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Many years ago it was prophesized that a great OM would manifest in the west of India and radiant the truth of Vedic culture and yoga throughout the world. The time has now come for this as – after more than 20 years of construction – this great undertaking is due for completion by the end of the year 2020. It is the largest building in the form of “OM” in the world and has 108 residential rooms, libraries, shops and a conference centre as well as a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which is constructed from pink sandstone with intricately carved sculptures.
The central building of this large complex, is constructed in the shape of the ancient Sanskrit symbol OM. The sound of OM consists of three letters: A, U and M. It represents the cosmic vibration, the original eternal sound. OM is the underlying source of creation, adi-anadi – the reality that was, is, and will forever be. Therefore OM represents wholeness, completion. It is the most beautiful mantra, which contains all three fundamental aspects of God – Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Sustainer) and Shiva (the Liberator).
The 108 compartments of residential units that are to form this impressive OM shape, attract tremendous cosmic energy. These units are symbolic of the 108 beads of the Japa Mala. A lake will represent the cresent Moon of the OM symbol. Its point, known as bindu, will be constructed as a tower, 108 feet in height, with 12 temples. At 90 feet, there will be a large overhead water tank and above this, a Surya temple dedicated to the Lord of the Sun.
At the heart of all of this creation lies the Samadhi of Hindu Dharma Samraat Paramhans Shree Swami Madhavanandpuriji – a stunning mausoleum constructed by our Beloved Gurudev as a dedication to His master.
For the millions of spiritual seekers who have taken shelter under the great lineage of Yoga in Daily Life, the Om Ashram is also a place of pilgrimage.
The building is surrounded by many other unique pieces of architecture constructed according to the ancient science of Vastu Shastra. Together, these structures create a harmonious and divine atmosphere where one finds peace of mind, calmness and divine bliss. | <urn:uuid:e6b165fd-7c2c-460b-8ba1-8d5141e87912> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.omashram.com/projects/om-ashram | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.953033 | 476 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Table of Contents
Criticisms of Vaping
There are a number of criticisms of vaping. Many complain about the second hand vapor cloud. Often stating they can taste the flavor of the vapor second-hand. Health professionals say that if a vape user has the flu or a lung infection the viruses, bacteria, or germs will ride along on the micro vapor droplets and anyone nearby will breathe them in. Still, second hand vapor isn’t the only health concern.
Some folks see vaping as a ‘gateway’ to other types of drug use. The verdict on that is still out. There are not a lot of studies to prove this claim or theory. Yes, there have been a few studies but the small sample size of participants in the research is simply not large enough to be conclusive. Parents of adolescents are convinced that their kids started with vaping and then started smoking pot, then transitioned into other illegal hardcore drugs.
There have been several serious lung conditions that vaping users have developed. Many of these lung issues have been serious, and there have been vaping deaths. At this point, much more research is needed. The vaping industry maintains that if folks are buying legitimate vaping products this shouldn’t happen, suggesting that more rules and regulations be put in place to prevent counterfeit vaping cartridges and non-certified products within them.
Another issue that critics point out is that vaping products still contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. Therefore they say; “vaping isn’t any better for you than smoking regular cigarettes.” After all, nicotine is considered a neurotoxin and it is especially damaging in the adolescent brain. Now then, let’s spend a little time discussing each of these very controversial criticisms:
- Second Hand Smoke (vapor) Risks
- Vaping as a Gateway Drug
- Lung Health Issues and Vaping Deaths
- Vaping Products Contain Nicotine (Neurotoxin)
1. Second Hand Smoke (Vapor) Risks
First, let’s talk about the second hand smoke problem from e-cigarettes or vaping. It turns out that many teens are being constantly exposed to second hand e-cigarettes vapor. One survey shows 1/3 of middle school teens have been exposed to second hand vaping smoke. Many say they are constantly exposed to exhaled vapor.
So what is in this second hand smoke of those who vape? Well, you’d be surprised what’s in the vaping chemicals to start with, and yes there are hazardous chemicals in the solution. We already know there is nicotine, but did you know there are heavy metals, aldehydes, glycerin along with the chemicals making up the flavor part. Now you might think that when someone breathes in the vapor, that most of it will stay in their lungs. Yes, a large percentage does, but 30-40% may not.
If you’ve ever been around a group that is vaping, you can identify the flavors they are smoking simply by smelling the second hand smoke. You can also taste it in your own mouth. Think about that for a minute, you can identify the flavor of the vaping solution, so you are getting a lot more than that as a bystander. You see, the concentration of ultrafine particles is quite high in the second hand smoke.
There have been a number of studies showing that e-cigarette use impairs and suppresses anti-bacterial functions in the lungs and nasal passages. Inhibiting the body’s immune system is bad news in this day and age of superbugs and antibiotic resistant bacteria. Allowing such a problem to exit the body in an aerosol vapor or second hand smoke to a new unwittingly available host (person) gives credence to the health professionals’ concerns.
2. Vaping as a Gateway Drug
For adults who vape the numbers and evidence appear to show that it is helping folks quit smoking. Although in a large percentage of cases adults are now doing both types of smoking. That is to say, they are vaping and still partaking in the smoking of regular cigarettes, albeit to a lesser degree. Vaping does appear to be lowering the number of adult smokers, as they migrate to vaping and a decent percentage have stopped smoking or vaping altogether.
For youth, it’s a bit of a different story with mixed data. Currently, youth smoking is at a historical low. Thus, if vaping was a gateway to smoking regular cigarettes we should have already seen that increase due to the rapid growth of e-cigarettes, but we haven’t. Indeed, if you ask a young person about smoking – more than likely they will say; “that’s gross,” unless they are already smokers (cite: 1).
It also appears that current youth smokers are switching to vaping, and the number of new vaping youth who’ve never smoked before is increasing, but not rapidly. So, does vaping really increase the number of regular cigarette youth smokers? That is inconclusive, but you wouldn’t know it by watching the news or reading the newspapers.
In fact, only 1.7% of adult vaper users surveyed had never smoked regular cigarettes. It appears that vaping does not lead to the smoking of real cigarettes, the data shows there is no gateway there. Although there isn’t sufficient research showing empirical evidence that vaping is a gateway to the smoking of pot, DMT (N-Dimethyltryptamine), crack or using solutions containing psychedelics.
Since some e-cigarette cartridges are sold with THC or marijuana now, there is a possibility that vaping could be a gateway to smoking marijuana for our youth. Still, marijuana use is on the rise anyway due to the changing of its legal status in many states. That would more than account for the increased usage.
Because vaping requires a cartridge with a chemical solution, just about any liquefied drug could be vaped. Does this mean that vaping might become a gateway to multidrug use? There just isn’t enough data to tell if this is happening yet, and predicting such is not a scientific endeavor and there is no evidence of that, not yet, not now.
One unfortunate problem is that those who vape will have easier access ‘if’ they so choose to smoke a solution containing an illicit drug. Worse, users may not know the origin, concentration levels, or exactly what’s in it. That could lead to problems and some in law enforcement have suggested; “it’s only a matter of time before drug cartels target this industry and start filling up cartridges with who knows what?” We just cannot say how all this will play out in the future, no one really knows.
3. Lung Health Issues and Vaping Deaths
Perhaps you’ve been noticing the number of TV news stories about vaping deaths due to lung disease and lung infections. The number of vapor related deaths due to lung problems is troubling and somewhat alarming, yet, overall, it is relatively low considering the number of vapers in the US. It is estimated by the start of 2020 there will be an estimated 20 million vaper users in the United States. One-in-three vaping users say they vape on a daily basis.
A good number of deaths related to vaping have been with youth vapers, and these cases typically make the news. Perhaps this is good to prevent more youth from taking up the activity. Still, it’s important to look into each case to try to find common threads if we are to prevent lung problems and deaths. Is there something in the vaping solutions that is causing this? Is there a genetic component? Currently, there are more questions than answers but researchers are working hard to nail this down.
Another problematic issue is that folks with cancer, heart disease, asthma, and other breathing disorders were more likely to vape because they feel it is safer than regular cigarettes. The reality is we just don’t know if it is safer yet. We all know the risks of smoking regular cigarettes as they’ve been around for so long. What will we learn in the future with vaping and the potential long-term health risks?
As of September 2019, there have been over 30 vaping related deaths and some 450 cases of severe pulmonary disease (cite: 2). These deaths strongly suggest that ‘vaping isn’t a harmless activity’ and cautions users to proceed at their own risk.
4. Vaping Products Contain Nicotine (Neurotoxin)
Vaping products contain nicotine, and some feature THC and other neurotoxin chemicals, along with the flavor components, and other chemicals to ensure the solution vaporizes properly. None of these chemicals are good for you. Your lungs are designed to breathe in air, not a lot of chemicals and synthetic molecules.
Some makers of vaping solutions have infused vitamins. In fact, vaping your vitamins is being used as a marketing strategy to entice new more health conscious users (cite: 3).
There is some speculation by pulmonary doctors and health professionals that this is unwise to put vitamins into vaping solutions without research. They indicate that it may cause more harm than good, as the body doesn’t uptake all vitamins in the same way.
Some have gone so far as to speculate that it is the vitamins in some of these vaping solutions that might be causing some of the adverse pulmonary problems with the vapers who use them. Of course, there are so many other chemicals in the solution it’s hard to pin-point.
Not all vaping solutions have the same concentration of nicotine, some have more and some have less. A good many of them have more than regular cigarettes (cite: 4). If all things are equal, and regular cigarettes contained the same amount of nicotine for the same number of puffs, you’d probably get more nicotine from smoking regular cigarettes than e-cigs even though you’d take longer puffs on a vaping device (cite: 5). This is a plus positive for the argument that vaping could help you quit smoking, or it would cause you to vape more to reach the same level of nicotine uptake.
Remember nicotine is addicting and it is why people continue to feel the need to vape. This need is the nicotine hit. It’s an addiction and is far beyond the enjoyment of the flavors tasted while vaping.
1.) “The Gateway Effect of E-cigarettes: Reflections on Main Criticisms,” by Simon Chapman, David Bareham, and Wasim Maziak. Nicotine Tob Res. 2019 May; 21(5): 695–698.
2.) “Outbreak of pulmonary diseases linked to vaping,” published in BMJ, September 2019. BMJ 2019; 366 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l5445 (Published 10 September 2019).
3.) “E-cigarettes Are Being Marketed as ‘Vitamin Delivery’ Devices,” by Titiana Bazanez, Anuja Majmundar, Tess Boley Cruz, and Jennifer B. Unger. Published in AJPH – American Journal of Public Health, September 30, 2018.
4.) “Associations of Electronic Cigarette Nicotine Concentration With Subsequent Cigarette Smoking and Vaping Levels in Adolescents,” by Nicholas Goldenson, Adam Leventhal, and Matthew Stone, et al. JAMA Pediatr. 2017;171(12):1192–1199. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.3209. | <urn:uuid:cfb38b4f-5f72-490b-96f2-f13f3867d8e1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://lifesyncmalibu.com/blog/3-part-series-is-vaping-really-bad-for-your-health-part-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.942392 | 2,397 | 2.90625 | 3 |
BY Harsimran Kaur ON Aug 05 , 2021 IN BOOK REVIEWS, The Story of the Sikhs (1469-1708)/Sarbpreet Singh/Non-Fiction
Sikhism is an inspiration to live life with an indomitable spirit of courage and parity. It is a commitment to ward off the vulnerabilities the oppressed are subjected to, and is an endowment of a magnanimous largesse of the revered Bani enshrined in the sacred scripture of the Sikhs “Guru Granth Sahib.” The Bani is a compendium of words of wisdom breathed by the ten Gurus to lay a foundation of a faith which promulgates the oneness of God and its concomitant omnipresence and omniscience.
Sikhism started with Guru Nanak, who during his peripatetic travels, propagated the message of the divine to the hoi-polloi. But less is known about the other Gurus and their indispensible contribution to make Sikhism a faith for all. The book “The Story of the Sikhs” is a commendable effort by the author Sarbpreet Singh to bring to its readers the diversification Sikhism went through during the reign of all the ten Gurus.
Guru Nanak accompanied by his associate Mardana wandered areas less known to spread the message of egalitarianism and rebuff the path of superstition and misbeliefs. The author supports Guru Nanak‘s tendentious beliefs with parables eliciting realistic living over a personified façade of charlatans and condescension. The author has left no stone unturned to provide an authenticated research material, assiduously gardened and saluted eloquently to depict the journey of upheavals and sacrifice of all the ten Gurus. The Gurus noble aim was to fight against the Mughal tyranny and insolence. The journey ended with Guru Gobind Singh, the last Sikh Guru, who compiled the teaching all the Gurus in a sacred book, “Guru Granth Sahib” and bequeathed it to the Sikh faith, decreeing to bow its head in humility to the only Divine present in the Bani.
The hymns selected for the book talk about righteousness, honest living and acceptance to the Divine will. Some of the hymns unflinchingly talk about women liberation and the essence of womanhood. The poetic parlance expatiates the sublime beauty of the Divine and its creation.
The book gives an honest account of the despotic acts of Mughal Emperors Jahangir and Aurangzeb to subjugate the oppressed to convert them into Islam. The Gurus gave their life to protect their honour and the sanctity of the Hindus hard lined by the Mughal tyranny. This resulted in an epoch of self-awakening and self-defence.
Contemplating the Gurus works is not the task of the faithful. The ulterior motive is enlightenment from reciting the words of wisdom sewn impeccably to form a sheath of pearls knotted with the Divine blessings. From Guru Nanak’s noble teachings to sublimating the martial spirit among the Sikhs led by Guru Hargobind and Guru Gobind, Sikhism decrees its Sikhs to be a humanitarian and oppose any kind of repression and intolerance. The book is a message to the progeny to learn from the sacrifices of the Gurus to create a society replete with tolerance and righteousness. | <urn:uuid:3a7eccd0-5baf-4489-8fe3-3c0efc503943> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://thebookroom.in/the-story-of-the-sikhs-1469-1708-sarbpreet-singh/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.931298 | 739 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Al Roker is up to his neck in extreme weather.
The “TODAY” co-host and weatherman is currently promoting his new book “Al Roker’s Extreme Weather” while leading the NBC daytime series’ coverage of last week’s catastrophic hurricane Harvey and the newly developed hurricane Irma, which is now barreling down on the Caribbean.
“The idea that we could have two category four or higher storms hitting in the same season has never happened before,” Roker told me during an interview this morning. “This is really kind of unprecedented. We’ve gone 12 years since having a major hurricane strike the United States. To have two major storms just gives you an idea, in a sense, of the randomness, but also we have been seeing an increase in more extreme weather events.”
And while these extreme weather events—not to mention recent wildfires in the western U.S. and catastrophic flooding in Africa—appear to be more common, Roker is quick to note that climate change is not necessarily the sole culprit.
“I do believe there is climate change going on, but I’m also one of those people who says you cannot point to every event that happens and say, ‘Oh, that’s because of climate change,’” Roker explained. “What climate change does is increase your probability for more extreme weather, for greater swings in weather, for greater fluctuations. But can we say definitively, because you have these two major hurricanes back-to-back, that this is because of climate change? No. Can I think that maybe it has something to do with it? Probably.”
Hurricanes—or cyclones and typhoons as they’re known in other regions of the world—are among the many extreme weather events dissected and explained in Roker’s new book. Recommended for kids ages 8-12, the colorful, photo-packed, 48-page book is separated into three main sections examining storms (tornadoes, dust storms, hailstorms, etc.), dangerous conditions (drought, fog, extreme heat and cold) and the aftermath of weather phenomenon (floods, wildfires, landslides and avalanches).
The book also details strange, rare and fascinating weather occurrences such as red sprites, gustnados, derechos, fogsicles and lahars, and includes a list of record-breaking weather incidents.
“When I’ve talked to teachers, they tell me that the one topic elementary school kids love and wanna explore is weather,” Roker said. “I finally thought this is kind of a coming together—the extreme weather and a time to write a book for young kids. That’s why we came up with ‘Al Roker’s Extreme Weather.’”
For more on the new book, check out the rest of my interview with Al Roker below:
David Onda: There are, of course, plenty of weather-related books out there. What void did you want to fill with “Extreme Weather”?
Al Roker: I don’t know that there was anything missing. I just wanted to bring a sense of wonder to the idea of weather for kids. One of the people that I admire greatly is Bill Nye. He’s one of those guys who takes science and makes it like, “Gee-whiz. Oh, my gosh.” You’re way too young to remember this guy, but probably your grandparents do—he was a guy named Mr. Wizard, who was on television. He made science fun. If he were coming up today, he’d be on YouTube. He’d be a YouTube sensation, because he did what would probably be considered viral videos today with experiments of how you make a volcano or how you can create a tornado in a bottle. And that’s what I’m trying to bring to the pages of the book.
Onda: When you meet kids, do you find there’s still an interest in growing up and becoming a meteorologist, or is that a profession that’s dropped out of favor?
Roker: No, I still see these kids who really—in fact, probably more so now, it’s cool to be into science. Back when I was coming up, we were the nerds. We were not the cool kids. The cool kids are the science kids now, the kids who are into STEM—the science, technology, engineering, math. And it’s not just guys, it’s young women, young girls who are into this.
Onda: Your role with “TODAY” has expanded beyond weather over the last decade, but would you say weather is still among your first passions?
Roker: One of my mentors is Willard Scott, and one of the things he always told me was, “Everything comes out of what you do on the ‘TODAY Show’ with weather. You can do all these different things, but the weather is what people know you for. Embrace that.” And I do. I love what I do. Every day is different. And trying to come up with different ways to present the weather and make it interesting. I love doing it.
Onda: Can you tell me about the process of actually researching, writing and picking these beautiful photos for “Extreme Weather”? How long did it take?
Roker: I’ll be honest, the photos—we had a researcher find those because I don’t know how to do that stuff. That’s the secret to success. Let the people who do what they do best do it. You focus on what you do. I’m not a publisher. I know certain ideas and I have concepts and I know my weather stuff, but the way to make it visually appealing—that was all done by the fine folks at our publisher. But it took about a year to put together.
Onda: Did you learn anything new about a weather phenomenon while writing the book?
Roker: I didn’t realize that—with dust storms or haboobs—that they were occurring with such great frequency or increasing frequency in the desert southwest here in the United States. When I had first heard about haboobs, they were more in the Sahara and the sub-Saharan desert regions, but more and more we’re seeing them here in the U.S.
Onda: Do you have a favorite section or chapter of “Extreme Weather”?
Roker: You know, it’s like, “Who’s your favorite kid?” I love it all. This is not to denigrate anybody who lives in Southern California or places like that, but I really do love seasons. Every season has its beauty, and so that’s what I love about the book.
Onda: You mentioned that you wrote this book for kids, but would you say adults will enjoy it as well?
Roker: If you are an adult and either have kids or know kids or have a kid in your life, you need this book. One of the kids in your life is gonna ask you a weather question, and instead of Googling it, look it up and set an example for your kids that you can still find out things from books.
Onda: There’s a famous video of you getting tossed around by the wind gusts of Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Is that the most extreme weather you’ve experienced first-hand?
Roker: Yes. It absolutely was. I’ve been through some major storms. I would also say [hurricane] Sandy. It wasn’t on camera, but we just got off of a sand dune, and 15 minutes later, it was gone. We could have been in a world of trouble had we still been on that sand dune.
“Al Roker’s Extreme Weather” is available at bookstores and online retailers now. | <urn:uuid:d8cb1a54-fcc5-4bd9-8235-d24c9549433a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ed.xfinity.com/tv/al-roker-extreme-weather-book-interview/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.966218 | 1,715 | 1.796875 | 2 |
8 Things Only A Foodie Would Understand
Food-obsessed? We understand you!
These days, it seems that anyone with even the slightest interest in anything edible is considered a “foodie”. The term is subjective though. To some it could be a total compliment, while to others a complete insult. Whatever your feelings may be regarding this ubiquitous label, one thing is for sure: A foodie is defined as exceedingly, undoubtedly food-obsessed. How so? Let us count the ways.
1. Foodies are willing to stand in line for the latest food fad.
A two-hour wait for Tim Ho Wan pork buns? Waiting on the street for the next table to open up at 12/10 because they don’t take reservations? Lining up for Wildflour’s cronuts? Yup, a foodie has definitely lined up for food at one point. And if that food fad proves to be as delicious as everyone makes it out to be, then lines aren’t even an issue.
2. Foodies usually start thinking about their next meal during the middle of their current meal.
It’s the norm for the food-obsessed to start thinking about a second breakfast halfway through their first plate of bacon and eggs. It’s perfectly common for them to gush about craving ramen for dinner while in the middle of a hefty Indian lunch.
3. Traveling foodies? You better believe that their itinerary is 98-percent food-related.
Whether it’s booking a seat at the hottest restaurant, exploring grocery stores just to ogle at foreign ingredients, hunting for great street eats, or visiting massive food markets, food is definitely the priority during any trip.
4 Foodie vocabulary is prevalent.
You can count on a foodie to know the difference between artisanal, organic, and farm-to-table. They will definitely know whether a dish is cooked sous vide or if pasta is al dente. And they’ll definitely know how to pronounce Worcestershire.
5. Foodies can’t get enough of food culture.
Whether it’s cooking shows, reality cooking show contests, food- and-travel-centric shows, food movies, food lit, and cookbooks, this is the foodie’s concept of pop culture.
6. Foodies will cringe when it comes to buying a T-shirt for P1,500, but they won’t bat an eyelash when spending for a perfectly cooked medium-rare steak for the same price.
To them, this is setting their priorities straight.
7. “I know this awesome new place to eat!” is the phrase that is mostly heard when talking to a foodie.
It’s just automatic for them to always be in the know. The best fried chicken joint? The creamiest ice cream? The juiciest burger? Ask a foodie, and you won’t be disappointed.
8. Count on a foodie to know where to get hard-to-find ingredients.
Whether it’s masa harina for homemade corn tortillas or chickpeas for whipping up hummus, a foodie is always on the look out for the very best ingredients.
Photo by Patrick Martires | <urn:uuid:392c009d-5b10-493d-8e43-6666ec043460> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.yummy.ph/news-trends/8-things-only-a-foodie-would-understand | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.932424 | 700 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The most recent Franklin and Marshall College Poll shows fewer than a third of Pennsylvania Republican voters say they will have confidence in the accuracy of mail-in ballot votes cast in the November election.
It’s one data point in the poll that raises concerns for Berwood Yost, the director of the college’s Center for Opinion Research.
Polling shows about half of Pennsylvania Democrats plan to vote by mail, compared to about a third of independents and 20 percent of Republicans.
Yost said a lack of trust in the process could lead to an election crisis.
“Imagine ending election night not knowing who won, or imagine President Trump with a lead that evaporates as mail-in votes are counted,” Yost said. “The consequences are, will people believe that vote is accurate?”
The president repeatedly has said that mail-in ballots are at risk for fraud, despite evidence from elections experts and intelligence officials showing that mail-in balloting is reliable and fraud is rare.
The poll also shows partisan differences in the perception of risk due to the coronavirus pandemic, a key factor cited by some Democrats who have said they plan to vote by mail.
The polling comes amid rising concern that President Trump will cast doubt upon the legitimacy of the election. NPR reported Wednesday that the president declined “to promise a peaceful transfer of power” after the election.
“We’re going to have to see what happens. You know that. I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots. And the ballots are a disaster,” Trump said.
Yost pointed to a report disclosing a series of meetings among experts, including retired military leaders, who determined that “legal battles, a contested outcome, violent street clashes and even a constitutional impasse” are possible in November.
“The winner may not, and we assess likely will not, be known on ‘election night’ as officials count mail-in ballots,” the report said. “This period of uncertainty provides opportunities for an unscrupulous candidate to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the process and to set up an unprecedented assault on the outcome.”
A recent report from The Atlantic Magazine shows Pennsylvania Republicans have discussed the possibility of directly appointing electors if the result of the election is not immediately clear.
Yost emphasized that it may take days to count all the votes.
“That has political consequences that need to be managed, or they could be dangerous,” he said. “The linchpin of the democratic system is faith in its electoral process, right?”
Get daily updates from WHYY News! | <urn:uuid:d65ab0b3-f87c-4d46-92d1-396f01eb989b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://whyy.org/articles/poll-shows-fewer-than-one-third-of-pennsylvania-republican-voters-will-trust-mail-in-ballot-results/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.958549 | 550 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Costa has been giving away free coffee and hot chocolate all day - which probably means you're feeling pretty wired by now.
Even if you haven't been indulging, maybe you've just had a few too many energy drinks, colas or even just cups of tea.
Fortunately, a few extra cups of coffee than you're used to shouldn't do any lasting damage - but if you're feeling jittery there are things you can do.
The first step, if you've just downed that fifth free cup of coffee, is to grab something to eat.
Caffeine is fully absorbed by your body when it reaches your intestines, so make sure you 'dilute it' with food, and give your body time to process what's already in there before another rush comes through.
Some sites will suggest drinking plenty of water, getting vitamins, minerals, fruit or vegetables into your stomach - but none of those will really help.
A bit of stodgy food - bread or pasta - will slow the process down.
Water won't flush the caffeine out of your body, or dilute what's there, but you should drink water to make sure dehydration doesn't add to your problems - and a banana is probably a good idea to help boost minerals such as potassium and magnesium.
Some suggest a little gentle exercise could help - either by burning off a bit of your excess energy or helping your body metabolise the caffeine a little quicker.
One of the key symptoms will be anxiety - so head online and find some mindfulness and breathing techniques to help you relax and focus on something else.
Other than that, you're just going to have to wait - your body will take about five hours to get rid of half the caffeine you've drunk.
If the jitters are more serious - like dizziness, thirst, insomnia, diarrhea, headache, fever and irritability then yes - you've overdone it - but again, the only thing you can do is ride out the high.
If the symptoms are more serious you should get medical help - that's if you can't breathe, you're vomiting, you're hallucinating or confused, you have chest pain or a fast heartbeat or you're having uncontrollable muscle movements or convulsions.
If things get that serious, the hospital is likely to administer activated charcoal, laxatives and maybe even wash out your stomach while monitoring your heart.
Of course to get to that stage you're more likely to have been taking caffeine pills than just over-doing it on the free coffees.
Overall, the experts say, the only real trick with caffeine is to make sure you don't have too much - and in case you're wondering, in order to 'overdose' you'd probably need to knock back around 16 8oz cups of black coffee. | <urn:uuid:32b2cae7-db3e-4456-ad2f-1b478b1f3248> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/what-youve-much-coffee-3381876 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.964872 | 576 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Using Game Design to Boost Classroom Engagement
Friday10/282:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Games like Fortnite have taken students by storm, and it is beyond a doubt one of the most addicting and engaging games ever made. While Fortnite is a multi-million dollar game production, there are a lot of game mechanics and techniques that can be replicated and applied in the classroom to boost student engagement. In this session, attendees can expect to learn about some common gamification techniques commonly found in the games industry, and some examples on how to implement them into the classroom environment to effectively increase engagement and motivation.
The purpose of this session is to equip teachers with the know-how on using gamification techniques that can be used to engage and motivate students in their educational experience—both using non-technology based and technology solutions to support it.
Clarence Tan is an edtech entrepreneur who has been working in games and e-learning for over 10 years. He grew up in China, Singapore and the U.S., and has experienced private, public and homeschool education. He started his entrepreneurial journey back in 2011, while he was still a junior in college, developing educational games and learning platforms for government municipalities in Colombia, South America, as well as companies in North America to launch games/gamified solutions. He has been championing the positive impact of student engagement using educational gamification through his ventures and speaking engagements.
Clarence is currently the co-founder & CEO of a gamified practice & assessment platform called Boddle Learning.
This is an online event.
- Event Type:
- Talks, Online/Virtual
- Target Age/Grade:
- High School/College and Up | <urn:uuid:5e7af535-2a53-4c56-a37b-9e6a030a5ab3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/event/using-game-design-to-boost-classroom-engagement/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.965273 | 355 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Some documents that are simply signed through the usual course of business are still contracts. These include purchase orders, receipts, and sales agreements, among others. For any such agreements, it is critical that you understand your end of the bargain and the legal consequences of it. Otherwise, you could be held legally accountable for something you did not expect.
How Can I Ensure a Contract is Good?
Before you sign anything, read what you are signing. Pay careful attention to the clauses of your duties under the contract. However, documents can often be too long for a worthwhile read, or so commonplace that reading each one is not practical. If so, there are still other ways you can effectively review it. An Apache Junction, Arizona attorney can look over a contract before you sign it, as well as review any standardized documents that you deal with on a routine basis. In so doing, the Lawyer will ensure that the legal effect of the documents matches your intent.
What if I Don't Understand a Contract in Arizona?
Although contracts are expressed in words, the agreement itself is what matters. Regardless of the language, parties to a contract are usually legally bound only according to their understanding of the contract. Since it's your understanding that matters, relying on the other party's explanation of the contract terms might lead to problems. In Apache Junction, you can find a neutral third party that is qualified to review and explain the contract. Some specific fields, such as finance, pose particular demands that can be time consuming to fulfill. But no matter how complicated the negotiations, the objective of a contract is to give the intent of the parties legal effect under Arizona law. | <urn:uuid:e9588021-abe6-4051-993f-4952bfe56ebe> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://businessattorneys.legalmatch.com/AZ/Apache-Junction/contract-review.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.963443 | 333 | 1.9375 | 2 |
If you are considering a wood fence for your home, you should know the various components. The most obvious component of a wood fence is the in-fill board, which is comprised of manufactured sections six or eight feet long. These boards are then fastened to the rails with deck screws. The rails are attached to posts and can be made of different materials. Then, you should install the trim board to finish the look around the panels.
Another benefit of a wood fence is that it is easy to install and requires minimal maintenance. Wood is relatively cheap and can be easily dismantled when not in use. It is also much easier to maintain than most other materials, and the average treated wood fence can last decades with minimal maintenance. Unlike other materials, wood fences do not require staining or painting to maintain their look. In addition to staining, wood can be treated with a protective coating that minimizes fading caused by the sun.
When choosing the material for a wood fence, you should consider the climate in your area. Different types of wood can be susceptible to termites and other insects. Choose a species of wood that has been pressure treated or naturally repellent to prevent insect infestation. This will extend the life of the wood fence and will prevent any decay. So, you may want to avoid redwood if you live in an area with a very mild climate. Its cost, however, is justified by its durability and aesthetic appeal.
The posts are the vertical components of a wooden fence that are rooted in the ground. The posts are made of 4×4 or 6×6 lumber. Once set, they hold the other components of the fence in place. It is important to place the posts in the ground deep enough to prevent heaving due to freezing and thawing cycles in the winter. The posts are also the most vulnerable to rot. If you are not sure about how to set the posts, make sure you have a professional do it.
In addition to providing privacy and security, wood fences can also be customized to fit your needs. But be aware that wood will rot away over time and need to be replaced. Therefore, you should choose durable and light-weight wood for your fence. However, remember that pressure-treating the posts of your fence is necessary because they are prone to moisture and insects. If you follow the recommended pressure-treating process, your fence can last for decades.
Prices vary greatly, depending on the size of the yard and fence material needed. Redwood fences are among the most expensive, but their beauty and unique appearance make them one of the most popular types of wooden fences. However, redwood is also one of the most durable and insect-resistant types of wood. While redwood fences may be expensive, they can also last for a very long time. This makes them an attractive option for anyone who wishes to add a fence to their property. For more details visit https://www.torontofencecompany.net/peterborough-on/. | <urn:uuid:bd10976b-c988-472e-b7ae-978e1562fa17> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ray-party.org/wood-fence-a-classic-never-gets-old/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.96537 | 611 | 1.757813 | 2 |
#1 - Ch 1: The Three Friends, part 1
Hunters of the Hills
(*) Your listen progress will be continuously saved. Just bookmark and come back to this page and continue where you left off.
"The Hunters of the Hills" is the first volume of a series dealing with the great struggle of France and England and their colonies for dominion in North America, culminating with the fall of Quebec. It is also concerned to a large extent with the Iroquois, the mighty league known in their own language as the Hodenosaunee, for the favor of which both French and English were high bidders. In his treatment of the theme the author has consulted many authorities, and he is not conscious of any historical error.
Dont forget to share if you like it. | <urn:uuid:fbf14e3e-b719-4025-b00c-e7631a121cbd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://audioaz.com/book/aazlylib-hunters-of-the-hills-by-joseph-a-altsheler | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.971896 | 175 | 2.21875 | 2 |
The George Gustav Heye Center is the Smithsonian’s original National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) on the historic Bowling Green in NYC. The museum was believed to be limited by historic preservation restrictions, hampering the capacity of the museum to change its programs and reach new audiences. EwingCole led the A/E design services for a master plan, which aimed to repurpose and reprogram the museum space to best meet the current and future needs and the NMAI mission statement. As projects were implemented from the master plan, EwingCole provided complete A/E Services for the ImagiNATIONS education center. The team worked with collections, exhibit, engagement, and facilities stakeholders to ensure program requirements were met and identify the need for flexible building systems to support space use. The center’s activities, developed on principles of STEM, embrace scientific-technological advances originating in Native American communities. EwingCole also updated the Museum Store. The project restored original detailing and redesigned retail merchandising to respectfully integrate into the historic bank teller windows. All engineering systems and new lighting were thoughtfully designed to incorporate the historic architecture. The design team created innovative means to route new infrastructure to support point of sale requirements and detailed the restoration of original bronze screens, two pairs of intricately adorned oak doors and hardware, marble crown molding and wainscoting, and updated the grand chandeliers and sconces with LED lamps. | <urn:uuid:f304d8fd-823b-45b9-b7ce-603d776bd684> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ewingcole.com/portfolio_page/national-museum-of-the-american-indian-george-gustav-heye-center/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.932639 | 295 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Moral Anguish is Not a Mental Illness
by Paula J. Caplan, Ph.D.
Many years of listening to survivors of various kinds of trauma led me to choose the term “moral anguish” for one category of the effects of trauma. That term differs from “moral injury” in that “anguish” makes it clear that the upset is deeply emotional and often tears the sufferer apart. “Anguish” implies something less clear, clean, and streamlined, less surgical than does “injury.”
What often causes moral anguish is trauma that is perpetrated by people or entities whom the victim has trusted – whether those trusted are family members, close friends, senior people in one’s workplace or faith-based community or educational, civic, social, or political organization; this causes moral anguish because of the conflict between that trust and the betrayal of it. For some people who have served in combat and have injured or killed people identified as the enemy, moral anguish often results from the tormenting conflict between having been ordered to attack and kill in the name of the good and the right, as opposed to an enemy that is presented as less than human…and then suddenly seeing that one has injured or killed a human being. Moral anguish often ripples widely, so that the victim understandably doubts their own judgment in many situations and doubts whether other people or entities are to be trusted…or is terrified to trust or is determined never again to trust. The immediate environment and often the wider world no longer feel safe.
This is a terrible way to have to live, and it is made worse when this kind of torment is wrongly classified as “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder” (PTSD), which is classified as a mental illness. It is stunning that the huge number of criteria listed for PTSD includes not a single mention of moral anguish or moral injury, making it utterly perplexing that moral anguish is so often labeled “PTSD.” The emotions and behavior listed in PTSD criteria sometimes result from moral anguish, but effective ways to help someone with moral anguish or conflict are simply not those one would use in trying to change behavior or feelings if one did not know the moral matters that gave rise to them. In fact, once the PTSD label has been applied, it usually happens that everyone -- the labeled person, the professionals, and the person’s family members and friends -- leaps to the conclusion that the best thing to do is get that person into traditional psychotherapy and, increasingly, to have them take one or often more (often vastly more) than one psychiatric drug. This route often leads away from talking explicitly with the sufferer about the conflict and betrayal that created the moral anguish, and it certainly leads away from the many other nonpathologizing approaches that can also be helpful and that will be described later in this essay.
Why Moral Anguish is Misclassified as PTSD
This misguided approach is due to these factors: (1) utter lack of recognition at the most fundamental level that PTSD excludes all mention of matters in the moral realm; (2) the mistaken belief that psychiatric diagnosis is a science and clearly shows the way to what is helpful for people who suffer; (3) therapists’ and researchers’ often unfounded claims about what is helpful; and (4) therapists’ frequent failure to mention anything helpful other than professional therapists and drugs. Traumatized people regularly report that even those family members and friends who will listen to them for a few minutes are quick to say, “You need to see a psychiatrist, because I am not trained to deal with a mental illness.”
The National Institute of Mental Health’s Web site states baldly that PTSD is a disorder, meaning a psychiatric disorder, not that it is an understandable, deeply human response to trauma, and the Society for Women’s Health Research instructs that if you think a loved one has PTSD, “The first step is to talk to your doctor or mental health professional.” A reporter for American Medical News quoted Daniel Potenza, a Department of Veterans Affairs psychiatrist, telling an American Medical Association symposium that “Promising therapies for PTSD exist, including medications and psychological treatments.” And in a USA Today article, the chief of the traumatic stress program at the National Institute of Mental Health claims, “Treatment gives most people [with PTSD] relief from symptoms.” Authors of major medical journal articles write widely disseminated pieces about treatments for psychological problems in which the only treatments even studied are drugs and therapy.
Is getting some help for those who are suffering better than getting them no help? Of course.
Some forms of help carry dangers that others do not, and that is true of the labeling of all people experiencing moral anguish as mentally ill and putting them on drugs and in psychotherapy.
Although some may benefit from either or both of these approaches, we must not lose sight of the fact that they carry dangers for at least some people, whereas other approaches are available that do not involve making people feel they are “crazy” and do not involve the risks that extremely often accompany drug therapy and sometimes even accompany psychotherapy.
Traditionally, psychotherapy was not designed, and therapists were not trained, for grappling with matters of morality. And those who refer to the PTSD criteria are unlikely to focus on moral anguish as the root cause of emotional suffering and behavioral problems. Psychotherapy was designed to help with an individual’s inner conflicts or with conflicts between the individual’s needs and society’s demands and expectations. But moral anguish often results from: (1) dramatic disparities between what the sufferer has been told they can expect from the person or entity that caused them harm and what the person or entity has actually done (e.g., a father who has sexually abused his child, a university administration that protects the “rights” of a student who is a rapist over validation and justice for the rapist’s victim, a government or a commanding officer claiming justification for a military action that turns out to be false), (2) retribution when the sufferer speaks the truth about what happened, and (3) loved ones and/or those in authority “gaslighting” the sufferer by failing to state strongly that the disparity and hypocrisy that the sufferer has dared to describe is real.
In fact, one need not be a therapist in order to make validating and supportive statements, and even if a therapist does make them, it is essential for other people in the sufferer’s everyday environment – ideally, as many people as possible – to confirm the sufferer’s recognition of the reality. If only a therapist does that, it often happens that, in essence, in exchange for being believed and supported by the therapist, the sufferer is in the deeply confusing position of feeling, “My therapist believes me, but I am seeing a therapist because I am mentally ill as a result of what happened.” It is much healthier and certainly accurate for the person instead to know that the moral anguish is not a bizarre or otherwise abnormal reaction to the trauma but is deeply human and very common.
How to Decide What Is a Mental Illness — and the Harm the Labels Cause
At the foundation of everything that happens to everyone in the mental health system is the psychiatric diagnosis. In principle, no one may be treated for psychological suffering without receiving such a label, regardless of the nature of the treatment. And historically, the number of categories of alleged mental illnesses in the successive editions of the psychiatric diagnosis handbook, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, has grown by leaps and bounds. Molly Hogan has written, “When I returned to psych nursing in 1989 [after being out of the field since 1972], I discovered that all the psych labels . . . that I was familiar with, which had never made much sense to begin with, had been replaced with new labels. I noted that it was now much easier to get a psych label.”
Unlike physical problems, such as broken bones or high cholesterol levels, there are no clear, reliable, and valid tests for almost anything that is called a mental illness. Clinicians and researchers—some of them smart, some of them caring, some both, some neither—see people who are suffering and try to divide the manifestations of that suffering into categories. This is an effort I have compared to looking at the night sky and deciding how to divide the stars into constellations. It is extremely rare that one finds two patients with identical symptoms, and in fact there are 12,870 different combinations of symptoms of PTSD that one can have and still meet the DSM-IV criteria for it, and still more combinations became possible with the increase in PTSD criteria in DSM-5. Because many thousands of symptom pictures can fit within the PTSD specifications, those who get the PTSD label can differ tremendously from each other. It is hard to find well-done studies that truly provide information about how to help an individual who sits before us. Human behavior is complex, and a person’s strengths and resources, as well as problems, help determine what will help them.
If the creation and use of labels led to more knowledge about how to help, this would be a different conversation. However, at this stage of the evolution of psychiatric categories, there is little or no evidence that choosing a label helps much in deciding on treatment or predicting eventual outcome. An enormous amount of ado about nothing fills the psychiatric and psychological journals, which bulge with well funded but largely uninformative studies about psychiatric labels and treatments.
The way we decide what a mental illness is and who has it is important, because getting a psychiatric label is far from risk-free. Even the mildest of diagnoses can carry the following dangers, and patients are almost never warned of these:
- the damage done to the labeled person, who therefore feels “I must be crazy” and “I should have been over this by now";
- the failure to be regarded by oneself and others (including one’s therapist) as consisting of more than one’s problems;
- difficulty obtaining or keeping a job (discrimination on the basis of mental disability is illegal, but in the real world there is an enormous burden of proof on people with psychiatric labels to prove that they were not hired or were mistreated at work or fired because of the diagnosis rather than, as management often claims, because the employees were not “team players” or were “hard to work with”);
- increased health insurance premiums or denial of long-term care insurance on the grounds that the individual has a preexisting condition;
- loss of the right to make decisions about one’s medical and legal affairs;
- loss of custody of one’s children; and
- the danger that overemphasis on mental illness will lead doctors to overlook traumatic brain injury (or other problems of physical origin) because of jumping to the conclusion that some of its symptoms, such as memory loss, irritability, and sleep problems, are signs of psychiatric disorder.
In light of these risks, it is essential to know that few people, even therapists, are aware that the psychiatrists who literally write the book of psychiatric diagnosis have acknowledged that they have failed to reach a consensus about a good definition of mental disorder. And when the DSM authors conducted their own studies to see whether two therapists would agree about which psychiatric label a person should receive, they obtained poor results. Perhaps most important is that psychiatric labels impoverish our understanding of the fullness of a suffering person’s humanity. As Athar Yawar writes,
A patient’s story is a symphony of suffering, longing, meaning, understanding, hope, fear, loss, wit, and wisdom. Not to accompany the person afflicted on his journey is inhumane ... Experiences are matched to labels of descriptive poverty. “Depression” implies a low level of something, presumably mood, rather than the rich and complex turmoil felt by the patient.
Every time a traumatized person gets a diagnosis, some professional has decided that the person’s feelings have crossed the line from a normal response to a “diseased” one. Yet even contributors to the VA’s Iraq War Clinician Guide note that “the boundary line between ‘normal’ and ‘pathological’ response to the extreme demands of battle is fuzzy at best.” These authors say, for instance, that when soldiers are about to be deployed, “It is often difficult ... to determine the difference between reasonable anxiety and an excessive reaction or the development or recurrence of psychiatric illness, [and during deployment] the novelty of the situation may contribute to symptoms of dissociation.” Elsewhere in the same guide, one finds the warning that:
To avoid legitimate concerns about possible pathologization of common traumatic stress reactions, clinicians may wish to consider avoiding, where possible, the assignment of diagnostic labels such as ASD [Acute Stress Disorder] or PTSD.
And when so many military veterans I have interviewed have said that just having someone—especially a nonprofessional—listen to them without judging and with compassion has reduced or resolved their sleep or other problems, it makes no sense to say those problems or the moral anguish of nonveterans are signs of mental illnesses.
Problems with “PTSD” in Particular
There is remarkably little reason to think that suffering because of having been traumatized is proof that one is “mentally ill with PTSD.” As Meadow Linder describes in her illuminating history of the label and its problems, some military veterans whose suffering had been ignored came together with some caring mental health professionals and proposed that a new category be added to what was then the upcoming edition of the DSM. The category was ultimately called Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and the intention was to persuade professionals and others to take the vets’ suffering seriously.
PTSD was initially defined (in DSM–III) as a normal reaction to abnormal situations, a response to something so terrible that it would “evoke significant symptoms of distress in almost everyone.” But from its first appearance in the DSM, PTSD carried the mixed message, “You are normal. You are mentally disordered.” The DSM is periodically revised, and as a result of serving for awhile on two committees for the fourth edition (DSM-IV), I was stunned and troubled to discover that decisions about how to define “mental disorder,” what categories to put in the DSM, how to title each category, and what symptoms to list for each category are vastly more likely to be marked by misuses of science and by poor-quality science than by responsible, straightforward use of well-done research. As new editions of the DSM were produced, the DSM authors decided to specify that, in order to receive the PTSD label,the person must have “experienced, witnessed, or been confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others,” and to have responded to the event with intense fear, helplessness, or horror. By that definition, couldn’t we say that virtually everyone who has been at war or who was raped would have what gets called PTSD? And if that is the case, what benefit is there—other than getting insurance coverage for therapy (not an unimportant benefit)—from giving so many people this label? If it helped therapists predict what kind of treatment would be most likely to work,that would be different, but that is not the case.
Some people say that it is a relief to be told they have PTSD, because getting a label made them feel that their suffering was taken seriously. However, it is easy enough to let people know that we take their suffering seriously without making it a condition that they allow themselves to be labeled mentally ill. Furthermore, there are the major risks of psychiatric labeling described earlier. The good news is that instead of saying “You have PTSD,” we can say “We believe that you are suffering. You are not making this up,” and leave out the part about mental illness. This has the added benefit of opening us all up to considering a wider array of ways to try to alleviate the suffering. More than two dozen of these are presented at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL51E99E866B9D735E from a conference about veterans, but they are helpful to a great many others suffering from moral anguish, because they are focused on connection, creation, or both, and these dimensions take people into realms not fraught with hypocrisy and denial of reality. They include but are not limited to meditation and mindfulness; involvement in the arts, volunteer work, or political action; legal action; having a service animal; and having someone simply listen without asking questions or making comments but with their whole heart and 100% of their attention.
Details of the PTSD listing change every time a new edition of the DSM manual is published. Each time, the therapist is told that a certain number of symptoms in each category (categories such as “intrusion” with symptoms like distressing feelings or dreams, or “avoidance” or thoughts, feelings, or external reminders of the trauma, or symptoms of “negative alterations in cognitions and mood” or “alterations in arousal and reactivity”) must be present in order for the diagnosis to be assigned. This sounds impressively scientific, but it is not. How, after all, might one choose the numbers of symptoms the person needs to have? For PTSD, as for most categories in the DSM, there has been no scientific basis for choosing, and the choices have often depended on political considerations, including which person on what DSM committee has how much power. One might wonder, then, why these categories of problems are listed at all. The only clear answer is that it increases the aura of scientific precision surrounding the enterprise of psychiatric diagnosis.
