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the american clean energy and security act of 2009 would create 20, 000 new jobs in illinois and save its average household $ 193 a year by 2020, according to a new report released by environment illinois and the american council for an energy - efficient economy. the federal bill, which passed the house of representatives in june and now moves to the senate, introduces new renewable energy and energy efficiency requirements. it also contains “ cap and trade ” — a cap on carbon emissions and a mechanism for companies to bid on emissions “ credits ” in a stock market - type system. according to the report, the legislation would also reduce illinois ’ annual carbon emissions by 9. 7 million metric tons — equal to pollution from more than 1. 7 million cars — by 2020. brian spranger, a field associate for environment illinois, a citizen - funded environmental organization, confirms that illinois has much to gain from the acesa — including one of the highest potentials for increased job growth in the nation. “ the high job creation number has to do with not only our strong manufacturing potential and skilled workforce, but the age of a lot of our buildings in the state, ” spranger says. “ quite simply, we have a lot of leaky old buildings that waste a lot of energy. this means there ’ s a lot of work to be done, and thus, plenty of jobs to be created. ” environment illinois and the american council for an energy - efficient economy, a nonprofit research organization based in washington, d. c., are calling on the senate to implement further policy improvements. the report estimates that stronger measures such as requiring utility companies to reduce their energy usage by at least 10 percent ( the current version of the acesa requests 5 percent with an optional 3 percent increase ) would create 30, 400 new jobs in illinois, save its average household $ 252 a year and reduce annual carbon emissions by 16 million metric tons in the next 10 years. in a released statement, brian granahan, a staff attorney and clean energy advocate with environment illinois, said : “ while the house bill is a critical first step in harnessing the power of energy efficiency, this report shows that we can save even more money, create more jobs and reduce more pollution. ” in the past few months, illinois has also taken its own steps to increase energy efficiency. in late august, gov. pat quinn signed the energy efficient building act, which requires illinois to adopt the 2009 international energy conservation code for new residential construction. additions, renovations or repairs to existing buildings need to meet iecc standards


four laws that drive the universe by peter atkins ( oxford university press, usa, hardcover, 9780199232369, 130pp. ) publication date : november 2007 written by peter atkins, one of the worlds leading authorities on thermodynamics, this powerful and compact introduction explains what these four laws are and how they work, using accessible language and virtually no mathematics. guiding the reader a step at a time, atkins begins with zeroth ( so named because the first two laws were well established before scientists realized that a third law, relating to temperature, should precede them - - hence the jocular name zeroth ), and proceeds through the first, second, and third laws, offering a clear account of concepts such as the availability of work and the conservation of energy. atkins ranges from the fascinating theory of entropy ( revealing how its unstoppable rise constitutes the engine of the universe ), through the concept of free energy, and to the brink, and then beyond the brink, of absolute zero. c. p. snow once remarked that not knowing the second law of thermodynamics is like never having read a work by shakespeare. this brief but brilliant book introduces general readers to one of the cornerstones of modern science, four laws that are as integral to the well - educated mind as such great dramatic works as hamlet or macbeth.


history & region ceylon orange pekoe is a classic breakfast tea grown on the island of sri lanka. the name comes from the dutch royal house of orange - not from the fruit. situated just off the southern coast of india, sri lanka ' s climate is tropical, with two distinct monsoon seasons allowing for yearlong tea production. gorgeous green tea bushes wrap the lush hills, and the narrow roads wind through the long ago, europe found it an ideal place for trading, and it became colonized for 450 years before gaining independence in 1948. the portuguese, dutch and british have all left their influence. the island is now home to almost 20 million people. the dutch were the first to experiment with planting tea, but without success. when the british secured the island, they had more luck. planters came from england spurred by courage and opportunity. they bought land and toiled in harsh conditions, and by 1875, the tea industry was up and going. sir thomas lipton is the most famous of the tea produced in sri lanka is still referred to as is the world ' s third largest producer of tea in the world. most estates are also home to their own tea factories, processing thousands of tons of tea in many instances. the majority of tea production is black, ' orthodox ' and grown in the following regions : kandy, nuwara eliya, dimbula, uva, ratnapura and galle. the region of nuwara eliya is the highest growing region and is credited for producing the finest teas. ' orthodox ' tea production is a method of crushing tealeaves by rolling. the rolling process helps break down and twist the leaves, allowing oxidization to begin. the tea is then fired, and final grading is based on the quality of the leaf. glossary of tea grades pekoe : derived from the chinese word ' bai hao ' meaning ' white hair. ' it refers to the silvery white down present on young tealeaves. flowery orange pekoe : high quality whole or broken leaf tea with lots of tips whole leaf tea with some tips whole leaf tea with leaves rolled lengthwise pekoe : whole leaf tea of medium quality broken orange pekoe : smaller and broken leaves with lots of tips broken, less quality tealeaves tasting notes & brewing when making our teas from ceylon, we like to pre - heat our teapot or mug. add 1 teaspoon per cup, add hot water ( just as it comes to a boil ) and steep until desired strength. this


cimmerians, a nomadic people, most likely of iranian origin, who flourished in the 8th - 7th centuries b. c. e. the name. the english form is ultimately derived from gk. kimmerioi via lat. cimmerii. in assyrian and babylonian sources various forms are found : ga - mir, gamir - ( r ) a, gi - mir - a - a, gi - mir - ra - a - a, and so on ( see, e. g. parpola, 1970a, pp. 122 - 33 ; cf. pinches, p. 611 ). the hebrew bible ( genesis 10 : 2, ezekiel 38 : 6 ) has gmr, masoretic gomar ( erroneously assimilated to gomar, name of the wife of hosea ( hosea 1 : 3 ; d ’ yakonov, 1981, p. 109 no. 12 ) ; in the septuagint the forms gamer ( genesis ) and gomer ( ezekiel ) are used ( cf. josephus, antiquitates iudaicae 1. 123 : gomaros, and 1. 126 : gomareis ), and the vulgate has gomer ( cf. also ezekiel 27. 17 : gmdym [ read gmrym? ; cf lagarde, p. 367 ], jeremiah 25. 25 : zmry [ read gmry? ; cf. d ’ yakonov, 1981, p. 112 ] ). i. m. d ’ yakonov attributes the variation a / i in the first syllable of the word to vowel gradation ( see below ). it is possible that the name was preserved in arm. garmikʿ, referring to cappadocia south of the river halys ( adontz, pp. 316ff. ; d ’ yakonov, 1981, p. 111 ; cf., however, noldeke, p. 324 ). origin. the first mention of cimmerians in western sources is in the odyssey of homer ( 11. 14 ), where they are described as inhabitants of the opposite side of the oceanus river surrounding the earth, a country forever deprived of sunshine, thus at the entrance to the kingdom of hades, toward which odysseus sails to obtain an oracle from the soul of the seer teiresias. the western greeks very early localized odysseus ’ s wanderings to the seas around italy and sicily and placed


kingdom of hades, toward which odysseus sails to obtain an oracle from the soul of the seer teiresias. the western greeks very early localized odysseus ’ s wanderings to the seas around italy and sicily and placed the cimmerians around lake avernus near cumae in campania ; near avernus there was an ancient oracle of the dead, and, because of its physical peculiarities, the lake was considered to be one of the entrances to hades ( ephorus [ ca. 405 - 330 b. c. e. ], in jacoby, fragmente, no. 70, fr. 134 ; strabo, 5. 4. 5 ). nearly all authors of the hellenistic and roman periods looked at the cimmerians through the prism of the homeric evidence ; specifically it is often used to date homer. the fictive identification of the cimmerians with the celtic ( or germanic ) tribe of the cimbri, made by poseidonius ( 128 - 45 b. c. e. ), ultimately depended on this evidence ( jacoby, fragmente, no. 87, fr. 31 ). nevertheless, prevailing opinion among the ancients was that the cimmerians had once inhabited the steppes on the northern shore of the black sea. the first surviving evidence of this view is found in the poem arimaspaea by aristeas of proconnesus ( ca. 550 b. c. e. ), in which the scythians are said to have driven the cimmerians from their country in southern russia ( bernabe, p. 151, fr. 2 ; cf. herodotus, 4. 11 - 13 ; cf. 1. 15, 1. 103 - 04, 4. 1, 7. 20 ). according to herodotus ( 4. 11 - 12 ), the cimmerian aristocrats, reluctant to abandon their homeland, killed one another and were buried in a tumulus beside the river tyres ( modern dniester ), after which the common people migrated to “ asia ” to escape the scythians, proceeding along the black sea coast of caucasia ( see caucasus i. geography, population, and economy ) to the peninsula of sinope and leaving traces in the form of toponyms on the shores of the cimmerian bosporus. the idea that the black sea steppes had been the former homeland of the cimmerians was probably already current at the


peninsula of sinope and leaving traces in the form of toponyms on the shores of the cimmerian bosporus. the idea that the black sea steppes had been the former homeland of the cimmerians was probably already current at the beginning of the period of the ionian colonization of scythia, in the second part of the 7th century b. c. e. initially two different versions about the starting point of the cimmerian flight were current among the colonists, that of the tyrits and that of the bosporans. later these were combined by the historians, as in the work of herodotus. later authors, influenced by the large number of “ cimmerian toponyms ” in the region of the bosporus, connected the cimmerians mainly with that region ( see, e. g., strabo, 1. 1. 10, 1. 2. 9, 3. 2. 12, 7. 4. 3, 11. 2. 5 ). probably it was before the time of herodotus that reports about the cimmerians on the northern shores of the black sea were connected with the evidence in the odyssey ; it seemed natural to consider that homer had depicted this cold northern country in poetic imagery as deprived of sunshine and near hades ( strabo, 1. 1. 10 ; 1. 2. 9 ). this opinion has been accepted by the majority of scholars in modern times. archeologists have logically concluded that finds dating from before the appearance of the scythians ( i. e., the culture of scythian type ) in southern russia must be cimmerian. especially since a. i. terenozhkin published his work on these pre - scythian finds, soviet archeologists, as well as many from abroad, have identified a nomadic culture that flourished mainly in the ukraine during the period of transition from the bronze to the iron age as that of the cimmerians. two chronological phases have been recognized : chernaya gora ( ca. 900 - 750 b. c. e. ) and novocherkassk ( ca. 750 - 700 b. c. e. ; for this dating see il ’ inskaya and terenozhkin, p. 19 ; for a more convincing dating of the second phase to the 9th - 8th centuries, see kossak, pp. 35ff., 84 ). some scholars, however, have considered the classical tradition to be imaginary, pointing, for


