constitutional court of the republic of macedonia ; public prosecutor ' s office ; public attorney. legal system is based on civil law system ; judicial review of legislative acts. subdivisions : 123 opstini ( municipalities ) plus the city of skopje. suffrage : universal at age 18. main political parties : social - democratic union of macedonia ( sdsm ) ; internal macedonian revolutionary organization - democratic party for macedonian national unity ( vmro - dpmne ) ; democratic union for integration ( dui ) ; democratic party of albanians ( dpa ) ; party for democratic prosperity ( pdp ) ; national democratic party ( ndp ) ; liberal - democratic party ( ldp ) ; socialist party of macedonia ( spm ) ; liberal party ( lp ) ; democratic alternative ( da ) ; democratic union ( du ) ; democratic party of the turks in macedonia ( dptm ) ; democratic league of bosniaks ; democratic party of serbs in macedonia, united party of romas in macedonia ; democratic union of vlachs from macedonia ; labor - agricultural party of macedonia, socialist - christian party of macedonia ; green party of macedonia. gdp : $ 3. 734 billion. per capita gdp : $ 1, 835. real gdp growth : 0. 7 %. inflation rate : 1. 8 %. unemployment rate : 31. 9 %. trade : significant exports - - steel, textile products, coal, chromium, lead, zinc, nickel, tobacco, lamb, and wine. official exchange rate ( 2002 avg. ) : 64. 8 macedonian denars = u. s. $ 1. macedonia is located in the heart of south central europe. it shares a border with greece to the south, bulgaria to the east, serbia and montenegro ( serbia and kosovo ) to the north, and albania to the west. the country is 80 % mountainous, rising to its highest point at mt. korab ( peak 2, 764 m ). since the end of the second world war, macedonia ' s population has grown steadily, with the greatest increases occurring in the ethnic albanian community. from 1953 through the time of the latest official census in 2002 ( initial official results were released december 2003 ), the percentage of albanians living in macedonia rose 313 %. the western part of the country, where most ethnic albanians live, is the most heavily populated, with approximately 40 % of the total population. as the population grew, more people moved into the cities in search of employment. comparing 1948 census results to the 1994 recording, the urban population grew from 28.


albanians live, is the most heavily populated, with approximately 40 % of the total population. as the population grew, more people moved into the cities in search of employment. comparing 1948 census results to the 1994 recording, the urban population grew from 28. 7 % to 58. 4 % of the population. throughout its history, the present - day territory of macedonia has been a crossroads for both traders and conquerors moving between the european continent and asia minor. each of these transiting powers left its mark upon the region, giving rise to a rich and varied cultural and historical tradition. the ancient territory of macedon, included, in addition to the areas of the present - day macedonia, large parts of present - day northern greece and southwestern bulgaria. this ancient kingdom reached its height during the reign of alexander iii ( " the great " ), who extended macedon ' s influence over most of asia minor, the levant, egypt, mesopotamia, persia, and even parts of india. after alexander ' s death in 323 bc, the macedon empire gradually declined, until it was conquered in 168 bc and made a province by the romans in 148 bc. after the fall of the western roman empire, the territory of macedonia fell under the control of the byzantine empire. it was during this period ( the 6th and 7th centuries ) that large groups of slavic people migrated to the balkan region. the serbs, bulgarians, and byzantines fought for control of macedonia until the late 14th century, when the territory was again conquered, this time by the ottoman turks and remained under turkish rule until 1912. after more than four centuries of rule, ottoman power in the region began to wane, and by the middle of the 19th century, greece, bulgaria, and serbia were competing for influence in the territory. during this time, a nationalist movement emerged and grew in macedonia. the latter half of the 19th century was marked by sporadic nationalist uprisings, culminating in the ilinden uprising of august 2, 1903. macedonian revolutionaries liberated the town of krushevo and established the short - lived republic of krushevo, which was put down by ottoman forces after 10 days. following ottoman turkey ' s defeat by the allied balkan countries - - bulgaria, serbia, montenegro, and greece - - during the first balkan war ( autumn 1912 ), the same allies fought the second balkan war over the division of macedonia. the treaty of bucharest ( august 1913 ) ended this conflict by dividing the territory between bulgaria, greece, and serbia. the treaty of versailles in 1919 sanctioned partitioning


autumn 1912 ), the same allies fought the second balkan war over the division of macedonia. the treaty of bucharest ( august 1913 ) ended this conflict by dividing the territory between bulgaria, greece, and serbia. the treaty of versailles in 1919 sanctioned partitioning macedonia between the kingdom of serbs, croats and slovenes, bulgaria and greece. in the wake of the first world war, vardarian macedonia ( the present day area of macedonia ) was incorporated into the newly formed kingdom of serbs, croats, and slovenes. throughout much of the second world war, bulgaria and italy occupied macedonia. many people joined partisan movements during this time and succeeded in liberating the region in 1944. following the war, under marshall tito, macedonia became one of the constituent republics of the new socialist federal republic of yugoslavia. during this period, macedonian culture and language flourished. as communism fell throughout eastern europe in the late 20th century, macedonia followed its other federation partners and declared its independence from yugoslavia in late 1991. the new macedonian constitution took effect november 20, 1991, and called for a system of government based on a parliamentary democracy. the first democratically elected coalition government was led by prime minister branko crvenkovski of the social democratic union of macedonia ( sdsm ) and included the ethnic albanian party for democratic prosperity ( pdp ). in november 1998 parliamentary elections, the sdsm lost its majority. a new coalition government emerged under the leadership of prime minister ljubco georgievski of the internal macedonian revolutionary organization - democratic party for macedonian national unity ( vmro - dpmne ). the initial coalition included the ethnic albanian democratic party of albanians ( dpa ). following the outbreak of an ethnic albanian insurgency in february 2001, the government coalition was expanded in july 2001 to include the major opposition parties. this grand coalition disbanded following signing of the ohrid framework agreement ( august 2001 ), which brought an end to the fighting, and the passage of new constitutional amendments ( november 2001 ). a coalition led by prime minister georgievski, including dpa and several smaller parties, finished out the parliamentary term. in september 2002 elections, an sdsm - led pre - election coalition won half of the 120 seats in parliament. branko crvenkovski was elected prime minister in coalition with the ethnic albanian democratic union for integration ( dui ) party and the liberal - democratic party ( ldp ). kiro gligorov, the first president of an independent macedonia, also was the first president of a former yugoslav republic to relinquish


democratic union for integration ( dui ) party and the liberal - democratic party ( ldp ). kiro gligorov, the first president of an independent macedonia, also was the first president of a former yugoslav republic to relinquish office. his presidency ended in november 1999 after 8 years in office, in accordance with the terms of the macedonian constitution. gligorov was succeeded by former deputy foreign minister boris trajkovski ( vmro ), who defeated tito petkovski ( sdsm ) in a second - round run - off election for the presidency november 14, 1999. trajkovski ' s election was confirmed by a december 5 partial re - vote in 230 polling stations, which the macedonian supreme court mandated due to election irregularities. presidential elections will be held again in 2004. macedonia was the only republic of the former yugoslavia whose secession in 1991 was not clouded by ethnic or other armed conflict. during the yugoslav period, macedonian ethnic identity again exhibited itself, in that most of macedonia ' s slavic population identified themselves as macedonians, while several minority groups, in particular ethnic albanians, sought to retain their own distinct political culture and language. although interethnic tensions simmered under yugoslav authority and during the first decade of its independence, the country avoided ethnically motivated conflict. ethnic minority grievances rapidly began to gain political currency in late 2000, leading many in the ethnic albanian community in macedonia to question their minority protection under, and participation in, the government. tensions erupted into open hostilities in macedonia in february 2001, when a group of ethnic albanians near the kosovo border carried out armed provocations that soon escalated into an insurgency. purporting to fight for greater civil rights for ethnic albanians in macedonia, the group seized territory and launched attacks against government forces. many observers ascribed other motives to the so - called national liberation army ( nla ), including support for criminality and the assertion of political control over affected areas. the insurgency spread through northern and western macedonia during the first half of 2001. under international mediation, a cease - fire was brokered in july 2001. a coalition of ruling ethnic macedonian and ethnic albanian political leaders, with facilitation by u. s. and european union ( eu ) diplomats, negotiated and then signed the ohrid framework agreement in august 2001. the agreement called for implementation of constitutional and legislative changes, which lay the foundation for improved civil rights for minority groups. the macedonian parliament adopted the constitutional changes outlined in the accord in november 2001. efforts are currently underway to


minister - - ilinka mitreva defense minister - - vlado buckovski economy minister - - stevce jakimovski interior minister - - hari kostov justice minister - - ixhet memeti ambassador to the united states - - nikola dimitrov ambassador to the united nations - - vacant macedonia is a small economy with a gross domestic product ( gdp ) of u. s. $ 3. 7 billion representing about 0. 01 % of the total world output. it also is an open economy, highly integrated in international trade, with a total trade - to - gdp ratio of 81. 3 %. agriculture and industry have been the two most important sectors of the economy, although both sectors provide only a limited number of high - quality finished products. like most transition economies, problems persist, even as macedonia takes steps toward reform. a largely obsolete industrial infrastructure has not seen much investment during the transition period. work force education and skills are competitive, but without adequate jobs, many with the best skills seek employment abroad. a low standard of living and high unemployment rates prompt occasional social unrest. five years of continuous economic expansion in macedonia was interrupted by the 2001 conflict, which led to a contraction of 4. 5 % in 2001, despite the government being able to hold inflation at a stable average 5. 3 %. in 2002, the economy struggled to recover, posting only 0. 7 % growth. the external debt - to - gdp ratio end 2002 was 38. 8 %. the economy still has not been able to fully recover to its pre - 2001 crisis level. in 2003, growth is projected at 2. 75 %. the united states is supporting macedonia ' s transition to a democratic, secure, market - oriented society with substantial amounts of assistance. after the breakup of yugoslavia in 1991, macedonia, the former yugoslavia ' s poorest republic, faced formidable economic challenges posed by both the transition to a market economy and a difficult regional situation. the breakup deprived macedonia of key protected markets and large transfer payments from the central yugoslav government. the war in nearby bosnia, international sanctions on serbia, and the neighboring kosovo crisis in 1999 delivered successive shocks to macedonia ' s trade - dependent economy. the government ' s painful but necessary structural reforms and macroeconomic stabilization program generated additional economic dislocation. macedonia was especially hurt by the greek trade embargo, imposed in february 1994 in a dispute over the country ' s name, flag, and constitution, and by international trade sanctions against serbia that were not suspended until a month after conclusion of the