The PTSD Label Masks Real Problems and Introduces New Ones
The very choice of words in the title, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, should raise concern. “Posttraumatic” is nonspecific, failing to indicate the source of the traumatizing moral anguish – war, domestic violence, rape, etc. – and thus de-emphasizes and even covers up that source. When one is told that a person “has PTSD,” one has only the information that something bad happened, and the vagueness makes it harder to understand and empathize with that person. The vagueness also diminishes the visibility and thus the culpability of the perpetrator, where there is one.
With regard to “Stress,” If you ask five people what comes to mind when they think of the word “stress,” you get answers like “distracted” and “worried,” with examples of stress-causing situations such as “losing my credit card” or “being stuck in a traffic jam.” Words matter, and to use the word “stress” in this label seriously misrepresents the intensity of the suffering of traumatized people, whose feelings are often more accurately described by words like “terrified” and “despondent.”
Finally, the word “Disorder” identifies it as a mental illness. But even the well-intended move to remove the “D” and refer instead to “PTS” is woefully inadequate. It will be years, if not generations, before most people – upon hearing “PTS” – will stop thinking “D” for Disorder. And even removing the final letter leaves the problems described for the other two words.
A different and helpful perspective on the concept of PTSD comes from a look at other cultures. In a New York Times Magazine article, journalist Ethan Watters noted that “PTSD, many Americans assume, describes the way that all humans react to trauma,” but he reports that this is not the case. For instance, “the deepest psychological wounds” for Sri Lankans exposed to a tsunami were not on the symptom checklist for PTSD but rather were “the loss of or the disturbance of one’s role in the group.” Derek Summerfield dismisses PTSD as a useful concept, writing that, “The notion that war collapses down in the head of an individual survivor to a discrete mental entity, the ‘trauma’ that can be meaningfully addressed by Western counseling or other talk therapy is absurdly simplistic.” He also notes that despite the absence of objective evidence that “psychological debriefing,” talking with a professional about the horrific events, is helpful, Western professionals and organizations put tremendous effort into using this approach. According to Summerfield, this happens even when people in different cultures make it clear that the central problem is the need to fix the social world that war has broken rather than to provide counseling.
Even in the United States, individuals grow up in different cultural contexts, in families with varying ways of expressing (or not expressing) feelings and of coping with problems, so it should not be surprising that Americans’ reactions to trauma vary. It can interfere with our efforts to help people experiencing moral anguish if we try to force their reactions into the symptom clusters that happen to have been constructed for the DSM.
One problem with the list of PTSD criteria is that these symptoms do not always go together in real life: Not every trauma survivor and certainly not everyone experiencing moral anguish has nightmares or flashbacks and numbing and hypervigilance. What do we do with that information? We can decide that, because they do not meet the PTSD criteria, we will not take their suffering seriously and offer them help, whether professional or otherwise, or we can acknowledge that individuals suffer differently from each other and that their failure to fit an unscientific but predetermined matrix should not exclude them from our compassion. Surely it is better to recognize the uniquely individual aspects of suffering and to offer respect, compassion, and help to those who need it. How sad to waste resources trying to find just the right label for someone when our attention should be on the whole person, the nature of that person’s suffering, and the imperative to provide help. The diagnostic criteria pale in comparison to the rich but devastating details of individuals’ experiences, illuminating how much understanding we sacrifice when we retreat behind psychiatric labels.
# # #
Paula J. Caplan, Ph.D., is a clinical and research psychologist, advocate/activist for veterans and their families, and author of 10 books, including When Johnny and Jane Come Marching Home: How All of Us Can Help Veterans (2016, Open Road), which won three top national awards for nonfiction. Her documentary film, “Is Anybody Listening?” about the chasms between veterans and nonveterans and the wrongful pathologizing of war trauma and military rape trauma, has won numerous festival awards, and copies may be ordered and screenings arranged through isanybodylisteningmovie.org. Her “Listen to a Veteran!” series of Public Service Announcements won a prestigious Telly Award. She is Founder and Director of the Listen to a Veteran! Project, information about which is at listentoaveteran.org. She is Associate at the DuBois Institute, Hutchins Center for African and African-American Research, Harvard University.
Portions of this article are excerpted and adapted from When Johnny and Jane Come Marching Home: How All of Us Can Help Veterans by Paula J. Caplan (Open Road, 2016). Contact through paulajcaplan.net or listentoaveteran.org.
Keitt, S. (2009). Post-traumatic stress disorder and the female soldier, press release. Society for Women’s Health Research, February 19.
Landers, S.J. (2008). Suicide hotline lets veterans — and families — dial for help, American Medical News, August 25.
Elias, M. Post-traumatic stress is a war within the body, for the military and for civilians, USA Today. October 27.
For instance, see Z. Imel, M. Malterer, K. McKay, & B. Wampold. (2008). A meta-analysis of psychotherapy and medication in unipolar depression and dysthymia, Journal of Affective Disorders 110(3), 197-206.
Caplan, Paula J. (1995). They Say You’re Crazy: How the World’s Most Powerful Psychiatrists Decide Who’s Normal. (Perseus Books)
Hogan, M. (2009-2010). Speaking out for her family: Molly Hogan interview. MindFreedom Journal. Winter issue, p. 9.
Caplan (1995), op. cit.
Caplan (1995), op. cit.
See discussion in Caplan (1995), op.cit.
Caplan (1995), op. cit.
Yawar, A. (2009). The fool on the hill, Lancet 373, 621-2.
Cozza, S.J.; Benedek, D.M.; Bradley, J.C.; Grieger, T.A.; Nam, T.S.; & Waldrep, DA. (2004). Topics specific to the psychiatric treatment of military personnel. In The Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2nd ed., edited by R.G. Lande, B.A. Martin, J.I. Ruzek, et al. (Washington, D.C. : National Center for PTSD and the Department of Veterans Affairs), pp. 4-20, quotation at p.22.
Cozza et al. (2004), op.cit., p. 11.
Linder, M. (2004). Constructing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: A case study of the history, sociology, and politics of psychiatric classification. In Bias in Psychiatric Diagnosis, editors Paula J. Caplan & L. Cosgrove (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield), pp. 25-40.
American Psychiatric Association. (1980). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III. (Washington, D.C.: APA).
Caplan (1995), op.cit.
Caplan (1995), op.cit., and Caplan and Cosgrove (Eds.), Bias in Psychiatric Diagnosis (2004).
Caplan (1995), op.cit., and Caplan (2016), op.cit.
Watters, E. (2007).The way we live now: Idea lab: Suffering differently, New York Times Magazine, August 12.
Summerfield, D. (1999). A critique of seven assumptions behind psychological trauma programmes in war-affected areas, Social Science & Medicine 48, 1449-62. | <urn:uuid:6ef2942e-185b-486f-a027-d8897580f8cf> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.voa.org/moral-anguish-is-not-a-mental-illness | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.955449 | 5,711 | 2.6875 | 3 |
The possibility of generating income with your website through company advertisements is one of the resulting advantages if you carry out a good SEO optimization, in addition to generating exclusive and quality content. This process requires a lot of time and dedication, which is why there is currently a boom in paid ad models. In this case, the company buys space on a web page or it is the website itself that offers a space for a company to advertise on it. Here where Google AdSense, which played an essential role in this business. However, at present, although it is the most popular platform, it is not the best. Below we will discuss some Disadvantages Of Adsense And A Good Alternative.
Ads platforms become intermediaries between website owners and companies interested in being seen on them, but what makes them so important? The answer is, in a nutshell, in the algorithms. These platforms relate the content of the website (for example, the content is about sports) and position an advertisement of a company that has a certain similarity with this content (in this case, it would be companies such as Nike, Adidas, among others), causing the user who is browsing the website is pleasant and concordant, thus increasing the possibility that he ends up entering the advertising.
AdSense is the Google program that allows you to see the ads that a company has published on a website (you can also see them in a YouTube video), as long as these ads are created from Google Ads.
3 AdSense Disadvantages
● A disadvantage that AdSense has is its payment policy. The owner must reach a total of 100 dollars in income until the 21st of each month to be able to withdraw them, this can be a problem if you need or want a fast source of income.
● Every user is different and some do not support advertising on websites, this may be a reason why some users leave the website aside and try to find a substitute. Although Google manages the number of ads very well so that this does not happen, the latter can happen.
● For AdSense to be a viable alternative, you need a lot of traffic, that is, if you don’t expect a significant number of people to come to your website, it may not be very profitable to use AdSense.
One Of The Best AdSense Alternatives: MediaFem
MediaFem is a full-featured online advertising platform. Combining cutting-edge technology and 12 years of industry experience, in order to provide you with a powerful and easy-to-use system to help your site grow and succeed.
By offering relevant content and adopting the most efficient methods than other ad networks, you can generate striking ads that will boost your traffic.
For displaying ads with MediaFem, publishers receive 70% of the revenue recognized by MediaFem in connection with the service. Also support standard methods of payment to pay out publishers as Paypal.
For additional information on how to monetize with MediaFem, go to FAQMediaFem.com Or read How to make money with MediaFem Ads – Step by Step
Also published on Medium. | <urn:uuid:27aa3be5-5812-473a-bebf-f333471ac3d7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://mediafem.com/disadvantages-of-adsense-and-a-good-alternative/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.953842 | 643 | 1.617188 | 2 |
„Wyszynski: forgiveness or revenge” is a grassroots project of a full-length war fiction film about an unknown war theme from the life of Stefan Wyszyński during the Warsaw Uprising. The project aims to show literally - the direct involvement of the future Primate in the uprising, as well as figuratively - the emergence of the spiritual hero of the nation, the Father of Independence, and finally a man who excels in the fight for an independent Poland.
We take actions with passion and responsibility, because we know that they have an impact on the present. We believe that nothing is impossible, and the greatest limitation is our imagination. We know that our actions would not be possible without your involvement. Therefore, we ask for your support for the Foundation, so that we can take on new challenges with the greatest care and quality. | <urn:uuid:d78f6aca-0d22-4465-aa7f-2c2a4cbf2f3e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://tylkoorly.com/en/only-eagles-fly-foundation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.937932 | 175 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Croydon’s first Technology Enabled Care event coming Wednesday 27 November
I've spent 19 years working in different services in health and social care, so I've watched as new initiatives have changed how we care for the most vulnerable people in our society.
I’ve always had a keen eye on technology and for a long time I’ve seen how, if used correctly, it can enable people’s independence, provide them with the support they need on demand, and keep loved ones in contact. It was this that drove me to the Technology Enabled Care (TEC) industry.
Croydon Council is hosting their first TEC event on Wednesday 27 November. This free event is for all health and care professionals, carers, residents and local services.
There are exciting new digital developments in smart sensors, wearable devices, the Internet of Things (IOT), apps, and artificial intelligence products. These have enabled people to manage in various areas of their lives where in the past they would have been reliant on another person. Modern Assistive Technology (AT) is defining itself by user need and supports the model of preventative or early intervention service. It supports independence and individual’s and families’ resilience, while reducing the demand on our front line services.
For example, I recently worked with a young man who had been an active member of his community, until he was diagnosed with dementia and diabetes. For a while he spent a lot of time in his flat waiting for community care support, until we were able to offer a GPS device which enables him to get out and about. The device has an SOS button and 2-way speech that ensures that community care can find him. With this, he has the confidence to pursue his active lifestyle knowing there are safety measures in place.
It’s changes like these that open up a world of TEC solutions that weren’t possible before. The process of integrating Assistive Technology into our service delivery is ever evolving, and to future proof our care it’s important to understand these opportunities.
So come along to Fairfield Halls on 27 November to see some of the best Technology Enabled Care solutions in action, talk to the experts, listen to industry leads and find out how TEC can help you. Book your free place here. | <urn:uuid:0df44b53-9907-4b86-9c8c-aa4c4ad622c2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://croydon.digital/2019/11/13/croydons-first-technology-enabled-care-event-coming-wednesday-27-november/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.972475 | 473 | 1.820313 | 2 |
World Health Day is observed during the global celebration of Earth Month, and at 3M, improving the health of our planet and its people go hand in hand. Through continued innovation and the application of 3M science, we've made significant sustainability advancements in the products and solutions from our Health Care Business. From lessening our impact on the environment to making health care access more equitable, we are proud to help improve patient outcomes and drive progress across our three pillars of sustainability: Science for Circular, Science for Climate and Science for Community.
Science for Circular
Because packaging has the tendency to create unnecessary waste in product delivery, 3M has a long-standing commitment to developing efficient paper and packaging. In 2019, 3M reduced packaging weight by more than 1,300 metric tons. These efforts are reflected across all business groups, including the 3M Health Care Business – where the 3M™ Tegaderm™ Transparent Film team created a more sustainable packaging solution for 3M’s medical dressings. This innovative process nests the pouches used for each sterile dressing to reduce the amount of packaging materials needed by 30 percent.
Science for Climate
3M is known for its innovative adhesive offerings and that includes adhesives in health care. Medical tapes are commonly created with solvent-based polymers. When the solvent evaporates, the polymers harden into an adhesive, and the byproducts are burned – creating carbon dioxide that pollutes the atmosphere. Wanting to further 3M’s mission to improve health, the 3M Medical Solutions Division (MSD) took on the challenge of reducing emissions associated with the use of medical tape adhesives.
Since 1985, MSD has been working to develop products that use hot-melt adhesives which don’t require solvents in their creation. With hot-melt adhesives, no solvent byproducts are created and solvent-based emissions are effectively eliminated. Today, most 3M medical tapes and dressings are manufactured without the use of solvents, using either hot-melt or water-based adhesives instead.
Science for Community
"According to researchers, only 20 percent of an individual’s health outcomes are driven by medical care alone. The other contributing factors are social determinants of health (SDoH) that include housing instability, unemployment, food insecurity and lack of transportation. All these factors can lead to poor health outcomes and higher costs – both for individuals and providers. And health care organisations continue to face challenges from COVID-19, which has amplified health care disparities."
In April 2021, 3M introduced a technology platform that allows health care providers and payers to prioritise care and funnel resources to high-risk individuals and patient populations. 3M™ Social Determinants of Health Analytics combines clinical, social and population health data to create a complete picture of patient health and includes social risk intelligence to promote program design and management in collaboration with community-based organisations. SDoH analytics can improve outcomes and achieve health equity across communities. | <urn:uuid:e5510514-079b-45c0-949a-e0798c65729a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.3mnz.co.nz/3M/en_NZ/health-care-nz/stories/full-story/~/how-3m-makes-sustainability-in-health-care-a-priority-every-day/?storyid=733bd19b-2ce2-4d30-a9f5-7687eda4f839 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.9416 | 622 | 2.4375 | 2 |
WAFarmers has today launched a website to share the positive and factual story behind live export from the perspective of producers.
The website, Better Live Export (www.betterliveexport.com), aims to clarify the abundance of negative and misleading information about the live trade and animal welfare standards in the public domain.
“It is important for the public to understand that animal welfare is central to the practices of all farmers in the sector – without strong animal welfare, farmers don’t have a livelihood,” Meat Section President Jeff Murray said.
“Contrary to information spread by certain groups, farmers are ethical members of the community with animal welfare always central to their business operations.”
It is hoped the website will make members of the public aware of the facts behind the live export trade and allow them to make a more informed decision in debate on the topic.
“It is the hope of everyone at WAFarmers that this website will result in a more positive public attitude to farmers and their practices,” Mr Murray said.
“It is time farmers spoke out about how proud they are to be part of their industry and how they are working to ensure animals are treated in the best possible way.”
Better Live Export was made possible by a number of generous sponsors.
All media requests must be directed to WAFarmers Marketing and Communications Officer Leslee Hall on (08) 9486 2100 or [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:36b0f7c3-f950-4d2a-ae87-9cf997a95b0f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://wafarmers.org.au/wafarmers-fights-live-export/?doing_wp_cron=1660932838.3160989284515380859375 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.941918 | 304 | 1.59375 | 2 |
New York City’s 311 system handled more than 28 million customer contacts in 2014, setting a new city record as more residents used mobile computing devices to interact with city services.
The total is 16 percent higher than the previous record set in 2011 and can at least be partially contributed to a revamped 311 mobile app that the city launched in November that included new options for city residents to file complaints through their phone.
“311’s record achievement demonstrates that innovation and technology can enhance the government in ways that are far reaching and hit-home for millions of New Yorkers,” James Vacca, chair of the City Council Technology Committee, said in a statement. “The people of New York City expect their government to work efficiently, and 311 has become a powerful instrument in meeting that expectation. By helping residents smoothly navigate the vast web of city services, 311 is improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers.”
The 311 program is one that many large cities have created to help citizens. It serves as an information portal for city residents to interact with the government on a range of services from finding information about schools to filing complaints about hot water not working properly.
In recent years, cities have increased the number of services that citizens can request as online portals and mobile apps have become more robust. In cities like New York, with millions of residents, managing those requests and complaints can be incredibly difficult without the proper systems in place to handle them.
New York, for example, even allows residents to submit requests through Skype and social media, as well as via text messages.
“This unprecedented number of customer contacts is a testament to the extraordinary daily efforts of our 311 team to inform the public on all City matters and deliver essential services to New Yorkers in every neighborhood,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.
New York has seen a clear growth path in the system since 2003 when there were slightly less than 5 million contacts made with the system that year. It took only two years for that number to grow to nearly 15 million contacts in 2005. The system reached nearly 25 million contacts in 2011 and then saw two consecutive years of decline before jumping up again this year to more than 28 million – thanks in part to the growth of mobile device use.
“NYC311 remains committed to meeting New Yorkers where they are and providing excellent customer service. This record growth of contacts is a testament of the trust New Yorkers have placed in 311 for providing city government information. It also speaks to the dedication of the women and men at 311 who strive to serve and help our customers every day,” said NYC311 Executive Director Joseph Morrisroe in a statement. | <urn:uuid:594a520a-cab5-41ea-b2a9-bcc1a74b4ee2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://statescoop.com/new-york-city-311-system-sees-record-use-in-2014/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.957283 | 545 | 1.953125 | 2 |
Following one of the worst mass shootings in history, the trial of Anders Breivik has understandably attracted much attention. With his neo-fascist fist salutes, claims to be part of a “Knights Templar” commando group, and occasional references to the video game “World of Warcraft,” Breivik comes across as both freakish and sad. But these bizarre details risk distracting us from a better understanding of the phenomenon of mass homocide.
Take Breivik’s statements about video games. To be clear, Breivik didn’t claim he was motivated by violent games (indeed he seems to have dismissed that idea) but rather that they helped him improve his accuracy. And in his manifesto, Breivik spent far more time discussing how he was influenced by the Byzantine Empire and Islamic expansion than he did video games.
It’s easy to blame video games when the shooter is a young male, since almost all young men play violent video games. But sometimes video games are ignored in favor of other ‘boogeymen.” The 2011 shooting in Tucson, Arizona was originally blamed on political vitriol in general and Sarah Palin in particular. And in the case of a shooting at the University of Alabama by a 44-year-old Amy Bishop in 2012, the tenure system was blamed (Bishop was a biology professor who had been denied tenure.) Society tends to focus on idiosyncratic elements of individual cases rather than looking for commonalities between them. This approach, while psychologically understandable — we like quick answers for why something happened, particularly if they appear to offer an easy “fix” – causes us to merely flop around in confusion after these events.
Fortunately, mass homicides are very rare, but there are some common threads. The best data we have on mass homicides, which I recently reviewed with colleagues Mark Coulson and Jane Barnett and which is based in part on a 2002 US Secret Service study, suggests that most perpetrators, whether teen boys or 40-something women, share three basic characteristics: long-term antisocial traits or lack of empathy, mental health problems, and the belief that they have been “wronged” by society in one fashion or another. In the case of Breivik, psychological evaluators appear split on whether he was actively psychotic or simply narcissistic, but I see little evidence to suggest he is a bastion of psychological wellness.
This is the constellation of issues that we should be looking at. Predicting and controlling mass homocides is very difficult, but focusing on video games or Sarah Palin will do nothing to prevent future events. One of the commonalities of mass shooters is that they often communicate to someone regarding their intentions. Taking any direct threats of this nature seriously could be one way to start addressing the problem. Many perpetrators also have a history of aggressive, bizarre, threatening or isolated behavior and mental health problems is one of the most consistent risk factors for violence among young people. Obviously, not all of the mentally ill are violent, but deciding, as a society, to spend a bit on those most in need of help ultimately benefit us all. | <urn:uuid:95463955-d35a-4b2e-9caf-771f35118366> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ideas.time.com/2012/04/23/dont-get-distracted-by-breiviks-oddities/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.965365 | 643 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Sensor data validation has become an important issue in the operation and control of energy production plants. An undetected sensor malfunction may convey inaccurate or misleading information about the actual plant state, possibility leading to unnecessary downtimes and, consequently, large financial losses. The objective of this work is the development of a novel sensor data validation method to promptly detect sensor malfunctions. The proposed method is based on the analysis of data regularity properties, through the joint use of Continuous Wavelet Transform and image analysis techniques. Differently from the typical sensor data validation techniques which detect a sensor malfunction by observing variations in the relationships among measurements provided by different sensors, the proposed method validates the data collected by a given sensor only using historical data collected from the sensor itself. The proposed method is shown able to correctly detect different types and intensities of sensor malfunctions from energy production plants.
sensor validation, Image Pattern Recognition, scalogram analysis, Continuous Wavelet Transforms (CWT)
Baraldi, P., Cannarile, F., Di Maio, F., Zio, E. (2016). Hierarchical k-nearest neighbours classification and binary differential evolution for fault diagnostics of automotive bearings operating under variable conditions. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 56, pp. 1-13.
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Baraldi, P., Mangili, F., Gola, G., Nystad, B.H., Zio, E. (2014). A hybrid ensemble-based approach for process parameter estimation and degradation assessment in offshore oil platforms. International Journal of Performability Engineering, 10 (5), pp. 497-509.
Batuwita, R. and Palade, V. (2013). Class Imbalance Learning Methods for Support Vector Machines. In Imbalanced Learning: Foundations. Algorithms and Applications. John Wiley & Sons.
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Coble, J.B., Meyer, R.M., Ramuhalli, P., Bond, L.J., Hashemian, H., Shumaker, B., et al. (2012). A Review of Sensor Calibration Monitoring for Calibration Interval Extension in Nuclear Power Plants. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
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Wegener, I., (2005). Complexity theory: Exploring the limits of efficient algorithms. Complexity Theory: Exploring the Limits of Efficient Algorithms, pp. 1-308. | <urn:uuid:18c83979-82eb-4343-8188-ebda2844e068> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://papers.phmsociety.org/index.php/ijphm/article/view/2670 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.675676 | 1,892 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Science and technology partnerships are integral to providing the capability necessary to deliver innovative solutions for Defence and national security.
Defence’s response to COVID-19 was enhanced by information available through the rapidly established Five Nation Research and Development Council. This was supplemented by leveraging other links, such as CSIRO’s involvement in the Biosafety Level 4 Zoonotic Laboratory Network.
During the reporting period, Defence engagement with industry, academia and publicly funded research agencies increased. This was facilitated by 607 agreements established during the period, representing a 15 per cent increase from the previous financial year.
Defence’s academic partnerships have been expanded to include all 37 public Australian universities under the new Defence Science Partnerships framework implemented in April 2020. Theme-based research networks have also been established with academia to increase collaboration and sovereign capability.
The Defence Science and Technology Group is trialling for Defence a new security framework to safeguard sensitive technologies and capabilities associated with collaborative research activities. The security framework will help ensure that technology advantages being developed for Defence are not compromised or lost to competitors and adversaries.
A new strategic relationship has been agreed with CSIRO, and Defence’s engagement with industry continues to progress through the strategic alliance partnerships. A new governance framework for technology transfer activities has been developed, with over 135 instances of intellectual property evaluated for potential transfer to industry.
The Defence Science and Technology Implementing Arrangement with India was ratified in June 2020 as part of the Australia–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Partnerships with the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore and France were also advanced during the reporting period.
Defence has developed a STEM Outreach and Engagement Plan, with implementation expected to commence towards the end of 2020. The plan builds on the Defence STEM Workforce Strategic Vision and provides a roadmap for developing our STEM workforce pipeline.
With the launch of More, Together: Defence Science and Technology Strategy 2030 in May 2020, Defence is transforming the way it partners with the national science and technology enterprise. Potential partners are being engaged from the outset to ensure early buy-in, remove disconnects in innovation pathways and shorten the time it takes to translate research into Defence capability.
Specific partnering initiatives are being developed to shape the national science and technology enterprise. This includes growing national capabilities in critical areas of science and technology, leveraging research networks and encouraging multi-party collaboration. | <urn:uuid:0796e095-4688-4aa3-a8cb-23ece73fa72c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.transparency.gov.au/annual-reports/department-defence/reporting-year/2019-20-20 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.939823 | 486 | 2.140625 | 2 |
A new technique to bioprint corneas, being applied at University of Wollongong in New South Wales, has demonstrated potential to meet worldwide needs and avoid critical issues associated with corneal disease and transplantations.
Corneal blindness affects millions of people around the world, and corneal transplantation remains an essential treatment for this condition as well as a number of other corneal diseases. However, there are a number of limitations with current treatments, including a substantial lack of tissue (just one cornea is available for every 70 patients worldwide), and the risk of corneal rejection, which can result in permanent blindness. This problem is becoming increasingly exacerbated in the developing world.
A bioengineered cornea and supporting collagen fibres being developed by ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) researchers at the University of Wollongong, in collaboration with Professor Gerard Sutton from Sydney University and the NSW Eye Bank, are designed to overcome these critical issues of tissue availability and tissue rejection.
ACES Director Professor Gordon Wallace explained that collagen, in particular, has been identified as a critical factor in the success of this technique.
“Collagen can provide a cell-friendly, anti-inflammatory environment that can promote cell proliferation in the eye,” Prof Wallace explained.
“While the base composition and molecular structure of collagen provide the biological attributes, it is the highly organised structure that retains these properties and contributes to the transparency and mechanical strength of the cornea – quite a demanding set of properties in one material!
“The team at ACES is using electro-compaction to achieve this critical combination of properties, which has resulted in beautifully aligned collagen fibres, and bringing us one step closer to bioengineered corneas.”
Ophthalmic Surgeon Professor Gerard Sutton said the need for a bioengineered cornea is significant and will impact blindness in places in the world that need it most.
“Whilst there have been attempts to bioengineer a cornea before, they have failed mainly because of a lack of durability and strength,” said Professor Sutton.
“Our bioengineered cornea is strengthened through electro-compaction and still maintains excellent and critical optical properties. In addition it can be bioprinted with living cells.
“If successful it will mean that the many people suffering corneal blindness will not have to wait for someone to die to receive a sight-restoring cornea. They will be able to order one of the ready-made products off the shelf, or even one that is customised specifically for their eye.”
Preliminary tests show that the appropriate corneal cells can be incorporated during the electrocompaction process without significantly decreasing cell viability. These exciting results demonstrate bioengineered corneas can be a viable alternative in corneal transplantation to meet worldwide needs and avoid critical issues associated with current treatments.
An article on this research titled Biomimetic corneal stroma using electro-compacted collagen was recently published in Acta Biomaterialia.1
Chen Z, Liu X, You J, Song Y, Yihui Song, Tomaskovic-Crook E, Sutton G, Crook JM, Wallace GG. Biomimetic corneal stroma using electro-compacted collagen. Acta Biomaterialia Vol 113, 1 September 2020, DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2020.07.004 | <urn:uuid:3a7afcef-8344-426b-85cd-371ea711805e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://mivision.com.au/2020/09/australian-bioprinted-cornea-could-meet-global-need/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.92411 | 729 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Currently, magnetic separation of ore are used at home and abroad, and they use different classification methods. Here are the different classification methods according to their characteristics.
1. Magnetic separators may be classified based on their magnetic source, such as permanent magnetic separators and electromagnetic separators.
2. Based on the strength of the magnetic field, they can be classified as follows:
①Magnetic separator with a weak magnetic field, magnetic field intensity on the pole surface, ho = 72 ~ 136 Ka / m,
Magnetic field force hgradh = (2.5 ~ 5.0) × 1011 a 2 / m3;
② Magnetic separator with medium magnetic field, magnetic field intensity on the magnetic pole ho = 160 ~ 480 Ka / M;
③ High magnetic field magnetic separator, magnetic field intensity on the surface of magnetic pole ho = 480 * 1600 Ka / m, magnetic field force hgradh = (1.5 * 6.0) * 1013 A / m3.
3. The magnetic separation of ore can be classified into two types, dry magnetic separator and wet magnetic separator, depending on the material used in the separation process.
4. Magnetic fields can be classified into constant magnetic fields, pulsating magnetic fields, and alternating magnetic fields.
5. Depending on the shape and structure of the machine body, it is divided into belt magnetic separators, drum magnetic separators, roller magnetic separators, disc magnetic separators, ring magnetic separators, cage magnetic separators, and pulley magnetic separators.
It is mainly distinguished by the strength of the magnetic field and the structure of the selective medium.
Strong magnetic minerals, such as magnetite, titanomagnetite, and ferrosilicon, are usually separated using weak magnetic separators. It was mostly electromagnetic magnetic systems in the past, and the body shape was cylindrical and belt-type. The current technology is mainly permanent magnetic and cylindrical, and it is widely used in wet mode.
To separate nonferrous metals and rare metal minerals, domestic and foreign high-intensity magnetic separators mainly used dry high-intensity magnetic separators with coarse separation particle sizes. Over the past decade, various types of wet high-intensity magnetic separators have been developed to separate weak magnetic minerals with low grade, fine embedded particles and complex mineral compositions, including ring type, cage type, and disc type.
Generally, medium magnetic field magnetic separators are used to separate locally oxidized strong magnetic ores. | <urn:uuid:fe8f2ed1-29b9-49e1-ab1b-6b5dcca1df61> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://dasenmining.com/what-types-of-magnetic-separation-of-ore-are-there/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.853619 | 526 | 3.53125 | 4 |
They’ve been looking verdant and smelling great for weeks now but today was my first little ramsons harvest of the year. Just two leaves, plucked from a huge swathe of wild garlic, will be enough to set this evening’s meal alight. So that’s all I picked. I urge anyone thinking of foraging any plants, to abide by foraging rules and pick very sparingly. Only harvest what you know you will be able to use straight away.
Today I saw several ramson patches, on the edge of the lime avenue in park Frankendael, which were clearly recovering from careless picking. Leaves were torn, twisted and looked generally damaged. It’s saddening to see but more importantly it shows that many individuals don’t know how to harvest correctly and responsibly.
That’s the main reason I lead occasional herb walks in town. If you’d like to join at any time then please get in touch with me via email. I passionately believe that far more people should know the herbs around them and understand how to harvest if appropriate and use them safely. But unfortunately some foragers cause harm and I’d really like to help limit that.
There are many others herbs, currently looking ripe and perfect for use, here in Amsterdam. Nettle is just perfect at present, the new tips will be my next target for harvesting, destined for some home made pasta and a nourishing infusion. More on that next week.
On Thursday I visited my freinds in De Hortus Botanicus and helped them to harvest some Wild Garlic/Ramsons (Allium ursinum, NL:Daslook). It grows vigorously in several parts of the beautiful garden and periodically is removed from paths and areas where it out-competes other plants in the Hortus collection. I took home a large tub of whole Ramson plants; roots, bulbs, leaves and all. I made a delicious batch of Last Chance Ramson Pesto.
So why Last Chance, you may ask? In my local Frankendael Park, the Ramsons are currently in flower so it’s too late to harvest them. Ramsons are still edible when in flower but they taste rather unpleasant. The Ramsons in de Hortus are not yet in flower and they taste great! In another week or so they too will be in flower and it will be almost another year until they are fit for the plate. Another reason for my excitement is that I can only harvest Ramson leaves from the local parks. Harvesting the roots and bulbs would destroy the plants so of course is completely out of the question for wild plants in their natural habitat.
Last Chance Ramson Pesto – vary the proportions as you wish. Those stated made a good thick paste.
- Carefully wash the Ramsons (as you would spring onions), discard any odd squidgy bits from around the bulbs and trim off any really dirty roots.
- Roughly chop the clean Ramsons and place in blender. I had about 150g Ramsons.
- Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil to blender. I added about 200ml.
- Add finest quality pine nuts (beware cheap ones, many people have a bad reaction to them). I added 50g.
- Add a good grating of rock salt and pepper.
- Blend gradually until a thick paste is made. I needed to interrupt blending several times to scrape down the paste.
- When a homogeneous consistency has been made, add grated cheese and blend a little more to combine and break up the cheese (hard goats cheese for me, you may like Pecorino, Parmesan or similar).
- The result should be a paste which is thick enough to dollop into cooking mixes and thin enough to be stirred straight into hot pasta. Add more Olive Oil or more cheese to obtain a better consistency if required. I made about 650ml of pesto. It will keep me going for quite some time.
- Store in sterile jars and refrigerate or freeze in ice cube trays.
- Use as a straight pesto on pasta or as a super garlicy seasoning in other dishes. I added two teaspoons of my pesto to this sauce for salmon and prawns. It was delicious! I understand that Michael used it on fresh cheese ravioli and I used it the next day in a risotto. The list of uses is endless… | <urn:uuid:ebd5731e-1ebf-4adb-b10a-a5d06db586d2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://urban-herbology.org/tag/ramsoms/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.953532 | 917 | 1.695313 | 2 |
303.445 Hearing decisions.
Decision of hearing officer.
Subject to paragraph (a)(2) of this section, a hearing officer’s determination of whether an infant or toddler was appropriately identified, evaluated, or placed, or whether the infant or toddler with a disability and his or her family were appropriately provided early intervention services under part C of the Act, must be based on substantive grounds.
In matters alleging a procedural violation, a hearing officer may find that a child was not appropriately identified, evaluated, placed, or provided early intervention services under part C of the Act only if the procedural inadequacies—
Impeded the child’s right to identification, evaluation, and placement or provision of early intervention services for the child and that child’s family under part C of the Act;
Significantly impeded the parent’s opportunity to participate in the decision-making process regarding identification, evaluation, placement or provision of early intervention services for the child and that child’s family under part C of the Act; or
Caused a deprivation of educational or developmental benefit.
Nothing in paragraph (a) of this section precludes a hearing officer from ordering the lead agency or EIS provider to comply with procedural requirements under §§303.400 through 303.449.
Construction clause. Nothing in §§303.440 through 303.445 affects the right of a parent to file an appeal of the due process hearing decision with the lead agency under §303.446(b), if the lead agency level appeal is available.
Separate due process complaint. Nothing in §§303.440 through 303.449 precludes a parent from filing a separate due process complaint on an issue separate from a due process complaint already filed.
Findings and decisions to general public. The lead agency, after deleting any personally identifiable information, must make the findings and decisions available to the public.
Severe Discrepancy, Screening
Last modified on May 3, 2017 | <urn:uuid:593ff334-21c4-4aed-8703-7261ffe8e4ab> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/c/e/303.445 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.919389 | 442 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Go inside the worlds of art, fashion, design, and lifestyle.
Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky has released its rarest whisky to date, Pride 1978, alongside a limited-edition artwork by Idris Khan.
Last week saw a dinner celebrating the “Unnecessarily Well Made” whiskey at the Academy Mansion on the Upper East Side, hosted by Head of Whisky Creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden.
The commissioned work by Khan, named “Disappearing Casks,” was born from a conversation between Lumsden and the artist. Inspired by the poetry and craft behind the whisky, Khan wanted to make a piece of art that transcended time, because, in the same way, time is such a factor in maturing whiskey. Using various sizes of chalk and taking over 2,500 photographs zoomed in and out at different angles and in different spots, Khan’s work highlights his expertise not only in drawing, but also photography. His work is heavily influenced by Cy Twombly’s chalkboard-like works with overlapping and concentric curves, seen quite literally in “Disappearing Casks.”
The 34-year-old spirit is the longest extra-maturation of any Glenmorangie single malt to date. It was bottled in 2012 following 15 years of extra-maturation in unprecedented casks that contained a legendary French Bordeaux Premier Grand Cru Classé wine. There were only 700 bottles of the successor to Pride 1981 made, making it Glenmorangie’s rarest. | <urn:uuid:8780a6c0-12b6-4f90-82d2-c3e96845297d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://whitewall.art/lifestyle/dedicated-to-the-craft-glenmorangie-unveils-its-rarest-whiskey | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.956981 | 334 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The U.S. public is outraged at the $165 million in bonuses paid to employees of insurance giant American International Group after AIG received billions in government bailout fundsand Washington is looking for ways to make bonus recipients pay back the money.
But what about bailed-out homeowners? Shouldnt they also pay back money they receive from taxpayers?
The government can provide stressed homeowners the help they needand recover much of the costsimply by taxing most of the capital gains that bailout recipients realize on home sales until the value of the assistance is fully paid back to lenders and taxpayers.
Lets be clear: The administrations plan to help homeowners avoid foreclosure is a giveaway to those homeowners.
And a restitution policy would have many benefits besides reducing the burden on taxpayers and lenders and providing economic incentives for future homeowners to avoid similar mistakes.
For one, it would help reduce the participation of speculators in the bailout plan; for another, it would also discourage the participation of homeowners who dont really need a bailout but are willing to take a giveaway when government offers one.
The key is to make the repayment contingent on future capital gains.
The proposed Obama plan would lower the monthly payments paid by targeted homeowners, possibly dropping interest rates to as low as 2 percent for a minimum of five years. The reduced monthly payments would be absorbed largely by the lenders, with government pitching in so lenders dont bear the entire burden.
I would enhance the administration plan by including explicit provisions requiring homeowners who earn a profit on the future sale of their homes to pay back the government assistance.
Specifically, I propose that bailed-out homeowners, for the rest of their lives, give up 80 percent of future capital gains from the sale of their homes until the government gift is paid back. They would be required to pay back only 80 percent of each capital gain to give them an incentive to keep their homes in good shape and sell them at the highest price.
Homeowners currently struggling to keep their homes shouldnt mind giving up 80 percent of something in the future that they were not expecting to get anyway. Even if they do mind, the repayment wouldnt interfere with their current ability to make the modified mortgage payments and they should neither expect something for nothing nor be given such an offer.
The enhancement I propose is equivalent to the government taking an equity position in the future capital gains in housing for these homeowners.
A mechanism is already in place to keep track of the paperwork, since the IRS already keeps track of capital gains on homes. For homeowners in the program, the capital gains tax rate would be 80 percent and would be independent of any other tax obligations or deductions until the full gift amount is paid back.
The monthly dollar savings to homeowners is directly calculated during the Obama mortgage modification, so calculating the savings provided to the homeowners would be easy.
When the homeowner eventually stops using the modified mortgage, the difference between the modified payments and the original mortgage payment could be calculated; this would be the amount the homeowner would need to pay back. The money would be split by the original lenders and the Treasury, based on their share of the modification reduction.
As the beneficiaries of the program pay capital gains over their lifetime, these payments would be put into a fund that distributes them back to shareholders in the fund. Shares would be given out each year, as modified loans are retired, in proportion to the dollar value of the forgiven mortgage amount that year.
The plan is not perfect. If home prices dont appreciate, the gifts will not be paid back, although it seems unlikely that home prices will not resume their long-term normal appreciation. And homeowners do get an interest-free loan, though inflation adjustments could be built in.
Whether you like or dislike the bailout plan for homeowners, we should all be able to agree that any bailout plan should not just give away money without asking for something back.
No-strings-attached gifts are a bad idea for the economy and should not be given to homeowners any more than to corporations. | <urn:uuid:0c359136-beb4-4d14-930a-38f83df68257> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=2462 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.969361 | 810 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Harry Brignull is a London, UK-based independent user experience designer with a PhD in cognitive science. He is also the founder of Dark Patterns, which is dedicated to, in his words, "naming and shaming websites that use deceptive user interfaces." This article is based on a presentation he gave at the Search Marketing Expo in Munich this past April.
When Apple released iOS 6, one of the few new features not enthusiastically promoted by the company was Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) ad tracking. It assigned each device a unique identifier used to track browsing activity, information advertisers used to target ads. Even though IDFA is anonymous, it's still unsettling to people who worry about privacy.
Fortunately, Apple included a way to disable the feature. You won't find it in the privacy settings, however. Instead, you have to go through a series of obscure options in the general settings menu. Now, "General” is a crappy name for a menu item. It’s mainly a bucket of miscellaneous stuff that they didn’t know what to do with. In the "General" menu, select "About." Down at the bottom of this menu, next to the terms of service and license items, there's a menu item listed as "Advertising."
If you haven't been here before, the only option in the advertising menu, "Limit Ad Tracking" is probably selected "Off."
But let's take a closer look at the way this is worded. It doesn’t say “Ad Tracking – Off” it says “Limit Ad Tracking – Off”. So it’s a double negative. It’s not being limited, so when this switch is off, ad tracking is actually on.
Off means on!
This is actually a great example of what I define as a "dark pattern."
What is a dark pattern?
A dark pattern is a user interface carefully crafted to trick users into doing things they might not otherwise do, such as buying insurance with their purchase or signing up for recurring bills. Normally when you think of “bad design,” you think of the creator as being sloppy or lazy — but without ill intent. Dark patterns, on the other hand, are not mistakes. They're carefully crafted with a solid understanding of human psychology, and they do not have the user’s interests in mind.
The thing about dark patterns is that you design them from the exact same rulebooks that we use to enhance usability.
Nielsen’s 10 heuristics, probably one of the most well-known set of usability guidelines, date back to the early 1990s. If we take three of them and invert them, we can describe Apple's UI strategy in the above example.
Visibility of system status. Instead of showing key status information, hide it. Do this with unclear labels, obtuse navigation, and untimely messages.
Match between system and real world. Instead of "speaking the user's language," the system should use "weasel wording" so that it appears to say one thing while it really says another.
User control and freedom. Take advantage of your users' natural capacity to make mistakes to have them accidentally complete actions that are beneficial to your objective.Trick questions
Marketing emails use this tactic all the time. You've probably seen this before. After you register to access something on the web, you're asked if you want to be placed on a mailing list. This particular approach is fairly standard but isn’t hugely effective because users have to take an explicit action to opt in. Chances are they’ll be in a hurry and a proportion of users won't even notice this text. Some websites use mandatory radio buttons with neither option (yes or no) preselected. This way the user can't get on to the next page without making an explicit choice. This in itself is still above-board. But if we think back to our anti-usability principles, we can see how not calling attention to this choice can be used to trick us into choosing something we don't actually want.
For instance, post-office.co.uk is designed to not draw any attention to the option, hoping that that you opt in by mistake. Here, a tick means no. It’s kind of clever because culturally, a tick is an affirmative action.
And they’ll definitely get opt-ins from those people who don’t pause to read this stuff. On the one hand this works — they will boost the mailing list opt-in rate — but a certain number of people will realize that the website is pulling a trick and they will swear angrily under their breaths. It’s probably not going to make them drop out just yet, but it is going to tarnish the brand's reputation, at least a little bit.
10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design
Royalmail.co.uk takes it a step further. Two rows of check boxes: the first is tick to opt out, the second tick to opt in.
Have you ever heard of a trammel net?
It’s a type of fishing net that is made up of two layers of different types of netting. The fish — or your user — can either get caught up by the first layer, or the second layer, or they can get stuck between the two. They’re banned in most kinds of commercial fishing, but it seems you can put them in your UIs without any legal repercussions.
These examples are all kind of tiptoeing around the problem, though. We could actually take this to another level entirely and get rid of any uncertainty whatsoever.
At present, Quora doesn't mess around with opt-ins or questions of any kind. They just opt you in as part of the terms of service. This is what you see when you’re registered — if you take the time to go to the email notifications page.
Currently, there are 35 email notifications. You’re automatically opted in to most of them.
The thing to take away here is to realize that although it’s easy to play these tricks, they will piss off your users. It’s quite useful to think of your brand’s relationship with your users in human terms. 
Okay so let’s move on to another dark pattern — Forced continuity.
Theladders.com is a fairly big US-based job board, founded nine years ago. They’ve got about 400 employees and made roughly $100 million dollars in revenue last year. VC-funded too. What I’m about to tell you is quite hard-hitting so please do check this yourself and let me know if I’m wrong. Anyway, let’s sign up for a free basic membership.
Since I’m signing up for free, there’s no point in reading this stuff, right?
After this I’ll go through a few sign-up steps and then I’ll search for a job. Here are my search results. Let’s say the second one down there looks really appealing.
I clicked "apply" a moment ago and I thought I was going to see the job details and the application form. Instead I’m seeing a paywall and it’s telling me that I need to upgrade to apply for this role!
Now what I don’t know right now is that this job ad is freely available on the web elsewhere.
Suddenly disabling text selection makes sense. They want to discourage people from bypassing their paywall by copying the job description and pasting it into Google as a search term. They don’t want people to get to the true source. In this case the job was published on Bloomberg’s careers site where you can apply for free.
I haven’t taken a large sample, but from a cursory analysis it looks like a fairly large chunk of the listings behind the paywall are available free elsewhere on the web.
What normal person explores the account settings pages?
That's tricky, enough, but the forced continuity doesn't come into play until you go to sign up. While the premium membership page prominently displays its pricing (from $25 for one month to $150 for a year) it obscures the fact that the one-month package is automatically renewed by displaying this information in gray 10-point text on a gray background at the bottom of the page. Once you've signed up, you have to dig into the membership page (under account settings) to turn it off. This is the same way that Apple hides the IDFA settings in iOS.
Here’s the last pattern: misdirection. Let’s imagine you’ve done a search for “cannot empty clipboard in Excel” and you find yourself on Experts Exchange.
The way that the page is designed, it looks like the answer is behind a paywall. In fact it’s just way, way down the page — right at the bottom.
This trick gives them an SEO benefit while simultaneously tricking users into subscribing. They’ve actually been doing this for years — since 2007, in fact.
This is a good case study showing what can happen if you systematically use dark patterns as part of your growth strategy.
Experts Exchange could still be a dominant force today, but they’re not. They got greedy, they used dark patterns, and everyone got annoyed with them and migrated to a friendlier, more ethical competitor.
When you look at your customers in aggregate, it’s easy to be very detached and impersonal about it. To understand the reality of what it’s like to be on the receiving end of your product, you have to zoom in.
Good design — and good business — is all about empathy with our fellow humans. In fact it’s not really limited to business — it’s society as a whole. It’s what defines us as humans. To understand the true impact of your designs, you have to work at a human level of focus. You have to see the whites of their eyes and their facial expressions. That’s really the whole point.
