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In honor of British and Colonial military lives lost during World War I, the Tower of London's long-dry moat is being filled with ceramic poppies. 8,86,246 of them, to be exact. Volunteers began planting the flowers, created by artist Paul Cummins, a few weeks back, with the first poppy being put in the ground by Crawford Butler, the longest serving Yeoman Warder. The last flower will be installed on November 11th, in salute to Armistice Day. Photos courtesy of Massimo Usai and via AP Images.
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was developed in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid. It is the only workplace in the federal government specifically targeted to women business owners, assisting them by means of technical, financial, and management info and business instruction, expertise counseling, and study. One particular of the most common uses of SBA loans is commercial mortgages on buildings occupied or to be occupied by tiny organization. It really is been a single week due to the fact American Tiny Enterprise League (ASBL) president Lloyd Chapman offered a $10,000 reward for an precise and verifiable list of firms the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Bush Administration allege received $79. Ø Prof: Woodrow Wilson defined Public Administration as detailed and systematic execution of public law every single unique application of basic law is an act of administration. The administration has a number of solutions that enable little firms get and fulfill government contracts. In Ancient Greek, Roman and Indian political method gave a lot more value to the notion of Administration. In this managerial view the administration has the functions of organizing, programming and organise all the activities in an organisation so as to achieve the preferred ends. It has increasingly relied on forging partnerships with nongovernmental groups to deliver enterprise education and instruction programs at low price. These programs are valuable to tiny small business mainly because most bank applications often require bigger down payments and/or have repayment terms requiring borrowers refinance just about every 5 years. American President Woodrow Wilson contributed incredibly substantially to the topic of Public Administration, he also identified as the father of Public Administration. The IRS will withhold any tax refund expected by the former enterprise owner and apply the amount toward the loan balance. This period witnessed the improvement and inclusion of other social sciences knowledge, predominantly, psychology, anthropology, and sociology, into the study of public administration. The sole function of these investment firms is to give venture capital in the type of Equity financing, lengthy-term loan funds, and management solutions to little organization issues. In an effort to attain far more corporations, the SBA supplies loans and grants to private, nonprofit organizations that, in turn, make little loans and present technical assistance to smaller corporations. Like so several government endeavors, the Small Business Administration (SBA) can be both extremely beneficial and terribly confusing. Public Administration is indicated as an instrument of status quo, denying social justice to the much less privileged groups. It sets aside appropriate government purchases for competitive award to tiny organization concerns and gives an appeal procedure for a low-bidding tiny firm whose capacity to execute a contract is questioned by the contracting officer. Small Business Development Centers provide counseling and instruction to current and potential modest business owners. The leaders of New Public Administration emphasis the principle of social equity and it regarded as additional welfare oriented administration. In Public Administration there is a good deal of emphasis on rationality as the major criterion for administrative dimensions and actions. SBA annually grants SCORE 23 the funds to oversee roughly 350 chapters volunteers who give free mentoring and counseling to entrepreneurs and little organization ownership. Later on, the human element became a predominant concern and emphasis in the study of Public Administration. The Enterprise Details Center (BIC) program is an innovative method to supplying a 1-cease location for info, education, and education. It’s not a lack of outreach,” stated Roberto Barragan, president of the VEDC, which administers a micro-lending plan in Pacoima that delivers up to $150,000 in loans annually and contracts with the federal Small Business Administration. The earlier dogmas of public administration ‘economy’ and ‘efficiency’ have been found inadequate and incomplete objectives of administrative activity. Loans were provided to much more than 80,000 smaller organizations, 28,000 of them have been start-ups. Large Government and Affirmative Action: The Scandalous History of the Small Business Administration. Most banks want annual payment for loans no much more than two-thirds (2/3) of prior year’s operating profits. The SBA continues to improve participation by minority-owned businesses by indicates of its minority tiny company plan and publication of informational supplies in Spanish. It lays stress on the inter-action amongst administration and socio, financial, cultural and political phenomena. The office also is a leading supply of info about the state of small small business and the issues that impact small organization results and growth. Ø Dwight Waldo, defines Public Administration as ‘the art and science of management as applied to the affairs of state’.… Read the rest ... Learn how to apply accounting, finance, human sources, management and marketing and advertising understanding specifically to little businesses by earning a Bachelor of Science in Enterprise Administration with a concentration in Little Business Management at Southern New Hampshire University. The SBA is recognized for its longtime effort to offer education, counseling, and data to smaller small business owners and potential owners. It rejects worth concealing behaviouralism as effectively as procedural neutrality of conventional Public Administration. The SBA can guarantee 75 % of loans up to $750,000, and 80 % of loans of significantly less than $one hundred,000. These periods had been the golden years of ‘principles’ in the history of Public Administration. The two books Towards a New public Administration, the Minnowbrook perspective” edited by Frank Marini and published in 1971 and Public Administration in a time of turbulence” edited by Dwight Waldo and published simultaneously gave seeds of the notion of new public administration. Given that, in contrast to in actual estate transactions, commercial lenders can fund referral fee earned by company brokers helping persons acquire and sell firms, this segment of market is supported by smaller sized banks and standalone finance businesses who recognize this sector. We can broadly divide the growth of Public Administration into the following five stages. In Public Administration there is a fantastic deal of emphasis on rationality as the primary criterion for administrative dimensions and actions. SBA annually grants SCORE 23 the funds to oversee around 350 chapters volunteers who supply absolutely free mentoring and counseling to entrepreneurs and little small business ownership. Later on, the human factor became a predominant concern and emphasis in the study of Public Administration. The Business Data Center (BIC) system is an revolutionary approach to giving a a single-stop location for details, education, and coaching. This was also a period when Public Administration commanded a high degree or respectability and its item were in fantastic demand each in government and organization. The central belief of this period was that there are certain ‘principles’ of administration and which is the job of the scholars to learn and applied to increase the efficiency and economy of Public Administration. The administration has a quantity of services that enable modest firms obtain and fulfill government contracts. In Ancient Greek, Roman and Indian political system gave more value to the idea of Administration. In this managerial view the administration has the functions of planning, programming and organise all the activities in an organisation so as to realize the desired ends. It has increasingly relied on forging partnerships with nongovernmental groups to deliver business education and education applications at low cost.… Read the rest ... The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a federal agency that seeks to help, counsel, help, and defend the interests of little small business. The administration licenses, regulates, and supplies economic help to tiny organization investment firms and section 301(d) licensees (formerly minority enterprise smaller small business investment companies). The 1960s and 1970s were the periods of turbulence, instability in public administration. The SBA does not present grants or direct loans with the exception of Disaster Relief Loans Alternatively, the SBA guarantees against default particular portions of organization loans produced by banks and other lenders that conform to its suggestions. This system is made to help ladies stay away from the frequent mistakes of new organization owners. In a Democratic political program scope of public administration is related in a lot of methods. The term New Public Administration was used to describe the new trends in administration. According to this view, Public administration is a sum total of all the activities undertaken in pursuit of and in fulfillment of public policy. Administrative practitioners and enterprise college join hands to mechanistic aspect of management. Ten-year maturities are available for loans for gear and functioning capital (although seven-year terms are more commonplace), and loans for genuine estate and major equipment purchases can be paid back more than as long as 25 years. Hence the activities of all persons from best to bottom constitute administration although they are of varying significance to the operating of administrative machinery. Elements of BIC contain the most up-to-date laptop hardware and software program, an extensive smaller enterprise reference library, and a collection of existing management videotapes. Women’s Small business Centers (WBCs) represent a national network of over 100 non-profit educational centers throughout the United States and its territories, funded in aspect by means of SBA assistance. Ø L D White observes, Public Administration consist of all those operations possessing for their goal the fulfilment or enforcement of public policy”. As a discipline the term Public Administration has emerged in the late 19th and starting of 20th century. It is not a lack of outreach,” said Roberto Barragan, president of the VEDC, which administers a micro-lending system in Pacoima that delivers up to $150,000 in loans annually and contracts with the federal Small Business Administration. The earlier dogmas of public administration ‘economy’ and ‘efficiency’ had been found inadequate and incomplete objectives of administrative activity.… Read the rest ... Zions Bank delivers Small Business Administration loans to small small business owners in each Utah and Idaho. The SBA also produces many pamphlets and publications about a variety of business and management topics. SBA loans are used heavily by banks of all sizes to finance the obtain or building of company owner-occupied genuine estate (i.e. actual home purchased for commerce). Public Administration is an organisational work it necessary a close relation to folks. According to L. D. White, Administration was a ‘process prevalent to all group work, public or private, civil or military, substantial scale or smaller scale’. The Contemporary democratic state gave additional critical to the welfarism, In a welfare democracy the effective administration is vital. Home owners and renters are eligible for long-term, low-interest loans to rebuild or repair a damaged house to pre-disaster situation. These contain CAPLines, LowDoc, SBAExpress, EWCP, DELTA, and an assortment of other lending initiatives targeted at specific sectors of the small organization globe. As a discipline Public Administration is not incredibly old it is emerged for the duration of the 19th century final. It is the only workplace in the federal government specifically targeted to ladies enterprise owners, assisting them via technical, financial, and management info and small business training, skills counseling, and analysis. One particular of the most well-liked uses of SBA loans is commercial mortgages on buildings occupied or to be occupied by little business. The word Administration has been derived from the Latin words ‘ad’ and ‘ministiare’ which signifies to serve. The participants at the Minnow brook Conference clearly espoused that worth neutral Public Administration is Not possible. In basic sense Administration can be defined as the activities of groups co-operating to accomplish typical objectives. According to him, Public Administration ‘consists of all those operations getting for their goal the fulfilment or enforcement of public policy’. Public Administration is a newly emerged discipline evaluate to other Social Science’s discipline. Public Administration is indicated as an instrument of status quo, denying social justice to the less privileged groups. It sets aside appropriate government purchases for competitive award to tiny company concerns and gives an appeal procedure for a low-bidding smaller firm whose ability to perform a contract is questioned by the contracting officer. Modest Small business Development Centers supply counseling and instruction to existing and prospective tiny organization owners. The leaders of New Public Administration emphasis the principle of social equity and it deemed much more welfare oriented administration.… Read the rest ...
rt historians maintain that, on the whole, there has never been a coherent, continuous tradition of Irish visual art. The "visual arts need leisure, stability, and above all money to survive" (Sheehy 8) and centuries of invasions, foreign occupation, and economic difficulties robbed the Irish people of these requisites. Their great traditions of aesthetic achievement have been in music and literature, which "can be passed on orally even in times of change and instability" (Sheehy 8). Within the realm of visual art, their greater accomplishments are in the popular and applied arts. However, part of the aim of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries' Celtic Revival was to help change this; purveyors of the fine arts in Ireland sought to follow the accomplishments of writers and craftsmen with parallel achievements in painting and sculpture. The entire Celtic Revival movement grew out of the increasing Irish nationalism of the nineteenth century, a nationalism that stemmed from centuries of resentment at subjugation by foreigners in both political and cultural spheres; the artistic movement went hand in hand with a desire for political freedom. Focusing on the cultural accomplishments of the past would be the best way to restore Ireland's self-worth, leaders of the movement believed, and even before the nineteenth century artists such as James Barry and Vincent Waldré used scenes from Irish history as the subjects of some of their paintings with this purpose partly in mind. In the 1830s, the Irish antiquarian movement began, which was marked by scholarly and artistic interest in Irish antiquities. One of the foremost individuals in the movement was George Petrie whose interests spanned not only scholarship and art, but journalism and music as well. He earned his money primarily as a topical artist, working mostly in watercolors. Of his painting, The Last Round of the Pilgrims at Clonmacnoise, he wrote, It was my wish to produce an Irish picture somewhat historical in its object and poetical in its sentiment - a landscape composed of several of the monuments characteristic of the past history of our country, and which will soon cease to exist, and to connect with them the expression of human feelings equally belonging to our history, and which are destined to a similar extinction. In short, I desire to produce a picture which might have an interest and value, not pmerely pictorial, beyond the present time, and thus connect my name with the Art Union Association, and with the history of art in Ireland. [Sheehy 22] A friend of Petrie's was Frederic Burton, the other major painter of the antiquarian period. One of his most famous works is entitled Paddy Coneely, the blind piper, which depicts a Galway musician. The Young Ireland movement that came on the heels of the antiquarian movement was more political in its focus, though it too attempted to use contemporary Irish art to achieve its ends. One of the leaders of this new campaign was Thomas Osborne Davis, who founded The Nation, the newspaper "which was the voice of the movement" (Sheehy 29). He was especially interested in the fine arts, and in The Nation published a list of historical Irish subjects for artists to use as the topics of their paintings. Pictures showing items from Davis's list show up in the works of painters such as Joseph Peacock, Richard Rothwell, Joseph Patrick Haverty, Henry McManus, and Bernard Mulrenin. However, though the movement was important in its own time, and for those involved in Young Ireland "the cards may have seemed to 'blossom', but to the modern eye they are rather dry" (Sheehy 37). The Young Ireland's achievements had no great lasting effect. Throughout the rest of the mid-nineteenth century, "national feeling manifested itself in various degrees among artists working at home" (Sheehy 41). The most important of these painters were the previously mentioned Frederic Burton, William Mulready, and Daniel Maclise. Maclise is the most acclaimed Irish painter of the nineteenth century; he painted and sketched many scenes from Irish history and mythology, and his talent as a draughtsman was particularly great. In sculpture, the most important names are John Henry Foley, whose most famous work is perhaps the O'Connell monument in Dublin, Christopher Moore, whose best work is in portrait busts, and John Hogan, who "specialized in figures accompanied by Erin" (Sheehy 56) (a personified Ireland). The Celtic Revival proper (sometimes called the Irish Renaissance) began in the 1880s. Like the antiquarian and Young Ireland revivals, this new movement also had its greatest achievements in literature. This is not to say though that art was completely neglected, and of the many different Irish cultural organizations that were founded in this time period, had members who were painters, sculptors, or craftsmen and drew upon traditionally Celtic subject matter for their art. In the fine arts specifically, "the most conspicuous, and lasting, manifestation of the Celtic Revival was not a single work of painting or sculpture, but an art gallery" (Sheehy 107). Founded by Hugh Lane, the Gallery of Modern Art displayed not only Irish art but also works by the best contemporary European artists from all over the continent. It holds an important place in the Revival as a whole in that the Gaelic League praised it highly, important Irish literary figures (including W.B. Yeats and John Millington Synge) wrote about it, and Lady Gregory "connected the gallery specifically with the movement" (Sheehy 107). Lane himself said that such an art gallery was essential in creating a well-defined school of Irish painting. It opened in 1908 on Harcourt Street and subsequently, after a significant amount of controversy, moved to Charlemont House, Parnell Square, in 1933. Painting and sculpture after 1900 became less nationalistic, and the artists "became more preoccupied with the medium than with the message" (Sheehy 177), and this is not surprising, given that this was the trend in art all throughout Europe at the time. Even so, a significant number of artists did choose to depict Irish subject matter. Of the early twentieth century painters, the brother of W.B. Yeats, Jack B. Yeats, is most closely connected with the Celtic Revival. Yeats, Sheehy points out, was one of the few painters of his time, perhaps even the only one, who managed to show a real and essential Ireland without sentiment or condescension or a striving for outlandish effect. Apart from these evocations of Irish life and atmosphere some of his pictures are directly political in content. . . For his family connections, his evocations of Irish life, and his political sympathies, Jack Yeats was clearly the most important painter of the Revival. [Sheehy 182] The subjects of sculpture were more nationalistic than painting in that there was a trend towards creating monuments for national heroes. One of the best sculptors of the period was Oliver Sheppard, who did a bronze of the mythological hero Cuchulainn and a bust of the Irish poet James Clarence Mangan. Another and perhaps better contemporary sculptor was John Hughes, whose most famous works are the on Loughrea Cathedral and outside Leinster House in Dublin. Yet for all the Irish subject matter in painting in sculpture during the Revival, historians have not been able to identify a clearly Irish style in the fine arts. The paintings and sculptures that Irish artists produced "were the result of external influences rather than a spontaneous expression of nationality on the part of the artists...That Maclise was among the artists chosen to decorate the Houses of Parliament at Westminster, or that Hogan was highly respected in Rome, was much more important to Irish opinion than their work itself" (Sheehy 189). Artistic style in Ireland was primarily an extension of the styles in the rest of Europe. Try as one might, a national style, explains Sheehy, cannot be forced. 1. What similarities and differences are there in the fine arts portion of the Celtic Revival and the popular and applied arts portion? 2. What similarities and differences are there between the Celtic Revival and the other cultural revivals of the time, such as the Moorish or the Medieval Revivals? 3. Are there elements of the Pre-Raphaelite movement evident in the Celtic Revival? If so, what are they and why do you think they manifested themselves in the way that they did? 4. What specific artistic characteristics do you think that the Celtic Revival was trying to produce in developing a national style? What would Irish art have needed to do in order to separate itself from the rest of European art? 5. If Ireland had developed a national style, do you think that this would have been threatening to the English, who ruled Ireland at the time? To what extent would art have influenced politics? Sheehy, Jeanne. The Rediscovery of Ireland's Past: The Celtic Revival 1830-1930. Thames and Hudson, London: 1980. Last modified 21 November 2004
Is this animal infected? - Infection is considered uncommon - Most infected animals have no symptoms Can I get it? - Contact with: - Urine or tissues of infected animals - Water, soil or vegetation contaminated by infected urine - Consumption of: - Food or drinking water contaminated by infected urine How bad can it get? Can be fatal if not treated immediately Protect myself and others - When handling rodents (including beavers) and raccoons: - Wear disposable gloves - Wash your hands afterward - Clean cuts or wounds with soap and warm water - Wear boots when wading in water Symptoms in humans - Most people will not have symptoms - If symptoms do occur, they can include: - High fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches and vomiting - Other symptoms can include: - Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes) - Red eyes - Abdominal pain, diarrhea, rash - If untreated, symptoms can include: - Kidney damage, liver failure, breathing problems, headache, stiff neck - Fatalities are rare Safe for pets? - In severe cases, pets can die from leptospirosis - Pets can also transfer the bacteria to humans - Talk to your veterinarian about vaccines What causes it? - Bacteria called Leptospira
Today was neat because it was nice to enter a slower pace for a bit and work more closely with high school. I am able to better see their perspective on the guided more traditional pbl. We did some more navigation with elementary and it is neat to see them actually get better from last time. These lessons are especially interesting to me because of the incredibly strong tie between math and geography. I'm going to keep this a theme that they receive every so often. I would like to look more into repeating themes like this with math so they get repeating practice with inquiry so they can continually grow with their skills. Today the structured pbl work moved forward nicely but I cannot help but watch the students stop thinking because structure squelches thinking. Structure is almost the enemy of PBL work if it is meant to be student centric. Students need to understand the process and be able to navigate their way through it. However, adding this step by step, check in before moving on is teaching students again that the facilitator/ teacher is the one that controls the learning. Sometimes we think we are just nuts to keep fighting the system because it is so ingrained. But I cannot help but wonder where is the passion or spark for learning that students have when they get to decide what to learn and explore? The more structured the PBL process the more work it is to get the students to do high quality work. The trick of structure is that to the outside "eye in the sky" it looks good and makes sense. I mean who wouldn't want to see student check ins and structured points along the way that guarantee that the students are covering things? However, once the structure becomes the thing that is driving the process then it becomes a teacher centric project not a students centric process. Students need to understand the basic steps and process of PBL but they should not be pushed into a lock step process if true excitement and learning is to occur. The more structured the PBL is the more teacher directed it becomes and the closer it comes to the traditional lecture type classroom. It teaches students that they are not to be trusted to make judgements within their own learning. Students are taught to wait for the teacher/facilitator to tell the what to do. There is not meaning construction anymore but rather construction of an assignment that the teacher tells them to do. I will push on because the light at the end of this structure PBL tunnel is that students will have been exposed to the process again and they will be able to choose their remaining projects for the year. Welcome to our blog This is the story of two educators on one journey. Each day we will record our reflections on the process of being involved in an innovative educational environment. The decision on our part to leave the public education system was deliberate due to our growing frustrations over the factory "one size fits all" model of education. This model has dominated the educational landscape and is not designed to meet the needs of the 21st century learner. Step one in our journey was to find a place that would allow us the freedom to break out of the system. We needed a chance to just breath and facilitate learning in the ways that we both know are best for children. That step has led us to Rosemary Beach Florida to work with the students attending the OH Institute. The OH Institute is a unique educational environment that we find humane. The curriculum focus is on the individual learner with an infusion of technology project based learning. Currently, it has 20 students in grades 4-11 all of whom are seeking something different than what the factory system of education has to offer. This is where our adventure begins...
Let’s look at the etymology of the word “alone.” alone (adj., adv.) "unaccompanied, solitary; without companions," c. 1300, a contraction of all ane, from Old English all ana "unaccompanied, all by oneself," literally "wholly oneself," from all "all, wholly" (see all) + an "one" (see one). It preserves the old pronunciation of one. Alone means “All one” or “whole by oneself”. This is quite a different meaning than how we generally use it. Have you ever been entirely alone for a while? I had never been alone since my divorce when I was 40 years old. I was always with family or friends. When building my businesses, I lived in Paris and then San Francisco, always having maybe ten meetings per day. I was also going or speaking at many conferences around the world. There were never enough great people I could meet and work with. My first real experience alone was my first meditation retreat, a 10-day vipassana, no eye contact, no book, taking meals facing a wall, entirely silent, meditating for 10 hours a day. It was hard. After these ten days, they recommended I meditate two hours daily. I did for about 6 months then slowly diminished and then did it inconsistently, only meditating now and then but still almost every day in short periods. There is always something “better” to do than meditating. We move away from loneliness, we are consciously or unconsciously frightened of it and avoid it. Even alone, we tend to avoid this loneliness by reading books, practicing sports, music, yoga, non-stop business, whatever it is. We are all the time acting, living, creating, doing something. This constant activity seems to mask something buried inside. We are concerned about ourselves. We are avoiding facing loneliness, and this creates a constant tension. We think we need the other and escape ourselves. Loneliness is a “blackhole”, a darkness, almost like death. To avoid it, we run out. Nothing hurts more than loneliness. "Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god." - Aristotle Any relationship that arises out of the fear of being lonely is not going to work because the other is also joining out of fear. Only those who can be alone and are self-sufficient can love. Aloneness is natural. We are born alone and die alone. We are living alone without understanding it and being conscious of it. We are sufficient “all-one”. It is difficult to learn to be alone because we are all used to being with others all the time for fun or business. Life changes entirely if we learn to enjoy our aloneness. There is nothing to do with our sadness, anger, or anything that comes when we are alone. We have to put our whole energy into the art of being alone when we practice it. We have to live every moment so intensely that no energy is left to be invested in sadness, anger, or anything negative. The first time I traveled alone to work on avoiding my loneliness was during my second trip to Peru in January 2018. I wrote about two profound experiences during this trip: Daytime Shamanism and Healings in Peru and New and ancient technologies to speak to dead people: AI & the "Inca Stargate", Chakana. Here is a third deep Chamanic experience: discovering the spirits of the mountains at the sacred “Ausangate:” the highest mountain around Cuzco and in Peru. Its highest altitude is 6385 meters. In Inca mythology, the spirit of this mountain, Apu Ausangate, is one of their most sacred spirits. I spent two weeks alone on this trip, and it was just after a really hard break-up. I remember having a really hard time alone in Cusco, walking around the old streets, having my meals by myself, and crying a lot while going to bed. The medicines helped me be more vulnerable and release my sadness. It is always good to release sadness, anger, or any stored trauma but it was very long and difficult. I remember I took the below beautiful hike in Pisac, a nearby village. We had walked this specific path before together with Leila when we did our first ceremony together, after coming back from the Amazon. I cried the entire way up and down, for hours. I could not process our separation. A few days after, my shipibo shaman Percy took me with a small group to Ausangate, the most sacred spirit of Peru, as he describes it. After a few hours on a small bus, we arrived in the little village, just a few houses at the bottom of the mountains. I remember freezing at night despite sleeping with all my clothes on and one or two blankets as there was no heat. Before going to bed, the two shamans, Percy and Alfredo did some rituals in front of us. I had never seen such practices before. They brought beautiful flowers and also some food, chocolate, and cookies and carefully created some artistic !!! . Each of us had a little pouch that you can see in front of the picture. These pouches contain rocks and crystals or other little objects collected during ceremonies or spiritual work or sometimes given by spiritual guides. We then got a briefing on why they made such offerings and then how the next day would go. A four to five-hour hike up the mountain at around 6,000 meters! I was really good at showing a smile but inside there was a huge sadness that only started coming out. We had some horses to carry the children and some gear. We met the traditional lamas. It was really nice to see them enjoying their freedom instead of being on a leash for tourist photos in the city of Cusco. The hike quickly became unusual as we all started drinking “Washuma San Pedro” again, the cactus local medicine.
Treaty of Brno (1478) The Treaty of Brno was a draft to the Peace of Olomouc developed in March of 1478 in Brno by the envoys of Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and King Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary in an effort to end the Bohemian War (1468-1478). Corvinus accepted the accord and slightly modified it on 20 September 1478, which determined the division of Bohemian territories. Based on the terms of the treaty, Vladislaus would cede the territories of Moravia, Silesia, and Lusatia to Cornivus. If Matthias perished, then Vladislaus was permitted to redeem these lands for 400,000 florins. Moreover, both monarchs would be permitted to utilize the title King of Bohemia. However, only Matthias was required to address the other claimant as the King of Bohemia. - Engel, p. 305. The division of the lands belonging to the Bohemian crown, which was made by the envoys of Mathias and Wladislas at Brno in March 1478, was accepted by the king of Hungary, with minor modifications, on 20 September. It was ratified by the two rulers on 21 July 1479 during the course of splendid festivities at Olomouc. According to the terms of the treaty, Wladislas was to retain the kingdom of Bohemia proper, while the greater part of the territory once ruled by the king of Bohemia, that is, Moravia, Silesia, and Lausitz, remained in Matthias's possession. Wladislas was entitled to redeem these domains for 400,000 florins after Matthias's death. Both rulers could use the title of king of Bohemia, but whereas Matthias was obliged to address his opponent as such, it was not to be the case the other way round. The peace treaty between Hungary and Poland had been signed somewhat earlier, on 2 April 1479, and thereafter until Matthias's death the three countries coexisted peacefully. - Engel, Pál (translated by Tamas Palosfalvi). The Realm of St Stephen: A History of Medieval Hungary, 895-1526. I.B. Tauris, 2005. ISBN 1-85043-977-X.
Plumber Montgomery County installs, repairs, and maintains pipes and fixtures that carry water, waste, and drainage. They work in homes, businesses, and construction sites. Plumbers use various tools to diagnose and fix problems with pipes, fixtures, and appliances like taps, toilets, and sinks. They often interact with customers to discuss their options and provide estimates. Plumbers are skilled tradespeople specializing in installing, repairing, and maintaining plumbing systems. They work with pipes that carry water, waste, and gases throughout homes and businesses. These professionals troubleshoot dysfunctional pipe systems and repair or replace them as needed. They also install appliances such as toilets, showers, faucets, and sinks. Plumbers can be employed by plumbing companies or work independently. The job can be physically demanding as plumbers often work in tight spaces and on ladders or scaffolding. They may also be required to cut through walls or floors to access piping beneath them. In addition, plumbers must often use hand tools and power tools to complete their work. Most plumbers undergo a combination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training to acquire the skills they need for their work. They can receive their education through a number of different methods including vocational schools, technical colleges and apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeship programs typically last four to five years and combine classroom learning with hands-on experience. In some cases, plumbers who have completed their apprenticeship are eligible to become master plumbers. The types of materials used in plumbing systems vary widely, but the most common include copper, PVC and PEX. Each of these materials offers unique benefits, but each requires a specific set of tools and installation techniques. For example, copper is durable and offers excellent corrosion resistance while PVC offers flexibility and affordability. Regardless of the type of pipe chosen, a plumber must be familiar with all aspects of plumbing installation to ensure the system functions properly. Besides pipes, plumbing systems also include fixtures and appliances such as toilets, kitchen and bathroom sinks, faucets, and water heaters. When installing these fixtures, a plumber must adhere to building codes and specifications to ensure the integrity of the plumbing system. This includes ensuring that all parts are compatible and that the fixtures are installed correctly. Plumbers are also responsible for establishing proper water flow and pressure, and they must test their work to make sure it meets code requirements before completing the job. They also provide customers with advice and recommendations on how to maintain their plumbing systems. Plumbing systems are complex, and problems can arise in a variety of ways. From clogged drains to water heater issues, it’s important for plumbers to have strong problem-solving skills and the ability to diagnose and repair a wide range of issues. Plumbers also need to have excellent interpersonal communication skills, so they can explain complicated technical matters in an easy-to-understand way and answer questions from customers. A plumber’s job duties include installing, repairing and maintaining pipes and fixtures that carry water, waste, gas and steam. They often use specialized tools to identify and resolve issues such as leaks, clogs and other problems with appliances and plumbing fixtures. Many plumbers work on-call and must be available to address plumbing emergencies outside of normal business hours. These emergency services can range from unclogging drains to repairing a burst pipe. Most plumbers have completed an apprenticeship program or hold a tradesman certificate. This qualifies them to install and repair plumbing fixtures and systems in homes and commercial buildings. They must be able to read blueprints and understand the principles of engineering in order to plan and execute plumbing projects. They also need to be familiar with local codes and regulations in order to ensure that their installations are safe and up to code. In addition to fixing and installing pipes and fixtures, plumbers can also service heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. They may also install fire sprinklers, water filters and sewer systems. Plumbers are also skilled at inspecting existing systems for problems, testing pressure levels and locating blockages or leaks. They can replace and repair a variety of different fixtures, including toilets, faucets, showers, dishwashers and washing machines. There are some differences between residential and commercial plumbing, but these differences are typically minor. For example, a commercial plumber may be required to comply with more stringent building codes than a residential plumber. However, the majority of the work is the same. A plumber’s career can be highly rewarding, but it is also challenging and demanding. The work is physically taxing, and plumbers must be able to lift heavy objects and crawl into tight spaces. They are also exposed to hazardous materials, and they must be able to follow all safety precautions. If you’re interested in becoming a plumber, consider an apprenticeship or attend an accredited online school. Then, you’ll be well on your way to a successful and rewarding career! Whether it is a bathroom or kitchen, a well-functioning plumbing system is a vital component of your house. Hence, problems with these systems are quite common and may require professional assistance. Plumbers offer a wide range of repair services for both residential and commercial spaces. They can fix a variety of issues such as leaking pipes, blocked drains, and more. They can also provide installation services for new taps, sinks, and other appliances. In addition, they can also help with sewage and drainage line repairs, water heater installations, and more. One of the most important services offered by a plumber is fixing damaged or broken fixtures. Plumbers can install or replace the damaged fixtures, and ensure that all parts are functioning properly. This can help prevent further damage and save money in the long run. Moreover, plumbers can also recommend energy-efficient fixtures to reduce utility bills. Another important service that plumbers offer is cleaning clogged drains and toilets. This can be a time-consuming and difficult task, but a professional plumber will have the tools and equipment to get the job done quickly. They will use a high-powered water jet to clean the clogged areas and remove any debris. This will make your home’s plumbing system more efficient and hygienic. Plumbers can also inspect the entire plumbing system to identify any potential problems. They can then repair or replace the pipes as needed. This will prevent future leaks and repairs, and ensure that the plumbing system is working as it should. Lastly, plumbers can also install garbage disposals and dishwashers in your home. In addition to these services, some plumbers also offer extra services such as advice on how to avoid plumbing problems. This can be a great way to increase customer satisfaction and build trust. Many plumbers also offer warranties on their work, which can be a great incentive for customers. This can help them build a strong relationship with their clients and increase their business opportunities in the future. A plumbing system takes away waste, provides hot and cold water and regulates indoor climate through pipes, valves, fixtures and other components. When something goes wrong with these systems, homeowners often call plumbers to fix the problem. Most of the time, a plumber is needed when a fixture such as a sink, toilet or shower is not working properly. The cause of the malfunction can be anything from a clogged drain to low water pressure. A plumber will be able to troubleshoot the problem and find the most effective way to repair it. Plumbers are also often called when problems with the home’s sewer system arise. This can be due to tree roots growing into pipes, a broken sewer line or even a backed-up septic tank. When this happens, it’s important to have a plumber visit the property as soon as possible to avoid further damage and costly repairs. When looking for a plumber, make sure they have experience and are licensed. A licensed plumber has the skills, knowledge and expertise to complete any plumbing work at a high standard. In addition, they should have a good track record of customer service and be available to answer any questions. Another thing to consider is the plumber’s working hours. Most companies have set business hours, so it’s important to choose one that fits your schedule. This is especially true for emergency situations when it’s important to get the problem fixed quickly. Plumbers are trained to use specialized tools to fix a variety of different issues. They may also need to cut into walls and ceilings to access pipes in difficult-to-reach places. They may need to make a few adjustments to existing fixtures like taps or toilets, or they might need to replace entire fixtures such as water heaters or garbage disposal units. A plumbing company should have a dedicated customer support team to help their customers with any concerns or questions. They should be able to provide helpful advice over the phone and set up an appointment that works with the customer’s schedule. A reputable company will also have advanced scheduling software that allows them to optimize their plumbers’ schedules and reduce waiting times for customers. This type of technology can be used to schedule appointments based on traffic conditions, allow for last-minute changes and even notify customers when the plumber is on their way.
What are roof rats? First of all, you need to know what roof rats are. It is important to know what kind of rats you are dealing with in order to deal with them effectively. Roof rats are known as black rats for good reason - they are black with smooth fur and long tails, They are also known as ship rats. Roof rats are smaller than some other rats and grow up to 18inches (including their tail) and can weigh up to 9oz. Roof rats are different to other rats in their diet. They are not usually drawn to meat scraps but eat a diet closer to a squirrel, consisting of nuts and fruits, but will eat almost anything if pushed to it. Roof rats are natural hoarders and will hide food for the future. They also need water to survive and will chew through pipes, both plastic and metal, to get to it. Roof rats reproduce very quickly, with a single female rat giving birth to up to 24 babies in a single year. This means your rat problem can multiple very quickly if it is not dealt with quickly and properly. Why are roof rats dangerous? Roof rats can cause a lot of damage to your health, the health of your pets, and to the health of your building. Roof rats can be aggressive when threatened and can bite or scratch. A bit from a rat can be very dangerous to a human as roof rats can carry diseases. Beyond a cut or scrape, you can have nausea, headache, fever, vomiting, and muscle pain from being bitten by a rat. Beyond this, roof rat droppings and urine can also make humans very sick. All of these illnesses humans can get can also apply to family pets if they come into contact with roof rats. You need to take care of this pest problem as soon as possible to protect your family and pets. They also attract predators and other pests that can harm your family such as snakes. Roof rats can also cause serious damage to your house. Droppings and urine can cause damage to wood parts of your house causing it to rot and need replacing. Nesting rats can cause damage to your insulation, tearing it and making it less efficient. This can cost you significant money to replace, or more in heating if you do not repair it. The most serious damage to your plastic and metal piping. Roof rats can gnaw through both types of pipe and this can cause serious leaks and water damage. They can also chew through electrical wiring, which can cut off electricity to your house and damage your devices. How can you get rid of roof rats? There are a few ways you can get rid of your roof rat problem. The best ways are by baiting or setting traps. Both of these can be very effective and can be done economically. Baiting involves laying rodenticide down for the rats to eat which will poison them and kill them. This can be very effective but is not the best choice for dealing with roof rats. This is because although the rats will likely die from the poison they will still be inside your house, and you cannot control where they go to die. This leads to rat carcasses being left in your house in places you do not know or cannot reach. You do not want this in your house as the carcasses can rot and cause further health and building damage. Only use baiting when the rats are outside of your house or you can regularly check for dead rats. Keep in mind interrupting the rats often will stop them eating the poison. Trapping is the best way to get rid of roof rats. This can also include using bait but it also captures the rat, making sure they do not wander away to die. You can also use other traps to kill your roof rats. Conventional snap traps can be effective - these are like the classic mouse trap with a metal bar that kills the rat. This can work, but each trap can only kill one rat before needing to be reset, so this is not the best option. Modern electronic rat traps are a good option. These kill rats with an electrical jolt, and can be used many times. These are only suitable for inside use when there is no risk of other animals being caught. Electrical traps are also more hygienic as there is no blood from the rat. Yet another option to try is glue traps, which catch rats that run across the trap using glue. This can let you remove the rat and release it elsewhere if you wish to as it will not kill the rat. A final option is using ultrasound devices that deter rats from entering or using an area. What is the best way to get rid of roof rats? Of the options above, the best way to get rid of roof rats is using traps, and specifically electronic rat traps. These will kill rats quickly and humanely, as well as doing it in the most hygienic way that prevents the rats dying in undesirable places. You will need a number of these traps to stop your roof rat problem, but as these traps are reusable this can be seen as an investment. It is also much cheaper than medical care for your family or pets, and cheaper than costly building repairs roof rats can cause. Electronic rat traps are the best way to get rid of roof rats, with other trapping methods being the second choice. Baiting is not appropriate for these pests. How do roof rats get in your home? Roof rats can get into your home through a number of ways. Rats can be very determined and can squeeze through very small holes. Any cracks in your building can attract roof rats, especially gaps in your roofing shingle. Any damaged vent covers can also be an entry point for roof rats. Rats are attracted by easy food or mess like grease. Rats look for warm dark spaces to hide from predators, and roofs can be the ideal place for this. Rats are also attracted by other rats, so one rat can quickly become dozens. Rats are excellent climbers and can access houses from power lines or vines on your house. How can you tell you have roof rats? There are a number of ways to tell you have roof rats. Droppings are an obvious sign, both seeing them and smelling them. Chew marks on any wood, plastic, or metal can also tell you rats have been in your house. Any water pipe issues or leaking can also be caused by rats so be on the look out for this. You can also hear rats moving, gnawing, or eating so if you hear anything like this make sure you investigate thoroughly. How can you keep rats out? The best way to keep roof rats out is to keep your building secure and clean. Repair or cover up any damages such as vent covers or roof tile damage to stop rats getting in. Rats can still get in despite your best efforts, so make sure you know how to take care of them if they do. You should also take good care of your garden, especially plants that touch or are near to your house. Roof rats are attracted by the cover of thick plants, and can climb plants very well to get inside. Keeping your garden well maintained will keep them away and make your house less attractive to rats. You should also keep your house clean, and especially keep all foods and animal feed secure. Roofs rats can be a real problem for householders but you can get rid of them without calling professional pest control. Make sure you act quickly and use plenty of traps of your choice to catch as many rats as you can. Baiting is an option, but it can take up to ten days for the poison to kill a rat, so this is not the fastest way to deal with them. You also run the risk of them dying somewhere you cannot retrieve them, and this can cause further problems. Deal with roof rats quickly and efficiently by using traps, ideally electronic traps as they are the most effective and hygienic. This is how to get rid of roof rats most effectively. Be thorough, be careful, and soon all your roof rat problems will be gone.
Exploring Corn Nuts: Origins, Ingredients, and Flavors Corn nuts, a classic snack beloved by many, offer a unique combination of crunch and robust flavors that make them irresistible. But what exactly are corn nuts? If you’ve ever found yourself pondering this question, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the origins, ingredients, and flavors of these addictive little morsels. So sit back, relax, and join us as we embark on an enlightening journey through the world of corn nuts. What Are Corn Nuts Corn nuts, despite their name, are not nuts at all. In fact, they are crunchy and savory snacks made from corn kernels. These kernels undergo a special process of roasting, deep-frying, or toasting to achieve their distinct texture and flavor. The result is a munchable treat that packs a surprising punch. The main ingredient in corn nuts is a unique type of large-kerneled corn called Cuzco or Peruvian corn. This corn is known for its robust flavor and size, making it perfect for producing these delightful snacks. It’s important to note that while corn nuts may be made from corn, they have a taste and texture that is quite different from other corn-based snacks. The flavor of corn nuts can be described as nutty and crunchy. This makes them a great alternative for those with nut allergies who still crave that satisfying crunch. What sets corn nuts apart is the variety of seasonings available. From classic flavors like salt and pepper to bold and spicy combinations, there is a corn nut flavor to suit every palate. It’s worth mentioning that corn nuts, while being a whole grain snack, are also high in calories and fat. Therefore, it’s essential to enjoy them in moderation as part of a balanced diet. However, the undeniable fact remains that they are a delicious treat that can add some excitement to your snacking routine. Corn nuts have become popular not only in the United States but in many other countries as well. You can find them in various brands, with one of the most well-known being CornNuts®. These snacks have carved out a niche in the culinary world, thanks to their satisfying crunch and unique flavors. Wondering how corn nuts are made? The process begins with soaking whole corn kernels in water for a few days. This helps to soften and hydrate the kernels. Once they have been sufficiently soaked, the corn kernels are then fried until they become delightfully hard and crunchy. This frying process gives them their distinctive texture. When it comes to the healthiness of corn nuts, opinions differ. Some argue that as a whole grain snack, they offer nutritional benefits. Others raise concerns about their high calorie and fat content. As with any indulgence, it’s important to enjoy them in moderation. If you’re wondering how corn nuts compare to other corn-based snacks, some people liken their taste to that of Fritos. Both snacks are made from corn, but corn nuts offer a unique flavor and crunch all their own. The difference lies in the preparation and seasoning, which give corn nuts their distinct characteristics. Curious to try this crunchy snack? You can easily find corn nuts online and in select grocery stores. Their popularity has made them readily available to those seeking a satisfying and unique snacking experience. So go ahead, grab a bag and discover the crunchy goodness of corn nuts. To summarize, corn nuts are not nuts at all; they are crunchy snacks made from roasted, deep-fried, or toasted corn kernels. Made from a special type of large-kerneled corn called Cuzco or Peruvian corn, they offer a nutty and crunchy flavor. While opinions on their healthiness vary, they are undeniably delicious. With various flavors to choose from, corn nuts have become a beloved snack around the world. So why not give them a try? Nuts are not only delicious but also packed with a wide range of health benefits. From providing essential nutrients to promoting heart health, there are numerous reasons to incorporate nuts into your diet. If you’re curious to learn more about the fascinating facts about nuts, click here to uncover the hidden secrets behind these nutritious treats. So, why wait? Discover the surprising information about nuts by exploring our collection of amazing facts: facts about nuts. The Origins of Corn Nuts: Exploring the Fascinating World of Crunchy Corn Snacks Origins of Corn Nuts: A Unique and Flavorful Snack Corn nuts, despite their name, are not actually nuts at all. They are in fact delicious and crispy snacks made from corn kernels. While many people are unaware of this, corn nuts have an interesting origin story. The majority of the corn used to produce these crunchy treats comes from a select group of corn growers in North America, particularly in California. Surprisingly, the corn variety used for corn nuts is non-GMO and specially bred to have extra-large kernels, adding to their unique appeal. “Corn nuts are not actually nuts, but rather crunchy snacks made from corn kernels that offer a delightful flavor and crunchiness.” The Flavorful Cuzco Corn: A Central Ingredient The key ingredient that gives corn nuts their distinct taste and texture is a type of corn called Cuzco or Peruvian corn. This corn variety is renowned for its large kernels, which provide a satisfying crunch when transformed into this beloved snack. The flavor of corn nuts has been described as nutty, making it an enticing option for those seeking a different kind of snack experience. “Corn nuts are made from a special type of large-kerneled corn known as Cuzco or Peruvian corn, which contributes to their unique flavor and crunchiness.” Variety and Seasonings: Catering to All Tastes Corn nuts offer a wide range of flavor options to suit different taste preferences. This versatility has contributed to their popularity, not only in the United States but also in various countries around the world. Whether you prefer a tangy barbecue seasoning or a classic salted flavor, there is a corn nut to satisfy every craving. “Corn nuts come in a variety of seasonings, catering to different taste preferences and ensuring there’s something for everyone.” A Snack with a Caveat: Enjoying Corn Nuts in Moderation While corn nuts are undoubtedly a delicious and satisfying snack, it is important to remember that they are also high in calories and fat. As with any indulgence, moderation is key. It is essential to enjoy corn nuts as a treat rather than a staple of your diet. By savoring them in reasonable portions, you can fully appreciate their unique taste without compromising your overall health and well-being. “Corn nuts can be enjoyed as an indulgence, but their high calorie and fat content means they should be consumed in moderation.” Crunchy Process: From Soaking to Frying The process of making corn nuts involves soaking corn kernels in water before frying them until they reach the desired crunchiness. This combination of moisture and heat transforms the kernels into the irresistible snack we all know and love. Thanks to this simple yet effective method, corn nuts acquire their distinctive flavor, making them stand out in the realm of corn-based snacks. “Corn nuts are made by soaking corn kernels in water and then frying them until they reach a perfectly crispy texture, resulting in their unique flavor and crunch.” A Flavorful Standout: Different from Other Corn-Based Snacks While corn nuts are part of the corn-based snack family, they offer a distinct flavor and texture compared to other popular options like Fritos. Corn nuts provide a delightful crunchiness and a nutty undertone that sets them apart. Whether you’re a fan of other corn snacks or completely new to the world of crunchy corn, trying corn nuts will be a flavor experience all its own. “Corn nuts have a distinct flavor and crunch that differentiate them from other corn-based snacks like Fritos.” Availability and Enjoyment Corn nuts are easily accessible, either through online retailers or select grocery stores. They have garnered a strong following due to their unique taste and satisfying crunch. While opinions regarding their healthiness are subjective, there is no denying the delight they can bring as an indulgent treat. So, the next time you come across a bag of corn nuts, don’t hesitate to give in to the temptation and enjoy a snack that offers a flavorful adventure. “Corn nuts are readily available online and in select grocery stores, offering a delightful and indulgent treat for snack enthusiasts.” (Note: The information provided in this article is based on research and expertise in the field of corn nut production. This content is not sourced from the specific video mentioned earlier.) Q: Are corn nuts actually nuts? A: No, corn nuts are not nuts. They are actually corn kernels that have been roasted, deep-fried, or toasted. Q: What type of corn are corn nuts made from? A: Corn nuts are made from a special type of large-kerneled corn called Cuzco or Peruvian corn. Q: Do corn nuts have a specific flavor? A: Yes, corn nuts have a crunchy and nutty flavor. They also come in various seasonings that enhance their taste. Q: Can corn nuts be considered a healthy snack? A: There is no consensus on whether corn nuts are a healthy snack, as opinions vary. While they are considered a whole grain snack, they are also high in calories and fat. Q: Where can I find corn nuts for purchase? A: You can purchase corn nuts from various online retailers and in some grocery stores. The most popular brand is CornNuts®. - Effective Strategies: 5 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution - December 6, 2023 - 5 Types of Environmental Pollution: A Comprehensive Analysis - December 6, 2023 - The Historical and Cultural Significance of Punjab’s 5 Main Rivers - December 6, 2023
Scientists from Britain have found a remote ice rift valley, up to one mile deep, under the ice in Antarctica. The rift is similar in size and depth to the Grand Canyon and because it is direct contact with the warming ocean, it’s been found that it has a significant contribution to the unusual ice sheet melting of West Antarctica. The rift lies beneath the Ferrigno Ice Stream on a stretch of coast so remote that it has only been visited once previously in 1961. “Over the last 20 years we have used satellites to monitor ice losses from Antarctica, and we have witnessed consistent and substantial ice losses from around much of its coastline.” For some of the glaciers, including Ferrigno Ice Stream, the losses are especially pronounced, and, to understand why, we needed to acquire data about conditions beneath the ice surface,” said Glaciologist and lead author, Dr Robert Bingham. The ice sheet in West Antarctic is losing ice at a faster rate than any other part of the continent and some glaciers are receding annually by over one metre. Actually, it’s been found that West Antarctica’s thinning ice adds almost 10% to global rises in sea levels. You can imagine this didn’t went unnoticed, so scientists decided to closely investigate the area. Using a special tower radar mounted on-top of a snowmobile, researchers were able to survey the area through which they traversed, roughly 1,500 miles. “What we found is that lying beneath the ice there is a large valley, parts of which are approximately a mile deeper than the surrounding landscape,” said Dr Bingham. “If you stripped away all of the ice here today, you’d see a feature every bit as dramatic as the huge rift valleys you see in Africa and in size as significant as the [US] Grand Canyon. “This is at odds with the flat ice surface that we were driving across – without these measurements we would never have known it was there.” After analyzing the valley geometry and correlating the warm ocean with which it is linked, the scientists found that it matches satellite ice thinning data. In the paper, the scientists claim that the Ferrigno Rift is part of a massive rift system that is little understood. The study is part of the British Antarctic Survey’s Icesheets Programme that investigates how ice sheets change and what effect they have on the rest of the earth, including rises in sea levels. It’s thought that were the entire ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland to melt, which are 4km thick, sea levels globally would rise by several metres. The findings were reported in the journal Nature.
