free search ( 10899 images ) oxygen makes venus glow at night rating : 5. 00 / 5 ( 1 votes cast ) - title oxygen makes venus glow at night - released 11 / 04 / 2007 2 : 35 pm - copyright esa / virtis / inaf - iasf / obs. de paris - lesia this grey - scale image was taken on 3 june 2006 by the visible and infrared thermal imaging spectrometer ( virtis ) onboard esa ’ s venus express, at a distance of 68 000 kilometres from the planet ’ s surface. the image shows the oxygen airglow in the night - side of venus, appearing as the bright features similar to ‘ clouds ’ visible at the bottom of the image, and also visible as the white ring surrounding the planet ’ s disk ( limb ). the oxygen airglow is fully detectable only at specific infrared wavelengths. this image was obtained at 1. 27 micrometres. the fluorescence of the airglow is produced when oxygen atoms, ‘ migrating ’ from the day - side to the night - side of the atmosphere of venus under the push of the so - called sub - solar and anti - solar atmospheric circulation, recombine into molecular oxygen ( or ‘ o2 ’ ) emitting light. the view was obtained from south, with the south pole at the top of the image. the lower horizon is at about 20 degrees south latitude, while the image centre is at 60 degrees east longitude ( coinciding with midnight local time ).


the motion of the planets around the sun is like a never - ending race. each planet follows its own lane around the sun, and moves at its own speed. and as you might expect, a planet in an inside lane always beats one in an outside lane. consider earth and mars. earth is the third planet out from the sun. our “ lane ” - - our path around the sun - - is close to 600 million miles long. it takes us one year to complete one lap around the track, for an average speed of 67, 000 miles per hour. mars is half - again as far out from the sun, so its lane is longer than earth ’ s. a body in a farther orbit moves more slowly, so mars is moving about 13, 000 miles per hour slower than earth is, so it takes almost twice as long to finish a lap around the sun. as a result, the viewing angle to mars is constantly changing. earth passed mars early this month. as we approached the planet, it appeared to slow down, then reverse direction against the background of stars. the same thing would happen if you passed another car on the highway - - or the racetrack. as we passed mars, we were closest to it for the year, so the planet was at its brightest. and it ’ s still quite bright, shining like an orange star in the east as night falls. over the coming weeks and months, though, as the distance to mars increases, it ’ ll fade rapidly. by late summer, it ’ ll be just one - eighth as bright as it is now. so look for mars at its best - - before we leave the red planet behind. script by damond benningfield, copyright 2012 for more skywatching tips, astronomy news, and much more, read stardate magazine.


author : albert ingalls hardcover : volume 3 of 3 in the early 1920s a naturally curious fellow, albert ingalls, happened to read an article in an obscure magazine by an even more curious fellow, russell porter. the article was about the " poor man ' s " telescope and told the story of how a group of vermont villagers built their own reflecting telescopes. it was to be a fateful event because albert ingalls was an editor of scientific american magazine and telescope making was about to gain a much larger audience through america ' s preeminent science magazine. ingalls and porter would, during the next 30 years, create and inspire from others a body of literature that would eventually span a three - volume set of books. many people are surprised when they find out that the optics for a 6 or 8 inch newtonian reflecting telescope can be made by hand using the simplest of tools and materials. since the invention of the telescope about 400 years ago, telescope making has always had an amateur component. some amateur telescope makers were fascinated by the process itself, while others ( like the great observer of the night sky, william herschel ) became amateur telescope makers as a means to their ultimate objective of exploration. inevitably some of the more accomplished amateurs became professionals and made instruments for others, but these instruments were never cheap. until the discovery of methods to coat glass with silver in the mid - 1800s the telescope of choice was the refractor — in spite of its price. by the time aluminum replaced silver in the late 1930s, reflectors had almost completely replaced refractors in popularity. this series of books is one of the reasons why. the atm books were originally published at a time when it was costly to rearrange the contents once it was set in type, so with each edition and printing new material tended to be added at the back. over the years they grew larger and less well organized. yet, because they contained so much valuable information, telescope makers, even today, considered them to be the bible of telescope making. these books are a rearrangement of the original three - volume work. insofar as possible similar items are now grouped together ; each as a chapter within a descriptive part. chapters are usually divided into sections, subsections, etc. while the table of contents for a typical " atm " of old was 2 pages it is now 3 to 5 times larger. the index has similarly been expanded. the objective was not to rewrite but to logically rearrange the text into a more user -


nisbet, r. m. and gurney, william ( 1982 ) modelling fluctuating populations. john wiley and sons limited, chichester. isbn 9781930665903full text not available in this repository. modelling fluctuating populations, originally published in 1982, is a classic textbook because primarily, this book takes a distinctive approach to population dynamics, by emphasizing from the earliest chapters that all populations fluctuate continuously. traditional themes in theoretical ecology such as equilibrium and population stability are linked to analyses of the response of a population to environmental fluctuations and to extinction probabilities. thus, the book ' s approach confronts head - on one common criticism of simple ecological models - the mismatch between the mathematical mechanisms studied and the questions of top ecological concern. secondly, the book demonstrates the power of techniques based on linear mathematics. | keywords : | | population dynamics, linear mathematics, fluctuating populations, probabilities. mathematical statistics | | subjects : | | science > mathematics > probabilities. mathematical statistics | | department : | | faculty of science > mathematics and statistics | | depositing user : | | pure administrator | | date deposited : | | 18 oct 2012 11 : 59 | | last modified : | | 18 oct 2012 16 : 59 | actions ( login required )


what is sustainable agriculture? agriculture has changed dramatically, especially since the end of world war ii. food and fiber productivity soared due to new technologies, mechanization, increased chemical use, specialization and government policies that favored maximizing production. these changes allowed fewer farmers with reduced labor demands to produce the majority of the food and fiber in the u. s. although these changes have had many positive effects and reduced many risks in farming, there have also been significant costs. prominent among these are topsoil depletion, groundwater contamination, the decline of family farms, continued neglect of the living and working conditions for farm laborers, increasing costs of production, and the disintegration of economic and social conditions in rural communities. a growing movement has emerged during the past two decades to question the role of the agricultural establishment in promoting practices that contribute to these social problems. today this movement for sustainable agriculture is garnering increasing support and acceptance within mainstream agriculture. not only does sustainable agriculture address many environmental and social concerns, but it offers innovative and economically viable opportunities for growers, laborers, consumers, policymakers and many others in the entire food system. this paper is an effort to identify the ideas, practices and policies that constitute our concept of sustainable agriculture. we do so for two reasons : 1 ) to clarify the research agenda and priorities of our program, and 2 ) to suggest to others practical steps that may be appropriate for them in moving toward sustainable agriculture. because the concept of sustainable agriculture is still evolving, we intend the paper not as a definitive or final statement, but as an invitation to continue the dialogue. sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals - - environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. a variety of philosophies, policies and practices have contributed to these goals. people in many different capacities, from farmers to consumers, have shared this vision and contributed to it. despite the diversity of people and perspectives, the following themes commonly weave through definitions of sustainable agriculture. sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. therefore, stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance. stewardship of human resources includes consideration of social responsibilities such as working and living conditions of laborers, the needs of rural communities, and consumer health and safety both in the present and the future. stewardship of land and natural resources involves maintaining or enhancing this vital resource base for the long term. a systems perspective is essential to understanding sustainability. the system


the needs of rural communities, and consumer health and safety both in the present and the future. stewardship of land and natural resources involves maintaining or enhancing this vital resource base for the long term. a systems perspective is essential to understanding sustainability. the system is envisioned in its broadest sense, from the individual farm, to the local ecosystem, and to communities affected by this farming system both locally and globally. an emphasis on the system allows a larger and more thorough view of the consequences of farming practices on both human communities and the environment. a systems approach gives us the tools to explore the interconnections between farming and other aspects of our environment. a systems approach also implies interdisciplinary efforts in research and education. this requires not only the input of researchers from various disciplines, but also farmers, farmworkers, consumers, policymakers and others. making the transition to sustainable agriculture is a process. for farmers, the transition to sustainable agriculture normally requires a series of small, realistic steps. family economics and personal goals influence how fast or how far participants can go in the transition. it is important to realize that each small decision can make a difference and contribute to advancing the entire system further on the " sustainable agriculture continuum. " the key to moving forward is the will to take the next step. finally, it is important to point out that reaching toward the goal of sustainable agriculture is the responsibility of all participants in the system, including farmers, laborers, policymakers, researchers, retailers, and consumers. each group has its own part to play, its own unique contribution to make to strengthen the sustainable agriculture community. the remainder of this document considers specific strategies for realizing these broad themes or goals. the strategies are grouped according to three separate though related areas of concern : farming and natural resources, plant and animal production practices, and the economic, social and political context. they represent a range of potential ideas for individuals committed to interpreting the vision of sustainable agriculture within their own circumstances. water. when the production of food and fiber degrades the natural resource base, the ability of future generations to produce and flourish decreases. the decline of ancient civilizations in mesopotamia, the mediterranean region, pre - columbian southwest u. s. and central america is believed to have been strongly influenced by natural resource degradation from non - sustainable farming and forestry practices. water is the principal resource that has helped agriculture and society to prosper, and it has been a major limiting factor when mismanaged. water supply and use. in california, an extensive water storage and transfer system has been established which has