At the end of the day, you should evaluate what you really want from your customers. Do you just want them to just use your service, or do you want more?
Personally I think usage alone is cheap. A good brand is liked. A great brand is loved and respected. You’ll never reach that point if you use dark patterns.
[Note: All examples are current as of early 2013.] | <urn:uuid:2283a879-5213-48e6-9b9b-cd05af0790b8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/29/4640308/dark-patterns-inside-the-interfaces-designed-to-trick-you | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.945757 | 2,296 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Site of Roman Tile Kilns 400m SE of Dennis Farm
The site of several Roman tile kilns which were excavated. They were situated 400m south east of Dennis Farm.
1 Located during ploughing in 1964. Subsequent magnetometer survey produced a kiln. The site is in an elevated and well-drained location with clay and a water source close by. The kiln has a firing chamber with cross walls, a main flue and stoke holes. After abandonment the kiln was filled in. At a later date a trench cut the stoke hole; this was perhaps to form part of a second kiln, which was abandoned and then filled with rubbish. Pottery is probably of 2nd-3rd century date. The kiln was producing tegulae, imbrex, box-flue and flat tiles. Found in the topsoil was a fairly well-preserved long cross penny of Henry III (PRN 5143).
2 A further area was stripped revealing a well-preserved kiln (kiln 2) superimposed on a further kiln (kiln 3) of similar form to the original kiln. Both kilns were tile kilns, associated pottery indicated abandonment of kiln 2 in early 4th century. Eight stone-packed post holes possibly indicate the location of a workshop or drying shed. In the ash layer of kiln 2 a small bronze wire bracelet was found.
3,4,5 Ongoing excavation reports.
6 Interim report. | <urn:uuid:318c1213-bb28-4491-9d6c-733d261abaec> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/catalogue_her/site-of-roman-tile-kilns-400m-se-of-dennis-farm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.975187 | 320 | 2.921875 | 3 |
What is a foreclosure?
A foreclosure is the process of a lender repossessing a home from a homeowner when they fail to keep up with their monthly mortgage payments. Unless they can work out an alternative to the foreclosure with the lender, the homeowner will need to move out. If the home is underwater, such that it is worth less than the outstanding balance on the loan, the lender may be able to pursue the homeowner for a deficiency judgment. Similar to bankruptcy, foreclosure can have a devastating impact on a consumer’s credit and hinder their efforts to purchase another home in the future.
How long does a foreclosure take?
A lender might be able to complete a foreclosure within a few months, unless the homeowner has a solid defense. In that situation, the process might extend for a year or longer. If a court dismisses the foreclosure without prejudice, the timeline would start from the beginning if the lender pursues a foreclosure again.
Who pays foreclosure costs?
If the homeowner pays off the loan, they will be responsible for covering the foreclosure costs. However, if the property is sold, the new owner of the property will cover the costs after buying it at an auction. Sometimes the lender will buy the property at an auction. This means that they will be responsible for covering the foreclosure costs, which they will try to recoup by reselling the property.
What are the documents involved in a foreclosure?
The promissory note and the mortgage or deed of trust are the key documents involved in a foreclosure. A lender also will need to provide evidence of the missed payments, the remaining amount on the loan, the address of the property, any additional charges, and any modifications made to the original agreement.
What should I do when I get notified of missed payments?
You should contact the loss mitigation department at your lender. Ideally, you should do this as soon as you are aware that you cannot make a payment or will not be able to make payments for a certain time. The sooner that you act, the more options that you may have to work out an alternative to the foreclosure. You will need to provide the loss mitigation department with your financial information so that they can determine the options for which you qualify. You should not just ignore notifications from your lender and hope that they go away.
Can I get free housing counseling?
Yes, you can contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) online or by phone to get recommendations for housing counseling agencies that it approves. Usually these agencies offer housing counseling and credit counseling for minimal or no cost. If you want more sophisticated and detailed advice, though, you may want to set up a consultation with a foreclosure attorney. The first consultation is often free as well.
Should I trust someone who offers to help me negotiate with the lender?
Probably not. There are many scammers who try to exploit people who are facing financial difficulties by making false promises or offering to do things that they could do on their own. For example, a company that offers to negotiate a loan modification for you probably will go through the same process that you would go through with your lender and would not be able to obtain a better outcome. Adding an intermediary to the process often results in complications and delays. You should view any ads or solicitations very skeptically.
Are there alternatives to foreclosure?
Yes, there are many alternatives to foreclosure. Some of them are relatively permanent, while others are temporary solutions. Certain alternatives allow you to stay in your home, while others provide a less disruptive and damaging way to move out than foreclosure. Depending on your situation, you may be able to modify your loan to reduce the monthly payments while extending the loan term. Or you may be able to get a short-term forbearance agreement or repayment plan to account for a temporary hardship. If you have decided to move out, you can potentially arrange for a short sale or a deed in lieu of foreclosure to avoid the negative impact of foreclosure on your credit.
Can I reduce my loan payments so that I can stay in my home?
Lenders often will offer loan modifications, or they may accept partial or late payments for a limited period as long as the homeowner agrees to eventually catch up. If your mortgage is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, you may have additional options to modify your loan. A modification also may involve reducing the interest rate on the loan for a certain period. You will need to fill out a loan modification application and explain the hardship that is preventing you from keeping up with your monthly payments. If you fail to keep up with the reduced payments, the lender can start the foreclosure process again and may not be inclined to offer another modification.
Can I sell my house for less than what I owe on my loan?
This is known as a short sale and may be an option as long as you do not have multiple mortgages on your home. If you have taken out multiple mortgages, you may need to get the consent of the subsequent mortgage owners, which would be unlikely because they would get nothing from the sale. If you get consent from the lender for a short sale, or your state allows a short sale by law, you can sell your home for a price less than the amount owed on the mortgage, and the lender cannot pursue you for the deficiency. A short sale can leave you with less debt and a stronger credit rating than a foreclosure.
Can I just give my house to the lender?
This is known as a deed in lieu of foreclosure and is similar in many ways to a short sale. However, the lender will be responsible for selling the house in this situation. It may have the right to sue you for a deficiency after the sale unless you can get a written agreement to the contrary. As with short sales, you probably will not have this option if you have multiple mortgages on your home. Lenders tend to prefer short sales to deeds in lieu of foreclosure because the homeowner is responsible for selling the home in a short sale.
What is the impact of bankruptcy on foreclosure?
Bankruptcy does not necessarily prevent a foreclosure, but it can delay it. Filing under Chapter 13 can allow you to keep your home by integrating your debt on the mortgage into your repayment plan. This assumes that you have sufficient income to keep up with monthly payments under the plan. If you need to file under Chapter 7, however, you probably can expect only to delay rather than prevent a foreclosure. The automatic stay that accompanies a bankruptcy will pause foreclosure efforts until the lender gets permission to lift the stay and proceed with the foreclosure. Delaying the process still can be useful in giving you time to plan a move.
What happens to a tenant in a foreclosed property?
Recent changes to federal laws protect tenants in a foreclosed property. If they are renting under a lease that started before the foreclosure, they can stay until the end of the lease unless the new owner of the property plans to live there. In that situation, a tenant with a lease is entitled to a 90-day notice period before moving out. If a tenant is not renting under a lease, the new owner can remove them after a 90-day notice period, regardless of whether they plan to live on the property. (State laws sometimes provide more generous protections.) Tenants who live in foreclosed properties often find that the condition of the property declines sharply after the foreclosure, so they may prefer to move before the lease ends anyway.
What do I do if I am on active military duty during a foreclosure?
Military service members have certain rights during a foreclosure. The lender must pursue a judicial foreclosure instead of a non-judicial foreclosure, which means that they need to file a lawsuit in court to foreclose on the property. This makes the process much more complex and time-consuming, so many lenders will not find it worthwhile to foreclose. | <urn:uuid:c33a5842-3967-4f86-abe8-6351b37af212> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.justia.com/foreclosure/faqs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.962776 | 1,597 | 2.0625 | 2 |
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California drivers will now be cited and fined if they do not adequately “Share the Road’ with cyclists. The Three Feet for Safety Act became state law this week and the law requires that drivers give cyclists a three-foot buffer zone before attempting to pass. Motorists caught violating the law face a $35 fine. Further, if a driver enters the “buffer zone” and a collision with a cyclist occurs the fine is increased to at least $220. The collision fine of $220 does not include court fees, which, according to the California Bicycle Coalition range between $230 to close to $1,000.
According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the Three Feet for Safety Act mandates that motorists attempting to overtake and pass a bicycle traveling in the same direction have to maintain a “safe distance” that does not interfere with the cyclist’s operation of the bicycle. This distance has been set at a minimum of three feet. In addition, motorists must take into account the size of their vehicle, the size of the bicycle, the current traffic conditions including variables that affect visibility and other factors, which include weather and the road conditions.
In the event that a three foot buffer zone is not an option when attempting to pass a cyclist, motorists must slow their vehicle to a speed that is “reasonable and prudent” and wait for a “safe” opportunity to pass. Additional language clarifying the parameters of “reasonable and prudent” is not included in the law.
In addition to a Bicycle Safety Coalition, California has a well-developed “Share the Road” campaign. The campaign represents an ongoing effort to educate drivers and cyclists about the need to share road space in a cooperative manner to increase safety. The campaign includes not only educational information for drivers but also information for cyclists on road rules, biking etiquette and safety measures.
However, despite the Share the Road campaign, there exists a good deal of resentment between cyclists and motorists and while the new California law may serve to force drivers to create a buffer zone, it is likely to do very little to ameliorate the tensions that exist as a result of the two transportation methods. While it is a given that motorists are concerned with cyclist safety, there is also the issue of whether cyclists have an “own the road” mentality which causes motorists to experience a certain frustration and resentment that can lead to, if not “road rage” than at least “cyclist rage.”
Many of the comments made on media reports about the new law illustrate these frustrations. For example, one comment on a Los Angeles Times report reads, “The more laws you pass encouraging bicyclists to challenge cars over who rules the road, the more callous rogue cyclists will become.” On an Orange County Register report, a commenter wrote, “Another unenforceable law on the books. What if I give the biker 3 feet and he moves closer to me? Sad that the government thinks it can legislate common sense.” Still others following the “green” perspective accuse drivers of not taking into account that every bike on the road is one less car and they should appreciate the lack of a carbon footprint that cyclists represent.
It is true that many cyclists on the road do seem to have an “own the road” mentality, which causes not just frustration, but also safety issues. It is also true that some motorists, whether it is intentional or not, do not consider the vulnerable position that cyclists are in while riding in traffic. The overarching truth is that the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists is a priority.
The new California law was put in place to enforce “Share the Road” commonsense. The law will allow California Highway Patrol to ticket motorists for not minding the three-foot buffer zone, but cyclists would do well to adopt a cooperative attitude and make the same effort to keep a three-foot buffer zone between themselves and vehicles. In this way, both drivers and cyclists can increase safety and decrease the number of bicycle related accidents. This level of cooperative effort, more than the legislated $35 fine, would serve to increase safety as well as to diffuse the current level of tension that exists between motorists and cyclists.
Opinion by Alana Marie Burke | <urn:uuid:2fdea67d-40ba-4712-8065-a0ea85d65e63> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://guardianlv.com/2014/09/new-california-law-share-the-road-with-cyclists-or-pay-a-fine/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.966331 | 896 | 2.1875 | 2 |
The rainfall distribution for the 2015-16 Malawi crop growing season was in general below normal in many parts of the country. Drought conditions prevailed in many areas and crop yields were adversely affected including maize, the staple food for the country. The figure below shows rainfall distribution at the Salima site.
Rainfall (mm) for Salima during 2015-16 bean growing season (Source: Salima Met. Station)
A subset of 10 Andean Diversity Panel (ADP) and 13 Durango Diversity Panel (DDP) lines that had been selected for good performance under biotic and abiotic stresses across Malawi, Tanzania, South Africa, Puerto Rico and the United States were planted at Bunda, Bvumbwe, MUST, and Chitala. The materials were grown in 4 row plots with three replications at each location. Phenological, yield and yield component data were determined.
The PIC population selections were planted at the same four sites (Bunda, Bvumbwe, MUST and Chitala). There were 282 lines planted as single row plots that were replicated three times. Plants were selected based on agronomic performance and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses in the field at the pod-filling stage, followed by seed type at harvest.
The National Bean Yield Trials (NBYT) comprised materials from the Bean/Cowpea CRSP project conducted from 2004 to 2007. The seed types range from small- to large-seeded and from solid to mottled seed colors. The lines are a mix of Andean and Mesoamerican lines and a variety of seed types including black, small red, carioca, brown, sugar cranberry, large red and red mottled.
Performance of bean trials
Drought had a profound effect on the trial performance resulting in loss of some trials at Bunda and MUST. The trials at Chitala were also drastically affected by drought and root rot. Bean common mosaic virus was prominent at Bunda and black-root reaction was observed in ABYT and ADP/DDP trials which contributed to poor stand apart from the drought that was experienced. PIC lines and the NBYT performed better in the second planting. Charcoal rot, caused by Macrophomina phaseolina, was the major disease at Bvumbwe in addition to drought stress, and the worst affected was the ADP/DDP trial (photo below).
Bvumbwe- Severe charcoal rot disease and drought stress resulting in poor plant stand
PIC selections were made mainly at Bunda and Bvumbwe but a few were also included from Chitala. Selections at Bunda and Bvumbwe were based on pod load and seed type. In Chitala, all plants that survived the drought and produced seed were picked. Out of 282 lines derived from single plant selections done in 2014/2015 cropping season, 82 lines (29%) were selected and sent to South Africa for seed multiplication and advance.
The results of NBYT at Bunda showed highly significant differences in yield. Lines PC543-C3 and DG 2 were the earliest to achieve full flowering while the lines F11 MDRB (B) 25 and F11 MDRB (B) 24 were the first to reach physiological maturity. The highest yield was observed for the Kalima variety (2,858 kg/ha) followed by UCD 0234 (2,444 kg/ha). The overall mean yield was 1,771 kg/ha.
Promising line for release, F11NDRB(B)24
The NBYT results from the Bvumbwe Research Station showed highly significant statistical differences between the entries for days to flowering, days to maturity and 100 seed weight. There was no statistical significance in terms of grain yield among entries indicating similar yield performance. The earliest line to achieve physiological maturity was F12MDRB (A) 18 after 79 days. The top yielding line was F11MDRB (B) 24 (photo below) with 1,509 kg/ha followed by F3 MDRB (A) 8 with 1,378 kg/ha and UCD0234 with 1,365 kg/ha. The overall mean yield was 956 kg/ha.
The 2015/2016 crop growing season was challenging for crop growth and production. This was mainly due to drought. Trials from two of the sites, MUST and Chitala Research Station, were drastically affected and no data was collected. Two of the trials at Bunda, ADP/DDP and ABYT, recorded poor stands and this affected yield performance. Two trials, NBYT and PIC, had to be replanted at Bunda. Therefore, it is recommended that the ADP/DDP and NBYT be repeated in the 2016/2017 growing season. The PIC line selections sent to South Africa should be evaluated at multiple sites in order to determine their adaptation and to select outstanding entries for preliminary yield trials. Three lines from the NBYT, F11 MDRB (B) 24, DC 96-69 and DG 226, are being considered for release. | <urn:uuid:7f1145d4-a233-4df8-b9a8-60f1b905f2b4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://arsftfbean.uprm.edu/bean/?cat=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.974743 | 1,065 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Become a Connecticut Notary Public
Connecticut Notary Commission Overview
Notary.net is here to help with any notary bonds, insurance, notary training, or notary supplies you need to become a Connecticut notary public. The step-by-step process for becoming a notary public in the state of Connecticut is detailed below. Once you are ready to shop for supplies, simply visit our store.
Importance of Connecticut Notary Training
As a notary public in the State of Connecticut, you have unlimited financial liability on every document you notarize. You do not want to take the office of Notary Public lightly. The Connecticut Online Notary Course is the fastest, easiest and most affordable way for you to learn what to do and how to protect yourself as a notary. Whether you are a new or current notary public, you should spend some time learning the laws.
How to Become a Notary Public in ConnecticutStep-by-Step Instructions
How to Become a Connecticut Notary Public
How to Become a Notary Public in CT
1. Read the Notary Public Manual.
2. Complete a Jurat and Writing Sample.
3. Print the Certificate of Character. The Certificate must be completed by a public official, or reputable businessperson, who is unrelated to you and has known you for at least one year.
4. Create an account on the eLicense website.
5. Log in and complete the application. Pay the $120 fee.
6. Once your application has been approved, you will receive your new notary certificate.
7. Within 30 days of receiving your certificate, you must file the certificate and take your oath of office with a town clerk. Pay the $10 fee.
8. Purchase your Connecticut notary seal.
Congratulations! You are now a Connecticut notary public! | <urn:uuid:7fd85541-8e1f-4680-84b7-242b8402c14d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://notary.net/state/connecticut/?ref=104 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.932355 | 381 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Religious Zionist political leadership is not confined to the Jewish Home Party. Several of the more prominent Likud leaders are Religious Zionists and promote a Religious Zionist agenda. This identification has been reciprocated by the Religious Zionist voting public. In the last elections, held in March 2014, four parliamentary mandates moved from the Jewish Home Party to the Likud.
While the Likud always contained Orthodox members, in the last 20 or so years, self-conscious Religious Zionists started to join Likud with the explicit purpose of influencing (and even taking control of) its ideology and policy. The first, vanguard example of this was Moshe Faiglin, a far right settlement activist. Although Faiglin was elected as a Likud MK, his challenges to Netanyahu for the leadership of the party were successively defeated.
Despite Faiglin’s defeat and eventual departure, the idea of joining and influencing Likud began to take hold in the settlements, and substantial numbers of settlers joined the party. While many of these new members did not, at first, vote for Likud,9the increased Religious Zionist presence made itself felt among the leadership. Thus, one Likud minister, and an important member of its leadership, Ze’ev Elkin (Minister of Jerusalem and Heritage) is an avowed Religious Zionist and settler; the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tzipi Hotovely is also a Religious Zionist, as is the Knesset’s Speaker, Yuli Edelstein. Some of the people closest to Prime Minister Netanyahu are also Religious Zionists, namely Natan Eshel, Rami Sadan, and Shlomo Filber. The latter two hold important bureaucratic positions – Chairman of the News Corporation of Channel 10 and Director General of the Communications Ministry. In the last election, Filber and Hotovely were in charge of the Likud election headquarters in Judea and Samaria.
At the same time that Religious Zionists gained prominence in Likud, Likud leaders who were identified as secular and liberal were removed from leadership positions, and even from the party. These include the President of the State of Israel, Ruvi Rivlin (who was elected President against the will of Prime Minister Natanyahu), Dan Meridor, and Michael Eitan. The prominence of Religious Zionists in the current government, and in Likud, points to the fact that more than any previous government, the current government does not give pride of place to secular figures, but rather to those groups that did not fully accept the change in Jewish identity the Zionist revolution attempted to effect.10 These include Haredim, National Religious, and Masorati elements (such as Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev).11 | <urn:uuid:8eff6b89-a94d-402c-8b58-b6d3d15f4392> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://jppi.org.il/en/article/aa2016/part2/identity/religious-zionism-in-israel/english-religious-zionists-in-the-likud/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.97254 | 571 | 1.695313 | 2 |
VIENNA, Jan. 9, 2020 – PhagoMed Biopharma GmbH, (PhagoMed) a pre-clinical biotechnology company targeting bacterial pathogens in antibiotic resistance and microbiome settings, announced today that its chief executive officer, Alexander Belcredi, will present at the Biotech Showcase 2020 conference being held January 13-15, 2020 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco, California.
Precisely targeting bacterial pathogens is the next big medical frontier. Today’s standard-of-care, small-molecule antibiotics, frequently fails due to resistance and is furthermore wholly inadequate in microbiome settings where broad-spectrum antibiotics not only destroy the pathogen but also destabilize the microbiome itself.
PhagoMed develops phage-based drug candidates to provide a solution in these settings where antibiotics fail. Phages are natural viruses that infect and kill bacteria. Phages and their proteins (such as lysins) are also highly precise and only target individual bacterial species. PhagoMed has developed a proprietary engineering platform to develop drug-grade phages and lysins. During 2019 the team validated the platform and generated two proprietary drug prototypes in two indications of high medical need: a phage cocktail to treat implant-associated infections and a recombinant endolysin to treat Bacterial Vaginosis and re-stabilize the vaginal microbiome. | <urn:uuid:7647eab0-ff33-436d-a186-937c961a48dd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://phagomed.reportablenews.com/pr/phagomed-biopharma-gmbh-phagomed-a-pre-clinical-biotechnology-company-targeting-bacterial-pathogens-announced-today-that-its-chief-executive-officer-alexander-belcredi-will-present-at-the-biotech-showcase-2020-conference | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.917273 | 288 | 1.617188 | 2 |
An article by Bella Robinson
Smart homes have the potential to make our lives easier, better, and more efficient. Tech giants are already manufacturing new smart gadgets that will collaboratively bring the smart future to life. Voice-activated smoke detectors and thermostats, controlled smart lights, as well as smartwatches and smartphones are already on the market. Indeed, it is now clear that smart homes weren’t a pipe dream like many people previously thought.
But because the smart home technology is new to most people, configuring one can be a daunting challenge. The technology incorporates a wide range of phone apps, premium subscriptions, and tons of security sign-ups and scans. All these requirements can easily put you off. But they shouldn’t. If your dream is to fill your home with smart devices and eventually automating it fully, we are here to help you actualize that dream. Read on to discover the first 3 steps to getting your smart home up and running.
Prepping Your Home’s Internet Connectivity
Your journey to a smart home starts with a fast internet connection. Ensure that your Wi-Fi router is the newest model and is best positioned for optimal Wi-Fi strength. Don’t incorporate any new smart devices in the home with a weak, outdated Wi-Fi connection. The router needs to have radios that are compatible with Thread, Z-Wave, 6LowPAN, and Bluetooth Low Energy, among other modern communication technologies.
With your Wi-Fi upgraded to the modern communication protocols, you are guaranteed that your router will not become obsolete in a few years and neither will the smart devices put your home at a serious security risk. The positioning of the router is also of paramount importance. Ensure that it is in centrally positioned so that smart devices and appliances within the home can connect with it easily and strongly. The disadvantage of positioning your router in one corner or in the artic is that it will be submitting weak signals to your smart devices and in extreme cases, it will not connect to some of the devices.
When shopping for a router, ensure that it matches your home’s interior décor so that you don’t have to hide it in the basement. If your kitchen is the most central place in the home, you should start thinking of kitchen remodeling so that you can add a shelf or a counter on which the router will be sitting.
Readying Your Home for Smart Home Tech
Now that your home’s internet connection is beyond reproach, it is time to acquire a smart home assistant. This is a hub through which all your smart devices and appliances will connect to the Wi-Fi network, send and share data through the internet, and back to your monitoring device (e.g. a smartphone). Good examples of smart home assistants are the Amazon’s Echo, Apple’s Home Pod, and Google’s Home Assistant. Note that you should buy the hub before picking up any smart home tech so that you can be sure that they are all compatible.
The next step will be to design every room in the home and ensure that the products in the room will work well in the smart home setup. Make a list of all devices and appliances by room, their capabilities, expected efficiency, and accessibility, as well as the accessories needed to make each device work seamlessly. Note that if a device isn’t remotely accessible, no matter how advanced it is, it will be of no use in the smart home.
Acquiring Smart Home Tech
Your home is now ready for smart technology. Some of the most in-demand devices include the following:
· Smart speakers
The Google Assistant-powered Google Mini or Amazon Alexa-powered Echo Dot are some of the most popular smart speakers worth checking out.
· Smart thermostats
A smart thermostat helps you control your home’s temperature remotely. It definitely should be among your first smart acquisitions.
· Smart doorbells
Install smart cameras and link them to voice assistants and smartphone apps so that you can easily monitor activities at your front door.
· Smart lights
Install Wi-Fi bulbs and switches in the home, and then connect it to the internet or Bluetooth. That will enable you to control your lighting systems from your smartphone.
Smart technology is here to stay, and we should prep our homes in readiness for the foolproof home security and efficiency potential it is promising. The good thing is that you can enjoy the full benefits of smart home technology regardless of your tech expertise, or lack of it. | <urn:uuid:aaa3fcbc-da81-4a35-8554-9270e1257695> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://drooms.com/how-to-prepare-your-home-to-be-a-smart-home/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.928456 | 935 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Note: I am reluctantly writing this blog. After I initially saw this video, I felt it wasn’t even worth commenting on. However, it appears that in just a few hours this video has gone viral and affected not just the body of believers, but the Jewish world as well. As a Messianic Jew, I feel compelled to make it clear both to the Church world and the Jewish community that this man is not a part of mainstream Messianic Judaism.
Just days after I wrote an article about unity, saying that the only time we should publicly call out ministers is in cases of moral failure, false teaching and apostasy, I find myself needing to do just that.
When I saw the YouTube video of self-proclaimed Messianic Rabbi Ralph Messer declaring the soon-to-be divorced and accused pedophile Eddie Long (Long settled out of court for a reported $15,000,000), to be a king, I felt sick to my stomach. I sat there stunned, as this man desecrated a Torah scroll, one that survived the Holocaust no less (if he is to be believed) and committed one of the most offensive acts toward Jews by a so-called believer that I have seen in my lifetime.
In the video (click here to watch) Messer spews out a number of, what I believe to be, myths that the unsuspecting crowd has no reason to doubt.
- The covering or mantle of the Torah is called the Foreskin—FALSE: Not only is this disgusting, it is not true. No Jewish organization refers to the Torah covering in this way.
- A brand new scroll starts at $60,000—FALSE: A Torah can be purchased at $20,000. $60,000 would be the most, not the least someone would pay.
- Thirty-nine lambskins are used to make a Torah—FALSE: As many as 80 skins are used, depending on the need. And more often than not, they use cows, not lambs—more real estate on a cow.
- Thirty-nine seams (a seam is one piece of skin in which 3 or 4 columns of text appear) are in a Torah (seeking to make a connection to Yeshua’s flogging)—FALSE: Between 62 and 84 seams are needed.
- Jews touch the Torah with their finger—FALSE: Because of the oils on the fingers and the sanctity of the Torah, a special pointing device called a Yad (Hebrew for hand, not finger) is used to read the Torah.
- 90 percent of Jews in the world have never seen, come close to or touched a [Torah] scroll—RIDICULOUSLY FALSE: Every girl or boy who has a Bar or Bat mitzvah reads directly from a Torah scroll, not to mention that a Torah is marched throughout a synagogue every week for every person to touch (the outer covering, not the parchment).
- Only one of great authority can read from the Torah—FALSE: Again, tens of thousands of Jewish boys and girls read from the Torah every year during their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and they do not possess great authority. In addition, anyone from the congregation may be invited to read from the Torah throughout the year.
- It takes three and half years to write a Torah scroll (seeking to make a connection between Yeshua’s three and a half years of ministry)—FALSE: It actually takes about one year or 2,000 hours. Someone working just over 6 hours a day would finish the scroll in year or so.
- Torahs are only given to cities that need to be released into a new anointing—UNBELIEVABLY FALSE: Almost every synagogue and Messianic synagogue in every city has a Torah scroll. There is no scriptural precedent for this—zero. Then Messer, based on his Israeli citizenship (assuming he really has it) and his Jewishness (assuming he is really Jewish), gives the Torah on behalf of the Jewish people to Eddie Long, most of who would cringe at his utter disregard for the Torah scroll. In order to give something to someone on behalf of others, you must be sent out as a representative. An ambassador might give something on behalf of his nation. But someone who not only does not represent the Jewish people, but doesn’t represent the Messianic community, has zero apostolic authority to make such a pronouncement—at least in my understanding of authority. Rabbi David Shiff, a legitimate Messianic leader in Atlanta, said, “Ralph Messer in no way represents Messianic Judaism. He is not affiliated with any legitimate branch of Messianic Judaism. His actions in no way reflect the position of Messianic Judaism. I found the presentation to be repulsive and inappropriate.”
- Messer claims that the kings of Israel were physically wrapped in the Torah—FALSE: There is no text in the Hebrew Scriptures that speak to this.
The idea that New Testament leaders are exalted as kings goes against the biblical portrayal of New Testament leaders as servants. Yeshua, who is a king, bent down to wash the feet of his disciples. He who wants to be great must became the very least.
He claims that after the king goes through the ceremony he cannot be attacked and he is hidden in the Word of God. Any believer can take hold of God’s Word, not just kings who go through special made-up ceremonies.
Next a woman brings a Tallit (prayer shawl), allowing it to drag on the floor. In Judaism not only would one go to great lengths to keep a Tallit from touching the floor, it is only worn by Jewish men who have been Bar Mitzvahed. Placing one on a non-Jew, and then declaring him a Jewish priest (Kohen) and a king, will only serve to offend the Jewish people and make us look like fools.
Messer then declares that Long is a king. If I put all my reservations aside about anyone being called a King (apart from the idea that we are all kings and priests) and just focus on the fact that Eddie Long just settled out of court four lawsuits from young men who said he coerced them into having underage sex with him. I would conclude that there is probably a more qualified candidate for the position. I am sure there are many fine leaders in Atlanta whose marriages are intact and have not been accused of sexual crimes. Why Long? I would think that someone whose wife has just left him would be seeking counseling, not coronation.
This was not the first time Ralph Messer showed up to support an embattled bishop. When a megachurch pastor and his wife decided to get divorced in 2007, Messer was there to affirm the pastor. In a situation where most pastors would be inclined to at least take a break from ministry, as having your home in order is a qualification for eldership, Messer encouraged this pastor ‘prophetically’ (who resigned not long afterwards due to health concerns) to keep going.
On the day that this leader announced that he and his wife were splitting, Messer took a Tallit and placed it over the soon-to-be-divorced pastor and said, “I declare today that my bishop has entered into a new season, a new season, a new season.” While technically I guess that was true—he was entering a new season—Messer meant it as an affirmation of his ministry.
I don’t know Ralph Messer and it is not my place to judge the motives of his heart, but I do find it troubling that he is doing these acts while claiming to be a Messianic rabbi. His actions reflect poorly on the Messianic community who is seeking to be a positive witness to the fact that you can be Jewish and believe in Yeshua.
While it is not my place to declare him a false prophet or a false teacher, I feel confident saying that which I witnessed in the YouTube video was false teaching and false prophecy, at least in my opinion.
Messianic Jews have spent the last half-century contending for the Messianic faith and in one day, a YouTube video that has gone viral, is seeking to discredit us. Let’s pray that somehow God will turn this for good and that Messianic Jews will have an opportunity to share the true Messianic faith.
Without a doubt someone will read this and say, “Ron, God is merciful. He can forgive Eddie Long.” Friends, I agree. However this is not an issue of mercy or forgiveness, but holding up biblical standards for leadership. Leadership is a privilege, not a right. Long receiving forgiveness is one thing. Being declared a king in front of millions of people is another.
Too often, fallen leaders are indignant at being disqualified. Of course they can be restored to God, but it takes time before they will be ready to lead again and more importantly, before the people of God will be ready to trust them again.
And speaking of mercy, my heart immediately goes to the alleged victims of Bishop Long. I cannot imagine how they felt seeing the man who (allegedly) coerced them into homosexual relations, being honored as a king.
As far as Messer is concerned, anyone who has a habit of showing on the doorstep of disgraced ministers with huge platforms, worries me. However this time it appears his folly may have caught up with him. Despite the overwhelming support he received during the service from the crowd who assumed that he was speaking truth, his actions have been condemned by the Messianic community and many in the African-American community.
As I said, I reluctantly wrote this because I don’t think that one should publicly rebuke someone lightly. However I am at peace with my words; this needed to be confronted. I am sure that many others, smarter and more eloquent than myself, will feel the need to do the same.
Ron Cantor heads the Isaiah 2 Initiative, an Israeli-based vision to see the good news go forth from Zion. In 2009 and 2010 I2I took Israelis to Ukraine and Africa where the gospel went forth to tens of thousands of people with signs and wonders.
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Get Charisma's best content delivered right to your inbox! Never miss a big news story again. Click here to subscribe to the Charisma News newsletter. | <urn:uuid:33913a0f-3a70-4c81-aa9b-230044201686> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.charismanews.com/us/32802-rabbi-messer-crowns-eddie-long-king-a-messianic-response?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.9735 | 2,172 | 1.625 | 2 |
WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA’s Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program has awarded $15 million to U.S. small businesses and research institutions to continue developing technologies in areas ranging from aeronautics to science and space exploration.
WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — A test tube drifting in midair and a computer tablet slowly turning are fun moments for the scientists who experience brief periods of weightlessness during parabolic flights. However, the science that’s taking place is no joke. NASA’s Flight Opportunities program makes it possible for U.S. researchers to take experiments out of their laboratories and into zero gravity for some for serious research with a bit of levity.
A new batch of science is headed to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Dragon on the company’s 15th mission for commercial resupply services. The spacecraft will deliver science that studies the use of artificial intelligence, plant water use all over the planet, gut health in space, more efficient drug development and the formation of inorganic structures without the influence of Earth’s gravity.
Further Development of Aperture: A Precise Extremely Large Reflective Telescope Using Re-configurable Elements NASA Innovative Advance Concepts Phase II Award
Melville Ulmer Northwestern University
One of the pressing needs for space ultraviolet-visible astronomy is a design to allow larger mirrors than the James Webb Space Telescope primary. The diameter of the rocket fairing limits the mirror diameter such that all future missions calling for mirrors up to 16 m in diameter or larger will require a mirror that is deployed post-launch. | <urn:uuid:d7ae645a-af1e-488c-a6e4-f3812738d1ee> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.parabolicarc.com/tag/northwestern-university/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.886964 | 326 | 2.28125 | 2 |
The 2011 Lake Steward Program on Lake George, managed by the Lake George Association, will significantly expand over last year’s level thanks to new funding provided by the Lake George Park Commission (LGPC).
Lake stewards, posted at several Lake George boat launches throughout the summer, inspect incoming boats for invasive species, remove suspicious specimens, and educate boaters about the threats of invasive species and how to prevent their spread. The Commission’s marine patrol is contacted whenever stewards encounter a boat being launched that has obvious signs of invasive species and is unwilling to be inspected.
The additional funding provided this year will provide coverage for peak periods and for the launches that receive the highest traffic. In 2010, Lake stewards were posted at four launches around Lake George: Norowal Marina, Mossy Point, Hague Town Beach and Rogers Rock. In 2011, two additional launches will be added. Days and hours of coverage will also increase; the goal is to provide seven-day-a-week coverage during the busiest times of the season. Twelve-hour-a-day coverage is the goal for Mossy Point and Norowal, while other sites will receive eight hours per day. Mossy Point and Norowal were chosen for increased coverage due to the high volume of their traffic.
In addition to inspection, lake stewards will collect data about lake users and invasive species spread: the species found, number of boats launched, the type of boat, number of people in the boat, the last body of water the boat was in, and the presence of a LGPC decal. This information sheds light on the pathways of invasive species, and helps to identify target areas for early detection and control. A report for the public is prepared at the end of the season.
The program is closely coordinated with similar programs. Lake George, Lake Champlain, and the Adirondack Watershed Institute collaborate on training, printed materials, and data collection as members of a regional partnership, the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP).
While Lake Stewards primarily cover boat launch sites, they also assist at special events such as the Adirondack Park Invasive Species Awareness Week, and inventory terrestrial invasive species on state-owned islands.
In 2010, Lake Stewards inspected a total of 2,538 boats, and educated boaters about the threats of Eurasian watermilfoil, zebra mussels, curly-leaf pondweed, and the Lake’s most recent invader, the Asian clam. Thirty-six samples of Eurasian watermilfoil were removed during the season. Nine samples of curly-leaf pondweed were found, three samples of zebra mussels, and five of water chestnut, an invasive that is not currently found in Lake George.
The estimated program costs for 2011 are $67,000. $25,000 will be funded through the Lake Champlain Basin program, $35,000 will be provided by the Lake George Park Commission, and the LGA will provide the remaining funds from its Helen V. Froehlich Foundation grant awards.
Photo: 2010 Lake George Lake Steward Lee Peters talks with a boater. Courtesy LGA. | <urn:uuid:a6add797-84c1-4743-b249-9816f6aab966> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2011/05/lake-george-lake-steward-program-expanding.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.952824 | 650 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Calling the Ancestors, drawing by Cyndi Strid, was awarded 1st Place People’s Choice Award by the White Salmon Library Community Reads Project, Koobdooga, in March 2015. It is a 24″ x 36″ beautiful charcoal and pastel native american art inspired drawing. Our community read and discussed the book, Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis, written by Timothy Egan. This book inspired Cyndi Strid to merge the world views of our Indigenous People’s into our contemporary lives. Our indigenous tribal people believed their ancestors were always available to them and could be called upon for advice, guidance and wisdom. Given the state of our environment and social affairs, we may find indigenous values in our contemporary lives to be helpful.
Giclee prints are available | <urn:uuid:4772c8ae-0afa-4a17-b21c-2fa4f55cf2fd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cyndistrid.com/native-american-art-cyndi-strid/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.943011 | 175 | 1.8125 | 2 |
video directive embeds video in multiple formats on a page.
The general format of the
video directive is:
.. ``video``:: unique_id :options: + --- Content area --- | | one or more references to video files or URL's | + --------------------
For an alternative to embed directly to youtube, use the YouTube and Vimeo directive.
- unique id
A unique identifier after a space and the
videodirective. Valid identifiers must not contain spaces. You should also avoid the characters `` `
- content area
videodirective must contain at least one line of content.
The content can be either a file reference to a video, or a url to a video resource, one line per video.
You can specify as many video sources as you need. One in
.movformat and another in
.webmformat is generally enough to cover most browsers. The first format that works is the one that is played.
Boolean. If present, include the usual set of video controls:
Play, Pause, Rewind, and Fast Forward.
If not present, the video will automatically play when the page is loaded.
Boolean. If present, the video will loop continuously. Default is
Boolean. If present, load the video in the background when the page loads. Default is
false. The video will begin to download when ‘play’ is pressed.
String. Define a thumbnail for the video.
The string parameter defines the path to the image that should serve as the thumbnail:
Relative paths are relative to the current file location.
:thumb:is used, then the thumbnail image is displayed until the reader clicks on the thumbnail. Clicking on the thumbnail will cause the full video to appear at full size on the page.
:thumb:directive is not present, then the video will appear on the page in its full size.
Sphinx configuration options¶
No directive specific configuration options exist.
.. video:: video-ex1 :controls: :thumb: /_images/whileloop.png http://media.interactivepython.org/thinkcsVideos/whileloop.mov http://media.interactivepython.org/thinkcsVideos/whileloop.webm
Logs and Grading¶
Video directives are not tied to the grading interface. Interactions are logged in the database: each time a video is played, it is logged.
If you have logged-in users, you can have a log of who has played it.
If login is not required, a log of how many times it has been played is retained. | <urn:uuid:e87ff7a4-69d8-4676-a53a-3a57867d6bf8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://runestone.academy/ns/books/published/authorguide/directives/video.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.778133 | 653 | 2.1875 | 2 |
I have always been passionate about the value of education. Trained as a primary school teacher, I see the value in good foundations, creative thought and expression, sharing stories, and a love of learning. The thing about education, in its widest sense, is that you can never take it away from someone.
Of course, buildings are vital too, especially in some circumstances. The Afar sixth form block will open up new opportunities for the next generation of Afar students to access further education. But for those who are always on the move (often a symptom of poverty) what you have learned and the desire to find out more, travels with you for your whole life.
What a joy to hear from Mike who, having been given the chance of a free scholarship at St Paul’s Primary School, has now enrolled at university and has a life of opportunity ahead of him.
Then there is the story of Bob Trubish, and many more from Komamboga, who have forged out good careers and now have their own families and children.
This is why CPA gives education a special place and focus. The Afar girls in particular need our support to help them continue their studies. This hopefully will empower them to challenge the old ways and model a new way forward that brings with it opportunity, dignity and gives girls a voice.
Maybe this chance of a further education could be key in breaking the cycle of poverty and reduce the risk of vulnerable exploitation. | <urn:uuid:1e5e5a54-c95f-4549-8ad0-22f36f4a5478> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.cpafrica.org.uk/cpa-news/the-value-of-education/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.968947 | 298 | 1.570313 | 2 |
- Original article
- Open Access
Having a bad attitude? The relationship between attitudes and sickness absence
IZA Journal of Labor Policy volume 6, Article number: 11 (2017)
Is sickness absence related to attitudes? Several studies point to attitudes as an important factor for sickness absence. We study the relation between sickness absence and attitudes towards possible reasons for sick leave, towards cheating and towards work, by linking a survey among Norwegian healthcare workers, aimed at identifying attitudes, to detailed data on sickness absence from the employers. We find that there is an association between sickness absence and certain attitudes but mainly for self-certified sick leave. Employees with more lenient attitudes towards sick leave have more self-certified sick leave, but not more GP-certified sick leave. Furthermore, we find no evidence of attitudes being able to explain the persistently observed differences is absenteeism between different demographic groups.
Paid sick leave and sickness benefits are central parts of the social security systems of the European welfare states. The first preliminary outline of a European pillar of social rights states that, “All workers, regardless of contract type, shall be ensured adequately paid sick leave during periods of illness” (European Commission 2016a, 13). Sick pay and sickness benefits are important as protection of an employee’s income during periods of illness or injury. Without this financial insurance, employees that cannot afford the loss of income might be forced to work while sick. This can further deteriorate the employee’s health and might also have other unfortunate consequences, such as the spreading of disease and lower firm productivity (Scheil-Adlung and Sandner 2010; Hemp 2004; Hansen and Andersen 2008).
The entitlement to sick leave, sick pay and sickness benefits, and the duration and replacement level of the compensations, vary considerably between the welfare states. Nevertheless, all the EU member countries provide rights to sick leave and to sickness benefits and most of them also to paid sick leave. Sick leave is the right to be absent from work, while paid sick leave is the payment of (part of) the employee’s salary by the employer during sickness. Sickness benefits are covered by the social protection system (Spasova et al. 2016).
The OECD countries spend on average around 0.8% of GDP on sickness benefits alone (OECD 2010, 58). In Norway, where the sickness benefit scheme is particularly generous, around 1.6–1.7% of GDP is allocated to sickness benefits annually (Bjørnstad 2013, 22). How these spendings can be reduced, or whether these spendings can be utilised in a better way, is currently being debated, both in Norway and in other developed countries (OECD 2010).
While the necessity for short-term sick leave is often based on the employee’s own assessment, long-term sick leave is usually certified by a general practitioner. But whether an employee actually seeks medical help is usually dependent on the employee’s own initiative. This means that the employee’s sick leave might be influenced by own health assessment and the employee’s opinion of when sick leave is needed. Additionally, this implies that the sickness benefit schemes depend on trust in the employees and their assessments.
Several studies have pointed to attitudes as an important factor for sickness absence. For instance, Dale-Olsen and Markussen (2010), who have studied trends in absenteeism over time for specific diagnoses, find that the number of sickness absence spells due to specific diagnoses has not changed much over time, but that the duration of each spell has increased by 20% in the period under study (1972–2008). The authors point to changing demands from employers and changing attitudes to explain why it would take longer to heal a broken leg in 2008 compared to in 1972.
Henrekson and Persson (2004) find that increases in the generosity of sickness insurance benefits tend to be associated with more permanent sick leave. Also, Askildsen et al. (2005) show that the often seen negative correlation between sickness absence and unemployment rates are mainly caused by established workers changing their behaviour, rather than by the composition of the labour force. The fact that employees seem to exercise some flexibility in their absence behaviour opens up the possibility that attitudes might be a part of the explanation for variation in sickness absence.
Although several studies have pointed to attitudes as an important factor for sickness absence, few studies address this relationship directly (Allebeck and Mastekaasa 2004). Holmås and et al (2008) study attitudes towards sickness absence in the Nordic countries, but do not study the relation between attitudes and absence behaviour. Hansen and Andersen (2008) analyse the relationship between attitudes and sickness presence (going to work while sick). Their measure of sickness presence, as well as sickness absence, is, however, based on self-reported data. A weakness with using self-reported data on absence is the possibility of misreporting, unconsciously or consciously, due to either not recalling correctly or a desire to present oneself in a positive way.
Furthermore, most studies on sickness absence within economics rely on data concerning general practitioner (GP)-certified or long-term sickness absence, as Nationwide registers often are available for GP-certified or long-term sickness absence (where the employee is eligible for sickness benefits). Register data is an objective and reliable data source, but does not include self-certified sickness absence nor information about attitudes. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to use actual sickness absence data as opposed to self-reported data, for both self-certified and GP-certified sickness absence, and to match this with data on individual attitudes. Our study therefore contributes to the literature on sickness absence by studying the relationship between attitudes and sickness absence empirically and by using objective, employer-registered data on both self-certified and GP-certified sickness absence. Our study includes attitudes towards possible reasons for sick leave, towards cheating and towards work.
Understanding the mechanisms behind sickness absence is important for several reasons. First of all, a possible relationship between attitudes and sickness absence is interesting in its own right. Secondly, the sickness insurance system takes for granted that self-certified sick leave is claimed by, and sick leave certified by a GP is provided to, people with reduced work capacity and that this measure of work capacity can be determined fairly objectively. However, if it turns out that individual attitudes towards sick leave are related to actual sickness absence behaviour, this might indicate that the term “reduced work capacity” is perceived differently and that it is, to some extent, a subjective perception that determines whether an individual is entitled to sickness insurance.
Furthermore, it is important to utilise the welfare state’s resources effectively, as sickness benefits constitute a significant share of developed countries’ spendings. An important precondition for reducing sickness absence, and thereby its costs, is to understand the underlying mechanisms.
In this study, we analyse whether and to what extent sickness absence is related to attitudes. To investigate this matter, we have collected data from two different sources. A survey, aimed at identifying relevant attitudes, has been conducted among employees within public healthcare in the city of Oslo, Norway. Additionally, detailed data on sickness absence for the respondents was assembled from the employers. By linking these two data sources, we obtain information on the actual absence behaviour, together with subjective assessments.
The public healthcare sector, which is the largest sector within the public sector in Norway, comprises around half of all full-time equivalents in the public sector (Gran-Henriksen 2014). Furthermore, the public healthcare sector has a particularly high rate of sickness absence compared to other sectors in Norway. The average sick leave rate for all sectors in Norway in 2014 was 6.4%, while the average sick leave rate within public healthcare was 9.1% in 2014 (SSB 2015), making this an interesting sector to study. The sections of home care, assisted living and mental healthcare were chosen because these sections have good digital registers on personnel data, including all sickness absence of their employees.