A Photon is unique; it has both wave like and particle like properties. It is the only particle in the universe which travels at the speed of light – 186,000 miles per sec. According to science it is physically impossible for anything to travel at the speed of light, because it will require infinite amount of energy to push something to achieve the speed of light. Infinite means infinite, therefore it is just impossible to achieve the speed of light for any object. At the Large Hardon Collider in CERN, Switzerland, it has been possible to achieve 99.999% of the speed of light – achieving 100% seems impossible. This really makes you wonder- if it is impossible to achieve the speed of light how come the photons achieve this speed so easily, and to top it all, they seem to be everywhere in the universe. Anything traveling at the speed of light must have infinite energy or mass, but photons zero mass. If you apply the tool kit of the special theory of relativity to the photon, the implications are profound and breathtaking. Let us talk about this now Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity The Theory of Special Relativity deals with Space and Time. It is based on the fact that the speed of light is fixed at c = 186,000 miles per second irrespective of the frame of reference. We all experience relative speed. Going in a car at 60mph, we look into another car traveling in the same direction at 55mph, and we see things inside the other car because the relative speed is only 5mph. We don’t have this experience with reference to the speed of light. Light is travelling at 186,000 miles per sec and suppose you are traveling in a car at 60% of the speed of light. Sitting in the car, you would logically expect the light to travel at only 40% of its usual speed, but if you take measurements you will find to your amazement that light is still travelling at 186k miles per sec. The same applies if you increase the speed of the car to 80% of speed of light or slow down to 30% of the speed of light. The speed of light is fixed at 186,000 miles per hour irrespective of the frame of reference To explain the implications of this theory, Einstein provided a thought experiment, as it was impossible for cars or rockets to reach speeds anywhere close to the speed of light. You are on earth and your twin brother goes into space in a rocket. You both have the top of the range atomic clocks. Your twin brother’s rocket is traveling at the speed of 0.8c. You at earth measure the speed of the light, you find it be c, your twin brother also measures the speed of light, he will also find the speed to be c. How come? The clock in the rocket slows down and his ruler in the rocket gets compressed and is much shorter so that the speed of light is still c. His spacetime framework is more compressed, but the speed of light is still c. Your twin brother returns to earth. Your clock shows he travelled for 10 years, while his clock shows he travelled for 6 years only. Your twin brother goes on another trip and now he increases his speed to 0.9999c. He measures the speed of light and he still finds it to be c, the same as you will find on earth. His clock will be running very slowly as compared to your clock on earth. He returns after 50 days according his clock. Your clock on earth will show he has travelled for 10 years. Amazing stuff! His spacetime is extremely compressed. Here’s an addition to the Einstein thought experiment. Your twin brother enjoys being in space. He goes back for another trip, and now his rocket travels at the speed of light c. He is tries to measure the speed of light, but he is unable to do so. Light travels at c and his rocket is also traveling at speed c, both are going in parallel to each other speed wise. To make a measurement you need light to bounce of an object, but if the rocket and light are going at the same speed, it is impossible to take this measurement. When he returns to earth, your clock shows he has travelled for 10 years, he will find his clock is at a standstill, no time has passed for him. Also, according to him he has covered no distance. You aged 10 years; he felt he did not go anywhere, both time wise and distance wise and therefore did not age at all. Now replace the rocket and the twin brother with a photon. The photon will have the same experience as your twin brother travelling at speed of light c in a rocket. Here’s what you could say the photon “experienced” the following according to the special theory of relativity. - Distance travelled by photon = 0 - Time experienced by photon = 0 or standstill - Energy content of photon = infinity. The formulae for the Lorenz Transformation will confirm this. What is your experience as an observer stationed on earth tracking a photon traveling for 10 years? - Distance traveled by photon = 10 light years - Time travelled by photon = 10 years - Mass of photon = 0 - Speed of light = c According to the photon, it feels it is at a standstill not covering any distance. However, the observer feels the photon is covering a large distance traveling at the speed of light. How do we interpret this information? Based on the information we have understood, we can make the following important conclusions - The photon travels only in the presence of the observer. If there is no observer, then the photon remains at a standstill. An observer is a prerequisite for the photon to travel. In our earlier discussions we have mentioned that the only observer in this universe is the Atma, which is the underlying reality of you, me and every living being. So, whenever a photon comes in the presence of Awareness in any mind – your mind, my mind or the cosmic mind, the photon becomes conscious and then and only then we are aware of the photon. It is this photon which zips around at the speed of light. The perception must take place in the mind first, only then it is possible for the photon to be observed in the physical world. It is this basic reason, why the perception process as taught by Vedanta is the only correct way to understand the phenomenon. - From the photon’s perspective, it is at standstill in time and covers no distance. If time does not move for the photon, it must be outside time and it must be beyond the spacetime framework. If it was within the spacetime framework, time for the photon must change. What does this really mean? Anything beyond time must be in a dormant condition; it could also be called un-manifest condition. What is the “un-manifest” condition? According to Vedanta, it is in its potential form, just like a tree is in an un-manifest, potential condition within a seed. The physical tree still has not come out, but the tree is there in a potential form in the seed. So only a tree will manifest from this seed and nothing else. The photon is also in the same potential form. What potential form does the photon represent? The universe is the “potential” within the photon. - Where does the photon reside in its un-manifest condition? Since the un-manifest photon is beyond the space time frame work and as we explained earlier that the Atma is always beyond time. It is only logical conclude that the un-manifest photon exists within Atma, which is unchanging, limitless, without boundaries. Since Atma is present in everyone, including in you, therefore the un-manifest photon is present within you, within your true reality of Atma. You, as an individual person, do not feel or realize this, because, like everyone else, you are ignorant of your own true nature. - We saw earlier that according to the observer, the energy level or mass of the photon is zero, but according to the photon, the energy level of the photon is infinite. This photon with infinite energy is lying dormant within the Observer or Atma in an un-manifest condition. Now there is no infinite energy, there is only a potential for infinite energy. Whenever the Observer/Atma has the desire to view the universe, this un-manifest photon will come into the observer’s mind, this photon will become conscious and then it will manifest to become the universe we see around us. This manifested universe will have infinite energy. We know from studying Vedanta that Atma/Brahman is the underlying reality of you and of the universe. It is the Observer of your mind and it is beyond the space time framework. We have also analyzed that from the photon’s point of view, the photon remains in an un-manifest condition in your Atma. When this photon enters your mind, it becomes conscious and manifests itself. Energy which makes up this Universe Photons, from their own standpoint, are in an un-manifest condition. They are in their potential state. The potential form of the photon represents the universe; it is not one photon, but a collection of all the photons in the universe. A good analogy would be that the potential form is like software code that represents all aspects of the universe. Just like the software needs a CPU to manifest itself, the potential form of the photon needs a mind to manifest itself. When the un-manifest photon meets our minds, it manifests itself and becomes a Vritti, which is like a mental wave within the mind. These mental waves or vrittis are the same as the probability waves which are explained by quantum physics, they are so similar in their functionality. We know from quantum mechanics that the probability waves collapse in the presence of the observing system. In the same way the mental waves of the photon collapse in the presence of Atma, which is the observing system in our minds. Maya Shakti then projects this collapsed wave function as the visible physical universe we see around us. Put in simple terms, the universe is a manifestation of just the photon. In its un-manifest form, the photon had a potential for infinite energy. This infinite energy is now unleashed into the entire universe. Types of Energy in the Universe As we have seen, the photon is the only particle in the universe which travels at the speed of light. If we apply the theory of special relativity to the photon, the photon will feel it does not travel any distance, that time is at a standstill and that it has an infinite amount of energy. In the presence of the observer or from the point of view of the observer, the picture is very different, infinite energy is distributed all over the world and photons are zooming around the universe at the speed of light. The photon has an infinite amount of energy, but this finite universe can use only a finite amount of energy. You as an observer can only see a part of the universe and therefore only a finite amount of energy is required. I am guessing that the unused energy of the photon remains in an un-manifest condition. It must be clearly understood that the only energy available in the universe is the energy provided by photons. A photon in a wave form is also known as an Electromagnetic Energy Wave (EMV). The known spectrum of light starts from Radio waves (300 Khz) to Gamma rays (3 x 1021) Hz. This spectrum of energy covers the universe. It is the source for everything. All objects are made up of energy and this energy comes with the manifestation of the photon in the presence of the observer or Atma. The energy described above is the physical or visible energy. Keeping the size of the universe and estimating the number of galaxies, cosmologists have estimated the composition of the universe in this way – - Dark energy – 79% - Dark matter – 26% - Visible Matter – 5% Only 5% of the energy is used to create the visible galaxies. We must note that 73% of the visible universe is made of hydrogen, 23% Helium and 2% is made of the remaining elements. The cosmologist still has no clue what this dark energy/matter is. They have not seen it nor identified it. It’s just an assumption to explain how the energy needed to fuel the expansion of the universe is “created”. Dark energy, Dark matter and the Visible Matter, all have the roots in the infinite energy source of the photons in the un-manifested Atma.
Eight thousand is a perfectly arbitrary number. Yet, no other number looms larger for mountain climbers. Fourteen mountain peaks stand taller than 8,000 meters (26,247 feet). There could have been many more of these “eight-thousanders” if the French commission that established the length of the meter (in 1793) had made it just a bit shorter; there would be hardly any if they had made the meter longer. The decision to make a meter equivalent to one ten-millionth of the distance between the equator and the North Pole left the world with fourteen 8K peaks. All of them are found in either the Karakoram or Himalayan mountain ranges of central Asia. Fourteen is a number that pushes climbers to the point of obsession. It’s big enough that only the most ambitious consider climbing all of them, but small enough that doing so over a lifetime still seems possible. Even in the United States, a country where most people shun metric measurements, climbers dream of ascending the eight-thousanders. The “twenty-six-thousand, two-hundred-and-forty-seven-footers” hardly has the same ring. However you measure them, the world’s tallest mountains are treacherous. They have towering blocks of ice—seracs—that can crush climbers in seconds. They are prone to tremendous avalanches of rock and snow that obliterate entire expeditions. And they are home to spider webs of ice crevasses that swallow humans whole. Even during the summer, average daytime temperatures are frigid. And, hurricane-force winds are common. Then, of course, there is the lack of oxygen. At 5,000 meters (16,404 feet), the atmosphere contains about half as much oxygen as at sea level. By 6,000 meters (19,685 feet), the air is so thin that full acclimatization is no longer possible. No matter how fit, climbers begin to slowly suffocate. By 7,000 meters (22,966 feet), survival times plummet and lucid thought becomes difficult. By 8,000 meters—the so-called “death zone”—even the strongest climbers can survive for a few days at best. The three most dangerous of the eight-thousanders—Annapurna, K2, and Nanga Parbat—claim the life of about one climber for every four who reach the top. The fatality rate for Annapurna, the most dangerous mountain in the world, is over 30 percent. Bottled oxygen and guided climbs have made Mount Everest much safer than it was decades ago, but the world’s tallest mountain still takes lives regularly. Nine people died on the mountain in 2013. Ten in 2012. All this risk is for what, exactly? Reinhold Messner, the first person to climb all fourteen of the eight-thousanders, pointed to something he calls “overview” to explain the allure. “It is not the mountain but the view from the peak that suggests increased awareness,” he writes in the book Mountains from Space. “The person who stands on top of one comes back down with a new sense of the world.” Messner risked everything for fleeting views from the top of the world, ascending many of the eight-thousanders solo and without the aid of bottled oxygen. It took him 16 years (1970–1986) to climb them all. Only 31 other people—give or take a few because the records of some climbers are considered controversial—have done it since. While the summit of an eight-thousander may represent the ultimate view on Earth, satellites take Messner’s concept of overview to a whole new level. The summit of Mount Everest is about 8.8 kilometers (5.5 miles) above sea level. Most polar-orbiting satellites fly at an altitude of 705 kilometers (438 miles). So when viewed from space, the world’s tallest mountains become blotches of shadow, rock, and snow. Epic glaciers become narrow tongues of ice feeding glacial lakes that look like puddles. Deadly storms become mere tufts of cloud. Ground photography of Mount Everest and the other tall peaks are ubiquitous, but the gallery that follows—a collection of imagery acquired by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s EO-1 satellite—offers a less familiar perspective. The sensors on ALI looked directly down on the mountains, not from an oblique angle like a passenger on an airplane or an astronaut on the International Space Station might see them. In some ways, this top-down view makes the images difficult for human eyes and brains to interpret. Scenes appear strangely flat. Separating a mountain’s summit from the ridge is challenging. Vast shadows obscure features in adjacent valleys, and opaque snows blanket everything. Yet, in other ways, the view from directly above is the most valuable of all. Images like these make clear that the world’s tallest peaks are not isolated pyramids. Rather, they are part of long, sinuous ridges that stretch for such distances that it can be difficult to tell exactly where the summit lies. With structures as massive and complex as mountains, distance provides clarity. Faults, suture points, glaciers all emerge—helping geologists piece together the story of how physical processes created these extraordinary mountains and continue to shape them today. The geological story is one that began some 40 million years ago when the Indian subcontinent began a slow-motion collision with Asia, jamming the edges of the two continents into the massive ridges and valleys that make up the Himalaya and Karakoram today. “If you want to understand how mountains form, these ranges offer a perfect laboratory. These are the youngest, most dramatic, and fastest uplifting mountains in the world,” said Michael Searle, a University of Oxford geologist and a veteran of dozens of expeditions to the Himalaya and Karakoram. But it was journalist John McPhee who summed up the wonder of their geologic history when he wrote the Annals of the Former World, his Pulitzer prize-winning history of Earth’s geology: “The summit of Mount Everest is marine limestone,” he extolled. “This one fact is a treatise in itself on the movements of the surface of the Earth. If by some fiat, I had to restrict all this writing to one sentence; this is the one I would choose.” In other words, when climbers reach the top of Mount Everest, they are not standing on hard igneous rocks produced by volcanoes. Rather, they are perched on softer rock formed by the skeletons of creatures that lived in a warm ocean off the northern coast of India tens of millions of years ago. Plate tectonics transformed ocean bottoms into the highest points on the planet. It’s just one of many bizarre realities of the eight-thousanders, mountains that will continue to fascinate scientists and obsess climbers for as long as they tower over everything else. So, sit back and get ready to tour the world’s tallest peaks by satellite. No risk of avalanche. No threat of frostbite. No climbing boots required.
We get it. Our love of drinking water from disposable plastic bottles is a problem, enough of a problem that San Francisco actually wants to ban them. But then what will we drink water out of? Ooho, a biodegradable membrane made of brown algae, is an interesting idea. Touted by some as an "edible water bottle," Ooho is actually more of a blob. The three London-based design students who developed the technology wanted to make something cheap, sustainable, and durable, so they improved upon a decades-old culinary technique called "spherification." Made popular by the molecular gastronomy nuts at El Bulli, spherification is exactly what it sounds like. Put simply, you turn liquid into spheres held together with a gelatinous membrane. Ooho is actually not one but two membranes, for durability's sake. The double layer also makes it possible to sandwich a label in between the membranes, though Ooho's not quite ready for the supermarket. The real fun, of course, is trying to drink from Ooho. Since the container is edible, you could just pop the whole thing in your mouth like a bon-bon, but that doesn't seem particularly sanitary. Instead, you can just poke a hole in the membrane with your teeth and suck the water out. Based on Fast Company's test, however, you'll probably end up getting water everywhere. All things considered, Ooha is a pretty cool, though slightly absurd invention. Will it save the world from living under a mountain of plastic Dasani bottles? Probably not. Does it signal the beginning of a new way to think about food packing? Absolutely. And Ooha's not the only one onto this edible packaging idea, either. In the next month or so, Wikipearl will make its debut on the shelves of Whole Foods around Boston. The design of these little balls was inspired by biological cells and they actually are supposed to be eaten like bon bons. For now, however, it's safe to say that products like Ooho and Wikipearl are a novelty. An intriguing novelty! But a novelty nonetheless. [Fast Company via PSFK]
- Context: Smoking issues in San Francisco apartmentsA considerable body of research has shown that even brief exposure to secondhand smoke—which contains over 7,000 chemicals, at least 70 of which are cancer-causing—is dangerous. Secondhand smoke kills tens of thousands of Americans every year and causes life-threatening illnesses in thousands more. The U.S. Surgeon General has stated there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and in 2006 the California Air Resources Board classified secondhand smoke as a “toxic air contaminant” that can lead to serious illness and death. The health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) on children include low birthweight and lung problems in newborns; acute lower respiratory tract infections; middle ear infections; and chronic respiratory symptoms or problems, including asthma in children who previously had no symptoms. Pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses are particularly vulnerable to the effects of SHS, which can cause lung cancer in nonsmokers and increases the risk for heart disease, stroke and chronic lung problems. For people living in multi-unit housing units or apartments, it is common for SHS to travel into and out of open doors and windows, shared ventilation systems and walls, ceiling crawl spaces, and gaps around light fixtures, plumbing, electrical wiring, baseboards, and ductwork. Whereas SHS is the smoke that comes from being in close proximity to cigarettes, a third type of tobacco-related health hazard has recently been identified. Thirdhand smoke is the toxic residue from tobacco smoke that remains on a variety of indoor surfaces, such as drapes, walls, carpets, dust, furniture, as well as clothes, hair and skin long after smoking has stopped. That residue, which includes heavy metals, carcinogens and even radioactive materials, builds up over time and is resistant to normal cleaning methods such as airing out rooms, opening windows, using fans, or only smoking in certain parts of a home.Anyone that inhales, ingests, or touches surfaces containing thirdhand smoke, including young children crawling or playing on the floor, is at risk of developing serious tobacco-related health problems. ForIn San Francisco, many long-term residents are allowed to smoke in their apartments. When new tenants object to being exposed to secondhand smoke in their apartment, the most common consequences are complaints to the landlords, conflict between neighbors, and broken leases. For nearly 100 years, the nonprofit San Francisco Apartment Association (SFAA) has provided a variety of informational and advocacy services to San Francisco housing owners ranging from relevant local and state legislation, rent control, earthquake preparedness, and assistance with tenant screening for property management. SFAA staff find themselves counseling many landlords with questions about drifting smoke and how to mediate SHS-related complaints between neighbors. SFAA wanted to be able to competently address these types of concerns and ultimately reduce the number of SHS-related complaints. SFAA believed that, in a city where two-thirds of residents are renters and where so there is so much concern about limiting the effects of secondhand smoke, potential renters should have the right to know the location of designated smoking units/areas. - Community Action Model: Process for achieving a housing disclosure ordinanceIn implementing its action, SFAA advocates utilized the Community Action Model (CAM), a process that builds on the strengths or capacity of a community to create change from within and mobilizes community members and agencies to change environmental factors promoting economic and environmental inequalities. CAM steps include: Train participants to develop skills, increase knowledge and build capacity. Do a community diagnosis to find the root causes of a community concern or issue and discovering resources to overcome it. Choose an action to address the issue of concern. The action should be achievable, have the potential for sustainability, and compel change for the wellbeing of all. Develop/implement an action plan which may include an outreach plan, media advocacy, developing and advocating for a model policy, presentations, and evaluation. Enforce/maintain the action after it is successfully completed to maintain it over the long term with enforcement by appropriate bodies. Under contract to San Francisco’s Tobacco-Free Coalition and in collaboration with Dolores Street Community Services, a tenants’ rights advocacy organization, and the Department of Public Health (DPH), SFAA proposed to develop a Tobacco Smoke Free Disclosure Policy for multi-unit housing in San Francisco requiring landlords to disclose the location of smoking and non-smoking areas of their building prior to signing a lease with a prospective tenant. The collaboration between SFAA and Dolores Street Community Services combined the unique perspectives of two organizations that historically have not worked together. The expectation of each group was that such a policy would benefit both constituencies by reducing SHS-related complaints between tenants and owners, resulting in broken leases, adversarial relationships between tenants and landlords, and conflicts resulting in lawsuits. SFAA hired a group of eight advocates with experience in health advocacy or property management to work on passing a citywide secondhand smoke disclosure policy. This was a diverse group of four women and two men, representing African American, Latino and white racial/ethnic groups. The advocates began by researching model disclosure policies and the types of policies that had been passed by other local jurisdictions. They learned that due to concerns nationally of many tenants and owners of multi-unit housing, including apartments and condominiums, about tobacco smoke that infiltrates into homes from a neighboring unit, many cities, housing authorities, and apartment building owners have taken steps to prevent or eliminate SHS from units. By November 2011 smokefree housing policies had been adopted in 54 communities in California alone. Three general types of policies have been passed in California: 1) city/county ordinances that require a certain percentage of units to be nonsmoking units, require landlords to disclose information about smoking policies and the location of smoking and nonsmoking units, and/or that declare SHS exposure a nuisance; 2) housing authority policies that require the creation of nonsmoking units in low-income, senior or other types of affordable housing; and 3) city/county resolutions encouraging landlords to designate a certain percentage of units to be nonsmoking units. The advocates also researched best practices and lessons learned from those who had worked on similar policies. The advice included: 1) language should be included to protect landlords from liability if a tenant violates the no smoking policy; 2) language should be added to safeguard against evicting tenants; and 3) possibly exempting certain buildings depending on the number of apartments in the building. In their goal to draft and present an attainable policy, the advocates also reviewed feedback that had been received from an earlier draft policy that had been “shopped around” to stakeholders. The suggestions and potential obstacles that were identified include: - A requirement to affix “no smoking” signs to every non-smoking unit in San Francisco would not be achievable. - A requirement to maintain an updated map on every floor of every building showing non-smoking and smoking optional apartments was too impractical. While master lists could be updated, creating new floor plans as units turn over would be a barrier. - Include a “hold harmless” clause that specifies an owner needs to disclose the locations of smoking and non-smoking areas in a building, but if a tenant is smoking and the owner does not know about it, the owner would not be held liable. Continuing their research, the advocates surveyed 380 landlords throughout San Francisco about their experiences with SHS issues in apartments to determine the nature and scope of the issue. Key findings among landlords are: At about the same time, Dolores Street Community Services (SFAA’s project collaborator) surveyed 208 tenants to get a renter’s perspective and experience about SHS in multi-unit housing. Key findings are: - Over half of landlords surveyed reported never having received a complaint about secondhand smoke. - Two-thirds of landlords surveyed would support a new law to tell prospective tenants the location of units where smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products in allowed and where it is not allowed, while one-third would not support such a law. - When asked why, as prospective tenants, they didn’t ask if smoking was allowed, 49.3% said they “didn’t think to ask.” - Over half of tenant respondents who indicated that a neighbor smoked reported that secondhand smoked did drift into their apartment. Of those, over 70% had not reported this to the landlord. - 59% of survey respondents reported that they or a visitor had gone outside to smoke. - 72% of tenants reported that they would want to know if the room they were moving into was smoke free, while 16% said they would not want to know, and 12% said they “don’t care.” - 87% of tenants indicated at least some level of support for a disclosure law, and half indicated a high level of support. The advocates also interviewed Rent Board Commission staff and landlord attorneys for third-party opinions on a smoking disclosure policy. They learned that there was general confusion between statewide legislation (SB 332) passed in 2011that codifies a landlord’s ability to prohibit smoking on a residential rental property and what a new citywide disclosure policy would mean for landlords and tenants in San Francisco. A second issue was concern that the proposed policy be clear it is written to serve as a warning of areas where tobacco smoke could feasibly be emanating from, not where it necessarily will come from. As such, the disclosure policy was written to be merely a disclosure of areas where smoking is allowed (ie a list of apartments that do not expressly prohibit smoking, rather than a list of people who smoke in the building.) Taking into account the input received from surveys, interviews, and feedback about an earlier draft described above, the advocates drafted a disclosure policy that they believed was both politically achievable and balanced tenant protection and property owner liability, while moving towards the goal of healthier housing. The proposed policy would require that property owners with less than 100% smokefree rental properties must: - Designate all units as “smokefree” or “smoking optional.” - Include in vacancy listings the unit designation as smokefree or smoking optional. - Disclose in writing to all applicants who would be offered the apartment prior to entering into a new lease or rental agreement whether the vacant unit is designated as smokefree or smoking optional. - Provide a list to any rental applicant who will be offered the apartment showing the designation of all areas that are smoking optional. - Develop and maintain a master listing that shows the location of all smoking optional units. The advocates believed the policy was achievable because state law already requires landlords to make several disclosures about their buildings. In addition, the smoking disclosure should ease landlord/tenant tension, tenants breaking leases due to SHS, and conflicts between neighbors. By far, the strength in their political strategy, was the collaboration between SFAA and Dolores Street – organizations both very active in housing policy though they are often on opposing sides. Together, the two groups built consensus among landlords and tenants and then worked together to generate broad-based support for a policy that would benefit everyone. The list of supporters that endorsed the policy was impressive. It included the tenants’ rights community, Housing Right Committee, Just Cause, Delores Street and Mission SRO, along with SFAA, a local property management company, the Rent Board, and industry attorneys that represent landlords. With proposed policy and endorsements in hand, the advocates approached a member on the Board of Supervisors who agreed to sponsor the policy. The policy was on November 19, 2012 before the Land Use and Economic Development Committee where it was approved and sent to the Board of Supervisors. The policy was passed unanimously by the full Board on January 15 2013. This rare coalition of renters, landlords and the health department more than demonstrates the power of collaboration and compromise among historical adversaries. Its success in modeling the art of traditionally opposing interests successfully working together is restorative and many important lessons can be learned from it. - The key to having a smoother process is working with both sides right from the beginning and helping everyone to air their concerns and begin to come to agreements. - Use common sense rather than being overly political. Rather than working from an old paradigm – landlords vs. tenants – the proposed policy was a common sense piece of legislation that attempted not to be overly political and demonstrated benefits for tenants. The right to know is a basic principle and not too controversial. - Expect to spend considerable time negotiating with constituents, listening, finding common ground, trade-offs. Some political capital was used to convince owners about what is achievable. Informational packet with FAQs and model policy - Download: case study Download the case study here. Potential renters should have the right to know the location of designated smoking units/areas.
Kōrero, Te Arawa, Taranaki and Punamu Will you have enough time to read our Māori selection over the next two months? We have many books you can choose from. Tāhuhu kōrero : the sayings of Taitokerau unveils the proverbs of the Far North and their historical background. The Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand’s law and constitution reflects on the legal status of the treaty, and The beating heart tells about the history of the Te Arawa tribes since the 1830s. Other items deal with Māori legislation, the Brown Pages directory, voices of Taranaki women, modern Māori food, Māori prayers and language. If a study of ‘sacred references to the dead’ study, Māori tribes and New Zealand greenstone also interest you, check out this month’s Māori Recent Picks.
\|Select Variable: Average Temperature Graphs Low Temperature Graphs \| High Temperature Graph \|\| There are large localized climate differences across the North Country when it comes to temperature. The causes of such large differences in local temperatures are elevation, proximity to water sources, and location relative to deep valleys or hillsides. In general lower elevation locations that are close to water sources will have a warmer climate, then a deep mountain valley that has been deforested. The climate graphs on this page are yearly averages for the average (max + min / 2), minimum, and maximum temperature. Each data point on the graph represents the annual temperature for one entire year. The graphs have a historic linear regression trend line and a 5 year moving average trend line. Temperature is located on the Y axis and the Year is located on the X axis. Period of Record: The period of record (Years observations have been taken) varies between each site. Each site was selected due to their long record of continuous observations and geographic location. Due to numerous complications that occur with temperature readings some sites are still missing data. Any year with missing data was omitted from the graph, thus you will notice some breaks of data in the graphs. These temperature graphs are not official records and should not be used in any official publications or research work. Some sites have moved locations and all sites have had changes in temperature recording instrumentation. You will notice that the vast majority of sites have had an upward trend in temperature over the past century with a higher rate of warming in minimum temperatures then maximum temperatures.
Here in Australia, unvaccinated children are blamed for young infants becoming seriously ill or dying from whooping cough (pertussis), and the government say it is very important to raise the vaccination rate. However, when we had much lower vaccination rates for pertussis, the number of reported cases was also much lower. In 1991, around 70% of Australian children were fully vaccinated and there were only 347 cases of Whooping Cough, while in 2011 with over 90% of children vaccinated, we had 38,758 cases. How can the unvaccinated be blamed for this disease spreading? [Read more…]
The power of fiction is to create empathy … A newspaper could tell you that one hundred people, say, in an airplane, or in Israel, or in Iraq, have died today. And you can think to yourself, “How very sad,” then turn the page and see how the Wildcats fared. But a novel could take just one of those hundred lives and show you exactly how it felt to be that person… You could taste that person’s breakfast, and love her family, and sort through her worries as your own, and know that a death in that household will be the end of the only life that someone will ever have. As important as yours. As important as mine. – Barbara Kingsolver Paul Slovic has written about “psychic numbing” as a possible answer to the question “Why do good people ignore mass murder and genocide?” Acknowledging that the answer to this question is unlikely to be straightforward, Slovic (p.80) focuses on one particular aspect of the answer, “… that the statistics of mass murder or genocide, no matter how large the numbers, fail to convey the true meaning of such atrocities. The numbers fail to spark emotion or feeling and thus fail to motivate action. Genocide in Darfur is real, but we do not “feel” that reality.” His argument is rooted in the now common idea that humans have two systems of thinking, one intuitive and automatic, and the other slow and contemplative. The same idea is the subject of Daniel Kahneman’s recent Thinking, Fast and Slow. The slow and contemplative System 2 likely values every life more or less equally. Should we not feel just as unhappy we hear that one person has died in Syria as we do when we hear that the death toll there has risen from 2,000 to 2,001? We don’t, of course, and Slovic locates one reason in the fast and intuitive System 1. System 1, he argues, evolved to deal with immediate “present, visible, immediate dangers” not “distant, mass murder.” We can feel the reality of an immediate danger or an immediate personal tragedy but we have enormous difficulty feeling the danger or the tragedy of large-scale events. We cannot feel 100 times worse when 100 people die than we do when one dies. Several kinds of “psychic numbing” has now been documented in a number of experiments that Slovic marshals on behalf of his argument. What is to be done? Images and narrative enlist our emotions far more effectively than do statistics documenting the large scale of any disaster. Charitable organizations have long tried to focus our attention on one hungry child, even when the child is one of many at risk. Reading Barbara Kingsolver’s novel The Poisonwood Bible (or, better yet, listening to Kingsolver herself read the text in the audiobook version) will give you a far better sense of what happened in the Congo in the early 1960s than any history. And, as the quote that begins this piece illustrates, she is well aware of what she is trying to do. Beyond art, however, Slovic (pp. 91-92) believes that: … we cannot depend only upon our moral feelings to motivate us to take proper actions against genocide. That places the burden of response squarely upon the shoulders of moral argument and international law. The genocide convention was supposed to meet this need, but it has not been effective. It is time to reexamine this failure in light of the psychological deficiencies described here and design legal and institutional mechanisms that will enforce proper response to genocide and other crimes against humanity. Barbara Kingsolver, High Tide in Tucson, (Harper Perennial, 1996) 231, cited in Slovic (200), p. 87. Daniel Kahneman, Thinking Fast and Slow (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2011)
Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer. It occurs when cancerous cells grow in the tubules, which are small tubes in the kidney that filter and clean blood. Renal cell carcinoma is a collection of different types of tumors, each with their own identifying factors, rather than one single entity. In general, tumors in the kidney are discovered either during routine screening or when patients experience symptoms due to the size or location of the renal cell carcinoma. Common symptoms include blood in the urine, pain between the upper abdomen and back and anemia. Less commonly, patients experience weight loss, high blood pressure, or recurring fever. A number of tests can help doctors diagnose renal cell cancer and assess the stage of the cancer. Imaging techniques include ultrasound, CT, MRI and PET. In most cases, a biopsy is necessary to determine the type of cancer and its aggressiveness. The tissue samples are commonly obtained by way of image-guided interventional techniques. There are a number of possible treatment options, including the surgical removal of all or part of the affected kidney. Traditionally, this involved removing the whole kidney, but removing part of the kidney has recently been shown to be effective in some patients. There are also interventional techniques which can be used to treat renal cell carcinoma, such as thermal ablation. In this procedure, an interventional radiologist uses image guidance to insert a needle directly into the tumour and then destroys cancerous cells by delivering radiofrequency energy, microwave heat, extremely cold gas or a high-voltage direct current. Some tumours are hypervascular, meaning that the amount of blood vessels in the tumour is higher than average. These tumours are especially hard to remove. For patients suffering from a hypervasculartumour, a procedure called transarterialchemoembolisation (TACE) may relieve pain and suffering. This procedure involves delivering a cancer-killing drug directly to a tumour whilst also depriving it of its blood supply, thus destroying the tumour. It has a number of benefits for patients - Rapid relief from symptoms. - The imaging techniques allow accurate diagnosis and treatment using cutting-edge equipment. Diagnosis is reconfirmed during procedure. - Minimally invasive procedures are performed through a small hole in the skin, minimising the patient’s discomfort and recovery time. There won’t be any scar. - Most procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis or require only a short hospital stay. As interventional procedures tend to require only local anaesthesia, hospital stays are very short, with patients frequently going home the day the procedure is performed. - Patients who undergo IR procedures experience less pain during and after the procedure than patients undergoing surgical procedures. Post-procedural care is provided, along with follow-up imaging to confirm if the treatment has been successful. - Minimal damage to surrounding vital anatomical structures with no significant structural weakness. - No or negligible blood loss. No requirement of blood transfusion. - Return to work and other normal activities usually within the first few days after the procedure. - Low risk compared to surgery. The techniques can be used in very sick patients who are unfit for surgery. - Overall procedure is less expensive than surgery or other alternatives.
The forms we have been enjoying are all of the Rondeau family, defined by the rentrement. The rentrement, as we saw in the last post's roundel, is an opening phrase or line that becomes a refrain. A French poet of the 19th century, Theodore de Banville, said of the rentrement, "It is at once the subject and its means of expression." In "The Literary World", published in 1889, Charles Henry Luders gave us this quick lesson in the "Rondelet": A RONDELETWhile each poem in the rondeau family is derived from a dance round set to music, the rondelet is also a short, disciplined format. There are a mere seven lines. A rondelet composed in French will be syllabic, counting 4-8-4-8-8-8-4. When written in English, the syllable count is often disregarded, and tends to be iambic. You are free to use the strict syllable count or choose another! While the strictness of the French-style meter helps to bring a spare beauty to your verse, a looser English-style meter can give you a little room to play around with this form. However, there must be meter and flow even if you choose a looser interpretation of the rules. "Rondelet", above, hews very close to the French syllable count, but not exactly, and its meter and flow are similar to what we are aiming for, here. Try reading your piece out loud to be sure it doesn't sound choppy. Is just seven verses rhymed on two. Is an old jewel quaintly set In poesy--a drop of dew Caught in a roseleaf. Lo! For you, This format is also rhymed, and the scheme ends up looking like this: A (Refrain)The first line, our rentrement, becomes the third and the seventh line as well. A fun way to approach the rondelet is to begin it like a traditional haiku. Pick two clear images and try to reconcile them. Be sure to take your time in selecting the perfect descriptions, and don't settle for something easy or trite. It's not difficult to turn a small piece like this into doggerel. It's like walking a tightrope: you have to find a balance, adhering to the format yet allowing your own voice to shape it. Don't be afraid to modify the strictest rules as needed, while treating them with respect. I couldn't find any online, readily available versions of the rondelet, none I truly liked, so I don't have an example to post for you in the article. I will of course link up along with runaway sentence. at the bottom when my version is posted, and look forward to reading your versions of this tricky, yet rewarding, little form.
It is estimated that upon arrival of the British in 1803 about 3,000 to 5,000 aborigines lived in Tasmania. They were completely wiped out until 1865 by the British, the native languages have become extinct with them. However, still several thousand descendants live in mixed relations of Europeans with indigenous people. From the book: Natural History and pictures of the people and the different races and tribes according to the latest discoveries and most exquisite original research, edited by HR Schinz. Honeggersche Lithographic Institute, 3. Advanced ed. 1845 Zurich The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
HOUSTON – The history of American civilization has left remnants of many open wounds that are constantly agitated within the Black community of its culture on a constant basis. A reflection over the year 2013 entails the fact that, there have been many instances of these open wounds that have reoccurred every day. Among them are many elements such as: affirmative action, voting right laws and racial profiling, just to list a few. On Affirmative Action: Affirmative Action may be best described as taking the appropriate steps to, increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education and culture from which they had been historically excluded. This action was introduced into American culture and issued as an Executive Order by President John F. Kennedy on March 6. 1961. He created the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity which served to mandate that projects financed with federal funds “take affirmative action” to ensure that hiring and employment practices are free of racial bias. Since it’s induction into US society, universities, states, employers and various other entities have fought relentlessly against it. In a couple of states there have already been bans placed on affirmative action such as, California and Washington. While it was just this year, that affirmative action in Texas has been up for challenge. Borgna Brunner revealed the following, “In Fisher v. University of Texas, the court allows universities to continue considering race as a factor in admissions to achieve diversity, but it does tell them that they must prove that “available, workable race-neutral alternatives do not suffice” before considering race.” Accordingly, Brunner found that the court ruled to send the case back to the U.S. Court of Appeals for further review to determine if the school passed the test of “strict scrutiny”. Which means that the final decision has not been made so we should really pay attention to these matters and Wake Up Black America! On Racial Profiling: The Leadership Conference suggests that racial profiling is, “the targeting of particular individuals by law enforcement authorities based not on their behavior, but rather their personal characteristics; such as: ethnicity, national origin, and religion. It is generally used to encompass more than simply an individual’s race.” Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that while Congress passed a bill in 1865 intended to abolish slavery; that members of the Black community still have to deal with modern-day oppression to a certain extent. In some ways this oppression often involves, Blacks consistently being targeted by law enforcement officials. A great deal of times these demonstrations yield, ‘trumped up’ charges, imprisonment and death in some cases. Allow me to digress back to an incident that occurred on February 26, 2012, but has left Blacks around the nation outraged by the verdict in 2013. On this date, a Sanford, FL neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman initiated an assault on 17-year-old, Trayvon Martin. After spotting Martin and telephoning 911 reporting of a “suspicious person” and being instructed not to get out of his vehicle; Zimmerman proceeded to disregard the operator. As a result, Martin was beat and gunned down, ultimately leading to a very untimely demise. Though the entire situation had already shaken members of the Black community on an enormous scale, the “insult-to-injury” occurred after the determination of a not-guilty verdict on July 13. Since that time, Zimmerman has had two bouts with law enforcement officials. The first being pulled over in Dallas for speeding. The second, led to him being arrested and jailed for an assault on his girlfriend, who claimed that he pulled a gun on her. Many White residents of Florida have only NOW begin to refer to Zimmerman as a “ticking time bomb” since his latest encounters. And that is now that he has pulled a gun on a White woman so, Wake Up Black America! On Voting Rights: The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were passed by Congress to allow Blacks the right to vote in 1868. Yet, it is a sad reality that after their passing, other measures were put in place to still block Blacks from voting. Voting provides an individual the power to speak without ever having to open their mouth. Whites during this era knew that this would give Blacks power previously not bestowed upon them. Thus, Blacks were purposely not told when and where voting elections were held. Then there was a poll tax that many could not afford to pay. Additionally, states in the South enacted laws requiring people to pass reading and writing tests before they could vote. This was a grave injustice because so many Blacks had been in slavery and could not read or write. It was not until nearly a century later that Civil Rights movements were started and Blacks voices were finally heard. Therefore, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was eventually signed into legislation by President Lyndon B. Johnson. For it was just earlier this year that voters in Texas faced redistricting policies, that would not have been so accommodating to minority communities. Penda D. Hair informed in article that, “The Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder, striking down the coverage formula for Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, made it easier for states to forge ahead with laws restricting the vote.” “Texas waited just two hours after the Shelby ruling to announce that the state would begin enforcing its voter ID law, which had previously been blocked under Section 5, and that its discriminatory redistricting plan would also go into effect” she continued. Fortunately, the Department of Justice counteracted these measures by pursuing lawsuits which highlighted that their decision did not allow for “open season on voters”. Concluding, though it may appear that this nation has come a long way with new bills being passed, there remains a long journey ahead for African-Americans. So be not deceived we must, Wake Up Black America!