. 19 ; for a more convincing dating of the second phase to the 9th - 8th centuries, see kossak, pp. 35ff., 84 ). some scholars, however, have considered the classical tradition to be imaginary, pointing, for example, to glaring errors in herodotus ’ s narrative, for example, his report ( 4. 11 ) that the cimmerians had fled eastward from the scythians, who were in fact coming from the east, and his report of the troops ’ march along the caucasian shore of the black sea, which would have been impassable if they were coming directly from the strait of kerch ( d ’ yakonov, 1981, pp. 135 - 36 ). karl mullenhoff ( pp. 19 - 31 ) argued that the location of the cimmerians on the north shore of the black sea was based solely on an attempt at rationalization of the homeric evidence by the greeks, citing the avernian location as an analogy ( see also, rohde, pp. 99 - 100 ; aly, pp. 122 - 23 ; cozzoli, p. 67 et passim ). nevertheless, it seems that this interpretation could have had only secondary importance in the evolution of the classical tradition ; it is significant that there are no legends about odysseus ’ s wanderings on the black sea, in contrast to the western mediterranean. more important is archeological evidence that both shores of the strait, as well as the lower dniester, were largely uninhabited from the 10th century b. c. e. until the arrival of the scythians, the period of the novocherkassk culture previously associated with the cimmerians ( vinogradov, pp. 370ff. ; tokhtas ’ ev, 1984a, pp. 142 - 43 ). it is clear that the greeks ascribed to the cimmerians a tumulus beside the river tyres, just as, for example, they ascribed various ancient buildings to the half - mythical pelasgians ( cf. uslar, p. 277 ; d ’ yakonov, 1956, p. 239 ). a similar interpretation was given to some ruins that were reminiscent of defensive structures, kimmeria teikhea ( “ cimmerian fortifications ” ; herodotus, 4. 12 ; tokhtas ’ ev, 1984b, pp. 144 - 45 ). excavators of the bosporan settlement kimmerikon ( late 6th century b


“ cimmerian fortifications ” ; herodotus, 4. 12 ; tokhtas ’ ev, 1984b, pp. 144 - 45 ). excavators of the bosporan settlement kimmerikon ( late 6th century b. c. e. - 3rd century c. e. ) discovered a stratum dated to the second half of the 2nd millennium b. c. e., which had been disturbed by greek colonists ( kruglikova ; for dating, see sharafutdinova, pp. 115 - 16 ) ; the name of the later settlement is evidence that the greeks considered these antiquities to be cimmerian. the assertion that cimmerians had lived there was founded partly on findings of this sort and was reflected in the name of another locality on the bosporus, kimmerie khore ( “ cimmerian land ” ; herodotus, 4. 12 ; cf. tokhtas ’ ev, 1984b, pp. 142ff. ). just as the thracian bosporus received its name from adjoining thrace, the cimmerian bosporus took its name from cimmeria. confidence in the classical tradition was finally shaken by the fact that no artifacts of the novocherkassk type have been found in the transcaucasian, near eastern, or anatolian regions connected with later cimmerian activity ( see below ). only artifacts of early scythian type have been found in those areas ( kossak, pp. 47 - 48, 63, 66, 67 ; d ’ yakonov, 1981, pp. 133ff. ; kleiner et al., pp. 94, 135ff. ). the most ancient such finds ( probably from the end of the 9th century b. c. e. ) were discovered in tuva ( southern siberia ). in the second half of the 8th century the bearers of this culture were moving westward. one group reached the land that is now bulgaria ; another halted in northern caucasia and at the same time partly penetrated into transcaucasia and, in the 7th century, as far as anatolia. this last group is to be identified with the cimmerians of the written sources ( for material, see il ’ inskaya and terenozhkin, pp. 18 - 86 ; murzin ; for chronology, see kossak, pp. 25ff. and passim ). as the cimmerians cannot be differentiated archeologically from the scythians,


terenozhkin, pp. 18 - 86 ; murzin ; for chronology, see kossak, pp. 25ff. and passim ). as the cimmerians cannot be differentiated archeologically from the scythians, it is possible to speculate about their iranian origins. in the neo - babylonian texts ( according to d ’ yakonov, including at least some of the assyrian texts in babylonian dialect ) gimirri and similar forms designate the scythians and central asian saka, reflecting the perception among inhabitants of mesopotamia that cimmerians and scythians represented a single cultural and economic group ( d ’ yakonov, 1981, pp. 118ff. ; dandamayev, pp. 95 - 105 ). unfortunately, the proposed etymologies of the names of cimmerian kings — teuspa, tug / k / dug / k - dam - mi - i, and sa - an - dak - kur - ru ( read sandaksatru? ) — are not completely reliable, though they could be iranian ( d ’ yakonov, 1981, pp. 112 n. 20, 116 - 17 n. 30 ; cf. mayrhofer, pp. 187ff. ). the ingenious etymology proposed for the ethnonym itself, from iranian * gamira - / * gmira - “ mobile unit ” ( d ’ yakonov, 1981, pp. 131 - 32 ), cannot be verified, but no other satisfactory suggestion has been put forward. the widely held opinion that the cimmerians were of thracian origin depends in fact only on the confused information of strabo : “ the cimmerians, who are also called treres, or some people of them ” ( 1. 3. 21 ) ; “... treres, a cimmerian people ” ( 14. 1. 40 ). in all other references, however, strabo and other authors treated treres and cimmerians as separate peoples ( cf. strabo, 1. 3. 21, 12. 3. 24, 12. 8. 7, and 13. 4. 8 ; cf. callisthenes, in jacoby, fragmente, no. 124, fr. 29 ; for more detail, see cozzoli, pp. 75ff ). some scholars have considered the word argillai “ underground dwellings, ” which ephorus applied to the habitations of the ave


, no. 124, fr. 29 ; for more detail, see cozzoli, pp. 75ff ). some scholars have considered the word argillai “ underground dwellings, ” which ephorus applied to the habitations of the avernian cimmerians, as of thracian origin, but those cimmerians were not directly related to the historical people ( see above ) ; the same word, attested this time as a greek word, has a convincing greek etymology ( cf. chantraine, p. 103 ). cimmerians in transcaucasia and the near east. according to intelligence reports sent to the assyrian king sargon ii between 720 and 714 b. c. e., king rusa i of urartu marched his troops to kur gamir ( ra ) “ land of the cimmerians ” but was defeated ( parpola, 1987, nos. 30 - 32 ; lanfranchi and parpola, nos. 92, 144, 174 ; deller, pp. 98ff. ) ; a modern attempt at more precise dating of these events to august - september 714 ( lanfranchi ) is hardly convincing. kur gamir ( ra ) was reliably localized by d ’ yakonov on the territory of modern georgia, most probably in its central part ( d ’ yakonov, 1984, pp. 90, 175 n. 253 ; idem, 1981, p. 108 ; idem and kashkai, p. 71 ) ; the opposing view of mirjo salvini ( pp. 45 - 46 ) and his arguments for a location south or southeast of lake urmia do not seem well founded. it is in central georgia that archeologists have found the greatest concentration of materials of the scythian type ( d ’ yakonov, 1981, p. 135 ; esayan and pogrebova, p. 20 map ), the earliest dating from about 700 b. c. e. ( kossak, pp. 43 - 48 ). the homeric evidence for the cimmerians ( see above ) was apparently drawn from a more ancient greek epic, argonautica ( see von der muhll, pp. 148ff. ), which may have recorded the actual presence of cimmerians in the general region immediately to the east of colchis in the 8th century b. c. e. according to another assyrian intelligence report ( lanfranchi and parpola, no


which may have recorded the actual presence of cimmerians in the general region immediately to the east of colchis in the 8th century b. c. e. according to another assyrian intelligence report ( lanfranchi and parpola, no. 145 ; deller, no. 2. 1 ), cimmerians did invade urartu from the territory of mannea ( the country south of lake urmia ) ; the document is datable to the same years ( 720 - 14 b. c. e. ), but, as the context differs from that of rusa ’ s campaign against the “ country of cimmerians, ” it is probable that it deals with a different phase of the conflict. transcaucasia was in fact the base from which cimmerian troops marched, probably until the beginning of the reign of assurbanipal ( 668 - ca. 625 b. c. e. ). in 679 the cimmerian king teuspa was defeated by the assyrians near the city hubussnu ( perhaps in cappadocia ; see, e. g., borger, pp. 33 l. 18, 51 l. 43, 100 l. 23 ; heidel, p. 14, col. 2 ll. 1 - 3 ; grayson, p. 125, chron. 14. 9 ) ; in the same year cimmerian detachments of individual soldiers ( probably captives ) were serving in the assyrian army ( d ’ yakonov, 1984, p. 175 no. 259 ; idem, 1981, p. 113 ). in 675 they were present on the border of mannea ( fales and lanfranchi ; cf. starr, no. 269 ) and in about 667 on mannean territory ( parpola, 1983, p. 420 ). subria ( the country west of lake van ) was perhaps subject to invasion by the cimmerians in about 672 - 69 ( starr, no. 18, referring to an alliance with urartu. in the period of the median revolt against assyria ( ca. 674 - 72 ) even parsua ( west of media ; starr, no. 39, 40 ) and probably ellipi ( between media and elam, starr, nos. 79, 80 ; cf. nos. 65, 97 ) were open to attack by the cimmerians, who were allies of the medes ( cf. starr, nos. 36, 43, 45,


