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Chameleon diamonds actually change color. Some turn from a stable yellowish green to yellow. This color change can be observed by keeping the diamond in the dark, for at least 24 hours, or heating it to 200-300° C. It will take on an unstable yellow color.
Do real diamonds change color?
Fluorescence is a characteristic that makes some diamonds appear to change color or glow when they are exposed to the ultraviolet light. This change in color is completely different than a diamond’s color.
What causes color change in diamonds?
The color usually develops when high-energy radiation emitted by nearby radioactive mineral grains penetrates the diamond. The radiation knocks carbon atoms out of their position in the diamond crystal lattice, and that defect causes the diamond crystal to selectively absorb red light and selectively transmit green.
What is the rarest diamond color?
Red diamonds are the rarest of the colored diamonds, with only 20-30 existing in the entire world. They get their beautiful red color from a rare process during their formation, which changes the crystal structure of the diamond and causes light to pass through it differently than colorless diamonds.
What is chameleon diamond?
The term ‘chameleon diamond,’ was first used to describe these color-change diamonds in the jewelry trade in 1943. … This is a temporary color change, and as the diamond cools, it reverts to its greenish yellow appearance. Photo: Robison McMurtry/GIA.
How do you tell if a diamond is real with a flashlight?
To test the diamond’s refractivity, place the stone on its flat side onto a piece of newspaper with lots of lettering. Make sure to use bright lighting and that no objects are casting a shadow on your diamond. If you can read the letters from the newspaper — whether they appear blurry or not — then the diamond is fake.
How can you tell if a diamond is real or not?
To tell if your diamond is real, place the stone in front of your mouth and, like a mirror, fog it up with your breath. If the stone stays fogged for a few seconds, then it’s probably a fake. A real diamond won’t fog up easily since the condensation doesn’t stick to the surface.
What is the most annoying color?
Orange. Above all other colors, orange took home the medal for Most-Hated Color.
What colors do diamonds come in naturally?
Diamonds naturally come in every color of the rainbow (yep red, blue, green, purple, pink, etc.), as well as black, brown, gray, and white. There are even “salt and pepper” diamonds that look more polka-dotted. So, there are many different color diamonds!
What is the most common diamond color?
Diamond color is important: Most diamonds used in engagement rings are near-colorless with hints of yellow or brown. All things being equal, the more colorless a diamond is, the rarer it is, and this rarity will be reflected in its price.
Is Black Diamond rare?
Like other types of fancy color diamonds, black diamonds are extremely rare. Black diamonds are much more rare than colorless diamonds, which may come as a surprise if you’re familiar with these diamonds’ price points– black diamonds are much less expensive than colorless diamonds.
What is the rarest diamonds on earth?
The world’s rarest diamonds available to buy
- The Pink Legacy. …
- Lesedi La Rona rough diamond. …
- Graff Venus. …
- The Cullinan Heritage diamond. …
- The Golden Empress diamond. …
- The Millennium Star diamond. …
- The Graff Pink diamond. …
- The Incomparable diamond.
Which diamond color is the most expensive?
Red Diamonds are the rarest and thus the most expensive diamond color! They come only in a Fancy intensity and the color modifiers for them are purplish (purplish red diamonds) and brownish. Pure red diamonds almost don’t exist. The most known red diamond is the Mousaieff Red – a 5.11ct Pure Red diamond.
How rare is a chameleon diamond?
Certainly, chameleon diamonds are extremely rare. Their history started in the middle of the 20th century. Before that, most jewelers and merchants believed these stones were pure green diamonds. The first case of their studying happened in GIA (Gemological Institute of America) in 1943.
How expensive are chameleon diamonds?
Famous Chameleon Diamonds
Another amazing stone cited by Africa Gems is an 8.04-carat radiant-cut diamond that the GIA classified as a fancy dark grey green chameleon. This diamond was set in a rose gold ring surrounded by a pave frame of small pink diamonds, and is estimated to be worth about $2,100,000.
Why do chameleon diamonds change color?
Chameleon Diamond’s Intensity levels
When exposed to heat or hidden from the light, the chameleon often changes from a lighter yellowish tone to a darker greenish hue. Chameleon diamonds can be broken down into two types: Classic and Reverse.
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Topics discussed in our "Code Forum" column involve complicated issues requiring extensive analysis. However, not every Code question warrants such in-depth treatment. Here are the latest short answers to questions posed on our Web site. Coverage includes topics in: Sec. 240-3(b)(1), Sec. 300-37, Sec. 310-10, Sec. 310-15(b)(6), Sec. 336-5(a)(1), Sec. 336-18, Sec. 336-26, Sec. 338-4(a), Sec. 424-9, Table 310-16, and Arts. 336, 338, and 400.
Q. I am writing to see if the NEC prohibits the installation of wiring devices in perimeter convector units or housing for fin tube radiation. Are there restrictions on wiring in this location or for LAN/voice wiring and devices?
Q. An office space has hot water fin tube radiation on the perimeter. The fin tube is enclosed by a sheet metal housing with a fixed section (about 6 in. wide) every 4 ft and removal sections in between. Our client wants to install receptacles and LAN/voice outlets in the fixed section. The receptacles will be located above the heating element (fin tube). The wiring, probably MC cable, is the proposed method. It will be secured to the perimeter wall, again above the heating element. Is this a legal installation, and are there restrictions on the wiring methods?
A. (Editor's Note: We've combined the answer for these two questions.) First of all, these are listing restrictions issues. Some electric baseboard units have factory-made and suitably listed receptacles to go in the ends of this type of heater. The NEC recognizes these in Sec. 424-9. The FPN calls attention to generic listing restrictions that lead to the necessity for such devices; namely that electric heaters can't be located under receptacles. If there isn't a violation of the listing restrictions, either those specific to the heater or the generic ones in the UL Green Book, you can install the receptacles.
No restrictions exist in the NEC with respect to nonelectric circulating hot water heating systems, other than generic provisions like Sec. 310-10, which prohibits the use of a conductor under temperatures that would degrade its insulation.
If I understand your installation, that would be unlikely in the case of Type MC cable with typical THHN insulation. However, if the design temperature exceeds 60 degreesC (140 degreesF), you couldn't use No. 12 Type MC cable for 20A multiple-outlet circuit wiring. Applying the ambient temperature derating factor (0.58) for a higher temperature to the conductor ampacity in Table 310-16 for this wire (30A) yields an adjusted ampacity of 17.4A. Sec. 240-3(b)(1) prohibits rounding up to 20A in this case unless you have each outlet on an individual branch circuit.
With respect to the LAN, the NEC protects against fire and electrocution hazards, and the energy levels in such wiring pose neither threat. Therefore, this is purely a design question.
Q. Can I run a 15kV transformer feed (in conduit) through a telecommunications room?
A. The NEC allows for medium- voltage raceways in areas accessible to unqualified persons as long as the wiring method meets Sec. 300-37. If you use a pull box, be sure to add caution labels and provide a secure fastener.
Q. I have a three-story apartment building with one feeder (2000A, 208Y/120V, 3-phase) going to main switchgear breakers and then through distribution breakers to two sets of apartment metering. From the meters, it's proposed to use SER cable installed above the false ceiling into the apartments and down the drywall to each apartment subpanel. Do Arts. 336, 338, and 400 apply to SE cable? Can I use SER cable between a suspended ceiling and the fixed ceiling out of sight in this case? What other Code rules might apply to the SER cable?
A. Art. 338 applies, since this is the named article for the wiring method. Art. 400 only applies to flexible cords, and has no bearing here. By way of Sec. 338-4(a), however, all of Parts A and B of Art. 336 do apply. This brings in the three-story limitation in Sec. 336-5(a)(1) (which you meet) and the support rules in Sec. 336-18.
Be careful in calculating ampacities for this cable. The 60 degreesC ampacity column limitation in Sec. 336-26 applies to this cable for the first time. For example, to run a 100A feeder to an apartment, you'd need 1/0 Al SER cable; even if the cable carried the typical XHHW designation.
This rule used to be tucked away in Part C of Art. 336, but the 1999 NEC split the 1996 NEC wording, and this part of it ended up in Part B (affecting Art. 338). Don't even think about using Sec. 310-15(b)(6) (old Note 3) because these feeders don't originate in a single-phase distribution.
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Despite Approval Major Issues Remain Unresolved
Do you consider the approval of the constitution a success for promoting democracy in Iraq, or do you think it will provoke further insurgency?
Michael Lüders: I'm afraid that the latter will be the case. I mean in theory it is very important that this constitution was approved by the majority of Iraq's population. However it was quite clear that both the Kurds and the Shia population would vote in favour of this constitution whereas in those regions where the Sunnis constitute the majority opposition would be stiff, mainly due to the fact that the Sunnis, the former power brokers in Iraq, lost all of their powers after the toppling of Saddam.
So until now we have not seen any reconciliation process between these various ethnic and religious groups. And although this approval of the constitution is a step forward in terms of institution building, institutions remain very weak in Iraq and the insurgency will undoubtedly continue.
How do you expect the moderate Sunni Arabs to react to the result of this referendum?
Lüders: I think that the moderate Sunnis did understand very well that in the long run it doesn't play to their favour should they really refuse any participation in state-building institutions in Iraq. And for that reason I believe that quite a few moderate Sunnis will even participate in the parliamentary elections that are going to take place in December. However, the pressure of the radicals will be very strong and will remain dangerous for moderate Sunnis to really participate in the political process. Moderate Sunnis do run the risk of being assassinated.
Many Sunnis fear that the constitution would create richer 'mini states' for the Kurds and Shia and leave the Sunni areas of the country in the centre and west of the country impoverished. You think they were right in their fears, do you?
Lüders: I would think so, because when you look at the constitution it becomes apparent that it is really strengthening regional control over the state. In other words: when we talk about the oil income, it is mainly the regions of the country, the Kurdish region in the North an the Shia region in the south, where the oil income is going to be reaped in, whereas the Sunni areas have more or less little say in the contribution of the oil income.
In other words: The central state will become even weaker after the approval of the constitution. It is a part of the constitution to really strengthen the regions to the disadvantage of the state, and therefore it will be even more difficult to go ahead with the constructive state building.
Some last-minute changes were made to the constitution shortly before the referendum was held. Do you think other changes need to be made?
Lüders: Oh, definitely. And this is what the Sunnis were promised. I mean, this was the reason why in the end at least the moderates among the Sunni population did agree to this 'constitution business', so to speak, but there will be amendments. And in fact there will be another referendum held next year in May in order to prove the amendments made by then. However the Sunnis do only have a chance to get their voice heard through the parliament which will be re-elected in December. And even then the Sunnis will remain a minority.
And if the majority, Kurds and Shia, do not approve of Sunni proposals for the reforming of the constitution, then these reforms will not pass. So therefore, in other words: in theory changes are possible, in practice they are very unlikely to be happening.
There has already been a presidential election in Iraq and now we have the referendum on the constitution and of course parliamentary elections are due in December. What is it going to take to persuade the insurgence to end the violence? Will they not be satisfied until the US-lead coalition forces leave the country?
Lüders: I'm afraid so, yes. I mean, we have to see that the insurgency is not really united except on one issue: that’s the disapproval and the hatred of the Western occupation of the country as they see it. They are against American troops, against British troops, against foreign occupiers as they view them. And this is really their common denominator. When we look at their given ideologies and their goals, there is not really much in common, because we are talking about different warlords, different ideologies, different people striving for different purposes.
And therefore: Should the Americans leave, should the British leave, it would then be the hour of truth, so to speak, for the insurgence. Then, at the latest, they have to make public what their demands are. And so far they do not have a political agenda except battling the Americans and the British and those Iraqis who are being seen as collaborators of Western forces.
Interview conducted by Brian Pickering
© DEUTSCHE WELLE/DW-WORLD.DE 2005
Michael Lüders studied Islamic sciences, politics and journalism in Berlin. He wrote his PhD on the Egyptian cinema. He produced several documentary films for the German television and was for many years editor for Near and Middle Eastern Affairs for the German weekly Die Zeit. He lives as political advisor, journalist and author in Berlin.
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Sage leaves can be dried and stored for as long as one year. Drying herb leaves reduces some of their flavor, but sage is an exception to this rule as it actually becomes more flavorful after drying. Sage belongs to the mint family and has a strong taste that is widely used in cooking, especially for fatty meats like duck, pork, and goose. The leaves and flowers of this plant are also quite attractive, making this a popular ornamental plant as well. The following will provide you some tips on how to effectively dry your sage leaves.
Sage leaves, like most other fresh herbs, are at their most flavorful when the plant is just blooming. You can retain more flavors by harvesting the leaves at this stage. However, if you can't wait for the blooms, you can harvest and dry sage at any time during the growing season.
Choose a sunny day for harvesting, but avoid wilting by plucking the leaves when the weather is not too hot. Pluck large branches from the plant. Inspect the leaves for any signs of disease or pest infestation, and discard any affected ones. Also, remove any leaves that look wilted or dry.
Preparing the Leaves for Drying
Wash the leaves thoroughly in a colander and let the water drain out. Then, pat them dry with a cloth or paper napkin. You can either spread the leaves out on a ventilated surface, or tie them up and hang them for drying. If you want to tie the leaves, use a string or piece of floss to tie some branches together. Sage leaves contain a relatively large percentage of oil, so they may take longer to dry than you expect. It is best to tie a few branches at a time to speed up the process.
This method requires that a bunch of sage branches tied together at the bottom. Place the bunch in a paper bag so the bottoms of the stems are at the opening. Tie the paper bag around the stems with a rubber band or a string. Use a fork or scissors to poke some holes in the bag to give the leaves sufficient air circulation. This will also help protect against mold. Finally, hang the bag upside down from a nail or a rack. Choose a drier area in your home to hang it, such as a shed or the garage.
Tip: I personally use the 'brown bag with holes' method for drying herbs including sage, and it is foolproof.
Using a Food Dehydrator
A food dehydrator can make your job very easy. Spread the sage leaves on a drying rack and place it in the food dehydrator. Avoid drying other foods at the same time, as the pungent odor of sage may seep into these foods. Inspect the leaves every couple of hours, and remove when crumbly. A dehumidifier also works in the same way, but the drying process will be much slower.
Storing Dry Sage Leaves
Discard any dried leaves that show signs of mold. Then, rub the dry sage over a sieve and collect it in a plate. You can also store the dried leaves whole and use them as needed. All dried sage should be placed and stored in airtight containers.
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This quick shot by Skybox’s SkySat-1 shows multiple planes landing at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) airport in Beijing on December 30, 2013. You can easily see a large plane landing on the runway at right. Using the video’s timestamp and public flight logs, Bruno identified this plane as Air China Limited flight 1310, a wide-body Airbus 330 flying from Guangzhou to Beijing. Operating as a codeshare, that flight was also listed as Shenzhen Airlines 1310, United Airlines 7564, SAS 9510, Austrian 8010 and Lufthansa 7283.
Skybox’s constellation of micro-satellites is putting out the world’s first commercial, high-resolution, HD video of Earth from space. Here you can see Mapbox Streets paired with this video from SkySat-1.
You can also see an aircraft landing at the end of the clip on the runway to the west, closer to Terminal 1. Again Bruno identified this aircraft: Hainan Airlines 7196 from Fuzhou to Beijing. It’s a Boeing 737-800 narrow-body jet also flying under a codeshare as American Airlines 7226.
The idea of video from space is very new but the benefit of seeing movement and direction over many frames is amazing. Seeing the aircraft headed to a specific terminal provided context to help identify it and watching cars move down a road shows directionality useful for better road classification. It’s early — but the idea of more data is really exciting. Hit us up on Twitter to talk @skyboximaging and @mapbox.
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Managing Data in Motion describes techniques that have been developed for significantly reducing the complexity of managing system interfaces and enabling scalable architectures. Author April Reeve brings over two decades of experience to present a vendor-neutral approach to moving data between computing environments and systems. Readers will learn the techniques, technologies, and best practices for managing the passage of data between computer systems and integrating disparate data together in an enterprise environment.
The average enterprise's computing environment is comprised of hundreds to thousands computer systems that have been built, purchased, and acquired over time. The data from these various systems needs to be integrated for reporting and analysis, shared for business transaction processing, and converted from one format to another when old systems are replaced and new systems are acquired.
The management of the "data in motion" in organizations is rapidly becoming one of the biggest concerns for business and IT management. Data warehousing and conversion, real-time data integration, and cloud and "big data" applications are just a few of the challenges facing organizations and businesses today. Managing Data in Motion tackles these and other topics in a style easily understood by business and IT managers as well as programmers and architects.
- Presents a vendor-neutral overview of the different technologies and techniques for moving data between computer systems including the emerging solutions for unstructured as well as structured data types
- Explains, in non-technical terms, the architecture and components required to perform data integration
- Describes how to reduce the complexity of managing system interfaces and enable a scalable data architecture that can handle the dimensions of "Big Data"
Data Warehouse Professionals; Data Modelers and Architects; Database and Network Administrators; ETL and Application Programmers; Project Managers; IT and Data Center Managers; CIO/CTO
What this book is about and why it’s necessary
What the reader will learn
Who should read this book
How this book is organized
Part 1: Introduction to data integration
Part 2: Batch data integration
Part 3: Real-time data integration
Part 4: Big data integration
Part 1: Introduction to Data Integration
Chapter 1. The Importance of Data Integration
The natural complexity of data interfaces
The rise of purchased vendor packages
Key enablement of big data and virtualization
Chapter 2. What Is Data Integration?
Data in motion
Integrating into a common format—transforming data
Migrating data from one system to another
Moving data around the organization
Pulling information from unstructured data
Moving process to data
Chapter 3. Types and Complexity of Data Integration
The differences and similarities in managing data in motion and persistent data
Batch data integration
Real-time data integration
Big data integration
Chapter 4. The Process of Data Integration Development
The data integration development life cycle
Inclusion of business knowledge and expertise
Part 2: Batch Data Integration
Chapter 5. Introduction to Batch Data Integration
What is batch data integration?
Batch data integration life cycle
Chapter 6. Extract, Transform, and Load
What is ETL?
Chapter 7. Data Warehousing
What is data warehousing?
Layers in an enterprise data warehouse architecture
Types of data to load in a data warehouse
Chapter 8. Data Conversion
- No. of pages:
- © Morgan Kaufmann 2013
- 15th March 2013
- Morgan Kaufmann
- eBook ISBN:
- Paperback ISBN:
"The highlight of the book is that the author is able to present a broad, complicated subject in a coherent, consolidated, and readable manner. This is ideal for busy information technology managers and chief technical officers who have little time for outside reading. The book is especially valuable for those managers who are not familiar with modern data management or who are fluent in general computing technology but are tasked with managing data on a larger scale."--ComputingReviews.com, November 4, 2013
"Reeve, an enterprise information consultant with EMC, describes different techniques, technologies, and best practices for managing the transfer of data between computer systems and integrating disparate databases together within a large organization."--Reference and Research Book News, August 2013
"Few if any enterprises have the luxury of a single unified integrated data platform. Yet one of the least considered areas in enterprise information management is how we should treat and manage the growing numbers of interfaces. April Reeve presents a much-needed overview and guide to the challenges of data integration."--John Ladley, Principal of IMCue Solutions, Editor of the Data Strategy Journal
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I remember almost thirty years ago visiting this part of Melbourne. Like now, I enjoyed taking photos of the river, particularly at sunset. Watching the sun's light on the river bank or causing reflections on the water continues to fascinate me. Seeing the river weave itself around its path between its banks still makes an interesting photograph.
This part of Melbourne hasn't changed much. The river seems to be the same now as then. And probably as it had been for hundreds and thousands of years before that. It's a quiet part of the world and not many people visit it. I'm sure that helps it to stay the same. Human contact with the land can make a difference to it, damaging it, changing it.
I'm sure underneath and around the river there have been some changes. I'm sure there's erosion and there might be some pollution that is not apparent to me. You would certainly expect it to change over time.
But to me it's a little haven. A place that unlike most areas around here has managed to keep its shape, not be influenced by change, not be caught up in the rapid growth that characterizes this area. I am grateful that there some places like this. Protected from the rest of the world. Protected from developers interested in changing the environment by building new housing estates. Protected from people who want to destroy the natural beauty of the place. Protected from noise and pollution. Protected from people. Let's hope it stays like this for another thirty years or more.
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Lookin' for Boys in all the Wrong Places....
This commentary I wrote for today's Chronicle of Higher Education fleshes out a little-known offshoot of the boy troubles found in many high-poverty high schools -- the ninth grade "bulge."
That's where boys passed along in the early grades (regardless of how well they absorbed the material) run smack into ninth grade, the first year of a college-prep curriculum. They're not ready and are therefore told to repeat ninth grade. Thus, the ninth grade bulge, where boys greatly outnumber girls.
No one should be surprised that many don't make it beyond ninth grade, which explains why in many school districts ninth grade has turned into the biggest dropout year. I credit the Southern Regional Education Board for tracking this phenomenon.
School officials often blame discipline problems for the early dropout rates, but both teachers and principals tell me that discipline is often the scapegoat. For these boys, acting out is more honorable than enduring the insult of struggling with material they don't understand.
This is a K-12 issue but I deliberately wrote the commentary for a higher education audience which seems perplexed about why so many more girls than boys apply to their institutions.
(Hint: grab this commentary while you can; the link won't stay password-free forever.)
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Planting Seeds According to the Moon
The technique of gardening by the phases of the moon can speed up germination by working with the forces of nature. Plants respond to the gravitational pulls of the moon much like the tides of the ocean. Seeds sprout faster, plants grow vigorously at an optimum rate, and harvests are larger.
The lunar phase of the moon controls the amount of moisture in the soil. The moisture is at its peak at the time of the new and full moon. The gravitational pull causes water to rise in the soil which encourages germination and growth.
How Lunar Planting Works
The pull of the moon on Earth is stronger then that of the sun because the moon is closer to the Earth. The strongest effect is when the sun and the moon pull from opposite sides of the earth at the full moon phase. The pulls create high tides when they are acting on the same side at the new moon phase as well. These forces also affect the water content of the soil, creating more moisture in the soil at the time of the new and full moon. The increased moisture encourages seeds to sprout and grow.
Plants that are sown in the best combination of lunar phases show signs of increased vigor, due to them having the best influences. They grow at an optimum rate and have less setbacks. This causes harvests to be larger, quicker, and crops don’t go to seed as fast.
What Moon phase To Plant During?
• During the first quarter, new moon, is the best time for planting above ground annual crops that produce their seeds outside the fruit.
• The types of crops that prefer the second quarter are annuals that produce above ground. Also, mowing the lawn in the first and second quarter increases growth.
• During the third quarter, full moon, plant root crops, perennials, biennials, bulbs, and do transplanted because of active root growth.
• The fourth quarter is the best time to cultivate, harvest, and prune. Mowing lawns in the fourth quarter slows growth.
Jeremy Mortis 07
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the Location of their Cave
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST
The air was filled with a thick, nauseous stench of animals' blood. For as far as the eyes could see clusters of people were scattered around in small gatherings and groups engrossed in their individual forms of worship. Some were ferociously slaughtering their sacrifices in the name of false gods, some humbly kneeling over besides tiny lifeless idols proclaiming boundless servitude, whilst others chanted and prostrated to numerous hand carved, stone statues.
A single lone figure stood and glanced around, attentively observing the customary rituals around him. The atmosphere was strained for many of these people were worshipping half heartedly due to the oppression of their tyrant king Daqyaanoos.
A thought crossed his mind - baseless.
Worshipping a being, any being, demands total submission. Belief that he is the Creator, not the created; the Provider rather than the Receiver. Suddenly the youth was filled with a deep resentment for idol-worship. He was overwhelmed with a sincere desire to release himself from his surroundings and quickly, yet cautiously began to make his way away with a new found determination in his heart to submit to the real Lord of both worlds: Allah.
The zealous young man strode away towards an opening, leaving behind the noisy pandemonium of his astray people and took refuge under the shade of a tree. Before long he sighted the distant figure of another youth approaching from the same direction. He watched curiously as he also came and took refuge beneath the tree. Both sat in silence as they observed a third, then a fourth figure heading towards the same destination until a small congregation of seven unacquainted youths gathered.
Each individual was curious about the other, yet at the same time each one was relunctant to reveal his thoughts lest the tyrant king learns of their apostacy.
Eventually, after what seemed like eternity of silence had elapsed one youth spoke up, "Brothers", he began cautiously, breaking the ice, "We had all chosen to detach ourselves from the carnival, maybe we should inform each other of our thoughts." Hearing this request for honesty a bold youth stepped forth and confessed, "The truth is.........."he spoke, "I simply do not agree with the choice of religion our people have adopted. I strongly believe the only deity worthy of worship is, Allah subhanahu wa ta'aalaa who created the heavens and the earths and all that beholds it."
Hearing their own thoughts voiced out aloud inspired the rest to disclose their own beliefs which were exactly the same. This immediately sent a wave of relief over their hearts and an instinctive band of companionship was formed immediately.
With the support of their new found friendship after their total faith in Allah, the youngsters decided to construct a place of worship where they would gather and worship Allah. But as time passed, people rapidly learnt of this 'alien' form of worship and rumours spread quickly like wild fire until they reached the king who was obviously outraged.
The kings exasperation rose at their intolerable courage and in a gust of fury ordered that their fine exquisite robes be removed saying, "I shall withold your punishment temporarily to allow you to think the matter over. If you wish you may return to the religion of your forefathers and no harm shall come to you. If, however, you refuse to accept this proposal you shall most certainly be beheaded,"
This ultimatum offered the group the perfect opportunity to escape to safer grounds. Embracing this chance they fled towards the wilderness in search of a safe haven. As they made their way along they suddenly became aware of another presence pursuing them. They turned to find a brown/yellow dog at their heels.
Despite their many efforts to deter the creature it remained steadfast at their footsteps until finally Allah granted the dog ability to speak with which it spoke out loud, "Should I not love those who love Allah?" Hearing this the youths allowed the dog to accompany them in their trek.
It has been stated regarding this fortunate dog that it is the only dog which shall enter paradise. Surely, it is a point to ponder over. If a creature as disgraced as a dog can achieve such a lofty rank by accompanying the pious and beloved bondsmen of Allah, what can be said regarding the humans who adopt such benevolent company?
Finally they took cover in a hidden cave of the foot of a mountain. The cave was spacious inside and was situated either towards the northern or southern direction, either way it was impossible for the sun's rays to fall inside the cave. It made the perfect hideout.
They appointed one amongst themselves to go to the city in disguise for purchase and investigation. He informed one day that they were being searched for by the soldiers of the king and there relatives were being compelled to give information about them.
As they were discussing this matter, Allah, all of a sudden, set sleep over them. As they lay there, along with their new found companion, Qitmeer the dog, they drifted through the first few moments of an extraordinary sleep which was destined to last 309 years.
During this state of deep sleep the Almighty Allah above watched over them and organized his own manner of protecting them from the outside world.
Seven open eyed figures lay peacefully inside, undisturbed by the blazing sun outside. Occasionally, the silence was broken momentarily as the sleeping bodies swiftly turned to avoid decomposition eating at their sides. Then after a few seconds of disturbances, silence would prevail again.
To an outsider or passer-by the scene, barely visible in the dimly lit cave would appear eerie, almost ghostly. No doubt an inquisitive glance inside would fill one with fear causing him to flee in awe of them.
The years gradually rolled by and in the ever changing world outside, custom and society advanced leaving the eminents of the grave centuries behind; untouched by the aging world of time.
Eventually, after a number of years the bodies stirred, limbs stretched and consciousness returned to bring the youths plunging forward 300 years into the future. Despite the lengthy sleep, signs of it were virtually nonexistent. Upon awakening, one youth questioned casually," How long have you stayed here? "
The youths glanced out into the dusky evening and assumed the night they were witnessing was the end of the same they had entered the cave. " Oh, (maybe) a day or part of the day," came the reply.
Joining in the conversation, a few more spoke up, " Your Lord knows best how long you have stayed."
The topic was brushed aside as quickly as it had begun and they began to discuss plans for the future. However, before any step ahead they decided to satisfy their hunger. Approaching the matter tactfully, one youth advised,
' Send one of you with this silver coin to the city and let him see what food is purest there and bring you a supply thereof.' ( Kahf : 20 )
The youths realised caution was a necessity here because the king definitely must have issued an arrest warrant for them. As this was the first time any of them had dared to venture into the city after the king's ultimatum they added a few words of advice. ' (Let him) be courteous and let no man know of you. For they, if they should come to know of you they will never prosper.
And so, with this advice and silver coin clutched tightly in his hand, one zealous youth named Yamleekha set off towards the local bazaar. Little did he know that in the city he was heading to, corruption and controversial opinions were slowly breaking to surface amongst the city dwellers themselves. A large sect was stubbornly denying the resurrection of mankind after his biological death. Whilst one sect blatantly denied this far fetched possibility, the other faithfully adhered to their sound initial belief, consequently causing dispute throughout.
" How," they argued persistently, " can even one human being ever return to its original state after spending centuries wasting away into dust and ashes? According to us this is surely beyond the grounds of possibility."
In the confusion of satans attempts to misguide them they had grown blind to the extraordinary manner in which Allah created man in the first place from a clot of blood. To resurrect was nothing in comparison.
As time and era had, so had belief changed in 300 years and so had the king of the nearby city. The tryant king, Decius, had been replaced by King Baydoosees who was not only alot more merciful but was also a pious god fearing believer. Witnessing the dispute within his people King Baydoosees’s anxiety grew and he deeply worried for the safety of his peoples’ belief.
One day, realising there was only one solution to this problem, the king retired to the privacy of his personal quarters where he sat alone; a sorrowful figure dressed in old worn out clothes. He looked a pitiful sight with tears streaming damnlessly down his cheeks and his hands raised high in prayer to Allah. Through his racking sobs a few words could be heard, "Oh, Allah, I am relying on you and you alone to create a meaning of understanding for my people and lead them onto the righteous path....
Meanwhile, in the market place Yamleekha was choosely wandering around searching for provisions. He was aware of the fact that the townsfolk often slaughtered animals in the name of false Gods and he certainly didn’t want to partake their sacrifice. Stopping at a nearby stall he settled for some suitable goods and offered his coin in return. The shopkeeper absent mindedly accepted the coin but when he glanced down at it his eyes grew wide in astonishment. "Why, this coin is over three centuries old," he exclaimed to himself in surprise. Puzzled, the shopkeeper walked over to the nearby stall keepers who all inspected the coin, then unanimously came to the conclusion that this strange young man has probably embarked upon some ancient buried treasure.
Together they confronted Yamleekha with this who persistently denied it.
"No, no, no, brothers you’ve got it all wrong. I have not discovered any treasure. This is definitely my own coin"
His cries were to no avail as the townsfolk immediately arrested him and took him to the kings courts. King Baydoosees was engrossed in his prayers when he was disturbed by the arrival of the so-called criminal. As he entered the courts he was greeted by the towns people who related the situation to him. After hearing one side of the story the king looked towards Yamleekha who began to explain himself, "Your Majesty," began Yamleekha, "I am no thief and neither have I unearthed any great treasure. The truth is .... " And so, patiently, the king listened to Yamleekha’s story. Once he had finished he remembered the ancient tablet named ‘Raqeem’ which had been preserved amongst the city’s historical treasures. It had either been written by order of Decius himself who wanted the public to be aware of the fate of those who dared oppose the king, or by a group of true believers who secretly agreed with the youths, but lacked the courage to openly announce their apostacy, and had written this tablet as a memorium.
Slowly, as everything began to fall into place, it dawned upon Baydoosees that Allah had, as He had promised to, accepted his prayer and sent a way for him to prove to the people that resurrection after death is possible.
The king was overjoyed upon hearing the whole truthful story, and said, "Yamleekha, take me with you to your cave so I too can meet the rest of your group."
And so, the king with a large group of the townspeople made their way towards the city. Upon reaching the cave, Yamleekha turned to face the king, " Sire, may I stop you here so I can enter the cave alone first and inform the rest, of the situation, otherwise they will assume the tyrant king and his troops have found us." The king agreed and waited patiently outside.
After many minutes had passed Yamleekha had still not reappeared so the king decided to investigate. When he entered the dark cave he stopped at the sight of the motionless figures lying in front of him. Then, slowly, it dawned upon him that their lives had been taken and each youth had breathed his last before the king had even entered the cave.
The Ashaab-e -Kahf had lived to teach the world many lessons. One of the greatest being the possibility of resurrection. If the Almighty Allah can bring the people of the cave back to life after three centuries without a sign of aging or tiredness, then surely he can gather the bodies and souls of every deceased being in this world on the Day of Judgement to answer for their every move in this transitory world.
NOTE: In some narrations it has been said that the king and the townspeople all entered the cave whilst the Ashaab-e -Kahf were alive. After meeting and sitting with the group they left and the youths died immediately afterwards.
(Allah knows best)
This was a brief account of the Ashaabe- Kahf. With regards to the location of their cave we now present in the following pages a translated piece from Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmaani’s kitaab ‘Jahaane- Deedah’
The location of the cave of the 'Ashaab-e-Kahf' has been an issue of much conflict amongst the Ulamaa ( scholars ) and researchers. Where is the cave situated in which Ashaab-e- Kahf slept for over 300 years? Some researchers have reported it to be in the city Ephesus, in Turkey. Some have named a cave in Spain to be the cave of Ashaab-e-Kahf, and others have proclaimed it to be in Jordan, Syria or Yemen. But a Jordanian researcher, Muhammad Tayseer Brother Zibyaan, who was the editor of the magazine, 'Ash-sharee'ah', arrived in Pakistan in 1976, where he visited Darul-Uloom in order to make the acquaintance of my father ( Mufti Shafi (R.A)). Here he stated with great determination and full confidence that this cave has at present been discovered on a mountain near Amman. He further stated, " I have written an article to verify this." In view of the proof and evidence he presented at that time, it seemed conceivable that the cave of the Ashaab-e-Kahf is most probably situated there.
Brother Zibyaan has now passed away, but has safely stored away his results of the investigations he carried out in a book called ' Location of Ashaab-e-Kahf's Cave', published by Darul Ii'tisaam.
After relating briefly the incident of Ashaab-e-Kahf, the Qur’an also states that the people of that time decided to construct a mosque ( on this site ) in regard to Allah's Ta'aalaa's devotees.
According to the Holy Qur’an's usual pattern , it does not state the historical or geographical details, as to which period or to where this incident took place. Therefore, commentators and historians have disclosed their different views on the basis of historical narrations.
Most researchers are inclined towards the fact that this incident took place some time after the divine ascension of Eesa (A.S) from 100 to 300 A.D. At that time, in this region, there was the reign of an idol worshipping Nabti king. But the effects of the Christian religion, which started off in Palestine, were gradually advancing towards this region.
These youngsters became devotees of this religion on the basis of these very effects. Then, in the period in which these auspicious souls were absorbed in deep sleep, the followers of Christianity gradually freed this region from the Nabti rulers, and succeeded in forming their own rule. The citizens here also accepted Christianity.
It is known from some narrations, that after learning about Ashaab-e-Kahf, the reigning king arrived at the cave to visit them, but found them deceased. There is no mention of them being deceased in other narrations.
This same incident has been narrated in some Christian narrations with little difference. It has been stated that the very first detailed narration of this incident was written in an article in the year 521 A.H. by an Iraqi soothsayer named Yaqoob. This article was written in Syriac, then it was translated into Greek and Latin. According to him, this incident took place in Ephesus in Asia ( Minor ) in the year 250 A.D. There were seven people of the cave, and after spreading the word of Allah Ta'aalaa's complete power, returned to sleep in the cave. ( Britannica, printed in 1950 )
Because Yaqoob Sarooghi stated that they 'returned to sleep' alot of people hold the belief that Ashaab-e-Kahf are still living, and will arise again near Qiyaamah.
It has been narrated in some Christian sources that this incident took place near the city Ephesus in Turkey ( the Islamic name for Ephesus is Tarsoos ). A cave in that city has said to be the cave of Ashaab-e- Kahf. Maybe the reason for Muslim commentators and historians at having named the place of Ashaab-e- Kahf in Ephesus is on the basis of these Christian sources.
A narration by Abdullah Ibn Abbaas (R.A) from Tafseer Ibn Jareer is :
' The cave of Ashaab-e-Kahf is situated near 'Ila' in Jordan.’ Many scholars of today have given preference to the fact that this cave is situated in Jordan on the basis of this narration, and other evidence. Hadhrat Moulana Hifz-ur-Rehman Sahib Syoharwi (R.A) has written a detailed account on this subject in Qasasul-Qur’an and in the light of the relevant historical geographical proof has proclaimed it right that the cave is actually in Jordan. Hadhrat Moulana Sayyad Suleman Nadawi (R.A) has stated in Ardhul-Qur’an that the old city of Parra in Jordan is the 'Raqeem.'.
My honourable father, Hadhrat Moulana Shafi Sahib (R.A), and Moulana Abul-Kalam Azaad are also inclined towards the cave being in Jordan.
The result to their research is that the actual name of the famous historical city 'Parra' was ' Raqeem The Romans changed the name to Parra, and this cave is situated somewhere near here.
But, in 1953 Brother Zibyaan somehow came across the fact that there is a certain cave in Oman, situated on a mountain, in which are some graves and corpse, and that there is also a mosque on this site. Hence, he set out in search for this cave with one of his companions. But because this was somewhat off the common path they had to cover some kilometres of rough land, but were finally successful in reaching the cave. Brother Zibyaan reports:
' We were standing in front of a pitch black cave which was situated on a far away fallow land on a bare mountain. It was dark to such an extent that we found it difficult to enter. A shepherd let us know that there were some graves inside the cave containing old bones. The opening of the cave was in the south and there were two pillars on both sides, which had been made from a large rock. Suddenly my eyes fell on the carvings on the two pillars. Some Byzantine inscriptions were visible. The cave was covered by stones and debris. At a distance of about 100 metres, there was a small village named 'Rajeeb'.
Brother Zibyaan continued his research and approached the department of archaeological findings. Finally, an archaeologist named Rafiq Dajani Sahib, concluded after alot of research that this is in actual fact the cave of Ashaab-e-Kahf.
Hence, in 1961 they started their excavation and research, and continued to discover such evidence which proved this conclusion right. The following are a few of these :
1. The opening of this cave is in the south, and the following ayah justifies this :
‘And thou mightest have seen the sun when it rose move away from their cave to the right, and when it set go past them on the left, and they were in the cleft thereof.’(Surah Kahf)
The location of this cave is such that the sunshine never enters it at any time, but passes from the left and right when the sun sets and rises. And there is a spacious hollow inside the cave where the wind and light reach easily.
2. It has also been mentioned in the Qur’an that the villagers had in mind to construct a mosque on top of this cave. Accordingly, after removing the debris and rocks, a mosque was discovered directly above the cave, which had been constructed from old Roman style stone. Archaeologists have said that the mosque was made from stone and originally a place of worship in a Byzantine form, and was converted into a mosque in the time of Abdul Malik Ibn Marwaan.
The polytheist King due to whose tyranny and oppression the Ashaab-e- Kahf sought shelter in the cave was, according to the theory of modern day researchers, Tarajaan, who remained ruler from 98 till 117 A.D. It is a well known fact that he used to subject opposers of idolatry to severe hardships. It has been authenticated by history that in 106 A.D Tarajaan conquered the region of east Jordan and constructed the stadium of Amman.
According to modern day researchers, the king during whose reign the Ashaab-e-Kahf stirred was called Theodosius and he lived in the beginning of the 5th century.
Upon the initial discovery of the cave, many coins were found scattered within, of which several are indeed from Tarajaan's era which greatly supports the belief that this is the very cave of the Ashaab-e-Kahf.
The Holy Quran has termed the Ashaab-e-Kahf as 'Ashaab-e-Kahf and Raqeem'. What is Raqeem? Various opinions have been stated in its commentary, but the opinion of modern day researchers is that ‘Raqeem’ is the name of the village in which these people originally resided. The cave is situated at a total 100 metre distance from this point, in a small village called Rajeeb. It is the opinion of Rafiq-ad-Dajani that this is an altered name form of Raqeem, because the Bedouins of this area pronounce the 'qaaf' as 'jeem' and the 'meem' as ' baa', therefore, the ruling body of Jordan, later officially titled this village 'Raqeem'. Several early scholars of geography have also indicated the village of Raqeem as being situated near Amman at one time, therefore, the renowned geographer Abu Abdullah has stated in his kitab, 'Ahsanut-taqaasim-fee-maarifatil-aqaaleem' : Raqeem is a city in east Jordan close to Amman, in which a cave has been constituted together with several human corpse which are not altogether devoid of flesh.
Apart from this, Allaamah Yaqoot Hamawee (R.A) has also issued forth a statement in a commentary based upon Raqeem :
‘In the suburbs of Damascus there is an Arabic state called 'Balqaa', and within it dwells a place close to Amman, which these people regard as that of Kahf and Raqeem.’
Brother Zibyaan (R.A) has made several statements, from which it can be apprehended that the Muslims of the earlier eras believe the certain cave belonging to this area to be the very cave of Ashaab-e-Kahf. It has been narrated in regard to Hadhrat Ubada Ibn Saamit (R.A) that Hadhrat Siddique Akbar sent a convoy to the Roman emperor. During this journey, on the route leading to Syria and Hijaaz, he encountered a mountain named ' Jabal-ur-Raqeem' in which there was a cave containing several corpse, not totally devoid of flesh. In a commentary of Tafseer- e -Qurtubi it has also been narrated in regard to Hadhrat Abbas that he too encountered this cave and declared it to be the very cave of Ashaab-e-Kahf.
In Futooh- hush-Sham, Waqidee has narrated a lengthy account in relation to Hadhrat Saeed Ibn Aamir. Hadhrat was despatched to Syria for participation in jihad, whilst proceeding along the way he forgot the route. After wandering about fruitlessly, he reached the mountain Raqeem, and after careful scrutiny perceived it to be that of the Ashaab-e -Kahf. He informed his companions of his find and stated that this is the cave of the Ashaab-e-Kahf. Therefore, they performed prayers within it and entered the city of Amman.
However, in the case of such an ancient incident it is very difficult to arrive at a final conclusion in regard to the correct site. But there is no doubt in the fact that up till this moment in time, out of the several sites the cave has been rumoured to be located in, together with the large amount of circumstantial evidence discovered in relation to the cave, there is no evidence present to this extent in regard to any other cave.
Brother Zibyaan has even compared this cave with the cave of Ephesus and this comparison further confirms the concept.
This cave is situated seven miles south of the city Amman and the central highway that stretches from Aqabah until Amman is at a distance of three kilometres away from it. We reached this place at approximately nine o' clock in the evening. A road has now been constructed to enable cars to reach the peak of the mountain. After leaving the car, one ascends a little, to an expansive area in which there are several pillars belonging to an old fashioned construction. After crossing this area is the mouth of the cave and on its floor is a door post constructed out of broad stone.
To enter the cave one must descend approximately two steps. Upon reaching this stage the cave is divided into three sections. One section stretches straight from the mouth in a northward direction, a second section branches off towards the east on the right hand side, and a third section branches off towards the west from the left hand side. In the eastern and western sections are eight constructed graves resembling coffins. In a grave in the eastern section there is also a small hole. If one peers into the hole, a human corpse can be clearly seen. If it is dark the attendant of the cave lights a candle and the inner view can be clearly observed.
But the section that stretches straight to the north from the south is mainly flat and it is Brother Zibyaan 's opinion in regard to this, that this is the 'Fajwah' referred to in the Quran. When the excavation and the clearing work commenced in 1961, according to Rafi-ad-Dajani a jaw of an animal was discovered lying around with one incisor and 4 molars intact. According to the thoughts of Brother Zibyaan this was the jaw belonging to Ashaab-e-Kahf's dog.
Furthermore, hereupon this site a great number of coins belonging to the Roman era, Islamic era, Ottoman era, together with a clay bowl, a pearl necklace, a copper comb and rings were also discovered lying scattered around. All of these things have now been gathered and placed on display in a cabinet and maintained within the northern wall of the cave which we have observed ourselves.
In the Eastern section of the cave is a small tunnel ascending upwards which resembles a chimney that expels smoke. This tunnel enters and leaves through the roof of the cave, a boulder was perceived to be buried in the upper opening of this tunnel.
Usama Ibn Munkiaz,a general belonging to Sultan Salah-uddin Ayubee's army, coincidentally writes in his kitab 'I’tibaar', ' That I together with 30 horsemen entered this cave and performed prayers here, but there was a narrow tunnel that we did not enter.'
Brother Zibyaan is of the opinion that this is that very passage.
After the cave was cleaned out and examined, several passages of writing were discovered on the walls in Greek and 'Kufic' but the writing was not legible.
On exit from the cave, a round patch can be seen in the nearby area. The attendant has disclosed that, at the time of the discovery of the cave, the trunk of an olive tree was flourishing. Rafiq Ad dajani has stated that this olive tree is one belonging to the era of the bedouins, and nearby is a cave with a roof. When the excavation and clearing out initially commenced, the nearby elderly folk reported that this olive tree was until twenty years ago in bloom and they used to consume its produce.
The walls of an ancient mosque together with its niche can be clearly noticed, elevated several feet above the cave. At the time Brothers Zibyaan and Rafiq-ad-Dajani initially reached the cave, the mosque could not be noticed. After the excavation and the clearing out of the cave the mosque was unveiled.
This mosque is 10 metres in length and 10 metres in width. During the time the excavation work was being undertaken, four pillars were discovered fashioned in the mode of the Roman era and several copper coins were also discovered from the era of the Roman emperor Justin ( 517-527 ). A small chamber, equivalent to one and a half metres, was also revealed whose roof was probably employed for the call to prayer. Several clay jugs were also discovered nearby which were probably used to perform ablution. An inscription was also perceived here, and it is evident from its inscript that this mosque was renovated in the time of 'Kamaarwiya', son of Ahmed Ibn Touloon ( A.D 895 ). The experts have deduced from this entire collection that in the beginning, the Romans built a place of worship on this site and during the Islamic reign ( possibly in the time of Abdul Malik Ibn Marwaan ) it was converted into a mosque but the Muslims did not supplement its length or width.
At this time, the Jordan department of ancient relics and the department of property focused specific attention with regard to this cave's preservation. In addition, a new mosque was built nearby, an easier route was constructed for the comfort of visitors and notices were installed inside the cave.
However, in any case, the venture to this present era's great Quranic revelation is one of life’s most memorable experiences.
see also: Biography of the Last Prophet:
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Upon arising in the morning my legs and back muscles are extremely tight and it's somewhat difficult to straighten up while walking to the kitchen or bathroom. After 20 or 30 minutes I am okay. Could this be arthritis, or do you think I just need to stretch more? Thank you.
Stiffness can have a variety of causes, and treatment varies accordingly. Arthritis can certainly cause stiffness, but it also causes pain, and it is virtually impossible to have arthritis without pain. There is a condition of congenital insensitivity to pain, but I can only think of one arthritis patient who had it.
If you actually have congenital insensitivity to pain, or if you have pain that you didn't mention in your question, here are some possible reasons for your problem:
- Osteoarthritis (often described as a wear-and-tear condition) of the spine's facet joints (the joints that link your vertebrae together) is quite common, especially in middle and older age; it causes stiffness as well as pain. Osteoarthritis is classically worse at night and causes stiffness following rest.
- Another type of spinal arthritis that causes considerable stiffness is ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory condition that leads to fusion of the spine and low back pain. It typically starts early in life (in the late teens to early 20s), and 90 percent of the patients are men. In women, the diagnosis is often delayed until later in life, because the illness is not suspected as readily in a female.
- A herniated disk of the lumbar spine (slipped disk of the lower back) usually causes pain, muscle spasm with stiffness, and often numbness and/or weakness of the leg if it presses on a nerve root.
- Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurological illness that causes stiffness, tremor, forward leaning of the body when walking, and a near expressionless face.
- A rare cause of stiffness is the "stiff person syndrome" (or "stiff man syndrome"), where stiffness is progressive and severe, and there are painful cramps associated with it.
The bottom line is that you could use a thorough evaluation by a rheumatologist. If Parkinson's disease is suspected, you should then consult a neurologist for a definitive diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. I hope this helps.
Learn more in the Everyday Health Arthritis Center.
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Called Web 2.0 Suicide Machine, the site's pitch goes like this: "Tired of your Social Network? Liberate your newbie friends with a Web2.0 suicide! This machine lets you delete all your energy-sucking social-networking profiles, kill your fake virtual friends, and completely do away with your Web2.0 alter ego. The machine is just a metaphor for the Website which moddr_ is hosting; the belly of the beast where the web2.0 suicide scripts are maintained. Our service currently runs with Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and LinkedIn! Commit NOW!"
unixan writes: What can you do with $4,200, and a lot of time on your hands? Why not brute force a written exam, the old fashion way?
The exam consisted of 50 multi-choice questions, and required a 60 percent score to pass. The would-be student, now a likely nominee for an Iggy, required 950 attempts to raise a score that started in the 30 percent range.
How about it, Slashdotters: assuming 50 questions with 5 choices each, could you program a brute force script (with learning capability based on final score) and beat the worlds worst test taker?
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Opioid Addiction and Recovery Committee
Susan Sargent, Consultant, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Katrin Diana, RN, Director, Emergency Department, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital
Kym Laube, Executive Director of HUGS, Inc.
Karen Martin, PH.D, Director of Prevention, Alternative Counseling Services
Linn Turecamo, Community Leader
Mark Epley, Chief Executive Officer, Seafield Center
Nancy Lynott, Director, Town of Southampton Youth Bureau
James Romagnoli, VP Security, Northwell Health
Dr. Dan VanArsdale, Addiction Specialist, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital
Drew Scott, Family Member of Victim
Alfredo Merat,12 step program recovery member
Danielle Alberti, Family Member of Victim
Fr. Constantine Lazarakis, Clergy
Chief Steven Skrynecki, Southampton Town Police
Nick Dyno, Superintendent, Southampton Public School District
Samantha Barrett, Hampton Bays High School Graduate
The Southampton Town Opioid Addiction Task Force Draft Report
The Southampton Town Opioid Addiction Task Force began in October 2017 because far too many people were dying from opioid drug overdoses. In the Town of Southampton, a community of 60 thousand people, there were 19 deaths in 2017. The nationwide epidemic of opioid addiction was hitting home. In 2016, sixty-four thousand people nationwide died from opioid drugs; that’s more than the number of people killed in the Vietnam War. It wasn’t just an urban problem, it was spreading into every corner of the country, including
the Town of Southampton.
It hit home in September 2017 with former News 12 anchor Drew Scott, a Westhampton resident. His beautiful 22 year old granddaughter, Hallie Rae Ulrich, was found on the side of the road, the victim of a heroin overdose. Tests showed there were traces of fentanyl…a synthetic heroin that is now widely available on the street. When it happened to his family, many wondered if it could happen to theirs.
So the Town of Southampton Opioid Addiction Task Force was created to find solutions to stop the epidemic. It started with a dozen people, but soon it grew to twice that size and it ended with 42 members of the Task Force. They were educators, medical professionals, people in recovery or people directly affected by the crisis.
We are now an Opioid Addiction & Recovery Committee working to find solutions to this crisis.
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Talk for the staff of the education department at the University of East Anglia, Norwich 2005.
The somewhat unsatisfactory name for the type of education I am going to talk about is "democratic education." I hope that by the time I finish you will know what I mean by it.
I am the world expert on democratic education, as long as you accept my interpretation of the concept. I'm fairly confident that I have spent more time in more democratic schools in more different countries than anyone else in the world. This means that I have to guard against two particular mistakes when I give talks: I have to take care not, on the one hand, to overload my audience with information or, on the other, to omit information because I assume that they understand references that are in fact completely new to them. And I am also so involved in my own ideas that I probably often fail to answer the questions that are the ones that other people really want answered.
What I will try to do, fairly briefly, is to tell you a bit about what I have done and seen, hoping that this will reveal what I mean by the term "democratic education", and here and there to attempt a few provocative comments derived from what I have learnt from my experience. Then you will know what sort of questions I am qualified to answer, and I hope you will have plenty to ask me.
For almost thirty years I was a teacher at Dartington Hall School.
I remind myself that not everyone knows all about Dartington Hall School, so I must I explain. It was started in 1926 by Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst. Leonard, who had suffered an English public school education, announced that it would have "no corporal punishment, indeed no punishment at all; no prefects; no uniforms; no Officers' Training Corps; no segregation of the sexes; no compulsory games, compulsory religion or compulsory anything else; no more Latin, no more Greek; no competition; no jingoism." That is more or less how it was still when I arrived there in 1959.
Dartington and Summerhill were the two most important radically progressive schools in the country. Dartington differed from Summerhill in a number of ways, four of which are these:
- Dartington was a great deal richer, because of the wealth and generosity of the Elmhirst family;
- Dartington considered academic success important, and while although academic success was possible at Summerhill, it was not a primary target there;
- Dartington had day pupils as well as boarders, whereas Summerhill at that time only had boarders, because its founder, A.S. Neill considered it important to free children from their parents;
- Dartington managed without any system of punishment, whereas at Summerhill punishments were imposed by the School Meeting of staff and children as a matter of course.
The great similarity between the two schools lay in the relationship between adults and children which was, at both schools, one of companionship rather than authority.
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We know Americans don’t have much confidence in Congress or President Obama, but it turns out the Supreme Court is also slipping in the public eye.
On the same day the justices ruled on a controversial case dealing with Obama’s contraception policy, a new Gallup Poll finds only 30 percent of Americans have confidence in the Supreme Court -- a record low for the judicial branch. The findings also represent a 7-point drop for the Supreme Court since 2012.
The court ruled 5-4 on Monday that closely held companies cannot be forced to offer insurance coverage for contraception methods that they equate with abortion. The court’s decision in what’s known as the Hobby Lobby case is a blow to Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which included the so-called contraception mandate.
In the Gallup Poll, confidence in Congress reached a record-low 7 percent while faith in Obama hit 29 percent -- a six-year low for the presidency.
Justin McCarthy writes for Gallup that faith in the presidency and the high court are usually closely rated -- with the executive and judicial branches coming within six or seven points of each other in polling since 1991.
But confidence in the Supreme Court has slipped steadily since its heydey during the Reagan administration, when 56 percent of Americans said they believed in the high court in 1985 and 1988. The ratings for the court mostly stayed in the 40s and 50s but took a sharp turn down to 34 percent in 2007 -- a year after George W. Bush won Senate confirmation for Samuel Alito to the court.
