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Cybersecurity is a major point of anxiety for any business. Data breaches can be extremely costly, not only in terms of the data compromised but also in the damage to the organization's reputation following an attack. This issue is all the more important for small to midsize businesses (SMBs) that may lack the capital to bounce back from an attack as easily as large enterprises. If you find yourself among the many professionals worried about your security, then fret not. You have many tools at your disposal and, if you know what to look out for, you can protect yourself from all sorts of malicious activity.
We recently spoke with Dr. Eric Cole, founder and CEO of cybersecurity consulting firm Secure Anchor Consulting(Opens in a new window), about cyber attacks and steps you can take to keep your SMB safe. Dr. Cole has worked in the cybersecurity industry for more than 20 years. He once was Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at security firm McAfee, and Chief Scientist and Senior Fellow for American global aerospace, defense, and security firm Lockheed Martin. Dr. Cole was also a member of the Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th President, Barack Obama. He has an upcoming book entitled, Online Danger: How to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones From the Evil Side of the Internet(Opens in a new window).
"SMB attacks are very widespread. The reason we don't hear about them as much is that our 'pain tolerance' has gotten so high for data breaches that smaller attacks don't make the news," Dr. Cole explained. "Imagine 10 years ago if you found out that your bank had 5,000 records stolen, you'd be freaking out. Today, if a million records get stolen, it's not newsworthy. A lot of SMBs say 'We are a smaller company, nobody's going to try to attack us' and that's just not true. Fortunately, there are still a lot of things you can do to protect yourself."
A Data-Centric View
One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation with Dr. Cole was that many breaches, even to large companies, are caused by little more than carelessness. "When you look at data breaches, the ones in news are caused because they are sloppy. Take Equifax, for example. They had a server that was accessible from the internet. They used the word 'admin' as credentials. They were behind on patches. These are all things that anyone, regardless of budget, can take care of."
Dr. Cole implores SMBs to take a data-centric view to their security. "Ask yourself, 'Why is our server accessible on the internet and why is that data so accessible?'" Businesses might not even need every one of their servers to be connected to the internet, especially if they contain information that hackers would want to sell or hold hostage.
The Power of the Individual
You can purchase and deploy as many security solutions as you want, but the truth of the matter is, the most important line of defense between your company and malicious attackers is your employees. "The adversary just needs an entry point. In most organizations, the biggest target is the individual," said Dr. Cole.
To access sensitive data, hackers will often target employees with phishing emails, making themselves appear as a manager or executive requesting information. The emails may be linked to forms that look official on the surface but are really sent back to criminals. "Criminals are operating on a much higher level these days than the 'Nigerian Prince' scam. Today, you're going to get a legitimate-looking email from your boss or co-workers that looks just like they sent it. Most users are going to click on that without thinking and that's extremely dangerous."
Training users on how to identify these attacks is crucial to minimizing them. If an executive contacts them and asks them to make a transaction that seems out of the ordinary, then check with them in person or over the phone first. "It all comes down to the message of 'think before you click.' Trusting emails at face value is about the worst thing you can do these days."
Consider Outside Help
Like any other business, the bottom line is of the utmost importance to an SMB. Unlike larger companies, however, SMBs have fewer resources so they need to focus on maximizing profits. As a result, focusing on cybersecurity often just isn't a priority. Many SMBs try to do everything in-house, often at the expense of effective security measures.
During our conversation, Dr. Cole made an analogy that summarized the unique problem that SMBs have. "A lot of us may have locks or some sort of security system in our home. Very few people, on the other hand, have their own security team. That's usually reserved for the richest among us," he said. "When something goes wrong, we usually have a third party handle it on our behalf. We call the police or some other emergency service. Many SMBs try to maintain their security operations all by themselves, and that's a problem."
Dr. Cole recommends that SMBs see themselves in the same light. Cloud services may be better equipped to handle customer information. Cloud services such as IBM/Softlayer ($9,100.00 at IBM)(Opens in a new window) offer secure data center services and may be a better choice for SMB customers than trying to do everything themselves.
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The Real 2012 Prophecy: Mayans, Nostradamus, and Planet X, Oh My!1
The year 2012 is supposed to result in a slew of natural disasters culminating in the end of the world (as we know it, or think we know it, as the case may be). We know this prediction is true because a bunch of savage, child sacrificing, jungle-dwelling Mayans2 prophesied it hundreds of years ago through their amazingly accurate calendar. Never mind that the date for Armageddon was originally set as December 24, 2011. We now know that these events will occur at exactly 11:11 GMT on December 21 2012, even though some Mayan predictions go all the way to 4772 A.D.3 Those Mayans really knew everything about astronomy, since their calendar consisted of 260-day periods, which we now know represents the true length of the solar year! According to the Mayan calendar, the "Great Cycle" equates with 5,125.36 years, which began on August 11, 3114 B.C. and ends in 2012. Unfortunately for the Maya (but maybe fortunately for us), they ended before their calendar.
The Maya were not the only people to predict the end of the world. Incan and Egyptian calendars, as well as with the prophecies of Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce (famous for predicting from 1958-1998 that a tilting of the Earth's axis would result in "The earth will be broken up in the western portion of America. The greater portion of Japan must go into the sea."), and the I Ching, Hopi Indians, along with a slew of wackos have indicated that the apocalypse will occur in December 2012. Nostradamus predicted a great comet, Nibiru, would impact the Mediterranean on December 21, 2012 (or was it the year 1999? - close enough!).
Not content with just one disaster at a time, 2012 will unleash the ultimate disaster movie - earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, and droughts (at the same time and place!). These events are thought to be caused by a polar shift, enormous asteroids, violent solar activity (never mind that the Sun is still relatively quiescent, despite being near solar maximum), the emergence of Planet X or Nibiru, and the planetary alignment of Venus. Never mind that the next Venetian alignment actually happened on June 5-6, 2012, and that the alignment produced a gravitational interaction on the order of your neighbor's Toaster Strudel. This is real science, man! The other probable causes of these disasters relate to the earth's precession, a 26,000 year cycle that just happens to coincide with the 12/21/2012 date (how it coincides we aren't sure, but we want to throw it in so that nothing is left out). In addition, our Solar System crosses in and out of the galactic plane every 33 million years. Coincidentally, the Sun will be at the exact center of the galactic plane on December 21, 2012 (or maybe it already happened 3 million years ago - but who's counting). At the same time, there will be a massive pole shift caused by the galactic alignment between the center of the galaxy and the Sun that will cause massive earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. What fun!
The really bad thing about 2012 is that the government knows everything about what is going to happen and they are keeping it from you. When Barack Obama talked about change, he wasn't kidding! In fact, they have set up a secret organization, including a secret website, the Institute for Human Continuity, to promote the continued survival of the human species after December 21, 2012. Among other things, the Institute is conducting a lottery to determine which humans will be selected to inhabit the subterranean cities in their "Operation Safe Haven." Surprisingly, the Institute has been operating since 1978, when they held their first Summit in in Timaru, New Zealand. You best get aboard while you can. Don't wait until 2012! If the links don't work, then I guess you were too late (or Sony pulled the movie site after they released the DVD version of their movie).
The real 2012 prophecy
Since everybody else is making 2012 predictions, I thought I would throw mine into the mix. And here it is... The 2012 disasters are such good violence and mayhem that they would make the ultimate disaster movie. Hey, somebody needs to make a lot of money by taking from the ignorant interested people. Authors will write books and studios will make movies and the con artists will make lots of money—just like the good old days of Y2K.
Prepare for 2012!
There isn't much that one could do to prepare for the end of the world. Of course, if you really believe the world is going to end, then you won't be needing your money. So, you could send it to me. Alternatively, you could follow the advice Jesus gave to the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:21).
Yes, there will be earthquakes, volcanoes, floods and droughts in 2012, just as there are in every year. My 2012 prediction is that scammers will make a lot of money off gullible astute people. Do not fear, for perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. "So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. "Therefore everyone who confesses Me [Jesus] before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:29-32)
- Who Was Nostradamus? Was He the Greatest Prophet of Modern Times?
- Nostradamus Predictions Quiz
- Gospel in the Stars?- What Does the Bible Say About Astrology?
- Prophecies of Jesus Christ as Messiah
- Prophecies of Jesus Christ in the Rabbinical Writings
- In case you didn't get it, yes, this page is satire. No, we don't believe in any of the 2012 prophecies.
- For people who don't believe the Maya were "savage, child
sacrificing," please click the links below to read the scientific
citations supporting this claim:
Vera Etons. Latin American Antiquity 17: 493-510.
Cecilia Medina Martín and Mirna Sánchez Vargas. 2007. Posthumous Body Treatments and Ritual Meaning in the Classic Period Northern Petén: A Taphonomic Approach. Springer, New York.
Amador Minjares. 2003. Human Skeletal Remains of the Ancient Maya in the Caves of Dos Pilas, Guatemala. Thesis, University of Notre Dame.
Sacred Cenote, Wikipedia.
Chichén Itzá Sacrifice at the Ball Game About.com.
Ballcourt beheading carved in stone
Maya Human Sacrifice, Belize, National Geographic.
- Mark Van Stone. It's Not the End of the World: What the Ancient Maya Tell Us About 2012 Part II—A look at the Creation
We are what we think.
- 10/18/2016 07:00 AM
Christian Thinkers 101: A Crash Course on St. Basil
Not many people are known as so-and-so “the Great.” But St. Basil the Great was one of the finest thinkers, writers, and preachers in Christian church history. What did this man believe, and what did he ultimately contribute to historic Christianity? Here’s your crash course on the life and accomplishments of St. Basil the Great—and why he still matters today.…
- 10/11/2016 07:00 AM
Should We Read Print Books or E-books?
Is it better to read paper books or electronic books? E-books have their benefits: They are convenient, especially when traveling, and they are often significantly less expensive than physical books. They are also becoming more like physical books as developers continue to improve the technology. Also, I think all reading is good, so I don’t oppose the reading of…
- 10/04/2016 07:00 AM
Christian Thinkers 101: A Crash Course on Tertullian
Though he died almost 18 centuries ago, Tertullian is often quoted today in theological and apologetics circles. But what did this man believe and what did he ultimately contribute to historic Christianity? Here’s your crash course on the life and accomplishments of Tertullian—and why he still matters today. Who Was Tertullian? Tertullian (c. 160–220) was a North African church father…
- 09/27/2016 10:00 AM
Reflections on Social Media: Is Digital Networking a Good Phenomenon? Part 2
It seems a safe assumption that all new technologies—from cell phones to social media—present its users with both positive and negative possibilities. The challenge resides in learning how to manage the technology so one maximizes the positives and minimizes the negatives. How can we do this for the emerging and enormously popular phenomenon known as social media? In this second article (see…
- 09/20/2016 07:00 AM
Reflections on Social Media: Is Digital Networking a Good Phenomenon? Part 1
In July 2016, the Facebook Messenger app marked the amazing milestone of having 1 billion daily active users.1 And Twitter now claims 313 million monthly active users.2 There are also numerous other social networking sites that are extremely popular, including YouTube, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Instagram, etc.3 Since social media doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon, I have decided to write a couple…
- 09/13/2016 01:31 PM
Lessons About Evil: Reflections on the Movie Anthropoid
Reinhard Heydrich (1904–1942) was a Nazi leader who impressed Adolf Hitler with his unbridled brutality. Historians consider Heydrich to be the central mastermind of the greatest state-sponsored crime in history—the Holocaust. As an evil genius, he planned the systematic extermination of 6 million Jews and 5 million other non-Jewish victims totaling a staggering 11 million people. Heydrich’s ruthless cruelty earned him such ominous…
- 09/06/2016 07:00 AM
A Review of Patterns of Evidence
In his film Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus, documentary filmmaker Timothy Mahoney recreates his search for the historical truth behind the Jews’ exodus from Egypt. I previewed this film at a theatrical release in February 2015. The documentary is now widely available for rent and purchase, and I’ve noticed that it’s been getting some promotion within the Christian apologetics community…
audio/mpeg (1.7 MBytes)
- 08/30/2016 07:00 AM
Christian Thinkers 101: A Crash Course on Irenaeus
Irenaeus was one of the first Christians to defend the faith against Gnosticism, but what exactly did he believe and what else did he contribute to Christianity? Here’s your crash course on the life and accomplishments of Irenaeus—and why he still matters today. Who Was Irenaeus? Irenaeus (c. 130–202) was a Greek thinker who was born in Asia Minor to…
- 08/23/2016 07:00 AM
The Image of God Gives All Human Life Value
Lethal acts of terrorism, controversial police shootings, and attacks upon law enforcement officers have left many unsettled in America. These horrific public killings cause many to wonder whose lives really matter in life. So do all human lives have value? And, if so, on what basis do they carry worth? Without debating the controversial social and political issues involved, I…
- 08/16/2016 07:00 AM
Christian Thinkers 101: A Crash Course on John Calvin
John Calvin was one of the great voices of the Protestant Reformation, but what exactly did he believe, and what else did he contribute to Christianity? Here’s your crash course on the life and accomplishments of John Calvin—and why he still matters today. Who Was John Calvin? John Calvin (1509–1564) was born in Noyon, Picardy, France, to a devoted…
Last updated January 20, 2012 | <urn:uuid:5bbf618f-40d6-42fe-a2a0-ddf95f036087> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://godandscience.org/doctrine/2012_prophecy_review.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719215.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00199-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941442 | 2,646 | 2.0625 | 2 |
"We’re not speculators. We’re investors.” So says the CEO of a real estate trust that recently sunk some $170 million into 22 charter schools. Which got me wondering: why charter schools? How do they end up looking like sound investments?--Daniel Wolfe, "Speculating on Education"
Some of you may recall...
A couple of years ago, a post of mine, shining the light on hedge-fund "school reformers" like Whitney Tilson who bankrolls the DFER organization, created a little tiff. Short-seller Tilson cynically made fun of my notion that there were profits to be made in the world of charter schools.
“Trying to make a killing in the charter school business”?! Yeah, that’s right, the charter school business is so profitable that I’m telling all my friends in the hedge fund business that they’re in the wrong business. My message: “If you really want to make a lot of money, start a charter school!” LOL!LOL indeed. Fast forward to--well, how about right now?
Here's Entertainment Properties pitch to potential investors:
We are in this business because we know that charter schools are a successful educational model that achieves what educators and the public expect of schools. Entertainment Properties Trust provides stable financing so educators and school administrators can focus on curriculum and instruction, enrollment targets and the challenges of delivering an education to meet the needs of students and the desires of parents. As a result, our charter school partners obtain a competitive advantage, especially during the early growth phase.Any questions? | <urn:uuid:b8effd7d-d98e-46f4-98fb-30280a182312> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://michaelklonsky.blogspot.com/2009/09/turning-charters-into-gold.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721405.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00313-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945407 | 340 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer but the west African nation struggles to meet its energy needs, a struggle that has persisted for many decades.
On Monday, authorities in the country said they disbursed over 3.2 billion US dollars to support power supply to Nigerians in the last five years. Godwin Emefiele who is head of the country’s apex bank, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said the monies were disbursed to electricity Generating and Distribution companies to acquire equipment, buy meters and improve electricity supply in the country.
Yet Nigerians have continued to battle poor power supply with the situation worsening last week when the country’s power grid collapsed twice, causing a huge black out across most parts of the country.
Beat Fm, a 24-hour radio station in Lagos temporarily went off air, announcing moments before that it could not sustain operations into the night. Several other businesses were impacted. But this is not the first time that the power grid collapses in the nation of over 200 million people.
According to TheCable, there were power grid collapses in February, May, July, and August of 2021 and there have been about “206 collapses between 2010 and 2019.”
So why was the power grid of last week different?
Power Grid "Full System" Collapse
Nigeria’s power generation is mostly thermal and hydro and has an installed capacity of nearly 13,000 megawatts. For many years, authorities only manage to dispatch about 4,500 megawatts of its installed capacity.
By contrast, South Africa’s total domestic electricity generation capacity is over 58,000 megawatts from all sources including coal which is by far its major energy source.
According to 2020 figures, South Africa has a population of nearly 60 million and Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation; it (Nigeria) also ranks as the biggest economy on the continent. When this reality is factored in, the disparity between both nations soon become evident and certainly not only on paper.
It is a disparity that can be seen in the stark reality of millions of homes in Nigeria that have to experience if at all, any power supply, at best, a very epileptic daily supply.
But not many would have imagined the situation to get terribly bad recently.
Generators could not save the situation
Despite being Africa's largest producer of crude oil, Nigeria imports almost all of its fuel and that is because none of its four refineries is operational- presenting a big paradox.
To avoid a spike in prices at the pump, the Nigerian government massively subsidizes Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) commonly known as Petrol. The price is fixed at 165 naira, which is about 40 cents. The price of diesel is however higher than petrol- usually just a little less than I dollar per litre.In dealing with the poor electricity supply, Nigerians for several years have relied heavily on small and huge generator sets operating on these products- petrol or diesel.
These imported generating sets have served as an alternative source of power for Nigerians and in some occasions the only source. So, when power supply from government and private providers significantly drops, the demand for petrol and diesel shoots up.
In February, a severe fuel shortage pushed prices up to 1.50 dollars per litre on the parallel market. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) announced that 100 million litres of adulterated petrol had been imported by error prompting a withdrawal from the market.
A delay in cargo ships carrying refined oil due to the war in Ukraine was also blamed for the shortage. Long queues flowing onto the roads soon lined filling stations across the country for days and weeks, climaxing into a huge and almost nationwide black out last week.
A troubled 'Privatised' sector
It is now nearly a decade since Nigeria 'privatised' its power sector. The process led to the creation of 11 distribution companies (Discos), while seven generating companies were sold to different private companies. But nothing significant has changed in the experience of consumers and year in, year out, both the government and the Discos blame each other for the failures and woes.
In an interview with africanews journalist Jerry Fisayo-Bambi, the CEO, of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise Nigeria, Muda Yusuf noted there are many structural and systemic problems facing the players in the power business sector.
First, he counters the CBN's claim of funding saying the stated amount of spending in five years is grossly inadequate.
"The funding you require for the power sector and to effectively turn around the power sector is far more than that. In fact you should be talking about 15 -20 billion US dollars. At the distribution end alone, there are major funding gaps. And some of the investors in the sector have claimed that they are not being allowed to charge a cost effective tariff" Yusuf, the former Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI) explained.
Yusuf points out further that the power reforms that saw the sector privatised in 2011 was done partially and the quality of the process has raised concern. Generation and distribution were privatised with the exclusion of the transmission component, he says, explaining that the operators continue to struggle with funding and technical capacity.
"There is a major issue with regards to generating liquidity within the system, a major issue with indebtedness to the generating companies because they can not pay adequately for gas and gas suppliers sometimes disconnect them. Then the transmission problem is managed by the government and you can imagine what that means.. so it is a multifaceted and complicated issue compounded by massive electricity theft with some government agencies and consumers not paying adequately for electricity".
Indeed, it is a complicated issue. A former minister of power Prof. Barth Nnaji alludes to some of the insight shared by Yusuf.
“There is also human factor problem on distribution such as connection inefficiencies, leakages, people stealing power, and all kinds of things done by people that make it difficult for efficient distribution, and also, the distribution companies themselves who are not investing in infrastructure which brings about inability to supply power.” Barth Nnaji was quoted as saying recently in a local newspaper interview.
What then is the way out?
Members of the lower house of Nigeria's parliament on Tuesday 22 March mandated the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu to take concrete actions aimed at solving the current nationwide blackout rather than always presenting theories.
The Committee on power, led by Hon. Magaji Da’u Aliyu at a meeting with the minister, expressed disappointment over the attitude of the ministry towards power issues particularly during national emergencies.
“There is nothing on ground to show that there will be light or generation of up to 5000 megawatts, but we keep hearing about 30,000 megawatts of installed capacity across the power stations" Da’u Aliyu said.
The Member of Parliament in his rebuke of the current minister of power, hints of the government target of 30,000 megawatts of electricity by 2030, something Generation Companies in the country (GenCos) have assured authorities to be very much attainable.
But Nigeria's former power minister Barth Nnaji thinks this is in fact a far cry from what is needed. “If we are going to be a mid-level economy, then we should clearly be talking about having the sort of power supply that Brazil has, which is over 100, 000 megawatts. If we are going to have 100, 000 megawatts of power supply, then we need to have transmission lines to match that capacity, but we don’t have it" he says.
As of today, only about 47 percent of Nigerians have access to electricity when it is available, the World Bank estimates. And if the country must achieve the target of 30, 000 megawatts by 2030, a pragmatic approach, which must be implemented commercially and politically will need to be ensured at the very least.
Fuel scarcity disappears, generators can now be filled
The government says it has released one billion litres of fuel from the national reserve to normalize distribution of petroleum products across the country after the shortage that saw fuel queues return to the roads in the past month.
The queues have though started to disappear. But the inflationary pressures from the recent fuel shortage and lack of electricity supply have already compounded business dealings and left their ugly mark on this giant African nation.
According to the International Monetary Fund 2019 country report on Nigeria, electricity problem causes the Nigerian economy to lose an estimated $29-billion annually.
"This fuel is finished, it is frustrating and there is not much profit to be made when you spend so much monies on petrol. How do you make extra monies? It is not possible particularly when you have to give the best to your customers".
Those were the words of Olorundare Juwon, a Fashion Designer and owner of a garment factory in Lagos, as he stared miserably at his empty power generating set.
President Muhammadu Buhari in a rare move last week apologized to Nigerians for fuel and electricity issues. This week, he has promised citizens that the issues will soon be over.
But until then, people in business like Olorundare Juwon in Lagos and indeed millions more across Nigeria will continue to bear the brunt. | <urn:uuid:3c515557-bcb4-454e-99c9-6da731bdf5f1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.africanews.com/2022/03/23/oil-rich-electricity-poor-what-will-it-take-to-solve-nigeria-s-energy-crisis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572581.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816211628-20220817001628-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.962262 | 1,937 | 2.203125 | 2 |
After having announced his decision on October 31, Zoran Zaev submitted his resignation as North Macedonia’s prime minister on December 22, thus triggering the constitutional procedures for the resignation of the prime minister and government, and assignment of the mandate to form a new government. A day later, the parliament confirmed his resignation at a plenary session.
In the text of his resignation published on the government website, Zaev noted he undertook this “logical step” as a way to “accept responsibility” for his party's poor results at the local elections in October. He also resigned as leader of the ruling party, announcing his retirement from politics. After Zaev's resignation, President Stevo Pendarovski gave the mandate to the new representative of the established parliamentary majority to form a government.
While we are looking at the constitutional procedures and assessing the leadership of Zoran Zaev, it is worthwhile mentioning that he is the first prime minister in the history of North Macedonia to resign while his party was still in power (Actually, Branko Crvenkovski, another Social Democrat, resigned as party leader and prime minister in 2004, but this was to allow him to seek election as president of the country.)
Zaev was a very interesting politician and one who had attracted the public eye. He was first elected as party leader eight years ago as a part of a team. He was the candidate for leader, while the current minister of defense, Radmila Šekerinska, was the candidate to be his deputy. The duo led the party during the political crisis of the wiretapping revelations, the negotiations of the Przhino Accords and the early parliamentary elections in 2016. Zaev's election promises were to restore democracy and freedom, bring the country into NATO and the EU, and improve the quality of life of its people.
Nikola Gruevski and his VMRO-DPMNE had a strong hold on the government and institutions; it was an authoritarian regime that the European Commission described as a captured state. For every citizen who had lived a day in such fear, or the nearly 20,000 whose phones were wiretapped, bringing back democracy and freedom was of utmost importance. On this, his primary promise to make North Macedonia more democratic and freer, he delivered the most.
After it became clear, in January 2017, that Gruevski was unable to form a government, his party orchestrated persecution against civil society and activists, with a long list for “execution” containing up to 170 most prominent political and civic leaders and opinion-makers. He disallowed any transfer of power and supported the storming of parliament on April 27, 2017. The angry mob attacked and beat scores of people, effectively making Zaev pay with his own blood to be elected as prime minister.
Having witnessed how Gruevski used ethnic tensions to raise the fear of ethnic Macedonians, Zaev realized that this fear could only be decreased with further unification in society and if the country’s safety and security were guaranteed. The best guarantee for that was unification under the same goals as NATO and EU Accession, and genuine inter-ethnic integration, which led to the new government policy of “One Society for All.” He further supported this by speaking to all citizens and ethnic groups, presenting candidates for mayors in traditionally Albanian municipalities, while promoting politicians, Social Democrats, representing minority ethnic groups to high posts in the party and in the government. It was in many aspects a pioneering approach for North Macedonia and showed Zaev's ability to see the bigger picture.
His political instinct as opposition leader to establish friendships and build alliances was successfully transformed into a vision to which he dedicated his first three years as prime minister, resolving the open issues of the country. It was lucky for him that this vision was met halfway by former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. The Prespa Accord was an effective resolution of the name issue with Greece, but it was also the foundation for North Macedonia to accede to NATO and fulfill one of its national priorities almost three decades after its independence.
Zaev's first attempt at friendship building was with Bulgaria and produced the treaty on friendship, good neighborliness and cooperation, which he signed with his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov on August 1, 2017. The Friendship Agreement speeded up the strengthening of bilateral relations in the period from the signing of the agreement until mid-2019 and facilitated trade, but it has yet to bear fruit, as Bulgaria is currently blocking the EU Accession of North Macedonia.
One final attempt at friendship building was tied to his faith and religious background. As a “true child” of the unrecognized Macedonian Orthodox Church, Zaev made approaches to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and visited with him, building rapport and laying the groundwork for recognition of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. Although it was another pioneering approach, it will not be easy to bear fruit.
The NATO Accession of North Macedonia was a record-breaker in many ways. After finally acceding to NATO, it took the country only 18 months to be fully integrated within the alliance. It was a success of the government, but one for which Zaev had to thank Radmila Šekerinska, as this fell under her portfolio as deputy prime minister and minister of defense. Zaev recognized Šekerinska as the minister who served the country the most during his five years as prime minister.
Zaev’s Social Democrat government worked to reverse many of the restrictive policies from Gruevski’s regime, including the policies on abortion and women’s rights. Since introducing a woman deputy-president of the party, with Šekerinska, and co-leaders (men and women) for the electoral lists in 2020, there has been a lot of advancement in that area. There’s still much that could be done on women’s rights. However, in a traditional society, very much closed to many of the contemporary values of a liberal democracy, small steps are probably a good approach.
During Zaev's tenure, there was also an improvement in workers’ rights with the minimum wage being doubled, and from January 2022, Sunday set as a day of rest.
It would be fair to say that Zaev was not immune to scandals. There were many that tainted the party and, in turn, the government. They included the so-called Racket case, the National Agency on European Educational and Mobility Programs, the Rashkovski case, but he himself, the party and the government managed to effectively disassociate from those investigated or indicted, thus ending the impunity of party officials that Gruevski established.
Finally, proof of how free the society is, is the way critics of the government are treated as opposed to during the time of Gruevski. Throughout Zaev's mandate as prime minister, there had been many occasions when certain appointments led to significant criticism in the public. For example, the appointment of Darko Leshoski as director of the celebrated Struga Poetry Evenings Festival, or the consideration of musician Beni Shaqiri for director of the Youth Cultural Center in Skopje. The public criticism was at points considered as a correction mechanism and made him, the government, and other elected officials from his party, retract those decisions. This was a new and totally unknown approach compared to the period of Gruevski.
While Zaev considered his government's responsiveness to public demands a good thing and a sign of increased democracy, it nevertheless caused damage to the party's and government's image. Those who were replaced were angry and vengeful, while when other appointments were not retracted, the citizens were left disappointed. For instance, at the October local elections, former ally Shaqiri ran for mayor of the capital, Skopje, against the Social Democrat candidate, dissipating the support among liberal-minded voters and voters from non-majority ethnic communities, and contributing to the victory of a candidate supported by far-right opposition parties.
In conclusion, his contribution to the development of the modern state, its democratic transition, the anchoring of North Macedonia and its foreign policy with western liberal democracies puts Zoran Zaev in the rank of contemporary Macedonian visionary leaders, such as former Presidents Kiro Gligorov and Boris Trajkovski. | <urn:uuid:dfe4c57c-ff9d-44e1-9f12-fb36120d001e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://globalvoices.org/2021/12/30/zoran-zaev-the-north-macedonian-prime-minister-who-has-done-the-most-to-serve-his-country/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571090.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809215803-20220810005803-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.983957 | 1,717 | 2.25 | 2 |
International Clinical Trials is a company that specializes in the application of the latest scientific technologies to the pharmaceutical industry. These technologies possess great sensitivity & specificity that facilitate comparisons of drug effects on psychomotor performance & driving skills.
These unique methodologies supersede all current technologies used to evaluate the sedating properties of different drugs.
These methodologies ensure maximum commercialization of minimally sedating drugs.
There is a strong unmet medical need for medications that are safer for patients who drive cars & operate equipment.
The World Health Organization reports that road accidents claim more than 1.2 million lives each year.Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for the 15-29 year age group and the second most common cause of death for those aged 5-14 years.
Twenty two percent of patients on anxiolytics, antidepressants, hypnotics, antiepileptics, opiods,sedating antihistamines,hypoglycemic agents,central nervous system (CNS) stimulants,and herbals with CNS-related effects are involved in motor vehicle accidents.
Schizophrenia affects more than 21 million people worldwide and the schizophrenia market was worth $US 6.5 billion in 2014.
This illness is a chronic disabling disorder that affects around 2.4 million in the US and 3.5 million in Europe.
Thirty two percent of patients suffering from schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders are involved in motor vehicle accidents.
Bipolar disorders affect approximately 5.7 million people in the US.
Forty to sixty eight percent of schizophrenic outpatients regularly drive automobiles.
As schizophrenic patients have double the rate of motor vehicle accidents per mile driven,our passionate mission is to find anti-psychotics that are safer for patients who drive cars.
The goal is to save lives, reduce severe trauma injuries, property damage and insurance premiums caused by serious motor vehicle accidents.
International Clinical Trials business model is based on partnerships with other pharmaceutical companies that possess minimally sedating antipsychotic compounds.
Commercial returns for low sedating antipsychotic drugs are maximised throughout their whole product life cycle by early clinical trial comparisons with heavily sedating antipsychotic compounds.
Val Schabinsky founded International Clinical Trials in 2005 and has served as director and chairman since incorporation occurred on 24 October 2011.
Previously he worked in various roles in the pharmaceutical industry at Bristol-Myers Squibb & Merck. He also pioneered the positions of medical product specialist at Janssen-Cilag & medical communications manager at Pfizer.
Prior to this, he researched the mechanism of acute tolerance to alcohol & obtained four years academic teaching experience in the Department of Pharmacology, University of Sydney.
Val holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science (Pharmacology) degree from the University of Sydney. | <urn:uuid:9a2e0227-87dd-449d-8595-72a95374c461> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://internationalclinicaltrials.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00425-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.897187 | 575 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Business Development and Strengthening
Facilitate Strategic Planning Processes for the definition of the relevant business strategy for a planning timeframe of 3 to 5 years, as well as supporting the implementation of a business strategy.
Business Diagnostics to assessing the status of a company, identifying problems and proposing solutions. These diagnoses may cover organizational, financial or comprehensive aspects of the entire business.
Development of Organizational and Operational Manuals
Development of Organization Manuals and functions, as well as of all areas of a company. It can also include human resources system documentation, analysis of the working environment and any document for the operation of a company.
Management Information Systems
Development of Business Management Information Systems in order to simplify the management of company-wide information, and its analysis through the generation of reports for the decision-making process.
Costing and Business Financial Analysis
Cost Analysis, ABC Costing and Business Financial Analysis to promote business efficiency through cost analysis and revenue generation tools.
Business Plans, Market Studies and Company Valuation
Development of Business Plans or Feasibility Studies, as well as preparation of market research and valuation of companies in order to strengthen the decision-making process in business investments. The market and financial viability of investing in a business is assessed, as well as the valuation of companies for making decisions on the sale or purchase of companies.
Economic and Labor Economics Research
Economic research studies on business sectors and labor economics. | <urn:uuid:8ac836a8-8986-4c49-bdce-4771037d725b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bendana.com/insurance/business-reinforcement-and-business-development/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571056.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809155137-20220809185137-00671.warc.gz | en | 0.918872 | 298 | 1.59375 | 2 |
In a reprise of the humanitarian crisis of summer 2014, rising numbers of Central American children and families are crossing the Rio Grande Valley into Texas, causing a reckoning over whether the U.S. is facing a “new normal” of illegal migration from countries facing violence and poverty.
Though the U.S. is better prepared to handle the influx compared to last time, immigration experts caution that the problem is likely to sustain beyond a surge, with many of the cases from last year yet to be adjudicated in overburdened immigration courts and more coming.
“It’s honestly the next chapter in an ongoing crisis,” said Wendy Young, president of Kids in Need of Defense, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that represents unaccompanied children in deportation proceedings.
“We are wondering what comes next. There is a reality to this situation that we need to wrap our head around.”
“It’s honestly the next chapter in an ongoing crisis,” says Wendy Young, president of @supportKIND.
Here’s what’s coming now:
In October and November, more than 10,500 children—mostly from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—crossed the U.S.-Mexico border by themselves, a 106-percent increase compared to the same period last year.
In addition, more than 12,500 family units (usually a mother with her children) have come that way since Oct. 1, representing a 173-percent increase over the same time last year.
These numbers are still smaller than the summer of 2014, when more than 10,600 unaccompanied minors crossed the border just in June.
But the spikes are causing alarm because crossings of the southwest border had declined after Mexico began better enforcing its borders—with help from the U.S.—and the Obama administration pursued a public awareness campaign in Central America discouraging people from migrating.
The timing is also surprising because peaks in illegal immigration usually occur during the summer, when the weather is more bearable.
The positive trends have proven temporary impediments to opportunistic smugglers who have found new routes into the U.S. and desperate people willing to risk more for the chance at a better life.
“This may be the new normal,” said Marc Rosenblum, the deputy director of the U.S. immigration policy program at the Migration Policy Institute. “Everything that was going on in 2014 that caused people to flee is as bad or worse now. Violence in El Salvador is worse, the whole region is amidst a two-year drought, more families are experiencing food insecurity, there’s political turbulence in Guatemala. Those are strong pressures that will cause people to try to get here.”
Under pressure to respond to the surge more efficiently than last time, the Obama administration is adding at least 1,400 beds for unaccompanied children, opening three shelters this month, including two in Texas, according to The New York Times.
After children from Central America are apprehended by the Border Patrol, the Department of Health and Human Services is required to shelter them until it can find a sponsor in the U.S.—usually a parent or other family—for them to stay with.
In addition, an omnibus government spending bill signed earlier this month contains money for the hiring of 55 immigration judges to handle a backlog of 463,627 pending cases (as of November) in immigration courts nationwide, according to Human Rights Watch.
All Central American children must have their cases heard by an immigration judge.
Family units get a hearing before a judge too if they pass a “credible fear” interview with an immigration official pledging to their hope for asylum.
According to Rosenblum, half of the cases that began in immigration courts in 2014 are still pending, and two-thirds of cases brought this year are unresolved.
“We still have such poor capacity to quickly adjudicate claims,” Rosenblum said. “Waits at immigration court remain very long. Very few are deported back, and few cases are resolved quickly.”
“Very few are deported back, and few cases are resolved quickly,” says Marc Rosenblum of @MigrationPolicy.
Border officials argue that a factor fueling the current surge is a reduction in detention of women and children required by federal court rulings from this year.
The decisions found that two detention centers in Texas that the Obama administration opened last summer failed to meet the standards of a 1997 settlement agreement for facilities housing children.
While the government is appealing, an official with the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Signal that the administration is taking steps to comply with the order, and that “family residential centers are more and more functioning as processing centers for interviews and screenings.”
Though the official could not comment on the nature of the compliance due to the ongoing litigation, Rosenblum and other immigration experts say the government is detaining families for less time, releasing them in three weeks or less to pursue their asylum claims in immigration court.
Chris Cabrera, the vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union for Border Patrol agents, told The Daily Signal that immigrants from Central America seem to be responding to the new detention procedures.
“I would say it’s a major reason we’re having the surge because people know we won’t detain them and are going to release them,” said Cabrera, who is a Border Patrol agent stationed in McAllen, Texas.
Cabrera said the women and children usually seek out the Border Patrol, rather than hide from them, to ask for asylum protection. He said nearly all of them are claiming they have a credible fear of returning to their home country.
Cabrera contends that the extra resources required to process the women and children leave officers without the manpower to secure the border, although the Texas National Guard is still patrolling the Rio Grande Valley in an extension of a mission that began last year.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has also ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to increase its patrols at the border.
“To say this is the new normal is the wrong answer,” Cabrera said, responding to officials who have referred to the surge this way. “It’s an admission of defeat that this is what we should accept. I don’t accept it. This should not be the new normal, and we need to secure this area.”
In a move to bolster immigration enforcement, the Obama administration next year will begin to conduct a series of raids targeting Central American families who have come to the U.S. illegally since the beginning of 2014.
According to The Washington Post, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would target adults and children who have already been ordered removed from the U.S. by an immigration judge—meaning they did not qualify for asylum—for deportation. Most of these people likely came here during the 2014 border surge. More than 100,000 families from Central America have arrived in the U.S. since last year.
David Inserra, a homeland security expert at The Heritage Foundation, believes the Obama administration’s plan to deport certain Central American families is meant to disrupt the momentum of the latest surge.
“People see that a prior wave came to the U.S. illegally, and many of them have not been removed,” Inserra said. “That’s why I think the Obama administration is saying, ‘Something is off.’ When there is greater enforcement, you are discouraging more people from coming illegally.”
Immigration experts insist that the challenge is deeper than security.
“It’s hard to stop by just catching and deporting people,” Rosenblum said. “The answer in the long run is to help Central America fix itself.”
Seeking a more enduring solution, Congress and the Obama administration included $750 million in year-end spending to help Central American countries combat poverty, gang violence, trafficking, and government corruption, and to improve border security and social programs.
“You don’t take kids on a horrible, dangerous journey unless you feel there’s no choice,” says @MichelleBrane.
Michelle Brane, the director of the Migrant Rights and Justice Program at the Women’s Refugee Commission, called the aid to Central America a “positive step.”
She says two-thirds of Central American women with children try to flee internally before trying to come to the U.S.
“It’s a pretty grueling journey,” Brane said. “A lot of people are saying, ‘Why would a mother put their child through that?’ Look, I am a mom. You don’t take kids on a horrible, dangerous journey unless you feel there’s no choice.” | <urn:uuid:932dfb9d-9e96-4fd9-8c44-1c880107352d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://dailysignal.com/2015/12/29/whats-driving-the-latest-surge-of-illegal-immigration-from-central-america/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283301.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00502-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95425 | 1,844 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Cabin erected on higher ground
History The first log of the Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin is set in place at its new location
By Jessica Stanton, Graphic news intern
The Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin in Champoeg State Heritage Area has its foundation laid and chimney built and the logs of the cabin were being placed last week, beginning the long awaited re-construction of the structure.
In 2011, the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution realized its historical cabin rested in a precarious location; 92 years of erosion from the Willamette River had wiped away 50 feet of the clay river bank behind the structure, located within the heritage area.
The original construction of the cabin began in 1929 and was completed two years later in 1931. It is a replica to honor early pioneer mothers who crossed the country on the Oregon Trail. The cabin walls are constructed of peeled, hand-hewn logs and items in the house were donated by more than 40 families.
In the cabin itself, there is a collapsible Hudsons Bay heating stove from Father Blanchet, muskets from 1777 and 1853 and the fife played at President Abraham Lincolns funeral, so naturally when DAR discovered that the cabin was threatened by the advancing flood waters of the Willamette River, they sprang into action to preserve the cabin.
Much research went into determining the proper way to save the cabin from going into the river, said Judy Van Atta, Newell House Museum director.
The organization hired an engineering team to determine if raising the river wall with rocks was an option, but after consulting with the Oregon Historical Society it was determined it would have cost the DAR tens of thousands of dollars for the permit and to construct the wall, while providing no guarantee it would prevent the cabin from toppling into the river.
All said and done we decided late fall or winter it was time to move the cabin, Van Atta said. And it was a good thing we did. There was a big hole under the kitchen falling down into the river and then a wall in the middle of the kitchen was broken and snapped. We made the right decision.
In late October, the DAR hired Arciform, a Portland company that specializes in restoring and remodeling historic homes, to begin tagging and removing all the items from the cabin.
In January, the entire cabin was lifted off its foundation after two months to disassemble the cabin.
In early February, the first day of the areas week of snowstorms, the concrete foundation was laid for the cabin at its new location near the Robert Newell House Museum.
The contractors poured the concrete and then laid a plastic tarp across it with two inches of foam insulation and then we had 10 inches of snow on top, Van Atta said.
After snow melted, masons built the fireplace chimney. On March 13, the earthquake-resistant chimney was finished. The chimney will eventually receive a veneer of bricks from the original site.
Fundraising for the move began in November 2011; so far the DAR and other agencies have raised $192,000 of the estimated $400,000 needed to complete the project. The DAR is awaiting word on four grants it applied for. The largest of the possible grants is for $150,000 and will significantly aid in the completion of the remodeling project. | <urn:uuid:f89b123a-9d83-4bea-9e4d-d149c3151329> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://pamplinmedia.com/nbg/144-features/217264-77414-cabin-erected-on-higher-ground | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280266.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00497-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962986 | 685 | 2.671875 | 3 |
At the request of a new reader to the blog, I want to push out another worldbuilding post today! We’re going to begin diving deep into the building of a magic system, and trust me, its going to get interesting. I know exactly how complex this particular part of a universe can get; I’m just finishing wrapping up the finer details of my own magic system, so I’ve been working in this mode for at least two weeks in two separate periods.
Magic systems take time. That’s what it comes down. Building a magic system from the ground up takes time, especially if you want it done right. And you do because it’s going to be the foundation of your entire universe. Whether magic plays a main role or a supporting role, a fantastical universe will always be held in tether with some type of magic. Patience and attention to detail are key.
Let’s get started! Follow this link to the appropriate page.
Magic: Building a Foundation
Very first question, probably the most important question of all time. What can magic NOT do? What are your limits? This is key; take some real time thinking about this. Make a list. Make it reasonable. When my boyfriend and I were going over my magic system, he kept bringing up these tiny holes, the most nitpicky scenarios of all time, to point out flaws. That’s what he does; I’m not bitter about it. Okay, maybe a tiny bit bitter. I mean, EVERY nitpicky scenario you can think of. But what it did make me realize is that I needed to curtail my magic much more than I had originally anticipated. Not just on a large scale, but on a smaller scale too.
Once you’ve established limits, now you’re going to establish how magic users try to get around these limits. Is there a way of combining spells that have a similar effect as a spell forbidden by your system? Is there a loophole that you particularly need to be exploited during a scene? This can be as simple or as complex as you’d like, just like your limits.
Now to focus on the price of magic. Magic has to come from somewhere; it cannot occur spontaneously unless you want your system to be flimsy. It won’t hold up without at least a leg to stand on. So establish whether it takes years of study to master magic or whether a user uses a bit of their life force every time they use a spell. Then just as above, is there any way magic users try to get around this price?
Let’s talk about how a user can tap into their magic power. What does it take to do that? Can they tap into their willpower to cast a spell? Is there any type of ritual? Is every spell individually cast with different processes or is it all the same? What’s the time frame on a particular spell? Can spells be temporarily stored for later use in amulets or potions?
An Important Step
I want to digress from the questionnaire for a moment because I want to hone in on a step that I feel this questionnaire doesn’t go into enough detail about. A little bit further down this section, you’ll see a few questions based on the varieties of magic practiced. You see one, maybe two questions regarding this topic and then nothing else.
I feel like this is a mistake that this questionnaire makes; it doesn’t give a young writer or a new fantasy writer enough of a basis to know how to build the varieties of magic they want in their story. Don’t get me wrong, this is the best worldbuilding questionnaire out there, but even the best can make some mistakes.
My advice: stop your progress here and take a few days to write down everything you want to be able to do in your story in terms of magic. Add things later as they arise. Organize it. Make it easy for you to read and comprehend, no matter how complex it may be. If you can easily understand it, your readers will understand it.
Here is a fantastic link to start with. This is an article that comprehensively covers the different types of magic. Be prepared to be inspired by magic you didn’t even know existed, let alone had a name for it.
I think this is a good place to stop for today; I hope I’ve given you a lot to start with. Signing off! | <urn:uuid:1907b129-7f29-4d69-b6d1-5e0d527b0917> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://fluffaboutfantasy.com/tag/spells/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817001643-20220817031643-00267.warc.gz | en | 0.952719 | 931 | 1.507813 | 2 |
"Not Seeing Results? This One Mistake Could Be Keeping You Stuck" - by Erin Power
While I don't love the title of this article… because there is NEVER just one thing… the message is good.
The author talks about how running on autopilot with your standard routine and your daily habits and behaviours can lead to you feeling… just… STUCK.