The main finding of the paper is that there is an association between attitudes and sickness absences but mainly for self-certified sick leave. The only attitude variable associated with GP-certified sick leave is low work satisfaction, which is associated with higher GP-certified sick leave.
The level of sickness absence varies between different demographic groups (Allebeck and Mastekaasa 2004;Markussen et al. 2011). Perhaps most studied is the large difference in sickness absence observed between men and women. Additionally, other demographic characteristics, such as age, the level of education, the sector of work and the average number of working hours, have been found to be associated with specific attitudes towards sickness absence (Holmås and et al 2008). The data in this paper enables us to study whether attitudes can explain some of the observed variation in sickness absence between demographic groups, focusing on gaps in absenteeism between men and women, between younger and older employees, between those with lower and higher education and between immigrants and those born in the country of residence. In general, we do not find that attitudes are able to explain the observed differences in sickness absence between demographic groups. There is, however, some indication that attitudes can explain parts of the difference in self-certified sickness absence between employees with high and low education.
The paper is organised as follows: Section 2 provides details about the observed variations in sickness absence between demographic groups and the Norwegian sickness insurance system. Section 3 describes our questionnaire about attitudes towards sickness absence, the data and our empirical strategy. In Section 4, we present the results, and Section 5 concludes the study.
Variations in sickness absence between demographic groups
Generally, women claim more sickness absence than men (Thorsen et al. 2015), and various explanations have been suggested and explored in the research literature. One factor that is found to be important is pregnancies. Myklebø (2007) find that as much as 60% of the gender gap in sickness absence is related to pregnancies. However, pregnancies do not seem to explain the entire gender gap.
Additional explanations for the gender gap in sickness absence which often are suggested are that women hold less healthy occupations and the double burden hypothesis, that employed women do a larger share of home- and childcare tasks than employed men. The results of studies investigating these mechanisms, however, are not conclusive. Mastekaasa and Dale-Olsen (2000), studying a representative population of Norwegian employees, find that the gender gap in sickness absence is not due to women being in less healthy jobs. A study of employees of the City of Helsinki, on the other hand, find that “Differences between occupations held by women and men explain a substantial part of the female excess in sickness absence” (Laaksonen and et al 2010, 394). Inconsistent results are also the case for studies of the double burden hypothesis. Bratberg et al. (2002) find support for the hypothesis, but Markussen and Strøm (2013) do not. Men and women have also been found to have different coping strategies, where women who experience being bullied at work have higher sickness absence, while men who experience the same are more likely to leave the labour force (Eriksen et al. 2016).
Despite considerable research on why women claim more sickness absence than men, our knowledge about the mechanisms behind the gender gap is still inadequate (NOU 2010:13 2010).
As is the case for gender, age is generally found to be a strong predictor of sickness absence behaviour (Allebeck and Mastekaasa 2004;Markussen et al. 2011). However, even though sickness absence generally increases with age, younger workers tend to be absent more frequently than older workers, who are associated with fewer, but longer, absence spells (Thomson et al. 2000;Alavinia et al. 2009). In line with this, Markussen et al. (2011) find that, up to the age of 45, the probability of entering into a sickness absence spell declines sharply with age. They further argue that there might be two explanations for this relationship: either younger employees have a lower threshold for claiming sick than older employees or there are different norms regulating younger and older employees’ absence.
Socioeconomic status is also an important determinant of sickness absence, with a negative association between the two (Allebeck and Mastekaasa 2004;Markussen et al. 2011;Piha and et al 2010). A part of this relationship is explained by unhealthy behaviour by those with lower socioeconomic status, such as smoking and inactivity (Allebeck and Mastekaasa 2004;Christensen et al. 2008;Thorsen et al. 2015). Markussen et al. (2011) find that educational attainment reduces the entry into sick leave but that it is the level of education, and not its type, that is relevant.
Holmås and et al (2008) analyse attitudes towards sickness absence in the Nordic countries. They find that women seem to be more restrictive than men in what they consider to be acceptable reasons for calling in sick. The same finding applies to older compared to younger employees: older employees seem to be more restrictive towards sickness absence than younger employees. When comparing employees with high education to those with lower education, Holmås and et al (2008) get ambiguous results, with higher educated employees being more restrictive towards some causes of sickness absence but less restrictive towards other causes.
There is a rising concern that increased immigration will cause a deterioration of extensive welfare programmes, because more heterogeneity in the population might weaken norms and support for such programmes (Bay et al. 2007). We study whether relevant attitudes can explain some of the observed variation in sickness absence between different demographic groups, focusing on gaps in absenteeism between men and women, between younger and older employees, between those with lower and higher education and between immigrants and those born in the country of residence.
The Norwegian sickness insurance system
Norway has a universal sickness insurance system including all employees, where the wage is normally 100% compensated from the first day of sickness and up to a year. The first 16 days of an absence spell is covered by the employer. After that, the expenses are paid by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Service (NAV).
All employees are entitled to self-certified sick leave, meaning that the employee can notify the employer that he or she is unable to work due to illness or injury without having to present a medical certificate. Such self-certified sick leave can generally be used for up to three calendar days at a time. However, medical certification is not required until the ninth day for employees in firms participating in The Inclusive Workplace Agreement (IWA), known as the “IA agreement” in Norway, between employers, employees and the state. The population in this study is part of this agreement.
The employee must have been employed for at least two months to be entitled to self-certified sick leave. Self-certified sick leave can be used four times in the course of a 12-month period.
After the eighth calendar day of a sick leave spell, the employee must present a medical certificate from a general practitioner (GP). The GP evaluates the work capacity of the patient and issues the certificate if he or she finds sick leave necessary. If the employee is able to perform some work, graded (partial) sick leave is prescribed.
Materials and methods
The data in this study were obtained from a paper-based questionnaire and linked to personnel data provided by the city of Oslo for the same sample. The survey was conducted in September and October 2014.
The questionnaire, a 12-page booklet, contained a cover page with the title, one page informing about the study and a statement of content, one page about how to fill out the questionnaire and ten pages consisting of 65 questions. The questionnaire was constructed to measure attitudes and norms related to sickness absence. The complete questionnaire can be found in the Additional file 1.
Personnel data was provided by the city of Oslo and contains information about the employee’s contracts, position, department affiliation and shift plan. Furthermore, there is detailed information about the employee’s sick leave: the start and end of each absence spell, type of absence, grading of sick leave and which department the employee was absent from. The data covers the period from 1 January 2013 to 1 October 2014. Descriptive statistics for all the variables used in the analysis is presented in Table 1.
All employees within home care, assisted living and mental healthcare from two districts, District A and District B, within the city of Oslo were invited to a meeting within working hours. At these meetings, a representative from the research team informed the participants about the study. The employees were given the opportunity of answering the questionnaire during the meeting. Employees who were not on duty at the time of the meeting received a copy of the questionnaire and an envelope with pre-paid postage. Participants were told that the study was about sickness absence. The study was reported to the Data Protection Officer. Participants were informed about, and consented to, the city of Oslo providing information about them which would be matched with their answers to the questionnaire. It was emphasised that all information would be treated confidentially and that no individual answers would be given to the employer. Participants generally completed the questionnaire within 20 min.
Sample and representativeness
In total 284 public healthcare employees answered the questionnaire. Participants who handed in questionnaires lacking, or with errors in, the respondent’s employee ID number were excluded from the study as they couldn’t be matched with the employee register. On-call employees without a fixed number of working days were also excluded from the sample. This left us with a total sample of 226 employees and a response rate of 50.4%. The final sample consists of 32% men and 68% women between 21 and 67 years of age, where the average age is 43 years. About 5% of the participants have primary education only, while 52% have education at the university level. The sample is ethnically diverse with around 27% with immigrant status. Almost 90% of the employees in our sample were employed throughout the whole period.
In order to be able to say something about the representativeness of our sample, the sample should be compared to the total population. District A provided us with necessary statistics for all employees within their district for 2014. If we concentrate on the subsample recruited from District A, our sample consists of 48.7% of the total number of employees in this district and 51% of the full-time equivalents. If this subsample was perfectly representative in terms of sick leave, we should expect to have around 51% of the employees’ sick leave days in our sample. The actual number of self-certified sick leave days in this subsample is 52%, which is just above the expected share. However, the share of GP-certified sick leave days is somewhat low (40%). The reason might be that the employees having a sick leave spell during the period in which the survey was conducted, were harder to reach. Nevertheless, the questionnaires were sent home to those on longer sick leave spells, giving them a chance to participate.
The questionnaire included 45 questions attempting to measure attitudes, norms and preferences of potential importance to sickness absence. The entire questionnaire is provided in the Additional file 1.
The attitudes towards different justifications for being absent from work were measured with questions such as “What is your opinion regarding calling in sick (self-certified sickness absence) if one has not slept enough during the previous nights?” Answers were given on a 5-point scale where 1 represented “Wrong” and 5 represented “OK”. Answers with higher values thus represent more lenient attitudes towards sickness absence. The questions about attitudes towards different justification for being absent from work (question 1–7 in Table 2) were inspired by similar questions in Holmås and et al (2008) and Hansen and Andersen (2008).
The questionnaire included claims regarding more general attitudes towards work and work life, attitudes towards cheating or free-riding, attitudes towards gender equality and gender roles and attitudes towards social welfare benefits. The questions about work (questions 26–29) were inspired by the Norwegian Value Study (Holth 2010), and question 27 was also inspired by Hansen and Andersen (2008). The questions about cheating (questions 33–36) as well as gender roles (questions 30–32) were inspired by questions in the Norwegian Value Study (Holth 2010). The questions about social welfare benefits (questions 37–40) were our own.
Furthermore, the questionnaire included questions related to the social norms regarding sickness absence in the workplace (questions 8–14), measured by the respondents’ beliefs concerning what attitudes most of their colleagues hold towards different justifications for being absent from work. These questions were our own.
Our questionnaire further included questions about stress and motivation. The questions about stress were inspired by the Norwegian Time Use Study (Rønning 2002) and Thomas and Ganster (1995) (questions 15 and 16), and Hansen and Andersen (2008) (questions 17 and 18). The questions about motivation included questions about intrinsic motivation (questions 19–21), taken from the Norwegian formulation used by Kuvaas and Dysvik (2009), and extrinsic motivation (question 22) used by Kuvaas and Dysvik (2011). In addition, there were questions about being content with one’s work and managers (question 23), and whether the respondents enjoyed being around their colleagues (question 24), both inspired by Hansen and Andersen (2008).
Finally, the questionnaire included questions related to the employees’ preferences and personality, as these aspects might be related to the propensity to report in sick. The three questions about risk preferences (questions 41–44) were inspired by the DOSPERT scale (Blais 2006), while the questions about competitive appetite (question 44) and anxiety (question 45) were our own. Table 1 presents the descriptive statistics for all variables.
Our measures of sickness absence, self-certified sick leave and GP-certified sick leave are the rates of sick leave in percent of contracted working days. The rates are found by dividing an employee’s number of sick leave days in the period from 1 January 2013 to 1 October 2014, adjusted for possible grading of sick leave, by the total number of contracted working days for the employee in the same time period.
From the questionnaire, we use 45 questions related to attitudes, norms and preferences. The answers to each of these questions have been standardised, so that the mean of each question is zero and the standard deviation is one. In order to reduce the number of variables in the regression analysis, we have, based on our own judgement, created attitude variables constructed of the sum of several question values. This results in ten attitude variables, which we have called Lenient attitudes towards sick leave, Lenient norms towards sick leave, Being stressed, Low motivation, Low work satisfaction, Low work ethic, Gender equal attitudes, Lenient towards cheating, Negative towards welfare state and Risk-averse preferences. Table 2 illustrates how the attitude variables have been constructed and which questions the variables are comprised of.
To make sure that the way we construct the attitude variables does not affect our results, a robustness test is presented in the Appendix where a factor analysis is used to group questions into variables. In this alternative procedure, we use an exploratory factor analysis to simplify the data set based on the correlations between the variables. The factor analysis results in five factors: Lenient sickness attitudes, Low intrinsic motivation, Lenient towards cheating, Being stressed and High homeload. For details about the factor analysis, and the results from it, see the Appendix.
The control variables include gender, immigrant status, a linear variable for education and age, a quadratic term for age and whether individual i lives in a single household, has child custody, has more than one employer, is currently studying, is a director, holds a permanent position or works shift work. We also control for whether the employee works in assisted living or mental healthcare (compared to home care), and we control for district.
We use regression model (1) to analyse the relation between attitudes and sickness absence, where Y i is the sick leave rate for individual i, A il is the attitude of individual i for attitude variable l = 1,...,10, X ik is the control variables k of individual i K is the total number of control variables and ε i is the error term
The coefficients of interest are β l for each of the attitudes l = 1,...,10. These coefficients will show the relationship between each attitude variable and sick leave. For instance, the interpretation of β l where l for instance is Lenient attitudes towards sick leave is that increasing the leniency towards sick leave with one standard deviation is associated with an increase in the sick leave rate of the value of β l .
The employees have contracts of various lengths. The information we have about sick leave is more accurate for those individuals that we observe over a longer period than for those we only observe for a week or two. We therefore include frequency weights in the regressions, so that the employees with longer contracts count more than those with shorter contracts. Mechanically, this means that the total number of observations, if we take the frequency weights into account, is 104,229. We use cluster robust standard errors to count for the serial correlation that occurs due to the frequency weights.
In order to investigate whether attitudes can explain some of the generally observed variation in sickness absence between different demographic groups, we use regression models (2)–(4). Models (2), (3) and (4) are essentially the same models as Model (1). However, we are now interested in contrasting the difference in sick leave between two dichotomous groups (men vs female, old vs young, high vs low educated and immigrants vs non-immigrants) and next see whether this difference can be explained by attitudes, that is whether significant differences in sickness absence vanishes or is reduced when the attitude variables are included in the model. If, for instance, the gender gap in sickness absence can be explained by women and men have different attitudes, then we should expect the coefficient on Female to be reduced in size and significance when attitudes are included in the model. By first excluding and then including the attitude variables in the regression, we can see how the coefficient on the various characteristics of interest changes. Because attitudes might affect self-certified sick leave and sick leave certified by a GP differently, we run the regression separately for the two outcomes.
In Model (2) we now want to focus on two demographic characteristics: Female and Immigrant. Whereas these two variables were included among the control variables in Model (1) (in the vector X ik ), they have been moved out in separate terms in Model (2).
where Y i is the sick leave rate for individual i, Female i and Immigrant i are dummy variables, A il is the attitude of individual i for attitude l and X ik is the remaining control variables k of individual i.
In Model (3), we want to contrast employees with high and low education. While education is a linear variable with four educational levels in Models (1)–(2), in Model (3), Low education is a dummy variable taking the value of 1 for employees with no more than mandatory education and 0 otherwise.
In Model (4), we want to contrast young and old employees. While age was a continuous variable in Models (1)–(3), Model (4) includes the dummy variable Old, which takes the value 1 if the employee is in the oldest half of the sample and 0 otherwise. The continuous variable Age is excluded from this model. In this model, we use the categorical variable for education (as in Models (1) and (2)), and not the dummy variable Low education as in Model (3).
In this section, we first present the results from Model (1) regarding the relationship between attitudes and sickness absence. Then we go on to present the results of Models (2), (3) and (4) on whether attitudes can explain the observed variation in sickness absence between different demographic groups.
As can be seen from Table 1, the self-certified sick leave rate is 3.2% on average, while the GP-certified sick leave rate is 7%. The correlation coefficient between GP-certified sick leave and self-certified sick leave is, perhaps surprisingly, only 0.055. The low correlation between the two sick leave variables is not due to there only being a few employees with GP-certified sick leave. Out of the 226 employees, there are 136 employees (60%) who have GP-certified sick leave in the period we analyse, 168 employees (74%) with self-certified sick leave and 116 employees (51%) with both self- and GP-certified sick leave. We do not find that the employees with a high level of GP-certified sick leave have a high level of self-certified sick leave or the other way around. It is therefore interesting to analyse the two sick leave variables separately.
The relationship between attitudes and sickness absence
The relationship between the attitude variables and sick leave (the results of Model (1)) is illustrated in Fig. 1. The figure shows the point estimates and the corresponding 90% confidence intervals from regressions of self-certified sickness absence and GP-certified sickness absence on the attitude variables, when including all the control variables. If the confidence interval overlaps the vertical line from zero, the attitude variable is not significantly different from zero.
Figure 1 reveals that there are four attitude variables with a significant relation to self-certified sick leave: Lenient attitudes towards sick leave, Low work ethics, Gender equal attitudes and Lenient towards cheating. As expected, more lenient attitudes towards sickness absence and lower work ethics are associated with more self-certified sick leave, where a one-standard-deviation increase in Lenient attitudes towards sick leave is associated with a 0.4 percentage point increase in the self-certified sick leave rate. A one-standard-deviation increase in Low work ethics is associated with a 0.34 percentage point increase in the self-certified sick leave rate. Surprisingly, being more lenient towards cheating is associated with lower self-certified sick leave. An increase in Lenient towards cheating of one standard deviation is associated with a reduction in the self-certified sick leave rate of 0.27 percentage points. Likewise, a one-standard-deviation increase in reported gender equal attitudes is associated with a reduction in the self-certified sick leave rate of 0.25 percentage points.
When considering GP-certified sickness absence, only Low work satisfaction is significantly different from zero. Lower work satisfaction goes together with more GP-certified sick leave. Increasing Low work satisfaction with one standard deviation (which implies a reduction in work satisfaction) is associated with an increase in the GP-certified sick leave rate of 2.1 percentage points.
Only low work satisfaction is associated with GP-certified sickness absence. Additionally, looking at the R-squared in the upper panel of Table 5 reveals that the highest R-squared among the four specifications is for the model of self-certified sick leave where the attitude variables are included (specification (2)). Including the attitude variables in the model of self-certified sick leave gives a larger percentage increase in R-square (a 36% increase, from 0.157 to 0.214) relative to including the attitude variables in the model for GP-certified sick leave (a 32% increase, from 0.133 to 0.176).
Taken together, we have seen that lenient attitudes towards sickness absence are related to self-certified sick leave, but not GP-certified sick leave. This is not surprising as the reasons for sickness absence which this variable is based on are most relevant for short-term sickness absence (for instance, being absent from work due to a cold or due to having back pain when waking up in the morning). The results are supported by the robustness test presented in the Appendix, where all the analyses are repeated but where the variables are constructed using a factor analysis (for details about the factor analysis and the results of the robustness test analyses, see the Appendix).
Can attitudes explain the observed variation in sickness absence between demographic groups?
The results above suggest that attitudes might be able to explain some of the variation in sickness absence, in particular the variation in self-certified sick leave. Previous research has documented that the level of sickness absence varies substantially between different demographic groups. Specifically, the large difference in sickness absence between men and women has attracted a lot of attention. However, research has so far not managed to fully explain such differences in sickness absence. If attitudes should be able to explain parts of the sick leave gaps between men and women, old and young, employees with low and high levels of education and between immigrants and non-immigrants, there should also be attitude differences between these groups. And we find that there are indeed differences in our attitude variables between the groups of interest. Table 3 compares the reported attitudes for the four demographic groups.
We find no significant differences between men and women in their leniency towards sick leave. However, men in our sample score higher on low motivation and on low work ethic, implying that men have lower motivation and work ethic than women. Men also report lower gender equal attitudes and more lenient attitudes towards cheating than women. Furthermore, Table 4 shows that there are sickness absence differences across the demographic groups also in our sample, where women have on average more GP-certified sick leave than men.
To investigate whether attitudes can explain the difference in sick leave between men and women, we regress Model (2). The results from this regression is presented in the upper panel of Table 5, where self-certified sick leave is presented in column (1) and GP-certified sick leave in column (3). Secondly, we include our attitude variables in columns (2) and (4). If attitudes can explain some of the differences in sickness absence between men and women, the size of the coefficient on each of the dummy variables should be reduced when we control for attitudes related to sickness absence. We see from column (1) that there is no difference in self-certified sick leave between men and women. From column (2), we see that when we include attitudes in the model, the difference between men and women is still insignificant.
For GP-certified sick leave, there is a significant gap in sickness absence between men and women in our sample. When we further include attitudes in our regression, in column (4), we see that the coefficient on Female does not decrease. Actually the coefficient increases a little. This means that we find no evidence of attitudes being able to explain the gender gap in sickness absence.
Regarding immigrants compared to non-immigrants, we can see from Table 3 that immigrants in our sample are more stressed and report lower gender equal attitudes. We do not find any significant difference in sickness absence between immigrants and non-immigrants in our sample. Furthermore, including the attitude variables does not change this fact. This result also holds if we separate the immigrants into continent of origin (results not shown).
When it comes to employees with different levels of education, and their attitudes, we find that employees with low education are more lenient towards sick leave and are more stressed than those with higher education. Those with higher education, on the other hand, report somewhat more gender equal attitudes and report being more positive to the welfare state. To investigate whether attitudes can explain the variation in sick leave between employees with high and low education, we regress Model (3). The results are presented in the middle panel of Table 5. Employees with low education have significantly more self-certified sick leave than employees with higher education, while there is no significant difference in GP-certified sick leave. When we control for attitudes in column (2), the coefficient on Low education reduces slightly. This might reflect that attitudes are part of the explanation of why employees with lower education have higher self-certified sickness absence than highly educated employees.
Comparing young and old employees, we see that younger employees in our sample are more lenient towards cheating. Regarding the relation between age and sick leave, it is not clear what to expect. Older workers are associated with fewer but longer spells of absence, while younger workers tend to be absent more frequently (Thomson et al. 2000;Alavinia et al. 2009). To study whether attitudes can explain the differences in sick leave between old and young employees, we regress Model (4). The results are presented in the bottom panel of Table 5. Table 5 shows that while the oldest half of our sample has a significantly higher GP-certified sick leave rate, there is no statistically significant difference in the self-certified sick leave of young and old. Comparing the coefficient on Old in columns (3) and (4), we get the same effect as we did for Female: The coefficient on Old for GP-certified sick leave increases when controlling for attitudes. Despite having stricter attitudes, the older employees have more GP-certified sick leave than the younger. This might indicate that older employees would have had an even higher GP-certified sick leave rate, relative to younger employees, if attitudes were equalised across the two groups.
To explore the difference in self-certified sick leave between employees with high and low education further, we have performed a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition. The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition decomposes differences between groups to differences in endowments and coefficients. The results are presented in Table 6. Columns (1) and (2) show the results for self-certified sick leave. In column (1), all the control variables are used as explanatory variables, while in column (2), the attitude variables are included in addition as explanatory variables. The difference in self-certified sick leave between employees with high and low education which we want to decompose is −0.483, meaning that the low educated have higher sick leave than the high educated (1.089−1.571=−0.483). The reference group for the decomposition in Table 6 is employees with low education. The difference is decomposed into an explained part, which is due to differences in endowments or explanatory variables (labelled “endowments” in the table), and an unexplained part, which is due to different behavioural effects or coefficients between the two groups (labelled “coefficients” in the table) and an interaction effect between the endowment and coefficient effects. If low educated employees had the same endowments, that is if they had the same composition of background conditions (gender, age, type of jobs, etc.) as the high educated, the model estimates that they would have had even higher self-certified sick leave. At first sight, this might seem a bit surprising. In our sample, the low educated on average are older than the high educated. This might reflect that in for instance home care, the requirements for education has increased over time. Also, the highest self-certified sick leave in our sample is among the young and low educated. The endowment effect can be interpreted as how much self-certified sick leave the low educated would have if the group had the same age profile (and other characteristics) as the high educated, and the coefficient (or slope) of the low educated group. The coefficient effect, on the other hand, is the difference in self-certified sick leave estimated if the low educated had their own characteristics but the coefficients of the high educated. The model estimates that if the low educated had their own characteristics, but the coefficients of the high educated, their self-certified sick leave would have been significantly lower. The interaction effect is also negative, upweighing the increase in sick leave which was predicted by the endowment effect.
If attitudes are important for self-certified sick leave, this would be captured in the coefficient effect. From this Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition in specification (1), both the endowment effect and the coefficient effect are significant and the coefficient effect slightly larger. The results from the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition in specification (1) thus supports our result that attitudes are relevant for explaining the difference in self-certified sick leave between those with high and low education. From specification (2), we see that when including the attitude variables in the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition, the endowment effect and coefficient effect no longer are significant. When including the attitude variables in the decomposition analysis, our measures of attitudes are moved from the coefficients into the endowment effect. While we know from specification (1) that the model predicts that self-certified sick leave would go up if the low educated had the characteristics of the high educated, it seems as though having the attitudes of the high educated would pull the sick leave of the low educated in the opposite direction, resulting in a non-significant effect.
To sum up, we find some evidence of attitudes being related to the higher self-certified absence rate for employees with low education, relative to those with higher education. However, attitudes explain far from all of the differences in the self-certified sick leave rate between these two groups, and most of the differences in our sample remains unexplained. When considering gender and age, there are significant differences in GP-certified sick leave and there are significant differences in various attitudes between the groups. However, if we look more closely at these attitudes, we see that they are not the same variables as the ones we found actually having an association with GP-certified sick leave in Section 4.1. Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising that the attitude variables are not able to explain the gender and age differences in GP-certified sick leave.
In the present study, we examine the relation between attitudes and sickness absence. To study this, a survey aimed at identifying attitudes towards sick leave, work and cheating was conducted among employees within the public healthcare in Norway. The answers from the questionnaire were linked to detailed data on sickness absence, both self-certified and GP-certified, gathered by the employer. The study is therefore based on a rather unique data set, as it combines objectively measured data on sick leave with self-reported attitudes, and includes data on both GP-certified and self-certified sick leave.
In general, one might expect employee attitudes to relate to self-certified sick leave to a greater extent than GP-certified sick leave, as self-certified sick leave is determined by the judgement of the employee alone. Nevertheless, whether an employee visits a doctor may be influenced by the employee’s attitudes and preferences, as may the strength and power of the employees’ arguments used towards the GP. Indeed, several previous studies have suggested that attitudes might be important for understanding the reasons behind the high levels of GP-certified sick leave (Allebeck and Mastekaasa 2004). We therefore have argued that in principle, attitudes towards sickness absence can be important for both self-certified and GP-certified sick leave and that this boils down to being an empirical question.
The first main result of our study is that several of the attitude variables are associated with sickness absence and mainly in the expected direction. It is especially interesting that the variable measuring attitudes towards reasons for sickness absence is associated with self-certified sick leave, but not GP-certified sick leave. This variable consists of questions constructed to capture attitudes towards short-term sickness absence, and it is precisely the self-certified and thus short-term absence where there is an association. Low work satisfaction, on the other hand, is a state which can be draining in the long run, and it is reasonable that this variable is associated with GP-certified sick leave. Summing up, it seems as though the attitude variables are most important for self-certified sick leave.
The second main result from our study is that attitudes generally are not able to explain the observed differences in sickness absence between demographic groups. For example, if attitudes towards sick leave should be able to explain the gender gap in sick leave, women should have more lenient attitudes towards sick leave than men. Although we find the commonly observed gender gap in GP-certified sick leave, we do not find a significant difference in attitudes towards sick leave between men and women. We do, however, find gender differences in some other attitude variables. In our sample, women have significantly higher motivation and work ethics than men, have more gender equal attitudes and are less lenient towards cheating than men. Nevertheless, the attitude variables were not able to reduce the observed gender gap in GP-certified sick leave. If anything, women would have had more sick leave had they had the same attitudes as men.
We do see an indication of attitudes being relevant for explaining why employees with lower education have higher self-certified sickness absence than those with higher education. However, controlling for attitudes in our regression only slightly reduces the difference between low and high education, and the difference in sick leave remains significant. We do not find any evidence of attitudes being important in explaining variation in GP-certified sickness absence between other demographic groups.
There are some concerns related to this study. First, one might be concerned that our sample is not large enough to estimate the relationship between attitudes and sickness absence precisely. Although this might be the case, we do find large variations in reported attitudes and we do reveal significant relationships. Also, the differences in sick leave within our demographic groups are as expected, although the gender difference in GP-certified sick leave is only significant at the 10% level. Furthermore, as discussed in Section 3.1, our sample seems to be fairly representative compared to the population under study.
A second concern might be the external validity of this study. The study was conducted among healthcare workers within home care, assisted living and mental healthcare. We know that there is a large fraction of women working in this field, and the sector might attract workers with certain attitudes, or certain attitudes might arise in such a sector. However, the public healthcare sector is a large employer in Norway. The results found in this study might thus be relevant, at least, for a relatively large part of the work force. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that one would find a larger variation in attitudes towards sickness absence with a sample from several different sectors and that this study underestimates the relation between attitudes and sickness absence. Future research should pursue studying attitudes across sectors.
Thirdly, we might not have been able to identify all relevant attitudes in our questionnaire. As there is a trade-off between including many questions and response rates, including additional questions comes at a cost. Although trying to keep the questionnaire as short as possible, the questionnaire includes the attitudes we considered most relevant.
One might also be concerned about whether the respondents have reported their attitudes truthfully. There is an assumption in economics that people will lie if it is to their material benefit. Evidence from lab experiments nevertheless suggest that people have an aversion towards lying even when lying gives a material benefit (Abeler et al. 2014;Fischbacher and Föllmi-Heusi 2013;Lundquist et al. 2009). This evidence, taken together with the fact that there is no material benefit from lying in the survey and that the survey is anonymous, makes us less worried about respondents not answering truthfully in the survey. If the inclination to lie varies systematically between the demographic groups of which we study, however, there might still be reason to worry. There does exist some evidence regarding lying aversion among men and women. If women had a lower aversion towards lying than men, it could be the case that the real attitudes of women were more lenient than that of men. However, as the evidence on the gender difference in lying if anything points towards women being less averse to lying than men (Childs 2012;Dreber and Johannesson 2008;Muehlheusser et al. 2015), we are more confident that lying does not confound our results.
Finally, this study is not able to distinguish between whether attitudes cause sick leave or whether sick leave causes certain attitudes. Nevertheless, an empirical study of the relation between attitudes and absence behaviour is an important first attempt, as a correlation between attitudes and sickness absence is a precondition for a causal relationship.
In conclusion, this is the first paper studying the relationship between attitudes and sickness absence using objectively measured data on sickness absence. Previous studies have suggested that attitudes might be important for understanding variation in sickness absence. We find that there is an association between attitudes and sickness absence but mainly for self-certified sick leave. The results in our study do not support the notion that attitudes are able to explain differences in sickness absence between demographic groups.
Robustness test: analysis with attitude variables based on factor analysis
In the main analysis, we have grouped the survey questions into attitude variables based on our own judgement. In this section, we perform an exploratory factor analysis to create the attitude variables. This is to make sure that the way we construct the attitude variables is not affecting our results.
As in the main analysis, we want to reduce the number of questions from the questionnaire to a smaller number of variables describing attitudes and preferences. Factor analysis is used to uncover possible latent structures in the data, and we can therefore use it as a tool to group variables that pick up some of the same variation. We choose to perform an exploratory, as opposed to confirmatory, factor analysis because we do not want to assume anything about the relationship between the survey questions.
First, we keep the 38 main items from our questionnaire, describing attitudes, preferences and personality, and use the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure to see if our data are suited for factor analysis. We find an overall value of 0.6237, which is above the requirement of 0.5 (Frohlich and Westbrook 2001). Thereafter, we run a principal factor analysis with promax rotation. Promax rotation is chosen because we want to allow our factors to be correlated. The factors created are based on the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix of the standardised attitude variables and presented in the scree plot of the eigenvalues in Fig. 2. Based on the scree plot, we choose to keep five factors for the analysis. The eigenvalues measure the variance in the variables that are grouped into that factor, and only factors with eigenvalues above one are retained.
Table 7 shows the factors resulting from the factor analysis, together with the questions from the questionnaire with the highest loadings on this factor. The table also gives our a priori expectations of the factors’ association with sickness absence. Factor loadings are the correlations between each variable and the factor. Loadings above 0.5 are characterised as large, moderate loadings are between 0.3 and 0.5, and small loadings below 0.3 (Della Giusta et al. 2009). In Table 7, only loadings above 0.3 are shown, but all items loading on a factor are included when predicting the factors.
The direction of all the factors are such that the expected relation with sickness absence is positive; for instance, we expect that lenient attitudes towards self-caused sick leave cohere with more sick leave.
Comparing the variables created by the factor analysis in Table 7 with the variables presented in the main analysis (Table 2 in the main part of the paper), we see that the two sets of variables are quite similar. The factor analysis resulted in fewer factors than in the main analysis (five factors from the factor analysis compared to ten variables in the main analysis). The two sets of variables are, in substance, quite similar.
Results from analysis using attitude factors
In this section, we will repeat the analysis done in the main part of the paper, but instead of using the attitude variables from the main analysis, we will use the factors created by the factor analysis as variables in the regressions. As can be seen from Table 8, the factor Lenient attitudes towards sick leave is positive and significant for self-certified sick leave. None of the factors have a significant relation to GP-certified sick leave.
The coefficient of the variable Lenient towards sick leave was significant for self-certified sick leave also in the main analysis. In the main analysis, two additional variables were significant: Low work ethics and Lenient towards cheating. In the regressions based on the factor analysis, Low work ethics is not included as a variable, while Lenient towards cheating is not significant. For GP-certified sick leave, there was one significant coefficient in the main analysis: Low work satisfaction. However, the factor analysis did not provide such a variable. Although some differences, the two methods of reducing the questions in the questionnaire to fewer variables give quite similar results. The variables created based on our own judgement are quite similar to those resulting from the factor analysis, and the regression results show qualitatively similar patterns.
The regression results in Table 8 show the same patterns as our main results. Women have significantly higher GP-certified sick leave rate than men, and including the attitude factors in the regression increases the Female coefficient, implying that attitudes cannot explain the higher sick leave rate among women. If anything, women would have had more sick leave had they had the same attitudes as men.
Employees with lower education have significantly higher self-certified sick leave rate than employees with higher education. As in the main analysis, adding the attitude factors reduces the difference in sickness absence between the two groups, implying that attitudes might explain some of the difference in sick leave between low and high educated employees.
Older employees have significantly higher GP-certified sick leave rate than younger employees and equivalently as in the main analysis; including the attitude factors amplify this, again supporting the result from the main analysis.
Immigrants do not have significantly different sick leave than non-immigrants.
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OECD (2010) Sickness, disability and work: breaking the barriers, A Synthesis of Findings across OECD Countries. OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264088856-en.
Piha, K, et al (2010) Interrelationships between education, occupational class, income and sickness absence. Eur J Public Health 20(3):276–280. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckp162.
Rønning, E (2002) Statistisk sentralbyrås tidsbruksundersøkelse 2000/01. dokumentasjon og resultater fra intervjuet. Technical report.
Scheil-Adlung, X, Sandner L (2010) The case for paid sick leave. World Health Report Background Paper, 9.
SSB (2015) Statistikkbanken: sykefravær. https://www.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/selecttable/hovedtabellHjem.asp?KortNavnWeb=sykefratot&CMSSubjectArea=arbeidog-lonn&checked=true. Accessed 17 July 2015.
Thomas, LT, Ganster DC (1995) Impact of family-supportive work variables on work-family conflict and strain: a control perspective. J Appl Psychol 80(1):6.
Thomson, L, Griffiths A, Davison S (2000) Employee absence, age and tenure: a study of nonlinear effects and trivariate models. Work Stress 14(1):16–34.
Thorsen, SV, Friborg C, Lundstrøm B, Kausto J, Örnelius K, Sundell T, Kalstø AM, Thune O, Gross B-O, Petersen H, Haram O (2015) Sickness in the Nordic Countries. Nord Soc Stat Comm 59:1–77.
Thanks to Knut Arne Hagtvet for advice regarding the factor analysis, to Simen Markussen and Oddbjørn Raaum for their suggestions and comments and to Michael Soukup for his help with the processing of data. All remaining errors remain the responsibility of the authors. We would also like to thank the editor for the useful comments. Responsible editor: Juan Jimeno
The development and execution of the survey was financed by The Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Data made available by the city of Oslo have been essential for the research project. This article is part of the project “Disentangling absence patterns”, financed by the Norwegian Research Council (grant # 227103/H20), and the project “Work Life Challenges—workforce management and worker involvement solutions” (grant # 202647/S20).
Ethics approval and consent to participate
The research project is reported to the Data Protection Official at the Frisch Centre. Since no sensitive data was used in the project, additional permission from the Norwegian Data Inspectorate was not required. The research is based on information collected through a survey and linked to information from administrative registers from the city of Oslo, with informed consent from all participants. The project complies with ethical standards set down in Norwegian law and overseen by the Norwegian Data Inspectorate.
The IZA Journal of Labor Policy is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The authors declare that they have observed these principles.
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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Cite this article
Hauge, K., Ulvestad, M. Having a bad attitude? The relationship between attitudes and sickness absence. IZA J Labor Policy 6, 11 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40173-017-0088-y
- Sickness absence
- Demographic groups
- Healthcare sector | <urn:uuid:564a4f31-e7db-47b1-8b09-d0b25897600f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://izajolp.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40173-017-0088-y | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.945511 | 13,724 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Things happen. Maybe you have to make a late payment on your credit card or loan to prioritize other expenses. Or maybe you simply forgot about a bill. Regardless of the reason, the consequences of late payments are never something to look forward to, especially since they can negatively affect your credit scores.
Do Late Payments Affect Your Credit?
How your credit score is affected depends on how recent the late payment is, the number of late payments you have on your credit report and how many days have passed since the payment due date. But there’s no way around it, late payments can damage your credit
Your payment history is the most important factor that goes into calculating your FICO® Score. It can account for 35% of your total score and shows lenders whether or not you can be trusted to repay borrowed money in a timely manner.
A good history of on-time payments shows you are a reliable borrower and increases your chances of being approved for loans or credit at favorable terms. A poor payment history, on the other hand, sends a red flag to a lender that you may not repay your debts and it may result in a loss to their business.
If you have spotless credit, you might experience a heavier impact on your scores with a late payment. Given that late payments are not the norm for people with good credit, a recent 30-day late payment can bring your scores down by as much as 100 points, according to FICO®. If your score is already low, on the other hand, it can damage your credit but not to the same extent.
When are Late Payments Reported to Credit Bureaus?
Late payment cannot be reported to the credit reporting bureaus until the consumer is a full 30 days past the due date. So, don’t stress about a late payment showing up on your credit report and damaging your credit scores as long as you pay the full minimum payment before the 30-day mark.
Here are the options your lenders can have for reporting late payments:
30-59 days late
60-89 days late
90-119 days late
120-149 days late
150-179 days late
180 days late, or more
As you can see, there isn’t an option for reporting anything under 30 days late. The Credit Reporting Resource Guide, which is published by the Consumer Data Industry Association, says that the “Industry Standard for Reporting Account Delinquency” is as follows: “the ‘clock’ for a 30-day delinquency starts at 30 days after the due date, as opposed to the billing date.” They go on to provide examples for reporting accounts at different stages of delinquency:
|Days Past the Due Date||Account Status|
|0||“Current and in good standing”|
|17||“Current and in good standing”|
|45||“30-59 days past the due date”|
|76||“60-89 days past the due date”|
So, if you’ve forgotten a bill or have had an unexpected cost come up, you should do your best to make a late payment before the 30-day mark has passed. | <urn:uuid:fe013a94-0245-4888-9e40-c019a9b473df> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.myscoreiq.com/credit-monitoring/how-late-payments-affect-your-credit-score/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.956804 | 665 | 1.882813 | 2 |
BEBOP – HOW TO IN 6 EASY STEPS
HOW TO USE BEBOP CHROMATIC SURROUNDING NOTES
Link to video: https://youtu.be/qFmIm_nZHco
Getting into improvisation and approaching jazz improvisation is completely linked to playing bebop.
There is no way around it.
It sounds really great
As saxophone players we must have some knowledge of how the bebop language is put together and how we can apply this into our own playing.
Bebop is where all modern jazz improvisation started.
In this tutorial
- Why is Bebop so important to modern jazz improvisation?
- What are chromatic surrounding notes?
- Build licks and lines using chromatic surrounding notes
- How do you practice chromatic surrounding notes the best?
- Apply chromatic surrounding notes into your own playing
- Show, play and analyse two licks using chromatic surrounding notes
Get the full transcription of the lesson:
Get all lesson and practice PDF’s on my patreon – more value.
“Bebop practice manual – chromatic surrounding notes – exercises and licks” | <urn:uuid:7f3a6f02-3b7b-40e4-804d-b397578015b3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://sorenballegaard.dk/product/bebop-how-to-in-6-easy-steps/?add-to-cart=3592 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.818662 | 351 | 3.015625 | 3 |
No other construction material can match steel’s suitability for bridging long spans and realising unusual building geometries. “Slender. High. Long – Steel and Steel-Composite Structures” documents outstanding high-rise buildings and engineering structures in steel. This includes not only bridges, sports facilities, factories and exhibition halls but also administration and cultural buildings, such as the Oodi Central Library in Helsinki, the Adidas Arena in Herzogenaurach and the large-scale, accessible sculpture, The Vessel, in New York. In extensive text and expressive drawings, the engineers involved in their design explain the concepts of the steel and steel-composite structures and the solutions they found for realising them.
The book is the first in a three-part series on structural engineering design. Another volume will cover timber and timber hybrid structures, while a third deals with reinforced concrete.
– Detailed documentation of 20 examples of extraordinary structures
– Articles by renowned structural designers | <urn:uuid:d6f0c3d8-d90e-40d8-a719-b28db659e765> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.barorian.co.il/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.909378 | 201 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Gaming gets a bad rep. With users often spending hours every day in front of a screen, it’s easy for people to blame it for a multitude of problems, from obesity to anti-social behaviour and even, in some cases, gun crime.
What these people often overlook, however, is that gaming can also help us develop certain skills. Far from being to blame for society’s ills, the activity can bring many advantages and it’s possible to combine a passion for gaming with a healthy lifestyle.
With this in mind, this article looks at some of the benefits gamers can enjoy.
It Enhances Your Visual-spatial Ability
The problem with non-gamers is they think playing a game is just staring at a screen blankly, bashing buttons with no thought process involved.
This simply isn’t the case. Almost every game provides a constant stream of mental stimulation that requires the gamer to use several key skills all at once.
Take Minecraft, for example. You have to navigate an entire virtual 3D world to succeed, with no GPS or smart app to help. Players have to understand the distance and space involved using their coordination to get around. In other words, they need to use their visual-spatial skills constantly which means they quickly improve them as they advance through the game.
Nintendo Wii owners take it one step further, of course. Engaging the whole body while playing, and being careful not to knock over Mom’s pot plant, is excellent practice for our visual-spatial awareness. Anyone who’s ever played Punch-Out! will know exactly what I’m talking about.
It Can Help Improve Your Decision-making Skills
We all know the benefits of making a quick decision; reacting to changing circumstances in the moment helps us through some of the most critical moments that we experience as human beings.
Some people find that this skill is enhanced through dealing with the simulated challenges of video games.
Studies have found that gamers display, on average, a 25% higher response rate to questions about an image they’ve just seen compared to non-players. It makes sense; to be a skilled player in most games you have to deal with rapidly changing information and have a good memory to retain it.
Gaming demands you make split-second decisions based on readily available data you have stored in your head, similar to card-counting in Blackjack or buying and selling stocks on Wall Street. These might be slightly extreme examples, but they go to show that skills acquired by gaming can be used in real life, too.
It Makes You More Sociable
Despite what some people say, gamers are friendly people. Rather than being socially insulated, the opposite tends to be true for them.
The modern rise of multi-player online games has created a new way of socialising. Players are constantly communicating: whether by working together to solve a problem or competing against each other. Both activities can be classed as forms of bonding (apart from when COD players are swearing at each other, of course) and they help to form friendships.
As well as that, they help real-world friends stay in contact. People regularly play with their friends, whether it be online or in person. It even helps boost interaction between people in a public place, kids talking about the latest FIFA game at school, for example.
In short, gaming brings people together. Who needs social media to stay in touch?
It Makes You More Knowledgeable
Playing is learning, as they say. The same can be said for video games.
Many games contain a vast amount of factual information within its storyline or settings. Strategy game Civilization, for example, contains accurate information to drive its gameplay, such as famous historical eras and influential past leaders.
Another popular game, Assassin’s Creed, even introduced a new mode, Discovery, for gamers to explore past civilisations, such as Ancient Egypt. With 75 guided tours curated by real-life experts, the game feels like a true learning experience and isn’t one you’ll forget in a hurry.
Video games have also become a valuable resource for education institutions that have incorporated it into their classroom resources. It’s a well-known useful technique to increase student participation, as well as enhancing their academic skills.
It Can Help People With Some Disorders
You might not get many doctors saying this but there is research out there that says video games help with certain health conditions or disorders.
The high number of social interactions involved helps autism sufferers make friends that their condition might normally prevent. Their sharing of social space to play the game is a key way of doing this, as well as using teamwork skills to solve tasks.
Another theory is that the intense bouts of reading demanded by a lot of games can lead to improvements in dyslexia. Players are forced to concentrate intensely on the task in hand, which overcomes attention difficulties that a lot of dyslexics suffer from.
Gaming is something that even MS sufferers have benefited from. Although no medication exists to help the condition, it has been reported that sufferers playing physically active games have noted an improvement in balance afterwards. For such a serious condition, the activity really can be a gift to them.
It Can Lead You Into A Successful Career
The gaming industry is booming. While the chances of being a professional gamer are small, there are more and more related roles available, from event organising to coding, and this is expected to grow over the next few years.
That’s not to say you can’t go on and be a pro, of course. Demand for gaming experts is also increasing and the rewards for the cream of the crop are lucrative. The winner of the Fortnite World Cup this year took home a cool $3 million at the tender age of 16, while the other 99 finalists made anything from $50,000 to $1.8 million. Very nice work if you can get it.
Of course, gaming has its downsides, too. Too much of any good thing can hurt you and it’s important to keep gaming as just one part of a varied and healthy lifestyle.
However, its benefits are there for everyone to see and, you never know, it could change your life! | <urn:uuid:60849158-fcff-4054-844c-93d1c91a54ce> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://techlipz.com/being-a-gamer-can-help-you-win-at-life/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.965322 | 1,298 | 2.75 | 3 |
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UberRUSH Could Be the Future of Deliveries
February 10, 2017
Currently available in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco, Uber is trying out a new business, called UberRUSH, within their company. Connecting a company with a delivery partner, UberRUSH will aid the company in getting as many deliveries on the road as possible, even at the busiest hours. Examples of products UberRUSH has delivered before are flowers, clothing, and really any item that an average person can carry.
