dubai, jan. 20 ( xinhua ) - - with new oil and gas nations coming up and renewable energy usage gaining global momentum, the fossil fuels - rich gulf states might run into rough waters in the upcoming decades. the gulf states like saudi arabia and kuwait are today synonyms for oil, but that could change soon. according to the international energy agency ( iea ), the gulf monopoly of oil supply is contested by the united states which is on the way to become the largest oil exporter throughout the world by 2030. meantime, lebanon and israel, two old arch - foes in the middle east technically still at war, started digging deeply off the mediterranean coast in search for oil and gas. in addition, the global rise of solar power, wind energy and bio - thermal heat rivals the fossil fuels ' monopoly as the only safe and reliable source of energy. at the 6th world future energy summit ( wfes ) that was held on jan. 15 - 17 in abu dhabi, the participants were able to see how the world would function without the use of oil and gas or at least with less fossil fuels. the catecar, a switzerland - based company, presented the dragonfly, a solar - powered hybrid which does not need to be plugged because the solar panel is fixed on the roof. meanwhile, abu dhabi ' s environmental city masdar launched a pilot project aiming at running sea - water desalination plants with solar or wind power by 2020 " in order to reduce the very expensive use of oil and gas to run such plants, " said dr. sultan al - jaber, the chief executive of masdar. at present, half of the world ' s desalinated water is produced in the gulf arab region. during the summit, the abu dhabi urban planning council presented how we live next in the estidama - house, a building equipped only with environmentally - friendly installations that secure an efficient use of water and electricity. washington ' s independence on arab oil till 2030 would have deep implications for u. s. military bases in the region, where two thirds of the world ' s known oil reserves are located, the german daily die welt reported in a secret study which the german intelligence service bnd released. the report estimated that most of middle eastern oil would flow to east asia. moreover, the united states is sitting on large shale gas reserves as a source of natural gas. due to shale gas discoveries, the world ' s largest economy might also become autonomous in producing its own natural gas. however


oil would flow to east asia. moreover, the united states is sitting on large shale gas reserves as a source of natural gas. due to shale gas discoveries, the world ' s largest economy might also become autonomous in producing its own natural gas. however, the method to access shale gas through " fracking " is strongly slammed by environmentalists who see huge danger for nature if shale gas is extracted from mountainous regions. meanwhile, lebanon, known so far as the only arab country without a desert and without oil, held the country ' s first international oil and gas summit in beirut. the summit was held after an exploration company from norway found huge gas reserves beneath the eastern mediterranean sea offshore of lebanon, which would have the potential of becoming a second kuwait once it starts exporting gas. lebanon ' s southern neighbor israel claims parts of that field known as leviathan, comprising 17 trillion cubic foot of natural gas. a dubai - based economist, who requested anonymity, said that the disputed gas field might lay the foundation for the next middle east war. morten mauritzen, the president for the gulf region at u. s. energy giant exxonmobil, said at the energy summit in abu dhabi, which harbors some 7 percent of the world ' s known oil reserves, that the demand for oil and gas would rise 35 percent until 2040, dampening hopes that renewable energy like wind power, solar energy or thermal earth - heat would play a significant role in the future. " oil and gas are reliable, safe and accessible for all, while solar energy is not scalable to satisfy the huge demand, " said mauritzen. according to exxonmobil ' s forecast, world population will grow to 8. 7 billion in the next 30 years, up from the current 7 billion. exxonmoil currently upgrades together with abu dhabi national oil company drilling technologies in the upper zakum, the world ' s largest offshore oilfield. " we are reclaiming land to build four artificial islands in the upper zakum in order to build stations for machines and staff, " said mauritzen. he noted that this was a unique example how oil exploration can be done in a cost - efficient way.


warmer temperatures, variable monsoons, and other signs of climate change are a hot topic of conversation among many himalayan villagers, according to scientific sampling of climate change perception among local peoples. “ this area is cold and it ’ s often raining. even during the non - monsoon times there is mist and fog so inevitably conversations here turn to weather, ” said kamal bawa, biologist at the university of massachusetts, boston ( umb ), and president of ashoka trust for research in ecology and the environment ( atree ) in bangalore, india. “ when you stop and have a cup of tea in someone ’ s kitchen, the conversation invariably turns to the weather. but then they soon start talking about how the weather has been changing. ” bawa is also a member of the national geographic committee for research and exploration. bawa didn ’ t set out to study himalayan perceptions of climate change. but after hearing the same themes repeated again and again during household conversations he decided to investigate. with umb graduate student pahupati chaudhary, he surveyed some 500 homes spread across 18 villages in darjeeling hills, west bengal, india and nepal ’ s ilam district. the pair found some surprisingly consistent observations. three - fourths of the people surveyed believe that their weather is getting warmer and two - thirds believe that summer and monsoon season have begun earlier over the past ten years. seventy percent believe that water sources are drying up while forty - six percent said that they think there is less snow on the high mountains. many villagers also told chaudhary they ’ d noticed shifts in some species ranges and earlier flowering and budding of plants. new pests have also arrived, villagers routinely reported, to plague crops and people — including mosquitoes where none had been before. most of these changes were reported by much higher percentages of people living at higher altitudes than by those at lower altitudes. “ we ’ ve shown in earlier research that people at high altitudes seem to be more sensitive to climate change, and of course it ’ s known that climate change is more severe at higher altitudes, so that ’ s not a surprise, ” bawa said. many himalayan peoples live in areas where predicted and observed impacts of climate change, like species migration, are more acute. many of them also live “ close to the land, ” where agricultural - based livelihoods make them especially attuned to weather patterns. listening to locals can help climate science scientific data on climate change have been hard to come by in the region, bawa reported. few


“ close to the land, ” where agricultural - based livelihoods make them especially attuned to weather patterns. listening to locals can help climate science scientific data on climate change have been hard to come by in the region, bawa reported. few weather stations dot remote and high - altitude locales and where they do exist their data are often incomplete. but where data can be found they seem to corroborate local observations, bawa said, citing his own research on temperature and rainfall records as well as the work of other scientists listed in recent biology letters and current science reports of bawa and chaudhary ’ s research. “ governments in the region are now gearing up towards more research, ” bawa said. “ but it will take time to gather this climate data. ” that ’ s why local knowledge can be such valuable human intelligence, he added. it can be gathered quickly and widely and used to “ jump start ” scientific efforts. “ there seems to be quite a bit of knowledge residing with local communities, in the himalaya and elsewhere, and we can really use that knowledge to formulate scientific questions for further research and make more rapid assessments of the impacts of climate change. ” bawa said it ’ s hard to determine to what extent local peoples are familiar with the global dialogue on climate change, or how much that might have influenced their perceptions. but most of those he spoke with didn ’ t identify a clear cause for the changes they ’ d observed. “ we ’ re saying that people seem to be aware that the climate is changing, but they may not necessarily be aware of why it ’ s changing. i think when you come to that question people don ’ t have any ideas — or they may have some very different ideas. ” bawa pointed to a recent study of this topic in tibet, where many respondents believed that humans are causing climate change — but not by producing greenhouse gasses as most climate scientists believe. “ they seem to think that the climate is changing because the gods are not happy and perhaps the people in the younger generations are not praying enough. ” this research was supported in part by a committee for research and exploration grant of the national geographical society.


violence against women act march 24, 2008 the violence against women act ( vawa ) renewal passes the house and senate and signed into law new law will safely and effectively meet the needs of more victims the violence against women act ( vawa ) is the cornerstone of our nation ' s response to domestic and sexual violence. a strong bipartisan bill to reauthorize vawa ( s. 47 ) passed in the senate on february 12, 2013 ( 78 - 22 ) and in the house of representatives on february 28, 2013 ( 286 - 138 ). president obama signed the bill into law on march 7, 2013. your calls made a difference! this is our collective victory for survivors. want to make one more call? visit our legislative action center to find out how you can thank your senators and representatives for voting for vawa. what will this renewal of the violence against women act ( vawa ) change? the violence against women act ( vawa ) has improved our nation ' s response to violence. however, not all victims have been protected or reached. vawa 2013 will close critical gaps in services and justice. vawa 2013 reauthorized and improved upon lifesaving services for all victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking - including native women, immigrants, lgbt victims, college students and youth, and public housing residents. vawa 2013 also authorized appropriate funding to provide for vawa ' s vitally important programs and protections, without imposing limitations that undermine effectiveness or victim safety. justice and safety for native american women : native american victims of domestic violence often cannot seek justice because their courts are not allowed to prosecute non - native offenders - - even for crimes committed on tribal land. this major gap in justice, safety, and violence prevention must be addressed. vawa 2013 includes a solution that would give tribal courts the authority they need to hold offenders in their communities accountable. justice and safety for lgbt survivors : lesbian, gay, bisexul and transgender survivors of violence experience the same rates of violence as straight individuals. however, lgbt survivors sometimes face discrimination when seeking help and protection. vawa 2013 prohibits such discrimination to ensure that all victims of violence have access to the same services and protection to overcome trauma and find safety. safe housing for survivors : landmark vawa housing protections that were passed in 2005 have helped prevent discrimination against and unjust evictions of survivors of domestic violence in public and assisted housing. the law, however, did not cover all federally subsidized housing programs. vawa 2013 expands these