Don’t get me wrong, autopilot can be great. It takes a lot of the mental and emotional energy required out of daily tasks. Which, I’m sure you would all agree, is a major plus when we are all just trying to get by at the moment.
But autopilot can also make life feel mundane, and unmotivating, and underwhelming, and unchanging.
It’s easy to forget that we actually have the power to control, and the power to CHANGE, the things that keep us on autopilot eat day.
Autopilot keeps your in your comfort zone. Your comfort zone is safe. It’s predictable. It’s easy. It required minimal additional energy output.
The author talks about making super small changes to your daily routine in an effort to bring some of those autopilot behaviours from your subconscious to your conscious brain. I love that. Because it feels good! It can give you a little burst of dopamine… a little rush of reward. Not a bad trade off for something as small as choosing to catch up on current world events online rather than mindlessly scrolling the gram when you have a free moment.
“Call BS on Your Excuses” is the author’s other piece of advice that speaks to me. I try to live by this and coach by this. It’s not “I can’t”… it’s “I’m choosing to not make that a priority.” | <urn:uuid:f5e9450b-1569-4647-8a16-422bb786b378> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.katlaforet.com/post/how-to-get-off-autopilot-and-stop-feeling-stuck | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572192.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815145459-20220815175459-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.922515 | 393 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Bio::DB::Taxonomy::list - An implementation of Bio::DB::Taxonomy that accepts lists of words to build a database
use Bio::DB::Taxonomy; my $db = Bio::DB::Taxonomy->new( -source => 'list' ); my @ranks = ('superkingdom', 'class', 'genus', 'species'); my @names = ('Eukaryota', 'Mammalia', 'Homo', 'Homo sapiens'); $db->add_lineage(-names => \@names, -ranks => \@ranks); @names = ('Eukaryota', 'Mammalia', 'Mus', 'Mus musculus'); $db->add_lineage(-names => \@names, -ranks => \@ranks);
This is an implementation which uses supplied lists of words to create a database from which you can extract Bio::Taxon objects.
It is possible this module could do something like store the data it builds up to disc. Would that be useful? At any rate, this is why the module is called 'list' and not 'in_memory' or similar.
User feedback is an integral part of the evolution of this and other Bioperl modules. Send your comments and suggestions preferably to the Bioperl mailing list. Your participation is much appreciated.
firstname.lastname@example.org - General discussion http://bioperl.org/wiki/Mailing_lists - About the mailing lists
Please direct usage questions or support issues to the mailing list:
rather than to the module maintainer directly. Many experienced and reponsive experts will be able look at the problem and quickly address it. Please include a thorough description of the problem with code and data examples if at all possible.
Report bugs to the Bioperl bug tracking system to help us keep track of the bugs and their resolution. Bug reports can be submitted via the web:
The rest of the documentation details each of the object methods. Internal methods are usually preceded with a _
Title : new Usage : my $obj = Bio::DB::Taxonomy::list->new(); Function: Builds a new Bio::DB::Taxonomy::list object Returns : an instance of Bio::DB::Taxonomy::list Args : optional, as per the add_lineage() method.
Title : add_lineage Usage : my @names = ('Eukaryota', 'Mammalia', 'Homo', 'Homo sapiens'); my @ranks = ('superkingdom', 'class', 'genus', 'species'); $db->add_lineage( -names => \@names, -ranks => \@ranks ); Function: Add a lineage to the database, where the lineage is described by a list of scientific names in the order root->leaf. The rank of each name can optionally be described by supplying an additional list of rank names in the same order (eg. superkingdom->species). Returns : 1 for success Args : -names => : array ref of scientific names, REQUIRED -ranks => : array ref of rank names, same order as above, OPTIONAL
Title : get_num_taxa Usage : my $num = $db->get_num_taxa(); Function: Get the number of taxa stored in the database. Returns : A number Args : None
Title : get_taxon Usage : my $taxon = $db->get_taxon(-taxonid => $taxonid) Function: Get a Bio::Taxon object from the database. Returns : Bio::Taxon object Args : A single value which is the ID of the taxon to retrieve OR named args, as follows: -taxonid => Taxonomy ID (NB: these are not NCBI taxonomy ids but 'list' pre-fixed ids unique to the list database). OR -name => String (to query by a taxonomy name). A given taxon name can match different taxonomy objects. When that is the case, a warning is displayed and the first matching taxon is reported. See get_taxonids() to get all matching taxon IDs. OR -names => Array ref of lineage names, like in add_lineage(). To overcome the limitations of -name, you can use -names to provide the full lineage of the taxon you want and get a unique, unambiguous taxon object.
Title : get_taxonids Usage : my @taxonids = $db->get_taxonids('Homo sapiens'); Function: Searches for a taxonid (generated by the list module) based on a query string. Note that multiple taxonids can match to the same supplied name. Returns : array of integer ids in list context, one of these in scalar context Args : string representing taxon's name
Title : ancestor Usage : my $ancestor_taxon = $db->ancestor($taxon) Function: Retrieve the full ancestor taxon of a supplied Taxon from the database. Returns : Bio::Taxon Args : Bio::Taxon (that was retrieved from this database)
Title : each_Descendent Usage : my @taxa = $db->each_Descendent($taxon); Function: Get all the descendents of the supplied Taxon (but not their descendents, ie. not a recursive fetchall). Returns : Array of Bio::Taxon objects Args : Bio::Taxon (that was retrieved from this database) | <urn:uuid:6724e2ef-23b7-4073-a4dd-974ed04e3638> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://search.cpan.org/~cjfields/BioPerl/Bio/DB/Taxonomy/list.pm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280899.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00574-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.714065 | 1,172 | 2.109375 | 2 |
These articles called Cancer Wisdom refer to the writing that patients and their caregivers create during our classes. I am always delighted and inspired by their insights and wisdom that come from their experience with cancer and pain. I tell participants in class that creativity only knows how to create! Once you put pen to paper, you are connecting with your Self in a genuine, authentic way. Keep your hand moving and writing across the page – there is no right or wrong only joy for the process and the beauty you create with your words.
Please know that Cancer Wisdom articles give you the opportunity to experience what is offered in class and in our series of books.
Creativity is the ability to nurture. It is a journey of self-love. So too is being in nature. The meditation I shared recently with my participants at Lovelace Cancer Center uses the motion, energy and colors of ocean waves to take you on a journey of healing. Waves are made up of water, energy, and light — a translucence or glow. The light and energy you dive into will fill you with a sense of peace and calm.
You may want to hear music as you do this meditation. You can use any of the tracks on the mobile app, or the sound of ocean waves, which you can find on iTunes. My favorites include “50 Relaxing Ocean Waves,” by Calming Water Consort, and “Ocean Waves: Calming Sounds of the Sea,” by Rest & Relax Nature Sounds Artists.
Gratitude like the creative spirit has the abliity to change you. It gets you to tune in, to shift your thoughts and perceptions, to befriend and embrace life, regardless of what you are going through. This befriending helps you to diffuse the pain, the negative, the difficult. You begin to see things as they really are ... and that you are stronger than you think.
The practice of journaling with your gratitudes every day opens you up to grace. Grace is often used as a divine expression — for example, the grace of God. Grace is also an elegance of action, such as walking with grace. And it can mean that you are a part of something deep and powerful and sustaining. In this class, I encouraged gratitude writing using the simple exercise of writing down: Gratitude is ... Gratitude is ... until the words flow onto the page. | <urn:uuid:bd0743d0-7d7e-47f4-aa75-705519202e1e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://womenwwings.org/index.php/2014-02-14-22-51-09/cancer-wisdom | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571869.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813021048-20220813051048-00074.warc.gz | en | 0.95716 | 485 | 1.601563 | 2 |
|Name: _________________________||Period: ___________________|
This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where does Burt take Charlie on his fourth day of the experiment?
(a) The Psychological Laboratory.
(b) The Physics Office.
(c) The Physics Library.
(d) The Psychology Library.
2. Who suggested that Charlie should be a part of the experiment in the first place?
(a) Charlie's mom.
(c) Charlie's boss.
(d) Charlie's teacher.
3. Who does Charlie want to show his new intelligence to after the surgery?
(a) His friends at the bakery.
(b) His uncle.
(c) Ms. Kinnian.
(d) His parents.
4. What does the doctor giving Charlie the test on the second day of the experiment tell him to do during the test?
(a) Try hard.
5. How long has Charlie worked at the bakery?
(a) 7 years.
(b) 10 years.
(c) 5 years.
(d) 17 years.
6. Why can't Charlie's uncle give permission for Charlie to be a part of this experiment?
(a) He is dead.
(b) He is not the guardian.
(c) He is in a coma.
(d) He is retarded as well.
7. Why does Strauss tell Charlie he will not notice his improvement at first after the surgery?
(a) It will seem normal to him.
(b) It is hard to notice at first.
(c) It will happen gradually.
(d) He must wait and be patient.
8. Where does Charlie have lunch with Burt after he is released from the hospital after his surgery?
(a) The hospital cafeteria.
(b) The college restaurant.
(c) The bakery.
(d) A fast food joint.
9. How old is Charlie at the beginning of the book?
10. What has Charlie learned already that is impressive to Dr. Strauss on the fifth day of the experiment?
(a) Run the maze.
(b) Navigate the hospital.
(c) Hold a job.
(d) Read and write.
11. Why is Charlie so tired at work since this experiment began?
(a) He stays up worrying about his test results.
(b) He can't sleep because he is so excited.
(c) He stays up late to write the Progress Report.
(d) He does not like the bed at the hospital.
12. What do Charlie's doctors think a rapid growth in IQ will make Charlie do?
(b) Be overwhelmed.
(c) Hurt his emotional stability.
(d) Become sick.
13. What does Charlie vow to do after having a talk with Dr. Strauss after his surgery?
(a) Beat Algernon at the maze.
(b) Not lose hope.
(c) Work as hard as he can.
(d) Be as smart as Strauss.
14. How does Charlie feel just before the surgery?
15. How often does Charlie attend school at the beginning of the book?
(a) 5 days a week.
(b) 2 days a week.
(c) 3 days a week.
(d) 4 days a week.
Short Answer Questions
1. What is Charlie supposed to do for a test on the fourth day of the experiment?
2. What is Nemur's reply to Charlie's question to him just before the surgery?
3. How does Charlie feel about the doctor who gave him the test on his second day of the experiment?
4. Why does Charlie not like writing in his Progress Report by the third day?
5. What date does Charlie start writing in his Progress Report again after his surgery?
This section contains 531 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) | <urn:uuid:a015bac5-0490-4340-969c-09310e5958e9> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/flowersalgernon/test1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00411-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94528 | 856 | 2.65625 | 3 |
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Do Soda Taxes Actually Decrease Consumption?
Scott Lucas | Photo: Flickr | October 28, 2013
Ask the French.
Supervisor Scott Wiener today announced that he would be introducing legislation to impose a tax of two cents per ounce on soft drinks. Intended to reduce consumption of unhealthy beverages, the measure would go in front of the voters in November of 2014. A similar tax will be voted on by the city of Telluride, Colorado next week. Richmond, California voters rejected a proposal for a penny-an-ounce tax in 2012—with a lopsided 66.9% voting against it (thanks in part to a little campaigning by a certain ex-San Francisco mayor).
Besides burnishing Wiener's Bloombergian credentials, do these kinds of taxes work? Would a tax on soda actually decrease the amount of soda consumed in SF?
It's hard to know. Though states have varying degrees of food and beverage taxes, it seems that no cities or states in the country have established a tax increase on soda like this one. In March, a Manhattan judge struck down New York mayor Michael Bloomberg's ban on large soft drinks. (Bloomberg has positioned himself in the lead on this issue. In fact, when Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto proposed a one peso per liter tax, opponents attacked Bloomberg too.)
The question is made more complicated because it turns out that the national rate of soda consumption has been declining since at least 1999, if not earlier. The purported explanation? Consumers are turning to bottled waters at increasing rates. So would a soda tax be superfluous? Or just the extra push needed?
Well, if stateside data is out, there are other places to look. Like France. Their one euro per container tax went into effect in 2012. At least one study indicated that within six months, that cost was being passed onto consumers. The result? A three percent drop in consumption in 2012. Sounds like an open and shut case, doesn't it?
But the situation may be more complicated. That's what Denmark's experience tells us. Dating from the 1930s, Denmark has taxed sodas. Well, make that had taxed them. In April, the government announced it would be eliminating those taxes altogether (as well as a much newer tax on saturated fats). Turns out that the tax did cut consumption. We know that because back in 2001, a hike in the tax rate resulted in a six to seven percent drop in soda purchases. From Wiener's perspective, that would be good news. The trouble? Thirsty Danes took to purchasing their sodas across the border in Germany.
Bottom line: If a tax is big enough, it can make a dent in purchases. Some of the decrease, though, is going to be offset by folks buying sodas elsewhere.
So, were the soda tax to pass here in the city, should we expect gray-market Prius convoys laden with Fantas and Jarritos crossing the Bay Bridge from Oakland? We'll just have to wait and see. But you might want to start stockpiling Coca-Colas anyway. | <urn:uuid:bdc294c9-86cc-4c0c-96ab-24004357e854> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/do-soda-taxes-actually-decrease-consumption | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280483.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00302-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959918 | 686 | 2.28125 | 2 |
We know that Sound Waves are Longitudinal Waves...
But still while drawing diagrams to show wavelength,amplitude,timbre etc.
we show the sound wave as a transverse wave in the diagram ?
why we do that ?
Sound waves are always longitudinal in nature. They are represented by compressions and rare fractions of oscillating particles. When we show the amplitude, wavelength, etc of a sound wave, we are not drawing the actual sound wave but a depiction in form sine wave. This is done because of ease of understanding.
A actual sound wave and its sinusoidal depiction is shown below for your understanding.
Hope this clears your doubts.
While sound itself is a longitudinal wave, the transverse graph is actually the movement of a particular column of air.
You must have read that in a wave, the medium does not move but the energy gets transferred. The particles move to and fro with respect to their positions. The transverse graph represents that to and fro movement of the particles.
JUST found this info about my own ques.
Hope this helps ! | <urn:uuid:9e47a791-22ec-4393-87a1-d9f455c273d0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://aakashdigitalsrv1.meritnation.com/ask-answer/question/we-know-that-sound-waves-are-longitudinal-waves-but-still-wh/sound/9878726 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571536.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811224716-20220812014716-00270.warc.gz | en | 0.901904 | 227 | 3.96875 | 4 |
Marital property states are those states that follow certain principles for dividing property in a divorce. Also known as “community property” states, these rules usually split marital property evenly between spouses upon divorce. Marital or community property refers to property that was obtained by either spouse during the course of their marriage. Other property (separate property) is retained by its owner after the divorce.
In contrast, non-marital property state may exercise other principles for dividing property. This is usually some form of “equitable distribution” process, which analyzes a wide range of factors to reach a property distribution scheme.
Nine states employ marital property or community property rules. These are: Arizona, California, Louisiana, Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The rest of the remaining states employ different schemes, which can actually vary quite widely from state to state.
Also, distribution of property can be made more complicated if the couple is moving to a different state during their marriage. For instance, if they acquired property in one state, then moved to another, it can affect martial property distribution later on.
Generally not- the parties are usually bound to the family laws in the area where they file the case. Thus, distribution of property can vary from place to place. However, the parties generally cannot simply choose a location to file for divorce only because it may yield a more favorable distribution outcome for them. They are usually limited to filing in the jurisdiction where they live. If the other party is out of state, they may need to notify them through serving process or by publication.
The laws governing divorce property can often be different in each area. If you are filing for divorce or legal separation, you may wish to hire a divorce lawyer or a family lawyer to determine what your options are in terms of your property rights. Your lawyer can provide you with the advice you need, and can represent you in court during the actual proceedings. | <urn:uuid:5c6b33eb-315a-4c5e-8f48-3018ed7f8398> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/marital-property-states.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00473.warc.gz | en | 0.958238 | 397 | 2.1875 | 2 |
I missed these pieces when they first came out.
an AP writer's editorial on New Orleans
and AP dispatch on squatting in New Orleans
What these emotionally wrenching articles show is the incredibly injustice of allowing New Orleans to rot.
I had the idea, right after Hurricane Katrina smashed through the city, that people should return to squat the land. I wanted activists to organize tent cities in the lower 9th and throughout the most devastated areas. The idea was tactical, not practical--the concept being to show the politicos and the rest of America that the people of New Orleans were refusing to relinquish their city. I thought that the idea of a shantytown right in the good old US of A would shame the country into action.
"No one knows exactly how many people have taken refuge in abandoned buildings, but unprecedented increases in trespassing arrests and vacant-building fires suggest there could be thousands" says the AP article.
The whole city is a shantytown. And does anyone out there care? | <urn:uuid:2155013e-b0c2-4c4b-950e-9c5e219d5373> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://squattercity.blogspot.com/2007/09/new-new-orleans.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280872.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00312-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971748 | 207 | 1.578125 | 2 |
“How much does it cost to build a website?”
This is a question that we get asked often and the answer is “well, it depends.” When describing cost estimating for website design, we often refer to the “house building” paradigm.
Building a House
Before a contractor can estimate the cost to build a house, they need a plan. This plan comes in the form a blueprint and list of materials needed. There are many things that influence the building cost such as: ground preparation, the number of rooms, the materials chosen, electrical and plumbing requirements, permits and licenses, and even things as mundane as the type of roof selected. The more complex the design, the larger the square footage, and the more exotic the finishing materials, the more the house will cost to build. Such is the case with website design. How simple or complex do you want or need your website to be?
A website’s cost is directly driven by the complexity of the website and the time required to craft it. A four-page ‘information only’ website will cost significantly less that a fifty-page eCommerce website that integrates with a customer service management system or lead management system. The question then becomes, “what does my website need to do in order to satisfy my business objectives?”
Contact us to discuss your needs.
For businesses that need help defining their objectives, Internovations offers a business & requirements analysis. Our business analysts will help brainstorm, define, and document your needs. Our analysts engage in the following activities, as needed:
- Collect and document business goals and requirements in line with your business objectives.
- Work with other business analysts and product owners to develop user stories and use case scenarios.
- Collaborate with developers to ensure requirements are implemented correctly and that client’s expectations are met.
- Active engagement to suggest solutions to client needs and/or desires.
- Support the design and development of both custom and third-party solutions.
- Develop one or more solution alternatives.
- Review solutions with stakeholders.
- Prepare requirement and solutions document.
- Explain requirements to technical solutions providers.
- Assist in testing the final product to ensure it meets your needs.
- Travel to client’s site as required for successful implementation.
Use our contact form to write us a note so we can discuss your small business website design needs. | <urn:uuid:cde9809e-59f2-4790-b85c-0776b9fdc3f9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://internovations.com/services/business-requirements-analysis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572581.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816211628-20220817001628-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.929932 | 507 | 1.726563 | 2 |
The U.S. Forest Service is making one of their HC-130H air tankers, Tanker 118, available for wildfire suppression missions this week. The aircraft is one of seven that are being transferred from the Coast Guard to the USFS, but the titles for all of them still remain with the Coast Guard.
The work on Tanker 118 to completely convert it into an air tanker is not complete. It needs a conventional internal gravity-based retardant tank, and obviously, a paint job that will hopefully include some professionally crafted tanker numbers on the tail.
Tanker 118 arrived at McClellan Airport on June 17, where maintenance, installation and testing of the Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS), and contractor pilot and maintenance crew training have been taking place, including training with a lead plane.
The aircraft and personnel will be working out of Forest Service Air Station McClellan (FSAS MCC) in Sacramento, California adjacent to the Coast Guard station at the airport. A search for a permanent base of operations for all seven HC-130H aircraft is underway.
While the Forest Service and Coast Guard will jointly own and manage Tanker 118 until all of the necessary modifications are complete, the Forest Service has contracted with Consolidated Air Support Systems (CASS) of Temecula, California for aircrew services and with DRS Technologies of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for maintenance. Tanker 118 will only fly wildfire suppression missions within 500 nautical miles of FSAS MCC so that it can return each night for maintenance by contract crews and support from Coast Guard crews.
Until the aircraft receives the conventional, permanent retardant tank after the 2016 fire season, it will be using one of the eight MAFFS units that have been assigned to four Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve bases that operate C-130s. The MAFFS units, which can be inserted into a C-130 in a matter of hours, hold up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant that is forced out of the tank by compressed air, turning the thickened retardant into a mist.
The MAFFS unit that will be used by T-118 is from the 145th Airlift Wing with the North Carolina Air National Guard in Charlotte. That leaves seven MAFFS units that can be activated if there is a need for additional air tankers.
The other six HC-130Hs still need major work, including demilitarization, wing and airframe modifications, designing, contracting for, manufacturing and installing retardant tanks, and equipping them with radios, Aircraft Flight Following, and other equipment. The USFS expects to have all seven HC-130Hs fully functional and absorbed into the air tanker fleet by 2019.
When Tanker 118 comes into service, it will be operated with the 14 existing large air tankers on exclusive use contracts. Recently the USFS temporarily activated an additional seven air tankers using the Call When Needed contracts that were awarded in June:
- T-02 (N474NA) Neptune BAe-146 (presently on loan to Canada)
- T-40 (N146FF) Neptune BAe-146
- T-163 (N366AC) Aero Flite RJ-85
- T-41 (N471NA) Neptune BAe-146
- T-911 (N17085) 10 Tanker DC-10
- T-162 (N355AC) Aero Flite RJ 85
- T-01 (N473NA) Neptune BAe-146
That makes 22 large air tankers that are available now, counting the 14 on exclusive use contracts, the one USFS HC-130H, and the seven that are on temporary call-up assignments. But those seven CWN tankers can be sent home anytime.
Having 15 air tankers on exclusive use contracts is the most since 2010 when there were 19. There have not been 22 air tankers on EU contracts since 2004 when we had 27. In 2002, 44 large air tankers were on EU contracts.
The USFS is trying to award “up to seven” additional EU contracts for next-generation air tankers. They hoped to have them working by May 30, but protests about the contracting process by two companies brought that process to a halt. The protests were lodged with the U.S. Government Accountability Office which has the responsibility of deciding whether the protests have merit. The OMB is required to reach their decisions by July 9 for Coulson’s protest and July 17 for Erickson’s.
On July 8 the GAO issued their decision on Coulson’s protest, and it was denied. They still have not decided on Erickson’s, due on July 17. We believe that if both protests are denied, the USFS can immediately, or as soon as they can, award additional EU contracts for air tankers. | <urn:uuid:8d2b3eb9-70b7-41bd-87d7-50a1d0fb7152> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://fireaviation.com/2015/07/09/usfs-hc-130h-air-tanker-to-be-available-for-duty-this-week/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280242.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00078-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95378 | 1,011 | 2.140625 | 2 |
“South” means warm temperatures to most Americans. This changes when the yardstick includes the southernmost city in the world because it is relatively close to the continent of Antarctica. The region, which was once by far the coldest on earth, has started to warm. Last year, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the new record high temperature for Antarctica was 65 degrees F.
The continent closest to Antarctica is South America, particularly at its southern tip which includes parts of Argentina and Chile. These areas, southwest of the Falkland Islands, have little population. Argentina and Chile have vied to be home to the southernmost city in the world. Recently, Chile took the lead as it named Puerto Williams as a city. Previously, Ushuaia in Argentina held the spot as the southernmost city on Earth Chile did not exactly cheat, but Puerto Williams was not called a city before May 2019.
Puerto Williams started as a town in 1953 and became a base for the Chilean Navy. Over time, it has become a tourist destination, and home to scientific communities because of its proximity to Antarctica.
For the most part, Puerto Williams posts low daily temperatures throughout almost the entire year. Over 12 months, temperatures usually run between 50 degrees F and 5 degrees F. Global warming could change that substantially over the next few decades.
Because the city is so far south, there are very few hours of daylight from May through July.
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ACCEL: Can Exercise Prevent HF?
The HF-ACTION trial showed that among patients with heart failure, regular exercise reduces the risk for all-cause mortality or hospitalization. The benefits were modest, to be sure, but Steven J. Keteyian, PhD, and colleagues have reviewed the data to determine whether greater volumes of exercise correlate with greater reductions in clinical events.
There is at least some evidence suggesting that exercise is effective in a “dose-dependent” manner. In one study, the adjusted relative risk for mortality was reduced almost 20% in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) who attended 25 or more cardiac rehabilitation (CR) sessions versus those attending fewer sessions.1 Similarly, among Medicare beneficiaries with HF who attended 36 versus 12 CR sessions, all-cause mortality and myocardial infarction (MI) were both reduced approximately 18%.2
Not all data have been consistent: Taylor et al. dichotomized exercise dose on the basis of patients completing more or less than 1,000 units of exercise and found no association between dose of exercise and clinical outcomes.3
Moderate Exercise Matters
Now we have the new data from Dr. Keteyian, published in JACC.4 Almost 1,000 subjects randomized to the exercise training arm of HF-ACTION were followed for a median of 28 months. For the endpoint of cardiovascular mortality or HF hospitalization, exercise volume was a significant linear and logarithmic predictor.
Moderate exercise volumes of 3 to <5 and 5 to <7 MET-h per week (Metabolic Equivalent of Task hours) were associated with reductions in subsequent risk that exceeded 30%. (As a reminder of what activities fall within these ranges, see the TABLE.)
The authors said their study provides new and important information concerning the association between the volume of exercise completed per week and subsequent risk for clinical events in a large cohort of stable outpatients with systolic HF. The results confirm that moderate levels (3–7 MET-h per week) of activity result in a clinical benefit. (The term exercise carries all kinds of baggage for most people and discussing level of activity is likely a better approach with patients.) Interestingly, those who managed more than 7 MET-h per week showed a smaller decrease in adjusted risk than both the 3 to <5 MET-h per week and the 5 to <7 MET-h per week groups, perhaps suggesting a plateau effect or a reduced risk in general among patients who can manage that level of activity.
Both levels of exercise volume—3 to <5 and 5 to <7 MET-h per week—were associated with reductions in subsequent risk for both all-cause mortality or hospitalization and CV mortality or HF hospitalization that exceeded 30%.
Among all 1,159 patients randomly assigned to the exercise group in the HF-ACTION trial, only about 40% reported exercising at or above the protocol prescribed minimum number of minutes per week during the first 12 months. Clearly, maintaining an exercise program can be a challenge for the patient with HF, a behavior that is influenced both by pre-existing comorbidities and what the HF-ACTION investigators say are too few practitioners who routinely assess a patient’s health beliefs and self-efficacy for change.
The authors noted, “Our observation that a large decrease in adjusted risk for both clinical endpoints occurred among patients training at only 3 to 5 MET-h per week may be a potentially important motivating strategy, especially when counseling sedentary patients with HF who experience exercise intolerance and are reluctant to exercise.”
Can Exercise Prevent HF?
Dr. Keteyian and colleagues just demonstrated (above) that even moderate levels (3–7 MET-h per week) of activity produced a strong clinical benefit in patients with HF, but how is activity as preventive medicine?
Now deFilippi et al. report an analysis of nearly 3,000 participants in the CHS (Cardiovascular Health Study) composed of older adults (65 years of age and older) who were free of HF at study onset.5 They measured N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) levels at baseline and 2–3 years later. They had data on self-reported physical activity and walking pace which were then developed into a previously validated composite activity score.
They found that the probability of significant increases in both biomarker concentrations between baseline and follow-up visits was inversely related to physical activity scores. Compared with participants with the lowest score (worst), those with the highest activity scores (best) had half the risk of a significant rise in NT-proBNP and one-third as likely to have a rise in cTnT. A higher activity score was also associated with a lower long-term incidence of HF. These findings suggest that moderate physical activity has protective effects on early HF phenotypes.
Within three clinically relevant categories of activity (low, moderate, or high), increases in either biomarker identified those at increased risk of new-onset HF.
The association remained when analyzing only subjects free of significant comorbidity or those participants who perceived their health to be good, very good, or excellent. This supports the hypothesis that regular moderate physical activity can mitigate or delay progressive pathophysiological processes that ultimately result in symptomatic HF.
A Hint at Mechanisms
In an accompanying commentary, Christopher M. O’Connor, MD (editor-in-chief of JACC: Heart Failure), and Tariq Ahmad, MD, MPH (both of Duke University), said the study simultaneously addresses key questions about the role of exercise in HF among the elderly at the population and molecular levels.6 The incidence and prevalence of HF are growing dramatically in this age group, but current therapeutic agents have failed to yield substantial improvements in clinically relevant outcomes. They noted that data from nonrandomized and 14 small phase II randomized, controlled trials—as well as the landmark HF-ACTION trial—all support the conclusion that exercise training improves quality of life and exercise capacity, and reduces the risk of HF hospitalization.
Professional societies advocate regular physical activity and exercise training in patients with HF and recently published European guidelines have afforded these recommendations 1A status.7 Nonetheless, Drs. O’Connor and Ahmad note that this treatment modality remains significantly underused in real-world settings, and its effectiveness in elderly patients with early stage HF has not been well studied. So, the work by Dr. deFelippi and colleagues adds credence to the notion that this population, too, may benefit from exercise.
1. Suaya JA, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009;54:25-33. http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1139816
2. Hammill BG, et al. Circulation. 2010;121:63-70.
3. Taylor RS, et al. Am J Med. 2004;116:682-92.
4. Keteyian SJ, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012;60:1899-905. http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1377004
5. deFilippi CR, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012;60:2539-47. http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=138970
6. O’Connor CM, Ahmad T. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012;60:2548-49. http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1389702
7. McMurray JJ, et al. Eur Heart J. 2012;33:1787-847.
Keywords: Prevalence, Incidence, Risk, Myocardial Infarction, Quality of Life, Exercise, Heart Failure, Comorbidity, Coronary Disease, Metabolic Equivalent, Medicare, Hospitalization
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About Mt. Nebo Gallery
Mt. Nebo Gallery in Eagle Bridge, NY
New York maker of "Butternut Bend" Puzzle, "Five O'Clock Flyer" Puzzle, "Honeymoon Skaters" Puzzle, "Frost Moon" Puzzle, "Green Hollow" Puzzle, "Old Hoosick Falls" Puzzle. "Siren's Cottage" Puzzle, "Wedding in the Hills" Puzzle, "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" Book. Founder: Will Moses.
Artist Will Moses’ talent for painting runs in the family in very literal terms: his lineage is directly connected through four generations to Grandma Moses, who perhaps is America’s most celebrated "primitive" folk artist.
Born in New York’s Washington County in 1860, Grandma Moses (originally Anna Mary Robertson) was a self-taught artist. Growing up on her family’s farm, her childhood was a living tableau of the scenes she would paint in later life: raising chickens and other animals, making housewares like candles and soap, knitting and creating other handicrafts. Her interest in drawing developed into a studied practice with exposure to Currier & Ives prints. At age 17 she married, later had five children, and continued her casual hobby of art-making (expressed in various ways, including painting Christmas cards to send to friends and family), until she turned 70.
To distract her from mourning the death of her husband, one of Grandma Moses’ sisters recommended that she take up painting in a more serious way in order to pass the time. Entries in local fairs garnered no prizes, but her luck changed when an art collector from New York City happened upon her paintings as they hung in a Hoosick Falls, N.Y. drug store, priced from $3 to $5. In 1939, she was featured in an exhibition of “contemporary unknown painters” at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and was the star of a one-man show in New York City the next year, later followed by similar shows in Europe. On the occasion of her 100th and 101st birthdays, the latter of which would be her last, the art-loving Governor Nelson Rockefeller declared “Grandma Moses Day” in New York State.
Grandma Moses’ great-grandson, Will, has kept the family tradition alive in the same 200-year-old New York farmhouse where Grandma Moses lived and painted. Will learned to paint from his grandfather, Forrest K. Moses, who was a farmer and an accomplished painter in his own right, and who “had more or less taken up where Grandma Moses left off,” according to Will. The family painted in the winter months and worked the farm in the summer.
Upon the passing of his Grandfather Moses, Will determined to continue the artistic heritage, and to do so in Washington County. “I think [my wife Sharon and I] had an interest and desire to stay here and try to make a life for ourselves,” he said. Will states a refrain uttered by many New York Makers: “The path has been winding and not always easy but our decision to stay here and try to keep some of the traditions alive and maintain the old family farm and land was the right one for us.”
While maintaining tradition, Will has added his own voice with more nuance and sharper imagery to the aesthetic established by Grandma Moses. The hard work has paid off. Will has toured the world with exhibitions of his work, and his paintings can be found in the art collections of the White House, the Smithsonian Institution, the New York State Museum, the Bob Hope collection, the Herrick collection, the Bennington Museum and the J.M. Smucker Collection.
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In the tradition of the great Guerlain perfumes, this perfume revisits the celebrated Guerlinade. Here in the historic “Bee” bottle, engraved with the favourite emblem of his Excellency the Emperor: a constellation of 69 bees symbolizes Napoleon’s empire. Since its creation, the “Bee” bottle has evolved yet it retains the same spirit it had at the time of Empress Eugenie, and it has become one of the hallmark bottles of the house of Guerlain. Each honeycomb and each bee on the bottle may be custom painted in gold and, upon request, initials may be added to personalize the bottle.
Crystalline amber. The citrus-honey accord leads into a second accord of Chinese magnolia, exalted by Sambac jasmine and ylang-ylang which light up the amber accord. These three dominant accords fuse together to create a perfume of sensation and light.
"Parfumeurs depuis 1828." Perfumers since 1828. Few houses can boast such exceptional longevity. The remarkable adventure of Guerlain could be summed up in a few words: transform the art of beauty into a veritable art of refined living, embrace modernity with creativity.
Of the 700 fragrances created by Guerlain, a good many have transcended time and continue to perfume the air with their memorable scent. Among them, Eau de Cologne Impériale, Jicky, L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, Vol de Nuit, Samsara, Vetiver and, more recently, L'Instant de Guerlain or Insolence.
Continuing the tradition of an in-house perfumer, in 2008 Guerlain welcomed a "nose" to join Jean-Paul Guerlain, the hugely talented Thierry Wasser. He created Guerlain Homme and then Idylle, the new fragrance from the House.
Guerlain symbolizes perfume in the eyes of the world, but the House was first celebrated for its skincare and makeup products.
From the founding of the company the catalogue included "Blanc de Perles", "Crème à la Fraise" and other major innovations that marked their era just as "SuperAqua", "Success Future" or the exceptional complete care "Orchidée Impériale" continue to do today.
While Guerlain has never delved directly into the world of fashion, its audacious research has brought a mastery of the art of colour.
With "Ne m'oubliez pas" in 1870, Guerlain invented the first bullet form lipstick in a tube. In 1878, elegant Europeans could not get enough of "Pyrommée", which revisited the traditional khol eyeliner.
Later, Terracotta invented nomadic makeup while Météorities played on light for a unique glow. The latest creation from the House, Rouge G, is the first lipstick that doubles as a jewel.
Following the high-profile renovation of the flagship store at 68, Champs Elysées and the opening of a boutique in Moscow's prestigious TSUM department store, Guerlain continues to build out a selective retail network with a focus on high-end luxury, including the opening of a new Paris store on rue des Francs Bourgeois.
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Time Dependent Scheduling 2008
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Speak to an accredited and experienced therapist to help get to the root of why you don’t want to do anything (and overcome that feeling). Simply click here to connect with one via BetterHelp.com.
Most people will have a time in their lives, however brief or lingering it is, when even getting out of bed in the morning seems pointless.
That feeling of not wanting to do anything at all might be a result of mild depression, it might be because you’re emotionally drained or stressed, or simply that you have a to-do list as long as your arm that never seems to get any shorter and you just can’t take it anymore.
It might be that you feel like you have no options and are stuck in a rut, or it might be that you have so many options and courses of action open to you that you’d rather just keep your head firmly under your pillow, because it’s much easier there, thank you very much.
Whatever the reason that everything suddenly seems like far too much effort, it can be hard to haul yourself out of it.
That’s where this list of suggestions comes in.
It’s broken down into two elements. The first 11 points all relate to your general mental state and approach to what you have to do. The final 10 points are some little things that you might want to consider doing right now.
1. Listen to your body and mind.
There might be a good physical or emotional reason why you don’t want to do much at a given time. So it’s vital that you first assess your overall well-being before trying to force the matter.
Physical illness or injury should be considered, because it’s far harder to find the motivation to act when you’re full of cold or aching all over.
The same could be said if you’ve pushed your body particularly hard recently – its need for rest might manifest in you not wanting to do anything.
Then there is the mental and emotional side to consider. If you’re under a lot of stress, are grieving a loss, have had to maintain full concentration on something over the past couple of days, or have not got the sleep you need, then it’s natural for your mind to want some downtime doing nothing.
So sometimes you have to just go with the flow and trust that your body and mind know best what is right for you.
Of course, this all depends on how long you’ve felt this way. If it’s a short term thing, you can chalk it down to the things talked about, but if you’ve been experiencing this for more than a week, you should…
2. Consult your doctor.
Short-term issues with your body and mind are one thing, but there might be other things influencing your energy and motivation levels that you might not be aware of.
That’s why it’s important to speak to your doctor to have them check you over physically and assess you mentally.
On the physical side, they can look at your wider symptoms and lifestyle factors that might contribute to an underlying cause for how you feel. That might be a nutrient deficiency, allergic reaction, intestinal problems, or more serious conditions that leave you feeling low and exhausted.
On the mental and emotional side, they can do an initial assessment of how you are feeling, how you are coping, how your life is and how that might contribute to how you are feeling, etc. They may then refer you to a mental health professional if they believe you could benefit from some counseling or medication. You may be suffering from depression or anhedonia or another mental health issue that is causing you to feel flat and drained.
3. Don’t judge yourself or your efforts.
Whatever efforts you make and whatever you manage to accomplish, treat yourself with kindness.
Avoid judging your actions as insufficient. Beating yourself up today will only make it harder for you to motivate yourself tomorrow.
Even if you don’t manage to do much at all, be sympathetic to your situation and show yourself the understanding and compassion you would show a friend who was facing the same thing.
Often we are our own worst enemies at times like these because we condemn ourselves as lazy or pathetic which only makes us feel worse about ourselves which, in turn, perpetuates the cycle of inaction.
If you can manage NOT to do this, you’ll have taken one small step on the path to a more positive mental state.
4. Ground yourself in the present moment.
Sometimes, we put off doing things right now because we spend all our time in our heads. Whether it’s daydreaming or anxiously worrying about the future, or ruminating over the past, we use up all our energy in the imaginary world we make for ourselves.
The moment you step out of that world and into the present moment, you’ll be able to see the tasks ahead of you and actually understand the value in doing them now, not at a later date.
And as soon as you get going on things with your mind focused squarely in the now, you increase your chances of entering what’s known as a flow state, whereby you are so engrossed in what you are doing that you don’t think about other things or even notice the passing of time. This is a highly productive mental state to be in.
How do you shift your mind to the present? Mediation can help, as can compartmentalization. Physical movement and exercise can also be effective. In essence, anything that can get you to stop thinking about whatever it is that is on your mind.
5. Adjust your expectations of what you need to do or can realistically do.
Are you resistant to action because you feel overwhelmed by all the things you need to do or think you ought to be doing?
If so, it pays to look at the expectations you have of yourself and your day and consider whether or not they are realistic.
If you’ve set yourself an impossible checklist of tasks, of course you’re going to feel defeated before you’ve even begun, meaning you won’t want to do anything from your list because it feels futile.
If you’re really struggling, be ruthless and cut at least half of the items from your list. Make a separate note of them if they really do need to be done, but then forget about them for today. Just focus on your reduced list and start ticking things off.
Each morning, carefully consider what your priorities are and then focus on doing those things and nothing else. If you finish them and have time for something else, then you can worry about what to do, but keep your mind on a small list of things to begin with.
6. Act straight away when you think of something.
If lists aren’t your thing or you aren’t yet in a position where you feel able to do multiple tasks in a day, just focus on finding one thing to act on to begin with.
The secret here is to act as soon as you think of something that gives rise to even the smallest feeling of motivation. The longer you leave it to act, the more your mind will find excuses not to do it.
Does the idea of clearing out a load of junk sound good? Get up and open a cupboard straight away and sort through its contents.
Would you quite enjoy a hot bath? Get onto your feet right now, walk into your bathroom and start filling the tub.
It’s a lot harder to stop what you’re doing than it is to not begin that thing in the first place. So don’t think twice if something piques a tiny bit of interest or sparks a little desire – just do it.
7. Just decide to do something, regardless of how you feel.
This one might sting a little to hear, but sometimes you have to just forget how you feel and make a conscious decision to act in spite of the resistance in your body and mind.
You almost have to say to yourself, “Screw you, I’m doing this whether you like it or not.”
Of course, that’s easier said than done. You have to push through all the physical and mental barriers that stand in your way, and if that were easy, you would have done it already.
But it is possible in many circumstances. You just have to get it in your head that you’re going to do something even if you don’t enjoy doing it. Even if every cell in your body is fighting you, you’re going to ignore them all.
And once you’ve done this once, you’ll know you can do it on future occasions too.
8. Start small.
There’s a concept in productivity circles known as “eating the frog,” which basically means doing the task you least want to do first to get it out of the way.
But in your current mental state, you need to take the opposite approach. You will find it much easier to build up your momentum if you start small with some tasks that are easy to complete and relatively enjoyable.
These gateway tasks will then lead on to the ones that you really don’t want to do but have to. You empower yourself with the small initial tasks which gives you more energy and discipline to tackle the bigger or less enjoyable ones.
The only caveat is that you shouldn’t spend all your time doing the easy and enjoyable tasks. Do a few to get yourself in a better headspace, but then move on to something more challenging and/or urgent.
9. Reward yourself for each task you complete.
You may find it easier to do something in the knowledge that you’ll get a little treat for doing it. So find a suitable way to reward yourself for each task you complete.
It’s important that these rewards do not negatively impact any goals you might be working toward, else they will backfire on you in the future. For instance, don’t treat yourself with a piece of chocolate if you’re trying to lose weight.
And avoid treats that will derail your progress and halt your momentum too much. In other words, don’t reward a small task that took 10 minutes with half an hour of gaming or TV.
10. Be kind to your future self.
The person who will pay the biggest price for you not doing something today is you. Only, it’s the you of tomorrow or the you of next week.
Use this as motivation to get things done today. Treat your future self as you would your best friend – you wouldn’t want to harm or inconvenience your best friend would you? So don’t do either to your future self.
Your future self will probably have other things they need to deal with, so try to take as much of the load off their shoulders as you can by doing things now.
11. Do something unrelated to the things that have gotten you stuck.
Is it that you don’t want to do anything, or do you just not want to do certain tasks?
Sometimes we meet resistance when there is something in particular that we don’t want to face. It could be part of a larger goal or project, something to do with your work, or something that fills you with dread.
If the prospect of doing that thing is preventing you from getting anything done at all, put that thing to one side for a moment and dive into something that’s totally unrelated.
This will get you into a more enthusiastic groove. You’ll feel empowered by the tasks you do complete and will feel more able to tackle that thing you are trying to avoid.
Just make sure that you leave yourself enough time to actually finish this thing, otherwise you’ll be more likely to put it off till another day.
For example, let’s say you’ve got a tax return to complete. That’s a boring task that few people enjoy, and you’re using it as an excuse to not do anything at all.
But what about if you mowed the lawn or cleaned the windows first? Then perhaps you could plan meals for the following week. Once you’ve completed those tasks, you’ll be on a roll, mentally speaking, and you’ll be more willing to sit down and fill out the necessary paperwork for your tax return.
12. Have A Shower
Cleanliness is often one of the first things to go when you’re in this kind of mood. The truth is, though, that you’re never going to feel good about yourself if you’re not clean. Cleanliness is next to godliness, and all that. Get a great shower playlist going, lather up, and sing a few favorites at the top of your lungs.
Whether they’re slow, moody ballads or upbeat Latino numbers (careful about trying to salsa in the shower – dangerous territory), it’s hard to feel down when the water’s hot and the music’s good. I personally recommend a bit of George Michael’s ‘Faith,’ which has gotten me through many a tough time.
13. Get Dressed
Again, pyjamas are wonderful and comforting, but if you’re looking to get out of your rut, they need to go firmly in the wash basket and you need to get some proper clothes on.
Clothes for moods like this should be comfy but flattering, and preferably even a bit crazy, or with happy memories associated with them. Brush your hair. Girls, throw on a bit of makeup if that’s your thing. If not, more power to you.
14. Go Food Shopping
As Helen Keller once said, “Happiness rarely keeps company with an empty stomach.” I don’t think anyone will disagree with that. A well-stocked fridge is the solution to all manner of problems.
Treat yourself to a couple of things you shouldn’t really be eating if you must, but major on the fruit and vegetables too. Sugar crashes are not your friends right now, and you need your vitamins to get yourself back to firing on all cylinders.
I know, takeaways seem far more appealing right now, and they definitely have their place, but consuming them night after night isn’t good for your health or your bank balance. Go down a bit of an Instagram hole and find a few wonderfully healthy but also delicious looking recipes to try out.
Don’t go for anything too convoluted, as it’ll only put you off. Preparing a full meal with your own fair hands will give you a sense of achievement. Even if you achieve nothing else that day, you’ve nourished yourself, and anyone else you have to/want to cook for. That’s a step in the right direction in anyone’s book.
