pearls acquired the reputation of shining by night, like to the moon from which they were believed to have come. " all this tends to demonstrate that the theory that the moon is the mani, the ' pearl of great price, ' the divine essence of the gods, is not unreasonable ; and its probability is reinforced by the stated fact that in both chinese and japanese dictionaries an ideograph combined of elements meaning respectively ' jewel ' and ' moon ' is defined as ' moon - pearl. ' i am inclined to regard this as a better explanation of the puzzling object so constantly associated with dragons in chinese decorative art than is the ' thunder ' hypothesis. at the same time it is to be noted that the spiral character of the pearl, ' and of the ' tag ' that springs from its centre, is the widely recognized symbol for thunder ; while the antler - like appendages indicate accompanying lightnings ; therefore the identification of the ' pearl ' with the moon need not preclude its co - association with thunderstorms, for the dragon is a rain - controller, and in a fair sense is the deity heard and seen in thunder and lightning, who is in particular the storm - god of sailormen. in japan, whose dragon - mythology has been strongly tinctured with indian notions, as we have seen, the pearl appears mainly in connection with mythical tales of the ocean - - a very natural connection. in the nihongi, an ancient japanese historical work, it is related that in the second year of the emperor chaui ' s reign ( a. d. 193 ) the empress jingo - kogo found in the sea " a jewel which grants all desires, " apparently the same lost by the frightened naga maidens. she also obtained from the submarine palace of the dragon - king the ebb - jewel ( kan - ja ) and the flood - jewel ( man - ja ), by which she was able, on at least one important occasion, to control the tides ; they are described in the nihongi as about five sun long, the former white and the latter blue - - the colour of the east, whence rain comes ; and the moon is controller of the oceanic tides! japanese legends relating to this matter, as briefly given by joly, in his elaborate work on the legendary art of japan, are connected with the mythical character riujin, the ruler of the waters of the globe, whose home is beneath the sea, or in deep lakes, and who is represented as a very old


in his elaborate work on the legendary art of japan, are connected with the mythical character riujin, the ruler of the waters of the globe, whose home is beneath the sea, or in deep lakes, and who is represented as a very old man bearing a coiled dragon on his head or back. riujin carries the divine jewel tama, esteemed as a symbol of purity and usually shown in japan on the forehead of the dragon ; also the jewels of the flowing and the retreating tides, which he gave to jingo - kogo, hikohodermi, and others. in representations of hendaka sonja, one of the worshipful sixteen arhats, special disciples of buddha, " he is generally shown, " joly tells us, " with a bowl from which issues a dragon or a rain - cloud. he holds the bowl aloft with his left hand and with his right carries the sacred gem. sometimes he is shown seated on a rock, the dragon occasionally aside, and crouching to reach the tama. " another legend relates that riujin once captured from the chinese queen, the daughter of kamatari, a most precious jewel, which later was recovered from riujin by a fisher - girl, wife of kamatari, who went to the dragon ' s submarine palace and got possession of the gem. she immediately stabbed her breast and hid the jewel in the wound, then floated to the surface and was found by kamatari, the jewel guiding him to her by the dazzling light it shed from the concealing wound that became fatal to the heroine. such stories are logical if the ' jewel ' ( tama, pearl ) is identified with the moon. now it may well be asked : how is it that, granting the fondness of dragons for gems and the identity of the several gems and jewels mentioned in myths and ceremonies, they all trace back in significance to the pearl? well, the pearl is an excellent image in miniature of the full moon ; it, like the moon, represents water, and is a part of the history of the sea and sea - wanderings. hence pearls were regarded as in the special possession of the sea - gods and water - spirits ; and these beings were often pictured in forms far more fishy, or crocodilian, or shark - like, than were the terrestrial, serpentine dragons. but japanese mythology includes also an earthquake - fish ( namazu ) like an eel, with a long, attenuated head and long


##y, or crocodilian, or shark - like, than were the terrestrial, serpentine dragons. but japanese mythology includes also an earthquake - fish ( namazu ) like an eel, with a long, attenuated head and long feelers on both sides of the mouth, which stirs about underground, thus causing earthquakes. " the cultural drift from west to east, along the south coast of india, " dr. smith reminds us, " was effected mainly by sailors who were searching for pearls. sharks constituted the special dangers the divers had to incur in exploiting pearlbeds to obtain the precious ' giver of life. ' but at the time these great enterprises were undertaken in the indian ocean the people dwelling in the neighbourhood of the chief pearlbeds regarded the sea as the great source of all life - giving, and the god who exercised these powers was incarnated in a fish ( ancestor of dagon ). the sharks therefore had to be brought into this scheme, and they were rationalized as the guardians of the storehouse of life - giving pearls at the bottom of the sea.... out of these crude materials the imaginations of the early pearl - fishers created the picture of wonderful submarine palaces of naga kings in which vast wealth, not merely of pearls but also of gold, precious stones, and beautiful maidens, were placed under the protection of shark - dragons. "


in jena, graph is an interface. it abstracts anything that looks like rdf - storage options, inference, other legacy data sources. the main operations are addition, there are a number of getters to access handlers of various features ( query, statistics, reification, bulk update, event manager ). having handlers, rather than directly including all the operations for each feature reduces the size of the interface and makes it easier to provide default implementations of each feature. implementing a graph rarely needs to directly implement the interface. more usually, an implementation starts by inheriting from the class graphbase. a minimal ( read - only ) implementation just needs to implement wrapping legacy data often only makes sense as a read - only graph. to provide update operations, just implement the methods which are the methods called from the base implementations of then for testing with junit, inherit from abstractgraphtest ( override tests that don ' t make sense in a particular circumstance ) and provide the getgraph operation to generate a graph instance to test. where the graph level is minimal and symmetric ( e. g. literal as subjects, inclusion of named variables ) for easy implementation, the rdf api enforces the rdf conditions and provides a wide variety of convenience operations so writing a program can be succinct, not requiring the application writer to write unnecessary boilerplate code sequences. the ontology api does the same for owl. if you look at the javadoc, you ' ll see the apis are large but the system level interface is small. a graph is turned into a model by calling modelfactory. createmodelforgraph ( graph ). all the key application apis are interface - based although it ' s rarely needed to do anything other that use the standard model - graph bridge. data access to the graph all goes via find. all the read operations of application apis, directly or indirectly, come down to calling graph. find or a graph query handler. and the default graph query handler works by calling graph. find, so once find is implemented everything ( read - only ) works. arq ' s query api, which includes a sparql implementation, included. it may not be the most efficient way but importantly all functionality is available and so the graph implementer can quickly get a first implementation up and running, then decide where and when to spend further development time - or whether that ' s needed at all. an example of this is a prototype jena - mulgara bridge ( work in progress as of jan ' 08


get a first implementation up and running, then decide where and when to spend further development time - or whether that ' s needed at all. an example of this is a prototype jena - mulgara bridge ( work in progress as of jan ' 08 ). this maps the graph api to a mulgara session object, which can be a local mulgara database or a remote mulgara server. the prototype is a single class together with a set of factory operations for more convenient creation of a bridge graph wrapped in all jena ' s apis. implementing graph nodes, for iris and for literals is straight forward. mulgara uses jrdf to represent these nodes and to represent triples. mapping to and from jena versions of the same is just the change in naming. blank nodes are more interesting. a blank node in jena has an internal label ( which is not a uri in disguise ). when working at the lowest level of graph, the code is manipulating things at a concrete, syntactic level. a blank node in mulgara has an internal id but it can change. it really is the internal node index as i found out by creating a blank node with id = 1 and found it turned into rdf : type which was what was really at node slot 1. paul has been ( patiently! ) explaining this to me on a mulgara mailing list. the session interface is an interface onto the rdf data, not an interface to extend the graph details to the client. both approaches are valid - it ' s just different levels of abstraction. if the jena application is careful about blank nodes ( not assuming they are stable across transactions, and not deleting all triples involving some blank node, then creating triples involving that blank node ) then it all works out. the most important case of reading data within a transaction is safe. bulk loading is better down via the native mulgara interfaces anyway. the jena - mulgara bridge enables a jena application to access a mulgara server through the same interfaces as any other rdf data.


youth apprenticeship program the wisconsin youth apprenticeship program began with passage of 1993 wisconsin act 16 ( the 1993 - 1995 biennial budget ) which appropriated funds to the department of workforce development ( then known as the department of industry, labor and human relations ) to support : an office of workforce excellence, career counseling and information centers for youth, youth apprenticeship training grants, youth apprenticeship curriculum grants and youth apprenticeship administration and program approval authority within the department. this legislation was developed in collaboration with the department of public instruction, the department of workforce development and the wisconsin technical college system. the program was loosely fashioned after the european apprenticeship concept, particularly the german model, which required intensive and long - term employer - sponsored, industry - focused training, the completion of competency - based technical courses plus the additional coursework necessary for high school graduation. the youth apprenticeship program was a critical component of the state ' s school - to - work planning and implementation initiatives in 1993 and 1994. in addition, the federal school - to - work opportunities act of 1994 provided funds to the state to initiate the development of local school - to - work programs begun in partnership with business, labor, secondary and postsecondary education agencies and local government and community organizations. wisconsin act 9, the 1999 - 2001 wisconsin state budget, created the seventeen - member governor ' s work - based learning board to administer and coordinate existing and new work - based learning programs for youth including the youth apprenticeship program. the board is an independent body, attached to the department of workforce development for administrative purposes. some of the roles of the board as they relate to the youth apprenticeship program are : · establishing guidelines and standards for the program. · issuing requests for proposals to distribute funding. · working with trade and industry and labor leaders to develop new youth apprenticeship areas. · approving the statewide curricula for youth apprenticeship programs. · monitoring and providing technical assistance to local programs. · issuing certificates to youth apprentices who successfully complete the program. the standard youth apprenticeship model is a two - year program for high school juniors and seniors requiring a minimum of 900 hours of work experience and four semesters of related classroom instruction based on statewide, industry - developed skill standards, using a state - developed curriculum. the program integrates school - based and work - based learning to provide the student with academic and technical skills leading to a high school diploma and a certificate of occupational proficiency issued by the governor ' s work - based learning board. the youth apprenticeship program prepares students to enter the work force directly after high school graduation, to begin a formal apprenticeship program


