the following information was extracted from the publication " threatened " produced by bnz in cooperation with the department of conservation and royal forest and bird protection society. the predation threat in 1987, a dog was on the loose in waitangi state forest in the bay of islands. for six weeks it rampaged through the forest killing every kiwi it encountered. by the time the dog was found, perhaps as many as 500 of the 1000 kiwi living there had been slaughtered. this carnage at waitangi illustrates just how vulnerable the kiwi is to predators and the speed at which seemingly healthy populations can fail. other predators introduced to new zealand by humans may cause similar havoc. the main threat to the kiwi is posed by : possums, stoats, ferrets, and feral ( wild ) cats who steal eggs and kill young. larger predators include pigs and dogs. young kiwi leave the nest at just three weeks of age, weighing only 200g. small and slow, they are easy prey. very few survive this precarious journey from birth to 12 months, when they reach the critical size that enables them to stand up to most predators. humans, primarily through destroying forests and introducing predators in the first place, pose the single greatest threat to the kiwi. ironically, we are also their greatest hope. the kiwi is a one - off evolutionary design, holding all sorts of biological records. new zealand ' s ancient isolation and lack of mammals allowed it to occupy a habitat and lifestyle that everywhere else in the world would be occupied by a mammal. whereas birds traditionally depend on sight, the kiwi is one of the few birds with a highly developed sense of smell. you can sometimes hear them sniffing around in the dark. alarm them during the day and they will run off. then, at a distance, just like a wolf or other mammal, they ' ll stick their bill ( nose ) in the air, sniffing to see if they are safe from pursuit. other reasons the kiwi could pass for a mammal is its loose, hair - like feathers, its long whiskers, the fact it can ' t fly and that it burrows in the ground. other kiwi curiosities include : being the only known bird to have external nostrils at the end of its bill. it literally sniffs out its food a bill - length below the surface. it ' s huge eggs. the kiwi has one of the largest egg - to - body weight ratio of any bird. the mature egg averages 20 % of the


bill. it literally sniffs out its food a bill - length below the surface. it ' s huge eggs. the kiwi has one of the largest egg - to - body weight ratio of any bird. the mature egg averages 20 % of the female ' s body weight. compare that to 2 % for an ostrich! being the smallest living member of the ratite family ( which includes ostriches and emus ). they live in pairs — as monogamous couples — for most, if not all of their lives. sex role reversal : the female is bigger and dominates the male. in some varieties, the male does most of the incubating of the eggs. the eggs take an exceedingly long time to hatch — up to 80 days. kiwi tend to live in pairs, forming monogamous couples. these bonds are generally till death and have been known to last over 30 years. about every third day, the pair will shelter in the same burrow together. the relationship tends to be quite volatile and physical, the female generally calling the shots over her smaller partner. during the night, as they are out foraging for food or patrolling their territory, they will perform duets, calling to each other. the female has a lower hoarser call than the male. from the outside, it doesn ' t appear that kiwi domestic life is bliss. but the bond is long - lasting. there are few surprises in the kiwi diet. it ' s mostly earthworms, spiders, fallen fruits and seeds, larvae of beetles and cicada and a mixture of forest invertebrates. but they will also take large food items like freshwater crays and even frogs. in captivity, kiwi have fished eels out of a pond, subdued them with a few thuds and eaten them. kiwi are extremely territorial birds, they protect their patch — which can be as much as 40 hectares — by calling or, if that fails, by chasing the intruder kiwi and giving it a good booting over. very occasionally, kiwi kill each other fighting for territory. acutely aware of neighbours, they will often engage in calling duels. if a bird is intruding into another ' s space, it will rush back at full speed into its own space before returning a neighbour ' s call. a gathering of kiwi is a rarity. however, on stewart island, they do live in small, mixed aged family groupings. kiwi nests, er, burrows! kiwi are burrowers. they may


neighbour ' s call. a gathering of kiwi is a rarity. however, on stewart island, they do live in small, mixed aged family groupings. kiwi nests, er, burrows! kiwi are burrowers. they may quickly clear a burrow at the end of a night ' s work, crash there during the day and then move on to a new burrow the next day. great spotted kiwi prefer dens. unlike the little spotted kiwi and the brown kiwi, who tends towards simple one - entrance burrows, the great spotted will put the time and effort into constructing a labyrinth of tunnels several metres long with more than one exit. common kiwi myths kiwi experts are keen to dispel myths surrounding the kiwi — particularly that they are half - blind and bumbling. here are a few common ones : myth : " kiwi fight with their beaks. " to use their beaks to fight would be like head - butting someone with your nose. at the end of the beak are the kiwi ' s external nostrils. finely tuned and capable of detecting a few parts per million of scent, the beak, when probing the ground, can detect worms and other food. myth : " kiwi are cute, gentle little creatures. " they are actually super - strong and often extremely bad tempered. the adults can look after themselves using their razor sharp claws as weapons. a couple of slashes can quickly draw blood — as conservationists have often found when putting their hands down kiwi burrows. because they are so aggressive, doc staff can attract them simply by imitating their call. incensed that another kiwi is on their turf, the response is instant and dramatic : " it ' s amazing to hear them coming to kick the intruder out. they sound like a deer charging, almost exploding, through the dark. standing there, it ' s quite intimidating. i guess it ' s part of the threat display. " " pete " is a great spotted kiwi in west northland. " we ' ve just got to walk into his territory and he comes catapulting in for a hit - and - run. he belts you in the leg and then runs off into the undergrowth. i think he views us as super - big kiwi. he ' s probably given some trampers a helluva scare. " myth : " kiwi are a bit thick. " according to conservation officers who know them best, they are capable of learning quickly and altering behaviour in the


big kiwi. he ' s probably given some trampers a helluva scare. " myth : " kiwi are a bit thick. " according to conservation officers who know them best, they are capable of learning quickly and altering behaviour in the light of experience. myth : " kiwi move slowly. " superbly adapted to their natural habitat, the kiwi is extremely agile and quick moving. a kiwi can cover his territory — possibly the size of 60 football fields — in a night. this might take in three valley streams and all sorts of obstacles. myth : " kiwi and half - blind. " the notion of their being half - blind probably stems from their being nocturnal and having small eyes. in fact, as conservation officers can testify, if you chase them at night, they can run very fast, swerving around trees and expertly navigating the undergrowth. similarly, they are unfazed by daylight. kiwi culture - - from a maori perspective the maori people have a very personal interest in seeing the kiwi survive and flourish. according to many maori traditions, the kiwi is the oldest of all tanemahuta ' s bird family. it was tane, the god of the forest who, with different wives, created much of the natural world, including birds, trees, stones and humans. for maori, kiwi are, in effect, our elder siblings. and, like a good older brother or sister, they are very protective of us. that ' s partly why they patrol the forests nightly. kiwi - - six unique varieties there are six identified varieties of kiwi. the little spotted kiwi the smallest ( about the size of a bantam ) and most endangered species, the " little spots " have a very mellow, often docile nature. they have suffered terrible that the hands of possums, stoats, cats and larger predators. now extinct on mainland new zealand, the largest remaining population is on kapiti island where 1000 birds occupy some 1900 ha of mixed forest, scrub and grassland. sensitive management by doc and the maori trustees of private land on kapiti are ensuring that cats, dogs and other kiwi predators don ' t reach the island. the great spotted kiwi the rugged mountaineer of the kiwi — found primarily in the high, often harsh hill country — the great spotted has forged a strange deal with evolution. the same harsh environment that makes it struggle from one day to the next also makes it tough going for the pigs, dogs


the kiwi — found primarily in the high, often harsh hill country — the great spotted has forged a strange deal with evolution. the same harsh environment that makes it struggle from one day to the next also makes it tough going for the pigs, dogs and stoats that would otherwise be keen to pursue it. big bold and handsome, it is found only in the south island, mainly in north west nelson, central westland and eastern canterbury. the north island brown kiwi bug noses and short tempers is one way to sum up the brown kiwi. they are little toughies... and have to be to survive against humans, introduced predators and the natural challenges of their often harsh bush existence. the north island brown kiwi is found only in the upper two - thirds of the north island. they are widespread in northland in a diverse range of vegetation types including exotic forests and rough farm land. okarito brown kiwi in one sense, the new kid on the block. it was only in 1993 that the okarito brown, living in lowland forest just north of franz josef was identified as a distinct variety of kiwi. tell - tale signs are its slightly greyish plumage sometimes accompanied by white facial feathers. squat and round and bigger than their northern brown kiwi cousins, they can grow to almost the same size as great spotted kiwi. the southern tokoeka are found in fiordland and on stewart island. they are the most communal of the somewhat reclusive kiwi. the haast tokoeka, found in the rugged mountains behind haast, was also identified as a distant variety of kiwi in 1993. they spend their summers in the high sub alpine tussock grasslands but probably retreat to the lowland forests in winter. kiwi sightings - - where you can see kiwi few of us get the chance to see a kiwi in the wild but brown kiwi can be seen at the following places :


the civics merit badge was one of the original 57 merit badges issued by the boy scouts of america in 1911. civics is a discontinued merit badge. it was one of the original 1911 merit badges, but was renamed citizenship by the 1948 revision to the boy scout handbook. that badge was then replaced by citizenship in the nation in in 1951 and citizenship in the community and citizenship in the home in 1952 ( later renamed as the family life merit badge ). at the same time, the world brotherhood merit badge was introduced, and these four badges constituted the " citizenship group " of merit badges, any two of which were required for eagle. in 1972, the citizenship in the world merit badge replaced world brotherhood. civics requirements at inception - state the principal citizenship requirements of an elector in his state. - know the principal features of the naturalization laws of the united states. - know how president, vice - president, senators, and congressmen of the united states are elected and their terms of office. - know the number of judges of the supreme court of the united states, how appointed, and their term of office. - know the various administrative departments of government, as represented in the president ' s cabinet. - know how the governor, lieutenant - governor, senators, representatives, or assemblymen of his state are elected, and their terms of office. - know whether the judges of the principal courts in his state are appointed or elected, and the length of their terms. - know how the principal officers in his town or city are elected and for what terms. - know the duties of the various city departments, such as fire, police, board of health, etc. - draw a map of the town or city in which he lives, giving location of the principal public buildings and points of special interest. - give satisfactory evidence that he is familiar with the provisions and history of the declaration of independence, and the constitution of the united states. | | the official source for the information shown in this article or section is : | boy scout handbook, 1911 edition the text of these requirements is locked and can only be edited by an administrator. please note any errors found in the above requirements on this article ' s talk page.