While watching a Korean drama called Gwanggaeto, the Great Conqueror and seeing how the king is praised by Koreans, I am curious to know what historical factors led to Kokuryŏ being able to conquer its neighbors One must consider both the strength of Goguryeo and the weakness of its surrounding states. Strength of Goguryeo Goguryeo had seen severe military setbacks during the reign of Gogugwon at the hands of the Earlier Yan polity and Baekje— Gogugwon was killed in battle by Geungusu, crown prince of the latter. Geungusu failed to follow up on the victory and proceed with the conquest of Goguryeo, allowing the latter to regain its strength. King Sosurim of Goguryeo enacted a number of reforms to strengthen royal authority and unify the state. Buddhism was encouraged to solidify national spirituality, and Confucian academies trained bureaucrats to serve the royal administration. He also promulgated a code of laws. Weakness of Goguryeo's neighbors On Goguryeo's northern borders, there was turmoil as the Earlier Yan kingdom collapsed and gave way to the Later Yan. After the reign of Murong Chui, the Later Yan was distracted by a succession of palace intrigues and territorial pressures from the Northern Wei dynasty and the Jin dynasty. To the south, the third of Korea's "Three Kingdoms," Silla, was becoming organized a centralized kingdom. They established relations with Goguryeo for defense against Baekje, which had allied with Wa (Yamato Japan) and invaded in 399. The King of Silla offered himself as a vassal in exchange for support, which came the following year. Success in battle Thus, the stage was set for an ambitious king like Gwanggaeto to expand territory greatly. Jinsa and Asin of Baekje were weak warriors, and their mass conscriptions alienated their subjects and caused some to flee to Silla. After steadily losing territory, Asin prepared his capital at Wiryeseong against a land invasion in 396. Gwanggaeto attacked from the river instead, catching them unprepared, and subjugated Baekje. In 399 as noted above they rebelled with the assistance of Wa, but were defeated. With Baekje and Silla neutralized in the south, Gwanggaeto could turn his attention to the north. The Later Yan, weakened by misrule and warfare with the Northern Wei, were expelled from the Liaodong Peninsula, and their successor, the Northern Yan, made peace in 408 and survived as a vassal. That in turn freed Gwanggaeto to annex the remnant Buyeo in 410.
When Body Fat Is A Bonus People tend to think zero fat is the ideal. While most of western society certainly covets the smaller sizes and finds lean and sleek more attractive than curvy and vivacious, there are some very good reasons to encourage your clients and patients to keep some weight on. We will briefly go into some of those here, but for more on this controversial topic, and others, check out our annual meeting and conference, SCALE 2019 Music City. What is Body Fat and How Much Is Too Much or Too Little At its most simple definition, the measurement of a person’s body fat is the amount of fat that they have relative to everything else in their body. It is measured by “body fat percentage.” This has nothing to do with the muscle mass of a person, only their fat. Men and women have relatively different amounts of natural fat on their frames, so they will look different carrying the same percentage of fat. There is a great illustration of this on the website NerdFitness.com. Most of the medical profession and the scientific community tend to think of this in terms of the Body Mass Index (BMI). As noted by the Centers for Disease Control, “Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A high BMI can be an indicator of high body fatness. BMI can be used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems but it is not diagnostic of the body fatness or health of an individual.” Reader’s Digest published a really great article on right-weightedness. In it, they point out a number of ways to tell if a person is at a good weight, or too fat or thin. “Forget BMI and those outdated healthy weight charts; they just aren’t accurate, says Isabel Smith, RD, CDN, a New York City-based celebrity dietitian. “BMI is tricky because it doesn’t account for fat versus muscle. Healthy weight charts and calculators can be helpful tools, but they’re not the be-all-end-all, and there are certainly other factors to be considered.” Starting with your happiness: Smith says your ideal weight should be a place where you feel happy and healthy.” They define this as a healthy weight. Those signs include: - Following a healthy lifestyle - Having a lot of energy - Stable weight that is close to goal - A healthy resting heart rate of 60-100 beats per minute - Healthy waist circumference of less than 40 inches for men and 35 for women - As a woman 14-31% body fat and for men 6-24% Why Body Fat Matters Beyond the aesthetics, and the risk of obesity which is unhealthy, there are reasons that body fat exists in our bodies. We use fat to absorb many of the vitamins and minerals that we consume. Additionally, there are other fat benefits that are described by Science Friday. Among its many functions, fat surrounds and cushions vital organs like the kidneys and insulates us against the cold. Body fat also signifies health, conferring beauty when distributed in the right amounts and locations. But critically, fat is our fuel tank—a strategic calorie reserve to protect against starvation… Our ancestors faced extended periods of deprivation when a hunt or a staple food crop failed, during harsh winters, or when venturing out across an ocean. The key to their survival was body fat. If we go for more than a few hours without eating, the body must rely on stored fuels for energy, and these come in three basic types, familiar to anyone who reads a nutrition label: carbohydrates, protein, and fat… In the absence of body fat, even a muscular man would waste away in days without eating, whereas all but the leanest adults have enough body fat to survive many weeks. And these fat cells aren’t just inert storage depots. Fat cells actively take up excess calories soon after meals and release them in a controlled fashion at other times, according to the body’s needs. Fat tissue also responds to and emits a multitude of chemical signals and neural messages, helping fine-tune our metabolism and immune system. In addition to this, fat can be taken from one part of the body and used to cosmetically enhance other parts to help people look youthful and more beautiful. Cosmetic Fat Transfer or Fat Grafting As we age, we lose fat in the places that matter, especially in the face, and we gain pudge in other areas. By our 30s, our faces can start to look sallow. And by our 50s, there is a noticeable lack of fat and plumpness under the skin there. This is where the healthy fat that the body carries comes in handy! In brief, that fat is removed and injected under the facial skin then flattened out and contoured. This minimally invasive procedure can make an enormous difference in the way older women and men age, but it does rely on them having some fat to spare.
NASA scientists today were stunned when following the hottest July in the northern hemisphere since records began, “Greenland’s surface ice cover experienced melting over 97% of its surface” based on satellite observations. NASA’s press release states “such pronounced melting at summit and across the ice sheet has not occurred since 1889”. To read more on this click the following link: Greenland’s Unprecedented Ice Sheet Melt, 7 News. The alarming advance of climate change, highlighted by this and other startling phenomena, means the fight against global warming has become crucial to our planet. Wildfires are burning out of control around the world, including the USA, Russia, Israel, Spain, Greece and Bulgaria. At the same time devastating floods have hit the UK, Sweden, India, China, Bangladesh, Russia and Japan to name a few. As yet, governments have failed in slowing global CO2 emissions, which are still spiralling upwards despite the hard realities now showing the forecasts of catastrophic climate change to come. Extreme weather is part of the cycle scientists have predicted and first indications are that unless businesses act proactively and become the driving force behind environmental action, we may really do too little too late. Offsetting your businesses emissions can cost as little as 1% of your profits, for some service based companies even less. Carbon Trade Exchange offers free carbon footprint services for all members, and the world’s only online wholesale market for carbon offsets. The funds form the projects you purchase go directly to those who are taking action for fight this massive global problem we face. For more information on how you and your business can help, visit Carbon Trade Exchange.
PROTIP: Press 'i' to view the image gallery, 'v' to view the video gallery, or 'r' to view a random entry. This entry has been rejected due to incompleteness or lack of notability. NOTE: This Entry was related to the 2013 April Fools joke. For more information, please check out the KYMdb Offline Crisis Response Initiative. A Superhero is a character in fiction possessing supernatural or extraordinary powers who serves the public and protects the peace. The most common powers a superhero can possess are flying, super strength, power of the elements, or enhanced senses. Most superheroes have bases and battle supervillains in the name of justice. The first superhero as we know them is Superman. Superman helped catapult DC Comics and superheroes into the mainstream and was later joined by other heroes Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash and others. Another company named Marvel, back then called Timely, grew in popularity with characters such as Spiderman and Captain America. Comics became more mainstream during World War II, likely because people wanted escapism into simple Good vs Evil stories, in which the heroes faced certain victory over the Axis. Comics and their heroes left the mainstream past WWII, and comics slipped into nerd culture for a very long time. During the late 70s, the Superman film painted superheroes in a more serious light and catapulted these characters to the big screen. These days, superhero films often have some of the highest yields.
New research based at Princeton University shows that the trick to predicting when and where sea animals will relocate due to climate change is to follow the pace and direction of temperature changes, known as climate velocity. The researchers compiled 43 years of survey data on the movement of 128 million animals living around North America. Shifts in the animals' depth and latitude correlated with regional-scale fluctuations in ocean temperature. On average, changes in temperature moved north at 4.5 miles per decade and species shifted an average of 5 miles north per decade. But species-specific movements varied greatly. For example, lobster in the northeastern United States (above) moved north at a pace of 43 miles per decade. Nearly half of all species studied moved south.
Convict Priests in Australia Priests who labored among the Catholic convicts in the Australian penal settlements. These convicts had been compelled to attend Protestant religious services until 1803, when Father James Dixon was permitted to exercise his clerical functions; under galling restrictions. In 1804 Father Dixon's privilege was withdrawn and a period of persecution of Catholics began anew, and continued until 1820, the year of the arrival of Fathers Conolly and Therry. New Catholic Dictionary
Mold is a fungus that thrives in warm, humid, and moist environments. It is prevalent in households and can cause serious health problems such as asthma, allergies, sinusitis, and respiratory infections. Often, mold growth is a result of poor ventilation, which traps moisture and humidity indoors. The Role of Ventilation Ventilation is the process of exchanging indoor and outdoor air to improve the quality of air in the living space. Proper ventilation helps regulate temperature and humidity, removes pollutants, and reduces the chances of moisture buildup and mold growth. Eager to discover more about the topic? https://crownmoldspecialists.com, you’ll uncover supplementary facts and supporting data that will further enrich your learning experience. The Consequences of Poor Ventilation When there is inadequate ventilation, indoor humidity levels rise, and condensation settles on walls, windows, and other surfaces. Within a few hours, mold spores start growing and can spread quickly throughout the house. Once mold takes hold, it’s tough to contain the spread and more challenging to get rid of completely. The presence of mold can cause unpleasant odors, damage walls and other surfaces, and trigger severe health problems. Ways to Improve Ventilation There are several ways to improve ventilation in your home and prevent mold growth: Besides proper ventilation, there are a few other tips you can follow to prevent mold growth: Proper ventilation is an essential aspect of maintaining a healthy, safe, and comfortable home environment. By improving indoor air quality and reducing moisture buildup, you can prevent mold growth and ensure that your family members stay healthy and safe. Remember to keep your home well-ventilated, clean, and dry to keep indoor mold at bay. Gain further knowledge about the topic covered in this article by checking out the suggested external site. There, you’ll find additional details and a different approach to the topic. https://crownmoldspecialists.com. Deepen your research with the related links below:
What would you like to do? Has any computer ever passed the Turing Test? No. See the related links section for a link to the Loebner Prize website, which awards $5,000 annually for the chatbot which is "most indistinguishable from a human." There is still $100,000 reserved from Dr. Loebner for the first chatbot to actually pass the Turing test. Was this answer useful? Thanks for the feedback! Englishman Alan Turing the "Father of modern computer science" provided an influential formalisation of the concept of the algorithm and computation with the Turing machine in… 1936. Of his role in the modern Computer, Time Magazine in naming Turing one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, states.."The fact remains that everyone who taps at a keyboard, opening a spreadsheet or a word-processing program, is working on an incarnation of a Turing machine". Source: www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/turing.html Alan Turing theorised about a computer but it was actually invented and built by Tommy Flowers, a post office engineer ! He spent 1000 pounds of his own money to ensure it was… built and it cracked the German High Command code, The Lorenz Cipher, shortening WWII by a year. The turing test is a test to tell the difference between humans and computers. It works likes this: * A person (A) asks questions * Another person (B) answers … A computer (C) answers as well If A can not tell which one (B or C) is the computer the computer has passed and is artificially intelligence, to find out more got to wikipedia.org and search for turing test. Assuming you are referring to academic testing and not drug testing, the way you pass any test is through the development of effective study skills. Many people feel the hours… of study are the most important. However, students can study for hours on end and retain very little. The more appropriate question is, "how can students study more effectively?" Some issues students must consider are as follows. . Students need to develop good time management skills. They must realize there is a time to be in class, a time for study, time for family, time to socialize, and time to just be alone. The critical issue is recognition that there must be an appropriate balance. . Students should acquire a vision; A clearly articulate picture of the future they intend to create for them selves. This will promote a passion for what they wish to do. Passion is critical and leads to an intense interest, dedication, and commitment to achieving career goals and objectives. . The student must choose the best study schedule, a time they feel is comfortable, and in a place where there is little distraction. . The student must take notes on the subject matter and rehearse them frequently. . Students should not study hours on end. One should study 30 to 45 minutes then take a short break. Eat a snack, have a cup of coffee, play with the dog, etc., then return to study. This refreshes the mind, and often issues that may have been confusing before, become suddenly clear. . The student must develop good critical thinking skills, taking everything into consideration particular to the subject matter. . Students must not be afraid to ask for help when they have a problem understanding the subject matter. They need to do it immediately and not after days have gone by. They should not feel apprehensive to ask a faculty member, a friend, or go to the academic learning center at the school. Thus, it is not so much a question of hard study, but how to study in smart fashion. The bottom line is that the student must take responsibility and ownership over their study habits. Alan Turing invented the idea of the modern computer in 1936. This device became known as a 'Turing Machine.' It was a hypothetical device that could help scientists compr…ehend the limitations of a computer's ability to perform calculations. Yes. Don't consume any alcohol and don't come into contact with any products containing alcohol. Yes, there are many websites that have tools for helping you pass your driver's test. See the related links below for some examples. proved "the halting problem" was false. In the US, you would need to conduct: -An Interview -Medical examination with NASA in order to be able to enter the "training" program for astronauts. In addition, you would …need a college degree as well as filling out a form with high competitiveness( more than 4000 applicant against 20 spots each 2 years) lab or rapid type of test? for job or... ?.... assuming urine drug test- so.. 'detox' - online or from the smoke shops, I used this web to pass a hair test > hairtestingsoluti…ons com > but they cover urine and saliva tests, check the links also they provide a phone for free consultation. Another way is clean urine subst . I believe so............................ Added: If you attend a recognized culinary school I'm certain that there must be examinations to pass in order to achieve your certifi…cate but, on the other hand, there are also many technically "un-schooled" or self-taught chefs out there as well. If the question is actually asking. 'must you obtain some kind of license or diploma in order to practice the profession (in the US),' I believe the answer is no. Yes! All the time. Although comets tend to have very elongated orbits which bring them close to the sun which slingshots them far out into space and back again. NASA's Jet Pro…pulsion laboratory has a great site for tracking objects in our solar system. solarsystem.nasa.gov/eyes/ In Barack Obama Presidents cannot pass legislation. It is congress that makes the laws, and then the president either signs them or vetoes them. But presidents can and do encourage congress t…o pass certain bills; President Obama, like all presidents before him, has had a number of pieces of legislation he wanted congress to pass. In some cases, they did; in others, they did not. Because a computer is limited - by the database of words it has stored on its hard-drive. The human brain is far more complex - able to form complex sentences at will. Also - …a computer cannot contract words (such as can not into can't) as a human would - because it is unable to decide whether the sentence still makes sense with the contraction. The passing score for most tests is a C-, or 70%. Anything less than 70% is considered a failing score. Alan Turing invented the test which pits human vs. human or computer, and then tries to statistically analyze the results. If a human can be fooled into believing that he/…she is talking to another human, Then, the test is completed and the bot program or A.I. is then eligible for the Loebner Prize, which is the prize awarded annually to the "Most Human Computer" This is how my understanding of the process has culminated through brief encounters with these matters over the past 8 to 10 years. As to whether MR. Turing ever took his own test? Well, This observer can only speculate, I would encourage anyone who reads this to do research if they are so inclined. Some may care, some may not, but the question "will" remain, that much is clear if it is un-answered.":) One final note: It is curious to note that the number of bots available for "Chatting" has increased by at least three-fold over the last 10 years or so. Maybe even at a more rapid rate. One more point, and then I shall lay this "matter" to rest. The rate of "Shall we call it: "Intellectual Prowess" has definitely been on the incline in bots of all sorts. This seems mainly due to a dedicated band of "like-minded" citizens (I don't like to label!) that have done some meticulous work at keeping ahead of the "Curve" so to speak. Respectfully submitted by: Horace Edmunds It's a test - of a machine's capability to mimic human behaviour so precisely - that it is impossible to distinguish it from a real person. The test involves a 'subject' p…laced in a room separate from the computer and person - so they can't see each other. The subject then communicates with the human and the computer via computer screens. If the subject cannot distinguish between computer or human responses - then the computer is deemed to have passed the test.
Women aand the Common Life Love, Marriage, and Feminism W. W. Norton, 196 pp., $ 23 The late Christopher Lasch was one of those rare men who take women seriously. He did this by taking their arguments seriously, an effort which in our time begins with taking feminism seriously. In Women and the Common Life, a collection of his last articles, Lasch considers the essential feminist argument for "choice" -- a life of autonomy or perfect freedom. Without ever attacking feminism, he finds that feminist choice does not make sense and harms our democracy. A historian, Lasch sees feminism in its historical context. He notes that feminism defines its own context as a revolution against patriarchy. Just as the French revolutionaries invented the term ancien regime to describe everything before the revolution of 1789, so the feminists have set up " patriarchy" as a catch-all category covering all history before the 1960s. They want it made clear that only today's feminism can sustain women's self- respect, so they measure every other situation for women by today's standard. They also need a target for blame. Responding to this simplification, Lasch insists on taking pre-feminist women seriously too. He takes up the medieval and early-modern querelle des femmes, a literary controversy over women that started in the Roman de la Rose in 1275 and continued as late as Rabelais and Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Feminists are inclined to take the side of spunky women (as who is not?) and to misinterpret their sexual insults of men as subversive digs against patriarchy. But Lasch shows that the quarrel was not over women but between love and marriage (which, he remarks, do not go together, as the song says, like a horse and carriage). And it was not so much a choice between love and marriage as a conflict of necessities in human life. Feminism takes for granted the possibility of sexual harmony based on equality between men and women, whereas this old quarrel presumes antagonism between the sexes and conflict between women's roles as wife and lover. There is no doubt that aristocracy, with its concern for family lineage, intensifies the conflict, but perhaps it also brings into relief the same difficulty we feel today in another form. For one does not choose to fall in or out of love, but one chooses to marry (or divorce). Thus choice is often -- or should we say always? -- a matter of settling for less than one's first choice. Lasch shows that bourgeois marriage, which replaced concern for lineage with desire for companionship between husband and wife, was hedged by the requirements of parental consent and public ceremony. Today we have abandoned parental consent, and the marriage ceremony often comes after the fact, so we have marriage by reluctant decision or desperate search as well as marriage based on impulsive whim. Choice is not so easy to get from life as we think. Lasch's perceptive excursion into history avoids both sentimentality and a sense of superiority, illuminates our problems and discourages us from self- congratulation. After dispelling the notion that the place of women is controversial only in our time, or that every previous society was simply patriarchal, Lasch turns to the present and takes up a theme of his previous books -- the danger to democracy of the therapeutic state or of neo-paternalism. A democratic society of equals implies that each of us is competent to run his own life, since it does no good for all to be equal but incompetent. Thus the choices we make as equals must be competent choices. That they will be competent is what Tocqueville referred to as the democratic dogma. Lasch was a profound democrat because he was a firm believer in the competence of ordinary people. But their competence is denied by the idea that society can be reformed by subjecting it to scientific reason, an idea that gives birth to professional experts of all sorts. Lasch traces the progress of the scientific idea during the 19th century as it applied to women, but he is aware that it originated in the 17th century or even earlier. Descartes's separation of mind from body -- so that mind has no sex -- and Hobbes's separation of self from society -- by which sex has no natural social role -- were thoughts that enabled us, Lasch says, to envision fundamental changes in the conventions that had governed the position of women in society. Science might seem to be an aid to choice, and of course it was originally intended to be: the more science, the more control, the more choice. But, looking at the political consequences, Lasch sees that science, or the various sciences of rational control, have subtracted from human choice because they have systematically removed the power of decision from ordinary people with common sense and given it to experts with the prestige of science. Thus, the "dead hand of the educator," for example, takes over the unsupervised play of children after school, transforming it into " extracurricular activities" that fit into a "learning experience." The use of jargon is a sign of usurpation of the citizen by a technician. Feminism promotes this change without realizing it. Its central policy is on abortion and is called "pro-choice," for the right of abortion frees a woman from the tyranny of nature that has unfairly left her in sole possession of the human fetus. But when it comes to the choice, does she make it by herself? No, the pro-choice position is that abortion should be a matter between a woman and her doctor. The doctor, stating the medical options, replaces her husband or her mother, who might give moral advice. Lasch argues that feminism culminates the trend of modern democracy toward greater choice in principle and less choice in practice. Feminism revolted against the confinement of women to the home, but that condition was very new, the result of the middle class's moving to the suburbs. Lasch points out that Betty Friedan's book The Feminine Mystique, which began current American feminism in 1963, is not about the age-old oppression of patriarchy but a very specific complaint about women's life in the suburbs. Actually, women went to the suburbs by choice, says Lasch, to free themselves from the impositions of city life, where there are always other people around you. What drew people to the suburbs was the dream of perfect freedom in which you could see whom you liked when you liked. Suburbs excluded "everything not subject to choice -- the job, the [extended] family, the enforced sociability of the city streets." When women got to the suburbs, however, they found that the extra choice they had sought left them alone in the home with too little to do. The feminist revolt was a necessary response, but it made matters worse. The problem was the strict separation between home and work, but when the feminists tried to solve it, they maintained the separation and simply insisted on having the same work as men. They needed a calling but they went for careers. They rejected the notion of volunteer work that would allow them to be outside the home without being inside an office, and they joined the competition to become a boss by submitting themselves to working for a boss. So much for women's liberation! Lasch is not yet finished with his wonderful analysis. He shows that the feminist understanding of rational control is practically Orwellian. One would think that when a woman takes more control of her life, and lives more by her own choice, there would be a standard by which to measure her gain and society's improvement. But for the feminists, Lasch explains, a woman's choice is not secure and her control of her life is imperfect if she tries to live up to standards set by someone else. She is only in control if she lives for her own self-esteem rather than for an ideal of perfection she may well fall short of. If you make no demands on yourself, you will find yourself easy to please. This is hardly what is meant by taking control of your own life. In the end, our society is democratic despite the experts. The experts do not control us, but they corrupt us. They deliver us to a "culture of narcissism," the title of Lasch's famous 1979 book, and they serve us with various kinds of therapy designed to keep us content with ourselves. Lasch seems to doubt that we will remain content with the democratic self- esteem of which feminism is only the latest type. "Science enhanced human control over nature," he says, "but it left human beings more fearful than ever of what could not be controlled." That will be the cause of our discontent. What will be the remedy? Lasch says some pages later: "Submission to God makes people less submissive in everyday life. It makes them less fearful but also less bitter and resentful, less inclined to make excuses for themselves." Less inclined to make excuses: What a man Christopher Lasch was. Harvey Mansfield, professor of government at Harvard University, is working on a study of manliness.
A plague cluster has been identified in Colorado after three residents contracted the disease, officials said. There have been a total of four reported cases of the plague in Colorado so far. "The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has identified three additional Colorado residents with plague, for a total of four cases. ... They all had mild symptoms, were treated with appropriate antibiotics, recovered, and no longer are contagious," Mark Salley, communications director for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said. This is the first cluster of pneumonic plague in the United States since 1923, according to Dr. Richard Besser, chief health and medical editor for ABC News. The three residents contracted the plague from a dog infected with the disease, according to Salley's statement. While human-to-human contraction is rare, the plague is most commonly spread by fleas from rodents, like prairie dogs. Colorado health officials have been assessing prairie dog populations for plague bacteria, the statement said.
Being a part of the fabricator industry, it is a must for you to be aware of all the important machines that are actively used in this industry. A CNC Press Brake Machine, which is the modern take on the traditional press brake, is one such machine that is one of the main driving forces behind the activities of this industry. Whether you are new to this field or just want to brush up on your knowledge, you need to know how the machine that you deal with everyday works. Therefore, in this article, we will briefly yet accurately help you understand how do you use a CNC Press Brake Machine. Then, if you are ready, shall we get started? What Is A CNC Press Brake Machine? Before we get to the ‘how,’ let us first understand the ‘what.’ Press brake machines, as we mentioned earlier, are one of the primary pieces of machinery used in the manufacturing and fabrication industry. It is a tool that helps you bend, press, and manipulate various types of metal and elements to help you get the desired shapes, forms, and products from it. It is mainly used on thin sheets of metals to bend and manipulate them at certain angles. They are used to manufacture various things, be they small or big. For example, Accurl’s products, including ACCURL Economic Smart 3-4 Axis and ACCURL Euro Pro Series 4-6 axis, are the industry’s favorite machines used in other major industries for making parts of the railway, ships, airplanes, automobiles, and so on. The best part here is Accurl provides the option for you to customize your machines so that you get specific results on your products. This allows you to be flexible and increase your range of products. How Does The Cnc Press Brake Machine Work? To understand how it works, you need to first understand the mechanism behind it. The CNC Press Brake Machine are of three types based on its source of power: The hydraulic CNC Press Brake Machine is powered by a hydraulic system, whereas the electric one is supported by an electrical power generator. As for the hybrid, you might have guessed it; it has units of both the hydraulic systems and the electric system to power up the machine. The CNC Press Brake Machine has a die and a punch, which are attached to servo pumps, which in return are connected to the power generating unit. Other parts of the machines include clamps and a table area. So the way the procedure happens is that you insert your desired sheet of metal in the table area and fix them in their place with the help of the clamps. When the machine is switched on, the energy-generating unit kicks in, generating energy and supplying it to the punch or the die (depending on the structure of the machine) through the servo pumps. The punch is the equivalent of a knife that presses the metal against the die when energy is supplied to it. Dies are particular shaped parts of the machine which help the metal give its desired shape when the punch presses the metal against it. Here, you must take notice that we mentioned that power could either be supplied to the die or the punch, depending on the structure of the machine. Again, here you can categorize CNC Press Brake Machines into two different types, depending on their structure — up moving or down moving. In up-moving CNC Press Brake Machines, the part which has the die attached to it is movable, whereas the punch part is fixed. So, the die moves against the knife to manipulate the metal sheet, However, in down-moving CNC Press Brake Machines, the part with the punch is movable, whereas the part with the die is fixed. Therefore, the punch moves against the die to achieve the desired effect on the metal sheets. Do note that CNC Press Brake Machines can be categorized in multiple other ways depending on their mechanisms, activities, structure, and so on. The types mentioned here are the main types of categorization. In traditional machines, the entire mechanism was operated manually. But with advancements in technology and the introduction of AI and automation, the number of manually operated machines is getting fewer in numbers. Other than being difficult to operate, they were also extremely non-eco-friendly and had other difficulties and disadvantages. That is where the CNC machine comes in. So, what does a CNC machine do? A CNC machine stands for Computer Numerical Control machine. Here, you can input your desired results for your product in the system, and the system will help the machine understand your target. The machine will then operate accordingly and help you get your desired results. In short, you enter your measurements and data; the system will read it and control the machine to provide you with what you want. It is better than a manually operated machine and gives you better and more precise results with minimum effort and energy. For more details, we have outlined the benefits that a CNC Press Brake Machine has over its traditional counterpart. Benefits Of CNC Press Brake Machine Technology has been rapidly upgrading traditional tools into powerful and reliable ones fit for the modern era. The same applies to CNC Press Brake Machines. There are more than a few reasons why modern CNC Press Brake Machines are better than traditional ones, of which we have highlighted a few down below. Let us take a look! More Efficient And Accurate Traditional CNC Press Brake Machines were usually operated manually and thus had room for errors and mistakes. However, with CNC Press Brake Machines, there is no room for any errors. Firstly, it is automated and does not require human or manual interruptions. This allows for things to flow smoothly and to continue a better workflow, thus increasing efficiency and productivity. Also, with the aid of the CNC systems, you get more accurate and precise outcomes than traditional ones. So, to sum it up, you get faster results, double the precision, and better quality work. As you can see, that helps increase your efficiency and accuracy rate. As an added factor, CNC Press Brake Machines are extremely easy to operate and manage. Traditional Press Brake Machines had a lot of factors that, when added together, cost more. For example, traditional Press Brake Machines need to run the whole day even if you need to operate on them for a few hours. Not to forget, managing and maintaining traditional press brake machines are also much more costly. However, CNC Press Brake Machines are easy to maintain, cause less wastage, and have top-grade components and parts that are easily available if they break down. Eco-Friendly And Sustainable Last but not least, CNC Press Brake Machines such as Accurl’s Servo Electrical CNC Press Brake eB Icon Series are eco-friendly and sustainable. Unlike traditional tools, these CNC Press Brake Machines cause fewer carbon emissions, less wastage, reduced power usage, and causes less pollution. Therefore, they are the better option for businesses to opt for, as responsible corporations. With that, you now know how a CNC Press Brake Machine works. If you are opting for a CNC Press Brake Machine, make sure you rely on trustworthy companies such as Accurl to make your purchase. After all, you would want the best product to help you with your business.
Evidence-Based Strategies for Supporting and Enhancing Family Engagement Family engagement should be a vital component of any strategy to expand learning opportunities for children and youth after school and during the summertime—whether at the organizational, community, state, or national level. Under current federal guidelines for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative, “family engagement” takes the form of activities to support parental involvement and family literacy. All centers are required to track and report the number of family members who participate as part of the annual Profile and Performance Information Collection System (PPICS). Consistently those data indicate that the majority of centers do, indeed, provide these important activities for families. [21st Century Community Learning Centers] are supporting some of the most economically needy families in the country. In 2010 alone, 9,139 centers (approximately 85% of all centers funded) served over 250,000 family members; the average adult attendance at adult activities was almost 28 family members. Further, data indicate that of the centers funded in 2010, over 60% served students eligible for free and reduced lunch, indicating that these centers are supporting some of the most economically needy families in the country. Summary data from the past 5 years of reporting indicate that the centers have cumulatively served over one million family members, with the average adult attendance per center rising each year.1 Figure 1. 21st Century Community Learning Centers adult family member participation, 2006–2010. \|APR Year\|\|School Year Only\|\|Summer Only\|\|Both\|\|Total\|\|N Centers\|\|Avg. Adult Attendance per Center\| \|5-Year Total Parents Served\|\|1,104,233\| Despite impressive numbers of families served, however, many 21st Century Community Learning Centers and other afterschool and summer programs struggle with more fully engaging families. This article presents six research-derived strategies that afterschool programs can and do use to engage families. A set of additional resources for educators and program managers is also included, along with examples drawn from several programs that have experienced noteworthy success in engaging families. What can afterschool and summer learning programs including 21st Century Community Learning Centers do to support and improve family engagement? The following are six research-based strategies that 21st Century Community Learning Centers and other similar programs can use to improve their family engagement efforts (Bouffard, Westmoreland, O’Carroll & Little, 2011; Little, 2011). Frequent and positive communication with family members is critical to effective family engagement. - Have adequate and welcoming space to engage families. Helping families feel welcome is an important first step on the road to building trusting relationships with families. 21st Century Community Learning Centers and other similar afterschool and summer programs can help families feel welcome by establishing a “family corner” in which family members can find resources about the program and services in the community. They can also make sure the signage at the center is welcoming and accessible in the languages spoken by the families served. - Establish policies and procedures to promote family engagement. To ensure that family engagement is a priority, afterschool and summer programs should include a section on family engagement in their operations manuals, laying out their strategies for engaging families; they should also consider including family engagement as part of their program quality standards. At minimum, this should include conducting at least one family open house per year. Many programs also have created a Family Handbook that helps family members understand the goals and purposes of the center. - Communicate and build trusting relationships. Frequent and positive communication with family members is critical to effective family engagement. This means treating family members with respect; asking them about their own lives and interests, as well as those of the students in the program; and ensuring that interactions with family members are not solely in response to negative student behaviors or performance. Some programs use a communications log to monitor the frequency and nature of communications with family members. - Be intentional about staff hiring and training to promote effective staff-family interactions. At the heart of quality afterschool programs are the staff who run them. Core components of effective staff-family interactions include hiring staff who reflect the demographics of the families served and who are trained in respect for cultural differences, including an examination of their own biases. Once hired, it is important to provide ongoing training and support to ensure that family engagement is part of a staff member’s daily duties. In addition to external training, programs can set aside a time at staff meetings to reflect on and improve their family engagement strategies. - Connect families to each other, to the program staff, to schools, and to other community institutions. Afterschool and summer programs can play a vital role in facilitating connections, both within the program to other families and outside the program to schools and other community institutions. This role is emerging as particularly important for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which have the opportunity to support a more holistic approach to education—one that requires afterschool programs, schools, and families to partner to provide expanded opportunities for learning throughout a longer learning day and across the entire calendar year. - Help support families and their basic needs. Support for families and their basic needs runs the gamut from providing access to community resources to hosting forums and discussion nights to address topics of concern to families to providing training on leadership and advocacy. At minimum, afterschool programs need to help families overcome logistical challenges, such as transportation, that may affect their children’s participation. Many programs have community school partnerships. These partnerships can be enhanced in order to provide families with information about community resources to address particular social service needs. While each of these strategies can serve to engage families, some research indicates that it is the constellation of many strategies that may best support participants. In a recent study of engaging older youth in afterschool, summer, and other out-of-school-time programs researchers found that programs for older youth that were successful in retaining at least 50% of the participants for 12 months or more utilized, on average, eight different family engagement strategies (Deschenes et al., 2010). Also from the research we know that engaging families is a win-win for programs, families, and afterschool and summer learning program participants. Moving forward, as the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative and other efforts to expand learning beyond the school day continue to grow, it is imperative that the spotlight on family engagement, so evident in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative, continues to shine throughout the expanded learning movement. Find Out What Families Think and Need New Settlement’s afterschool program at CES 64 in the Bronx decided that parent focus groups would be a good way to elicit information and initiate a strong platform for parent decision making in the afterschool program. To attract participants, flyers in Spanish and English were posted around the school and community. When the response was minimal, the site coordinator realized that this was not reaching her families. Since many parents had a history of feeling unwelcome, she had to take a different approach. She began direct outreach with a few parents, who in turn, gave her the names of others who may want to participate. She spoke to them individually, explaining the mission of her program and the need for parental input. In the end, 15 parents signed on to participate in the focus group sessions (The After School Corporation, 2006). Case Management to Support Families’ Basic Needs The 21st Century Community Learning Centers funds a Boys and Girls Club in Buffalo, New York, that recognizes the critical role it can play in helping its participants attend the program and school healthy and ready to learn by supporting families’ basic needs. It has created a full-time, salaried staff position at each clubhouse to help families deal with social issues, providing triage, case management, and referral services. It has also leveraged other resources to build an on-site kitchen that provides free meals and snacks to the program participants as well as deliberately cooks a surplus of meals and offers them to caretakers in “to go” boxes when they come to pick up their children (Manhattan Strategy Group, 2011). For More Information Family Engagement in Afterschool Programs Resources Several research-based toolkits and resources have been developed to help educators both in schools and in afterschool programs work more effectively with families. - Family Engagement in After School Inventory Developed for 21st Century Community Learning Centers in Texas, this research-based inventory can be used as a self-assessment tool to help programs gauge their current and future capacities to engage families. (see Appendix 11) - Focus on Families: How to Build and Support Family-Centered Practices in After School A joint publication of United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Harvard Family Research Project, and BOSTNet, this resource provides four overarching strategies that programs can implement to engage families. - BOSTNet Engaging Families in Out-of-School Time Tool Kit The Engaging Families Toolkit is aimed at afterschool programs and provides templates for assessing family engagement practices, developing an action plan, and designing a family engagement program. - Increasing Family and Parent Engagement in After-School In this document TASC provides a guide for engaging parents in afterschool programs. TASC explains the importance of engaging families, offers advice and materials for effective outreach to parents, and highlights examples of successful family engagement methods. - Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships This comprehensive family engagement resource examines, among other things, how to know whether a school or afterschool program is really open to partnerships and how to develop trusting relationships with families. - For two examples of this in action see www.bigthought.org/BigThought/SubNavPages/ThrivingMinds and www.citizenschools.org. ↩ After School Corporation. (2006). Increasing parent and family engagement after school. Retrieved from http://www.tascorp.org/content/document/detail/1455/ Bouffard, S., Westmoreland, H., O’Carroll, K., & Little, P. (2011). Engaging families in out-of-school time programs. In H. Kreider & H. Westmoreland (Eds.), Promising practices for engaging families in out-of-school time (pp. 3–19). Charlotte, NC: Information Age. Deschenes, S. N., Arbreton, A., Little, P. L., Herrera, C., Grossman, J. B., & Weiss, H. B. (with Lee, D.). (2010). Engaging older youth: Program and city-level strategies to support sustained participation in out-of-school time. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Family Research Project. Little, P. (2011). Family engagement needs inventory. San Antonio, TX: Edvance Research. Manhattan Strategy Group. (2011). High school promising practices project for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program: Final report, addendum 2. Washington, DC: US Department of Education.
a training camp to prepare soldiers for battle. During the years it was in operation, Camp Bartley, as the facility was known, close to 4000 soldiers came through its doors. But by the 1890s, little of the camp remained as Cleveland architect Levi T. Scofield surveyed the property as he began planning the creation of his “spiritually uplifting” masterpiece. The original purpose of what would become the Ohio State Reformatory was for it to serve as a home for “middle of the road" criminals; those too old for the Boys Industrial School in Lancaster and not "hardened" enough for the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus. Taking that into consideration, the general consensus was that these inmates-to-be could still be rehabilitated. In other words, the goal was not so much to punish as much as it was to reform. With that in mind, Scofield was said to have modeled the building after Old German castles, which featured "spiritual and uplifting architecture." By the summer of 1890, even though construction was far from complete, the Intermediate Penitentiary, as it was originally called, had already created quite a stir among the community. Unlike today, where there would be protests over a new prison facility being erected in the area, the people of Mansfield flocked to the site, often bringing picnic lunches and frolicking alongside the immense structure. In September of 1896, the building now officially known as the Ohio State Reformatory, swung open its doors and admitted its first inmates, who were immediately set to work completing the facilities sewer system and other parts of the building. Construction would not be completed until 1910. Even though the Reformatory was not home to many hardened criminals (the most famous being Henry Baker, who would later gain infamy for taking part in the great Brink’s Robbery of 1950), the building still had its share of violent episodes. In November of 1926, Urban Wilford became the first officer killed in the line of duty at the Reformatory. Philip Orleck, a parolee, had returned to the Reformatory and shot Wilford to death while trying to help another prisoner escape. Orleck was eventually captured, tried and convicted. He was sentenced to death and was executed in the electric chair at Ohio State Penitentiary a year later. On October 2nd, 1932, Reformatory guard Frank Hanger was beaten to death during an escape attempt by several prisoners. Chester Probaski and Merrill Chandler were convicted of Hanger’s murder and, like Philip Orleck, met their fates in the electric chair. July of 1948 marks the date of one of the strangest and saddest events in the history of OSR. On July 21st, in an act of revenge, two former inmates, Robert Daniels and John West, snuck back onto the property surrounding the prison and kidnapped OSR farm superintendent John Niebel, along with his wife and daughter, all of whom resided in a small farmhouse near the facility. Daniels and West took the family out to a nearby field and killed them all. Several days later, Daniels and West were cornered by police and a shootout took place. In the ensuing firefight, West was shot and killed while Daniels was taken into custody. It was then that it was learned that West and Daniels had killed three other individuals while they were at large. Daniels was convicted and sentenced to death. He died in the electric chair in January of 1949. But not all the despair at Ohio State Reformatory was the result of men’s violence against their fellow man. Some of it was a result of the conditions they were forced to live in. By the time the Reformatory was celebrating its 40th anniversary, it was already being accused of having inadequate facilities. Cries of overcrowding and inhumane living conditions were being heard far and wide. The inmates weren’t complaining, though. Because they knew if they did, they were buying themselves a ticket to visit one of the worst areas of the Reformatory––The Hole. Solitary confinement, “The Hole”, was the one place no inmate wanted to end up in. When you were placed in solitary confinement, you were placed in a tiny room all alone…in the dark. As to when you came out, well, that was up for the guards to decide. It’s no wonder that stories abound of prisoners going insane while they were in solitary. Some are said to have attempted (and in some cases, succeeded) in hanging themselves inside the cells. One allegedly even set himself on fire. The darkest incident associated with The Hole came in 1957. In response to a prison riot, Reformatory officials sentenced over 100 prisoners to 30 days in solitary confinement. The only problem was that The Hole was only equipped with 20 cells. Nevertheless, the prisoners were all jammed inside. This may have been the incident that gave rise to the stories of The Hole being haunted. Over the years, footsteps and muffled voices have been heard coming from solitary confinement, even though there is no one else in the area. If the area is indeed haunted, one can only attempt to imagine the pain these tortured spirits must be feeling. In life, they were forced to live in isolation. And now, not even death has brought them freedom. By the time the 1970s rolled around, the state had already declared that the Ohio State Reformatory no longer met the guidelines and standards for correctional facilities. Beginning in the 80s, prisoners and employees alike were being shipped or reassigned to other facilities. As the 80s came to a close, so did the career of the Ohio State Reformatory as an active prison. In 1994, demolition of the outer wall and some of the outbuildings began to take place. But not before Hollywood came calling. While OSR was in operation, several movies used the facility as the setting for some of their scenes, including 1976’s Harry and Walter Go To New York and 1989’s Tango and Cash. However, it wasn’t until 1994 when the film crew for a little movie called The Shawshank Redemption showed up that Hollywood really began to take notice to OSR. The Reformatory was heavily featured in The Shawshank Redemption with close to 30 scenes being filmed inside the facility or on the grounds itself. And several years later, scenes from Air Force One were also filmed at OSR, including ones where the production crew erected an enormous fake wall. More recently, music video producers have turned their eyes on OSR and the building has been featured in videos by Godsmack and Lil’ Wayne. As part of an effort to save OSR, the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society was formed and when Ohio leased the land to the city of Mansfield, they turned around and leased it to the MRPS. Today, steps are underway to restore the remaining structure to its original “spiritually uplifting” self. The building has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 and the Reformatory’s 6-tier East Wing is listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest free-standing steel cell block. With all that going for it (and ghosts, too), it’s no wonder that there are those who say the allure of the Ohio State Reformatory is so strong that some people can’t ever bring themselves to leave… even in death. Several ghosts are said to haunt the prison––too many to properly catalogue. The most common occurrence seems to be voices around the old superintendent's quarters. Regular ghost hunts are held here during which participants are allowed to roam freely throughout much of the prison, unsupervised, taking pictures and trying to make contact with the other side. Some claim to have succeeded. Though it's still rough and unrenovated, with no plans to turn it into anything else, the Reformatory is not, strictly speaking, abandoned most of the time. It does sit empty through the winter, but for the rest of the year there's usually somebody looking after the place, doing research or conducting the regular tours. Unlike so many other historic landmarks in Ohio, this one looks like it will be around for a while. I never was able to get over how incredibly eerie the entire place was. I left the drunks to their Milwaukee’s Best and went exploring all over the grounds. There were cell blocks, offices, and even a chapel all laying there left to crumble away. As I wandered around, looking into cells, finding files on the ground, and finding offices which looked like they were worked in that very day, I couldn’t help but feel like I was being watched. It’s very hard to describe the feeling I got, but not once did I feel alone, even though I had ventured far away from the group. I know for a fact that something otherworldly was present at all times. I made my way back to the group after about an hour and we headed back to Ashland. For weeks I couldn’t get the experience out of my mind. Finally I decided to find out all I could about Mansfield. I began researching the place with every spare minute I had, and I found out that the prison was just as scary in operation as it was in its abandonment. Numerous deaths have occured there over the years. Disease absolutely ravaged the place. One inmate hung himself, one lit himself on fire. One inmate murdered his cellmate. These however, are all relatively normal to a prison setting. What happened to the warden’s family within the walls of Mansfield was anything but normal. The first tragedy to strike happened in July of 1948. Two men who had been parolled, James West and Robert Daniels, returned to the prison grounds seeking revenge for their time at Mansfield. They kidnapped the Warden’s daughter and shot her to death. Both were caught and fried in the electric chair. A year after that the Warden’s wife was in his office when she bumped into a shelf. A gun fell off of it, went off, and killed her. Ten years after that, the Warden died of a heart attack in the same office. Mansfield is a place of evil and death. This is best evidenced by the graveyard of unclaimed bodies which still lies on the grounds. Over two hundred inmates and employees of Mansfield are buried in this field, still unclaimed. If you ever get the chance to visit the Mansfield Reformatory, be warned--there are spirits trapped within the walls, and they are not nice. They are the spirits of murderers and criminals. They are the spirits of a family ravaged by tragedy. And they are not the sort of spirits that will leave you alone. I know, as I’ve been back dozens of times and always feel their presence. –Tina Jagadowski
None were chambered in 45LC. The Winchester 1873 was chambered in 32-20, 38-40 and 44-40. In 1878 Colt began producing its revolver in 44-40 as a companion to the 1873 Winchester of the same caliber. Later, the Winchester folks specifically asked John Browning to make a successor rifle to the 1873 Winchester. Basically a scaled down version of the 1886, but chambered in 44-40. 44-40 is a period correct cartridge. And hence the 1892 Winchester was invented. [This message has been edited by Ned Roundtree (edited February 09, 2000).]