practices. water is the principal resource that has helped agriculture and society to prosper, and it has been a major limiting factor when mismanaged. water supply and use. in california, an extensive water storage and transfer system has been established which has allowed crop production to expand to very arid regions. in drought years, limited surface water supplies have prompted overdraft of groundwater and consequent intrusion of salt water, or permanent collapse of aquifers. periodic droughts, some lasting up to 50 years, have occurred in california. several steps should be taken to develop drought - resistant farming systems even in " normal " years, including both policy and management actions : 1 ) improving water conservation and storage measures, 2 ) providing incentives for selection of drought - tolerant crop species, 3 ) using reduced - volume irrigation systems, 4 ) managing crops to reduce water loss, or 5 ) not planting at all. water quality. the most important issues related to water quality involve salinization and contamination of ground and surface waters by pesticides, nitrates and selenium. salinity has become a problem wherever water of even relatively low salt content is used on shallow soils in arid regions and / or where the water table is near the root zone of crops. tile drainage can remove the water and salts, but the disposal of the salts and other contaminants may negatively affect the environment depending upon where they are deposited. temporary solutions include the use of salt - tolerant crops, low - volume irrigation, and various management techniques to minimize the effects of salts on crops. in the long - term, some farmland may need to be removed from production or converted to other uses. other uses include conversion of row crop land to production of drought - tolerant forages, the restoration of wildlife habitat or the use of agroforestry to minimize the impacts of salinity and high water tables. pesticide and nitrate contamination of water can be reduced using many of the practices discussed later in the plant production practices and animal production practices sections. wildlife. another way in which agriculture affects water resources is through the destruction of riparian habitats within watersheds. the conversion of wild habitat to agricultural land reduces fish and wildlife through erosion and sedimentation, the effects of pesticides, removal of riparian plants, and the diversion of water. the plant diversity in and around both riparian and agricultural areas should be maintained in order to support a diversity of wildlife. this diversity will enhance natural ecosystems and could aid in agricultural pest management. energy. modern agriculture is heavily dependent on


diversion of water. the plant diversity in and around both riparian and agricultural areas should be maintained in order to support a diversity of wildlife. this diversity will enhance natural ecosystems and could aid in agricultural pest management. energy. modern agriculture is heavily dependent on non - renewable energy sources, especially petroleum. the continued use of these energy sources cannot be sustained indefinitely, yet to abruptly abandon our reliance on them would be economically catastrophic. however, a sudden cutoff in energy supply would be equally disruptive. in sustainable agricultural systems, there is reduced reliance on non - renewable energy sources and a substitution of renewable sources or labor to the extent that is economically feasible. air. many agricultural activities affect air quality. these include smoke from agricultural burning ; dust from tillage, traffic and harvest ; pesticide drift from spraying ; and nitrous oxide emissions from the use of nitrogen fertilizer. options to improve air quality include incorporating crop residue into the soil, using appropriate levels of tillage, and planting wind breaks, cover crops or strips of native perennial grasses to reduce dust. soil. soil erosion continues to be a serious threat to our continued ability to produce adequate food. numerous practices have been developed to keep soil in place, which include reducing or eliminating tillage, managing irrigation to reduce runoff, and keeping the soil covered with plants or mulch. enhancement of soil quality is discussed in the next section. sustainable production practices involve a variety of approaches. specific strategies must take into account topography, soil characteristics, climate, pests, local availability of inputs and the individual grower ' s goals. despite the site - specific and individual nature of sustainable agriculture, several general principles can be applied to help growers select appropriate management practices : - selection of species and varieties that are well suited to the site and to conditions on the farm ; - diversification of crops ( including livestock ) and cultural practices to enhance the biological and economic stability of the farm ; - management of the soil to enhance and protect soil quality ; - efficient and humane use of inputs ; and - consideration of farmers ' goals and lifestyle choices. selection of site, species and variety. preventive strategies, adopted early, can reduce inputs and help establish a sustainable production system. when possible, pest - resistant crops should be selected which are tolerant of existing soil or site conditions. when site selection is an option, factors such as soil type and depth, previous crop history, and location ( e. g. climate, topography ) should be taken into account before planting. diversity. diversified farms are usually more economically and ecological


conditions. when site selection is an option, factors such as soil type and depth, previous crop history, and location ( e. g. climate, topography ) should be taken into account before planting. diversity. diversified farms are usually more economically and ecologically resilient. while monoculture farming has advantages in terms of efficiency and ease of management, the loss of the crop in any one year could put a farm out of business and / or seriously disrupt the stability of a community dependent on that crop. by growing a variety of crops, farmers spread economic risk and are less susceptible to the radical price fluctuations associated with changes in supply and demand. properly managed, diversity can also buffer a farm in a biological sense. for example, in annual cropping systems, crop rotation can be used to suppress weeds, pathogens and insect pests. also, cover crops can have stabilizing effects on the agroecosystem by holding soil and nutrients in place, conserving soil moisture with mowed or standing dead mulches, and by increasing the water infiltration rate and soil water holding capacity. cover crops in orchards and vineyards can buffer the system against pest infestations by increasing beneficial arthropod populations and can therefore reduce the need for chemical inputs. using a variety of cover crops is also important in order to protect against the failure of a particular species to grow and to attract and sustain a wide range of beneficial arthropods. optimum diversity may be obtained by integrating both crops and livestock in the same farming operation. this was the common practice for centuries until the mid - 1900s when technology, government policy and economics compelled farms to become more specialized. mixed crop and livestock operations have several advantages. first, growing row crops only on more level land and pasture or forages on steeper slopes will reduce soil erosion. second, pasture and forage crops in rotation enhance soil quality and reduce erosion ; livestock manure, in turn, contributes to soil fertility. third, livestock can buffer the negative impacts of low rainfall periods by consuming crop residue that in " plant only " systems would have been considered crop failures. finally, feeding and marketing are flexible in animal production systems. this can help cushion farmers against trade and price fluctuations and, in conjunction with cropping operations, make more efficient use of farm labor. soil management. a common philosophy among sustainable agriculture practitioners is that a " healthy " soil is a key component of sustainability ; that is, a healthy soil will produce healthy crop plants that have optimum vigor and are less susceptible to


use of farm labor. soil management. a common philosophy among sustainable agriculture practitioners is that a " healthy " soil is a key component of sustainability ; that is, a healthy soil will produce healthy crop plants that have optimum vigor and are less susceptible to pests. while many crops have key pests that attack even the healthiest of plants, proper soil, water and nutrient management can help prevent some pest problems brought on by crop stress or nutrient imbalance. furthermore, crop management systems that impair soil quality often result in greater inputs of water, nutrients, pesticides, and / or energy for tillage to maintain yields. in sustainable systems, the soil is viewed as a fragile and living medium that must be protected and nurtured to ensure its long - term productivity and stability. methods to protect and enhance the productivity of the soil include using cover crops, compost and / or manures, reducing tillage, avoiding traffic on wet soils, and maintaining soil cover with plants and / or mulches. conditions in most california soils ( warm, irrigated, and tilled ) do not favor the buildup of organic matter. regular additions of organic matter or the use of cover crops can increase soil aggregate stability, soil tilth, and diversity of soil microbial life. efficient use of inputs. many inputs and practices used by conventional farmers are also used in sustainable agriculture. sustainable farmers, however, maximize reliance on natural, renewable, and on - farm inputs. equally important are the environmental, social, and economic impacts of a particular strategy. converting to sustainable practices does not mean simple input substitution. frequently, it substitutes enhanced management and scientific knowledge for conventional inputs, especially chemical inputs that harm the environment on farms and in rural communities. the goal is to develop efficient, biological systems which do not need high levels of material inputs. growers frequently ask if synthetic chemicals are appropriate in a sustainable farming system. sustainable approaches are those that are the least toxic and least energy intensive, and yet maintain productivity and profitability. preventive strategies and other alternatives should be employed before using chemical inputs from any source. however, there may be situations where the use of synthetic chemicals would be more " sustainable " than a strictly nonchemical approach or an approach using toxic " organic " chemicals. for example, one grape grower switched from tillage to a few applications of a broad spectrum contact herbicide in the vine row. this approach may use less energy and may compact the soil less than numerous passes with a cultivator or mower. consideration of farmer


