healthcare coverage. but you must stop to ask what these so - called forecasts are based on? many forecasts unwisely project healthcare costs far into the future by assuming that the trends of the past would continue unaltered. but this mentality ignores realty. to look at this another way, just because your son is 4 feet tall at age 6 doesn ’ t mean he ’ ll be 12 feet tall at age 18. and just because the average american born today will live to the age of 78 doesn ’ t mean that the baby born in 2032 will live to 100. forecasting something like healthcare is just as prickly. making bets on the distant future is not wise because it ’ s unknowable. too many exceptional events can occur to affect life along the regression line – wars, financial bubbles, financial crashes, extreme weather, political demagoguery, etc. no one – no business, no government agency – makes plans today based on a vision of the world 20 years ahead. apple doesn ’ t do it. google doesn ’ t do it. the department of defense doesn ’ t do it. you and i don ’ t do it. not even insurance companies do it and much of their business is tied to the future. but many in our u. s. government prodded along by the anti - entitlement lobby are pushing to gut these programs while relying on projecting the past experience into the future without adjusting for changes in behavior or policy. all this does not mean that uncertainty in economic forecasts means there ’ s no point in economic planning at all. there are indeed good reasons for looking ahead, in small increments, along the regression line, just not good reason or making sweeping changes in programs as complex and far reaching as social security and medicare. so let ’ s accept life on the regression line for what it is – a limited and isolated view of the future.


print friendly version charles bonnet syndrome other names for this disease see disclaimer regarding information on this site. some links on this page may take you to organizations outside of the national institutes of health. charles bonnet syndrome ( cbs ) refers to the presence of visual hallucinations in individuals with visual acuity loss without having psychosis or dementia. the condition is likely caused by the brain continuing to interpret images, even in their absence. underlying conditions of vision loss associated with charles bonnet syndrome are diverse ( including conditions such as macular degeneration and stroke ) and may affect the eye, optic nerve, or brain. hallucinations often resolve if the underlying vision deficit is corrected and can also remit in some individuals with static or progressive vision loss. treatment is individualized. - victoria s pelak. visual release hallucinations ( charles bonnet syndrome ). uptodate. waltham, ma : uptodate ; 2012. - bou khalil r, richa s. [ psychiatric, psychological comorbidities of typical and atypical charles - bonnet syndrome ]. encephale. december 2011. - charles bonnet syndrome. lighthouse international. http : / / www. lighthouse. org / about - low - vision - blindness / vision - disorders / charles - bonnet - syndrome /. accessed july 15, 2011. - p. ricard. vision loss and visual hallucinations : the charles bonnet syndrome. community eye health. march 2009. on this page - lighthouse international, a leading resource in helping people overcome the challenges of vision loss, contains information on charles bonnet syndrome. click on the link to review the information. - pubmed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss charles bonnet syndrome. click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.


a technology developed by intel and backed by apple is expected to appear earlier than previously thought, paving the way for very - high - speed connections on both pcs and macs. light peak is now on track to appear in products in the first half of 2011 - - and likely earlier in the year than later, according to an industry source familiar with the progress of the technology. light peak - - proposed as an underlying protocol that will host other protocols like usb or displayport - - will carry data at 10 gigabits per second in both directions simultaneously. apple is expected to back light peak, if past comments from intel still hold. shortly after its annual developer conference in 2009, intel said that it had showed the technology to third parties, got feedback, then incorporated the feedback into the next design, adding, at that time, that " apple is an innovating force in the industry. " ( apple has reportedly claimed that it conceived the idea for light peak. ) if apple implements light peak, it would be a safe bet that the company will have a lot to say about the technology - - maybe with a catchy name in tow. and it would probably not be wild speculation to say that apple would want to be the first to use it. an intel demonstration in 2009 at its developer conference used a machine running apple ' s mac os x. … read more


this logic is flawed, both conceptually and empirically, as i ' ll illustrate by discussing a well - meaning but ultimately incoherent article on the front page of today ' s new york times. the article explains how climate skepticism is on the rise in great britain. nowhere has this shift in public opinion been more striking than in britain, where climate change was until this year such a popular priority that in 2008 parliament enshrined targets for emissions cuts as national law. but since then, the country has evolved into a home base for a thriving group of climate skeptics who have dominated news reports in recent months, apparently convincing many that the threat of warming is vastly exaggerated. the article explains that the rise of skepticism threatens climate policies : politicians and activists say such attitudes will make it harder to pass legislation like a fuel tax increase and to persuade people to make sacrifices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions... the logic is flawed conceptually because " fervor about climate change " is far from the only reason that people support energy policies that advance decarbonization. other reasons for public support include energy security, diversification, economic growth and jobs, replacing dirty energy with clean energy, energy reliability, costs and so on. the lack of fervor about climate change is also true of the united states, where action on climate and emissions reduction is still very much a work in progress, and concern about global warming was never as strong as in europe. that the logic is flawed can be convincingly shown empirically. consider that climate skepticism in great britain has been deemed to be a problem for years. for instance : 2007 : " the public are far more sceptical about global warming than most politicians would have us believe, a new poll has revealed today. " yet, right in the middle of this period the uk government passed the 2008 climate change act with essentially no opposition and broad public support. the act mandates emissions reductions of 34 % by 2020 and 80 % by 2050, making it the most aggressive piece of national legislation anywhere. skepticism about climate science presented no obstacle to passing this legislation. 2008 : " surprising politicians, a poll released sunday indicates a majority of the british public does not believe human activity has caused global warming. " 2009 : " the british public has become more sceptical about climate change over the last five years, according to a survey. " the nyt also reports that more americans believe that climate science has been exaggerated in public discussions : a march gallup poll found that 48 percent of americans believed that


sceptical about climate change over the last five years, according to a survey. " the nyt also reports that more americans believe that climate science has been exaggerated in public discussions : a march gallup poll found that 48 percent of americans believed that the seriousness of global warming was “ generally exaggerated, ” up from 41 percent a year ago. here is a hypothesis to consider : the public is smarter than they are often given credit for. it is possible that the public can at the same time support policies that lead to decarbonization of the economy while at the same time believing that climate science has been exaggerated. the message from the public that many experts ( including the media ) have yet to comprehend is that policies which require " sacrifice " are nonstarters. it does not matter what the public believes about climate science, they are not ( in general ) going to sacrifice or endure hardship. this reality should be a boundary condition for policy design. with this consideration, the public has consistently supported action on climate change, notably moving to a less carbon - intensive economy. the policy challenge is thus to figure out how to design policies that meet these political realities, a challenge that policy experts have yet to tackle. the nyt actually further politicizes climate science by implying that the battle over the integrity of climate science is one - and - the - same as the battle over climate policies : scientists have meanwhile awakened to the public ’ s misgivings and are increasingly fighting back... it is unclear whether such actions are enough to win back a segment of the public that has eagerly consumed a series of revelations that were published prominently in right - leaning newspapers like the times of london and the telegraph and then repeated around the world... by equating issues of science with issues of politics the nyt thus is apparently willing to minimize the issues of scientific integrity that have surfaced regarding the ipcc : this narrative thus reinforces two sorts of policy failures : in january, for example, the times chastised the united nations climate panel for an errant and unsupported projection that glaciers in the himalayas could disappear by 2035. the united nations ultimately apologized for including the estimate, which was mentioned in passing within a 3, 000 - page report in 2007. then came articles contending that the 2007 report was inaccurate on a host of other issues, including african drought, the portion of the netherlands below sea level, and the economic impact of severe storms. officials from the climate panel said the articles ’ claims either were false or reflected minor errors