my beef with meat if it has a face, it probably gobbles up global resources along with its grass by stett holbrook last month, the federal government released a much - anticipated report on global climate change. it paints a chilling picture of what will happen if global warming continues unabated. " this report is a game - changer, " said the new director of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration, jane lubchenco, at a press conference last week. " i think that much of the foot - dragging in addressing climate change is a reflection of the perception that climate change is way down the road, it ' s in the future and it only affects certain parts of the country. this report demonstrates in concrete scientific information that climate change is happening now, and it ' s happening in our back yards. " the report, issued by the u. s. global change research program, compiles work from 13 different government agencies. in a refreshing break from the science - averse bush administration, the report states unequivocally that climate change is human caused. the report details changes scientists are already seeing and predicts how the climate will change if greenhouse - gas emissions aren ' t curtailed. the report also discusses how decisive policies can roll back the impending doom. ( read the report at globalchange. gov. ) here are two of the key findings : • climate changes are under way in the united states and are projected to grow. these include increases in heavy downpours, rising temperature and sea level, rapidly retreating glaciers, thawing permafrost, lengthening growing seasons, lengthening ice - free seasons in the ocean and on lakes and rivers, earlier snowmelt and alterations in river flows. • agriculture is considered one of the sectors most adaptable to changes in climate, but increased heat, pests, water stress, diseases and weather extremes will pose adaptation challenges for crop and livestock production. there have been many reports on global warming and dire predictions from respected scientists. so far not much has changed. i hope that president obama uses the power of his position to spur the dramatic and speedy action needed to reduce the profound impacts of the crisis. the challenge obama faces is convincing people that the time to change our ways is today, not tomorrow. the trouble is, we don ' t usually realize we ' re in trouble until the roof starts caving in. for example, only when we faced global financial meltdown did world leaders act. a global recession is real and painful, but


tomorrow. the trouble is, we don ' t usually realize we ' re in trouble until the roof starts caving in. for example, only when we faced global financial meltdown did world leaders act. a global recession is real and painful, but compared to the apocalyptic effects of unchecked global warming, it ' s but a pinprick. what does all this have to do with food? well, while the u. s. government appears to be finally getting serious about acting against global warming, we the people need to do as much as we can. food strikes me as particularly target - rich as we seek to reduce global warming. i see reducing our consumption of meat as the single most important action we can take as individuals. i ' ve come to view a double bacon cheeseburger as the culinary equivalent of dumping dirty motor oil into a clear mountain lake. if eating burgers was only detrimental to those who eat them that would be one thing, but the production of meat and dairy across the world is an environmental catastrophe. i ' m a firm believer in spending more for quality, food included. but eating well shouldn ' t be prohibitively expensive. i guess it ' s all in how one defines " eating well. " for me, that means little or no processed food and plenty of fresh produce in season. food is of course a necessary expense, but there ' s a lot of discretion on how to spend your food dollar. but the ironic thing about food when you buy fresh, unprocessed ingredients and cook for yourself rather than opening a can or box, eating well generally costs less. at least that ' s my belief. according to the united nations ' food and agriculture organization ( fao ), livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world ' s greenhouse gases, more than transportation. animal agriculture is the leading source of methane and nitrous oxide emissions, which - - combined with carbon dioxide - - are the primary causes of global warming. livestock production accounts for more than 8 percent of global human water use, the fao says. evidence suggests that it is also the largest source of water pollution thanks to animal wastes, antibiotics, hormones, fertilizers and pesticides used for feed crops, and sediments from eroded pastures. an estimated 30 percent of the earth ' s ice - free land is involved in livestock production. approximately 70 percent of previously forested land in the amazon is used as pasture, and feed crops cover a large part of what ' s left. eating organically raised, grass -


increasing local contrast the previous section showed adjustments to the brightness and contrast of the entire image. the adjustment changes every pixel of original brightness value a to the same final brightness value b, regardless of the pixel ’ s neighbors. another class of operations increases the visibility of local differences between pixels, by suppressing the longer - range variations. these neighborhood functions use a moving neighborhood, usually a small circle, that compares or combines the central pixel and the neighbors to produce a new value that is assigned to the central pixel to construct a new image. then the neighborhood shifts to the next pixel and the process is repeated. these calculations are applied to the pixel brightness values in a color coordinate system such as hsi or lab that leaves the color values unchanged. for instance, local equalization functions just like the histogram equalization procedure, except that it takes place within a moving circular neighborhood and assigns a new value only to the central pixel. the result makes a pixel that is slightly brighter than its surroundings brighter still, and vice - versa, enhancing local contrast. the result is usually added back in some proportion to the original image to produce a more visually pleasing result, as shown in the local equalization interactive java tutorial. sharpening of images to increase local contrast is almost universally applied by publishers to counter the visual blurring effect of halftoning images in the printing process. this is usually done by a convolution using a kernel of weights, just as the gaussian smoothing function shown above. but in this application, some of those weights will have negative values. for instance, the laplacian sharpening filter in table 1 combines each pixel with its eight adjacent neighbors as shown in the laplacian sharpening interactive java tutorial. a more flexible extension of this basic idea is the widely used ( and as often misused ) unsharp mask. the name derives from a century - old darkroom procedure that required printing the original image at 1 : 1 magnification but out of focus onto another piece of film ( this was the unsharp mask ), and then placing the two films together to print the final result. where the original negative was dense, the mask was not ( and vice versa ) so that little light was transmitted, except near detail and edges where the mask was out of focus. the same effect can be produced in the computer by applying a gaussian blur to a duplicate of the original and then subtracting it from the original. the difference between the two images is just the detail and edges removed by


out of focus. the same effect can be produced in the computer by applying a gaussian blur to a duplicate of the original and then subtracting it from the original. the difference between the two images is just the detail and edges removed by the blurring. the original image is then added back to the difference to increase the visibility of the details while suppressing the overall image contrast. in the unsharp masking interactive java tutorial, the result image is automatically scaled to the range of the display so that negative values that can result from the calculation are not lost. one of the characteristics of the unsharp mask is the formation of bright and dark “ haloes ” adjacent to the dark and bright borders ( respectively ) of structure in the image. this increases their visibility, but can hide other nearby information. a related approach using neighborhood ranking rather than gaussian blurring alleviates this problem. the method applies a median filter to remove fine detail, subtracts this from the original to isolate the detail, and then adds the original image back to enhance the visibility as shown in the rank masking interactive java tutorial. this method is called a rank mask, but is sometimes ( incorrectly ) referred to as a top hat filter ( the real top hat is shown below ). note that all of these local enhancement methods are very noise sensitive, because both random speckle and shot noise produce pixels that are different from their local neighborhood. image noise must be removed before enhancement is attempted, or the visibility of the noise will be increased as shown in the comparison of local contrast enhancement methods interactive java tutorial. the top hat filter is also a based on neighborhood ranking, but unlike the procedure above it uses the ranked value from two different size regions. the brightest value in a circular interior region is compared to the brightest value in a surrounding annular region. if the brightness difference exceeds a threshold level, it is kept ( otherwise it is erased ). the top hat filter interactive java tutorial shows the filter ’ s operation. if the interior and annular regions are drawn as shown in the diagram in figure 1, the reason for the filter name becomes apparent. the interior region is the crown and the threshold is its height, while the surrounding annulus is the brim of the hat. this operation is particularly well suited for finding the spikes in fourier transform power spectra, as illustrated previously. the top hat is also good for locating any features of a known size by adjusting the radius of the crown. objects too large to fit into the crown


this operation is particularly well suited for finding the spikes in fourier transform power spectra, as illustrated previously. the top hat is also good for locating any features of a known size by adjusting the radius of the crown. objects too large to fit into the crown of the hat are selectively removed. reversing the logic to use the darkest values in both regions enables the same procedure to isolate dust or other dark features. by replacing the interior value by the mean of the surroundings, the dust can be selectively removed. in this application, shown in the rolling ball filter interactive java tutorial, the method is called a rolling ball filter. john c. russ - materials science and engineering dept., north carolina state university, raleigh, north carolina, 27695. matthew parry - hill and michael w. davidson - national high magnetic field laboratory, 1800 east paul dirac dr., the florida state university, tallahassee, florida, 32310. questions or comments? send us an email. © 1998 - 2009 by michael w. davidson, john russ, olympus america inc., and the florida state university. all rights reserved. no images, graphics, scripts, or applets may be reproduced or used in any manner without permission from the copyright holders. use of this website means you agree to all of the legal terms and conditions set forth by the owners. this website is maintained by our