grape grower switched from tillage to a few applications of a broad spectrum contact herbicide in the vine row. this approach may use less energy and may compact the soil less than numerous passes with a cultivator or mower. consideration of farmer goals and lifestyle choices. management decisions should reflect not only environmental and broad social considerations, but also individual goals and lifestyle choices. for example, adoption of some technologies or practices that promise profitability may also require such intensive management that one ' s lifestyle actually deteriorates. management decisions that promote sustainability, nourish the environment, the community and the individual. in the early part of this century, most farms integrated both crop and livestock operations. indeed, the two were highly complementary both biologically and economically. the current picture has changed quite drastically since then. crop and animal producers now are still dependent on one another to some degree, but the integration now most commonly takes place at a higher level - - between farmers, through intermediaries, rather than within the farm itself. this is the result of a trend toward separation and specialization of crop and animal production systems. despite this trend, there are still many farmers, particularly in the midwest and northeastern u. s. that integrate crop and animal systems - - either on dairy farms, or with range cattle, sheep or hog operations. even with the growing specialization of livestock and crop producers, many of the principles outlined in the crop production section apply to both groups. the actual management practices will, of course, be quite different. some of the specific points that livestock producers need to address are listed below. management planning. including livestock in the farming system increases the complexity of biological and economic relationships. the mobility of the stock, daily feeding, health concerns, breeding operations, seasonal feed and forage sources, and complex marketing are sources of this complexity. therefore, a successful ranch plan should include enterprise calendars of operations, stock flows, forage flows, labor needs, herd production records and land use plans to give the manager control and a means of monitoring progress toward goals. animal selection. the animal enterprise must be appropriate for the farm or ranch resources. farm capabilities and constraints such as feed and forage sources, landscape, climate and skill of the manager must be considered in selecting which animals to produce. for example, ruminant animals can be raised on a variety of feed sources including range and pasture, cultivated forage, cover crops, shrubs, weeds, and crop residues. there is a wide range of breeds available in each of the major rumina


example, ruminant animals can be raised on a variety of feed sources including range and pasture, cultivated forage, cover crops, shrubs, weeds, and crop residues. there is a wide range of breeds available in each of the major ruminant species, i. e., cattle, sheep and goats. hardier breeds that, in general, have lower growth and milk production potential, are better adapted to less favorable environments with sparse or highly seasonal forage growth. animal nutrition. feed costs are the largest single variable cost in any livestock operation. while most of the feed may come from other enterprises on the ranch, some purchased feed is usually imported from off the farm. feed costs can be kept to a minimum by monitoring animal condition and performance and understanding seasonal variations in feed and forage quality on the farm. determining the optimal use of farm - generated by - products is an important challenge of diversified farming. reproduction. use of quality germplasm to improve herd performance is another key to sustainability. in combination with good genetic stock, adapting the reproduction season to fit the climate and sources of feed and forage reduce health problems and feed costs. herd health. animal health greatly influences reproductive success and weight gains, two key aspects of successful livestock production. unhealthy stock waste feed and require additional labor. a herd health program is critical to sustainable livestock production. grazing management. most adverse environmental impacts associated with grazing can be prevented or mitigated with proper grazing management. first, the number of stock per unit area ( stocking rate ) must be correct for the landscape and the forage sources. there will need to be compromises between the convenience of tilling large, unfenced fields and the fencing needs of livestock operations. use of modern, temporary fencing may provide one practical solution to this dilemma. second, the long term carrying capacity and the stocking rate must take into account short and long - term droughts. especially in mediterranean climates such as in california, properly managed grazing significantly reduces fire hazards by reducing fuel build - up in grasslands and brushlands. finally, the manager must achieve sufficient control to reduce overuse in some areas while other areas go unused. prolonged concentration of stock that results in permanent loss of vegetative cover on uplands or in riparian zones should be avoided. however, small scale loss of vegetative cover around water or feed troughs may be tolerated if surrounding vegetative cover is adequate. confined livestock production. animal health and waste management are key issues in confined livestock operations. the


should be avoided. however, small scale loss of vegetative cover around water or feed troughs may be tolerated if surrounding vegetative cover is adequate. confined livestock production. animal health and waste management are key issues in confined livestock operations. the moral and ethical debate taking place today regarding animal welfare is particularly intense for confined livestock production systems. the issues raised in this debate need to be addressed. confinement livestock production is increasingly a source of surface and ground water pollutants, particularly where there are large numbers of animals per unit area. expensive waste management facilities are now a necessary cost of confined production systems. waste is a problem of almost all operations and must be managed with respect to both the environment and the quality of life in nearby communities. livestock production systems that disperse stock in pastures so the wastes are not concentrated and do not overwhelm natural nutrient cycling processes have become a subject of renewed interest. in addition to strategies for preserving natural resources and changing production practices, sustainable agriculture requires a commitment to changing public policies, economic institutions, and social values. strategies for change must take into account the complex, reciprocal and ever - changing relationship between agricultural production and the broader society. the " food system " extends far beyond the farm and involves the interaction of individuals and institutions with contrasting and often competing goals including farmers, researchers, input suppliers, farmworkers, unions, farm advisors, processors, retailers, consumers, and policymakers. relationships among these actors shift over time as new technologies spawn economic, social and political changes. a wide diversity of strategies and approaches are necessary to create a more sustainable food system. these will range from specific and concentrated efforts to alter specific policies or practices, to the longer - term tasks of reforming key institutions, rethinking economic priorities, and challenging widely - held social values. areas of concern where change is most needed include the following : food and agricultural policy. existing federal, state and local government policies often impede the goals of sustainable agriculture. new policies are needed to simultaneously promote environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. for example, commodity and price support programs could be restructured to allow farmers to realize the full benefits of the productivity gains made possible through alternative practices. tax and credit policies could be modified to encourage a diverse and decentralized system of family farms rather than corporate concentration and absentee ownership. government and land grant university research policies could be modified to emphasize the development of sustainable alternatives. marketing orders and cosmetic standards could be amended to encourage reduced pesticide use. coalitions must be


system of family farms rather than corporate concentration and absentee ownership. government and land grant university research policies could be modified to emphasize the development of sustainable alternatives. marketing orders and cosmetic standards could be amended to encourage reduced pesticide use. coalitions must be created to address these policy concerns at the local, regional, and national level. land use. conversion of agricultural land to urban uses is a particular concern in california, as rapid growth and escalating land values threaten farming on prime soils. existing farmland conversion patterns often discourage farmers from adopting sustainable practices and a long - term perspective on the value of land. at the same time, the close proximity of newly developed residential areas to farms is increasing the public demand for environmentally safe farming practices. comprehensive new policies to protect prime soils and regulate development are needed, particularly in california ' s central valley. by helping farmers to adopt practices that reduce chemical use and conserve scarce resources, sustainable agriculture research and education can play a key role in building public support for agricultural land preservation. educating land use planners and decision - makers about sustainable agriculture is an important priority. labor. in california, the conditions of agricultural labor are generally far below accepted social standards and legal protections in other forms of employment. policies and programs are needed to address this problem, working toward socially just and safe employment that provides adequate wages, working conditions, health benefits, and chances for economic stability. the needs of migrant labor for year - around employment and adequate housing are a particularly crucial problem needing immediate attention. to be more sustainable over the long - term, labor must be acknowledged and supported by government policies, recognized as important constituents of land grant universities, and carefully considered when assessing the impacts of new technologies and practices. rural community development. rural communities in california are currently characterized by economic and environmental deterioration. many are among the poorest locations in the nation. the reasons for the decline are complex, but changes in farm structure have played a significant role. sustainable agriculture presents an opportunity to rethink the importance of family farms and rural communities. economic development policies are needed that encourage more diversified agricultural production on family farms as a foundation for healthy economies in rural communities. in combination with other strategies, sustainable agriculture practices and policies can help foster community institutions that meet employment, educational, health, cultural and spiritual needs. consumers and the food system. consumers can play a critical role in creating a sustainable food system. through their purchases, they send strong messages to producers, retailers and others in the system about what they think is important. food cost and nutritional quality have always influenced consumer


the food system. consumers can play a critical role in creating a sustainable food system. through their purchases, they send strong messages to producers, retailers and others in the system about what they think is important. food cost and nutritional quality have always influenced consumer choices. the challenge now is to find strategies that broaden consumer perspectives, so that environmental quality, resource use, and social equity issues are also considered in shopping decisions. at the same time, new policies and institutions must be created to enable producers using sustainable practices to market their goods to a wider public. coalitions organized around improving the food system are one specific method of creating a dialogue among consumers, retailers, producers and others. these coalitions or other public forums can be important vehicles for clarifying issues, suggesting new policies, increasing mutual trust, and encouraging a long - term view of food production, distribution and consumption. for more information : contact the uc sustainable agriculture research and education program, university of california, davis, ca 95616, ( 530 ) 752 - 7556. written by gail feenstra, writer ; chuck ingels, perennial cropping systems analyst ; and david campbell, economic and public policy analyst with contributions from david chaney, melvin r. george, eric bradford, the staff and advisory committees of the uc sustainable agriculture research and education program.