the 2007 report was inaccurate on a host of other issues, including african drought, the portion of the netherlands below sea level, and the economic impact of severe storms. officials from the climate panel said the articles ’ claims either were false or reflected minor errors like faulty citations that in no way diluted the evidence that climate change is real and caused by human activity. first, it perpetuates a flawed expectation that once people only believe enough or the right things, they will then be willing to make sacrifices leading to successful climate policies. yet, public opinion on this point has been constant for decades - - support for decarbonization policies is not about belief in science, but rather the short - term costs and benefits of proposed policy action, which has nothing to do with long - term climate change. similarly, that the public does not want sacrifice has been a constant in public opinion. second, it enables the pathological politicization of science not just by equating views on science with views on policy, but also by encouraging the looking past real problems in the ipcc. the logic of this narrative holds that if climate science is in any way diminished, then support for action is necessarily reduced, so it is best to look away from problems in science, or even to minimize them. the public is no so easily fooled. however, looking at actual poll data should be enough to show that views on climate science are not tightly correlated with support for action on energy policies that accelerate decarbonization. the nyt concludes : the public is left to struggle with the salvos between the two sides. the public is in fact doing just fine. it is the media and other elites who continue to carry along an incoherent narrative who are doing most of the struggling. when they start listening to what the public is actually saying, rather than trying to force public opinions into a predefined but ultimately unrealistic mold, might be the time when debate over climate policy truly opens up. you can read a more in depth treatment of this argument in my forthcoming book, the climate fix : what scientists and politicians won ' t tell you about global warming. pre - order your copy today ; - )


2 ) make a mound. once you have a suitable hole, place a cone - shaped mound of soil in the center of the rose whose dimensions roughly match the cone defined by the roots. ( if it is a potted plant, don ' t do this step. ) 3 ) place the rose into the hole. try to make sure the roots are straight and evenly distributed around the hole. if it is a potted rose, check to make sure the roots aren ' t encircling the rose. 4 ) ammend poor soil. if you live where the soil is very high in peat, pure sand and gravel, or limestone, consider digging out a hole about three feet in diameter and two feet deep and planting the rose in that hole. use imported ' rose soil ' in the hole. most people, however, can add things to improve the soil. gypsum will loosen heavy clays ; so will compost. lime will help neutralize acid soils. sandy soils can be made usable by adding lots of good compost. sometimes mixing twenty or thirty percent good potting soil in with native soil can give roses a good start. in ammending soil keep in mind that where there are abrupt changes in soil composition, most plants will not send new roots across the boundary, so if the soil in a hole is markedly different than the surrounding soil, create a zone in which the two are evenly mixed to help the roots make a transition into the surrounding soil. 5 ) fill halfway with earth. add some slow - release organic fertilizer - perhaps a few tablespoons, and fill the hole with water. when the water has drained from the hole, fill in the hole with soil. 6 ) pack the soil firmly. if your soil is so full of clay that this seems like you are just making bricks, then you probably should have added some compost to your soil. 7 ) shape the surface. i like to make a cone - shaped indentation that catches water and sends it to the rose at the center of the hole. this is convenient for watering later on. if you water with a hose, and the rose is planted on a slope, some kind of dishing around the rose is imperative ; otherwise all the water runs away from the rose. 8 ) mulch. place about 3 inches of mulch on the hole. this will limit evaporation, keep the soil cool, provide some organic matter to fuel life below ground, and limit weed growth. 9 ) water. apply plenty of water


) mulch. place about 3 inches of mulch on the hole. this will limit evaporation, keep the soil cool, provide some organic matter to fuel life below ground, and limit weed growth. 9 ) water. apply plenty of water to the rose. water not only is required to cause the roots to become active, but it also aids in settling the soil into the hole, helping to fill large voids. this is essential to improve soil contact with roots. water daily through the first august, weekly thereafter. you might buy your roses from a store, or you might order them through the mail or on the web. big box stores are sometimes decent places to get the most popular hybrid tea roses, floribundas, and shrub roses. many serious rosaphiles purchase roses from mail order nurseries or on - line. roses will arrive either as dormant bare root plants or as actively growing plants. most of the rules for planting are the same ; but the timing for the two are different. if you order dormant, bare root plants, you will want to plant them about six to eight weeks before your last average frost date. some advocate planting them as soon as you can work the soil in spring. often, your supplier can estimate this well when you order. if you are receiving roses in pots of one size or another, you will want to plant them about a week after your average last frost date. bear in mind that these roses have been growing vigorously in a greenhouse, and sometimes a whiff of frost in the air will kill them cold. bare root roses arrive in boxes with bits of peat to keep them moist. it is best to soak each bare root rose in a barrel of water for 4 - 24 hours befors planting. in both cases, keep the plants between 40f and 55f, in shade, and adequately moist. most of the business of planting the rose lies in digging the hole. farmers long ago coined the phrase " dig a $ 10 hole for a $ 5 tree. " skimping on hole size can impare the development of a rose. this is especially true if the soil needs to be ammended. so here are the steps in planting a rose : 1 ) dig a hole. a rule of thumb that i use for most roses is to dig a hole whose diameter about matches the diameter of the plant at the end of two years. i may give small roses a hole not much more than 18 inches across. shrub roses get holes about three feet across. climbers


" there can be little doubt that among those parts of early roman history which had a poetical origin was the legend of horatius cocles. we have several versions of the story, and these versions differ from each other in points of no small importance. polybius, there is reason to believe, heard the tale recited over the remains of some consul or prætor descended from the old horatian patricians ; for he introduces it as a specimen of the narratives with which the romans were in the habit of embellishing their funeral oratory. it is remarkable that, according to him, horatius defended the bridge alone, and perished in the waters. according to the chronicles which livy and dionysius followed, horatius had two companions, swam safe to shore and was loaded with honours and rewards. " these discrepancies are easily explained. our own literature, indeed, will furnish an exact parallel to what may have taken place at rome. it is highly probable that the memory of the war of porsena was preserved by compositions much resembling the two ballads which stand first in the relics of ancient english poetry. in both those ballads the english, commanded by the percy, fight with the scots, commanded by the douglas. in one of the ballads the douglas is killed by a nameless english archer, and the percy by a scottish spearman ; in the other, the percy slays the douglas in single combat, and is himself made prisoner. in the former, sir hugh montgomery is shot through the heart by a northumbrian bowman ; in the latter he is taken and exchanged for the percy. yet both the ballads relate to the same event, and that an event which probably took place within the memory of persons who were alive when both the ballads were made. one of the minstrels says : " old men that knowen the grounde well yenoughe call it the battell of otterburn : at otterburn began this spurne upon a monnyn day. ther was the dougghte doglas slean : the perse never went away. " the other poet sums up the event in the following lines : " thys fraye bygan at otterborne bytwene the nyghte and the day : ther the dowglas lost hys lyfe, and the percy was lede away. " " it is by no means unlikely that there were two old roman lays about the defence of the bridge ; and that, while the story which liv