protections that were passed in 2005 have helped prevent discrimination against and unjust evictions of survivors of domestic violence in public and assisted housing. the law, however, did not cover all federally subsidized housing programs. vawa 2013 expands these protections to individuals in all federally subsidized housing programs, explicitly protects victims of sexual assault and creates emergency housing transfer options. protections for immigrant survivors : vawa 2013 maintains important protections for immigrant survivors of abuse, while also making key improvements to existing provisions including by strengthening the international marriage broker regulation act and the provisions around self - petitions and u visas. justice on campuses : college students are mong thos emost vulnerable to dating violence. provisions in vawa 2013 add additional protections for students by requiring schools to implement a recording process for incidences of dating violence, as well as report the findings. in addition, schools would be required to create plans to prevent this violence and educate victims on their rights and resources. maintaining vawa grant programs : vawa grants are effectively meeting the needs of millions of victims across the country. vawa 2013 includes many important improvements to these grant programs, including allowing state domestic violence coalitions to be the lead applicant on the grants to encourage arrest program ; ensuring that specific stakeholders, including domestic violence coalitions, play a meaningful role in developing state stop plans ; and providing a formal process for the office on violence against women to receive coalition and other key domestic violence and sexual assault community input. the violence against women act ( vawa ) is effective and important : vawa creates and supports comprehensive, cost - effective responses to the pervasive and insidious crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking. since its enactment in 1994, vawa programs, administered by the departments of justice ( doj ) and health and human services ( hhs ), have dramatically improved federal, tribal, state, and local responses to these crimes. - there has been as much as a 51 % increase in reporting by women and a 37 % increase in reporting by men. - the number of individuals killed by an intimate partner has decreased by 34 % for women and 57 % for men, and the rate of non - fatal intimate partner violence against women has decreased by 67 %. - vawa not only saves lives, it saves money. in its first six years alone, vawa saved taxpayers at least $ 12. 6 billion in net averted social costs. a recent study found that civil protection orders saved one state ( kentucky ) on average $ 85 million in a


it saves money. in its first six years alone, vawa saved taxpayers at least $ 12. 6 billion in net averted social costs. a recent study found that civil protection orders saved one state ( kentucky ) on average $ 85 million in a single year. - find more information here. initially passed in 1994, vawa created the first u. s. federal legislation acknowledging domestic violence and sexual assault as crimes, and provided federal resources to encourage community - coordinated responses to combating violence. its reauthorization in 2000 improved the foundation established by vawa 1994 by creating a much - needed legal assistance program for victims and by expanding the definition of crime to include dating violence and stalking. its subsequent reauthorization in 2005 took a more holistic approach to addressing these crimes and created new programs to meet the emerging needs of communities working to prevent violence. included in the 2005 reauthorization were new focus areas such as prevention, landmark housing protections for survivors, funding for rape crisis centers, and culturally - and linguistically - specific services. vawa 2013 will ensure the continuation and improvement of these vital, lifesaving programs and laws. nnedv continues to be a leading force in efforts to reauthorize vawa. nnedv and its member state domestic violence coalitions also played a crucial role in the passage of vawa in 1994 and its reauthorizations in 2000 and 2005. nnedv is currently working with state coalitions, national organizations, and congress to ensure vawa ’ s swift reauthorization and targeted investments in vawa grant programs through the appropriations process. nnedv ' s role in vawa reauthorization nnedv played an integral role in efforts to reauthorize vawa. nnedv and its member state domestic violence coalitions also played a crucial role inthe passage of vawa in 1994 and its reauthorization in 2000 and 2005. - nnedv ' s press statements on vawa - nnedv ' s president kim gandy on msnbc - nnedv ' s vice president of development & innovation cindy southworth on pbs learn more and take action : - vawa 2013 reauthorization factsheet - s. 47 - the full text of the bill to reauthorize the violence against women act of 2013 - legislative action center learn more about vawa : - vawa 2005 fact sheet - section by section summary of vawa 2005 - the violence against women act of 2005 the full text of the " violence against


a group of teachers were keen to embed rich tasks from the nrich website http : / / nrich. maths. org into their curriculum for all ks3 and ks4 students. in this article, the teachers share the issues they needed to consider and what they are doing to address them. the catalysts for change were our desire to : these changes took some of us, and our colleagues, out of our comfort zone as we adapted the way in which we worked in our classrooms and tried out different roles for ourselves and our we needed to take into account the different needs of individual teachers in our schools and their students as they began to use in order to improve both teachers ' and students ' abilities to work on the rich tasks, it was necessary to take account of, and find ways of supporting : the challenges involved in learning mathematics through rich the use of a range of lesson structures the use of effective questioning to promote thinking in what follows, we have identified some problems from the nrich website, closely linked to the curriculum, which are ideal for use by schools wishing to introduce rich tasks. the aim is to be able to predict the area of any tilted what areas are possible? what areas are impossible? is there a connection between the " tilt " and the area of a what observations, thoughts and conclusions can you offer? the nrich website offers teachers ' notes to many problems. these include suggestions for how the problems might be used in the briefly, introduce the environment with an interactive whiteboard ( iwb ), or drawing diagrams on the board. ask students to work in pairs to find one or more ways to calculate the exact area of the square displayed on the board. obtain suggestions, with students coming to the board to demonstrate their methods, until the group seem confident with both techniques i. e. ' boxing in ' and dissection. then pose the questions give them five minutes to work on their own / in pairs to think about, and make some brief notes on how they will start working on the problem and why they think such an approach would be share ideas about strategies as a whole group. they will need to find ways of breaking the problem down working systematically and keeping track of their data. it may be useful to stop the group and share " good ideas " as work progresses. the aim is to mediate the problem by encouraging systematic approaches. as conjectures emerge ask learners to write them on a poster / the board and ensure they have convincing arguments or proofs to hand that can justify them. encourage students to


work progresses. the aim is to mediate the problem by encouraging systematic approaches. as conjectures emerge ask learners to write them on a poster / the board and ensure they have convincing arguments or proofs to hand that can justify them. encourage students to find clear concise vocabulary to express their rules, and to express how certain they are about them ( e. g. probable pattern / result from choose four consecutive whole numbers, for example, 4, 5, 6 multiply the first and last numbers together. multiply the middle pair together. choose different sets of four consecutive whole numbers and do what do you notice? choose five consecutive whole numbers, for example, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. multiply the second and fourth numbers together. choose different sets of five consecutive whole numbers and do what do you notice now? what happens when you take 6, 7, 8, '? ¦ n consecutive whole numbers and compare the product of the first and last numbers with the product of the second and penultimate numbers? explain your findings. establish that the group knows the meaning of ' consecutive ' - consecutive days, consecutive letters in the alphabet... choose four consecutive numbers and tell your students that you will multiply the outer ones and the inner ones. ask students to pick their own sets of four consecutive numbers and do the same. record all the results on the board. what do they notice? will this always happen? even with consecutive negative how could we explain it? encourage algebraic and geometric much of what will follow will depend on the arithmetical and algebraic confidence of the group. use the extension and support remarks below to indicate the best way to use this resource beyond the questions in the problem. this problem only operated on the end numbers and the ' end but one ' numbers. could you make a more general statement and justify if you have an odd number of consecutive numbers, what ' s the difference between the product of the end numbers and the square of the middle number? this problem could also be approached purely numerically, as an exercise in developing fluency with multiplication tables while looking for pattern and structure. a multiplication grid could be used for recording results, with the pair products highlighted according to how many consecutive numbers were being used. visualisation through blocks of dots or rectangle areas may help students explain why their pattern must work in every case. imagine you have a large supply of 3kg and 8kg weights. four 3kg weights and one 8kg weight have an average weight of how many of each weight would


help students explain why their pattern must work in every case. imagine you have a large supply of 3kg and 8kg weights. four 3kg weights and one 8kg weight have an average weight of how many of each weight would you need for the average ( mean ) of the weights to be 6kg? if you had other combinations of the 3kg and 8kg weights, what other whole number averages could you make? what ' s the smallest? what ' s the largest? can you make all the whole number values in between? what if you have a different pair of weights ( for example 2kg what averages can you now make? try other different pairs of weights. do you notice anything about your results? do they have anything in common? can you use what you notice to find, for example, the combination of 17kg and 57kg weights that have an average of 44kg...... of 52kg....... of 21kg.....? explain an efficient way of doing this. can you explain why your method works? given the original 3kg and 8kg weights, can you find combinations that produce averages of 4. 5kg... of 7. 5kg... of 4. 2kg... of 6. 9kg...? convince yourself that all averages between 3kg and 8kg are possible. what averages are possible if you are allowed a negative number of 3kg and 8kg weights? you may initially wish to restrict the weights used to those which have a difference of 2kg, then 3kg, then 4kg, etc. in order to model working systematically, and to make the pattern of results some students may find multilink cubes useful to support their here are two examples of students work on searching for this is a game for two players. you will need a 100 square which you can download or you can use the first player chooses a positive even number that is less than 50, and crosses it out on the grid. the second player chooses a number to cross out. the number must be a factor or multiple of the first number. players continue to take it in turns to cross out numbers, at each stage choosing a number that is a factor or multiple of the number just crossed out by the other player. the first person who is unable to cross out a number loses. switch the challenge