16. Make A List
The humble to-do list is a powerful tool. I’m not talking about making a list of all your long-term, mega, overwhelming goals. They’re probably part of the problem, and can be reserved for another time. A slightly more modest list of small things you can achieve today and then cross off is a great way of feeling like you’ve got somewhere.
A pen and paper are far better for this than any fancy digital tool, as there’s nothing more satisfying than physically crossing something out.
Put absolutely everything you can think off on the list. Throw your shower, food shop, cooking, washing the dishes, and washing your clothes on there, along with that email you’ve been meaning to send, that bill you’ve been meaning to pay…
Make them all extremely simple, single actions that can be done and crossed off.
17. Declutter And Clean
Another wonderful one for bulking out the to-do list. There’s a lot of truth in that saying ‘tidy house, tidy mind.’ How are you supposed to clear out your muddled brain if the physical space you’re in is just as chaotic?
Put some good music or one of your favorite podcasts on and get everything back in its place. If it doesn’t have a place, find it one. Dust and hoover.
Better yet, throw things away. I refuse to live my entire life by Marie Kondo’s slightly overzealous approach to decluttering. She says that if it doesn’t bring you joy, you should throw it away, but socks don’t bring me joy and I need them (unfortunately, I’d rather be living on a desert island wearing nothing but flip-flops, but you can’t have everything).
However, she’s got a real point about how getting rid of physical stuff can take a real metaphorical weight off your shoulders. Try going through your clothes and throwing out anything you no longer want/need/fit into. Do the same with your shoes, books, cuddly toys, stamp collection…
Take it all to the charity shop, and you’ll be doing good for others as well as yourself.
18. Stretch Your Legs
It’s a bit of a cliché, I know, but that’s because getting out for a walk really does work. I don’t know the science behind why a bit of fresh air is so revitalizing, but I’m willing to bet it’s because we humans didn’t evolve to be locked up inside an office cubicle or dingy flat all day.
Whether it’s 5 minutes around the block or rambling for hours on end, it’ll help.
19. Get Your Heart Pumping
If you’re up for it, then some slightly more rigorous exercise is definitely a good idea. We all know by now that exercise releases endorphins in your brain, which make you feel great. Think of it as a happy pill without the side effects.
Hit the gym, go for a run, go cycling, or go along to that exercise class you’ve been wanting to start. If the idea of doing exercise, especially in the company of other human beings, doesn’t seem all that appealing, don’t focus on it.
Focus on getting your ‘activewear’ on and lacing up your trainers. You don’t want to be one of those people that goes around dressed like they’re off to the gym and never goes, so once you’ve got the gear on you’ll probably be shamed into it.
20. Go See Nature
Are you a city dweller? A dose of nature might be just what the doctor ordered. Your local park will do for now, but try and get into the countryside-proper ASAP.
There’s nothing like the mental space you can get when you’re miles from anywhere with only nature for company. Of course, you can take friends along too!
Being in the mountains or looking out to the vastness of the ocean is a great way of getting a bit of perspective back.
21. Ring A Friend
You might feel like spending time alone at the moment and that’s fine, but don’t isolate yourself completely. Spend your social time with the people that really matter, that you genuinely care about and can be yourself around.
Want to push through these feelings, get active, and do things? Talking to someone can really help you to address and fix this issue. It’s a great way to get your thoughts and your worries out of your head so you can work through them.
A therapist is often the best person you can talk to. Why? Because they are trained to help people in situations like yours. They can guide you and help you to address the underlying reasons why you don’t want to do anything.
A good place to get professional help is the website BetterHelp.com – here, you’ll be able to connect with a therapist via phone, video, or instant message.
While you may try to work through this yourself, it may be a bigger issue than self-help can address. And if it is affecting your mental well-being, relationships, or life in general, it is a significant thing that needs to be resolved.
Too many people try to muddle through and do their best to overcome issues that they never really get to grips with. If it’s at all possible in your circumstances, therapy is 100% the best way forward.
Online therapy is actually a good option for many people. It’s more convenient than in-person therapy and is more affordable in a lot of cases. And you get access to the same level of qualified and experienced professional.
Click here if you’d like to learn more about the service BetterHelp.com provide and the process of getting started.
You’ve already taken the first step just by searching for and reading this article. The worst thing you can do right now is nothing. The best thing is to speak to a therapist. The next best thing is to implement everything you’ve learned in this article by yourself. The choice is yours.
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- An Open Letter To Those Who Have No Ambition, No Goals, And No Dreams | <urn:uuid:cd263f3f-e3ca-44d7-bdb8-e521a7ac0a0f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.aconsciousrethink.com/6397/dont-feel-like-doing-anything/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570868.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808152744-20220808182744-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.947585 | 4,645 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Now everyone knows how much British civil servants get paid.
In what it trumpeted as a commitment to greater transparency, the UK government published on Tuesday (1 June) details of the salaries of 170 senior officials whose annual salary and taxable benefits and allowances amount to more than £150,000 (€180,000).
So it becomes a matter of wider public knowledge that Kim Darroch (pictured), the UK’s permanent representative to the EU, gets between £170,000 and £175,000 (the salary band is a nod to discretion) while his predecessor but one, Nigel Sheinwald, now the UK ambassador to the United States, is paid £175,000-£180,000.
Simon Fraser, who is now head of the department for business and industry, is paid £160,000-£165,000, which means that he was better paid when he was head of Peter Mandelson’s private office in the Commission.
One of the effects of this transparency initiative might be that British civil servants receive pitying looks from better paid (and lower-taxed) EU officials. | <urn:uuid:c665bfef-5627-4cfc-8833-43be206af83b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.politico.eu/article/im-paid-much-more-than-you/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571284.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811103305-20220811133305-00478.warc.gz | en | 0.975272 | 230 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Consultative services may be provided on a biweekly or monthly basis depending the needs of the child and family. Consultative services typically include an initial appointment where a brief assessment of the children is performed and the concerns of his/her parents are discussed. A plan of action is then formulated.
An evaluation includes a more in-depth assessment of the child and his/her current level of functioning. Information regarding the child's developmental background is obtained and a written report is generated.
Direct therapeutic interaction with the child and are typically delivered on a weekly basis. Prior of the start of on-going services, specific goals an areas to be developed are delineated with the family to ensure unique and targeted occupational therapy intervention.
Setup, Troubleshooting, and Training for a variety of assistive technology products (e.g. word prediction and text-to-speech supports). Ongoing support for students who use assistive technology to complete academic tasks.
Cash, check and Venmo are accepted | <urn:uuid:b3ba549e-6598-48df-816c-284cc1979b7f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bettertogetherot.com/services | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573540.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819005802-20220819035802-00475.warc.gz | en | 0.942202 | 201 | 1.90625 | 2 |
We use the SDGs framework as a catalyst for social change!
We believe that we can help progress the SDGs at local levels by giving visibility and broadcasting the local changemakers. By sharing their knowledge through activities organized by Social Impact Movement, we inspire, raise awareness, and educate people in a "peer-to-peer" model. When individuals begin realizing that each of us has the potential to be a changemaker, they feel empowered to try. And that’s the purpose behind VoicesInMiami.
Social Impact Movement gives a voice to Miami community members doing amazing work to make our city a better a place to live, study, work and play. We highlight individuals and entities that are impacting our beloved Miami by providing a unique platform to share stories of change thus providing opportunities to learn and engage with diverse stakeholders. The goal is to bring #SDGsVoicesInMiami to the community in an inclusive environment with a language accessible format where local guest speakers will interact with community members. The sessions are designed by thought leaders and aim to discuss topics of interest with the intention of providing content and a space for dialogue for English, Spanish and Portuguese speakers. | <urn:uuid:8ffdc58a-1382-4a4a-8bd9-7c3e00e63e68> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://local2030.org/discussion/view/50 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573399.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818185216-20220818215216-00065.warc.gz | en | 0.940809 | 235 | 1.710938 | 2 |
People have died from tobacco-related diseases since the opening of the first FCTC working group on 28 October 1999.
The Netherlands is showing progress in complying with the obligations in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) since it ratified the treaty in 2005. However, there is still work to do, according to the latest Dutch shadow report.
Framework Convention Alliance Director Laurent Huber said the report’s findings demonstrate that there is hope for the near future.
The hope stems from several policy moves since the last report, including tightening and greater enforcement of smokefree laws, raising the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products, recognition of the problem posed by tobacco industry interference in public policy, an increase in tobacco excise taxes, and a renewed public education campaign.
“These are vital steps,” said Laurent in the preface to the report. “They move the Netherlands closer to international best practices, and will no doubt have an impact on the health of Dutch citizens. The coming implementation of the EU Tobacco Products Directive promises to push policy forward further.”
19,000 deaths yearly
Every year in the Netherlands more than 19,000 people die from the consequences of smoking and several thousand die from the consequences of passive smoking. As in many countries, smoking is by far the leading preventable cause of mortality and morbidity in the country.
The Netherlands ratified the FCTC in January 2005. In April 2014 the Dutch government submitted its fourth progress report. As a counterpart to these official government reports, non-government organisations produce shadow reports to evaluate whether governments are complying with FCTC obligations.
The Dutch Heart Foundation, Dutch Cancer Society and Dutch Lung Foundation released the shadow report in January 2015, which coincides with the Netherlands’ 10 year ratification anniversary. This report focuses on developments since the first report was released in 2012.
The report’s main recommendations to the Dutch government include:
- Develop a comprehensive, multisectoral national tobacco control strategy.
- Take further measures to protect tobacco control policies against tobacco industry interests, including the development of a protocol and increased transparency with regard to all interactions with the tobacco industry.
- Implement significant tax increases on a regular basis and use taxes to decrease the price differentials between substitutable tobacco products.
- No longer allow designated smoking rooms.
- Correctly and promptly transpose the revised EU Tobacco Products Directive and inform the public about these measures.
- Download the 2nd shadow report: Dutch Tobacco Control - Moving towards the right track
- See FCA's Shadow Reporting Campaign | <urn:uuid:394b9c97-a4ce-4bda-8c3b-d38470c79a30> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.fctc.org/media-and-publications/policy-papers/implementation-monitoring/1273-more-fctc-work-for-the-netherlands | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285001.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00300-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935664 | 525 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Innovation in Practice: Transforming Classroom Culture in a 1-to-1 Model
This post was co-authored with Ann Feldman (@annfeldmann1). In addition to being a District Instructional Technology Specialist, Ann is an Apple Education Trainer, Google Certified Educator, adjunct professor, and presenter. Passionate about transforming teaching and learning, Ann is currently working with her district iPad Academy initiative to provide hands-on support to help create personalized learning environments.
Sometimes, I have a unique opportunity to engage in conversations with educators from across the country, and this is no exception. For the past several years, I have benefitted from learning alongside Ann and her colleagues in Bellevue, Nebraska. Truth be told, I cyberstalked their very first professional development week in the summer of 2013. Stuck at home with a broken leg, I joined in via Twitter for their inaugural #iPadAcademy professional development event. Through that experience, I connected with Ann and discovered the initiative in her district to use technology as a means to individualize and personalize learning for every student.
Lately, I've written that innovation is more than just changing the environment of the classroom through an infusion of technology. It requires a shift in the behaviors and beliefs of the people within those spaces - both the teachers and the students. Through their thoughtful, systematic implementation of not only iPads but also coaching and support, Ann's district has addressed all three of these facets of innovation.
Ann's Story of the iPad Academy
This journey began several years ago when our district technology committee recommended lowering the student to device ratio and ultimately move to a potential 1:1 environment. At the same time, we wanted to increase student learning and achievement while fostering a culture of creativity, curiosity, and individualized learning. Once the committee decided that iPads would be the device of choice, we started to build our program in a slow but deliberate way to work towards a solid 1:1 model.
The iPad Academy was born out of a belief that to effectively integrate technology, there needs to be an emphasis on professional development and establishing a student-centered classroom culture. While our program focuses on creating a group of educators who are prepared to take on the challenge of teaching students in a 1:1 classroom using Apple technology such as Macs and iOS devices, the transformation occurring in these classrooms is not because of the device. Rather, it's a combination of a powerful professional development program, solid pedagogy and content knowledge by the teacher, and student access to an iPad all day, every day.
What Innovation Looks Like in an iPad Academy Classroom
I walked into a 1:1 elementary iPad classroom and knew it had happened. There was a happy hum in the room; kids were working independently in soft spaces like couches and on the floor, and the vibe in the room was productive yet calm. However, where was the front of the room? Where was the teacher?
What I am describing is a disruptive, blended classroom as defined by Michael B. Horn and Heather Staker in the book Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools.
"There is a simple rule of thumb for spotting a disruptive model of blending learning: if students are learning in a blended setting, and you can't figure out where the front of the classroom is then it's probably a disruptive model (Horn & Staker, p.76)."
I have witnessed this shift happen several times as we have implemented 1:1 iPad classrooms in my district. Teaching and learning look very different from the traditional model that we envision when we think of a classroom and school. Instead of finding teachers delivering content in one unifying message from the front, they are crafting a personalized learning environment grounded in pedagogy, choice, and creation which shifts the teacher from the focal point to working alongside students and shifts from desks facing forwards to soft spaces scattered throughout the room.
Making The Shift Happen
As an iPad coach, I work in classrooms alongside students and teachers. From Day One, we sought to craft a blended environment where students could learn online and in person as well as at their own pace and in their own way. First, we set up a blended classroom workflow using tools such as iTunes U, Google Classroom, and Schoology. We want our students to have control over time, place, path, and pace. With these tools, students can access and submit assignments anytime and from anywhere. Not only is this a great workflow, but it also provides a seamless opportunity for teachers to give feedback and privately differentiate for every child. In this blended environment, audio and video capabilities provide students choice and independence in how they learn and in how they demonstrate their mastery of learning objectives.
Within the physical space, we create soft spaces, places in the classroom that feel like home with couches, lamps, and bean bags that provides students the freedom of movement and collaboration so that they can work individually and with one another naturally throughout the day. A major shift in beliefs is for our teachers to let go and allow the students learn. Though this new environment feels disorienting at first, teachers gain the advantage of time to conference with individual students as well as provide guidance to small groups when they step away from the front of the room.
Changing Environment, Behavior, and Beliefs
In workshops and at conferences, educators often want to know what learning could look like. They have added devices to their environments but do not feel as though the learning experience has really changed. Educators like Ann and her colleagues at the iPad Academy offer a vision of what may be possible. Their innovation began with a belief in student-centered learning and a desire to foster a culture of creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking. Ultimately, this has resulted in a dramatic shift in the behaviors of both teachers and students, truly changing what learning could look like. | <urn:uuid:37fdd566-c681-4e4f-8bf0-d8b4c85f9934> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/edtechresearcher/2016/03/innovation_in_practice_-_transforming_classroom_culture_in_a_11_model.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719416.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00363-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969012 | 1,193 | 2.125 | 2 |
Issue Date: April 4, 2011
SERS Substrates Made With Pocket Change
Metal substrates needed for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) can be made with everyday objects—even coins—reported Jordan F. Betz, a graduate student in Gary W. Rubloff’s research group at the University of Maryland. This simple approach allows substrates to be prepared quickly and easily for portable SERS analyses. Betz described how he and his coworkers developed the ability to turn loose change into SERS substrates in 30 minutes or less by using galvanic displacement . . .
To view the rest of this content, please log in with your ACS ID.
- Chemical & Engineering News
- ISSN 0009-2347
- Copyright © American Chemical Society | <urn:uuid:cd9c6bac-0561-4321-9193-cde1f78c35d0> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://cen.acs.org/articles/89/i14/SERS-Substrates-Made-Pocket-Change.html?type=paidArticleContent | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280835.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00464-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.867546 | 164 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may influence leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a biomarker associated with chronic disease. In vitro research suggests dioxins may bind to the AhR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) and induce telomerase activity, which elongates LTL. However, few epidemiologic studies have investigated associations between POPs and LTL.
We examined the association between 18 PCBs, 7 dioxins, 9 furans, and LTL among 1,330 US adults from NHANES 2001-2002.
We created 3 summed POP metrics based on toxic equivalency factor (TEF), a potency measure including affinity to the AhR: 1) non-dioxin-like PCBs (comprised of 10 non-dioxin-like PCBs; no AhR affinity and no TEF); 2) non-ortho PCBs (comprised of 2 non-ortho-substituted PCBs with high TEF); 3) and toxic equivalency (TEQ) (comprised of 7 dioxins, 9 furans, 2 non-ortho-substituted PCBs, and 6 mono-ortho-substituted PCBs; weighted by TEF). We tested the association between each metric and LTL using linear regression, adjusting for demographics, blood cell count and distribution, and another metric with a different TEF (i.e., non-ortho PCBs and TEQ adjusted for non-dioxin-like PCBs; non-dioxin-like PCBs adjusted for non-ortho PCBs).
In adjusted models, each doubling of serum concentrations of non-ortho PCBs and TEQ was associated with 3.74% (95% CI: 2.10, 5.40) and 5.29% (95% CI: 1.66, 9.05) longer LTLs, respectively. Compared to the lowest quartile, the highest quartile of exposure was associated with 9.16% (95% CI: 2.96, 15.73) and 7.84% (95% CI: -0.53, 16.92) longer LTLs, respectively. Non-dioxin-like PCBs were not associated with LTL.
POPs with high TEFs and AhR affinity were associated with longer LTL. Because many dioxin-associated cancers are also associated with longer LTL, these results may provide insight into the mechanisms underlying PCB and dioxin-related carcinogenesis. | <urn:uuid:ee36f7e4-dffa-4c49-b9e7-394a764cc11b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.telomerescience.com/crosssectional-associations-between-exposure-to-persistent-organic-pollutants-and-leukocyte-telomere-length-among-us-adults-in-nhanes-20012002-26452299.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571147.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810040253-20220810070253-00473.warc.gz | en | 0.930855 | 569 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Sources for Articles in Classical & Ancient Studies
Academic Search Complete: A comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary, database with full-text content going back as far as 1887.
Anthropology Plus: Index of materials in the fields of social, cultural, physical, biological, and linguistic anthropology. Also ethnology, archaeology, folklore, and material culture, and interdisciplinary studies.
Art Full Text: Citations and full text from international periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins.
Art Index Retrospective: Index of materials published from 1929 through 1984 on archaeology, architecture and architectural history, art history, painting, sculpture, and more.
Arts and Humanities Citation Index: Citations to articles in the world's leading arts and humanities journals.
ATLA Religion: American Theological Library Association database of citations and articles in all fields of religion.
British Humanities Index: Index to internationally respected humanities journals and weekly magazines published in the UK and other English speaking countries.
Essay and General Literature Index: Citations for single- and multi-author collections, plus selected annuals and serials, published between 1900 and1984.
Humanities Full Text: Covers noted scholarly sources in the humanities, as well as lesser known specialized magazines.
JSTOR: Provides page images of back issues of the core scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences from the earliest issues to within a few years of current publication. Users may browse by journal title or discipline, or may search the full-text or titles of articles. (DFR search for faceted seareching - go to Help, then “Detailed Searching” then click on "Data for Research" link)
L'Année Philologique: citations for publications related to Greco-Roman antiquity (searchable in English, but returns results in multiple languages)
MLA Bibliography: Indexes critical materials on literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore, with citations from worldwide publications, including periodicals, books, essay collections, working papers, proceedings, dissertations and bibliographies.
New Testament Abstracts: Indexing and abstracts for journal articles, monographs, multi-authored books, book reviews, and software related to New Testament studies.
Old Testament Abstracts: Indexing and abstracts for journal articles, monographs, multi-author works, book reviews, and software related to Hebrew Bible studies.
Philosopher's Index: Citations and abstracts of books and journal articles in philosophy and related fields.
Project Muse: Full-text articles from more than 200 scholarly journals in history and the humanities, the social sciences, and the sciences. Disciplines covered include literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics, and many others.
ProQuest: Broad, deep interdisciplinary database with multiple formats that also includes publications from points of view alternative to the main stream with regards to politics, gender and race.
Electronic Resources for Classicists & Historians of Antiquity: A list of electronic sources compiled by the Ancient and Medieval Studies department at Columbia University Libraries.
CLIO - The online catalog of the Columbia University Libraries, including Barnard Library, but excluding Teachers College and the Law Library.
Classics call number range: PA | <urn:uuid:be62a851-3abe-40a7-949a-588755d35e43> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://library.barnard.edu/find-books/guides/CLCV/CLCV | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280310.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00186-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.872558 | 685 | 2.484375 | 2 |
I put together a letter writing box to keep up the printing practice while we wait for our school to open again. I used a box we already had from Regional Assembly of Text and filled it with a date stamp and stamp pad, international and local stamps, blank cards and envelopes, air mail stickers, return address labels and address labels for some of our favourite people. I also printed off some letter writing sheets from Playful Learning on colourful paper. Too bad it only took all of five minutes for him to write his first letter! Thank goodness there are all kinds of great learning activities on the internet. Check out my pinterest kids and summer boards for some of my favourites.
for your considerationI would love for you to link to my photos or articles! But, first a request. Each photo, each word on the site was thoughtfully composed. Please consider the amount of effort expended and contact me before using any content found on this site. | <urn:uuid:da692dbe-88d1-4f8e-b7a1-3c75254c7412> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://owlandpussycat.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/homeschool-experiment-letter-writing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718423.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00271-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947393 | 191 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Template talk:U.S. Congressional opposition to war
|This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the U.S. Congressional opposition to war template.
|WikiProject United States||(Rated Template-class)|
The War of 1812 was the most divisive war in American history, worse than Vietnam. The New England States came close to leaving the union because of trade restrictions and the destruction of their economy. The Feralist party oppossed it, see Opposition to the War of 1812. That page says (emphasis added) "The Federalist Party in Congress was united in opposition to the war as soon as it was declared. A document called 'An Address of Members of the House of Representatives... on the Subject of War with Great Britain,' signed by 34 of 36 House Federalists, was widely circulated and put forward Federalist views on the subject. It argued that the parliamentary procedures used by Democratic-Republicans to launch the war were anti-democratic and hostile to 'Representative liberty'; that 'war upon the land' as a response to attacks against 'commerce upon the ocean' was not justified or effective; that the war would involve a dangerous entanglement with France, then fighting Britain in the Napoleonic Wars; and that with the U.S. unprepared for war and militarily weak, a disaster might result - 'a war of invasion may invite a retort of invasion.'" This deserves to be included in the template as it shows Congressional war dissent is not a modern invention.
- --Wowaconia 19:13, 18 February 2007 (UTC)
I add a link in the template.--Wowaconia 19:26, 18 February 2007 (UTC)
This doesn't feel right
The existence of this template doesn't sit right with me. The subject matter doesn't seem to be what you'd typically expect to get made into a navigation template. The fact that the Iraq resolution appearing last in the template was passed just two days before the template was created certainly has the appearance of political commentary, trying to imply that the resolution was part of a long and storied congressional tradition. If I'm the only one feeling this way, fine - I just wanted to get that out there. -Joshuapaquin 01:23, 5 March 2007 (UTC)
- I'm sure you know the phrase "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." In this case, you would do well to bear in mind that "Appearance is in the mind of the beholder." The template wasn't meant to imply anything in particular -- in fact, that neatly reverses the relationship between it's creation and current events (i.e. the Iraq resolution). It was, however, inspired by current events, which I'm sure has been the case with much of the contents of Wikipedia. Hope that helps. Cgingold 13:57, 5 March 2007 (UTC)
Where are the resolutions demanding surrender to Serbia that passed in the 90's? There were plenty of Slobo lovers in congress back then that couldn't wait for America to lose.
Syria 2015/6 - Gabbard Bill (HR 4108) to end USA support to groups aiming to 'destabilize' Syria and to overthrow its internationally recognized government
HR4108, the Gabbard Bill, should also be included in this list of U.S. Congressional opposition to war.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/4108 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr4108 http://gabbard.house.gov/index.php/press-releases/520-reps-tulsi-gabbard-austin-scott-introduce-legislation-to-end-illegal-u-s-war-to-overthrow-syrian-government-of-assad http://syrianamericanforum.org/index.php/saf-in-action/117-call-to-support-h-r-4108
"Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds available to the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, or any other agency or entity of the United States involved in intelligence activities, or to the National Security Council or its staff may not be obligated or expended to provide assistance, including training, equipment, supplies, stipends, construction of training and associated facilities, and sustainment, to any element of the Syrian opposition or to any other Syrian group or individual seeking to overthrow the government of the Syrian Arab Republic, unless, after the date of the enactment of this Act, funds are specifically authorized to be appropriated and appropriated by law for such purpose."
HR4108 has two components:
(a) to stop all support by the USA government to groups aiming to 'destabilize' Syria and to overthrow its internationally recognized government. (b) If, however, the USA government wants to overthrow the internationally recognized government of Syria, a law (= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Powers_Clause) for such purpose must be enacted by Congress. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dirk ec (talk • contribs) 03:38, 26 December 2015 (UTC)
The USA government has been involved in the 'destabilizing' of Syria since "early 2012" http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/25/world/middleeast/arms-airlift-to-syrian-rebels-expands-with-cia-aid.html , which was formulated as a policy goal back in 2001: 1:47 min in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSL3JqorkdU "This was on or about the 20th of September. I said, “We’re going to war with Iraq? Why?” He said, “I don’t know.” ... So I came back to see him a few weeks later, and by that time we were bombing in Afghanistan. I said, “Are we still going to war with Iraq?” And he said, “Oh, it’s worse than that.” He reached over on his desk. He picked up a piece of paper. And he said, “I just got this down from upstairs” — meaning the Secretary of Defense’s office — “today.” And he said, “This is a memo that describes how we’re going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran.”" http://www.globalresearch.ca/we-re-going-to-take-out-7-countries-in-5-years-iraq-syria-lebanon-libya-somalia-sudan-iran/5166 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dirk ec (talk • contribs) 04:01, 26 December 2015 (UTC) | <urn:uuid:e0b98e77-436f-40af-b6f3-60170245c99d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:U.S._Congressional_opposition_to_war | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281574.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00023-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962472 | 1,472 | 2.28125 | 2 |
When someone goes to Google and types a query in the search box, they get two types of results: organic and paid. So what’s the difference between the two? Read on to find out.
“Paid” results are basically advertisements that businesses have paid for. These results are located on the right-hand side of the search results, and (sometimes) at the top of the left-hand side as well, inside a pale yellow box. This is done through a Google program called “Adwords”. Businesses create ads and then bid against one another for top position on the search page for a particular keyword phrase. The one that bids the highest is shown first. They pay Google every time someone clicks on their ad. Businesses like paid ads for two main reasons:
“Organic” results are the free ones. These appear on the left-hand side of the page, underneath any paid results which show up at the top inside a pale yellow box. These are the results that Google feels are the best option for the searcher, based on the search term they entered. Google uses complex algorithms to determine this (see our previous blog post on factors that influence ranking). Generally, ten organic results are shown on each page, so being in the “top ten” of the organic search results is important – people will almost always start at the top and click the first result that sounds promising. As you can see, the cheapest way to get a steady stream of traffic from Google is to optimize your website so that it ranks well in the organic search results. This takes keyword research and an understanding of where and how to place your keywords on the pages of your website.
Now that you know the difference between paid and organic search listings, it’s time to understand the difference between on-page and off-page SEO | <urn:uuid:93dddf39-59f0-42b2-bd08-c024efbcb3b7> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://swishdesign.com.au/seo-for-small-business-the-difference-between-paid-and-organic-search-results/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00411-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936604 | 382 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Tyabb Structure Plan
In 2011, 4% of people in Tyabb Structure Plan, came from countries where English was not their first language.
Country of Birth data identifies where people were born and is indicative of the level of cultural diversity in Tyabb Structure Plan. The mix of Country of Birth groups is also indicative of historical settlement patterns, as source countries for Australia's immigration program have varied significantly over time.
Derived from the Census question:
'In which country was the person born?'
|Birthplace - Ranked by size|
|Tyabb Structure Plan - (Usual residence)||2011||2006||Change|
|Birthplace||Number||%||Mornington Peninsula Shire %||Number||%||Mornington Peninsula Shire %||2006 to 2011|
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (opens a new window) 2006 and 2011. Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (opens a new window), the population experts.
Excludes countries with fewer than 20 people, or less than 0.1% of the total population.(Usual residence data)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (opens a new window) 2006 and 2011. Compiled and presented by .id (opens a new window), the population experts.
(Usual residence data)
Analysis of the country of birth of the population in Tyabb Structure Plan in 2011 compared to Mornington Peninsula Shire shows that there was a smaller proportion of people born overseas, as well as a smaller proportion of people from a non-English speaking background.
Overall, 14.4% of the population was born overseas, and 3.7% were from a non-English speaking background, compared with 18.1% and 5.9% respectively for Mornington Peninsula Shire.
There were no major differences between Tyabb Structure Plan and Mornington Peninsula Shire in 2011.
Between 2006 and 2011, the number of people born overseas increased by 97 or 56.4%, and the number of people from a non-English speaking background increased by 14 or 25.5%.
The largest change in birthplace countries of the population in this area between 2006 and 2011 was for those born in:
- United Kingdom (+75 persons) | <urn:uuid:4619f2df-621b-4720-a2f3-e8304611c99a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://profile.id.com.au/mornington-peninsula/birthplace?WebID=300 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280891.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00161-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933884 | 468 | 2.125 | 2 |
The early Cold War period was the golden age of American capitalism because it coincided with the rise of the so-called World War II generation, the cohort of then young men (and a few women) born between 1915-1925, that fought and won World War II.
A grateful American public passed the so-called GI Bill that paid these ex-soldiers' college tuitions. In turn, these were unusually mature students who had already received an "education" in the trenches; George Bush Sr. completed a four year program at Yale in 2 and a half years. Shaped by wartime experiences working together, and working with the latest technology, these young men then went out and reshaped American business. A group of ten "whiz kids" who had gone to the U.S. Defense Department, then Harvard Business School together, entered Ford Motor Company as a team and effectively took it over.
These men entered their midlife managerial years during the early stages of the Cold War, and one of them, Ronald Reagan, won the Cold War with the "Star Wars" program late in his managerial career.
Expanding on Graviton's answer, the Marshall Plan played a large role in the USA's economic development.
Europe was devastated from the war and no longer able to export goods in large quantities, thus also decreasing its ability to import, especially from the USA, which the Allies had greatly relied on for WW2 weaponry and supplies (food, textiles, ammunition, raw materials...). Losing such a big market would decrease the USA's national income, so it pumped money into Western Europe to revitalize it, aiming for long term gains in the future.
If it was a Golden Age for American capitalists, it's probably because they got a lot of countries like Greece (which was facing Communist-Royalist Civil wars) to support them through Harry Truman's Doctrine, the Marshall Plan and NATO, all of which came into operation before the mid 1950s, which I would regard as the early Cold War period. And by getting all this support, they actually stopped the spread of Communism in those countries. This is the sort of thing that capitalists then would call 'victory'. Apart from this, you can consider factors like the first man to land on the Moon being from a capitalist country.
First of all, I would challenge your statement that wars are bad for the economy. On the contrary, I believe history would inidcate that wars are actually very good for the economy. During periods of war there is higher employment, more manufacturing and exporting (especially of war materials), and usually more innovation.
After World War II, a lot of jobs were created because of the need for rebuilding. While almost all of this rebuilding happened in Europe, there were several American countries involved with it, resulting in boosts to the American economy.
Furthermore, even though the "Cold War" was not an actual war, a lot of the same factors were in play. The US was still manufacturing weapons at a high level as a preventative measure, but that still meant that a lot of people were employed. The increase in defense spending resulted in an increase in disposable income which in turn resulted in more spending, which meant the wealth was being spread among multiple sectors.
I'd say that your premise is incorrect. Wars are not inherently bad for an economy. Look at World War Two, it pulled the US economy out of the Great Depression before the US even entered the war, through the Lend-Lease program. War creates massive demand for goods because things tend to be destroyed, so they have to be replaced. That demand has to be supplied, which requires a build up of industry.
After WWII was over, the industries which had switched over to war time production, like the auto industry, used the factories they had built during the war to produce cars at a comparable rate. A similar trend occurred in other sectors of the economy.
The GI bill also helped the development of suburbs and cities. The veterans who came back were more educated through it as well.
In the immediate post war era, the US was the first large economy of its kind to get the kind of things we take for granted now. I'm talking TVs, basic appliances, etc. Home ownership and automobile ownership. Why exactly the US was the first to get that explosive growth in all these areas is not something I am qualified to answer, but it's important to note that perceptions of America's 1950s "Golden Age" is in part due to the simple fact that America then had a huge advantage over other nations just because it was getting things first. We no longer idealize TVs, refrigerators, mass car ownership, etc. as huge economic achievements because many other places have them. European countries experienced explosive economic growth too, but it took a little longer with them.
Also to add to the other responses above, it should be remembered that economic rebounds after a long economic slump are often that much more powerful depending on the economic slump they are following. When recovery does come, the perception of recovery fuels more spending, more investment, more optimism and hence a stronger recovery. And of course, economic slumps breed immense opportunities for growth. The People's Republic of China provides an extreme example of this; after several decades of Maoism and really fairly terrible economic growth, the PRC economy went through the roof in the 1980s, and that was due, in part, to the simple fact that the PRC was starting from somewhere close to zero economically speaking, when compared to the rest of the world, so it had nowhere to go but up. Though much less extreme, the pattern was also evident in America in the post war era.
Overall, it can be argued that America's post war "flourishing" was really a relative perception that we have looking back on it, based on how we were doing compared to other nations now.
Other posters have ignored perhaps the most important factor which led to the US economy flourishing during the early Cold War (post-WWII) era:
The United States emerged from WWII with the only undamaged industrial base in the world
All of the other major pre-war players - Britain, Germany, Japan, etc - had all been smashed to bits by the war. The United States had been the industrial engine that kept the Allies going, by producing much of the machines and weapons needed to fight the war. Afterwards, America was the only source for a lot of consumer goods - and even then it took the US economy several years to re-tool to produce consumer goods, resulting in a pretty severe post-war recession. But once those factories were putting out consumer goods they had a ready market for whatever they made - the rest of the world. In the post-war era goods didn't have to be particularly innovative or even well-made (witness the insanity of "planned obsolescence") - they just had to be there, and they'd sell. For 25 years after WWII it was basically impossible for an executive to screw up a big American corporation as the rest of the world would buy whatever was produced because there was effectively no alternative. | <urn:uuid:9f6515eb-8931-4b92-9449-8b982b03a791> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/5569/what-factors-contributed-to-the-u-s-economy-flourishing-during-the-early-cold-wa/38223 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571989.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813232744-20220814022744-00473.warc.gz | en | 0.982592 | 1,456 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Top 10 Walks - Wales Coast Path: South Wales Coast
A pocket-sized guidebook providing details of 10 walks along a section of the new Wales Coast Path, i.e. the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, and the broad Severn Estuary. The guidebook includes colour images and maps with clear directions.
One of a series of books in the new Top 10 Walks: Wales Coast Path series. Handy, pocket-sized, full colour walking guides written by experts. Each volume outlines the most popular circular walks along key sections of the Wales Coast Path. Other titles in the series include Pembrokeshire North and Pembrokeshire South.
Published July 2016. | <urn:uuid:36f8f13a-28f9-4bcb-9477-43886517f89f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://thetrailsshop.co.uk/collections/pembrokeshire-coast-path/products/top-10-walks-wales-coast-path-south-wales-coast | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572581.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816211628-20220817001628-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.900321 | 144 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Viewpoint: Jaime Vargas
For too many years tax reforms in Colombia have been aimed at solving fiscal collection shortages by creating new temporary taxes that, by way of being re-enacted time after time, became permanent, or by increasing the rates of existing taxes. This short-sighted approach has resulted in a disjointed tax system that imposed an excessive burden on companies, with direct impacts such as discouraging investment and challenging economic growth.
In an attempt to remedy this situation, the Ministry of Finance appointed a Commission of Experts for Equality and Tax Competitiveness at the beginning of 2015, with the mission of proposing a structural tax reform that could transform the Colombian tax system into a more unbiased one.
The Commission of Experts released its findings in a report presented to the Colombian state at the end of 2015. The text focused on developing short-and long-term recommendations for tax reform in the country. It concluded, among other points, that Colombia’s tax system generated a low level of collections compared to its potential tax collection; that it did not contribute to a better redistribution of income across the country; that it was horizontally inequitable, as it taxed individuals and enterprises that were in similar fiscal conditions differently; that it was complex and difficult to manage; and that it significantly punished investment, employment, growth and competitiveness.
In 2016 the reduction in global oil prices increased the country’s fiscal deficit to 3.6% of GDP. This led credit rating agencies to call for a reduction in the current account deficit in order for the country to maintain its BBB investment rating.
These factors resulted in a tax bill aimed not only at realigning the tax system, but also at obtaining immediate additional collections given the tight fiscal situation of the country after years of steady income driven primarily by oil exports. The tax reform, officially named Law 1819, was enacted by Congress in December 2016.
With the law being enacted at the beginning of 2017, the reform provides the government with the funds required to face its budgetary needs, and has sent a positive message to the international markets that were expecting a move of this sort, allowing them to maintain their confidence in Colombia.
The future reduction of the corporate tax rate enacted by the law may also bring peace of mind to investors, who during recent years have seen their tax burden grow significantly. However, these and the other changes included in the tax reform represent, perhaps, less than half of what is required.
Among the various measures adopted, the value-added tax (VAT) rate increased from 16% to 19% and, as of January 2017, VAT is applied to a list of digital services supplied from outside the country. This is done via a withholding mechanism that imposes taxes on intangible goods.
More than just tax reforms, Colombia urgently requires a method for controlling evasion. The IMF concluded that the evasion of VAT in Colombia is close to 40%, while the evasion of corporate income tax is just as problematic, at close to 39%. Furthermore, the Colombian Tax Office calculates that evasion of import taxes alone reaches a yearly amount of approximately $7bn.
The government trusts that through the anti-evasion measures included in the tax reform, such as increasing the exchange of financial and tax information with other countries and including anti-tax haven measures, evasion figures will drop.
This is yet to be seen, however. The measures that existed before the recent tax reform could have been used more effectively to fight against evasion, but they were not enforced properly and were ultimately unsuccessful in bringing down the high rates of evasion that persist today.
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If you have already purchased this Report or have a website subscription, please login to continue. | <urn:uuid:82c30f34-1e80-43ef-bfa3-59fe4b67341b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/viewpoint/different-approach-jaime-vargas-tax-managing-partner-and-international-tax-services-leader-ey | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573533.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818215509-20220819005509-00274.warc.gz | en | 0.974582 | 792 | 2.21875 | 2 |
A parenting academy is being launched to improve child-rearing skills.
The centre - to be based at King's College, London - will train a "parenting workforce" to promote proven techniques among new mothers and fathers.
Children's Minister Beverley Hughes has said the academy will even train workers to help families sing to their children and read stories.
In a controversial recent speech, she declared: "Some parents already know that reading and singing nursery rhymes with their young children will get them off to a flying start, often because this is how they themselves were brought up.
"For other parents without this inheritance, these simple techniques are a mystery and are likely to remain so unless we act and draw them to their attention."
Backed by a £30million Government grant, the academy will open in October. It will give specialist training to staff who work with parents in schools, nurseries and the health service. Many teachers, psychologists and social workers are expected to benefit.
So-called parenting "practitioners" will teach parenting classes around the country and teenage parents are expected to be offered special allowances if they sign up for the lessons.
Announcing details of the scheme, Mrs Hughes said: "Parents increasingly seek help with bringing up their children and we want to be as supportive as we possibly can.
"The role a parent plays is integral to a child's development and their future life chances, which is why we want to help parents get it right.
"This academy will be an international and national hub for the exchange of ideas and learning, providing the very latest research and training in supporting parents."
Dr Stephen Scott, head of the King's College London Parenting Unit, said the academy would help parents "bring the best out of their children".Reuse content | <urn:uuid:2aede899-83eb-4047-8042-34cebeef7421> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.standard.co.uk/news/30m-to-teach-parents-to-sing-nursery-rhymes-7176502.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00404-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971238 | 365 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Here, the power of the rapids has shaped 7,000 years of history, ingenuity and defense. Overlooking the river, the Coteau-du-Lac site shelters the remnants of the first fortified lock canal in Canada. The grounds offer a beautiful setting to relax, picnic and learn about the history of the fort and the military strategy of the time.
- Wander through the archaeological grounds and imagine the lives of the soldiers in the early 19th century garrison.
- Enter the blockhouse that served as a command post, watch the multimedia presentation and visit the exhibit! | <urn:uuid:ae01e978-419c-483e-8a4b-682f2b530319> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.musees.qc.ca/en/museums/guide/coteau-du-lac-national-historic-site | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573699.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819131019-20220819161019-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.912731 | 128 | 2.625 | 3 |
Four strategies for telcos in healthcare
A rocky start for telcos in health
Historically, telcos have found it hard to succeed in the healthcare vertical. We believe this is because they underestimated the complexity of healthcare delivery and patient data, and the slow pace of change in working practices within the sector.
Many telcos initially approached healthcare from the consumer angle, believing that their reach into the consumer market coupled with connectivity made them good candidates to deliver telehealth (video consultations with doctors) or personal health services directly to consumers. However, most telcos abandoned their ventures after initial failure to identify the right payer, and slow take-up of telehealth as doctors, patients and governments are still not convinced that video consultations can replace face to face ones.
On the data complexity side, a couple of examples are BT’s contract to digitise around 50mn patient records in the UK, and Telstra’s contract to develop national cancer registries in Australia. In both cases, the operators underestimated how much patient records varied between GPs, hospitals, and even within departments. This fragmentation means that digitising healthcare data in a way that makes it easy to share across multiple different stakeholders in the sector is a mammoth task, which requires a strong understanding of how the healthcare sector works, and also of how doctors, clinicians, patients and governments want to use it to improve healthcare outcomes in future. While BT has stepped back from the digital health market since then, Telstra has successfully overcome these challenges and is now scaling up its government health solutions.
Although most developed countries’ healthcare providers have made significant progress in digitising patient records and setting up systems to share basic information, a lot of valuable data remains difficult to share securely, interpret and use to develop new services to improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare outcomes.
However, thanks to the increasing sophistication of consumer health propositions from Fitbit, Garmin, Apple, etc., consumers have become far more aware and demanding of digital health solutions.
We believe the combination of improving health IT systems, more demanding patients, the growing maturity of analytics and AI, and rising cost pressures on healthcare systems together are creating a tipping point for growth in digital health.
So what’s the opportunity for telcos?
Based on our in-depth research of more than ten telcos’ development of digital health businesses, including TELUS, Telstra, Swisscom and KPN, we believe operators should take different strategies in different parts of the digital health market.
- Consumer wellness and self-care: This part of the market includes consumer facing applications and devices to help improve fitness, monitor health KPIs and conditions, etc. This is a highly competitive, global market where leading players are already well established, and we are even beginning to see consolidation, e.g. through Google’s acquisition of Fitbit. It is not well suited to telcos’ strengths, although telcos with a presence in their local healthcare markets may be attractive partners for global consumer wellness players seeking to link into the formal healthcare market.
- Remote care delivery & monitoring: Many of the devices and applications used in this segment are similar to the consumer wellness market – but the difference is they are provided by, paid for, and prescribed by healthcare providers (doctors, nurses, clinicians, etc.). These include services to manage chronic conditions, as well as to improve access to health services, such as online appointment bookings, prescription management, video consultations and personal health records. Developing services that fit into healthcare providers’ workflow, are easy for patients to use, and adaptable to different users’ needs takes significant time and effort, but healthcare providers lack the resources to pull all the pieces together themselves. For this reason, we believe that in most cases telcos should partner to deliver end-to-end services in this category. Depending on a telco’s strategy, they may also develop or acquire a small number of solutions in this area.
- Insurance and administrative reform: This is the biggest segment of the digital health market today, covering all the IT systems that help hospitals, GPs, labs, insurance companies etc. manage patient records and day to day activities. These systems are crucial for enabling improved data sharing across the industry and development of more sophisticated remote care and delivery solutions. In the hospital market, there are some large global players, but in most cases healthcare providers’ needs are dependent on the structure of the local market so most software providers tend to be locally based. This has been the main entry point for telcos seeking to build their presence in the healthcare market, and an important area to have a foothold in to play a coordination role.
- AI-enhanced healthcare delivery: As the digital health solutions across the first three categories become more sophisticated, it will become possible to apply advanced analytics to improve nearly all aspects of healthcare delivery. In many cases, AI models will work well across multiple geographies – for instance Google’s AI breast cancer screening tool delivered similar results in the US and the UK (in both countries it was more accurate than human radiologists). As in any application of analytics, access to data is the fundamental requirement, so this opportunity will be more accessible to telcos that are managing data through other solutions (this doesn’t necessarily have to be patient records, it could be operational information about how healthcare services are used or delivered).
Note that this view of the digital health market is built around the potential opportunities for telcos, so it excludes areas that are less relevant for them, such as drug discovery and development.