and elam, starr, nos. 79, 80 ; cf. nos. 65, 97 ) were open to attack by the cimmerians, who were allies of the medes ( cf. starr, nos. 36, 43, 45, 48, 50, 51, pp. lxi - lxii ; parpola, 1983, pp. 192 - 93 and n. 196 ). cimmerians were serving as contingents in the assyrian army in 671 - 70 ( starr, nos. 139, 142, 144, p. lxiii ). cimmerians in anatolia. strabo ( 1. 3. 21 ) synchronized the suicide of king midas of phrygia with the invasion of his country by the cimmerians. owing to contradictory and dubious reports about the date of midas ’ s death, however, it is impossible to date this event more precisely than 700 - 675 b. c. e. the apparent synchronism most likely results from chronographic speculations, in which ancient and popular conceptions about midas and homer as contemporaries were connected with the no less widely accepted synchronism between homer and the cimmerian invasion. other evidence about the arrival of the cimmerians in phrygia ( stephanus byzantius, s. v. syassos ) offers no grounds for dating. an assyrian oracular text of 676 - 60 b. c. e. has been interpreted as referring to a conjectural alliance between the cimmerians and phrygians against melitene, uru melidi ( modern eski malatya in eastern turkey ; starr, no. 1, cf. pp. lvii - lviii ; see also starr, no. 17, a document probably related to the same events, mentioning cimmerians in the same connection with cilicians ). it is equally difficult to determine when the cimmerians appeared in the region of sinope ( ehrhardt, pp. 55, 326ff. ). as noted above, cimmerians were defeated by assyrians in eastern anatolia as early as 679 b. c. e., but in the reign of esarhaddon ( 680 - 69 b. c. e. ) they remained active, mainly on the northern and eastern borders of assyria. the first reliable information about their permanent establishment in anatolia is from the early reign of assurbanipal : in about 665 they attacked lydia but were


. e. ) they remained active, mainly on the northern and eastern borders of assyria. the first reliable information about their permanent establishment in anatolia is from the early reign of assurbanipal : in about 665 they attacked lydia but were defeated by king gyges, with assurbanipal ’ s support ( cogan and tadmor, p. 84 ; spalinger, p. 402 ). in the spring of 657 the assyrians expected the cimmerians to march against lydia, probably from eastern anatolia ( apparently from cappadocia, which was their base ; cf. arm. gamirkʿ ), whence they also exercised “ hegemony ” over at least a part of syria ( parpola, 1970b, nos. 110, 300 ; idem, 1983, pp. 307ff. ). in 644 they defeated the lydians and took sardis, the lydian capital ; gyges died during this battle. it is possible that, when the treres and the lycians seized sardis once again in 637, the cimmerians were their allies ( spalinger, pp. 406 - 09 ; cogan and tadmor, pp. 78 - 79 nos. 25, 84 ). in the 640s, under the leadership of king lygdamis ( akkad. dugdamme ) and sometimes in alliance with the treres under king kobos, the cimmerians attacked the greek city - states of ionia and aeolis ( herodotus, 1. 6 ; callimachus, hymn to diana 255ff. ; welles, no. 7 ; strabo, 1. 3. 21, 3. 2. 12, 11. 2. 5 ; kleiner et al., pp. 135ff. ). they were also active in paphlagonia ( strabo, 1. 3. 21 ), especially in the region of sinope ( cf. above ) ; in bithynia ( arrian, in jacoby, fragmente, no. 156, frs. 60, 76 ; scholia in apollonius of rhodes, argonautica 1. 1126 ; heracleides ponticus, in wehrli, pp. 103 - 04, fr. 129 ) ; and in the troad ( aristotle, in stephenus byzantius, s. v. antandros ; in pliny, natural history 5. 123 ). in about 640


, pp. 103 - 04, fr. 129 ) ; and in the troad ( aristotle, in stephenus byzantius, s. v. antandros ; in pliny, natural history 5. 123 ). in about 640 they tried to enter into an alliance with the state of tabal, a faithless vassal of assyria, and twice attacked the imperial forces ; during the second campaign, in 640, lygdamis was taken seriously ill and killed himself ( according to strabo, 1. 3. 21, he died in cilicia ), being succeeded by his son sa - an - dak - kur - ru ( thompson, 1933, pp. 88 - 89 ; idem, 1940, pp. 106 - 07 no. 33 l. 10 - 11, 109 no. 35 ll. 6 - 12 ; millard, pp. 109 - 10 ; cogan and tadmor, pp. 80 - 81, 84 ; spalinger, p. 407 ). in the 630s or 620s b. c. e. the scythian king madyes defeated the treres ( strabo, 1. 3. 21 ), probably in eastern anatolia, and at the end of the 7th or beginning of the 6th century the lydian king alyattes defeated the cimmerians ( herodotus, 1. 16 ; polyaenus, 7. 2. 1 ), after which nothing more was heard of them. a. adontz, histoire d ’ armenie, paris, 1949. w. aly, volksmarchen, sage und novelle bei herodot and seinen zeitgenossen, gottingen, 1921. a. bernabe, ed., poetae epici graeci i, leipzig, 1988. r. borger, die inschriften asarchaddons, konigs von assyrien, archiv fur orientforschung, beiheft 9, graz, 1956. u. cozzoli, i cimmeri, rome, 1968. p. chantraine, dictionnaire etymologique de la langue grecque i, paris, 1968. m. cogan and h. tadmor, “ gyges and assurbanipal. a study in literary transmission, ” orientalia, n. s. 46, 1977, pp. 65 - 85. m. a. dandamayev, “ data of the


kiev, 1984. t. noldeke, review of e. schrader, keilinschriften und geschichtsforschung, in zdmg 33, 1879, pp. 302 - 32. s. parpola, neo - assyrian toponyms, alter orient and altes testament 6, neukirchen - vluyn, germany, 1970a. idem, ed., letters from assyrian scholars to the kings esarhaddon and assubanipal, 2 vols., alter orient und altes testament 5 / 1 - 2, neukirchen - vluyn, germany, 1970b - 83. idem, ed., state archives of assyria i. the correspondence of sargon ii, pt. 1, helsinki, 1987. t. g. pinches, “ sargon ’ s eighth campaign, ” jras, 1913, pp. 581 - 612. e. rohde, “ studien zur chronologie der griechischen litteraturgeschichte, ” in kleine schriften i, tubingen and leipzig, 1901, pp. 1 - 113. m. salvini, “ la storia della regione in epoca urartea, ” in tra lo zagros e l ’ urmia, rome, 1984, pp. 9 - 51. i. n. sharafutdinova, “ sabatinovskaya kul ’ tura, ” in kul ’ tury epokhi bronzy na territorii ukrainy, kiev, 1986. a. j. spalinger, “ the date of the death of gyges and its historical implications, ” jaos 98, 1978, pp. 400 - 09. i. starr, ed., state archives of assyria, pt. iv. queries to the sungod. divination and politics in sargonid assyria, helsinki, 1990. a. i. terenozhkin, kimmeriitsy, kiev, 1976. r. c. thompson, “ the british museum excavations at nineveh, 1931 - 1932, ( 3 ) inscriptions, ” annals of archaeology and anthropology 20, 1933, pp. 79 - 109. idem, “ a selection from the cuneiform historical texts from nineveh ( 1927 - 32 ), ” iraq 7, 1940, pp. 85 - 131. s. r. tokhtas ’


, pp. 79 - 109. idem, “ a selection from the cuneiform historical texts from nineveh ( 1927 - 32 ), ” iraq 7, 1940, pp. 85 - 131. s. r. tokhtas ’ ev, “ scythica v trudakh ii vsesoyuznogo simpoziuma po drevnei istorii prichernomor ’ ya ( tskhaltubo, 1979 ), ” vdi, 1984a, pp. 133 - 43. idem, “ kimmeriiskyaya toponimiya i, ” in etnogenez narodov balkan i severnogo prichernomor ’ ya, moscow, 1984b, pp. 142 - 48. p. k. uslar, drevneishie skazaniya o kavkaze, tiflis, 1881. yu. g. vinogradov, “ polis v severnom prichernomor ’ e, ” in antichnaya gretsiya i, moscow, 1983, pp. 366 - 420. f. wehrli, die schule des aristoteles vii. herakleides pontikos, basel, 1953. c. b. welles, royal correspondence in the hellenistic period, new haven, conn., 1934. ( sergei r. tokhtas ’ ev ) originally published : december 15, 1991 last updated : october 20, 2011 this article is available in print. vol. v, fasc. 6, pp. 563 - 567


economic tools for marine protected areas 01 june 2008 | news story from 26 - 30 may 2008, the iucn regional office for oceania, coral reef initiatives for the south pacific ( crisp ) and the secretariat of the pacfic regional environment programme ( sprep ) hosted a regional workshop on the use of economic tools for supporting the design and management of marine protected areas ( mpas ). the aim of the workshop was to share information and discuss how economic tools could be incorporated into the various stages of pacific mpa design and management. presentations were given on a range of topics including the use of contingent valuation techniques to assess the non - use value of marine resources in fiji, the use of input - output analysis to assess the local economic impact of the creation of protected areas in new south wales, the design of a payment system for ecosystem services for mpas in vietnam, the cost of pacific locally managed marine areas ( lmmas ), the use of cost - benefit analysis for natural resource management decision - making and the phoenix islands protected area ( kiribati ) endowment financing scheme. the last day of the workshop was dedicated to identifying around a dozen case studies in pacific island countries, where economic tools can be applied and tested for informing marine managed area design and management. funding from crisp, iucn and sprep will be used to develop partnerships for carrying out the proposed case studies which will include a cost - benefit analysis of destructive fishing practices in kiribati, a cost effectiveness analysis of several management schemes for the lmma network in the region and a cost - benefit analysis of alternative mma management models in vanuatu. during the workshop, the lack of trained resource economists in the region was identified as one constraint to carrying out economic analysis to support the design and management of mmas in the pacific on a wider scale. as a result most economics work in this area to date has relied on outside expertise. participants identified a number channels for addressing this issue including : direct capacity building exercises, promoting partnerships between outside and local experts in carrying out the proposed case studies, and providing incentives to regional economists to apply their skills to mma issues. the workshop was attended by key stakeholders involved in economics and marine conservation in the pacific from organizations including conservation international, foundation for peoples of the south pacific international ( fspi ), institut de recherche pour le developpement ( ird ), pacific islands forum secretariat ( pifs ), pacific islands applied geoscience commission ( sopac ), secretariat of the pacific commmunity ( spc ), university


