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If you have installed the mongodb cartridge like the instructions, before deploying change this line in meteorshim
process.env.MONGO_URL = process.env.MONGODB_URL || "PLEASE_PROVIDE_A_MONGO_URL";
with the proper address of a database connection uri. By default the
process.env.MONGODB_URL has no database or users so you should create one to connect.
In order to create a new database, do
rhc port-forward -a yourappName -n yourNamespace(not needed if only one namespace)
you will see something like
Service Local OpenShift
mongod 127.0.0.1:27017 => xxx.yyy.zzz.www:ppp
Then you can connect to the remote database in robomongo or any other mongodb management gui tool (choose your favourite from here)with the ip 127.0.0.1 and the port 27017 in this example.
On robomongo or whatever create a new database with the name that you want (meteor for example) and then look also in the gui to create a new user on that database. Once you have both things done then you can paste
process.env.MONGO_URL = "mongodb://username:email@example.com:ppp/databasename" in meteorshim.js
As an alternative way If you can't manage, go and create a free database at mLab repeat the same steps of creating a database and a user/password (it's easier since you can do this directly from their website) and then look for this text in your webpage( after clicking on the database)
To connect using a driver via the standard MongoDB URI (what's this?):
copy that url to meteorshim replacing the dbuser, dbpassword, xxxxx, ppppp, database name values and voila!
|
<urn:uuid:d81bf364-7c46-4088-ae8a-be606a8deaef>
|
CC-MAIN-2017-04
|
https://forums.meteor.com/t/deployment-on-openshift/8917
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280587.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00565-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.734051
| 423
| 1.851563
| 2
|
What is Dandruff?
The skin is continually regenerating alone and as this takes place the previous skin is pushed away from the scalp. This is standard and happens to everyone, every day and the flakes are as well small to be obvious. Dandruff occurs when this process is triggered to be sped up and you can get remedy to dandruff home remedy if you examine this post. This final results on more flakes of skin which often clump collectively to sort the greater noticeable flakes of dandruff.
What results in Dandruff?
There are amount of elements that can on their own or in combination lead to a particular person to endure dandruff. The following are the main brings about of dandruff.
Dry skin: The most frequent cause of dandruff is merely dry pores and skin. Dry skin can be induced by the cold air of winter season and the dry warmed air inside heated structures. The flakes dandruff from dry pores and skin are generally smaller and much less noticeable. If this is the cause of dandruff, other areas of the shape generally demonstrate signs of dryness these as legs, arms.
Seborrheic Dermatitis: This is also a frequent trigger of dandruff and serious dandruff. It is recognised by red patchy, greasy pores and skin and large white of yellow flakes. As with dry pores and skin seborrheic dermititis can impact other elements of the shape. Any portion of the system with a substantial amount of money of oil glands these types of as the nose, chest, crotch and armpits can be afflicted.
Psoriasis: This shows the identical signs as seborrheic dermatitis but has silver flakes. Psoriasis is a lot more very likely to have an effect on the knees and elbows but it will be a trigger of dandruff if it covers the scalp.
Eczema: Eczema can have an impact on any element of the entire body, the scalp included. If this comes about, dandruff will very likely be a symptom.
Speak to Dermatitis: Make contact with dermatitis is prompted by the scalps sensitivity to hair styling products, hair dyes and some shampoos. It results in an itchy scaly scalp and in the end qualified prospects to dandruff. Folks might think that dirty hair causes dandruff but shampooing also often can also trigger a individual to create dandruff.
Malassezia: This is a fungus that is normally current on the scalp and triggers to unwell outcomes. A dandruff issue could occur if the fungus progress is out of manage. It feeds on the oil from the hair follicles and irritates the pores and skin and more skin grows than is usual. The flakes of dandruff produced are significant as the skin clumps with each other binded by the oil. The indicators are very similar to seborrheic dermatitis.
Not shampooing ample: Making it possible for oil and pores and skin flakes to create up on your scalp can result in dandruff.
Dandruff Property Remedy
All-around two-five% of the population endure from dandruff at any an individual time, but pros say most persons will suffer at some stage of their lives. Hundreds of thousands of pounds are spent each and every year on around the counter shampoos and medicines to aid cure dandruff. There is an alternative to these products and solutions. Applying a dandruff house treatment can save money and be a purely natural chemical free of charge cure for dandruff.
|
<urn:uuid:5840a163-9f6e-43d5-bfde-6aadf0ed51e8>
|
CC-MAIN-2017-04
|
http://sebokwiki.org/wiki/User:LynneChesebrough1668
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281151.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00110-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.942119
| 749
| 2.078125
| 2
|
Social characteristics that were considered ideal for the Victorian woman--morality domesticity and passivity--were assumed to be rooted in biology. The economic and social forces which began to change social roles in 19th-century Europe and America led women to demand more education and to practice fertility control against their previous traditional role. Men within the power structure used biological and medical arguments to rationalize traditional sex roles and oppose these deviations. This is a review of the literature which reflects the imprisoning of women in their biological entities and envisions motherhood as the normal destiny of all women. It was feared that women who lived beyond their normal biologically-based roles would produce inferior offspring. The so-called weakness of American women as compared to their European counterparts was seen to be the result of too much education for girls during puberty and adolescence. Women were eager to begin practicing fertility control in earnest because of the dangers of childbirth the drudgery which too many children caused for them and their desire to move beyond the home. The often-voiced fears of "race suicide" as a result of contraceptive practice were really reflections of the social changes occurring at that time and reflections of the tensions surrounding changing gender roles.
This essay takes as its subject two distinctive historiographies, one in postcolonial studies and the other in North American history, that both address how intimate domains-sex, sentiment, domestic arrangement, and child rearing-figure in the making of racial categories and in the management of imperial rule. It examines two prevailing trends: on the one hand, an analytic convergence in treatments of, and increasing attention to, intimacy in the making of empire; on the other, recognition of the distinctive conceptual commitments and political investments that shape the fields as separate disciplinary ventures and historiographic domains. I use the terms "postcolonial studies" and "colonial studies" interchangeably, although those who identify themselves with one do not always identify with the other. Some scholars use the term "postcolonial" to signal a cross-disciplinary political project, analytically akin to cultural studies, that rejects colonial categories and scholarship that takes them for granted. Others retain the term "colonial studies" to underscore more concern for the local and labor history of colonial societies while similarly acknowledging the continuing political, economic, and cultural landscape in which populations who have been colonized are subjugated and now live. The
|
<urn:uuid:96bb80bc-9b4f-4a38-958d-197a2c3525c4>
|
CC-MAIN-2022-33
|
https://www.researchgate.net/journal/The-Journal-of-American-History-0021-8723
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00673.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.958832
| 475
| 2.6875
| 3
|
Pride and Prejudice and Kitties (originally called “Purr and Petulance”) began many years ago with the idea of combining the wicked humor of Jane Austen with the wackiness of cats. When we started out, we didn’t really know what we were doing (and that’s an understatement). We thought it was enough to take a cute cat photo and throw a quote from Pride and Prejudice at it. The idea of illustrating P&P with photos of kitties was so funny to us that we didn’t even think it mattered if the photograph related to the quote. In fact, to us it was funnier if it didn’t. Here’s an example:
OK, so the letters look more like bills, and Mr. Bennet looks more clueless than surprised, but maybe he’s really bowled over by the thought that his dear Lizzy is about to become Mrs. Darcy!
We blithely snapped a bunch of cat photographs, wrote a proposal and query letter, and began approaching agents. There were always one or two who came back right away, enthusiastic about the idea. In fact, says Pamela, “On a slow morning, when I wanted something exciting to happen, I would send out agent queries just for the rush of getting that phone call an hour or so later.”
The problem was that after thinking it over, the initially-enthusiastic agent had second thoughts about the logistics of photographing cats in Regency settings, or came up with a vision for the book that had little or no relationship to ours.
More photos, more interest, and many more rejections. This period went on for five years and an undisclosed number of agents. We did get an interested agent who sent our proposal out to a few publishers. One major publisher said they would consider publishing the book if we could perfectly reproduce scenes in P&P with cats dressed in Regency costumes. This was not going to happen. First of all, you can’t make cats do anything they don’t want to do. The pictures would have been hilarious, but not in the way the publisher imagined. Secondly, this was not our vision for the book. We wanted a book that juxtaposed cats being cats with Jane’s wit and verve. To us, the juxtaposition was the joke.
Slowly we began to shape our vision for the book. Each chapter would include a “kittified” summary from P&P, an excerpt from the original text, and two or three photographs. We continued to work on fine-tuning our proposal. Even the rejections helped with this process. As one agent told us, “how do we know that P&P isn’t a paradigm for a bunch of kitties running around the neighborhood?”
Eventually, with very little fuss or fanfare James McGinniss took on the book and sold it shortly afterwards to Skyhorse Publishing.
Now we had a publisher, a contract, and deadline, but we still had no clue how it was all going to come together. Debbie was in Portland, Oregon, taking thousands of cat photos, and Pamela was in Pennsylvania “Kittifying” P&P chapters (although Pamela also photographed and Debbie wrote). When Pamela expressed paralyzing and insurmountable anxiety about just how all this was going to work, Debbie said, “Just have faith.”
Luckily, at this time, Pamela’s good friend, author and photographer Sally Keehn, set out on an “English Literature on Location” tour in the UK. The tour focused on several authors, including Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens – and Jane Austen. Sally agreed to take photos of Austen-related settings for us to Photoshop the cats into.
Taking the photographs was a joy (seeing Austen’s world through a cat’s eyes) but tricky because so many humans got in the way of my shooting! “Begone humans,” I’d hiss in my fake British accent as I crawled about on the floor, trying to get photos from a cat’s perspective and with no human feet in them. It was also challenging because the homes and museums were “electrified.” I needed to avoid those modern power outlets and electrical cords. I was particularly moved when I saw the house on College St. in Winchester where Jane died in the arms of her sister, Cassandra.”
The last piece of the puzzle was provided by the incomparable graphic artist, Kathryn Hathaway (http://hathawaydesignsnw.com). Kathryn Photoshopped the kitties into many of Sally’s settings, which is why we have a photo of Elizabeth throwing up a hairball on Jane Austen’s actual bed in Chawton.
“What’s crazier than working with two Austenite-cat-lovers? I’ve known Debbie Guyol for years and met Pamela Jane when she came up with this totally loony idea of putting cats as characters in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. They both came out to my place to photograph the neighbor’s cats.
Then came playtime, placing cats into Regency backgrounds or putting two cats together in a room via Photoshop. There were weekends taking shiny 21st century toys out of cat’s paws and replacing them with hairballs or some bit of a lace hanky.
Now two of the silliest girls in the country are in the limelight. Who knew? I am happy for Austenites and cat-lovers everywhere. I entreat you to enjoy the book, as it is a very innocent diversion.”
We Finally Figure Out How To Do It!
Long ago, Pamela miraculously acquired a two-story office. Debbie flew to Pennsylvania for the let’s-put-it-all-together phase, and the downstairs office became our staging area.
We worked all day every day for weeks: writing and revising, scouring the pages of Pride and Prejudice, then painstakingly matching photographs with chapters and with quotes, and when that didn’t work, making up silly captions for photographs. We settled our artistic disagreements with duels. Or horse-trading.
After Debbie flew back to Portland, we spent another full month refining the text, discovering that the cat we thought would fit perfectly into one of Sally’s wonderful authentic settings was all wrong for it, taking more pictures, making lists, horse-trading – well, you get the idea. Yes, we did it. We figured out how to do it, in the end, simply by doing it.
|
<urn:uuid:73ba3dc4-a4ad-42b0-8e75-a37dae75bf36>
|
CC-MAIN-2022-33
|
https://pamelajane.com/how-pride-and-prejudice-and-kitties-came-about/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571745.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812170436-20220812200436-00479.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.968864
| 1,437
| 1.78125
| 2
|
A small Japanese company has come up with a special powder that makes water cleaner within minutes and could improve water quality in developing countries or could even be used to provide emergency water supply after disasters. Poly-Glu powder sticks to dirt in water and makes it sink to the bottom.
It separates the dirt in water. Soybeans are used to make the effective coagulant. Dirt and pollutant are shifted to bottom of the container after they are mixed with the powder. Additional filtering with a strainer or cloth is needed to make the water safe for drinking. A self-contained tank that duplicates the results of the powder with larger water supplies is also available. It could help improve water quality in third-world countries.
The key ingredient of the powder is a polymer of the amino acid glutamic acid, a coagulant made from fermented soybeans, which helps quicken the coagulation of impurities in water. It is a safe and eco-friendly flocculant which has been applied in various fields such as food, industrial equipment and cosmetic materials.
One gram of the powder can treat up to 5L of polluted water, depending on the turbidity (cloudiness) of the water source. The product can also be used in water with varying acidity levels and temperatures. Waste water can be treated too; however it cannot be fully purified, requiring further filtering in order to be safe to drink.
|
<urn:uuid:f04e82aa-7599-4ce9-972c-4469564aaa54>
|
CC-MAIN-2022-33
|
http://www.enggbook.com/interesting-engineering/eco-friendly-flocculant/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00469.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.96234
| 290
| 2.921875
| 3
|
The VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has recently issued the findings of its administrative examination of into improper web-based collaboration technology by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). It found the agency is particularly vulnerable to data exposure from members of staff using social media applications.
Employee’s use of the social media application from Yammer.com could possibly lead to the exposure of sensitive veteran data. The OIG discovered employees have been using the social media app, even though the app had not been approved by the VA. VA policy requires all social media applications to be sanctioned before use, and have usage monitored.
The OIG found that the application “had vulnerable security features, recurring website malfunctions, and users engaged in a misuse of time and resources.” Yammer Notifier, a desktop application, was approved by one Technical Reference Model (TRM) with restrictions; however use of the Yammer social network was not.
The application has a lack of security measures and it was too easy for Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to be uploaded and shared. Another problem was the lack of an administrator or system to remove contractors and former members of staff, allowing veteran data to possibly be accessed, downloaded and shared even after employment contracts have ended.
The Technology Director of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), William Cerniuk, was interviewed as part of the review and told the OIG, Yammer was a “social media site which is semi-private, allowing the ability for VA employees who have VA email addresses, contractor [or] permanent, to have discussions that do not involve PII or PHI.”
He also said that “Staff began using Yammer in early 2012 as an “organizational approach” to disseminate product development messaging,” and explained that the app is “essentially, for lack of a better definition, Facebook for your company.”
However, there were security concerns. He said there was no centralized administrator, but “at any given point in time you or I or anyone else in Yammer can hit a button next to my name that says, ‘this person is no longer in the network.’ The system would then disable that person’s login”. That person would then need to confirm by email if they still needed access to that network. If no email is sent, the login remains disabled. However, he went on to say “Now, this is not done by any rigor of any sort. No one is assigned this duty of going through and digging out who belongs. So people will be able to log into Yammer after they leave the VA if their account isn’t disabled either by themself or otherwise.”
The OIG found some employees were routinely breaking VA policy by uploading, downloading and sharing files, and that the activity on Yammer had potential allow malware and viruses to spread quickly from the site. The report added, “users were unable to remove the Online Now instant messaging feature, resulting in every user violating VA policy simply by logging onto the site.”
The security weaknesses introduced by the use of Yammer were not the only issues the OIG had with the use of the app. The OIG report said Yammer was not an appropriate use of employees’ time and resources, and much time was being wasted on non-work related business. In some cases, users were even using the platform to send spam, and the widespread uploading, downloading and sharing of data via the platform could potentially have an adverse effect on the speed of the VA’s network.
The OIG issued three recommendations in its report and gave the VA until October 1, 2015 to adhere.
The use of VA Yammer must be formally reviewed, and its use by the Department of Veteran Affairs must be either approved or disapproved. If the decision is taken to approve use of the social media application, it must first meet the minimum requirements for data security laid down by federal laws, in addition to internal VA policy and guidance. However, should it be disapproved, its use must be strictly forbidden on all VA-equipment and networks. The VA must confer with the Offices OIT, OPIA, and General Counsel (OGC) on this.
The VA Chief of Staff has must consult with the Offices of Human Resources (OHR), Accountability Review (OAR), and the OGC to determine whether it is necessary to move against accountable officials or other contractors or employees who were involved in the matter.
Finally, the VA Chief of Staff must ensure that all members of staff receive instruction on the web-based collaboration technologies that have been authorized for use by workers, as well as those which are prohibited.
|
<urn:uuid:776b22e7-e888-4929-9149-5926fc5d9526>
|
CC-MAIN-2022-33
|
https://www.compliancejunction.com/oig-va-vulnerable-data-exposure-via-employees-social-media-app/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571090.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809215803-20220810005803-00068.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.974542
| 986
| 1.976563
| 2
|
Leasing a car isn’t for everyone.
But it might work for you if you don’t want to stick with the same car for more than a couple years. And if you like the idea of consistently driving a new vehicle that has the latest bells and whistles.
Though you’ll never really own the car, you can generally forget about the cost of maintenance repairs and the monthly payment is cheaper than if you had a loan on the same car.
But leasing can come with certain restrictions and it might not be the best option for you.
Vehicle cost aside, you’ll also want to consider what types of auto insurance you’ll need to buy when leasing. And because you don’t own the car that might change the type of insurance you need.
Here’s how to make sure you get the right coverage when you’re leasing.
How does leasing work?
If you buy a car, you pay for the cost of the vehicle and then it’s yours to keep. You can take out a loan to help cover the expenses. And then pay off the auto loan with monthly payments over several years. The lender officially owns the car until you pay off the loan, at which point it will send you the title.
On the other hand, leasing is more like renting. In exchange for borrowing the vehicle, you agree to pay the dealership the difference between what the car is worth today and what it will be worth when you return it (i.e. the deprecation).
You’ll similarly make monthly payments during the lease. You have the option to buy the car when the lease is up. You also might wind up owing extra money at the end of the lease if you drove more than the agreed-upon miles or the vehicle is in poor condition.
The pros and cons of leasing
There are benefits and drawbacks to consider before signing up for a lease.
On the upside:
- Your monthly payments are often lower with a lease than a loan for the same car.
- You get to have a brand new car that you might not be able to afford to purchase.
- A warranty covers the car during the entire lease.
- There’s no pressure on you to sell the vehicle later.
The drawbacks can include:
- You won’t own the car at the end of the lease and will continually be making monthly payments if you start another lease.
- You’re paying for the period when depreciation is at its highest.
The first year the car loses about 20 percent or more of their original value. Within the first five years you’re paying monthly payments on a car that’s about 60 percent of the original purchase price. And it might not be worth it if you don’t even end up owning the car in the end.
- There’s a chance you may have to pay fees if you need to return the car early.
- You could also have to pay fees if there’s damage that wasn’t caused by normal wear and tear.
If you weigh the pros and cons and decide leasing make sense, you’ll still want to negotiate the vehicle’s current price. After all, if the dealer agrees to a lower current price there will be less of a difference overall and your monthly payments could be lower.
The monthly leasing costs aside, you’ll want to consider what types of auto insurance you’ll need to buy when leasing and how much they’ll cost. And because you don’t own the car, the decision isn’t completely up to you.
Insurance for leased cars
You’ll almost certainly have to purchase liability insurance whether you buy or lease a car. Liability coverage is what protects you in case you hurt someone else or damage their property while you’re driving. And there’s state minimum requirements for it.
More often than not, the leasing company will require you to pay for more coverage and higher limits. Usually, they require $100,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per person, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 in property damage liability insurance.
Another requirement might be to buy personal injury protection (PIP), which covers medical expenses, lost wages, and funeral costs for you and your passengers after an accident.
Lessees may have additional car insurance requirements
The lessee could require you to buy other types of insurance as part of the lease agreement:
Comprehensive and collision
Collision insurance covers you in case the car is damaged in a crash. Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your car when it’s not in a collision (such as a fallen tree), and in case someone steals the car. Full coverage is comprehensive and collision combined.
The lessee may have specific requirements for the deductible for these types of insurance. You may also need to buy specific riders, which can make the insurance more expensive.
For example, the lessee might require an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) rider, which means a mechanic or a body shop needs to use parts from the original manufacturer, rather than generic parts, when repairing the car.
New cars quickly depreciate, and there could be a difference between the current value of the vehicle and the amount you still owe the lessee. This “gap” can become an issue if the vehicle is declared a total loss or stolen as insurance might cover the current value of the car, but not the gap.
Gap insurance might be optional, but some lessees automatically add the insurance to your lease and include the premiums in your lease payments or charge you a one-time fee when the lease starts.
Because the lessee still legally owns the vehicle, you may need to name the company as an additional insured party and as the loss payee. If the car is damaged beyond repair or stolen, the insurance company can now pay the lessee directly.
Additionally, the insurance company will notify the lessee if you change your coverage, cancel your insurance policy or are late with a premium payment.
Your insurance could be lower if you buy the same vehicle
If you choose to buy a car rather than lease a vehicle you’ll still need to comply with your state’s minimum insurance requirements. However, you could have more control over the amount of coverage you buy and whether you want to purchase additional coverage.
Each of these choices can impact your cost of insurance. For example, a higher deductible (the amount you need to pay before your insurance kicks in) leads to lower premiums. The lessee might dictate how high of a deductible you’re allowed to have even if you’d rather have a higher deductible and lower payments.
Keep in mind, if you take out an auto loan to purchase a car, the lender may have similar requirements as a lessee.
Tips for lowering your insurance even if you lease
It can seem like you’re stuck at the lessee’s whim for the type and amount of car insurance you’ll need to buy. While this is partially true, you still control many of the factors that influence your rates and can find ways to lower your costs. For example, the lessee doesn’t say which insurance company you need to choose or whether you can qualify for discounts.
Here are two simple ways to potentially save money on your car insurance:
- Don’t assume your current insurer, or the insurance company that your friend or relative recommends, is the least expensive option. Shopping for insurance can be simple and you can switch insurers at any time.
- A home and auto insurance bundle often leads to a discount. You can do this by buying your car insurance from the same company you use for renters or homeowners insurance.
Insurance companies won’t give you the discounts you’re eligible for unless they know you qualify. So, be sure to contact your insurer and ask about additional savings opportunities and tell them about significant changes in your life. If you change jobs and are driving less, get married or install anti-theft devices in your car, that could all lead to savings.
Looking for car insurance?
|
<urn:uuid:f14c6b5c-0a94-4d61-844d-d58c3b0b797f>
|
CC-MAIN-2022-33
|
https://cover.com/blog/insurance-for-leased-car
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572908.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817122626-20220817152626-00064.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.956935
| 1,708
| 1.6875
| 2
|
Time Travel Essay, Research Paper
Time Travel has always been a fascination with many people. People often dream about going back in time, to live the simple life, or to gain knowledge, or even to rule over the less knowledgeable. Many novels are written about these fascinations. Three novels that stand out are “A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur Court” by Mark Twain, “Timeline” by Michael Crichton and “The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells. All of these books deal with a different aspect of why people want to travel forward or backward through time. Many people believe that time travel does not exist. But many well know physicists have proven that time travel does exist, but say that will not happen for several more years.
Time and space have fascinated man since the dawn of civilisation. People have spent aeons thinking about these concepts and the ideas behind them. The Greeks, the Romans, the English, all have stared at the heavens and wondered. As the boundaries of physics are pushed back and back it is becoming clear that whoever understands the laws of physics best will be able to travel through time and space, easily gaining a dominant position in the known Universe. There are many different theories about time travel, and how it could quite possibly be done. Physicists have found the law of nature, which prevents time travel paradoxes, and thereby permits time travel. It turns out to be the same law that makes sure light travels in straight lines, and which underpins the most straightforward version of quantum theory, developed half a century ago by Richard Feynman. Einstein said that time itself is relative. Time slows down at high speeds and in strange gravity. So far, we haven’t developed the technology to travel through time. But is this because we’re not advanced enough to figure it out. An unknown author once wrote a small poem dealing with Einstein s theory:
There was a young lady called Bright
Who could travel much faster than light;
She went out one day,
In a relative way,
And came back the previous night.
– Author unknown
Time travel does not have only one use instead it has many. One of these reasons to travel in time has been around for centuries and continues to haunt us to this very day. Power plays a major role in past and present societies. Mark Twain emphasizes this in his novel “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur court.” A young man, by the name of Clarence, is transported back into the time of the medieval knights. Clarence did not believe at first that he was actually in this time. What year is it? 513. 513! You don t look it! Come, my boy, I am a stranger and friendless: be honest and honorable with me. Are you in your right mind? He said he was. After being convinced that he was actually in the 6th century, Clarence began to worry as to how he had actually gotten there. Although he never really sets foot on medieval grounds, he dreams of what it would be like if he was actually there. Being from the future, Clarence had much greater knowledge then any other person at this time. He easily took over the people of this time, after having to prove himself by predicting a solar eclipse. He is able to win over the companionship of some of the locals. Then with his unsurpassed knowledge he is able to pass himself off as a magician even more powerful then Merlin himself. He uses this power to benefit himself. He winds up as a very high up consultant to King Arthur himself, and gets put in charge of many people. With his new found wealth and manpower, he slowly begins a take over of the lands, and in the end of the book, he battles with Merlin himself. Then all of a sudden he wakes up on his bed in modern times; it was all just a dream.
Even though the tale of a Connecticut Yankee traveling to King Arthur s court might not have been real, many people still have thoughts about conquering the world. This novel is just an example of one such instance. Many people would kill to have a chance to conquer the world. Wars are fought around the world over who will rule what. In WWII, Hitler had visions of world domination. If he had been able to come up with a time machine, he would have succeeded. Not only would he rule the world, but also if something happened that he didn t like, then he could just as easily go back and change his mistakes. WWII is not the only example of people trying to rule the world; many smaller countries are trying to fight for themselves so they don t have to serve under anyone else s rule. But these are all just examples of why people would, if they could, travel back into time. Power plays a major role in time travel. Time travel would make it easier to conquer land with knowledge of what is going on in the future. The person who makes, if possible, the first time machine will be one of the most powerful people on earth. He will be able to both keep it to himself and use it to his advantage, or he could use it to benefit others. Power can never be underestimated for its affect on people and their behavior. If a person where given the choice to travel back into time and know more then anyone else in that time, chances are that they will capitalize on the idea, and corner the people into some sort of leadership role. Whether it be the ruler, like Clarence was, or just in it to make money, people would see the time machine as a way to get rich quick, or be famous. Either way one of the main reasons for time travel is to go back in time to be a success.
While conquering the world may be one reason to travel back in time, other people would prefer to go back and study the past. Michael Crichton depicts this perfectly in his novel Timeline . In this novel, a brilliant man by the name of Robert Doniger starts a company to research quantum physics. When most people think about time travel the idea most of us think of is the ability to travel forward or backward in time, to be able to specify the number of years you travel, or even to specify the date you want to go to, and to be able to return to your “correct” time safely. Doniger succeed in this area of perfecting precisely where they could travel to with great success, and in a short while actually come up with a way to travel through foam. Crichton describes this theory in his novel the structure of space-time is irregular. It s not smooth; it s sort of bubbly and foamy. And because it s way down at the quantum level, it s called quantum foam. This foam is what enables them to chose what dimension, or time period that they wish to go to. The company starts to branch out into other fields of work, and begins a restoration of many medieval monuments. By traveling back into the time period where the castles, or monasteries where built, they can accurately reconstruct them into what they looked like a thousand years ago. In the novel, traveling back to do research worked wonderfully, except for a man that was told never to use the machines again, but of course did not listen and returned back to the medieval time against orders. He tried to stop a rescue team that was sent in, but in the end the returned safely back to there original time with no more problems. This is an example of people traveling back into time to research objects of the past such as castles and monasteries.
Many people s jobs are based on finding out facts about how life was lived before our time. One of the main jobs to deal with this is archeology. Archeologists depend on finding artifacts and pieces of food, or anything else that can help them to better determine how people or animals used to live. They must dig down into the earth to recover these fragments, and piece them back to there original condition. But without actually being in that time period, they can only guess what or why objects where used. If they had ways of actually traveling back into time, the whole industry would be changed. Archeologists would become the leaders in the time travel industry. No longer would there tools consist of shovels and paintbrushes, instead they would need nothing else then themselves and their time machine. They could simply travel back and sketch, or take samples of what they were studying. Another book that tells about bringing the past to life is Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. This novel talks more about bringing the past to life through technology, other then traveling back to find it. But it shows how interested people can be in the past. Instead of risking the lives of people by bringing the past to the present day, people could simply go to the past.
Other then researching and taking over the world, time travel also attracts people who just want to go for the experience. Time travel has fascinated fiction writers practically since Time began. Exactly one hundred years ago, in 1895, H. G. Wells classic story The Time Machine was first published in book form. It was Einstein, as every child knows, who first described time as “the fourth dimension” — and every child does not know the truth. It was actually Wells who wrote, in The Time Machine , “There is no difference between Time and any of the three dimensions of Space, except that our consciousness moves along it”. H.G. Wells took a literary device, and made it, literally, a device. In his novel, “The Time Machine”, Wells perfects the time machine in order to travel back and forth through time. He has no ambitions on what he will accomplish once in another time period, but rather just wants to enjoy the ride and new experiences. Wells describes this time travel in his novel The Time Machine ; The laboratory grew faint and hazy, then fainter and even fainter. To-morrow night became black, then day again, night again, day again, faster and faster still. An eddying murmur filled my ears, and a strange, dumb confusedness descended on my mind. Wells goes on to describe his newfound time travel to have unpleasant sensations that fade away after the initial start. He discovers that the time period that he goes to isn’t quite the way he had hoped it to be. Instead of finding all friendly beings, he found the friendly being tormented by the evil. He ended up helping to defeat the evil, and return to his time machine. He returned back to his own time to tell others of his magnificent story. While taking over the world may sound like a better reason to travel through time, some people, like Mr. Wells, have no plans on making themselves the supreme ruler, but instead decide to enjoy what they have stumbled upon.
Time is a very strange animal. We don’t fully understand it. Maybe it’s another dimension. Maybe it’s just a measure we use to keep track of the order of things. Maybe it’s something totally different that no one fully understands. This paper does not have all of the answers or reasons for time travel. Time travel can have its ups and downs. While some wish to use it purely to help themselves, others use it to better mankind. A notion that was once nothing more than science fiction in books is now a concept that is becoming reality. Einstein s theories of general and special relativity can be used to actually prove that time travel is possible, and research has shown that fast moving craft can travel into the future. All of these theories about traveling through time may or may not be true. However there are still three main reasons why people are compelled to find ways of traveling back into time, to gain power, peace of mind, or to be enlightened about the past. All of these continue to drive physicists and other people on in there research of time travel.
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Hi! This is the fourth email in the course on using a flight simulator to become a better pilot.
At this point in the course, we’ve talked about
- Flying visual and instrument approaches
- Practicing with the autopilot
- Finding a virtual version of your aircraft
So at this point, you know a lot about the great things you can do with the home use version of X-Plane.
But if you want to take your flight sim experience even further, you might want the Professional-Use version of X-Plane.
What’s the difference?
The home-use version of X-Plane removes the 15 minute time restriction and contains scenery for the entire world.
In addition to this, X-Plane Professional includes features that:
- Allow the simulator to be approved for FAA certification
- Support cylindrical and spherical projection (useful for home cockpits and FBOs)
- Can drive Garmin Real Simulator units
You’ve seen that X-Plane can be an invaluable tool for keeping your skills sharp. X-Plane Professional provides the additional features you need to be completely serious about using a simulator for flight training. Order today and unleash the simulator’s full potential.
In addition, if you or your organization is serious about the best simulated flight training you can get, check out the X-Plane training solutions available through hardware vendors such as Precision Flight Controls (PFC). You can have an FAA-certified sim for home or business use without the hassle of doing it all yourself.
Until next time,
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[Excerpt] The response to what many believe to be a serious decline in educational achievement and standards has been, so far, a spate of studies, commissions, and reports, all aiming toward reform of the education system. Most of the recommendations that have been implemented to date have come about through state-level legislation and mandates (Darling-Hammond and Berry, 1988). Education reformers disagree on the role of teacher bargaining in achieving their objectives. One wing of the reform movement believes collective bargaining is an obstacle to change and maintains collective bargaining is one reason the schools are in bad shape. But another wing holds that collective bargaining can and must be used as the vehicle of change in our schools.
Although the recommendations contained in these reports are wide-ranging, covering everything from school finance to curriculum to educational technology, in this paper our emphasis will be on proposals dealing with such matters as how teachers are to be recruited, retained, compensated, and deployed. And just as the so-called reform movement is a reaction to the process of education, the reform movement has engendered a reaction among teacher organizations. As we shall see, although that reaction has been anything but wholeheartedly accepting, neither has it been uniformly hostile.
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Summary and Info
Current research revolves around trends to bring technology into harmony with the natural environment and in order to protect the ecosystem. Bioremediation involves processes which reduce the overall treatment costs by using agricultural residues. Regeneration of the biosorbent further increases the cost effectiveness of the process, thus warranting its future success in solving water quality problems. Special emphasis is paid to chemical modifications resulting in tailored novel biomaterials which improve its sorption efficiency and environmental stability. In this way it can be used commercially as a simple, fast, economical, ecofriendly green technology, for the removal of toxic metals from waste water particularly in rural and remote areas of the country.
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California Bay Area emcee Azeem is undoubtedly one of the most gifted writers in music, and especially in hip-hop. I’m calling him an “emcee” rather than a “rapper”, but not necessarily in the Rakim sense of the word “emcee” (i.e. he “moves” the “crowd”). It’s more of an antonym to the image of the garden variety rhymer standing in front of a microphone saying, “Yes, yes, y’all” and “Throw your hands in the air and wave ‘em like you just don’t care.”
Azeem doesn’t seem too keen on being called a “rapper” anyway. On his 2007 release with DJ Zeph, Rise Up, Azeem declared in “Everything’s Different”:
Imagine meetin’ your girl’s parents and they ask you, “What do you do for a living?”
Now how the hell do I sound, talkin’ ‘bout, “I’m a rapper”?…
Now look at the frame you place yourself in right there.
On his latest, Air Cartoons, he presents a similar issue in the song “Ghettofarian Style”: “Problem? You ain’t no solution / F*ckin’ rapper. I’m a Human Influence”. The assumption that Azeem aspires to be more than a mere “rapper” wouldn’t be unfounded, although being a “human influence” might sound a bit lofty. And here you probably thought rappers only had dreams of becoming movie stars. You didn’t know they wanted to be “human influences”, did you?
I’ve also described Azeem as a “writer”, not a “songwriter”, which is in no way intended as a slight. To the contrary, it’s meant as a compliment, a testament to Azeem’s wit and skill in building engaging rhymes. A talented slam poet, Azeem possesses an enviable love affair with language that’s as playful as it is cerebral. The man can really turn a phrase, evidenced by the lyrics reprinted in the Air Cartoons CD booklet. No doubt, reprinted lyrics aren’t necessarily impressive on their own, but in this case the act of reprinting them indicates a certain level of confidence. “I’m proud of what I wrote,” the artist might be saying. “I want people to know what I’m saying.” Here, the lyrics make for a fun read. As lyrical as “real hip-hop” purports to be, the rhymes aren’t always showcased in the booklets. A rhyme that can hold your attention on paper stands a real chance of being a solid listen over a dope beat.
Air Cartoons is an intriguing experiment and, as such, is a record that’s uniquely worthy of multiple listens, even if it doesn’t wholly satisfy. It’s “good”, but not “great”. Zeph & Azeem’s Rise Up was great, stellar in fact, boasting a heavy duty shot of lyricism, humor, diversity of subject matter, and a variety of musical styles. Rise Up‘s shortcomings were few, but pronounced. It was too short on complete rhythm-and-rhymes, carrying a couple of instrumentals that could have either been fleshed out or completely eliminated. Some saw the record as a departure from Azeem’s politically-oriented solo work. And, just so we’re clear, “politically-oriented” includes all of my favorite conspiracy theories—references to “the Illuminati”, conjecture about the origins of plagues and diseases, theories concerning the assassinations of historical figures and world leaders, and any other nugget of government collusion. On Air Cartoons, we find much of this in the meandering track “What If”, and lightly sprinkled elsewhere throughout the album.
I actually like conspiracy theories. In a really strange way, they allow us to carve a sense of order out of the world’s chaos. They give us the feeling that seemingly random events can be fashioned into some semblance of rationality. Of course, all of this comes with a price, such as accepting the worldview that a handful of evildoers are the prime movers of global misery. Other than that, it’s all good.
From the perspective of a music lover, conspiracy theories present a few problems. First, they aren’t verifiable. You can’t prove them, which might be fine enough for an informal debate, but ultimately undermines their effectiveness as fodder for song lyrics. Often, it’s unclear what the artist wants the audience to do with the song’s information, since conspiracy theories tend to raise more questions than they answer.
In “What If”, Azeem asks, “What if killing Kennedy was really a coup?” and “What if the Bush Family let the drugs come through / What if the CIA had a hand in it too?”. Even if we are inclined to take these lines as rhetorical questions, and, further, are inclined to believe what’s being implied, we are still left spinning our wheels. If we accept the song’s scenarios as true, what is Azeem asking us to do then? Is it enough to just know the plots exist? Moreover, if the plots do exist, should we be dancing to them? The listener is left in a difficult position. And, no, I don’t accept the possibility that the song is actually Azeem’s way of making fun of conspiracy theories. Otherwise, every “bad song” could be rationalized as a satirical take on bad songs in general.
Another problem with Azeem’s conspiracy material is that the bluntness it requires clashes with the subtleties of Azeem’s otherwise poetic incantations. Politically-oriented often sometimes comes across as direct and confrontational. That’s probably why Public Enemy’s Chuck D embraced the coarseness of his subject matter, declaring himself “louder than a bomb” and telling folks straight up that his “uzi weighs a ton”.
Azeem’s experimentation has its high points, though. The most interesting aspects are in the production department, including contributions from Meat Beat Manifesto, DNAE Beats, DJ Spin, DJ Aneurysm, DJ Zeph, Mark Pistel, Anas Cannon, and Kontroversy 396. Despite this diverse squad of producers, the results are nonetheless consistent, with a running theme of futuristic sounds, weird synthesizers, killer scratching from DJ Quest and DJ Z-Trip, and some intriguingly off-center rhythms. Azeem plays into the motif with intermittent references to the year 2017, time machines, and dream sequences, not to mention his dreamy lyricism. DJ Zeph’s contributions in “Latin Revenge” would be the biggest departure from the formula, the song being adorned with swinging horns and a breezy, laidback vibe. “Latin Revenge” would probably have been more at home on Rise Up.
The best songs blend Azeem’s wordplay with the creativity of his beat makers. “Open ‘Em Up”, for instance, is a standout, chopping its backing samples in a way that would make DJ Premier nod in approval. Elsewhere, DJ Aneurysm’s work in “Triple 6’s” reaches for the sublime sonic abstraction that Polyphonic & Serengeti pulled off for 2007’s Never Give Up. Likewise, “Welcome to the Serengeti” may be the impetus for a new sub-genre in hip-hop—minimalist digital Afrobeat (we’ll tweak the name and call it “mini digi A-beat”). Even the not-so-hot tracks provide fascinating moments. Yes, it’s true that the indigenous war cry added for the hook in “Ghettofarian Style” is quite annoying, but the choice to use it at least fits the song. I can honestly say it’s memorable, even if I despise it. Another track, “Set a Blaze”, loses the steam it professes to have, but its execution makes Azeem sound like he’s rapping from the inside of the very machine he’s raging against. That bit of irony is kind of insightful.
And so, as a whole, the experimentation is good. We can always use that, with the understanding that experiments will yield missteps along the way. Here, the missteps come in the form of too many repetitive hooks, a couple of mismatched selections for the beats, and a few ideas that might have remained thought bubbles until they were better developed. “I’m Wac Pt. 2” probably falls into the latter category. Nevertheless, Azeem’s skill is undeniable, which is why Air Cartoons should leave us feeling optimistic about his next project.
// Sound Affects
"Sharon Jones and Woodie Guthrie knew: great songs belong to everybody.READ the article
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Lindsay, A Man for Tomorrow
John V. Lindsay and the Silk Stocking Story
John V. Lindsay
Less than Meets the Eye
The most useful source of Congressman Lindsay’s present manifestation may be none of the above works but rather Professor Trilling’s celebrated essay on The Princess Casamassima. For Mr. Lindsay comes to us, now as never before or likely again, as the Young Man from the Provinces. Precision is hardly Mr. Parmentel’s concern in his recent article on Lindsay in Esquire; still he seems on the mark when he evokes his subject as “Scarsdale Galahad.” Mr. Lindsay springs up out of our pavements as that most alien of strangers, the white Episcopalian born here. And his situation is “as chancy as that of any questing knight of mediaeval romance.”
“Parsifal at the castle of the Fisher King,” Professor Trilling instructs us, “is not more uncertain about the right thing to do than the Young Man from the Provinces picking his perilous way through the irrationalities of the society into which he has been transported.”
Mr. Lindsay then summons up the memory of Hyacinth Robinson, which means that his special command on our interest is that he is sentient and aware of what is happening to him: “We care,” James says, “our curiosity and our sympathy care, comparatively little for what happens to the stupid, the coarse and the blind.”
Mr. Parmentel reports this judgment: “‘He’s such a nice guy that you can almost forgive him his shallowness,’ said Kempton.” That citation is offered not certainly with pride nor as a definition, but only to suggest how oblique the subject is. For it is as well to say that Congressman Lindsay is so complex that one can almost forgive him for being so nice.
The Young Man from the provinces “may be of good family but he must be poor.” Mr. Lindsay’s true family is that of the Whig resistance, certainly good and certainly poor these days. He has very little notable politics that were not destroyed in the eighteenth century. Mr. Button too much exaggerates his position in Congress as Mr. Parmentel too much deprecates it; given his temperament and interests it is unlikely that Mr. Lindsay could ever be an important Congressman except in the aesthetic sense. Mr. Button recites the interests in the admiring detail they deserve: Mr. Lindsay’s solitary vote against a bill which would force any citizen to prove that the material he was mailing was not obscene; his denunciation of the loyalty oath requirement for student applicants for National Defense Education Act loans; his leadership in defeating the late Congressman Walter’s “industrial security, anti-subversive” bill.
“As a Republican,” Mr. Lindsay said once, “I see my task in Congress as that of redefining the role of the individual in our half-garrison, part-welfare state.” That is a stranger’s role, and one which has earned Mr. Lindsay less enthusiasm from progressive opinion than one would ordinarily expect. The reason must be that progressive opinion is not conditioned to trust…
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Standing amid yucca and scrub oak on the foothills south of Denver, Keith Simon can see most of the metropolitan area that 2.6 million people now call home. To the northeast, the white spires of Denver International Airport rise from the Plains like pup tents at a Boy Scout outing. To the northwest juts 14,255-foot Longs Peak, with the cities of Boulder and Longmont at its feet. In the middle, poking out of the brown cloud on this autumn day like whiskery chin stubble, stand the skyscrapers of downtown Denver.
Snaking from downtown toward the bluffs where Simon stands is Interstate 25, broadband at up to 12 lanes with no room to expand. The anomalous piece of undeveloped pasture that lies below Simon’s feet, surrounded by cookie-cutter suburban homes, sits within Lone Tree, one of Denver’s new southern suburbs. But it remains little changed since it was homesteaded 130 years ago. Even now, a herd of Angus cattle is grazing its way to market.
Like the cattle, however, this pastoral landscape won’t survive much longer. And Simon is the one who will administer the coup de grâce, although he plans to do so as humanely as possible. Dressed in a bright pink shirt and tan loafers, the soft-spoken vice president of the Coventry Development Corp. describes the city his company is building here on 3,500 acres. RidgeGate, Simon says, will look and function far differently than the surrounding suburbia. It will be compact, even dense, in an inner-city sort of way, with three, five, even 10 times as many homes per acre as a traditional suburb, punctuated by clusters of taller buildings with apartments above and shops below.
Automobiles will not be banished, but neither will they dominate. The 60,000 people who will eventually live here will be able to walk to offices, stores and schools. Hopping on a light-rail train, they will glide rapidly to Broncos games near downtown Denver, to jobs in the nearby Tech Center, and to other commercial and social hubs in the region.
"We aren’t quite Manhattan, and never will be," says Simon. "Everyone will need at least one car in a family if they live at RidgeGate, but they won’t have to be joined at the hip with their cars."
Simon is not some dreamy futurist. He was a landscape architect in San Diego, Albuquerque and Santa Fe before landing in Denver in the late 1990s. And, talking about his new project, he sounds as stolid and unsentimental as an economics textbook.
"The cost to develop at lower densities is really immense, both to home-buyers and to the public, because you have miles of roads and more miles of pipes and more of everything," Simon says. "To create a more sustainable metro area, one that isn’t wall-to-wall low-density homes, we need to find ways to create communities that use less land."
Simon and his company are not alone in rethinking traditional development in the Mile High City. During the past decade, a small but growing army of progressive developers, planners and politicians — particularly Denver’s mayor, John Hickenlooper — have put their money where their mouths are. They’ve turned one defunct airport into a vibrant community, and are doing the same with a second. They’ve demolished 1960s-era shopping malls, such as Villa Italia and Cinderella City, and replaced them with apartments and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. They’ve transformed aging warehouses into a trendy residential and commercial hotspot. And they’ve constructed a modest light-rail network.
Call it SimCity, the New Urbanism edition.
And the fun has only begun. Last November, voters in metro Denver passed a sales tax increase to fund a program called FasTracks. In the next year, FasTracks will build 35 miles of new electric-powered light rail. During the next decade, the $4.7 billion program will yield another 119 new miles of new light rail, diesel-fueled commuter rail, and bus rapid transit. The potential for this new transportation infrastructure to transform Denver — and to enrich the transformers — has most of the 32 mayors in the metro area, as well as business and environmental leaders, almost giddy with excitement. Already, conference rooms and computers are humming with plans to redevelop abandoned factories, stagnant or decaying first-ring suburbs, and even a few undeveloped sites on the periphery, such as the future city of RidgeGate, into compact pods of mixed uses.
Denver’s vaulting light-rail ambitions have put it in the national spotlight. "There are no other regions of the country taking on anything like this," says Shelley Poticha, director of the Oakland, Calif., Center for Transit-Oriented Development.
Denver’s plans have also sparked some hope that the cities and towns in the West are not doomed to spill chaotically and endlessly over the region’s open spaces. If Denver — one of the West’s largest, most sprawling, smog-filled, traffic-choked cities — can be remade into something more compact and livable, the rest of the region might just be inspired to get on board, too.
Hitting the wall
To those who have watched it grow during the past several decades, Denver is an unlikely poster child for mass transit. A place with sports teams named the Rockies, the Nuggets, and the Avalanche, it has long seemed the prototypical undisciplined Western city, populated by people enamored of low-density suburbs sprawling across mountain and prairie, and so attached to their cars that nothing could pry their fingers from the steering wheels (HCN, 6/13/05: How dense can we be?).
Even as early as the 1980s, however, Denver highway engineers such as Guillermo "Bill" Vidal were beginning to realize that low-density living came with serious drawbacks. In those days, Vidal was working with neighborhood groups, so he heard plenty about the problems of traffic, noise and air pollution. But although new technology kept the air pollution from getting worse, traffic congestion continued to intensify. In the 1990s, as chief executive of the Colorado Department of Transportation, Vidal realized that highway expansion would always lag behind growth in traffic. And the price tag was daunting: Expanding highways to meet rush-hour demands often required buying adjacent homes and businesses, which sent costs soaring to stratospheric levels.