air pollution health alert and advisory issued through wednesday, march 10 the minnesota pollution control agency ( mpca ) has issued an air pollution health alert for today and tomorrow, march 8 and 9 and an air pollution health advisory for wednesday, march 10 for the twin cities and rochester area. the air quality index values ( aqi ) in the twin cities exceeds the level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. dense fog overnight, which aids in fine particle production, and calm winds, have allowed fine particle concentrations to build to levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. fine particle levels are expected to gradually fall this afternoon as the fog dissipates. however, calm winds and high relative humidity will continue to trap pollutants, keeping air quality conditions unhealthy for sensitive groups. weather conditions are supposed to improve the air quality to good aqi levels by thursday, march 11. those who have respiratory or cardiovascular problems, young children, the elderly, and individuals whom are physically active are considered especially sensitive to elevated levels of air pollution. be prepared to postpone or reduce vigorous activity. ozone and fine particles can be drawn deeply into the lungs, so reduce activities that lead to deep or accelerated breathing. even individuals that are otherwise healthy may experience health effects when air pollutant levels increase. how you can help : residents can take simple steps to help reduce emissions that create smog. motor vehicle emissions contribute to fine particle pollution. to lower levels of air pollution, the mpca is urging residents to use alternate modes of transportation such as mass transit, car pools, biking and walking to work or shop. other measures that will help reduce emissions on days when the index reaches 100 and above include : 1. limit driving - share a ride to work and postpone errands until the next day. 2. don ’ t idle your vehicle for more than three minutes * * 3. refuel your vehicle after 6 p. m. 4. leave your car at home and walk, bike, carpool or take public transportation whenever you can. 5. postpone using other gasoline - powered engines, like garden and recreational equipment. 6. postpone indoor and outdoor recreational fires. 7. to reduce the demand on power plants, turn off as many electric items as possible. 8. if you fall in the sensitive group category, arrange to work indoors for the day. * * the city of minneapolis approved limits on vehicle idling that aim to reduce air pollution in minneapolis. the ordinance, which was passed in 2008, limits most vehicle id


you ' re using more water than you think a water footprint is the total volume of freshwater used to produce the goods and services consumed. here are some ways to lighten your water footprint. fri, aug 31 2012 at 11 : 28 am prodded by environmental consciousness — or penny pinching — you installed low - flow showerheads and fixed all the drippy facets. knowing that your manicured lawn was sucking down an unnatural amount of water — nearly 7 billion gallons of water is used to irrigate home landscaping, according to the u. s. environmental protection agency — you ripped up the turf and replaced it with native plants. you ’ re still using a lot more water than you think. the drought of 2012 has generated images of parched landscapes and sun - baked lakebeds. at least 36 states are projecting water shortages between now and 2013, according to a survey by the federal general accounting office. water supplies are finite, and fickle. water, we all know, is essential to life. it is also essential to agriculture, industry, energy and the production of trendy t - shirts. we all use water in ways that go way beyond the kitchen and bathroom. the measure of both direct and indirect water use is known as the water footprint. your water footprint is the total volume of freshwater used to produce the goods and services consumed, according to the water footprint network, an international nonprofit foundation based in the netherlands. the water footprint network has crunched the numbers and developed an online calculator to help you determine the size of your footprint. you ’ ll be astonished to know how much water you ’ re using … once you ’ ve converted all those metric measurements into something you can understand. the average american home uses about 260 gallons of water per day, according to the epa. that quarter - pound burger you just gobbled down? more than 600 gallons of water. that ramones t - shirt? more than 700 gallons. so, adjustments to your diet and buying habits can have a much greater impact on the size of your water footprint than taking 40 - second showers. a pound of beef, for example, takes nearly 1, 800 gallons of water to produce, with most of that going to irrigate the grains and grass used to feed the cattle. a pound of chicken demands just 468 gallons. if you really want to save water, eat more goat. a pound of goat requires 127 gallons of water. we ’ ve been told to cut down on our use of paper to save the forests, but


| about the presenter : patricia m. roberts, ph. d., ccc - slp, slp ( c ), currently associate professor in speech language pathology at the university of ottawa, in canada ' s capital. she holds degrees from queen ' s university ( kingston, canada ) and florida state university and obtained her ph. d. from the universite de montreal. in her first career as a clinical slp, she worked with many bilingual clients and was privileged to have the late marie poulos as colleague and mentor. she is spending much of her 2nd career as a professor and researcher trying to understand the many unsolved puzzles of bilingual stuttering. | in this presentation, i will focus on four mysteries ( things we do not yet know ) about stuttering in bilingual children and adults and some of the myths associated with these gaps in our current knowledge. to make this essay easier to read, i won ' t say " bilingual or multilingual " each time the word " bilingual " comes up but in most places, what applies to bilinguals also applies to multilingual speakers - as far as we know - so far. mystery 1 : how many bilingual people are there? it is sometimes confusing to even try to discuss bilingualism because the word bilingual means different things to different people. for some people, bilinguals are people who speak two ( or more - for multilinguals ) languages equally and perfectly. people who speak two languages in their daily lives, and can do most things such as talking to people at work, reading the newspaper, understanding conversations with friends sometimes say " oh yes, i can do all that. but i am not bilingual ". other people describe themselves as bilingual if they can communicate basic ideas, even if they make many errors in grammar and pronunciation and have a very small vocabulary in one language. in research, both these kinds of people are seen as having different levels of bilingualism. ratings from 1 to 7 or 1 to 9 are often used to estimate where each person falls along the continuous line that goes from " i really only know one language " to " i am one of those rare people who feels equally at home in two languages, no matter what the task or topic ". for speaking, hearing, reading, and writing, most of us are at slightly different levels of ability, in each of the languages we know. for this essay - and the discussions i hope it will spark - let ' s think of bilingualism as being a continuum. we don ' t divide the world


of us are at slightly different levels of ability, in each of the languages we know. for this essay - and the discussions i hope it will spark - let ' s think of bilingualism as being a continuum. we don ' t divide the world into tall people and short people. there is no rational cut - off to separate " tall " from " short ". same thing for " bilingual " and " unilingual ". everyone is at some point along the line that goes from strongly unilingual to very, very bilingual. with a broad definition of bilingualism, some authors estimate that there are at least as many people in the world who need to use two or more languages in their daily lives as there are people who can only function in one language ( see, for example, bhatia & ritchie, 2006 ). we cannot make precise estimates unless we first define what levels of bilingualism are included or excluded from the count ( and where to divide dialects from languages ). mystery 2 : is the incidence of stuttering the same in different languages? there are studies of the incidence of stuttering in different countries. some authors use these studies to say things like " the incidence of stuttering is higher in country x than in country y ". but, if each study used different ways of sampling and different ways of determining who stutters, it is not valid to compare across studies. for example, from one study to the next, different methods were used in deciding who is stuttering : parent reports? teachers in schools or day care centres? parents remembering what the child was like 5 or 10 years ago? there are also differences in what counts as stuttering : only for a few months at age 3? only people who stuttered for more than a year? only those who reach a given level of severity? when people see these reports, they often speculate about why the incidence figures seem to be different ( ignoring the differences in how the estimates were reached ), often using their favourite aspect of stuttering as the explanation. thus, we see explanations like : 1 ) " there is more stuttering in country x than in country y because the grammar of the language spoken in country x makes greater demands on memory.... " the complexity of a language might be relevant, in some subtle ways including the location of moments of stuttering within a sentence. concluding that the language itself influences the number of people who stutter requires a huge, dangerous leap of logic. there are other possible explanations that have to be ruled out before we


some subtle ways including the location of moments of stuttering within a sentence. concluding that the language itself influences the number of people who stutter requires a huge, dangerous leap of logic. there are other possible explanations that have to be ruled out before we can select one of them and reject the others. 2 ) " there is more stuttering in _ _ _ because that culture views speaking well as very important and the pressure to speak well makes people stutter ". this explanation now seems very unlikely, given what we know about the causes of stuttering. now that we understand the importance of genetics and the inherited nature of stuttering for many people, it seems logical to ask whether, in some ethnic groups, more people carry the genes that make them vulnerable to stuttering than is the case in other ethnic groups. perhaps the genetic pool, not cultural or linguistic features, has the strongest influence on the incidence of stuttering. or, more likely, perhaps several causal factors contribute, interacting with each others in ways we do not yet understand. the only way we will ever know if the incidence of stuttering varies across languages or countries is to do international, collaborative studies where the same rigourous methods are used in everywhere then we can propose explanations for the similar or differing rates of stuttering in different languages and / or countries. mystery 3 : does speaking more than one language increase the risk of a child stuttering? many people think it does. for the general public, it seems logical. sometimes people reason this way : 1 ) speaking two languages is hard. 2 ) for children who stutter, speaking is hard. 3 ) therefore, children who stutter ( or those who are at risk of developing stuttering, because of a known family history ) should not be expected to learn two languages. in the research on stuttering, the demands and capacities model of stuttering seems to apply here. but is it " hard " to learn two languages or is this a myth? if learning two languages as a young child is neurologically or cognitively strenuous, why is it that tens of millions of children do so successfully? are their brains slightly stressed if they have to sort out two languages during the best language - learning years in childhood? most of the research on bilingualism says " no ". however, bilingualism is seen as something very positive by most people who do research on it, and most studies are designed to detect advantages and not problems associated with bilingualism. also, this research is based on children with no speech or language problems