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Don't let these workout-related problems stand in the way of your dream of finishing a triathlon.
Where there's friction—whether skin on skin or clothing on skin—there's the potential for raw spots. To prevent chafing, choose snug-fitting clothes with flat, smooth seams. When you run or bike, take note of hot spots, like your inner thighs. If you feel any rubbing, apply a product like Lanacane Anti-Chafing Gel ($7; at drugstores) before every session.
This painful inflammation along the front of your lower legs is often caused by the impact of pounding the pavement. To prevent the pain, stretch the muscles around your shins after every session and try hoofing it on softer surfaces, like dirt or a treadmill, at least once a week. After every run, stretch your leg muscles with this move.
Lower back soreness
It's a weak core, not the bent-over position on a bike, that makes you ache. "When you're pedaling, you're pushing against your abs and back," says Craig Sheckler, the owner of Endurance Multisport in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, who designed this training plan. "If those muscles aren't strong, they tire out faster and feel sore during saddle sessions."
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First-line levofloxacin-based treatments eradicate Helicobacter pylori with varying success. We examined the efficacy and safety of first-line levofloxacin-based treatment in comparison to standard first-line therapy for H pylori eradication.
Materials and Methods
We searched literature databases from Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Register of Randomized Controlled Trials through March 2013 for randomized controlled trials comparing first-line levofloxacin and standard therapy. We included randomized controlled trials conducted only on naïve H pylori infected patients in adults. A systematic review was conducted. Meta-analysis was performed with Review Manager 5.2. Treatment effect was determined by relative risk with a random or fixed model by the Mantel-Haenszel method.
Seven trials were identified with 888 patients receiving 7 days of first-line levofloxacin and 894 treated with standard therapy (Amoxicillin, Clarithromycin and proton pump inhibitor) for 7 days. The overall crude eradication rate in the Levofloxacin group was 79.05% versus 81.4% in the standard group (risk ratio 0.97; 95% CI; 0.93, 1.02). The overall dropout was 46 (5.2%) in the levofloxacin group and 52 (5.8%) for standard therapy. The dizziness was more common among group who took Levofloxacin based treatment and taste disturbance was more common among group who took standard therapy. Meta-analysis of overall adverse events were similar between the two groups with a relative risk of 1.06 (95% CI 0.72, 1.57).
Citation: Peedikayil MC, AlSohaibani FI, Alkhenizan AH (2014) Levofloxacin-Based First-Line Therapy versus Standard First-Line Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Eradication: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. PLoS ONE 9(1): e85620. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0085620
Editor: Antony Bayer, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
Received: September 2, 2013; Accepted: December 6, 2013; Published: January 21, 2014
Copyright: © 2014 Peedikayil et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: The authors have no funding or support to report.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the most common chronic human bacterial infections. The consequences of infection are chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastric cancer, and primary gastric lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type (MALT lymphoma) . Eradication of H pylori may cure dyspepsia , peptic ulcer disease, and MALT lymphoma .
Various consensus groups, including the group at the Maastricht consensus meeting , recommended a triple-therapy regimen containing a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), clarithromycin, and either amoxicillin or metronidazole as first-line treatment for the eradication of H pylori . However, recent reports indicate that these regimens achieve only about a 70% eradication rate –. The most important cause for the reduced success of standard triple therapy is the increasing rate of H pylori clarithromycin/metronidazole resistance .
There have not been any new drugs recently developed to treat H pylori. Thus, many investigators have examined various combinations of antibiotics or sequential therapies to improve the eradication rate. Many studies have investigated levofloxacin-based regimens as second-line treatments, including meta-analyses . The 2012 Maastricht consensus guideline recommends the levofloxacin-PPI containing regimen for patients who have failed standard first-line treatment . Many studies have examined levofloxacin-PPI as a first-line therapy for eradication of H pylori infection –. However, the eradication rates achieved with first-line levofloxacin-based treatments are not uniform. Some reports show improved efficacy with levofloxacin-based regimens in comparison to standard first-line therapy, whereas others have found equivalent or poorer responses , –.
Conclusive data regarding the role of levofloxacin-based first-line therapy for H pylori eradication does not currently exist. A meta-analysis may provide meaningful answers to this question. Thus, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. First objective was to do a meta-analysis of data from all of the available randomized, controlled trials that compared 7 days of Levofloxacin based treatment to 7 days of Amoxicillin, Clarithromycin and PPI as first line treatment for H pylori eradication. The second objective was to perform a meta-analysis of adverse effects of levofloxacin-based first-line therapy versus standard first-line therapy.
Materials and Methods
Selection of studies
A particular trial was included in the meta-analysis if it satisfied following. (1) The study must have been a randomized, controlled trial. (2) The presence of H pylori infection before and after treatment must be confirmed by one or more diagnostic methods. (3) The subjects must have been at least 18 years old. (4) The patients were naïve to H pylori eradication treatment. (5) One group was treated with standard first-line therapy containing a minimum of two antibiotics and one PPI (amoxicillin, clarithromycin, with a PPI). (6) The levofloxacin-based treatment group was treated with a minimum of two antibiotics, including levofloxacin, and one PPI. Randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) with more than two treatment groups were selected if two of the treatment groups satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies or articles were excluded if sequential therapy was the only treatment regimen, levofloxacin was included in all of the treatment groups, studies included known antibiotic susceptibility tests, manuscripts were review articles, H pylori eradication therapy was provided for treatment failures, or if data were incomplete.
Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Register of Randomized Controlled Trials were searched for relevant studies. In addition, a manual search was performed on the references of relevant published articles. The literature search was performed without any restrictions on language. The Medline search was performed with the keywords levofloxacin and Helicobacter pylori and included articles from 1956–March 2013. The Cochrane library was searched for articles with the keywords levofloxacin, Helicobacter pylori, and randomization. Each title and abstract was read, and potential articles were recorded on a short list. All of the articles on the short list were downloaded or purchased. EndNote version X3 (Thomson Reuters) was used at various stages for collecting, storing, and finding duplicate references. Duplicates were identified and removed.
Each researcher independently collected data in a predefined data extraction form. Any difference of opinion between researchers was resolved to reach a consensus. The following data were collected from each paper: year of publication, institution, study design, quality of the study, tests performed to confirm the diagnosis and eradication, gender, age, medications in each arm, drop outs, and adverse events. Additional data regarding medications were collected and included the drug name, dose, frequency of treatment, and duration of treatment. Eradication rates expressed in the trials as intention to treat analysis were used.
Each investigator independently assessed the quality of the studies by using the Jadad-Score. This score was entered into the predefined data extraction form. The following quality indicators were assessed: randomization (generation of allocation sequence), allocation of concealment, blinding, description of dropouts, and description of loss of follow-up. The maximum score was five. A higher score represented a higher quality paper. In this meta-analysis, studies with scores of three and above were included in the final meta-analysis.
Data were independently extracted by the same reviewer and cross-checked. Discrepancies were resolved by discussion. Data synthesis was performed with the Cochrane Statistics package RevMan version 5.2. Relative risk (RR) and risk difference (RD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. If there was a statistically significant RR, then the number needed to treat (NNT) was calculated. Heterogeneity was tested by the I2 statistics method. A value greater than 50% indicated substantial heterogeneity. Potential causes of heterogeneous treatment effects were explored by pre-specified subgroup analysis. If statistically significant heterogeneity existed between studies, the weighted estimate of the typical treatment effect across trials (relative risk) was calculated with the random effects model to ensure robust results.
Description of selected studies
The literature search was performed with predefined keywords through different search engines as described in the methods section. Our initial search revealed a total of 188 articles. Each abstract was reviewed to find suitable RCTs that satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Figure 1 shows the flow diagram of the process by which articles were selected. Finally, 13 RCTs met our predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and were qualified for the meta-analysis –, –. From 13 RCTs, two of them , were excluded because of their Jadad score was <3, three of them , , , compared 10 days of levofloxacin based regimen to 10 days of standard therapy, and the study by Zullo et al was excluded because the standard arm was unique and contained 7 days of Clarithromycin, Tinidazole, Bovine Lactoferrin and Rabeprazole. The quality of each RCT was based on the Jadad score (Table 1).
Several articles reporting results for levofloxacin-based first-line therapy for H pylori eradication were excluded. The RCTs by Cammarota et al. and Di Caro et al. were excluded, because all of the treatment groups included levofloxacin , . The RCT by Antos et al. was excluded, because the study included patients with one or more previous treatment failures . The study by Schrauwen et al. was excluded, because it was not a randomized, controlled trial, and both groups were treated with levofloxacin. Finally, the study by Castro-Fernandez et al. was excluded, because the study was not a randomized, controlled trial .
The cumulative number of H pylori-infected patients enrolled in the 7 studies included in our meta-analysis was 1782, which included 888 who received levofloxacin-based first-line therapy and 894 treated with standard first-line therapy. The selected studies were from different countries. Two of the selected RCTs were from Italy; two studies were from Taiwan, one each from Hong King, Korea and one from Middle East (Saudi Arabia and Egypt).
All of the patients were older than 18 years. Further, none of the patients had received prior treatment for H pylori infection. All of the RCTs confirmed the diagnosis of H pylori infection by upper endoscopy with gastric biopsy and histology except for one study, which confirmed the diagnosis by Urea breath test. All researchers have confirmed Eradication of H pylori infection a urea breath test.
Five of the 7 RCTs included the combination of levofloxacin, amoxicillin, and a PPI as first-line therapy (levofloxacin arm) and two RCTs included levofloxacin, clarithromycin, and a PPI. All seven RCTs included standard therapy with amoxicillin, clarithromycin, and a PPI. Four studies had two treatment arms and other three RCTs had 3 treatment arms. Table 2 describes treatment effects, common adverse events, and drop outs of seven trials which are included in the meta-analysis.
Meta-analysis of seven trail's crude eradication rate was 79.05% versus 81.4% in the standard group and 79.5% in the levofloxacin-based first-line therapy. The difference in the crude eradication was not statistically significant with a relative risk of risk ratio of 0.97; 95% CI; 0.93, 1.02. Figure 2 shows the Forest plot of meta-analysis of 7 RCTs.
The crude eradication rate was similar between Levofloxacin based first line treatment and standard first line treatment for the eradication of H pylori.
The heterogeneity of treatment effects in the meta-analysis was significant. Statistical analysis indicated that the I2 statistics for the heterogeneity of the meta-analysis of seven RCTs were 71%.
The overall dropout was 46 (5.2%) in the levofloxacin group and 52 (5.8%) for standard therapy. The dizziness was more common among group who took Levofloxacin based treatment, and taste disturbance was more common among group who took standard therapy. Meta-analysis of overall adverse events were similar between the two groups with a relative risk of 1.06 (95% CI 0.72, 1.57). Figure 3 shows the Forest plot for the results of meta-analysis side effect with both treatment regimens.
Overall side effects were equal for both levofloxacin and standard treatment.
The funnel plot (figure 4) of all seven included studies showed a symmetric pattern suggested that there are no publication biases.
The most significant finding of this meta-analysis was that levofloxacin-based first-line therapy and standard therapy for previously untreated H pylori-infected patients achieved equivalent outcomes. The overall eradication rates of the seven RCTs were 79.05% for levofloxacin-based regimens and 81.4% for standard therapy. The overall adverse events were similar between these two regimens.
Significant heterogeneity was observed in our meta-analysis. The obvious reasons for high heterogeneity were not evident. The main difference in the studies was in the study population. Otherwise duration of the treatment and medications used in the levofloxacin based first line therapy and standard therapy was more or less similar.
Since the year 2000, many investigators have published individual studies examining treatment of H. pylori with levofloxacin-based first-line therapy. The current meta-analysis included only randomized, controlled trials with predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Hence, we were forced to exclude many excellent studies from our meta-analysis. The H. pylori eradication rates in the excluded studies ranged from 75% to 96% with levofloxacin-based first-line therapy –, –. The results of these individual studies support the concept that the efficacy and safety of levofloxacin-based first-line therapy is equivalent to standard first-line therapy.
Prior to this meta-analysis, another meta-analysis was performed, in which Zhang et al compared levofloxacin-based first-line therapy to standard therapy. The previous meta-analysis found that a PPI and levofloxacin-based triple therapy was more effective than standard triple therapy with a lower rate of adverse events compared to standard triple therapy. That article was published in the Chinese language in 2009, and only the abstract was available in the English language. Therefore, the details of the RCTs that were included in that meta-analysis were not available to us.
The recently updated guidelines by the Maastricht IV/Florence Consensus Report , the American College of Gastroenterology Guideline on the management of H pylori , and Second Asia–Pacific Consensus Guidelines for H pylori infection recommend levofloxacin-based triple therapy as a second-line treatment for H pylori infections. Two meta-analyses support these recommendations. The levofloxacin-PPI-based regimen was successful in 81% of patients with previous eradication failures compared to 70% of patients who responded to quadruple therapy . The second meta-analysis reviewed the levofloxacin-based triple salvage therapy (levofloxacin+amoxicillin+PPI), which was found to be superior to bismuth-based quadruple salvage therapy .
Should we recommend levofloxacin-based regimens as first-line therapies for H pylori eradication? Our current meta-analysis suggests that levofloxacin-based first-line treatment is as effective as standard therapy for H pylori eradication, and the adverse events and dropout rates are also equal. Noticeably, the overall eradication rates for H pylori with both levofloxacin-based regimens and standard therapy were around 80%.
The second reason for not recommending levofloxacin-based therapy as a first-line treatment modality for H pylori infection is the increasing incidence of levofloxacin-resistant H pylori strains from different parts of the world, especially countries in which quinolone consumption is high. Levofloxacin-resistant H pylori has been reported in the range of non-existent in Malaysia to 30.3% in China –. Levofloxacin resistance has been reported to be 11.7% [95% CI 6.5–20.3%)] in Ireland with much higher rates of resistance in subjects older than 45 years (19.1%) in comparison to those younger than 45 years (2.6%) . H pylori resistance to levofloxacin was 5% in Poland and 5.3% in Iran , . An Italian study by Zullo et al. reported a levofloxacin resistance rate of 19.1% with higher resistance rates in older patients compared to younger patients (28.4% vs. 14.4%, P = 0.048) . In Taiwan, the prevalence of levofloxacin resistance in H pylori isolates has increased from 3.2% in isolates collected before 2004 to 16.3% in isolates collected after 2004 .
Various studies indicate that resistance will reduce the efficacy of levofloxacin-based regimens in the eradication of H pylori. In Italy, the eradication rate decreased significantly from 75% in levofloxacin-susceptible patients to 33.3% in patients with levofloxacin-resistant strains . A study from the U.S.A. suggests that levofloxacin resistance may be associated with prior quinolone exposure during the past 10 years .
There are some suggestions that levofloxacin-based first-line therapy may be used in areas where clarithromycin resistance is higher than 20%, along with levofloxacin resistance is below 10%. For patients who are allergic to penicillin, instead of Metronidazole-containing regimens, the levofloxacin based regime can be used as a first line therapy –. However, these regimens have not yet been compared in the first-line setting. Thus, further studies are needed to test this concept.
Although there are a few limitations to this meta-analysis, such as heterogeneity, there are numerous strengths. Levofloxacin-based first-line therapy has been included in clinical practice since the year 2000. However, a thorough meta-analysis investigating the role of levofloxacin in the eradication of H pylori has been lacking. Our meta-analysis was successful in identifying all of the important randomized, controlled trials with strict criteria and provided clear answers to various questions. To our knowledge, no other meta-analysis comparing first-line levofloxacin-based therapy to first-line standard therapy has been published in the English language.
This meta-analysis suggests that levofloxacin-based first-line therapy and standard therapy have equivalent efficacy and safety profiles for eradication of H pylori. There is not sufficient evidence to support replacement of the current standard first-line therapy with levofloxacin-based first-line therapy. Levofloxacin-based first-line therapy may be a valuable alternative for patients with penicillin allergies and in areas in which quinolone resistance is very low and clarithromycin resistance is very high. Each country should determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance within their community before introducing new treatment regimens for H pylori.
Bioscience writers and Mrs Rehna Ruksana Musthafa for editing the manuscript. Ethics: Ethics committee of our institute has approved the research proposal. The systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted as per guidelines from the clinical guidelines by the Cochrane Collaboration, and followed by PRISMA systematic review guidelines and PRISMA checklist and flow diagrams.
Conceived and designed the experiments: MCP. Performed the experiments: MCP. Analyzed the data: MCP FAS AHA. Wrote the paper: MCP.
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- 14. Basu PP, Rayapudi K, Pacana T, Shah NJ, Krishnaswamy N, et al. (2011) A randomized study comparing levofloxacin, omeprazole, nitazoxanide, and doxycycline versus triple therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori. Am J Gastroenterol 106: 1970–5.
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- 16. Cheng H, Hu FL, Zhang GX, Shi RH, Du YQ, et al. (2010) [Levofloxacin-based triple therapy for first-line Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment: a multi-central, randomized, controlled clinical study]. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 90: 79–82.
- 17. Choi KH, Chung WC, Lee KM, Paik CN, Kim EJ, et al. (2011) Efficacy of levofloxacin and rifaximin based quadruple therapy in Helicobacter pylori associated gastroduodenal disease: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. J Korean Med Sci 26: 785–90.
- 18. Liou JM, Lin JT, Chang CY, Chen MJ, Cheng TY, et al. (2010) Levofloxacin-based and clarithromycin-based triple therapies as first-line and second-line treatments for Helicobacter pylori infection: a randomised comparative trial with crossover design. Gut 59: 572–8.
- 19. Nista EC, Candelli M, Zocco MA, et al. (2006) Levofloxacin-based triple therapy in first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Am J Gastroenterol 101: 1985–90.
- 20. Rispo A, Di Girolamo E, Cozzolino A, Bozzi R, Morante A, et al. (2007) Levofloxacin in first-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. Helicobacter 12: 364–5.
- 21. Zullo A, De Francesco V, Scaccianoce G, Manes G, Efrati C, et al. (2007) Helicobacter pylori eradication with either quadruple regimen with lactoferrin or levofloxacin-based triple therapy: a multicentre study. Dig Liver Dis 39: 806–10.
- 22. Cammarota G, Cianci R, Cannizzaro O, Cuoco L, Pirozzi G, et al. (2000) Efficacy of two one-week rabeprazole/levofloxacin-based triple therapies for Helicobacter pylori infection. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 14: 1339–43.
- 23. Di Caro S, Zocco MA, Cremonini F, et al. (2002) Levofloxacin based regimens for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 14: 1309–12.
- 24. Antos D, Schneider-Brachert W, Bastlein E, et al. (2006) 7-day triple therapy of Helicobacter pylori infection with levofloxacin, amoxicillin, and high-dose esomeprazole in patients with known antimicrobial sensitivity. Helicobacter 11: 39–45.
- 25. Castro-Fernandez M, Lamas E, Perez-Pastor A, et al. (2009) Efficacy of triple therapy with a proton pump inhibitor, levofloxacin, and amoxicillin as first-line treatment to eradicate Helicobacter pylori. Rev Esp Enferm Dig 101: 395–402, 395-8, 9-402.
- 26. Schrauwen RW, Janssen MJ, de Boer WA (2009) Seven-day PPI-triple therapy with levofloxacin is very effective for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Neth J Med 67: 96–101.
- 27. Zhang ZF, Zhao G, Liu LN (2008) [Effectiveness and safety of proton pump inhibitor and levofloxacin based first-line triple therapy in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori: a meta-analysis]. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 88: 2722–5.
- 28. Chey WD, Wong BC (2007) American College of Gastroenterology guideline on the management of Helicobacter pylori infection. Am J Gastroenterol 102: 1808–25.
- 29. Fock KM, Katelaris P, Sugano K, Ang TL, Hunt R, et al. (2009) Second Asia-Pacific Consensus Guidelines for Helicobacter pylori infection. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 24: 1587–600.
- 30. Gisbert JP, Morena F (2006) Systematic review and meta-analysis: levofloxacin-based rescue regimens after Helicobacter pylori treatment failure. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 23: 35–44.
- 31. Saad RJ, Schoenfeld P, Kim HM, Chey WD (2006) Levofloxacin-based triple therapy versus bismuth-based quadruple therapy for persistent Helicobacter pylori infection: a meta-analysis. Am J Gastroenterol 101: 488–96.
- 32. Goh KL, Navaratnam P (2011) High Helicobacter pylori resistance to metronidazole but zero or low resistance to clarithromycin, levofloxacin, and other antibiotics in Malaysia. Helicobacter 16: 241–5.
- 33. Liao J, Zheng Q, Liang X, Zhang W, Sun Q, et al. (2013) Effect of Fluoroquinolone Resistance on 14-day Levofloxacin Triple and Triple Plus Bismuth Quadruple Therapy. Helicobacter 18(5): 373–7.
- 34. O'Connor A, Taneike I, Nami A, Fitzgerald N, Ryan B, et al. (2013) Helicobacter pylori resistance rates for levofloxacin, tetracycline and rifabutin among Irish isolates at a reference centre. Ir J Med Sci 182(4): 693–5.
- 35. Talebi Bezmin Abadi A, Ghasemzadeh A, Taghvaei T, Mobarez AM (2012) Primary resistance of Helicobacter pylori to levofloxacin and moxifloxacine in Iran. Intern Emerg Med 7: 447–52.
- 36. Zullo A, Perna F, Hassan C, Ricci C, Saracino I, et al. (2007) Primary antibiotic resistance in Helicobacter pylori strains isolated in northern and central Italy. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 25: 1429–34.
- 37. Chang WL, Sheu BS, Cheng HC, Yang YJ, Yang HB, et al. (2009) Resistance to metronidazole, clarithromycin and levofloxacin of Helicobacter pylori before and after clarithromycin-based therapy in Taiwan. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 24: 1230–5.
- 38. Perna F, Zullo A, Ricci C, Hassan C, Morini S, et al. (2007) Levofloxacin-based triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori re-treatment: role of bacterial resistance. Dig Liver Dis 39: 1001–5.
- 39. Carothers JJ, Bruce MG, Hennessy TW, et al. (2007) The relationship between previous fluoroquinolone use and levofloxacin resistance in Helicobacter pylori infection. Clin Infect Dis 44: e5–8.
- 40. Gisbert JP, Pajares R, Pajares JM (2007) Evolution of Helicobacter pylori therapy from a meta-analytical perspective. Helicobacter 12 Suppl 2: 50–8.
- 41. Gisbert JP, Perez-Aisa A, Castro-Fernandez M, Barrio J, Rodrigo L, et al. (2010) Helicobacter pylori first-line treatment and rescue option containing levofloxacin in patients allergic to penicillin. Dig Liver Dis 42: 287–90.
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Today marks the United Nations World Teachers Day; with this year’s theme focusing on the freedom to teach and the empowerment of educators. Through echoing the 2015 themes, adhering to the adoption of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), today the empowerment of teachers is now understood as a matter of great importance. The significance of this year’s celebration must be appreciated, as 2017 commemorates the 20 year anniversary of 1997 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel. This notable recommendation recognises the pedagogical competence, expertise and specific skillset embodied by higher education teachers; a position that is too often overlooked when considering the status of teachers.
Without venturing too deep into the diverse classifications and roles of those within the teaching profession, the concept of empowering teachers must be appreciated across the spectrum, verily recognising the intersectionality many teachers experience. From the challenges of staff shortage in the UK, to the overcrowding of classrooms and financial instability ravaging teachers and institutions in Africa, the obstacles faced are diverse, yet obtain a sense of universality. The pre-eminence of sustainable solutions to the consistent difficulties teachers face on a global scale cannot be understated.
The concept of universal education is one that is disseminated across all corners of the world, yet the individuals and institutions providing such skills and knowledge are strained, suffering from structural inconsistency, disparity and the central economic problem. When education is the key to alleviate poverty, ignorance and bigotry, we must ask ourselves why those individuals who provide the means to success are disenfranchised and denied circumstantial freedom and empowerment?
Both secular and religious teachers must be valued, for education does not end when the school bell rings or when Quran class is finished. The sheer significance of both secular and religious knowledge provides for a hybrid and inclusive society. Although the UK has leading educational provisions for secular education, the religious sector lags behind. The value, virtue, and voice of our religious leaders must be enhanced and appreciated in order to truly meet SDG 4: on education, specifically 4.c: recognising teachers as key to the achievement of inclusive and quality education.
When thinking of UN targets and goals, the UK is seldom perceived as a nation that is required to improve its provisions and services in order to meet these international agendas. In this context, however, SDG 4 truly is an all encompassing and inclusive goal that rightly requires the cooperation of all nations, regardless of political ability, economic development and social status. The imminent need for institutional, structural and communal recognition and representation of religious teachers must be met with real endeavour.
We, as a community, put great emphasis on the education and achievement of our children, yet we continue to devalue and disempower the very people that attempt to provide such strong education. Although this type of disenfranchisement rarely takes form through disrespect or contestations, we have the ability to truly transform both the perception and experience of our religious Scholars, Alimahs and Imams.
To achieve both legitimate and authentic freedom to teach and the empowerment of teachers, we must first look within our social structures and institutions, through an analytical and progressive lens. We must appreciate the obstacles our religious teachers face. We must recognise their value. We must hear their voice. For the future of our Islamic institutions and Islamic knowledge in the UK depends on the freedom and empowerment of our teachers.
Written by Munibah Qureshi
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Dear XXXXX, Thanks for providing quick additional information.
I can understand your concern.
It doesn't sounds to be related with methylprednisolone.
This can be just a co-incidence that such symptoms have come, 2 days after taking drug.
Your present symptoms are related with Viral
It is a viral origin flu, and which has caused congestion of the sinus and throat tissues. It is causing pain in throat and body ache with fever.
To control this, please take the following steps:
1. You should gargle with hot, saline water , You can mix 2 teaspoonfuls of salt in 1 glass of hot water and gargle thrice daily.
2. Steam inhalation would be helpful, You can take a bowl of hot water, and put 2 tsf of salt in it. You can also put menthol in it if you have some. Inhale the steam that rises from the water.
3. Drink a glass of warm lemon juice daily.
4. You can suck on hard sweets - the saliva trickling down the throat will be soothing.
5. Take Tylenol for fever and pain. You can start at two tablets every four to six hours as needed.
6. You should take Antihistamines
like Alavert 10 mg once daily (OTC), Also take Decongestants - Sudafed 120 mg once daily(OTC) and Otrivin nasal drops 2 drops three times daily in both nostrils(OTC).
Viral symptoms, usually get resolve by its own in 4-5 days.
Another important home treatment is Menthol steam inhalation - add Menthol salts (available OTC) to a bowl of steaming water and inhale the steam two - three times daily - this will relieve the congestion
Most likely, with such home measures, you would be free from symptoms in next 4-5 days.
I wish for your good health.
Please let me know how I can be of further assistance.
My goal is to provide you with excellent service – if you feel you have gotten anything less, please reply back, I am happy to address follow-up questions.
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Security is becoming one of the main drivers behind the adoption of open-source software in the enterprise and government, according to security experts and CIOs who gathered here for Red Hat Inc.'s Open Source Security Summit.
Security is becoming one of the main drivers behind the adoption of open-source software in the enterprise and government, according to security experts and CIOs who gathered here for Red Hat Inc.s Open Source Security Summit.
Much of the early enthusiasm for Linux and other open-source operating systems was sparked by the softwares low cost and adaptability. But with a growing emphasis on security in the IT marketplace, many customers are looking at open source as a safer alternative to proprietary software, according to security industry insiders.
"A lot of our customers say security is at the top of their list in terms of the reasons theyre going to open source," said Paul Cormier, executive vice president of engineering at Red Hat, based in Raleigh, N.C.
Cormier said he believes the intensive code review process used in open-source development helps open-source vendors release more secure, reliable applications. "A large percentage of vulnerabilities are through programming errors," Cormier said. "Its hard for those to get through in open source. We find most of our own errors."
"The reality is that there are two different development processes, and the open-source paradigm is more democratic," Cormier said. "There are all of these eyeballs on [the software] who have no agenda other than doing the right thing. The closed community relies on a small group of developers, and most of their vulnerabilities are found by the bad guys."
|Open to Security|
Customers see open-source software as more secure because:
More people see the code and have opportunities to find flawsMost flaws in open-source applications are found before theyre releasedProprietary software vendors rely on smaller groups of developers
Microsoft Corp. and other large software vendors have in recent months turned more of their attention to the security of their products. But security experts say that such efforts are fundamentally misguided and dont address the real problem.
"Can you imagine a future with no buffer overflows? We knew that world 30 years ago with MULTICS [Multiplexed Information and Computing Service]," said Bill Caelli, head of the School of Software Engineering and Data Communications at Queensland University of Technology, in Brisbane, Australia. "The vendors problem is, in a closed system, you cant make incremental changes to the systems security."
This increased focus on security is not lost on open-source software vendors. Red Hats Cormier said the company will likely introduce "more focused products in the security area."
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When you first look at the title of this article, you may be confused as to how grinding during gameplay is comparable to Bitcoin Mining. One’s an act while the other’s a digital currency circulation method. However, there’s much more to it than meets the eye. Below, we try to decompose grinding and take a look at how it’s analogous to Bitcoin and explain why people do it.
What is Grinding in Video Games?
Grinding is an overarching term for a number of different acts in gaming that players use to gain an advantage. Grinding has garnered mixed reviews in the gamer community. Most players can’t express enough hate for it, while others are fine with the activity as long as the same rules apply for all gamers for a video game. There are different modes for this activity, each with a specific term defining it and what it entails for the game and gamer. Here are some:
Farming: Farming is perhaps the most renowned form of grinding. When players “farm,” they are looking for items (loot) by performing specific tasks. This can include killing particular characters in the game to receive reward points, collecting a specific amount of an in-game resource, or playing multiplayer mode to collect a certain number of reward points.
Catassing/Treadmilling: In gaming lingo, Catassing or treadmilling implies that a person is doing repetitive tasks within the video game for extended durations.
Leveling up: As its name implies, leveling up is a form of grinding where players go through repeat tasks to gain access to higher game levels.
Why do Players Grind?
Developers design games in a way that allows them to control the amount of grinding required during gameplay. This is done so that players have an incentive to remain engaged. The incentive comes in the form of points that enable them to purchase in-game items like skins, upgrades, or collectibles. The grinding they undergo can even lead them to unlock new levels, giving them access to new gameplay content or character skills required to defeat a game boss.
However, some game developers allow players to circumvent all grinding if they pay a nominal fee. This has sparked some controversy among many gamers as only those with the means get to dominate the game.
Some gamers also enjoy grinding because it helps them practice and understand game mechanics better, making them slowly build up their skills in the game.
Players may be forced to resort to grinding because game developers may not have released new patches, upgrades, maps, or content in their games.
So What Does Grinding Have to Do With Bitcoin Mining?
If you don’t see the parallels already, let us spell it out for you. Like grinding, trade bitcoin is a set of repetitive tasks that nodes (computers) on the blockchain have to perform in return for a reward, in this case, Bitcoin. Unlike Grinding, Bitcoin mining is done autonomously via computers that already have the means to perform these tasks via instructions in their software.
To some extent, grinding can also be done autonomously by employing hacks, scripts, or bots that exploit the game’s source code, but this may result in a ban due to a breach in the game’s licensing agreement. However, this leads us to our next point; Bitcoin Mining is governed by a set of rules that all miners have to follow; otherwise, the blockchain gets disrupted.
Miners get to verify the work of other miners and add it to the blockchain for them to receive a reward.
More on this topic: ETHEREUM MINING: HOW IT WORKS
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Who started it? How far will it go?
I’ve let a couple days elapse to better learn the facts. Last Thursday night, the night of the latest incident, authorities in Dallas were convinced police were caught in the crossfire of multiple snipers; by Friday it became apparent that only a single shooter had been involved. Investigators identified the dead attacker as 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson of Mesquite TX, a military veteran who’d served in Afghanistan.
Nevertheless, five police officers are dead in Dallas, and another seven are injured. The gunfire erupted after videos showing two African-American men shot by police in Louisiana and Minnesota spurred protests and debate over police use of force across the country. Some people in the crowd were heard to have said that the police “had it coming.”
But not these police. They had nothing to do with events in Louisiana and Minnesota. They were simply white and in uniform. The shooter had told negotiators that he was furious about recent police shootings of black men, that he wanted to kill white people—especially white officers—and that he’d acted alone.
When negotiations broke down, the Dallas police sent in a bomb on a robot and blew up the sniper. Another racist hits the dust. In a way, he got off easy. Had he been put into prison, The Man would have made his stay miserable, intolerable even. No punishment would have been too harsh.
Now all the Black Lives Matter hangers-on, those people who secretly eschew the organization’s professed nonviolence, have a martyr. They will claim that a culture of police violence and racism permeates all training and practice of policing in America.
But I say that if anything permeates policing, it is ignorance, fear, and too many guns. Personnel standards among the police have been dumbed-down because the bean counters have proved that turnover is too high and costly if cops with high IQs are hired. The standard range of scores applied for police officers is a score between 20 and 27. According to ABC News, the average score nationally for police officers is 21 to 22, the equivalent of an IQ of 104, or just a little above average.
Jeronimo Yanez, the cop who shot Philando Castile in Minnesota, had obviously made a terrible mistake, was shown in the streamed video as being more fearful and less composed than his victims. This 4-year officer conducted a traffic stop with gun drawn, and pumped four bullets into “Mr. Phil” without the slightest provocation.
What do you expect? Even the Governor of that state admits this traffic stop would not have ended so badly if Philando had been white and not been demonized as so scary because of his race. But I say it would never have happened if the cop had been smarter and knew that the demonization had been bullshit.
So what is most likely to happen now? If the past is any guide, the cop will eventually be given a free pass, maybe fired, but never held truly accountable. It’s not his fault he’s no genius. It’s not his fault he was “fearful for his life.” It’s not his fault all his high-tech killing equipment was smarter than he was.
95° and Clear
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Travel to India
If you plan to travel to India, it is important that you are aware of
the many tourist attractions and vacation destinations, as well as the
dangers involved and how you can better prepare for a safe trip. India
is an amazing place for a vacation. Few cultures have such a rich
history and beauty as India. There are many ancient, even sacred sites
to behold. There are religious sights dedicated to the teaching of
Buddha as well as amazing architecture. You will also enjoy the natural
beauty and the history and culture of this country.
India has a very diverse population, geography
and climate. It is the world's second most populous country, and the
world's seventh largest country in terms of land area.
Certain parts of India are designated as "restricted areas" by
the Indian Government, and require special advance permission to visit.
These areas include:
- The state of Mizoram,
- The state of Manipur,
- The state of Arunachal Pradesh,
- The state of Nagaland,
- The state of Sikkim,
- Portions of the state of Himachal Pradesh near the Chinese border,
- Portions of the state of Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal) near the Chinese border,
- Portions of the state of Rajasthan near the Pakistani border,
- Portions of the state of Jammu & Kashmir near the Line of Control with Pakistan,
- The Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
- The Union Territory of the Laccadives Islands (Lakshadweep), and
- The Tibetan colony in Mundgod, Karnataka.
India has so many sights and wonders that cannot be seen or enjoyed
anywhere else in the world. You can visit everything from beautiful
monuments built hundreds of years ago in the memory of a loved one, to
the exact birth place of a prophet's teachings and ideals.
To enjoy your experience to the fullest and take in as much culture as
possible, you may consider visiting the country during the celebration
of Diwali. This is an amazing festival that lasts from mid-October to
mid-November. It is a national holiday in India. Keep in mind that it
will be more crowded, but there will certainly be a lot of celebrating
and interesting sights. If you prefer a less crowded vacation, visit at
another time of year.
» India Entry Requirements
documents required to enter the country. Regulations change
occasionally so it is always good to verify the newest updates prior to
» India Visa
A list of requirements and step-by-step instructions for obtaining a visa to India.
» India Travel
Important information for anyone planning a trip to India. Helfpul tips to assist you in making the most of your travels.
» India Tours
Discover some of the most popular tours of India and plan your vacation so that you see the best.
» Hotels in India
Learn about hotels In India. Tips to help you choose the best lodging options when traveling in this vast country.
» Delhi, India
Delhi India - A Mix of Old and New. A look at both historical landmarks and modern attractions in this cosmopolitan region.
» Calcutta, India
Calcutta India - More Than You've Heard. An insiders guide to this amazing city.
» Andaman & Nicobar
Discover the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Find out why this India union territory is called the perfect tropical paradise.
» Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Discover the India's Switzerland of the East.
» India Wall Hangings
India hand embroidered wall hangings in traditional Rajasthani style. Remarkable and intricate handwork that will amaze you.
Expedite Your Passport Now!
Click to Call for Expedited Service!
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A major UK hemp farm must destroy a crop worth an estimated £200,000 after the Home Office denied it a licence.
Hempen Farm in Oxfordshire says it has started destroying its crop in order to comply with the law. The plants are being cut down and crushed by a tractor.
Last year, the Home Office said UK farmers could not harvest hemp’s flowers for cannabis oil or CBD and are limited to only growing seed and stalk – despite CBD being legal in the UK.
The Home Office has not yet commented on its decision.
Hempen, which is appealing the decision, would normally sell cold-pressed seed oil and hemp flour from its crop.
Hempen co-founder Patrick Gillett said: “In challenging economic times for British farmers, hemp is offering green shoots of hope as a rare crop that can pay for itself without subsidy.
“Instead of capitalising on the booming CBD industry, the Home Office’s bureaucracy is leading British farmers to destroy their own crops, and millions of pounds’ worth of CBD flowers are being left to rot in the fields.”
The 40-acre farm employs 12 people, as well as seasonal staff. The owners say they hope to avoid job losses by changing its product offering and continuing to supply CBD imported from Europe.
The Home Office website outlines the rules and conditions surrounding growing hemp in the UK:
· Growers must have a licence which usually costs £580 or £326 for a renewal
· Contact details must be provided, along with the location and hectarage of the field where the hemp will be grown
· The Home Office needs to know the seed type used and confirmation of whether it is approved by the EU
· Growers must undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
· Crops may have to be screened or grown sensitively, for example not near schools or areas of public access
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Schmack, K., Bosc ,M., Ott, T., Sturgill J.F., Kepecs, A., Apr 2 2021; In: Science. 372(6537).
Hallucinations, a central symptom of psychotic disorders, are attributed to excessive dopamine in the brain. However, the neural circuit mechanisms by which dopamine produces hallucinations remain elusive, largely because hallucinations have been challenging to study in model organisms. We developed a task to quantify hallucination-like perception in mice. Hallucination-like percepts, defined as high-confidence false detections, increased after hallucination-related manipulations in mice and correlated with self-reported hallucinations in humans. Hallucination-like percepts were preceded by elevated striatal dopamine levels, could be induced by optogenetic stimulation of mesostriatal dopamine neurons, and could be reversed by the antipsychotic drug haloperidol. These findings reveal a causal role for dopamine-dependent striatal circuits in hallucination-like perception and open new avenues to develop circuit-based treatments for psychotic disorders.
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https://neuroscience.wustl.edu/items/striatal-dopamine-mediates-hallucination-like-perception-in-mice/
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Cuban Missle Crisis Essay, Research Paper Start The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 was one of the turning points of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. At that time the two superpowers came close to war, possibly with nuclear weapons; after it, both countries began to seek ways to adjust to each other, in particular, to prevent the use of nuclear weapons.
Cuban Missle Crisis Essay, Research Paper
The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 was one of the turning points of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. At that time the two superpowers came close to war, possibly with nuclear weapons; after it, both countries began to seek ways to adjust to each other, in particular, to prevent the use of nuclear weapons.
The events of the Cuban Missile Crisis demonstrated the maturity of the U.S. intelligence community, especially in its ability to collect and analyze information. The crucial roles of human intelligence (HUMINT) and photographic intelligence (PHOTINT) in the Cuban Missile Crisis have been known from the beginning. Documents declassified and released in 1998 now reveal that signals intelligence (SIGINT) also played an exceedingly important part in managing the crisis.
It should be said at the outset that signals intelligence did not provide any direct information about the Soviet introduction of offensive ballistic missiles into Cuba. However, in the more than two years before that fact was known, SIGINT analysts thoroughly studied the Cuban military buildup. Once the offensive missiles were discovered, SIGINT provided direct support for day-to-day management of the crisis. This is the story of SIGINT in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
When Fidel Castro took power in Cuba by overthrowing the previous dictator, Fulgencio Batista, he was hailed as a liberator by the Cuban people themselves and became a hero to the American people as well. However, Castro soon took actions inimical to American interests and aligned his country publicly with the Soviet Union. The U.S. public and government were gravely concerned about the creation of a communist state and member of the Soviet Bloc only seventy miles from its southern shores; this problem became a major focus of the new Kennedy administration when it took office in January 1961.
In response to the potential threat and the administration’s interest in it, the U.S. intelligence community began a new focus on information about Cuba. The National Security Agency also beefed up its coverage of Cuba and Soviet support for the island nation.
In Havana, one of the consequences of its alignment with the USSR was fear that the United States might intervene against the new Cuban government. This fear materialized in later 1961 when Cuban exiles, trained by America’s CIA, staged an invasion of Cuban territory at the Bay of Pigs. Although the invasion was quickly repulsed, it intensified an arms buildup that was already under way.
One problem shared by intelligence analysts and administration policymakers alike was the nature of the military deliveries. Most of the military equipment could be described accurately as defensive, but much of it could also be used in taking the offense. The primary questions for Americans was: would the Soviets introduce offensive missiles into Cuban territory?
A Navy SIGINT direction finding net in the Atlantic located the Soviet ships by intercepting and triangulating messages that they were sending back to the Soviet Union. The ships were stopped dead in the water, outside the ring of American naval vessels waiting for them. A confrontation had been averted, one that might have precipitated war. The president, his cabinet, and the American people could breathe a little easier.Later, once the Soviets agreed to remove the ballistic missiles from Cuba, NSA reports also provided evidence to the American government that the Communist Bloc also considered the crisis over.
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Light-sensing cells in the eye rely on their outer segment to convert light into neural signals that allow us to see. But because of its unique cylindrical shape, the outer segment is prone to breakage, which can cause blindness in humans. A study published on January 22nd in the Biophysical Journal provides new insight into the mechanical properties that cause the outer segment to snap under pressure. The new experimental and theoretical findings help to explain the origin of severe eye diseases and could lead to new ways of preventing blindness.
"To our knowledge, this is the first theory that explains how the structural rigidity of the outer segment can make it prone to damage," says senior study author Aphrodite Ahmadi of the State University of New York Cortland. "Our theory represents a significant advance in our understanding of retinal degenerative diseases."
The outer segment of photoreceptors consists of discs packed with a light-sensitive protein called rhodopsin. Discs made at nighttime are different from those produced during the day, generating a banding pattern that was first observed in frogs but is common across species. Mutations that affect photoreceptors often destabilize the outer segment and may damage its discs, leading to cell death, retinal degeneration, and blindness in humans. But until now, it was unclear which structural properties of the outer segment determine its susceptibility to damage.
To address this question, Ahmadi and her team examined tadpole photoreceptors under the microscope while subjecting them to fluid forces. They found that high-density bands packed with a high concentration of rhodopsin were very rigid, which made them more susceptible to breakage than low-density bands consisting of less rhodopsin. Their model confirmed their experimental results and revealed factors that determine the critical force needed to break the outer segment.
The findings support the idea that mutations causing rhodopsin to aggregate can destabilize the outer segment, eventually causing blindness. "Further refinement of the model could lead to novel ways to stabilize the outer segment and could delay the onset of blindness," says Ahmadi.
Explore further: Crag keeps the light 'fantastic' for photoreceptors
Haeri et al., Modeling the Flexural Rigidity of Rod Photoreceptors, Biophysical Journal (2013), dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2012.11.3835
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CC-MAIN-2017-04
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PKM (ParallelKinematicMechanism) machines have received increasing interestfrom industries. Nevertheless, they didn't turn out goodresults in control performances as desired. One of the reasonsis the unsuitability of the available control systems for theparallel mechanisms.
This thesis presents a process to develop a PKM controlsystem. The process is fulfilled by three developing groups:the control supplier, the machine builder and the machine user.By making use of the axiomatic design principle, a conceptualcontrol system is designed to meet the functional requirementsof these three groups. The design is especially focused on thetransformation module within the motion controller since thismodule mainly makes PKM control system different from othercontrol systems.
Kinematic transformations are needed in the transformationmodule to control the PKM machines. Therefore, a transformationtheory for control is proposed to perform all computations ofthe transformations in the motion controller. The theoryincludes two parts. Part 1 introduces the inverse and forwardtransformations and the roles of singularity and dexterity inmotion control. Part 2 describes how to integrate the kinematicmodels into a control system to realise the transformationfunctions. The integration process takes place on thetransformation platform and makes it possible for a controlsupplier to co-operate with the machine builders and users.
A new method, named a connection method, is created in thisthesis to establish the dynamic models of the PKM machines. Thepurpose is to reveal the dynamic behaviours of the PKM machinesand to design a better control model via the dynamic modelstogether with the kinematic models. This method is successfullyapplied to a planar PKM machine, PAMELA (PArallelMEchanism withLinearActuators).
By simulation, a control model, called ISF (IntermediateStateFeedback), is suggested to eliminate the control-errorscaused by the inexact kinematic models. The simulation alsoshows that the good dexterity obtained in the machine designcan lead to good control performances. Together with thekinematic compensation, the ISF control model can improve thepositioning accuracy.
This thesis demonstrates the whole development process ofthe PKM control system by taking the PAMELA machine as anexample. It helps to verify the development process and gives astudy case to develop other machine control system.
Keywords: Control System Design, PKM machines, KinematicTransformation, Dynamic Modelling, Motion ControlSimulation
Stockholm: Industriell produktion , 2001. , xiv, 114 p.
Control System Design, PKM machines, Kinematic transformation, Dynamic modelling, Motion control simulation
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Hot water problems are the worst nightmare when you are in a desperate need of a shower. Just imagine coming back home after an exhausting day only to find a cold shower… But there are better things to do than start panicking. We give you five pro tips that will help you troubleshoot and fix the most common problems with hot water units.
Problems With Water Temperature
You turned on the shower and discovered that the water is too hot or too cold? The first thing to do is to check the thermostat. In most cases, you’ll just need to adjust it and change the temperature. If this doesn’t help, then the root of the problem could be a leak in the tank, damaged gas control or burner assembly, sediment in the tank or an issue with the temperature-pressure relief valve. What to do? Call a professional in hot water system servicing to fix this problem for you.
Some of the most common problems with hot water system Perth residents experience is discolouration of water caused by lime, rust or sediment. WA water has high levels of mineral content which can cause calcium to block the valves and prevent thermostats from detecting the water temperature. This is potentially dangerous because your hot water unit can continue to heat the water without the temperature safety controls. After incidents occurred in Perth a few years back, the WA Government has issued a reminder to property owners encouraging them to perform regular checks. To prevent any mishaps, make sure to call a plumbing service to do an inspection every six months.
Is your hot water unit making strange noises? The reason for this is often the same one that’s causing discolouration – minerals and sediment are blocking the valves and causing the water pressure to build up. You might need to clean the tank or change the heating element if it burns out. If you hear a boiling sound, it means that the system is overheating, and you need to turn it off immediately before calling a plumber to fix the issue.
A sudden drop in the water temperature is often linked to a leak in your hot water system. The first thing you need to do is to determine the cause of the leak. The most common causes include:
- Loose valves
- Poor plumbing installation
- Lack of maintenance
- Old water tank
- High water pressure
The cause determines your approach to fixing the problem. One of the first things you need to check is the valves. If they are loose, you can quickly tighten or replace them. If your water tank is too old and corroded, you need to replace it with a new one. In both cases, it is safer to call a profession hot water system installation & repair service technician.
A damaged thermocouple is a common problem with gas hot water units. This sensor for measuring temperature can cause the system to stop producing hot water because it can’t function properly if the thermocouple is damaged. First, try relighting the pilot light, and if that doesn’t fix the issue, you need to replace the thermocouple. If you want to do this yourself, make sure to turn of water and gas beforehand. Alternatively, find a professional who can do this for you.
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https://baywoodplumbingandgas.com.au/plumbing/how-to-fix-common-hot-water-heater-problems/
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Parashat Ki Tisa 5772
After the sin of the Golden Calf, God told Moshe that he was going to destroy the Jewish people.
After Moshe destroyed the Golden Calf he then went back up to Har Sinai to plead for the people (Shemot 32:30-32).
Moshe pleaded with HaShem that the Divine Presence would remain with them. Here is part of that exchange (translation from Judaica Press):
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If we want a low-carbon future, we have to drop our nuclear-phobia
One of the major benefits of nuclear energy is its low carbon footprint. As nuclear energy is produced via nuclear fission rather than chemical burning, it produces no carbon. The only carbon emissions associated with nuclear power is the use of fossil fuels during their construction, mining, fuel processing, maintenance and decommissioning. Globally, nuclear power plants have avoided 64 billion tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere and prevented 580,000 deaths from respiratory diseases. Moreover, nuclear power operates at a higher capacity than renewable energy sources or fossil fuels. For example, in the US in 2016, nuclear power plants – which generated 20% of all electricity – had an average capacity factor of 92.3%, meaning they ran on full power on 336 days of the year. By comparison, hydropower operated at 38% capacity and solar power at 25% capacity. The data suggests that nuclear power is able to both reduce our emissions whilst meeting our energy demand, so why is it not more widespread?
One of the main arguments commonly put against nuclear energy is the risk from radiation. These arguments normally reference one of the three large-scale incidents involving nuclear power reactors: Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania (1979), Chernobyl in Ukraine (1986) and Fukushima in Japan (2011). However, the risks are often exaggerated. In the case of Three Mile Island, a report by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission found that the additional radiation that residents were exposed to (1 millirem) was less than that of an X-Ray (6 millirem). Chernobyl was much deadlier than Three Mile Island, with 29 deaths, and there were also some long-term consequences: a report by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) found an increase in thyroid cancer amongst those who were young at the time of the incident, those who drank contaminated milk and those who were not evacuated. But then, Chernobyl was obviously a very special case (unusual enough to be turned it into a TV series!), which tells us more about the bizarre command-and-control structures of the Soviet Union than about nuclear energy.
Lastly, regarding Fukushima, a report submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency found that there was no major public exposure to radiation following the incident. All of this clearly shows that the dangers from a ‘nuclear fallout’ are not as threatening as they are portrayed to be, particularly when looking at how few deaths there have been from nuclear accidents.
Another source of concern amongst anti-nuclear activists is the risk of nuclear weapons. The argument follows that the more nuclear power plants are built, the greater the threat of nuclear weapons. Nonetheless, this is not true. Nuclear energy and weapons share one main feature: they both involve the release of energy from atomic reactions. However, nuclear weapons require the fusion of two atoms together to catalyse an uncontrolled explosion, whilst nuclear energy involves harnessing the decay of naturally occurring radioactive elements in a slow and controlled reaction, generating heat that turns steam turbines. In other words, yes, “nuclear energy” and “nuclear weapons” both have “nuclear” in their name, but they are otherwise not that similar. We must also consider that the facilities required to create a nuclear weapon exist in only a few countries in the world and are heavily guarded (Shellenberger 2020).
The concern about nuclear waste is another aspect that has prevented us from fully appreciating nuclear energy’s benefits. There is the perception that nuclear waste can be improperly disposed of and leads to the contamination of the surrounding environment. However, in the United States and in other countries, the majority of spent fuel is stored in safe, impenetrable concrete-and-steel dry casks on the grounds of operating reactors with its radiation slowly declining over time. The United States is also home to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in the New Mexico desert that could store the entire world’s nuclear waste in a 2-kilometre thick bed of crystalline salt, ensuring that there is no risk to humans. Other countries such as Finland have developed more innovative approaches, as they have carved a permanent repository in granite bedrock in an island in the Baltic Sea to the West of Finland. The disposal of nuclear waste can be done in an efficient and safe manner, as shown by the above examples, and we should not let a misconception on nuclear waste disposal be the reason we disregard nuclear energy altogether.
Lastly, there is the cost of nuclear power plants. A 2007 paper written by D.R. Myddelton highlights the historic failures of administering civilian nuclear energy in the UK throughout the 1950s and 60s, all culminating with a daunting figure of an estimated £32 billion (in 2007 prices) in losses to the British taxpayer. However, Myddleton explicitly states the reasons why Britain’s experience with nuclear power was so disappointing: because of state monopolies and government intervention. To free market sympathisers, this should come as no surprise. It is an argument for subjecting the nuclear energy sector to market forces, not for scrapping it.
We must also consider that although it may be true that the majority of the UK’s 15 active power plants would not have been built without government subsidies, they are there now, and should be put to use. Therefore, whilst it is true that nuclear power plants have historically been associated with going overbudget and being behind schedule, as they have a lifespan of between 40-80 years, the importance of cost overruns declines over time (Shellenberger, 2020). There have also been investments by tech pioneers such as Bill Gates and Peter Thiel in nuclear start-ups whose designs are smaller, faster to build and better suited to compete in the energy market. Over time, more investment into these technologies will provide us with the ability to create cheaper and more efficient nuclear power plants.
The reality of where we are is that we need to reduce our carbon emissions whilst satisfying the energy demands of 7 billion people, and one of the few energy sources that can do both effectively is nuclear power. In the future, the British government should resist interventionist temptations in the nuclear energy industry to avoid making the same mistakes it did in the past. The best approach is to deregulate (whilst maintaining appropriate safety measures in place) and allow the free market to maximise its efficiency. Only when the world realises there is a safe and free-market compatible future with nuclear power can we start to maximise its true potential.
Roberto White is a research intern at the Institute of Economic Affairs, and a Politics student at the University of Warwick.
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CC-MAIN-2022-33
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Barley, Hulled, Organic, 5 lbs. by Azure Farm
Barley, Hulled, Organic
Barley is considered an excellent source of soluble fiber. With a higher beta-glucan content than oats, barley can be effective in lowering serum cholesterol levels. Barley also contains fiber, protein, carbohydrates and B vitamins. It's low in fat and has no cholesterol. Although pearled barley is commonly used in soups, barley can be milled into various fractions, producing different cuts, pearls, flours, grits and flakes.