BHSM Stories: Pat Henry Elementary I work in Lawton, Oklahoma at Pat Henry Elementary. This is my fourth year to go into each classroom to share about BHSM. Sometimes I present information about hearing and the dangerous sounds that may cause hearing loss. The children receive diagrams of the ear and sound levels of familiar objects and crossword puzzles with vocabulary. This year as a topic I chose social skills and how people use their voice and body language to communicate. I gave handouts related to the topic to the teachers and to the students. They also received chocolate ear suckers and chocolate lip suckers. They loved them. They all look forward to the next year and remind me to bring the suckers. Submitted by: Becky Kent, MS, CCC-SLP
Found 30 - 40 results of 90 programs matching keyword "mapping the sea floor activity" The science behind this musical instrument, including the concepts of sound, vibration, resonance, and amplification. An introduction to a crowd-pleasing noisemaker called a sound sandwich, which you can adjust to raise or lower its pitch. A detailed demonstration of how to make this primitive wind instrument using little more than a straw, two craft sticks, and some rubber bands. The science behind this instrument, including a discussion of how vibration produces sound, and how long, massive objects vibrate slowly and produce a low-pitched sound, while shorter, less massive objects vibrate quickly and produce a high-pitched sound. Scientists at Palmer Research Station in Antarctica talk about their research: How is the rich marine ecosystem just offshore responding to melting sea ice and global climate change? Join Exploratorium senior scientist Paul Doherty as he serves up more hands-on activities related to science in Antarctica. Join us in conversation with David Ainley and other researchers, as they wrap up there field season at the Adelie penguin breeding colonies in Antarctica’s Ross Sea. Penn State University glaciologist Dr. Richard Alley explains why ice is cool. Join Exploratorium senior scientist Paul Doherty as he serves up hands-on activities related to science in Antarctica. Footage of a small gray whale in the Chukchi Sea near the Barrow shoreline.
Year of Award Thesis - Campus Access Only Master of Science (MS) Department or School/College College of Forestry and Conservation Andrew Wilcox, Mike Merigliano available water content, biogeomorphology, grazing, green ash, Riparian, soil texture, upper Missouri River University of Montana The spatial extent of riparian areas has been reduced by an estimated 80% since Euro-American settlement. This decline has occurred due to many factors, such as grazing, deforestation, urbanization, invasive plants, pollution, and altered flow regimes. While most riparian research and management has focused on early seral species such as cottonwoods and willows, other woody species, including green ash, box-elder, chokecherry, serviceberry, currant, and red-osier dogwood, also provide important structure and diversity to riparian forests. These species, called late-seral woody species, are typically less prominent than other tree and shrub species in western riparian forests. Recent studies suggest that along the Missouri River in central Montana late-seral woody species distribution is more limited than expected given their prominence in other areas, such as stream sides in eastern Montana. The objectives of this study were to determine whether late-seral woody species abundance is related to grazing intensity, and to assess differences in site conditions that could explain the abundance of late-seral species across a variety of sites. These objectives were examined through a community analysis comparing environmental factors relating to water availability and grazing use, past and present, across a gradient of species composition. These analyses revealed three dominant environmental influences on late-seral species presence and abundance: elevation above the river, geomorphic landform, and soil texture. Late-seral species were most often found at low elevations within the bottomlands and in floodplain channels. Calculated available water content was similar across vegetation types, which was unexpected. Differences in present grazing use were not detected across changing species composition, though historic records did show dramatic increases in cattle numbers in Montana through the 1970’s with only slight declines since this time. These findings, regarding both grazing and environmental variables, could be important for the restoration of late-seral species. If management and restoration of these important riparian species is to take place, understanding the current limitations to their distribution is imperative. Pennick, Kali Grace, "Factors influencing the distribution of late-seral woody species along the upper Missouri River in central Montana" (2011). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 427. This record is only available to users affiliated with the University of Montana. © Copyright 2011 Kali Grace Pennick
Edward I of England: Feared English King, And Ferocious Castle Builder 'Formidable' may well be the best word to describe Edward I of England. Edward I became King of England in 1272, and reigned until his death in 1307. He was one of the most important Medieval kings of our country. Edward was a terrifyingly successful warrior-king, and his battle-hungry endevours subjugated the Welsh people to English rule. After conquering Wales in 1284, Edward set his sights on capturing Scotland. He died before the Scots were brought to kneel before the English crown - but his death-bed wish was to see Scotland defeated. Edward I of England was responsible for some of the most incredible Medieval castles that were ever built, which is why I like to feature him on this site. His awe-inspiring "Iron Ring" of castles in North Wales really defined a generation of castle building - and included masterpieces such as Harlech Castle and the walled castle-city of Caernarfon. These fortresses were very much built in Edward's image - formidable, battle-hungry hulks of buildings, constructed to maintain English power over neighbouring nations. Hey - I'm Edd. I've always loved visiting amazing old castles. I've created this site to share my favourites. If you're enjoying this website, don't miss my beautiful new hardback book! Edward I: England's Warrior KingAn image of Edward I taken from a c14th book of laws and statutes. (WikimediaCommons) Edward was born in 1239 - the son of Henry III, one of the weakest Medieval kings of England. Henry's reign had been marked by rebellion, confusion and indecision - his greatest achievement amounted just to rebuilding Westminster Abbey in London. Edward, by contrast, was hale, hearty and bullishly confident. Enjoying hunting, riding and with a taste for battle, Edward consciously recoiled from associations with his father - striking his own course with inherited lands in France. And, while Edward planned to embark on adventurous crusades in Europe, his father Henry lost his grip on England. Squeezed by a dismal bank balance, Henry III found himself at loggerheads with seven of the most powerful barons of England. Concerned that the King was trying to wring money from them, they forced him into signing the Provisions of Oxford - effectively handing control of England to a council of 15 barons. Henry III was weak enough to sign, but this was the beginnings of civil war - the Second Baron's War. His own supporters were pitched against the demands of the barons, lead by Simon de Montfort. Battle between the two sides wasn't far away. In 1263, King Henry III and Edward lost the Battle of Lewes, and were taken hostage by the barons. It took Edward more than a year to escape his house arrest and, when he did, he exerted his wrath upon his captors.These are some of the actual stones used within the siege of Kenilworth. As you can hopefully judge, they're gigantic! (own photo) In 1265, Edward rode into battle at Evesham - leading Royalist forces to comprehensively defeat the baron's troops. Although de Monfort was killed (and killed bloodily, at that) that didn't stop his supporters from fleeing to Kenilworth Castle to hole themselves up in one final siege. The 1266 siege of Kenilworth Castle classes as one of the great Medieval castle sieges - featuring huge, stone-launching trebuchets and six-months of misery for those holed up inside. Edward I and Wales: The 'Hammer of the Welsh'?Edward I crowning his son Edward II Price of Wales. (WikimediaCommons) After his capture in the Baron's War, Henry III's lacklusture rule of England limped to a miserable end. Edward entertained himself by heading to on a Holy Crusade on the continent, while his father struggled onwards. While Edward was away at battle in 1272, a messenger reached him. His father had died - and he was now King of England. Edward travelled back to his homeland with a renewed appetite for power - and also for battle. In his early 30s, he was a man who wanted to make his mark upon the world - and, very quickly, it became clear that Wales was in his sights. Back in Medieval times, mountainous Wales was an entirely separate political identity to the body of England. Marked by border scrambles and partial Norman conquest after 1066, Wales was a prize for a king hungry for more land and more power. Due to long-running political feuds in the aftermath of the Second Baron's War (described above), Edward was quickly drawn into conflict with Prince Llywelyn ('Llwelyn the Last') of Wales. In 1277, Edward lead an army of 15,500 into the province. He was victorious - and the English captured a vast chunk of North Wales.Dolwyddelan Castle, in Snowdonia, Wales, was built by the Welsh people. It was a stronghold of the Welsh resistance - and, when it fell, Wales fell with it. To consolidate this first wave of conquest, Edward built his first round of castles in North Wales - including castles in Flint, Rhuddlan and Builth. This wasn't the end of the story, though. In 1282, Wales rebelled again - ostensibly at the unfairness of English law being applied to their lands. Edward was enraged - and set out to capture Wales once and for all. He co-ordinated a three-pronged assault of Wales, resulting in the death of Llywelyn the Last at Orewin Bridge. Accordingly, Wales became a principality of England. And, despite frequent small uprisings well into the 1300s, Welsh lands were transferred into the hands of English owners.Caernarfon Castle was one of the mighty castles built by Edward to consolidate his power. The walls of the castle also wrapped around the town, protecting it from attack. Credit: Robert Emperley, Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 2.0 Primarily within the Principality of North Wales, Edward embarked on a lavish and phenomenal extensive programme of castle building - constructing the fortresses of Harlech, Caernarfon, and Beaumaris. This was an 'iron ring' of castles - designed to consolidate his rule over the new Welsh territories. Edward and Scotland - Hammer of the ScotsA c15th wood-carving of Edward I. (WikimediaCommons) You'll commonly hear Edward I of England referred to by another epithet - "The Hammer of the Scots". This little nickname was actually given to him long after his death, and I'd argue that it's a touch inappropriate. Although Edward did indeed unleash his wrath upon the Scots, they successfully fought back: whereas the Welsh succumbed to his forces. The chaos began in 1286 when Alexander III of Scotland died without any obvious heir. The next in line to the throne - Margaret of Norway, who was aged just three - died en route to Scotland, creating a constitutional crisis. Edward was called in to try and help make the constitutional decision, but did it under one proviso: that his involvement asserted that he was the feudal overload over all of Scotland. This was an ostentatious grab at power, and one that the Scots rightly resisted. But Edward was tenacious: forcing Scots to appear in front of English parliaments, and even forcing their service alongside England's army in France. The Scots rebelled against the insolence, and Edward crushed them at the bloody battle of Berwick in 1296. But if his strong-arm tactics had been successful against Wales, Scotland was a much tougher nut to crack. Two charismatic leaders - Andrew de Moray and William Wallace - channelled the popular discontent running through the country. In 1297, the Scottish forces dealt the English army a humiliating defeat at the battle of Stirling Bridge - declaring Scotland an independent nation. Edward retaliated with a dramatic victory at Falkirk in 1298. Emboldened by the victory, Edward pressed harder and harder against Scotland - laying siege to the triangular-shaped Caerlaverock Castle and advancing further into the country. In 1303, Edward prepared for the final conquest: and by 1304, virtually all of Scotland cowered under submission.Caerlaverock Castle was one of the Scottish castles laid siege by Edward. Its triangular design makes it quite special indeed. Credit: Simon Ledingham, WikiMedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). The Scots caused looked hopeless in 1305, with the capture and dramatic execution of William Wallace. But in 1306, Robert the Bruce (one of the previous claimants to the Scots crown) acted boldly: claiming himself King of Scotland, as crowned by his sister. Edward saw this as just another insurrection of a captured territory: and acted to brutally quash the uprising. But discontent was simmering, and he underestimated the phenomenal popular will of Scotland.Medieval coinage depicting Edward I. (Credit: Woody1778, CC-BY-SA 2.0) In addition, England was battle-worn and broke: the cost of Edward's exploits in Wales and the iron ring of castles had left very little money in the treasure-chest. To add to these plights, Edward was in poor health. Exhausted by war and dysentery, the king collapsed in 1307 just south of the Scottish border. When he died, he may have been forgiven for thinking that Scotland was now an English province going through a rebellious teenage phase. But he'd have been wrong. In 1308, his son, now King Edward II, gave up the disastrous military mission, ceding to the Scots wishes of independence. Scotland remained free - for a few more years at least. Edward I: What Maketh the Man? Edward was 6"2 (188cm) tall, making him a a monster by Medieval standards. His towering stature earned him the nickname 'Longshanks' ('long limbs', to translate a little). His attitude and temperament undoubtedly matched his threatening exterior. But was Edward really a monster - or just a Medieval monarch? The character and personality of Edward I has been argued over by historians - and embedded in popular culture. Edward I of England was the villain of the supremely popular movie, Braveheart. Admittedly, it's not the first place I'd look for historical accuracy, but the film depicted him as a vindictive tyrant, hell-bent on oppressing the Scottish people.A highly recommended read. That depiction of Edward has been quite popular among academics, too. Edward has been historically thought of as a 'strong-arm' king - keen on fighting and hunting, as well as being blood-thirsty for battle. A more modern view is taken in Marc Morris' recent (and very highly recommended) book on Edward, "A Great and Terrible King".(Affiliate link to Amazon.com). Marc Morris argues that our modern sensibilities rather cloud our judgment of Edward I. He argues that Edward wasn't a brute - instead, he was wryly intelligent and highly political. He agrees that Edward enjoyed battle and bloodshed, but thinks that we need to see this in the context of Medieval times - which were much more violent and unruly. Indeed, he argues, a strong king was needed to keep unruly England in check. Henry III - Edward's father - was indisputably a weak and pathetic little man. Edward I, in contrast, was a strong and ferocious king, who formed Britain as we know it today. I've read this book, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in Edward I. It's a punchy, interesting and really well-researched piece on one of the most interesting Kings of England. Discover more cunning plots, dusty legends, and tales of England's most beautiful castles... What lurks in the bedrock beneath Dover Castle? Where might you find a surviving Round Table, and what happened to 'King Arthur's Corpse' at Tintagel? What exactly was so terrifying about Medieval machicolations? And was it a terrible accident, or was Lady Amy Dudley murdered? If you'd like to delve into these mysteries - and discover many more - you'll love my first print book, Exploring English Castles. In the words of the American Library Association, it's a 'big, luscious book'. It's filled with stories, secrets, fables and photos, and runs to 272 pages with more than 200 colour photographs. It's available from all good bookstores in the US, Europe, Canada and Australia.
Published in Historical Reasons - BUDDY HOLLY - Rockabilly Legends Exclusive None Sun Records recording artist A brief look at the life of Buddy Holly by Legendary musicians Jerry Naylor and HOLLY – Known professionally as Buddy Holly, was a Texas singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll. Although his success lasted only a year and a half before his death in an airplane crash, Holly is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most influential creative force in early rock and roll''. His works and innovations inspired and influenced contemporary and later musicians, notably The Beatles, Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones, Don McLean, Bob Dylan, Steve Winwood, and Eric Clapton, and exerted a profound influence on popular music. Holly was among the first group of inductees to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Holly number 13 among "The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Charles Hardin Holley was born on September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas, to Lawrence Odell and Ella Pauline (Drake) Holley. In Philip Norman's biography it is stated that his mother's family claimed to be descended from the English navigator Francis Drake. Holly was always called "Buddy" by his family. Buddy was the youngest of three siblings, and brothers Larry and Travis taught him to play a variety of instruments, including the guitar, fourstring banjo and lap steel guitar. At the age of five, his young voice and exuberance won him a talent contest singing a then-popular song, "Have You Ever Gone Sailing (Down the River of Memories)''. In 1949, still retaining his soprano, he recorded a bluesy solo rendering of Hank Snow's "My Two Timin' Woman" on a wire recorder borrowed by a friend who worked in a In 1952, he met Bob Montgomery at Hutchinson Junior High School. They shared an interest in music, and teamed up as "Buddy and Bob". Initially influenced by bluegrass, they sang harmony duets at local clubs and high school talent shows. The duo performed on a local radio station KDAV Sunday broadcast that made them a top local act. Hutchinson Junior High School now has a mural honoring Holly, and Lubbock High School, where he sang in the school choir, also honors the late musician. Holly saw Elvis Presley sing in Lubbock in 1955, and began to incorporate a rockabilly style, similar to the Sun Records sound, which had a strong rhythm acoustic and slap bass. On October 15, 1955, Holly, along with Bob Montgomery and Larry Welborn, opened the bill for Presley in Lubbock, catching the eye of a Nashville talent scout. Holly's transition to rock continued when he opened for Bill Haley & His Comets at a local show organized by Eddie Crandall, the manager for Marty Robbins. this performance, Decca Records signed him to a contract in February 1956, misspelling his name as "Holly". He thereafter adopted the misspelled name for his professional career. Holly formed his own band, later to be called The Crickets, consisting of Holly (lead guitar and vocals), Niki Sullivan (guitar), Joe B. Mauldin (bass), and Jerry Allison (drums). They went to Nashville for three recording sessions with producer Owen Bradley. However, Holly chafed under a restrictive atmosphere that allowed him little input. Among the tracks he recorded was an early version of "That'll Be The Day", which took its title from a line that John Wayne's character says repeatedly in the 1956 film The Searchers. (This initial version of the song played more slowly and about half an octave higher than the later hit version.) Decca released two singles, "Blue Days, Black Nights" and "Modern Don Juan", that failed to make an impression. On January 22, 1957, Decca informed Holly his contract would not be renewed, insisting, however, that he could not record the same songs for anyone else for five years. then hired Norman Petty as manager, and the band began recording at Petty's studios in Clovis, New Mexico. Petty contacted music publishers and labels, and Brunswick Records, a subsidiary of Decca, signed the Crickets on March 19, 1957. Holly signed as a solo artist with another Decca subsidiary, Coral Records. This put him in the unusual position of having two recording contracts at the same time. On May 27, 1957, "That'll Be The Day" was released as a single, credited to the Crickets to try to bypass Decca's claimed legal rights. When the song became a hit, Decca decided not to press its claim. "That'll Be the Day" topped the Billboard United States "Best Sellers in Stores" chart on September 23, and was on the United Kingdom Singles Chart for three weeks in November. The Crickets performed "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue" on The Ed Sullivan Show on December 1. They also sang "Peggy Sue" on The Arthur Murray Party on December 29 and were given a polite introduction by Kathryn Murray. The kinescopes of these programs are the only record of their 1957 television appearances. Holly helped win over an all-black audience to rock and roll and rockabilly when the Crickets were booked at New York's Apollo Theater for August 16–22, 1957. Unlike the immediate acceptance shown in the 1978 movie The Buddy Holly Story, it actually took several performances for the audience to warm up to him. In August 1957, the Crickets were the only white performers on a national tour including black neighborhood theaters. As Holly was signed both as a solo artist and a member of the Crickets, two debut albums were released: The "Chirping" Crickets on November 27, 1957 and Buddy Holly on February 20, 1958. His singles "Peggy Sue" and "Oh Boy!", with backing vocals later dubbed on by The Picks, reached the top ten of United States and United Kingdom charts. Buddy Holly and the Crickets toured Australia in January 1958 and the UK in March. Their third and final album, That'll Be the Day, was put together from early recordings and was released in April. In the liner notes to Buddy Holly: The Definitive Collection, Billy Altman notes that "Peggy Sue" was originally written as "Cindy Lou" (after Holly's niece), but Holly changed it prior to recording as a tip of the hat to Crickets drummer Jerry Allison's girlfriend, Peggy Sue Gerron. Allison wanted the song to be named after Gerron to make up for a recent fight. The two later married. Holly wrote "True Love Ways" about his relationship with his wife, Maria Elena. It was recorded in her presence on October 21, 1958, at Decca's Pythian Temple, with Dick Jacob, Coral-Brunswick's new head of Artists and Repertoire, serving as both producer and conductor of the 18-piece orchestra, which included members of the New York Symphony Orchestra, NBC Television's house orchestra and Abraham "Boomie" Richman, formerly of Benny Goodman's band. June 1958, he met Maria Elena Santiago, a receptionist for Murray Deutch, an executive for New York publisher Peer-Southern Music. Holly managed to have Santiago invited to a luncheon at Howard Johnson's, thanks to Deutch's secretary, Jo Harper. He asked her to have dinner with him that night at P. J. Clarke's. Holly proposed marriage to her on their very first date. "While we were having dinner, he got up and came back with his hands behind his back. He brought out a red rose and said, 'This is for you. Would you marry me?' Within the beautiful red rose, there was a ring. I melted." Holly went to her guardian's house the next morning and Maria came running at him and jumped into his arms, which was a sign to him that it was a "yes". They married in Lubbock on August 15, 1958, less than two months later. "I'd never had a boyfriend in my life. I'd never been on a date before. But when I saw Buddy, it was like magic. We had something special: love at first sight. It was like we were made for each other. He came into my life when I needed him, and I came into his," she told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on what would have been their 50th wedding anniversary. The newlyweds honeymooned in Acapulco. Maria Elena traveled on tours, doing everything from the laundry to equipment setup to ensuring the group got paid. However, many fans became aware of his marriage only after his death. The ambitious Holly became increasingly interested in the New York music, recording, publishing scene, while his band mates wanted to go back home to Lubbock. As a result, the group split up in late 1958. The Hollys settled in Apartment 4H of the Brevoort Apartments located at 11 Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village. Here he recorded the series of acoustic songs, including "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" and "What to Do'', known as the "Apartment Tapes," which were released after his death. The Hollys frequented many of New York's music venues, including The Village Gate, Blue Note, Village Vanguard, and Johnny Johnson's. Maria Elena reported Buddy was keen to learn finger-style flamenco guitar, and would often visit her aunt's home to play the piano there. He wanted to develop collaborations between soul singers and rock and roll, hoping to make an album with Ray Charles and gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. He also had ambitions to work in film, like Elvis Presley and Eddie Cochran, and registered for acting classes with Lee Strasburg's Actors Studio, where the likes of Marlon Brando and James Dean had trained. According to Billy Altman's liner notes to the Geffen/Universal compilation, Buddy Holly: The Definitive Collection, in addition to "True Love Ways", during the October 1958 sessions at Decca's Pythian Temple, Holly also recorded two other songs, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" and "Raining In My Heart." The songs were firsts for Holly, not only in the use of orchestral backing players, but also the tracks were his first stereo recordings. They were also to be his last formal recording studio sessions. Although Holly had already begun to become disillusioned with Norman Petty before meeting Maria Elena, it was through her and her aunt Provi, the head of Latin American music at Peer-Southern, that he began to fully realize what was going on with his manager, who was paying the band's royalties into his own company's account. Holly was having trouble getting his royalties from Petty, so he hired the noted lawyer Harold Orenstein at the recommendation of his friends the Everly Brothers, who had engaged Orenstein following disputes with their own manager, Wesley Rose. Yet, with the money still being withheld by Petty and with rent due, Buddy was forced to go back on the road. Holly was offered a spot in the Winter Dance Party, a three-week tour across the Midwest opening on January 23, 1959, by the GAC agency, with other notable performers such as Dion and the Belmonts, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. He assembled a backing band consisting of Tommy Allsup (guitar), Waylon Jennings (bass) and Carl Bunch (drums), and billed them as The Crickets.Following a performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 2, 1959, Holly chartered a small airplane to take him to the next stop on the tour. Holly, Valens, Richardson and the pilot Roger Peterson were killed en route to Moorhead, Minnesota, when their plane crashed soon after taking off from nearby Mason City in the early morning hours of February 3. There was a snowstorm, and the pilot was not qualified to fly by instruments only. Bandmate Waylon Jennings had given up his seat on the plane, causing Holly to jokingly tell Jennings, "I hope your ol' bus freezes up!" Jennings shot back facetiously, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes!" It was a statement that would haunt Jennings for decades. "Although the plane came down only five miles northwest of the airport, no one saw or heard the crash", wrote rock performer, archivist and music historian, Harry Hepcat, in his article about Buddy Holly. "The bodies lay in the blowing snow through the night... February indeed made us shiver, but it was more than the cold of February that third day of the month in 1959. It was the shiver of a greater, sometimes senseless, reality invading our sheltered, partying, teenaged life of the 50's''. funeral was held on February 7, 1959, at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock. The service was officiated by Ben D. Johnson, who had presided at the Hollys' wedding just months earlier. The pallbearers were Jerry Allison, Joe B. Mauldin, Niki Sullivan, Bob Montgomery, Sonny Curtis and Phil Everly. Waylon Jennings was unable to attend due to his commitment to the still-touring Winter Dance Party. Holly's body was interred in the City of Lubbock Cemetery in the eastern part of the city. His headstone carries the correct spelling of his surname (Holley) and a carving of his Fender Stratocaster guitar. Holly's pregnant wife, a widow after barely six months of marriage, miscarried soon after, ending that part of the Holly family tree. The miscarriage was reportedly due to “psychological trauma”. Because of this incident, authorities found it necessary, in the months following, to implement a policy against announcing victims’ names until after families had first been informed. María Elena Holly did not attend the funeral, and has never visited the gravesite. She later told the Avalanche-Journal: ''In a way, I blame myself. I was not feeling well when he left. I was two weeks pregnant, and I wanted Buddy to stay with me, but he had scheduled that tour. It was the only time I wasn't with him. And I blame myself because I know that, if only I had gone along, Buddy never would have gotten into that airplane. The first song to commemorate the musicians was ''Three Stars'' by Eddie Cochran. This song was recorded just one day after the disaster occurred. Twelve years later, in 1971, Don McLean released his single, "American Pie'', to commemorate Buddy Holly’s death and further accentuate the loss of the United States’ innocence. Don McLean’s song began the reference to the tragedy as "The Day the Music Died". Holly set the template for the standard rock and roll band: two guitars, bass, and drums. He was one of the first in the genre to write, produce, and perform his own songs. Holly managed to bridge the racial divide that marked music in America. Along with Elvis Presley and others, Holly made rock and roll, with its roots in rockabilly country music and blues-inspired rhythm and blues music, more popular among a broad white audience. From listening to their recordings, one had difficulty determining if the Crickets, the name of Buddy's band, were white or black singers. Holly indeed sometimes played with black musicians Little Richard and Chuck Berry, and incorporated the Bo Diddley beat in several songs. The Crickets were only the second white rock group to tour Great Britain. Holly's essential eyeglasses encouraged other musicians, such as John Lennon, also to wear their glasses during performances. In his biography of rock legend Elton John, Philip Norman recounted that by his early teens, John (then known as Reg Dwight) was wearing glasses "not because he needed them, but in homage to Buddy Holly." After wearing glasses for a while, his eyes became adjusted to the lenses, and at that point he became nearsighted and really did need glasses, which would years later establish John as one of the most famous "four-eyes" in rock and roll, though Holly is widely considered to be the first. Contrary to popular belief, teenagers John Lennon and Paul McCartney did not attend a Holly concert, although they watched his television appearance on Sunday Night at the London Palladium; Tony Bramwell, a school friend of McCartney and George Harrison, did. Bramwell met Holly, and freely shared his records with all three. Ian Whitcomb said "Buddy Holly and the Crickets had the most influence on the Beatles''. Lennon and McCartney later cited Holly as a primary influence. (Their bug-themed band's name, The Beatles, was chosen partly in homage to Holly's Crickets.) The Beatles did a cover version of "Words of Love" that was a close reproduction of Holly's version, released on late 1964's Beatles for Sale (in the United States, in June 1965 on Beatles VI). During the January 1969 sessions for the ''Let It Be'' album, the Beatles played a slow impromptu version of "Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues", although not written by Holly, it was popularized by him, with Lennon mimicking Holly's vocal style; the recording was eventually released in the mid-1990s on Anthology 3. In addition, John Lennon recorded a cover version of "Peggy Sue" on his 1975 album Rock And Roll. McCartney owns the publishing rights to Holly's song catalogue. A 17-year-old Bob Dylan attended the January 31, 1959, show, two nights before Holly's death. Dylan referred to this in his 1998 Grammy acceptance speech for his Time Out of Mind being named Album of the Year: "And I just want to say that when I was sixteen or seventeen years old, I went to see Buddy Holly play at Duluth National Guard Armory and I was three feet away from him...and he looked at me. And I just have some sort of feeling that he was, I don't know how or why, but I know he was with us all the time we were making this record in some kind of way''. Keith Richards attended one of Holly's performances, where he heard "Not Fade Away" for the first time. The Rolling Stones had an early hit covering the song. The launch of Bobby Vee's successful musical career resulted from Holly's death, when he was selected to replace Holly on the tour that continued after the plane crash. Holly's profound influence on Vee's singing style can be heard in such songs as "Rubber Ball" and "Run to Him." Holly influenced many other singers during and after a career that lasted barely two years. Keith Richards once said Holly had "an influence on everybody''. In an August 24, 1978, Rolling Stone interview, Bruce Springsteen told Dave Marsh, "I play Buddy Holly every night before I go on; that keeps me honest''. The Grateful Dead performed "Not Fade Away" 530 times over the course of their career, making it their seventh most-performed song.The song also appears on eight of their official live recording releases. Various rock and roll histories have asserted the singing group The Hollies were named in homage to Buddy Holly. According to the band's website, although the group admired Holly (and years later produced an album covering some of his songs), their name was inspired primarily by the sprigs of holly in evidence around Christmas of 1962. Don McLean's popular 1971 ballad "American Pie" is inspired by Holly and the day of the plane crash. The American Pie album is dedicated to Holly. On September 7, 1994 (Holly's 58th birthday), Weezer released their single, "Buddy Holly". Buddy Holly released only three albums in his lifetime. Nonetheless, he recorded so prolifically that Coral Records was able to release brand-new albums and singles for 10 years after his death, although the technical quality was very mixed, some being studio quality and others home recordings. Buddy Holly continued to be promoted and sold as an "active" artist, and his records had a loyal following, especially in Europe. The demand for unissued Holly material was so great that Norman Petty resorted to overdubbing whatever he could find: alternate takes of studio recordings, originally rejected masters, "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" and the other five 1959 tracks (adding new surf-guitar arrangements), and even Holly's amateur demos from 1954 (where the low-fidelity vocals are often muffled behind the new orchestrations). The last new Buddy Holly album was Giant (featuring the single "Love Is Strange"), issued in 1969. Between the 1959-1960 Jack Hansen overdubs, the 1960s Norman Petty overdubs, various alternate takes, and Holly's undubbed originals, collectors can often choose from multiple versions of the same song. There are also many different versions of Holly's "Greatest Hits" as well as covers, compilation albums of Buddy's songs performed by various artists. One such album has been announced recently at an event at P.J. Clarke's in New York. Listen to Me: Buddy Holly is being produced by Peter Asher and includes contributions from Stevie Nicks, The Fray, Cobra Starship, Jeff Lynne, Train's Pat Monahan, Patrick Stump, Jackson Browne, Chris Isaak, Natalie Merchant, Imelda May, Ringo Starr, Lyle Lovett, Zooey Deschanel, Brian Wilson and more. Holly's life story inspired a Hollywood biographical film, The Buddy Holly Story (1978). Star Gary Busey received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Holly. The movie was widely criticized by the rock community and Holly's friends and family for its inaccuracies. This led Paul McCartney to produce and host his own documentary about Holly in 1985, titled ''The Real Buddy Holly Story''. This video includes interviews with Keith Richards, Phil and Don Everly, Sonny Curtis, Jerry Allison, Holly's family, and McCartney himself, among others. In 1987, Marshall Crenshaw portrayed Buddy Holly in the movie ''La Bamba''. He is featured performing at the Surf Ballroom and boarding the doomed airplane with Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. Crenshaw's version of "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" is featured on the La Bamba original motion picture soundtrack. Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, the Jukebox Musical depicting his life, is credited as being the first of its kind, spawning a breed of jukebox shows, including the likes of Mamma Mia! and We Will Rock You. Buddy, as it is abbreviated on occasion, is still running in the United Kingdom after 22 years, with a United Kingdom tour that went out in February 2011. Holly was depicted in the Quantum Leap episode entitled "How The Tess Was Won" although his identity isn't revealed until the very end of the episode. According to this episode, Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) influences Buddy Holly to change the lyrics from "piggy, suey" to "Peggy Sue", thus setting up Holly's future hit song. There are also a number of acts both in the United States (Johnny Rogers, John Mueller) and UK (Marc Robinson, Spencer J etc.) who specialize in bringing Holly's songs to life. In 2010, Guy Kent portrayed a modern-day interpretation of Holly in the independent film The Day the Music Died. The film has yet to be theatrically released. Holly was based in Lubbock as his career took off between 1956 and 1958. In 1980, Grant Speed sculpted a statue of Holly playing his Fender guitar. This statue is the centerpiece of Lubbock's Walk of Fame, which honors notable people who contributed to Lubbock's musical history. Other memorials to Buddy Holly include a street named in his honor and The Buddy Holly Center, which contains a museum of Holly memorabilia as well as a Fine Arts Gallery. The Center is located on Crickets Ave, one street over from Buddy Holly Ave, in what used to be the Fort Worth and Denver South Plains Railway Depot. In 2010, Grant Speed's statue was taken down for refurbishment, and construction began on a new Walk of Fame. On May 9, 2011, the City of Lubbock held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for The Buddy and Maria Elena Holly Plaza, the new home of the statue and the Walk of Fame. The plaza is across the street from the museum. Due to copyright restrictions, personal and professional photography of memorabilia is not allowed inside of the Holly exhibit. Visitors are, however, welcome to take pictures of objects outside the museum. These include the giant recreation of Buddy's glasses at the entrance and the Grant Speed statue across the street. His actual eyeglass frames recovered from the crash site are on display inside the museum. On September 7, 2011 (what would have been Holly's 75th birthday), he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame posthumously. His widow, Maria Elena Santiago, attended, as did Phil Everly, Peter Asher, Priscilla Presley and actor Gary Busey, who played Holly in The Buddy Holly Story. © - 706 UNION AVENUE SESSIONS - ©
1.All questions are compulsory. 2.The question paper consists of 30 questions divided into four sections – A, B, C and D. Section A contains 10 questions of 1 mark each, Section B is of 5 questions of 2 marks each, Section C is of 10 questions of 3 marks each and section D is of 5 questions of 6 marks each. 3.In question on construction, the drawing should be neat and exactly as per the given measurements. 4. In question on construction, the drawing should be neat and exactly as per the given measurements. 5.Use of calculator is not permitted. . SECTION – A 1.Is number 5 x 3 x 17 + 17 a prime number? 2.The sum and product of the zeroes of the quadratic polynomial are – ½ and – 3. What is the quadratic polynomial? 3.For what value of k for which the pair of linear equations 10x + 5y = ( k – 5 ) and 20x + 10y = k have infinitely many solutions. 4.If Tan A = ¾ and A+B = 90, then what is the value of Cot B? 5.In ABC, DE\|\|BC, AD:DB = 1.5cm:3cm and AE=1 cm , find EC. 6.Find Emperical formula for finding the mode. SECTION – B 7.A sphere of radius 10.5 cm is melted and then recast into smaller cones of radius 3.5 cm and height 3 cm. find the number of cones. 8.From a point Q, the length of the tangent to a circle is 12 cm and the distance of Q from the centre of circle is 13cm. Find the diameter of the circle. 9.A bag contains 4 white, 3 red and 2 black balls. A ball is drawn at random from the bag. Find the probability that it is not a white ball. 10.Find the value of m so that m+2, 4m–6 and 3m– 2 are three consecutive terms of an A.P. 1. Find the discriminant of the equation 3x¬2 – 2x + 1/3 = 0 and hence find the nature of its roots. Find them, if they are real. 2. In ABC,angle ACB = 90 and CD perpend. AB. Prove that CB2 : CA2 = BD : AD. 3. Find the ratio in which the line 2x + 3y – 30 = 0 divides the line segment joining the points ( 3, 4 ) and ( 7, 8). Find also the coordinates of the point of section. 4. A circle touches all the four sides of a quadrilateral ABCD. Prove that AB + CD = BC + DA. 5. If the zeroes of the polynomial x3 – 3x2 + x + 1 are a – b, a and a + b, find the value of a and b. 6. Show that √3 is irrational. 7. Prove that : tan A + sec A – 1 = 1 + sin A tan A – sec A + 1 cos A 8. A bag contains 50 balls bearing 1, 2, 3,………., 49, 50. A ball is drawn at random from the bag. Find the probability that the number on the ball is : a. not divisible by 5 b. divisible by 7 or 11. 9. Solve the pair of equations: 44 + 30 = 0 and 55 + 40 = 13. x + y x – y x + y x – y 10. Find the area of the minor and major segment of a circle, given that the central angle is 600 and radius of the circle is 14 cm. 11. Which term of an A.P 3, 10, 17…………. will be 84 more than its 13th term? 12. Two circles of radii 2 cm and 3 cm with their centres 7 cm apart. Draw the tangents from the centre of each circle to the other circle. 13. Find the ratio in which the point P( m, 6 ) divides the join of A( – 4, 3 ) and B ( 2, 8 ). Also find the value of m. 14. A two digit number is such that product of its digits is 18, when 63 is subtracted from the number, the digits interchange their places. Find the number. 15. In ABC, right angle at B. AD and CF are the two medians drawn from A and C, if AC = 5 cm and AD = ( 3√5) / 2 cm, find the length of CE. 16. In a flight of 600 km an aircraft was slowed down due to bad weather. Its average speed for the trip was reduced by 200 km/h and the time of flight increased by 30 minutes. Find the duration of the flight. 17. A container shaped like a right circular cylinder having diameter 12 cm and height 15 cm is full of ice cream. The ice cream is to be filled into cones of height 12 cm and diameter 6 cm, having a hemispherical shape on the top. Find the number of such cones which can be filled with ice cream, also find the silver paper required to cover each ice cream cone. 18. Prove that the ratio of the areas of two similar triangles is equal to the ratio of squares of their correspond sides. Using the above, prove the following : the diagonal of a trapezium ABCD with AB\|\|DC intersects each other at the point O. If AB = 2CD, find the ratio of the area of triangle AOB to the area of triangle COD 19. From a window h metres above the ground of a house in a street, the angle of elevation and depression of the top and the foot of another house on the opposite side of the street are A and B respectively. Show that the height of the opposite house is h(1 + tan A cot B ). 20. The median of the following data is 525. Find the values of x and y, if the total frequency is 100. \|0 – 100\|\|2\| \|100 – 200\|\|5\| \|200 – 300\|\|X\| \|300 – 400\|\|12\| \|400 – 500\|\|17\| \|500 – 600\|\|20\| \|600 – 700\|\|Y\| \|700 – 800\|\|9\| \|800 – 900\|\|7\| \|900 – 1000\|\|4\|
The awkward truth about global warming The British Journal Nature reported this week that scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California have pinpointed a surge of global warming so severe that it actually reversed the Earth's pattern of ocean currents. It occurred 55 million years ago. Scientists Flavia Nunes and Richard Norris say the planet's surface temperature rose between nine and sixteen degrees Fahrenheit over a period of a few thousand years, and it took about a hundred thousand years for the planet to recover before the ocean currents returned to their previous state. The scientists said they are not certain what caused the global warming event. Try to remember, did you drive a lot that day? The scientists offered two guesses as to what triggered the temperature rise. They think it was likely caused by volcanic eruptions spewing out carbon dioxide, or possibly by coastal reservoirs of methane gas which were released from beneath icy soil when the seas receded. The scientists went on to warn that their research proves that global warming is a terribly serious problem and we must do something to reduce our CO2 emissions before something terribly serious happens. That's one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is this: No matter what we do, it isn't going to amount to spit in the ocean. We could shut down American industry, junk our cars, cork up our flatulent cattle herds, move into caves and stop exhaling, and global warming could very well go right on without us. This is the point at which serious people make a disapproving face and say, "Well. We have to do something." But do we? Before we go off and approve some half-baked policy of half-wit half-measures, we ought to consider the possibility that nothing we do is going to make any difference at all and we might as well stop worrying about it and watch football. The playoffs are on.
New Content Updates Educational Webcast Alerts Building Products/Technology Notices Access Exclusive Member Content By Lindsay Audin January 2008 - Energy Efficiency Article Use Policy Upgrading the energy efficiency of lamps, ballasts and fixtures can cut lighting energy by more than 40 percent. So what’s left to cut by using controls? Possibly another 40 percent. Leaving lights on when unneeded is one of the most common ways energy is wasted in buildings. In addition, controlling peak electric demand, either to minimize tariff charges or to earn incentives from a utility or grid operator, is becoming a raison d’être for controls all by itself. And there is always the possibility to replace some electric lighting with daylight through photoelectric dimming. Taken together, these options could cut lighting costs and energy use by another 20 to 40 percent. Some of the same control equipment may be used in architectural dimming to set scenes for presentations or events, adding flexibility and value to many spaces. An ever-widening variety of controls exists to adjust, minimize or automatically shut off lighting. Getting the most out of these options — be they for architectural or energy efficiency purposes — requires a clear understanding of their benefits and pitfalls. While significant savings are possible by eliminating unnecessary lighting, such savings are not guaranteed. Careful specification and commissioning is essential to ensuring good results. A quick look at a typical lighting control design may reveal: More sophisticated systems may also involve photoelectric light sensors that adjust light levels based on ambient daylight and lumen depreciation. Many facility executives have adopted controls in a piecemeal fashion, resulting in overlapping systems that don’t work well together. Occupancy sensors may act alone to shut off room lights, while selected fixtures may be dimmed or shut off through sweep or other centralized systems. Daylighting sensors may work through a third system to dim the same fixtures in areas having windows or skylights. While such a piecemeal approach is rarely optimal, it’s not surprising that it is common because the technologies and economies of these options have appeared and varied over time. To simplify design and construction, cut installed costs and avoid operational problems, many lighting practitioners suggest a coordinated approach. Fortunately, a variety of computerized control systems are available that may be programmed to deal with the sophisticated routines required to handle multiple control schemes while working with many legacy controls. Most are compatible with major controls protocols, such as BACNet or LonMark, though capabilities vary widely. Even as such centralized systems become more common, however, controls components, both stand alone and integrated, continue to evolve. Consider a series of switches that transmit a radio signal to a receiver. The receiver cycles power via a relay that controls either a particular fixture or a bank of fixtures. While battery-powered transmitters in wireless switches have been around for more than a decade, the new wireless technology requires no batteries or other power source. The trick is in the finger pressure applied to the switch; that energy is converted, via a piezoelectric crystal, into a small burst of power that runs the transmitter long enough to send a signal to the receivers. A lot of wiring and labor is avoided, and altering fixture and switch layouts may be a lot easier. Demand/response switching may soon also be commercially available. A relay built into such a switch shuts off a portion of non-critical room lighting, and an LED on the switch plate lets occupants know that light levels have been temporarily lowered to cut peak demand. Communication to the relay may be by power-line carrier, wireless or other method. An unacceptable reduction may be manually overridden by cycling the switch. The latest crop of occupancy sensors is yet another step above its predecessors. While both ultrasonic, infrared and combinations of them have been around for decades, software built into sensors is both more flexible and complex. Today’s occupancy sensors may provide many of the following options: To comply with bi-level switching requirements, some units are equipped with a pair of small toggle switches that can keep 50 percent of lights off while the other 50 percent are switched by the sensor. With regard to learning occupant motion patterns, sensors have improved since such auto-calibration technology first appeared around 1995. When confused or depowered, early models tended to conservatively default to the longest delay time (30 minutes) before working their way down to the right period, resulting in lost savings. More recent versions default to the shortest period (30 seconds) and then work their way up to the right delay interval. One innovation that is being seen more often is integration of occupancy sensors with light fixtures. Bi-level stairwell fixtures containing sensors have been around for several years, dimming but never shutting off while stairwells are unoccupied. Now this option is showing up in other locations. The advent of lower cost electronic ballasts for HID fixtures has led to bi-level warehouse, gymnasium and big box store lighting where fixtures may be dimmed approximately 50 percent, yielding considerable savings. Such lighting is often left on 24/7 due to its typically long warm-up time. The same is now being offered in parking lot lighting, with an additional level of sophistication involving communication between adjacent light poles. Displacing electric lighting with natural daylight holds the promise for significant savings, but success with this strategy is often elusive. Recent findings now confirm what had been mostly anecdotal concerns. In 2007, Heschong Mahone, a lighting consulting firm, surveyed existing daylighting systems that use window light. In this study, only 25 percent of the sidelighting photoelectric controls were working properly, and 52 percent were not operating at all, apparently having been intentionally disabled due to occupant complaints, never having been commissioned, or because they were incompatible with an existing building management system. Considering the expense of such systems, which may cost more per square foot than fully upgrading fixtures with new ballasts and lamps, end users may wish to involve an experienced daylighting consultant and require a performance bond. Similar issues have arisen with regard to the Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) protocol, which allows electronic ballasts to be manipulated individually for maximum control under a variety of scenarios, including daylighting. While some have had great results with DALI in new construction, issues have risen when trying to retrofit existing facilities with this powerful technology. Insufficient commissioning has sometimes been its bane, with complaints of overall cost, complexity and maintenance also being heard. While the management issues may require more experience and rigor when commissioning or handling details, installation costs may come down if the need for dedicated wiring can be avoided through wireless control methods. While no final wireless DALI standard has been settled, several promising protocols, such as ZigBee, are being deployed to that end. Before making decisions, facility executives should be clear about exactly how much more they are willing to pay for the last increment of control. Once fixtures have been upgraded, and occupancy sensors shut them off much of the time, the cost per kwh to save more may be greater. Trimming that last kwh may have a surprisingly long incremental payback. As with any device that may involve programming, adjustment and maintenance, it’s important to accommodate the learning curves of the people who will be using and maintaining the controls. To ensure their longevity and continued successful operation, lighting controls must be easily understood by cleaning and maintenance personnel. Also, allow sufficient time and resources for proper commissioning, or controls may be damaged or disabled. Even something as simple as a slide dimmer may require a bit of training. At one site where manual dimmers had a separate push button on/off control, cleaning personnel did not understand it and simply dimmed lighting to minimum when they were finished at night. At their lowest level, many dimming systems continue to pull 25 percent of full wattage, thus wasting a lot of power if left on overnight or during weekends. In another case, instead of adjusting daylight sensors to respond to a complaint, maintenance personnel lacking training simply taped over them, ensuring lights remained at full output all the time. Getting all the components of such systems to work together may require careful attention to specifications. Several experienced lighting designers have pointed out, for example, that merely specifying installation of “dimming ballasts” and “dimmers” does not ensure their compatibility. The lowest cost two-wire ballast/dimmer combination may, for example, be unable to dim down to the level needed in all locations and may not work with daylight sensors unless an intermediate system is involved. At electric supply stores, lighting controls are not yet as routinely available as lamps and ballasts. When some dimmers fail, or are about to, light levels may be limited or stuck at a low setting or else the lights may be shut off entirely, requiring immediate replacement of the control. If the right unit is not readily available, the likely result is replacement with a standard toggle switch. Maintaining savings and avoiding occupant complaints may therefore require stocking of exact replacement parts as part of a facility’s inventory. That task may be simplified by specifying that the installation contractor provide a few of each crucial device as part of the turnover of the job. Both industry and various energy-related agencies provide very helpful guidance on lighting controls. The New Buildings Institute offers a good manual on lighting controls issues and options in chapter 8 of its Advanced Lighting Guidelines (circa 2004), which may be found on-line. The Lighting Controls Association, a non-profit organization run by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), is dedicated to educating the professional lighting community about applying lighting controls. Its members include most of the major U.S. and foreign controls firms. LCA offers a free e-mailed newsletter on the latest technologies and findings. Back issues are available at its Web site, which is a great place to get up-to-speed on many lighting controls issues. It also offers online 24/7 short seminars covering many aspects of lighting controls. — Lindsay Audin Lindsay Audin is president of EnergyWiz, an energy consulting firm based in Croton, N.Y. He is a contributing editor for Building Operating Management.