. however, bilingualism is seen as something very positive by most people who do research on it, and most studies are designed to detect advantages and not problems associated with bilingualism. also, this research is based on children with no speech or language problems. in children with a genetic vulnerability to stuttering, is learning two sets of words and grammar rules, and two sets of speech sounds harder than it is for children without this vulnerability? if learning two languages as a child is much harder than learning one, is it all potentially bilingual children or only a sub - group of those who might be at risk for stuttering? how should we interpret the recent and somewhat controversial study by howell, davis and williams ( 2009 ) that found a higher incidence of stuttering in children if they began learning english ( the language of their new country? before age 5? were there other reasons for the finding that children who learned english before starting school were more likely to stutter than those who reportedly began learning english when they began school in london, england? ( see packman, et al, 2009 letter to the editor and howell et al. ' s reply. ) there are four other, older studies that have led some people to conclude that bilingualism is too great a strain for children who stutter. in each case, these studies have serious flaws that make it impossible to draw any conclusions from them. travis, johnson and shover ( 1937 ) asked people with no training in communication disorders ( such as priests and steel company personnel directors ) to talk to young children and classify them as stuttering or not stuttering based on one interview. stern ( 1948 ) interviewed children if their parents reported that they stuttered. in both these studies, we have little information about the type of speech sample obtained, how long it was or how the disfluencies were counted. applying current standards to these studies, they would not be accepted for publication. dale ( 1977 ) reported that four cuban - american teenagers reported feeling that being made to speak their weaker language made them more disfluent. most bilinguals have a stronger and a weaker language. for these teens, their first language - spanish - was their weaker language, since so much of their lives at school and with friends took place in english, their second language. this study " blames " bilingualism. but we have no information about real disfluency rates across different situations, and dale does not distinguish between normal disfluencies and tense, stuttered disfluencies. there are studies showing that


study " blames " bilingualism. but we have no information about real disfluency rates across different situations, and dale does not distinguish between normal disfluencies and tense, stuttered disfluencies. there are studies showing that, in adults, the memory load of speaking in their weaker language may lead to a higher number of normal disfluencies ( ums, uh ' s, revisions ) in the weaker language than in the preferred language ( e. g., fehringer & fry, 2007 ). perhaps that is all that was happening in this study. dale offers no data to support the notion that any of the four adolescents, in fact, stuttered. karniol ( 1992 ) described how stuttering appeared to increase and decrease in a young boy whose environment included exposure to various levels of english, hebrew, and hungarian during an extremely tense time that included a war going on around him. with the information provided, we cannot tell what his real level of exposure to each language was ( siblings, friends, parents etc. ) and whether his parents ' attempts to expose him to only hebrew had any impact on what is described as a recovery from stuttering. the parents ' diaries cover a period of approximately one year ( age 2 to age 3 ) when the boy was in the age group where the chances of spontaneous recovery from stuttering are very, very high. there is ( still ) no clinical research to support the strategy of removing one language from a child ' s environment. recent reviews of the literature do not find support for doing this routinely for all children ( e. g., bernstein ratner, 2004 ; roberts & shenker, 2007 ; van borsel, maes & foulon, 2001 ). some clinicians do this, however, if they work in a demands and capacities framework or if the child also has delayed language and / or problems learning the speech sounds of his / her language. until there is solid evidence on the impact of bilingualism in young children ( i. e. a series of studies, done by different authors, ideally on different types of speakers and different pairs of languages ), each clinician is left to try a particular strategy and assess its impact on a case by case basis. mystery 4 : do some bilingual people stutter in only one language? as of 2010, i am still not aware of any documented case of this occurring. like the loch ness monster, there are reported sightings from time to time, but no real proof that this is possible.


people stutter in only one language? as of 2010, i am still not aware of any documented case of this occurring. like the loch ness monster, there are reported sightings from time to time, but no real proof that this is possible. in my years working with bilingual adults who stutter, i never assessed or treated a case of " unilingual stuttering ". ( note : if you know of someone who stutters in only one of their two ( or more ) languages, i would be interested in exploring this with you. just because there are no documented cases does not mean that it never occurs! ) nonetheless, given the roles of genetics and motor processes in stuttering, it is highly unlikely that someone would stutter in only one of their languages. van riper ( 1971 ) cites second - and third - hand reports of two people reported to stutter in only one of their two languages, but offers no data. howell, davis and williams ( 2009 ) report that 2 of the 38 children in their bilingual group stuttered in only one language, but there is no supporting data about the rates of disfluencies, or the level of proficiency in each language and the children were not assessed using a range of speaking tasks. roberts and shenker ( 2007, table 1 ) outlined the steps that would be required to show that someone with a working knowledge of two languages stutters in only one language. sometimes, when someone appears to stutter in only one language it could be for one or more of the following reasons : there are more and more studies about stuttering in different languages and some studies ( and soon, a new book edited by howell and van borsel ) that focus specifically on stuttering in bilingual speakers. this is a very welcome change. ten or fifteen years ago, there was little awareness that bilingual stuttering was a topic that needed exploring. perhaps in a future isad forum, there will be articles about the answers to the questions raised in this one. bernstein ratner, n. ( 2004 ). fluency and stuttering in bilingual children. in b. goldstein ( ed. ) bilingual language development and disorders in spanish - english speakers ( pp. 287 - 308 ). baltimore : paul h. brookes. bhatia, t. k., & ritchie, w. c. ( 2006 ). introduction. in t. k. bhatia & w. c. ritchie ( eds. ) the handbook of bilingualism ( pp. 1 - 2 ), oxford : blackwell


k., & ritchie, w. c. ( 2006 ). introduction. in t. k. bhatia & w. c. ritchie ( eds. ) the handbook of bilingualism ( pp. 1 - 2 ), oxford : blackwell publishing. dale, p. ( 1977 ). factors relating to disfluent speech in bilingual cuban - american adolescents. journal of fluency disorders, 2, 311 - 314. fehringer, c., & fry, c. ( 2007 ). hesitation phenomena in the language production of bilingual speakers. folia linguistica, 41, 37 - 72. howell, p., davis, s. williams, r. ( 2009 ). the effects of bilingualism on stuttering during late childhood. archives of disease in childhood, 94, 42 - 46 karniol, r. ( 1992 ). stuttering out of bilingualism. first language, 12, 255 - 283. packman, a., onslow, m., reilly, s. et al. ( 2009 ). stuttering and bilingualism. archives of disease in childhood, 94, 248. ( a letter to the editor re the howell, davis and williams study ) roberts, p. m. & shenker, r. c. ( 2007 ). assessment and treatment of stuttering in bilingual speakers. in r. f. curlee & e. g. conture ( eds ). stuttering and related disorders of fluency 3rd edition ( pp. 183 - 209 ). new york : thieme medical publishers. stern, e. ( 1948 ). a preliminary study of bilingualism and stuttering in four johannesburg schools. journal of logopedics, 1, 15 - 25. travis, l. e., johnson, w., & shover, j. ( 1937 ). the relation of bilingualism to stuttering : a survey in the east chicago, indiana, schools. journal of speech disorders, 12, 185 - 189. van borsel, j. maes, e., & foulon, s. ( 2001 ). stuttering and bilingualism : a review. journal of fluency disorders, 26, 179 - 205.


as america ' s independence was being declared in philadelphia in l776, padre francisco garces trekked through the mojave area, leaving traces of his visit at willow springs, near rosamond, and on castle butte, near california city. garces was followed by famous pathfinders like jedediah smith, in 1827, john c. fremont, kit carson and wyatt earp. many of these visitors, including a group from the ill - fated manly - jayhawker party, used the midland trail, which roughly parallels highway 14 north of town. wagon trails to the panamint mines were established by men like m. m. belshaw and others who are remembered in many local street names. mojave was established in 1876 when the southern pacific railroad laid out the original plat for a town on its line between los angeles and san francisco over nearby tehachapi pass. the first passenger train arrived august 8, 1876, which is celebrated as mojave ' s birthday. chinese coolies built a line from mojave to needles, california, on the colorado river, reaching the arizona border in 1883. that line was sold to the santa fe railway in 1898, granting that railroad trackage rights over tehachapi pass. today the southern pacific is now part of the union pacific railroad, while santa fe is now part of the giant burlington northern santa fe. the up ' s lone pine branch, which runs north out of mojave, was built by southern pacific in 1910 to aid in constructing the los angeles aqueduct. the line connected with the carson and colorado narrow gauge railroad at owenyo, providing, for a time, a direct rail link between los angeles and the southern pacific ' s overland route over donner summit. the lone pine branch now carries coal to and potash products from the trona railway connection at searles station, between randsburg and ridgecrest. another rail line, the oak creek branch, runs west from mojave to the california portland cement plant at creal, carrying coal up and cement back. mojave ' s flimsy buildings were destroyed by fire several times over the next century, most spectacularly in 1884 when 90 cases of powder in the railroad depot exploded with a bang heard 25 miles away. gold was discovered in 1894 on soledad mountain and at other nearby locations, spwning mines with colorful names like elephant - eagle, asher, yellow dog and golden queen. mojave ' s history of providing hospitality to weary travelers