"It’s not a matter of whether we accommodate the car," Vidal says. "It’s a matter of that we have no room."
Population growth is the inexorable force driving all these changes. Since 1980, metro Denver has gained 1 million residents, bringing the total population to 2.6 million. Demographers predict an even larger human tide in the next quarter of a century, with the city projected to hit 3.9 million people by 2030.
Plotting this larger city of the future, Vidal and other regional leaders began looking to a transportation mode of the past: the rail. Like most cities and even the smaller towns of the West, Denver once had an array of streetcars. Begun in 1872, drawn first by horses, the streetcars were soon electrified and extended into the countryside, creating their own suburbs. Those streetcar suburbs today constitute Denver’s oldest and densest neighborhoods. Similar "interurban" lines radiated to nearby farming towns, and to Boulder, 25 miles away. Even smallish farming towns, like Fort Collins, Colo., had trolleys and streetcars soon after the 20th century dawned.
A century later, as traffic overwhelmed metro highways, Denver was ready to get back on the tracks. In 1994, the seven-county Regional Transportation District unveiled a 5.3-mile light rail line in the central business district, financing it without state or federal aid. It was received well enough, encouraging faithful rail supporters to push for more. In 1997, they put a $6 billion expansion proposal on the ballot. But the high price tag, combined with vague routes and political infighting, sent the "Guide the Ride" measure down to defeat.
Nonetheless, in July 2000, the Regional Transportation District bounced back with an 8.7-mile extension of light rail from downtown to the southwest suburbs. Delivered on time and within budget, the rail line immediately attracted throngs of riders, serving 18,000 daily within two years — more than even the most optimistic projections. Light rail had hit a home run in Denver.
Work had already begun on a 19.1-mile extension of light rail, paralleling the clogged I-25 toward Lone Tree, where Keith Simon and his cohorts envision their New Urbanist city of RidgeGate. And now that the public had eagerly embraced light rail, proponents began plotting something more ambitious yet.
On the fast track
The 2004 FasTracks campaign not only united environmentalists with businesspeople, it also revealed a strengthening alliance between city and suburbs. All 31 mayors in the metro area at that time pledged their support, but Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper was at the campaign’s forefront.
Tall and lanky, Hickenlooper caught the fancy of Denverites two years earlier when, as a political novice, he campaigned for mayor with television advertisements depicting himself as a geeky do-gooder plugging coins into the city’s unpopular parking meters. In television ads this fall, Hickenlooper stifled his innate fear of heights to sky-dive while explaining to voters why they should modify Colorado’s throat-choking budget limitations. For the well-funded FasTracks television campaign last year, he presented a completely different face: an urbane, relaxed, thoughtful Hickenlooper boarding the train, reading a newspaper. Light rail, the TV spot seemed to say, was convenient and sophisticated.
The various personalities are not facades. Hickenlooper has his head, and his heart, in many places. Behind his desk in City Hall hangs a famous painting of Colorado’s Mount of the Holy Cross by 19th century landscape artist Thomas Moran. As a geology student, Hickenlooper spent two summers in the Absaroka Mountains north of Yellowstone National Park, doing research for his master’s thesis. When Denver’s energy boom of the early 1980s tanked, the oil geologist re-created himself as a restaurateur. In 1988, Hickenlooper opened Colorado’s first brewpub, the Wynkoop Brewery, located across from Union Station, Denver’s old railway headquarters. In doing so, he led the charge of gentrification into what had been a shabby warehouse district. In 1992, he moved to the neighborhood himself, buying a loft above his brewery.
For the next decade, Hickenlooper got around chiefly by walking, even as he got ever more involved in community nonprofit causes and expanded his restaurant holdings. "I would go 10 days without getting in a car," he recalls. "It really was a transforming time. I felt not as tense; I felt more in control of my life."
In the dozens of speeches he gave on behalf of FasTracks, he outlined his vision of a new way of living. The new rail lines will have 57 new stations, 50 of them with potential for the kind of business and residential mix that Hickenlooper had found so sanely walkable in LoDo, his lower-downtown neighborhood. Instead of an inner-city business core surrounded by an ocean of housing and far-flung shopping malls, he envisioned metropolitan Denver becoming a series of smallish villages, places of six-, eight-, or even 10-story buildings, clustered around the rail stations. Instead of getting in a car to drive to a friend’s house, people would board the train to go to another urban village.
"The idea is that when you fly over Denver 20 or 30 years from now, hopefully you will be able to see these dots of urban villages, and make out the skeleton of our transit system," he said.
Light rail, said Hickenlooper, would provide an economic future that is "socially just and environmentally friendly." The exclusive use of cars, he said, is an inefficient drag on the economy. Even cheap cars are expensive to operate, so light rail provides greater mobility for the poor. As for the environment, Hickenlooper reasoned that denser, more livable cities discourage the feverish sprawl that chews up the hinterlands and consumes other resources at a needlessly rapid rate.
Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, then a rising star in the Republican Party, and his transportation boss, Tom Norton, pooh-poohed FasTracks, arguing that it was too costly for the relatively few riders it could accommodate. On the surface, it would seem that they had a point: Over a 24-hour period, the light-rail network was projected to carry only 2 percent of the city’s travelers.
But other officials, including longtime highwayman Bill Vidal, shot their case down. "What the argument does not acknowledge is that most of our transportation problems are defined during rush hour traffic, which is what light rail and other mass transit accommodates best," said Vidal. In the end, voters endorsed FasTracks by a 57-to-43 margin. The increased sales tax will cost the median family household about $90 per year.
The FasTracks-induced changes, says Hickenlooper, will "redefine how the rest of the country and the rest of the world thinks of Denver." It will also, he adds, redefine how Denver thinks of itself.
"I talk to mayors around the country. Nobody can believe what we did," he says. "In a seven-county area the size of Connecticut, we got all 31 mayors, Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, to combine to support the most ambitious transit issue in U.S. history."
The promise and peril of density
If Hickenlooper’s superlative claim for FasTracks is debatable, the energy it has added to revitalization efforts is undeniable.
Scheduled to come on line from 2014 to 2016, the rails will radiate west to the foothills, east to Denver International Airport, and north to Longmont. In Boulder, planners hope to use the commuter rail to spawn a 40-acre development, designed to dent the city’s chronic affordable-housing problem (HCN, 9/5/94: Boulder's ingenuity has a few drawbacks). Boulder’s hub will be second in size only to downtown Denver’s Union Station, which will be reborn as a complex of 1.4 million square feet of residential units, offices and retail businesses amid a spaghetti bowl of rails for Amtrak, commuter and light-rail lines. The Union Station project has attracted attention from potential investors around the country, including New York developer Donald Trump.
Developers are also lining up investors to redevelop former industrial sites. The most prominent such site is the former Gates Rubber Co. factory, which at one time employed 5,000 people making fan belts and other rubber products. Located in the crotch of two light-rail lines, the 50-acre site near downtown is a daunting stew of hazardous materials and other problems that will take years to deal with. The development leader, Cherokee Investment Partners, ultimately envisions $1.5 billion worth of new housing, offices, and retail.
Suburbs are also scrambling to be ready for the trains when they pull in 10 years from now. In Arvada, 10 miles from downtown Denver, town officials have approved the razing of horse-pasture homes to make room for 50 condominiums per acre. They hope the high density will work in tandem with the FasTracks line to revitalize the antique-store-filled downtown, an area once served by the old commuter trains, or interurbans.
Creating such densities is not just a matter of squeezing houses tightly together. Slicing-and-dicing the raw landscape in the traditional sprawling-suburb manner — three or four houses to the acre — is a formula well understood by major construction companies, as well as by government officials and bankers. The process is relatively simple, and the turnaround on investment is rapid. In three to five years, investors begin making a profit.
Mixed-use, transit-oriented developments require both greater skill and greater patience, especially from the investors. At Lone Tree’s RidgeGate, the land has been held since the 1970s by the publicity-shy Colony Investments Inc., owned by a reclusive shipping family from Greece, according to Denver newspaper accounts. Now in the second generation, the family members are in no hurry to turn the land over. Indeed, it was not until 1999 — after an electric utility said it needed to build a substation on the land — that the family summoned planners, including Keith Simon, to create a new vision for the property.
Six years later, the project still hemorrhages money, and it’s likely to do so for many more years, says Simon. "But that’s not an issue for them, because they know the long-term return on investment will be very good, and they can wait for the long term," he explains. That return will continue even after the current generation is gone — along with himself, as Simon adds wryly: Buildout is envisioned for 2060.
Marilee Utter, a one-time math teacher turned banker who now consults for transit-oriented developments across the West, says such projects always cost more than traditional suburban development, because more planning is required, construction costs are higher, and there’s no guarantee that the retail space will immediately fill with tenants. This sluggish initial payoff ultimately leads to a bigger upside, she says, because mixed-use projects provide a more diverse — and hence steadier — income stream. Nonetheless, American banks, accustomed to quick payback, are often reluctant to invest in New Urban projects.
Cost is not the only potential stumbling block, says Utter. A lack of regional coordination can doom some of the development surrounding light-rail stops. "Not (every urban village) is going to have entertainment. Not everyone can be a town center. They need to have different characteristics," she says. "If they (developers and city officials) don’t talk, they will really shoot themselves in the foot."
A similar warning comes from Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation. Because towns and cities in Colorado live — and die — by sales taxes, they have competed against one another to attract the auto-based big-box retailers, leaving some rich and others poor, while often creating chaotic land-use use patterns. He hopes Colorado legislators will revise the state’s tax structure to ensure that sales tax receipts along the new transportation grid are shared.
From Portland, Ore., which has 44 miles of light rail and three miles of streetcar, Metro Councilor Robert Liberty reminds Denver that transit is a means, not an end. "It’s not the technology, it’s the place, and your transportation investments should serve that broader vision of that place," he says.
Liberty also warns transit advocates to closely evaluate the effectiveness of mass transit projects. "It’s better to pretend you have very little money, because then you’re more careful," Liberty adds. "When Portland voters narrowly rejected funding for a new light rail line, our transit agency developed a much better project that cost less and actually did much more to promote community reinvestment."
Some fear that poorly designed light rail could actually encourage further sprawl, giving commuters easy transit to the fringe — and then a longer car ride beyond it. Rail boosters concede some truth to the charge, but maintain that, without rail, the sprawl would undoubtedly be much worse. Addressing these problems will require a strong regional voice, and many look to Hickenlooper. "I accept that challenge, and I think we will (succeed)," he says. Hickenlooper likes to point out that in one of his city’s few budget expansions, his office has hired four new planners devoted solely to transit-oriented development.
But at the same time, light-rail and transit-oriented development are not the panacea for the 21st century’s problems. Working rail into a car-centered city can be challenging, as Denver discovered in 2000 when park-and-ride lots next to new rail stations immediately overflowed. Light rail does not automatically provide affordable housing, boost sales tax revenues, and cause bluebirds to sing.
Indeed, few seem to think that the changes now under way in Western cities are as substantial as those that occurred soon after World War II, when the auto triumphed. "I’m not sure we’re there yet," says Shelley Poticha of Oakland’s Center for Transit-Oriented Development. Across the West, she sees too little mass transit and dense development. And there are other factors: Although the housing mortgage tax credit fueled lateral expansion of cities after World War II, no comparable incentive encourages density today.
But Gwen Anderson, an attorney who spent a decade working on the reconfiguration of Denver’s Union Station, says that the new wave of rail lines and compact, urban development, offers something that the auto age promised, but never fully delivered: independence.
"I have heard for years and years that transit would never work because people in the West were too independent-minded, that they needed the freedom of the car, that they didn’t believe in social engineering," she says. "But it seemed to me that argument was counter-intuitive, because to me, to be independent you must have choice. To be completely tied to the automobile took away that choice."
Waiting for the trains
At the city’s edge in Lone Tree, city officials, eager to leave their traffic problems behind, can’t wait for light rail to arrive. The adjoining interstate was Colorado’s largest parking lot until the state began adding more lanes. But Jack O’Boyle, Lone Tree’s mayor, knows those upgrades are only a temporary answer. Wider highways allow commuters to drive faster, which in turn draws more drivers, which in turn provokes another highway expansion.
"It’s a never-ending process," he says. "I don’t think anyone thinks you can build your way out of that cycle."
A former Navy man, O’Boyle doesn’t talk about environmental values or the advantages of a more vibrant society when he explains why compact, transit-oriented development makes sense for Lone Tree. Instead, like RidgeGate developer Simon, he talks about money.
"We all see the same problems caused by urban sprawl," he says of metro mayors. "We see that it costs more to provide the municipal services when those services are spread out, and that requires a higher tax load to provide that increased amount of service."
At RidgeGate, meanwhile, Simon waits patiently for the trains, which aren’t due to arrive for a decade. The clusters of higher-rise homes and businesses around the rail stops exist only on paper. But there are some tangible signs of the changes ahead. A grand pile of stones announces entry to the project, and behind it stands an already-completed hospital and recreation center. A cluster of 250 homes is under construction. It’s a start, and listening to Simon describe his New Urbanist vision for this pasture, it’s easy to believe that Denver’s future is on track toward a new, more environmentally friendly way of living.
Allen Best, a frequent mass-transit rider, lives in Denver, Colorado.
The following sidebar articles accompany this feature story:
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In the world of precision rifles, military firearms and Remington 700s, the terms clip slot, lug slot and lugged base often come up.
A clip slot, historically found on a wide range of firearms (take a look at the top of a SKS bolt carrier), accepts stripper clips to load the rifle from the top.
Here is what a clip slot, on my friend’s old Remington 40-X looks like from the above:
The ejection port is opened up to 2.580″ on most clip and lug slotted Remington 700s. Hi Power Rifle shooters (the NRA sport) would often use clip slotted bolt action rifles and stripper clips during the rapid fires stages prior to the expansion of detachable magazines and semi automatic rifles.
Clip slots and lug slots are often referred to in reference to the United States Marine Corps (USMC) M40A1, M40A3, M40A5 and DARPA XM3 sniper rifles, all of which use a clip or lug slotted Remington 700 action.
Here is a side view I found on a DARPA XM3 the CMP was selling:
The M40A3 and M40A5 use a slightly different base, which has a larger lug. The inlet for this base, or optical mounting system originally made by DD Ross, is called a lug slot.
Here is what it looks like from the top:
Notice the left side of the action isn’t opened up to 2.580″ like the 40X cut out.
The side opening of the ejection port on the M40A3/A5 is opened to 2.580″ and has a single radius. Lugged mounts typically have two lugs, one that engages a 7/16″ radius cut out towards the front of the receiver, and a lug that engages the lug slot in the rear. See photo below:
Here you can see an action, with the lug slot cut, and the lugged base for an M40A3 or M40A5 rifle.
On occasion, you’ll encounter lugged mounts for Remington 700s that do not require a clip slot or lug slot. They simply engage the existing receiver cut out with protrusions beneath the rail.
Retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Dave Clarke, former Staff Non-commissioned Officer In Charge (SNCOIC) of the USMC Precision Weapons Section (PWS) in Quantico, VA, graciously sent the following pictures of a M40/M40A1 clip slot (note the factory receiver next to the clip slot receiver in the second and third photos).
Clark is the co-owner of C&H Precision Weapons Shop located in Labelle, FL. C&H Precision Weapons Shop offers a wide variety of custom rifle building services, including clip and lug slotting. If you are looking to build a USMC rifle clone, he also builds complete M40A1, M40A3, and M40A5 rifles.
I hope this was helpful. If you have any additional information (or pictures you’ve taken) about clip or lug slots you’d like to share, please shoot me an email so I can add it to the post – USMC 2112’s feel free to chime in.
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Kangaroula for normal birth
During the actual labour, nurses and midwives are usually in constant attendance, as this is seen as a high risk time. The same applies for the first hour after birth, but during this time the nurses also have a great deal of practical work to do, and even more paper work to complete, and the focus on the mother and the newborn baby gets reduced to medical and nursing observations. Father might be there … but what does he know ?
And yet … this is the most important time of all for the baby. This is the golden hour when the baby wants to do it self-attachment, and make it first eye to eye contact with mother that leads to bonding. This is the time it identifies the breast and wires its brain to that breast for optimal, easy and trouble free breastfeeding. This is a fragile time … because these early behaviours can easily be disturbed.
And so the Kangaroula is there to make sure that this disturbance is minimised as far as possible, while also making sure that mother and baby are fine, assisting the nurses with all the things they have to do, while avoiding separation and disturbing baby.
Our experience is that mothers who have the first two hours protected and supported in this way are profoundly empowered thereafter. There is an enhanced quality to the attachment, as mothers learn to understand their own baby’s communications and needs that much earlier. The baby gets into a content mode, that makes the whole future of being a parent that much easier, and enjoyable.
Kangaroo Mother Care for all births
SUPPORT SERVICE FOR ALL NEWBORNS AND THEIR PARENTS!
The following information is also available in a PDF to download.
OUR SUPPORT BRIDGES CARE – from the BIRTH experience to CONFIDENT PARENTING.
1. BEFORE BIRTH:
- Being prepared, informed and educated about your choices before birth makes a difference, the first hour of life is very important.
2. LABOUR SUPPORT:
- We can be with you during your labour, like the doula. This reduces pain for you, and helps your baby
3. AT BIRTH – NORMAL DELIVERY – we offer help with:
- Immediate Skin to skin contact (on mum or dad)
- Encouragement of early breastfeeding and bonding
- Safe technique for attaching newborn to mum’s chest for safe co-sleeping
- Sensory supportive environment for newborn
- Technology as needed
4. IF A CAESAREAN is needed or planned, we offer help with:
- Skin to skin on dad in operating theatre
- Support in transfer of baby to mum for early self-attachment and bonding.
- in addition to breastfeeding, safe technique, sensory environment and technology .
5. NATURAL PARENTING:
- Getting the start right with early skin-to-skin contact, you will find that the answers to most parenting questions will come from inside yourself. You don’t need any books ! Our support enables you to trust yourself as a parent. You can learn how to read your baby’s tiny stress cues and learn to calm her.
COLLABORATION and TEAMWORK with all categories of staff.
We will support the staff in their roles, and work to make all involved into an integrated and “state of the art” care team.
Antenatal classes help you to give birth well, but what classes teach you how to be a parent? Adjusting to a tiny baby can be a very challenging time for you. Your baby needs you to face your feelings, so that you can help her thrive. Counselling can help you understand your emotions and cope better.
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This course in the Healthcare Marketplace specialization gives the learner an in-depth view of the intellectual property creation that is vital to creating breakthrough technologies. Included is an understanding of the strategy deployed for pricing drugs and new technologies as well as the market sizing exercise to identify where future research and development investments should be made.
Об этом курсе
The University of Minnesota is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation’s most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.
- 5 stars65,25 %
- 4 stars24,32 %
- 3 stars6,79 %
- 2 stars2,26 %
- 1 star1,35 %
Лучшие отзывы о курсе PHARMACEUTICAL AND MEDICAL DEVICE INNOVATIONS
It's very important and interesting course. It helped me a lot and i gained great knowledge in that field which will enable me to join it.
A great platform to learn about medical devices and the global scenario!!
Thanks a lot for such value information!!
The peer review assignment makes this course even more interesting! Thanks for this wonderful course
Excellent. I learned about the medical device market, with simple language and good exercises. I recommend it 100%.
Специализация Медицинский рынок: общие сведения
The first course, Healthcare Marketplace Overview, covers all of the major sub-sectors of the healthcare industry including the physician, hospital, insurer and medical technology markets, including a historical perspective. The second course, Healthcare Delivery Providers, takes an in-depth look at the system of healthcare delivery and the transformations occurring to improve the health of populations and communities. The third course,Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Innovations, gives the learner an in-depth view of the intellectual property creation that is vital to creating breakthrough technologies. The fourth course, Medical Technology and Evaluation, explains how cost-effectiveness analysis is used in the healthcare market to put a monetary value on a life saved through a new innovation.
Часто задаваемые вопросы
Когда я получу доступ к лекциям и заданиям?
Что я получу, оформив подписку на специализацию?
Можно ли получить финансовую помощь?
Остались вопросы? Посетите Центр поддержки учащихся.
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Ross Reynolds talks with Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer about the battle over sewage that's been raging on between the U.S. and BC for 20 years. They also discuss the controversy over the whales and dolphins being kept by the Vancouver Aquarium, as well as Premier Christy Clark's surprising stance on the Gaza conflict.
The Salish Sea is a network of waterways that run from northwestern Washington to British Columbia. The waters of the Salish Sea are home to some of the richest marine life on the planet. The Lummi Tribe of Northern Washington rely on the abundance of these waters, but the fish have been in decline for the last century and a half.
Osprey nests are a common sight near rivers, lakes and bays in the Northwest. If you look closely with binoculars, you might notice some of these large raptors like to line their nests with discarded baling twine or fishing line. The problem is it can kill them.
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By Rob Gillies Associated Press
TORONTO — The weak safety culture of a now-defunct railway company and poor government oversight were among the many factors that led to an oil train explosion that killed 47 people in Quebec last year, Canada’s Transportation Safety Board said in a new report released Tuesday.
TSB chair Wendy Tadros said 18 factors played a role, including a rail company that cut corners and a Canadian regulator that didn’t do proper safety audits.
The safety board issued its report 13 months after a runaway train carrying 72 carloads of volatile oil from North Dakota derailed, hurtled down an incline and slammed into downtown Lac-Megantic, Quebec. Several train cars exploded and 40 buildings were leveled. The unattended train had been parked overnight on a rail line before it came loose.
Montreal, Maine &Atlantic Railways went bankrupt after the disaster.
“We now know why the situation developed over time,” Tadros told a news conference in Lac-Megantic. “A weak safety culture at MMA, poor training of employees, tank cars that didn’t offer enough protection.”
The TSB, which is responsible for investigating rail, air and marine accidents, blamed another government agency, Transport Canada, for failing in its oversight duties.
“And then Transport Canada didn’t audit railways often enough and thoroughly enough to know how those companies were really managing, or not managing, risk,” Tadros said.
The safety board said Transport Canada, which is responsible for regulating railways, must ensure railway safety measures are effective. Canadian railways must implement additional physical defenses to prevent runaways, the board said.
Canadian Transport Minister Lisa Raitt said she has directed Transport Canada to quickly develop concrete actions to the TSB recommendations and said the department has acted decisively in moving to implement the TSB’s previous recommendations.
Tadros said Transport Canada knew Montreal, Maine &Atlantic Railways was having problems but proper follow up was not done.
TSB chief operating officer Jean Laporte called Montreal, Maine &Atlantic’s operations “dubious” and said the railway chose to limit the speed on certain routes instead of improving its equipment. “People only did the bare minimum to get the job done rather than always following the rules,” Laporte said.
The safety board said the train’s brakes weren’t properly set by the engineer.
In May, the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Canada Co. and three of its employees were charged by Quebec prosecutors with 47 counts of criminal negligence causing death. Class-action lawsuits are pending.
The crash, the worst railway accident in Canada in nearly 150 years, prompted intense public pressure to make oil trains safer. Canada’s transport minister said in April that the type of tankers involved in the disaster must be retired or retrofitted within three years because they are prone to rupturing.
The oil industry has rapidly moved to using trains to transport oil in part because of oil booms in North Dakota’s Bakken region and Alberta’s oil sands, and because of a lack of pipelines.
The safety board previously cited easily breached tank cars and highly volatile oil as factors.
The Lac-Megantic disaster along with a string of other explosive accidents across North America prompted the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue an alert about the potential high volatility of crude from the Bakken oil patch. The U.S. agency said that light crude oil from the Bakken oil region, which straddles North Dakota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, may be different from traditional heavy crudes because it is prone to ignite at a lower temperature.
Edward Burkhardt, the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Canada chairman who became the target of the community’s anger last year, said he could not comment on the report because of pending legal cases.
John Giles, CEO of Central Maine and Quebec Railway, which purchased the assets of Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Canada, said the first thing he did upon taking over the railroad in May was to shut down operations for two days to talk about safety with employees in the U.S. and in Canada. The railroad now has experienced leadership and management that has been using better safety practices, he said.
Giles said that safety improvements include the elimination of one-man crews, the hiring of a senior superintendent for Canadian operations and the swapping out of old locomotives. The railroad also is spending $8.5 million on overhauling neglected track and will delay any crude oil shipments until 2016, he said.
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Friday, February 10, 2006
Wright's new debating technique: Violence!
Can you name a use for this cartoon featuring Tom Wright kapowing Marc Borg and Dom Crossan? Let me get the ball rolling:
1. Tom Wright's blogger Icon
2. The new cover for the Fortress edition of The Resurrection of Jesus: John Dominic Crossan and N.T. Wright in Dialogue.
3. A diagram explainig Tom Wright's rebuttal strategy for SBL in 2006.
I got the cartoon from Justin Junkins at Pisteuo.
Hmm, I wonder if I could insert a picture of Wright giving Bultmann an uppercut to the chin? Or maybe Tom slapping Richard Dawkins in the face with a big piece of Barramundi!
Interpretation: I think this drawing is a projection of someone's internalised hero myth, where a primeval (yet strangely postmodern) champion arises to fight and win the religious battle against a perceived enemy. Well, we all like to have heroes don't we!
To quote Bertolt Brect (Galileo):
"Unhappy a land with no Hero"
"Unhappy a land that needs a hero"
I think that sums it up.
Otherwise, I shall now observe a NT Wright moratorium for the next month!
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The first two articles in this issue represent revised and expanded versions of papers submitted to the 2012 Sound and Music Computing Conference, which was held in July at Aalborg University in Copenhagen. The two papers shared the Best Paper award, granted by the conference chair and technical paper committee in consultation with Computer Music Journal.
The first article offers an overview of the Spatial Sound Description Interchange Format (SpatDIF), a specification for storing and transmitting spatial audio scene descriptions. The specification, which is not bound to any particular implementation, programming language, or file format, offers syntax and semantics for representing spatialized sound, whether for authoring, streaming, or rendering. Content creators such as composers can define a sound's three-dimensional placement and motion, as well as other spatial sound parameters, in a manner independent of software, hardware, and performance venue. SpatDIF utilizes a stratified model consisting of layers for authoring, scene description, encoding, decoding, hardware abstraction, and physical devices. The authors show examples of Spat-DIF's use in representing the spatial aspects of a fixed-media composition re-implemented in Max/MSP (John Chowning's Turenas) as well as those of an interactive audiovisual installation (Flowspace II by Jan Schacher, Daniel Bisig, and Martin Neukom).
The second of the prizewinning articles presents a simple hardware device designed to introduce musicians to haptics without imposing high barriers to entry, whether financial or cognitive. The authors decided to use motorized faders, which are familiar from their presence in many audio mixing consoles. The force feedback offered by this simple user interface is visually conveyed to the performer and the audience via a light whose brightness is proportional to the force applied to the fader. Importantly, the software and Arduino-based firmware are open-source and designed for easy reconfiguration, so that the device can be incorporated in diverse do-it-yourself hardware applications. Existing examples include a virtual plucked-string instrument and a device for "flinging" sound around a room.
The issue continues with two articles on digital sound-synthesis techniques. Victor Lazzarini and Joseph Timoney's article studies a group of techniques that use nonlinear distortion to emulate resonant sounds. These methods provide an alternative to the familiar use of oscillators and filters for subtractive synthesis. They also improve upon the traditional technique of frequency modulation (FM) synthesis, which can emulate resonant frequency regions but which can suffer from unrealistic spectral evolutions in response to the amount of nonlinear distortion applied. In the described synthesis techniques, the traditional source-modifier arrangement is reconstructed as a heterodyne structure made of a sinusoidal carrier and a complex modulator created by nonlinear distortion. These methods are computationally efficient and allow signals to be added without the problems of frequency-dependent phase interference.
David Bessell's article tackles the synthesis of percussion instruments. His technique aims to offer some of the flexibility and expressiveness of physical modeling without its drawback of requiringmusicians to acquire technical expertise. The technique also has some similarities with sampling synthesis but reduces the stored data's size by an order of magnitude. In the author's approach, which he calls dynamic convolution modeling, an attack part and a decay part are obtained from recorded sounds. The amplitude envelope of the attack part is applied to a noise source. The enveloped noise can then be low-pass filtered, with the filter's cutoff frequency controlled in real time by MIDI velocity. This filtered noise is then convolved with an impulse response derived from a recording of a resonant body—for instance, a drum. The author presents hybrid sound examples, such as a pizzicato gong.
The issue's final article, in the arena of music information retrieval, concerns the automatic segmentation of musical audio into sections composed in different keys. The audio is analyzed for pitch classes using the chroma energy distribution normalized statistics (CENS). The resulting twelve-dimensional space is data-reduced using principal component analysis and non-negative matrix factorization, and the k-means clustering algorithm is applied to separate the frames into groups that are in [End Page 1] different keys. The technique is evaluated using both real audio recordings and artificial data sets...
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Kateri H. DuBayAssistant Professor of Chemistry
The design of self-assembling nanomaterials stands as one of the great challenges in modern molecular science. The DuBay group employs theoretical and computational tools to address this challenge through investigations that lie at the intersection of soft condensed matter physics, polymer chemistry, biophysics, and nanomaterials.
At these very small length scales, the effects of thermal fluctuations, entropy, energy, and kinetics are often comparable in magnitude, rendering materials highly sensitive to perturbations such as chemical doping and environmental changes. While a wide variety of useful structures can be made via self-assembly within a static environment by precisely tuning the interactions between assembling components, environmental controls give us the means to advance beyond the limitations of such endeavors. Biological systems provide a host of examples, demonstrating the remarkable complexity and high responsivity of materials formed via environmentally-directed assembly. Specifically our group looks at assembly within environments that vary either in space, such as in the presence of a chemical gradient, or in time, such as in response to biological signaling.
Given the physical length-scales of the systems we study and the time-scale over which they evolve, we design theoretical models to capture the essential physics of the studied phenomenon. Such schematic models leave out unnecessary details in order to isolate the factors of interest and enable us to probe more directly the fundamental questions surrounding the emergence of order and responsivity within the studied nanoassemblies.
An improved understanding of the rules governing assembly in these environments will yield novel insights into the formation of functional biomaterials as well as information useful for improving light harvesting, drug-delivery, environmental-sensing, and material fabrication; countless technological innovations await the ability to rationally design artificially-ordered and environmentally-responsive nanomaterials.
Construction of Donor-Acceptor Polymers via Cyclopentannulation of Poly (arylene ethynylene)s. X Zhu, S.R. Bheemireddy, S.V. Sambasivarao, P.W. Rose, R. Torres Guzman, A.G. Waltner, K.H. DuBay, and K.N. Plunkett. Macromolecules, 49 (1), 127-133 (2016).
Fluctuations within Folded Proteins: Implications for Thermodynamic and Allosteric Regulation. K.H. DuBay, G.R. Bowman, P.L. Geissler, Accounts of Chemical Research, 48 (4), pp 1098–1105 (2015).
A First-Principles Polarized Raman Method for Determining Whether a Uniform Region of a Sample is Crystalline or Isotropic. A.L. Weisman, K.H. DuBay, K.A. Willets, R.A. Friesner, The Journal of Chemical Physics 141(22), 224702 (2014).
Impact of Molecular Symmetry on Single-Molecule Conductance. E. J. Dell, B. Capozzi, K. H. DuBay, T. C. Berkelbach, J. R. Moreno, D. R. Reichman, L. Venkataraman, and L. M. Campos. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135:32, 11724-27 (2013).
Chromophore-Controlled Self-Assembly of Highly Ordered Polymer Nanostructures. M. C. Traub, K. H. DuBay, S. E. Ingle, X. Zhu, K. N. Plunkett, D. R. Reichman, and D. A. Vanden Bout. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 4:15, 2520-4 (2013).
Accurate Force Field Development for Modeling Conjugated Polymers. K. H. DuBay, M. L. Hall, T. F. Hughes, C. Wu, D. R. Reichman, and R. A. Friesner. J. Chem. Theory. Comput. 8, 4556-69 (2012).
Polarized Raman Spectroscopy of Oligothiophene Crystals to Determine Unit Cell Orientation. J. C. Heckel, A. L. Weisman, S. T. Schneebeli, M. L. Hall, L. J. Sherry, S. M. Stranahan, K. H. DuBay, R. A. Friesner, and K. A. Willets. J. Phys. Chem. A 116, 6804-16 (2012).
Long-Range Intra-Protein Communication Can Be Transmitted by Correlated Side-Chain Fluctuations Alone. K. H. DuBay, J. P. Bothma, and P. L. Geissler. PLoS Comput. Biol. 7:9, e1002168 (2011).
Andreas GahlmannAssistant Professor of Chemistry and Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics
One key area in understanding bacterial cell biology is spatiotemporal phenomena: Where, when, and how do individual biomolecules act and interact to govern the overall physiology of the cell? To answer this question, we develop new high-resolution imaging methods for 3D single-molecule localization in intact bacterial cells. In particular, we combine the resolving power of the electron microscope with the single-molecule sensitivity and specificity of fluorescence-based methods. With these tools, we can localize single biomolecules in 3D space with a precision of a few nanometers, track their motion over time, and then zoom in further to visualize how specific biomolecules combine with others to produce functioning assemblies in their native environment.
Bacteria are highly relevant to important challenges of our time. For example, the looming inability to effectively combat pathogenic bacteria with current antibiotics presents a major health concern. Finding new avenues to selectively target and alter key molecular pathways can provide us with further options for effective antibiotic drug development. Because bacteria are the smallest and arguably the simplest living organisms on the planet, they are also fundamentally interesting to study the molecular-level biology of the cell. Bacteria are able to precisely regulate protein activity throughout the intracellular space through finely tuned molecular interactions. Of particular importance are scaffolding proteins that partition the cytoplasm and provide specialized subcellular compartments for specific biochemical reactions to occur. On a smaller scale, scaffolding proteins are hypothesized to spatially organize multiple enzymes into biomolecular assemblies. Parts of these assemblies can be highly dynamic and therefore the precise architectures and the resulting functional consequences remain elusive.
Rapid progress of evolution has made the bacteria an extremely diverse and widely abundant group of single-celled organisms that affects almost every aspect of life on earth. The resulting bacterial physiological traits present a biological treasure trove that remains to be investigated with molecular resolution and, where possible, exploited to our benefit. With this in mind, we continue to push the limits of cellular imaging, as well as in situ structural characterization of biomolecular assemblies.
Single-molecule tracking in live Yersinia enterocolitica reveals distinct cytosolic complexes of injectisome subunits. J. Rocha, C. Richardson, M. Zhang, C. Darch, E. Cai, A. Diepold, A. Gahlmann, Integrative Biology, 2018, 10, 502 (Cover Article)
BACT-3D: A level set segmentation approach for dense multi-layered 3D bacterial biofilms. J. Wang, R. Sarkar, A. Aziz, A. Vaccari, A. Gahlmann, S. Acton, 2017 IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP)
Bacterial Scaffold Directs Pole-Specific Centromere Segregation. J.L. Ptacin, A. Gahlmann, G.R. Bowman , A.M. Perez, A.R.S. von Diezmann, M.R. Eckart, W.E. Moerner, and L. Shapiro. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2014, 111, E2046
Exploring Bacterial Cell Biology with Single-Molecule Tracking and Super-Resolution Imaging. A. Gahlmann and W.E. Moerner. Nat. Rev. Microbiol., 2013, 12, 9 (Cover Article)
Quantitative Multicolor Subdiffraction Imaging of Bacterial Protein Ultrastructures in Three Dimensions. A. Gahlmann, J.L. Ptacin, G. Grover, S. Quirin, A.R.S. von Diezmann, M.K. Lee, M.P. Backlund, L. Shapiro, R. Piestun, and W.E. Moerner. Nano Lett., 2013, 13, 987
Direct Structural Determination of Conformations of Photoswitchable Molecules by Laser Desorption-Electron Diffraction. A. Gahlmann, I-R. Lee, and A.H. Zewail. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 6524
Ian HarrisonProfessor of Chemistry
Surface Chemistry: Catalysis, Photochemistry, Reaction Kinetics & Dynamics
Catalysis is an essential technology supporting our way of life and contributes towards roughly 1/3 of the material GDP of the US economy. At the beginning of the 20th Century, the catalytic transformation of nitrogen on nanoscale, potassium promoted, iron catalysts to ammonia, and ultimately fertilizer, profoundly changed the human condition and currently supports an additional 2.4 billion people beyond what the Earth could otherwise sustain. In the 21st Century, the catalytic challenge will be to facilitate a rapid transition from a petroleum-based energy and chemical economy to a more generalized one based on natural gas, hydrogen, coal, biomass, and solar energy (photochemistry). Energy efficient chemical transformations, environmental protection, and green chemistry will continue to rely heavily on catalysis. Most industrially viable catalysis takes place on the surfaces of transition metal nanocrystallites dispersed on oxide supports. Our research focuses on understanding gas-surface reactions on simplified scientific model surfaces, namely, on single crystal surfaces. Recent progress includes the development of quantitative models for (i) the C-H bond activation of CH4 on metal surfaces that relates to the industrial production of H2 via natural gas reforming on metal nanocatalysts, and (ii) the chemical vapor deposition of Si on Si (100) by SiH4 that is central to Si homoepitaxy in microelectronics manufacturing. Current activities focus on exploring the thermal and photochemical reaction dynamics of catalytically important and energy-related small molecules, such as H2, CO2, CH4, alkanes, and alcohols, on transition metal surfaces. Our research typically employs ultrahigh vacuum surface analytical techniques (e.g., TPD, AES, XPS, RAIRS, STM, LEED) as well as some more specialized laser techniques (SFG, TOF) and/or microcanonical unimolecular rate theory. Our goal is to characterize the transition states of important catalytic reactions and to develop an improved understanding of how to design efficient & selective thermal and photochemically driven catalysts.
Rice−Ramsperger−Kassel−Marcus Simulation of Hydrogen Dissociation on Cu(111): Addressing Dynamical Biases, Surface Temperature, and Tunneling. Donald SB and. Harrison I. J. Phys. Chem. C, 118, 320-337 (2014).
Methane dissociative chemisorption and detailed balance on Pt(111): Dynamical constraints and the modest influence of tunneling. Donald SB, Navin JK and Harrison I. J. Chem. Phys. 139, 214707 (2013).
Communication: angle-resolved thermal dissociative sticking of CH4 on Pt(111): further indication that rotation is a spectator to the gas-surface reaction dynamics. Navin JK, Donald SB, Tinney DG, Cushing GW, Harrison I. J Chem Phys. 136:061101 (2012).
Dynamically biased RRKM model of activated gas-surface reactivity: vibrational efficacy and rotation as a spectator in the dissociative chemisorption of CH4 on Pt(111). Donald SB, Harrison I. Phys Chem Chem Phys. 214:1784-95 (2012).
An effusive molecular beam technique for studies of polyatomic gas-surface reactivity and energy transfer. Cushing GW, Navin JK, Valadez L, Johánek V, Harrison I. Rev Sci Instrum. 82(4):044102 (2011).
James P. LandersCommonwealth Professor in the Departments of Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering and Pathology
Polyethylene Terephthalate Microdevices
Our research group has developed a technique for fabricating microfluidic devices with complex multilayer architectures using a laser printer, a CO2 laser cutter, an office laminator, and common overhead transparencies as a printable substrate via a laser print/cut and laminate (PCL) methodology. The printer toner serves three functions; (1) it defines the microfluidic architecture, (2) acts as the bonding agent, and (3) provides printable, hydrophobic "valves" for fluidic flow control. Using common graphics software, the protocol produces microfluidic devices with a design-to-device time of ~40 min. Devices of any shape can be generated for an array of multistep assays with colorimetric detection of molecular species ranging from small molecules to proteins. The simplicity of the protocol, availability of the equipment and substrate and cost-effective nature of the process make microfluidic devices available to those who might benefit most from expedited, microscale chemistry.
Figure 1. A microfluidic chip designed to dispense sample and mix reagents by rotating at varying speeds. This specific device is used to measure albumin concentration, white blood cell count, and hematocrit in whole blood.
Biological, Bioanalytical and Clinical Chemistry
Almost every aspect of the biochemical, biomedical and clinical sciences involves separation of species in complex matrices. Electrophoresis has been a benchmark technique for separation and characterization of biologically-active species. Instead of using conventional slab gel electrophoretic approaches, electrophoresis in micron-scale capillaries using applied fields as high as 30,000 volts, results in unprecedented resolution with unique selectivities and short analysis times. As a result of the microscalar nature of the capillary, only microliters of reagent are consumed by analysis with only a few nanoliters of samples injected for analysis. These characteristics, as well as the ability for on-line detection with laser-induced fluorescence sensitivities in the attomole (10-18 moles) range, made capillary electrophoresis (CE) appealing as a replacement for electrophoretic gels in the biomedical and clinical arenas. We have demonstrated the potential impact of CE on clinical diagnostics through the development of new CE-based assays for measuring kidney function, detecting multiple sclerosis and viral infections, screening for lymphoma, as well as for diagnosing drug abuse and alcoholism.
While the diagnostic impact of standard CE technology is clear, an alternative platform for electrophoresis in microscalar structures has evolved in the form of microchip electrophoresis. The use of microfabricated glass devices containing etched capillary-like channels provides an electrophoretic platform akin to CE but with more flexibility. “Microchip electrophoresis” allows for analysis times to be decreased by an order of magnitude over times achievable by CE (as fast as 10-200 seconds) and two orders of magnitude faster than gel electrophoresis. This provides obvious value to clinical diagnostic laboratories in terms of more rapid turn around time and capability for high throughput screening. We have demonstrated this with the detection T-cell and B-cell lymphoma in a separation remarkably faster than with conventional means.
Figure 2. Demonstration of microchip electrophoresis as a technique for rapid diagnosis of T-Cell lymphoma. Sample T1 shows a negative sample, which is represented by the smear after 100 seconds of separation. T4 is a positive sample with a sharp peak.
With a program focused on the application of miniaturized electrophoretic technology to the clinical and forensic sciences, our current efforts involve broadening the scope of applications for microchip technology. This involves addressing issues associated with integrating functions other than "separation" onto microchips. For example, we are focused on defining approaches for integrating DNA sample preparation into microchips. PCR amplification of DNA carried out using infrared-mediated thermocycling for rapid on-chip amplification and rapid DNA extraction using microchamber-bound solid phases are two examples of our integration efforts.
The successful integration of DNA extraction and amplification will lead to the development of an “Integrated Diagnostic” or ID-chip, which we ultimately hope will improve laboratory medicine. Efforts are also underway to 1) define better detection systems using acoustic-optic technology, 2) develop multichannel devices for high-throughput analysis using this optical technology, 3) explore proteomic aspects of disease using multi-dimensional microchips for protein separations, and 4) apply the relevant methods to forensic applications.
Simultaneous metering and dispensing of multiple reagents on passivelycontrolled microdevice solely by finger pressing. Xu K, Begley M, Landers JP. Lab on a Chip. 15: 867-876 (2015).
Integrated sample-in-answer-out microfluidic chip for Rapid HumanIdentification by STR analysis. Le Roux D, Root B, Reedy C, Hickey J, Scott O, Bienvenue J, Landers JP, Chassagne L, Mazancourt P. Lab on a Chip. 14:4415-4425 (2014).
DNA Analysis Using an Integrated Microchip for Multiplex PCRAmplification and Electrophoresis for Reference Samples. Le Roux D, Root B, Reedy C, Hickey J, Scott O, Bienvenue J, Landers JP, Chassagne L, Mazancourt P. Analytical Chemistry. 86:8192-8199 (2014).
Rapid, cost-effective DNA quantification via a visually-detectableaggregation of superparamagnetic silica-magnetite nanoparticles. Liu Q, Li J, Liu H, Tora I, Ide M, Lu J, Davis R, Green D, Landers JP. Nano Research. 7:755-764 (2014).
Dual-force aggregation of magnetic particles enhances label-freequantification of DNA at the sub-single cell level. Nelson D, Strachan B, Sloane H, Li J, Landers JP. Analytica Chimica Acta. 819:34-41 (2014).
Enhanced recovery of spermatozoa and comprehensive lysis of epithelialcells from sexual assault samples having a low cell counts or aged up to one year. Loundsbury J, Nambia S, Karlsson A, Cunniffe H, Norris J, Ferrance J, Landers JP. Forensic Science International: Genetics. 8:84-89 (2014).
Lin PuProfessor of Chemistry
Organic, Polymer and Organometallic Chemistry; Asymmetric Catalysis; Chiral Sensors; Optically Active Materials
Multi-disciplinary research programs involving organic synthesis, molecular recognition, fluorescent sensing, asymmetric catalysis, and polymers are conducted in our laboratory. The 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) and its derivatives are chosen as the chiral building blocks to construct novel chiral molecules and macromolecules for diverse applications. We have developed a family of enantioselective fluorescent sensors for the recognition of organic molecules such as alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids, amino acids, amino alcohols, and amines. These sensors are potentially useful for rapid assay of the enantiomeric composition of chiral compounds and for high throughput chiral catalyst screening. They are also potentially useful for biological analysis and imaging. New chiral conjugated polymers and dendrimers are prepared for applications in materials, catalysis, and sensing. We have discovered that the Lewis acid complexes of the optically active binaphthyl molecules and polymers can carry out highly enantioselective organic reactions such as organozinc additions to aldehydes, hetero-Diels-Alder reactions, 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, reductions of ketones, Michael additions, epoxidations, and others. Interesting chiral organic molecules including those of biological functions are prepared by using these catalysts.
Enantioselective Fluorescent Sensors
Enantioselective Fluorescent Recognition of Free Amino Acids: Challenges and Opportunities. Pu, L. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 21814-21828.
Free Amino Acid Recognition: A Bisbinaphthyl-Based Fluorescent Probe with High Enantioselectivity. Zhu, Y.-Y.; Wu, X.-D.; Gu, S.-X.; Pu, L. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 175−181.
Simultaneous Determination of Concentration and Enantiomeric Composition in Fluorescent Sensing. Lin Pu. Acc. Chem. Res. 2017, 50, 1032-1040.
Regiospecific Hydration of N-(Diphenylphosphinoyl)propargyl amines: Synthesis of b-Amino Ketones by Au(III) Catalysis. Ying, J.; Pu, L. J. Org. Chem. 2016, 81, 8135−8141. A Featured Article. Highlight on the cover.
Conjugated polymer-enhanced enantioselectivity in fluorescent sensing. Zhang, X. –P.; Wang, C.; Wang, P.; Du, J. –J.; Zhang, G. –Q.; Pu, L. Chem. Sci. 2016, 7, 3614–3620.
Rational Design of a Fluorescent Sensor to Simultaneously Determine Both the Enantiomeric Composition and Concentration of Chiral Functional Amines. Wen, K. –L.; Yu, S. –S.; Huang, Z.; Chen, L. –M.; Xiao, M.; Yu, X. –Q.; Pu, L. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 4517-4524.
Asymmetric Functional Organozinc Additions to Aldehydes Catalyzed by BINOLs. Pu, L. Acc. Chem. Res. 2014, 47, 1523–1535.
Zn(II) Promoted Dramatic Enhancement in the Enantioselective Fluorescent Recognition of Chiral Amines by a Chiral Aldehyde. Huang, Z.; Yu, S. S.; Yu, X. Q.; Pu. L. Chem. Sci. 2014, 5, 3457-3462.
Enantioselective Fluorescent Sensors: A Tale of BINOL. Pu, L. Acc. Chem. Res. 2012, 45, 150–163.