Because of its neutral flavor, it's easy to blend barley's nutrition and texture into a variety of foods: soups, sausages, crackers, casseroles, hot and cold ready-to-eat cereals, snacks, breads, cookies, bagels, side dishes, main dishes and granola.
Only the outer husk of the barley is removed, not the bran portion of the kernel. The grains are brown and require 1-2 hours cooking time. Hulled barley has a distinct flavor and enhances the nutritional value and taste of soups and stews.
INGREDIENTS: Organic Hulled Barley.
Serving Size: 1/4 cup dry (32 g)
Servings Per Container: About 71 (5 lb. size)
Servings Per Container: About 29 (33 oz. size)
Nutrient Amount % DV
Calories from Fat 5
Total Fat 0.5 g 1%
Trans Fat -- g
Sodium 0 mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 24 g 8%
Dietary Fiber 6 g 22%
Protein 4 g
Not a significant source of saturated fat, cholesterol, sugars, vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium.
- Basic cooking: Place 1/2 cup hulled barley in 2 cups water. Cook for 1 hour 40 minutes. Yields 1 1/4 cups.
- Azure Farm is located in the foothills east of Mt. Hood with a fantastic view of the Cascades and farm land in the valleys below. This is wheat growing country where dry-land farming produces an abundance of soft white wheat and other grains. But what makes our farm different from most other wheat farms is our growing practices. We've been growing organically for over 25 years, and are attempting to go beyond basic "organic" (which only ensures which harmful things have not been used). We try to keep up with organic soil amendments that will actually improve our soil, and consequently improve the food itself.
- Any items with the Azure Farm label which are not grown on Azure Farm, are from farms which we know have been growing organically for many years, doing whatever they can to ensure healthy soil, so the food on your table is also healthy.
- Why go organic? Organic foods are grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Organic foods are not genetically modified. Organic foods are grown in soil that is nurtured, not treated... which means top soil, groundwater, rivers, lakes, streams, watersheds, fish & wildlife, and people are not compromised. Healthy food grows in healthy soil. You can often taste the organic difference!
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CC-MAIN-2022-33
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Understanding Digital Cameras, Part I
Digital imaging technology has come a long way since Kodak scientists introduced the first commercial megapixel sensor in 1986. Shortly thereafter, in 1987, Kodak released a handful of products for recording, storing and printing "electronic still video images." In 1990, Kodak developed the Photo CD system and proposed "the first worldwide standard for defining color in the digital environment of computers and computer peripherals." The first professional digital camera, released in 1991, was the Nikon F-3, and was powered by a Kodak 1.3 megapixel sensor.
Over the last decade, the evolution of the digital camera has taken an enormous step forward. Today's state-of-the-art digital SLRs boast quality and capability that rival those of traditional cameras. Costs of digital cameras, storage media and accessories are dropping significantly, making the technology more available to the general public.
Today's digital cameras come even closer to eliminating guess work. A person needs only to point the camera and press a button and the camera does all the thinking on its own, producing crisp, high quality images that can be conveniently printed at home.
So does a digital camera automatically make someone a good photographer? Absolutely not. Good photography skills require time, experience, and artistic talent and has nothing to do with the camera.
So why are digital cameras suddenly so popular?
1) Results. Digital cameras provide instant results that can be viewed directly on the camera itself, printed instantly on properly equipped printers, or downloaded to the PC for viewing.
2) Quality. Digital cameras have caught up with film cameras in many instances, and in some areas, surpassed them.
3) Convenience. Sliding a media card into the camera is much easier (and faster) than trying to load a roll of film into a typical film camera.
4) Added Features. Many digital cameras can apply added effects to the photos as they are taken, such as sepia tone, enhanced color correction, grey scale, added sharpness, etc. without expensive lens filters.
Digital cameras, are not, however, necessarily superior to film cameras. In fact, neither is superior to the other in every instance. Not every digital camera is created equal, nor is every film camera the same. There are major trade-offs between the two types which must be taken into consideration, such as:
1) Higher power requirements. Digital cameras generally require higher power requirements than film cameras. Expensive batteries are often needed, which can entail frequent recharges.
2) High cost of equipment. Digital cameras and applicable accessories typically cost many more times than film-based equivalents.
3) Learning curve. Although the digital cameras of today are very easy to use, many still feel intimidated by their complexity.
4) Weight. Due to the additional electronic requirements, digital cameras tend to be heavier than their film equivalents, especially in larger, SLR models.
Have comments or suggestions for a weekly Tech Tips article? Send an email to firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Maximum Lactate Steady State
What’s the point of the above? You may answer that they explain a physiological phenomenon. VO2max is when oxygen consumption plateaus. Lactate Threshold is a marker where lactate goes from a steady state or slow trickle of increasing lactate to a flood. Critical Velocity is the power output that can be sustained for a prolonged period of time without dipping into our W’ reserves.
But there’s another reason to define these. They all provide a marker for coaches and athletes to utilize. They represent a ‘transition’ point defining a certain ‘zone’ of training. We can define the velocity that elicits VO2max, the speed at Lactate Threshold, MLSS, or CV. It provides a marker in training that we can readily say “Today, we’re running at LT and it will give us these benefits.” In coaching, these parameters provide nice and neat little separation points between different zones of training.
The only problem? It’s not that simple. “For years we have seen study after study attempting to compartmentalize intensity domains based on an assumption that there is some physiological decompensation point. However we reach no clear consensus on this. First it was MLSS. Then VO2 kinetics. Then FTP and CP, but none are conclusive. Perhaps we are looking for something that isn’t there.” Dr. Jeroen Swart recently commented.
Dr. Swart is on to something here. We like order, we like to have simple and clear transition points in training. Something that separates easy from moderate and moderate form hard. And for years, VO2max, LT, etc. provided that. The only issue is that in the lab, it’s not so clear cut. As Dr. Swart outlines, we’ve searched for this holy grail only to realize that transition points are messy.
Unlike how many of us learned energy systems in our coaches education courses, there is no off/on switch, but a blending. And that Lactate Threshold or MLSS concept that looked so simple in the texts, requires a bit of guesswork to declare that X pace is my lactate threshold.
It’s not that any of these parameters aren’t useful or helpful. They all can be. They all explain a portion of performance.
But where we go wrong in the lab and out on the track is how we think about these parameters. We think of them as clear cut, defined markers. We run tempos at lactate threshold, 800m repeats at VO2max, and classify our training as such. We assume that the tranisition is clear and that these parameters represent some sort of boundary line. That above LT does this and below does that. That training exactly at Critical Power represents a magic zone where we aren’t yet ‘anaerobic’ or whatever we want to call it.
The body is incredibly complex. It’s not that we should discount short and easy physiological heuristics. They help center and guide training. VO2max, LT, MLSS, CP, and whatever else are all really helpful concepts.
But, we shouldn’t fall so in love with them, that we become blind to their flaws. Understand that these don’t represent a clearly defined transition, that physiology is messy. That training at them, above, or below doesn’t give us some magical benefit. They are more like shades of grey, telling us that in this ballpark of a pace, we’re more likely to be training X. That if you’re being anal trying to be exactly on X pace because it represents one of these parameters, you’re assuming way more accuracy and certainty then even the best science gives us.
Or as Dr. Mark Burnley’s lab found when searching for a ‘threshold’ for Critical Velocity, “These data demonstrate that the transition between heavy- and severe-intensity exercise occurs gradually rather than suddenly.”
Understand the science, but embrace the nuance. Don’t box yourself into zones or exact paces tied to some physiological parameter. When we do, we lose out on the creativity that allows you to do 100m repeats and get the same training effect of a 4mile tempo, or to utilize hill circuits to get the same effect of a grueling 400m repeat session on the track. Use the aforementioned parameters as a guide, written in pencil to help put you on the right path. But then utilize your knowledge of the science and the art to design workouts that stress an athlete to adapt in the direction you want.
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CC-MAIN-2022-33
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https://www.scienceofrunning.com/2020/08/vo2max-lt-critical-velocity-they-are-much-more-messy-than-we-think.html?v=47e5dceea252
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Introduction to Computers and their Applications
My office hours
(in Alumnae Hall 113A; if I'm not there, look around the corner in 112)
are Monday 12:00-2:00, Tuesday and Thursday 9:00-12:00.
The main textbook for this class is Using Information Technology, by
Sawyer & Williams; later in the semester we'll switch to Learning
Web Design by Jennifer Niederst.
Both books are in the bookstore as of Jan. 22.
Who should take this course?
This course is for people who want to learn how to use computers for
word processing, number processing (spreadsheets), databases, e-mail, Web
browsing, etc. If you are (or are considering being) a math or computer
science major, you'll need to take one or more programming courses like
CSC 160 or CSC 171 (ask me for advice on which). If you are a Computer
and Management Information Systems major,
you need both this course and some programming courses.
For General Education requirements, this course counts as a Second
Competency but not as a Math/Science Distribution course.
- My web page on
privacy, computers, and telecommunications (includes summaries of a
lot of different issues, with links to other organizations)
- The ImpactCS project's
the social and ethical impact of computing
- "Triumph of the Nerds", a 3-hour public-TV documentary
(on videotape in Swirbul Library) about the development of the
microcomputer industry from 1975-1995.
article from the Chronicle of Higher Education on college students
being overwhelmed with information from Web searches.
- The Personal Computer
Show, Wednesday evenings on WBAI 99.5 FM, discusses a lot of
"how-to" issues, including backup, firewalls, virus and spyware
protection, etc (mostly for Windows users). In particular, their
page of links and downloads points to a lot of useful stuff.
Gator Advertising and Information Network FAQ. GAIN is an example
of "adware" or "spyware": you visit a Web site that offers useful
software or Web services for free, you download and install the
software, and you have (perhaps unknowingly) also installed a program
named Gator that tracks what web sites you visit and displays pop-up
ads on your screen until you figure out how to delete it.
- Steven Levy's book Crypto: How the Code Rebels Beat the
Government (Saving Privacy in the Digital Age), which discusses
the history of computer cryptography and its implications for privacy
and policy. Makes the claim that strong cryptography is here to stay,
and nothing governments or corporations can do will stop it, so we'd
better get used to a world in which anything can be secret.
(If you like Levy's writing style, you might enjoy his earlier book
Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution.)
- David Brin's book The Transparent Society, which also
discusses privacy and and policy issues. Makes the claim that surveillance
and spying technology are here to stay, and nothing cryptographers can
do will stop it, so we'd better get used to a world in which nothing
can be secret, and the best we can hope for is to
give ordinary citizens the same ability to spy on corporations
and governments that corporations and governments already have to
spy on ordinary citizens.
- Brad Templeton's Copyright Myths
- A Guide to
Home Computer Security written by CERT/CC, a part of Carnegie Mellon
University's Software Engineering Institute
- The HTML 4.01 standard
(not always easy reading, but definitive on what is legal and illegal
- Tutorials and Style
Recommendations for writing Web pages
- WebMonkey, a widely-used
source of information for Web developers, including handy HTML
You are visitor number
to this page since Jan. 23, 2003.
Stephen Bloch / email@example.com
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Dr. Edward Boshnick: "Over the years I've had the misfortune of examining hundreds of patients who have lost quality vision and suffered severe depression as a result of LASIK surgery. Two of these patients were so depressed by their post-surgical vision loss that they attempted suicide. In fact, there are several documented cases of post-lasik suicides."
Source: A Few Words About LASIK
Dr. Arthur B. Epstein: “... many of us in the contact lens community have spent untold hours trying to help patients who have had their lives literally destroyed by LASIK.” Source: Review of Optometry, November 2006
OSN Supersite 5/19/2009: Dr. Lawless said his practice has amended its essential clause to include language about the risk of possible psychological damage from an ideal or less-than-ideal refractive surgery procedure in response to last year's U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel meeting on LASIK safety, which examined quality-of-life issues as well as reported psychological damage resulting from poor LASIK outcomes in patients.
We are presenting this information because people, particularly prospective LASIK patients, need to know that LASIK complications may have a profound negative impact on quality of life. If you are experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts after LASIK, please get professional help. If you are in crises and need immediate help, click here, call 1-800-273-8255, or call 911.
Want to share your feelings with others who've been there and understand? Join the discussion on FaceBook.
If you experienced a bad outcome from LASIK with associated depression or thoughts of suicide, please file a MedWatch report with the FDA online. Alternatively, you may call FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 to report by telephone, download the paper form and either fax it to 1-800-FDA-0178 or mail it to the address shown at the bottom of page 3, or download the MedWatcher Mobile App for reporting LASIK problems to the FDA using a smart phone or tablet. Read a sample of LASIK injury reports currently on file with the FDA.
ARE YOU CONSIDERING LASIK OR ANOTHER FORM OF VISION CORRECTION SURGERY? Please consider this. There have been several Lasik-related suicides and countless anecdotal reports of Lasik-related depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. In 2008, the FDA called a special public hearing on Lasik after injured Lasik patients complained to the agency. In the weeks leading up to the hearing, the media reported stories of Lasik-related suicides and poor outcomes. At the hearing, leading Lasik surgeons, in a concerted effort to protect the public perception of Lasik, lined up to testify that Lasik cannot lead to depression or suicide. The Lasik industry even hired a psychiatrist, Jennifer Morse, MD, to testify that patients who are depressed after Lasik were already depressed before Lasik, and that there is no scientific evidence of any direct link between Lasik and depression or suicide. Morse was even quoted in an October, 2008 issue of EyeWorld magazine saying that unhappy Lasik patients have good Lasik results but defective brains (David Laber. Depressed patients can struggle coping with post-Lasik. EyeWorld. October 2008.). Physicians in every other medical specialty must acknowledge and address surgical complications or face lawsuits, discipline by state medical boards, and loss of medical license. In the field of Lasik, surgeons readily lie to protect themselves, their colleagues, and the Lasik gravy train. Below is a link to a February, 2016 review of the body of medical literature on surgical complications (all types of surgery) and their impact on patients’ psychosocial well-being. The conclusion states, "Surgical complications appear to be a significant and often long-term predictor of patient postoperative psychosocial outcomes. The results highlight the importance of attending to patients’ psychological needs in the aftermath of surgical complications." Be warned, if you experience problems after laser eye surgery, your surgeon will almost certainly downplay or dismiss your concerns. If you continue to complain, you will likely be met with animosity and eventual abandonment. Because Lasik is completely unnecessary and carries significant risk to a vital sensory organ, the Lasik industry will do whatever is necessary to conceal the problems. Please read the following article and consider the psychological toll that surgical complications take on patients. Lasik is no different. Are you willing to accept this hidden risk of Lasik?
Eye surgery warning from widow of man who died by suicide - CTV News 1/16/2019
From the article: The suicide note Tim Fentem wrote contained an apology and an explanation.
"My eyes are wrecked," the husband and father of two wrote before his death by suicide in 2016.
Tim Fentem’s wife Lori told CTV News she was devastated, but not shocked, at his death by suicide in July of 2016, after watching him, for years, suffering complications related to the eye surgery called Radial Keratotomy or RK.
Lori Fentem is now sharing her late husband’s tragic story, after hearing of other cases of suicide in the wake of refractive eye surgery. Continue reading
Detroit meteorologist Jessica Starr's death by suicide puts focus on Lasik safety - USA Today 12/18/2018
From the article: A month before taking her own life Dec. 12, Jessica Starr, a meteorologist for a Detroit TV station, shared that she was still struggling with complications such as dry eyes and blurred vision from her Lasik-type eye surgery in October.
"I do still need all the prayers and the well-wishes because it’s a hard go," Starr, 35, the Fox 2 Detroit (WJBK-TV) meteorologist and mother of two young children, said in a video on her public Facebook page. Continue reading
Watch video that Jessica Starr posted on Facebook shortly before her death.
Jessica Starr's family tell her story to CTV W5 news magazine television program - 4/6/2019
Painful side-effects from laser eye surgery linked to man's suicide - CTV News 11/28/2018
From the article: After enduring debilitating eye pain for more than two decades, an Ontario man took his own life in what his family says was an act of desperation to end the suffering caused by complications from laser eye surgery.
The family of Paul Fitzpatrick spoke to CTV News following a W5 investigation last month into the occurrence of a rare, but painful side-effect of laser eye surgery that has left some patients in severe, chronic pain.
The complication, known as corneal neuralgia, can cause nerve damage to the eye and can be so excruciating that some patients were unable to work or in some cases, contemplated suicide. Continue reading
2018 Case report: Young man attempts suicide after a domino effect of LASIK complications
Webmaster's review of the article: A 19 year old man underwent LASIK in both eyes. Three days later he reported blurred vision and underwent surgery to lift his flaps and irrigate the flap-corneal interface. Five days later he was treated for high intraocular pressure (IOP). One month after LASIK surgery, he sought treatment at another eye clinic for loss of vision (legal blindness) and eye pain. He was diagnosed with, and treated for, extremely high IOP and fluid accumulation under the LASIK flaps. Thirty days later the man's vision had partially improved, and his IOP had come down, and the fluid in the interface had resolved. However, 3 months later he had developed epithelial ingrowth (cells growing under the flap), cataracts in both eyes, and glaucoma. Months later his IOP was elevated again and his vision had dropped. He was surgically implanted with a glaucoma valve in both eyes. The man was referred to a psychiatrist because he was severely depressed and attempted suicide.
Source: Cabral-Macias et al. Pressure-induced stromal keratopathy after laser in situ keratomileusis: Acute and late-onset presentations. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2018 Oct;44(10):1284-1290.
2015 Case report: Suicide after Excimer Laser Refractive Surgery
Webmaster's review of the article: A young man underwent laser eye surgery for myopia on both eyes. A few weeks after seemingly successful surgery the man became severely depressed and went to the emergency ward of an eye clinic. He was upset by the visual outcome of his surgery and complained of dryness and irritation. He was prescribed lubricating drops and ointments.
A few weeks later the man again went to the eye clinic at night in a dire state of depression and reported that his vision was interfering with his ability to function. He was advised to try glasses.
The man went to the eye clinic again a few weeks later, again during the middle of the night, again severely depressed. He was offered psychological counseling, which he declined. He left the clinic promising to return the next morning, but he never returned. He committed suicide.
Suicidal LASIK patient files report with FDA , had LASIK in 2016 - 4/6/2017
I had the LASIK eye surgery and I have been suicidal and depressed since the surgery. Before LASIK I had no eye problems whatsoever. I used the same glasses for 10 years. I went to one of the best ophthalmologists in my area and he used the most up to date technology and I paid a very high price. I was never warned about any of the debilitating side effects that I experienced after LASIK. I am young and I have had nothing but eye problems since I had lasik. They told me that I would only experience halos and dry eye for no more than a few weeks and I would have "HD" vision. I cannot believe how unregulated this procedure is and how [the FDA] have failed in informing and protecting the public. They told me that I was a perfect candidate. Continue reading
Law enforcement officer suicidal after LASIK, files report with FDA 8/5/2017
Had Lasik surgery in 2001, at [redacted by FDA] y/o and "was a perfect candidate" doctor [redacted by FDA] said. Had severe corneal ectasia went blind after. Had corneal transplant in 2003. Lens implanted in 2004. Many subsequent surgeries since. Lasik completely destroyed my life. I have lost years of work as a deputy sheriff and was taken off the street due to vision. I have held my service revolver to my head several times contemplating suicide. I have daily debilitating headaches and severe dry eyes. I have even had my blood made in eye serum drops out of desperation for my eyes. Nothing works including many specialty contact fitting attempts. I am more suicidal than ever and know it will happen when I get the courage to do so. The Lasik doctors knew this surgery was extremely dangerous but didn't care because it was a billion dollar industry. They lied to the FDA minimizing the side effects (the FDA board chairman who approved Lasik later testified to this) and complications of this surgery. LasikPlus informed me the worst side effect of this surgery was slight glare and dry eyes which would go away within a year. That was blatant lie and they knew it.
Report filed with FDA by suicidal LASIK patient's husband - 2/7/2017
Six years post-LASIK, my wife was diagnosed with corneal ectasia after developing severe headaches, severe dry eye, and severe eye pain and vision problems (distortions, halo, extreme photosensitivity, shadows, ghostings, loss of night vision, and more); she lost her job as an IT professional because she was unable to perform duties as a result of these issues, developed severe depression and anxiety and was suicidal; she has not recovered emotionally from the catastrophic outcome of this procedure.
Case Report: Man hospitalized 2 months after Lasik with psychosis and thoughts of suicide
Conroy MA, Duran PA, Avery JD. A Case of New-Onset Psychosis Following Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) Eye Surgery. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2016 Sep 22;18(5).
Excerpt: Visual changes after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery leading to patient dissatisfaction, such as decreased contrast sensitivity, poor distance vision, glare, and halos, are well described in the literature. Although there is a plethora of community forums and individual testimonies describing the development of depressive symptoms in reaction to post-LASIK visual changes, there is a paucity of published reports describing mental health sequelae following this procedure. Furthermore, no literature to our knowledge has described the development of psychosis following LASIK surgery. We report the case of a man who developed first-onset psychotic symptoms following the procedure.
Case Report: Corneal Neuralgia after LASIK Leading to Thoughts of Suicide
Theophanous et al. Corneal Neuralgia after LASIK. Optom Vis Sci. 2015 Jul 3.
Excerpt: A 42-year-old man with a history of [high cholesterol] underwent LASIK [in both eyes]. He presented to Boston Foundation for Sight (BFS) 10 months later with a detailed timeline of his own clinical course as follows: Immediately after the procedure, he had a burning sensation in both eyes. Within several weeks, he had noted symptoms of light sensitivity, halo effect, and extreme dry eye. He was initially treated with topical cyclosporine (Restasis, Allergan, Irvine, CA) twice per day, preservative-free lubricating drops throughout the day, and punctal occlusion. These measures substantially reduced his symptoms in the left eye by 2 to 3 months after LASIK; symptoms in the right eye persisted with notation of continued achy, sore pain with tearing that worsened throughout the day, sensitivity to sunlight, blurriness, and dryness. His symptoms in the right eye were subsequently treated with warm compresses twice per day, moisture chamber goggles during the day, ointment thrice per day and nightly, oral cetirizine, trial of bandage soft lenses, and a daytime eye patch, offering limited relief. Doxycycline 100 mg by mouth daily was also prescribed for mild blepharitis. During this treatment period, the patient developed depression and ultimately was hospitalized for suicidal ideation, which he reported was driven by his eye pain.
Suicidal patient, had Lasik in 2011. Report filed with the FDA on 5/22/2016
I had Lasik 5 years back and it burns like "profanity". Feel I should commit suicide, got conjunctivitis and the conditions worsened. I'm fed up, using tears natural and a steroid. Please help.
Mother reports 2016 suicide of son to the FDA - 1/14/2016
My son, [redacted by FDA], committed suicide [redacted by FDA] 2016 by a self-inflicted gunshot wound in [redacted by FDA]. He wrote suicide notes stating he killed himself because [redacted by FDA] ruined his eyes from a PRK procedure (a type of LASIK eye procedure) and thus ruined his life. My son, [redacted by FDA], was [redacted by FDA]. He was pursuing his college degree at [redacted by FDA]. His career was in petroleum engineering. He had had a problem with depression in his early teens, but had been stable without problems until after his deployment to fight in [redacted by FDA]. [redacted by FDA] had an uncomplicated LASIK surgery through [redacted by FDA] approximately 5 years ago, in 2010, with eventual deterioration of his vision in [redacted by FDA] 2015. He had a PRK procedure [redacted by FDA] 2015, by Dr. [redacted by FDA]. He had a minimal history and physical prior to the procedure. There was no information on my son's diagnosis of ptsd, anxiety, learning disability, or depression. There was no identification of the medications he was taking. Post procedure, he experienced persistent eye pain, dry eyes, and eventually loss of his eyesight to 100/20. His loss of his vision in [redacted by FDA] 2015, resulting in him not being able to visualize adequately to continue his classes and he was unable to obtain employment for his loss of vision. He repetitively saw Dr. [redacted by FDA] who continued "conservative management", despite my son deteriorating psychologically. His post operative care included a physician antagonistic to my son, with no referral to another physician, to blaming the patient for the complication, and ultimately the patient feeling hopeless and suicidal. This eye laser complication placed my son in economic distress and immediately resulted in deterioration psychologically. He wrote suicide letters stating he was killing himself due to his ruined eyes by Dr. [redacted by FDA]. I am a board certified ob/gyn, which includes board certification as a surgeon. I am horrified at the LASIK false promotion of a "safe procedure", when, in reality, lives have been destroyed with medical physicians placing monetary gains over the health care of patients. After my horrific loss of my son from his loss of vision from this PRK, LASIK procedure of his eyes, i have been even more horrified of the complications and suicides related to loss of vision from elected LASIK procedures, the devastations to lives that have incurred complications, the common complications not declared to patients, and the scant medical awareness of the patients by the physicians prior to these procedures. Link to report
Editor's note: In April, 2016, we learned the identity of this suicide victim through his mother who reached out to us. In the hopes of preventing another tragedy, she has decided to share her son's story. Read In Memory of Max Cronin.
Patient suicidal after Lasik in 2011, calls FDA to file report 9/29/2015
Caller advised he had Lasik surgery at [redacted by FDA] on [redacted by FDA] 2011. Surgeon mentioned potential adverse effects which was supposed to be temporary. "My life has been a complete nightmare after the surgery". Caller fell into a deep depression with suicidal thoughts and is currently on medication for depression and also seeing a therapist. Caller is still experiencing night vision problems which include blurred vision, glare, halos, diplopia in the left eye and distorted vision in the right eye (sees four different images when looking at one image) and dry eyes. Caller advised lasik eye surgery is very dangerous and was never warned about the psychological effect the surgery will have on him. Link to report
Suicidal patient had Lasik in 2014. Filed report with FDA 9/8/2015
Excerpt: I had to leave my job because my eyes hurt all the time and I can no longer look at a computer screen while maintaining customer service and my other job responsibilities [redaced by FDA]. My social life has completely eroded and my personal prospects have been lost. If I did not have the support of my family, there would be nothing to prevent me from falling into a deeper depression than I already am. Suicidal ideation is something that I am now all too familiar with. My life has completely deteriorated because my eyes have been severely damaged by a unnecessary and very much corrupt procedure and industry. And my life was good. I was happy. I did not ask for this, nor was I even aware that it could actually happen. Lasik has been the worst decision of my life and I regret it every day and surely will continue to regret until the day I die. Read full report here
Lasik eye surgery recipients sue clinic operators. The Japan Times - 12/18/2014
From the article: Twelve people who had undergone laser eye surgery sued two Tokyo-based clinic operators Wednesday, saying the Lasik surgery left them with health problems such as dry eyes and eye strain...
Hitomi Terada, 60, told a news conference on Wednesday that she has suffered from consistent burning pain and has to apply a cooling pad every few minutes just to cope. “I can’t open my eyes like before and I have contemplated killing myself,” she said.
Suicidal LASIK patient files report with FDA - 8/10/2014
I had LASIK done 6 months ago. The outcome has changed my life forever. I now have terrible night vision, which now includes huge starburst and glare. My eyes really aren't dry, so I guess I dodged that bullet. The worst thing about it is that fixing my night vision problems would now require a hard rigid lenses designed custom made for my eyes, which may not even fix my problems. Before I had perfect vision with contact lenses. What a terrible mistake I have made. I am only [redacted by FDA] and now for the rest of my life I have to right this devastating condition. Why is LASIK even legal, why was I not told directly by the doctors that my large pupil would cause poor night vision? I would give every dime to my name to get my old crappy eyes back that were fixed perfectly with contact lenses. I have considered suicide on several occasions. I have never ever been suicidal my entire life. I am now on antidepressants which I know is the only reason I am here today explaining my struggle. I can no longer enjoy my nights out with my friends, I can't go anywhere at night without a horrible headache from trying to see. I pray and pray that they will find a way to cure this condition. Please shut down LASIK. Link to report
Twenty years after Lasik, suicidal patient files report with FDA 8/7/2015
I was operated for myopia and astigmatism in 1995 (I had 15 diopters). Since then, I suffer irreversible sequela: halos, glare, flashes, depression with the intent of suicide, reduction on the sensibility to contrast, blurred nocturnal vision and artifical light. I cannot drive at night, I have problems reading or working with the computer, headache, ocular hypertension, cataracts. All this prevented me to have a normal life and work. Link to report
Suicidal LASIK patient files report with FDA - 7/27/2014
I had LASIK on [redacted by FDA] at Laser Vision [redacted by FDA], the doctor was [redacted by FDA]. I was [redacted by FDA]. On [redacted by FDA] 2014 I have been diagnosed with severe dry eye due to the surgery. I am on depression with suicidal thoughts. [redacted by FDA]. Link to report
HUNDREDS of people say their lives have been blighted by laser eye surgery - Daily Star 4/6/2014
From the article: Freelance camera technician Craig Mellor had Lasik laser surgery after visiting an Optical Express store in Manchester. The 42-year-old suffered a complication after the first op and needed corrective surgery the next day for a crease in his left eye. But his condition worsened and five years on, after several more ops, he has virtually no sight in his left eye and limited vision in his right. Doctors have now told him nothing can be done to restore his sight. He said: “It’s really affected my career. "I have contemplated suicide.”
Editor's note: Dr. Steve Schallhorn, Optical Express Chief Medical Director, has denied any link between a bad outcome from LASIK and suicide. In a 2008 newspaper article on LASIK-related suicides, Schallhorn was quoted as saying, "There's no cause and effect". Learn more about Schallhorn in this Lasik News Wire article.
Olympic Medalist, Steve Holcomb, Suicide Attempt - Video published 2/4/2014
Although LASIK is not mentioned in this video, Steve Holcomb suffered complications of LASIK surgery, which led to his 2007 suicide attempt according to Holcomb's book. LASIK surgeons routinely misdiagnose post-LASIK ectasia as "keratoconus" in an effort to keep a lid on this growing epidemic. (Note: The corrective procedures that Holcomb underwent are currently experimental and not FDA-approved for post-LASIK eyes). Excerpt from Holcomb's book: I had worn contacts and glasses for years and thought nothing of it. A lot of my friends and both my parents wore corrective lenses, so it wasn't a big deal, except when bobsledding... You can wear contacts, but it's not ideal given the amount of jostling you endure. But this was about to change during my first year in bobsledding. A local eye surgeon came to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid and offered free Lasik procedures... After a quick screening it was determined that I would be a great candidate, and so I took advantage of it... "When can I get back to work and see some results?" I asked... "You should see a real difference in about six weeks, no more than eight." That had been a year ago, and not only was I not seeing better, but my vision kept getting worse.
Steven Holcomb was found dead at the age of 37 in his room at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York, on Saturday, May 6, 2017.
Suicidal LASIK patient telephones FDA to report injury - 12/11/2013
Patient called to report adverse events after receiving Lasik eye surgery with an Allegro Wavelength laser on [redacted by FDA] 2013, in both eyes. Patient stated prior to the procedure, he had no issues with his eyes. He said around [redacted by FDA] 2013, after the procedure, he started to have extreme, severe dry eye issues that were extremely painful. He also explained that he can't keep his eyes open and that his eyes feel like they are being pulled forward. He is extremely upset with his current condition and said he hasn't been able to work since [redacted by FDA] 2013. Patient said he has seen 3 ophthalmologists and spent $[redacted by FDA] trying to correct the adverse reactions. He said it's difficult for him to function. Patient explained he was told that his condition is chronic and he is worried about his future, he feels disabled. He said he has contemplated suicide and is talking to a therapist. He said his pain is so bad that everyday he lives in torment, and that he may not be around very much longer to see if his condition ever improves. The patient was transferred to local [redacted by FDA] crisis prevention hotline. Link to report
Suicidal patient had Lasik in 2005, developed corneal ectasia in 2009. Report filed with FDA 11/18/2013
I have post lasik ectasia/blatantly misdiagnosed. In 2005 I had lasik eye surgery performed on both eyes. In 2009 my left eye rapidly deteriorated as I lost my vision and felt pain grow stronger by the day. I was diagnosed by a very experienced cornea specialist with post lasik ectasia in 2012. I was blatantly misdiagnosed on (b)(6) 2013 by the surgeon that performed my Lasik surgery, and his referral buddy that is a cornea surgeon working in harmony with the coverup. The cornea surgeon informed me that I have keratoconus and the only way to repair my sight is to have cornea transplant. I was scheduled for that surgery to be on (b)(6) 2013 and the Lasik surgeon that has left me with this pain, suffering, loss of income, depression, suicidal thoughts, severe anxiety, and a completely miserable life paid (or maybe he didn't as I didn't see the payment take place) for my cornea transplant surgery as to even try to deceive me that he was not looking out for my best interest or my health. Both of these prominent doctors looked me straight in the eyes and told me a blatant lie and a blatant misdiagnosis that I knew was only to cover their name and hope Ii was not aware of their doing so. I have all the evidence anybody would need to prove that these doctors are in this together to save their name and or any possibility of the filing a lawsuit. Well I am not a fool, so I did what a patient does and listened to their professional diagnosis of my blindness. I was treated like scum, and their greed is catching up with them. I am a victim of the Lasik procedure, but now I am a victim of two prominent surgeons misdiagnosing me on complete purpose. I will not let this go without justice being served in my favor. I have a case, and all the evidence is right in front of me. The expert witness is the doctor that did the right of his patient and diagnosed with a proper diagnosis, and he is more experienced than the two that are knowingly covering up truth selfishly. Link to report
Lasik in 2010, patient now suicidal. Reported to FDA 9/20/2013
I had lasik eye surgery at Lasik Plus and my life hasn't been the same since. Suicidal and etc. now.
Suicidal LASIK patient files injury report with the FDA - 6/6/2012
I have chronic aqueous deficient dry eye aka neurotrophic keratopathy or refractory dry eye. My eyes do not tear when they are dry or come into contact with irritants and allergens. This is an extremely painful and degenerative condition though I don't think I will be around to see exactly how bad it gets because I intend to end my life soon. My doctor claims that it is not possible for this to be a result of LASIK. However, when pressed he said that up to 40% of LASIK patients have some degree of residual dry eye. He is full of contradictions. It depends what you're asking him and in what context. The answer changes regularly. It took me 6 years to find a doctor that finally told me that this condition is in fact due to LASIK surgery. This is due to a concerted effort by ophthalmologists to cover up for each other. Even though they knew better they sent me on a 6 year quest to find out what I should have been told before the surgery. LASIK causes extreme dry eyes in many people, especially people like me with high risk factors.
Patient attempted suicide after Lasik. Filed report with FDA 5/12/12
Excerpt: My quality of life has been destroyed because of a useless, elective surgery. My professional career as a mechanical engineer will be in jeopardy. I can provide electronic scans of the majority of my medical records including wavefront measurements, multiple hospitalization records for attempted suicide and depression, informed consent forms from both lasik procedures, operative reports for both procedures, etc. Many items are shown on my personal website (b)(6). Prior to lasik, I did not have depression or any other mental health related issues. I also did not have any vision problems before having Lasik. I was healthy and actively participated in amateur boxing. My career was also going extremely well. Lasik has changed all of this and created a hardship for my wife and I. I have spent thousands of dollars as a direct result of Lasik related complications to my vision and overall health. I have had continuous issues with my vision and have not had a single day of clear, normal vision since the first lasik surgery on (b)(6) 2010. Read full report here
LASIK suicide reported on petition to stop LASIK - 5/4/2012
"My one and only child committed suicide after 1.5 years of struggle with bad Lasik job. He was only 22. His night vision became very poor. Please have FDA pull this off the market at all cost. How many people have to die?"
Lasik patient hospitalized for suicidal ideation. Report filed with FDA 4/7/2012
Excerpt: Lasik eye surgery has destroyed my quality of life, and has drastically and irrevocably slashed the time that I have to "live" life. My personal, professional, financial, recreational, social, parental, and every other aspect of life that has been decimated by Lasik. The motivation necessary to live this barren existence is that I do not destroy my children's lives by killing myself. I cannot tell my children from their friends in my own home from more than 4 feet away - last year it was 13 feet-; extremely limited driving only during daylight, and none during night; unable to walk alone at night various visual disturbances above and beyond extremely poor visual acuity that has regressed since Lasik, such as: starbursts; halos; ghosting, loss of contrast sensitivity resulting in poor depth perception - I trip on steps because I cannot tell whether they are steps or flat; unable to read newspapers, instructions, menus, ingredients, dosing instructions on medications, bed time stories, etc. - thank God for the (b)(4). -; PTSD post traumatic stress disorder- and resulting anxiety and depression; hospitalizations for suicidal ideation; financial loss and injustice of a medical malpractice lawsuit that deserves its own documentary detailing the inadequacy of the justice system... Read full report here
Attempted suicide reported on petition to stop LASIK - 3/19/2012
This procedure ruined my life. It left me with severe dry eyes. Corneal erosions. Starburst and halos at night. My night vision is ruined and I have vitreous detachment in both eyes. The non stop pain caused me to attempt suicide at age 32. I lost my job, house car and future. This could of easily been prevented if I was given proper VERBAL warning about 3 conditions that SHOULD of eliminated me from the procedure. I went to The Lasik Vision Institute. Warning to all.
LASIK patient reports depression and multiple suicide attempts to the FDA - 3/10/2011
I had lasik surgery on (b)(6) 2007. The surgery was performed within 4 hrs. of my initial visit. I have not had clear vision since the day of surgery. My problems include dry eyes, halos, starbursts, no contrast ability, lack of peripheal vision, extreme sensitivity to light, and now bilateral cataracts. I was told at every visit that these complications would resolve over time. Of anything, my symptoms have become worse. I faced an unknown amount of surgeries to remove the cataracts and I am concerned about the instability of my corneas, which have been damaged and will at some point require corneal transplantation. At the time of my surgery, I was earning in excess of (b)(6) per year. Due to my declining visual ability and debilitating depression, I am on (b)(6), wherein I receive a monthly stipend of (b)(6). I have attempted suicide more than 5 times since my lasik.
Michigan doctor commits suicide after LASIK
"Ashu", a 31-year-old doctor of psychiatry from Michigan, had LASIK in the summer of 2003 and committed suicide on September 15, 2004.
Ashu was a graduate of the University of Michigan medical school with a bright, promising future. He had searched extensively for a surgical fix for his LASIK complications, and he had traveled to see an optometrist who specializes in fitting therapeutic contact lenses.
Young man from Nevada commits suicide after suffering a bad outcome from LASIK
On January 16, 2012, Morris Waxler, former FDA chief of ophthalmic devices, reported the suicide of 28 year-old Vincent Wat of Las Vegas to the FDA commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, M.D., and the director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., J.D.
Several LASIK patients had communicated with Wat under his Internet pseudonym "notsubby" on a LASIK patient online forum where he had expressed thoughts of suicide. Although Wat died on September 2, 2008, the LASIK patient advocacy community was not aware of his death until late 2011. LASIK patients who had communicated with Wat located his friends and a family member, who confirmed the information surrounding his LASIK-related suicide.
Suicide of police officer Larry Campbell reported at FDA hearing by attorney Todd Krouner
Todd Krouner, attorney for the widow of a police officer who committed suicide in March 2008, gave this presentation to the FDA advisory panel, including 3 pages of the suicide note which states:
"DO NOT HAVE LASIK SURGERY! Tell the media!!!"
Read Todd Krouner's slides (see slides 6 through 8).
May 28, 2011: 20/20 Hindsight on Canada's GlobalTV program 16:9 The Bigger Picture features Larry Campbell's story as told by his son.
LASIK suicide connected to Robert Selkin, MD
Patient with burning dry eyes after LASIK commits suicide
From the article: "'He went for a walk and my brother though it was strange because he usually always took his dog with him but he didn't take his dog with him on this walk. He didn't come back, and my brother, obviously feared the worst,' says Roger Pedretti, Robert’s older brother. On that February day four years ago Robert Pedretti ended his life with a blast from his shotgun...
'I was around him all the time and despite reading afterwards the degree to which he was suffering he, I think tried as much as he possibly could to look like his normal self.' But inside, Robert was dealing with a job change, depression, and health problems. 'I didn't know his eyes were burning to the extent because of Lasik eye surgery or his ears were ringing.'
Therapist, Dr. Joel Rooney says that combination, for a man, at that age can be lethal...
Now his family has his memories, and his writings, which have given them insight into his suffering. 'He said it was like a cancer, like a terminal illness that you just couldn't get through and the pain was too much to overcome it he couldn't live that way anymore,' says his brother."
Pennsylvania man found dead at old hospital site
From the article: "While many patients achieve satisfactory outcomes, Dorrian began experiencing debilitating visual aberrations following surgery, such as glare, double-vision or ghosting, blurred vision, halos, and impaired night and low-light vision."
"Gerry Dorian said his son consulted many specialists and closely followed developments in the technology, hoping for a breakthrough that could reverse the damage. Colin took his own life after concluding “that wasn’t going to happen,” Gerry Dorrian said."
"Colin left a message on his computer indicating he would kill himself if he couldn’t get his vision corrected, Gerry Dorrian said."
“There wasn’t anything else going on in Colin’s life that would have driven him to this,” Gerry Dorrian said. “For some people, the outcome of LASIK can be impossible to deal with.”
Video warning of the devastating emotional impact on LASIK disaster victims
Faith A. Hayden. Treating unexplainable pain. EyeWorld, March 2012
From the article: "[LASIK] Patients go to their ophthalmologists, some of them suicidal because of the pain, and their eyes on the slit lamp look perfectly normal," said Perry Rosenthal, M.D., founder, Boston Foundation for Sight. "Doctors send them to a psychiatrist because they think the [patients are] exaggerating. It just adds to the patients' burden." Before you dismiss this patient as a crazy hypochondriac and send her on her way, consider corneal neuropathic disease, an extremely rare condition that causes intense pain along corneal nerves.
EyeWorld, February 2012. Ectasia, topography readings hot topics among military refractive surgeons
From the article: Corneal neuralgia is a newly described disease process refractive surgeons wish was mythological. Lt. Cmdr. John B. Cason, M.D., cornea, external disease, and refractive surgery, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, gave an overview of the symptoms, which many patients find excruciating. "The hallmark of this is how uncomfortable these patients are," he said. "But when you examine them, you don't see anything causing it. These patients are extremely difficult to treat; they keep coming back to your clinic. All the therapies you give them fail, and because of this, many of us think they're making it up." The pain these patients are feeling, however, is very real. Some patients are so uncomfortable and so despondent over failed treatments that they become suicidal. As one patient Dr. Cason had in fellowship said, "I want my eyes taken out or I want to die."
Dr. Edward Boshnick testifies at FDA hearing regarding LASIK complications, depression and suicidality
Beth Kotsovolos speaks on behalf of families affected by post-LASIK depression and suicide
4/25/2008 Diana Zuckerman, PhD, President, National Research Center for Women & Families wants more information about the Emory study of suicide rate among cornea donors (Go to 4:44).
Dr. Zuckerman: "The possibility of a higher suicide rate among [LASIK] patients has been raised and will be raised. More research and really good quality objective scientific research is needed. I tried to get that information. I contacted Emory University but was not able to get better information about that research which, it has not been published."
Patient with post-LASIK ectasia suffers depression and thoughts of suicide, now wearing speciality contact lenses
Patient considers suicide after disastrous monovision LASIK
Excerpt: "My life as a respected Police officer and my hobbies of fishing, scuba diving, surfing, working out at the gym, bicycling and living my life happily are now over and its been all Doom and Gloom for me and I have even considered suicide but a very close and loving friend has kept me from doing this. I would rather go blind and live in pain and anguish than to not see her again. At least that's what I feel today but I came very close a few different nights."
Perils of Lasik: Double Vision, Eye Pain and even a Suicide - Lawyers and Settlements 4/28/2008
From the article: Colin Dorrian was a promising law school student when he sought relief from a chronic dry eye condition by undergoing Lasik laser eye surgery. However, rather than improving his vision and freeing him from his contacts, the procedure left him with so much eye pain and fuzzy vision that after six years, he took his own life... Dorrian, who ended his own life six years after having Lasik surgery, should have been disqualified from having the surgery. His pupils were overly large, and he suffered from extreme dryness of the eyes—two conditions that should have disqualified him from having the procedure. And yet he was cleared for it.
Some link depression, failed lasik. Patients with impaired sight turn suicidal; surgeons reject any connection
The News & Observer 2/3/2008
Sabine Vollmer, Staff Writer
From the article: "Frustration and even sorrow can follow any unsuccessful surgery, but when the procedure leaves a patient with unremitting eye pain or permanently impaired vision, the emotional toll can be particularly severe... Scientists at the Emory Eye Center in Atlanta reviewed suicides among organ donors who had had laser eye surgery. Preliminary results suggested the suicide rate might be four times as high among cornea donors who had had lasik as among cornea donors who had not... Christine Sindt, an optometrist and associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, has encountered the psychological effects that patients experience when they have trouble seeing. "Depression is a problem for any patient with a chronic vision problem," she said. But in the case of post-lasik patients, she said, the depression is compounded by remorse. "It's not just that they lose vision," she said. "They paid somebody [who] took their vision away." Sindt specializes in treating ectasia, a bulging of the eye that is considered the most severe and rarest LASIK complication. She sees a few dozen patients with ectasia; all of them show signs of depression, she said."
Severe Eye Pain After LASIK May Lead To Thoughts Of Suicide
From the article: "The cornea is the most powerful pain generator in the human body, said Dr. Rosenthal. The density of corneal pain receptors has been estimated to be 40 times that of dental pulp. He explained that the damaged nerve fibers in the cornea, the sensory fibers, cause all the symptoms, whether or not the initial disease is severe dry eye or corneal neuropathy.
The intensity and constancy of corneal neuralgia can be incapacitating and even induce thoughts of suicide, said Stephen C. Pflugfelder, MD. Dr. Pflugfelder, who is professor of ophthalmology and director of the Ocular Surface Center at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, had a patient with so much corneal neuropathy following LASIK that he begged to have his eyes enucleated."...
"Jayne S. Weiss, MD, professor of ophthalmology and pathology at Kresge Eye Institute in Detroit, recalls such a case. A young man presented to her with excruciating corneal pain and evidence of a healed lamellar keratotomy. “Confocal microscopy revealed abnormal collections of unusually tortuous corneal nerves consistent with corneal neuropathy. Although vision eventually recovered to 20/20, the patient had asked at one point if he could have retrobulbar alcohol injected to dull the pain,” she said."
Source: Miriam Karmel. Addressing the Pain of Corneal Neuropathy. EyeNet, Jul/Aug 2010.
The CORS Survey
From the abstract: A total of 517 responses were submitted. After exclusion criteria, 392 responses were coded resulting in 36 separate subjective complaint categories. 195/392 (50%) responded to the three follow-up questions. 58 subjects reported suicidal ideation as a result of the surgical procedure, and 83% (48/58) of this group were referred to as successes by their surgeon. 115 subjects reported severe depression as a result of the surgical procedure, and 76% (87/115) of this group were referred to as successes by their surgeon.
IS LASIK A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE? THE RELEASE OF THE CORS SURVEY. Link
Effect of LASIK complications on quality of life reported to the FDA through the MedWatch program
"There seems to be no solution. No one seems to understand the impact that this loss of vision has had on my life. My eye doctor talks as if i should be grateful because using the eye chart i can see around -. 05 in both eyes with a slight astigmatism. However, the crazy images i see have led me to be depressed to the point of considering suicide at times. I have not received a good explanation for why my vision is deteriorating." Read report
"Due to my declining visual ability and debilitating depression, I am on [redacted by FDA], wherein I receive a monthly stipend of [redacted by FDA]. I have attempted suicide more than 5 times since my LASIK." Read report
"Had LASIK eye surgery on [redacted], 2010. Now cannot see to do any of my daily tasks. Near and mid-vision are gone. I only see far away. Was only told I would need readers for the computer. Local doctor can't believe how farsighted they made me. I am preparing to commit suicide after I get me affairs in order for my children. Only those who have gone through this nightmare understand the guilt and shame. You spend thousands of dollars and have no recourse whatsoever when the outcome is bad. It is a great scam for the LASIK centers. Where on earth could you buy a product and then not have any recourse if it does not work??? Please put a stop to this before others die or ruin their lives!!! Please listen to us!!!" Read report
"Bilateral Intralase LASIK performed in [redacted] 2010, using the VISX CustomVue system... Three months post surgery complications - pain in the right eye accompanied by headaches, dry eyes, appearance of many dark floaters, starbursts and halos around bright light sources -in both low and moderate lighting conditions-, reduced contrast sensitivity - reduced ability to see well in low lighting-, induced astigmatism. These conditions result in reduced ability to drive at night, reduced ability to concentrate while on the job, reduced ability to participate in activities and everyday tasks in low light settings; increased sensitivity to bright light, increased depression, increased anxiety." Read report
"My quality of life has been ruined. I no longer can drive, work, and enjoy the things I loved so much, like reading, photography, cooking and so many other things. I am a prisoner in my home and have a hard time doing simple tasks... Therefore, this has not only cause a great hardship for myself, but my family as well... I am hoping you can prevent him from doing this to another patient and ruining another life." Read report
"It has been 21 months since the surgery and my vision is still poor in the both eyes... I tried to get help from lasik plus, but all they could say to me was , we are sorry... If it were not for my strong relationship with Jesus Christ and many Christian brothers and sisters praying for me daily, would have most likely taken my life." Read report
"I feel like my life has been ruined. And the thought of living the rest of my life with this pain is horrible." Read report
"I have not had one happy moment since I started having complications. I am in a severe depression." Read report
"It ruined my vision, and gave me permanent eye pain and dryness... It affects my work, my hobbies, every aspect of my life is pain and difficulty... I never knew depression until lasik." Read report
"My vision has progressed to the point where my left eye is legally blind... This surgery has destroyed my life." Read report
"The immediate effect of my lasik and dry eye was severe depression that endured for three years post-surgery... My mental state required me to make several treatment attempts including medication and therapy. I had no prior history of depression." Read report
"Can you please finally do something about this before more people end up like me, hurt, injured, etc. Some people end up committing suicide... AMA and FDA: are you listening? What happened to ethics and the standard of care? The bar must be raised so that others don't have to experience this hell." Read report
How does the LASIK industry respond to reports of LASIK-related depression and suicide?
In response to reports of LASIK-related suicides, LASIK industry representatives made statements in the media and at an FDA hearing denying any connection between a bad outcome from LASIK and risk of depression or suicide...
“There is simply no scientific basis to support a direct connection between a sub-optimal outcome from eye surgery and suicide.”
Lindstrom, Richard. (2008, March 12) Letter to the News & Observer
“There is no scientific evidence of any direct link between LASIK and the development of depression or suicide.”
Morse M.D., Jennifer (2008, April 25) FDA Special Hearing on Post-LASIK Quality of Life
“There's no cause and effect.” Schallhorn, Steven C.
As quoted by Vollmer, S. "Some link depression, failed LASIK." News & Observer [Charlotte, NC] 3 February, 2008.
"It would be an error to conclude that poor results of LASIK are the cause of suicide."
R. Doyle Stulting, MD. (2008, March 5) Letter to the Chicago Tribune from Richard Lindstrom.
Shocking videos of prominent LASIK surgeons
performing comedy skits mocking damaged patients who are depressed or suicidal
Watch Parag Majmudar, M.D.'s performance as "Dr. I. M. Suicial" at a convention of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), singing of "pushing the boundaries of ethics".
Below, skip to 42 seconds to watch comedy skit starring Dr. I. M. Suicial (Parag Majmudar, M.D.), William Trattler, M.D. and Jodi Luchs, M.D.
Study finds link between visual impairment and risk of suicide
Lam BL, Christ SL, Lee DJ, Zheng DD, Arheart KL. Reported visual impairment and risk of suicide: the 1986-1996 national health interview surveys. Arch Ophthalmol. 2008 Jul;126(7):975-80.
Increased mortality risks also have been noted in adults with visual impairment and disabling eye disease... However, reported visual impairment indirectly increased suicide risk significantly by 5% through poor self-rated health and by 12% through the number of nonocular conditions. The combined indirect effects of reported visual impairment operating jointly through poorer self-rated health and a higher number of reported nonocular conditions increased the risk of suicide significantly by 18%. When we examined the combined indirect effects of the other covariates in the model, only older age produced stronger associations, providing further support for the importance of the indirect effects of visual impairment as a contributor to increased risk of suicide... Up to two-thirds of people who commit suicide have some type of physician contact in their last month, and physician education is effective in reducing suicide rates... In summary, we observed that reported visual impairment increased suicide risk, particularly indirectly via reported health status and health conditions.
Reported cases of post-LASIK depression in the medical literature
Disappointment of patients on antidepressant therapy after excimer laser treatment.
Cataract Refract Surg. 2006 Oct;32(10):1775-6.
Celik L, Kaynak T, Ozerdem A, Kocak N, Kaynak S.
A 46-year-old woman was admitted with complaints of severe dry-eye symptoms, blurred and double vision, halos around objects, and inability to look at oncoming car lights. She had had excimer laser surgery 2 years earlier for myopia, which she said was around −10.00 diopters (D) and −11.50 D in the right and left eyes, respectively... Severe dry eye and visual disturbances due to a mid-dilated pupil were diagnosed. The prescription included frequent instillation of artificial tears and pilocarpine drops 4 times daily. Punctum plugs were also advised, but the patient did not want another ocular procedure. She called the office 4 days later from a psychiatry clinic where she was hospitalized because of intolerable visual disturbances resulting from longstanding pupil dilation. The patient did not return for a follow-up visit.
A 34-year-old woman reported dryness of the eyes and visual disturbances after LASIK 11 months earlier. According to her statements, the refraction in her spectacles was approximately −8.00 D and −7.00 D. She was receiving antidepressant therapy with seroxate; one reason she had LASIK was to improve her mood and increase her self-confidence. She reported that the result of the surgery was a “catastrophe,” “worse than anything I could imagine,” and that “life became a burden” for her.
I've reached the end
Originally posted on Dr. Gerald Horn's board at http://www.chicagolasercenter.com
Posted on Wednesday, 23 May 2001, at 8:13 p.m.
Excerpt: I cannot battle this anymore, there is no current and there will be no future hope for me. I am so sad that my life has been stolen from me this way. How did this nightmare happen? Is this real? Did I really do this to myself? How did my eyes end up so screwed?...My pain now is not from my eyes, but from the thoughts of how devasted my family will be from this. I made the biggest mistake of my life, the biggest mistake ANYONE COULD POSSIBLY make. In one instant my life was destroyed and now my family and friends will suffer to. I only hope that they know this is to end my suffering.