However, there are some specific items that Uber has put a ban on for delivery. These items include: people, animals, alcohol, illegal items, weapons, stolen goods, and explosives. Given that some of the delivery partners use a bike for transportation, it is requested that the delivery items are no more than 30 pounds, but if the delivery partner is driving a car, up to 50 pounds is acceptable.
Junior, Elle Lehman said, “I think it is really cool that Uber is trying out this idea because it could make things that people order get to them faster.”
When a company registers and signs up with UberRUSH, they will only be responsible to pay for the amount of deliveries made. However, in each city, the prices vary. For example, in Chicago, deliveries are $6.30 within one mile, but $1.80 per extra mile. However, in San Francisco, the price is cheaper within one mile, but increases greatly with each extra mile. Finally, in New York City, it is $5.50 within one mile and $2.50 per extra mile.
Getting the customer of the company involved, UberRUSH can be integrated into the checkout feature of the business’ website. The customer will also receive delivery updates through texts or notifications in the Uber app. In addition, the confirmation email of the order will include a link that allows the customer to track their delivery.
Senior, Zoe Cuva says, “I really like that UberRUSH lets the package be tracked, because whenever I order something online, I am really anxious to get what I ordered, so I am always tracking my order.”
Many major brands have already teamed up with UberRUSH to deliver their products. Some of these big-time companies are Walmart, Nordstrom, T-Mobile, Cole Haan, Which Wich, Shopify, and many more.
— Drone Radio Show (@DroneRadioShow) January 31, 2017
Freshman, Olivia Williams said, “I feel like since so many big companies with such a wide range of products is already working with them, UberRUSH is going to be really successful and will probably expand to some more cities soon.”
Through this innovative idea to get items to customers faster, UberRUSH could be the future of deliveries.
Leave a Comment | <urn:uuid:27836957-a9b4-489a-90c6-4bb0b7d8b0a4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://achonaonline.com/news/2017/02/uberrush-could-be-the-future-of-deliveries/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.952334 | 638 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Greens senators Larissa Waters, Mehreen Faruqi and Janet Rice have written to the Minister for Women and Foreign Affairs Marise Payne to urge the Government to provide immediate and increased aid to help women and girls now subject to Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
To ensure that aid is targeted to those most in need the aid should be delivered through partnerships with civil society and aid organisations working on the ground.
Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:
“Australia has an obligation to do everything it can to secure the safety and freedoms of people in Afghanistan, especially women and children, given the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
“The gendered impacts of Taliban rule must not be ignored. There are now clear and immediate risks to the freedom, education, employment, safety, political engagement and bodily autonomy of Afghan women and gender diverse people.
“Just a few months ago, Senator Payne released the National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security and committed Australia to increasing women’s meaningful participation in peace processes. In line with those commitments, Australia must call on the international community to ensure that Afghanistan's women leaders are included in the Doha talks, and represented in the Afghan National Assembly and public office.
“Despite occupation and war, the past decade has seen important gains, with nearly one third of Afghan political representatives now female and more than 3.5 million girls attending school. These gains must not be lost.”
Greens spokesperson for international aid and development Senator Mehreen Faruqi said:
“This Government’s apathy is sickening, particularly given Australia’s culpability in the current crisis. We have a responsibility to act now with a strong humanitarian response to the situation in Afghanistan.
“Women and children suffer a disproportionate burden both during and after a war. Afghans have already endured two decades of Western military occupation and are now subject to Taliban rule. Increasing aid targeted for supporting women and children is a debt we owe Afghan people.
“Australia must also show some leadership and take in at least 20,000 refugees and give permanent visas to Afghans already in Australia.”
Greens spokesperson on foreign affairs Senator Janet Rice said:
"Australia has a moral obligation to the people of Afghanistan, and particularly to the women and girls now at risk. This is a crisis that's been years and decades in the making, which Australia's actions have contributed to.”
“Rather than hollow words and flimsy announcements, the Government should provide meaningful, significant support to those most at risk, including increased aid and a genuine increase to Australia's refugee intake." | <urn:uuid:d23f5860-83f0-411d-8725-6af7ac151757> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://larissa-waters.greensmps.org.au/articles/government-must-provide-immediate-aid-support-women-and-girls-afghanistan | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.94538 | 541 | 1.75 | 2 |
Venus Flytraps are among the most famous of all Carnivorous Plants. Though all one species, there are many varieties and cultivars. Native to the coastal plains of North Carolina, the Venus flytrap is a cold-hardy perennial best grown outdoors in a container where it can experience the seasons. In summer, it likes it warm and very sunny. In fall, the plant stops growing and goes dormant. In winter, while dormant, it can withstand 20°F frosts with minimal protection. Look for new growth and flowering in the spring. Be sure to read through our Registered Cultivar list, care sheet part 1, and care sheet part 2. | <urn:uuid:e7b121cf-f93d-45aa-8c8d-660131eac557> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.carnivorousplants.com/product-category/venus-flytraps/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.911523 | 136 | 2.15625 | 2 |
Network Components & Devices Online
Computers are devices that simply run programs and follow orders given to them. Combine that technology with millions of other computers in a network and you instantly get access to a treasure trove of information. All modern computers come with some networking hardware that helps you connect to the internet or other devices. Based on your requirements you may have to buy specialized equipment to further enhance your computer's capabilities to include more functions. In a way networking devices are units that mediate or control the data traffic in a computer network.
Computer Networking components include devices such as routers, wireless USB adapters, switches, access points, cables, data cards, network interface cards, modems and bridge routers. Wireless networking devices have become increasingly popular with the number of portable and hand-held devices increasing everyday. Use the Wi-Fi internet modem to allow you to connect all your computers and electronic devices to the internet while in its allowed radius. Use a Hub to connect multiple Ethernet segments together to make them act as a single segment.
LAN cables can be used to connect nearby computer to a closed network like a work environment or for gaming purposes between a few friends. Use a Firewall to prevent forbidden communication from entering or leaving the network. Shop online at Flipkart for the best deals on Networking Components for your computer and have them delivered straight to your home. Select from the best brands like Belkin, TP-LINK, Cisco Linksys, iBall, Asus, WD, Micromax, Prolink and Alcatel to find the right device that suits your needs. Pay for the components online using your credit card or simply avail the cash on delivery option. These networking components give you the freedom to work from anywhere in a secure and trouble-free environment.
Trending Now: Jio Dongle, Ethernet Cable, Optical Cable
Explore : Keyboards | <urn:uuid:345e03d9-c19b-4c82-bcbf-cbc27f076eaf> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.flipkart.com/computers/network-components/pr?count=40&otracker=categorytree&p%5B%5D=facets.discount_range_v1%255B%255D%3D50%2525%2Bor%2BMore&sid=6bo%2F70k | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.92121 | 376 | 2.21875 | 2 |
The Federal government has ruled out the possibility of lifting embargo on recruitment into the public service, saying it will not make any significant difference to the unemployment problem in the country.
It also disclosed that it had paid N28.8 billion as stipends to 413,630 beneficiaries across the 774 local government areas under its public work scheme introduced last year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, who made this disclosure Thursday at the State House, Abuja while featuring at the ministerial briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team, said government was more concerned about improving the skills of Nigerians, and empower them to be self employed.
When asked to reconcile the fact that while government was battling to reduce unemployment, it continued to place embargo on recruitment and replacement in the civil service, the minister said: “I think your question assumes that the kind of employment we want to create is in civil service, that’s not the idea of employment.”
According to him, public service employment globally account for less than 1% of employment in the country.
He added that it will be very short sighted of government to think it can lift people out of poverty and create employment by opening up gaps in the civil service to employ people.
“How many are we going to employ for the 33% (unemployment rate) that we have now? So high.
“The unemployment figures are indefensible. The 33% was compounded more by the COVID scourge, the whole world is reeling from the COVID scourge. So, we need to react more innovatively to create employment.
“And for us, we are working very hard to ensure that we skill up Nigerians. The way to approach on employment is to skill up the populace. That’s the way out, to encourage the small, the macro small and medium scale entrepreneurs, support their businesses, ensure that people are self employed, skill them up,” he said.
Keyamo stated that about N24,817,800,000.00 has been paid out to beneficiaries under the 774,000 special public works scheme as at June 24th, 2021.
According to him, a total of 413,630 Nigerians drawn from rural communities and mostly itinerant workers were beneficiaries in the scheme that has achieved 60% success.
He explained that the initial delay experienced in the implementation of the programme was caused by incomplete registration, especially with bank verification numbers.
The minister maintained that despite his attempts to ensure due diligence in the implementation of the programme, some people tried to cheat the process by opening multiple bank accounts under a single BVN.
Keyamo further said: “So far, those we have paid have received their N60,000 for the three months. We saved so many lives across the country by this payment. Some used their own to buy grinding machine. I just discovered a grinding machine costs about N45,000.
“We have paid 413,630 persons out of the 774,000. So, we’ve achieved about 60 per cent of the success rate and these are those who have received N60,000 each. And the total amount we have paid out is N24 billion, actual monies given to Nigerians to put in their pockets. For them to cushion the effects of post COVID-19.” | <urn:uuid:c515b40a-10ed-46b6-b6ab-d14df59123bc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ygist.com.ng/2021/06/lifting-embargo-on-civil-service-recruitment-cant-solve-unemployment-in-nigeria-minister/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.970111 | 707 | 1.523438 | 2 |
If you’re using Windows 11 and need to quickly switch between headphones, speakers, or other sound devices, there’s a quick, almost hidden way to manage your audio output from the taskbar. Here’s how to do it.
First, click the speaker icon on the far right side of the taskbar. It’s located just to the left of the date and time. It’s actually part of a button, as you’ll see.
When you click the speaker icon, the Quick Settings menu will appear. If your volume slider is visible, click the “>” arrow just to the right of the slider. (If it’s not visible, you’ll have to click the pencil icon, then “Add,” and select “Volume” from the list.)
After clicking the arrow beside the volume slider, a list for managing audio devices will take over the Quick Settings menu. Select the audio device you’d like to use in the list by clicking it.
And that’s it. Just click outside the Quick Settings menu to close the menu and save changes.
If you need to make more detailed changes in your Windows 11 sound settings quickly, just launch Quick Settings again, click the arrow beside the volume slider, and select “More Volume Settings” at the bottom of the menu.
The Settings app will open, pointing automatically to System > Sound, where you can access more sound input and output options. Happy listening! | <urn:uuid:0a9c98b2-e150-4731-88a8-075d0a250979> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ejtandemonium.com/how-to-switch-audio-devices-from-windows-11s-taskbar-2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.832704 | 317 | 1.671875 | 2 |
There was already four feet of snow on the ground at noon Tuesday in Elma, N.Y., and it was snowing so hard Dennis Powers couldn’t see out his window.
“We’re getting hammered,” said Powers, supervisor for the town of 11,300 people less than 20 miles from Lake Erie. “We could get 2-3 more feet of snow. And the wind chill is 2 degrees. So it’s cold.”
Plummeting temperatures and lake-effect snow brought weather havoc to much of the North and East on Tuesday, with some areas battling snow measured in feet and white-out highway conditions.
The U.S. awoke Tuesday to its coldest November morning since 1976, WeatherBell meteorologist Ryan Maue said. More than 85% of the Lower 48 states — and 226 million Americans — reached or fell below freezing, he said. The National Weather Service reported that every state saw freezing temperatures. | <urn:uuid:c542807f-2e0d-4792-8e1c-a997c6dbd3ef> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://themostimportantnews.com/archives/more-than-half-the-u-s-is-covered-in-snow | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.958167 | 202 | 1.8125 | 2 |
A comprehensive summary of today’s judicial, legislative, and regulatory developments in agriculture and food. Email important additions HERE.
REGULATORY: EPA, FAS, NOAA
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Notice announcing the availability of the EPA’s preliminary work plans for the following chemicals: Ametoctradin, Fenpyrazamine, Picoxystrobin, and Trichoderma species. With this document, the EPA is opening the public comment period for registration review for these chemicals. Info here.
Notice announcing that the EPA is seeking public comment on a November 18, 2021 petition filed by the United Farm Workers, United Farm Workers Foundation, Earthjustice, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, Farmworker Association of Florida, Farmworker Justice, GreenLatinos, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, League of United Latin American Citizens, Learning Disabilities Association of America, Pesticide Action Network North America, and Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (the Earthjustice Petition). Info here.
FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE
Notice proposing a new system of records USDA/FAS-10, Foreign Agricultural Service International Fellowship and Exchanges Database System. Info here.
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
Proposed rule announcing a 90-day finding on a petition to revise the critical habitat designation for the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) under the Endangered Species Act. Info here.
Notice that a Letter of Authorization has been issued to QuarterNorth Energy LLC for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico. Info here. | <urn:uuid:a4510216-46ef-4095-8a42-5e2d9623e3e1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://nationalaglawcenter.org/ag-and-food-law-daily-update-july-12-2022/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.814009 | 355 | 1.9375 | 2 |
Linde and Snam team up on new European hydrogen projectsDecember 10, 2020
The industrial gasses groups have reached a deal to develop green H2 in the E.U.
Italian gasses group Snam and U.S.-German industrial gasses group Linde have struck a deal for European hydrogen projects development. Snam made the announcement about the clean H2 development projects that will result from this new partnership.
The companies will be working together to further existing technologies and build new tech.
Both companies will contribute in their own ways and with their own resources to the European hydrogen projects. They will collaborate in developing tech within the sector. They will also make investments together into commercial products for the production, distribution, compression, and storage of H2.
This is among the most recent moves of this nature by companies in Europe as well as in Asia and other markets. Companies worldwide have been teaming up to pursue hydrogen fuel technology development, as countries seek to find new fuels and energy sources that can be produced without resulting in carbon emissions. When producing green H2, renewable power is used for the electrolysis.
These European hydrogen projects are key components to the future of green energy.
“Hydrogen is expected to play a significant role in achieving the European Green Deal targets,” said Steve Angel, CEO at Linde, in reference to the initiative put forward by the European Union in pursuit of a circular, sustainable economy.
Linde is the company with the world’s largest liquid hydrogen capacity and distribution system. In November, Linde announced its intention to invest in hydrogen, where there was a natural addition to its existing business.
Australian, Asian and European hydrogen projects have been sending the cost of this fuel downward. This has been building its appeal for governments and corporations around the globe, particularly in sectors in which electrification is not an easy fit.
The majority of Snam’s revenue is generated from Italian gas transport. That company has pledged additional spending on new green business lines and has been signing a spectrum of new H2 deals throughout 2020.
Approximately half the investments outlined in its recent business plan were set aside for an infrastructure that would be “hydrogen-ready”.
Beyond the European hydrogen projects deal, both Linde and Snam are also both ITM Power shareholders. That UK company operates within the green H2 sector. | <urn:uuid:e8997834-5e48-4fb9-81d8-368e2bc25b9e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/linde-and-snam-team-up-on-new-european-hydrogen-projects/8541185/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.95716 | 488 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Though building structures is very important to the modernization of the country, we must still be wary of what these construction projects can do to the environment. Not employing the strategies for green construction can have long-term consequences to Mother Earth. What’s the use of these buildings, roads, and structures we’re constructing if the Earth is far too damaged to inhabit anyway?
Fortunately, green construction isn’t difficult to do, and its methods not impossible to implement. Here are some green construction tips and strategies you can use the next time you’re doing a construction project.
1. Use sustainable materials
When getting tools and ingredients for your construction project, whether it be environment-friendly cement or similar products, sustainability is quite important. This involves using green materials that don’t emit as much carbon that can destroy the environment. Avoid using products that not only harm the environment, but can harm you as well, particularly your respiratory functions. You should also use locally-sourced materials for both convenience and reduction of your carbon footprint.
2. Properly dispose materials
A construction site often produces lots of waste such as excess concrete, cement bags, and the like. At the end of the day, these waste materials should be properly disposed as to not make a mess for the coming days of the construction. Not properly throwing them away can lead to an accumulation of trash that will be harder to clean up. Work with a reputable waste disposal service for this.
3. Recycle water
In any sustainable construction project, conserving water is an important factor. For example, collecting rain water can lead to the water’s use for landscape irrigation. Aside from this, water condensation from HVAC units can also be collected and used for the same reasons. Practicing these methods helps you find new purpose for the materials that would otherwise get thrown away in a normal construction site.
4. Make use of other power sources
There are well-known alternative sources of power such as solar and wind power that you can use for your projects. Not only do these methods reduce your grid reliance, it also lessens the strain from electricity providers. These power sources also offer natural and less harmful ways of generating power for the building you’re constructing.
5. Increase green space in your projects
Rather than simply building a commercial area, you should do a mixed approach and incorporate green spaces into your projects. For example, rather than build a simple condominium, why not build a condominium with a mini park inside? Or perhaps you can add green spaces on the rooftops and other parts of the building? With how there’s a lack of more natural spots in the city, your construction should contribute to adding more to this.
Green construction and its methods were established to address the need for buildings in today’s modern society while also taking care of environmental concerns. Now, it’s not just simply about delivering the construction project before the deadline. It’s also about making sure said project doesn’t disrupt efforts to saving the environment. Practice the tips above in your future construction jobs. You may not know it, but these small actions count for something big and positive. | <urn:uuid:1a2955d8-5d42-470f-b2dc-7a3b36cea9a5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://pinoybuilders.ph/top-5-tips-for-eco-friendly-construction/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.927831 | 656 | 3.46875 | 3 |
The Electric Vehicle Council welcomes the Australian Labor Party’s pledge to make electric vehicles more affordable.
Labor has undertaken to introduce an Electric Car Discount to make electric cars cheaper for Australians.
As part of the discount, Labor would exempt many electric cars from:
- Import tariffs – a five per cent tax on some imported electric cars;
- Fringe benefits tax – a 47 per cent tax on electric cars that are provided through work for private use
These exemptions will be available to all electric cars below the luxury car tax threshold for fuel efficient vehicles ($77,565 in 2020-21).
Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari applauded the ALP’s announcement.
“Australians want to make the switch to electric vehicles, but the lack of leadership nationally has limited their options,” Jafari said.
“Electric vehicles are cheaper to run, require less maintenance and are better for the environment. It is only government inaction that is causing us to trail the rest of the world in electric vehicle uptake.
“This policy would encourage car manufacturers to import and supply more affordable electric models in Australia. This makes it a win for the environment and a win for fairness.
“This is the type of sensible action that has been taken by world leaders from all sides of politics. It is proven to work by making electric vehicles more affordable for more Australians.
“Unlike Victorian Labor, which is making electric vehicles more expensive with an unnecessary and premature electric vehicle tax, the federal ALP has steered in the right direction.”
Labor has also promised to work with industry, unions, states and consumers to develop Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle Strategy, including consideration of:
- further measures to increase electric car sales and infrastructure;
- policy settings to encourage Australian manufacturing of electric car components (especially batteries) and possibly cars themselves; and
- ways to address the revenue and policy implications of declining fuel excise
- consider how the Commonwealth’s existing investment in infrastructure can be leveraged to increase charging stations across the country; and
- consider how other existing Commonwealth investments, including in its fleet, property and leases, can also be leveraged. | <urn:uuid:ef0e12c3-ba85-412a-8864-d34c39290bb7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.manmonthly.com.au/news/labors-national-electric-vehicle-plan-help-australia-catch-global-pack/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.944495 | 450 | 1.890625 | 2 |
We have seen in the earlier Article Microsoft Excel and Automation that with a simple Macro Statement we could transfer control to a particular area of Worksheet very quickly, when several Worksheets are there in a Workbook. We have designed a Control Sheet and a Control Data Sheet to store the user’s choices and use those values for running the Program.
Excel Macros can make our work easier by automating several tasks like Print Previewing or Printing of Worksheets, hiding all worksheets except the one that we are working on, transfer data from other worksheets to a specific range linked with the Graph Chart so that the Chart changes dynamically and no need for creating several Charts across sheets and so on.
We can bring in lot of improvement in that example Workbook that we have created earlier and in this Article we will concentrate on a simple issue, specific to what we did with the earlier macro. We have seen that we can transfer control to a particular worksheet among several worksheets in order to avoid scrolling sheets to the right to find the specific sheet location that we want to work with. If you have tried that example, then a Question is already on your mind that how do we pass control back to the Control Sheet, without clicking on the Tab Scrolling Buttons?
Since, we have transferred control with a macro we need another macro to bring the control back to Main worksheet where we have designed the List boxes and Command Button for automation. But this macro we cannot run from the Main Control Sheet. We will run it conveniently from a Toolbar Button above. We need to create a custom Toolbar Button and attach the new Macro to the Toolbar Button. But, the new Toolbar Button will remain in the machine where you will create it. If the same workbook is open in a different machine the Button will not be available there, but we can make the Custom Toolbar Button to travel with the Workbook so that it can be used in any machine.
First we will write a Macro and then go for the Custom Toolbar Button creation.
1. Select Tools – -> Macros – -> Visual Basic Editor.
2. Click on the Project Explorer Toolbar Button (or press Ctrl+R) to split the Visual Basic Editor window into two. Left side panel will list the Worksheet names and the right-side window is for VBA Code editing. Check the left side panel under the heading This Workbook shows a Folder with the name Modules. If you are using the same workbook that you have created for the earlier example then this will be there. If the Module Folder is there then double click on the VBA Module below that to open up the VBA Code Editing window. If the Module Folder is not there then select Insert – -> Module to insert a Global VBA Module.
3. Click on the Code window at the right side and select Procedure from Insert Menu.
4. Type the Name GotoControl in the Name control and select Sub in the Type Category.
5. Select Public in the Scope choices.
6. Click OK to insert the empty Procedure skeleton in the VBA Window.
7. Type the following Macro Statement without making mistakes in the middle of the two lines. See that you are keying in a period (.) between the right parenthesis and the word select.
Worksheets ("Control") .select
1. Select View – -> Toolbars – -> Customize.
2. Select the Toolbars Tab (if it is not the current one)
3. Click New to create a new Empty Toolbar and type a Name (say myToolbar) in the Toolbar Name control and click OK. An Empty Toolbar will show up, look for it if you could not spot it. It may appear anywhere within the Excel Application Area. You may drag and place it among the existing Toolbars above.
4. Click on the Commands Tab on the Customize dialog control.
5. Click on File in the Categories List and Click New…
6. Right-Click on the Button and type &Go2Ctrl in the Name Control.
7. Select Text Only option in the displayed menu. The Name Go2Ctrl appears in the Button face.
8. Click on the Assign Macro to display all the existing Macros available and among them you will find the GotoControl that we have created, click on it and Click OK and Close the Customize Dialog Control.
9. Now we are ready to test our creation. Click on the Go2Ctrl Toolbar Button and you will be placed on the Control Worksheet.
10. Click on the GotoCommand Button after selecting a Worksheet and Month from the List to transfer control to that sheet.
11. Try clicking again on the Go2Ctrl Toolbar Button to jump the control back to the Main Worksheet.
Now, we need to make one more change for the Toolbar to travel along with the Workbook to other machines.
1. Select View – -> Toolbar – -> Customize.
2. Click on the Attach…Button.
3. You will find Custom Toolbars List at the left-side panel. Select myToolbarfrom the list and Click CopyButton to make a copy to the Toolbars in WorkbookList.
4. Click OK to Close the Customize dialog box.
If your Excel File can be put on a Network Drive then you can try opening it from a different Machine. The Custom Toolbar with the Go2CtrlButton will come along with the Workbook on that machine also. | <urn:uuid:7252b585-98d4-450d-9c42-f2247afaf7dd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://digitalnethosting.com/microsoft-excel-and-automation-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.858773 | 1,178 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Business, as usual, may have stopped around Los Angeles these last few months, but public transportation kept going. Bus drivers and train operators helped keep LA moving throughout the public health crisis, transporting thousands of people to and from their destinations. As we begin the road to recovery, LA Metro, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, Culver CityBus, and other transit agencies continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of bus and rail passengers.
Metro recently made bus service changes to enhance physical distancing, adding more trips on 95 heavily used bus lines. Larger, 60-foot articulated buses for trips on select lines are also running to support physical distancing. Passengers continue to board and exit buses through rear doors only, except those with a mobility device or accessibility need and, must wear face coverings when riding. Bus operators also have a transparent protective barrier to help them isolate themselves from passengers.
In a new report, Metro outlines plans to improve mobility in the wake of the pandemic and get LA County back on wheels and rails. The action recommendations include surveying Metro customers on their transportation needs and experiences, testing and implementing new cleaning practices, and partnering with local cities to accelerate projects that speed up buses – for example, bus lanes.
Santa Monica Big Blue Bus
Big Blue Bus continues to provide service with schedule modifications across some routes. Safety procedures in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 are daily cleaning and sanitizing, mandatory face coverings, boarding and exiting through the rear door only, plus a designated physical distancing area to ensure operators and customers can maintain a safe distance. Operators are also provided with hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and personal protective equipment.
Fare remains temporarily eliminated to keep bus riders farther away from bus operators.
Culver CityBus is also offering free rides and requires face coverings on board. Passengers must use the rear door only to limit interactions between themselves and operators. The front doors are only for those who need support due to ADA mobility devices. Rigorous sanitation continues and, hand sanitizers are available on buses.
Efforts by other transit agencies serving the UCLA campus include Antelope Valley Transit Authority's policy of 50% reduced maximum seated occupancy, along with requiring a mask or cloth face covering, until further notice.
Additional Tips to Stay Safe on Public Transportation
Always check for the latest information on changes to services and procedures, avoid touching surfaces, follow physical distancing guidelines, and practice hand hygiene. After you leave a transit station or stop, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, and when you arrive at your destination, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Fear of Public Transit Got Ahead of the Evidence
- In Japan and France, Riding Transit Looks Surprisingly Safe
- Is the Subway Risky? It May Be Safer Than You Think
- Measure the risk of airborne COVID-19 in your office, classroom, or bus ride
- Paris Study
Photo Credit: LA Metro | <urn:uuid:f42bc0da-c065-4f0a-a454-0b6d5e5ee2d6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://transportation.ucla.edu/blog/how-transit-agencies-are-moving-forward-during-ongoing-pandemic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.927414 | 629 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Wyoming data shows smoking-related health impacts persist
Cheyenne, WY. – While recently available data gathered by the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) show Wyoming’s smoking rates have declined, related harmful health consequences continue to be a concern with new differences showing between men and women.
“Smoking’s harmful link to health conditions such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease and dental issues is well established,” Joe Grandpre, Chronic Disease/Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Unit manager with WDH.
Grandpre said Wyoming’s smoking rate has gone down. The 2016 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) results show Wyoming’s current smoking rate among adults is 18.9 percent; the same rate was 24.6 percent in 2003. “Interestingly, this is the first year our results have shown more women smokers (19.1 percent) than men (18.8 percent),” he said.
Grandpre said Wyoming men tend to use other tobacco products such as smokeless tobacco at higher rates than women. The state’s total smokeless tobacco usage rate is 9.8 percent; it is 17 percent for men and 2.3 percent for women.
E-cigarette usage was also measured. Among adults according to 2016 BRFSS results, 24.3 percent had ever tried e-cigarettes while 5.5 percent use them currently. Men report using e-cigarettes at a higher rate (6.1 percent) than women (5 percent).
Wyoming cancer surveillance data are also collected by WDH. Lung cancer was the third most diagnosed cancer in both 2014 and 2015 behind breast cancer and prostate cancer. “However, we know that lung cancer continues to be the number one cause of cancer death in Wyoming,” Grandpre said.
In 2014 there were 303 lung cancer diagnoses (men-146; women-157) in Wyoming and 212 lung cancer deaths. In 2015, there were 276 diagnoses (men-131; women-145) and 213 deaths. “2014 and 2015 marked the first time in Wyoming that more women than men were diagnosed with lung cancer in consecutive years,” Grandpre said.
“One reason we may be seeing an increase in lung cancer diagnoses among women is that historically women as a population started smoking later,” Grandpre said. “American men started smoking just before and during World War II with a peak of about 55 percent of men smoking around 1955. American women did not start smoking until the later 1950s and early 1960s, peaking at around 33 percent in about 1968.”
Grandpre noted the gap between Wyoming lung cancer deaths in men and women has been closing steadily over the last 30 years.
Like lung cancer, the number of deaths associated with COPD in Wyoming is on the increase. From 1990 to 1999 there were an average of 143 COPD deaths in men and 112 deaths in women per year. Between 2000 and 2009 women overtook men with an average of 152 COPD deaths in women and 149 deaths in men. The most recent data show women averaging 177 COPD deaths per year and men averaging 172 deaths per year.
“With COPD, our BRFSS data clearly show the link to smoking. Only 2.6 percent of residents with COPD never smoked, while 12.6 percent did smoke at some point in their lives,” Grandpre said. “We see a similar trend with heart disease. Of those who have been diagnosed, 4.2 percent never smoked and 8.6 percent did smoke at some point.”
“The effects of smoking on dental health are perhaps overlooked but important,” Grandpre said. According to 2016 BRFSS data, 24.7 percent of adults over age 45 have had six or more teeth lost or removed due to gum disease or tooth decay. Of these, 44 percent were smokers and 21 percent were not. Nearly 18 percent of adults over age 65 have lost all their teeth. Of these, 39.4 percent were smokers and 15.1 percent were not.
The Wyoming Quit Tobacco Program (WQTP), which is offered by WDH, can help people who want to quit tobacco use. Interested residents may call 1-800-QUIT NOW or visit www.quitwyo.org online. In addition to free nicotine replacement therapy and Chantix, free phone or online support is available. | <urn:uuid:618f87cb-75e3-44d2-b8d7-3f85403cffe3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.kaslradio.com/wyoming-data-shows-smoking-related-health-impacts-persist/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.967166 | 924 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Panthera onca: A life in the America's.
The scientific name Panthera onca is known to most people as the jaguar. In South America the name for it is "yaguara" which means a beast that kills its prey with one bound. The jaguar is on the endangered species list in the United States, Central, and South America.
The jaguar is the largest cat in the western hemisphere and the third largest cat in the world. They can reach a length of 4 feet and a height of 2.5 to 3 feet. The tail of the jaguar is anywhere from 18-30 inches. Females range from 100 to 200 pounds and the males range between 125 to 250 pounds. The cubs weigh around 25 to 32 ounces at birth (Animal, 2000: 1). .
The background of the jaguar's coat is pale yellow and lightened to whitish on the throat and belly. The jaguar is marked with small isolated spots on the head and neck with dark open ring structures, rosettes, on the sides and flank that generally contain one to four dark spots inside the rings. Melanistic jaguars are also common, resulting in coats that are heavily pigmented, appearing almost black, with the rosette pattern visible only in strong light. When the jaguar is melanistic it resembles that of the leopard, except the jaguar is more heavily built with a stocky appearance and sturdy legs. The jaguar's average life span is about 22 years (Cyber, 2001: 1).
The jaguar lives in a variety of habitats, ranging from the rainforest to seasonally flooded swamp areas, pampas grassland, thorn scrub woodland, and dry deciduous forest. They are strongly associated with the presence of water and can swim well (World, 1996: 1). .
The geographic range of the jaguar is from southern Mexico to Argentina. It can also be found as far south as Patagonia. The jaguar's range used to extend into the southwestern United States. There are still occasional sightings and reports of jaguars in the United States but they are of South American descent. | <urn:uuid:7a6233ce-0236-499e-a091-3fc524bc6142> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/40384.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.94427 | 469 | 3.6875 | 4 |
Why do you want to learn a foreign language?
You might want to enjoy travelling more, connect with people from other cultures or get closer to friends and family members.
Come to think of it, you probably don’t want to learn it at all. You want to speak a foreign language.
This distinction is important, because most people focus too much on learning the theory, then feel disappointed when they can’t speak the language.
Speaking a foreign language is like swimming. Some theory can improve your technique, but if you want to get better at it, you need to get your feet wet.
This article will help you practice speaking a foreign language. You’ll find step-by-step guides on how to:
- Know where to start and what to say.
- Remember the most useful words and phrases, so you can start speaking sooner.
- Stop worrying about making mistakes.
- Deal with mind blanks – and impress natives at the same time.
- Practice speaking with (and without) native speakers.
- Find people to practice with.
Speaking a foreign language: getting started
At the very beginning, you’ll need to learn some basics so you know what to say when you start speaking.
Build a foundation
If you’re starting from zero, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel – get yourself a good beginners’ textbook or online course and start working through it.
When choosing your course, be sure to go for one that teaches you words and phrases that you’ll need in simple conversations. For example, I don’t recommend Duolingo, because the phrases can be quite random, like “you are my horse”. Which you probably won’t need in your first conversation (or hopefully not at all!)
When choosing which materials to use, here are some resources that you might find handy:
If your language isn’t there, here’s a general list of courses that focus on language for conversations:
- The coffee break languages podcast series (free)
- Michel Thomas
- Teach yourself
- Benny Lewis’s Language hacking series
The key here is not to wait until you know everything perfectly before you try to start speaking.
Theory and practice feed into each other: when you practice speaking, you’ll get a better sense of how to use the things you’ve been learning in conversation – they’ll make more sense to you and you’ll remember them more easily.
Expect lots of moments where you find yourself needing a word or grammar point and thinking “ah I knew this!”
1. Remembering it and using it in conversation (yay!)
2. Asking your speaking partner to remind you.
Both are good – forcing yourself to use something in conversation (whether you get it right or not) helps you learn and makes it stick better next time.
Be selective: learn what you want to say
Sometimes language courses tend to focus on lists of words, like sports and animals, that are not useful in the beginning. When was the last time you spoke about volleyball or elephants in a casual conversation with your neighbour?
When it comes to the more practical topics, like nationalities, jobs and family members, you probably still don’t need to learn all of them before you can have a conversation.
For example, it’s useful to know how to talk about your own nationality and job, because they’re normally the first things people ask about. And if you’re married with children, it’ll be handy to know how to say “husband”, “wife”, “son” or “daughter”.
But you probably don’t need words like “Russian” “cousin” and “nurse”, unless you’re from Russia, you’re really close to your cousin or you are a nurse.
You have my full permission to skip over bits of your language course. Take control of your own learning and prioritise words and phrases that you know you’ll need in conversation.
How do you know if a word is worth learning? Use the “tomorrow test” and ask yourself: at my current level, can I imagine myself using this word in conversation?
- Yes? Go ahead and learn it.
- No? Leave it for now. It’ll come back around again when you’re ready.
Remember common conversations
Hi, nice to meet you. Where are you from? What do you do for a living?
Most conversations, especially with people you first meet, are quite samey. If you can memorise common questions and answers, you’ll be able to have your first simple conversation pretty quickly.
Here are some examples of typical questions that come up in conversations:
- Where do you live?
- Are you on vacation?
- Do you like it?
- Do you work or are you a student?
- Why are you learning this language?
- Are you a … fan? (questions about sports)
But remember, the expert on the kind of conversations that you’re likely to have is you! Personalise your learning to your own situation and focus on the words and phrases that you want to say.
Speaking mission 1: common conversations
Write a list of common conversations questions, and your answers. Then make an effort to memorise them by covering them up and testing yourself regularly (you can also use flashcards).
Pro tip: memorise a short paragraph about yourself, with information such as where you’re from, where you live, your job and anything else important about your life. These things are likely to come up over and over again, and it helps to get them rolling off the tongue.
How can you learn how to say these things? Start with a phrase book, or beginner’s textbook, and a good online dictionary, such as wordreference.com. When you get to the point where you need more specific help, there are a few different tools you can use:
- On HiNative, you can post questions and get answers from native speakers.
- On Italki, you can ask questions in the answer section, or you can post your whole paragraph to the notebook section, and a native speaker should come along and correct it for you.
These tools are really handy, but nothing quite beats meeting a native speaker to help you translate and correct your questions and answers.
At the end of the post, we’ll show you how to find them.
Deal with mind blanks… and impress native speakers
Why is speaking a foreign language so scary? What’s the worst that could happen?
There are 4 things that can go wrong:
- You don’t know (or forget) how to say something. Cue awkward silence.
- You say the wrong thing.
- You don’t understand what they said.
- You get “Englished” – you try and say a sentence and they reply in English.
You’ll need to make peace with these things because they’re a normal part of learning a foreign language. The good news is, the more you practice, the better you’ll get and the less they’ll happen.
More good news – there are concrete steps you can take to step around these problems and make conversations run more smoothly, right from the start.
Learn phrases to keep the conversation going
The best solution to the conversation stoppers we just mentioned is to learn simple phrases like “how do you say this?”, “what does that mean” or “can you repeat please”?
They’re perfect for your speaking practice because they stop you from going back into English when a communication breakdown happens.
Here are some examples in French, Spanish and Italian:
If the language you’re learning isn’t there, you can ask a native speaker to help you translate these phrases into the language you’re learning. More on how to find native speakers at the end of this article.
Learn the “thinking” sounds
Speaking slowly, epicly long silences… it’s normal to be slow at first while your brain gets used to processing the new information. That’s what learning’s all about! Over time, things will become more automatic.
And even native speakers hesitate sometimes. In fact, spoken language is packed with ums, ahs, and little words like “you know”, “so”, “actually”, “I mean”, and “right”.
These little words, called fillers, don’t really change the meaning of the sentence, but they add to the colour and flavour and give the language its characteristic sound.
Consider an answer to the common question: “Where are you from?”
Without filler words, you might say something like this:
“London. A small town close to London. Are you from Paris?”
With filler words, you could say this:
“London… Well, a small town close to London, actually. You’re from Paris, right?”
Fillers are often overlooked by language learners, but they’re a great tool because they make your speech sound more natural and buy you some more thinking time.
Here are some examples:
If the language you’re learning isn’t here, you can pick some up by asking native speakers to translate them for you. Keep in mind that it’s really important to be aware and listen to how they are used in the language you’re learning, because it might not be exactly the same.
The Easy Languages Youtube channels are great for this – the presenters interview people on the streets, so you get to hear lots of natural speech.
And you can find lots of other languages on the Easy Languages Channel
Speaking mission 2: learn these phrases
Try to memorise as many of the words and phrases from this section as you can, but most importantly, practice using them in conversation, as this will make them more memorable. You can even bring them with you to your conversation practice sessions, so that you can get into the habit of using them when you need them – notes are allowed 😃
Stop worrying about your mistakes
“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.”
JK Rowling’s words are perfect for those hoping to speak a foreign language:
It’s impossible to speak a foreign language without making mistakes, unless you’re so cautious that you don’t speak at all, in which case you’ve failed at speaking a foreign language by default.
You’ll make mistakes. Lots of them. And that’s ok.
Make friends with your mistakes
Mistakes aren’t a necessary evil to be tolerated. You need them to learn.
They’re part of a feedback loop that works like this:
- Try to say something.
- Make a mistake.
- Get feedback on the right way to say it.
- Say it right.
The more mistakes you make, the more this feedback loop happens and the more you learn. Instead of seeing mistakes as something that you need to avoid, put yourself out there and try to make as many as possible – you’ll learn faster.
But won’t it be embarrassing to make mistakes?
The embarrassment around speaking a foreign language comes from expectations: how you think you “should” talk and what the person listening expects from you. Here’s a good solution to that…
Involve native speakers in your learning
Lots of people view language learning like a performance. You study the grammar and vocabulary first, then once you’ve got it all perfect, you can step out onto the stage and start having fluent conversations.
But languages don’t work like that. You have to practice, which includes making mistakes and looking a bit silly. You’ll never be able to hide the fact that you’re a learner, so there’s no point in trying.
When you get the chance to practice speaking the language, take the pressure off by lowering expectations. Start by saying that you’re learning and you’d like to try – this way the other person will be expecting mistakes.
A conversation isn’t a performance, it’s a team sport. This is especially true if you practice in a situation that’s set up specifically to help you speak the language, for example, in a conversation exchange or online tutoring. Give yourself permission to be a learner and ask for help and corrections as you go along.
Ask for corrections
The following phrases will help you get feedback in the language so you can check that what you’re saying is correct and learn from your mistakes.
1. Did I say it right?
2. Do you say it like that?
3. How would you say it?
4. Did that sound natural?
You can even ask your conversation partner to translate these questions for you, so you can say them in the language you’re learning.
Repeat, repeat, repeat
Do you ever feel like you make mistakes because you forget things too easily in the language you’re learning? Don’t worry, that’s normal!
Most people underestimate how important repetition is for learning a language. Research suggests that kids learning their first language may need to come across a word more than 20 times before it sticks. So if you get a word wrong 19 times, keep going. The 20th could be the winner!
Don’t get disheartened when you forget words and grammar, it’s a natural part of the language learning process. And don’t spend the whole time saying to yourself “I should have known that”. Those kind of self defeating thoughts will impede your progress.
Be patient with yourself, keep going and you’ll get there.
Learn how to laugh at yourself
You’ll probably make some embarrassing mistakes too. That’s all part of it – at least you’ll have a good story to tell.
When you’re learning to speak a foreign language, a good sense of humour is your secret weapon. If you know how to laugh at yourself, you can have some fun with native speakers and get them on your side. If you are laughing, you’re the one in control and those mistakes can’t intimidate you any more.
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One of the most important skills for learning a language is the ability to laugh at yourself. It’s helped me survive many tricky situations, like that time I told a French man I was naked in London (nue à Londres) when I wanted to say born (née à Londres); Or telling everyone at the dinner table that English people eat penis puré (puré di pisello) instead of mushy peas (puré di piselli); That time I told my future mother in law that something was effing boring (palloso) when I wanted to say obvious (palese). When I have to pause before I say discourage (scoraggiare) so I don’t say fart (scorreggiare) by accident. Or arse (cul) instead of neck (cou). Every time I forget numbers, days of the week, the alphabet, and months of the year in languages I’m supposed to speak well. And the hundreds, maybe thousands of times I’ve tried to say something and been met with an awkward smile because they didn’t know what on earth I was on about. Arm yourself with a good sense of humour and let native speakers laugh with you – you’ll never struggle to make friends! When was the last time you had to laugh at yourself when learning a language? Share in the comments! 👇
Speaking mission 3: reframe your mistakes
Write it down, say it aloud, tattoo it on your forehead, whatever you need to do to absorb this idea: mistakes are good. One way to see mistakes as a positive thing is to use them in your practice sessions as a learning tool. Set yourself a goal to make as many mistakes as possible and bring a notebook – write down the corrections and learn them before your next session.
Warm up to speaking a foreign language
The best way to get better at speaking a foreign language is to spend as much time as you can speaking the foreign language.
Simple in theory, but it’s not always easy to find native speakers on your doorstep. And let’s be honest, you’d probably rather keep putting it off, because it’s scary and you don’t feel ready.
The good news is, you don’t have to jump straight into conversations with native speakers. In this section, you’ll learn how to practice speaking in non-intimidating situations first, so that you can warm up for real conversations.
Practice speaking without a native speaker
When you’re making your very first steps in speaking a foreign language, you don’t really need a native speaker. You just need to practice grabbing all that grammar and vocabulary that’s floating around in your head and using it to form sentences. Check out this article for some simple ways to do this.
Start chatting in a language online
Chatting online is a great way to ease yourself into speaking a foreign language. It’s similar to talking in real life, but people can’t see your face (unless you want them too) and the writing format gives you time to think about what you want to say. You can even use an online dictionary to find the right words as you chat.
Here are a few resources you might find handy:
A bit like WhatsApp for language learners, you can use HelloTalk to find native speakers and set up a language exchange via text messages. There are some great tools for learners, such as a translation button to help you understand the messages. Once you get comfortable with texting, you can practice speaking by sending audio messages or meeting your language exchange partner for a video call.
2. Facebook groups
You’ll find lots of groups on Facebook where you can practice chatting with other learners and the moderators in the language you’re learning.
All you have to do to find them is do a quick search on Facebook – you’ll probably be spoilt for choice!
There are some brilliant language teachers on Instagram who post things in the language and chat with their communities. Why not follow them and practice chatting in the comments?
To find these teachers, you can do a quick google search for “Spanish teacher Instagram” (insert whatever language you’re learning) or look on Instagram for hashtags like #learnspanish #learnarabic #frenchlessons #chineselessons…
Listen and read a lot
It’s difficult to learn how to have meaningful conversations by memorising phrases alone.
You’ll also need to spend lots of time observing how the language works in real life, through reading and listening. This will help you start to absorb common words, phrases and grammatical structures. When you read and listen to the language regularly, you’ll find that things will often “pop into your head” when you need them, helping you speak in a more fluid way.
Here are some tips for reading and listening in a foreign language:
And here’s another link to the resources so that, if we have your language, you can find some good things to read and listen to:
Speaking mission 4: make it your routine
These things are all good in principle, but to get the benefit you have to make sure that you’re doing them regularly. Take a moment to look back through this section and think of how you can integrate these strategies into your life and routine. For example:
- If you normally go on Facebook when you’re on the bus, can you use this time to chat in a Facebook group in the language you’re learning?
- If you listen to podcasts on your way to work, can you listen to podcasts or audio for learning the language instead?
- If you watch TV in the evenings, can you spend a little time watching Youtube videos in the language you’re learning instead?
Speaking a foreign language: how to find native speakers
Time to get started with the (not-so-secret) strategy for learning how to speak a foreign language: hours and hours of awkward conversation practice.
There’s nothing quite like regular conversations, with native speakers, or someone who speaks the language better than you, to help you get better at speaking the language.
Where can you find these people? Let’s chat about that now:
How to find people to practice with
My favourite way to practice speaking a language is with an online conversation tutor. There are lots of advantages to learning a language in this way:
- Great value: sometimes for less than $10 an hour
- One-on-one: you get individual attention and lots more practice.
- Low stress: you’re paying them to help you speak and they know you’re a learner, so mind blanks and mistakes are totally ok.
- Perfect for busy people: You can do the lesson whenever you want, from wherever you have an internet connection.
I use the platform Italki for conversation lessons, you can learn more about how to do that here:
If classes are out of budget, you can also use Italki to set up language exchanges. The Italki platform is a bit of a one-stop language learning shop, because you can also use the notebook section to get corrections on your writing and ask questions on the answers page.
Finally, if you prefer real-life contact, you can use websites like conversation exchange to find native speakers in your area and invite them out for a coffee or a beer – you might find you speak the language better after a glass or two!
What to talk about
Remember, it’s all about practice: no one expects you to be perfect already, or even good… yet! When you set up your conversations, you can even take along your notes – actually I’d recommend doing it.
Keep a notebook with your useful phrases and things you’ve learned recently and refer to them during the conversations. You can use the same notebook to write down feedback from your speaking partner or conversation tutor.
As for conversation topics and things to talk about, you’ll find lots of ideas in this post.
Look for the section conversation ideas: what to talk about at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.
