hats, baskets and ropes. some other coarse fibers such as palmyra and kittul fiber are classed as piassava in commerce. palmyra fiber is from the palmyra palm, borassus flabellifer, of the east indies. this palm is one of the most useful as all parts of the plant are used for some purpose. the fibers are made into twine, paper, rope and machine brushes. kittul fiber is finer, softer and more pliable. it is obtained from the leaf sheaths of the toddy palm, caryota urens, of sri lanka and the east indies. the black bristles are made into strong ropes or into soft brushes. they also are substitutes for horsehair and oakum. cabbage palm, sabal palmetto, of coastal southeastern north america yields a valuable fiber called palmetto fiber. the highest - grade fiber is obtained from young leaf stalks that are still in the bud. coarser fibers come from mature leaves or the bases of old leaf stalks surrounding the bud. there was one an industry in florida that processed this fiber for use as a substitute for palmyra in brushes. palmetto fibers are reddish tan in color and 8 - 20 in. long. the bud of the palm is edible and the roots contain tannin. the sorghum, sorghum vulgare var. technicum, differs from other sorghums by having a panicle with long straight branches. this inflorescence or seed head is the “ brush ” that is made into brooms. a dwarf variety exists that furnishes fiber for whiskbrooms, while the normal sized variety is used for carpet brooms. harvest is before the end of flowering season by cutting the stems a few inches below the head. the heads are sorted, threshed and dried. another species, spartina spartinae, is a native grass of the southern coastal plain from florida to mexico that has been used in combination with the sorghum. brooms often consist of as much as 50 percent spartina surrounded by broomcorn. broomroot or zacaton, muhlenbergia macroura, is used to manufacture cheaper brushes. the plant is a grass found from texas to central america, especially in the mountainous regions of mexico. it is a perennial with tufted wiry culms and coarse roots. the roots are the plant part utilized. they are harvested year - round, washed, cleaned and dried. they are then cut from the tops, graded according


of mexico. it is a perennial with tufted wiry culms and coarse roots. the roots are the plant part utilized. they are harvested year - round, washed, cleaned and dried. they are then cut from the tops, graded according to quality, length and color and baled for export. there are relatively few materials that are manufactured for plaited or coarsely woven articles. the raw materials include the rushes, stems of reeds, willows, bamboo, grasses, rattan and leaves and roots. they are used entirely or split. they are woven or twisted together in a simple manner and made into sandals, mats, hats, matting, screens, chair seats, baskets, etc. in many parts of the eastern hemisphere, rice, barley, wheat and rye are grown for the purpose of making braids or straw plaits for hats. the plants are grown close together so that they will have few leaves, and they are harvested before they mature. the stems are split lengthwise before plaiting. the leghorn hats and tuscan hats of italy are some of the best of the straw hats. panama hats are made from the leaves of toquilla, carludovica palmata, a stem less, palm like plant that grows wild in the forests from southern mexico to peru. it has been cultivated in ecuador and parts of colombia. the panama hat industry is concentrated in ecuador. young leaves are collected while they are still folded in the bud and treated with hot water. the coarse veins are removed and the plaits are separated and split lengthwise into slender strips that are slowly dried and bleached. they gradually roll inward forming fine cylindrical strands known as jipijapa. the hats are woven by hand from these strands. about six leaves are necessary to make one hat. the best quality panama hats are uniform and have a fine texture, are strong, durable and elastic and resistant to water. the puerto rican hats are made from the leaves of the hat palm, sabal causiarum. in the eastern hemisphere commercial mattings have been made from several rushes, grasses and sedges. usually the stalks or leaves are used alone, but they may be combined with cotton of hemp. some of the species utilized are chinese mat grass, cyperus tegetiformis, and japanese mat rush, juncus effusus. the screw pines, pandanus tectorius and p. utilis are important in southeastern asia and oceania for making mats. the leaves of these species


cyperus tegetiformis, and japanese mat rush, juncus effusus. the screw pines, pandanus tectorius and p. utilis are important in southeastern asia and oceania for making mats. the leaves of these species are also used for sugar bags, cordage, hats and thatching. baskets have been and are continuously being made from an array of plant species worldwide. roots, stems, leaves and even woody splints have been used. commercial baskets are usually made from rushes, cereal straw, osiers or willows, and ash or white oak splints. sweet grass baskets are made from hierochloe odorata, a common species in lowlands along the coast and great lakes. another important source of basket fiber is the raffia palm, raffia pedunculata, native to madagascar. strips of the lower epidermis of the leaves are the raffia of commerce. the fiber is so soft and silk like that it can be woven. it is especially useful as a tie material for nurseries and gardens. this includes chair seats, chairs, infant carriages, hampers and other light articles of furniture. willows, rattan and bamboo are the main plants used. rattan is obtained from several species of climbing palms, calamus spp., that grow in the humid forests of the east indies and other parts of tropical asia. the stems of these plants are long, strong, flexible and uniform. they are used either entirely or as splits in asia for furniture, canes, baskets and other items. a considerable quantity of rattan is exported for making furniture. bamboos occur in most tropical areas, but they are especially abundant in the monsoon regions of eastern asia. they are the largest of the grasses with woody stems that sometimes reach one foot in diameter and a height of over 10 feet. there are many species in the families arundinaria, bambusa, dendrocalamus, gigantochloa, phyllostachys, and other genera. the stems are used for all kinds of construction in areas where these plants grow. exported bamboo is used in the manufacture of furniture, fishing rods and implements of various kinds. bamboo splits are made into baskets and brushes. in the western hemisphere bamboos have not been extensively utilized. guadua angustifolia is a species with very strong culms and has been used in ecuador to make furniture and in house construction. many plant fibers have been used to stuff pillows, cushions, furniture, mattresses,


been extensively utilized. guadua angustifolia is a species with very strong culms and has been used in ecuador to make furniture and in house construction. many plant fibers have been used to stuff pillows, cushions, furniture, mattresses, etc. they are also used to caulk the seams of vessels, in the making of staff for buildings, as stiffening for plaster, packing for bulkheads and machine bearings, and for the protection of delicate objects during shipment. synthetic materials frequently take the place of these long used products, but in some ways they retain some superiority. surface fibers are commonly used for stuffing because their staples are too short to be spun and thus are not valued in the textile industry. bast fibers are too costly, and hard fibers are frequently too stiff and coarse. the silk cottons are the most important source for stuffing. this is the most popular silk cotton and most valuable of all the stuffing substances. kapok is the floss produced in the pods of the kapok tree, ceiba pentandra. originally confined to the american tropics, it is now found worldwide. it is an irregular tree, 50 - 100 ft. tall, with a buttressed base and weird growth habit. it grows rapidly and begins to bare when only 15 ft. tall. a mature tree can produce more than 600 pods and from 6 - 10 lbs. of the cottony fibers. pods are clipped from the branches and opened. the floss is removed and the seeds separated by centrifugal force. the floss is 1 / 2 - 1 1 / 2 in. long and whitish, yellowish or brownish in color. it is very fluffy, light and elastic and is thus an ideal stuffing material for mattresses and pillows. the fibers have a low specific gravity. they are five times more buoyant than cork and are impervious to water. therefore, kapok is valuable as a filling for life preservers, cushions, portable pontoons, etc. its low thermal conductivity and its high ability to absorb sound make kapok an excellent material for insulating small refrigerators and for soundproofing rooms. it has also been used for the linings of sleeping bags, gloves for handling dry ice and in the tropics as surgical dressings. kapok seeds have 45 percent fatty oil that is extracted and used for soap and food. there are a number of other plants with seed hairs or floss that can be used as a substitute for kapok.


spanish moss and crin vegetal. spanish moss, tillandsia usneoides, is a conspicuous tree epiphyte in southeastern north america. this is an excellent substitute for horsehair after it is processed. the plant is pulled from the trees with rakes or hooks, or it is collected from the ground or water. it is then fermented in order to rot off the gray outer covering and ginned to remove impurities. the prepared fiber is brown or black, lustrous and very resilient. it has been used in upholstery and for automobile cushions. crin vegetal. chamaerop humilis a dwarf fan palm of northern africa and the mediterranean region in which the leaves have shredded and twisted fibers. these have been used as stuffing material. some trees have basts with tough interlacing fibers that can be extracted from the bark in layers or sheets and can then be pounded into rough substitutes for cloth. tapa cloth is one of these as it once constituted the main clothing in polynesia and parts of eastern asia. the material is obtained from the bark of the paper mulberry, broussonetia papyrifera. strips of bark are peeled from the trunk and the outer coating is scraped away. after soaking in water and cleaning these strips are placed on a hardwood log and pounded with a mallet. overlapping the edges and beating them together unite the individual strips. the finished product varies according to thickness from muslin like material to one of leather. tapa cloth is frequently dyed. similar bark cloths have been manufactured from different sources since antiquity. in south america the amerindians used the tauary, couratari tauari, and other species of the same genus. in mozambique the wild fig, ficus nekbudu, was used as a source of mutshu cloth. the upas tree, antiaris toxicaria, of sri lanka furnishes a bark cloth. it is also the source of an important poison used with arrows. lace bark is the produce of lagetta lintearia, a small tree of jamaica. the inner bark is removed in sheets and can be stretched into a lacelike material with pentagonal meshes. it is suitable as a textile and ornament. cuba bast is from hibiscus elatus, a small bushy tree of the west indies. the inner bark is removed in long ribbon - like strips that have been used in millinery and for tying cigars. the vegetable