how to search the contents of the current page for text or links when you are viewing a website in firefox, you can search for words and phrases on the page. firefox will show you where the search phrase you ' ve typed appears next on the page, and lets you highlight all the places where it appears. table of contents using the find bar to start searching for text on a page : - open the find bar : - use the ctrlcommand + f keyboard shortcut. - click on the button ( menu on windows xp ), then select. - type a search phrase into the find bar ' s find : field. firefox will start highlighting instances of your search phrase as you type. - if no instances of your search phrase occur on the page you ' re viewing, the find bar will show phrase not found. when the find bar is open, the following actions are available : - x : close the find bar. - next : highlight the next instance of the search phrase you ' ve entered. - previous : highlight the previous instance of the search phrase you ' ve entered. - highlight all : highlight every instance of the search phrase you ' ve entered. click highlight all again to turn off highlighting. - match case : make searches case sensitive. normally if you search for search phrase, instances of search phrase on the page will also be found when you use the find bar. if you match case is selected, only instances of the phrase as you ' ve typed it will be found. search links only if you want to find phrases that occur in links on the page you ' re viewing : - type ' ( single quote character ) to bring up the quick find ( links only ) bar. - type a search phrase into the quick find ( links only ) field. the first link that contains the phrase you ' ve typed will be selected. - press ctrlcommand + g to highlight the next link that contains your search phrase. to close the quick find bar, wait a moment then press the esc key on the keyboard, or click somewhere in firefox that is not part of the quick find bar. find while typing on a page firefox can start searching for phrases you enter without having to open the find bar. to enable this feature : - at the top of the firefox window, click on the button and then select at the top of the firefox window, click on the menu and then select on the menu bar, click on the menu and select at


this feature : - at the top of the firefox window, click on the button and then select at the top of the firefox window, click on the menu and then select on the menu bar, click on the menu and select at the top of the firefox window, click on the menu and select - select on the panel. - click on the tab. - check mark search for text when i start typing. - click to close the options windowclick to close the preferences windowclose the preferences window. after you enable the feature : - type a search phrase while you are viewing a website. as you type, the first instance of your phrase will be highlighted. - press ctrlcommand + g or f3 to highlight the next instance of your search phrase. to close the quick find bar, wait a few moments for it to disappear then press the esc key on the keyboard, or click somewhere in firefox that is not part of the quick find bar. since the the quick find bar is meant to disappear after a few moments, it does not have the next, previous, or highlight all commands the full find bar does. if you find that the quick find bar interferes with typing in text fields, see quick find bar opens when typing in text fields.


more lethal mutation risks in human - to - pig swine flu transmission - 2 aug 2009 officials in new south wales, australia estimate that around 2, 000 pigs have become infected from a pig farmer and his staff, and they have quarantined the pigs to keep the virus from spreading. experts say that such events pose even wider dangers because while the pigs are infected, other human or bird flu strains could mix with the swine flu virus, for an even deadlier outcome. meanwhile, the official number of swine flu cases, which represent only a fraction of the actual people afflicted, reached 184, 435, with 1, 247 who perished in more than 160 countries. france and lebanon both lost first lives to the swine flu, while saudi arabia, new zealand and california, usa each reported the death of a health care worker. saudi arabia to date has had four fatalities as concerns remain heightened regarding the coming hajj pilgrimage. while tamiflu remains the best known anti - viral medicine, a study in the united kingdom reported that over 50 percent of children taking the drug are having side effects that include nausea, insomnia, and nightmares. australian officials and all health care personnel around the globe, you have our gratitude for your dedicated efforts as you even risk your lives for others. we pray for the comfort of those who have lost loved ones and the recovery of victims. may lives be ever spared through our own choice of wellness in the immunity - fortifying organic vegan diet.


i recently went through some of my christmas pre - reading solos and revised them. i changed some of my art, tracking color, and anything else that i thought would help beginning students. some of the finger numbers have been changed, too. i hope you enjoy the new look! if it ’ s not too late in the season, here is a worksheet for first year students to draw lines to match up vocabulary words and symbols. sometimes students arrive at group lessons early and it ’ s a good idea to have something to keep them busy! or maybe you would like to do something different at the last lesson of the year. when i drew this red and green border, i intended on making many levels of vocabulary words for all my students. but i think i got carried away drawing the border and ran out of time! i was interested in making something seasonal, but suitable for all ages. maybe next year i can add to the series. if you are looking for a simple game for beginners for the holidays, you might be interested in this game. there are four cards in this pdf. i suggest laminating them if you want to keep them, because home printer ink will smear. the teacher calls out a letter and the students cover it with a bingo token. students can win by covering all of one color or row. younger children like to play several short games. older beginners will want to play “ black out ” and cover all the ornaments. if you have a few students in your group who are not beginners, make it more difficult for them. give them a big staff and let them place a token on the staff note as well as the piano key. i have many big staves on my website you can use. there are always ways to make music games more difficult if you think about it. i used to have some students who had trouble learning piano keys, no matter what cute little ideas i used at the piano. but once i started playing games like this, they learned the keys very quickly. it is a fact that if something is fun, students learn faster. maria montessori showed teachers a long time ago that children learn through play. you know what ’ s fun for a christmas group lesson? instead of using bingo tokens, use green and red m & m ’ s. are you tired of seeing material that i make for my own students and wish you could make a quick worksheet for christmas that suits your own needs? now you can! you can use this one to match vocabulary words


m & m ’ s. are you tired of seeing material that i make for my own students and wish you could make a quick worksheet for christmas that suits your own needs? now you can! you can use this one to match vocabulary words, rhythms, symbols, and even non - music concepts. you can make a lotto or bingo type game and call out words or rhythms for students to cover with magnetic chips and swoop up with a magnetic wand. you can have students color various concepts. print on the back what colors should be used. you make an individual worksheet for each student, if your students are at different levels. my advice if you want to make one that you will put through a photo copy machine is to use a dark, not - to - thin marker, such as a sharpie. otherwise it will not show up. as long as you leave the copyright notice on the page, feel free to use this in your classroom. however, you may not make a worksheet out of pdf and post it on your own website, or publish it yourself, or put it in a collection for others to use. once you have made your worksheet, post a comment here to share your ideas with others. you might come up with something i have never thought of. or take a picture and email it to me. you do not have to register to post a comment here, and your comments are anonymous. however, i do moderate comments to make sure i don ’ t get spam, so you might not see your comment right away. i have so much on my website, www. susanparadis. com, that i have trouble keeping up with it. if i posted it and can ’ t even remember what i have, it must be really hard for someone new to navigate through all the material i ’ ve posted over the years. while there is a category on my website for “ seasonal ” music if you are looking for easy christmas music to play, there is no seasonal category for my worksheets and games, so you will have to scroll through it all to find things. to help you out, today i am posting a list of worksheets, activities, and games you can use during the christmas season. some of this material is really old and needs to be updated, but for now i hope you and your students will forgive some of the wobbly art and odd layouts. all of the links below take you to the original blog post. from there you will have to


is really old and needs to be updated, but for now i hope you and your students will forgive some of the wobbly art and odd layouts. all of the links below take you to the original blog post. from there you will have to click on the link to my website and then click on “ preview ” to download the pdf document. ornament notes this is very simple for beginning readers. students color the ornaments that contain notes around middle c. christmas worksheet i give these types of sheets to beginning students over and over to help them learn the notes on the staff. it takes a several years for notes to be secure in a student ’ s long - term memory. beginning teachers often don ’ t realize you have to review this constantly. ornament notes mixed up on a staff. some teachers thought the worksheet above was too easy and asked for one with mixed up notes. don ’ t use this with young beginners. it will take the entire lesson! color the chanukah gift we don ’ t want anyone to be left out when it comes to learning note names. my box is out of perspective, but it gets the job done! this one has hardly been downloaded at all. there is also a chanukah composing activity on my website. peppermint notes you can use any kind of candy with this one. i had some peppermints on hand and that ’ s why i made it. you can play many games with this pdf, however. you can even use magnetic bingo chips and write scales, chords, and key signatures. musical christmas lights this is a game for up to 6 students at the beginning level. students learn rhythm values and some simple vocabulary words. draw the ornaments this one is a little more challenging than the ornament notes above. there are more notes and the entire staff is used. gingerboy keys i made this one for a student who just started lessons right after thanksgiving. you might have some pre - school students or beginners who can use it. light up the tree i made another note worksheet with more notes than ornament notes shown above. you can pick and choose which one you want to use. this one works well when printed in black and white.


