food insecurity. Ethiopia, South Sudan and Afghanistan experienced the largest increases in the severity of food insecurity. Along with Yemen, South Sudan and Afghanistan also experienced the highest levels of severity in 2019/20.
Figure 1.4: The number of people forcibly displaced grew for the tenth consecutive year in 2021
20 countries with the largest forcibly displaced populations, 2021−2021
Refugees (including people in
|Asylum seekers||Venezuelans displaced abroad||Total displaced population|
|3||COD||Congo, Dem. Rep.||2020||0.5||5.3||0.0||-||5.8|
Source: Development Initiatives based on data from UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
Notes: DRC = Democratic Republic of the Congo. The 20 countries are selected based on the size of displaced populations hosted in 2020. 'Displaced population' includes refugees and people in refugee-like situations, internally displaced persons (IDPs), asylum seekers and other displaced populations of concern to UNHCR. ‘Other displaced populations of concern to UNHCR’ includes Venezuelans displaced abroad. IDP figures refer to those forcibly displaced by conflict, and exclude those internally displaced due to climate or natural disaster. Data is organised according to UNHCR's definitions of country/territory of asylum. According to data provided by UNRWA, registered Palestine refugees are included as refugees for Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. UNHCR data represents 2021 mid-year figures, and UNRWA data for 2021 is based on internal estimation.
The numbers of people forcibly displaced from their homes continued to grow in 2021. An escalation in conflict, including in Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Sudan and Yemen, drove a large portion of the increase, while many people continue to be displaced by economic hardship, including in Venezuela. The increase in shocks related to climate change has also driven up the numbers of people forced from their homes. The consolidated picture from 2021 already looks markedly different as the outbreak of war in Ukraine has displaced many millions more. Since February 2022, an estimated 12.8 million people have fled the violence in Ukraine, both to neighbouring countries and internally.
- In 2021, the total number of displaced people increased to 86.3 million, representing a 4.7% increase from 82.4 million people in 2020.
- As in recent years, most displaced people were displaced internally, within countries (62%, 53.2 million people), while just under a third were refugees (30%, 25.9 million people). In addition, there were 3.9 million Venezuelans displaced abroad (a 2.1% increase), and a slight fall in the total number of asylum seekers, from 4.1 million people in 2020 to 3.3 million in 2021.
- The increase in the number of displaced people was driven by a significant growth in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), an increase of 11%, or 5.1 million people.
Escalating violence and conflict in a number of contexts drove the overall increase in IDPs.
- Ethiopia saw the largest increase in forcibly displaced people, by 53%, or more than 1.5 million people, due to the ongoing war in the Tigray region. A deterioration in the security situation saw other notable increases in the number of displaced people, including in Sudan (28% increase, 0.9 million people), Afghanistan (21% increase, 0.8 million people) and Yemen (16% increase, 0.6 million people). These were nearly all driven by increases in IDPs fleeing conflict.
- Escalating violence also drove large rises in the numbers of IDPs in Burkina Faso (46% increase, 0.5 million people) and in Nigeria (18% increase, 0.5 million people).
Continuing the trend of previous years, a small number of countries continue to host the majority of forcibly displaced people. These countries face complex and intersecting risks. The Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to existing challenges of displacement, conflict and economic hardship, and displaced people are especially affected by the unequal availability of vaccines.
- In 2021, 10 countries hosted over half (54%) of all displaced people globally and the 20 largest hosting countries hosted 77%. This has intensified, with all 10 largest hosting countries seeing an increase in the number of forcibly displaced people.
- The largest hosting countries are Syria, Colombia, DRC and Turkey, all hosting over 5 million displaced people each.
- The 20 largest countries hosting displaced populations had an average Covid-19 vaccination rate of 26% in 2021, markedly lower than the global goal of vaccinating 40% of people by the end of 2021.
- Two of the largest hosting countries have vaccination rates below 15%: Yemen (2%) and Syria (13%).
- Nearly half (9) of the 20 largest hosting countries are classified as low-income countries.
The largest numbers of displaced people are increasingly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa.
- In 2021, the Sub-Saharan Africa region hosted over 32.4 million displaced people, the largest of any region in the world, accounting for 38% of the global total. This represents a significant growth since 2020 up 12%, building on similar growth (11%) in 2020. Most of these people (25.1 million) are displaced internally in the region due to conflict, and in 2021 Sub-Saharan Africa hosted 47% of the total global number of IDPs.
- The largest proportion of refugees is hosted in the Middle East and North Africa region (8.8 million people), accounting for 34% of all refugees globally. Overall numbers of displaced people in the Middle East and North Africa region remained largely similar to those in 2020.