question of subsistence received special attention, and some were sent to the volsci and others to cumae to buy up corn. again, the monopoly of salt, the price of which was very high, was taken out of the hands of individuals and wholly assumed by the government. imposts and taxes were removed from the plebs that they might be borne by the well - to - do, who were equal to the burden : the poor paid dues enough if they reared children. thanks to this liberality on the part of the fathers, the distress which attended the subsequent blockade and famine was powerless to destroy the harmony of the state, which was such that the name of king was not more abhorrent to the highest than to the lowest ; nor was there ever a man in after years whose demagogic arts made him so popular as its wise governing at that time made the whole senate. " x. when the enemy appeared, the romans all, with one accord, withdrew from their fields into the city, which they surrounded with guards. some parts appeared to be rendered safe by their walls, others by the barrier formed by the river tiber. the bridge of piles almost afforded an entrance to the enemy, had it not been for one man, horatius cocles ; he was the bulwark of defence on which that day depended the fortune of the city of rome. he chanced to be on guard at the bridge when janiculum was captured by a sudden attack of the enemy. he saw them as they charged down on the run from janiculum, while his own people behaved like a frightened mob, throwing away their arms and quitting their ranks. catching hold first of one and then of another, blocking their way and conjuring them to listen, he called on gods and men to witness that if they forsook their post it was vain to flee ; once they had left a passage in their rear by the bridge, there would soon be more of the enemy on the palatine and the capitol than on janiculum. he therefore warned and commanded them to break down the bridge with steel, with fire, with any instrument at their disposal ; and promised that he would himself receive the onset of the enemy, so far as it could be withstood by a single body. then, striding to the head of the bridge, conspicuous amongst the fugitives who were clearly seen to be shirking the fight, he covered himself with his sword and buckler and made ready to do battle at close quarters


a single body. then, striding to the head of the bridge, conspicuous amongst the fugitives who were clearly seen to be shirking the fight, he covered himself with his sword and buckler and made ready to do battle at close quarters, confounding the etruscans with amazement at his audacity. yet were there two who were prevented by shame from leaving him. these were spurius larcius and titus herminius, both famous for their birth and their deeds. with these he endured the peril of the first rush and the stormiest moment of the battle. but after a while he forced even these two to leave him and save themselves, for there was scarcely anything left of the bridge, and those who were cutting it down called to them to come back. then, darting glances of defiance around at the etruscan nobles, he now challenged them in turn to fight, now railed at them collectively as slaves of haughty kings, who, heedless of their own liberty, were come to overthrow the liberty of others. they hesitated for a moment, each looking to his neigbbour to begin the fight. then shame made them attack, and with a shout they cast their javelins from every side against their solitary foe. but he caught them all upon his shield, and, resolute as ever, bestrode the bridge and held his ground ; and now they were trying to dislodge him by a charge, when the crash of the falling bridge and the cheer which burst from the throats of the romans, exulting in the completion of their task, checked them in mid - career with a sudden dismay. then cocles cried, " o father tiberinus, i solemnly invoke thee ; receive these arms and this soldier with propitious stream! " so praying, all armed as he was, he leaped down into the river, and under a shower of missiles swam across unhurt to his fellows, having given a proof of valour which was destined to obtain more fame than credence with posterity. the state was grateful for so brave a deed : a statue of cocles was set up in the comitium, and he was given as much land as he could plough around in one day. private citizens showed their gratitude in a striking fashion, in the midst of his official honours, for notwithstanding their great distress everybody made him some gift proportionate to his means, though he robbed himself of his own ration


visit cbs san francisco ' s diesel cars might get great gas mileage when compared to their gasoline counterparts, but now the world health organization has warned that diesel fumes are now known to prove lung cancer. in fact, the w. h. o. says, diesel fumes are more carcinogenic than secondhand cigarette smoke. so dangerous, it has decided to elevate diesel to the status of “ known carcinogen, ” reports the new york times. however, the health risk is most pronounced in countries with poor air quality standards, where diesel trucks, generators and machinery commonly produce black clouds of sooty exhaust fumes. by contrast, in the u. s. and europe, tough emissions standards require diesel cars and trucks produce as little emissions and exhaust particulates as possible. even with higher - pressure direct injection and ultra - low sulfur fuel, so - called ‘ clean - diesel ’ engines may suffer at the hand of the w. h. o ’ s new classification of diesel fumes. according to dr. silverman, chief of environmental epidemiology at the national cancer institute, the wh. o ruling was one she was “ totally in support ” of, adding that the u. s. government may soon declare diesel exhaust fumes a known carcinogen. but the medical director of the american cancer society, dr. otis w. brawley, doesn ’ t think diesel cars are the main concern. “ i don ’ t think it ’ s bad to have a diesel car, ” he told the new york times. “ i don ’ t think it ’ s good to breathe its exhaust. i ’ m not concerned about people who walk past a diesel vehicle, i ’ m a little concerned about people like toll collectors, and i ’ m very concerned about people like miners, who work where exhaust is concentrated. ” with gasoline exhaust still classified as a possible carcinogen by many health organizations, the w. h. o ’ s announcement regarding diesel fumes is likely to further incentivize the auto industry to develop greener - burning engines and better exhaust filtration systems to make cars as clean as possible. for now however, it is unlikely to dramatically influence consumer choice at the dealer, where diesel cars represent a tiny fraction of the total number of new cars sold in the u. s. each year. there is one final thought we ’ d like to add : if you ’ re in the market for a diesel car, remember that cars made within the past few years are


legal and political manipulations after the civil war the formal gutting of the sweeping social and electoral reforms that followed the civil war were among the most shameful events in american legal history. here is a brief overview of some of the most prominent turnarounds. a few months after assuming office, president andrew johnson ( abraham lincoln ' s successor ) overturned the federal government ' s program of distributing abandoned lands to freedmen. an attempt to divide confiscated land into 40 - acre lots and distribute it among freed slaves and union - sympathizing refugees received a good deal of attention, but it failed to win support in congress. the result : the lands of former slave owners went to an emerging white ruling class, and not to the freedmen who had worked them under pain of torture, separation from family members, and murder. watering down the fourteenth amendment the fourteenth amendment to the constitution — obviously a measure intended to secure legal rights for african - americans — was ratified in 1868. it guaranteed all citizens due process and equal protection under the law. yet only five years after that ratification, the u. s. supreme court ruled that the amendment applied only to federal civil rights issues, and did not affect “ civil rights heretofore belonging exclusively to the states. ” no civil rights law in 1875, a comprehensive civil rights law went on the books. it guaranteed rights of equality of treatment in public facilities. in 1883, however, the u. s. supreme court ruled the law unconstitutional. the shift was part of a troubling legal trend. in the very earliest cases considered by the supreme court involving interpretation of the fourteenth amendment, the justices construed it as forbidding any form of discrimination of african - americans sponsored or imposed by a state. the court ' s 1883 rejection of civil rights legislation, though, suggested a new set of judicial priorities. those priorities became even more obvious in plessy v. ferguson. plessy v. ferguson in this infamous 1896 decision, the u. s. supreme court examined the right of the state of louisiana to operate a racially segregated public transport system. obstacles and opportunities plessy not only served to justify a half - century of segregation of public facilities in the south, but it also helped to legitimize the political consensus for supporting such legal hypocrisy. homer a. plessy — the plaintiff — was one - eighth african american and seven - eighths white. he was placed under arrest for entering a louisiana rail coach and refusing to relinquish his seat


legal hypocrisy. homer a. plessy — the plaintiff — was one - eighth african american and seven - eighths white. he was placed under arrest for entering a louisiana rail coach and refusing to relinquish his seat in the white section for one in the separate colored section. louisiana law mandated racially distinct passenger compartments in rail transport. plessy sued, arguing that the louisiana law violated his constitutional rights. the supreme court ' s ruling in the plessy case gave the state of louisiana everything it asked for, and plessy got nothing. the court held that “ separate but equal ” facilities did not violate the fourteenth amendment ' s guarantee of equal protection under the law because — in the view of the court — the constitution guaranteed only political, and not social, equality. the issue of segregation unified the white south as few others could. loudly ensuring a commitment to separate — and clearly unequal — facilities for african - americans became priority number one for successful southern politicians. ( the official ballot logo of the democratic party in alabama, for instance, was a white rooster and the legend “ white supremacy ” — a slogan that seemed somehow to hint at political, not merely social, inequality. ) excerpted from the complete idiot ' s guide to african - american history © 2003 by melba j. duncan. all rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. used by arrangement with alpha books, a member of penguin group ( usa ) inc. to order this book visit the idiot ' s guide web site or call 1 - 800 - 253 - 6476.