continue to take it in turns to cross out numbers, at each stage choosing a number that is a factor or multiple of the number just crossed out by the other player. the first person who is unable to cross out a number loses. switch the challenge from winning the game to covering as many numbers as possible. pupils can again work in pairs trying to find the longest sequence of numbers that can be crossed out. can more than half the numbers be crossed out? this challenge could run for an extended period : the longest sequence can be displayed on a noticeboard and pupils can be challenged to improve on it ; any improved sequences can be added to ask pupils to explain why their choice of numbers is good. a semi - regular tessellation has two properties : can you find all the semi - regular tessellations? can you show that you have found them all? to help you when you are working away from the computer, multiple copies of the different polygons are available to print and cut out. ask students to suggest shapes that could fit round a point. test out their suggestions. record what works and what doesn ' t. e. g. 1 pentagon, 2 squares and 1 triangle don ' t fit round a why do some fit and some don ' t? could you tell in advance, without using the interactivity? elicit from students the idea that the interior angles of regular polygons are a crucial factor in determining whether the regular polygons will fit together or not. before moving on to the computers ask students to work on paper finding combinations of regular polygons that will fit round a point. this may encourage students to work systematically when using the interactivity provided. resources are provided at the end of the problem to support students working away from the challenge students to find all the possible semi - regular tessellations and to provide convincing evidence that they have got the complete set. each school worked in different ways. here are examples of what some of the schools did : this is what the schools said about how their practice has this article is the result of the collaborative work of : susanne mallett, steve wren, mark dawes and colleagues from comberton village college amy blinco, brett haines and colleagues from gable hall school jenny everton, ellen morgan and colleagues from longsands community craig barton, debbie breen, geraldine ellison and colleagues from the range school danny burgess, jim stavrou and colleagues from sawston village catherine carre and fran watson and colleagues from sharnbrook david cherry, chris hawkins and


throat cancer is a disease in which cancer cells grow in an abnormal way in the throat. cancer occurs when cells in the body — in this case throat cells — divide without control or order. normally, cells divide in a regulated manner. if cells keep dividing uncontrollably when new cells are not needed, a mass of tissue forms, called a growth or tumor. the term cancer refers to malignant tumors, which can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body. a benign tumor usually does not invade or spread. factors that can increase your chance of developing throat cancer include : - age : 40 or older - sex : male - smoking or use of any tobacco products - excessive alcohol consumption - family history - vitamin a deficiency - diet low in fruits and vegetables - suppressed immune system infections caused by certain viruses such as : - epstein - barr virus - human papillomavirus - radiation exposure - excess consumption of cured meats or fish - marijuana use exposure to certain materials such as in : - nickel refining - working with textile fibers if you have any of these symptoms, do not assume it is due to throat cancer. these symptoms may be caused by other conditions. tell your doctor if you have any of these : - sore throat - feeling that something is caught in the throat - difficulty chewing or swallowing - difficulty moving the jaw or tongue - voice changes or hoarseness - change in voice quality - pain in the head, throat, or neck - lump in the neck - unexplained weight loss - coughing blood the doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. a physical exam will be done. the doctor may feel for any lumps in your neck. you may be referred to an otolaryngologist, a doctor who specializes in head and neck surgery. your bodily fluids and tissue may be tested. this can be done with : your internal structures may need to be viewed and examined. this can be done with : when throat cancer is found, staging tests are done to find out if the cancer has spread. treatment depends on the stage of the cancer. surgery removes the cancerous tumor and nearby tissue, and possibly nearby lymph nodes. in very rare cases, surgery to remove large tumors of the throat may also require removal of tissue for swallowing. as a result, food may enter the windpipe and reach the lungs, which might cause pneumonia. in cases when this is a risk, your surgeon may remove the larynx or voice box. the windpipe will be attached to the skin through a


a result, food may enter the windpipe and reach the lungs, which might cause pneumonia. in cases when this is a risk, your surgeon may remove the larynx or voice box. the windpipe will be attached to the skin through a hole in the neck, which is used for breathing. this is the use of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. radiation may be : - external radiation therapy — radiation directed at the tumor from a source outside the body - internal radiation therapy — radioactive materials placed into the throat in or near the cancer cells this is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. chemotherapy may be given in many forms including pill, injection, and / or via a catheter. the drugs enter the bloodstream and travel through the body killing mostly cancer cells, but also some healthy cells. combined modality therapy often times, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are used together to kill cancer of the throat. this combined approach may be better than surgery or radiation alone. to reduce your chance of getting throat cancer, take the following steps : - don ' t smoke or use tobacco products. if you do smoke or use tobacco products, get help to quit. - drink alcohol only in moderation. moderate alcohol intake is two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. - eat a healthful diet, one that is low in saturated fat and rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. - see your doctor and dentist regularly for check - ups and cancer screening.


oceana released a new report today outlining the shocking amount of subsidies that pour into europe ’ s fishing industry. european taxpayers are essentially paying for overfishing – to the tune of 3. 3 billion euros ( $ 4. 6 billion ) in 2009. here are some other stunning facts from the report : - oceana ’ s analysis found that a total of at least €3. 3 billion of subsidies were available to the european union fishing sector in 2009. this is more than three times quoted public figures, which only reference the european fisheries fund. - total subsidies to the fishing sector are equivalent to 50 percent of the value of the total fish catch by the european union in the same year ( €6. 6 billion ) - spain, france, denmark, the united kingdom and italy received the most fishing subsidies. - 13 european union countries had more fishing subsidies than the value of the landings of fish in their ports. - europe is one of the world ’ s top three subsidizers, along with china and japan. - as a result of these major subsidies, the european union now has a fishing fleet that is two to three times larger than what is needed to fish sustainably. - more than two - thirds of these subsidies have the ability to enhance fishing capacity and promote overfishing. check out the full report and pass it on! - what do historic co2 levels mean for the oceans? posted tue, may 14, 2013 - u. s. coast guard captures illegal fishermen in texas posted tue, may 14, 2013 - victory! delaware becomes seventh state in u. s. to ban shark fin trade! posted thu, may 16, 2013 - it ' s endangered species day! posted fri, may 17, 2013 - stocks show signs of recovery, but still work to do posted fri, may 17, 2013


kikuyu culture & traditions | kenya is famous for its 42 cultures, but other than the nomadic maasai and samburu, not many of these are widely known to the outside world. a new cultural centre devoted to the kikuyu, kenya ’ s largest offers a unique experience of this tradition rich culture existing in a modern world. | riuki cultural centre is located not far outside of nairobi, in the kikuyu heartland of kiambu. the centre is run by dr. kinuthia njoroge, who wanted to build a traditional kikuyu village homestead to show local children the history and customs of their community. the kikuyu are the largest community in kenya, and have always played a central role in the development of the independent nation. for this reason, many may believe that modern influence has eroded the traditional way of life for this community, who mainly live around the capital city and the highlands. but as riuki demonstrates, this is not the case. while the traditional huts and ceremonies may be displays of a proud history, many of the same beliefs and customs persist in modern life. in cuisine, music, marriage and everyday family life, most kenyan kikuyus still hold true to their identity. it is this pride that riuki strives to encourage and strengthen, with its own blend of the modern and traditional. now visitors to kenya can come to riuki and spend a day learning more about this little known culture. welcomed to the centre by a group of elders, all of whom live in the local area, guests are welcomed in true kikuyu style, with an invitation to drink from a horn filled with muratina, a locally brewed drink. there is a tour of a traditionally built hut with an explanation of how the traditional society operated. communities always remained bound by strict and strong ties of clan loyalty and an even stronger sense of tribal unity - there was an age set system among young men, known as mariika, but all clans and villages ( itura ) always paid deference to the wisdom and law of the tribe. at riuki, traditional songs, proverbs and dances bring the myths and legends of the kikuyu to life. according to kikuyu mythology, all of creation began at the summit of mount kenya. the icy peak was the realm of ngai, the supreme creator, who descended from the heavens to his mountainous throne to survey his newly created lands. the mountain became kirinyaga, his resting place, and it was from here


mount kenya. the icy peak was the realm of ngai, the supreme creator, who descended from the heavens to his mountainous throne to survey his newly created lands. the mountain became kirinyaga, his resting place, and it was from here that he called forth gikuyu, the father of the kikuyu people. ngai told him that all of the lands around kirinyaga would be the home of gikuyu and his children forever. he sent gikuyu to grove of fig trees, where he found a woman called mumbi. this grove would become known as mukuru wa nyagathanga, the birthplace of all kikuyu, still revered as a sacred place. among the fig trees, gikuyu and mumbi produced nine daughters - wanjiku, wanjiru, wanjeri, wambui, wangari, wacera, waithera, wairimu, and nyambura. ( traditionally all kikuyu girls should be given one of these names ) the girls grew into beautiful young women, who each full moon wandered the lands around kirinyaga in search of men so that they could bear children. they begged their father to appeal to ngai for help. finally he bowed before the mountain, and ngai commanded him to make sacrifice among the figs and light a fire. the sacrifice of a goat beneath a fig tree is still considered a way to call rain in times of drought, but in this first case it was a different form of life sustaining rain that gikuyu sought. after the sacrifice he plunged nine sticks into a fire, and prayed. the fire erupted into an inferno, from which nine strong young men emerged. giving thanks, gikuyu took them back to his daughters, and the nine marriages were blessed by ngai. each of the daughters made her own homestead, and nine separate clans of the kikuyu were born. the unity of these clans was known as the nyumba ya mumbi, in honour of their mother. the peak of kirinyaga has since remained the sacred home of ngai. as at riuki, all kikuyu homesteads were traditionally built to face this holy mountain. a group of local women come to the centre to perform for visitors, with a series of dances traditionally performed at weddings and initiations and to sing songs. these are simple love and courting songs, traditional hunting songs and chants used when going to work in the fields. the highlands of kenya are rich fertile land