Simultaneous Determination of Both the Enantiomeric Composition and Concentration of a Chiral Substrate with One Fluorescent Sensor. Yu, S.; Plunkett, W.; Kim, M.; Pu, L. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 20282–20285. A spotlight article reported in J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, 135 (3), 949–950.
Jelena SamoninaAssistant Professor of Chemistry, General Faculty
Dr. Jelena Samonina joined the faculty of the UVA Chemistry Department in 2019, where her teaching interests include Organic Chemistry and Chemistry for the Health Sciences. She earned her M.S. and her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at Warsaw University. After two postdoctoral trainings at the University of Virginia and at Stanford University she joined the faculty of Washington and Lee University.
Dr. Samonina is passionate about teaching and she designs her courses to motivate and excite students through proactive learning. Her teaching style effectively engages the students and encourage them to develop into future thinkers, inventors, and researchers, whether it be in industry, academia, or public service.
Dr. Samonina’s research interests lie at the interface of Organic and Polymer Chemistry, Nanomaterials and Medicine, and include the development of new concepts in drug delivery, imaging and diagnostics.
Sawyer C. W., Suffield B. H., Finnefrock A. C., Billings H. M., Uffelman E. S., Zoeller J. R., Dombrowski M. S., Delaney J.K., Dooley K. A., Mass J. L., Samonina J., Whitesell M. M., A John White Alexander Painting at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: A Comparison of Imaging Technologies for Resolving a Painting under Another Painting, Journal of American Institute for Concervation. 2019, 58, 37–53.
De Crisci A. G., Samonina-Kosicka J., Gieleciak R., Fleischauer M., Morris R. H., Waymouth R. M., Electrocatalytic Transfer Hydrogenation for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Activation and Utilization” – 2018. Poster won first prize at the Connaught Global Challenge Symposium on CO2 Solution to Climate Change.
Butler, T.; Morris, W.; Samonina-Kosicka, J.; Fraser, C., Mechanochromic Luminescence and Aggregation Induced Emission of Dinaphthoylmethane β-Diketones and their Boronated Counterparts – ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2016, 8, 1242–1251
Samonina-Kosicka, J.; Weitzel, D. H.; Hofmann, C. L.; Hendargo, H.; Hanna, G.; Dewhirst, M. W.; Palmer, G. M.; Fraser, C. L., Luminescent Difluoroboron β-Diketonate PEG-PLA Oxygen Nanosensors for Tumor Imaging. Macromolecular Rapid Communications 2015, 36, 694-699.
Butler, T.; Morris, W. A.; Samonina-Kosicka, J.; Fraser, C. L., Mechanochromic Luminescence and Aggregation Induced Emission for a Metal-Free Beta-Diketone. Chemical Communications 2015, 51, 3359-3362. - highlighted as "Noteworthy Chemistry" by ACS
DeRosa, C. A.; Samonina-Kosicka, J.; Fan, Z.; Hendargo, H. C.; Weitzel, D. H.; Palmer, G. M.; Fraser, C. L., Oxygen Sensing Difluoroboron Dinaphthoylmethane Polylactide. Macromolecules 2015, 48, 2967-2977.
Samonina-Kosicka, J.; Kańska, M., Synthesis of Selectively Labeled Histidine and its Methylderivatives with Deuterium, Tritium, and Carbon-14. Journal of Labelled Compounds and Radiopharmaceuticals 2013, 56, 317-320.
Kevin WelchAssistant Professor, General Faculty
Professor Kevin Welch is interested in developing curricula for undergraduate instruction in general chemistry and organic chemistry. In particular, his focus is on updating these courses to accommodate the diverse educational background in chemistry of the students enrolling in chemistry at the University of Virginia, as well as providing a strong chemical foundation for the students as they continue on in their educational and post-educational careers in a variety of fields. In the past, he has taught undergraduate courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, environmental chemistry, and scientific writing.
In addition to a focus on undergraduate education, Kevin’s interests in chemistry involve research investigating metal-ligand bonding interactions and the use of transition metal complexes to address challenges in fuel generation and energy storage.
A native of northern Virginia, Kevin received his B.S. in chemistry from Gettysburg College in 2002, and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Virginia in 2007, where he focused on synthetic organometallic chemistry. He spent three years in central Washington as a Department of Energy Postdoctoral Researcher at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, working on the development of transition metal catalysts for energy storage and fuel cell technology. From 2010 to 2016, Kevin was a visiting assistant professor at Swarthmore College outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he taught and conducted research with undergraduate students. He returned to the University of Virginia in the fall of 2016 and currently teaches courses in general chemistry and laboratories for organic chemistry.
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A Long Way Gone
The first-person account of a 26-year-old who fought in the war in Sierra Leone as a 12-year-old boy. 'My new friends have begun to suspect that I haven't told them the full story of my life. ""Why did you leave Sierra Leone?“ ”Because there is a war.“ ”You mean, you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?“ ”Yes, all the time.“ ”Cool.“ I smile a little. ”You should tell us about it sometime.“ ”Yes, sometime.""' This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. There are more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide and it is estimated there are some 300,000 child soldiers fighting. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them. What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who came through this hell and survived. Ishmael Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve in Sierra Leone, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence.By thirteen, he'd been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found he was capable of truly terrible acts. This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty.
GST Note: GST is included in the price of this item. GST is included in the freight.
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Shakespeare’s Restless World
William Shakespeare’s world was in flux, and he embraced those rapid changes in his works. We can use contemporary histories or art to explore Elizabethan England, but Neil MacGregor offers readers a fresh approach. Shakespeare’s Restless World presents us with twenty objects which capture the essence of Shakespeare’s day, and explains not only why they were created and what they were used for, but also their significance to Shakespeare and his audience. MacGregor ranges these twenty artifacts alongside Shakespeare’s plays to show readers how Elizabethans viewed vital topics. English anxiety over who would succeed their Virgin Queen was explored by proxy in Richard III and Henry V, and also in allegorical paintings. A sword and rapier found by the Thames River, the sort used in Romeo and Juliet, introduce us to an Italian fad becoming popular in England. Intelligent and entertaining, I recommend Shakespeare’s Restless World to anyone wishing to learn more about the Bard, his plays, and the English society he sought to entertain.
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From the beginning of time men and women have been given subtle pushes from society and our world of what roles we should play and what obligations we have. When we don’t measure up in any way we feel shame.
Makes us feel less than; it diminishes the individual’s value
It causes us to hide our true selves
It creates a belief that there is something wrong with the individual
We have been dealing with the feelings of insufficiency and incompleteness since before sin even entered the world. It was Eve’s feelings of inadequacy that Satan played off of that led to the fall of man. As a coach, I have found that digging deep into this topic and definition can free each and every one of us to live to our fullest potentials!
The word in·ad·e·qua·cy is a noun. A noun can identify or name a particular someone. The dictionary says the word inadequacy is: The state or quality of being inadequate; the lack of the quantity or quality required; insufficient for a purpose.
When we are feeling this way we act out of fear, compulsion, and desire “to make sufficient”. It creates a cycle of further shame and feelings of being insufficient in just who you are as a person.
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom*, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Lets look at this phrase, “Desirable for gaining”.
When we need to gain something it means we are lacking. The garden of Eden was perfect. There was no lack. So in order for Satan to trip Eve or even us up he must first make us believe that we are lacking. That we do not have all that we require. Something is missing and, at its core, it is God’s fault. How often in your heart of hearts when something goes wrong or something is drastically missing, do you blame God, The Maker of Perfection? Adam did this very thing by blaming the serpent “whom you created”. Shame not only makes us hide, but also makes us deny and blame the wrongful parties.
In doing this research I found out that women are quicker to feel humiliated than men, and adolescents feel shame more intensely than adults do. As a result, women and adolescents are more susceptible to the negative effects of shame, such as low self-esteem and depression. However according to https://www.verywellmind.com, “Shame also affects men differently from women. It’s said that men with shame-based low self-esteem tend to “act out” through anger and violent behavior toward others, while women “act in” by turning their feelings inward and hating themselves.”
People often speak of shame and guilt as if they were one and the same. The are not! Guilt occurs when we transgress moral, ethical or religious norms and criticize ourselves for it. Shame on the other hand is when we see ourselves as negative (“I did something terrible!”). When we feel guilt, we view our action as wrong. Guilt can be productive in truly changing someone’s heart and actions. Where as, shame only make us feel deficient and often leads us down a spiraling slope, of hiding, secrecy, self-loathing and low self esteem. Shame is a feeling that your whole self is wrong.
So lets us start here by re-assigning this lie to The Truth!
You are not deficient, or lacking. You were made good! God said so.
1 Timothy 4:4
For every creature of God is good, …
Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
The opposite of inadequacy, is not adequacy itself but also the word: enough. Eve believed the garden, and herself, was not enough. Not enough for her, and that she , as is, was not not enough for even God, Himself. Do you believe you are enough?
Discontentment breeds a desire to seek out side of God’s greatness for something more. What is greater than the perfection of what God himself has made?
You are Enough! You are Adequate! You are acceptable, capable, competent, fair, satisfactory, sufficient and loved!
With Christ and grace you are beautiful, saved, and whole! Stand in that! In the covering of the blood of Jesus, there is no shame.
God has cast our sins from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). We keep our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). When we stand in this and on this truth, shame and regret are part of what is behind us.
“The key to breaking the power of pride-fueled shame is the superior power of humility-fueled faith in the work of Christ and the promises of Christ. Shame pronounces us guilty and deficient. Jesus pronounces us guiltless and promises that his grace will be sufficient for us in all our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9–10). Christ is all (Colossians 3:11). As we trust Jesus as our righteousness (Philippians 3:9) and our provider of everything we need (Philippians 4:19), shame will lose its power over us.” – John Bloom
May you live in the knowledge of the competency of God, that your weaknesses are made perfect in Christ Jesus, and in the Truth that you were made good!
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Sika Liquid Plastics is celebrating the continuing success of one of its stand-out projects of 2018 after The Flower Bowl won the Green Roof category in the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) Awards
In response to demand for more environmentally friendly and sustainable building practices, the market for green roofs is booming, growing by 15% annually. With 54% of the world’s population now living in urban areas, and boasting impressive eco credentials, green roofs are said to be playing an important part in ensuring a sustainable future, while also turning city skylines into living, breathing spaces.
Firestone Building Products provides green roof for a new garden ‘Eco Lodge’ in Gloucestershire
Mobilane says green systems could add to the energy efficiency of new affordable homes and should become a design consideration
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As the Sycamore Grows
- Of the scenes in As the Sycamore Grows, which were the most memorable for you? Which were the most shocking, the most inspiring, the funniest?
- The story opens with Ginger’s escape. Why do you think the author opens with that scene, and how does it set the stage for the rest of the book?
- Ginger’s fondest memory of her father was when they went gigging for flounder. What does this scene show about their relationship? How did their relationship affect the rest of the story?
- Mike said over and over he never wanted to be like his dad. How did he succeed and how did he fail?
- What patterns do you see in both Ginger’s and Mike’s families?
- What were the warning signs and why did Ginger ignore them?
- Why didn’t Ginger just leave?
- Ginger’s spiritual needs were shaped by her family and her experience in two congregations. Mike came to religion late. What role did religion play in their relationship?
- One reviewer charged that Americans disdain Islamic societies’ treatment of women without seeing the suppression and control of some Christian faiths within our borders. Discuss this issue drawing solely on Ginger’s experiences.
- When her boys became defiant about going to their group session in the shelter, Ginger turned to Mike for help. Were you surprised at his response? What do you think of their relationship after the shelter? What does it say about each of them?
- Discuss the metaphor of the sycamore tree. What did the tree represent? Was it fitting in the title As the Sycamore Grows?
- What distinguishes this book from other stories of hardscrabble living or abuse?
- When Ginger drove through the padlocked gate, she left behind her life with Mike. What else did she escape? What is this book about?
- Where did Ginger turn for help? What resources are available in your community?
How would you help someone in a similar situation?
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East Turkestan: A Crossroad of Civilizations
The 2,200 years of Turkestan history have played host to some of the most important civilizations in the world. The area is a wide expanse of territory, stretching from the Caspian Sea and the southern part of the Ural Mountains in the west, Siberia in the north, Iran, Afghanistan and Tibet in the south, and China and Mongolia to the east.
Today, the part of Turkestan that includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan is known as West Turkestan, and the area that has been under Chinese captivity for the last two centuries is known as East Turkestan. The geographical and strategic importance of Turkestan is obvious from the great interest shown in the area by Russia and China, the two regional superpowers. Russia and China have both played very important roles in Turkestan history, which is why it is divided into two parts today.
Behind those two countries' refusal to give the region up, no matter what cost, is its strategic position and its rich underground resources. For Russia, the Turkish states in the west, and for China, East Turkestan, are important reserves of raw materials.
Following the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia set up a powerful control mechanism in West Turkestan where states consisting of different Turkish tribes were set up. The area was given the name "Soviet Central Asia," in place of the name Turkestan by which the land had been known for hundreds of years.
The intention was to do away with the Turks' shared national consciousness. The most important element of Russia's policy in the region was to eliminate Islam entirely. Throughout this period, a number of sanctions were employed in an attempt to destroy the Turks' national cultures; mosques and places offering religious instruction were closed down and religion was entirely divorced from social life. Crimean Turks were rounded up and exiled to Siberia in the course of a single night, and Russians were brought in to occupy their homes and lands. Furthermore, artificial ethnic conflicts were incited between the nations of Central Asia. Another of the Soviet regime's measures aimed at assimilating the Turks was to develop a second language alongside the mother tongues of the Muslims of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is for this reason that Russian is now preferred to Turkish as a means of communication between the communities in question.
East Turkestan suffered similar oppression to that experienced in West Turkestan, but in an even more violent form. In the middle of the 1700s, East Turkestan was invaded by the Chinese. The political changes that occurred in the region (and the world as a whole) prevented the desire of the people of East Turkestan for independence from being translated into reality. China—a country with a total land area of some 10 million square kilometers—tried to exterminate the people of East Turkestan (also a giant nation of 2 million square kilometers) by its policies of oppression and isolation.
Just like the Russians in West Turkestan, the Chinese also changed the region's name. The new name they used was the "Uighur Autonomous Region of Sinkiang." They then began to implement the same kinds of policies used by other imperialist nations. A ruthless war was waged against the local people's beliefs, customs, and religious practices. Ethnic discrimination became rife, demands for independence were ferociously suppressed, defenseless people were exiled from their land, and Chinese settlers were brought in to replace them. The brutality known as "Chinese torture" and cruelty soon became reality.
Before going into the details of the oppression, (of which most people are very unaware), we will review East Turkestan's historical, geo-strategic and geo-political position.
East Turkestan: The Cradle Of Turkish-Islamic Civilization
The history of the lands of Turkestan goes back to the third century B.C. (the Gokturk and Hun period). The area has been the Turkish homeland since very early in history, and Islamic territory for a thousand years. Although no state or khanate bearing the name of Turkestan was ever established, the area in question, which makes up a large part of Central Asia, has always been called by that name because it has been a Turkish settlement area since very ancient times. Researchers describe East Turkestan in particular as one of the first centers of civilization and, as an area where, due to its geo-strategic position, Western and Eastern cultures intermingled.
These lands, which have been home to great empires all through history, became an indispensable part of the Islamic world after the Turks converted to Islam during the reign of Caliph Abd al-malik Marwan (b. 646/647-d. 705). The years between 751-1216 A.D. in particular, after Satuk Bughra Khan (---/d. 955-6) had accepted Islam, are known as the golden age of East Turkestan. Throughout that period, students from all over the world came to study at the renowned religious schools and educational institutions of Turkestan. Statesmen and scientists who would help shape the world were also trained there. The Turks who migrated from the region to all corners of the world carried Islam with them to many different countries.
The Qarakhan, Ghazna, Khwarezm-Shah, Seljuq and Saidi tribes that were born in Turkestan set up states under the banner of Islam and provided outstanding examples of Turkish-Islamic culture, thus rendering a great service to human kind. Prominent statesmen such as Satuk Bughra Khan (---/d. 955-956), Seljuq Bey (---/d. 1007), Mahmud Ghaznavi (b. 998-d. 1030), Malik Shah (b. 1055-d. 1092), Timur (b. 1336-d. 1405), and Babur Shah (b. 1483-d. 1530) were among the great figures who emerged from those lands. Imam Bukhari, Imam Tirmidhi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Abu Nasr al-Farabi (Avennasar), Narshaki, Zamakhshari and Marginani, who enriched the libraries of Islam with their works, were among the great thinkers who forged the way for other scientists of the world. Furthermore, Makhmud al-Kashgari, author of the Diwan Lughat at-Turk, Yusuf Khass Khadjib, author of the Kutadgu Bilig, and Ahmad Yuknaki, the writer of the great Atabet'ul Haqayiq, also lived in Turkestan, the cradle of Turkish-Islamic civilization. Scholars such as these, of whom we have cited only a few, are sufficient to demonstrate the importance of East Turkestan to the Turkish and Islamic worlds.
East Turkestan Is Not Part of China
One of the claims made by China in order to conceal its human rights violations and repression in East Turkestan is that the area "forms part of Chinese territory," for which reason events in East Turkestan "need to be considered a domestic Chinese affair." However, historical sources disprove that claim. First and foremost is the Great Wall of China, built by the Chinese to prevent attacks on them by other nations. This was the first time that China had put up an official border between itself and the peoples living around it. East Turkestan falls outside that border.5 Moreover, many sources describe the Jade Gate (so called because of the many jade stones found there), as being at China's westernmost border. One of these sources that describes the gate as opening into East Turkestan is actually a Chinese book, the New China Atlas, published in Shanghai in 1939.6
The region between the Great Wall of China and the Caspian Sea, Siberia and Iran, and the borders of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir and Tibet has been known as Turkestan in not only the earliest Islamic records, but also in old Iranian and Indian accounts. This is also accepted by a great many Western historians. Nikita Bichurin, one of the earliest known Turcologists, has supported that historical truth in these terms: "A nation lives between the Caspian Sea and the Koh-i Nur Mountains. They speak Turkish and believe in Islam. They introduce themselves as Turkish and describe their country as Turkestan."7 Because these lands were given the name of "Xinjiang" or "Sinkiang" (meaning "new borders") following their occupation by China does not change that historical reality.
Over the 2,000 or so years, between 206 B.C. and 1759 A.D., East Turkestan was able to maintain its independence for more than 1,800 years. During the periods when it was linked to the Turkish Hun and Gokturk khanates, local administration lay entirely in the hands of the people of East Turkestan. Between 751 and 1216 it was totally independent. During those periods China periodically occupied East Turkestan in order to win control of the Silk Road. Yet these occupations were always short-lived, and China was never able to establish hegemony over East Turkestan in the true sense of the word. In the 2,200-year history of East Turkestan, (if we take into account the occupation that started in 1934 and which is still continuing today) a little more than 570 years have been spent under Chinese occupation.8
There are also geographic facts that disprove the claim that East Turkestan is part of China. The make-up of the population of East Turkestan (its language, religion, ethnic origins, plus its national and spiritual heritage) all reveal a picture of total independence from China. Panku, the great historian of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. -- 220 A.D.), expresses this fact:
As for clothing, costume, food and language, the barbarians [Uighurs] are entirely different from the Middle Kingdom… Mountains, valleys and the great desert separate them from us.9
That difference was preserved throughout history. Neither was there any assimilation, even during the periods under Chinese occupation. Today, 54 percent of East Turkestan's estimated population of 17 million are Muslims, including 47 percent of the Uighurs and 7 percent of the Kazakhs. (This figure is from statistics issued by China in 1997, and is not accepted as reliable by international organizations because of China's biased attitude toward this issue). The Uighurs, who make up a large part of the Muslim population, bear no ethnic, religious or linguistic similarity to the Chinese. The Uighur alphabet consists of Arabic letters, they are all Muslim, and they have been living by Turkish customs and beliefs for more than 1,000 years.
All of these historical, geographical and sociological facts make it clear that East Turkestan is not part of China, but rather a separate region that China has sought to assimilate. Even under the harshest and most difficult conditions, the people of East Turkestan never accepted Chinese rule, and frequently sought to regain their independence, at times even resorting to armed struggle. For example, when East Turkestan fell under Manchu rule between 1759 and 1862, the Muslim people rose up and rebelled against the Chinese more than 40 times.
Why is China so determined to maintain its position on East Turkestan in the face of all the facts? This should be discussed before turning to the long years of Chinese oppression.
Why Does China Refuse To Give East Turkestan Up?
A basic knowledge of geography makes it easy to understand the Chinese view on East Turkestan. Two important obstacles to communications exist between China and the West: the first is the 5,000-kilometer Taklamakan Desert, and the second is the Great Wall of China that stretches along the entire length of the China border.
East Turkestan is the only Chinese territory beyond the desert and the Great Wall, thus making it China's window to the West. The political effect of its location (and its geographical and strategic advantages) make East Turkestan indispensable to China. That is one reason why, instead of withdrawing from East Turkestan, China is trying to impose their occupation on the local population by means of force and violence. On the one hand, it takes away the peoples' freedoms, including those of receiving news and communications, by closing East Turkestan off and keeping the region as far from the world's awareness as possible.
These lands, which form the westernmost point of Chinese territory, were used by the Chinese as a buffer zone against the Soviet threat during the Cold War. These lands are thus of great interest to China for its own security and that of the other countries in the region. Even if Russia no longer poses a threat to China, China still maintains its land and air forces in the region, and also keeps a large part of its nuclear arsenal there. Another important reason for the continuing presence of China's forces in East Turkestan is to maintain the necessary control over the local Muslim population.
However, geo-strategic concerns are not the only reason for China's interest in controlling East Turkestan. As noted, the region also possesses considerable natural resources, and the land is very productive. East Turkestan, known as the Kuwait of the twenty-first century, is of particular interest for its oil, natural gas, uranium, coal, gold and silver mines, and is one of China's most important sources of these resources. Authorities on the subject say that by 2005 East Turkestan will be China's second most important center of oil and natural gas production. The Tarim Basin in the middle of East Turkestan in particular is thought to have considerable petrol reserves. That basin is therefore known as the "Sea of Hope," and is estimated to have potential oil reserves of more than 10.7 billion tons.10 Research carried out by geologists has revealed a 300-million tons of oil and a 220-billion cubic-meters of natural gas capacity.11
China's dependence on East Turkestan for energy is not restricted to the oil beds in the Tarim Basin. East Turkestan will also be the natural route for any pipeline from the Central Asian Turkish states, which will in turn be of vital importance to Chinese industry. The best way for China to insure its transportation system is effective and secure is to keep East Turkestan under its control.
The region's rich natural gas, coal, and copper deposits also make it indispensable for the Chinese economy. Of the 148 different minerals extracted in all of Red China, 118 come from East Turkestan (this is 85 percent of China's mineral production). Among these, coal, with its high quality and energy content, is especially important. The coal reserves in East Turkestan are estimated at some 2 trillion tons, half of China's total coal reserves. One study at the end of 2000 revealed that China's richest copper mines were in East Turkestan. It is a known fact that China's other regions possess little copper, and that which exists is insufficient to meet the country's needs. The rich copper deposits in East Turkestan make the region even more important in Chinese eyes.12
Alongside these mines, the fact that East Turkestan is one of China's largest producers of cotton is another reason why China regards the area as important. The Red Chinese administration is unwilling to hand over the production of cotton, the raw material of the Chinese textile industry, to the Muslim Uighurs, and constantly develops new strategies to maintain control over the region. The aim behind these strategies, which we shall be examining in detail in later chapters, is not to allow East Turkestan to develop, but to make it dependent on Beijing.
Red China's Fear Of Islam
In the preceding section we saw how East Turkestan is of great strategic and economic importance for China. Yet the frequent arrests of devout Muslims in East Turkestan, not allowing them to live in accordance with their religion, and the pressure put on their religious leaders, make it clear that there is more to their policy of oppression. First and foremost, it means that Red China is greatly concerned by the presence of Islam in East Turkestan.
Although the roots of the Chinese attacks on Islam and Muslims go far back in history, these policies were changed into a systematic policy of oppression, and even genocide, with the establishment of the communist regime. When Mao founded the People's Republic of China in 1949, all manifestations of Islam were made targets. This hostility towards Islam began with the closure of mosques, religious schools and other institutions providing religious education. The situation worsened after portraits of Chairman Mao were hung in the now empty places of worship (and Muslims were forced to show their respect for such images). Some 29,000 mosques were closed during that period.13 The following stage consisted of the arrest of religious leaders on groundless and baseless charges and accusations. Some of these were condemned to death, and more than 54,000 religious figures were condemned to work in the most terrible conditions in Chinese labor camps.14
Throughout that period, physical and mental torture was inflicted on men of faith. Some Muslims were rounded up into public squares and made to confess the so-called "divinity" of Chairman Mao (surely Allah is beyond that). The people were forced to carry out practices in flagrant violation of Islamic ideas, such as cremation of the dead. The closed mosques were used as military depots and barracks, or as places of entertainment (such as theatres and cinemas). All forms of public worship, including Friday and other prayers, were prohibited and heavy taxes were imposed on those Muslims who continued to pray in the few remaining mosques. The communist administration confiscated the alms given for the maintenance and restoration of the mosques and all the property belonging to religious leaders. Studying and teaching the Qur'an were completely banned. Religious works were seized from peoples' homes. Writings in Arabic were burned, including a large number of historical handwritten texts.15
Modern Chinese oppression of the Muslims in East Turkestan is felt most heavily in the field of religion. As in all communist regimes, hostility to religion is part of the official state policy of Red China. A document called "The Basic Viewpoint and Policy on [the] Religious Question During Our Country's Socialist Period," circulated internally through party channels throughout China in 1982 by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, openly states that fact:
In human history, religion will ultimately disappear... All religious organizations in China will bow their heads to the leadership of the party and the government … The true aim of religious schools is to produce professional religious officials who support the party administration and the socialist system … These religious officials must remain loyal to the party's policy on religion … The fundamental purpose of religious bodies is to play an important role in spreading the country's political influence.16
A speech by Ali Jing Jiang, a member of the People's Republic of China Islamic Community, at the 5th meeting of the Islamic Society of North America in the USA on September 1, 1986, shows just how fully the Red Chinese administration has put into effect the decisions set out in that declaration. In his speech, Ali Jing Jiang stated that in China it is legally forbidden to give any religious education, either at home or at school, to minors under the age of 18. Although some religious schools have been opened as the result of pressure from Islamic countries, there are more Marxist, Leninist and Maoist ideas taught in them than Islam. Jiang expressed that all the teachers in such schools are communists and atheists and young people are being raised with no knowledge of religion. In other schools, he said, religion is taught as if it were something that needed to be forgotten, a primitive belief belonging to the lowest levels of Chinese society. That situation has rapidly begun to distance young people from religious belief. He also added that the government keeps a tight rein on Muslims' activities and that the communists are using Islam merely as a tool with which to improve relations with Muslim nations.17
The anti-religious pronunciations of the Chinese Communist Party are not new. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that the deniers who opposed the Prophet Noah, peace be upon him, attempted to belittle the believers with the words, "…We do not see you as anything but a human being like ourselves. We do not see anyone following you but the lowest of us, unthinkingly…" (Surah Hud: 27). In another verse, Allah describes how deniers believe themselves to be terribly clever:
When they are told, "Believe in the way that the people believe," they say, "What! Are we to believe in the way that fools believe?" No indeed! They are the fools, but they do not know it. (Surat al-Baqara: 13)
The Chinese Communist Party's attempts to portray religious devotion as "a primitive belief belonging to the very lowest levels of Chinese society," is an example of this foolishness.
While the Communist Party uses such propaganda methods, it also at the same time steps up its oppression of Muslims. Following the initiatives demanding independence in the 1990s, (the Baren uprising, the Gulja uprising) the oppression of Muslims was stepped up even further. The way these uprisings spread to the whole of East Turkestan, and the fact that Turks in public posts also supported the demands for independence, greatly alarmed Red China. It initiated another ruthless campaign against those Muslims who had backed independence movements. Hundreds of thousands of people were detained, thousands executed and tens of thousands were sent to labor camps. Michael Winchester, one of the rare journalists able to enter the region and send out a secret report about the oppression of Muslims, had this to say in an article titled "Inside Story China: Beijing vs. Islam":
Since then they have closed down unregistered mosques; forbidden the use of loud-speakers outside registered ones; banned Quranic classes for children and youths; prohibited foreign money for religious purposes; tightened exit requirements; imposed an age restriction on haj pilgrims; outlawed unauthorized religious publications; and cracked down on Communist party members visiting mosques.18
One Turkestan resident interviewed by Winchester (who refused to give his real name) said that since he worked in a state office he was never able to go to the mosque, and that he would be sacked if he were to be seen doing so. The reason was the increased Chinese hostility to Islam which began at the end of the 1980s. A 1997 article in the official East Turkestan newspaper, the Xinjiang Daily, set out what party members' view of religion should be:
Those party members firmly believe in religion and who refuse to change their ways after education should be given a certain period to make corrections, be persuaded to withdraw from the party or dismissed from the party according to the seriousness of their case. In recent years, 98 religious party members have been dealt with.19
In East Turkestan, those who are caught praying or studying the Qur'an are punished, particularly if they are aged under 18, because Chinese law explicitly prohibits minors from studying the Qur'an. In 1999, for example, five 12-year-olds were arrested for reading the Qur'an. When one of them fled from the police station, his family were arrested and tortured by the police (and told that they would not be released until he gave himself up).20 That incident is just one of the many frequently encountered in East Turkestan. Thousands of people have been detained and tortured simply for living in accordance with their religion, or for teaching other people who want to do so. The accusations made against religious figures who have been detained are particularly noteworthy. For instance, on October 28, 1999, Memet Eli, the imam of the Oybagh Mosque in Hotan, was arrested and heavily fined for teaching religion contrary to the Communist Party policy. This is how his "crimes" were set out in the indictment:
During his duty as an Imam, Memet Ali did not study, teach and implement Communist Party's regulations on religion. He pretended he did not see the instructions of department of religious supervision. When related departments organized study and educational activities for religious personals, he did not attend… He allowed people with unclear identity to stay at the Mosque…21
Other articles, as well as "failure to give instruction in communist teachings" (under which six other imams in Hotan were arrested on similar pretexts) are striking examples of the oppression faced by Muslims in Red China:
They said in their prayers: "Allah rescue your Muslim believers from the oppression of atheists." They did not stop people when they came to pray from other neighborhoods. They exceeded the 20 minutes time limit for Friday prayer and teachings. They failed to inform the authorities of people who came to get religious education."22
7. Opisanie Cuntariy I vostoçnogo Turkestan v drevhem I nineşnem sostaynaniy, Prevedono s Kitaykogo, Petersburg, 1829, Vol I, pp. 10-11, cited in Alaeddin Yalcinkaya, Somurgecilik ve Panislamizm Isiginda Turkestan (Turkestan In the Light of Imperialism and Panislamism), Timas Yayinlari, 1997, Istanbul, p. 28
15. Yusuf Han, Sotsiyalistik Kazakhstan, Almaty, January 14, 1976, cited in "Chinese Policy, Human Rights Abuses and The Consequences," East Turkestan Information, A Publication of the Eastern Turkestan Union in Europe, www.caccp.org/et/etiu1.html
16. The People's Republic of China: Document 19: The Basic Viewpoint on the Religious Question During Our Country's Socialist Period: Issued by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party on 31 March 1982
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John McCain closed his campaign for president with one last speech showing how the possibility of high office has caused a great American to lose his will to speak the plain truth. The most obvious example is McCain’s continued claim: “I'm going to make government live on a budget just like you do.” If that were true, it would strongly bolster his claims he will “bring real change to Washington.”
Unfortunately, the claim continues to be unrelated to reality. Senator McCain also explains:
- “We're going to cut taxes for working families.
- “We will cut business taxes
- “We are going to win in Iraq [while attacking the possibility Obama might reduce military spending]
- “I'm going to protect Social Security; and
- “I'm going to protect Medicare."
Over the next decade these numbers are trillions of dollars away from “living on a budget.” This is not bringing "change to Washington" – it continuing the last 8 years' unsustainable fiscal policy. It is a tragic season to make the analogy, but I can only assume when McCain says he will to “make government live on a budget just like you do” he is speaking to over-extended homeowners about to default.
John McCain’s campaign has coincided with America’s financial markets finally recognizing how the short-term interests of some decision-makers (coupled with deception and wishful thinking) have led to the misallocation of hundreds of billions of dollars. The next few hours will tell us if the electorate has come to that same realization about the America’s recent fiscal policy.
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Rapid communication of neurons in the brain, as well as the ability to learn, fundamentally rely on neurotransmitter receptors located in the contact sites of neurons, the synapses. The most important receptors in the mammalian brain are glutamate receptors of the AMPA-type (AMPAR) that generate the electrical signal required for fast communication between neurons. The number of AMPARs is modulated by the degree of a synapse’s activity: As it learns, the number of AMPARs increases, thus making synaptic signal transduction more reliable and driving synaptic plasticity that promotes memory formation. Fundamental requirement for this synaptic plasticity is the efficient assembly of AMPARs from different protein subunits in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of nerve cells, for which little or no information has been avaible so far.
For the first time, a team of neurobiologists from Freiburg headed by Prof. Dr. Bernd Fakler from the Institute of Physiology, in cooperation with colleagues from the Goethe University Frankfurt and the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, has been able to show that AMPARs are assembled from main and auxiliary subunits in a step-by-step process much like on an assembly line. The individual stages are carried out by different ER-resident proteins and protein complexes. Disturbance of this assembly by mutations in the assembly line elements in humans or by their targeted genetic inactivation – knock-out – in mice, leads to massive impairment of synaptic signal transduction and learning. Conversely, the increase in receptor production through overexpression of the assembly line proteins leads to increased plasticity of the synapses. The scientists recently published these results in the journal Neuron.
Using high-resolution proteomic techniques, the researchers have identified proteins in the ER membranes of neurons that are required for the assembly of functional AMPARs from four pore-forming subunits and four auxiliary subunits: The first building block, the proteins ABHD6 and PORCN, protects the individual pore-forming GluA subunits from premature degradation. The second building block, a complex of the proteins FRRS1l and CPT1c, assembles four GluA-protein into a receptor channel and prepares their association with the four auxiliary subunits, the cornichon or TARP proteins. This final step dissociates the FRRS1l-CPT1c complex and enables export of the functional AMPARs from the ER and their transport into the synapses.
The individual steps along this assembly line are precisely orchestrated and optimized for the efficient assembly of the receptors. If the operation of the assembly line is disturbed, for example by mutation-related loss of function of the FRRS1l protein, this leads to severe dysfunction of the brain in humans, as described by the researchers in an earlier work in 2017: All patients showed severely restricted intellectual abilities with IQ-values below 40, delayed or missing speech development and an increased tendency for epileptic seizures.
Although the newly identified assembly line is specific for AMPARs, the researchers assume that the process of stepwise assembly is exemplary for other membrane proteins and protein complexes mediating information processing in the brain, propagation of excitation and/or substrate transport in other types of cells.
The scientists Drs. Jochen Schwenk, Sami Boudkkazi, Maciej Kocylowski and Bernd Fakler work at the Institute of Physiology. Fakler is a member of the Clusters of Excellence in biological signalling research CIBSS and BIOSS at the University of Freiburg.
Schwenk, S. Boudkkazi, M. Kocylowski, A. Brechet, G. Zolles, T. Bus, K. Costa, W. Bildl, A. Kollewe, J. Jordan, J. Bank, W. Bildl, R. Sprengel, A. Kulik, J. Roeper, U. Schulte, and B. Fakler (2019): An ER assembly line of AMPA-receptors controls excitatory neurotransmission and its plasticity. In: Neuron. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2019.08.033
Prof. Dr. Bernd Fakler
Institute of Physiology, Department II
Clsuters of Excellence in biological signalling studies CIBSS and BIOSS
University of Freiburg
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Are Earthlings really Martians ?
Did life arise on Mars first and then journey on rocks to our planet and populate Earth billions of years ago? Earth and Mars are compared in size as they look today. NASA’s upcoming MAVEN Mars orbiter is aimed at answering key questions related to the habitability of Mars, its ancient atmosphere and where did all the water go.
That’s the controversial theory proposed today (Aug. 29) by respected American chemist Professor Steven Benner during a presentation at the annual Goldschmidt Conference of geochemists being held in Florence, Italy. It’s based on new evidence uncovered by his research team and is sure to spark heated debate on the origin of life question.
Benner said the new scientific evidence “supports the long-debated theory that life on Earth may have started on Mars,” in a statement. Universe Today contacted Benner for further details and enlightenment.
“We have chemistry that (at least at the level of hypothesis) makes RNA prebiotically,” Benner told Universe Today. “AND IF you think that life began with RNA, THEN you place life’s origins on Mars.” Benner said he has experimental data as well.
First- How did ancient Mars life, if it ever even existed, reach Earth?
On rocks violently flung up from the Red Planet’s surface during mammoth collisions with asteroids or comets that then traveled millions of miles (kilometers) across interplanetary space to Earth – melting, heating and exploding violently before the remnants crashed into the solid or liquid surface.
“The evidence seems to be building that we are actually all Martians; that life started on Mars and came to Earth on a rock,” says Benner, of The Westheimer Institute of Science and Technology in Florida. That theory is generally known as panspermia.
To date, about 120 Martian meteorites have been discovered on Earth.
And Benner explained that one needs to distinguish between habitability and the origin of life.
“The distinction is being made between habitability (where can life live) and origins (where might life have originated).”
NASA’s new Curiosity Mars rover was expressly dispatched to search for environmental conditions favorable to life and has already discovered a habitable zone on the Red Planet’s surface rocks barely half a year after touchdown inside Gale Crater.
Furthermore, NASA’s next Mars orbiter- named MAVEN – launches later this year and seeks to determine when Mars lost its atmosphere and water- key questions in the Origin of Life debate.
Of course the proposed chemistry leading to life is exceedingly complex and life has never been created from non-life in the lab.
The key new points here are that Benner believes the origin of life involves “deserts” and oxidized forms of the elements Boron (B) and Molybdenum (Mo), namely “borate and molybdate,” Benner told me.
“Life originated some 4 billion years ago ± 0.5 billon,” Benner stated.
He says that there are two paradoxes which make it difficult for scientists to understand how life could have started on Earth – involving organic tars and water.
Life as we know it is based on organic molecules, the chemistry of carbon and its compounds.
But just discovering the presence of organic compounds is not the equivalent of finding life. Nor is it sufficient for the creation of life.
And simply mixing organic compounds aimlessly in the lab and heating them leads to globs of useless tars, as every organic chemist and lab student knows.
Benner dubs that the ‘tar paradox’.
Upon arrival sometime next spring or summer, scientists will target the state of the art robot to investigate the lower sedimentary layers of Mount Sharp in search of clues to habitability and preserved organics that could shed light on the origin of life question and the presence of borates and molybdates.
It’s clear that many different catalysts were required for the origin of life. How much and their identity is a big part of Benner’s research focus.
“Certain elements seem able to control the propensity of organic materials to turn into tar, particularly boron and molybdenum, so we believe that minerals containing both were fundamental to life first starting,” says Benner in a statement. “Analysis of a Martian meteorite recently showed that there was boron on Mars; we now believe that the oxidized form of molybdenum was there too.”
The second paradox relates to water. He says that there was too much water covering the early Earth’s surface, thereby causing a struggle for life to survive. Not exactly the conventional wisdom.
“Not only would this have prevented sufficient concentrations of boron forming – it’s currently only found in very dry places like Death Valley – but water is corrosive to RNA, which scientists believe was the first genetic molecule to appear. Although there was water on Mars, it covered much smaller areas than on early Earth.”
I asked Benner to add some context on the beneficial effects of deserts and oxidized boron and molybdenum.
“We have chemistry that (at least at the level of hypothesis) makes RNA prebiotically,” Benner explained to Universe Today.
“We require mineral species like borate (to capture organic species before they devolve to tar), molybdate (to arrange that material to give ribose), and deserts (to dry things out, to avoid the water problem).”
“Various geologists will not let us have these [borates and molybdates] on early Earth, but they will let us have them on Mars.”
“So IF you believe what the geologists are telling you about the structure of early Earth, AND you think that you need our chemistry to get RNA, AND IF you think that life began with RNA, THEN you place life’s origins on Mars,” Benner elaborated.
“The assembly of RNA building blocks is thermodynamically disfavored in water. We want a desert to get rid of the water intermittently.”
I asked Benner whether his lab has run experiments in support of his hypothesis and how much borate and molybdate are required.
“Yes, we have run many lab experiments. The borate is stoichiometric [meaning roughly equivalent to organics on a molar basis]; The molybdate is catalytic,” Benner responded.
“And borate has now been found in meteorites from Mars, that was reported about three months ago.
At his talk, Benner outlined some of the chemical reactions involved.
Although some scientists have invoked water, minerals and organics brought to ancient Earth by comets as a potential pathway to the origin of life, Benner thinks differently about the role of comets.
“Not comets, because comets do not have deserts, borate and molybdate,” Benner told Universe Today.
Benner has developed a logic tree outlining his proposal that life on Earth may have started on Mars.
“It explains how you get to the conclusion that life originated on Mars. As you can see from the tree, you can escape that conclusion by diverging from the logic path.”
Finally, Benner is not one who blindly accepts controversial proposals himself.
He was an early skeptic of the claims concerning arsenic based life announced a few years back at a NASA sponsored press conference, and also of the claims of Mars life discovered in the famous Mars meteorite known as ALH 84001.
“I am afraid that what we thought were fossils in ALH 84001 are not.”
The debate on whether Earthlings are really Martians will continue as science research progresses and until definitive proof is discovered and accepted by a consensus of the science community of Earthlings – whatever our origin.
On Nov. 18, NASA will launch its next mission to Mars – the MAVEN orbiter. Its aimed at studying the upper Martian atmosphere for the first time.
“MAVENS’s goal is determining the composition of the ancient Martian atmosphere and when it was lost, where did all the water go and how and when was it lost,” said Bruce Jakosky to Universe Today at a MAVEN conference at the University of Colorado- Boulder. Jakosky, of CU-Boulder, is the MAVEN Principal Investigator.
MAVEN will shed light on the habitability of Mars billions of years ago and provide insight on the origin of life questions and chemistry raised by Benner and others.
Learn more about Mars, the Origin of Life, LADEE, Cygnus, Antares, MAVEN, Orion, Mars rovers and more at Ken’s upcoming presentations
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Though I hate to admit it, I was once that well-meaning White teacher – the one that comes from a wealthy family, chooses to teach in a “poor, urban school,” the one who wrote in my cover letter that I wanted to be the “engaging teacher” with a “racial justice pedagogy” who could help his Black students “overcome their tough life circumstances.”
I was the teacher who said things like, “These kids just don’t have the best educational supports at home, so we really need to step in and model for them.”
Despite my “racial justice pedagogy,” I said nothing when my colleagues complained that “these students have to want to learn if I’m going to teach!”
I don’t mean to be self-depreciating, but I “just wanted to close the achievement gap.” And, sadly, I’m not alone.
Many of us fail to acknowledge that terms like “the achievement gap” place the responsibility of change on students – and specifically poor and working class students of Color.
Yet, in my experience offering professional development to educators, most of the White teachers I work with are well-intentioned despite the damage we may be doing with these victim-blaming, deficit-oriented beliefs.
However, when at least 80% of our teachers in the United States are White and the most powerful decision makers tend to be White or are pushing White-designed models of reform, is it any wonder that we inaccurately perceive this country’s educational inequity as being the result of a student-deficit “achievement gap” – a term dating back to White “reformers” of the 1960s – rather than, say, systemic oppression and marginalization?
This isn’t to say that we aren’t trying.
Increasingly, progressive educators are looking for alternatives in our language and reform methods that actually address the root causes of our educational injustice.
But here are some things that we really need to think through if we want to really improve the system.
Who Do Our Schools Serve – And Why?
Let’s be honest: Public education was created to serve as an entry point for lower-to-middle-wealth White people into the American middle class (by preparing White students for success in industry and farming).
Schools in the United States have always been tools for consolidating wealth into White hands, even when some people of Color have found success in these systems.
Even Brown v. Board, the landmark Supreme Court ruling to desegregate schools, didn’t serve to decenter Whiteness.
The “integration” of Brown v. Board didn’t change the White supremacist roots of education; it simply demanded that students of Color enter White schools, bend themselves to White systems, and learn from White teachers.
When we see our education system through this lens, we understand that it serves not only to consolidate White power and wealth, but to ensure that people of Color cannot succeed.
Yet when they don’t, they are blamed for their own lack of “achievement” in a supposedly “race neutral” system.
Notably the modern disparities in our educational system have come into starker contrast during this age of endless data collection from No Child Left Behind.
However, much of this data is used to judge and critique populations our schools were never designed to serve in the first place.
When we take these numbers at face value, we see that Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous, and Black students trail their White and Asian peers by huge margins in every academic area:
Further, Asian success in the US education system is regularly used to “disprove” the idea that our schools are built upon White supremacy, but to understand Asian success in US schools is to understand the history of White supremacy that undergirds the Asian success story in the United States.
After all, the number one predictor of educational success in the US is parental education, and since the Chinese Exclusion Act, the US has let in relatively few Asian immigrants without advanced degrees.
However, when we examine the NAEP data by parent’s education, though, we see that poorer, less academically educated Asians (such as Hmong refugees) and Whites – while still outperforming Latinx, Indigenous, and Black students – struggle to find the same success as those whose parents are well educated.
And simply put, when our schools have been set up to serve Whites while excluding all but a few people of Color, it makes sense that White people are far more likely to have an advanced education.
In fact, Black men in the US actually must have a higher level of education than White men to get the same jobs, so even when those who’ve been left out of the system succeed, the deck is stacked against them!
In the face of this tremendous disparity, no longer can we avoid placing responsibility where it belongs.
The Education Debt
In her 2006 address entitled From Achievement Gap to Education Debt: Understanding Achievement in U.S. Schools, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings explains,
The yearly fluctuations in the achievement gap give us a short-range picture of how student perform on a particular set of achievement measures. Looking at the gap from year to year is a misleading exercise.”
Instead, we must not focus on the gaps in achievement, but must zoom the lens out to understand the broader picture where “the historical, economic, sociopolitical, and moral decisions and policies that characterize our society have created an education debt.”
When we refuse to invest properly in the education of those with the least access, we see the results in our test scores and in every other measure of injustice in our society: poverty, employment, wealth accumulation, health disparity, exposure to violence and stress, and so on.
Ladson-Billings goes on to describe the ways that each form of debt – historical, economic, sociopolitical, and moral – creates a demand for accountability that places responsibility with those who run the educational and economic systems that enforce this debt.
Thus, we have a responsibility to shift our language and approach in education away from a victim-blaming, deficit-oriented gap model and toward addressing the startling education debt.
This is of particular importance for White educators, as we are those with the most power to further entrench the debt.
Just as much as White educators tend to reify the education debt, we also have the power to help repay it, particularly when we are led by communities, parents, students, and educators of Color.
Repaying the Education Debt
Thus, drawing upon the analysis of Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, here are some of the ways that we can begin to repay the tremendous debt that is owed to students of Color in the US.
1. Address Funding Injustice
The educational debt rests upon hundreds of years of unequal funding that persists today.
While adequate funding alone cannot settle the debt, it can go a long way to providing the resources needed to create just schools.