today we note yom ha - shoah in israel – holocaust memorial day. this is a somber, solemn day to remember the six million jews, men, women and children who were slaughtered by the nazis, simply because they were jewish. it is equally important to remember that in the depths of evil there were some points of light that were not extinguished. in the midst of the horror of the holocaust there were individuals who placed their lives and those of their families at great risk and saved jews from the nazis. these individuals are recognized as righteous among the nations and honored for generations to come. yad vashem is the national holocaust museum and memorial. one of the more striking features of yad vashem are the many trees that cover the grounds in jerusalem. each tree remembers and honors one of the righteous. to date there are 24, 811 cases of righteous among the nations that have been recognized for their bravery during those dark times. last year i had the pleasure of touring with a family from holland. one of their requests was to find the tree that had been planted for joop westerweel, a relative. joop westerweel, a teacher, and his wife wilhelmina, saved almost 200 young jewish students by helping them cross borders and make their way to spain. from spain they were able to leave the dangers of europe behind them and move to israel. he was captured by the nazis and executed in 1944. these brave deeds are memorialized in a display in the museum itself and with a tree that was planted in their honor in 1964. the tree is located right near the entrance to the museum and stands as a witness and a sign of appreciation to the valor of the westerweels. for more information about joop westerweel see : http : / / www. yadvashem. org / yv / en / righteous / stories / westerweel. asp say jerusalem and the pictures that pop into our minds are of religious and historical sites. everyone has their favorites but at the top of the list will be the kotel – the western wall, major churches, the golden dome atop the temple mount. if we think of modern sites then they will include the knesset and the famous menora in the knesset rose garden, hebrew university campus, hadassah hospital and more. how many of you imagine jerusalem covered with snow? snow – not possible – israel is in the middle east – it ’ s warm all year round, not enough rain, certainly not cold enough for snow


university campus, hadassah hospital and more. how many of you imagine jerusalem covered with snow? snow – not possible – israel is in the middle east – it ’ s warm all year round, not enough rain, certainly not cold enough for snow. right? well, surprisingly enough israel does get snow. usually when it snows in israel the snow will be in the northern parts of the country and in the higher elevations. mt. hermon gets snow every year, there ’ s even a ski resort there. it ’ s normal for there to be snow in tsfat, the golan, the upper galilee – even in gush etzion region near jerusalem – but jerusalem? no way. well you ’ d be wrong. even though jerusalem doesn ’ t get much snow and it doesn ’ t happen every year it does happen every so often. right at this moment, jerusalem is in another snow watch. children are hoping for snow – enough to build a snow man and have a day off from school. the city is preparing again to have all the necessary equipment and manpower to clear streets and provide emergency services. everyone is in a waiting mode. even though snow in jerusalem is usually no more than a dusting, or at most 1 - 2 cm ( an inch at most ) jerusalem has had some major snowstorms. the biggest snowstorm since records have been kept ( starting in 1850 ) was in feb. of 1920 – the total snowfall was 98 cm!! ( 38. 5 in ). i had the opportunity to hear first hand descriptions of that snow, incidents of snow fall and drifts that blocked people into their homes since they couldn ’ t open their doors. we are waiting and hoping for snow again in jerusalem today. if the snow comes it won ’ t be anything at all like 1920 – there will be a few centimeters and maybe the kids will get lucky and school will be closed. for a short while the city will be blanketed with a beautiful, shimmering white glow and all will be quiet – a very special sight for everyone who is lucky enough to see it. in the meantime – enjoy this photo of the snow in 1920. whether it snows or not – jerusalem is waiting for you to come and visit – see her splendor, enjoy the sights and sounds of this amazing jewel. jerusalem ’ s public transportation system has recently expanded by the long awaited inauguration of the light rail. after years of planning and design construction finally started on this project in 2002. implementation of the plan met many obstacles and surprises


and sounds of this amazing jewel. jerusalem ’ s public transportation system has recently expanded by the long awaited inauguration of the light rail. after years of planning and design construction finally started on this project in 2002. implementation of the plan met many obstacles and surprises. considering the history of jerusalem, it is quite surprising that there weren ’ t more archaeological discoveries as a result of track construction. most notable was the discovery of a quarry in the northern sections of the rail line. some archaeologists have proposed that this is one of the quarries used by king herod ’ s workmen for the second temple expansion project. the light rail has also changed the skyline of jerusalem. in order to insure the smooth flow of traffic a suspension bridge, the chords bridge, was built over the main entrance to the city so that the trains can use the bridge to cross over the main entrance to the city without disrupting traffic. the bridge was designed by santiago calatrava today, we can enjoy riding the red line which runs from pisgat zeev in the north to mt. herzl in the south. the rail has been integrated into the city ’ s transit system with free transfers from to and from buses. even if you don ’ t enjoy a smooth ride on the light rail during your visit to jerusalem, you will definitely appreciate the beauty of the sleek cars as they glide through downtown jerusalem. only an hour ’ s drive from jerusalem, in the judean desert there is a beautiful oasis just waiting for you. ein gedi is a national park that offers various options for your enjoyment, right in the middle of the desert. more than just a wonder of nature, ein gedi has a rich history and is noted in the bible. when david escaped from king saul, he fled to ein gedi : “ and david went up from thence, and dwelt in the strongholds of en - gedi. ” ( i sam 23 : 29 ) the park provides a number of hiking trails ranging from a handicapped accessible path to the first pool, a one hour circuit that takes you to the second pool, where you can enjoy the cool waters and the spray of a waterfall. cooling off under the waterfall for the more adventurous there are longer paths that will allow you to climb up to the remains of a chalcolithic temple ( approx. 4000 - 3150 bce ). the park is home to many ibex and hyrax. if you visit early in the morning you will see them enjoying their breakfast before the heat of the day sets in. while


to a new place and forge the beginnings of this new country. zichron ya ’ akov is also the home to a number of wineries, the most famous of these is the carmel winery founded in 1882 at the very start of this town. don ’ t miss a visit to their center for wine culture. we had a wonderful day in zichron ya ’ akov. i ’ d be happy to show you the sites of the town and region on your visit to israel. what a wonderful opportunity to spend two days in jerusalem this week. the weather was unusually warm and sunny for november. our tour included some of the special highlights of jerusalem, a truly amazing city. we visited the tower of david museum of the history of jerusalem, climbed up on the city walls for the ramparts walk, toured the jewish quarter of the old city, walked the length of the western wall in the western wall tunnels. all of these special sites are within the walls of the old city of jerusalem. jerusalem is more than just the old city, and we didn ’ t skip the newer parts of jerusalem. some of the highlights are the open air machane yehuda market, the downtown pedestrian mall on ben yehuda street and the newly renovated israel museum. two days are certainly not enough to see everything, but enough to get a taste of what jerusalem has to offer. certainly enough to know that you have to come back again and again. welcome to seeingisrael. my name is oreet segal. as a licensed israel tour guide and former american, now living in israel with my family, i have the pleasure of sharing this beautiful, amazing country with visitors from around the world. allow me to help you plan your visit to israel and show you the wonders of israel. it will be my pleasure to tour israel with you. until then, come and visit us here at seeingisrael and enjoy reading about the wonders of israel while you tour from afar. see you here soon. for further information regarding tours and tourism in israel contact me at firstname. lastname @ example. org the susan g. komen race for the cure came to jerusalem for the first time ever. the global fight against breast cancer brought over 7, 000 participants to jerusalem for a walk that brought together all segments of israeli and world society, together in a common cause. in honor of this event the walls of the old city of jerusalem were lit up in pink. make sure to join in the excitement next year.