##nt. cuba bast is from hibiscus elatus, a small bushy tree of the west indies. the inner bark is removed in long ribbon - like strips that have been used in millinery and for tying cigars. the vegetable sponges, luffa cylindrica and l. acutangula, yield a unique fiber. these are climbing cucumbers of the tropics that bear edible fruits containing a lacy network of stiff curled fibers. this material is extracted by retting in water. after cleaning it is used for making hats, for washing and scouring machinery, in certain types of oil filters and as a substitute for bath sponges. a large amount of this material used to be exported by japan. the manufacture of paper requires the use of cellulose present in plant fibers. this subject is discussed under forest products the artificial fibers in use in the textile industry are mostly organic in nature, with synthetic glass fibers being the exception. the organic materials utilized are cellulose, plant and animal proteins, and synthetic resins, such as nylon that is made from soft coal, water and air. the cellulose fibers are discussed under forest products, while the protein fibers of only minor importance. although they have many of the general properties of wool, their low strength when wet is a serious detriment. soybeans, corn and peanuts are the main plant sources of protein fibers.


best poems by great poets : some of the greatest famous poems by your favourite poets... sing of the banner at day - break. by walt whitman o a new song, a free song, flapping, flapping, flapping, flapping, by sounds, by voices clearer, by the wind ’ s voice and that of the drum, by the banner ’ s voice, and child ’ s voice, and sea ’ s voice, and low on the ground and high in the air, on the ground where father and child stand, in the upward air where their eyes turn, where the banner at day - break is flapping. words! book - words! what are you? words no more, for hearken and see, my song is there in the open air — and i must sing, with the banner and pennant a - flapping. i ’ ll weave the chord and twine in, man ’ s desire and babe ’ s desire — i ’ ll twine them in, i ’ ll put in i ’ ll put the bayonet ’ s flashing point — i ’ ll let bullets and slugs ( as one carrying a symbol and menace, far into the future, crying with trumpet voice, arouse and beware! beware and arouse! ) i ’ ll pour the verse with streams of blood, full of volition, full of joy ; then loosen, launch forth, to go and compete, with the banner and pennant a - flapping. come up here, bard, bard ; come up here, soul, soul ; come up here, dear little child, to fly in the clouds and winds with me, and play with the measureless light. father, what is that in the sky beckoning to me with long finger? and what does it say to me all the while? nothing, my babe, you see in the sky ; and nothing at all to you it says. but look you, my babe, look at these dazzling things in the houses, and see you the money - shops opening ; and see you the vehicles preparing to crawl along the streets with goods : these! ah, these! how valued and toil ’ d for, these! how envied by all the earth! fresh and rosy red, the sun is mounting high ; on floats the sea in distant blue, careering through its channels ; on floats the wind over the breast of the sea, setting in toward land ; the great steady wind from west and west - by - south, floating so


sun is mounting high ; on floats the sea in distant blue, careering through its channels ; on floats the wind over the breast of the sea, setting in toward land ; the great steady wind from west and west - by - south, floating so buoyant, with milk - white foam on the waters. but i am not the sea, nor the red sun ; i am not the wind, with girlish laughter ; not the immense wind which strengthens — not the wind which lashes ; not the spirit that ever lashes its own body to terror and death ; but i am that which unseen comes and sings, sings, sings, which babbles in brooks and scoots in showers on the land, which the birds know in the woods, mornings and evenings, and the shore - sands know, and the hissing wave, and that banner and pennant, aloft there flapping and flapping. o father, it is alive — it is full of people — it has children! o now it seems to me it is talking to its children! i hear it — it talks to me — o it is wonderful! o it stretches — it spreads and runs so fast! o my father, it is so broad, it covers the whole sky! cease, cease, my foolish babe, what you are saying is sorrowful to me — much it displeases me ; behold with the rest, again i say — behold not banners and pennants aloft ; but the well - prepared pavements behold — and mark the solid - wall ’ d houses. banner and pennant. speak to the child, o bard, out of manhattan ; ( the war is over — yet never over.... out of it, we are born to real life and speak to our children all, or north or south of manhattan, where our factory - engines hum, where our miners delve the ground, where our hoarse niagara rumbles, where our prairie - plows are plowing ; speak, o bard! point this day, leaving all the rest, to us over all — and yet we know for what are we, mere strips of cloth, profiting nothing, only flapping in the wind? i hear and see not strips of cloth alone ; i hear again the tramp of armies, i hear the challenging sentry ; i hear the jubilant shouts of millions of men — i hear liberty! i hear the drums beat, and the trumpets yet blowing ; i myself move abroad, swift - rising, flying then ; i


armies, i hear the challenging sentry ; i hear the jubilant shouts of millions of men — i hear liberty! i hear the drums beat, and the trumpets yet blowing ; i myself move abroad, swift - rising, flying then ; i use the wings of the land - bird, and use the wings of the sea - bird, and look down as from i do not deny the precious results of peace — i see populous cities, with wealth i see numberless farms — i see the farmers working in their fields or barns ; i see mechanics working — i see buildings everywhere founded, going up, or i see trains of cars swiftly speeding along railroad tracks, drawn by the locomotives ; i see the stores, depots, of boston, baltimore, charleston, new orleans ; i see far in the west the immense area of grain — i dwell awhile, hovering ; i pass to the lumber forests of the north, and again to the southern plantation, and again sweeping the whole, i see the countless profit, the busy gatherings, earned wages ; see the identity formed out of thirty - eight spacious and haughty states ( and many more to see forts on the shores of harbors — see ships sailing in and out ; then over all, ( aye! aye! ) my little and lengthen ’ d pennant, shaped like a sword, runs swiftly up, indicating war and defiance — and now the halyards have rais ’ d side of my banner broad and blue — side of my starry banner, discarding peace over all the sea and land. banner and pennant. yet louder, higher, stronger, bard! yet farther, wider cleave! no longer let our children deem us riches and peace alone ; we may be terror and carnage, and are so now ; not now are we any one of these spacious and haughty states, ( nor any five, nor ten ; ) nor market nor depot are we, nor money - bank in the city ; but these, and all, and the brown and spreading land, and the mines below, are ours ; and the shores of the sea are ours, and the rivers, great and small ; and the fields they moisten are ours, and the crops and the fruits are ours ; bays and channels, and ships sailing in and out, are ours — and we over all, over the area spread below, the three or four millions of square miles — the capitals, the forty millions of people — o bard! in life and death supreme, we, even


ships sailing in and out, are ours — and we over all, over the area spread below, the three or four millions of square miles — the capitals, the forty millions of people — o bard! in life and death supreme, we, even we, henceforth flaunt out masterful, high up above, not for the present alone, for a thousand years, chanting through you, this song to the soul of one poor little child. o my father, i like not the houses ; they will never to me be anything — nor do i like money ; but to mount up there i would like, o father dear — that banner i like ; that pennant i would be, and must be. child of mine, you fill me with anguish ; to be that pennant would be too fearful ; little you know what it is this day, and after this day, forever ; it is to gain nothing, but risk and defy everything ; forward to stand in front of wars — and o, such wars! — what have you to do with with passions of demons, slaughter, premature death? demons and death then i sing ; put in all, aye all, will i — sword - shaped pennant for war, and banner so broad and and a pleasure new and extatic, and the prattled yearning of children, blent with the sounds of the peaceful land, and the liquid wash of the sea ; and the black ships, fighting on the sea, enveloped in smoke ; and the icy cool of the far, far north, with rustling cedars and pines ; and the whirr of drums, and the sound of soldiers marching, and the hot sun shining south ; and the beech - waves combing over the beach on my eastern shore, and my western shore the and all between those shores, and my ever running mississippi, with bends and chutes ; and my illinois fields, and my kansas fields, and my fields of missouri ; the continent — devoting the whole identity, without reserving an atom, pour in! whelm that which asks, which sings, with all, and the yield of all. banner and pennant. aye all! for ever, for all! from sea to sea, north and south, east and west, ( the war is completed, the price is paid, the title is settled beyond recall ; ) fusing and holding, claiming, devouring the whole ; no more with tender lip, nor musical labial sound, but, out of the night emerging for good, our voice per


the price is paid, the title is settled beyond recall ; ) fusing and holding, claiming, devouring the whole ; no more with tender lip, nor musical labial sound, but, out of the night emerging for good, our voice persuasive no more, croaking like crows here in the wind. my limbs, my veins dilate ; the blood of the world has fill ’ d me full — my theme is clear at last : — banner so broad, advancing out of the night, i sing you haughty and resolute ; i burst through where i waited long, too long, deafen ’ d and blinded ; my sight, my hearing and tongue, are come to me, ( a little child taught me ; ) i hear from above, o pennant of war, your ironical call and demand ; insensate! insensate! ( yet i at any rate chant you, ) o banner! not houses of peace indeed are you, nor any nor all their prosperity, ( if need be, you have every one of those houses to destroy them ; you thought not to destroy those valuable houses, standing fast, full of comfort, built may they stand fast, then? not an hour, except you, above them and all, stand fast ; ) — o banner! not money so precious are you, not farm produce you, nor the material good nor excellent stores, nor landed on wharves from the ships ; not the superb ships, with sail - power or steam - power, fetching and carrying cargoes, nor machinery, vehicles, trade, nor revenues, — but you, as henceforth i see you, running up out of the night, bringing your cluster of stars, ( ever - enlarging stars ; ) divider of day - break you, cutting the air, touch ’ d by the sun, measuring the sky, ( passionately seen and yearn ’ d for by one poor little child, while others remain busy, or smartly talking, forever teaching thrift, thrift ; ) o you up there! o pennant! where you undulate like a snake, hissing so curious, out of reach — an idea only — yet furiously fought for, risking bloody so loved! o you banner leading the day, with stars brought from the night! valueless, object of eyes, over all and demanding all — ( absolute owner of all ) — o i too leave the rest — great as it is, it is nothing — houses, machines are i


water rice - based systems and wetlands to mangrove and coastal strips used primarily for fishing. much irrigation ( mainly rice ) is practised in the coastal low - lying areas where drainage is often difficult due to lack of slope. assessment of the impacts of the tsunami will address the damage by flooding ( duration ), erosion, scouring, deposition and salinity in these fragile tropical agro - ecosystems. this will require mapping the aquatic and agro - ecosystems and diagnosing the physical impact of the tsunami ( extent, severity and type ). high resolution global irrigation maps show no irrigation in coastal areas in aceh and north sumatra, none or almost none in thailand ' s affected areas. this suggests a concentration of likely effects to irrigated rice production in south - eastern india, west coast and the middle of southern coast of sri lanka. very roughly, the coastline of the affected areas would be 700 to 800 km in sri lanka, 2000 km in aceh, and 2000 km in south - east india. areas of intervention assessment of the land and water resources and agriculture - related damages appraisal and mapping of the different types, extent and severity of damages identification and prioritisation of the types of rehabilitation / intervention ( short, medium and long term ) estimates of the costs of the proposed rehabilitation / interventions