text : : unicodebox : : text - objects to describe text rendering this module is part of the low level interface to text : : unicodebox ; you probably don ' t need to use it directly. the string representation of the text. how many characters wide the text represents when rendered on the screen. the following methods are exportable by name or by the tag ' : all ' given the passed text, figures out the a smart value for the length field and returns a new instance. my $ text = box _ string ( ' test ' ) ; $ text - > align _ and _ pad ( 8 ) ; # is the same as # $ text - > align _ and _ pad ( width = > 8, pad = > 1, pad _ char = > ' ', align = > ' left ' ) ; $ text - > value eq ' test ' ; modify the value of this object to pad and align the text according to the specification. pass any of the following parameters : defaults to the object ' s length. specifies how wide of a space the string is to be fit in. doesn ' t make sense for this value to smaller then the width of the string. if you pass only one parameter to align _ and _ pad, this is the parameter it ' s assigned to. if the string looks like a number, the align default to ' right ' ; otherwise, ' left '. how much padding on the right and left what character to use for padding returns the value of this object. return array of objects of this string split into new strings on the newline character provides the count of return the length of the longest line in my @ segments = $ obj - > split ( max _ width = > 100, break _ words = > 1 ) ; return array of objects of this string split at the max width given. if break _ words = > 1, break anywhere, otherwise only break on the space character. copyright ( c ) 2012 eric waters and shutterstock images ( http : / / shutterstock. com ). all rights reserved. this program is free software ; you can redistribute it and / or modify it under the same terms as perl itself. the full text of the license can be found in the license file included with this module. eric waters < email @ example. com >


enter hamlet and horatio. full summary 3 remember it, my lord? 4 sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting, 5 that would not let me sleep : methought i lay 6 worse than the mutines in the bilboes. rashly 7 and praised be rashness for itlet us know, 8 our indiscretion sometimes serves us well, 9 when our deep plots do pall : and that should learn us 10 there ' s a divinity that shapes our ends, 11 rough - hew them how we will 11 that is most certain. 12 up from my cabin, 13 my sea - gown scarf ' d about me, in the dark 14 groped i to find out them ; had my desire. 15 finger ' d their packet, and in fine withdrew 16 to mine own room again ; making so bold, 17 my fears forgetting manners, to unseal 18 their grand commission ; where i found, horatio 19 o royal knavery! an exact command, 20 larded with many several sorts of reasons 21 importing denmark ' s health and england ' s too, 22 with, ho! such bugs and goblins in my life, 23 that, on the supervise, no leisure bated, 24 no, not to stay the grinding of the axe, 25 my head should be struck off. 25 is ' t possible? 28 i beseech you. 29 being thus be - netted round with villanies 30 or i could make a prologue to my brains, 31 they had begun the playi sat me down, 32 devised a new commission, wrote it fair : 33 i once did hold it, as our statists do, 34 a baseness to write fair and labour ' d much 35 how to forget that learning, but, sir, now 36 it did me yeoman ' s service : wilt thou know 37 the effect of what i wrote? 37 ay, good my lord. 38 an earnest conjuration from the king, 39 as england was his faithful tributary, 40 as love between them like the palm might flourish, 41 as peace should still her wheaten garland wear 42 and stand a comma ' tween their amities, 43 and many such - like ' as ' es of great charge, 44 that, on the view and knowing of these contents, 45 without debatement further, more or less, 46 he should the bearers put to sudden death, 47 not shriving - time allow ' d. 47 how was this seal '


, 44 that, on the view and knowing of these contents, 45 without debatement further, more or less, 46 he should the bearers put to sudden death, 47 not shriving - time allow ' d. 47 how was this seal ' d? 48 why, even in that was heaven ordinant. 49 i had my father ' s signet in my purse, 50 which was the model of that danish seal ; 51 folded the writ up in form of the other, 52 subscrib ' d it, gave ' t the impression, placed it safely, 53 the changeling never known. now, the next day 54 was our sea - fight ; and what to this was sequent 55 thou know ' st already. 56 so guildenstern and rosencrantz go to ' t. 57 why, man, they did make love to this employment ; 58 they are not near my conscience ; their defeat 59 does by their own insinuation grow : 60 ' tis dangerous when the baser nature comes 61 between the pass and fell incensed points 62 of mighty opposites. 62 why, what a king is this! 63 does it not, think ' st thee, stand me now upon 64 he that hath kill ' d my king and whored my mother, 65 popp ' d in between the election and my hopes, 66 thrown out his angle for my proper life, 67 and with such cozenageis ' t not perfect conscience, 68 to quit him with this arm? and is ' t not to be damn ' d, 69 to let this canker of our nature come 70 in further evil? 73 it will be short : the interim is mine ; 74 and a man ' s life ' s no more than to say " one. " 75 but i am very sorry, good horatio, 76 that to laertes i forgot myself ; 77 for, by the image of my cause, i see 78 the portraiture of his : i ' ll court his favours. 79 but, sure, the bravery of his grief did put me 80 into a towering passion. 80 peace, who comes here? 81 your lordship is right welcome back to denmark. 82 i humbly thank you, sir. dost know this water - fly? 83 no, my good lord. 84 thy state is the more gracious ; for ' tis a vice to 85 know him. he hath much land, and fertile : let a 86 beast be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand


83 no, my good lord. 84 thy state is the more gracious ; for ' tis a vice to 85 know him. he hath much land, and fertile : let a 86 beast be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand at 87 the king ' s mess : ' tis a chough ; but, as i say, 88 spacious in the possession of dirt. 94 i thank your lordship, it is very hot. 97 it is indifferent cold, my lord, indeed. 100 exceedingly, my lord ; it is very sultryas 101 ' twerei cannot tell how. but, my lord, his 102 majesty bade me signify to you that he has laid a 103 great wager on your head : sir, this is the matter 104 i beseech you, remember 105 nay, good my lord ; for my ease, in good faith. 106 sir, here is newly come to court laertes ; believe 107 me, an absolute gentleman, full of most excellent 108 differences, of very soft society and great showing : 109 indeed, to speak feelingly of him, he is the card or 110 calendar of gentry, for you shall find in him the 111 continent of what part a gentleman would see. 112 sir, his definement suffers no perdition in you ; 113 though, i know, to divide him inventorially would 114 dozy the arithmetic of memory, and yet but yaw 115 neither, in respect of his quick sail. but, in the 116 verity of extolment, i take him to be a soul of 117 great article ; and his infusion of such dearth and 118 rareness, as, to make true diction of him, his 119 semblable is his mirror ; and who else would trace 120 him, his umbrage, nothing more. 121 your lordship speaks most infallibly of him. 129 of laertes? 132 of him, sir. 133 i know you are not ignorant 144 what ' s his weapon? 145 rapier and dagger. 146 that ' s two of his weapons : but, well. 147 the king, sir, hath wagered with him six barbary 148 horses : against the which he has impawn ' d, as i take 149 it, six french rapiers and poniards, with their 150 assigns, as girdle, hangers, and so : three of the 151 carriages, in faith, are very dear to fancy, very 152 responsive to the hilt


take 149 it, six french rapiers and poniards, with their 150 assigns, as girdle, hangers, and so : three of the 151 carriages, in faith, are very dear to fancy, very 152 responsive to the hilts, most delicate carriages, 153 and of very liberal conceit. 154 what call you the carriages? 157 the carriages, sir, are the hangers. 158 the phrase would be more german to the matter, 159 if we could carry cannon by our sides : i would 160 it might be hangers till then. but, on : six barbary 161 horses against six french swords, their assigns, 162 and three liberal - conceited carriages ; that ' s the 163 french bet against the danish. why is this " impawn ' d, " 164 as you call it? 165 the king, sir, hath laid, that in a dozen passes 166 between yourself and him, he shall not exceed you 167 three hits : he hath laid on twelve for nine ; and it 168 would come to immediate trial, if your lordship 169 would vouchsafe the answer. 170 how if i answer " no "? 173 sir, i will walk here in the hall : if it please his 174 majesty, ' tis the breathing time of day with me. 175 let the foils be brought, the gentleman willing, 176 and the king hold his purpose, i will win for him 177 an i can ; if not, i will gain nothing but my shame 178 and the odd hits. 179 shall i re - deliver you e ' en so? 182 i commend my duty to your lordship. 187 ' a did comply, sir, with his dug, before ' a sucked it. 188 thus has heand many more of the same breed 189 that i know the drossy age dotes ononly got the 190 tune of the time and, out of an habit of encounter, 191 a kind of yesty collection, which carries them 192 through and through the most fann ' d and winnow ' d 193 opinions ; and do but blow them to their trial, 194 the bubbles are out. 195 my lord, his majesty commended him to you by 196 young osric, who brings back to him that you attend 197 him in the hall : he sends to know if your pleasure 198 hold to play with laertes, or that you will take longer 204 the king and queen and all are coming down. 205 in happy time. 208 she well ins


you attend 197 him in the hall : he sends to know if your pleasure 198 hold to play with laertes, or that you will take longer 204 the king and queen and all are coming down. 205 in happy time. 208 she well instructs me. 209 you will lose, my lord. 210 i do not think so : since he went into france, i 211 have been in continual practice : i shall win at the 212 odds. but thou wouldst not think how ill all ' s here 213 about my heart : but it is no matter. 214 nay, good my lord 219 not a whit, we defy augury : there ' s a special 220 providence in the fall of a sparrow. if it be now, 221 ' tis not to come ; if it be not to come, it will be 222 now ; if it be not now, yet it will come. the 223 readiness is all. since no man of aught he leaves knows 224 what is ' t to leave betimes, let be. 225 come, hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. 226 give me your pardon, sir : i ' ve done you wrong ; 227 but pardon ' t, as you are a gentleman. 228 this presence knows, 229 and you must needs have heard, how i am punish ' d 230 with a sore distraction. what i have done, 231 that might your nature, honour and exception 232 roughly awake, i here proclaim was madness. 233 was ' t hamlet wrong ' d laertes? never hamlet : 234 if hamlet from himself be ta ' en away, 235 and when he ' s not himself does wrong laertes, 236 then hamlet does it not, hamlet denies it. 237 who does it, then? his madness : if ' t be so, 238 hamlet is of the faction that is wrong ' d ; 239 his madness is poor hamlet ' s enemy. 240 sir, in this audience, 241 let my disclaiming from a purposed evil 242 free me so far in your most generous thoughts, 243 that i have shot mine arrow o ' er the house, 244 and hurt my brother. 244 i am satisfied in nature, 245 whose motive, in this case, should stir me most 246 to my revenge : but in my terms of honour 247 i stand aloof ; and will no reconcilement, 248 till by some elder masters, of known honour, 249 i have a voice and precedent of peace, 250 to keep my name ungored. but