in conjunction with serc ' s math conference on tuesday, september 28th, here are some sites to check out! learning today blog, http : / / blog. learningtoday. com / excellent free resources are offered by this software company. also check out the " teacher resource " tab. lots of k - 5 stuff including materials for all levels of learners that will help with differentiation. math snacks, http : / / www. mathsnacks. org /, designed by educators at new mexico state university with nsf funds are engaging animations and games designed to help learner in grades 6 - 8 truly understand math concepts. harcourt school publishers at http : / / www. hbschool. com / thinkmath / index. html is indexed by grade level for k - 5, web - based math activities and concepts including numbers, data analysis, operations, algebra, geometry, time money and measurement. math apprentice, http : / / www. mathapprentice. com / provides opportunity for students in grades 4 - 8 to put math skills to work in one of eight businesses. jim dornberg has created a wiki housed at http : / / smartmeasurement. wikispaces. com /. grades k - 6 can view activities about length, time, money, perimeter, area, temperature, weight, volume, surface area, and angles. minute math, http : / / www. 10minutemath. com math. com is a high school teacher sharing knowledge with students and colleagues across the world. there are extra assignments for his calculus class, a set of non - linear graphs with the labels and scale hidden in a word document for teaching exponential growth, a review jeopardy game created with a flash - based online game creator, explore some of the past posts for more. and last but not least, math and the movies!, http : / / mathbits. com / mathbits / mathmovies / mathmovies. htm uses over 20 movies as teaching tools. movie options contain information about which clip to show and provides student worksheets. most activities are developed for grades 6 - 12 and movies range from a 1941 abbott and costello film, proof, castaway, star wars, star trek, to harry potter.


deportations, whether perpetrated by russians or soviets have been in their arsenal of rule by terror for centuries. they have always represented an attempt to violently remove those whom the authorities have deemed disloyal, distrusted, a political rival etc. this forced resettlement of millions of children, women and men has led to predictable human misery and immortality. soviet rule over the baltic states was a classical colonial occupation complete with armed resistance, economic exploitation and foreign settlement. one should note here that moscow ’ s continual denial and rejection of the actuality of the occupation has never been challenged seriously by the international community in a manner with which holocaust deniers have been universally condemned. deportations in estonia can be traced back to the 1500 ’ s : russia ’ s ivan iv deported some of tartu ’ s rebellious german population to russia in 1572 ; from 1701 to 1708 the armed forces of peter i deported some 10, 000 estonians to siberia ; in 1708 a large portion of germans in tartu were deported to the vologda region ; in the same year nearly 1400 germans from narva were deported to various destinations in russia. only 700 made it back ; in 1781 catherine ii ordered swedish families in hiiumaa to be deported to the southern steppes of russia. the above are just examples of the numerous deportation operations carried out in the baltic states. the soviet world war ii deportations of entire nationalities have become a non - event of history. the following eight nationalities involved were relocated to siberia and central russia : in 1943, 382, 000 volga germans ; in 1943, 73, 737 karachai ; in 1944, 131, 271 kalmyks ; in 1944, 407, 690 chechens ; in 1944, 92, 074 ingush ; in 1944, 42, 666 balkars ; in 1944, 202, 000 crimean tatars ; in 1944, 200, 000 meskhetians. of the numerous deportations carried out during the soviet era, the following is just a tiny selection : in 1920, some 45, 000 volga and terek kazaks were deported to ukraine and northern european russia ; 18, 000 people were deported from ukraine and belarus to siberia and the russian far east ; 30, 000 finnish ingerians in 1935 were deported from the leningrad region to vologda, tadzikistan, kazahkstan and western siberia ; in the same year 42, 000 poles and germans were deported from the keiv and vinnotsja regions to eastern ukraine ; in 1936 45, 000


to vologda, tadzikistan, kazahkstan and western siberia ; in the same year 42, 000 poles and germans were deported from the keiv and vinnotsja regions to eastern ukraine ; in 1936 45, 000 poles and ukrainians were deported from ukraine to kazahkstan ; in 1940 over 276, 000 poles ( 75, 000 of whom had fled the german invasion of poland ) were deported from various parts of belarus and ukraine to different regions of russia and neighbouring ssrs ; in 1944 42, 000 greeks, bulgarians, armenians and turks were deported from the crimea to uzbekistan ; in 1948 58, 000 greeks and armenians were deported from the black sea coast to kazahkstan ; in 1951 9400 jehova witnesses, including 4000 children, were deported from the baltic states, moldava, belarus and ukraine. stalin ’ s nationalist policy was implemented through wholesale deportations during world war ii. they radically changed the ethnic landscape of the ussr. they were primarily implemented to punish people who opposed sovietization or showed signs of nationalistic tendencies. the sovietization process was augmented by creating ethnically non - homogenous regions. the kremlin thus was able to consolidate their rule over given areas and secure borders from nationalistic elements considered to be disloyal. the soviet authorities made extensive use of the people ’ s commissariat for internal affairs ( the nkvd, the precursor of the kgb ) that was specifically assigned to carry out these operations. one notes that the soviet regime was not the first to use such political control devices as deportation. the bolsheviks, during the immediate post - czarist period, deemed the forced removal of peoples as illegal. it was a sham declaration for already in 1919 they ordered the deportations of cossacks who opposed their authority. not only did massive deportations mean callous expulsion and scattering through the vast hinterlands of the soviet union but it also has had a more profound result – the negation of the collective existence of deported peoples. in most cases, where the deportation operations targeted entire peoples, all material, symbolic and historic signs of the deportees ’ lives in their indigenous areas were destroyed ; russian names were given to local villages and roads ; the authentic history in manuals were rewritten ; local governmental and political structures were replaced. while it ’ s generally accepted that deportation, as a tool for punishment and political control is an archaic concept, a phenomenon of the past, it still reverberates in arguments over history and


there has been a lot of investigation into the causes of adhd and asperger ’ s syndrome. it was a commonly held belief that it was inherited, or that a certain gene was responsible. despite years of testing, there is no gene that has been found to be responsible for autism, nor adhd. it is now being understood that there are a combination of factors that play the part of causation – similar to the scenario of ’ the perfect ‘ storm ’. these factors include : that ’ s a lot of big words, and this is a topic that is so vast i couldn ’ t possibly put it all in one post – suffice to say it is a myriad of factors, and sometimes one malfunction leads to the next, and the next, and so on, like dominos. i plan on extrapolating these ideas in individual posts, to save on the info dump all at one time. suffice to say that when the body is not working as its designed to, it won ’ t function properly. basically, our kids have toxins that have lodged in their brains, which causes inflammation and inhibits the normal functioning. there are studies that have been done which show abnormal brain tissue – actual inflammation most of the increase in children ’ s neurological or developmental conditions have been found to be related to major increases in brain and immune system inflammation related to increased exposure to toxic chemicals or dietary excitoxins of the 4 million u. s. children born each year ( weiss b, landrigan pj. the developing brain and the environment. environmental health perspectives, volume 107, supp 3, june 2000 ) the takeaway from all this that i like is that adhd and asd ( autism spectrum disorder ) has a physical basis, and therefore can be addressed as such. put in another way – its a physical problem with a physical answer. this gives me huge hope, and motivates me to continue to search for answers. i hope this provides you with some hope that these factors can be addressed – don ’ t let anyone say that your child ( or you ) can ’ t be helped. i ’ ve seen it with my own eyes – this is real!