irish fiddle lessons - ian walsh teaches the irish hornpipe the golden eagle. tags : how to play the song " the golden eagle " on an iris, ian walsh, irish fiddle lesson, learn to play fiddle, learning irish fiddle, the golden eagle, violin fiddle lessons grab video code : hi! welcome to onlinelessonvideos. com. i ’ m ian walsh and i ’ m going to teach an irish tune today on the fiddle. it ’ s called the golden eagle and it ’ s a horn pipe. we ’ ll play it in the key of g. i ’ ll start off by playing you a sample of the tune along to a quick track that i ’ ve set at about 70 beats per minute. so here we go with the golden eagle. let ’ s begin by leading into this tune with some pickup notes. we ’ ll start on the c, this is on the a string here. you work up a, b, c which plays right next to your first finger pretty much right on top of it. so that could be our first note and we ’ ll start with the triplet here. so three notes and then we ’ ll go to the g. so let ’ s just cycle through that a few times [ demonstration ]. try sliding into your first note, the c and i ’ ll give it a little bit of an aggressive edge [ demonstration ]. let ’ s take a look at another section here, we go down to our b on the g string and we play. so we ’ re crossing three strings, pretty quickly there and i ’ m not doing anything special with my bow. i ’ m keeping my bow movement short and i ’ m working at the top of my bow but i ’ m not slurring any notes, i ’ m going straight up and down here. so from b [ demonstration ], so those notes are b, d, g, b. let ’ s take a look at another section here. we start with the open d. this is a little bit easier, you ’ re only working across two strings and you ’ re using your first and third fingers. let ’ s take a look at another one. this is more or less a g arpeggio and it starts on the g on the d string and we play [ demonstration ]. so again, you ’ re moving across three strings here ending on the e string on that g note with your second finger. so let ’ s go back to the beginning here and we ’ ll look at that


students in the 12 - quarter graphic design bachelor? s degree program have an opportunity to expand on theory, practice and process, developing skills in creative problem solving. this program is designed to establish a strong foundation in traditional design and computer skills, and then build advanced competence in the application of the skills. students have an opportunity to learn to couple their creativity with sound business skills necessary for entry into the field. they can learn to initiate, manage, produce, and deliver effective design concepts. students study two - and three - dimensional design, marketing, and media design. they explore color theory, visual composition, typography, information graphics, digital and print production processes, and law as it relates to the graphic arts. students also have an opportunity to learn to use computer illustration, image manipulation, web layout and programming, and page layout programs to master design skills. graphic design students have the opportunity to learn the skills to write effective r? sum? s and conduct successful job interviews. they graduate with a professional portfolio to show potential employers and are prepared to join the industry in entry - level positions in fields such as advertising, business communication, publishing, and education. for graphic designers, exciting challenges are available ; they work on projects like corporate identity programs, consumer package designs, annual reports, exhibition materials, direct mail literature, brochures, manuals, catalogs, and interactive presentations. they create company logos, business cards and stationery, letterheads, print advertisements, magazine and cd covers, posters, signs, and billboards. graduates will be prepared to seek entry - level positions in agencies, design firms, print houses, and corporate environments. objectives : upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to :? demonstrate and apply competencies in industry - specific computer software programs within the context of producing concrete projects. this includes technical aspects of prepress, output, and quality reproduction as well as web design.? analyze and incorporate aesthetics and formal concepts of layout design. this includes spatial relationships, communication legibility and effectiveness, interrelationships among imagery and text, balance, typography, and color theory.? demonstrate design concepts and relate these to historical and contemporary trends and social context by producing successful visual solutions to assigned problems.? model the interdependence of content and visual expression and be able to evaluate and critique their ideas. graduates must be able to verbally articulate the vision behind their creative work and explain and promote their solutions.? demonstrate professional presentation ; articulation of knowledge of graphic design and visual


i ’ ve seen several articles debating when oil production will peak. for those of you who have missed them, oil prices rise due to scarcity ( real or not ) or increased production costs, and the latter become important sometime around when oil production peaks. also, the time for us to go through the second half of the world ’ s oil will be considerably less than the history of oil use to date, and our transportation infrastructure in particular is heavily oil - based. among climate change scientists, there seems to be less worry about running out of oil, and considerably more worry about its use. recent readings have given me some understanding. david greene, et al, from ( pdf file ) running out of and into oil : analyzing global oil depletion and transition through 2050 “ it is possible that the world could go partway down the path of developing unconventional oil resources and later reverse direction. but such a strategy would strand huge investments in the more capital - intensive production and refining of unconventional oil. if the transition to unconventional oil is gradual, there might be time to introduce low - carbon alternatives and a reversal might not be too costly. but if the transition to unconventional oil is sudden and massive, the world ’ s economies might quickly become locked into a high carbon future. avoiding or even slowing the transition to unconventional fossil resources might improve the world ’ s chances of successfully dealing with global climate change. ” the unconventional oil sources referred to are coal to liquids ( synfuel ), for example, or natural gas to liquids ( isn ’ t all natural gas needed for electricity and heating? ) both increase carbon emissions, in part because of the energy needed to convert them to liquid. both are expensive because they require so much energy for the process. oil prices will rise if we hit a peak, but europeans and others are already living with much higher gasoline prices. detour : a vote on the arctic national wildlife refuge is expected soon. my understanding is that oil companies are not particularly interested in drilling there without some kind of guarantee ( a large guarantee, but will that dissuade congress? ), as there is relatively little oil, and it ’ s relatively far from where it would be used. i ’ m not sure why anyone would vote for opening up the site to oil drilling, both for practical reasons and because it ’ s nice to imagine those few places in the world not crowded by us. what i hear is, “ got you, you crummy environmentalists ”, but perhaps our legislators have other reasons, poorly articulated to


for practical reasons and because it ’ s nice to imagine those few places in the world not crowded by us. what i hear is, “ got you, you crummy environmentalists ”, but perhaps our legislators have other reasons, poorly articulated to date. certainly these reasons have little to do with oil security, even for the rare person who also votes to increase car mileage standards. that said, the overwhelming concern to the caribou is not the drilling, but the use of oil. climate change alters the environment at high altitudes faster, and refuge status will not protect anwr. return : from my reading, it is apparent that the rest of the world, as non - opec is generally referred to, is running out of oil much faster than is opec. fareed zakaria in the future of freedom : illiberal democracy at home and abroad points out that governments that finance themselves without taxes are not as accountable to citizens. hence there is worldwide discomfort at financing these governments. but the discomfort is not great enough here in the united states to taxing oil in order to encourage us to change our behavior. we would be much better off raising taxes on oil use today. even a moderate tax, perhaps as little as $ 1 / gallon, will begin to shift behavior, to help stretch out our current oil supply and allow the transitions away from fossil fuels, so that we don ’ t finance opec governments so heavily. oh, i ’ ve heard many, particularly poor people, say, but we can ’ t afford it. perhaps more earned income credit, or some other mechanism, could help the poor in this transition, and let people choose whether to spend the extra money on a car or the bus. it isn ’ t right to ignore those who will be hurt in a transition. but we are wrong if we do not transition. some talk about making the carbon tax revenue neutral, an idea i was more sympathetic to until the bush deficits, and back when i thought roads and bridges are paid for by the current gasoline tax rather than out of general revenue. we could do more regional planning of mass transit systems. we could use some of the gasoline tax to pay for the roads and mass transit that makes our roads less crowded. we could teach bicycling as a pe option, as those who learn to bicycle and signal correctly are less dangerous to themselves and others and are more likely to continue bicycling as adults. this would leave more oil for those of you who can ’ t or don


tax day has just passed by, and there has been customary grumbling in some circles about how awful income taxes are in the united states. however, most of the data on taxes indicate that americans are actually paying the least they have in decades. the tax burden is lighter on nearly every segment of society. politicians wonder how we wound up with a deficit the 1950s were an ideal decade to a lot of people. wholesome and clean television shows like “ howdy doody ” and “ leave it to beaver ” ruled the airwaves ; people pursued the american dream with gusto and patriotism ; and they paid more in income tax — before medicare and medicaid ever existed, according to usa today. average americans devoted about 27 percent of their gross income to taxes from the 1950s until the 1990s, when the tax rate began to trail off. in 2010, it was down to 23. 6 percent of gross income. were taxes to be raised back to 1950s levels of taxation, it would raise approximately $ 500 billion. according to msn, the internal revenue service estimates that it issues more than $ 328 billion in tax refunds every year. the people who have benefited, at least in some way, from lower income taxes and some generous tax breaks are poorer households, according to cnn. it was widely reported that the tax policy center found that 45 percent of households did not or would not have to pay a dime in income taxes. not having to pay taxes does sound attractive, but 68 percent of those people earned $ 50, 000 per year or less. for people who earned $ 500, 000 to $ 1 million per year, only 1. 6 percent didn ’ t owe or have to pay any taxes, and only 1 percent of people who earned $ 1 million or more didn ’ t owe or have to pay. still, the tax burden placed on the wealthiest seems disproportionate even to the wealthy. charles munger, right hand man to none other than warren buffet, said at a recent berkshire - hathaway conference that hedge fund managers paying lower tax rates than “ professors of physics or cab drivers ” was “ demented, ” according to the motley fool. irs not immune to fraud the internal revenue service is collecting less and paying more these days. the irs wound up paying more than $ 12 million to dead people in a tax scam ring, according to msn. more than 5, 000 returns were filed fraudulently using the names and social security numbers of deceased individuals in the hopes of fooling the