for this reader one of the most interesting details of the steve jobs biography ( highly recommended ) was that jobs ’ most important heroes was edwin land, inventor of the polaroid camera. with the ubiquity of digital cameras, many as part of our phones, and the images we take shared on social media sites instantly totaling in the trillions,, it ’ s easy to forget the time and effort that used to be involved capturing images. but the polaroid, with its easy to use interface – point and shoot, and instantaneous ( well, 60 seconds of wait time, but still.. ), was a revolution. slate has a gallery of images tracking the rise and fall of polaroid. and in the stacks : insisting on the impossible : the life of edwin land / victor k. mcelheny – tr540. l36 m36 1998 polaroid book : selections from the polaroid collections of photography / edited by steve crist ; essay by barbara hitchcock - tr654. p65 2005 polaroids / helmut newton – tr679. n49 2011 guy bourdin : polaroids – tr647. b67 2009 instant light : tarkovsky polaroids / edited by giovanni chiaramonte – tr655. t37 2006 polaroids : mapplethorpe / sylvia wolf – tr647. m365 w65 2007


the case of judas. " it had been good for that man if he had not been born. " — matt. 26 : 24. these words are supposed, by many professed religionists, to teach the endless perdition of judas. how could it have been said of judas, it is asked, " it had been good for that man if he had not been born, " if he is finally to be saved? if he is to reach heaven at last, it certainly was good for him to have been born. many erroneous ideas have arisen in regard to the meaning of this passage by supposing that it had reference to the condition of judas in the immortal state of existence. this language had not the least reference to the final condition of judas. it was a common proverb among the jews in our savior ' s day, to indicate any severe calamity to befall an individual, without any reference to the future world. it had special application to events connected with this life. when any fearful calamity or judgment was to come upon an individual, it was common to say, " it were good for that man if he had not been born. " it was a proverbial expression, or an expression in common use among the jews, to denote any severe chastisement or great misfortune, or terrible calamity. the savior, knowing its use, and aware of the fate of judas, very appropriately applied it to him. similar expressions had long been in use. job cursed the day of his birth, and said : " let the day perish wherein i was born. " job 3 : 1 - 3. solomon said : " if a man live many years, and his soul be not filled with good ; and also that he hath no burial : i say that an untimely birth is better than he. " eccles. 6 : 3. this is the same as saying, " it had been better if he had not been born. " it was a common proverb to denote any great misfortune coming upon an individual ; and as judas would be overwhelmed with sorrow and smitten with grief and anguish, plunged into the greatest distress by a vivid sense of his sins, it was very properly applied to him without any reference to his immortal condition. kenrick says, in his exposition, the expression — " ' it had been good for him, if he had never been born, ' is a proverbial phrase, and not to be understood literally :


without any reference to his immortal condition. kenrick says, in his exposition, the expression — " ' it had been good for him, if he had never been born, ' is a proverbial phrase, and not to be understood literally : for it is not consistent with our ideas of the divine goodness to make the existence of any being a curse to him, or to cause him to suffer more, upon the whole, than he enjoys happiness. rather than do this, god would not have created him at all. but as it is usual to say of men who are to endure some grievous punishment or dreadful calamity, that it would have been better for them never to have been born, christ foreseeing what judas would bring upon himself, by delivering up his master into the hands of his enemies, applies this language to him. " we call the reader ' s attention to the following from dr. adam clarke, the methodist commentator, upon this subject. he enters into a labored argument to show that judas may be saved, and that his repentance was sincere, genuine, and acceptable to god. after mature deliberation, he thinks that " there is no positive proof of the final damnation of judas in the sacred text. " this is the opinion of one of the most learned and distinguished divines of the orthodox church. dr. clarke shows clearly that the language that stands at the head of this article was a proverbial expression to denote the state of any flagrant transgressor without regard to the future world. but we will let this distinguished commentator speak for himself. he says : " judas was indisputably a bad man ; but he might have been worse : we may plainly see that there were depths of wickedness to which he might have proceeded, and which were prevented by his repentance. thus things appear to stand previously to his end. but is there any room for hope in his death? in answer to this, it must be understood, — first : that there is presumptive evidence that he did not destroy himself ; and, second : that his repentance was sincere. if so, was it not possible for the mercy of god to extend even to his case? it did so to the murderers of the son of god ; and they were certainly worse men, ( strange as this assertion may appear ), than judas. even he gave them the fullest proof of christ ' s innocence : their buying the field with the money judas threw down,


of the son of god ; and they were certainly worse men, ( strange as this assertion may appear ), than judas. even he gave them the fullest proof of christ ' s innocence : their buying the field with the money judas threw down, was the full proof of it ; and yet, with every convincing evidence before them, they crucified our lord. they excited judas to betray his master, and crucified him when they got him into their power, and therefore st. stephen calls them both the betrayers and murderers of that just one, ( acts 7 : 52 ), in these respects they were more deeply criminal than judas himself ; yet, even to these very betrayers and murderers, peter preaches repentance, with the promise of remission of sins, and the gift of the holy ghost. ( acts 3 : 12 - 26 ). if, then, these were within the reach of mercy, and we are informed that a great company of the priests became obedient to the faith, ( acts 6 : 7 ), then certainly judas was not in such a state as precluded the possibility of his salvation. surely the blood of the covenant could wash out even his stain, as it did that more deeply ingrained one, of the other betrayers and murderers of the lord jesus. should the 25th verse be urged against this possibility, because it is there said that judas fell from his ministry and apostleship, that he might go to his own place, and that this place is hell. i answer, — first : it remains to be proved that this place means hell ; and, second : it is not clear that the words are spoken of judas at all, but of matthias : his own place meaning that vacancy in the apostolate, to which he was then elected. to say the repentance of judas was merely the effect of his horror ; that it did not spring from the compunction of heart ; that it was legal and not evangelical, etc., is saying what none can with propriety say but god himself, who searches the heart. what renders his case most desperate, are the words of our lord. ( matt. 26 : 24 ). " wo unto that man by whom the son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born! " i have considered this saying in a general point of view in my note on matt. 26 : 24, and were it not a proverbial form of speech among the jews


it had been good for that man if he had not been born! " i have considered this saying in a general point of view in my note on matt. 26 : 24, and were it not a proverbial form of speech among the jews to express the state of any flagrant transgressor, i should be led to apply it, in all its literal import, to the case of judas, as i have done in the above note, in the case of any damned soul ; but when i find that it was a proverbial saying, and that it has been used in many cases, where the fixing of the irreversible doom of a sinner is not implied, it may be capable of a more favorable interpretation than what is generally given to it. i shall produce a few of those examples from schoettgen, to which i have referred in my note on matt. 26 : 24. in chagigah, fol. 2, 2, it is said, ' whoever considers these four things, it would have been better for him had he never come into the world, viz. : that which is above ; that which is below ; that which is before ; and that which is behind. and whosoever does not attend to the honor of his creator, it were better for him had he never been born. ' in shemoth rabba, sect. 40, fol. 135, 1, 2, it is said, ' whosoever knows the law, and does not do it, it had been better for him had he never come into the world. ' in vayikra rabba, sect. 26, fol. 179, 4, and midrash coheleth, fol. 91, 4, it is thus expressed ; ' it were better for him had he never been created ; and it would have been better for him had he been strangled in the womb, and never have seen the light of this world. ' in sohar genes, fol. 71, col. 282, it is said, ' if any man be parsimonious towards the poor, it had been better for him had he never come into the world. ' ibid, fol. 84, col. 333. ' if any performs the law, not for the sake of the law, it were good for that man had he never been created. ' these examples sufficiently prove that this was a common proverb, and is used with a great variety and


333. ' if any performs the law, not for the sake of the law, it were good for that man had he never been created. ' these examples sufficiently prove that this was a common proverb, and is used with a great variety and latitude of meaning ; and seems intended to show that the case of such and such persons was not only very deplorable, but extremely dangerous ; but does not imply the positive impossibility either of their repentance or salvation. the utmost that can be said for the case of judas is this : he committed a heinous act of sin and ingratitude ; but he repented, and did what he could to undo his wicked act : he had committed the sin unto death, i. e., a sin that involves the death of the body ; but who can say, ( if mercy was offered to christ ' s murderers, and the gospel was first to be preached at jerusalem, that these very murderers might have the first offer of salvation through him whom they had pierced ), that the same mercy could not be extended to wretched judas? i contend, that the chief priests, etc., who instigated judas to deliver up his master, and who crucified him — and who crucified him, too, as a malefactor, having at the same time, the most indubitable evidence of his innocence — were worse men than judas iscariot himself ; and that if mercy was extended to those, the wretched penitent traitor did not die out of the reach of the yearning of its bowels. and i contend farther, that there is no positive evidence of the final damnation of judas in the sacred text. ' — clarke in loco. this learned commentator contends that the repentance of judas was genuine, and that " there is no positive evidence of the final damnation of judas in the sacred text. " why, then, are we gravely asked, did he go and hang himself, as matthew affirms? ( matt, 27 : 5 ) we would here state, that luke gives a somewhat different account of his death. see acts 1 : 18 : " and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. " how, then, are we to reconcile this apparent discrepancy between the two evangelists? one affirms that he hanged himself, the other that he fell headlong and burst asunder. the difficulty in question arises


##hed out. " how, then, are we to reconcile this apparent discrepancy between the two evangelists? one affirms that he hanged himself, the other that he fell headlong and burst asunder. the difficulty in question arises from an incorrect translation of the greek word apegzato, here rendered " hanged himself. " it does not necessarily have this meaning, and may be rendered, " was suffocated, as with grief or anguish. " eminent critics, as dr. clarke says, believe that judas was suffocated with excessive grief. " wakefield ( he adds ), supports this meaning of the word with great learning and ingenuity. " dr. george campbell, an eminent scotch presbyterian divine, says that " the greek word plainly denotes strangling, but does not say how, by hanging, or otherwise. it is quite a different term that is used in those places where hanging is mentioned. " he also adds, that it may be rendered, " was suffocated. " wakefield renders it, " was choked with anguish. " this rendering of the original is supported by high authority, and is evidently correct. judas was overwhelmed with a sense of his sin, and sincerely repented before god, carried back the ill - gotten gain, and died of excessive grief, " was chocked with anguish, " or " was suffocated. " his grief was most intense ; his anguish so burdensome, that he reeled beneath the oppressive load of guilt and sorrow, and fell prostrate to the earth, being suffocated with grief. he gave every evidence possible of deep sorrow for sin, and of genuine repentance.