light behind the fall : japan ’ s electricity consumption, the environment, and economic growth by vaclav smil the phenomenon is unmistakable ( albeit largely unnoticed ), and the contrast lends itself to all kinds of symbolic interpretations : japan ’ s unending retreat from being a highly respected polity and economic powerhouse, widely expected to become the 21st century ’ s global ichiban, has entered troubled waters. as a result of that downward economic trend, whose beginning was signaled by the collapse of the nikkei index in 1990, japan ’ s gdp managed the real ( inflation - adjusted ) annual growth of just 1. 1 % between 1991 and 2006, while during the preceding 15 years the country ’ s gdp had nearly doubled. but this long - lasting economic and social malaise has been accompanied by a substantial ( 17 % ) increase in japan ’ s primary energy consumption. this is remarkable because pre - 1990 japan was the world ’ s most consistently, and most admirably, energy - efficient economy that had always managed to do with relatively less energy. overall efficiency of japan ’ s energy conversion ( usually measured as the amount of primary commercial energy used to generate a unit of gdp ) was high before the first opec oil price crisis in 1973 - 74, when the western nations were wasting energy with abandon. during the early 1970s it took about twice as much energy to produce a dollar of gdp in the us as it did in japan. and when europe and north america belatedly embarked on unprecedented energy conservation programs during the late 1970s, they found that the already frugal japan was becoming even more energy - parsimonious. this great energy conservation drive was going strong through 1985, when opec ’ s hold on the global oil market collapsed and oil prices fell from the historic high of nearly $ 40 in 1981 to less than $ 10 ; its effects would linger through the 1980s. by 1990 the us needed about 30 % less energy to produce a dollar of gdp than it did in 1974 — but japan had lowered the average energy of its economy by another 35 %. consequently, despite the pronounced appreciation of its currency ( by 1990 the purchasing power parity was ¥193 / us $ ), japan was thus even further ahead of the us in energy conservation than it had been before the first oil price crises of the early 1970s. but then an unexpected reversal took place. between 1990 and 2005, the energy intensity of the us economy ( using inflation - adjusted monies ) fell by another 12 %, but the energy intensity of the japanese economy


oil price crises of the early 1970s. but then an unexpected reversal took place. between 1990 and 2005, the energy intensity of the us economy ( using inflation - adjusted monies ) fell by another 12 %, but the energy intensity of the japanese economy first stagnated and then, by the year 2000, was actually about 6 % above the 1990 value. by the year 2005 it was still about 3 % higher. a closer look at the reasons for this reversal shows two surprising factors. first, japan ’ s fabulous industrial energy conservation machine had seized up ( fig. 1 ). energy intensities ( that is, energy used per unit value of product ) of all major industries — after falling by 20 - 50 % between 1973 and the late 1980s — had reached their lowest levels between 1988 and 1990, and had risen and stagnated afterwards : by the year 2000, the energy intensity for the iron and steel industry, manufacturing, and ceramics were about 12 %, 15 %, and 17 % above the 1989 level respectively. fig. 1. energy intensities of japan ’ s major industries why did this happen? fig. 1 clearly indicates that the rate of improvement was already considerably lower during the late 1980s than it had been during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and hence it would have been unrealistic to expect further large efficiency gains during the 1990s. this sequence is universal : the least expensive, technically the easiest or the most rewarding energy conservation measures ( “ low - hanging fruit ” in the engineering parlance ) are taken first, and subsequent improvements depend much more on the cost of energy : during the 1990s, world oil prices remained stable and low, discouraging more expensive conservation measures. but this does not explain the post - 1990 reversals of industrial energy intensity trends. those are attributable to several concurrent trends. first, as large numbers of more efficient energy converters and processes that were installed before 1990 began to age, their performance began to deteriorate. assiduous maintenance and upgrading can prevent such deterioration, but in many cases these steps were not taken because companies were short of funds as they faced contracting markets and foreign competition, or as they channeled their investment into setting up new facilities overseas ( especially in china ) and neglected the domestic infrastructure. contraction and stagnation of the japanese economy and foreign competition also meant that many industries began to use their assets less intensively, and lower utilization capacities often translate into higher energy ( and monetary ) costs per unit of production. finally, some industries tried to


and stagnation of the japanese economy and foreign competition also meant that many industries began to use their assets less intensively, and lower utilization capacities often translate into higher energy ( and monetary ) costs per unit of production. finally, some industries tried to stay competitive by concentrating on production of higher - quality items that are often much more energy - intensive than the mass produced varieties that now come increasingly from china and india ( stainless steel vs. ordinary sheet steel ; composite materials vs. ordinary ceramics ). the second reason was that japanese citizens — after generations of relatively frugal living — had finally began to spend more on their interior environment, and nowhere has this increase been clearer than in the rising consumption of electricity. between 1990 and 2005, japan ’ s generation of electricity rose by about 33 % in absolute, and by about 28 % in per capita terms — but per capita residential electricity consumption rose by about 45 %, to roughly 2, 200 kwh / year. this was by far the fastest increase in using any form of residential energy : between 1990 and 2005, consumption of liquid fuels ( dominated by kerosene for heating ) barely changed ( going up by less than 3 % ), and the combustion of natural gas ( for cooking and heating ) went up by less than a quarter. japan ’ s excellent surveys of the ownership of household electricity converters explain the reasons for this rise ( table 1 ). table 1. ownership of household electric converters ( units / 1, 000 households ) between 1990 and 2005 the ownership of automatic washing machines tripled ; installation of room air conditioners more than doubled ; there were 50 % more stereos, about 40 % more vcrs, 20 % more large refrigerators ( with the volume in excess of 300 liters ), and about 10 % more color tvs. moreover, in 2005, virtually every household had a personal computer, and nearly a fifth of them had a dishwasher, items that were relatively rare in 1990. and japanese bought more lights : between 1990 and 2005, the average consumption of electricity for residential lighting went up by about 50 %, to nearly 300 kwh / year / capita or nearly 950 kwh / household ; this was still slightly less than half of the average u. s. household rate, but more than 20 % higher than that of germany, 30 % higher than that of the uk, and twice as high as that of france. consequently, it would seem that japanese homes are increasingly filled with electric ( and electronic ) gadgets. the fact that they still have


higher than that of germany, 30 % higher than that of the uk, and twice as high as that of france. consequently, it would seem that japanese homes are increasingly filled with electric ( and electronic ) gadgets. the fact that they still have fewer lights per household than the three largest european economies — 17, compared to 18. 5 in france, 20. 1 in the uk and 30. 3 in germany ( the u. s. mean is 43 ) — is not a useful comparative metric. japanese lights are far more efficient than those in other affluent countries, because 95 % of them are fluorescent lights — mostly the tubes that produce up to 95 lumens of light per watt compared to just 10 - 15 lumens per watt ( lm / w ) for standard incandescent bulbs. in contrast, only about 45 % of europe ’ s lights and 35 % of u. s. lights are either linear or compact fluorescents ( fig. 2 ). fig. 2. shares of different lights in 2005 consequently, the proper indicator of lighting intensity is the actual quantity of illumination, the amount of lumens available per unit of household area. in japan ( using the average household area of 95 m2 ), this rate is about 515 lm / m2 compared to 315 lm / m2 in the u. s. and 450 lm / m2 in germany : high lighting efficiency and the relatively small area of japanese dwellings more than compensate for a significantly smaller number of lights in japanese homes ( table 2 ). but it is by no means clear to what side of an international comparative ledger this primacy belongs. table 2. residential lighting in japan, usa and germany ( 2005 ) on one hand, light usage in japan points to strongly collective japanese behavior and exemplary frugality ( 95 % use efficient fluorescent lights ), traits that other nations would find useful in their effort to lessen the impact of modern civilization on the global environment ; on the other hand, standard linear fluorescent lights are neither the most spectrally - optimized nor beautiful sources of illumination, and hence their near - universal usage can be seen as a sign of relative impoverishment and, as is so often the case in japan, as yet another inexplicable acceptance of bad taste in a culture that is so devoted to beautiful design. and the japanese, people with an even greater chronic sleep deficit than americans, keep their fluorescent tubes and compacts lit much longer than do people in any other affluent nation, averaging about 3. 4 hours a day