: but in my terms of honour 247 i stand aloof ; and will no reconcilement, 248 till by some elder masters, of known honour, 249 i have a voice and precedent of peace, 250 to keep my name ungored. but till that time, 251 i do receive your offer ' d love like love, 252 and will not wrong it. 254 come, one for me. 257 you mock me, sir. 258 no, by this hand. 264 this is too heavy, let me see another. 265 this likes me well. these foils have all a length? 266 ay, my good lord. 267 set me the stoups of wine upon that table. 268 if hamlet give the first or second hit, 269 or quit in answer of the third exchange, 270 let all the battlements their ordnance fire : 271 the king shall drink to hamlet ' s better breath ; 272 and in the cup an union shall he throw, 273 richer than that which four successive kings 274 in denmark ' s crown have worn. give me the cups ; 275 and let the kettle to the trumpet speak, 276 the trumpet to the cannoneer without, 277 the cannons to the heavens, the heavens to earth, 278 " now the king drinks to hamlet. " come, begin : 279 and you, the judges, bear a wary eye. 280 come on, sir. 280 come, my lord. 281 a hit, a very palpable hit. 281 well ; again. 282 stay ; give me drink. hamlet, this pearl is thine ; 283 here ' s to thy health. give him the cup. * * * drum, trumpets [ sound a ] flourish. a piece 284 i ' ll play this bout first ; set it by awhile. come. 285 another hit ; what say you? 286 a touch, a touch, i do confess. 287 our son shall win. 290 good madam! 290 gertrude, do not drink. 291 i will, my lord ; i pray you, pardon me. 292 it is the poison ' d cup : it is too late. 293 i dare not drink yet, madam ; by and by. 294 come, let me wipe thy face. 295 my lord, i ' ll hit him now. 295 i do not think ' t. 296 and yet ' tis almost ' gainst my conscience. 300 say you so? come on. 301 nothing, neither way. 302 have at you now! 302 part them ; they are incensed. 303 nay, come, again. 303


. 296 and yet ' tis almost ' gainst my conscience. 300 say you so? come on. 301 nothing, neither way. 302 have at you now! 302 part them ; they are incensed. 303 nay, come, again. 303 look to the queen there, ho! 304 they bleed on both sides. how is it, my lord? 305 how is ' t, laertes? 308 how does the queen? 308 she swoons to see them bleed. 313 it is here, hamlet : hamlet, thou art slain ; 314 no medicine in the world can do thee good ; 315 in thee there is not half an hour of life ; 316 the treacherous instrument is in thy hand, 317 unbated and envenom ' d : the foul practise 318 hath turn ' d itself on me. lo, here i lie, 319 never to rise again : thy mother ' s poison ' d : 320 i can no more : the king, the king ' s to blame. 323 treason! treason! 324 o, yet defend me, friends ; i am but hurt. 327 follow my mother. 332 heaven make thee free of it! i follow thee. 333 i am dead, horatio. wretched queen, adieu! 334 you that look pale and tremble at this chance, 335 that are but mutes or audience to this act, 336 had i but timeas this fell sergeant, death, 337 is strict in his arresto, i could tell you 338 but let it be. horatio, i am dead ; 339 thou livest. report me and my cause aright 340 to the unsatisfied. 342 as thou ' rt a man, 343 give me the cup : let go ; by heaven, i ' ll have ' t. 344 o good horatio, what a wounded name, 345 things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me! 346 if thou didst ever hold me in thy heart 347 absent thee from felicity awhile, 348 and in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, 349 to tell my story. 349 what warlike noise is this? 352 o, i die, horatio ; 353 the potent poison quite o ' er - crows my spirit : 354 i cannot live to hear the news from england ; 355 but i do prophesy the election lights 356 on fortinbras : he has my dying voice ; 357 so tell him, with the occurrents, more and less, 358 which have solicited. the rest


england ; 355 but i do prophesy the election lights 356 on fortinbras : he has my dying voice ; 357 so tell him, with the occurrents, more and less, 358 which have solicited. the rest is silence. 361 why does the drum come hither? 362 where is this sight? 367 the sight is dismal ; 368 and our affairs from england come too late : 369 the ears are senseless that should give us hearing, 370 to tell him his commandment is fulfill ' d, 371 that rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead : 372 where should we have our thanks? 372 not from his mouth, 373 had it the ability of life to thank you : 374 he never gave commandment for their death. 375 but since, so jump upon this bloody question, 376 you from the polack wars, and you from england, 377 are here arriv ' d, give order that these bodies 378 high on a stage be placed to the view ; 379 and let me speak to the yet unknowing world 380 how these things came about. so shall you hear 381 of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts, 382 of accidental judgments, casual slaughters, 383 of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause, 384 and, in this upshot, purposes mistook 385 fall ' n on th ' inventors ' heads : all this can i 386 truly deliver. 386 let us haste to hear it, 387 and call the noblest to the audience. 388 for me, with sorrow i embrace my fortune : 389 i have some rights of memory in this kingdom, 390 which now to claim my vantage doth invite me. 391 of that i shall have also cause to speak, 392 and from his mouth whose voice will draw on more ; 393 but let this same be presently perform ' d, 394 even while men ' s minds are wild ; lest more mischance 395 on plots and errors, happen. 395 let four captains 396 bear hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage ; 397 for he was likely, had he been put on, 398 to have prov ' d most royal : and, for his passage, 399 the soldiers ' music and the rites of war 400 speak loudly for him. 401 take up the bodies : such a sight as this 402 becomes the field, but here shows much


the u. s. military is embracing alternative energy — but not because of climate change. up to half of the yearly american casualties in iraq and afghanistan have been incurred guarding fuel convoys, and the pentagon will no longer tolerate oil ' s " burden in blood. " by edward humes the marines of india company harbored grave doubts about the experimental solar - power gear they were ordered to tote from their beachside base at camp pendleton to the grimmest, toughest war zone of afghanistan. they arrived far more interested in armor to protect them while they patrolled the " fish tank, " a booby trap - laden settlement next to their base, than in thin - film photovoltaics that might protect the planet from their carbon bootprint. india company had encountered up to 15 roadside bombs a day, and individual platoon casualty rates had run as high as 25 percent killed or wounded. tree hugging didn ' t seem like much of a survival skill in a place where a single false step could cost your legs — or worse. " i was a skeptic, " gunnery sergeant willy carrion says, in comments passed on from afghanistan by military officials. " as marines, we do not always like change. i expected [ the solar gear ] to be a burden. " but then they put it to the test. the portable solar generators and battery packs that powered the marines ' lights, radios, and computers day and night ran quietly, coolly, and cleanly, unlike the loud, cranky, jet - fuel - sucking generators they normally used. camp jackson, india company ' s forward operating base, went from a noisy, easy target for insurgents roaming the night to a silent, stealthy, safer outpost. the 20 to 25 gallons of fuel it previously took to power a platoon each day suddenly lasted more than a week — which meant fewer fuel convoys, with their notoriously high casualty rates ; fewer collisions with roadside improvised explosive devices ( ieds ), and fewer marines assigned to convoy duty instead of their primary mission. portable solar chargers allowed marine patrols to spend weeks away from their camp jackson stronghold in the taliban - infested sangin district of helmand province without needing to lug extra batteries for their radios and other devices. this is no small matter : a modern infantry soldier may have to carry five pounds of batteries a day in the field. the heavy load displaces ammunition and demands regular replenishment missions that are as dangerous as fuel convoys. fold - up solar chargers eliminated all that, according to first lieutenant


may have to carry five pounds of batteries a day in the field. the heavy load displaces ammunition and demands regular replenishment missions that are as dangerous as fuel convoys. fold - up solar chargers eliminated all that, according to first lieutenant josef patterson, an india company platoon commander. one set of batteries for each device lasted three weeks. " if i do not have a radio, i ' m lost, " patterson explains. " so that was huge. i ' m completely sold. " india company is now the greenest fighting unit in the u. s. military. its battle - tested package of solar gadgets — collectively dubbed the exfob ( experimental forward operating base ) by the acronym - loving military — has been a hit with the troops on the ground. most of the fuel consumed in a combat zone powers electric generators, not vehicles, which makes solar a perfect alternative. the best evidence of this : other units are clamoring for the same gear. india company has become the model for a leaner, meaner, lower - carbon fighting force. video : sierra writer edward humes discusses the greening of the u. s. military. " the time we have saved on convoys has been crucial, " carrion says. " we all see how important renewable energy is. every infantry battalion should have the exfob. " the department of defense uses more petroleum ( and energy ) than any other organization on the planet — $ 13 billion to $ 18 billion worth a year, depending on who does the math. that accounts for more than 80 percent of the federal government ' s energy tab. but after years of resistance, gunnery sergeant carrion ' s suggestion is now pentagon policy. the u. s. military, despite being stretched thin by eight years and a trillion - plus dollars spent in iraq, afghanistan, and now libya, is taking on another controversial, long - term mission : to defend america without depending on oil. the pride of the navy is no longer the iconic nimitz - class nuclear - powered floating airfield or the deadly aegis missile destroyer with gas - turbine engines that suck 34 gallons of fuel a minute. now it ' s the nimble, multipurpose amphibious assault ship uss makin island, an electric hybrid that can carry an entire marine expeditionary unit, complete with tanks and aircraft, while using 60 percent less fossil fuel than its predecessors. meanwhile, spurred on by glowing reports from india company, the marine corps is equipping other units with the exfob and testing a