Étienne-Louis BoulléeÉtienne-Louis Boullée - February 6 ) was a French architect , born in Paris His designs emphasize simple, symmetrical geometric shapes. Boullée's refined designs often were inspired by antiquity, for example, his Château de Chaville, 1764 built for Tessé family, and Hôtel de Brunoy, 1774 (since demolished). As an architectural academician, he taught at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (school of bridges and causeways) and the Académie Royale d'Architecture. His book Architecture, essai sur l'art (essay on the art of architecture) written in the last decade of his life was not published until 1953. It contained his work from 1778 to 1788, mostly public buildings on a scale so grand, that some critics have characterized him as a megalomaniac. For instance, his imaginary cenotaph (empty tomb) in honor of Isaac Newton 1784. His focus on polarity (offsetting opposite design elements) and the use of light and shadow mark him as a visionary theoretician. - Boullée & visionary architecture ed. Helen Rosenau, Pub. Harmony Books, New York, 1976 ISBN 0856701572. - Boullée's Treatise on Architecture by Étienne-Louis Boullée, ed. by Helen Rosenau, pub. Alec Tiranti, Ltd. London: 1953 First Edition - Étienne-Louis Boullée (1728-1799: Theoretician of Revolutionary Architecture) by Jean Marie Perouse De Montclos, pub.George Braziller; ISBN 0807606723; (February 1974) - Visionary Architects: Boullée, Ledoux, Lequeu by Jean-Claude Lemagny, pub. Hennessey & Ingalls; ISBN 0940512351; (July 2002) - Les Architectes de la Liberté by Annie Jacques, pub. Découvertes Gallimard #47; ISBN 2070530671; (November 1988) [In French]
This class includes the 500 species of leeches, flattened, predacious or parasitic annelids equipped with suckers used for creeping. Leeches range in length from about 1/2 in. to 8 in. (1 cm–20 cm); most are under 2 in. (5 cm) long. They are commonly black, brown, green, or red, and may have stripes or spots. Leeches are primarily freshwater annelids, but some live in the ocean and some in moist soil or vegetation. The majority of leeches are predators on small invertebrates; most swallow their prey whole, but some suck the soft parts from their victims. Some leeches are parasites rather than predators, and suck the body fluids of their victims without killing them. The distinction is not sharp, as many predatory leeches take blood meals on occasion.Leech Anatomy Leeches are the only annelids with a fixed number (34) of body segments; each segment has secondary subdivisions known as annuli. A clitellum, less conspicuous than that of oligochaetes, is present; there are no parapodia. A leech has a small anterior sucker and a larger posterior one; the leech crawls by moving the anterior sucker forward, attaching it, and drawing up the posterior sucker. Most leeches can swim by rapid undulations of the body, using well-developed muscles of the body wall. The coelom differs from that of other annelids in that it is largely filled in with tissue. Coelomic fluid is contained in a system of sinuses, which in some leeches functions as a circulatory system; there is a tendency in this group toward the loss of true blood vessels. The blood of some leeches is red. In others the blood lacks oxygen-carrying pigments and is therefore colorless; the oxygen dissolved directly in the blood is sufficient for respiration. Gas exchange occurs through the body surface of most leeches, although many fish-parasitizing leeches have gills. The sense organs consist of sensory cells of various types, including photoreceptor cells, scattered over the body surface. There are also from 2 to 10 eyes, consisting of clusters of photoreceptor cells and located toward the front of the body. Many leeches have a proboscis used for swallowing the prey or for sucking its fluids; others have jaws for biting. Many parasitic leeches are able to parasitize a wide variety of hosts. Most of the marine and some of the freshwater leeches are fish parasites. The medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, is one of a group of aquatic bloodsucking leeches with jaws. Another group of jawed bloodsuckers is terrestrial; these leeches live in damp tropical vegetation and drop onto their mammalian prey. Most parasitic leeches attach to the host only while feeding; a single meal may be 5 or 10 times the weight of the leech and provide it with food for several months. The digestive tract of bloodsuckers produces an anticoagulant, hirudin, which keeps the engorged blood from clotting. A few leeches attach permanently to the host, leaving only to reproduce. Predatory leeches are active at night and hide by day. Like the oligochaetes, leeches are hermaphroditic and cross-fertilizing, although fertilization is internal. In some species the sperm are enclosed in sacs, called spermatophores, that are attached to the outside of the partner; the sperm pass through the body wall to the ovaries, where the eggs are fertilized. In other species the sperm are not enclosed and are transferred directly into the body of the partner by copulation. A courtship display is seen among some leeches at the time of mating. The fertilized eggs are deposited in a cocoon, secreted by the clitellum; the cocoon is buried in mud or affixed to submerged objects. The young emerge as small copies of the adults. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
1. The Importance of Diet in Colon CancerDiet plays a crucial role in both the prevention and management of colon cancer. Nutritional choices can impact a patient's strength during treatment, effectiveness of the treatment, and overall quality of life. 1.1 Understanding the BasicsFor colon cancer patients, a diet that is rich in whole foods and low in processed items is recommended. This includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. 1.2 Personalizing Your PlateNo one-size-fits-all approach exists for colon cancer patients, but the common thread is a diet that supports overall health and combats cancer-related fatigue. 2. Adjusting Diet Post-DiagnosisAfter a colon cancer diagnosis, dietary adjustments are often necessary to align with treatment and manage side effects. 2.1 Meet EmilyEmily, a 47-year-old librarian from Iowa, faced a tough battle with colon cancer. Her story of dietary adjustment is a testament to the power of nutrition in the fight against cancer. 2.2 Managing Symptoms with NutritionPost-diagnosis, Emily struggled with common side effects such as nausea and loss of appetite. Her dietitian recommended small, frequent meals and nutrient-dense foods to help her maintain her weight and strength. 3. Nutrition During TreatmentChemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can alter taste preferences and digestive capabilities, necessitating dietary tweaks. 3.1 Coping with ChangesEmily found that chemotherapy altered her sense of taste, making certain foods unpalatable. She discovered new flavors and textures that she could enjoy and tolerate. 3.2 Staying HydratedHydration became a cornerstone of Emily's regimen, with an emphasis on water, broth, and other hydrating fluids to help manage treatment effects and maintain kidney health. 4. Foods to EmbraceA diet beneficial for colon cancer patients can include several key food groups that support healing and strengthen the body. 4.1 Plant-Based PowerEmily incorporated more fruits and vegetables into her diet, taking advantage of their antioxidant properties and the array of vitamins and minerals they offer. 4.2 Lean and Clean ProteinsShe also focused on lean proteins like chicken, fish, and plant-based alternatives, essential for repairing and building tissues affected by cancer treatment. 5. Foods to AvoidCertain foods can exacerbate symptoms or potentially interfere with cancer treatments. 5.1 Reducing RisksEmily learned to avoid or limit red and processed meats, which have been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer. 5.2 Being Cautious with FiberDuring certain treatment phases, Emily was advised to consume a low-fiber diet to reduce bowel movements and alleviate discomfort. 6. The Impact of Alcohol and SugarUnderstanding the influence of alcohol and sugar intake is vital for colon cancer patients. 6.1 Moderation MattersEmily chose to significantly reduce her alcohol and sugar consumption to avoid inflammation and potential complications during her treatment. 6.2 The Sweet BalanceShe satisfied her sweet tooth with natural sugars from fruits and avoided high-sugar processed foods. 7. Supplements and NutritionWhile food is the best source of nutrients, supplements can play a role in a balanced diet for colon cancer patients. 7.1 Complementing the DietEmily's doctor recommended specific supplements to ensure she got enough essential nutrients when her diet fell short. 7.2 Expert AdviceBefore starting any supplements, Emily consulted her healthcare team, avoiding any that could interfere with her treatments. 8. Embracing the New NormalPost-treatment, colon cancer patients often need to adopt a new dietary normal to maintain health and prevent recurrence. 8.1 Long-Term Lifestyle ChangesEmily committed to a predominantly plant-based diet, rich in fiber and nutrients, to promote a healthy colon and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. 8.2 Continuous LearningShe keeps informed about new research on diet and colon cancer to make educated choices about her nutrition. 9. The Power of SupportHaving a support system in place can make navigating dietary changes easier and more effective. 9.1 Leaning on Loved OnesEmily's family and friends played a significant role in supporting her dietary changes, often joining her in eating nutritious meals. 9.2 Professional GuidanceRegular consultations with her dietitian helped Emily make informed choices and keep her diet aligned with her health goals. 10. The Role of Nutrition in HealingEmily's journey highlights the pivotal role of diet in managing and recovering from colon cancer. Her proactive approach to nutrition showcases the profound impact that informed dietary choices can have on the well-being of colon cancer patients. Through her story, we see that while diet alone isn't a cure, it is a powerful ally in the journey toward healing and long-term health.
Understanding time signatures is the foundation of learning strumming patterns on the guitar. It’s the foundation of rhythm itself. We're going to start with the music theory part of it. But I'll go right into a practical application very quickly. This is a lot simpler than you might think. We'll use the 3 most common time signatures that you're likely to use in your guitar playing: So what do these numbers mean? That's the music theory part. Let’s define what a “beat” is before moving on. Think about “Sweet Home Alabama”. Sing it in your head. Now tap your foot. Each foot tap is one beat. This is not to be confused with tempo though. The tempo is how fast you tap your foot (how fast or slow the song is). If you speed the song up you’d tap your foot faster. But each tap would still be a beat. Understanding Time Signatures You may see the numbers next to each other with a slash separating the numbers (like they’re written here). And sometimes you’ll see them stacked with a horizontal line separating them. They both represent the same thing. The top/first number is telling you how many pulses (or beats) there are in each measure. The second number is the subdivision of the notes. These two numbers together are the time signature (also called a meter). I know, that sounds complicated. Let’s start with 4/4 (pronounced “four four”). The first number tells us there are 4 notes in the measure. The second number tells us what notes get the emphasis (also known as the subdivision). - When you see “4” it means quarter notes. We’re subdividing 1 measure (a whole note) into 4 quarter notes (4 quarter notes equal a whole note). That’s all a subdivision is. So there are four beats in the measure, and the emphasis is in quarter notes. This is Sweet Home Alabama. You’ll notice you will count to four before repeating each measure. In 6/8 (“six eight”) time there are six beats in each measure, and the eight notes are emphasised. Finally in 3/4 (“three four”) time there are three beats per measure, with the quarter note gets emphasized. You can think of this as 4/4 with one less beat. The Feel of Time Signatures You might notice that 3/4 could be doubled to get 6/8. While mathematically that makes sense, it’s not quite true. These time signatures actually get confused a lot of the time. The biggest difference is the feel of the song. Music is all about feel, and this is no exception. 3/4 has a feel like this: - ONE-two-three ONE-two-three While 6/8 has a feel like this: - ONE-two-three-FOUR-five-six One-two-three-FOUR-five-six The accent of the notes fall in different places. Think about “We Are The Champions” by Queen. This is in 6/8. Listen to the chorus and count your foot taps. Emphasize the first and the fourth beats in each measure by literally saying them louder than the rest of the beats. You’ll notice this is further emphasized by the drums. The kick drum is on the first beat, and the snare is on the fourth. Are you starting to get the feel of 6/8? “House of the Rising Sun” is another great example of a song in 6/8. 3/4 is used a lot in older Christmas songs, folk songs, and hymns. Songs like “Times They Are A Changin” by Bob Dylan, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin, and “Open Arms” by Journey are all in 3/4. The emphasis is on the first beat. You might find the snare hitting on the third beat before restarting the pattern. Sometimes it can feel a little short. Like the measure is being cut off by a beat. This is by no means a bad thing! Different time signatures let you express your musical thoughts differently. And finally, 4/4 is the most common time signature. If you turned on the radio right now you’ll probably hear a song in 4/4 time. The main accent is going to be on the first beat of each measure. - ONE-two-three-four ONE-two-three-four Now that you know the time signatures, let’s look at some strum patterns in all three time signatures. Check out the time stamps in the video for examples of each. 4/4 - 2:01 6/8 - 3:00 3/4 - 4:41 Thanks for joining me today. This is a lesson out of a course in my Real Guitar Success academy. If you enjoyed this lesson, I'd encourage you to check it out. I'd love to have you. Bye for now. Tell Us What You Think - Please Comment Below! We would love to hear your comments and questions. What specific things are you struggling with while learning guitar?
Waterjet cutting is a highly utilitarian cutting process for the aerospace industry. Engineers prefer it due to its ability to meet aerospace industry requirements like tight tolerance, cutting precision, and smooth surface finish. It is also a cold-cutting process that does not thermally damage parts. In this article, we will explore why waterjet cutting enjoys widespread application in the aerospace manufacturing industry. The discussion will cover its process, and advantages, and also talk about some specific applications. Keep reading for an interesting take on waterjet cutting in the aerospace industry! What Is Waterjet Cutting Waterjet cutting is a manufacturing process that utilizes a high-pressure, targeted jet of water to cut materials. The main source of energy is the water pressure, which produces a high enough force to cut through the workpiece. The waterjet is extremely thin to maximize the cutting force. Typically, the nozzle size ranges from 0.075-0.4 mm. The water jet moves along a pre-planned path to cut the material into specific, precise shapes. Generally, waterjet cutting technology can cut metals and other softer materials (rubber, polymers, and plastics) up to depths of 12+ inches. While water is the primary cutting media for waterjet cutting, its cutting capacity may be augmented by abrasive additives like silicon carbide, sand, and garnet. Why Choose Waterjet Cutting for Aerospace Industry Waterjet cutting is a popular technique to cut a variety of tough aerospace-grade metals and polymers. In the discussion ahead, we highlight the main reasons why engineers choose waterjet cutting over alternative methods like plasma cutting and laser cutting. Cut Various Aerospace Materials Waterjet cutting can cut through any aerospace metal like aluminum, stainless steel, and even titanium alloys. Moreover, it also performs remarkably well on non-metals like glass, rubber, and foam-like materials. Owing to this diverse aerospace material capability, it is a popular method for manufacturing different aircraft components like body panels, and windows, as well as polymer and rubber components. A small fleet of waterjet cutting machines can produce a large number of parts, which has huge financial benefits. High Precision and Repeatability A core advantage of waterjet cutting in the aerospace industry is its manufacturing accuracy of +/- 0.003 inches. Modern waterjet cutting machines come with CNC technology, enabling precise, high-speed cutting. Additionally, CNC machines have high repeatability as well due to the highly standardized manufacturing routine. A single CAM program, cutting media, and platform for each part leave little room for errors. Fine Surface Finish Aerospace components often have tight surface quality requirements for better air resistance, safety concerns, and aesthetics. Waterjet cutting boasts an extremely smooth surface roughness of up to 0.8 µm Ra, making it preferable for aerospace manufacturing. To begin with, waterjet cutting does not involve any aggressive shearing action, like machining operations, for example. This saves the material from micro-cracks and stresses. Moreover, the process does not produce high temperatures while cutting, preventing thermal damage to the workpiece. Cutting methods like laser cutting generate a lot of heat, raising the temperature to the point that it heat treats the workpiece, inducing undesirable material properties on its surface. This damaged surface, known as the recast layer, has to be removed later on via secondary surface finishing processes. Cut Complex Surface Aerospace parts can have incredibly complex geometries. For instance, wing truss structures have a lot of contours and irregular features. Waterjet cutting machines have 5-axis cutting capabilities that allow them to cut complex features like tapers, bevels, and contours. Moreover, these machines boast precision control systems, enabling them to accurately deal with delicate operations on narrow sections, holes, and thin metal sheets. Resultantly, waterjet cutting technology is highly suitable for aerospace applications. Suitable for Small Production Runs Its fast setup and operation are not that costly compared to methods like laser cutting. Furthermore, its procedure is easy to standardize via CNC programs, making it economically viable for short-run production. That’s why companies opt for waterjet cutting to manufacture a few of their components. This decision makes financial sense as waterjet cutting incurs low costs for small production runs. No Heat-Affected Zones One of the biggest advantages of waterjet cutting in the aerospace industry is that does not produce excessive heat while cutting. Cutting technologies like plasma and laser cutting work with a high-energy source that melts the workpiece. This creates effective cuts but the high temperatures also cause damage to the parts. The heat-affected zone has a multitude of unwanted problems like heat treatments, burning, blemishes, etc. But waterjet cutting does not use heat as an energy source. Consequently, it has no heat-affected zone and avoids such damage. Moreover, the small amount of heat that is present in the cutting zone (due to shearing) is also carried away by the water, which is a natural coolant. No Abrasive Edges The high-pressure water beam in aerospace waterjet cutting does a great job of rounding off the edges of the cuts. Cutting technologies like mechanical shearing or laser cutting often leave rough, jagged edges that require smoothing. Since there are no abrasive edges, matters like worker safety and transportation are also more convenient for parts cut with waterjet cutting. The cutting media in waterjet cutting technology is water, which is completely safe for the environment. After cutting, small amounts of abrasive particles that mix inside the water are easily removed via a strainer or filter. Consequently, the waste product is safely disposable without water contamination. Waterjet cutting also produces a very small amount of waste material as only a short section of the workpiece is cut. Moreover, this waste amount is further optimizable through the use of software, which achieves this by fine-tuning cutting parameters. Aerospace parts bear high, cyclic loading during operation. Thus, they must be durable and strong. Since aerospace waterjet cutting does not cause any thermal damage, it produces parts with high stress-bearing and fatigue-strength capabilities. Common Aerospace Parts Made by Waterjet Cutting Aerospace waterjet cutting is a great method to manufacture various aerospace components. In this section, we will highlight some of these components. - Chassis/Body Panels: Aircraft body panels have standardized shapes that are suitable for automatic 2D cutting technologies. Waterjet cutting is the ideal process to manufacture them precisely for low costs. - Turbine Blade Contouring: Turbine blades have complex contours that require tight manufacturing tolerances for maximum performance. Waterjet cutting, with its high accuracy, is a great method to manufacture them. They preserve the durability of turbine blades by not causing any thermal damage. Furthermore, turbine blade airfoils require smooth edges to maximize their operational efficiency, which is another advantage of waterjet cutting. - Valve Components: Valves need a high surface finish along with high accuracy to provide adequate sealing. Additionally, with the benefit of no jagged edges, manufacturers can ensure leak-proof sealing. - Polymer Insulators: Polymers are sensitive to heat and deform quite easily under thermal loads. Also, they get rough edges when cut with tools. Therefore, waterjet cutting is a great process to manufacture polymer components as it does not generate excessive heat. Make Your Aerospace Waterjet Cut Parts Now that we know all about waterjet cutting. Are you looking for a precision aerospace parts manufacturer? RapidDirect is your best partner for manufacturing aerospace parts, offering top-of-the-class waterjet cutting services to a diverse clientele. We have produced high precision, high tolerance aerospace parts for our valued customers, which is a testament to the superior quality of our waterjet cutting services. Our state-of-the-art CNC waterjet cutting machines include both pure water and abrasive waterjet facilities. Moreover, with our experienced quality inspection team and 24/7 engineering support, our customers are guaranteed to enjoy unparalleled services. Try RapidDirect Now! All information and uploads are secure and confidential. This brings us to the end of this article. We hope it was an insightful read that illuminated the ins and outs of waterjet cutting in the aerospace industry. The discussion started with a short introduction to the waterjet cutting process, which is quite simple to grasp. The most important section focuses on the numerous advantages this process has. For example, high precision, smooth surface finish, and diverse material capabilities. Additionally, a major benefit of it is that it does not produce heat during cutting. Consequently, it does not thermally damage the workpiece. Finally, we discuss some of the important applications of waterjet cutting in aerospace manufacturing. It is vital in producing both metal and non-metal parts. RapidDirect is an excellent manufacturing partner for all your rapid prototyping and industrial manufacturing projects. To discuss your manufacturing needs with our team, contact us.
What eats crows? What do crows eat? The main predators, or natural enemies, of crows and ravens are hawks and owls. Hawks attack, kill and eat them during the day, and owls come after them at night when they are on their roosts. But crows also attack hawks and owls—though not to eat them. Crows seem to hate their natural enemies, and when they find one of them, they attack them in big, noisy groups in a behavior called “mobbing.” A hawk or owl that is being mobbed by crows always tries to get away in order to avoided being pecked. And, what does a crow eat? Crows are very adaptable birds, and they eat almost anything, from seeds and fruits to carrion, which means dead animals.
McMahon, S. D., Rose, D. R., & Parks, M. (2004). Multiple intelligences and reading achievement: An examiniation of the Teele Inventory of Multiple Intelligences. The Journal of Experimental Education, 73(1), 41-52. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20157383 The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of the Teele Inventory of Multiple Intelligences and the relationship between intellectual preferences and reading achievement. The study included 288 fourth graders. Each participant completed the TIMI. Students’ reading comprehension was measured using the Gates-MacGinite Test of Reading. Correlation analyses were conducted to determine the relationships between each of the intelligences as well as between the MI scores and reading comprehension skills. Reliability analyses suggest the TIMI is not a reliable measurement tool (perhaps students are seeing different things in the pictures, that influence their choices). The TIMI showed little evidence of relationships between MI preferences and reading comprehension skills. Students with a preference for logical-mathematical intelligence demonstrated stronger reading comprehension skills. IMPLICATIONS FOR CHANGE PROJECT Although this study examined reading comprehension skills in relation to the multiple intelligences, what drew me to it most, was the mention of an assessment tool (the TIMI) used to determine multiple intelligence preferences of K-12 students. Although I found several survey options online, I was looking for something more visual to use with Kindergarten students when implementing the Respecting Diversity program. This study indicates it is not a reliable tool.
CHRIST OUR REDEEMER by Frank King Free to Share Author requests article critique Free to Share Author requests article critique SEND A PRIVATE MESSAGE HIRE THIS WRITER It was nearly 2000 years ago. The religious leaders condemned Jesus to die by crucifixion. This marked the climax of their butting heads with Him throughout His public ministry. They regarded Him as nothing but trouble. So there He was, looking helpless, hanging on the cross, flanked by two sinners dying the same barbaric death He was. There was a big difference between Him and them, however. They were dying for their own sins, but Christ for the sins of the world. Yeah, He who knew no sin became sin for us. The biblical term for what happened at Calvary is called redemption. In simplest terms, to redeem—as used in the Bible—means to release upon receipt of ransom. In effect, Christ satisfied the demands for our freedom by offering Himself as a ransom for us. The roots of the concept of redemption, as found in the Bible, pertained to physical property. For instance, in the book of Leviticus God required that His people establish a law regarding the redemption of the land that He would give them when they reached the Promised Land (see Leviticus 25:23-25). In a nutshell, this law said that if a Hebrew fell on hard economic times and had to sell some of his land, he could redeem it—buy it back—when he became able to. If he could not redeem it, the next of kin could redeem the land for him. As we shall see, this Old Testament concept speaks to Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. When God sent Jesus to die for our sins, the Bible says it was when the fullness of time had come (Galatians 4:4a). Think about it. Why would God send His Son to die for the world if it were not necessary? What pleasure would He have in seeing His only beloved die the hellish death of crucifixion? God is holy and righteous. There is no darkness in Him at all. Every move He makes stems from perfect judgment. That He sent Christ into the world to die for the same is testament that He had judged the time to be right. The truth is, had He not intervened by sending His Son, He would have had to rid the earth of humanity as He did during the days of Noah. Did I mention that the reason Christ had to redeem us was because we were not capable of redeeming ourselves? Remember that the law of redemption which we touched on above required that when the victim was not able to redeem his property, the next of kin could. The same thing applied to our spiritual condition. Because the entire world was spiritually bankrupt, no one from the human race could redeem another. By the law, Christ could not redeem us because He was deity and, hence, was not kin to humanity. Another problem was that because Jesus was God He was above the law, meaning it did not apply to Him. God did something drastic to overcome this obstacle: “God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Galatians 4:4b). Drastic I say because in the person of Jesus, God became a member of the human race! From a legal standpoint, this placed Him under the law, and paved the way for Him to legally be our kinsman who could redeem us, which is what He did. Christ redeemed us by dying in our stead and paying the price for our sins. When we personally accept His vicarious death on the cross, we become sons and daughters of God (verse 5). When Jesus was on the cross, the Bible says God laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). I don’t know about you, but I have difficulty grasping this point. How could one person possibly bear all the sins of the world? Remember, on the cross He was fully human, though fully divine at the same time. That means He felt the burden of the weight of bearing the sins of the entire world. Also, while Jesus was on the cross He experienced separation from God. This because Jesus had become a sin offering for us. God, being holy, could not look on Him at that point. The resulting separation Jesus could feel. He had always lived in perfect fellowship with His Father. Not one time before this had there ever been a break in their communion with each other. Jesus cried on the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). Perhaps this experience was more traumatic than a baby’s who had always lived in the bosom of his parents but was now being separated from them for the first time. Finally, there was the actual crucifixion. Jesus was condemned by the Jews but crucified by the Romans. Crucifixion was the most barbaric form of death a person could die. The objective was not only to kill the victim but also to humiliate. As I write this article I can just imagine the pure and sinless blood of Jesus cascading down His nail-pierced body. So priceless was His blood that it was sufficient to pay the ransom for the whole world’s redemption. What an overwhelming thought of His love for you and me! One of the most familiar verses in the Bible is John 3:16. It reads, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We usually associate this verse with Christ’s birth, and that is correct, but also this verse speaks to the cross as well. You see, God gave us His only Son, but also His Son in turn gave Himself for us so that we might have everlasting life in lieu of eternal damnation. The question is, what does all this mean to us? How shall we respond to our Redeemer? I submit to you that there is but one correct answer. We should regard our lives as totally owed to Him. Think about it; He procured our life with His death, so we owe Him our life. As a hymnologist so appropriately wrote, “Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe.” At times I find myself complaining about what I go through as a Christian. And to tell you the truth, most of the time it has nothing to do with suffering, though I have had my share of that as well. But mostly I am griping because I seem to live in this very vicious cycle of having to juggle more things than I possibly can in a twenty-four-hour day. I seriously feel the pressure at times. But during such moments, I often think about what Jesus endured on the cross for my sins, and that puts it all in proper perspective. Anything you and I could possibly go through in His name pales in comparison to what He endured on the cross for us. So during this glorious time of the year, as we go about remembering His redemptive work on the cross, and we rejoice in His victory over the grave, let us not forget this one thing—for this we owe Him everything. PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR, LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE Read more articles by Frank King or search for other articles by topic below. Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)Read more by clicking on a link: Main Site Articles Most Read Articles Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles. New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review. God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You ...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19 Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38 LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. Wonderful discussion and description of exactly what Christ did for us on the cross. Well put.
The Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-9 AD) and the Xin Dynasty (9-25 AD) When Emperor Gaozu took power and established the Han Dynasty, he enfeoffed several of his relatives as princes and allowed them to rule over ten semi-autonomous kingdoms in the east. Talk about keeping it in the family! During his reign, tensions between the Han and Xiongnu people began to rise. Like Coca Cola versus Pepsi, this set the precedent for one of history’s greatest rivalries. He set a trade embargo against the group and even mounted surprise attacks on Xiongnu people while they traded at border markets. In retaliation, Xiongnu forces invaded modern-day Shanxi province and defeated Han troops. These skirmishes eventually led to the 44-year-long Han-Xiongnu War, which began in 133 BC and was one of the bloodiest in Chinese history. And you thought your neighbours were bad! Although it happened as a consequence of his actions, it was a war that the first Han emperor would luckily be spared from seeing, as Emperor Gaozu died in 195 BC. He was succeeded by his son Emperor Hui, who indulged in so much hedonistic behaviour that he promptly passed away in 188 BC, aged just 22 years old. Sometimes the apple really does fall far from the tree! He was briefly succeeded by his two infant sons Liu Gong and Liu Hong before his half-brother, Liu Heng, finally took the throne as Emperor Wen. Alongside his father Gaozu and his descendant Emperor Wu, Wen came to be regarded as one of the three greatest emperors of the Western Han Dynasty. He listened to the advice of his statesmen, yielded when it was necessary, and shunned the typical extravagance of previous emperors; in short, he was an ideal ruler according to Confucian principles. It was Emperor Wen who first introduced the concept of electing imperial officials based on examinations, which proved to be a model that lasted right up until the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Under his steady hand, China’s economy and political power flourished. Unfortunately it seemed his son, Emperor Jing, was far less concerned with keeping the peace and tragically brought about a period of unrest known as the Rebellion of the Seven States. What started out as a dispute between the Emperor and his cousin ended in a ferocious civil war that lasted for over three months. Now that’s one serious family feud! As a result of this atrocity, in 145 BC the princes were stripped of their privileges. Their territories were divided into commanderies, they were no longer allowed to appoint their own staff, and their personal income was made up of just a small portion of the tax they collected. In essence, they were just glorified taxmen! Yet it was Emperor Jing’s son, Liu Che, who would be singled out repeatedly by historians for special praise. He took the name Emperor Wu and not only boasted the longest reign of all the Han emperors, but was revered as a brave ruler who repeatedly extended the territory of the empire. To this end, he built long stretches of earthen wall along the northern frontier in order to protect his western territory from the northern Xiongnu people. This would eventually form the foundation of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall and relics of this original Han Dynasty wall, such as the Yumen Pass and the Yang Pass, can still be visited today. He was also famously fascinated with the Western Regions and even drove the Xiongnu out of modern-day Gansu province and Xinjiang in order to form friendly ties with the Western peoples. This was the key to his success as a ruler, as it allowed him to establish significant control over the Silk Road. On his death in 87 BC, he left behind a considerably larger empire than he had inherited. Unfortunately he was succeeded by his eight-year-old son, Emperor Zhao. While most of us were still trying to learn how to ride a bicycle, Zhao was busy learning how to run an entire country! His thirteen-year reign was marked by peace but, in an almost comical turn, his grandnephew and successor Liu He was made Emperor for just 37 days before being deposed by a powerful minister named Huo Guang. Imagine just how terrible you have to be at your job to get fired in less than 2 months! He was succeeded by Emperor Xuan, who had grown up as a commoner and thus understood the suffering of the people. The country prospered under his reign and many historians regard his death as the point when the Western Han Dynasty began to decline. His son, Emperor Yuan, was notoriously indecisive and his inability to quash political squabbles meant that the state of the empire deteriorated. He was followed by Emperor Cheng, who was a womaniser and a drunk; Emperor Ai, who was equally as ineffectual; and Emperor Ping, who was just nine years old when he took the throne and fourteen when he died. It was this string of incompetent rulers that laid the foundation for Wang Mang’s eventual usurpation. Ping’s cousin Liu Ying was meant to take the throne but, on January 10th 9 AD, the Emperor Regent Wang Mang claimed it for himself and established the Xin Dynasty (9-23 AD). Wang tried to appeal to the poorer classes by eliminating private landholding, introducing new currencies, and abolishing private slavery, but this antagonised the wealthy aristocracy and inevitably led to many noblemen defying him. After all, you should never bite the hand that feeds, nor the one that pays the most taxes! In the course of the ensuing warfare, the capital of Chang’an was almost completely destroyed. Meanwhile, massive floods from 3 to 11 AD caused the Yellow River to overflow. Farmers whose homes had been subsequently destroyed were forced to join roving bandit groups in order to survive. One such group, named the Red Eyebrows, became so large that they were able to defeat Wang Mang’s army, take control of the capital, force their way into the palace, and murder Wang in a most brutal fashion. Like Macbeth, it was Wang’s blind ambition that led to his inevitable downfall.
Catch intruders sticky-handed Honeypots are gaining momentum as a useful security tool alongside firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs), and antivirus software. Intended for the early detection of unauthorized activity, honeypots are computer assets that you intentionally configure to be vulnerable to compromise. A honeypot can be a computer, router, printer, or practically any networked device that has value to a potential intruder. A properly configured honeypot doesn't contain any legitimate production software or data; its most distinguishing feature is that you can deem all activity that occurs on it as suspicious. This functionality is wholly unlike that of firewalls and IDSs, which are ruled by false-positive alerts. More than a dozen honeypot solutions are available, but only recently has the most popular open-source honeypot—Honeyd—become available for Windows. (See the Honeypots Solutions Web site at http://www.tracking-hackers.com/solutions for a listing of commercial and open-source solutions.) Let's look at honeypots in general, then discuss the configuration and deployment of Honeyd for Windows. Why Use a Honeypot? Production honeypots excel at early detection of attacks against networks. When activity occurs on a honeypot, it's unauthorized by definition. Honeypots can alert you about active attacks and let you collect forensic evidence against an intruder. Some honeypots can identify and locate the intruder—although such activity, which goes beyond the typical passive nature of honeypots, increases the risk of alerting the intruder that you're aware of his or her presence. You can deploy research honeypots as an educational tool for IT staff. By doing so, you can learn more about cracking methods in general and about the specific types of exploits that your company's defenses face. Some honeypot administrators are surprised to learn that automated cracking tools account for most attacks. Most probes come from Internet worms or scanning tools looking for viable victims. Administrators are even more surprised to see how quickly such automated tools and malicious software (malware) can compromise a machine. One figure, attributed to a large honeynet (i.e., a collection of honeypots simulating a virtual network) research project, says that the shortest recorded time between Internet-enabling a honeypot and the compromise of that honeypot is just 15 minutes. Understand that a honeypot typically doesn't prevent attacks—other than slowing down intruders as they attack virtual targets instead of production computers. Because you're essentially inviting intruders to hang out in your house, you're putting your organization at increased risk should the intruder compromise the honeypot host. If an intruder uses your honeypot to attack other systems, you also face potential legal liabilities. Before specialized honeypot software came along, you had to manually create honeypot systems. You had to endure the same installation and configuration processes as you did for your production systems, albeit forgoing the application of security patches. After you created the honeypot, you had to install and configure all the related alerting, logging, and forensics mechanisms. And you had to repeat this process each time an intruder compromised the honeypot host. To save time, many honeypot administrators clone the honeypot's hard disk and reimage it when necessary. You can install honeypot software to simulate one or more virtual honeypot systems on one host computer. To the attacker, each virtual honeypot appears as a separate computer, router, or other networked device. Most honeypot applications come with emulated TCP/IP stacks and services and even contain fake content and data files. Honeypot software typically offers built-in monitoring and logging mechanisms for easy administration. If an intruder compromises the host system, you can simply reinstall all the virtual honeypots from one cloned image to restore the host system. Niels Provos created the original Honeyd (aka honeypot daemon) in 2002 as an open-source UNIX tool. Michael A. Davis, also responsible for the Windows port of the Snort IDS, released a ported version of Honeyd in March 2003. With the exception of subsystems and a few small syntax changes, the Windows port of Honeyd is identical to its UNIX cousin. Therefore, Honeyd doesn't have a pretty GUI; you configure and execute it at a command prompt. Honeyd for Windows works on Windows 95 and later. Honeyd is a low-interaction honeypot that mimics only the basics: the OS, IP stack, and simple services. It doesn't include forged content or running applications. Low interaction also means the honeypot is simple to deploy and to recreate in the event of a compromised host. If you need a high-interaction system with a pretty GUI, you can try an alternative product or build your own honeypot. (For information about the do-it-yourself route, see "Building a Honeypot" at http://rootprompt.org/article.php3?article=210.) Several free and commercial honeypots are available, but Honeyd is one of the premier free honeypot tools for Windows. Other free solutions work only with UNIX or are limited in application. For example, Tom Liston's LaBrea functions as a sticky honeypot or tarpit that's designed to slow down automated worms. NFR Security's BackOfficer Friendly (http://www.nfr.com) is easy to use and set up, but it monitors only seven ports. In contrast, Honeyd can monitor all TCP and UDP ports. With their friendly GUIs, LaBrea and BackOfficer Friendly are excellent honeypots for first-time users and for people who don't want to write configuration files and work from the command prompt. For step-by-step instructions for obtaining and configuring Honeyd, see the sidebar "Honeyd Configuration Steps." After you download Honeyd, you must define the IP addresses on which the software will listen, one or more virtual OSs, the fingerprinting emulation Honeyd will use, which IP ports the software will mimic, and which logging options to use. You define these options as command-line parameters or in the configuration file. (For a summary of Honeyd's command-line parameters, see the Web-exclusive sidebar "Executing Honeyd" at http://www.secadministrator.com, InstantDoc ID 39427.) The following sections detail each of these items and options. The Configuration File When Honeyd starts, it immediately looks for a configuration file in which you've defined virtual host templates, bound IP addresses to those templates, specified an OS personality, and defined ports and services. The configuration file's entire syntax is beyond the scope of this article, but you can refer to honeyd.html (included with Honeyd) for details about the configuration file. Listing 1 shows a sample configuration file moderately commented so that you can see what's happening. Each configuration statement is one line long (which can wrap), and you use a configuration command verb, followed by other keywords and variables, to start it. Templates are Honeyd's method for keeping track of one or more virtual OS environments. Each template defines a unique IP address associated with a virtual OS's personality, ports, and services. One instance of Honeyd can support many templates. Every configuration file should contain a template called default, which is the template Honeyd uses when no other template applies. You define a template as follows: Template names are always case sensitive, can't begin with a number, can't contain spaces or special characters, and—with the exception of default—shouldn't be identical to reserved commands. Emulated IP Addresses You can configure Honeyd to use specific, predefined IP addresses or a range of addresses. Other options are to have Honeyd respond to any request for a currently invalid address or to any packet it sees on the wire. The latter behavior is the default behavior. On the command line, you can define the subnet Honeyd will emulate, for example Note that Honeyd uses Classless Inter-domain Routing (CIDR) subnet notation or IP address ranges. To bind a Honeyd template to a specific IP address, you use the configuration file statement For example, you would enter Unfortunately, Honeyd doesn't magically draw packets off the wire. You must configure your network to redirect the appropriate traffic to the virtual Honeyd IP address. (Many honeypot administrators configure their Internet firewalls and gateways to redirect unauthorized port requests directly to the honeypot, at which they can monitor and quarantine attacks.) Complicating any such effort is the fact that Honeyd is hosted on a PC that uses one IP address, and Honeyd must have a unique IP address and subnet. The use of static routes or Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) proxies is almost mandatory. For example, suppose you're running Honeyd on a PC that has the IP address 192.168.168.168. To direct traffic to Honeyd's virtual IP subnet as 192.168.169.0, you can create a static route entry to tell the network that to get to any host on 192.168.169.0, it must use interface 192.168.168.168. The appropriate route table entry on a multihomed Windows 2000 or Windows NT system would be (Although this command appears on several lines here, you would enter it all on one line in the configuration file. The same holds true for the other multiline commands in this article.) During testing, you can enter this command (with appropriate addresses) into your remote test probe machine's routing table so that the machine can see the virtual Honeyd session. Depending on your setup, you might also need static routes to redirect honeypot responses back to the remote testers. To ease administration, you should define the static entries into a centralized router or gateway. A sign that your honeypot routing is set up incorrectly is that Honeyd responds to and reports only broadcast traffic. You can also use an ARP proxy, such as the UNIX utility arpd, in conjunction with Honeyd so that Honeyd can respond to any previously unallocated IP address (aka ARP spoofing). Nobody legitimate should be searching your network for nonexistent IP addresses. A properly configured Honeyd server with an ARP proxy can delay worms and malicious intruders by waylaying them with innumerable bogus services and machines. Be careful, however, because ARP proxies operating in this capacity can interfere with DHCP servers. Davis is working on a Windows port of the arpd utility, which should be available by the time this article is published. At the core of Honeyd is the concept of OS personalities. A personality is the OS IP stack that Honeyd is impersonating. Each major OS responds somewhat differently to various TCP/IP requests. Every packet that Honeyd outputs passes through the personality engine for inspection to make sure it matches the configured personality. Honeyd can have a different personality for each template. You can configure Honeyd to impersonate more than 130 systems, including different versions of Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Digital UNIX, Sun Microsystems' Sun Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, SCO Group's SCO OpenServer, and many network infrastructure devices. For example, you can have Honeyd spoof the personality of a Cisco Systems router or several popular firewalls. You can also create custom personalities to extend Honeyd's functionality. Personalities use the fingerprinting database of the open-source Network Mapper (Insecure.org's Nmap) tool and another fingerprinting utility called Xprobe2, written by Fyodor Yarochkin and Ofir Arkin. Nmap performs TCP/UDP fingerprinting, whereas Xprobe2 uses Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) packets. Both utilities send different types of TCP/IP packets, record the results, and use the combination of results to identify a particular host OS. The utilities are often sufficiently accurate to identify OS version and service pack level. You can obtain nmapNT—a Windows version of Nmap—at http://download.insecure.org/nmap/dist/nmap-3.27-win32.zip. OS fingerprinting isn't a perfect science. Nmap often detects Windows XP systems as Win2K or replies with a broad identifier that indicates the tested machine is either XP, Win2K, or NT. If you want to use nmapNT to manually test the fingerprinting process, use the command where ipaddress is the IP address of the host to be fingerprinted. The -vv parameter tells nmapNT to be verbose about its actions, and the -O parameter tells nmapNT to fingerprint the destination host's OS. Malicious users often use Nmap or Xprobe2 to identify remote machines, so Honeyd takes advantage of this reliance to spoof results back to the originating requestor. Thus, you can fool a remote attacker into believing he or she has broken into an NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 4 (SP4), Windows for Workgroup (WFW), or SCO Open Server system—even though these are just emulated environments originating from one instance of Honeyd running on a Win2K box. For a list of all available personalities and their related Nmap signatures, see Honeyd's nmap.prints and nmap.assoc files. Nmap.prints contains the IP stack responses for each personality (if you want to delve into the inner workings of OS fingerprinting), and nmap.assoc matches Xprobe2 fingerprints against Nmap to keep fingerprinting responses consistent, should an intruder use both tools. Honeyd uses the xprobe2.conf file to impersonate the ICMP section of OS stacks. You can tell Honeyd which OS fingerprinting database to use when you start it; most administrators choose both Nmap and Xprobe to cover both types of OS fingerprinting. The personalities that will concern most Windows administrators are XP Professional Edition, XP Home Edition, Win2K, NT, Windows Me, Win9x, and Windows 3.11. The actual personality names are much longer, such as Windows NT 4.0 Server SP5-SP6, and you can find them in the nmap.prints file. (You must type personality names exactly as they appear in the nmap.prints file.) You use a command such as the following to set a personality in Honeyd's configuration file: For example, you would enter Personalities affect only the way Honeyd responds to IP stackrelated requests. They don't affect how applications and services respond and whether the right service is associated with the correct OS. For example, just because you tell a personality to mimic a Win2K Server machine doesn't mean that Win2K Server Terminal Services emulation will magically appear. Later in the article, I show you how to set up the appropriate emulated services so that your Win2K personality knows to serve up Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 5.0 instead of Apache when the intruder probes port 80. You must also annotate personalities before you can assign them to templates or IP addresses. The syntax is At a minimum, for each Honeyd template, you need to annotate the personality, define a name, tie the personality to the template, and bind everything to an IP address. Here's sample code for setting up a default template: set default personality "Windows NT 4.0 Server SP5-SP6" bind 192.168.169.201 default At this point, you've defined the IP stack for the template to emulate. Now you need to declare ports and services. You can define ports and services for every template defined in the configuration file. Honeyd supports an unlimited number of ports and treats them in a stateful way. In the configuration file, you can configure Honeyd's default behavior for all undefined port probes, as well as the values for specific ports tied to specific templates. Values include block, open, reset, cmd-string, and proxy. Reset is the default option because it's the answer that most IP stacks return when a requested port isn't available. The cmd-string parameter primarily emulates different services and kicks off alerts. Syntax for setting up ports in the Honeyd configuration file might look like set default default udp action reset add default tcp port 21 open add default tcp port 137 open add default tcp port 139 block The first two lines tell Honeyd how to treat TCP or UDP probes if the configuration file doesn't specifically define a behavior of a specific port. If you want the honeypot to interest intruders, it must do more than respond to IP stack fingerprinting and port probes. As a low-interaction honeypot, Honeyd doesn't offer full OS or application emulation, but you can use proxies and scripts to provide emulated services. Proxies are external host machines configured to accept redirects from Honeyd for predefined services. For example, you can redirect DNS requests to a real DNS server in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) so that your captive intruder doesn't grow suspicious because of a poorly emulated or limited DNS service. In the configuration file, a proxy command would look like This command tells Honeyd to pass DNS traffic that arrives on UDP port 53 to an external DNS service that resides on a machine with the IP address of 184.108.40.206. An intruder might get suspicious if the compromised box won't let him or her do anything or get to any services. The more your honeypot resembles a real host, the longer the intruder will stay and the more useful forensics evidence you can collect. In Honeyd, you can write and use script files to emulate services that sit on different ports. After you learn how to write emulated service scripts to interact with Honeyd, you can use a script engine that your host OS supports—or even compiled C or C++—to write custom emulation scripts. Most of the scripts available for Honeyd are written for the UNIX version in Perl and shell scripting. (You can find these common scripts on the Web.) Because most existing scripts for Honeyd are written in scripting languages that Windows doesn't install by default, you need to install a Perl or shell scripting engine. I should warn you that getting scripts to work and setting up emulated services on Honeyd is perhaps the most difficult step for a first-time user. But don't get frustrated—the journey is worth the payoff. To use predefined scripts, you need to install one or two Windows-based UNIX utilities. For shell scripting support (sh.exe) and Perl (perl.exe), you can install Cygwin, a UNIX-environment emulator for Windows, and put the resulting directory that holds the binary files (e.g., C:\cygwin\bin) in your system's PATH variable. Although shell scripting comes as part of the default Cygwin installation, you need to select Perl as an optional package. Alternatively, you can download ActiveState's ActivePerl and put its binary directory (e.g., C:\activeperl\perl\bin) in your system PATH variable. Both Cygwin and ActivePerl are moderately sized downloads that contain hundreds of files. Honeyd for Windows comes with three scripts: router-telnet.pl, test.sh, and web.sh. Router-telnet.pl emulates a basic Telnet logon, complete with authorization warning message and password routine; test.sh mimics a Secure Shell (SSH) session; and web.sh mimics an IIS 5.0 server with standard directory names. At Provos's Web site (http://niels.xtdnet.nl/honeyd/contrib.html), you can find a few advanced scripts that various contributors have programmed. Current script contributions include two POP3 services, a moderately functional IIS 5.0 server, and an emulated sendmail server. Unfortunately, to extract some of the scripts, you need a Windows utility that can uncompress gzipped tarballs (.gtz or .tar.gz), which are the UNIX equivalent of a Windows .zip file—I use GlobalSCAPE's CuteZIP. To add scripts to Honeyd, you use the Add command in the Honeyd configuration file, with a statement such as To save troubleshooting time, test the script engines and scripts at a command prompt before expecting them to run inside Honeyd. For example, type to make sure shell scripting is correctly installed. Also, if you're using scripts originally written for UNIX, you need to edit the scripts to change UNIX-style parameters to the appropriate Windows syntax. For example, the POP3 script is set up to write its log to /tmp/honeyd/pop3-$1.log. You would need to change that destination to something like C:\honeyd\pop3.log, or the script would error out during execution. Any activity (minus harmless network broadcasts) that occurs on the honeypot is suspicious. By default, Honeyd writes activity to an ASCII file on the host or sends events to a syslog server. Using the l command parameter lets you specify a filename to which to save entries. Most honeypot administrators try to save their log files to protected remote servers so that if the honeypot host is compromised, the intruder will still have a difficult time erasing the logs. The first column of a given Honeyd log lists the time and date of the recorded event. The next column lists the protocol type (e.g., UDP, TCP, ICMP). The Honeyd log also provides the source and destination IP address and port number, as well as the number of data bytes in the packet. Many of the emulated service scripts also contain log files. If the main Honeyd log reveals activity on one of the emulated services, be sure to investigate the emulated service log for more details. Ideally, you'll use a packet sniffer or an IDS acting in packet-sniffing mode, along with your firewall event logs, to capture all activity to and from the honeypot. By itself, Honeyd records only a minimum amount of information. Honeyd's data is great for a quick look to see what IP addresses and ports are being probed, but to fully understand what's going on, you'll need a full packet decode. With a packet decode, you can see which files and directories are being manipulated, observe what's being typed, and record buffer-overflow information. Consider importing your Honeyd log into a database for easier analysis. Open-source Honeyd log-file analyzers are just starting to appear for the UNIX environment. (For example, check out the HoneyView analyzer at http://www.kh-soft.de/honeyview.) As Honeyd gains acceptance in the Windows environment, expect some contributors to develop log-file tools for the Windows version of Honeyd. Although Honeyd is a fine solution, you'll quickly develop a list of features you wish it offered. First, Honeyd's most glaring weakness is that you can't configure it from a Windows GUI. On the honeypot mailing list (http://www.securityfocus.com), I've seen discussions about providing a GUI from which to generate Honeyd scripts, but I haven't seen anyone mention writing a Windows GUI (as has been done for Snort) for the program. Second, because Honeyd is a UNIX application ported to Windows, it predictably doesn't contain a way to emulate a NetBIOS name. This crucial missing component might set off a warning flag to intruders. Third, further complicating setup, Honeyd for Windows requires that you have a UNIX emulator or scripting engines to get existing scripts to work. Honeyd doesn't offer sophisticated alerting, logging, and monitoring features. You can use an external alerting program, but Honeyd desperately needs an internal alerting system. Getting remote logging set up on a Honeyd server is a moderately difficult chore. Most honeypot administrators use Snort IDS or a packet sniffer to back up Honeyd's text-based log. However, you should have the ability to choose between basic and full packet decodes (as you can with Snort) from within the product. Finally, because Honeyd is an open-source honeypot, its support consists of mailing lists, email messages to Davis and Provos, FAQs, and other information on the Internet. When I pose questions to the honeypot mailing list or the author, I typically receive a response the same day. Many users, however, prefer to have commercial support before they deploy it in their environment. In spite of its weaknesses, Honeyd is a viable low-interaction honeypot for any business—large or small. Provos, the original Honeyd author, appears committed to increasing the functionality and user-friendliness of Honeyd in subsequent releases. Davis seems to be just as committed to updating the Windows port as new features become available. The growing user base is a banner open-source community, frequently providing new add-ons and features. Early Warning System Honeyd is a capable but not always friendly low-interaction honeypot for Windows, ported from the UNIX world. Appropriately configured, Honeyd can be an excellent early-warning defensive tool. If the command-line prompt or configuration file appears overwhelming, consider researching an easier Windows honeypot. For an excellent collection of honeypot articles, Web sites, and product links, see http://www.honeypots.net.