In the school where I taught, an almost all-Black school in a neighborhood of Chicago where 99% of students live in inter-generational poverty, about $9,000 per pupil per year was spent on the students.
In the nearby New Trier High School, just 24 miles away in a mostly White suburb, spending per pupil totaled $21,000 per pupil.
My classroom had one set of textbooks for all 9th grade social studies students, while New Trier offered a rich array of courses and extra-curriculars.
Taken over generations, this unequal funding, not only in our schools but in nearby social services, creates a tremendous debt.
However, to repay this debt, we should not simply strive for funding equality.
There should be disparity in education funding. We should be spending more on our schools in the lowest-wealth (disproportionately Black, Brown, and Indigenous) communities than in wealthy, predominantly White communities.
That doesn’t mean that we should cut funding to wealthy, White schools. So long as we think about our problems in education from a model of scarcity, we forever lose.
However, a massive, disproportionate investment in education in our lowest-wealth communities would go a long way toward reducing class size and offering robust student resources in the least-served communities while addressing the racialized wealth debt in the long term.
As educators, we must be the ones leading the charge to address this funding inequity.
2. Address Racism in Our Measures of Student Success
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not a testing hater. As an educator, I believe tests can be useful tools for collecting and analyzing information about our educational system.
However, when we tie everything in our educational systems into high-stakes standardized tests (like the demonstrably culturally biased SAT) that are rarely created with equity in mind, we only ensure that those tests further the educational debt.
After all, who writes the tests?
They usually aren’t written by people who understand the lived experiences, vernacular, or contexts of the students most at risk for school closings and teacher turnover when the scores come back.
Formative and summative assessments, even standardized ones, can have a place in our educational system, but when they are used as our sole measures of success, we ensure that we further entrench the education debt.
So what do we do as educators?
Well, we can do what teachers do best! We can organize!
Partner with your students’ families to help them understand that they have the right to opt out of high-stakes tests. Join in the movement of teachers who simply refuse to give the tests, and be sure to cite cultural bias as one of the driving reasons for refusing.
Or think outside the box! What other solutions can you, as brilliant educators, think of to address racism in our measures of student success?
3. Address the Teacher Demographic Gap
One of the elephants in the room of educational reform is that students, by in large, learn better from teachers who share their racial identity.
While we’re so focused on the failings of our students through the “achievement gap,” we ignore the ways that our overwhelmingly White teaching force is not only ill-equipped to serve student of Color but often are actively injecting our Whiteness and racism into classrooms!
In my own teaching experience, there were countless ways that my own racial identity was showing up. Some of these ways were surely benign, but many were undoubtedly detrimental to my students.
As a society, we must attract and prepare more teachers of Color, plain and simple.
How do we do that? Direct track programs that lead into teaching professions with little-to-no student debt are a great place to start.
Additionally, we can value the knowledge and experience of people of Color who work as paraprofessionals and out-of-school time educators through alternative licensing programs.
And we can recognize that just like White teachers, not every teacher of Color will be outstanding educators, but the ability to connect with students who share their racial identity is a vital asset in effective pedagogy.
Notably, changing the demographics of our teaching force is not something that can happen over night. Thus, in the mean time, we must also devote time, energy, and resources to effectively training White educators in culturally responsive pedagogy and anti-racist teacher practice.
4. Work to Address Those Inequities That Contribute to the Education Debt
When I taught on Chicago’s West Side, I would often talk with my students and their families about how much more effective schools would be if they were integrated centers of health (physical and mental), childcare, housing, job training, and recreation.
To compartmentalize the education debt and pretend it is not inextricably bound to debts in other areas of wellbeing doesn’t help us solve the problem.
In The Many Dimensions of Racial Inequality, Richard Rothstein and Tamara Wilder explore how the debt we owe communities of Color in education cannot be extricated from what we as a society owe them in terms of wealth, health, housing, early childhood supports, out of school supports, and safety.
Single-issue movements can be defeated simply, so we must work for wrap-around school services that meet all of the needs of communities of Color.
As teachers, we must look for ways that we can partner with those doing intersectional social justice work in the communities where we teach.
Can you advocate with community organizations for your school building to serve as the host for continuing education classes in the evening? Can we partner with organizations working for health care justice to offer clinic space in our schools on weekends?
It won’t be easy or simple to create wrap-around school systems, but in creating them, they must be envisioned, created, and led by local people of Color with ample resources to realize success, which leads us to my final point.
5. Envision and Create Schools Where People of Color are Centered (And Whiteness Is Not)
As noted above, “integration” under Brown v. Board was more about making people of Color bend to White supremacy than actually creating just schools.
And educational reform has been almost exclusively directed by White academics and activists (people like me), and as such, most major reforms have done little more than to dress up our White systems and ways of being in new clothing.
In turn, we White folks, but particularly White educators, need to trust that communities of Color know what is best for their educational liberation.
This is by far the most abstract of my six suggestions, for there are few school environments that have managed to achieve this radical shift. Especially for White educators, this is like a fish imagining what it’s like to breathe above water.
So I look to and trust the scholars and leaders of Color, many of whom are linked throughout this piece, to lead the way, and we must do our best to work in solidarity.
With that in mind, I will close with this quote from Black legal scholar Randall Robinson:
No nation can enslave a race of people for hundreds of years, set them free bedraggled and penniless, pit them, without assistance in a hostile environment, against privileged victimizers, and then reasonably expect the gap between the heirs of the two groups to narrow. Lines, begun parallel and left alone, can never touch.”
Jamie Utt is a Contributing Writer for Everyday Feminism. He is the Founder and Director of Education at CivilSchools, a comprehensive bullying prevention program, a diversity and inclusion consultant, and sexual violence prevention educator based in Tucson, AZ. He is currently working toward his PhD in Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies at the University of Arizona with research interests in the role that White teacher’s racial identity plays in their teaching practice. Learn more about his work at his website here and follow him on Twitter @utt_jamie. Read his articles here and book him for speaking engagements.
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"What is accepted today as conservative was yesterday denounced as revolutionary," wrote Alfred Stieglitz in 1903. Throughout his life, Stieglitz obsessively explored the expressive possibilities of photography; he saw himself as a necessary interventionist and a revolutionary. In 1903, he was promoting his Photo-Secession movement, through which he fought for the recognition of pictorialist photography as art.
Pictorialist photography, characterized by "painterly" softness and genre subjects, resisted the prevailing understanding of photography as a technology for mechanistic recording, instead emphasizing the photographer's hand and eye in the creation of unique photographic prints that were presented as artistic expressions. But Stieglitz could just as well have been describing impressionism, one of several efforts that emerged in the late 1800s to counter the authority and tastes of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts and its official Salon exhibitions.
Impressionism in a New Light: From Monet to Stieglitz, at the Carnegie Museum of Art, addresses linkages between impressionism and pictorialism. The first half of the exhibition presents painters like Monet and Pissarro as the radical innovators that they were when impressionism was new, a story told well and efficiently. The second half introduces an original contribution, exploring impressionist painting and pictorialist photography as related cultural movements whose proponents self-consciously influenced and supported each other, together redefining the role of the artist and the meaning of art.
The 80-some pieces in the show are drawn mostly from the Carnegie's collection, and it's a pleasure to see familiar and important pieces from the museum's galleries displayed as part of a larger conversation, presented with substantial context. Despite the title of the show, the non-photographic works shown range from Barbizon realism to post-impressionism, and include works on paper as well as a sculpture. The exhibition is full of surprises and delights: historic cartoons lampooning painters and photographers alike; Jean-Francois Rafaelli's 1899 painting of Schenley Park; and a pair of self-portraits by Edward Steichen, one in which he presents himself as a painter and another where he depicts himself as a photographer.
The strength of Impressionism in a New Light is its acknowledgment that painters and photographers lived in the same world, that painting and photography developed in relation to one another and not in isolation. The exhibition effectively displays continuities in both style and subject. Jean-Francois Millet's "The Sower" hangs beside P.H. Emerson's photographic images of workers in fields. In the 1886 pointillist painting "Evening, Honfleur," Seurat represents visual experience by breaking light into sharp, component colors; the painting hangs alongside Robert Demachy's 1905 photograph "Honfleur," a similar scene but all misty atmosphere. The influence of photographic cropping — the possibility that a subject need not be shown in its entirety — is evidenced in Degas' pastel "Dancers, Entrance on Stage."
Absent, unfortunately, are examples of the kinds of work to which the impressionists and pictorialists were responding: Académie-approved painting and the uses of photography beyond which Stieglitz wished to move. Absent also are the modern painters and sculptors whom Stieglitz would later help introduce to America. The tease at the end of the show, which notes Stieglitz's move into modernist photography, hints at the extent to which he would later turn his back on pictorialism.
While the title of the exhibition suggests an equivalence between Monet and Stieglitz, each enormously influential in his own field, the argument presented by the exhibition is largely one of cause and effect: Painting leads and photography follows, generally by 20 years. The show's emphasis on themes, and on the visual echo linking the softness of impressionism with that of pictorialism, might create the impression that Stieglitz's aspirations for the recognition of photography lay in the emulation of painting. In this, the exhibition risks reinforcing the very reduction of impressionism to gauzy prettiness that it is trying to correct. It also threatens to downplay Stieglitz's obsessive and ongoing efforts to define photography's essential character, an endeavor that would eventually lead him far from pictorialism.
By Monet's death in 1926, impressionism had become part of the establishment, challenged by the new forms of modern art that had since emerged. Photography's viability had by then similarly been established in the art world, due in no small part to Stieglitz's advocacy. But by the 1920s, pictorialism would be largely supplanted by modernist photography. One of Monet's "Water Lilies" hangs at the end of the exhibition as a closing statement, a triumphant marker of impressionism's influence and acceptance, and a reminder that art does not stand still.
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Ideology, Conflict, and Leadership in Groups and Organizations
By (author) Otto F. Kernberg
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Ideology, Conflict, and Leadership in Groups and Organizations by Otto F. Kernberg
Book DescriptionIn this book a psychoanalytic clinician and theoretician of world renown integrates current knowledge of the psychodynamics of individuals, groups, and organizations into a new theoretical framework. Dr. Otto F. Kernberg shows how the interplay of libidinal and aggressive impulses enacted within the dynamic unconscious of the individual also occurs at the level of groups and social organizations. He sheds new light on the turbulent nature of human interactions in groups, suggests how this understanding may help to resolve conflicts at the group and institutional levels, and provides a model for achieving effective institutional change. Dr. Kernberg applies his integrative frame to the analysis of the regressive processes in groups, the nature of institutional leadership, and the conditions of rational functioning that may protect the organization from the most dangerous consequences of regressive group processes. To illustrate the therapeutic uses of the model, he considers its applications to group therapy and the therapeutic community; to illustrate its consultative potential, he includes a section on problems in psychoanalytic organizations. In conclusion, the author extends his theoretical framework to the social sciences, proposing contributions to the psychology of ideology formation, bureaucracy, conventionality, and the political process.
Buy Ideology, Conflict, and Leadership in Groups and Organizations book by Otto F. Kernberg from Australia's Online Bookstore, Boomerang Books.
Book DetailsISBN: 9780300073553
(229mm x 152mm x 19mm)
Imprint: Yale University Press
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publish Date: 16-Jun-1998
Country of Publication: United States
Books By Author Otto F. Kernberg
Transference-Focused Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder, Paperback (December 2014)
The book is a treatment manual designed for mental health professionals who work with individuals presenting with moderate to severe forms of personality disorder. The book focuses on the broader group of patients with borderline personality organization, expanding the reach and utility of this volume.
Aggressivity, Narcissism, and Self-Destructiveness in the Psychotherapeutic Rela, Paperback (July 2014)
Bedouin Law from Sinai and the Negev, Hardback (November 2009)
A comprehensive study of Bedouin law, including oral, pre-modern law. It shows how a nomadic desert-dwelling society provides for its own law and order in the traditional absence of any centralized authority or enforcement agency to protect it.
Contemporary Controversies in Psychoanalytic Theory, Technique, and Their Applications, Hardback (October 2004)» View all books by Otto F. Kernberg
In this title, psychoanalyst Otto Kernberg reviews developments and controversies in psychoanalytic theory and technique.
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by Christopher Paslay
Instead of working with minority students to improve skills, civil rights advocates want to lower the bar for everyone.
The crusade to make all students equal by infringing upon the rights of high achieving students has made its way to New York City. According to a September 27, 2012, piece in the New York Times:
A coalition of educational and civil rights groups filed a federal complaint on Thursday saying that black and Hispanic students were disproportionately excluded from New York City’s most selective high schools because of a single-test admittance policy they say is racially discriminatory. . . .
Although 70 percent of the city’s public school students are black and Hispanic, a far smaller percentage have scored high enough to receive offers from one of the schools. According to the complaint, 733 of the 12,525 black and Hispanic students who took the exam were offered seats this year. For whites, 1,253 of the 4,101 test takers were offered seats. Of 7,119 Asian students who took the test, 2,490 were offered seats. At Stuyvesant High School, the most sought-after school, 19 blacks were offered seats in a freshman class of 967.
How is the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) racially discriminatory, exactly? According to the NYC Department of Education website:
The SHSAT is a timed multiple-choice test with two sections, verbal and math, that must be completed in a total of 2 hours and 30 minutes. In the first section, students demonstrate their verbal reasoning and reading comprehension by ordering sentences to form a coherent paragraph, answering questions of logical reasoning, and analyzing and interpreting texts. In the second section, students demonstrate their math skills by answering computational and word questions that require arithmetic, algebra, probability, statistics, geometry, and trigonometry . . .
In other words, the SHSAT is discriminatory because the reading portion requires students to write in coherent paragraphs, use logical reasoning to answer questions, and analyze text. What bias! On the math portion, students must know arithmetic, algebra, probability, statistics, geometry, and trigonometry, or put another way, they must know how to do math. How racially insensitive!
Damon T. Hewitt, a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said of NYC’s elite high schools, “I refuse to believe there are only 19 brilliant African-Americans in the city; it simply cannot be the case. It is a shameful practice and it must be changed.”
I agree with Hewitt, it is shameful. It’s shameful that all cultural groups, according to ETS’s report “Parsing the Achievement Gap II,” don’t place a high emphasis on educational achievement; it’s shameful that all cultures, according to ETS, don’t value reading; it’s a shame that all cultures don’t always respect authority; maintain a two-parent nuclear family; actively participate in homework and school; regulate internet and television watching; emphasize nutrition and exercise; and stay mentally active over holidays and summer months.
Asian students, who are a racial minority in NYC but take up the majority of seats in the eight elite high schools, do take their studies seriously. According to the New York Times:
[Asians] cited their parents’ observance of ancient belief systems like Confucianism, a set of moral principles that emphasizes scholarship and reverence for elders, as well as their rejection of child-rearing philosophies more common in the United States that emphasize confidence and general well-being.
Several students said their parents did not shy away from corporal punishment as a means of motivating them. And they said that rigorous testing was generally an accepted practice in their home countries, with the tests viewed not so much as measures of intelligence, but of industriousness.
Industriousness. AKA: Hard work.
So how do people like NAACP lawyer Damon T. Hewitt, who claim to have the best interest of minorities in mind, respond to the situation at NYC’s eight elite high schools? Does he preach having young black and Latino children (and their parents) roll up their sleeves and get down and dirty with the business of making education a number one priority? Of learning arithmetic, algebra, probability, statistics, geometry, and trigonometry? Of answering questions using logic and writing in coherent paragraphs? Of eating right, and exercising right, and doing homework, and reading books, and staying mentally active over the summer and holidays?
No, Hewitt does none of these things. He calls the SHSAT’s discriminatory and files a complaint with the US Department of Education. In Hewitt’s mind (and in the minds of social justice advocates who preach a toxic brand of educational socialism), equal opportunity isn’t good enough; they demand equal achievement. Performance–and more importantly, preparation–doesn’t matter. Racial balance is the ultimate goal, even if it’s achieved by infringing upon the rights of high achievers. Never mind the sacrifice of elite students who’ve paid their dues and earned their admittance through years of hard work. Forget hard work and results. Hard work, like being on time, is simply a matter of cultural perspective.
Obsession with race and the misguided ideology of social justice is once again killing academic excellence in America’s public schools.
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LOS ANGELES, CA - Has it been awhile since you talked to your siblings or are they your very best friends? We know that social ties are important for older folks when it comes to living a long time, but a new study presented at the American Sociological Association suggests that it really matters exactly who those close to you are.
In a survey of volunteers aged 57 to 83, sociologists from The University of Toronto and The University of Chicago found that people who counted more family members in their social networks were less likely to die. Having lots of close friends, instead of relatives,didn’t seem to have an impact.
The researchers were pretty surprised by the findings. They thought that by picking those relationships, we could cater them to our specific needs, but the data didn't back that up at all. The author of the study James Iveniuk said, “It is the people who in some sense you cannot choose, and who also have little choice about choosing you, who seem to provide the greatest benefit to longevity.”
The researchers theorize that it’s because family has some control over aspects of our health. And while family can be frustrating, their support isn’t dependent on the emotional aspects of the relationship. They’ll love you, even if they don’t always like you. Looks like it's time to give them a call. In the long run, it’ll do us all some good.
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New figures from Statistics Canada show a rise in the regional unemployment rate.
Unemployment in the Victoria Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) reached four per cent in June 2019 — up from 3.6 per cent in May 2019. While it is not clear what caused the increase, one clue might be the higher participation rate of the regional work force. It rose to 63.2 per cent from 62.5. By way of background, the participation rate measures the share of employed and unemployed people as a percentage of the population. This figure suggests that Victoria’s hot labour market has encouraged more people to enter the workforce with the consequence for the unemployment rate, which economists calculate by dividing the number of unemployed people by the number of people in the labour force.
In other words, the regional unemployment might have risen, because more people were looking for work.
This rise, however, requires perspective. Victoria’s regional unemployment remains the lowest among B.C.’s four CMAs. It ties with Vancouver’s rate and remains ahead of Kelowna (4.4 per cent) and Abbotsford-Mission (5.4) per cent.
By way of background, the provincial unemployment rate is 4.5 per cent.
Nationally, the unemployment rate rose 0.1 per cent to 5.5 per cent as the number of people looking for work increased, according to Statistics Canada, with the Quebec City recording the lowest unemployment rate among Canada’s CMA with 2.4 per cent.
Looking at specific groups, unemployment among people aged 55 has edged down, while unemployment among people in the “core” working ages of 25 to 54 has edged up year-to-year. This increase in unemployment has been especially evident among men in that age, as their unemployment stands at 5.1 per cent, up 0.4 per cent.
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A wise writer once said, "If you take hyphens seriously you will surely go mad." Hyphens belong to that category of punctuation marks that will hurt your brain if you think about them too hard, and, like commas, people disagree about their use in certain situations. Nevertheless, if you learn to use hyphens properly, they help you to write efficiently and concretely, and you will have to use them regularly because of the nature of technical writing. Because concepts in science and engineering frequently rely on word blends and complex word relationships, the best writers in these fields master the use of the hyphen.
The Hyphen's Function
Fundamentally, the hyphen is a joiner. It joins:
- two nouns to make one complete word (kilogram-meter);
- an adjective and a noun to make a compound word (accident-prone);
- two words that, when linked, describe a noun (agreed-upon sum, two-dimensional object);
- a prefix with a noun (un-American);
- double numbers (twenty-four);
- numbers and units describing a noun (1000-foot face; a 10-meter difference)
- "self" and "well" words (self-employed, well-known);
- ethnic labels (Irish-American);
- new word blends (cancer-causing, cost-effective);
- prefixes and suffixes to words, in particular when the writer wants to avoid doubling a vowel or tripling a consonant (anti-inflammatory; shell-like).
The rule of thumb I apply when using the hyphen is that the resulting word must act as one unit; therefore, the hyphen creates a new word—either a noun or a modifier—that has a single meaning. Usually, you can tell whether a hyphen is necessary by applying common sense and mentally excluding one of the words in question, testing how the words would work together without the hyphen. For example, the phrases "high-pressure system," "water-repellent surface," and "fuel-efficient car" would not make sense without hyphens, because you would not refer to a "high system," a "water surface," or a "fuel car." As your ears and eyes become attuned to proper hyphenation practices, you will recognize that both meaning and convention dictate where hyphens fit best.
The following websites offer exercises on using the hyphen properly, as well as the correct answers to the exercise questions:
Examples of Properly Used Hyphens
Some examples of properly used hyphens follow. Note how the hyphenated word acts as a single unit carrying a meaning that the words being joined would not have individually.
long-chain fatty acid
When Hyphens Are Not Needed
By convention, hyphens are not used in words ending in -ly, nor when the words are so commonly used in combination that no ambiguity results. In these examples, no hyphens are needed:
|finely tuned engine||blood pressure||sea level|
|real estate||census taker||atomic energy|
|civil rights law||public utility plant||carbon dioxide|
Prefixes and Suffixes
Most prefixes do not need to be hyphenated; they are simply added in front of a noun, with no spaces and no joining punctuation necessary. The following is a list of common prefixes that do not require hyphenation when added to a noun:
Common suffixes also do not require hyphenation, assuming no ambiguities of spelling or pronunciation arise. Typically, you do not need to hyphenate words ending in the following suffixes:
Commonly Used Word Blends
Also, especially in technical fields, some words commonly used in succession become joined into one. The resulting word’s meaning is readily understood by technical readers, and no hyphen is necessary. Here are some examples of such word blends, typically written as single words:
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Every so often, new data gets thrown out there that requires us artists to change how we present the scientist’s work. Recently, I’ve been sharply reminded that even when scientists mean well, some things just get mucked up. One of the best examples in the Zamyn Khond oviraptorosaur, commonly called Citipati sp., which is based on a well-known, but rather obscure specimen, MPC-D 100/42 (formerly, IGM or GI or GIN or GI (SPS) 100/42 — so many names!). Previously, this material has been poorly illustrated, either just by its skull (Barsbold, 1981) or with selected elements shown (Barsbold, 1983; Barsbold et al., 1990; Osmólska et al., 2004), and always illustrated by pen, or just a photo of its skull.
Photographs of the rest of the material have never been published, and photos of the material that do exist tend to be proprietary, so I can’t even show you what I know. But there’s a lot there, missing some of the tail, half of the dorsal vertebrae, some portions of one whole arm and a section of one leg. I did a skeletal reconstruction once, was dissatisfied, did it again, and while I am still dissatisfied with it, have had little opportunity to modify it. This is because, unfortunately, lack of detailed (or any) scalebars of the various elements in the photos produced make it very difficult to show how large a thing is, meaning we are stuck with the scale bars in the figures that are produced, as well as measurements given by the authors in their text, if any.
Of course, not all this is peachy. This doesn’t tell you about important and often distinct allometric differences when scaling certain elements to one another. As Fanti et al. (2012) wrote [pg.7]:
The estimates based on shaft widths suggest that the ratio of radius length to humerus length [in Nemegtomaia barsboldi specimen, MPC-D 107/15] is 0.95, which is close to the same ratios in Citipati osmolskae (MPC-D 100/979), and Conchoraptor gracilis (MPC-D 110/21). In contrast, the ratio is less than 0.80 in Ingenia (MPC-D 100/32, 100/33, 110/03) and Rinchenia (MPC-D 100/32-1).
One cannot expect that the ratios of even closely-related taxa to be perfectly constrained, although it is a great thing to keep in mind when estimating, as it keeps the estimator within a range of certainty; having a given potential range means that estimates may be compared empirically, rather than just saying a measure is “so-so” or “roughly” a given value. Empirical estimation fails when the given measurements and the figures can show widely different results, creating a sense of distrust in figures’ veracity for artists. Matt Wedel and I ran into this problem back in the early 2000’s — as Matt says, when we were young and ignorant (I’m paraphrasing his exact words) — shortly after Titanosaurus colberti (Jain & Bandyopadhyay, 1997) was described [n1], which resulted in a crazy-weird reconstruction from both of us.
This underscores the problem with either estimating from constraining proportions, or taking a few measurements given and a few scale bars, and going from there. Unless the measurements are given, are accurate, and can be verified in some manner (instead of using line or Photoshop drawn bars, use a GSA or SVP or other institutional scalebar strip with your specimen photo, or a microscope-given scale for smaller objects), these are not useful for the reader or artist.
For the Zamyn Khond oviraptorid (which, as I may have noted, I hope would be the only taxon I would name) measurements therefore suck. We got a taste of some measurements from Mickey Mortimer’s Theropod Database, which includes measurements of the skull and femur, while Fanti et al.’s recent paper has increased the given measurements, but shown disparity. You see, direct measurement from the given illustrations above have produced a measurement of 175mm for both myself and Mickey for the skull, done as a line draw from the posterior margin of the distal quadrate to the very ventral tip of the premaxillary “beak,” the BSL (basal skull length). Fanti et al., however, while confirming Mickey’s measurement of 305mm for the femur, give the skull at 180mm. While I would use this as an opportunity to deride the methods by which we measure certain things, and aim for a better future when we are illustrating the axes by which we measure precisely, it shows that there is some doubt to the process indeed for measurements even when attempting to be explicit. But this is largely beside the point.
I mucked up. I erred, was wrong, and must now correct my process. You see, for a while I’ve been touting a skeletal reconstruction as close to accurate as I thought I could get, using photos of the skeleton I had available and using the figures to provide measurements. Well, as you can see below, there are problems with this method:
Scaling down to the animal’s actual skull length of 180mm results in a skeletal 20% smaller; the animal is seemingly distinctly smaller than I had estimated it to be, where otherwise it was one of the largest oviraptorids out there. Of course, not even treating the skull at 175mm will fix this, it just gets smaller, about 1% further from the original size. If I treat the femur as correctly scaled at 305mm, the animal shrinks to 40% smaller than my original estimate! Yowza! I think the reason this looks so different is that the rear and forward sections of the skeleton are incorrectly scaled. The femur is shorter, the tibio-tarsus longer, and the legs otherwise smaller in comparison to the rest of the body, which still needs to shrink. Correctly scaling this so that the head, legs and arms are all at the right scale will require an update, where I will completely re-do the skeleton, fixing what I can. It may take a little time, however. What it will do, of course, if give everyone a much better, clearer idea of the body of this animal, given the few of us who have seen decent photos of the material, or have had the chance to see the material in person (I rely on one who has done both). The only thing better would be to be there in person, with a pair of calipers and a camera, and hopefully a way to remove the individual bones for measurement. Ideally, I would just digitally scan each individual element, where no estimation whatsoever would ever be necessary. That’s not possible, so we’re going to retry this … again. Stay tuned.
What this also means, of course, is that MPC-D 100/42 is significantly smaller than Citipati osmolskae, based on MPC-D 100/978 or 100/979, and specimens like MPC-D 100/1004 suggest larger individuals. This also means that oviraptorids probably never got that much larger than, say, the Triebold oviraptorosaur, and caenagnathids would have been generally larger. But more on that when I get around to fixing the skeletal reconstruction.
[n1] Titanosaurus colberti was later rebranded Isisaurus colberti by Wilson & Upchurch , to separate it from the arguably “highly ambiguous” Titanosaurus species complex and the argued non-diagnostic nature of the Titanosaurus indicus type caudal vertebrae.
Barsbold R. 1981. Беззубйе жыщнйе динозаврй Монголий (Edentulous carnivorous dinosaurs of Mongolia). Трудй – Совместная Совестко-Монгольской Палеотологыческая Зкспедитсия — Joint Soviet-Mongolian Paleontological Expedition, Transactions 15: 28-39, 124. (in Russian, w/ English summary)
Barsbold R. 1983. Жыщнйе динозаврй мела Монголий (Carnivorous dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Mongolia). Трудй – Совместная Совестко-Монгольской Палеотологыческая Зкспедитсия — Joint Soviet-Mongolian Paleontological Expedition, Transactions 19:1-120. (in Russian, w/ English summary)
Barsbold R., Maryanska, T & Osmólska, H. 1990. Oviraptorosauria. pp.249-258 in Weishampel, Dodson & Osmólska (eds.) The Dinosauria. University of California Press (Berkeley).
Fanti, F., Currie, P. J. & Badamgarav D. 2012. New specimens of Nemegtomaia from the Baruungoyot and Nemegt Formations (Late Cretaceous) of Mongolia. PLoS ONE 7(2):e31330.
Jain, S. L. & Bandyopadhyay, S. 1997. New titanosaurid (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of central India. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 17(1):114–136.
Osmólska, H., Currie, P. J. & Barsbold R. 2004. Oviraptorosauria. pg.165-183 in Weishampel, Dodson & Osmólska (eds.) The Dinosauria, Second Edition. University of California Press (Berkeley).
Wilson, J. A. & Upchurch, P.2003. A revision of Titanosaurus Lydekker (Dinosauria– Sauropoda), the first dinosaur genus with a ‘Gondwanan’ distribution. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 1(1):125–160.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (I own only the final image, and the right half of the third; Barsbold Rinchen owns the first, Karol Sabath the second, and Matt Wedel the left of the third).
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https://qilong.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/the-never-ending-artistic-revision-cycle-mpc-d-10042/
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I'm working on converting my Galaxian MAME cabinet back into an OG cabinet with an original PCB and CRT. In this cabinet, I will be using a JAMMA switcher to switch between Galaxian and Galaga.
An original Galaxian board expects to receive 7 volts AC and has hardware on the PCB to convert this into 5 volts DC. However, since I am using a JAMMA harness and power supply with my JAMMA switcher, I have 5 volts DC supplied by a switching power supply. To allow the Galaxian board to work with my JAMMA setup, I needed to modify my Galaxian PCB to accept 5 volts DC directly.
However, as of this post, none of those sources include pictures. The instructions are straightforward, but when you have a vintage PCB in your possession and are about to take a soldering iron to it, it's a bit more comforting to have some pictures to confirm you're following the steps correctly. I put this post together to provide some pictures for reference.
Again, I didn't write these instructions, but I can confirm they work. If you want more information on the mechanics, the aforementioned UK VAC forums post goes into more detail.
With that...let's get started! To perform this modification you'll need:
- Wire cutters
- Wire (solid, not stranded)
- Soldering iron
Here is a list of the components you'll need to remove from the board using the wire cutters. A few of the components will need to be replaced with a jumper wire. In addition to part number, the board quadrant is also listed for each part below.
|R87||4 Ohm 10W resistor||Remove and replace with wire|
|R88||50 Ohm 5W resistor||Remove|
|D4||A15F diode||Remove and replace with wire|
|D5||A15F diode||Remove and replace with wire|
|D6||A14F diode||Remove and replace with wire|
|D7||A14F diode||Remove and replace with wire|
Finally, you may need a wire link between the edge connector pair 5,E to 4,D. I did not need this connector because the JAMMA adapter I used already bridged these connections.
On to the pictures! The third picture is annotated with each of the part IDs.
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https://www.justin-credible.net/2020/05/17/galaxian-ac-to-dc-modification/
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A man has been jailed for two years for setting up a computer hacking business that caused chaos worldwide.
Adam Mudd was 16 when he created the Titanium Stresser program, which carried out more than 1.7m attacks on websites including Minecraft, Xbox Live and Microsoft and TeamSpeak, a chat tool for gamers.
He earned the equivalent of more than £386,000 in US dollars and bitcoins from selling the program to cybercriminals.
Mudd pleaded guilty and was sentenced at the Old Bailey. The judge, Michael Topolski QC, noted that Mudd came from a “perfectly respectable and caring family”. He said the effect of Mudd’s crimes had wreaked havoc “from Greenland to New Zealand, from Russia to Chile”.
Topolski said the sentence must have a “real element of deterrent” and refused to suspend the jail term. “I’m entirely satisfied that you knew full well and understood completely this was not a game for fun,” he told Mudd. “It was a serious money-making business and your software was doing exactly what you created it to do.”
Mudd showed no emotion as he was sent to a young offender institution.
During the two-day hearing, Jonathan Polnay, prosecuting, said the effect of Mudd’s hacking program was “truly global”. “Where there are computers, there are attacks – in almost every major city in the world – with hotspots in France, Paris, around the UK,” he said.
The court heard that Mudd, who lived with his parents, had previously undiagnosed Asperger syndrome and was more interested in status in the online gaming community than the money.
The court heard that the defendant, now 20, carried out 594 of the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against 181 IP addresses between December 2013 and March 2015.
He admitted to security breaches against his college while he was studying computer science. The attacks on West Herts College crashed the network, cost about £2,000 to investigate and caused “incalculable” damage to productivity, the court heard.
On one occasion in 2014, the college hacking affected 70 other schools and colleges, including Cambridge, Essex and East Anglia universities as well as local councils.
Mudd’s explanation for one of the attacks was that he had reported being mugged to the college, but claimed no action was taken.
Polnay said there were more than 112,000 registered users of Mudd’s program who hacked about 666,000 IP addresses. Of those, nearly 53,000 were in the UK.
Among the targets was the fantasy game RuneScape, which had 25,000 attacks. Its owner company spent £6m trying to defend itself against DDoS attacks, with a revenue loss of £184,000.
The court heard that Mudd created Titanium Stresser in September 2013 using a fake name and address in Manchester. He offered a variety of payment plans to his customers, including discounts for bulk purchases of up to $309.99 for 30,000 seconds over five years as well as a refer-a-friend scheme.
Polnay said: “This is a young man who lived at home. This is not a lavish lifestyle case. The motivation around this we tend to agree is about status. The money-making is by the by.”
When he was arrested in March 2015, Mudd was in his bedroom on his computer, which he refused to unlock before his father intervened.
Mudd, from Kings Langley in Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to one count of committing unauthorised acts with intent to impair the operation of computers; one count of making, supplying or offering to supply an article for use in an offence contrary to the Computer Misuse Act; and one count of concealing criminal property.
Ben Cooper, defending, appealed for his client to be given a suspended sentence. He said Mudd had been sucked into the cyber world of online gaming and was “lost in an alternate reality” after withdrawing from school because of bullying.
Mudd, who was expelled from college and now works as a kitchen porter, had been offline for two years, which was a form of punishment for any computer-obsessed teenager, Cooper said.
The “bright and high-functioning” defendant understood what he did was wrong but at the time he lacked empathy due to his medical condition, the court heard.
Cooper said: “This was an unhappy period for Mr Mudd, during which he suffered greatly. This is someone seeking friendship and status within the gaming community.”
The judge said: “I have a duty to the public who are worried about this, threatened by this, damaged by this all the time … It’s terrifying.”
The sentencing comes on the day that alleged hacker Lauri Love was given the go-ahead to challenge his extradition to the US.
US authorities have been fighting for Love, who has Asperger syndrome, to face trial on hacking charges, which his lawyers say could mean a sentence of up to 99 years in prison if he is found guilty.
The 32-year-old, who lives with his parents near Newmarket in Suffolk, is alleged to have stolen huge amounts of data from US agencies, including the Federal Reserve, the US army, the Department of Defence, Nasa and the FBI in 2012 and 2013.
His solicitors, Kaim Todner, announced in a statement on Tuesday that they had obtained permission for Love to appeal against extradition.
No date has yet been set for the challenge, which will be heard at the high court in London.
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https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/25/teenage-hacker-adam-mudd-jailed-masterminding-attacks-sony-microsoft
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The Five Kedars
The Mahabharata is one of the oldest epics in the world and was written by the sage Vyasa. There is no subject on which it doesn’t deal with. However all the various subjects are woven into the story of the Kuru dynasty which ruled over India about five thousand years ago. Modern Delhi is built over their capital city of Indraprastha. The epic deals with the rivalry between the cousins known collectively as the Pandavas and the Kauravas. It ends in the internecine war between the two factions. The Pandavas were five in number and are said to be the sons of the gods in as much as they were all extremely noble. Arjuna, the hero of the epic and the middle one amongst the Pandavas is the one to whom Lord Krishna gave the discourse of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita. This discourse comes in the middle portion of the Mahabharata and deals with the human problem – how to attain liberation from the coils of material life. However it also deals with the very practical aspect of how to deal with our day-to-day life.
Pandavas with dog Dharma
At the end of their life, the Pandavas decided to give up their kingdom and go to the Himalayas and meditate on their favourite deity, Lord Shiva. So they set out accompanied by their wife, Draupadi. When they reached the place called Rudraprayag, they thought they had a glimpse of Lord Shiva. They tried to chase him but he took on the form of a buffalo and dashed off towards the north. They followed in hot pursuit and eventually caught up with him at the place that is now known as Kedarnath. The Lord now dived into the earth. Only the hind portion of the buffalo was sticking out. This was caught by one of the brothers called, Bhima. But pull as he might, he couldn’t get the rest of the buffalo out of the ground. The hump now turned into a Shiva Lingam and remained at this place. Each of the other parts appeared at four other places and came to be collectively known as the Panch Kedars or the five Kedars. All these lie in the Garwal Himalayas in the modern state known as Uttranchal.
The Garwal Himalayas lie to the north east of the Indian peninsula and is known as the Valley of the Gods. The air is fragrant with the aroma of spirituality. When one gazes at the snow clad peaks and hear the gurgling of the Ganga as she jumps over boulders and rocks and watch the mists rise up from the rivers and valleys one can easily believe that this is indeed the playground of the devas. (Gods). This is the place where countless sages have meditated and become enlightened and the very air is fragrant with the perfume of their amazing vibrations that have lasted through the centuries. The Himalayas are filled with the power and passion of Lord Shiva and in this part of India, we find more shrines to this deity than to any other. The most famous of them is the temple of Kedarnath. Cradled in the bosom of the Himalayan ranges there are four other temples, which along with Kedarnath that go under the name of the Panch Kedars or the five Kedars. They are situated in inaccessible places and provide a challenge to any devotee of Shiva who wishes to worship him in places that are far away from the madding crowd. Shiva is noted for his love of lonely peaks and solitary ranges. His true worshippers should always be prepared to take the leap into the unknown and face all the challenges that he places in their way, as the Pandavas did. Those intrepid ones who actually dare to go to these places will find that they are amply rewarded for their determination and devotion. The air is saturated with Shiva Shakti and one can easily imagine him striding across mountain crags and peaks, his matted hair mingling with the clouds and snakes twirling around his neck!
These five temples are sprawled all over the vast Kedar valley at altitudes ranging from 1500 m. to 3680 m. Out of these Tunganath is the highest at 3,810 m, Kedarnath is 3584 m., Madmaheswar is 3289 m., Rudranath is 2286 m. and Kalpeshwar, 2134 m.
Descent of Ganga at Bhagirathi
Painting Thanks to Exotic India Art
Of these Kedarnath is the biggest of the temples and the most popular. The Shiva Lingam (sign of Shiva) here is a natural rock in the shape of a buffalo’s hump. Rudranath is the place where his face appeared, Madmaheswar is where his navel is said to have fallen, his arms appeared at Tunganath and his tresses at Kalpeshwar.
Kedarnath is situated at the head of the Mandakini River. It is at an altitude of 3,584 m. with a breathtaking view of the snow capped Himalayas in the background. The temple is made out of huge granite slabs. Adi Shankaracharya, the founder of the Advaita philosophy is supposed to have worshipped here and fixed the method of puja. With his usual foresight, he made a rule that the pujaris (priests) of this temple should be brought from the state of Karnataka in the south and the priests of Garwal should go to the Shiva temple of Rameshwaram in the south. This is the custom up to this day.
The journey to Kedarnath starts from the pilgrim town of Rishikesh at the foothills of the Himalayas. The railway track ends in Rishikesh. From here one can take a car or bus and go up to Rudraprayag. This is a famous confluence of two rivers where the River Mandakini, which comes from Kedarnath, meets the River Alagananda, which comes from Badrinath. From here one has to take the route to the place called Gaurikund, which is as far as the motorable road goes. This place, which is dedicated to the goddess Gauri, the consort of Shiva, has a beautiful hot water spring in which all pilgrims are supposed to take a bath. There is a lovely shrine to the goddess close to the spring.
The 14 km. trek to Kedarnath begins from Gaurikund. Those who find it difficult to walk can take ponies and old people can be carried in something called a doli, which is a kind of hammock, carried by four people. En route we come to a halting place called Rambara. The track is made out of cobbled stones and is quite difficult to walk on. But the problems of the trek are forgotten when we gaze at the breathtaking vistas that open out before our astounded eyes at every turn. All through we are followed by the gurgling sound of the Mandakini as she rushes down the deep gorges and valleys. Actually most of the fascination of the route is spoilt for the earnest pilgrim who goes on foot, by the ponies that come behind and threaten to nudge him off the cliff. The track clings to the hillside that overlooks valleys that are more than 500 km deep so the prospect of being nudged off these cliffs is not such a happy one.
However our first view of the temple as we come up is enough to take away all the fatigue of the journey. The fantastic snow mountain at the back sets off the stark granite structure of the shrine. You literally give a gasp of delight when you see this view. Unfortunately the approach road is now filled with modern restaurants and shops so part of the charm is lost.
Hindu pilgrims are always required to take a bath before they enter any temple. There is no hot spring here as there is at Badrinath so one has to take a bath in the icy waters of the Mandakini. However in the past few years two and three-star hotels have sprung up so hot and cold showers are available in the bathrooms. I always feel that comforts are always at the cost of sanctity - the more the comforts, the less the sanctity! Another problem is that the more the comforts, the more the pilgrims who behave more like tourists than true pilgrims. A special feeling is generated when one dips in the freezing waters and stays in an ill-ventilated, tiny room and runs to the temple at the crack of dawn to be present for the first puja. Unlike Vishnu temples where the devotee is not allowed into the sanctum sanctorum, in Shiva temples you can go right up to the lingam and do one’s own abhishekam (ritual powering of water over the idol) as well as touch the idol.
This is a great thrill for everybody. The pujari (priest) is there and will also do a puja for you if you so wish. In fact there are many pujas during the course of the day in which you can participate. The lingam is a huge hump-shaped rock that is anointed and decorated very beautifully. Shiva is supposed to be “abhisheka priya” (one who loves to have water poured over him) while Vishnu is said to be “alankaara priya” (one who loves to be beautifully dressed), so you will find that Shiva Lingams are never as beautifully decorated as the idols of Vishnu.
Samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath
Two other spots worth visiting here are the samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya and the Gandhi Sarovar. There is a lot of debate about the place where Adi Shankaracharya actually passed away. One faction claims that it was at Kedarnath so there is a shrine here to this most renowned teacher of the Advaita philosophy, which is the philosophy of non-duality. Gandhi Sarovar is a glacial lake in which some of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were scattered. Of course there are many other beautiful treks in and around the place which one can do if there is time and inclination.
The return journey is also to be covered in one day. There is a short stop at Rambara and then on to Gaurikund where one has to stay the night and then proceed to the next shrine known as Madmaheswar.
A pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines can be undertaken only by those who are not haunted by the spectre of Time looming behind them with the proverbial scythe. To these adventurous types, the Himalayan shrines offers a vast storehouse of not mere spiritual merit but also a feeling of profound fullness and satisfaction on all levels of the personality – physical, mental and aesthetic.
Madmaheswar is situated at the foot of the Chaukamba Peak at an altitude of 3,500m. This is the place where Shiva’s navel is supposed to have emerged. After finishing our Kedar trek we have to return to Gaurikund for the night halt. From here one can take a vehicle to Guptakashi. Kashi is the old name for Varanasi and “gupta” means secret or hidden. Guptakashi has an ancient temple of Shiva and derives its name from the fact that this is the place where Shiva is supposed to have hidden himself when the Pandavas chased him. At this place he disappeared and hid himself in a cave. Hence this place is known as Guptakashi or the “hidden Kashi”.
Those who are keen on a longer trek like us can get off the bus or car at a place called Devidhar from where there is a delightful forest track up to Kalimath, which is our first halting place. The three kilometer walk took us through a thickly wooded slope carpeted with the leaves of pines and deodars, which are centuries old and which muffle our footsteps. This track leads to the stream called Kali. From here the track winds up to the tiny village in which is situated the temple of Kali Mata or the Goddess Kali. The temple is open on all sides and is surrounded by striking red wooden pillars. It is a siddha peeth in which one of the parts of the Goddess Sati is supposed to have fallen. Siddha peeths are said to have the ability to fulfill all our wishes.
Legend goes that the Goddess Chandi Devi was sitting on a rock, combing her hair when two demons that were the servitors of the two brothers Shumba and Nishumba saw her and were totally captivated by her intoxicating beauty. They ran back to their masters and reported the matter to them. The whole story is narrated in the Devi Mahatmyam. The rock on which she was sitting is close to this temple.
After an overnight stay at Kali Math the trek continued along an undulated terrain with thickly terraced slopes. The river known as the Madmaheswar Ganga could be seen far below, glinting and sparkling in the sunlight. Seven kilometers from Kali Math we reached the little hamlet known as Raun Lek where we stayed at a humble homestead. We had decided not to be hustled on our journey but to go slowly and thus enjoy the scenic beauty and the feel of the land by staying with the peasants. The little room that they gave us was not as clean as one would have liked but the cobbled terrace where they gave us dinner had a breathtaking view of the entire valley with the roar of the river thrown in for extra measure. In the distance was the magnificent Chaukamba peak on which the setting sun was giving special light effects. No five star hotel could ever boast of such idyllic surroundings. The long Himalayan twilight drifted into an enchanted night with a sky, studded with huge stars hanging low over our heads! This was not a five-star hotel but a million-star one! Very soon the eighth-day moon came out to enhance the beauty of the scene. We sat on the terrace and soaked in the atmosphere while our host regaled us with surprising bits of information coming from one living in such a remote spot. He also told us of an alternate route from Gaundhar which could be reached by taxi from Guptakashi. Of course this route would totally cut out the beautiful temple of Kali Mata.
Chandi Devi Temple
It is always good to set out as early as possible when you are trekking in the hills. In summer the day gets light by 4.30am and we covered the 8 kilometers to Ransi in a fairly short time since the terrain was not hilly. Here there was an ancient temple to the Goddess Rakheswari and we rested a while in the dim recesses of this temple, enfolded in the benign waves emanating from the goddess. Our night halt was at Gaundhar so we set out as fast as possible. The walk to Gaundhar was really charming. The track winds up for a while and then started going down through pine forests. Many a turn in the path brought us face to face with fantastic waterfalls and secret pools. Wild strawberries nestled in clusters of dark green leaves. We didn’t have time to gather them but just then a “pahari” (hill) belle approached us and thrust some of the delicious berries into our hands. What could we offer in exchange for this manna from the gods? Sacrilegious to think of giving biscuits and artificially flavoured sweets.
The priest at Ransi had warned us not to stay at Gaundhar, which is where all pilgrims halt, but to push on another 1 kilometer to Vantoli, which is actually the base camp for the ascent to Madmaheswar. This spot was one of the most charming we had ever stayed so far. There is a confluence of two rivers here and the tiny homestead where we halted nestles in the lap of a vale with towering peaks on one side and the roar of the waters as they rush to meet each other at the confluence. We had an exhilarating bath in the icy waters, clinging on to a branch of a tree for fear of being swept away by the current. After this we were ravenous. Never had we eaten such a delicious meal. Just plain chapattis with some green leaves that the little boy ran and plucked from the adjoining fields and some thick curds. The milk and curds in these hills are really wonderful – thick and creamy from cows fed on green grass and leaves alone. Potatoes were a luxury since that year’s crop had not been harvested and most of them were too poor to go to the nearest town to buy such “luxuries”!
Magic moments when we wandered along the river and sat on sun-bleached rocks, sprinkled with the icy spray from the foaming, swirling, dancing waters around. I wonder if any sophisticated mountain resort could compare with this pristine beauty!