that is so devoted to beautiful design. and the japanese, people with an even greater chronic sleep deficit than americans, keep their fluorescent tubes and compacts lit much longer than do people in any other affluent nation, averaging about 3. 4 hours a day per light, compared to 1. 9 hours in the u. s., 1. 5 hours in germany and a mere hour in france. in a search for specific factors that would explain this significant difference i suggest three realities, none of them unique to japan but all of them quite pronounced in that country. the first factor that contributes to longer use of electric lights is japan ’ s ubiquitous long - distance commuting that often starts and ends in darkness. consequences of the chronic cumulative sleep deficit induced by this practice are well illustrated by a recent survey by infoplant market research : two - thirds of males and 71 % of females sleep when riding a train. the second factor is a sleep pattern common among japanese high - school students : napping ( inemuri ) during the late afternoon and then studying late at night and into the early morning. steger concluded that “ regardless of possible considerations of whether it makes sense, this rhythm seems to be a set sleeping pattern for students in general, and in particular for high - school students preparing for exams. since everyone follows a similar rhythm, it is difficult for an individual to change or even seriously question it. ” finally, there is a traditional japanese arrangement of infants and small children sleeping with the parents, who are readily accessible to children during waking episodes : this practice obviously leads to more light - switching at night, besides making yonaki, sleep - related nighttime crying, more common and a matter of concern for the country ’ s pediatricians. there is little doubt that the japanese would illuminate their households even more if electricity prices were lower. japan ’ s national electricity market was expanded in 2005, but ( unlike in many other countries ) large ( and vertically integrated ) utility companies ( dominated by the giant tokyo electric ) do not allow their customers to switch to other suppliers. even so, the mere threat of further market reforms has helped to reduce electricity prices, albeit only modestly : between 2000 and 2005 they fell by about 5 %. for decades the combination of increasing intensity of outdoor lighting and high densities of japan ’ s residential and industrial areas, and of the country ’ s transportation corridors, has created large bright patches of light across large parts of the archipelago seen on nighttime satellite images ( fig. 3 ). good news is that,


high densities of japan ’ s residential and industrial areas, and of the country ’ s transportation corridors, has created large bright patches of light across large parts of the archipelago seen on nighttime satellite images ( fig. 3 ). good news is that, regardless of what is going on in the outside world, there is now also considerably more light inside the japanese homes. fig. 3. nighttime satellite image of japan ’ s lights superimposed on a daylight satellite image of the archipelago and its eastern neighbors. vaclav smil is distinguished professor, university of manitoba, canada. his interdisciplinary research has roamed broadly over issues of environment, energy, food, population, economics, and policy studies. he wrote this article for japan focus. published on april 2, 2007. his article “ japan and china : the next fifty years, ” is available from japan focus. he can be reached via email and his homepage. 1. calculated from annual data series in : statistics bureau. japan statistical yearbook. tokyo : statistics bureau. the most recent volume is online : www. stat. go. jp / english / data / nenkan. 2. i dealt with various consequences of that transformation in : smil, v. 2006. japan and china : the next fifty years. japan focus summer 2006 : www. japanfocus. org / products / details / 2213. 3. see, among many others : smil, v. 1987. energy food environment : realities, myths, options. oxford : oxford university press ; smil, v. 1992. how efficient is japan ’ s energy use? current politics and economics of japan 2 ( 3 / 4 ) : 315 - 327. 4. i have used purchasing power parity, rather than official exchange rate, to calculate the japanese value from official energy and gdp statistics. 5. for the us data see : energy information administration. 2007. energy consumption, expenditures, and emissions indicators, 1949 - 2005. available online : www. iea. doe. gov / emeu / aer / txt / ptb0105. html. for the japanese data see : the energy conservation center. 2006. handbook of energy & economic statistics in japan. tokyo : the energy conservation center. 6. energy conservation center japan. 2007. japan energy conservation handbook. tokyo : eccj. 7. statistics bureau. 2007. japan statistical yearbook 2007. tokyo : statistics bureau. 8. compiled from data in 2007 and 1992 editions of japan statistical yearbook. 9. waide, p


. japan energy conservation handbook. tokyo : eccj. 7. statistics bureau. 2007. japan statistical yearbook 2007. tokyo : statistics bureau. 8. compiled from data in 2007 and 1992 editions of japan statistical yearbook. 9. waide, p. 2006. light ’ s labour ’ s lost : policies for energy - efficient lighting. paris : international energy agency. available online : www. iea. org / textbase / work / 2007 / cfl / waide. pdf. 10. improvements in the efficacy of electric lights are traced in detail in : smil, v. 2005. creating the 20th century : technical innovations of 1867 - 1914 and their lasting impact. new york : oxford university press ; smil, v. 2003. energy at the crossroads : global perspectives and uncertainties. cambridge, ma : the mit press. compiled and calculated from data in waide, japan statistical yearbook and statistical abstract of the united states. 11. even in sub - arctic sweden with short winter days the average usage is only 1. 35 hours / lamp. 12. trains are the japanese second bedroom. what japan thinks, 7 december 2005. available online : whatjapanthinks. com / 2005 / 12 / 07 / trains - are - the - japaneses - second - bedroom 13. steger, b. 2006. sleeping through class to success : japanese notions of time and diligence. time & society 15 ( 2 - 3 ) : 197 - 215. if you have electronic access to time & society, i highly recommend this illuminating analysis. 14. fukumizu, m. et al. sleep - related nighttime crying ( yonaki ) in japan : a community - based study. pediatrics 115 ( 1 ) : 217 - 224. 15. sioshansi, f. p. and w. pfaffenberger, eds. 2006. electricity market reform : an international perspective. amsterdam : elsevier. 16. the image is available at : kitamoto, a. 2007. earth in the night : nighttime lights of the world data by dmsp satellites. tokyo : national institute of informatics : agora. ex. nii. ac. jp / ~ kitamoto / research / rs / world - lights. html. en


with a rash of media reports of bear sightings across north carolina, the n. c. wildlife resources commission is reminding residents not to panic and to remain calm if they see a black bear. bears are not inherently dangerous and seeing a bear can be a once - in - a - lifetime experience for residents to appreciate from a safe distance. it is not uncommon to see a black bear in spring in the piedmont region of north carolina. juvenile bears ( 1 - 2 years old ) are dispersing from their den ’ s home area, while adult bears can roam extensively searching for food and mates. juvenile bears may look small — in fact, some people refer to them as cubs — but they are not cubs and are well - equipped to live on their own. sometimes a young bear finds its way accidentally into a town when the natural corridor, river or drainage ditch it is traveling on leads into a town. this often happens at night, when human activity is low and vehicle traffic is light. however, at daybreak the bear finds itself in the middle of increasing human activities. if left alone by the public, most young transient bears will find their way quickly back out of the town and to their natural habitat. residents are urged not to approach or follow bears, and to use caution when driving in areas where bears have been sighted. commission biologists monitor these situations to determine if any action is needed to protect the animal. if a bear is in a tree, residents are urged to clear the area and allow the bear to come down on its own and move on. a bear climbs a tree because it feels threatened by cars and people. it will come down after it no longer feels threatened, usually at night. the commission is cautioning people to not feed bears that wander into yards, parks, onto sidewalks or into other residential areas. feeding a bear rewards it for coming near people and their homes, which increases the likelihood that the bear will approach again. while black bears are rarely aggressive toward people, they can become bold when they grow accustomed to feeding on human - provided foods, such as pet foods, garbage and bird seed. when this happens, black bears can lose their fear of humans. when reported to the commission, interactions between humans and bears are evaluated on a case - by - case basis. however, the commission does not normally relocate bears. bears that wander into urban or suburban settings and seek refuge in trees will most likely leave the area on their own. relocation of bears is rarely needed because : - most conflicts do not warrant trapping. for


however, the commission does not normally relocate bears. bears that wander into urban or suburban settings and seek refuge in trees will most likely leave the area on their own. relocation of bears is rarely needed because : - most conflicts do not warrant trapping. for example, a bear simply wandering into a suburban area is not necessarily a safety issue. bears can move long distances during dispersal, and it ’ s likely the animal will move on if left alone. the process of trapping and relocating bears is difficult, and can be more dangerous for the bear, the public, and those involved than letting the bear leave the area on its own. bears are more likely to injure themselves, or threaten humans, during the course of trapping and relocation. - simply catching every bear that someone sees is not an option because there are few remote areas of the state remaining in which to relocate bears where they will not come into contact with humans. - relocated bears often return to the place they were originally captured. - in many cases, food attractants are the source of the problem. the best long - term solution involves removal of attractants ( bird feeders, unsecured garbage ) rather than removal of the bear. - trapping and relocating bears attracted by food would simply move the problem, rather than solve it. the solution is to modify your habits and prevent bears from being attracted to your home. residents can avoid problems by : - securing bags of trash inside cans stored in a garage, basement or other secure area, and placing the cans outside, as late as possible, on trash pick - up days — not the night before. - purchasing bear - proof garbage cans or bear proofing your existing garbage container with a secure latching system. - discontinuing the feeding of wild birds during spring and summer, even with feeders advertised as “ bear - proof. ” bears are still attracted to seed that spills on the ground. - avoiding “ free feeding ” pets outdoors. if you must feed pets outdoors, make sure all food is consumed and empty bowls are removed. - cleaning all food and grease from barbecue grills after each use. bears are attracted to food odors and may investigate. for more information and more tips on black bears in north carolina, read “ coexisting with bears ” at www. ncwildlife. org.