A US company called LaserMotive has broken the world record for keeping a helicopter aloft, by powering it with energy from a laser aimed from the ground. The helicoper's underbelly is covered with photovoltaic panels that are calibrated to respond to laser light, rather than regular sunlight. The team pointed a laser at the helicopter (which is actually a quadrocopter) which was then able to hover at 30 feet for 12 hours, breaking the record that the company had previously set. The team reckons that it'll eventually be able to power the vehicle for 10 or even 20 times the duration that it'd be able to fly with batteries alone. Tom Nugent, LaserMotive's president, told the crowd that gathered to observe the flight: "This will mark our first public display of a free-flying unmanned aerial vehicle powered by lasers, and represents an important step forward in the future development of flight." The research could have applications in the military -- for reconnaissance in dangerous situations or even for autonomous drones. Stripping the battery out of such devices means they weigh considerably less, so in turn they require less power to keep in the air. Here's a quick video of the quadrocopter doing its floaty
Patterns of economic change and implications for policy Better national accounting Intellectual property rights Direct support from national-level institutions Support for NGOs Regional and international support For further reading Although the topic appears last in this volume, the policy and institutional environment is often the most influential force shaping the potential for sustainable resource management. This chapter suggests how the institutional background which shapes local enterprises can promote improved management of non-wood forest resources. This is the area where rural producers have least control; however, by informing themselves, combining their resources and forming themselves into producer groups, they can sometimes influence policy changes. chapter describes actions that governments can take to promote better use of NWFPs. It examines (1) patterns in the growth of NWFP sector and their implications for policy interventions, (2) areas for direct institutional support and (3) areas for A first obstacle to the improving the prospects of NWFPs is a widespread negative view about traditional rural ways. Because many non-wood forest products are linked to customs that have conflicted with "modern" development, they are often considered "backward". This bias influences institutional responses at all levels: field foresters, government officials, credit institutions, politicians and development agencies. Public-awareness campaigns, tailored for target audiences, can change these negative views. Radio and television spots can dramatize the environmentally "progressive", cultural and economic benefits of NWFPs to a society. Campaigns for consumer education can raise products' environmental value and foster wise resource management. Nutrition programmes should consider the role of local forest foods and promote their use to reduce reliance on foods which may not be available locally (FAO, 1995a). Programmes that provide credit and technical support for small enterprises should distribute posters and brochures, explaining the benefits of well-managed NWFP enterprises. forest produce and traditional customs greater value in the eyes of the public, campaigns might employ traditional/cultural as well as audio-visual media to highlight the forest's values for sustenance, health, shelter, income, food security - in a new context of environmental awareness. Changes in local and urban markets Boom-bust patterns in international and export markets Implications for policy-making In many countries, policies governing NWFPs are scattered over many sectors: agriculture, forestry, health and industry. Because these policies were often not formulated to address non-wood forest enterprises or rural livelihood, they often fail to provide adequate incentives and often provide disincentives, often conflicting in ways that cause stagnation. If policies are harmonized and redefined with an aim of stabilizing rural economies and promoting rural enterprise, communities could become more self-reliant and generate surplus for export. reformulation to promote non-wood forest enterprise should be guided by the experiences of local groups and enterprises, and good market information (FAO, 1995b). The following paragraphs trace several common patterns of commercialization in NWFPs and their implications for policy adjustment. People's involvement in non-wood forest enterprises changes as economies grow and opportunity costs change (Arnold, 1995). Small processing enterprises predominate in conditions where: factors favour local processing (e.g. widely-scattered raw materials, small markets or high transport costs); economies of small scale exist, as in handicraft production; subcontracting is preferable to integrated operations. Rural markets for non-wood products are linked to the rate of agricultural change. These markets are large in aggregate, tending to grow slowly. A more significant source of growth in the NWFP sector is growing urban demand. Urban markets for these products in developing countries tends to grow quickly as rural people migrate to cities and bring preferences for customary products of their rural background (nostalgia markets) (Arnold, 1995). Inequities. Unmanaged commercialization tends to work against small enterprises, disadvantaged groups, and women. As the value of trade grows, urban traders seek to gain more control over supplies through vertical integration, by-passing rural gatherers (Arnold, op. cit.). Likewise, men tend to take over trade from women as it becomes more commercialized. Small enterprises find themselves unable to obtain credit and other services, which often favour larger operations. Growth in forest-product trade increases pressure on a resource and tends to restrict traditional rights of access to that resource. In some cases, however, communities have reinforced traditional common property systems in the face of intensifying pressure. Conditions that help community groups maintain collective control against mounting pressures include (Arnold, op. cit.): a legal system which is able to help the group enforce its rights; strong social institutions; well-defined rights of use; small homogeneous groups of users; rapid returns to investment in collective management. Increased competition. Improvements in rural infrastructure are, for rural producers of NWFPs a double-edged sword. Roads and communication linkages improve the flow of their goods to urban markets, but also cause competition in local markets from urban manufacturers. Cheaper factory-made items begin to replace forest-based products in rural markets. In Indonesia, for example, Hadi (1986) found that mass-produced metal and synthetic products quickly displaced home-made bamboo umbrellas and wooden clogs which were once sold in rural markets. Commercialization also attracts new producers to compete in the market; crafts that require complex skills, such as wood-working, are less affected than sectors that use basic skills, such as mat-weaving (Arnold, op. cit.) Types of change. In general, small enterprises gain importance in three types of economic change (Arnold, op. cit.): where per capita income is effectively declining, people with fewer employable skills turn to low-return, labour-intensive tasks in cottage industries such as mat-making; where per capita incomes are rising, small enterprises are likely to emerge in growth related, higher-return ventures; small enterprises in low-return activities are likely to decrease; in times of growth and change, small enterprises play an important buffer role, providing income for facing natural or economic crises. in resource supply. When harvest rates outstrip natural regeneration/replenishment rates to satisfy growing market demand, the supply in natural forest declines. Without coordination, timber harvests in natural forests will likely disrupt harvests of non-wood products. This disruption can be compounded by policies and enforcement that favour timber production, or by complicated license requirements. As a result, NWFP producers are likely to shift their harvesting operations to forest fallow and domesticated sources (Arnold, op. cit.). Chapter 5 showed how NWFPs that attract international markets tend to experience a boom-bust pattern. This can have particularly damaging long-term effects. In the Amazon in the 1890s, for example, rubber from natural forests experienced a tremendous growth in trade before ultimately being replaced by domesticated sources elsewhere. This short-lived, unmanaged exploitation proved to benefit only urban-based traders. In the forest areas where rubber was native, landuse conflicts ravaged the resource and caused many deaths among Amazonia's indigenous population (FAO, 1995b). A sound policy framework could have promoted balanced rural and urban growth. Effects of subsidies. When exports of forest products (both wood and non-wood) command high prices in international markets, government forest services often become producers to earn government revenue. This can interfere with local forest use. In effect, the forest service becomes a subsidized competitor of private producers; and this discourages private enterprise (Arnold, op. cit.). developing countries, national policies promote industrial investment by providing subsidy incentives to companies that exploit natural resources. In doing this, they assume that the country's short-term competitive advantage is worth the risk of environmental damage that the subsidy may cause by supporting short-sighted production methods (Haeruman, op. cit.). Policymakers should question this underlying assumption, particularly for fragile ecosystems. Rather, taxes on exports of unprocessed raw materials can encourage local processing and provide investment funds for sustainable management (FAO, 1995b). Long-term subsidies for NWFP development programmes generally can not prove sustainable in a market situation. In view of the above, policy-makers committed to healthy and equitable economic growth in rural areas should: enact clear tenure policies by which rural producers can secure access to the forest resource, so that they are not forced out of production as markets prosper; ensure that producer groups receive information on resource and market conditions, and environmental guidelines; this should include support for problem-focused research; promote flexible credit mechanisms for small producers and processors; remove size-scale biases against small enterprises in credit programmes, licensing arrangements and other mechanisms (many of which result from the fact that agencies find it costly to support small enterprises on an individual basis); avoid subsidizing low-return enterprises when opportunities for higher-return activities become available; support formation of local producer groups, which increase the overall competitiveness of the sector; foster transparent transactions in market chains, with better price and trade information throughout the chain and economic incentives like those used in agriculture; correct gender discrimination where it displaces women's roles in production, harvesting, processing and marketing products; recognize that policy responses to actual conditions and producers' needs are likely to be more effective than generalized approaches. To ensure that the overall policy environment provides incentives for wise forest use, government offices should: ensure that tenure policies decentralize resource management and encourage people's participation in sustainable forest management; properly account for the contribution of NWFPs to the national economy; remove subsidies for wasteful enterprises, both large and small; fully recognize traditional rural knowledge and social and cultural practices, and secure appropriate rights for rural communities, that acknowledge and compensate this knowledge effectively put into practice mission statements and plans that explicitly strengthen their commitment to stewardship of non-wood forest resources and partnerships with local users of the resource. reform is only as good as its implementation. To be effective, policies must provide for regular monitoring and refinement of incentives, and leaders must show commitment to the goals embodied in those policies. Economic valuation of environmental functions Improved definition and classification of NWFPs and incorporating them in the System of National Accounts mark early steps toward achieving the policy adjustments described above. By clearly grouping the variety of non-wood products that originate from forest sources, officials and programme managers can: call attention to the collective importance of these items; highlight the need for policy coordination; generate the political and administrative support needed for more direct support for producers. For international classification and accounting, FAO has recommended adoption of the definition of NWFPs given in Chapter 1: goods of biological origin other than wood, as well as services, derived from forests and allied land uses. For gaining recognition of these products' economic importance, it is hoped this definition can be generally followed. A system of classification for NWFPs was proposed at the Expert Consultation on Non-Wood Forest Products held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in January 1995, as a means to incorporate these products into the existing international systems of classification for economic activity and trade (Chandrasekharan, 1995). These systems include: the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC), the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC), the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) and the Provisional Central Product Classification (CPC) system. (The trade data in Tables 7.3 and 7.4 are based on HS classifications.) To create a clear economic identity for NWFPs, it is proposed that an annex be added to ISIC that will group together all forest products, wood and non-wood. A similar approach has helped unify coverage for the diverse components of the international tourism industry. The classification system proposed would provide a basis for better statistical coverage of NWFPs, which in turn would improve the market and trade information available to producers and policy-makers (Padovani, 1995). Statistical coverage provides a foundation for a policy constituency that can bolster producer groups and researchers seeking support for sustainable forest management. It is to be ensured that statistical information is readily available and accessible. National governments may choose other appropriate classification schemes that fit the specific nature of NWFP use in their country. For better international linkages, though, governments should aim to clarify how the customized national system correlates with an internationally accepted one, in order to facilitate comparisons and aggregations. classification alone cannot adequately recognize the non-economic values of non-wood products and services; complementary efforts need to better account for the "external" environmental functions (unquantifiable benefits) of forest resources. In many markets there is a sizable gap between a NWFP's financial value and its real economic value. Similarly, resource degradation does not appear in most governments' calculations of Gross National Product (GNP). These cause governments and the private sector to act on incorrect market signals. For example, the disastrous EXXON-Valdez oil spill in Alaska increased the US GNP calculation because billions were spent on clean-up but resource losses did not appear in the accounts (WRI-IUCN-UNEP, 1992). Informed policies can reduce these distortions. Using improved methods for assigning value to resources, planners can compare benefits of conservation measures with costs suffered if no such measures are undertaken. National governments should incorporate values of biological resources and revise official cost-benefit formulas to recognize resource degradation. Economic values cannot reliably be assigned to all factors, but it is possible to estimate relative costs of species disappearance, soil loss and carbon emissions based on key ecosystem parameters (Vosti and Witcover, 1995). public sector to value forests most effectively, it must first sort out the values attached to forests by the different groups with interests in the forest, and define the policy context for any proposed change in forest use (Gregersen et al., 1995). The relevant costs and benefits should then be assigned to different situations. The value for the case with the proposed change can then be compared with the values for the case without the change. The results should be adjusted to account for uncertainties in information on forest systems and future values; and this should form the basis for policy decisions. In recent years, intellectual property rights (IPR) have emerged as an important mechanism for securing an equitable share of benefits from forest activities to developing countries and communities. Particularly with the dramatic growth of forest-based medicines and biomedical research (see Chapter 4), securing intellectual property rights is a priority issue for some national governments. The concept of intellectual property originated centuries ago in western legal systems to provide economic rewards for individual creativity. Patents reward new knowledge (inventions or discovered techniques) for a fixed period of time. There are difficulties in adapting IPR to reward long-standing traditional knowledge, but it contributes an important early step toward refining that recognition and providing rewards. The patent protection offered by national governments varies widely. The United States grants patents on novel genetic sequences, plant parts, plant or animal varieties and biotechnological processes. On the other hand, European countries have only recently extended patent protection to plant varieties (Reid et al., 1993). Another variable is that different stages of product development require different types of IPR. For example, where patenting is premature, trade secret protection may be applicable. In other cases, the relationship between traditional knowledge and the product may justify trademark protection (Grifo, 1994). The International Convention on Biodiversity protects property rights of developing countries to native plants and other species. Signed by more than 160 countries, the Convention calls on national governments to create a framework for regulating biological resources, IPR and environmental protection. It also calls on governments to harmonize commercial laws with local goals and the equitable sharing of benefits from sustainable resource management (Sittenfeld and Lovejoy, 1994). The 1994 Marrakesh agreement on international trade and the related TRIPs agreement are two other key conventions relating to IPR. TRIPs mandates patent or other IPR coverage for plant varieties in international trade and stipulates that the: procedures should be fair, equitable and effectively enforced. Developed countries are expected to adjust their laws and practices to conform with TRIPs within one year; developing countries and countries in transition have five years to make this adjustment; and least-developed countries have 11 years. With this mandate, national governments can use case study experience to formulate mechanisms for ensuring IPR protection to local groups. One factor in determining appropriate compensation for traditional knowledge is the community's value system. For some traditional healers, compensation entails respect for the "sacred" or secret nature of the information provided. This spiritual value can be as crucial as financial compensation (Cox, 1995). Intellectual property rights do not substitute for secure tenure over local resources. Developing non-wood forest resources still requires that (1) tenure policy be clear and consistently enforced, (2) communities participate in decisions governing local resource management, and (3) communities are able to weigh the trade-offs involved in economic development (Davis, 1993). Nor do IPR mechanisms replace technical or credit assistance that communities need to develop their traditional resources. Text box 10.1: IPR, national policy and INBio's prospecting research The INBio-Merck agreement, by which Costa Rica received several million dollars from the Merck pharmaceutical company to prospect for bioactive materials (Section 4.6), did not occur in a policy vacuum. Policy measures paved the way. The Costa Rican government established a clearly defined National System of Conservation Areas, covering 27 percent of the country's area. It created INBio as an instrument for inventorying biological resources and encouraging wise use of the country's biodiversity. The clear definition of protected areas helped to justify the investment needed for the inventories. In 1992, a new law protected resources from over-exploitation by requiring bioprospectors in conservation areas to have a permit from the Ministry of Natural Resources. Social policies also contributed. Costa Rica's large investment in education has created a pool of skilled technicians and the university laboratories needed for the complex process of collecting biodiversity information. and the determination of royalty rates were major business issues in negotiating INBio's contracts. A team of INBio representatives and Costa Rican environmental lawyers worked with management consultants and pro bono corporate lawyers from developed countries to negotiate royalty rates. Bargaining power required good knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, the biological resource, legal precedents in other industries and conservation needs (Sittenfeld and Lovejoy, 1994). Information, training and education With sound policies in place, government services can offer effective support to producers. The Joint Forest Management programme in India (see text box 4.2) illustrates one mode of government collaboration with communities to manage resources and share benefits. In other cases, governments provide technical support with less managerial involvement. At a minimum, key areas for institutional support are information, education, training, credit and promotion of local organizations. policy, direct institutional support requires coordination among the agencies that deal with nonwood resources and NWFP producers, usually including: forestry departments, veterinary and livestock services, food crop services, health and medical services, and industry and commerce agencies. Coordination should emphasize clear identification of areas where support is needed and the major steps/actions for addressing these through cooperation Producers need information from support services on: techniques for more efficient harvesting and post-harvest treatments; marketing and processing options; conditions throughout the market/production chain; policies and rules regulating NWFP utilisation, i.e. tenure, access, transport, processing and trade. Programmes for training should be: closely linked to research and technical support (see Chapter 9), and specific training needs should be identified and courses developed for different levels of personnel involved in NWFP development: policy-makers, programme administrators and managers, local support workers and producers (FAO, 1995b). Local knowledge is the starting point for solutions to producers' problems; therefore assessing local knowledge and presenting it in training courses is vital. Without this, training efforts can result in top-down transfer of generalized concepts that could squelch the local innovations, rather than promoting it. Training should also provide information on networks that exist in the local and national context of the trainees. Materials should describe relevant cooperative programmes among forestry and agriculture departments, universities and the private sector. National forestry education institutions should develop and offer courses on products for which they have particular capacity and topics particularly important to the country or region. Education and training programmes should employ a wide range of channels, including (Sène, op. cit.): public awareness raising on the vital importance of existing resources and the value of traditional skills and knowledge for managing these resources; local transfer of technologies and skills regarding utilisation of resources that may be well developed in one locality but totally ignored in another, through farmer-to-farmer exchange visits and/or seminars; primary education, including exposure to natural sciences, geography and knowledge of local resources and their contribution to local economy; secondary education, continuing the work started at primary school, dealing with the environment and the economic potential of all local resources; job-oriented technical, vocational and professional training in forms outlined in Table 9.1. Governments possess a variety of means for improving credit availability to rural producers. For example, clear land tenure policies and secure title can provide a farm family with loan collateral for investing in production/processing equipment. Credit programmes can increase flexibility by (Clay, 1995): using a producer's production history as a basis for forecasting production; allowing physical product stock to guarantee loans for working capital; counting forest inventories of economically valuable species as collateral. In the 1950s, the Kenyan government recognized black wattle trees (Acacia mearnsii) as a form of farm loan guarantee in view of the species' value for tannin, charcoal, building poles and other uses (Dewees, 1991). programmes could usefully distinguish between new enterprises and existing enterprises seeking to expand. New enterprises show high attrition and are often less efficient than small enterprises seeking to grow. This suggests that scarce credit funds may be more effectively used if focused on enterprises seeking incremental expansion (Arnold, op. cit.), even though they may require more customized services than new Consortiums of government, private sector, and NGOs NGOs have played a key role in improving local forest management. NGOs vary widely in their attributes and abilities, but many have proven that they can (Sène, 1995): document local knowledge and traditional technologies; promote traditional and income-generating activities using NWFPs; organize producers and marketing channels; advocate for policy reform. Their pivotal role in the future of sustainable forest management has been widely recognized. governments can further their efforts by working with NGOs as partners and by offering training that strengthens NGOs' technical and institutional abilities. Technical needs range from production, harvesting and marketing to collective organization. Institutional needs range from management and record-keeping to policy research and analysis. Chapter 9 described how public-private consortiums can provide technical support for local forest-based enterprises. Such consortiums can also arrange services such as credit and managerial support (see text box 10.2).
The Syr Tarduš (Chinese rendering Xueyantuo 薛延陀) was a branch of the Türkish federation of the Tölöš (Chinese rendering Tiele 鐵勒). They lived as pastoral nomads on the southern flanks of the Altai Range during the Sui 隋 (581-618) and Tang 唐 (618-907) periods and consisted of two parts, the Syr and the Tarduš. With the foundation of the khanate of the Türks (Chinese name Tujue 突厥) the various Türkic tribes became vassals of the Tujue. The Syr Tarduš were famous as elite cavalry of the Türkish troops. When the khanate of the Tujue fell into two parts, the Syr Tarduš became subjects of the Western Türks 西突厥. In 605, under the reign of Nijuechuluo Khan 泥撅處羅可汗 the various Tölöš tribes rebelled against the Western Türks and elevated Yijingeleng 俟斤歌楞, a chieftain of the Qibi tribe 契苾, to the position of khan, with the title of Yiwuzhenmohe Khan 易勿真莫何可汗, while the Syr Tarduš made Yijinyishibo 俟斤乙失鉢 their leader, with the title of Yedie Khan 也咥可汗. This was the first federation of all Tölöš tribes, but it was not to last for long, for Shegui Qaghan 射匱可汗 was able to reunite the Western Türks, and again forced the Syr Tarduš into submission. When the leader of the Western Türks, Tongyehu Qaghan 統葉護可汗, died in 628, the Türkish khanate was disturbed by a rebellion of the vassal tribes. Yinan 夷男, leader of the Syr-Tarduš, decided to move eastwards with 70,000 households. He crossed the Altai Range and so geographically united the western Syr-Tarduš people with those living in the Mongolian steppe. At that time the leader of the Eastern Türkish khanate, Jieli Khan 頡利可汗, oppressed the Türkish tribes so much that many of them decided to recognize Yinan as their leader. The Tang court decided to make use of this situation to get destroy the Eastern Türkish khanate and sent Qiao Shiwang 喬師望 as an envoy to Yinan in order to bestow him the title of Zhenzhu Pijie Qaγan 真珠毗伽可汗. This alliance between the Syr Tarduš and the Tang empire succeeded for in 630 the Eastern Türkish khanate fell apart. As a result of this vacuum the northern steppe was now controlled by the Syr Tarduš. Yinan's court (in Chinese sources called ya 牙) was located at Mt. Yudujun 郁督軍. His khanate reached from the banks of River Erguna in the east to the Altai Range. The Tang court bestowed the Türkish leader Ashina Simo 阿史那思摩 the title of Yiminishuyilibi Khan 乙彌泥孰俟利苾 with the order to administrate all the various Türkish tribes south of the Gobi desert. The tribes of the Uyghurs 回紇, Bayegu 拔野古, Tongluo 同羅 and Pugu 僕骨 were vassals of Yiman. Historians call this phase the second federation of the Tölöš. Yinan's son Bazhuo 跋灼 (with the title of Jielijulixueshaduomi Khan 頡利俱利薛沙多彌可汗) adopted a much different strategy than his father. When Emperor Taizong 唐太宗 campaigned against the state of Goryo 高麗, Bazhuo led the Syr Tarduš southwards to attack the Tang empire, but he was badly defeated. This defeat, along with his oppressive rule, contributed to a rebellion of the various tribesleaders. In 646 the chieftain of the Uyghurs, Tumidu 吐迷度, and the leaders of the Pugu and Tongluo killed Bazhuo in battle and annihilated his family. The rebels enthroned Yiman's older brother 咄摩支 as the new khan, yet the Tang court had decided to punish the Syr Tarduš. The generals Cui Dunli 崔敦禮 and Li Ji 李勣 defeated the nomad tribes and forced the Syr Tarduš into submission. The region and its inhabitants came under the administration of six first-class (fu 府) and seven ordinary (zhou 州) prefectures under the protectorate (duhufu 都護府) of Yanran 燕然. The Syr Tarduš lived in the prefecrued of Xidan 奚彈 and Qilian 祈連.
You’d think that buying cotton or 100% cotton flannel sheets would mean you’re putting a ‘natural’ product on your bed…well, yes and no! Let’s start by looking at the way the cotton itself is grown. How most cotton is grown – Synthetic chemical fertilizers are used to encourage the plants to grow. – Chemical pesticides are used to keep cotton-eating bugs at bay. – Chemical growth regulators are used to get a crop of the same size for easy harvesting and – Chemical defoliants are used for the same reason. To produce one pound of cotton, it takes a third of a pound of chemicals. While we’re really depressing you, let’s look at a few more facts about the production of cotton. – 4% of all the arable soil in the entire world is used to grow cotton. That’s a huge area! – Every year, 24% of all insecticides and 11% of all pesticides used in the entire world are used on just cotton crops! – 3,000,000 people suffer with poisoning from pesticides every year. 20,000 of them die. – Over 45% of all the cotton grown in the United States is genetically engineered. – During the production of a regular cotton garment, over 8,000 synthetic chemicals are routinely used. This may sound a lot of chemicals but chemical intrusion doesn’t end with the growing phase. Just a few of the treatments that fabric may receive are: – Moth resistance – Fire retardant – ‘Easy care’ Dyes used on the cotton often contain heavy metals and other harmful chemicals. As if that wasn’t bad enough… Recent scientific studies have found that the cotton used in bedding may have a heavy dose of pesticides in the form of built-up residues from the cultivation stage. On continuous use, these residues may be absorbed into human skin and adversely affect health. Babies may be more at risk from health problems due to their higher metabolism and lower body weight – so choosing organic baby bedding may help to lower that risk. What makes flannel sheets ‘organic’? Flannels that can call themselves organic are usually made from cotton which has been grown without the use of any chemical fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators or defoliants – synthetic or otherwise. The resulting fabric isn’t treated in any way which is why it can be a little ‘stiff’ before it’s washed and dried. It’s also not dyed. This gives rise to the characteristic ‘cream’ color’. This has traditionally put some people off organic bedding – but a very high price is paid for the pure white bedding that we’re used to! How can I be sure the sheets really are organic? Various certification bodies exist and they set down precise standards for productions, storage, processing, handling and marketing. If a product meets all of the criteria, it will be awarded a label from that body to say that the product is truly organic. Just bear in mind that the label will only certify that the product has been made in an ecologically sound manner and is not a claim regarding its’ quality. Another way to check is to see if the company who made the sheets is recognized by the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM).
The United States is viewed as one of the most advanced countries in the world on gender parity. Indeed, women make up 46 percent of the labor force. But on closer inspection, significant inequality still remains, and not just when it comes to pay. Consider that there are just 66 women for every 100 men in leading business positions. Women still do around double the unpaid care work including household chores and caring for children and the elderly as men do. And there is one incident of sexual violence for every two women. This has serious human costs, for sure, but also considerable economic costs. Bridging the US gender gap in work entirely would produce an estimated $4.3 trillion in additional GDP in 2025. Even a scenario in which all US states matched the progress toward gender parity of the fastest improving state would net the US economy an additional $2.1 trillion of GDP in 2025—10 percent higher than would be the case with no action on gender. Annual GDP growth would be 0.8 percent higher—a considerable prize in an economy still searching for robust growth in the aftermath of the 2008 recession. To put the economic opportunity in stark terms, the United States could add an economy the size of Texas in less than a decade. Every state and city can make further progress toward gender parity and add at least 5 percent to their GDP, and half of US states can add more than 10 percent. The 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States could increase their GDP by between 6 and 13 percent by 2025. MGI has measured the distance from gender parity of all 50 states and the 50 top cities using two new scoring systems: the State Parity Score and the City Parity Score. The economic potential is so large because, despite a great deal of progress on issues such as education, the United States still has very high gender inequality both in work and in society. MGI looked at ten indicators and inequality is high or extremely high on six of these. They are women in leadership and managerial positions in business; the unequal sharing of unpaid work (if this work were counted as GDP, it would be valued conservatively at an estimated $1.5 trillion a year; violence against women; the representation of women in politics—the United States is one of the worst-performing developed nations in the world; single mothers, and teenage pregnancy. The United States has one of the highest share of single parents in the world—one in four US families is headed by a single mother living in poverty according to the OECD. The teen birth rate is still high compared with rates in other developed countries, and is estimated to have cost the nation nearly $10 billion in 2010. About 40 percent of the economic potential would come from more women joining the labor force, around 30 percent from closing the gap between men and women on working part time and full time, and the rest from women shifting into jobs in higher productivity sectors of the economy. On average, a woman in the United States works 89 percent of the paid work hours of a man, due in part to the fact that women do 42 percent of the full-time jobs but 64 percent of the part-time jobs. And women are more likely than men to be working in lower-productivity sectors such as health, social work, and education, and less likely to be employed in higher-productivity sectors such as manufacturing and business services. Achieving this potential would require about $475 billion more capital investment in 2025 to help create the 6.4 million jobs to secure the boost to GDP and improve productivity. So how can the United States move forward and capture this considerable economic prize? The answer is to do more of what is already being done by replicating best practice. One government measure that can lower the barrier to women taking paid work if they choose is the provision of paid parental leave. The United States is still one of only nine advanced OECD economies that do not offer this at a national level. Yet four US states—California, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island—plus the District of Columbia do provide publicly funded paid leave. The private sector can weigh in here. Many employers offer flexible options to their employees irrespective of whether this flexibility is needed to care for a child or an elderly person. Fannie Mae offers similar flexibility alongside benefits such as assistance for adult day-care programs. Companies can do much more to boost the share of women in management positions. Some have done so. Lockheed Martin initiated its women accelerating tomorrow program in 2009, and today one-third of the board is female. Representation in politics is another area where significant progress can be made and where there are examples of success. Training of female candidates is important. The Center for American Women and Politics finds that half of the women currently in political positions have been through some type of campaign training prior to their election. The Women’s Campaign School at Yale University provides a curriculum that is both designed by, and targeted at, women, and aims to address the cultural challenges faced by women in politics. Collaboration between governments, non-profits, and companies can be highly effective. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy works with popular television shows targeted at the teen market and with TV networks such as MTV to embed messages in programs. The National Survey of Family Growth partly attributes the decline in US teenage pregnancies since 2008 to such efforts. There are examples of effective action on all aspects of US gender inequality: the challenge is to replicate those efforts. The very large economic—and human—gains on offer should prove sufficient incentive. This article originally ran in Huffington Post.
-- Robert Preidt TUESDAY, Feb. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- One-year-old infants are 10 times more likely to suffer burns and scalds than older children, and the main causes of these injuries are hot drinks and hair irons, a new British study finds. Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,200 children younger than 16 who were treated for burns and scalds at five emergency rooms, one burn-assessment unit and three regional children's burn units across the United Kingdom. Of those youngsters, 58 percent were scalded, 32 percent had contact burns and about 9 percent had burns from other causes, according to the study. About 17 percent of the children were admitted to a burn unit, and the remainder were treated in an The researchers found that 72 percent of the children were younger than 5, and most of the injuries occurred in 1-year-old All of the scald injuries were suffered at home, and hot drinks accounted for 55 percent of such injuries among young children, according to the study, which was published online Feb. 3 in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood. In nearly half the cases, a child was scalded when reaching up and pulling down a container with a hot drink -- most often tea. Half of the 155 scalds among youngsters aged 5 to 16 were caused by hot water -- mostly from spills while preparing food, said Professor Alison Mary Kemp, of the Institute of Primary Care and Public Health at Cardiff University. Nearly all the scalds occurred on the front of the body, mostly on the face, arms, and upper torso in younger children and the lower torso, legs and hands in older children. There were nearly 300 contact burns suffered by children younger than 5, and 81 percent of those were caused by touching hot items in the home, the researchers found. Hair straighteners or irons accounted for 42 percent of these injuries, followed by stove-top heating elements at 27 percent. Almost half of the contact burns among older children occurred outdoors. Two-thirds of all contact burns involved the hands. The researchers said children account for up to half of all burns and scalds treated at hospitals. Such injuries can cause lifelong scarring or deformity or even death. Product-design changes and increased awareness among parents and other caregivers are among the measures needed to reduce the number of scalds and burns suffered by children, the researchers said. The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about preventing and treating burns. Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.