LASIK and Quality of Life
"When compared with a hearing-impaired control group, impaired sight alone can acutely affect otherwise psychologically healthy individuals." Source: Psychosomatics, Jul-Aug 1999 Read article
“Functional vision for the normally sighted person is so basic to everyday living that sudden, or even gradual, vision loss can have a devastating impact on quality of life.” Source: Cleveland Clinic website [2009, February 24] Link
Robert Latkany, M.D.: "I have patients from around the world. They’re desperate and crying out for help,” he said. “It’s borderline scary. Numerous times I’ve heard people say they want to commit suicide. To the eye doctor, [dry eye] is just a nuisance [when], in fact, these patients are really suffering.” Source
Tuisku I, Tervo T, Belmonte C.: "It is important to comprehend that these individuals may be suffering from “phantom eye pain,” which does not have a psychiatric or “central pain” etiology. The recent discussion of mental depression up to suicide after LASIK suggests that we need to pay more attention to the pain issue after this therapy and analyze whether this problem is associated with unrealistic expectations, poor results, or development of peripheral neuropathic pain." Source: Letters to the Editor. J Refract Surg. Oct 2008, pg 772.
College baseball player, Trevor Tyre, finds healing after LASIK "depressing" - Dothan Eagle 5/19/2009
From the article: He had the eye surgery in December and had to put in eye drops every day for three months to regain the strength in his eyes. He could see, but not well enough... He saw an eye doctor who recommended the LASIK surgery, but Tyre still wasn’t sure. “I had my disbeliefs,” Tyre said. “Some people say you see halos around car lights and there’s only a 50 percent chance it works. But my doctor assured me that with my young age, it wasn’t as bad as it could be.” “I couldn’t pick up the rotation or spin on the ball,” Tyre said. “It was real depressing."
Atlanta Braves catcher, Brian McCann, vision problems after LASIK - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 5/16/2009
From the article: Dealing with a sense so delicate and wondrous as sight was a little different than trying to shake off a sprain... Since his 2007 Lasik surgery, McCann’s eyes had changed. He didn’t really begin to notice, he said, until the start of this season. But the change was drastic... “Until we got the two eyes equalized, it was not going to be better,” said Alan Kozarsky, the Atlanta ophthalmologist who did the Lasik, and one of several doctors on the case this month... The McCann boys had been taught early by their father to play through most any injury. But this was something else. There was no gutting out this type of problem... “I was more concerned with him mentally,” McCann’s father said. “He was miserable."
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Monday, February 27, 2012
Learning by Doing by Heather Gardiner. Some excerpts:
Osgoode dean Lorne Sossin advocates more hands-on learning in legal education. Regardless of the type of experiential learning, whether it’s participating in one of the law school’s clinics or one of its various intensive programs, he says it breaks down the barriers between the classroom and community, effectively creating better learning opportunities for students. “What we’re hoping is it sets our graduates up to have a real advantage that not every graduate of every law school will have,” he says. “[It’s] that experiential component that is very much what gives them insight into, for example, the different perspectives or lenses that a client might have, or a regulator might have, or the government might have, or the justice system might have. You start to look at issues from those different perspectives when you’ve seen how they play out in action. I think those are things that if you just go to law school and sit in the classroom for three years, you’re just less likely to get exposed to.”
Adam Campbell, an articling student at labour and employment law firm Harris & Co. LLP in Vancouver, agrees that his time at the University of Victoria Environmental Law Centre was his most memorable experience during law school. At the clinic, he worked on one main file related to storm water and the infrastructural issues with the city’s drainage system. He says his clinical work was much more inspiring than any of his classroom work, and even more beneficial than his articling term so far. “At times I actually found [the clinical work] more useful than the articling period that I’m doing right now. I had way more control over an actual file for the entire thing than I have so far while articling,” he says.
In an article he wrote for 4Studentsonline, Michael Oxman points out the benefits he got from working at UVic’s Business Law Clinic. “I found it useful to get feedback from lawyers as opposed to law school professors. While professors may compare work against theoretical models and research papers, practitioners are focused on how work functions in the real world. Rhetoric and purple prose are discouraged. Rather than contemplating remote hypotheticals, students are pushed to consider the practical realities of running a business and the tangible concerns of business people.”
Doug Ferguson, director of Western’s Community Legal Services clinic, says there are several ways for law schools to integrate more practical training into their curricula. He says students should have the choice to take a certain number of credits in clinical and ethical courses to reduce or eliminate their articling term — much like the option suggested by the LSUC’s articling task force. Universities could integrate articling into the three years of law school, or offer a capstone course or a simulated summer program where students work at a virtual law firm, similar to the program at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, he suggests. These alternatives would also help address the current articling crisis in Ontario, he adds.
(Scott Fruehwald) (hat tip: Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers Blog)
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I believe in freedom. Having not the privilege, but the right to say what you wish, do what you wish, and live how you see fit is the essential piece of the puzzle that is life. My freedom not just as an American, but as a human being is what I live for. It is the necessity that compels me to reach for the stars, though my grasp does not exceed the treetops.
However freedom is seldom seen in the modern world of today. Police states infest the earth like locusts devouring life in ancient times. Whether they be fascist, communist, or any other type of totalitarian regime freedom does not exist in these parts of the world. In America a man works for his employer, but most of all himself. But in other regions a man or woman must work for their leaders in order to be given the minimal amount of food needed to survive. This breaks my heart.
I have always been a nationalist, however why should the freedom I cherish so deeply not be shared by everyone else of this world. An anonymous person once said “Till all are free, no one is free, one bound, all bound.” I feel this through the absence of freedom that men, women, and children have all over the world. Knowing that they are not free bounds me with the guilt over the freedom that I have.
That is why I can see hope in all the war’s this country has fought not for land or commodities but for our freedom and the freedom of others. As Nikos Kazantzakis said “The superior virtue is not to be free but to fight for freedom.” I first read that just the other day thinking about what I was to write this essay about, but it is something I will live by my entire life. Those who are not free must fight for it.
As a teenager my freedom is somewhat limited. But soon I will be able to drive until all hours of the night, to get something to eat, hangout with friends…or just drive. I Can choose my profession, my school of choice, and where I wish to live. Soon I will also be able to put in my word for who I wish to govern me, who will decide whether or not I will go and fight and possibly die, so that others may do the same.
I’ve been told by numerous teachers and family members that being able to realize this at 17 is quite remarkable. And I never quite understood until I read this by Pearl S. Buck,” None who have always been free can understand the fascinating power of the hope of freedom to those who are not free.” So I must ask of those of you that have always been free to strip yourself of all your freedoms, and then ask yourself; “Do you take your freedom for granted?” Live free or die.
If you enjoyed this essay, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to This I Believe, Inc.
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Mendelian Genetics and Chi Square - (Sep/28/2009 )
A poultry geneticist made reciprocal crosses between two true-breeding strains of fowl,
one with rose combs and white feathers, and the other with single combs and black
feathers. The F1 phenotypes were not recorded, but the F1 were crossed with the truebreeding
chickens with rose combs and white feathers and the true-breeding chickens
with single combs and black feathers. The results are the crosses are shown.
Make a hypothesis concerning the number of genes involved and the allelic relationship
for each gene. Choose appropriate notation and indicate the genotypes of the parents,
gametes produced by them and the resulting genotypes and phenotypes in each cross,
byusing a Punnett Square or Branch Diagram. Test your hypothesis using the data from
each cross with a Chi Square Test.
Homework - what do you think the answer is! We won't help you unless you help yourself!
Based on the numbers it seems that black & white are codominant, and rose is dominant over single. Also the parent that was crossed with the "rose comb,white" would have the genotype of "RR/rr/Rr BW" and the other parent that was crossed with the "single comb,black" would have the genotype of "RrBW". I just need help with the Chi Square calculations.
Much better: This link should help you: http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/mcclean...del/mendel4.htm
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Senior leaders from Nankai University in China visited the University of Birmingham to explore future research partnerships, as well as student and staff exchange.
Vice President Professor Jiadong TONG and seven senior academic colleagues were welcomed by Professor Jon Frampton, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor and Director of the China Institute.
Following a tour of the campus, the visitors met senior academic staff from the University of Birmingham, before discussing partnerships in a range of research areas, including: Government and Society, Economics, Mathematics and Big Data, Environmental Science, Bioscience, Electronic Engineering, and Chemistry.
The Nankai and Birmingham participants agreed to explore setting up a joint research institute for ‘green economy’ in Nankai that would allow research activities in interdisciplinary areas, faculty exchange, and joint PhD education.
Professor Frampton said: “Our distinguished guests’ visit is testament to the University of Birmingham’s growing reputation in China and represents another exciting opportunity for our researchers to foster strong partnerships across the globe.
“As a global ‘civic’ university in the 21st century, our responsibilities include contributing to enriching the life of both our home city and the wider world. We look forward to deepening the already strong partnership with Nankai University, as well as enhancing the education we provide to their students.”
“This visit has laid the foundations for enhanced student exchange and research collaboration in many exciting areas of research in which both Birmingham and Nankai universities are recognised world leaders.”
The Nankai delegation’s visit to the University followed exchange visits and discussions between the two universities over the last 18 months.
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by Moeller IP Advisors
Nanotechnology is the manipulation and production of materials and devices on the scale of atoms; through molecular manufacturing. In theory, any physical object could be reproduced in the laboratory. It is easy to note how the potential of nanotechnology could be immense, especially in the medical field, where nanotech developments can be exploited for a wide range of uses like tissue engineering, diagnostics, surface texturing, biointerfaces and drug delivery. However, biotechnological innovations could have a much greater variety of applications in areas like electronics, food production, cosmetics, textiles and even environmental protection.
Within Latin American countries, Brazil is being recognized at the forefront of nanotechnology research. Technological research is well funded at the public level and carried out by universities and research bodies.
The Nanotechnology sector in Brazil
A growing number of research institutes focus on nanotechnology research in Brazil: the Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Sincroton (LNLS) operates the only synchrotron light source in Latin America; the Centro Brasileiro-Argentino de Nanotecnologia (CBAN) focuses on nanobiotechnology, nanophotonics, nanotech molecular nanobiomagnetism, nanosciences, nanocoatings and nanocosmetics; the Rede de Nanotecnologia Molecular e de Interfaces (RENAMI) – is a network of 17 institutions that focus on the development of nanostructured materials, interfaces and devices for molecular nanotechnology.
Many private companies have been allocating growing budgets in R&D for nanotechnologies. In 2004, the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology launched the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Development Program and one year later the National Nanotechnology Program, encouraging research and initiatives in the area. The Funding Authority for Studies and Projects (FINEP), and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) also have been funding nanotechnology research since 2003.
Biotechnologies and intellectual property protection in Brazil
How is the effort in biotechnological research and investments mirrored by the growth of registered patents in Brazil?
Since 2004, the Brazilian Intellectual Property Institute (INPI) recorded a growing number of patents obtained in the field of nanotechnologies – in correspondence with the creation of the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology development program.
According to a research carried out by the University of Sergipe, out of a sample of 69 nanotechnology patents obtained from 1993 to 2015, 57% were filed by private companies, 23% by universities and public research centres and 20% by individual inventors.
Most of the inventions patented belonged to the category “Manufacture or treatment of nano structures formed by individual manipulation of atoms, molecules, or limited groups of atoms or molecules as discrete units”, followed by “nanocapsules”.
Another, more comprehensive research carried out by scholars at the University of Rio de Janeiro and the ICICT, shows that the INPI Brazil received 1343 patent applications in the nanotechnology field from 1991 to 2011. Again, the peak in the number of patent applications occurred from 2004 to 2010, as a result of various funding initiatives directed at nanotechnology research. Most of the applications have been filed in the areas of nanomaterial, medicine and biotechnology.
It is worth noting that government funding initiatives could positively boost the number of patent applications in the biotechnology field, as nanotechnologies require a strong R&D investment, for which an initial support from the state can be incredibly useful.
It is also important to note that the Brazilian IP law does not provide a special treatment to nanotechnologies. However, the recent changes in the procedure for pharmaceutical patents – that does not require the assessment of the ANVISA anymore – other than for the analysis of potential public health issues- could positively affect pharmaceutical nanotechnologies.
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So it turns out that -- title notwithstanding -- Beth Shapiro’s How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction (Princeton University Press) is not a do-it-yourself manual. What’s more, cloned mammoths are, in the author’s considered opinion, impossible. Likewise, alas, with regard to the dodo.
But How Not to Clone a Dodo would never cut it in the marketplace. Besides, the de-extinction of either creature seems possible (and in case of the mammoth, reasonably probable) in the not-too-distant future. The process involved won’t be cloning, per se, but rather one of a variety of forms of bioengineering that Shapiro -- an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California at Santa Cruz -- explains in moderate detail, and in an amiable manner.
Her approach is to present a step-by-step guide to how an extinct creature could be restored to life given the current state of scientific knowledge and the available (or plausibly foreseeable) advances in technology. There are obstacles. Removing some of them is, by Shapiro’s account, a matter of time and of funding. Whether or not the power to de-exterminate a species is worth pursuing is a question with many parts: ethical and economic, of course, but also ecological. And it grows a little less hypothetical all the time. De-extinction is on the way. (The author allows that the whole topic is hard on the English language, but “resurrection” would probably cause more trouble than it’s worth.)
The subject tickles the public’s curiosity and stirs up powerful emotions. Shapiro says she has received her share of fan and hate mail over the years, including someone’s expressed wish that she be devoured by a flesh-eating mammal of her own making. Perhaps the calmest way into the discussion is by considering why reviving the mammoth or the dodo is possible, but would not be the same thing as cloning one. (And dinosaur cloning is also right out, just to make that part clear without further delay.)
To clone something, in short, requires genetic material from a living cell with an intact genome. “No such cell has ever been recovered from remains of extinct species recovered from the frozen tundra,” writes Shapiro, whose research has involved the search for mammoth remains in Siberia. Flash freezing can preserve the gross anatomy of a mammoth for thousands of years, but nucleases -- the enzymes that fight off pathogens when a cell is alive -- begin breaking down DNA as soon as the cell dies.
What can be recovered, then, is paleogenetic material at some level of dismantling. The challenge is to reconstruct an approximation of the extinct creature’s original genome -- or rather, to integrate the fragments into larger fragments, since rebuilding the whole genetic structure through cut-and-paste efforts is too complex and uncertain a task. The reconstituted strings of genetic data can then be “inserted” at suitable places in the genome of a related creature from our own era. In the case of the woolly mammoth, that would mean genetic material from the Asian elephant; they parted ways on the evolutionary tree a mere 2.5 million years ago. In principle, at least, something similar could be done using DNA from the taxidermy-preserved dodo birds in various collections around the world, punched into the pigeon genome.
“Key to the success of genome editing,” writes Shapiro, “has been the discovery and development of different types of programmable molecular scissors. Programmability allows specificity, which means we can make the cuts we want to make where we want to make them, and we can avoid making cuts that kill the cell.”
Cells containing the retrofitted genome could then be used to spawn a “new” creature that reproduces aspects of the extinct one -- pending the solution of various technical obstacles. For that matter, scraping together enough raw material from millennia past presents its own problems: “In order to recover DNA from specimens that have very little preserved DNA in them, one needs a very sensitive and powerful method for recovering the DNA. But the more sensitive and powerful method is, the more likely it is to produce spurious results.”
Also a factor is the problem of contamination, whether found in the sample (DNA from long-dead mold and bacteria) or brought into the lab in spite of all precautions. Shapiro leaves the reader aware of both the huge barriers to be overcome before some species is brought back from extinction and the strides being made in that direction. She predicts the successful laboratory creation of mammoth cells, if not of viable embryos, within the next few years.
It will be hailed as the cloning of an extinct animal -- headlines that Shapiro (whose experiences with the media do not sound especially happy) regards as wrong but inevitable. The reader comes to suspect one motive for writing the book was to encourage reporters to ask her informed questions when that news breaks, as opposed to trying to get her to speculate about the dangers of Tyrannosaurus rex 2.0.
Besides its explanations of the genetics and technology involved, How to Clone a Mammoth insists on the need to think about what de-extinction would mean for the environment. Returning the closest bioengineerable approximation of a long-lost species to the landscape it once inhabited will not necessarily mean a happy reunion. The niche that animal occupied in the ecosystem might no longer exist. Indeed, the ecosystem could have developed in ways that doom the creature to re-extinction.
Shapiro is dismissive of the idea that being able to revive a species would make us careless about biodiversity (or more careless, perhaps), and she comes close to suggesting that de-extinction techniques will be necessary for preserving existing species. But those things are by no means incompatible. The author herself admits that some species are more charismatic than others: we're more likely to see the passenger pigeon revived than, say, desert rats, even though the latter play an ecological role. The argument may prove harder to take for the humbler species once members of Congress decide to freeze-dry them for eventual relaunching, should that prove necessary.
By now we should know better than to underestimate the human potential for creating a technology that goes from great promise to self-inflicted disaster in under one generation. My guess is that it will take about that long for the horrible consequences of the neo-dodo pet ownership craze of the late 2020s to makes themselves fully felt.
A colleague at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (where I am dean of the College of Engineering) recently emailed me Bloomberg’s interview with Harry Lewis, interim dean of Harvard University's Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science. Lewis talked about the school’s plans for the $400 million gift it received in early June. My colleague highlighted Lewis’ description of an ascendant engineering program at Harvard and a cultural shift at the school in which “making things, doing useful things is no longer … considered the sort of thing that gentlemen and gentlewomen don’t do.”
My colleague added, “Welcome, Harvard, to the work that public research universities with great engineering schools have been doing for 150 years.” Sarcasm, apparently, isn’t the exclusive province of the Ivies. We heard it all over the place after the announcement of the Paulson gift. But, in my opinion, it’s misguided.
I’ll paraphrase venture capitalist (and University of Illinois alum) Marc Andreessen’s tweet on the topic. This gift and Harvard’s vision for what it wants to accomplish are “moral virtues, full stop.”
Harvard has set the standard for the liberal arts and sciences. Public institutions like the Universities of Illinois, California at Berkeley, and Michigan have done the same for world-class engineering education for the masses. That combination is extremely powerful, and it has made America the most innovative and prosperous country in the world.
Lewis made it clear that Harvard intends to redefine what a well-rounded education means in the 21st century. And John Paulson's investment allows the university to develop an engineering and applied science program to match Harvard’s reputation.
Harvard and similar private research universities lack one major virtue, however: excellence at scale.
Private institutions simply cannot satisfy the demands of 21st-century engineering alone. And turning away top talent is in no one’s interest.
It limits our nation’s economic growth, our ability to make the engineering profession more diverse, and our ability to help students find their true calling regardless of their socioeconomic background. However, growth in student numbers and innovations in how we educate them require more resources.
Given this fact, and the fact that state funding for public universities has declined precipitously in the last two decades, philanthropic support has become just as important to Illinois as it is to the Harvards of the world. Without new levels of philanthropy and new investment models, the American public research university, the world's golden goose, will not be able to deliver on its goal to ensure there are enough top-flight problem solvers available to advance our civilization and to look after our future.
That isn’t to say that elite and exclusionary is still a universal condition at Harvard and other small, private institutions. As Lewis points out, Harvard’s demographics are changing with more rural and first-generation students. Students from these backgrounds tend to gravitate to engineering because it leads to a secure career. An engineering degree is rarely an opportunity to go into the family business. Instead, it’s a way for those from low-income backgrounds -- bright, marginalized and ambitious -- to invent the family business.
Thus, the art of engineering appeals to an ever-broader swath of students, from those interested in entrepreneurship to those creating solutions for the engineering challenges that underpin the modern world. For example, more than 3,100 students applied for about 200 slots in the Illinois computer science program this year. Carnegie Mellon receives twice that many applications for about 30 percent fewer seats.
With demand like that, we are all in an unparalleled position to serve a broad spectrum of students in ways we haven’t before. That’s not only a moral virtue for Harvard. It’s a moral virtue for all of us.
Students are driven by a desire to solve problems with real and lasting societal impact. Today, “making and doing” extend far beyond the disciplinary confines of engineering and the fine arts. With the Paulson gift, Harvard is in a unique position to bring down disciplinary boundaries, to inspire new curricula and experiential learning, and to transform the very concept of a university education.
I have no doubt that Harvard’s engineering and applied sciences program will catalyze such a transformational change. But will all that effort and all those resources transform Harvard’s educational model or the world’s?
Harvard has to take full advantage of this incredible opportunity, and so do the engineering powerhouses. Globally, more and more students recognize the sheer impact they can have by studying engineering. How do we support and serve them?
Even more students seek an education founded on disciplinary depth and enriched through cross-disciplinary experiences. How do we embrace their interests and turn them into the idea creators, the problem solvers and the makers of the new and the better?
How do we inspire them and empower them as they put ever more pervasive digital technology and ever more important engineering principles to work? What does that well-rounded and well-educated student of the 21st century look like?
These are questions for us to answer together, taking full advantage of our variety and our diverse strengths.
So welcome, Harvard, to the conversation.
Andreas Cangellaris is dean of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s College of Engineering and the M. E. Van Valkenburg Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
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Sometimes called Harmonic Harps, wind harps originated in ancient
Greece (circa 6 BC) and flourised throughout the Renaissance
era. Aeolian Harps are rare, beautiful instruments designed
to be played by the wind; free of the touch of human
hands. Harmonic wind harps transpose the spirit of the wind into
spontaneous, multi-layered music in time to nature's
rhythms. Their vibrant voices sing pure harmonic tones
that range from deep, pulsing bases to soaring sopranos.
A variety of winds, harps, and string tunings combine
on these selected recordings to produce an eclectic
repertoire of definitive music.
Listen to a sample of the Grand Harp
Greg Joly has been
building Aeolian Harps of various sizes for over 20
years. Sizes range from smaller harps that can fit in
door and window openings, to the Grand Harp pictured
at left. Visit Greg's website at: www.harmonicwindharps.com
Built by Greg Joly, the Grand Aeolian
Harp (pictured above left) stands 7.5' tall and is strung with forty-eight
5'2" strings. It plays a rich spectrum of powerful harmonic tones.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan today led an Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight Subcommittee hearing about cyber threats to state and local entities and the consequences of cyberattacks on national security, the economy, and citizens’ lives. Joining the hearing was Sunapee School District Superintendent Russ Holden, who Senator Hassan invited to testify to share with the public how the District navigated a 2019 cyberattack.
To watch Senator Hassan’s hearing, click here. Senator Hassan’s opening statement begins at approximately 13:10 and her questioning begins at approximately 48:40.
Witnesses in today’s hearing included Russell Holden, Superintendent of Sunapee School District in New Hampshire; Karen Huey, Assistant Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety; B. Glen Whitley, County Judge for Tarrant County, Texas; and Stephen M. Schewel, Mayor of Durham, North Carolina. The subcommittee also heard from cybersecurity expert Dan Lips, Vice President for National Security and Government Oversight at the Lincoln Network.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for increased cybersecurity,” Senator Hassan said during the hearing. She also noted how state and local governments were particularly vulnerable to attack, only spending a small portion of their overall IT budgets on cybersecurity. In her opening remarks, she cited the often untold impact: “While the SolarWinds, Colonial Pipeline, and JBS meatpacking cyberattacks rightly received a lot of attention in recent months, state, local, and tribal entities have also faced serious cyberattacks that can cripple services for citizens and decimate local budgets.”
After ransomware attacks hit Strafford County and Sunapee School District in New Hampshire, Senator Hassan met with officials to discuss what more the federal government can do to help prepare for and combat these attacks. When asked by Senator Hassan if Sunapee School District Superintendent Holden would make additional investments in cybersecurity if given more federal resources, the Superintendent said, “Yes, absolutely. Our ability to improve our resources greatly has an impact on our financial situation.”
Throughout the hearing, the Senator heard from witnesses who highlighted the need and desire to make greater investments in cybersecurity but struggled to invest more because of the resource constraints they faced. They agreed with Senator Hassan that the ability to share information at the federal, state, and local level would be beneficial. Senator Hassan is currently working to craft a dedicated cybersecurity grant program for state and local governments.
Senator Hassan has prioritized efforts to address state and local cybersecurity threats as a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) and the bipartisan Senate Cybersecurity Caucus. In January, Senators Hassan and Cornyn introduced a bipartisan bill to support the National Guard’s role in helping state and local governments improve their cybersecurity infrastructure. The most recent National Defense Authorization Act included a measure led by Senators Hassan and Cornyn to establish a Cybersecurity State Coordinator position in every state.
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Navi Dhanota knew she needed some help to score top grades in university but this time, she wasn’t prepared to return to a psychiatrist’s chair to get it.
She didn’t think any student should have to disclose their private mental-health diagnosis for the privilege of academic accommodations like getting extra time to hand in an assignment or test.
So when York University demanded she name a specific mental-health disability to register for academic supports, Dhanota put her foot down. She had been through a similar system during undergrad at another school where she was diagnosed with six conditions just so she could write her exams in a smaller room instead of the gym, where the sounds of hundreds of people furiously writing created an enormous distraction. This time around, she decided to push for systemic change, filing a human rights complaint against York.
After a two-year battle that ended with intervention from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the sides last week announced a settlement.
Dhanota worked with ARCH Disability Law Centre, the university and the commission to rewrite the university’s guidelines for accessing academic accommodations.
Effective immediately, Dhanota and hundreds of other students seeking supports at York won’t have to label their illness to get help. The school still requires an assessment from a licensed doctor to confirm the student has a legitimate condition that may require faculty flexibility or other supports, but the focus is now on determining how the disability affects their learning. For example, some students may need to take tests at a particular time of day because medication makes them drowsy.
“From the very beginning, I knew I wanted all students to have this,” said Dhanota, who is pursuing a PhD in critical disability studies. “Students across Canada should not have to disclose.”
Dhanota is part of what researchers are calling a “tidal wave” of students seeking academic accommodations for mental-health issues. Without adequate help, researchers have shown members of this group are less likely to graduate than those in other disability classifications.
The number of students with mental-health disabilities registered at Ontario colleges and universities increased by nearly 70 per cent between 2006 and 2011, according to a review paper of academic accommodations published last year in the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability.
Dhanota and her lawyer Dianne Wintermute used the commission’s own policy to argue that having to accept a psychiatric label to access goods and services was not appropriate. “Having a medical professional confirm disability or taking the word of the person themselves that they have a disability should be sufficient,” Wintermute said.
Human Rights Commissioner Renu Mandhane said her office will be reaching out to post-secondary institutions across the province in the hopes the settlement with York will persuade other institutions to “bring their policies in line.
“The commission has enough power and influence that I think it will be taken seriously.”
Mandhane sees the settlement as a clear victory.
“I definitely think it’s a win for students,” she said. “And it’s just one more step to destigmatizing coming forward to get help for mental health issues.”
Among the new guidelines is the introduction of interim accommodation for students who are waiting to be assessed by a doctor or specialist. They can be registered for temporary accommodations pending their assessment.
Marc Wilchesky, executive director of counselling and disability services at York University, said he’s worried about how the settlement will impact his department’s ability to help students.
“If we don’t get the diagnosis, if students choose not to provide it, in some cases it may make it a little more difficult to come up with the appropriate accommodation,” he said. He’s worked at York since 1985 and seen the population of students with registered mental health issues grow from a handful in the early 1990s to almost 1,200 last year.
“We were never about trying to put up barriers to students or trying to snoop into their personal information. But we really felt having the information would be helpful to us and the students.”
Expert advice on mental health accommodation
Lose the labels
Post-secondary schools shouldn’t require students to name their disability for fair access to supports, a government-funded report advises. It’s not only about peoples’ privacy rights. A medical diagnosis is just unnecessary for schools to provide critical help, says Michael Condra, a psychologist and lead author of Academic Accommodations, which outlined ways to make campuses more accessible. Labelling a complex illness such as depression, which can manifest in many different ways, won’t do as much to help a student as a doctor noting exactly how the illness affects that person’s ability to learn, says Condra.
Teach the teachers
In his research, Condra surveyed more than 2,000 students, teachers, administrators, disability advisers and doctors affiliated with post-secondary schools across Ontario. A recurring theme, he said, was the need for faculty to have more information about mental health and the accommodation process. Faculty said they really do want to help students in crisis but don’t know the limits of what they’re supposed to do. Condra says it’s important to be sure faculty is educated on these issues.
No paper, no problem
Seventy per cent of Ontario student survey respondents in Condra’s research had a mental health diagnosis before starting their post-secondary education. Thirty per cent who sought supports for mental health issues did not. Condra’s report notes some students may wait 18 months before a specialist is able to fully and correctly assess their conditions. Students should not suffer in the interim, he says. Schools must provide temporary accommodation pending the assessment.
Don’t confuse practice with policy
Sometimes accommodations are complex. And they’re often complex when a student is in a professional program that involves educational or medical placements. Condra cites an example where the nature of a student’s disability prevented them from working 12-hour shifts. When the student initially asked to work fewer hours, their request was rejected. In that case, the accommodation office worked with faculty to come to a simple resolution. The student worked eight-hour shifts but had to complete extra shifts. “The question is,” Condra says, “would the student be able to get the same amount of learning working the equivalent hours in eight-hour shifts? The answer to that is, clearly, yes.”
All post-secondary schools should set up an institution-wide advisory committee to ensure they are up to date with developments in human rights and case law. The group could also be tapped to monitor the effectiveness of any new policies or processes and gauge their impact on staff and students. Condra points to the University of Manitoba’s committee as a model for this initiative.
— Diana Zlomislic Staff Reporter
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When it comes to types, psychological elements influence us more than physical ones. The relationships we have with our parents can influence our other intimate relationships and the type of person we go for.
According to a report in Psychology Today in 2017, the reason we keep ending up with the same type of person dates back to our earliest relationships. As young children we develop defences to cope with painful circumstances. Growing up we build on our defences, believing them to be a part of our personality. By believing that we are unlovable or unattractive or even unworthy, we tend to seek out people whose behaviour will support those beliefs.
Studies have shown that we are all attracted to what is familiar to us, and that repeated exposure to certain people will increase our attraction towards them. For example, if you grew up with an abusive parent or parents, you will tend to be attracted to an abusive partner, not because you find them attractive, but because you find their behaviour familiar.
By becoming aware of the patterns in our relationships, we will be able to change them. Simply making that connection creates an awareness that alters your beliefs emanating from your unconscious mind. As we know, the unconscious influences our behaviour and the way we experience the world around us, even though we are often unaware of these underlying processes. The unconscious can hold hidden memories, habits, repressed feelings, thoughts, desires and reactions.
We have two parts to our brain- the conscious part and the unconscious. These two parts have very different roles. When you cut your finger, for example, you consciously clean the wound and apply a dressing, but it is unconscious processes that are actually healing the wound.
So, how can we tap into our unconscious in order to change our negative behaviour into positive new ones? You are probably not surprised to find out that the answer is hypnosis. Hypno has been around since the ancient Egyptians and Greeks over 5,000 years ago.
There are many myths and misconceptions about hypnosis. Hypnosis will not make anyone say or do anything against their will. It is a state of relaxation; It is safe and you will remain in complete control at all times.
The conscious mind is the part of the mind that thinks, feels and acts in the present. The unconscious mind is the seat of all our memories, our past experiences, and all that we have learnt. Everyone has memories or experiences in their unconscious mind that they may not be able to recall but that still play a significant role in everyday life. Hypnosis enhances your ability to remember events you would not otherwise recall. So, if you change the way you relate to memories of the past, especially those regarding your parents in this instance, you can alter and enhance the types of relationships you unconsciously move towards in the present.
By Michelle Hill
The Mind’s Eye London
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Just got back from a short trip to upstate NY where I picked up a copy of a book called This Noble Harvest by Anne Ophelia Dowden (1979). It calls Datura stramonium "thorn apple" (I had forgotten about that one) and says the following:
"Belladonna, thorn apple, and henbane are such plants - all extremely poisonous, and all belonging to the same family as tomato, potato, and tobacco. Their leaves roots, and seeds contain the narcotic alkaloids atropine and hyoscyamine, which work on the central nervous system....In modern medicine, henbane is an ingredient in the drug that produces 'twilight sleep' in childbirth; and most wartime brain-washing involved hyoscyamine, plus scopalomine (from another plant of the same family*) and morphine or a barbiturate. The scientific name Hysocyamus means "hog-bean" because swine are supposed to eat it safely. It stupefies other animals, and its seeds, with those of thorn apple, were sometimes mixed with the fodder of horses and cows in the hope that placid animals would gain weight more quickly. Thorn apple boiled in hog's grease, was widely used for burns and inflammations, and Parkinson approves it as a drink for 'one that is to have a legge or an arme cut off.' It is often called jimsonweed in the United States because it was first introduced near Jamestown, Virginia. Though this plant came to us from Europe, a similar species is native to South America, where Incas used it as an anesthetic, and a Colombian tribe gave it to wives and slaves before burying them alive with dead warriors."
* the asterisk is mine - I don't know why she doesn't say scopalomine can come from datura, but it can.
Hope you all find this as interesting as I did!
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John Thomas and Linnie (Blake) Barker
A March 1876 deed shows that John T. Barker of Floyd County purchased 40+ acres in the 15th District and 4th Section of Chattooga County.
Mary Ethel Cofer Newton:
- The Barkers were married after the Civil War and settled in the Kincaid Valley a few years after, Grandpa came from around Rome, Ga., and Grandma from Sulphur Springs, Ala. Grandma was an aristocrat but Grandpa, just a poor, hardworking fellow but he was a schoolteacher, Sunday school superintendent, Justice of the Peace, preacher. He built a good house and they raised a fine family.
Mary Barker's Notes:
- Bought 200 acres of land at the foot of Kincaid Mountain and built a house there. Five slaves who had been owned by grandmother's (Linnie Blake) family asked to stay with them after the Civil War as they had no place to go and helped them to scrape up the land with limbs to plant wheat.
As early as 1910, Emma lists herself as a widow in census records. George is obviously alive and well and remarried - living in Texas.
Were they divorced or did he just leave her?
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The Unknown Artefacts (UA) have been reported to look like a form of sentient life, far beyond what we humans are capable of creating. It is still unknown what the UA is meant for, some people are speculating that this is the work of Thargoids, and there have been lots of other theories. To date, none of these theories have been proven, it is 'exceedingly rare' and only a few pilots have been able to see one themselves, making it extremely challenging to carry out tests and theories.
In game description: Only recently discovered, these mysterious artefacts currently have no designation. Despite much conjecture as to the nature of these objects, it appears that the scientific community is unwilling or unable to openly identify the artefacts' origins. Such mystery only serves to make these objects more widely sought after by wealthy individuals and organisations alike, no matter that their unidentified status automatically prohibits them form being sold on any legal market.
- Sep 5, 2015 (wolverine2710) First revision
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SCOTS spend over three hours in the bathroom every day – according to new research.
An online bathroom retailer has discovered that people in Scotland spend a staggering three hours and five minutes in the bathroom – coming in second place in a nation-wide poll.
The team at ukbathrooms.com quizzed 2,231 people over 18-years-old from around the UK, and London, Scotland and the South West topped the chart.
They also found that playing games, surfing the web and texting friends are the most common ways Brits keep themselves entertained on the loo.
According to the poll, 38% of respondents admit that at least half of their time spent in the bathroom is on their mobile phone, with a further 31% admitting that they regularly stall and waste time in the bathroom.
The total results are as follows:
1. London – 3 hours and 12 minutes (spent in the bathroom per day)
2. Scotland – 3 hours and 5 minutes
3. South West – 3 hours and 1 minute
4. West Midlands – 2 hour and 42 minutes
5. Wales – 2 hour and 40 minutes
6. South East – 2 hour and 33 minutes
7. North West – 2 hour and 30 minutes
8. Northern Ireland – 2 hour and 17 minutes
9. Yorkshire and the Humber – 1 hour and 59 minutes
10. East of England – 1 hour and 36 minutes
11. East Midlands – 1 hour and 48 minutes
12. North East – 1 hour and 11 minutes
Peter Gregg, Director of ukBathrooms.com, commented on the results of the research: “It seems the days of reading a newspaper, magazine or book are long gone.
“We are truly living in the digital age, even when it comes to our bathroom habits.
“It’s all good and well to keep yourself occupied whilst sat on the toilet or led on the bath, but it can be a huge waste of the day – particularly when so many Britons admit that over half of their time in the bathroom is spent on their phones.
“Perhaps the fact that many respondents confessed to stalling to purposely waste time there suggests that we need to slow down our pace of life a little, so we aren’t in such need of an escape.”
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The EFTA Surveillance Authority has recognised NEPCon as a Monitoring Organisation (MO) in the European Economic Area (EEA) countries.
NEPCon was the first organisation to receive EU-wide recognition as an MO by the European Commission in 2013 when the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) came into force.
Now NEPCon has received additional recognition to act as an MO in Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. The three countries have adopted the EUTR, as part of the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement to implement all relevant EU legislation in the field of the Single Market.
This means that NEPCon is now able to provide support and services to Operators (who are obliged to fulfil the due diligence obligations of the EUTR) in these countries.
The recognition comes as a result of a rigorous evaluation of NEPCon’s due diligence system (DDS) – the LegalSourceTM Due Diligence System – as well as NEPCon’s competence to provide DDS support and evaluate Operator performance .
The LegalSource DDS has been used by a large number of organisations and has undergone thorough testing to optimise its efficiency. The System is designed not only for the EUTR requirements, but may also be used to fulfil requirements associated with other key timber laws such as the Lacey Act and the Australian Illegal Logging Prohibition Act.
You can download all LegalSource DDS documents free of charge from www.nepcon.org/DDS.
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Be sure to taste-test nuts before you use them. Nuts can become rancid quickly, so it's best to store them in an airtight container in the freezer where they will keep longer.
Evaporated milk is milk that has had 60 percent of the water removed. It is sold in cans and should not be confused with sweetened condensed milk, which is mixed with sugar.
For a truly decadent dessert, serve slices of this rich cake with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
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Text ze stěny dlouhé chodby
Tady si můžete přečíst text ze stěny dlouhé chodby v H budově. Ačkoli nevím, proč byste to dělali.
Jde o příběh odehrávající se před hrou, taková historie Neverhoodu. Na překladu se pracuje, přidejte se.
The Neverhood: Hall of Records
I am Quater. Read my words, and be my friend.
Father commands me to record the truth of history, so that readers will learn from those who went before.
Therefore, I give each of my seven sons one of these self-engraving, history-recording klay walls.
This wall automatically records the activity in this world, and in any other world containing one of the other walls.
Behold. Anyone who tampers with the records on these walls will be considered the enemy of Father. I will not like you much, either.
This wall is given by Father. It will teach you to acquire wisdom, integrity and skills for solving problems.
In each of our lives, we must make decisions. When these times come, be ready to make the right choices.
Continue in what you know is true, though truth is often hard to see. These walls may hold the only truths you will know.
Father is a kind being whom no one has ever seen. Father is beyond our comprehension. All folks know is that he was here before there ever was a here. He is happy and enjoys existing. He is said to be great and powerful; and as far as anyone knows, there was no one before him. He is from the other side. No one has ever been to the other side but it is supposed to be a great place where there is peace without death.
Quater is the only being Father has ever made. He has been a good friend of Father's for many eons. Quater is the official go-between for all beings and Father. Since he himself is a being made by Father, not much can be learned about Father by looking at Quater. But, if anything is known to any one about Father, Quater revealed it. Quater forged seven crowns for seven beings he created for Father to pour his approval on. Quater left the comfort of Father's presence to pioneer a new world where his beings could make their own place in order to empathize with Quater.
Quater made Ogdilla as a kind of test-subject. He gave Ogdilla a crown, although he did not have a head to set the crown on. Ogdilla is a mass of blue gas that is barely self-aware. It is said that Ogdilla is the spirit of adventure since on the day he was made, he left Quater's homeland traveling in a straight line without stopping...
He has picked up many particles from space, which have made a happy home for themselves on Ogdilla's back.
Ogdilla is now one million times the size he was when Quater made him, and his inhabitants include the Specks of Rilonate.
The Specks of Rilonate were in constant conflict with the Specks of Rod. The Specks of Rod cultivated food on Ogdilla's back using their own spit. The Specks of Rilonate had no spit, but occupied most of the surface of Ogdilla. The Specks of Rilonate were disgusted by all the spitting that the Specks of Rod did, and they did not like stepping in it either.
The strife between the Specks of Rilonate and the Specks of Rod carried on for centuries. The conflict was never physically violent, but there was much whining, taunting, heated sneering, upheavals, and so on. This period is known as the "Oobla Senchter Hakkt," or: the "Three Millennia of Conflict," although it was really more like two and a half. During the "Oobla Senchter Hakkt," an incident happened that at once made all the Specks forget their animosity, and at the same time exacerbated the conflict even more.
In the eighth month on the twentyseventh day, during the eleventh year of the first century of the second millennium of the "Oobla Senchter Hakkt," the Specks of Rilonate woke up to find a strange being of gigantic size asleep in Screnchy Park. There was a pond by his head where he had drooled while he slept. A crowd of Specks gathered around the titan as the morning hours went by. The larger the crowd grew, the more the Specks talked among themselves. The hubbub finally became so loud that the giant awoke and sat up. The giant showed his great teeth and growled at them from deep within his huge body. The Specks fed him for fear of being eaten alive. The giant could easily have thrown three or four of them into his mouth at once. He was very bizzare looking, even for a giant; he was like nothing they had ever seen before. His head had a ring of flesh on it that started almost at the very top then looped down and joined the head again at the jaw. Three Specks, one on top of the other, could have stood up inside the ring. He had huge lips with which he covered his enormous teeth, while the Specks had no lips at all. Above the lips, almost to the top of the face, were two ballshaped things that had one dot within each of them. The giant seemed to use them to observe things, since the dots moved and pointed at whoever was speaking to him. His torso was short for his size, while his legs were extremely long. Out of his chest stuck three spiked horns.
For days upon end the Specks tried to speak to the giant to find out if he was friend or foe, to no avail. His form of speech sounded too low-down, deep and loud; it reminded them too much of the rumbling growl that came from deep within his body. The Specks did not not like it and they did not understand it. They could not even tell where one syllable ended and the next began; and comprehending sentences was totally impossible. To avoid hearing him speak, the Specks fed him constantly. The Specks of Rilonate did not keep a guard posted where the giant was staying; they could never have overpowered him. In any case, the giant never treatened them. King Rilonate had in mind to win over the giant's confidence so that he might be employed to stomp on the Specks of Rod. King Rilonate often went to Screnchy Park to speak to the giant. He wanted to impress the giant, so he had the best acrobats from the Rilonate Circus come visit him. The king commanded the unicyclist to do loop-the-loops inside the ring on the giant's head, while a high-diver did trick dives off his huge lips into a barrel of water at the giant's feet. During these demonstrations of the circus performers' expertise, the giant did nothing but stand still and smile. Even while there were trapeze artists swinging from the three spikes that stuck out from his chest, the giant stood like a stone sculpture with a silly grin on his face. King Rilonate redoubled his efforts to continue to try to communicate with the giant once he saw that the giant would not harm the circus performers as they climbed and swung upon his body.
Day after day, the king came out to where the giant was to try again to communicate his desire for the giant to walk over and stomp on the Specks of Rod. The giant smiled a lot at the king; he nodded his head when the king nodded his head; he shook his head when the king shook his head. When King Rilonate slapped his own forehead, the giant slapped his own forehead. When the king mimed walking, and pointed in the direction of the Kingdom of Rod, the giant stood up and did a dance. King Rilonate was furious! While the giant was still dancing, the king ordered all the Specks of Rilonate to throw things at him. Since they were feeding the giant all the time, the only stuff they had at hand was food, so they threw that at him.
The giant tried to eat as much of the food thrown at him as possible, but he could not keep up with the furious pace with which the Specks were throwing it at him. He turned and walked away from them and headed in the direction of the Kingdom of Rod. Since the Specks of Rilonate had thrown so much food at the giant, no matter where he turned he stepped into it. With each step, more and more food gunked-up on the bottom of his feet. The Specks of Rilonate cheered and clapped and jumped up and down when the giant continued in the direction of Rod! The giant turned back to look at the Specks, so they stopped their cheering and got ready to throw more food. But the giant did not come back; he continued on the way he was headed, toward the Kingdom of Rod.
So the Specks of Rilonate had a great celebration! They hoped that as soon as the giant arrived in the Kingdom of Rod, he would smoosh the Specks of Rod who were such a bother to the Kingdom of Rilonate. King Rilonate gave a rousing speech:
"Well, that's that for the great giant! I suppose we owe a dept of thanks to the goofy colossus, for he will shortly be stepping on the Specks of Rod and making so much mush of them! His immense foot will crush our ancient foe in an instant. Squashed beneath his mammoth bulk, those unspeakable wretches will be reduced to the vile scum that they have always represented. We are now delivered forever from their constant whining, taunting and hectoring. That feeble minded titan is our national hero! A doltish whopper, he shall be the greatest of all figures in the history of Rilonate. There is none equal to his blockheaded enormity on all of Ogdilla, but he did finally come through for us. A stupendously dump gargantua, it is well, nevertheless, that we are rid of him. And I suppose we ought to be thankful that the half-witted behemoth did not stomp on us too. I cannot think of any reason why he would come back here... can you?"
Meanwhile, the Specks of Rod heard the giant before they saw him. His every step made a hollow drum sound on the debris-covered surface of Ogdilla. They gathered into frightened groups, becoming more and more agitated as the booming steps grew ever louder. Finally they saw him! They saw his big ring-head, his big lips, and the spikes sticking out of his chest. But what most impressed them were his feet. Actually, what most impressed them was what they saw stuck to the bottom of his feet. All that food that he had stepped on looked disgusting, but the Specks of Rod did not know that it was food. The Specks stood in stunned silence. They knew that the giant had come from the direction of the Kingdom of Rilonate. Their imaginations took over from there.
The Specks of Rod were convinced that the giant had stomped on the Specks of Rilonate and made mush of them. As the giant got closer and closer, word went through the crowd that the giant had finished off the Specks of Rilonate and was now coming to their kingdom to stomp on them. Some of the Specks ran away screaming; but most stood still, knowing they could not out-run the fearsome giant's feet. Then one Speck of Rod started clapping. At first, the Specks next to him thought he was crazy, but then they started clapping too. Soon a small group was clapping. Then most of the crowd was clapping and cheering and jumping up and down as the giant approached. They had figured that if the giant thought they were glad that the Specks of Rilonate had been stomped to pudding, then he might spare them and consent to be their hero.
When the giant reached the front of the crowd they whooped and hollered for a few minutes more. Then the crowd parted and King Rod made his way through to the front. There, before his people at the giant's feet, he made a speech: "Oh, Great Giant! Thank you, Mighty Colossal Allied Thing, for stepping on the Specks of Rilonate and making so much mush of them! Your immense foot has crushed our ancient foe in an instant. Squashed beneath your mammoth bulk, these unspeakable hidiots (hideous idiots) have been reduced to the evil scum that they have always represented. We are now delivered forever from their constant whining, taunting and bantering. You, Magnificent Titan, are our national hero! Oh Necromaniacal Whopper, you shall be the greatest of all figures in the history of Rod. There is none equal to your fabulous enormity on all of Ogdilla. You, Tremendous Gargantua, shall be second only to myself, unless of course you would rather be number one. By the way, we thank you, Phenomenal Behemoth, so very much for not stomping on us too. I can only offer our humble Kingdom to you, Amazing Monstrosity, as compensation for the wonderful deed you have accomplished today. It is not a kingdom worthy of your monumental grandiosity, of course; you won't like it much. You will probably not like anything we offer you, since it is all tiny compared to your gigantean size. But of course, anything we have is yours, but I don't know what you would do with it. I say, do you understand me?"
The giant smiled at the Specks of Rod, who smiled back, until he spoke to them. To the Specks his voice sounded slow and deep and slurred. They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. The Specks of Rod decided to go back to what they were each doing before the giant arrived. As they left they kept looking over their shoulders to make sure the giant was not lifting one of his big feet to stomp on them. He did not move from where he stood and maintained his smile until they were out of sight.
The next day the giant was right where the Specks of Rod had left him, only he was sitting. So, the Specks went about their daily chores, and occasionally they would look over their shoulders at the giant just to make sure he had not stood up. This did not change for several days. Finally the giant got up and started following some Specks around. He seemed to be watching them as they went about their everyday tasks. He still smiled as he watched them, but not as much. Day after day, month after month, season after season he watched them tending their fields, from planting to harvest.
At harvest time many Specks noticed how much thinner the giant looked and how little he smiled as compared to when he had first arrived in the Kingdom of Rod. As they talked about it, they realized no one had seen him eat while he had been there. Some of the Specks got together and brought food to the giant. When he saw that they had brought some food to him, the giant looked horrified! He got up and ran off, far away from the Kingdoms of Rod and Rilonate.
There is no official record of when the giant was seen last or who saw him, but a few Specks from both Kingdoms insist that they saw the giant ascending into the heavens early one morning a few years after he ran away from the Kingdom of Rod.
About the time that the giant ran off, spies from the Kingdom of Rilonate came to the Kingdom of Rod and saw that the Specks of Rod were not obliterated. They noticed that their enemies were not even bruised a little! This report went back to King Rilonate, who was shocked and upset that once again the Specks of Rod had foiled his own Speck Kingdom. He ordered a delegation to go to the Kingdom of Rod and meet with a delegation of the Specks of Rod. When the delegation of Rilonate arrived at Rod there was much shock and agitation. "You are supposed to be squashed!" said the representative of Rilonate. "Well, you are supposed to be squished!" said the representative of Rod.
Tensions rose and accusations flew! Each side blamed the other for making their King's most famous speech a pack of lies. The delegations gave messages to each other to take back to their respective kings about how there could never be peace between the two kingdoms. As they left the meeting, they all thumbed their noses at each other! The "Oobla Senchter Hakkt" was back in full swing.
King Rilonate grew tired of the thousands of years of bickering between his Specks and King Rod's Specks. In a desperate move to bring about a day of peace, he asked for a secret meeting with King Rod at the center of Ogdilla. In the thirty fourth month on the second day, during the eighty ninth year of the third millennium of the "Oobla Senchter Hakkt," the kings met. The two kings reasoned for two weeks, trying solutions that were fair for both kingdoms, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Ogdilla himself had grown so tired of the angst he felt on his back that he spread all of the Specks of Rod to one half of his back and the Specks of Rilonate to the other half of his back. In a violent quake, Ogdilla split into two beings which floated independently from each other. The only problem was that King Rod ended up on the half of the back with the Specks of Rilonate, and King Rilonate found himself on the half of Ogdilla with the Specks of Rod. King Rilonate was at first mistaken by the Specks of Rod as King Rod, but he quickly corrected the Specks of Rod announcing that he was King Rilonate. The Specks of Rod immediately cut him into tiny pieces and fed him to their young. King Rod, however, told the Specks of Rilonate that he was indeed their king, and since few Specks of Rilonate had ever seen their own king, they believed him. Eventually, King Rod had the Specks of Rilonate build him a large castle which housed his children, who were half Speck of Rod and half Speck of Rilonate. King Rod, posing as King Rilonate, lived to see his Specks harmoniously blend where it was previously thought impossible.
The Specks of Rilonate did not cultivate food on Ogdilla's back using their own spit like the Specks of Rod; instead they rubbed their heads on the fine, hairy grass-like particles that had attached themselves to cover the Rilonate portion of Ogdilla's back. The rubbing caused static charges to build and build until small arcs of lightning flashed off of the Specks' heads. Ogdilla's blue gas in the immediate area of the arcs of lightning reacted by turning into bite-size cubes of lime-flavored finger snacks. This was the sole source of food for the Specks of Rilonate.
Every 247 days (this was one year for the Specks of Rilonate, chosen arbitrarily because they did not have seasons) the Specks had their annual feast, which was called the "Fillange per Jungi." The great day began with the Concert of Rubbing, where the entire population of Rilonate, young and old alike, rubbed their heads on the hairy particles until they collapsed exhausted, unable to lift a limb. About 3 hours after this frenzy, some Specks regained enough strength to shakingly pull themselves upright. Then the male specks began the Harvest of Cubes while the female specks prepared gastronomic delights such as: Cube Fondue, Cube Salad, Cube Roast, Cube Soup, Cube and Cube-on-a-Stick (for the kids), Cube Paste, Cube Fillet, Cube Pie, Cube Relish, Cube Stuffing, Blackened Cube, Cube Kabobs, Cube Sherbet, Deep-fat-fried Cube, Cube Cake, Deep-fat-fried Cube Cake, Barbecued Cube, Cube Chowder, Glazed Cube, Cube Pandowdy, Broiled Cube, Blackened Cube, Cube Thermador, Cube-on-the-Rocks (for the adults), Steamed Cube, Smoked Cube, and of course, Susan's Cube Bubble Loaf. While the delicious smells of cube cookery were filling the air, those who were not busy found time to participate in fun "Fillange per Jungi" games, like: "Come Over Here," "Hey You Just Bumped My Friends Elbow," "Are You Just Going To Stand There," and "This Is My Bucket." The day culminated with the "Fillange per Jungi" dance, which they performed lying on their backs with their feet as high in the air as they could possibly get them, first prize going to the dancers with their feet highest up.
King Rod, whom the Specks of Rilonate thought was King Rilonate, used the occasion of "Fillange per Jungi" to campaign for re-election, since twelve days after the picnic was polling day. The specks voted every year, but they only had two choices: King Rod Green Ballot of King Rod Purple Ballot. Either way, King Rod got re-elected.
"Fillange per Jungi" was the Specks of Rilonate Forgotten Day of Atonement. They knew that in their past there was a definite day set aside as a Day of Atonement, but it was forgotten before King Rod ever took over the position of King Rilonate. At least they knew there once was a Day of Atonement, but the Specks could not remember what they need atonement for. After King Rod took the throne, a speck named Hefamut, during the demolition of a shoe foundry, found a vague historical reference to a Day of Atonement called the "Fillange per Jungi." The king's advisors advised the king to declare a new "Fillange per Jungi" and to have the marketing department think of some fun things to do on it. No one could think of anything they needed atonement for, so the day is mostly remembered for the annual feast or for the dancing thing.
The Specks of Rilonate determined when one day was over and a new day had begun by having the Day Determiner hold the Determiner Stone out at her side at arms-length. When that day's Day Determiner could no longer hold her arm up, the day was declared done and the next Day Determiner took up the stone. Being Day Determiner was a prestigious honor, but no she-speck was allowed to do it more than once a year.