miles away. gold was discovered in 1894 on soledad mountain and at other nearby locations, spwning mines with colorful names like elephant - eagle, asher, yellow dog and golden queen. mojave ' s history of providing hospitality to weary travelers, a tradition that continues to this day, began with the opening of the morrissey hotel in 1876. the famous fred harvey organization operated a " harvey house, " in the old two - story railroad depot, complete with a contingent of " harvey girls " serving delicious meals to travelers and miners. borax played a role in mojave ' s history, especially between 1884 and 1889 when the famous 20 - mule team wagons hauled borax between mines in death valley and the railroad in mojave, a 160 mile, 15 - day trip. a monument on sierra highway in front of the kentucky fried chicken store honors the spot where the wagons unloaded. the huge wagons, which can be seen at death valley and in nearby boron, were built by j. w. s. perry on land at the southeast corner of k and nadeau streets, the present location of don ' s oil changers. perry charged $ 900 each for his wagons. cement production began in the area in 1908 to provide cement for the los angeles aqueduct. the plant has been modernized over the years and is operated today by calaveras cement. california portland cement built the creal plant west of mojave in 1955. the plant is one of the world ' s most modern. several small airports were built in the mojave area over the years, including meyer field behind the homes along barstow road. mojave airport began life in 1942 when a naval air station was built on the present site on the east side of town. during world war ii the field trained thousands of navy and marine pilots for combat, using sbd dive bombers and f4u corsairs. decommissioned after the war, the field was reborn to again train pilots for the korean conflict. closed again in 1959, the airport entered its third life in 1972 with formation of the mojave ( now east kern ) airport district. jump to the mojave airport page for more information on this facility, home of the national test pilot school, burt rutan ' s scaled composites, xcor aerospace and voyager, the first aircraft to circumnavigate the globe without refueling. mojave ' s rich past is prelude to the history that continues to be made on the land and in the air -


memory loss ( amnesia ) is unusual forgetfulness. you may not be able to remember new events, recall one or more memories of the past, or both. forgetfulness ; amnesia ; impaired memory ; loss of memory ; amnestic syndrome normal aging may cause some forgetfullness. it ' s normal to have some trouble learning new material, or needing more time to remember it. however, normal aging does not lead to dramatic memory loss. such memory loss is due to other diseases. sometimes, memory loss may be seen with depression. it can be hard to tell the difference between memory loss and confusion due to depression. some types of memory loss may cause you to forget recent or new events, past or remote events, or both. you may forget memories from a single event, or all events. memory loss may cause you to have trouble learning new information or forming new memories. the memory loss may be temporary ( transient ), or permanent. memory loss can be caused by many different things. to determine a cause, your doctor or nurse will ask if the problem came on suddenly or slowly. many areas of the brain help you create and retrieve memories. a problem in any of these areas can lead to memory loss. causes of memory loss include : alcohol or use of illicit drugs not enough oxygen to the brain ( heart stopped, stopped breathing, complications from anesthesia ) brain growths ( caused by tumors or infection ) brain infections such as lyme disease, syphilis, or hiv / aids a person with memory loss needs a lot of support. it helps to show them familiar objects, music, or photos. write down when the person should take any medication or complete any other important tasks. it is important to write it down. if a person needs help with everyday tasks, or safety or nutrition is a concern, you may want to consider extended care facilities, such as a nursing home. what to expect at your health care provider ' s office the doctor or nurse will perform a physical exam and ask questions about the person ' s medical history and symptoms. this will almost always include asking questions of family members and friends. they should come to the appointment. medical history questions may include : can the person remember recent events ( is there impaired short - term memory )? can the person remember events from further in the past ( is there impaired long - term memory )? is there a loss of memory about events that occurred before a specific experience ( anterograde amnesia )? is there a loss of memory about events that occurred soon after a specific


from further in the past ( is there impaired long - term memory )? is there a loss of memory about events that occurred before a specific experience ( anterograde amnesia )? is there a loss of memory about events that occurred soon after a specific experience ( retrograde amnesia )? is there only a minimal loss of memory? does the person make up stories to cover gaps in memory ( confabulation )? is the person suffering from low moods that impair concentration? has the memory loss been getting worse over years? has the memory loss been developing over weeks or months? is the memory loss present all the time or are there distinct episodes of amnesia? if there are amnesia episodes, how long do they last? aggravating or triggering factors has there been a head injury in the recent past? has the person experienced an event that was emotionally traumatic? has there been a surgery or procedure requiring general anesthesia? does the person use alcohol? how much? does the person use illegal / illicit drugs? how much? what type? what other symptoms does the person have? is the person confused or disoriented? can they independently eat, dress, and perform similar self - care activities? have they had seizures? tests that may be done include : blood tests for specific diseases that are suspected ( such as low vitamin b12 or thyroid disease ) kirshner hs. approaches to intellectual and memory impairments. in : gradley wg, daroff rb, fenichel gm, jankovic j, eds. neurology in clinical practice. 5th ed. philadelphia, pa : butterworth - heinemann ; 2008 : chap 6. luc jasmin, md, phd, department of neurosurgery at cedars - sinai medical center, los angeles, and department of anatomy at ucsf, san francisco, ca. review provided by verimed healthcare network. also reviewed by david zieve, md, mha, medical director, a. d. a. m., health solutions, ebix, inc.


with a deer, you would never grab the bull by the horns. for a few good reasons : male deer are not called bulls, they are bucks, and they do not have horns, only antlers. antlers and horns are two distinctly different accessories. horns are hollow and are held atop the head of members of the bovid family. bovids include cows, sheep, bison and goats. horns grow continuously year - round and are covered in keratin. they do not usually branch and are found on both male and female bovids. antlers, on the other hand, are temporary bones found on the heads of members of the cervid family. cervids include deer, moose, elk, caribou and others. antlers are temporary, often branching structures, growing generally on males for only part of the year. after eight months of growth and development, antlers will drop off the animal ’ s head. these cranial appendages are covered with a soft skin called velvet, which supplies blood, oxygen and nutrients to the growing antler bone. it is this velvet that will be rubbed against trees during mating, or rutting season in december. it is not only form, but function that is different for these two toppers. horns mainly protect the skull, while antlers are for communicating, to establish dominance, and for seducing members of the opposite sex. seduction is accomplished by the antlers because the velvet covering and the animal ’ s head contain the highest concentration of oil and scent - producing glands that will attract the fairer sex. size matters when it comes to antlers. bigger is better — a nice rack can be up to nine pounds and spread to 25 inches wide! the ladies, or does, will notice a sizable rack, which is the result of a combination of factors, including good nutrition, age and genetics. bucks are headstrong and will challenge each other, engaging in shoving matches to impress the girls and dissuade the competition. it is interesting to imagine the growth process of antlers, which start as nubs, grow to substantial size, and then fall off. spring starts the antler growth cycle again. in april, longer days stimulate a buck ’ s hormones and his antlers will begin to develop. antlers are the fastest growing bone known to science, increasing up to a half an inch per day. contrast this with human hair, which takes a month to grown that same half inch. antlers will grow until early fall, then


to develop. antlers are the fastest growing bone known to science, increasing up to a half an inch per day. contrast this with human hair, which takes a month to grown that same half inch. antlers will grow until early fall, then the bone will die and the velvet dries up and falls or is rubbed off. finally, the antlers will be dropped or shed. now is the time for “ shed, ” or antler hunting, a sport that requires no weapon. on - island, of the cervids, one only finds deer so one only finds deer antlers, and only if you are lucky. mid - december through mid - february is the time to look for shed antlers. don ’ t be surprised if you don ’ t find any. antlers, no matter how large, disappear quickly. they are speedily consumed by rodents, rabbits, squirrels and other animals that crave their high calcium and phosphorus and have the right incisor teeth to chew the tough bone. if you are fortunate and find an antler, look for teeth marks and evidence of nibbles. antler ’ s hard bone has been used for needles, weapons, arrowheads and even harpoons. in the 18th century, french naturalist georges louis leclerc de buffon hypothesized that antlers were made of vegetable matter or wood, which caused his doubters to raise questions about how antlers were attached to the deer ’ s head. luckily, french zoologist georges cuvier ascertained their true nature a few years later. antler shape varies from animal to animal. they can be categorized as typical or nontypical and can have tines or points. typical antlers are symmetrical and shoot up evenly from a beam, while a nontypical antler is asymmetrical with points or tines shooting out at different angles. antlers are a victory of form and strength, though they are heavy to haul around and cumbersome to carry. and while the well - endowed buck will likely get the girl, he will also have to contend with the ever present possibility that with his colossal crown, he could end up a terrific trophy. suzan bellincampi is director of the felix neck wildlife sanctuary in edgartown.