we are always being asked by teachers how they can work more creatively with pupils so here is a fine example : teacher in role teacher in role is a great dramatic technique to use. it basically means the teacher adopts a suitable role and directs the drama from within. by doing this the teacher is more able advance the development of the lesson by creating interest, provoking tension, offering choices, and initiating possibilities for the group to interact in role. working in role has a number of benefits : - information can be given in a fun and interesting way - it allows pupils to work creatively and use their imaginations - the drama gives any instructions or activities an added impetus. - pupils can be empowered, particularly if the character they meet needs help you don ’ t have to be a great actor to do it. children have great imaginations and you can make the role very simple ; all you are doing is communicating the key emotions or beliefs of the character. you can use simple props, a piece of costume such as a scarf or even just use sitting on a chair to show when you are in or out of role. make sure you research or have created your character thoroughly and have some idea of what you are going to say, but also be open to responding to comments and questions from the children. hot seating is a good way of getting started and becoming more confident about using the technique. allow the students to question you in role. once you feel more confident you can place the children in role as well. there are numerous ways teacher in role can be utilised, here are some examples : take on the role of a newspaper editor at some significant event in history. you want the pupils to help you choose the most memorable moment from the event so you can write an exciting article. challenging pupils to remember the most dangerous, thrilling and scary moments for your readers. get help to set the tone of the article and create the right level of excitement for your readers then ask the pupils to write the article or draw a picture for the front page. - take on the role of a refugee. you do not speak very good english and you want to contact your family in a different land. encourage the pupils to try out different ways of communicating with you such as hand signals, drawings or acting things out. once they can communicate with you, see if they can work out exactly where you have come from and encourage them to explore different ways that they could help your character contact their family. you could also explore why your character has come to this country and why they


bacterial meningitis is the swelling of the membranes, called meninges, which surround the brain and spinal cord. it ’ s symptoms of headaches, stiff neck and fever can appear quickly or over several days after exposure, with serious and sometimes fatal results. other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and altered mental state. spread through the respiratory tract, those living in close quarters are most susceptible to meningitis. the disease can quickly spread through college dorms, army bases and boarding schools. the good news is that most forms of bacterial meningitis are vaccine - preventable, but many families are unaware of the need to protect against this disease through immunization. unfortunately, several texas families have learned the hard way that the disease can cause devastation in the blink of an eye. on february 11, 2011, greg william ’ s life changed forever. that ’ s the day his 20 - year - old son nicolis, a junior at texas a & m, died of complications from bacterial meningitis 72 hours after being diagnosed with flu - like symptoms at a campus clinic. losing our son was without a doubt the worst experience of our lives, ” said greg. “ and, to discover later that his death could have been prevented intensifies the pain and guilt we hold in our hearts. ” due, in part, to greg ’ s efforts, texas colleges now take an active role against the disease. the jamie schanbaum act, named for a university of texas student who lost her legs and fingers to the disease, was amended in 2011 and became the jamie schanbaum and nicolis williams act. the law, which went into effect in 2012, requires that all students under the age of 30 who enroll in any texas college show evidence that they have received the meningitis vaccine within the 5 years prior to enrollment. the law was a labor of love for both families and tip was honored to assist. “ with tip ’ s considerable help, we ’ re very proud to have been able to modify the law, ” said greg. “ this is a huge and significant accomplishment for future generations of college students in texas. ” greg takes comfort in the fact that through the law, other families may be spared the pain of losing a loved one to meningitis. because the law is named in association with nicolis williams, our son has a legacy and the grief in our hearts is lightened, ” said greg. “ we thank god for blessing us with nicolis and we thank tip for keeping


tutu ’ s corner : dog safety column by tutu and me traveling preschool how can you be sure that a dog will be a safe pet for your children? statistics show that most dog bites causing serious injury involve medium to large sized dogs and children under the age of 5. the dog is usually known to the child or is the family ’ s pet. a dog ’ s basic temperament, instincts, and training have the biggest effects on how that dog reacts to the world around him and his levels of tolerance. very few bites happen without provocation – but the provocation may exist only in the dog ’ s mind! small children should never be left alone with any dog, no matter how reliable the dog has been before. a responsible adult needs to be on the scene to prevent any aggressive behavior by the dog and to keep the child from putting him or herself in danger. a dog may not want to be petted. the dog ’ s first instinctive reaction is to show his displeasure by giving a warning by growling. walking away can also be considered a warning. some warnings are more subtle – a stiffening of the body, for example. few dogs bite without giving some indication beforehand. small children ( and some adults ) don ’ t recognize a warning when they see or hear one. a very young child under age 6 doesn ’ t know what a growl means. if the dog has tried to leave or has issued a warning with no response from the child, the dog ( in his mind ) has no other recourse – he bites. running, playing, screaming kids can trigger an instinctive predator - prey reaction in some dogs. children who rough house and wrestle with dogs unknowingly encourage them to use their teeth. startling a sleeping dog or petting him when he ’ s eating can also provoke a bite. try this at home • obedience training ( even for puppies ) and socialization for a dog spending time with children. the dog needs to be taught to obey commands under all conditions, no matter how distracting. • teach children how to touch the dog properly, how to interpret the dog ’ s body language, and when the dog is not to be disturbed. • teach kids to ask the owner if the dog is friendly and if it ’ s okay to pet them and how to play only appropriate games with the dog. • practice “ stand like a tree ” and “ lie like a log ” for strange or unleashed dogs. • when other children visit make sure that these children obey your ground rules. kids and dogs


by carl weese light, natural or artificial, indoors or out, is constantly variable. we notice the warm, reddish light of sunrise and sunset, but there are subtle variations all the time. we generally don ’ t notice the color of ambient light because our eye / mind perceptual system adapts, much as it adapts to changes in light intensity. for example, from outdoors on a dark day, the windows of a house will look yellow if there are tungsten lights inside. the observer standing outside is adapted to the color of daylight and sees the yellow color of the interior light, but if we enter the house we adapt almost immediately. from inside, the room light seems normal while the view out a window can look bright blue. concentrate on what you see through the window, and the color will quickly look right again. the yellow / amber light from a standard light bulb has a lower color temperature than daylight. why is it referred to as temperature? a black body radiator ( think of an iron bar or fireplace poker ) gives off energy in the form of light when it is heated. first it glows ruby red. when it is heated to a temperature of 3200 kelvin, it gives off light the same color as a typical studio photoflood, so the studio lamp is said to have a color temperature of 3200 kelvin and that ’ s the calibration for a typical tungsten color film. sunlight is the color given off by a black body radiator heated to 5000 – 5500k so that ’ s the color temperature daylight film is calibrated for. the color temperature of overcast sky is in the range of 5800 to 7000k, while open shade under a clear blue sky can hit 9000 – 12000k. that ' s why a " warming filter " is needed to keep pictures in shade from looking bright blue on slide film. at the other end, low wattage light bulbs in a living room lamp can be way down around 2000k and candlelight is lower still. these light sources, like the heated iron bar, produce a continuous spectrum of light. the lower temperatures make warmer, redder light, and the higher temperatures produce cooler, bluer, light. fluorescent tubes, sodium - vapor lamps, and other forms of high efficiency energy - saving lighting usually produce a discontinuous spectrum. this means that while the light from a “ daylight ” fluorescent looks somewhat similar to real daylight, it is deficient in specific wavelengths, mostly in the magenta area


forms of high efficiency energy - saving lighting usually produce a discontinuous spectrum. this means that while the light from a “ daylight ” fluorescent looks somewhat similar to real daylight, it is deficient in specific wavelengths, mostly in the magenta area. our eyes don ’ t adapt to this deficiency as well as to different temperatures of a continuous spectrum, which is why these light sources often look unpleasant and unnatural to us. color film without correction records fluorescent light with a strong green cast and sodium - vapor with an even more obnoxious green / brown palette. photographic recording media — film, or digital sensors — do not have our ability to adapt to the color of ambient light. that ’ s why color transparency film has always been made in both daylight and tungsten versions. color negative films can be adjusted with filtration when they are printed in order to compensate for different color temperature light sources with a high degree of success. magenta filtration over the camera lens does a good job of taking out the green cast transparency film registers from magenta - deficient fluorescents, though the filter costs a stop or more in light transmission. sophisticated color meters like the minolta unit introduced in the 1980s gave two readings of incident light — color temperature in degrees kelvin, and a second reading on “ the green / magenta axis ” of a theoretical color wheel. after reading the light and consulting a filter chart, a combination of a warming or cooling filter with a green or magenta one would closely match the light to the film and so provide the most accurate color possible. basically, with the right filters, the ambient light would be converted to the nominal 5000° of daylight film, or 3200° of tungsten film. this was a lot of work, and expensive too. the meter with additional flash - reading head cost over $ 1, 000 and a workable set of fragile gel filters cost hundreds more. but it allowed for accurate color recording of subjects either in studio or out on location. now, with digital capture, the problem is still there, but we can deal with it in software. the sensor can ’ t change its sensitivity to match different sources of ambient light, but the software that interprets the sensor data either to make in - camera jpegs or to develop raw files on the computer can adapt. not only is it much easier than the old days, but no filters are required and you don ’ t have to buy a color meter. with raw files, you can get accurate color simply by shooting a reference exposure