by martin t. stein, m. d. children love to draw, and their work is a reflection of their inner world. most kids don ' t think about or censor their artwork. for the past 40 years, i ' ve used children ' s drawings as an important part of my pediatric practice. at each well - child visit beginning at 4 or 5 years old, our nurse asks the child to " draw a picture of your family doing something. " to simplify the process, each exam room is equipped with blank white paper on a clipboard with a black felt pen. the family drawing helps me survey development at a given moment in time, and it may tip me off to potential problems. a single drawing is a snapshot of a child ' s point of view - - of her role in the family, her relationship to other family members, and her self - esteem. it also may show strengths in the child and the family that are important to recognize and validate. it can indicate cultural patterns that give me a better understanding of some behaviors or beliefs. i always ask the parents for their impression of the drawing, because our conversation can yield even more information that may not come up otherwise. related : understanding your child ' s personality a big caveat here : we all want to find hidden meanings in drawings, but be cautious about overinterpreting. it ' s not a good idea to read too much into your child ' s sketches. instead, use them as an opportunity to talk with your child about what he or she has drawn. then ask questions about them to enhance communication between you. do your best to avoid giving too many of your own impressions. i purposely keep the conversation very open - ended : " tell me about your drawing. who are the people in the picture? what are they doing? " for examples of what you might be looking for with your own children, check out my analysis of these kids ' drawings. a bunch of balloons this first picture is a great example of how artwork can be a springboard for conversation. it was drawn by a patient of mine when she was 11. she had lived alone with her mother since birth and she had no siblings. on the surface, her physical health, schoolwork, and social development were just fine. but she made friends slowly and she was unusually cautious about leaving her mother to go to friends ' houses. she preferred to have friends come to her house and play while her mother was nearby. i was concerned that their close bond got in the way of


but she made friends slowly and she was unusually cautious about leaving her mother to go to friends ' houses. she preferred to have friends come to her house and play while her mother was nearby. i was concerned that their close bond got in the way of her learning how to separate from her mom, which is a necessary part of development. related : 8 smart ways to teach independence, self - confidence, and resilience i hadn ' t been able to get this point across at previous office visits. but with this drawing, i had an opening. the way they were placed so closely together, and the fact that a short string connected the mother and daughter, stood out to me. when i asked mom, " what do you think about this picture? " she initially talked proudly about her daughter ' s drawing skills. but then she admitted that she could see what i ' d been trying to say about their relationship. we were able to talk about it, and she left the office motivated to help her daughter ( and herself ) discover ways to separate psychologically while maintaining their loving and close relationship. the stick - figure family drawing skills often begin to tell a story in kindergarten. although kids at this age tend to use simple stick figures, you can sometimes pick things up from facial expressions, where family members are placed, and what they ' re doing. this second picture, drawn by a 5 - year - old girl, is an example of that. she drew her mother on the far left, followed by the family dog, her father, herself, and her 8 - year - old brother. the girl drew herself as larger than her parents - - this typically reflects good self - esteem. it ' s worth noting that she placed herself between her father and brother : when children are between 4 and 6 years old, they develop a sense of their gender identity. as a part of this normal developmental process, young girls often get physically and emotionally closer to their father ( boys this age tend to get closer to their mother ), and the feelings are temporary. lots of detail the 7 - year - old girl who drew the third picture is a triplet who was born prematurely. when i asked what the people in the picture are doing, she started on the left with her brother, who is on the high - functioning end of the autism spectrum. " he ' s doing the laundry, mommy is working on the computer, i am hanging up clothes, daddy is washing the car, and my sister is washing the glasses. " the fact that she has drawn


- functioning end of the autism spectrum. " he ' s doing the laundry, mommy is working on the computer, i am hanging up clothes, daddy is washing the car, and my sister is washing the glasses. " the fact that she has drawn numerous body parts and clothing on her parents suggests that she has mature visual and motor skills. by looking at everyone ' s clothing, i see that she recognizes gender differences. the drawing also shows the children and parents as a cohesive unit ; they seem to enjoy doing everyday tasks together. notice how they ' re each drawn in a distinctive way - - the brother has a larger frame and a big head, and her sister has glasses, for instance. this tells me that she ' s able to think of each family member as an individual. a hole in the ground the last image was drawn by a 7 - year - old girl who ' d recently gone with her parents and younger brother to her grandfather ' s funeral. i was impressed with several aspects of her picture, including her ability to visually distinguish the adults from the kids and to draw faces that reveal sadness. she drew herself and her father in profile, which may indicate that she and her father have a strong bond. it was encouraging that she drew everyone close together, and touching ; this shows she perceived her family as tight - knit in this sad moment in their lives. the soccer match this top drawing is terrific : it shows a family enjoying a sport together. when the 9 - year - old boy who drew it was asked to describe the image, he answered, " we ' re playing soccer. dad said to pass, so i passed to him, and then he passed to mom, and mom passed to my little brother. and he scored! " the boy ' s description of his picture reveals his active engagement with other members of his family. i notice that his mom is drawn as the biggest person in the family, and while that might not be significant, i could use the opportunity to say, " you drew your mom as the largest person in the picture. is she the leader of the family team? " a view from above the 7 - year - old boy who drew this last picture says it ' s " all of us playing sorry. " i immediately noticed that he drew his family from the perspective of someone looking down at their game table. this suggests he ' s got strong visual - spatial skills ; children like this are often artistic and particularly good at puzzles and games. this family is engaged in playing together at home, which reveals


technology isn ’ t just providing a distraction for students ; it ’ s also lowering the cost of educating them. we reported earlier in the month about the $ 60 million dollar joint effort, edx, by mit and harvard to offer free, online, college courses. in this case, universities are using technology to expand global access to education. however, technology isn ’ t just changing how instruction is delivered. it can also make traditional approaches less costly. the woodland joint unified school district in northern california just outside of sacramento serves over 10, 000 students. the district replaced 300 aging pcs in five k - 12 computer labs with pano logic ’ s zero client systems. the decision is creating notable cost savings. pano logic ’ s virtual desktops have no cpu, memory, operating system, drivers, software or moving parts. if you are wondering, pano ’ s technology is not the digital equivalent of a pet rock. pano zero client only exists to connect usb peripherals such as a keyboard or monitor to a virtual machine, which can be hosted anywhere from the data center to the public cloud. currently, pano works with three hypervisors ( vsphere, xenserver, hyper - v ) and their management systems ( vmware view, xendesktop, microsoft scvmm ). technology leaders at the school district said they were able to deploy 300 pano logic zero client ’ s and setup virtual desktops in less than three weeks. each virtualized systems costs just $ 5. 00 per year to power – $ 45. 00 less than a traditional computer. the move cut the woodland ’ s energy costs by $ 13, 500. 00 a year. the devices have also substantially reduced the number of hours the team spends on maintenance support each month and expanded access to computers. pano has been heavily targeting the education sector because many have heavily strained budgets and computing resources deployed across several locations. many cannot afford to update their aging technology, so they spend hours and hours each month trying to keep the machines running. pano logic provide an alternative to pcs that ’ s very attractive to many.