rutabagas are a wonderful addition to the winter diet. they are a member the brassica genus of plants which includes other cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, brussels sprouts and broccoli. their sweet, yellow flesh can be mashed, roasted, steamed or sauteed. rutabagas are rich in vitamin c, dietary fiber, potassium and antioxidant compounds, important nutrients for any healthy diet. and they offer plenty of those nutrients! - one cup of cubed, boiled rutabaga contains 66 calories ’ it has 2. 2 grams of protein, 4 percent of the recommended daily amount! - that one cup of rutabagas also offers 12 percent of the recommended daily intake of fiber. one cup provides 3. 1 grams. - it also provides 16 percent of the daily potassium requirements and 10 percent of the daily value of magnesium and phosphorus. - rutabaga is an excellent source of vitamin c. one cup provides 53 percent of the recommended daily value and 4 to 9 percent of the b - vitamins. - rutabaga contains the phytochemicals called isothiocyanates. these are best obtained from raw cruciferous vegetables because they can ’ t be absorbed as well after the vegetable is cooked. the health benefits of you ’ ll gain from these flavorful roots are also impressive! - the phytochemicals remove carcinogens from the body and help the liver process toxins. one phytochemical, glucosinolate, may inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors. - it ’ s store of antioxidants help prevent free radical damage to our cells and dna, boosts the immune system and helps prevent illness and disease. rutabaga also contains carotenoids, which help stimulate the antioxidant activity. - rutabaga is a good source of fiber which helps support the body ’ s digestive system, is essential to colon health, digestion and healthy metabolism. the glucosinolates may also help the stomach process bacteria. - the potassium found in rutabaga helps promote bone strength, aids in energy production and supports heart health and metabolism. still not sold on rutabaga? try slow - roasting with a touch of sea salt, and grape seed oil as part of a winter dinner, add to soups and stews, or get a big dose of phytochemicals with a crunchy salad of walnuts, chopped


oct. 13, 2010 - - the idiom “ a dog ’ s life ” suggests that pooches have it made when it comes to happiness, but new research indicates that the emotional states of dogs can be as varied as the moods of their owners. dogs can see their food bowls as half empty rather than half full, just as human pessimists see a glass of water as half empty instead of half full. british researchers who tested separation reactions of dogs say they found that some dogs are more likely than others to become depressed and anxious when left alone, causing them to bark, scratch at doors, chew on furniture, and generally misbehave. on the other hand, optimistic dogs are more likely to behave better and become more relaxed when left alone. mike mendl, phd, head of animal welfare and behavioral research at the university of bristol, and colleagues, studied 24 dogs, males and females, that had been sent to two animal centers. each dog was tested beforehand for separation anxiety - related behaviors. a researcher played with each dog in an isolated room for 20 minutes. the next day the dogs were taken back to their rooms and left alone for five minutes while video cameras recorded their behavior. some of the dogs barked, jumped on furniture, and scratched at the door, but the “ optimistic ” ones did not - - or didn ’ t do it as much. to study optimistic or pessimistic tendencies, the dogs were trained so that when a bowl was placed at one location in a room, it contained food, but when put somewhere else, it didn ’ t. then the bowls were placed at ambiguous locations between the positive and negative positions. “ dogs that ran fast to these ambiguous locations as if expecting the positive food reward were classed as making relatively ‘ optimistic ’ decisions, ” mendl says in a news release. " interestingly, these dogs tended to be the ones who also showed least anxiety - like behavior when left alone for a short time. ” he says about half of dogs may at some point engage in behaviors related to separation anxiety, such as barking, scratching, or tearing things up when separated from owners. “ our study suggests that dogs showing these types of behavior also appear to make more pessimistic judgments generally, ” he says. “ we all have a tendency to think that our pets and other animals experience emotions similar to our own, but we have no way of knowing directly because emotions are essentially private, ” he says. “ however, we can use findings from human psychology research to develop


european decorative arts and sculpture cloister with elements from the abbey of saint - genis - des - fontainesmade in roussillon, france, europe 1270 - 80s, with medieval elements from southwestern france and modern additions artist / maker unknown, french 1928 - 57 - 1bpurchased with funds contributed by elizabeth malcolm bowman in memory of wendell phillips bowman, 1928 labelat the heart of every medieval monastery stood a cloister, an arcaded walkway surrounding a courtyard. the museum ’ s cloister is modeled after a thirteenth - century example at the abbey of saint - genis - des - fontaines in the roussillon region of southwestern france, and includes sculpture originally from the abbey, contemporary elements from the province, and early - twentieth - century reproduction carvings. medieval cloisters served both practical and spiritual purposes. most were open air, often with a garden in the courtyard. a ninth - century architectural drawing known as the plan of saint gall, which is considered a blueprint of the ideal monastic compound, features a large, centrally located cloister that would have been reserved for the monks. at saint - genis - des - fontaines, the outer walkway held doors that opened into the dining hall, the chapter house ( where the abbey was administered ), and the church. in addition to functioning as a connecting space, the courtyard and its colonnade were used by the religious community for processions, services, and communal readings. the cloister also provided an area where individual monks could engage in private prayer and contemplation. social tags [? ] european art 1100 - 1500 [ x ] period room [ x ] st - genis - des - fontaines [ x ] st - michel - de - cuxa [ x ] [ add your own tags ] * works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit.


thursday, september 1st, 1859, 11 : 18am : thirty three year - old richard carringto, widely acknowledged to be one of england ' s foremost solar astronomer, was in his well - appointed private observatory. just as usual on every sunny day, his telescope was projecting an 11 - inch - wide image of the sun on a screen, and carrington skillfully drew the sunspots he saw. on that morning, he was capturing the likeness of an enormous group of sunspots. suddenly, before his eyes, two brilliant beads of blinding white light appeared over the sunspots, intensified rapidly, and became kidney - shaped. realizing that he was witnessing something unprecedented and " being somewhat flurried by the surprise, " carrington later wrote, " i hastily ran to call someone to witness the exhibition with me. on returning within 60 seconds, i was mortified to find that it was already much changed and enfeebled. " he and his witness watched the white spots contract to mere pinpoints and disappear. friday, september 2nd, 1859 : just before dawn the next day, skies all over planet earth erupted in red, green, and purple auroras so brilliant that newspapers could be read as easily as in daylight. indeed, stunning auroras pulsated even at near tropical latitudes over cuba, the bahamas, jamaica, el salvador, and hawaii. even more disconcerting, telegraph systems worldwide went haywire. spark discharges shocked telegraph operators and set the telegraph paper on fire. even when telegraphers disconnected the batteries powering the lines, aurora - induced electric currents in the wires still allowed messages to be transmitted. [ click the following images for better reading. ] monthly notices of the royal astronomical society forecasting the impact of an 1859 - calibre superstorm on satellite resources the 1859 solar – terrestrial disturbance and the current limits of extreme space weather activity may be read online. space radiation hazards and the vision for space exploration : report of a workshop


acrophobia is defined as a fear of heights. unlike a specific phobia like aerophobia - - fear of flying - - and other specific phobias, acrophobia can cause a person to fear a variety of things related to being far from the ground. depending on the phobia ' s severity, an acrophobic person may equally fear being on a high floor of a building or simply climbing a ladder. acrophobia and related conditions true vertigo is a medical condition that causes a sensation of spinning and dizziness. illyngophobia is a phobia in which the fear of developing vertigo can actually lead to vertigo - like symptoms. acrophobia can induce similar feelings, but the three conditions are not the same. see a doctor for tests if you experience vertigo symptoms. medical tests may include bloodwork, ct scans and mris, which can rule out a variety of neurological conditions. bathmophobia, or the fear of slopes and stairs, is sometimes related to acrophobia. in bathmophobia, you may panic when viewing a steep slope, even if you have no need to climb the slope. although many people with bathmophobia have acrophobia, most acrophobia sufferers do not also experience bathmophobia. climacophobia is related to bathmophobia, except that the fear generally occurs only when contemplating making a climb. if you suffer from climacophobia, you are probably not afraid to see a steep set of stairs as long as you can remain safely at the bottom. however, climacophobia may occur in tandem with acrophobia. aerophobia is the specific fear of flying. depending on the severity of your fear, you may be afraid of airports and airplanes, or may only feel the fear when in the air. aerophobia may occasionally occur alongside acrophobia. symptoms of acrophobia if you experience acrophobia, you may never experience vertigo symptoms. instead, you may feel a sense of panic when at height. you may instinctively begin to search for something to cling to. you may find that you are unable to trust your own sense of balance. common reactions include descending immediately, crawling on all fours and kneeling or otherwise lowering the body. emotionally and physically, the response to acrophobia is similar to the response to any other phobia. you may begin to shake, sweat, experience heart palpitations and even cry or yell out. you may feel terrified and