Digital health insights pack
This 24-page document will provide you with a summary of insights from our healthcare research and consulting work:
- Key trends in the healthcare industry
- The role for telecoms: applications and business models
- Strategies for success: where to start
- How STL Partners can support you
Request the free digital health insights pack by clicking on button below:
Read more about Virtualisation, SD-WAN & NFV
Telcos in health webinar
In this session Amy Cameron and Yesmean Luk looked at the opportunities for telcos in health. As a growing industry, with a national focus and significant digitisation challenges, healthcare is an attractive vertical for telcos seeking to build new revenues beyond core communications services.
TELUS Health: Innovation leader case study
Healthcare is an attractive vertical for telcos to address with digital solutions. Although many telcos have made attempts to capture this opportunity, TELUS stands out as an example of the value of a long-term commitment to healthcare. In this case study, we examine TELUS’ strategy in health, evidence of its success, and draw out lessons for other telcos | <urn:uuid:eaac6e44-964b-4658-bd7a-51cdf624ee5f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://stlpartners.com/articles/digital-health/four-strategies-for-telcos-in-healthcare/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573760.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819191655-20220819221655-00672.warc.gz | en | 0.942526 | 1,378 | 1.65625 | 2 |
The story of AnetaArtClasses
AnetaArtClasses was born in September 2009, founded by Aneta Takeva
The idea of making classes dedicated to designing houses and fashion outfits are coming from Aneta’s childhood, where this was a thing Aneta played with everyday.
“I was born in very artisan family in Bulgaria. One of my grandfathers was a blacksmith and my other one was a carpenter. My Grandmas was a tailor, and my other one was a amazing chef. My mother’s family they ware also holistic healers.
I got the fantastic opportunity to raise near such gifted and skilled masters and to be very involve in their knowledge.
Not every child has this unique opportunity so I decided to turn my childhood favorite games into educational opportunity to thousands of creative kids”
We are so proud of our original idea for our classes. These classes are unique and original to AnetaArtClasses. They are well suited to a child's development of fine motor skills.
Our methodology provides an exciting atmosphere which keeps our students interested in the subject matter and provide the right environment for students to flourish.
Through the use of motor skills and verbal skills, our students learn to express themselves both physically and verbally.
"I end all classes with an opportunity for the students to “tell the story” of what they created with their hands. I like to say that AnetaArtClasses “teaches communication skills to children”." | <urn:uuid:0de49b5c-a8f4-4be5-8790-67041dec9261> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://anetaartclasses.com/pages/about-anetaartclasses | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00473.warc.gz | en | 0.973711 | 317 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Nazi time Deutschland literally fought to annihilation -- until there was literally no country left to defend.
The Third Reich - she died kicking and screaming, finally crashing down in an orgy of pulverized, burning cities and a river of blood — civilian and military, German and non-German. Military history knows no year quite like 1944 -45 and if lucky, will never see another.
On May 7th the surviving ruling remnants of the once powerful Dritten Reich finally screamed "GOD! PLEASE! STOP!"
May 8th is Victory In Europe Day.
The legacy of VE Day is with us still. There never could have been a European Union - let alone a re unified Germany without Great Satan's will power, staying power and fire power.
And VE Day would not have been possible without Great Satan, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and the Russian Red Army's incredible ability to absorb horrific losses, to bounce back and win.
Happy VE Day! | <urn:uuid:470dbc6f-9942-4c0f-b7f9-21c55bc61d11> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://greatsatansgirlfriend.blogspot.com/2009/05/happy-ve-day.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280891.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00154-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933205 | 201 | 2.3125 | 2 |
What is a Library of things?
It’s a very simple, but beautifully powerful idea.
A Library of Things works like a normal library. But instead of borrowing books, you can borrow tools, kitchen equipment, camping gear in fact, pretty much anything. The kind of things that you might not own, only use occasionally, or perhaps, can’t afford.
We want to move away from the idea that in order to use things we have to own them and having a Library of Things means that everyone in a community shares stuff as and when they need to, instead of storing things away in homes. | <urn:uuid:4417c735-e466-49c4-8939-c6cb60e8e932> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://kloth.org.uk/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573172.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818063910-20220818093910-00275.warc.gz | en | 0.960164 | 127 | 1.867188 | 2 |
The Victorians: Empire and Race
- Extra Reading
Science and religion came together to help shape the attitudes of the British and Europeans towards the rest of the world, whose inhabitants were increasingly regarded as socially inferior and spiritually ignorant. This lecture looks at how these ideas framed the growth of overseas Empire in the latter part of the nineteenth century, how Britain and those European states that possessed colonies governed them and what were the consequences for politics and ideology at home, above all in the growth of the Social Darwinism, racism and extreme nationalism that led to the end of the 'Victorian' era in the First World War.
This lecture is part of the series The Victorians: Culture and Experience in Britain, Europe and the World 1815-1914
This course of lectures looks at the Victorians not just in Britain but in Europe and the wider world. 'Victorian' has come to stand for a particular set of values, perceptions and experiences, many of which were shared by people in a variety of different countries, from Russia to America, Spain to Scandinavia and reflected in the literature and culture of the nineteenth century, up to the outbreak of the First World War. The focus of the lectures will be on identifying and analysing six key areas of the Victorian experience, looking at them in international perspective. The lectures will be illustrated and the visual material will form a key element in the presentations. Throughout the series, we will be asking how far, in an age of growing nationalism and class conflict, the experiences of the Victorian era were common to different classes and countries across Europe and how far the political dominance of Britain, the world superpower of the day, was reflected in the spread of British culture and values to other parts of the world.
The other lectures in this series include the following:
Time and Space
Art and Culture
Life and Death
Religion and Science
Gender and Sexuality
Monday 11 April 2011
The Victorians: Empire and Race
Professor Richard J Evans FBA
One of the most obvious and to the twenty-first century mind most ridiculous and annoying traits of the Victorians was their innate sense of the superiority of the British over the inhabitants of other countries. Their arrogance began close to home, indeed as soon as they set foot on the European Continent. Contemporary satirists were of course aware of this regrettable trait and features lampooning the arrogance of the English traveler, his lack of awareness of local customs and his failure to master foreign languages, were a regular feature in Punch magazine. (1) Contemplating the locals on a visit to the south of France in 1839, Thomas Arnold concluded: “The English are a greater people than these – more like, that is, one of the chosen people of history, who are appointed to do a great work for mankind.” Charles Kingsley wrote in similar vein of “the glorious work which God seems to have laid on the English race, to replenish the earth and subdue it.” Other European nations, especially the French, Italians and Spanish, were lazy and backward; or excitable and unstable. “The Anglo-Saxon Race”, Matthew Arnold wrote in his commonplace book, reporting the landowner and politician Sir Charles Adderley addressing a group of Warwickshire farmers, “are the best breed in the world…The absence of a too enervating climate, too unclouded skies, and a too luxurious nature…has rendered us so superior to all the world.”
In the eighteenth century the Grand Tour (2) had brought the younger generation of the nobility into contact with the ruins of ancient civilization in Italy, but this had the effect, among other things, of causing them to think how far the state of the country had declined since the days of the Roman Empire, inspiring among others the young Edward Gibbon to write his masterpiece The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Where the forum and the capitol had once stood, mused Gibbon (3), there were now only fragments. How and why had such a dramatic transformation of what was once the world’s most powerful empire taken place? (4) The Grand Tour was an education not just in Classics but also in the current desolate state of the countries visited, and the evanescence of empire.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars brought the Grand Tour to an end, but when peace was restored in 1815, it was soon replaced by the emergence of commercial tourism, catering to the newly rich middle classes and making use of technological innovations in travel such as the steamboat and, from the 1830s, the railway. The impression of decay and decline since the Ancient World was if possible however only strengthened by the new tourism, celebrated in paintings like Thomas Cole’s The Course of Empire: Destruction, painted in 1836. (5)
The effect of travel was to confirm the Victorians’ sense of superiority over other parts of Europe. As Britain industrialized, as British trade grew and expanded, as British towns and cities were gradually cleaned up in the ‘sanitary revolution’ of the mid-century decades, as Britain’s countryside was criss-crossed with railway lines and metalled roads, British travelers began to feel they were stepping back in time when they stepped onto Continental soil. Inspired by Romantic ideals of the sublime and the picturesque, they went in search of wild natural landscapes like the Rhine gorge, and medieval ruins like the castles which adorned its heights, many of them indeed reconstructed, still as ruins, for the benefit of British tourists (here is a view of the Drachenfels by a British engraver, Thomas Sutherland, painted in 1820) (6). They often thought they found the Middle Ages alive and well and embodied in the Continent’s inhabitants and their quaint customs. In 1846, a story in Blackwood’s Magazine about a group of English travelers in Belgium described how one of its members, who thought that English cathedrals were “mere architectural monuments, half-deserted…[places] for meditating on past times and the middle ages” found in Brussels cathedral that “those past times…have come back again.” (7)
The middle ages were present on the Continent not just in the form of picturesque ruins and ancient customs, but also in what British travelers saw as the dirty, smelly and unhygienic habits of its inhabitants. Landing at Calais in 1835, Frances Trollope was “much amused…at the answer made by an old traveler to a novice…making his first voyage. ‘What a dreadful smell!’ said the uninitiated stranger….’It is the smell of the continent, sir!’ replied the man of experience.” To mid-Victorians, indeed, even Germany, regarded by some as the home of poets and philosophers, inhabited by distant cousins of the Anglo-Saxon race, appeared mired in medieval backwardness. Germany appeared in British literature in the early 19th century as a Gothic land full of wild and untamed nature; its people could be brave and good-natured but also rough and unpredictable. In the mid-19th century, the English sense of superiority was if anything even more marked. Sarah Austin, who admired German intellectual life and translated some of the works of the great German historian Leopold von Ranke into English, thought in 1854 that in the German countryside ‘we find a state of civilization which we have been accustomed to regard as past for ever…The more we go back to the recollections of what we heard in our childhood from our fathers, the nearer do we approach to the manners of Germany’.
Henry Mayhew, author of London Labour and the London Poor, a classic investigation of poverty and destitution, published a two-volume study of German Life and Manners as seen in Saxony at the Present Day, in 1864. (8) He too found the country extremely backward. ‘Travelling southward from England’, he wrote, ‘is like going backward in time…In Germany we find the people, at the very least, a century behind us in all the refinements of civilization and the social and domestic improvements of progress.’ Germans in general were ‘starving, cringing, swaggering’ people who needed to learn civilized manners from the British, wrote Mayhew:
Heaven knows, we have seen poverty and wretchedness enough in our own land! – for years we made the study of it, and the investigation of all its phases, a special vocation…But we tell you, reader, we never saw such wretchedness, such squalor, such rude housing, such meanness in beggary, such utter want of truth and friendship in the terrible struggle to live, in the darkest dens, nor among the most luckless of the vagrants congregated in the British metropolis, as are to be found even in the families of the middle-class citizens of Saxony.
Germans spent the whole day ‘in an offensive state of dirt and slovenliness’, all the women of whatever class looked like charwomen, while ‘the German serving-maid…is the very incarnation of everything that is loathsome to a person of the least refinement…She is the most dirty and slatternly trollop in appearance’. As for the German baby:
Such a sweet and grateful sight as an English baby, in long, free, white robes; with flesh as fresh and odorous as rose-leaves; with cheeks like apple-blossoms; with rolls of fat about its little neck; a pretty dimple at every joint; with hands and feet of the most exquisite chubby symmetry, and its tiny nails, like so many pinky little shells picked up by the seaside – is never to be seen throughout filthy, barbarous Deutschland…In Germany,…babies are loathsome, foetid things.
The Germans in general were stunted by malnutrition and inbreeding: ‘Never was such a lantern-jawed, sallow-faced, hollow-eyed, herring-gutted, spindle-shanked, goiter-necked, sore-mouthed, sad-looking, half-clad, tatter-demalion race of people, as the working population of Saxony, seen in any other part of the civilized world.’
Mayhew’s view of the Germans differed little from that of Gillray’s scathing depiction of Germans eating sauerkraut in the early 1800s (9) though it was undeniably more comprehensively dismissive and incorporated, as Gillray did not, a strong feeling that the Germans were further back along the track of progress than the British were. Among other things, Mayhew memorably satirized the proliferation of titles and petty princelings in Germany:
Indeed, gadflies in summer never swarmed in such number about a dung-heap; nor vermin infested so profusely the rags of Irish beggars; such greedy animalcules were never seen in a magnified drop of dirty water; no insects at the time of a “great blight” ever covered the land so thickly, or ravaged it so thoroughly, as the horde of petty swaggering bogtrotter potentates in this miserable, under-few, and over-taxed – ground-down and used-up – ill-conditioned and well-plucked – luckless, lifeless, spiritless, hopeless, and penniless – befuddled, beleaguered and benighted old Fatherland, or rather old Great-grandmother-land, of Germany.
Mayhew thought the Germans were corrupted by the all-pervasive rigidity of their social hierarchies: he hated ‘their coarse compliments and servile obsequiousness…their bowing, smiling, fawning, and flattering to anyone who they fancy has the power to serve them, and their infamous detraction of the same person immediately they find there is nothing to be got out of him.’ Thus ‘lying, cheating, pilfering, bribing, spying, informing, sneaking, backbiting, bullying, toadying and every other low and dastardly species of iniquity, prevail on every side.’
The Germans were widely thought of as politically incompetent as well. In the 1850s, Sarah Austin criticized ‘the corruption and ineptitude of the governing classes, and the servility and meanness of the governed’ in Germany. The failure of the 1848 revolutions (shown here in a cartoon (10) illustrating the democrats being swept out of Germany) to unify the country or endow it with liberal institutions confirmed British disdain for the political abilities of the Germans. ‘The mixture of violence and feebleness’, wrote Sarah Austin shortly afterwards, ‘of boundless pretensions and pitiable shortcomings, to which 1848 gave birth, showed but too clearly that the propensity to blind imitation, and the utter disdain of the Possible, which characterized Germany formerly, were not yet extinct.’
If these were the attitudes of early and mid-Victorians to the rest of the European Continent – and it would be possible to quote similar verdicts on the Spanish, the Russians, and Italians and many more – the sense of superiority they betrayed became even more marked when they came to contemplate the state of the rest of the world. At least Europeans were Christians, but the same could not be said of the inhabitants of most of the rest of the globe. For most of the nineteenth century, with the great exception of the Crimean War, Victorian Britain did its best to avoid entanglements and conflicts on the Continent of Europe; and if Continentals were regarded as backward and inferior, the hope expressed by many Victorians was that they were bound in the end to improve and modernize by their own efforts, and become, in effect, more like the British: liberal, industrialized, progressive, and clean. The same could be said of the largely self-governing colonies settled by British emigrants – Canada, Australia, New Zealand and to a lesser degree South Africa. But there was no such prospect in store for the Africans, or Indians who were plainly unable to improve themselves unaided, requiring the help or example of the British to bring them into the Christian fold and the modern world. During the Opium wars of the 1850, for instance, Richard Cobden’s pro-Chinese sentiments were mercilessly satirized by those who thought the Chinese were violent and brutal, committing barbarous atrocities in the course of the Taiping rebellion in progress at the time (11).
An exception was made to this principle when Victorians contemplated the fate of the peoples they regarded as the most ‘primitive’ in the empire, such as American South African bushmen or Australian aborigines. Doomed to virtual extinction, these races were widely seen as being simply too backward for rescue. This did not, however, amount to a justification of their extinction; on the contrary, their treatment by settler colonists was widely condemned, amidst severe censure of the brutal and unscrupulous Europeans who exploited and exterminated them. Dominant Victorian notions of racial and cultural superiority had a strong moral and religious content: the ‘uncivilized’ were human souls like any other, who deserved to be rescued and brought to eternal life through Christianity. Fundamentally, native Africans or Polynesians were regarded in much the same way as the French or the Germans; they lay some way back on the road to civilization but in time, like the British, they would get there.
Thus school textbooks in early and mid-Victorian times reminder their young readers that two thousand years earlier Britain’s inhabitants in the age of Boadicea (12) had been, as one book put it, ‘nearly as low in the scale of humanity as her new colonists in after times found the aborigines of the New World:
All the Britons went without any clothing, except the skins of wild beasts thrown carelessly over them; and they painted their bodies of a sky-blue colour, in rude forms of flowers, trees, and animals. Instead of houses they had little mean huts; they tilled no ground, their food being game and fruits. Their arms were, a shield and a short spear to the lower end of the latter was fastened a bell of brass, in order to frighten their enemies, when they shook it.
History and geography textbooks pointed out that the Egypt of the pharaohs had been “full of ancient learning when Britain was inhabited by savages.” Britain had eventually emerged from the Dark Ages, and there was hope therefore that Africa would one day cease to be the Dark Continent.
Thus textbooks in the early and mid-Victorian decades went out of their way to point out that backwardness in other cultures was a product not of lack of intelligence but of lack of progress and religion. The Wesleyan Juvenile Offering told its readers in 1844: “Our young readers have doubtless been led to believe that they are much more clever than the little Negroes of Africa and the West Indies and the inference tended to be drawn is, that therefore it is to very little purpose to collect and give, in order that those may be taught who are so dull and slow to learn.” Thus the book went on to tell stories of how black teachers instructed by missionaries were successful in educating their peers. As the Juvenile Missionary Magazine told its “young friends” in 1866: “you see that man, through all his varieties, has a common parentage” and thus any human being of any race could “acquire the knowledge of reading and writing almost as speedily as Europeans”. Underlying these views was the strong commitment to human equality embodied in the anti-slavery movement of the early part of the nineteenth century. (13)
Victorian Christianity held that all human beings were capable of salvation, and indeed held out the prospect of the ultimate conversion of the whole of humankind to Christianity. So missionaries were amongst the most celebrated and admired of Victorian heroes, foremost among them David Livingstone, who combined a passion for converting the heathen with a devotion to exploration, both equal sources of his fame back home. The major missionary societies were all founded in the 1790s to work among settlers, but their role in the anti-slavery campaign brought them to extend their efforts into indigenous societies, and throughout the century they were the main vehicle of education, literary and – as in Livingstone’s case, for example – medical care. By the end of the century it was estimated that there were 10,000 British missionaries living abroad, in every past of the globe. Their presence had in practice little direct to contribute to empire, and indeed in the early decades of the missionary enterprise they were regarded with suspicion by British colonial authorities. Correspondingly, school textbooks – often as we’ve seen themselves produced by religious organizations – had little to say in the early part of the century about empire and went out of their way to give an optimistic view of the inhabitants of the world outside Europe.
Justifications for imperialism were not only religious but also political and historical, especially from mid-century onwards. The history of England had been one of the steady growth of freedom, in the dominant view of the day, and even towards the end of the Victorian era, intervention in other parts of the globe was justified in terms of liberation and progress. Time and again, school textbooks told children that Britain had been forced to intervene against oppression: “The Kingdom of Oude, which was under the rule of its own princes”, one schoolbook declared in 1883, “was so badly governed that it was found necessary, in 1856, to add it to our possessions.” Or The King of Ashanti, “such a tyrannical ruler that our Government felt it must interfere”, as a 1903 book explained (14); everywhere, then the “white man’s burden” was imposed on him by the universality of liberal principles and the impossibility of ignoring them if they were flouted, wherever in the world that might be. It was perhaps paradoxical to conquer part of the world in the name of freedom. This could even include the freedom of women, as Victorian writers waxed indignant about customs such as Chinese foot-binding and Hindu widow-burning. (15) But if the self-confidence of the Victorians in their own cultural superiority contained within it the seeds of imperialist interventionism, it also of course contained the germs of its own ultimate dissolution, as conquest had to be followed by education and the ultimate aim of building an educated, Christian, progressive and, in the end, self-governing indigenous society.
At times, of course, such optimism could be badly shaken, and at none more so than in 1857 in the so-called Indian Mutiny, when – among many other incidents - British civilians were massacred at Kanpur, an event on which journalists, writers and historians dwelt with almost as much relish as upon the “Black Hole of Calcutta” when 127 British captives were suffocated to death in an Indian prison. One widely used textbook from the 1860s told its readers that during the Kanpur massacre: (16)
Shrieks were heard and low groans, and the sound of blows as the savages hewed to death the unresisting women and little children who filled the room. Thrice a hacked and blunted sabre was passed out, and a sharper one received in exchange. Next morning the mutilated bodies were dragged forth and cast into a huge well. When, two days later, the avenging English under Havelock reached Cawnpore, the blood of the victims still lay on the stone pavement of the hall; fragments of ladies’ and children’s dresses, soaked in blood, were scattered all around.
The savage British reprisals after the suppression of the rebellion, in which wholesale massacres of Indian civilians were accompanied by lining up Indian soldiers in front of cannon and blowing them to pieces, did not, of course, in the view of the British press, belong in the same category. (17)
The Indian Mutiny indeed inaugurated a period of reorientation in Victorian concepts of race and empire, culminating in the active public and propagandistic promotion of Empire and Imperialism from the 1870s onwards. The 1850s and 1860s administered a series of shocks to Britain’s confidence in its international superiority and global mission. The shortcomings of the British military administration in the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, the failure of British forces to defeat the Maori in the New Zealand land wars, the stalemate of the second Ashanti War in West Africa, were bad enough, but they all paled into insignificance in comparison to the upheavals generated by Bismarck’s wars of German unification, culminating in the foundation of the German empire in 1871, rightly seen as the conquest of the rest of Germany by the military state of Prussia, as in this cartoon of “The King of Prussia at Dinner” (18). As Disraeli, then Leader of the Opposition, remarked in the House of Commons:
This war represents the German revolution, a greater political event than the French revolution of last century…Not a single principle in the management of our foreign affairs, accepted by all statesmen for guidance up to six months ago, any longer exists. There is not a diplomatic tradition which has not been swept away. You have a new world, new influences at work, new and unknown objects and dangers with which to cope, at present involved in that obscurity incident to novelty in such affairs. We used to have discussions in this House about the balance of power. Lord Palmerston, eminently a practical man, trimmed the ship of State and shaped its policy with a view to preserve equilibrium in Europe. [ . . . ] The balance of power has been entirely destroyed, and the country which suffers most, and feels the effects of this great change most, is England.
Britain needed in Disraeli’s view to assert herself more vigorously on the world stage, and already in 1872, pursuing his mission of rallying the working classes, many of whom had been enfranchised on his initiative in the Reform Act of 1867, to the Conservative cause, he declared that they were “proud of belonging to an Imperial country, and are resolved to maintain, if they can, their empire.” The need to divert working-class discontent into patriotic activity became even stronger with the sharp economic downturn in 1873.
Once he became Prime Minister, in 1874, Disraeli did all he could to bolster the British Empire at home and abroad. In 1875 he secured for Britain a controlling interest in the French-build Suez Canal, vital for communications with India. By the time his Premiership came to an end in 1880, he had mobilized British forces in Afghanistan and South Africa, and played a leading role in the Congress of Berlin, designed to settle the Russo-Turkish conflict of 1875-78. Above all, in 1876 Disraeli persuaded Queen Victoria to assume the title Empress of India – offering her, as in this cartoon rendition comparing him to the villain Abenazer from the pantomime Aladdin, a “new crown for an old one”. (19) This was in fact motivated partly by his, and the royal family’s belief that she should have a title that outranked those of the various subordinate monarchs in the Indian subcontinent, and indeed that of her daughter, also called Victoria, who was married to the German Crown Prince and would one day become German Empress.
Nevertheless, the move also signaled the growth of imperialist enthusiasm in the 1870s, creating an almost unstoppable momentum to the acquisition of new colonies in the ‘scramble for Africa’ in the following decade, a scramble which helped make the British Empire, shown in this hostile cartoon, the greatest the world had ever seen. (20) Even Disraeli’s rival Gladstone, ever the reluctant imperialist, was forced to occupy Egypt and send General Gordon on his ill-fated expedition to the Sudan, and to continue the forward march of British imperialism in Afghanistan and South Africa, though with an almost equal lack of success there too. And imperialism was even better suited to win over the working classes, many of whom were enfranchised in the 1884 Reform Act; the demonstrations and disturbances in London in the mid-1880s, which included major riots in which shop windows in the West End were smashed by angry dockers, (21) underlined the need to substitute a new ideological cement for society in place of traditional habits of deference that clearly no longer had much influence. “The Empire”, Cecil Rhodes was reported as saying in 1895, “…is a bread and butter question. If you want to avoid civil war, you must become imperialists.”
Empire, Rhodes thought, would bring concrete economic benefits to Britain that would improve the lot of the masses. But it was also an instrument of patriotic propaganda. If children grew up in ignorance of it, warned the Liberal Prime Minister Lord Rosebery in 1892, the Empire was “doomed”. Classrooms began to display the world map with the British Empire proudly coloured in red. (22) The new popular press played its part too. As the owner of the Daily Express proclaimed in 1900: “Our policy is patriotic; our faith is in the British empire.” By this time, jingoistic enthusiasm for the Boer War was rife in London, and the empire was being celebrated in popular stories by authors like G. A. Henty, (23) magazines like the Boys’ Own Paper, and even in early films, one of which showed the bombardment of Mafeking, though it was actually shot on a Home Counties golf course. In his book St George for England, published in 1895, Henty declared that “the courage of our forefathers has created the greatest Empire in the world….if this empire is ever lost, it will be by the cowardice of their descendants.”
Music-hall songs now celebrated the British Empire – “So join with me, all of you, while I sing Britannia’s praise”, went Winifred Hare’s Britannia’s Sons shall Rule the World in 1897, “The empire on whose shores the sun has cast no setting rays.” Geography and history textbooks now emphasized the might and extent of the British empire, or, as Denham Harrison’s music-hall ditty Another Little Patch of Red put it: (24)
For he meant to have a pull, did young John Bull,
He found it wouldn’t do to lie a-bed;
And this plucky little chap
Soon began to paint the map
With an ever-growing patch of red.
History textbooks were rewritten in the 1880s and 1890s to give more space to the Empire, and criticism of dubious enterprises such as the Chinese Opium Wars (25) or shady characters like the corrupt Indian administrator Warren Hastings now virtually disappeared. Along with all this went cheap, mass-produced prints and reproductions of imperial scenes, most popularly George Joy’s Gordon’s Last Stand, (26) as well as biscuit-tins, cigarette cards (27) and many other items of imperialist kitsch such as “empire plates”. (28) Schools began to celebrate “Empire Day”, marked by a parade through the centre of London, or here, in 1908, in Hartlepool, (29), as indeed in almost all other towns and cities across the United Kingdom, while organizations like the Boy Scouts were formed to raise a new generation for military service in the colonies. (30) By the eve of the First World War, Empire was a central part of British national identity in a way that it had not been in the middle of the nineteenth century.
The new attitude to Empire contained a strong element of racism and the denigration of other cultures and civilizations. Schoolbooks now dismissed oriental culture as ornamental rather than useful, and told their readers of monuments like the Taj Mahal that “it might be supposed that they had originally been erected to commemorate the virtues of some great benefactor of our species, instead of being the whim of some prince who dawdled away his years in indolence or pleasure.” (31) Different races were no longer depicted as equal in the sight of God, sharing a common humanity, if at an earlier stage of historical development than that of the Victorian Englishman. Instead, as Bernard Porter has noted, they now emphasized racial difference and the alleged racial inferiority of subject peoples: “The Australian natives are an ugly, unprepossessing people, with degrading and filthy habits”, as one geography textbook put it: “Like beasts of prey…the Malays are always on the watch, to assuage their thirst of blood and plunder”; “The tribes [of Nigeria] … are extremely savage, practicing horrible forms of religion, accompanied by human sacrifices.” In such circumstances, it now seemed to be agreed, rule by the British was morally justifiable as well as politically necessary.
The British, indeed, were, in the view of the imperialists of the 1880s and 1890s, destined not only to rule inferior races but also to lead the entire world into the future. In popular culture, magazines like Henty’s Union Jack portrayed battles and conflicts in which the plucky British invariably overcame larger numbers of racially inferior natives. (32) As Joseph Chamberlain declared in 1895: “I believe in this race, the greatest governing race the world has ever seen; in this Anglo-Saxon race, so proud, tenacious, self-confident and determined, this race which neither climate nor change can degenerate, which will infallibly be the predominant force of future history and universal civilization.” The emphasis on race was relatively new. Belief in racial hierarchies based on descent had become more widespread once it had become possible to lend it scientific legitimacy. This was not least a product of the growing influence of Darwinism in the second half of the century. In the hands of Herbert Spencer, (33) who coined the phrase “the survival of the fittest”, Darwinism became a harsher creed of competition, and phrases such as “the struggle for existence” and “the strongest prevail” soon became part of what has been termed “social Darwinism”, the application of Darwin’s ideas, or a version of them, to human society.
In the world-view of Darwin’s son-in-law Francis Galton, who already began to apply Darwinian principles to human society in the 1860s, genius was the product of heredity, and by breeding the clever with the clever it would be possible to improve the intelligence of humankind. The prime example of course was his own family and its various connections, in which brilliance and scientific ability occurred in successive generations with notable regularity; Galton, wavering between designating himself as scientifically able or generally brilliant, opted in the end for the latter. (34) Of course, like other eugenicists, he didn’t pause to consider whether wealth, education and circumstances played a role as well.
Conversely, Galton thought that the inferior were threatening the future of the race by producing too many sub-standard children. In the 1880s and 1890s, with the extension of the franchise and the growing organizational self-assertion of labour, fears of working-class insubordination grew, and what Galton termed “eugenics”, the idea of degeneracy or reverse evolution began to be discussed, as the beginnings of the welfare state made the conditions of life less challenging and less complex, or the function in life of the mass of ordinary people became simpler. The reductio ad absurdum of this view could be found in H. G. Wells’s 1895 novel The Time Machine, (35) where the time traveler discovers in the distant future that the working classes have degenerated into the “Morlocks”, a race of subterranean savages, while the middle and upper classes, the “Eloi”, have lost almost all their sense of self-preservation and competition and have no capacity to organize or defend themselves against the depredations of the cannibalistic Morlocks.
Social Darwinism became even more pessimistic in the hands of Galton’s disciple Karl Pearson, seen here with the aged Galton. (36) Pearson rejected the view that racial characteristics could be educated into or out of human beings. "No degenerate and feeble stock”, he wrote, “will ever be converted into healthy and sound stock by the accumulated effects of education, good laws, and sanitary surroundings. Such means may render the individual members of a stock passable if not strong members of society, but the same process will have to be gone through again and again with their offspring, and this in ever-widening circles, if the stock, owing to the conditions in which society has placed it, is able to increase its numbers." The remedy for eugenicists such as Pearson was to encourage the breeding of superior humans, and discourage the increase of inferiors. While this might be possible within British society, the same principles were much less encouraging when applied to the world as a whole.
Here Pearson was influenced by the French racial theorist Arthur de Gobineau, whose ideas were first developed in his treatise On the Inequality of the Human Races (1853-5). Gobineau, a pro-German whose enthusiasm for the aristocracy was so great that he awarded himself the title of “Count” to stake his own claim to noble status, argued that interbreeding could only dilute the characteristics of superior races, rather than improve those of inferior ones. (37) Gobineau did not win many adherents in France for his claim that the French aristocracy was mostly German or, as he put it, borrowing from earlier theorists such as Friedrich Schlegel and Ernest Renan, “Aryan” in origin, until after France’s defeat by Germany in the war of 1870-71, which soon sparked a debate about the extent to which the Germans’ victory had proved them to be racially superior. Not surprisingly, Gobineau’s ideas were most popular of all in Germany, where a Gobineau Society was founded in 1894). Taken to fresh extremes by the composer Richard Wagner’s son-in-law, the Englishman Houston Stewart Chamberlain, in his 1899 book Foundations of the Nineteenth Century, they became the vehicle of a racialized antisemitism, in which the Jew was portrayed as the eternal enemy of the pure-bred Aryan, and Jesus Christ, the founder of modern Christianity, was an Aryan and not a Jew. (38)
Gobineau’s pessimistic denunciation of racial mixing, which represented in his case an attempt to denounce the levelling consequences of social change in Europe, had major consequences when applied by Pearson and others to the wider world. Scientific, or better put, pseudo-scientific racism arranged racial types on an evolutionary scale (39) and implied that mixing them together would pull what were now increasingly known as the “higher races” down to the level of the “lower” ones. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1913 story The Poison Belt indeed had the “lower races” succumbing first of all to the effects of a gas cloud hitting the Earth from space, with the British of course holding out to the last; and then the races waking up in reverse order when the cloud, revealed as only temporary in its effects, finally passes. (40)
Contemplating the British Empire and its history, Pearson declared:
History shows me one way, and one way only, in which a high state of civilization has been produced, namely, the struggle of race with race, and the survival of the physically and mentally fitter race. If you want to know whether the lower races of man can evolve a higher type, I fear the only course is to leave them to fight it out among themselves, and even then the struggle for existence between individual and individual, between tribe and tribe, may not be supported by that physical selection due to a particular climate on which probably so much of the Aryan's success depended.
In this pessimistic view, education and improvement were futile when applied to inferior races.
But these views did not go unchallenged. Racism and eugenics were stronger in other countries, for example in Germany, before the First World War than they were in Britain; laws banning racial intermarriage were for example introduced in German South-West Africa, now Namibia, and served as a model for the later Nuremberg Laws introduced in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. The genocidal suppression of the Herero uprising in South-West Africa (39) had no parallel in the British administration of the Empire, and when cruelties and atrocities did occur, they ran into heavy criticism at home. Racism did not fit in well with the continuing liberal emphasis on English and indeed world history as the story of the growth of liberty, and there was a distinct strand in imperialism that emphasized the role of liberty, education and improvement in Britain’s rule over her colonies, something that allegedly made British imperialism superior to its counterparts in other countries, for example, Germany. In the administration of the Empire, race could often take second place to the need to reward the native elites whose collaboration was essential to the maintenance of imperial control, and British royal honours, knighthoods and orders were doled out liberally to maharajahs and sultans across the colonies; here for example is His Highness Maharaja Thakore Shri Sir Dr. Bhagvatsingh Sahib, Maharaja Thakore Sahib of Gondal, photographed in 1913 (42).
In addition, Critics of Empire like J. A. Hobson emerged to excoriate the economic exploitation they thought underpinned the colonial enterprise. Britain may have enjoyed its imperial High Noon in the decades leading up to the First World War, but it was not unclouded, and in some quarters there was a consciousness too that the Empire, like others in previous ages, might not last: expressed at its most eloquent in Kipling’s Recessional, written for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897: “The tumult and the shouting dies…The Captains and the Kings depart… Far-called our navies melt away…On dune and headland sinks the fire… Lo, all our pomp of yesterday is one with Nineveh and Tyre! ” (43)
It was not only Kipling who realized that empires rose and fell. How and why this happens, or at least, how and why it happened in the modern era, when empire became a central aspect not just of Victorian but also of European consciousness and experience, will be the subject of my third and final series of Gresham Lectures, beginning in September.
©Professor Richard J Evans, Gresham College 2011
Gresham College has offered an outstanding education to the public free of charge for over 400 years. Today, Gresham plays an important role in fostering a love of learning and a greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Your donation will help to widen our reach and to broaden our audience, allowing more people to benefit from a high-quality education from some of the brightest minds. | <urn:uuid:fb26996a-e162-45ff-b4ea-7b5b8b6093f9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/victorians-empire-and-race | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572161.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815054743-20220815084743-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.971702 | 8,729 | 3.203125 | 3 |
DUPAGE COUNTY--With the amount of medications collected in the RxBOX program increasing each year, the DuPage County Health Department is encouraging residents to make a New Year's resolution to participate in RxBOX in 2013.
Launched by the Health Department in 2009, the RxBOX program has now collected a total of 26,282 pounds or 13 tons of medications in the past four years. Approximately 11,000 pounds--or 5.5 tons--of unwanted medications were deposited in 2012, compared to approximately 7,000 pounds during the previous year.
RxBOX is a free service offered to DuPage County residents by the Health Department, in partnership with a dozen municipal and county law enforcement agencies, to safely remove unwanted medications from homes, as well as keep prescriptions away from teens and contribute to a better environment.
Residents are encouraged to cleaning out their medicine cabinets in 2013 and drop off unwanted prescriptions at a participating police department that is convenient for them.
Studies show that every day approximately 2,500 teens get high for the first time on prescription drugs. A majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.
RxBOX collects medications that otherwise might have been flushed down the drain or placed in the garbage. The materials are removed periodically from the RxBOX locations and safely incinerated by a contractor provided by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency using state-of-the-art technology.
Residents can dispose of their old medications at any of the following RxBOX locations:
• Addison Police Department, 3 Friendship Plaza, Addison, IL 60101
• Bloomingdale Police Department, 2015 Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale, IL 60108
• Burr Ridge Police Department, 7660 S. County Line Rd # 1, Burr Ridge, IL 60527
• Carol Stream Police Department, 500 N. Gary Avenue, Carol Stream, IL 60188
• DuPage County Sheriff, 501 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
• Glendale Heights Police Department, 300 Civic Plaza, Glendale Heights, IL 60139
• Lemont Police Department, 416 Main Street, Lemont, IL 60439
• Lisle Police Department, 5040 Lincoln Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532
• Oak Brook Police Department, 1200 Oak Brook Road, Oak Brook, IL 60521
• Schaumburg Police Department, 1000 W. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg, IL 60194
• Wheaton Police Department. 900 W. Liberty Drive, Wheaton, IL 60187
• Wood Dale Police Department, 404 N. Wood Dale Road, Wood Dale, IL 60191
For more information on the DuPage County Health Department, follow us on Twitter @DuPageHD or become a fan on Facebook. | <urn:uuid:9b21ff5a-1caf-4283-aa1a-001a4f8154ca> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20121218/submitted/121219911/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279224.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00476-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.89347 | 568 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Rocketman: Astronaut Pete Conrad's Incredible Ride to the Moon and Beyond
He was the third man to walk on the moon. And the first to dance on it.
For Pete Conrad, it was all about the ride. Nicknamed the Comeback Kid, he survived his family's financial hardships, overcame dyslexia, landed a Navy scholarship to Princeton, and became one of the country's elite test pilots. Never the squeaky clean NASA poster boy, he famously bounced himself out of the Mercury Program but came roaring back to fly two Gemini missions, walk on the moon as Commander of Apollo 12, command the first Skylab, and work to develop the first re-usable commercial rocket-logging more time in space than all the original astronauts combined. Based on interviews conducted with Conrad by his wife before his untimely death, Rocketman is the amazing-but-true, surprisingly candid insider's view of the greatest ride in history, America's glorious race to the stars, as seen through the eyes of the real Space Cowboy: Pete Conrad, the Rocketman.
Specifications of Rocketman: Astronaut Pete Conrad's Incredible Ride to the Moon and Beyond
|Author||Nancy Conrad, Howard A. Klausner|
|Number Of Pages||320|
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The Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee, better known as the HSF Committee, Augustine Commission, or Augustine Committee, was a group convened by NASA at the request of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), to review the nation's human spaceflight plans to ensure "a vigorous and sustainable path to achieving its boldest aspirations in space." The review was announced by the OSTP on May 7, 2009. It covered human spaceflight options after the time NASA had planned to retire the Space Shuttle. A summary report was provided to the OSTP Director John Holdren, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and NASA Administrator on September 8, 2009. The estimated cost associated with the review was expected to be US$3 million. The committee was scheduled to be active for 180 days; the report was released on October 22, 2009.
The review was commissioned to take into account several objectives. These included support for the International Space Station, development of missions beyond low Earth orbit (including the Moon, Mars and Near-Earth objects) and use of commercial space industry. These objectives must fit within a defined budget profile.
Among the parameters that were considered in the course of the review were "crew and mission safety, life-cycle costs, development time, national space industrial base impacts, potential to spur innovation and encourage competition, and the implications and impacts of transitioning from current human space flight systems". The review considered the appropriate amounts of research and development and "complementary robotic activity necessary to support various human space flight activities". It was tasked to also "explore options for extending International Space Station operations beyond 2016".
The Statement of Task defines the fiscal year 2010–2014 budget profile (in millions of US$) for NASA's Exploration program as:
The fiscal year 2009 budget projection for Exploration had been:
A subcommittee in the House of Representatives has announced a plan to cut the 2010 budget from US3,963.1 million to $3,293.2 million, a cut of $669.9 million or 16.9%. Chairman Alan Mollohan stated the cut was a "pause" and "time-out" caused by the review of human space flight.
The Committee has concluded that, "the ultimate goal of human exploration is to chart a path for human expansion into the solar system." It also observed that "destinations should derive from goals," and "human spaceflight objectives should broadly align with key national objectives." Destinations beyond low Earth orbit that were considered by the Committee include the Moon, Mars, and near-Earth objects as well as the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos. Among these, the Committee felt that "Mars stands prominently above all other opportunities for exploration" because "if humans are ever to live for long periods on another planetary surface, it is likely to be on Mars."
The Committee's final report mentions the possibility of evaluating near-Earth objects for "their utility as sites for mining of in-situ resources."
The Committee judged the 9-year old Constellation program to be so behind schedule, underfunded and over budget that meeting any of its goals would not be possible. President Obama removed the program from the 2010 budget effectively canceling the program. One component of the program, the Orion crew capsule was added back to plans but as a rescue vehicle to complement the Russian Soyuz in returning Station crews to Earth in the event of an emergency.
The proposed "ultimate goal" for human space flight would appear to require two basic objectives: (1) physical sustainability and (2) economic sustainability. The Committee adds a third objective: to meet key national objectives. These might include international cooperation, developing new industries, energy independence, reducing climate change, national prestige, etc. Therefore, the ideal destination should contain resources such as water to sustain life (also providing oxygen for breathing, and hydrogen to combine with oxygen for rocket fuel), and precious and industrial metals and other resources that may be of value for space construction and perhaps in some cases worth returning to Earth (e.g., see asteroid mining).
Some of these resources are available on Mars, and perhaps on the Moon, but the Committee report noted the cost and difficulty of "travel into the deep gravity wells of the lunar and Martian surface." It did not emphasize options such as asteroid mining (other than the one mention noted above) or space-based solar power. The Committee report did favor strengthening the private space launch industry, and increased international collaboration.
In its final report, the Committee proposed three basic options for exploration beyond low Earth orbit, and appeared to favor the third option:
The review aimed to "examine ongoing and planned National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) development activities, as well as potential alternatives, and present options for advancing a safe, innovative, affordable, and sustainable human space flight program in the years following Space Shuttle retirement". The panel was to "work closely with NASA and will seek input" from the United States Congress, "the White House, the public, industry, and international partners as it develops its options". "It is to present its results in time to support an Administration decision on the way forward by August 2009."
On April 15, 2010, President Obama spoke at the Kennedy Space Center announcing the administration's plans for NASA. None of the three plans outlined in the Committees final report were completely selected. The President promised:
Obama specifically rejected going back to the Moon, saying "frankly, we've been there." Instead a set a series of ever-more-challenging goals to drive technological development.
The committee formed four work subgroups to examine different aspects of the committee's charter with each providing progress reports by July 2, 2009.
General Lyles, who also serves as Chairman of the National Academies Committee on the "Rationale and Goals of the U.S. Civil Space Program", led the International and Interagency Integration subgroup. That committee expected to release its final report July 31, 2009. The Shuttle and International Space Station subgroup was led by Dr. Ride. Mr. Bejmuk led the Access to Low Earth Orbit subgroup. And Professor Crawley leads the Exploration Beyond Low Earth Orbit subgroup.
In the committee's summary report provided to the White House and NASA on September 8, 2009, the panel concluded that human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit was not viable under the FY 2010 budget guideline.
|June 16, 2009||Preparatory Meeting, Non-Public||Washington, D.C.|
|June 17, 2009||Public Meeting||Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, D.C.|
|June 18, 2009||Site Visit, Non-Public||Dulles, Virginia|
|June 24–25, 2009||Site Visit, Non-Public||Huntsville and Decatur, Alabama, and Michoud, Louisiana|
|July 8–9, 2009||Site Visit, Fact Finding Meetings, Non-Public||Hawthorne, Canoga Park and Sacramento, California|
|July 21–23, 2009||Fact Finding Meetings, Non-Public||Ogden, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada|
|July 28, 2009||Public Meeting||League City, Texas|
|July 29, 2009||Public Meeting||Huntsville, Alabama|
|July 30, 2009||Public Meeting||Cocoa Beach, Florida|
|August 5, 2009||Public Meeting||Washington, D.C.|
|August 12, 2009||Public Meeting||Washington, D.C.|
|October 8, 2009||Public Teleconference|
((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
rely on commercial cargo and crew vehicles to keep the ISS operating at least until 2020 | <urn:uuid:17c26f55-3752-4c64-9307-cfb3d4201e4c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://db0nus869y26v.cloudfront.net/en/Review_of_United_States_Human_Space_Flight_Plans_Committee | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809003642-20220809033642-00676.warc.gz | en | 0.929398 | 1,755 | 2.59375 | 3 |
The Multimedia Writing Toolkit
Helping Students Incorporate Graphics and Videos for Authentic Purposes, Grades 3–8
The Multimedia Writing Toolkit demonstrates how, by drawing on students’ interest in and familiarity with technology, you can integrate multimedia to maximize the potential of writing instruction. In eight concise chapters, author Sean Ruday identifies and describes simple, common forms of multimedia that upper-elementary and middle school students can use to improve their argument, informational, and narrative writing and critical thinking. You’ll learn how to:
- Incorporate multimedia into argument, informational, and narrative writing through students’ use of video topic trailers, online discussion boards, webpages, and more.