to really do justice to the entire world of traditional japanese kites would take a larger website than this one! each different region in the country, called a prefecture, tended to come up with it ' s own designs. this all happened during the edo period from the early 1600s to the mid 1800s. the kites ' names often refer to objects, folk heroes or creatures. besides the variety in decoration, it ' s amazing how unique japanese kites are in terms of overall design. that is, the shape of the frame and sails. quaintly, the japanese refer to the frame as the bones of the kite! the big majority of them were, and in some cases still are, made from split bamboo for the spars and washi paper for the sails. washi might just be paper, but this hand - made mulberry - based product it is very strong and ideal for kites - as long as you don ' t get it wet! i ' m just going to focus on a couple of designs which have been much copied or adapted in the west. you are likely to see at least one of these types at any large kite festival around the world! apart from these 2 designs, i wouldn ' t be surprised if other traditional japanese kites have been copied too, from time to time. the shape of the sode dako looks somewhat like a japanese kimono laid flat. in fact, ' sode ' means ' sleeves of a kimono '. photo courtesy of schnitzgeli. like some other japanese kites, and many other asian designs too, this one lends itself to having a ' hummer ' strung across the upper horizontal spar. the hummer makes musical noises when aloft in fresh breezes. this feature doesn ' t seem to have been copied in the west though. traditionally, sodes were built and flown to celebrate the birth of a son, and to ensure his future happiness and health. in general, the larger japanese kites need more complex bridle lines. at the small end of the scale, i ' ve seen a child ' s paper sode with no bridle at all - just a hole over the vertical spar allowing the flying line to be tied on directly! larger sodes would work well with a 4 - point bridle, with 2 lines from each horizontal spar. this helps to relieve the stress at the center of the horizontal spars, in fresher winds. most of the biggest sodes seem to have 6


work well with a 4 - point bridle, with 2 lines from each horizontal spar. this helps to relieve the stress at the center of the horizontal spars, in fresher winds. most of the biggest sodes seem to have 6 - point bridles. that is, lines run from the center and each tip of both horizontal spars. this gives even more rigidity, allowing for the use of even lighter spars than would otherwise be possible. more rigidity also helps the kite to cope with stronger winds. this example of a modern sode kite is by janneke groen, who is well known for her artistic sode kites. she specializes in applique and patchwork techniques. janneke, who comes from the netherlands has been putting her eye - catching flying works of art on show at kite festivals since the 1990s. it was at one of these festivals that roy reed took the picture opposite. modern japanese kites like this one usually employ fiberglass or carbon fiber rods for spars, and use rip - stop nylon for the sails. the 4 narrow tails on this particular design help to keep it stable. however, i suspect they are very much a part of the kite ' s artistic concept! photo by roy reed. an interesting addition is the bracing of the upper horizontal spar which i presume is there to improve the flying characteristics of the kite. that ' s the line going out from the nose to the tips. with a bit of ingenuity i guess it could be made to double as a pair of hummers! tuned to 2 different notes perhaps... being a decent sized kite, janneke has chosen to go with the full 6 - point bridle. the bridle lines are clearly visible in the photo, and the bridle appears to be very long. usually, with this kind of bridle, the 2 groups of three lines reduce to just 2 lines before being connected to the flying line itself. here ' s our own sode design, which you can make for yourself... photo courtesy of jeff attaway. this design is so named because it originated in the region of sanjo. it ' s more commonly referred to as the rokkaku. many non - japanese abbreviate the name even further to just ' rok '. the interesting thing about this design is how popular it has become in the west. there ' s an example of a non - traditional rok up there in the photo


- japanese abbreviate the name even further to just ' rok '. the interesting thing about this design is how popular it has become in the west. there ' s an example of a non - traditional rok up there in the photo. the traditional japanese kites were actually fighters, where people would try to knock each other out of the air by various devious means. kite battles with the rokkaku are still organized from time to time, all over the world.. in the west, versions of this kite are constructed with more modern materials, and when organized battles take place, the rules are different. when it comes to bridling, there are some similarities to the sode. bridle lines are attached to various points along each horizontal spar. a common arrangement on these japanese kites is the 4 - point bridle which just has 2 lines on each horizontal spar. the next step up would be the 6 - point bridle as used on the big sodes. in the case of the largest roks flying in fresh wind, an extra line may even be attached to the vertical spar, at the very center. this prevents the vertical spar from bending under extreme air pressure. some commercially available kites have names. like the one in the picture on the left, the loondance. how ' s that for an elaborate design! this modern rok is screen - printed by hand, which still takes some time due to the number of colors. other larger designs by this same company are hand - painted, which would add even more hours. not to mention $ s! at about 1. 5 meters tall ( 60 inches ), this is a medium sized rok. thanks to boreal kites, of www. gothicdesign. ca, for permission to show that photo. the materials are not exactly run - of - the - mill. the sail fabric is 3 / 4 oz. contender nylite, which i presume is a specialty nylon cloth, while the spars are spiral - wound epoxy tubing. sounds exotic! according to the makers, this rok likes winds of around 10 kph ( 6 mph ), but can be adjusted to fly in much stronger breezes. the photo shows a standard 4 - point bridle being used. here ' s our own rokkaku design, which you can make for yourself... if you would like a real insight into the world of traditional japanese kites, perhaps the ultimate experience would


standard 4 - point bridle being used. here ' s our own rokkaku design, which you can make for yourself... if you would like a real insight into the world of traditional japanese kites, perhaps the ultimate experience would be to visit the kite museum in tokyo! although there are only 3 rooms, they are crammed with approximately 3000 kites. these cover virtually every region of japan. apparently, the aroma of bamboo fills the air in this small but remarkable museum. mmm, can ' t say my bamboo skewer spars smell like much, but then they are probably processed to death... it ' s possible to buy japanese kites from the museum. they have small and relatively inexpensive souvenir kites made from bamboo and paper. however, if you have money to burn, you could splash out on something bigger and even more exquisite, made by master craftsmen! the museum is a 10 - minute walk from the yaesu central exit of the tokyo station ( japan railways ), or a 1 - minute walk from the c5 exit of the nihonbashi subway station. the museum ' s address is : taimeiken restaurant ( 5th floor ), 1 - 12 - 10 nihonbashi, chuoh - ku, tokyo 103 - 0027 never made a kite? child wants one? check out the... mbk beginner e - course watch it fly! a closer view make all the dowel kites, including the one above... the ultimate kite - making resource, and naturally much better value... are the e - books good? find out by trying... ' simplest dowel kites ' ( wait for cover page to appear )


too many of our young people are caught up in conflicts every day that they do not know how to manage - - teasing, jealousy, and physical aggression. juvenile delinquency and violence are symptoms of youth ' s inability to manage conflict in their lives. teaching youth how to manage conflict in a productive way can help reduce incidents of violent behavior. conflict resolution education is a beneficial component of a comprehensive violence prevention and intervention program in schools and communities. conflict resolution education encompasses problem solving in which the parties in dispute express their points of view, voice their interests, and find mutually acceptable solutions. conflict resolution education programs help the parties recognize that while conflict happens all the time, people can learn new skills to deal with conflict in nonviolent ways. the programs that appear to be most effective are comprehensive and involve multiple components such as the problem - solving processes and principles of conflict resolution, the basics of effective communication and listening, critical and creative thinking, and an emphasis on personal responsibility and self - discipline. effective conflict resolution education programs can : four common strategies for approaching conflict resolution experts identify four school - based conflict resolution strategies that can be replicated in other settings. these are commonly referred to as : ( 1 ) peer mediation, ( 2 ) process curriculum, ( 3 ) peaceable classrooms, and ( 4 ) peaceable schools. in all four approaches, conflict resolution education is viewed as giving youth nonviolent tools to deal with daily conflicts that can lead to self - destructive and violent behaviors. it is up to each local school district to decide how conflict resolution education will be integrated into its overall educational environment. the expectation is that when youth learn to recognize and constructively address what takes place before conflict or differences lead to violence, the incidence and intensity of that situation will diminish. the program examples provided below empower young people with the processes and skills of conflict resolution. however, youth need to know that conflict resolution does not take precedence over adult responsibility to provide the final word in a variety of circumstances or situations. conflict resolution has a place in the home, school, and community, but it can only supplement, not supplant, adult authority. 1 ) peer mediation approach recognizing the importance of directly involving youth in conflict resolution, many schools and communities are using the peer mediation approach. under this approach, specially trained student mediators work with their peers to resolve conflicts. mediation programs reduce the use of traditional disciplinary actions such as suspension, detention, and expulsion ; encourage effective problem solving ; decrease the need for teacher involvement in student conflicts ; and


this approach, specially trained student mediators work with their peers to resolve conflicts. mediation programs reduce the use of traditional disciplinary actions such as suspension, detention, and expulsion ; encourage effective problem solving ; decrease the need for teacher involvement in student conflicts ; and improve school climate. an example of a peer mediation program is we can work it out, developed by the national institute for citizenship education in the law and the national crime prevention council. the program promotes mediation, negotiation, or other non - litigating methods as strategies to settle unresolved confrontations and fighting. one albuquerque elementary school principal reported, " we were having 100 to 150 fights every month on the playground before we started the new mexico center for dispute resolution ' s mediation in the schools program. by the end of the school year, we were having maybe 10 ( fights ). " other elementary schools using the same peer mediation approach to conflict resolution education reported that playground fighting had been reduced to such an extent that peer mediators found themselves out of a job. process curriculum approach teachers who devote a specific time - - a separate course, a distinct curriculum, or a daily lesson - - to the principles, foundation abilities, and problem - solving processes of conflict resolution are implementing the process curriculum approach. the program for young negotiators, based on the harvard negotiation project, is representative of this approach. participating students, teachers, and administrators are taught how to use principled negotiation to achieve goals and resolve disputes. this type of negotiation helps disputants envision scenarios and generate options for achieving results that satisfy both sides. in a north carolina middle school with more than 700 students, conflict resolution education was initiated. the school used the peace foundation ' s fighting fair curriculum and a combination of components from various conflict resolution projects. after a school year, in - school suspensions decreased from 52 to 30 incidents ( a 42 - percent decrease ), and out - of - school suspensions decreased from 40 incidents to 1 ( a 97 - percent decrease ). peaceable classroom approach the peaceable classroom approach integrates conflict resolution into the curriculum and daily management of the classroom. it uses the instructional methods of cooperative learning and " academic controversy. " the educators for social responsibility curriculum, making choices about conflict, security, and peacemaking, is a peaceable classroom approach to conflict resolution. the program shows teachers how to integrate conflict resolution into the curriculum, classroom management, and discipline practices. it emphasizes opportunities to practice cooperation, appreciation of diversity, and caring and effective communication. generally, peaceable classrooms are


china service medal the china service medal was a relatively early entry into the hallowed halls of the medals of america when it was created by an act of congress in august of 1940. these us military medals were established to honor us navy, marine corps, and coast guard personnel who served ashore in china or were attached to vessels that operated in support of operations in china either between july 1937 and september of 1939, or between september of 1945 and april of 1957. regulations permitted the wearing of a bronze service star on these military medals and ribbons if a service member had performed duty during both periods of eligibility. these navy medals are now considered obsolete, and are no longer issued by the us navy. however, they can still be worn by navy personnel who earned them during that period. these navy, coast guard and marine corps ribbons and medals are worn in the position directly below the navy expeditionary medal, the marine corps expeditionary medal and the coast guard ’ s medal for humane action ; and are worn directly above the national defense service medal in the general order of precedence that has been established for the proper display of all navy, marine corps and coast guard military ribbons and medals. the china service medal is generally available as navy, marine corps, and coast guard decorations in the form of military medals, ribbons, and lapel pins. they can be worn as traditional slide - on medals, mini medals, and ribbons. while traditionalist may still prefer to purchase the traditional slide - on full size military medals, mini - medals, and slide - on military ribbons ; the newer thin mini - medals, and ultra thin military ribbons commercial suppliers now provide have become extremely popular among up and coming military personnel who know how important it is to their career advancement to always maximize the neatness and smartness of their uniform appearance.