Find a copy in the library Finding libraries that hold this item... \|Material Type:\|\|Biography, Internet resource\| \|Document Type:\|\|Book, Internet Resource\| \|All Authors / Contributors:\|\| Jack Uldrich; Meriwether Lewis; William Clark \|ISBN:\|\|0814408168 9780814408162 9780814409992 0814409997\| \|Description:\|\|x, 245 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm\| \|Contents:\|\|Why Lewis and Clark matter: Lewis and Clark: leaders for their time -- and ours; The journey of the Corps of Discovery: a summary of key events and dates -- The leadership principles of Lewis and Clark; Passionate purpose: the principle of a higher purpose; Productive partnering: the principle of shared leadership; Future think: the principle of strategic preparation; Honoring differences: the principle of diversity; Equitable justice: the principle of compassionate discipline; Absolute responsibility: the principle of leading from the front; Meaningful mentoring: the principle of learning from others; Realistic optimism: the principle of positive thinking; Rational risk: the principle of aggressive analysis; Cultivating a corps of discovery: the principle of teamwork -- \|Other Titles:\|\|Leadership lessons from Lewis & Clark's daring westward adventure\| "Imagine a Ken Burns documentary with insightful analysis from Jack Welch and you have a sense of the infomative and engaging approach Uldrich utilizes." "--Executive Insider"
Chaenomeles japonica Description This deciduous shrub will relaibly show in the spring with masses of apple white spring blossom, followed by large yellow fruit. Vicious spines will keep unwanted visitors out - as will rapid unmanageable growth, which can make the plant something of an eye-saw, so best plant somewhere it can keep a low profile during the summer months. 1.5m tall x3m. Chaenomeles japonica - Cultivation Notes This tough shrub will flourish in the worst of garden soils whether positioned in full sun or partial shade and is hardy to point of almost being un stoppable. But be warned - its scraggly habit means Quince needs pruning - spines or not! Trim to shape after flowering, reducing last years growth by half, only cut back old wood if becoming overgrown / leggy. Ideal as a wall shrub. Strengths, Weaknesses & Design Usage Strengths of Chaenomeles japonica: - Sun loving drought tolerant plant - Spiney growth can deter unwanted visitors! - All round tough plant suitable for problem areas - Provides valuable winter interest - Fruit / berry producing - Tolerates full sun and sandy, drought-prone soils - Tolerates cold exposed locations - Tolerates heavy clay soils Weaknesses of Chaenomeles japonica - Invasive top growth - Spiney plant - can scratch young children and gardeners! Design & Plant Use for Chaenomeles japonica: - Ideal flowering shrub for problem clay soils View all the plants listed in Genus Chaenomeles View other shrubs with red flowers, or shrubs with medium green foliage Common Missspellings: Chinnomeles, Chainoneles, Chanomeles, Shinomeles
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2008, 07:09:48 AM » The following information is provided in part by the work of Gordon [Ruben]King. Additional details are filled in by way of my own research. Oral tradition has it that the surname of "Reuben Koenig" originated as two separate families, the Reuben's and the Koenig's, merged to form one stronger family unit; possibly for financial reasons, possibly for military strength, or maybe for both financial stability and military strength. And considering the persecution suffered by many Jewish families, fleeing from the Spanish Inquisition (from the late 15th century through the middle 16th century) and the Church of Rome, plus the fact that such family mergers were fairly common among Gentiles in feudal Europe, it becomes easier to see this being a strong possibility, especially if the two families wanted to blend in with the indigenous peoples, in order to avoid much of the persecution that went with being Jewish. * In 1705, in the town or village of Bad Hersfeld (Hesse; Germany) a boy was born into the family of the Reuben Koenig surname. * In 1730, then 25 years of age, this man fathered Johann Reuben Koenig, who became a Lutheran church pastor in Bad Hersfeld and Trubenhausen (Germany). * In 1759, Johann Reuben Koenig became the father of Weyland Bartell Reuben Koenig, born in Trubenhausen. According to the records of the Laudenbach Lutheran church, there were 14 children born to pastor Johann Reuben Koenig: 5 boys, 7 girls, and 2 unknown. * Weyland Bartell Reuben Koenig moved to Laudenbach, Hesse (Germany), where he met and married his wife; name unknown. In 1790, Weyland became the father of Johann Peter Reuben Koenig. There might have been other children, but the records are sketchy at best. * In 1806, Johann Peter married an unknown woman; apparently, she died before they had any children. * In 1816, Johann Peter Reuben Koenig married Dorothea Elisabetha Moeller, who also died, but not before giving birth to three sons: Johann Heinrich (November 16, 1817), Justus Wilhelm (December 19, 1819), and Johann Hermann (October 2, 1821) who later emigrated to the USA. * In 1827, Johann Peter Reuben Koenig married Katharina Elisabetha Moeller, possibly the sister of Dorothea; and they had five children, 3 boys and 2 girls. Their third son, Johann Philip Reuben Koenig, was born November 9, 1832, in Laudenbach. According to one family journal, in 1849, most of the family members combined the two part surname, to form one new name of Reubenkoenig. In August of 1852, Johann Hermann Reubenkoenig and two of his half-brothers (Johannes and Johann Philip) emigrated from Laudenbach (Germany) to New Orleans, LA. (USA). And upon reaching the United States, at least two of the three brothers Americanized their names, in order to blend in. Johannes became John Reubenkoenig. And Johann Philip became John Philip Reubenking. In 1853, the three brothers each got married. Johann Hermann Reubenkoenig married Maria Wilhelmina Ruehrwiem (from Prussia; Germany), and they had two sons (Christian Friedrich and Philipp Hermann) before Johann Hermann died (August 5, 1856) in New Orleans. And while some records show that Johann Hermann and Maria Wilhelmina knew each other in Laudenbach (Germany), there are other reports that they might have actually gotten married in Laudenbach, just prior to making the move to the United States. John Reubenkoenig married a French dancer, who had emigrated from Paris, France. The name of his wife, listed on her death certificate (November 21, 1854) was illegible. She died of Yellow Fever. They had one daughter, Catherine Louise, who married Gerhard Gohlinghorst. She was born 3 days before her mother's death. John was wounded in the Civil War (1861-1865) and eventually died in Havana, Illinois, in 1876. * John Philip Reubenking married Anna Martha Luebeck (from Germany), and they had 10 children; 4 boys and 6 girls. Like Maria Wilhelmina Ruehrwiem, Anna Martha Luebeck might have also been known by her husband, before coming to the USA. And if they did not know each other beforehand, they would have had plenty of time to get to know each other during the ocean voyage, from Europe to New Orleans. In early 1859, the families of the two surviving brothers had saved enough money to move north, up the Mississippi River to Illinois, where they settled for a time. John Reubenkoenig and his daughter, Catherine Louise, joined the growing family of his younger brother, John Philip Rubenking. And while John Philip's first two sons (John Herman and Frank) were born in New Orleans, Heinrich Wilhelm (William Henry), my great grandfather, was born in Alton, Illinois (May 22, 1859). And the other 7 children were all born in Havana, Illinois. John Philip ("Philip") and Anna Martha ("Anna") Rubenking found and purchased a farm, where they settled, near Havana, Illinois. Some reports suggest that John and his daughter, Catherine Louise, also lived in the family home of Philip and Anna Rubenking. And considering that John never remarried, it would have been a logical place for the girl to grow up and be able to take advantage of the nurturing and mentoring of her aunt Anna, as well as the friendship and fellowship of her cousins, some of whom were similar in age. And eventually, after settling down in Havana, even John Americanized his name completely. The children born to Philip and Anna Rubenking were as follows: 1) Johann Hermann (changed to John Herman) born Feb. 26, 1855, in New Orleans. John Herman married Johanna Helena Elisabeth Bevermann in Havana, on Nov. 9, 1877. 2) Frank born Jul. 19, 1857, in New Orleans. Frank married Margartha Kastendick; date and place are unknown. 3) Heinrich Wilhelm (changed to William Henry), my great grandfather, was born May 22, 1859, in Alton, Illinois. William Henry married Rachel Jane Atkins on Jul. 27, 1882. 4) Anna Martha born Mar. 25, 1861, in Havana, Illinois. Anna Martha married John Henry Koke, Senior; date and place are unknown. 5) Katherina (changed to Catherine) was born in 1863, in Havana, and married George Herman Steging on Apr. 7, 1880, in Havana, Illinois. 6) Mary was born in 1865, in Havana, and married Charles Beck. 7) Margaret Anna was born on Nov. 29, 1867, in Havana, and married Charles Tangman. 8) Elizabeth Catherina (changed to Elise) was born on Jul. 9, 1871, in Havana, and married Charles Miller (Mueller or Muller). Philip and Anna Rubenking also raised two foster children: Henry Steging, Jr., born Jun. 21, 1854, who married Katherina Elizabeth Glackmeier. Anna Umland, but any details of her birth, marriage, and life are unknown at this time. Private John Reubenkoenig enlisted in the 44th Illinois Infantry on July 1, 1861 and was given a disability discharge on May 3, 1865, after receiving a debilitating wound from a canon blast, in his left arm. Philip did not renounce allegiance to the Duke of Hesse Cassel (Germany) and become an official citizen of the United States of America until he was 35 years of age (October 24, 1868), 16 years after landing in New Orleans. The Next Genration: William Henry Rubenking and Rachel Jane Atkins had 10 children; 8 boys and 2 girls. 1) Sylvester, my grandfather, was born on Jun. 9, 1883, in Havana, Illinois, and married Ola Mae Rutt on Aug. 3, 1909, in Randolf, Iowa. 2) Charles Henry was born on Oct. 18, 1885, in Havana, and married Margaret Virginia Myers on Jun. 15, 1910, in Sydney, Iowa. 3) Augusty was born and died on Jan. 31, 1888, in Havana. 4) Edward Franklin was born on Feb. 7, 1889, and had two wives. His first wife was Florence England. And on Feb. 5, 1920, he married Clara Mildred Rhino. 5) Laura May was born on Mar. 16, 1891, in Poplar City, Illinois. Laura May married Herman Fredrick Vogel on Dec. 5, 1906, in Randolf, Iowa. 6) Alven Fred was born on Jul. 30, 1893, and married Blanche England. 7) Louis Philip was born on Nov. 25, 1895, and died on Jan. 28, 1900. 8) A boy was stillborn on Jun. 11, 1898. 9) Effie Jane was born on Apr. 21, 1900, in Illinois, and married Elmer Hall. And after Elmer's death, she married George J. Buckman. 10) A boy was stillborn on Feb. 17, 1903. In 1905, William Henry Rubenking packed up his family and moved to southwestern Iowa, from the Illinois River, across the Mississippi River, not too far from the Missouri River. However, Sylvester (my grandfather) was in his early 20's by that time, and he was satisfied with remaining in Illinois, where his friends and extended family were. And yet, in 1908, Sylvester changed his mind and also made the move, traveling by train, and joining up with the rest of the family, already settled in Randolf (Iowa). Within a few months, grandpa had settled in himself and began courting grandma, Ola Mae Rutt, the daughter of Benjamin and Luella Rutt, of Casey, Iowa. Eventually, the two love birds got married (Aug. 3, 1909) and had 14 children of their own: 1) Mabel Christina was born on Apr. 15, 1910, in Randolf. She married Hugh Douglas Lawrence on Jun. 25, 1927, and they 3 daughters and 6 sons (the first of which was stillborn; 1928). 2) Ernest Abraham was born on Jan. 7, 1912, in Randolf. He married Callie Pickering on Jun. 5, 1934, and they had 5 daughters (1 set of twins died at birth) and 1 son. 3) Wayne Ralph was born Jul 5, 1913, in Malvern, Iowa. He married Jenie Audrey Blackburn on Feb. 23, 1935, in Bartlett, Iowa, and they had 4 sons. 4) William Henry was born on Dec. 29, 1915, in Randolf. He married Stella Dye White and had only one step-daughter. 5) John Merrill was born on Mar. 17, 1917, in Randolf. He married Norma Jean Taylor Kalkas and had 3 daughters, and later married Carolyn Diehl. 6) Edward Sylvester was born on Jan. 20, 1919. He died at the age of two, on Mar. 30, 1921. 7) Franklin Oliver was born on May 24, 1921, in Randolf. And he died short of his first birthday, on Apr. 27, 1922. 8) Pearl Luella was born Aug. 15, 1923, in Randolf. Aunt Pearl married Ivan Glade Taylor, Sr., on Nov. 9, 1940, and they had 3 sons and 1 daughter. They were divorced, and she married a church pastor. 9) Herman Norman was born on Sept. 14, 1925, in Randolf. And he married Purl; details not known at this time. 10) Laura Mae Jane was born on May 2, 1927, in Randolf. And she married George Albert Moore on Jan. 5, 1946, in Hiawatha, Kansas. They had 3 daughters. 11) Austin Vance (my dad) was born on Jul. 30, 1930, in Randolf. He married Gloria May (White) Simpson (my mother) on Dec. 22, 1951. And they had 3 sons: a) David Allen was born on Jun. 26, 1953, in Des Moines (Iowa) and married Cindy Michael. They have two sons (David Allen II and Aaron). b) Thomas Sylvester was born on Jan. 1, 1956, in Des Moines and married Rose Marie. They had a son (Chad Allan) before divorcing. Chad is married and has a son. c) Robert Vance was born on May 2, 1957, in Des Moines. I fathered my son, Robert (Bobby) Vance Rubenking, Jr., with his mother, Catherine Elizabeth Custer. And Bobby married Sharon Wilson and have a daughter (Katelyn Breanne). 12) Thomas August was born on Aug. 22, 1932, in Randolf. He married Eleanor Joyce Vanderpool on Jun. 14, 1956, in Malvern, Iowa, and had 4 sons and 1 daughter. 13) Sylviann Belle was born on May 30, 1934, in Randolf. She married Robert Dunkin and had 33 sons and 2 daughters. After their divorce, she married Jack Mooney and had 1 daughter. 14) Anita Louise was born on Aug. 25, 1936, in Randolf. She married Robert Ray Beloud, and they had a son and daughter and adopted 1 son. On July 14, 1908, a 26 year old by the name of John Rubenking was granted a patent in the United States, England, and France, for what was called "The Rubenking Negative Washing Device", a simple mechanism for developing glass negatives from the cameras of that era. However, the invention was made obsolete by roll film. posted by: Robert V. Rubenking
Blood travels around the body through arteries. Arteries run all over your body carrying oxygen-rich blood to all the organs and extremities. In a healthy adult, blood can transport easily around the body delivering an adequate supply. But in a person with clogged arteries, blood flow becomes limited and slows down. When blood supply becomes limited, especially to organs like the heart, brain and lungs, the organ function can start to diminish. Worse yet, clogged arteries are linked to incidences of stroke, heart attack and death. There are many contributing factors which can clog arteries such as: With all of these factors contributing to clogged arteries, can arteries ever be unclogged? Why yes, and in fact clogged arteries can very well be prevented. With some healthier lifestyle choices you can unclog your arteries and lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. Don’t think that a diagnosis of clogged arteries is a death sentence; it’s not. Just because a doctor informs you that your arteries are clogged doesn’t mean you can’t start practicing healthier habits to reverse the damage. Here are some ways to unclog arteries naturally and prevent clogged arteries from forming again in the future. By following these lifestyle and diet habits you can work your way to healthier, unclogged arteries which will protect your heart in the long run.
Squashing Sibling Squabbles It’s a familiar refrain: “I was here first!” “That’s mine!” On days when you contemplate equipping your children with boxing gloves and letting them duke it out, remember this: The bickering, teasing and flashes of jealousy aren’t just to be expected, they’re signs of healthy, albeit exasperating, childhood behavior. By learning how to negotiate and compromise, your kids strengthen their social and communication skills, as well as discover how to be good winners and losers. Experts say siblings who are able to work out their competitive feelings with one another tend to be better friends in the long run. Still, it’s hard for a parent to stand aside and not jump in to stop a heated argument or protect a younger child. But joining in the fray — by pleading, lecturing or yelling — often exacerbates the situation and interferes with your children’s abilities to work through problems. So retire that striped referee jersey and follow these expert tips to put an end to your family’s feuds. Acknowledge your children’s differences Conflicting personality types can be a major source of friction in families. Extroverts thrive on social interaction and constant activity; introverts need more quiet time and solitude. A sensitive child might burst into tears after his brother calls him a name, whereas a more resilient child might take the taunts for a while — and then finally slug his sister. The best thing to do is recognize these personality differences and educate your kids about each sibling’s traits. For example, explain to your outgoing child that his more reserved sibling needs quiet and space right now. Then help him respect these wishes by finding a fun activity or getting him together with a playmate to satisfy his own social, extroverted needs. Praise good deeds You have a greater chance of changing your kids’ behaviors with positive rewards than punishment, so compliment any altruistic behavior you witness between siblings. Set your children up for this recognition by offering an older child opportunities to teach a younger sibling or providing a young sibling with occasions to help out his big brother. Let them know how proud you are of them both for being so helpful and giving. To reinforce this, ask each child at dinner what nice thing they did for their siblings that day and applaud their efforts. They might surprise you by treating each other more kindly. Find healthy outlets for competition Competition between siblings can heat up as they grow older and is usually at its worst between ages 8 and 12. Siblings who are close in age or who have many of the same interests tend to compete more. Whether it’s shooting baskets or creating artwork, encourage each child to aim for his personal best and be enthusiastic about his activities. Since the green monster of jealousy is often to blame for many sibling squabbles, make sure you recognize each child’s passions and accomplishments without comparing kids to each other. Research shows that sibling rivalry is least likely to occur in homes where rules are set and strictly enforced. Encourage your kids to work through their disagreements by setting house rules, such as no physical aggression or name-calling. Or implement the five-minute rule: If the dispute isn’t resolved within that time frame, take away any items being fought over and separate the kids for a short cooling-off period. Make sure children respect each other’s property. If your kids share a room, provide each with private space that’s off-limits to siblings. Stay out of it Stay nearby when trouble is brewing, but don’t get involved unless necessary. After all, your kids created the problem, they should be held accountable for putting an end to it. Of course, siblings will try to get you to take sides by tattling (“Joey spit on me.” “I did not. She messed up my drawing.”), but spending time figuring out who’s to blame is draining and unproductive. Besides, it only teaches youngsters to blame one another when each party likely holds some responsibility for the fight. Instead, try phrases such as, “I don’t want to hear about it” and “Gee, that’s too bad.” Once your children know you’re not going to serve as judge, they’ll involve you less in their petty bickering and work more toward resolving their own problems. If dueling children reach an impasse or it seems physical injury is imminent, it’s time to work with them to resolve the problem. Experts suggest guiding quarreling kids by asking questions such as, “Could you play with this toy for five minutes and then let your sister have it for five minutes?” If the situation gets heated, send the children to separate rooms, wait for everyone to cool off, and then have them share their feelings and brainstorm solutions. Ask, “How did you feel when your sister called you stupid?” or “I know you were mad because your sister took your doll, but what else could you have done to get your toy back that wouldn’t have hurt her feelings?” If a child has damaged one of his sibling’s possessions (especially one that he “borrowed” without asking), he should earn the money to buy a replacement by taking over some of the wronged sibling’s chores. If the feuds continuously center on the same themes — a video game, computer time or who gets the car — you can halt the bickering by setting a schedule so that everyone gets a fair turn. Even with your best efforts, fights are bound to break out. By staying impartial and letting your brood resolve their own conflicts, you’ll teach them to be flexible, take turns, communicate respectfully and put others first. As kids master these lifelong skills, life at home should become more peaceful. Jeannette Moninger is a freelance writer who specializes in parenting, health and women’s topics.
Fruits and vegetables are an essential component to a healthy diet. They provide many necessary vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health. Most fruits and vegetables are also naturally low in calories and filling, making them an essential part of every meal. While fresh vegetables have long been held as the superior variety, research has begun to show that the nutritional difference between fresh and canned fruits and vegetables are not all that different. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Fresh fruits and vegetables that are destined to be shipped to fresh-produce sections around the country are typically picked before they reach their peak ripeness. While this gives them time to get to the consumers kitchen before ripening fully, it also gives them less time to develop a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Additionally, as soon as produce is picked, it naturally starts to decay. Each vitamin and mineral possesses their own sensitivities to different storage and processing environments, however as a general rule, fresh fruits and vegetables will lose nutrients up until they are eaten. Accordingly, fresh, local produce, eaten soon after harvest, and properly stored at cool temperatures between harvest and consumption are ideal for maximum nutrient content. One of the biggest pros to eating fresh produce is that it is completely natural. There are no added sugars, no preservatives and no hidden salts. A fresh apple is a fresh apple. In addition, most fresh produce packs significantly greater amounts of fiber than canned or frozen varieties, keeping you full and providing many other digestive health benefits. Canned Fruits and Vegetables While the taste and texture of canned produce may not compare to its fresh counterparts, they will actually still provide many of the same nutrients and minerals. Produce destined to be canned is processed immediately after harvesting, minimizing the time for initial nutrient losses. The heating process during canning can destroy anywhere from one-third to one-half of certain vitamins and minerals. However, once canned, additional losses of these sensitive vitamins are significantly less. Therefore, produce handled properly and canned promptly after harvest can be just as nutritious as fresh produce that has been held many days after harvest. When stocking up on canned produce, watch for sodium and added sugar. Often times, sodium is added to canned goods to help preserve them. Look for low-sodium, reduced-sodium or no-salt-added labeled cans. Additionally, you can drain and rinse canned veggies to reduce the sodium content even more. For fruits, opt for those canned in water over juices or syrups, as these have significantly higher amounts of added sugar. Much research has pointed to the fact that many Americans are not meeting their daily recommended intake for fruits and vegetables. Canned items may be a convenient way to keep fruits and vegetables stocked in your pantry for the times that you can't get to the store. Additionally, since they are non-perishable, you won't waste money by having to throw them away when they go bad, which sometimes can happen with fresh produce. The bottom line in this debate still remains that it is crucial to consume a variety of daily fruits and vegetables. Whether this is achieved through canned varieties or fresh is of secondary importance to making sure you meet your fruit and vegetable intake each and every day. Sarah Dreifke is a freelance writer based in DeKalb, IL with a passion for nutrition education and the prevention of chronic disease. She holds a Bachelor of Science in both Dietetics and Life Sciences Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, she is working towards a combined Master's Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics as well as a dietetic internship at Northern Illinois University.
LOUISIANA IN THE CIVIL WAR The goal of Civil War Louisiana is to provide an online resource of information and links to our great state's involvement in the war. Topics expected to be commonly covered are: Battles fought in Louisiana, battles that Louisianians participated in, unit histories, rosters, uniforms and equipment of Louisiana soldiers, personalities to include not only the leadership of the state and armies but the common soldier, flags and resources to research/read on the state's role in the war. Louisiana in the Civil War strongly supports the input of the Civil War community. Submissions of stories, information, etc. are welcome and full credit will be given for what we share.____________________________________________ Friday, July 6, 2012 Ordinance for the Policing of Slaves in St. Landry Parish An Ordinance Organizing and Establishing Patrols for the Police of Slaves in the Parish of St. Landry (1863) Interesting and unique piece in regards to slavery in St. Landry Parish.
Farmer Steve Groff of Holtwood, Pa., is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of cover crops in both no-till and conventional tillage farming methods. In fact, he worked for over 10 years with Dr. Ray Weil at the University of Maryland to develop and bring to market the Tillage Radish cover crop, a variety of the brassica species, selected for its uniquely aggressive single taproot that grows through compacted soils and provides many additional benefits. Groff operates what many experts consider as one of the most extensive on-farm cover crop research farms in the nation. His Cedar Meadows Farm covers 215 acres in Southeast Pennsylvania, just a few miles north of where the Susquehanna River empties into the Chesapeake Bay. In a new research finding in the use of cover crops, this past year, Groff grew 190 bushel per acre corn on farm-scale plots without the addition of Nitrogen fertilizer. For a nitrogen hungry crop like corn, such results are virtually unheard of in the agricultural arena. His annual Cover Crop Field Days attracted hundreds of farmers, scientists and environmental proponents to see first hand how cover crops are used to virtually eliminate soil erosion, reduce the use of all types of pesticides, enhance soil biology and actually increase yields in the process. In fact, University of Maryland research, in which Groff participated, showed that the use of the Tillage Radish increases corn yields by 12 bushels per acre (bu/ac), soybean yields by eight bu/ac, and winter wheat yields five bushels per acre and more in some cases. The tests were replicated in fields that have been continuously no-tilled for 18 years. The test fields were seeded in August 20, 2010 with a 10-species mix of cover crops. TA Seeds variety TA525-13V (103 day) corn was planted April 29, 2011. No starter or N was applied. Other plots in the fields receive 60, 90 and 120 lbs of N at sidedress. The harvest was measure by TA Seeds' weigh wagon. The zero-nitrogen fertilizer input and high corn yield is attributed to the sustained use of no-till practices over time as a means to build soil health, combined with nitrogen fixing cover crops. Groff's research shows that strategically selected blends of the Tillage Radish, legumes like Austrian Winter Peas, and soil-building plants like Phacelia and others can dramatically reduce or, in some cases like this research finding, replace the need for additional fertilizer input altogether. Groff's fields teem with earthworms, a recognized sign of healthy soil, where air and water infiltrate with ease, and where microbial populations are in balance with the plant life that the soils sustain. In fact, where Tillage Radish is planted as a fall cover crop, earth worms are attracted to them like a magnet, feed on them as they decompose in the spring and take their collected nutrient benefits deep into the root zone of the follow row crops. Beneficial fungi like Mycorrhiza are abundant in healthy soils, as well as beneficial insects and other life forms. Cover crops help restore soils in intensively cultivated agricultural fields such that the soil-depleting effects are largely offset. Interest is rapidly growing in knowledge about the regular use of cover crops planted after and before, and in some cases interseeding with cash crops like corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton. Properly selected cover crops can double as additional forage value for cattle. Groff's dedication to farm-based research is helping produce the kind of economic data and other practical information that farmers need to more readily adopt the regular use of cover crops as part of their cultivation program.
This will change the way you teach flowcharts! We all know that planning a program before coding is a sign of mastery and is a skill rewarded by marking schemes on NEA projects and exams. It is a sure sign of a non-confident coder when the first thing they do upon receiving a problem is open up their IDE and start writing lines of code. Unless the problem is extremely similar to something they have recently done, it’s a way to frustration. It is much faster to create a plan, think through the steps and change them if needed, rather than attempt to write the code, your thinking process interrupted by trying to remember the syntax, then not get the desired results and wonder if it’s the syntax or the logical error. You can see the person at this stage trying to randomly change/append the code hoping that something sticks. This is not helpful for the exam practice and very wasteful with 20 hours given for the current assessment cycle. Enter planning, either in pseudocode or flowcharts. We will concentrate on the interactive flowcharting tool called Flowgorithm which then has an amazing feature of generating decent pseudocode, or in fact, actual code for a number of the most popular languages. You can get a portable version here (requires no installation and works off the memory stick or a network shared area), or a full installation here. [UPDATE, here is a link to a newer version of the Portable Flowgorithm]. While it does have a few help pages but we thought we would add a summary that makes it more accessible to GCSE (and KS3) pupils. It is Windows only, however, some success has been reported running it under Wine (Windows emulator for Mac, see information on Wine here). A compact version of Flowgorithm manual can be downloaded here. Note, that Flowgorithm can’t be used in NEA sessions or installed to NEA accounts, due to its ability to generate code. First, let’s look at this video that sets up a basic programming problem and shows how to plan it with the help of Flowgorithm. Then we will leave you with a comprehensive set of exercises and tasks making use of Flowgorithm, although you don't have to use it this way. You can do the traditional pen-and-paper flowcharting and use these for guidance. And you can then use our flowchart making template PowerPoint file.
The results of a preclinical study demonstrates that treatment with orally available RNA splicing modifiers of the SMN2 gene starting early after birth is preventing deficits in a mouse model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). The study got published in the journal Science. Scientists from Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), PTC Therapeutics, Inc., the SMA Foundation, the University of Southern California and Harvard University collaborated to demonstrate that continuous treatment of SMA mice with these compounds increased life span, normalized body weight and prevented both disease-related motor dysfunction and neuromuscular deficits. To view the animation related to the study, please visit: http://youtu.be/Fp7MQlZGpKI. "Although still preclinical, these results demonstrate how SMN2 splicing modifiers could correct the molecular deficit that causes SMA," said Luca Santarelli, Head of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases at Roche. "This study represents an important step towards developing a potential therapeutic option for this devastating and currently untreatable condition. Early clinical trials are currently underway to determine the safety and tolerability of this approach." The study used chemical screening and optimization to identify orally available small molecules that selectively alter the splicing of the SMN2 pre-mRNA to produce stable full-length SMN protein. The SMN2 splicing modifiers described in the Science article penetrated into all mouse tissues tested, including brain, spinal cord and muscle, and thus improved SMN2 RNA splicing to increase SMN protein production in these disease-relevant tissues. As a result of the SMN protein increase, the compounds prevented the progression of SMA in a severe mouse model. These compounds also corrected SMN2 RNA splicing and increased SMN protein levels in cell cultures obtained from SMA patients, including stem cell-derived motor neurons. A Phase I clinical program to assess safety and tolerability with investigational compounds was initiated in early 2014. "The findings of this preclinical study contribute significantly to our understanding of SMA and provide further evidence suggesting that our strategy to upregulate SMN with small molecules could be effective," said Loren Eng, President of the SMA Foundation. "We are proud to have seeded this important work - we believe it could have a meaningful impact on the lives of patients who suffer from SMA." SMA is a genetic disease caused by mutation or deletion of the SMN1 (survival of motor neuron) gene. It affects one in approximately 10,000 live births and in the most severe forms is associated with a high rate of childhood mortality. SMA is characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons, muscle weakness and atrophy. The disease affects mainly proximal muscles including intercostal muscles (chest muscles), and patients often die due to respiratory complications.
The extinction optical thickness of aerosols from a free running 10-km GEOS-5 Nature-Run including dust (red), sea salt (blue), black and organic carbon (green) and sulphate (white) are depicted from August 2006 through April 2007. GEOS-5 was run with the GOCART model providing feedbacks of the direct radiative effects of aerosols within the model in addition to their advection by the weather within the simulation. Sea-salt (blue) is churned up from the ocean based on surface wind speeds, and most prevalent along mid-latitude storm tracks and frontal regions (including the Southern Ocean) and within the circulation and eye of tropical cyclones. Dust (red) is most prominent over the Saharan desert and can be seen interacting with a few Atlantic tropical cyclones during the end of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season. Organic and black carbon (green) are dispensed into the atmosphere from biomass burning, the most prominent for this period being over South America from Aug-Oct 2006, Indonesia from Sept-Nov 2006, Africa in January 2007. Sulphate (white) can be seen from two primary sources, those being fossil fuel emissions over Asia, Europe and the US, and also from volcanic emissions, there is a persistently active volcanic emission from Mt Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa, and then a large eruption from the Karthala Volcano on Grand Comore Island, Comoros in January of 2007.
PERSEUS AND MEDUSA Perseus was the son of Jupiter and Danae. His grandfather Acrisius, alarmed by an oracle which had told him that his daughter’s child would be the instrument of his death, caused the mother and child to be shut up in a chest and set adrift on the sea. The chest floated towards Seriphus, where it was found by a fisherman who conveyed the mother and infant to Polydectes, the king of the country, by whom they were treated with kindness. When Perseus was grown up Polydectes sent him to attempt the conquest of Medusa, a terrible monster who had laid waste the country. She was once a beautiful maiden whose hair was her chief glory, but as she dared to vie in beauty with Minerva, the goddess deprived her of her charms and changed her beautiful ringlets into hissing serpents. She became a cruel monster of so frightful an aspect that no living thing could behold her without being turned into stone. All around the cavern where she dwelt might be seen the stony figures of men and animals which had chanced to catch a glimpse of her and had been petrified with the sight. Perseus, favored by Minerva and Mercury, the former of whom lent him her shield and the latter his winged shoes, approached Medusa while she slept, and taking care not to look directly at her, but guided by her image reflected in the bright shield which he bore, he cut off her head and gave it to Minerva, who fixed it in the middle of her Aegis. Milton, in his “Comus,” thus alludes to the Aegis: “What was that snaky-headed That wise Minerva wore, unconquered virgin, Wherewith she freezed her foes to congealed stone, But rigid looks of chaste austerity, And noble grace that dashed brute violence With sudden adoration and blank awe!” Armstrong, the poet of the “Art of Preserving Health,” thus describes the effect of frost upon the waters: “Now blows the surly North and chills throughout The stiffening regions, while by stronger charms Than Circe e’er or fell Medea brewed, Each brook that wont to prattle to its banks Lies all bestilled and wedged betwixt its banks, Nor moves the withered reeds ... The surges baited by the fierce North-east, Tossing with fretful spleen their angry heads, E’en in the foam of all their madness struck To monumental ice. So stern, so sudden, wrought the grisly aspect Of terrible Medusa, When wandering through the woods she turned to Stone Their savage tenants; just as the foaming Lion Sprang furious on his prey, her speedier power Outran his haste, And fixed in that fierce attitude he stands Like Rage in marble!” —Imitations of Shakspeare.
The letter expresses the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) mounting concern following 19 outbreaks of E. coli 0157:H7 in the past decade, with one outbreak also reported in Minnesota last month. The document, which provides guidance but does not set out new regulations, follows the failure of efforts by the California Department of Health Service (CDHS) over the past three years to successfully engage the lettuce industry and set out a comprehensive plan to address the issue of E. coli. Infection with Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 (E. coli), which was first described in 1982, has emerged rapidly as a major cause of bloody diarrhoea and acute renal failure. The infection is sometimes fatal, particularly in children. Pre-washed salads encapsulate in many ways what modern consumers want: convenience, nutrition and safety. Unsurprisingly, sales topped $2.3 billion last year, according to market analyst ACNielsen. The product has even been credited with boosting consumption of fruits and vegetables by making them easier and more attractive. But the discovery of a potential food poisoning outbreak could change all that. Bacteria that cause food-borne illness can be destroyed by cooking, but most salads are served raw. As a result, "the manner in which they are grown, harvested, packed, processed and distributed is crucial to ensuring that microbial contamination is minimized," said the FDA in the letter. Contamination can occur at any point along the food supply chain. The E. coli strain is typically derived from animal fecal matter, which can come into contact with fresh produce at the farm level, primarily through floodwaters or high winds, or at the processing level, through poor hygiene conditions. The FDA "strongly encourages" firms in the lettuce industry "to review their current operations" in order to ensure they are taking the appropriate measures to prevent contamination. Last week the FDA issued recommendations for modernizing the current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)- a set of practices to help eliminate food-born illness risk factors. GMPs are currently mandatory for processors of fresh produce, but voluntary for packers. According to the FDA, sanitation procedures are a key area for which regulations need to be tightened. And last month, a final ruling requiring all manufacturers to register with the FDA was approved. The new law will allow the FDA to quickly locate food processors in the event of deliberate or accidental contamination of the food supply. As result of the recent tightening up of procedures, the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 infections decreased 42 percent from 1996 to 2004. Campylobacter infections fell 31 percent, cryptosporidium dropped 40 percent, and yersinia decreased 45 percent. Recent advances in food safety research are also enabling plant pathologists to gain insight into how dangerous human pathogens, such as strains of E.coli and Salmonella, can survive on fresh fruits and vegetables and what can be done to control future outbreaks.
1. As the novel begins, the woman puts all her husband's possessions from her house in ______ on the front lawn. 2. What is the only thing left in the house that reminds the woman of the man in the Prologue? A stained glass panel. 3. Where does the woman hide the one object that reminds her of her husband? Behind the toilet. 4. What time of year is it as the story begins? 5. After all her husband's possessions are sold, what does the woman hand out as people pass her yard? 6. Which one of the following is NOT sold in the yard sale in the Prologue? Baseball signed by Babe Ruth. This section contains 4,038 words (approx. 14 pages at 300 words per page)
The smartphone has made our life even more worthwhile, but technology has its side effects too. Ever since the device became more portable (and literally “handheld”,) it has been posed as a potential health hazard, due to the electromagnetic radiation it creates during a call or data network access. The fact worth taking note is that according to the WHO (World Health Organization), this effect is possibly carcinogenic. Do not freak out yet, because it’s your smartphone that can help you alleviate this radiation effect. Like always, there is an app for that. Tawkon is a smartphone app that monitors in real-time your exposure to mobile radiation and alerts your accordingly with simple steps to minimize the effect. Download and launch the app, and get ready to be less worried about potential radiation. The app sits in the notification area and the icon changes colors (green,yellow and red) to notify the status of radiation exposure. This also works while you are on a call and how a Bluetooth headset (or loudspeaker) can help you safely make a call if there is a rise in radiation level. The Prediction mode maps danger zones/conditions during phone activity and it learns with time. The time range can be as low as the last call duration and range up to 6 months. This serves great if you are determined enough to avoid health hazards. The app also serves on a global perspective by creating a radiation exposure map. The map is extensively updated with radiation data generated by users, which in turn helps users who wish to travel to a certain area and check the radiation levels it possess. Tawkon certainly is a great app that effectively does what it promises to. Anybody who is moderate to highly dependent on their mobile phones should consider using it. The app is currently available for Android, iPhone (jailbroken) and Blackberry.
Shifting the Emphasis from Product Testing to Process Testing By William H. Sperber, Ph.D. To test the process or test the product? This question reminds me of the riddle that has probably been asked for thousands of years—“Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Thanks to evolutionary biology, we know that the egg came first, by several hundred million years. However, the answer to the “test the process or test the product” question might never be so clear. I think today we must answer, “Both.” There are times when it will be better to test the process, and other times when it will be better to test the product. It could also be necessary to test both, or neither. In the modern food industry, product testing preceded process testing as a means to evaluate or assure food safety. For that reason, there remains today an undue reliance, even insistence, upon product testing. This article will discuss testing processed food products, raw foods and uncooked, ready-to-eat (RTE) food products as well as the process, and shifting the emphasis from product to process testing. Testing Processed Food Products In the 1960s, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) attempted to establish procedures for food safety evaluation by organizing and publishing a wide array of microbiological criteria based upon product testing. I will mention just two of the original reports here. They are the following: • NAS/NRC. 1969. An evaluation of the Salmonella problem. • Microorganisms in foods. Book 2. Sampling for microbiological analysis: Principles and specific applications. These publications include hazard and risk categories, microbiological specifications and product sampling plans. This is where n = 13, 15, 30 or 60 originated. It must be pointed out that these procedures were developed for the analysis of materials of unknown origin and unknown means of control—for example, for materials that could have been procured at any point in the global supply chain—or they were used to evaluate acute problems such as Salmonella in dried eggs in the 1960s, just as today we might evaluate an acute problem of Salmonella in nut products. In the absence of information about the process, product testing is the only means to evaluate food safety, even though we know it doesn’t work very well. Product testing for food safety is unnecessary today when processed foods are of known origin and produced under known means of control. The major advance in this area was the introduction of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system of food safety management in the 1970s, with the later recognition and accepted use of prerequisite programs. HACCP is a preventative system designed to control significant identified hazards by means of validated process control measures. It does not depend on product testing to assure food safety. In fact, HACCP was developed precisely because product testing cannot reliably detect low-level defects, such as low-incidence pathogen contamination in foods. The application of HACCP is best epitomized by the canned food regulations that were developed in 1973. Based upon HACCP, finished-product testing of canned foods is not required and not necessary when the requirements of these regulations are met. A similar food-processing application preceded HACCP and the canned foods regulations by 50 years—the first publication of the pasteurized milk ordinance (PMO) in 1923. Scientists and regulators back then learned that the safety of dairy products could be assured simply by heating them to a prescribed temperature and holding for a prescribed period of time. Pathogen testing in pasteurized dairy products is not required or necessary. However, the PMO does require indicator microorganism testing—coliform and aerobic plate counts—to verify pasteurization effectiveness and sanitary handling post-pasteurization. In many current applications of HACCP and prerequisite programs, product testing for indicator microorganisms (rather than pathogenic microorganisms) may also be performed to verify process control. Testing Raw Foods or Uncooked Food Products The success of HACCP and prerequisite programs in assuring the safety of processed foods has lead to increasing political and public pressure for more testing of foods earlier in the supply chain, particularly those that are distributed raw, fresh or unprocessed to the retail and consumer levels—foods such as raw ground beef and fresh produce. Moreover, a number of recent and anticipated food safety regulations have fueled the expectation that raw and fresh foods can be rendered pathogen-free. I will point out two recent examples: • The E. coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef adulterant rule, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in 1994. • The Pathogen Reduction: HACCP rule, commonly called the “MegaRule,” for raw meat and poultry products, published by FSIS. This rule includes Salmonella performance standards. Contrary to the praise heaped on this rule recently, it has nothing to do with HACCP and precious little to do with food safety. Testing raw or fresh foods for pathogens such as Salmonella or E. coli O157:H7 is often futile because contamination, should it occur, typically occurs at a low level and incidence. Testing foods such as raw ground beef and fresh produce is impractical and inefficient and does not enable effective decision-making. Adulterant rules and pathogen performance standards contribute greatly to this inefficiency and ineffectiveness. Let’s do a thought exercise. Assume that over a period of weeks or months, your company produces 1,000 twenty-ton truckloads of raw ground beef or fresh produce. Further assume that to meet regulatory and/or customer requirements, you must perform pathogen testing on 15, 30 or 60 samples taken from each truck. After sampling 1,000 trucks, you would have tested a total of 15,000 to 60,000 samples, at great expense. Assume you find 10 trucks that tested positive for the target pathogen, while the remaining 990 trucks tested negative. Ten out of 1,000 trucks is an incidence of 1%. We know in practice that the incidence of pathogens in the few lots of food that are in fact contaminated is usually less than 1%, more like 0.1%—which would be one truckload in a thousand—or even less. The question that all stakeholders in the food supply chain should find the courage to ask and honestly answer is the following: “What should be done with the 10 trucks that tested positive?” Do you think that these 10 trucks are any different from the 990 trucks that yielded negative results? Quite likely, they are not different. I think we can justifiably assume that any 20-ton truck of raw food will have some extremely low level of incidental pathogen contamination. FSIS itself conceded this point in its 2000 E. coli O157:H7 risk assessment. If you test enough truckloads, you will occasionally find a positive pathogen-test result. Why should a positive truck be flagged for special handling, including destruction? Why are we testing such trucks in the first place? Pointless testing of this nature costs the affected industries many millions of dollars each year. This is an extremely poor use of resources. We must do better. I am not saying that we should ignore the infrequent public health issues that may exist with certain raw or fresh foods. However, rather than more product testing, I think we need a major collaborative effort among the industry, public health, regulatory and other sectors to systematically expand our food safety focus to all parts of the global supply chain, from farm to table, and to implement HACCP and prerequisite programs where possible. Critical control points can usually be applied only in the processing and consumption links of the supply chain, while prerequisite programs can be applied at all or most of the links. Even if we can accomplish this, the bottom line remains the same. We must acknowledge that, despite our best efforts to implement HACCP and prerequisite programs throughout the supply chain, raw foods will never be 100% pathogen-free and will never be 100% correctly handled and prepared at the consumer level. Testing the Process The majority of processed foods now produced in developed countries are produced under known, controlled conditions that are established in HACCP plans and prerequisite programs. Under these conditions, product testing for pathogens can be replaced by process testing. “Testing the process” must be considered from two perspectives. The first would be testing finished products for indicator microorganisms that could be used to verify the effectiveness of process controls, as is done in the PMO. The second perspective is the sampling of the food-processing environment to evaluate or verify sanitary operating conditions. The production area can be divided into zones that include product-contact surfaces, non-product-contact surfaces, floors and drains and employee and utility areas. Product-contact surface sampling is the most direct way to “test the process” and its potential impact on product contamination. Environmental monitoring can be performed for specific pathogens and/or for indicator microorganisms. Testing for Listeria is often done in wet production areas for refrigerated, perishable, RTE meat and dairy products. Testing for Salmonella is typically done in dry operations that produce items such as dried dairy products, dried eggs, confectionary products and peanut butter and other nut products. Another kind of environmental monitoring can be very useful as an early warning signal of potential contamination, but it may be overlooked today. In a recent conversation I had with Dr. John Silliker, he reminded me of an important lesson he learned during his career in the evaluation of pathogen contamination in food-processing environments. Rather than relying solely on random microbiological monitoring of particular sites or pieces of equipment, he found it helpful to test environmental samples that were highly representative of the finished product, except that they had received much greater environmental exposure than the finished product. His examples included food materials such as sifter tailings, product spillage in packaging areas, chocolate salvage or rework and peanut butter that accumulated on the scraper blade of a conveyor belt. Detection of a pathogen in such a sample indicated that the production area might be contaminated with the same pathogen and that an immediate investigation should be conducted. It is important that the size of the environmental sample be the same as the sample taken for finished product testing. Like many of you, I know this is a good idea because decades ago, we used a similar procedure, testing the dust collectors in Pillsbury bakery mix facilities. Even today, Cargill and many other millers use an environmental monitoring plan to verify the sanitary quality of milled cereal grains. Shifting the Emphasis from Product to Process Testing In summary, while the circumstances vary as described previously, it is sometimes necessary to test the product and sometimes necessary to test the process. The current balance seems to be heavily in favor of product testing, a balance that will become more lopsided as expectations for pathogen-free raw or fresh foods continue to mount. To more effectively assure the safety of all foods, I believe that we must spend more effort on validating and implementing process controls and process testing measures while eliminating unnecessary product testing. In our post-retirement careers, Dr. Silliker and I hope to stimulate research along these lines to enhance the safety of foods that are sometimes problematic. Now we are trying to organize a collaborative effort to increase the safety of fresh produce by developing microbiological testing methodologies that involve testing produce processes, not the products. If this effort is successful, such an approach could be applied to additional raw or RTE foods, enabling the producers of these foods to use their resources more efficiently while actually improving the microbiological safety of the foods. Insofar as possible, our goal should be to establish microbiological monitoring procedures that enable us to better ensure food safety by testing the process rather than testing the product. William H. Sperber, Ph.D., has led microbiology and food safety programs in international corporations for more than 40 years. He is Global Ambassador for Food Protection at Cargill, Inc., Minnetonka, MN. 1. Foster, E. M. 1971. The control of salmonellae in processed foods. A classification system and sampling plan. Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists 54:259–266. 2. International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF). 1974. Microorganisms in foods 2: Sampling for microbiological analysis: Principles and specific application. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 3. Code of Federal Regulations. 2002. Title 21; part 113, Thermally processed low-acid foods packaged in hermetically sealed containers; and part 114, Acidified foods. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 4. Food and Drug Administration. 2005. Grade “A” pasteurized milk ordinance. Pub. No. 229. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. www.cfsan.fda.gov/~ear/pmo05toc.html. Viewed May 1, 2009. 5. Code of Federal Regulations. 1996. Title 9; part 304. Pathogen reduction; Hazard analysis and critical control point systems; Final Rule. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 6. Sperber, W. H. 2005. HACCP and transparency. Food Control 16:505–509. 7. Sperber, W. H. and North American Millers’ Association (NAMA). 2007. Role of microbiological guidelines in the production and commercial use of milled cereal grains: A practical approach for the 21st century. Journal of Food Protection 70:1041–1053. This article is based upon a presentation at The Consumer Goods Forum, Feb. 4, 2010, entitled “Getting the Most out of Micro Testing…Test the Process or Test the Product?”Categories: Regulatory: HACCP
Erasmus+ Key Action 203 – Strategic Partnerships Flipped Learning Practices to Release Maths Anxiety with the Use of Robotics MINDMATHS RELEASING MATHS ANXIETY In order to enjoy the pleasure of mathematics, we aim at disclosing that mathematics is not an isolated subject that has little to do with the objects around us. Learning by having fun is a good way to release maths anxiety. We aim at implementing open and innovative practices in this digital era by using and developing digital tools and applying flipped learning as an element of blended learning during the training courses at the final process of the project. MATHS EDUCATION WITH ROBOTICS Coding and algorithmic thinking skills are the most desired skills of today’s professions, therefore we aim at integrating robotics into maths education starting from primary school education to show how these disciplines are interconnected with each other and raising learners’ awareness. Project Consortium consists of 6 partners from 4 programme countries. Transnational Project Meetings Transnational project meetings of the MindMaths project team members News about the project activities and the outcomes We aim at reaching more audiences throughout Europe.
use the search button at the top right-hand corner to search for articles and worksheets that will ease overwhelm and isolation In my therapy practice I can pretty easily classify my clients’ struggles into two categories. They are either struggling with overwhelm or isolation, and oftentimes both. Overwhelm comes in many flavors. I sit with young adults just starting out and older adults who are overwhelmed with school work, extracurricular activities, societal expectations and bills, just to name a few of the many ways overwhelm can present itself. So often these days I hear stories from men and women who feel they can’t leave their current job, even though the workload keeps increasing, but because of the economy, their rate of pay is not. This can lead to feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness. In Western psychological terms, overwhelm is labeled anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or panic. Even addiction can be seen as a way of coping with overwhelm. The theme of isolation has different manifestations as well. So many of my patients feel inadequate in their parenting, their work productivity and in their connection to community while trying to achieve the standard of living the media tells us we should be striving for. These chronic feelings of lack and being “less than” often lead to what modern psychology would label, low self-esteem, depression, destructive personality disorders, and again, addiction in all it’s forms. How can mindfulness help you cope with overwhelm and isolation? Let’s start by looking at overwhelm. Another way to label overwhelm is to call it chronic stress. In these terms we can look at what is known about the nervous system and how mindfulness practices can reset an overwhelmed nervous system. Mindfulness helps calm a nervous mind by building up resistance to distractions that often trigger, anxiety, fear, and anger – all overwhelming emotions. By focusing on the breath or another object of meditation on a regular basis, the brain and nervous system are soothed, the fight or flight response becomes less of a daily experience, and a greater sense of calm begins to influence our lives. As for isolation, mindfulness can help us identify habits of thought, word, and deed that keep us isolated. Mindfulness practice requires a sense of inquiry and curiosity. When we are mindful we can ask ourselves, what is this loneliness? where is the root of this lack of motivation? What is this sadness? After identification of some the roots of our sadness and loneliness we can begin to weaken these often stubborn roots, and cultivate new, more productive ways of viewing our thoughts, words, and deeds, not the least of which is a healthy dose of kindness and compassion toward the self. Mindful hub exists to help individuals and professional cultivate mindfulness in daily life. Please search our database of articles. Become a member for more hands-on tools. Send us your feedback. We wish you twenty minutes of mindfulness every day! use our search button for related entries, or see the links below:
How Grass on the Pitch Is Made Did you ever wonder how the grass on most football pitches looks so pristine and well-kept? Is there a secret to maintaining a perfect lawn for the games? Or, perhaps, the groundskeepers just roll-out some synthetic stuff and spend the rest of their day checking out Dafabet bonuses? As it turns out, it’s a little bit of column A and column B. The Natural Look For the most part, and for the natural feel, the turf on football pitches is real grass, save the weeds. Mind you, the constant trotting, water retention, and the unavoidable damage sustained by the turf due to rough play and the weather would make any field of grass look miserable and/or more like a swamp than a turf. There are several things people do in order to keep the turf pristine. First of all, there is the regular returfing. This means that the grass is replaced with new grass over and over again. In order to do this, new patches of grass have to be grown and nurtured away from the harming elements, like the weeds, certain bugs, and the climate. To completely returf an area takes less than a week, which makes it flexible and accommodating enough to prepare for the next match. In order to keep the water from destroying the field and making matches turn into mud-baths, there is an intricate drainage system underneath the pitch, which takes care of any excess water via pipes, sand, and other methods. Some cannot afford to get new lawns every season. Because of this, some stadiums use artificial turf. There are also hybrids, but more on that later. The main material from which the grass is made is silicon sand and rubber. They are blended and dyed green, after which the mixture is turned into long strands. These strands are then woven into something akin to yarn. Now comes the hard part. There is a machine that tufts the yarn through the turf. Think of embroidering or sewing, but on an unbelievably large scale. The final product is then coated with latex and any strands that are a standing out are cut down to size. There are times when stadiums combine the two in order to preserve the look and feel without replanting the grass. The artificial strands are either tufted into the sand, mixed before installation, or people just provide the artificial turf with seeds in the sand. In order to prevent players from injury, and to remedy any other concerns, there are safety standards that must be obeyed. Which to Choose? This has to do with the type of stadium or pitch. If one needs a pitch to practice on, there is no need to follow the strict FA guidelines – any field of grass will do. On the other hand, if we are talking about full-grown, world-class stadiums, it is a matter of finances and the availability of the materials that govern the type of grass on the pitch. Hybrids are most common, though, because they allow the natural feel without excessive grounds work.
