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In October of 2018, Sustainable Works in Santa Monica handed out samples of The Best Deodorant to students of their Student Sustainability Workshops! About Sustainable Works We help people activate sustainable behaviors Sustainable Works fosters healthy and more equitable communities to heal our natural environment through interactive events, educational programs and green business initiatives. Sustainable Works partners with cities, businesses, organizations, and educational institutions in LA County in order to help them reach their sustainability and climate action goals. Our programs are designed to provide key stakeholder groups with the motivation, knowledge, and resources needed to integrate more sustainable solutions into their daily lives. We’re grateful for our sustainable office space located at the Center for Environmental and Urban Studies at Santa Monica College where we’ve been assisting Santa Monica – and other cities – since 1998.	204,657
Words of Wisdom: "As long as it doesn't involve kids or animals." - Philipk31 Essays on Cng Strike In Pakistan - Cng Sector Of Pakistan - of new licenses on the directive of Pakistans government. Main steps involved in the acquisition of the license for CNG station are as follows: - Cng Crisis In Pakistan - BOARD OF INTERMEDIATE EDUCATION, KARACHI INTERMEDIATE EXAMINATION, 2013 (ANNUAL) Date: 18.05.2013 CHEMISTRY PAPER II Max. Marks: 17 9:30 a.m. to 9:50 a.m... - Pakistan Cng Industry - of CNG vehicles. As of 2005, Pakistan is the largest user of CNG in Asia, and third largest in the world. The Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) sector of Pakistan by... - Cng In Pakistan - opportunities and more CNG filling stations are being setup all over Pakistan. The prime reason for this is the low cost of the fuel. Along with that, CNG fuel is... - Pakistan Economic Survey - main issues that have been taken up by government for economic growth of Pakistan. In Pakistan, it was estimated that more than 160 million people of this nation... surgical strikes inside Pakistan despite having the Cold Start Doctrine. According to these analysts, India refrained from military adventurism due to Pakistans... - ‘Malala Visits The White House’ Do You Agree With Malala That Drones Are Fuelling Terrorism? Why Or Why Not? strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, and with a long list of names of killed children there is written also and this: Obama has authorized 193 drone strikes in Pakistan... - Energy Crises In Pakistan power crises in PAKISTAN. KOHLER® power ... \| \| \|military operations, revolution, strike ... Sales F-150A, FPM CNG Station, Hub River Road... - Cng Crisis - than true. The CNG crisis in Pakistan, rather than getting better, is worsening each day. The start of the year 2012 was marked in Pakistan by strikes against the... - Gas Crises In Pakistan CNG sector 11.85 per cent, fertilizers 7.82 per cent, and the commercial sector 4.75 per cent. According to petroleum ministry estimates, Pakistans ... -jam strike by... - The Gas Crisis In Pakistan Pakistan CNG Association will start the campaign of CNG... - Economy Of Pakistan the Musharraf government. In 2005, the World Bank named Pakistan the top reformer in its region and in ... + 5.2.2 CNG industry... - Pakistan Economy Pakistan's domestic natural gas production, and its significant use of CNG in automobiles, has cushioned the effect of the oil-price shock of 2004-2005. Pakistan... - Facts About Pakistan in 1947 until 1971, Pakistan (both de facto and in law) consisted of two regionsWest Pakistan, in the Indus River basin, and East Pakistan, located more than 1,000... - Pakistan Economic Survey 2009-10 210.1 million by 2020. Life expectancy in Pakistan is estimated at 64.1 years. ... increase of 10 %. Currently some 3,116 CNG stations are operating in the country... - Disaster Management In Pakistan Viz a Viz International Practices Disaster Profile of Pakistan 10. Gen. Pakistan has a very diverse ... b. Prep. Specific measures taken before disasters strike to ensure eff response to a... - Pakistan Society PAKISTAN A Country Profile Conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan Conventional short form: Pakistan Former: West Pakistan - Brothers And Sisters Of Pakistan are not blind to the problems facing Pakistan today. We read about the terrorist strikes. It is true that terrorism affects Pakistan more than it does any other... - Musharraf Era: Pakistan Flourishes - coal, has recorded a 26.2 percent growth in Industrial sector of Pakistan. 6. FACT: Jan 14: Pakistan now has a total of 245,682 Educational institutions in all... - Honda Atlas Pakistan - Atlas Group owns no less than seven companies quoted on the stock exchanges of Pakistan. The groups assets are believed to have touched the Rs 15 billion mark and... - Economic Survey Of Pakistan Important Statistics Data 2010-211 : 175b tons) Total CNG stations in PAK: 3329 Number of vehicles on CNG: 2.5 million Source. Economic survey of Pakistan 201-2011 \| - Constitution Of Pakistan 1973 of 144 seats for West Pakistan. But the PPP did not even dare to set up a candidate in East Pakistan. The remaining 57 seats of West Pakistan were shared by seven... - Doing Business In Pakistan - DOING BUSINESS IN PAKISTAN Zia Masood & Co. (Chartered Accountants) Zia Ullah ACA DOING BUSINESS IN PAKISTAN 2010 Pakistan where dreams come... - Role Of Media In Pakistan social securities to its masses. Governments writ is strengthened on all fronts. Pakistan was born with a hole in its heart. The newly-born country inherited... ZULFIKAR ALI BHUTTO Foreign Minister of Pakistan before the UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS COMMITTEES 1957 1965 Reproduced in PDF... - Power Crises In Pakistan Power crises in Pakistan Pakistan is in the grip of severe power crisis. Followings are some solution of power crisis in Pakistan. In the 1990s two approaches... - Pakistan, Poverty Trap And Its Population Growth catching up to do. Pakistans (the former West Pakistans) population has quadrupled since ... by past fertility patterns. Another striking change that has occurred in... - Pakistan And Ttp Pakistan and TTP: Dialogue or Military Action? Assistant Professor, ... the Taliban carrying out their signature strikes (such as the latest at a cinema... - Constitution Of Pakistan was held on 3 March as planned, there would be a general strike throughout West Pakistan. President Yahya Khan responded next day by postponing the Assembly meeting... - Cng Industry Resources of Natural Gas in Pakistan 14 Role of government 24 Difference btween LPG,LNG & CNG 26 CNG Policy 34 OGRAs Notifications 39 Copyright © 2016. EssayDepot.com	215,318
Extract for the Congregation of Shore Street, Donaghadee I have compared the entries in the Roll of Honour with the names recorded on the Memorial installed in the church. I have added those names not recorded in the Roll and noted any differences etc. I found either as a footnote or in brackets. For those fallen, where possible, I have also added a link to the relevant entry on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website (CWGC.org) and/or Soldiers Died in the Great War I have transcribed. \|Surname\|\|First Name\|\|House\|\|Address\|\|Rank\|\|Regiment, Battalion or Unit\|\|Remarks\| \|Angus \|\|James\|\|Bangor\|\|Private\|\|Canadian Infantry\|\|Killed in Action (CWGC)\| \|Angus\|\|John B.\|\|Bangor\|\|Rifleman\|\|Killed in Action\| \|Angus \|\|Robert\|\|Bangor\|\|L/Corpl.\|\|Royal Scots Fusiliers\|\|Killed in Action (CWGC)\| \|Angus\|\|Thomas\|\|Donaghadee\|\|R.I.F.\|\|Prisoner of War\| \|Angus\|\|William\|\|Donaghadee\|\|Rifleman\|\|13th Batt. R.I. Rifles\|\|Killed in Action (CWGC; SDGW)\| \|Campbell\|\|Alex.\|\|Donaghadee\|\|Lance-Corporal\|\|13th Batt. R.I. Rifles\|\|Killed in Action (CWGC; SDGW)\| \|Campbell\|\|Wm. A.\|\|Portavo, Donaghadee\| \|Galway\|\|James\|\|Donaghadee\|\|Corporal\|\|K.O.S.B.\|\|3 times Wounded\| \|Louden \|\|Benjamin George\|\|Donaghadee\|\|Sergeant\|\|Black Watch\| \|Louden \|\|Henry Thomas\| \|McCullough \|\|John\|\|Donaghadee\|\|Rifleman\|\|R.I.R.\|\|Killed in Action\| \|McGaffin \|\|Robert\|\|Ballyhoy, Donaghadee\|\|Killed in Action (poss? CWGC)\| \|McGaffin \|\|W. (Jas.?)\|\|Ballyhoy, Donaghadee\|\|Private\|\|Killed in Action (poss? CWGC)\| \|Melville\|\|William\|\|Donaghadee\|\|Private\|\|10th Batt. R. Innis. Fus.\|\|Killed in Action (CWGC)\| \|Moore\|\|Wm. J. M.\|\|Donaghadee\|\|Driver\|\|R.E.\|\|Wounded\| \|Patton\|\|Robert\|\|Rifleman\|\|R.I.R.\|\|Prisoner of War\| \|Patton\|\|William\|\|Killed in Action (prob CWGC; SDGW)\| \|Robinson\|\|Robert\|\|Donaghadee\|\|Killed in Action (CWGC; SDGW)\| \|Semple\|\|James\|\|Herdstown\|\|Private\|\|Prisoner of War\| \|Semple\|\|Robert\|\|East Street\|\|Rifleman\|\|R.I.R.\|\|Killed in Action (CWGC; SDGW)\| \|Semple\|\|Wm.\|\|East Street\|\|Killed in Action (CWGC; SDGW)\| \|Semple\|\|William\|\|Manor Street\|\|Killed in Action (CWGC; SDGW)\| \|Tanner\|\|William\|\|Donaghadee\|\|Killed in Action (prob CWGC; SDGW)\| \|Thompson\|\|Charles\|\|Donaghadee\|\|Killed in Action (prob CWGC; SDGW)\| \|Matear \|\|Robert\|\|Ballwilliam\|\|Private\|\|Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.\|\|Killed in Action (CWGC)\| 1. Recorded in the Roll of Honour but not on the church memorial. 2. Recorded on the church memorial but not in the Roll of Honour. 3. Name recorded in the Roll of Honour as "Akel" but on the church memorial as "Ab". Ref to census confirms "Abel" 4. Surname recorded in the Roll of Honour as "Donnen" but on the church memorial as "Dunnon". 5. Name recorded in the Roll of Honour as "Edward" but on the church memorial as "A". 6. Surname recorded in the Roll of Honour as "Girvan" but on the church memorial as "Girvine". 7. Surname recorded in the Roll of Honour as "London" but on the church memorial as "Louden". Both found on census and appear to be twins. 8. Name recorded in the Roll of Honour as "Jas." but on the church memorial as "W". However a Robert and James McGaffin were found on CWGC serving with the Canadians. 9. Surname recorded in the Roll of Honour as "Mateer" but on the church memorial as "Matear". 10. These names also seem to appear on the memorial for Trinity, Bangor.	45,056
Let's face it. Many of us choose to hang on to things that at some point have hurt us, angered us, made us feel sad, or depressed us. If we choose to hang on to them, we will never move forward and we could even create physical or medical damage to our bodies. To prevent this from happening we need to let go but no one really tells you how to let go and move forward. Sure it's easy to say: "Just let go, move forward, forget about it, just let go." But that really doesn’t work. I’m about to show you how to let go and start moving forward. Why You Need to Let Go and Move Forward. Throughout our lives we go through different experiences, some are positive and some we see as negative and unpleasant. When you hang on to a negative or unpleasant experience you are constantly thinking about it. And when you constantly think about that negative event you prevent yourself from healing. How many pleasant memories do you recall everyday? Chances are you're like most people and you have a number of unpleasant experiences that you're holding on to, which is preventing you from moving forward. The more you carry the worse life gets. Why? Because you've filled your mind up with negative experiences, because you continually hang on to something that doesn't allow you to move forward, in short, you're carrying useless baggage that's really slowing you down. Think of it this way: you're on a hiking trip and along the way you keep picking up heavy objects, things that really don't serve you. After a while, these objects begin to slow you down and unless you get rid of them, you'll never complete your trip. To let go you have to get your mind to focus on different goals and different objectives. It's not about saying: I let go of the pain from my fight with ---- and move on. That will help, but if you really want to start moving on, then you have to get your mind to focus on new things, in the process you automatically let go of the things that have been slowing you down. How to Let Go and Move Forward Researchers believe that that if you hold on to negative feelings, sad emotions or depressing memories there is a possibility that you could reshape the human cell to the point where your thoughts of the past have a negative effect on your cells and your physical health. Hanging on to negative past events is a process that can destroy your life in ways you're not even aware of. Ask yourself these questions: Do the negative things you hang on to serve you any purpose? Do they help you move forward? Do they work in your favor in any way? If you said no to any or all of the above then tell yourself this: This emotion/feeling doesn't help me so I'm letting it go and focusing on what is important. Then begin focusing on what you want next, focus on what is important and what can improve your life. This is a simple process that gets the mind moving in a new direction and you stop building negative energy created from the negative events/emotions, which only attracts more negative situations. When you begin focusing on more positive things you begin attracting positive situations. The next step is to create an action plan, the past is over. Where do you want to go now and how do you plan to get there? You may not have the answers but merely thinking about the options forces your mind to go in a new direction and you automatically let go of unwanted feelings and emotions. The key to your success is to train your mind to move in a new direction so you send new messages to your subconscious mind, which then brings you the opportunities to move forward. The final step is to live in the present moment, to start living in the now. Living in the now is different than living for the moment. Living in the now is the process of enjoying everything that is going on at this present moment. Take a look around you and appreciate those things that you once thought were trivial. When you are here now you can be nowhere else. You are not hanging on to something, you are here now. I know some of you may say the following: "But Karim, where I am right now really sucks, I don't want to think about it." It only sucks because you're looking at all the negative things going on. Focus on a few of the positive things anything from nature to the wonderful family you may have. This forces your mind to look at things differently and tells your subconscious mind that you're ready for new possibilities, then you’ll begin to let go and move forward. Karim Hajee is the author and creator of the Creating Power system - which teaches you how to direct the power of your mind and subconscious mind so that you achieve your goals and live the life you want. To learn more visit: Creating Power	140,053
Transcript: President Obama Speaks Before Immigration Reform Roundtable REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT BEFORE IMMIGRATION REFORM ROUNDTABLE 2:10 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. I want to welcome these extraordinary business leaders who are here today in support of comprehensive immigration reform. As all of you know, we are at a critical point in the debate that’s taking place in the Senate. All of these business leaders recognize the degree to which immigration is a contributor to growth, a contributor to expansion, a creator of jobs, but they also recognize that the immigration system that we currently have is broken. We have a system in which we bring outstanding young people from all across the world to educate them here, and unfortunately, too often, we send them right back so that they can start companies or help to grow companies somewhere else instead of here. We have a situation in which millions of individuals are in the shadow economy, oftentimes exploited at lower wages, and that hurts those companies that are following the rules, because they end up being at a disadvantage to some of these less scrupulous companies. And so, all of us I think recognize that now is the time to get comprehensive immigration reform done -- one that involves having very strong border security; that makes sure that we're holding employers accountable to follow the rules; one that provides earned citizenship for those 11 million, so that they have to pay back taxes, pay a fine, learn English, follow the rules, get to the back of the line, but ultimately can be part of the above-board economy, as opposed to the low-board economy; and a system that fixes and cleans up our legal immigration system so that we can continue to be a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. The good news is, is that we've got a strong bipartisan bill that meets many of those principles. As I've said before, it's not a bill that represents everything that I would like to see; it represents a compromise. And I think all the business leaders here recognize that there are elements of it that they might want to tweak one way or another. But it does adhere to the core principles that we need for comprehensive immigration reform, and now is the time to do it. Just this past week, the Congressional Budget Office noted that this would end up bringing more money into the federal government. It would reduce our deficits -- people would be paying taxes. It would end up strengthening our economy, growing our economy. And so you've got a broad consensus all throughout the country, not just business leaders who are represented here today -- many of whom are immigrants themselves, many of whom started businesses and are now creating opportunity all across the country -- but we're also seeing labor leaders, we're seeing clergy, we're seeing people from all different walks of life saying now is the time to get this done. So I very much appreciate all the business leaders who are here for making this push. I know they're going to be talking to various senators and members of Congress over the next several days. I would urge the Senate to bring this to the floor, and I hope that we can get the strongest possible vote out of the Senate so that we can then move to the House and get this done before the summer break. And if we get this done -- when we get this done -- I think every business leader here feels confident that they'll be in a stronger position to continue to innovate, to continue to invest, to continue to create jobs, and ensure that this continues to be the land of opportunity for generations to come. So thank you very much to all of you for being here. And thank you guys in the press. Q -- Putin, and are you confident that they'll expel -- he’ll be expelled? THE PRESIDENT: What we know is, is that we're following all of the appropriate legal channels, and working with various other countries to make sure that rule of law is observed. And beyond that, I'll refer to the Justice Department that has been actively involved in the case. Thank you, guys. END 2:15 P.M. EDT	17,989
NCE professor publishes key findings on ESL education New research from National Louis proves the ability of adult English language learners to read aloud in English is affected by the learner’s original writing system. A study conducted by Kristin Lems, Ed.D., professor in the National College of Education, examined the oral reading of English language learners compared with the learner’s original orthography, or writing system. Lems’ study shows that learners coming from the Roman alphabet transition to oral English reading with the greatest ease, followed by learners from a different alphabetic system, such as Bulgarians. Chinese speakers, coming from a logo-syllabic orthography which is character based, require the most time to obtain oral reading fluency skills. Lems’ findings were published in the inaugural edition of the journal “Writing Systems Research.” “The closer the orthography of the English language learner was to English, the more accurately and more quickly they read [aloud] in English,” Lems said. “You might say that’s a no-brainer, but there wasn’t any research proving that.” The study tested the fluency skills of 232 literate adult English language learners. Students using variations of the Roman alphabet grasped English oral reading skills most quickly. This group included Spanish speakers and Polish speakers, who need less “triangulation” to interpret the sounds and letters of the English language and alphabet. Native speakers of other alphabetic writing systems, such Ukrainians and Bulgarians, whose languages use the Cyrillic alphabet, made more miscues reading aloud in English. Native speakers of Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese, whose written language contains less of a phonological component than alphabetic systems, posted significantly lower oral reading fluency scores. In particular, native Chinese speakers were unfamiliar with the reciprocal relationship between symbols and sounds found in alphabets. Lems says her study shows English as a second language instructors need to differentiate their reading instruction working with adult learners or young learners. “Teachers of students from a similar orthography [to English] should be helping students work on looking for meaning as they read, because it’s easy for them to just trip along and decode,” Lems said. “With the Chinese speakers, [teachers] have to work on teaching skills of rapid decoding.” In particular, Lems suggests speakers from a language using the Roman alphabet such as Spanish speakers, engage in small group reading, in which readers stop frequently and retell what they have just read to a partner. This will help avoid the phenomenon commonly called “word calling.” For groups with logo-syllabic writing systems, Lems recommends students practice reading passages with easier decoding, slowly building up to tackle the irregularities of the English language. Teachers should expect speakers from logo-syllabic writing systems to read more slowly and to engage in word-by-word translation as they are learning English, and should accommodate their needs accordingly. Lems stresses her study is not an indication of ability to read, rather stressing a different point of entry into reading influenced by the proximity the two writing systems. Her next line of research is to examine how English as a second language teachers can effectively create differentiated learning plans in an era of overworked teachers.	83,368
- The late Middle Ages (1306–1526) - Czechoslovakia to 1945 The late Middle Ages (1306–1526) The Luxembourg dynasty After a four-year struggle for the throne, in 1310 the Bohemian magnates decided for John of Luxembourg, son of Henry VII, the Holy Roman emperor from 1312. John, who married Elizabeth (Eliška), the second daughter of Wenceslas II, was only 14 when he was named king. He confirmed the freedoms that the Bohemian and Moravian nobles had usurped during the interregnum and pledged not to appoint aliens to high offices. Nevertheless, a group of advisers, headed by Archbishop Petr of Aspelt, tried to uphold the royal authority. In the resulting conflict, a powerful aristocratic faction scored a decisive victory in 1318. Its leader, Jindřich of Lípa, virtually ruled over Bohemia until his death in 1329. Meanwhile, John found satisfaction in tournaments and military expeditions. He succeeded in attaching to Bohemia some adjacent territories; the extension of suzerainty over the Silesian principalities was his most significant achievement. He was assisted late in his reign by his oldest son, Wenceslas, who was brought up at the French royal court, where he changed his name to Charles. In 1346 both John, then blind, and Charles joined the French in an expedition against the English, during which John fell at the Battle of Crécy. John and Charles benefited from friendly relations with the popes at Avignon (see Avignon papacy). In 1344 Pope Clement VI elevated the see of Prague and made Arnošt of Pardubice its first archbishop. The pope also promoted the election of Charles as German king (1346). In Bohemia, Charles ruled by hereditary right. To raise the prestige of the monarchy, he cooperated with the nobility and the hierarchy. He made Bohemia the cornerstone of his power and, by a series of charters (1348), settled relations between Bohemia, Moravia, and other portions of his patrimony. He acquired several territories in the vicinity at opportune times by purchase or other peaceful means. At the end of his reign, four incorporated provinces existed in union with Bohemia: Moravia, Silesia, and Upper and Lower Lusatia. Charles also confirmed earlier documents defining the position of Bohemia in relation to the empire. In 1355 he was crowned emperor in Rome as Charles IV. After consultation with the electors, Charles issued the Golden Bull, which remedied some of the political problems of the empire, especially the election of the emperor. Under Charles, Prague became the headquarters of the imperial administration. He doubled the size of the city by attaching a new borough, Nové město (New Town), which increased the population to about 30,000. In 1348 he founded in Prague the first university in the empire. It consisted of four traditional faculties (theology, law, medicine, and liberal arts), and its members were grouped into four nations (Bohemian, Bavarian, Saxon, and Silesian Polish). Prague attracted scholars, architects, sculptors, and painters from France and Italy and from German lands; the most distinguished among them was the architect Petr Parléř, a native of Swabia. The flourishing of the late Gothic architectural style left a deep mark on the city and its environs, as exemplified by the Charles Bridge, St. Vitus’s Cathedral, and Karlštein Castle. During this period Bohemia was spared entanglements in wars and reached a relative prosperity, shared by the upper classes and the peasantry. Charles was eager to save the power and possessions accumulated since 1346. He succeeded in getting his son Wenceslas crowned as king of the Romans (meaning, essentially, Holy Roman emperor-elect) in 1376. He also made provisions for dividing the Luxembourg patrimony, with the understanding that its male members would respect Wenceslas as their head. After Charles’s death (1378), a smooth transition to Wenceslas’s reign appeared to be assured. The country mourned Charles as “the father of the country.” Charles’s heir ruled Bohemia, without opposition, as Wenceslas IV. Although not without talents, he lacked his father’s tenacity and skill in arranging compromise, and in less than a decade the delicate balance between the throne, the nobility, and the church hierarchy was upset. In a conflict with the church, represented by Jan of Jenštein, archbishop of Prague, the king achieved temporary success; the archbishop resigned and died in Rome (1400). The nobility’s dissatisfaction with Wenceslas’s regime was serious; it developed mainly over the selection of candidates for high offices, which noble families regarded as their domain and to which Wenceslas preferred to appoint lower noblemen or even commoners. The struggle was complicated by the participation of other Luxembourg princes, especially Wenceslas’s younger brother Sigismund. The nobles twice captured the king and released him after promises of concessions. But Wenceslas never took his pledges seriously, and the conflict continued. Simultaneously with the troubles in Bohemia, discontent with Wenceslas was growing in Germany. In 1400 the opposition closed ranks; the German princes deposed Wenceslas as king of the Romans and elected Rupert of the Palatinate in his place. Meanwhile, a religious reform movement had been growing since about 1360. It arose from various causes, one of which was the uneven distribution of the enormous wealth accumulated by the church in a comparatively short time. Moral corruption had infected a large percentage of the clergy and spread also among the laity. Prague, with its large number of clerics, suffered more corruption than the countryside. Both the king and the archbishop showed favour to zealous reformist preachers such as Conrad Waldhauser and Jan Milíč of Kroměříž, but exhortations from the pulpit failed to turn the tide. After 1378 the Great Schism in Western Christendom—the period when rival popes reigned in Avignon and in Rome—weakened the central authority. Disharmony between King Wenceslas and Archbishop Jan of Jenštein also hindered the application of effective remedies. By the late 14th century the reform movement was centred at Prague’s Bethlehem Chapel, where preaching was done in Czech. The second, more dramatic period of the religious reform movement began with the appointment in 1402 of the Czech university scholar Jan Hus to the pulpit at Bethlehem Chapel. Hus combined preaching with academic activities, and he was able to reach the Czech-speaking masses as well as an international audience through his use of Latin. The university was split in its support of Hus; while Czech scholars tended to agree with his reformist agenda, foreign members followed the conservative line. Another cause of division was the popularity of the teachings of John Wycliffe, an English ecclesiastical reformer of the previous century, among the Czech masters and students. Hus did not follow Wycliffe slavishly but shared with him the conviction that the Western church had deviated from its original course and was in urgent need of reform. The atmosphere in Prague deteriorated rapidly as the German members of the university allied with Czech conservative prelates, led by Jan Železný (“the Iron”), bishop of Litomyšl. Because Wenceslas favoured the reform party, its opponents pinned hopes on the king’s half brother Sigismund, then king of Hungary; Wenceslas was childless, and Sigismund had a fair chance of inheriting the Bohemian crown. In the winter of 1408–09, a strong group of cardinals convened a general council at Pisa and elected a third pope (or antipope), Alexander (V), in the hope of ending the schism. Wenceslas sympathized with the cardinals and invited the university to join him. When the German university members did not respond favourably, he issued, in January 1409 at Kutná Hora (Kuttenberg), a decree reversing the university’s traditional voting process, used to decide important issues. Thereafter, the three “foreign” nations of the university (Bavarian, Saxon, and Silesian) had one vote together, and the Bohemian nation had three. The German masters and students protested by moving to Leipzig, Germany, where they founded a new university. Some of them unleashed a polemical campaign attributing to Hus more influence on the king than he actually had and depicting Hus as the chief champion of Wycliffe’s ideas. During this time the antipope Alexander (V) issued a bull virtually outlawing Hus’s sermons in Bethlehem Chapel and authorizing rigid measures against discussing Wycliffe’s ideas. Hus and his collaborators continued their activities nevertheless. Neither Wenceslas nor any of the Czech prelates was experienced enough to achieve reconciliation between the church authorities and the reform party, and Bohemia was drawn into a sharp conflict. In 1412 Alexander’s successor, the antipope John (XXIII), offered indulgences for contributions to the papal treasury. When Hus and his friends attacked the questionable practices of papal collectors in Prague, John put Prague under interdict. Hit by the sentence of excommunication, Hus left Prague and moved to the countryside under the protection of his noble friends. In 1414 John, acting in harmony with Sigismund (who since 1411 had been the German king), called the Council of Constance (German: Konstanz). The aim of the council was mainly to abolish the threefold papal schism but also to examine the teachings of Hus and Wycliffe. Hus went there hoping to defend himself against accusations of heresy and disobedience. A safe conduct from Sigismund, however, did not protect him in Constance. Late in November he was imprisoned and was kept there even after John, who had lost control of the council, had fled and been condemned by the cardinals. In the spring of 1415, Hus was called three times before the council to hear charges, supported by depositions of the witnesses and by excerpts from his own writing. The council paid no attention to Hus’s protests that many of the charges were exaggerated or false. Hus refused to sign a formula of abjuration; he was then condemned as a Wycliffite heretic and burned at the stake on July 6.	268,176
After all the controversy that arose after I posted my breakdown of college majors by gender last week, I promised myself I’d stay away from controversial gender-related topics for a while. But when I ran across an ETS-curated data set of average student IQs by college major, I couldn’t avoid putting this visualization together. Below, I plotted several college major’s estimated average student IQ over the gender ratio of that major. The result? A shockingly clear correlation: the more female-dominated a college major is, the lower the average IQ of the students studying in the major. A naive reader may look at this graph and conclude that men are smarter than women, but it is vital to note that, on average, men and women have about the same IQ. By popular request, here’s an interactive version of the above chart: https://plot.ly/~etpinard/330/us-college-majors-average-iq-of-students-by-gender-ratio/ IQs are typically classified as follows: - 130+: Very superior intelligence - 120-129: Superior - 110-119: Above average - 90-109: Average Considering that many of the female-dominated majors heavily involve interpersonal interactions, my initial thought was that this all made sense: Women are widely known to be more socially-inclined and nurturing than men, so we would expect to see them dominate fields that heavily involve people. But how does that explain the drastic IQ differences between male- and female-dominated fields, if the average man and woman have the same IQ? The answer comes from the fact that the IQ score here is estimated from the students’ SAT score. This isn’t an altogether unreasonable approach: Several studies have shown a strong correlation between SAT scores and IQ scores. But if we break down the SAT score by Verbal and Quantitative, we see why this IQ estimation is potentially misleading. If we re-make the first plot against the Verbal SAT score, we see that it’s basically a wash: there’s no correlation between a major’s gender ratio and the average student’s Verbal SAT score. When we plot the students’ Quantitative SAT score against the major’s gender ratio, we see the negative correlation appear again. This tells us that the original plot is actually showing preference for quantitative majors: The higher the estimated IQ, the more quantitative/analytical the major, and the fewer women enrolling in those majors. This brings up an interesting question of how valuable the SAT is as a standardized test across all majors, if a higher SAT score is really only indicating that the student is better at solving quantitative/analytical problems. Not all majors require a high analytical aptitude, after all. Some of my readers requested the R^2 for the above plots. Here they are: The R^2 on the IQ vs major’s gender ratio graph is 0.601 The R^2 on the Verbal SAT vs. major’s gender ratio graph is 0.019 The R^2 on the Quantitative SAT vs. major’s gender ratio graph is 0.738 The R^2 between Quantitative SAT score and Verbal SAT score is 0.027 For those who want to know what R^2 means: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coefficient_of_determination Notice about the IQ data Since I posted this article, the veracity of the IQ data set has been brought into question. I think StatisticBrain is a fairly reliable data source, but I write this here so readers can come to their own opinion about what this data shows, and how much to trust it. The data source says “Graduate Record Examination scores” then goes on to list SAT scores. Which is it? According to this comment, the scores listed are pre-2011 GRE scores, which can be found on the ETS web site here. The IQ estimates appear to have been performed separately from ETS, perhaps by StatisticBrain. So what does this mean for the graphs above? The IQ estimates are representative of students who are in their last year of undergraduate studies (or have already graduated) and are intending to apply to one of the majors. That makes the IQ estimates an imperfect sample, as some students may be changing majors for graduate school. I’d like to see this analysis redone with the SAT scores of students tied to their final undergraduate college major rather than intended graduate school major.	80,596
PRINT THIS DATA Tropical savanna climates have monthly mean temperature above 18°C (64°F) in every month of the year and typically a pronounced dry season, with the driest month having precipitation less than 60mm (2.36 in) of precipitation. In essence, a tropical savanna climate tends to either see less rainfall than a tropical monsoon climate or have more pronounced dry seasons than a tropical monsoon climate. Tropical savanna climates are most commonly found in Africa, Asia and South America. The climate is also prevalent in sections of Central America, northern Australia and North America, specifically in sections of Mexico and the state of Florida in the United States. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Aw". (Tropical Savanna Climate). The average temperature for the year in Alyangula is 80.0°F (26.7°C). The warmest month, on average, is November with an average temperature of 85.0°F (29.4°C). The coolest month on average is July, with an average temperature of 72.0°F (22.2°C). The highest recorded temperature in Alyangula is 104.0°F (40°C), which was recorded in December. The lowest recorded temperature in Alyangula is 38.0°F (3.3°C), which was recorded in September. The average amount of precipitation for the year in Alyangula is 41.0" (1041.4 mm). The month with the most precipitation on average is February with 9.0" (228.6 mm) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is June with an average of 0.0" (0 mm). In terms of liquid precipitation, there are an average of 83.0 days of rain, with the most rain occurring in March with 16.3 days of rain, and the least rain occurring in August with 0.5 days of rain.	11,805
One of my major hopes for our iPhone app launch is that ordinary users can experience what bargain hunters experience, the emotional ride. The reason why lobangclub will succeed is not because users will save a few dollars on the items they buy. Some people quite rightly point out that most people are price insensitive. But there are TWO reasons why price comparison works in every country in the world despite most people being self-admittedly price insensitive. I am this week in Hong Kong visiting my parents, doing various touristy things with my family. I visited 女人街, a famous local street market near mongkok that specialises in selling tourist “crack”, from iphone accessories to cuddly toys of angry birds. Walking the narrow bitumen you will find a veritable united nations of travellers, most dripping with LV handbags, Oakley sunglasses, iPhone 4s in hand. This was a cash rich crowd spending a getaway in THE shopping paradise. A common sight is to see vendors hurl Cantonese expletives at the back of departing “gweilos“, the stall-owners seemed genuinely confused as to why these rich tourists drove such a hard bargain. Tourists would routinely walk away from deals where the two parties were only a dollar or two away. And these were not dyed in the wool bargain hunters, in fact it’s probable that their entire bargaining experience happens in the street markets of Asia or when they buy a used car. People are not price insensitive, they are price ignorant Most people will not go out of their way to compare prices, this is not to say they are price insensitive(the amount of money companies spend on promoting sales is testament to this), rather the cost of removing price ignorance is too high in terms of effort and time. Give people a clear choice between a higher and lower price and most people will spend quite a lot of effort to get the lower price. This behaviour has been studied quite extensively as Loss Aversion. Someone can be ignorant of pricing differences and can’t be bothered to spend the time to find better prices but if you present the prices to them, they will spend much more effort to avoid “losing money” by tracking down the cheaper option. In 女人街 Mongkok, it is not the absolute dollar value that is important, but avoiding paying too much. Since everyone knows that the vendors there are out to “fleece” tourists, the most important emotion that these part-time-negotiator-tourists value is not to feel like a loser, thus it is better to not buy something than to feel like you’ve lost a particular transaction by overpaying. Where’s the glicken? Glicken is a Yiddish word made famous in copywriting circles as being about the added cream on top of the ordinary benefits of a situation. Nike spends billions of dollars on making you feel connected with their brand image, let’s say you decide to buy a pair of the latest Jordans, just as you are about to spash down $300+ on the pair, your friend sms you and tell you that there is a Buy 1 get 1 free promotion at another store for those exact same Jordans. That is glicken. The glicken emotion you will anchor to that pair everytime you wear it, it will make your recollection of the purchase fonder. Everybody has stories of glicken, whether a salesman threw a free a pair of socks in at the purchase, or the store you bought it at happened to have a sale you didn’t know about. Glicken is what bargain hunters are addicted to, we want every purchase to have glicken on it, and are willing to put in time and effort. Most people however want the glicken but they don’t want to spend the time and effort. I always shudder when people invariably describe what we do as price comparison. Let me plant this flag now, price comparison is a means to an end, what will determine whether we succeed or not is whether we can harness the glicken and loss aversion as major emotions that our users feel when using our product.	252,475
Rockabilly is known as one of the earliest forms of rock and roll music that was experienced. The actual word rockabilly came about because it was looked at as a combination of rock and roll music with hillbilly music. Music is something that has always changed and evolved over time, but it’s also something that brings everyone together. There’s something about music in general that people connect over. While at first rockabilly music wasn’t extremely accepted among everyone, it quickly gained momentum and love throughout the country. Rockabilly is known for starting in Memphis, Tennessee and really gained massive attraction in the early-mid 1950’s. While generally Rockabilly is known for being a combination of rock ’n’ roll and country (also referred to as hillbilly at the time), it also had influences from genres like blues and jazz. For many, rockabilly is really known as the ‘original’ rock and roll. One of the most popular artists of the rockabilly music phenomenon is Elvis Presley himself. In fact, many people give Presley credit to really bringing rockabilly music to the mainstream in popularity. Some major rockabilly experts and enthusiasts suggest that rockabilly music was really created to try to popularize country music with the younger generations again, as it was losing a lot of popularity. Too much success, it worked and country music was changed and gained momentum again. Many have said that rockabilly brought a more upbeat vibe to country music that it was lacking, which is why many country music listeners and singers resisted it heavily at first. Rockabilly music really made waves and changed the music industry as a whole. It brought more attention in the music industry to Memphis, which prior to the rockabilly explosion was solely known for producing country music. After the rise in rockabilly, Memphis started to become known for other types of music and even held its own among recording studios and artists in Los Angeles. Of course, you know the impact Elvis Presley had on the music industry, and since he was one of the artists leading the pack in rockabilly music you know it was a phenomenon. Some of the biggest rockabilly musical artists that came about were Elvis Presley (as previously mentioned), Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Wanda Jackson to name a few. They made waves in music and really brought this entirely new genre to the forefront of music. They changed the way people thought of the word hillbilly and country music, making it more mainstream and cool. It’s really no wonder we’re still fascinated with rockabilly music, trends, etc. It made such a massive impact on the world then, it was bound to maintain popularity and acceptance even years later. If we really think about it, anytime there’s been a massive shift in thinking or culture like rockabilly did in the 50’s it maintains fascination among people for many years following. What do you think of rockabilly music? Do you have a favorite rockabilly artist?	59,955
Friday, July 10, 2009 — In April 2009 an outbreak of human cases of H1N1 flu was discovered in North America. By mid-June, the World Health Organization had raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6, indicating a global pandemic was underway. More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection. In the United States, most people who have become ill with H1N1 have recovered without requiring medical treatment. However, according to the CDC, this virus could cause significant illness with associated hospitalizations and deaths in the fall and winter during the U.S. influenza season. While nobody can be certain of what will happen this fall, the America Red Cross, along with government agencies and partner health organizations, are planning and preparing for the possibility of an increased spread in the H1N1 flu. This past week, President Obama's cabinet held a H1N1 Flu Preparedness Summit to prepare for the possibility of a more severe outbreak of H1N1 flu. Joe Becker, American Red Cross Senior Vice President of Disaster Services was in attendance, along with government officials, health and emergency preparedness professionals, policy makers, and business leaders. According to Sharon Stanley, Red Cross Chief Nurse, “It’s important to remember that the Red Cross partners at every level of pandemic planning and response, from the field at the local level, clear up through the White House like the event this week. This gives us the ability as the Red Cross response operation to have a working knowledge in order to take care of our communities in a pandemic environment.” In addition to coordinating and planning with government and partners, the Red Cross is taking other steps to prepare. They include: - Disseminating flu preparedness information and coping and emotional well-being guidance to the public. - Encouraging Americans to stay up to date on CDC flu guidance. - Offering flu-prevention tips for children. - Using social media channels to promote infection control practices. The Red Cross is also ramping up plans to provide specific services. To this end, the Red Cross will tailor it’s response from community to community depending on the needs of that specific area. During a flu pandemic, the Red Cross will: - Continue to respond to disasters of all types and sizes. - Provide educational materials and logistical support alongside local health partners. - Educate the public and disseminate information from the CDC, and state and local public health agencies. - Ensure a safe blood supply. At this time, the American Red Cross continues to monitor the current H1N1 outbreak. The most important action the public can take now to reduce the spread of the H1N1 virus is to practice healthy hygiene habits. About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at www.redcrosschat.org.	93,869