Do something now
Enough theory, time for some action – that’s what learning practical skills are all about! What’s one small thing you could do right now to help you start speaking in a foreign language? Scroll back through this article quickly if you need some ideas. Book a lesson, grab a notebook and write some essential phrases, sign up to hellotalk, join a facebook group… pick one small, simple thing and start now. When you’re chatting away in the language you’re learning, you’ll be glad you did!
Anything to add?
Have you tried any of the tips in this article? Do you have any more tips for speaking a foreign language that you think other learners might find useful? Share them in the comments. | <urn:uuid:048ed518-c065-451e-9e71-34f1c6404c69> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://joyoflanguages.com/speaking-a-foreign-language/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.933459 | 5,049 | 2.59375 | 3 |
If you’re spiritually minded, then you’ll be forgiven for seeing a black and orange butterfly and instantly wondering if there is an omen or message associated with it. After all, black and orange makes for a stunning color combination. So, in this article, we’re going to satisfy your curiosity and discuss the spiritual meaning of a black and orange butterfly.
To answer the question, we’ll start by explaining the contributing elements. By that we mean, when we look at the spiritual meaning of a black and orange butterfly, we break it down into three things.
- The spiritual meaning of butterflies in general.
- The spiritual meaning of the color orange.
- The spiritual meaning of the color black.
After we have those three cornerstones in place, we can combine our understanding to fully appreciate the spiritual meaning of a black and orange butterfly.
Spiritual Meaning of Butterflies in General
Above all else, there are two core representations we link with the butterfly. The first, is transformation. While, the second, is freedom.
Let’s talk about transformation first, and we’ll incorporate what we learn into the spiritual meaning of black and orange butterflies as we progress through the article.
Butterflies are strong omens and symbols for transformation. This is because they transform, i.e. they go from being a grubby little caterpillar creeping up cabbage leaves, into a free-flying butterfly. Sure, lots of bugs, insects, and little critters transform—beetles, for example, have a similar grub stage before metamorphosizing into adult beetles. However, it could be argued that the butterfly stands as the pinnacle of stunning transformations in the animal kingdom. This is due to the significance of the transformation. And it’s not just about color, either. Sure, to become a colorful butterfly is significant, but the symbolism of being born on and anchored to a particular plant, and then transforming to become free of it, should not be diminished.
And that’s because the transformation leads into the other major symbolism associated with butterflies: freedom.
So, let’s talk about freedom. Caterpillars aren’t really free at all. Some of them can only survive if they manage to stick to the plant on which they were born. That is, some simply are not able to survive or thrive eating the leaves of a different plant (ref: Thoughtco.com). Therefore, you could conceptualize caterpillars as a sort of prisoner, locked into a tiny world in which they were born. Which is why their transformation is so key in amplifying the spiritual meaning of freedom that butterflies convey.
So, now we have the two linchpins of butterfly symbolism: freedom and transformation. Next we’ll cover color, and then we’ll be able to have a fuller picture of the spiritual meaning of a black and orange butterfly.
Spiritual Meaning of the Color Orange
The color orange is a wonderfully spiritual color. We’ve previously covered the spiritual meaning of several orange objects and animals, and you might find them to be an interesting read.
- Spiritual Meaning of an Orange Leaf
- Orange Butterfly Spiritual Meaning
- Orange Balloon Spiritual Meaning and Omens
- Orange Cat Spiritual Meaning and Omens
- Orange Umbrella Spiritual Meaning
- Orange Ladybug (Ladybird) Spiritual Meaning
So, as you can see, here at Symbols and Synchronicity, we’ve written extensively on the meaning of the color orange.
So, what does the color orange contribute to the spiritual meaning of a black and orange butterfly?
Above all else, orange is a color of warmth. That is evident in that orange is the color of fire and, at certain times of the day, the sun. As such, we have naturally come to associate the color orange with fire and the sun, and, thereby, warmth.
You’d be forgiven for thinking a color of warmth is most strongly associated with the summer season. However, orange is firmly an autumn color. This is because, when the time comes for the leaves to fall, they turn, among other colors, bright orange. That isn’t all, though. Because, there are other elements of the fall festivities that cause us to associate the color orange with the fall. Pumpkins are a perfect example of that.
Orange is a color linked to emotion. Orange represents positive emotions, especially to do with a warm sort of sociability. That is, the color orange represents the kindly acceptance and appreciation you might encounter when you’re in the company of a dear friend. Orange also represents social confidence. That is, orange is the color of social butterflies (nice synergy, right?).
Last but not least, orange is a sound color for artists. This is because the color orange represents creativity.
Spiritual Meaning of the Color Black
The next thing to consider when talking about the spiritual meaning of a black and orange butterfly is the color black.
Like orange, black is also a very symbolic color. You might say that it is a very “powerful” color. This is because the color black is strongly associated with power. Yes, the color black does convey a spiritual, symbolic, and aesthetic sense of power. However, it isn’t a simple sort of power. Specifically, black does not represent rage, or even destruction. Instead, black stands for a quiet, calm, and unshakeable strength through unity and organization. It is for this reason that government officials often use the color black—think of the classic concept of the “man in black”.
Black has another important spiritual and symbolic role in our society. It’s a color we use to represent mourning. That is, black is a way of showing we are sad, it communicates that we are devoid of positive emotions. Bright, light, varied, and vibrant colors represent joy. Black, is a lack of color technically speaking, and this is, perhaps, why it is traditionally used to represent bereavement.
The last thing to mention about the color black is that it’s a solid choice for those wanted to imply sophistication. In Western society, there are two classic items of clothing that embody this concept perfectly.
- The little black dress.
- The tuxedo.
Both of these outfits are seen as, by some, the height of sophistication.
Combined Spiritual Meaning of a Black and Orange Butterfly
Now it’s time to get into the finer details of the spiritual meaning of a black and orange butterfly. The color black lends the butterfly an undeniable strength and calmness, even if it might be tinged with the chance of melancholy. Meanwhile, the color orange buffets the coolness of black with its kindly and autumnal warmth. As such, over all, the black and orange butterfly conveys a message of transformation from a weakened past into a strengthened future. Also, the black and orange butterfly symbolizes the possibility of gaining the freedom to make new friends and build new relationships.
Strength, Freedom, Social Situations
Remember, butterflies are potent emblems of true freedom. So, it stands to reason that the black and orange butterfly would be no different—it also represents freedom. However, it is valuable to incorporate what we know about the spiritual and symbolic meaning of the colors orange and black.
First of all, orange instills the butterfly with warmth, sociability, exuberance, and social confidence. As such, a black and orange butterfly could be seen as a spiritual message that you will experience a free and socially enriching experience. Especially when we bring the metaphysical properties of the color black to the mix. Black adds power to the existing confidence of orange. Therefore, an encounter with a black and orange butterfly suggests that not only will you encounter new social opportunities, but that you will be strong in your confidence in those situations.
Transition Into Something New
Let’s go back to the other core symbol we associate with butterflies—that’s transformation.
It’s worth noting that the butterfly’s transformation is complete. The butterfly is practically unrecognizable from its caterpillar larval form. Therefore, it stands for a total change in your life. Like the message of freedom, the transformation message can be clarified by introducing the spiritual meanings of the colors black and orange.
Orange could indicate that you will rediscover exuberant artistry in your everyday life. While the color black combines to suggest that, in your artistic endeavors, you will not only be calm and assured, but you will also be stylish in everything you do. Wow, you sound like the kind of person that would be very cool to hang out with! | <urn:uuid:d1e1b3f6-4c56-4865-9d8c-a9c295e5f089> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://symbolsandsynchronicity.com/spiritual-meaning-black-and-orange-butterfly/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.918111 | 1,799 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Since May 2021, the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare; AM) has conducted the first deployment of fifth generation fighter aircraft to NATO’s Baltic Air Policing integrating this advanced capability into collective Allied security structures. Deploying this modern fighter aircraft to an enduring mission for the first time comes with challenges, but Italy has been able to draw on the lessons learned from deploying the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to NATO’s Air Policing mission in Iceland in 2019 and 2020. The detachment was able to employ the F-35 like any other aircraft on alert, not encountering any problems even in a different than usual environment away from home.
“The mission is going very well both operationally and logistically. We were able to respond with a 100% efficiency to all scramble orders from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem, Germany. The well-established sound procedures, excellent crew skills, maintenance support and the F-35 robustness has enabled us to live up to the expectations for the enduring Allied mission. In my opinion, the special part about deploying F-35 for the first time was that it was not like deploying for the first time,” said the Detachment Commander, Italian Air Force Colonel Vincenzo Sirico.
The Italian F-35s participated in several multinational exercises in the Baltic area e.g. providing Close Air Support for Joint Tactical Attack Controller exercise of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) battlegroups. Cooperation with eFP has been great and provided the opportunity to include various mission profiles into day-to-day training. The aircraft capabilities gave to the Allied personnel on the ground and other Allies air assets, the possibility to train and integrate a with fifth generation approach to combined operations. The deployment offered a chance to test NATO’s procedures for integrating 4th and 5th gen fighters with the existing NATO command and control architecture.
The Baltic air-policing mission is a NATO air defence Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) in order to guard the airspace over the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Since the 1970s, NATO has established a comprehensive system of air surveillance and airspace management means, as well as Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) assets for intercepts (QRA(I)) provided by its member nations. By means of radar sites, remote data transmission, Control and Reporting Centres (CRCs) and Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs) the Alliance ensures constant surveillance and control of its assigned airspace 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. NATO exploits these facilities to react within seconds to air traffic incidents in the Allies’ airspace. | <urn:uuid:cd03ec3d-40c6-4975-bc74-0f9aea4e4f8f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://militaryleak.com/2021/08/28/italian-air-force-f-35-fighters-execute-trailblazer-deployment-in-baltic-air-policing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.946901 | 551 | 1.65625 | 2 |
The treatment of cardiac arrest has made significant progress over the last 10–15 years. This period marks a significant turning point, because the treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) had often been considered an exercise in futility, with no improvement in outcome for the previous 30 years (Berdowski et al. 2010). In recent years, several investigators have documented marked improvements in survival after OHCA, particularly in those cases with an initial shockable rhythm (ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (pVT) (Wissenberg et al. 2013; Daya et al. 2015; Chan et al. 2014).
Several interventions are likely responsible for the improving survival rates following OHCA. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is associated with survival rates that are 2–3 times higher than those cases without bystander CPR (Hasselqvist-Ax et al. 2015; Rajan et al. 2016). Emergency medical services dispatchers are now better trained to efficiently ask the right questions to enable prompt recognition of cardiac arrest and then to instruct the caller to perform compressiononly CPR (telephone CPR) (Bobrow et al. 2016). For shockable rhythms, reducing the delay to attempted defibrillation also improves outcome. Implementation of public access defibrillation (PAD) programs and dispatch of community first responders trained to use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) will reduce the time to defibrillation (Blom et al. 2014). Text alerts can be used to direct first responders to retrieve the nearest AED and then take it to the scene of a cardiac arrest (Zijlstra et al. 2014).
Once return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) has been achieved, post-resuscitation management impacts significantly on the ultimate neurological outcome. European guidelines for the management of postcardiac arrest patients were published in 2015 and describe the interventions that will optimise outcome (Nolan et al. 2015). Those patients who achieve ROSC and have ST-elevation (STE) on their ECG will require urgent coronary catheterisation because most of these will benefit from percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to restore coronary perfusion (Dumas et al. 2010). The immediate management of those without an obvious non-cardiac cause and without STE is controversial. Some experts advocate urgent coronary catheterisation in all such patients (Dumas et al. 2016). Current European guidance is that these patients should also be discussed with interventional cardiologists and considered for urgent coronary catheterisation (Nolan et al. 2015). Some centres will immediately catheterise cardiac arrest survivors without STE, but only if they had presented with a shockable rhythm.
Cerebral autoregulation is disturbed in 35% of post-cardiac arrest patients and is particularly associated with pre-arrest hypertension (Ameloot et al. 2015a). The optimal target mean arterial pressure (MAP) post cardiac arrest is likely to vary between patients, but to avoid secondary brain ischaemia it has been suggested that the optimal MAP is likely to be in the range 85–105 mmHg, which is somewhat higher than the 65–70 mmHg that is widely used (Ameloot et al. 2015b).
Until recently, in the immediate period after ROSC (certainly prehospital and often in the emergency department) it has been common practice to ventilate the lungs of comatose post-cardiac arrest patients with 100% oxygen. This not unreasonably reflected concerns about harm from hypoxaemia and lack of awareness of harm from highconcentration oxygen. Animal studies have documented worse neurological outcome from the use of 100% oxygen immediately after ROSC, particularly during the first hour (Balan et al. 2006), and some observational studies using data from intensive care unit (ICU) registries have documented an association between hyperoxaemia and worse outcome among post-cardiac arrest patients. In a randomised controlled trial (RCT) the use of routine supplemental oxygen among patients with STE myocardial infarction (but not cardiac arrest), resulted in an increase in size of myocardial infarction compared with patients given oxygen only if hypoxaemic (Stub et al. 2015). A RCT of oxygen titrated to 90–94% versus 98–100% as soon as possible after ROSC and continued until ICU admission (EXACT phase 3 trial) will inform the optimal oxygenation strategy after ROSC (Nolan et al 2017). European guidelines recommend the use of a protective lung ventilation strategy in post-cardiac arrest patients, but this was based mainly on data extrapolated from patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (Nolan et al. 2015). However, a recent observational study of OHCA patients using propensity matching has documented an association between the use of time-weighted average tidal volumes of < 8 mL kg-1 predicted body weight and better neurological outcome (Beitler et al. 2017). Mild hypercapnia may also be associated with better neurological outcome in post-cardiac arrest patients, possibly because it may increase blood flow to ischaemic brain. A phase 2 study comparing mild hypercapnia with normocapnia in 50 postcardiac arrest patients documented a lesser increase in neuron-specific enolase (NSE) values in the hypercapnia group (Eastwood et al. 2016). A RCT comparing post-cardiac arrest patients ventilated to either normocapnia or mild hypercapnia (6.6–7.3 kPa) starts recruiting soon (Targeted Therapeutic Mild Hypercapnia After Resuscitated Cardiac Arrest (TAME) [clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03114033]).
Mild hypothermia has been shown to improve neurological outcome from OHCA presenting with a shockable rhythm, but the two prospective studies documenting this are now considered to be of moderate to low quality (Bernard et al. 2002; Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest Study Group 2002). The targeted temperature management (TTM) study showed no difference in neurological outcome between all-rhythm OHCA patients with ROSC who had their temperature controlled for 24 h at 33oC versus 36oC (Nielsen et al. 2013). Temperature control for comatose survivors of OHCA is still important, but within the range of 32–34oC there is no consensus on the optimal target temperature (Donnino et al. 2016). The Hypothermia or Normothermia-Targeted Temperature Management After Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest-trial (TTM-2 [clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02908308]) study will start recruiting soon and will randomise comatose OHCA survivors to temperature control at 33oC versus prevention of fever, with temperature control to a target of 37.5oC initiated only if the patient’s temperature reaches 37.8oC.
The commonest mode of death in postcardiac arrest patients who are admitted to ICU but do not survive is withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST) following determination of a poor neurological prognosis. We now recognise that in many cases these WLST decisions have been premature and that prognostic tests previously thought to be reliable are associated with unacceptably high false positive rates (Elmer et al. 2014; Cronberg et al. 2017). European guidelines for prognostication in comatose post-cardiac arrest patients advocate a multimodal approach that is delayed until at least 3 days after cardiac arrest (Sandroni et al. 2014). Those ICUs experienced in the management of post-cardiac arrest patients should have easy access to electroencephalography, including somatosensory evoked potentials, and to neurologists who can interpret the findings.
In some countries, regionalisation of postcardiac arrest treatment has resulted in cardiac arrest centres with availability of 24/7 coronary catheterisation laboratories, intensive care teams experienced in post-resuscitation care and neurologists that can help in the interpretation of neuroprognostic tests (Spaite et al. 2014). The introduction of cardiac arrest centres where high volumes of post-cardiac arrest patients can be treated is associated with better outcomes, even when patients are transported for greater distances as they bypass local hospitals (Tranberg et al. 2017; Schober et al. 2016; Elmer et al. 2016). Investigators in London, UK are about to start recruiting to a study patients with ROSC after OHCA of likely cardiac cause but without STE on their 12-lead ECG, and will compare the outcome of patients randomised to be transported to the nearest acute hospital with those taken to a regional cardiac arrest centre (Patterson et al. 2017). This study will help to determine if all OHCAs of cardiac cause should be treated in a cardiac arrest centres and not just those patients with STE on their 12-lead ECG.
By strengthening every link in the chain of survival it is likely that survival from cardiac arrest can still be improved considerably.
Conflict of Interest
Jerry Nolan is Editor-in-Chief of Resuscitation. He has a UK National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) grant for the PARAMEDIC-2 study (adrenaline versus placebo in out of hospital cardiac arrest-OHCA) and for the AIRWAYS-2 study (i-gel versus tracheal intubation in OHCA).
AED automated external defibrillator
ICU intensive care unit
MAP mean arterial pressure
NSE neuron-specific enolase
OHCA out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
PAD public access defibrillation
PCI percutaneous coronary intervention
pVT pulseless ventricular tachycardia
ROSC return of spontaneous circulation
RCT randomised controlled trial
TTM targeted temperature management
VF ventricular fibrillation
WLST withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy | <urn:uuid:5fd0d09c-0581-4137-9785-cc54812b41a4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://healthmanagement.org/c/icu/issuearticle/cardiac-arrest-management | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.885234 | 2,097 | 2.65625 | 3 |
In a recent study conducted by teams at MIT and the University of Toronto, which was featured in the New York Times, researchers studied 6,000 Kickstarter projects, looking at the relationship between time and the effect on “innovative” ideas. Over the course of nine months, researchers observed patterns of heavy ideation work and administrative or execution of idea work. The study suggested that ideas need robust doses of “non-creative” or process time to help the original idea along. In other words, good ideas need these “uncreative” administrative tasks to become great ideas on the market.
While the study was small, it has implications for creative workplaces. Most directly, it challenges prevailing notions we generally hold about creativity, innovation and how we work.
Ideas Need Process
The big takeaway challenges our mythical attachment to ideas. Most of us love and value creativity, and we see and want the effects of innovation. A singular idea disrupts markets. A visionary with her strength smashes through to markets with the power of her idea. We find ourselves drawn to the story of Newton’s “apple falling on his head” story. We get lost in the romance of the marathon brainstorming session where an idea magically comes to life. However, as the study suggests, there are processes that do the heavy lifting for intangible ideas.
Ideas, as the study suggests, develop through a company pipeline only if encouraged by way of company policies, structures, processes and culture. There is a value to ideas only if they are kept in motion. As many companies proclaim to pursue innovation, creative workers need to continue raising awareness and helping to make tangible the benefits, for example, of innovation hubs to test out ideas. Companies, too, need to invest in idea think-tank teams with dedicated resources and people to keep ideas at play.
The study pointed out what neuroscience is already telling us: our brains are more creative with lots of time spent relaxing and daydreaming. Obsessive focus yields nothing in the way of creative breakthroughs. Most creatives don’t lack ideas, they are deluged with them. It’s the connecting of different types that yields a new idea or improves an idea already churning through the brain. That’s because the brain needs to go into default mode. As neuroscientist Rex Jung has noted, taking time off doesn’t shut the brain off so much as it gives it license to yield into the unconscious. As the study implies, there was a lot of work going on while the Kickstarter owners went offline.
I hope you’ve found this topic useful in your work. What’s your experience with the generation of creative ideas? How has the power of process helped or hindered your work? | <urn:uuid:13f6aebb-5ec3-4c67-8f77-7b922112c654> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.oishiicreative.com/2015/08/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.953195 | 580 | 2.34375 | 2 |
If you’re dining out this Valentine’s Day, spare a thought for the people putting your food on the table.
Hospitality has been one of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic, and new research from the University of South Australia shows that even with an end to lockdowns, social distancing requirements are adding to the stress and difficulty faced by many people working in service roles.
The new study, published in The Journal of Service Theory and Practice, shows the challenges of adhering to social distancing requirements – and concerns about potential consequences of not doing so – are taking a heavy mental toll on many hospitality workers, eroding job satisfaction and increasing intention to leave the industry.
Lead author, Dr Frank Huo, from UniSA’s Centre for Workplace Excellence (CWeX), says many hospitality workers face great difficulty in balancing “COVID-safe” with “good service”, leading to disillusionment and dissatisfaction with their roles.
“The high physical-proximity nature of service industry jobs makes it difficult to practice social distancing at work, which jeopardises employees’ work engagement and career-related attitudes,” Dr Huo says.
“Work engagement – including taking pride and pleasure in your job and seeing future career prospects in the role – is a key factor in employee wellbeing, so situations that reduce work engagement can lead to negative vocational experiences, including career regret and turnover intention.”
While recognising the importance of social distancing measures in reducing the spread of COVID-19, Dr Huo says there is a need for greater understanding of their impact on service employees, and greater recognition of the ways in which employers and customers can help reduce that impact.
“In order to maintain service employees’ engagement and their positive career attitudes, managers may endeavour to reduce work demands incurred by social distancing difficulties,” Dr Huo says.
“Example strategies include limiting the number of patrons, implementing contactless payment and delivery systems, and providing employees with personal protective equipment.
“Furthermore, it is helpful to encourage customers’ co-production behaviours in service delivery so that they can help restaurant workers to practice social distancing during service.
“Emphasising the necessity and benefits of social distancing rules helps enhance employees’ acceptance of regulations, thereby reducing their perceived threat of social distancing difficulty.” | <urn:uuid:772aa4c0-e38c-4436-970e-e6be30dbb8a3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.miragenews.com/challenge-of-providing-good-service-while-723048/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.94367 | 499 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Robert Klein is Emeritus Professor and Western Nebraska Crops Specialist at UNL. He joined UNL in 1960 and since 1983 has been located at the West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte. His interest in soil conservation and improving dryland crop yields and reducing irrigation water use without reducing crop yields resulted in him being one of the leaders in Ecofarming and No-Till research and extension crop production methods. The success of Ecofarming and No-Till depends heavily on managing weeds which led to his involvement in pesticide application technology in the early 1970s. This included developing equipment and procedures to analyze spray patterns of ground application sprayers. His papers have included a number of presentations at the International Advancesin Pesticide Application Conferences held in Europe. His many awards include the United States Dept. of Agriculture Superior Service Award and a Fellow in the North Central Weed Science Society.
Stephen Mason is an emeritus professor with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources with an extensive focus on crop production and management. He has practiced the production of annual dryland summer crops such as maize, sorghum, pearl millet. Mason has researched the use of pearl millet as an alternate grain crop in crop rotations for countries in Africa and Latin America. | <urn:uuid:bf5cd4ca-bae4-44c9-8586-b7bda8742d1e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://news.unl.edu/experts/crops/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.955959 | 260 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Theory of Control Systems Described by Differential Inclusions
This book provides a brief introduction to the theory of finitedimensional differential inclusions, and deals in depth with control of threekinds of differential inclusion systems. The authors introduce the algebraicdecomposition of convex processes, the stabilization of polytopic systems, andobservations of Luré systems. They also introduce the elemental theory offinite dimensional differential inclusions, and the properties and designs ofthe control systems described by differential inclusions. Addressing thematerial with clarity and simplicity, the book includes recent researchachievements and spans all concepts, concluding with a critical mathematicalframework. This book is intended for researchers, teachers and postgraduatestudents in the area of automatic control engineering.
- 2016 Springer
Choosing a Book Format
EPUB is the standard publishing format used by many e-book readers including iBooks, Easy Reader, VoiceDream Reader, etc. This is the most popular and widely used format.
DAISY format is used by GoRead, Read2Go and most Kurzweil devices.
Audio (MP3) format is used by audio only devices, such as iPod.
Braille format is used by Braille output devices.
DAISY Audio format works on DAISY compatible players such as Victor Reader Stream.
Accessible Word format can be unzipped and opened in any tool that supports .docx files. | <urn:uuid:e470394c-4ffe-42b0-92f9-e57630280670> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bolivia.bookshare.org/en/bookshare/book/1420149 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.876977 | 304 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Wild bison have been released into the UK for the first time in thousands of years as part of a pioneering conservation project to slow the climate crisis.
The European bison were released into ancient woodland in Kent early on Monday morning, the hottest day on record, by two leading conservation charities.
The Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust are responsible for the ground-breaking project which saw the bison released into West Blean and Thornden Woods, near Canterbury, Kent, to create a more climate resilient landscape by restoring complex habitats.
The five-year project will see the bison restore life to the woodland through their natural behaviours as ‘eco-system engineers’, as the herd offer a nature-based solution to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises.
The bison will naturally fell trees and create layers within the forest, which will bring a more diverse woodland and move it away from being a monoculture. The wetter areas will also store carbon and reduce flood risk.
European bison will play a key role in helping to restore natural processes in the woodland, thanks to their natural behaviours such as grazing, eating bark, felling trees and taking dust baths, which will open the canopy, creating light and new spaces for wildlife and previously missing species to thrive.
The £1.125m project, funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, was launched two years ago as part of a landmark experiment to test this nature-based solution to habitat management and help combat the climate and nature crises.
Evan Bowen-Jones, Chief Executive Officer at Kent Wildlife Trust, said: “The restoration of naturally functioning ecosystems is a vital and inexpensive tool in tackling the climate crisis.
“The bison will help to create climate resistant landscapes which can adapt to the challenges presented by the crisis we face.
“We want Wilder Blean to mark the beginning of a new era for conservation in the UK. We need to revolutionise the way we restore natural landscapes, relying less on human intervention and more on natural engineers like bison, boar and beaver.
“Equally important, is that the Wilder Blean project will connect people with nature in a way that hasn't been possible before in the UK because we haven't had big wild animals present in our landscapes. We hope that those who visit the woodland and learn about the project will be inspired by what we are doing and become champions for nature too.”
The bison will soon be joined by other grazing animals whose natural behaviours compliment the bison, including Exmoor ponies, Iron Age pigs and Longhorn cattle. They will help to manage the landscape without human intervention and their impact on biodiversity and the landscape will be closely monitored in a long-term survey programme led by Kent Wildlife Trust.
Paul Whitfield, Director General of Wildwood Trust, said on Monday: “Today heralds a new dawn for conservation and the fight against climate change.
"As well as helping the biodiversity crisis, one of the fantastic things about this ground-breaking project is that it’s going to demonstrate the very real impact nature-based solutions can have in solving the climate crisis. The two are intrinsically linked and we can’t solve one without the other.
"With this project, we’re going to prove the impact bison in the wild can have on the environment. They will create an explosion of biodiversity and build habitat resilience; locking in carbon to help reduce global temperature rise. This will act as a huge catalyst for change, with the project being replicated on scale across the country. It will make a phenomenal difference. Its great news in these worrying times.
“Not only this but we're giving people in the UK - for the first time in over a thousand years - the chance to experience bison in the wild. It's a really powerful emotional, visceral experience and it’s something we’ve lost in this country. It's an absolute privilege to be part of the team that's bringing that back.”
James Seymour, Natural England’s Area Manager for Sussex and Kent, said: “We welcome the Kent Wildlife Trust’s plans to restore West Blean and Thornden Woods SSSI, and compare the benefits of different habitat management approaches, including the use of bison. We want to support projects that aid nature recovery and connect communities with their natural environment.”
Tom Townsend, Principal Consultant – Agriculture, Food and Beverage at Acre, said: “It’s great to see innovative solutions to improve the health of our woodland being implemented; however, we need a significant increase in ambition, scale and investment in order to make a meaningful impact and reverse the environmental damage which has been inflicted over many years.”
According to the State of Nature Report, the UK has seen natural species decline at the fastest rate in thousands of years and this project was created as a direct response.
Animal welfare has been at the heart of the project, with the wellbeing of the bison taking precedence over any media activity.
Tom focuses on mid-senior level Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability appointments across Europe. Previously, Tom focused on senior appointments within Procurement & Supply Chain, with a particular expertise in Consumer Goods across the DACH markets Tom joined Acre to continue the company’s international growth. He holds a first-class degree in Mathematics. | <urn:uuid:aace2a0b-5670-4cba-990c-db92d630c470> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.acre.com/blog/2022/07/wild-bison-returns-to-uk-for-first-time-in-thousands-of-years | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.948379 | 1,119 | 3.078125 | 3 |
The third and final Presidential debate, though not a total 180 from their first, resembled moderately what civil politics used to look like. President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, took the stage at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and set their opposing visions of America if they are elected this term.
First and foremost, both candidates at this point in the race know who their audience is, and without influence of personal opinion, did what they needed to do to keep that demographic on their side. If there was any swaying, it was low; not only because both candidates stuck to their scripts, if you will, but because of the extremity of this election. Over 40 million Americans have already voted.
The reasoning behind the demeanor of this debate changing is based on a variety of reasons; beginning with the mic mute. For the first debate on September 29, there was no mute button available for the committee and therefore both candidates continuously went over time and interrupted each other, as well as the moderator Fox News’ Chris Wallace. Though going over their times did continue throughout the final debate, the moderator NBC News’ Kristen Welker seemed to have a better handle on the candidates, and if she didn’t, their microphones were muted.
However, it would be naive to say that the mute feature was the key factor in the change of demeanor. The best way to put it would be much like getting yelled at by your parents for doing something bad on the playground. I believe the candidates and mainly President Trump, whose disposition swayed significantly from his consistent act, was yelled at by his team. After his remarks following the last debate, where he believed he won but was criticized by his own advisors, he admitted that he could tone it down a bit, which I believe if anything he accomplished.
Though he was repeatedly accused of being a “typical politician” giving standard answers, former Vice President Biden held his ground when speaking directly to the American people and attempting to not lose control throughout the antics. Besides closing statements, in which both candidates were asked to address those that didn’t vote for them as if they were at their inauguration, during which President Trump paid no mind to address those at home, an important question was asked that was answered substantially differently by each – “Can you understand why Black parents give their children “the talk” about how to handle encounters with law enforcement?”
Due to the high and heavy racial tensions amid us as a country throughout this presidency and especially 2020, I believe the majority of the American people (myself included) were hoping to see some type of empathy and acknowledgement from the two white men on stage.
President Trump’s response, stating he has done more for the African American community ever, maybe holding an exception for Abraham Lincoln, and stating probably his boldest statement of the night “I’m the least racist person in this room.” and going onto criticize Biden for his partaking in a crime bill from the 1990’s.
Vice President Biden shot back “Abraham Lincoln here is one of the most racist presidents we’ve had in modern history. This guy has a dog whistle as big as a fog horn.” Though I do believe that Biden focused more on speaking directly to the American people as opposed to President Trump, the debate was much more a competition to discredit the others’ past, rather than focus on their futures, as well as ours.
Speaking of our future, the main difference between the two candidates if anything was ultimately made clear last night, the presence or absence of a concrete plan backed up by facts, outlines, or even simply an idea in process. Something that the Trump administration has been hammered for – while making optimistic claims that there will be a vaccine by 2021 for the COVID-19 outbreak, or a new healthcare plan that we have yet to see during the past four years, or an economic comeback.
While the Biden administration has shown their strengths in terms of detailed and vigorous plans on policy, they have also been met with backlash from President Trump and his supporters asking why Vice President Biden didn’t get these things done during his 47 years in politics. My answer to that: he wasn’t the President.
With 11 days now left until the most unprecedented election during the most unforeseeable year, it is safe to say that our country’s well being and our futures are in the hands of the American people.
Photo: Dallas Morning News | <urn:uuid:e376613f-ccec-408a-a1b8-a699fcaa5401> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://scstudentmedia.com/maisto-presidential-debates-are-back-to-normal-not-quite/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.987635 | 941 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Here's the weather across Australia on Wednesday, June 10, 2020.
Onshore winds are causing showers along parts of the NSW and Queensland coasts, far northeastern NT, far southwest WA and western Tasmania.
A high is keeping elsewhere clear and calm, which will lead to a cold night in the interior and south with frost in parts of the southeast.
Yesterday, this led to Melbourne's lowest recorded temperature this early in the year for more than three decades as temperatures plummeted across southeastern Australia on Tuesday morning.
In addition to the weather, Australia is also experiencing some of its longest nights of the year at the moment, being within two weeks of the winter solstice.
These long nights are maximising the amount of time the ground has to cool down in the dark.
Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales
Heavy showers, cool in the northeast. Mostly cloudy, cool-to-cold in the southeast.
Early frost/fog then mostly cloudy, cool-to-cold in the southwest. Early frost, mostly cloudy, cool-to-cold in the northwest.
Showers will increase in Sydney, as the temperature climbs as high as 18, from a minimum of 13.
Canberra will be cooler, with a chilly low of 1, and high of 15.
Early frost/fog. Mostly sunny, cold in the southwest. Mostly cloudy, cool-to-cold in the southeast. Increasing sunshine, cool-to-cold in the northwest. Fog then sunny, cool-to-cold in the northeast.
Frosts with temperatures down to 0 degrees are forecast for Wednesday morning in parts of the Mallee and Wimmera forecast districts
City-dwellers will be spared the chill, with a low of 7 in mostly-sunny Melbourne, climbing to 16.
Mostly sunny, warm in the NW Top End. Showers clearing, mild-to-warm in Arnhem. Sunny, cool-to-mild over the interior and south.
Darwin is mainly sunny today, topping the nation's capital cities with a high of 32.
19:35 AEST19:40 AEST19:45 AEST19:50 AEST19:55 AEST20:00 AEST20:05 AEST
Showers, cool-to-mild in the southeast. Clearing showers, warm in the northeast. Sunny, cool-to-mild in the northwest. Mostly sunny, cool-to-cold in the southwest.
There's a strong wind warning for the Peninsula Coast and Cooktown Coast up until midnight tonight.
There will be showers in Brisbane, and the mercury will climb from a mild 16 up to 24.
Early frost. Mostly sunny, cold in the southeast. Sunny, cool-to-cold in central. Sunny, cool-to-mild in the west and north.
There's a frost warning, with temperatures forecast down to -1 for Mid North, Riverland, Murraylands, Upper South East and Lower South East forecast districts.
In addition to this, temperatures at ground level can be many degrees lower than those recorded by standard weather stations, especially in calm conditions with clear skies.
But Adelaide will still be sunny, with a high of 15.
18:50 AEST19:00 AEST19:10 AEST19:20 AEST19:30 AEST19:40 AEST19:50 AEST
Showers, cold in the southwest. Windy on the highlands. Mostly cloudy, cold in the southeast. Mostly cloudy, cool-to-cold in the north.
There's a strong wind warning for Tasmania's South East Coast, South West Coast and Central West Coast today.
Hobart will be cloudy, with a low of 6 and a high of 14.
Mostly cloudy, cool-to-mild in the southwest and south. Sunny, mild in the northwest. Mostly sunny, warm in the northeast.
Perth, though mostly cloudy, will continue its balmy start to this year's winter, with a low of 6 and a high of 24.
– Reported with Weatherzone | <urn:uuid:82f93270-8592-4acb-aeed-d5904d478f2c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-forecast-australia-frost-warnings-as-southeast-cold-snap-continues-weatherzone/d113cd5b-3d3b-4fdc-9784-9877b6999e0e | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.932075 | 868 | 1.789063 | 2 |
– Family safe online tips and resources.
Family Safe Online Summary in Numbers:
• 70% of parents talk to their children about online safety at least 2-3 times a year; 45% talk to their children least once a month.
• 74% of parents are connected to their children’s profiles on social networking sites.
• 71% of parents have taken at least one action to manage their children’s use of the Internet or cell phones. Parents are checking to see where children are searching online, setting time limits, setting parental controls on video sites, and using filters to limit where their children go on the Web.
Kudos to dads:
• 71% of dads (compared to 63% of moms) say they are taking at least one action to help manage their children’s online behavior, including having conversations about respecting the privacy of others and checking their children’s privacy settings.
• Fathers more often check to see what personal information can be easily found about their children by searching their names online.
• 53% of dads surveyed told us they plug their children’s names into a search engine at least 2-3 times per year (compared to 38% of moms), and 33% of dads told us they search at least once a month.
Parents at Google (Eric Schmidt, Vic Gundotra, Jacquelline Fuller, Alan Eustace and Jeff Huber) from Mountain View, California talking about their approach to helping keep their children safe online:
Watch videos of some of our parents at Google talking about how they manage their children’s safety online and read safety tips from Google.
General suggestions for how to help keep your family safe online (from Google.org).
- Keep computers in a central place. This will make it easier to keep an eye on your children’s activities.
- Know where your children go online. If you have young children, you might use the Internet with them. For older children you could talk about what kinds of sites they like to visit and what isn’t appropriate for your family. You can also check where your kids have been by looking at the history in your browser menu. Another option is to use filtering tools like Google SafeSearch.
- Teach Internet safety.It’s impossible to monitor your child’s online activity all the time. As they get older, they need to know how to use the Internet safely and responsibly when they’re on their own.
- Use privacy settings and sharing controls. Many sites that feature user-generated content, including YouTube, Blogger and social networking sites, have sharing controls that put users in charge of who sees personal blogs, photos, videos, and profiles. Using sharing controls is particularly important when you or your children share personal information such as names, addresses, or phone numbers, on public sites. Teach your children to respect the privacy of friends and family by not identifying people by name in public profiles and pictures.
Read more here: Watch videos from Google parents
Steps to help protect your children’s privacy and safety when they’re using the computer.
It’s a good idea to visit some sites for kids. Pay particular attention when sites collect personal information.
Read the privacy statement and, if you don’t agree with it, search a little, to find a similar site that doesn’t request personal information.
Block inappropriate content
One of the best defenses against inappropriate content is to block it before you see it. With Microsoft software there are a few different ways you can do this.
Windows Live Family Safety. This software helps you filter information based on each child’s age. You can also limit searches, block or allow certain websites, and monitor what your kids do online.
Xbox parental controls. Xbox includes parental controls that help you restrict your child’s ability to play inappropriate games and watch inappropriate DVD movies.
Increase your security and privacy
In addition to blocking inappropriate content, it’s a good idea to block sites and downloads that might be a risk to your security and privacy.
Steering Clear of Cyber Tricks:
Set limits on downloads. Free games, free music, animated toolbars, and other downloads can expose your computer to spyware or other unwanted software. Depending on the ages of your children, you can teach them not to download software from unknown sources on the Internet or ask your permission before they download anything. This can help to keep unwanted software off of your computer.
A child might accidentally infect your computer with spyware or other unwanted software. Some popular sites for kids might try to download programs without permission. To avoid this, monitor where your kids go online. For more information, see Step 3.
Use antivirus and antispyware software like Microsoft Security Essentials. Microsoft Security Essentials helps you detect, disable, or remove viruses, spyware and other potentially unwanted software.
Create different user accounts. Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP allow you to create multiple user accounts for your computer. Each user logs on with a unique profile and his or her own Desktop and My Documents folder. You can give yourself an Administrator account and give your children Limited User accounts. Administrator accounts have full control over the computer. Limited Users cannot change system settings or install new hardware or software, including most games, media players, and chat programs.
Adjust web browser security settings. You can help protect your child through your web browser. Internet Explorer helps you control your security and privacy preferences by allowing you to assign security levels to websites.
Tips for parents and children on how to stay safe online:
Monitor where your kids go online
It might not be possible to be present whenever your children are online. But it is possible to check later to see where your children have spent their time online.
By reviewing the History list in Internet Explorer, you can see all the places your children visited online. To view your Internet History, click the History button on the browser toolbar.
Remind kids not to talk to strangers online
Real-time chats, social networking, and instant messaging can be a great way for children to discuss their interests and build friendships. But the anonymity of the Internet can also put children at risk of falling victim to imposters and predators. To help minimize your children’s vulnerability, teach them to take precautions such as:
Use only a first name or nickname to identify themselves.
Never disclose a phone number or address.
Never send photographs of themselves.
Never agree to meet someone they met online without supervision.
To help protect your children from being contacted by strangers while instant messaging, configure your software to allow only approved contacts. | <urn:uuid:b47b74af-f84a-4ccf-8ed3-7c5b37450547> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://socialnetworkinglab.com/tag/social-media-networking/page/6/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.916432 | 1,459 | 2.921875 | 3 |
OnePlus Ace phone not showing up on the PC? Or OnePlus Ace phone won’t connect to a computer? It might be because of the missing OnePlus Ace USB drivers or corrupted drivers. To fix the problem, download the OnePlus Ace USB driver and install it on your computer.
OnePlus USB drivers are required to connect OnePlus Ace to a Computer or Laptop via USB cable. If you’re looking for a OnePlus Ace USB driver for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 8, then we have got you covered. We have shared the official USB Driver for OnePlus Ace along with the ADB interface drivers and Fastboot drivers on this page.
With OnePlus Ace Android USB Driver installed, we can connect the device to the computer as an MTP USB device (Media Transfer Protocol) and transfer images, videos, documents, and other files between the two devices.
OnePlus Ace ADB Driver and Fastboot Driver enable you to pass ADB commands and Fastboot commands from the computer to perform certain operations on your phone.
Table of Contents
- 1 Download OnePlus Ace USB Driver
- 2 How to Install OnePlus Ace USB Drivers
- 3 How to Install OnePlus Ace USB Drivers Manually
- 4 How to Install OnePlus Ace ADB and Fastboot Drivers
Download OnePlus Ace USB Driver
The OnePlus mobile drivers offered here can be used to flash stock firmware, stock recovery, TWRP recovery, CWM Recovery, Unlocking Bootloader, etc. It can also be used for general purposes, like transferring data and files.
OnePlus Ace Driver for Flashing Firmware
OnePlus Ace USB Driver for normal connecting to PC
The OnePlus Ace Fastboot and ADB drivers can be downloaded below.
OnePlus Ace ADB and Fastboot Drivers
How to Install OnePlus Ace USB Drivers
- Download and extract the OnePlus Drivers package on your computer.
- After extracting the driver package, you'll get the OnePlus USB Drivers setup file.
- Run the OnePlus Android USB Driver setup and select English and click on OK.
- Now, click on Install to begin the OnePlus USB Drivers installation process.
- Wait for the setup to install the OnePlus drivers on your computer.
- When the drivers are installed, click on Finish to exit the wizard window.
- Finally, reboot your computer.
How to Install OnePlus Ace USB Drivers Manually
- Download the latest_usb_driver_windows.zip file on your computer and extract it on Desktop.
- Open the Device Manager on your computer by searching device manager from Windows Start Menu.
- Now click on your Computer name in the Device Manager window.
- Now click on Action and then select Add legacy hardware.
- Add Hardware Wizard window should open, click on Next to continue.
- Now select Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced) option and click on Next.
- Select Show All Devices from the list and click on Next.
- On the next screen, click on Have Disk… to open the Install From Disk window.
- Click on Browse… and navigate to the folder where you have extracted the drivers in Step #1.
- Now select android_winusb.inf file and click on Open and then on OK.
- Select the Android ADB Interface driver from the list and click on Next.
- Confirm the Hardware driver to install and click on Next to begin the installation process.
- Once installed, click on Finish.
- Follow Steps #3 to #13 again and install the Android Bootloader Interface driver and Android Composite ADB Interface driver.
- Once all the listed drivers are installed, restart your computer.
How to Install OnePlus Ace ADB and Fastboot Drivers
- Download and extract 15 seconds ADB installer on your computer.
- Now right click on the adb driver installer setup file (adb-setup.exe) and click on Run as administrator.
- Now a command prompt window with a blue background and white text should open.
- It should ask whether you want to install ADB and Fastboot? Press the Y key on your keyboard and hit Enter.
- Now, it should ask whether you want to install ADB system-wide? Again press the Y key and hit Enter.
- Now, the ADB driver and Fastboot driver installation process should begin.
- When finished, it should ask whether you want to install device drivers? Press the Y key and hit Enter.
- Now the "Device Driver Installation Wizard" window should open.
- Click on Next to continue installing the Google USB Drivers (WinUSB).
- Once installed, click on Finish and reboot your computer. | <urn:uuid:0818eca5-27e2-471f-861c-0b2e5d99d93b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.androidusbdrivers.com/oneplus-ace-usb-drivers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.795048 | 964 | 1.757813 | 2 |
All 50 Bring the Classics to Life Series Sampler Bundle of Books. 1 of each title reading levels 1.0-6.0.
These classic novels have been adapted into 10 short chapters that will excite the reluctant reader as well as the enthusiastic one. Key words are defined and used in context. Multiple-choice questions require the student to recall specific details, sequence the events, draw inferences from story context, develop another name for the chapter, and choose the main idea.
Let the Classics introduce Kipling, Stevenson, and H.G. Wells. Your students will embrace the notion of Crusoe's lonely reflections, the psychological reactions of a Civil War soldier at Chancellorsville, and the tragedy of the Jacobite Cause in 18th Century Scotland. In our society, knowledge of these Classics is a cultural necessity.
- Improves fluency, vocabulary and comprehension
- High Interest/Low Readability
- Each workbook may be used on a consumable basis or reproduced for multiple usage
- Is divided into 10 short chapters
- Was written using McGraw-Hill's Core Vocabulary
- Has been measured by the Fry Readability Formula
- Includes 100 comprehension questions that test for main idea, critical thinking, inference, recalling details and sequencing
- Has 60 vocabulary exercises in modified Cloze format
- Defines and uses in context new vocabulary, prior to each chapter
- Includes complete answer keys for comprehension and vocabulary exercises
- Contains 72 pages with exciting illustrations
Set 1 (Reading Level 1.0 – 1.9) Workbooks
White Fang, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Little Women, Swiss Family Robinson, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Rip Van Winkle, Heidi, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Jungle Book, and A Christmas Carol.
Set 2 (Reading Level 2.0 – 2.9) Workbooks
Black Beauty, Tom Sawyer, The Call of the Wild, Treasure Island, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, The Prince and the Pauper, Man Without a Country, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Silas Marner, and Around the World in 80 Days.
Set 3 (Reading Level 3.0 – 3.9) Workbooks
Robinson Crusoe, Red Badge of Courage, Kidnapped, Invisible Man, The Man in the Iron Mask, The War of the Worlds, Sea Wolf, Oliver Twist, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and Frankenstein.
Set 4 (Reading Level 4.0 – 4.9) Workbooks
Captains Courageous, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Time Machine, Gulliver's Travels, 20,000 Leauges Under the Sea, The Pathfinder, From the Earth to the Moon, David Copperfield, The Pioneers, and A Picture of Dorian Gray.