many ideologies have passed over the mediterranean sea on their way to the arab world, and each time a new ideology arrived, many thought that it would be the ideology, with a capital ‘ i ’ that would unite, organize, form and lead the arab world into european - style modernity. the nationalism ( loyalty of the individual to his ethnic group ) that was awakened in europe after the “ spring of nations ” ( 1848 ) was known as “ komiya ” – patriotism, in the arab world, which is expressed by connection and loyalty to the homeland. pan - slavism was transformed into pan - arabism ; european socialism was adopted by the arab world under the name of “ ba ’ ath ” ; communism was also imported and was known as “ shayoo ’ aya ” and even nazi ideas that arrived in the years of the thirties took hold among some modern arab intellectuals. one example is muhammad anwar al - sa ’ adat, who was head of the egyptian nazi movement, and was later to become the president of egypt. all of these ideas were buzzing in the public arena in the middle east within the last hundred years, and observers from outside – mainly the officials of the colonial offices of the british empire – thought that european modernity had arrived to the middle east and had settled among its peoples through the modern ideologies that were imported in the mouths and in the pens of those enlightened arabs who were educated in the sorbonne, oxford, yale and harvard. on the basis of these ideologies – so the british, french and italian colonial officials hoped – nation - states would emerge, as happened in europe, and these nation - states would supply a focal point for identity, social adhesion, and national consciousness for the masses in the middle east ( though nobody asked these people if they at all wished to adopt the social methods and ideologies of the european states ). but this didn ’ t happen. the masses of the middle east, for the most part, remained loyal to their tribe, ethnic group, religious group, or sect and rejected all of the ideas that were imported from the west. the cornerstone of middle eastern culture was and remains tribal culture, that which europeans thought it possible to eliminate by means of a few articles in the newspaper or speeches on the radio. today we address our words to the loyalty of the peoples of the middle east within their traditional frameworks. the source of this miserable country ’ s problems is the fact that the british included within it eleven different ethnic groups : kyrgy


on the radio. today we address our words to the loyalty of the peoples of the middle east within their traditional frameworks. the source of this miserable country ’ s problems is the fact that the british included within it eleven different ethnic groups : kyrgyz, turkmen, nuristani, pamiri, pashtun, tajik, hazara, uzbek, aimak, and baloch. these groups share very little in common, because they have different languages, different world views, different customs, different leadership, different goals, and, in short – these peoples are so different from one another that they don ’ t even speak the same language. it ’ s also important to note that none of these groups is called “ afghani ”. so is it really surprising that this state is a failed state, and that no one manages to stabilize it? throughout this state ’ s history, foreigners have tried to bring these ethnic groups together into some kind of basic cooperation, but the experiments have all failed. it is a wonder to me that the world continues to resuscitate this dead political body, which should have been divided into its ethnic parts long ago. this unfortunate state is torn and divided along four axes : the ethnic axis – in iraq there are four ethnic groups : arabs, kurds, turkmen, and persians. the tribal axis – the population in iraq comprises approximately seventy tribes, each of which functions as if it were an ethnic group. the sons of these tribes do not marry the daughters of another tribe, because they don ’ t trust them, and therefore also tend not to open a business with another tribe. each tribe has its own dialect, and in iraq some of the tribes have their own flag and anthem, which are not connected to the flag and anthem of iraq. the religious axis – in iraq there are a large number of religions : muslim, christian, a few dozen jews, tsavaaim, mandaean, zoroastrians, bahai, yazidi and more. the muslims see the members of other religions as heretics. the sectarian axis – the religions are divided : the muslims are divided into sunni, shia, salafi and sufi ; the christians have about eight different sects. thus, iraq is “ blessed ” with all of the four axes of division that are known in the middle east. is it a wonder that this state is hemorrhaging? because libya is entirely within the sahara desert where there is almost no water at all, the population


blessed ” with all of the four axes of division that are known in the middle east. is it a wonder that this state is hemorrhaging? because libya is entirely within the sahara desert where there is almost no water at all, the population is divided into small tribes ; in libya there are about 140 different tribes. after they succeeded in overthrowing qadafi, the tribes are now fighting one another. in jordan, about one quarter of the population is bedouin, and three quarters are “ palestinian ”, meaning farmers and city people who do not want to be bedouins and cannot be bedouins, and therefore they are now trying to split off from the regime, ( which anyway is headed by a family that the saudis threw out ninety years ago ) and to establish for themselves an “ alternative homeland ”, that is, a different palestine, in addition to that which they hope will arise between the sea and the jordan river. this is the reason that jordan ’ s king abdullah comes to washington each month : – primarily to urge president obama to exert pressure on israel to establish a palestinian state in gaza, judea and samaria. if a state such as this will arise, then the king will be able to say to his citizens : “ the palestinian state already exists ” and the king will then be able to exile to that palestinian state anyone in jordan who speaks of an “ alternative homeland ”. in this way he hopes to survive on his throne. about the author : dr. mordechai kedar ( ph. d. bar - ilan u. ) served for 25 years in idf military intelligence specializing in arab political discourse, arab mass media, islamic groups and the syrian domestic arena. a lecturer in arabic at bar - ilan u., he is also an expert on israeli arabs. you might also be interested in : if you don ' t see your comment after publishing it, refresh the page.


green jobs industry in the 21st century in december of 2007, congress passed a $ 125 million green collar jobs program. the green jobs act would invest $ 125 million in green - collar job training programs, and the energy efficiency and conservation block grant, which would authorize grants to local communities to help improve their energy efficiency and increase renewable energy. colleges and universities are joining the green revolution. along with greening their campuses with sustainable buildings, better recycling and waste management programs, and a dedication to the conservation of wilderness areas and arboretums, colleges and universities are incorporating green studies into their curriculum. many schools across the country now have renewable energy programs, solar energy laboratories, sustainable agriculture green chemistry studies, sustainable architecture programs, and ecotourism programs, to name a few. across every industry, new job possibilities are emerging for those with the skills ranging from farming to finance, and engineering to ecology. corporations who once shied away from culpability for their role in creating hazardous wastes and harming the environment are now becoming more " green " conscious. the best thing about the green industry is that many workers - engineers, lab technicians, installation professionals, analysts, scientists - are finding that it is as easy as transitioning from one industry to the next. with the overwhelming attention paid to the deteriorating environment, and with new government regulations and policies, the green jobs industry is burgeoning in the u. s. in a 2007 u. n. reported in preliminary findings that the u. s. environmental industry in 2005 produced more than 5. 3 million jobs ( ten times the number in the u. s. pharmaceutical industry ). according to the american solar energy society, there are 8. 5 million jobs in renewable energy or energy - efficient industries. and, according to the apollo alliance ( a coalition of environmental groups, politicians, and labor unions dedicated to leading the us economy into a renewable energy based economy ) there will be 3 to 5 million more green jobs by 2018.


unmasking the purim story purim celebrates a miraculous salvation that took place over 2, 000 years ago, in the persian - median empire. but its message is as relevant today as ever. purim literally means a lottery, a reference to the lot that the wicked haman drew. the name of the holiday implies fate and chance – the roll of the dice, the luck of the draw. and at first glance, the story of purim appears to be a series of mere coincidences. when reading the megilah, you get the feeling that the narrative is written like a great piece of classical literature : heroes and villains, high drama and suspense, climax and the fabric of the story is tightly woven. the plot thickens with all of its twists and turns. but behind this “ storybook drama ” lies something profound. according to rabbi joseph b. soloveitchik, one of the lessons of the purim story is that man is vulnerable. one minute everything is fine and then suddenly, without warning, the jewish people across the entire persian empire are confronted with the threat of destruction. story merely a string of events strung together with no meaning? is life just a series of events? are we merely subject to the whim of an evil tyrant? a pliable king? esther is one of the books of our holy bible, but god is not mentioned, not even once. according to our tradition, he is hiding. the talmud ( hullin 139b ) asks, “ where is [ there an allusion to ] esther in the torah? ” the talmud then cites the verse from the torah ’ s admonition that speaks of hester panim – god seemingly hiding his face amidst jewish suffering – “ and i will surely hide ( haster astir ) my face from you. ” and yet, there is a tradition that in the book of esther, when we read the word ha - melekh, “ the king, ” it ’ s not only a reference to king achashverosh, but therein lies an allusion to god, the king of on purim, we are challenged to see god, the king, in the narrative ; to search for him ; to seek him out. he appears to be “ hidden, ” in the fabric of this tightly woven tale, but indeed he is pulling the strings from behind the curtain. the name of the book itself megillat esther, in fact, can be understood to mean “ revealing the hidden. ” but it ’ s not


the fabric of this tightly woven tale, but indeed he is pulling the strings from behind the curtain. the name of the book itself megillat esther, in fact, can be understood to mean “ revealing the hidden. ” but it ’ s not enough to see god in the purim story ; we are challenged to find him in the narrative of our lives : in our trials and tribulations, in the vicissitudes of life ; the ups and downs of our personal lives. and it ’ s true for our national life as well – purim challenges us to see god behind the curtain on the stage of modern history as it unfolds before our eyes. purim is a topsy - turvy day. everything is upside down. we hide behind costumes to remind us that to truly see is to peel back the layers of perception. some drink in excess to access a deeper reality, one beyond logic or reason. we recognize that redemption can come in places we least expect it, and that the plans and schemes of our enemies can be foiled just as quickly as they were hatched. being human, we are limited in our ability to understand. tragic events seem senseless, without a rhyme or reason. world events can seem confusing, with the future uncertain. on purim, we recognize that god ’ s hand is guiding it all. the king is working behind the we may not understand all of the twists and turns of the plot, but we know the author. the writer lives and teaches in jerusalem and is the author of mishteh shimshon on the laws of purim. his forthcoming book is return again : the argument for aliyah.