entire marine expeditionary unit, complete with tanks and aircraft, while using 60 percent less fossil fuel than its predecessors. meanwhile, spurred on by glowing reports from india company, the marine corps is equipping other units with the exfob and testing a new round of green battle gear at its desert training facility in twentynine palms, california, including a renewable - energy water - purification system intended to reduce the dangerous trucking of bottled water. the army is pursuing an aggressive " net zero " goal for its permanent bases worldwide, balancing production and consumption of energy, water, and waste so that they total out to zero. plans have been approved for dozens of solar - power installations at bases around the world, and testing is ongoing for combat technologies such as an electric hybrid dune buggy for special forces, mobile factories that turn battle - zone waste into renewable fuel, and portable hybrid generators and smart " microgrids " that provide instant green power for far - flung outposts. the air force, the military ' s biggest oil hog, is certifying fighters, bombers, and cargo jets to run on a mix that ' s 50 percent lower - carbon renewable biofuels. once - cutting - edge stealth engineering is now old hat ; the sexy new topic in aviation tech is fuel - producing algae. tanks and jeeps — not to mention military garbage trucks and the 164, 000 other noncombat vehicles that service military bases — are next in line for biofuels and hybridization. military officials are quick to make clear that this effort has nothing to do with political correctness, saving endangered species, or even slowing the global warming caused by the military ' s 300, 000 - barrels - a - day oil habit. " it ' s about cost. it ' s about national security. and it ' s about the burden in blood, " says bill browning, a member of the defense science board ' s energy task force ( now disbanded ) and a founder of the environmental consulting group terrapin bright green. he points to a simple, terrible statistic concerning iraq and afghanistan : " half the casualties in these conflicts have been fuel - convoy related. " in 2007, one out of every 24 fuel convoys in afghanistan, and one out of 38 in iraq, led to a military fatality, according to an army study examining the link between casualties and energy. the 6, 000 fuel convoys that year imposed such a huge cost in lives, manpower, and money that the pentagon could no longer ignore it, browning says. " we call them convoys,


to an army study examining the link between casualties and energy. the 6, 000 fuel convoys that year imposed such a huge cost in lives, manpower, and money that the pentagon could no longer ignore it, browning says. " we call them convoys, but we might as well call them targets, " says james valdes, an army scientific adviser and designer of a prototype trash - to - energy system for combat zones. adds paul skalny, director of the army ' s national automotive center in detroit, " this is the number that matters : for every 1 percent of fuel we don ' t have to burn, 6, 444 fewer soldiers have to be involved in convoy operations. and those are sons and daughters and husbands and wives who get to go home to their families someday. " in addition to mortality statistics are some grim budgetary realities. getting fuel to combat troops in afghanistan costs between $ 25 and $ 50 a gallon, and sometimes as much as $ 400. even at the most peaceful outpost, it ' s never lower than $ 14 a gallon. says tom hicks, the navy ' s first deputy assistant secretary for energy ( a post that didn ' t exist until last year ) : " we ' ve realized that the best barrel of oil is the one we don ' t use. " hicks ' s boss, navy secretary ray mabus, is among the most vocal of the military ' s energy hawks. the former mississippi governor publicly decries oil dependence for making our country and military " far too vulnerable. " mabus promises a " great green fleet " powered by renewable energy, starting with a carrier strike group to be demonstrated next year, and a navy - wide conversion to 50 percent oil - free energy on land, at sea, and in the air by 2020, with a mix of solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel, and nuclear power. this is a tall order, given that between the navy and the marines under his command, mabus ' s empire includes 290 ships ; 3, 700 jets, planes, and helicopters ; 50, 000 vehicles ; and more than 72, 500 buildings. how can mabus get away with such a commitment in a bad economy and with a fractured congress threatening to pull the plug on environmental and energy initiatives? simple : just as president barack obama pushed renewables while avoiding the word " climate " in this year ' s state of the union address, mabus and other defense leaders downplay any connection between a sustainably powered military and fighting climate change. sharon burke, the new


president barack obama pushed renewables while avoiding the word " climate " in this year ' s state of the union address, mabus and other defense leaders downplay any connection between a sustainably powered military and fighting climate change. sharon burke, the new director of defense operational energy plans and programs — the closest thing to an energy czar that the pentagon has ever had — used this strategy when confronted during her confirmation hearings last fall by climate - change doubter - in - chief senator james inhofe. burke shrugged off his suggestion that she was making carbon reduction her priority, saying that her charge was to " improve the military ' s energy security " and make sure that the pentagon factors in the true cost of energy for its equipment, purchases, and operations. but she acknowledged, " they are linked together.... if we do it right, that will be one of the results, cutting greenhouse - gas emissions. but that ' s not the role of this job. " it turned out that talking about how a terrorist strike far smaller than 9 / 11 could cripple america ' s power grid ( and most of our military bases along with it ), and detailing the budget - busting specter of $ 400 - a - gallon fuel for military humvees that get as little as four miles per gallon, provided framing that even the most die - hard congressional climate skeptic could not easily dismiss. green power, the energy hawks insist, makes the military stronger. no less an authority than admiral mike mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, says, " energy security needs to be one of the first things we think about, before we deploy another soldier, before we build another ship or plane, and before we buy or fill another rucksack. " the traditional attitude about energy at the defense department, mullen admits, has been " burn it if you got it. " so its embrace of sustainability represents " a severe challenge, " says christine parthemore, a fellow at the center for new american security. but, parthemore points out, this is no more daunting than the navy ' s evolution from sail to coal to oil to nuclear. along the way, she says, the military helped lead worldwide energy changes by seeding and building markets for new technology — something the pentagon appears to be trying to do once more, this time for solar, biofuel, and other alternative energy sources. " dod is a huge energy consumer, " parthemore says. " doing this gets the


for new technology — something the pentagon appears to be trying to do once more, this time for solar, biofuel, and other alternative energy sources. " dod is a huge energy consumer, " parthemore says. " doing this gets the private sector up and running and innovating. " although the green push is coming from the military leadership and the white house now, not all of the military ' s planet - friendly projects have been the result of top - down policy changes. some have come from within the ranks — a base commander scrounging funds for a solar - power installation or seeking leadership in energy and environmental design ( leed ) certification for a new building. even the lauded hybrid ship makin island came as an afterthought. the seven earlier ships in its wasp class of amphibious assault vessels all burned petroleum to generate steam, a reliable but inefficient technology gradually being phased out. ship designers realized that maybe this eighth and last ship could take advantage of its electrical - generating capacity if they added a bank of electric motors. suddenly, the navy had a very big floating prius on its hands. instead of old - school steam boilers, the makin island has two 35, 000 - horsepower gas turbines that provide instant acceleration and speeds of up to a brisk 25 knots. but they ' re still gas guzzlers at low speeds, which is where a bank of 4, 000 - kilowatt diesel - electric generators and twin 5, 000 - horsepower electric motors comes in. with the flip of a switch, " we go from muscle car to hybrid, " chief aaron suarez says as he monitors the computerized graphical displays in the control center at the heart of the ship. " me, i like muscle cars, so i like the gas turbines. but you can ' t beat the mileage of the hybrid. " " the bottom line is, i can stay in the fight longer, " says captain james w. landers, the makin island ' s commander. " using a third of the fuel gives us enormous flexibility. " he points to several thick black rubber hoses running along the side of the ship and into the hull, tapping into its 2 - million - gallon fuel supply. " those are there because i can share when my sister ships run low on fuel. " designed to carry 800 marines in addition to its crew of up to 1, 000, the 847 - foot makin island is a rapid - response warship that resembles a small aircraft carrier. its landing deck,


sister ships run low on fuel. " designed to carry 800 marines in addition to its crew of up to 1, 000, the 847 - foot makin island is a rapid - response warship that resembles a small aircraft carrier. its landing deck, with its vertical takeoff and landing capability, accommodates helicopters, the tilt - rotor mv - 22 osprey, and the av - 8b harrier jet. the makin island runs all - electric at speeds of up to 12 knots — which it maintains during 70 percent of its time at sea. according to mabus, it saved $ 2 million in fuel costs on its maiden voyage alone, from its shipyard in mississippi to its homeport in san diego. the navy estimates that the $ 2. 5 billion ship should save more than $ 250 million in fuel costs over its lifetime. the ship also features an advanced reverse - osmosis desalination plant that uses no toxic chemicals, emits only salt, and has enough capacity to supply its needs and simultaneously bring freshwater to disaster areas. its excess electrical - generating capacity could also provide stricken communities with power for medical and rescue operations. still, landers points out, the makin island is not a green ship, only a step in the right direction : " we ' re still burning dead dinosaurs and making black smoke. just a lot less of it. " the next version of amphibious assault ships, the america class, which will debut next year, will incorporate the same hybrid engines, and the navy is planning to install the electric - drive system in new destroyers as well. ten new ships will be coming on line every year for the next five years, giving the navy a chance to gradually green the fleet and retire some of its worst oil hogs. mabus has talked about retrofitting some existing ships to become hybrids too, but for the most part, the navy is stuck with the ships it has now for the next 20 to 40 years. that ' s why the military considers biofuels such an important near - term strategy for green progress. the air force and the navy are taking the lead in developing biofuels for aircraft ( vehicles, ships, and generators are next in line ) from nonfood crops such as the camelina seed and algae. further out on the horizon may be jet fuel from the emerging " electrofuels " industry, which uses microbes and electrosynthesis, photosynthesis ' s more powerful cousin. the advanced research projects agency - energy and the energy department are throwing billions of research