Rilonate specks married in threes... Two grooms and a bride, or two brides and a groom. In either case the spouse with the two counterspouses had to alternate every day, being spouse to one, and then the next day to the other. Each Speck year the sequence is renewed, starting with the spouse who was shorted by one day the previous year. The marriage ceremony of Rilonate was short and simple: The three specks went before the king on the assigned day of their marriage appointment; each stated their vows, which consisted only of a promise to abide by the custom of spouse alternating, and a promise to never get ugly. The vows were repeated in this way: The king said to each speck, in-turn, "Do you, ___, promise to never get ugly?" To which each responded in turn, "I do." Then, in the case of one groom and two brides, for example, the king said to the groom speck,
"Repeat after me. I, ___, take you, ___, to be one of my wedded wives, and you, ___, to be the other of my wedded wives."
Annulment usually stemmed from one of the two brides or one of the two grooms (in the case of one bride and two grooms) feeling slighted because he/she was not the first one named in the vow. Divorce usually stemmed from one spouse being cheated out of his or her fair share of marriage days on leap year, when an extra day went to the spouse who then renewed the new year's sequence!
Quater made his next being with a form closer to his own. He attempted to duplicate himself, but because he was not as good of a man-builder as Father, the being was not quite a perfect duplicate.
Bertbert was given powers of speech and reason, but he could not grasp that he was different from Quater. He thought he was Quater and instantly made seven of his own crowns and started making his own people in his own image. Because Bertbert was an even worse being-maker than Quater, each generation looked worse and worse. By the last generation, Bertbert's beings were not even alive, they just looked like blobs of meat.
The lineage of Bertbert:
Empowered by Quater to create, Bertbert, believing that he himself was Quater, begat another Bertbert.
This second Bertbert begat Bredbad, a weak attempt at a Bertbert; but with a speech impediment.
Bredbad was a wise being. "The most wise of all," it has been said, although no one knows exactly who said that, but it stuck. He did not write down any of his wisdom, but his son Bridabrack the Literal transcribed Bredbad's lectures...
The Wisdom of Bredbad, the son of Bertbert, the son of Bertbert:
I am not good by nature nor am I naturally happy.
But if I fall it is a fault of my own not my mom or pappy.
I have been the witness of one thousand fallen.
For this I am not fortunate.
For me it is torture-nate.
I ponder these 'til I am withered and sullen.
Power is pleasant if served under glass, or eaten like pheasant causing my voice to rasp.
The killer be killed, the dancing man stilled. When bees of plenty sting my heart many.
I emaciate... thinner, thinner... thinner.
Found are the three ways of Bablon:
1. FEAR- It eats itself like a snake down a hill and finds nourishment there.
The bigger it gets the more it eats until it is everywhere.
2. GREED- Unlike fear it shrinks until the snake is something small and despicable.
Smelling like a torch when mixed with hair.
3. VANITY- Is the snake thinking he has strong legs that can jump the stream. He floats belly-up when caught in this snare.
I will share with you my comings and goings if you will listen.
You will join me on these journeys if you hasten. We will perish if you do not.
Bredbad, having no point of reference but himself, begat Bridabrack the Literal.
Who begat Bickback. Bickback was thin for his age and his peers mocked him for the purple and green skin splotches that covered his body.
Once a large crowd of descendants of Bertbert had formed, poor Bickback was made to sit in the back.
He tried to hide his sadness by pretending to enjoy the back of the crowd. It was there that he met the rest of the back of the crowd. They were pitiful beings suffering from physical maladies almost as bad as his splotches.
A distant cousin named Hiface offered to stand behind Bickback so that it would seem like he was not in the absolute back of the crowd, but Bickback chose to emulate the cruelty of the rest of the group by pointing out Hiface's abnormality - a tiny second head growing from his palm. He sang a song about a thing with a thing hiding in its palm. Everyone laughed at Hiface for a while, and praised Bickback for his entertaining and funny verse.
Hiface confronted Bickback regarding this display of cruelty, but Bickback sang the song again until Hiface ran home crying.
The crowd acknowledged that Bickback was witty, but they still could not let him go to the front of the crowd because of those awful splotches. This gave Bickback an idea.
One morning Bickback went to great lengths to hide his splotches. Using some dust, he coated himself, until finally his peers found him beautiful. They quickly escorted him to the front of the crowd where he was commanded to write more songs about the beings in the back of the crowd. Bickback wrote songs of cruelty and prejudice about them all. All, that is, except for one in the back row. He hoped that the front of the crowd would not notice that he was intentionally overlooking his brother, Lytle, who was retarded and therefore, the most back of the whole back row. But, alas, someone noticed,
"Now, Bickback, let us have a song about Lytle!!!" the crowd screamed.
They figured that Bickback was saving a song about Lytle until the end, since it would be the funniest and easiest to write, given the subject matter.
Bickback looked across the crowd at Lytle who could only stare at the ground. Lytle was pitiful in his brother's sight and Bickback hated him for not being perfect.
Bickback walked over to his brother who was drooling and looking very stupid. Lytle recognized his brother and decided to hug him hard the way he always had. Lytle reached out and hugged Bickback saying, "Ly'le like Bicks!"
The crowd roared with laughter at Lytle. They found his audacity to tough someone from the front row typical of his level of stupidity. Embarrassed, Bickback threw Lytle to the ground and called him an animal.
Lytle was shocked and began to cry. Bickback looked down at his drool covered arms. The drool had wiped away some of his dust-covering, exposing the horrible, hated splotches. Bickback openly wept face-down on the ground. Lytle crawled over to him and held him. The crowd was uncomfortable, no one knew what to do. Just then, Bickback wiped his eyes and announced: "I have a song about the pitiful members of the back of the crowd!"
Those in back of the crowd figured that this would be the most degrading song yet. The front of the crowd cheered. Lytle drooled.
Bickback sang in a voice so beautiful that to this day no song has been written to compare. This is what he sang:
In this life I have found one thing.
It is pity incarnate of which I sing.
You have been told about the back of the crowd.
And I repeat it plenty loud.
That they are animals to be excused -
As hapless freaks which we shall use -
As ladder rungs for our speedy ascent -
To the front of the crowd where we'll invent
A strict system of attractive and not
On which side of the net will you be caught.
Align me please with the crowd's back
The front can for what I care go to hack
With their own standards based on their small group
If given the choise 'tween accepting many or few
I will love the different and accept the whole crowd
I will sing of my world long and loud
In my world I say that we the low be tall
And so Brother Lytle is greatest of all.
The entire crowd fell silent as Bickback walked over to his brother and held him. He whispered in Lytle's ear, "I'm so sorry. I have been a big fool."
Lytle still just drooled. Some members of the crowd heeded Bickback's song and embraced the entire crowd.
Others did not and made it their full time concern to re-establish the lines between the front and back of the crowd.
Bickback lived a happy life, he wed Phyllis, a demure little lady, also from the back of the crowd.
He begat Mak Mok which means "low is high."
Mak Mok begat Mak Mak.
Who begat Mak Mak.
Who begat Mak Mak.
Who begat Mak Mak, who fashioned a two-sided being which included both genders, male and female, one on either side. It was a colossal being named Mammur who was very proud indeed. It considered itself absolutely complete, lacking nothing and independent even from its creator, Mak Mak.
Mak Mak could not stand for such conceit, so he made a huge crowbar with which he pried the being into two parts: a male being named Meen and a female being named Mavi.
It took all of Mak Mak's strength to pry the two halves apart. And when Mammur finally split, it sent the crowbar hurtling out into space. As soon as the two half-beings saw that they were no longer a singular whole, they started trying to put themselves back together again, and they have been trying to put themselves back together ever since.
Mammur (or Meen and Mavi) then begat Maumat.
And the sons of Maumat were Mau Much and Marzim and Mah Tup and Manaak.
And the sons of Mau Much were Mabes and Maliva and Magbas and Mamaar and Macetbas;
And the sons of Mamaar were Mabesh and Maded.
Now Maded became the father of Moremin; who became a mighty florist in his town. He was a mighty florist before Quater; therefore it is said, "Like Moremin, a mighty florist before Quater."
And the beginning of his kingdom consisted of Daisyworld and Rosebud and Tulipcrime, in the land of Ranish. From that land he went forth into Milpitas, and built H'voney and Tt and Hoot, and Ressinsessin between H'voney and Tt; that is the great city.
And Moremin became the father of Midul and Mimana and Mibahel and Mihutphan and Misurthap and Mihulsack (from which came the peeons) and Mirotphack and MixtMath, the evil twins.
And Misurthap became the father of Modis, his first-born, and Math Bath and the Quergenites and the Lolo Men and the Fylo Dendrites and the Shrub people and the Klay Wanters and the Neo-Ressinsessinites and the Briv and the Manaakite; and afterward the families of the Manaakite were spread abroad. And the territory of the Manaakite extended from Nodis as you go toward Modoc, Delano, and Truckee and Chester and Alturas, as far as Lake Almanor. So these were the sons of Maumat, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, by their nations.
Modis then begat Mah Min, who decided to wear a purple hood instead of a crown.
Mah Min begat Mah Nih, who liked hoods a lot, but hated his father's purple hood; so in rebellion, he went back to the crown-wearing tradition of previous generations. This gesture pleased Quater so much that Mah Nih was simply caught-up into the presence of Quater to live forever in peace with Father, but not before he was able to create a poor likeness of himself, May Nee.
Who begat Way Nee.
Who begat Fwah Gee (the founder of the famous Fwah Ah Nation.)
Who begat Fep At.
Who begat Fep Pee.
Who begat Feh, who liked to sing loving songs for his sons. He sang by expelling air from between five flaps of flesh on his back. Feh sang this way, as a sincere gesture of love for his many sons, but the perpetual honking and flapping of his songs echoed up to the ears of Quater, who, after many years of tolerance, could finally take it no more. Quater smote Feh with a bolt of energy so intense that nobody ever found a trace of his body. Feh was destroyed in the prime of his life, but not before he was able to create thirteen sons.
Feh's thirteen sons were: Klough, Kluff, Klau, Klimt, Kleft, Klak, Klink, and five sons all of whom Feh named Kloppenhomwinwitz, because he could not think of another name until the birth of his last son, Klee.
In the Fwah Legends are the stories of Feh and his thirteen sons.
Feh's favorite son was named Klee (meaning, "give me more like this one").
Feh often had his sons watch the FwaCattle herd in an attempt to teach them the value of hard work, and the responsibility of caring for the herd. FwaCattle had three genders: female; hemale; and threemale (threemales had the gender characteristics of all three genders). When the females were nursing they exuded FwaGerkins from their hide. FwaGerkins were the staple of the Fwah Ah diet. Klee was the youngest of Feh's sons, yet he was also the most responsible, and he was the only one who listened when Feh spoke to his sons the legends Feb Pee had told him of Father and Quater.
The other sons spent most of their time listening to their father's songs, but avoiding work, dreaming of ways to spend their inheritance as soon as their father died. On the other hand, Klee spent his time tending the family herd of FwaCattle with such care that many thought it was his own herd. It was the largest herd of FwaCattle in the nation of Fwah Ah, next to the Emperor's own herds, and Feh certainly appreciated Klee's care.
To show his appreciation, he slaughtered his finest FwahCalf and had the hide made into a fine pair of shorts for Klee. Feh's other sons considered Klee an obstacle to their fun, so they started spending a portion of their time planning ways to get rid of him.
When Klee was out herding the FwaCattle with his brothers, he would often bring back a bad report to his father of how the other sons abused the herd and often secretly sold FwaGerkins for their own profit. Klee boldly told his brothers that while they were dreaming up ways to avoid work, he was dreaming of being Emperor of Fwah Ah. This got on their nerves, and after much plotting, they did finally came up with a plan to get rid of Klee.
When he came out to the Plains of Choppen to check up on them, they grabbed him and sewed him and his fine shorts to the back of a FwaBull. The brothers then traded Klee and the FwaBull to some Choppenpops for some stewed pods. They took these back to Feh and explained that Klee had been trampled in a FwaStampede, and that the pods were all that was left of their brother.
Feh mourned for 88 years the death of his favorite son, Klee. Meanwhile, the Choppenpops, never noticing Klee sewn to the back of their new FwaBull, traded it to the Emperor's herdsmen for a pack of Gaza Smokes.
Now, an Emperor likes a clean herd of FwaCattle, so his herdsmen scrubbed the FwaCattle daily. While they were scrubbing the new FwaBull that Klee was sewn to, they noticed him crying out and begging to be released. The herdsmen released Klee to the custody of Portenchipa, the Emperor's bodyguard.
Portenchipa made Klee his butler, and Klee took on the responsibility much as he did with his father's herd of FwaCattle. Portenchipa was not home much, what with all the responsibilities of his own job, but when he was home, he did not fail to notice Klee's meticulous care of the house and household matters. He actually did a better job than Portenchipa would have done himself. Portenchipa would have been jealous, but he enjoyed the spare time too much.
In these days, each time Portenchipa had been out on one of his many trips away from home with the Emperor, his wife, Pettenpipa, started making eyes at Klee the way she should only be making eyes at Portenchipa. Klee was no fool, he knew what Pettenpipa was up to, so he warned her with the warning his mother always used. He said, "If you don't stop making eyes like that, they're going to get stuck that way."
Pettenpipa could not stand to be rejected, so she kept making eyes at Klee, and sure enough, her eyes got stuck. She lied to Portenchipa when he came home that night and told him Klee had dressed up like Portenchipa just to get her to make eyes at him. Portenchipa beat Klee to within a foot span of his life, then threw him into jail.
But Quater did not forget Klee.
Klee once again prospered because of his faithful conduct.
After the jailer beat Klee to within a half foot span of his life, he put Klee in charge of all the prisoners who were in the jail, so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it. The jailer did not superwise anything under Klee's charge because whatever Klee did always prospered.
Klee often told the other prisoners the stories of Father and Quater that he had heard as a boy. Then it came about after these things that the Emperor's nephew offended the Emperor by besting him at liver juggling. The Emperor was furious with his nephew, so he took away his status of Emperor's nephew, gave it to some guy who happened to be walking by, and put his nephew in confinement in the jail, the same place where Klee was imprisoned. And the jailer put Klee in charge of the Emperor's former nephew, and he took care of him; and he was in confinement for some time.
Then the Emperor's ex-nephew who was confined in jail, had a terrible time sleeping one night. He tossed and turned all night long. When Klee came to him in the morning and observed him, behold, he was down hearted. And he asked the former Emperor's nephew who was with him in confinement in jail, "Why is your face so sad today?" Then the former nephew said to him, "Are you blind? Just look at my hair; I've got Bed-head and there is no one to interpret it!" He said this because in the Kingdom of Feb, Bed-head interpretations are used to foretell the future. Then Klee said to him, "Do not interpretations belong to Quater? Let me study your Bed-head, please."
Then Klee said to him, "This is the interpretation of your Bed-head: this afternoon the Emperor will restore you to the position of Emperor's nephew and have you released from jail. Now, please do me a kindness by mentioning me to the Emperor, and get me out of this jail. For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of Fwah Ah, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into jail."
That afternoon the Emperor declared that his nephew who was in jail should be restored to the position of Emperor's nephew. When the Emperor was asked what should be done with the guy to whom he, the Emperor, had given the "nephew status," the Emperor said to throw him in jail instead. The Emperor's nephew did not remember Klee, in fact he forgot him. But Quater did not forget Klee.
Now it happened at the end of two full years, that the Emperor woke up one morning with Bed-head, and his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the interpreters. And the Emperor had them study his Bed-head, but there was no one who could interpret it to the Emperor.
Then the Emperor's nephew spoke up, saying, "I would make mention today of my own offenses. The Emperor was furious with me, and he put me in confinement in the jail. And I woke up one morning with Bed-head. Now a Fwah Ah youth was with me there, a servant of the jailer, and he studied my Bed-head, and he did interpret it for me. And it came about that just as he interpreted for me, so it happened; I was restored to my status as Emperor's nephew."
Then the Emperor sent and called for Klee, and they hurriedly brought him out of the jail. And when he had shaved himself from head to toe (that is how one was presented to the Emperor in those days) and changed his clothes, he came to the Emperor. And the Emperor said to Klee,
"I presume that you can see I have Bed-head, and no one here can interpret it; but I have heard it said about you, that when you study a Bed-head you can interpret it."
Klee then answered the Emperor, saying, "It is not in me; interpretations of Bed-head belong to Quater."
The Emperor said to Klee, "Behold, study my Bed-head."
Now Klee said to the Emperor, "A terrible drought is coming. It is going to cause sky-rocketing inflation and a shortage of FwaGerkins and FepGerkins, throw the land into a panic, raise prices and drop interest rates. But not before there is a huge surplus of FepGerkins.
Now let the Emperor look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Fep. Let the Emperor take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the FepGerkins of the land of Fep in the time of surplus. Then let them gather all the FepGerkins of this surplus and store them up, and let them guard it. And let the surplus become as a reserve for the land during the drought which will occur in the lands of Fwah Ah and Fep, so that the land may not perish during sky-rocketing inflation."
The Emperor said, "Wow! All that was in my Bed-head?"
Then he said to his servants, "Can you believe a man like this guy Klee?"
So the Emperor said to Klee, "Since you've got all the answers, you shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you. See, I have set you over all the land of Fep."
Then the Emperor took off his shorts (he had undershorts on underneath, for cryin' out loud!), and put them on Klee.
And he had him ride on his second vehicle; and the servants proclaimed before him, "Bow the knee!" And he set him over all the land of Fep.
Moreover, the Emperor said to Klee, "Though I am the Emperor, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot or left eyebrow in all the land of Fep." And he gave him Gail, the daughter of a guy he beat in a game of wagon-hurling the previous day.
Thus, Klee became prime minister of the neighboring Kingdom of Fep.
After the period of surplus in Fep, Feh's land dried-up and the FwaHerds wandered away, and a shortage of FwaGerkins threw the land of Fwah Ah into a panic, raising prices and dropping interest rates.
The Feh boys: Klough, Kluff, Klau, Klimt, Kleft, Klak, Klink, and five sons all of whom Feh named Kloppenhomwinwitz because Feh could not think of another name until the birth of his last son, Klee, were forced to trek out to Fep and trade their prized ChoppenMettle statues for FepGerkins, dreading the odious FepAftertaste.
The Fwah Ah hate FepGerkins, to them they are "dirty." The Fwah are so conditioned to despise FepGerkins that just thinking of the FepAftertaste causes a physical reaction.
Simply seeing a FepGerkin has been known to cause a Fwah Ah to go pale and become woozy. The odor of FepGerkins sets off the gag reflex.
It is common to hear a Fwah Gentleman say, "I'd rather eat the refuse of my worst enemy than eat FepGerkins." To which another might respond, "Oh yeah? I'd rather poke myself in the eyes with six inch rusty spikes than eat a lousy FepGerkin."
To which another might reply, "Well, I'd rather eat my own head-innards, after they'd been sucked out through my eye sockets by a great naturally occurring vacuum, than eat FepGerkins."
Still, another might say, "I'd rather have a fullbody massage from a servant girl named Hela than eat FepGerkins." To which everyone would respond, "Huh?"
If a Fwah Ah wants to insult another Fwah Ah, a popular saying is, "Your mother eats FepGerkins!"
It is considered very naughty behaviour for Fwah Ah youngsters to even talk about FepGerkins. The controversial Fwah Ah comedian, Loody Kincaid, once performed an entire live routine of nothing but FepGerkin jokes; of course it was an adults-only performance and was banned in most towns.
All the people of Fwah Ah, including Feh and his sons, realized they would have to choke down the FepGerkins (and most likely vomit a few times after eating the first three or four) or face certain starvation.
Now Klee was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Klee's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. When Klee saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them with cotton in his cheeks.
His brothers ordered twelve and a half cases of FepGerkins. Then Klee gave orders to fill the cases with shorts of great value. And thus it was done for them. So the brothers loaded their FwaOxen with the twelve and a half cases and departed from there.
At the border, Klee had his police stop his brothers.
The head policeman said, "May I see your receipt, please?" Klough, the eldest, handed over the receipt to the officer. "Says here you bought twelve and a half cases of FepGerkins. Mind if we take a look inside these here cases?"
Klough agreed to let the police search the cases. When these were opened the police of course found the priceless shorts. The brothers were stunned, to say the least; their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What's up with that?"
So the police escourted the sons of Feh back to Klee's house. The brothers thought they were done for, but when Klee saw them he invited them in and fed them delicious snacks prepared with FepGerkins, of course.
While they were eating (after having thrown up at least twice each) Klee had their cases of FepGerkins filled with the finest FepShoelaces, such as only the Emperor's family would wear. After dinner, Klee released his brothers (who still did not recognize him) to go on their way home.
At the border, Klee had his police stop his brothers.
The head policeman said, "May I see your receipt, please?" Klough, the eldest, handed over the receipt to the officer. "Says here you bought twelve and a half cases of FepGerkins. Mind if we take a look inside these here cases?"
Klough agreed to let the police search the cases. When these were opened the police of course found the precious shoelaces. The brothers were stunned, to say the least; their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What's up with that?"
So the police escourted the sons of Feh back to Klee's house. The brothers thought they were done for, but when Klee saw them he invited them in and had them join him in the pool.
While they were in the sauna, after swimming, he had their cases of FepGerkins filled with priceless gauges. After they had all dried off, Klee released his brothers (who still did not recognize him) to go on their way home.
At the border, Klee had his police stop his brothers.
The head policeman said, "May I see your receipt, please?" Klough, the eldest, handed over the receipt to the officer. "Says here you bought twelve and a half cases of FepGerkins. Mind if we take a look inside these here cases?"
Klough agreed to let the police search the cases. When these were opened the police of course found the precious gauges. The brothers were stunned, to say the least; their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What's up with that?"
So the police escourted the sons of Feh back to Klee's house. The brothers thought they were done for, but when Klee saw them he had them come in and watch a play performed in mime in his private home theater, then he had them spend the night.
While they were sleeping, he had their cases of FepGerkins filled with hewminallinterfatch (which is a lot like a food). In the morning, after breakfast, Klee released his brothers (who still did not recognize him) to go on their way home.
But Klau, the smartest brother, said, "Before we go, I'd like to look in these cases of FepGerkins."
When he opened one up, of course he found the hewminallinterfatch. He exclaimed, "What is up with that?"
Klee knew he had to let his brothers in on his little deception. Klee said, "I'm Klee!" And the brothers responded. "Who?"
Then Klee took the cotton balls out of his cheeks and told them the whole story. He said, "It goes like this:
When I came out to the Plains of Choppen to check up on you, you grabbed me and sewed me and my fine shorts to the back of a FwaBull. Then you traded me and the FwaBull to some Choppenpops for some stewed pods..."
Klee's brothers went back to Fwah Ah and returned to Fep with their father, Feh, who lived there for only a few years until Quater eventually smote him with a bolt of energy.
In all, the Feh family lived in Fep 410 years.
Klee, having become ruler of all the land of Fep, was compelled by his people to change his name to Fay Nee, which means, "Most of which still do not agree."
Fay Nee begat Fay Nee.
Who begat Wah Nee.
Who begat Acker, who looked nothing like his father, Wah Nee, but nonetheless, managed to create Ehp.
Like many generations before him, Acker sang to Ehp every night over his crib using the flaps in his back, in the tradition of Feh. Acker showed all of the love a good parent should show his offspring. He often stared into Ehp's face for hours until his eyes grew dry and tired. Ehp was full of kindness and generosity, taught by Acker and likely nurtured by his grandfather, Wah Nee.
One day, while Ehp and his grandfather were on a long trip to the Boneyard, Wah Nee grew ill. Wah Nee asked Ehp to stay with him until he returned home to Father, for he was afraid. Ehp daubed Wah Nee's brow with a cool cloth given to him by Acker. Quater opened the sky and let Wah Nee enter. This was the first time Ehp had seen Quater who was far more marvelous than the legends told.
Ehp grew to be a strong and handsome being, much closer in likeness to Bertbert than any generation before him.
Ehp became a mighty leader of other beings who saw that he was in favor with Quater.
Just as everybody thought that the whole "each-generation-gets-worse" thing had finally turned around, Ehp's own creation came out looking like a pile of something badly burned, so he named it, "Uh Uh."
Uh Uh was not alive, so it could not begat anything.
Quater decided to make a being of greater substance than any of his previous creations. Numeron looks like a pile of cubes. He was obsessed with being sensible and correct in everything, following the rules to the letter. Numeron rarely did anything on his own without asking Quater for his explicit directions.
Numeron loved his crown and wore it with much pride - perhaps a little too much pride. He made three hundred duplicates of himself whom he would boss around, all day, every day.
These are some of their genealogies:
The first-born of Numeron was Nabris, a clone of Numeron.
The first-born of Nabris was Thopo Bean the Similar, then Leebda, Masbim, Mishmash, Hamduh, Bim, Dad, Eemat, Juter, Big Eefish, Shiphann, and Hamdeck; These were the sons of Nabris.
And the sons of Thopo Bean were Narmiz, Jok, Gok, Wim, Nyeby, Itchy Itch, Kashi, and Chipchape.
And the sons of Nyeby were Abesh and Naded.
And the sons of Itchy Itch were Haphe, Rephe Macincrog, Adiba, Inkerkrog, and Haa. All these were the sons of Thopo Bean the Similar.
And Numeron was the father of Numeron Junior.
The sons of Numeron Junior were Lee Mimba and Suppanuppa.
The sons of Lee Mimba were Zaphile, Loiter, Sho Horf, Malagasket, and Harok.
The sons of Zaphile were Namet, Ramo, Eye Fez, Maytag, Zanek, Anmit, and Kelama.
The sons of Loiter were Thahan, Harpinbarpin, Ham Mash, and Shasa.
And the sons of Harpinbarpin were Pies, Budd, Labopunky, Noebiz, Hana, Nosh B'Gosh, Reez, and Nashid.
And the sons of Budd were Iroh and Mamoh; and Natol's sister was Annie Nitnitnit.
The sons of Nosh B'Gosh were Alen, Nunnybiz, The, Laybee, Yf, and Mano.
And the sons of Nunnybiz were Hoxokina-Giq and Sot, the nephew of The.
The son of Sot was Noknok. And the sons of Noknok were Narm, Nab, Narthi, and Nar and Reez.
The sons of Reez were Nalbo and Nazazanatab.
The sons of Nalbo were Zuh and Narakatangbaloof.
Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Hecka before any king of the sons of Numeron Junior reigned.
Aleb was the son of Royendale, and the name of his city was Havtoo.
When Aleb died, Baburno the son of Hywya of Harzob became king in his place.
When Baburno died, Mashush of the land of the Nametites became king in his place.
When Mashush died, Dadah the son of Dadeb, who defeated Nidiam in the field of Baom, became king in his place; and the name of his city was Theam.
When Dadah died, Pe'halloo of Hackersam became king in his place.
When Pe'halloo died, Oowee of Thothot by the River became king in his place.
When Oowee died, Nanahball the son of Robcha by the Sea became king in his place.
When Nanahball died, Dadah became king in his place; and the name of his city was Iap, and his wife's name was Dimethicone, the daughter of Padimate, the daughter of Obenzone.
Then Dadah died.
Now the chiefs of Hecka were: chief Anmity, chief Emollient, chief Thethe, chief Hamabiloho, chief Hale, chief Nonip, chief Zanek, chief Namet, chief Razama, chief Le'nez, and chief Mari. These were the chiefs of Hecka.
Now Numeron paid little attension to the beings he had already made, rather he focused intently on new beings to create and neglect. Numeron made Nabris' brother, Abris, who was a pure-hearted obedient follower, in spite of the fact that Numeron ignored him.
Nabris became convinced that no one could be as good as Abris made himself appear, and he feared that Abris would eventually displease Quater, so Nabris, believing that Numeron was paying no attension, destroyed Abris by breaking-off all of the many antlers that covered Abris' back and neck.
This heinous act did, in fact, escape Numeron's notice, but Quater himself was watching, and he smote Nabris with permanent blindness.
Now the sons of Narcolon, the son of Numeron, were Leemhare, Mah, and Iabulech.
And Mah became the father of Badanimma.
And Badanimma became the father of Noshhan, leader of the sons of Narcolon;
Nashhan became the father of Amlas,
Amlas became the father of Zoab,
Zoab became the father of Debo,
and Debo became the father of Esse;
And Esse became the father of Baile his first-born, then Badaniba the second, Aemish the third, Lenathen the fourth, Iaddar the fifth, Mezo the sixth, Hank the seventh; and their sisters were Huarez and Liagiba.
And the three sons of Huarez were Ashba, Box and Lehasa. And Liagiba bore Muddy-Bingpoody, and the father of Muddy-Bingpoody was Jethro the Nabrisite.
And Muddy-Bingpoody became the father of Bananagrunt, and Bananagrunt became the father of Nosuchluk, leader of the sons of Nodice;
Nosuchluk became the father of Amwhat, Amwhat became the father of Goatphlegm, Goatphlegm became the father of Denturupture, and Denturuptur became the father of Cuptpt.
And Cuptpt became the father of Vque his first-born, then Hiwyekun the second, Tahnana the third, Bizwc the fourth, Iaata the fifth, Ntindo the sixth, Ngoink the seventh; and their sisters were Beachnoodle and Grahamlit.
And the three sons of Beachnoodle were Corpup, Pango, and Quitit. And Grahumus bore Azma, and the father of Azma was Othal the Obscure Prince.
Now the sons of Numero Benti, the son of Numeron, were Leintho and High Harry Hapsicomby. And the son of Leintho was ThatThat. And the son of ThatThat was Ath.
And Ath became the father of Oprah, and Harry became the father of Meesh Kapeesh, for they were craftsmen. And Meesh Kapeesh became the father of Nadarazuben.
Numeron was the father of Ni Ron. Ni Ron became the father of those who dwell in eight-by-fourteen-foot thatched huts and use Pygmy Shrimp Swabs. And his brother's name was N-Ron, who's food had to be pre-chewed by Ni Ron.
N-Ron became the father of all those who celebrate in Numeron's birthday parade, playing the Pinkerkrogg and the Ngtoilibong.
Numeron became the father of Numby.
Then Numeron became the father of Nasak the Great.
And Numeron was the father of Kilfax, who just sat there.
One year, Numeron lost half of his beings off of a cliff. They were on one of their morning marches when the ground fell out from under one of the leaders, and half of the others followed before Numeron noticed their peril, and was able to convince the rest to turn back.
Though one hundred and fifty beings marched straight off the cliff, not all of these perished. Many were some of Numeron's heartiest creations. The two that were the strongest and came through the fall most intact were Numby and Nasak the Great.
The fall landed Numeron's beings in the Trench of Aramoose.
There, Numby and Nasak set up kingdoms: The Twin Kingdoms of Numby and Nasak. This did not go unnoticed by Numeron. He saw that as soon as the surviving beings thought that they were outside the presence of Numeron, they forgot him and his world.
They began their own societies. Numeron observed their wickedness and saw that it was great. Numeron was sorry that he ever made any beings at all.
He said to himself, "Not only do I have to keep cracking the whip, so to speak, over these beings night and day, but to top it all off, as soon as I am out of their sight they forget me! At least I still have one hundred and fifty to keep under my thumb; and believe me I will. The rest of these I can destroy; I'll cause a catastrophic explosion throughout the Trench. That'll show them!"
But Numeron saw that Numby was a blameless creature. Numby was a righteous king; in fact, he was the only being in the Trench of Aramoose that remembered Numeron. (They called it the Trench of Aramoose because of the swit trees that grow there; the actual name of the trench was "Great Canyon of the Ruins of Desolation Number Five.")
He tried and tried for twelve and a half years to remind the subjects in his modest little kingdom about the past, but since Numeron would not take the time to make himself known, they would not remember him.
His subjects thought Numby was a fine king, but they would not heed his warning that their creator would not tolerate their corruption forever.
Nasak the Great, on the other hand, did not think Numby was a fine king. He considered Numby and his preaching about Numeron a nuisance. Nasak's kingdom grew every day, filling more and more of the Trench. The southern sector extended from the wilderness of Zinniflox along the side of Eebisimperut. Then the south side was from the edge of Hapalanche, and the border went westward and went to the fountain of the waters of Neopithm. And the border went down to the edge of the hill which is in the valley of Bonablink, which is in the valley of Buppabumjoy northward; and it went down to the valley of Dycyoonwang, to the slope of the Oonja Wapoong southward, and went down to Boke. And it extended northward and went to Sabboota and went to Soysinga, which is opposite the ascent of Eenta Nina, and it went down to the stone of Ru the son of Lu. And it continued to the side in front of the Left-Handed-Fletchy northward, and went down to the Left-Handed-Fletchy. And the border continued to the side of Hoglah-Doglah northward; and the border ended at the north bay of the Stinky Sea, at the south end of the Helio-Hogma. Moreover, the Helio-Hogma was its border on the east side. And the southern border extended from the end of the Stinky Sea eastward. Then the border turned direction from the south to the ascent of Akakak Inzeeba, and continued to Ziniflox, and its termination was to the south of Radish-Barnmold; and it reached Huzz, and continued to Itzabiggy, even unto the great river that is called "Mifflewimx-the-Uncrossable-Except-in-a-Couple-of-Places-Where-It-Gets-Slow-and-Shallow," and unto the Early Risers Clubhouse. And the border turned direction from Hey Wait to the brook of Ptyge, and its termination was at the sea.
As for the western border, it was the Amazing Colossal Sea, that is, its coastline; this was the western border.
And this was the north border: they drew the border line from the Amazing Colossal Sea to Mount Pephilter. They drew a line from Mount Pephilter to the Hotus-Kelley. Then the border went up to the side of Hntma on the north, and went up through the hill country westward; and it ended at the wilderness of Cannbens. And from there the border continued to Quelp, to the side of Quelp (that is, Reflecklel) southward; and the border went down to Atimantshoe, near the hill which lies on the south of lower Surgurt. And the border extended from there, and turned round on the west side southward, from the hill which lies before Surgurt southward; and it ended at Sour-bead (that is, Sour-knobel), a city of the sons of Meesh Kapeesh. And the termination of the border was at Blightensuch. This was the northern border.
Now the eastern border reached the border of Edupated, southward to the wilderness of Brain-Worm at the extreme south. Then it proceeded southward to the ascent of Quel From and continued to Brain-Worm, then went up by the south of Radish-Barnmold and continued to Larry, and went up to Rebaeton Perchis and turned about to Clarksdil. And it continued to Stew Lumps and proceeded to the brook of Fathering; then the border went up to Burn Dagit, and continued on the north of Undoubtedly Moister, which is opposite the ascent of Surmapleet, which is on the south of the valley; and the border continued to the waters of Housenploop. And the border went up to the top of the mountain which is before the valley of Twisted Balm, which is the end of the valley of Guarantaph toward the north. And from the top of the mountain the border curved to the spring of the waters of Rankness. And the border turned about from Bollixisix westward to Mount Dososky. They drew a line from Dososky to Shemp, and the border went down from Shemp to Reeply Engine on the east side of Hmhmhmhmhm, and continued towards Pylohylodylo (Which means, "I don't think I can put that much in my mouth."); and the border went down and reached the slope on the east side of the Sea of Often Fallen Into. And the border went down to the Fibrilatin and its termination was at the Stinky Sea.
This was Nasak the Great's land according to its borders all around.
His thriving cities were all decadent and vile, but that is what sells - that is what the people want. Thus his kingdom grew, even taking in droves of defectors from the good Kingdom of Numby.
Yet, still not content with his great wealth of power, riches and influence, he coveted the dry, rocky land of the Kingdom of Numby. Nasak plotted a war of conquest against Numby. Numeron saw all of this and knew that Numby's number was coming up. So he paid a visit to Numby to explain the catastrophic explosion.
Numby was alone when Numeron arrived. Numeron wanted to speak with Numby and his wife, Grace, so Numby went searching for her. The basement was flooded, so she was not there. She was in the attic, which in the Kingdom of Numby is called an "Izathelow." So Numby found her there, high and dry. They went together to the patio where Numeron addressed them:
"Numby, I am going to blow up this trench with all these vile beings in it. But I don't want to destroy you and Grace, so I want you to build a treehouse, where you can stay and remain safe during the explosion."
Numeron gave Numby a blueprint for the treehouse and described the exact location of the tree he wanted him to build it in. He also gave him very specific details for the construction of the treehouse. "You shall make the treehouse from weetby wood. It shall be a split-level treehouse with an enclosed foyer, gabled roof, with rough beam ceiling, bay windows in the living room and in the kitchen over the sink. All the measurements are here on the floorplan."
As Numby and Grace worked on the treehouse, their neighbors, who formerly thought of Numby as a fine king, came out to mock the construction of the treehouse.
Numeron had given Numby seven days to complete the construction of the treehouse, and he was nearly finished. By then, Nasak the Great had completed his plans for conquest and his armies were massed and marching toward the capitol of Numby.
Then King Numby and Grace entered the treehouse, as instructed ny Numeron.
Numeron detonated the catastrophic explosion, destroying all the beings but Numby and Grace in the Twin Kingdoms of Numby and Nasak the Great in the Trench of Aramoose.
Now this great explosion had disrupted the deep panels of the world. A hot, green substance belched forth from the cracks in the panels and filled the canyon. Numby and Grace watched as the "Hot Green" swirled around the foot of the tree. They were trapped. Now weetby wood is impossible to burn so they were safe as long as they did not leave the treehouse. Many days passed as Numby and Grace grew hungry.
One evening they looked out beyond the tree and sang a song to Numeron regarding their hunger:
" Noom noom Numeron,
send us food to chew-mer-on."
Numeron heard their plea, and he sent a great bird to nest in the tree in which the treehouse was build. Every morning the great bird laid a giant egg, which landed in Numby and Grace's bed. They gently cracked the eggs open to find five-course meals prepared, complete with a fine linen tablecloth, and brass candelabra.
They lived this way for many days until the "Hot Green" cooled to become just "Green." This new form of ground felt lovely to walk on.
They lived happily for many ages. Grace died one beautiful day, Numby died three days later.
Quater made a king named Ottoborg, designed to be happy and full of joy all day.
Robots were a subject that Ottoborg had done a lot of research on, so it was only natural that he made three robots to help him make seven little houses. The robots names were Appie, Togor, and Bil. Appie was good at digging. Bil was good at building and Togor was good at painting; that is why it is said today that if anyone is a good painter, he is "Togor".
In a very careless way, Ottoborg made seven boys to live in his new houses. The boys names were Hypen Nupen, Petri Alfonzo, Willie Trombone, Aloh Al, Derradious Hapsicom (who's nickname was Creeker), Hondo and Ed.
Ottoborg's sons were easily identified by the loop formed on the top of each of their heads. Sometimes when they walked along they would hook their head-hoops on branches and hang there for days. Petri was so tired of getting his head hooked onto things that he cut his own head off, which proved to be fatal.
Ottoborg had forgotten to hold his world together with gravity, so one day his world fell apart in chunks and his seven sons and three robots floated aimlessly across creation.
Hypen's chunk of land got caught in the tail of the comet Pyrageorge (named Pyrageorge because it decreased in size during each orbit). The tail of Pyrageorge was full of seeds because the comet once passed through the atmosphere of the planet Berpie.
Hypen cultivated his chunk so that he could grow flowers. He loved flowers and how happy and festive they can make a place. Often, he would make a wreath of some of the flowers to decorate the loop in his head. Since he was the only one of his brothers with a nose, it seemed especially fitting that this is where Hypen Nupen's chunk of land should be. He grew an extraordinary amount of flowers, but after a few years it was not enough to satisfy his growing craving for flowers. His deepest, burning desire was to be King of Flowers, to have no rival in growing flowers. He actually did not know of anyone else who was growing flowers, but his unfettered imagination went wild and he thought that there must be others who were cultivating and growing huge fields of flowers on the many planets and worlds he passed.
Year after year Hypen worked the soil of his chunk of land to try and get it to produce more and more flowers. He developed fertilizers and plant foods. He grew nothing but flowers, though there were plenty of other types of seeds he could have planted. If he did notice some other type of plant growing amongst his flowers, he violently ripped it from the ground, cursing it and tearing it to shreds then throwing it onto his compost pile. It was so upsetting to him that he would have to lie down for a nap afterwards. But no matter how many flowers the land produced, it was never enough for Hypen.
It almost seemed that the chunk of land was desperately trying to please its obsessed master, straining itself year in, year out, to produce more flowers than it had the previous season. For many centuries, in fact, it did out-perform itself; each year a dozen or so more flowers were produced. And Hypen would ask, "Is that all?" Then the yield began to decrease. The land was simply over-worked and it needed to rest. Hypen reacted by pressing the land harder and harder to yield more. He was aggravated to no end.
The more he did to increase the yield of flowers, the less the land was able to produce. Eventually, as each season went by, the yield decreased first 10, then 100 fold, and so on. Most of the land lay barren and still.
If Hypen found anything other than a flower growing he would pull it up by the roots and throw it into the compost pile.
As the land grew gray and sterile, Hypen wasted away also. The loop on the top of his head drooped, like a deflated tire. His desire to make his chunk of land a happier place with flowers had died. He spent his last days worrying and hovering over the last few flowers that struggled desperately to grow to maturity in the dust. He could not afford the time it took to weed the desolate fields, but only a few spindly vines grew here and there in the depleted soil anyway. When the last flower died, so did Hypen Nupen.
Willie's chunk of land flew off into space, with Willie still inside his little red-roofed house. Ottoborg never saw Willie again.
What Ottoborg did not know (which this wall does) was that Willie's chunk of land drifted into the most dangerous part of space. You see, there were these nasty creatures called Victoids that flew about looking for food. Victoids had a giant nasty mouth full of giant nasty fangs and of course the hair that they were covered with was nasty.
Anyway, four Victoids stumbled upon poor Willie Trombone who was alone just floating through space for quite some time. Willie, being the friendly type, held out a friendly hand and beckoned them, "Hey, hairy friends!"
The Victoids screamed with glee when they saw Willie's yellow supple flesh. They figured that he was not a fool and that they would have to trick him before they could eat him. They were wrong, for Willie Trombone was a fool above all other fools and all of the time that they spent trying to trick him only gave the drifting giant Big Robot Bil enough time to arrive. Bil reached out with his mighty three arms and grabbed the floating chunk of land and hoisted himself up. Bil grew horrified as he saw his creator's son about to be devoured by vicious Victoids.
That evening Willie Trombone dined on Victoids, saving their pelts to use as blankets on especially cold evenings. Willie and Bil became close friends and they enjoyed each other's company for a long time floating in space, until one day they saw something very far away... Something like a being in distress.
Aloh Al kept a journal after Ottoborg's world broke into chunks. Here is copied the only known surviving excerpt from that diary:
"My chunk of land has whooshed through a mysterious cloud of blue gas. The cloud is larger than some worlds that I have seen. I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to jump off the chunk and onto the gas. There is such a clutter of junk on the outer surface of the blue gas that it is virtually solid, yet kind of springy-sproingy.
Wow! Am I tired! I think I will lay myself down to take a snooze on the junk that clutters the surface of this blue gas for I have not slept since before Ottoborg's world fell apart.
I do not know how long I was sleeping, but I woke up because I felt something tiny and creepy crawling on my knee! I reached down and swatted it with my hand; there was just a yellow spot of goop when I brought my hand up to see what kind of bug it was. Then I heard the weirdest whiney-moany noise I have ever heard. I looked up and around and behind me, but I did not see anything. Then I looked down on the ground. I found myself surrounded by very little beings; some were laying down, I guess they must have fainted after seeing one of their own squashed by my big hand. I knew they were not bugs then because they were all staring at me, and because they were not all crawling over me, or biting me, or injecting their eggs under my skin to incubate there and hatch later.
These are very teeny-tiny beings, indeed; when I compare them to myself, the tallest is only as big as my thumb. Each tiny being has a great head in comparision to the rest of its body. In fact, the head takes up as much space as the body. The two remarkable features of the head are the size of the head compared to the little body, and its almost perfect roundness; it is like a melon on a sliver!
Each being's head has a mouth, but other than that, there is only one other facial feature: their globe-heads are devided into an upper and lower hemisphere by dark line at the equator. I perceived this dark line to be (all in one) the eyes, ears and nose of these beings, since they employed them much in their observation of myself and, with their mouths also, in communication with each other.
I was very hungry, as I had traveled on my chunk of land for forty days and forty nights, or something like that. My first thought was to eat a handful of the little beings, but they held up their hands to ward me off and wailed in high-pitched whiney shrieks.
The little beings understood that I was famished from the disgusting rumbling noises that my stomach made. Seemingly from thin air, they produced tiny, delicate green crystals in great abundance. In my hand they appeared as so many granules of green sugar, except not gritty; rather, these were gummy, and had a flavor that made me think green thoughts. As fast as I would pop a handful of the green stuff into my mouth, the little beings would bring me more. They also brought me a cup, though to them it would be a tub, of green liquid, which after I drank it, I perceived it to be wine made from the green gummy crystals. It had a very fine flavor, and it made me think rather mellow green thoughts.
As much as the "Big Heads" (my name for them) speak to me, I never comprehend a single word they say; but I must help them drink their wine.
One tiny being, who does most of the talking, seems to be in charge, since the others are always paying attention to him and they jump to action after he speaks. I suppose he is the father of these tiny beings. While he was speaking, he also did strange dances. He looked really stupid, waiving his arms about like that.
After a few weeks of the father trying to talk to me, some others of these "Big Heads" dressed in tight colorful clothing came to bother me. Some rode upon wheely-thing around and around inside the loop on my head! One had the nerve to bounce up and down on my lips; I should have just opened my mouth and swallowed him whole! The only thing I did not really mind was the three beings that did flips and somersaults on the three spikes that stick out of my chest; that was kind of fun!
Days and days of the same thing now: eating green gummy crystals, drinking green wine, watching the "Father Guy" (my name for him) flail about like he does and listening to his high pitched whining. Usually I just sit and smile at him, but when my cheeks get sore I imitate whatever he is doing. If he nods, I nod. If he shakes his head, I shake mine. I will not write in this diary unless something weird or exciting happens.
How long have I been here? It is very hard to keep track of time when nothing new happens.
Once again the "Father Guy" came out to bother me with his high pitched whining, although it seemed more fevered this time. He kept pointing off away from where we sat, then he stood up and stomped about, always pointing. It looked like a dance to me; as far as I knew it was a dance since I had never seen any of these little beings dance, so I stood up and danced. I tried to make the steps of my dance like the "Father Guy's," but he was not at all pleased with my imitation.
I was busy trying to perfect my dancing step when I was suddenly hit from all sides by food! I assumed that it was my part in this strange dance to try and catch as much of the food as I could in my mouth. I was doing pretty well, if I do say so myself. I suppose I have an advantage over the little beings, since my mouth is so much bigger than any of theirs; perhaps this is why I was chosen for this special part of the dance.
More of the "Big Heads" joined the crowd that was throwing the food at me, so that I finally could not keep up with the torrent of food. I do not mean to criticize, but many of the beings did not have very good aim. I was ducking and jumping, doing my best to get my face into place to catch the food, but a lot of it just splattered against my body! A lot more just landed on the ground, so that I stepped in a bunch of it as I moved around. And still more of the "Big Heads" came out to where we all were and they joined in the food throwing! I felt a little ridiculous since I could not possibly keep up the pace of the dance. And the little guys really showed no sign of letting up.
By now a big circle of the beings surrounded me, all of them whining and shrieking same chant, I suppose. I decided to step out of the circle, and figured I would get another chance to get this dance right sometime later. But even after I stepped out of the circle, they continued to throw the food at me! I did not even try to catch it; I really wanted to practice this dance and try to do better the next time. As I stepped further away to get out of their throwing range, they finally stopped.
They stopped their whining and shrieking chant too, and soon the "Big Heads" were cheering and clapping. I turned back to accept their applause. I think they appreciated that I tried so hard to catch all of the food, because as soon as I turned back, they started throwing more. I did not want to dance this food-catching dance any more! I turned my back to the "Big Heads" with big round heads and walked away as fast as I could.
Before I knew it, I was walking up to another group of tiny beings. These beings remained silent as I approached; no whining or shrieking or moaning.
These beings are just as tiny as the first beings I lived amongst, but they have different heads. Their heads seem to be the right size for their little bodies. Their faces are featureless except for a long, needle-like proboscis. These tiny beings seem to use this protuberance for all their communication and all their senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing, feeling. Some of these beings pointed their needle noses here and there over my body as I approached, but most kept them pointed at my feet.
Just before I stepped up in front of the "Needle Noses" (my name for them), they began clapping. By the time I actually stopped, they were cheering and whooping and jumping up and down. This went on for quite a while. Then they began to quiet down and the crowd began to split down the middle. I noticed one "Needle Nose" coming through the crowd to stand in front of me.
This "Needle Nose" seemed to have the respect of all the other "Needle Noses" because they all gave their attention to him as he stood in front of me; I could tell because all their needle-like noses where pointed at him instead of me. He must be their "Father Guy".
After looking me over for a while, the "Father Guy" started speaking at me. I did not understand anything that he said to me, but I smiled at him the entire time that he spoke to me. I kept smiling at them all after the "Father Guy" finished; I was trying to think of something to do! I decided to say something back to them.
"Well, it's really nice," I said, "for all of you to come out to greet me today. You know, I couldn't stand for any more of that food-throwing dance that the "Big Heads" do. You don't have a food throwing dance, do you? Do you guys understand me?"
I smiled some more after I finished and waited for something to happen. All the "Needle Noses" did was turn around and walk away! They kept looking over their shoulders as they left, but they did not seem to care if I followed or if I stayed where I was. I decided I might as well stay where I was. I sat down and waited to see what would happen. For days and days I sat there and nothing happened. At first the "Needle Noses" kept looking over their shoulders at me, but after a few days they seemed to forget I was there!
After a week or so of being ignored, I was hungry, so I followed some of the "Needle Noses" around as they went about their daily chores, and every so often they would look over their shoulders at me. Mostly, what they did all day was spit on the ground. It was a disgusting sight! They would form lines and walk through the fields and the spit on the ground, day after day. All the time, spitting! Day after day, no matter where I was, no matter what I observed them do, they were always spitting! I do not know why I did not notice it before.
Then I noticed all their food came from the fields they had been spitting in all this time! Food from spit! Now that they were harvesting, they had time to notice me. For the first time since I arrived in the "Needle Nose" land, they offered me food. How could I accept it after seeing them spit all the time to produce the food? I ran away, sickened to my stomach.
After what I am sure must be something like 100 years, I could not take living among any of these tiny beings any more; I was being starved by the "Needle Noses" and I did not want to go back to the "Big Heads" to have them throw more food at me during their crazy dance. I felt defeated and hung my head in dejection.
Now, since I was standing on a cloud of blue gas, as the gas swirled and spun I could often see through the gas or at least deep into the center of it. Something fuzzy, as if in the distance on the other side of the cloud, caught my eye. The shape grew larger and a little more defined as it came close.
All at once I clapped my hands and whooped for joy! I did not need a crystal clear view of the object to recognize it as the very chunk of land that had broken off of Ottoborg's world and brought me to this miserable place. At once I realized what was happening: the chunk of land was caught in a circular orbit and the blue gas must be going in a straight line that took it through two points in that circle. I cried out, 'For sure, I am the luckiest of all of Ottoborg's sons!'
Carefully, as it passed through the cloud of blue gas, I jumped off the springy surface of debris and onto my chunk of my father's world. I have not been on the chunk of land for about three minutes, long enough to make this latest entry into my journal. Gee, it's great to be back 'home' again! I hope I never..."
Here the excerpt of the diary ends abruptly. It is said that the chunk of land that Aloh Al was on suddenly smashed into a dirt clod that collided with it head-on. Both the chunk and the clod were traveling at great speeds upon impact. Nothing was ever seen of Aloh Al again.
Creeker's chunk of land was the biggest and it was full of lakes. There was actually more land covered by water than not. Creeker survived many centuries on the chunk - long enough to learn how to create and build giant replicas of spoons and butter-knives, enormous buckets filled with oversized sesame seeds, and huge loaves of bread, among other things.
Creeker used the soil of the dry land on his chunk as the material for his sculptures. Whenever he would get tired of looking at one of his colossal sculptures, he would just throw it into a lake. Each of the colossal sculptures displaced enormous amounts of water, covering up a little more try land each time one was thrown into a lake.
When he was not sculpting, Creeker would be out scrutinizing one of his previous sculptures. He was very critical of his work. He always concluded that the sculpture did not communicate the concept that was the impetus behind the work; or he saw a hair or a bug sticking out of the clay. In any case, he was always frustrated.
None of his works seemed to express his vision just the right way. He could not quite put his finger on the problem, but his general feeling was that it had to do with the size of the sculpture.
"If only it was a little bit bigger...", he would often say to himself. Then he would heave the thing into the nearest lake.
His mind was focused intently on making each new sculpture larger than the previous one, whether it be a giant replica of a Red Pod bulb of a mostly empty jar that had been sitting in the back of a valley for eight weeks. Eventually, he spent very little time examining his finished works, but with an exclamation of disgust he would throw the work into the nearest lake (which, after a while, seemed to be conveniently closer and closer) just as soon as it was done and immediately start on the next one. The replicas were by this time so large that he had to climb them to work on the upper parts.
The largest sculpture Creeker ever completed was of a baby's arm holding an apple. It was such a titanic work that he had to use spikes and ropes to get up it. When he finished, he had to rapple down the back of the arm. He backed up to get a good look at it, but could not back up very far since he was on a beach.
Again, his disgust and frustration overcame him as he said, "No, no, no. That's not it at all!" Then Creeker rushed at the base of the sculpture to push it into the water. He barely budged it, but it was top heavy since the apple at the top was enormous, so that his push was enough motion to cause the sculpture to fall over. Creeker turned to start on a new sculpture, (he had in mind a great pair of tongs digging into a bucket of sand) and he never saw the tidal wave that fell upon him.
Hondo's chunk of land ended up on the back of a giant animal that lived in a desert on an undocumented planet. Hondo seemed to like the animal enough, and he was so small that the animal did not detect his existence. There was not much that Hondo could tell about what the animal looked like. It was a colossal beast compared to Hondo.