The next day was the last and most difficult part of our journey. We had to do nine kilometers of really stiff climbing with only one hamlet in between where we might get some refreshments. The track wound its way through shady pine-clad slopes to the hamlet. After a short break we commenced the hard climb, sometimes through forests and sometimes over bare slopes. The river was only a silver streak far down below from which the wind wafted the faint sounds of the roaring waters which had turned into a whisper. Even though it was a hard climb, the sight of the pink and red rhododendron flowers encouraged us to push on. Creepers trailed their vines across our tired faces as if to comfort us. We had been warned to be on the look out for bears but nary a one did we ever see! However we did see a couple of playful creatures resembling back and white badgers who were not in the least bit put out by this invasion of their privacy. One of the nicest things about this trip compared to the one to Kedar was the fact that we didn’t have to jostle our way between frisky mules and coolies carrying people on their backs in baskets! Due to its inaccessibility Madmaheswar is off the beaten track for most rich pilgrims and the poor ones cannot afford ponies and baskets! We felt as if the whole world belonged to us alone. The only sound to assail our ears was the mournful screech of the Himalayan eagle and the muted murmur of the waters below.
But this final assault was really arduous. The nine kilometers took seven hours. At last when we had almost given up hope of reaching our destination before the sun set, a turn in the track gave us a breathtaking view of the valley, with flower-studded slopes and a gushing stream meandering across it. The towering peak of the Chaukamba formed the backdrop and the tiny temple nestled at its foot looking as if it was a painted canvas. Another ten minutes brought us right up to the temple where the priest and a swami were basking on a rock in front of the shrine trying to catch the last rays of the precious sun.
The priest was a young man hailing from the southern state of Karnataka. He informed us that the four priests of the Shiva temples of Kedar, Madmaheswar, Ukhimath and Guptakashi came from Karnataka as decreed by Adi Shankaracharya and every year, they kept rotating between these temples. The temple is a replica of the Kedar temple but on a miniature scale. There are only two pujas here, one at 8 am and an evening arati at 7 pm. The priest kindly invited us to lunch with him since the only shop which the place possessed was closed since the proprietor had gone down to procure provisions. Luckily he was right behind us and arrived with a great haul of atta (wheat flour) and lentils. We were invited to wash ourselves in the little spring that seemed to gush out from beneath the root of a gnarled tree. We rested in the accommodation provided by the temple authorities, which was luxurious compared to the huts we had stayed in. We explored the beautiful surroundings till the tinkle of the temple bells summoned us for the evening arati. Inside the sanctum was a beautifully decorated lingam, which seemed to shine with a radiance of its own. The lingam was the middle portion of Shiva and was encased in a silver covering with the inevitable snake emblem above it. The exquisite puja articles were all made of silver and were exact replicas of the ones at Kedar. The arati was a prolonged affair with much clanging of gongs and bells by the shopkeeper’s children.
The two small shrines outside contained priceless carvings of Shiva and Parvati in a most unusual pose and another of the goddess, Mahishasuramardini, the slayer of the demon- Mahishasura. The former was similar to the one we had seen in Kali math but the latter was unique.
After the puja was over we retired to our exclusive hotel for our humble fare of chapattis and dal with a few boiled potatoes thrown in. These had been dug out by the shopkeeper’s son from the hard earth. It was the left over of last year’s crop. Then we went to the priest’s room to listen to his interesting tales of adventures in the hills.
He told us the history of the temple. One of the ancient kings of that region was annoyed to find that one of his prize mulch cows always came back dry. Determined to find out the reason for this, the king followed the cow and saw her shedding her milk over a stone at this spot. The irate king brought his sword down on the innocent cow’s head but the blow missed its mark and fell on the stone, which started to bleed. The king cleared the grass from round it and discovered that it was a lingam. Even today the mark of the sword is seen on top of the lingam. The remorseful king atoned for his sin by building a temple round the lingam. He died before he could complete it and later on someone else completed it. One of the stones on the right side gives some information about the date and name of the person who completed it but the priest said that though the archeologists had made a through study of it no one had been able to decipher it. However the method of the rituals to be conducted here as in all the Himalayan shrines had been augmented by Adi Shankaracharya, the master trekker of all times. He is supposed to have covered all this terrain on foot and laid down the rules and regulations concerning the type of worship to be offered at all places. By decreeing that the priests of the Himalayan shrines should come from the south and those at Rameswaram in the south, should come from the Himalayas, he saw to it that there was a good intermingling of the cultures of the north and south.
Next morning bright and early we trekked up to the highest point in that place to the temple of Buddha Madmaheswar. The hills were really alive with the sound of divine music as we clambered up the grassy slopes dotted wildly with myriads of white and yellow flowers with little clusters of red here and there and violets behind mossy stones. Walking in the shadow of these majestic snow peaks we feared to tread hard for fear of defiling this holy spot. Who knew what treasures lay beneath the unwary foot that carelessly crushed a million tiny sparkling flowers? Here the rhododendrons had been reduced to dwarf size and hung in clusters of waxy, mauve flowers which dropped unheeded on to the grassy carpet - an unceasing offering to the great Lord -Mahadeva (Shiva).
The whole valley was rolled out like a carpet below us with an unhampered view right up to Raum Lek. On one side towered the glittering, spectacular peak of Chaukamba Devi; home of eternal snows that had been inspiring us all through our trek. Now it appeared as if it was only a short distance away, spotlighted by the rays of the early morning sun. Impossible to describe the beauty of that scene with the valley below and the snow peaks all around. All the peaks were mirrored in the glacial lake below giving the amazing impression of a double exposure. Glacial lakes are perfectly still and mirror the surroundings with absolute accuracy. We threw ourselves on the velvety grass and imbibed the fragrance of that perfumed air. Words are poor instruments and hardly likely to do justice to the exquisite charm of that blissful spot. Even photographs could only give a faint idea.
We had to tear ourselves away from this sanctified spot and come down for the puja at 8 o’clock. The silver covering of the lingam was removed and saw the cleft on the crown. Unlike other Shiva temples in the north, the devotees are not allowed to enter the sanctum and do the abhishekam. We could only observe from the adjoining room.
The villagers around donated the flowers, rice and other offerings for puja. These villages were far below the temple but to these hardy hill tribes a walk of five or six kilometers with an ascent of a thousand meters was nothing. Every morning one of the villagers would come with the daily offering. They would wait for the prasadam that was distributed after the puja.
By god’s grace we were not pressed for time and we spent a couple of days in this idyllic spot roaming round the mountains, watching the sunset and sunrise and generally saturating ourselves in this divine atmosphere so that it would remain an indelible memory for us.
What can be said about the journey back to the twentieth century. It took half the time according to our watches but over two centuries as far as culture was concerned. Back to a world of roaring, tearing traffic, jostling crowds, noise and screech of vehicles and people rushing madly all the time not knowing that they were getting nowhere – back to a world of chips and cheese and chay (tea) from which we had escaped for a few glorious, enchanted days!
If there is one thing that the Himalayas teaches you it is that one should have absolute faith in God alone. Nothing and nobody can help you in those high reaches except the almighty. Without this faith and total surrender there is not much point in doing these treks. The value of the trek doesn’t lie in reaching the place but in the effort of getting there. Each step and each vista can either be a dream or a scream depending on your metal preparation.
After having done Madmaheswar we thought that Rudranath would be quite easy but of course even though Madmaheswar is actually a longer trek, there are villages en route where we can take rest as well as get some sort of sustenance. Here there was nothing. We had absolutely no idea what we were letting ourselves in for and had not thought of carrying any food with us. All we had was water and a packet of biscuits. On top of which we had decided not to take either a porter or a guide as most people do. We were sure that our belief in God alone would get us to the temple. The only guide we wanted was Sri Rudranath himself!
The trek to Rudranath starts from the village of Sagar. For this one has to go to the town of Gopeshwar and get a jeep from there to Sagar, which is 6 km away. From Sagar to Rudranath is a tough 22 km. trek that has to be done in one day since there are no villages en route where one can take shelter. However we were travelling on the proverbial shoestring and had just invested in modern backpacks with a lot of facilities so we dared to do it without any porter or guide.
An hour after we started we came to a dense forest with absolutely no trails. It was a unusually thick and we just kept climbing without much idea of where we were going. It is one of the most exciting things in the world to walk in a trackless silent forest, with only the steady tramp of our feet and a few birdcalls from here and there. Now and again a fallen tree trunk blocks your way. They look like souls who are prostrating to the divine in absolute surrender. Sometimes golden rods of sunshine fall through the chinks in the canopy above and stroke our faces with love and warmth. I just love that feeling of total dependence on divine providence alone. My poor son and brother were burdened with their backpacks so maybe they didn’t quite have the same feeling as I did.
We had hardly walked a couple of hours when the sky became overcast and rumbling sounds could be heard. Soon it started drizzling and then it came pouring down. Had we been in the open we would have been totally drenched but thanks to the dense canopy above us we didn’t get soaked. We had come with some plastic sheets and raincoats so we covered the packs with the sheets and huddled together under our raincoats. We thought it better to wait till the weather cleared a bit before proceeding. We were also famished after the two-hour walk so the biscuits finished in a trice. Just then it was nothing short of a miracle, but we heard the sound of tramping feet behind us and who should appear but a Squadron Leader of the Indian Air Force accompanied by his team of men who were doing the Panch Kedar trek. Of course they were loaded with food and tents and all types of modern equipments, which made trekking easy. They gave us all encouragement and told us that they would meet us on the plateau, which was an hour away. They had brought packed lunches and we were welcome to join them. My eyes filled with tears when I thought of the grace of God who had sent a whole squadron from the Indian Air Force to help us despite the fact that we were so foolish as to go without any food!
By this time the rain was letting up so we also started trekking with added vigour. When we reached the bugyal or meadow they had already set up a small cooking unit and gave us a welcome cup of tea as soon as we arrived. The view from there was really something. It was truly incredible. The meadow was dotted with wild flowers and down below the valley stretched out with the sides carpeted with tiny flowers. We still had a long way to our destination and we knew that we would have to start walking if we wanted to reach before sunset. So we reluctantly refused their offer of lunch but did take some sandwiches that they had packed and kept ready.
By this time the sun was up so it was a real delight to climb up those grassy slopes with hardly any tracks except those made by goats and shepherds.
Since I was very slow my companions were soon well ahead of me. This was really what I wanted since I love the sense of being all alone on the hillside with only the sounds of the insects, the occasional ripple of streams in the distance and the brilliant sunlight. Suddenly a host of butterflies, which had just come out of their cocoons, rose up before me like a cloud. They were all bright yellow and it almost seemed as if the flowers had suddenly decided that they had enough of being tied down to their stems and wanted to experience the joy of flying in the air! Now and again I would see a clump of wild strawberries, small and bright red, nestling in their cluster of dark green leaves. The sky above was the peculiar intense blue, which is found only in the mountains. Not a cloud marred the sky. I was glad of my sun-hat without which I would certainly had sunstroke. It was wonderful to walk through these ancient trails completely alone, meeting not one human being and best of all not one tourist on a pony!
I knew that my companions would be getting restless so I hurried a little and reached Panar, which was a sort of old deserted encampment. A shepherd was sitting there chewing tobacco while his sheep chewed the grass on the hillside. My brother and son were having an interesting, if a little one-sided conversation with him. They were happy to see me and the shepherd advised us to hurry up since we still had about ten kilometres to reach our destination.
After some time to my joy the clouds arrived and covered the face of the burning sun. Once we had crossed the bugyals the landscape changed to crags and peaks and cliffs and sheer drops. At one place there was a ridge between two high peaks on either side with stones placed in asymmetrical dedication, perhaps as a homage to the ancestors. Now that the sun was setting, the long and purple Himalayan twilight set in. Barren, grey mountains flanked us on either side. The path was rough and rugged, most fitting for yogis. Then suddenly the landscape changed and in the gloaming I saw that the slopes of the mountain were clad in lavender rhododendrons like my clothes.
The long twilight was fading into the darkness of a mountain night and stars were dotting the dark sky when we heard the sound of temple bells in the far distance. My son and brother were getting rather worried at my tardiness. The Air Force had passed us a long while ago. The thought of spending a night on the Himalayan slopes with our inadequate supplies was not a happy thought to them. However luckily for me such thoughts never crossed my mind. In fact to walk through the night without knowing anything about your destination except its name and without knowing if and where we would get a place to rest was something which has always thrilled me to the core. Thank God these rare Himalayan shrines are still untouched by the tourist trade and thus we could not make advance bookings! God was our only guide and I always felt sure that He would provide! But the body has its limitations and I must admit that I was totally exhausted by the time we got to the small arch with a bell in the centre that normally heralded the entrance to all Himalayan shrines.
The night puja was going on. The Squadron Leader and a few of his men were attending it. We went straight in even though my upbringing normally forbade me to enter a temple without having a bath. However I figured that Rudranath would forgive me for having waved such formalities. My feet were getting really frozen, standing on the bare granite floor of the ancient shrine that had no pretences to any embellishments. In fact it was a cave set deep in the rock. The lingam was covered with a silver face, which had quite a fierce aspect. It was only the next morning when the mask was removed that I saw the actual lingam, with Shiva’s face. It was benign and beautiful with half closed eyes.
After the arati we approached the pujari and asked him if he could tell us where we could spend the night. He was a dour, old man and obviously his solitary stay in such a holy spot had not softened him. In fact it had made him rough and rude quite unlike the other priests we had met at the other shrines. He was most unwelcoming and told us that the only accommodation was a shepherd’s hut, which we could use if we liked. Since there was not much option we went there only to be met with a cloud of smoke when we opened the wooden door. We couldn’t make out much in the beginning but as our eyes got accustomed to the smoke we saw that it was a small granite hut with a fire in the middle. It was already crowded with four shepherds who were adding their bit to the general atmosphere with smoke from their beedies (country cigarettes)!
However beggars can’t be choosers so since I was the only woman, they were kind enough to give me a corner in which I laid my sleeping bag and was flanked on the sides by my son and brother. We went out for a small bit of fresh air and our nostrils were assailed by the smell of delicious cooking which was coming from the impromptu kitchen which had been set up by the Squadron. Of course they had their own tents for sleeping. We joined them for a delicious meal. Just imagine the fare that the Lord had provided for us on top of this solitary mountain where we would surely have had to starve had these people not been there. It was very doubtful if the surly pujari would have offered us a meal.
After this we retired to our sleeping quarters. Of course I must admit that due to the bitter cold, the smoke and the bad odour, I didn’t manage to sleep much.
Nandi Devi (7816 meters)
When I went out in the morning all my pains and aches vanished with the breathtaking sight that met my eyes. The soaring peaks of Trishul and Nanda Devi could be seen unbelievably close and the purple rhododendrons could be admired in all their glory. The peaks were touched with gold as the sun slowly rose. Temple bells were ringing so I ran to the shrine to see the Lord’s face without the mask and watched the abhishekam or ritual bath. This time I was all alone with the pujari who didn’t even deign to glance at me. However I was least bothered. My heart was bursting with gratitude for the grace, which had allowed a person like me who was most un-equipped for such things to come and have darshan. Tears streamed down my eyes and all I could do was to fall down in full prostrations and thank Him again and again.
I was sorely tempted to stay a couple of days as we had planned to do and go and see the Surya Kund, Chandra Kund, Tara Kund and Manasa Kund. The Vaitarani River is also here. This is the river that has to be crossed by the departing souls before they enter the next world. So some hardy people do come here to do rites for their departed ancestors. Both my son and brother were very anxious to leave as fast as possible since they didn’t fancy spending another day in the shepherd’s hut and least of all did they fancy having anything to do with the unfriendly pujari. Added to this was the fact that our source of sustenance (the squadron), was leaving for their next destination, which was Tunganath. So I had to comply with their wishes. We took a fond farewell of the peaks and the shrine and started our downward trek.
It was an incredibly long and tiring trek to Mandal where we were told we would find a PWD rest house. The journey took us through rugged tracks and dense forests. We had an occasional glimpse of a flock of deer gambolling in the distance and always the deep silence with the sound of gurgling rivulets somewhere in the distance.
We managed to reach the rest house as the shades of night were falling and fell into the hard beds which seemed soft as down after our experiences of the past few days. It is indeed strange how the body demands its comforts even when the mind is saturated with beauty and abundance.
The return to civilization was a kind of drop from the heights of ecstasy to which we had been taken. I always feel like crying when I reach the plains and my heart yearns to make another trip to the inaccessible peaks of the Himalayas with their unbelievably holy atmosphere. Who were these ancestors of ours who had discovered these spots? How did they reach there and who were the people who continued to keep up the tradition through the centuries and conduct the daily pujas of these lonely shrines is a mystery which has always fascinated me. The comfort of a soft bed and the prospect of a delicious meal were never enough to tempt me to return to a mundane life.
Panch kedar trek
Badrinath & the Valley of Flowers Kuari Pass Khero Valley Chenap Bughyal 7 others...
Nanda Devi Sanctuary Nanda Devi Classic Roopkund and others...
Cradled in the Garhwal Himalaya's ranges are five of Hinduism's most important temples
inspired by the five religious forms of Lord Shiva, known as the Panch Kedar.
The Panch Kedar trek includes all the shrines associated with these legends.
Kedarnath is situated at the head of the Mandakini River,
where the Linga is a natural rock that resembles the hump of a bull.
Madhmaheshwar, at the base of the Chaukhamba Peak, is at the altitude of 3500 m.
The Linga is here worshipped in the form of a navel.
Tungnath, where the arm of Shiva appeared, is the highest temple in Garhwal (3810 m).
500 m above the temple at Tungnath is Chandrashila, with a breathtaking view of the Himalayas.
Rudranath is situated where the face of Shiva is said to have appeared.
There is a natural rock temple in which the Shiva Mukha is worshipped.
Nearby the temple, there are many little lakes like the Surya Kund, Tara Kund and Manas Kund.
Kalpeshwar is situated in the beautiful valley of Urgam.
There is a cave temple and Shiva is worshipped in his matted hair form,
when He tried to flee from the Pandavas at Kedarnath.
Trek route / Best time: June to October / 170 km circuit / 13 days (moderate).
Rishikesh – Kedarnath – Madmaheshwar – Tungnath –Rudranath – Kalpeshwar - Joshimath.
It is a trek through dense forest and lush meadows full of colours,
passing through a few rustic villages steeped in old culture.
... One can also trek to the temples dedicated to Vishnu, the Dhayan Badri and Bansi Narayan ones.
But they are not in this Panch Kedar Circuit. They have more local importance...
Valley of Flowers
|To be continued:|
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From 1 April 2019, landlords of cold homes in England and Wales will have to pay up to £3,500 (inc. VAT) to improve the insulation and / or heating of property before they can rent it out to new tenants or issue a renewal of an existing tenancy agreement.
Specifically, the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulations apply to any privately rented home banded F or G (the bottom two bandings) on an Energy Performance Certificate.
The MEES Regulations requiring landlords of F and G banded homes to make improvements have actually been in place since last year. But it’s only now that the government has introduced the minimum investment requirement of £3,500 – before this, landlords only had to try to meet the standard if grant money was available.
The regulations will be tightened even further next year. As things stand, landlords only have to make improvements to cold homes before new tenants move in or on tenancy renewal/extension. From next year (1 April 2020) landlords will have to make changes to F&G banded homes even where tenants are staying in place.
You can find more guidance around the new regulations on the government website.
Cold homes in the private rented sector
The private rented sector has the largest proportion of the most energy inefficient homes (6.3% are F and G rated properties, compared to around 0.7% of social housing). Nearly half (45.7%) of households living in such properties are in fuel poverty.
Improving the energy efficiency of private rented homes will not only improve comfort and reduce energy bills but will reduce ill health. National Energy Action estimates that 10,000 deaths each year are attributable to living in a cold home, similar to the number of people who die from breast or prostate cancer each year. Moreover, work undertaken by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) highlights that cold-related illnesses from privately rented F and G rated properties costs the NHS £35million per year.
It has not proved easy to tackle this issue, as it is landlords who are responsible for investing in improvement measures, while it is the tenant who benefits from the resulting reductions in fuel bills.
What do the new regulations mean for landlords?
All landlords should ensure that all potential tenants see a full copy of the Energy Performance Certificate before they agree to rent a property. This is a legal requirement and landlords can be, and are, fined for not doing this. The EPC is produced by an expert home energy assessor but there’s no need to get a new Certificate produced every time you re-let the property as the certificates have a validity of ten years. Nonetheless you should think about getting a new EPC produced if you’ve made a significant energy efficiency improvements (a new boiler, insulation, double glazing etc) as a home with a higher EPC rating will be more attractive to tenants.
Certainly, if you have a private rented property currently rated F or G and have made energy efficiency improvements since the EPC was produced, you should get a new certificate, so that you are not affected by the MEES regulations.
Under the MEES regulations, when properties are rated below “E” on the Energy Performance Certificate, landlords will need to invest up to £3,500 inc VAT to get them to the required standard before re-letting them.
Examples of improvement measures include installing floor insulation, low energy lighting, increasing loft insulation, or changing to a more efficient heating systems. The Residential Landlords Association indicates the average cost to improve an F or G rated property to a band E is expected to be around £1,200.
Some homes will need more than £3,500 to bring them up to an E standard. In that case, landlords who can prove they’ve got as far as they can with energy improvements within that cap, can still rent out the property, even with an F or G banding. And there are some other grounds for exemption from the MEES requirements, including for new landlords (in their first six months of operation) and where energy efficiency measures will damage the home or its value.
In these case the landlord will needs to register an official exemption. In most cases the exemption will last for five years. (any F and G banded home listed on the PRS Exemptions Register under the more generous MEES rules in place last year, on the basis of the costs of making improvements, will have to re-register under the new rules by April 2020).
Where possible, Energy Saving Trust advises landlords to go at least to an E standard and not to be bound by the £3,500 limit on investment. The government is likely to increase the minimum standard incrementally from E, to D, then C in the future. Undertaking a single whole house retrofit, tackling insulation, windows and heating system to get a cold property to a D or C standard in one go is likely to be cheaper than a series of upgrades.
We’ve got more advice on improving your property.
What will this mean for tenants?
Landlords must disclose the energy rating of the property when they advertise it, and they must show the full Energy Performance Certificate to potential tenants at a viewing. If the certificate isn’t offered at this stage, tenants should ask the estate agent to supply it.
Tenants should make sure to check the EPC rating before agreeing to rent a home and be cautious if a property is F or G banded.
Tenants already in a rented home, who have never seen, or do not currently have the Energy Performance Certificate, should ask their landlord or managing agent to provide it. If they then discover they are in an F or G banded home, they should speak to their landlord about what steps will be taken to ensure it is improved by April 2020.
If no action is taken to improve an F or G rated home, the Council should be able to help. Under housing health and safety rules they are obliged to help tenants in dangerously cold homes. The council can order landlords to make energy saving improvements. Before going down this road, tenants should discuss the communication the council will have with the landlord. Unfortunately, it is still sometimes possible for landlords to evict tenants who ‘cause problems’ in this situation.
Energy Saving Trust welcomes the new regulations and supports the government in its ambition to raise the standard further to a ‘D’ rating by 2025 and a ‘C’ rating by 2030.
‘D’ by 2025 is already required in Scotland and the Scottish Government is consulting on an additional target of ‘C’ by 2030.
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“Jihad in America,” terror expert Steven Emerson’s revealing documentary on the Islamicist threat inside America, is now available for video release.
Originally aired on PBS, “Jihad in America” takes viewers inside Islamicist terror cell groups associated with mosques in America where eager young Muslims are recruited for holy war against the United States.
Muslim leaders are shown giving speeches about bringing America to its knees through terrorism and making threats to kill citizens.
“Blood must flow,” says Fayiz Azzam of Brooklyn in 1989. “There must be widows, orphans. Hands and limbs must be severed, and limbs and blood must be spread everywhere in order that Allah’s religion stand on its feet!”
In the heartland of America in 1988, another leader recruiting Islamic warriors against the United States proclaims, “O, brothers! After Afghanistan, nothing in the world is impossible for us anymore! There are no superpowers, just mini-powers. What matters is will power that springs from our religious belief!”
While plans for distribution of this powerful video documentary through retail stores are still being made, it is available right now in the WorldNetDaily online store, ShopNetDaily.
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Through his installation and performance art, William Pope.L produces innovative interventions, often tackling topics of race and inequality within communities and public spaces. In conjunction with Blues for Smoke, Pope.L will stage a performance and hands-on project that invites visitors to explore the definitions surrounding the blues, and ask how the blues “aesthetic” has migrated over place and time. In collaboration with guitarists Richard Robinson, Kenny Wessel, and Nir Felder, Pope.L invites visitors to “bury the blues” by probing the transformation of this category through music, art, language, and geography.
The My Turn public programs series expands the definition of the museum program by inviting a guest artist to interpret an exhibition or another artist’s work.
This event is free with Museum admission, which is pay-what-you-wish on Fridays, 6–9 pm. There are no special tickets or reservations.
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'Crime Against Humanity': Poisonous Gas Flaring on the Rise
'Gas flares go on because it is cheap to kill, as long as profits keep on the rise,' says Nnimmo Bassey
The Global Gas Flaring Reduction (GGFR), led by the World Bank, on Wednesday urged oil producing companies and countries to reduce flaring of natural gas associated with oil production by 30 percent by 2017.
The BBC reported that the group agreed "to press oil firms" to reduce the flaring, or burning of natural gas at oil production sites where gas at the surface cannot be brought to consumers. The enviromental group Friends of the Earth, however, says the practice should be banned altogether.
Nnimmo Bassey, director of Lagos-based Environmental Rights Action and chair of Friends of the Earth International, told the Guardian, "Gas flares are nothing short of crimes against humanity. They roast the skies, kill crops and poison the air. These gas stacks pump up greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, impacting the climate, placing everyone at risk. Gas flares go on because it is cheap to kill, as long as profits keep on the rise."
The GGFR said the reduction would reduce the amount of C02 emissions as much as taking 60 million cars off the road, according to a release from the organization.
New estimates indicate that gas flaring in 20 of the world's leading oil-producing countries contributes as much to climate change as a major economy like Italy, the Guardian reports.
The US, ranked fifth for highest volume in the world's gas flaring league table, increased the amount it flared by nearly 50% in 2010-2011 and has nearly tripled the amount it flares in the last five years largely because of shale oil developments in places like North Dakota, according to the Guardian.
Rachel Kyte, vice president for sustainable development for the World Bank, said the goal is realistic.
"Given the need for energy in so many countries—one in five people on the planet are without electricity—we need to raise our ambition," Kyte said in a statement during a global forum hosted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. "We simply cannot afford to waste this gas anymore."
Gas flaring allows for the disposal of natural gas in petroleum producing areas where there is no infrastructure to make use of the gas. However, it wastes energy and adds carbon emissions to the atmosphere, according to the National Geophysical Data Center.
Since a global standard for flaring was established and partners began sharing best practices and identifying and supporting gas utilization projects, gas flaring has been reduced by 275 million tons of C02 emissions, or 20 percent, according to the GGFR. But representattives at the forum agreed to "deepen their collaboration" to further reduce collaboration and focus on helping countries develop gas infrastructure and markets as a way of expanding access to cleaner electricity and cooking fuels.
Still, Roger Harrabin of the BBC reported World Bank statistics that estimate $50 billion in fuel is wasted in gas flaring every year — 140 billion cubic meters of gas or a third of the annual gas consumption of the European Union.
The World Bank says there have been substantial improvements, with a 40% cut in flaring volume in Russia, and a 29% reduction in Nigeria.
In July, the BBC reported that The USA, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela are the main contributors to this increase. These countries need to step up their efforts in associated gas utilization. The same applies to Iraq.
Most of the increased flaring in the USA comes from North Dakota, where there has been an important increase in activity related to shale oil and gas production.
Russia still tops the world's flaring countries, followed by Nigeria, Iran and Iraq. The USA is now the fifth flaring country in the world, with some 7.1 bcm of gas flared in 2011.
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When you think “Colorado,” you probably don’t envision deep canyons, historical forts and vast expanses of grassy plains. The Eastern Plains isn’t just Colorado’s least populated region—it’s also its most atypical, and under-visited. While others zoom past, headed for snow and mountains, those who linger in the Eastern Plains find plenty of history and Old West culture, whispering amid the long grasses. Small towns and historical sites dot the region, retaining a pioneer spirit and the quiet solitude of uninterrupted horizons. Two classic trails cross the region, the Sante Fe Historical Trail and the infamous Pony Express, feeding the Wild West fantasies of travelers. Historical sites like Bent’s Old Fort and Sandy Creek reveal more of yesterday’s lore, while wildlife refuges and parks get you connected back to nature. The well-preserved Pawnee National Grassland evokes the images settlers saw as they crossed the Eastern Plains so long ago. No wonder they stopped to linger in the Eastern Plains.
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Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) homepage
A membership organization comprised of more than 730 colleges and universities, AAC&U works to strengthen, advance, and articulate the aims of a 21st century liberal education. Its “Diversity Works” initiative draws on AAC&U’s quarter century of experience in advancing educational equity for all students.
A quarterly newsletter published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and designed to enable campus practitioners to facilitate a diversity agenda. Provides information about successful diversity initiatives around the country.
“Diversity Web: An Interactive Resource Hub for Higher Education”
Developed by the Association of American Colleges & Universities and the University of Maryland, this site includes recommended resources, discussion forums, and institution profiles.
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As part of the United States military, individual Air National Guard members are expected to maintain certain levels of physical requirements. The Air National Guard is a reserve component of the U. S. Air Force. There are a number of physical requirements ranging from physical fitness to body weight and composition that each member must meet.
Men and women between the ages of 17 and 34 can enlist in the Air National Guard. Students who are at least 17 years old and in their senior year of high school can enlist. All enlistees must complete basic military training. At the age of 18, the Air National Guard requires that all enlistees have graduated from high school. The only disqualifiers from service in the Air National Guard are major medical conditions, outstanding criminal history or falling outside of the U. S. Air Force's height and weight requirements.
Height and Weight Requirements
Prior to 2004, the Air National Guard used the U. S. Air Force's height and weight requirements to determine if an enlistee was underweight or overweight. The requirements provided a list of weight ranges paired with gender and height. Enlistees were expected to fall within the weight range for their height. Starting in 2004, the height and weight requirements were revised to a body mass index (BMI) scale. Enlistees are required to have a BMI between 19 and 27.5.
Enlistees that do not fall within the required BMI range fall into two groups. If an enlistee is underweight, she will require a medical waiver in order to enlist in the Air National Guard. Overweight enlistees will be tested for overall body fat percentage. Under 30 years of age, men are required to have less than a 20 percent body fat percentage and women are required to have less than a 28 percent body fat percentage. Over 30 years of age, men are required to have less than a 24 percent body fat percentage and women are required to have less than a 32 percent body fat percentage.
Physical Fitness Test
Once Air National Guard enlistees reach basic military training, they have to successfully complete a physical fitness test prior to graduation from training. The minimum test scores are revised annually by the U. S. Air Force. The Air National Guard test consists of performing the set number of push-ups in one minute and sit-ups in one minute, and then a 1.5 mile run for a set time. For example, men must perform a minimum of 45 push-ups and 50 sit-ups, and complete a 1.5 mile run in less than 11 minutes 57 seconds in 2009.
During basic military training and during a service member's career in the Air National Guard, he will be required to participate in physical training (PT). This training consists of exercises designed to improve the overall fitness of the service member. This training may take the form of calisthenics, a long hike, running, weight lifting and sometimes a sporting event like flag football.
- Photo Credit DVIDSHUB: flickr.com
Weight Requirements for the Army National Guard
Army National Guard soldiers normally only serve one weekend a month and two weeks a year. Despite this part-time status, these soldiers...
PT Requirements for the National Guard
National Guard soldiers are required to take a physical fitness test at least biannually that measures their muscular endurance and cardiovascular health....
Air National Guard Officer Training
Earning a commission in the Air National Guard (ANG) can be the perfect opportunity for those with the desire to serve in...
Air National Guard Pay & Benefits
The Air National Guard is one of several units of the United States military. Air National Guardsmen are only called up occasionally,...
National Guard Reserve Requirements
As the oldest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, the National Guard is more than 370 years old and has its roots...
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CC-MAIN-2017-04
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When Steve Adkins arrived at the Essex Yacht Club last Sunday for the start of frostbite sailing on the Connecticut River, the air temperature was 22 degrees and there was snow on the ground. Ice covered most of Middle Cove, and the committee boat, a gray barge named "Fair and Square," was edged in white.
But the river was ice-free, meaning sailing could finally begin. "It's called frostbiting for a reason," said Adkins, commodore of the Essex Frostbite Yacht Club, rubbing his hands together in the cold.
Essex has four yacht clubs but none quite like the Frostbite Yacht Club, whose burgee or flag is a polar bear. The club, which operates out of Essex Yacht Club, is one of the oldest frostbite clubs in the nation, dating to 1933. Members head every Sunday in spring and fall for dinghy races on the lower river, sometimes dodging ice floes, and uprooted trees brought down by the freshet.
The prolonged cold this year, leaving the river locked in ice, delayed sailing for nearly a month. The first regatta was held Sunday, March 29. Some two dozen boats competed, 13-foot Lasers, and JY-15s, centerboard dinghies with one and two-person crews.
The bigger keelboats, 18-foot Ideals, and 28-foot Etchells, would not race this time because the heavy ice had delayed the installation of docks. "A week ago, the committee boat was still frozen in," said Adkins. "We're about a month behind schedule."
Still, it was a glorious first day, with cloudless skies and the broad river estuary dotted with white sails.
Kevin Gillman, of Madison, had the best over score out of six races in the Laser Class, despite taking a dip in the frigid water during an early race. Meanwhile, Prescott Littlefield, sailing instructor at UConn's Avery Point Campus, took honors in the JY-15 class.
Three "crash" boats were on hand to pluck sailors from the icy river; frostbite sailors wear dry and wetsuits over layers of wool and fleece to protect them from the numbing cold. Capsized boats are usually quickly righted, allowing sailors to continue the competition.
"It's very intense sailing," said Leighton Lee, 70, of Old Saybrook, puffing on a cigar before the race. "I think that's the appeal. All the boats are the same, so no one has an advantage. It's a test of skill and tactics." Lee sails a 16-foot M-Scow, which wasn't competing Sunday. "I'm just going to have some fun today," he added. "It's something to do."
On the water, a brisk northwest wind was blowing 8 to 12 knots in the wide stretch between Essex and Nott Island off Lyme, where races are held. It was sunny but cold, the air temperature about the same as the water -- 38 degrees. The current was running 8-knots.
"This is one big heat sink," said Bob Leary, at the helm of a 17-foot Boston Whaler, referring to the expanse of chilly river water. "It's a lot colder out here."
Leary was helping to set the buoys or "marks" for the mile-long course, which Adkins described as a "lopsided triangle." The first leg was to windward, followed by a short reach and then a downwind run to the leeward mark. Rounding the last buoy, sailors make a final beat upwind to the finish line, marked by the committee boat, Fair and Square, anchored in the channel. The starting line was on the port side of the committee boat, while the finish was on the starboard side.
Aboard Fair and Square, during the race it seemed like chaos, with horns announcing various starts, and signal flags hoisted and lowered. Eight committee members with clip boards kept track of results. "It's like an aircraft carrier with everything going on," said Adkins. "It's kind of controlled bedlam."
Likewise, a regatta at times appears as a confusion of boats, then suddenly a ballet of white sails in synchrony. The biggest challenge is the wind. Breezes are notoriously fickle on the Connecticut River, with sudden shifts and puffs and pockets of surprising calm. Sailors aim for the dark patches of feathered water, indicating wind. "Where did the wind go?" is a question you hear a lot in Essex.
"The wind can shift as much as 20 degrees on the river," Adkins said. "It funnels down between the hills, and is very variable. In a race you can say, 'we winning, we losing, we winning, no were losing. That's what tactics are all about. It's not over until it's over."
The same challenges were faced 82 years ago in 1933, when the first frostbite fleet gathered on the river in Essex in March for a spirited competition off the Steamboat Dock. The regatta boasted New England's leading yachtsmen, including Walter Rowe, and Sam Wetherill, both of Essex, who also raced at Larchmont.
Frostbiting as a sport is said to have got its start the previous year -- a demonstration of resolve in the face of the Great Depression, when fortunes were wiped out and stockbrokers were leaping out of tall buildings.
The nation was plunged in gloom, but a few hardy yachtsmen at Port Washington's Knickerbocker Yacht Club, on Manhasset Bay, determined to put a brave face on it. They challenged their fellow sailors to a dinghy regatta on New Year's Day.
The race took place in a snow storm with sleet and rain. Describing the celebrated event, a yachting correspondent wrote, "The idea of Frostbite Regatta is to prove that some people are crazier than others, and those who are craziest of all sail races in 11-foot boats in the middle of snowstorms – and enjoy it."
That same spirit persists today on the river in Essex. Despite his unscheduled swim, Kevin Gillman said it was a thrill to be sailing again after a long winter. "One day out on the water and it all goes away," he said. "Winter is over."
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Every so often a “new” herb intended for medicinal use enters the market. It’s usually cloaked in the romantic musings of its benefits and further mystified by its origins in a far-off land. If you keep up with obscure new offerings, you may have run across the name of an herb called rhodiola, or heard of it advertised as golden root or roseroot. Much of the current romance on the herb dribbles down to us from its use in the former Soviet Union, where in their search for adaptogens (a fancy word for tonic) in the 1960s to 1980s, extensive research was conducted on the plant. Their preparations from the root were given in response to stress or as a mild stimulant. Like so many herbs before it, it first entered the American market through multilevel marketing channels, then others began selling the herb, the hype and mystery grew, and we get a new name such as golden root. The questions begin to mount. What is this herb, really? Where does it come from? Has it ever been used before? And finally, is there any scientific evidence to justify the claims? These are the questions that came into my mind when I first heard about this herb. Here is what I discovered.
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CC-MAIN-2017-04
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http://www.motherearthliving.com/Health-and-Wellness/Herbs-for-Health-Finding-a-new-friend-in-an-old-herb-Rhodiola-rosea
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Auditory deprivation during the development of the nervous system can induce numerous perceptual deficits, as well as impeded speech and language acquisition. To understand the perceptual deficits in the deprived auditory system, past studies focused primarily on determining the sensitivity of single neuron responses to acoustic stimuli in a passive or anesthetized preparation. While these neurophysiological studies have firmly established impairment of encoding of sensory stimuli as a characteristic deficit in hearing loss (HL) populations, a quantitative relationship between sensory encoding and perceptual outcome is absent. This proposal seeks to establish a direct relationship between neural encoding and perceptual performance in populations with developmental (HL). Another undetermined component of auditory processing in previous studies of hearing loss is the contribution of non-sensory processes (e.g. attention, decision-making) present during behavior that act to enhance sensory coding properties. It has been established that auditory cortex neurons become more sensitive to acoustic stimuli during task performance, however it is unknown if this process is disrupted in the case of HL. Using an awake-behaving preparation, behaviorally driven changes to auditory response properties in both normal and HL populations will be assessed. The primary goal of this proposal is to determine the relationship between neural responses and behavioral output on a trial by trial basis in HL populations. The secondary goal of this proposal is to quantify behaviorally driven changes in stimulus processing in a control population and make a direct comparison in a HL population.
Sensory deprivation can have profound and long lasting effects on the developing central nervous system, for individuals with prolonged hearing loss this includes both cognitive and perceptual deficits. This project is aimed at understanding the neural basis of perceptual deficits displayed in individuals with prolonged hearing loss. This relationship will be quantified by concurrently assessing neural responses and animal behavior during a perceptual task, thus allowing the additional measurement of task-related (e.g. decision making, attention) contributions to sensory processing.
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CC-MAIN-2017-04
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http://grantome.com/grant/NIH/F31-DC013502-01A1
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Months after Apple’s App Store introduced privacy labels for apps, Google announced that its own mobile app marketplace, Google Play, will follow suit. The company announced plans to introduce a new security section on Google Play, to be implemented next year, which will require developers to share what kind of data their apps collect, how it is stored and how it is used.
For example, developers will have to share what kind of personal information their apps collect, such as users’ names or emails, and whether they collect information from the phone, such as the user’s precise location, media files or contacts. Apps will also have to explain how it uses that information, for example, to improve functionality or for personalization purposes.
Developers that already adhere to specific security and privacy practices will also be able to highlight that in their app listing. On this front, Google says it will add new items detailing whether the app uses security practices such as data encryption; whether the app follows Google’s family policy, related to child safety; whether the app’s security section was verified by an independent third party; whether the app requires data to function or allows users to choose whether or not to share data; and whether the developer agrees to delete user data when one uninstalls the app in question.
Apps will also be required to provide their privacy policies. While clearly inspired by Apple’s tags, there are several key differences. Apple’s tags focus on what data is collected for tracking purposes and what is tied to the end user. Google’s additions seem to have more to do with whether or not the data being collected can be trusted to be handled responsibly, by allowing the developer to show whether or not it follows best practices in data security, for example. It also gives the developer a way to make a case for why they are collecting data directly on the listing page.
Another interesting addition is that Google will allow app data tags to be independently verified. Assuming these verifications are handled by trusted names, they could help convey to users that the disclosures are not lies. One of the early criticisms of Apple’s privacy labels was that many provided inaccurate information and also got away with it.
Google says the new features won’t roll out until the second quarter of 2022, but wanted to announce them now to give developers enough time to prepare. Of course, there’s a lot of irony in a Google app privacy announcement.
The company was one of the longest holdouts to issue privacy labels for its own iOS apps as it rushed to review content and label disclosures. After initially claiming that its labels would be released “soon,” many of Google’s top apps entered an extended period in which they received no updates because they did not comply with App Store policies.
Google took months after the deadline to provide labels for its major apps. And when it did, critics, such as privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo, scoffed at the amount of data collected by apps like Chrome and Google.
Google’s plan to add a security section of its own to Google Play gives it a chance to change the narrative a bit. It’s not necessarily a privacy push and it’s not even called privacy labels. The changes seem designed to allow app developers to better explain whether their app can be trusted with your data, rather than setting the expectation that the app shouldn’t collect data in the first place.
It remains to be seen how well this will resonate with consumers. Apple made a strong case that it is a company that compares user privacy and is adding features that put users in control of their data. It’s a tough argument to fight, especially in an era that saw too many data breaches to count, careless handling of privacy by tech giants, widespread government spying and a creepy ad tech industry that grew to feel entitled to undisclosed user data collection.
Google says that when the changes are implemented, non-compliant apps will be required to correct their violations or be subject to policy enforcement. It did not yet detail how that process will be handled, or whether it will halt app updates for those that are violators.
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CC-MAIN-2022-33
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https://www.interactivity.la/en/2021/05/12/following-the-launch-of-apples-privacy-stickers-google-added-a-security-section-on-google-play/
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Ads recently went up in Delhi Metro stations urging young lovers to reject Valentine’s Day and instead devote February 14 to celebrating their parents. To get the point across, the ads show dutiful children kneeling before their parents as well as another, slightly less loving, picture of a couple being “punished” by the police.
The ad is apparently inspired by Asaram Bapu, whose graceful face looms above, like a judgemental spectre, all the more weird because he is currently in jail in connection with the alleged rape of a minor. This is a perfect encapsulation of the way in which South Asia greets Valentine’s Day: That is, with slight confusion.
On the one hand, young couples choosing their own matches and celebrating their love in public are still seen as transgressive in the more conservative (and I think bitter) portions of society. For societies like those in South Asia that place so huge a premium on weddings (but curiously not on marriage) that they form month-long festivities and can cost millions, it seems natural that a day that celebrates coupling should be the biggest holiday of the year. But this isn’t the case. Younger people in India are getting comfortable declaring coupledom in public. The one takeaway I had from the time I lived in Mumbai was seeing a long line of couples on Marine Drive gazing out at the ocean as their lips interlocked in hormonal abandon.
So why then is there still something against Valentine’s Day? One of the more popular arguments is that it is a Western imposition against the value systems indigenous to South Asia. That never really made sense since we are postcolonial and no matter what people say, shops will start selling red hearts and obese teddy bears come February. In Pakistan, Valentine’s Day has become an increasingly festive time, which may surprise you as much as it does us. But I speak the truth: Shops begin dripping with red balloons and pillows shaped like lips embroidered with phrases like “I Wuv You”, restaurants begin to advertise their pre-fix menus adorned with cupids for Valentine’s Night several weeks before V Day, flower shops go on steroids, and event managers, who I personally think are second only to heads of state in terms of their social capital in the 21st century, are knee-deep in preparations for “Valentine’s Night Balls”.
Much like in India, there will inevitably be a loveless man going on about how un-Islamic the whole thing is but the fact is Valentine’s Day is now a global event and, more importantly, big business. That it has not always been so in our parts doesn’t really matter. Neither was spandex, but you get used to things. The fete is as much a part of global culture as New Year’s Eve.
This decade has brought on lots of awareness of cultural appropriation. What is authentic, what is imported, what is real, what is not. Last week, there was an international furore over Coldplay’s music video set in India. It, too, was accused of cultural appropriation and insensitivity by trigger-happy liberals in the West and even some in India. The video, in case you haven’t seen, has images of Holi and orange skies reflected in temple pools while Beyoncé occasionally appears merrily dancing in a choli. It’s not offensive. It exoticised India, of course, but no more so than The Darjeeling Limited and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel or, indeed, Indian tourism campaigns themselves. If you feel bad about it, don’t. You have it easy.
Consider what Pakistanis have to put up with by comparison: Zero Dark Thirty and racist Homeland episodes where we all apparently speak Arabic. (Sad thing is, I really liked Claire Danes before this.) A dancing Beyoncé does not seem so bad anymore, does it? Also, that a black woman was playing a Bollywood dancer is far more thought-provoking than offensive in a place that believes fair equals lovely.
The video also showed some desi kids breakdancing, a dance pioneered by African Americans in urban cities in the States but that bit escaped accusatory op-eds. Cultures can, should and do borrow from each other to grow. This is a good thing. Be it breakdancing or yoga or Valentine’s Day.
So, go ahead, tell them — your parents, your friends, your special someone — that you love them. Do it not because of a holiday based on a martyred Christian saint and propagated by the greeting card industry but because love exists in all our cultures and a celebration of that is never a bad thing. God knows Bollywood keeps going on about it.
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CC-MAIN-2017-04
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http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/valentines-day-pakistan-india-ours-confusingly/
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en
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If hot air always goes up and cool air comes down, why is it not hot on Mount Everest?
Why does the divisibility test of 3 not work for 4?
While travelling in a car, we can feel the air coming in from all the windows. Why doesn’t the car blow up like a balloon then?
If you find such questions interesting, Ogale Learning Centre is the right place for you!
We believe that learning science is learning to think!
In fact, thinking in a logical and rational way helps us to be on the right path at every stage of life. Otherwise we are likely to end up confused and frustrated.
Teaching bright students is our passion. Our aim is to make them think and strengthen their understanding of fundamental concepts in science. Our expertise is teaching for Homi Bhabha Bal Vaidnyanik Exam.
For interested young science students, we have:
Students who ask too many questions and never find textbook explanations satisfactory – are perfectly welcome!! We try to solve all doubts up to our capacity. Even if you are not our class students.
Call / Whatsapp:
Rahul Ogale: 9892013836 /
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https://ogalelearning.com/
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In his Turning Point Daily Devotional for June 21, 2005, David Jeremiah points out that sin always has unintended consequences. Take the Seattle man, for example, who tried to steal gasoline from a motor home. Attaching a siphoning hose to the vehicle, he started to work; but police found him shortly afterward writhing in agony in the street. Seems he had attached the hose, not to the gasoline tank, but to the motor home’s sewage tank! The owner declined to press charges; he was too busy laughing.