. macedonia was especially hurt by the greek trade embargo, imposed in february 1994 in a dispute over the country ' s name, flag, and constitution, and by international trade sanctions against serbia that were not suspended until a month after conclusion of the dayton accords. as a result of these two border closures, 1995 gdp declined to 41 % of its 1989 level. coincident to these problems, the country pursued an ambitious stabilization and reform program after independence. despite external factors, the program yielded positive results through 1998 and won praise from the imf and the world bank. a robust financial austerity program stabilized the macedonian denar and reduced the fiscal deficit. inflation remained low for several years and was on average slightly negative in 1998 and 1999. though economic growth suffered in the country ' s first 5 years of independence, a modest recovery was in progress ( 1998 = 3. 4 % growth ) until the kosovo crisis. macedonia proved the most economically vulnerable of regional neighbors to the 1999 kosovo conflict ' s spillovers. at the crisis ' height, macedonia sheltered more than 350, 000 kosovar refugees, straining fiscal accounts and increasing social pressures. per capita foreign direct investment ( fdi ), already the lowest in the region, worsened as investors lost confidence. with unemployment around 33 %, the crisis exacerbated economic privation. before the kosovo crisis, up to 70 % of the country ' s economy had been dependent on inputs from, exports to, or transport through the then - federal republic of yugoslavia ( fry ). at the height of the crisis, total exports had fallen to about 75 % of the 1998 level. exports to the fry were down by about 80 %. exports which had previously transited the fry ( one - half of total exports ) were hurt, as alternative transit routes through bulgaria, romania, and greece increased transportation costs and delivery times, making macedonian products less competitive. export - processing contracts with other countries suffered cancellations over concerns about delivery risks. despite the impact of the kosovo crisis on macedonia ' s economy, marketing efforts were reoriented, new markets were identified and exploited, and the kosovo market reopened in mid - summer 1999. a may 1999 international donors conference projected contraction of macedonia ' s economy of around 5 % - - a swing of 10 percentage points from pre - conflict projections of 5 % growth. however, these projections assumed the kosovo conflict would continue through the end of the year. early termination of the conflict in june led to an economic rebound and growth of around 2. 7 % in real terms


from pre - conflict projections of 5 % growth. however, these projections assumed the kosovo conflict would continue through the end of the year. early termination of the conflict in june led to an economic rebound and growth of around 2. 7 % in real terms for 1999. macedonia rescheduled its paris club debt in 1995, and again in early 1999, including $ 93 million of debt, interest, and arrears to the united states. the kosovo crisis led to an appeal to have debt forgiven or deferred. a paris club agreement to defer macedonian debt service ran out april 2000. paris club creditors agreed that repayment terms for amounts deferred during the kosovo crisis would be set at 5 years, with one year as grace. at the beginning of 2001, macedonia ' s economic situation appeared to be improving, with visible signs of increased activity and dynamism, but with the start of the ethnic albanian insurgency in macedonia, the country ' s solid macroeconomic performance in 2000 and the beginning of 2001 began to slide and remained substantially depressed in 2001. real gdp declined by 4. 5 % in 2001, as output deteriorated in most sectors. inflation averaged 5. 5 % instead of the initially projected 2. 2 %. current account deficit in the balance of payments was around 10. 1 % of gdp, down from an expected surplus of 1 %, while the central government budget deficit reached 5. 8 %. from january through september 2001 the country lost around u. s. $ 200 million of its foreign currency reserves defending the targeted level of the denar against the german mark. foreign direct investments, credits, grants, and donations declined when the insurgency began, and the macedonia ' s imf program went off - track. the imf and the government of macedonia agreed to a 6 - month staff - monitored program, beginning january 1, 2002, but government decisions to reimburse depositors of the 1997 failed pyramid scheme and the general wage bill increase in public administration were seen as a threat to a viable budget expenditures policy, posing an obstacle to continuation of the staff - monitoring program and negotiations on a stand - by arrangement. discussions between the imf and the new government on a new agreement resumed in november 2002, and a new stand - by arrangement was signed in february 2003 and approved april 30. the impact of the 2001 crisis, lower international demand for macedonian products, canceled contracts in the textile and iron and steel industry, as well as the drought in 2001 affected macedonia ' s growth prospects and foreign trade in 2002. although macedonia had been


30. the impact of the 2001 crisis, lower international demand for macedonian products, canceled contracts in the textile and iron and steel industry, as well as the drought in 2001 affected macedonia ' s growth prospects and foreign trade in 2002. although macedonia had been scheduled to graduate from ida financing in 2001, the world bank provided u. s. $ 15 million in emergency economic assistance to finance critical imports for the private sector. real gdp in 2002 grew by 0. 3 % on annual basis in spite of subdued inflation. the consumer price index - based inflation in 2002 was 1. 8 %. declining industrial output adversely affected foreign trade, with exports dropping by 3. 7 % and imports rising by 16. 3 %, resulting in a trade deficit of 23 % of gdp. the current account deficit in 2002 was 8. 8 % of gdp. an international donors conference, organized by the world bank and the european commission, was held march 12, 2002, in brussels, at which donors pledged $ 275 million to assist in covering the projected budget gap, implementing framework agreement reforms, and re - energizing the macedonian economy. donors also pledged an additional $ 244 million for general economic development in 2002, outside of the pledge categories defined by the world bank and european commission. currently, macedonia is undertaking substantial reforms in its economic and political systems, with the goal of boosting economic growth and attracting increased levels of foreign investment. macedonia passed a progressive companies law in july 2002, which should ease impediments to foreign investment, along with tax and investment incentives. though concerns stemming from the 2001 conflict linger, the internationally mediated framework agreement is being implemented, and macedonia ' s political and security situation has stabilized, allowing the government to refocus energies on domestic reforms. the macedonian government ' s two main economic policy goals remain to reduce poverty and to increase employment. it also has pledged to undertake measures to strengthen fiscal discipline and to reduce the high interest rates. developing the small and medium - size enterprise ( sme ) sector also is high on the government ' s list of priorities. macedonia is committed to pursuing membership in european and global economic structures. it was officially accepted as a member of the world trade organization ( wto ) on october 15, 2002. parliament ratified the agreement in january 2003, clearing the way for macedonia to become a full member in march 2003. following a 1997 cooperation agreement with the european union ( eu ), macedonia signed a stabilization and association agreement with the eu in april 2001, giving macedonia duty - free access to european markets. macedonia ' s


macedonia to become a full member in march 2003. following a 1997 cooperation agreement with the european union ( eu ), macedonia signed a stabilization and association agreement with the eu in april 2001, giving macedonia duty - free access to european markets. macedonia ' s foreign trade balance has been in deficit since 1994, reaching u. s. $ 849. 4 million in 2002. total 2002 trade was u. s. $ 3. 07 billion, or 82. 3 % of gdp - - imports plus exports of goods and services. macedonia ' s major trading partners are serbia and montenegro, germany, and greece. the united states is macedonia ' s seventh - largest trading partner. in 2002, u. s. - macedonia trade totaled u. s. $ 91. 8 million ( goods only ). according to macedonian trade data, u. s. exports accounted for 3. 6 % of macedonia ' s total imports. u. s. meat ( mainly poultry ), and electrical machinery have been particularly attractive to macedonian importers. principal macedonian exports to the united states are tobacco, apparel, footwear, and iron and steel. macedonia has signed free trade agreements with albania, bosnia and herzegovina, serbia and montenegro, bulgaria, croatia, ukraine, slovenia, turkey, and the european free trade association countries. macedonia established its armed forces following independence and the complete withdrawal of the yugoslav national army ( jna ) in march 1992. the macedonian armed forces consist of an army, navy, air and air defense force, and a police force ( under the ministry of interior ). under its north atlantic treaty organization ( nato ) membership action plan, macedonia has launched a major effort to reform and reconstruct its armed forces with the goal of building and sustaining a modern, professional defense force of about 12, 000 troops. since its independence in 1991, macedonia has worked toward increased ties with the transatlantic community. despite the fragile political, economic, and military situation in the region over the past decade, macedonia has provided consistent support for nato. macedonia is engaged in military, economic, and political reforms to enhance its security and nato candidacy, although the security crisis of 2001 represented a setback to those efforts. the government of macedonia plans to assume greater responsibility for its share of ensuring the security of the region without reliance on an international military presence. successive macedonian governments have viewed integration into euro - atlantic political, economic, and security institutions as its primary foreign policy goal. in pursuit of these goals, macedonia is restructuring its military to be smaller, more affordable, defensively oriented, and inter