- safe chemical and equipment - safe and security - always available - professional uniforms there are thousands of varieties of cockroaches, but only about thirty of them can comfortably live with humans. the four main species of pests in the united states are the american, german, asian, and oriental cockroaches. ( these names have little bearing on origin? the american roach was introduced to the united states from africa as early as 1625 ). roaches vary in size from about 1 / 2 " ( german ), up to 2 " ( american ). ironically in america, the species that is most common in homes is the german variety. german roaches prefer warm, moist environments, particularly kitchens, boiler rooms and heating systems in large buildings. they can swim, fly ( although they rarely do ), climb smooth surfaces ( including the ceiling ) easily and hide in inaccessible places. they are brown to dark brown in color and can be found all over the world. this species increases in population at a very rapid rate : a single female and her offspring can produce over 30, 000 individuals in a year. this is the roach that roach exterminators are most often called on to eliminate. they are resilient and best able to withstand home roach control products. the american roach is the species that people find most repulsive. it is the largest of these common species and can easily reach two inches in length. we see these roaches crawling over garbage and other waste, skittering out of sight when the light is turned on, interrupting their feeding activities. they access buildings and contaminate food, shed skin, deposit waste and saliva and create an unpleasant odor when enough gather. they prefer dark, moist, warm areas. american cockroaches are found in basements, boiler rooms, and laundry rooms. the adult american roach is reddish brown in appearance with a pale - brown or yellow band behind the head. oriental ( or common ) cockroaches oriental cockroaches are very dark brown to shiny black in color and roughly an inch to 1 and 1 / 2 inches in length. they are often thought of as a water bug or black beetle. they have wings but cannot fly. these pests like to live outdoors when the weather is warm, but they move indoors during extremes of heat, cold or drought. they like garbage storage areas, basements and crawl spaces, spaces between the soil and building foundations, the undersides of stoops and sidewalks, landscaping mulches, water meters, basements and


during extremes of heat, cold or drought. they like garbage storage areas, basements and crawl spaces, spaces between the soil and building foundations, the undersides of stoops and sidewalks, landscaping mulches, water meters, basements and their floor drains, and other such moist places. these cockroaches frequently live in floor drains that drain directly outside ; these drains are also used as entrances to homes. the oriental roach prefers starchy food, and builds up populations around garbage cans. they tolerate lower temperature ranges than other roaches and may winter in rock walls or such protected sites. these cockroaches are more sensitive to lack of water than other roaches. asian cockroaches are essentially outdoor roaches ; their populations are seasonal. they have successfully colonized urban neighborhoods after being introduced into tampa, florida. they live outside and gather under fallen leaves and ground cover. they favor shady, moist areas, and swarm under trees. unlike most roaches, they are attracted to light. adults fly to lighted windows, doors, yard lights, and parking lot lights at dusk. from these points they often crawl into buildings or fly to indoor room lights. asian cockroaches begin building up their population in spring, and produce several generations through the summer. they are limited to warm, moist regions and may become a serious problem in areas of the united states gulf coast area where temperate climate conditions allow for population increases earlier in the year. look at further information we provide about getting rid of roaches, roach extermination, cockroach control, bed bugs, pest control services, termites, common pests, and animal control services, or take a look at our blog for recent news articles about cockroach identification.


psychology news and research briefs tag archive : parents of adhd children also taking medication parents of children prescribed drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( adhd ) are more than nine times likely than other parents to also take the drugs, says a study by medco health solutions. moreover, if one parent and child in the househo... continue reading parents of adhd children also taking medication improving tourette ' s symptoms with parent management training a study by researchers at the yale university school of nursing shows that using parent management training ( pmt ) can reduce the symptoms of children with tourette ' s syndrome and chronic tic disorders. continue reading improving tourette ' s symptoms with parent management training study : how childhood abuse impacts adult interactions new york university psychologists have shown that adults may have difficulties meeting someone who reminds them of a parent who emotionally or physically abused them as children. in the study, published in the november issue of personality and social psych... continue reading study : how childhood abuse impacts adult interactions fathers vital to child language development in dual - income homes a new study shows that in families with two working parents, fathers play a greater role in child language development than do mothers. researchers videotaped couples interacting with their two - year - old children. returning a year later, they found that whe... continue reading fathers vital to child language development in dual - income homes parenting - focused infotainment helps real - life families reality shows where seasoned professionals help clueless parents learn to discipline and care for their unruly offspring may be more than just fluff entertainment. watching programs promoting good parenting skills and children ' s behavioral problems can actu... continue reading parenting - focused infotainment helps real - life families half of relationships suffer after first child a study of australian couples shows that nearly half of couples report a " significant decline " in their relationship after they have children. however, intervention programs that address expectations about being parents and teach communication and conflict... continue reading half of relationships suffer after first child article : parents ' jobs stress children too the average american work week has increased ten hours in the last 30 years and with this jump has come more stress at home - - for parent and child alike, scientists reported this week at the annual meeting of the american psychoanalytic association. a study... continue reading article : parents ' jobs stress children too infant education helps depressed moms infants rely on parental interaction for stimulation and healthy development. unfortunately, that interaction is often interrupted by the post -


the american psychoanalytic association. a study... continue reading article : parents ' jobs stress children too infant education helps depressed moms infants rely on parental interaction for stimulation and healthy development. unfortunately, that interaction is often interrupted by the post - partum depression which affects about 30 percent of mothers. however, a new canadian study published in this month... continue reading infant education helps depressed moms study : family stability and behavior problems in children the twists and turns of parental love lives can have drastic effects on the behavior and academic success of children, particularly where divorce is involved. a new study shows just how important a stable family is to child behavior and achievement, even if... continue reading study : family stability and behavior problems in children one third of child drinkers get booze from parents seventeen percent of children have tried alcohol before they finished grade school, shows a study published in this month ' s preventative medicine. by the end of junior high, that number jumps to 41 percent, the longitudinal survey of 3, 709 racially diverse... continue reading one third of child drinkers get booze from parents psychbriefs : november 25 - december 1, 2007 our weekly wrap - up of news, interesting research, and noteworthy happenings in the worlds of psychiatry, psychology, and social work. continue reading psychbriefs : november 25 - december 1, 2007 how childhood relationships affect expectations about motherhood a study of 160 women in the last trimester of their first pregnancy shows a woman ' s relationship with her parents during early childhood has a substantial impact on her expectations about motherhood. continue reading how childhood relationships affect expectations about motherhood this is an archive page containing articles from psychology briefs, the findcounseling. com blog.


connect me to : cuba : chinese food and a festival chinese food in central and south america spring volume : 2002 issue : 9 ( 1 ) page ( s ) : 13, 14, 16, 17, and 20 to understand how chinese food came to cuba, a little history is important. long before columbus knew anything about cuba, the native arawak people had developed a successful civilization. columbus blundered upon the island in 1492, and by the early 1500 ' s spain had taken over killing natives and importing africans as slaves for the sugar cane industry. spain held firm until 1898 when teddy roosevelt and the rough riders liberated cuba. sadly, the good feelings this engendered between the united states and cuba soon dissipated. by 1963, things had soured so much that an embargo was imposed. from 1847 through 1883, one hundred fifty thousand chinese migrant workers were shipped to cuban ports to replace freed african slaves and their descendants. the first boatload of chinese arrived in havana harbor on june 3, 1847. immigrants continued to come, from guangdong, fujian, haikou, macao, and hong kong, when it was called ziang gang. chinese were brought to cuba in ships owned by france, spain, england, north american, portugal, holland, russia, and a handful of other countries. by the 1860 ' s, some thirty thousand chinese arrived annually. in 1877 immigration peaked at forty thousand men, but had slipped to five thousand by 1970. only a handful of chinese move to cuba these days. the earliest chinese immigrants to cuba lived under worse conditions than the african slaves and thay faced near constant and inhumane exploitation. in another wave, some five thousand chinese came after attempting to strike it rich in california ’ s gold rush. failure to find gold was one reason they left the pacific coast. chinese men had also been victimized by the united states xenophobia ; and they were often denounced by cuba ’ s first president, jose marti. chinese immigrants were a steady source of cheap labor. they continued entering cuba through the first decades of the 20th century. they usually settled in urban areas of cuba and came to be known as hard workers and enterprising traders. commonly employed at sugar cane plantations, the chinese men had to either intermarry with african or creole women, or stay single. many could not stand the harsh new world and left or committed suicide. others simply waited it out until their eight - year contracts expired, knowing they could never return to china. quite a few joined the cuban liberation


or creole women, or stay single. many could not stand the harsh new world and left or committed suicide. others simply waited it out until their eight - year contracts expired, knowing they could never return to china. quite a few joined the cuban liberation movement. they achieved varying ranks in the military and they actively participated in the cuban war of emancipation. during the end of the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries, many chinese workers gained their freedom and began serious cultural resurgence efforts by forming chinese associations. these associations provided social infrastructure, cemeteries, drug stores, theaters, homes for aged, banks, newspapers, and more. chinese people had traditionally created associations delineated by their territory of origin, but the associations in cuba were free to center around other ties, such as economics, arts, sports, political ideas either public or secret, or the need for national representation. because the immigrants were nearly always male, most marriages that took place were between a chinese father and cuban born mother. most cubans learned early to spot the phenotypical diversity among cuban people of chinese origin. by 1980, there were more than four thousand cantonese living in cuba, but in 2002, there are only three hundred pure - blooded chinese cubans, half living in havana, and most of them elderly. major associations not in havana ’ s barrio chino are spread across cuba in santa clara, camaguey, crego de avila, santiago de cuba, and guantanamo. still, chinese blood is highly diffused throughout tens of thousands of cubans, many of whom are called, in a non - derogatory manner, ' chino ' or ' china. ' chinese culture continues to permeate many aspects of life in cuba today. any libertine knows that music is right up there with rum and cigars as cuba ’ s finest products, but many are unaware that cuba ’ s traditional music groups use three instruments that were first imported by the chinese : the cornet, the chinese box, and a drum cubans call tambares, the same drum used in the traditional chinese lion dance. in the visual arts, wilfredo lam, arguably cuba ’ s most famous international artist, is typically cuban, in that he has a cuban mother and a chinese father, with some african blood as well, presumably on his mother ’ s side. like many cubans, lam is honest about his mixed ancestry. early chinese settlers introduced, cultivated, and helped assimilate into the cuban diet a number of new vegetables, including pumpkin, cabbage, long