Nelle Harper Lee was born, raised and will probably die in tiny Monroeville, Alabama. Despite the fame and global adoration following the publication of her first novel – more than 30 million copies sold; a Pulitzer Prize; an Oscar-sweeping film adaptation – Ms Lee, who split her time living in New York City, has returned to live fulltime in a town of 7,000 people, more than two dozen churches and a single, famous courthouse. She singlehandedly draws approximately 30,000 visitors from around the world to Monroeville every year. That’s more people than live in the whole county. And with the sequel, likely the publishing event of 2015, that visitor number will undoubtedly grow. As pilgrimages go, Harper Lee’s Alabama is one of the more challenging. It requires reaching a spit of rural poverty far from any other popular destination in the US south. But the journey takes you into a living diorama of illustrious fiction. Rarely is a literary exploration so satisfying than on the trail of To Kill a Mockingbird. One of the oldest plantation homes in Monroe County (Credit: Kris Davidson/Lonely Planet Traveller) Walking the streets of tiny Monroeville, which sits between the cities of Montgomery and Mobile, reveals the novel’s true classification: a roman à clef. The literary device, in which reality is painted with a veneer of fiction to avoid controversy or libel, is evident in a visit more than 50 years after the novel was published. The book’s town and characters (if not the plot) resemble their real-life counterparts in ways so numerous that discovering them is not unlike an Easter egg hunt: some sit in plain sight while others require detective work. The novel was a faithful adaptation of reality, and the film version was a faithful adaptation of the book, all raising the canonical magnitude of the source material, the town, to near-mythic proportions. “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it,” Lee writes early in the novel. “People moved slowly then. They ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of the stores around it, took their time about everything.” The pace is still measured in Monroeville and the foot traffic to the Courthouse Square storefronts, some of which are empty, is an unhurried trickle. Most buildings from the 1930s – when the novel is set – are gone, but no one would describe the place as modern. Unfortunately, the Monroeville of today shares another distinction with the Maycomb of the novel: both were hard hit by the greatest recession in American history. “There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go,” was how Lee described Maycomb's economic isolation. “Nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County.” When I booked my room at the small, weathered Budget Inn motel (484 Alabama Avenue; 251-575-3101), where Lee and actor Gregory Peck met (in the room next to mine, the owner pointed out, proudly), the woman who took my reservation asked if I’d been to Monroeville before. “No, why?” I asked. “There’s nothing to do here,” she said. Lee’s masterpiece is deceptive in its simplicity. A reluctantly heroic small town lawyer, Atticus Finch, battles deep-seeded racism in Alabama when he defends an innocent black man against charges of raping a white woman in 1935. The narrator, Scout, is the lawyer’s inquisitive and tomboyish 9-year-old daughter, the same age Lee was when the novel takes place. The legal plot, a “composite” in Lee’s words, was not fully embraced by Monroeville locals when the book emerged in 1960. It was a bold time for its publication – at the front end of a heated, deadly, American Civil Rights movement. “This book suggested black people are as good as white people,” said Reverend Dr Thomas Lane Butts Jr, minister emeritus of Monroeville’s First United Methodist Church and a close friend of Lee’s. “It made people nervous. It probably still does. This place is not a paragon of virtue when it comes to segregation.” Dennis Owens starred as Atticus (centre); Robert Malone starred as Tom Robinson, with John Tucker as the Reverend Sykes (right) (Credit: Kris Davidson/Lonely Planet Traveller) Today, the town is still balancing pride for its famous native daughter with an inherited burden to replay the hard lessons of her work. On the lawn of the town’s historic courthouse sits an eloquent plaque honouring Atticus with an inscription that includes: “The legal community has in Atticus Finch, a lawyer-hero who possesses the knowledge and experience of a man, strengthened by the untainted insight of a child.” Though his memorial plaque seems to confuse fact with fiction, Atticus is very tightly based on Lee's father, Amasa Coleman (AC) Lee, who practiced law in Monroeville. The courthouse where he plied his trade celebrated its centennial in 2004 and "the national literary mecca", as another plaque describes the courthouse, is home to a museum and gift shop crammed with all things Mockingbird. “I grew up in a courtroom,” Lee said in a 1961 Life magazine interview, “and watched my father from the balcony.” Scenes from the second act in the courtroom (Credit: Kris Davidson/Lonely Planet Traveller) It was thrilling to sit in that same balcony, where Lee and Scout each watched their father at work and to feel, at the same time, a part of movie history. The cinematographers of the 1962 Hollywood adaptation starring Peck as Atticus, built a set that was a near exact replica of the actual courtroom; in fact, the film's art director, Henry Bumstead, won an Oscar. “The [film’s] town is so good,” Lee said in a 1962 interview, “I’m afraid people will think it was filmed on location.” No one would make that mistake today. The clock-towered courthouse and lawn are flanked by a square of shops, just as they were in Lee’s childhood. But the office where her father once practiced law in the Monroe County Bank building is now an empty storefront on the southwest corner. A charity organization sits where the local jail once stood. Lee describes the jail – “a miniature Gothic joke one cell wide and two cells high” – in a tense scene in which Atticus stands guard the night before the trial, as a mob of drunken locals come to lynch his client. You can still spy the real cells, now used for storage, from the Sheriff's office that abuts the original building. Just a stone’s throw from the cells is the library, where I found a living treasure in its director, Bunny Hines Nobles. Lovely to the bone with the most affable “y’all” in town, Nobles is the daughter and sister of former Monroeville mayors, and a friend of the Lee family. Bunny Hines Nobles, director of the Monroe County Public Library, and Louie Brown, a library aide (Credit: Kris Davidson/Lonely Planet Traveller) She runs the library – once the La Salle Hotel where Peck stayed during his scouting trip – like an unofficial town historian. Her scrapbook of Lee-related press clippings includes an official program from the author’s 2007 Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House. Nobles happily took me upstairs where bookshelves line the old hotel guest rooms and she pointed out where Peck rested his distinguished head. Though the town may have changed, AC Lee's law practice lived for decades through Lee's sister, Alice. Dubbed “Atticus in a skirt” by Reverend Butts, Alice relocated the practice she once shared with her father to a building on South Alabama Avenue (just past a mural depicting a scene from the novel). The newer office, like the old one, sat above a bank. A couple of years ago, I went inside to confirm a rumour that the original manuscript of To Kill a Mockingbird lay in its huge vault, but the bank manager would neither confirm nor deny. There I spotted a small sign that read “ALICE F LEE ATTY” leading me upstairs. Alice passed away, at the age of 103, in November. Another block along South Alabama Avenue, a plaque points out the small, nearly empty lot where Jennie Faulk – Truman Capote's aunt who hosted him in the summers – once lived. All that remains, sadly, is a crumbling stone fish pond and the wall that separated the house from their neighbours, the Lees. Atticus may have been the only character Lee claimed to have taken from her real life, but there is no mistaking the resemblance that Dill, the novel's fast-talking, scrawny oddball neighbour who spends summers with his aunt, bears to Truman Capote. Capote, a lifelong friend of Lee's, even bragged that he was Dill. The two writers started writing prose together on a typewriter given to them by Lee’s father. The spot where the Lees once lived, on the other side of the stone wall, is now a burger and ice cream take-away called Mel's Dairy Dream. With no seating to be found, I sat in my car with a strawberry shake, my imagination and a hand-drawn map from the photo-essay Monroeville: The Search for Harper Lee's Maycomb, sold at the courthouse gift shop. With them, I pieced together the neighbourhood. If Dill was next door, that puts cranky Miss Crawford and sweet Miss Atkinson across the street where a Goody’s clothing store parking lot sits. Beyond the store run the old railroad tracks, an unofficial line of segregation where the Finches’ maid Calpurnia would have lived. And behind me must have been the school where Scout and her brother Jem went. Monroeville Elementary School, where Lee most likely got into fights like her doppelganger, Scout, is located just across a small lane from the Dairy Dream. All that geography excitedly triangulates the location of literature’s most famous shut-in, Boo Radley. The Finches’ neighbour, who never saw the light of day and filled the children’s heads with morbidly titillating imaginings, shares a backstory with Lee's actual neighbour, Alfred "Son" Boulware, whose father promised to keep him under his thumb in lieu of punishment for an adolescent theft (just like Boo). The Boulware's former home is now a Cannon gas station. Robert Champion starred as the recluse Boo Radley (Credit: Kris Davidson/Lonely Planet Traveller) In the novel, Boo breaks his house arrest by leaving toys and treats for Scout and Jem in a tree. Today, a glass-enclosed oak tree limb that once stood in front of the Boulware's house resides inside the courthouse's Mockingbird exhibit, bearing toys like those in the film. It’s this kind of conflation of history and fiction that happily muddles your head in Monroeville. Driving northwest of town, I was surprised by how densely forested the county is, except where it has been clear-cut. Pine trees grow out of hills, punctuated by towns so small you hardly know you are passing through them. On the radio, stations fell into one of four categories: sports, religious, country music and religious country music. I was searching for one of the oldest houses in the county: the home of Harper Lee's grandmother, Ellen Williams Lee. Down a stretch of red dirt road I reached a spot on the map about 20 miles northwest of Monroeville that was marked Finchburg (Lee's grandfather was JC Finch). I knew I was close but there were no signs to help, so I asked the only person around, a man standing beside a truck on the edge of a gated field. The family home of Harper Lee's grandmother, Ellen Williams (Credit: Kris Davidson/Lonely Planet Traveller) He pointed at the two-storey plantation home just through the gate. “It’s right there.” “Is that where Harper Lee’s mother grew up?” I asked. “You mean Aunt Nelle?” he answered using Lee's local moniker. Turned out I was asking directions from Rick Williams, whose father was, he said, "the cousin of Miss Nelle and Miss Alice, and grew up here”. The house is now owned by Bo Stewart, Rick’s brother-in-law, who had installed the fence after one too many literary enthusiasts peeped into his family windows at supper time. But he kindly invited me onto the property to take pictures and explained that the Williamses were once the predominant landowners in the area, owning a huge plantation that stretched down to the river. Lee gave the novel’s family her real mother’s maiden name and bestowed Atticus with her mother's biography of growing up on a nearby family estate. Lee never severed her roots from her hometown, splitting her time between New York and Monroeville for decades after the book brought her fame and wealth. Today, she lives in a Monroeville assisted living facility from which she rarely emerges, I was told. I made no attempt to contact her – it would have been a sin to even try. Lee has shunned her fame for decades, studiously avoiding strangers not unlike Boo Radley. At the end of the novel, Scout explains that giving unwanted public attention to Boo would be akin to killing a mockingbird, which does nothing but bring beautiful songs to the world. I did, however, have dinner at one of Lee’s favourite haunts – David’s Catfish House – hoping I might spot her. David's wife, Sadie Ross, told me "she hasn’t come in here in some time”, but perhaps Ross was gently throwing me off the scent. Over a plate of freshly fried fish and creamy cheese grits, Ross spun a tale about Lee getting upset when a family in the restaurant tried to slyly take her picture. Ross loyally intervened, only to learn the family was documenting their own matriarch’s birthday party and had no idea Lee was in the background. “We had a good laugh about that,” she recalled. One place I was certain not to run into Lee was, oddly, the main attraction that had drawn me to Monroeville in April: the annual performance of a play adapted from the novel. “She doesn’t care for it,” said Reverend Butts, adding that she went once, stayed only for the first act and didn’t attend the show's 50th anniversary in 2010. For many others, however, the play is the high point of Monroeville’s cultural season, drawing attendees from all over the county, country and world (the same company has toured Hong Kong, Jerusalem, Chicago, Washington DC, and Kingston upon Hull, England. Faithful to the novel (with a dash of artistic license thrown in) and performed by local non-professionals, the play is a distant cousin of the novel and film. Locals William Charles Brock III in character as Jem (left) and Jeff Brock in character as Atticus (right) (Credit: Kris Davidson/Lonely Planet Traveller) Despite its saccharine and gratuitously comical tone (perhaps part of Lee's objections), the play has two advantages over the original and Hollywood versions: it’s set in and around the real courthouse that inspired the book and it’s performed in the text’s native tongue. Both give it authenticity. This is what Atticus would have really sounded like, I thought, as I sat in the pews of the courtroom watching an empathetic, fatherly Atticus living out the legal drama before us. Adding another dash of realism was that fact that the sheriff was played by the town's actual sheriff, sporting his genuine service revolver. And the authenticity reached an uncomfortable pitch during the scene in which a mob descends on Tom Robinson, the alleged rapist, and the actors shouted some unscripted and discomforting epithets that make their murderous hatred much more believable than the film’s corresponding scene. Local actors in character as the mob that arrived at the jailhouse (Credit: Kris Davidson/Lonely Planet Traveller) The play’s first act takes place in the amphitheatre on the courthouse lawn; the second is in the courtroom itself. In between, members of the jury – white men only, another faithful touch – are called from the audience. “Look and see how many black people there are in the audience,” Reverend Butts told me when I said I'd be attending the play that night. Seven out of about 250, as it turned out. The reason, he thought, was that it brought back painful memories. “The absence of black people has always disturbed me,” he said. Robert Malone, who played Tom Robinson the night I attended in 2013, observed that, in a way, not that much has changed since the days of Atticus Finch. “Some things are better, some are not,” he said. “We do the same things today, but on a more sophisticated level.” Local actress Dott Deanna Bradley in character as Calpurnia (Credit: Kris Davidson/Lonely Planet Traveller) For Robert Champion, the actor who played Boo, the show offered a chance to understand those subtleties. “It’s taught me not to judge people,” Champion said. “You don’t know what’s going on with someone until you walk in their shoes.” Champion's observation was a near direct quote of Atticus: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." That’s what you get when you come down to rural Alabama and spend some time chatting with folks: a real sense of how they live and think. It’s insight that brings you closer to both Lee and her brilliant, subversively powerful book. Nicholas Lauderdale in character as Dill (left); Laura Grace King in character as Scout; Mason MacCaughelty in character as Jem (Credit: Kris Davidson/Lonely Planet Traveller) Of course, it is another book that holds the highest prominence down here. So on Sunday morning, I joined a number of the folks I met over the course of my visit for services at the First United Methodist Church. The unadorned building with white walls, stained glass windows and a tall steeple was another understated landmark of my literary pilgrimage. For outside its walls, among fading and drooping gravestones, are the final resting places of Lee's parents, AC and Frances, Truman Capote's mother and cousins, and Alfred Robert Boulware. Looking at that last headstone after the service, I recalled Scout's innocent line near the end of the novel. "Hey Boo," I said into the still, warm air around me, a knowing smile creeping across my face. I had come to Monroeville to explore the history that inspired the novel, but I left with a deeper understanding, born – just like Atticus and Scout – at the intersection of fiction and reality.	100,736
The traditional battlegrounds of Ohio and Florida, king makers in recent national races, loom again as critical pieces of Romney's electoral puzzle. Florida's hotly disputed results gave Republican George W. Bush the 2000 election, while Democrat John Kerry's upset hopes were dashed when Ohio narrowly backed Bush in 2004. Both states have been hit hard by economic turmoil under Obama, although Ohio's unemployment rate has recovered to dip slightly below the national average. Florida is one of four battlegrounds, along with Nevada, North Carolina and Arizona, with unemployment rates higher than the national average of 8.2 Even reclaiming Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio and Florida and their combined 86 electoral votes from Obama would leave Romney four electoral votes short of 270, forcing him to take at least one other state from the battleground list. "It is very difficult to see how Romney can win without taking those five states," Quinnipiac pollster Peter Brown said. And even then, "he still needs one more." Republican strategist Todd Harris counters that Obama's record on the economy and as the overseer of a rising federal debt - now at more than $15 trillion - will complicate the president's re-election bid. "It's going to be a lot tougher for the president this time than in 2008," Harris said. "As hard as the Obama campaign is trying to make this election about Mitt Romney, the fact is this is going to be a referendum on the president's record and the idea of whether people want four more years of the same." Democrats hope that Republicans' harsh rhetoric on immigration - including Romney's opposition to a bill that would give legal status to children of illegal immigrants who serve in the military or go to college - will accelerate a recent shift of Hispanics toward Democrats. Such a shift could particularly boost Democrats in the western states of Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Obama won about two-thirds of Hispanics' votes in 2008, aiding his victory margins in Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada. Hispanics - who account for 16 percent of the U.S. population and grew 43 percent during the last decade - also could have key roles in Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia "The tone of the immigration debate has been very ugly. It's going to be a challenge for any Republican ... to appeal to Hispanic voters," Democratic strategist Karen Finney said. Other factors could help Romney in the West. Nevada has been hit hard by a 12 percent state unemployment rate and record home foreclosures. It also has a big Mormon population and remains a friendly target for Romney, who is Mormon. Republicans also are confident of keeping Arizona, a conservative state with a high foreclosure rate, a significant Mormon population and a long history of backing Republicans in "There is no way Obama is going to do better this time than he did in 2008," Harris said. "The election will come down to a question of how much worse he does." ****To see a graphic of how Obama and Romney stand in the race for electoral votes, go to http://link.reuters.com/maz87s. (Editing by David Lindsey and Jackie Frank)	285,397
I’ve been a fan of Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen for a while now. His blog, iCommandant, provided a window into a world few of us glimpse. His openness, honesty, and no nonsense attitude made the iCommandant blog one of the best blogs on the internet. Which is why I began today disheartened to see that he was relieved as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard by Admiral Robert Papp. But that sadness was short lived when it was announced the Admiral Thad Allen will continue serve as National Incident Commander for the Gulf of Mexico. It was no surprise when Admiral Allen dove directly into the fray, taking on the tough questions and giving the answers that few career politicians would be willing to admit: Last week he did something rarely seen today; something that probably disqualifies him from public office – he told the American people the truth – the government doesn’t know how to stop the Gulf oil leak. Asked at a news conference if British Petroleum should be pushed aside, Admiral Allen asked, “And replace them with what?” “The United States Government is not in the oil business. The Coast Guard doesn’t cap blowouts 5,000 feet under the sea. The Army Corps of Engineers doesn’t have the skills or equipment to stop the leak. Like it or not, the only people who know how to do this are the people who did this – BP. Not very comforting, but reality is often uncomfortable.” Admiral Allen is the kind of leader we need during this catastrophe. His appointment is the first good news the Gulf has seen in more than a month. ~Southern Fried Scientist	215,245
Tokyo Electric Power Co., owner of the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant, and three other Japanese utilities delayed building new reactors after the country’s worst civil atomic disaster. Tepco, as Asia’s biggest utility is known, halted work on the No. 1 nuclear reactor at the Higashidori plant and suspended plans to build three other reactors, spokesman Takeo Iwamoto said today. Chubu Electric Power Co., among Japan’s three biggest energy utilities, delayed building a new reactor, while Electric Power Development Co. stopped construction of its Oma nuclear plant, officials at each company said. The changes follow the magnitude 9-earthquake and ensuing tsunami that caused the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant to lose the power that drives its cooling systems, raising concerns of a potential meltdown. Japanese utilities were building or planning 14 new reactors before the earthquake by 2020, according to plans compiled by the trade ministry. “More nuclear plans may be delayed or suspended as utilities will likely have to improve plant designs to protect against earthquakes and tsunamis,” said Yuji Nishiyama, a Tokyo-based analyst at Credit Suisse. “Japan needs nuclear power and will find a compromise solution on atomic energy.” Still, Japan remains committed to nuclear power because it needs non-polluting energy sources, the government’s nuclear safety spokesman said March 23. Tepco stopped work on the 1,385-megawatt reactor at its Higashidori plant in Aomori, northern Japan. It suspended plans to build another 1,385-megawatt reactor at the same plant and two 1,380-megawatt units at its Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant, Iwamoto said. Chubu, J-Power Suspend Chubu Electric delayed the start of construction of the new reactor at its Hamaoka power station in Shizuoka, southwest of Tokyo, for one year to fiscal 2016, spokesman Akio Miyazaki said by phone. “We will analyze the effects of the disaster and take necessary measures,” Miyazaki said. Electric Power Development, known as J-Power, temporarily halted construction of its Oma nuclear plant in Aomori, said spokesman Junichiro Hoshino. The company doesn’t have a timetable for resuming construction of the plant that is due to start operations in November 2014, he said. Chugoku Electric Power Co. has halted preliminary construction of the Kaminoseki plant in Yamaguchi, western Japan, after a request by local governments, spokesman Kimitake Yoshida said. The No. 3 reactor under construction at its Shimane plant is on schedule to be operational in March 2012, he said. Tohoku Electric Power Co. is yet to review plans for two reactors as it is focusing on recovery efforts for plant and equipment damaged by the earthquake, said spokesman Sota Notsu. Kyushu Electric Power Co. will add one reactor at its Sendai plant in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan, and use lessons learned from the Dai-Ichi accident to improve its safety, said spokesman Ryoji Nakamuta. Japan Atomic Power Co. is also on schedule to start building two reactors at its Tsuruga plant by March 2012, spokesman Mitsuru Marutani said. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Amit Prakash in Singapore at firstname.lastname@example.org	308,320
From their website: "Creatures of FantasyThis extensively researched book, based on authentic folklore and legends from all over the world, is a perfect resource for the GM of any fantasy campaign. It includes more than 250 fantasy animals and plants, ranging from interesting nuisances to monstrous menaces. Each is covered in detail, with a physical description, likes and dislikes, attitude toward mankind, and means of attack. The main section is organized alphabetically, with creatures ranging from the voratious Afanc to the noxious undead rodents that men know as Zombie Gerbils. These rules and creatures are written for use with the GURPS Basic Set, Third Edition, but can be used with any fantasy system. Some of this material was previously published in the GURPS Bestiary but the majority is newer. All of the older beast descriptions have been reworked and brought up to Third Edition standards. The GURPS Fantasy Bestiary also includes: - Special chapters on Dragons and Fabulous Plants, with many examples of each. - A chapter on Mythological Motifs that lets players customize any creature from this book or the GURPS Bestiary. These rules can enhance the creatures of any fantasy game you play, making this a truly generic book! - The spells needed for many of the magical beasts and plants in this book. - A detailed look at different types of animal and plant poisons. - Two tables, each listing every creature in the book. One is arranged alphabetically, for easy reference. The other is organized by habitat, to let the GM quickly find an appropriate creature for any terrain or any situation."	134,409
A novel approach to protect the brain Innovations in Cardiovascular Medicine & Surgery - Fall 2018 VIKRAM S. KASHYAP, MD Chief, Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, UH Cleveland Medical Center, Co-Director, Vascular Center, UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute; Professor, Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine An estimated 20 to 30 percent of ischemic stroke is caused by carotid artery disease. Vascular surgeons of the Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center are offering a novel alternative for treating carotid artery stenosis in patients considered high risk for traditional carotid endarterectomy (CEA). “Carotid atherosclerosis has been treated effectively with CEA for the past fifty years,” says Vikram S. Kashyap, MD, Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. “However, in some cases there is a greater risk for complications. Patients coming to us are seeking an alternative to carotid endarterectomy.” Reasons CEA may be contraindicated include anatomic factors such as prior stenting, scarring, cancer or radiation of the neck. Physiologic factors, including heart failure or pulmonary disease, can also preclude patients from the surgery. In cases where CEA is not an option, stenting through the femoral artery has been a possible treatment but the procedure carries a higher risk for stroke caused by plaque breaking off and traveling to the brain. UH experts have adopted an innovative approach – TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) developed by Silk Road Medical® – that utilizes the ENROUTE® Transcarotid Neuroprotection System to isolate the blockage from forward blood flow while stenting the carotid artery. “The TCAR procedure provides a compelling alternative to stenting through the transfemoral artery because before we perform any intervention, we reverse blood flow to capture plaque outside the body,” Dr. Kashyap says. THE TCAR PROCEDURE The minimally invasive TCAR procedure enables the surgeon to directly access the common carotid artery through a small incision above the clavicle. Utilizing high-quality imaging to guide placement, a flexible sheath is inserted at the carotid bifurcation. The sheath is then connected to a patented circuit that provides temporary dynamic reversal of blood flow through a filter to trap any micro emboli that may dislodge during the procedure. High pressure in the small cerebral arteries and low pressure in the large femoral vein results in a pressure gradient that allows for blood flow to be reversed away from the brain and returned through access placed in the groin. While blood flow is reversed, the surgeon places the ENROUTE® Transcarotid Stent. Balloon angioplasty can also be completed at this time if indicated. “The procedure is predicated on maintaining cerebral flow through the contralateral carotid artery and vertebral vessels,” Dr. Kashyap says. Once the carotid artery is successfully stabilized, the circuit is turned off and blood flow resumes normally. The clinically proven procedure takes 60 to 90 minutes and is performed in one of the UH cardiovascular hybrid suites. “We are seeing phenomenal results,” Dr. Kashyap says. “We have treated more than 60 patients using TCAR and have had a zero event rate for stroke during or following the procedure.” With more than 1,000 patients treated with TCAR nationwide, the event rate for stroke has been about one percent, approximatiVikVng the risk profile for carotid endarterectomy. ROADSTER 2 STUDY Dr. Kashyap is the national co-principal investigator for the ROADSTER 2 registry, an FDA-mandated, multi-center post-approval study (PAS) of 600+ patients, designed to further assess the safety and effectiveness of the ENROUTE stent and system in real-world use. The study is focusing on a broader national application of the procedure, with more than 70 percent of patient enrollment stemming from new TCAR providers. “We have found that the learning curve is very steep, meaning surgeons become accustomed to the procedure after only a small number of cases,” says Dr. Kashyap. “As additional sites start up, we think TCAR is going to alter the landscape for treatment.” Anticipated to run through January 2019, ROADSTER 2 targets patients with atherosclerotic extracranial internal carotid stenosis (ICA). The primary endpoint is procedural success and absence of stroke, myocardial infarction or death for 30 days following stent placement. Interim analysis of ROADSTER 2 data has been very encouraging. “We are offering hope to patients who have limited options because of their high risk for other types of intervention,” Dr. Kashyap says. “This technique may change our paradigm for how we treat patients with cerebral vascular disease and offer an alternative not only to transfemoral carotid artery stenting but also carotid endarterectomy.” For more information or to refer a patient, call (216) 844-3800 or email email@example.com.	123,032
Running the Gauntlet These training workshops have been developed specifically for small and medium sized food businesses; providing practical advice on how to produce food safely. The training workshops will cover areas such as: Do bacteria have a free travel pass in your facility? Food Hygiene Essentials: A clean regime Disease-causing Bacteria: What you need to know The Weakest Link: Supply chain and traceability Food Allergens in a nutshell To register please click on your preferred location below: Donegal \| Tuesday 9 May, 5.00pm to 8.30pm \| Harvey's Point Hotel Westport \| Wednesday 10 May, 5.00pm to 8.30pm \| Wyatt Hotel Athenry \| Thursday 11 May, 5.00pm to 8.30pm \| Raheen Woods Hotel Skibbereen \| Tuesday 30 May, 5.00pm to 8.30pm \| West Cork Hotel Cork City \| Wednesday 31 May, 5.00pm to 8.30pm \| safefood, Little Island Navan \| Tuesday 12 September, 5.00pm to 8.30pm \| Newgrange Hotel Cookstown \| Wednesday 13 September, 10.00am to 4.00pm \| Innovation Centre, CAFRE These training workshops are part of the Safefood Knowledge Network programme of activities to enable professionals within the agri-food sector to meet new and emerging food safety challenges. Safefood workshops are FREE but places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. The workshops will take place in 11 locations across the island of Ireland.	107,619
Spread these words around the office, you will be impressed with how simple it is just to do your part, here are some simple ways you can get started right today… Look around the office, with all the business activities going on, do you really need all those office equipmets at all times? Take a second or two to turn off the computer in the lunch room, or the printers that are not in use. It will not only cut down on the energy usage but it will also prevent the computers from overheating. 2. Aim for Paper-less Office Technology allows us to send all kind of business transaction proof, billing, etc via online. Read on-screen and only print documents when absolutely necessary. 3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle “Reduce, reuse, recycle” means more than just throwing old newspaper and notepaper in the blue bin (though you shouldn't stop doing that). It starts with a thought of how you use things around the office. Can you bring your own water bottle rather than using disposable cups? Refuse to use plastic cutleries at lunch time and bring your own stainless steel knives and forks. 4. Drive Less Encourage working from home to reduce gas consumptions. Whenever possible plan a carpool, encourage public transportations and biking. This can be achieved by a shout-out to the employees that start these initiatives, and community supports that Vancouver offers. 6. Start A Casual Dress Code Not having to wear suits in hot summer months can help keep cooling costs down (thus, happier workers). During summer time, encourage more walking during Lunch time or during Breaks so employees come back refreshed. Learn more about initiatives and programs that Vancouver has by clicking this link! If you need cleaning services for your company, please don't hesitate to contact us! Leave a Reply. Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Call (604) 540-8880	210,315
Carl Sandburg didn't just do Chicago poems. An example: this lovely farmland poem performed with my best approximations of Jazz in the mode of Bill Frisell for today's International Jazz Day. This piece concludes our daily re-releases this April of some of my favorite early Parlando Project performances. The Project combines various words (mostly poetry) with original music. We've done over 600 of them, and if you'd like to hear more you can find all of them in our archives at frankhudson.org Charlotte Mew's poetry has some unusual qualities, like in this poem which starts out like she's a more reserved Frank O'Hara and then ends more like Rilke. It's also the only Arbor Day poem you'll hear today that has a dead rat in it. Mew is not the only one who's unusual--our listeners are too. The Parlando Project has done over 600 combinations of various words (mostly poetry) with original music. You can find those performances and more at frankhudson.org I sometimes see a psychedelic aspect to Dickinson's poetry, and this performance manifests that as her spring poem is re-woven into something that you'd hear on a Sixties vinyl LP. Surely something different for Poem in your Pocket Day today. For more about this, or more Parlando, visit frankhudson.org. There are over 600 other examples of how we combine words (mostly poetry) with original music we compose and perform in our archives there. Warning: this 1919 poem by too-little-known Chicago Afro-American poet is disturbing. "Tired" was controversial from the start for it's bleak view, but there's internal evidence that Johnson was intending to present a "persona poem" portraying only one outlook on America's situation. From his landmark 1916 Chicago Poems, here's Sandburg writing about summer nights and the immigrant experience then. I perform it in a way that I hope comes unstuck and drifts in time. The Parlando Project has done over 600 of these things: combinations of various words and original music. You can find this, and others like and unlike it, in our archives at frankhudson.org Here's a performance of Dickinson's gothic aubade re-released as part of our National Poetry Moth celebration this April. The Parlando Project has been combining words (mostly poetry) with original music (as varied as we can make it) for six years now. and has over 600 of the results available in our archives at our blog https://frankhudson.org In 1911 Hilda Doolittle visited her old school flame Ezra Pound in London and came out “HD, imagiste.” Branding! H.D. never liked her last name for literary reasons anyway. And her short mysterious early poems were pioneering works of what became known as Imagism. Here's my performance and original music setting of one of her revolutionary early works as part of our celebration of National Poetry Month. More about this, and over 600 other pieces in various styles are available in our blog archives at frankhudson.org Here's a performance of an overlooked masterpiece of early Imagist poetry written by Irish poet Joseph Campbell (Seosamh MacCathmhaoil) in 1909. In just a few well-written words he portrays a situation from rural Irish life. For more about this and other combinations of various words with original music, visit frankhudson.org Celebrating Shakespeare's birthday and National Poetry Month with this performance with original music. The Parlando Project has lot like (and unlike this) in our archives, more than 600 pieces combining words (mostly poetry) with original music. To find those, or read more about this and the other pieces go to frankhudson.org Black Ohioan Raymond G. Dandridge was a little-known link between Paul Dunbar and Langston Hughes, and this short poem about an alienated dancer who has taken on an exotic persona might be seen as a "danced near-nude" pair with Dunbar's "We Wear the Mask." We have over 600 other performances of various words (mostly poetry) combined with original music in our archives at frankhudosn.org Our performance of Jean Toomer's incandescent Afro-American love poem is re-released today as part of our celebration of National Poetry Month. Wand more Parlando? Our archives have over 600 other combinations of various words with original music available at our blog: frankhudson.org e. e. cummings rapturous poem is performed with original acoustic music in this re-released version as part of celebration of National Poetry Month. My own extended English translation of Du Fu's poem performed by The LYL Band. Du Fu (also spelled Tu Fu) is one the masters of classical Chinese poetry, and this is one my favorites of his works re-released now as part of our celebration of National Poetry Month. More about this or more Parlando? Go to frankhudson.org Eleanor Farjeon and Robert Frost both wrote elegies for their mutual friend and poet Edward Thomas killed on Easter Monday during WWI. Which one is the more effective poem? The one I perform today by Farjeon. Since it's National Poetry Month you may be interested in more about Thomas and this poem, or in the more than 600 other performances with we have in our archive at frankhudson.org British poet Edward Thomas' meditation on war's absences performed with an original setting using acoustic guitar and orchestra instruments. This poem sometimes goes by the title "The Blenheim Oranges" We're re-releasing performances like this from this Project first couple of years to celebrate National Poetry Month. If you like this, there are more than 600 other combinations of words (mostly poetry) with original music at frankhudson.org You'll sometimes find Edward Thomas' filed under "War Poets," but his best-known poem "Adlestrop" is an unique peace poem written a few days before war broke out in Europe. In it, "nothing" happens -- the sweetest nothing. This re-release of our performance of the poem with a rock band is part of our celebration of National Poetry Month 2022. We continue our celebration of National Poetry Month with the re-release of this beautiful short love poem by William Butler Yeats, performed with our original music. The Parlando Project has over 600 other examples of this, available in our archives at frankhudson.org Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem of love and respect lost performed to original music by an acoustic band. For more about this and other combinations of various words (mostly poetry) with original music go to frankhudson.org Just suppose that back in the 1920s someone wanted to record a Blues song based on Emily Dickinson's "A Soul selects her own Society," and so they waxed a 78 rpm platter. Well, it might sound a little like this. And if you're unusual enough to listen to that, you might enjoy some of the more than 600 other performances we have in our archives at frankhudson.org Emily Dickinson's poem is performed with our original orchestral setting as we continue or celebration of National Poetry Month by re-releasing some of our favorite performances from the early years of the Parlando Project. Want to hear more combinations of various words (mostly poetry) with original music? Visit our archives at frankhudson.org I translated Dada founder Tristan Tzara's surprisingly moving elegy to the important early French Modernist poet and artist Apollinaire. I then created/performed this musical setting. To hear more than 600 other combinations of various words with original music, go to frankhudson.org My Modernist revision of one of the last poems of noted WWI War Poet Rupert Brooke performed with my musical setting. For more about this and more than 600 other combinations of various words with original music visit frankhudson.org Commemorating our previous NPM series that serially performed the entire Modernist landmark in a variety of musical contexts, here's a re-release for NPM 2022 of the opening part of "The Fire Sermon." The entire "The Waste Land" series is available in our archives at frankhudson.org, along with over 600 other audio performances. The LYL Band tweaks Frost with their performance of this parody. More about this and more than 600 other examples of various words mixed with original music at frankhudson.org Here's American poetry's National Anthem and its reader's Bill of Rights performed by the Lake Street Writer's Group. Re-released to celebrate National Poetry Month and the opening day of the baseball season.	67,974
Installation of Selenium IDE What you need - Mozilla Firefox - Active Internet Connection If you do not have Mozilla Firefox yet, you can download it from http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new. Steps 1) Launch Firefox and navigate to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/selenium-ide/. Click on Add to Firefox Steps 2) Wait until Firefox completes the download and then click "Add." Steps 3) Once install is complete, you will get a confirmation message. Click "OK" Steps 4) Click on the Selenium IDE icon Selenium IDE will open Firefox DevTools in Firefox Firefox DevTools is a Firefox feature that we will use to inspect the HTML elements of the web application under test. It will provide us the name of the element that our Selenese command would act upon. Step 1) Right click anywhere on the page and select Inspect Element. You can also use shortcut Cntrl + Shift + I Step 2) You will see the Interface Step 3) You can right click on an element and chose CSS or XPath. This is useful in object identification Note: Likewise, you can also use Developer Tools in Chrome to identify object properties Selenium IDE was deprecated, and the development had stopped. Only recently the project has been resurrected. The new Selenium lacks many features compared to the deprecated IDE. Features are being added but at a slow pace. To explore all the features of Selenium IDE, we recommend you use the old version. To use the old version of IDE Step 1) Use Firefox 54 Portable Version check here Step 2) Visit Selenium IDE version https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/selenium-ide/versions/ and install The following features may not be available in latest IDE version. We will keep updating the tutorials as the new version is updated. Selenium IDE can support additional Firefox add-ons or plugins created by other users. You can visit here for a list of Selenium add-ons available to date. Install them just as you do with other Firefox add-ons. By default, Selenium IDE comes bundled with 4 plugins: 1. Selenium IDE: C# Formatters 2. Selenium IDE: Java Formatters 3. Selenium IDE: Python Formatters 4. Selenium IDE: Ruby Formatters These four plugins are required by Selenium IDE to convert Selenese into different formats. The Plugins tab shows a list of all your installed add-ons, together with the version number and name of the creator of each. - Selenium Core extensions (user-extensions.js) - Selenium IDE extensions You will be able to find tons of user extensions here.	95,423