- Evaluate students on effective use of multimedia through easy-to-follow rubrics and explicitly articulated learning goals.
- Understand more fully the key forms of multimedia through user-friendly overviews and explanations; you don’t need to be a "techie" teacher to use these strategies!
- Overcome possible obstacles to the integration of multimedia in the classroom by learning from the author’s concrete, first-hand examples and instructional recommendations.
This book is complete with resources designed to provide you with extra support, including reproducible classroom-appropriate charts and forms, links to key web-based content discussed in the book, and a guide for teachers and administrators interested in using the book for group-based professional development. With The Multimedia Writing Toolkit, you’ll have a clear game plan for encouraging your students to become more engaged, technologically savvy learners.
Bonus: Blank templates of the handouts are available as printable eResources on our website (www.routledge.com/9781138200111).
Table of Contents
The Multimedia Writing Toolkit: Helping Students Incorporate Graphics and Videos for Authentic Purposes, Grades 3-8
Table of Contents
Introduction Reimagining Writing Instruction
Section One: Incorporating Multimedia into Argument Writing
Chapter One Using Photos and Videos as Supporting Evidence
Chapter Two Connecting to Authentic Audiences through Student-Created Websites
Section Two: Incorporating Multimedia into Informational Writing
Chapter Three Creating Video Topic Trailers
Chapter Four Using Images and Figures to Aid Comprehension and Illustrate Concepts
Section Three: Incorporating Multimedia into Narrative Writing
Chapter Five Using Images, Videos, and Audio Files as Tools for Characterization
Chapter Six Incorporating Multimedia that Captures Thematic Elements
Section Four: Putting it Together
Chapter Seven Assessment Strategies
Chapter Eight Final Thoughts and Tips for Classroom Practice
Section Five: Resources
Appendix A Reproducible Charts and Forms You Can Use in Your Classroom
Appendix B A Guide for Book Studies
Appendix C Links to Web Content
Sean Ruday is Assistant Professor of English Education at Longwood University. He is also the author of The Argument Writing Toolkit (Grades 6–8), The Informational Writing Toolkit (Grades 3–5), The Narrative Writing Toolkit (Grades 3–8), and The Common Core Grammar Toolkit books (Grades 3–5 and 6–8).
"Whether veteran or novice teacher, we all struggle with teaching media literacy. This book makes it possible for us to cope with the technology as well as the larger issue of why and how we should integrate multimedia into our writing instruction. It helps us re-imagine multimedia as a manageable, organic part of our curriculum that can increase student engagement and improve writing and critical thinking rather than have it be another impossible task thrown on overburdened English teachers. Teachers need this text!"
--Robin D. Smith, Assistant Professor of English and English Education Coordinator, Longwood University, VA
"The best thing about this book is that you don't have to be a techie to appreciate it! Ruday's Toolkit is ideal for teachers who want to learn practical strategies for the authentic use of multimedia in student writing. Like his other "toolkits," this book is easy-to-read, rich with student examples, and has step-by-step suggestions for teachers. It is designed to capitalize on student interest in technology by fostering critical thinking skills for meaningful integration of technology—not just technology for technology sake!"
—Dr. Amy Price Azano, Assistant Professor of Adolescent Literacy, Virginia Tech
"The Multimedia Writing Toolkit is a wonderful way to breathe life into (at times) dull writing lessons. Today's students are so focused on technology that bringing the multimedia aspect of their lives into their writing truly makes a real world connection for them. It is this real world connection that helps to create a lasting memory in their brains. Dr. Ruday has created a toolkit that is easy for all educators, from novice to expert, to follow, using real classroom examples and setups. I cannot wait to use this in my classroom!"
--Kristen Brady, Ed.S., ELA Teacher, Pasco County Schools, FL
"Sean Ruday has done another terrific job of zooming in on the three main genres the Common Core State Standards has our young writers focus on in the classroom. Sean's simple ideas of implementing technology into these genres does not overwhelm the reader and the lessons can be easily adjusted for anyone's classroom. A must read as our students learn more and more how to use technology in responsible ways."
—Jeremy Hyler, middle school Language Arts teacher and co-author of From Texting to Teaching: Grammar Instruction in a Digital Age | <urn:uuid:3e3b256c-d30f-43dc-9f5a-96915c7718c2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.routledge.com/The-Multimedia-Writing-Toolkit-Helping-Students-Incorporate-Graphics-and/Ruday/p/book/9781138200111 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572221.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816060335-20220816090335-00065.warc.gz | en | 0.893498 | 1,186 | 3.4375 | 3 |
|Perfect Number of Pages to Order||5-10 Pages|
Child Maltreatment Behavioral Theory Discussion
You are the social worker with the child within the video, ReMoved – YouTube . In your role, you must assess what next steps will be in the best interest of the child, and you will have to present your assessment to a foster care court judge. Given that your decisions will have an impact on the child, you will need to also include a historical context for your professional opinion. The judge will make a determination regarding parental rights, as well as placement options, based upon your professional assessment.
Discuss and identify the various theories and the components of the theories that need to be considered within your work with the child. Please include specific concepts from your readings or lectures as your support and include at least TWO theories. You must identify and define the concepts and propositions connected to those theories that help to support your assessment (ex: behavioral theory, cognitive behavioral theory, systems perspective, etc. )
Be sure to specify the stage of development that you consider is most important within the child’s history and discuss why the stage is important. Utilize theory to support your assessment here as well.
Identify risk and protective factors that may present issues in your work with the child. Present ways to overcome the impact of those factors and identify which theories support your perspective.
GET THIS PROJECT NOW BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK TO PLACE THE ORDER | <urn:uuid:5c69e249-7e60-46f6-9e2d-9981ecd254e7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.perfectacademic.com/123238-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571097.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810010059-20220810040059-00278.warc.gz | en | 0.93193 | 348 | 2.5625 | 3 |
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Students identify two and three dimensional shapes and use appropriate geometric vocabulary to write a description of the figure by taking pictures of geometric figures in their own environment.
3 Views 2 Downloads | <urn:uuid:007a21b7-0494-4bae-b2af-22b2ea1e5f42> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.lessonplanet.com/teachers/geometric-figures-5th-9th | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00380-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.860174 | 94 | 3.71875 | 4 |
Happy Canada Day from Senator Dennis Glen Patterson!
Senator Joyal and Senator Patterson - C-91
C-91, An Act Respecting Indigenous Languages received Royal Assent on Friday, June 21. It wasn't a perfect bill. It didn't have a distinctions based approach as the Senate's amendments regarding Inuktut as well as funding principles that would have provided some guidance on what constitutes "adequate and sustainable" funding were rejected. Despite the fact that all amendments were passed unanimously by the committee, and later the Chamber, the amendments were not accepted by the Government. This also happened with stakeholder and GN concerns surrounding the Indigenous Child Welfare Bill (C-92). You can read my speeches in response to the Government's messages here: C-91: https://sencanada.ca/en/content/sen/chamber/421/debates/307db_2019-06-20-e#99 C-92: https://sencanada.ca/en/content/sen/chamber/421/debates/307db_2019-06-20-e#101 I did, however, have a touching moment with Senator Serge Joyal. Senator Joyal has been fighting for the recognition of Indigenous languages in Canada for over 30 years. He and I were amongst a small group fighting for three years (to no avail) to have language rights included as an existing right under s.35 of the Constitution when he was a Minister under Pierre Eliott Trudeau. We also worked together to have 9 Indigenous languages included as official languages in the NWT when I was in the territorial government. Once the bill passed, he crossed the floor and we shared a hug to mark the momentous occasion.
Senators congratulate the NBA Champion Toronto Raptors immediately after Raptors win!
Senator Dennis Patterson starts his speech in the Senate Chamber one minute after the Toronto Raptors win their first NBA Championship (shortly before midnight EST). Senator Patterson uses the first moments of his speech to congratulate the Raptors, as the NBA Championship banner will fly north of the border for the first time! The Senate Chamber erupts! #WeTheNorth (June 13, 2019)
Senator Dennis Glen Patterson celebrates Indigenous History Month
Senator Dennis Glen Patterson, former premier of the Northwest Territories and current senator for Nunavut, wants all Canadians to know and appreciate the importance of the history of the Indigenous Peoples. To mark Indigenous History Month, Senator Patterson shares why the month is important to him and how his experience in the North shapes his work in the Senate. ----------------- Like the Senate of Canada on Facebook http://ow.ly/dSjS307h4in Follow the Senate of Canada on Twitter http://ow.ly/JRDm307h4lF Follow the Senate of Canada on Instagram http://ow.ly/UDUy307h4oG Visit the Senate's website https://sencanada.ca/
Arctic Institute of North America
Senator Dennis Patterson - Arctic Speaker Series 2018-2019
Senator Dennis Patterson spoke about Solutions for Northern Canadians - one northerner's vision
Nunavut Tour with Senator Dennis Patterson
Kevin Waugh, MP accompanies Senator Dennis Patterson to Nunavut. There are currently several major pieces of legislation and transformative federal policies that are being actively developed and considered by federal parliamentarians. Some of those concerns include marijuana legalization, carbon pricing, arctic sovereignty, and the new Arctic Policy Framework.
Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
Senator Dennis Patterson
Remarks from Senator Dennis Patterson.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Senator Dennis Patterson: Vision and Voices of Inuit Youth
Senator Dennis Patterson introducing the November 2nd, 2011, "Vision and Voices of Inuit Youth" panel at ITK 40th anniversary conference "From Eskimo to Inuit in 40 Years" | <urn:uuid:ada00157-27d9-431f-93eb-a2654fefccd3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://dennispatterson.ca/videos-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572033.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814113403-20220814143403-00278.warc.gz | en | 0.933714 | 801 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - The Reverend Jesse Jackson received permission from Washington to travel to Iran to try and secure the release of 13 Iranian Jews waiting to go on trial on espionage charges.
"We would support any effort that are aimed to address the problem - the serious problem - of this trial that is awaiting these 13 Iranian Jews," said State Department spokesman James Foley yesterday.
Foley reiterated Washington's position that the charges against the 13, accused of spying for the US and Israel, are "without foundation." He added, "We've called on the government of Iran to uphold its stated commitment to protect the rights of all religious and ethnic minorities by releasing these individuals and insuring that no harm comes to them."
While State Department said it welcomes Jackson's attempt to mediate on behalf of the 13 Foley said the visit of Jackson or anyone who could secure their release but that if he goes it will be as a private citizen and "not on an official mission."
Statements published earlier this week from Gholamhossein Rahbarpour, head judge of Teheran's Revolutionary Court, signaled that the 13 Iranian Jews may go on trial soon and could be found guilty very quickly.
"It is certain that these individuals were spies. There is no doubt about this," Rahbarpour said in an interview with the Persian-language daily Jomhuri Eslami. "The court has enough strong evidence and documents in this regard," Rahbarpour said according to a news agency report. The "revolutionary courts have convinced all officials and there is no question or discussion about the accusations."
If found guilty the 13, who include a Rabbi, several teachers and a 16-year-old youth, could face the death penalty. The Jews were arrested last spring, accused of spying for the "Zionist regime" and "world arrogance" referring to Israel and the US respectively.
Likud Knesset Member Moshe Katsav, said he fears for the lives of the Jews. "I believe that the Iranian authorities are going to prepare a show trial against the Jews," Iranian-born Katsav told Israel Radio.
"I can imagine the inner struggle in the Iranian administration and the various powers in the Iranian administration and I hope that the international (community) will raise their voice and will prevent any activity against those 13 Jews," he said. "I am afraid that their life is in danger."
Israel's Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, Israel Meir Lau, said that "after checking subject, with all security services, without a doubt the 13 Jews are not guilty, are not connected with guilt, and there is no suspicion; they're clear of all guilt."
Lau's spokesman told CNSNews.com that "the government (of Israel) as a government can't get involved in the issue because they don't have diplomatic relations with Iran." However, Lau encouraged the public in Israel and abroad to become involved in order to "arouse world opinion against harming the innocent."
Lau has sent letters to King Abdullah of Jordan, the President of Kazakhastan, who reportedly is friend of the Iranian President, and former South African President, Nelson Mandela asking them to intercede on behalf of the Jews. Lau added that there are two European nations that have special relations with Iran which are also working to free the Jews.
Meanwhile, the Iranian News Agency IRNA reported that representatives of religious minorities in the Iranian parliament told a visiting Danish official, Eisten Kristensen, that "religious minorities (representatives) enjoy equal rights with Muslim parliament members."
Jewish community representative Manouchehr Eliasi, one of the five religious minority Member of Parliament in the Majlis (parliament), told Kristensen, that the "Jewish community enjoys civil and religious freedoms like other religious minorities in Iran."
Earlier in the week, Manouchehr was quoted in a news agency report expressing the fear of the Jewish community while at the same time defending his country. He said that there is "concern and trepidation among Jews in Iran while the foreign media exaggerate the facts and try to harm national unity." | <urn:uuid:afd4fd33-797e-4093-8590-4eb4a82bc1a1> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/jesse-jackson-seeks-aid-iranian-jews | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00410-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970708 | 849 | 1.65625 | 2 |
The Duri oilfield is one of the 141 oil fields operated in Sumatra , Indonesia by PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia under a production sharing contract with the Government of Indonesia. Discovered in 1941, the Duri field is one of the world's giant oilfields and the biggest steamflood operation located in the Rokan block with current oil production of 200,000 bpd (31,000 m 3 per day). The insitu formations of the Duri field are unconsolidated sands; coupled with a steam flood operation they are susceptible to producing large quantities of oily viscous fluids as a by-product from the oil production. Up to 400 m 3 /day (2,500 bpd) of oily viscous fluids are generated at five oil production Central Gathering Stations (CGS) in the Duri oilfield.
Resources - Oil | <urn:uuid:9efd66e2-c12f-4e65-9f2c-e413da6cf304> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/duri-oil-field/view/google/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283008.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00084-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938708 | 173 | 2.4375 | 2 |
Oedipus The King: Free Will Vs. Fate Essay, Research Paper
Oedipus the King: Free Will vs Fate
Essay written by Anonymous
The events in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, show an underlying relationship of man’s free will existing within the cosmic order or fate which the Greeks believed guided the universe in a harmonious purpose. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Both the concept of fate and free will played an itregal part in Oedipus’ destruction. Although he was a victim of fate, he was not controlled by it. Oedipus was destined from birth to someday marry his mother and to murder his father. This prophecy, as warned by the oracle of Apollo at Delphi was unconditional and inevitably would come to pass, no matter what he may have done to avoid it. His past actions were determined by fate, but what he did in Thebes, he did so of his own will.
From the beginning of this tragedy, Oedipus took many actions leading to his own downfall. Oedipus could have waited for the plague to end, but out of compassion for his suffering people, he had Creon go to Delphi. When he learned of Apollo’s word, he could have calmly investigated the murder of the former King Laius, but in his hastiness, he passionately curses the murderer, and in so, unknowingly curses himself. “Upon the murderer I invoke this curse- whether he is one man and all unknown, or one of many- may he wear out his life in misery or doom! If with my knowledge he lives at my hearth, I pray that I myself may feel my curse.” (pg. 438; lines 266-271)
In order for Sophecles’ Greek audience to relate to the tragic figure, he had to have some type of flaws or an error of ways. This brought the character down to a human level, invoking in them the fear that “it could happen to them.” And Oedipus certainly is not one without flaws. His pride, ingnorance, insolence and disbelief in the gods, and unrelenting quest for the truth ultimately contributed to his destuction. When Oedipus was told (after threatening Teiresias), that he was responsible for the murder of Laius, he became enraged and calls the old oracle a liar. He ran away from his home, Corinth, in hopes of outsmarting the gods divine will. Like his father, Oedipus also sought ways to escape the horrible destiny told by the oracle of Apollo. The chorus warns us of man’s need to have reverence for the gods, and the dangers of too much pride. “If a man walks with haughtiness of hand or word and gives no heed to Justice and the shrines of Gods despises- may an evil doom smite him for his ill-starred pride of heart!- if he reaps gains without justice and will not hold from impiety and his fingers itch for untouchable things. When such things are done, what man shall contrive to shield his soul from the shafts of the God?” (pg. 452; 975-984)
Oedipus’ unyielding desire to uncover the truth about Laius’ murder and the mystery surrounding his own birth, led him to the tragic realization of his horrific deeds. Teiresias, Jocasta and the herdsman tried to stop him from pursuing the truth. Take for example a part of the last conversation between Jocasta and Oedipus. After realizing that the prophecy had came true, Jacasta begs him to just let the mystery go unsolved for once. “I beg you- do not hunt this out- I beg you, if you have any care for your own life. What I am suffering is enough.” (pg. 461; 1158-1161) Oedipus replies, “I will not be persuaded to let chance of finding out the whole thing clearly.” (pg. 461; 1166-1167) He is unable to stop his quest for the truth, even under his wife’s pleading. For it is in his own vain that he must solve the final riddle, the riddle of his own life.
Upon discovery of the truth of his birth from the herdsman, Oedipus cries, “I who first saw the light bred of a match accursed, and accursed in my living with them, cursed in my killing.” (pg. 465; 1300-1303) Oedipus knew that his fate had indeed come to pass and feels cursed by it. The chorus then sings an ode on the sorrow of life and the tragic fate to which even the most honored, like Oedipus are ultimately subject. “What man, what man on earth wins more happiness than a seeming and after that turning away? Oedipus you are my pattern of this, Oedipus you and your fate! Luckless Oedipus, whom of all men I envied not at all. (pg. 465; 1305-1311)
At the end of this tragic story, when Oedipus gouges out his eyes, the chorus asks him what god urged him to blind himself. Oedipus replied, “It was Apollo, friends, Apollo, that brought this bitter bitterness, my sorrows to completion. But was the hand that struck me was none but my own.” (pg. 467; 1450-1453) He claimed full responsibility for his actions. Oedipus was guilty of killing his father and marrying his mother, but perhaps the true sin lay in his overzealous attempt to raise himself to the level of the gods by trying to escape his fate. The chorus chants about how in prosperity, he was envied by all men, he was honored highest above all honors, and how he won happiness by pride (by slaughtering the Sphinx, and by trying to deceive the god’s will.) But, how ultimately, Odipus was judged for it, causing a reversal of fortune in his prosperous life.
The fact that Oedpius’ motives for killing his father, Laius, and wedding his mother, Jocasta, it does not take away from the horrific nature of the crimes. When he tears at his eyes with his Jocasta’s broach, Oedipus is accepting the full burden of his acts and knew that he must be punished for his sins. Therefore the last act of destruction was caused by Oedipus’ free will, but his tragic fate came about because of the nature of the cosmic order ( that every sin must be punished) and role of the gods in human affairs.
The chorus concludes this tragedy by warning the Greeks, that the only way to happiness is through humility and respect towards the gods, (qualities which Oedipus lacked, and ultimately led to his destruction.) They also warn not to take anything for granted, or suffer a fate like that of Oedipus. ” You live in my ancestral Thebes, behold this Oedipus,- him who knew the famous riddle and was a man most masterful,- not a citizen who did not look with envy on his lot-see him now and see the breakers of misfortune swall him! Look upon that last day always. Count no mortal happy till he has passed the final limit of his life secure from pain.” (pg. 470; 1643-1670) | <urn:uuid:c8765b5d-4514-4d32-bf99-ba0822d5d95e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://mirznanii.com/a/61324/oedipus-the-king-free-will-vs-fate | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00255-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982972 | 1,612 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Crystal Spraggins, SPHR
Despite the recession being officially over, the media are still reporting about the great number of underemployed Americans—Americans who either don’t have enough paid work or whose jobs require significantly less qualification than they possess. CNBC recently reported that 17.2% of the workforce is underemployed.
Generally we think of the underemployed as those in fairly menial positions doing repetitive, low-skilled work for low pay, and that’s one face of underemployment, for sure.
However, even a highly skilled, well-paid employee can be underemployed if his abilities and knowledge aren’t consistently put to good use.
There are probably as many reasons why this might occur as there are organizations, but here are a few common ones:
- Employees have gained education and skills faster than the organization can recognize it or capitalize on it.
- The organization’s processes and procedures prevent progress that would necessitate employees using more advanced skills.
- Managers are not providing opportunities for employees to use their abilities.
Company XYZ employs an HR professional with top-notch recruiting and interviewing skills, but the company’s hiring procedures are decentralized and disorganized, and managers routinely source candidates without input or direction from human resources. As a result, quality of hiring is uneven, managers have too much to do, and the HR professional is frustrated that he’s unable to contribute his talents in this important area.
In this example, if recruiting were the only area in which the accomplished HR professional couldn’t apply his skills, he wouldn’t be underemployed. However, if the underused skill application in the recruiting area represents a pattern (e.g., the company also isn’t taking advantage of the employee’s influencing skills, strategic thinking abilities, and so on) he most likely is. And as the example illustrates, underemployment affects more than an employee’s job satisfaction.
Here are some suggestions for how to turn things around:
- Take inventory. What processes and procedures are working and which aren’t? Survey line staff, managers, and customers. Make sure you know why employees are leaving. Look for trends and address them.
- Hold managers accountable for getting work done through others and developing talent.
- Work with your HR department to create career paths, mentoring initiatives, and other employee development programs. These actions will reduce turnover, improve employee engagement, and protect your organization’s intellectual property by ensuring that employees don’t “information hoard.”
Related: Pay-for-performance Resource Kit (Toolkit to get you started with Pay for Performance)
It’s a poor investment to pay employees for skills they aren’t using and that could benefit the organization, and it’s vexing and disappointing for employees as well. Fortunately, there are steps an employer can take to ensure this doesn’t happen. | <urn:uuid:87ce1e15-e1d9-41ce-b9fe-6b5330fbe844> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.payscale.com/compensation-today/2013/12/are-your-employees-underemployed?src=talent1_122013 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281419.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00489-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95939 | 632 | 2.359375 | 2 |
IMSLP.org, our valuable partner, is a site that serves as a library of public domain classical music. They are very careful to only engage in storing and distributing works that are in the public domain, and the site is an immensely valuable resource to all of us. They will also store and distribute the public domain score and recording of the Goldberg Variations that you are helping us create.
Today, the copyright bullies, the Music Publishers Association (UK), managed to shut IMSLP.org down, apparently for 10 days, by disputing the legality of hosting a piece by Rachmaninoff - a piece which is clearly in the public domain in the US and Canada.
This is just another reminder of why the Open Goldberg Variations project is important; asserting the public domain licensing of our important cultural treasures is apparently the only way to protect against attacks from the MPA.
From the IMSLP forums:
IMSLP is currently under an extraordinarily underhanded legal attack by the Music Publishers Association of UK (http://mpaonline.org.uk).
The MPA, without notifying us, sent to our domain registrar GoDaddy a bogus DMCA takedown notice. GoDaddy took the entire IMSLP.ORG domain down. IMSLP has filed a DMCA counter notice with GoDaddy, however, the DMCA seems to require the registrar to wait no less than 10 days before restoring service. This means that IMSLP is inaccessible from IMSLP.ORG during this period of time. We will be working to restore service as soon as possible.
What is the MPA complaining about? Rachmaninoff's Bells, which is public domain both in Canada and the USA. | <urn:uuid:e18de089-8804-4f2c-9f62-940e3168880d> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/293573191/open-goldberg-variations-setting-bach-free/posts/71151 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720238.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00189-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951745 | 354 | 1.945313 | 2 |
When Less is More
Avionté offers a large selection of reports; many are included, some are custom. When running a report, consider the data needed and request just the important information.
For example, let’s take a look at the Cash Receipts Report (image 1 below).
Note that several of the drop down menus include both (Select All) and All. When making this decision think about what data is really needed. The parameters you used will be shown in the header of the report.
If you choose (Select All), every branch/user you selected will be listed by name. If (All) is chosen, branches and users will not be listed in the header, saving characters.
Why is saving characters important?
Only 2500 characters can be passed to the stored procedure. The branch and users alone take up to 36 characters each, therefore if you choose (Select All) and have more than 70 branches/users, the report will not be able to include all of the branches/users you have selected.
This content originally appeared in the Avionte Tip of the Week email on October 19, 2015.
Leave a Reply | <urn:uuid:73889cc6-c9c5-4160-a95e-ae762810d6db> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.avionte.com/2015/10/21/tip-of-the-week-requesting-reports-when-less-is-more/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279933.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00122-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917108 | 239 | 1.59375 | 2 |
J.W. "Wally" Grant, professor of engineering science and mechanics in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech and former director of the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, has been named the university's first Kevin P. Granata Faculty Fellow by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The Kevin P. Granata Fellowship was established in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics in memory and honor of the tenured professor who died during the tragic shooting on April 16, 2007. The fellowship recognizes teaching and research excellence. Recipients must be tenured members of the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics.
A member of the Virginia Tech community for almost 30 years, Grant is an accomplished researcher who has obtained several million dollars in funding for biomechanics research from the National Institutes of Health.
Grant was one of three key individuals who worked to establish the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences and obtained approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia for the university to grant graduate degrees in biomedical engineering.
A distinguished teacher, Grant has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses. He twice received a Certificate of Teaching Excellence from the College of Engineering, and has also received the Frank. J. Maher Award for Excellence in Engineering Education.
Grant received his bachelor’s degree from the West Virginia University Institute of Technology, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Tulane University. | <urn:uuid:88a11da3-e9d5-4404-ae40-981fd1713a84> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2010/04/2010-243.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280835.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00473-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970899 | 296 | 1.742188 | 2 |
New York just began a pilot program of Court Navigators for Housing Courts in some jurisdictions. Non-lawyers would help self-represented litigants navigate the court system.
The Court Navigator Program was launched in February 2014 to support and assist unrepresented litigants – people who do not have an attorney – during their court appearances in landlord-tenant and consumer debt cases. Specially trained and supervised non-lawyers, called Court Navigators, provide general information, written materials, and one-on-one assistance to eligible unrepresented litigants. In addition, Court Navigators provide moral support to litigants, help them access and complete court forms, assist them with keeping paperwork in order, in accessing interpreters and other services, explain what to expect and what the roles of each person is in the courtroom. Court Navigators are also permitted to accompany unrepresented litigants into the courtroom in Kings County Housing Court and Bronx Civil Court. While these Court Navigators cannot address the court on their own, they are able to respond to factual questions asked by the judge.
In addition to this court-based program, the courts will also be utilizing non-lawyers to provide legal information and access to homebound individuals.
The Navigators would perform the following functions in certian proceedings:
The Court Navigator Program trains college students, law students and other persons deemed appropriate by the Program to assist unrepresented litigants, who are appearing in Nonpayment proceedings in the Resolution Part of Housing Court or the Consumer Debt Part of the Civil Court.
Nonpayment proceedings are cases where landlords sue tenants to collect rent. In these disputes, tenants and owners/landlords face the possibility of losing their homes through eviction or foreclosure. Consumer debt proceedings involve credit card companies, hospitals, banks or any other person or company that a litigant may owe money to. Despite the high stakes, most litigants appear in court without an attorney to advocate on their behalf.
In Kings County Housing Court, the Program operates in partnership with the non profit organizations University Settlement, and Housing Court Answers.
The goal of the Court Navigator Program is to help litigants who do not have an attorney have a productive court experience through offering non-legal support. Participating volunteers work in the courtroom under the supervision of a Court Navigator Program Coordinator. They have the opportunity to interact with judges, lawyers and litigants, and to gain real-world experience. Whatever a student’s goal is in volunteering — helping people in need, making new contacts, learning more about assisting a person in court or developing professional skills — the Court Navigator Program sets the stage!
For more information contact: firstname.lastname@example.org
- Help in using computers located in the courthouse to obtain information and fill out court forms using the Do It Yourself (DIY) computer programs.
- Help find information about the law and how to find a lawyer on a website called Law Help
- Help persons find resources in the courthouse and outside the court to assist in resolving their cases.
- Help persons collect and organize documents needed for their cases.
- Accompany persons during hallway negotiations with opposing attorneys.
- Accompany persons in conferences with the judge or the judge’s court attorney.
- Respond to a judge’s or court attorney’s questions asking for factual information on the case.
Court Navigators do not give legal advice or get involved in negotiations or settlement conferences. Generally, court navigators also do not give out legal information except with the approval of the Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts.
A two and half hour seminar and a training manual will provide information on what a navigator can do to help.
Training topics include:
- Civil and Housing Court Overview
- Basics of Consumer Debt Cases and Nonpayment Proceedings
- Interviewing and Communication Skills
- Using the DIY Computers and Law Help
Prospective volunteers are trained at their school or at one of the Civil Court of the City of New York courthouses. | <urn:uuid:1f9abaf0-b429-433f-bf8e-d1e93ff858d5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://justiceinnovation.law.stanford.edu/nyc-housing-court-navigators/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.937849 | 836 | 1.804688 | 2 |
In the context of the year of Germany in India , the international "United Buddy Bears" art project will be presented inside Connaught Place. Following the motto "WE HAVE TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER …, …it makes us understand one another better, trust each other more, and live together more peacefully.", the 2m tall Buddy Bears promote tolerance and mutual understanding among different nations, cultures and religion.
The Buddy Bear is unique in its shape, and above all, in its symbolism. After its initial presentation in Berlin, the sculpture has become the city's unofficial symbol. 143 Buddy Bears, representing the number of United Nations recognized countries, stand together, "hand in hand", symbolising the future-oriented vision of a peaceful world. Several welcome messages have referred to the Buddy Bears as "the best ambassadors for Berlin and a cosmopolitan Germany".
Since 2002, the "United Buddy Bears" have visited 23 metropolises including Hong Kong, Tokyo, Istanbul, Sydney, Cairo, Jerusalem, Buenos Aires and Kuala Lumpur.
- Mr. Cord Meier-Koldt, Acting Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany
- The Honourable Mrs. Sheila Dixit, Chief Minister, Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi
- Mrs. Eva Herlitz, United Buddy Bears Initiator
Beat'n Blow - Marching Band from Berlin
Art and Culture
Each Buddy Bear has been designed by an artist on behalf of his or her native country. The international artists’ different styles are joined together in one work of art, spreading zest for life. The diverse design of the Buddy Bears – always typical for the respective countries – enables the visitors to experience a journey around the globe.
Aid for children
The non-commercial project and help for childrenin need form an inseperable unit. So far, more than € 1.8 million have been transferred to UNICEF and local children's aid organisations. | <urn:uuid:00874e5d-1dc0-46b3-b2c1-d5f4f7b3b618> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://germany-and-india.com/en/event/497 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279650.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00435-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893336 | 397 | 1.898438 | 2 |
This position is for our F Street location in Omaha, NE.
Wald Family Foods is a growing company in need of maintenance technicians. We are looking for individuals that can work well on their own and with others.
The maintenance technician conducts, maintains, tests and repairs electrical/electronic and mechanical systems and components. The position applies knowledge of electronic and mechanical principles in determining equipment malfunctions and applies skills in restoring equipment. The maintenance technician provides skilled support to all areas of manufacturing.
REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- 3 years minimum of mechanical experience
- Strong troubleshooting skills
- Industrial ammonia refrigeration experience is preferred but not required
- Bilingual – English/Spanish is preferred but not required
The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel or crouch
- The employee must be able to frequently sit or stand for long periods
- The employee must be able to drive for short periods
- The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 15 pounds and lift and/or move up to 50 pounds
- While performing this job, the employee will regularly be required to hear and speak in a manner that most people understand
- The employee is required to stand, walk, use hands to handle, feel and reach with hands and arms
- Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus
- Employee must be free from communicable diseases
The maintenance technician will ensure smooth operation of the systems and machines including, but not limited to:
- Ensure that equipment and building structure are in good condition and approved for use in the food industry
- Improve the needs and methods of the operation in order to produce safe, high-quality products
- Responsible for providing strong technical guidance and leadership to maintenance personnel
- Ensure team member’s technical training, preventative maintenance, repairs and equipment and facility maintenance
- Install, maintain and repair equipment
- Maintain conveyor systems
- Troubleshoot malfunctions
- Maintain treatment systems, as well as other systems, using gauges and other test instruments to diagnose malfunctions and mechanic hand and power tools to disassemble, repair and reassemble system components
- Assemble and test parts as needed using metal fabricating tools, common hand tools and power tools
- Responsible for food safety and maintaining all plant equipment, including pneumatic, electrical, mechanical and hydraulic components
- Read and interpret blueprints, diagrams, manuals, technical orders and schematics to determine repair needs
- Lift and maneuver heavy objects, parts and materials
- Interact and work alongside production employees and contractors
- Keep workspace neat, clean and organized
- Conduct self in a manner consistent with company mission, values, code of ethics, policies and other standards of conduct
This position has no supervisory responsibility but should ensure that the department performs the right duties that align with the position’s responsibilities. Otherwise, should inform the maintenance manager/plant manager of the issues that may arise.
This position operates in a professional office environment as well as plant operations. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. The plant operates in a cold environment of 50 degrees Fahrenheit or below. The production manager will be in a cold, wet, dry and, at times, foggy environment. Personnel are encouraged to wear warm clothing underneath the Wald Family Foods provided gear.
No travel is expected for this position.
Wald Family Foods is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. | <urn:uuid:e36b443d-f9a2-42e9-a63e-132c8edee7d7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://waldfamilyfoods.com/job/2nd-shift-maintenance-technician-f-street/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571745.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812170436-20220812200436-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.91075 | 831 | 1.515625 | 2 |
by Anne Carson
Reviewed by Abigail DeutschOne Comment
Nothing could prepare you for Nox, but the title tries: It sounds like "book" and "box," and "nix" and "knocks," maybe even "knick-knack." To elegize her brother, Anne Carson has packed a study of night and nothingness in a cardboard container whose lid resembles a door, complete with the cut-out image of a keyhole. Through the keyhole, we glimpse a photograph of Carson's brother, in swimming trunks and goggles, expression unreadable. Swinging the lid upward to reveal the book within, we see that illustration again, on the cover. In Nox, doors lead to other doors, and questions to further questions, creating a confusion that alternately enchants and annoys. Soon enough, we realize Nox isn't a book at all, but a long sheet of paper folded up like an accordion.
Then we might try to pull Nox out of its box, extending it endlessly, like the scarves magicians yank out of hats. Holding the sheet upright and looking at it from the left, we see only white space, a telling absence. From the right, we see a hodgepodge of text and images sprawling down its length. Nox is like a Xeroxed scrapbook, a medley of photographs, quotations, translations, diaristic jottings, and bits of letters.
The oddness of Nox's physical form prevents us from reading it casually. We must choose how to read it, how to hold it, how to sit with it -- and those challenges, in turn, warn about the way Nox will sit with us. It will test and puzzle; it will make demands on us, and make us self-conscious of our responses.
I respond to Nox's unwieldiness by popping it out of the box. In this form, it resembles a collapsed house of cards and weighs little. Since Nox has no binding, its revolving "pages" circle a column of air.
Looping, always approaching but never arriving, straining to see and to understand: so, in Nox, does Carson proceed. The illustration on the box's lid suggests that reading Nox will be like peering through a keyhole -- like spying -- and I think of J.S. Mill's remark that "poetry is overheard." For Carson, too, this elegy is a work of espionage. "No one knew him," she observes of her brother, Michael, who "ran away in 1978, rather than go to jail" (the reason for the jail threat, like many of Carson's choices, goes unexplained, infecting the reader with Carson's confusion). He then moved abroad, and contacted his sister and mother only rarely. Finally he arranged to see Carson, but died before they could reunite. So Carson mourns not only an absence, but also the absence of an absence -- of a brother whom she'd lost, in certain ways, even before he died.
Carson includes few details about her brother here -- perhaps because she doesn't know them. Instead she picks up the tools that have served her well in previous work, both poetic and scholarly: quotation and translation. In Nox, those techniques draw us in only to distance us, a tug-of-war in which the intrigue eventually gives way to irritation.
What appear to be Carson's statements, for example, often turn out to come from other writers. Her brother remains a mystery, she writes, "no matter how I try to evoke the starry lad he was." The phrase "starry lad" comes from a poem by the late British scholar Hugh Macnaghten, who described Catullus in those terms in 1925. Carson's line purports to come as close to Michael as possible, to encapsulate him -- "the starry lad he was" -- and yet it derives from another author's depiction of another person. As is often the case in Nox, Carson doesn't indicate that she's quoting. She leaves it to us to notice the allusion, which (with all due respect to Mr. Macnaghten) few readers would. And so, while appearing to explain her experience, Carson actually pushes us away -- from Michael, from Macnaghten, and from her own poetic process. It's a fascinating gesture, and yet it encapsulates what's frustrating about Nox: a taste for literary gamesmanship that distracts from the commiseration the work aims to evoke.
For Carson, quoting becomes a kind of translation, prone to translation's troubles and freedoms. She begins the work with the Latin original of Catullus's 101st poem, an address to the Roman poet's own late brother. Each left-hand page of Nox provides substantial English explication for a word of the Catullus poem, which Carson progresses through from start to finish. This assiduous translation seemingly aims to clarify. Yet every Latin word spawns a vast lineage of English equivalents, some more related to Catullus than others. Eventually Carson's own themes -- night, loss, darkness -- come to infuse the definitions. The plenitude of information obscures his poem -- to quote her definition of "multas," it is "too much in evidence, tedious, wearisome, verbose; occurring in a high degree, full, intense."
And yet sometimes that bounty provides a fine corollary to Carson's desperation "to evoke the starry lad he was." Here she defines "frater":
a full brother; (plural) brother and sister; (plural, transferred) of a kindred race; (especially vocative, as an affectionate way of referring to a person of one's own age); (as a euphemism for a partner in an irregular sexual union); as an honourific title for allies); (referring to a member of a religious club); cum fratre Lycisce: with dear old Lycis (of a dog).
The multiple definitions reflect Carson's uncertainty about her brother's identity -- and about the nature of their relationship.
Stepping back, we might again ask: Why? Why, in this elegy for a brother, provide a translation? Why pair personal with historical? Much of Carson's oeuvre raises such questions. A centaur of an author, part creative writer and part Classicist, Carson has long mixed what doesn't match, producing poetry, memoir, and academic work, and sometimes mingling all forms in a single book. In subject as well as form, she revels in uniting the distinct: the contemporary and antique, the fanciful and matter-of-fact. Take Geryon, her unforgettable protagonist from Autobiography of Red -- a crimson, homosexual, winged creature from ancient poetry who lives nonchalantly in the present.
This isn't to say that, in Nox, Carson casually tosses references together: Rather, she binds the work tight with thematic ties that, with careful reading, slowly become obvious. She ponders both historiography and personal history because, for her, seeking to understand her brother is like seeking to understand antiquity. Her sources are flawed and fragmentary, her analysis necessarily imperfect. And studying her brother's words, she writes, is like translating historical testimony: "Because our conversations were few (he phoned me maybe 5 times in 22 years) I study his sentences the ones I remember as if I'd been asked to translate them." She has never translated the Catullus poem -- nor come to understand her brother -- to her satisfaction, despite years of effort:
But over the years of working at [translating the poem], I came to think of translating as a room, not exactly an unknown room, where one gropes for a light switch. I guess it never ends. A brother never ends. I prowl him. He does not end. Prowling the meanings of a word, prowling the history of a person, no use expecting a flood of light.
The connection between translating a language and comprehending her brother has a heartbreaking analogue in the real world. She learned of her brother's death two weeks after the fact from his Danish widow. She later received "a translation of the text of the service," which occurred in Danish, and which the bad timing had forced her to miss.
Nox asks us to prowl, too, a request that makes sense given Carson's experience. And yet my reservation about Nox is how insistently it makes sense. I don't mean I wish it were harder to understand. I mean that it persists in puzzling, and in asking the reader to decode -- and since it offers rewards, in the form of thematic discovery, we keep asking "Why?" But all this problem-solving distracts from emotional connection, which is what I seek in elegies.
I'm reminded of an incident from my childhood. I couldn't answer a math problem in school, and started weeping. My teacher, herself a trifle dramatic, shouted: "We cry at weddings! We cry at funerals! We do not cry in math class!" Crying while trying to untie Nox's knots would be like crying over long division (which I've come to accept is not a typical response). For me, plumbing this work meant thinking far more often than feeling -- or, more precisely, engaging in the sort of thought that doesn't inspire much feeling. Rather than share in Carson's pain and confusion, I bit her bait, chasing quotes, sources, and explanations. Even as I did so, I yearned for the wrenching frankness of earlier Carson poems -- for example, "The Glass Essay," from Glass, Irony, and God:
Perhaps the hardest thing about losing a lover is
to watch the year repeat its days.
It is as if I could dip my hand down
into time and scoop up
blue and green lozenges of April heat
a year ago in another country.
The intellectual acrobatics of Nox, for all their early intrigue, come to feel like defense mechanisms against such directness.
Carson's experience may demand such mechanisms; Nox may be her way of packaging the intensity and perplexity of losing her brother -- crafting, out of uncontainable grief, an artifact small and neat enough to hold. She writes that when you have survived something "you must carry it, or fashion it into a thing that carries itself." Surviving means carrying on, quite literally -- means boxing up, holding fast, and going forward.
After her brother died, Virginia Woolf jotted down as a possible epitaph some of the same Catullus lines that Carson translates: "atque in perpetuam frater / ave atque vale." Her elegy for Julian Thoby Stephen, who passed away at 27, was the novel Jacob's Room, a curious work whose narrator seems to shift identities as the novel progresses, and whose characters, Woolf's husband observed, seem like "ghosts," "puppets, moved hither and thither by fate." Even Jacob, modeled on Stephen, comes off as unknowable -- rather as Carson's brother does. Woolf was close to her brother, and yet Jacob's qualities are "mostly a matter of guess work." The mysteriousness of Jacob's Room, like that of Nox, first interested and then frustrated me: how can you care about characters you can't know? The door to Jacob's room, like the lid of Nox's box, doesn't open quite wide enough to let the reader in.
Woolf meditates not only on what can't be ascertained, but also on what can't be said. Oddly, it is the unsayable that she puts forth most simply and beautifully. Here Woolf describes Jacob's mother writing her son a letter after he's moved away from home:
Poor Betty Flanders ... can never, never say -- whatever it may be -- probably this -- Don't go with bad women, do be a good boy; wear your thick shirts, and come back, come back, come back to me.
Out of this intricate novel, it is the unutterable cry toward the unknowable boy -- the pointless, essential, and entirely straightforward wish -- that most often comes back to me. If such unadulterated feeling infused Nox, I would come back to it, too.
Abigail Deutsch is a writer from New York. Her work appears in The Los Angeles Times, The Village Voice, Poetry magazine, n+1, and other publications. She is considering writing a book about hair. | <urn:uuid:6d10b494-94ca-4bb5-97b2-0ee2f4b4a08e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.powells.com/post/reviewaday/tribute-and-farewell | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571284.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811103305-20220811133305-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.96505 | 2,630 | 1.671875 | 2 |
posted on 24 Jul 2013 10:05 by joannrodriguez345
Vaporizing can be a better substitute for smoking. Smoking is very harmful for health insurance for the environment. Every year lots of people die on account of cancer brought on by smoking. If you start to adapt vaporizing into your lives; you are able to minimize medical hazards. The chances of developing respiratory diseases are also diminished when you vaporize as an alternative to smoking. A vaporizer allows you to inhale the vapor of herbs and plants. There are various forms of vaporizers available; namely electrical, glass, portable and herbal. When you light a cigarette; you might be combusting the tobacco. This releases a smoke which can be impure and is made up of harmful carcinogenic agents, tar, CO2, carbon monoxide etc. The main effect with the ingredient is hardly there. The combustion process loses most of it. All you find yourself inhaling is impure and hazardous smoke. By using vaporizers; you are able to enjoy your favorite herb and never have to concern yourself with damaging your wellbeing. You are ensured of a healthier lung and healthier body. How would you buy a vaporizer? There are many websites that sell quality vaporizers. You can undergo each of the vaporizers from the best brands and choose your own personal. You can compare the, the functions make a decision. These websites offer to trade you vaporizers with all of the possible prices. There are few stuff that you should know before investing in a vaporizer. You have to check out the rating first. The rating notifys you the number of additional options a particular vaporizer incorporates. The next thing that you must see is the robustness. The vaporizer has to be sturdy enough. You will also ought to take a look at the number of people can simultaneously utilize vaporizer that you happen to be considering. Temperature flexibility is a big factor as well as to be considered. You can adjust the thickness along with the density of the vapor. Choose a vaporizer that's capable of giving you the accurate temperature. The vaporizer need to look discrete or you may face problems in public places. The speed where the vaporizer warms up should also be considered. Another very important factor is the vapor quality. The pureness and clarity of the vapor determines the rating. The manufacturing quality should also be noted. Portability is an additional factor that should be considered. The portable vaporizers are small. You can easily load them and rehearse them. Iolite is one with the leading brands in vaporizers. They sell vaporizers that employ the latest technologies. All the critical factors of robustness, discreteness, and quality are available in the Iolite vaporizers. There are a lot of models which they sell. You have the very popular Portable Butane Vaporizer from Iolite. Its major features include automatic temperature gauge, butane heating element and quick refill value. You get two year manufacturer warranty. This model and a lot of other kinds of Iolite vaporizer are available from the website that sells vaporizers from different brands. You can compare the models along with the price. Pick up the one which suits your preferences the very best. If you want more information about vaporizer, please ckick here click here and learn more. This website gives you the information you need in an easy to digest format so that you can make the best possible vaporizer buying decision based on what matters to YOU. | <urn:uuid:305f0a78-ee1e-41bf-b165-76f8e4ee4bc9> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://joannrodriguez345.exteen.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279410.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00165-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934809 | 706 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Bananas for Fluency
Rationale. Students increase their oral reading fluency by participating in a readers theater and practicing it multiple times before performing it with the class. Students will also be able to recognize and read high-frequency words in the story. Students will also be able to read sight vocabulary words in the story. As the students reread their lines they will develop more fluency in their reading and be able to use their learned decoding skills to read harder words.