, presumably on his mother ’ s side. like many cubans, lam is honest about his mixed ancestry. early chinese settlers introduced, cultivated, and helped assimilate into the cuban diet a number of new vegetables, including pumpkin, cabbage, long green beans, and cucumber. indeed, in havana ’ s marketplace, mercado agropecuario egido on avenida de belgica, the only green beans are the very long chinese variety often called ' snake beans. ' roughly the size of a one hundred fifty seat outdoor cafe, it is hard to fathom how cuba ’ s main food market has no more than fifty foodstuffs. it seems that while there is an adequate amount of food to feed cuba ’ s eleven million people, there is no overabundance of comestibles and severely curtailed selection. the gleam of havana as a mid - 20th century paradise, the world ’ s hottest nightspot, and a top cruise ship destination for international jet setters, is gone, nothing more than memories and a faded swizzle stick or two. lobster is now endangered, a result of slaughter for tourist plates or export for hard currency, yet it is still available. we ate a luscious home - cooked cuban lobster enchilada in a deep and delicate tomato and aji cachucha sauce. sea turtles have already been eaten into near extinction and rare to see on menus although during the 1970 ' s large tour groups were fed turtle steak regularly. restaurants, snack bars, and markets alike might have one, two, three or six offerings on a given day. small signs are posted in racks that can advertise a maximum of eight items. people wait in long lines for things like fresh bread and newspapers, some only to sell it to those who can afford to pay a little extra not to have to wait in line. we did not see anyone starving but neither did we see any food going to waste. it has been a long time since cubans have enjoyed the full marketplaces they enjoyed when things were flush. there no longer exists the diverse larder of ingredients needed to ignite cuba ’ s rich international culinary heritage, and it has been so long that many people would not know nor recall the proper taste of a given dish. it is sad to see cuba ’ s superb culinary tradition wither. cuba ’ s countryside remains gorgeous, breathtaking. each province boasts natural beauties, perhaps none as spectacular as pinar del rio, where royal palms sway might


a given dish. it is sad to see cuba ’ s superb culinary tradition wither. cuba ’ s countryside remains gorgeous, breathtaking. each province boasts natural beauties, perhaps none as spectacular as pinar del rio, where royal palms sway mightily in fertile valleys ringed by craggy, weather - beaten mountain ranges. cuba has many fruit orchards with trees of chinese origin, like the chinese orange, of which nineteen types exist in cuba. the traditional fruit hawker ’ s cry of ' naranjas china dulce ' ( sweet chinese oranges ) is part of the cuban oral tradition. nearly all the fruit we ate, however, was less than good. how can guavas ( guayaba ), mangos, soursop ( guanabana ), and papaya ( called fruta bomba because ' papaya ' has become slang for female anatomy ) from a tropical clime taste so unsatisfying - - is it a lack of proper care or lack of good fertilizer? there are two types of chinese gunip trees now common in cuba, oleaginous trees like the chinese oil tree, used in industries, and the lauraceous species like the chinese cinnamon tree which is ornamental, aromatic, and medicinal. also popular are delicate blue chinese violets, known as pensamiento chino or chinese thought, the traditional chinese minimalist symbol of meditation and celestial movement. information about the history of chinese in cuba is not readily available. for example, the lonely planet guidebook to cuba cites nothing chinese in its index or map, although it does contain some tidbits corroborating the extensive data gleaned from chinese presence in cuba, a fact, map, and graph - laden brochure prepared by jesus guanche perez. the film : ' ancestors in the americas : coolies, sailors, settlers, ' a film by loni ding, and a small green book los chinos en cuba provide more information, as does mis imagenes by mercedes crespo villate. this cuban chinese lady writes about the chinese presence in cuba, her motivations, and the reasons for chinese immigration. she discusses cuban reactions to the pobre culis or poor coolies. the book has information on the cuban war of independence from spain, including lists of chinese participants, as well as copies of documents, photographs, a bibliography, and it has information about chinese culture in general. in his informative brochure, dr. perez asks : “ what are the reasons why


from spain, including lists of chinese participants, as well as copies of documents, photographs, a bibliography, and it has information about chinese culture in general. in his informative brochure, dr. perez asks : “ what are the reasons why we cuban people assume this millenary heritage as a patrimony for ourselves ” and then answers his own question by talking about china ’ s ' five virtues ' of : kindness, honesty, decorousness, wisdom, and faithfulness. perhaps things chinese quickly intimated themselves into cuban civilization because both peoples share these universal values of human duty. cuba, a nation of mixed ancestry, has developed a ' native ' cuisine flavored with foods imported from china, africa, and places in the caribbean. africans brought their traditional starch known as fufu. it is made from plantains. in the 19th century, french coffee planters from haiti brought congri orientale with them, a dish of rice cooked with red kidney beans. in cuba ’ s vast oriente region, black beans are substituted for the red kidneys, and the dish is famously renamed moros y christianos, a common dish on every cuban table, every day, and a distant reminder of their colonists. the two colors in this typical cuban platter reference the famous war between the white christian spaniards and the black moors and can be compared to the racial mix of cuba itself. history and politics in cuisine? we ’ re definitely in cuba now. today, havana ’ s chinatown is concentrated in an area just west of cuba ’ s capitolio nacional, which is based on the same architectural plans as the u. s. capitol, except larger and grander. the easiest way to find chinatown is to start at the famous malecon, the broad ocean - side boulevard that is the last bit of land between havana and the united states. turn south at the intersection of malecon and avenida italia, often called by its older name, avenida galiano. walk about ten blocks until you pass a gated park with tall columns painted with chinese characters and the spanish words : barrio china - - playa las columnas. the park ’ s white columns carry inscriptions such as : lucky, happiness, shi bo ping yan ( peace for you ), and sun yi shing long ( may business prosper well ). on a sunny saturday in september the gated park was loaded with cubans whiling away the afternoon around cafe tables. there was a birthday party where dozens of swankily dressed celebra


dance, intended more to draw customers than scare away evil spirits. here are ten restaurants on the short and narrow artery called cuchillo, each with its own tout, usually a cuban in chinese costume enticing passersby with the basic menu of chinese food the world over : soup, egg roll, fried rice, and chop suey. there are plenty of traditional cuban snacks available through tiny windows in and around chinatown, just like the new york ’ s canal street where hot dog carts circle around the rice and noodle shops to cater to those who are in chinatown but can not stomach chinese food. we learn more about cuban chinese culture, and visit the casa de arte y tradicion china at calle salucci 313, between gervasio and escobar. this big, largely open - air building serves as the center for many chinese traditional art forms and also is home to the grupo promotor barrio china de la havana, a kind of chamber of commerce for cuban chinese. they can direct you to any and all of the current activities in cuba ’ s chinese community and provide excellent maps and brochures highlighting places like cementerio chino de la habana, a very large chinese - only cemetery in the heart of havana. currently, there are thirteen chinese associations in havana, the principal one being chung wah. other large ones are say jo jon sociedad wushu kungfu and chueng shan society. the long sai li society, which was founded in 1909 for instruction and recreation and is still housed in a restaurant. it is upstairs and hiding behind intricately etched glass doors. there is also a chinese language newspaper, the kwong wah po diario popular. lung sai li ’ s chinese doorman said he had a cuban mom, a cantonese dad, and a spanish grandma. his family ’ s favorite dish is whole fish steamed with ginger and scallion. cuban locals invariably say that soups are their favorite chinese offerings, with chicken chop suey a close second. fried rice with black beans and sliced cabbage and chunks of yucca comes in cajitas ( hand - cut grey cardboard takeout boxes ). these common takeout snacks can be upgraded to a full meal with a fried pork chop and / or greasy gravy made from bits of fried pork. i thought it was chinese food, since it was being purveyed in chinatown, but later learned it was the cuban staple, moros y cristianos, which natives know to be best in and around cuchillo


fried pork. i thought it was chinese food, since it was being purveyed in chinatown, but later learned it was the cuban staple, moros y cristianos, which natives know to be best in and around cuchillo. the black beans are different than the black chinese fermented soybean, but the two cuisines do share an affinity for hearty beans, white rice, onions, garlic, and other staples that facilitate culinary fusion. its apparently a solid foundation for the many cuban - owned spanish - chinese restaurants in new york, miami, and elsewhere. intent on tasting standard chinese cuban fare, we headed to the sociedead regionalista, chung shan ’ s los dos dragones restaurante y bar con comida china original which is the chung shan regional society ’ s two dragons restaurant and bar with original chinese food. it was upstairs on calle dragones no 311 between rayo and san nicolas streets. the grand dining room had seen more glorious days. president castro had eaten here in mid - century, and there is a prominently displayed photograph of fidel and compatriots happily chopsticking an authentic looking chinese spread, complete with coca cola. two dragon ’ s open kitchen was full of a variety of big cast iron pots and pans but there was only a single wok for use by the three cuban and two chinese chefs. every cuban diner seemed to be eating soup and fried wontons. we worked our waiter hard until he finally relented and allowed us to order a plate of fairly decent bok choy, instead of chop suey vegetables. tip pan chicken turned out to be quite tasty. a giant, flattened, boneless chicken steak, incorporating both breast and thigh was battered and just barely cooked through. to accommodate the steak - loving cuban palate, the golden fried fillet was kept whole, rather than chopped as is the chinese tradition. mixed ingredient fried rice was drier than it looked and overburdened with handfuls of smoked meats, sickly bean sprouts and scallions. lacking any hint of the flavor of rice it was, to be fair, sustenance. costillitas ahumadas estilo oriental or smoked oriental - style spare ribs were overdone, their smokiness seemed to derive more from repeated re - heatings than from intentional flavoring. the wontons in the soup were the tastiest thing on the table. these delicate noodle packets bore the telltale marks of hand