a breed apart : : the " pit bull " debunked by lauren jones wenzel | the term “ pit bull ” refers not to a single breed but a group of breeds, including the american pit bull terrier, american staffordshire terrier, the staffordshire bull terrier, among others. most originated from pairings of the ancestors we now call the olde english bulldogge and terriers. their breeders wanted to merge the muscular body and tenacity of the bulldog with the agility and “ gameness ” of terriers. | originally bred for blood sports like bull - and bear - baiting in europe and north america, these dogs were trained to attack and immobilize the agitated animal and so were favored for their large, strong jaws and muscular necks and shoulders. when these sports were outlawed in the early 1800s, people began fighting the dogs, a sport more easily concealed from the authorities. since then, their bad reputation, much inflated by the media, has made them the target of unfair discrimination, breed specific legislation ( breed banning ) and, thanks to their “ tough dog ” image, a favorite dog in the more illegal enterprises. | the truth is that this highly intelligent, energetic, affectionate breed loves people. pit bulls were prized as wonderful family dogs in years past. in fact, they once had the moniker of “ nanny dog ” because of their wonderful demeanor with children. | most experts agree that today ’ s pit bull is a short - coated dog characterized by a wide skull, powerful jaws and a muscular, stocky body. but there is great variation in the pit bull ’ s appearance. typically 35 to 65 pounds, some weigh as little as 25 pounds, while others tip the scales at 80 pounds or more. while some have bulkier frames and colossal skulls, others have leaner, more muscular bodies. all are strong and athletic. with their impressive stamina and staunch work ethic, pit bulls enjoy a variety of sports such as agility, disc dog competitions, flyball, freestyle and competitive obedience. they often excel in weight - pulling contests and schutzhund. pit bulls are typically very friendly, even with strangers. they love people and thrive on attention and affection. because of their terrier bloodlines, pit bulls have a high prey drive, meaning they will frequently chase and grab small animals. since most terriers were bred for eradicating small rodents, pit bulls have a tendency to not get along with other animals, including dogs. this makes their early socialization with other


prey drive, meaning they will frequently chase and grab small animals. since most terriers were bred for eradicating small rodents, pit bulls have a tendency to not get along with other animals, including dogs. this makes their early socialization with other animals especially important. pit bulls also have a tendency to be easily aroused or over - excited and, once riled, it can be difficult for them to calm down, so adequate exercise and training are a must with these dogs. they are not the best choice for the first - time dog owner due to their strength and high energy level and, for the more rambunctious dogs, homes with older children are advised due to their energy and strength. because of their unfortunate reputation, owning a pit bull can be a greater responsibility than owning another breed. it is important that they be well - trained and socialized so they can be good ambassadors for their group. yet, those dog guardians ready for the challenge and effort of pit bull ownership will find it to be one of the most loyal, loving, and wonderful companions on four legs. | did you know that helen keller, the famous blind and deaf author, activist, and lecturer of the early 1900s, owned a pit bull? or that petey from the popular series of the 1920s and 1930s, the little rascals, was also a pit bull? and during world war i and world war ii, pit bulls were frequently used to carry messages on the battlefield. |


reform in spanish education : the institucion libre de ensenanza by noel m. valis paper presented to thomas woody society, university of pennsylvania, january 26, 1977 this document examines the development and influence of the free institute of education ( institucion libre de ensenanza ) and of its founder, don francisco giner de los rios, in late nineteenth century spain. founded in 1876 against a background of repression and reimposition of state - controlled education during the bourbon restoration the institute was a private institution free of church and state. its intent was to create an alternative to the higher education system of official spain, but due to financial problems, it evolved into an institution of primary and secondary education. subject matter included traditional, state - required subjects, but also anthropology, technology, social sciences, economics, art, drawing, singing, and handwork - - all generally neglected in state - and church - run schools. most radical were the innovations in art and physical education ( stressing free inquiry, observation, and spontaneous criticism in the former, and development of the whole person in the latter ) and in the institution of field trips, hiking, and nature observation. the use of textbooks was discouraged as much as possible, and examinations were regarded as producing mostly negative results. emphasis was placed instead upon the creation of student notebooks that reflected the pupil ' s judgment and synthesis of materials. don francisco borrowed much from the french and english forms of education, and was influenced by rousseau, froebel, pestalozzi, krause, and sanz del rio, the last of whom provided his ideal of reconciling all human facilities to produce an artistic taste, technical preparedness, spiritual elevation and an austere, moral sense of life. the institute fell victim to the civil war of 1936, but proved a pervasive influence in spanish society to this day. ( mb ) it has sometimes been said of spanish philosophy, " what spanish philosophy? " the same reproach might be directed at the non - existence of spanish education. " there ain ' t no such animal, " some might claim, forgetting for the moment the intellectual freedom and depth of thirteenth - century toledo under the reign of alfonso x, the wise ( el sabio ), and the splendor and revival of learning in the sixteenth - century universities of salamanca, alcala and other institutions. what is mostly remembered, however, is the disheartening decline of spanish education, ushered in by the rigidities, fears and into


splendor and revival of learning in the sixteenth - century universities of salamanca, alcala and other institutions. what is mostly remembered, however, is the disheartening decline of spanish education, ushered in by the rigidities, fears and intolerance of the catholic counter - reformation, of sixteenth - and seventeenth - century spain. but this view of education in spain, of necessity simplified, would not be complete without mention of the establishment and significance of the instititucion libre de ensenanza, in english, the free institution / institute of education. in order to understand more clearly the institute ' s impact on spanish society, i will review very quickly some of the historical background to its founding in 1876. a broad overview of nineteenth - century spain reveals to us that the " lack of civility " among spaniards, which reached such extreme proportions during the 1936 - 30 civil war, had its roots in the last century. civil war, frequent military uprisings in the form of " pronunciamientos, " and dissension everywhere created an ambience of unease and fragmentation within spanish society. historians talk of " las dos espanas, " the " two spains, " that is, the liberal, progressive side as opposed to the traditional, sometimes reactionary side of the country. it is probably more accurate, however, to talk of the many spains. to disagree was the spaniard ' s right - - no, his duty to himself, to his own proud sense of individuality and dignity. a solution imposed from above, from the state, seemed, in many cases, the only solution when there were problems, and there were many - - economic, political, religious. the problem of spanish education was only of several, and it too came to be subsumed into the more general and overriding conflict of state versus individual, of authority vs. freedom. reconciling such absolutes frequently failed ; worse still, the distinction between philosophy and ideology, that is, between the search for truth and the molding, frequent distorting of existential reality to one ' s own conception of it, this distinction would too often become blurred in the disputes and violence of nineteenth - century spain. tempers rose, passions were unleashed, ideologies reigned supreme, and somewhere in the shuffle, clarity of vision and truth were lost. this split in spanish society in part gave birth to the free institute of education. specifically, we must look to the years 1868 and 1874 to explain how the institute


of spain ' s decadence in education and elsewhere. but certainly spain ' s withdrawal and increasing isolation from the rest of europe from the middle of the sixteenth century on explains in part the origins of stagnation in her schools and universities. in 1559 philip ii forbade study in foreign universities ; shortly before that, he banned the importing of books from abroad. the additional power of the inquisition to safeguard orthodoxy among spaniards and weed out the impure and heretical elements must also be taken into account. and finally, as the historian americo castro has pointed out, spaniards became reluctant to demonstrate intellectual powers and curiosity for fear of being taken for a jew. spanish jews were known for their interest in intellectual matters. and nobody wanted to deal with the inquisition. to control the inner life and content of the universities and other schools the government stepped in so that by the nineteenth century spanish schools, particularly the universities, to quote salvador madariaga, " were more government establishments for the granting of official diplomas " ( p. 75, spain, n. y., 1943 ). he goes on to say that " in a sense all universities tend fatally to become degree factories. but in spain... they were nothing else. " schooling on all levels were plagued by unimaginative, and stiff, unbending teaching, bad textbooks, long hours of routine and frequent utter boredom, and sometimes even brutalization. memorization and recitation were the chief pedagogic tools. the first third of the last century also brought in more imitation of french manners and customs, certainly not the first instance of french influence on spanish education. eighteenth - century spain had already adopted gallic centralization of schooling. the critic mariano jose de larra describes the mania of copying, badly, i might add, french mores among the spanish middle classes and well - to - do. the narrator of " el casarse pronto y mal " writes that his sister became enamored of french customs and from then on, " bread was no longer bread ( pan ), nor wine, wine ( vino ). " " suffice it to say, " continues larra in this ironic vein, that my sister adopted the ideas of the period ; but as this second education was as shallow and superficial as the first ( her spanish upbringing ), and as that weak segment of humanity never knows how not to go to extremes, she suddenly jumped from the christian year of our lord 18 _ _ to the era of pigault lebrun (