files on the computer can adapt. not only is it much easier than the old days, but no filters are required and you don ’ t have to buy a color meter. with raw files, you can get accurate color simply by shooting a reference exposure of a test target each time the light changes. with jpeg files you really need to set the white balance properly before shooting because a severe wb error will be beyond the adjustment possible to the 8 - bit jpeg without major quality loss. setting a custom white balance is essential here, and luckily it ’ s not too difficult, though some cameras facilitate this better than others. digital cameras all have built - in software that attempts to get the white balance right, and this ability is steadily improving as new cameras are introduced, but no auto white balance system is right all the time. when you bring a raw file into acr ( the raw file interpreter for adobe photoshop and lightroom : other raw processors will have equivalent tools but ps is what i use so it will serve for examples ) the top section of the working window ( a hint that this is the first thing you should do ) is a panel with two sliders, called temp and tint. this should be familiar to anyone who spent years working with that minolta color meter. temp is our old friend color temperature, expressed in degrees kelvin, while tint is that green / magenta axis expressed in arbitrary units. if you have recorded a file of a test target like the whibal shown below, to achieve the most accurate color your camera system is capable of you just need to adjust those two sliders until you have a perfectly neutral rgb reading from the target. in fact, you don ’ t need to use the sliders but can instead use the eyedropper tool to click on the test target and acr instantly sets the sliders. then apply that white balance to all of the pictures you shot under those conditions. so, no meters, no filters, just remember to shoot a frame of the reference target each time your subject or ambient light conditions change. one problem that even digital capture white balance can ’ t fix is " mixed lighting. " if a room is illuminated with a combination of windows, tungsten light bulbs, and fluorescent fixtures, there is no single white balance that will correct for all of them at once, though sometimes you can hit a compromise that ' s quite pleasant. here ’ s an example : the large armory building housing a model railroad exhibit had lots of fluorescent lights up in


is no single white balance that will correct for all of them at once, though sometimes you can hit a compromise that ' s quite pleasant. here ’ s an example : the large armory building housing a model railroad exhibit had lots of fluorescent lights up in the rafters, and lots of daylight pouring through high windows. the camera ' s auto white balance has tried to compensate — it looks a lot better than unfiltered slide film would — but the result still has a nasty green cast. i ' ve selected the test frame and a picture i ' m interested in, then held down the shift key to turn the cursor into the eyedropper, and clicked on the light gray area of the whibal card. the white balance sliders adjust for neutral balance on both files. next i can tweak some of the other settings to improve the tone of the " real picture " file. because of the mixed light, the color was different around the room depending on how much daylight and how much fluorescent was present. half a dozen test exposures of the whibal made it much easier to get realistic looking color from shots made in different parts of the space. what ’ s so important about accurate color? well, it depends on what you ’ re trying to do with your pictures. an obvious example where accuracy matters would be a commercial photograph that is meant to show potential customers what a subject looks like. architecture, fashion, a product that features a “ trademark color, ” all might need the most accurate possible rendition. reproductions of works of art would be another perfect example. portraits generally benefit from getting the subject ’ s skin, hair, and eye color right. documentation of anything from storm damage to nature specimens will be more useful the more correctly it renders subject colors. and nobody likes that telltale fluorescent green cast. all photographic systems have color reproduction shortcomings. none are fully accurate even under ideal conditions. but with an exposure of a reference target and one quick maneuver at the beginning of raw development you can be sure that you are giving your system its best shot at accurate color. should you always strive for technically accurate color in your pictures? that ’ s the topic of part ii, so stay tuned. a limited number of places are still available for carl weese ' s next platinum / palladium workshop at daytona beach, florida, in april 2009. click here for more information. featured comment by tim ( excerpt ) : " from my own experience of product photography, i find camera sensors react differently to


as the popularized side of the debate has led us to expect, the authors found that the coldest year ( 1863 ) and the coldest decade ( 1810s ) are early in the record, well before the ballyhooed warming of the 20th century. problematic from a climate change standpoint is the fact that the two distinct cold periods that made the 1810s the coldest decade followed an 1809 “ unidentified ” volcanic eruption and the eruption of tambora in 1815 – unusual geologic events that defined the climate. however, of greater importance is the fact that the researchers found the warmest year on record to be 1941, while the 1930s and 1940s are the warmest decades on record. this represents very bad news for climate change alarmists, since the warmest period was not the last quarter of the 20th century. in fact, the last two decades of the 20th century ( 1981 - 1990 and 1991 - 2000 ) were colder across the study area than any of the previous six decades, dating back to the 1900s and 1910s. when examining the instrumental records of the stations it is apparent that no net warming has occurred since the warm period of the 1930s and 1940s. ouch. the note concludes - in a region of the world where climate models indicate that the greatest impacts of co2 - induced global warming will be most rapid and most evident, this recent extension of instrumental surface air temperature records produces a climate history that seems to suggest otherwise. if global climate models are correct, the increase in co2 concentration since 1930 should be evidenced rather dramatically in air temperature across a high - latitude region of the northern hemisphere such as greenland. the evidence provided by the instrumental record of air temperature along the western and southern coasts of greenland produces doubt in the degree to which increased co2 concentrations impact high latitude climate as represented by the climate models upon which climate change alarmists are hanging their hats. what ' s fascinating to this layman is how new observations are still being made which seem to challenge what is evidently not at all a settled body of theory. and that theory - and a dodgy discount rate - are a basis for major action?


| location | | southern end of nen hithoel, west bank | | description | | fortified ( later ruined ) hill | | other names | | hill of sight, hill of the eye | | etymology | | s. amon " hill " + hen " eye " | | events | | breaking of the fellowship | | by ardamir. ( help ; more articles ) | amon hen ( sindarin amon “ hill ” + hen “ eye ” ) was the westernmost of the three peaks at the southern end of nen hithoel. on its eastern side at the foot of the hill lay the lawn of parth galen and the western portion of the anduin that flowed past tol brandir. above parth galen the hill rose in gentle slopes to its flattened summit. just to the south of the hill was the north stair. the western face of the hill was steeper than on the east. upon amon hen were the remains of a road from long ago, now dwindled to little more than a path. in places where the hill grew steep, stairs had been hewn, although over time they had become cracked, worn, and split by tree roots. the path wound through rowan trees to the summit, where there was a wide flat circle paved with large stones and encircled with a ruined battlement. in the center of the circle was an ancient chair, the seat of seeing. aragorn said that the high seat upon amon hen had been made in the days of the great kings and that a watch had been kept there. later it is stated that the seat of seeing was on the hill of the eye of the men of numenor. it is thus open to interpretation whether this site was constructed during the early years of gondor or sometime in the second age. portrayal in adaptations - when boromir confronted frodo there was a large, stone head half - buried in the hillside, which was not mentioned in the book. the scene and activity at the summit was also considerably changed. - ↑ 1. 0 1. 1 1. 2 j. r. r. tolkien, the lord of the rings, the fellowship of the ring, " the breaking of the fellowship " - ↑ j. r. r. tolkien, the lord of the rings, the two towers, " the riders of rohan " - ↑ j. r. r. tolkien, the lord of the rings, the fellowship of the ring, " the great river " - ↑ j


the federal government has not set any national standards, but many states have mandatory newborn screening programs. parents can opt out of genetic testing if they want. parents should discuss genetic screening with their pediatrician or child ' s doctor so they can weigh the pros and cons. many states screen for more than 30 disorders and the screenings are often covered in the delivery and hospital charges. if a parent wants expanded testing on their newborn, they may have to pay an extra cost but it may be worth it to their baby. to help guide states and parents determine what criteria should be used for genetic screening, the american academy of pediatrics and the american college of medical genetics and genomics just offered new guidelines. the new guidelines say that all newborns should be tested for the genetic diseases that are included in their state ' s newborn screening panel, but anything beyond that is up to parents and the decision must be made in the child ' s best interest. the recommendations distinguish between genetic testing for childhood onset conditions versus those for adult onset conditions. " there is an important role for counseling before and after genetic screening, " added policy author dr. lainie friedman ross, a pediatrician and ethicist at the university of chicago. " the focus should be on education of families, counseling them and helping them make decisions that focus on the child ' s best interest. " testing for disease in the presence of symptoms is another area addressed by the new recommendations. " clearly, if a child has symptoms, we need a diagnosis to help the family make clinical decisions that are in the child ' s best interest. this is important even when the disease has no current therapies, " friedman ross added. she also said that the results should be explained to the child when they reach the appropriate age. new technology offers direct - to - consumer genetic screening tests, but the authors caution parents about using these products because of a lack of oversight and results are open to interpretation. some experts agree that being forewarned is being forearmed, but are not fans of the direst - to - consumer genetic tests. " we highly discourage these even on adults, and particularly on children, because there is nobody there to provide counseling and interpretation, " says dr. joyce fox, a medical genetics doctor at north shore university hospital in manhasset, n. y. these can also be very costly, and are likely not covered by insurance. " fox says. parents should educate themselves about genetic screening before the baby is born. most babies are born healthy and glide right through the