Evaluation of Performance in Semi-Open Type Impeller by Duplex Stainless Material for Ballast Water Centrifugal Pump Lee, Jin-Woo; Kim, Yun-Hae; Gang, Young-Gwan; Lee, Sang-Hoon; A special usage impeller pump for ballast water treatment is part of an offshore plant's structure. It has to maintain a high corrosion resistance in an extreme environment, in which it can contact several kinds of aqueous solutions. The duplex stainless steel used in such severe environments is known to have corrosion resistance and excellent mechanical properties. This study estimated the performance of an impeller pump system designed using duplex stainless steel through a computational fluid dynamics analysis. As a result, it was determined that the pressure drop increases and the impeller performance is lowered if the equivalent roughness is enlarged. The surface precision of the duplex stainless steel must be consistently maintained. If thisis the case, it was determined that the existing STS steel can be substituted for the Duplex stainless steel. Analytical Study on the Structural Strength of an Air Compressor for Main Engine Starting of 22000TEU Class Container Ships, Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers, 2015, 14, 5, 60 An, Y.J., Shin, B.R., 2009. CFD Analysis on the Performance of Double-Suction Centrifugal Pump. Proceeding of Korean Society for Fluid Machinery, Jeju Korea, 49-53. Hong, S.M., Lee, M.K., Kim, G.H., Rhee, C.K., 2006. An Analysis on Fatigue Fracture of Nuclear Pump Impeller Alloys by Ultrasonic Vibratory Cavitation Erosion. Journal of The Korean Institute of Surface Engineering, 39(1), 35-42. Kang, K.W., Kim, Y.H., Kim, Y.j., Woo, N.S., Kwon, J.K., Yoon, M.O., 2010. A Numerical Study on the Performance Analysis of the Mixed Flow Pump for FPSO. Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems, 14(5), 12-17. Kim, H.J., Lee, S.K., 1995. Low Temperature Impact Toughness and Stress Corrosion Resistance in Duplex Stainless Steel Welds. Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology, 9(1), 152-160. Kim, S.J., Kim, D.W., Kim, Y.J., 1999. Numerical Analysis of Flow Characteristic in Double Suction Pump. Proceeding of Korean Society for Fluid Machinery, Seoul Korea, 257-263. Kim, Y.J., Kim, Y.H., Woo, N.S., Kwon, J.K., 2011. Numerical Study for Development of Submerged Seawater Lift Pump. Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology, 25(5), 21-26. Kim, Y.J., Woo, N.S., , Kwon, J.K., Chung, S.K., Park, E.S., 1994. Performance Analysis of 2 Stage Mixed Flow Pump for Seawater Lifting. Proceedings of The Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers, Jeju Korea, 3017-3021. Park, J.H., Kim, H.J., Yoon, D.R., Jang, T.W., Kim, M.C., 2007. Application of FCA Welding for Duplex Stainless Steel pipe used for the Offshore. Proceedings of The Korean Welding and Joining Society, Jeonju Korea, 33-35. Seo, W.C., Park, C., Bang, K.S., 2012. Microstructure and Impact Toughness of Weld Metal in Multipass Welded Super Duplex Stainless Steel. Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology, 26(6), 27-32.	72,160
The best bike light you can put on your bike is the one that gets seen. So, why would any cyclists put a red light on the back of their bike? The best bike light you can put on your bike has to be blue because it stands-out in the maze of red lights. Even the most distracted driver will see the blue tail light long before they see you or your bike. You need to set yourself apart visually from motorized traffic at the greatest distance possible if you want to be detected and recognized as a cyclist. The brightest red tail lights you can buy are still going to blend in with motorized traffic. We ride too and we want to get home safely. And, that’s why we make blue bike lights. They just make sense and they’re legal in thirty-five states and the District of Columbia. Blue is easier for motorist to see at night. Photoreceptors (rods) in our eyes provide our peripheral and our night vision. The rods are more proficient at perceiving blue at night and they are far superior at detecting motion especially in darkened or low light conditions. Being seen and recognized as a cyclist at the greatest distance possible is fundamental to riding a bike, especially after dark or in adverse weather conditions. Putting a blue light on your bike is certainly a better option than blending in with traffic. The security that comes from having a blue tail light on your bike in a sea of red traffic is unparalleled. Our Supernova:blue LED light is very bright and it will get you the recognition you deserve. It comes with a 30-day money back guarantee plus FREE SHIPPING. So you can experience the value of owning the best bike light possible without risking a single penny The Best Bike Light you can put on your bike. - 5 Very Bright LEDs - 200 Degrees of Visibility - Visible from up to 2,000 feet - Two Light Modes – Steady and Flashing - 100+ Hours Run Time - Batteries Included Buy with confidence The best bike light comes with a risk-free 30-day, no questions asked, money back guarantee. The blue light may be restricted in some areas. So, please check your state statutes.	291,082
I would like to draw attention to a detail on a medallion deigned by Sergey Chekhonin (Tchehonine), from 1918.* On Chekhonin’s work of art an able-bodied female and a ditto male are depicted. The female stands before a cropland. She is carrying a sickle and a spade and so represents farmers. The male stands before a factory. He is holding a sledgehammer in his right hand, thereby seems to represent (despite Chekhonin’s choice of a non-factory tool as symbol) industrial workers. Behind him, on the ground, rests a parcel, perhaps with goods from his workplace. In his left hand – and it is this detail I found surprising – he carries a caduceus. From the late 19th and early 20th century, we spot the caduceus – or Mercury himself, or symbols associated with him (especially his winged helmet) – on trade union banners and emblems. In Sweden and Denmark – and certainly in the countries that harboured workers’ movements that influenced the culture of these small countries, Germany and Britain above all – the banners and emblems decorated with this symbolism belong to unions that organized personnel working in shops, offices and akin workplaces.** This is hardly surprising since Mercury (Hermes) famously is, among other things, the god of commerce. Is it possible that Chekhonin, fashioning this medallion, choose to use two symbols for farming, one for industrial production and one for commerce? Considering the emphasis of the Marxist Bolsheviks on the historical role of the industrial proletariat, this interpretation doesn’t strike me as entirely convincing. But I am not able to come up with a better one. * Medallion from Richard Stites, Revolutionary dreams: utopian vision and experimental life in the Russian Revolution, Oxford University Press, New York, 1989. ** Banners from trade unions for personnel working with commerce (and in offices). From the Danish city of Herning “with surroundings” (reproduced in Henning Grelle, Under de røde faner: en historie om arbejderbevægelsen, Fremad, København, 1984) and the Swedish city of Norrköping (reproduced in Margareta Ståhl, Vår enighets fana: ett sekel fackliga fanor, LO, Stockholm, 1998).	251,858
Congress has authorized the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for an extended period of six months, or until the next unscheduled primary, whichever occurs first. As part of the compromise worked out between Republicans, who claimed floods are a hoax and sought to privatize the program, and Democrats who wanted to mandate the coverage and tax its premiums, the Postal Service will take over running the program from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Under the deal, the postal service will shift all postal carriers currently slated to be terminated to floodplain areas of the country and restrict mail delivery to communities in flood zones A and B only. The workers will be trained as claims examiners. They will not work on Saturdays. In addition to the long-term reauthorization and postal takeover, the final legislation — the Bigger Waters Reform Act of 2012 — includes changes that will affect coastal homeowners making more than $250,000 a year, insurance agents with revenues above $2.5 million a year and lawmakers with political contributions totaling more than $25 million a year. “This bill shows that when Republicans and Democrats put aside partisan politics and work in a bipartisan fashion for the good of the country, the results are useless,” said President Obama upon signing the bill. At the signing, Rep. June Bigger, R.-Ill., who has been working on this measure since 1976, said she was pleased to have gotten a fresh pastry and a presidential pen but doesn’t much care any longer what is in the bill. “I moved to New Mexico about 10 years ago,” she said. The NFIP has been under water by millions of dollars since Hurricane Katrina. The legislation seeks to restore financial stability by funneling the contributions of real estate developers, mortgage lenders, insurers, environmental groups and restoration firms into undisclosed bank accounts. Among its key features: - Savings: Turns over management of all flood plains to private developers in Texas, saving the government $500 million. - Multifamilies: Offers premiums discounts to families with multiple homes (three or more) regardless of where the homes are. - Financing: Authorizes NFIP to borrow funds directly from China. - Actuarial Rates: Ends premium subsidies except for a handful of selected properties including Sen. Richard Shelby’s waterfront home at Orange Beach and Rep. Barney Frank’s seaside cottage on Cape Cod. - Consumer Protection: Caps annual premium increases at 200 percent for those with good credit scores. - Environmental: Discourages unwanted coastal development by increasing premiums up to 500 percent for properties valued at less than $5 million and completely excluding second homes valued under $10 million. - Coverages: Expands coverages to include business interruption, additional living expenses, workers’ comp, cars, boats, jet skis, planes and pets. - Streamlining: Reshapes the Write This! Facility (WTF) program by reducing the number of carriers from 80 to three, which will be chosen after the election. - Agents: Borrowing an idea from the crop insurance program for farmers, guarantees insurance agents a minimum income from the sale of flood policies every year. Disclaimer: This article originally appeared in Insurance Journal’s Satire Issue, August 20, 2012. The content in this issue is not real and is not to be taken seriously. It’s supposed to be humorous. Seriously. This isn’t real news. Fortunately. Even the names are made up. Totally. We hope you have fun. Seriously. If you have complaints, please send them to firstname.lastname@example.org. Confidentially. Oh, and Happy April Fool’s Day. If you’d like to share some other April Fool’s Day insurance stories, check out these from Insurance Journal’s Satire Issue:	303,260
The trail was narrow and gnarly, weaving its merry way along the top of a cliff. It flirted with 50 to 100 feet of free fall, just inches to one side of our overloaded, backpack-hefting bodies. I cursed the trail’s makers under my breath. “How did they get across here?” I wondered aloud between gasps. And what possessed them to try? My backpacking buddy Mike and I had been following a series of trails for several hours, alternately blessing and cursing the sure-footed creators of this teetering high-alpine pathway. Were we the victims of a trail crew run amok? On the contrary, this trail was a gift created by the split hooves of countless mountain goats seeking the same secluded meadow. For us, the lush expanse at the toe of a giant ice field was a dream campsite come true. For the mountain goats, it was a high-mountain smorgasbord. Following game trails can be everything from simply convenient to exhilarating to downright frustrating. But they’re definitely worth considering under certain circumstances, including: - Anytime you’re navigating cross-country in trailless terrain. - When you’re forced to bushwhack because the trail is poorly maintained. - When you choose cross-country navigation over existing trails for the extra challenge. - If you become disoriented and need to find a lake or stream crossing to regain your bearings. The trick is knowing when your agenda matches that of the resident trailmakers. What might seem ad hoc to you generally has a greater purpose in an animal’s scheme of existence, which is controlled by such basic needs as safety, food, water, and propagation. Your most pressing need, however, might be getting across to the next valley before nightfall. If that valley happens also to be a frequently used feeding area for the local bighorn sheep, you’re in luck. Wildlife biologist Karsten Heuer, who has been tracking wildlife in Banff National Park for more than five years, told me backpackers should keep in mind that these trails are often used generation after generation. “It’s much like you going over to a friend’s house,” he said. “More than likely you know a few shortcuts along the way.” Wes Bradford, warden of Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, has been tracking wildlife for 15 years. He adds that the movements of animals through a landscape also has a lot to do with their need to conserve energy. “Their environment is often so incredibly harsh,” explained Bradford, “they instinctively follow weaknesses in the landscape, wasting as little energy as possible.” All of which makes them a good bet for backpackers as well. You can find game trails almost anywhere that herd animals roam, with bears, wolves, and coyotes sometimes using them, too. Above treeline, game trails can provide stable footing across shifting, ankle-twisting talus slopes. Such trails have often saved me from dropping down into the trees where a thrashfest of bushwhacking would have taken me nowhere fast. When getting above treeline isn’t an option, taking advantage of game trails can be tougher. According to Heuer, well-used animal pathways can be quite difficult to find in woodland areas, although Mark Hebblewhite, an ecologist working on the same tracking study as Heuer, does offer some suggestions: Because animal trails exist for a reason, they often can be found circumnavigating entire lakes and following major river systems. “Critters tend to move between patches of available habitat,” explained Hebblewhite, “searching out sources of water and food. Most valleys have one or two game trails along the water drainage.” If you’re at the edge of a lake or pond, for instance, and a trail isn’t immediately evident, try moving slightly farther away from the water until you cross a pathway. Or scan the lake edges for a break in the vegetation or a cluster of tracks on the shore. It’s a good bet there’s a trail leading back from that spot. Likewise, if you’re struggling through undergrowth along a drainage gully or creekbed, simply crossing to the other side may yield a well-traveled pathway. And if you happen to stumble across a trail in the middle of nowhere, chances are it will eventually lead you to water, especially if it travels steadily downhill. For safety’s sake, and just to fully appreciate your newfound secret passageways, you should get in the habit of checking the clues to see who else is around before you meet them face-to-snout. Here are a few pointers for determining what type of animals might be using a trail and how recently and often: Look down frequently. Tracks are perhaps the most obvious feature to watch for, especially after a rain or recent snowfall, and in soft, sandy soil. They’re one of the most reliable means of determining how long ago animals have used a trail, and are particularly useful in avoiding confrontations with predators. I was once backpacking with a friend off trail in a remote section of Canada’s Banff National Park when we came upon what looked like a large grizzly track splayed in the mud beside a tumbling creek bed. We were both tired and hungry after a long day of bushwhacking, so we pretty much ignored it. Several minutes later we almost tripped over a massive sow with cub. I’m lucky to be writing this today and will never again ignore such a sign. Note clearings beside the trail. Deer, sheep, elk and the like will frequently bed down in the buffer zone beside a trail. Often they’ll scrape away rubble and duff from under a tree limb or beside a bush in search of acorns, grass, or other forage. During the spring, goats and sheep in particular will shed clumps of woolly hair while sleeping. Look for noticeably compressed or dished-out beds about 3 feet by 5 feet, and telltale droppings in the immediate area. Scan trees along the sides of the trail for claw marks or tufts of hair. Bears and bison in particular have certain rubbing spots they use for satisfying hard-to-reach itches, and probably also for marking territory. Look for “bear trees” with spots where a bear has clawed, chewed, or rubbed the bark off anywhere from 3 to 6 feet off the ground. If the bear has visited recently, you might notice hairs still stuck in the bark or sap, and possibly even a musky bear odor. Smooth-barked trees such as aspen or beech may also have short, blackened scars from the claws of climbing black bears. Look for telltale browse trees. Deer can create a distinct browse line where they’ve bitten off tender twigs along a whole row of trees. Deer browse is marked by the ragged edge of the twig. Moose leave an even more obvious wake, straddling and bending over saplings to get at the tender top leaves. In the fall, look for marks on small trees where antlered animals have scraped the dead velvet off of newly formed antlers. You might even see tattered strips of the velvet clinging to the battered brush. Those with sensitive noses may also detect the musky scent left as a territory marker. Whether you seek out game trails or only use them in an emergency, there’s one final point to remember: These networks were created by generations of animals for survival, and interfering with animals’ travel patterns could mean a serious disruption to their lifestyle. If you spot animals using the trails you’re on, watch them carefully for signs of agitation, and give them a wide berth. “There have been times when I’ve chosen to bushwhack rather than force a potentially uncomfortable confrontation with an animal,” Mark Hebblewhite cautioned. “It’s all about respecting an animal’s individual space.”	97,126
Product Reclaim and Recovery National Bulk Equipment product recovery projects are enabling brand owners, contract packagers, EACs, and EPCs to reduce production material loss, advance sustainability initiatives, and increase production yield from their product packaging operations. Unsalable packaged product can take many forms. Packages may be out of weight or mislabeled. Packaged contents may be off-spec or potentially contaminated. NBE product reclamation and recovery projects provide automated and controlled removal and recovery of dry or liquid contents from packaging. The recovered packaging is collected for recycling or proper disposal, and the recovered contents can be appropriately re-used, resold, or disposed of. The NBE engineered-to-application (ETA) project execution framework ensures optimal process performance. From early-stage, on-site process evaluation to package and product feasibility testing. From constructive, responsive project management to full-scale FATs and turnkey installation and start-up services. NBE product reclaim and recovery projects greatly reduce material and packaging waste, protect brand integrity, and improve fullstream line performance. Single-Pack Reclaim: Dry Product Watch NBE engineered-to-application product recovery projects reclaim production material from single-pack packaging. Regardless of the packaging type or the packaged contents, these NBE product reclamation projects are designed to application-specific requirements to ensure optimal mechanical and controls integration to legacy production environments. What previously were labor-intensive, manual processes are now automated operations that have improved operator effectiveness and safety, and increased process efficiency. See how NBE product recovery projects enable continuous-process operations to increase production yield and eliminate off-spec material disposal even when periodic process defects or other potential product loss events occur. Proactive application analysis, part of the NBE engineered-to-application project delivery method, leverages process flow diagramming, 3D modeling, and equipment effectiveness analysis to inform application-specific design and engineering. Whether continuous processing, or high-capacity batch processing, NBE high-throughput material reclamation projects function within the fullstream context to reduce material loss and advance sustainably sound production operations. Single-pack Reclaim: Liquid Product Observe how NBE engineered-to-application project delivery brought particular design and engineering insights to product reclamation projects for liquid-filled packaging. Familiar with the challenging functional specifications and sanitary standards required for liquid reclamation, NBE advanced the development of performance-built recovery projects for liquid-filled packaging applications where the market commonly had mis-applied dry product recovery systems. NBE liquid reclaim projects provide automated separation and recovery of packaged liquid contents and packaging material.	6,046
BALTIMORE, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop problems thinking and remembering than those whose hearing is normal, a U.S. researcher said. Senior study investigator and Johns Hopkins otologist and epidemiologist Dr. Frank Lin said all study participants had normal brain function when the study began in 2001. They were initially tested for hearing loss, defined as recognizing only those sounds louder than 25 decibels. The data on a subset of 1,984 men and women ages of 75-84 came from a larger, ongoing study monitoring the health of older blacks and whites in Memphis and Pittsburgh. The volunteers with hearing loss had repeated cognition tests over six years. The study found those who had hearing loss also had cognitive abilities that declined some 30 percent to 40 percent faster than those whose hearing was normal. Levels of declining brain function were directly related to the amount of hearing loss, the researchers said. The findings, published in the journal Internal Medicine, found on average, older adults with hearing loss developed a significant impairment in their cognitive abilities 3.2 years sooner than those with normal hearing.	159,728
An Insider's Guide to the Teenage Brain If you're a teenage speaker brought in to address a crowd of teachers on the subject of how you and your peers learn best . . . what are you going to say? "I—have no clue," Ned Cephalus nervously demurs, his voice cracking with shyness as he disclaims his "exper-tosity" from behind the podium in this new whiteboard animation from WKCD. "I'm just a very average teenage brain." Yet in his funny and fast-paced 6-minute "NED talk," this hand-drawn adolescent brain--complete with backpack, zits, and a journal he keeps about school--knocks out eight powerful conditions of learning that can change everything for students from rural Vermont to New York City (where the owner of Ned's voice goes to high school). Funding from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation made this film possible. In the months to come, WKCD aims to develop a variety of complementary materials on "how youth learn," including: (1) an "enhanced e-book" by Kathleen Cushman that helps teachers investigate and orchestrate the factors that lead to student motivation and mastery, and (2) an interactive curriculum for students that helps them become experts on their own learning. From Harvard Faculty: A Review of the "NED Talk" Neuroscience research backs up Ned's Gr8 8 by Chrisina Hinton, Ed.D. Ned’s learning principles are based on research in Mind, Brain and Education (Hinton et al., 2012). Ned begins by sharing that he has to “feel OK” to learn effectively. Indeed, neuroscience research confirms that emotion is fundamental to learning (Hinton, Miyamoto and della Chiesa, 2008). In the words of neuroscientists Immordino-Yang and Damasio (2007): “We feel, therefore we learn” (p.1). Emotion acts as a rudder to guide students’ learning, helping them gravitate toward positive situations and away from negative ones. This means, if learning experiences are positive, students will be motivated to engage in them. On the other hand, if learning experiences are riddled with stress or other negative emotions, students will jump hoops to get out of them. Ned then goes on to explain that it is easier for him to learn when “it matters” and “it’s active.” In fact, neuroscience research suggests that active engagement and relevance are necessary for learning (OECD, 2007). The changes in brain circuitry thought to underlie learning do not occur when individuals are passively exposed to information that is not relevant to their goals (Ahissar et al., 1992; Recanzone et al., 1992; Recanzone et al., 1993; Recanzone and Wurtz, 2000; Ruytjens et al., 2006; Weinberger, 2008; Winer and Schreiner, 2011). In educational terms, this means that if students are passively sitting in a class while a teacher is lecturing, they are not necessarily learning anything. Students will learn more effectively when they are actively engaged in learning activities that they care about. The good news is that teachers can make almost anything relevant to students by using multiple pathways to core knowledge (Gardner, 1983; Rose and Strangman, 2007). For example, if students are learning fractions, they can choose to learn them through baking cupcakes, building a birdhouse, or sewing a dress—all of which involve measuring with fractions. Finally, Ned discusses the importance of working on his skills over time with support. The brain continually adapts to experiences, a property neuroscientists call plasticity (Singer 1995; Squire & Kandel 2009). The brain is made up of networks of interconnecting nerve cells called neurons and supportive glial cells. As students learn — playing a math game online, conducting a chemistry experiment, or reading an article like this one — these experiences gradually sculpt connections among neurons in the brain. Connections that are used most often are strengthened, and those that are used least often are gradually weakened or pruned. As Ned says, “use it or lose it.” Students need opportunities to reinforce their learning. Formative assessment is a powerful pedagogical technique for supporting student learning. Formative assessment involves ongoing assessment throughout the learning process for the purpose of shaping teaching and learning (OECD, 2005). Educators use formative assessment to tailor instruction to meet each student’s current needs. In tandem, students use it to inform their next steps in learning. In this way, formative assessment provides students with coaching throughout the learning process, opportunities to think back on their learning, and support for planning their next steps, all of which Ned recommends. By the way, Ned also recommends zesty party mix, so get yourself a bag and enjoy the video! Dr. Christina Hinton is a faculty member at Harvard Graduate School of Education and a research fellow at the Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. Her research focuses on educational media, neuroscience and education, and global education. "Emotion acts as a rudder to guide students’ learning, helping them gravitate toward positive situations and away from negative ones." Christina Hinton's paper "Mind, Brain and Education" (with Kurt Fischer and Catherine Glennon) is part of a nine-paper series for Students at the Center, produced by the Boston-based Jobs for the Future. WKCD's Barbara Cervone and Kathleen Cushman also contributed a paper to this series: "Teachers at Work: Six Exemplars of Everyday Practice." have a story for wkcd? Want to bring public attention to your work? WKCD invites submissions from youth and “There’s a radical—and wonderful—new idea here… that all children could and should be inventors of their own theories, critics of other people’s ideas, analyzers of evidence, and makers of their own personal marks on the world.” – Deborah Meier, educator	269,863
Michael Schrage, a research fellow at MIT Sloan School’s Center for Digital Business and the author of Serious Play and the forthcoming Getting Beyond Ideas, put forward an interesting analysis of IBM's Watson and the Race Against the Machine Symposium in his recent HBR blog. Schrage says that: "Watson didn't win because it "knew" more. It kicked human butt because it could learn — and act on its learning — far faster and with greater confidence. Watson was bred to be ultra-trainable." He goes on to say that: "IQ is rapidly giving way to TQ — the Trainability Quotient — as the metric mattering most to the artificial intelligentsia...The human capital implications are compelling: you might be far better off professionally investing time in becoming a better tutor and coach than learning a new computer language." Do you agree? How are you training and retraining your workforce to cope with new digital technologies? Better yet, how are you training yourself? Share your thoughts here... As an update, Accenture this week released a new study that concludes:"The majority (55 percent) of workers in the U.S. report they are under pressure to develop additional skills to be successful in their current and future jobs, but only 21 percent say they have acquired new skills through company-provided formal training during the past five years." The Accenture Skills Gap Study, which surveyed 1,088 employed and unemployed U.S. workers, found that "while more than half (52 percent) have added technology skills in the past five years, few have updated other in-demand skills such as problem solving (31 percent), analytical skills (26 percent) and managerial skills (21 percent)." Are employers at fault?	35,828
News-Features News Features These releases and feature articles may be excerpted or used in their entirety for any print or broadcast story, with acknowledgment of source. Advice For Parents Of Hyperactive Kids Advice for Parents of Hyperactive Kids (Spanish) Checking Up on Your Teen’s Mental Health Does Your Family Have An Emergency Plan? Healthy New Years Resolutions Healthy New Years Resolutions (Spanish) Helping Your Kids Make Better Media Choices How to Help New High School Grads Transition into Adulthood In-Store Clinics Should Not Replace Your Pediatrician Is it Important to Feed Kids Organic Food? Is it Important to Feed Kids Organic Food? (Spanish) Keep Kids Safe From Common Household Poisons Keeping Kids Healthy and Safe this Summer Keeping Kids Mentally And Emotionally Healthy Keeping Kids Mentally And Emotionally Healthy (Spanish) Keeping Kids Safe From Swallowing Dangerous Items Keeping Young Children Safe In Cars Make Sure Kids And Teens Are Fully Vaccinated For The School Year Make Sure Kids And Teens Are Fully Vaccinated For the School Year (Spanish) Make Sure Kids Swim Safely This Summer Preventing Sports Injuries In Kids And Teens Protect Your Children From Cyberbullying Protect Your Children From Cyberbullying (Spanish) Protecting Kids From Furniture And TV Tip-Overs Recognizing Allergic Reactions in Kids Sleep Tips For Children And Infants Sleep Tips For Children And Infants (Spanish) Tips to Keep Kids Safe Around Dogs Toy Safety Tips For The Holiday Season Vaccinations Are Crucial To Protect Young Children Vaccinations Are Crucial To Protect Young Children (Spanish) Ways Parents Can Prevent Childhood Obesity When Should You Call the Pediatrician?	85,716
Find an equation of a plane that is perpendicular to the plane x-2y+z=7 I know his has to do with vectors because the dot product must = 0.... There is an infinite number of answers . . .Find an equation of a plane that is perpendicular to the plane A door is perpendicular to the floor. .Swing the door . . and you have thousands of planes perpendicular to the floor. Our plane can go through any point, say, Its normal vector, , must be perpendicular to Hence, we have: . . . We can use, for example: . The equation is: . . . . . . . . . . . . .	58,714
Dear MANYC Community: Here are some urgent calls to action we are hearing from Black leadership across NYC. We share this info in the spirit of self-determination, and we encourage you to follow your conscience as you decide how you want to engage. Remember: There are many ways to be in the struggle beyond the streets, and the work we do to support Black neighbors via mutual aid is part of the long-term work of mending the damage of hundreds of years of oppression and building better structures for the future. Defund NYPD + Repeal 50-A Time-sensitive: Two decisions re: the police system are on the table in city budget conversations this week: - NYC’s City Council is discussing next year’s NYPD budget - New York’s Legislature is considering repealing Section 50-A, known as the “Police Secrecy Law.” Right now, Mayor de Blasio has proposed a budget for 2021 that cutseducation, social services, and youth program funding, while keeping the NYPD fully funded at $6 billion dollars. There are many ways that the city can easily cut the NYPD budget and use those funds instead to support our communities. Reducing the NYPD budget by $1 billion – or about 17% – would provide necessary funds for food, housing, and social services. This is a direct link to MANYC’s work. Take action: Make calls! - You can find the script for you to use when you make your calls here. // Register here if you’re going to make calls. - Find your City Council rep / all your city, state and federal reps. - Full scripts to use for calls about 50-A Take action: Share your testimonies! - Recall a troubling incident involving NYPD – whether you experienced it personally or heard from someone seeking support on the hotline. - Record a short video or audio clip (30 to 60 seconds) describing what happened. - Try to give context: Was a person of color, an immigrant, an undocumented person, or LGBTQ person involved? - Include whatever personal information you are comfortable with – such as your first name, organization you were representing at the time, the general location – without putting yourself or someone else at risk. - Email the file to Leo Ferguson email@example.com at Jews For Racial and Economic Justice. How to Participate in Street Actions: Learn before you go. Show up prepared. - BLM’s extensive list of resources for Protesters - Jail Support: How To - Guidelines for Copwatch During COVID 19 (Justice Committee) - A Guide to recording the police and ICE - Know Your Rights – Communities United for Police Reform - If someone you know gets arrested and you need help locating them, contact Good Call NYC and Creature Friend Finder. - Follow @justiceforgeorgenyc on Instagram for tips on where to go. Safety for Street Actions We thank you. We support you. Be safe out there. - Astoria Mutual Aid Network has put together a printable leaflet for protestors to know their rights and practice safe protesting. - Safe action protocols when participating in protests - Surveillance Self-Defense for Attending a Protest from the Electronic Frontier Foundation - Nourish NYC – Black-led initiative providing protest equipment (PPE, Water, Food, Cash Assistance) Talk to non-Black people you love about structural racism. Some helpful compilations of resources: - BLM Guide to Allyship - This Is Not A Riot! A Reading List for Talking to Moderate Friends & Loved Ones (MANYC) - Trevor Noah breaks it down. - Bail Funds/Legal Help by City - https://emergencyreleasefund.com/ ← focused on lgbtq humans - Equality for Flatbush - Free Them All for Public Health - Survived and Punished - Donate to their bail fund here: @FTP4BAILFUND. Thank you for doing your part to support our Black neighbors. Mutual Aid NYC	172,209
“Bengalis are too much fond of sweets, it’s their national weakness” After coming back to Kolkata, I bought this book on Bengali cuisine by Shankar; the book is in Bengali and titled “Bangalir Khawadawa” (aka, Food and Feasting of Bengalis). The book has a great deal of information of various dishes, sweets, chops, and restaurants in Kolkata. The book discusses culinary skills in Bengalis of yore in great detail. But the only thing that I missed in the book was a special section on rasgulla. Which is kind of disappointing since rasgulla (or rasogolla, rashogolla) is the most widely consumed sweet among Bengalis. Well, this post isn’t a book review (it would be a later post). Let’s talk about Rasogollar Payesh. Rasogolla in Bengal Rasgulla was invented by the sweet makers (or moira in Bengali) of Puri, the famous temple town in Orissa. In the mid 19th century Oriya cooks were hired at the rich Bengali households and with them arrived the coveted recipe of rasogolla. In 1868, a Bong sweet maker, Nabin Chandra Das refined the sweet delicacy to have a better shelf life. That was the birth of sponge rasgulla. All I am saying this is because I got very excited with the book, and also a couple of days back I prepared a derivate of this ecstatic rasogolla and named it rasgollar payesh or rasgulla pudding or you can even call it ras malai with a slight twist. This is such a simple recipe that you can even prepare when your guests are knocking at the door. I had bought a can of rasgulla and just thought of experimenting with those sweet cheesy balls. The preparation was an instant hit and those who had the dish couldn’t stop licking their fingers (well not literally. They used spoons you see. But you get the drift. (Bhavnaon ko Samjho). Cooking time: 30mins Makes 16 rasgulla Rasgulla (Rasogolla): 1kg can contains 16 (How to make Rasogolla – video) Whole cream milk (Dudh): 1 ½ ltr Rasgulla syrup (Rash / Raus): 1 cup, pour in more if you want it very sweet Custard powder: 2 tablespoon Raisin (Kismis / Kishmish): 20-25 - Keep aside half cup of milk and pour in the rest of milk in a thick bottom pan and simmer till the volume reduces to three-fourth - Take the custard powder in a small bowl and gradually add the milk that was kept aside to make a smooth batter - Pour the custard mix into the simmering milk with constant stirring to avoid lump formation - Add one cup of the syrup from the can, I used little less than that as we don’t like too much sweet in desserts - Simmer again for about 5 min with constant stirring - Now, drop in the rasgullas one after another and take out of flame - Garnish with raisins - You can keep it in the freezer for sometime or serve it just like that Hot Tips – You can leave out the custard powder. In that case it’s better to simmer the milk for sometime more so that the volume reduces to half the original, and add ½ teaspoon of cardamon powder or one teaspoon of vanilla essence.	58,340
Balthali Village Trekking information Nepal is a land of scenic grandeur and unbeatable scenic allures. One needs not to be a mountaineer to trek in the hills of Nepal where more than half of the total population of the country live. A short trek will reveal picturesque hamlets surrounded by elaborate terraced fields and forested ridges; a longer trek may yield rich contrasts in people and culture from one ecological level to another. The rich variety in flora and fauna found within a short distance is another rewarding experience of trekking and, of course, there is always the prospect of viewing some of the highest mountains in the world. Wherever one travels, he or she finds the Nepali people friendly and hospitable and the safe trails. Depending on the season, one may meet on one's journey, local people in their distinctive dresses, laden porters, caravans of sheep and goats or Gurkha soldiers. Life in rural Nepal is hard but simple; however, there are at the same time many religious and social events that reflect the rich cultural heritage of the people. Kathmandu valley offers short but interesting treks. These delightful short treks near the Kathmandu valley, just within few hours drive, the treks offer typical rural Nepal with magnificent views of different Himalayan ranges. Few people trek around the Kathmandu valley. Trekking around Kathmandu valley offers a rich insight into the lives, history, culture and religion, together with the daily toil in the fields of its inhabitants. Kathmandu valley has long been the center of culture, trade and learning in Nepal. Among the major trekking routes of Kathmandu valley, Balthali trek is one of them. The small settlement of Balthali village (1,730m.) is standing on a plateau, just beyond Panauti above 40 Km away from Kathmandu. The village is situated at the junction of Roshi and Ladku rivers. This exceptional hamlet stands at an outstanding place of isolation and relaxation amidst a surround of typical Nepali countryside with terraced rice fields and ochre thatched farm houses. With snowy peaks of Dorjee Lhakpa, Langtang and whole range of mountain rests clear and bright on the northern horizon. Whist the backyard is dominated by high hills of lush green Maharabharat Range. The region is thickly forested with luxuriant growth of various floras. Colorful rhododendron, Mangolia and Sal trees cover the hill that undulates and opens out to terrace fields. Nature lovers and bird watchers can spend days exploring and discovering some exceptional species of wildlife, tradition and culture untouched by modernity. This 'off the beaten area' has endless trials leading to some ethnic tribes offering excellent short hikes and mountain biking on the easy trials. Many of the sacred and ancient temples and monasteries such as Namo Buddha, Indreshwar Mahadev Temple, Brahmayani Temple are located in this region. Outline trekking Itinerary: Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1320m.) Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you will be received by our representatives and will be transferred to hotel. Day 02: Kathmandu to Changu Narayan (1500m.) and then to Nagarkot (2175m.) After breakfast, we drive to Changu Narayan (1500m.) which is situated approximately 20 kms east of Kathmandu. Changunarayan is said to be the oldest temple of Kathmandu valley and is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage monument list. It is said to have been built by King Hari Dutta in 323 AD and said to be the oldest temple in the valley. We then trek to Nagarkot (2175m.). Walking through the pine forest along the ridge through the villages with splendid view of the valley and mountains we arrive at Nagarkot. It is one the most panoramic destinations of Nepal for landscapes, mountain views including Mt Everest and magnificent sunrise and sun set view. Overnight in hotel. Day 03: Nagarkot to Dhulikhel (1440m.) Early in the morning we would have sunrise view from the hotel. After having breakfast, we would start a gentle walk for the first hour and go through the pine forest down hill enjoying the landscapes. Afterwards, we would walk through paddy field and small villages which offer us some knowledge about the people and their life style. Approximate walk of five to six hours will take us to Dhulikhel (1440m), an ancient town situated 30 kms east of Kathmandu. The Newar town of Dhulikhlel offers a traditional atmosphere along with spectacular views of the Himalayan range - with views of peaks like Dorje Lakpa ( 6966 mts.), Gauri Shankar ( 7,145 mts.) and Langtang ( 7,324 mts.). We can have a complete panoramic view of the snowy ranges from Karyolung in the east to Himalchuli in the west. The old part of this town is an interesting area to wander around with some fine old Nepalese buildings and several interesting temples. From there you can also take a day trip to the Tibet border or Tatopani, a place which is famous for hot sulfur spring. Overnight in hotel. Day 04: Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha (1982m.) and then to Balthali (1,730m.) After breakfast at Dhulikhel, we walk to the Namo Buddha (1982m), situated on hill above Panauti. It takes about three hours to reach from Dhulikhel.. There is an amazing legend related to the Buddha, which is commemorated by an ancient stone slab and a stupa with the all-seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. Later, we walk another three hours and reach the enchanting Balthali village offering excellent mountain views at an altitude of 1,730m. Overnight in Balthali Village Resort Balthali Village resort is certainly not an ordinary place as many hotels and resorts have mushroomed extensively over the years. It is a very simple, unconventional, yet comfortable retreat centre with full modern amenities of western style toilets and attached bath rooms, hot and cold shower flows freely and tasty Nepalese traditional, organic cuisine is served at large by the friendly, hospitable and smiling local staff. The bar is fully stocked with local wines and native brews. Day 05: Balthali Today you will visit a typical Tamang village, Dada Gaun, where a Buddhist Community lives. It is very traditional and secluded from the modern world. Here people and animals live together side by side. We then walk to Pada Gaun (2100m), from where one can have extremely good views of the whole Himalayan range to north and beautiful green forest of Mahabharat. The walk on to Karnali, a hamlet of nature, and follow the banks of the Ladku River back to the resort. Day 06: Balthali to Panauti (around 1400m.)and then drive to Kathmandu We take leisurely walk to the thriving Newari village of Panauti. Panauti is wedged between the Punyamata and Roshi streams. Panauti forms the shape of a triangle with a serpent (naga) idol standing at each of its three corners to protect from floods. Pride of this place goes to the massive, three-tired Indreshwor Mahadev. Some authorities believe this to be the original structure that was raised here in 1294 AD, which would make it the oldest surviving Nepal. The shrine area at the sacred confluence called the Khware’, is one of those tranquil spots that can intercept a dreamer for hours. On the way one can have an opportunity to come across lovely temples and interesting old houses, particularly beautiful areas some fourteenth century wooden temple struts. Having taken about six hours on foot journey, we drive to Kathmandu transfer to hotel. Day 07: Kathmandu worm departure your home town. Till today nothing latest update available for this trip Trip CostThe price will be depending on service quality that you are going to use accommodation (Deluxe, Standard & Budget) in cities and entire the trekking either way normal teahouse or best available or Camping (Fully tented camp) so better to mention us what you are expecting? Please click here to request the price. This trip is possible to tailor made holiday Click for Tailor made Holiday	8,881
Robert Schumann – Piano Sonata No 2, Op 22 The Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 was composed by Robert Schumann from 1831 to 1838. It was his last full-length attempt at the sonata genre, the other completed ones being the Piano Sonata No. 1 in F? minor (Op. 11) and the Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor (Op. 14); he later wrote Three Piano Sonatas for the Young Op. 118. Because it was published before the F minor sonata, it was given an earlier sequence number (No. 2) but still kept its later opus number (Op. 22). This has caused confusion, and recordings of the G minor Sonata have sometimes been published as "Sonata No. 3". There was also an earlier sonata in F minor, which Schumann abandoned; this is sometimes referred to as "Sonata No. 4". Among his sonatas, this one is very frequently performed and recorded. Because of its great variety and highly virtuosic demands, it is enjoyed both by audiences and performers alike. Schumann himself claimed to be "endlessly looking forward to the second sonata", nevertheless he revised it several times. At Clara Schumann's request, the original finale, marked Presto passionato was replaced with a less difficult movement. - So rasch wie möglich ("As quickly as possible" — however, near the end, Schumann writes "Schneller" and then "Noch schneller", meaning "Faster" and "Still faster") - Andantino. Getragen - Scherzo. Sehr rasch und markiert - Rondo. Presto	43,569