, their smokiness seemed to derive more from repeated re - heatings than from intentional flavoring. the wontons in the soup were the tastiest thing on the table. these delicate noodle packets bore the telltale marks of hand - rolling, but the broth was thin and the other ingredients proved inconsequential. all told, a meal for four cost twenty - one dollars u. s. with the bok choy plate being surprisingly more expensive than the big chicken dish. both salt and soy are on the tables, as are italian toothpicks ( carezzadente ) in a container featuring an image of a japanese samurai swordsman. after the sub - par meal, we headed for one of the last macho fortresses, the partagas cigar factory ’ s private smoking room, where we made the acquaintance of orlando quiroga, a gentlemanly septuagenarian who had just published a book, the art and mysticism of habanos ( in cuba, cuban cigars are called habanos ). while enjoying a montecristo number 4, a perfect afternoon cigar, mr. quiroga recalled chinese influences on his life in cuba. he spoke about the concepts of yin and yang and pointed out the best cigar roller in cuba who is nicknamed chinita, ( little chinese girl ) even though she is a grown and a rather large filipina woman. mr. quiroga recalled the day when thousands of chinese flooded the streets of havana to celebrate chiang kai shek ’ s victory. he believes that fried rice is not originally chinese, and knew about the taste differences between white, yellow, and brown - colored fried rice. quiroga recalled going to see exotic foreign films in the 1950s at the chinatown theater called shanghai, which devolved into a pornographic theater before it closed after the revolution. there was also a chinese - only movie theater on zanja street. there used to be two traditional chinese herbal medicine shops, one in chinatown and the other in the old havana neighborhood, catering to non - chinese clientele. mr. quiroga discussed the effectiveness of the chinese metal balls used to relieve stress, the functional qualities of tiger balm salve, and said that cuban hospitals, which offer some of the world ’ s finest doctors at bargain prices, still use some chinese methods. he noted how much cubans love chinese clothing, antiques, and knick - knacks, as well as ice cream and other chinese foods. a true epicure,


world ’ s finest doctors at bargain prices, still use some chinese methods. he noted how much cubans love chinese clothing, antiques, and knick - knacks, as well as ice cream and other chinese foods. a true epicure, quiroga ’ s favorite chinese dishes are whole fish, and duck in orange sauce. i wish i had asked quiroga if he ’ d ever seen chinese food outside the barrio, which we did not. also wonder what he knows about one of the world ’ s prettiest and fanciest restaurants, havana ’ s cafe del oriente. though they do not serve any thoroughly chinese foods, this el sittio del gourmet or ' place for gourmets ' is worth a visit for the decor alone. the classy and pricey antique wood and stained - glass establishment is located in la habana viejo at oficios 112, at the corner of amargura, ( email @ example. com ). eschew the westernized offerings at homogenous chinatown dives like el pacifico, la muralla, and tong po lau, a bodeguita or small food shop which specializes in comida china sabor y magia or ' chinese food, flavor and magic ' and features the masonic logo on its business card. instead, head for havana ’ s only chinese restaurant with over one hundred dishes. called tien tan, it is on cuchillo no 17, between zanja and san nicolas, and is open 11 to 11 daily ( firstname. lastname @ example. org ). on the walk through the kitchen to the toilet, the one chinese chef among nine kitchen workers did not respond to ni hao ma the classic ' hi, how are you ' in chinese. even though it is the best of the barrio, tien tan seems typically cuban in its sullen resolve not to live up to its full potential. in keeping with the public ’ s wish to be ' transported ' to exotic asia, tien tan is full of tacky chinese decor mixed with photos of local vips. sandalwood incense is sold and the small pass through window from the kitchen to the dining room plays stereotypical ' ching chong ' chinese music until the orders are picked up. chefs on break eat fresh spinach and rice with chopsticks while most of the patrons are cradling soup with chinese porcelain spoons and stabbing at fried wontons with forks. easily the most authentic chinese restaurant in havana, we


up. chefs on break eat fresh spinach and rice with chopsticks while most of the patrons are cradling soup with chinese porcelain spoons and stabbing at fried wontons with forks. easily the most authentic chinese restaurant in havana, we plunged into tien tan ’ s fresh spinach which, while slightly immature, was earthy and perfectly cooked with fresh garlic. the rice tasted like it had been reheated a second time but the seafood meat soup had broad flavor developed from long cooking. the multi - layered soup was authentic and complex, but unfortunately the ingredients had been overcooked to achieve the heady broth. a plate of chinese ravioli was homemade, their perfect skin much better than their lifeless filling. both the wonton soup and the special chinese soups ( which appear to be the same except the special soup has egg and black mushroom ) were meals in a bowl. the big soups harbored all the flavors of wonton, just without the wrapper. pig ’ s kidney with green onion and hot pepper was tasty but very salty. fried noodles with fish were greasy and plain. a mound of fried rice with meat and scallions was the same dry starch that has somehow insinuated itself into every cuban chinese restaurant. on a second visit, a chinese chef from shanghai helped us order. he suggested a thick and fine hot and sour soup, spicy shrimp, and a plate of mixed chinese vegetables. loads of small shrimps fought for space with scallions, red and green peppers and decoratively cut carrots and turnip. the dish was very spicy with la chew jow ( chinese hot pepper oil ) but suffered from a distinct lack of ginger flavor. the mixed vegetable dish was equally middle - of - the - road, with overcooked bok choy, string beans, bean sprouts, and tasty little wads of spinach. the waitress, typically cuban in that she was open to discussing her ancestry with strangers, said her mother ’ s father was from guangdong ; her father ’ s mother was half - spanish and half - japanese but cuban by birth. so she happily described herself as having a japanese head, a chinese body and a cuban heart. the menu from tien tan, the temple of heaven, restaurant, has a photo of a group of chinese - cubans sitting in front of the restaurant, and claims to be " a genuine restaurant of national flavor. there are more than one hundred different dishes cooked the chinese way with chinese seasonings.


, restaurant, has a photo of a group of chinese - cubans sitting in front of the restaurant, and claims to be " a genuine restaurant of national flavor. there are more than one hundred different dishes cooked the chinese way with chinese seasonings. the special dishes are more delicious cooking by chinese cookers. please choose and taste. wish you are satisfied by our service. ” the chinese, spanish and english menu poetically translate the spanish word for appetizer, apertivos as ' whet the appetite. ' all of the platos familiars category, or their ' economic dishes, ' are soups. the traditional dairy - free chinese congee is mislabeled cremas chinas in spanish but called ' chinese thick soup ' in english. the most interesting desert is a canoa china or ' chinese canoe ' and consists of an oval - shaped flan filled with ice cream and fruits. the bar features a mai tai like drink, ' coctel tien tan ' as well as imported qing dao and local tinimes beer. chop sticks are available, but only on request, and there is a charge for rice and tea. tien tan must be cuba ’ s only chinese location listing specialty items such as frog ’ s legs, fish balls, and lamb. the most interesting category on the menu, which consists mainly of cantonese and shanghai dishes with a few royal beijing options, is the solo reservar column of foods available only by ' subscription, ' meaning they must be ordered three days in advance. these offerings include fried chicken integrity with eight eatables ( treasures ) ; stewed meat with red color and sweet ; stewed pigs - - their uppermost part of leg with soy sauce ; sauteed dofu chilli sauce or sea - foods or meat and black mushroom ; savoury and crispy duck ; integrity duck soup with orange skin and soy sauce ; stewed red duck with sweet sauce special ; and stewed integrity duck with eight eatables. on december 7, 2001 the new york times reported delivery of the first of several planned shipments of goods from the nited states to be purchased by cuba since embargo was imposed nearly forty years ago. the cuban government paid thirty million dollars for meat and grain, including fifty - five million pounds of corn, in a purchase made possible by a 2000 congressional legislation exempting food and medicine from the still - active 1963 trade embargo. john kavulich ii, president of the u. s. - cuba trade and