presence. successive macedonian governments have viewed integration into euro - atlantic political, economic, and security institutions as its primary foreign policy goal. in pursuit of these goals, macedonia is restructuring its military to be smaller, more affordable, defensively oriented, and interoperable with nato. the macedonian government has welcomed close cooperation with the u. s. military and seeks to deepen this relationship as it restructures its forces. the un preventive deployment force ( unpredep ) in macedonia patrolled the borders with serbia and albania from 1992 to november 1998, enhancing macedonian stability. in early december 1998, the macedonian government approved local basing of the nato extraction force ( xfor ) and the kosovo verification coordination cell ( kvcc ), in anticipation of a political resolution of the kosovo crisis, also contributing to macedonia ' s safety and stability. prior to the bombing campaign in yugoslavia in march 1999, the number of nato troops in macedonia peaked at 17, 000. in the wake of the 2001 insurgency in macedonia, at the government ' s request, nato deployed task forces " essential harvest, " then " amber fox, " and later " allied harmony " in macedonia. nato deployed a series of task forces - - " essential harvest, " " amber fox, " and " allied harmony " in macedonia in confidence - building tasks and protection for osce monitors in the former conflict area. task force harvest collected more than 4, 000 weapons from the national liberation army ( nla ) in a confidence - building effort to restore stability within macedonia. " amber fox " ( june through december 2002 ) and its smaller successor " allied harmony " ( january to march 2003 ) worked with macedonian security forces to ensure the safety of international monitors overseeing framework agreement implementation in macedonia. on march 31, 2003, the eu ( eufor ) took over this role from nato with the launch of " operation concordia, " scheduled to end december 15, 2003. at the macedonian government ' s request, the eu will establish a police mission in macedonia in december 2003 to advise the country ' s police. macedonia continues to play an indispensable role as the kosovo force ' s ( kfor ) rear area, hosting the logistical supply line for kfor troops in kosovo. as part of these efforts, macedonia hosts about 150 nato troops, including u. s. troops, in support of nato operations in kosovo and assisting macedonia ' s efforts to reform its military to meet nato standards. due to improvements in the security situation and u. s. kfor drawdowns in kosovo,


, including u. s. troops, in support of nato operations in kosovo and assisting macedonia ' s efforts to reform its military to meet nato standards. due to improvements in the security situation and u. s. kfor drawdowns in kosovo, the united states closed its camp able sentry base in macedonia in december 2002. close u. s. - macedonian bilateral defense cooperation continues. in february 1994, greece imposed a trade embargo on macedonia due to disputes over the use of the name " macedonia " and other issues. greece and macedonia signed an interim accord in october 1995 ending the embargo and opening the way to diplomatic recognition and increased trade. after signing the agreement with greece, macedonia joined the council of europe, the organization for security and cooperation in europe ( osce ), and the partnership for peace ( pfp ). athens and skopje began talks on the name issue in new york under un auspices in december 1995, opening liaison offices in respective capitals january 1996. these talks continue. the stability of the young state was gravely tested during the 1999 kosovo crisis, when macedonia temporarily hosted about 360, 000 refugees from the violence and ethnic cleansing in kosovo, as serb atrocities against kosovar albanians and other minority groups caused a mass exodus. the refugee influx put significant stress on macedonia ' s weak social infrastructure. with the help of nato and the international community, macedonia ultimately was able to accommodate the influx. following the resolution of the conflict, the overwhelming majority of refugees returned to kosovo. the macedonian government demonstrated a strong commitment to regional stability as an essential partner during the kosovo crisis. in addition to improving relations with its neighbors, macedonia has made strides toward european and international integration, especially with the eu and nato. macedonia is an active participant in nato ' s partnership for peace and membership action plan, the osce, and united nations, and was accepted as a member of the world trade organization ( wto ) in october 2002. in 1999, the eu agreed to develop a stabilization and association agreement ( saa ) with macedonia ; negotiations with macedonia were launched april 5, 2000, and the saa was signed april 2001. pending the saa ' final ratification, its trade and trade - related provisions are in force as of june 2001. for macedonia to successfully integrate within the global arena, continued efforts to strengthen its multi - ethnic civil society institutions, develop measures to promote economic growth and investment, and to foster strong indigenous non - governmental organizations are necessary. the united states and macedonia have enjoyed good bilateral relations since macedonia gained its independence in 1991


continued efforts to strengthen its multi - ethnic civil society institutions, develop measures to promote economic growth and investment, and to foster strong indigenous non - governmental organizations are necessary. the united states and macedonia have enjoyed good bilateral relations since macedonia gained its independence in 1991. the united states formally recognized the former yugoslav republic of macedonia on february 8, 1994, and the two countries established full diplomatic relations on september 13, 1995. the u. s. liaison office was upgraded to an embassy in february 1996, and the first u. s. ambassador to skopje arrived in july 1996. the development of political relations between the united states and macedonia has ushered in a whole host of other contacts between the two states. during the 1999 kosovo crisis, macedonia played a key role in facilitating u. s. and international efforts in the region by accepting hundreds of thousands of refugees, served as a launching pad for allied military efforts, and functioned as the long - term conduit for humanitarian assistance programs and military logistics for kosovo. the united states, together with its european allies strongly condemned the initiators of the 2001 insurgency in macedonia and closely supported the government and major parties ' successful efforts to forge a peaceful, political solution to the crisis through the ohrid framework agreement. in partnership with the eu and other international organizations active in macedonia, the united states remains focused on facilitating the macedonian government ' s implementation of the framework agreement and fostering long - term peace and stability in the country. macedonia continues to make an important contribution to regional stability by facilitating the logistical supply of nato ( including u. s. ) peacekeepers in kosovo. today, macedonia and the united states enjoy a cooperative relationship across a broad range of political, economic, cultural, military, and social issues. the united states supports macedonia ' s aspirations to build a democratically secure and market - oriented society, and has donated large amounts of foreign assistance for military reform, democracy and economic reform, and humanitarian relief efforts. the united states pledged $ 6 million in debt relief and $ 22 million in economic support funds to macedonia in 1999 to help offset the strains of the kosovo crisis. the united states provided an estimated $ 35 million to macedonia to help host communities cope with refugee inflows. in addition, the united states helped reduce the refugee impact on macedonia by resettling in the united states more than 13, 000 persons through the humanitarian evacuation program. bilateral assistance provided to macedonia under the southeast europe economic development ( seed ) act totaled over $ 328 million from 1990 to 2002, including budget support and other assistance to help macedonia recover from


united states more than 13, 000 persons through the humanitarian evacuation program. bilateral assistance provided to macedonia under the southeast europe economic development ( seed ) act totaled over $ 328 million from 1990 to 2002, including budget support and other assistance to help macedonia recover from the 2001 crisis. macedonia received $ 50 million in seed funding in 2003. usaid ' s development program in macedonia targets four goals : accelerating economic growth and private sector development ; strengthening democratic institutions ; mitigating adverse impacts of market economic transition ; and supporting cross - cutting and special initiatives. usaid provides assistance to macedonian enterprises through a business resource center, credit and equity mechanisms, trade and investment facilitation, and other programs. in 2002 a competitiveness initiative identified constraints to economic growth. usaid legal advisers help to reform taxation, banking, bankruptcy, and monopoly regulations and assisted with macedonia ' s accession to the wto. programs help to build the capacity of municipal governments to better serve the public and to advance the decentralization of power to municipalities under the framework agreement. usaid assistance helps to strengthen macedonia ' s ngo networks, bolster media professionalism, further legal system reforms, and increase public confidence and participation in the democratic process and institutions. activities address the quality of education and work force development, through support for the private, accredited south east europe university and primary and secondary education reforms to meet employer needs and market requirement in the 21st century. usaid efforts encourage job creation - - especially for youth, expand markets for macedonian artisans, and improve cooperation between municipalities and the private sector. usaid also is addressing cross - cutting issues such as ethnic cooperation, gender - based problems and disparities, youth, corruption, hiv / aids, and conflict mitigation. through a small grants program, usaid ' s office of transition initiatives is helping to mitigate conflict and strengthen relations between diverse groups of peoples by bringing them together to identify and address common needs. principal u. s. officials deputy chief of mission - - eleanor nagy political affairs - - drew blakeney economic / commercial affairs - - victor myev administrative affairs - - sarah solberg public affairs - - deborah jones defense attach - - col. james beirne the u. s. embassy in macedonia is located at bul. ilinden bb, 91000 skopje ; tel : ( 2 ) 311 - 6180 ; fax : ( 2 ) 311 - 7103.