Set 5 (Reading Level 5.0 – 5.9) Workbooks
Metropolis, Last of the Mohicans, Moby Dick, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, A Journey to the Center of the Earth, Kim, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Count of Monte Cristo, A Tale of Two Cities, and Ivanhoe. | <urn:uuid:76813169-4491-42ea-84a0-1fcc5f3e3775> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.devineexpress.com/products/bring-the-classics-to-life-complete-set-of-all-50-workbooks | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.796184 | 656 | 3.5 | 4 |
New York, USA. Three Religious Sisters of Mary Immaculate (Claretian Missionary Sisters) and six Lay Claretians from India, Sri Lanka, D. R. Congo, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Guatemala, and a young Muslim woman from Indonesia, formed the Claretian delegation of the Fondazione Proclade Internazionale-ONLUS that participated in the sixty-fifth session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65).
From March 15 to 26, representatives of UN member states, UN entities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) accredited to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) attended this session which, due to the COVID19 pandemic, was held virtually. The priority theme of this year’s session was “women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.” This year’s session also assessed and discussed the conclusions of the 60th session (2016), “Women’s empowerment and its link to sustainable development”.
The online format allowed many people to participate. In addition to the official sessions, there were hundreds of side events organized by civil society organizations. The CSW65 Virtual NGO Platform hosted 25,000 voices organizing and participating in these events.
Proclade Internazionale also submitted a joint statement with the Justice Coalition of Religious (JCoR) for CSW65. For those who were part of the Proclade delegation – their first participation in an event of this magnitude- it was an important opportunity to learn about the situation of women in the world, as well as to learn about the variety of work experiences in different countries and regions.
Summarizing their participation in this session of the CSW65, the delegation expressed their gratitude for this “space that allowed us to listen to diverse positions, even those with which we disagree”. It also allowed them to hear “the voices of women, adolescents and girls whose rights have been undermined and to recognize that, during the current pandemic, violence in its multiple facets has increased exponentially, not only in impoverished countries but also in those considered developed”. “It was an opportunity to join different groups and networks working in defense of women’s dignity,” they concluded. | <urn:uuid:c4ad57ba-3f19-4fd6-9e0a-85ad1c4a82b3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.claret.org/claretian-missionaries-participate-in-the-65th-session-of-the-un-commission-on-the-status-of-women-csw65-2021/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.963076 | 501 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Rio Ferdinand associated with the Jockey Club through his youth charity, the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, and described racing as having a lot to offer “as a career path and as a sport”.
The former Manchester United and England defender will aim to help young people from some of the UK’s most deprived communities learn more about sport as a hobby and an industry they can work in .
Initially, educating groups of 16 to 24 year olds about the sport through tours, open days and numerous sessions with its employees, the Jockey Club – which operates tracks such as Cheltenham, Epsom, Aintree and Newmarket – will also showcase the wide variety of jobs horse racing has to offer, from sales and IT to turf management and operational roles.
The partnership will be an integral part of the Rio Ferdinand Foundation’s #NotBoxed campaign, which features a number of events and opportunities to stimulate new investment and support from business and government, other decision makers and people at power and includes industries ranging from construction and sports to music and entertainment.
Ferdinand said: “I am truly delighted to be working with the Jockey Club to show so many young people all that horse racing has to offer, both as a career path and as a sport.
“Ten years ago we set up the Rio Ferdinand Foundation with the aim of supporting and empowering 16 to 24 year olds from some of the most deprived communities in the UK, while tackling racism and discrimination head-on. inequality.
He added: “Since then, we have helped thousands of young people through education and employment, opening their eyes to the opportunities available to them and helping them make the most of take advantage of the skills and talents at their disposal.
“Day in and day out we work with community centres, education providers and a whole range of industries to help young people realize their true potential and it’s fantastic that we are now able to do the same in horse racing thanks to this collaboration with the Jockey Club.
This story was posted in Europe, Shared News Europe, Top News Europe and tagged Jockey Club, Manchester Uniter, Rio Ferdinand. | <urn:uuid:7010088f-6389-4c7d-ba3a-58147806a4ac> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://real-url.org/rio-ferdinand-excited-to-partner-with-jockey-club-through-youth-charity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.963054 | 441 | 1.609375 | 2 |
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Adding a touch of green to your work space carries proven wellness benefits, from boosting productivity to purifying the air. But windowless cubicles and wacky watering schedules can bring most plant varieties to an early demise.
Which makes picking the perfect office plant challenging.
Avoid getting stuck with a sad plant cemetery on your desk by choosing one of these air-cleaning, mood-boosting varieties that are also nearly impossible to kill.
For a little extra guidance, click through to the last page for a list of plant-at-your-own-risk picks you should skip at work.
The 5 Best Office Plants
Spider plant. Image Source: Flickr – Kathryn Rotondo
1. Spider plant
Perfect for high shelves and hanging baskets, the low-maintenance spider plant thrives in partial sun or shade – making it ideal for your cubicle or windowless office.
As an added bonus, spider plants carry loads of benefits for improving indoor air quality and reducing stress at work, as noted by researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
A report published by the university’s Cooperative Extension Service cited the humble spider plant as one of the top varieties for removing VOCs and other pollutants from indoor air.
Air-cleansing plants also boost relative humidity and decreases particulate matter (aka dust), which can have a relaxing effect on workers and reduce common allergy symptoms, according to the report.
Indoor air pollution is a major problem in many offices and the spider plant is highly effective in cleaning that air. This makes the spider plant our number one office plant pick!
Care instructions: Plant your spider plant in a size-appropriate pot or hanging basket with rich potting soil. This pick is resilient enough to withstand infrequent watering and thrive with little more than fluorescent light. But if you notice droopy or brown leaves, simply move your plant to a brighter location for a few days to bring it back to its full glory.
Short on time but need some new office plants? Order a bundle of the four best air cleaning plants.
Lemon Balm. Image Source: Flickr/Quinn Dombrowski
2. Lemon Balm
Super-fragrant lemon balm plants can tolerate full sun or full shade, meaning they’ll be happy even if the nearest window is all the way across the office. In addition to being seriously hardy, research suggests that having a lemon balm plant around may also improve your mood and boost workplace wellness.
An Ohio State University study showed that while the scent of lemon doesn’t carry the medicinal healing properties touted by some aromatherapy proponents, its sweet smell did show a clear mood enhancement. So, for the often stressful office environment, it certainly couldn’t hurt.
Care instructions: Plant your lemon balm in a size-appropriate pot with good drainage and rich potting soil. Your plant will thrive in almost any light conditions but it should be kept moist, so don’t forget to water it!
Order a live lemon balm plant.
Continue to Page 2
Pages: 1 2 3 | <urn:uuid:4b910ec4-01e9-44d1-8140-5f02ff439d62> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://tt.xavierax.com/7687-the-5-best-office-plants-to-boost-your-productivity.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.923145 | 661 | 1.796875 | 2 |
What You Need to Know about the January 6th prisoners. It seems like those who were arrested because of their involvement on Jan. 6th are being held not for what they did, but for who they are and what they believe. Let’s contrast these prisoners with Antifa and BLM rioters. Those rioters were arrested because they destroyed vehicles, and businesses, and hurt others, but then were let go shortly after. The difference between these two groups is messaging. We have been told that those involved on January 6th, 2021 were insurrectionists. Are these guys political prisoners? Yes.
Cynthia Hughes, founder of Patriot Freedom Project, is working to help those who were wrongly punished for their involvement on January 6th. Cynthia’s nephew, Timothy Hale, who is currently in the D.C. jail because of his involvement with January 6th, shares his experience and what life has been like in the last year and a half.
Mickey Kaus, journalist, and author, on Twitter, shares that you should “Always Be Paranoid when it comes to amnesty”. Check out this article — Bush Center, Chamber of Commerce, Koch Network Unite to Lobby for Mass Immigration Expansion. Mickey explains that there is very little coverage on mass immigration. Check out his writings at KausFiles.com. | <urn:uuid:98f4659e-b63e-4623-b44e-5ef28a1c67d7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.phyllisschlafly.com/constitution/congress/january-6-prisoners-06-23-2022-proamericareport/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.991158 | 273 | 1.648438 | 2 |
When the foundations of the modern internet were laid in the 70s, people didn’t trust each other much more than they do now. They certainly did not leave their front doors standing open at night in case the neighbors wanted something.
The internet was developed by academics and engineers, though, who did just that when putting those early designs together. Recently, Rapid7 released its National/Industry/Cloud Exposure Report, taking a deep dive into the internet protocols still in common use today. It found that there are still a lot of doors without locks on them at all, with many clear text protocols still putting users at risk.
Examples include Telnet, the remote command line access protocol, which almost always exposes both the authentication data and the content in clear text. Another is rsync, a synchronization protocol that the authors call “an accident of early internet engineering”. Almost a quarter of a century old, that protocol has no encryption at all at its core. Enhancements have introduced encrypted authentication, but the session data still travels in clear text.
Some of this code is remarkably clean, suffering from few if any vulnerabilities over the years. Telnet has relatively high-score CVEs, for example, but as the report points out that’s because it “makes little to no security assurances at all.” If you don’t promise security, then you can’t be accused of violating that promise.
FTP has long been known to have vulnerabilities. The newer version, FTP/S, uses SSH to secure logins. Unfortunately, it still sends the session content in clear text (and hardly anyone uses it). SFTP or secure copy (SCP) are better.
Some protocols that have been properly updated with encryption aren’t being used ubiquitously. The most important one is HTTP, the protocol that web servers use to deliver content to browsers. Browser vendors and search engines have made a strong effort to encourage the use of the encrypted HTTPS version and penalize stragglers. They have made great inroads, but HTTP usage is still slightly dominant with 51.5 million discovered HTTP nodes versus 36.1 million HTTPS ones.
The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is clear text by default but there’s an SSL-wrapped version called SMTPS. There are still many servers (5.8 million of 13.3 million) running vanilla SMTP over port 25, which isn’t encrypted by default. Of the 7.9 million servers using IMAP, an alternative for reading and sending email, 4 million did so in clear text.
There are other services like DNS, which was originally designed to support only clear text, but which vendors are now redeploying with encryption in mind. Uptake of these is still relatively small, but growing.
There are some well-established protocols that are both free and well-designed, foregrounding encryption. One of these is SSH, commonly used to automate server access. This can also solve the encryption problem for some other protocols like rsync. Rapid7 recommended rsync as a file transfer and synchronization protocol but only when used over an SSH session.
Be careful with SSH, though, as it’s still subject to human error. Key management is a perennial problem. Developers frequently expose their SSH keys by mistake in GitHub repositories, for example, enabling others to find and use them. Locking all those open doors is great, but you have to be sure you don’t leave the key sitting on your front doormat. | <urn:uuid:488a9cb3-2a62-4792-8d2b-260ae32162be> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://xochi.info/insecure-protocols-still-litter-the-internet.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.950074 | 728 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Wokha, April 1 (MExN): Wokha Forest Division performed a workshop on hydroponics at the Local community Hall, Forest Colony, Wokha on April 1. The programme, less than the aegis of National Mission on Himalayan Experiments (NMHS), Ministry of Setting, Forests & Local climate Adjust, Government of India, was organised in collaboration with hydroponic get started-up City Grower, Wokha, and Eco Warriors Nagaland.
Thunglamo Humtsoe, Proprietor City Grower was the useful resource individual, the Wokha Forest Division stated in a push launch. Humtsoe gave an introduction to hydroponics farming. He also talked about the several programs, crops and process collection, preparing, as perfectly as the dos and don’ts in hydroponic farming. The useful resource individual also gave a demonstration on beginning of seeds and transplantation hydroponic method wander-close to, and packaging.
It was attended by about 60 individuals from Wokha town and surrounding villages. Participants were from the JFMCs, SHGs and community. | <urn:uuid:b53cad6c-0c6a-42a3-aece-41c029592e1f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://handsonhydroponics.com/workshop-on-hydroponics-in-wokha-morungexpress-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.95232 | 239 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Privacy Issues With Social Media Essay
Social Media: Privacy Issues Essay
With the virtually meteoric rise of social media, as routine for hundreds of millions of users globally, it has become an equally impactful concern; namely, how this media safeguards or fails to protect the information of subscribers. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram generate immense usage and involvement, yet increasing numbers of users object to what they perceive as violations of their social media privacy made as the sites share their personal information with merchants and/or render it accessible generally. Linked to this issue is that of reasonable expectation of privacy, in that it is questionable how media subscribers may so dispute information sharing and access when in fact they surrender protections, to an extent, through their participation. In plain terms, social media is, its enormous popularity notwithstanding, still something of a novelty, and it is inevitable that these forums, in which so much personal information is presented and exchanged online, should prompt pressing discussion of social media privacy issues. As the following will explore, the subject as a whole is complex, and research is inherently limited by how recent the activity is on this scale. Nonetheless, and in the final analysis, it will be seen that subscriber objections are in fact questionable, as it must be understood that any voluntary providing of information to a social site online must equate to something of a waiving of privacy rights.
As noted, research on social media and privacy is relatively new, even as intense focus is given to the subject in general terms. This has in fact led to a focus on privacy issues, seemingly the most paramount concern regarding social media, and Susan Barnes’s “A Privacy Paradox: Social Networking in the United States” amply addresses this. It must be observed that the title of the article is misleading; Barnes’s attention is on teenage and younger users. The work in social media and privacy is nonetheless comprehensive and the author’s trajectory of thinking is based on solid research. Barnes employs a wide variety of studies to affirm that, in a very real sense, privacy has taken on a different meaning for younger users, simply because they grew up with social media and Internet access.
This inevitably creates a blurring of the lines between the virtual and real: “Adults tend to use the Web as a supplement to real–world activities while teenagers tend to ignore the difference between life online and off–line” (Barnes, 2006). This emphasis on youth aside, however, Barnes also offers data regarding documented evidence of how various agencies collect personal information from basic Internet usage The government, for instance, scans driver license databases to pursue “deadbeat dads” behind in child support, as shopping online generates consumer buying patterns transmitted to other merchants (Barnes). The point is clear; social media aside, involvement with the Internet in any manner easily translates to a surrendering of information, and subsequently privacy.
Barnes goes on to examine how privacy in social media itself is being addressed. There is first extensive documentation as to how younger users too casually provide personal information to the sites, as well as fail to use discretion in posts. This, as the author notes, has generated school response, and increasing numbers of lawsuits are filed based upon a school’s disciplinary action taken upon a student’s social media activity when that school perceives it as inappropriate. Legal address, not unexpectedly, varies; as cases come before the courts regarding a school’s right to use social media content to discipline students, the standard applied relies on the court’s interpretation of the circumstances. In one instance, three different courts issued three different rulings regarding a school’s punishing a student for an inflammatory MySpace posting (Stewart, 2013, p. 149). Then, this element of itself adds another dimension to privacy concerns, in that students tend to view themselves as unjustly monitored by school authorities, which expands the shifts in the concept of privacy itself. Put another way, the students are insisting upon a right to express themselves howsoever they wish, yet anticipate – and seemingly unrealistically – “privacy” in terms of selective audience.
The article does record the efforts being addressed at one consequence of information access; namely, that of predators using social media and chats to obtain addresses and contact information for young people, and Barnes’s work is appropriately timed in this regard. It was in the 1990s and early 2000s that there arose a strong demand in the public that children be protected from potential sexual abuse so generated (Paludi, Denmark, 2010, p. 58). The urgency of privacy issues with social media notwithstanding, Barnes observes and supports that, as of 2006, no viable solutions to the privacy concerns arising then were in place. Social awareness was in fact considered the most expedient measure, in terms of young people being instructed as to discretion in revealing information. There was and is a need, according to the author, for active citizenship to confront the issue through analysis and response.
Perhaps most interestingly, the article accurately forecasts the enormity of the privacy issue, noting the then-emerging practice of merchants to cull consumer data from social media outlets. Barnes offers no real strategies, but the article is well-researched and balanced, in that she does not absolves users, teen and older, from the responsibility of participation. There is recognition of the nature of privacy as largely subjective: “Choosing to reveal information and then having it used for a different purpose by third parties is a privacy issue” (Barnes), but there is nonetheless a pervasive and rational acknowledgment of the social media users enabling of violations.
Mary Madden’s 2012 article, “Privacy Management on Social Media Sites,” is particularly interesting by virtue of how it reinforces Barnes’s earlier work. A trajectory is then in place in which citizenship has in fact evolved, at least to an extent, in addressing social media privacy. The article contains a large amount of evidence from studies, and there is clearly a new approach taken by the public. If in the past privacy was triggering concerns, a combination of media reporting of potential violations of privacy and increased skill levels in navigating the sites has produced change: “A majority of social network site users – 58% – restrict access to their profiles and women are significantly more likely to choose private settings” (Madden, 2012, p. 2).
The element of women altering their online behaviors or making efforts to secure their information is telling, and reflective of how knowledge has gone to initiating change. It is established through research that, awareness of the dangers of online interactions aside, girls and women remain more vulnerable to unwelcome contact than men (Ross, 2010, p. 158). It is reasonable to assume that this vulnerability is simply an “extension” of the greater vulnerability of women in literal settings, in that the danger her arises from privacy invasions which, depending on the intent of the perpetrator, may take physical form. This new response from women is reflected throughout the article and validated by research, as in: “Women who maintain social media profiles are significantly more likely than men to keep their profiles private” (Madden, p. 5). In the arena of social media privacy debate, gender is very much a critical component, and Madden effectively presents the relevance of it.
Within the body of research presented, however, is an academic analysis of great interest. The author takes no stance, and instead present contrasting sides of the privacy question which articulate each completely. To begin with, she notes – astutely – how the debate itself centers around a term whose meaning is today unclear. “Privacy” has become extraordinarily subjective, just as it is more laden with multiple meanings than ever before. No debate in fact may be engaged without a specific understanding of how privacy is perceived within the context of the debate.
Then, Madden eloquently offers the “privacy-is-dead” position held by many, in which it is felt that communication technology has essentially negated personal privacy, at least in terms of information. Those who support this view hold that it is unconscionable for users to heap personal content within a website designed to attract as many users as possible, and then object to violations of privacy. These processes, it is also believed, likely eviscerate the definition of privacy, or certainly weaken it as a right to be protected: “Regular use of social media without any major negative experiences may lessen their concerns about sharing information” (Madden, p. 4). Other research tends to support this diminishing identity of privacy, or altered meaning. Studies reveal that there is a remarkably small difference between information disclosures between those with extreme privacy concerns and those relatively unconcerned (Ellison et al, 2011, p. 22). This is in fact a remarkably important point, indicating a trend toward disregard of privacy concerns apart from asserted convictions as to their urgency.
As to that urgency, Madden presents the arguments that social media users are manipulated and do not actually wish to surrender their privacy, a view at least partially supported by the article’s research pointing to more active control exercised by users. Also supporting the idea that many users are concerned with privacy is the reality that restricting access to friends and family only is applied evenly across all age ranges, although younger subscribers are more adept in online activity.
It is also interesting, and pertinent to actual motivations and concerns, that the research indicates a conflict regarding exercising controls; that is, very few subscribers – only two percent – report experiencing great difficulty in controlling their privacy settings. Most claim only moderate difficulty, yet less than half of Facebook users, for example, make the efforts to regulate their privacy controls (Madden, p. 8). This reality coexists with the privacy concerns, so it must again be wondered, then, how drastically users feel their privacy is jeopardized, and/or how differently they interpret privacy itself.
Based on Madden’s findings, in fact, it seems likely that concerns are largely based on perceptions of the sites “selling” user information to merchants, just as it is established that large companies such as Google and Starbucks negotiate contracts with Facebook and Twitter allowing them to retrieve user preferences (Stewart, 2013, p. 104). Nonetheless, and going to the “privacy-is-dead” argument presented by Madden, the degree of actual concern is questionable when a significant number of users are careless regarding controls, or disregard them entirely. Madden’s article asserts no viewpoint; rather, it merely reports the latest findings and discusses conflicting perceptions regarding social media privacy.
It reveals, however, a distinct trajectory, and one going to the earlier work of Barnes, in that increased user involvement in privacy controls occurs, but it is not as overt an effort as may be expected, given the weight of public concern in general. It would in fact be reasonable to anticipate that such research would reveal a consistent evidence of users restricting their social media presences as much as possible, yet this is not the case. This in turn suggests that privacy is, to reiterate, weakened or eviscerated as a concept.
There is as well here the distinct possibility, not examined by Madden or Barnes, that users refrain from full control of their settings simply because they are unwilling to lessen potential contact and interaction with others. Academic knowledge is relevant here, in that it is necessary to determine – and apply – subscriber intent, and this may be done through noting just how expansively a site like Facebook allows for personal information and how eager users are to supply it. Facebook software, in a word, encourages elaborate self-disclosure, and most users provide the full range of information field data, from high schools attended to favorite films (Lomborg, 2013, p. 184).
Research then reveals that the primary motivation for the disclosure is not to share the information with known friends and family, but to generate new contacts and simultaneously enhance individual visibility online. In one study, over two-thirds of subscribers identified as their motives the desire to meet new people, believed to be easier through the online venue than in “real life” (Brandtzæg, Heim, 2009, p., 147). Certainly, users enjoy interacting with people known to them, but this factor of the ambition to gain new friends offers an important perspective on the privacy issue. That is to say, users likely are conflicted between their seeking to protect their information and their apprehension that a less than comprehensive profile will impair their new social opportunities. Privacy is then not so much a concern, but a commodity whose value must be carefully assessed.
The last article to be considered, “Understanding Generation Y and Their Use of Social Media: a Review and Research Agenda,” is a strictly analytical focus on how the age group of the title, familiar with Internet technology from childhood on, employs and is affected by social media. The authors also put the subject in a global perspective, an approach they claim not yet made in previous research on the group.
The component is important; as noted here, people born between 1981 and 1999 (Generation Y) use the media differently based upon cultural backgrounds and, in a world increasingly globalized, this is crucial in assessing how this generation’s social media activity indicates likely trends for the future. After carefully defining the elements of the age group, the authors summarize its essential character, and of a largely international type: “They ‘want it all’ and ‘want it now,’ particularly in relation to work pay and benefits, career advancement, work/life balance, interesting work and being able to make a contribution to society via their work” (Bolton et al, 2013, p. 9). That the group shares characteristics regarding social media usage in international terms is validated by information revealing a surprising consistency of access. South Korea mirrors the United States in advanced technology and an economy enabling usage, and even in less developed nations young people negotiate access through shared cell phone plans, as in South. Africa (Bolton et al, p. 13).
With regard to how this generation addresses privacy or is affected by it, the authors uncover interesting realities not necessarily expected. That is, as technologically expert the group is, it tends to engage in more disclosure than other age groups. Put another way, it is less intent on preserving privacy despite its being better enabled to regulate controls. This is presented as due to several factors, one of which is entitlement; perceiving themselves as due recognition, the generation members are rarely reluctant to offer any sort of information about themselves. There are distinct advantages here. Internationally, such disclosure generates greater interaction regarding educational, employment, and housing opportunities, just as it tends to elevate the users’ social capital. At the same time, this seeming abandonment of privacy has negative consequences. Intimate relationships, it has been observed, suffer because the user’s requiring of social approval sometimes encourages indiscretion in revelations of personal matters. Then, such open disclosure creates risk in employment terms, when firms may easily investigate applicant character through the social media presence (Bolton et al, p. 19). It appears as well that the generation is aware of this negative potential but is largely unconcerned with it.
What is ultimately seen in this study is a striking duality, in that the generation most adept at Internet interactions – or certainly with the most experience of them – is also the most “reckless” in regard to securing their own privacy. The work is important in that so young a generation’s behaviors are, as noted, indicators of larger social trends to come, and: “Gen Y’s use of social media may be leading to changes in social norms and behavior at the societal level in domains such as civic and political engagement, privacy and public safety” (Bolton et al, p. 23). This then equates to significance regarding social media privacy, for it is arguable, based on the article’s rationale and research, that there exists an increasing willingness to disregard privacy security. If, in plain terms, the youngest adults are consistently demonstrating a lack of concern for access, it is logical to assume that succeeding generations will follow suit. Moreover, it seems that this is very likely, if not inevitably, related to the generation’s immersion in Internet use from the youngest ages; that is, it has grown up perceiving social media as an extension of its literalbeing, and in individual terms.
Further Issues, Citizenship, and Moral Factors
It will be interesting to observe how, domestically and internationally, the issue of privacy in social media evolves in the coming years. As noted, and despite the discussed, apparent willingness of subscribers to set out their personal information in realms known as insecure, there is a significant decrying of social media sites as invasive.
There has been a consistent demand that the technology itself provide the answers; Facebook and Twitter, in the estimations of many, are fully obligated to protect personal information, and this conviction may be seen as active citizenship. It is expressed passively when members remove their presences from the sites, and actively when they both exercise the available privacy controls and insist upon more. Unfortunately, however, such citizenship, even going to extremes of organizational movements, can only address the issue to a limited extent. Technical safeguards are minimally helpful at best simply because the sensitivity of personal information is highly subject to gradation, and because the nature of data online is, in a word, tenacious. From the beginnings of the Information Age, the emphasis was on securing information, with the result that – as many ordinary users know too well – it is virtually impossible to erase or destroy information once entered online (Nissenbaum, 2009, p. 36). This translates to potentials for access no system may properly address.
With securing privacy as the concern, then, there remains the avenue most often cited as perhaps the only viable solution: citizenship in the form of self-regulation. It is generally acknowledged that waiting for legislature to properly address the issue is an exercise in futility; the law is already wholly inadequate in assessing the complex rights and potential degrees of violation within this scenario (Van Dijk, 2012, p. 167). This being the case, individual self-regulation relies on the noted efforts of the user to employ whatever protections the media offers. Collectively, this takes the form of organizational policies presented and enforced by the sites; in plain terms, the site protects the user’s privacy by declaring that it will do so, which in turn relies upon codes of conduct. There are difficulties here, however. Firstly, such codes lose meaning if legislation is not in place to enforce them. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the codes and commitments are without value if the user does not take the time to fully comprehend the policies and establish the desired protocols of privacy (Van Dijk, p.167). It then appears that, somewhat ironically, the protection of privacy in any real sense depends upon the desires and efforts of the social media user.
The subject then comes full circle, so to speak, even as other ethical issues complicate the privacy issue. As has been the reality for some time, online blogs such as Perez Hilton and TZM offer as much in the way of “revelatory” images and information as they can, and these ambitions include politics. They also involve social media. In 2012 Big Government, a right wing blog, ran pictures of Congressman Anthony Weiner in his underwear, pictures that Weiner had sent to a Twitter follower (Stanyer, 2013, p. 146). Extremely private “information,” it may be said, is then literally flying from site to site, and with enormous repercussions for public figures involved.
Such episodes, however, greatly underscore the imperative blatantly beneath the concern for social media privacy; namely, that it is only as present as those using the media enable it to be. There is no escaping that, the “privacy-is-dead” viewpoint aside, a moral issue is at the heart of the subject, and one apart from the privacy rights of the users as abused. Social media subscribers must accept the reality that the nature of the Internet is intrusive, and that some waiving of privacy is inevitable when they choose to submit information, pictures, opinions, and videos. In plain terms, it is inexpressibly naïve for anyone remotely familiar with online activity to believe that these things will be safeguarded completely from access not granted by the owner.
Regarding the earlier evidence that Generation Y is far more inclined to disregard privacy, it is arguable that the assessment is flawed; any young cohort tends to take more risks than older counterparts, just as that same cohort becomes less inclined to risk-taking as it ages (Michael, Michael, 2014, p. 24). At the same time, there is the crucial difference here that the usage is changing the concept of privacy in these young people, so it is probable that the effect will endure. Ultimately, the choice belongs to the users because only in that choice lies real privacy protection.
Just as social media becomes a fixture in people’s lives, so too is there a rising outcry against perceived violations of privacy. The literature reveals efforts to address this either inadequate or, as in earlier years, focused only on literal dangers. Much has been written about the issue, reinforcing that public demand that its privacy is secured as it interacts with the sites. However, as it is highly unlikely that legislation or technology will provide this, and as self-regulation, already an instrument to be employed, is only moderately used, there remains an inescapable – and ethical – reality. Privacy may or may not be “dead” in the social media age, but what matters is that its existence as such absolutely demands the public acknowledgment that it is wholly within the public’s control. Ultimately, social media users demanding privacy protection is questionable at best, as it must be understood that any voluntary providing of information to a social site online must translate to something of a waiving of privacy rights.
- Barnes, S. B. (2006). A Privacy Paradox: Social Networking in the United States. First Monday, 11(9). Retrieved 2 June 2014 from http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/1394/1312%2523
- Bolton, R. N., Parasuraman, A., Hoefnagels, A., Migchels, N., Kabadayi, S., Gruber, T., … & Solnet, D. (2013). Understanding Generation Y and Their Use of Social Media: a Review and Research Agenda. Journal of Service Management,24(3), 245-267. Retrieved 2 June 2014 from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17089752&show=abstract
- Brandtzæg, P. B., & Heim, J. (2009). Why People Use Social Networking Sites. In Online communities and social computing (pp. 143-152). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Retrieved 2 June 2014 from http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-02774-1_16#page-1
- Ellison, N. B., Vitak, J., Steinfield, C., Gray, R., & Lampe, C. (2011). Negotiating Privacy Concerns and Social Capital Needs in a Social Media Environment. In Privacy online (pp. 19-32). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Retrieved 1 June 2014 from http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-21521-6_3#page-1
- Lomborg, S. (2013). Social Media, Social Genres: Making Sense of the Ordinary. New York: Routledge.
- Madden, M. (2012). Privacy Management on Social Media Sites. Pew Internet Report, 1-20. Retrieved 2 June 2014
- Michael, K. & Michael, M. G. (2014). Uberveillance and the Social Implications of Microchip Implants: Emerging Technologies. Hershey: IGI Global.
- Nissenbaum, H. (2009). Privacy in Context: Technology, Policy, and the Integrity of Social Life. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
- Paludi, M. A., & Denmark, F. (2010). Victims of Sexual Assault and Abuse: Resources and Responses for Individuals and Families. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
- Ross, K. (2010). Gendered Media: Women, Men, and Identity Politics. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
- Stanyer, J. (2013). Intimate Politics: Publicity, Privacy and the Personal Lives of Politicians in Media Saturated Democracies. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
- Stewart, D. R. (2013). Social Media and the Law: A Guidebook for Communication Students and Professionals. New York: Routledge.
- Van Dijk, J. (2012). The Network Society. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. | <urn:uuid:560edb78-ada9-4d0b-b53a-e1dffe791c8d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bookwormlab.com/samples-and-examples/privacy-issues-with-social-media-essay/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.941381 | 5,181 | 2.234375 | 2 |
DETROIT (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court has reversed a major decision that expanded the ability to sue the state in environmental disputes, reigniting an ideological battle between liberal justices and conservatives who are back in the majority after the fall election.
In a 4-3 order released today, the court threw out a 4-month-old opinion in a case involving the discharge of partially contaminated water to the headwaters of a popular trout stream in northern Michigan.
In December, the court’s liberal majority had used the case to give more rights to people to challenge state regulators over permits. But the court’s new conservative majority said the dispute was moot and should not have been heard last year because Merit Energy had dropped plans to use the Au Sable River.
The case “presents nothing but abstract questions of law, which do not rest upon existing facts or rights,” said justices Robert Young Jr., Mary Beth Kelly, Stephen Markman and Brian Zahra.
Experts had predicted such an outcome after Kelly’s election put Republicans in control of the court Jan. 1.
There is a turbulent history behind the right to sue Michigan regulators under the state’s Environmental Protection Act, known as MEPA. In 2004, conservatives on the court in a case known as Preserve the Dunes mostly limited watchdog groups to challenge on procedural grounds, not on the potential impacts of a project, such as groundwater pumping, sand mining or a new coal-burning plant.
In one of their last acts in the majority, Democratic justices overturned that decision in 2010 and said any resident could take the state to court, even if they didn’t live near a proposed project. Young, now chief justice, called the move a “naked exercise of power.”
Now, with the latest order, the right to sue has been limited again.
A dissenting justice, Michael Cavanagh, took a jab at Young, saying he was inconsistent. He noted how Young had “eloquently bemoaned” the reconsideration of another case in 2009 when the composition of the court was different.
“Now, in what appears to be ‘deja vu all over again,’ Chief Justice Young is happy to join in our newly composed court’s undoing of recent precedent,” Cavanagh said. | <urn:uuid:ecc05ff0-ac7a-437c-b451-2d66dde7c48f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20110426/FREE/110429933/michigan-supreme-court-overturns-decision-allowing-environmental | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.9614 | 488 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Order cuts are taken from a set of FFTs, each one at a different rpm. The rms level is then found as the Square root of the Sum of the squares of each of the FFT values. Mathematically, if is the modulus (magnitude) of the value of the FFT at speed s for then the rms value at that speed is given by
This takes into account the entire energy at that speed both the order and the non order components, including any noise.
Graphically, suppose we have a waterfall such as shown below.
Extracting the FFT at, say, 4200 rpm gives the graph shown below.
The rms considers all of the energy in the entire spectrum. That is, in the graph below, it considers all of the blue shaded area. All the values are squared, summed and the result is square rooted, which gives the rms value.
When one is finding the order values we know that because the speed is changing the actual order will have been skewed over several frequencies. Also if is extremely unlikely that the frequency values at which the FFT was evaluated will exactly match the frequency of the order at that speed. The FFT spectrum thus suffers from leakage as well as smearing. The net effect of both of these artefacts is that the spectrum is “broadened and flattened”. That in the energy is now distributed over several frequencies so that once again one has to use a square root of sum of squares approach to determine the rms level centred over the frequency range of the order. This frequency range is usually referred to as the order bandwidth. Taking the peak valve will be grossly inaccurate.
Mathematically then we have that the component of Order j at speed s is given by
where b is the half bandwidth. The actual implementation is a little more sophisticated than above, but the signal processing essence is as shown.
Again, graphically, we now consider only part of the spectrum centered at the order frequency and over a finite bandwidth.
For a specific order we would only consider the blue part as illustrated above. Once again all the “blue” values are squared, summed and the result is square rooted, which now gives the rms value of that specific order at the selected speed.
Now if we take all of the significant orders, square, sum and square root them, then we will have an estimate of the rms value. If the orders are well spaced then we will miss some of the noise and the very small orders. So we would expect the rms calculated from the orders to be smaller than the overall rms value. Note that the correct way of collecting the orders together is the square root of the sum of squares. Adding the orders together directly will give an incorrect value.
This is not the end of the story because sometimes the bandwidth of the individual orders overlap so that some energy is counted twice. In this situation the rms calculated will be greater than the true rms. If this occurs then we know we have had order bandwidth overlap.
For reference, one may be used to seeing the rms value calculated from time series. When computing the value from the time series, a division by the number of values in the summation occurs. This division does not occur if we are computing the rms from the frequency spectrum. Mathematically, if is the time series and is its Fourier transform then we have | <urn:uuid:64fbc458-7933-4375-ac7f-d368e7ea2cbd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://blog.prosig.com/2007/02/25/order-cuts-and-overall-level/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.948094 | 702 | 3.03125 | 3 |
People across the world unwittingly consume roughly 5 grams of plastic each week in the course of daily life, or about the weight of a credit card, according to Australian researchers. That’s about 250 grams per year—more than a half-pound of plastic every 12 months.
A new study (pdf) commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature—formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund—suggests that over the course of seven days, the average person consumes 2,000 tiny plastic particles and fibers, 1,769 of which come from drinking water alone.
How plastics get into humans
Microplastics come from larger discarded objects that break down over time into smaller pieces. They get into waterways and enter the food chain when eaten by fish and other marine life. The issue has thus far received “an inadequate global response by governments,” the researchers said in a statement.
An appendix to the report notes that many factors have an impact on the exact amount of microplastics you will ingest, such as age and lifestyle. Specific effects on human health are not yet fully understood. High levels of exposure to microplastics can effect the lungs, liver, and brain cells, as well as sexual function, fertility. They are believed to lead to an increased occurrence of certain cancers.
The different ways plastics enter your system
The number of microparticles the average person ingests depends on what they eat:
Where you live matters
The amount of microplastics one takes in varies by geographical region—water in the US contains about twice as much plastic as in Europe, the study says:
For an American, that comes out to nearly five plastic fibers in every half-liter of water they drink: | <urn:uuid:10cc01dc-82cd-416c-bc9f-4325dde18dd5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://qz.com/1644802/you-eat-5-grams-of-plastic-per-week/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.95623 | 386 | 3.390625 | 3 |
Australia is world-renowned for its often extraordinary and unique natural environment including many of its plants and animals. This beautiful little book highlights an often overlooked, but just as remarkable, aspect of our natural world: Australias fungi. Many are brightly coloured, some fluorescent; some are elegant, others squat; some are fragrant, more still are highly toxic. This field guide showcases many of these species in all their splendour.
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Exceptional customer service trusted by 100's | <urn:uuid:5f508cb7-bb87-4b3a-a77f-46b3069c09ac> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.summerfieldbooks.com/product/a-field-guide-to-the-fungi-of-australia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.957896 | 104 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Wine history defines cultural territories, united by shared traditions and viticultural landscapes, that transcend political and economic borders. This could certainly be said of the European regions in North-Eastern Spain and the South of France where Garnacha (a.k.a. Grenache) has its historical and spiritual home in Europe, where also nearly 93 % of the world’s Garnacha/Grenache vines are planted. Although European Garnacha/Grenache is now one of the world’s most widely planted grape varieties, its origin can be traced back to this corner of the Mediterranean where it remains at the core of the regions’ identity.
With 14 PDOs and 3 PGIs among Roussillon Geographical Indications and five Spanish Protected Designations of Origin (DO Calatayud, DO Campo de Borja, DO Cariñena, DO Somontano and DO Terra Alta), they all have now joined forces together with European Union AGRIP funds to promote the variety highlighting full potential is best harnessed in its European birthplace. Although only a handful of vines survived the terrible phylloxera blight in the late 19th century, Europe is where some of the world’s oldest Garnacha/Grenache plants can be found, resulting on low yields, fruits of incredible concentration and complexity, with the deep roots established on poor and dry soils, allowing terroir to truly come through in each bottle.
As part of the European Union campaign to promote high quality agricultural products, European Garnacha/Grenache Quality Wines carry guarantee of their provenance and quality, with their regional names, characteristics and products protected by EU Geographical Indications quality schemes (Protected Designation of Origin, PDO and Protected Geographical Indication, PGI) that ensure excellent quality and produced under European production standards (safety, traceability, authenticity, labelling, nutritional and health aspects, animal welfare, respect for the environment and sustainability, as well as the characteristics of EU agricultural and food products, particularly in terms of their quality, taste, diversity or traditions; among others).
European Garnacha/Grenache’s versatility and expressiveness lends itself to a variety of terroirs and winemaking approaches, delivering diverse results: from sparkling to still (whites, rosés or red; either light or full bodied) and even fortified sweets wines, enabling multiple food pairing possibilities. Highly sensitive to variations in growing conditions, the variety requires winemakers attuned to how European Garnacha/Grenache, from each given terroir and vintage, can be best interpreted and handled. An art that winemakers in Mediterranean Europe have mastered, building upon centuries of knowledge passed on from one generation to the next.
This joint venture of Spanish and French producers is a tribute to this European legacy, as well as a shared commitment to promote terroir-led expressions of European Garnacha/Grenache, invest in the best viticultural and winemaking practices, and work with a focus on quality and sustainability. The variety’s resilience and adaptiveness, especially when grown on the terroirs where it historically was born and developed, in fact make it particularly suited to face the challenges of erosion, drought and climate change.
Join us on a journey of discovery across the European landscapes where Garnacha/Grenache was born and continues to thrive. Each wine will tell a fascinating story of tradition, history and craft.
Discover more about European Garnacha/Grenache here
All rights reserved by Future plc. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Decanter.
Only Official Media Partners (see About us) of DecanterChina.com may republish part of the content from the site without prior permission under strict Terms & Conditions. Contact firstname.lastname@example.org to learn about how to become an Official Media Partner of DecanterChina.com. | <urn:uuid:3befe4d4-3110-412f-88dd-fc4cb028c806> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.decanterchina.com/en/promotion/garnacha-grenache-one-european-grape-endless-possibilities | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.923007 | 829 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Triticale, created in a laboratory environment by crossing wheat with rye, is today producing yields equivalent to, or better than, those for wheat, say researchers at INRA, France's National Institute for Agronomic Research.
"Triticale currently represents a good compromise between the hardiness of rye and the yield potential and nutritional qualities of wheat," said Annaig Bouguennec, INRA's researcher in charge of the triticale programme.
Triticale, an artificial species produced by interspecies crossing, is derived from crossing two other cereals widely cultivated in Europe: wheat and rye. Its name is a combination of the Latin names Triticum for wheat and Secale for rye.
"INRA became interested in triticale in 1970 under an initiative by Yvonne Cauderon, director of research and a great specialist in interspecies hybridisation," explained Michel Bernard, responsible for cereal molecular genetics at INRA's plant breeding station in Clermont Ferrand in central France. He recalled that the scientists 'quickly realised that triticale, in spite of its shortcomings, had great potential.'
Clercal, the first variety registered in France, started life in INRA's laboratories in Clermont Ferrand in 1983. "As soon as we elaborated this variety, we achieved considerable progress," explained Bernard. "With only one variety, we moved from yields in our tests of between 20 and 40 quintals per hectare [q/ha], for varieties that had been developed in other countries, to yields of 70 q/ha."
Since then, progress has continued and gradually the shortcomings of triticale have been overcome.
"We succeeded, more particularly, in reducing the height of the plants, giving them better resistance to lodging and obtaining varieties [that were] easier to thresh, with better yields," said Annaig Bouguennec. "Triticale currently represents a good compromise between the hardiness of rye and the yield potential and nutritional qualities of wheat. Rye gave triticale strong resistance to cold and disease. Other characteristics of triticale are that it establishes itself well and it is simpler to use by growers, especially in livestock regions where cereal growing is not a priority."
Triticale was first developed in the Massif Central region in France, where production is for local consumption by animals, but where it has quickly expanded to larger areas.
The cultivation of triticale then spread to Brittany, again as animal feed, which has led, in the space of a few years, to western France becoming France's main producer region for the new cereal. In the last two or three years, large-scale farming areas have in turn been discovering the benefits of triticale.
Today, the crop covers 270,000 ha in France and grain harvesting represents more than one-third of total production. French varieties have also been developed for export, with Lemaire Deffontaines, for instance, selling its Bienvenu variety in Algeria, Italy, Ireland, and Spain.
The bulk of the production of triticale is currently used for animal feed. As stated by Arvalis, a technical institute financed by cereal producers, triticale is characterised by a concentration of total nitrogenous matter close to that of wheat, a concentration of lysine distinctly greater than that found in all other cereals and a concentration of proteins at least equal to that of wheat, which gives it a good overall nutritive value - more particularly for feeding pigs, cattle and sheep.
Suitable for human consumption, INRA reports that a handful of companies are starting to produce specialist bread using the triticale flour.
As global wheat prices hit the high zone with demand outstripping supplies could triticale be the future? A report this week from investment bank Goldman Sachs says that shortfalls in Asian and Eastern European wheatproduction relative to previous expectations, along with expectations of stronger US wheat exports to China, boosted wheat prices from mid-month lows. However, by month's end, an improved weather outlook for the US winter wheat crop and stronger than-expected wheat deliveries into storage marginally moderated the tight wheat outlook, 'dampening wheat prices' and resulting in negative wheat returns for the month. | <urn:uuid:7c5a6bdf-25cd-432f-a60d-d4a17a215c5f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2004/03/09/Hardy-rye-wheat-cross-steps-into-the-future | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.957652 | 882 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Last Updated: 2010-05-12 17:25:33 UTC
by Rob VandenBrink (Version: 1)
Rob, you say - it's been a little while since we talked about Layer 2 Security (almost a week) - does that mean that we're done?
Not a chance - we haven't talked about Private VLANs yet!
A VLAN is often defined as a "broadcast domain", and in most cases is co-incides with an IP subnet. Private VLANs (also called PVLANs) are the exception to this, a Private VLAN is still usually a single IP subnet, but the "broadcast domain" definition no longer holds true.
In a private VLAN, you start by defining an "uplink" port (also called a "promiscuous" port). This is normally the port (or link aggregation group) that is attached to the uplink router(s), firewall(s), provider network or server(s). After that is set, you define "isolated" ports. Any frame received on a isolated port is forwarded only out the uplink port, no matter what destination MAC or IP address it might have. This includes ARP traffic or any broadcast traffic. Frames received on the promiscuous port are then forwarded in the usual way - ARPs, Broadcasts and all other layer 2 frames work as you would expect them to.
So what this means is that isolated ports in a Private VLAN cannot "speak" to each other at all - their only traffic path is via layer 3, to other subnets or to other isolated ports in that PVLAN.
The concept of private ports can be expanded to include larger port groups - this concept is called "community" ports. Community ports can speak to each other via layer 2 just like a regular vlan, but are separated from ports in other communities, and from isolated ports.
Typical applications for private VLANs might be in a Colocation Facility or public or private IaaS network (Infrastructure as a Service Cloud), where you might have several customers using the same subnet, but communications between the customers is not desirable as it would circumvent their firewalls. This might also be used on a DMZ, where you might want to restrict communications between DMZ hosts, but it's not worth the effort or cost of creating a separate DMZ for each host. Another common use for Private VLANs might be in a hotel situation, where each hotel room has internet access, all are on the same subnet, but communications between the rooms is not desired (for obvious reasons.)
This diary touches on only the most basic concepts of Private VLANs - I won't get into the specifics of the configuration, as they vary quite a bit between various vendors' gear. Also be aware that this covers only the most basic of PVLAN concepts - there's enough material in this for a good few hundred pages, if you were writing a book on Layer 2/3 Switching and Security for instance
As always, if there are any errors in this diary, or if you'd like to comment with other examples of how you've seen PVLANs used, feel free to use the "comment" link.
=============== Rob VandenBrink Metafore =============== | <urn:uuid:89250260-d488-4957-bbac-6206ec02de4f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://isc.sans.edu/diary/Layer+2+Security+-+Private+VLANs+%28the+Story+Continues+...%29/8785 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.960198 | 683 | 2.125 | 2 |
The adventures of the Tryon clan
Read about the history of a town started by two Tryon brothers and populated with the major help of two sisters named Amanda and Artemesia also from Litchfield,Conn. Each gave birth to eleven living children- a rare feat in any age!
Located near Erie, PA, Tryonville still stands albeit only some of the buildings are from the time of the Tryon family's presence.
See pictures,maps and read more about this part of the family that pioneered at a time when going West meant to walk.
There are many vignettes of family history contained in the work of Wesley Tryon's book "The Tryon Family in America", but not until 2004 did the curator of this web page happen to be reached by a cousin named Schuyler Tryon Wallace of Bakersfield, CA, who sent a treasure trove of information on one of the towns in our communal family tree. Schuyler and Richard R. Tryon II are both descendants of David, the co-founder of Tryonville.