golden valley, minn. - dr. amy esler from the university of minnesota joined kare 11 news at 10 : 00 to discuss a new study that indicates that older men are more likely than young ones to father a child who develops autism or schizophrenia. scientists reported on wednesday that the link is because of random mutations that become more numerous with advancing paternal age. it is the first study to quantify the effect as it builds each year. the age of mothers had no bearing on the risk for these disorders, the study found. experts said that the finding was hardly reason to forgo fatherhood later in life, though it may have some influence on reproductive decisions. the overall risk to a man in his 40s or older is in the range of 2 percent, at most, and there are other contributing biological factors that are entirely unknown. but the study, published online in the journal nature, provides support for the argument that the surging rate of autism diagnoses over recent decades is attributable in part to the increasing average age of fathers, which could account for as many as 30 percent of cases. the findings also counter the long - standing assumption that the age of the mother is the most important factor in determining the odds of a child having developmental problems. the risk of chromosomal abnormalities, like down syndrome, increases for older mothers, but when it comes to some complex developmental and psychiatric problems, the lion ' s share of the genetic risk originates in the sperm, not the egg, the study found. previous studies had strongly suggested as much, but the new report quantifies that risk for the first time, calculating how much it accumulates each year. the research team found that the average child born to a 20 - year - old father had 25 random mutations that could be traced to paternal genetic material. the number increased steadily by two mutations a year, reaching 65 mutations for offspring of 40 - year - old men. the average number of mutations coming from the mother ' s side was 15, no matter her age, the study found. " this study provides some of the first solid scientific evidence for a true increase in the condition " of autism, said dr. fred volkmar, director of the child study center at the yale school of medicine, who was not involved in the research. " it is extremely well done and the sample meticulously characterized. " the new investigation, led by the icelandic firm decode genetics, analyzed genetic material taken from blood samples of 78 parent - child trios, focusing on families


in the research. " it is extremely well done and the sample meticulously characterized. " the new investigation, led by the icelandic firm decode genetics, analyzed genetic material taken from blood samples of 78 parent - child trios, focusing on families in which parents with no signs of a mental disorder gave birth to a child who developed autism or schizophrenia. this approach allows scientists to isolate brand - new mutations in the genes of the child that were not present in the parents. most people have many of these so - called de novo mutations, which occur spontaneously at or near conception, and a majority of them are harmless. but recent studies suggest that there are several such changes that can sharply increase the risk for autism and possibly schizophrenia - and the more a child has, the more likely he or she is by chance to have one of these rare, disabling ones. some difference between the paternal and maternal side is to be expected. sperm cells divide every 15 days or so, whereas egg cells are relatively stable, and continual copying inevitably leads to errors, in dna as in life. still, when the researchers removed the effect of paternal age, they found no difference in genetic risk between those who had a diagnosis of autism or schizophrenia and a control group of icelanders who did not. " it is absolutely stunning that the father ' s age accounted for all this added risk, given the possibility of environmental factors and the diversity of the population, " said dr. kari stefansson, the chief executive of decode and the study ' s senior author. " and it ' s stunning that so little is contributed by the age of the mother. " dr. stefansson ' s co - authors included c. augustine kong of decode and researchers from the university of iceland, aarhus university in denmark, and the company illumina cambridge ltd. dr. stefansson said that it made sense that de novo mutations would play a significant role in brain disorders. at least 50 percent of active genes play a role in neural development, so that random glitches are more likely to affect the brain than other organs, which have less exposure. in the end, these kinds of mutations may account for 15 to 30 percent of cases of autism, and perhaps schizophrenia, some experts said. the remainder is likely a result of inherited genetic mutations and environmental factors that are the subjects of numerous studies. dr. stefansson and other experts said that an increase in the average age of fathers has most likely led to more cases of autism. unlike other theories proposed to explain the increase, like


genetic mutations and environmental factors that are the subjects of numerous studies. dr. stefansson and other experts said that an increase in the average age of fathers has most likely led to more cases of autism. unlike other theories proposed to explain the increase, like vaccinations, it is backed by evidence that scientists agree is solid. but this by itself hardly explains the overall increase in diagnoses, at least in the united states. the birthrate of fathers age 40 and older has increased by more than 30 percent since 1980, according to government figures, but the diagnosis rate has jumped tenfold, to 1 in 88 8 - year - olds in the most recent government survey. and it is not clear whether the rate of schizophrenia diagnosis has increased at all in that time. nonetheless, if these study findings hold up and extend to other brain disorders, wrote alexey kondrashov, of the university of michigan, in an editorial accompanying the study, " then collecting the sperm of young adult men and cold - storing it for later use could be a wise individual decision. " that very much depends on the individual, of course. " you are going to have guys who look at this and say, ' oh no, you mean i have to have all my kids when i ' m 20 and stupid? ' " said evan e. eichler, a professor of genome sciences at the university of washington in seattle. " well, of course not. you have to understand that the vast majority of these mutations have no consequences, and that there are tons of guys in their 50s who have healthy children. " this story, " father ' s age is linked to risk of autism and schizophrenia, " originally appeared in the new york times. ( copyright 2012 by nbc and new york times. all rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. )


death of a visionary february 16, 1950 : jesse clyde nichols, who developed the country club plaza and many housing developments throughout kansas city, dies just six months before his 70th birthday at his kansas city home. jesse clyde nichols died on february 16, 1950, after a three - month battle with lung cancer. the news about the famed real estate developer ’ s death quickly spread across the nation and even much of the world. some 2, 000 people attended his funeral at the country club christian church, where pastor warren grafton, in his eulogy, explained that the best memorial was to simply look around the city and see the influence of j. c. nichols. nichols was born in 1880 in olathe, kansas. always a hard worker, he began selling small homes in his early twenties. in 1905 nichols embarked on his first real estate development, which he called the country club district. it comprised just 10 acres in 1905, but four years later it encompassed 1, 000 acres. what brought nichols national renown was not the scale of his developments, but the potential permanence of his developments. the top priority was to protect the beauty and character of residential areas through what eventually became known as city planning. in city planning, private or public leaders would create long - term plans for the location and character of shopping districts, residential areas, transportation networks, and heavy industry. zoning regulations, among the first in the nation, legally limited certain areas to residential, industrial, or commercial development. neighborhood covenants required the proper maintenance of homes and landscapes. homeowner associations in each neighborhood would permanently control the covenant regulations. carefully planned parks, attractive roads, and suburban shopping districts could enhance the value of the homes around them. nichols demonstrated this with the country club plaza shopping center, which combined some elements of all three. less celebrated by modern standards were deed restrictions that limited what sort of people could purchase property in a given neighborhood. the resulting racial discrimination barred minorities from the country club district, even if they could have afforded the expensive homes. at the time, discrimination against racial or religious minorities was both legal and common throughout the nation. as a result of high property values and demographic trends, the racial makeup of the country club district is still largely white even though legal housing discrimination ended in the 1960s. the criticisms of nichols notwithstanding, pastor grafton ’ s adage still holds true half a century after nichols ’ s death. in addition to most of the southwestern portion of kansas city, missouri, observers today can see grand monuments that nichols influenced or inspired. the


criticisms of nichols notwithstanding, pastor grafton ’ s adage still holds true half a century after nichols ’ s death. in addition to most of the southwestern portion of kansas city, missouri, observers today can see grand monuments that nichols influenced or inspired. the j. c. nichols memorial fountain, j. c. nichols parkway, and the reece & nichols real estate company bear his name. he was a critical leader in the creation of the midwest research institute, the kansas city art institute, the liberty memorial, the nelson - atkins museum of art, the country club plaza, and the north american aviation aircraft plant that paved the way for the general motors fairfax plant that stands at the same location. decades after his death, his accomplishments continue to pay dividends to kansas city. read biographical sketches of j. c. nichols and his associates, prepared by the missouri valley special collections, the kansas city public library. - biography of j. c. nichols ( 1880 - 1950 ), real estate developer, by susan jezak ford, 2003 - biography of edward buehler delk, ( 1885 - 1956 ), architect ; the chief architect of the plaza, by susan jezak ford, 1999 - biography of george e. kessler ( 1862 - 1923 ), landscape architect ; assisted with the overall layout of the plaza and streets, by susan jezak ford, 2003 - biography of edward w. tanner ( 1896 - 1974 ), architect ; designed most of the early plaza buildings, by susan jezak ford, 2003. - biography of sid j. ( 1860 - 1938 ) and s. herbert hare (? - 1960 ), landscape architects ; designed much of the country club district, by daniel coleman, 2008 view images of j. c. nichols and related items that are a part of the missouri valley special collections. - map of the country club district, 1917 - j. c. nichols memorial fountain - portrait of j. c. nichols - country club plaza, 1940 - garden at the j. c. nichols residence - postcard of a rustic bridge and spirea in bloom in mission hills kansas ; used by j. c. nichols to promote real estate - postcard of a rustic bridge in rockhill park ; one of j. c. nichols ’ s first real estate developments check out the following books about j. c. nichols. - the j. c. nichols chronicle : the authorized story of the man, his company, and his legacy, 1880 - 1994, by robert pearson and brad pearson ; funded by the j. c. nichols


books about j. c. nichols. - the j. c. nichols chronicle : the authorized story of the man, his company, and his legacy, 1880 - 1994, by robert pearson and brad pearson ; funded by the j. c. nichols company and the nichols family, offers the most complete biography of nichols and a narrative of his accomplishments - j. c. nichols and the shaping of kansas city : innovation in planned residential communities, by william s. worley ; examines the impact of j. c. nichols on kansas city, includes some comparisons to other cities - j. c. nichols and the origins of the planned residential community in the united states, 1903 - 1930, by william s. worley ; how j. c. nichols spurred national real estate trends - the building and selling of homes, by jesse clyde nichols ; manuscript of a speech that described his theories on real estate development view the documentary, community builder : the life & legacy of j. c. nichols, by steven c. f. anderson and brian peter falk, kansas city public television. continue researching j. c. nichols using archival material. - vertical files : country club district, the missouri valley special collections - vertical file : nichols, j. c. company, missouri valley special collections - vertical file : fountains - - nichols, j. c., missouri valley special collections - vertical file : j. c. nichols investment company, missouri valley special collections - vertical file : nichols, jesse clyde, missouri valley special collections - j. c. nichols collection ( sc48 ), missouri valley special collections - j. c. nichols company records, western historical manuscript collection, university of missouri - kansas city by jason roe, graduate student, department of history, university of kansas christensen, lawrence o. dictionary of missouri biography. columbia : university of missouri press, 1999. ford, susan jezak. biography of j. c. nichols ( 1880 - 1950 ), real estate developer. missouri valley special collections, 2003. pearson, robert and brad pearson. the j. c. nichols chronicle : the authorized story of the man, his company, and his legacy, 1880 - 1994. kansas city, mo : country club plaza press, 1994. worley, william s. j. c. nichols and the shaping of kansas city : innovation in planned residential communities. columbia, mo : university of missouri press, 1990.