body. emotionally and physically, the response to acrophobia is similar to the response to any other phobia. you may begin to shake, sweat, experience heart palpitations and even cry or yell out. you may feel terrified and paralyzed. it might become difficult to think. if you have acrophobia, it is likely that you will begin to dread situations that may cause you to spend time at height. for example, you may worry that an upcoming vacation will put you into a hotel room on a high floor. you may put off home repairs for fear of using a ladder. you might avoid visiting friends ' homes if they have balconies or upstairs picture windows. danger of acrophobia the biggest danger that most phobias present is the risk of limiting one ' s life and activities to avoid the feared situation. acrophobia is unusual, however, in that having a panic attack while high in the air could actually lead to the imagined danger. the situation may be safe as long as normal precautions are taken, but panicking could lead you to make unsafe moves. therefore, it is extremely important that acrophobia be professionally treated as quickly as possible, particularly if heights are a regular part of your life. causes of acrophobia research shows that a certain amount of reluctance around heights is normal, not only for humans but for all visual animals. in 1960, famed research psychologists gibson and walk did a " visual cliff " experiment which showed crawling infants, along with babies of numerous species, who refused to cross a thick glass panel that covered an apparently sharp drop - off. the presence of the infant ' s mother, encouragingly calling him, did not convince the babies that it was safe. therefore, acrophobia seems to be at least partially ingrained, possibly as an evolutionary survival mechanism. nonetheless, most children and adults use caution but are not inordinately afraid of heights. acrophobia, like all phobias, appears to be a hyper - reaction of the normal fear response. many experts believe that this may be a learned response to either a previous fall or a parent ' s nervous reaction to heights. cognitive - behavioral therapy, or cbt, is a main treatment of choice for specific phobias. behavioral techniques that expose the sufferer to the feared situation either gradually ( systematic desensitization ) or rapidly ( flooding ) are frequently used. in addition, the client is taught ways of stopping the panic reaction and regaining emotional control. traditionally,


. behavioral techniques that expose the sufferer to the feared situation either gradually ( systematic desensitization ) or rapidly ( flooding ) are frequently used. in addition, the client is taught ways of stopping the panic reaction and regaining emotional control. traditionally, actual exposure to heights is the most common solution. however, several research studies performed since 2001 have shown that virtual reality may be just as effective. a major advantage of virtual reality treatment is the savings in both cost and time, as there is no need for " on - location " therapist accompaniment. this method is not yet readily available, but may be worth trying to find if you can. the drug d - cycloserine has been in clinical trials for anxiety disorder treatment since 2008. it appears that using the medication in tandem with cognitive - behavioral therapy may improve results, but the research remains preliminary at this time. acrophobia appears to be rooted in an evolutionary safety mechanism. nonetheless, it represents an extreme variation on a normal caution, and can become quite life - limiting for sufferers. it can also be dangerous for those who experience a full panic reaction while at a significant height. acrophobia can share certain symptoms with vertigo, a medical disorder with a variety of possible causes, as well as with other specific phobias. for these reasons, if you experience the signs of acrophobia, it is extremely important to seek professional help as soon as possible. sources : gibson, e. j., & walk, r. d. " the ' visual cliff '. " scientific american. 1960. 202, 67 - 71. may 5, 2008. retrieved from http : / / www. wadsworth. com / psychology _ d / templates / student _ resources / 0155060678 _ rathus / ps / ps05. html emmelkamp, paul, bruynzeel, mary, drost, leonie, van der mast, charles. " virtual reality treatment in acrophobia : a comparison with exposure in vivo " cyberpsychology & behavior. june 1, 2001, 4 ( 3 ) : 335 - 339. may 5, 2008.


with the worlds energy needs growing rapidly, can zero - carbon energy options be scaled up enough to make a significant difference? how much of a dent can these alternatives make in the worlds total energy usage over the next half - century? as the mit energy initiative approaches its fifth anniversary next month, this five - part series takes a broad view of the likely scalable energy candidates. of all the zero - carbon energy sources available, wind power is the only one thats truly cost - competitive today : a 2006 report by the u. s. energy information administration put the total cost for wind - produced electricity at an average of $ 55. 80 per megawatt - hour, compared to $ 53. 10 for coal, $ 52. 50 for natural gas and $ 59. 30 for nuclear power. as a result, wind turbines are being deployed rapidly in many parts of the united states and around the world. and because of winds proven record and its immediate and widespread availability, its an energy source thats seen as having the potential to grow very rapidly. wind is probably one of the most significant renewable energy sources, simply because the technology is mature, says paul sclavounos, an mit professor of mechanical engineering and naval architecture. there is no technological risk. globally, 2 percent of electricity now comes from wind, and in some places the rate is much higher : denmark, the present world leader, gets more than 19 percent of its electricity from wind, and is aiming to boost that number to 50 percent. some experts estimate wind power could account for 10 to 20 percent of world electricity generation over the next few decades. taking a longer - term view, a widely cited 2005 study by researchers at stanford university projected that wind, if fully harnessed worldwide, could theoretically meet the worlds present energy needs five times over. and a 2010 study by the national renewable energy laboratory found that the united states could get more than 12 times its current electricity consumption from wind alone. but impressive as these figures may sound, wind power still has a long way to go before it becomes a significant factor in reducing carbon emissions. the potential is there with abundant wind available for harvesting both on land and, especially, over the oceans but harnessing that power efficiently will require enormous investments in manufacturing and installation. so far, installed wind power has the capacity to generate only about 0. 2 terawatts ( trillions of watts ) of energy worldwide a number that pales in comparison to an average world demand of 14 terawatts, expected to double by 2050. the


has the capacity to generate only about 0. 2 terawatts ( trillions of watts ) of energy worldwide a number that pales in comparison to an average world demand of 14 terawatts, expected to double by 2050. the world wind energy association now projects global wind - power capacity of 1. 9 terawatts by 2020. but thats peak capacity, and even in the best locations the wind doesnt blow all the time. in fact, the worlds wind farms operate at an average capacity factor ( the percentage of their maximum power that is actually delivered ) somewhere between 20 and 40 percent, depending on their location and the technology. some analysts are also concerned that widespread deployment of wind power, with its inherently unpredictable swings in output, could stress power grids, forcing the repeated startup and shutdown of other generators to compensate for winds variability. many of the best wind - harvesting sites are far from the areas that most need the power, necessitating significant investment in delivery infrastructure but building wind farms closer to population centers is controversial because many people object to their appearance and their sounds. one potential solution to these problems lies offshore. while many wind installations in europe have been built within a few miles of shore, in shallow water, there is much greater potential more than 20 miles offshore, where winds blow faster and more reliably. such sites, while still relatively close to consumers, are generally far enough away to be out of sight. mits sclavounos has been working on the design of wind turbines for installation far offshore, using floating platforms based on technology used in offshore oilrigs. such installations along the eastern seaboard of the united states could theoretically provide most of the electricity needed for the eastern half of the country. and a study in california showed that platforms off the coast there could provide more than two - thirds of the states electricity. such floating platforms will be essential if wind is to become a major contributor to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, says research engineer stephen connors, director of the analysis group for regional energy alternatives ( agrea ) at the mit energy initiative. wind energy is never going to get big if youre limited to relatively shallow, relatively close [ offshore ] sites, he says. if youre going to have a large impact, you really need floating structures. all of the technology needed to install hundreds of floating wind turbines is well established, both from existing near - shore wind farms and from offshore drilling installations. all thats needed is to put the pieces together in a way that works


really need floating structures. all of the technology needed to install hundreds of floating wind turbines is well established, both from existing near - shore wind farms and from offshore drilling installations. all thats needed is to put the pieces together in a way that works economically. but deciding just how to do so is no trivial matter. sclavounos and his students have been working to optimize designs, using computer simulations to test different combinations of platforms and mooring systems to see how they stand up to wind and waves as well as how efficiently they can be assembled, transported and installed. one thing is clear : it wont be one design for all sites, sclavounos says. in principle, floating structures should be much more economical than wind farms mounted on the seafloor, as in europe, which require costly construction and assembly. by contrast, the floating platforms could be fully assembled at an onshore facility, then towed into position and anchored. whats more, the wind is much steadier far offshore : whereas a really good land - based site can provide a 35 percent capacity factor, an offshore site can yield 45 percent greatly improving the cost - effectiveness per unit. there are also concerns about the effects of adding a large amount of intermittent energy production to the national supply. ron prinn, director of mits joint center for the science and policy of global change, says, at large scale, there are issues regarding reliability of renewable but intermittent energy sources like wind that will require adding the costs of backup generation or energy storage. exactly how big is offshore wind powers potential? nobody really knows for sure, since theres insufficient data on the strength and variability of offshore winds. you need to know where and when its windy hour to hour, day to day, season to season and year to year, connors says. while such data has been collected on land, there is much less information for points offshore. its a wholly answerable question, but you cant do it by just brainstorming. and the answers might not be what wind powers advocates want to hear. some analysts raise questions about how much difference wind power can make. mit physicist robert jaffe says that wind is excellent in certain niche locations, but overall its too diffuse that is, too thinly spread out over the planet to be the major greenhouse gas - curbing technology. in the long term, solar is the best option to be sufficiently scaled up to make a big difference, says jaffe, the otto ( 1939 ) and jane morningstar professor of physics.