and superficial as the first ( her spanish upbringing ), and as that weak segment of humanity never knows how not to go to extremes, she suddenly jumped from the christian year of our lord 18 _ _ to the era of pigault lebrun ( a frivolous, sometimes scandalous french novelist ) and left off going to mass and devotions, without knowing in the least why she did so, why she used to go in the first place. she said that her son could be educated in whatever manner it suited him ; that he could read without order or method whatever books fell into his hands ; and god knows what other things she said about ignorance and fanaticism, reason and enlightenment, adding that religion was a social contract into which only idiots entered in good faith and that the boy didn ' t need religion to be good ; that the terms, father and mother ( padre y madre ) were lower - class, and that one should treat one ' s papa and mama familiarly with the tu form of address because there is no friendship like that which unites parents to their children. ( articulos de costumbres, madrid, 1965 ). a writer of a later period, jose maria de pereda retains this image of his school days in the 1840 ' s : the chill of death, the obscurity of a dungeon, the stench of grottoes, the unhappiness, affliction and pain of torture permeated the classroom... virgil and dante, so clever in depicting hell and torment, would have been at wit ' s end to describe those images of school which are engraved in my memory for the rest of my life... i believed myself cut off from the refuge of my family and the protection of the state ; i heard the swish of the cane and the complaints of the victims, and the lessons were very long, and there were no excuses for not knowing them ; and not knowing them meant caning and mockery, which also hurt ; and confinement, fisticuffs, whipping, and the ignominy of all these things. who is the brave soul who could truly paint such scenes if the worst of it was what the spirit felt and not what the eyes saw or the flesh suffered? ( esbozos y rasgunos, " mas reminiscencias, " obras completas, v. 1, madrid, 1959, p. 1226 ). he then goes on to say that " one had to know the lesson literally


detriment of the king ' s person or the constitutional monarchy then in power. the circular also stated that action would be taken against any professor who so indulges in such political or religious meditations - - i. e., expulsion from the university. the minister ' s recommendations were no mere recommendations. the result of all this was the removal of several professors from their faculty chairs. among them was the future founder of the institute, francisco giner de los rios. for not adhering to the state ' s demands, he was arrested in march 1875, at 4 : 00 in the morning, and spent four months confinement until he was finally expelled from the university. the principle in question was clearly one of academic freedom. the state, however, saw the " university question " ( " cuestion universitaria " ) from another angle : that is, the university and its faculties were no more than instruments of the government ' s policies and, therefore, were obligated to conform to the state ' s instructions and directives. the professors were, in effect, civil servants ( and still are today ). this, then, is the historical and educational background to the founding of the institucion libre de ensenanza, the institute, in 1876. the institucion libre de ensenanza perhaps the most significant point to be made about the institute ' s existence is the profound and far - reaching, if diffuse, influence of its founder, francisco giner de los rios, a professor of philosophy of law at the university of madrid. it was largely don francisco ' s attractive and vibrant personality which held the institute together and proved to be the prime mover of the school. all the accounts of don francisco by friends, former students, disciplines, and fellow professors stress the very personal and individual effect of the man. this is not to deny the cogency of his ideas and methods of teaching but simply to make clear that, with don francisco, abstractions were made concrete in his very person ; that is, through him and his relations with men and women, he incarnated his own beliefs. one friend had this to say about him as a teacher at the time of his death in 1915 : what was the secret of his teaching? did he reveal anything new? or was it that everything was transformed at the touch of his powerful creative imagination? the secret lay as much in the form as in the substance. as a teacher, he brought us something that was the complete opposite of the old methods ;


anything new? or was it that everything was transformed at the touch of his powerful creative imagination? the secret lay as much in the form as in the substance. as a teacher, he brought us something that was the complete opposite of the old methods ; and he discouraged the craze for oratory which has been so damaging to education in spain. in his lectures at the university or at the institution, he only aimed at one thing : to shake the pupil out of his torpor, stir him up to independent investigation, to working the thing out by himself ; and above all he recommended games, art, the country. as an educationist he created a complete system of social education, which had for its axis the child, the citizen, the man as he would like to see him, healthy in mind and body, and working for a spain that was strong and dignified and which must one day rise again. ( j. b. trend, origins of modern spain, n. y. 1934, p. 99 ). or as another writer put it : " he gave us our conception of the universe and of the way to peel an orange. " ( p. 103 ). what was don francisco ' s creation, the institute, like and what were its educational and philosophical origins? how did don francisco and his disciples " make men, " " hacer hombres, " the overriding goal of the institute? as j. b. trend, rafael altamira, and others have noted, don francisco giner believed that the most pressing problem of spain was the problem of education. he, like the literary generation of 1898, was obsessed - - and rightly so - - with the question of spain ' s decadence, and the vital necessity for her regeneration. and he took the now classic position of the nineteenth - century liberal that through education lay the country ' s revitalization. it must be clearly understood that don francisco ' s efforts were those of a minority and directed toward a minority. it was not mass education, although the effects of the institute certainly were to reach public education throughout spain in the twentieth century. first and most important, the institute was created as a private institution, independent of both church and state. i don ' t think it is necessary to do more than mention here the historic interdependence of church and state in spain. the credo of the institute, which appeared regularly on the masthead of its publication, the bulletin of the free institute of education ( el boletin


do more than mention here the historic interdependence of church and state in spain. the credo of the institute, which appeared regularly on the masthead of its publication, the bulletin of the free institute of education ( el boletin de la institucion libre de ensenanza ) was as follows : the free institute of education is completely opposed to religious, philosophical and political sectarianism, proclaiming only the principle of liberty and the inviolability of science and the concomitant independence of scientific research and explanation, with regard to any other authority than that of the conscience itself of the professor, who is alone responsible for his ideas. ( cited by a. jimenez - landi, " don francisco giner de los rios y la institucion libre de ensenanza, " revista hispanica moderna, v. 25, nos. 1, 2, 1959, p. 16 ). because spain ' s educational history had been one of bickering and divisiveness between the demands of the state and the private sector, and conflict between the precepts of the church and needs of science, with religion usually dominating over science, don francisco abhorred dogmatic, closed positions. he fervently believed in tolerance. it was not, however, mere intellectual benevolence which motivated don francisco. rather, it was an ethical, moral stance, a way of life, which he wanted to instill in his pupils, the " institutionists. " a follower of giner de los rios, jose castillejo, has written that, for don francisco, " the two greatest forces in education are : the personality of the teacher and the social atmosphere and surroundings of the school " ( wars of ideas in spain, london, 1937, p. 97 ). we have already seen in the magnetic power of don francisco ' s teaching itself the importance of the teacher ' s personality. what about the ambience of the school? here, one sees right away to what extent don francisco and his disciples felt compelled to move away from the current, i. e., antiquated and rigid teaching methods and atmosphere of both public and private schools in spain. first, the classroom should be informal, akin to familial surroundings. the teacher should not merely dictate or lecture, but rather converse, using whatever approach or combination of approaches worked best, starting with the socratic dialogue. no one method was to be used, to the exclusion of


familial surroundings. the teacher should not merely dictate or lecture, but rather converse, using whatever approach or combination of approaches worked best, starting with the socratic dialogue. no one method was to be used, to the exclusion of all others. the teacher was a guide, the pupils a family. a small family. classes were to be kept small. and coeducational ( primary and secondary education in spain today is not coeducational. ) cordiality and the spirit of discovery were the key words at the institute. don francisco aimed at dispelling not only the fear and horror of school, such as we have seen in pereda ' s reminiscences, but the passivity with which most students received their education. the original intent of the institute was to create an alternative to the higher education of official spain, but the desire was not to be met. it was quickly found to be beyond the resources of the institute which suffered from chronic insufficiency of funds from its inception. instead, the school evolved into an institution of primary and secondary education. since most students entering a spanish university were ill - prepared to meet its demands, the " institutionists " felt that a solid intellectual, moral, physical and spiritual background given in the primary and secondary levels of education was an a priori necessity. what was taught at the institute besides the traditional subjects required by the state _ _ _ curriculum included anthropology, technology, social sciences, economics, art, drawing, singing, and handwork. most of these subjects were generally neglected in state and church - run schools of the period. most remembered and most significant are the innovations carried out in the arts and in physical education, and the frequent excursions. first, art. " institutionists, " for the most part, tried to avoid systematic and highly structured courses in art and art history. instead, they emphasized such activities as excursions to historical monuments and places and visits to museums. such an unorthodox procedure was unheard - of in nineteenth - century spain. rather than mere lessons, the institute stressed the actual, vivid experiencing of art as much as possible. like the literary generation of 1898, they also, in a sense, rediscovered spain ' s cultural heritage, by extolling the value of spanish folklore, architecture and painting. it was, for example, a disciple of don francisco, manuel de cossio, who rediscovered the forgotten and neglected el greco for spaniards and the rest of the world. one of the most