- five million pounds of corn, in a purchase made possible by a 2000 congressional legislation exempting food and medicine from the still - active 1963 trade embargo. john kavulich ii, president of the u. s. - cuba trade and economic council, feels this was more of a political than economic purchase, as cuba could have gotten the same goods for less money and with enhanced delivery from other countries. since 1963, president fidel castro had always insisted that cuba would not buy ' even a grain of rice ' under the stringent terms of the embargo. his country has suffered greatly, blaming the u. s. for shortages in food, milk and medicine. cuban officials insist that this recent purchase was a one - time emergency measure necessary after this october ’ s devastating hurricane michele destroyed crops and housing. u. s. officials warn agricultural companies that cuba, which cannot place its famous cigars and rums in the fifty states, does not have the cash for continued purchases, and feel that the purchase is a sign of cuba ’ s severely withered economy. above all, and contrary to president bush ’ s tough stance, cuba wants the embargo to end. after the revolution, most upper class chinese left cuba for the united states and elsewhere, leaving behind lesser educated chinese who may be kind and good but do not have modern education or business acumen. time has marched on, but most things cultural remain mired in pre - 1959 torpor. there is no contemporary exchange with china, so chinese nationals in cuba are ignorant of china ’ s current status, and mainland chinese thinking is foreign to them. still, the cubans have muy respeto los chineses or much respect for the chinese. in america, even rich chinese are somehow considered second - class citizens and poor chinese are relegated to third or fourth class, but in cuba even the poor chinese are considered first class citizens. the utter lack of racism and the ability to talk openly about skin color and race, are two of cuba ’ s most endearing characteristics. newcomers to new york are incredulous when they hear of chinese cuban restaurants, thinking it an improbable combination. no cuban, however, would have such qualms about two kinds of black beans on one menu. it was only after visiting cuba that this new yorker realized that broadway cuban - chinese haunts like la victoria china were not named after a chinese gal called victoria, but rather named in honor of fidel ’ s victorious revolution. there used to be a restaurant on


only after visiting cuba that this new yorker realized that broadway cuban - chinese haunts like la victoria china were not named after a chinese gal called victoria, but rather named in honor of fidel ’ s victorious revolution. there used to be a restaurant on roosevelt avenue in jackson heights, the world ’ s most diverse neighborhood, called la isla ( the island ). they served chinese, polynesian, spanish, dominican, and other national dishes under one roof. i always thought their name referred to the islands from which their various cuisines originated. after visiting havana, however, it became clear that all of these cuisines had long ago begun to rub shoulders in one of the world ’ s most diverse countries, cuba, known to its natives as, quite simply, la isla. in a country with next to no economy, thousands of locals line up for inexpensive treats on sunday nights in an entire park devoted to selling ice cream. doctors and teachers are the highest paid citizens, earning no more than twenty or thirty us dollars per month. socialized education and medicine is first rate in cuba, but most people will never have enough money to visit other parts of the world. surely, all cubans have heard about chinese food, but most have never experienced its taste. pilo, an affable and highly motivated high school english teacher from san diego de los banos, a village of three thousand known for medicinal baths and tobacco, summed it up best when he said, with great wonderment in his voice, “ i never had the pleasure of eating in a chinese restaurant. i want to but i cannot. i hear they have this amazing thing called fried rice. ” now that you have read this article, perhaps flavor and fortune has enticed you to head for havana. there could be no better time than may 30th through june 3, 2002, for the festival des chinos de ultramar, known in english as ' the fifth festival chinese over the seas. ' registration is not without its costs. participants need to shell out us $ 120. 00, their companions pay only us $ 80 : 00. this includes : free access to all events, welcome cocktail, lunches, receptions and closing, presentation of chinese arts and traditions, sight seeing around historical, cultural and amusing places, and free access to the fair. if anyone does go, flavor and fortune wants to hear about your experiences there ; i do, too. flavor and fortune is a magazine of : | copyright ( c ) 1994 - 2013 by isacc, all rights reserved


a thorough critique of the genus in florida, by florida firebush expert roger l. hammer butterflies and hummingbirds are constant reminders of why gardeners who live in southern and coastal central florida cultivate our native firebush ( hamelia patens var. patens ). this ever - blooming shrub or small tree ( to 15 ′ ) seems to always have butterflies around the flowers. hummingbirds, bees, and wasps frequent the flowers as well. as an added bonus, fruit - eating birds such as mockingbirds, catbirds, and blue - headed vireos savor the small purple fruits, and the leaves serve as larval food for the pluto sphinx, a hummingbird - like moth that can be seen visiting the blossoms at dusk, or laying eggs on the leaves. florida ’ s native firebush has many horticultural attributes, but it is decidedly cold sensitive and can only be cultivated successfully outdoors in usda zones 10, 11, and the warmer portions of zone 9. in zone 8 northward it will be killed in winter, so it is sometimes grown in those colder regions as an annual. the broadly lanceolate leaves are in whorls of 3 - 4 ( typically 3 ) and are often tinged with red, especially when grown in full sun. the leaves and young stems are covered with appressed ( flattened ) hairs. narrow, tubular, orange - red flowers are in terminal and axillary clusters, each flower ranging from 1 / 2 - 1 ″ long and about 1 / 8 ″ wide. the flowers can be yellowish when in bud, turning orange after opening, and then orange - red once they are pollinated – but the dominant color on open flowers is typically red, or orange - red. hamelia patens var. patens has the widest natural range of any other species in the genus. it occurs from marion county in florida south through the florida keys, the west indies, and mexico into south america. its distribution in south america is mostly from venezuela, colombia, and ecuador to peru, with isolated populations in paraguay, bolivia, brazil, and argentina. it is regarded as one of the most common shrubs in tropical america and is the only member of the genus native to florida and the bahamas. hamelia is a small genus of 16 species with a mostly tropical american distribution and commemorates french botanist henri louis duhamel de monceau ( 1700 - 1782 ). the name means “ spreading, ” alluding to the growth habit. sometime in the mid - 1980s, a non - native variety of hamelia patens


and commemorates french botanist henri louis duhamel de monceau ( 1700 - 1782 ). the name means “ spreading, ” alluding to the growth habit. sometime in the mid - 1980s, a non - native variety of hamelia patens was introduced into the florida nursery trade, but, oddly enough, the material came from a botanical garden in pretoria, south africa. the plant quickly became popular under the misnomer hamelia patens ‘ african ’ or “ african firebush, ” and erroneously sold as a florida native by many nurseries and garden centers throughout the state. its correct botanical name is hamelia patens var. glabra, which has a natural range that encompasses extreme southern mexico through central america and into northern south america, as well as trinidad and tobago. as the name glabra implies, the leaves are glabrous ( without hairs ) and are whorled in groups of 3 - 4 ( typically 4 ). the flowers of this variety are mostly yellow with a reddish orange base, often with thin red lines along the outside of the floral tube. by examining the bottom of a leaf through a magnifying lens, small hairs on the veins are visible, but the leaf blade is essentially smooth. hamelia patens var. glabra is also sold under the trade name ‘ firefly, ’ and this cultivar is advertised as having slightly smaller leaves. quite a number of florida nurseries offer hamelia patens ‘ compacta ’ and there is much confusion involving this cultivar name. some nurseries offer a variety of hamelia patens var. patens with a rounded, compact growth form and dark red flowers. all native llc offers this form under the trademark name ‘ calusa. ’ other nurseries, both in florida and on the internet, offer a compact version of hamelia patens var. glabra, with its typical orange - based yellow flowers, and refer to it as ‘ compacta ’ as well. it is also sold as “ dwarf firebush, ” even though the plant may eventually exceed eight feet in height unless it is pruned. a large number of florida nurseries also offer hamelia nodosa as “ dwarf firebush ” but this is nothing more than a botanical synonym of hamelia patens var. glabra. another species that has become popular in the nursery trade is hamelia cuprea, which is advertised by many florida nurseries as “ bahama firebush. ” this common name is another misnomer because hamelia cuprea


. glabra. another species that has become popular in the nursery trade is hamelia cuprea, which is advertised by many florida nurseries as “ bahama firebush. ” this common name is another misnomer because hamelia cuprea does not occur in the bahamas. it is native to jamaica, cuba, haiti, and the cayman islands. perhaps “ antillean firebush ” would be a more appropriate common name. this very ornamental small tree ( to 20 ′ ) has glossy, light green or copper - colored ( cuprea means “ coppery ” ) elliptic leaves in whorls of 3, which average 3 ″ long and 1 1 / 2 ″ wide. the bell - shaped yellow flowers are mostly 1 - 1 / 4 ″ long and 3 / 4 ″ wide, turning reddish orange with age. the flowers have six thin red longitudinal stripes and six reflexed lobes. bees frequent the flowers along with occasional hummingbirds and butterflies. to complicate things even further, hamelia cuprea hybridizes with hamelia patens, and the hybrids produce flowers that are intermediate between the two species, resembling hamelia cuprea in color but are much narrower, measuring about 1 - 1 / 4 ″ long and 1 / 4 ″ wide. at present, no other members of the genus are available commercially in florida although one florida nursery currently advertises hamelia macrantha, but this is likely a misidentification of hamelia cuprea. however, a quick check on the internet revealed one other florida nursery advertising hamelia macrantha with an accompanying photo of a hamelia cuprea x hamelia patens hybrid. true hamelia macrantha is not known to be in florida. it is a rainforest species native from costa rica south through panama and colombia to ecuador. its flowers are bell - shaped, wider than hamelia cuprea, and solid yellow. whether or not any of the non - native members of this genus will escape into natural areas in florida and become a problem for resource managers has yet to be seen. non - native hamelia patens var. glabra readily escapes from seed around cultivated specimens and may contaminate the gene pool of florida ’ s native firebush through hybridization, so it appears to be the plant to watch, especially with its increasing popularity as a landscape plant in florida. elias, thomas. 1976. memoirs of the new york botanical garden : a monograph of the genus hamelia ( rubiaceae ) ; 26 ( 4 ) : 81 – 144. new york botanical garden,


editor ’ s note : an update from the author has been added to this article on september 20, 2012. antarctic sea ice set another record this past week, with the most amount of ice ever recorded on day 256 of the calendar year ( september 12 of this leap year ). please, nobody tell the mainstream media or they might have to retract some stories and admit they are misrepresenting scientific data. national public radio ( npr ) published an article on its website last month claiming, “ ten years ago, a piece of ice the size of rhode island disintegrated and melted in the waters off antarctica. two other massive ice shelves along the antarctic peninsula had suffered similar fates a few years before. the events became poster children for the effects of global warming. … there ’ s no question that unusually warm air triggered the final demise of these huge chunks of ice. ” npr failed to mention anywhere in its article that antarctic sea ice has been growing since satellites first began measuring the ice 33 years ago and the sea ice has been above the 33 - year average throughout 2012. indeed, none of the mainstream media are covering this important story. a google news search of the terms antarctic, sea ice and record turns up not a single article on the antarctic sea ice record. amusingly, page after page of google news results for antarctic sea ice record show links to news articles breathlessly spreading fear and warning of calamity because arctic sea ice recently set a 33 - year low. sea ice around one pole is shrinking while sea ice around another pole is growing. this sure sounds like a global warming crisis to me. update : to provide more perspective on global warming and antarctica, i would like to update this column with some additional information : as meteorologist anthony watts explains, new data show ice mass is accumulating on the antarctic continent as well as in the ocean surrounding antarctica. the new data contradict an assertion by global warming alarmists that the expanding antarctic sea ice is coming at the expense of a decline in antarctic continental ice. the new data also add context to sensationalist media stories about declining ice in small portions of antarctica, such as portions of west antarctica and the antarctic peninsula ( see here, for example ). the mainstream media frequently publish stories focusing on ice loss in these two areas, yet the media stories rarely if ever mention that ice is accumulating over the larger area of east antarctica and that the continent as a whole is gaining snow and ice mass. interestingly, a new nasa study finds antarctica once supported vegetation