the solar and heliospheric observatory ( soho ) spacecraft is expected to discover its 1, 000th comet this summer. the soho spacecraft is a joint effort between nasa and the european space agency. it has accounted for approximately one - half of all comet discoveries with computed orbits in the history of astronomy. " before soho was launched, only 16 sun grazing comets had been discovered by space observatories. based on that experience, who could have predicted soho would discover more than 60 times that number, and in only nine years, " said dr. chris st. cyr. he is senior project scientist for nasa ' s living with a star program at the agency ' s goddard space flight center, greenbelt, md. " this is truly a remarkable achievement! " about 85 percent of the comets soho discovered belongs to the kreutz group of sun grazing comets, so named because their orbits take them very close to earth ' s star. the kreutz sun grazers pass within 500, 000 miles of the star ' s visible surface. mercury, the planet closest to the sun, is about 36 million miles from the solar surface. soho has also been used to discover three other well - populated comet groups : the meyer, with at least 55 members ; marsden, with at least 21 members ; and the kracht, with 24 members. these groups are named after the astronomers who suggested the comets are related, because they have similar orbits. many comet discoveries were made by amateurs using soho images on the internet. soho comet hunters come from all over the world. the united states, united kingdom, china, japan, taiwan, russia, ukraine, france, germany, and lithuania are among the many countries whose citizens have used soho to chase comets. almost all of soho ' s comets are discovered using images from its large angle and spectrometric coronagraph ( lasco ) instrument. lasco is used to observe the faint, multimillion - degree outer atmosphere of the sun, called the corona. a disk in the instrument is used to make an artificial eclipse, blocking direct light from the sun, so the much fainter corona can be seen. sun grazing comets are discovered when they enter lasco ' s field of view as they pass close by the star. " building coronagraphs like lasco is still more art than science, because the light we are trying to detect is very faint, " said dr. joe gurman, u. s. project scientist for soho at goddard. " any imperfections in the optics or


forcing yourself to look at the big picture, or pretending that you are a fly on the wall observing a scene as it unfolds, can be an effective anger management strategy. experts say that changing the focus from being a participant in a stressful situation, to being an observer from a distanced perspective can help an individual come to a true understanding of their feelings. researchers call this strategy “ self - distancing. ” in a new study, college students who believed a lab partner was berating them for not following directions responded less aggressively and showed less anger when they were told to take analyze their feelings from a self - distanced perspective. “ the secret is to not get immersed in your own anger and, instead, have a more detached view, ” said dominik mischkowski, lead author of the research performed at ohio state university. “ you have to see yourself in this stressful situation as a fly on the wall would see it. ” while other studies have examined the value of self - distancing for calming angry feelings, this is the first to show that it can work in the heat of the moment, when people are most likely to act aggressively, mischkowski said. the worst thing to do in an anger - inducing situation is what people normally do : try to focus on their hurt and angry feelings to understand them, said brad bushman, ph. d., a co - author of the study. “ if you focus too much on how you ’ re feeling, it usually backfires, ” bushman said. “ it keeps the aggressive thoughts and feelings active in your mind, which makes it more likely that you ’ ll act aggressively. ” study findings are found online in the journal of experimental social psychology and will be published in a future print edition. to prove the concept, researchers performed to related studies. the first involved 94 college students who were told they were participating in a study about the effects of music on problem solving, creativity and emotions. the students listened to an intense piece of classical music while attempting to solve 14 difficult anagrams ( rearranging a group of letters to form a word such as “ pandemonium ” ). they had only seven seconds to solve each anagram, record their answer and communicate it to the experimenter over an intercom. but the plan of the study was to provoke the students into anger, which the experimenters did using a technique which has been used many times in similar studies. the experimenter interrupted the study participants several times to ask them to


over an intercom. but the plan of the study was to provoke the students into anger, which the experimenters did using a technique which has been used many times in similar studies. the experimenter interrupted the study participants several times to ask them to speak louder into the intercom, finally saying “ look, this is the third time i have to say this! can ’ t you follow directions? speak louder! ” after this part of the experiment, the participants were told they would be participating in a task examining the effects of music on creativity and feelings. the students were told to go back to the anagram task and “ see the scene in your mind ’ s eye. ” they were put into three groups, each of which were asked to view the scene in different ways. some students were told to adopt a self - immersed perspective ( “ see the situation unfold through your eyes as if it were happening to you all over again ” ) and then analyze their feelings surrounding the event. others were told to use the self - distancing perspective ( “ move away from the situation to a point where you can now watch the event unfold from a distance and watch the situation unfold as if it were happening to the distant you all over again ” ) and then analyze their feelings. the third control group was not told how to view the scene or analyze their feelings. each group was told to replay the scene in their minds for 45 seconds. then the researchers tested the participants for aggressive thoughts and angry feelings. results showed that students who used the self - distancing perspective had fewer aggressive thoughts and felt less angry than both those who used the self - immersed approach and those in the control group. “ the self - distancing approach helped people regulate their angry feelings and also reduced their aggressive thoughts, ” mischkowski said. in a second study, the researchers went further and showed that self - distancing can actually make people less aggressive when they ’ ve been provoked. in this study, 95 college students were told they were going to do an anagram task, similar to the one in the previous experiment. but in this case, they were told they were going to be working with an unseen student partner, rather than one of researchers ( in reality, it actually was one of the researchers ). in this case, the supposed partner was the one who delivered the scathing comments about following directions. as in the first study, the participants were then randomly assigned to analyze their feelings surrounding the task from a self - immersed or a self


researchers ). in this case, the supposed partner was the one who delivered the scathing comments about following directions. as in the first study, the participants were then randomly assigned to analyze their feelings surrounding the task from a self - immersed or a self - distanced perspective. participants assigned to a third control group did not receive any instructions regarding how to view the scene or focus on their feelings. next, the participants were told they would be competing against the same partner who had provoked them earlier in a reaction - time task. the winner of the task would get the opportunity to blast the loser with noise through headphones – and the winner chose the intensity and length of the noise blast. investigators discovered participants who used the self - distancing perspective to think about their partners ’ provocations showed lower levels of aggression than those in the other two groups. that is, their noise blasts against their partner tended to be shorter and less intense. “ these participants were tested very shortly after they had been provoked by their partner, ” mischkowski said. “ the fact that those who used self - distancing showed lower levels of aggression shows that this technique can work in the heat of the moment, when the anger is still fresh. ” of interest is the discovery that those who used the self - distancing approach showed less aggression than those in the control group, who were not told how to view the anger - inducing incident with their partner. this suggests people may naturally use a self - immersing perspective when confronted with a provocation – a perspective that is not likely to reduce anger. thus, the tendency to immerse oneself in a problem ( anger ) to work through the situation, may backfire and make an individual more aggressive. a better technique to use when angry is distraction – thinking of something calming to take the mind off the anger. however, even this technique is only a short - term strategy. mischkowski believes the research clearly shows that self - distancing is the best method to mitigate anger. “ but self - distancing really works, even right after a provocation – it is a powerful intervention tool that anyone can use when they ’ re angry. ” source : ohio state university


within the next 10 years the eu - funded diabetes prevention study, part of an international study called trigr ( trial to reduce iddm in the genetically at risk ), coordinated at the university of helsinki, finland, will generate a definite answer to the question whether early nutritional modification may prevent type 1 diabetes later in childhood. type 1 diabetes is a growing health problem among european children. european data indicate that the disease incidence has increased five - six - fold among children under the age of 15 years after world war ii, and there are no signs that the increase in incidence is levelling off. the most conspicuous increase has been seen among children under the age of 5 years. the trigr study is the first study ever aimed at primary prevention of type 1 diabetes. the study is designed to answer to the question whether excluding cow ' s milk protein from the infant ' s diet decreases the risk of fu - ture diabetes. all subjects are followed for 10 years to get information on whether the dietary recommendations for infants at increased genetic risk of type 1 diabetes should be revised. starting in may 2002, 76 study centres from 15 countries ( australia, canada, the czech republic, estonia, finland, germany, hungary, italy, luxembourg, the netherlands, poland, spain, sweden, switzerland and usa ) have been recruiting families for the study. to be eligible the newborn infant has to have at least one family member ( mother, father and / or sib ) affected by type 1 diabetes and carry a hla genotype conferring increased risk for type 1 diabetes. the initial recruitment target of 2032 eligible infants was reached at the be - ginning of september 2006, but the study group has decided to continue recruitment till the end of december 2006 ( when the eu contribution will finish ) to make the study even more powerful statistically. a majority of the study participants ( 52 % ) have been recruited in europe. the international coordinating cen - tre ( icc ) is located at the university of helsinki, helsinki, finland and the data management unit ( dmu ) at the university of south florida, tampa, florida, usa. the trial has logistically been a true challenge for both the icc and dmu. dmu has been successful in establishing a secure, real - time, web - based, interactive data management system that works extremely well. this system can be directly applied to future international mul - ticentre studies. the trigr study is generating a wealth of information on breast - feeding practices, infant nutrition and growth in young children in various countries


management system that works extremely well. this system can be directly applied to future international mul - ticentre studies. the trigr study is generating a wealth of information on breast - feeding practices, infant nutrition and growth in young children in various countries. at 2 weeks of age almost all the participating infants were breast - fed. exclusive breast - feeding continued longer in europe than in north america. more than one third of the infants ( 35 % ) received other foods in addition to breast milk and / or infant formulas at the age of 4 months, while who recommends that supplementary food should be introduced at the earliest by the age of 6 months. in europe the first foods to be introduced are typically vegetables and fruits, whereas gluten - free cereals are most commonly introduced in north america. newborn infants in northern europe ( ne ) had a higher birth weight but a shorter birth length than infants in central and southern europe ( cse ). the ne children remained heavier than those from cse at least up to the age of 18 months. the ne children were also taller than the cse children starting already from the age of 3 months up to the age of 18 months. accelerated growth in infancy has been identified as a risk factor for type 1 diabetes later in childhood. accordingly the observed growth pattern may contribute to the higher incidence of type 1 diabetes in ne compared to cse. professor mikael knip, university of helsinki phone : + 358 40 844 7671 study websites : http : / / www. trigr. org last reviewed : by john m. grohol, psy. d. on 21 feb 2009 published on psychcentral. com. all rights reserved.