- South Asia has seen a growing number of displaced people, with an 11% increase (0.8 million people) in 2021. This was driven by increases in people displaced both internally and regionally by the Afghanistan conflict. In total, South Asia accounted for 9.3% of the displaced population globally.
OECD, 2019. DAC recommendation on the humanitarian–development–peace nexus. Available at: https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-5019; UNFCCC, 2017. Technical report: opportunities and options for integrating climate change adaptation with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. Available at: https://unfccc.int/documents/28265Return to source text
SPARC, 2021. Exploring the conflict blindspots in climate adaptation finance. Available at: https://www.sparc-knowledge.org/resources/synthesis-report-exploring-conflict-blind-spots-climate-adaptation-financeReturn to source text
SPARC, 2021. Exploring the conflict blindspots in climate adaptation finance. Available at: https://www.sparc-knowledge.org/resources/synthesis-report-exploring-conflict-blind-spots-climate-adaptation-finance. Research has also shown that countries with high levels of extreme poverty have received a lower proportion of climate adaptation finance. See: Development Initiatives, 2016. Climate finance and poverty: exploring the linkages between climate change and poverty evident in the provision and distribution of international public climate finance. Available at: https://devinit.org/resources/climate-finance-and-poverty/Return to source text
ICRC, 5 June 2019. Natural environment: neglected victim of armed conflict, www.icrc.org/en/document/natural-environment-neglected-victim-armed-conflict (accessed 4 June 2022); Martinezcuello, Francesco, 11 April 2022, Ukraine is ground zero for the environmental impacts of war, www.sierraclub.org/sierra/ukraine-ground-zero-for-environmental-impacts-war#:~:text=The%20manufacture%20of%20nitric%20acid,day%20of%20the%20Ukraine%20War.u (accessed 9 June 2022)Return to source text
ODI, ICRC, March 2019. Double vulnerability: the humanitarian implications of intersecting climate and risk. Available at: https://odi.org/en/publications/double-vulnerability-the-humanitarian-implications-of-intersecting-climate-and-conflict-risk/Return to source text
Funding for gender-relevant humanitarian response
DI examines the impact of Covid-19 on international funding for gender-related humanitarian programming, finding that global efforts to support gender equality and support women and girls in humanitarian crises are falling short.
Data to manage uncertainty and risk that leaves no one behind
How can data enable effective risk management to mitigate the worst outcomes for people experiencing vulnerability and leave no one behind?
International humanitarian assistance: Donors, channels and recipients
Three interactive charts let you explore in-depth the largest donors of international humanitarian assistance and how they deliver assistance to recipients.
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An agreement offered by one party and accepted by another is a contract. Contracts typically take the form of written documents in Massachusetts, but certain oral agreements can also be considered contracts. When a party to a contract fails to fulfill its duties under the contract, it is called a breach of contract. Parties to a contract might choose not to fulfill the bargain, and in some situations keeping with the agreement is simply unrealistic. The consequences for a breach of contract depend on the situation. One party may be required to pay the other for its loss, and it may sometimes be necessary to bring the matter to court.
What If Someone Fails to Honor Their End of the Contract in West Springfield
A breach of contract in West Springfield can lead to the party who did not fulfill its end paying the other party for the damage that resulted. However, there can be contention in court as to the exact amount of the award. The matter may be taken to court if disagreements of this form are not resolved privately. If this happens, the court will require you to state in the initial complaint the amount of damages you feel you need to redress the wrong.
What If I Can
Sometimes a monetary award will not help, and in such cases courts in West Springfield, Massachusetts may grant injunctions that require the party at fault to perform its obligations. You should consider whether this kind of remedy suits your situation, and if it does, the concern must be plead properly to the court so that it can consider the question. Breaches of contract do not always indicate wrong doing. Therefore, courts do not only consider whether a breach of contract truly occurred; how and why the obligation went unfulfilled are also factors in Massachusetts law.
How Can an Attorney Help?
It is typically best for a party intending to violate an agreement to make its intention known to the other party, but extreme care must be used. Otherwise, communications may be taken as admissions of wrong doing. When a party finds itself unable to complete a contract, it is important to be aware of local Massachusetts law, since it may impact your case in an unique way. West Springfield, Massachusetts When contracts are violated, the affected parties should contact an Attorney. Delicate questions of timing can often be conclusive in contract disputes. An Attorney practicing in contract law in the West Springfield, Massachusetts area will know how to best proceed.
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Aircraft carriers and submarines are considered some of the most sophisticated weapons in the U.S. arsenal. As a result, they became symbols of American power projection. Without nuclear energy, however, submarines and aircraft carriers would be limited in their operational capabilities, and their cost of ownership would probably increase. I have written a commentary for The National Interest here.
Find Archived Articles:
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https://www.lexingtoninstitute.org/superpowered-nuclear-power-transformed-americas-navy-national-interest/
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