horizon may be jet fuel from the emerging " electrofuels " industry, which uses microbes and electrosynthesis, photosynthesis ' s more powerful cousin. the advanced research projects agency - energy and the energy department are throwing billions of research dollars at electrofuels, which they consider one of the more promising paths to fossil fuel independence to develop in many years. in march, the air force alternative fuels certification division demonstrated that biofuel performs just as well as fossil fuels in the f - 22 raptor fighter jet. commercial airlines are even more eager to see the industry ramp up, says jeff braun, the division ' s chief, with several firm commitments to buy biofuel as soon as it is available in commercial quantities. for the military, braun notes, biofuels represent an energy " holy grail " : domestically controlled fuel that can be produced anywhere the military needs it. not everyone is convinced. the rand corporation recently criticized the military ' s plans for biofuel, predicting that it would remain a niche industry incapable of providing the volume that the military needs at a price that could compete with oil. the navy ' s hicks counters that military purchases of biofuel, as they move from tens of thousands of gallons to tens of millions, will drive innovation and bring down costs. he cites as precedent such military - turned - commercial products as night - vision goggles, gps devices, and even the internet, all of which started out as expensive niche defense technologies. in fact, says hicks, a former epa and u. s. green building council official who helped develop both the energy star program for buildings and the leed rating system, " from what we can see already, we expect cost parity with petroleum by 2016. " many obstacles stand in the way of the military ' s big green goals, starting with the fact that most military housing and many other defense department buildings lack electrical meters — making it difficult to weed out inefficiencies. the armed services have recently been on a crash course to install " smart meters " but are still barely halfway there. an even greater energy and security concern is that almost all military bases — even those with solar or geothermal power plants attached — are dependent on the commercial grid for power. in the world war ii era, most bases generated their own power, but that capacity gave way to privatization, leaving most bases vulnerable to grid sabotage while also complicating plans to green military electricity. then there ' s the flagship 500 - megawatt solar project announced with


, most bases generated their own power, but that capacity gave way to privatization, leaving most bases vulnerable to grid sabotage while also complicating plans to green military electricity. then there ' s the flagship 500 - megawatt solar project announced with great fanfare two years ago for fort irwin, in the california desert. there ' s been little progress since the announcement because the military belatedly realized that the infrastructure doesn ' t exist to transmit that much renewable electricity from the base to the grid. an ambitious vehicle project called the clandestine extended - range vehicle ( cerv ) actually got built in prototype, but might stay there. it ' s a diesel - electric hybrid that offers a silent all - electric mode highly sought after by special forces units. the cerv was intended to become the model for a whole range of more - fuel - efficient combat vehicles, but funds dried up, and a decision on whether to move beyond the four prototypes was delayed until next year. an uncertain fate also awaits the army ' s promising tactical garbage to energy refinery ( tger ) system, a mobile garbage disposal and power generator that can eat 2, 000 of the 2, 500 pounds of waste that a 550 - soldier brigade produces each day in the field — from food scraps to ammo wrappers to plastic bottles. depending on its type, the refuse is turned into either a synthetic gas similar to propane or liquid ethanol, both of which are then combined into an aerosol that powers an electric generator. after successful field tests in iraq in 2008, the project has stalled for lack of funding. an even more fundamental hurdle facing the military ' s green mission is that despite the ambitious goals set by each branch, there is still no overarching strategy from the pentagon. the new defense energy leader, burke, is charged with crafting one ; she just returned from a long trip to afghanistan and iraq to research that strategy, which was due in may. meanwhile, her old colleague parthemore has coauthored a report recommending a straightforward, radical goal that would revolutionize the military and the industries that serve it : " to ready america ' s armed forces for tomorrow ' s challenges, dod should ensure that it can operate all of its systems on non - petroleum fuels by 2040. " the marines of india company in helmand province have less lofty but more immediate goals : more solar generators and battery chargers, and fast, says major sean sadlier, the marine ' s energy liaison officer. " every bit of relief matters to


creating a distributed wireless monitoring system for aircraft noise " during the hardware evaluation process, we decided to use ni products because of their high measurement quality, ruggedness, and reliability compared to lower cost sound - level meters. " - luis fernandez, national polytechnic institute developing an autonomous, distributed wireless monitoring system to measure aircraft noise levels and stream the data back for analysis at a control center. using ni labview software, the ni sound and vibration toolkit, and an ni usb - 9234 dynamic signal acquisition module ( dsa ) to acquire and analyze reliable, high - quality data from various aircraft. noise levels from heavy automobile and aircraft traffic during morning and evening rush hours in mexico city could potentially cause hearing loss. the committee of aerial transport has proposed a new aircraft classification system in which the aircraft operator would pay a fee based on noise production, not weight or aircraft type. as a result, we put together a novel computational model that not only measures noise production, but also identifies an aircraft based on the noise it generates. each node in our wireless monitoring system contains a half - inch prepolarized microphone, a data acquisition card that measures noise level, an industrial computer, and a wireless internet connection using wi - fi or 3g. each microphone is in a weatherproof case mounted 4 meters above the ground. the node measures noise levels every 30 seconds and streams the data back to the control center every 5 minutes. figure 1. distributed wireless monitoring system diagram identifying an aircraft based on the noise spectrum characteristics it generates is complicated in the real world because background noise, the weather, takeoff speed, and the aircraft ’ s load can interfere with analysis. recently, measurement equipment that uses neural networks to identify noise has appeared on the market, but it can only distinguish between jet aircrafts, propeller aircrafts, helicopters, and background noise. we decided to create a computational model to measure and interpret noise. using only the noise created during the 24 seconds after takeoff, our system can correctly identify the aircraft. using a wireless topology reduces costs and provides flexibility in setting up a monitoring system. each monitoring node is based on a headless industrial pc running windows xp with a wi - fi adapter and an ni usb - 9234. during the hardware evaluation process, we decided to use ni products because of their high measurement quality, ruggedness, and reliability compared to lower cost sound - level meters. even though each node is connected to the city ’ s electrical system, we use an uninterruptible power supply to prevent data loss. the node measures noise levels


, ruggedness, and reliability compared to lower cost sound - level meters. even though each node is connected to the city ’ s electrical system, we use an uninterruptible power supply to prevent data loss. the node measures noise levels every 30 seconds and the system can collect data locally for up to 14 days. the government plans to use our data to identify the times and locations in mexico city with the highest noise level, create noise maps, and implement regulatory actions to control the noise and promote a healthier environment for its citizens. our system can record traditional metrics used for road traffic noise, such as continuous equivalent sound level ( leq ), and it can also record fractional octave analysis and measure prominent tones. in addition, the system can transfer wav files to a central server to study transient signals that may trigger alarms, which helps identify isolated sound sources that interfere with accurate measurements. figure 2. noise patterns from two weeks in the city square mexico city. we originally planned to use the public wi - fi that the government installed in 2008, but some nodes had to be converted to a slower 3g system provided by a wireless carrier. although we can use speech and data services simultaneously on the 3g network, it has significantly slower data transfer rates. communicating via tcp / ip our control center has a static ip address. each node has a dynamic address assigned by a dhcp server. to simplify, the control center is similar to a server, and the nodes are similar to a client. the nodes attempt to open a tcp connection, and if the control center receives this connection request and the node ’ s validation key, it accepts the connection. figure 3. control center central server interface figure 4. signal analysis of audio that exceeds thresholds figure 5. noise level, time, and date, and amplitude measured in dba figure 6. 3d noise map displaying noise level, time, date, and amplitude below is the system block diagram we created for pattern generation and recognition. we considered takeoff noise a nonstationary transient signal because it starts and ends at a zero level and has a finite duration. as figure 8 shows, most of the signal ’ s energy is below 2 khz. in this case, we notice the background noise more strongly at the ends of the signal because the aircraft - generated noise masks it in the middle portion. figure 7. system block diagram for pttern generation and recognition figure 8. typical noise signal and spectrum of a boeng 747 taking off for all aircraft noise, we observed the


the signal because the aircraft - generated noise masks it in the middle portion. figure 7. system block diagram for pttern generation and recognition figure 8. typical noise signal and spectrum of a boeng 747 taking off for all aircraft noise, we observed the typical form of the amplitude spectrum from 0 to 5, 000 hz. we chose to use a sampling frequency of 11, 025 hz in order to reduce the number of samples taken in 24 seconds to 264, 600 samples. in other aircraft noise analyses, the recommended sampling frequency is 25 ks / s and d -, c - and a - weighting filters. reducing spectral resolution we decided to reduce the spectral resolution because the amplitude spectrum has 132, 300 harmonics, which would result in very complex processing. in addition, we were only interested in gathering data about the spectral form. we present the following hypotheses : - any method to reduce spectral resolution introduces a tolerance in the initial and final times within the measurement interval of aircraft noise. for example, a feedforward neural network is trained with one noise pattern, which was acquired from zero seconds from the aircraft takeoff until 24 seconds later. in run time, if the aircraft takeoff noise is acquired from 5 seconds until 24 seconds, this 5 second time displacement will have little effect on the spectral form if its spectral resolution has been reduced. - a median filter ( moving average filter ) creates a typical form of the aircraft ’ s takeoff noise spectrums. - the decimation of average spectrum, with a rate x, conserves the spectral form of an aircraft ’ s takeoff noises. our 10 - node system successfully measures the noise produced during takeoff by airplanes at the international airport of mexico. the system makes many different types of spectral analyses and obtains the most - used statistical indicators for noise measurement, expressed in db ( a ) or db ( c ). we can store the data collected by our system and later come back to perform more in - depth analysis. we can determine potential health risks from this noise, and gain an idea of how noise levels fluctuate throughout the day. in the future, we would like to measure the differences of the yield when applying this technique after segmenting the original signal. we also plan to test new parameters to create the neural network. explore the ni developer community discover and collaborate on the latest example code and tutorials with a worldwide community of engineers and scientists. who is national instruments? national instruments provides a graphical system design platform for test, control, and embedded design applications that is transforming the way engineers


the worst example of cruel fishing concerns sharks. shark fin soup, greatly esteemed in certain parts of asia, is now sadly also in fashion in some western countries. before ordering a bowl in some supposedly sophisticated restaurant, remember that it raises ethical questions on at least two fronts : • at the top of the food chain, this large predator plays a fundamental role in the equilibrium of the ecosystem in which it lives. if the number of sharks is greatly reduced, their prey will increase in numbers and put excessive pressure on the next level down in the food chain. this phenomenon is called a trophic cascade. fishing sharks has serious repercussions on their numbers because they reproduce at a very slow rate, and unlike other fish, they produce very few eggs. they simply should not be caught. • according to the international shark alliance coalition, the practice of “ finning ” is becoming very common to satisfy the demand for shark fins for soup : the sharks are hoisted aboard fishing boats, the prized fins are cut off and the rest of the shark is thrown back in the sea, often still alive. even in australia and other countries where finning is banned, the practice continues. don ’ t believe us? want some proof? watch this video. for more information, visit the shark alliance website.