Facing the consequences of our sins, however, is no laughing matter.
It’s impossible to get away with sin; but it’s also impossible to get away from God’s love. Remain close to Him, trust His forgiveness, and keep the sewage of sin out of your soul.
View more sermon illustrations for inspiration for your next message.
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Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books
No.309 'Ziemia Czerwienska' Squadron was a Polish manned squadron formed as an army co-operation unit, but that became first a tactical reconnaissance unit and then a fighter squadron.
The squadron was formed on 8 October 1940 to work alongside the Polish Army, then forming in Britain after escaping from France. The squadron was equipped with Lysanders for this role, and retained them until March 1943.
A second, more active role, was added during 1942. In July the squadron was issued with a number of Mustangs, and in December these aircraft began to fly tactical reconnaissance missions over France, while the rest of the squadron continued in its army co-operation role.
In March 1943 the Lysanders went, and the squadron was fully equipped with the Mustang. In June the squadron moved to East Anglia, from where it flew shipping reconnaissance off the Low Countries.
By the start of 1944 the Mustang I's engines were beginning to cause problems, and the squadron converted to the Hurricane, soon after moving to Scotland to provide defensive cover.
Merlin-powered Mustang IIIs and Mustang IVs arrived in October 1944 and the squadron returned to East Anglia, this time to escort bombers operating over German occupied territory. As with many Polish manned squadrons, No.309 survived 1946 but was disbanded on 6 January 1947
November 1940-March 1943: Westland Lysander III and IIIA
July 1942-February 1944: North American Mustang I and IA
February-April 1944: Hawker Hurricane IV
April-October 1944: Hawker Hurricane IIC
October 1944-January 1947: North American Mustang III and IV
October-November 1940: Abbotsinch
November 1940-May 1941: Renfrew
May 1941-November 1942: Dunino
November 1942-March 1943: Findo Gask
March-June 1943: Kirknewton
June-November 1943: Snailwell
November 1943: Wellingore
November 1943-April 1944: Snailwell
April-November 1944: Drem
November-December 1944: Peterhead
December 1944-August 1945: Andrews FIeld
August-October 1945: Coltishall
October-November 1945: Bradwell Bay
November 1945-January 1947: Coltishall
Squadron Codes: AR (Mustang I), WC (Hurricane IIC and Mustang III, IV)
1940-1942: Army co-operation
1942-1943: Army co-operation and tactical reconnaissance
1943-1944: Shipping reconnaissance
1944: Defensive fighter cover, Scotland
1944-1945: Bomber escort
6 June 1944: No.13 Group; Air Defence of Great Britain; Allied Expeditionary Air Force
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CC-MAIN-2022-33
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http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/309_wwII.html
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- Patient Info
- Referral to the Breast Clinic
- Breast Reconstruction
- Breast Cancer Surgery
- Patient Information Library
This term is generally used to describe removal of a breast lump without the removal of extra breast tissue surrounding the lump. This operation is commonly performed when the lump is benign or indeterminate.
Removal of a cancerous breast lump with a cuff of normal tissue around it. The term “wide local” excision is also used to describe this type of surgery. Most patients having breast conserving surgery have some form of axillary procedure at the same time. The term breast conserving surgery includes a wide range of procedures from simple removal of the tumour with a cuff of normal tissue to larger procedures such as “therapeutic mammoplasty”.
This procedure is a specialist interest of Mr Davies and involves using a cosmetic breast procedure – a breast reduction – to treat breast cancer. This allows large volumes of tissue to be removed, gives wide margins of excision of the cancer itself, immediate symmetry with smaller more manageable breasts and perhaps less side effects from other follow on treatments for cancer such as radiotherapy.
This removal of the breast and nipple alone
Removal of the breast and nipple through a cosmetic incision around the nipple preserving most the breast skin. This operation is commonly combined with immediate breast reconstruction.
See separate section on sentinel node biopsy. recent research trials have suggested than in certain patients with a positive sentinel node is may not be of benefit to go on to have further surgery to remove further axillary nodes.
This decision is made at a multidisciplinary meeting and depends on how much cancer is present in the sentinel node. The deposit can be measured as a "micrometastasis" which is a group of cancer cells measuring less than 2mm in diameter, or a "macrometastasis" which is greater than 2mm. If the sentinel node contains a micrometastasis, then no further surgery will be recommended.
In most but not all cases with a macrometastasis, further surgery – a "clearance" of the axillary lymph nodes – is recommended. In this situation most, but not all of the lymph nodes may be removed - this is now termed a "Targetted Axillary Dissection" which will mean extra precautions to prevent lymphedema in the future will be necessary. View research article
The term axillary clearance (Level II or III) or axillary dissection broadly mean the same thing, that is removal of most of the axillary lymph glands. This is in contrast to sentinel node biopsy, which is an assessment of only one or two axillary lymph glands. Axillary clearance is performed following sentinel node biopsy if it is positive, or initially if the lymph glands are likely to contain cancer cells (e.g. large tumour in the breast).
At the Cromwell Hospital we offer the very latest surgical techniques and Saviscout Coils are a good example of this. These tiny marker coils allow precision cancer surgery to be performed with accuracy to within 1mm in real time. Watch the video to find out more
This term is used describe reconstruction of the breast mound. This can be performed to reconstruct defects following breast conserving surgery, immediately at the time of total mastectomy, or at a later date (delayed reconstruction). There are many ways of performing breast reconstruction.
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<urn:uuid:242d8409-434f-49fb-ad0c-9821101ea3e9>
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CC-MAIN-2022-33
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https://www.thebreastclinic.co.uk/types-surgery
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en
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Even though there are plenty of kinds of magnetic flow meters available in the market today for gauging liquid flow rates, they all have the same function. And that is according to the radical principles of Faraday’s law, dictating the connection between a moving conductor and the electromotive force it makes within a magnetic field.
However, in spite of their similarities and resemblance, some magnetic flow meters are, for the most part, best applied to particular tasks than others. Therefore, proper application and, most especially, flow meter selection are both crucial matters in a fluid measurement task.
Issues of ease of use, reliability, accuracy, and cost are some of the critical factors included in selecting a flow meter. For more information about magnetic flow meter technologies, read on!
Capacity and Size Factors
The substantial characteristics and features of a magnetic flow meter, specifically in size, influence its processing capabilities and how it can effectively manage the velocity range. Most magnetic flow meters have or possess a meter size of approximately 15 to 200 millimeters (0.6 to 7.9 inches) and a velocity range of roughly 0.3 to 10 meters per second (.98 and 32.feet per second).
The bigger the size of the flow meter and the higher its velocity capability, the greater the flow rate it can, for the most part, gauge. Some electromagnetic flow meters can, more often than not, dispense measurements of velocities below the normal range. However, the preciseness downgrades to some degree.
Similarly, having flow meters deal with velocities higher than 5 meters per second (16 feet per second) escalates the risk of pipe damage and deterioration. Electromagnetic flow meters can be, for the most part, very effective for applications including corrosive conditions and for gauging or calculating the flow rate of harmful materials, for example, slurries or abrasives.
Moreover, magnetic flow meters, such as Smart Measurement Magnetic Flow Meters, are generally used in gauging pulp or paper stock, and the pipe networks and low flow rates with somewhat short inside diameters. A lot of electromagnetic flow meters boost their performance by swapping between two different range capabilities, enabling them to reset their features according to the adjustments in the operating conditions.
Piping System Design
Circular designs are, for the most part, common in most piping systems as they provide a relatively simple and straightforward construction configuration. Electromagnetic flow meters are, believe it or not, more applied easily to a circular pipe network compared to a rectangular pipe network, and typically offer more productive measurements.
Although fluid velocity is normally unaffected or shows no effects and changes by the pipe conformity in this kind of network, the circular configuration can, more often than not, pull or twist the magnetic field out of shape, calling a need for recalibration.
Furthermore, in straight piping configurations, the downstream and upstream requirements are, for the most part, different for each kind of flow meter. In many instances, the straight design of a pipe needs to have a particular distance from the flow meter face and the electrodes in both downstream and upstream flow. Also, the electromagnetic coils can be arranged in a flow meter to lessen piping effects throughout the magnetic field distribution.
Electromagnetic flow meters can be utilized to gauge or calculate flow rates for explosive or combustible liquids, usually under peril conditions and environments. Such environments require explosion-resistant flow meter as the safety parameters, and design specification is regulated or managed by presiding authorities.
Remote controls might be, more often than not, utilized to boost flow meter reliability in peril conditions, and important controls are available as well. Some electromagnetic flow meters are furnished with a dividing housing that splits field wiring away from electronic circuitry.
Pros and Cons
There are plenty of benefits to using magnetic flow meters to carry out fluid flow measurements. They commonly have no moving components and non-invasive, minimizing the frequency of repairs and risk of breakdowns. Here are some of the advantages provided by electromagnetic flow meters:
- Magnetic flow meters can calculate multidirectional flow.
- Magnetic flow meters can calculate both very high and very low volume flow rates, with a maximum volume of at least 10 cubic feet and a minimum diameter of approximately 0.125 inches.
- Small quantities of electrode metals are required.
- Magnetic flow meters are able to deal with various kinds of bases and acids, as well as water-based solutions.
- Magnetic flows are mechanically obstruction-less.
- Magnetic flows use low electrical power.
In spite of these advantages, electromagnetic flow meters also showcase certain disadvantages in terms of flow rate measurement. Magnetic flow meters are only, like it or not, effective and productive on conductive fluids, and gases and unmixed hydrocarbons can’t be calculated. Also, hydrodynamic effects can change the flow pattern and distort the velocity rate that can impede with the operations.
Magnetic flow meters can be, for the most part, heavy, depending on their capacity and size. Also, those with higher abrasion and corrosion resistance can be, believe it or not, expensive. Keep in mind, to ensure well-grounded performance, consider velocity and size limits.
Author’s bio: Sylvia Hopkins is a writer and a blogger who specializes in email marketing campaigns and ghost blogging. She writes about flow measurement instrumentation, flow measurement application, and technology. When not working, Sylvia spends some quality time with her family and friends.
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-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Booker T. Washington on the Race Baiting of Barack Obama, Jessie Jackson, and Al Sharpton
"There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs-partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs."
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Last year at VMworld, there was this news story from VMware that was so refreshing. It concerned a new effort called Project Octopus. It had all the markings of a modern service — the kind so rare in enterprise circles. Even the name sounded cool.
Today Project Octopus is now Horizon Data – a service that is being called a corporate Dropbox. And fittingly, it has a corporate name.
Project Octopus was promised to be an enterprise cloud file sharing application. What’s noteworthy is to look at the service in context with what VMware CTO Steve Herrod discussed this morning about working in a world where we use services that have to work across the iPhones, iPads and smartphones that we carry.
It’s why I like the Project Octopus name. It’s fitting to this multiple device world. Sometimes it feels like you need eight arms to manage all the devices we use. Horizon is fine but Octopus tells me far more about this world that we work in.
The service is promised to provide anywhere access to files from any device. Users can share and collaborate on their files with anyone inside or outside the company.
But the promise does not necessarily fit with reality. Julia Mak, who works for Oxygen Cloud, made the point to me on Twitter today that Octopus was in beta and now Horizon Data is in alpha. It is taking time to get it right. In a demo this morning, the presenter warned the audience that the code was in “alpha” stage. Oxygen Cloud is a partner with EMC, providing a storage service that accesses content from anywhere by connecting to a customer’s private storage system.
The difficulty shows the complexity that comes when developing services that are meant to work across many platforms and secure environments.
Herrod called Dropbox an insecure file sharing service. But here’s the thing. You can scoff at Dropbox all you want but people still love the service for its elegance and simplicity. It’s robust, able to manage millions of users.
Security is essential. But without the consumer services, there would have never been a Project Octopus in the first place.
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Babbling About Keynes, Part I
Keynesian spending policy is one of the most misunderstood areas of economics. I do not consider myself a Keynesian and my own views are probably closer to the Monetarism and the Chicago School of Economics. All the same, I do believe it’s important to understand the actual logic Keynes employed.
Keynes provided more insight into economics, than virtually any other 20th Century economist. However, I do not believe one has to agree with Keynes' prescriptions to understand the premise behind them.
Keynesian Policy During a Bust Cycle
Let’s start off with the part that most people understand. Keynes advocated increased government spending and deficits during an economic bust where deflationary pressures are present. A banking crisis would be the prototypical example.
In a banking crisis, there is an abnormally low supply of money flowing in the economy. This is a result of credit contraction, as banks must shore up their balance sheets and cannot lend out to others. This creates deflationary pressures in the economy, which then harm investment, and create high unemployment.
Keynes advocated using fiscal policy to solve this dilemma. This could be in the form of increased government spending or could also come in the form of lower taxes. Keynes might have even advocated both during a particularly brutal recession/depression. Both measures would pump money back into the economy, stimulate private investment, and help drive down unemployment under Keynesian reasoning.
This differs from classical liberal thought which suggests that the market can fix the problem on its own over time. There are of course drawbacks to Keynes approach; the most notable of which is that advocating heavy deficit spending could lead to sovereign debt issues down the line.
Keynesian Policy During a Boom Cycle
While many people understand Keynesian policy during bust cycles, its Keynesian policy during boom cycles that is particularly misunderstood. If money supply is too low during an economic bust and fiscal policy is needed to pump more money into the economy, then it stands to reason that the exact opposite would be necessary in a boom cycle.
Under Keynesian theory, a boom cycle would likely result from excess debt (i.e. money) in the economy, which artificially increases the price of assets, creating high inflationary pressures. In order to cool off the boom, one thing Keynes might advocate would be cutting government spending, running a government surplus, and paying off sovereign debt. This would tend to have the effect of decreasing money supply in the economy and cooling off a bubble, while also allowing for a national government to have a more sustainable budget.
This is why the idea that Keynes advocated nothing but unbridled government spending is flawed. Keynes viewed things in very cyclical terms and government deficits were meant to combat a situation where there is too low investment and money being used in the economy. A bubble would call for cutting back government spending and paying off debt.
Unfortunately, in practice, Keynesian policies are normally ignored during boom cycles. We only see them advocated by politicians during bust cycles. Politicians tend to advocate neo-liberal policies during boom cycles.
There’s a reason for this. The incentive of a politician is different from that of a market participant. Politicians always want to increase spending (i.e. increase services to constituents) and decrease taxes. Likewise, they never want to do the reverse, which is often political suicide. People generally like “free stuff” and not paying taxes. The public doesn’t always consider the long-term consequences of these short-sighted economic actions.
Then there’s also the corporate side of this. Corporations like for the government to stay out of their way generally. This changes in an economic bust, as many corporations (particularly banks) stand on the verge of insolvency. It’s at this point that many corporations love the government interfering in the marketplace. For the corporations, they'd like to privatize the profits and nationalize the losses. In other words, they want all the results of their risk-taking activities, but they want the public to absorb all the negative results.
For these reasons, Keynesian policies tend to only be enacted during bust times, in reality. Or even worse, politicians find ways to spin normal economic environments or even boom cycles as “bust cycles”, and use this as an excuse to provide a “Keynesian stimulus.” In this way, Keynesian policies are frequently abused in practice. Moreover, one might argue that Keynes’ failure to consider the incentives of politicians is one of the major flaws in his economic prescriptions.
Was Keynes Right?
Personally, I’d suggest that there’s a considerable amount of evidence to back up Keynes’ basic reasoning here, but that his prescriptions are not always ideal and very difficult to implement in the real world. Government policymakers do not set fiscal policy or tax policy based on economic cycles. Governments also react slowly to developments (unlike private market participants) and deploy capital in very inefficient ways (since they look at political rather than economic considerations).
Even if governments were to follow Keynesian theory correctly, there’s still no guarantee that this would achieve the most efficient result. Since governments typically use fiscal policy to pick winners and losers in given sectors of the economy, what normally happens is that the government, by its nature, creates maldistributions of capital, which can potentially make an economic downturn even worse (and even create more deflationary pressures). Of course, Keynes realized that governments were not efficient allocators of capital, but believed that the greater evil was for an economy to artificially be operating below its productive potential.
In my view, Keynesian Economics is absolutely vital to understand, because Keynes’ insight into boom and bust cycles, fiscal policy and its effects on the economy, currencies, and trade (not mentioned in this blog) are so important to a total understanding of the economy. But I don’t think one has to agree with his prescriptions or ignore some of the flaws in those proposed solutions, in order to appreciate many of the important insights he had.
Keynesian Policy in the Housing Boom
As I said from the onset, I am not a Keynesian, but find the general abuse of the term frustrating. One common theme I hear is that the US has been following Keynesian policies for several decades. I disagree with this.
We veered away from Keynesian policies in the ‘00s. In 2002, we had a housing boom underway and high inflation. The Federal Reserve Bank, which does not look at housing prices in its inflation measures, dramatically underestimated CPI inflation. So a narrative began that we were in a downturn, when in actuality, we were in a situation of rapidly increasing money supply and rising inflation.
In spite of this, the Bush Administration advocated lower taxes and more government spending. This was particularly evident in the Administration’s push for war in Iraq, which dramatically increased military spending. In other words, Bush was advocating the ultimate anti-Keynesian solution.
In a boom cycle, Keynesian theory advocates running a government surplus and using fiscal policy to reduce money supply. Instead, we saw a total breakdown of this and politicians not only failed to balance the budget, but actually increased the government deficit, pumping even more money into a credit-fueled boom.
For this reason, I don’t think it’s fair to blame Keynes for the recession that followed. This is not to say it’s not fair to blame several supposed Keynesian economists who might have advocated policies that further inflated the boom, however. Merely that Keynesian economic theory itself does not advocate this.
I have more thoughts on the inefficiencies of government spending and the flaws in Keynesian economic thought, but we'll save that for Part II. Generally, I'd like to see more informed discussion of Keynesian thoguht, because I don't think you can effectively criticize something unless you truly understand it. And I think there are good reasons to criticize Keynesian economics, but it's more common to see misinformed criticisms.
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NBA owed 3 ABA Pacers $35K a year. Two lived to see it happen. One died fighting for it
INDIANAPOLIS -- A point guard, center and power forward played with a red-white-and-blue basketball. They blazed a trail on a shiny hardwood court in a fast-paced league with flashy moves, halftime shenanigans and players made of true grit.
The point guard was Freddie Lewis. The center was Mel Daniels. And the power forward/center was Bob Netolicky.
All three men gave their might, their talent and their careers to the American Basketball Association, most of their seasons with the Indiana Pacers. The ABA lasted nine years. The three gave nearly 27 combined years to the ABA.
When it was over, Lewis became a coach and school teacher in Washington, D.C. Netolicky worked 25 years in the auto auction industry. And Daniels was a coach and NBA front office advisor.
None of the three made millions in basketball. Not even hundreds of thousands. But all three were promised pensions when the NBA merged with the ABA in 1976, absorbing four of its teams.
The pensions didn't come right away. Years passed. Then decades. The clock kept ticking and all three men, as they waited for the money, were vocal advocates, pushing the NBA for the pensions.
When the NBA voted in June to give recognition payments to 115 former ABA players -- nearly 50 years after the leagues merged -- Lewis and Netolicky were there to see it. Daniels, the fiercest ABA player advocate for the pensions, died in 2015, still doing everything he could to get his "brothers of the ABA" money.
This is their story, one of big dreams and superstars left behind. This is their story of fighting for the money they say they deserved.
"I'll take it with a grain of salt," Lewis, 79, told IndyStar of the money promised from the NBA. "They could have done a whole lot more for the guys, but they chose to do it this way. You know, we as players coming from the old league, we never made that kind of money that they're making today, so anything helps us.
"We are just in a position where there is nothing we can do about it, but accept it."
'It doesn't set well'
Lewis was one of the greatest to play in the ABA, a lightning quick point guard who could read the court, arguably, as well as any pro player before him.
In a buzzer-beating second, he could pull back from 18 feet, with two or three opponents in his face and drain the shot for a playoff win. He paved the way for legendary NBA point guards who came after him.
But Lewis came first.
He was so highly sought after that he is the only player to start his career in the NBA, play all nine seasons in the ABA and sign back with the NBA when the two leagues merged in 1976.
He won three ABA championships with the Pacers. He was a four-time ABA All-Star, with the Pacers, and also played with the Spirits of St. Louis and the NBA's Cincinnati Royals. He averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds in seven seasons.
And yet, after playing 11 years in two professional basketball leagues, Lewis lives just like most people live.
His 94-year-old mother, Thelma, had a stroke a few years back that left her unable to walk. Lewis is her only child. He moved from his home in Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C., to care for her.
"She needs 24-hour, 24-7 attention," Lewis said. "We don't know how much time. I try to take her where she needs to be and try to keep her comfortable."
Basketball seems a lifetime ago for Lewis. His days now are spent as caregiver, chauffeur, financial planner and son. But sometimes, when his mom brings it up or when a memory flashes through his mind, Lewis remembers those days.
"He was our steadiest performer and leader in the playoffs," Pacers coach Bobby "Slick" Leonard once said of Lewis. "He plays good defense. He does almost everything well. You can't let him shoot. And he'll drive on you. There's really no way to stop him."
Lewis was a player at a time when athletic greatness in the pro ranks didn't equal big money, not the multimillion-dollar contracts of today. And that was OK with Lewis at the time, because he just loved to play. But now, it isn't OK with Lewis and it hasn't been for decades.
Looking back on his basketball career, Lewis has felt financially slighted. He always thought, at the very least, he should have been given a pension from the NBA for his years of service to a league that is now a multi-billion-dollar enterprise.
The NBA board of governors voted in June to give $25 million to former ABA players, still living, as recognition payments for their years of service in the league. Players eligible either spent three or more years in the ABA or played at least three combined years in the ABA and NBA and never received a vested pension from the NBA.
The agreement pays players an average $3,828 annually for each year they were in the league. For example, a player with the minimum three seasons will receive $11,484 a year. A player with the most years of service, such as Lewis, will get $35,452 a year.
Lewis came out on top, but it's still not enough, at least in his calculations.
"It's just time. They should have did this thing years ago. The NBA, I just can’t imagine why they wouldn’t give the ABA a pension. They're calling this 'recognition' to keep from giving us a pension," he said. "I have 11 years in and they're only giving me (money) for nine so they are taking two away with this type of plan.
"It doesn't set well, but, everything helps. And we are thanking the Lord every day for the time we have here."
And that the NBA agreed to pay something to former ABA players while he was still alive to see it.
'This is like a godsend to us'
Netolicky turned 80 on Tuesday. He lives in Texas, is a grandfather and is poised to get the highest payment possible from the NBA, $35,000 a year.
"It's better than nothing," Netolicky told IndyStar from Texas this week. "They gave that one kid at Minnesota $62 million, but they're giving us a couple grand. They should just give us a million for each year we played. That would be just fine."
The kid at Minnesota is Karl-Anthony Towns who last month agreed to a four-year, $224 million supermax extension with the Timberwolves, his agent, Jessica Holtz of CAA Basketball told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Four years. $224 million. Netolicky shakes his head at that and laughs. He played in the ABA nine years, with Indiana, Dallas, San Antonio, then back to Indiana. He retired with the Pacers at the start of his ninth season.
An All-American at Drake University, Netolicky was on the 1967-68 ABA All-Rookie Team, a member of the 1969-70 ABA All-Pro Team, a 4-time ABA All-Star and played on two Pacers ABA championship teams.
Netolicky was the "smoothest shooting big man in the ABA" with a "quick release (and) excellent eye," Jim O'Brien wrote in his "1972-73 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball. His "best move (was) juke toward baseline and cut for the foul line for a fine, floating jump shot. ... Unstoppable hook shot going to his right . . . Looks like choirboy, but hits offensive boards like a demon."
Netolicky retired from the ABA in 1976 with career averages of 16.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He averaged nearly 50% shooting in 618 games.
In 1978, Netolicky joined the Baltimore Metros/Mohawk Valley Thunderbirds of the Continental Basketball Association and played eight games, averaging 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. The team was coached by Lewis. Netolicky then had a chance to play in the NBA with Cleveland and coach Bill Fitch.
"But I had just got engaged, had a house in Indianapolis," Netolicky said. "And back then, you're not talking about these millions of dollars. You're talking about enough to buy a car."
When he returned to Indy, Netolicky worked a stint in real estate, then went to Florida to coach for a year with the CBA's Sarasota Stingers at the same time Phil Jackson was coaching at Albany. Netolicky said it's crazy to think he coached against Jackson and what different paths their lives took after that.
Netolicky worked for 25 years in the auto auction business. "Then I kind of got old and just kind of semi-retired," he said. "You're semi-retired as long as you're walking, right?"
The money. That recognition payment he will get from the NBA "is like a godsend to us," he said.
"I'll put it this way. I didn't make a fortune, you know. Fortunately, I've saved a few bucks and I'm not worrying about my meal everyday, but I'm basically breaking even," he said. "This will give me what's called a little security about taxes going up. I don't have to worry about extra expenses and things like that."
Netolicky knows plenty of former teammates who do have to worry about their next meal. When the ABA disbanded in 1976, merging with the NBA, four of its 11 teams were absorbed by the NBA — the Pacers, Nuggets, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs. Many players were left with no pension, salaries shut off and health insurance gone.
"Every one of the guys, we were promised a pension. We were promised things and it fell through the cracks," Netolicky said. "I'm not going to mention names, but I know some guys living on social security, just making ends meet and this is going to let you go to sleep at night and you're not going to have to worry."
While Netolicky, like Lewis, believes the NBA should be paying former ABA players more, he knows that is out of his control.
"It was 50 years ago and it wouldn't do any good to scream and yell about it now," he said. "And they're, the NBA is doing the right thing for everybody. There are going to be guys this is really going to help."
Beyond the money, Netolicky said is the recognition finally for what he and his former teammates did on the court. Until now, he felt like a superstar left behind.
"The money is wonderful, but it means that they are recognizing what we did, that we actually were pioneers," he said. "Instead of just somebody out there that nobody knows."
'Such a big voice in all of this'
Daniels had this crazy idea nearly 10 years ago. Really it wasn't so crazy, he said, when the billion-dollar dynasty called the NBA was his target. Daniels wanted the NBA to help his former teammates of the ABA.
He had visited New Orleans and found former ABA players living under bridges. He saw players all over the country struggling financially, unable to pay medical bills, pay rent and even buy groceries.
Daniels and Indianapolis attorney Scott Tarter, along with eye doctor John Abrams and filmmaker Ted Green got together and started the Dropping Dimes Foundation, a non-profit to help struggling former ABA players and their families. The foundation's No. 1 goal was to get the NBA to pay pensions to living ABA players.
Months before Daniels died in 2015, he helped former player Charlie Jordan pick out a new suit with Dropping Dimes, and he told IndyStar how sad it was to see his league- and teammates suffer.
"They don't have anything," Daniels said. "People don't know how bad off they are."
Daniels was an outspoken advocate as Dropping Dimes fought for pensions. He died never getting to see the NBA acknowledge what the league's players had done for the modern game.
"I think of Mel and how much this meant to him," said Abrams, who is the Pacers' team eye doctor. "He was such a big voice in all of this."
Daniels didn't need the money, at least not like many of the 115 players.
His career in the ABA was illustrious, playing for the Minnesota Muskies, Pacers and Memphis Sounds and with the NBA's New York Nets. Daniels was a two-time ABA Most Valuable Player, three-time ABA champion and a seven-time ABA All-Star. He was the all-time ABA rebounding leader, and in 1997 was a unanimous selection to the ABA All-Time Team. Daniels was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
He averaged 19.4 points and 16.0 rebounds during his six years in a Pacers uniform. At his first practice with the team, Daniels was shooting jump shots from 15 feet. Coach Leonard walked up and issued a warning. “Next time you shoot from that far out,’ Leonard said, “I’m gonna punch you in the nose.”
“And that was that,” Daniels said in 2014.
After retiring from basketball, Daniels remained a fixture with the Pacers, even when the team moved to the NBA. In 1984, Daniels was an assistant coach and later became an executive on the basketball side as the team’s director of personnel.
At Daniels' funeral, ABA legends talked about his remarkable talent on the court, but most talked about his loyalty to the ABA off the court, including his fight for money from the NBA.
“He was always there for you,” Lewis told IndyStar when Daniels died in 2015. “He stood up for me and anybody else."
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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, along with Bill Gates, and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park, kicked off a two-day international open data conference, saying that data “is among the most important commodities in agriculture” and sharing it openly increases its value.
Secretary Vilsack, as head of the U.S. Government delegation to the conference, announced the launch of a new “virtual community” as part of a suite of actions, including the release of new data, that the United States is taking to give farmers and ranchers, scientists, policy makers and other members of the public easy access to publicly funded data to help increase food security and nutrition.
“The digital revolution fueled by open data is starting to do for the modern world of agriculture what the industrial revolution did for agricultural productivity over the past century,” said Vilsack. “Open access to data will help combat food insecurity today while laying the groundwork for a sustainable agricultural system to feed a population that is projected to be more than nine billion by 2050.”
The virtual Food, Agriculture, and Rural data community launched today on Data.gov — the U.S. Government’s data-sharing Website — to catalogue America’s publicly available agricultural data and increase the ability of the public to find, download, and use datasets that are generated and held by the Federal Government. The data community features a collection of more than 300 newly cataloged datasets, databases, and raw data sources related to food, agriculture, and rural issues from agencies across the U.S. Government. In addition to the data catalog, the virtual community shares a number of applications, maps and tools designed to help farmers, scientists and policymakers improve global food security and nutrition.
At the conference, the U.S. Government is also releasing an action plan to highlight a number of new and ongoing U.S. Government efforts including:
- A partnership to support plant and microbial genebank collections that curate, store and make genetic resources available via the Germplasm Resources Information Network or GRIN-Global.
- U.S. leadership in the United Nations Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics, providing capacity building support for development and improvement of national agricultural and rural statistics.
- U.S. Government efforts underway to develop national policies and implementation plans that ensure direct results of federally funded scientific research are made available and useful for the public, industry, and the scientific community which will effectively implement the White House memorandum titled Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research, released earlier this year.
The action plan will also include announcements of new, publicly available datasets from the Millennial Challenge Corp. (MCC) U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), USDA and others. The private and non-profit sectors will also announce the release of their own data sets at the conference.
The conference and the U.S. actions supporting open agricultural data fulfill the Open Data for Agriculture commitment made as part of the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, which was launched by President Obama and G-8 partners at the 2012 G-8 Leaders Summit last year at Camp David, MD.
In his remarks, Vilsack thanked the G-8, particularly the United Kingdom, which holds the 2013 G-8 presidency; New Alliance partner countries attending or tuning in to the conference livestream from Sub-Saharan Africa; and the World Bank, for partnering with the G-8 to hold the conference.
Secretary Vilsack heads the U.S. Government delegation to the conference and USDA’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Catherine Woteki, is acting as alternate head of delegation and providing scientific guidance. The U.S. delegation includes wide representation from Federal agencies including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); Department of State; Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC); National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and National Science Foundation.
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CDC Telebriefing: Measles in the United States, 2015
For Immediate Release: Thursday, January 29, 2015
Contact: CDC Media Relations
CDC will provide information on current U.S. measles outbreak and guidance for health protection
Anne Schuchat, M.D. (RADM, USPHS) Assistant Surgeon General, United States Public Health Service; Director, CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Thursday, January 29, 2015 – 3:30 PM (ET)
PASSCODE: CDC Media (all numbers)
Please dial in 10 to 15 minutes before the start of the press conference. If you would like to ask a question during the call, press *1 on your touchtone phone. Press *2 to withdraw your question. You may queue up at any time. You will hear a tone to indicate your question is pending.
A transcript of this media availability will be available following the briefing at CDC’s web site: www.cdc.gov/media.
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A virtual private network (VPN) of the easiest ways for a hacker to break the security of a VPN is by stealing or possessing the actual tablet, smartphone, or laptop that is used to dial in for a VPN Learn About, or download the PDF poster with this link - Day One Poster: What You Need to Know About VPNs .
IPSec/VPN Security Policy: Correctness, Conflict Detection and Resolution 3 more different chained tunnel configurations can satisfy the requirement if some other sec urity gateways on the path are also trusted to review the content. In a large distributed system or inter-domain environment, the diversified re- VPN security news, help and research - SearchSecurity VPN security News. June 04, 2020 04 Jun'20 Remote work cybersecurity a concern during pandemic. Recent surveys by NordVPN and Kaspersky found that more than … The Definitive Guide to How VPN Security Works VPNs are a great way to improve computer security and online privacy. The concept of how a VPN (Virtual Private Network) works is pretty simple. VPNs are basically third-party computer servers that keep your online activities hidden from businesses and governments by acting as an intermediary between your computer and the sites you visit. How to Create a VPN Server With Raspberry Pi | PCMag Turn it into a VPN server and enjoy safe browsing anywhere you go. How to Edit a PDF; Choose the recommended security certificate when prompted—larger sizes grant better security, but
How to set up a VPN for increased security and privacy
Types of Virtual Private Network (VPN) Protocols: Internet Protocol Security (IPSec): Internet Protocol Security, known as IPSec, is used to secure Internet communication across an IP network. IPSec secures Internet Protocol communication by verifying the session and encrypts each data packet during the connection. IPSec runs in 2 modes: A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is used for creating a private scope of computer communications or providing a secure extension of a private network through an insecure network such as the Internet. VPN Security Issues Authentication methods supported Encryption methods supported Key Management Data stream filtering for viruses, JAVA, active X Supported certificate authorities (X.509, Entrust, VeriSign) Encryption Layer: Datalink, network, session, application. Higher Layer More granular Granularity of Security: Departmental level, A virtual private network (VPN) is a network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their
Jul 02, 2020 · Maintaining a secure VPN tunnel can be complex and requires regular maintenance. To maintain a secure VPN, network administrators should perform the following tasks on a regular basis: Reduce the VPN gateway attack surface Verify that cryptographic algorithms are Committee on National Security Systems Policy (CNSSP) 15-compliant
Learn About Secure VPNs 2nd Edition A virtual private network (VPN) of the easiest ways for a hacker to break the security of a VPN is by stealing or possessing the actual tablet, smartphone, or laptop that is used to dial in for a VPN Learn About, or download the PDF poster with this link - Day One Poster: What You Need to Know About VPNs . Guide to SSL VPNs - HHS.gov
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Car windscreen wipers rely on a component called wiper motor to work. Hidden under the hood, the motor provides the torque to move the wipers. Its action ensures your car windscreen is free from mud, dust, and rainwater when on the road. But what is a wiper motor and how does it work? This guide has the answers and a lot more, starting with the definition.
All there is to know about Automotive Wiper motors
Wiper Motor Definition
The car wiper motor is the electrical device that rotates to operate windscreen wipers. It’s usually a simple DC motor with brushes (or without), and copper wire armature. The motor is also called windshield wiper motor or windscreen wiper motor.
Wiper motors form part of the windscreen washer system that comprises a wiper switch, wiper linkage, wiper arms, and the wash fluid reservoir. It’s usually located in the engine bay where it mounts on the firewall using bolts.
Most vehicles use a single motor for the front windshield. Others come with a rear wiper motor as well, with high-end cars featuring rear window wipers. Every extra windshield or window to be wiped means an additional motor. A vehicle may, therefore, have the component in other places than the front windscreen.
Wiper motor design varies. One version of the motor uses permanent magnets, the other electromagnets. You can easily recognize a permanent magnet type of motor by its shape. It’s normally a cylindrical shape compared to the square shape of those that use electromagnets.
There’s also the one speed and variable speed wiper motor. These mostly differ in the number of brushes. The single-speed motor uses two brushes, the two-speed type three. Now, on to the wiper motor working principle and, why you need it functional in your car.
Wiper Motor Function and Operation
The wiper motor is the engine behind the operation of windscreen wipers. It provides the torque to move them, ensuring a clean windshield. The motor is located in a convenient place that allows it to work the wiper mechanism.
The wiper motor location aside, its design also helps to increase effectiveness. The setup consists of transmission gears. The arrangement of the gears multiplies the rotational force of the motor in what’s called gear reduction. The operation happens as follows.
- When you switch on the windscreen wipers, the switch sends the signal to the electronic control model located on the wiper motor transmission assembly
- The control model operates several circuits, including the relay that sends voltage to the motor itself
- The motor contains a wire winding which, on being energized, produces a reaction force that causes the armature to start spinning
- The spinning armature rotates a shaft. The shaft contains a worm or spiral gear
- The spinning worm rotates a toothed plastic wheel which, in turn, operates pinion gear. The gear rotation works a short arm or pushrod into to and fro motion
- The arm is connected to the wiper linkage. Its back a and forth movement operates the linkage arms which then move the wiper blades against the windscreen surface
Some wipers activate automatically when it starts to rain. The action is controlled by the motor’s electronic module and requires the input of rain sensors. The sensors are installed on the windscreen.
Wiper motors also operate on a “safe park” circuit. The circuit allows the wiper blades to reach their rest position even when you switch off the wiper system when they are midway on the windscreen.
Parts of Wiper Motor and Transmission Assembly
To move the wipers, the motor uses a transmission mechanism consisting of a set of gears and electronics. The setup is the mechanism behind the back and forth motion of the wiper blades. To help you understand the assembly in more detail, here are the main parts that make it.
The wiper motor, as we have seen, is usually the traditional direct current motor. It consists of a steel housing enclosing several components. Main wiper motor parts include permanent magnet, armature, brushes, and shaft. These components work together to produce rotation.
The magnet provides the magnetic field that causes the motor to spin. It can be permanent or electromagnetic. The armature is the rotating piece and comprises copper wire winding around a magnetic core.
The brushes are conductors that act as pathways for electric current to flow into the armature coil. A wiper motor usually has three brushes. The third brush allows for two different speeds, high and low depending on the circuitry.
The wiper motor shaft is the central rod that runs through the motor and on a bearing at each end. It holds the armature, allowing it to spin freely when the motor is in operation. The shaft contains a worm on the side of the transmission. As it rotates, the worm gear spins a larger wheel connected to it.
Connected to the wiper motor is the drive mechanism. The mechanism uses the motor rotation to work the wiper system. It consists of a housing toothed plastic gear, wheel containing a conductive ring. There are also often pinion gears to increase the efficiency of the setup.
The toothed gear or wheel meshes the worm gear on the motor shaft. As the shaft spins, the gear also rotates. The gear is joined with another plastic wheel that rotates along with it. On the wheel surface is a conductive ring that helps to ensure the wipers stop at their resting place when you switch off the wiper motor power.
The worm on the motor shaft works together with the larger to provide gear reduction. This enables the motor to produce a large torque capable of operating the heavy linkage and wiper arms. The arrangement also reduces the speed of rotation to a level that suits the action of the wipers.
Electronic Control Module
This the electronic part of the assembly. It contains the electronic circuits and components to operate the setup. The module ensures the right inputs are fed to particular parts such as the motor and “wiper parking” circuits.
The wiper motor controller is a board that mounts to the inside surface of the housing. It receives the electrical connectors to the assembly. These include power connections and those that bring various signals.
A functional module means a functional wiper motor mechanism. If damaged, you may experience problems with the entire system. Movements may turn sluggish or you may have the system develop issues now and then, as explained next.
Common Wiper Motor Problems
The wiper motor is both mechanical and electrical. It contains moving parts that wear with time and electronic components that may fail unexpectedly. The motor is also exposed to the heat in the engine bay and atmospheric moisture and dust.
Problems with the motor affect the entire system, including the transmission and linkage. Issues may show as a slow motor rotation, intermittent stops, or total failure. Here is a summary of common problems, their cause, and how they affect the motor and related parts.
Bad or loose wiper motor connector
Bad connections reduce the amount of current reaching the motor or cut it off completely. Loose connections also cause intermittent and unpredictable problems with the motor such as stopping unexpectedly while the wipers are wiping the windshield.
Blown wiper motor fuse or relay
A bad wiper motor relay or fuse leads to power problems that result in the motor not rotating. A test would help confirm if the specific part is damaged. A fuse or relay can be replaced, even by the car owner.
Worn wiper motor brushes
The motor brushes wear down with time. You cannot prevent that. However, they are replaceable parts that also do not cost a lot. It’s recommended that you change the brushes when they are broken.
Worn or broken wiper motor gear
The gears that are part of the wiper motor and transmission can get worn or damaged. Because the gears transfer the motor rotation to the wiper linkages and arms, their failure means the entire system not working. The gears are replaceable.
Bad wiper motor module
The module is also called the wiper motor controller and contains the circuit that controls its operation. If damaged, the motor may start to work abnormally, leading to a failed wiper system. Electrical tests can help reveal if the module is not working.
Clogged wiper motor parts
A buildup of debris inside the wiper motor or transmission system also causes problems. Clogged parts rotate slowly or do not rotate at all. Clogging also puts a strain on the motor, which may even burn out. Debris affects electrical connections, too, leading to some parts of the wiper motor not working.
Wiper motor troubleshooting requires the help of a mechanic, although DIYers can do it with the right tools and equipment. Diagnosis includes performing tests on the motor itself and supporting components such as fuses and relays. These are mostly electrical tests.
Besides the wiper motor test or tests, a physical examination helps to assess damage and identify the source of problem and fix it. It’s easy to notice clogged gear systems and buildup inside the motor housing. Broken or worn components such as gears and brushes, too.
Wiper Motor FAQs
Q1. What is the RPM of a wiper motor?
A. The wiper motor rpm is usually for 45 rpm for normal speed and around 65 rpm when on the fast speed settings. It also comes in 6V, 12V, and 24V configurations. The typical wiper motor uses a current of between 2 and 4 amperes. Most wiper systems allow for two-speed settings for the wipers. In such setups, the motor uses three brushes instead of two.
Q2. What does a wiper motor pulse board module do?
A. The module is the board that contains the electronic control circuits of the wiper system. It determines various actions, including speed settings, wiper parking, and turning the wiping mechanism and off. In short, it determines the operation of the wiper motor and linkage. The module can get damaged, despite it being protected from the harsh conditions of the engine bay. Luckily, it’s a replaceable part.
Q3. Why does a wiper motor need a relay?
A. The relay switches on a much larger current for the motor using a smaller current. Some motors use a relay while others do not. Usually, the wiper motor current rating determines if a relay is needed or not. Higher rated motors require one, while low power types do not. If you have a rear windshield wiper, its motor is likely to be using a relay.
Q4. How long should a windshield wiper motor last?
A. Wiper motors are meant to last a long time, as long as the lifetime of your car. However, that does not always happen. The component tends to break down earlier depending in usage and operating conditions.
If you have to use the windscreen wipers every day, the motor is likely to be worn after only a few years. Electrical faults can also shorten the lifespan if a wiper motor causing it to burn out. Poor maintenance of the wiper linkage, too, which causes a strain on the motor. To increase the wiper motor lifespan, here are useful tips
- Ensure regular maintenance such as applying lubrication to the moving parts of the linkage and replacing worn components
- Always unstick the wiper blades that have not been used for some time manually
- Avoid using frozen wiper blades to prevent instances where you stress the motor
- Always ensure the wipers are in their correct parking position when not in use. They will not stress the motor when starting
- Make a habit of switching off the wipers before the engine so they return to park correctly
Q5. What are the signs of bad car wiper motor?
A. Wiper motors contain both mechanical and electrical parts. These cause different symptoms when damaged or worn. With a keen eye, you can easily pick out the signs. Here is how to tell if a windshield wiper motor is bad.
- The wipers are not moving when you switch them on
- wipers not stopping when you want them to
- The wipers are moving slower than usual
- You cannot change wiper settings such as moving to a higher speed
- Grinding or clunking wiper motor noise
- Wipers not “parking” or returning to the furthest bottom of the windshield when you switch them off
Most of the signs are caused by a worn motor that need replacing or damaged individual components that can be changed. Clogging is also another reason why you’re seeing the bad wiper motor symptoms.
Q6. Are wiper motor repairs possible?
A. They are, depending on the nature of damage. Worn brushes can be replaced or the armature rewound. Other replaceable parts include the gears in the motors transmission setup. Cleaning a clogged wiper motor or its transmission assembly restores its function without even replacing it. Many people do not repair wiper motors. Instead, they replace the entire system.
Q7. What is the range of car wiper motor price?
A. Wiper motor cost varies from one manufacturer to another and ranges from $60 to $300. The amount can be less or higher depending on the type of motor or model and the vehicle it’s meant for. Different wiper motor suppliers will also have different price tags for the same product. When looking to buy your replacement motor, we would advise you to compare the prices of different suppliers.
Q8. What’s the average wiper motor replacement cost?
A. You can expect to pay between $$50 and $100 for the wiper motor replacement job. That is excluding the cost to purchase the component, varies from $50 to $300 for most models. Should you choose to do it yourself, ensure you have the instructions for the procedure. Wiper motor replacement instructions usually come included in the product package.
Q9. Can I replace a wiper motor myself?
A. The wiper motor location makes the task somewhat difficult. There are several components to remove and, and you need to have an idea about the procedure. You also need the right tools. If you have both the knowledge and installing equipment, a DIY job can save you about $100. Having said that, it’s always advisable to have a mechanic do the work.
Q10. How do I buy a windscreen wiper motor?
A. Wiper motors are built for specific makes of cars. You, therefore need to have information about your type of vehicle when shopping for the component. Your car manual will also have details of the wiper motor specifications to look for.
Other than the wiper motor specs, there’s the choice between an OEM motor or aftermarket model. Both types will fit your vehicle. However, aftermarket options offer flexibility in terms of features and price. You can find one with higher capabilities but selling at a much lower price that an OEM type.
Wiper motors come as single component or kit. A wiper motor kit contains other parts of the wiper system such as arms, blades, and mounting hardware. When shopping for the component, it’s necessary to decide the kind of product you want.
The windshield wiper motor ensures you have clear vision when driving. It provides the mechanical energy to move the entire system that comprises arms and blades. Wiper motors, although designed to last a lifetime, can break down and fail. When that happens, you want to be able to find a replacement. You also want to know when you have a failed wiper motor so you can take action early enough. The information contained in this article is meant to help you with all that and more.
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Marks & Spenser
claim to sell 18 tonnes a week of the stuff :
- and yet in an article in The Daily Telegraph in November 1999, journalist Amit Roy referred to it as a dish which does not exist in Indian cuisine. So the question is is it a genuine Indian dish or isnt it?.
The name of this enigma - Chicken Tikka Masala of course. The flagship dish of Britains newly acclaimed national cuisine boasting a huge 14.6% of the sales of the almost half a million curries consumed, on average, in the restaurants and homes of the United Kingdon every day of the year. Chicken Tikka Masala, or CTM as it was affectionately dubbed by writer Colleen Grove in Spice n Easy Magazine in November 1994, is one of those culinary fables that lend a touch of intrigue and excitement to an already exotic cuisine.
The interest in CTM is quite unbelievable and it is estimated that it forms the subject of well over 60% of all enquiries directed at us from the media both in Britain and internationally.
Amit Roy was quite correct to observe that the dish does not hail from India and that it was specifically created to appeal to the British palate by some very astute restaurateurs. This much is not in doubt but when one moves on to the history of the dish, fact becomes fiction and depends on just who one talks to.