not far from the familiar starry figure of orion the hunter are the two star clusters of taurus the bull : the hyades and the pleiades. the hyades cluster is punctuated by the bright red star aldebaran, the eye of the bull. the fainter pleiades cluster, or seven sisters, is twice as far from us as the hyades and sometimes is mistaken for the little dipper. tuesday, november 20, 2012 stars are born in clusters — families of dozens to hundreds of stars that share the same age and chemical makeup — but they don ’ t remain in clusters their whole lives. like fledgling birds, stars eventually leave the nest in which they were born to roam the galaxy alone. there are hundreds of star clusters that populate our milky way galaxy, many of which are visible from earth to unaided human eyes. most appear as faint, fuzzy smudges in the night sky because of their great distance from us, but there are two clusters close enough to allow us to see their brightest members as individual suns. on cold, crisp november evenings, you can spot these two magnificent star clusters in our constellation of taurus the bull. they are the hyades ( high - a - deez ) and the pleiades ( plee - a - deez ) star clusters. the hyades cluster forms the familiar v - shaped face of taurus, with the bright orange star aldebaran as one of his glaring red eyes. aldebaran itself is not a member of the hyades but is superimposed on the cluster as a foreground star, only half as far away. at a distance of 153 light years, the hyades cluster is the closest star cluster to our solar system. leading the hyades westward across the sky is taurus ’ second star cluster, the pleiades, marking the bull ’ s shoulder. also known as the seven sisters, the pleiades star cluster lies nearly twice as far from us as the hyades cluster, so it appears much smaller in size, but its importance to the sky - watchers of the past cannot be overstated. the star aldebaran received its name from the arabic words that mean “ the follower ” because it rises just behind the pleiades and obediently follows them across the heavens. the hyades and pleiades star clusters are steeped in ancient legend and have been pondered and ogled by curious eyes since antiquity. here ’


because it rises just behind the pleiades and obediently follows them across the heavens. the hyades and pleiades star clusters are steeped in ancient legend and have been pondered and ogled by curious eyes since antiquity. here ’ s a sample of the star lore surrounding these two clusters. hyas was the son of a titan named atlas. his seven half - sisters by a different mother were the hyades, a name that means “ the rainy ones. ” hyas grew into a renowned archer and hunter but one day wound up being killed by his prey — a wild boar. his sisters were so overcome with grief that they wept themselves to death. zeus, the king of the greek gods, immortalized the sisters by placing them among the stars as the hyades star cluster. during the rainy season of april and may, the hyades are not seen because they are too close to the sun in our daytime sky. the greeks considered the springtime rains as the never - ending tears of the hyades, grieving for their fallen brother. the pleiades were the seven half - sisters of the hyades by yet a different mother. after atlas and the titans were defeated by zeus and the olympians in the great war for control of the universe, atlas ’ punishment was to toil for eternity, holding up the sky. unable to look after his daughters, atlas had to watch helplessly as the brute orion relentlessly pursued the seven beautiful pleiades. zeus took pity on them and first changed them into doves so that they might escape orion ’ s advances before finally changing them into the seven twinkling stars of the pleiades star cluster, just out of orion ’ s reach. he placed them in the heavens beside their grieving half - sisters, the hyades. look for the hyades and pleiades star clusters high in the eastern sky at about 9 p. m. in late november. the three stars of orion ’ s belt point upward to them like an arrow. the dazzling planet jupiter shines nearby both clusters this fall and winter. aim your binoculars at the clusters to see dozens of fainter stars. professor jimmy westlake teaches astronomy and physics at colorado mountain college ’ s alpine campus. check out westlake ’ s astrophotography website at www. jwestlake. com.


unity & uniformity we often confuse unity with uniformity. in reality it is the spirit of unity which creates uniformity for the sake of its beauty and the protection it gives. throughout all ages both have existed : unity as the inner nature of every soul and the only purpose of life, and uniformity to help to fulfill that purpose. unity is the goal and uniformity the means to reach that goal, but often the means has obscured the purpose. all through the ages the different religions which have been given to man for his spiritual development with the sole idea of unity, have gradually become a kind of community or nationality. many people who belong to a church accept its dogmas, claim a certain name for their religion, and consider all other children of god as separate ; by doing so they lose the very seed of wisdom for whose development that religion was given. this error has existed from the beginning, so that instead of touching the true spirit, people have lost reality by seeking a false objective. religious differences have caused endless wars and disasters for the human race. the reason of this is that the spirit of unity has not been recognized, while undue regard has been paid to uniformity. in the present age, when the spirit of religion is at its lowest ebb and only the uniformity remains, divisions of classes and discords of all kinds spring up ; one party, one class against another, the spirit of rivalry, jealousy, and destruction everywhere. the effect of this has been to keep man away from the consciousness of god. very few indeed recognize him ; all humanity is labouring under a great unrest ; and yet man thinks he is progressing while all the time he only progresses towards still greater unrest. there can never be true progress when nations and kingdoms and peoples are divided ; for when the races are divided then subdivisions come, and classes and parties also become divided. the same spirit of destruction is at work all the time, and even families become separated. unity seems to be rooted out from the hearts of men. examples are not necessary ; those who will notice it can see this state of humanity, this condition of life, all over the world. when we seek a reason for this we find a right principle wrongly worked out. uniformity is not a fault, indeed it is a great virtue ; there is nothing wrong, for instance, in a uniform desire to help, to give service in time of need ; but when the god - ideal is removed then it remains as a body without a soul, a corpse, and in the end


virtue ; there is nothing wrong, for instance, in a uniform desire to help, to give service in time of need ; but when the god - ideal is removed then it remains as a body without a soul, a corpse, and in the end it decays and causes foulness. however alive and prosperous the world may seem, life belongs only to the living, and when the living being is forgotten it is like a light under a bushel. man becomes so absorbed in the pursuit of money that he becomes intoxicated and regardless of the harmony and happiness of others, and even of the harmony of his own being ; and then he causes destruction. we have only to think of the wars humanity has gone through, and of this latest horror, to see the truth. it all proves that progress is in the wrong direction, and that everywhere unity is lacking. the scriptures given to the jews, the muslims, parsis, hindus, buddhists, all have as their central truth the message of unity, but man has been so interested and absorbed in the poetry of these scriptures that he has forgotten their inner voice. if only we would recognize the inner voice, we would see that the different scriptures all contain words spoken by one and the same voice. some hear the voice, others only hear the words, just as in nature some see only the branches and others the roots of the tree ; but all these different scriptures and ways of worship and of contemplating god are given for one purpose : the realization of unity. in unity reside the happiness and illumination of man, and his guidance in life. we all know unity by name, but most of us think of it as uniformity. the vedanta for thousands of years in all its prayers and mantrams voiced this central theme : unity, the oneness of all. the qur ' an with all its warnings expresses in one essential sura the being of god : that not only in the unseen, but in all that is seen there is one underlying current ; and the bible says that we live and move and have our being in god. of all the millions of believers in god perhaps only one makes god a reality, and that is because the picture man makes of god is as limited as himself. the knowledge of god is beyond man ' s reason. man only perceives things he is capable of perceiving. he cannot raise his imagination above what he is used to, and he cannot reach beyond his imagination to where the being of god is. the secret of god is hidden in the knowledge


. man only perceives things he is capable of perceiving. he cannot raise his imagination above what he is used to, and he cannot reach beyond his imagination to where the being of god is. the secret of god is hidden in the knowledge of unity. man thinks, ' what can unity give me? can it bring me happiness? what is there in it? ' he can get the answer by observing and studying life more closely. see what an atmosphere the harmony of ten people can create ; the power of love and the influence created by ten people is much greater than that created by one. think then what would be the blessing for humanity if nations, races and communities were united! no doubt uniformity can teach the lesson of unity, but its purpose must not be for worldly gain ; then it is destructive. the wise in all ages have dived deep into life in order to attain unity in themselves, and in order to spread unity. in the life of the world every man has some complaint to make, he lacks something, he is troubled by something ; but this is only the external reason, the real truth is that he is not in unity with his own soul, for when there is disharmony in ourselves how can we spread harmony? when mind and body are at war the soul wants something else, and soul and mind are pulled by the body, or the body and mind by the soul ; and so there is disharmony. when a man is in harmony with himself, he is in harmony with all ; he produces harmony and gives harmony to all, he gives it out all the time. this is a question that can be answered by understanding our relationship with god. the innermost being of man is the real being of god ; man is always linked with god. if he could only realize it, it is by finding harmony in his own soul that he finds communion with god. all meditation and contemplation are taught with this purpose : to harmonize one ' s innermost being with god, so that he is seeing, hearing, thinking through us, and our being is a ray of his light ; in that way we are even closer to god than the fishes are to the ocean in which they have their being. it is mostly interest in worldly things that unites one man with another in order that they can make more profit. how great would be this power if man would unite in true brotherhood! as long as this teaching is hidden under a bushel the methods of uniformity cannot be beneficial


things that unites one man with another in order that they can make more profit. how great would be this power if man would unite in true brotherhood! as long as this teaching is hidden under a bushel the methods of uniformity cannot be beneficial ; they have no life. the world, in spite of any success it may seem to have today, is suffering from the wrong application of a right principle. true life cannot be ours until unity is achieved. it is the work of religion to promote the spirit of unity, in the knowledge and love of god to whom all devotion belongs. man often seeks for psychic, occult, and magnetic powers. this is not the purpose of religion ; these developments come of themselves. where there is life and love, there is magnetism ; love itself is the healing power and the remedy for all pain. all occult powers belong to the divine life, but man should live a natural life and realize the nature of god. the only studies which are worth accomplishing are those which lead to the realization of god, and of unity first with god and then with the self, and so with all. it is not necessary for us to be told that we have progressed ; we ourselves will know when our heart goes forward ; and by loving, forgiving, and serving, our whole life becomes one single vision of the sublime beauty of god.