day 12 of white history month : the imposition of colorism and colonial beauty standards on people of color this is a long post adapted from a longer essay which references a lot of studies so you might notice there ’ s no works cited, but if you really want it, send me an ask. related to racism and colonialism, colorism is the discrimination against darker skin and preference for lighter skin among people of color. colorism was created by european colonial standards. it was engineered by white people and white people continue to harm people of color with colorism in the media, workplace, and in their own minds. white people tend to be unaware of the nature of colorism because of the popularity of tanning. within mainstream white american culture, tanning has become a trend, leading many white people to be ignorant of how prized fair skin is. a preference for tanned ( white ) skin among white people does not negate colorism. tanned skin is a trend and is also tied to class and status ( time for leisure ) while in the past, tanned skin was linked to working outdoors. when white people are aware of colorism, they often try to portray it as a tragic phenomenon among people of color and not one that is the result of whiteness, racism, and colonialism. many people of color are also unaware of the true nature of colorism, as well ; some believe it to simply be a harmless “ feud ” between lighter and darker skinned people of color. this is not the case. while many light - skinned and white passing people of color may feel a disconnect from their racial identity due to their skin color, this does not negate the privilege they have. colorism is directly related to colonialism, showing tangible effects on people of color. communities of color are divided by skin color and given privilege based on their proximity to whiteness. racist colonial logic emerging from slavery associated blackness with savagery and ugliness, as opposed to whiteness which was associated with civilization and beauty. from this logic emerged features associated with whiteness – light eyes, straight / long hair, narrow nose, and thin lips – being considered good, while features associated with blackness – dark eyes, kinky / short hair, wider nose, and full lips – being considered bad. historically, during slavery, light - skinned black people were treated less violently by overseers, were more likely to be given household duties instead of more difficult work, had better living conditions, and had more possibilities for education and eventual manumission ( rockque


, during slavery, light - skinned black people were treated less violently by overseers, were more likely to be given household duties instead of more difficult work, had better living conditions, and had more possibilities for education and eventual manumission ( rockquemore and brunsma ). after slavery, lighter - skinned black people had more opportunities for prestige and success. hypodescent - the “ one - drop ” rule - meant that anyone with black ancestry would be considered black, no matter what their appearance was. light - skinned black people were encouraged to think highly of themselves and were literally “ valued ” at higher prices during slavery. those classified as “ mulatto ” were more likely to be freed ; mixed black people ( classified using the antiquated term “ mulatto ” ) made up 10 - 15 % of the total black population, but 37 % of all free black people. freed black people during slavery and those were well established after slavery tended to be light - skinned. paper bag tests were used in black communities to establish admission to social events, fraternities / sororities, and more, shutting out darker - skinned black americans from networking opportunities. noting that lighter skinned black people were more likely to successful, sociologist e. b. reuter ( 1918 ) noted that even some “ white blood ” would “ improve ” black people ( rather than the obvious fact that lighter skinned black people were treated better ). white colonizers created caste systems and categorizations deriving from this racist logic, and from it emerged the categories of quadroons, mestizos, and mullatoes. in the southwest united states, mexicans were more likely to receive united states citizenship if they had lighter skin or passed for white. colonizers in africa, the americas, and asia treated lighter skinned people with more “ european ” features better than those with medium or dark skin and indigenous features. people often try to absolve white people of responsibility for colorism that existed in asian societies before european colonial contact, but it was not racially - based. the concept of race itself is a european and western construction. lighter skin was a class marker just as in european societies - darker skin was linked to laboring in the sun rather than proximity to whiteness. even when lighter skin color was preferred, indigenous hair and eye color and facial features were previously the standard of beauty. effects today ( behind the cut ) one of the greatest transformations i see in the bible is seen in acts 20 : 26 when paul says


even when lighter skin color was preferred, indigenous hair and eye color and facial features were previously the standard of beauty. effects today ( behind the cut ) one of the greatest transformations i see in the bible is seen in acts 20 : 26 when paul says “ therefore i testify to you this day that i am innocent of the blood of all men ”. hold on, isn ’ t this the same man that murdered men and women of the christian faith a couple of years ago? the audacity to say that he is ‘ innocent of the blood of all men ’ can be seen as arrogant and insulting but looking deeper it shows how thoroughly he understood grace. on that road to damascus when he was changed, from saul to paul, that was it. all his sins, no matter how grievous they were, were abandoned, he became brand new. like creating a new username after deleting your internet history. now if paul can forgive himself in such a way, why can ’ t we? i came under a deep conviction today as i stepped into church. as we step into church, the moment we cross the door is when we abandon ourselves, drop our guilt, shame and sin. stepping into church is like diplomatic immunity. we come to worship and that is so profound. despite those things we drop at the door, we are allowed to worship. and we should do so wholeheartedly no matter what happened monday to saturday. we come to magnify god and that should make us smile. it makes me smile. thank you lord for your grace. uk office or usa office? / / not that i ’ ve ever watched either. the us! you have to watch it. oh my days. there hasn ’ t been a funnier show since friends. if there ’ s one thing that most fans of star trek will agree on, it ’ s the fact that gene roddenberry ’ s vision for the show — and, more optimistically, for human society — was predicated on the idea that all life is valuable, and that the worth of a person should not be judged by their appearance. much of this was done through the old sci - fi trope of using aliens to stand in for oppressed groups, but star trek didn ’ t rely on the metaphor ; it had characters who were part of the ensemble, important and beloved members of the enterprise crew, who were people of colour. it had background characters who were people of colour. and, here and there, it had anti - heroes and villains


metaphor ; it had characters who were part of the ensemble, important and beloved members of the enterprise crew, who were people of colour. it had background characters who were people of colour. and, here and there, it had anti - heroes and villains who were people of colour … one of whom, khan noonian singh, became well - nigh iconic. image 1 : “ who is your favorite villain? ” ; actor john cho ( lt sulu ) answers. image 2 : tos khan looking at a watercolor of himself. yes, he ’ s wearing a dastar ( sikh turban ) image 3 : cumberbatch and montalban ( as khan ) and who is now being played by white actor benedict cumberbatch in the new jj abrams reboot movie, star trek : into darkness. we ’ re all cynical and jaded enough to know the standard dismissal when it comes to matters of media representation : paramount pictures and most film studios are not interested in diversity or visibility, they only care about the bottom dollar. star trek as a franchise is too much of a juggernaut to affect with boycotts. there are too many people who love it, who love those characters and that world, and will go to see the movie. and for some of these people, this devotion to the idea of a future where even south and east asian men get to pilot a starship and love swashbuckling, where black women make lieutenant on the enterprise and actually get the boy, will be trivialized and eroded and whitewashed when the most formidable and complex star trek baddie becomes a white man named khan. it wasn ’ t perfect in the 60s when ricardo montalban was cast to play khan ( a character explicitly described in the episode script of space seed as being sikh, from the northern regions of india ). but considering all of the barriers to representation that roddenberry faced from the television networks, having a brown - skinned man play a brown character was a hard - won victory. it ’ s disappointing and demoralizing that with the commercial power of star trek in his hands, jj abrams chose not to honour the original spirit of the show, or the symbolic heft of the khan character, but to wield the whitewash brush for … what? the hopes that casting benedict cumberbatch would draw in a few more box office returns? it ’ s doubly disappointing when you consider that abrams was a creator of the television show lost, which had so many well - rounded and beloved