the mormon passage through missouri in 1838, missouri governor lilburn boggs issued the " order of extermination " that ordered the killing or removal of mormons residing in missouri — initiating an exodus of latter - day saints. though there seems to be no historical evidence that missouri carried out these threats, the order spurred mormons to leave the state in search of friendlier territory. over time, the order of extermination has become a symbol of violence and discrimination against mormons, resulting in a distortion of what historical evidence suggests actually happened : emigration and eventual prosperity, not mass extermination, from 1838 to 1869. fred e. woods sheds new light on this 30 - year period of mormon history on sunday, may 17, at 2 p. m. at the central library, 14 w. 10th st. his presentation will reveal that mormons used missouri as an outfitting post to travel west by wagon to their promised land — in spite of the order of extermination — until the arrival of the transcontinental railroad. woods is associate professor of church history and doctrine at brigham young university, where he currently holds the richard l. evans chair for religious understanding. this presentation is part of the missouri valley speakers series, a program of the missouri valley special collections at the central library. the series is made possible by a grant from the national endowment for the humanities. admission is free. click here or call 816. 701. 3407 to rsvp. free parking is available in the library district parking garage located at 10th and baltimore.


it ' s october. welcome to 425 + years of filipino american history. while reflecting on our community ' s legacies and connections to this land, we shed light on just how deeply this story is woven into the story of food and agricultural systems. this is true whether talking about the first filipinos in the bayous, alaskeros in the salmon canneries, to the struggles of farmworkers for dignity. that history, that story of connection, isn ' t over yet. last week, i was invited to lead a seeds lesson to 2nd and 3rd grade classes. while preparing the lesson, i felt surprisingly nervous, more than if i was going to address a room full of young adults. i knew this wouldn ' t be the time to get into topics like monsanto and agribusiness, the benefits of sustainable farming, seedsaving, or the current debate around the right to know campaign on gmo foods. how do you get to what a seed really is? how to touch its essence, and not define it by the complex issues surrounding it? this felt like turning a novel - a whole library, really - into a haiku. so when i entered the classroom and faced 20 pairs of friendly eyes, i asked them to close those eyes for a minute and imagine a world without plants. to really imagine it. what would that world look like, smell like, be like? when they opened their eyes, they shared some of their ideas. we couldn ' t breathe any air, said one girl. everything would be dry and nothing would be green, added a boy. there would be no flowers. there would be nothing for us or the animals to eat. ( later, we talked about how even our clothes are from plants - many of us were wearing cotton ). i heard this one repeated often : we need the plants to make our earth more beautiful. i asked them who could tell us what a seed is, what it does. " a seed is the part of the plant that grows into another plant. " and what does a seed need to grow? so many eager hands shot up. they knew : air, water, space, good dirt, and sunlight. we talked about the seeds we knew and loved to eat. they named fruits like kiwi, and dishes like refried beans and rice. jars full of seeds to smell and touch were passed around the circle, full of red rice grains, millet, multicolored heirloom corn, bright lentils and whole, sweet - smelling


, and dishes like refried beans and rice. jars full of seeds to smell and touch were passed around the circle, full of red rice grains, millet, multicolored heirloom corn, bright lentils and whole, sweet - smelling vanilla pods. at the end of the day, reorganizing the little jars of seeds, i couldn ' t help but think about the adult world outside this school classroom. how we get ourselves so confused at times. it ' s trite, but talking with the very young is perhaps the most potent reminder of what adults need to be reminded of. there is so much noise we either cut through or get caught in. i wondered : to the boy who answered that seeds are the things that grow into other plants - what would he think if he later learns that some seeds have been engineered so the plants do not produce viable seeds? to the kids who said seeds simply need good dirt, sunlight, space, water and clean air - what would they think about agriculture that leans on artificial fertilizers and pesticides, and poisons people and those very things needed to survive? the truth is that if we do not shift course from where things are now, in a major way, that reality will continue and is exactly what they will inherit. the youngest and most vulnerable of our society see and know the simple truths. we owe the best we can do to restore and protect the promise of seeds. more on seeds :


posted : oct 5, 2010 12 : 27 pm by ( cc ) updated : oct 5, 2010 8 : 56 pm an experimental brain cancer vaccine has been found to nearly double the life expectancy of some patients with the most aggressive form of the disease. glioblastoma is an aggressive form of brain cancer that usually claims its victims within 15 months after diagnosis, but patients in a clinical trial at duke university are beating the odds. " one of the most amazing things we ' ve seen with this vaccine is several of our patients have now lived over 5 years from their time of diagnosis, " said dr. john sampson of preston robert tisch brain tumor center at duke university. the vaccine targets a genetic mutation that fuels about a third of glioblastomas, but those mutations are also found in other cancers, which has some wondering whether the vaccine could do more. " i think there ' s good evidence that it will. this particular mutation that it targets in a highly specific way is actually present in a number of other cancers, " said dr. sampson. the next step in the research is to launch a study that compares patients on the vaccine with those on a placebo. doctors say it is going to be very difficult to find sick people willing to chance not getting the treatment when they see how well patients in the small, experimental studies are doing. those on the vaccine also went an average of 14 months before their disease progressed, compared with more than 6 months for other patients. there were no side effects related to the vaccine.


sodium lauryl sulphate ( sls ) is found in most shampoos and toothpaste. it is a known skin irritant and is absorbed through the skin and retained in the heart, liver and brain for long periods of time. it can cause damage to the eyes, even when absorbed through the skin. exposure can lead to coughing, headaches, nausea and vomiting. it is an ingredient of great concern for scientists, especially when children are exposed to it. oddly, skin deep only rates this ingredient a 3. sodium laureth sulphate ( sles ) is a milder version of sls with an added ether chain and is regularly found in cleansers and shampoos. it is added to thicken and give a richer consistency. it can cause skin irritation, and should be kept away from children. ammonium lauryl sulfate ( als ) is also commonly used in shampoos and cleansers. it can irritate eyes, skin and lungs but is much milder and safer than sls. the environmental working group ' s skin deep database rates this ingredient 1 - 2. sodium lauryl sulphoacetate ( slsa ) sounds very similar to sodium lauryl sulphate, and its very easy for one to draw the conclusion that its equally bad for the body. in fact that is not the case - the two are very different. sodium lauryl sulphoacetate is a very mild foaming agent and has a hazard ranking of 1 ( low hazard ) in the skin deep database. it is derived from coconut and palm oils and creates a rich lather that can easily be rinsed away. its molecular size is considerably larger than sls - it is too large to penetrate the skin, unlike the much smaller sls molecular that does penetrate the skin and lead to skin irritations and other problems. all of the above are anionic surfactants ( or wetting agents ) which are used to lower the surface tension of water.


lesson plans for teaching organization a collection of learn nc ' s lesson plans for teaching organization, the second of the five features of effective writing. - getting paragraphing down p. a. t. - one way to remember when to indent and begin a new paragraph is when ( p ) the place changes, ( a ) the action changes, and ( t ) the time changes ( p - a - t ). in this lesson, students will learn how to identify appropriate places to indent new paragraphs in their writing. - great beginnings - good beginnings hook readers and make them want to continue reading. students will learn the features of good beginnings by reading the beginnings of several narrative picture books, and then writing good beginnings for their own narratives. - great endings - sometimes authors end their stories with a memory, a feeling, a wish, or a hope. other times they end the story by referring back to the language of the beginning. in this lesson, students will examine the characteristics of good endings by reading good endings of narrative picture books. they will then practice writing good endings for their own narratives. - little bit? big bit? little bit - this lesson helps students who tend to jump right in and tell their entire story in the first few sentences and then struggle to complete their story. students will learn to start and end their stories with just a “ little bit ” about the setup and closure of the story. - meanwhile - transition words that connect ideas - students will identify transition words in picturebooks that they can use in their own writing. transition words are the glue that holds sentences and paragraphs together. they signal that this is a new part of the story. - transition words and phrases - students will learn to combine sentences using two kinds of transition words : time transitions and thought ( logical ) transitions. transition words link related ideas and hold them together. they can help the parts of a narrative to be coherent or work together to tell the story. coherence means all parts of a narrative link together to move the story along. think of transition words as the glue that holds a story together. using transition words helps avoid the “ listing ” problem in stories. - cause and effect writing : what it looks like and who reads it - students examine the causes and effects presented in a brochure called “ ozone : the good and the bad. ” they also examine the language of the brochure with regard to audience appropriateness. students then write their own brochures examine their classmates ’ brochures for cause and effect and for


##re called “ ozone : the good and the bad. ” they also examine the language of the brochure with regard to audience appropriateness. students then write their own brochures examine their classmates ’ brochures for cause and effect and for audience appropriateness. - helping students understand text structures : informational problem / solution - this exercise teaches students to understand the organizational structure of problem / solution essays by having them write “ what it says ” and “ what it does ” statements about a text. asking students to write these statements about a text will enable students to read the text closely and will ensure that they understand the structure of a problem / solution text. - examining effective openers and closures in writings - students will listen to a reading of dr. seuss ’ and jack prelutsky ’ s hooray for difendoofer day! students will then work cooperatively to edit one another ’ s rough drafts of analytical essay, focusing on openers and closures. - practicing elaboration in a problem / solution essay - one theory suggests that students tend to list in an essay because they lack the tools to elaborate. because they do not have the strategies, they attempt to fill up the empty space by introducing new primary ideas instead of fleshing out the ideas they have already presented. this activity attempts to make students aware of the need to elaborate and to provide students with some workable strategies for elaborating. using a powerpoint presentation, the teacher demonstrates the necessity for elaboration in a problem / solution essay. students then choose a particular point in the powerpoint presentation to expand through elaboration. - making patterns, make sense - students will analyze organizational patterns in analytical writing by reading, oh, the places you ’ ll go! by dr. seuss. students will then apply these patterns to their own writing by creating children ’ s books about success. - thematic and organizational patterns in mclaurin ’ s “ the rite time of night ” - students will learn to identify and color - code thematic and organizational patterns found in the narrative and then use two - column notetaking to highlight how these patterns helped mclaurin give his story focus and organization. as a suggested follow - up activity, students are given ideas for writing their own narratives, using similar techniques as mclaurin.