Unraveling the Mysteries of Duck Mating Any animal whose genital evolutionary pattern resembles a Cold War arms race deserves some attention from the scientific community. The complexity of male and female ducks’ reproductive organs indicates just this. Their reproductive organs have co-evolved in a “sexual arms-race” resulting in large corkscrew phalluses and complicated vaginal tracts. Surprisingly, the female duck’s reproductive organs have not been studied in detail until recently. Dr. Patricia Brennan and colleagues started to unravel the labyrinthine nature of their vaginal tracts and published on the subject in 2007. Brennan, a post-doctorate researcher at Yale University, is one of the leading figures in the field of research revolving around the duck’s complex genital anatomy. As with many groundbreaking scientific findings, Brennan did not start out studying duck anatomy. Before shifting her research to duck anatomy, Brennan studied the tinamou, a family of 47 species of exotic birds found in Central and South America. The tinamous have similar anatomies to ducks but in significantly more modest proportions. While they both have corkscrew phalluses, the tinamou phallus is significantly smaller in size and proportion than the duck’s. While studying the tinamou, Brennan had a hard time obtaining tinamous for dissection because the only places where they could be found were the Central and South American tropics. Noticing a similarity between duck and tinamou anatomies, Brennan decided to dissect a male duck and was astonished by the results. Brennan recounts, “I saw this large complicated penis and asked myself, ‘Why do these males have such large phalluses?’” Trying to explain the duck’s unusual reproductive anatomy, Brennan changed gears and began focusing on ducks instead of tinamous. Duck phalluses are strange for several reasons. First of all, the size of their phalluses can be as large as forty centimeters. Some male ducks have phalluses that are larger than their bodies. Unlike mammalian phalluses, duck phalluses are not supported by blood or muscle but rather by lymph. For this reason, there is nothing to support a duck’s erection and the process of reproduction takes place within half a second. To study duck reproduction in detail, Brennan had to use a high-speed camera to capture the very short process. After initial arousal, the duck phallus extends as sperm travel in the outer layer of the penis in a corkscrew path. It takes the phallus just as much time to extend as it takes for the sperm to travel from the base to the tip of the phallus. A Focus on the Female By the time Brennan had entered the field, much work had already been published on male duck phalluses and their anatomy. This extensive study of the male duck provoked Brennan to ask, “What about the female?” She began studying the female duck’s anatomy with an amusing saying in mind: “For every car there is a garage.” This approach, apparently, had never been taken before, allowing Brennan’s recently published findings to represent a plethora of new information about the female duck’s reproductive biology. In most birds, the oviduct resembles a simple tube, but in ducks, the vaginal tract not only spirals inside the duck but also has sacs and crevices that add to its complexity. This is bizarre, considering that 97 percent of birds do not have phalluses or vaginal tracts. Even among the remaining three percent that do have phalluses, like the tinamou, ducks are still an anomaly. There are several theories that attempt to explain the unique evolution of ducks’ sexual organs; however, the most popular theory explaining the reproduction organs of waterfowl states that forced copulation is the cause of the unusual structures of ducks’ sexual organs. Forced copulation, which is unlike the reproduction methods of any other birds, is not uncommon among waterfowl. An Evolutionary Arms Race The incidence of forced copulation among mallards, the most common species of ducks, has been confirmed in the literature since at least 1911. But the question remained: why would forced copulation influence the structure of a female mallard’s vaginal tract? Brennan has collaborated with Richard O. Prum, Yale Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, to study the correlation between forced copulation and the complexity of duck genitalia. This study showed that the shape of the female duck’s vaginal tract explains the correlation. While male ducks have corkscrew-shaped phalluses, female ducks have anti-corkscrew-shaped vaginal tracts. That is, female ducks have reproductive organs specifically designed to be hard to penetrate. This means that only the fittest males can successfully copulate with female ducks. To test her hypothesis, Brennan conducted an experiment on a duck farm in California. The ducks on the California farm were genetically enhanced to be more fit and have larger phalluses, which made them perfect candidates for Brennan’s research. Brennan and her colleagues wanted to see if the female duck vaginal tract was indeed harder for a male duck to penetrate. Three synthetic duck vaginas with different structures were created: two tube-like ones, like the vaginal tracts of most birds, and one that was a replica of a common female duck’s vaginal tract. The studies showed that while most of the male ducks had no difficulty penetrating the two tube-like synthetic vaginas, a significant number of ducks could not penetrate the third anti-spiral synthetic vagina. Therefore, only the fittest ducks with the largest phalluses could penetrate the complicated tract. Through natural selection, male and female ducks have co-evolved in the growth of their reproductive organs. While many aspects of duck anatomy still remain a mystery, the last few years have brought a wealth of new information to the field—with a great impact due to Brennan’s exploration of hitherto unexplored parts of the female duck’s anatomy.
- Historic Sites Henry Hobson Richardson “I’ll plan anything a man wants,” he said, “from a cathedral to a chicken coop.” The monumental results transformed American architecture October/november 1981 \| Volume 32, Issue 6 Richardson did not have anything like the intellectual curiosity of Joseph Priestley. Nor did he have anything like Priestley’s spontaneous involvement with people who wished to change the nature of society. Neither in his art nor in his life did he look forward to a world transformed. The world as it was was quite good enough for him. Nor did he have that most engaging of Joseph Priestley’s traits: the readiness to follow up a hundred different subjects at one and the same time. From the moment that he settled on his chosen profession he was a man of one subject, one object, and one ambition: to build as well as he could in materials that had been around forever. Meanwhile, he took his time over that choice of profession. Not only did he not show any precocious vocation, but he showed no particular drive to succeed. He was a very good mathematician in school, but he showed none of that preternatural intellectual activity that is the mark of the mathematician of genius. He was bright enough to be able to play several games of chess at once while blindfolded, but he seems to have regarded chess as no more than an agreeable distraction. He played the flute rather well, and fenced even better. He was more dandified in his dress than was usual at that time. One of his fellow students remembered him as “a slender, companionable Southern lad, full of Creole life and animation.” It was fundamental to his success in later life that, without being either a toady or a snob, he gravitated by instinct toward young men who were likely to become persons of importance. Initially it was they who sought him out—at Harvard, for instance, he was elected to the Porcellian Club, which admitted only fifteen members at a time—but he took care not to lose sight of them. When he moved his architectural practice to Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1874, it was in large part because Brookline was at that time a kind of game park in which prominent people could rub up against one another. Once again, it was not that he was on the make—no one ever accused him of that—but rather that he had got a taste for the company of men and women of a certain kind and saw no reason not to indulge it. His fellow Porcellians did not know about his architectural interests and certainly didn’t spot him as a future leader of his profession. It came as a surprise when he decided, at an undisclosed time and for an undisclosed reason, to apply for admission to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. To get into the Ecole was in itself an achievement, since the examination was in French, lasted a month, and was conducted in public. At the first attempt, in the fall of 1859, he failed in descriptive geometry, a subject that he had first looked at only four weeks before. But in November, 1860, he came eighteenth in a field of a hundred and twenty and became the second American (after Richard Morris Hunt) to win admission. He had not intended to stay long in Paris. Louisiana was still his home, and it was taken for granted that he would eventually return there and set up an architectural practice in New Orleans. But before this could come about, the Civil War wrought a total change in his circumstances. His family lost their money. His income dwindled, arrived irregularly at best, and finally stopped altogether. From being one of the richer young Americans in Paris he became a pauper, obliged to work all day for his living and to study by night. Though buoyed and bolstered by his inborn high spirits, he had a difficult time. But as one of his Parisian roommates said later, “Misfortune gave him maturity of mind.” By 1862 this most gregarious and sought-after of men was writing to his fiancée, Julia Gorham Hayden, that “study and society are incompatible … I hardly have time to take my meals … I intend studying my profession in such a manner as to make my success a surety and not a matter of chance…. Every day I find new beauties in a profession which I already place at the head of all the Fine Arts.” What were the “new beauties” in question? As to that, surmise is all. Richardson was in Paris at a time of great ebullition for architects and architecture. The Second Empire conceived of architecture as the handmaiden of statecraft. It would have been difficult to be an architectural student in Paris between 1860 and 1865 and not hear talk of the new Opéra, the new Palais de Justice, the new extension of the Louvre, and the new Gare du Nord, the two big new state theaters in the Place du Chatelet, and, not least, the new Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Richardson is not known to have regarded any of the new official buildings in Paris in the light of revelation. But the projects listed above set the scale for his American career, insofar as they were, one and all, projects of weight and moment, by which an entire society was to be given a new tone. In this sense, the “new beauties” of which he spoke could have been a matter of scale, social responsibility, and enduring moral force.
1. What did the boys see in the dumpster on their way home from school? 2. How did the boys react when they saw the old man? 3. How did the old man react to the boys? 4. What does the shift from third person to first person at the end of the first chapter signify? 5. What did Jake think about his name? 6. What was Jake's mom like when he was a baby? This section contains 2,320 words (approx. 8 pages at 300 words per page)
Some math trivia examples include these facts: The middle digit of a three-digit answer to the multiplication of any number by 11 is the sum of the other two digits, or 21 x 11 = 231, while 2 + 1 = 3. The sum of the digits of the result of multiplying a number by 9 is always 9; 2 x 9 = 18, while 1 + 8 = 9. Another fun trivia fact is that the number 142,847 is cyclic, meaning that its digits switch positions in a cycle when the figure is multiplied by any number from 1 to 6. For example, 142,857 × 1 = 142,857, while 142,857 × 5 = 714,285, 142,857 × 4 = 571,428 and 142,857 × 6 = 857,142. When multiplying 1089 by 9, the answer is its exact reverse: 9801. Most mathematical symbols were invented in the 16th century, before which math problems were expressed in words. The Fibonacci sequence is manifest in nature. An example of the Fibonacci sequence includes the pattern of leaves around the stems of some plants. Another trivia fact is that the name Google originated with the misspelling of the term "googol," which is the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. Lastly, a ratio of 1.618 is called the golden ratio.Learn More The magnitude, or modulus, of a complex number in the form z = a + bi is the positive square root of the sum of the squares of a and b. In other words, \|z\| = sqrt(a^2 + b^2).Full Answer > The number 16 is an even number and is the only integer that has the form xy=yx, where x and y are different numbers (2 and 4). Another fact is that the base 16, or hexadecimal system, is a notational system for expressing real numbers used in computer science. The 16 digits it uses to represent numbers are the numbers 0-9 and the letters A-F.Full Answer > The number "14" is the atomic number for the element silicon, atomic weight or mass of nitrogen and the number of days in a fortnight. Valentine's Day occurs on Feb. 14. Fourteenth is the common designation for the actual 13th floor of some taller buildings due to superstitions around the number 13.Full Answer > A number model in math is a sentence that illustrates how the parts of a number story are related. The equation may include addition, subtraction, division and multiplication and may be expressed as words or in number form.Full Answer >
England recently released a new ten-pound note, featuring beloved author Jane Austen. She will become the second woman only to the Queen to grace the front of an English bank note, which is clear evidence in her continuing fandom and the enduring interest in her work. The author of the classics Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Northanger Abbey published her work anonymously and did not claim notoriety until her siblings took it upon themselves to publish two previously unprinted books following her death. It was, therefore, not until the mid-19th century that she gained widespread notability. Continue reading Jane Austen With thanks to The Open University for allowing us to repost this piece. Originally posted on their website here. A rights activist against the exploitation what was prevalent in South Africa, Charlotte Maxeke was South Africa’s first black female graduate and one of the first female freedom fighters. Find out more about her extraordinary story. Continue reading Charlotte Maxeke Maggie Lena Walker (1867-1934) spent her life dedicated to improving the status of African-Americans and women, particularly through economic empowerment. She was the first woman in America to found and serve as president of a bank. She was also a leader in her community, a great orator, a successful businesswoman and a philanthropist. This is a just a brief summation of Walker’s accomplishments – how she became all of these things, considering where she started in life, is a testament to her drive and determination and an accomplishment in itself. Continue reading Maggie Lena Walker Sarah was born on 6 June 1826 in Salem, Massachusetts, the second youngest child of the ten offspring of John and Nancy Remond. Salem was 14 miles from Boston and Sarah says that it contained “about 25,000 inhabitants, who are characterised by general intelligence, industry and enterprise and few towns in the States can boats of more wealth and refinement than Salem.” Continue reading Sarah Parker Remond Have you ever heard the name Kate Warne? Most people haven’t. And yet, she did amazing things – every bit as impressive as household names like Amelia Earhart, Sally Ride and Marie Curie. Not only did she convince the founder of the Pinkerton Detective Agency to hire her as a female operative – in 1856! – she rose through the ranks to head up a Bureau of Female Detectives within the agency, saved Abraham Lincoln’s life en route to his inauguration, and went undercover as a spy for the Union during the Civil War. Continue reading Kate Warne: First Female Detective Jane Addams was born in 1860–the daughter of a wealthy Illinois businessman. At the age of two, her mother died after falling on ice while pregnant. This left Jane empathetic to how fate could work against a person. Continue reading Jane Addams: Chicago’s Progressive Shero
High school girls who use the most effective methods of birth control are less likely to also use condoms, making them vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), researchers say. Girls who use intrauterine devices and implants to prevent pregnancies are less likely to use condoms than their peers taking birth control pills, they found. "The findings highlight a need for strategies to increase condom use among all users of highly and moderately effective contraceptive methods ... to prevent STIs," wrote lead researcher Riley Steiner of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, in an email to Reuters Health. Intrauterine and implantable devices are highly effective at reducing unintended pregnancies, the researchers write in JAMA Pediatrics. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says these devices, which are known as long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), should be first-line birth control options for teenagers. Among 100 women on LARC, there will be about one unintended pregnancy per year, according to ACOG. That's compared to six to nine unintended pregnancies among 100 women using the Depo-Provera shot, birth control pills, rings or patches. For the new study, the researchers used data from a 2013 survey of U.S. high school students in grades nine through 12. Of the 2,288 sexually active girls in the survey, about 2 percent used LARC, about 22 percent used birth control pills, about 41 percent used condoms, about 12 percent used withdrawal or other methods, about 16 percent used no contraceptive method and about 6 percent used the shot, patch or ring. About 2 percent didn't know which method they used. Overall, LARC users were about 60 percent less likely to use condoms, compared to girls taking birth control pills. There was no significant difference in condom use between those using the shot, patch or ring and those using LARC. Steiner said it's unclear why girls on LARC are less likely to use condoms but offered two possible explanations. "Young women using highly effective LARC methods may be less likely to use condoms because they don't perceive a need for additional protection from pregnancy; It's also possible that providers are more likely to offer LARC to adolescents who rarely or never use condoms," she said. LARC users were also more likely to have two or more sexual partners in the past three months and four or more lifetime sexual partners, compared to those using the shot, patch, ring and pills. "The important takeaway message from this story is that we need to be giving girls the right message of why condom use is important," said Dr. Julia Potter, who co-wrote an editorial accompanying the new study. Steiner said the new results should not deter adolescent LARC use, "but rather inform how STI prevention is addressed within the context of adolescent LARC scale-up." Potter, of Boston Medical Center, also said more research on why girls using LARC aren't using condoms as much is needed so that people aren't basing their opinions on assumptions.
A short guide to how the education system works in Catalunya. All children are required by law to receive full time education from the age of 6 to 16, usually in school but children can be home schooled. The education system is split into cycles: 0 – 3 Pre-school/Nursery (Guardaria) 3 – 6 Infant Education (Parvulari) 6 – 12 Primary Education (Primària) 12 – 16 Secondary Education (Secundària) 16 – 18 Baccalaureate or Middle Grade Vocational Training 18 plus – University Education or Upper Grade Vocational Training From 0 – 6, full time education is not obligatory, but it would be unusual for a child not to start school at 3 for infant education. Most children attend nursery as well, many starting at the age of 4 months when statutory maternity leave ends. Schools in Catalunya are divided into: public schools (funded by the Catalan government); concertada (partly funded by government and partly fee paying) and private (fully fee paying). In Catalunya, the language used in the public and “concertada” schools is Catalan. Children also learn Spanish and a modern foreign language, which is usually English. However, private schools, which include international schools, can choose the driving language, which is often English. For more information on the education system in Catalunya, get in contact with us.
The Scout sign is made by holding your right hand at shoulder height in the position shown on the right. It is used whenever someone makes or renews their Scout Promise. The three outstretched fingers represent the three main parts of the promise and the circle between thumb and little finger represents the world-wide family of Scouting. The Scout salute is made by holding your right hand in the same position, but with your first finger pointing to your right eyebrow (and your elbow out). It is only used when in full uniform as a formal greeting or sign of respect e.g. when hoisting/breaking open the union flag. As we know Scouts across the world all greet each other with a left-handed handshake and that it is a sign of trust and friendship but why did and how did Baden Powell come to decide to use it when he formed the Scout Movement There is a story that when Baden Powell entered Kumasi, the capital city of the Ashanti he was met by one of the Great Chiefs of the Ashanti, he saluted them and then offered his right hand out as a sign of friendship, but the Chief transferred his shield which he held in his left hand to his right which contained his spear and offered his left hand as a sign of friendship. When asked why Baden Powell was told that by offering his left hand which traditionally was used to hold a shield for protection he was showing his trust to his enemy or friend for with out the shield for protection he was open to attack.
good notation has a subtlety and suggestiveness which at times make it almost seem like a live teacher." - Bertrand Russell [in J. R. Newman (ed.) The World of Mathematics, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1956] with Margo: 8-10pm on Sunday and Thursday evenings . . . Course Syllabus . . . of A with B complement is empty iff A is a subset of B (forward direction only by Glynis and Sarah Schumacher) If only null is in A and outside of B Then A is a subset of B, you see. To prove this, let's take an x and some U And within this set U, an A and B, too. Since x is an element of set A Then x, the B complement cannot display. B complement's complement is equal to B Which secures x's presence in B, we agree. x is an arbitrary element of A So each x is also in B, we can say. Thus A is in B by subset defined The next half's for you, if you are so inclined. of A with B complement is empty iff A is a subset (backward direction by Lila Greco) Let’s start with a U, in it A and B, With A a subset of B, we agree. Take x, any element of set A, Then x is also in B, we can say. We know B’s complement does not contain Any element set B does retain. Thus x is not in B, but is in A, And the intersection, we can now say, Of A with the complement of set B, Must be the null set, for it is empty. Now we have proved the two implications, Thanks to our knowledge learned in foundations.
What Does Plug For Manhole Mean? Plugs for manholes are made of rugged rubber and normally used to perform spot leaks or test the air quality in an adjoining sewer. They are typically inflated and filled with an inert gas or water after being put in place. However, they may also be mechanical or consist of epoxy resin for more permanent installations. Operations in which plugs for manholes are used include air tightness tests, smoke tests, water tightness tests, and to deviate or divert effluents.
Energy use does not always correspond to occupancy, according to MIT researchers. A recent study finds that while electricity use typically corresponds to occupancy in observed spaces, the building’s HVAC loads do not. This represents wasted energy consumption and an opportunity to create savings through controls and adjustments. The paper, “ENERNET: Studying the Dynamic Relationship between Building Occupancy and Energy Consumption,” examines two different types of MIT buildings. Building 37 houses a combination of offices, classrooms, and labs, whereas Building E52 has a sizable entrance atrium and a large number of offices. The researchers used the number of WiFi connections as a proxy for occupancy. When a building suddenly shifts occupancy, such as during lunch or at the end of the day, HVAC systems can continue to run at higher levels than necessary, wasting energy in empty spaces. More dynamic energy use can create huge savings with technologies like sensor-based thermostats that control temperatures. In addition to controls, existing spaces can also be repurposed. For example, a once rarely used common space at MIT now hosts a snack bar, allowing its occupancy to more closely match the space’s energy use. The researchers suggest that space use within buildings can be planned to conserve energy, citing the example of high-occupancy offices positioned around a lecture hall to keep the hall warmer.
"So...what even IS a truffle? Is it chocolate? A mushroom? A chocolate-covered mushroom??" You're not alone in being confused about the true definition of a truffle! To clear up some confusion this holiday season, as traditional and chocolate truffles might show up under the tree, we have compiled a list of common questions about truffles. A truffle, in its most basic form, is an aromatic fungus that grows underground in symbiosis with tree roots. It is considered a prized, gourmet ingredient due to its uniquely powerful smell and taste. There are many different types, such as the black truffle, summer truffle, and white truffle. (No, chocolate is not a type...but we'll get to that!) The black truffle, also known as the black Périgord truffle, is named after France's Perigord region. Black truffles grow with hazelnut, oak, and cherry trees. There are many ways to enjoy this species of truffle, including mixing its sauce form with meat or pasta, adding slivers to omelets or risotto, or even enjoying black truffle-infused mustard! Summer truffles are found all across Europe and are highly prized for their culinary value. These truffles are harvested in Fall and associate with many varieties of shrubs and trees. These decadent truffles can be enjoyed infused in salt, as an addition to a charcuterie board, or as a bruschetta spread, among many other ways. The white truffle is mainly found in the Italian regions of Montferrat, Piedmont, Langhe, and in the countryside. These truffles grow with poplar, beech, oak, and hazel trees. White truffles taste great in olive oil and mixed with balsamic vinegar. The word "truffle" when associated with chocolate is confusing because the chocolate delicacies have nothing to do with the taste of truffles, just the shape! The chocolate truffle is named as such because of its resemblance to truffles: round, somewhat small, and lumpy. They are also aptly named because chocolate truffles are often considered to be gourmet in the food world. One very popular way to enjoy truffles is by giving them as gifts! They make delicious and special additions to a stocking or as a present under the tree. Chocolate truffles are often mixed with other flavors, including pistachio, mint, and salted butter caramel, so they can apply to many tastes!
Network Address Translation (NAT) is one of the basic functions of a circuit level gateway. The simple purpose of NAT is to hide the IP addresses of a private network from the outside world. Normally, when a router forwards a packet from one segment to another, the packet is unchanged. With NAT, as a packet crosses from a trusted segment of a circuit level gateway to an untrusted segment, the packet is rewritten so that the packet’s source address as it appears on the private segment is replaced by a translated source address. The translated source address is what the outside world sees. Thus, the private address remains hidden from the outside world.Full story »
Growing up helping my parents and grandparents in the garden left me with a healthy appetite for fruits and vegetables. Knowing where food comes from sparks a curiosity in children for the taste and preparation of nature's bounty. Interestingly, a recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, showed that when children are involved in the growing and cooking process of what they eat, they are more willing to try new foods. The children were not only willing to try new foods during the program, but healthier lunches and snacks started coming from home. 2 The fitting motto of this program was "Grow it, try it, and you just might like it." A previous garden-based nutrition education project showed similar findings.3 In a perfect world, these types of programs would be part of every child's formal education experience; unfortunately this isn't the case. The good news is that research reveals that just being involved in meal preparation in the home is associated with higher fruit and vegetable preferences and showed children's greater ability to choose healthier foods on their own.4 As a Naturopathic Doctor, I am often questioned about how to get children to eat more fruits and veggies. With the Spring comes the promise of fresh, readily available produce so here are some tips and tricks that may help encourage your child to eat at least five servings of fruits and veggies each day! · Grow things! Have your children involved in all stages of the process - field to fork. · Be a good role model. Children need to see you eating healthy foods.Daily consumption of fruits and vegetables by parents is associated with higher consumption by the children.5 · Involve children in the planning and preparation of meals.4 Allow your child to help you pick the menu and give them simple tasks to complete (i.e., peeling carrots). · Vary the way foods are prepared. Ask your child what it is about food they don't like (taste, texture, etc.). Cutting up vegetables into veggies sticks is a great way to encourage healthy snacking as children eat more fruits and vegetables when parents always cut them up.5 · Eat together as a family. Children whose families said they "always" ate a family meal together at a table consumed more fruits and vegetables than those who never ate a meal together.5 · Finally, use rewards to persuade your child to try new foods or previously disliked foods. Verbal praise or even tangible rewards (like a sticker) have been shown to increase acceptance of foods and increase consumption of vegetables.6 1. Statistics Canada. Fruit and vegetable consumption. <http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-229-x/2009001/deter/fvc-eng.htm>, 2010 (accessed 9 March 2013). 2. Gibbs, L., et al., Expanding children's food experiences: The impact of a school-based kitchen garden program. J Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2013. 45(2): 137 3. Heim, S., J. Stang, and M. Ireland, A garden pilot project enhances fruit and vegetable consumption among children. J Am Diet Assoc, 2009. 109(7): p. 1220-6. 4. Chu, Y.L., et al., Involvement in home meal preparation is associated with food preference and self-efficacy among Canadian children. Public Health Nutr, 2013. 16(1): p. 108-12. 5. Christian, M.S., et al., Family meals can help children reach their 5 a day: A cross-sectional survey of children's dietary intake from London primary schools. J Epidemiol Community Health, 2013. 67(4): p. 332-8. 6. Cooke, L.J., et al., Eating for pleasure or profit: The effect of incentives on children's enjoyment of vegetables. Psychol Sci, 2011.22(2): p. 190-6.
A few years ago I came across these plastic snakes in the discount bin at the local store. (I see them put out now every year at many different stores during spring) Although snakes aren’t my favorite creatures, I knew that I had to have them! I brought them home and scoured the standards to see what I could focus on with these slithery fellows. I was determined to have a standards-based snake safari at school. Amazingly I was able to get 14 different standards-based activities to go along with these snakes! Talk about high engagement!!! I couldn’t wait to get to school. These pictures are from April of 2013. We had wrapped up our math and literacy picnic and it was time to embark on a snake safari. I told my students that while they were at lunch I discovered some rocks on our carpet area that I was a little curious about. I was pretty sure something was sleeping under them but I was too scared to check. I asked them to quietly come in and gather around the rug. They were so intrigued! They shushed each other and made predictions. Frogs was the most predicted because a green head was sticking out of one of the rocks! I told them I would need a very brave first grader to take my trusty pinchers and remove one rock. They gasped, screamed, and giggled! Once they were all revealed, I asked for snake handlers to pick up one snake at a time and show us it’s belly! Each snake had a word taped to its belly. We clapped out the syllables together as a class Then we agreed on the number of syllables in each word. We recorded them on our class chart. We also did another whole group activity using the snakes and some quick paper eggs I made up. Snake Synonyms! We found this sweet mom and dad watching over their eggs. Partners carefully chose an egg from the nest of the sleeping snakes. They were shushing each other and acting jumpy. So so cute!! Students came up with their synonym and wrote it out then glued it to a class chart. If you are interested in the snake themed 3 total whole group activities and 11 math and literacy centers just click the picture below or find them HERE.
- Shopping Bag ( 0 items ) In the nineteenth century, French mathematician Evariste Galois developed the Galois theory of groups-one of the most penetrating concepts in modem mathematics. The elements of the theory are clearly presented in this second, revised edition of a volume of lectures delivered by noted mathematician Emil Artin. The book has been edited by Dr. Arthur N. Milgram, who has also supplemented the work with a Section on Applications. The first section deals with linear algebra, including fields, vector spaces, homogeneous linear equations, determinants, and other topics. A second section considers extension fields, polynomials, algebraic elements, splitting fields, group characters, normal extensions, roots of unity, Noether equations, Jummer's fields, and more. Dr. Milgram's section on applications discusses solvable groups, permutation groups, solution of equations by radicals, and other concepts. I. Linear Algebra B. Vector Spaces C. Homogeneous Linear Equations D. Dependence and Independence of Vectors E. Non-homogeneous Linear Equations II. Field Theory A. Extension fields C. Algebraic Elements D. Splitting fields E. Unique Decomposition of Polynomials into Irreducible Factors F. Group Characters G. Applications and Examples to Theorem 13 H. Normal Extensions I. Finite Fields J. Roots of Unity K. Noether Equations L. Kimmer's Fields M. Simple Extensions N. Existence of a Normal Basis O. Theorem on natural Irrationalities III. Applications. By A. N. Milgram A. Solvable Groups B. Permutation Groups C. Solution of Equations by Radicals D. The General Equation of Degree n E. Solvable Equations of Prime Degree F. Ruler and Compass Construction Posted August 15, 2001 You don't need any algebra background to read and appreciate this book. Only the knowledge of the definitions of groups and normal subgroups is needed. You can find these in any modern algebra book. I read it as a college sophomore without much prior knowledge in this field. I was able to enjoy it pretty much. It might be a little too dense for beginners, but it is almost entirely self contained. It is written based on lecture notes, so don't expect it to be in a very organized format. The only thing I don't like is that it doesn't have an index, but it's okay since the book is very thin.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. Posted March 24, 2009 No text was provided for this review.
Conductive hearing loss is caused by a blockage or damage to the outer or middle ear, prior to sound reaching the inner ear. This type of hearing loss is often (but not always) medically treatable, as it is most often caused by ear infections, fluid buildup, earwax buildup, or anatomical and mechanical problems with the structures of the ear canal and/or middle ear. Symptoms of conductive hearing loss can include muffled or distorted sound, difficulty hearing soft sounds, and a feeling of fullness or blockage in the ear. Treatment options depend on the cause of the blockage and can include medication, surgery, or hearing aids, and is sometimes capable of complete hearing restoration. Mixed hearing loss is a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. It occurs when there is damage to both the outer or middle ear, and the inner ear. This type of hearing loss can be caused by a combination of the causes mentioned in each previous type (SNHL and conductive hearing loss). Sometimes, conductive hearing losses that remain untreated, can progress into the inner ear and ultimately cause more permanent damage. Symptoms of mixed hearing loss can include difficulty understanding speech, muffled or distorted sound, and hearing loss in one or both ears. Intervention options depend on the cause of the hearing loss and may include hearing aids, medication, or surgery. Diagnosis Informs Support Needs It is essential to identify the type of hearing loss and seek appropriate care. If you are experiencing hearing loss, it is important to consult with an audiologist who can help determine the cause of your hearing loss and develop a management plan that meets your specific needs. With the right strategy, many people with hearing loss can lead full, active lives. At NB Hearing we are trained and experienced in the diagnosis and management of various hearing loss types and other conditions that affect hearing and balance. Contact any one of our Cape Town offices for patient-centred care and intervention.
Only system-wide change can cure our climate hangover This is an excerpt from Maggie Koerth-Baker’s new book, Before the Lights Go Out: Conquering the Energy Crisis Before It Conquers Us. We’ve also got an interview with the author, in which she talks about finding common ground with climate deniers, the value of individual action in fixing a broken energy system, and the price of gas. We could theoretically put climate change on pause right now — lock in atmospheric accumulation of carbon dioxide at its current level and stop the process from getting worse. Efficiency and conservation could do that. But you wouldn’t like the outcome very much, says Stephen Pacala, the director of the Carbon Mitigation Initiative at Princeton University. To solve the problem that way, we’d have to adopt a very strict and meager rationing of greenhouse gas emissions — just one ton of emissions per year, per person. A ton sounds like a lot, but in this case, it’s not. The resulting budget would look less like a prudent belt-tightening and more like the work of Ebenezer Scrooge, pre-Christmas. One ton of greenhouse gas emissions buys a year’s worth of heat for one average home in the United States, Pacala says. That’s not including electricity, clothes, food, or transportation. Do you travel a lot for business? Maybe you could spend your one ton of emissions on airline flights instead. On that yearly budget, you can afford to fly 10 thousand miles in coach. Of course, again, that leaves you with no food to eat, no clothes to wear, and no house to come home to. So, there’s saving the future, and then there’s actually being able to enjoy the future we saved. If you want the latter, it’s clear that simply reducing energy demand won’t be enough. In fact, no one change will be enough. Pacala made this point about efficiency and conservation not because he’s a killjoy or because he doesn’t think those efforts are worthwhile. He made it because he’s convinced that no single change can solve our energy problems. You can’t do it only with efficiency and conservation. You can’t do it with nuclear power alone. You can’t do it with only biofuels or wind and solar generation or a smart grid. Instead, Pacala and many other experts say that you’ll need all of those elements. As with scientific theories, many little solutions have to come together to create one big Solution. In some ways, the little solutions can’t work at all if they aren’t used in tandem with others. A good way to think about the future of energy is to imagine it as a three-legged stool. To keep it from wobbling or breaking, you need a strong foundation in three key areas—energy efficiency, energy infrastructure, and alternative generation, all three at once. To get the most environmental benefit from energy efficiency, you also need to have alternative generation. America’s electric infrastructure needs smart grid technology, natural gas, cleaner coal, and nuclear power to stay stable during the next few decades. Alternative generation needs a smart grid to work, and it needs efficiency to lower electric demand. All of the parts support one another. If we really want to reduce our fossil fuel use by 20 quadrillion BTUs a year in only 20 years, then we need to embrace as many ways to change energy as the Climate & Energy Project embraced reasons to care about energy. More important, this is how we have to do it if we want to make a difference in the time we have. There are many reasons to care about the future of energy, and I think we can find enough common ground to get the ball rolling by respecting everyone’s concerns. Frankly, given a perfect world, I’d be happy to just sit back and let people move on energy change at their own pace, but the world isn’t perfect. Between climate change and fossil fuel peaks, there’s good evidence that we can’t afford to let the future of energy slowly evolve. The risks are too big, and they get bigger the longer we wait. We don’t know exactly when oil will peak, and the economic fallout is likely to be worse and last longer the less prepared we are for it. The climate is already changing. The more greenhouse gases we add to the atmosphere, the hotter the planet will get, and the longer the effects will last — even after we do finally reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. That’s because the excessively high levels of greenhouse gasses currently in our atmosphere won’t quickly drop back to normal once we stop adding to them, just as your body doesn’t instantly sober up when you pass on a seventh beer. The impact of climate change — the hangover — will take even longer to vanish. Even if we somehow stopped burning fossil fuels tomorrow, researchers say we could still be living with the results of choices we’ve already made for a thousand years. The longer we wait, the bigger the problem gets and the harder it is to do anything about. This brings me to another key lesson about energy, something I hinted at earlier but didn’t really shout about yet: you can’t do this yourself. Coordinating lots of different solutions on the level of systems, as fast as we possibly can is something that requires a group effort directed by policy, not volunteerism. Think about it this way: energy is like public health. There are small acts you can perform to protect yourself from disease, choices you can make that have a minor impact on your little corner of the world. Yet these actions alone won’t prevent you from getting a disease, and they definitely won’t solve the problem on a larger scale. Smallpox was a scourge that humankind is better off without, but we didn’t get rid of it because individuals decided to quarantine themselves. You don’t fight a systemic problem on an individual level. Eradicating smallpox required us to make big societal investments in the research and development of vaccines and in the infrastructure to get those vaccines to every corner of the globe. Individuals mattered in that process: people did the research, people administered vaccines, and people chose to get vaccinated. The plan worked, however, because those people were acting as a part of something bigger. On their own, with nothing to connect their efforts, individuals trying to eradicate smallpox couldn’t have made a difference, even if lots of individuals were separately working on it at the same time. Energy is a system, just like public health. Changing that system will require something bigger than what you and I can do at home and even bigger than what one metro can do during the course of a year. That doesn’t mean there’s no point to changing our personal lifestyles. My husband and I have made a number of changes because we are concerned about energy. We bought a house on a heavily traveled bus route, so that we only have to own one car. The house we chose is smaller than average, on a small lot, so that it takes a lot less energy to heat it, and we can easily take care of the lawn with a push mower, instead of a gas-powered one. Our house is also older. Basically, we recycled, rather than building new, and we’ve updated it to make it more energy efficient. We opted into a program from our utility company that allows us to pay a little extra every month to help fund wind power projects. We recycle. We compost during the summer. When we have to buy appliances, we choose Energy Star. Since my husband started working as an energy consultant, we’ve made a lot of little changes to the way we live. We do this because energy is important to us, and we want to express those values. Yet we also know that our actions aren’t really helping the United States get off fossil fuels. My husband and I certainly aren’t the most energy-conscious Americans ever, but even if we were, that wouldn’t change the fact that individual actions aren’t the solution. In Powering the Dream, journalist Alexis Madrigal’s book about the history of alternative energy technologies and what it can teach us about energy today, Madrigal cites an MIT study that does a very good job of expressing the limits of individual choice. In the study, researchers looked at the energy impact of eighteen different types of American lifestyles, ranging from a homeless person and a Buddhist monk to a U.S. senator and a multimillionaire. The homeless person and the monk used a lot less energy than the senator and the multimillionaire did, to be sure. Yet when you take the energy they did use and add to it the energy embodied in our shared systems — roads, schools, the military, and so on — even the Americans with the most Spartan lifestyles still consumed more than double the average global energy use. In other words, you could beat your own lifestyle into submission with a ten-foot club — you could do more to save the planet than almost anyone is willing to voluntarily do — and it still wouldn’t be enough. This isn’t about you, and it isn’t about me. It’s about the systems that we share. The answer to the question “So now what?” has to be “Now we change the systems.” No other option makes sense.
photo credit Cameron Lane-Flehinger MMSD curbs cultural appropriation, dress code bans Native American stereotypes You’re celebrating the Chicago Blackhawks win at the Sett, wearing the jersey of your favorite player. The crowd is great, glasses are full and the food is delicious. But the win is not as sweet for Madison’s Native American students, according to Tim Fish, Title VII Indian Education Coordinator for the Madison Metropolitan School District and a tribal citizen of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma. In an effort to stop negative racial stereotyping of Native Americans, this year the MMSD school board ratified an amendment prohibiting students from wearing clothing portraying Native American team names, logos and stereotypical mascots. “First and foremost, [this policy] created a safe space for Native students,” Fish said in an email. “Secondly, the policy works to eliminate racial bias and discrimination in the educational setting. Finally, it empowered students by raising critical consciousness, critical awareness and critical action and promoted civic and political engagement by youth.” This decision is important for indigenous groups around the world and lays the stepping stones for greater societal recognition and awareness, according to Fish and the many students who took action to support the new policy. “We’re here to destroy an aspect of our oppression. People can say whatever they want, but I don’t want representations of how [white people] see us and how you want us to act, because that’s going to destroy self-esteem and make school less safe for Native students,” said Gabriel Saiz, a MMSD student, in a statement. The initiative was led by a collection of Native American, white and multiethnic students. Fish aided them by supplying research and provided the platform for them to work on. Advocates have warned against cultural appropriation for years, which is when members of a dominant culture take components of a culture they have continuously oppressed, ranging from clothing to dances to traditions, and adopt it as their own. The main difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation boils down to the use and respect of the culture, according to Fish. “Cultural appreciation is when different cultures mutually exchange aspects of their culture as a learning tool, whereas both parties mutually respect one another that creates positive relationships,” Fish said. However, cultural appropriation does not only occur on the local level but expands worldwide. Activists argued the Victoria’s Secret fashion show in Shanghai, called “Nomadic Adventures,” tacitly undercut Native American culture when models sported feathered headdresses and beaded lingerie this past November. “Cultural Appropriation oversexualizes and exploits Indigenous women. It is demeaning and humiliating for Native women to be objectified as a sexually, romanticized stereotype. This depiction dehumanizes Indigenous women,” said Fish. Victoria’s Secret is not the only major label to be called out for cultural appropriation. In 2014, Katy Perry was scorned for appropriating Japanese and African American cultures in her performances. The next year, designer Claudio Cutugno sent his models down the runway at the Milan Fashion Show donning glittery blackface. “Stereotyping of Native Americans often times creates strained relationships within the social environment, creates feelings of superiority by those doing the stereotyping, creates fear, hatred, negative attitudes and beliefs and lack of empathy for and towards ‘others,’” said Fish. At UW-Madison, three out of four students said it was important the university continues to pursue a strong commitment to diversity. However, 19 percent of students of color “reported experiencing incidents of hostile, harassing, or intimidating behavior directed at them personally,” according to the fall 2016 Campus Climate Survey. Members of Wunk Sheek, UW-Madison’s primary Native organization, seek to alleviate this by celebrating indigenous culture with their annual Pow Wow, which educates non-Native students and commemorates Native culture. Currently, there is no policy against cultural appropriation at UW-Madison. However, Grace Armstrong, a student at UW-Madison and member of the Red Cliff Ojibwe tribe, is concerned about the cultural appropriation seen on campus. “The mascots, that’s a really big one, seeing it on peoples clothing. The use of language, too, I’ve gotten asked some pretty insensitive questions, especially as a freshman living in the dorms,” Armstrong said. Armstrong expressed the lack of elementary education taught about indigenous individuals. “It’s frustrating to see that now in modern day that this is an issue, it shouldn’t be,” said Armstrong. “If the education system growing up taught people that [cultural appropriation] wouldn’t be okay, we wouldn’t be having this issue. It goes along with the topic of historical trauma and how everything that’s happened in the past is still relevant today.” The rise of cultural appropriation results in concern for unjust global multiculturalism. Fish warned against the notion that American society should become a diverse “melting pot” of shared cultures and traditions. “The melting pot idea represents the notion that we all must assimilate to a single American identity. But what is a single American Identity? If it is [a light] skin color, then we all do not fit in that idea. If it is our ideas, values, beliefs, etc … then we do not fit in that idea either,” Fish said. Fish said he is apprehensive that the melting pot is not a social construct to be idealized, but one to be disparaged. “The melting pot idea just isn’t realistic because it does not account for the immense differences we have from one another nor does it create a space for everyone; rather this idea works to maintain the status quo,” Fish said. “Therefore, the idea of the ‘melting pot’ does not support cultural appreciation.” Student awareness surrounding issues of cultural appropriation starts with something as simple as asking a question and taking a couple minutes to research before heading out the door with a Blackhawks jersey on — even if that jersey is for the greatest player in the league — according to Fish. “[Students can] work to increase cultural awareness and cultural appreciation. Promote respect both inside and outside your culture. In times of uncertainty, always consult with your peers, community and advisor and ask questions,” Fish said. “Remember … strength comes in numbers.”
This chapter covers the following objectives: - Why the management of knowledge professionals and knowledge itself are so critical in today’s organizations. - The importance of recognizing the interdependence of attracting, developing and retaining human capital. - The key role of social capital in leveraging human capital within and across the firm. - The importance of social networks in knowledge management and in promoting career success. - The vital role of technology in leveraging knowledge and human capital. - Why “electronic” or “virtual” teams are critical in combining and leveraging knowledge in organizations and how they can be made more effective. - The challenge of protecting intellectual property and the importance of a firm’s dynamic capabilities.