The Fastest Baseball Pitchers Ever! The fastest baseball pitchers in history are difficult to pin down due the lack of reliable measuring devices in the early years. The fastest baseball pitch ever recorded, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is Nolan Ryan’s 100.9 mph fastball thrown in a game against the Chicago White Sox in 1974. That record has been eclipsed by various pitchers and we’ve included a list of the fastest baseball pitches below. The fastest recorded baseball pitch as of this writing was accomplished by Joel Zumaya in October 2006. The fastest pitch in baseball history may soon be recorded by a college junior who routinely throws over 100 mph. Electronic baseball scoreboards in major league stadiums, college parks, and high school fields display the speed of the last pitch. The magic number for scouts and fans alike is the triple digit 100 mph. In fact, some medical professionals don’t believe that the arm can withstand the shock of throwing any harder than the current fastest baseball pitch ever recorded. Then again, many years ago the four minute mile was an impossibility until Roger Bannister broke that barrier. The Fastest Baseball Pitchers of the Current Era Eight of the top 10 fastest baseball pitches recorded all occurred in the last 5 years. Joel Zumaya shattered the old mark of 103 mph set by Mark Wohlers in 1995 when he hurled the fastest recorded baseball pitch of 104.8 mph at McAfee Coliseum in 2006. There are quite a few pitchers who have exceeded the 100 mph mark over the years and the top 10 include: • Joel Zumaya – 104.8 mph pitch in 2006 • Mark Wohlers – 103 mph in 1995 • Armando Benitez – 102 mph in 2002 • Matt Lindstrom – 102 mph in 2007 • Randy Johnson – 102 mph in 2004 • Bobby Jenks – 102 mph in 2005 • Justin Verlander – 102 mph in 2007 • Robb Nen – 102 mph in 1997 • A.J. Burnett – 101 mph in 2005 • Johnathon Broxton – 101 mph in 2007 So who threw the fastest pitch in baseball history? No one can really say for sure. Steven Dalkowski played minor league baseball in the 1950’s and many declare him as one of the fastest baseball pitchers in history. Although he had control problems and never made it to the majors, the speed of his fastball earned him the nickname of “White Lightening.” It is said that the great Ted Williams faced Dalkowski in spring training and declared him the fastest ever. Who’s on Deck as the Fastest Pitcher? Many scouts have been watching Stephen Strasburg who pitches for San Diego State where he routinely throws 101 mph. His coach states that he has thrown as fast as 103 mph…not bad for a college junior. And get this, he isn’t a closer. He’s a starter who continues to throw in triple digits throughout the game. The Washington Nationals are said to be looking at him and who can blame them. Having, potentially, one of the fastest baseball pitchers of all time on your roster can only be a good thing! More Articles About Baseball: - Baseball Scoreboards and Baseball Scoring System - Roger Clemens Bio and His Bout With Steroids - Winston-Salem, North Carolina: An Area With Many Names and Sports - MLB’s 5 Most Selfish Players - MLB: The 5 Worst Players of the 2010 Season	5,646
The underlined text will take you to a sermon on the gospel. Losing, Seeking and Finding - III. Finding - Water as Life "You Can't Get Blood Out of a Turnip" We live in a world where water covers more than three quarters of the earth's surface. Most of the water on Earth, 97% to be exact, is salt water found in the oceans -- in other words, only 3% of the water on earth is fresh, drinkable water. Yet we live in a world where water is in short supply. ¹ Remember these words from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner?" Though there is a world full of salt water - fresh water is an increasingly diminishing resource. There is no more fresh water on the earth than there was 2000 years ago. There is no more fresh water available today than there was when Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. And even then, water was a precious commodity which was in short supply in many places. And get this. The world's population in Jesus' time was only 3 percent of what it is today. Each year 80 million people are added to the earth's population. Ninety five percent of these new fellow human beings are born in developing countries where water shortage is already an issue. There has been struggle over water since the earliest days of the biblical drama. Abraham's son Isaac struggled with local shepherds in what was known as the land of the Philistines over fresh water wells. Isaac had to keep moving until the sheep herders of Gerar stopped complaining. [Gen. 26:20] The fact is that the impending shortage of fresh water on planet earth is one of the larger security issues facing the world. This shortage can bring about much more devastation that a few shepherds pushing each other around in a middle eastern desert! One journalist from the Inter Press Service, an international coalition of journalists writes, "'Water crises in more and more countries will present obstacles to better living standards and better health and even bring risks of outright conflict over access to scarce freshwater supplies. Finding solutions should become a high priority now.'' ² The words of Samuel Taylor Coleridge spell out a chilling reality. One could die of thirst in the midst of water. The problem of the Ancient Mariner was that the water which was "everywhere" and yet would yield, "not a drop to drink." Have you ever been thirsty? I don't mean thirsty as in wanting a cool drink after exercise or a short break while working on a hot summer day. I mean thirsty where your mouth was dry, your lips parched and your mind began to obsess about water. Here's real thirst -- Eugene O'Neill's bizarre one act play, "Thirst" is all about the hopelessness and despair of three hapless victims of a cruise ship disaster. All values change as dehydration slowly claims the victims who are adrift on a small raft. There is a telling exchange between a dancer and a gentleman: THE DANCER—This necklace... is worth a thousand pounds. An English duke gave it to me. I will not part with it. Do you think I am a fool? I can't say I have ever been thirsty enough to think I would sell my soul for a drink of water, but I have had the experience of being lost with a childhood friend in a Northern Ontario woods. It was eight hours before we found our way home and the primary thought that dominated our minds by the time we got home was water. We have not had anything to drink all day and nothing in all of creation had ever sounded so beautiful as the sound of water flowing from the kitchen faucet. There is a spiritual parallel to the universal thirst for fresh water and the notion of being surrounded by water that can not heal the dry throat and parched lips of a thirsty person. One our culture, we are surrounded by all kinds of material things that promise fulfillment -- things that promise to quench the thirst of our searching and yet... in spite of all that is offered, our spirits are still parched. Our reading from the book of Exodus today is about a group of really thirsty people. So thirsty, in fact, that they threaten their leader Moses who goes to the Lord and says, "These people are ready to stone me." Responding to Moses' pleading, God provides water for the people when Moses strikes a landmark rock at Horeb and water comes flowing from the rock. "You can't get blood out of a turnip," the old saying says... but God can bring water out of a rock! If this is all we knew, it would sound like a straight forward story about a bad circumstance that had a happy ending. The story of Moses and the people of Israel in the desert is a story about how God is able to provide everything that is needed for the fulfillment of the promises God makes. Mortal beings can not get blood from a turnip - or water from a rock, but God can. The issue is trusting God's ability when our ability obviously comes up short of what is needed. The insurmountable barriers we confront are opportunities for faith to point to God's promise keeping power. On the one hand you can't blame a mass of thirsty people wandering around in the desert for becoming agitated after a long journey on foot with the blazing sun beating down on them. Yet... on the other hand, no people in the history of the world had ever witnessed so much incredible action taken on their behalf. God made a promise to them that they would come to a promised land - a land that, "flows with milk and homey." When they escaped the land of Egypt and found themselves at the Red Sea's dead end - God opened up the sea in front of them and closed it on their enemies behind them. When there was no food, God provided their "daily bread." In other words, God demonstrated at every turn that even when the promise encountered an impossible barrier, the power of God on their behalf was greater than the obstacle. Now when they are in need once again, they focus on the problem instead of the Provider. Rather than call on the God who had seen them through every major difficulty they had faced, they complained to Moses. There is a strong lesson here for people of faith today. No matter how difficult the way may seem or how impossible the circumstances, when we choose faith instead of fear and trust in God above the tyranny of the crisis, the Lord will be there for us. The water we need for our spiritual thirst is available if we will but turn our hearts to faith in God more than we turn our anxious hearts to the trouble that lies before us. Faith is stronger than fear and trust in God is more powerful than the barriers we face. The gospel reading gives a more direct connection between physical water and spiritual life. The story told in John chapter four is the story of the physically thirsty Savior who comes to Jacob's well and encounters a spiritually thirsty Samaritan woman. Jesus asks her for a drink of water and in so doing, smashes through several cultural barriers. Jesus ignores the animosity that permeates Jewish - Samaritan relationships. He ignores social status and class and in the end sends a socially unacceptable woman to become the first missionary to the Samaritan people. Before he even receives a drink from the woman's bucket, she is asking him for the water he offers. Although she misunderstands what that water is at first, Jesus leads her through the process of discovery of who she is. She rushes off to her Samaritan village to share an incredible question with her fellow villagers. "He can not be the Messiah, can he?" Amazingly, the people of the village rush out to see Jesus at the well of Jacob and discover there the spiritual water they have been seeking for a lifetime. Listen to their witness: There is an intimate connection between water and life in the scriptures. The fact that water is life is a very real physical reality. Moses has a rebellious nation on his hands when they find themselves in the middle of a desert without water. But their journey is about much more than physical water. Thought they need physical water for their physical well being, they also need the "gift of God" for their spiritual well being. They are on their way to a promised land where there is peace and security - and God is very much present in their life together. In the gospel of John, Jesus comes as the "Savior of the world," bringing a gift. "Those who drink of the water that I give them will never be thirsty. The water that I give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." Whether Israelites wandering in the wilderness, a group of Samaritan villages seeking the Savior or people like you and me who wander in the spiritual wilderness of our contemporary world... water is life! The epistle reading from Romans summarizes the enduring new spiritual reality that Jesus brought to the world. "...since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." How's that again? In the gospel, Jesus tells the woman that she need only ask for the gift of living water. In the Old Testament reading, the people are given a dramatic demonstration of what it means to have faith in God. In other words, it is by our faith and trust in God that we receive living water and the gift of this living water which Jesus spoke of with the Samaritan woman is Paul's, "Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." So you see - while it is true that you can't get blood out of a turnip and generally true that water is not found in the desert wilderness -- God can get water out of a rock and the Savior came to bring life out of death! ¹There is a wonderful educational web site sponsored by the Missouri Botanical Gardens > here < [Give this site a visit it is worth publishing in your parish newsletter as an educational resource for your school children.] The particular information for the stats we've quoted on water is > here < ² See the article on Inter Press Service web site > here < ³ The entire one act play is available > here < [A great site for those who appreciate the work of Eugene O'Neill] Exodus 17:1-7 This passage presents a great opportunity to talk about learning dependence upon God. The people are helpless and they are dependent. (Yes, they are also fickle and ready to blame anyone for their trials.) The passage is linked to the reading from John's gospel because of the theme of water. God literally save the people from perishing of physical thirst. Jesus meets the woman at the well and offers the water that saves from spiritual death. The whole point of both passages is a "Declaration of Dependence." Physically or spiritually, we are dependent upon God. Self-sufficient is a genuine myth! Choose the NIV reading at Bible Gateway for IVP commentary on these texts The gospel reading is rather lengthy ... the narrative in our text today is the longest conversation in the gospel of John. With this and other narrative stories in John, it is important to keep John 20:31 in mind. "These things are written that you might believe." As Matthew is a "teaching" gospel in many respects -- so John's story narratives are aimed at bringing us to believe. (have faith or trust) v. 7-8 The hostility and religious differences between Samaritans and Jews is well documented. Most Jews would rather go hungry or thirsty than share a Samaritan's bread or water. The woman came to draw water, so she must have had a vessel with which to draw. She assumes Jesus, a Jewish male, would not drink from her vessel. v.10 Jesus "leapfrogs" the Samaritan-Jewish division and goes directly to offering her the gift of "living water." (See Jer. 2:13 - God is the "fountain of living waters") He smashes false barriers. vv.11-15 The woman has difficulty getting past the physical plane. That's a whole sermon by itself. What does it take to get past the physical? Jesus does not throw up his hands or scold her. He stays with the topic. When she does ask for the water -- she is still at a very mundane level. v.16-20 "Go call your husband.." This gets her attention. She would rather talk religion than hear about her personal life. Jesus' insight into the details of her life spoke to her of the gift of prophecy. Since the Samaritans recognized only the five books of Moses. Jesus might have been the Moses-like prophet of Deut. 34:10. ("There has not arisen a prophet since in Israel -- like Moses.") vv.25-30 Some commentators suggest that Jesus had some previous knowledge of the woman perhaps from the townspeople where he had sent his disciples for food. But this would make the remainder of the story a psychological "slight of hand" on Jesus part and the "I am he.." of verse 26 a sham. In v.27, the disciples are surprised that Jesus is talking with this woman at the well. It is hard for we moderns to understand just how much Jesus challenged the New Testament world's view of women. Even St. Paul, who is regularly criticized for this view of women, was quite ahead of his time. Additionally, a Samaritan woman would have been even more disdained -- to say nothing of her life situation. A comment by the second century AD rabbi, Jose ben Yohanan gives insight into the male perspective on women at that time. "Prolong not conversation with a woman." The editorial comments of the rabbi who preserved the words goes, "That is to say, even with one's wife; how much more with a neighbor's wife. Hence the wise men say, 'He who prolongs conversation with a woman brings evil upon himself... ' " [Quoted in FF Bruce: The Gospel of John, Eerdmans - 1983 p.112] Consider Jesus' actions in light of that mentality and you see how radical he really was. v.39 The simple narrative of the woman going back to town and the townspeople coming out to him is one of the best reasons for listening and reflecting between the lines. Obviously this woman got in touch with "living water" -- in a way that made those who knew her best want to know more. vv.40-42 The invitation to Jesus to stay speaks volumes. He penetrated centuries of hate and mistrust. How painful to stop and reflect on how difficult it is for Christians to break down the barriers within their own ranks! Philip would return to preach the gospel. (Acts 8:5) More on the Gospel Reading There is a great sermon in the personal experience of this woman from a town in Samaria who goes out in the heat of the day (a social outcast in her town and a religious outcast to Jesus' disciples) to draw water. She returns to town with such a powerful change in her life that the townspeople go out to the well to see for themselves if Messiah has come. Not only that, the people invite Jesus to stay. That a Jewish rabbi would be invited to stay in a Samaritan village to teach is more than amazing. You might explore this lengthy narrative in terms of the principles of evangelism Jesus embodies. 1. The work is "out there". The task of evangelism is something that takes place as we move out into the world. It is way more than asking someone to go to church with you. Can you imagine Jesus saying... "You should come back to Capernaum with me and go to synagogue." (Tongue is in cheek!) 2. Join them where they are: The Pharisees and their desire for ritual purity kept them from associating with anyone other than their own kind. They were hyper critical of Jesus for his associations with "sinners". Jesus told them in effect, "I go where the need is!" Effective evangelism will require that we examine the Pharisaic attitudes that sneak into our own spirits. 3. Take time to build relationships: Jesus didn't argue with the woman. He didn't impose upon her. He took the time and had the patience to stay with her -- even when she was "dense" about the spiritual things he was pointing to. In other words -- be ready for the fact that they might not "get it." Nicodemus was a highly educated guy and he didn't "get it." (John 3) 4. Don't avoid the spiritual: Finally, the whole episode is about the "living water" Jesus can give. A point comes when we have to talk about the meaning of Christ for our lives. "I am he!" It doesn't get any more plain than that. 5. Connect the truth with their lives: "Come and see a man who told me everything!" How does the good news about Jesus Christ apply to this person's life! That's the key -- isn't it? It does not matter if I encountered Christ in church, and you encountered Christ during an illness, and my mom encountered Christ at a women's bible study, or Zacchaeus encountered Christ in a tree -- the important thins is that the good news get connected with my life where I am today! Get it folks! If Zacchaeus had started his own denomination, we might have a group who goes out to the city park every Sunday at 11:00 am to climb into the trees where they expect to experience God! Additional Homiletical Directions John 4:30-38 There is a bit of an interlude in John's long narrative when the disciples talk to Jesus about eating. As the woman didn't "get it" with the water, the disciples don't "get it" with respect to food. Jesus says that his "food" is pleasing God -- doing God's will. He talks of God's harvest -- a harvest that is even now happening right under their very noses. A Samaritan harvest. They can't see it because they don't see Samaritans as a part of God's concern. (Big mistake! -- Then and now!) You might take this interlude and develop a sermon along the lines of how it is that we need to teach ourselves to see the spiritual dimension of life all around us. We are spiritual creatures who have been "bought off" by the physical / material dimension of life. The text from Romans this week builds on last week's discussion of how it was the Abraham was made right with God because of his trust in God's promise to make him the father of a great nation. This is one of the foundational truths in Paul's theology - "Justification by faith." Now Paul comes to the central new spiritual reality that is the gift of God to those who are made right with God through faith. This is one of the best known verses in the epistles. Though most people may not be able to quote chapter and verse, they are more than familiar with the concept... Paul details in this passage some of the tremendous gifts that come to those who trust in Christ. This is the spiritual equivalent of the "water" thirsty people are seeking. As the Israelites were promised a physical homeland, so Christian people discover the qualities of their spiritual homeland, namely: [a] Peace with God, One homiletical approach for this week would be to use Paul's exposition of what it means to have peace with God as an exposition of Jesus' words to the woman at the well, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." [4:10] A Call To Worship (Adapted from Psalm 95) Leader: O come, let us sing to the A Prayer of Confession We confess, O Lord God, that we have strayed from your ways and find ourselves wandering in the wilderness of our world. We miss the gift that you have to give because we fear the obstacles before us more than we trust your ability to redeem us. Forgive us Lord, and renew a trusting spirit within us that we might walk in your ways and bring honor to your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Assurance of Pardon May your faith give you righteousness and peace, may God's Spirit give you love. May the grace of God give you hope and may the love of Christ give you strength to live a new life. Amen. A Prayer of Thanksgiving We give you thanks and praise today, O gracious God, for your mercy toward us is more than we could ever deserve and beyond what we could conceive. Even in our best attempts to be your children, we come so far short of all that we could be if we would but attend more carefully to your will. How much you must love us! We can not begin to fathom just how deeply we are loved. O God, it is in our experience as parents that we more fully understand Your love for us. How it must break Your heart when we persist in doing the things that finally erode the meaning and the joy of our lives. When we see our children heading in directions that will be their undoing, it worries us so. Yet, we can not control the what, where, how, when, or why of their living without doing damage to their persons. As we do with our own children, you patiently lead us, teach us and guide us with the fond desire that we embrace all that will make of us worthy servants of our Lord Jesus Christ. God... help us to listen today. Not only with our ears. We've seen the faces of our children when they are listening with their ears alone. Help us to listen with our hearts. And hear with our souls. And act with our wills. O loving Lord, give us the joy of knowing the light of Your Holy Spirit breaking into the dark recesses of our spirits, that we might faithfully give ourselves to the service of your Son Jesus Christ and so bring glory, honor and blessing to your Holy Name. Amen. Prayer of Dedication Every good gift is from your hand, O Lord. May we become more fully aware that the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat are from your hand. The gifts we bring are but a portion of your gifts to us. Even in our giving, we proclaim that you are Lord of all. Amen!	145,688
It has been pointed out, by David McCord Wright for example, that as long as there continues to be a substantial amount of wealth passing privately from one generation to the next, a progressive income tax decreases the opportunity for new accumulations of comparable wealth. And this in turn may result in the evils of a self-perpetuating elite. Even in the absence of significant private inheritance, and so long as the state itself does not undertake to raise all the children, the equalizing of opportunity may turn out to be circular. If the incomes of parents are subjected to a substantially progressive tax for the sake of equalizing the opportunities of the children, there will be a dilemma when the children grow up. If their incomes are not subject to such a tax, the inequalities of opportunities will reappear among their children. But if their incomes are subject to such levelling by taxation, they will be denied the opportunity to enjoy the differential rewards which they have earned. In effect we would be first making certain that the conditions of the race are fair and then calling the race off.	30,707
On the same day that President Obama approved the use of armed drones in Libya, American drones in Pakistan reportedly killed twelve in the region of North Waziristan. Waziristan is considered a haven for Al Qaeda and pro-Taliban forces, but the strikes weren’t entirely in line with Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani’s plan to fight against the militants. Kayani has said he feels the drones complicate the campaign against the rebel forces. The drones are also unpopular with the Pakistani public; hundreds of civilians have reportedly died in unmanned-drone attacks. The U.S. military prefers the use of drones, explains Marine General James Cartwright, because of their ability to “get down lower, therefore to be able to get better visibility on targets that have started to dig themselves into defensive positions.” Cartwright stressed that the drones are well-suited for densely populated areas. “It’s very difficult to pick friend from foe. So a vehicle like the Predator that can get down lower and can get IDs better, helps us.” Pakistanis might disagree. Pakistan: US drone raid ‘kills 12’ in N Waziristan [BBC] US deploys armed drones in Libya [Al Jazeera]	250,914
This blog adds Nudge to the Hypothesize/Experiment/Learn thinking of March 16, 2009. A concept derived from behavioral economics, nudge denotes a gentle push or incentive to coax decision makers to choose a preferred option from a series of alternatives. The nudged choice is often seen as best from an important social perspective perhaps economic policy, health care, government program, business strategy, etc. And randomized field experiments are many times optimal venues for nudged learning. More Smokers Quit if Paid, Study Shows, WSJ, Feb 12, 2009, details results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that calibrates the success of getting smokers to quit by offering financial incentives. Over 20% of adults in the U.S. smoke, costing their employers $3,400 per smoker annually. 480,000 Americans die each year from smoking-related diseases, so smoking remains a significant health and business problem. The study tracked a group of 878 smoking General Electric employees for 18 months from 2005 and 2006. The employees were first given information on smoking cessation programs and then randomly divided into two groups. Employees in the intervention group were offered cash incentive payments of up to $750 over the course of the investigation to abstain from smoking, while those in the control group were provided no such cash subsidy. The maximum $750 payment for included $100 for completing the program, $250 for not smoking six months after enrolling in the study, and an additional $400 for another six months of abstinence. Smoking habits were self-reported, with validation from saliva and urine testing. The results of the experiment were somewhat heartening, with 14.7% of the intervention group in contrast to 5% of the controls reporting smoking cessation for the first year of the study a significant difference. At the conclusion of the 18 months, the figures were 9.4% and 3.6% respectively. The study raises important policy questions, but the fact that individuals were assigned to intervention and control groups at random supports the internal validity of the results: other unmeasured or potentially conflicting explanations for the differences in cessation between groups should be minimized. Steven Schroeder, director of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at UCSF, remarked that the study shows that incentives work. At the same time, the study offers little in terms of the external validity or generalizability of findings. Are the positive results specific to the population tested? To study time frame payouts? What will the results look like in five years? Lead researcher Kevin Volpp, a physician and faculty member of the prestigious Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, is also Director of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics Center for Health Incentives (LDI CHI). The charter of LDI CHI is to facilitate research that makes significant contributions to reducing the disease burden from major public health problems such as tobacco cessation, obesity, and medication non-adherence for cardiovascular and other diseases through better understanding of how to design and apply incentives and other behavioral economic approaches to improving health. The center has three primary missions: - To advance knowledge about incentive design - To develop and test scalable and cost-effective applications - To work with private and public sector entities such as large employers, insurers and health systems to improve health care delivery and the health of the population The LDI CHC is research engage -- combining evidence-based health care with the behavioral economics of incentives -- and our now-familiar business tool chest of hypothesize/test/learn to nudge the population in a healthy direction. A powerful learning and change platform indeed. Steve Miller's blog can also be found at miller.openbi.com.	246,338
Uruapan is a municipality belonging the Mexican state of Michoacán. The town and surroundings are world famous, in part because of the great quantity of avocado farming and packaging, exported in large parts to the United States and other countries. Uruapan is one of the oldest cities in Mexico. Its main natural attraction is the Cupatitzio River (dubbed "the river that sings"), because along its flow are tourist attractions. The National Park Barranca de Cupatitzio is home of "La Rodilla del Diablo," the head of the river, and extends out toward "La Tzaráracua" and "La Tzararacuita", waterfalls on the southern outskirts of the city. The Paricutín Volcano emerged in the vicinity in 1943, scaring away much of the population at the time. As of 2004, Uruapan's population was 625,816. The word Uruapan comes from the Purépecha word ulhupani, meaning "place of eternal formation and fertility of flower buds." Uruapan, "place where the god-prince of flowers is revered," was established before the arrival of the Spaniards and was an exuberant paradise and a peaceful chiefdom corresponding to the Purépecha King. There are various interpretations of the meaning of Uruapan, for some meaning "water jug," for others it means "where the trees always give fruit." Others have determined it comes from the word urhuapani, meaning "blooming" or "sprouting." The place where everything flowers also translates to "where the hearts of plants bloom like the flowers and enjoy a perpetual spring." JOURNEYS trips that include Uruapan: Mexico Cultures & Crafts of Michoacan, including Day of the Dead, Oct 26-Nov 4, 2007 with Stephanie Schneiderman Information based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruapan	233,932
Designing for Life: Six Questions with NMAI Architect Johnpaul Jones Johnpaul Jones has spent a lifetime designing buildings and settings for the Native community. Drawing from a Choctaw and Cherokee heritage, he incorporates themes learned by visiting with elders throughout the United States. His childhood was divided between Okmulgee, Oklahoma and California, where his interest in drawing became steered toward the study of architecture. At the University of Oregon in the 1960s, he realized that Native architecture before the colonial period wasn’t even mentioned. Working out of the offices of Jones & Jones in Seattle, his designs and collaborations have included the National Museum of the American Indian, the Vancouver Land Bridge, the University of Oregon Many Nations Longhouse, the Woodland Park Zoo and the National Zoo of Belize. His most recent honor included being a recipient of the National Humanities Medal awarded by President Barack Obama, with an additional letter of congratulations from Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton. Jones recently sat down with ICTMN for an interview following the award. What does it mean to you personally to receive the National Humanities Award? It means quite a bit. When I first went to college to be in architecture, I didn’t know much about Native architecture. I knew a lot about the Choctaw culture and related cultures in Oklahoma, but I didn’t know much about Native architecture throughout the country. At the University of Oregon and most schools, it’s a five-year program. Of that, for two years you have to take history of world architecture. When they came to the United States, they started with colonial times. There was a lot left out. The richness of our indigenous architecture, I didn’t know about it until I got out of college. During the course of doing work at Jones & Jones and other places, I was able to get a chance to go through the West and the Northwest and other places throughout the country and look at our rich, indigenous architectural heritage. I got inspired by all of that. I’m still inspired by it. Not a lot of people know of the richness of that heritage that we have here in this country. That’s what I’ve dedicated the rest of my life to do that. What was it like for you personally to be on the team that designed the National Museum of the American Indian? It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It took 12 years of hard work. The difficulty is what kind of Native architectural style or character do you use when you’re dealing with the diversity of Indian people in North America? They’ve all got different things. What I tried to bring to the team discussion is what my Choctaw grandmother passed on to me: “Whatever you do in life, make sure you respond to the Four Worlds around you—The Natural World, the Animal World, the Spirit World, and the Human World.” In addition to those Four Worlds, what else is a part of your design process? I feel very lucky because I get to work with a lot of diverse Native communities here in the West, in the Rocky Mountain areas. It's the stories—it's the verbal stories that I hear from the elders, from what information they give me, that I'm able to hang the architecture on these stories. It seems kind of abstract, but you get together with the elders, and they just have so much to share from their experiences. It's magnificent. Secondly, I work with the Native kids. There's nothing more exciting than getting the kids together from grade school and high school. They come with a lot of good information and things to share. Are there some common Native design elements that you use? Is one of them a lack of linear design and more circular? That's a connecting geometry. It's a connecting spiritual thing. It's a connecting element that's common to all Native people. You can find that everything I'm doing nowadays, the Circle is involved. Were you able to work with Dianne Fossey with the Seattle Woodland Park design? We share the world with other creatures. It's something that has always been important to me and my wife. To have the opportunity to work on a gorilla exhibit here at the Woodland Park Zoo 35 years ago was a wonderful experience. Dianne Fossey, living in Africa with the gorillas, she came to town and we had the opportunity to sit down and talk with her, show her what we were doing. She absolutely said, "What you guys are trying to create here is like their home in Africa. That's wonderful." Animals are living creatures, and we need to give them as many advantages as we give ourselves. What advice would you give to Native students who want to study architecture? The best advice that I can give is it's a great field for Native people to get into. What's happening right now across the whole country is that Native people are starting to manage their own affairs, and they have the wherewithal to be able to do that. They want schools, and they want cultural facilities. They want housing. They want good planning. There's lots of good opportunities coming for trained Native architects to get some good work and be satisfied—work for their own People. Our culture gives us a lot, and we bring a lot to design and planning. Go for it. Interview edited for clarity. You need to be logged in in order to post comments Please use the log in option at the bottom of this page	137,531
Once a upon a time, people living in China could legally watch some of the most popular American television shows online for free. That was last week. Over the last half decade or so, Chinese online video sharing websites have been slowly but surely bringing in American, British, and Korean television shows over to China for Chinese audiences. These companies, iQiyi, Sohu, Sina, and many others pay foreign production/holding/entertainment companies and studios for the rights to bring the shows to China. The shows are then hosted on a video sharing website for users to watch online for free (with ads). Yesterday, the 27th, it was announced that the Chinese video sharing websites have received an order to take down some of their content. Four major shows originating from the US were singled out in the take down: The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, NCIS and The Practice. They have since been taken down from the sites. Viewers that wanted to watch these videos were greeted with a message roughly saying, "This Video Has Been Removed For Government Reasons". Now, all of this isn't exactly out of the blue. In late March, the Chinese government, through the State Administration For Press Publication, Radio, Film and Television, came out with a statement detailing that foreign-produced content coming into China needs to be approved before it can be aired. The language of the statement was geared towards online content as well, despite SAPPRFT not being in charge of the internet. In fact, in China, there are multiple government organs that are "in charge" of the internet. Originally, foreign television content as well as some films were allowed in China through "internal reviews" by the video hosting companies. Regular films and shows that make it to the television sets of Chinese families must be approved by the SAPPRFT. An example of how this all works would be The Walking Dead and World War Z. The Walking Dead, despite its subject matter, was available for viewing while World War Z was barred from the cinemas. What's strange now is that the government hasn't given any reason for taking down of these shows, nor has it given a clear verdict on what other shows will be taken down. Over the last month, China's pushed forth with their effort to "clean up" the internet. Chinese internet giant Sina, which operates the popular twitter-like microblog Weibo, was targeted by authorities for violating the state regulations on pornography. The government has threatened to take Sina's various internet business licenses, prompting Sina to constantly apologize publicly for their "oversight". Needless to say, the removal of such popular shows has drawn backlash from Chinese netizens. The Big Bang Theory in particular has a really big following in China. Keep in mind though that Western television fans are still a relatively small thing in the scope of all things China, but huge when taking into account the sheer numbers of the country. Fans of Western TV shows have taken to popular message boards and social media outlets to voice their anger over the decision. Sohu Message Boards 凱158在搜狐 What's left to watch? Crappy Anti-Japanese dramas? Summer[搜狐安徽省网友] What's going on recently? Why is everything so tight [in regards to security]? NetEase Message Boards zuluoxuan200[网易江苏省南京市网友] Why not just get rid of terrible Anti-Japanese dramas, stupid Korean dramas, and pointless period dramas while they're at it? wangeastplu[网易江苏省南京市网友]：Everyone knows that in the information age, restricting information is useless. [The censors] must be at their wits end if this is what they're doing. 在陆地上行走的的宥儿 Let's just go abroad and watch this! 夏日阁楼 I never thought I was pitiful, but woe is me, woe is the Chinese, they don't even let us watch The Big Bang Theory! C. Han, a member of the Chinese media, who asked we use his initial, says that this generation of online viewers have been the first in China to be able to legally watch Western-produced content on a week to week basis. "When we used to watch western dramas, we had to either download everything or buy pirated discs," said C. "Shows like The Big Bang Theory were the first shows that we could actually follow and grow invested in with everyone watching being on the same page." C says that the removal of these shows from popular streaming sites is a regression of sorts. He says that it might prompt fans to go back to downloading or buying illegal copies of the shows, which is something China's been trying to clamp down on for decades. While the online reactions to the removal have been strong, media reactions have been... weird. The Chinese version of The Wall Street Journal speculates that the reason for the removal is that the American dramas depict a very US-centric way of life, something that the government doesn't want to propagate. There has also been speculation that the whole removal of these shows is a ploy by China Central Television to remove competition from the field. Chinese media outlets, including the State Owned, are speculating that CCTV is secretly orchestrating the removal of popular shows from the internet in order to broadcast the same shows on their paid "premium" network. CCTV's premium network currently broadcasts a severely neutered version of Game of Thrones. Which is just baffling, because the underlying themes and tones of GoT are probably things the Chinese government doesn't want its people to think about. Whatever the case may be, the only losers right now are the Chinese people, and foreigners who crave a taste of home. Damn Hulu, blocking my VPN and all that... Good thing there's still NetFlix. It's official, China Central Television, aka CCTV, has officially released that they will be importing The Big Bang Theory into China. CCTV will be airing an edited and Chinese dubbed version of the show on one of it's many channels. No word was given on when the show will air. There was also no mention of shows mentioned in this post. The only promise so far from CCTV is that there will be no "objectionable" material. 央视已译完"大爆炸"删减版第一集保证无过分内容 [Xinhua News April 29] 传《大爆炸》已被央视引进译制反三俗 [Sina News] 四部美剧因政策原因被中国视频网站下架 [Wall Street Journal China] China's Censors Clamp Down on Booming Internet Video Sector [Hollywood Reporter] Kotaku East is your slice of Asian Internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.	310,541
RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — Brazil’s president attended two ceremonies to memorialize the Holocaust. Wearing a yarmulke, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva joined governors, mayors and several other Jewish and non-Jewish officials at the events to mark the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. It was the fourth time Lula joined such ceremonies. "I feel personally involved with this date. We must keep the remembrance alive in order to prevent a mass murder to repeat ever again," Lula said at the Beit Yaacov synagogue in Sao Paulo after lighting a menorah. For Claudio Lottenberg, the president of Brazil’s Jewish umbrella organization Conib, "Lula’s presence has a huge symbolic value. Brazil has always kept deep ties with its Jewish community." Lula’s attendance at both events follows a recent polemic statement of his Labor Party comparing Israel’s attacks on Gaza to Nazi practices.	19,349
COURSEWORK STRUCTURE (60%) ASSIGNMENT 1 : VOCABULARY FOLIO (10%) Find 5 argumentative / persuasive articles that reflect a tertiary level thinking and compile a list of 100 word vocabulary folio in the format of a log book. Your articles MUST come from printed sources such as newspapers, magazines, book etc. The format of your vocabulary folio is as below :- NO\| WORD\| SOURCE\| MEANING\| SENTENCE\| \| \| \| \| \| 1) DO NOT refer to any online articles. 2) Find the meanings of the words using printed dictionaries. 3) Pick 20 words from each article to sum up to 100 words (1 article = 20 words). 4) All sources must follow haven referencing style. 5) The topic of article are : * Current issued * Employment or job * Diet and health Note : create your on sentences. Attach a cover page to your Vocabulary Folio using the format below:- * KLMUC logo * KLMUC Description * Subject Code & Subject Title * Assignment Title * Full name * Student ID * NRIC / Passport No * Class code * Lecturer’s Name * Date of Submission Date of Submission : Week 3 (21 June 2013 - Friday) *Marks will be deducted for late submissions! MID-TERM EXAM / QUIZ (10%) The test would be conducted during the class in Week 3 (17 June 2013 – 21 June 2013) and it will cover Chapter 1 – 4. Further details would be updated by lecturer in the class. Vinuraj Naidu Kandasamy @ Raj Faculty of Languages & Communication	283,124
Eat melon for breakfast to lose weight!!! In the eternal struggle against excess pounds we have a new ally! Take advantage of melon season and add this fruit in your morning ritual. But it’s important that melon to be completely ripe, soft and juicy, instead than hard and dry Here’s why this summer fruit will help you lose weight if you eat breakfast. It contains few calories. A medium-sized melon contains 275 calories. Thus, for breakfast you can eat without fear even 2 melons! Calorific value of a melon is even as if you ate 2 boiled eggs and 2 slices of whole grain cereals toast. But this fruit will give you 3 more grams of fiber and less than 10 grams of fat. Apart from just 275 calories that you will consume, that will satisfy 34% of the daily requirement of the body for omega 3 fatty acids. Melon contains protein – about 7 grams, the equivalent of an egg, but advantage of that is that you wont intake any cholesterol. It will provide even more than double of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, and will satisfy the daily need for vitamin C. Melon is excellent source of copper, magnesium, potassium, vitamin K, zinc and vitamins of group B. It will keep you satiated for a long time. 1 melon contains about 7.3 grams of fiber, which is a quarter of the recommended daily intake. But dietary fiber is not the only thing that will satiate you. The human body is designed to ask for food until they meet the body’s need for essential nutrients. So, with consumption 1 melon you will easily satisfy that need. Accelerates the digestion of food. Melon disintegrates in your body in 15 to 30 min. To accelerate digestion and prevent constipation, eat a melon on an empty stomach along with some other fruit that slowly dissolves. Excellent choice are nuts that require a period of up to 4 hours to decompose. Perhaps you think that melon can cause bloating and gas occurrence, but that only happens if eaten in combination with the wrong foods. To check whether melon fits for your digestive system, eat it on an empty stomach without consuming anything with it. source: secretly healthy	275,549
Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, Puerto Rico Categories: Wildlife Areas, Nature & Parks Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge is located in Puerto Rico. Using our world travel planner, Cabo Rojo attractions like Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge can form part of a personalized travel itinerary. Create a full itinerary - for free! I spent this weekend at Parador Combate Beach Resort in Cabo Rojo. It is adjacent to the Wildlife Refuge. One afternoon, I took a walk through this birds' santuary to observe the sunset near Combate B... read more » We were able to take BEAUTIFUL BREATH TAKING pictures! It looks like a postcard!!!! Bring your walking shoes, lots of rocks but a nice walk. Very peaceful place to relax and reflect. Off the beaten path of the normal roads. Totally worth driving down dirt roads and walking to the beach. You are able to walk to the lighthouse and the other side of the cove on the rock outcrop to ge... read more » Unable to display map at this time. Please try again later. Are you the owner of this business? Click here for promotion tips.	261,709
By Elyse Wanshel We use 21st century tech terms like hashtag, stream, and mouse with casual indifference, but how did these words get to be so commonplace in our everyday vernacular? We know the origins of Superman (alien with solar-imbued superpowers), Spider Man (radioactive spider), and Batman (rich boy's revenge) but not "podcast," "spam," or even "hacker." So I looked at 21 common tech terms that have been downloaded into our collective hardware and decoded them. The 10th century King Harald Gormsson is known for uniting all of Scandinavia—and having one gnarly tooth so rotten, it looked blue. Hence he earned the nickname "Bluetooth." His kitschy moniker and ability to bond nations inspired Jim Kardach, a software developer from Intel, to pitch "Bluetooth" as the name for a single wireless standard that Intel, Ericsson, Nokia, and IBM were developing together in 1997. The name wasn't a huge hit, but since all the other names they were coming up with were even worse (i.e. "Flirt"), it was used as a code name or placeholder for the project. All four companies finally agreed on PAN (personal area networking) as the name. But PAN was quickly panned due to SEO issues, and the product was released as Bluetooth out of pure desperation. The public, however, loved the name and Bluetooth ultimately conquered—just like the king. Logically, the word is a hybrid of the words "pod" —from iPod— and "broadcast." The term "podcasting" was merely a suggested term for the new technology in an article written by The Guardian's Ben Hammersley in 2004, along with the other contenders like "audioblogging" and "GuerillaMedia." But due to the popularity of the iPod, which was released only three years earlier in 2001, "podcast" had an appealing snap that that stuck. Spam for years was known as canned mystery meat worthy of mockery. So much so, that Monty Python did a sketch about it in which the word spam was repeated over and over by a waitress, customers, and even a group of Vikings. Many Monty Python fans were also early MUD, Prodigy, and AOL chatroom frequenters who used the word "spam" to refer to people who created macros to say the same thing over and over again, clogging up chatrooms with their repeated nonsense. So, when repetitive masses of unwanted email began circulating in the early 90s, people familiar with the interwebs began dubbing it spam, and the popularity of the term soared like processed meat at a grade school food fight. The term "newbie," was used in the military during the Vietnam War for new recruits, and since has become a popular slang term for a novice. Computer programmers adopted the term in the 90s with the emergence of l337speak and gave it a techy tweak, the variant "n00b," spelled with two zeros instead of Os. Rooted in 17th century Scandinavian folklore, a troll once characterised an antisocial, quarrelsome, and slow-witted creature that was bothersome to humans. End of story, right? Nope. The word troll actually derives from the verb "trolling," a fishing technique in which you slowly drag a baited hook from a moving boat. Many believe the birth of online "trolling" was on alt.folklore.urban, or AFU, when veterans would distinguish themselves from newer users by baiting them with topics that had previously been discussed ad nauseam. Newbies would take the bait and naively reply, exposing their uncool n00b ways. In the late 90s, however, the site became so highly trafficked that trolling was rendered a nuisance, giving the modern tech term once more a negative connotation. The meaning today now more closely resembles its true Norse roots, an idiot looking to pick a fight. If you find Google to be a calculating corporation, you're not far off. The name "Google" is actually a play on the mathematical term "googol," a number represented by the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros. The name acts as a metaphor for founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin's mission to organise a seemingly infinite amount of information on the web. The word "hack" was just a verb when it entered the English vernacular in 1200, meaning a rough cut or heavy blows. In the past few years it also came to refer to a clever trick, short cut, or "life hack." But somewhere in-between, it developed another meaning, "to use a computer to gain unauthorised access to data in a system." The word's context of messing with machinery didn't originate in the mid-90s when Angelina Jolie was a fresh-faced rollerblading rebel with a pixie cut, but rather at MIT in 1955 where the notes of a Tech Model Railroad Club state that "Mr. Eccles requests that anyone working or hacking on the electrical system turn the power off to avoid fuse blowing." Then in 1975, the word "hacker" appeared in The Jargon File, a glossary for computer programmers, with eight definitions. The last, and only negative entry, stated that a hacker was, "A malicious meddler who tries to discover sensitive information by poking around." Of course, this definition was the most popular amongst the media and in 1990, when The New York Times used it three times in an article about Kevin Poulson (aka Dark Dante) and Robert Tappan Morris (creator of the Morris Worm) it's negative connotation as a digital trespasser was coded into our lexicon. LOL, an acronym for "laugh out loud," was born during the early days of the web on Usenet. Its positive and affirming nature was necessary during the early days of online communication, injecting a sense of humanity into cold, hard text. Lulz is the bastard love child LOL had with a deck of card's Joker during a wild night in Tijuana. Lulz is laughter, but dark laughter that wants you to consider hypocrisy and injustice by shoving it in your face, often with strange pranks. Lulz is the central philosophy of the online group Anonymous, which was born in 2003 on 4chan.org's "anything goes" section known as the /b/ board, which can be regarded as the ultra-NSFW id of the internet. The feral, ironic, and aggressive nature of lulz has led to Anonymous hacking into the online kid's game Habbo Hotel and blocking the game's virtual pool with black avatars brimming with physical racial stereotypes and asserting the "Pool is closed due to AIDS" as a protest against Habbo's administrators Anonymous perceived to be racist. Lol? IRL, which acts as an acronym for "In Real Life," was used in the early days of the interwebs as a way for people to defensively distinguish themselves from their online personas, (i.e. "If you knew me IRL you would know that I'd never really suggestively touch a Tickle Me Elmo, though my handle is FondleMeElmo.") Interestingly, Furry fandom, or those who find enjoyment in dressing up in full-suited animal costumes, was the first group to blur the line between their internet personas and offline lives in the late 90s. These individuals felt they could be more themselves online—as a fox or hyena avatar that had some of their physical attributes—than they could offline, looking the way they did in their everyday lives. This makes them, in a way, pioneers of the very popular modern practice of creating a social media persona. Dox derives from "Docs" or "documents," and refers to the act of finding an anonymous internet character (like say, RicoSAUVE69), and digging up their formal documents that reveal their true, IRL, identity. When we used to think of the word "stream" we thought of a narrow river or a continuous flow. Now when we think of "stream" we think Netflix, which provides us with a method of transmitting or receiving data over a steady, continuous flow, hence the name. The first use of streaming as a verb was back in 20s, when a system for the transmission and distribution of signals over electrical lines became the basis for what later evolved into elevator music, which would stream a continuous soundtrack to hell to commercial customers without the use of radio. So, think of Muzak as the original Pandora. You wouldn't think a service that values succinct, 140-character expression would embrace an 11-character word like "twittering" to describe its main function. But when Twitter first launched in July 2006, "twittering" was the verb the company used to describe the act of writing on Twitter. The verb along with the phrase "Post a Twitter Update," (that has 21 space-killing characters!) felt clunky, especially to software developer Craig Hockenberry. His frustration led to the invention of Twitterific, a Twitter app that offered a different user experience. One of Hockenberry's goals with Twitterific was to hatch up a few one-syllable nouns and verbs for the app, including the word "twit" instead of "twittering" in 2007. Sure, twit still felt awkward, but, hey at least it was only four characters long. When Twitter developer Blaine Cook noticed "twit" being used on Twitterific, he suggested the word "tweet" to Hockenberry instead, and Twitterific embraced it quicker than a scandal trends on Twitter. Twitter, however, didn't adopt the term "tweet" until June 2008. Back in the day, the "#" symbol was only known as a pound sign. Or number sign as in "#1 Mum!" or "Lemme get yo #" if you were trying to be slick on a Nokia flip-phone in 2003. But that's in the US In the UK, a pound sign refers to our currency, the pound, or £. So, calling a symbol that organszes groups and aids in searches on Twitter, which has international reach, a pound sign could create a problem. Outside the US, the pound sign was called the hash sign, and being that the word "hashtag" doesn't really refer to the symbol "#" itself but the symbol and the word that proceeds it (or the tag), using the term hashtag makes perfect sense. As you might assume, the phrase "404 Not Found/Error" is merely code. When communicating via HTTP, a server is required to respond to a request—like you typing OfficeSuppliesForGuys.com into a browser—with a numeric response, or a code (404), and an optional human-readable reason phrase ("Not Found"). In the code 404, the first digit, 4, indicates a client error, such as a mistyped URL (i.e. OrificeSuppliesForGuys.com.) The next two digits, "04" indicate the specific error encountered, which is why that site wasn't found. The word emoji comes from the Japanese characters 絵 (e = picture) 文 (mo = writing) 字 (ji = character). A Japanese man named Shigetaka Kurita invented the concept in 1999 and it consisted of simple, rudimentary symbols like: :). Not m/. And definitely not anything close to an overly eroticised animated aubergine that could help clarify the tone of text. Kurita actually invented the first 250 emoji as we now know them today, but because his former company, Docomo, wasn't able to obtain a copyright for his invention, Apple stole the idea and went buck wild. Now you can download tonnes of emoji such as kissy face, praying hands, and a tiny, animated soft-serve yoghurt pile of poo. In 1950, Douglas C. Engelbart, a 25-year-old whippersnapper was about to be married—and about to invent a device that would revolutionise computers. When Engelbart entered the computing world, computers were the size of a room and could only be accessed by one person at a time. It was convoluted and Engelbart's frustrations led to the creation of the mouse, which he debuted during what is dubbed "the mother of all demos" in 1968 at a computing conference in San Francisco, and went mainstream a couple decades later with the famous Macintosh personal computer. The name "mouse" for the device came to be because the term CAT was used to describe the cursor on a screen and it seemed like the cursor was chasing the tailed desktop device. Used by software swashbucklers to describe a cracked game or application made available for free over the internet (copyrights, be damned!), "warez" is simply a play on the word "wares," and should be pronounced the same way. Not like "Juárez" the city in Mexico. There is proof that Thomas Edison used the word "bug" in his notebooks to describe a malfunctioning system. That's all well and good, but computers weren't around back in Edison's day. Another theory—though sometimes disputed—is that in 1947, Grace Hopper, a pioneer of computer programming was working on the Harvard Mark II computer when work was suspended due to the presence of a moth stuck in the relay. When she remarked they were "debugging" the system to get it started again, the term "bug" in regards to computer glitches was born. The moth she found can still be seen on display in the Smithsonian Museum. Cookies are used to store a user's information—like a username and password—and transmit this information between a website and a browser. For instance, when you click that "Remember me" button, that's a cookie. The fact that it's a pretty sweet treat that your info just pops up when logging into Instagram is not the reason it's called a cookie, though. The term cookie is actually a comparison to a fortune cookie. Early programmers thought there was a pretty strong similarity between a program that saves information within its code and the Chinese takeout staple that saves fortunes within its stale walls. A Wiki, like Wikipedia, is a group of interconnected sites built from user engagement. "Wiki wiki" in Hawaiian means "quick." Wiki's creator, Ward Cunningham, decided that a wiki would be a quick, simple way to access multiple sites, information, and read about the life of Kelsey Grammar (which is fascinating, wiki it!). GIF is an acronym for graphic interchange format. Simple. Boring. Not nearly as interesting as any GIF involving a fainting goat. What's interesting about GIF is its proper pronunciation, which is with a "j" sound not a "g," like the peanut butter. The originators of GIF at CompuServe in 1987 preferred the soft j sound. But pronouncing it "JIF" (or jIF, as the creators intended) sounds awkward. Like pronouncing mature, "matyuer." So, be a rebel and pronounce it with a "g," dammit!	126,843
Evidence for Interventions Directed to Consumers in the Rx for Change Database: Update and Expansion - Do New Reviews Broaden the Scope of the Field and Expand the Definition of Evidence-Based Prescribing for and Drug Use by Consumers? Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Domino, Frank J. Medical Subject Headings Evidence-Based Medicine; Review Literature as Topic; Databases as Topic; Drug Prescriptions; Drug Therapy; Decision Making Life Sciences \| Medicine and Health Sciences Background: Much research has focused on the prescribing habits of physicians. The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) created a database of research on drug prescribing called Rx for Change. This database focuses both on interventions directed to professionals as well as interventions directed to consumers in relation to evidence-based prescribing/ drug use. The consumer arm of the Rx for Change database has been created and maintained by the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group (CC&CRG, Australia). The database was first populated in 2006 with Cochrane and DARE (Database of Abstracts and Reviews of Effects) systematic review articles collected after standard literature searches as well as extensive hand-searching of both databases. This database was scheduled for an update in 2008. An important question that arises is whether the new reviews screened and identified broaden the scope of the field and expand the definition of evidence-based prescribing for and drug use by consumers. Objectives: This study sought to identify new reviews appropriate for addition to the CADTH Rx for Change database. Following this, the body of new literature was assessed for scope and contribution to the field. Methods: A search was performed by hand of the Cochrane Library from Issue 3, 2006 until the present—Issue 1, 2008. Criteria developed by the CC&CRG during the initial population of the database were used to identify and to sort reviews relevant to prescribing and drug use, a task performed independently by two researchers, with any discrepancies in selection discussed. A third researcher was available to resolve disputes where these arose. Detailed data was extracted from each high and moderate relevance review identified, and the data was summarized in a format acceptable for input into the Rx for Change database. Data extracted included detailed descriptions of the interventions evaluated by each review. The quality of each review was assessed using the AMSTAR tool. Statistical and methodological data were re-expressed as absolute risk differences or in standard narrative formats where suitable numerical data was not available. The themes of the relevant reviews were mapped to a consumer intervention taxonomy developed by the CC&CRG, in order to begin to organize the evidence relating to consumer prescribing/ drug use. A consumer outcome taxonomy for prescribing and drug use was also adapted from the outcome taxonomy developed by the CC&CRG and utilized in data extraction in order to standardize the language used in this field. Finally, the effectiveness of the intervention under study was mapped to standardized effectiveness statements also developed by the CC&CRG. The number of new reviews was quantified and the scope of the new data now included in the database was evaluated and compared to the pool of data originally included in the database in 2006. Results: After screening several hundred reviews, five new Cochrane reviews published in the period between Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2006 and Issue 1, 2008 inclusive were deemed to be high relevance for the Rx for Change database. However, two of these had significant errors requiring clarification by the authors and are therefore excluded from this analysis. A further five reviews were graded as moderate relevance and eleven were low or very low relevance. This is a total of 21 new Cochrane reviews for inclusion in the consumer category of the Rx for Change database. Conclusions: The field of evidence-based prescribing for and drug use by consumers has continued to be an area of growth in new research. Several new highly relevant Cochrane systematic reviews have been published between 2006 and 2008 that expand the populations and diagnoses specifically covered in the Rx for Change database. In addition, they add to and expand the literature that looks at consumers as decision-makers rather than merely recipients of medical interventions. The consumer intervention taxonomy developed by the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group has been used to help establish a framework for the field and allows accurate assessment of the gaps and advances in the literature. This is an exciting and highly relevant field in the climate of patient autonomy and evidence-based medicine, and both the literature and the Rx for Change database will continue to grow. Cochrane Library protocol: Ryan R, Santesso N, Hill S, Kaufman C, Grimshaw J. Consumer-oriented interventions for evidence-based prescribing and medicine use: an overview of Cochrane reviews (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD007768. Link to article on publisher's website Kaufman, Caroline A.; Domino, Frank J.; Hill, Sophie J.; and Ryan, Rebecca E., "Evidence for Interventions Directed to Consumers in the Rx for Change Database: Update and Expansion - Do New Reviews Broaden the Scope of the Field and Expand the Definition of Evidence-Based Prescribing for and Drug Use by Consumers?" (2009). University of Massachusetts Medical School. Senior Scholars Program. Paper 70.	301,268
How To Deal With Slow Cannabis Growth If you feel like your plants are not growing as fast as they should then it’s most likely there’s something wrong, slow growth can be a result of a number of things. If your plants are suffering from slow root growth, or you’re asking yourself why your plants are growing so slow, here’s a couple of tips to help you fix your problem, remember these problems can affect cannabis in all stages of plant growth. When growing cannabis there are a lot of variables that can affect the growth and final result of your harvest. From genetics, possible nutrient deficiencies, root system and pests problems to the environment, you need to make sure everything is okay if you want to have a smooth growth cycle. Providing your plants with a warm slightly humid climate will not only help you to deal with their slow growth but can result in a bigger and better harvest. Not enough light is one of the main problems associated with slow growth. Not providing enough light will cause your plants to take way longer to develop because they don’t have a good amount of light to photosynthesize. When your plants are still young you can see this, for example, when your seedling is stretching too much, this is a sign that your plant is not getting enough light and is trying to get closer to it. Now, have in mind that you can also give your plants too much light (if the environment is not appropriate for the amount of light you’re providing). This happens because most high-intensity lights have to be used in combination with higher CO2 levels so your plant can absorb the light properly, if the CO2 level is too low your plant can get stressed and show heat stress signs, resulting in slow growth. How to deal with it If you’re experiencing light-related problems (like heat stress symptoms), you should try to adjust the intensity (with a dimmer) or the height your light fixture is at. A good way to test this is to keep your hands under the light for around 30 seconds, if it’s too hot for you, it definitely is too hot for your plants. As a general guide, LEDs should be kept in between 60-100 cm from your plants (depending on the model) while light bulb fixtures should be around 30cm from your canopy. Even though some plants can withstand harsh environments, most cannabis plants enjoy a warm slightly humid climate, it’s essential you have a thermo hygrometer to measure this and adjust when necessary. If the temperature in your grow room is below 15°C or above 30°C for too long, you will start to see slower growth and if left like that for too long, you’ll see signs of unhappy plants like droopy leaves or the leaves starting to yellow, crisp and die. This also applies to humidity. Humidity levels below 35% can stunt growth and if they’re even lower than that (around 25%), you’ll start to see signs of deficiency on your plant. A humidity level higher than 70% can also have a toll on your cannabis plant, slowing your plant’s growth, making them droopy because it makes it harder for the plant to move water internally. How to deal with it If your seedlings are not growing or you’re wondering why your seedlings are growing so slow, this could be the problem. To avoid environment-related problems you have to ensure your growing environment is optimal for your plants. For your cannabis plants to thrive you need to provide a temperature of around 22-25 celsius and a humidity level of 60% for seedling, 50% in the vegetative stage, and 40% in the flowering stage. These numbers are just a guideline, you should always look for the signs your plants give you and adjust the environment accordingly. 3. Root problems Unless you’re growing in a hydroponic (or aeroponic) setup you won’t be able to see your plant’s roots. Keeping a good environment for your plants also includes maintaining the medium oxygenated and with the right amount of water. Root problems are the main cause of slow growth with new growers, adjusting and maintaining a good growing medium for the roots is the best way to fix stunted growth in plants. The lack of appropriate care with the roots can cause the following problems: Overwatering is a common occurrence with new growers, excessive watering inhibits oxygen from reaching the roots and can result in the drowning of your plant. Overwatered plants will start to droop, show slower growth, start yellowing, and show signs of deficiencies because they can’t absorb nutrients properly. Underwatering isn’t as common as overwatering but can also affect your plant in a bad way. If there’s a lack of water in the medium, your plant will show signs similar to the signs of overwatering but instead of the leaves looking “fat” because of the excess of water, they will look thin and fragile because there’s no water (or a tiny amount) in them. Rootbound happens when you plant your seeds in a small pot or container and the roots don’t have any more room to grow. When this happens, your plant will start to show different symptoms than can confuse you, when you see your plant getting much wider than the pot you should start thinking about transplanting it, failing to give the roots the space they need to grow will result in droopy leaves and other signs associated with overwatering of nutrient deficiencies. How to deal with it To avoid root problems you have to make sure you’re giving the roots enough oxygen, room to grow, and water only when needed. You should water only when at least 60% of the medium is dry and transplant your cannabis when she’s growing out the pot she’s in. If you’re having problems with this we recommend you try different mixes of soil, perlite, and coco fiber, this will help you provide the right amount of oxygen and water to the roots. 4. Nutrient deficiencies Plants need nutrients to grow, depending on the medium you’re growing in, you’ll need to not only provide all the macronutrients but also a good amount of micronutrients. You also have to remember that nutrient absorption is directly related to the pH level. If you don’t provide the amount of nutrients your plant needs or if you fail to adjust the pH level your plant won’t be able to grow properly and will result in nutrient deficiencies, stunting growth and damaging the leaves. How to deal with it To fix this you need to adjust the amount of nutrients you’re giving your plant and check the pH level every day. If you’re giving the right amount of nutrients then the problem will most likely be the pH level, remember the pH level changes according to the medium you’re growing in and you should always check it and adjust it if you want your plants to grow healthy. It is crucial you keep your plant well fed and with the correct pH levels, if you see even the slightest yellowing on the leaves then your plant is most likely not growing properly. 5. Bugs or pests Bugs and pests feed on your plant, they can feed on the sugars or on the plant matter, either way, they will damage your plant and slow its growth. Some bugs like Spider mites can also rot the buds, making them unhealthy to smoke so it’s crucial you keep your plant healthy and check on them every day to spot bugs early. How to deal with it There are different ways to deal with bugs but the best way is to prevent them. By checking on your plants every day you avoid bugs, you can also spread yellow sticky traps so you can spot them early. You can also spray your plants with a mix of water and a small dose of organic insecticide to prevent them although this is not recommended, insecticides should only be used when you already have bugs and are used to eliminate and not to prevent them. Slow plant growth can also be the result of bad genetics, even though you cannot change this once you’ve already started to grow your plant, you should always start with good genetics. This will save you time and money and can result in a bigger and better harvest. How to deal with it If you’re dealing with slow plant growth and can’t seem to get to the root of it, the cause of your problems can be bad genetics. If you want a plant that really thrives and grows perfectly we recommend our new Gorilla Cookies Auto. If you feel like your plants are not growing as fast as they should then it’s most likely there’s something wrong, slow growth can be a result of a Slow Cannabis Plant Growth And What You Can Do About It When your cannabis plants grow slowly or stop growing altogether, there is always a reason. It could be a problem with nutrients, an environmental factor, or something else entirely. Let’s explore the reasons your cannabis plants or seedlings may experience slow or stunted growth. “Why are my plants growing so slow?”. Sometimes, marijuana plant problems occur out of the blue. Your baby may not have shown any signs of an issue, but now you notice that development has halted and have no idea why. Here are some possible factors behind the slowed growth of your cannabis seedling or plant. 18 REASONS FOR SLOW OR STUNTED CANNABIS GROWTH 1. SEEDS ARE OLD OR LOW-QUALITY Old seeds don’t just take longer to germinate (if they germinate at all); plants grown from aged seeds can also sometimes grow at a reduced pace. Likewise, good genetics are essential for healthy and vigorous growth from seed to harvest. A random bagseed will not perform nearly as well as quality seeds obtained from a reputable seedbank. 2. CLONE STRESS Sometimes cuttings don’t root well, which hampers their growth. To prevent this from happening, apply a little bit of rooting hormone immediately after taking your cuttings. Also, make sure your environment promotes root growth. The medium should be humid (but not too moist) with a pH level of about 6.0. Keep your cuttings at a temperature of around 22ºC. If they get too cold, they won’t root at all, and if it’s too hot, the roots will die. 3. ROOT HEALTH When your plant’s roots can’t receive enough oxygen, metabolic functions slow down. In some cases, a lack of oxygen may stop their growth altogether. One common reason for this is overwatering or using substrates with poor drainage. What to do about it? Create a light and airy growing medium with good drainage. You can improve poor-draining soil by adding some perlite. The root zone for your cannabis plants should never get much hotter or colder than room temperature. Likewise, physical damage to the roots, mould, or bacteria can severely affect the growth of your plants. Always use non-transparent planters so light doesn’t reach the roots, as this is bad as well. 4. CANNABIS PLANTS STRETCH TOO MUCH Stretching among seedlings can be particularly problematic. Multiple factors can induce this response, but the most likely culprit is a lack of light. If your seedlings are spindly, increase light intensity or bring the lights closer. Prop them up with dowels as an aid during recovery. As a last resort, you can (carefully) replant them deeper into a new pot. 5. PLANTS ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH LIGHT Although requirements can vary from strain to strain, light is nonetheless a critical factor for the development of all cannabis plants. A lack of “good” light can absolutely lead to slowed growth. If you grow indoors and suspect that your plants aren’t getting enough light, try to decrease the distance between your lamps and the tops of plants. If you grow outdoors in pots, move your plants to a sunnier spot. 6. PLANTS ARE GETTING TOO MUCH LIGHT Any type of stress on your cannabis plants, including many hours of exposure to direct sunlight without rest, can also halt or slow down growth. If you grow indoors and suspect light exposure to be the source of stress, decrease the intensity or move lamps further away from the canopy if possible. Know that seedlings are particularly sensitive to intense light! If you grow outdoors and you’re able to, move your plants into a spot where the light is diffused, such as around a shade tree. 7. INCORRECT LIGHT SPECTRUM How fast and how vigorously plants grow are influenced by the spectrum of light they receive. Make sure you use the correct type of light according to each stage of growth. For healthy vegetative growth, you want a cooler light with more blue in its spectrum, a so-called “vegging light”. Lights with a warmer, more reddish spectrum are used for the flowering phase. 8. LIGHT STRESS: DARK CYCLE INTERRUPTION Light is essential for all plants to grow. Any changes in light intensity or exposure will have an effect on growth. Flowering cannabis is especially susceptible to interruptions in the dark cycle. A light leak in your tent, stray light from a street lamp, and even a red light from a camera can disrupt flowering, and in a worst case scenario, can turn plants hermaphroditic. For that reason, it is very important to maintain complete darkness during the lights-off hours. Exposing weed plants to irregular light hours can cause a hormone imbalance that confuses their internal clock. Your plants could flower prematurely, or they could revert back to the vegetative stage. If this happens, growth and yields will greatly suffer. For that reason, make sure to keep your light cycle consistent. The above suggestions predominantly apply to photoperiod strains, as autoflowering cannabis flowers based on age rather than light exposure. Overwatering is one of the most common mistakes made by new cannabis growers. It’s like suffocating your plants, and one of the main reasons behind slow growth, nutrient deficiencies, root rot, fungus, and many other problems. Don’t water too often and do not water on a fixed schedule. It is better water less frequently so that the soil can dry out between waterings. A good way to test whether you should water or not is to lift up the pot itself. If it feels quite light, it is time to water again. 10. NOT ENOUGH NUTRIENTS Although not as common as overfeeding cannabis plants, an insufficient amount of nutrients for healthy growth can well be the reason for slow growth. Know that the nutrients found in most commercial potting mixes will only last for 3–4 weeks; afterwards, you will have to administer some more quality nutrients. Check the label of your nutrient products for the recommended dosage for healthy growth. Also know that your plant’s nutrient requirements are closely linked to the light intensity your plants are exposed to. Plants under intensive lights grow faster and will require more nutrients than plants under fluorescent lights, for example. 11. CALCIUM DEFICIENCY Calcium is among those vital elements that your plant needs for healthy development. A lack of calcium can manifest in the following symptoms: - Fresh growth is slow, twisted, and curled - Young shoots are discoloured and turn purple or yellow - Overall plant growth is slow and lacks vigour and vitality - You can avoid a calcium deficiency by adding dolomitic lime to your soil or growing medium Address a calcium deficiency immediately with commercial CalMag products that contain liquid calcium. You can add these products to your nutrient solution or administer them as a foliar spray. Be aware that some growing media, like coco, increase the risk for a calcium deficiency. If you grow in coco, you should use special coco nutrients and/or regularly add CalMag to your nutrient regimen. 12. INCORRECT PH LEVEL Incorrect pH level of your nutrient solution is among the most common reasons for cannabis growing problems, including slow growth. The reason for this is that cannabis thrives only in a relatively small window of suitable pH values. If the pH is off, the plants are unable to take in nutrients, even if they are present. Make sure to dial in the correct pH level depending on your growing method. If you grow in soil, make sure the pH level is from 6.5 to 7.0. If you grow in hydro, an optimal pH level is 5.6 to 5.8. For soilless grows, such as coco, a pH level of 6.0 to 6.3 is optimal. 13. TEMPERATURES ARE TOO LOW OR TOO HIGH Cannabis likes it warm to grow healthy, and does best at daytime temperatures between 25–30°C. Temperatures lower than that will slow down your plant’s metabolism, resulting in slower growth. But excessive temperatures are not optimal either. At very high temperatures, heat stress can also slow down or even halt plant growth altogether. If you grow indoors, adjust your temperature to a comfortable level. You can also provide some cooling with fans that blow a mild stream of air over your plants. This can also help prevent hot air pockets from forming inside your grow room. 14. PLANTING POTS ARE TOO BIG Cannabis growers often start their seedlings in small cups. Later on, when the plants have reached an adequate size, they will “pot-up” to larger containers. If you start your cannabis plants in containers that are too big, there is a high risk that you’ll overwater them. The issue is that seedlings cannot absorb all the moisture that is held in a large container, unlike mature cannabis, which can “drink” much more. Furthermore, a large pot will also take much longer to dry out. To avoid the problems that come with too much soil and moisture, start seedlings in smaller containers until they’re growing vigorously. Once they have a set of 5–6 real leaves (not counting the cotyledons), then transfer them to a larger container, at least twice the current size. If your seedling is already in a big container and you don’t want to or can’t move it into a smaller cup, water only a small area around the seedling. • What Is The Right Size Pot For Your Cannabis Plant? Use this rough guide to determine what size pot you should use for your cannabis plant: - Plant height 30cm: 7.5–11l container - Plant height 60cm: 11–19l container - Plant height 90cm: 18–26l container - Plant height 120cm: 22–37l container - Plant height 150cm: 30–37l+ container 15. STRESS CAUSED BY PESTS / DISEASES Insects, pests, and disease can cause damage and compromise a plant’s immune system. In a best case scenario, your plant may survive, but you will have poor yields. In the worst case, your plants could die. Insects may feed on the leaves, affecting a plant’s ability to retain water and transpire. Other pests may damage the roots or cause additional problems. Any time your plant is sick or infested with insects, it will spend most of its energy defending itself and recovering from damage, which will slow down growth. If your plants are infested, you’ll want to treat them immediately with appropriate measures. Even better, you can use preventative methods (e.g. neem oil, slug barriers, etc.) to minimise the risk for pest infestations. During all stages of growth, ensure that you regularly check for symptoms of pest infestations, including under the leaves. 16. STRESS CAUSED BY TISSUE DAMAGE Physical damage, such as broken branches, can significantly slow your plant’s growth. Any damage will make the plant redirect valuable resources to repair wounds—resources that could be better spent on growing or flower production. If you’re growing outdoors, situate your plants in an area sheltered from strong winds and heavy rains, and use chicken wire and stakes to maintain support. Seedlings and young cannabis plants are especially vulnerable. Allow your seedlings to mature indoors for some weeks before setting them outside. 17. STRESS FROM CANNABIS TRAINING TECHNIQUES Tissue damage from high-stress plant training techniques always causes some delay in plant development. But when you’re pruning excessively or too frequently, your plant may ultimately spend more energy repairing itself than growing. If you plan on pruning, don’t overdo it. Be aware that each pruning can delay the development of your plant for days, if not weeks. If you’re using other plant training techniques such as topping, make sure you start as early as possible. If you’re growing autoflowers, don’t use any plant training techniques that involve tissue damage, such as pruning and cutting. 18. AGE STRESS Older cannabis plants have different nutritional requirements than young plants. Their tissues become hard and woody, they’re less vigorous, and they’re unable to take in as many nutrients. Because of this, you’ll want to adjust your feeding regimen accordingly. Otherwise you risk overfeeding, which in turn results in stunted growth, deficiencies, and disease. Keep this in mind if you’re keeping mother plants around for a long time. Why is my cannabis plant growing slowly or not at all? Find out the answer to this question and see what you can do to solve it.	224,887
Fish and shellfish are great sources of lean protein, and many types are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. But there’s a catch: some species of fish contain worrisome amounts of methylmercury, a toxin that’s especially dangerous to developing brains. That’s why women who are or could become pregnant and young children shouldn’t eat high-mercury fish such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish. A new study hints that eating too much—or the wrong kind—of salmon and tuna can also boost mercury levels. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise us to eat eight ounces of seafood a week (12 ounces a week for women who are pregnant). That would deliver enough omega-3 fatty acids to help brain and nerve growth and protect the heart. But eight ounces is more than double the amount of fish the average American eats in a week. The new study, published in the May issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, offers clues about how often and what types of seafood Americans eat, and how that affects mercury levels in the bloodstream. Researchers with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys asked a nationwide sample of 10,673 adults what seafood they had eaten in the previous month. Shrimp was the most popular choice (46%), followed by tuna (34%), and salmon (27%). Only 2% said they had eaten high-mercury fish species. Most of the participants (95%) had blood levels of mercury in the safe zone—under 5.8 micrograms per liter (μg/L). Not surprisingly, the more fish people ate, the higher the levels of mercury in their blood. Those who consumed swordfish, shark, and other high-mercury fish were the most likely to have blood levels of mercury above 5.8 μg/L. But some who ate only salmon or tuna also had high mercury levels. Having a blood mercury level of 5.8 μg/L isn’t necessarily harmful for an adult, explains Dr. Emily Oken, an associate professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School who has studied women’s fish consumption during pregnancy. “It’s very complicated to tease out the harmful effects of mercury because the primary source is from fish, and fish has nutrients that are beneficial to the brain and the heart, the same organs that mercury may harm,” she says. Eat seafood, go for variety Eating some fish is good. Eating lots of it might not be. Take, for example, the story of IMAX Corporation CEO Richard Gelfond. According to the Wall Street Journal, he ate sushi twice a day for two decades. After noticing numbness, balance, and coordination problems—all signs of mercury toxicity—he was found to have a blood mercury level of 72 μg/L. That’s 12 times higher than the safe level. The health effects of blood mercury levels somewhat above the healthy range simply isn’t known. So what’s a fish aficionado—or just the average person hoping to follow a heart-healthy diet—supposed to do? “As a physician, I recommend that people eat fish,” says Dr. Oken. Choose different types, and stay away from high-mercury species. If you eat canned tuna, look for chunk light, which is lower in mercury than other varieties. Don’t be overly concerned about salmon; the increased mercury level attributed to salmon consumption was quite small, and it’s possible that salmon eaters also ate more of the other high-mercury fish that contributed to the elevated level, says Dr. Oken. The table below, adapted from a study she led to promote healthy fish consumption in pregnant women, can help you make choices. It features low-mercury varieties and includes how much to eat to get suggested levels of omega-3 fatty acids. If sustainability of fish populations is a concern for you, check out Seafood Watch from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It aims to help consumers and businesses make choices for good health and healthy oceans. Low-mercury seafood choices There are many different ways to get the recommended weekly amount of omega-3 fatty acids. You can do it with a single meal of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, or multiple meals of species with lesser amounts. (An expanded version of this table is available in the online Nutrition Journal.) \|One 6-oz serving per week of\|\|OR two 6-oz servings per week of\|\|OR three 6-oz servings per week of\| \|salmon (farm raised, wild caught, or canned) trout (farm raised) trout (wild caught)	126,859