He took many survey journeys that went on for days and days across the top of the beast to see if it looked different from other locations. As he walked, he noticed the color of the ground changed; presently he would be passing over an area that was brown, then fifteen feet or so further he would pass over an area that was yellow. The surface he walked on was hard and mostly smooth, but it was terraced into short, flat little hills all over. When he came to the edge, he was looking around and he almost fell off. He got down on his stomach to look over the edge. There was nothing between him and the ground which was very far away; if he had jumped, the fall would have broken every bone in his body.
He was on the lip of an overhang, and he reached under it to see if he could feel how far back it went, but the overhang went straight back and kept going. Then he carefully lowered his head over to look and see how far back this overhang went. He could not see it though, there was so much dark shadow he could only see about as far as his hand reached.
Hondo got up and decided to walk directly away from the edge. He grew very tired almost immediately as the surface began ascending right away. It took a day to reach the summit, so he slept there. In the morning Hondo was able to see very far from the top of the animal. The sky was all blue, and the land was all beige. He saw that the highest hilly part of this animal sloped down in all directions around from where he stood.
Ed's chunk just spun in place, forever.
Quater made Homen and gave him two crowns and let him decide what to do with the extra one. Homen had a son named Pinto Bunyan to whom he immediately gave his second crown. Pinto Bunyan helped Homen with all that he did.
Homen made a bunch of beings called Ynts. The Ynts were blue and looked like little bugs. The Blue Ynts spent their first day of existence fashioning small spears. Soon the Ynts had broken up into small communities. Each community had a specific task to accomplish which helped all of the other Ynt communities. Blue Ynt South was in charge of growing food. Blue Ynt North built housing for other communities, and so on and so forth.
All was peaceful and working efficiently, so Pinto Bunyan made some Ynts of his own - only his were white.
Now it came about, when the White Ynts began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of the Blue Ynts saw that the daughters of the White Ynts were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. The Hutza Mutza were in the world in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of Blue Ynts came into the daughters of White Ynts, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty Ynts who were of old, Ynts of renown. The White Ynts instantly mingled with the Blue Ynts but they refused to acknowledge the community system of the Blue Ynts. The White Ynts enjoyed the fruits of all the Blue Ynts' hard work, but did not help them work at all. It only took one White Ynt to throw an egg at a Blue Ynt one morning to cause a dreadful feud.
So Hemhemhema, of the Blue Ynts, rose with all the Blue Ynts of war to go up to White Ynt East; and Hemhemhema chose 30,000 Blue Ynts, valiant warriors, and sent them out at night. And he commanded them, saying, "See, you are going to ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. Then I and all the Blue Ynts who are with me will approach the city. And it will come about when they come out to meet us as at the first, that we will flee before them. And they will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, 'They are fleeing before us as at the first.' So we will flee before them. And you shall rise from your ambush and take possession of the city. Then it will be when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. See I have commanded you." Most of those Ynts of war in attendance could not understand Hemhemhema for the language he used was flowery and outdated. Still, few in attendance there from among all of those in attendance did harken and understand. Even did they reckon the sayings of Hemhemhema. And straight-away did they clue-in their buddies who were just lollygagging about, scratching their heads. At once all who heard this explanation did understand Hemhemhema's plan, so Hemhemhema sent them away, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between White Ynt West and White Ynt East, and the west side of White Ynt East; but Hemhemhema spent that night at the Wagon Leisure Inn.
Now Hemhemhema rose early in the morning and mustered the Blue Ynts, and he went up with the elders of Blue Ynt before the Blue Ynts to White Ynt East. Then all the Blue Ynts of war who were with him went up and drew near and arrived in front of the city, and camped on the north side of White Ynt East. Now there was a valley between him and White Ynt East. And he took about 5,000 Blue Ynts and set them in ambush between White Ynt West and White Ynt East, on the west side of the city. So they stationed the Blue Ynts, all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city, and Hemhemhema spent that night in Sid's "Garden Spot" Lodge. And it came about when the king of White Ynt East saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet the Blue Ynts in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. And Hemhemhema and all the Blue Ynts pretended to be beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. And all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Hemhemhema, and were drawn away from the city. So not an Ynt was left in White Ynt East or White Ynt West who had not gone out after Blue Ynts and they left the city unguarded and pursued Blue Ynts.
Then Homen said to Hemhemhema, "Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward White Ynt East, for I will give it into your hand." So Hemhemhema stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city. And the men in ambush rose quickly from their place, and when he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it; and they quickly set the city on fire. When the men of White Ynt East turned back and looked, behold, the smoke of the city ascended to the sky, and they had no place to flee this way or that, for the people who had been fleeing to the wilderness turned against the persuers. When Hemhemhema and all Blue Ynts saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and slew the men of White Ynt East. And the others came out from their city to encounter them, so that they were trapped in the midst of Blue Ynts, some on this side and some on that side; and they slew them until no one was left of those who survived or escaped. But they took alive the king of White Ynt East and brought him to Hemhemhema.
Now it came about when the Blue Ynts had finished killing all the inhabitants of White Ynt East in the field in the wilderness where they persued them, and all of them were fallen by the spear until they were destroyed, then all the Blue Ynts returned to White Ynt East and struck it with the spear. And all who fell that day, both male and female, were 12,000 (all the people of White Ynt East). For Hemhemhema did not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the spear until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of White Ynt East. So Hemhemhema burned White Ynt East and made it a heap forever, a desolation until this day. And he hanged the king of White Ynt East on a tree until evening and at sunset. Hemhemhema gave a command and they took his body down from the tree, and threw it at the entrance of the city gate and raised over it a great heap of stones that stands to this day.
So Itchigoplasty and all the White Ynts who were with him arose by night and lay in wait against Blue Ynt South in four companies. Now Pimento Loofa the son of Texadrill went out and stood in the entrance of the city gate, and said, "Who is Itchigoplasty that we should serve him?"; and Itchigoplasty and the White Ynts who were with him arose from the ambush. And when Pimento Loofa, of the Blue Ynts, saw the White Ynts, he said to Factotron, "Look, Ynts are coming down from the tops of the mountains." But Factotron said to him, "You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were Ynts." And Pimento Loofa spoke again and said, "Behold, Ynts are coming down from the highest part of the land, and one company comes by the way of the Diviners' Sandwich." Then Factotron said to him, "Where is your boasting now with which you said, 'Who is Itchigoplasty that we should serve him?' Are these not the White Ynts whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them!" So Pimento Loofa went out before the leaders of Blue Ynt South and fought with Itchigoplasty. And Itchigoplasty chased him and he fled before him; and many fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. Then Itchigoplasty remained at Blue Ynt West, but Factotron drove out Pimento Loofa and his relatives so that they could not remain in Blue Ynt South.
Now it came about the next day, that Blue Ynts went out to the field, and it was told to Itchigoplasty. So he took his White Ynts and devided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field; when he looked and saw the Ynts coming out from the city, he arose against them and slew them. Then Itchigoplasty and the company who was with him dashed forward and stood in the entrance of the city gate; the other two companies then dashed against all who were in the field and slew them. And Itchigoplasty fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the Blue Ynts who were in it; then he razed the city and sowed it with salt.
When all the leaders of the tower of Blue Ynt South heard of it, they entered the inner chamber of the temple of Holmarrk (or "The Door"). And it was told to Itchigoplasty that all the leaders of the tower of Blue Ynt South were gathered together. So Itchigoplasty went up to Mount Chlorescent; he and all the Ynts who were with him, and Itchigoplasty took an ax in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees, and lifted it and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to the Ynts who were with him, "What you have seen me do, hurry and do likewise." And all the Ynts also cut down each one his branch and followed Itchigoplasty, and put them on the inner chamber and set the inner chamber on fire over those inside, so that all the men of the tower of Blue Ynt South also died, about a thousand men and women.
Then Itchigoplasty went to Blue Ynt Southwest and he camped against Blue Ynt Southwest and captured it. But there was a strong tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the leaders of the city fled there and shut themselves in, and they went up on the roof of the tower. So Itchigoplasty came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. But a certain female Ynt threw a 16 ton weight on Itchigoplasty's head, crushing his skull. Then he called quickly to a young Ynt, his armor bearer, and said to him, "Draw your spear and kill me, lest it be said of me, 'A female Ynt slew him!' So the young Ynt pierced him through and he died. And when the White Ynts saw that Itchigoplasty was dead, each departed to his home.
When the Blue Ynts and the White Ynts started to fight, so did Pinto Bunyan and Homen.
Quater stepped-in, and took Pinto Bunyan's crown away and gave it to a new being he made called Arven.
Quater wanted to see what would happen if he made a creative being with a big heart. Quater named him Hoborg, meaning "big heart".
Hoborg was given a crown and he set-out into a void of clouds as Quater watched him from a distance.
Hoborg liked the idea of making a place for some beings of his own. He knew that the clouds that swirled around him would make a perfect sky, so he just needed to make some land. One thing that concerned Hoborg was that perhaps some of his beings would came out bad. He wanted to make beings which he could enjoy forever, but he did not want to force them to love and respect him. He decided that he would make his beings with the ability to choose right and wrong. Working everything out in his head, he figured he could make one child at a time and see if he turned out good before he started on the next. Hoborg made a tiny scale model of his world in Klay (or clay) to see if it looked the way he had imagined it. He spent about twenty years designing the shapes and colors of this place which he would call The Overhood. He needed some Klay to make his world and the only place where Klay could be found that was of the purity and quality Hoborg wanted, would take four hundred years to reach. He was so anxious to get started that he asked for help from Quater.
"Quater, thank you for making me with such a fine crown... everything in life is just wonderful but I was wondering..." Hoborg got down on one knee. "Can you help get me to the Klay of Highest Quality?"
Quater laughed, "That would take even me a long time to reach! What's wrong with the clay that I have already given you?"
Hoborg answered, "I like the clay you gave me for planning things, but I was hoping for the best ingredients for my beings. You see, I want them to last forever and clay only lasts for a few thousand years."
Quater was impressed, "Here is a scope that will help you see as far as you need to. You will be able to pick the shortest path to the Klay which should save you quite a few years of travel."
Hoborg received the scope, "Oh, thank you Quater! You are very generous."
Hoborg started on his journey that same day. Looking through the scope he could clearly see the Mountain of Klay he needed to build the Overhood.
Every day was the same, Hoborg awoke before sunrise so that he could travel far without heat. But before he set off to travel each morning, he thought lofty respectful thoughts about Quater. Hoborg, in his ever-so-deep voice, would sing songs to the ground about how good it was to have been made. After a morning's journey, Hoborg would cover himself up in soil and rest. He resumed his mission in the afternoon and walked toward the great Mountain of Klay until late in the evening.
After 20 years of travel, Hoborg grew very lonely. Soon he could not stand to go on. He found a chunk of land upon which he could stop and rest. It had one spindly vine growing on it, and Hoborg lay down beside it to enjoy the shade it provided so he might be delivered from his discomfort. And Hoborg was extremely happy about the plant. But at dawn the next day a worm came and attacked the plant and it withered. And it came about when the sun came up, that a scorching east wind and the white light of the sun beat down on Hoborg's head so that he became faint and begged to die, saying, "Death is better to me than life."
Hoborg could not get himself to do anything, he just lay there. Hoborg began to scrape, absent-mindedly, at the dirt where his hand lay. Then he said, "Scraping is better to me than death." It was a fine, dry dirt that was packed down and baked hard by the white sun. His fingers bent, lifted and stretched; bent, lifted and stretched; bent, lifted and stretched, scratching relentlessly. His fingers scraped through the layers of fine dust and grit day after day. Just a few grains of dust and grit required weeks of scraping before it broke loose from the ground, the ground was that hard and compacted. More and more dirt added to the pile under his palm each month. During the years that passed, the only sound he heard were the scraping of his hand on the dirt and his breathing. After a pile big enough to pick up formed under his hand, he grabbed it, spat on it and squeezed it and squeezed it and squeezed it until his hand turned white and his knuckles made popping noises. Hoborg sat up and looked at what lay in his palm as he opened his fist. He saw that he had formed a clod of dirt.
Now the worm that had attacked the spindly vine and caused it to wither popped his head out of the ground and admired the clod, saying, "My, what a nice clod of dirt you've got there!" Looking Hoborg up and down, it asked, "Did you make that all by yourself?"
"Yes, I did." said Hoborg.
"If I were you," said the worm, "I'd stay right here and make more dirt clods. You could fashion them into beings and populate this chunk of land with them. After all, did you really see a pile of Klay through the scope Quater gave you? Or did you just want to see it because Quater said you would be able to see it?"
Hoborg answered, "Actually, Quater said the scope would enable me to see the shortest path to the Klay, and because of that, I should save quite a few years of travel. But I've been traveling for so long..."
And the worm said to Hoborg, "You haven't saved any time in your journey. You haven't ever seen Klay, have you? I wonder if Quater has ever seen Klay?" When Hoborg thought of it that way, he also began to wonder. Was there even such a thing as Klay? He had only heard about it; he'd never seen any. Then a thought occurred to Hoborg. Sure, it had taken many years to collect enough dirt to make this one clod, but he had plenty of time, and he knew there was plenty of dirt right here; he did not have to keep searching for Klay. Or he could continue his journey, not even knowing when or if he would reach his goal. He considered making more dirt clods and creating clod-beings right there to populate the chunk of land he had stopped on to rest. Sure, it would take a lot of spit, but Hoborg figured he would find a way to work-up enough. And now that he had a purpose for scraping he could use both hands and save time. First he would finish creating a being from the dirt clod he already had made.
Hoborg knelt beside the thing he had put together. The hideous outrage of dirt stretched out, and then, as he worked the clod with his hands, it began to show signs of life, and stirred with an uneasy, half-vital motion. Frightful it must have been; for supremely frightful was the effect of his endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of his own creator, Quater. His success terrified Hoborg; he cast away his odious handiwork, horror-stricken, as far and with as much velocity as he could throw it. He hoped that, left to itself, out wherever it might land, the slight spark of life which had received such imperfect animation, would subside into dead matter. Hoborg went to sleep in the belief that the silence of the grave would quench forever the transient existence of the hideous clod which he had looked upon as the cradle of life. He slept; but in a dream he was awakened; he opened his eyes; beheld the horrid thing standing at his side under the spindly vine (in Hoborg's dream it grew back), and it looked on him with yellow, spit oozing, but speculative eyes.
Hoborg awoke (for real), and was horror-stricken because he saw something far away, and it was growing less and less far away with every minute. At first he thought it was the clod-creature coming back to get him, but as it got closer, he could see that it was much bigger than a dirt clod. A short while passed before Hoborg could make out the shape. It was a piece of land with a little red-roofed house on it. There was a big robot and a little being on it. Hoborg realized that these folks would pass him if he did not act quickly so he took off his belt from around his waist and made a lasso. He figured that it still was not long enough to reach this passing land mass, so in act of desperation he gouged a chunk of his chest out and rolled it into a great snake that extended the end of his belt. This contraption was long enough to lasso the land, which halted when the cord went taut. The big robot pointed to Hoborg's chest and said, "Meeee Bil. Meeee Bil."
Hoborg waved and answered, "Meeee Hoborg. I am Hoborg."
The smaller being (slightly smaller than Hoborg, but one fiftieth the size of Bil) pointed to Hoborg's chest and said, "Me think hims pointing your torso, big ouch!"
Hoborg had not realized that his guts were oozing out of the large fissure he had created in his chest. "Good Quater! What am I going to do?"
The small being took off his own belt and instructed Bil to carry him down to where Hoborg was. The being jumped into Bil's hand and he walked over to where Hoborg sat, about to pass-out. "Me Willie," the stranger said as he tied his belt over Hoborg's chest, clamping the severed sections together, and closing up the self-inflicted injury.
Hoborg placed his hand on Willie's shoulder, "Hello, Willie, I am Hoborg and you just saved my life!"
Willie did not seem to acknowledge this statement. Hoborg figured Willie was not altogether sane, but he was grateful just the same.
After a few days of rest, Hoborg decided it was best to continue on his journey. Hoborg asked Bil and Willie if they wanted to join him. Bil just said, "Meeeeeee Bil. Meeeee Bil," and Willie mumbled a bunch of gibberish to himself.
Hoborg liked their company, but he figured that they did not want to come along so he tearfully said good-bye. Hoborg was surprised to find that when he walked, Bil and Willie followed him. Hoborg did not question them, he just grew happy inside and continued toward the Klay.
Big Robot Bil (Hoborg found out his full name because it was engraved on the back of his foot) proved most useful for carrying Willie and Hoborg and the little red-roofed house over canyons too steep to climb. Hoborg noticed, while being carried by Big Robot Bil, that Bil's chest had a switch inside it marked "good" at the present setting and "bad" on the other setting. Hoborg dared not find out what the "bad" setting did, but he thought it must be a poorly thought-out attempt at dealing with the same problems he had when he was planning the making of beings that were capable of doing right and wrong.
Within a few more years the three made it to the Klay. It was a mountain of the purest Klay in the known universe and Hoborg found it to be of higher quality than he or even Quater imagined it would be. He filled his crown up with a few good sized hunks of Klay; Bil and Willie carried a few hunks to help. All together, Hoborg figured there was enough to make his Overhood and about two thousand beings.
On the way back to where Hoborg had started his journey, a Tickberger came upon the trio. A Tickberger is something all icky and sticky that Quater always said to run away from. Hoborg yelled for Bil to grab Willie and himself and make a run for it. A Tickberger is made to want what other beings have. He could tell that they had a bunch of Klay so he licked his lips, exposed his fangs and said, "Klaaaaaay!" As fast as Bil could run, it was not fast enough to outrun the nimble Tickberger. The ID panel on the back of Bil's foot was removed with one swipe of Tickberger's razor sharp claw. Hoborg saw that Bil was slowing down and that they would soon perish if they did not do something quick. Hoborg threw all of the spare Klay over to the ground below. He figured the amount remaining would still be enough to make a medium sized world and about five hundred beings. The problem was that as soon as Hoborg dumped the Klay, Tickberger gobbled it up, and it was still closing in on Bil. Hoborg nervously threw some more Klay out and this time Tickberger ate it but slowed down considerably. This was not good enough, since Bil also was slowing down considerably from the exhausting pace. He simply could not carry on much longer.
Hoborg decided that he would have to be happy with about twenty beings in a small neighborhood as a world. With that, he dumped most of his Klay over with just a bit left for his greatly reduced plans. It worked this time since Tickberger stopped completely and could not follow them since he was stuffed with so much Klay.
Bil continued under Hoborg's guidance, holding the little red-roofed house on his shoulder where Willie and Hoborg could ride and room together. After many years' journey, Hoborg returned and was ready to build "The Everhood," a neighborhood that would last forever...
... so long as nothing went wrong
Arven is a sleek and fast being who created thousands of beings from the first moment he was given a crown. Besides his crown, there is an aerodynamic fin off the back of his head because he is so fast.
His style of creating is fast: get in, create, get out. He does not keep account of the worlds he creates nor the beings he creates to inhabit them. Quater made Arven quiet, serious, lean and efficient. Arven has spoken only once to some of the beings he has created.
Quater wanted to make a being who would fill up the rest of creation with more worlds and planets and beings. Arven does not even take the time to create beings who will be creators themselves. Arven now has seven worlds that his beings inhabit:
NORDO is a world consisting of a group of seven planets, each with a civilization of its own. The inhabitants of each planet have a distinct mythology with the common element of the seven planets fighting amongst each other. But they never do in reality. This makes the various races of the seven planets fear each other intensely, though there is no real need to do so.
The seven planets are:
Idsnak - inhabited by the Skullmonkeys. Skullmonkeys look like monkeys with skulls for heads. Skullmonkeys spend the whole day chasing each other in a nervous, hyperactive way. While Skullmonkeys would love to scare the young of other civilizations, they can not, for other worlds are not accessible to them. For this reason, transportation research is a primary concern of the smarter Skullmonkeys. Alpha Jaw, the leader of the Kingdom of the Skullmonkeys, hoped to have a spaceship of some kind built to fly to planets full of youth to scare.
One day while Alpha Jaw busied himself with detailed plans of a great ramp to launch a great rocket, his assistant Hairy Jo climbed down the great fort and decided to rest at the watering hole. Hairy Jo drank deeply from the pure waters and looked at himself in the still reflection. He poked his finger in his ovicular foramen and wondered what it would be like to have flesh on his head.
"I am very ugly." thought Hairy Jo.
This was an odd thought since most Skullmonkeys have no concern for appearances.
"For this reason I will cast myself into the water, and live no more." he said, then jumped.
His body made a loud splash and he felt the cool water touch every part of his body. His hair grew deeply saturated with water until all of the air bubbles wriggled their way up to the surface. Hairy Jo exhaled and sank even deeper, far deeper perhaps, than any other Skullmonkey had ever gone before. Weightless, he refused to move or struggle. Dark waters surrounded him and he thought about his youth. Hairy Jo remembered a particularly unpleasant day many years before when he was just a lad-Skullmonkey receiving his lesson from an elder named Low Jaw.
"Many are the hairs on our backs," said Low Jaw, "and likewise are the number of Skullmonkeys in this world."
Hairy Jo looked up to Low Jaw as a father figure. For weeks, Hairy Jo followed every move Low Jaw made. If Low Jaw went into the forest to forage for nuts and grubs so went Hairy Jo. If Low Jaw tended to his garden, so did Hairy Jo.
One especially warm and beautiful day Hairy Jo was on his way to Low Jaw's cave when he saw a great crowd gathered around the entrance. Many Skullmonkeys were howling to show their mournful state. Low Jaw's wife was the gloomiest of all... she was like a brittle fall leaf blown into a corner. Hairy Jo pushed his way to the front of the crowd demanding to see his mentor. Low Jaw gently swung by his neck, hung from a braided piece of cloth his two children had made. His children were the first to find him in this state. The peculiar thing that Hairy Jo recalled, was that he had shaved himself completely naked.
Arnod - inhabited by the Rrs. Rrs observe other planets and civilizations hoping one day to apply all that they have learned to their own civilization. This is not likely, however, since they find comfort in research and are terrified of application. Rrs are extremely advanced in the arts of the mind which they use to read other beings' minds. Every other generation in the Rrs' lifeline produces an Omega Rr. Omega Rrs have such superior mind control that they can use their minds to form physical doorways between worlds. This has been outlawed by Arven, and only because Quater brought this to his attension. But the Omega Rrs were not stopped until after they had moved a few Ynts, Skullmonkeys and even Rrs to other planets.
Ba'ak - inhabited by Half-Skullmonkeys, who are half Blue Ynt. Called "Blue-Ynt-Skullmonkeys" these beings look just like White Ynts since the mating of a Skullmonkey with a Blue Ynt causes a loss of pigmentation in the offspring resulting in a Blue Ynt that appears to be white. There is no other visual effect on the offspring from the Skullmonkeys, though their behavior is more like that of a Skullmonkey than the community-building Blue Ynts.
Guhrli - inhabited by Proto-Skullmonkeys. These pitiful beings have to bury themselves up to their necks every night in the rich Guhrli soil to keep from dying of dehydration. They can only eat HoBread, which can only be made by grinding up the largest Wx and adding them to HoBatter before it rises. (Arven corrected all of these limitations in the final design of Skullmonkeys.) Guhrli has a monthly orbit that floats so close to Wx that the Proto-Skullmonkeys can harvest the plumpest ´Wx for their HoBread. Due to the Proto-Skullmonkeys' tie to the soil of Guhrli every evening, colonizing Wx with Proto-Skullmonkeys is not possible.
Wx - inhabited by Wx. Wx are fat, furry and yellowish in color. Wx reproduce asexually and often, which would create an overcrowding problem if they were not harvested each month by the Proto-Skullmonkeys.
Hapsborg - inhabited by one Rr and one Skullmonkey who became best friends. The Rr's name is Rrheostan and the Skullmonkey's name is Mazzimoast. Their first year on Hapsiborg was one of confused emotions. Because of the myth of the seven planets fighting amongst each other, Mazzimoast and Rrheostan feared each other, but they were lonely and longed for companionship also. Rrheostan, behaving in perfect Rr fashion, wanted to study Mazzimoast and all of his habits. He spent a lot of time following the Skullmonkey's tracks to see where he went, examining his feces to see what he ate, and climbing up trees to see where he lived. They found that helping each other was their only chance at happiness and survival. While they were extremely productive during the first hundred years of friendship, they now just sit in front of their houses swapping grossly exaggered stories of their first year together.
Yanko - inhabited by the followers of Mai Kea. Mai Kea was said to live on Hapsborg, though in reality he did not exist at all by any known records. Yankites (beings of Yanko) find pleasure in making intricate art works for Mai Kea. Perhaps the greatest works of art known to Quater are made in Yanko. It is for this reason that no one has the heart to tell the Yankites that Mai Kea does not exist.
The other six worlds that Arven made:
PLASMO is an enormous cloud of beings, each too small to be seen by the naked eye. Rrs have projected their minds there.
ALFATIC - is the world of the R'Goss. Each successive generation is born bigger than the previous. As the R'Goss of each generation get into their senior years, you hear tham making statements like, "These punks think they're so big!" or, "When I was your age, we had to stand on a chair to get the fondue pot down from the top kitchen cabinet."
The houses of their ancestors are not usable for the newer generations; they just can not fit through the front doors.
ALPA FAMALPA is a world where the adults are ruled by their children. The children send the parents on time-consuming, frivolous tasks that keep the parents from doing anything but what the children desire. One might think that a society like this would collapse in anarchy. But to satisfy each whim of their children, the Alparense (or parents) constantly develop new technologies. For instance, when a child, looking up at the evening sky, said, "I want to see what that white dot is, up there!" and threw a fit, his Alparense worked night and day till they invented a telescope. When other children saw it they all wanted one, so a telescope factory was built. In similar ways, advances are made throughout Alpa Femalpa.
Alpa Femalpa families have from one to three children, rarely more. One child, being childish, may say, "Yes!" when she is asked if she wants a baby brother or sister. She does not have the ability to realize that she will have to share command of the Alparense with her sibling, since the Alparense must be obedient to all their children. That child will not be fooled again if she is asked a second time after the birth of her sibling. Later, when the new baby is old enough to answer, the Alparense may be able to ask him while the older sister is not around (and if she has not already warned the boy of the danger of a third sibling) if he wants a baby brother. If a third child is born into the family, the older two will rarely ever let the Alparense out of their sight; this prevents the Alparense from getting the chance to ask the youngest if he or she wants a baby sister or brother.
As a favor to Homen, Arven made the world FLIMBY for the White Ynts. Most of the White Ynts were taken by Arven so the Blue Ynts could live in peace once again. The White Ynts depended on the hard-working, resourceful Blue Ynts for survival, since the White Ynts are shiftless, no-good bums. To survive being in a world with no Blue Ynts, the smarter White Ynts (called "Rogling") conned the not-so-smart White Ynts (called "Habling") into "converting" into Blue Ynts. Here are some tales of the Rogling conning the Habling into being Blue Ynts:
One night, Papto, tired of wandering in the woods of Flimby, saw the light from a window of a treecutter's cottage. Papto did not have his own cottage because he was too lazy to build one. He thought to go to the cottage to see if the Ynts inside would let him stay, so he went to the door and knocked.
The treecutter's wife opened the door and said, "Shoo! I don't let anyone in while my husband is not in the house" Go away, already!" And she slammed the door in his face.
Papto was hungry, too, and he had smelled the dinner cooking in the cottage while the door was open. He looked around for something to eat and saw a discarded Gflutoburger box on the roof of the cottage. He hoped there might be a Gflutoburger still in the box, but if not, even licking the Gflutoburger sauce from the bottom of the box would be delicious. After quietly making his way onto the roof, Papto found a hole in it through which he could spy on the wife of the treecutter. Obviously the treecutter was too lazy to fix the hole. When he peaked through the hole, Papto saw a beautiful table set out with a savory junk roast, klootifish, and wine. The treecutter's wife and the county tree censor were seated at the table ready to dine.
Now Papto heard the treecutter lumbering home just then, and so did Mrs. treecutter. The treecutter was as nice a guy as you would want to meet, but his one quirk was that the mere sight of a county tree censor put him into a fit of rage. And that was why the censor was paying a neighborly visit to the wife, because he knew that the treecutter was out; and the good woman would therefore fix up the best vittles she had. As Papto watched through the hole, she threw everything on the table into cupboards and drawers and hid the censor in a trunk she used as a coffee table.
"What are you doing on my roof?" the treecutter asked Papto. "You'd better come in and eat dinner with me and stay in the spare room."
Papto brought the Gflutoburger box in with him, but kept it out of sight. The wife acted very glad to see them both and set the table and gave them each a big bowl of Toriweet (a gray, tasteless paste). Papto's mouth watered thinking about the junk roast, klootifish, and the other delicacies he had seen. He brought his Gflutoburger box up to his ear and opened and closed it a few times.
"What have you got there?" asked the treecutter.
"Oh, that's my Gflutospirit-guide," answered Papto. "He says don't eat this Toriweet, eat the junk roast, klootifish and other things he had a Gflutospirit hide in the cupboards just now." "Super!" exclaimed the treecutter, who jumped up and found all the wonderful food which his wife had hidden there, but which he thought the Gflutospirit had brought forth. The wife of the treecutter dared not say a word, but put all the food on the table. Now Papto put his box up to his ear again and opened and closed it.
"What's he say now?" asked the treecutter.
"He says don't forget the wine behind you in that drawer."
So Papto and the treecutter enjoyed the wine also. The treecutter wanted to see the Gflutospirit this guide used to provide these wonderful things.
"Can the guide conjure the Gflutospirit here for us to see?" asked the treecutter. "I wouldn't be troubled about looking at him; now that we finished off that wine I'm kind of loopy!"
"But of course!" said Papto. "This guide does whatever I tell it to do, don't you?" Here he nodded at the Gflutoburger box in his hand. "He says 'Yes.' But the Gflutospirit is very ugly; we might puke if we were to look upon it so soon after eating."
"So who's afraid of a little barf? What will he look like?"
"Well, you see, he'll look just like a county tree censor."
"Gah! That is ugly! I must tell you, I go into fits of rage when I see a county tree censor; but I'll be okay knowing that it's really a Gflutospirit."
So Papto opened the box and whispered into it, then he put it up to his ear.
"Very well." said Papto. "He's in the trunk you use as a coffee table. We may go look at it now, but don't let it out of the trunk!"
"Help me hold the lid." said the lumberjack. And they all went over to the trunk where the wife had hidden the county tree censor. They opened the lid and peeked in; then the treecutter slammed the lid closed.
"Wow! He is ugly! Yuck!"
After that, they agreed they needed another drink. They opened another drawer and found another bottle of wine.
Much later, the treecutter said, "You must sell me the Gflutospirit-guide in the box. Ask as much as you want. I'll pay anything."
"No, I could never do that," said Papto, "just imagine what I can use him for!"
"Oh, I do so want that Gflutospirit-guide so much! Oh, please, please, please, please, please, oh please, pleeese, oh please, please, please, please, oh oh, please, oh please, please, please, please, please, puh-leeease, please, oh please, please, oh please, please!" cried the treecutter; and he kept on begging.
"Well," said Papto, at last, "if you promise that you and your wife will pretend to be Blue Ynts for the next three years for me, then I will give you this Gflutoburger box."
"It's a deal!" said the treecutter. "But you must take that trunk with that Gflutospirit that looks like a county tree censor away with you; it gives me the creeps!"
When Papto left in the morning, he took the trunk. On his way, on the other side of the woods, was a very deep river. The water rushed by under the bridge he was crossing and the river thundered in the quiet of the forest.
"Whew!" said Papto. "I'm tired! This trunk feels like it's full of my brother's weights. I think I may as well throw it in the river, and if it floats home to me, great; if not, no big deal."
Then he lifted one end of the trunk, just a little. "No!" cried the censor from within the trunk, "let me out first!"
"Aaaaaah!" screamed Papto, pretending to be frightened, "The Gflutospirit is still in there! I'd better throw him in fast, so he'll drown!"
"No, no, no!" exclaimed the censor. "I'll be a Blue Ynt for you for three years if you let me out."
"I could do that!" said Papto. And for the next three years he did not lift a finger.
Not much is known about ELBEETO, except that it is a twin of Flimby, and that it lies on the far side of a huge gulf of yellow plasma. Space currents momentarily blow the yellow plasma away, revealing Elbeeto to the patient observer.
SUMP is a world consisting of a group of hollow planets that exist within each other. Including: Outer Junn - inhabited by Wx, about a million times as many as Wx itself. Because there are no Proto-Skullmonkeys to harvest them every month, about one half of the population is crushed to death by their collective weight.
Mezzo Abbernun - inhabited by Abbers. Abbers suspect that there is a world above their Outer Junn Floor Sky, because of the occasional Wx carcass oozing through a crack or hole, but this is an unproved theory to them. Some Abbers have drilled their way through the Mezzo Abbernun to find Inner Abbernun. These travelers, however, never returned to the surface to tell what they found. This has prevented most Abbers from attempting the journey but a few hundred have.
Abbers fall into three castes. The first is the intellectual, inquisitive caste called the Frankites. The second is the warring Abbers called the Dazzites. The third is the religious caste called the Ee's. The Frankites spend their time in pursuit of knowledge about the other worlds of Sump: Outer Junn and Inner Abbernun. The Frankites are not respected by either the Dazzites or the Ee's. The Ee's accuse the Frankites of messing with their religious mythologies. The Dazzites think the Frankites are a bunch of sissies. The Frankites developed the theory of a world above their Outer Junn Floor Sky because of the occasional Wx carcass oozing down through a crack or hole. The Abbers have no way of reaching the Floor Sky, but a drop or two of the disgusting, rotting flesh of the Wx's from Outer Junn sometimes trickles down. The Frankites have developed a science out of the study of stuff that falls from the sky. They have formed theories of what the world above must be like. Theories of a world within theirs are called the "Crankules Inner Abbernun Conjecture" after the Frankite named Crankules who is said to be the first Abber to say, "I wonder if there's a world within our world?" The Frankites have lead expeditions into caves, crevices and holes in the ground. Most expeditions run into dead-ends; the ones that do not have never come back to report what they found. The Ee's say this just confirms what they have known all along, that Inner Abbernun houses a Door to the Other Side. Although a few Frankites say there are no doors, most agree that there may be something like a door somewhere in the universe. The Dazzites consider the Frankites research into doors their only useful function in society.
The Ee's spend their time in pursuit of the knowledge of mythologies. Some Ee's follow Father; some Ee's follow Quater; some Ee's follow Arven. Some follow Father and Quater; some follow Quater and Arven; some follow Father and Arven. Some Ee's follow all three together: Father, Quater and Arven.
Most Dazzites want nothing to do with a Door to the Other Side. They would be very interested, though, if someone found a door to another world that they could conquer.
Abberwabbee is the notable high priest of the Ee's. Kapangdazz, chief warrior of the Dazzites is plotting to assassinate him due to Abberwabbee's doctrine of peace which threatens the Dazzite warrior lifestyle.
Inner Abbernun - which is said to house a door to the other side. All of the Abber cultures have a mythology regarding the door and a special name that identifies that mythology. Here are some of the more popular mythologies:
Lipocarrutherrs - The door is all around us. This is the mythology of the door amongst a small group of Frankites, called the Ricks. They believe that the door is just a natural consequence of the evolution of all living things. They are fond of going out to the Eubendy forests and hugging the Eubendy trees. Ricks desire to become one with nature, then, they believe, they will be able see the way to the door. Until you become one with nature, they say, you cannot hope to see as nature sees. And, according to the Ricks, nature sees all.
Winthrrop Ballyhoo - We have already gone through the door. This is one of many mythologies found amongst groups within the Ees. This group within the Ees calls itself the Marffees. They believe whole-heartedly that there is a door, but they also believe that all have passed through the door in one instant sometime in the past. The Marffees say that since we are all on the other side of the door, there is no need to look for it.
Shempocalrrisian - Each of us has a door within himself / herself. This is also a mythology from a group within the Ees, call the Shempocalrrisianites. It is said that Shempocalrrisian found the door, but did not go through it. Instead, he ground the door to a fine dust then put the dust into the drinking water of Mezzo Abbernun. Since that day, the first time an Abber takes a drink of water, they are said to have a door to the other side within them. The Shempocalrrisianites hold a water-drinking-rite for their babies.
Rrmbek - We can find the door only when we have tallied up enough good deeds. Strangely enough, this is not another mythology from amongst the Ees, instead it comes from the Frankites. Those of the Frankites that believe this myth are pseudo-scientific and perpetuate the myth started hundreds of years ago by Jabberph. Jabberph was insane, but he was able to string together sentences full of scientific and theological sounding ideas. Those who did not know better and did not want to take the time to research Jabberph claims would say, "Hear, hear!" when he came to their street corner to speak. Jabberph, although enrolled in the Frankite schools, attended class only occasionally. He spent most of his time digging for imaginary buried treasure or counterfeiting money; with the latter he would pay classmates to do his homework for him. It was on what was to be the last of his treasure hunts that Jabberph said he found the scroll of Rrmbek.
Jabberph said that the scroll of Rrmbek explained that if one does enough good deeds one will be given a pair of X-ray glasses with which the door can be found. Jabberph said that good followers of Rrmbek who have disappeared are the only proof one needs to believe the authenticity of the scrolls (which, by the way, no one has ever seen). The fact that they disappeared, Jabberph writes, shows that they got their glasses and went straight to the door. No one has yet been found who can name a missing follower of Rrmbek.
Prrokoschmoko - Life stinks, and then you fall through the door; maybe. This mythology has a small support amongst all three castes of Abber.
Klarrczmun - A very good being made the door long ago and only told one good Abber how to find it. Before he found it, though, he told one other good Abber and thus the knowledge of the door has been passed down through the generations. It is said that somehow knowledge of the door's existence became public, now anyone can find the door, if one goes about it the right way. To do so, one must attach oneself to a good and righteous person to get taken through the door when the righteous person goes through. This mythology also has a small support amongst all three castes of Abber. They are called Klarrczmun by other Abbers. The key here, it is believed, is to staple yourself to a righteous Abber so that when he does find the door and go through, you will go with him. This myth states that an Abber named Klabberz, who lived next door to Toogabberg, thought Toogabberg knew how to find the door. Toogabberg was a very nice guy, but Klabberz thought he was the nicest guy there ever was. Klabberz figured that if anybody had a chance of finding the door it would be Toogabberg. So Klabberz got a very powerful stapler and with it attached himself to Toogabberg. It is said that when Toogabberg found the door and went through, Klabberz went through, too. Therefore, Abbers who believe this myth are always looking for someone who is considered righteous to whom they can staple themselves. If a Klarrczmun is seen trying to staple himself to another Abber by other Klarrczmuns, they also will try to attach themselves. Usually, friends will help get a Klarrczmun off the nice Abber, but if an Abber is tackled by several Klarrczmun, the Dazzite police are summoned to remove them.
Burrntoowie - Arven made the door and immediately declared that none shall pass through it upon penalty of death. He only told anyone about it to taunt them with its inaccessibility.
Flimperrty - The door was brought to Inner Abbernun by Merlopax the Kleptomaniac. There are many legends of Merlopax; he is a folk hero among the lazy Abbers who do not want to be involved in any of the castes. In this tale, Merlopax left Mezzo Abbernun and stole the Door to the Other Side and brought it back to Mezzo Abbernun only to lose it to Merlopaxpax the Con-man.
Appilow Pinsmarr - The door is a gift from Father. There is nothing anyone can do to find the gift of the door, Father himself must show it to you. And then you must decide if you are going to go through the door.
Innagorradavida - One finds the door during the heat of battle, dying a victorious death. This is the favorite door mythology among the Dazzites.
Jyan't Rroeb't - The doorway is all that is real and all of Abbernun is but a dream.
Tingleyspald - The doorway was built by a giant turtle.
Rroy Al - Only 3,667 Abbers are allowed through the door.
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Posted in Marketing and Strategy Terms, Total Reads: 1535
Definition: Frequency Marketing
Frequency Marketing is a marketing strategy which is used to lure and retain customers for a long term. Frequency marketing includes events like advertising at frequent intervals, giving discounts to loyal customers, organising events etc. As the word suggest this type of marketing strategy needs to be carried out at frequent intervals of time to retain their customers.
Frequent marketing is a good tool to ensure retention of consumers. It is a known fact that an existing customer yields more income for a company than a potential customer i.e. the amount of money and revenue generated by an existing customer is more than that of what a potential customer would generate. Hence, in order to adopt a frequency marketing approach a company needs to do an analysis of what kind of business it is in. If a company’s business has one of a time business and it expect no business from the existing customer or from any other customer the company may not indulge in frequency marketing. However, if it is a repetitive business then the company needs to do frequency marketing more frequently.
A frequency marketing in the form of regular advertisements is required to let people and consumers know that their product exists in the market. If the advertising is shown for once then there is a high chance that the advertisement may not serve its purpose. Hence, it needs to be shown frequently. The frequency at which the advertisements are shown depends on the product, competitor’s strategy, target audience and the demand in the market. Similarly, the company may indulge in giving discounts to their frequent consumers (for example, frequent flying programs, discounts on series buying etc.). There are many other such programs which can be customized according to the company’s needs.
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Consequential Loss Insurance
What is Consequential Loss Insurance?
Consequential Loss Insurance, also known as Business Interruption Insurance, is taken out by a business to cover any indirect financial losses sustained over and above the direct losses sustained in the event of the damage to or destruction of property or facilities.
For Consequential Loss Insurance advice and cover, we are accredited financial providers of risk management services and insurance solutions covering a full range of insurable losses, including property, liability, business, fire, theft and vehicle. Chadwicks is an insurance company whose insurance advice and insurance offerings enjoy a high level of comprehensiveness and can extend to include Consequential Loss Insurance.
Example of Consequential Loss Insurance
An example of a scenario in which the value of Consequential Loss Insurance becomes apparent is in the case of a fire on business premises, such as a factory. While ordinary insurance would cover all the direct losses sustained through the destruction of property and premises, there are inevitably a number of additional, indirect financial losses that are sustained as a result of a situation such as this, and the business owner would need to take out Consequential Loss Insurance to protect himself against the reduction in turnover following the fire.
Consequential Loss Insurance covers indirect financial losses such as loss of production output and loss of profits, which could well be a reality in a scenario such as the one outlined above where a fire damages or destroys some or all of the facilities on the business premises
South African insurance companies commonly insure business owners against a number of risks, known as Insured Perils. Of these perils, which can also be insured against for consequential losses, the most common is fire, but there are also a number of other perils such as storms, wind, water, impact by aircraft, impact by road vehicles and cattle, earthquake, earth tremor and landslides that can also qualify as Consequential Loss Insurance.
All Consequential Loss Insurance policies have a predefined indemnity period, during which time the insurer will cover the loss of revenue, giving the business the chance to return to normal trading.
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<urn:uuid:73d5b647-956b-4032-99c7-b8d8094a7420>
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CC-MAIN-2017-04
|
http://www.chadwicks.co.za/index.php?pid=100031
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279368.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00319-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.969154
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Tenancies granted before 15th January 1989
These tenancies will probably be covered under the old "Rent Acts" which give more protection than assured shorthold tenancies, (although certain types of tenancies, such as agricultural, educational or holiday lettings are excluded).
If a tenant's tenancy is brought to an end they will still continue as a "statutory tenant" if they remain in occupation and it may be harder for the landlord to remove them.
A landlord must start court proceedings to obtain a possession order, but before doing so must serve a notice to quit on the tenant to end the original "contractual tenancy".
The notice to quit must be in writing and give at least 4 weeks notice, unless the tenancy agreement itself provides for a different notice period, (but this must not be less than 4 weeks).
- Private Housing
- Assured Shorthold - Definition
- Assured Shorthold - Possession
- Accelerated Possession Procedure
- Warrants of Execution
- Defending Possession Proceedings
- Tenancies before 15th January 1989
- Housing Benefit Tenants
- Property Disrepair
- Mortgages and Repossession
- Alternatives to a Possession Order
- Property Foreclosure
- Housing Loans (other than mortgages)
- Raising money for mortgage arrears
- Tenants of Mortgaged Homes
- Consenting to a charge on your property under pressure
- Bankruptcy & your home
- Human Rights Act 1998 & your home
- Links & Addresses
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<urn:uuid:baaabe81-860f-4b74-8569-0b886f9f21b9>
|
CC-MAIN-2017-04
|
http://www.compactlaw.co.uk/free-legal-information/private-housing/tenancies-before-15th-january-1989.html
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279410.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00173-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.892135
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In 1949, the State of New York's Board of Water Supply was in the middle of constructing the Delaware Aqueduct as a means of augmenting New York City's water supply. During this time, residents and officials were deeply concerned with how all of the city's water was used -- or wasted.
Today, the Delaware System, in conjunction with the older Croton and Catskill Systems, stores up to 550 billion gallons of water and serves up more than 1.2 billion gallons every single day to people in the city and surrounding counties.
In this uncredited jingle from 1949, a lone guitarist (does he sound familiar?) pleads with the radio audience to use the city's water supply responsibly: "Save, save, save," he croons. "Don't let it run. Water is precious as gold today, and no one ever throws gold away!"
Though we can't be certain as to how this jingle was heard by WNYC audiences, we think it was used as the closing tune for an informational program presented to teach citizens the importance of conserving water.
"The Man Without a City"
One such program aired at about the same time as this jingle, The Man Without a City tells the story of Jeremiah P. Driftwood, who learns the hard way the role the city plays in his daily life and why he should observe their demands that he turn off the faucet while he shaves.
"There is a serious shortage," he is told. "Your city asks you to cooperate!"
You'll also hear that water conservation is just the beginning of Mr. Driftwood's municipal odyssey.
Water Conservation Spots, 1950s
WNYC's commitment to educating the public on the importance of responsible consumption of water continued in to the 1950s, as evidenced by this collection of short and sweet radio spots. In each, a WNYC announcer suggests ways in which citizens can conserve water in their daily activities.
At the time these spots were broadcast, New York was experiencing a significant drought; public conservation of water was credited as being one of the most effective means of restoring the city's dwindling water reserves.
Audio courtesy NYC Municipal Archives collection.
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<urn:uuid:5fd39026-b42b-4b79-bb36-f5975248541d>
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CC-MAIN-2016-44
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http://www.wnyc.org/story/159964-archives-mixtape-water-conservation-jingle-1949/
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|
en
| 0.976789
| 450
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Self-reliance was made famous by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay “Self Reliance” published in 1841. The concept of Self Reliance was a hallmark of the transcendentalist movement made popular in the 19th century. Emerson argued that the individual should strive to avoid conformity and consistency in favor or demonstrating their true nature as granted by the Divine principle. The philosophy was strongly in favor of individualism, free thought and personal responsibility. Emerson wrote that time be better spent on the development of one’s character through introspection than on seeking to “fit in” to the mainstream of thought and opinion.
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Alexander the Great once requested an audience with Diogenes an ascetic of some fame. Diogenes, who’s philosophy of living well in poverty and being completely self reliant in all things had earned him the respect of the greatest military leader of all time. Alexander found Diogenes lazing in the sun completely unperturbed by the arrival of the Macedonian King and his entourage. When asked by Diogenes if he desired anything, he simply replied “I desire only that you move yourself out of my sun”. Alexander duly complied as here was a man who neither feared him nor wanted anything he could offer.
When we are self-reliant we not only know ourselves but we also implicitly trust ourselves. Being able to trust one’s self beyond doubt is a rare trait. Most people might think they know themselves and trust their judgement but do they really? Being self reliant is about knowing what we want and how to get it. It is about being true to with ourselves. This does not mean that being self reliant is to isolate one’s self in a cabin or practice non-conformity as a principle. It is about having the ability to take what you need and to leave the rest with confidence. Self reliance is claiming one’s self determination, independence, autonomy and sovereignty. It is about being one’s own person that can stand out on their own two feet without having to blindly follow others.
“People who truly understand what is meant by self-reliance know they must live their lives by ethics rather than rules” – Wayne Dyer
Self not Self Reliance
I was one of those Alcoholics who enjoyed thumbing my nose at others. I was belligerent and obstinate I my views. Selfishness masqueraded as self reliance. The truth was that I had no real principles or values to mention and my mind could sway from one opinion to another depending on my mood. I was easily led, especially to the bar. In many ways I was owned by others and the booze definitely had me. Self reliance is not laziness, selfishness, obstinacy, ignorance, aggression, dishonesty and easily compromised morals. Those are the hall marks of alcoholism and narcissism.
“Self-reliance is the key to a vigorous life. A man must look inward to find his own answers” – Robin Williams
Being Jedi is finding the balance between being self reliant and conformant. We are able to respect rules, traditions and conventions and conform when necessary. To do otherwise would make us Anarchist or a Grey Jedi at best. In order to be true to a philosophy for life there are certain things we should do and certain things we should not. Self-reliance does not give us permission to do whatever we please.
Being firm in our principles and values means that we are self reliant enough that they cannot be easily swayed. We are not inflexible in our views and opinions however; we have a free mind and can judge the merits of opinions and ideas as they come to us without being swayed by hype, hashtags or “popularism”. Self-reliance does not make us better than everyone else or a loner, it makes us independent thinkers. We own our own minds.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Self-reliance is important in our recovery. One must be able to trust themselves. For example if I cannot enter a bar with complete confidence that I will not be swayed or tempted to drink my sobriety is on thin ice and my self reliance is weak. Having a Higher power which we can surrender our lives too give us the spiritual strength to be able to overcome those time when our emotions are ragged. It is about being able to surf strong emotions and recognize HALT moments for what they are; a chance to practice the principles that make us self-reliant. We can be hungry, angry, lonely or tired without using it as an excuse to be an asshole and get drunk. We are the master of our own domain and can feel safe enough in our own company to weather any storm under the shelter of our faith in a Higher Power. Being self reliant is doing the right thing, no matter what all of the time. It is about having surety in one’s self.
Training to be Self Reliant
Being self-reliant is therefore having responsibility and accountability for one’s decisions and actions. A person must be informed and able to critically judge information on their own and make decisions based on knowledge and guided by personal values.
There are a number of strategies I use to build self-reliance which are part of the daily practices within Jedi Philosophy.
- Stay Healthy: This means being conscious of what we eat and drink, listening to your body and getting adequate rest and relaxation. If you are able to cut down on junk food and refined sugars and otherwise have a balanced and healthy diet, great! Alcohol is off limits in my case but otherwise the American Medical Association recommends no more that 14 units of alcohol spread over a week for both women and men. The medical profession suggests that no alcohol is best.
- Physical Activity: 30 minutes or more of light to moderate physical activity is recommended on a daily basis. Each individual will have their own needs, goals and limits. A program for losing weight will be different to a goal of increasing strength. Likewise increasing cardio fitness will require a different regime to putting on muscle mass. The key is to move your body.
- Mental Fortitude: Try depriving yourself of a luxury on occasion, run the odd cold shower or sleep on the floor once in a while. Spend less time on social media and impose a media fast on yourself for a week if you can. Put the smart phone on silent or leave it in the drawer. Decide to go a day without getting angry for any reason, if you succeed, stretch it to two days and longer. Meditate daily or as often as you can.
- Minimalize: Go through the clutter of your life and discard what is not needed. Donate clothes and other items to charities. Review your commitments, which are really necessary? Re-assess how you spend your time and with whom and cut down on the activities that are mere distractions or negative.
- Travel: If you are able, sell your junk and put the rest in storage and go travelling. Set no limits, just go wherever your fancy takes you. Solo travel is the greatest school for self-reliance there is. You will learn a lot about yourself and others. A solo traveler often has no one but themselves for company.
The Jedi had to be self reliant, the nature of the job demanded it. Self reliance is also critical for a recovering addict. There is will power, self control and self discipline in being able to abstain from drinking but sustained and contended sobriety require much more. Conviction in one’s abilities and faith in a power greater than one’s self has been the most important aspect of my journey so far. Only you can steer your life in the direction you want to take it. It is your life, your responsibility don’t rely on others too much.
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<urn:uuid:655d5b6b-3fd0-44e6-a5a0-142b2634ce83>
|
CC-MAIN-2022-33
|
http://www.dailyjedi.com/category/self-esteem/
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572033.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814113403-20220814143403-00269.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.965148
| 1,684
| 2.96875
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|
Japanese practice Takeshi Hirobe Architects has designed the stunning timber villa SSK. completed in 2012, This unique and modern timber house design located in calm and tranquil waters of Tokyo Bay, in Chiba, Japan. This timber villa design that would serve to connect these mountains to the imposing expanse of the ocean.
The location for this project was adjacent to the calm and tranquil waters of Tokyo Bay. When we first visited the site, we were immediately overwhelmed by the presence of the ocean. Soon, however, we became attuned to the subtle cues coming from the surroundings, such as the movements of the sun, the flow of the wind, the scent of the tide, the stirrings of the plants, and the presence of the rocky mountain. We were particularly impressed by the sea and the soaring verticality of the sky overhead, as well as the rocky mountain on the opposite side and the vegetation growing on them. For this reason, we decided to design a building that would serve to connect these mountains to the imposing expanse of the ocean.
The client requested a comfortable, generously proportioned living, dining and kitchen area, a bathroom overlooking the ocean, a guest room, and a spare room that could be used to display his beloved car. The portion of the house encircled by the central area, guest room and spare room was turned into a tiled central courtyard where dogs can play. The courtyard also serves as an outdoor living room where large numbers of guests can gather and mingle. Water can also flow into the courtyard to create a basin that reflects the subtle nuances of the surrounding light and wind.
Timber panel wall-building and timber space trusses were used to create a structure that connects the ocean-facing side and mountain-facing sides of the house. Although the trusses themselves occupy a wide space, gaps have been left in between the different materials. By angling the walls obliquely in accordance with the necessary spacing and throat gaps required for the truss structure, we were able to eliminate a certain oppressiveness from the interior.
Architecture ought to be rooted in the place it occupies. The architectural form of this building somehow emerged during the long process of analyzing and studying the location. Although the design process was supposed to have entailed a frantic accumulation of decision-making and choosing between possible options, the finished building gives one the strange, lingering impression of having been constructed according to some law or other. By combining rigid timber panel wall-building (a type of laminated veneer lumber) and truss arches, we were able to create a tunnel-shaped space with almost no right-angled walls despite the wide span of the building.