trends and patterns of school district support of athletic, extracurricular, and recreational activities in this section, the district is asked to review participation trends in athletic, extracurricular and recreational activities. in doing so, the district should consider whether all of the protected groups participate and are encouraged to participate in these activities. the district should also identify any factors that might be causing or influencing these trends. in identifying factors, the district may want to consider whether the activities provided are relevant to, and are supportive of, all students. in other words, are activities provided that meet the interests and needs of every student? other questions may include whether the time and location of activities are accessible to all students, whether student groups and / or activities are welcoming to diverse students, and whether information about the activities is effectively conveyed to all students and parents or guardians. the district might also consider whether students are provided with activities and opportunities to learn about and promote diversity, fairness and justice. in this section, the district is also asked to consider what type of support is provided to these activities. in cycle i, districts typically examined their athletic programs for sex inequity and gave comparatively little attention to extracurricular and recreational activities. in cycle ii, districts should still consider whether equitable support is provided in its athletic programs. however, districts should also consider what type of support is provided in other extracurricular and recreational activities. are some groups being excluded? / p > as a reminder, numerical data should only be disaggregated on the basis of race, national origin, sex and disability. in addition, data from at least the past three years should be reviewed when analyzing trends and patterns. any disparity greater than 5 % should be considered significant. for information on the nondiscrimination guidelines in interscholastic athletics, please see the pupil nondiscrimination guidelines for athletics, a joint publication of the department of public instruction and the wisconsin interscholastic athletic association. by evaluating this area, school districts will have the opportunity to : - foster and promote the goals of equity and inclusiveness in athletic, extracurricular, and recreational programs and any school - sponsored or approved activity. - determine whether current practices might deter some students from participating in these activities. - identify and develop ways to increase participation of underrepresented groups. - identify and formulate ways for students to develop and act on knowledge and skills for fairness, equity, inclusiveness, human relations and diversity. athletic programs and activities - review participation data in


develop ways to increase participation of underrepresented groups. - identify and formulate ways for students to develop and act on knowledge and skills for fairness, equity, inclusiveness, human relations and diversity. athletic programs and activities - review participation data in athletic programs and activities for at least the past three years. review data by race, sex, national origin or disability. identify trends and patterns. - are some groups underrepresented in athletic programs and activities? - if so, how? - are effective procedures in place to track participation in athletic programs and activities by race, sex, disability, and national origin? - in responding to the following questions, review interscholastic athletic opportunities for male and female students. - are interscholastic athletic opportunities for males and females provided in numbers substantially proportionate to their respective enrollments in the district? - are the opportunities comparable in scope and type? - if not, can the district show a history and continuing practice of program expansion for the underrepresented sex? - if not, can the district demonstrate that the interests and abilities of the members of the underrepresented sex have been fully and effectively accommodated by the present programs? - review the district ' s separate interscholastic athletic programs for males and females. is equitable support provided in the following areas : - coaching and other staff salaries - provision of uniforms - equiment and supplies - scheduling of games and practice times - provision of transportation - opportunity to receive experienced coaching, academic tutoring, medical, or other type of services - access to locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities - publicity efforts - availability of pep band, cheerleaders, pom pon, et cetera for all teams. - are school mascots, team names, and logos free from bias or stereotyping? - does attendance at athletic events reflect the diversity of the students in the school? - do coaches receive training in recognizing diverse communication styles and in recognizing and neutralizing bias or stereotyping? - do coaches receive training to prevent hazing and harassment of, and by, athletes? - does the selection of specific sports and levels of competition accommodate the interests and abilities of : members of both sexes, students with special needs, students with limited - english proficiency, or diverse racial / ethnic groups? - has the district periodically conducted surveys in order to determine whether athletic interests are being met by the current athletic program? - are special accommodations available for students with disabilities? other extracurricular, recreational, and school - sponsored or approved activities


ethnic groups? - has the district periodically conducted surveys in order to determine whether athletic interests are being met by the current athletic program? - are special accommodations available for students with disabilities? other extracurricular, recreational, and school - sponsored or approved activities - review data of participation in extracurricular and recreational activities for at least the past three years. identify trends and patterns. - to what extent do participation rates in extracurricular and other recreational activities reflect the overall composition of the student population by race, gender, national origin or disability? - if not, how do they differ? - are effective procedures in place to track participation, by group, in extracurricular and recreational activities? - are activities provided to meet the expressed interests of all groups? - are students and their parents / guardians encouraged to organize extracurricular activities or clubs that target their needs as members of a protected class? has the district surveyed students, staff and parents / guardians to determine what these needs or interests may be? - are special accommodations available for children with disabilities? - is there a fair process by which all groups seeking school - approved status can apply? are all groups that follow the process and meet criteria approved? - what strategies has the district used to encourage participation by underrepresented groups? have these strategies been effective? - how often and in what forums are the district ' s nondiscrimination policies and practices regarding athletic, extracurricular, recreational and other activities communicated to students and parents / guardians? how might this communication be improved? - is there a permanent process in place for ensuring that all public information regarding athletic, extracurricular and recreational activities is inclusive and free of bias, stereotyping, and discrimination, including language and visuals? public information includes press releases, brochures, outreach / recruiting materials, posters, public service announcements, et cetera. - is information regarding athletic, extracurricular, recreational, and other activities published in other languages in addition to english? is the information available in braille or audio versions? - what are your recommendations for increasing participation of underrepresented groups in athletic, extracurricular, and recreational activities? what are your recommendations for ensuring that equitable support is provided in the district ' s athletic programs? how will these recommendations be implemented? prepare a summary of the status of pupil nondiscrimination and equality of education with regard to participation trends and patterns and school district support of athletic, extracurricular, and recreational activities. include in the summary your findings, analysis, supporting


the founding fathers were well read in the areas of economics, political separation of powers, and the rule of law with an in - depth knowledge of history. understanding their background may be why w. c. skousen in " the five thousand year leap " commented, the american founders recognized that the moment government is authorized to start leveling the material possessions of the rich in order to have an ‘ equal distribution of goods, ’ the government thereafter has the power to deprive any of the people of their ‘ equal ’ rights to enjoy their lives, liberties, and property. to prevent redistribution of goods from occurring, the founding fathers created a limited government with minimal regulations, stressing the importance of the right of private property. they understood it was the individual ’ s right to acquire and possess property, and that private property and liberty were inseparable. when the government confiscates through illegitimate means private property, the fruit of intellectual or physical labor, it enslaves and denies liberty. the system of private property is the most important guarantee of freedom, both for those who have property and those who do not. private property divides the means of production among many people acting independently, ensuring that no one person has complete control over everyone. if the means of production were invested in the hands of “ society as a whole ” or a dictator, whoever exercises the control has complete power over people. the principle of private property for the founding fathers was imperative to prevent the slide into socialism, which had been earlier tried in the plymouth colony under william bradford and abandoned as counterproductive to individual freedom and liberty. to understand the danger socialism presents for people, one needs to know what socialism is. the american heritage dictionary of the english language defines socialism as, “ any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy. ” ayn rand said : socialism is the doctrine that man has no right to exist for his own sake, that his life and his work do not belong to him, but belong to society, that the only justification of his existence is his service to society, and that society may dispose of him in any way it pleases for the sake of whatever it deems to be its own tribal, collective good. the essential characteristic of socialism is the denial of individual property rights … to deny property rights means to turn men into property owned by the state. whoever claims the “ right ” to “ redistribute ” the