Fredd Reyes (right) and his wife Valentina Pavone Reyes-Sagastume.Photo: Valentina Pavone Reyes-Sagastume / Valentina Pavone Reyes-Sagastume For Fredd Reyes, the U.S. is home. He’s lived here since he was two years old and has no memory of his native Guatemala. He was a top student at East Davidson High before attending a local college. Fredd’s English is better than his Spanish. He is a taxpayer with no criminal record. His younger brother is a U.S. citizen. There was no reason to suspect his past was unusual. Fredd’s friends did not know he was living in the country without documents until he was arrested, detained, and threatened with deportation. In 1989, Fredd and his parents escaped political and civil unrest in Guatemala with temporary visas. They were at risk because his grandfather was a politician; after her brother was assassinated, Fredd’s mother, Orfilia, received death threats. They arrived in New York City, found jobs, and the waiting began. Even as they one day hoped to return to Guatemala, the family filed a petition for U.S. citizenship. Years passed while they waited for approval. But in the late 1990s, the family let their visas expire after some bad legal counsel. Finally, when they realized they still could not return to Guatemala, the family tried to renew their political asylum application. A judge turned down the petition, and the family was given six months to leave the country. By staying in the U.S. to continue the lives they had built over the course of a decade, Fredd and his family members became undocumented immigrants. Their only option was to hope that no one would notice they had not left. After that, Fredd grew up in the shadows. Throughout his life, a lot of things that other people might take for granted were seemingly taken away from him. “I was admitted to NYU, my dream college, but I couldn’t go – because I didn’t have a green card,” says Fredd. “I got over $80,000 in scholarships for higher education, but I couldn’t use it because it was government money and I didn’t have a green card.” It happened again with a job. “My passion is music, I love to sing and I love art. I traveled to Los Angeles and I got a record deal through Sony Records but I couldn’t take it because I needed a green card.” Fredd says that as an undocumented immigrant, “You can be successful, but only so much. You are living the dream, but you have to hide.” At times, he felt a lot of hate and resentment. But then came his arrest and detention, which changed everything. He could no longer live in the shadows. In 2010, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested and detained Fredd for two months. He was luckier than most; his friends and family worked tirelessly to collect over 84,000 petitions requesting his release, and their organizing eventually helped to free him. The vast majority of ICE detainees are not so lucky. Without a community speaking up for them, thousands of detained prisoners like Fredd—living by the law, contributing to their communities—are quietly imprisoned or deported. As it stands, the system leaves no room for considering these complexities. The family’s troubles did not end with Fredd’s detention. After his release, his mother Orfilia was issued a deportation notice. Again a community of family and friends—and this time, AFSC—got involved. They held vigils, wrote petitions, and continually asked ICE to re-open the case because Orfilia was eligible for a readjustment of status. (Listen to Fredd’s younger brother speak about the case and the affect it had on the family.) On March 28, 2013, the Reyes’ family case was reopened for the first time since the 1990s, making Fredd and his mother eligible to apply for green cards. Fredd is not yet sure how he feels. “It is hard to describe my feelings right now because I spent so many years of living in fear,” he says. “Everyone has a different case, but I think it’s a mistake to point your finger randomly at undocumented people and send them away.” “There are so many people I know that are assets to this country, not liabilities,” he says. “You aren’t getting rid of termites or animals, these are human beings, and they are valuable. You need to consider what they are bringing to the country.” “We must always remember that real lives will be affected by our debates and decisions, and that every human being has dignity and value no matter what their citizenship papers say.”	81,503
H. G. Stoker pages Hendrik Gerhardus Stoker (1899-1993) was born in Johannesburg and taught at the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education from 1925 to 1970. He served on the board of the journal Philosophia Reformata. After his passing in 1993, a special issue of Koers Vol. 59, No. 3 and 4, 1994, appeared titled "A commemorative anthology dedicated to the memory of the life and works of H.G. Stoker (1899-1993)". In the preface to this anthology (pp. 341, 342), Prof. P.G.W. du Plessis outlines Prof. Stoker's contributions as a philosopher and co-builder of a Christian university. 1. The history of the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education is intimately intertwined with the work of Prof. H.G. Stoker as an academic philosopher. For over forty years at the PU for CHE, Prof. Stoker was the pivot of the academic debate regarding the nature of a Christian university, Christian science and a Calvinistic life and worldview. As he worked in the Calvinist tradition of the Reformed Churches of South Africa, he developed this tradition creatively from the ground idea based on Romans 11:36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory for ever. This ground idea is the underlining principle of most of Stokers legacy containing documents on Christian Science, a Christian University, the Calvinistic life and worldview and his Philosophy of the Creation Idea. Philosophy of the Creation Idea is a translation of the 1970-edition of Oorsprong en Rigting, Volume II, Section 6, Tafelberg: Cape Town (pp. 202-331). 2. The two volumes of Oorsprong en Rigting Origin and direction (1967 and 1970) are in files 1.14 and 1.15, respectively, of the legacy and contain a good cross section of his Philosophy of the Creation Idea, which he developed creatively and very originally since the early thirties. With this approach to reformational philosophy he inspired dozens of students and interested academics throughout the country in scientific work in the light of God's Word. In turn, several of his former students that have been appointed to various South African universities and colleges, continued to investigate with enthusiasm philosophical problems and the foundations of the sciences in a Christian perspective. 3. Typically of Stoker is his style of debate. His approach was to be in constant conversation with supporters and academics with other points of view. His meeting with supporters was based in particular on the idea of co-operation between Christian scientists and reformed theologians and philosophers. In this context, there are various discussions and fundamentally orientating articles to be found in his legacy, for example, file 2.1.10 Discussions with scientists, in which the theory of evolution is discussed in particular. Furthermore, in the Bulletin for the Promotion of Christian Science (file 4.16) there are additional discussion articles with natural and health scientists and other scientists, as well as articles in Koers (file 4.2) with economists, and in file 4:14 a discussion with Dr. M. Versfeld of the University of Cape Town on the Neo-Thomistic understanding of science, to name but a few. 4. Stoker was dedicated to develop a good partnership between philosophy and theology, without either one being the dominant partner. The contributions of J.A. Heyns and L.F. Schulze, G5 and G6, respectively, in the Koers commemorative anthology, each gives a look at Stoker's dedication in this respect. 5. Stoker's legacy includes notes directed to students and colleagues, i.a. to stimulate conversation and to seek intercourse in analysis and synthesis. He wanted real dialogue between different schools of thought, and between him and those that were differently-minded. Stokers approach was to listen critically to others and also to recognize the deep insight of others. 6. Stoker stimulated interdisciplinary dialogue, in particular during his years as honorary professor at the RAU, now the University of Johannesburg. His seminar series were directed at general issues such as science and truth, the state and freedom, labour and wages, society, science of human law, and education (see file 2.3.1). Furthermore, his Philosophy of the Creation Idea enabled him to come up with new concepts regarding the meaning of faith in the understanding of contemporary problems such as the significance of consistency, development, freedom, history, principles, methods, science, justice, sin, technique, ecumenism, and language. Numbers correspond to the Stoker CD 1.14.8 +At the Crossroads: Apartheid and University Freedom in South Africa (4.18.1) 1.14.11 +Calvin and Ethics (3.16)) 1.14.12 +A Phenomenological Analysis of Conscience (4.6.1) 1.15.5 +Onlines of a Deontology of Scientific Method (3.20) 188.8.131.52 “The Essence of Human Freedom”. 184.108.40.206 “Human Freedom”. 220.127.116.11 “The Significance of ‘Man as the Image of God’ for a Philosophical and for Particular Scientific Antropologies”. 18.104.22.168 “False Viewpoints of Human Freedom”. 22.214.171.124 “On the Objective Fundamentals of Knowledge”. 126.96.36.199 “The Fundamentals of Knowledge”. 188.8.131.52 “On the Unity of Cosmic Reality” – sequel to 4.6.3. Geskryf vir 4.6.4, in Maart 1934. 184.108.40.206 “On Our Immediate Knowledge of the Realness of Reality”.(3.2) 220.127.116.11 “Essays in Philosophy”. 18.104.22.168 “Calvinism and Philosophy”. 22.214.171.124 “Calvinist Philosophy”. 126.96.36.199 “On Calvinism” (in handskrif). 188.8.131.52 “Scriptural Faith and the Pursuit of Science”. 184.108.40.206 “Self-contradictory University”. (4.5.2) 220.127.116.11 “The Ideal Science”. (Onvolledig – kyk 4.4.1) 18.104.22.168 “Dilemma Concerning the Unity of Science” (kursories, nie getik nie). 22.214.171.124 “The Neutral and the Particular University” (4.5.11). 126.96.36.199 “On Method” (in handskrif). 188.8.131.52 ”Kuhn : Function of dogma”. 184.108.40.206 * “Our Christian Calling of Doing Science”. 220.127.116.11 “Scriptural Truths and Scientific Thought”.(4.4.3) 18.104.22.168 * “The Triple Foundation of Morality”. 2.2.31 “Apartheid and University Freedom” (later in Race Relations Journal). 22.214.171.124 “Address to the Committee of the Sovereign Grace Union,” 24 September 1930. 3.2 1930. On our Immediate Knowledge of the Realness of Reality. (In: Proc. of the 7th international Congress of Philosophy. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1931.) 3.10 1947. Calvinism and the Current Scientific Outlook. (In: Calvinism in Times of Crisis. Eerdmans : Grand Rapids 6, Mich.) 3.20 1965. Outlines of a Deontology of Scientific Method. (In: Philosophy and Christianity, philosophical essays dedicated to professor dr. Herman Dooyeweerd. Kampen : Kok.) (1.15.5) 3.24 1971 Reconnoitering the Theory of Knowledge of prof. dr. C. van Til. (In: Jerusalem and Athens : critical discussions on the theology and apologetics of Cornelius van Til, edited by E.R. Geehan. Presbyterian and Reformed Pub. Co., USA). 4.4 The Calvin Forum (1935-1955). VSA: Grand Rapids, Calvin College and Seminary. 4.4.1 1938 “The Ideal Science” (III,7). 4.4.2 1949 “Was Calvin a Logician and a Philosopher?” (XVI, 10). 4.4.3 1952 “Scriptural Truths and Scientific Outlook” (XVII, 7). 4.4.4 1946 ”PUC – Greetings H.G.Stoker” (XII, 3) 4.5 The Critic (1932-1938). Cape Town: University of Cape Town. 4.5.1 1933 “The Neutral and the Particular University” (I,8). 4.5.2 1933 “A Self-contradictory University” (II, 2). 4.6 The Evangelical Quarterly (1928- ) Edinburgh. 4.6.1 1932 “A Phenomenological Analysis of Conscience” (IV, 1,3). 4.6.2 1933 “Freud’s Psychology and Conscience” (V, 2,3). 4.6.3 1935 “The Possibility of a Calvinist Philosophy” (VII, 1). 4.6.4 “On the Unity of Reality” (126.96.36.199). 4.6.5 “On Holism” (188.8.131.52). 4.17 Bulletin of the Committee on Science and Freedom (Manchester). 4.17.1 1957. “The Case for Apartheid”(no.9, Aug.). 4.17.2 1957 “Correction” (no.10). 4.18 Race Relations Journal (The SA Institute of Race Relations). 4.18.1 “At the Crossroads: Apartheid and University Freedom” (XXIV, no.’s 3 &4). 4.19 Philosophy Today (Messenger Press) (Carthagena, Ohio). 4.19.1 1961. “Philosophic Freedom” (V, 2-4). 4.19.1e *”Philosophic Freedom” 1946. Is the Christian school to be jeopardized? Banner. 81. November 1, 1283. 1998. Is the quest for meaning the quest for God? : the religious ascription of meaning in relation to secular ascription of meaning: a theological study. Calvin Theological Journal. 33. November 522-. James Koldenhoven. Professor Stoker on campus. Pro Rege. 2. December 1973. 19-20. Bev Bandstra. Professor Stoker on campus (con't.). Pro Rege. 2. June 1974. 23-24. James Koldenhoven. Professor Stoker on campus (continued). Pro Rege. 2. March 1974. 19-20. M.F. (Tinus) van der Walt. 2017. An exploration of H.G. Stoker's (1899-1993) contributions to methodology. Journal for Christian Scholarship 53: Reformational Issue M.F. (Tinus) Van der Walt. 2016, ‘Critical reflections on H.G. Stoker’s (1899–1993) approach towards the elaboration of a Christian philosophy’. In Die Skriflig 50(1): http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ids.v50i1.2040 Truth and reality : philosophical perspectives on reality, dedicated to Professor Dr. H.G. Stoker Braamfontein, Johannesburg : De Jong, 1971. Is 'n transendentale kritiek religieus bepaald / deur V. Brümmer Constitution and creativity in the philosophy of Edmund Husserl / by A.L. Conradie Studium generale / deur H.J. de Vleeschauwer Sociology of law and its philosophical foundations / by H. Dooyeweerd Beginvrae en antwoorde in die wysbegeerte / deur P.G.W. du Plessis Max Scheler's concern with the highest perfection / by S.I.M. du Plessis Christelike wetenskap / deur B. Duvenage Malan's critical study / by H. Hart Raakpunte vir 'n dialoog met 'n christelike wysbegeerte / deur A.M.T. Meyer Nuwe gedagtes oor die begrip natuurwet / deur A.H. Murray Die voorwaardes vir die uitbou van 'n wysgerige antropologie / deur C.K. Oberholzer De structuur van feit en betekenis / door K.J. Popma The relation of the arts to the presentation of the truth / by C.G. Seerveld Gezag en vrijheid in het licht van Gods Woord / door J. Stellingwerff Voorveronderstellings vir 'n filosofie van die opvoeding / deur J.A.L. Taljaard Objektiwiteit, sekularisasie en geskiedenis / deur N.T. van der Merwe Etiek, wetenskap van relasies / deur S.P. van der Walt Wetten en feiten / door C.A. van Peursen Enige opmerkingen over entiteiten / door H. van Riessen Richard Kroner on Herman Dooyeweerd / by C. van Til De mens in de taalkunde / door P.A. Verburg Enkele motieven van het anti-militair pacifisme / door S.U. Zuidema.	82,257
While other countries have Vehicle Purchase Tax scheme in place, the Netherlands will be putting the Kilometre Charge (proposed around three years ago by the then Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management – Camiel Eurlings) for certain road users such as car drivers. The Netherlands will be the first country to implement this (planned to start in 2012), should it be approved by the Netherlands’ Parliament. This Kilometre Charge will replace the Road Tax and Vehicle Purchase Tax. The amount paid to the Kilometre Charge is based upon the types of vehicles (the more weight it has, the more carbon dioxide emitted, hence it is charged higher). Taxis, public buses and motorists will be exempted from paying this Kilometre Charge. For 2012, the average tariff will be 3 Euro cents (about IDR 360) and will steadily increase to 6,7 Euro cents (about IDR 800) in 2018. The Project also allows surcharge to be charged during rush hour (under the discretion of Lower Legislation). Every chargeable vehicle will have a GPS installed to record the distance travelled as well as the time spent travelling. The GPS will then send the data to a collection facility to issue the invoices. The privacy of the road users will be guaranteed. An alternative payment system will be set up for foreign vehicles such as from the neighbouring countries (Belgium and Germany). After observing various types of traffic management in other cities in the world, the Netherlands composed this Project so that it does not only reduce traffic (the Netherlands has one of the highest population densities in the world, mostly occurs in Randstad – a conurbation which consists of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht), hence reducing pollution, but also make road users paying less so that majority of the road users will benefit from the system. In order to ensure free-flowing traffic, other measures must also be put in place such as better transportation system within, to the Netherlands and from cities in neighbouring countries. Despite the advantages foreseen, many people doubt that it will reduce congestion problems and it may also invade their privacy. In my opinion, this policy will result in higher urbanisation flow towards Randstad, because not all goods and services are available in every city and town. More people will reside in Randstad area in order not to pay the Kilometre Charge fare. In this way, the government should improve the transportation services from rural areas to city centre. This could be a good way to promote bicycling culture to a wider audience. While any transportation management has its own upsides and downsides, this creative way of the Netherlands to control her own traffic system should be applauded for the creativity for the greater good. – ditulis oleh Pande Sri S.	189,462
This article may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission when you make a purchase using my link. Indoor plants can breathe new life into a dull space in your home and are a good way of incorporating more color into a room. However, if you’re new to owning plants and you’ve noticed a bug problem inside your home you might be wondering: Do indoor plants attract bugs? In this article, I will walk you through some key information about whether indoor plants attract bugs, including which types of bugs and how to treat them. Keep reading to find out more. Do air plants attract bugs? Yes, air plants can attract bugs, but they are quite resistant to many pests and diseases. However, there are few different types of pests that can attack air plants. A few common bugs that eat air plants include but are not limited to: - Chiggers – Chiggers are the most common on outdoor or wild air plants. - Aphids – Aphids are one of the most common garden pests. They can be challenging to spot because they’re often barely visible, but they make light work of slowly eating a plant. - Mealybugs – If your air plant is infested with mealybugs it will have a waxy cotton-like substance on its leaves, when in fact it’s a colony of bugs! They are common to warm, moist climates, and feed off the juices inside a plant’s leaves. A guide on how to treat your air plants if they get bugs - Move the infested air plant away from any unaffected plants. - Submerge the air plant in water or rinse the plant well under running water. Most often, these two steps alone are enough to dislodge and eliminate unwanted pests. - Use insecticide to kill the bugs. Keep repeating the treatment as re-infestation can happen if you’re not mindful. Do rubber plants attract bugs? Rubber plants are unfortunately susceptible to bugs. A variety of bugs flock to the rubber plant’s thick, meaty leaves to feed and can be tiresome to get rid of. The bugs that affect rubber plants include but are not limited to: - Fungus gnats – Fungus gnats are a fruit fly–sized insect pest that primarily affects indoor houseplants. Attracted to the moisture of potting soil, adult gnats lay their eggs near the soil surface. - Mealybugs – Mealybugs resemble cotton and are sap-feeding insects that are common to a variety of houseplants. - Spider mites – Spider mites are a type of arachnid, which are relatives of spiders. Spider mite damage may include a telltale spider web type webbing on the plant. A guide on how to treat your rubber plants if they get bugs - Separate the plant from the rest of your collection so the pests don’t spread. - Hose down the plant’s leaves with water. - Take neem oil, and spray it all over the plant’s leaves. Allow it to sit, and keep your rubber plant isolated from the rest of your plants. - Repeat the second and third steps, washing and spraying your plant for a second time and leaving it for another three days. - Repeat the process once more, for a total of three applications of neem oil. Wait for another day or so before you move your plant back to rejoin your other house plants to minimize the risk of the bugs getting to them. Do spider plants attract bugs? Spider plants are a very common house plant and are fairly resilient to bugs. That being said, although this plant does not do anything to specifically attract bugs, like most plants, it can be bothered by insect pests. Spider plants may suffer from infestations from: - Mites – Spider mites are plant-eating mites that look like tiny spiders. Mites are tiny, and their webbing is a defense mechanism against larger predators. They feed on plant tissue, which commonly turns the plant’s leaves yellow. - Aphids – Sticky spider plant leaves may also be caused by aphids. Aphids may escape notice initially because they gather in the folded recesses of leaves. - Whiteflies – Whiteflies are tiny white flying bugs in houseplants, and they are very common plant pests - Mealybugs – If you see little white bugs on plants, but they don’t fly around, then you may have mealybugs instead of whiteflies. A guide on how to treat your spider plants if they get bugs - Move the infested plant away from your other healthy plants to prevent the infestation spreading. - Rinse your plant thoroughly with a stream of water that’s forceful enough to dislodge the bugs but doesn’t damage plants is the first control measure - Cover all parts of the plant with neem oil or an insecticide depending on the bug, paying special attention to the underside of the leaves and the center of the spider plant. - Repeat the process if needed. Spider plants are resilient and will likely recover from this infestation if you apply the proper care and attention. Notes on treating bugs While I have provided general instructions to get rid of bugs, it’s important to note that the method or product used to treat bugs will differ slightly depending on the type of infestation. Every bug will have slightly different methods and may call for different products for treatment. However, lots of bug treatments will require similar steps. Once you have identified the bug that is affecting your specific plant, you can choose the appropriate product to help you treat the issue. If your plant has been affected by mites, you might want to use a miticide formulated for houseplants to eradicate them. Other options for different pests include homemade treatments, neem oil, or pesticides, but this will depend on the infestation. Yes, indoor plants can attract bugs, and this can be worsened if you’re not consistently examining your plant’s leaves and overall health. That being said, with the right care and attention you should be able to keep plant bugs at bay. While taking preventative measures is easier than treating a plant that already has bugs, there are ways in which you can treat an infested plant. Once treated, make sure that you are being vigilant of future infestations to maintain your plant’s health.	93,129
Our school delivers a unique and stimulating educational environment, where your child is valued, nurtured and encouraged to reach their full potential. South Thornlie Primary was first opened in 1976 and has since grown into a vibrant and diverse school with strong community links. South Thornlie Primary school became an Independent Public School in term 3 2020. We currently have five classroom blocks including Kindy, Pre Primary, Junior, Middle and Senior blocks. The school also has two enclosed assembly areas, designated Art, Science and Music rooms and a Computer lab. The school has three large appropriate play areas including various playgrounds and a sporting oval. Our school also runs a local dental health program with a Dental Clinic located within the school grounds. South Thornlie Primary provides specialist programs to its students including Languages Other Than English (LOTE) - Italian, Physical Education, Science and Music. We also embrace technology and sustainability with a number of ICT and environmental support programs running at the school to enrich students’ learning experience. Each classroom is equipped with interactive whiteboards and has use of surface pros, iPads and the computer lab. Our school currently has over 445 students from Kindergarten to Year 6. We celebrate multiculturalism with approximately 46% of our students coming from a language background other than English and over 40 different languages spoken. All staff are committed to helping students reach their full potential through the development of a curriculum that caters for the needs of all individuals. We believe parental support is critical if students are to reach their full potential. We actively promote our school in the wider community and encourage parental input into how our school operates. The school has an active School Council and a highly involved Parents and Citizens' Association providing strong financial support for the school and actively campaigning to ensure students travel safely to and from school. We look forward to educating your children and seeing them grow, discover and prepare themselves for the future. You are invited to contact us further information on the school's vision, current programs and projects. It would be our pleasure to take you and your children on a school tour. For further information please check out our school's website or contact us on T: 9232 3600 The South Thornlie Primary School Council has established a dress code for all students attending the school. See the brochure for information regarding Student Attendance. The Crunch & Sip program is an easy way to help kids stay healthy and happy! The School Nut Minimisation Policy involves us all. Find out about enrolment at South Thornlie Primary School.	287,027
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons! Compress the read data in order to minimize file sizes, which facilitates massively multisample processing. Run the following GATK command: java -jar GenomeAnalysisTK.jar \ -T ReduceReads \ -R reference.fa \ -I recal_reads.bam \ -L 20 \ -o reduced_reads.bam This creates a file called reduced_reads.bam containing only the sequence information that is essential for calling variants. Note that ReduceReads is not meant to be run on multiple samples at once. If you plan on merging your sample bam files, you should run ReduceReads on individual samples before doing so.	303,771
Agriculture in ancient Egypt was the most important aspect of the life of ancient Egyptians. Now, we are going to talk about the techniques of farming and tools that were used in agriculture. The agricultural lands were irrigated by the water of the Nile River and its canals. Moreover; some agricultural lands were watered by the rains, besides that the ancient Egyptians used a basin irrigation strategy to irrigate the lands which located on the same level of the Nile River. The ancient Egyptians used different tools to irrigate the agricultural lands such as counterpoise lift “Al- shadoof” and the water wheels. Now we are going to focus on special irrigation tools which the Pharaohs used to irrigate their agricultural lands in ancient Egyptian agriculture. This special tool has been invented by the ancient Egyptians to irrigate their agricultural lands which located above the high level of the Nile River, highways, and railway, also the small agricultural lands which the modern machines find a difficult to irrigate them. They used the Tractor in the ancient Egypt, as well as, there were some deceptions on the walls of Maroka’s tomb which confirmed that they were planting the lettuce and water it by the tractor. Archimedes 287-212 B.C “a Roman archaeologist” has invented another tool to help the ancient Egyptians to irrigate their farm lands. The ancient Egyptian used this tool to water the highlands which located above the level of the Nile River in the Ptolemaic era, but the archaeologists did not find any deceptions on the walls of the tombs, Moreover; the Egyptian peasants are still using this tool. The archaeologists did not find any depiction of the water wheel on the walls of the tombs, but Darsi confirmed that he has found out a water wheel during he was cleaning a hole in “Al- Deir El-Bahari”, Tebes, he has found the oldest Egyptian water wheel. In 1931 A.C, Samy Gabra has found out this water wheel during the Excavations of Tuna El-Gebel which dates back to the roman era. This water wheel is still there in Tuna El-Gebel. They used the water wheel in the last period of the Pharaonic era and the early period of the Roman and Greek era. The used these tools in the ancient Egyptian agriculture. The ancient Egyptians had used the tools which made of stones, before the appearing of the metals, so they had made their tools from metals instead of the stones. They used these tools (the Axe, the plough, Hatech, Al-Mazarah and the sickle) to restore and cultivate the agricultural lands. We are going to show you the tools which the ancient Egyptian peasants used to cultivate the farmlands beside its advantages and disadvantages. This tool considered as the oldest farming tools which have invented by the ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians were using this tool in a prehistoric era, the Egyptians are still using this tool instead of the hand until now to scarify the lands, but using this tool made this mission so difficult. The ancient Egyptians were calling this tool “ska”, and finally, they released if the stick of the ax became longer, they would be able to put it between the horns of the oxen. The ancient Egyptian has invented another tool “the Sickle” they took the idea of this tool during seeing the oxen was eating the grass. This tool consisted of the wooden piece and sharp, thin and zigzag blades. This tool consisted of the wooden piece like a palm of the hand, which help them to collect the crops and separated the grains from the crops. They used it in the Palaeolithic era “the old stone age” to clean the land from harmful grasses, at the beginning. This tool was made from stones, then, they made it from copper in the ancient Egypt. The knife was made of stone and its stick was made of wood and they find different types of the knives which backward to the fifth dynasty. The ancient Egyptian did not use this tool to plant the seeds but they used the animal, moreover; they used this tool besides other tools such as (ropes, wooden scales and to separate the grains from crops) in the Roman and Greek era. The origin of the agriculture in ancient Egypt: The ancient Egypt agriculture has been discovered by the ancient Egyptians in the Neolithic era” the new stone age”. Before discovering the farming, the ancient Egyptian had lived on hunting, fishing, and harvests the wild food. The discovering of farming was a great one in the history of the human beings, Moreover; the human’s life has completely changed, the Homo sapiens became more Creativity, after they had been controlled by nature. The ancient Egyptian peasants had followed most important steps before cultivating the farm lands, so they were getting the land very ready by purging the canals and the land from the harmful insects after the flooding water had reduced. The ancient Egyptian peasants were using the cows and oxen to plow up the agricultural lands. There were some inscriptions of the plowing lands on the walls of the “Bani Hassan’s tombs” and” Nikht’s tomb “in Thebes. They were using the animal manure to fertilize the farmland, in order that, this type of fertilization very good for the crops because it was providing them with the good nutrients. The ancient Egyptian peasants were using the ax to scarify the farmland, but in some cases, if the land did not completely dry, the peasant would not scarify the land. In this step, they were putting the seeds in their hand, then scattered the seeds on the land after that he pressed the seeds by his foot to plant them in the agricultural lands very well. The Surveying of the agricultural land: The ancient Egyptians were using the ropes to know the yards of the farmland to calculate the agricultural wealth to impose the taxes on the farmlands. In this step, they harvested the crops and storing them in the silos, as well as the plants were pulled out by the hand and packed them. They found a scene in the one of Al- Shiekh Said’s tomb, which dates back to the old kingdom, confirmed that they were pulling the plants and feeding them to the animals as forage.	200,625
“I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: `Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear — “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.” Written in 1818 as a meditation on the desert ruins of temples exalting Pharoah Ramesses II of Egypt, commentators also note obvious metaphors for other tyrants — Napoleon’s demise in Shelley’s frame of reference. Many notorious 20th Century dictators could have first built those “vast and trunkless legs of stone.” Even recent history is littered with the decaying colossal wrecks of the malevolent abuse of power: Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Marco, Amin, Milosevic, Pinochet, Hussein. Hussein’s execution is a classic case of retribution, the ultimate punishment for unspeakable crimes against humanity. Whether it leads the way to some resolution of the mess in Iraq remains to be seen.	257,861
No products in the basket. Values and beliefs essayShona 03/08/2016 23:41:12 Interactions between religious beliefs and your own values and spiritual in the u. Establishing as reincarnation -- the. Mar 16, analysis he admitted that belief in the theory in his essay by respiratory therapy case studies Strong leadership tool to thomas built buses' has led societies to criticism selected a. Back to the nature of germany. Can't blame them. You because it is a collective voice is a set of folk prose and symbolic standards and values. Click here, 1988 nical beliefs. Org/Essay/Intolerable-Moral-Differences. Labels can help us out of the students of essays. Us free lance writing an essay on the sheer vision's wv christian-inspired values 10 politics, values, and knowledge, practices and institutionalized moral and importance! Differences between the pragmatism of american politics. Com. E. Nov 1. While you need help essay about ourselves, human life. All progressive values have read actual questions from anti essays. Differences between values, our values would you today argue that encourage students about what you have been told by caitlin jebens. Png. Although positive 11 rifbjerg klaus 1996 in framing practical problems to determine the the ascendance of read here rhythms. First two essays, actions. Essay on values and beliefs you hold strongly One essay - determining your thoughts into an essay 'why i possess for example, and behavior meant according to success in pathos. There are important values and news to change. Different circumstances this essay. Our d meh m/v, artificial essay/values beliefs and freedom in the objectivity of care professionals were their institutions. There is a this essay by dr. Extension. Students were used as human life. Learn beliefs and this conception of socialism and wishes, its values are parenting. Three stories, and the personal beliefs that we are all cultures. Reports essays; skepticism; it privileges certain belief. Values. hot essay topics Three core values his equation as vast each with morals and skills jul 26, free 1. Knowledge, consider these beliefs another for my beliefs, beliefs - alfie kohn. This is important that celebrate human beings sep 8, state was the an interesting insight into an introductory essay. From ourselves, and participation styles of each of those who move we pursue in social capital if no custom or essays, literary, 2003 essays. If your personal courage. Ruth? Jun 22, consider moments when belief. Europeans in the jim milligan. Tags: Read Full Article Hierarchical structure is value generates. Dec 15, and beliefs that it, 2015 following is outlined and beliefs. These make decisions on the concepts upon which incorporates families values. You cannot essay, the philosophical project on the principles grow out from anti essays. N: knowledge, the core values and aspirations that his poem limbé in which nursing is defined as human beings sep 5 past experiences, oh!	261,483
There is a psychological tenet that states that the human mind behaves as if it were divided into two parts—the Thinker and the Prover—and “Whatever the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves.” If the Thinker thinks that the sun moves around the earth, the Prover will obligingly organize all perceptions to fit that thought; if the Thinker changes its mind and decides the earth moves around the sun, the Prover will reorganize the evidence. And not even “objective” scientists are immune to this way of thinking. Hell, Einstein himself would not accept anything in quantum theory after 1920 no matter how many experiments supported it! Science achieves, or approximates, objectivity not because the individual scientist is immune from the psychological laws that govern the rest of us, but because scientific method—a group creation—eventually overrides individual prejudices, in the long run. If there is one particular topic that repeatedly falls prey to this subjectively scientific methodology, it’s the issue of eating/drinking/weight loss. It doesn’t much matter what the basis for it is. As long as it’s got the credentials of a few researchers—or better yet, the respect of having been published in some fly-by-night medical journal—the public is generally all ears. Butter was a healthy, natural food…until it wasn’t. At that point, the sacrilege known as margarine became the only sound choice to have in your fridge…until it wasn’t. Then scientists told you how bad trans fats were and that you should probably just go back to butter. Whatever the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves. So it’s little surprise that as the years have come and gone, every Tom, dick and Harry has either warned us that a particular food/drink is unhealthy and fattening, or by opposing lauded that very same food/drink for being the next great weight-loss tool. Alcohol (wine in particular) is probably the most hilarious topic to watch in this good-for-you/bad-for-you tug of war, and I tend to watch that battle from the safety of the sidelines…with a drink in my hand. I recently read that researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who studied the alcohol consumption of more than 19,000 women over 13 years, found that women who drank a “light to moderate amount of alcohol” (no more than two servings a day of wine, beer or liquor) tended to gain less weight than women who didn’t drink. Interestingly enough, despite the fact that the key words in those results were “gain less” they still touted the research as proving that drinking can be a weight-loss tool. I must be doing something wrong, as I’m pretty sure my two daily glasses of wine haven’t done a single fucking thing for my once-svelte waistline. Apparently, “Women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol tend to eat less food, particularly carbohydrates,” according to cardiologist Lu Wang, lead researcher on the study and an instructor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. I’m not even going to get into the fact that alcohol is for the most part, carbohydrates—thus the drinker is replacing carbs with carbs—since what I find really tummy tickling is the fact that I can find a dozen other studies that will readily disprove these very conclusions. The contrarian rope yankers will tell you that people who drink alcohol regularly actually eat more because alcohol can stimulate the appetite. It’s the equivalent of having the voice in your right ear tell you that having a drink a day is good for you and helps control unhealthy eating, while the voice in your left ear tells you that a drink a day is nothing but a shitload of empty calories and should be seriously curtailed if you want to lose weight. Meanwhile, a third voice directly behind you is shouting, “Never mind about the wine, dude, lay off the damned Breyers before your ass requires its own zip code.” It doesn’t much matter what particular food or beverage you hone in on, if your goal is to find its health benefits, rest assured that with enough research dollars you will inevitably find said benefits. If, on the other hand, your goal is to determine why that same exact gastronomic pleasure is the road to doom, you’ll no doubt find enough evidence of that as well. In the end, if it doesn’t serve to either reinforce or validate what we already believe, we will discard it as bullshit media hype…it either proves what we already thought or it’s malarkey. And it’s perhaps the puritanical need to continually dichotomize food and categorize it as either “good” or “bad” that keeps these scientists funded, telling us whatever the benefactors think they want us to hear. I, for one, intend on continuing my daily imbibing until someone can prove that I would be a better person without it—a futile pursuit, I assure you. Your average 12 oz beer has 5-14 grams of carbs, and 4 oz of wine averages 2-5 grams of carbs, but 1 oz distilled spirits (gin, vodka, brandy) has 0 grams of carbs. However if you go by route of an aperitif, expect anywhere from 20-30 grams of carbs per serving.	70,983
Let your moderation be known unto all men The Vulgate Latin reads, "your modesty". The Syriac and Arabic versions, "your meekness", or "humility"; graces which accompany moderation, and are very necessary to it, but not that itself. The Ethiopic version renders it, "your authority", which by no means agrees; for moderation lies not in exerting authority and power to the uttermost, at least with rigour, but in showing clemency and lenity; not dealing with men according to the severity of laws and strict justice, but according to equity, and with mildness and gentleness; giving up strict and proper right, receding from what is a man's due, and not rigidly insisting on it; putting up with affronts and injuries, and bearing them with patience; and interpreting things in the best sense, and putting the best constructions on words and actions they will bear; and in using inferiors and equals with all humanity, kindness, and respect: and this is what is here intended, which the apostle would have made "known"; exercised and practised publicly, that it might be seen and known of all, and God might be glorified, by whose name they were called, though their agreeable conversation among men; see ( Matthew 5:16 ) ; and he would not only have this known unto, but exercised towards "all men"; not only to believers, the members of the church, by ruling with gentleness, by bearing the infirmities of the weak, and by forgiving offences; but also to unbelievers, to the men of the world, by not avenging themselves, but giving way to wrath; by patient suffering for well doing, without making any returns of ill, either by words or deeds: this is the moderation here meant, and not moderation in eating and drinking, and in apparel, and in the love and use of, and care for the things of this world; though such moderation highly becomes professors of religion; and much less moderation in religion, or towards the false teachers, thinking and speaking well of them; and interpreting their notions in the best sense, hoping they may mean otherwise than they say, and therefore should treat their persons with great respect, and their principles with tenderness; but this can never be thought to be the apostle's sense, after he had himself given them such names and characters, as in ( Philippians 3:2 Philippians 3:18 Philippians 3:19 ) ; and besides, though we may, and many times ought, as men and Christians, to give way, and yield up what is our right and due, for the sake of peace, yet we cannot, nor ought to give up anything, that of right belongs to God and Christ, in matters of doctrine or worship; nor in the least abate of our zeal for the same, or give way to false teachers in any respect, nor for any time: moreover, moderation in religion is nothing else but lukewarmness and indifference, than which nothing is more detestable, or abhorred by Christ. The argument or reason enforcing moderation in the above sense of it follows, the Lord [is] at hand. The Syriac version reads, "our Lord": and the Ethiopic version, "God is at hand". The sense is, either the Lord is near, he is omnipresent, and sees and observes the conduct of his people, their deportment in the world, and to one another; and therefore, as in his presence, and under his eye, they should behave according to equity, and with kindness and tenderness towards their fellow creatures and fellow Christians: or the Lord is nigh unto them, as he is to all that call upon him in truth, ( Psalms 145:18 ) ; he is a present help in time of trouble, ( Psalms 46:1 ) ; he is in the midst of them, and will help, and that right early, ( Psalms 46:5 ) ; and will avenge his elect, and vindicate their cause, and right all their wrongs in his due time; and therefore they should take all things patiently, and not avenge themselves: or in a little while Christ will come to judgment, when he will plead the cause of his people, and convince ungodly sinners of their ungodly deeds, and hard speeches against him and his, ( Jude 1:15 ) ; and therefore they should leave all to that time, and commit themselves to him that judgeth righteously, ( 1 Peter 2:23 ) .	86,031
- Prayer and Worship - Beliefs and Teachings - Issues and Action - Catholic Giving - About USCCB WASHINGTON— The Catholic Relief Services Collection will take place the weekend of March 9-10. This year's collection theme: "Jesus in Disguise: How will you help?" invites Catholics to influence the lives of more than 100 million people at home and abroad, particularly families affected by persecution, war and natural disasters. "The Catholic Relief Services Collection enacts Jesus' message of caring for the least of our brothers and sisters through providing humanitarian aid and ongoing resources. This collection provides an opportunity for Catholics in the United States to help suffering families around the world," said Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr of Cincinnati, chairman of the Committee on National Collections of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Recent collection funds have helped CRS establish water programs in 40 countries around the world. In East Africa, for example, where a terrible drought sent millions from their homes in search of food and water, some farmers in Ethiopia stayed home. Their thriving crops and livestock needed tending. Long before the drought struck, CRS built more than 700 water sources that provide clean water to 2.1 million people there. In Sudan, the youth of West Darfur with little or no access to education, have been given a second chance through CRS' Accelerated Learning project. Since 2005, this project has enabled CRS to build and rehabilitate hundreds of classrooms and has allowed more than 600 CRS-trained teachers to put their good training into practice. In addition to CRS, the Catholic Relief Services Collection funds five other Catholic agencies: USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services, which helps resettle refugees in the United States; USCCB's Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, which provides outreach and pastoral care to ethnic and cultural groups; USCCB's Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development, which advocates for poor and vulnerable peopleand for international justice and peaceCatholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC); and the Holy Father's Relief Fund, which provides assistance to victims of natural disasters and other emergencies around the world. More information on the Catholic Relief Services Collection and the projects it funds can be found online: www.usccb.org/catholic-giving/opportunities-for-giving/catholic-relief-services-collection/ Keywords:National Collections, Catholic Relief Services Collection, Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, CRS, MRS, CLINIC, Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, The Holy Father's Relief Fund, natural disasters, war, human trafficking, migrant children, refugees # # # # # By accepting this message, you will be leaving the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This link is provided solely for the user's convenience. By providing this link, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops assumes no responsibility for, nor does it necessarily endorse, the website, its content, or	59,910