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<urn:uuid:4f2fd1d9-1c1a-4722-b9c5-5deb084c769f>
|
CC-MAIN-2017-04
|
http://www.hometrendesign.com/stunning-timber-villa-design-by-takeshi-hirobe-architects
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00381-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.971697
| 548
| 2.046875
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|
Managing Delivery Status Notifications
Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP3, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007
Topic Last Modified: 2008-11-11
Delivery status notifications (DSNs) notify the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 administrator or e-mail sender of the status of a particular message. DSN messages are a critical part of troubleshooting e-mail connectivity issues between local Exchange recipients and issues between the local Exchange server and remote e-mail servers on the Internet. DSN messages can contain one of the three types of status in the following list:
Success Success status is indicated by a 2.x.x status code. A success status code is returned during the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) conversation between two e-mail servers if the command that is submitted to the receiving server by the sending server is valid.
Persistent Transient Failure Persistent transient failure status is indicated by a 4.x.x status code. A persistent transient failure status code is returned when the e-mail server that is trying to deliver the message encounters an error that is temporary and may be resolvable. The server continues to retry delivery of the message for a specified number of days that is defined by the e-mail administrator.
Permanent Failure Permanent failure status is indicated by a 5.x.x status code. A permanent failure status code is returned when the e-mail server that is trying to deliver the message encounters an error that the server cannot overcome.
In Exchange 2007, you can modify the text of DSN messages, so that you can customize DSN messages to match corporate policy, help desk contact guidelines, or other communications standards. This functionality helps e-mail users and administrators more effectively troubleshoot issues that they might experience because the DSN message matches their specific environment.
|Currently, Exchange 2007 does not let you modify the text of read receipt messages. Also, read receipts are not localized to the message sender's language.|
The following topics explain how to manage and configure DSN messages in Exchange 2007:
The following topics provide supporting information that will help you manage DSN messages by using the procedures that are documented in the topics that are listed earlier:
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<urn:uuid:b77d452d-f63f-4485-8d9a-420ec7ae070b>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-44
|
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124571(v=exchg.80).aspx
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718296.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00539-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.846132
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Starting with the idea that light (which is an electromagnetic wave, photon particle) is attracted by large gravitational fields, light bends arround large objects and is sucked into a balck hole and never allowed to leave. So then light should have a virtual form of mass , a mass in motion, the energy (based on E=mc2), this gravitational effect should also be valid between light rays themselves, they should be attracted and drawn closer along their path.
|Computer generated imge of a star. source: http://pics-about-space.com/orange-star-in-space?p=3|
So we move to the idea that light traveling thousands of light years distance should not be perfect parallel but converging slightly. Objects then seen in the sky appear smaller than they are, because light converges.
Moving to another idea with the same subject, the question must be asked, what happens when light enters a black hole, if it is not able to move at the speed , if time stops in a black hole, if it has to be concentrated at densities far higher than anywhere in the Universe. The proposed idea is that this light confined, trapped and condensed may itself turn into matter of different forms; forming the particles described in the standard model, or even the smaller pieces that make them. The idea is that energy in electromagnetic form, moving at high speed is trapped in a black hole and converted into matter. Same as Hydrogen goes through fusion in a star to become Helium. Light goes into confinement in a black hole to become matter.
|Light Bent by Gravity (Image: C. Sheng, H. Liu, Y. Wang, S. N. Zhu and D. A. Genov)|
This Idea leads itself to a grander thought. If at a point, the universe was filled with light energy and no matter. This light could be attracted through gravity to itself, grouped in a huge spherical form of light, where energy density is too high, Confined Energy forms as what we are familiar with as particles (in a similar approach of H , He, O, C … Fe sequence) until the process collapse and the sphere ejects all energy and newly formed matter. This would be another way to look at the Big Bang. There was only light, light grouped in a sphere of high energy density and formed confined energy. At a point this “Fusion” collapsed, porbably when reaching a certain particle that does not balance the forces. The sphere collapses and releases Energy and Confined Energy; thus a “Big Bang”.
So in the picture below, one would have Confined Energy (matter) at the core, formed from “Fused” light; and Moving Energy (light) surrounding the core.
|Fusion of H to He insidea star Source : http://starformation.synthasite.com/main-sequence-stars.php|
Here is a thought. There is no absolute direct way of measuring mass. Mass is derived from the resistance to change, gravity force, impact energy or chemical reactions. In reality, there could be no mass, no matter, no particles, simply confined energy, which we perceive as matter.
What we call mass is what I call here “Confined Energy”.
Now you can look at you arm and see it as a group of infinitely small confined energy spheres, that refuses to interact or to disconnect. This Confined Energy is the building block of our Universe.
|Digital Art Source : http://thespiritscience.net/2014/06/21/ascend-academy-geometry/|
A closing thought on gravity, which is still a mystery for physicist.One theory could be that there is a third field which create gravity force, this field originates from the imbalance of the electromagnetic field, the quantum effect of this disturbance is the gravity force. Because it is a simple disturbance of a major field, it is much weaker and it has a constant value relative to the quantity of confined energy (what we call mass) because, at the Macro level, a quantum disturbances has a mean value.
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<urn:uuid:937cf30d-efde-476c-8466-441697bd1dd9>
|
CC-MAIN-2022-33
|
https://www.ramifications.de/2016/03/20/matter-mass-and-the-big-bang-2/
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|
en
| 0.940829
| 856
| 3.90625
| 4
|
Gene Knudsen Hoffman, the founder of Compassionate Listening, died peacefully on July 19. Gene was a mother and grandmother, international peacemaker, counselor, Quaker, poet, actress, writer, and more.
Gene was my treasured mentor for the last eight years of her active life. Although I had lost her years before as her mind progressively rejected coherent patterns of recognition and communication, her death last week touched me deeply. I’ve been sifting and reading through a huge file of her letters, transmissions, and articles. Carrying around my three-inch-thick “Gene file” like a precious jewel, I have been amazed at her voluminous outpouring and sharing.
Some people never find or recognize their mentors in life. I am grateful that I found Gene, and that we both recognized the nature of our relationship.
In the early 1990s, I was leading citizen delegations to Israel and Palestine for the Earthstewards Network. I was frustrated that my work seemed to be adding to the polarization of the conflict in a part of the world where I had lived, and which I loved so dearly. I brought participants from the United States who were either pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli; almost everyone seemed to be caught up with side-taking. I was having a hard time, and seeking a new framework for my efforts.
I found that framework in the writings of Gene Knudsen Hoffman, who had begun her international listening work in the 1980s in the former Soviet Union. After Glasnost, she turned her efforts to Israel and Palestine. As a young peace activist, I came across Gene’s articles and pamphlets regularly. We were both members of Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), an organization she had joined in 1952.
I finally called Gene in the spring of 1996, inviting her to join my next delegation and teach us how to practice what she called “compassionate listening” with Israelis and Palestinians. We met the following week and discovered an instant “soul sister” connection that bridged our 40-year age difference. We knew and loved the same people, the same projects, authors, and ideas. We shared similar experiences and feelings about our activist histories, including the anger and even hatred we had experienced within the peace movement. We acknowledged the challenges of working with our own self-righteousness.
Two of the people Gene considered her closest mentors were Adam Curle, a Quaker mediator, and Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk. It was FOR that had sponsored Thich Nhat Hanh’s first U.S. and international speaking tour in 1966. In the mid ’80s, Gene organized his first retreat with Vietnam veterans. Gene wrote that she founded Compassionate Listening based on Hanh’s teachings “that we must listen to both sides of any conflict before we take actions. Ultimately through this process, we bring the two sides together for reconciliation.”
Gene developed a Compassionate Listening curriculum and began offering classes in Santa Barbara in 1988. I began to offer trainings in the U.S. the following year, using a different training model. By this point we were teaching what we called the “pure practice,” not focusing just on the Middle East but applicable to everyone in daily life.
A pioneer in a new field, Gene was always seeking to clarify and challenge her fellow peacemakers. In a letter to a colleague, dated June 3, 2000, Gene writes:
“About nonviolence: I question whether a gospel of nonviolence will save us. I think we have the doctrine, but not the necessary respect and concern for the unhealed suffering of oppressors and other violent people. It seems we rarely consider listening to them as a possibility for wider understanding. Instead, we have Nuremberg laws, and kill or otherwise destroy perpetrators through vengeance. We forget that Gandhi spent much of his time with his ‘enemies,’ listening to them and learning how to love them. I think it was his loving truth which was grounded in his respect for them as human beings that enabled them to set India free.”
Coming to terms with the limitations imposed upon her by her health, Gene eventually wrote to me that her “traveling days were over,” and requested to remain on the board of directors. In 2002, I founded the Jewish-German Compassionate Listening track with my German friend Beate Ronnefeldt, a trainer of Nonviolent Communication. In the last letter I received from Gene, dated April 10, 2004, she thanked me profusely for pioneering the Jewish-German work—a testimony to her passion for Jewish-German reconciliation. Gene, in the early 1990s, had researched and written extensively about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among Jewish Holocaust survivors in Israel and the role of PTSD in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She had published articles on the subject, as well as a pamphlet, called “No Royal Road to Reconciliation.”
Compassionate Listening practitioners have a powerful lineage. Our work is infused with Gene’s research, study, and practice in the art of reconciliation, and we can continue to learn much from her articles and essays. I love to think of Gene’s delight, knowing how far her work has traveled—to conferences, universities, churches, synagogues, and meditation centers all over the world—and how many thousands have embraced her understanding of listening to those we consider the “other” or our “enemy.” We at the Compassionate Listening Project offer our deep respect and gratitude to the birth mother of our movement.
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<urn:uuid:e2ac83d2-8f2f-4d44-acd3-50bb7e6f29ea>
|
CC-MAIN-2022-33
|
https://www.independent.com/2010/09/13/gene-knudsen-hoffman-1919-2010/
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571989.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813232744-20220814022744-00474.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.978078
| 1,186
| 1.59375
| 2
|
Call it how it is
The hard fact is this; With the growth in world population, the model of overconsumption and the incredibly wasteful use of resources is not sustainable.
By 2040, it is estimated that the global population will have reached nine billion. At the same time, as wealth increases and people consume more, our use of resources will increase ten-fold.
If we continue at the same speed and direction – we will in 2040 use 10 times the resources we should use if wanted to stay sustainable.
So what do we do?
We create more with less.
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<urn:uuid:61af791d-6f47-4afa-a524-9d9820d882ab>
|
CC-MAIN-2017-04
|
http://www.sbseating.com/rbm/about-rbm/why-rbm/environment
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280763.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00518-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.921524
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Hotels and other supplementary accommodation are an integral part of a tourist's visit to a place and the services offered by them can make his/her visit memorable. With the aim of providing comfortable Home Stay Facilities of Standardized World Class Services to the tourists, and to supplement the availability of accommodation in the Metros and tourist destinations, Ministry of Tourism will classify fully operational rooms of Home Stay Facilities as "Incredible India Bed and Breakfast (B&B) Establishment". The basic idea is to provide a clean and affordable place for foreigners and domestic tourists alike, including an opportunity for foreign tourists to stay with an Indian family to experience Indian customs and traditions and relish authentic Indian cuisine.
The Bed and Breakfast Facilities will be categorized as follows:
The Regional Classification Committee, as specified in the guidelines, will inspect and assess the Bed and Breakfast Establishment, based on facilities and services offered. The details of the standards, facilities, services and the documents required for approval of such establishments will be as per the guidelines.
Bed and Breakfast Establishment, once approved by Ministry of Tourism, will be duly publicized. A directory of all such approved establishments will also be prepared, so as to enable domestic as well as 2 foreign tourists to live in a homely environment and to take advantage of the scheme. In addition, efforts will be made to organize short term training in hospitality trade to those who would opt for such training.
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<urn:uuid:344f026f-0aae-462b-ae5a-b975fe8cfcfa>
|
CC-MAIN-2017-04
|
http://uptourism.gov.in/pages/top/department/top-tourism-department-bed-and-breakfast-scheme
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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
| 0.9567
| 282
| 1.789063
| 2
|
Shihezi Medical University is standard not just for the MBBS course in China however additionally for the PG degree programs. Among all the International students, most are from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to study MBBS degree course in China.
Study MBBS in China - Study Abroad
ShiheziUniversity, School of Medicine is situated in Shihezi city, Xinjiang province, which was recognized as a key institution by the Central Government in the year 2000. This Medical University in China has developed into a dynamic higher learning institution with world-oriented education.
Jilin University (JLU) is one of the leading national research universities under the direct jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education. JLU is known for its highest enrollment and widest coverage of academic disciplines. Founded in 1946, Jilin University ranks top 10 in China, and is one of the key research-oriented comprehensive universities, strongly supported by state key projects such as “211” and “985”.
Qingdao University is a key provincial research university located in Qingdao, China. Qingdao University traces its origin to 1909, when Deutsch-ChinesischeHochschule the oldest predecessor institution of Qingdao University, was jointly established by the Chinese and German governments in Qingdao. In 1993, the former Qingdao University, Qingdao Medical College, Shandong Textile Engineering College, and Qingdao Normal College, merged to form the new Qingdao University.
Yangzhou University (YZU) is a key comprehensive provincial university, who has pioneered in China in the merging of institution of higher learning. The University was established in 1992 as a merger of 6 colleges namely Teachers College of Yangzhou, Agricultural College of Jiangsu, Engineering College of Yangzhou, Medical College of Yangzhou, Water Conservancy Engineering College of Jiangsu and Business School of Jiangsu.
Central South University (CSU) is situated in Changsha, a famous historic and cultural city which is the capital of Hunan Province in China. This is a key national University under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education.
Dalian University of Technology (DUT) is located in the beautiful coastal city of Dalian, in northeastern China's Liaoning Province. It is one of the key universities under the direct leadership of the State Ministry of Education. The campus is green, shady and peaceful. Many state leaders have visited the university and enjoyed its beauty.
Zhejiang University, sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher education.
Sichuan University is one of the universities, located in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, China, with a long history and many predecessors, of which the earliest one was founded in 1740 with the origin in BCE 141.
Guangxi Medical University is located in Nanning, Guangxi, China and is one of the oldest higher education medical institutions in China. In 2010, the university was voted one of the top 20 universities in China for medicine study.
Nanjing is one of the four ancient Chinese capitals, a city which was a cultural, political and economical center in southern China and is currently the capital of Jiangsu province and an economical center in the Yangtze River Delta.
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Qing Dao Shi, Shi Bei District,Han Kou Road 168hao 1dan yuan,China - 266071
India Office:1102/1202, D-Wing, Kukreja Plaza,Sector - 11, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai - 400614Maharashtra, INDIA.T E L : CHINA : +86-18678985218 / +86-18253283680INDIA : +91-09892535618F A X : +86-532-83621019 EMAIL : [email protected]
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Near the entrance to the grounds of the “Krasnaya Kuznitsa” Dockyard an obelisk was installed in 1984. It is a three-mast sailing-ship topped by a high thin spire, and the base of the memorial is paved with stones. Later on, the following was inscribed on the front side: “To remember generations of shipbuilders at the Solombalskaya Dockyard who created Russia's sea glory, 1693-1993” and below it reads: “And we shall have a fleet better than any foreign one. I shall do everything to accomplish this. Let it be so…Peter. 1707”. Large admiralty anchors and a canon stand around the obelisk. The canon was cast at the dockyard “Krasnaya Kuznitsa” and on November 27, 1993 it was used to “shoot fireworks in honor of the 300-year anniversary of the Russian Fleet and the Solombalskaya Dockyard”.
It was right here where in 1693 Peter the Great founded the sea merchant ship “Saint Pavel”. From that time Arkhangelsk is rightfully considered the motherland of shipping in Russia. Since the middle of the 18th century the dockyard with slips and workshops was called the Arkhangelsk Admiralty. In 1862 the dockyard was closed, but the ship repairing workshops remained which were later re-equipped in 1922 to become the “Krasnaya Kuznitsa” Dockyard. Over the course of its existence the Solombalskaya Dockyard approximately 700 big and small sea vessels were built. The most famous of them was the 74-canon battleship “Azov”. It was awarded the colored Georgievsky flag for the victory in the 1827 Navarinskaya Battle and became the first guard ship of the Russian Navy.
Address: Nikolsky pr., 15
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Not everyone who is an uninsured U.S. citizen in poverty can get Medicaid in Texas, and coverage of non-U.S. citizens is limited, even for legal permanent residents.
- Very few parents can access Texas Medicaid; left out of Texas Medicaid are parents with incomes between 18% and 100% of the federal poverty income.
- Adults with serious, chronic, or mental illness. Disability-related Medicaid only becomes available when a person is no longer able to work at all, or is considered to be within 12 months of death. As a result, uninsured Texans with serious diagnoses struggle to continue working without adequate treatment.
- Uninsured Adults in Poverty. Texas Medicaid does not cover adults in poverty without dependent children, unless they have a serious or permanent disability, are elders in poverty, or get temporary maternity coverage that ends 2 months after the birth. The Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare) directed that all 50 states would offer Medicaid to US citizen adults, but a 2012 Supreme Court Decision ruled that states that did not provide that coverage could not be penalized with loss of federal Medicaid funds. As of May 2020, Texas was one of only 14 states not providing Medicaid to adults in poverty.
Many Texans are not aware that under federal law, ACA insurance subsidies are only available for U.S. citizens who are above the federal poverty income. This leaves most working-poor Texas adults uninsured, because our state’s Medicaid program is closed to them, and they cannot get sliding-scale ACA coverage either.
Texas qualifies for 90% federal funding for Medicaid expansion. A number of conservative states have coverage programs with co-pays, private insurance plans, and other market-based components.
A solution would benefit those Texans in the Coverage Gap and their families by ensuring they have access to cancer treatment, mental health care, preventive care that saves lives and money, and other care that is not available in the ER or in the patchwork of other services for the uninsured. It would also provide significant economic benefits, with the potential to create up to 230,000 jobs over three years, according to an estimate by former Deputy Texas Comptroller Billy Hamilton.
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It’s difficult to remember a time before Rihanna. Her first hit, “Pon De Replay,” was arguably an instant classic; “Umbrella” and “Only Girl (In the World)” were the soundtracks to the late noughties and early 2010s respectively. And to this day, nobody serves pillar box red hair like the pop singer in her Loud era. But bops and iconic looks aside, Rihanna’s impact on society has been significant. In September 2017, the singer-turned-entrepreneur transformed the cosmetics industry overnight.
It sounds like hyperbole, but it’s not. All of the diverse foundation ranges you see on the shelves? Fenty Beauty—Rihanna’s cruelty-free cosmetics brand—made that happen. But she didn’t stop there: The Barbados-born singer has changed fashion, skincare, and even maternity style for the better too. She has even turned her hand to climate justice philanthropy. She also consistently works to find sustainable solutions in beauty, and utilizes packaging options with a reduced impact on the planet. When it comes to Rihanna, there is much to celebrate. Here are just a few of her most impactful achievements.
She was the first to offer truly inclusive foundation
Before Fenty—which is named after the singer herself, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty—the beauty industry standard was white skin first. People of color were an afterthought. For evidence of this, you only had to glance at the foundation and concealer shades on offer. There have always been multiple light shades available, but only a handful of dark. On a mission to smash this status quo, Fenty’s Pro Filt’r Foundation launched with a groundbreaking 40 shades, evenly-distributed from dark to light. The singer’s instincts were spot on: Fenty made more than $100 million in sales in just one month. Today, Fenty is valued at almost $3 billion.
Pro Filt’r Foundation now comes in an even more inclusive 50 shades, from the whitest of white, suitable for people with albinism, to the darkest of dark. And as for other mainstream brands, Fenty forced them to catch up and diversify their products. Now, most foundation ranges offer around 30+ shades. Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-In-Place collection has a whopping 60.
She puts racial diversity front and center, always
Foundation shades are important. Really important. But they are just one small part of diversity in beauty. Another important part: visual representation in digital campaigns and social media. But again, this has historically been lacking in fashion and beauty. Just one year before Fenty’s launch, a study revealed that nearly 80 percent of models in print ads were white. It noted that of the world’s highest paid models, the majority were white and slim. But Rihanna was, and continues to be, uncompromising when it comes to diverse representation in campaigns and advertisements.
In Fenty’s first-ever campaign video, the singer-turned-CEO made sure that the industry’s most underrepresented communities were front and center. In the first few seconds, British-Jamaican model Leomie Anderson struts onto the screen. She’s followed by Slick Woods, known for her bald head and gap toothed smile. Then there’s Halima Aden, the Somali-American known for being the first-ever hijab-wearing model in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. To this day, every shoot for the brand has followed suit. And on social media, Fenty frequently partners with influencers of color, elevating their profiles on its main Instagram account (which, naturally, boasts a cool 11 million followers).
She’s gender inclusive
The beauty industry isn’t just whitewashed, it’s gendered too. Historically, skincare and makeup products have been seen as a woman’s game. But people of all genders love beauty. That’s why gender-neutral brands, like We Are Fluide, Jecca Blac, and NOTO Botanics, are becoming more and more commonplace. Being gender inclusive is particularly important to young people, who are the most likely to identify as non-binary or trans. In fact, research by McKinsey shows that nearly half of Gen Z consumers place value on brands that don’t split products up into “female” or “male.”
With Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin (her vegan skincare brand, launched in 2020), Rihanna works with models and influencers of all genders. Plus, every social media post with a model lists pronouns in the caption. It’s no surprise then that Fenty Beauty is a favorite among young people: a VSCO survey on Gen Z consumers found that Fenty Beauty is the most loved brand in this age group for inclusivity and representation. The second? Rihanna’s lingerie brand, Savage X Fenty.
She shows that everyone deserves a place in the spotlight
Not only does Savage X Fenty offer lingerie and underwear for every gender, but it also makes sure the disabled community feels represented too. For its fashion shows and digital shoots, the brand hires models with limb differences and wheelchair-users.
Speaking about her experience at Fenty X Savage’s 2021 fashion show, Shaholly Ayers, a congenital amputee, told Forbes that the Fenty catwalk was the most “inclusive production” she had ever been a part of. “We had people from all walks of life together on set; almost every body type, race, sex, and celebrity all mixed together,” she recalled. “We were all treated equally and no one was more special than the next.”
She breaks down pregnancy style barriers
If you Google “maternity style,” you get hit with several search results for long flowy tops, stereotypically feminine calf length dresses, overalls, and of course, stretchy pants. These all have their place, of course. When it comes to dressing a bump, it all depends on individual preference and comfort. But since she announced her pregnancy in the coolest way possible—wearing a vintage Chanel pink coat with low-rise ripped jeans and belly jewelry—Rihanna has repeatedly demonstrated that pregnancy style doesn’t have to be demure. It can be risky, powerful, bold, and yes, even sexy. Heck, you can even wear lace-up tops and low-waist pants with a slit if you want. Rihanna shows time and time again with fashion and beauty: the rules are there are no rules.
She backs sustainable beauty solutions
It’s no secret that beauty has a big impact on the planet. Every year, the industry as a whole produces around one billion units of packaging. With Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin, Rihanna recognizes there is work to do, but she is always looking for more sustainable alternatives.
Fenty Beauty recently launched its Fenty Icon Refillable Lipstick, and Fenty Skin offers several refill options, including its Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream and its Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer. The brand is also on a mission to eliminate excess packaging where possible. Plus, each product page has an “earth-conscious details” section with guidance on which specific parts of the packaging are recyclable or reusable.
“Nobody is perfect,” says Rihanna regarding Fenty Skin’s commitment to sustainable packaging. “But I really believe we can try our best to do right and we’ll keep evolving as we go.”
She uses her wealth for good
Rihanna’s environmental efforts aren’t limited to beauty. The singer uses the considerable wealth generated by her brands (she’s officially a billionaire now) to support climate justice.
Earlier this year, she made a $15 million pledge to The Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF). She originally founded the organization in 2012, and named it after her grandparents, Clara and Lionel. The nonprofit supports projects around the world, prioritizing communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis. So far, CLF has raised $80 million and funded more than 150 projects in around 20 countries.
Rihanna’s brands link up with her philanthropy, too. Last August, Savage X Fenty launched a sleepwear collection to support CLF. And in May, Savage X Fenty and CLF teamed up to award five grants to LGBTQ+ organizations, including the Trans Wellness Center, which provides life-saving and life-sustaining services to the trans community, and The Caribbean Equality Project, which helps to support LGBTQ+ people in the Caribbean with funds and wellness programs.
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So many families have been touched by cancer that just the mention of the word is scary to hear and often feels like a death sentence. While this is not always the case and many cancers are treatable, the fear is often tied to better known risk factors and more awareness. This week, actress Angelina Jolie brought that reality to the forefront by going public with a personal decision she made.
Jolie is a carrier of the gene defect (BRCA1) that greatly increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. According to reports, once the genetic marker was found, Jolie was given an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. With surgery, her risk dropped below 5%. The risk is different for every woman. The AP reported that while Jolie’s risk is high, only 5% to ten percent of all breast cancers are linked to the BRCA1 and BRCA 2 genes. The gene mutation is rare.
Jolie, given the odds, had a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery. Her mother died at age 56 from ovarian cancer and Jolie wanted to increase her chances of being alive to raise her children. She felt empowered by the decision and went public to help other women know their options.
Dr. Lyndsay Harris, The Director of the Breast Cancer Program at Case Western Reserve University wants you to know that there are other options for those with a family history of breast cancer—regular screenings every six months with mammograms alternating with MRI, medical therapy to greatly reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, and removing the ovaries to prevent ovarian and breast cancer.
In the end, what may have been right for Jolie, may not be right for other women.
When my mom was given a cancer diagnosis twice in her life, we naturally felt afraid. But as a Christian family, we took this fear to God. We prayed for healing, we consulted doctors, agreed to certain procedures and said NO to others. We allowed the Holy Spirit to lead us. Both times my mom was healed of cancer. She lived to be almost 85 and did not die from cancer. Others I know, had different outcomes and their faith and petitions to God were no less than ours. Ultimately, God holds our days in His hands.
For the Christian, the decision regarding prevention and treatment needs to be steeped in prayer, not fear-based, but made with solid information and wise counsel from treating physicians. CANCER is a word that challenges our propensity to fear. The words of 2 Timothy 1:7, encourage us not to react in fear, not be empowered in our own strength, but depend on God to lead and guide us. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. If you are facing the risk of cancer, be empowered by our God, who alone is wise.
Do not be anxious about anything (cancer), but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (decisions). And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7.
People of faith are not alone in decision-making. God listens to our requests and asks us to bring all things to Him in prayer. If you face a tough decision like Angelina did, take it to God in prayer. Be led by His Spirit. Whatever you feel led to to do, rest in His peace.
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A limited flexibility seems to be the modern preference. It makes sense. I’ve been involved with parishes where the seating was theoretically 100% flexible, but in practice, a certain fatigue sets in. Having a regular pattern is a good thing.
§ 87 § There are no universal norms regarding fixed or flexible seating but the diocesan bishop may issue further directives in this area. Many churches have found that a combination of fixed and flexible seating works best to accommodate the various liturgical actions. Ideally, no seat in the nave would be located beyond a point where distance and the lighting level of the sanctuary severely impede the view of and participation in liturgical actions. In earlier periods churches designed for large congregations were limited by engineering constraints. The latest construction and engineering technologies now allow for cost-effective and flexible approaches to designing churches with greater roof spans.
Which means that churches no longer need to be long and narrow.
All texts from Built of Living Stones are copyright © 2000, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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Russian energy officials said they have begun loading fuel into the first reactor at the new Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), while at the same time confirming plans for the start-up of a second reactor at the site in Astravets. The plant is the first nuclear power facility to be built in Belarus.
The project has moved forward despite fierce opposition from neighboring Lithuania, where officials have voiced safety concerns since work on the plant began in 2011. Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, is about 30 miles from Astravets, and the Lithuanian government has said it will not import electricity from the plant due to national security concerns. Lithuania, along with Estonia and Latvia, also has considered placing fees on power imports from Russia due to the plant’s construction.
Alexander Lokshin, the first deputy director general for operational management at Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear company, on August 7 said a second reactor at the site is scheduled for completion in mid-2022. The plant is being built by Atomstroyexport, a Rosatom subsidiary.
Fuel loading of Unit 1 at the plant began Friday, and a total of 163 fuel assemblies are expected to be loaded by the end of August. Unit 1 is a VVER-1200 reactor (water-water energetic reactor), built using the Russian AES-2006 design, and the second reactor will be the same model. Each reactor will have 1,200 MW of generation capacity. Unit 1 is scheduled to enter commercial operation by the end of this year.
“The Republic of Belarus has become the owner of a power unit built according to the latest Gen 3+ technologies,” Alexecy Likhachev, Rosatom general director, said in an email to POWER. “This technology has been proved and tested through the operation of similar power units in Russia. They meet all the post-Fukushima safety requirements, and all the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] missions have recognized their reliability. It is very important for us that we have built the first VVER-1200 unit abroad in the Republic of Belarus, a good neighbor of ours.”
Officials in Belarus have repeatedly said the plant meets IAEA requirements, citing several inspections by the agency. Officials also said representatives of the European Commission and the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group have overseen the project’s construction.
Plant’s Safety Questioned
Despite those assurances about the plant’s safety, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Friday called the plant a “threat to our state’s national security, public health and environment.” Zygimantas Vaiciunas, Lithuania’s energy minister, said he had warned the IAEA about what he called the Belarus government’s haste to launch the project.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia all want to decouple from their Soviet-era common power system by 2025.
Russian officials have said the Astravets plant will cost $10 billion. It is financed with a state loan that will be paid over a 25-year period.
“We are building many nuclear power plant units across the globe and Belarusian specialists already participate in two construction projects of ours, the Kursk nuclear power plant in Russia and the Rooppur nuclear power plant in Bangladesh,” Lokshin said in announcing the construction timeline for Unit 2.
Export of Russian Technology
Unit 1 at the Belarus site is the first reactor of the newest Gen 3+ type using Russian technologies to be built outside Russia. There are units of that type currently operating in Russia—two at the Novovoronezh NPP, and one at the Leningrad NPP. Russian officials have said the VVER-1200, an upgrade from the previous VVER-1000 reactor, is not only more advanced but also safer, and will operate more efficiently, with a better economic profile.
“Compared to the power units with the VVER-1000 reactor of the previous generation, the innovative Gen 3+ power unit with the VVER-1200 reactor has a number of advantages that significantly increase its economic performance and safety,” Andrey Petrov, general director of the Rosenergoatom, and first vice president for nuclear power plant construction of the ASE Group, said in a statement shared with POWER.
Rosatom told POWER in a statement that the main feature of the VVER-1200 “is a combination of active and passive safety systems that make the NPP fully resistant to external and internal influences. For example, all power units are equipped with a core catcher, a device provided to catch the molten core material of a nuclear reactor, as well as other passive safety systems capable of operating in complete power outage and without operators. In addition, the capacity of the power unit has increased by 20%, the number of maintenance personnel has been significantly reduced, and the design life of the main equipment has been doubled from 30 to 60 years with the possibility of extending it for another 20 years.”
Belarus Wants to Reduce Reliance on Russian Natural Gas
The nuclear power plant is a part of Belarus’ energy strategy formulated over the past decade, as the country wants to reduce reliance on Russian-sourced natural gas, which today generates about 95% of the country’s electricity. The Belarus energy plant also calls for construction of a 1,000-MW coal-fired plant, four hydropower stations with a total capacity of 120 MW, and wind projects totaling 300 MW.
Belarusian officials have said the plan, if fully implemented, would reduce the country’s share of power generation from Russian natural gas to about 55%.
Rosatom told POWER that Atomenergomash JSC, the company’s mechanical engineering division, is supplying all key equipment of the nuclear island for the Belarusian NPP. Fuel for the plant is produced at the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant, which is part of TVEL, the Russian nuclear fuel cycle company that belongs to a Rosatom subsidiary. The fuel’s enrichment level varies from 1.3% to 4.4%, according to Rosatom.
Rosatom told POWER that the company currently has 25 reactors under construction in nine countries, with an international order portfolio of 36 VVER units at different stages of implementation in 12 countries.
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The clean development mechanism versus international permit trading: the effect on technological change
The clean development mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol may induce technological change in developing countries. As an alternative to the clean development mechanism regime, developing countries may accept a (generous) cap on their own emissions, allow domestic producers to invest in new efficient technologies, and sell the excess emission permits on the international permit market. The purpose of this article is to show how the gains from investment, and hence the incentive to invest in new technology in developing countries, differ between the two alternative regimes. We show that the difference in the gains from investment depends on whether the producers in developing countries face competitive or noncompetitive output markets, whether the investment affects fixed or variable production costs, and whether producers can reduce emissions through means other than investing in new technology.
|Date of creation:||Nov 2007|
|Date of revision:|
|Contact details of provider:|| Postal: P.O.Box 8131 Dep, N-0033 Oslo, Norway|
Phone: (+47) 21 09 00 00
Fax: +47 - 62 88 55 95
Web page: http://www.ssb.no/en/
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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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- Cathrine Hagem, 1996. "Joint implementation under asymmetric information and strategic behavior," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 8(4), pages 431-447, December.
- Steffen Kallbekken & Hege Westskog, 2005. "Should Developing Countries Take on Binding Commitments in a Climate Agreement? An Assessment of Gains and Uncertainty," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3), pages 41-60.
- Franz Wirl & Claus Huber & I.O Walker, 1998. "Joint Implementation: Strategic Reactions and Possible Remedies," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 12(2), pages 203-224, September.
When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ssb:dispap:521. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.
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If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.
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Sailors v. Board of Educ. of Kent County
Annotate this Case
387 U.S. 105 (1967)
- Syllabus |
U.S. Supreme Court
Sailors v. Board of Educ. of Kent County, 387 U.S. 105 (1967)
Sailors v. Board of Education of the County of Kent
Argued April 17-18, 1967
Decided May 22, 1967
387 U.S. 105
ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
Appellants brought this suit seeking, inter alia, to enjoin as violative of the Fourteenth Amendment enforcement of a Michigan statute under which appellee school board and other county school boards are chosen not by the electors of the county, but by delegates from the local boards from candidates nominated by school electors. A three-judge district court, rejecting appellants' contention that the system paralleled the county-unit system invalidated in Gray v. Sanders, 372 U. S. 368, dismissed the complaint.
2. There is no constitutional reason why nonlegislative state or local officials may not be chosen otherwise than by elections. The functions of appellee school board are essentially administrative, and the elective-appointive system used to select its members is well within the State's latitude in the selection of such officials. Pp. 387 U. S. 107-111.
254 F.Supp. 17, affirmed.
MR. JUSTICE DOUGLAS delivered the opinion of the Court.
Appellants, qualified and registered electors of Kent County, Michigan, brought this suit in the Federal District Court to enjoin the Board of Education of Kent County from detaching certain schools from the city of Grand Rapids and attaching them to Kent County, to declare the county board to be unconstitutionally constituted, and to enjoin further elections until the electoral system is redesigned. Attack is also made on the adequacy of the statutory standards governing decisions of the county board in light of the requirements of due process. We need not bother with the intricate problems of state law involved in the dispute. For the federal posture of the case is a very limited one. The people of Michigan (qualified school electors) elect the local school boards. [Footnote 1] No constitutional question is presented as respects those elections. The alleged constitutional questions arise when it comes to the county school board. It is chosen not by the electors of the county, but by delegates from the local boards. Each board sends a delegate to a biennial meeting, and those delegates elect
a county board of five members, who need not be members of the local boards, [Footnote 2] from candidates nominated by school electors. It is argued that this system of choosing county board members parallels the county unit system which we invalidated under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in Gray v. Sanders, 372 U. S. 368, and violates the principle of "one man, one vote" which we held in that case and in Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U. S. 533, was constitutionally required in state elections. A vast array of facts is assembled showing alleged inequities in a system which gives one vote to every local school board (irrespective of population, wealth, etc.) in the selection of the county board. A three-judge court was convened, and it held by a divided vote that the method of constitution of the county board did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment. 254 F.Supp. 17. We noted probable jurisdiction, 385 U.S. 966.
We conclude that a three-judge court was properly convened, for, unlike the situation in Moody v. Flowers, ante, p. 387 U. S. 97, this is a case where the state statute that is challenged [Footnote 3] applies generally to all Michigan county school boards of the type described.
We start with what we said in Reynolds v. Sims, supra, at 377 U. S. 575:
"Political subdivisions of States -- counties, cities or whatever -- never were and never have been considered as sovereign entities. Rather, they have been traditionally regarded as subordinate governmental
instrumentalities created by the State to assist in the carrying out of state governmental functions. As stated by the Court in Hunter v. City of Pittsburgh, 207 U. S. 161, 207 U. S. 178, these governmental units are 'created as convenient agencies for exercising such of the governmental powers of the State as may be entrusted to them,' and the 'number, nature and duration of the powers conferred upon [them] . . . and the territory over which they shall be exercised rests in the absolute discretion of the State.'"
We find no constitutional reason why state or local officers of the nonlegislative character involved here may not be chosen by the governor, by the legislature, or by some other appointive means, rather than by an election. Our cases have, in the main, dealt with elections for United States Senator or Congressman (Gray v. Sanders, supra; Wesberry v. Sanders, 376 U. S. 1) or for state officers [Footnote 4] (Gray v. Sanders, supra) or for state legislators. Reynolds v. Sims, supra; WMCA, Inc. v. Lomenzo, 377 U. S. 633; Davis v. Mann, 377 U. S. 678; Roman v. Sincock, 377 U. S. 695; Lucas v. Colorado Gen. Assembly, 377 U. S. 713; Marshall v. Hare, 378 U. S. 561.
They were all cases where elections had been provided and cast no light on when a State must provide for the election of local officials.
A State cannot, of course, manipulate its political subdivisions so as to defeat a federally protected right, as for example, by realigning political subdivisions so as to deny a person his vote because of race. [Footnote 5] Gomillion v. Lightfoot,
"The science of government is the most abstruse of all sciences; if, indeed, that can be called a science which has but few fixed principles, and practically consists in little more than the exercise of a sound discretion, applied to the exigencies of the state as they arise. It is the science of experiment."
If we assume arguendo that, where a State provides for an election of a local official or agency, the requirements of Gray v. Sanders and Reynolds v. Sims must be met, we are still short of an answer to the present problem, and that is whether Michigan may allow its county school boards to be appointed.
When we stated ". . . the state legislatures have constitutional authority to experiment with new techniques" (Day-Brite Lighting, Inc. v. Missouri, 342 U. S. 421, 342 U. S. 423), we were talking about the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, as was Mr. Justice Holmes, dissenting in Lochner v. New York, 198 U. S. 45, 198 U. S. 75, when he said ". . . a constitution is not intended to embody . . . the organic relation of the citizen to the State. . . ." But as we indicated in Gomillion v. Lightfoot, supra, it is precisely that same approach that we have taken when it comes to municipal and county arrangements within the framework of a State. Save and unless the state, county, or municipal government runs afoul of a federally protected right, it has vast leeway in the management of its internal affairs.
The Michigan system for selecting members of the county school board is basically appointive, rather than elective. [Footnote 6] We need not decide at the present time whether
a State may constitute a local legislative body through the appointive, rather than the elective, process. We reserve that question for other cases such as Board of Supervisors v. Bianchi, ante, p. 387 U. S. 97, which we have disposed of on jurisdictional grounds. We do not have that question here, as the County Board of Education performs essentially administrative functions; [Footnote 7] and while they are important, they are not legislative in the classical sense.
Viable local governments may need many innovations, numerous combinations of old and new devices, great flexibility in municipal arrangements to meet changing
urban conditions. We see nothing in the Constitution to prevent experimentation. At least as respects nonlegislative officers, a State can appoint local officials or elect them or combine the elective and appointive systems as was done here. If we assume arguendo, that, where a State provides for an election of a local official or agency -- whether administrative, legislative, or judicial -- the requirements of Gray v. Sanders and Reynolds v. Sims must be met, no question of that character is presented. For while there was an election here for the local school board, no constitutional complaint is raised respecting that election. Since the choice of members of the county school board did not involve an election, and since none was required for these nonlegislative offices, the principle of "one man, one vote" has no relevancy.
MR. JUSTICE HARLAN and MR. JUSTICE STEWART concur in the result.
In Michigan, the members of the local school district's board are elected by popular vote of the residents of the district. See Mich.Stat.Ann. § 15.3023 (1959); Mich.Stat.Ann. §§ 15.3027, 15.3055, 15.3056, 15.3107, 15.3148, 15.3188, 15.3511 (Supp. 1965).
Mich.Stat.Ann. §§ 15.3294(1), 15.3295(1) (Supp. 1965). By Mich.Stat.Ann. §§ 15.3294(2)-15.3294(6) (Supp. 1965), members of the county board may be chosen at popular elections provided the board submits the matter to a referendum and the people approve. So far as we are advised, no such referendum has been held, and the membership of the county board, here challenged, was constituted by electors chosen by the local boards.
Mich.Stat.Ann. § 15.3294(1) (Supp. 1965).
The officers in Gray v. Sanders were: U.S. Senator, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Justice of the Supreme Court, Judge of the Court of Appeals, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Comptroller General, Commissioner of Labor, and Treasurer.
Nor can the restraints imposed by the Constitution on the States be circumvented by local bodies to whom the State delegates authority. Standard Computing Scale Co. v. Farrell, 249 U. S. 571, 249 U. S. 577; Cooper v. Aaron, 358 U. S. 1, 358 U. S. 17.
The delegates from the local school boards, not the school electors, select the members of the county school board. While the school electors elect the members of the local school boards and the local school boards, in turn, select delegates to attend the meeting at which the county board is selected, the delegates need not cast their votes in accord with the expressed preferences of the school electors. There is not even a formal method by which a delegate can determine the preferences of the people in his district. It is evident, therefore, that the membership of the county board is not determined, directly or indirectly, through an election in which the residents of the county participate. The "electorate" under the Michigan system is composed not of the people of the county, but the delegates from the local school boards.
The authority of the county board includes the appointment of a county school superintendent (Mich.Stat.Ann. § 15.3298(1)(b) (Supp. 1965)), preparation of an annual budget and levy of taxes (Mich.Stat.Ann. § 15.3298(1)(c) (Supp. 1965)), distribution of delinquent taxes (Mich.Stat.Ann. § 15.3298(1)(d) (Supp. 1965)), furnishing consulting or supervisory services to a constituent school district upon request (Mich.Stat.Ann. § 15.3298(1)(g) (Supp. 1965)), conducting cooperative educational programs on behalf of constituent school districts which request such services (Mich.Stat.Ann. § 15.3298(1)(i) (Supp. 1965)), and with other intermediate school districts (Mich.Stat.Ann. § 15.3298(1)(j) (Supp. 1965)), employment of teachers for special educational programs (Mich.Stat.Ann. § 15.3298(1)(h) (Supp. 1965)), and establishing, at the direction of the Board of Supervisors, a school for children in the juvenile homes (Mich.Stat.Ann. § 15.3298(1)(k) (Supp. 1965)). One of the board's most sensitive functions, and the one giving rise to this litigation, is the power to transfer areas from one school district to another. Mich.Stat.Ann. § 15.3461 (1959).
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Over the past few years, the Republican party has been invaded by an angry mob of populists who are not really grounded in any political philosophy that goes much beyond, "Tear it down!" or "It's Us against Them!"
These people have more in common with the mobs of Revolutionary France than they do the men who led the American Revolution. [read more about the problems Burke had with the Revolution in France]
These people have to be countered, and as many of them as possible need to be exposed to the philosophy of conservatism instead of the demagoguery they are currently hearing from speakers who (more often than not) have their own designs on using these people to gain power. It is often a fruitless endeavor to stand athwart a raging mob and yell, "Stop!" but that is what must be done if we are to prevent the effort to remake the Republican party into a mob of people mindlessly cheering whatever demagogue is saying things that are most pleasing to them at the moment. That is what the Democratic party is for.
I am going to start taking the material that I've been teaching to the members of this network in the class room to a wider audience online and beyond. My first step in that effort is the addition of a "Conservatism" tab [link to tab] to this network listing the ten principles of conservatism. If you've ever attended one of classes, you are already familiar with it.
I'll start with the first principle in this blog post:
Read the rest at Conservative Thunder
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As Donald Trump continues to dominate the headlines with his immigration plans, Pennsylvania remains undecided on their own ideas on the issue.
Just over half of all PA voters surveyed – 52% – said they feel illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in the country and should eventually have the opportunity to apply for citizenship, according to a new Quinnipiac poll – including 76% of Democrats and 50% of Independents.
37% want to require all illegal immigrants to leave the country – Trump’s main campaign platform – with strong support from Republicans (58%).
Both sides of the issue have gained a few points since June, when 48% supported a path to citizenship and 34% supported deportation.
At the start of August, President Barack Obama announced new EPA rules to regulate and reduce the amount of carbon pollution from coal-burning power plants, a move which 67% of PA voters support.
A majority of GOP voters oppose the new regulations, though 88% of Democrats and 68% of Independents are for them.
There is wide agreement – 72% – that new regulations are needed to clean the air, but PA voters are evenly split on whether the regulations are worth the costs – 44% for and 44% against.
The Pope has become a leading liberal icon in the country, with his comments on income inequality across the U.S. and world bringing focus to the issue.
60% of those polled said the federal government should pursue policies that will reduce the income and wealth gap – with 81% support from Dems and 73% support from people aged 18-34. 65% also support increasing taxes on higher income earners, up from 62% in February.
Immigration, climate change and income equality will be three of the biggest issues for 2016 presidential candidates, with this latest poll giving some insight to how PA – an essential swing state for both parties – will lean during the election.
This survey was conducted by Quinnipiac University using live interviewers calling land lines and cell phones. They contacted 1,085 registered Pennsylvania voters from August 7th to 18th. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.
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Google submitted a proposal to redevelop part of their Mountain View, California campus. The company worked with Danish architect Bjarke Ingels at BIG and Thomas Heatherwick of Heatherwick Studio to build a series of city block-sized “canopies” — glass greenhouse-style buildings.
Google owns or leases about 7.3 million square feet of office space in Mountain View, the company’s proposal would add bike trails, bridges and retail space to the current campus. The idea to create a lightweight block-like structures housed under massive and airy canopies. The blocks will be moveable to accommodate the changing needs of Google’s various teams. The translucent canopies will protect the structures while admitting natural light and outside air. Watch the video below.
via: Google Blog
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Learn how to properly perform the roundhouse kick from a professional kickboxing instructor in this free instructional video.
Hi, my name is Julio Anta with Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense in Miami, Florida. You can reach us on the web at www.antakungfu.com and now we are going to show you a basic martial art roundhouse that you can use in a kickboxing class or martial arts class or to kick box itself and it is called roundhouse kick. Jeanette is going to demonstrate one regular speed. Move, hsh, move, hsh, move, hsh and now in slow motion Jeanette chambering bring it up, kick, recoil and back. So the roundhouse kick could be used with the real legs the way she is using it. For fitness you got to make sure you pivot, lift up the heel to turn if you can only turn your knee and you need to turn your hips all the way and roundhouse you can go to the head body or to the groin. As you can see she has a chamber which is bend the knee, a kick which is a snap, recoil brings it in and down. Flea swapping again, no hard hitting. You hit hard in the ear, you hurt your knee. Front leg Jeanette. Front leg is beautiful for self defense. You have the aggressor or thee predator coming at you, you snap them to the groin and as you can see she is chambering, kicks, recoil and back to do a perfect roundhouse kick.
- How to Throw an Uppercut Punch in Kickboxing
- The Roundhouse Kick in Beginning Kickboxing
- Kickboxing Combinations in Beginning Kickboxing
- Knee Strike Kickboxing Technique
- How to Throw a Jab Punch: Boxing Basics
- Front Kick in a Street Fight vs. a Kickboxing Match
- Front Leg Kick in Beginning Kickboxing
- How to Move Your Feet During a Kickboxing Match
- Basic Kickboxing Stance
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FEATURED BOOK: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Many people are also aware that Lincoln had a distinguished yet unusual look about him. As you can see from the picture above, Lincoln’s distinguished look consisted of hollow eye sockets, long thin lips (with an m-shaped curve on the upper lip and a blubbery lower lip), and a long drawn out face. He was also tall (6’4), thin, and had large feet.
It has long been suggested that Lincoln had Marfan syndrome. Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder of connective tissue which causes unusual tallness, long limbs, and long thin fingers and toes. Cardiac problems are common, with shortness of breath during exertion. While Lincoln was tall, he was not abnormally tall. His fingers seemed proportional to his body (as is seen in the picture to his left) but did not look as long as what fingers typically look like in Marfan syndrome (see picture to the right). He was known as an excellent axeman, rail fence builder, and wrestler, which would have required good cardiac functioning. Geneticists now think it is unlikely that Lincoln actually suffered from Marfan syndrome.
More recently, a new theory emerged from Dr. John Sotos in a book known as The Physical Lincoln. The theory is that Lincoln actually suffered from a different genetic disorder that has skeletal features almost identical to Marfan syndrome, known as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN2B). Individuals with this condition tend to be tall, thin, with a long face, and protruding blubbery lips. All patients develop benign tumors of the mouth, eyes, and connective tissue that supports mucous membranes throughout the body. Cancer of the thyroid almost always occurs and cancer of the adrenal grand occurs in about half of the cases. Chronic constipation is a common symptom.
Lincoln clearly was tall and thin, had a long face, and protruding lips. Other characteristics Lincoln was known to have that occur in MEN2B include constipation, low muscle tone, lumpy lips, and possible cancer. The right cheek mole, facial asymmetry, droopy-eyelids, and depressive-like symptoms were also considered to be consistent with the diagnosis. Lincoln may have also grown a long beard later in life to cover up benign facial tumors. People with the condition usually die young, which is the main challenge to this theory. However, Dr. Sotos believes that Lincoln would have died within a year from cancer if he was not assassinated at age 56.
Genetic testing can confirm a diagnosis of MEN2B. The “problem” is that no one is going to allow for a U.S. President’s body to be exhumed (especially not someone as iconic as Lincoln) to test such a hypothesis. In addition, Lincoln’s coffin was encased in steel and concrete after a theft attempt and the last wishes of his family was for Lincoln’s body to be left alone. However, there is one other possibility where a DNA sample can be taken from: a blood stained Lincoln relic. One option was the bloodstained pillow (pictured below) that Lincoln laid on after being assassinated, which is stored in a Philadelphia museum. The museum eventually denied a request to test it.
Dr. Sotos eventually joined forces with a geneticist at the Cleveland Clinic (Dr. Charis Eng) and they were able to secure a sample of a dress worn by Laura Keen. Keen was an actress who rushed to Lincoln’s side after he was shot, causing blood stains to transfer to her dress. After months of work the testing was only able to find some genetic mutations that could be minor contributors to MEN2B but no conclusive evidence that he had the disease. Only by obtaining further samples from other sources will it be possible to come to a definitive answer.
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See also: IRC log
<dom> scribenick: jib
<dom> scribe: jib
<dom> Harald's slides
<gmandyam> Giri Mandyam joining as an observer from Qualcomm Innovation Center
<dom> Stats development space
mt: Tim Terriberry pointed to a spec in the audio community quite some time ago that has a well defined volume definition
cullen: that is in the audio draft
... we dont want the audio volume, we want a change in the audio volume
<Ted_> from Tim: My recommendation would be to follow EBU R128: <http://tech.ebu.ch/loudness>. See specifically EBU Tech Doc 3344.
… you're just saying it is going up or down in a deterministic way across browsers. Its a hard problem
<Mary> Correct link is: http://tech.ebu.ch/loudness
hta: next: inter-object pointers
mt: now that we have lots of objects in justin's proposal, why not use those instead of the internal stats objects by-id?
… getStats for my dohickey
justin: how do internal objects get referenced?
hta: then you loose ability to make snapshots
… I'm thinking about the case where you get stats from three different objects, and you make a computation between two sets a couple of seconds apart
… and that's why we have timestamps on stats objects
… going to the live object instead ot a stats object would be a complete change to the api.
Slide: Thorny stuff (2)
hta: a lot of what we're trying to monitor is not standardized
<Ted_> jesup: are getting good video?
Slide: More work
<Ted_> Okay. Harald is using the local stand mic at the podium
justin: go back for a second: how is the video discriminator going to work?
<Ted_> Should he switch to a lapel mic?
hta: (some answer scribe missed)
... I want to take wiki page and publish it as a separate document
cullen: a lot of this needs to be in the base spec
dom: I suggest we don't use the reference scheme to achieve this
cullen: I suggest leave base stats in webrtc spec and further stats in new doc
hta: I don't like that
… I'd like to have one place for everything
rather have a baseline 1 and immediately work on a baseline 2
… would that work fo you?
cullen: yes if people must implement what is in the base spec
hta: next: do we have to represent 'component'?
mt: can I of push for stats for rtp transport would include rtcp stats? (best guess)
hta: problem with that , ip addresses
... if ip is different for rtp rtcp then you need another place
mt: we decided we dont want the separate object, we wont make those ips available in stats, too bad
hta: in non-mux case we'll have a stats object, and btw here's a link to a separate object
uwe: not happy with not exposing it
… fine with separate transport object. but we should be able to access the information
justin: I think we'll be sad if we take a shortcut
... why dont we have a separate stats object and point to it?
mt: it will be exposed to the dom
hta: rrough consensus that stats should speak the truth: = two stats for two transports. will make a suggestion on the list
stefan: sounds good
<dom> Martin's slides
mt: proposal remove this RTCConfiguration parameter
agreement to remove
Slide: Isolation Scope
mt: I suggest that any isolated track will cause peerconnection to negotiate isolation with all
... if you have an isolated and a nonisolated track you want the remote to respect isolation for all tracks. - simplifies
???: how do I know ??
mt: this is simplifying model
... Option 1
mt: what do we do when it comes to negotiating sessions where eaither side have different expectations on isolation?
Slide: Advantages of Option 1
dan: is this right group?
mt: this is "what do we want?"
Slide: Option 2
ekr: if either side wants isolation you get isolatio?