type of surgery last updated : 02 / 17 / 2009 pallidotomy improves the motor ability of patients, especially during " off " periods. studies show the procedure generally improves tremor, rigidity, and slowed movements by 25a€ “ 60 %. dyskinesias typically improve by 75 % or more. improvements from unilateral... pallidotomy are primarily on the side opposite the surgery. balance does not improve, nor do non - motor symptoms such as drooling, constipation, and orthostatic hypotension ( lightheadness on standing ). pallidotomy is a procedure where a tiny electrical probe is placed in the globus pallidus ( one of the basal ganglia of the brain ), which is then heated to 80 degrees celsius for 60 s, to destroy a small area of brain cells. pallidotomy is used to treat dyskinesias in patients with parkinson ' s disease. on neurosurgery it is important to have new types of procedures, like stereotactic radiosurgery that is a newer type of focused radiation that has been used with some success for patients with metastatic brain tumors find a qualified specialist looking for a specialist? please enter your zip code.


imaging and radiology radiology is a branch of medicine that uses imaging technology to diagnose and treat disease. radiology may be divided into two different areas, diagnostic radiology and interventional radiology. the field of therapeutic radiology, which uses x - rays to treat cancer, is now called radiation oncology. doctors who specialize in radiology are called radiologists. interventional radiology ; diagnostic radiology ; x - ray imaging diagnostic radiology helps health care professionals see structures inside your body. using these images, the radiologist or other physicians can often : - diagnose the cause of your symptoms - monitor how well your body is responding to a treatment you are receiving for your disease or condition - screen for different illnesses, such as breast cancer or heart disease the most common types of diagnostic radiology include : - computed tomography ( ct ), also know as a cat scan ( computerized axial tomography ) - ct angiography - fluoroscopy with scanning, including upper gi and barium enema - magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) - magnetic resonance angiography ( mra ) - nuclear medicine, which includes such tests as a bone scan, thyroid scan, and thallium cardiac stress test - plain x - rays - positron emission tomography, also called pet imaging or a pet scan interventional radiology uses imaging to help guide the doctor when inserting catheters, wires, and other small instruments and tools into your body. doctors can use this technology to diagnose or treat conditions in almost any part of the body, instead of needing to directly look inside of your body through a scope ( camera ) or surgery. some of these conditions include cancers or tumors, blockages in your arteries and veins, fibroids in the uterus, back pain, gallstones and gallbladder problems, and thyroid disorders. the doctor will make no incision ( cut ) or only a very small one. you rarely need to stay in the hospital afterwards. most patients need either conscious sedation ( medicines to help you relax ) or spinal or epidural anesthesia. radiologists who perform these types of procedure receive 1 or 2 extra years of training after they have finished medical school and basic training in radiology. examples of interventional radiology procedures include : - angiography or angioplasty and stent placement - catheter embolization - vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty - needle biopsies of different organs, such as the lungs and


the wakhan valley ( also pronounced vakhan ) is a majestic alpine valley in the badakhshan region of afghanistan and tajikistan ( the " wakhan corridor " refers to the part of the valley in afghanistan ). it is located in the pamir mountains in central asia. its upper reaches consist of two wide, hilly plains surrounded by alpine peaks, beginning near the chinese border in one of the most remote regions of the world. further down, where the pamir and wakhan rivers join to form the pyanj river, the valley narrows, finally becoming a severe canyon with roaring river rapids at its end in ishkashem. its muddy rivers are fed by water from huge glaciers on some of the highest mountains on the planet, fantastic views of which are visible throughout the area. regions of tajikistan high peaks on the pakistani side include tirich mir ( 7, 690 m ), and nushak ( 7, 455 m ) to the south ; and karl marx ( 6, 723 m ) and engels ( 6, 507 m ) in the north. access to the valley on the tajik side is from the pamir highway, either from the northeast at alichur, or from the west at khorog. several very high and rough trails lead from the shokhdara valley across the mountains as well. it theoretically is possible to travel from the chinese border from shaimak along pristine lake zorkul ( the headwaters of the pamir river ) ; however this area is a strictly controlled nature preserve ( zapovednik ) and requires a special permit to transit. politically, the valley is divided among three nations ; areas north of the pyanj river belong to tajikistan ( gbao ) ; the land south of the pyanj to the mountain ridges is part of afghanistan ; and the very high mountains to the south are located in pakistan. the wakhan corridor ( the part of the valley belonging to afghanistan ) was created at the end of 19th century by the british empire, to act as a buffer against potential russian ambitions in india during the " great game ". the peoples on either side of the river speak a similar language and have a shared history ; however, the imperial and soviet periods in the north and islamicization of afghanistan have created a wide cultural gap that is readily apparent. while traveling on the road in the north of the country, one may view right across the valley caravans of camels, led by bearded, armed men in traditional afghan dress ; tajiks on the other


wide cultural gap that is readily apparent. while traveling on the road in the north of the country, one may view right across the valley caravans of camels, led by bearded, armed men in traditional afghan dress ; tajiks on the other are western in appearance and only soldiers on patrol may carry weapons. this part of tajikistan is heavily patrolled by the military, with army posts every few kilometers. armed soldiers walk the roads, protecting the area from militants and drug smugglers. the region was strategic even in ancient times ; many armies conquered the area and left fortifications all along the valley, whose ruins still can be seen. there are in fact countless artifacts, ruins, petroglyphs, murals, and islamic and buddhist sites scattered all over the valley. these include the fortress of ratm ( kushan period ), which guards the junction of the pamir and wakhan rivers ; the fortress of kaahka ( 3rd c. bc - 7th c. ad ), which stands high on a rock in the centre of the valley ; and the fortress known as zamri otashparast ( " castle of fire worshippers ", 3rd c. bc ) near yamchun, set in a completely unassailable spot in a cliff, protected by two deep river canyons ; and the large 4th - 7th c. buddhist complex discovered near vrang. a chain of small, quaint, tidy villages dot the bottom of the valley, each located at a spot where a cascade of fresh water comes gushing out of the steep ridge. the pamiri people are masters of terrace building and hydro - engineering. their houses are cleverly arranged on terraces on the hillsides, so as to make use of the maze of canals and channels, pipes and pools which run everywhere ; none of the precious water is wasted. ancient water - powered grain mills are arranged on the largest channels, providing the locals with flour from their small wheat crops. the terraces are constructed of extensive rock walls and stairs, and well - kept thatch fences and hand - carved gates complete the picturesque landscape. the bottom of the valley is intensively farmed in irrigated areas, with wheat, corn and vegetables most common. most plowing is done using donkeys and oxen and harvesting is done by hand. large fruit and nut trees dominate the villages, and in fall abundant amounts of walnuts, apples, apricots, grapes and other delicious treats are available. though surrounded by extreme high altitude areas with permanent snow cover, the valley actually


by hand. large fruit and nut trees dominate the villages, and in fall abundant amounts of walnuts, apples, apricots, grapes and other delicious treats are available. though surrounded by extreme high altitude areas with permanent snow cover, the valley actually has a very moderate climate, with temperatures in winter people in the area are incredibly warm and hospitable, always greeting strangers with a bow and a hand over the heart. visitors are always welcome to stay in local homes, and invitations to tea are standard practice. visitors should not miss the chance to stay in a unique, traditional pamiri house! the most astonishingly beautiful of these villages are lyangar, one of the farthest settlements on the tajik side of the valley, where a large gallery of petroglyphs is located ; zong / isor ; shirgik, majestically located on a large rock outcrop ; and vrang, one of the largest towns on the route. ishkashem, at the end of the valley, has been an important trade and transportation center since ancient times, and continues to be to this day. on the opposite side of the river, in afghanistan, the mountains part where the vardush river pours into the pyanj. this valley leads to the afghan city of faizabad. caravans traveling through the wakhan used to stop at an ancient caravansarai here ( 6th - 12th cc. ), and ford the river at that spot into what is now afghanistan, because the route to the northwest was impassable through the pyanj river canyon. today, there are two towns, one in tajikistan and one across the river in afghanistan, the towns are a reasonably busy trade hub for goods passing between the two countries. the tajik town has an exciting " frontier " feel, and has an interesting bazaar ; it is a pleasant place to have a traditional meal in a caf? and walk around. recently, the european union built a special trading area near ishkashem, locally called the " afghan market ", located just across the river in afghanistan proper, in order to provide economic assistance to local afghans ; visitors may attend the bazaar without a visa to afghanistan. it is one of the bizarre highlights of the area, the opportunity to buy chinese and pakistani products from bearded afghan villagers in tajikistan! more useful links :


me and you and a dog named blue published in tc today - volume 24, no. 1 angela worked for nickelodeon and alice worked for children ' s television workshop. each of them wanted to create educational television programming for children that would be the best programming around. so they came to teachers college to learn about how children develop and how they learn. as fate would have it, angela and alice took the same class at the same time - " tv and the development of youth " - with former assistant professor rosemarie truglio. thus began a collaboration to research and to create one of the most popular educational children ' s television shows : blue ' s clues. blue ' s clues stars a tri - colored blue hound named blue. the show appears twice a day on the nickelodeon network as one of the main features of their nick jr. programming for preschoolers. aside from the animated dog, the show features blue ' s non - animated owner, steve burns, who is the host of the series. steve talks directly to the audience of preschool - age viewers, inviting them to join him in activities and asking for their help when he needs to figure something out. the name " blue ' s clues " refers to pawprints left by blue to help steve understand what the dog is trying to say. when steve sees something marked with a pawprint, he draws a picture of it in his " handy dandy notebook. " after finding three clues, he sits in his big red and black " thinking chair " to discuss the clues with his audience. together, they solve the puzzle. on a deeper level, blue ' s clues is, according to tc alumna and head writer angela santomero ( m. a. developmental psychology, 1995 ), a venue that " bridges the gap between research and production and brings them to a higher level. " santomero created the idea for blue ' s clues with producer / director todd kessler and designer traci paige johnson in an effort to produce a game show where children solve problems while learning a curriculum. the curriculum is subtle reinforcement of skills such as color and shape recognition, sorting, vocabulary and problem solving. and, when steve asks the audience for their help, there is also a bit of self - esteem building going on. " the learning aspect is embedded in what children do, " santomero explained. " the older character needs their help with a problem. " the problems are relatively easy in the beginning of the show, she explained, with each one becoming a little bit harder