Strips of Jack and Jill
Paper with sentence I want to go out to play today
Paper with word Tim on it
decodable book, Jane and Babe
progress charts of Monkey and tree with bananas for one-minute reads
fluency checklists (1 per student)
1. We have been working hard on our reading skills. Today we are going to work on something called fluency. Fluency is being able to read fast and smooth, and with expression so that we can make the stories we read aloud more interesting.
2. The first time we read something we may not always know what the word is so we use our reading strategies to figure out the word. What is one thing that we can use? (Cover-ups) Good we can use cover-ups to figure out words we don䴜t know. When we look at the word we cover up everything but the vowel. Then we start with the first letter of the word and read one letter at a time until the end. If we were trying to read the word Tim. First I would look at the I and realize that I says /i/. Next I would look at the first letter t that says /t/. So I would say Tttttiiiii then add the last letter m. /T/ /i/ /m/. The next time we read those sentences we will be able to figure out the words easier by using cover-ups.
3. Can anyone think of other ways to help ourselves if we get stuck on a word. (Cross-checking) Good! When we read a sentence if we read something that didnt make sense we go back and try to figure out what the word that didnt make sense would be. When we figure out what the word is we can go back and reread the sentence to make sure it all makes sense.
4. Now that we know how to figure out a word we don䴜t know we are going to work on reading fluency. Let䴜s look at the sentence I want to go out and play today. The first time I read this I might read it as I wwwwaaant, want to go out and pppllllaaaayyy todddaaayy. The next time I read it I might say I want to go out and play (really fast). The last time I read it I might say I want to go out and play today (with expression). The third time I read the sentence I was able to read it fast and smoothly and with expression to make it sound more interesting.
5. Now we are going to do a small readers theater in our small group of four. We are going to read Jack and Jill. (Distribute each strip of paper with one sentence on it.) First I want you to read your part to your partner three times to practice it. Your partner is going to use a checklist to see how your reading improves the more you read your part. Then your partner will read you their part 3 times. Next, you are going to take turns reading your part aloud to just me so I can make sure you are reading fluently. Lastly, we will read the whole story together as a readers theater.
6. After we have done readers theater students will return to their seats and read silently a book of their choice. One at a time I will call them up to do one minute reads of Jane and Babe. They will read the book 3 times. I will show them their progress by moving a monkey up a tree to get the bananas. If they reach the goal I have set the monkey will get the bananas. This will help me assess how much they improve after each reading.
Jack and Jill Text:
Reader 1: Jack and Jill went up the hill,
Reader 2: To fetch a pail of water,
Reader 1: Jack fell down and broke his crown
Reader 2: And Jill came tumbling after.
Readers LongVowels: Jane and Babe. (1990).
Readers Theatre K-3. | <urn:uuid:5c652399-041a-49be-b63e-b49b59d39f5e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/voyages/reinhartgf.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280065.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00539-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96133 | 935 | 4.03125 | 4 |
Cotabato City (September 22, 2020)—As per September 21, 2020 report of the Bangsamoro Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF), the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has recorded 23 new active Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) cases.
“Seven hundred nineteen (719) have already recovered from the disease since the first case of Coronavirus Disease in our region,” BARMM Cabinet Secretary and BIATF Spokesperson Mohd Asnin Pendatun said during a virtual press briefing.
The BARMM has tallied a total of 941 cases, and 23 of it are new cases from the provinces of Lanao del Sur (20), Tawi-Tawi (2), and Maguindanao (1).
“Most of our cases are from the province of Lanao del Sur and Marawi City at 488. However, 378 have already recovered with 87 active cases today. It also accounted for 23 fatalities,” Pendatun explained.
Further, the BARMM has a low fatality rate and has only recorded 36 deaths since the pandemic hit the region.
“Most of the deaths in the region have comorbidities or have existing health problems even before contacting Covid-19. The 1.6% of the active cases also have comorbidities,” Pendatun explained.
By the percentage, 62.9% of the active cases in the BARMM are asymptomatic, while 32.3% are mild cases, 3.2% are severe cases, and only 1.6% are critical.
In the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM), out of the 39 positive cases, 19 have already recovered from Covid-19.
“The 20 active cases are still recovering in our Covid-19 facilities,” Pendatun told.
A total of 299 employees were swabbed in the first week of September. The OCM also conducted a series of disinfection in the premises of the office before it opened its doors for physical transactions last week. (Bureau of Public Information)
19,746 total views, 2 views today | <urn:uuid:7be9b5fc-bc3f-48d1-8a71-f2e411c40700> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/barmm-records-23-new-covid-cases-fatality-rate-remains-low/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571222.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810222056-20220811012056-00669.warc.gz | en | 0.931504 | 469 | 1.53125 | 2 |
1 Answer | Add Yours
Mulk Raj Anand, who is considered the "Charles Dickens" of India, wrote about the plight of the lowest members of the caste system in India, and the terrible lives they were born to. One of those books is called Coolie.
The main character of the book is Munno, a young man who leaves his village at the age of fourteen to go to the city. He is a helpless, unskilled laborer. His employment, and his personage because of that work, is devalued. He holds a number of positions—house servant, factory worker and rickshaw driver. As a coolie, he commanded little respect and worked for low wages. His situation is deplorable due to...
...poverty and exploitation aided by the social and political structures in place.
Munno is of the Kshatriya by caste. K.D. Verma of the University of Pittsburg, Johnstown, points out that while other "dregs" of society in Western literature can question is position in society, those like the Untouchable in India may not. However, as a Kshatriya, Munno could—but does not.
Munno, the 'hero-anti-hero' of Coolie (1936), being a Kshatriya by caste, can at least rebel.
K.D. Verma compares the coolies to other workers of the "lowest kind" found in Western literature that share the same characteristics as Munno, or the coolie.
Like Blake’s chimney sweeps and Dickens’s orphans, [coolies] are the rejects, the disinherited and helpless victims whose lives and work have been permanently devalued, misappropriated and made into stagnant categories by repressive traditions of history...
Anand once commented that he wanted to write the stories that reflected the lives and experiences not of the upper or middle-classes in fiction. Instead, he wanted to paint a literary portrait of the very lowest and poorest in his society that had been virtually ignored in literature, as they are in life.
'I wished to recreate,' he [says], 'the folk, whom I knew intimately, from the lower depths, the lumpens and the suppressed, oppressed, [and] repressed, those who have seldom appeared in our literature...'
Munno is a poor adolescent who travels to the city, but unskilled, only the lowest jobs are available to him. He ultimately dies of tuberculosis.
We’ve answered 319,199 questions. We can answer yours, too.Ask a question | <urn:uuid:0273dbab-d7f2-49c4-bae4-b927525d02a4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/comment-mulk-raj-anands-characterization-munoo-256238 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281424.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00339-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969542 | 544 | 3.453125 | 3 |
Naturally producing molds and fungi, can produce chemicals called mycotoxins, which are ubiquitous in the natural world. Patulin is one type of mycotoxin among several, and it found in apples and pears because it is produced by mold growth.
Last week, a grocery store chain based in upstate New York recalled two of its store brand organic fruit juices for mycotoxin contamination. It’s too early to know if anyone got sick from the high Patulin levels in the organic juice. And Monday, Winn-Dixie announced an immediate voluntary recall of 64 ounce Winn-Dixie Organic 100 percent Apple Juice, also for exceeding FDA limits for Patulin.
Molds like certain species of Penicillium, Aspergillus and Byssochylamy can produce Patulin. And while pasteurization kills most molds, it does not affect Patulin.
Wegmans Food Markets Inc., an 81-store supermarket chain headquartered in Rochester, NY with stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and New York recalled the organic juice.
The recalled products are organic apple and cranberry juice, both sold in 64-ounce contains. The UPC number for the apple juice is 77890-20605-8 with expiration dates of 1/28/2014 through 3/19/2014. The UPC number for the cranberry juice is 77890-26689-2 with an expiration date of 11/5/2013.
Wegmans recalled the two juices after its supplier informed the retailer that levels of Patulin in the products were higher than allowed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA maximum for Patulin is 50 parts per billion (ppb).
Levels of Patulin in the two juices reached just over the limit at 56 ppb. The FDA’s level is very conservative and includes a built-in margin of safety, according to Wegmans.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated after it was originally published to improve its explanation for mycotoxins and Patulin.© Food Safety News | <urn:uuid:fe54d8ec-17f6-41b0-8e37-6c347b6f0dec> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/04/recall-of-organic-juices-a-lesson-in-mycotoxins/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279224.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00484-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928042 | 438 | 2.53125 | 3 |
For the month of February we are exploring how our emotional intelligence impacts our conversations. Self-Regulation is the second part of having high emotional intelligence.
But first if you did not see last weeks tip: I'm inviting you to do an EQ check up with me. My Valentines gift to you is a complementary EQ assessment that will show you how you are doing in Self Awareness, Self Regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and Social Skills. You will receive your report in email as soon as you complete the questions.
Last week we focused on Self Awareness and you have been asking yourself, "What am I feeling now?" to raise your awareness about which of the 7 core emotions you are marinating in at the moment.
This week we want to explore Self Regulation. Our ability to use the emotion we are feeling wisely rather than experience an emotional hijack is our Self Regulation. For example, when we notice that the current feeling is anger, we are using strong self-regulation muscles when we then ask, "What crossed my boundaries and triggered this anger? Who do I need to talk with to clean up the boundary issues? What do I really want instead and how can I make the request for what I want next time?" By answering these questions we use the feeling of anger to inform our communication in a positive way. We self regulate to create a better outcome rather than expressing the anger by kicking-the-dog or coming out sideways at someone else in an aggressive or passive aggressive manner.
It takes focus to build our self-regulation abilities. If you have a low self-regulation score I suggest you focus on building this muscle over the next 90 days. Your report will give you specific ideas to grow your self-regulation ability based on your own score.
If you have a communication challenge or question you'd like me to address, please email me!
And thank you! for all the questions and ideas you have been sharing since we began the Communications Tips series. | <urn:uuid:44136e3e-e142-473d-b529-6cdb50e7493b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://theprofessionaldevelopmentgroup.com/article/2011-02/eq-self-regulation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.955596 | 401 | 2.09375 | 2 |
So you want to make your first project from a sewing pattern? That’s awesome! Let me share with you a few things about how to read a sewing pattern. I know that opening up all those big, thin pages can be intimidating and even scary. The first time I attempted to make a piece of clothing from a sewing pattern, I literally opened it up, and crumpled all the pages, and threw them away because I was so overwhelmed. I want to help you avoid that and have success sewing with a pattern. On that note, here is a post full of Free Sewing Patterns you may want to sew after reading this post.
The first thing you need to know is that the envelope is important. The back contains information on measurements, fabric and tool recommendations, and occasionally skill level and estimated sewing time.
Inside the envelope, you’ll find two types of paper. The thinner paper is the pattern and the thicker paper is the instructions.
On the instructions, there will be a sketch of the final product you are sewing along with several sections of directions.
The key is usually the first part that I look at before getting started. This has some important information about the sketches that if ignored, could really mess up the project.
The pattern will most likely use a range of sewing terms. Lucky for you we have a whole post on Sewing Terms and a Free Download for you to use!
I highly recommend reading over all the instructions before you even start cutting. This way you have a general idea of what you will be doing and will have an inclination of things going wrong earlier on which is a huge time saver. One of the sections shows all the pieces of the pattern that you’ll be dealing with. This is a great reference guide especially when there are lots of small pieces. Another section will show the proper layout for cutting out the pattern pieces. This is super helpful so pay good attention to that part.
IMPORTANT! When sewing with a clothing pattern be sure to cut on the correct grade so that the final product is the right size and fits at the end! | <urn:uuid:b3a9d923-07b9-47d6-9d1f-8c6c5ea122f5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://alittlecraftinyourday.com/read-sewing-pattern/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570913.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809064307-20220809094307-00073.warc.gz | en | 0.949661 | 432 | 2.40625 | 2 |
- Research article
- Open Access
Children and youth perceive smoking messages in an unbranded advertisement from a NIKE marketing campaign: a cluster randomised controlled trial
BMC Pediatrics volume 11, Article number: 26 (2011)
How youth perceive marketing messages in sports is poorly understood. We evaluated whether youth perceive that the imagery of a specific sports marketing advertisement contained smoking-related messages.
Twenty grade 7 to 11 classes (397 students) from two high schools in Montréal, Canada were recruited to participate in a cluster randomised single-blind controlled trial. Classes were randomly allocated to either a NIKE advertisement containing the phrase 'LIGHT IT UP' (n = 205) or to a neutral advertisement with smoking imagery reduced and the phrase replaced by 'GO FOR IT' (n = 192). The NIKE logo was removed from both advertisements. Students responded in class to a questionnaire asking open-ended questions about their perception of the messages in the ad. Reports relating to the appearance and text of the ad, and the product being promoted were evaluated.
Relative to the neutral ad, more students reported that the phrase 'LIGHT IT UP' was smoking-related (37.6% vs. 0.5%) and that other parts of the ad resembled smoking-related products (50.7% vs. 10.4%). The relative risk of students reporting that the NIKE ad promoted cigarettes was 4.41 (95% confidence interval: 2.64-7.36; P < 0.001).
The unbranded imagery of an advertisement in a specific campaign aimed at promoting NIKE hockey products appears to have contained smoking-related messages. This particular marketing campaign may have promoted smoking. This suggests that the regulation of marketing to youth may need to be more tightly controlled.
Large corporations use increasingly sophisticated marketing strategies to promote products to children, which includes marketing techniques that rely on imagery relating to lifestyle or social norms. Such forms of marketing are acknowledged more and more as important determinants of child health that need to be regulated. Several countries have implemented mechanisms to regulate marketing to children, especially with respect to the promotion of tobacco . One of these countries is Canada, which has led the way in regulating tobacco marketing , particularly because the tobacco industry has used such marketing techniques so effectively with children [3–7]. Evidence also shows that targeting of children by the food industry may be fuelling the obesity epidemic [8, 9]. Scant research has, however, considered whether marketing by other industries may influence the health of children. Large corporations that market heavily may be popular with children and can shape their thoughts and behaviours, possibly even when marketing laws are present. There is a need to evaluate how children perceive marketing campaigns as a first step towards understanding how to improve marketing policies in general.
The goal of the current study was to assess what youth perceive in the imagery of advertisements used in a specific marketing campaign by NIKE, a company that is popular with children and youth. We evaluated NIKE's LIGHT IT UP campaign, run from 2003-2005 in Canada to "inspire young hockey players" . This particular campaign was selected because it was meant to promote hockey products yet appeared to include messages that could have inadvertently promoted smoking. This is of concern because it has been shown that the tobacco industry uses sports to promote its products [6, 11–13].
Study design and context
We used a randomised single-blind controlled trial design. Twenty grade 7 to 11 classrooms from two schools were allocated to receive either the exposure advertisement (10 classes, 205 students) or a neutral version of the ad (10 classes, 192 students). We consulted youth tobacco control experts who recommended an assessment without the swoosh logo to determine how youth perceived the internal imagery of the ads independent of the brand name. Hence, the Nike logo was removed from both the exposure and control advertisements. Approval for this study was obtained from the research ethics committee of the University of Montréal Hospital Centre.
We aimed for a sample of 538 students (269 for each condition) assuming a design effect of 1.11, with 5% of the exposed students and none of the control students perceiving tobacco-related messages (77% participation rate, two-sided α = 0.05, β = 0.10, intraclass correlation = 0.005 for students within classrooms). In February 2009, 522 students from one junior and one senior high school in the metropolitan area of Montréal, Canada were invited to participate. Voluntary signed consent was obtained for 401 students and from their parents three weeks prior to the test date. Three students were absent on the test date and one did not follow the protocol, leaving 397 participants (71.9% participation rate).
The original campaign was Internet-based. Messages were promoted on NIKE's homepage in a web-based multimedia presentation providing links to photos and videos of children posing next to LIGHT IT UP ads, and to screensavers/wallpapers. Children were recruited to the web-site by NIKE representatives in arenas, tournaments, skating rinks, hockey practices and retail locations in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. Ads contained a hockey net referred to as the "lonely talking net", and were available for download for non-commercial purposes.
We used an image containing the message FOLLOW ME and the slogan LIGHT IT UP as the exposure, without the logo (Figure 1a, © of the original image: NIKE, Inc). This image was taken from the multimedia presentation and resembled most of the other ads on the web-site, including those meant to be downloaded and used as computer background wallpaper by youth. In consultation with colleagues, we identified four parts of the image potentially containing tobacco-related imagery, including the 1) slogan, 2) ash-like appearance of the net center pole, 3) smoky appearance of the words in the center, and 4) unusual rectangular marks around the border that resembled cigarettes. We generated a neutral comparison ad as the control using Windows Paint software. In the control, we reduced possible tobacco-related content as follows: 1) the LIGHT IT UP slogan was changed to GO FOR IT; 2) the colour of the net center pole was changed to a uniform grey taken from the bottom of the net; 3) the FOLLOW ME was blackened; and 4) the rectangular marks in the outermost edges of the ad were removed (Figure 1b). For simplicity, the unbranded NIKE image is hereafter referred to as the exposure advertisement, and the control as the neutral advertisement.
We designed a 3-part questionnaire to determine the types of messages perceived. Part 1 contained open-ended questions asking for impressions of the ad, thoughts on the slogan, thoughts on the ad's appearance, the product or service being promoted, and the type of company they thought had produced the ad (Additional file 1). No mention of tobacco was made in any of these questions. Parts 2 and 3 contained multiple-choice questions about tobacco and baseline covariates potentially related to perception (age, sex, grade, socio-economic status, interest in hockey, and smoking). Seventeen grade 7 to 11 youth tested the questionnaire for question comprehension . We assessed socio-economic status with the Family Affluence Scale , and smoking status using Pierce's method (non-susceptible never smoker, susceptible never smoker, experimenter, established smoker) . Questionnaires were administered in classrooms under the supervision of a teacher and a research assistant. Students responded to each part in sequence without discussion with peers, sealing each part in separate envelopes before moving on to the next.
The research assistant randomly assigned classes to either the exposure ad or neutral ad within grade levels. Students were told different ads were being tested but were blinded as to which version they had been assigned and to our interest in the smoking question. As well, none of the teachers or school administrators was aware of the tobacco-related hypothesis.
Three primary outcomes, expressed as dichotomous variables, were defined as any report of pro-tobacco or sports-related messages in the 1) slogan, 2) ad's appearance, or 3) product being promoted. Reports were considered smoking-related when they included the specific terms "cigarette", "smoking", or "smoke". Reports were considered sports-related if they made any direct or remotely indirect reference to physical activity, physical fitness, health, skating, hockey or hockey product, or any other sport or game.
A trained research assistant extracted all tobacco- or sports-related messages from the first part of the questionnaire. Because the research assistant could not be blinded because of the slogan used in the questionnaire, a second assistant re-coded a 10% sample of questionnaires to determine whether similar results would be obtained. Percentage agreement between coders ranged from 96% to 100% for each outcome.
Generalised estimating equations with a logit link were used to evaluate the association between the ad and reports of tobacco- or sports-related messages, accounting for classroom clustering. Finner P-values were computed with WinPEPI software to adjust for the multiple outcomes tested . Relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Multivariate models adjusting for sex, grade, socio-economic status, smoking status, test time and a test time-ad version interaction term were also run. Analyses were performed using SAS 9.1 software (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, 2002).
As shown in Table 1, the characteristics of students in both groups were highly similar although 11% more students shown the exposure ad were tested in the morning. The mean age of both groups was 14 years, with females, non-smokers, and ice hockey fans more frequently represented.
Tobacco versus sports content of ads
One third (37.6%, 77/205) of students viewing the LIGHT IT UP version thought the slogan referred to smoking compared with 0.5% (1/192) who viewed the GO FOR IT version (Table 2). Many more students also reported that the exposure ad relative to the neutral ad contained images of smoking-related products (50.7%, 104/205 vs. 10.4%, 20/192; RR 4.87, 95% CI 2.86-8.29). Examples of smoking-related reports were that that the centre pole resembled a cigarette, that smoke covered the central text of the ad, and that cigarettes were present in the ad's edge. Students also reported that the product being promoted by the exposure ad relative to the neutral ad was cigarettes (39.0%, 80/205 vs. 8.9%, 17/192; RR 4.41, 95% CI 2.64-7.36).
A lower than expected number of students reported the ads were sports-related (Table 3). For both ads, only one-third of students reported the slogan referred to sports and only half reported the ad had a sports-related appearance. However, students were more likely to report that the neutral ad promoted sports relative to the exposure ad (65.8%, 125/192 vs. 51.0%, 103/205; RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.68-0.89).
Accounting for age, sex, grade, socio-economic status, smoking status, being a hockey fan, and test time did not influence the relationship between ad version and perception of tobacco or sports messages. Inclusion of a test time*ad version interaction term in models did not change the results, nor did models run after excluding afternoon students. Hence, there is no evidence that senior students participating during afternoon test classes were biased by morning class students to whom they might have spoken (this issue did not apply to students from the junior high school who were all tested during one class period). Only one participant (0.5%) reported having seen similar ads in the past, and none reported this was a NIKE ad.
Written comments of students shown the exposure ad are provided in Table 4. Students from all grades reported that the exposure ad made them think "about cigarettes", that LIGHT IT UP meant "light up your cigarette", that the centre pole "really looks like a cigarette", that the ad was "obviously" promoting cigarettes and was about "smoking, disguised as a hockey ad", and even that an "illegal company or a cigarette company" had made the ad. A minority of students who reported tobacco messages for the neutral ad mainly said the centre pole resembled a cigarette (comments not shown).
This randomized trial shows clearly that an ad image used by NIKE to associate its products with scoring in hockey was thought to promote smoking by one third of adolescents who saw it without the brand name. Though these results pertain to only one campaign, they nonetheless illustrate the potential for messages such as LIGHT IT UP to unintentionally promote tobacco to young people. This finding is important not only because tobacco is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, but because smoking habits are formed during childhood and tobacco promotion is partly responsible .
Over a third of students (38%) reported the slogan LIGHT IT UP was related to smoking. We expected the youth in this study would associate these ads mainly with sports, as the ads were promoted by a well-known sports company that is expected to have carefully developed and tested their ads before going to market. Perception of sports-related messages was, however, no more frequent than perception of tobacco-related messages. A nearly similar ad that we designed to be equally vague but more tobacco neutral was significantly less likely to lead to reports of tobacco messages. Although the phrase LIGHT IT UP may have been intended to refer to lighting the scoreboard with a goal or to associate NIKE products with winning, even this is unclear: associations did not change with adjustment for being a hockey fan (hockey fans would be expected to understand the hidden meaning of LIGHT IT UP). Furthermore, the French version of the phrase (BRULE LA GLACE, or burn the ice), in no way alludes to scoring. Such messages may therefore be ambiguous and from a young person's viewpoint the interpretation may not be benign.
An important issue is that we removed the NIKE swoosh mark logo from the ads to determine whether students could correctly identify the category of product being promoted (i.e., sports) as it was not clear they would perceive tobacco messages in the first place, and to isolate the effects of the slogan and pictorial aspects of the ads. It is possible that fewer students might have reported tobacco-related messages with the NIKE brand logo kept in the ads, and future research using the same ads with the swoosh mark retained would be informative. Research on cigarette ads suggests that youth focus on the product being promoted rather than on the brand name, and that brand names may contribute little to the understanding of what product is being promoted . Thus, the removal of the NIKE check mark in our study is not likely to fully account for so many students seeing tobacco in the ad. Furthermore, our procedure did not entirely differ from some of NIKE's own marketing behaviour, as the NIKE check mark was not visible in some of the ads shown to youth. It is not certain that inclusion of the logo in this study would have correctly represented the spectrum of ads shown to youth.
Without the logo, both the exposure ad and the neutral ad should have at least induced sports-related thoughts, given that an important goal of advertisements is to lead consumers to the correct product category. Students, however, reported that the neutral ad promoted sports more so than did the exposure ad. The small proportion of students who reported that the centre pole of the neutral ad resembled a cigarette is not unexpected because the grey shade is from the original ad.
Interestingly, a randomised study resembling ours showed that the text and colours of ads can change the perception of tobacco messages, but this research was done with adults and the ads were intentionally related to tobacco . Our study shows that such factors may be important in ads targeting youth, and even important in ads not intentionally promoting tobacco. Some researchers have critiqued studies that evaluate the influence of the media by claiming that youth are less cognitively complex than adults, and hence less likely to pay attention to media messages . In fact, the size of our sample was calculated assuming that few students would perceive tobacco imagery. Thus, our findings not only show that we should not underestimate the cognitive abilities of youth, but they also call into question theories that minimize the influence of advertisements by arguing that youth pay little attention to the media around them .
A related issue is how younger children would have perceived these ads. Although NIKE stated they surveyed 15 to 25 year olds before the campaign , according to images on the web-site elementary school aged children in particular were targeted. This study was designed for secondary school students, and further research is necessary to determine whether younger children would also perceive tobacco-related messages.
Our conclusions are limited by our inability to evaluate elements of the marketing campaign that were hidden to us. We could not enter the password-protected parts of the web-site that were only accessible to children who had registered at a sponsored promotional event, or who belonged to a hockey team sponsored by NIKE. We were not successful in attending such events and wrote to NIKE requesting a password to access the restricted sites but were refused. Thus, we could not determine the full spectrum of ads that were shown to children. The ads that we did find alluded to sexuality ("Guys think about scoring every six seconds", "Slip it between the legs"), risk-taking ("Some lines are meant to be crossed"), peer acceptance ("You are not alone", "Do you want in?"), and independence ("Are you ready to break free?"). These themes have successfully been used to market cigarettes to youth [6, 11, 21], with the tobacco industry finding innovative ways of encouraging repeated viewing of such ads (e.g., through contests) [6, 22]. In the LIGHT IT UP campaign, NIKE ran a contest in which youth were required to repeatedly watch photos and videos of children posing next to the LIGHT IT UP messages . We did not evaluate how these added factors could have influenced the perception of tobacco-related messages.
It is now established that tobacco advertising leads to smoking in youth [3–5]. Incidental pro-tobacco imagery on the Internet, in film and magazines is also increasingly linked to youth smoking [23–26]. Such messages shape social values about smoking and create environments where cigarettes are considered normal [24, 25], and sports marketing campaigns not related to tobacco can potentially contribute to this process especially when the sport in question is popular . NIKE also relied on hockey sponsorship to recruit children to the LIGHT IT UP campaign, and we do not know how their sponsorship strategies could have contributed. It is interesting to note that tobacco sponsorship per se was banned in 2003 by the Canadian Tobacco Act , just before the LIGHT IT UP campaign was run.
These issues are important because the tobacco industry has demonstrated that the combination of sponsorship, sports and tobacco works to promote cigarette smoking [6, 11–13, 28], and celebrities or athletes may be enhancing factors [25, 29]. NIKE also donated hockey equipment from the LIGHT IT UP campaign to disadvantaged children, and disadvantaged children are already at greater risk of smoking . More research is needed on campaigns such as LIGHT IT UP to determine what kind of influence the factors outlined above could have on inadvertent tobacco promotion in different settings.
We found that children and youth perceived smoking messages in a randomised trial testing unbranded ad imagery used in a NIKE marketing campaign run in four large Canadian metropolitan centers. Though these findings cannot be generalized to other marketing campaigns by NIKE or other sports companies, they nonetheless suggest that elements of a NIKE advertisement may have inadvertently promoted smoking among at least a small portion of the youths who were exposed, and that Canadian regulations for marketing to children and youth [2, 31] may be inadequate when marketing relies on imagery with double meanings. Increasingly complex and hard-to-regulate marketing environments are emerging [8, 9, 32], and marketing regulations must keep pace with changing environments . In particular, regulations for marketing on the Internet must be tightened. Large corporations must be accountable for their actions, including any inadvertent harmful effects of promotional efforts. Marketing must be transparent and easily accessible to adults. Until marketing regulations are improved and properly enforced, the public health and practising pediatric community needs to be vigilant regarding all marketing to children and youth.
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The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/11/26/prepub
This study was supported by a seed grant from the Léa-Roback Centre for Research in Social Inequalities funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (grant # CDA66156), and by the Institut de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal (IRSPUM). MD was supported by a Canada Research Chair for Biopsychosocial Pathways in Population Health, awarded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The funding sources did not participate in any aspect of the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication. We are indebted to the teachers, students, and school administrators for their important collaboration. We thank Yann Cosma for providing legal advice, and acknowledge with appreciation the contributions of Laurette Dubé, Anne Lavack, Ernest Lo, Crystal Lyons and Anthony Naimi.
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
NA and MD conceived and designed the study, with assistance from BK and BP. MFR contributed to initial study conception. NA collected and analysed the data, and wrote the manuscript. MD, BK, MFR and BP revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. NA is the guarantor for the study.
Electronic supplementary material
Additional file 1: Open-ended questions asked to students in Part 1 of the questionnaire. List of open-ended questions asked to students in Part 1 of the questionnaire (DOC 56 KB)
Authors’ original submitted files for images
Below are the links to the authors’ original submitted files for images.
About this article
Cite this article
Auger, N., Daniel, M., Knäuper, B. et al. Children and youth perceive smoking messages in an unbranded advertisement from a NIKE marketing campaign: a cluster randomised controlled trial. BMC Pediatr 11, 26 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-11-26
- Tobacco Industry
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I-26: Students with Documented Disabilities
Policy Number: I-26
Last Reviewed: July 8, 2014
Responsible Dept.: Dean of Student Services/ADA Coordinator
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Consistent with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Virginia Western Community College guarantees that no qualified individual shall by reason of disability be denied access to, participation in, or the benefits of college. Each qualified person shall receive appropriate, reasonable accommodations upon request to insure full and equal access to educational opportunities, programs, and activities.
In order to determine eligibility for VWCC Disability Services on the basis of a self-disclosed disability and to evaluate specific needs for requested accommodations or auxiliary aids, VWCC Disability Services will need documentation of the disability. Such documentation must include an evaluation by an appropriate professional, as well as a description of the current impact of the disability as it relates to the accommodation request. As appropriate to the disability, the documentation should include the following elements:
- A diagnostic statement identifying the disability, date of the most current diagnostic evaluation, and the date of the diagnosis if known.
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Virginia Western Community College and VWCC Disability Services assume no responsibility for the cost of medical or educational testing for the purposes of diagnosing a disability. Disability Services will provide referrals to area agencies and other professionals. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange for professional services and to pursue necessary steps in securing all documentation of his or her disability. | <urn:uuid:85b72e5b-6338-468a-b2d5-f25e18320c14> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://virginiawestern.edu/about/policies/I-26.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281162.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00528-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.896044 | 538 | 1.53125 | 2 |
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Sri Aurobindo and The Mother have unambiguously stated that their ideals, teachings and the institutions that they have founded do not belong to any religion or religious body, in any name or form.
For instance, in Sri Aurobindo’s own words (The Teaching and the Ashram of Sri Aurobindo, 1934, p. 6): “The Ashram is not a religious association. Those who are here come from all religions and some are of no religion. There is no creed or set of dogmas, no governing religious body; there are only the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and certain psychological practices of concentration and meditation, etc., for the enlarging of the consciousness, receptivity to the Truth, mastery over the desires, the discovery of the divine self and consciousness concealed within each human being, a higher evolution of the nature.”
For whatever is it’s worth – especially in the realm of spirituality – there is even a judgment of the Supreme Court of India, S.P. Mittal Etc. Etc. vs. Union of India, 1982 (http://judis.nic.in/supremecourt/imgs.aspx), that has established that Sri Aurobindo’s and The Mother’s ideals, teachings and the institutions that they have founded do not belong to any religion or religious institution.
There are numerous other instances where Sri Aurobindo and The Mother have unambiguously stated that their ideals, teachings and the institutions that they have founded have nothing to do with religion. There is even nothing in their teachings and works to suggest that they wanted their followers to create a new religion or establish religious institutions.
Nevertheless, Myths and Falsehoods that suggest that Sri Aurobindo’s and The Mother’s ideals, teachings and the institutions that they have founded belong to some form of a new “Aurobindonian religion” continue to be spun, encouraged and propagated by some individuals or by groups that have similar interests. Persistent attempts to reduce Sri Aurobindo’s and The Mother’s work – which they clearly enunciated belongs to the vast, non-religious realm of Spirituality – to a Religion, can be witnessed. This can be seen particularly in the dogmatic attitudes that are encouraged by those who wish to establish such a creed. For instance, the logic and culture of “hurt (religious) sentiments” and the polarization and exploitation of opinions based on such hurt feelings is gradually but systematically being cultivated in the Aurobindonian collective by those seeking to establish such a doctrine… and all that goes with it.
Just because some or even several followers of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother chose to follow their Masters by treading a path that is based on a religious sentiment, attitude or approach, does not mean that the Myth and Falsehood of such a new religion shall someday become a reality. For whilst the vastness of Sri Aurobindo’s and The Mother’s ideals, teachings and their institutions can and do accommodate such religious attitudes and sentiments – without any intolerance whatsoever – so far they have however proved to be just too vast to get reduced to the limited confines of Religion in whichever name or form.
The reasons for which the creation of these Myths and Falsehoods is being attempted is left to the understanding of the reader. But it can be clearly affirmed that an “Aurobindonian religion” or a religion that is based on Sri Aurobindo’s and The Mother’s teachings is a Myth which is nothing short of a Falsehood. | <urn:uuid:5c3e3d27-1097-4c9f-91ba-fef66ac10dba> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://aurotruths.wordpress.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988725475.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183845-00510-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956553 | 773 | 2.125 | 2 |
The D'Aoust Family Project began out of an interest by Bob D'Aoust in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada to record and document the D'Aoust family tree. Along the way he has come across many other individuals who had either began at one time to do the same thing but had eventually given up after hitting a dead end in their research or who had only done so much research as pertained to their immediate family line. With the contribution of their material to that of the already large database Bob has collected, the project has grown exponentially.
.....Personally, Bob has spent over 5.5 years and 2,950 hours putting together a D'Aoust family genealogy, which he eventually plans to publish for everyone to enjoy. He has amassed over 19,129 Names, encompassing 7890 Marriages, and over 5245 D'Aoust's, Daoust's, Dault's, Deault's, Dauth's (2805 Males, 2440 Females). One hundered percent of all the D'Aoust's, Daoust's, Dault's, etc. that are recorded can be linked back to late 16th century France. All of the information is sourced and reliable. In order to maintain the work's integrity, any information which was questionable was either omitted completely or clearly labeled as being approximations.
.....In an attempt to include everyone interested Bob began contacting D'Aousts all across Canada and throughout the U.S., informing them of his research and has asked them for submissions to the project. Encountering nothing but genuine enthusiasm along the way, the project is now being promoted on the World Wide Web in hopes to attain the same kind of support from people like yourself. If you are interested by this, and think you would like to help, here's how:
1. Most of the family lines end in the early 1900's. If you could provide the project co-ordinators with accurate information on yourself and other D'Aoust family members in this century, then we could provide you with the information on your line going back close to 400 years!
2. So far, most of the information consists of names, places and dates. In order to enrichen the pages of the book we would love to add a paragraph or two of information on the lives of those entered (possible examples could include: occupations, unique experiences, personality traits, physical traits, etc.). This is the human side of the project, the kind of stuff that teaches us who our ancestors really were.
3. A final way you could contribute is by offering any suggestions you might think helpful, either in aiding us in our research or in the overall development of the book.
Bob can be contacted at:
Bob D'Aoust 389 Wintergreen Drive, Waterloo, Ontario N2V 1L7 | <urn:uuid:c3f9f71a-daf5-4ec2-8e9d-ad2bdb86f2b3> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/daoust/7/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719784.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00427-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970767 | 580 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Buying Furniture – qualities explained.
When buying furniture in a shop or online, it isn’t easy to understand what qualities you are buying. Price can determine if it is of natural woods or human-made such as chipboard, fibreboard, MDF, HDF etc.
The reality is deceiving and price does not guarantee you are getting natural wood as expected. Especially when the coatings and veneers fool the authenticity of wood.
So, in this article, we will try to explain the differences in quality many manufacturers use to design and build their products.
The article will explain mostly on flat-pack options, as many natural wood items will come pre-built or have minimal pieces to put together, such as legs of a dining table.
In order from lowest to highest quality:
The cheapest material made in rigid sheets from compressed wood chips and resin, often coated or veneered. This material is mostly for all mass-produced items that are very cheap in most cases. Exceptions do exist, especially on the coating or veneer finish they use, explained later.
From our COMFORT RANGE – West Collection – made of furniture board and foil veneer
Fibreboard/particle board/Furniture board:
A building material made of wood or other plant fibres compressed into boards. Often is in flat-pack furniture for more durability and in general, have a thicker appearance. This board ensures better stability and durability compared to lower-end and thinner chipboard. This material will have a coat or veneer.
Medium-density fibreboard is an engineered wood product made by breaking down hardwood or softwood residuals into wood fibres by combining it with wax and a resin binder. These boards are of excellent quality and will be heavier and durable. They will have a coat or veneer. This material is the choice for quality furniture made by the best manufacturers.
From our DISTINCTIVE RANGE – North Collection – made of MDF and foil veneer
High-density fibreboard. Stronger than MDF & more water-resistant. Maybe the best for flat-pack options, however, it is the most expensive of them all. Not only because of the material, but it also needs much more craftmanship to make it a smooth finish to stain, coat or veneer.
To find out what qualities you are buying you need to take a look and find the technical details. Many will add MDF as the general term for all of the above materials, as many of you know what it is. The process to make all of them is the same. However, it is not the same!
Plywood is layers of wood veneer (see below) glued together, alternating the grain of the wood for stability. This plywood is a common material for higher items, such as cabinets and made of real woodcuts.
From our COMFORT RANGE – East Collection – made of HDF and Foil veneer
All the materials above will have a cover with something;
Wood veneers are thin sheets obtained by cutting large diameter wood and then cut in sheets. They are bundled together in the same order to maintain the drawing and shade of the tree rings, ensuring continuity while being unique.
Synthetic veneers also referred to as foil/laminated/plastic/vinyl veneer, are a synthetic material to imitate natural wood or colours very well.
Always be aware if you start buying more expensive furniture and you are getting chipboard, this should never be an option in our opinion. All the furniture we have chosen for you is the best in class for all our ranges
Our other possible choices in Natural Wood throughout – visit all our PRESTIGE RANGE COLLECTIONS | <urn:uuid:794a9761-0609-4c5b-80ba-98b384925b64> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://panissiefurnituresolutions.com/blog/buying-furniture-qualities-explained/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570741.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808001418-20220808031418-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.951492 | 812 | 2.046875 | 2 |
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) joined other California utilities to kick off Careers in Energy Week, an initiative recently commemorated by California Gov. Jerry Brown. As part of a nationwide effort to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and address the need for a qualified, diverse energy industry workforce, Careers in Energy Week will take place throughout the week of Oct. 15.
"San Diego is at the forefront of innovation in energy and this is a perfect opportunity to work with students who can potentially fill our future workforce needs," said Scott Drury, vice president of human resources, diversity and inclusion for SDG&E. "It's really important to start educating early in order to engage young minds in the fields of science and engineering, so bringing the concept of Careers in Energy Week to California is a perfect fit."
The Careers in Energy Week initiative has been proclaimed in thirteen other states and was developed by the national Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD). Members of the California Energy and Utility Workforce Consortium, which include representatives from the education and the energy industry have also worked together to bring the concept to California.
SDG&E, along with fellow consortium members will launch Careers in Energy Week with targeted student outreach to approximately two dozen educational institutions in the state, including high schools such as the California Career Partnership Academies, community colleges, and universities to reinforce the viable opportunities around STEM curriculum within the energy industry.
During Careers in Energy Week, individual high school students and teams of community college and university students will be able to win cash prizes through essay writing contests and innovation idea challenges around the theme: STEM - powering the future workforce of the energy industry. Six prizes in total will be awarded to winners, three in each competition, from $500 for high school students to $1,000 for the winning college/university teams. | <urn:uuid:3a3f3d1a-d3f5-4074-a361-ba3ce7f94c9b> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://tdworld.com/etrain/sdge-helps-lead-effort-launch-careers-energy-week-california | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281151.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00110-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96312 | 386 | 1.9375 | 2 |
In Plato’s Trial and Death of Socrates Socrates is charged with corrupting the youth for the ghastly crime of encouraging his students to ask questions. The philosopher defended himself by saying he is actually a gift to Athens because like a gadfly to a horse, he stirs the citizens to life, and without his pestering questions the citizens of Athens would remain asleep to the true nature of Athenian society. Like Socrates, journalists and whistleblowers question accepted truths and help illuminate the mechanisms of power in their society. When people understand the actors that are responsible for injustice, they may just take action to change society. This is why Obama’s war on whistleblowers is such a dangerous development.
Yet the AP scandal is only the most recent in a long line of attacks on leakers and journalists. The history of Obama’s commitment to government secrecy is most exemplified by his use of the espionage act six times against leakers with Julian Assange possibly becoming the seventh. That’s twice as many times as all other presidents combined. Obama has used the espionage act against: Shamai Leibowitz, Thomas Drake, Bradley Manning, Stephen Kim, Jeffery Sterling, and John Kiriakou. Other leakers have had prosecution attempted by the DOJ, and still others suspected of leaking have had their careers ruined—by having security clearances revoked—and have been intimidated by the Obama administration.
The freedom of information activist Aaron Swartz, who was a major figure behind the mobilizations against the Internet censorship bills CISPA and SOPA, faced a “needlessly cruel” prosecution from the DOJ. His family believed the prosecution might have led to his suicide. But now Obama has even formally accused the journalist, James Rosen, who was simply reporting information a government official told him.
Lest you think Obama’s battle against journalists hasn’t extended outside the United States, an article by Jeremy Scahill describes how the jailed Yemeni journalist, Abdulelah Haider Shaye, was about to be pardoned by the Yemeni president, but Obama called him and persuaded him not to.
Most of the espionage cases back in the U.S. are still ongoing, but Leibowitz and Kiriakou have already been sentenced to jail time, and the very use of the espionage act signifies the DOJ wants serious punishment for the others indicted. Bradley Manning faces life in prison when his trial begins June 3 and Julian Assange would likely face the same or worse if the US could get a hold of him.
When one looks back at the pernicious actions the Obama administration has taken against whistleblowers and journalist, it’s clear the government wants to crush any prominent voices that question the government’s official narrative regardless of how many lives are destroyed in the process. But why is Obama waging this war on leakers?
Undoubtedly, one of the main reasons for the crackdown on whistleblowers has to do with Wikileaks. When Wikileaks initially released the Afghan War leak in 2010 the U.S. population was told that Wikileaks had endangered national security, but Obama has since claimed the leaks revealed nothing new. Then in January of 2011congressional aides told Reuters the Wikileaks revelations were “embarrassing, but not damaging”.
It’s clear that the minimizing of the Wikileaks effect on U.S. interests is simply an attempt to publicly deny the extremely significant blows the U.S. suffered to its imperialist policies. The truth is the Iraq War Leak was one of the major factors that forced the U.S. to abandon its combat operations in Iraq. The cables revealed that in 2006 U.S. troops executed 10 Iraqi civilians and used an air strike to destroy the evidence. This information received a great deal of attention in Iraq and made it politically impossible for the Prime Minister of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki, to agree to a status of forces agreement, which left U.S. troops outside the jurisdiction of Iraqi courts. With U.S. troops potentially facing trials for their inevitable crimes, the U.S. was forced to leave Iraq.
Cablegate’s 250,000 state department cables were one of the other ways Wikileaks damaged U.S. control in the Middle East. Amnesty International, as well as a number of other sources have claimed that the leaked cables exposed—in the most concrete terms—the corruption of the U.S. supported dictators and played a major role in causing the Arab Spring.