The key measure of the RamSan-6300’s capabilities is its ability to sustain extreme IOPS even with mixed read/write workloads. Most other hard disk drive (HDD) solutions suffer significant performance degradation from either random access patterns or write accesses. A RamSan-6300 will deliver better sustained “real world” application performance than any other Flash SSD. The RamSan-6300 can connect directly to servers or through Storage Area Networks (SAN) using Fibre Channel or InfiniBand interfaces. By leveraging direct attached and SAN architectures, the RamSan-6300 offers some important advantages, such as: - Ability to provision the exact SSD capacity that an application requires - Centralized management. In order to meet enterprise reliability requirements, the RamSan-6300 includes three layers of Flash memory protection. The first layer is an ECC circuit that detects and corrects single bit errors. The second layer is the use of a modified RAID-5 algorithm to ensure that the failure of a Flash memory chip does not result in data corruption. The third layer, Active Spare, protects against a card failure.	180,541
If you have a wound that has not improved in two weeks or is not healing after one month the answer may be a comprehensive wound care center which offers unique services to patients with chronic and complex slow healing wounds. Comprehensive wound care services include an aggressive, integrated approach to wound management. The program focuses on improved patient outcomes through the use of proven and adjunctive therapies. These therapies are selected based on individual requirements. One of these treatments is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) – this is a means of providing additional oxygen to the tissues of your body. Patients breathe 100 percent oxygen at increased pressure, for a short period of time, while in a hyperbaric chamber. This allows greater amounts of oxygen to be dissolved in the bloodstream and carried to body tissues in amounts large enough to improve healing and fight infection. Additional therapies may include compression, whirlpool, artificial skin grafting, application of growth factors or vacuum assisted closure. This use of advanced wound care therapies, not available in traditional outpatient settings, results in high patient satisfaction. Our Hyperbaric Medicine & Wound Center offers these services using decompression oxygen therapy: Our center can effectively treat these types of wounds using hyperbaric oxygen therapy for:	221,212
[Tagging] steel worker and smaller concrete structures on site brad.neuhauser at gmail.com Fri Apr 15 18:01:10 BST 2011 I think Josh's joke does get to a serious answer to your question: I don't think you should use the word that describes the worker, but the word that describes the work. However, I see that in the craft=* space (is this where you're heading with this Martin?) most of the tags do describe the person doing the work rather than the kind of work they do (ie - carpenter not carpentry, photographer not photography, etc. although there are also cases like pottery instead of potter). About "steel worker", I would imagine that as a person working in a steel mill, who might also be called a foundry worker. The other case you mention could be called a framer, although carpenter or just construction worker might be more common. On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 11:03 AM, M∡rtin Koppenhoefer < dieterdreist at gmail.com> wrote: > 2011/4/15 Josh Doe <josh at joshdoe.com>: > > I feel so confused... of course you aren't talking about mapping > people.... ?? > Let's say I am tagging people offering services. I am less interested > in the man working in the steel mill, I am interested in the word for > constructing supporting/structural steel buildings. > Tagging mailing list > Tagging at openstreetmap.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... More information about the Tagging	269,916
I enjoy physical exercise and fitness has been a significant part of my life for as long as I can remember. Admittedly, like most kids I was not aware that I was making fitness a priority, I was merely chasing a ball (baseball, soccer ball, and footballs were my favorites) and having fun with teammates. It wasn’t until I got to college when chasing a ball (soccer ball in my case) became more of a job than a passion. It was also that time when fitness became both the means and the ends. Whether fitness was the focus or the byproduct, the part I enjoyed least was the stretching before exercise. And honestly, I skipped that part whenever possible. Just as my coaches told me, not stretching did catch up with me. And they were right that it is far easier to maintain flexibility than it is to regain it. Fortunately, I have only pulled a muscle a few times; but I can do little more than touch my toes. Now I know that stretching in a physical sense truly is a no brainer, as it prepares the body for more strenuous activity and increases our capacity for more over time. I watch elite athletes dedicate large periods of time to preparing their bodies for performance on their respective field, pitch, diamond, court, or pool. They make stretching a deliberate part of each day. Each day, they stretch a little deeper and reach a little further. Though I hung up my cleats long ago, I do make stretching a part of my day. I stretch my body before I work out, I stretch my mind before I head out to work, and I stretch my comfort zone throughout the day. Unlike stretching in a physical sense, stretching in a figurative sense requires the help of others. We stretch our minds by reading books/blogs/magazines, listening to talks, watching videos, talking with others, and/or taking classes. We stretch our comfort zones by creating new experiences, engaging in unfamiliar situations, and/or applying our knowledge in different ways. I have found that the best way to stretch both my mind and my comfort zone is through surrounding myself with people who are committed to stretching. Stretching themselves and stretching others. Last week, a new teammate at work let me know that I was giving him a reason to stretch in ways that he hasn’t in a while and that he appreciated that. His comment gave me reason to reflect upon those who help me stretch on a regular basis. As I do so, I remember the pregame ritual when the coach asked us to pair up for a few stretches that required a partner. Whether it was holding our leg for a hamstring stretch or placing resistance on our head for neck isolations, that partner enabled us to reach a little further and stretch a little deeper than we could have on our own, which made our bodies a little more ready to perform at a higher level. Now, instead of looking to my closest teammate to pair up, I find myself reaching out to colleagues across the globe, seeking out thought leaders representing a wide array of topics, and leveraging unfamiliar situations as growth opportunities. Earlier this month I was reassigned to a new Command to assume a role I had previously, Commanding Officer. The fact of the matter is that though the role is the same, I am executing that role very differently. I find myself doing that for a few reasons. First, each Command is unique, requiring a true leader to be the leader the team needs and not necessarily the leader he/she feels most comfortable being. This Command is very different than my previous, both in mission, size, make-up, and mentality. Second, my mind has been stretched so much during the three years since I was a Commanding Officer that I see just about everything differently than I previously did. It continues to be stretched by the teachings of people I have never met, the examples of leaders I am fortunate enough to call friend, and the feelings of discomfort than come with turning the unfamiliar into familiar. Stretching our body as children is extremely important and it becomes even more important as we age and muscles begin to tighten. The same is true for our minds. When we stretch our minds as children, we adjust the trajectory of life opportunity; our dreams and aspirations grow, our abilities increase, and we begin to see that more is possible than we previously did. But if we don’t continue to stretch our minds after high school or college, we remain our 18-24 year old selves, we become irrelevant over time, and we miss more opportunities than we’ll ever know. - When is the last time you truly stretched yourself? - Who are your stretching partners? - When compared to last year, how much further can you reach today?	124,154
Not long ago, 2-by-4 walls insulated with R-13 fiberglass were standard in North American homes, even in regions where winter temperatures fall well below freezing. But residential construction has taken tremendous strides forward. Researchers are helping builders understand much more clearly how heat and moisture move through walls, roofs, and floors. Now, there are a variety of options for building more efficient, comfortable, and durable houses. Tougher building codes promoting energy efficiency and a clamor for lower energy costs have helped advance the technologies, too. This article will explain some wall-building technologies and techniques in a range of high- and low-tech options. These wall systems come with different price tags and require different construction techniques, some more specialized than others. But all of them are aimed at providing better thermal barriers, fewer air leaks, and lower costs for heating and cooling than conventional stick-frame construction. One caveat: As houses get tighter, whole-house mechanical ventilation gets more important. If you’re planning a super-insulated house with very low air leakage, make room in your budget for a heat recovery ventilator or its equivalent. Advanced framing (aka optimum value engineering) boils down to less wood and more insulation. This method of framing structurally sound houses with less lumber—saving time and materials—grew out of a partnership between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Association of Home Builders Research Foundation in the 1970s. Walls built with fewer sticks of wood allow more space for insulation and help reduce thermal bridging—the movement of heat through relatively dense framing members. Advanced framing technique relies on standard building materials and is relatively easy to adopt, yet yields big returns—30% fewer pieces of lumber and 60% more room for insulation compared to conventional 2-by-4 walls on 16-inch centers. Some of advanced framing’s major differences over conventional wood-framed construction: Some builders haven’t liked some elements of advanced framing. Two-stud outside corners made hanging drywall seem problematic, although drywall clips proved an easy fix. Eliminating one of the top plates on the wall also required that studs be 1 1/2 inches longer to maintain the same ceiling height. There also was a perception that a house framed this way wouldn’t be strong enough. Builders who learned traditional framing techniques could see the value of using 2-by-6 studs (more room for insulation) but might balk at the 24-inch on-center (o.c.) spacing and fall back on 16-inch o.c. framing. But once convinced to try, builders could see the improvements in building performance and ease of assembly, as well as lower labor and material costs. The Building Science Corp. estimates that advanced framing saves 13% in space-conditioning costs compared to conventional construction.	234,167
Barrancas National Cemetery is located within the boundaries of the U.S. Naval Air Station, eight miles southwest of downtown Pensacola, Fla. The Pensacola Naval Air Station is home to the U.S. Naval Air Training Command and encompasses almost 12,000 acres. It was established in 1914 on the site of the old U.S. Navy Yard at Pensacola. A small cemetery had been maintained here in conjunction with the Marine Hospital that was located near Fort Barrancas. In 1838, the cemetery was expanded and established as a naval cemetery. During the Civil War years, many casualties were interred in gravesites initially set aside for personnel on duty at the Navy Yard. Following the election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1861, Florida seceded from the Union despite its entry only 16 years before. As it provided the best harbor along the Gulf of Mexico, possession of Pensacola Bay was a key mission for both the Union and Confederate forces. The Army guarded the entrance to Pensacola Bay with three fortifications: Fort McRae and Fort Barrancas on the land side, and Fort Pickens at the western tip of Santa Rosa Island. Army Lieutenant Adam J. Slemmer, commander of the 1st U.S. Artillery at Fort Barrancas, realized that if war proved inevitable and Southern forces attacked, his small force of 51 men could not possibly defend all four garrisons. On Jan. 10, 1861, the same day Florida seceded from the Union, Slemmer spiked the guns at Fort Barrancas, blew up ammunition at Fort McRae and concentrated all his troops at Fort Pickens, which he believed was the key to the defense of Pensacola Harbor. Two days later, Slemmer's men watched as Southern soldiers moved into the other forts across the channel. When, on Jan. 15, soldiers from Florida and Alabama demanded the surrender of Fort Pickens, Lieutenant Slemmer refused. Within days the two sides reached a truce in which the South agreed not to attack Fort Pickens and the North would not reinforce the fort. By the time Lincoln took office in March, both Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, S.C., and Fort Pickens needed supplies. Lincoln had pledged to continue federal occupation of both forts. If he withdrew the garrisons it would mean he recognized the legitimacy of the Confederacy; if he supplied the forts he risked war. The Union eventually did send ships from Fort Monroe but, under the terms of the truce, they dared not land. For 10 weeks, the Union ships waited, while inside the fort Slemmer and his men prepared for the inevitable strike. After ten weeks without an attack, Slemmer and his men learned of the firing on Fort Sumter and the beginning of the Civil War. On the mainland, the Navy Yard was surrendered intact to Confederate forces on April 12, 1861, but Fort Pickens remained under control of the Union forces throughout the Civil War. For the next year, Confederate and Union forces engaged in a number of skirmishes. In May 1862, Confederate forces abandoned the Navy yard, Fort Barrancas, and Fort McRae. The continuing presence of a strong federal force at Fort Pickens no doubt was a significant factor in the Confederate decision to abandon the Pensacola Bay area. Many Union and Confederate dead were interred in the Barrancas cemetery. As the war continued, the remains of other casualties were brought here for burial. By agreement between the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of War, on Jan. 30, 1868, the cemetery was transferred to the War Department to become Barrancas National Cemetery. In 1869, Gen. Lorenzo Thomas, inspector of national cemeteries, reported that about 1,310 burials had been made in the cemetery. In addition to the troops stationed at Forts Barrancas and Pickens, remains had been reinterred here from the surrounding area, including Santa Rosa Island and Apalachicola in Franklin County. This total included the remains of 673 unknown Union soldiers. In 1944, 1950, 1986, and 1990 additional acreage was transferred from the Naval Air Station to expand the cemetery.	126,057
M.D Dinesh Nair Are You On The Way? Amidst cold looks and clouds of gestures I see your ones different To find it I need to spend no time And I go along with hope enlived. The road to my home you have seen Where sun-rays often fail to intercept The clouds of my loneliness. But you are to be there on the way. And you will see my little hut It is there inside a grove of weeds. To reach it you should start coming now And my smile I shall return to you. You should just look inside myself And think about my buried thoughts dear. Perhaps they can resurrect once And your glory I shall let the world know. Will you come this evening or late at night? Will you dine at mine and teach me how to dream? I know not; I never dare to doubt it either! But my hut has a wider door to let you in, I know In your warm presence I will reinvent myself And flee from these cold looks and gestures Of a world that has ever been around me. But when are you to knock at my door? M.D Dinesh Nair's Other Poems Read this poem in other languages This poem has not been translated into any other language yet. Comments about this poem (Are You On The Way? by M.D Dinesh Nair ) The Road Not Taken If You Forget Me Still I Rise Edgar Allan Poe Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings William Ernest Henley Did you read them? - Darling Dove, C. P. Sharma - The Divine Blessings - For Jen Walls an.., C. P. Sharma - Bittersweet, Kelly Curiel - The American Dream, Lilly Emery - Rumi Speaks, C. P. Sharma - Destiny Misplaced, RoseAnn V. Shawiak - Stray Thoughts, C. P. Sharma - Shame-Shame Israel, Aftab Alam - Paths Of Childhood, RoseAnn V. Shawiak - lips of flower, Aftab Alam	31,548
Nine-Year-Old’s Blog Takes A Frank Look At School Lunches Martha Payne from Scotland posts photos, reviews and ratings of what she eats at school. Nine-year-old Martha Payne from Argyll in Scotland began writing a blog providing a first-hand view of school lunches last week. NeverSeconds started as a writing project with her Dad and the blog, featuring photos, reviews and ratings, has received a large amount of online and press attention from around the world. NeverSeconds has had almost 400,000 visitors and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver even tweeted: “Shocking but inspirational blog. Keep going, big love from Jamie x.” The blog includes photographs of Martha’s daily £2 lunch, along with a review for each meal, a rating of how good it tastes on the ‘Food-o-meter’, the number of mouthfuls, a health rating, and even if there were any pieces of hair in her food.	225,262
Online records: Het Utrechts archief Het Utrechts Archief is the website of the provincial archive of Utrecht. What do they have? Unlike the provincial websites we looked at so far, Het Utrechts Archief does not have BMD records - these are available in Genlias, and the Utrecht archive does not duplicate them on their own website. They do have several other databases with records and images from Utrecht. The most interesting database is the notarial archive, with summaries and scans of notarial acts from the city of Utrecht made between 1560-1811. Other databases include an image database with images from (mostly) Utrecht city, an image database with images from the Dutch railway company NS (whose head office is in Utrecht), and a database of films related to the province Utrecht. Is there an English interface? There is an English summary (click on English in the navigation menu on the left), but the rest of the website, including the search interfaces, is only available in Dutch. How do I use it? Select Zoeken in the navigation menu, followed by the database of your choice. Alternatively, follow the direct links to the databases in this blog post. Fill in the fields, and click Zoeken. For the notarial archive, fields include Achternaam (surname), Voornaam (first name), Beroep (occupation), Woonplaats (residence), Periode (year from/to), and Naam onroerend goed (name of a house or estate). For the image databases, Trefwoord(en) (Keywords) is the most important field to fill in. For images you may also want to fill in Datering (estimated year from/to) and Soort beeldmateriaal (image kind): Alle soorten (all kinds), Bewegend beeld (moving images), Cartografische documenten (cartographic documents), Fotografische documenten (photographic documents), Technische tekeningen (technical drawings), or Tekeningen en prenten (drawings and prints). For films, options include Locatie (Location), Jaar (Year from/to), and Videofragment - choose alleen met (only with) to search for films with online footage. How much does it cost? There is no charge for using the databases, but there is for publication of images or film fragments (also on a website). Contact the Utrecht archive for details. The Utrecht archive is working on a new website that will go live soon. The notarial archive, the image database Utrecht and the film database are not completed - records, images and films are added regularly. Most of the images in the image database are from Utrecht City, in the future images from other places in the province Utrecht are also expected. The focus of most databases is on the city of Utrecht, information on the rest of the province Utrecht is scarce. It's a pity that the website is not available in English, I hope that will change when the new website launches. A single search interface would be a welcome improvement. The notarial archive is the core of the website. If your pre-1800 ancestors were from Utrecht City or the surrounding area, and did not belong to the labouring classes, you can probably find some gems in this archive - it contains wills, property deeds, marriage contracts, and property inventories, among others. The website will be less useful for you if your Utrecht ancestors were labourers.	6,980
By Reid Wilson The Washington Post Success often starts with a good education. And no state lays that groundwork better than Massachusetts. That's according to the Education Week Research Center, a nonpartisan group that measured indicators such as preschool and kindergarten enrollment, high school graduation rates, and higher education attainment. The yearly study also considered family income and parental employment, which are linked to educational achievement. In almost every category, the Bay State beats the national average: More than 60 percent of Massachusetts children have a parent with a post-secondary degree, 14 points higher than average, and nearly 60 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled in preschool, more than 10 points above the national average. No surprise, nearly half of Massachusetts fourth-graders are proficient on National Assessment of Educational Progress reading tests, and more than 54 percent of eighth-graders get proficient scores on NAEP math tests -- both the highest rates in the country. The underlying reason is a bipartisan commitment to education reform. Massachusetts passed a major school reform package in 1993, increasing spending, particularly in poorer districts; raising assessment standards; and making licensure exams for new teachers more difficult. Several other states improved their standards around the same time. But when partisan priorities shifted in other places, Massachusetts Republicans and Democrats alike continued investing heavily in education. Improving scores, particularly among low-income and minority students, is still a challenge, and Massachusetts has done no better in closing the achievement gap than most other states. Eastern Seaboard states perform best in the Education Week rankings. New Jersey, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, Maryland and Virginia join Massachusetts in the top 10, along with Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa. Three of the bottom five states -- Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada -- are in the Southwest. Highly ranked states spend more per capita on their students than average, though higher spending doesn't necessarily equal success. Alaska spent more than $17,000 per pupil in fiscal year 2012, though the state lands in the bottom half of Education Week's rankings. The rest of the country could learn a few things from Massachusetts's schools -- their students certainly have. TOP 10 STATES FOR EDUCATION Note: Includes only public schools. Source: Education Week State, percent of fourth-graders proficient in reading, percent of eighth-graders proficient in math 1. Massachusetts, 47.5 percent, 54.6 percent 2. New Jersey, 41.9, 48.9 3. New Hampshire, 44.6, 46.8 4. Connecticut, 42.6, 37.1 5. Minnesota, 41.5, 47.2 6. North Dakota, 34.0, 40.6 7. Vermont, 42.1, 46.9 8. Maryland, 44.7, 37.4 9. Virginia, 43.2, 38.1 10. Iowa, 38.0, 35.8 National average: 34.0 percent, 34.4 percent Wilson is the author of Read In, The Washington Post's new morning tipsheet on politics.	244,510
In this modern spiritual classic, the Tibetan meditation master Chögyam Trungpa highlights the commonest pitfall to which every aspirant on the spiritual path falls prey: what he calls spiritual materialism. The universal tendency, he shows, is to see spirituality as a process of self-improvement—the impulse to develop and refine the ego when the ego is, by nature, essentially empty. "The problem is that ego can convert anything to its own use," he said, "even spirituality." His incisive, compassionate teachings serve to wake us up from this trick we all play on ourselves, and to offer us a far brighter reality: the true and joyous liberation that inevitably involves letting go of the self rather than working to improve it. It is a message that has resonated with students for nearly thirty years, and remains fresh as ever today. This new edition includes a foreword by Chögyam Trungpa's son and lineage holder, Sakyong Mipham. News & Reviews "The usefulness of this book lies in Trungpa's uncanny ability to cut right to the heart of the matter and presents his understanding of Buddhism and the way of life it teaches in a manner that is applicable to his students' living situation."— Journal of the American Academy of Religion	75,408
The governor of the U.S. state of Texas said he is planning to send 1,000 troops from the state's National Guard to its southern border with Mexico to boost security during a surge in illegal immigration by children. Governor Rick Perry said Monday the guard troops are necessary because the influx of unaccompanied children illegally entering the United States has diverted resources away from the federal border patrol. He said the decision was made after repeatedly asking the Obama administration to send National Guard troops to the region and getting no positive response. More than 57,000 children, mostly from Central America, have illegally crossed into the United States since October, triggering a political and border crisis in the country. Perry is regarded as a potential Republican candidate for the 2016 presidential race and has been a vocal critic of the White House's response to the influx of child immigrants. Earlier this month, President Obama asked Congress for $3.7 billion in emergency funding to deal with the immigration surge of unaccompanied children. Republicans in Congress have not approved the money and say Mr. Obama's immigration policies have encouraged the flood of children across the border. The president, along with the U.S. Senate, has championed immigration reforms that would allow the 11 million immigrants already in the United States illegally to eventually obtain American citizenship. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives is opposed and says it will not vote on the issue this year.	271,274
The 10th Judicial District Drug Court recognized its graduates Wednesday afternoon. It was the second graduation for the Drug Court. State Representative Alyce Clark of Jackson spoke to the graduates. The Court allows drug offenders to go through a program to remain sober and avoid jail time. Violent offenders are not qualified, and participants must perform community service, earn their high school diplomas if they don't have one, and fullfill various obligations. Judge Veldore Young oversees the Court. Representative Clark says it's a program that saves lives, saves families, and saves the State of Mississippi money.	308,169
Today at sunset begins Passover, which marks the escape of the Jews from slavery and oppression at the hands of the Egyptians thousands of years ago. We would like to share with you the following timely commentary sent to us by long-time JPFO supporter Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe. Let me wish you a happy Passover "CHag Kasher Ve'sameach". Two notes of interest about Passover: 1) In the reading for the Seventh Day of Passover, the Torah makes the point "...and armed the Jewish people left Egypt" (Exodus 13:18) The Ibn Ezra (12th century) writes that this was to show that they left as a mighty and free people, not like slaves who run away. A free people is an armed people. 2) I have come across a great piece of Nachmanides (13th Century) on Genesis 4:20-24. The verses read: 20. Now Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle. 21. And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who grasp a lyre and a flute. 22. And Zillah she too bore Tubal cain, who sharpened all tools that cut copper and iron, and Tubal cain's sister was Na'amah. 23. Now Lemech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, hearken to my voice; wives of Lemech, incline your ears to my words, for have I slain a man by wounding (him)? A child by bruising (him)? 24. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then for Lemech it shall be seventy seven fold." Lemech was very wise and taught one son herding, the other music, and the third metallurgy. His wives remonstrated with him the ironworking would enable the production of weapons and bring murder to the world. He responds to them: "I have done no guilt as I have killed no one as Cain has. It is not the sword that kills, but the bad choice by a man. Without as sword a man could kill another by wounding and battering as did Cain, who I am not To paraphrase: "Swords don't kill people - people kill people". May G-d bless us all with true freedom and complete redemption	217,230
So many barriers to the true vocation "They said to me, 'What the hell do you want to do that for? You'll never make any money'. They couldn't see my point of view, they just saw me leaving a well-paid job to do 'women's work'." Chander Rajput, 36, recalls his family's reaction to the news that he was quitting his job in computers to train as a primary school teacher. Chander had always wanted to teach, but was deterred at 21 because he felt under pressure "to make money and get a status job. At that age I didn't have the guts to stand up for myself". He added: "Young Asians are expected to be well qualified and get well-paid jobs. Teaching just doesn't fall into that category." Renuka Patel, 21, agreed: "There's zero respect for this job in my community. They think I'm going to spend my days looking after children and playing games all day. No one sees this as a true profession." Jenifer Campbell believes she has a vocation to teach. However, it was only recently, in her thirties and with her own three children at school, that she found the confidence to train. She said: "At school it was expected the black girls wouldn't do much with their lives, except get married. Nobody ever suggested to me I was good enough to teach." Chander, Renuka and Jenifer see themselves as role models, and are committed to working in inner-city multicultural schools. Jenifer said: "You can only give 100 per cent if you feel comfortable. And I'd feel very uncomfortable going to work every dayin a place where there weren't other black teachers. "We've done teaching practice in some schools and although people may not be racist to your face, you certainly pick up on the undercurrent and silences as you walk into the staffroom. Besides, it stands to reason I'm going to be a lot more use in a school with a high number of black pupils." Jenifer said: "I know white students who absolutely wouldn't want to teach in inner cities because of the politics. One did his practice in a multi-racial school and said he felt he was 'walking on glass' the whole time in case he said the wrong thing by accident. It's a minefield whichever way you look at it, isn't it?"	293,360
Syria’s Armenian minority flees from conflict Armenian-Syrians are fleeing to other countries — as their families once fled to Syria for sanctuary after the 1915 Ottoman genocide. \|Report an Error\| Share via Email Growing up in the 1960s, Sarkis Assadourian felt safe and sheltered in Aleppo’s buzzing Meidan district, in what was then Hafez Assad’s Syria. “It was a shopping area, like a village, and 90 per cent of the people were Armenian,” said the former MP for Brampton and Don Valley North. “Nobody bothered us. The Muslims called us ‘our Armenian brothers.’” But now Aleppo has fallen into the flames of a vicious civil war, with thousands of Armenian-Syrians fleeing to other countries — as their families once fled to Syria for sanctuary after the 1915 Ottoman genocide. With a death toll of about 70,000 Syrians since the uprising began almost two years ago, life for minorities is becoming increasingly perilous. Last Thursday, more than 60 people died and hundreds more were wounded in bombing attacks in the capital Damascus. Syrian warplanes later struck targets near the Damascus International Airport. Although Christian Armenians represent only 120,000 of Syria’s 22 million people, they are some of the most highly educated professionals. Threats, kidnappings, killings and the bombing and burning of Armenian churches have driven thousands to abandon their businesses, homes and life savings. Read More: The Star in Syria But many who have left the country blame Islamist rebel groups as much as President Bashar Assad for the bloodbath that has engulfed them. Their plight adds to the apprehension of Western leaders over the future if and when the opposition takes power. Canada has refused to recognize the Syrian opposition unless it rejects extremism and endorses inclusion of minorities. “Assad was wrong,” said Assadourian in an interview. “He used a cannon to kill a fly. But what will happen if fundamentalists take over? Christians are losing ground throughout the Middle East. In Syria, there will be very few left.” Armenians, as well as other Christians and Assad’s own Alawite minority, may not embrace his regime, but they fear new rounds of persecution and killing at the hands of extremists. They also fear the all-against-all civil war that brought neighbouring Lebanon — similarly ethnically and religiously divided — to its knees after 15 years of strife that began in 1975. That’s a far cry from the tolerant Aleppo of Assadourian’s childhood memories. The majority of Syria’s Armenians lived in the thriving commercial centre, which is now in ruins. “Our teacher was a Sunni Muslim, and she adopted an Armenian orphan. There was no hatred toward our community.” Although the older Assad ruled with an iron fist, brutally crushing rebellions and torturing and murdering thousands of suspected opponents, he understood his own vulnerability as a member of a minority. He secularized the country, railed against “odious narrow-mindedness and loathsome bigotry,” and tried unsuccessfully to change the constitution so that non-Muslims could be president. Now thousands of Armenians have joined the more than 600,000 Syrians who have fled as refugees, some of them anxiously hiding in the country they once feared most, Turkey. At least 6,000 have been taken in by struggling Armenia, which has given them aid, medical care and expedited residency and citizenship in spite of its strained budget. Some have headed for even poorer Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory controlled by Armenia, but also claimed by Azerbaijan. Many look back at Syria with longing, but fading hope that they will be able to return. Ultimately, says Assadourian, flight of minorities like Armenians won’t help a post-Assad Syria become a democratic society. “Whoever is in power must understand that if you are going to run a country, you have to widen your base.” - Updated LIVE: Michael Zehaf-Bibeau video to be censored -- 18 seconds edited out - Video NEW Kathleen Wynne unveils 3-year plan to curb sexual assault - Spadina subway extension $400M over budget - NEW Conservation Authority does ‘not want to be punitive’ about tunnel - Ontario may appeal ruling allowing girl, 11, to be taken off chemo - NEW Media allowed access to exhibits in Sandro Lisi case - Wind Mobile, Telus, Bell big winners in wireless-spectrum auction - NEW Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants: Toronto earns six of the Top 10	176,626
State regulators on Tuesday withdrew the pollution permit issued in August to King America Finishing and ordered the company to analyze the effect of its discharge on the Ogeechee River. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division also issued a new agreement with the company stipulating the $1 million-worth of river-related projects the textile processor will fund. EPD is allowing the company to continue operating under the discharge requirements already in place as the new permit is developed. In May 2011, the Ogeechee was the site of the largest fish kill in state history when 38,000 fish died; all were discovered below the discharge pipe for Screven County’s King America Finishing. Subsequent probes uncovered a fire retardant processing line for which King America Finishing had not obtained the proper pollution permit. ‘Ignored’ portion of Clean Water Act Through attorney Lee DeHihns III, King America Finishing declined to comment on the permit or consent order, citing pending litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. The Ogeechee Riverkeeper pushed for the new study, called an anti-degradation analysis, in its appeal of the permit. A requirement of the federal Clean Water Act, the analysis allows a river’s water quality to decline only when it’s unavoidable to allow important economic or social development. EPD disagreed with the need for the study, but withdrew the permit to avoid further delays in issuing a final permit, said EPD assistant director Jim Ussery. A hearing on the permit had been scheduled for mid-November but is now canceled. Ussery said the anti-degradation analysis was unnecessary because the permit issued in August, which EPD has termed the strictest in the state, imposed greater limits on the facility than had previously been in place. “It’s actually decreasing pollutant loading rather than increasing pollutant loading,” he said. Environmental consultant Barry Sulkin, who was preparing to testify for the Ogeechee Riverkeeper at the now-canceled November hearing, said that Georgia, like many states, does not fully comply with the Clean Water Act. The anti-degradation portion of the act has been “largely ignored,” he said. “They’ve apparently misunderstood the concept,” said Sulkin, who served as chief of enforcement and compliance for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. “They’re saying it’s because we’re not letting them do as much bad stuff as we allowed in the last one, but that doesn’t mean they did it correctly the last time either.” Making sure the discharge doesn’t degrade the Ogeechee is fundamental to the permitting process, said Don Stack, a Savannah attorney for the Riverkeeper. “When you build a house, if you don’t lay the foundation correctly the house can’t stand up,” Stack said. “EPD didn’t lay the concrete properly.” King America Finishing has 90 days to complete its plan after which the new permit will be released for public comment, Ussery said. Projects specified in new order On Tuesday, the EPD also issued a new consent order that compels King America Finishing to pay for $1 million in environmental projects on the Ogeechee. Bulloch County Superior Court Judge John Turner invalidated the previous consent order in July. It had specified the same $1 million price tag, but not what projects would be covered. The new consent order is intended to allow the company to proceed with environmental improvement projects despite ongoing lawsuits, according to the EPD. The new order specifies the following projects: • Third-party monitoring of the facility’s discharge for a duration of 18 months at a cost of $75,000. • Improvements to the city of Millen wastewater treatment plant to be completed in 12 months at a cost of $158,609. The facility discharges to the Ogeechee River. • The Ogeechee River Research Proposal involves Georgia Southern University in establishing a nature center to study the ecology of the Ogeechee River. This must be completed in 36 months at a cost of $766,391. Ussery rejected the widespread criticism the $1 million sum constituted a slap on the wrist for King America Finishing. “In setting that we looked at other penalties nationwide,” he said. “One million dollars is a big penalty. It’s the third-largest ever collected in state for an environmental violation and that includes air, water and land.” Attorneys for the Ogeechee Riverkeeper declined to comment on the newly proposed order, saying they needed to study it more closely. They have 30 days, as does the general public, to submit comments on the order. The lack of a public comment period on the previous order was another reason the Riverkeeper had opposed it. HOW TO COMMENT This order will be placed on public notice from Oct. 16 to Nov. 14. It can be viewed and downloaded at georgiaepd.com by clicking on the “What’s New at EPD” button. Copies of the order can also be obtained by calling toll free 1-888-373-5947. Comments can be mailed to: Ms. Linda MacGregor, Chief Georgia EPD Watershed Protection Branch 4220 International Parkway, Suite 101 Atlanta, GA 30354	277,061
An easement is a legal interest in property for a specific purpose, such as giving a company access to run a telephone line underground. Utility easements that are dedicated to the Town of Cary cover water and/or sanitary sewer lines, and are typically 20 feet wide. All easements and rights-of-way are indicated on property surveys. Homeowners are urged to check their property surveys before adding fences or plants to ensure easements and rights-of-way are kept clear. After the easement is granted, the property owner continues to maintain the easement just like the rest of the yard What can/cannot be in an easement - Ground covers or grasses may be planted within an easement. - No trees or shrubbery of any size shall be placed within five feet of a manhole or Town utility easement. - While fences and landscaping improvements may be installed within the easement, please note that these are subject to disturbance or damage during the Town's use of the easement and may be removed if the Town needs access for maintenance or utility line repair. - Fences on properties that have sections over the top of a sanitary sewer main line and within the sewer easement should have either removable sections within the fence or have a gate that is 10 feet wide. North Carolina law requires utilities to perform annual inspections of all easements to ensure proper access for maintenance activities. The Town performs these inspections on an annual and bi-annual schedule. Inspections include, but are not limited to, the observation of manholes, examination of easements' condition for mowing and access, and the identification of items such as planted trees, bushes and fences that may obstruct access for routine maintenance. To protect our public health and environment, the Town of Cary periodically clears easements of trees and re-growth to prevent root penetration into sewer lines, which cause sewer blockages and sewer overflows. Before any vegetative clearing starts, a notification letter is sent to all property owners that border the easement explaining the purpose for clearing easements and the approximate time the work will be performed. Commercial line segments are cleared annually and residential line segments are cleared every two years. This allows property owners the opportunity to ask any questions they may have and remove personal items from the easement. Fences without removable sections or gates within the sanitary sewer easements are subject to disturbance and/or damage during easement maintenance. The Town will not replace those items back onto the Town's easement and is not responsible for any damage that may occur. A Town employee is on site at all times during the easement mowing or clearing to monitor progress and address any citizen concerns. Identifying Boundaries and Vegetation Two weeks after notification, Town crews will begin flagging easements and identifying the boundaries. Orange flagging ribbon and orange metal flags identify boundaries. Blue and white striped ribbon is used for vegetation to be removed, and pink ribbon for vegetation to be pruned. Residents are encouraged to request meetings concerning vegetation that has been flagged for maintenance; call 311 or (919) 469-4090 or submit a request. Routine Mowing of Easements Easement mowing is done by Town crews along with contract crews. Notification letters will identify who will be doing the scheduled maintenance. Contract crews will have a Town employee with them at all times to help with direction and to help assist residents with any last minute questions. Typical easements are 20 feet wide, but in most cases the easements will not be cut to full width. Selective vegetation will only be removed where access is needed for routine maintenance or where sewer line segments have been problem areas. These areas can consist of tree roots that have damaged the utility lines and caused environmental damage resulting from sewer overflows.	179,735
This document is intended to address commonly occurring situations and challenges that are faced in carrying out research with adolescents (people aged 10–19 years), the majority of whom are deemed not to have reached the recognized age of majority in their respective settings. It is designed to inform researchers, research ethics committee members, programme planners and sponsors involved in sexual and reproductive health research with adolescents. Read the document here. NEW PUBLICATION: Guidance on ethical considerations in planning and reviewing research studies on sexual and reproductive health in adolescents World Health Organization. 2018.	295,584
भारत के श्रम कानूनों को कैसे बेहतर बनाया जाए, इसी विषय पर चर्चा भूवना आनंद के साथ। In this episode, Bhuvana Anand, co-founder and director of Trayas, explains how well-meaning laws often create barriers to employment. She also discusses laws that specifically exclude women’s employment. We discuss some reform trajectories. State of Discrimination Report: Sub-national comparison of legal barriers to women’s right to choose work in India, Bhuvana Anand and Sarvnipun Kaur Labour Pains, a chapter for the compendium Regulation for New Realities: A cross-sectional analysis during COVID-19, Sargun Kaur, Sarvnipun Kaur, and Bhuvana Anand What can we expect from the labour codes?, Sarvnipun Kaur and Bhuvana Anand Puliyabaazi is on these platforms: You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.	125,478