Not all of us are descendants of the two brothers, James and David Tryon who first walked from Litchfield, Conn to the area of Centerville, PA, not but about eight miles from Meadville and a bit further from Erie, PA. But, all of us Tryons or others connected by the female progeny can find some towns or places where some number of relatives lived in the past.
But, few can claim the connection to two brothers who married two sisters and each had eleven children to populate the place and give it a name! These two bought 1,400 acres of timberland on both sides of the Oil Creek which passed through the holding in a N-S direction heading South toward Titusville. Yes, that is where David took some of his lumber cut from the largely pine woods down the Oil Creek to where a Colonel Drake wanted to build a tower in 1859.
It was the discovery of the reason for the oily seepage seen in the creek that gave it its name before anyone knew that lamp oil did not have to come from whales. Colonel Drake inspired my grandfather's grandfather David to go back home and try to duplicate the feat on his land.
My note to Schuyler Tryon Wallace related a few more details about Tryonville.
AS I scanned the great newspaper account done by someone named H. Kellogg for the Titusville Herald for Christmas 1828, I recalled my first view of a news clipping about David Tryon seen on my first visit to Tryonvile. I sure don't know who it was that I chanced to meet in Tryonville in 1980. I still recall approaching the village from the West and thanks to the Schuyler supplied map that shows no compass points, but one assumes that North is at the top, I now know exactly where I was.
I must have stopped the car at the corner of the tract line when I had just passed a sign proclaiming Tryonville. A young maybe eleven year old boy was walking along and my wife rolled down the car window so I could ask the boy- "Can you tell us which way to the center of Tryonville?" The boy looked quizically at me asked what did I mean? I said, "You know the focal point where community things happen". He looked me in the eye and said, "Mister, the ain't hardly nothing happening here no more!"
He was right! But, we did stop a few hundred yards further at a home on the right side of the street. The map names make me think it was the home of about where the Hartwell house is found.
To my surprise, the woman who answered the door invited us in to see her collection of papers and artifacts of the town. That is where I first read of David Tryon's work with Col. Drake and then an effort to drill for oil right at home! The fact that so many papers back then had time, money and skill to publish to such a few people is amazing to me. But, they had no competition from radio, TV or distant papers and people craved the news.
It reported that David's well came up with a little gas and a lot of mud, but no oil! Oh well, it gave me reason to claim that the family was into oil before it became fashionable!
We did see the David Tryon house on that trip and the cemetery, but nobody was at home in the house as was fortunately not the case when we met the Bradys in 2003.
Now I am more intrigued than ever about your idea of buying back the town! Somebody might think that it has value as a tourist destination,but I doubt it. I have seen refurbished towns with curators and lots of hired actors to demonstrate the tasks of the early days. It would be interesting to see Tryonville so featured, but that isn't going to happen and expect anyone to come but Tryons for the most part.
Still, if it didn't take much to have a stake in it, some fun would come of it. But, that would be it.
This section will expand as time permits the curator to add details via pictures, maps,etc. The first section features the published account of the first 100 years of Tryonville.
The following story was typed from someone’s copy of a 1928 newspaper. Editor Richard Tryon has added a comment or two and made judicious corrections of typos of unknown origin.
WEDNESDAY MORNING THE TITUSVILLE HERALD DECEMBER 25 , 1928
1828— CENTENARY OF TRYONVILLE - 1928
By H. Kellogg of Saegertown
The pleasant little village of Tryonville situated in the Eastern part of this county and some eight or nine miles north of Titusville, has, perhaps unnoticed by many, now reached the age of one hundred year. Although numbered among the smaller towns, yet the date 1928 should be memorable one in the minds of those who are historically inclined, as marking the origin of one of Crawford county’s permanent settlements.
Tryonville is especially endeared to the writer of this little sketch, having been the place of his birth and the town in which one was born, and which cradled us in our youth occupies a large nitch in the memories of most of us: The school we attended when a child; the church and the village stores all recur to our minds in moments of leisure thought.
Before the days of improved roads and concrete highways many of these small towns had all but been forgotten, but of late, through this modern improvement, they have sprung into considerable prominence and their names once more placed on the map as a guide to the traveling public and wandering tourist. Greater pride by the citizens in the early history of their respective home towns is noticeable since the coming of good roads.
It is interesting to a traveler to note at the entrance of the main thoroughfare,is a sign on which may be read the name of the pioneer who first stopped there and left his name as a heritage to those who were to come later and perpetuate that name. Every town, no matter how small, has a history,and to give a complete account of any one of them would require many pages. Taking into consideration the limited space in a newspaper for a narrative of this kind, the writer has undertaken a review of only the main facts and a few sidelights regarding the early history of his native village.
Among the early pioneer to Crawford county were the brothers, James and David Tryon, who emigrated from Litchfield, Conn., in the year 1821, locating first at Centerville, which was then a new settlement, having been started sometime earlier by Charles Page.
Here the Tryon brothers remained till the summer of 1828,engaging first in trapping for the furs of wild animals and later operating a fulling and carding mill three-fourths of a miles south of Centerville.
While engaged in hunting and trapping they made several trips back East, generally to Boston, for the purpose of disposing of their accumulation of furs. These journeys were always made on foot, both ways. Miss Arabella, a surviving daughter of David Tryon, states that on one of these trips her father disposed of his cargo in Boston for $300, which was considerable sum of money in those days.
Having purchased from the Holland Land Co. a tract of 1,400 acres of timber, mostly pine, the brothers, James and David, removed with their wives to the sight of the present village which bears their name. David erected a log cabin on the east side f Oil creek a short distance southeast of the present sight f the Pennsylvania station and James located on the wet side of the creek a few rods north of the resent village stores. Here the brothers reared their families of eleven children each, all of whom have passed away except three daughters of David- Rachel Hotchkiss of Waukegan, IL., and Misses Arabelle and Ella, living at the old homestead built by their father from lumber sawed sad kiln dried at his own mill. [Editor’s note: Rachel Hotchkiss may be connected to the founder of Deluxe Check Printers, who invented a special press bearing his name that was built to print restaurant menus and became worth a fortune when bank checks came into use.]
A great task, indeed, and hardships there must have been in the raising of such large families when one considers the few conveniences which were to be enjoyed here at that time.
Innumerable difficulties had to be surmounted, such as the lack of roads, which were then mere trails, slow method of travel, making it impossible at times to secure food supplies and other necessaries. And, aside from these, there was the danger and depredations of wild animals to contend with . The latter were still quite numerous in this region and the pioneer who was a poor shot put his life at extra risk.
The principal thieves of the time were notorious bears, illustrative of which the following story, as related to the writer by Miss Arabelle Tryon, is a true example: Her father, who was a keeper of bees, was one night awakened from his sleep by a great commotion among his hives. Leaving his bed, he quietly opened the door through which he peered into the darkness, discerning, as he expected, the shadowy form of a bear overturning the hives in search of the precious honey, which to a bear was a delicacy more to be desired than any other food. Hastily procuring his trusty old musket from its place on the wall, Mr. Tryon started in pursuit of the robber, which by this time had secured the prize and was making off for the woods as fast as possible, encumbered as he was with a hive of honey held tightly between his strong forepaws. The bear was soon overtaken and shot and the honey safely recovered.
From 1828 to about 1838 the Tryon brothers were engaged in making a clearing in the forest for their homes and continuing their fulling business. In the latter year they erected a saw mill on the east bank of Oil Creek, near the present iron bridge which spans that stream. This was the second saw mill erected in Steuben township, the first having been erected on Mudddy Creek, near Townvi11e, in the year, 1830, by Colonel Zepbaniah Kingsley, who emigrated from Fort Ann, Washington County, N. Y. Later or, the Tryons started another saw mill on the west bank of Oil Creek, not far distant from the £first, and at one time had two saw mills and a grist mill in operation, furnishing employment to a number of men.
For nearly thirty years lumbering was the chief occupation of Tryonville, as it was in many other settlements along Oil Creek. After a strenuous winter cutting, skidding and sawing the timber into lumber, they anxiously awaited the coming of the spring freshet. Great was the excitement among the villagers as the time drew near for the cutting of the splash. Boats, such as scows and flat-bottoms, some sixty feet or more in length, had been constructed during the winter, and, with experienced men as pilots, they now swung into the current with their cargoes, to be carried on the crest of the flood down Oil Creek to the confluence with old Allegheny, where they were borne swiftly along to their various destinations, which were Pittsburgh, Wheeling, on the Ohio, and other points far down the Mississippi. It surely was no child’s play piloting these boats along swift currents, over sand bars and through swirling eddies, around unseen rocks. Not a few men actually lost their lives in this hazardous work.
With a safe arrival at their destination, the owner would sell his boat and cargo and return hone on foot, a distance, if from Pittsburgh, of 110 miles. The writer’s father, who was engaged in rafting lumber in the years just prior to the Civil War and often made the trip to Pittsburgh, said the return journey required three days of walking.
That all was not gain in this business the following narrative will prove. My father once related how his boat and five others, all loaded with pine lumber, started with a freshet from a point near the Eddy bridge, just south of Tryonville at the mouth of Marsh run, (which by the Way was a favorite starting point) with Pittsburgh as their destination.
The channel of Oil Creek was quite free from ice at the start, but having passed down stream with the high water, but upon reaching the Allegheny much ice was encountered, making it difficult to manage the fleet. However,, they finally reached May’s Landing, where, on learning that a large gorge had stopped a few miles farther on, they decided to tie up their boats and await the moving of the gorge. But the weather suddenly turned cold and they were obliged to remain at this place three weeks, ice having formed on the river again, freezing their boats in. At the end of this period a warm spell arrived and the river began to rise, then, to their dismay, about 2 o’clock one morning, they were awakened by loud shout of "A gorge! a gorge!" All hands rushed to the landing, one or two pilots succeeding in getting their boats untied, while the rest of the fleet were torn loose, boats and cargoes being carried down the river, where some were lodged on an island, where others were never head of again. Some lumber was later salvaged and sold for what they could get, but most of their hard winter’s work was a total loss.
Shipping of lumber continued to occupy the settlers in this vicinity until the development of the oil regions created a demand for it. Pine, which grew abundantly in early times, was about all that was in demend. Its value here was from $4 to $8 per thousand feet and about twice that amount at Pittsburgh. The profits of the business were not large when one considers the losses suffered through rafting and other causes.
Pine shingles were also made and sold at Pittsburgh, the price being about $7 per thousand. They were split and shaved by hand, a good shingle maker turning out about l,500 per day. Labor unions were unknown in those days. Their hours of labor were frorn sunrise to sunset and wages ranged from 50 cents to $1.00.
James and David Tryon, the founders of Tryonville, should be given great credit for their industry and business accumen, when one considers that they were the prime movers ard principal employers for over thirty years in this little town.
They it was who kept the first store in the village, though mainly for the purpose of supplying the large number’of mill hands with provisions. We might say also that the business associations between employer and eniployee must have been agreeable as no labor troubles have been recorded. The business of the pioneer was work, and work it must have been.
The first general store was kept by E. B. Lee, started in 1848, located near the northwest corner of Main street and Sherman avenue.
The first church meetings in Tryonville were held in the home of James Tryon, led by Rev. Patterson, a Methodist minister. The original members were Mr. and Mrs. James Tryon, Mr. and Mrs. David Tryon and Mrs. Harriet Mathews.
For over forty years James Tryon was a leader of this church. In 1870 a fine church edifice was erected at a cost of $7,000, which of late unfortunately was torn down and moved away.
A school house was built in 1830, the first schoolmaster being James Tryon, who also furnished the lumber from his own sawmill for the new building, which stood for a great many years at the Cross-roads one-half mile east of the present village stores. As the writer’s father, who later attended this same school, often said: "The books were few but what was taught by the master was taught well."
One of the earliest rolls of this school contained the names of fifteen pupils. In order to derive advantages from their school, many of the children were obliged to travel several miles through the woods and subject themselves to a discipline entirely unknown to the youths of the present day numerous schools.
The discovery of oil August 27, l859, completely reversed the order of things in this section and the struggling village of Tryonville was affected along with other towns. Land was leased for oil, former mill hands became drillers and producers and as a result the lumber business, to a large extent, fell into decay.
Another industry which was an outgrowth of the oil business, was coopering and barrel making, which was carried on extensively in Tryonville for a number of years. The following is a partial list of names of those so engaged at Tryonville during the 60’s and 70’s: Henry J. Baugher, William Burger, Frederick S. Hathaway, Fred W. Kohman, Wortor G. O’dell, Lewis M. Streeter and John Bell. An experienced cooper could earn from $3 to $5 per day, and even more. Barrel staves, which were in great demand in those days, sold for $8 per thousand.
Since the passing of the great oil excitement the citizens of Tryonville have settled down to the quiet life of farming and the fertile hills and valleys which once resounded to the woodsman's ax and the crashing of giant trees now support fine herds of dairy cattle and sheep. The land around the village is especially adapted to dairying, being well supplied with sparkling brooks and clear, cold springs.
Tryonville at one time supported two taverns. The first was built by Lyman Jones in 1839, on the north side of Main street, opposite the store and gasoline station now owned by Clarence Herring. The other tavern, kept by Adam Beck during the Civil War, was located on the southwest corner of Main street and German avenue.
After the organization of Steuben township in 1861 the first election was held at the home of Mr. Hannah, about midway between Tryonville and Townville. James Tryon was elected justice of the peace, serving this office continuously thereafter for over thirty years.
The writer’s grandfather, Josiah Kellog, who emigrated from Jamaica, Vt., to Jamestown, N. Y., in 1820, removed to a point one mile south of Tryonville in 1830. Here he settled on a 5OO-acre tract donated to him for services in the war of 18l2. Another ancestor of the writer Dennis Carrol, who had seen service in the Revolution, took up an adjoining tract, both being in the eighth Donation District. Both were dispossessed by the Holland Land company after years of hard labor on the part of these veterans. There was much evidence of an Indian village having been located on this tract of land,the writer of this having found many arrows, skinning knives, stone hatchets and other relics here. Also while my grandfather and others were engaged in removing some large sandstones, which, after nearly a century, still form the abutments for the Eddy bridge, near the L. B. Preston farm, they discovered beneath the stones skeletons of thirteen Indians, all lying in a circle with heads pointing toward the center. With these skeletons were found also much pottery, arrow heads and other implements which indicated a tribal burial place with the necessary equipment for the Happy Hunting Ground.
D. E. Castle, another pioneer and also a veteran of the war of 1812, located one mile east of the village at an early day. His son, D. E. Castle, Jr., who lived to be over 90 years of age, was well versed in local Indian lore and often told the writer facts concerning the Indian occupancy of this region, which he had gleaned from his father and others.
The old Indian trail which traversed this region between the Allegheny river and the Great Lakes, passed within a few rods of Mr. Castle’s home, and a short distance east of the house may be Seen, if one wishes, the evidence of what must have been either a large Indian mound or fort. Covering about one-half acre, the
ground is strewn with stone weighing from 50 to 100 pounds each and to a depth of about ten feet. Years ago John McGinnes, another early pioneer, under the impression that silver ore had been concealed beneath these rocks, took the trouble to investigate and remove enough to satisfy his curiosity. He found the ground but no silver. Here, perhaps, was staged a decisive battle between the war-like Senecas and some other tribe or may haps the final resting place of some noted chieftain.
The first crossing of Oil Creek at Tryonville was done by fording, the place being a few rods south of the present bridge. Later came a foot bridge and then the old covered bridge which was swept away by the memorable June flood of 1892. This bridge was replaced by the present substantial one which formerly spanned Oil Creek at Franklin Street, Titusville, and likewise swept out by the same disastrous flood.
The pioneers toiled to secure a home for their children whose descendants now live upon these same lands in comfort and ease. It was a period of hard labor, close economy and homely fare, but in a measure offset by nights of repose, good appetites and excellent health.
In closing this narrative the writer wishes to say a few words in honor of the pioneer women who certainly had their full share of hardships and privations, but which in any recitation of the events of the early settlements too often receive but brief mention. Often her heart must have sunk within her when first she beheld the rude log cabin which was to be her future home. Memories of distant friends, church privileges and many other comforts must have been painful, indeed. The women of that day sang their songs to the hum of the spinning wheel as compared with the modern girl at the piano. No electric washing machine, nevertheless the linen was made clean and white. Although the cooking was done in an open fireplace and the baking often in an out-door clay oven, yet the food was wholesome and nourishing.
But with all the hardships it must have been a glorious adventure, taking such a part in the development of there future happy home. Each year saw the clearing in the forest which encircled the log cabin grow larger and larger.
Often at night the sky was lighted with the fires of great heaps of logs which today would be worth a fortune. The neighbors held “logging bees” for this purpose and wore only concerned in the clearing of the land which, of course, was necessary before planting could be done successfully.
Population increased with the clearing of the land, again the comforts of society were enjoyed and once more church and school advantages were realized.
In closing this reference to the pioneer women, the writer’s grandmother, who was one of these, used often to tell of her lonely experiences while living in a log houses erected in the forest just south of Tryonville. One such story is illustrative of the experiences of many other pioneer women. The story, which had its setting in this primitive forest is as follows:
In the winter of 1833, my grandfather having run short of provisions on account of a continuous stormy period, took a bag of corn and, mounting his horse, started off through the forest for Centerville, the nearest point at which a grist could be ground, saying, as he left his home, that he would return before dark. Being detained at the mill longer than he expected, and the days then being short, darkness had settled over the valley of Oil Creek before the return journey had been half finished. The wolves, which were always stalking about the forest soon after sundown, were not long in getting on the trail of this lone rider, and their weird howls grew closer and closer until grandfather thinking discretion the better part of valor, stopped his horse beneath the overhanging branches of a giant oak, and in this primitive manner ascended into its protecting arms, at the same time urging his faithful horse to continue on.
This act was none too soon performed, as the wolves, which had increased in numbers, were soon at the spot making the woods echo with their unearthly cries. Thinking to appease their ferocious appetites and gain time to allow his horse to reach the home shelter, grandfather, from his secure position in the tree, removed his leather boots and dropped them to the ravenous animals, The boots wore soon devoured, but in the scramble for the precious tidbits they fought, killed and devoured one another till the break of day, when the remainder slunk away to their lairs, All night long grandmother could hear the savage howls and, seeing the horse return home riderless, supposed her husband had fell a prey to these ever starving beasts. Imagine her joy and surprise when with the dawning of a new day she saw the familiar form of her life partner emerging from the woods safe and sound.
Adventures of this kind were not uncommon to show something of the brave and hardihood of the pioneer mothers.
After a trip through the picturesque little town of Tryonville and viewing its situation from one of the nearby hills, a visitor will readily agree that the pioneers, James and David Tryon, suffered no illusions when they erected this spot to pitch their tent, Their work has long since been finished, but the fruits of their labors are still to be enjoyed by their successors.
In point of growth and population, Tryonville has changed little since Civil War days, when there were some 40 houses and about 150 people. Many other inland towns also have changed but little in recent years, but with the coming of good roads and other advantages resulting therefrom, we will soon witness great changes and it is the hope of the writer that a just share of progress will come to his native village which it has justly earned in 100 years of toil.
August 10, 1964
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The whole point of organic infant formula is to ensure that you are providing your baby with the healthiest possible alternative to breast milk.
The reason we need an alternative to breast milk is that for any number of reasons. Some women cannot produce it in sufficient quantities, if at all for their babies.
If you find yourself in that situation, you are not alone. The Chicago Tribune reports that 1 to 5 percent of women do not produce enough milk to feed their babies.
Amid government sponsored messages like “breast is best,” these mothers may have to fight through the feelings of failure and find the absolute best alternative to the natural, life-giving substance they cannot provide.
The infant formula industry swoops in as the savior of the day. And, we would all be better off for it if that were the end of the story. Unfortunately, it is not.
We still have to deal with questions like, which is the safest organic formula for your child.
Did you know that the USDA Organic label only requires the product to be 95% organic? In the same way that non-alcoholic beer still contains some percentage of alcohol, organic infant formula can still contain non-organic elements, up to 5%.
That is only one of many facts about organic infant formula new mothers need to know, Here are a few more:
Good Vs. Bad Sugar
No matter how much you would like to completely eradicate it from your diet, sugar is a part of who we are. We are partly made of the stuff. It is an important part of breast milk.
If you happen to be lactose intolerant, you may be chagrined to discover that lactose is sugar, and not just any sugar. It is one of the key components to breast milk. If you are going to make a breast milk analog, you have got to have lactose (or something very much like it).
But, this is one of those areas where one has to carefully read labels and weigh the options. There are all kinds of sugar. And too much of it is bad for your baby’s health. If the milk has no sweetness, the baby will not drink it. If it is too sweet, you are setting up your baby for obesity and diabetes.
A number of popular organic formulas went from 100% lactose sweetener to 0% in favor of other sweeteners such as corn syrup. Organic formula companies are still businesses. And, price seems to have been the deciding factor over creating the closes possible analog to breast milk.
Know your sugars. And choose wisely.
Organic Infant Formula Oils
Some organic formulas use synthetic oils. Even if we eliminate synthetic oil, not all oils are created equally.
Remember, the point of the formula is to closely mimic natural breast milk. One of those ingredients manufacturers are after is the palmitic acid found in human milk. For this, palm oil is often used as the substitute.
But despite the naming similarities, palm oil contains a palmitic acid that is structurally different from that which is found in human milk. Human infants do not properly absorb it.
As a result, it can actually cause the formation of soaps in a baby’s intestines. This carries a number of serious consequences including lower bone mass due to the calcium being turned into soap, hard stools, and developmental issues.
Despite these well-documented concerns, many of the leading organic brands continue to use palm oil as a part of their formula. Even if you find a brand that doesn’t, you are far from done with reading the label.
Other Ingredients You Need to Avoid
Corn syrup, check. Palm oil, check. Scanning the label, you find neither of these two ingredients. But it is not yet safe to place that formula into the shopping cart and on the menu of your little one. There are other ingredients to avoid. You might also want to check for the following:
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends you void soy in baby formula apart from special circumstances. Soy contains high levels of phytoestrogens which can cause developmental issues in pre-term babies.
The good news about Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) is that they are naturally occurring and essential fatty acids found in human milk. The problem is that it is very difficult to exactly reproduce what humans produce by nature.
The attempts to do this in a lab do not exactly equate to Frankensein’s monster. But, there are definitely problems worth avoiding. Besides these acids being made up of hundreds of compounds that are hard to reproduce in a lab, dangerous chemicals are a part of some attempts to produce it.
We are talking about small differences on a cellular level. But you wanted organic infant formula. And this is one of those little compromises that can have a big impact.
Carrageenan is one of the most controversial ingredients found in baby formula. Besides being linked to gastrointestinal issues, it is also thought to be a carcinogen. That is a cancer-causing agent for those keeping score. It has also been banned in the EU since 2007.
Conclusion: Love and Research
Choosing the right baby formula is a highly personal and technically difficult choice.
It seems there is no formula out there that eliminates all the bad ingredients you should avoid. There are also special needs to consider. Your baby might have allergies and other health issues that eliminate products that would have otherwise been good choices.
Beyond health are practical considerations. Mothers have to make the same choices as businesses every day. They have to consider the overall budget while balancing the art of the possible.
At the end of the day, you have to make the best decision you can based on a mother’s love and your best research. This also has to pass through the filter of family budget and practicality. Humans are highly adaptable. We figure out ways to thrive even in the most objectionable circumstances.
Remember that you are choosing between matters of degree. Even the worst organic infant formula is likely better than the non-organic alternatives. There is good reason to feel confident that with a little love and research, you and your baby are going to be just fine. | <urn:uuid:c682bb6b-39be-44c9-8a5d-6f379cb9817c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://formuland.com/en-ca/blogs/news/organic-infant-formula-101-facts-for-beginners | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.961408 | 1,300 | 2.171875 | 2 |
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Join our panel of speakers
Speaker panel: We hold a range of courses, workshops and events throughout the year and we are always looking for graduates, undergraduates, apprentices and other professionals to share their experiences with our scholars. Panel discussions range include topics such as growth mindset, the value of a degree, apprenticeships, girls in STEM and helping young people develop resilience.
Availability: Most panel sessions are in the evenings or at the weekends but you a few will take place during the day. We aim for a diverse panel and we will often contact you to let you know about upcoming sessions. Panel sessions are usually no more than 3 hours long.
- Be part of a Q&A panel sharing your experiences with young people and parents
- Be ready to share your personal story and experiences
- Be willing to be authentic and inspire others to succeed
- Share your opinion or advice to young people and parents that may be struggling with major decisions
- Be available for up to 30 minutes after a session to answer questions from audience members
- Share our organisation’s values and ethos
- Be personable and honest about your experiences
- Have personal life experiences that can add value to our young people
- Be passionate and committed to tackling educational inequality
- Possess excellent verbal communication skills
- Be punctual
Additional information: You will not be expected to facilitate the sessions but you will be expected to contribute to the discussion and answer questions from the audience. This is a volunteer role and you may choose to do a one-off panel session or you may choose to sit on the panel as often as you want.
How to apply: Please attach your CV and a short cover letter through our contact form. | <urn:uuid:79b05f4a-0f0c-4970-9d37-af36c9876e41> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://gtscholars.org/join-panel-speakers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.939103 | 370 | 1.609375 | 2 |
This unusual name is now found mainly in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland, and has become almost exclusively an Irish name, although its origins are either English or Scottish. As an English name, Bambrick is a variant form of the locational surname 'Bainbridge', from the places so called in North and West Yorkshire. The placename is recorded as 'Bainebrigs' in 1218, and means 'bridge on the River Bain', from the Old Norse 'beinn', straight, used in a transferred sense of 'direct, helpful', applied to the river, with the Old English pre 7th Century 'brycg', bridge.The second possible origin of the surname 'Bambrick' is as a locational surname from the Scottish place 'Bambreich', of unknown origin. In Ireland the surname first appears in the beginning of the 17th Century, when Henry, Hugh and Thomas Bambrick of Leix (Queen's County) obtained 'pardons'; the name was thereafter mostly found in County Leix. One Henry Bambrick was outlawed as a Jacobite supporter in 1691. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elizabeth Bambrecke (marriage to Willyam Demote), which was dated June 8th 1557, St. Olave's, Hart Street, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, 'Good Queen Bess', 1558-1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
© Copyright: Name Origin Research 1980 - 2022 | <urn:uuid:037d313a-4f8c-4ec8-976d-188b146d2e87> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Bambrick | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.9557 | 353 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Mead, the birds and the bees.
Ever wondered where the term honeymoon came from? Well get ready, because we’re about to tell you.
It's often red wine and oysters getting all the aphrodisiac hype, but mead has a long history of being given to newlyweds to ‘perk things up’ while enjoying what we now know as…. a honeymoon.
Mead was the drink of choice for Kings and Queens all across the world over the past 9000 years wanting to start their marriage off with a bang (literally).
Mead was a traditional gift to the new couple from the bride's parents. It was to be drunk daily for the first 30 days of marriage, or a full moon cycle, in the hope to become pregnant, quickly. For new couples, likely part of arranged marriages, mead made things a bit lighter and was thought to encourage a bit more enthusiasm for both parties. Mead's involvement in marital or other historic ceremonies has been documented throughout Ancient Greece, in Egyptian Tombs, Viking culture and across Ancient Asia. This has been around a lot longer than the modern European tradition of a holiday.
Today, ceremonies involving mead are a little more relaxed. While mead may not be drunk by all newlyweds, the honeymoon is here to stay. With more modern meaderies opening up around New Zealand, and across the globe we think it could be time for this tradition to make a comeback. | <urn:uuid:276e3f6b-479a-48ed-8374-396fb7c31a55> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://thebuzzclub.co.nz/blogs/news/mead-and-the-honeymoon | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.966736 | 304 | 2.359375 | 2 |
The aim of this research paper is to understand how beneficial work placement experience is to those students that participate in it. There is much research into the benefits of internships but scant research examining the students’ level of satisfaction with their placement and there is also scant research on the career outcomes of the students after they have completed their work placement. There is also little research scrutinizing internships where the findings are empirically based.
Research data was taken from an online survey carried out on students that had completed a work placement in the last round of placements from DBS, DIT and WIT higher educational institutes. Four one-to-one interviews were also carried out with students that had completed placements. To strengthen the research, various journals and literature on internships were reviewed.
The research found that work placements are very beneficial to the students who participate in them. The majority of students are satisfied. They are afforded the opportunity to develop their skills. Their attitudes and expectations are also altered by the placement which ensures their career intentions are clarified and that they have clear expectations of the workplace. They feel they have an advantage over those that have not completed a work placement programme. Author keywords: work placement, internship | <urn:uuid:6cbd5fd2-1910-42b2-be39-e7400af2eba6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://esource.dbs.ie/handle/10788/355 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.98782 | 246 | 2.3125 | 2 |
The idea of marriage scares many people and it is seemingly becoming less and less ideal for younger generations. Nevertheless, marriages are still occurring. Marriage allows partners to identify their commitment on a higher level, as well as gaining benefits such as financial stability. However, government involvement in marriages can cause people to shy away from the institution. Others feel that marriage is not an appropriate act for demonstrating commitment.
Yes, marriage is an outdated custom
Marriage is a simple piece of paper that connects your relationship by law, it does not define how committed you are to someone.
Government involvement is unnecessary
Marriage involves the government more than it signifies union. | <urn:uuid:47686b74-f01c-48aa-9038-00ad78f508b1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.parlia.com/c/marriage-outdated-custom | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.978149 | 130 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Authorial Artists: 5 Painters Who Also Wrote
Everyone wants to be a writer—deep down anyway. And maybe not everyone wants to tell stories on a professional or even professionally amateur level, but it is true that we're all storytellers at heart. The desire to share information, life lessons, and laughs through constructed narratives is innate to our species. We tell stories to engage with others, to flatter them, impress them, bond with them. There's a reason, for instance, couples have that "how was your day" exchange: telling each other the events of the hours they spent apart helps them feel as though they weren't apart at all. When your grandmother tells you a story of her crazy youth, you get to know a side of her you never knew she had. Storytelling is a part of humanity, and we all engage with it in some capacity every single day.
Some people are also gifted visual artists, and they tell stories by mixing and applying paint to canvas, creating objects, settings and people that communicate ideas. Even when artists paint in abstract terms, they're still transmitting their thoughts and emotions, providing the viewer a window into their subconscious. So it's no surprise to learn that some of the world's most famous painters also engaged with literary writing on some level throughout their careers, creating novels, plays, poetry, and screenplays. Let's take a look at five of those big name artists and ask the ultimate question: is their writing any good?
1. Pablo Picasso
He may be one of the most famous painters out there, tied only with Vincent Van Gogh—I mean, you've either got a print of Starry Night or The Old Guitar Player hanging up somewhere in your home, right? Or maybe you've got the Guernica coffee mug? Even if you're not that familiar with his broader body of work, or even his place in art history, you know who this guy is, so I'll skip the introductions and move straight on to Picasso's writings.
It actually seems inevitable Picasso would gravitate toward words and stories. Three years ago the Yale University Art Gallery held a special exhibition titled Picasso and the Lure of Language, which celebrated the artist's bookish or language-based works. Covering the exhibition for the New Haven Independent, Allen Appel reports that Picasso's obsession with words stemmed largely from his association with Gertrude Stein, "that word-experimentalist par excellence," who reportedly told Picasso, "Anyone who can paint like you, Pablo, has no business hanging out with other painters," and advised him to befriend other writers instead. This Picasso did, becoming quite chummy with poet, novelist and art critic Guillaume Apollinaire. He was also seen hobnobbing with the likes of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis, and James Joyce, all guests of Stein and Alice B. Toklas's salon gatherings in Paris.
These literary acquaintances no doubt inspired Picasso to try his hand at writing. In 1937 he produced The Dream and Lie of Franco, a three-sheet volume of panel sketches accompanied by prose poems—really, a comic strip, if we're being honest. Picasso followed this work up with two largely un-produceable surrealists plays, Desire Caught by the Tail (1941) and The Four Little Girls (1949), plus another volume of sketches matched with prose titled The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1959). Picasso's literary output more or less petered out after Orgaz, as he refocused his efforts on painting and sculpture.
So is Picasso Any Good?
Well, I'm no poetry expert, so let's review a sample from Picasso's The Dream and Lie of Franco:
silver bells & cockle shells & guts braided in a row
a pinky in erection not a grape & not a fig.. [sic]
casket on shoulders crammed with sausages & mouths
rage that contorts the drawing of a shadow that lashes teeth
nailed into sand the horse ripped open top to bottom in the sun..
Seems alright to me, if perhaps not very clear or concise. I mean, I understand the work was politically motivated, and I can see that in some of Picasso's word choices, but at the end of the day, what is he actually saying here?
Ditto for his dramatic work. I haven't gotten my hands on The Four Little Girls, but I have read Desire Caught by the Tail, and while it's entertaining in a WTF-is-going-on? kind of way, I'm not so sure I really 'get it.' Let's take a look at Act II, Scene II, in which all the characters are bathing together in a giant, sudsy tub (and, yes, there's a character named Big Foot):
You've got a shapely leg and a well turned navel, a slender waist and perfect tits, the ridges of your eyebrows are maddening, and your mouth is a nest of flowers, your hips a sofa, and the flap-seat of your belly a box at the bull-fights in the arenas in Nîmes, your buttocks a dish of baked beans, and your arms a sharkfin soup, and your and your bird's nest again the spiciness of a bird's nest soup. But my dear, my ducky, and my pet, I'm in a dither, in a dither, in a dither, in a dither.
Old whore! Little trollope!
My dear fellow, where do you think you are, in the house or in a brothel?
If you continue, I'm not going to wash myself any more and I'm going away.
Where's my soap? my soap? my soap?
Yes, the hussy!
And then some dogs enter the stage and proceed to lick everyone. No, I'm not kidding.
So I suppose it's fair to say Picasso's literary work is good, if you're into that sort of thing, though he's really not breaking any new ground in the surrealist/bizarro camp. Good thing he stuck with painting.
2. Salvador Dalí
If Picasso is the Prince of Cubism, then surely Dalí is the King of Surrealism. The man produced some pretty trippy and interesting images, many of which are instantly recognizable. Like Picasso's Old Guitar Player, the 'melting clocks' from Dalí's painting The Persistence of Memory are firmly ingrained in our culture.
But unless you're a film nerd, you're probably not familiar with the screenplays he co-wrote with fellow Spanish surrealist Luis Buñuel, Un Chien Andalou (1929) and L'Age d'Or (1930). Pixies fans take note: the song 'Debaser' references the most famous scene from Un Chien Andalou: "Got me a movie / I want you to know / Slicing up eyeballs / I want you to know." That's right, Dalí and Buñuel's 17 minute, plotless journey into pure surrealism features a POV shot of a woman's eyeball being sliced open with a razor blade. Maybe you've heard of that? L'Age d'Or, which loosely follows the exploits of two young lovers, is also famous for a single scene: the female protagonist performs felatio on a marble statue's toe. Uh huh.
But if we're really going down the rabbit hole with Dalí's literary work, let us not ignore his lone novel, Hidden Faces, published in 1944. According to Wikipedia, the novel "describes, in vividly visual terms, the intrigues and love affairs of a group of dazzling, eccentric aristocrats who, with their luxurious and extravagant lifestyle, symbolize the decadence of the 1930s." This brief GoodReads review from Sicienss provides some additional info:
The verbal Dalí is different than the visual Dalí. He doesn't write straight-forwardly surrealistically; rather, he couches the (plausible) events that occur in his fictional world in strange metaphors, in the associations that exist within the minds of his characters. I recall a particularly thrilling passage in the opening pages where he equates a woman's bare knees with the skulls of children.
In 1955, Dalí also wrote and designed an animated short for Walt Disney, titled Destino, which didn't see the light of day until 2003. He also produced a live-action short in 1975 titled Impressions of Upper Mongolia, about an expedition to find hallucinogenic mushrooms. Oh yeah, and this:
So is Dalí Any Good?
Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'Or are both considered hallmarks of the experimental film genre, and with good reason. While Picasso had to try very hard to be surreal and weird, Dalí and Buñuel were surreal and weird. Andalou in particular manages to engage and fascinate despite its lack of plot and rampant non-sequiturs (a scene featuring two men hauling, by rope, dead animal carcasses and a piano, for instance), but that's the point. The film is supposed to be anarchic and disorienting, like a night of dreams and nightmares without cohesion. Seeing this movie is no jaunty trip to the cinema. If this isn't your cup of tea, however, Destino offers more of a plot and is a real treat to watch.
As for Dalí's novel, Hidden Faces, it has a strong cult following, but I suspect this is because it was written by Salvador Dalí. I haven't picked this one up myself, but there's a webpage dedicated to nothing but quotes from the book. Here's an example:
The boat glided off and lay steeped in a kind of supernatural peace . . . a milky silence. . . . One heard a faint lapping of water against the keel, like a sound of lunar saliva. The moon-drenched kite lying against a bulwark looked like a stellar ray that had just dropped there like a sign of the Zodiac.
'Lunar saliva?' Only Dalí knows what 'lunar saliva' sounds like. Also, 'like a stellar ray that had just dropped there like a sign of the Zodiac.' I have no idea what that means. It sounds cool, though.
My final verdict: watch the short films, skip the book, unless you're in the mood for some crazy-ass, nonsensical prose—which is okay. I'm sometimes in the mood for that myself.
3. Julian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel was a prominent figure in the Neo-Expressionist movement of the late 70s/early 80s, an approach to art that blended abstract forms with roughly-depicted people and objects. Schnabel was particularly prominent in the New York City scene for his "plate paintings"—massive works adorned with broken pieces of ceramic dining ware and paint.
Despite all his accolades as a static visual artist, however, Schnabel began pursuing narrative filmmaking. In 1996 he wrote and directed Basquiat, a biopic about friend and fellow Neo-Expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat, starring Jeffrey Wright in the titular role and featuring Dennis Hopper, Benicio Del Toro, Gary Oldman, and David Bowie as Andy Warhol. He followed up Basquiat with Before Night Falls, an adaption of Reinaldo Arenas's autobiography about persecution of homosexuals in 1970s Cuba (featuring a breakthrough performance by Javier Bardem as Arenas).
In 2007 Schnabel released The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, another adaptation of an autobiography, this one by Jean-Dominique Bauby, the one-time French Elle editor who became almost completely paralyzed after a stroke, save the use of his left eye. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards that year, including Best Director. Though Diving Bell didn't win any Oscars, it did pick up AFI's Movie of the Year award, and took home the Best Director award at Cannes. Miral, about a young girl wrapped up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, arrived in 2010, though Schnabel had no official hand in the screenwriting process. The film wasn't as critically successful as his previous work, and boasts a 5.9 out of 10 on imdb.com.
So is Schnabel Any Good?
If the details above aren't convincing enough, then let me tell you, yes, he's actually quite good. True, much of his film work consists of adaptations, but this doesn't mean the man has no understanding of narrative fiction—if you're a good director, you have to. Schnabel's films are never terribly long—an hour and a half on average—but they feel longer, and much more dense than 90 minutes usually allows. They all sport top-notch acting and offer windows into the protagonists' minds. This is particularly true of Diving Bell, which is nothing but the world according to Bauby; the scene in which the character's right eye is sewn shut, depicted in POV, literally puts you right in the center of Bauby's horror (and serves as a visual homage to Dalí and Buñuel). It's an effective, not-for-the-squeamish scene that shows off Schnabel's talent for storytelling as communication of idea or emotion to the audience.
Also, Basquiat is one of my all-time favorite movies, since it boasts not only all the above qualities, but also one killer soundtrack.
4. Andy Warhol
You've heard about Campbell's Soup Cans, Green Coca-Cola Bottles, the first Velvet Underground LP and the concept "15 minutes of fame," but the King of Pop Art didn't just vibrantly reproduce commodities/celebrities, design album covers and coin adages. Warhol was also deeply involved in fictional endeavors, primarily films.
Let's talk about those movies. Between 1963 and roughly 1973, Warhol and his "Factory" of superstars produced hundreds of films, many shot by the white-wigged man himself. Some titles, like Kiss, Eat, and Blow-Job (all 1963) were experiments in static filmmaking, each depicting exactly what their title describes (with the exception of Blow-Job, which is actually the recipient's facial reactions to said act). Many other films were narrative-based, like Batman Dracula (1964), produced without DC Comics' permission and now long gone, but credited as being the first campy depiction of the Caped Crusader. Vinyl (1965) is loosely based on Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, predating Kubrick's decidedly more faithful adaptation by six years. There's also Blue Movie, aka Fuck (1969), about an adulterous couple alternately engaging in serious conversation and...well, the title says it all. L'Amour, about two American woman looking for rich husbands in Paris, was co-written and co-directed with longtime collaborator Paul Morrissey.
Warhol also contributed to the literary world with a, A Novel, a roman à clef starring Factory regular Ondine, aka Robert Olivio, with other Warhol clan members making clandestine appearances. The text is a verbatim transcription of several conversations between Warhol and Ondine, in which the latter regales the former with his amphetamine-fueled exploits.
Strangely, Warhol intended a, A Novel as a response to Ulysses. Certainly, it's just as difficult to understand as James Joyce's masterpiece: as I said, the novel is a verbatim transcript, full of disjointed thoughts, stories that ramble on or stop abruptly, and even typos made by the various typists Warhol employed. This is all intentional, as Guardian writer Andrew Gallix reports that Warhol wanted to produce a "bad novel." Check the win box on this one.
So, is Warhol Any Good?
Like judging Picasso's literary output, distinctions of good and bad concerning Warhol's work are subjective to the reader. If you're into weird experimental films and texts, then surely Warhol is a genius; however, if you prefer your movies and novels linear and sensical, the man was a hack. a, A Novel reminds me of Jack Kerouac's The Subterraneans, a punctuation-less speedball of a book that I couldn't finish, but the difference is, Warhol's novel was intended somewhat as a joke, and Kerouac's wasn't. Similarly, his films were never meant to be anything more than they were: experiments, funny exploits, and improvisations. If you go into either expecting pinnacles of fiction, you’ll be disappointed; however, if you place no expectations upon your reading/viewing experience, you might have a good time.
5. Yoko Ono
Yep. You might think Yoko Ono is nothing more than John Lennon’s widow and the woman responsible for The Beatles’ break-up, but like it or not, she did contribute significantly to the conceptual art movement (also, The Beatles hated each other and would have broken up anyway, regardless of Ono's presence). Her art projects are too numerous and multifaceted to really get into here, so for a decent overview check out her Wikipedia page.
Now, on to the task at hand: Ono’s writing. She created a fairytale called Invisible Flower when she was 19 years old, written in a quasi-children’s book style, featuring lines of prose matched with paintings and sketches. Not published until 2012 at the insistence of her son Sean Lennon, Invisible Flower tells a tale of hidden beauty and the one person—‘Smelty John’—who notices it (the use of the name John is mere coincidence; the piece was written several years before even meeting Lennon). Many Amazon users praise the book for the starkness of its imagery and the simplicity of its message.
In 1964, Ono published an odd little book called Grapefruit, a collection of ‘instructional poetry’ that the reader can either try at home or simply enjoy as reading material. Highfalutin-ness notwithstanding, I think humor comes into play with this book as well. Here’s an example:
TUNAFISH SANDWICH PIECE
Imagine one thousand suns in the
sky at the same time.
Let them shine for one hour.
The, let them gradually melt
into the sky.
Make one tunafish sandwich and eat.
Blending the fantastic with the mundane in a kind of punchline: I mean, come on, that’s funny.
Grapefruit was reissued in 1970 with about 80 more instructional pieces tacked on, and it’s still in print today. Ono hasn’t written much since that time, though she did create a piece titled My Hometown, which was used as the basis for an animated short of the same name in 2011. The poem calls for greater social awareness and pushes people to think about the world as their ‘hometown.’ Check out the short film over at Ono’s website imaginepeace.com.
So, Is Ono Any Good?
Say what you want, but I think so. It’s clear to me her writing—really, anything she’s ever laid her hands on—is meant to be whimsical. Children and adults alike can appreciate her simple messages of peace and love, and I see no reason to deride her for this. As I said before, a lot of people only recognize Ono for her spot in the Beatles-verse, but I encourage those people to dig a little deeper. I’m not a huge fan of everything she’s done, but I’m 100 percent behind her writing.
For more information on non-writers who wrote, try Cath Murphy’s column The Good, The Bad, and The Sadly Deluded: Actors Who Write. And if there are any other visual artists who took to the pen not mentioned here, shout out in the comments section.
Until next time.
To leave a comment | <urn:uuid:0317eebd-e080-4e33-949b-006166fbefa1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://litreactor.com/columns/authorial-artists-5-painters-who-also-wrote#comment-form | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.960677 | 4,272 | 2.09375 | 2 |
There is no one definitive way to say “I love you” in sign language. However, some ways to say it include using the signs “love,” “heart,” “affection,” and “cuddle.” You can also use finger-spelling to spell out the words “I love you.”
How To Say Love U In Sign Language
There is no one definitive way to say “I love you” in sign language. However, some common ways to say this phrase include signing “I love you,” signing “I adore you,” or signing “I cherish you.” Variations on these phrases may also be used. It is important to remember that sign language is a very personal and expressive language, so it is important to use the signs that feel most natural to you when expressing your love for someone.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the necessary tools and materials for saying “I love you” in sign language will vary depending on which sign language you are using. However, some basics that you may need include a sign language dictionary, an instructional video or book on sign language, and practice with a sign language tutor or friend.
- Form a “u” with your thumb and first finger bring your
- Start with the letter “i”
- Move your hand to the right, and curve your fingers inward as if you are holding something
There are many ways to say “I love you” in sign language. Some of the most common ways are shown below. -I love you -I’m in love with you -I adore you -I’m crazy about you
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say I Love You To A Deaf Person?
In American Sign Language, “I love you” is expressed as “I love you.”
What Is I Love You In Sign Language?
The phrase “I love you” can be signed in American Sign Language (ASL) using the letters “I”, “L”, “V”, and “Y”. The sign looks like a heart and is made by touching the tips of the thumb and index finger to form a small circle, then moving the hand up and out.
How Do You Write Love Sign?
There’s no one way to write a love sign! You could make a heart-shaped sign with “I love you” written inside, or go for something simple like an arrow with the word “love” inscribed at the tip.
In sign language, there are many ways to say “I love you.” Some of the most common ways include “I love you,” “I adore you,” “I cherish you,” and “I’m crazy about you.” | <urn:uuid:99f8a344-5d00-431a-a80b-a71f31476d5f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://procuracolombia.com/how-to-say-love-u-in-sign-language/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.944162 | 634 | 2.671875 | 3 |
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