at various points along the path toward productive nanosystems for molecular manufacturing it would be useful to be able to calculate the properties and reactions of assemblies of atoms of various sizes. within the domain of non - relativistic quantum mechanics, such information is supplied by the schrodinger equation, but this can only be solved analytically for the hydrogen atom and ions with only one electron. for larger atoms and molecules, numerical solutions require compromises between computational feasibility and accuracy. recent work from researchers at argonne national laboratory suggests that machine learning can be an efficient alternative to numerical computations. a hat tip to kurzweilai. net for pointing to this new scientist article by lisa grossman “ molecules from scratch without the fiendish physics “ : a suite of artificial intelligence algorithms may become the ultimate chemistry set. software can now quickly predict a property of molecules from their theoretical structure. similar advances should allow chemists to design new molecules on computers instead of by lengthy trial - and - error. our physical understanding of the macroscopic world is so good that everything from bridges to aircraft can be designed and tested on a computer. there ’ s no need to make every possible design to figure out which ones work. microscopic molecules are a different story. “ basically, we are still doing chemistry like thomas edison, ” says anatole von lilienfeld of argonne national laboratory in lemont, illinois. the chief enemy of computer - aided chemical design is the schrodinger equation. in theory, this mathematical beast can be solved to give the probability that electrons in an atom or molecule will be in certain positions, giving rise to chemical and physical properties. but because the equation increases in complexity as more electrons and protons are introduced, exact solutions only exist for the simplest systems : the hydrogen atom, composed of one electron and one proton, and the hydrogen molecule, which has two electrons and two protons. … the researchers developed a machine learning model to calculate the atomisation energy — the energy of all the bonds holding a molecule together and applied it to a database of 7165 small organic molecules of known structure and atomization energy and containing up to seven atoms of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur, plus the number of hydrogen atoms necessary to saturate the bonds. these molecules had atomization energies ranging from 800 to 2000 kcal / mol. the model was trained on a subset of 1000 compounds and then used to calculate the energies of the remaining molecules in the database. the results showed a mean error of only 9.


by terry kovel fresh vegetables were part of the diet of the victorian household during the warm, growing months. but stored root vegetables and home canned food were used on snowy days. advertisers knew that imaginary vegetables acting like humans were as popular a fantasy as fairies, elves, brownies, pixies and gnomes. few color pictures were available. magazines and newspapers were printed in black and white. but in the 1880s, retail stores advertised with colored trade cards, about 6 - inch - by - 2 - 1 / 2 - inch, that were saved and often put in scrapbooks. there were many different anthropomorphic fruit and vegetable cards. humanized veggies were pictured not only in the u. s. but also in england, germany, france and italy. the comic figures with human bodies often had names, mr. prune, the baldwin twins ( apple heads ) or mr. pumpkin. and there often was a funny caption, like two strawberry heads asking " what are you doing in my bed? " the trade cards are not the only place for veggie people. vegetable people postcards came next, about 1900. figural salt and pepper shakers, children ' s books, decorated plates and even small figurines were popular in the early 1900s. now that eating fresh food is a national goal, veggie people are being noticed by collectors. and maybe they will encourage the family to eat their fruit and vegetables. trade cards can be $ 10 to $ 25 each, postcards a little less. many saltshaker sets sell for less than $ 40. q : about 25 years ago, i bought a kitchen table with one leaf and four chairs at a used - furniture store in connecticut. on one end of the table, there ' s a label that says " dinah cook furniture " around the image of a black woman wearing a kerchief on her head. can you tell me when the set was made and who made it? a : " dinah cook furniture " was a trademark used by the western chair co. of chicago. the trademark may have been used to appeal to black customers during the great migration of black americans from the south to northern cities. if so, the set probably dates from the 1920s or ' 30s. q : i have a 1937 philadelphia athletics scorecard that ' s in mint condition. it ' s really more like a program, because it ' s a six - page booklet that ' s 10 3 / 4 inches high by 6 5 / 8


. q : i have a 1937 philadelphia athletics scorecard that ' s in mint condition. it ' s really more like a program, because it ' s a six - page booklet that ' s 10 3 / 4 inches high by 6 5 / 8 inches wide. the inside of the booklet includes a team photo and roster, a schedule of home games, a list of the pitchers and catchers for all the teams in the american and national leagues, a photo of chubby dean with his facsimile autograph, the prices of refreshments and a lot of interesting ads. what is it worth? a : reproductions of your scorecard have been made, so the first thing to do is to make sure it ' s an original. if it ' s an original, you can try selling it online or to a dealer who sells sports memorabilia. expect to get about $ 35 - $ 45 for it. the philadelphia athletics, an american league team founded in 1901, became the kansas city athletics in 1955, then moved to california in 1968 and became the oakland athletics. q : i have two small rubber toy motorcycles that belonged to a cousin, born about 1930. one is red with green wheels ; the other is green with red wheels. both have auburn printed on the rear wheel and a rider who appears to be a policeman. what can you tell me about them? a : the auburn rubber co. was founded in auburn, ind., in 1913. it started out as the double fabric tire corp., a manufacturer of tires. in the 1920s the company was reorganized and the name changed to the auburn rubber co. auburn began making rubber toy soldiers in 1935 and eventually became a major producer of rubber toys. toy soldiers, cars, trucks, airplanes, boats, tractors, building blocks and many other rubber toys were made. the faces and details on the toys were hand painted. the toys were inexpensive and sold in dime stores. sears, roebuck catalogs sold a line of auburn rubber toys under the brand name happy time. toy rubber motorcycles were made in several colors in the 1940s and ' 50s. auburn began making vinyl toys in 1954. the company was sold in 1960 and went bankrupt in 1969. rubber toys can warp or become dry and brittle if they are not stored properly. they should be kept where it is cool. value of your toy motorcycle, about $ 25 to $ 35. q : what is the difference between an " antique " and a " collectible "? and what does the word " vintage " mean?


they should be kept where it is cool. value of your toy motorcycle, about $ 25 to $ 35. q : what is the difference between an " antique " and a " collectible "? and what does the word " vintage " mean? i figure you ' re the expert and can help me understand. a : different people, even different experts, define these words differently. most collectors accept the u. s. customs service ' s 1930 definition of an " antique " as something of value that ' s 100 or more years old. in 1993 the u. s. customs modernization act added that if the " essential character " of a piece has been changed or more than half of it has been repaired or restored, it ' s no longer considered an antique. a " collectible " is therefore something of value ( to someone ) that ' s less than 100 years old. the term " vintage " is wishy - washy. it ' s often used to describe clothing your grandmother — or even your mother — wore or furniture in your childhood bedroom. we usually use the word " vintage " to describe something of value that ' s more than 50 years old and " collectible " to refer to anything under 50. but there are no hard and fast rules. q : my two 12 - inch ceramic jim beam decanters are 1968 election bottles. one is an elephant and the other a donkey. they ' re both dressed in polka - dot clown costumes. with presidential elections coming up this year, i was wondering if they have any value. a : the jim beam brand of whiskey dates back to the late 1700s. the company started selling special decanters filled with kentucky straight bourbon in 1953. political bottles, one for each party, were made for the presidential - election years from 1956 to 1988. the bottles were made by regal china co. of chicago. your 1968 bottles sell today for $ 10 - $ 25 each. the decanters are not as popular with collectors as they were 30 years ago. the most valuable beam political decanter is a 1970 elephant bottle made for a spiro agnew vice - presidential fundraiser. at one time it was selling for more than $ 1, 000. tip : a mirror made from an antique picture frame is worth about half as much as a period mirror in a period frame. take advantage of a free listing for your group to announce events or to find antique shows and other events. go to kovels. com / calendar to find and plan your antiquing trips.


much as a period mirror in a period frame. take advantage of a free listing for your group to announce events or to find antique shows and other events. go to kovels. com / calendar to find and plan your antiquing trips. terry kovel answers as many questions as possible through the column. by sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other kovel forum. names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. we cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. the volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. write to kovels, ( name of this newspaper ), king features syndicate, 300 w. 57th st., new york, ny 10019. current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the united states. prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions. super suds detergent box, " super suds, floods o ' suds for dishes and duds, " blue box and letters on white, colgate - palmolive - peet co., 1930s, 1 lb. 7 oz., $ 20. carnival glass toothpick holder, octagon pattern, marigold, curved - in lip, imperial glass co., 2 1 / 2 inches, $ 35. license plate, illinois, 1947, fiberboard ( to save metal for war effort ), black, white numbers 1144 - 114, $ 50. model kit, u. s. army patton tank, monogram co., red box, unopened, 1959 $ 80. mortimer snerd ventriloquist dummy, painted face, crooked mouth and buck teeth, cloth body, vinyl head and hands, pull string moves mouth, jurn novelty co., 1950s, 29 inches, $ 85. mccoy jardiniere, springwood pattern, mint green, white flowers, 6 3 / 4 x 8 1 / 2 inches, $ 125. gentleman ' s smoking jacket, cotton and polyester, red - and - black print, black grosgrain sash belt, collar and cuffs, state o ' maine co. label, large size, $ 145. sewing bird, brass, cast flowers, leaves and rope edges, c. 1856, 3 1 / 2 x 2 inches, $ 155. ericsson bakelite telephone, black, curved mouthpiece, chrome dial, 1950s, 6 x 8 inches, $