No Indian chef seems to have produced any real evidence that he or she first invented the dish and it is commonly thought that its invention came about almost by accident. Journalist and restaurateur Iqbal Wahhab claims it was created when a Bangladeshi chef produced a dish of traditional Chicken Tikka only to be asked wheres my gravy?. The response was, supposedly, a can of cream of tomato soup and a few spices and the masala element was born. Top food writer Charles Campion refers to CTM as a dish invented in London in the Seventies so that the ignorant could have gravy with their chicken tikka. Several chefs have made claim to the invention of CTM but none with any evidence or witness support so the mystery will have to remain. The descendents of Sultan Ahmed Ansari, who owned the Taj Mahal in Glasgow claim he invented it in the 1950s but there is no other evidence of the dish at this early date or of the tandoor in Glasgow.
The tandoor, which boosted tikka sales, had not even
arrived in Britain at that time, having only been introduced to the
first Indian restaurant, Moti Mahal
in New Delhi in 1948. In fact this can be seen as the birth of CTM in
its original form of Butter Chicken. Lala
Kundan Lal Gujral first set up in Peshawar in 1920 but
came to Delhi in 1947 to set up Moti Mahal. He worked with a local
man to produce the first restaurant version of the tandoor and
invented tandoori spice mix for tandoori chicken -ground coriander
seeds, black pepper and mild red pepper. Called Murg Makhani in
Hindi, Butter Chicken originated in the 1950s at the Moti Mahal
restaurant in Old Delhi. Famed for its Tandoori Chicken, the cooks
there used to recycle the leftover chicken juices in the marinade
trays by adding butter and tomato. This sauce was then tossed around
with the tandoor-cooked chicken pieces and presto - Butter Chicken
was ready! The leftover dish appealed to Delhites and was quickly
lapped up by the rest of the world.
After Nehru, his daughter and then Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi continued the relationship with Moti Mahal. So
fascinated was she by the food that at the wedding of her younger son
Sanjay Gandhi, Moti Mahal specialties dominated the dinner. Kundan
Lal Gujral, a larger-than-life figure whom people still
remember for his immaculate Pathani suits, handlebar moustache, love
for good whisky and the favours he dispensed because of his proximity
to Indira Gandhi, would personally serve his guests. His wife would
begin each day grinding the masalas, a closely guarded secret, that
went into the signature dishes. His son Monish and grandson Ashim
keep the Moti reputation alive.
An advertisement in a programme for the London Palladium promoting Cinderella starring Cliff Richard in 1966 by The Gaylord in Mortimer Street featured what was thought to be the first tandoor dishes in Britain. Mahendra Kaul, now involved with Chor Bizarre and Viceroy Brasserie in London, sent the tandoor to USA for the Worlds Fair a few years earlier before loaning it and his staff to an unamed restaurant of a friend in United Kingdom who was on hard times before installing it in The Gaylord. However, new information from archived documents at the famous Veeraswamy in London show the tandoor was in use at the restaurant as early as 1959, some ten years before it became widely know in Britain.
Top restaurateur Amin Ali, owner of The Red Fort and Soho Spice in Londons Soho remembers serving CTM when he first arrived in London in 1974. A lowly waiter at the time he remembers wondering just what the dish was.
Certainly one family to have tangible benefits from the success of CTM is that of Sheik Abdul Khalique who owns The Polash in Shoeburyness which opened in 1979. His father, Haji Abdul Razzah, returned to Bangladesh in 1985 having made sufficient profit to build The Polash Hotel in Sylhet and a Mosque and The Polash Sheba Charitable Trust were added after his death. The family firmly claim their fortunes are largely down to CTM, the mysterious Indian/British hybrid.
CTM was introduced to Waitrose by G.K.Noon in 1983 when he was still in the United States and by the end of the Millennium it was generally acknowledged as the most popular single dish in Britain.
For something that is so popular with the public and with the restaurateurs who make their living from it, Chicken Tikka Masala is very much a Cinderella of culinary creations. Very few recipes for CTM appear in the plethora of Indian Cuisine cookbooks that have appeared over the last twenty years and Alan Davidsons recent Oxford Companion to Food does not even consider it deserving of a listing. Indeed, such are the passions it generates in the industry, that many top chefs refuse to cook or serve it due to its complete lack of authenticity.
However, exist it does and demanded it is, so just what is Chicken Tikka Masala? Tikkas are the bite-sized chunks you cut chicken into and these are marinated and cooked in the tandoor. The masala part is where things become difficult. Masala means spices but no exact recipe for these seems to exist. CTM can be yellow, red, brownish or even green and can be very creamy, a little creamy, chilli hot or quite mild. In restaurants it tends to be a creamy sauce - not too hot; a bit tomatoey; very smooth and, all too often, quite sweet and very red. In supermarkets, once you have by-passed the masses of CTM pizzas, filled pancakes, kievs, pies, microwave rolls and so on, you come to the chilled and frozen ready meals which range from mild onion gravy to saffron cream to velvety vermillion.
Created on the spur of the moment under pressure it may have been but, as a culinary concept, the dish, if not the name, already existed. As mentioned in the previous chapter, the earliest known recipe for meat in a spicy sauce with a bread appeared on tablets found near Babylon in Mesopotamia, written in cuniform text by the Sumerians from 1700 B.C.
The North Indian dishes Murg Masalla and Murgh Makhni have been part of the Indian chefs repertoire for many years. The Bombay Palace Cookbook by Stendahl in 1985 listed a recipe for Palace Murgh Kari including yoghurt, tomato paste and heavy cream and Niru Guptas Everyday Indian (1995) lists Murgh Rasedar, which includes most of the required ingredients, including cream, tomatoes and onions.
The shape of things to come may have been a recipe for Shahi Chicken Masala in Mrs Balbir Singhs Indian Cookery published in 1961.
Pat Chapman, he of The Curry Club, actually lists the recipe from the Shapnil in The Polash Hotel in Sylhet
Mridula Baljekar is one of the few cookery writers to have included CTM in her bestselling Complete Indian Cookbook (1993) including food colouring and tomato puree as well as double cream and almonds. Chef Mohammed Moneer introduces yet another ingredient with half a cup of coconut milk instead of cream.
It seems that the ingredients generally include yoghurt, tomatoes, cream and spices as well as the chicken pieces and if you have found a version that suits you then stick to it. The Spice n Easy article in 1993 endeavoured to produce the definitive recipe from forty eight versions on offer and came up with a standard version.
Chicken Tikka Masala was most certainly invented in Britain, probably by a Bangaldeshi chef, and is so popular it is even being served in some hotel restaurants in India and Bangladesh.
It does not come from the Raj or the kitchens of the Moghul Emperors, but millions of people enjoy it every year and perhaps that is all the pedigree it needs!
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The periodontium comprises the gingiva, periodontal ligament, alveolar bone, and the cementum. It provides support to the teeth, keeping them anchored in the maxilla and mandible. While the stability of the teeth is directly affected by the health of the periodontium, it may be involved with several other diseases processes. There are at least two types of relationships the periodontium may have with other diseases: diseases that directly involve the periodontium and those diseases that are indirectly impacted by its relative state of health or disease. Examples of the former include the patient presented in this case, and other infectious and neoplastic diseases. An example of the latter is diabetes mellitus (DM). The periodontal exam is therefore a critical aspect of oral health care as it functions to assess the health of the periodontal structures that are related not only to the health of the teeth in isolation, but to overall health.
In this section we will review the basic structures of the periodontitium, discuss the components of the periodontal exam and review a case of a patient with periodontal bone loss. The patient in this case has Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). LCH is characterized by a proliferation of histiocyte‐like cells that infiltrate and destroy various tissues of the body including the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region (Badalian‐Very et al. 2011; Neville et al. 2015). Disease may be solitary or multifocal involving several anatomic sites. LCH occurs in a wide range of patients, but has a predilection for the pediatric population (Neville et al. 2015). The diagnosis of LCH is confirmed by histopathological review of biopsied tissue. Treatment of this disease ranges from simple curettage to radiation and chemotherapy. The prognosis depends on the extent of involvement and the specific tissues affected by disease (Badalian‐Very et al. 2011; Neville et al. 2015).
Hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg.
Review of Systems
All systems within normal limits.
- Vital Signs
- Blood pressure: 126/88 mmHg
- Respiration: 16 breaths/min
- Pulse: 80 beats/min
Regular dental recall.
Maxillary third molars (#1 and #16) extracted 22 years prior.
Extraction of teeth #17, #18, and #19 two weeks prior due to severe mobility.
Head and Neck Examination
No palpable nodules, asymmetry, or other grossly visible signs of pathology are identified in the head and neck or craniofacial region. The examination is negative for clinically detectible cervical lymphadenopathy.
Gingival tissues of teeth #s 2–6, 20, and #s 29–32 demonstrate marked erythema and enlargement.
Extraction sockets of teeth #s 17–19 demonstrate marked erythema and redundant soft tissue.
Generalized gingival recession.
All other oral mucosal surfaces appear healthy with no visible signs of inflammation, infection, neoplasia, or other pathology.
Minimal plaque and calculus accumulation.
Radiographic Findings and Problem List
- Well‐circumscribed radiolucency in the left posterior mandible extending from the ascending ramus to tooth #20 and involving the inferior alveolar nerve canal.
- Well‐circumscribed radiolucency in the right posterior mandible extending from the apices of tooth #32 to the interproximal bone between teeth #28 and #29.
- Multiple, large bony defects of this type can often be identified in certain populations including adults with advanced chronic severe periodontitis, young adults with a history of aggressive periodontitis, and patients with syndromes predisposing them to rapid periodontal bone such as Down or Papillon‐Lefevre syndrome. This pattern of bone loss, in a patient of this age and health status is uncommon. Furthermore, the loss of attachment pattern and the patient age of do not fit well for either variant of aggressive periodontitis or chronic periodontitis. The differential diagnosis would include both infectious and neoplastic processes. The initial examination should focus on identifying any source of pulpal necrosis of the involved teeth that could be responsible for the defect, such as a fractured tooth or gross carious lesion. Once a pulpal etiology has been ruled out, the remaining entities on the differential diagnosis may include aggressive periodontitis, a benign neoplastic process such as ameloblastoma, and a malignant neoplastic process such as lymphoma. A biopsy is appropriate to arrive at a definitive diagnosis in this clinical scenario.
- Referral to oral and maxillofacial surgery for an incisional biopsy of the tissue involved with the radiolucencies.
The gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone are the four components that comprise the periodontium. These components work together providing structural support to the dentition. Assessment of periodontal health depends on the periodontal exam. This exam includes four parts: the medical history, the dental history, radiographic exam, and clinical exam (Newman et al. 2012). The medical history may reveal critical information related to periodontal health. For instance, DM has been strongly correlated with periodontal health in the scientific literature (Chapple et al. 2013). Identification of a history of DM is likely to impact the periodontal status of the patient. The dental history is important for determining the patient’s past and ongoing treatment, current oral hygiene regimen, and general attitude toward oral health (Newman et al. 2012). Following the medical and dental history, a radiographic exam is usually required. For details concerning the radiographic exam, please see Case 3 of this chapter, Radiographic Examination.
With the medical and dental history obtained and radiographic studies completed, the clinical examination of the periodontium can commence. This exam consists of several steps. As emphasized thus far in the text, deciding on a systematic, repeatable method for performing this task is foundational. Critical elements of any methodology should contain at least the following steps: assessment of mobility, sensitivity to percussion, plaque, and calculus accumulation, a gingival examination, inspection of all dental restorations, assessment of periodontal pocketing and furcation involvement, and detailed notation of all findings. Please see Table 1.6.1 for a suggested methodology.
Table 1.6.1: Periodontal examination: a suggested methodology.
Source: Adapted from Carranzas Clinical Periodontology, 11th Edition and “Parameter on Comprehensive Periodontal Examination,” American Academy of Periodontology.
|Step Number||Procedure||Additional Information|
|1||Study the mobility of each tooth placing a fingertip on the lingual/palatal surface and the blunt end of an explorer on the buccal/facial surface||Mobility Grading:
|2||Sensitivity to percussion||Test any teeth reported to be symptomatic by the patient for sensitivity to percussion by gentle tapping with the blunt end of a dental explorer|
|3||Inspection of existing dental restorations||Identification of defective dental restorations that may negatively impact the health of the periodontium (e.g., restorations with overhanging margins, over‐contoured crowns)|
|4||Assessment of plaque and calculus||Utilization of one of several indices|
|5||Gingival exam||Please see Chapter 1 Case 5: Gingival Exam for a detailed description of this component of the periodontal exam.|
|6||Assessment of periodontal pocketing||Probing of all surfaces of the teeth with notation of fluids expressed including blood and purulence; areas of pocketing may be indicated by areas of bone loss seen on radiographs|
|7||Assessment of furcation involvement on posterior teeth||A Nabers probe is used to assess furcation involvement of posterior teeth that demonstrate pocketing on probing; classification is based on one of several grading systems|
|8||Charting of all the above findings||Charting is typically entered simultaneously by an assistant as the clinician performs the exam|
Periodontal attachment loss is most commonly related to chronic periodontitis. The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) classifies slight to moderate loss of periodontal support as periodontal pockets up to 6 mm and clinical attachment loss of up to 4 mm. Advanced loss of periodontal support is classified as pocketing greater 6 mm and clinical attachment loss greater than 4 mm (American Academy of Periodontology 2000a). While loss of periodontal support is most often mediated by chronic periodontitis, aggressive periodontitis (AP), although less common, can result in similar clinical outcomes. AP progresses more rapidly than the chronic variant and generally occurs in patients who are healthy and have a level of plaque and calculus that do not seem to correspond to the level of attachment loss. Two variants of AP exist; a localized variant, commonly occurring around adolescence, and a generalized variant with a predilection for those under 30 years of age. Localized AP typically affects the permanent incisors and first molars; generalized AP involves three permanent teeth besides the incisors and first molars (American Academy of Periodontology 2000b).
A cursory review of the panoramic radiograph and periodontal charting of the patient in this case may appear as some form of severe periodontitis. However, a closer study of this patient reveals a pattern that does not correspond to either chronic or aggressive periodontitis. The severe loss of attachment is isolated to the posterior lower right and left quadrants. The loss of attachment would be more generalized to fit a diagnosis of generalized AP or chronic periodontitis. A diagnosis of localized AP is questionable as the central incisors are not involved and the patient is outside the age group where this disease is typically identified. It is critical to consider other disease processes when a clinical pattern does not fit into the diagnostic parameters of the common variants of periodontitis. These considerations should prompt the clinician to refer the patient to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for an incisional biopsy. The definitive diagnosis in this case was LCH.
LCH is characterized by a destructive proliferation of histiocyte‐like cells (Badalian‐Very et al. 2011; Neville et al. 2015). The first designation given to this disease was “histiocytosis X.” The term used more commonly today, LCH, points to the phenotypic characteristics shared by the disease and the Langerhans cells of epidermal and mucosal surfaces. In the past it was believed that disease cells originated from the Langerhans cells. Recent research indicates that this may not be the case with the most likely origin of the cells being a myeloid‐derived precursor (Badalian‐Very et al. 2011).
The presentation of this disease may take several forms. The disease may be solitary, or multifocal involving various anatomic sites including skin, mucosa, bone, lymph nodes, soft tissue, and organs. In the past the terms Hand‐Schuller‐Christian disease and Letterer‐Siwe disease were used to describe chronic and acute disseminated LCH, respectively. These eponyms have largely been set aside and replaced with a description of the focus of disease and sites of involvement (Neville et al. 2015; Badalian‐Very et al. 2011).
LCH is diagnosed in patients over a wide age range. However, over 50% of cases are diagnosed in those younger than 15 years. The disease demonstrates an equal distribution between the sexes (Neville et al. 2015).
LCH is capable of destroying hard tissue and results in radiolucent lesions on radiography. Destruction of tooth‐supporting bone can produce a similar radiographic pattern to that seen in severe periodontitis (Neville et al. 2015). It is important to keep LCH on one’s differential diagnosis in cases of atypical periodontal bone loss, particularly in pediatric patients. Lesions involving bone may present with symptoms of tenderness or dull pain (Neville et al. 2015). When lesions are diagnosed in the oral soft tissues they often present initially as an ulcerative mass (Neville et al. 2015).
Diagnosis of LCH is based on histopathological review of biopsied specimens coupled with immunohistochemical evaluation (Neville et al. 2015). Treatment depends upon the extent of disease involvement. Mainstays of therapy have included curettage, local steroid injection and radiation for isolated, single focus disease (Neville et al. 2015; Badalian‐Very et al. 2011). Disseminated disease is often treated by a combination of systemic steroids and chemotherapeutics (Neville et al. 2015; Badalian‐Very et al. 2011). The discovery of the BRAFV600E mutation in 38–69% of LCH cases has opened the possibility of molecular‐targeted therapy (Badalian‐Very et al. 2011; Haroche et al. 2013). The prognosis varies from patient to patient and depends upon several factors including age at the time of diagnosis, the degree of dissemination as well as the specific organs involved in the disease process (Neville et al. 2015). Some cases of LCH have exhibited spontaneous resolution, while others will lead to the patient’s demise.
It is critical that oral health‐care providers become familiar with the presenting signs of LCH as the oral and maxillofacial region is not an uncommon site of involvement. Identification of the disease and a timely referral is likely to have a positive impact on the patient’s long‐term prognosis.
- The variants of periodontitis follow demographic and clinical parameters.
- It is critical to consider other disease processes when a clinical pattern does not fit into diagnostic parameters of the common variants of periodontitis.
- LCH and other neoplastic processes can mimic periodontitis clinically and radiographically.
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The project encourages the creation of digital games by children from the favelas through a framework named “I’ve made my game.” The process, based on collaboration, imagination, allows children to be involved in intellectual and affective activities of negotiation, ideas development, results analysis, interaction and creation.
Play is one of the most important aspects of a child’s life. Why? Because through playing children learn to think creatively and interact socially.
Through play, they develop physically and discover a slew of emotional skills and they learn how to process the world. In short, play is pivotal to your child’s development. Play is how children learn.
We are organizing this project in collaboration with GAMES FOR HEALTH EUROPE FOUNDATION, a Dutch non-governmental organization. With their professional help we will educate 38 children in game design and 6 to 12 young people to be trained to become teachers.
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(a) Illustrate the term Industrial Toxicology.
(b) Comprehensively describe four factors on which the toxic effect of substance depends.
A personal sampling pump is employed to sample air at 25 °C and 1 atm for 60 min at a flow rate of 1.00 L/min. The analytical lab reports 0.188 mg of allyl chloride in the sample. The molecular weight is stated to be 76.5g/mol in the MSDS.
(a) In addition to the pump, what other constituents are required in a sampling train?
(b) What is the requirement before the employ of the sampling pump? Provide three ways how it can be accomplished.
(c) What is the air concentration relative to the OSHA PEL? State your answer in ppm.
(d) Give five categories of data which would typically be listed in MSDS for Allyl Chloride.
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Differently Literate : Boys, Girls and the Schooling of Literacy Paperback
Presents research into the differences in boy's and girl's experiences of the reading and writing curriculum at home and in school.
The book is presented in three sections: an outline of the theoretical debates on gender difference and academic achievement; a description of the research into these issues conducted by the author; and an analysis of the author's findings.
In discussing the outcome of her research, the author aims to highlight further areas for more detailed study and makes recommendations for the development of literacy policies, which cross curriculum boundaries in schools.
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 224 pages, 1
- Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
- Publication Date: 28/02/1997
- Category: Literacy
- ISBN: 9780750706612
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Fun, hands-on science. Nature field trips. Now just add Arizona’s rivers and kids are wild about water!
The Nature Conservancy and Arizona Project WET are working together to create fun and interactive ways for students, teachers and community leaders to learn about Arizona’s rivers—and the journey water takes to our faucets.
This innovative program encourages all of us to keep Arizona’s rivers healthy and flowing:
- classroom activities, science education and water audits
- research field trips that give students an invaluable firsthand look at the state’s rivers
- water festivals that engage young kids in fun activities
Participants in Arizona Project WET will learn the answers to three key questions about our rivers:
- Where does the water that pours from our faucets come from?
- Why are Arizona’s rivers so vital for both people and nature?
- What can we do to save water and protect our rivers?
What does it take to get kids interested in nature? Try wriggling desert pupfish, bobcat tracks, scavenger hunts and splashing in the river! Learn more
Safeguarding one of America's last large undammed rivers. Explore now
Arizona's only Wild and Scenic River and a critical flyway for migratory birds. Explore now
Giving back to the West's life-giving river. Learn more
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The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. PSALM 119:130
On a rainy December day in December 1925, U.S. Army pilot Carl Crane was flying a congressman’s son back to Washington, DC, when he became disoriented in a thick expanse of clouds. He was 8,000 feet over Detroit. With no gyroscope on his instrument panel to tell him his rate of turn, he didn’t know if he was flying level with the earth or was banking into a free fall. Soon, he had swooped into a spiral dive and had lost complete control of the aircraft.
But attempting any rescue move was a gamble. If he tried to level the wings, he was just as likely to roll upside down as right side up. If he tried to raise the nose, he might simply drive the plane more sharply into the ground. Finally, with his altitude shrinking to under 1,000 feet, he caught sight of the sign for the Statler Hotel. He had just missed clipping the top of it. He now had only seconds to pull up. But with the lights of the buildings giving him guidance and perspective, he righted his plane and found his way to the Detroit River, which he followed back home, “shaking all the way.” For us, the words of the Scriptures are like the lights of Detroit were to Crane on that misty night. They are divine points of perspective that give us our true bearings in every situation. They explain why we behave the way we do—and which way to turn when we’ve lost our way. If we will follow the Scriptures like the pilot followed the river, we will be led to a safe landing. The trip may be bumpy. There may be some jostling during the flight. But the way will be made plain. God’s Word will guide us home.
Think of a time when God’s Word gave you clear direction. What are the Scriptures telling you about a situation you’re in right now?
Pray that you will get your true perspective and heading from the Bible and guide your family in doing the same thing.
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I did not know what I was doing when I decided to change the way I taught. I did not know that somewhere out in the education world there was already a term floating around for some of the ideas I had for change, a term that would capture so many of my ideas in one. It was not until a few years of blogging about the changes I had made that someone left a comment on my blog suggesting I learn more about personalizing learning because it seemed like that is what I was talking about. That day, as I googled the term I realized that in my endeavor to create passionate classroom, I had indeed been personalizing learning for all of my students. I was seeing them all as individuals and trying to cater our multi-faceted classroom to fit all of their needs; personalization at its core.
Yet, now when I see all of the discussion of personalized learning, I do not really recognize the term anymore. Over time the term has become associated with technology-laden, self-paced learning, preferably on a device, with little adult teaching and much more student autonomy. While I recognize the inherent good in those components, those are not the powerful aspects of personalized learning and I worry what will happen to those that attempt to personalize learning if they think this is all it is. Because personalizing a child’s learning is so much more than a device, or even a student figuring things out by themselves. Instead it is about knowing your students so well that you can help them navigate their learning journey. That your students have ample opportunity to find out how they learn best and then implement this knowledge as they master the curriculum we have to cover. It means that every child has voice in what they do and that the teacher knows their students well enough to help them grow.
When I wrote my book, Empowered Schools, Empowered Students, as well as Passionate Learners, I kept thinking about the type of environment that I would have thrived in as a child and that my own children would thrive in now. I kept coming back to a few tenets that used to be a part of personalized learning but seems to have gotten lost in the powerful PR campaign of Personalized Learning in 2015. Those tenets are so simple that we often forget to plan for them or even consider them as we craft our curriculum.
The five tenets of personalized learning:
- Student Voice.
So much of what we do is about promoting the voice of our students and yet while we ask the world to listen to what our students have to say, we often forget to listen ourselves. Therefore, for any personalized learning journey to be successful, we must start to ask the tough questions. I ask my students what they dislike about school, what they dislike about the subject I teach. I ask them when they started disliking school and why. It is not just to have students feel validated in their emotions, it is so I can work with the demons they bring into our learning environment. If a child dislikes school because they feel powerless then I can combat that dislike by giving them power back. If a child dislikes school because they find it irrelevant well then that becomes my mission for change. If we do not ask our students the tough questions, and also figure out what part we play in their disengagement, then we cannot change it, we cannot personalize. So the true journey into personalized learning begins with getting to know your students really well and then acting on the information they tell you.
- Student Choice.
Choice, of course, is a must in any type of class or curriculum, and yet choice to some means chaos or that every child is doing their own thing. Choice can vary depending on the day, on the task, on the curriculum to conquer. Choice does not mean that everything needs to be a free-for-all but instead that choice is always present throughout the day. Choice starts with choice in learning environment. It is time to stop dictating where students sit in the classroom. It is time to stop dictating that all student sit while learning. Choice involves how they learn something, so for some that may mean by listening to a lecture, by working with a partner, by using technology to uncover information. Students must be exposed to many ways of learning so they can discover how to navigate all of the ways, as well as determine how they learn best. Choice also becomes in how they show mastery. I always have a laid out path for students, as well as one where they build their own. Students needs change and so their show of mastery has to change as well. Finally, there must be choice in when they show mastery. Children learn at different rates and so we must find ways within our curriculum to allow for re-application of content if a child had not mastered a standard earlier. Yes, there can be deadlines and cut-off dates, but please allow a child to circle back to a previous standard if they have grown in it.
- Student Planning.
This is one of the biggest things for me when I think of personalizing learning. We cannot plan our lessons in isolation anymore, at least, not all of the time. We can certainly be the gatekeepers of where we need to end up and we can also bring our ideas to the table, but at some point, please allow for students to plan with you. It is simple yet so powerful when we discuss our learning goals and then plan together how we will reach them. I have always been inspired by the ideas that my students have brought to the table, as well as been educated on how students learn best. You do not have to do it all of the time, but take the chance and ask students how they would like to cover something, I guarantee you will be surprised at just how much wherewithal the students will have as they work through this process with you, as well as the increased engagement and buy-in simply because they crafted part of the lesson.
- Student Reflection.
When I moved to 7th grade, I remember feeling the rush of the curriculum constantly. With only 45 minutes to teach, and oh so much to cover, there was no way we would ever have time to reflect; yet, I discovered the true power of reflection on the days where my lessons were met with disdain. It is easy to dismiss an eye roll or a groan, but when a majority of a classroom participates in such displays, it is our cue to stop and ask why. So reflection became a natural tool for us in 7th grade as we personalized the curriculum that we had to cover. I had to find out how my students felt they were doing. I had to find out what their path forward would be, and that started with a journal and a prompt. Sometimes rather than a written reflection we would speak; as a group, in partnerships or one on one with me. The prompts did not change much throughout the years; how are you doing, what have you learned, what are you working on now? And yet as the conversations grew, so did their understanding of what they needed and where they had to grow. Personalization to me means that a child knows how they learn best and that is not something I can tell them. I can offer them hints and I can point out things they may have missed, but at some point during our very busy days, reflection has to be done so that students can decide their own path.
- Student Action.
This final piece is one that gets a lot of attention it seems because this is where personalized learning becomes a thing of beauty; when our students start to change the world. When our students make, create, and have authentic purposes. Yet, student action, to me, is an inward piece as well. Yes, I want students who have a voice in the global education debate, that is why they blog, but I also want students who know how to advocate for themselves as human beings, and as learners. I want students who can successfully navigate tricky conversations and come out feeling like their voice was heard and respected. I want students who when they see a problem, do not just think about it, they do something about it. Whether that problem is a global one or a personal one. So involving students in action, setting up situations where they can see the impact they may have, guiding them through tough conversations, becomes part of personalized learning as well. I have realized that part of my job as a teacher is to help students discover the tools they already have to help them learn best, even if they are faced with an environment that allows for little personalization. I need to help them discover what they can do to make it better for themselves and for others. I need to help them see that their words have power as well as their actions.
So if you are starting on a journey of personalized learning, keep these tenets in mind. Sure, add on the technology but do not make it the focal point. That is not the point of personalizing, however, it can enhance it. Personalizing learning is the key to keeping students engaged and curious, but it also means that there is not one system to follow. Instead, spend the time to truly discover who your students are and help them find their path. Be the teacher that made a difference, not just because you cared about them, but because you taught them how they could be better learners. Our jobs have never been just about covering curriculum and personalizing learning reminds us of that.
If you are looking for a great book club to join to re-energize you in January, consider the Passionate Learners book club on Facebook. We kick off January 10th.
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- Developers’ Guide
- Guidelines for contributing
- Installation instructions for developers
- Modifying code
- Catching errors with Pyflakes and Pylint
- Checking test coverage
- Trouble-Shooting Tips
When preparing contributions, please follow the guidelines in contribution. Also:
- If the planned changes are substantial or will be backward-incompatible, it’s best to discuss them on the claw-dev Google group before starting.
- Make sure all tests pass and all the built-in examples run correctly.
- Be verbose and detailed in your commit messages and your pull request.
- It may be wise to have one of the maintainers look at your changes before they are complete (especially if the changes will necessitate modifications of tests and/or examples).
- If your changes are not backward-compatible, your pull request should include instructions for users to update their own application codes.
If you find a bug, post an issue with as much explanation as possible on the appropriate issue tracker (for instance, the PyClaw issue tracker is at https://github.com/clawpack/pyclaw/issues. If you’re looking for something useful to do, try tackling one of the issues listed there.
You can create a read-only development version of Clawpack via:
git clone git://github.com/clawpack/clawpack.git cd clawpack python setup.py git-dev
This downloads the following clawpack modules as subrepositories checked out at specific commits (as opposed to the tip of a branch).
- https://github.com/clawpack/pyclaw (Python code, some of which is needed also for Fortran version)
- https://github.com/clawpack/clawutil (Utility functions, Makefile.common used in multiple repositories)
- https://github.com/clawpack/classic (Classic single-grid code)
- https://github.com/clawpack/amrclaw (AMR version of Fortran code)
- https://github.com/clawpack/riemann (Riemann solvers)
- https://github.com/clawpack/visclaw (Python graphics and visualization tools)
- https://github.com/clawpack/geoclaw (GeoClaw)
This should give a snapshot of the repositories that work well together. (Note that there are many inter-dependencies between code in the repositories and checking out a different commit in one repository may break things in a different repository.)
Now install this version of Clawpack using:
pip install -e .
The -e flag means that this is an editabl version of the Clawpack code (rather than installing the original version in the site-packages directory).
If you want to use the Fortran versions in classic, amrclaw, geoclaw, etc., you need to set environment variables and proceed as described at Set environment variables.
Following the instructions above gives you a top level $CLAW directory that is checked out to the tip of the master branch, and each subrepository will be checked out to a particular commit as specified by this master branch. For development work, You probably want to check out each subrepository to the master branch as well. The shell script $CLAW/pull_all.sh can be used to do this for all subrepositories (or look at this file to see how to do it more selectively). At a shell prompt, type:
which will check out master on each repository and then do a git pull to make sure it is up to date. If you do this shortly after cloning all the repositories, they should all have been up to date already.
The script pull_all.sh can be used at any time to check out all subrepositories to master and do a git pull. This is handy if you want to make sure your version of master is up to date in every repository.
You should first make sure that you do not have uncommitted changes in any repository that might conflict with the git checkout master or git pull commands. You can do this easily with the command:
and then check the files claw_git_status.txt and claw_git_diffs.txt, which summarize the status of each subrepository.
You should never commit to master, only to a feature branch, so the master branch should always reflect what’s in the master branch on the primary Github repositories.
You can update master to reflect any changes via the above approach (for all subrepositories at once), or do git checkout master and then git pull within any of the subrepositories separately.
If you plan to make changes and issue pull requests to one or more repositories, you will need to do the following steps for each such repository:
Go to http://github.com/clawpack and fork the repository to your own Github account. (Click on the repository name and then the Fork button at the top of the screen.)
Add a remote pointing to your repository. For example, if you have forked the amrclaw repository to account username, you would do:
cd amrclaw git remote add username firstname.lastname@example.org:username/amrclaw.git
provided you have ssh keys set up, or else:
git remote add username htpps://github.com/username/amrclaw.git
if you don’t mind having to type your password whenever you push or pull.
You should push only to this remote, not to origin, e.g.:
git push username
You might also want to clone some or all of the following repositories:
- https://github.com/clawpack/doc (documentation)
- https://github.com/clawpack/apps (To collect applications)
- https://github.com/clawpack/regression (Regression tests)
- https://github.com/clawpack/clawpack-4.x (Previous versions, 4.6)
These are not brought over by cloning the top clawpack super-repository. You can get one of these in read-only mode by doing, e.g.:
git clone git://github.com/clawpack/doc.git
Then go through the above steps to add your own fork as a remote if you plan to modify code and issue pull requests.
Note: The git://github.com... form of specifying a remote clones the repository in a form that does not allow pushing to it (unlike the email@example.com:... or https://github.com... forms). This is good practic so you do not accidently try to push to the main clawpack repository rather than to your own fork.
Before making changes, make sure master is up to date:
git checkout master git pull
Then create a new branch based on master for any new commits:
git checkout -b new_feature master
Now make changes, add and commit them, and then push to your own fork:
# make some changes # git add the modified files git commit -m "describe the changes" git push username new_feature
If you want these changes pulled into master, you can issue a pull request from the github page for your fork of this repository (make sure to select the correct branch of your repository).
Note: If you accidentally commit to master rather than creating a feature branch first, you can easily recover:
git checkout -b new_feature
will create a new branch based on the current state and history (including your commits to master) and you can just continue adding additional commits.
The only problem is your master branch no longer agrees with the history on Github and you want to throw away the commits you made to master. The easiest way to do this is just to make sure you’re on a different branch, e.g.,
git checkout new_feature
git branch -D master git checkout -b master origin/master
This deletes your local branch named master and recreates a branch with the same name based on origin/master, which is what you want.
Before issuing a pull request, you should make sure you have not broken anything:
Make sure you are up to date with master:
git checkout master git pull
If this does not say “Already up-to-date” then you might want to rebase your modified code onto the updated master. With your feature branch checked out, you can see what newer commits have been added to master via:
git checkout new_feature git log HEAD..master
If your new feature can be added on to the updated master, you can rebase:
git rebase master
which gives a cleaner history than merging the branches.
Run the appropriate regression tests. If you have modified code in pyclaw or riemann, then you should run the pyclaw tests. First, if you have modified any Fortran code, you need to recompile:
cd clawpack/ pip install -e .
Then run the tests:
cd pyclaw nosetests
If any tests fail, you should fix them before issuing a pull request.
To issue a pull request (PR), go to the Github page for your fork of the repository in question, select the branch from which you want the pull request to originate, and then click the Pull Request button.
To test out someone else’s pull request, follow these instructions: For example, if you want to try out a pull request coming from a branch named bug-fix from user rjleveque to the master branch of the amrclaw repository, you would do:
cd $CLAW/amrclaw # (and make sure you don't have uncommitted changes) git checkout master git pull # to make sure you are up to date git checkout -b rjleveque-bug-fix master git pull https://github.com/rjleveque/amrclaw.git bug-fix
This puts you on a new branch of your own repository named rjleveque-bug-fix that has the proposed changes pulled into it.
Once you are done testing, you can get rid of this branch via:
git checkout master git branch -D rjleveque-bug-fix
The top level clawpack repository keeps track of what versions of the subrepositories work well together.
If you make pull requests in two different repositories that are linked, say to both pyclaw and riemann, then you should also push these changes to the top-level clawpack repository and issue a PR for this change:
cd $CLAW # top-level clawpack repository git checkout master git pull git checkout -b pyclaw-riemann-changes git add pyclaw riemann git commit -m "Cross-update pyclaw and riemann." git push username pyclaw-riemann-changes
Pyflakes and Pylint are Python packages designed to help you catch errors or poor coding practices. To run pylint on the whole PyClaw package, do:
cd $PYCLAW pylint -d C pyclaw
The -d option suppresses a lot of style warnings, since PyClaw doesn’t generally conform to PEP8. To run pylint on just one module, use something like:
pylint -d C pyclaw.state
Since pylint output can be long, it’s helpful to write it to an html file and open that in a web browser:
pylint -d C pyclaw.state -f html > pylint.html
Pyflakes is similar to pylint but aims only to catch errors. If you use Vim, there is a nice extension package pyflakes.vim that will catch errors as you code and underline them in red.
You can use nose to see how much of the code is covered by the current suite of tests and track progress if you add more tests
nosetests --with-coverage --cover-package=pyclaw --cover-html
This creates a set of html files in ./cover, showing exactly which lines of code have been tested.
If you are having trouble installing or building Clawpack try out some of the following tips:
- Check to see if you have set the environment variable FFLAGS which may be overriding flags that need to be set. This is especially important to check when building the PyClaw fortran libraries as a number of flags must be set for the Python bindings and will override the defaults.
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Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts. Andrew Robinson. 352 pp. McGraw-Hill, 2002. $34.95.
As longtime literary editor of the Times Higher Education Supplement in London, Andrew Robinson is well able to interpret the arcana of scientific discoveries for the general public. In Lost Languages, he explains the principles of three famous decipherments and applies the insights gained to an understanding of several undeciphered scripts—Linear A, the Etruscan alphabet, the Phaistos disc, and the Meroitic, Proto-Elamite, rongorongo, Zapotec, Isthmian and Indus scripts.
Robinson shows successful decipherments to have been breakthroughs in a process of mistakes, false starts and genuine insights. Although the decipherers were indebted to earlier researchers, they often were investigating against the received wisdom of their time.
Jean-François Champollion, who "cracked" the code of Egyptian hieroglyphs in 1823, was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the Rosetta Stone, which presented a text in three languages: Egyptian hieroglyphic, Egyptian demotic and Greek. He could translate the Greek, and his knowledge of Coptic enabled him to equate each name in the Greek text with a cartouche (a small group of hieroglyphs enclosed in an oval ring) on the stone and to work out a true decipherment.
Michael Ventris, who deciphered the Minoan Linear B script in 1952, had to use logical analysis. He thought at first that the language of Linear B (now dated to c. 1450 b.c., two or three centuries before the Trojan War and 600 to 700 years before the earliest-known inscriptions in classical Greek) might "correspond . . . closely to Etruscan." Alice Kober had identified patterns in Linear B—five groups of words with three words in each group—that Ventris called "triplets." Kober had thought these were declensions, but Ventris guessed that each triplet reproduced the name for a Cretan town and the male and female residents of the town. He was then able to apply new phonetic values for the signs in those names to fresh words on the Linear B tablets and obtain recognizable archaic Greek words. After Ventris announced his discoveries on British Broadcasting Corporation radio, Carl Blegen supplied the clinching evidence, successfully using Ventris's proposed phonetic values to read a Linear B tablet from Pylos that Ventris had never seen.
Decipherment of the Mayan glyphs proceeded from logical reconstruction. Recognition of the signs for numbers permitted equating them with dates of the Mayan calendar. A sign list compiled as a sort of "alphabet" in the 16th century by Fray Diego de Landa, a Franciscan friar who served as bishop of Yucatán, was incorrect in some of its interpretations but offered a number of useful clues. In 1952, Yuri Knorozov was the first to suggest that the glyphs were phonetic symbols. Later in the decade, Tatiana Proskouriakoff hypothesized that a set of sculpted inscriptions from Guatemala depicted rulers of Piedras Negras, along with the ruler's birth date and date of accession, and it became obvious that Mayan monuments recorded history. Eventually it was recognized that Maya scribes mixed phonetics with logograms (whole-word semantic symbols such as "+" or "&") in unpredictable ways.
Four examples of the undeciphered scripts illustrate the contents of the book, which presents eight mysteries in all. The Kingdom of Kush, whose principal city was ancient Meroe, on the banks of the Nile in what is now Sudan, employed Egyptian hieroglyphs in its script as late as the first century a.d., and sometimes they appeared alongside Meroitic hieroglyphs. Francis Llewellyn Griffith of the University of Oxford was able between 1909 and 1911 to draw up a Meroitic "alphabet" with phonetic values. But since then, using bilingual Egyptian/Meroitic texts, it has been possible to figure out the meaning of only 26 words; further progress has been stymied. It appears that the likeliest line of investigation will be to compare signs with the vocabulary and structure of African languages now spoken in the area.
Etruscan deceives. Its decipherment seems to be within reach—there are a fair number of inscriptions, written in a modified Greek alphabet, that scholars can read but in large part do not understand. Some words for place names and characters in mythology are known; Etruscan mirrors show recognizable scenes from mythology, with characters labeled.
Linear A, undeciphered, tantalizes, because about 80 percent of its signs resemble those of Linear B. Its system of numerals seems to be fairly clear: On several tablets, a term for "total" appears at the bottom of a tablet that includes a series of numbers. The numbers add up to the total given, instilling confidence that we understand at least these units. Attempts to show that Linear A represents a known language of the Aegean world, however, have not been successful. All but a few scholars agree that the language of Linear A cannot be Greek, and the idea that it represents a Semitic language has been rejected by nearly everyone. An Anatolian language (perhaps Lycian) remains a possibility.
Sanskrit and early Dravidian, the ancient languages of India, seem to be the keys to deciphering the highly challenging script of the Indus Valley civilization of the third millennium b.c. in what is now Pakistan and northwest India. As with other languages, a photographic corpus of drawings, a sign list and a concordance must be compiled before decipherment will be possible. Work has proceeded along these lines for inscriptions on some 3,700 objects from the Indus Valley, most of them seal stones with very brief inscriptions (the longest has only 26 characters).
As Ventris once noted, before Champollion the oldest known languages were Greek, Latin and Hebrew, all preserved in records that date back only to 600 b.c. The decipherments of the 19th and 20th centuries have expanded our knowledge of the use of writing to represent human speech. The logical analysis employed in attempts to decipher ancient scripts contributes significantly to our understanding of literacy in all of its ramifications. Robinson's descriptions of such analysis, and his accounts of both successful and unsuccessful decoding attempts, are clear, provocative and stimulating.—William C. West, Classics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Decision Support Systems (DSS) is a powerful tool, for facilitates researchers to choose the correct decision based on their final results. Especially in medical cases where doctors could use these systems, to overcome the problem with the clinical misunderstanding. Based on these systems, queries must be constructed based on the particular questions that doctors must answer. In this work, combination between questions and queries would be presented via relational algebra.
|Title of host publication||Informatics Empowers Healthcare Transformation|
|Number of pages||3|
|Publication status||Published - 2017|
|Name||Studies in Health Technology and Informatics|
- decision support systems
- relational algebra
- spatial chartography
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Project DescriptionTHE ARCHITECT'S STATEMENT:
The process of discovery is by definition dynamic and changeable. As such, it requires a dynamic and changeable space, and one that supports both the inspired efforts of the lone researcher and the collaboration of an interdisciplinary team. This definition was instrumental in the design of the Research and Development Laboratory Building. The spaces inside the building are themselves tools for discovery,created to accommodate the evolving nature of research and enable scientists to bring ideas to life and to
market. The facility is home for high-tech equipment and modular spaces that can be customized to specific projects and adapted for future needs. The end result is a facility that supports the entrepreneurial spirit that leads to groundbreaking and life-enhancing discoveries.
The Research and Development Laboratory Building expands space for the client’s research and development division and addresses their need for additional space. The facility is designed to accommodate new technologies that help them expand their research and development capacity. The expansion supports the organization’s mission to shape the future of agriculture and to conduct research that feeds the world.
The project team was guided by four goals that drove the facility’s design:
1. Collaboration. The client has a collaborative work process that the new facility promotes and caters towards. The new facility creates a dynamic energy among employees and promotes a sense of community that reflects the collective work flow of the organization. The design is intended to attract new employees and top researchers.
2. Innovation. Innovation is the foundation of their research and development vision. The new facility fosters learning and discovery and links technology and innovation to their processes.
3. Inspiration. The discoveries that are made in this building have an impact on people throughout the world. The new facility promotes the health of their staff and maintains their passion and drive to support their work. The new facility will also reflect the organization’s global purpose and responsibility by being sustainable.
4. Adaptation. The research and development field is ever changing and the new facility reflects and accommodates that change. This new facility serves as a building block for growth.
The building is two stories and connects to an existing research and development building that supports 160 new employees in a state of the art Biotech/Bio Processing lab environment. The lab and support spaces occupy approximately 110,000 of the nearly 200,000 square feet in the new building. Additionally, a new 14,000 square foot greenhouse expansion was added to the existing greenhouses on campus. The greenhouse features a sophisticated control system that heats and cools the space, provides shading and delivers watering and fertilization. Plant growth lighting is able to be raised and lowered to allow a variety of plant research and growth.
In addition to the lab space, the design team created an open office design that promotes collaboration among employees. The design features wood veneer, stone, tile and decorative lighting to move away from traditional institutional design. The wood used in the interior of the building is from a reclaimed barn that pays homage to the organization’s agricultural heritage and past. The new addition is connected to the existing building by a landscaped courtyard.
The exterior of the new building compliments the existing architectural vocabulary on the campus. The project team’s design grows the material palette, while staying true to the “state-of-the-art” styling that is manifested in the client’s existing facilities and brand.
The laboratory spaces were designed with flexibility and adaptability in mind to easily accommodate future changes in technology and research pursuits. This is specifically accomplished using a modular physical environment. Systematic and modular laboratory bays allow the building’s floor plan to change depending on the department or function.
The system also has an integrated window system that allows residual day lighting to filter further into the internal lab and building spaces. This helps facilitate user productivity in these spaces and allows collaboration spaces to be moved from the perimeter of the building closer to the laboratory spaces. This encourages the users to use these spaces and collaborate with their peers.
The facility is LEED certified and further strengthens the client’s commitment to the environment and their role as an innovator in their market.
their role as an innovator in their market.
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One of Jack Kirby's new series created for DC Comics in 1972, The Demon was a creature called Etrigan, created by the powerful sorcerer Merlin at the fall of King Arthur's Kingdom of Camelot. As the evil Morgan LeFey overran the castle, Merlin unleashed a demon from hell to defend the realm, though the creature was doomed to defeat by LeFay's overwhelming forces. Placing a spell on Etrigan causing him to transform into a human, Etrigan lived on through the succeeding centuries to present day Gotham City. Now under the name of Jason Blood, our hero was unaware of his alter ego until he fell under a spell that transforming him once again into The Demon. At first Blood despised his demonic self wanting to destroy it, but eventually he tried to integrate the two personalities with disappointing results. As Jason Blood's human side grew colder and less humane, the demonic side grew more intelligent and ruthless. Fighting Morgan LeFay and other supernatural menaces, The Demon is different from his family in Hell choosing to defend humanity from mystical threats probably due to Blood's humanizing influence. Being superhuman strong and agile, the creature can often case spells, breathing fire as he speaks his weird rhyming verse that has a macabre effect on his listeners. So when evil forces threaten our world, Blood calls upon the horrible Demon to fight once again.
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|
en
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Forgetting is important part of learning process.
There are three major positive outcome of forgetting:
Imagine: you were asked: “What is the name of your best friend?”.
Let’s pretend that:
- Your brain remembers everything.
- In different periods of your life you had different friends.
In this case your brain will pick up several names instead of one. As a result:
Let’s pretend now that your brain gradually forgets old information. That is the brain still remembers all friends, but remembrances about old friends require some mental concentration.
In this case the brain will return exact answer (for the question “What is the name of your best friend?”).
Resume: forgetting helps to find exact answer.
Let’s pretend that John Doe is 30 years old now (2003 year). So his brain keeps this information (“I’m 30 years old”).
What will happen if you ask John about his age today? Most probably John will say “I’m 30 years old”.
What will happen if you ask John about his age 10 years later (2013 year)? Will John answer that he “is 30 years old”? Most probably – he will not. At 2013 John will forget that he “is 30 years old” and will remember that he “is 40 years old”.