The leaks demonstrate that the U.S. government will do anything it can to prevent people—inside the U.S. and out—from knowing what the U.S. and its client governments are doing. The results of the leaks showed what the ramifications can be when people know what their governments are doing.
The other major reason why Obama has been cracking down so much on journalists and whistleblowers is because the U.S. government has created an enormous security and surveillance apparatus since 9-11. The enlarged surveillance started under Bush, and Obama has simply increased these policies. Once a government establishes new initiatives of security and surveillance they tend to find individuals to prosecute—legitimate or otherwise. These prosecutions justify the existence of the surveillance and serve a dual purpose of frightening the population. In other words, when institutions of power consolidate their power they don’t give it back. This is the reason imperial powers never give up their colonies unless they’re forced to.
Understanding these reasons behind the attacks on leakers is important because it signifies the attacks are unlikely to end. The longer Obama’s P.R. strategy of playing “nice guy” under the lights while saving his most brutal acts for the darkness continues to fool people, the more damage Obama will be capable of doing. Already he has taken serious actions to begin dismantling one of American society’s proudest achievements—freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is protected in the U.S. at a level unparalleled in the world. Yet Obama, like Socrates’ dikasts, has decided to silence inconvenient questioning of the state and harshly punish those who attempt to pull the masks off centers of power. The question now is, will American citizens be stirred to life like Socrates’ horse from the gadflies of today and realize there is a serious and continued erosion of their freedoms taking place, or will they remain asleep until Obama has handed out his last cup of poison hemlock? | <urn:uuid:dd11ed1d-312d-4af1-b292-ed335a27b7df> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/05/30/obama-hands-out-the-hemlock/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280483.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00298-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963688 | 1,311 | 2.21875 | 2 |
It’s not easy being a parent. It’s a full time job on top of everything else going on in your life, it is a life time commitment! Everyone has their own parenting style, but some seem to work better than others.
When your kid is crying about a little cut, spilling some ice cream or not being able to find their rubber ducky, it’s easy to have a “suck it up” kind of energy. You get tired, you want your kid to figure it out themselves; but is this really healthy for them?
Studies suggest this kind of parenting style could lead to emotional problems later in your child’s life. A writer for Slate, Melinda Wenner Moyer wanted to see what the best method of parenting was for her 5 year old.
She talked to some child psychologists to see if a tough love type of parenting was better for children.
Unsurprisingly, it’s not.
In a study of 33 preschoolers, researchers saw that children had more melt downs and intense emotional reactions when parents reacted harshly to their negative emotions.
When parents didn’t come to comfort them when they were upset, the research concluded that it was much more difficult for the child to behave in a socially competent manner.
Children are naturally sensitive, emotional and absorbent beings. They soak up information, energy and emotion like a sponge that holds onto the experience as they grow up.
Children need to be shown love to know how to give it back. Many children who are shown love from an early age, aren’t taught how to naturally show love back.
A 2015 study showed that male college students who were punished by their mothers when they got upset, had more anger issues than boys who had supportive moms. For girls, they only showed anger issues if their relationship with their mom continued to be strained as they grew up.
You don’t need to be a scientist to understand that loving children is inherent and the right thing to do. We are naturally loving creatures, and when we create the right, supportive environments, everyone thrives together. It can be difficult to be in a good mood around your child when you feel overly stressed or overworked.
If you are a parent, practice mindfulness with your child. If you feel like you’re stressed and will get angry at your child, take a breath before interacting with them. The first years of a child’s life are fundamental in creating the kind of person they will be.
They are inherently wise, they can feel emotions deeply; that is why they cry when any little things happen.
They are learning to explore their emotions and how to express them to the world. Don’t invalidate your child for showing emotion or being excited about little things.
It’s important to be able to express yourself as a child. Give your child love and nurturing when they are upset, and it will create an unbreakable bond between you two.
Thanks to Scary Mommy for this article! | <urn:uuid:ebc0ead3-95a1-4204-aca6-26c2a6ef3c53> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.riseearth.com/2016/07/studies-show-tough-love-parenting-style.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281353.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00065-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973163 | 628 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Here’s something I wrote several years ago at The American Conservative, something I still believe, something I need occasionally to remind myself that I believe.
What people call political realism often seems to me a kind of short-sightedness. The idea that valid political action requires us to choose from among the most prominent current alternatives — in short, to decide whether you’re going to be a Republican or a Democrat and then work to bring your chosen party more closely in line with your convictions — makes sense if your chief goal is to gain a political victory and to gain it now. Or soon.
Sometimes for good and often for ill, I am temperamentally incapable of thinking in that way. I tend to see politics in terms of a history that’s considerably longer than that of today’s political parties, or indeed of America itself. My political vision, such as it is, has two components: a long defeat followed by a long joy.
The phrase “long defeat” comes from J. R. R. Tolkien, who in The Lord of the Rings puts it in the mouth of Galadriel, and in a letter uses it himself: “I am a Christian, and indeed a Roman Catholic, so that I do not expect ‘history’ to be anything but a ‘long defeat’ — though it contains (and in a legend may contain more clearly and movingly) some samples or glimpses of final victory.”
The promise of a “final victory” is the context of the “long joy.” Stanley Fish coined that phrase in response to a scene from Milton’s Paradise Lost in which Adam gets too readily excited about a scene from the future revealed to him by the archangel Michael, so that when the darker realities of the situation are revealed to him he finds himself “of short joy bereft.” Michael warns Adam that he needs to cure himself of political and social idealism and focus instead on the simple but challenging work of obedience to God. Fish explains the “politics” that Michael recommends to Adam: “It cannot be too much emphasized that the politics of being — the politics of long joy — is not quietism. Its relative indifference to outcomes is not an unconcern with the way things go in the world, but a recognition that the turns of fortune and and history are not in man’s control and that all one can be responsible for is the firmness of one’s resolve.”
When I wrote about this passage some years ago I commented,
It seems to me that this politics of long joy is the one thing needful for the Christian cultural critic, as for a warring angel like Abdiel or a poetic polemicist like Milton. Perhaps the chief problem with the “culture wars” paradigm that governs so much Christian action and reflection, in the North American context anyway, is that it encourages us to think in terms of trophies rather than testimonies. It tempts us to think too much about whether we’re winning or losing, and too little about the only thing we ultimately control, which is the firmness of our own resolve. If the culture warrior would prefer not to be governed by Stanley Fish, or even by John Milton, maybe Koheleth provides an acceptable model: “In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6).
It may be that the most important political acts I can perform do not involve siding with one of the existing parties, or even necessarily to vote at all, but to try to bear witness through word and action to this double vision of the earthly city: a long defeat followed by a longer joy.
We are too prone, I believe, to think that voting is the definitive political act. That would be true only if politics simply belongs to the government. There is a far vaster sphere of politics — the life of the polis — that belongs to everyday acts of ordinary people. In this maybe Gandalf is a pretty good guide: “Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.” | <urn:uuid:ee314dcf-684d-4caf-a147-6cf7752a2b98> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://blog.ayjay.org/a-long-defeat-a-final-victory/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00672.warc.gz | en | 0.960053 | 937 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Scripture Commentary — John 21:1-19
John 21:1-19 — Peter says, “I go a-fishing.”
Verse 1: The disciples were not conversing in an assembly or in a synagogue, praying for His return. They were involved in their common employment, not expecting a divine appearance. Christ can make His spirit presence known when we are engaged in our common daily occurrences. Recall that the shepherds were watching their flocks by night when an angel appeared to them.
Verse 2: Seven disciples were at the seashore, namely Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and 2 others (possibly Philip & Andrew). Was Nathanael the same as Bartholomew? The Law of Witnesses was in play here, as He appeared to several witnesses at once. Roman law required SEVEN witnesses for binding oaths. It is a good thing to be gathered together in Christian society, enjoying camaraderie and communion.
Verse 3: “I go a fishing.” Just a temporary break or respite? Had he forgotten his charge, his duty? Had he taken his hand off the plow and looked back (Luke 9:62)? “Devote all thy service in Zion, in this thou shalt have strength. In temporal labors thou shalt not have strength (Doctrine and Covenants 24:7-9). By appearing to them in this instance, perhaps Christ was approving of them being together in companionship. Good for them for not sitting idle, for moving forward. They needed sustenance and money. Perhaps they were not yet fully commissioned to preach Christ’s resurrection. They caught nothing – coincidence or divine design? A message – you will only have success in your labors, temporal or spiritual, with MY help! Another message – Even good men, at times, toil for no demonstrable reward. How did the other 6 react to Peter’s statement that he was going fishing? None of them took a stand to say, “No, we should be preaching the Word.” They all followed their leader.
Verse 4: “…knew not…” Was He too far away to recognize? This time, they had to come to Him. He didn’t walk on the water to them. The possible message was that His mortal ministry was over, it was now time for disciples to come to Him. My travail is over; your travail lies ahead, as symbolized by an entire night of toiling at the nets with no success. There is more symbolism in the fact that he appeared to them at ‘dawn’, as the morning was breaking, as the disciples were near exhaustion and despair. The dawn symbolized renewal and revival. The Savior will always be “on the shore”, signaling a safe harbor. He could have appeared to them at any point during the night, but He waited until they had given their all.
Verse 5: “Children…” – Though exalted now, He remains intimate and friendly, close and compassionate. Why did He ask about having meat? He was concerned for their welfare, and it also could be a reference to his statement in John 6:54-56 in which He said that his flesh was MEAT indeed. Do we ask our friends and family and associates often enough if they “have any meat”, if they need our help? Why didn’t He say, “It is I, your Lord. Come unto me.” He perhaps wanted to emphasize their dependence on Him, He wanted them to express their need. He knew the answer to the question before He asked the question. When He asked about meat, was He only asking about fish? He could have been asking not only about physical sustenance, but also about spiritual sustenance, as mentioned above. Their reply of ‘No’ was abrupt, almost curt. Were they embarrassed, exasperated, exhausted?
Verse 6: Did they recall the prior time when He asked them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, and the results (Luke 5:4-6)? There was no hesitancy in throwing the nets. At this point, did they realize who it was that they were talking to? Significance of throwing to the right side of the boat? See Matthew 25:33-34. All creatures are under the command of the Lord, even shoals of fish. How incredible. That large catch of fish now meant income, sustenance, and purpose. The message was also sent that with My aid, you can catch and harvest, gather and glean, you can have success! How wonderful that they obeyed the request. They perhaps did not yet know that it was the Lord they were talking to, but they took counsel, they were submissive. Nothing is ever lost by obeying the Lord, knowingly or unknowingly. Their submission turned to their gain. They could have said, “Mind your own business. Don’t you think we have tried both sides of the boat already? We’re tired. We have been fishing all night.” Christ often reveals himself to his disciples by doing things others cannot do. Where we fail, He can succeed. Where they had had little success during His ministry, they were now to reap many souls, even 3000 in one day.
Verse 7: ‘Therefore’ — Because of John’s remembrance of the similar prior incident, he understood that it was Christ on the shore, and he shared that ‘revelation’ with Peter. John was the first to recognize the Lord. Perhaps he was the closest to the Lord, the most devoted, the most influenced by Him. Apparently none of the other six had recognized that it was the Lord on the shore. When Peter HEARD, not recognized, or understood, or deduced, but heard. How important is it to share spiritual insights? Peter cast himself in the water and headed for shore. What about the net full of fish? What about the other six in the boat? He truly left all and followed Christ! Peter, out of respect for the Lord, clothed himself more appropriately before leaving the boat. In essence he said, “I will not wait. I will come unto Christ with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.” He demonstrated humility and respect and devotion. He had momentarily let his faith sag when he denied the Lord a few days before, but he would not let that happen again.
Verse 8: The other 6 disciples were careful and deliberate, but they made sure they brought the “blessings” with them (the net full of fish). We need to be careful to not overlook or dismiss our blessings. Peter and John stand out in this story, but the other 5 disciples also “came unto Christ”, unheralded, unremarkable, but very faithful and dutiful. In the kingdom, some are “heads and eyes”, while others are “hands and feet”. All are needed. See 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (“And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor.”)
Verse 9: Hours or days prior to this event, Jesus had been welcomed into the heavens in jubilation, exultation, and praise, celebrating the completion and fulfillment of the Infinite Atonement. Try to imagine the scene! And now, here is the Savior of all Mankind, the Perfect Son of God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, The Resurrected Savior, and now here He is humbly seeking out a few pieces of dry wood on the shore, starting a small fire, and preparing a meal for 7 weary and discouraged disciples. They were obviously hungry and thirsty from their long night of toiling at the nets. Here was the Savior, serving, lifting, blessing. How did He start the fire? Where or how did He obtain the fish? Did he bake the bread, provide it miraculously? He was about to tell Peter to feed His sheep, with the exact compassion and love with which He was going to feed them.
Verse 10: “Bring of the fish which YE have now caught.” Jesus was actually responsible for the catching of the fish, but, yes, they had actually pulled them up in the net. He continues to provide for, bless, lift. He would also have them eat of the labors of their own hands. Jesus gives us opportunities, and then “adds to” our efforts and meager abilities (Abraham 3:26 – “…and they who keep their first estate shall be added upon…” Yes, come unto Me, but don’t leave your temporal concerns unattended to.
Verse 11: Not just fishes, but “great” fishes. The Lord, with His infinite control and power, had brought LARGE fish to fill the nets, not puny fingerlings. He indeed pours out blessings such that there is not room to receive them (Malachi 3:10). How interesting that they actually counted the fish. Surely they counted the fish out of gratitude for the blessing (Count Your Many Blessings, hymn # 241). Did Jesus intervene again in making sure the net did not break? Symbolically, the gospel net will never break either, as it can accommodate all who enter. The net belongs to the Lord, and He will guarantee its integrity. Interesting that it was Peter, the one who had swum to shore, who actually drew the net to the shore. Perhaps he offered to do this because he was already wet.
Verse 12: Those who work for Christ and do His bidding should be fed (Luke 22:30). His servants eat and drink at His table in His kingdom. “Come and dine with me”! A family setting, close, intimate. He didn’t say, “Feed me” or “Eat by yourselves”. There was no reason for them to ask, “Who art thou?” The evidence was clear: 1) He treats them as family 2) He calls them, “Children”. 3) The incredible catch of fishes 4) He serves them 5) He reminds them to bring along the fish He helped them catch Groundless doubt must be stifled. Jesus feeds them just before He asks them to feed His sheep!
Verse 13: He served them! Mark 9:35 says: “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” He served them a very simple and homely meal. It was not a lavish banquet, an extravagant feast; it was bread and fish. The bread is symbolic, as stated in John 6:58: “This is that bread which came down from heaven…” We should let our souls delight in plainness (2 Nephi 25:4). Elder Marvin J. Ashton gave a conference talk entitled “The Glory of Plainness”.
Verse 14: Why three times? Wouldn’t one be sufficient? In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. Multiple witnesses is the Lord’s way. This was the third time he appeared to the disciples AS A GROUP. Do we keep track of the number of “appearances” (manifestations) of the Lord in our own personal lives??
Verse 15: The Lord addresses Peter by his original name, Simon, rather than by Peter the Rock, perhaps due to the recent denials. Was Peter expecting chastisement from the Lord, perhaps even expulsion from the Twelve? Christ showed him great love, tenderness, mercy, and compassion. There was no open rebuke for Peter; Christ speaks to him only of LOVE. How charitable are we in circumstances where someone has misused us? Interestingly, Christ asks Peter THREE TIMES if he loved Him. That is the same number of times that Peter denied the Savior. This was probably for effect and for emphasis. Jesus asks Peter if he LOVED Him, not worship or adore or fear, but LOVE. This was representative of devotion, not emotion. Perfect love casteth out all fear, as mentioned in 1 John 4:18 (John was witnessing this interaction). You must love me first if you are going to feed my sheep. You have to love them as I love them. I love my flock intensely, and I will not entrust them to a casual shepherd. Lovest thou me more than these? By these, was Jesus referring to the nets, the boats, the fish, the fellow disciples? More than worldly pleasures, worldly pursuits, friends, companions, comradery? Do you love me first, foremost, and always? Do you love me more than these other men love me (Matthew 26:22)? It is interesting that Peter responds to the Savior’s question by saying “Thou knowest…” not just “Yes”. It was only after they had dined that Christ addressed the issue of love and feeding His sheep. He served them first, always attentive to the needs of those around Him. The setting and the circumstances were also important. The disciples had spent all night fishing, without His help and without success. He was now saying, “Brethren, it is time to step away from mundane pursuits (fishing) and engage in spiritual pursuits (preaching). You will no longer seek “fish”, you will serve “my sheep”.
Verse 17: The Lord tells Peter to “feed” his sheep and lambs. Feeding is different than just providing food; to feed implies teaching, leading, blessing, inspiring, and edifying. He mentions lambs and sheep, implying young and old, strong and feeble. Peter’s answer is different in this verse than in the other 2 verses. He adds, “Thou knowest all things.” In essence, Peter adds a brief testimony of the Lord’s omniscience, and with this acknowledgement, the Lord’s admonitions come to an end. See Ephesians 3:18-19 for a description of all things.
Verse 24: Some have said that another writer, other than John, wrote this final chapter of the Gospel of John, but verse 24 expressly states that the beloved disciple who leaned on Jesus’ bosom (John) is he that wrote and testified in this final chapter.
Verse 25: Of the Savior’s earthly ministry, we have recorded events on only about 30 days. In other words, we have 1/36th of His life recorded in the New Testament.
Click here to return to the Commentaries index page | <urn:uuid:53f941e9-091b-4a96-831a-6590f724d631> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://church-of-jesus-christ-facts.net/scripturesjohn21/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00477.warc.gz | en | 0.980638 | 3,096 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Symantec’s latest white-paper reports that the top web-based attacks observed in 2009 were primarily targeted towards vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and applications that process PDF files. Apparently 49% of all web attacks (up from 11% in 2008) was based on injecting malicious code into a perfectly innocent looking PDF file. This new type of exploit will display a simple dialog, appearing to innocuously enable the viewing of encrypted content. Clicking “accept” will then launch and install the malware on your computer. The truly deadly threat of this exploit is that it is embedded into the PDF file itself, and so it affects all PDF readers.
Therefore, it is more important than ever to ensure that your PDF reader is secured from launching malicious code.
If you are using the latest Adobe Reader, you can ensure that you are protected by going to Edit -> Preferences -> Trust Manager and uncheck “Allow opening of non-PDF file attachments with external applications”.
If you use the more lightweight alternative Foxit PDF Reader, the method is similar. In Foxit when you click on an external link you see the following dialog:
So, in Foxit you are protected by default. However, if you are sure that the file you are trying to open is secure you can disable this feature by navigating to Tools > Preferences > Trust Manager and uncheck “Enable Safe Reading Mode”.
Snippet is a short tip/trick or just a quick fix for a certain issue that we discover from time to time. Don’t forget to subscribe to our RSS feed for more up to date tutorials/tips/tricks.
Image credit: fpsurgeon | <urn:uuid:47015802-2a22-4b71-b763-b8677843fdd9> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.maketecheasier.com/keep-your-pc-safe-from-rogue-pdf-files/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280872.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00319-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928071 | 344 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Dan is taking 12 months off – no lessons in 2021. Apologies to students.
I will update the website when I resume lessons.
Thanks to my 2019 and 2020 students. Loved doing the lessons and wish you all the best for your futures in music.
If you’re looking for a teacher to give you or your kids professional drum lessons at home for a reasonable price, you’r in the right place.
I always ensure the drum lessons are customised to suit the students level and musical interests. Time will be spent developing goals and discovering musical tastes to make sure lessons are rewarding and engaging.
Although I have been teaching for three years I have gained lots of experience with students ranging in age from 4 to 50+ and pride myself on developing lesson content and my teaching approach to each individual student.
I have been playing drums for 15 years and completed my Bachelor of Applied Music (Performance) at Box Hill Institute in 2016. I also have experience with AMEB drum examinations having achieved Honours in the two highest levels of the Contemporary Popular Music course and successfully taken students through these exams before.
|Blackburn||Box Hill||Briar Hill||Bulleen|
Whether you want to improve your technique, learn to play along to your favourite songs or even learn to play along with friends or other musicians I can help you achieve your goals.
My approach to teaching is based on the following principles:
- A strong understanding of the basics including grip, position (of you and the drums!) and rudiments.
- Applying basic concepts musically and contextually around the drum kit.
- Building a strong sense of rhythm and time through regular use of a metronome and understanding basic music notation.
- Discovering a student’s individual style through investigating their music tastes and what they enjoy playing on the drums.
- Developing healthy practice habits and helping students get what they want out of their lessons.
I am confident teaching beginner to advanced students in a vast array of styles including:
|Drum and Bass||Big Band||Country|
Buying a first drum kit for you or your child can be a daunting task. There is a huge range of variables such as electronic/acoustic, brand, sizes and new/secondhand. I am happy to offer advice on any purchase!
My rates for lessons are as follows:
30 min lesson = $35
60 min lesson = $70
You can read my cancellation policy here. | <urn:uuid:ff61a886-96b0-4204-9260-e2b4031ad5f1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://danmckoydrumming.com.au/drum-teacher-box-hill/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572161.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815054743-20220815084743-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.926661 | 584 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Section 703 of the MBTA provides: "Unless and except as permitted by regulations... it shall be unlawful at any time, by any means, or in any manner, to ... take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture, or kill, possess... any migratory bird, any part, nest, or eggs of any such bird..."
The BEPA prohibits knowingly taking, or taking with wanton disregard for the consequences of an activity, any bald or golden eagles or their body parts, nests, or eggs, which includes collection, molestation, disturbance, or killing activities.
Of special concern are projects such as: telecommunication towers, overhead power lines, and other projects that may result in direct mortality of migratory birds, as well as projects that indirectly effect migratory birds by removing nesting, roosting, or foraging habitat.
For more information about projects in South Dakota contact Natalie Gates of the SD Ecological Services Field Office: 605-224-8693 ext. 25.
Last updated: September 9, 2013 | <urn:uuid:503b2abc-fc31-41af-b75e-6d1412a8c554> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.fws.gov/southdakotafieldoffice/migbirdproj.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280364.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00034-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91141 | 215 | 2.25 | 2 |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling semiconductors “the creating blocks for the contemporary overall economy,” President Joe Biden on Monday questioned Congress to shift immediately and ship him a bipartisan invoice built to increase the personal computer chips sector and higher-tech study in the United States.
The Senate was at first envisioned to take a vital vote in the evening to advance the laws, but Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., introduced that storms on the East Coastline experienced disrupted journey designs for quite a few senators and that he would be delaying the vote until eventually Tuesday early morning. The bill requirements help from at the very least 60 senators to apparent procedural hurdles and put it on a route to final passage afterwards this 7 days, giving Biden a signature earn on laws his administration says is required to guard countrywide security and help the U.S. superior compete with China.
The invoice delivers about $52 billion in grants and other incentives for the semiconductor sector as nicely as a 25% tax credit rating for individuals firms that create chip plants in the U.S. Supporters say all those incentives are vital to compete with other nations that are also paying billions of bucks to lure suppliers.
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The pandemic has underscored how substantially the United States depends on semiconductor suppliers overseas to offer the chips utilized in automobiles, personal computers, appliances and weapons methods. The Biden administration has been warning lawmakers they need to act prior to leaving for their August recess to guarantee the businesses invest in U.S. fabs in its place of creating the vegetation in other places.
Biden, who is continue to recovering from COVID-19, held a virtual roundtable with customers of his administration and marketplace leaders about the deserves of the invoice. He mentioned that a lack of semiconductors was the most important driver of increasing automobile expenditures, which are a core part of the inflation gripping the state.
Biden stated the U.S. relies on Taiwan for the generation of the most state-of-the-art chips and that China was also commencing to go ahead of the U.S. on the producing of these kinds of chips.
“America invented the semiconductor. It truly is time to carry it property,” Biden mentioned.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo instructed him that chip companies are finalizing expenditure ideas and that revenue provided by the monthly bill will be instrumental in their conclusion.
”We know they will develop, simply because they have to in order to satisfy demand. There is no dilemma about that,” Raimondo instructed Biden. “The dilemma is, wherever will they expand? And we want them, we have to have them to grow listed here in the United States.”
The leaders of Medtronic, a health-related unit maker, as perfectly as Cummins Inc. and protection contractor Lockheed Martin, pitched the president on the will need for the monthly bill as effectively.
“Like other individuals at the desk, we are dealing with a source chain disaster. We are unable to get the factors we need and semiconductors is always at the leading of the record,” mentioned Tom Linebarger, chairman and CEO of Cummins Inc., which can make diesel engines.
Linebarger mentioned the company is now paying brokers as considerably as 10 occasions the common charge to get the computer chips it needs. The federal government’s investments by means of the monthly bill would shift manufactures from “wringing our hands about where by we sit in level of competition with some others to basically going onto the industry and helping U.S. brands compete,” he mentioned.
General, the monthly bill would improve U.S. deficits by about $79 billion in excess of the up coming 10 many years, according to the Congressional Finances Office environment. The invoice also authorizes about $200 billion to progress higher-tech study in the U.S. around the coming ten years. Congress need to approve that funding as component of long term shelling out payments and the CBO did not include things like that exploration dollars in its deficit projection.
Critics have likened the shelling out to “corporate welfare” and have mentioned the funds would be much better invested on other priorities or not at all. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., explained he does not hear from people today about the need to have to assistance the semiconductor business. Voters speak to him about local weather modify, gun security, preserving a woman’s correct to an abortion and boosting Social Protection advantages, to name just a number of.
“Not far too several individuals that I can recall — I have been all over this state — say: ‘Bernie, you go again there and you get the career completed, and you give enormously rewarding businesses, which shell out outrageous compensation deals to their CEOs, billions and billions of bucks in company welfare,’” Sanders stated.
When the Senate has acted, the monthly bill will be taken up in the Dwelling. The window for passing the monthly bill is slim if some progressives sign up for with Sanders and if most Republicans line up in opposition based on fiscal concerns. But Household Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has reported she’s self-assured that it will have sufficient assist to go ahead of lawmakers depart Washington for the August recess.
Copyright 2022 The Involved Press. All rights reserved. This substance may well not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the need of authorization. | <urn:uuid:314ff2d5-da9e-4447-aaba-0ad8ac4bb933> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://fastcredit24.com/biden-presses-computer-chips-case-in-advance-of-senate-vote-technology.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573163.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818033705-20220818063705-00065.warc.gz | en | 0.962511 | 1,146 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Key Difference – Identifier vs Keyword
There are various concepts such as variables, functions, etc. in programming. A variable is a memory location to store data. A function is a block of statements to perform a specific task. When writing the program, it is important to give meaningful names as it improves code readability. Therefore, the programmer can create names to identify them. They are known as identifiers. An identifier is a user defined name given to a variable, function, array or class. There is also a set of words provided by the programming language having specific meanings. They are known as keywords. Keywords belong to the language, and each have particular tasks. These keywords cannot be used as identifier names. This article discusses the difference between an identifier and a keyword. The key difference between identifier and keyword is that, an identifier is a user defines name for variable, function, class while a keyword is a reserved word provided by the programming language.
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is an Identifier
3. What is a Keyword
4. Similarities Between Identifier and Keyword
5. Side by Side Comparison – Identifier vs Keyword in Tabular Form
What is an Identifier?
A name created by the programmer to define a variable, function or class is known as an identifier. The identifiers are used to identify these entities uniquely. It is important to give meaningful names to the identifiers to make the code easily readable. It will also help other programmers to identify what the program is about.
There are certain rules when creating identifiers. Identifiers are permitted only to use alphabetical characters, digits and underscore. It is not recommended to start an identifier with a digit. When there is a statement such as int number = 4; the number is the identifier. The programmer can print the value of that variable using the name ‘number’. Most programming languages support case sensitivity. Therefore, the variable name ‘area’ is different from ‘AREA’.
For a function to calculate the sum of two numbers, the name can be calculate_sum (). Other valid identifiers are employee_salary, student_id and number. When creating a class, the programmer can use a meaning identifier that describes the attributes and methods. e.g. class Student, class Employee, class Rectangle etc. Likewise, the programmer can create identifiers according to the program.
What is a Keyword?
The keywords are provided by the programming language for a specific task. They have special meanings. Keywords cannot be used as identifiers. The keywords are also known as reserved words. When there is a statement in the program as int number = 2; it means that the number is a variable which contains the value 2. The int is a keyword. It informs the compiler that the memory location can store an integer value. When there is a statement as float area; the float is a keyword and area is an identifier. The area variable can hold a floating-point value.
In programming, there are situations to repeat a sequence of statements. The for loop and while loop is used for iterative tasks. For decision, if/else can be used. If the logic is true, then the statements inside the if block will execute. Otherwise, the statements inside the else block will execute. These are a few examples of keywords common to many programming languages. The keywords cannot be used as names for the program variables or other user defined program elements.
What is the Similarity Between Identifiers and Keyword?
- Both identifier and keywords are used in programming.
What is the Difference Between Identifier and Keyword?
Identifier vs Keyword
|An identifier is a user defined name for a variable, function, class.||A keyword is a reserved word provided by the programming language.|
|An identifier can consist of alphabetical characters, digits and underscores.||A keyword contains only alphabetical characters.|
|An identifier can be in upper case or lower case.||A keyword should be in lower case.|
Summary – Identifier vs Keyword
Identifier and keyword are common terms used in programming. When there is a statement in the as int mark; the mark is an identifier and int is the keyword. An identifier is created by the programmer while the keyword is used by the compiler for a specific action. This article discussed the difference between an identifier and a keyword. The difference between identifier and keyword is that an identifier is a user defines a name for variable, function, class while a keyword is a reserved word provided by the programming language.
Download the PDF of Identifier vs Keyword
You can download the PDF version of this article and use it for offline purposes as per citation note. Please download the PDF version here: Difference Between Identifier and Keyword | <urn:uuid:bb255f59-21ba-4b16-98c0-73bbf489194b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-identifier-and-vs-keyword/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.883294 | 1,006 | 4.0625 | 4 |
I am Dimensioning a GSM (R99) network; currently the network is 2G GSM, now i want to migrate the bearer from TDM to IP. After the Migration, only the radio side will remain the same as 2G and the core side will be on 3G (MGW and MSC-Servers will be introduced in the network). The problem is that like in 2G the TLF (trunk loading factor for voice) is normally 0.8 i.e. 80% for TDM (E1). For my voice traffic there is a media gateway after BSC, I want to send this Voice traffic on the IP as bearer, the total bandwidth (out going and incoming traffic) is 20Mbps for example from MGW. After MGW there is Access router(co-located with MGW) which is connected to CORE router located in other Major city, how much Light load Factor should I consider? Should I provide the total bandwidth between two router 30Mbps, 40 Mbps etc….?? Or what is the calculation for the Loading factor? Not Compromising the QoS for Voice.Please guide me?. | <urn:uuid:d24c925e-86d2-4989-9792-27032a1d2529> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.erlang.com/topic/2-30634/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570765.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808031623-20220808061623-00266.warc.gz | en | 0.937676 | 236 | 1.640625 | 2 |
June 26, 2009
The ROD for the Logjam FEIS, signed by Forest Supervisor Forrest Cole, explains and details the Selected Alternative (Alternative 5) from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. These sales will support the Forest's 2008 Forest Plan Amendment and an Adaptive Management Strategy designed to meet the capacity of local mills to process timber in Southeast Alaska. The sales are entirely located in the roaded land base of the forest.
The Selected Alternative will harvest timber over several years from about 3,400 acres of commercial forest land to produce 73 million board feet (MMBF) of sawlog and utility timber volume. The entire EIS project area covers a little more than 56,000 acres. The planned harvest will use a variety of methods designed to protect natural resources while economically harvesting the renewable timber resource. Logging systems will be mostly ground-based, with some helicopter logging involved. No Inventoried Roadless Areas will be entered with the implementation of the projects.
The Decision also authorizes the construction of five miles of National Forest System (NFS) roads, and an additional 22 miles of temporary roads. There are about 125 miles of NFS roads and another 46 miles of decommissioned temporary roads within the project area.
Quoting a Forest Service news release, the Logjam Timber Sales are a vital element of the local island economy and the Tongass' efforts to transition into a young-growth management strategy. Currently the Forest is working to develop enough timber under contract, with additional timber in planned sales, to supply local mill operators and the local wood products industry for the next 15 to 20 years. The Tongass will then transition its timber program to one that relies more on young growth timber from past harvest areas.
The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council said in a news release, despite the fact that this area is more valuable for wildlife, hunting, fishing and recreational needs, SEACC along with other conservation groups offered a "Conservation Alternative " to help the Forest Service and area timber operators meet their timber needs.
"Alternatives ranged from cutting no action to cutting 75 million board feet. Conservation groups came up with an alternative just under 40 million board feet that would create jobs and preserve wildlife corridors. So we're disappointed and a bit dismayed that the Forest Service would propose an unnecessarily high 72 million board feet alternative that cuts into one of the primary wildlife corridors on Prince of Wales," said Lindsey Ketchel, executive director of the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council. "It shows they want to continue business as usual on the Tongass."
Cole explained that his decision was made based upon several factors that include:
"In making my decision, I considered the objectives to meet the Purpose and Need for this project as well as the issues and concerns raised during scoping, and comments on the Draft EIS," Cole wrote in the ROD. "I considered Forest Plan direction relevant to this project and the competing interests and values of the public. I considered all viewpoints and incorporated them where feasible and consistent with the Purpose and Need of the project."
Timber Sale contracts can be
awarded 15 days after appeals are resolved as required under
the Appeals Reform Act (ARA) and the regulations implementing
that Act at 36 CFR 215. In accordance with the ARA, organizations
and members of the public with standing (those who submitted
comments or otherwise expressed an interest in the project during
the 45-day comment period on the Draft EIS) have 45 days to appeal
this Decision to the Regional Forester.
Sources of News:
Publish A Letter in SitNews Read Letters/Opinions | <urn:uuid:16df3a84-7077-4ad9-a73f-96daa112af8d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.sitnews.us/0609/062609/062609_logjam.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279489.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00013-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946423 | 731 | 1.976563 | 2 |
13 Effective Home Remedies for Dry Skin
By Refadoc, Posted on : Friday, 19 June 2015 - 5:00 pm IST
Dry and flaky skin can often be experienced all over the year, though they are much more common during the winter days. The dry air in the atmosphere tends to suck all the moisture away from the skin making it dry and itchy. Often some of the other factors such as aging, nutritional deficiency as well as genetic factors are also responsible for the dry skin. Dryness of the skin is not a disease, but is caused due to the external factors. When the skin loses its moisture, it also tends to lose its flexibility and becomes scaly. It is very important to treat dry skin as soon as possible as when it is left untreated, it can lead to bacterial infections and sores which could even transform into dermatitis. Dry skin patches can come up anywhere on the body but are mostly visible around the hands, arms and the legs.
Though there are many lotions and moisturizers which are available all over the world to treat dry skin, they do come with a reasonable price tag. However, we present to you some simple home remedies which can be quite effective when it comes to hydrating your dry skin and bringing it back to life.
Natural, Homemade Remedies for Dry Skin:
1) Olive Oil:
Olive Oil is known to be a rich source of antioxidants and fatty acids, which makes it great for your skin. It can also soothe and condition your dry skin. You can use the Olive Oil along with your moisturizer. Usually, it is recommended to rub the olive oil on the dry areas before going for a bath. After shower, you can apply a moisturizer as well.
2) Milk Cream:
The Lactic Acid present in the Milk Cream is known to help exfoliate your skin. The soothing touch of the cream also helps to preserve the pH level of your skin. It works as an excellent moisturizer when mixed with a few drops of lemon juice, one teaspoon of milk and two teaspoon of milk cream.
Milk is known to contain certain anti inflammatory and soothing properties which can help to get rid of dry and itchy skin naturally. The lactic acid found in the milk is known to help exfoliate your skin and get rid of the dead skin cells. It also increases the ability of your skin to retain the moisture. Often, it is recommended to soak a washcloth in cold milk and then apply it over your dry skin for a couple of minutes. Then, you may gently wash it all away with another cloth soaked in lukewarm water. This way, the natural moisturizer from the milk will remain on your skin. This practice can be repeated after a couple of days.
Honey has long been considered as one of the best natural moisturizers as it is loaded with antioxidant, antimicrobial as well as humectants properties. It helps to lock in the moisture and makes the skin extra soft and smooth. It contains many vital vitamins and minerals which can help to improve the health of the skin. Before taking a bath, it is recommended to rub honey all over the dry regions and to leave it for 5-10 minutes. This procedure can be repeated until a well moisturized skin tone is obtained.
Yoghurt works in an excellent way to hydrate the skin. It also contains certain anti oxidant and anti inflammatory properties which help to get rid of the dry and the itchy skin. The Lactic Acid present in Yoghurt also helps to get rid of any germs or bacteria which may have accumulated over the skin. Fresh Yoghurt can be applied all over the hands, face and legs and can be gently massaged. It can be left on for about 10 minutes and then can be washed away. The exfoliating action of the Yoghurt on the skin can leave your skin refreshed.
6) Coconut Oil:
Coconut Oil is one of the best remedies for treating dry skin. It contains essential fatty acids which are known to lock in the moisture and preventing the skin from drying. Coconut Oil can be applied before going to sleep at night and can be washed off in the morning. It will make your skin soft and smooth.
Avocado is known to be packed with fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants that can help improve the skin from inside out. The high content of Vitamin A found in Avocado is also known to help maintain the skin and repair it to make it smooth and silky. Mashing the pulp of the Avocado into a smooth paste and then rubbing it all over the dry skin can help to get rid of the flakiness.
Oatmeal is also used in order to moisturize and get rid of the dry skin. The high protein content found in Oatmeal is known to form a protective barrier against the skin and prevents the loss of water and helps to maintain the moisture within the skin. It also contains anti inflammatory properties which are great for the overall health of the skin. Adding a cup of plain oatmeal to your bathtub along with some lavender oil is known to help relieve dry skin. It is recommended to soak in this water for about 30 minutes.
9) Almond Oil:
Almond Oil is a rich source of Vitamin E which makes it an excellent emollient and lubricator when it comes to dry the skin. The antioxidant properties of Almond Oil make it amazing for the skin and since the oil is non greasy in nature, it can be easily absorbed by the skin.
10) Aloe Vera:
Aloe Vera is known for its soothing antiseptic and antifungal properties. This makes it an amazing plant for tackling with dry and irritated skin. Aloe Vera moisturizes your skin and forms a protective layer against it which keeps your skin free of impurities. You can squeeze the gel out of the plant and can apply it all over your skin. Let the gel sit in for 15 minutes and wash it off with lukewarm water.
11) Egg Yolk Paste:
Egg Yolk is an amazing remedy for dry skin. You can make an easy pack with the yolk of an egg along with one teaspoon of milk powder and honey each. You can apply this paste all over the skin and leave it off for 20 minutes. It can be later washed off with tap water.
12) Cucumber Face Pack:
Cucumber is amazing when it comes to treating dry skin. Cucumber known to moisturize the dry skin and also lightens skin tone. You can make a paste off a cucumber and then apply it all over the face. It can be left off for 30 minutes before washing off.
13) Banana Paste:
Bananas can also be used in order to fight against dry skin. Mash a ripe banana and apply it like a face pack over the affected areas. Leave it off for 30 minutes and rinse off with water. Rubbing a banana over the skin is known to prevent inflammation and helps to recover the softness and smoothness of the skin.
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Rooibos Tea Benefits for Health, Weight Loss, Pregnancy & Side Effects | <urn:uuid:e2834311-f6cf-43be-a874-efcea678e566> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://refadoc.com/post/effective-home-remedies-for-dry-skin/190650016 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279224.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00477-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946122 | 1,592 | 1.71875 | 2 |
I always try to find at least one film at Toronto that's way off the beaten track. I rarely stray further afield than I did Tuesday night, when I found myself watching "Wake in Fright," a film made in Australia in 1971 and almost lost forever. It's not dated. It is powerful, genuinely shocking, and rather amazing. It comes billed as a "horror film," and contains a great deal of horror, but all of the horror is human and brutally realistic.
Donald Pleasence in "Wake in Fright"
The story involves a young school teacher in the middle of the desolate wilderness of the Outback. The opening overhead shot shows a shabby building beside a railroad track, the camera pans 360 degrees and finds only the distant horizon. and then returns to find a second building on the other side of the tracks. One building is the school. The other is the hotel. To get to either, people must have to travel a great distance. | <urn:uuid:ccd01d09-7f39-4267-a334-c40dc6497b62> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.rogerebert.com/cast-and-crew/jack-thompson | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573699.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819131019-20220819161019-00278.warc.gz | en | 0.961559 | 205 | 1.523438 | 2 |
SHAWVILLE – The area surrounding the Shawville fairgrounds got the best seat in the house for the Canada Day fireworks display on Friday night, but several neighbours have raised concerns about the event.
One resident, adjacent to the fairgrounds, was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time after a piece of burning fireworks debris landed in her yard. “It set fire to the bushes it landed on,” she said. “We were lucky to be fairly close by, and several people quickly ran over to put it out but that was actually scary for a moment.”
Several locals expressed irritation at the mess that greeted them on Saturday morning. “I have to pick up big chunks of cardboard from all over the yard there’s trash everywhere,” said one neighbour, whose house sits right at “ground zero.”
“Some pieces of cardboard wadding are pretty big; you don’t want them landing on your car. Or your head,” she said. “It’s dangerous having them this close to people’s houses.”
When asked to comment on his constituents’ concerns, Shawville mayor Bill McCleary responded, “Someone did report a fire that happened as a result of the fireworks.” Nevertheless, he described the event as successful overall.
“People really enjoy seeing fireworks, and they were especially good this year because they were done by professionals.” The dangers presented are a concern, however. “We acknowledge there is an issue with proximity to residential areas,” he said. “We’re going to be talking about
it at our upcoming meeting, so we are probably going to move it next year so it’s not as close. When it’s windy, you don’t have as much control, and we’d like to make sure everyone is safe.” | <urn:uuid:4f154d79-7332-4c4f-9387-c23b347bc50d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://pontiacjournal.com/shawville-fireworks-spark-fire-for-some-residents/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571745.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812170436-20220812200436-00476.warc.gz | en | 0.980388 | 411 | 1.570313 | 2 |
SOME PRACTICAL RESULTS
In one of the first organizations where the Blackford Employment Plan was installed there were employed about 2,500 men and women. At the time of the adoption of this plan the various foremen and superintendents in the plant were hiring about 6,600 new employees each year in order to maintain their regular working force of 2,500. Within six months new employees were being taken on at the rate of only 4,080 a year—and this notwithstanding the fact that many changes were necessitated by sweeping reorganization and adoption of new methods of manufacture in the industry.
Excellent results were obtained in reassignment of executives as the result of a careful analysis of those holding positions when the department was installed. One executive instantly recognized as being clever, designing, and essentially dishonest was replaced by another of a reliable, efficient type. Under the new executive, the department more than doubled its output, at the same time cutting the payroll of the department down to 43 per cent of its former size. Still another executive, holding a position of highest trust and responsibility, was reported upon adversely after analysis by the employment department. An investigation made as the result of this report revealed serious irregularities covering a long period of months. Another man properly qualified for the position was selected by the department, and immediately began to effect noticeable savings, as well as greatly increasing the value of the department’s work in the institution. Still another executive selected by this department increased the output of one of the shops by 120 per cent, with a very slight increase in the payroll. In another organization, careful records showed that among employees selected according to this plan, 90 per cent were efficient, satisfactory, and permanent; 8 per cent fairly satisfactory but not permanent; and 2 per cent unsatisfactory and discharged.
AN UNUSUAL HARMONY OF JUDGMENT
But these results, while desirable, are not wholly convincing. It is easy enough to explain them on the ground that any man or woman of common sense, keen observation and good judgment, devoting all his or her intelligence and time to employment problems, might have gained the same results without using a method for determining aptitudes and character from an observation of physical characteristics.
More specific and more convincing evidence may be found in a series of incidents which occurred in connection with an employment department established in a textile factory, employing twelve hundred men, located in New England. The supervisor of this department is a young man who has been a student and practitioner of this method in employment work since August, 1912. Previously to taking up this work, he had taken an engineer’s degree and had some experience as an executive, in a large factory. | <urn:uuid:2f21bb1e-62cf-40a7-ab3e-2480ced82896> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.bookrags.com/ebooks/12649/194.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721558.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00046-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979982 | 544 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Anti Freeze is a chemical additive which lowers the freezing point of a water-based liquid. An antifreeze mixture is used to achieve freezing-point depression for cold environments and also achieves boiling-point elevation ("anti-boil") to allow higher coolant temperature. Freezing and boiling points are colligative properties of a solution, which depend on the concentration of the dissolved substance.