marriage emerged as the most popular institution throughout history primarily because it was an effective arrangement to improve the care and upbringing of children. marriage is not necessary to have children, but it has been of enormous importance in the rearing of children. birds and other non - human species do not have “ marriage ”, but both parents are often involved in raising their offspring. with the sharp declines in birth rates since 1970 in western and other rich countries, including much larger fractions of adults who do not have any children, both men and women have significantly increased their ages at marriage, and sharply raised their propensities to divorce. in 1950, a typical woman and man married at ages 20. 3 and 22. 8, respectively, whereas now the typical marital ages are 26. 0 and 27. 7, respectively. these changes in age at marriage are related to reduced demand for many children, increased college education of both men and women but especially of women, much greater labor force participation of married and divorced women, and the narrowing of the gender gap in earnings. there are several reasons to be concerned about the below population replacement fertility levels in all of europe and about half the world ’ s population, including china and japan. low fertility makes it much harder to finance retirement benefits, medical care for the aged, and other entitlements that rely on taxing working age populations to pay for the support of older persons. low birth rates in richer countries also induce increased migration of young workers from poorer countries with large families to provide the unskilled and other young workers that every society needs. low birth rates lead to sex - selected abortions in societies with a strong preference for having at least one son, as in china and parts of india. below replacement fertility eventually causes populations to decline ( aside from migration ), which has unknown consequences for economic growth and other macro economic and social developments. as important as these topics are, i will not discuss them further since our subject today is low marriage rates and high propensities to divorce, which raise distinct issues from the effects of low fertility. the most important economic and social concerns due to low marriage rates are the effects on rearing of children. these effects are not due to lower marriage rates alone, but rather to the close connection between these low rates and high divorce rates, and to the greater propensity of women to have children without being married, or without living with the fathers of their children. although many single mothers do an absolutely wonderful job in raising their children, common sense and most academic findings suggest that


rates, and to the greater propensity of women to have children without being married, or without living with the fathers of their children. although many single mothers do an absolutely wonderful job in raising their children, common sense and most academic findings suggest that having a father present during the raising of children generally has a positive effect on the development of non - cognitive traits of children. these include a general respect for authority and reduced rebelliousness in school, and the avoidance of gangs and other criminal activities. it also appears that the absence of fathers has a greater effect on the non - cognitive traits of sons than daughters, although that is a less well - established finding. the sharp deterioration during the past 50 years in the stability of black families in america is responsible, i believe, for much of the continuing dismal record in school performance and in society more generally of children from black families. when over half of all black children are raised in families with only one parent, one can hardly be optimistic about their development. black leaders were highly critical of patrick moynihan when in a famous report in 1965 he attributed the low achievement levels of many black children to the absence of fathers in their homes. however, most leaders of the black community have come around to sharing moynihan ’ s views as a result of the further deterioration in black families since his report, and the continuing poor school performance, high crime rates, and low incomes and high unemployment of many black children and young adults. children in white and hispanic families have also suffered from the growth in divorce rates and in single motherhood. children of divorced parents and other children raised by single moms generally do worse in school, attend less good schools, are more likely to drop out of high school, and have poorer job market experiences. although the moms in single parent families also have lower incomes and education, i believe that a sizable portion of the below average performance of children from single parent families is due to their family structures. i am not claiming that children are worst off when their parents divorce if their parents were fighting a lot, or if they had abusive fathers. rather, it appears that up to a significant point, children are better off in intact families even when their families are not ideal. if correct, this suggests a considerable gain not from encouraging marriage per se, but from policies that encourage families to stay together. one approach is for governments to subsidize intact families, whatever their income levels, rather than just subsidizing families with only one parent because they have lower incomes


skip to main page content ( accesskey s ) standing at the east end of cathedral street in glasgow, and not far from where castle street becomes high street is glasgow cathedral. one of the few scottish medieval churches to have survived the reformation unscathed, glasgow cathedral is truly magnificent, full of beauty and wonder. yet any visit to glasgow cathedral is also tinged with sadness, for it brings home just how much was forever lost to the nation in the orgy of vandalism that destroyed or defaced so many other scottish churches in the period from 1560. it ' s worth starting the story of glasgow cathedral in the middle. the reforming mobs in the years after 1560 were no less zealous in glasgow than elsewhere in the country. but the affection of the ordinary people of glasgow for their cathedral was such that the organised trades of the city took up arms to protect it. perhaps what saved glasgow cathedral more than anything else was simply the size of the city ' s population : when the crisis arose, enough collective sanity remained to allow the defenders to outnumber the attackers. elsewhere the story all too often had a different outcome. had glasgow cathedral fallen in the reformation, a thousand years of history would have been lost. the cathedral ' s origins date back to about ad550 when st mungo, also known as st kentigern, founded a religious community here around a small church. today this church is the site of the blacader aisle in the lower church of the cathedral, the structure that extends beyond the very short south transept. during st mungo ' s time the church was visited by st columba ( see our historical timeline ), and st mungo himself travelled widely, preaching in both cumbria and north wales, and going on pilgrimage to rome. after his death on 13 january 614, st mungo was buried close to his church. his tomb today lies in the centre of the lower choir, probably on the actual site of his grave. st mungo ' s original church was built of wood, and was probably changed and enlarged over the following five centuries. the first stone church on the site was consecrated in the presence of king david i in 1136 and occupied the area now covered by the nave, with part of the earlier church probably surviving off to one side. this first stone church was destroyed or badly damaged by fire within a very short time, and its replacement was consecrated in 1197 by bishop jocelin. the earliest significant parts of what you can see today are the walls of


off to one side. this first stone church was destroyed or badly damaged by fire within a very short time, and its replacement was consecrated in 1197 by bishop jocelin. the earliest significant parts of what you can see today are the walls of the nave, up to the level of the bottoms of the windows. these date back to the next round of rebuilding, in the early 1200s. in the mid 1200s much of the rest of the cathedral appeared : in particular the upper and lower choirs were added to the east end of the nave. in the 1400s a tower was built above the crossing, and two more at the western corners of the nave. at the same time the blacader aisle was built on the site of st mungo ' s original church and the chapter house was added at the north east corner of the choir. in the 1800s major repairs included the removal of the two western towers, sadly before it was realised that the available funds wouldn ' t cover their rebuilding. at around the same time alterations made since the reformation to allow the cathedral to serve three congregations were reversed, leaving the cathedral much as you see it today. though not quite, because one of the joys of glasgow cathedral is the way it is continually changing and adapting. there are many examples of this, but the most striking is the beautiful millennium window ( see below left ) in the north wall of the nave. this was officially unveiled by hrh princess anne on 3 june 1999. it was commissioned by the thee schools holding annual services in the cathedral, glasgow academy, hutcheson ' s academy and the high school of glasgow. it was produced by john clark and is widely recognised as one of the most technically demanding stained glass windows ever produced. a range of complex traditional techniques were employed including multiple layer etching, painting and silverstaining. as a result the window is true to the spirit of others in the cathedral produced as far back as the 1400s. although the methods of production used in the millennium window were traditional in origin, the imagery and overall appearance are a highly distinctive symphony of multiple shades of blue. today ' s visitor to glasgow cathedral finds an awe inspiring place. it is overlooked from the east by the glasgow necropolis and has a fine precinct resulting from the building in 1993 of the st mungo museum, which doubles as a cathedral visitor centre. the site on which the cathedral was built slopes down from west to east. this allowed the building of its most unique feature, a lower church effectively occupying the whole of the area


of the st mungo museum, which doubles as a cathedral visitor centre. the site on which the cathedral was built slopes down from west to east. this allowed the building of its most unique feature, a lower church effectively occupying the whole of the area under the choir. this is a beautifully vaulted space. at its heart lies the tomb of st kentigern or st mungo, while at its east end are a series of chapels. these include the chapel of st john the evangelist, still containing part of what is believed to be the well used by st kentigern in the late 500s. these chapels were particularly well used after 1451, when the pope declared that a pilgrimage to glasgow cathedral would carry the same merit as one to rome. in the same year he approved the foundation by the cathedral of the university of glasgow. the upper parts of the church are divided by the choir screen or pulpitum into the separate spaces of the nave and the choir. despite this division, and despite the cathedral ' s relatively modest proportions, the overwhelming impression is one of great size and in particular of great height. glasgow cathedral is some 285ft ( 87m ) long by 63ft ( 20m ) wide, and the nave roof is 105ft ( 32m ) high. the towering internal spaces are enhanced by the apparent narrowness of the central potions of the nave and the choir, and by the very short transepts, which don ' t extend beyond the nave and choir walls. glasgow cathedral deserves to be better known than it is : and would be if it were not to be found in scotland ' s largest city, alongside many other competing attractions. but if you are coming to glasgow, you really should add the cathedral to your must see list.