learning aspect is embedded in what children do, " santomero explained. " the older character needs their help with a problem. " the problems are relatively easy in the beginning of the show, she explained, with each one becoming a little bit harder. " by the third clue, we are sitting in a big thinking chair and have brought preschoolers through a 30 - minute show remembering clues. " alice wilder, ( ed. d. educational psychology, 1998 ), director of research and development for the show, agreed that the interactive nature of the show ' s design is key to learning. " they watch it and participate in it and ' the knowledge for themselves, " she explained. wilder was at teachers college working on her dissertation about the effectiveness of instructional programs for students with learning disabilities when santomero called and asked her to watch the pilot she had created with kessler and johnson. " when angela called me and showed me the pilot, i cried, " wilder said. " i saw so many of the things we had learned in school. i could see them becoming a reality in the show they had created. " santomero had other reasons for showing the pilot to wilder. " in order to do 20 episodes, i needed someone who was completely smart, who could understand the kids and the show, and bridge the gap between research and production, " she explained. " so i told her, need someone just like you. ' " wilder ' s background in working with producers and writers at children ' s television workshop enhanced her qualifications as a researcher for this project. wilder was also getting what she called " great research experience " at teachers college while working on her doctorate. she saw this as her opportunity to " take what i was learning about kids and apply it to the medium of television. " not only was it rare to have a research department as part of a production, but santomero came up with an idea to bring another unusual element to the show. " we want kids to master the concepts, " she said. " one way of doing that is to air the same show every day for a week. " according to what they were hearing from teachers, parents and grandparents, repetition is one of the most important strategies used in teaching children of this age group. " it was something different, and it was scary to present it to nickelodeon, " santomero confessed. " but they are big on research and they understood the power of hearing from our audience to create programming strategy. with blue ' s clues, we


it was something different, and it was scary to present it to nickelodeon, " santomero confessed. " but they are big on research and they understood the power of hearing from our audience to create programming strategy. with blue ' s clues, we make decisions based on the research. " santomero said that she and wilder " created a curriculum together from alice ' s expertise and from our mission, which is to empower, challenge and increase the self - esteem of preschoolers while making them laugh. how to do that comes from what alice does. " every script has a goal sheet attached to it that outlines the theme of that particular show and the overall goal. a team of three researchers conducts what they call a " concept test " on every script by sitting down with preschoolers in their day - care centers. while playing out the script with the children, the researchers keep track of how they respond. then they analyze what happened and why. " we test every script three to four times before an episode gets on the air, " wilder said. according to santomero, it can take up to ten months of research and production before a show is finally ready. this time and effort has apparently reaped rewards both financially and critically. a recent article in tv guide noted that, " since blue ' s clues premiered in september 1996, it has snowballed into the most watched show on television among preschoolers... " the article went on to say that experts in the field " adore it. " " blue ' s clues, " says writer david handelman, " is one of those rare instances when commercial television is both creative and educational without sacrificing entertainment value. " " we make the show as good as we can, and there are people out there trying to document if we are fulfilling the mission, " explained wilder. " we found that kids who watch blue ' s clues scored higher in kindergarten readiness skills than the kids who don ' t watch the show. " but the most touching story about how the show is affecting viewers came from a parent who contacted santomero. " a mother called us to tell us that her son is autistic and won ' t talk to her and her husband, " santomero explained. " the first word he spoke was to steve ( the host of blue ' s clues ). " " we don ' t realize the impact and influence that tv has, " she continued. that influence, she believes, goes beyond the show ' s production. with its


he spoke was to steve ( the host of blue ' s clues ). " " we don ' t realize the impact and influence that tv has, " she continued. that influence, she believes, goes beyond the show ' s production. with its popularity in the united states and abroad ( there is currently a british version with german, italian and latin american editions being developed ), the usual spin - off products - clothes, toys, books, and dolls - are filling shelves in stores around the country. " we meet with people who are creating toys and talk about how influential toys can be, " santomero explained. " we put the same influence into each toy that we put into production of the show. " " the same situation occurred with one of the licensers doing a line of blue ' s clues clothing, " wilder added. " we thought, what can we do to help children dress themselves? " after speaking to parents about their children ' s dressing habits and what would make children feel good about themselves, the results were the addition of bigger buttons, color - matched buttons and buttonholes, and elastic - waist pants. " we don ' t try to pretend we know everything, but we don ' t want to just see blue on a t - shirt, " santomero said. " the clothing manufacturers are the experts in their business and we are the experts in our business. we are trying to keep that marriage as manageable as possible. " when a show starts out with such a noble basis and becomes enormously popular, it ' s not unusual for the initial goal to fall by the wayside. santomero said she is excited by the success of blue ' s clues but, " i stay as focused as i can on why we are here and what we are doing. i just want to change the way tv is for preschoolers. " she noted that self - esteem is formed at the preschool stage, and that preschoolers are the foundation for the next generation. if blue ' s clues can improve that foundation, then they are meeting their goals. " it is a dream, like being in the classroom but reaching millions of kids at a time, " santomero said with a smile. " it ' s pretty cool. "


i ' m sure you ' ve heard that abusing alcohol hurts your health. but how many years of drinking do you think it takes to visibly affect your brain? ten years? twenty? it turns out that it doesn ' t take that long at all — in fact, scientists can already see changes in the brains of teenagers who drink. in a new research study, professor susan tapert of the university of california at san diego used an imaging machine called an mri to scan the brains of teens who binge drink — defined as drinking 4 or 5 ( or more ) drinks in a couple of hours. dr. tapert found that the " white matter " in their brains — the part that transmits signals, like a television cable or a computer usb cord — was abnormal when compared with the white matter of teens who don ' t binge drink. transmitting signals is a big part of what the brain does, so affecting the white matter in this way could also affect thinking, learning, and memory. the really scary part is that these teens weren ' t alcoholics, and they didn ' t drink every day. all they did ( to be considered " binge drinkers " ) was drink at least four ( for women ) or five ( for men ) drinks in one sitting, at least one time during the previous three months. how could it be possible for just a few sessions of heavy drinking to affect the white matter of the brain? well, science has shown that alcohol can poison brain cells and can alter the brain ' s white matter in adult alcoholics. dr. tapert thinks that teenagers ' brains are even more susceptible this way. she says, " because the brain is still developing during adolescence, there has been concern that it may be more vulnerable to high doses of alcohol. " many questions still remain, including how long it takes before these changes occur, and how much they affect the function of the brain. to figure this out, scientists would have to look at the binge drinkers ' brains before and after they started drinking. that way, they can tell if the differences might have already been there before the teens started drinking. it ' s possible that having abnormal white matter in the brain somehow increases the chance of being a binge drinker. in order to answer that question, dr. tapert says they need to do longer studies that follow teens ' brain growth over time. the bottom line? if you ' re a teen, drinking to the point of getting drunk could damage the white matter of your brain — even if


a full and active life supported by caring relationships can reduce the occurrence of challenging behaviors in people with intellectual and / or developmental disabilities1. however, if such behaviors occur, people with intellectual and / or developmental disabilities and those who support them must have access to positive behavioral supports that focus on improved quality of life as well as reductions in the behaviors. people with intellectual and / or developmental disabilities need supportive and caring relationships in order to develop full and active lives. historically, people with intellectual and / or developmental disabilities across the age span have frequently been subjected to aversive procedures ( i. e., electric shock, cold water sprays and deprivations like withholding food or visitation with friends and family ) that may cause physical pain, discomfort and / or psychological harm. children and adults with intellectual and / or developmental disabilities are frequently subjected to physical restraint, including the use of life - threatening prone restraint and seclusion for long periods of time. research indicates that aversive procedures such as deprivation, physical restraint and seclusion do not reduce challenging behaviors, and in fact can inhibit the development of appropriate skills and behaviors. these practices are dangerous, dehumanizing, result in a loss of dignity, and are unacceptable in a civilized society. research - based positive behavioral supports should be readily available in natural settings including the family home. families, caregivers, educators, direct support personnel, and other professionals and paraprofessionals should be provided with training and support in implementing effective positive behavioral interventions and supports in all environments. behavioral supports should be individually designed and positive, emphasize learning, offer choice and social integration, be culturally appropriate, and include modifying environments as needed. the arc and aaidd are opposed to all aversive procedures, such as electric shock, deprivation, seclusion and isolation. interventions must not withhold essential food and drink, cause physical and / or psychological pain or result in humiliation or discomfort. physical restraints should only be used as a last resort to eliminate the danger of physical injury to self or others. the following factors should be considered in developing a positive behavioral intervention plan : - the circumstances and environment in which the behavior occurred ; - the perspectives of the individual, his or her family and their social / cultural background and values ; - the contributing factors, such as physical or medical conditions, social and environmental influences ; - the completeness and accuracy of any data which has been collected about the behavior ; - the nature, extent, and frequency of the perceived challenging behavior ; and - the function of the behavior, especially what