, brass, cast flowers, leaves and rope edges, c. 1856, 3 1 / 2 x 2 inches, $ 155. ericsson bakelite telephone, black, curved mouthpiece, chrome dial, 1950s, 6 x 8 inches, $ 185. thonet bentwood dining chairs, upholstered seats and backs, 1950s, 32 1 / 2 inches, set of four, $ 695. available now. the best book to own if you want to buy or sell or collect — and if you order now, you ' ll receive a copy with the author ' s autograph. the new " kovels ' antiques & collectibles price guide, 2012, " 44th edition, is your most accurate source for current prices. this large - size paperback has more than 2, 500 color photographs and 40, 000 up - to - date prices for over 775 categories of antiques and collectibles. you ' ll also find hundreds of factory histories and marks, a report on the record prices of the year, plus helpful sidebars and tips about buying, selling, collecting and preserving your treasures. available online at kovelsonlinestore. com ; by phone at 800 - 303 - 1996 ; at your bookstore or send $ 27. 95 plus $ 4. 95 postage to price book, box 22900, beachwood, oh 44122.


boston — according to the american cancer society, about one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. this year, nearly 40, 000 women in the united states will die from the disease. breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the united states, after lung cancer. erica mayer, md, m. p. h., is a breast cancer expert at dana - farber cancer institute. she says there are at least five simple ways women can reduce their risk of getting the disease : 1. get a mammogram it ' s recommended women get a mammogram starting at age 40. “ mammography screening does not prevent or cure breast cancer, but it may detect the disease before symptoms occur, ” said dr. mayer. 2. eat a healthy diet and keep your weight under control the american cancer society recommends a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fiber. “ high - fat diets can lead to being overweight or obese, which is a risk factor for breast cancer, ” said dr. mayer. there ' s growing evidence that physical activity reduces a woman ' s breast cancer risk. according to one small study, women who engaged in 10 to 19 hours of physical activity per week during their reproductive years or after menopause experienced a 30 % reduced risk of developing breast cancer. “ women who exercise regularly appear to be less likely to develop breast cancer. cancer survivors who are active may have less risk of cancer recurrence compared to those who are more sedentary, ” said dr. mayer. 4. limit alcohol research has shown having too much alcohol can increase your risk of breast cancer. “ the more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk of developing breast cancer. if you choose to drink alcohol — including beer, wine or liquor — limit yourself to no more than one half to one drink a day on average, ” adds dr. mayer. 5. determine if you have family history of breast cancer twenty to 30 percent of people who develop breast cancer have a family history of the disease. about five to ten - percent of women carry a brca1 or 2 mutation, the so called “ breast cancer genes. ” “ for women with a family history of breast cancer, genetic testing can offer information about their personal and family risk of developing breast cancer. and if a woman is found to have a gene mutation, options are available to significantly reduce their risk of cancer, ” said dr. mayer. dana - farber cancer institute is a principal


august 5, 2008 taking play seriously by robin marantz henig part viiii koach karl continues this great article on " play " … bateson, a prominent play scholar who recognizes the quandary posed by equifinality, suggested that play is the best way to reach certain goals. through play, an individual avoids what he called the lure of ‘ ‘ false endpoints, ’ ’ a problem - solving style more typical of harried adults than of playful youngsters. false endpoints are avoided through play, bateson wrote, because players are having so much fun that they keep noodling away at a problem and might well arrive at something better than the first, good - enough solution. but maybe the flexibility hypothesis is itself a false endpoint. maybe the idea that play is the best route to a whole host of good results — creativity, social agility, overall mental suppleness — is just the first idea scientists landed on, and they were inclined to accept it because it fit so well with their innate ideas about the nature of childhood. this is the view of a small group of play scholars we ’ ll call the play skeptics. what worries the play skeptics is that most people in the industrialized west — scientists in the field, play advocates and all the rest of us, parents, teachers, doctors, scholars, all the children and all the aging children — have been ensnared by what skeptics call the ‘ ‘ play ethos. ’ ’ by this they mean the reflexive, unexamined belief that play is an unmitigated good with a crucial, though vaguely defined, evolutionary function. ‘ ‘ play ethos ’ ’ comes from peter smith, a psychology professor at the university of london and a leading authority on play ’ s effect on children ’ s emotional development. he uses it as a cautionary term, a reminder that most conclusions about play ’ s adaptive function have so far been based not on scientific evidence but on wishful thinking. in one of his early experiments, smith and his colleagues put 3 - and 4 - year - olds in two different play settings. in one group the children were allowed to play, in whatever way they felt like, with several wooden sticks. in the other group they were shown by an adult ‘ ‘ play tutor ’ ’ how to fit two sticks together to make a longer one. then the children were given two tasks. first they had to retrieve a marble by connecting two sticks. both groups performed this task,


throughout life there are many times when outside influences change or influence decision - making. the young child has inner motivation to learn and explore, but as he matures, finds outside sources to be a motivating force for development, as well. along with being a beneficial influence, there are moments when peer pressure can overwhelm a child and lead him down a challenging path. and, peer pressure is a real thing – it is not only observable, but changes the way the brain behaves. as a young adult, observational learning plays a part in development through observing and then doing. a child sees another child playing a game in a certain way and having success, so the observing child tries the same behavior. albert bandura was a leading researcher in this area. his famous bobo doll studies found that the young child is greatly influenced by observing other ’ s actions. when a child sees something that catches his attention, he retains the information, attempts to reproduce it, and then feels motivated to continue the behavior if it is met with success. observational learning and peer pressure are two different things – one being the observing of behaviors and then the child attempting to reproduce them based on a child ’ s own free will. peer pressure is the act of one child coercing another to follow suit. often the behavior being pressured is questionable or taboo, such as smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. peer pressure and the brain recent studies find that peer pressure influences the way our brains behave, which leads to better understanding about the impact of peer pressure and the developing child. according to studies from temple university, peer pressure has an effect on brain signals involved in risk and reward department, especially when the teen ’ s friends are around. compared to adults in the study, teenagers were much more likely to take risks they would not normally take on their own when with friends. brain signals were more activated in the reward center of the brain, firing greatest during at risk behaviors. peer pressure can be difficult for young adults to deal with, and learning ways to say “ no ” or avoid pressure - filled situations can become overwhelming. resisting peer pressure is not just about saying “ no, ” but how the brain functions. children that have stronger connections among regions in their frontal lobes, along with other areas of the brain, are better equipped to resist peer pressure. during adolescence, the frontal lobes of the brain develop rapidly, causing axioms in the region to have a coating of fatty myelin, which insulates them and causes the frontal lobes to more effectively communicate with other


are better equipped to resist peer pressure. during adolescence, the frontal lobes of the brain develop rapidly, causing axioms in the region to have a coating of fatty myelin, which insulates them and causes the frontal lobes to more effectively communicate with other brain regions. this helps the young adult to develop judgment and self - control needed to resist peer pressure. along with the frontal lobes contributing to the brain and peer pressure, other studies find that the prefrontal cortex plays a role in how teens respond to peer pressure. just as with the previous study, children that were not exposed to peer pressure had greater connectivity within the brain as well as abilities to resist peer pressure. working through peer pressure the teenage years are exciting years. the young adult is often going through physical changes due to puberty, adjusting to new friends and educational environments, and learning how to make decisions for themselves. adults can offer a helping and supportive hand to young adults when dealing with peer pressure by considering the following : separation : understanding that this is a time for the child to separate and learn how to be his own individual is important. it is hard to let go and allow the child to make mistakes for himself, especially when you want to offer input or change plans and actions, but allowing the child to go down his own path is important. as an adult, offering a helping hand if things go awry and being there to offer support is beneficial. talk it out : as an adult, take a firm stand on rules and regulations with your child. although you cannot control whom your child selects as friends, you can take a stand on your control of your child. setting specific goals, rules, and limits encourages respect and trust, which must be earned in response. do not be afraid to start talking with your child early about ways to resist peer pressure. focus on how it will build your child ’ s confidence when he learns to say “ no ” at the right time and reassure him that it can be accomplished without feeling guilty or losing self - confidence. stay involved : keep family dinner as a priority, make time each week for a family meeting or game time, and plan family outings and vacations regularly. spending quality time with kids models positive behavior and offers lots of opportunities for discussions about what is happening at school and with friends. if at any time there are concerns a child is becoming involved in questionable behavior due to peer pressure, ask for help. understand that involving others in helping a child cope with peer pressure, such as a family doctor, youth advisor, or other trusted


register new player welcome to our world of fun trivia quizzes and quiz games : hard drive basics " the hard drive is a critical component in a computer system. this is a quiz on some hard drive trivia. good luck and enjoy! " 15 points per correct answer - no time limit the first hard disks, created in the 1950s, could be up to 20 inches in diameter. which company invented the hard disk? when purchasing a hard disk which of these is generally not a specification that would be of concern? inside the hard disk drive, where is the data actually stored? when a user formats a disk, they are generally performing a high - level format which prepares the drive to hold data. when a low - level format is performed, how does it divide the platter? read and write bits and bytes sectors and tracks kilobytes and megabytes which of these is disk interfaces was the precursor to scsi ( small computer system interface )? hard drive failure rates are measured with mtbf ( mean time between failures ). which of these failures would be reason to replace your current hard disk? can ' t read cds an external hard disk is often purchased by the home computer user for backups of the main hard disk ( generally installed internally to the computer case ). which of these interfaces is commonly used for this purpose? which of these refers to the hard drive circuit board? during the life of a disk, is it true that defragmentation of the file system can significantly improve performance? which of these is not known as one of the world ' s hard disk manufacturers? copyright, funtrivia. com. all rights reserved. legal / conditions of use compiled nov 03 12