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[gah-nahyt] /ˈgɑ naɪt/
a dark-green to black mineral of the spinel group, zinc aluminate, ZnAl 2 O 4 .
a dark green mineral of the spinel group consisting of zinc aluminium oxide. Formula: ZnAl2O4
1. . /ɡeɪn/ abbreviation (in Canada) 1. Guaranteed Annual Income
[jee-uh] /ˈdʒi ə/ noun 1. the ancient Greek goddess of the earth, mother of the Titans. /ˈɡeɪə/ noun 1. the goddess of the earth, who bore Uranus and by him Oceanus, Cronus, and the Titans /ˈdʒiːə/ noun 1. (Greek myth) a variant of Gaia Earth as a goddess, from Greek Gaia, spouse of Uranus, mother […]
[gey-uh] /ˈgeɪ ə/ noun 1. a model of the earth as a self-regulating organism, advanced as an alternative to a mechanistic model. /ˈɡaɪə/ noun 1. the theory that the earth and everything on it constitutes a single self-regulating living entity noun the hypothesis that the earth and its atmosphere should be regarded a living self-regulating […]
[gey-i-tee] /ˈgeɪ ɪ ti/ noun, plural gaieties. 1. the state of being or cheerful; spirits. 2. Often, gaieties. merrymaking or festivity: the gaieties of the New Year season. 3. showiness; finery: gaiety of dress. /ˈɡeɪətɪ/ noun (pl) -ties 1. the state or condition of being merry, bright, or lively 2. festivity; merrymaking n. 1630s, from […] | <urn:uuid:644d8068-e6f6-4a38-a4c6-bb21e68f6a1a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://definithing.com/define-dictionary/gahnite/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280266.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00500-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.854536 | 405 | 1.703125 | 2 |
(Last Updated on : 12/07/2013)
The Maitraka dynasty chiefly ruled in Gujarat
from c. 475 to 767. The Maitrakas ruled from their capital at Vallabhi
. They were ruled by Harshavardhana
in the mid-7th century, but retained local autonomy. The Maitraka dynasty however regained their independence after the death of Harsha. The name Maitraka is said to have been derived from Mithra, the Sun or Sun deity.
The Maitraka Dynasty was established by Senapati (general) Bhatarka. He was a military governor of Saurashtra peninsula under the Gupta Empire. In the fifth century he became an independent ruler of Gujarat. Bhatarka and Dharasena I were the first two rulers of the Maitraka Dynasty who employed the title of Senapati (general). The third ruler Dronasimha used the term Maharaja to denote himself. After these rulers the dynasty was ruled by Dharasena II, who used the title of Mahadhiraja. His son, the next ruler Siladitya I, Dharmaditya was denoted as a 'monarch of great administrative ability and of rare kindness and compassion' by Hiuen Tsang. Siladitya I was succeeded by his younger brother Kharagraha I.
Dharasena III, the next king of the Maitraka dynasty included north Gujarat in his kingdom. Dharasena II was later succeeded by another son of Kharagraha I, Dhruvasena II, Baladitya. He had married the daughter of Harshavardhana. His son Dharasena IV used the title of Paramabhattaraka Mahrajadhiraja Parameshvara Chakravartin. Siladitya III was the next king who ascended the throne. During the reign of Siladitya V, the Arabs annexed the kingdom. The last known ruler of this dynasty was Siladitya VII. Maitraka rule thus ended with the sacking of Vallabhi
by the barbarians in 524.
This article is a stub. You can enrich by adding more information to it. Send your Write Up to email@example.com | <urn:uuid:73647146-a08f-4784-abe7-aee5e08e9135> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.indianetzone.com/55/maitraka_dynasty.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00427-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971072 | 487 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Aramean people: Aramean people (not to be confused with ‘Armenians’) speak Aramaic, the language spoken by Abraham, Moses and Jesus. They are the indigenous people of what was called in ancient times Aram- Nahrin, in our days it is called ‘Mesopotamia’.
Some Arameans today identify themselves with “Assyrians”, because of the spiritual colonial hate generating activities of the Western missionaries and diplomats in the Middle-East in 16th and 19th centuries. Other Arameans became known as “Chaldeans”. However all of them are Arameans.
Abrogation in Islam and the Persecution of Christians
Professor Gabriel Sawma
The acts of pre-meditated massacres committed by Muslim extremists against Christians in the Muslim world, has become a phenomenon that needs to be addressed by the United Nations and the Arab League as well as the United States, Europe, and other nations.
We have seen the massacre of Christian worshippers by Muslim extremists in late October of 2010 in the church of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad. In the New Year, the world witnessed another massacre against Christians in the Church of the Saints in Alexandria, Egypt, committed by Muslim extremists.
In March 2010, Muslim men from the Fulani tribe in Nigeria, armed with swords and machetes, arrived at the Christian villages in the early hours of the morning killing several hundred of Christians.
There are 35-40 million Christians living in countries whose majority are Muslims. Some 15 million live in Indonesia; 12 million live in Egypt; 3 million in Pakistan; less than one million in Iraq and 2 percent in Jerusalem. In Turkey, the Christian population numbers around 1% of the total population of 75 million. In Syria, Christians count for less than 10 percent of the population. In Lebanon the number went down from about 55 percent 75 years ago to under 30 percent today. At present rate in the Middle East, the Christians will, in a decade, have been substantially reduced to the point that they will loose their cultural vitality and political significance. The exodus is a result of the unprecedented persecution of Christians by Muslim extremists as we have seen in the last few months.
Islamic Invasion of the Middle East in the 7th Century
On the eve of Islamic invasion of the Middle East in the seventh century, more than 95 percent of the population, not including Persia, was Christians. The rest were Jews, pagans and others. Back then, the Muslim attitude toward the People of the Book, as Christians and Jews are called in the Quran, does not entail any obligation on the part of the Muslims either to convert or to exterminate them.
Following the death of the Prophet of Islam in 632, the second successor, Calipha ‘Umar, had a covenant with the Christian majority of the Middle East; it is known as the Covenant of ‘Umar. The Covenant was in the form of a letter presented by the Christian community; it reads the following: “When you (i.e. ‘Umar) came to us, we asked you for safety for our lives, our families, our property, and the people of our religion on the conditions: to pay tribute out of hand and be humiliated; not to hinder any Muslim from stopping in our churches by night or day, to entertain him there three days and give him food there and open to him their doors; to beat the ‘naqus’ (the wooden board which serves as ‘bell’ amongst the Eastern Christians) only gently.…and not to raise our voices in them in chanting;. . . .not to build a church, convent, or hermitage, or cell, nor repair those that are dilapidated; nor assemble in any that is in a Muslim quarter, nor in their presence; not to display idolatry, nor invite to it, nor show a cross on our churches, nor in any of the roads or markets of the Muslims; not to learn the Quran nor teach it to our children, nor to prevent any of our relatives from turning Muslims if he wishes it;. . . .Not to resemble the Muslims in dress, appearance, saddles . . .; to honor and respect them, to stand up for them when we meet together;… not to make our houses higher (than the Muslim houses); not to tip weapons or swords, nor wear them in a town or on a journey in Muslim lands;. . .not to strike a Muslim; not to keep slaves who have been the property of Muslims. We impose these terms on ourselves and on our co-religionists; he who rejects them, has no protections.” (A.S. Tritto, The Caliphs and Their Non-Muslim Subjects, London, 1930).
Favorable Verses to Christians and Jews in the Quran
Many Muslim commentators tell half-baked explanations, often appeasing the Western audience, claim that Islam is a ‘peaceful religion’ or ‘tolerant religion’. These terms are used to show that Islam and Christianity can ‘co-exist’ in harmony. Muslim writers quote the Quran to present the religion as ‘peaceful’. They present verses from the Quran showing the peaceful, respectful and tolerant nature of the Quran; one verse reads: “You have your religion and I have mine” Quran 109:6, and “There is no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:256).
Indeed, when you read the Quran, you come across verses that are tolerant to non-Muslims. One verse says: “If thy Lord had pleased, all those who are in the earth would have believed, all of them. Will thou then force them till they are believers?” (Quran 10:99). Another verse reads: “May thou will kill thyself with grief, sorrowing after, if they believe not in this argument (non-believers)” (Quran 18:6).
Some Muslim commentators defend the notion that Islam can ‘co-exist’ with other religions; they refer to a statement made by Ibn Ishaq, the biographer of Muhammad, who in the 8th century, stated that “The Negus of Abyssinia had given refuge to Muslim migrants to Ethiopia before they migrated to Medina.” The biographer stated that “a Christian delegation from Najran (Yemen) met the Prophet inside the mosque at Medina and the Prophet treated them with respect and in friendly way. All these events, Muslim spokesmen say, show signs of tolerance in Islam.
Another verse says: “Those who believe (in the Quran) and those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures) and the Sabian (another sect lived in Arabia before Islam), any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord: on then shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve” (Quran 2:62).
One verse refers to Christian priests and monks as humble and engage in worshipping God: “…Wilt thou find those who say, we are Christians; because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant” (Quran 5:8).
Muslim commentators state that the Quran treats all human beings on equal plain, whatever their creed or color or nation or tribe. They refer to the following verse: “And surely we have honored the children of Adam, and we carry them in the land and the sea, and we provide them with good tiding, and we have made to excel highly most of those whom we have created.” (Quran 17:70).
One verse exhorts the believers (Muslims) to uphold justice and treat non-Muslims generously: “Exempted are those who join people with whom you have signed a peace treaty, and those who come to you wishing not to fight you, nor fight their relatives. Had Allah willed, he could have permitted them to fight you. Therefore, if they leave you alone, refrain from fighting you, and offer you peace, then Allah gives you no excuse to fight them” (Quran 4:90).
Another verse reads: “For every one of you we appointed a law and a way. And if Allah had pleased he would have made you a single people, but that he might try you in what He gave you. So vie one with another in virtuous deeds” (Quran 2:148).
Muslim commentators state that Allah did not create all human beings as one community, but rather different sects, distinctively. They state that plurality of religions and ways of life and different laws co-exist peacefully with the Muslim community.
Anti Christian Sentiments in the Quran
But the same Quran calls Christians ‘Dhimmi’, an Aramaic word [DMM] means ‘the insulted ones’, who must pay “jizya” (a head tax for protection) and be humiliated (Quran 9: 29).
The Quran calls its followers to smite the necks of the unbelievers (non-Muslims): “When you meet those who disbelieve, smite at their necks until when you have killed and wounded many of them, then take them as captives, (Quran 47:4).
The Quran calls its followers to smite the unbelievers (non-Muslims) above their necks and smite their fingers; it reads: “Remember thy lord has inspired the angels with the message. Give firmness to the believers and instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers (non-Muslims). Smite them above their necks and smite the fingertips of them.” (Quran 8: 12).
The Quran commands the believers (i.e. Muslims) to wage Jihad (holy war) on non-Muslims, it reads: “Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you; but it may happen that you hate a thing which is good for you and it may happen that you love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows you don’t” (Quran 2:216).
The Quran says: “The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger (non-Muslims) and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hand and feet at alternate side cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom. . .” (Quran 5:33-34).
The Quran says: “These twains (the believers, i.e. Muslims and the disbelievers, i.e. non-Muslims) are two opponents who contend concerning their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve (non-Muslims), garments of fire will be cut out for them; boiling fluid will be poured down their heads. Whereby that which is in their bellies and their skins too, will be melted; and for them are hooked rods of iron. Whenever, in their anguish, they would go forth from thence they are driven back therein and (it is said unto them): Taste the doom of burning” (Quran 22:19-22).
The Quran says: “Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers (non-Muslims) chains, yokes and a blazing fire” (Quran 76:4).
The Quran says: “Therefore, when you meet the unbelievers (non-Muslims, in fight), smite them at their necks. At length, when you have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them)” (Quran 47:4-6, 15).
The Quran says: “Verily Allah has cursed the unbelievers (non-Muslims) and has prepared for them a Blazing Fire to dwell in forever. No protector will they find, nor savior. That day their faces will be turned upside down in the fire; they will say: Woe to us! We should have obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger! (i.e. Muhammad), our Lord! Give them double torment and curse them with a very great curse!” (Quran 33:64)
In another verse the Quran says: “Truly Allah loves those who fight in His cause in battle, as if they were a solid cement structure . . . that you believe in Allah and His Apostle (Muhammad), and that you strive in the cause of Allah, with your property and persons. That will be best for you, if you but knew! He (Allah) will forgive you your sins, and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow, and to beautiful mansions in gardens of eternity. That is indeed the supreme achievement. And another (favor will He bestow), which you do love – help from Allah and a speedy victory. So give the glad tidings to the believers (Muslims)” (Quran 61:4, 11-13).
The Quran calls Muslims not to befriend Christians and Jews; the verse reads: “O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors; they are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them [for friendship] is of them. Verily Allah guides not a people unjust” (Quran 5: 51).
The Quran commands Muslims to fight a jihad against non-Muslims, it reads: “Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fights in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We [Allah] shall bestow a vast reward” (Quran 4:74).
The Quran calls Muslims to kill the “mushrikeen” (those who associate gods with God, such as Hindus and Christians); it reads: “Seize them and slay them wherever you find them; and take no friends or helpers from their ranks” (4: 89).
The Quran calls the Jews “apes” (2: 62-65); and calls the Christians “swine” (Quran 5:59-60). The disbelievers (non-Muslims) are a folk without intelligence, (Quran 8: 65).
The Quran reads: “Say, Shall I tell you who, in the sight of Allah, deserves a yet worse retribution than these? They whom Allah has rejected and whom He has condemned, and whom He has turned into apes and swine (Jews and Christians) because they worshipped the powers of evil…” (Quran 5:60).
“And then, when they (the Jews) disdainfully persisted in doing what they had been forbidden to do, We [Allah] said unto them: Be ye apes. Despised and rejected.” Quran 7:166, Yusuf Ali translation).
“And well ye knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath: We said to them: Be ye apes, despised and rejected” (Quran 2:65, Yusuf Ali transaltion).
The Doctrine of Abrogation in Islam
Faced with these contradictory verses from the Quran, and instead of explaining these contradictions, Muslim theologian started looking into another mechanism to solve these contradictions. They adopted a doctrine known as “the doctrine of abrogation”, a legal method that allows annulment of seemingly contradictory verses from the Quran, without deleting them from the text.
When speaking in the West, Muslim commentators, deliberately hide this major Islamic doctrine, called in Arabic “Al-Nasikh wal-Mansoukh” (the abrogator and the abrogated). The Arabic etymology of the word is “naskh” means a legal method that allows annulment of certain verses from the Quran.
Abrogation is an integral part of Islamic Shari’a and is mentioned in the Quran. It simply means that in situations wherein verses conflict one another, the early verses are overridden by the latter verses. This means the abrogated verses remain part of the Quran, but are cancelled out by other verses; both, the abrogated verses and the abrogating verses are retained in the Quran. In Arabic the term used is: al-Nasikh wal Mansukh.
The concept of “abrogation” is stated in the Quran, it means that Allah chose to reveal verses that supersede earlier verses in the same Quran. The central Quranic verse that deals with abrogation is the following:
“None of Our revelations (verses) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar; knowest thou not that Allah hath power over all things? (Quran 2:106, Yusuf Ali translation). This means that when Allah decides to abrogate a verse from the Quran, He simply replaces the abrogated verse by a new and better one.
Since its inception, abrogation has been a central element in the Islamic religion. The Quran asserts the doctrine of abrogation in the following verses: “God abrogates or confirms whatsoever he will, for he has with him the Book of the Books (the Quran)” (Quran 13:39). The Quran further states that “If we [Allah] please, we could take away what We have revealed to you. . .” (Quran 17:86).
Apparently, Muslim theologians were unable to explain away the inconsistencies in passages from the Quran. Some believe that the language of the Quran is Aramaic, not Arabic. The earliest copies of the Quran were written, not in the modern Arabic script as most of the Arab speaking people believe, but were written in a script borrowed from the Aramaic script, and a language closely related to Eastern Syriac, the original language of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and parts of Egypt. This means that the alleged contradictions, claimed by Muslim interpreters of the Quran, may not, after all, be contradictions, if these verses were interpreted in Aramaic rather than Arabic. (For more on this subject, see The Qur’an: Misinterpreted, Mistranslated and Misread. The Aramaic Language of the Qur’an by Gabriel Sawma, available on amazon.com.
Aramaic, not Arabic, was the language of the inhabitants of the Middle East in the seventh century. Even the Arab kingdoms of Palmyra in northeast Damascus, and the Nabataean kingdom of Transjordan had all their literature and epigraphic material written in Aramaic and Greek; not a single inscription of those Arab kingdoms was written in Arabic. The classical Arabic language of the modern Quran did not exist in the seventh century. http://www.syriacaramaicquran.com
But Muslim theologians consider the verses revealed to Muhammad in Medina contradict those verses revealed in Mecca and as a result, they established the doctrine of abrogation, whereby those verses revealed in Medina, would abrogate those revealed earlier in Mecca.
Nevertheless, Muslim jurists insist that the language of the Quran is Arabic and that the Arabic interpretation of the Quran renders these differences, and consequently, they use the doctrine of abrogation to take away divine verses revealed to the Prophet of Islam during his missionary. Abrogation allows the verses, which came late, to annul earlier verses. (John Burton, The Encyclopedia of Islam, vol. 7, s.v. “Naskh,” p.1010.)
In addition to the Quran, the Hadith (sayings attributed to the Prophet) confirms the use of the doctrine of abrogation in early Islam. We see this doctrine being applied during the time of the third successor of the Prophet of Islam, ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan. The doctrine is recorded in the second divine book in Sunni Islam, Sahih al-Bukhari, written more than two hundred years after the death of the Prophet, reads the following: “I said to ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan (while he was collecting the Qur’an) regarding the verse:--Those of you who die and leave wives…” (Quran 2:240) “This verse was abrogated by another verse. So why should you write it? (Leave it in the Qur’an)? ‘Uthman said: “O son of my brother! I will not shift anything of it from its place.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 6, book 60, number 53 See, http://www.wikiislam.net/wiki/Abrogation_Naskh)
Abrogation is shown in the most important and reliable source of Islam, second only to the Quran, Sahih al-Bukhari (846AD); it reads: “They had a choice, either fast or feed a poor for every day… and added, “This verse is abrogated.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 6, book 60, number 33. See wikiislam.net. Abrogation)
Abrogation is attested in another important and reliable source of Islam, Sahih Muslim; it reads: “The Messenger of Allah (Muhammad) abrogated some of his commands by others, just as the Qur’an abrogates some part with the other.” (Hadith, Sahih Muslim, Book 3, number 0675). See also, Muhammad Abu-al-Hussain Muslim bin al-Hahhah al-Nissapuri, Sahih Muslim, International Islamic Publishing House, 1971, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, book 003, no. 0675.
More testaments to the existence of the doctrine in early Islam is attested by Sahih Muslim; it reads: “…I recited to him this verse of Sura al-Furqan…And those who call not upon another god with Allah and slay not the soul which Allah has forbidden except in the cause of justice…He said: This is a Meccan verse (i.e.verse came to Muhammad in Mecca) which has been abrogated by a verse revealed at Medina…” (Hadith, Sahih Muslim, book 43, number 7173).
Another Hadith book in early Islam, the Muwatta, confirms the use of the doctrine of abrogation in early Islam; it reads: “Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Hazm from Amra bint Abd al Rahman that A’isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Amongst what was sent down of the Qur’an …—then it was abrogated by…” (Hadith al-Muwatta, book 30, number 3.17b).
The doctrine of abrogation was taught for the judges in early Islam. This is attested by ‘Ali ibn Abi Taleb, son-in-law of the Prophet of Islam and cousin, who later declared himself the fourth successor of the Prophet. ‘Ali talked about the doctrine of abrogation as a precondition for qualifying an individual to be an Islamic judge, (He said to ‘Abdul Rahman, can you differentiate between abrogating and abrogated verses? ‘Abdul Rahman said, “no.” Thereupon ‘Ali said “You are damned and cause others to be damned.” (Annashikh wal-Mansukh by Abul Qasim, published by Hindia Press, Cairo, p. 6. A similar saying is found in Al-Nasikh wal Mansukh by Abu Ja’far al-Nahhas, Beirut, 2003, p. 9).
One saying attributed to the Prophet in particular addresses abrogation; it cites Abu al-A’la bin al-Shikhkhir, considered by Muslim theologian to be a reliable source of knowledge about the Prophet’s life, as saying, that “The Messenger (Muhammad) of Allah abrogated some of his commands by others, just as the Quran abrogates some part of it with the other.” The Prophet of Islam accepted that Allah would invalidate previous revelations, often making ordinances stricter. (Anwar al-Tanzil wa-Asrar al-Ta’wil by ‘Abdallah Ibn ‘Umar al-Baydawi, published by Dar al-Tiba’ah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1997, pp.116-7).
In his book, Tafsir: The Commentary on the Qur’an, Abu Ja’far al-Tabari (d.923) a distinguished authority on Islamic history and one of the early interpreters of the Quran, confirms that abrogation can be used in connection with “commands and prohibitions,” (Tafsir: The Commentary on the Qur’an by Abu Ja’far bin Jarir al-Tabari, Oxford University Press, 1987, pp. 471-2).
In the eleventh century, Muslim theologians insist that verses from the Quran may substitute other verses, (See for example, Al-Naasikh wal Mansukh by Ibn Hazim, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1986). They also agreed that the Prophet changed his rules according to circumstances, (Sahih al-Bukhari by Muhammad al-Bukhari, vol 6, Kazi, Lahore, 1979, book 60, p. 31; See also, Al-Kashshaf ‘an Haqa’iq al-Tanzil wa-‘Uyun al-Aqawil fi Wujuh al-Ta’wil, Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, Beirut, 1967, part I, pp 337).
Modern Muslim commentators confirm the doctrine of abrogation; they state that the laws might differ across time but that there should be no shame in the same lawgiver replacing temporary law with permanent ones (i.e. abrogating). (Tafsir al-Qur’an by Abdul Majid al-Daryabadi, Idara Islamiyyat, Lahore, 1985, p. 36).
Muslim theologian divide the Quran into verses revealed to Muhammad by the Angel Jibril in Mecca when his community of followers was weak and more inclined to compromise with Christians, Jews and the pagans of Arabia. It is during this period in Mecca that the earlier, peaceful, compromising, and lenient verses were revealed to Muhammad. But as his authority grew strong after he and his followers migrated to Medina, other verses came down to him; it is those defiant, insulting, attacking, and calling for jihad against non-Muslims verses that abrogate the previous verses.
Muslim theologians insist that anyone who studies the Quran without mastering the doctrine of abrogation would be “deficient” (See Al-Nasikh wal-Mansukh by Abu al-Kasim Hibat-Allah Ibn Salama, Dar al Ma’arif, Cairo, 1966, pp. 4-5. On page 142-3, he lists the abrogated verses. See also pp. 7, 11, 26-27, 37, 46.).
Western readers may not have heard with this fundamental doctrine in Islam. Muslim commentators refer to the peaceful, compromising, and tolerant verses from the Quran; they do not tell their Western audience that these verses have been annulled and have been replaced by verses which are defiant, insulting, attacking and calling for jihad against non-Muslims. So far this tactic, used by Muslim commentators, has been successful in the Western media. Western journalists and scholars, although—some of them studied Arabic—are not capable of understanding the old Arabic language, in which the Arabic literature and history is originally documented, and they may not have access to these books which deal with abrogation. Muslim commentators avoid any discussion of the abrogation in the Quran.
Al-Suyuti, (1445-1505), an authoritative Muslim scholar said in his Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran that everything in the Quran about forgiveness and peace is abrogated by verse 9:5. The verse orders Muslims to fight the unbelievers and to establish Allah’s kingdom on earth. Verse 9:5 reads the following:
“When the sacred months are over, slay the ‘mushrikoon’ (those who associate gods with Allah) wherever your find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way. God is forgiving and merciful” (Quran 9:5).
Muslim theologians call this verse, “The Verse of the Sword.” Some Muslim writers call it “the Ultimatum”. Chapter 9 of the Quran, in which the Verse of the Sword is written, is the only chapter that does not begin “in the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.” All other chapters of the Quran begin with this opening statement. (See Al-Itqan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran by Al-Suyuti, part 1, pp.60, 65, 164).
Muslim commentators confirm that the Prophet received this revelation (9:5) in the year 631, one year before his death, when he had returned to Mecca, triumphant. (See, The History of al-Tabari, vol. 8, pp. 160-87). The most reliable source in the Hadith collection of Sahih al-Bukhari, states that chapter 9 of the Quran was the last chapter revealed to Muhammad. (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 6, book 60, # 129).
Prior to receiving The Verse of the Sword, Muhammad had reached agreements with various pagan tribes of Arabia. But all these agreements were nullified after that verse. The Verse of the Sword creates license for Muslim extremists to kill non-Muslim, solely on the basis of their refusal to accept Islam.
Al-Dahhak Ibn Muzahim, an authentic transmitter of Hadiths, said that The Verse of the Sword “abrogated every agreement of peace between the Prophet and any idolater, every treaty, and every term. The Shafi’i School of Jurisprudence in Sunni Islam took this as a justification for killing anyone who abandoned prayer and for fighting anyone who refused to pay religious “Jizya” (head tax for protection paid to Muslims by non-Muslims).” (See Islamic Jurisprudence: Shafi’i Risalah by Khadduri, pp. 333-52, notes, pp. 33-9).
Muslim fundamentalists cite this verse to justify their violent jihad against non-Muslims. The Quranic term ‘mushrikeen’ or “mushrikoon” means those who associate gods with Allah; this applies to the Hindus and Christians. Christians’ belief in the Trinity implies that Jesus is God. This has been interpreted by Muslim theologians that Christians believe in two Gods: God the father and God the Son. Such a belief is called, in Arabic, “ishrak”, the etymology of the Quranic word, “mushrikeen”.
Since Chapter 9 of the Quran came late during the life of the Prophet, therefore, it abrogates previous peaceful verses of the Quran. According to Sahih al-Bukhari, Allah revealed this chapter to the Prophet in order to discard any restraint on Muslims, and to command Muslims to fight against all the pagans as well as against the People of the Book (i.e. Christians and Jews) if they do not embrace Islam, or until they pay the “Jizya” (which is a religious tax). The verse says: “But if they (non-Muslims) repent and establish worship and pay the alms to the needy…” This is an ultimatum to non-Muslims to convert to Islam.
Al-suyuti states that one hundred twenty four verses in the Quran have been abrogated by “The Verse of the Sword”. According to Shaidalah, a Muslim source of jurisprudence, the Quranic verse that we mentioned earlier which states: “You have your religion and I have mine” (Quran 109:6), and “Let there be no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:256), both verses have been abrogated, long time ago. (See al-Itqan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran by al-Suyuti, cited earlier).
A contemporary, Muhammad Sa’id Ramadan Al-Buti, a PhD holder from al-Azhar University in Egypt, and dean of the Faculty of Religion at Damascus University, Syria , wrote the following commentary: “Verse 9:5 does not leave any room in the mind to conjecture about what is called defensive war. This verse asserts that holy war, which is demanded in Islamic law, is not a defensive war because it could legitimately be an offensive war. That is the apex and most honorable of all holy wars. Its goal is the exaltation of the word of Allah, the construction of Islamic society, and the establishment of Allah’s kingdom on earth regardless of the means. It is legal to carry on an offensive holy war.” (Jurisprudence in Muhammad’s Biography by Muhammad Sa’id Ramadan al-Buti, Dar al-Fikr, Damascus, 2001, pp. 323-4).
Western readers, who read the Quran, will not notice this distinction between the abrogated and non-abrogated verses. The abrogated verses were kept in the Quran. So, Western readers do not know that those verses, which are considered nice, peaceful, reasonable, loving and tolerant toward non-Muslims, are in fact abrogated, i.e. overridden and annulled by later verses which validate such things as terrorism, hatred and violence toward other religions.
Muslim commentators, who appear on TV programs or write essays on this subject, do not disclose to their Western audience that these verses are in fact abrogated and could not be used as a reference of Islamic peaceful dealings with other religions. Only the remaining verses which have threatening tones against non-Muslims are not abrogated, because they came to the Prophet at a later time.
The current phase of Jihad against non-Muslims stems from the doctrine of abrogation, which commands Muslims to “Fight those who do not believe in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has been forbidden by Allah and His Apostle, nor acknowledge the religion of truth of the People of the Book (i.e. Christians and Jews), until they pay the Jizya (head tax for protection) with submission and feel themselves humiliated” (Quran 9:29). “And those who disbelieve (non-Muslims) will be gathered unto Hell” (Quran8:36). “If thou couldst see how the angels receive those who disbelieve (non-Muslims), smiting faces and their backs and (saying): Taste the punishment of burning” (Quran 8:50).
The Verse of the Sword abrogates the following verse: “We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob and his children (i.e. the twelve children of Jacobs), and what is given to Moses and Jesus, and what was given to all other prophets from their Lord. . .” (Quran 2:257).
Abrogation has ramifications, one of which is manifested in the lack of condemnation by the Muslims in general to the persecution of Christians in Islamic countries. This explains why Muslims around the world have little or no enthusiasm to mobilize demonstrations in the streets of Washington DC, or Paris or London to condemn Muslim terrorists. The mild reaction by Muslims to the attack of September 11 on the United States is just one example of lack of interest in condemning Muslim terrorists. The attackers of September 11 did what they did in compliance with “The Verse of the Sword”. The doctrine of abrogation drops any sense of remorse, or mercy by Muslim extremists towards non-Muslims. There is a popular saying in the Muslim world in Arabic: “You must defend your brethren (Muslim) under any circumstances, whether he is aggressor or victim” (Wansur akhaka idha kaana dhaliman aw madhluman).
The doctrine of abrogation creates hatred by Muslims towards non-Muslims. It is impermissible for a Muslim to attend the celebration of Christian festivals and congratulate them. Here is a Fatwa issued by Sheikh Muhammed Salih al-Munajjid; it reads the following: “…It is not permissible for the Muslims to attend the festivals of the mushrikeen (those who associate gods with Allah), according to the consensus of the scholars whose words carry weight . . .Do not enter upon the mushrikeen in their churches (i.e. Christians) on the day of their festival, for divine wrath is descending upon them. . .Avoid the enemies of Allah on their festivals. . .Whosoever settles in the land of the non-Arabs (non-Muslims) and celebrates their new year and festival and imitates them until he dies in that state, will be gathered with them on the Day of Resurrection” (http://islamqa.com/en/ref/11427) Last time viewed Jan. 5, 2011.
Treatment of Christians under Islam
The doctrine of abrogation gives license to Muslim extremists to persecute non-Muslims. From the beginning, Islam regarded both Christians and Jews as second-class citizens. Time and again, the Muslim texts, which are represented in the Quran and the second source of the Islamic law, known as the “Hadith” (sayings of the Prophet) and “Sunnah” (deeds of the Prophet), assert the intention of humiliating Christians and Jews. Never was a Christian or a Jew to be left in doubt about his inferior status. And it must be said that, on the whole, Christian communities were massacred and their churches were taken away and turned into mosques; to add insult to injury, Christian men and women were forced to wear special garments in order to identify themselves in public as “dhimmi”, i.e. the insulted community.
History of persecutions of Christians and Jews under Islamic Sharia has been going on since the early Islamic invasion of the Middle East in the seventh century. During the reign of al-Mutawakkil (847-61), a wave of anti-dhimmi (anti-Christian) feeling swept the Middle East. The Calipha, Barhebraeus (d. 1286) reports, “was a hater of the Christians, and afflicted them by ordering them to bind bandlets of wool round their heads; and none of them was to appear outside his house without a belt and girdle. And the new churches were to be pulled down. And if they should happen to have a spacious church, even though it was ancient, one part of it was to be made into a mosque.
The Massacres of Armenians in 1915, which killed more than 1.5 million Christian Armenians in Turkey, in addition to half a million Syriac Orthodox, Syrian Catholics, Assyrians (i.e. the Church of the East), Chaldeans and other Christian minorities, who were massacred by the Muslim Turks and Kurds in the region of Tur ‘Abdin in Southeast Turkey, is a reminder to what extent Muslim extremists can do to annihilate Christians, Jews and Hindus, if they have power and the upper hand.
In modern days, Pakistan’s blasphemy law is one of the main causes of persecution against Christians and other religious minorities in that country. It was enacted into law during the Islamization process under the military dictatorship of General Muhammad Zia ul-Haq in the 1980s. Under the law, anyone who speaks ill of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad commits a crime and faces the death penalty. The law stipulates that “derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo or insinuation, directly or indirectly shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.” (See the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan; http://www.rationalistinternational.net/Shaikh/blasphemy_laws_in_pakistan.htm
Christians who make up 4 percent of Pakistan’s population have been especially concerned about the law saying it offers them no protection. Convictions hinge on witness testimony and often these are linked to personal vendettas. Under this law, a Pakistani court sentenced in November, 2010, Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of four to death, in a case that has exposed deep rifts in the troubled Muslim nation of more than 170 million people. On Tuesday, January 4, 2011, the governor of the most populous state of Punjab, Salman Taseer, who had strongly opposed the law and sought presidential pardon for the 45-year-old Christian woman, was gunned down by one of his bodyguards.
In Sudan, it is estimated that more than 1.5 million Christians have been killed by the Janjaweed, the Arab Muslim forces in northern Sudan since 1984. (Source, Wikipedia).
In Ghaza, under the auspices of Hamas, Christian citizens, Christian establishments and religious institutions are singled out and attacked by Muslim extremists belonging to the Islamic Hamas movement.
In 1999, anti-Christian violence erupted by local Muslims in Indonesia. Tens of thousands died when Muslim gunmen terrorized Christians who had voted for independence in East Timor. (See The Faith: A History of Christianity by Brian Moynahan, Random House, 2003, p. 728.)
Saudi Arabia regularly imprisons Christians from other nations. Christians are arrested and lashed for practicing their faith in public. No one is allowed to be a citizen in this nation unless he or she is Muslim. Prayer services by Christians are broken up by the police, and people who convert to Christianity are often arrested and may be sentenced to death.
Confiscation of Churches
The spread of Islam was always associated confiscating churches and turning them into mosques. One of the major shrines in Eastern Christianity was the Church of St. John the Baptist in Damascus, Syria. Pope John Paul II visited the Great Mosque of Damascus) popularly known as al-Masjid al-Umawi) in 2001; he was aware that he was visiting the site of the Great Church of St. John the Baptist.
Muslim Turks annexed the great church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, which became the principal mosque of the Ottoman Empire. The Church of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), constructed between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor, Justinianus. It was a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque. It was officially turned into a museum in 1935 by Ataturk.
The great Jacobite Church of Amida (modern-day Diyarbakr in Southeast Turkey, became the courtyard of the Great Mosque of Diarbakr.
The tomb of a Jacobite Patriarch at Niveveh, near Mosul in Iraq, was confiscated and turned into the mosque of Jonah (Nabi Yunis). (See the Decline of Medieval Hellenism, by Speros Vryonis, 1899, p. 197.)
Th e Ottoman Empire never stopped confiscating churches and converting them into mosques. When they occupied Budapest, all the churches but one became mosques. In Cyprus, the Gothic Cathedral of Famagusta became the Turkish mosque of Lala Mustafa Pasha. Originally, it was known as the Saint Nicolas Cathedral, and later as Ayasofya Mosque of Magusa, the largest medieval building in Gamagusta. Built between 1298 and 1400, it was consecrated as a Christian cathedral in 1328.
A significant surge in churches converted into mosques followed the 1974 Turkish Invasion of Cyprus. Many of the Orthodox churches in Northern Cyprus were confiscated, and many are still in the process of becoming mosques.
The Armenian Cathedral of Edessa, which was lost during the 1915 massacres of the Armenians, Syrians, Nestorians (modern day Assyrians), and Chaldeans, became a mosques, with a mihrab (direction of prayer to Mecca) punched into the south wall to indicate the direction of Mecca. There are no churches in Edessa in use today.
In Egypt, the columns of an older Christian Church was confiscated by the Muslims of Egypt and converted into Ibn Tulun Mosque; considered one of the world’s largest mosques.
In many instances mosques were established on the places of Jewish or Christian sanctuaries associated with Biblical personalities. The second Calipha ‘Umar, laid down the foundation of al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Temple Mount is the most sacred site in Judaism. Its location was the site where Abraham offered his son Isaac in sacrifice. It was built by King Solomon in the tenth century BC.
To make things worse for the Christian communities throughout the Middle East, every single state in the Arab League, except Lebanon, inserted in their constitutions provisions indicating that “Islam is the religion of the state”; or “ the laws of the state must be based on Islamic Sharia”; or the “president must be Muslim”. All these provisions in the constitutions of the Muslim countries demonstrate disrespect and discrimination against the original Christian inhabitants of these states. Such provisions encourage Muslim states and individuals to commit acts of violence and murder against the Christian minorities. Such constitutional provisions make it possible for fanatic parties to flourish and instigate riots and violence against the Christian minorities as we see in Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Indonesia, and other Muslim nations.
As if these discriminating constitutions are not enough, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), an international organization with a permanent delegation to the United Nations, with 57 member states is adding more troubles to the minorities in the Muslim states. While it attempts to safeguard the interests and ensure the progress and well-being of Muslims all over the world, not a single resolution taken by this organization addressed the status of the minorities in the Muslim states or condemning the massacres and violence against them. I might add that the U.S. has a permanent representative to this body. So far no meeting was held by the OIC to look into these massacres, or to condemn them.
The Arab league (consists of twenty-two Arab states) holds meetings to discuss issues related the Middle East, or involving Islam. The Arab league refuses to meet or discuss the execution of Christians and other minorities living in its Member States.
Arab Heads of States and their foreign ministers meet or a regular basis to discuss policies related to the Middle East. So far not a single meeting was held to discuss the persecution of the Christians living in their states.
Gabriel Sawma is professor of Middle East Constitutional Law, Islamic Sharia (law), European Union Law, Islamic banking and finance, Arabic and Aramaic. Consultant on Islamic divorce in US Courts. Consultant on recognition and enforcement of foreign divorce judgments in US courts. Author of a book titled, “The Qur’an: Misinterpreted, Mistranslated, and Misread. The Aramaic Language of the Qur’an”, http://www.syriacaramaicquran.com. Editor of International Law blog, http://www.gabrielsawma.blogspot.com; Email: firstname.lastname@example.org
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It is forbidden to publish this publication, in whole or a part, without the permission of the Aram-Naharaim Organization. | <urn:uuid:7de37e69-ef1f-46c5-9b15-39c3c5c67c0e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Gabriel_Sawma_Islam_Persecutions_Christians_18_1_2011.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00246-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948448 | 10,242 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Cape Town - The Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) in partnership with the City is on a mission to clean up and beautify the CBD, hoping that visible maintenance will revitalise the business district’s economy.
Over the next few weeks, the CCID’s Urban Management Department will be initiating three new projects that will focus on maintaining the appearance of the city centre.
The projects will focus on cleaning city centre streets and on the general upkeep of urban spaces for stakeholders, ranging from big-time investors to small and medium business owners and visitors.
CCID chief executive Tasso Evangelinos said: “The projects may seem small but the upgrades speak to a rejuvenation of the urban space. This constant upgrading builds capacity for positive change, shifts negative perceptions and plays into the famous ‘broken window’ theory that decreasing visible signs of disorder has a net positive impact.
“It helps to build the narrative of a thriving CBD that’s open for business, and will benefit the more than 3 000 business entities in the central city from retail and entertainment ventures to architectural practices, educational institutes and more.”
CCID urban management manager Kally Benito said: “Our team plays a pivotal role in cleaning the city centre’s streets and maintaining general upkeep. Of late, it has embarked on several special projects in addition to business as usual.
“We have initiated projects Red, Brown and Blue to contribute to maintaining the urban fabric of our city centre. Investing in the central city attracts investment, as more business entities and investors will perceive it as an attractive proposition,” she said.
Project Red will involve the sanding and repainting by technical teams of all the post boxes in the CBD, while Project Blue will focus on the sanding and repainting of blue infrastructures such as bollards, poles and the 18 metal benches on Thibault Square. Project Brown will entail the sprucing up of wooden benches in St George’s Mall and other areas in the CBD.
The three projects will also work to provide employment, through the CCID’s initiative in partnership with non-profit organisations such as the Straatwerk NPO. | <urn:uuid:bafe4d68-ff9d-49a6-965e-9fe21dba25b9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/ccid-embarks-on-projects-to-improve-cape-town-cbd-235a4169-d3ff-4791-b539-0b24079def7a | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571198.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810161541-20220810191541-00265.warc.gz | en | 0.927383 | 462 | 1.625 | 2 |
In April, 2013 I wrote an article challenging SLPs who work with students with autism spectrum disorder to use our creativity to help our students identify their strengths, interests and even fixations and parlay them into career possibilities (“Gearing Up for Reality,” ASHA Leader Magazine April 2013).
As a result I decided to create a six-week pre-vocational summer camp counselor experience for eight high school aged male students, many of whom I hadn’t seen for several years. I wanted to offer them the same summer intern experience that typical students are exposed to minus the stresses and fear of failure. Staff and I wanted this to be a safe and nurturing environment with structures in place to help them navigate the world of work.
The criterion was quite simple; the students needed to commit to work in our summer camp at least three days per week and attend weekly job club meetings where I would address daily living, social, and pre-vocational skills. Additionally, each student would receive a stipend of $200.00 in exchange for their participation but more importantly to make our discussions on money management real and tangible. Our program would culminate in a trip to Clear Lake, Calif., for a weekend work experience.
Sadly, our six weeks have come and gone. I vividly remember how I felt on that first day seeing the boys. I stayed on the verge of tears as they each filed into my office with their parents in tow. Despite their height, good looks, and deep voices I could still see in each of them the little boys who I once knew. As I extended my hand to greet them, each gave me a warm hug. My heart melted!
It was interesting to watch the boys interact with each other on that first day. Some were more socially adept than others but they had all come a long way. In many ways, they were like typical teens sizing each other up and looking for a common ground while seeking acceptance.
During the first week I began to see their personalities unfold. We had an antagonist, a peacemaker, a social “dude,” a wanna-be grouch with a beautiful smile, a cool diplomat, an “honest Abe,” an easy rider, and the sleeper with a big heart who never ceased to amaze us. As different as they all were, the thread that bound them all was ASD. I was curious to see how they would adjust to working with the staff who were their bosses, the children who were the clients or consumers and the other assistants who were their colleagues.
During our first club meeting, as I laid out the employee rules, the antagonist challenged me on the “no cell phone” rule. He wanted to remind me that the phone could be used for more than talking or texting. After all, what if he wanted to check the time? I calmly repeated the rule and reminded him that this was a company policy and referred him to the clocks on the walls. This was nonnegotiable.
Meanwhile, “honest Abe” complained of total exhaustion and became stuck on how challenging the little children were. Interestingly, my sleeper who appeared to not be paying attention, when asked for an opinion said. “I was like that when I was four and couldn’t talk, but once I learned how, I didn’t cry as much.” Our diplomat closed it out and reminded everyone that they should “want” to help the kids in the same way “we” had helped all of them. My heart skipped a beat as I thought how amazing are my boys!
Staff and I marveled as we watched them grow and mature in just six short weeks. Several of them had worked with the boys in their early years. We remembered the “social dude” when he had a fixation with fans. He told us that he has turned his fixations into hobbies and then began to tell of his hobby. We also reminisced about the peacemaker who as a child was extremely shy. We watched in disbelief as he reprimanded the group and pleaded for them to allow the antagonist to finish his statement.
On July 19th we boarded our flight to Sacramento, drove two hours to Clear Lake and settled into an unbelievable weekend at the Full Circle Sheep Farm with sisters Eva and Marty who embraced us as if we were family.
Our workday started at 7 am on Saturday and we painted barns, tended the sheep and their lambs, and played with pets Blaze and Malcolm X . We then returned to our Travel Lodge to swim and relax before returning to the farm to paint drawings of sheep on the barns. The remainder of the evening was spent discussing TrayVon Martin and lessons we could learn from this and similar situations. Their concerns were valid and we collectively developed strategies to deal with the unexpected.
On Sunday morning we returned to say our goodbyes. The boys surprised all of us as they spontaneously spoke from their hearts about what the experience meant to them and even what they meant to each other. The social dude suggested they should all return not for a weekend but an entire week. The grouch flashed his beautiful smile and agreed unconditionally. Honest Abe said, “Lets do it again but somewhere that’s not so hot!” Our smooth diplomat said “We are like brothers and I love all of you.” The sleeper had the last word and said “ I feel so blessed. I want to bring my family here.” All of the adults fought to fight back our tears of joy.
On the flight home all I could think was “mission accomplished.” My pilot pre-vocational program was a success. The boys have committed to staying in touch and having quarterly activities. They have gotten a taste of the world of work and more importantly, they have learned the importance of giving back. We all agreed autism is a label and it doesn’t define how far we can go in life. The sky’s the limit. In the words of my sleeper, I feel so blessed!
From the blog of Los Angeles Speech and Language Therapy Center, Inc.
Pamela Wiley, PhD, CCC-SLP, is the president and founder of Los Angeles Speech and Language Therapy Center, Inc. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:120bff44-50c9-4827-8260-243c10dddb7c> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://blog.asha.org/2013/09/05/a-new-twist-on-vocational-training/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719273.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00066-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984798 | 1,307 | 1.554688 | 2 |
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