or medical conditions, social and environmental influences ; - the completeness and accuracy of any data which has been collected about the behavior ; - the nature, extent, and frequency of the perceived challenging behavior ; and - the function of the behavior, especially what the person may be trying to communicate. further, any positive behavioral inventions must also include consideration of : - the potential secondary effects and risks associated with the intervention ; - the legal, social and ethical implications ; - the ease and practicality of implementation ; and - the consistency with values of the individual ’ s culture. positive behavioral supports should be : - designed in a person - centered process involving the individual ; - developed within the broader context of providing quality medical, psychological, educational, and facilitative services ; - based on a functional analysis of the behavior and the circumstances under which it occurred, a thorough assessment of each individual ’ s unique abilities and contributions, and an understanding of how previous interventions worked ; - provided through a least restrictive strategy and described in a written plan ; - grounded in evidence - based procedures that will : - prevent challenging behaviors ; - teach new skills that may replace challenging behaviors ; - prevent the on - going reward of a challenging behavior ; - reinforce positive behavior ; - ensure safety ( when necessary ) ; and - provide systemic information on the effectiveness of the support. - used in a humane and caring manner respecting individual dignity ; - implemented in positive, socially supportive and culturally appropriate environments, including the home ; - carried out by individuals ( i. e., staff, family members and others ) who have been trained and are qualified to effectively apply positive, non - aversive approaches ; - include adaptations to the environment and reinforcers that people with intellectual and / or developmental disabilities and their families identify as positive ; and - monitored continuously and systematically to ensure appropriate implementation and that the support is consistent with individual needs, positive in its methods, successful in achieving established goals, and changed in a timely fashion if success is not evident or occurring at an appropriate rate. | | board of directors, aaidd july 18, 2010 | | board of directors, the arc of the united states august 23, 2010 | | congress of delegates november 6, 2010 1 “ people with intellectual and / or developmental disabilities ” refers to those defined by aaidd classification and dsm iv. in everyday language they are frequently referred to as people with cognitive, intellectual and / or developmental disabilities although the professional and legal definitions of those terms both include others and exclude some defined by dsm iv.


his government than it had been under the governments of such men as pierce and buchanan, who made use of sectionalism and slavery to promote the selfish interests of themselves and their party … ignorance was the parent of the civil war, as it has been the parent of many other evils, — ignorance of the character and purpose of the man who was chosen president in 1860 – 61, and who entered upon official life with less animosity toward his opponents than ever before or since had been felt by a man elected to a great place after a bitter and exciting contest … that one of the most insignificant of [ the secessionists ’ ] number should have murdered the man whose election they declared to be cause for war is nothing strange, being in perfect keeping with their whole course. the wretch who shot the chief magistrate of the republic is of hardly more account than was the weapon which he used. the real murderers of mr. lincoln are the men whose action brought about the civil war. booth ’ s deed was a logical proceeding, following strictly from the principles avowed by the rebels, and in harmony with their course during the last five years. the fall of a public man by the hand of an assassin always affects the mind more strongly than it is affected by the fall of thousands of men in battle ; but in strictness, booth, vile as his deed was, can be held to have been no worse, morally, than was that old gentleman who insisted upon being allowed the privilege of firing the first shot at fort sumter. ruffin ’ s act is not so disgusting as booth ’ s ; but of the two men, booth exhibited the greater courage, — courage of the basest kind, indeed, but sure to be attended with the heaviest risks, as the hand of every man would be directed against its exhibitor. had the rebels succeeded, ruffin would have been honored by his fellows ; but even a successful southern confederacy would have been too hot a country for the abode of a wilful murderer. such a man would have been no more pleasantly situated even in south carolina than was benedict arnold in england. and as he chose to become an assassin after the event of the war had been decided, and when his victim was bent upon sparing southern feeling so far as it could be spared without injustice being done to the country, booth must have expected to find his act condemned by every rational southern man as a worse than useless crime, as a blunder of the very first magnitude. had he succeeded in getting abroad, secession exiles would have


without injustice being done to the country, booth must have expected to find his act condemned by every rational southern man as a worse than useless crime, as a blunder of the very first magnitude. had he succeeded in getting abroad, secession exiles would have shunned him, and have treated him as one who had brought an ineffaceable stain on their cause, and also had rendered their restoration to their homes impossible. the pistol - shot of sergeant corbett saved him from the gallows, and it saved him also from the denunciations of the men whom he thought to serve. he exhibited, therefore, a species of courage that is by no means common ; for he not only risked his life, and rendered it impossible for honorable men to sympathize with him, but he ran the hazard of being denounced and cast off by his own party … all secessionists who retain any self - respect must rejoice that one whose doings brought additional ignominy on a cause that could not well bear it has passed away and gone to his account. it would have been more satisfactory to loyal men, if he had been reserved for the gallows ; but even they must admit that it is a terrible trial to any people who get possession of an odious criminal, because they may be led so to act as to disgrace themselves, and to turn sympathy in the direction of the evil - doer … therefore the shot of sergeant corbett is not to be regretted, save that it gave too honorable a form of death to one who had earned all that there is of disgraceful in that mode of dying to which a peculiar stigma is attached by the common consent of mankind. whether booth was the agent of a band of conspirators, or was one of a few vile men who sought an odious immortality, it is impossible to say. we have the authority of a high government official for the statement that “ the president ’ s murder was organized in canada and approved at richmond ” ; but the evidence in support of this extraordinary announcement is, doubtless for the best of reasons, withheld at the time we write. there is nothing improbable in the supposition that the assassination plot was formed in canada, as some of the vilest miscreants of the secession side have been allowed to live in that country … but it is not probable that british subjects had anything to do with any conspiracy of this kind. the canadian error was in allowing the scum of secession to abuse the “ right of hospitality ” through the pursuit


have been allowed to live in that country … but it is not probable that british subjects had anything to do with any conspiracy of this kind. the canadian error was in allowing the scum of secession to abuse the “ right of hospitality ” through the pursuit of hostile action against us from the territory of a neutral … that a plan to murder president lincoln should have been approved at richmond is nothing strange ; and though such approval would have been supremely foolish, what but supreme folly is the chief characteristic of the whole southern movement? if the seal of richmond ’ s approval was placed on a plan formed in canada, something more than the murder of mr. lincoln was intended. it must have been meant to kill every man who could legally take his place, either as president or as president pro tempore. the only persons who had any title to step into the presidency on mr. lincoln ’ s death were mr. johnson, who became president on the 15th of april, and mr. foster, one of the connecticut senators, who is president of the senate … it does not appear that any attempt was made on the life of mr. foster, though mr. johnson was on the list of those doomed by the assassins ; and the savage attack made on mr. seward shows what those assassins were capable of. but had all the members of the administration been struck down at the same time, it is not at all probable that “ anarchy ” would have been the effect, though to produce that must have been the object aimed at by the conspirators. anarchy is not so easily brought about as persons of an anarchical turn of mind suppose. the training we have gone through since the close of 1860 has fitted us to bear many rude assaults on order without our becoming disorderly. our conviction is, that, if every man who held high office at washington had been killed on the 14th of april, things would have gone pretty much as we have seen them go, and that thus the american people would have vindicated their right to be considered a self - governing race. it would not be a very flattering thought, that the peace of the country is at the command of any dozen of hardened ruffians who should have the capacity to form an assassination plot, the discretion to keep silent respecting their purpose, and the boldness and the skill requisite to carry it out to its most minute details : for the neglect of one of those details might be fatal to the whole project. society does not exist in such peril as that. john wilkes booth,


and the boldness and the skill requisite to carry it out to its most minute details : for the neglect of one of those details might be fatal to the whole project. society does not exist in such peril as that. john wilkes booth, a maryland native, spent the war performing in theatrical productions. but the conflict was never far from his mind. in a letter to his mother, he expressed chagrin that he hadn ’ t joined the confederate army, writing, “ i have … begun to deem myself a coward, and to despise my own existence. ” he was outraged by the reelection of lincoln, whom he viewed as the instigator of all the country ’ s woes. the month after the inauguration, booth learned that lincoln would be attending a performance at ford ’ s theatre on april 14. that night, he crept into lincoln ’ s theater box and shot him in the back of the head. it was the first time a president had been murdered. “ wanted ” posters were issued for booth, and on april 26, he was cornered in a tobacco barn and shot by a federal sergeant, who acted against orders to bring him in alive. several months later, charles creighton hazewell, a frequent atlantic contributor, sought to make sense of the assassination — speculating that the plot may have been hatched in canada ( where a number of secessionist schemes had originated ) and hinting at evidence that the plan had been endorsed at the highest levels of the confederate government. read the full text of this article here. this article available online at :


christmas lights powered by poop research at uc denver proves viability of waste as energy source last updated : 879 days ago a small lighted christmas tree in a uc denver laboratory proves the practicality of a novel renewable energy source, and points to its enormous potential. jason ren, an assistant professor of civil engineering, calls it " bug power " referring to the millions of bacteria that help generate electricity from wastewater. the process creates two desirable byproducts. " those bacteria are able to consume the waste and produce electricity as well as clean water, " ren said. bacteria in the microbial fuel cells essentially eat the waste and give off electrons in the process. those electrons are then captured by a graphite brush. also, ren recently discovered that salt water could be turned to fresh water as a third, simultaneous function. " electricity on one side, treating wastewater on the other side, while desalinating sea water in the middle, " ren said, pointing to a small three - chambered reactor. " i think it ' s pretty promising, " said jae - do park, an assistant professor of electrical engineering. he is working to make the electricity functional. " to harvest the energy from the fuel cell in the most efficient way, and at the same time to form that power from the fuel cell into a usable shape, " park said. the glowing led lights on the laboratory christmas tree are proof that it ' s possible to turn poop into power using bacteria. the microbial fuel cell research is gaining attention and from high places. the environmental protection agency and the u. s. navy have both provided grants to help advance the technology and its applications.