… simplifies it
cullen: both doors have to be locked
hta: this means browser A that browser B is sending isolated tracks, but browser B can still run a JS plugin that does bad stuff
mt: cake is something, icing is knowing ?? We need something to say this media comes from x.com and no-one else.
dan: question: if in browser A I give permission to fluffy, what does it mean to isolate the media coming to me?
mt: isolation is lowering of access
…you can render this that's it
… when you pull it off the network wih a PC that is tagged as isolated, then you can render it and that's it
mt: isolated both ways
…identity is asymmetric
???(ms): I'm receiving something browser A, I need to know it is coming from A, right? How do I do that?
mt: at the receiving side you know the source is the network, and the TLS connection was with isolation on or off. If on, youre on your way
dom: an isolated peerconnection creates a separate origin basically
m: web page doesn't have any say once its mtade this web page and supports this feature
dan: authentication is something you go through when you log in, but there are a variety of ways to get isolation
mt: authentication is only required to get isolation through, or it goes nowhere
Slide: Isolation Timing
jonneth: if adding isolated tracks to PC , what happens if you have the model where you add a data channel, then I want to add isolatiod tracks. bundle. can I do that?
mt: then you cant
... solution: put a peerIdentity constriction on the peerConnection
jonneth: what does it apply to? just media?
what about stats?
ekr: maybe not give stats for isolated streams
stefan: what about a track in use becomes isolated?
mt: getUserMedia is not the only way to get a track. CaptureUntilEnded
... say you're sourcing a video-tag from a website and you're using dash or some sort of streaming protocol, then recreate
… then the model forces cross-origin which means we have to respect that tracks may change their properties over time.
scribe: same for audio
… when we force cross-origin we have to stop sending
dan: how to configure?
mt: when you provide peerIdentity:foo, it says don't allow session to complete without valid id assertion=foo
ekr: I suggest this first case, needs onnegotiationneeded
mt: adding a track should always cause onnegotiationneeded
ekr: I think always, but if not it should
mt: only concern if you're switching in and out with the aim of not renegotiation, we need to catch that for this isolation case
cullen: with onnegotationneeded, will it have to close and reopen the DTLS connection?
cullen: DTLS connection closes?
ekr: no, just like ICE restart
cullen: will we need the ELPN (sp?) value?
… lets not
…that's what I have
stefan: question related to schedule. we said last call for late september
mt: should be done well before then
jonneth: when it fails, is it silence forever or till onnegitiationneeded fires? black forever without me knowing about it would make me sad
… till you get the callback
mt: but if track changes isolation state then it's harder but that is an edge case
... we suggested we didn't need to know this earlier
dan: echoing jonneth. what if a naive developer finds themselves with things not working. Just trying to show them basic stuff. Nice to avoid things just failing. Necessary to solve this in real apps. The more failure modes we require renegotiation for then that's not great, how do we avoid that?
dom: suddenly it's black, then how does the model help understand this.
mt: error reporting
ekr: you can't get into this situation accidentally
... it's a feature, if you use this feature you should handle it
dan: you were saying there were cases where you could get redirect, where you didn't cause it
ekr: (some example)
dom: about cameras: I dont want to send video Im watching. Say you're using an interactive canvas
mt: canvas wont render isolation
ekr: otherwise you could use canvas to bypass origin protection
... going back to martins presentation yesterday: if you attempt to add a cross origin video to a PC that should generate some kind of error or warning or exception
dan: what about something that becomes cross-origin for an action you didn't take as a developer
ekr: that can't happen
mt: its always your fault
jonneth: question on that: if the other guy decides to go isolated, is that my fault?
mt: yes, you are the one writing the code in the browser
... explore adding information on MediaStream? Sounds like some are arguing for that
… DOM object MediaStream would get a new attribute "you can't touch me"
dom: an 'Isolated' property
mt: and an event
... most of these things are directly initiated by the JS
... and isolated:true/false propose an onisolation event is enough
… in mediacapture spec
mt: if you did a capture on a DRM mediastream, you would get a mediastream but all you could do was render to the screen
<Cow_woC> JonathanLennox: :)
dan: can you reconcile: gum obtained track can be isolated.
mt: tracks can change their isolated state at any time
dom: would be nice if you could know that it couldn't change
… if you know it comes from gUM you know it cant change and don't have to monitor the onisolatedchange
mt: if it comes from PC then it can change
… don't think we should assume the invariant that if it comes from gum then it can't change, but...
<scribe> ACTION: mt Add some property on MediaStreamTrack for Isolated:true/false, and onisolatedchange event [recorded in http://www.w3.org/2014/05/21-webrtc-irc]
<trackbot> Created ACTION-113 - Add some property on mediastreamtrack for isolated:true/false, and onisolatedchange event [on Martin Thomson - due 2014-05-28].
???: question: what about a mesh network? One wants isolation another don't?
cullen: don't think it'll be much of an issue since there are different PCs
… lets same I'm in conference, if I send my media to you and then you send it on then there may be a problem, but not otherwise
mt: a transient property
cullen: if I had cloned the tracks then ...
mt: when you clone an unisolated track and then these clones, some can be isolated and others may not
ted: basic point is correct. Someone asking for isolated. this is a consequence of our model
mt: if you want isolation in a relay environment, the first guy is not going to be able to send it on
dom: in a mesh, if only one of the user is adding something to a nonauthorized source, does this change things for everyone?
…does the application need a way to control this odd usecase?
ted: can't send the kitten on
… you have to put it in a separate PC to not taint everything else
dom: my fear is that you're not trying to protect whats in the camera, it just happened that one of the users tried to do something, I as a developer how do I avoid sending black?
mt: how about a property on a stream "I'm now sending black"?
???(ms): you mentioned changing track from isolated to nonisolated?
mt: app wont be able to change that, that's a case the browser controls
... crazy internal stuff
… user says "I'm protecting this stream" can't change that
dan: you can't avoid being tainted. you don't know whether anything you get from a PC can get tainted down the road
... that may cause everything else that you send to get tainted, and you must use a separate PC
… people who talk about ways to relay media may be tripped up by this
stefan: we have a lot to do
time for coffee
<stefanh> scribenick: stefanh
Alex going through slides
First: Data channel label uniqeuness
prop: update the spec to say do not have to be unique
... need to sort field to large/long - 6553x bytes
justin: rtp data channel long gone
... don't think that have a 6553x length is a problem in real world use
Randell: they should look up the limit
justin: we should cut at 65k and call it a day
Alex: how to know max size on sending
Justin: use the new w3c streams api is what I have heard people say
Alex: question is if we should add something to the API
justin: we should use streams api for the time being
alex: needs to use different stun/turn servers for ff and chrome
justin+ekr: should be fixed now, may be broken
<kiran> Hi my connection got disconnected while discussing label uniqueness.. can some one please let me know what was discussed on this.
ekr to verify it is fixed
alex: next topic trickle ice
... ice candidates not fired
ekr and adamr discussing
cullen: we cleared this up during this meeting - but need to make sure it gets documented
alex: next topic: mediaStream.stop() method
... users wanting a global stop method for a stream
justin: a stream is just a bunch of tracks - has no state
randell: people asking for this feature
<JonathanLennox> kiran - archive of the irc channel is at http://www.w3.org/2014/05/21-webrtc-irc
danb: we could add something back in for convenience
... some more discussion
hta: data channels should not be treated as tracks
cullen: we should add a method to get all tracks to stream
... as well as get all tracks of a certain type
alex showing slide on implementation status
randell: I have video forwarding work in ff at one stage
... full browser ec now active
next summary and conclusion
for media cap: we're getting close (to lc)
scribe: solution emerging for constraints
for weeebrtc: a couple of big items: doohickeys and isolation in all its forms
scribe: most seem resonably settled, but we will discover bugs down the road
... we're fairly happy, the meeting has been useful
we at w3c are worried about the progress at ietf side so we will chase people
back to media capture: we have the understandings from this meeting and the bug resolutions to integrate, but I see a lc glimmering in the distance (June?)
what could we have done better?
giri: bunch of bugs filed after hta did his presentation
whats the plan when it comes to dealing this (given next f2f is tpac)?
hta: main tool: mail, but we will call for teleconferences
... will try to solve the nit-type bugs asap
mt: would be good if someone could go through the bugs and see what bugs that have no proposed solution or plan to solve
hta: the list is under development, but we need to assign them to people
justin: how much work remains?
hta: for media cap we're close in terms of weeks
... for webrtc we don't know yet - we're not at that stage yet
... hope to be there before summer's ietf meeting?
cullen: should we focus on gUM and on webrtc?
justin: if we could finsih one would be better than two unfinished ones
justin: what needs to happen on in/out discussion
hta: what i've been hearing: simulcast is out, doohickeys in, what is in the spec is in
bernard: should finish what we have - can do more than we think
... with what we have
danb: constraints need more spec, need to spec what ideal really means
... to avoid misunderstandings
... need an assignee
justin: a lot of things that are not in the spec
... we should agree on them being out (rehydration, screen sharing, simulcast, rollback....)
... would like to understand what is out of 1.0
... to get total view of things
hta: we have work to do, see you next time
(may have a gettoghether before tpac)
over and out
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Sunday, June 24, 2007
Bringing Back Geography
Geography@about.com links to the must read essay of the year entitled Bring Back Geography! The essay is long but well worth one's time. I will not summarize the essay but touch on key points and offer thoughts.
Three Main Points Catholicgauze and the Essay Agree
Geography Gets No Respect
When I was earning my degrees I was constantly asked what I was studying in school. I replied, of course, "geography." Almost every time the reply back was "What are you going to do? Teach?" Too many people think geography is just remembering countries and the three main exports. It is because of this that university close down geography departments. With little upper level education, teachers and other college students get no proper geographical education. No good teachers means geographical illiteracy becomes common in a society.
Geographers Are Partly to Blame for the No Respect
I told a friend something important when we were helping out the state Geography Bee. I said something along the lines of "You know how we always claim geography is more than place trivia? What are we doing here?" When studies by National Geographic and others exemplify how kids do not know geography, we make it appear geography is place trivia and for kids. I hate to brag about we need more Catholicgauzes in the world (a horrible thought!). There are dozens of excellent blogs out about geotechnology but how many geography blogs are there? Geographers need to be interacting with people showing what geography is.
Geographic Illiteracy Ranges from Embarrassing to Insulting to Dangerous
The risks involved with being geographic illiteracy are numerous. You can embarrass yourself like CNN did by labeling Syria as Afghanistan, you can insult the inhabitants of the country you are visiting by making the symbol of group that murdered 70,000 of your country men chic like Cameron Diaz did, or you can greatly minimize your effectiveness as an army like General David Petraeus realizes in observation nine [PDF]. Geographers must teach the public how things operate in a globalized world. We need to tell people how an economic downturn in China will change their shopping habits or if tribes in Nigeria become angry then oil price will shoot up. We must also go beyond human geography. Geographers can take the lead in discussions on the environment but so far we remain silent.
Three Extra Fights
Fight for Our Right
Today a popular thing for universities to do is multidisciplinary programs. Geographers work well with other disciplines. However we must protect our turf at all cost. We excel by nature at area studies, environmental sciences, and GIS. Any attempt to spin these off to another department or as an independent branch must be opposed. Also, any attempt to merge geography with another department makes it a grab bag of left overs.
Fight "The Infection"
You know Catholicgauze very well if you know the first time this came up. An anti-establishment disease crossed over from European departments to American ones. Too many geographers refuse to participate with military operations (there was a debate in several geographical journals over this issue after 9/11), in mainstream studies of globalization (the best work on the subject, Commanding Heights, noticeably lacks a geographer's input), or any other study "the corporate machines of the world want us to do." That is a real quote. Geographers waste their gifts and will be replaced by others if they insists in locking themselves in their ivy-tower prisons.
Fight for Proper Use of Tools
When I was teaching Environmental Geography lab I allowed students to use my laptop's version of Google Earth. The students looked up their houses and then stopped. They saw no further use. Then I showed them various layers such as weather and earthquakes around the world. I used the displayed data to convey spatial themes behind climate zones and the Ring of Fire. The students then realized Google Earth was not a mere earth viewer but a tool to help explaining geography.
Too often geographers let tools take a life of their own. I have warned against this. When a president of a major geographical association went to Harvard to celebrate its new GIS lab, he erred. The GIS tool was taken by others at the school and geography lost its right and place at Harvard.
I could repeat the phrase "geography matters" but that would be preaching to the choir. Geographers need to reach out to the public, to school teachers, to leaders what geography is and how geographical knowledge can aid in many situations.
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Definition of Erythrosines
1. erythrosine [n] - See also: erythrosine
Click the following link to bring up a new window with an automated collection of images related to the term: Erythrosines Images
Lexicographical Neighbors of Erythrosines
Literary usage of Erythrosines
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Bleaching and Dyeing of Vegetable Fibrous Materials by Julius Hübner (1912)
"... erythrosines, Rose Bengal, Phloxine, Fast Pinks. I)ye for \ to 1 hour in a lukewarm concentrated (short) bath, containing 30 to (;0 Ibs. of common salt ..."
2. The Dyeing of Wool: Including Wool-printing, with the Dyestuffs of by Cassella, Leopold & Co., G.m.b.H., Cassella Color Company (1905)
"749) possesses the same properties as the erythrosines but a more bluish and very brilliant shade. ..."
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Patient management needs critical decisions to be taken by the nursing staff.Read more...
The emails span from 2006 to 2012 and will be published over the next two months
WikiLeaks is back in the news with a project that’s more than eight times the size of Cablegate. The WikiLeaks team announced Thursday that it has published the first batch of over 2.4 million emails from the Syrian government. The group plans to release the rest of the emails over the next two months.
"The material is embarrassing to Syria, but it is also embarrassing to Syria’s opponents,” said WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, in a statement. “It helps us not merely to criticize one group or another, but to understand their interests, actions and thoughts. It is only through understanding this conflict that we can hope to resolve it."
The first batch of emails released today detail the involvement of companies that have been providing technology and supplies to the Syrian regime as it has been violently repressing uprisings from rebel groups. One such company is Italy’s largest tech manufacturer Finmeccanica, which specializes in defense and security technology. Finmeccanica is owned by communications company Selex Elsag. One email exchange between a Syrian official and Selex program manager Simone Bonechi reveals how Finmeccanica supplied Syria with helicopter technology that used parts manufactured in the U.S., and how Finmeccanica consequently had to find a way to elude U.S. intelligence.
Finmeccanica has been providing the Syrian regime with a high tech radio communications system known as TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio), which is typically used by police and security forces. It also supplied the Syrian regime with helicopter technology.
This wouldn’t be the first time Finmeccanica was outed for providing repressive regimes with technology. In 2007, Finmeccanica sold $8.2 million worth of radio technology to Iranian government agencies.
Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi has been placed under investigation by Italian police for suspected international corruption and money laundering. Orsi insists that the allegations amount to nothing short of slander.
Syria’s bloody conflict has killed between 6,000 and 15,000 people in the last 18 months. The emails being published on WikiLeaks span from August 2006 to March 2012 and include more than 670,000 different email addresses across 680 domains. Some 400,000 emails are in Arabic while 68,000 are in Russian.
WikiLeaks says that in terms of the number of documents, the Syria Files are eight times the size of Cablegate (the U.S. cables that were released in late 2010), and it’s more than 100 times the size in terms of data.
This isn’t the first time that the emails of Syrian officials have been hacked. Earlier this year, individuals associated with Anonymous hacked into the emails of the Syrian Ministry of Presidential Affairs, which revealed, among other things, the fact that Syria's UN Mission thinks Americans are painfully stupid. Meanwhile, 33 of the 78 staff accounts that Anonymous hacked into were all using the password “12345.”
Anonymous also hacked into the Syrian government’s defense ministry in August 2011. Shortly thereafter, the group hacked into and vandalized several Syrian government websites.
Image source: wikileaks.org
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Read more from our "Trends and news" series
Chaudhary will oversee product development, operations, and strategy for SURREALRead more...
This new feature will allow businesses to quickly access powerful tools available in GCPRead more...
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Finland’s cradle of photonics, the Optoelectronics Research Centre, concentrates on two key areas: semiconductor physics and technology, and ultra-fast laser optics. It has been particularly active in commercialising the results of its research, with a number of spin-offs launched over the years.
Based at the Tampere University of Technology (TUT), the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC ) has operated there since 1999. Employing around 65 researchers and associates, it is one of the best-equipped academic research units in Finland and the largest university-based research centre in Europe in the field of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) crystal growth technology, with six commercial MBE reactors and comprehensive optoelectronic device processing and characterisation facilities.
ORC is currently involved in running more than 25 national and international research projects with around 50 universities and companies worldwide. The Centre has been very successful in achieving innovative scientific results, developing new technologies, and transferring know-how to industry – and has played a seminal role in creating a laser manufacturing industry in Finland.
ORC established a service centre and industry network in 2004. Now known as Laser Competence Centre Finland, this initiative is designed to strengthen the position of its members in R&D related to photonics applications by building a critical mass of equipment and expertise.
|Much of ORC’s recent work has been concerned with high-power vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs) for high-power applications.
ORC ’s core activity is to study and develop novel epitaxial compound semiconductor heterostructures using MBE for crystal growth, light emitting and light modulation devices, and ultra-short-pulse high-power fibre lasers. It also develops ‘cold’ ablation and thin-film deposition methods based on the use of ultra-fast fibre lasers.
Much of its recent work has been concerned with high-power vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs) for high-power applications, and the development of UV nanoimprint lithography (NIL) for fabricating sub-100 nm surface structures cost-effectively for nanophotonic components.
Major international projects
One of ORC ’s recent research successes was the three-year NATAL project funded by the European Commission under the EU’s Sixth Framework Programme, and which focused on developing photonic nanomaterials and technologies for visible light generation.
The project was coordinated by ORC and was carried out as a joint effort between some of Europe’s leading academic institutions and industrial partners in the field of photonics, and driven by novel semiconductor gain material grown by ORC and the Technical University of Berlin.
The key technology used was Optically-Pumped Semiconductor Vertical External Cavity Surface-Emitting Semiconductor Lasers (OPS-VECSEL). These exciting new lasers combine many of the advantages of conventional diode-pumped solid-state lasers with the flexibility of semiconductor gain material.
Blue laser diodes were used for the first time ever for the direct optical pumping of red SDL material, highlighting new potential for the development of compact and powerful lasers with emission in both the visible and UV spectrum. Many of the highlights of the project related to the development of new quantum well- and quantum dot-based thin-disk laser gain materials.
NATAL achieved breakthrough results in the fabrication of novel compound semiconductor materials application, new laser architectures, and new operation wavelengths. QD VECSELs were demonstrated for the first time, and this technology is now being pursued within the FAST-DOT project.
The most important impact on the commercialisation of VECSEL technologies is expected to be made by OSRAM, which is working on VECSEL-based technology for low-power RGB projection. Finnishbased EpiCrystals, an ORC spin-off, has also entered the commercial field with its proprietary DeCIBEL technology, a complementary platform.
Other recent FP6 projects include URANUS, again coordinated by ORC , which concentrated on ultra-fast technology for multicolour compact highpower fibre systems; and DELILA, which focused on developing lithography technology for the nanoscale structuring of materials using laser beam interference.
High-performance lasers for telecommunications
Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a particularly exciting area of technology, as it can already be used to fabricate any type of nanophtonic surface relief and looks set to become a cost-effective mass-production method.
It is this potential that is now being addressed by the ORC -coordinated DeLight project, aimed at developing advanced structures and low-cost technologies for the fabrication of high-performance telecommunication lasers operating at 1.3 and 1.55 μm, with a particular emphasis on NIL.
ORC is working with the University of Kassel, the University of Würzburg, Politecnico di Torino, the Israel Institute of Technology, Wroclaw University of Technology, the Alcatel-Thales III-V Lab, and two companies, Finnish-based ORC spin-off Modulight Inc., and German-based MergeOptics. The project is being funded under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme and will run for three years from September 2008.
The aim is to create a common technological fabrication platform for both high-performance, surface grating-based DFB/DBR telecommunications lasers and ultra-high-speed directly modulated lasers. The surface-oriented technology used in the project is largely independent of the underlying semiconductor structure and will be used for fabricating InP- and GaAs-based edge-emitting lasers (EELs).
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Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Lockheed Martin unveils its TR-X
Above you see the LM proposal to replace both the U-2 and the Global Hawk. I find that interesting. The Global Hawk has barely entered service and already planning is underway to replace it. Has a critical flaw in its concept been discovered? Is the USAF so worried about operations even in uncontested airspace that a stealth UAV is necessary?
We're being told something with this initiative (LM wouldn't be proposing something if they didn't see a market for it) but I'm not sure what.
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Upon the news of the closing of GeoCities by Yahoo, Archive Team initiated the GeoCities Project, a coordinated effort to rescue as much of GeoCities' data as possible off the to-be-decomissioned GeoCities servers. This project was begun in April of 2009, and continued throughout the summer of 2009 up to the closing date of October 26, 2009 by Yahoo. A list of Frequently Asked Questions about this project was generated and is available Here.
Parallel to our efforts (and in conjunction with them) archive.org began a major "deep crawl" of GeoCities to add to their wayback machine. The page for their project is here. Please note that Archive Team and archive.org are 100% separate entities, with different approaches to the project of saving data and history.
It can not be stressed enough how many people were involved with this project - some preferred to be behind the scenes, while Jason Scott continued his habit of being a complete media hog, getting a lot of the interviews and face time with people asking what was up. But there were dozens of people involved, and they supplied weeks of time and effort to find efficient ways to download all of this data before it was removed.
Technical Details About GeoCities
These are now-defunct facts about GeoCities, culled from various sources, intended to provide some technical context for the arrangement of GeoCities that were discovered during the harvesting phase of data.
Before the acquisition by Yahoo, GeoCities used an unusual organization method for its userbase: Neighborhoods. Separating the subject matter of the pages by taste, neighborhoods with names like Area51 (Science Fiction and Fantasy), Nashville (Country Music), Augusta (Golf) and others allowed for an easier time of finding subject matter the browser was searching for. It helps to give context that search engines as the modern world knows them did not exist in such force.
A neighborhood would have up to 9,999 accounts underneath them, with the numbers representing the user's "block". Over time, GeoCities added "Suburbs", which allowed an expansion past 9,999 users; these would have names like "Vault" and "Cavern" under the "Area51" neighborhood. A URL would then be available in the form of www.geocities.com/NEIGHBORHOOD/SUBURB/XXXX.
Geocities Homestead Neighborhoods and Suburbs, although having not been updated since 2007, gives an excellent overview of the GeoCities history of Neighborhood organization.
The Various Names and Incarnations of GeoCities
Originally called Beverly Hills Internet, the company opened up free web hosting in 1995 after a beta period. It renamed itself to Geopages, and then GeoCities. After its acquisition by Yahoo, its name was changed to Yahoo GeoCities, which is what it remained until its demise.
The Size and Amount of GeoCities Accounts
GeoCities would provide a limited amount of space for its users to build websites, although this amount grew over time. While the most famous is about fifteen megabytes per site, the number was actually much more variant and changed through different amounts over its lifetime. This is an attempt to find citations of the size from various sources; it is clear from the various points of reference that different people got different deals through GeoCities over the years, especially with regard to paid versus free hosting.
This small size explains the usual look and feel of GeoCities accounts, as users were naturally restricted in what items they could have on their pages, and would lean towards simple graphics or utilizing hotlinsk to build their look.
- 1997: 2mb Limit for GeoCities.
- April 29, 1997: GeoCities welcomes its 500,000th "Homesteader" and increases the limit to 11mb.
- 1998: 15mb limit for small business service
- 1999: GeoCities has 12 terabytes of storage.
- 2001: 15mb for GeoCities, 25mb for $8.95 a month
- 2002: 15mb Limit for GeoCities.
- 2002: 25mb for the newly introduced "GeoCities Plus"
- 2003: 25mb for GeoCities Plus (As of June)
- 2005: 75mb for GeoCities Plus (As of January)
- 2005: 25mb for GeoCities Plus (As of April)
Yahoo's Site Explorer showed 23M html pages in Yahoo's index as of April 29th, 2009.
Tips n' Tricks
- Although simple directory listings aren't accessible for users' accounts, you might be able to obtain Apache-style directory listing for their subdirectories. For example, by stripping off the page filename for http://www.geocities.com/nenehs_world1/discography/homebrew.html, we can obtain an index for the subdirectory http://www.geocities.com/nenehs_world1/discography/; the benefit of this is that there may exist files which are not linked internally or externally, so crawlers are not made aware of them. Unfortunately, it seems many users do not organize their content into subdirectories, instead preferring to dump all files directly into the user directory. Also, they may have been good webmasters and provided a directory index which overrides directory listings.
- User:Jscott, Joey paulprote and many others are downloading the main www.geocities.com stuff.
- User:Soult downloaded parts of de.geocities.com, which is available as tar archive here (download takes 1-2 minutes to start before the first packets arrive, be patient)
- User:Bbot is mirroring downloaded content.
- User:Scumola is crawling GeoCities using the archive.org crawler but on hold in June due to Comcast's 250GB bandwidth limit. Will resume in July.
- Asheesh Laroia (User:Paulproteus) helped test User-Agent tricks to download from GeoCities, and purchased geociti.es.
- User:Gouki, is downloading br.geocities.com.
- User:Jourdy288 is going to try to save Sega Master System Land.
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The practice of today’s geotechnical engineering faces the challenge of providing practical solutions to problems with ever increasing technical difficulty, with every time more restricted financial resources. This requires better and effective engineering. The professionals have to be prepared for an international market, but the time for its basic formations is being reduced. Therefore there is a need for optimizing the resources applied to the formation of the new professionals. As an alternative to these challenges, an approach based on the integration of the disciplines of geotechnical engineering is presented. This approach is based on a sound mathematical formulation of the mechanics of the geotechnical problems to be solved by modern techniques. This is complemented by an increasingly profound and integrated knowledge of the earth materials in our country. Examples opportunities for the application of this approach in the geotechnical engineering practice in Bogotá are presented.
práctica de la geotecnia, enseñanza de la geotecnia, ColombiaGeotechnical practice, geotechnical teaching, Water balance (Hydrology)- Sabana de Bogotá (Colombia)
________, (2001), Engineering the Future of Civil Engineering, disponible en: http://www.asce.org/raisethebar.
INSTITUTO de Desarrollo Urbano (2003), Reglamento técnico para la ejecución de obras en el sector vial de Bogotá, D.C., Bogotá.
LAMBE, T.W., R. V. Whitman (1969), Soil Mechanics, New York, John Wiley and Sons.
RODRÍGUEZ, J., E. Velandia, F. Reyes (2004a), Análisis del efecto de excavación en un depósito del Piedemonte de Bogotá. X Congreso Colombiano de Geotecnia, Sociedad Colombiana de Geotecnia.
________, (2004b), Caracterización de suelos blandos para modelos de plasticidad. X Congreso Colombiano de Geotecnia, Sociedad Colombiana de Geotecnia.
STOKOE, K., et al. (1994), Characterization of Geotechnical Sites by SASW, en: Woods, R.D. (editor), Geophysical Characterization of Sites, Rotterdam, AA. Balkema.
TAYLOR, D. W. (1948), Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics, New York, John Wiley and Sons.
TERZAGHI, K. (1943), Theoretical Soil Mechanics, New York, John Wiley and Sons, Woods.
________, (1948), Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice, New York, John Wiley and Sons.
________, G. Mesri (1996), Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice, 3rd Edition, New York, John Wiley and Sons.
VICK, S. (2002), Degrees of Belief – Subjective Probability and Engineering Judgement, Reston: ASCE Press.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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The event dubbed Web@2011, soon to hit parts of the country, will give the platform to businesses, individuals and groups to learning about how the World Wide Web (WWW) can serve as a means of connecting with the world, sharing information, doing business, engaging customers and meeting new people.
With the use of social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, experts expect that companies should take advantage of such media as a consumer-engagement tool.
Organizers of Web@2011, PopOut and inCharge, say the theme for the event which is “Webvolution”, will further touch on how to design a website, optimize it for search engine, how to create rich and captivating web content, and ways to drive traffic to a website.
In an interview with the event manager, Mr. Maximus Ametorgoh, he told ghanabusinessnews.com that the emergence of technology which is now a new economy serves as a tool for communication which is less expensive in terms of the transaction of businesses.
“Web technology now has taken businesses from the local environment to the global world”, Mr Amertorgoh said.
Mr Amertorgoh believes that it is time for businesses to integrate unto the web platform to enable their customers to purchase goods and services that they provide online.
He was also optimistic that corporate entities will embrace the event which will kick start in Accra, then to Tamale, Kumasi and Takoradi.
For more information on event details and to register, click on this link.
By Ekow Quandzie
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I will never figure why I am surprised with the innovation that defines Discovery. Just when I think there’s nothing new under the DE umbrella (pardon the rain allusion, but that’s been Northeast PAs forecast for most of this summer), they amp up your notion of premiere professional deveolpment. That’s why you do not want to miss the very special Explore Aftrica Today Webinar.
What is the Teach Africa Program?
The Teach Africa Program is The Africa Society’s response to the lack of Africa education in America’s classrooms. Through this program, we work with superintendants, principals, and teachers to include Africa in the curriculum of schools across the country. Teach Africa, in its implementation is comprised of three phases: Phase I is an orientation for superintendents and principals; Phase II is a daylong program with workshop training sessions for teachers; and Phase III is an Africa-immersion Youth Forum for middle and high school students.
Why is the Teach Africa Program Important?
In order to participate in the increasingly globalized world and overcome its immense challenges, today’s youth must receive exposure to and information about the varied cultures of the international community. However, many teachers lack adequate resources and training to properly inform their students. Teach Africa, The Africa Society’s flagship program, provides for this exposure and seeks to fill the void by equipping teachers and students alike with the knowledge and resources to educate themselves and others.
If you’ve read Pink and Friedman as well as Langwitches Need for Storytelling Skills, you begin to connect the global dots and see the sequence and the importance for tackling the challenges of globalization.
How Can I Participate?
Take a virtual expedition to Africa and join fellow teachers and students in a one-of-a-kind live web event! Explore the Republic of Benin, one of the most diverse areas of West Africa, with special guest His Excellency Cyrille Segbe Oguin, Ambassador to the U.S. from Benin, who will bring the diversity of the country, its people and cultures to life in an open, interactive discussion. Learn about changes taking place within Benin as the country embraces the modern challenges of democracy while honoring its heritage.
Tuesday, July 28 at 3:00 PM ET
Note: The webinar starts at 3:00 PM ET, but there is an opening and welcome beginning at 2:00 PM ET.
In addition to learning, Discovery added an additional incentive:
The first 25 attendees to register and attend the online webinar will receive a dynamic board game that tests your knowledge of Africa.
The Teach Africa Program is comprehensive, with components for a Youth Forum, Teacher Workshops, and an educational phase for Superintendents and Principals. What a better way to kick off a potential new educational program than with a Discovery Education ground-breaking live WebEx webinar event.
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Brad Friedel has helped launch a new initiative that will see the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation play a greater role in improving the health and wellbeing of people in the local community.
The Haringey Community Health Trainer programme, led by Public Health Haringey and supported by Haringey Council, will see NHS health trainers based at White Hart Lane offering free health advice.
It is hoped that the appeal of visiting one of English football’s most famous stadiums will encourage more local people who do not regularly visit their GP, especially men, to receive health advice.
Brad currently holds the record for the longest run of consecutive Premier League starts and joined Grant Cornwell MBE, Chief Executive Officer at the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, and Cllr Dilek Dogus to speak on the importance of staying healthy as a professional footballer.
The former USA international said:
“During my time in the game I have seen a greater focus placed on the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, dietary requirements and training techniques. Over the past 10 years I have also made necessary changes to my lifestyle in order to ensure I can continue to perform at the highest level of my profession. But not everyone is lucky enough to have access to the sort of health advice that is on offer to a professional footballer on a daily basis, so it is fantastic that the Club and its Foundation are making this service available.”
Health Trainers are local people who have undertaken extensive training to enable them to offer one-to-one support to adults to help them to lead a healthier life – through changes such as quitting smoking, increasing exercise, cutting back on alcohol, and healthy eating.
Brad met each of the individuals and awarded them a certificate of achievement at an event held at White Hart Lane.
The ceremony also marked the launch of the NHS Health Check programme, aimed at preventing stroke, heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease in Haringey residents aged 40-74.
People are asked a series of questions and tests are undertaken in GP surgeries to assess their risk of these diseases and to detect any early signs of illness. They will then be offered expert help and support to make any necessary lifestyle changes and medication when needed.
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Is our proclivity for music due to societal and cultural influences, or is there a resonance for beats in our brains?
The winner of this month’s Blog Pick of the Month is Ben Good from the B Good Science Blog who covered two papers, one from PLoS ONE, the other from Nature Neuroscience – describing how the enjoyment of a song correlates to changes in brain activation, as well as fluctuations in other body metrics, like respiration rate, body temperature, and skin moisture.
So what songs are likely to cause these kind of effects? Well another study by the same research group came out with a list of instrumental songs most likely to cause the ‘chill factor’ according to their observations. They asked their participants to select 3-5 songs which caused the chill factor for them. They were not allowed to pick songs that they had an emotional connection to (e.g. “Aww this our song!”) or songs from films (unless they hadnt seen the film), this was to try to reduce any prior associations with the song. The songs ranged from from classical to jazz.
For their work, Ben and the authors of the study will receive a complimentary PLoS ONE t-shirt.
Aside from providing insight into music and the brain with a really intriguing post, Ben also drove my MP3 choices for the remainder of the day. Nicely done.
Photo via Flickr / Rick_Smit
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One thing I learned that I did not know before is that the sides of the tables have to come from the vanishing point. Learning this thing made my drawing better because if I didn't know about it, my tables would look wrong.If I did this assignment again, I would start it earlier because I procrastinated a little. I would advice someone to not worry about it too much. When you see it, it looks very complicated but once you start doing it and once you understand how to, it will be pretty simple to finish. The resource that helped me the most was the tutorial on how to draw the room. I looked at the steps very carefully and I basically copied what I saw.
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(16) Dispose of equipment in accordance with local SOP.
(17) Record the procedure in the patient's Nursing Notes. Note the following
(a) Type and amount of lavage solution used.
Appearance, odor, color, and amount of gastric return.
Patient's tolerance to procedure.
Disposition of specimens.
1-39. NURSING CARE OF THE PATIENT WITH A NASOGASTRIC TUBE
a. Provide good oral hygiene at regular and frequent intervals. Offer water or
mouthwash to rinse the mouth every hour. Assist the patient to brush his teeth at least
every 4 hours.
b. Keep the nostrils free of accumulations of dried secretions.
c. If permissible, apply lubricant such as Vaseline to the lips and nostrils for the
patient's comfort. Patients may wear lipstick.
d. Encourage the patient to swallow saliva naturally; the tube is a constant
source of annoyance and the patient may have a tendency to expectorate excessively.
The physician may allow chewing gum or hard candy to help maintain mouth moisture
and to encourage normal swallowing of saliva. Only conscious, responsive, alert
patients should be given these items.
CAUTION: Remind the patient to remove gum or candy before mouth care and
e. Report complaints and signs of nose or throat irritation (excessive mucus,
sore throat, or hoarseness).
f. Encourage the patient to change position frequently, using care not to pull on
the tube and not to lie on the drainage tubing.
g. Follow diet orders exactly. If water or clear fluids are allowed by mouth, be
sure to check on amount to be given at one time. Know exactly whether or not the tube
is to be clamped when fluids are given and at what time interval in relation to oral intake.
For example, the order may be to clamp the drainage tube for 1 hour after intake to
allow some absorption.
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We are in trouble. The world is producing vast amounts of born-digital material. The volume, complexity, and dynamism of this information challenge us to think creatively about its capture, organization, and long-term preservation and usability. What is the role of the library? Is this a source of failure or opportunity for the global library community? Internet pioneer Vint Cerf warns us about the risk of a “digital dark age” if we do not develop the technologies, tools, financial resources, shared responsibilities, and will to address this risk to our cultural, scientific, societal, and community records.
This is an issue of integrity, of the collective adherence to a code and standard of values, of maintaining human records as complete, unimpaired, and undivided as possible. The ability to consult the evidence and sources used by researchers and authors will be lost if those digital records are not available. The ability to research and investigate the history and current state of our world will be compromised if born-digital materials are gone or changed. The ability to access the sources of record will be difficult if they are deposited and dispersed into multiple and disparate sites. This is the challenge of repository chaos.
At the core of born-digital content preservation and archiving are four principles. We must hold the content, the archive as repository, because we cannot preserve what we have not collected. We must enable access, the repository as persistence. We must secure the content, the archive as curation. And we must take care of the content, the repository as steward.
Born-digital content comes in an ever-expanding array of forms and formats. Consider just the following examples:
- published and licensed works such as e-journals, ebooks, e-video, and e-audio, from commercial and trade sources, from academic publishers, from the growing array of independent publishers and distributors, and the revolution in self-publishing and self-distribution
- the output of e-government
- online learning and training materials
- research data from universities and corporations
- social media in all of its wonderful expressions
- electronic archives that come with personal papers
- organizational records, including email, manuscripts, business papers, and financial information
- websites and web documents
- pictorial images
- spatial data and longitudinal observations
- software applications, both proprietary and open source
- video games
- medical data, with the inherent challenges of patient privacy
- live feeds, like RSS and news information from around the world
- visualizations and simulations
- interoperable metadata, like MARC, BIBFRAME, and schema.org
And so on, with so many new things that will grow in intensity and intricacy.
New technologies are feeding the explosion in born-digital content. Each year Educause and the New Media Consortium publish the Horizon Report, which documents and describes important developments. Some examples from the past few years will illustrate the symbiosis and demonstrate the explosion:
- mobile devices and tablets
- cloud computing with distributed processing and applications
- geo-everything, such as geolocation and geotagging
- the personal web and customized management of online content
- linked data connecting and relating structured information
- semantic-aware applications that link meaning to answers
- smart objects and smart spaces that connect information and the physical world
- open content with wide distribution and repurposing
- massive open online learning experiences
- electronic books and the array of platforms and applications
- Big Data and big science driving new forms of research information management
- games as learning tools with participation and interaction
- visualizations that bring meaning and understanding to data
The challenge of born-digital content comes at the point when libraries are confronting critical trends. We are experiencing rapidly shifting user behaviors and expectations. We are trying to figure out how to move away from redundant, inefficient library operations and aging service paradigms. We recognize the need to achieve scale and network effects through aggregation in an environment of advanced open architecture and the acceleration of collective innovation. We are facing metadata chaos in terms of quality, currency, and accuracy. We face a new economic context and a mandate for systemic change. We are not sure how to deal with conditions of massive surveillance, security meltdowns, threats to network neutrality, and corporate control of the infrastructures of discovery and content.
How does born-digital content fit into what libraries do? Libraries select, acquire, and synthesize information. Libraries enable users to navigate, disseminate, interpret, understand, use, and apply information. Libraries preserve and archive information. These activities are carried out in support of teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and community health and development. We respond to a societal and global mandate. How will our roles and processes be extended to embrace born-digital content, or will the massive challenges spawn a new vision, purpose, method, and system?
Quality equals content plus functionality. How do we make sure that the born-digital content is preserved but also remains usable long term? That means that we understand and accommodate the important characteristics of digital information:
- accessibility and availability, with no constraints on time and geography
- the searchability and researchability (i.e., being able to ask new questions)
- the currency and real-time nature of the information
- its dynamism and fluidity and linkability
- the collaborative and interactive elements
- its encyclopedic potential but also its modularity
- its volatility and fragility
Born-digital resources also force us to consider the relationship among form, text, and function, where content is no longer tied to format. We are encouraged to be more sensitive to context, renderability, and versioning over time. We see the inevitability of physical and format obsolescence, the importance of authenticity and provenance, and the role of standards such as globally unique identifiers.
The scope, depth, and cost of the threat mean that individual libraries cannot advance born-digital content preservation on their own. We need to radicalize cooperation, promoting new combinations and new public–private partnerships through national and global systemic strategies. Whether it is the creation of centers of excellence, or new thinking about mass production, or new infrastructures, or new initiatives and programs, we must start from a position of collaboration so as to maximize quality, productivity, and innovation. An excellent example of such an effort in the US is the work of the Digital Preservation Network (DPN), a backbone of diverse preservation infrastructure replication built on sound principles of audit and rights succession. We will not have the technologies, tools, workflows, or standards unless we work together in new ways.
The scope, depth, and cost of the threat mean that individual libraries cannot advance born-digital content preservation on their own.
It will be challenging to create a robust and successful born-digital content preservation capacity without new thinking about copyright. Libraries are capturing and preserving digital materials as fair use. Efforts to produce new exceptions or limitations in Section 108 of the Copyright Act for purposes of digital preservation have not been successful. Our law is out of sync with technology and user needs. Where does the preservation of born-digital content intersect with orphan works, with transformative use, with the public interest? What should be the relationship between licensing and copyright limitations?
What about the issue of open content and proprietary rights? How do we manage national copyright provisions in a global networked context?
How many libraries have well-developed plans for born-digital content capture, description, and preservation? How many libraries have put in place the funding to enable and sustain these plans?
How are those agencies and foundations that fund libraries and support learning and scholarship responding to the challenge? Do we truly understand user expectations for digital content and how it will be used? What digital content has persistent value, and how will we make sound conditions on what to collect and preserve? How will persistence and quality be ensured? How will collaborative efforts be structured and good governance and sustainability ensured? What is needed for operational, organizational, and architectural scalability? It is our predetermined professional role, fate, and destiny to serve society’s interest and to take on responsibility through the collective library for the preservation of born-digital content.
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https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2015/05/28/preserving-the-born-digital-record/
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| 0.914093
| 1,687
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Turn ordinary black pillows into creative Holiday decorations with crystal buttons and just two strands of floss
Skill Level: Beginner
Materials: Hand sewing needles; black thread; 1⁄2-inch black or pink button; black pillow (about 12 inches across in any fabric as desired); two 1⁄2-inch crystal buttons; white embroidery floss.
1. Thread a long needle with black thread; sew the 1⁄2-inch button to the center of the pillow, stitching all the way through and pulling the thread tight, forming the cat's nose.
2. Sew crystal buttons above nose to make eyes.
3. Thread an embroidery needle with 2 strands of floss. To make whiskers, make a small stitch on one side of nose; tie thread ends together and trim to about 2 inches long. Make several more whiskers on each side of nose in this way.
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| 0.838007
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Abeysingha,N.S., Singh,M., Sehgal,V.K., Khanna,M., Pathak,H. 2016. Analysis of trends in streamflow and its linkages with rainfall and anthropogenic factors in Gomti River basin of North India, Theoretical and applied climatology. 123.3-4: 785-799.
Abghari,H., Tabari,H., Hosseinzadeh Talaee,P. 2013. River flow trends in the west of Iran during the past 40 years: impact of precipitation variability. Glob Planet Change. 101:52–60.
Déry,S.J, Stieglitz,M., McKenna,E.C., Wood,E.F. 2005. Characteristics and trends of river discharge into Hudson, James, and Ungava bays, 1964–2000, Journal of Climate. 18:2540-2557.
Dixon,H., Lawler,D.M., Shamseldin,A.Y. 2006. Streamflow trends inwest-ern Britain, Geophysical Research Letters. 32.19:1-7.
Fathian,F., Morid,S., Kahya,E. 2015. Identification of trends in hydrological and climatic variables in Urmia Lake basin, Iran. Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 119.3-4: 443-464.
Gan,T. 2000. Reducing vulnerability of water resources of Canadian prairies to potential droughts and possible climatic warming. Water Resources Management.14:111-135.
Kendall,M.G. 1975. Rank Correlation Measures, Charles Griffin, London.
Khalili,K., NazeriTahrudi,M., Khanmohammadi,N. 2014. Trend Analysis of Precipitation in Recent two Decades over Iran. Journal of Applied Environmental and Biological Sciences. 4(1s): 5-10.
Khalili,K., Tahoudi,M.N., Mirabbasi,R., Ahmadi,F. 2016. Investigation of spatial and temporal variability of precipitation in Iran over the last half century, Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment. 30:1205-1221.
Kousari,M.R., Ahani,H., Hendi-Zadeh,R. 2013. Temporal and spatial trend detection of maximum air temperature in Iran during 1960-2005, Global and Planetary Change. 111: 97-110.
Kumar,S., Merwade,V., Kam,J., Thurner,K. 2009. Stream flow trends in Indiana: Effects of long term persistence, precipitation and subsurface drains. Journal of Hydrology. 374: 171-183.
Lins,H.F., Slack,J.R. 2005. Seasonal and regional characteristics of US streamflow trends in the United States from 1940 to 1999, Physical Geography. 26.6: 489-501.
Mann,H.B. 1945. Nonparametric test against trend, Econometrica. 13: 245-259.
Pettitt,A.N. 1979. A non-parametric approach to the change-point problem. Applied statistics. 126-135.
Saboohi,R., Soltani,S., Khodagholi,M. 2012. Trend analysis of temperature parameters in Iran. Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 109:529–547.
Sen,P.K. 1968. Estimates of the regression coefficient based on Kendall’s tau. Journal of American Statistical Association. 63:1379-1389.
Stojković,M.A,, Prohaska,S., Plavšić, J. 2014. Multi-temporal analysis of mean annual and seasonal stream flow trends, including period-icity and multiple non-linear regression. Water Resources Management. 28:4319-4335
Tabari,H., Hosseinzadeh-Talaee,P. 2011. Recent trends of mean maximum and minimum air temperatures in the western half of Iran. Journal of Meteorological Atmosphere Physics. 111: 121–131.
Tao,H., Gemmer,M., Bai,Y., Su,B., Mao,W. 2011. Trends of streamflow in the Tarim River Basin during the past 50years: Human impact or climate change?. Journal of hydrology. 400.1: 1-9.
Thiel,H. 1950. A rank-invariant method of linear and polynomial analy-sis, part 3. Nederlandse Akademie van Wettenschappen, Proceedings 53:1397-1412.
Yang,C., Lin,Z., Yu,Z., Hao,Z., Liu,S. 2010. Analysis and simulation of human activity impact on streamflow in the Huaihe River basin with a large-scale hydrologic model. Journal of Hydrometeorology.11.3: 810-821.
Zamani,R., Mirabbasi,R., Nazeri,M., Gajbhiye Meshram,S., Ahmadi,F. 2018. Spatio-temporal analysis of daily, seasonal and annual precipitation concentration in Jharkhand state, India. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment. 32.4: 1085-1097.
Zarenistanak,M., Dhorde,A.G., Kripalani,R.H. 2014. Temperature analysis over southwest Iran: trends and projections. Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 116: 103-117.
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en
| 0.698746
| 1,203
| 1.671875
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L’oboe e la sua tecnica
Exercises to develop a good technique of the tool
For the Music High Schools and the Preparatory Courses of the Conservatories
size cm 23×30,5, metal point
i Musicolibri series
- Simple and agile language within the reach of the student of High School Music.
- Very progressive exercises.
- It can be used by both oboe students and English horn students.
- Practical guidelines on how to make yourself reeds for oboe and English horn, with photographs of the necessary tools.
- Students of oboe and English horn
- Teachers of oboe and English horn
- Music schools
- Conservatories and Music Highschools
Giuseppe Mazza, oboist, teacher at the Liceo Musicale of Vercelli. He has collaborated with several Italian orchestras conducted by conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Jan Van Der Roost, Andrè Waignein, Hardy Mertens.
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Speaking at SATURN conference, 21 May 2010, in Minneapolis
I am giving a tutorial at the SATURN software architecture conference in Minneapolis in May. The tutorial is on (you guessed it) risk-centric architecture. Here is the abstract:
Architectural design is expensive, so how can you do “just enough” architecture? Today, you must rely upon your intuition. Smaller, simpler projects often thrive with agile processes and evolutionary design. Bigger, complex projects benefit from architectural planning. Between the two is a huge hole —- but little guidance on how to choose “just enough” architecture. This tutorial provides guidance via the Risk-Centric Model, inspired by Attribute Driven Design, Global Analysis, and the Spiral model.
Risks are central in the Risk-Centric Model, so developers:
- prioritize the risks they face,
- choose appropriate architecture techniques to mitigate those risks, and
- re-evaluate remaining risks.
It encourages “just enough” architecture by guiding developers to a prioritized subset of architecture activities. The mappings between risks and corresponding architecture techniques are explicit. Since it is not a full software development process, it can be used inside of a process such as XP or RUP.
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https://www.georgefairbanks.com/blog/speaking-at-saturn-2010/
|
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|
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| 0.917326
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- A-Z Animals
The Loggerhead Shrike (pronunciation: ‘law-ger-hed shrIke’) is the only known predatory songbird. This medium-sized, gray passerine is abundantly spread all across its habitat in the US, and is the smaller and darker type of the two species of shrikes found in North America. In recent years, there is a decline in their numbers, though the exact reason is yet to be studied. In their habitat, these birds are most common in the state of Florida.
Size: Medium size bird measuring about 9 inches in length from its bill to tail.
Weight: An adult and healthy shrike weighs between 45 and 60 grams. The average weight is 50 grams.
Plumage/Body Feathers: Its underside is gray while the back is a shade of darker gray. There is a wide black mask across its face. By color, there is very little sexual dimorphism in these passerines.
Wings: The wings are pitch black contrasted with white patches.
Tail: Their tails are black with white corners.
Feet: Feet are clawed and strong enough to hold large prey.
Eyes: The beadlike small eyes are round and black. They do not stand out, since they mix with the black mark on the bird’s face.
Bills/Beaks: The bills are heavy and hooked at the tip.
Average lifespan normally lies between 7 and 8 years. However, the longest-living Loggerhead Shrike recorded was a male from California that lived for almost 11 years and 9 months. However, it was released in 2010 by ornithologists.
The loggerhead shrikes are spread in the extreme southern British Columbia, southern Ontario, and southern Quebec, central Alberta, central Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, south throughout the U.S. They spend the winter mostly in the southern part of its range.
This bird mostly live in open or semi-open environments like agricultural fields, scrubland, wooded savanna, pastures or other grasslands with scattered low trees and shrubs that are often spiny and multi-branched. They also prefer areas of exposed bedrock with short grass. They are even found in mowed roadsides, golf courses, cemeteries and parks. These are not migratory birds, though some local migrations do occur especially during winter.
Based on location, a total of 11 subspecies of the loggerhead shrike have been recognized by the researchers:
The loggerhead shrike generally sits on an exposed perch to keep an eye on a prey, and when found, it flies down and catches it. However, it might also hover around to forage for food either close to the ground or catching insects midair. When the bird flies, it used bursts of rapid wing-beats. If the prey is small, the bird will consume it on the spot, but if large, the prey would be carried back to its perch, often held in the bird’s feet. Soon after, the shrike would rip it apart after impaling the prey on a sharp object like a barbed wire, thorn, or a tree fork.
The loggerhead bird is territorial. They would maintain their territories mostly through displays and songs. Just before the arrival of the winter, when there is a scarcity of food, the bird would also store its food by impaling the prey. This process is also repeated during breeding, when the bird is in need of high energy.
A strange behavior has been noticed in the newly-fledged young. They are often seen performing fake versions of the hunting behavior in the adults. It has been noticed that the chicks are pecking on inanimate objects, practicing chases in the air without a targeted prey, flying around holding twigs or leaves by their beaks, displaying gestures of impaling the prey, or even chasing their parents. This is primarily an imitation.
The general call of these birds is “queedle- queedle”. An alarmed loggerhead shrike will emit a call that sounds like “schgra-a-a”. Newly-hatched baby birds will make “tcheek” and “tsp” sounds. Females would emit begging notes, asking for food with “mak”, while the male birds would make a “wuut” or a “shack” sound, while offering food.
The loggerhead shrikes prey upon creatures of size ranging between 0.001 g to 25 g. Their primary staple diet includes insects like grasshoppers, but they would also eat reptiles like lizards, arachnids, amphibians, small birds, rodents, and even small mammals like bats.
These birds are primarily monogamous. However, the females of the species, at times, change mating partners to raise a second brood in the same mating season, which falls between February and July. The birds in the southern regions may raise up to 3 broods in a year.
The male will often be seen hunting for prey it does not otherwise need to. This is only a display of power to attract a female seeking a dominant male. Before mating, the males would perform a ritual dance, sometimes along with a display of flight, as well as feeding and singing the female. A male bird’s larder with a good provision of food can also attract a female. The reproductive intercourse takes place a short time after in the northern parts of their range, and in the mountainous regions.
The male helps the female during nesting. The nests are constructed anywhere between 5 and 30 feet above the ground on shrubs, thorny trees, where the nest would remain well-hidden by foliage. The nest shapes like a thick cup, and is built using grass, bark strips, and sticks, lined with feathers, animal hair, plant fibers, moss, grass, small roots, and even man-made items like cloth, paper, etc.
As the eggs are laid, the mother bird incubates the clutch for about 15-17 days. The clutch size is 1 to 9, and the eggs are gray white to pale buff having brown and gray spots that are often concentrated at the large end. During incubation, the father bird feeds the mother.
When the baby loggerhead shrikes are born, both parents feed the nestlings. The babies would depend on the adults, until they are able to leave their nest after 16-21 days. They finally learn to become independent by around the fourth week from birth. However, the parents would often accompany them until they are about 3 months old. The juveniles attain adulthood and breed for the first time when they are about a year old.
In their region, the most common enemies of these birds are weasels, magpies, snakes, cats, and crows.
Though the population of these passerines is not highly stable, the Loggerhead Shrikes are not at risk or are ‘endangered’. The IUCN 3.1 has categorized them under the LC (‘Least Concerned’) species list.
|
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| 0.963637
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HARARE, Zimbabwe (PANA) - Over 1.5 million of Zimbabwe's 10.5 million people are jobless, according to a consultant economist in Harare.
In an interview, the consultant, John Robertson, said Thursday that the greatest political challenge facing the government is dealing with the chronic unemployment crisis.
Robertson said Zimbabwe's unemployment figure was "too high" for a country with a population of only 10.5 million people.
"Total unemployment, excluding peasant farmers and their families, now exceeds 1.5 million people. In addition, we have about 300,000 young men and women reaching the legal age of majority entering the job market every year.
"Out of that, only about 15,000 might find work while the rest either proceed to university or resign themselves to looking for non-existent jobs," Robertson said.
According to statistics, since 1980, more than 820,000 young Zimbabweans have completed four or more years of secondary education.
Robertson said government could play a part in solving the problem by overhauling labour laws.
He said although labour regulations had been partially liberalised in line with market reforms launched in 1990, many companies were hamstrung by clauses which prescribed minimum wages.
In addition, he said, cumbersome retrenchment procedures made employers nervous about engaging additional staff whom they might not need when business declines.
-0- PANA ZIANA STC/NDN/PBM/DS 22Feb96
ENG005 from SSS.021 (960222-10:19)
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|
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| 0.952258
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| 1.84375
| 2
|
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