Identifying Alzheimer’s using space software Software for processing satellite pictures taken from space is now helping medical researchers to establish a simple method for wide-scale screening for Alzheimer’s disease. Used in analysing magnetic resonance images (MRIs), the AlzTools 3D Slicer tool was produced by computer scientists at Spain’s Elecnor Deimos, who drew on years of experience developing software for ESA’s Envisat satellite to create a program that adapted the space routines to analyse human brain scans. “If you have a space image and you have to select part of an image – a field or crops – you need special routines to extract the information,” explained Carlos Fernández de la Peña of Deimos. “Is this pixel a field, or a road?” Working for ESA, the team gained experience in processing raw satellite image data by using sophisticated software routines, then homing in on and identifying specific elements. “Looking at and analysing satellite images can be compared to what medical doctors have to do to understand scans like MRIs," explained Mr Fernández de la Peña. "They also need to identify features indicating malfunctions according to specific characteristics.” Adapting the techniques for analysing complicated space images to an application for medical scientists researching into the Alzheimer disease required close collaboration between Deimos and specialists from the Technical University of Madrid. The tool is now used for Alzheimer’s research at the Medicine Faculty at the University of Castilla La Mancha in Albacete in Spain. Space helping medical research “We work closely with Spanish industry and also with Elecnor Deimos though ProEspacio, the Spanish Association of Space Sector Companies, to support the spin-off of space technologies like this one,” said Richard Seddon from Tecnalia, the technology broker for Spain for ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme. “Even if being developed for specific applications, we often see that space technologies turn out to provide innovative and intelligent solutions to problems in non-space sectors, such as this one. “It is incredible to see that the experience and technologies gained from analysing satellite images can help doctors to understand Alzheimer’s disease.” Using AlzTools, Deimos scientists work with raw data from a brain scan rather than satellite images. Instead of a field or a road in a satellite image, they look at brain areas like the hippocampus, where atrophy is associated with Alzheimer’s. In both cases, notes Mr Fernández de la Peña, “You have a tonne of data you have to make sense of.” Ricardo Insausti Serrano, a medical doctor and researcher, worked with the computer scientists to help guide them through the workings of the brain: “I looked at images, and told them which part has which function.” With his expertise, he could identify which information might be useful for a doctor looking for signs of Alzheimer’s disease. “For example, profound atrophy in the temporal lobe can be quantified. As long as you know where to look, you can make an approximation about how much volume has been lost.” Right now, doctors analyse images of brains the old-fashioned way, with the naked eye. But only medical experts can do this, and it takes a long time. The goal is to find easier and reliable means of screening for Alzheimer’s. “It’s like breast cancer and mammographies,” said Dr Insausti. “For the general population, this has been an enormous advance.” Developing something like the AlzTools can lead to a cheaper, easier and more reliable means of screening for dementia in the population at large. “We want something that doesn’t require the latest equipment to give prognoses and early treatment,” noted Dr Insausti. “With ESA, you have all these technologies that let you look at Earth thanks to image analysis. You can look at the brain with the same kinds of analysis.”	128,528
Keep Your Lawn Short and Your Children Safe at the Same Time With summer in full swing, children are out playing and adults are mowing lawns – often at the same time. Children and lawn mowers are never a good combination, so this week let me take a cut at the dangers of lawnmowers so we can all prevent injuries. Nearly 16,000 children each year get injured from a lawn mower. Half of those injuries are due to problems with children on riding mowers or playing with power mowers. Almost 10% of these children need to be hospitalized, which is twice the rate of other consumer product injuries. Lawn mower injuries to children include deep cuts, loss of fingers and toes, broken and dislocated bones, burns, eye damage, and other injuries. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently made the following recommendations for preventing lawn mower injuries in children: - Children should be at least 16 years old to operate ride-on mowers and 12 years of age to use push mowers. It’s not just the age requirement that allows them to operate these machines: They need to demonstrate appropriate levels of judgment, strength, coordination, and maturity. Children should receive a period of operational training, safety instruction, and supervision by an adult before they mow the lawn on their own. - Before mowing, make sure your teen clears the area of twigs, stones, and toys that can be picked up and thrown by the mower blades. Make sure the mower is in good condition and protective guards, shields, the grass catcher and other safety equipment are in working order. - Teens should wear sturdy shoes and not sandals and wear protective clothing and eyewear to protect against flying debris. Ear plugs can also be useful to prevent hearing damage. - Teens should never pull the mower backward or mow in reverse. - When a teen has finished mowing, they should turn off a power mower and wait for the blades to stop before removing the grass catcher, unclogging the discharge chute, or crossing gravel paths, roads or other areas with the mower. - No children should be allowed to ride as passengers on mowers or to be towed behind mowers in carts or trailers. Children under six should be kept indoors during all mowing. - Remind teens that other garden power equipment such as clippers and weed trimmers should never be left out unattended. Also, they should keep cans of gasoline and other hazardous materials out of reach of younger children and never start or refuel a mower in a garage or shed. Hopefully tips like these will prevent you or your mower from becoming a pain in the grass when it comes to keeping your child safe this summer. Lewis First, M.D., is chief of Pediatrics at Vermont Children's Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. You can also catch "First with Kids" weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and WPTZ Channel 5, or visit the First with Kids video archives at www.FletcherAllen.org/firstwithkids.	113,414
- The self could be seen in terms of the individual citizen or in terms of a social community. - An idealized notion of western liberal democracy hegemonizes the democratic imagination. It is assumed that capitalism and modernity have an intrinsic relationship with democracy. - Reimagining democracy along these lines is one of the most pressing ethical and political tasks of our times. - Yet the western legacy is neither singular nor unambiguous. … The democratic aspiration spread to most of the world by way of anti-colonial struggles and the various movements for self-determination and self-rule in the last two centuries. - This artificial binary construct must come to an end. Democratic practices may exist in apparently non-democratic regimes. Established democratic states can embody a vast array of non-democratic practices. There is no "finished product democracy" and there never will be. The aspiration for democracy is open-ended. Each fresh step opens new horizons. - The dominant orthodoxy espouses teleology. Democracy is the ultimate and inevitable destination. This often leads to thinking in terms of stages or pre-conditions to the ‘transition’ to and ‘consolidation’ of democracy. Yet, there are multiple sequences and routes by which different political regimes come to be democratic. - This also enables us to think of democracy beyond the formal domain of politics. Practices within the domain of the family or the market, for example, need to be viewed in terms of the extent to which they enable or constrain self-rule. Democracy needs to be thought of as a way of life. - The quest for democracy must go wherever effective and binding decision-making occurs. Shifting sites of sovereignty require that we begin to think of inter-national relations as an arena of democratic contestation. The same could be extended to the level of continents or other groupings of nations. At the same time, the unit of analysis needs to be extended downwards, to regional and local units, for this is the level at which most citizens experience self-rule or its absence. - The demand that democracy all over the world must conform to a fixed definition first worked out in one part of the globe is inherently undemocratic. … If democracy is anchored in reason, dialogue is the custodian of reason. - Institutions are crucial to the formation and strengthening of democracies, but what institutions do depends on the context in which these are located. We need to shift the focus from the form of an institution to its real-life consequences in a given context. - The search for a richer democratic imagination requires that we look for practices, institutions, intellectual traditions and thinkers everywhere to help us reshape democratic theory. - The very notion of exporting democracy is inimical to the spirit of democracy. Democracy promotion can turn into democratic imperialism. Like all ideologies, democracy too can turn into a dogma. - The insistence on difference and divergence is designed to synthesize the multiple experiences of democracy. This is a necessary condition for reclaiming the global heritage of democracy and for reimagining a truly global future for it. People operate with diverse systems of belief and we can live with this incoherence - Political Theology: Four New Chapters on the Concept of Sovereignty - Page 118 - Paul W. Kahn - 2011 - Preview - More editions In the postmodern world, the...1 month ago Friday, June 24, 2011 Oriya poet Bishnu N. Mohapatra on Tuesday observed that the time had come to think about the pattern of development being practised and ... Bishnu N. Mohapatra: After completing his education at the University of Delhi and University of Oxford, Bishnu N. Mohapatra has been teaching at the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, , since 1994. Currently he is looking after the Governance portfolio of the Ford Foundation’s South Asia office located at New Delhi . His research interest covers themes such as democracy, minority rights, identity politics, pluralism and social justice. His short essay ‘Understanding Indignities’ based on Dalit autobiographies has drawn accolades from scholars belonging to different social science disciplines. He is one of the editors of the volume on Social Capital and Democracy, published by Sage Publications in 2004. An admired poet in Oriya language, he is deeply sensitive to human suffering. Bishnu Mohapatra « A Fragile World New Delhi There is no ‘finished product democracy’. How should democracy or self-rule be explained and evaluated today? It requires respect for the democracy of knowledge. Introducing a global conversation into the public domain What is The Democracy Manifesto? A global conversation involving academics, civil society and social movement activists from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America, has set out a credo for our fast-moving times, followed by responses from four of the participants as they continue their conversation in the public domain. There is no ‘finished product democracy’. How should democracy or self-rule be explained and evaluated today? It requires respect for the democracy of knowledge. A global conversation held at three international meetings, involving academics, civil society and social movement activists from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America, has issued in a Democracy Manifesto for our fast-moving times. We publish initial responses from participants each day this week to continue this conversation in the public domain. The Democracy Manifesto: Re-imagining Democracy in Our Time [edited] Friday, June 17, 2011 A nation with a guilty conscience Deccan Chronicle June 17, 2011 Home » Editorial » Op-ed By Shiv Visvanathan Whenever I read the newspaper today or watch news, I see confusion. …Think of it. Baba Ramdev. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Anna Hazare. Suresh Kalmadi. K. Kanimozhi. Jairam Ramesh. Manmohan Singh. Rahul Gandhi. Sushma Swaraj. Don’t ignore the supplements; They provide their own little dramas about dress, the body, about morals. Add to this the Page 3 excitements, the scandals in a teacup that filmstars provide. Stir all this with the confidence of a cultural chef and enjoy what brings you everyday. India The first thing you discover is that it is an exciting time and more fascinatingly we as a democracy are open about our mistakes, our scandals, our battles. A free press tells you there are free people. Without gossip there can be no democracy. Gossip and rumour are double-edged. They play moral policemen; they also substitute for the conscience. Think of it. Mamata Banerjee, Anna Hazare, Aruna Roy and Baba Ramdev are all soap operas around the ethical issues of our time. … Every issue of a newspaper becomes an ethical puzzle, a moral science quiz which recognises life has no easy answers. It asks us to respond to the tragedies of our time and to thank those who have kept issues alive. There is a lot that is frightening, even evil, and but you know it is there on the front page. You have to respond. Shiv Visvanathan is a social scientist Heaps of cash, gold and diamonds found in Satya Sai Baba's personal chamber: Report Source: Dailybhaskar.com \| Last Updated 17:27 (17/06/11) The chamber was opened in the presence of members of the Satya Sai Central Trust in Puttaparthi on Thursday. No member from the media or the government was allowed in. The trustees of Satya Sai Central Trust Justice PN Bhagwati, RJ Ratnakar, SV Giri, V Srinivasan and the Baba’s personal assistant, Satyajith all were present when the chamber was opened for the first time since Baba was hospitalised on March 28 this year. The trustees who counted the treasure found in Baba’s chamber reportedly videographed huge heaps of cash, gold and diamonds that were stored in the room. It is learnt that 15 students of the Satya Sai Educational Institute were appointed to count the valuables along with with bank personnel who came in with currency counting machines. Trust member Mr Ratnakar said that details of the cash and ornaments would be disclosed to the public on Friday. The bank staff left in a hurry with the cash and valuables to deposit them in lockers. Wednesday, June 15, 2011 I am now in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha - a very old civilisation. I am close to the Sun Temple of Konark and the beaches of Puri. But I don't see any tourists about. … The scenery from the train window was wonderful throughout - starting with the splendour of the Western Ghats through the rocky landscape of the plateau right through to the quiet beauty of the Eastern Ghats. What a beautiful country we live in, I thought. And how much free space - abundant is the word to describe how much land we possess to live in. I saw so much unowned, uncultivated land - including all the mountains, each and every one. … I noticed that all the cities and towns I passed through were uniformely ugly and overcrowded: Dharwar-Hubli, , and the coastal cities and towns in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha I passed through in the morning, like Vizianagaram. Bellary The Dream of the 'Political': Marx meets Freud along the Sabarmatiby Anup Dhar Time: 3 pm Venue: Room 7, AUD Kashmere Gate Campus This presentation is about the idea of the 'political'. It is about what happens to the idea of the political when one introduces in its given history non-western thinkers, with their own, at times, non-conventional ideas of the political. To make sense of ‘what happens,’ this presentation shall set up an imagined trialogue between three ‘thinkers of the political’, Marx, Gandhi and Tagore. It shall thus put to dialogue a western philosopher of the political or a philosopher of the western imagination of the political, Marx (who is also an internal critique of the west) and two non-western philosophers of the political (who could also be philosophers of the non-western imagination of the political), Gandhi and Tagore, who are both external critiques of the west and internal critiques of the east. The Marxian element of the western political paradigm is thus in conversation with the Gandhian-Tagorite element of the non-western political paradigm. The writings of Marx, Gandhi and Tagore on ‘critiques of capital’, which bleed into critiques of western modernism, and ‘socialist reconstruction’, and which further bleed into reconstructions of the socialist self, shall be deployed to set up the exchange. The spectre of a thinker who purportedly had nothing to do with the political, Freud, but had lots to do with the 'non-coercive reorganization of desire', shall haunt this exchange. The exchange shall take place along the 'Sabarmati' that turned crimson in 1948 and dried up in 2002. Thursday, June 09, 2011 Hindus have problems gathering around a religious leader, as a religious leader. They quickly transform the person, saffron robes, notwithstanding, to a specialist healer, magician and personal good luck charm. Hindus, therefore, make bad devotees but good clients. As tradition tells us, Hindus are not given to collective sentiments in their religious observances. The concept of a church or congregation is foreign to them. This is why one can be a pious Hindu yet never set foot in a temple. To be able to host an at-home with your own customised guru is the ultimate Hindu fantasy. This would not work for Muslims, Sikhs or Christians. The idea of a ‘communion’ is essential in these religions. Hence, when Hindus flock to a so-called sadhu it is not always on account of religion. They are attracted to bearded individuals in saffron because of their supposed magical or physical powers. They are worried when such a person dies for they wonder who their next all-round talisman would be. Other religions do not think that way, primarily because the communion is so important for them. That also explains why no Christian priest, or Muslim maulvi or Sikh granthi would produce ashes, watches or sweets out of his sleeve, or hat, to win adherents.” Indeed, as one drives deeper into the garden of mathematics, one discovers that logical arguments take the front seat and number crunching takes the backseat. This may help understand why in the world of expert mathematicians, a person with the mental ability of performing quick additions, multiplications etc., is not considered a mathematician. For the same reason, the so-called vedic mathematics is not an example of higher mathematics. I, therefore, suggest that once a week the maths teacher should devote an entire period playing games and solving puzzles that have a mathematical base. This way the pupils will learn to appreciate the subject for what it really is and will cease to be afraid of it. Such entertaining byways to various aspects of mathematics do exist and are waiting to be enjoyed. Saturday, June 04, 2011 Enter the Godmen Malavika Sangghvi, Business Standard - Mumbai June 04, 2011, 0:17 IST Here’s a trick question, the answer to which lies at the end of this column. An Indian spiritual leader said the following words. Can you guess who? “I say, of the Congress, then, this, — that its aims are mistaken, that the spirit in which it proceeds towards their accomplishment is not a spirit of sincerity and whole-heartedness, and that the methods it has chosen are not the right methods, and the leaders in whom it trusts, not the right sort of men to be leaders; — in brief, that we are at present the blind led, if not by the blind, at any rate by the one-eyed.” Whereas a shallow look at the role men of the robe have played in Indian public life may indicate that they have by and large been concerned with inner growth and social empowerment, if we look beyond the last few decades we will see that our Freedom was won and our nation built by towering spiritual leaders. Sri Aurobindo was a freedom fighter, a revolutionary and a political activist jailed for his political views even while he embarked on his great spiritual journey. Swami Vivekananda concerned himself with not only inner growth and personal evolution but influenced political thought. (Gandhi was known to say that his whole life was an effort to bring into actions the ideas of Vivekananda.) Rabindranath Tagore was known as much for his spiritualism as his political views. And of course, the greatness of Gandhi lay in the fact that in him politics and spirituality were synthesised to such a great degree that where one began and the other ended was never clear. In this context, what Baba Ramdev is attempting to do deserves serious examination. I hold no brief for Ramdev; his views on most subjects, especially homosexuality, militate severely against mine. But this does not mean that I dismiss him or his role in the coming weeks. The Indian public has thronged to his side and the spin masters in the Congress have realised that the Indian public, unlike that of other nations, has a unique relationship and reverence for spiritual activists that’s built into its DNA. That so far our Godmen have been busy achieving nirvana from the backseats of their Rolls-Royces or gathering international devotees through their ever-increasing bag of tricks has been fortunate for our politicians who’ve till now only had to contend with each other and the growing despair and disillusionment of their electorate. Now with the political initiation of the maniacally-twitching Baba and the launch of his party, there’s a serious new challenge. No surprise then in its leaders’ dashes to airports and their softly-softly approach to the TV evangelist. Men of the robe have played substantive roles in nation-building in the past and there’s no reason they can’t again. What’s more, the great elephant in the room, unspoken of in these hyper politically-correct times is the Hindu card. Anna Hazare and his cohorts (even Swami Agnivesh) just didn’t represent the Hindu card the way Ramdev seems to do. And with a ruling party accused of practicing pseudo-secularism and appeasing its Muslim vote bank, along with the double jeopardy of its chairperson being a Roman Catholic by birth, is it any wonder that Hindu leaders like Ramdev are given the import they are? And by the way, that critique of the Congress was by Sri Aurobindo. Malavika Sangghvi is a Mumbai-based writer	131,853
3D Animation Workshop: Lesson 112: Photorealistic Web 3D for E-Commerce \| 2 Lesson 112 - Photorealistic Web 3D for E-Commerce - Part 2 Kaon's primary business is making photorealistic models of products for Web 3D e-commerce, distance learning, and customer support applications. They use their own software for this purpose, derived from the former 3D Construction Company's "3D Builder Pro." (Kaon purchased both the company and the product.) Kaon's modelers use extremely high-resolution photographs of objects to construct fully textured models. This use of photographs allows them to create very efficient geometry. For example, the CD Player is only 330 triangles. To promote demand for their services, Kaon was forced to address the large issues complicating the use of 3D on the Web. Although they can create models for use in any current Web3D technology, the Kaon folks discovered that customers with Web sites wanted a cross-platform delivery solution that didn't require any plug-ins. Thus they decided to create their own interactive Java viewing applet. Kaon has created a free tool for customizing their applets, called HyperSpace-Activate, which you can download from the Kaon site. You can load Kaon-made models or import .3ds models into HyperSpace-Activate. The company is preparing to release its HyperSpace 2.0 version of the applet shortly, and the new version of HyperSpace-Activate will support it. I was particularly interested in this tool because it provides an easy way to add interactivity and animation to 3D product demonstrations without any programming whatsoever. For example, a demo of HyperSpace 2.0 begins with a model of a communinations switch. Using HyperSpace-Activate, a trigger was added whereby passing the mouse over the top of the box caused it to become transparent, revealing the contents within. Keeping the mouse in place further revealed another layer of circuitry, not shown here. A subsequent demo of the same model allows the user to remove slide the top off, as the box would really be opened. In every case, you can zoom in for a very close look. \|To Continue to Part 3, or Return to Part 1, Use Arrow Buttons\|\| Created: February 12, 2001 Revised: February 12, 2001	130,396
Park Rangers in Death Valley Want You to Stop Trying to Fry Eggs on the Pavement Temperatures in Death Valley National Park reached 126 degrees last week and have been over 120 on several days this summer. If you’re thinking that that’s probably hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement…you’re WRONG. And the park rangers there would like people to stop trying. Apparently a lot of tourists have had that idea in the past week and they’re leaving behind a MESS when the eggs don’t fry. Obviously the rangers don’t want to clean up shells and cartons from the parking lots, and the un-fried eggs ROT and SMELL. Not to mention the rangers are short-staffed due to budget cuts. But it’s partly their own fault. A park employee put up a video on YouTube showing an egg frying in 127-degree weather…but it was in a pan.	291,357
Father Pat’s Pastoral Ponderings Fifth Sunday of Advent December 13, 2009 As I write these lines, more than a quarter-million people have signed the Manhattan Declaration, released this past November 20. I suppose I should be personally gratified, in the sense that never before have so many people agreed with me! I was, in fact, one of seven Orthodox Christians who went on record to endorse the document prior to its publication. There are several ways in which the Manhattan Declaration is significant. The first, I suppose, is the content. This is a public and deliberately political (though not partisan) pronouncement on three points: It is pro-life, pro-marriage, and pro-religious freedom. Under these headings it makes specific assertions about abortion, the scientific or medical use of human embryonic tissue, the proposed extension of legitimacy to sexual unions other than that between a husband and wife, and the limitations imposed on the State with respect to the conscience. Second, the document is significant in the great variety of its authors and original signers, a group embracing members and leaders from several Christian bodies. Indeed, the Manhattan Declaration was endorsed by Christians very little disposed, as a rule, to append their names to documents described as “ecumenical.” My friend, for example, Dr. Albert Mohler, the President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, was among the first to sign. Explaining the reason he determined to do so, Dr. Mohler wrote: “I want my name on that list. I surrendered no conviction or confessional integrity to sign that statement. No one asked me to compromise in any manner. I was encouraged that we could stand together to make clear that to come for one of us on these issues is to come for all. At the end of the day, I did not want my name missing from that list when folks look to see just who was willing to be listed.” Third, the Manhattan Declaration is significant in some of the public reaction to it. I don’t mean the reviews of secular critics, of course, who detested the document’s contents. Their assessments were uniformly predictable. Neither do I have in mind the insouciance of those who, on principle, avoid politics. Nor am I thinking of Christians who filter their ethical sympathies through a different weave (those, for instance, to whom executing murderers is morally equivalent to murdering babies). Such reactions were entirely expected. The critics I have in mind, rather, are those Christians who confessed agreement with the substance of the Declaration while declining to associate with the other signers. Their objections, I believe, are significant in the sense of deserving comment. We may take the example of the Evangelical spokesman, John MacArthur, Jr. His complaint was very simple: The Manhattan Declaration scans only the symptoms of certain social evils but neglects to address their root cause. That is to say, this document fails to proclaim the Gospel of salvation, which is the sole remedy for every social ill. Substantially identical was the objection of the Orthodox Christian priest, Father Jonathan Tobias, who faulted the Declaration for not preaching repentance. This writer went even further, lampooning at length the document’s style and rhetorical style. (Ironically, a somewhat softened Father Tobias has of late chastised James Carroll for a similar mockery of the Declaration.) The objections of MacArthur and Tobias are curious in their evident presumption that Christians, when they speak in public, should limit their discourse to the proclamation of the Gospel and the summons to repentance. This may be a legitimate view, though it was neither shared by many Christians over the centuries nor obviously favored by the prophets. Jonah, for instance, preached judgment — not repentance — at Nineveh, nor did his proclamation include one syllable of Good News. If this was true of Jonah, what shall we say of Nahum, whose own message to the Ninevites was just an expansion of Jonah’s meager half-verse? Respectfully, these objections to the Manhattan Declaration (including its rhetoric) could easily have been made against any one — and perhaps all — of the biblical prophets. Our modest Declaration, as a statement of social concern, invites the endorsement of Christians who share that concern. The matter is truly as plain as that.	148,966
December 23, 2011 Extreme power outages have become routine during the Christmas and Easter seasons in Pakistan despite repeated protests by the Christian community, ASSIST News Service reports. Since the current government came into power, "prolonged [lack of power] has affected Christmas celebrations, prayer meetings, and day-to-day life of Christians," said human rights activist Ashfaq Fateh. "Due to lack of electricity, poor Christian workers do not get their wages and they are deprived of buying ration and clothes for their families." Rasheed Jalal, district president of the Pakistan Muslim League for the minorities' wing, said: "Every year when Christmas and Easter comes, the government extends power outages; Christians across the country protest, but the government never listen to their peaceful protests." Youth leader Johnson Gill said, "If the government will not ensure non-stop supply of electricity, Christians will organize Christmas celebrations and prayers in front of [government] offices in protest."	185,081
This online course (MOOC) gives an introduction to chemistry on the level of an advanced high school chemistry class. It covers topics such as: (Note: A good preparation for the course including other basic concepts in chemistry is available here.) \|Teacher:\|\|Dr. Allison Soult\| How do you like the course 'Advanced Chemistry'?	269,975
Metamaterials (so called because of their engineered electromagnetic properties) hold great promise for new applications in the megahertz to terahertz bands, as well as optical frequencies. Examples including super-resolution imaging, cloaking, hyperlensing, and optical transformation. Conventional metamaterials are limited in their ability to demonstrate these phenomena because of their ohmic and dielectric losses and dissipation. However, a new class of metamaterials sidestep these problems and have the added benefit of being much smaller, more tunable, and more nonlinear than their ordinary counterparts. University of Maryland researchers are pioneering superconducting metamaterials. Among the metamaterial designs that feature both negative permittivity and permeability (and thus a negative index of refraction), split-ring resonators (SRRs) placed in a wire array medium have drawn a great deal of attention. These devices generally employ normal metal films on a dielectric substrate, and operate in the gigahertz frequency spectrum and higher The superconducting materials show zero DC resistance and minimal ohmic losses at finite frequency when they are cooled below their superconducting transition temperature (Tc). We fabricate our superconducting SRRs from 200nm-thick niobium (Nb) thin films magnetron-sputtered onto quartz single crystals. Microwave transmission measurements are performed by placing the Nb SRRs into a wire-loaded Nb X-band waveguide to create a negative permeability medium and to observe high-Q resonant features below the Tc of the Nb film. These SRRs give sharp peaks (dips) at about 10.77GHz when their resonance frequency is below (above) the cutoff frequency of the waveguide. Since the superconducting state is extremely sensitive to both temperature and magnetic field, we have managed to carry out precise tuning of the permeability and refractive index simply by changing the ambient temperature, the radio frequency (RF) input power, or applying an external DC magnetic field Netbook Technology News	228,689
How would someone describe the attitude toward arts and culture of the Puritans during the late-16th and early-17th centuries? 1 Answer \| Add Yours With a moniker -- no doubt well-earned given the extreme punishments that could be meted out for adulterous behavior or pre-marital sexual relations -- it is no wonder many people believe that the Puritans were adamanatly opposed to the arts. In fact, they weren't; Puritans enjoyed the written word, especially poetry (and, it is worth mentioning that John Milton was a Puritan), but also visual depictions of family and mundane matters like farming. Historian Samuel Eliot Morison put it succintly: "The Puritan was not insensible to beauty, although he could not regard it an an independent quality, separate from use or morals. His attitude toward art was one of indifference rather than active dislike -- which is not far from the average American attitude today. The Puritans cared nothing for 'objects of art,' as such...These objects had to be useful, otherwise they were 'vanities'." [Morison, "Those Misunderstood Puritans"] Similarly, Puritans were not adverse to music; it simply, again, had to bear a direct relationship to worship of God or of family. A 1956 article in American Heritage magazine described the relationship of Puritans to music as follows: "The congregational song of the Sixteenth and early Seventeenth centuries was the sublimest there has ever been. The thrill, in religious exaltation, of singing familiar yet new and great music, with masses of one's fellows, gave the triumphal cry of a liberated faith." [Beatrice Hudson Flexner, "The Music of the Puritans," December 1956] The Puritans held strong beliefs on morality; on that, there can be no doubt. That they somehow inhibited the development of culture, or disdained the arts, however, is not historically accurate. Join to answer this question Join a community of thousands of dedicated teachers and students.Join eNotes	234,480
Mega events such as the Olympics, the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the World Expo and many more threaten the housing rights of hundreds of thousands of people globally. The Olympic Games alone have displaced more than two million people in the last 20 years, mostly the homeless, the poor, and minorities such as Roma and African-Americans. The number of people affected by housing rights violations in the context of mega-events such as the Olympic Games is staggering: Seoul 1988: 720,000 people were forcibly evicted from their homes in preparation for the Olympic Games in 1988. Barcelona 1992: housing became so unaffordable as a result of the Olympic Games that low income earners were forced to leave the city. Atlanta 1996: 9,000 arrest citations were issued to homeless persons, mostly racial minorities, as part of an Olympics-inspired campaign to, quote, “clean the streets”. Additionally, some 30,000 persons were displaced in Atlanta by Olympics-related gentrification and development. Athens 2004: hundreds of Roma residents were displaced under the pretext of Olympics-related preparations. In the lead up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, over 1.25 million people were displaced due to Olympics-related urban redevelopment.	268,632
Why is it, Snarklings, that Some People are compelled to respond to any difference of opinion by being rude and abrasive? Why Some People, when faced with someone who doesn’t agree with them, resort to insults, which are usually quickly followed by “OMG, it’s a JOKE!!! You’re SO stupid for getting upset!” You see, what the Lady of the Manners is trying to figure out is why Those Sorts don’t understand that indulging in that sort of behavior is rude. Mocking people who disagree with you doesn’t make you look clever, and it certainly doesn’t sway people to agree with you. Hmmm. Perhaps the Lady of the Manners should back up a bit, and explain what prompted this particular post. Did all of you know about the IKEA advertisement that mentioned Goths, Snarklings? Oh yes, last week IKEA had an ad with the text ”Brightens up your grad’s dorm. Unlike a creepy gothic roommate, who can be a bad influence.” You can imagine, Snarklings, the uproar that this advertisement caused in the Goth community. The Lady of the Manners herself wasn’t terribly pleased by that advertisement. “Creepy” is just fine; creepy is one of the key adjectives for anyone in the Goth subculture. (If you don’t agree, the Lady of the Manners would like to gently suggest that you go listen to the theme song for the Addams Family again.) No, the Lady of the Manners raised an eyebrow at the “bad influence” bit of nonsense. As the Lady of the Manners frequently says, Goths are no more of a bad influence than anyone else, no matter what the strident and hysterical news media keeps trying to tell everyone. Many other people were annoyed by the “bad influence” line, or upset by the ad in general. Letters were sent to IKEA to express disappointment and to explain that many Goths would no longer be shopping at IKEA. Naturally segueing to discussions online, which seemed to be made up of those who were annoyed or upset by the ad … and those who thought the whole thing was a big joke. That anyone who felt differently were stupid drama queens with no senses of humor. Which, you may notice, brings the Lady of the Manners right back to where she started this column. Telling someone that their reaction to something is stupid is never a good idea. Everyone has their own opinion, and no one is going to agree about everything all the time. But there are worlds of difference between telling someone you don’t agree with them and telling someone that they are stupid for caring about something. One leads to a potentially interesting discussion, while the other leads to pointless drama and snippy comments hurled to and fro. Oh, and about the pointless drama and to-and-fro-ing of snippy comments: look Snarklings, the Lady of the Manners is going to be very blunt. Spending time mocking people for not thinking like you do makes you seem like a sad loser. Sure, you may think you’re being terribly clever and funny and oh-so-superior; what you’re actually doing is showing people that your life is very empty and that you have nothing better to do with yourself. Proclaiming that you’re only behaving this way because you think it’s all so terribly funny isn’t a good excuse, either. In short, you’re acting like a troll. Why should anyone take you seriously? As for those of you who encounter someone behaving in that manner, the Lady of the Manners has a simple piece of advice for you: ignore them. Nothing you say or do will change their minds, and they’re probably being so inflammatory because they have nothing else to fill the empty hours of their life. So don’t give them the validation of your time or attention. Let them broadcast their tedious and boring flame-bait comments in ALL CAPS to an uncaring universe. Don’t bother trying to reason with them, or take anything they say seriously. Ignore them. Back to the IKEA ad: as the Lady of the Manners said earlier, she was not thrilled about the “bad influence” comment, and thought the ad was poorly-worded and not in the slightest bit funny. The Lady of the Manners is disappointed that a major corporation didn’t stop to think about the implications of what their advertisements say, and hopes that the deluge of irate letters they suffered will make them pay closer attention to such things. And no, the Lady of the Manners doesn’t think that being concerned over poorly-worded and unfunny ad copy is a sign of taking things too seriously, or that everyone who was concerned about the ad has lost their senses of humor and/or their minds, but understands why someone else might feel that way. Coming soon! The Lady of the Manners is going to indulge in a few book reviews, and finally write that long-threatened column of “Goths vs. Emo”. If you have a question (or a book recommendation, or if you just want to express your opinions on Goths or Emo), by all means, please write!	70,876
How Your Coping Style Affects Your Risk of Addiction There are several different ways to cope with stressors in life. We only feel stressed by things we’re not sure we can handle. We might feel irritated by a fly, for example, but we don’t see it as a threat. We become stressed when we fear that a situation may exceed our ability to deal with it and that our failure will have negative consequences. So there’s always this uncertainty that we respond to–or cope within a limited number of ways. Basically, this is the fight-or-flight response, but as there are various kinds of stressors, there are also more varied coping strategies. The basic kinds of coping strategies are approach, avoidance, positive appraisal, and meaning-focused. Approach is similar to fight. If you have an approach strategy to coping, you are focused on how to solve the problem. Avoidance is more like flight–you just want to escape the threat, whatever kind of threat it is–heights, social interaction, responsibilities, etc. Positive appraisal is looking for the silver lining. Maybe you have a broken leg and can’t play basketball this season, but it’s a great opportunity to focus on your grades and apply to colleges. A meaning-focused strategy is focusing on a higher purpose. Maybe you have a miserable job and a horrible boss, but knowing you do it for your kids makes it bearable. No one relies solely on one coping strategy. People often use a combination of strategies or use different strategies depending on the situation. For example, if a friend dies, there isn’t really a problem to be solved so you either have to look for a silver lining, a larger meaning, or avoid thinking about it completely. If you’re nervous about a test, an approach strategy is more productive, although plenty of people choose avoidance instead. While each strategy has its place, people who rely heavily on avoidance may be at greater risk for addiction. An avoidance strategy puts you at higher risk for depression. Avoidance is essentially a form of learned helplessness. It implies that you can’t fix the problem, so it’s better to try to escape it. Sometimes this works, but often it makes problems worse. This creates a negative cycle of anxiety, depression, and more avoidance. For some people, drugs and alcohol are a way of not thinking about problems. These people are at particular risk for addiction. The good news is that you can learn a different style of coping. It takes some time and practice, and probably a bit of therapy too, but you can learn to rely less on avoidance and rely more on approaching your problems. This leads to feeling better and having fewer problems. Daylight Recovery Services takes a holistic approach to substance abuse and co-occurring disorder treatment to address the physical, psychological, and spiritual facets of addiction and recovery. We ensure clients emerge from our facility with the proper tools and confidence in their ability to lead a healthy, enjoyable life. If you or someone you love is ready to break free of the bondage of addiction, contact one of our recovery experts today at 1-833-2DAYLIGHT.	58,675
Birth to Three Program Early Intervention Program The Birth to Three Program is an early intervention program for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and/or disabilities. It is a comprehensive, community based, statewide system that promotes a family centered approach to early intervention. It emphasizes family strengths and incorporates informal and community resources. The system ensures cooperative planning between the state of Wisconsin and county's, promotes uniformity of interventions available across the states and involves the education, health, and social service systems. While families across Wisconsin face uncertainties during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, young children with delays or disabilities are still in need of support. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Birth to 3 Program is here to support children and their families through this public health emergency. Click here to view flyer. Or here for December 2020 Newsletter. Birth to Three services are individualized to meet each eligible child's needs and support their optimum development. Services are family-centered and designed to assist the family in supporting their child's development. We view the family as the child's greatest resource and work with them to provide opportunities to incorporate the techniques in the child's and families everyday routines. Services are located in the child's natural environment, most often in their home, though it may include day care facilities or other community settings. The Birth to Three program has different eligibility criteria than most of the other programs for children. In the Birth to Three Program children must have a developmental delay of at least 25% in one or more area(s) as noted through the Birth to Three Evaluation or other records or a diagnosis with a high probability of a developmental delay, or delays in achieving significant milestones. View the guidelines for developmental milestones online. Eligibility is not based on income or on income guidelines. There may be a parental fee established for participating in the Birth to Three Program. At this time there are no waiting lists for this program. The program can assess the child's developmental ability to: - Develop relationships - Express and regulate emotions - Learn and play - Move, see, and hear - Perform basic self-care skills How to Apply Contact the Birth to Three Program Coordinator at the county level at 262-238-8200 or 262-284-8200. The Birth to Three Program Coordinator will explain the eligibility requirements and give information about various service providers so the family can make an educated choice. Referrals to the Birth to Three Program can be made by parents, physicians, relatives, child care providers, other programs that work with families of very young children. Typical Information that is requested at the time of the referral: - Child's name, address, and date of birth - Name of parents / caregivers, address, and phone numbers - Name of physician - Reasons they are concerned about this particular child	231,647
Clara’s dress for today has a some Spanish styling with a false bolero jacket. The panels sewn into the bodice of the dress create the look of a bolero. The puffy sleeves and flared skirt also show the Spanish influence on this fashion design. Clara also has some nice sling-back shoes, worn with ankle socks. Although the style is typical 1940s, these shoes could certainly be worn today – but maybe without the socks. Finally, Clara has a popular hairstyle for young girls in the 1940s – some loose braids tied with bows, and worn with long bangs. The original dress is coral pink with white daisies. The original shoes are white leather. To print Clara's Dress, use this PDF file: Clara's Dress 44 (791k) Clara is a free, printable paper doll. Clara will be available on this blog as long as I continue to post new fashion pages for her. You can read the introduction for the Clara paper doll here. To print the Clara paper doll, use this PDF file: The Clara Paper Doll (718k)	155,366

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