indonesia digging up too much coal : greenpeace indonesia ’ s ambitious plans to boost coal production and exports from kalimantan are ill - advised and not worth the environmental and social cost, according to a key report from greenpeace. in the “ point of no return ” report released last week, the environmental group said the indonesian government was one of a handful of governments helping “ push the world past the point of no return ” by pursuing massive coal, oil and gas projects that would produce as much new carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 as the entire united states. “ these new climate - changing mega - projects are the direct result of the hypocrisy shown by a handful of governments, ” kumi naidoo, the executive director of greenpeace international, said in a press release on the organization ’ s website. “ these governments claim they want to prevent catastrophic climate change, but shamefully continue to approve and promote major fossil fuel projects that will lead to climate chaos and devastation, ” he added. in indonesia ’ s case, the report said, the government was risking the livelihoods of indigenous people and the rich biodiversity in kalimantan by continuing to increase coal production. “ as a result of expansion in kalimantan, indonesia ’ s coal output has been surging — reaching an average growth rate of 20 percent a year since 2000, from 77 million tons a year to 325 million tons in 2011, ” the report said. “ the planned increase in coal exports would produce an additional 460mt [ megatons ] of greenhouse gas emissions, as much co2 as the entire emissions of the uk in 2010. ” the report warned that in order to achieve that increase, mining firms would expand their operations onto land belonging to indigenous groups, resulting in polluted groundwater, loss of livelihoods, health problems and disputes. “ while the indonesian government pays lip service to environmental sustainability in the master plan for the acceleration and expansion of indonesia ’ s economic development ( mp3ei ), it largely ignores the terrible price those living around the mines will have to pay, ” greenpeace said. “ reports have surfaced of the oppression of those speaking out against the destructive mining practices. ” mining operations would also threaten huge swaths of rainforest that are home to endangered species such as the orangutan, thereby racking up major environmental and social costs, greenpeace said. “ now, the indonesian government is planning to spend public money on infrastructure investments and incentives that aim to dramatically increase coal exports from kalimantan even further. the


the siddur that saved a life an extract from in search of holiness, a newly published collection of writings of the late rabbi ephraim gastwirth. follow the jc on twitter the real sermons in life, those which have the greatest impact, are not those which are delivered from the lofty tower of a pulpit to a congregation who are, for the most part, disinclined to be influenced by what they hear. the effective sermons are those that take us unawares, sideways, without our realizing that we are listening to something that will change our lives. such a sermon came to me in shul, but it was not from the rabbi, nor was it spoken from the pulpit. it came from my neighbour and it was delivered off the cuff, in a bitter tone and during the service! he occupied the seat next to mine, and he used to pray in an old and somewhat battered pocket siddur, the pages of which often drifted to the floor, so that he had to wriggle under the seat to retrieve them. once, somewhat irritated by these manoeuverings, i presumed to suggest, only half in jest, that it was time he bought a new siddur. he turned to me, his face flushed with anger. " this siddur saved my life, and it will be buried with me ". my irritation gave way to curiosity and i looked sympathetic so that he was encouraged to continue. " as you know ", he said, " i spent three years in auschwitz. somehow, i managed to smuggle in my tefillin and this siddur. i was young and strong and so i was allocated to work in the adjacent arms factory which utilized the inmates of the concentration camp as slave labour ". " we lived surrounded by death, the slightest sign of illness or weakness meant instant dispatch to the gas chambers. one lived by faith alone. every morning i would rise a little before the others, put on my tefillin and pray in this siddur ". and he grasped it until his knuckles were white. " one day stands out in my mind as even more terrible than the rest. i had returned from work, weak and exhausted as usual. automatically, i slipped my hand into my hiding place to feel for my tefillin, they were gone! without them i felt that i had neither the strength nor the will to survive. every morning they had given me an injection of courage ; they had raised me above an inferno worse than anything dante had imagined. they connected


mothers preparing the family meals for a week have been advised to replace meat with beans or lentils once a week – a move which could help to “ fix the world ’ s broken food system ”. the suggestion is part of a new worldwide campaign by oxfam to address the world ’ s food imbalance, pointing out that the amount of food thrown away by people in richer countries is almost the same amount as that produced by all of sub - saharan africa. the campaign follows a survey carried out among mothers living in urban areas, in which 73 per cent said they would like to know how to make a difference when shopping for food, and 83 per cent said they would be interested in using less energy when cooking. oxfam ireland said the results of the survey – which also showed over three - quarters of respondents saying they would be happy to make changes like offering one meat - free meal a week – showed an opportunity to harness “ the immense power of the individual ”. chief executive jim clarken said the campaign hoped to get across the message that individual people can together be “ a powerful force for change ”. “ what we do in the supermarket or in the kitchen does matter. small actions taken by enough people add up, ” he said. oxfam ’ s five suggestions are : - eating less meat : oxfam says urban households in the us, uk, brazil and spain ate one meat - free meal per week for a year, the greenhouse gas emissions saved would be the equivalent of scrapping 3. 7 million cars ; - reduce food waste : if one in six apples is thrown away, this adds up to 5. 3 billion apples a year – the equivalent to 10 billion barrels of oil in terms of growing, trading and decomposing the apples thrown away ; - support small food producers : the welfare of 90, 000 cocoa farms could be transformed if consumers bought two fair trade chocolate bars per month instead of an alternative ; - buy seasonal : buying food that is out of season creates extra demand for it, which results in the use of more energy for storage and production ; - cook smarter : simple actions like putting a lid on a boiling pot can cut energy use by up to 70 per cent. “ if enough people act, the reverberations will be felt right along the food chain, ” clarken said. oxfam international ’ s full report on the global food system can be downloaded here.


reforming the reformation a description of christ - richard sibbes ( 1577 - 1635 ) was a puritan theologian, cambridge academic, and much - loved author. view all resources by richard sibbes " behold my servant, whom i have chosen ; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased : i will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgement to the gentiles. he shall not strive, nor cry ; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets, " & c. — matt. 12 : 18. the words are the accomplishment of a prophecy, taken out of isaiah 52 : 1, 2, as we may see by the former verse, ' that it might be fulfilled. ' now the occasion of bringing them in here in this verse, it is a charge that christ gives, verse 16, that they should not reveal and make him known because of the miracles he did. he withdraws himself ; he was desirous to be concealed, he would not allow himself to be seen over much, for he knew the rebellious disposition of the jews, who were eager to change their government, and to make him king. therefore, he laboured to conceal himself in various ways. now, upon this injunction, that they should tell nobody, he brings in the prophet isaiah prophesying of him, ' behold my servant, & c. ; he shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. ' other kings labour that their pomp and magnificence may be seen ; but he does not desire ostentation, he shall not be contentious nor clamorous. for these three things are meant when he says, ' he shall not strive, nor cry, neither shall his voice be heard in the streets ; ' he shall not yield himself to any ostentation, for he came in an abased state to work our salvation ; he shall not be contentious, nor yet clamorous in matter of wrong ; there shall be no boasting any kind of way, as we shall see when we come to the words. you see, then, the inference here. the purpose of the prophet isaiah is to comfort the people, and to direct them how to come to worship the true god, after he had preached against their idolatry, as we see in the former chapter, ' behold my servant, ' & c. great princes have their ambassadors, and the great god of heaven has his son, his servant in whom he delights


after he had preached against their idolatry, as we see in the former chapter, ' behold my servant, ' & c. great princes have their ambassadors, and the great god of heaven has his son, his servant in whom he delights, through whom, and by whom, all dealings between god and man are. as is usual in the prophecies, especially of isaiah, that evangelical prophet, when he foretells anything to comfort the people in the promise of temporal things, he rises to establish their faith in better things. he does this by adding to them a prophecy, a promise of christ the messiah, to assert thus much : i will send you the messiah, and that is a greater gift than this that i have promised you ; therefore you may be sure of the lesser one. as the apostle reasons excellently, ' if he spared not his own son, but delivered him to death for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things? ' rom. 8 : 32. so here, i have promised you deliverance out of babylon, and this and that ; do you doubt of the performance? alas! what is that in comparison to a greater favour i intend for you in christ, that shall deliver you out of another type of babylon? ' behold my servant whom i have chosen ; ' and in isaiah 7 : 14, ' behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, ' & c. i will send you the messiah ; god shall become man ; therefore, i will not stand for any outward favour or deliverance whatsoever. so he goes on to the grand promise, that they might reason from the greater to the less. there is another purpose, why in other promises there is mention of the promise of the messiah : to uphold their faith. alas! we are unworthy of these promises, we are so laden with sin and iniquity. it is no matter, i will send you the messiah. ' behold my servant in whom my soul delighteth, ' and for his sake i will delight in you. i am well pleased with you, because i am well pleased in him ; therefore, be not discouraged. all the promises are yea and amen in jesus christ, ' 2 cor. 1 : 20 ; for all the promises that be, though they be for the things of this life, they are made for christ, they are yea in him, and they are performed for his sake, they are amen in him. so