? the hopes that casting benedict cumberbatch would draw in a few more box office returns? it ’ s doubly disappointing when you consider that abrams was a creator of the television show lost, which had so many well - rounded and beloved characters of colour in it. add to this the secrecy prior to release around cumberbatch ’ s role in the film, and what seems like a casting move that would typically be defended by cries of “ best actor for the job, not racism ” becomes something more cunning, more malicious. yes, the obfuscation creates intrigue around and interest in the role, but it also prevents advocacy groups like racebending. com from building campaigns to protest the whitewashing. this happened with the character of the mandarin in iron man 3, as well as ‘ miranda tate ’ in the dark knight rises, who ended up being talia al ghul but played by french actress marion cotillard. this practice is well in effect in hollywood ; and after the negative press that was generated by angry anti - oppression activists and fans when paramount had the last airbender in the works, studios are wising up. they don ’ t want their racist practices to be called out, pointed at, and exposed before their movies are released — airbender proved that these protests create enough bad feeling to affect their bottom line. so the studio has now found a way to keep it secret and underhanded. racebending. com was there for most of the production of the last airbender, and were even able to correspond with paramount pictures about it. this time, for star trek : into darkness, their hiding and opaque practices has managed to silence media watchdogs until the movie ’ s premiere. as i said, this racist whitewashing of the character of khan won ’ t affect how much money this trek movie makes. and i ’ m happy that the franchise is popular, still popular enough to warrant not only a big - budget reboot with fantastic actors but also a sequel with that cast. i ’ m happy that actors i enjoy like zoe saldana and john cho are playing characters who mean so much to me, and that they, in respect for the groundbreaking contributions by nichelle nichols and george takei in these roles, have paid homage to that past. but all of that will be marred by having my own skin edited out, rendered worthless and silent and invisible when a south asian man is portrayed by benedict cumberbatch up on that screen. in the original trek


have paid homage to that past. but all of that will be marred by having my own skin edited out, rendered worthless and silent and invisible when a south asian man is portrayed by benedict cumberbatch up on that screen. in the original trek, khan, with his brown skin, was an ubermensch, intellectually and physically perfect, possessed of such charisma and drive that despite his efforts to gain control of the enterprise, captain kirk ( and many of the other officers ) felt admiration for him. and that ’ s why the role has been taken away from actors of colour and given to a white man. racebending. com has always pointed out that villains are generally played by people with darker skin, and that ’ s true … unless the villain is one with intelligence, depth, complexity. one who garners sympathy from the audience, or if not sympathy, then — as from kirk — grudging admiration. what this new trek movie tells us, what jj abrams is telling us, is that no brown - skinned man can accomplish all that. that only by having khan played by a white actor can the audience engage with and feel for him, believe that he ’ s smart and capable and a match for our enterprise crew. what an enormous and horribly ironic step backwards. for star trek, for media representation, and for the vision of a future where we have transcended systemic, racist erasure. this is pissing me off


| | big wyoming, equality state, cowboy state | admitted to union | | july 10, 1890, 44th state | | 97, 914 square miles, 9th largest state | | gannett peak, 13, 804 feet | | 3, 100 feet, belle fourche river | average annual precipitation | population ( 2010 census ) state of wyoming wyoming is in the western united states. it is bordered by montana on the north, south dakota and nebraska on the east, colorado and utah on the south, and utah, idaho and montana on the west. the land within these borders was first called wyoming in 1865, when a member of the u. s. congress from ohio suggested that a new territory be carved from dakota, utah, and idaho territories. the name wyoming is a contraction of the native american word mecheweamiing ( " at the big plains " ), and was first used by the delaware people as a name for the wyoming valley in northeastern pennsylvania. wyoming is known as the cowboy state and the equality state. the latter recognizes wyoming as the first state to specifically give women the right to vote, which it did as a territory in 1869 and retained upon entering the union. wyoming became a territory in 1868 and entered the union on july 10, 1890, as the 44th state. it has a wealth of mineral and agricultural resources, and mining and agriculture still play major roles in the state ' s economy. during the same period the state ranked 50th among the 50 states in population and 50th in manufacturing. " wyoming, " © 1993 - 2008 microsoft corporation. all rights reserved. the wyoming state flag, designed by mrs. a. c. keyes of casper ( formerly miss verna keays of buffalo ), was adopted by the fourteenth legislature on january 31, 1917. the great seal of wyoming is the heart of the flag. on the bison, once the monarch of the plains, is the seal representing the custom of branding. the colors of the state flag are the same as those of the national flag. the red border represents the indian and the blood of the pioneers who gave their lives reclaiming the soil. white is the emblem of purity and uprightness. blue, the color of the sky and mountains, is symbolic of fidelity, justice and virility. state of wyoming, http : / / wyoming. gov / general / general. asp state flower : indian paintbrush the indian paintbrush, common name for any of a genus of annual, biennial, and perennial herbs, was adopted as the state flower on


wyoming, http : / / wyoming. gov / general / general. asp state flower : indian paintbrush the indian paintbrush, common name for any of a genus of annual, biennial, and perennial herbs, was adopted as the state flower on january 31, 1917. the genus, which contains about 200 species, is native to the cooler portions of north and central america and asia, and to the andes. because indian paintbrushes, also called painted cups, are parasitic on the roots of other plants, they have not been naturalized and have rarely been cultivated away from their native habitat. the plants have long, hairy, unbranched stems with alternate leaves. the uppermost leaves, or bracts, are brilliantly colored and much showier than the inconspicuous interspersed flowers. the flowers, which are borne in spikes, have a two - lobed calyx, a two - lobed corolla, four stamens, and a solitary pistil. the corolla, which is usually yellow, is encased within the calyx, and is usually indiscernible. the fruit is a two - celled capsule. the common painted cup is the state flower of wyoming. the calyx of this plant is greenish white, but the bracts are intense vermilion. the scarlet paintbrush is a common wild plant of the eastern united states. the common indian paintbrush is a hardy herb found in canada and in the mountainous regions of the northern united states from new england to the rocky mountains. its calyx is greenish white tinted with purplish red. scientific classification : indian paintbrushes make up the genus castilleja, of the family scrophulariaceae. the common painted cup is classified as castilleja linariaefolia, the scarlet paintbrush as castilleja coccinea, and the common indian paintbrush as castilleja septentrionalis. " indian paintbrush, " microsoft ® encarta ® online encyclopedia 2008 http : / / encarta. msn. com © 1997 - 2008 microsoft corporation. all rights reserved. state bird : meadowlark meadowlark is the common name for any of seven american bird species of a genus of the blackbird subfamily. the two north american species, the eastern and western meadowlarks, look very much alike but have different voices. both are about 23 cm ( about 9 in ) long. they are brown streaked with black and buff above and bright yellow below, with a black crescent


american species, the eastern and western meadowlarks, look very much alike but have different voices. both are about 23 cm ( about 9 in ) long. they are brown streaked with black and buff above and bright yellow below, with a black crescent on the chest. they inhabit meadows and fields across the united states, their ranges overlapping in the middle west. they build domed nests hidden in the grass, where the females lay four to six white eggs, speckled with reddish brown. the range of the eastern meadowlark extends south to northern south america, where it meets the northernmost of five south american species, all characterized by having red rather than yellow breasts. wyoming adopted the meadowlark as its state bird on february 5, 1927. scientific classification : meadowlarks make up the genus sturnella of the subfamily teterinae, family emberizidae, order passeriformes. the subfamily is sometimes considered a separate family, icteridae. the eastern meadowlark is classified as sturnella magna and the western meadowlark as sturnella neglecta. " meadowlark, " microsoft® encarta® online encyclopedia 2008, http : / / encarta. msn. com © 1997 - 2008 microsoft corporation. all rights reserved. state tree : cottonwood cottonwood is the common name for several species of fast - growing, short - lived trees, members of the willow family. cottonwoods are named for the cottonlike mass of hairs surrounding their seeds. they are related to poplars and aspens. cottonwood trees may reach a height of 30 m ( 100 ft ) or more and may have a trunk diameter up to 2. 4 m ( 8 ft ). the bark is rough, with deep fissures. cottonwoods are fast growing but short - lived trees. they are easily propagated, and some are planted as ornamentals. the wood of cottonwoods is moderately soft and rather lightweight. it is used chiefly for boxes, crates, and the interior parts of furniture. the plains cottonwood is a large tree of the great plains and eastern border of the rocky mountains, and its range extends north into canada. it grows to 27 m ( 90 ft ). this tree is a subspecies of the eastern cottonwood, but it has hairy buds and lighter yellow branchlets. its coarsely toothed leaves are often broader than they are long and have glands at the base of the leaf blade. the cottonwood became wyoming ' s state tree on february 1, 1947. the statute


has hairy buds and lighter yellow branchlets. its coarsely toothed leaves are often broader than they are long and have glands at the base of the leaf blade. the cottonwood became wyoming ' s state tree on february 1, 1947. the statute declaring the cottonwood as our state tree was then amended in 1961 to change the scientific name. scientific classification : cottonwoods are members of the family salicaceae. the cottonwood is classified as populus deltoides variety monilifera. " cottonwood, " microsoft® encarta® online encyclopedia 2008, http : / / encarta. msn. com © 1997 - 2008 microsoft corporation. all rights reserved. state gemstone : jade jade is a compact, opaque gemstone ranging in color from dark green to almost white. the term is applied to specimens cut from the minerals jadeite and nephrite. wyoming ' s state gemstone is of the nephrite variety and was adopted on january 25, 1967. nephrite, a member of the amphibole group of minerals, is a silicate of calcium and magnesium, with a small amount of iron replacing part of the magnesium. it is a tough, compact variety of the mineral tremolite with a hardness of 6 to 6. 5 and specific gravity 2. 96 to 3. 1. polished nephrite has an oily luster. " jade, " microsoft® encarta® online encyclopedia 2008, http : / / encarta. msn. com © 1997 - 2008 microsoft corporation. all rights reserved. state mammal : bison the bison, adopted wyoming ' s state mammal on february 23, 1985, is the largest terrestrial animal in north america, where it is commonly called buffalo. the bison is characterized by a hump over the front shoulders ; short, sharply pointed horns ( in both sexes ) curving outward and up from the sides of the massive head ; and slimmer hindquarters. a mature bull of the north american bison is about 2 m ( about 6. 5 ft ) high at the hump and 2. 7 to 3. 7 m ( 9 to 12 ft ) long and weighs 850 to 1100 kg ( 1800 to 2400 lb ) ; the female is smaller. the head, neck, forelegs, and front parts of the body have a thick coat of long, dark hair. the rear part of the body is covered with much shorter hair. the adult bull usually has a black beard about 30 cm ( about 12 in ) long. k