Resume: forgetting helps to easily update obsolete information.
Memory Cleaner routine is run on regular basis.
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<urn:uuid:fb2eb07a-d3b6-438c-98c6-ff295f1fcf65>
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CC-MAIN-2017-04
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http://www.dennisgorelik.com/ai/Forgetting.htm
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en
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Country of Origin
United States. The Mountain Feist is also known as Treeing Feist.
The weight of an adult Mountain Feist ranges between
10-30 pounds and will reach a height between 10-22 inches.
The Mountain Feist has a short, smooth coat. It can comes in a variety of colors including red and white, blue and white, black and tan, red brindle, red, black, white, and tricolor with spots.
The Mountain Feist is energetic and high spirited. Used for Squirrel hunting as well as rabbits, birds and other small game.
The Mountain Feist is loving a loving dog who enjoys hunting and spending time with it's owner.
The Mountain Feist is easy to groom. They require an occassional brushing and/or combing to remove dead hairs. Bathe only when necessary.
The Mountain Feist is an intelligent dog who has a natural hunting ability. Consistent training and early socialization is important.
The Mountain Feist is highly energetic and requires daily exercise. If they are not out hunting and/or exploring, they enjoy a long walk or jog.
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CC-MAIN-2017-04
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http://www.puppyfind.com/mountain+feist.php
|
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|
en
| 0.940662
| 235
| 1.671875
| 2
|
Many of our area non-profits have opportunities to get involved. Whether it is employment or volunteer opportunities, visit this page often to stay up to date on these needs in our community.
Dolores Public Library: DPL is looking for a new Library Board Member. The board meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of the month for approximately 1.5 hours. Additional time is required to review materials before the monthly meeting. Individual Board members may also spend time promoting Library functions, working on draft documents, and providing support to the Library Director.
Interested individuals need to live within the boundaries of the Library district, which is almost identical to the Dolores school district. They must also be able to attend the Board meetings, but remote attendance is allowed. The term of office begins in March and lasts for three years. Contact Diana Donohue, Library Director, 970-882-4127.
Friends of Recreation: Friends of Recreation (FOR) is looking to recruit new board members.
What does Friends of Rec do?
1. Offer scholarships to the Cortez Rec Center for low income families.
2. Raise funds for the scholarships through a raffle, rec center paving stones, and in the past a triathlon.
3. If funding is available, host additional recreation activities/classes for our community.
The FOR board meets quarterly for an hour over lunch.
Four Corners Child Advocacy Center: Join quilters, crocheters, seamstresses, and knitters from across the United States in bringing comfort to children in the Four Corners area suffering from abuse. Blankets donated are given to children who receive services from the Center, and the hours spent sewing, quilting, crocheting or knitting are used for a grant match from the Victims of Crime Act. For more information, visit their website or join their Facebook group.
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https://onwardfoundation.org/Site/?page_id=394
|
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| 0.940385
| 396
| 1.539063
| 2
|
“Aravot” carries excerpts from an interview given by Robert Kocharian to a Russian newspaper in 1998 shortly after he became president. Kocharian complained in it that the Armenian opposition was unable to achieve any changes in Armenia under his predecessor Levon Ter-Petrosian. “I think this is a more than dangerous situation,” he said at the time. “The entire opposition must be in the parliament not in jail or underground.” The opposition should also be able to control newspapers and television stations, he added. “If the head of state does not give the opposition such an opportunity, a social explosion is inevitable.”
According to “Aravot,” Kocharian has done precisely what he complained about in the past five years. The paper says Kocharian closed down the A1+ television exactly one year ago in order to get reelected “without a headache.”
“Orran,” also commenting on the anniversary of the shutdown, describes the move as a “calculated conspiracy against democracy.” The paper says the reopening of A1+ is “not realistic” because the authorities are scared of any criticism.
In an interview with “Ayb-Fe,” a newspaper published by the A1+ staff, the deputy speaker of the parliament, Tigran Torosian, admits that the channel’s closure was a “loss” for the Armenian media. But he says that would not have happened if “all parties” involved in the controversy had not politicized the issue.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” reports that many opposition politicians in Armenia are “in despair” these days because they feel that they can not find solutions to their grievances by legal means. “Robert Kocharian is creating a political system in Armenia where there is no room for the opposition,” the paper says in a commentary titled “The opposition feels disdained.”
“Azg” comments that as next month’s parliamentary elections approach Kocharian will be faced with a daunting task of satisfying conflicting ambitions of the two pro-presidential parties: Dashnaktsutyun and the HHK. “He will have to reckon with them and distribute cabinet seats in a way that will not leave anyone unhappy,” the paper says. “Otherwise, inner-government differences will become inevitable, which could lead to a serious government crisis or even regime change under strong opposition pressure.”
“Yerkir” calls for the abolition of a legal provision guaranteeing parliament deputies immunity from prosecution. “For many people the parliament has become a shelter for avoiding responsibility for past and future acts incompatible with the law,” the paper argues.
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CC-MAIN-2017-04
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|
en
| 0.970497
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| 1.554688
| 2
|
Last week there was a news story posted on SnoWest.com that looked at the EPA's four-gallon minimum mandate at the gas stations. The intent of the mandate was to avoid a situation where someone pumping E10 fuel in a small container doesn't get stuck with E15 fuel that is left in the gas hose.
There are a couple of issues that gets swept under the rug with this EPA proposal.
First, does the EPA have a right to mandate a minimum amount of fuel purchased? Could they mandate that you only fuel your vehicle with 10 gallons of fuel? Or 18 gallons? Maybe they can mandate a maximum amount you can purchase. Is it even any business of the EPA how much fuel you want to purchase?
Second, if E15 is harmful to small engines, why is the EPA pushing so hard to put more ethanol in the fuel? Why mandate a type of fuel that ruins certain engines? Why not just let the marketplace decide what types of fuel should be sold.
Perhaps the EPA is one of those federal agencies that over-step its power and authority in an effort to expand its bureaucracy.
Sometimes it's these little stories that shed light on bad things that lay in store.
View the Complete SnoWest Newsletter - October 4th 2012
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<urn:uuid:0bac2428-a350-464b-83d3-8330612b72e7>
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CC-MAIN-2017-04
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http://www.snowest.com/2012/10/snowest-newsletter-october-4th-2012
|
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|
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| 0.95839
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| 2.09375
| 2
|
South Carolina and Federal laws both protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination in the workplace. Such laws provide equal opportunities for persons in Sumter with disabilities to obtain employment and advance in their profession of choice. Employers are required by disbility laws to make reasonable accomodations for disabled persons to execute their tasks.
South Carolina Employment for the Disabled
Discriminating against the disabled is prohibited by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), whether the employer is a government agency or a private employer. In South Carolina, employers are not allowed to consider a person's disability when making decisions regarding hiring, job positions, or advancement opportunities.
As long as the costs are reasonable, Sumter employers are required to provide workers who have disabilities with any special equipment they require for completing tasks. Employers are also prohibited under the act from discrimination based on a person's relation to someone with a disability or special needs.
When do I need an Attorney in Sumter?
Numerous lawyers in Sumter specialize in employment laws dealing with individuals with disabilities. Consulting with an attorney may help you decide how to proceed when difficulties arise.
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THE OLD AZTECS AND THEIR LEGENDS OF THE AGAVE
The old civilisations of South and Central America had so many mysterious way to express the secrets of nature or to hide them in forever riddle for the modern world. We can witness that all what the pharmacy nowadays is sharing with us has actually origin in the ancient cultures and their discoveries, to heal or to destroy. Everything is somehow connected and has some logic that we all try to understand but still with no real success.
I have never been really interested in the history of alcoholic beveriges or to taste them but then I met Miguel, a friend from Mexico, who was so proud of Mexican famous liquor, Tequila. For me, as an explorer, it was nothing really inviting about that drink that I didn’t try yet but for Miguel, the 38-year-old man from Acapulco, Tequila was the part of Mexican identity, no matter if you are into drinking or not. As he said, the Tequila has its own story and legend that captured the hearts of Mexican people.
Did you know that Tequila has roots in the Aztecs mythology ? Not directly but definitely through the famous agave plant, that is used for producing the Tequila. According to that legend, the agave plant has been created as the gift from Gods to the humans, to comfort devastated human hearts, after losing someone they loved. It all started with the sad end of the love destiny between Quetzalcoatl, the “Feathered Serpent” and the granddaughter of the evil goddess, Mayahuel, also known as the goddess of fertility. Quetzalcoatl wanted to fight evil spirit of Tzintzimitl but instead of killing her, he found the love of his life, took her to the Earth and tried to live away from the revengeful goddess from the darkness. When they didn’t manage to find a right shelter, they have turned themselves into the trees but the bad spirit found them and killed the beloved Mayahuel. The broken Quetzalcoatl killed the Tzintzimitl but he never could heal his heart and soul, without not being with Mayahuel. The good spirits from the Sky decided to give him some kind of comfort and as he always had visited the grave of his love, they created the plant over there that began to grow and lonely Quetzalcoatl could drink the elixir and find some kind of peace, during his rest days on the Earth. The other myths are pretty much similar and they all are based on the important figure in the Aztecs religion, Mayahuel, that has been worshiped as the goddess of fertility and also as the goddess of maguey or agave plant.
Now, what is so special about agave plant that is even noted in the writing of Aztecs ? The wise people believe that Mayhuel or “The Woman of 400 Breasts”, invented the different magic effects of agave plant and created the pulque, the specific beverage or some kind of predecessor of the agave-based drinks, usually known today like mezcal and tequila:“The primary difference between the three spirits is the species of maguey plant used. Additionally, pulque is not distilled. Instead, the aquamiel (literally “honey water”, or sap of the plant) is allowed to naturally ferment in a process similar to making wine. Pulque continues to have spiritual and sometimes medicinal customs associated with it. For instance, some people believe that a man who has not produced sons can harvest six plants, drink the pulque elixir made from it, and his next child will be a boy. Women also drink a pulque elixir to aid menstruation and lactation and it’s believed to be an aphrodisiac.Not as widely available today as mezcal and tequila, you generally can only find pulque in certain areas of Mexico. It has an interesting texture that is completely different than the distilled spirits. Pure pulque is uncured and pulque curado is cured pulque, which is typically mixed with fruits that are intended to make it more palatable.”
The agave plant is not a cactus but succulent from the lily family. The heart of agave or piña is harvested to be used in producing drinks. The experts for this inform that agave heart could be only taken when ripe, usually between 7-14 years and only sometimes, even takes up between 20-40 years. After the heart is taken, the plant dies. Nevertheless, there is some misunderstanding, especially talking about two categories: tequila vs. mezcal. You only need to know that all tequilas are mezcal but not all mezcals are tequilas.
How we can know that ? The tequila could be only produced in the certain states of Mexico,regulated by Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT): Jalisco, Nayarit, Guanajuato, Michoacán and Tamaulipas. The Jalisco is very famous since it has Highlands and Lowlands. For tequila, it is only one agave plant allowed and approved: Agave tequiliana Weber or Blue Agave, in 51%, at least. The rest could be the blends. The name itself comes from the town in the middle of the state Jalisco, the state that is the king of 99% of produces tequilas.
On the other side, mezcal could be produced in the following states: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Durango, Tamaulipas, and recently added Michoacán. If it is not produced there, it is fake. The agave plant could be divided into 24 different types and it is almost like in the wine production and grapes. In the nature, this master of evolution, has even 252 different species. From those adapted for production, each flavour gives another beverage. Espadín is the most common agave used, but arroqueño, barril, tepextate, tobalá are also on the list and frequently taken into the liquor production consideration.
Even the process of getting the heart of the agave plant has some kind of spiritual meaning. The piña is extracted and the leaves are shaved off by the jimadores (local farmers) that use a coa, that is similar to hoe. Then, there is a transport of those piñas that goes by trucks but with the problems on the road, coming from monkeys that are interested in those agave hearts. Once when they reach distillery, the sacred work could bee started. Do not forget that harvesting time is year-round which is not in the case of grapes, that could be only taken in the fall.
The further processing of the piñas or cooking is actually how we know if there will be produced tequilas or mezcals. The formula for tequilas is to keep traditional ovens ( hornos) on slow-roasting the piñas for 3 days. In mass-production, there are automatised ovens that manage it( for larger brands) up to 12 hours. The mezcals are being born from the ground oven, when the piñas are slow-roasted for several days, using wood fire, covered with banana leaves and soil, to get the smoky flavour.
For any kind of agave spirit, you need to crush the juice from the cooked agaves. This is so called honey water or aguamiel, then comes fermentation and distillaton.
When we discuss only tequilas, it is good to know that pure is one always with 100% Blue Agave and no additives, but the law allows up to 1% of the different additives for a flavour paradise: “including caramel extract (for color), glycerine (for a smoother mouthfeel), oak-extract (for an aged taste), and sugar-based syrups (which can provide just about any flavor you like.”
I found awesome that Mexico is the only country allowed to produce tequilas and this is for Mexicans a national drink, pride and the symbol of freedom after winning independence from Spain, in 1821.
There are more tequila styles and we can learn about: Silver/White/Blanco – sweet flavour of the blue agave, bottled immediately after distillation ( Familia Camarena Silver Tequila, El Sativo Blanco, Pueblo Viejo Blanco, Jose Cuervo Tradicional Plata, and 1800 Silver); Reposado – aged in a wooden barrels for at least 2 months, for a golden colour and aged taste ( Lunazul Reposado, Corralejo Tequila Reposado, Ayate Reposado, or Calle 23 Reposado.); Gold/Oro– silver tequilas blended with aged tequilas or with caramel colouring, oak extract or sugar syrup ( usually for cocktails); Añejo– aged for a one year, minimum in the oak barrels to get amber colour ( Tres Agaves Añejo, Codigo 1530 Añejo, Corralejo Añejo, and Tequila Tapatio Añejo.); Extra Añejo/Ultra Añejo– aged for 3 years in oak barrels (Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Family Extra Añejo.)
If you get it to drink it, the best way is like they do in Mexico, without lime and salt. This shouldn’t lead you to the alcoholic madness but to the joy of digging into the ancient Aztecs book of delicious recipes and drinks, given from gods. There are so many untold tales, mystical formulas and the alchemy solutions that are making me always even more in love with ancient cultures in South American continent. The brilliant history of agave plant and its deep meaning for Mexicans is not just considered in the tequilas but in the whole narration that has been born once when the human heart cried for the lover that died.
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Leave urban pools for dust and open your doors to the world of wild swimming – Top End style. All you need is confidence, four wheels and a hearty dash of wanderlust. (By Jennifer Pinkerton)
Breast-stroking through blue emerald bliss, the sun clips something ahead of me in the water. Glistening in the late afternoon light, the object looks lumpy, green and as long as a school ruler.
Is it moving? It’s moving. I move. Croc. Head. My blood pressure punches skywards as I rocket over to dry land like a mechanical puffer fish. “Paaaaaul!”
But there’s no one around to witness this riot of anxiety – least of all Paul. He’s holding our five-month-old baby, waiting for me at the other end of this stream’s loop.
His words to me as I set off on my swim were these: “It’ll go against every instinct you have, but keep swimming the whole way round until you get to the footbridge.”
‘Every instinct’ refers to the decidedly croc-ish vibe of a winding waterhole so beautiful it could well rob heaven of its title should the two places do battle.
Bitter Springs, 420 kilometres south of Darwin, lies tucked inside the frond-filled Elsey National Park. If ever there were a ‘wild swim’, this one fits the bill. Remote. Check.
Adventurous. Check. An added hint of danger. Yikes, yes, check. This dip forms the first stop on our quest to plunge inside a handful of the Northern Territory’s prettiest remote waterholes – an idea inspired by a growing swimming movement of which I’ve recently caught wind.
Wild swimming, as it’s been dubbed, emerged in the United Kingdom about a decade ago with the formation of the Outdoor Swimming Society.
Lamenting a rise in indoor pool culture and a decline in ‘swimming under an open sky’, proponents believe that chlorinated, fenced-in swimming robs the activity of its spiritual qualities.
These include swimming’s capacity to connect us with wilderness, induce joy, help us to lose track of time and dream in sync with water’s breaths, currents and tides.
After all, swimming finds its roots in the exploration of rivers, oceans, waterfalls and beyond, wild swimmers say – not in concrete-lined urban pools.
As the society’s Robert MacFarlane puts it: “To enter wild water is to cross a border. You pass the lake’s edge, the sea’s shore, the river’s brink – and you break the surface of the water itself. In doing so, you move from one realm into another: a realm of freedom, adventure, magic, and occasionally of danger.”
In more recent times, the movement has backstroked across oceans and found a foothold in Australia. Our nation is arguably a more suitable hot bed for wild swimming than is the UK, owing to the heat, our varied landscapes and the greater proliferation of waterfalls.
The first local book on the topic, Wild Swimming Sydney, landed on shelves in late 2015 and, simultaneously, websites sprung up to help Aussies locate wild swims the map over.
Bitter Springs is listed on new site Wild Swimming Australia, yet at the time of writing, the location’s entry remains unpenned. Perhaps it should read ‘croc-infested’. Or should it?
That lump hasn’t moved, and soon enough I’m convinced the object in question is more logodile than crocodile. I dive back into the springs and meander through the remaining loop. Here, the stream thins to a tight corridor.
A wall of tall, luminescent green reeds lines one side of the bank, while bursts of pandanus stretch crooked limbs over the water’s surface from the other side.
Two finches, the size of shot glasses, take turns dipping into the stream ahead of me. They flutter their wings in the springs, making a staccato sound akin to a mini propeller.
My mind switches to rancho relaxo mode, and as the 34ºC waters flick at my feet, any residual croc fear dissolves.
With the birds now behind me, I spot Paul on the footbridge in the distance. I freestyle the final stretch and unleash a babble of excited gibberish upon exiting the water.
He reassures me that all NT public waterholes are vigilantly monitored for crocs by parks staff. Armed with that knowledge, wild brumbies can’t keep me from dashing past palm trees to swim the loop again – on repeat until sunset.
After a night bedding down in the village of Mataranka, we amble north up the Stuart Highway to Katherine. Spotting a colourful sign, which we’ll later find out is designed by artist Ben Quilty, we’re lured into the Finch Cafe for some spiced lentil, roasted cauliflower, yoghurt and hazelnut salad, plus a pot of locally made bush tea.
As we hail from Darwin, we’re well accustomed with NT friendliness, but Katherine takes our city to the cleaners in this regard.
The cafe’s owner Phoebe cheerily asks where we’re headed today and invites us back that evening when the Finch kicks off its heels and morphs into the Gouldian Bar. Regrettably, we decline. We have our next wild swim to conquer, after all.
Nitmiluk National Park
Nitmiluk National Park is a whistling kite’s flight from Katherine – a 30-kilometre putt up the road. Here, our water-borne adventure starts at the first of a series of 13 gorges and ends at the expansive eighth gorge.
We amble into the visitor’s centre and enquire about the walking trail that’ll lead us there.
“Watch out for buffalos and wild pigs,” warns parks officer Megan. “They’ve been spotted hanging around.”
My hair shoots from my scalp like a nest of frightened snakes. “They usually avoid people, but just keep an eye out, stick to the trail and stay still if you spot any of the animals milling about,” she says.
I gulp as we later step over dark blobs scattered among the dried-out creek bed leading down to the eighth gorge. Wild pig dung. I freeze and scan for predators. None in sight.
Yet I remain on high alert as we arc our way over rock shelves and tumble through a run of lush rainforest before reaching our home for the night.
While our campground is set high on a sandy embankment, a nearby lookout ledge reveals a stunning sight. “Quick! Come check this out!” hollers Paul.
I bolt over to witness the view. It doesn’t disappoint. Imagine an Australian Game of Thrones set. Cliffs, around 40 metres high, blush in tones of pink, bronze and rose.
Between them ebbs a rippling, glassy stretch of indigo water. Sandy banks rise on the gorge’s opposite side. And a swim-out spot directly below features low-bending trees that hang a canopy over a shallow, crystal clear pool. We feel as though we’ve stumbled on some sort of dreamland – a water world unto itself.
For the rest of the day, we swim to neighbouring gorges; fall asleep inside shadows when the sun burns its brightest; and we follow the prettiest-grasshopper-that-ever-was as it leaps over black boulders near the water’s edge.
Its multi-toned blue wings flash technicolour as it flits out of view. We note its bright pink legs and purple feet. Yet later, we can’t locate the insect in any Top End fauna guide.
Perhaps this gorge really is an alternate universe, more delightfully unpredictable than any hotel suite or designer pool we’re likely to encounter.
True to the Outdoor Swimming Society’s manifesto, our two wilderness swims have connected us with the untamed, cranked open our imaginations and immersed us fully in the present.
Umbrawarra Gorge Nature Park
Final stop: the gentle Umbrawarra Gorge Nature Park, 140 kilometres north of Nitmiluk.
“This’ll be like a ‘nightcap’ wild swim – something to ease us back into civilisation,” I suggest to Paul, who nods in agreement from the driver’s seat.
With croc, buffalo and pig danger now artfully dodged, this nature park makes for a gentle wind down.
On the short walk from the parking area to the gorge, eucalyptus leaves hang from tree branches like Christmas decorations. The nearby stream reflects its surrounds with photographic clarity.
Finally, our party of three rounds the path’s final bend. In the same vein as the eighth gorge had done, Umbrawarra Gorge reveals itself like a mini kingdom.
There’s a beach, a run of sand, towering cliffs and jade-toned, rippling water. The latter beckons.
We’re alone. And as Paul takes our son to explore the gorge’s outer nooks, I’m alone again, too. I’m edging two feet into the cool when a rainbow bee-eater bird flits past.
It dips its tail and breaks the water’s surface before returning to the sky. In the same breath, I feel everywhere and nowhere. I’m floating. I’m had. I’m wild swimming seduced.
Details: The Katherine region
Playing there: Wild swimming in the Top End is at its best and most accessible during the early dry season months of May to August.
Getting there: Catch the Ghan, fly or drive to Katherine, 320 kilometres south of Darwin. Elsey and Nitmiluk National Parks are 120 and 30 kilometres respectively from the township, while Umbrawarra Gorge is a 115-kilometre drive.
Staying there: Bed down in an architect-designed pavilion at the Aboriginal community of Beswick, 110 kilometres from Katherine. Ghunmarn Cultural Centre, Cameron Road, Beswick/Wugularr Community. Lovers of retro may opt for Mataranka Homestead, a budget stay that includes a settler-themed bar and resident peacocks. Homestead Road, Mataranka.
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Feeling Baby Move
When will I feel the baby move?
Most women feel their baby's first kicks between 16-22 weeks of pregnancy. Some women feel their baby kick earlier than that and some a little later.
First time moms usually don't notice their baby kicking until later; This is probably because they are just not sure what they are feeling or what to look out for.
What does it feel like?
Baby's first kicks are often described differently dependent on the woman. It may even feel differently from one pregnancy to another. Women have described baby's first kicks as feeling like a butterfly in their stomach, something wiggling in their belly, slight twitches, or popcorn.
In the beginning, you may feel the baby kicking several times in one day and then not feel the baby kick at all the next; This is normal.
Your baby's movements may seem sporadic at first but eventually your baby will get into a recognizable pattern of activity. Your baby will probably sleep whenever you are up and moving around and kick when you are relaxing, so don't worry if you've been active and haven't felt the baby move all day. Your movement rocks the baby to sleep; When you are resting, baby finally has the room to move around.
If you haven't felt the baby kick in awhile, You probably just haven't noticed it; That's especially true if you've been up and about during the day.
If you're worried about your baby's lack of movement, drink some juice, eat a snack, and lay down. This will give the baby a jump start of energy and encourage him or her to move around.
Your doctor or midwife may ask you to do “kick counts” during the end of your pregnancy. You should try to count 10 movements within 2 hours. Again, it's best to do this after you've had something to eat and while you are laying down in the evening.
If you notice a definite change in your baby's kicks and movements, call your doctor or midwife. They will most likely ask to see you and confirm that all is well with your baby.
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Content copyright © 2022 by Vanessa Pruitt. All rights reserved.
This content was written by Vanessa Pruitt. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact BellaOnline Administration for details.
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Changes to early voting are on the administrative and legislative calendar in many states and jurisdictions. A brief update from the mail bag:
- In Colorado, many counties have absentee ballot rates exceeding 70%. This was the threshold, by the way, that encouraged Oregon and Washington to move to full vote by mail. In Arapahoe County, less than 15% of the electorate is showing on up election day, and the county is contemplating a substantial reduction in precinct places, using election day vote centers instead. Officials estimate that they can reduce the number of election judges by 2/3.
- County clerk Kathy Neal, in Summit County IN, is proposing that all primaries and elections held in odd number years be conducted completely by mail. Neal expects this to result in a 25-30% cost savings by eliminating the need for election judges. Already , 40% of ballots come in via the mail in Sumit County.
- Pierce County, WA may finally have to move to full vote by mail elections, if a bill currently moving through the legislature passes and is signed by the governor. Part of the argument is fiscal: county auditor Julie Anderson estimates that the county spent $16.97 per precinct place vote (10,000 in 2010) vs. $6.88 per vote by mail ballot (135,000).
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Keywords: free riders, voluntary approaches, environmental concerns, information sharing, industrial ecology, strategic sustainable development
Free riders and environmental voluntary approaches
Voluntary Approaches (VAs) are commitments from industrial sectors and firms to improve environmental performance. At the heart of voluntary approaches is the degree of 'voluntariness' and therefore a high degree of consensus and cooperation among all parties to a voluntary approach is required. However, some firms refuse to 'volunteer' to participate in a VA and as such are termed as free riders. In a VA context free riding among firms can undermine the credibility of a VA, prevent targets from being achieved and ultimately can cause VAs to collapse. This paper using empirical evidence from the Irish packaging voluntary agreements examines free riders experiences. The findings illustrates in the absence of credible threats and real positive incentives that companies will free ride and they do undermine VA credibility. The paper concludes with key lessons and by arguing that consumer participation is critical to minimising free rider effects on VAs.
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"The Waltons’ money is limiting average Americans’ ability to go solar and control their own energy future," environmental group says
The Walton family—who, as heirs to the Walmart fortune, have more wealth than 42 percent of American families combined—are impeding the nation's transition to a clean energy future, a new study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) finds.
"The Waltons claim to have a deep commitment to sustainability, but their support for anti-solar initiatives tells a different story," said Stacy Mitchell, a senior researcher at ILSR and author of How the Walton Family is Threatening America's Clean Energy Future(pdf). "The Waltons are investing in efforts that both undercut clean energy and prevent average Americans from benefiting economically from solar power."
The report reveals that since 2010, the Waltons have donated $4.5 million to more than 20 organizations, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Americans for Prosperity, and the American Enterprise Institute, which are leading state campaigns against clean energy polices such as those that encourage utilities to source a share of their electricity from renewables or allow customers with rooftop solar systems to feed any excess electricity they produce back into the grid and be paid the going retail rate for it.
One such organization, the Goldwater Institute for Public Policy in Arizona, has received half a million in Walton Family Foundation grants and insists "there is no such thing as clean energy." The Goldwater Institute has sued to overturn the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard policy, which mandates that utilities rely on renewable energy for some of their power and also says that a portion of this power must come from small-scale local sources, such as rooftop solar.
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In an attempt to learn “how cities can capitalize on the de-industrialization of their urban core to sustainably address the demands of growth and modernization” and inform the development of San Francisco’s Central Corridor Project, the Planning Department’s Steve Wertheim looked at four European cities (Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Lyon and Torino) to understand strategies, successes, and the ability to enhance quality-of-life.
One of the “key lessons” from Wertheim’s study that couldn’t help but catch our eye:
Amsterdam (and perhaps more so Lyon) show the potential of outstanding architecture to create iconic buildings and neighborhoods, thereby supporting both development and a high quality of life. To achieve such standards in the Central Corridor, San Francisco may need to consider raising architectural standards by formalizing peer-to-peer design review and/or revising our internal processes to support architectural innovation. With increased land values, it may also be possible for developments to attract the interest of top architects to the area.
Can we get an amen and hallelujah?
∙ San Francisco’s Central
Subway Corridor Project [SocketSite]
∙ Capitalizing on De-Industrialization to Address Growth & Modernization [sf-planning.org]
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Recently, some advertising images of the conference in the field of cryptocurrency have been exposed, and it is said that the e-commerce giant eBay may add cryptocurrency payment options to its platform.
The image shows eBay showing off its encrypted ads, one of which says: virtual currency, which takes place on eBay.
The content of the ad is rather obscure, but many believe it is evidence that the e-commerce giant is about to accept an encrypted currency payment. All along, eBay has been interested in cryptographic currencies.
eBay is one of the world’s leading e-commerce platforms, with about 179 million active buyers worldwide.
Of course, these few ad words may not represent anything. “Virtual currency, It’s happening on eBay” can also simply refer to the existing “virtual currency” category on eBay, which provides users with an anonymous way for users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies in currency.
There is already a section on eBay that specialises in virtual money, which also lists encryption-related products, including Bitcoin miners and hardware wallets.
Back in 2017, eBay had already evaluated the prospect of adding crypto payment options. In an interview, a former executive at the company revealed that eBay was seriously considering accepting Bitcoin payments, but there was no follow-up for a long time.
eBay is not the first e-commerce giant to support Bitcoin payments. Earlier, Overstock added encryption currency trading and Bitcoin payment options. In addition, many other major tech companies, including Microsoft, accept digital currencies from customers.
However, fluctuations in Bitcoin prices have also forced many companies to stop accepting Bitcoin.
Speculation about whether the company accepts Bitcoin is heating up quickly as images of eBay ads are posted online. Many pointed out that Sanja Kon, a former eBay and Paypal executive, had joined UTRUST, an encrypted payments company, and speculated that eBay might eventually team up with the company. Meanwhile, Paypal’s chief financial officer clarified last week that it was too early for the company to offer Bitcoin payments.
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978-1-4799-5863-4/14/$31.00 2014 IEEE
Performance of SON for RSRP-based LTE/WLAN access network selection
Istvn Z. Kovcs*, Daniela Laselva*, Per-Henrik Michaelsen*, Yu Wang+, Relja Djapic , Kathleen Spaeyx
*Nokia Aalborg, Denmark
+Ericsson Research Stockholm, Sweden
TNO, Delft, Netherlands
x iMinds/University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
Abstract Carrier-grade Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is becoming an important complementary system to cellular networks for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Network controlled access network selection between cellular and WLAN is an essential functionality to optimize network performance and user experience. Automated configuration and optimisation of the network selection mechanism is of utmost importance in the emerging complex heterogeneous networks. In this article, we present and evaluate a Self-Organizing Network (SON) scheme for optimizing autonomously the access network selection between the Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WLAN systems. The adopted access network selection mechanism uses the standard LTE Received Reference Signal Power (RSRP) measurements available at the User Equipment (UE) and a set of simple rules based on network-provided RSRP thresholds. The proposed SON mechanism is using the LTE cell load estimated at the evolved NodeB (eNB) to update the RSRP thresholds in order to achieve the best load balancing in the network. Simulation results in a realistic network highlight the benefits of the proposed SON mechanism and possible further improvements.
KeywordsLTE, self-organizing network, WLAN, network selection, network optimization.
I. INTRODUCTION Driven by the explosive growth in data traffic during the
past few years, the limited availability of new licensed spectrum, and the increasing number of mobile devices , supporting both cellular and WLAN interfaces, MNOs are currently exploiting the offloading of mobile data traffic to WLAN networks. Today, the network selection between cellular and WLAN networks is manually controlled by the users, and typically set as connect to WLAN if available. However, to meet the high user expectations in terms of service availability and quality, and to efficiently exploit the available resources, MNOs are more and more enabling WLAN as an integrated and controlled part of their networks. Because of the challenges posed by the emerging heterogeneous cellular networks, with multiple cellular layers e.g., macro, micro, WLAN, it is crucial to develop intelligent access selection mechanisms between WLAN and the cellular layers.
Access network selection in heterogeneous wireless networks is a research topic extensively studied in academia. A common approach found in literature optimizes a multi-dimensional utility function in order to select the most suitable access network for a particular user, in a given location, requesting a particular service . Various parameters such as load, throughput, Quality of Service (QoS), resource
utilization costs, battery lifetime or even specific user preferences might be used in the definition of the utility function , .
Access selection approaches proposed in rely on IEEE 802.21 Media Independent Handover (MIH) standard . The potential of this standard is however limited due to its restricted support from network/user equipment. 3GPP has specified the Access Network Discovery and Traffic Steering Function (ANDSF) framework as an advanced policy control to assist UE in network discovery and selection . A UE supporting ANDSF can acquire the list of access networks available in the vicinity as well as operator preferences on network selection and traffic steering. The Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0 specifications aim at improving user experience by means of seamless and secure Wi-Fi connectivity . Hotspot 2.0 allows devices to acquire information on 3GPP cellular networks in order to ease network discovery and selection process. The main limitation of most of the currently deployed access network selection mechanisms is their static behaviour, i.e. the lack of adaption to dynamically changing traffic conditions, which makes them unsuitable to optimally exploit the available LTE and WLAN cell radio resources.
The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, based on an acceptable balance between algorithm complexity and performance, this paper adopts an access network selection (ANS) mechanism between LTE and WLAN which uses the standard LTE RSRP measurements available at the UE and a set of simple rules based on network-provided RSRP thresholds; second, it proposes and evaluates an automated, SON based, configuration and optimisation of the ANS mechanism with the goal of efficient resources utilization and fulfilment of the desired operator policy. The automation component is crucial in dynamic heterogeneous networks, characterized by different cell sizes and including diverse WLAN deployments, to achieve minimal operational effort and cost. The general idea behind using SON for ANS is that a SON closed-loop control function autonomously tunes the network control parameters, which control the ANS mechanism according to the changes in the network and to the desired overall operator policy. The SON function continuously monitors a number of relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), e.g. the LTE cell load, WLAN utilization, cell throughput, and evaluates on a regular basis the opportunity for adapting the network parameters.
The remaining of the paper is organised as follows. The system modelling approach and assumptions are illustrated in
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Section II. The performance evaluation ofANS is presented in Section III. The presented and discussed in Section IV. The with the conclusions and recommendations in
II. SYSTEM MODELLING FOR SON E
A. RSRP-based Network Access Selection mThe ANS mechanism adopted in this p
standardized 3GPP LTE RSRP measuravailable at the UE and the RSRP threshold iHere, we propose two different thresholdThr_High and RSRP Thr_Low, to be used inevaluated at each UE to determine whether to WLAN when a new active session starts: 1) UE served on WLAN if RSRP > RSR
RSS>RSS_min, otherwise UE served on LTE.in case of co-located LTE small-cells (micropoint and with this approach an UE is served UE RSS is above certain level but without thexplict WLAN RSS threshold.
2) UE served on WLAN if RSRP < RSRSS>RSS_min, otherwise UE served on LTE.in case of LTE macro cells without a co-lopoint.
The RSS_min value denotes the WLAN Signal Strength (RSS) minimum connectivity
B. Proposed SON Algorithm The RSRP-based SON algorithm we pro
is a single control parameter mechanism, whcell load1 as input KPI to adjust the RSRP thcell. By using standardized RSRP measurneed for additional standardization support.the algorithm is shown in Figure 1. A target cell load (green range in Figure 1) is prconfiguration parameters, called CellLoaCellLoad Thr_Low.
At the start, the two RSRP thresholds (Hinitialized to their default values. During thSON function, the LTE cell load is periodicafiltered. At each SON step, the high LTE checked, and if met, the corresponding RSRor Low) is adjusted with the target to direcWLAN to avoid LTE congestion. SpThr_High is decreased in micro cells and Rincreased in macro cells. If the high LTE celnot met, the low LTE cell load condition imet, the corresponding RSRP threshold (adjusted with the target to direct new sessadjustments of the RSRP thresholds are madload is in the target range. After every updthresholds, their new values are assumed to bUEs that are in the coverage area of the LTE
1 In this paper the LTE cell load is defined as the requirresource blocks to serve the existing users when providithroughput of 10 Mbps.
78-1-4799-5863-4/14/$31.00 2014 IEEE
f the RSRP-based SON results are paper is finalized
n Section V.
mechanism paper exploits the rements that are introduced in .
ds, labelled RSRP n two simple rules to connect or not
RP Thr_High and This rule is applied
o) and WLAN acess on WLAN when the
he need to specify an
SRP Thr_Low and This rule is applied
ocated WLAN acess
Radio Received y level.
opose in this paper hich uses the LTE
hreshold values per res, we avoid the The flowchart of range for the LTE redefined by two d Thr_High and
High and Low) are e execution of the ally calculated and load condition is
RP threshold (High ct new sessions to pecifically, RSRP RSRP Thr_Low is ll load condition is is checked, and if (High or Low) is sions to LTE. No de if the LTE cell date of the RSRP be signalled to the cell, and to be
red fraction of physical ing a minimum user
Figure 1: Flow chart of the based LTE/WLAN ac
used in the NAS mechanism inIII.A.
The targeted heterogeneoassumed higher traffic distribmakes possible to design ourprinciple of separation of timeThr_Low values in all macro cerate compared to the RSRP Thrto allow convergence of the Rtwo consecutive updates of thmacro cells. Thus, the overall S
C. Evaluation Scenario and MThe evaluation scenario is c
traffic shopping street area inwhich is covered by three netwThe deployment includes 28 coWLAN APs at lamp po
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Image: Wikimedia Commons
On June 3, 1880, just four years after he patented the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell was talking wirelessly, sending his words over 213 meters on a mirror and a sunbeam on top of the Franklin School in Washington, DC. Bell called it his most important invention and named it the “photophone.”
Just like a telephone, you'd speak into a transmitter and it would be heard via a receiver, except, rather than sending electrical signals over wire, the transmitter focused light onto a parabolic mirror. When you spoke, the mirror vibrated in response, which modulated the sunbeam and varied the intensity of the light reaching the receiver, where, by shining on light-sensitive selenium, the light became speech again.
Image: Bell Public Domain
In a letter to his wife on June 2, 1880, Bell explained how he and his lab partner Charles Sumner Tainter made it work:
Mr. Tainter spoke and shouted to the Photophone and I listened to telephones down in the kitchen which were connected with the selenium cell. I could hear Mr. Tainter's voice but very faintly. We then used the lens by means of which the light was brought to a focus on the diaphragm-mirror—before being sent into the parabolic reflector. I went downstairs to listen while Mr. Tainter spoke to the Photophone. As I put the Telephones to my ear—I heard the words "Mr. Bell do you hear what I say" just as if they had been uttered into my ear by Mr. Tainter himself. The articulation was perfectly distinct—but what was most surprising was the loudness of the sounds...I understood everything Mr. Tainter said and he understood everything I said when we changed places.
Bell was so pleased with the photophone that he wanted to name his second daughter after it, which, fortunately for her, didn't happen. And the photophone wasn't exactly an Earth-shattering success either.
In that same letter to his wife, Bell described how the photophone could be thwarted by bad weather: “Mr. Tainter and I have been mortified that cloud and rain have prevented us from making experiments with our huge diaphragm-mirror photophonic transmitter.” The photophone didn't work well by the light of a kerosene lamp, and by the late 1890s, another wireless system was being tested by a young Italian inventor named Marconi, and it would make the whole photophone project pretty much redundant.
But Bell's favorite invention had a bit of a revival, as fiber optics revived light-transmitted telecommunication in the late 20th century. By 1980, the Smithsonian was dusting off the photophone that Bell had donated, to celebrate the centennial of an invention that lived up to its inventor's enthusiasm long after he had died.
And his enthusiasm is rightfully famous and downright poetic. Writing to his father Bell said:
“I have heard articulate speech by sunlight! I have heard a ray of the sun laugh and cough and sing! ...I have been able to hear a shadow and I have even perceived by ear the passage of a cloud across the sun's disk.”
Therein lies the beauty and the problem.
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Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Jie)
The traditional Chinese Dragon Boat (Duanwu) Festival takes place every year in May and has a strong position in Wuhan and is dedicated to the memory of the great politician and poet Qu Yuan, who was an advisor to King Huai of Chu in the state of Chu in the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.). The Dragon Boat Festival is is celebrated all over China on the fifth day of the fifth moon, or month, of the lunar calendar.
According to the legend Qu Yuan was a brilliant advisor that understood the threats from the states surrounding the kingdom of Chu but King Huai was not interested in his advice, so Qu was banished to an isolated village, where he lived for seven years writing great poems. When he one day in 278 B.C. heard, that his predictions had all come true, he drowned himself, at the age of 62, in the Miluo River, hoping that his death could get King Huai to revitalize the Kingdom of Chu. The fishermen in the village tried to rescue Qu by rowing their dragon boats along the river beating drums while their wives threw wrapped rice into the river hoping that fishes would eat them instead of Ch’u Yuan’s body. The day was May 5th of the Chinese lunar calendar and still at a traditional Dragon Boat festival in China people eat zongzi (cone-shaped steamed glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves).
Today there are Dragon Boat Clubs all over the world and this old Chinese tradition is today a science with fibreglass boats and state of the art shape and style for the hull to create the fastest boats. Of course there are still boats being made in traditional materials but they are more heavy and require a lot more care and maintenance.
Authorities in Hubei province have submitted an application to UNESCO nominating China’s Dragon Boat Festival for the “Intangible Culture Heritage” tag.
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With polls signaling peril for Democrats, identifying the cause of President Obama’s travails and the demise of ‘hope and change’ is a Washington sport. Some attribute it to the lifeless economy, others to Obama’s supposed (excessive) liberalism, and yet others to the prioritization of health insurance reform in the administration’s first year.
It’s really much more basic. Set aside policy and focus on sheer perception, who do you associate with strength, George W. Bush or Barack Obama? Republicans or Democrats? I’d bet good money that on both questions, many on the left would pick the former.
Bush’s bluster, born of narrow-mindedness and jingoism, led America to near ruin. But even if it was an act, transparent and loathsome to his detractors, it left an indelible impression – and I stress “impression” – of a resolute man with the courage of his convictions, no matter how terribly wrong-headed those convictions. By contrast, Barack Obama and most Democratic officials are chronically unwilling to speak in moral absolutes, to frame Democratic policies in the language of right and wrong, to project an unshakeable faith in core ideals. And far too often, the reluctance to speak with moral courage is coupled with a failure to act.
This has been the essence of the progressive critique from day one, on gay rights, civil liberties, secrecy, the environment, the economy, health care, executive power, war.
It’s baffling that pundits still don’t get it. We hear endless tea leaf (and Tea Party) reading, endless poll analysis, endless pontification about Obama’s ideology or lack thereof. He’s too liberal, he’s not liberal enough, he’s overly pragmatic, he’s a conservative, a socialist, a corporatist, he’s achieved more than any president in history, he’s presided over the biggest government takeover in history. Who cares? In the end, you either project strength or weakness. You have moral courage or you don’t.
Cheney and Bush knew one thing: from a strictly political – and cynical – perspective, pretend moral conviction is better than none at all. At the very least, it telegraphs to voters that you care deeply about something, anything. Enough to take a stand for it, to portray your opponent as unethical for opposing it.
In the best of worlds, Democrats would believe in something good and fight tooth and nail for it. Their moral compass would be true, pointing in the direction of justice, fairness, equality. Progressive ideals would guide them and they’d present America with a consistent, cohesive, powerful and inspiring worldview. Candidate Obama tapped into the force of that combination. President Obama can’t seem to do it.
Democratic weakness, real or perceived, is a self-inflicted function of the inability to project moral authority, even in cases where they possess the unequivocal high ground. Religious liberty. Torture. A war based on lies.
Barney Frank explains the root cause:
President Barack Obama is afraid of acting in a way that would spur voters to view him as weak on defense, a top Democrat charged Wednesday. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said the president was “intimidated” by certain issues, particularly an effort by Frank and a few other lawmakers in both parties to rein in defense spending. “It’s the one area where I’m disappointed in the president,” Frank said Tuesday evening during an appearance on MSNBC. “I think he gets intimidated by this notion of, ‘Oh, you’ll look weak on defense.’ “
This is a perennial problem. In many ways, the progressive blogosphere was created to fill the vacuum left by the persistent image (and reality) of Democratic weakness, to convey the truth that militarism is not the only definition of strength, that moral might trumps material might. By nature, online progressives are confrontational activists, loyal to causes, not people. Contrary to conventional wisdom, there are no netroots darlings. Anyone who crosses the community on a matter of principle faces a similar backlash. Witness Howard Dean’s dressing down over his mosque position.
Progressive bloggers exert an enduring and outsized influence on the public discourse because they project strength. With few partners in the Democratic leadership, their impact on policy is proportionally small, but they are despised by the political and media establishments precisely because they ferociously stand their ground on core values. It’s why they are an indispensable counterweight to the rampaging right.
It would be unfair and silly to portray all Democrat politicians as devoid of moral convictions, but it’s not inaccurate to state that there is a widespread phobia among Democrats of appearing “weak,” which paradoxically leads to behavior that further reinforces that impression. When you fret too much over what others think, you tend to contort yourself in an attempt to please, often at the expense of your core beliefs. When the specific complaint is that you’re weak, there is a tendency is to do whatever your critics characterize as strong – and in the case of Democrats, they tend to ignore the strength of their own values and emulate Republicans, ending up looking even weaker in the process.
The only way to break the cycle and to project strength is to go back to basics, to look inside, to find the core principles that power a life of public service and to be relentless in pursuit of those principles. Moral authority is a prerequisite to genuine, enlightened leadership. Why do you think Glenn Beck wants to co-opt Martin Luther King Jr.? Democrats have the ideas and the ideals, they just need the courage of their convictions.
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Esther’s request to the king 5 1On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the sceptre. 3Then the king asked, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.’ 4‘If it pleases the king,’ replied Esther, ‘let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.’ 5‘Bring Haman at once,’ the king said, ‘so that we may do what Esther asks.’ So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. 6As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, ‘Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.’ 7Esther replied, ‘My petition and my request is this: 8If the king regards me with favour and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfil my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.’ Haman’s rage against Mordecai 9Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. 10Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honoured him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. 12‘And that’s not all,’ Haman added. ‘I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. 13But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.’ 14His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, ‘Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits,[G] and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.’ This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.
New International Version (Anglicised) / © 2011 by Biblica, Inc. About
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14.2.12 Remote Desktop Protocol: Plug and Play Devices Virtual Channel Extension
The Remote Desktop Protocol: Plug and Play Devices Virtual Channel extension (as specified in [MS-RDPEPNP]) is used to redirect PNP devices from a Terminal Server client to the Terminal Server. This action allows the server access to devices physically connected to the client as if the device were local to the server. For example, a user can attach a portable music device to the Terminal Services client and then synchronize music by using a media player application running on the Terminal Server server.
The Remote Desktop Protocol: Plug and Play Devices Virtual Channel extension consists of two subprotocols:
Plug and Play (PNP) Device Info. The PNP Device Info Subprotocol specifies the communication between the Terminal Server client and the Terminal Server component that handles the creation and removal of remote devices on the server side. This subprotocol is used to create remote device instances on the server machine that correspond to the physical devices on the client machine.
Plug and Play (PNP) Device I/O. For handling I/O requests, the PNP Device I/O subprotocol specifies the communication between the terminal client and the remote devices on the Terminal Server. This subprotocol is used to redirect the I/O calls from applications on the Terminal Server side to a device driver on the terminal client side. This subprotocol uses a dynamic virtual channel named FileRedirectorChannel for communication between client and server.
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