the clutch assembly consists of a clutch disc, a clutch pressure plate, and a clutch release bearing. all these components are usually replaced at the same time. the clutch assembly has two key functions : it transmits power produced by the engine to the gearbox, and it allows that power to be interrupted when the clutch pedal is depressed. power produced by the engine requires this interruption. it makes it possible to change gears and to shift into neutral at a traffic light or stop sign. when the clutch assembly is not operating correctly, two things can happen. it either doesn ' t interrupt the power from the engine to the gearbox, which causes grinding sounds and difficulty in selecting gears. or it fails to transmit the drive from the engine to the gearbox. this results in the engine “ revving up ” without the vehicle speed increasing. in the case of a complete failure, the engine will rev up, but the vehicle will not move. clutch components naturally wear out. clutch components may fail or wear due to ; bad driving habits, being driven with the clutch improperly adjusted, or from exposure to oil. to replace the clutch assembly, the driveshaft ( or half shafts where applicable ) and the manual transmission ( gearbox ) must be removed to gain access to the clutch components. new clutch components are fitted and the gearbox is then reinstalled.


people who struggle to find enough food to eat are poor. the world bank ’ s poverty line is an income of less than $ 1. 25 a day. financial times readers, who spend more than that amount on their morning newspaper, are in no position to dispute that judgment. in the past two decades, economic growth in china and india has reduced global poverty by an unprecedented amount. that achievement is not diminished because some individuals in both these countries have become very rich. fundamentally, poverty is about absolute deprivation. kay observes that there is also a relative definition of poverty : under the definition that i have proposed on this blog for wealth, poverty would simply be an absence of wealth, or a deficit of valued outcomes. the median income is the level that equal numbers of people are above and below, so that a rise in sir martin sorrell ’ s bonus does not lead anyone into poverty – that would confuse poverty and inequality. but the choice of median income as a reference level has a wider significance. it encapsulates the idea that in a rich society, poverty is an enforced inability to participate in the everyday activities of that society. you might therefore be poor if you lack access to antibiotics or facebook, even though in this respect you are no worse off than the sun king or john d. rockefeller, and in other respects considerably better off than most people in the world. however, to define poverty as social exclusion takes the definition far away from the assessment of income. it is not hard to imagine places in which few, if any, people experience a sense of exclusion. these might include both sophisticated societies with high incomes per head – towns in scandinavia – and simple cultures without access to modern essentials – rural villages in the developing world. poverty becomes a cultural and political phenomenon rather than an economic one. but once we define poverty in terms of outcomes beyond simple incomes as measured in currency units, we have indeed entered the territory of culture and politics, and ultimately, what constitutes a life worth living. just as gdp doesn ' t measure all that matters when it comes to wealth, i am deeply skeptical of efforts to define multi - dimensional metrics of " poverty " that integrate different valued outcomes. statistics are indeed important inputs to policy, and i prefer mine simple and transparent. so let ' s leave poverty defined in terms of absolute income, as defined by the world bank and others. if we care about obesity, lack of access to antibiotics or even facebook - - all perfectly legitimate valued outcomes - - then let ' s track these outcomes on their merits and


- giovanni battista montini son of a prominent newspaper editor. ordained in brescia, italy on 29 may 1920, he continued his studies in rome, italy, and became part of the vatican secretariat of state in 1922. one of two pro - secretaries to pope pius xii. archbishop of milan from 1954 to 1963 where he worked on social problems and to improve relations between workers and employers. created cardinal - priest of santi silvestro e martino ai monti on 15 december 1958. elected 262nd pope in 1963. as pope, paul continued the reforms of john xxiii. he re - convened the second vatican council, and supervised implementations of many of its reforms, such as the vernacularization and reform of the liturgy. he instituted an international synod of bishops ; bishops were instructed to set up councils of priests in their own dioceses. powers of dispensation devolved from the roman curia onto the bishops, rules on fasting and abstinence were relaxed, and some restrictions on inter - marriage were lifted. a commission to revise canon law revision was established. in 1964, paul made a pilgrimage to the holy lands, becoming the first pope in over 150 years to leave italy. that was followed by trips to india in 1964, the united states in 1965, where he addressed the united nations, africa in 1969, and southeast asia in 1970. relations between the vatican and the communists improved, and communist leaders visited the vatican for the first time. paul met with leaders of other churches, and in 1969 addressed the world council of churches, and limited doctrinal agreements were reached with the anglicans and lutherans. paul issued frequent reassertions of papal primacy in the face of growing dissent within the roman catholic church itself. he enlarged the college of cardinals, and added cardinals from third world countries. in the 1968 encyclical humanae vitae, paul reaffirmed the church ’ s ban on contraception, a disappointment to many liberals. it led to protests, and many national hierarchies openly modified the statement. liberals raised questions about priestly celibacy, divorce, and the role of women in the church, but paul held to traditional church positions. - if you have information relevant to the beatication of pope paul, contact rev. antonio marrazzo, cssr associazione paolo vi via trieste, 13 25121 brescia, italy - “ venerable pope paul vi “. saints. sqpn. com. 6 february 2013. web. 21 may 2013.


by tom baxter a few years ago, emory ’ s michael c. carlos museum hosted a fascinating exhibit based on the papyrus legal records of a family which lived in egypt in the 5th century bc. as a testament to the lasting lessons such archaeological treasures can transmit, it came to mind last week when barack obama became the first sitting u. s. president to endorse same - sex marriage. the papyri were the legal documents of a couple, ananiah, a jewish temple official, and his wife tamut, an egyptian woman who ’ d been sold into slavery as a child. they lived on the island of elephantine in the nile, in a time when egypt was part of the persian empire and jewish mercenaries guarded its southern border. as it is today, relationships could be complicated back then. when she married ananiah on july 3, 449 bc, tamut was owned by another man, meshullam, who didn ’ t free her or her daughter for another 22 years. things worked out, though. later papyri record ananiah giving tamut part ownership of their house, selling a house to his son - in - law and making payments on a wedding gift for their daughter. the records are a striking contrast of the bizarre with the familiar. the conventions of legalese have changed so little over the millenia that a modern - day lawyer would feel completely at home with these contracts. but the concept of marriage around which these legal proceedings revolve appears to have been radically different from ours today. the contract between ananiah and tamut is so detailed that it specifies on which side of the stairs each is to walk up and down. but as far as the state was concerned, marriage contracts like theirs – the notarized enumeration of what one party could take the other to court for, if things didn ’ t work out – was all the marriage was. since ananiah was a religious leader, there may have been a ceremony to sanctify the marriage within the jewish community on the island, but over the whole of egyptian society, the state ’ s involvement in defining, protecting and preserving marriage was quite limited and specific to each coupling. if government has developed a better way to deal with this complex aspect of human society, it was not in evidence last week, when north carolina voters overwhelmingly declared their support for an amendment defining marriage solely as the union between a man and a woman, and obama declared the next day that he ’ d decided his “ evolving ” views on the


it was not in evidence last week, when north carolina voters overwhelmingly declared their support for an amendment defining marriage solely as the union between a man and a woman, and obama declared the next day that he ’ d decided his “ evolving ” views on the subject and supports the right of people of the same sex to marry. by comparison with other historic stands taken by presidents, obama ’ s carried remarkably little weight. the states decide this issue, and one just had. obama ’ s statement on a morning news show the following day was couched more as something which had been forced by vice president joe biden ’ s unguarded comments on the subject rather than the embarrassment of a big vote in the state where the democrats will hold their convention this summer. this sounds progressively more fishy the longer you think about it, particularly when you hear how angry the obama staffers sounded about biden ’ s goofiness, according to the reporters who repeated on - the - record what the staffers told them off - the - record. yet symbolically, obama ’ s statement was rightly looked on as an historic event. the north carolina vote, which put into the state constitution what was already on the books as state law, was also largely symbolic. and lemme tell you – as former gov. roy barnes might have said after his bitter experience with changing the state flag – symbolism is the rat poison of good government. should government get more involved in marriage, as those on both sides of the current controversy would have it, or less? at present the states and the federal government find themselves in a cycle of ineffectiveness. washington has no power over what the states define marriage to be, but because of the defense of marriage act, signed by president clinton, which prohibits same - sex couples from the rights and protections of marriage in more than a thousand federal laws, it really doesn ’ t matter what the states do either. because our modern concept of marriage — unlike the egyptians — involves a certain fusion, long since blurred, between the provinces of religion and the state, we appear bound to debate state by state an issue which in some respects can only be settled congregation by congregation. nor does government at the federal or the state level have the ability to stop the steady decline in heterosexual marriage, as attested by a voluminous array of statistics on divorce, unwed mothers and single - parent households. in terms of the work hours it has to invest, government ’ s biggest involvement with marriage today is the administration of breakups and the management of the carnage