' s state fossil on february 18, 1987. knightia was a slender fish and seems to have been a secondary consumer, feeding mainly on ostracods, algal forms and diatoms, as well as some smaller fish. they were schooling fish, and because of this they are frequently found together in mass mortality layers. the tendency for individual fishes to cluster in groups was probably quite common. modern forms of small fish are noted for schooling, and it is highly probable that the ancient types associated similarly. " knightia, " wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 2008, http : / / en. wikipedia. org all rights reserved. state reptile : horned toad the horned toad is a common name for a genus of short - tailed, short - legged lizards in the iguana family. they are called “ horned ” for the hornlike spines on the back of the head and sides of the body, and “ toad ” for their rounded, toadlike shape. found mostly in dry regions of the western united states and mexico, they are diurnal and can often be seen sitting motionless near ant mounds. most species feed heavily on ants, but they will also eat other types of small insects and spiders. their wide, flat bodies are about 8 to 13 cm ( about 3 to 5 in ) long. for defense, many species, including the coast horned lizard, can spray an intruder with blood from the corners of their eyes. the horned toad was adopted as the state reptile on february 18, 1993. scientific classification : horned lizards make up the genus phrynosoma of the family iguanidae. the coast horned lizard is classified as phrynosoma coronatum and the texas horned lizard as phrynosoma cornutum. " horned lizard, " microsoft® encarta® online encyclopedia 2008, http : / / encarta. msn. com © 1997 - 2008 microsoft corporation. all rights reserved. state dinosaur : triceratops wyoming ' s state dinosaur, the triceratops is of the genus of four - legged, plant - eating dinosaurs that lived during the cretaceous period, more than 65 million years ago. triceratops had three horns on its skull - one on its snout and one above each eye. the name is derived from the greek words treis, " three " ; kerat, " horn " ; and ops, " face. " triceratops was one of the largest horned dinosaurs. the animal ' s other defining features include a beak and a neck shield, or frill.


and clark expedition. between 1804 and1806, while still a teenager, she guided the adventurers from the northern great plains to the pacific ocean and back. her husband, toussaint charbonneau, and their son who was born during the trip, jean baptiste, also accompanied the group. sacagawea knew several indian languages, and being shoshone, could help lewis and clark make contact with her people and acquire horses that were crucial to the success of the mission. her contribution far exceeded anything lewis and clark had expected. she provided crucial knowledge of the topography of some of the most rugged country of north america and taught the explorers how to find edible roots and plants previously unknown to european - americans. most crucially, sacagawea and her infant served as a " white flag " of peace for the expedition, which was as much a military expedition as a scientific one. they entered potentially hostile territory well armed but undermanned compared to the native american tribes they met. because no war party was ever accompanied by a woman and infant, the response of the native americans was curiosity, not aggression. sacagawea died at the age of 25. her grave is located in lander, wyoming. in 2000, u. s. senator mike enzi ( r - wyoming ), a member of the senate banking committee, nominated sacagawea for the dollar coin. wyoming named the sacagawea golden coin its state coin on march 2, 2004. " coins and medals : sacagawea golden coin, " © 1998 - 2008. the united states mint. all rights reserved. state grass : western wheatgrass western wheatgrass is a perennial and sod - forming grass, native to most parts of the united states except the humid southeast. it is a dominant species in the central and northern great plains. plant growth is vigorous, reaching 2 to 3 feet in height. leaves are up to 12 inches long, 0. 25 inch wide, rather stiff and erect. the whole plant is covered with a grayish bloom. it thrives best on rather heavy soil, but is adapted to a wide range of soil types, including alkaline soil. both as pasturage and when cut for hay while still succulent, it is relished by all classes of livestock. the plants are usually grown from seed, but spread from underground rhizomes to form dense sods. this is a very valuable grass, both for feed and for erosion control. scientific classification : western wheatgrass


2. 9 cm ( less than one inch ). however, the bright green color of the underside of the wings is very distinctive, making the butterfly quite easy to identify. there is a line of white dots across the underside of the hind wing, which may join to form a nearly solid white line. the upper surface of the wings is dark gray, but when at rest the wings are folded over the back, exposing the green lower surfaces. scientific classification : sheridan ’ s green hairstreak is classified as callophrys sheridanii, one of four species of the genus callophrys. it is a member of the family lycaenidae. the name is derived from the greek words kallos ( beauty ) and phryktos ( beacon ). sheridan ’ s green hairstreak is assigned to the subfamily theclinae, commonly known as hairstreaks because many species have tiny hair - like tails off the tips of the hind wings. however, species of callophrys have rounded hind wing margins without tails, so these are sometimes called tail - less hairstreaks. dr. scott shaw, professor of entomology and insect museum curator, university of wyoming, laramie, wy. the code of the west, as derived from the book, cowboy ethics by james p. owen, and summarized as follows, is the official state code of wyoming. the code was adopted as wyoming ' s state code on march 3, 2010. the code includes : ( i ) live each day with courage ; ( ii ) take pride in your work ; ( iii ) always finish what you start ; ( iv ) do what has to be done ; ( v ) be tough, but fair ; ( vi ) when you make a promise, keep it ; ( vii ) ride for the brand ; ( viii ) talk less, say more ; ( ix ) remember that some things are not for sale ; ( x ) know where to draw the line.


new srnl device measures liquid fill level ( download printer - friendly, pdf version ) aiken, s. c. ( november 18, 2010 ) – the u. s. patent and trademark office recently granted savannah river nuclear solutions ( srns ) a u. s. patent for an ultrasonic liquid level detector developed by savannah river national laboratory ( srnl ) to remotely measure the fill level of a hazardous liquid in a container. the inventors, william hinz and dennis kotz, constructed a functional prototype and demonstrated it at the savannah river site ( srs ). " this device was conceived because we needed a creative solution for a challenging process where there was not an off - the - shelf fix, " said hinz. ultrasonic devices are used to determine the liquid level by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic energy traveling through liquids and solids to accurately measure distance. in the nuclear storage industry, these devices are critical for the precise filling of drums containing hazardous liquids. the most commonly used devices measure from the side or bottom of the container. one type measures liquid level from within a container, but requires multiple devices attached separately at specific areas. " the core technology was available and well understood, but the access restrictions and the presence of shielding material presented a real challenge for the location and placement of the sensor. we sketched a device that took into consideration all the logistical complexities of the container design and the potential operational issues. a novel, spiral patterned shielding plug was incorporated to minimize any radiation exposure to personnel in the area. several weeks later a full scale prototype was developed and demonstrated to be effective, " said hinz. the ultrasonic liquid level detector was designed to be a simple, compact detector that could be positioned and used anywhere within a container, even above a liquid, independent of the orientation of the detector or the distance from the liquid surface to the bottom of the container. the patent states that the device achieves these goals and " is especially useful when a container is being filled remotely with a hazardous liquid … and shielding is positioned around the container so that access from the side or bottom is not possible. " " this new device will make it much easier to determine the level of liquid in such a container, with less error and radioactive exposure, " said hinz. srnl is doe ' s applied research and development national laboratory located at the savannah river site. srnl puts science to work to support doe and the nation in the areas of environmental management, national and homeland security, and energy security. the management and operating contractor for sr


once the sample return capsule is recovered at the utah test and training range ( uttr ), its contents will be placed in the capable hands of the stardust curation team - who are based at the johnson space center ( jsc ). this team will then go about the business of carefully transporting the aerogel containing grains from comet wild 2 and interstellar dust to their special facility at jsc for examination. the samples gathered by stardust are expected to consist of approximately 1000 cometary dust particles measuring less than 100 = b5m each, and an additional 100 interstellar dust grains primarily of sub - micron size. the expected total mass of the sample will probably be 1 mg, less than a thimbleful. for the stardust mission, both comet coma samples and the interstellar grains must be captured at high velocity with minimal heating and other effects of physical alteration. particle collection at this speed has been extensively demonstrated in laboratory tests, shuttle flights and on the mir space station. researchers have additionally shown that comet dust collection can be accomplished with minimal amounts of sample alteration. the jsc team has developed exacting techniques for the removal and analysis of captured grains from the silica aerogel used as a capture medium. they will continue to improve and practice these techniques before the comet samples are placed into their hands in 2006. for additional information visit the jsc stardust curation last updated february 15, 2006


u. s. department of education officials last week strongly urged local educators to provide more opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in after - school sports ; opportunities, a recent report suggests, that such students sorely lack. but the guidance — which some advocates likened to title ix ’ s expansion of women ’ s athletics — also touched off debate over whether federal officials had overstepped their authority. “ the obama administration invents a right to wheelchair basketball, ” blogged mike petrilli, executive vice president of the conservative fordham institute, saying the feds had created a burdensome, unfunded mandate for the nation ’ s schools without congressional approval. — mike petrilli, fordham institute federal officials told edweek that the new guidelines — which urge schools to “ ensure equal opportunity for participation ” — do not constitute a new mandate. “ the guidance does not say that there is a right to separate sports programs such as wheelchair basketball, ” department spokesperson daren briscoe told politics k - 12 ‘ s michele mcneil. “ rather, the guidance ‘ urges ’ — but does not require — that when inclusion is not possible, school districts find other ways to give students with disabilities the opportunity to take part in extracurricular athletics. ” u. s. secretary of education arne duncan expounds in a post on the department ’ s homeroom blog : federal civil rights laws require schools to provide equal opportunities, not give anyone an unfair head start. so schools don ’ t have to change the essential rules of the game, and they don ’ t have to do anything that would provide a student with a disability an unfair competitive advantage. but they do need to make reasonable modifications ( such as using a laser instead of a starter pistol to start a race so a deaf runner can compete ) to ensure that students with disabilities get the very same opportunity to play as everyone else. the guidance issued today will help schools meet this obligation and will allow increasing numbers of kids with disabilities the chance to benefit from playing sports. but the guidance also irked conservative education policy - watchers. “ nothing frustrates me quite as much as well - intentioned people ignoring reality and sparking massive unintended consequences in the name of ‘ doing the right thing. ’ well, here we go again, ” blogged the american enterprise institute ’ s rick hess. mike petrilli elaborated : i would vote for candidates to public office who would provide funding for “ inclusive athletics ” and would be proud if my sons ’ schools offered such programs to their special