may 26, 2012 : the u. s. army and the u. s. marine corps are beginning to receive the new m224a1 60mm mortar. this is an updated version of the original m224. weighing 16. 1 - 21. 1 kg ( 35. 4 - 47 pounds ) the new weapon is a much awaited improvement on pre - m224 models. for ease of carrying the mortar breaks down into several components. the tube weighs 6. 5 kg ( 14. 4 pounds ), the bipod is 6. 9 kg ( 15. 2 pounds ), and the sight is 1. 1 kg ( 2. 5 pounds ). there are two base plates. the standard one is 6. 5 kg ( 14. 4 pounds ), the lightweight one is 1. 6 kg ( 3. 6 pounds ). the older world war ii era m2 model weighed 19. 05 kg ( 42 pounds ). a less successful world war ii era model, the m19, weighed 23. 4 kg ( 52 pounds ). some of the m224 technology arrived early. four years ago a new mortar tube was introduced for the 60mm and 81mm mortars. new metals ( inconel 718 alloy ) and manufacturing methods ( flowforming ) reduced the weight of these mortar tubes 30 percent, and increased the robustness. but the lighter tube only reduced the overall system weight about ten percent. the complete m224 system reduced overall weight 20 percent. a year after the m224 was sent to some units for field tests, a few minor tweaks were made, resulting in the recently introduced m224a1. for the infantry, however, every pound counts. so the m224 was particularly welcome. but the troops were very pleased at how the lighter m224 actually performed. the marines and the army use the 60mm for infantry companies ( each of three infantry platoons, plus a heavy weapons platoon ), giving the company commander his own artillery. modern 60mm mortar shells, which weigh about 1. 6 kg ( 3. 5 pounds ) each, have a range of 2, 000 - 3, 500 meters. for many decades the max range of 60mm mortars was more like 2, 000 meters. the m224 can use a longer range ( 3, 500 meters ) round. the longer range shells, and the availability of mini - uavs at the company level, make the 60mm mortar a much more potent weapon. the uav can spot targets behind hills or buildings and then adjust the mortar fire until the


what is synesthesia? synesthesia is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations : a stimulus in one sensory modality ( e. g., hearing ) involuntarily elicits a sensation / experience in another modality ( e. g. vision ). likewise, perception of a form ( e. g., a letter ) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality ( e. g. a color ). click here for more information on synesthesia. what is the synesthesia battery? this battery of tests provides a standard battery of questions, tests and scoring. this test is available to the whole community of researchers and synesthetes for their use in making scientific progress. your data will be kept entirely private, for use only by yourself, and by a researcher if you provide a valid email address for one. log in here not sure if you ’ re a synesthete? click here to answer a few preview questions to find out! if you think you are a synesthete, please register here to begin with the questionnaire. upon completion of the questionnaire, you will be automatically routed to the online software tests appropriate for the forms of synesthesia you experience. if you have previously taken any of the tests or wish to continue with an unfinished set, please login to complete the battery and then view your results. if you are a researcher, you may direct your synesthetic subjects to this site and ask them to include your email address when they register. use of this battery, with its standardized scoring system, will allow data combination or comparison among laboratories. if you have been invited by synesthete. org, on behalf of a synesthete, to view his / her results, please enter the username and password that has been emailed to you and login here. additionally, if you are a researcher using matlab, i am making available the texsyn toolbox, a collection of matlab programs developed in dr. david eagleman ' s laboratory for testing various aspects of synesthetic experience. please click here for information and downloading. if you are publishing results derived from the online synesthesia battery or the texsyn toolbox, please cite : david m. eagleman, arielle d. kagan, stephanie s. nelson, deepak sagaram, anand k. sarma. a standardized test battery for the study of synesthesia. journal of neuroscience methods, 2007 jan 15 ; 159 ( 1 ) : 139 -


march 11th, 2013 12 : 01 am et raw meat is a notorious salmonella carrier. it can also be found on unclean kitchen counters. an investigation published this week in the journal of pediatrics suggests we should also look for the deadly bacteria in pet frogs. investigators from public health agencies across the united states found that african dwarf frogs are causing a nationwide outbreak of a specific salmonella strain in children. a group of health professionals make up the salmonella typhimurium outbreak investigation team, which is part of the centers for disease control and prevention. recently, the team has been examining the effects of african dwarf frogs on people ’ s health. “ amphibians and reptiles should never be kept in homes with children less than 5 years old or with people who have immune deficiencies, ” said lead author and cdc public health advisor shauna mettee zarecki. this includes day care settings and nursing homes, she said. the team examined an outbreak of that strain from 2008 to 2011 and identified 376 cases of salmonella in 44 states to use in a matched case - control study. the control group was made up of people with recent salmonella infections other than the outbreak strain, and the cases group included people with the outbreak strain infection. about 70 % of those infected were children younger than 10 years old. here ’ s where it gets more complicated. investigators interviewed 114 of those patients and about 60 % of them reported frog exposure. out of the patients who knew the type of frog, about 80 % reported coming in contact with adfs. in other words, salmonella infection was significantly associated with frog exposure in the study. the investigators concluded the majority of children got sick from indirect exposure to these animals, such as handling aquarium water. mettee zarecki stressed that parents and / or children should wash animal habitats outside to avoid contaminating their kitchen sink or bathtub. investigators said aquarium water can become more contaminated over time, increasing infection risk. mettee zarecki said 29 % of patients - mostly children - were hospitalized in this investigation. investigators tested samples from the frogs ’ aquariums in patients ’ homes, pet stores and a day care center that all matched the outbreak strain. according to the cdc ’ s website, patient purchases led investigators to one adf breeding facility at blue lobster farms in madera county, california. what ’ s troubling is frogs carrying the outbreak strain from this facility could still be in households, continuing to spread the infection. surprisingly, pet frogs can live to up 18 years, more akin


you ’ ll soon be hearing a lot of buzz — and a dose of sales hype — about a new wave of electric cars that will begin humming down our roads. the first cars to come from major automakers will be the much - publicized chevrolet volt and the nissan leaf, each expected to go on sale in selected areas by the end of this year. models from ford, honda, mitsubishi, toyota and other companies will follow. consumer reports ’ auto experts have driven prototypes and preproduction models of most of the forthcoming electric cars and have found them to be very quiet, quite quick, and viable alternatives to conventional cars. electric vehicles ( evs ) allow drivers to commute moderate distances using no gasoline and producing no tailpipe emissions. they can reduce overall driving costs for some people. and evs can be charged by simply plugging them into a household wall outlet, although the time it takes to recharge depends on the vehicle and the electrical circuit. but those cars require basic changes in driving habits and often some hefty household electrical work. before you consider plugging in, you should weigh all factors — cost, convenience and environmental impact — and fully understand the pros and cons of evs. what is an ev? plug - in electric cars represent the next step beyond hybrids for consumers who want to cut their gasoline consumption. a full - hybrid car continuously switches between a gasoline engine and an electric motor to power the car, and the gas engine recharges the battery while the car is driven. by contrast, an ev can go much father using only electric power, but it needs to be plugged in to fully recharge. there are three main types of plug - in models : — dedicated evs. the nissan leaf is an example of a pure battery - electric car that runs solely on its electric motor and has no gasoline engine. on a full charge, the leaf can go up to 100 miles before it needs recharging. — extended - range evs. that is how gm classifies the volt. the car runs only on its electric motor and can go up to 40 miles on electric power. after the battery ’ s charge drops to a certain level, a small gasoline engine kicks in to provide enough additional electrical power to let the car continue driving. that extends the volt ’ s overall range to more than 300 miles before it needs to stop for a fill - up or recharge. — plug - in hybrids. they are essentially conventional gas / electric hybrid cars with a


car continue driving. that extends the volt ’ s overall range to more than 300 miles before it needs to stop for a fill - up or recharge. — plug - in hybrids. they are essentially conventional gas / electric hybrid cars with a larger battery that allows them to operate on electric power more of the time, although they can ’ t go gas - free for long stretches. while toyota is field - testing plug - in priuses for commercial use, no plug - in hybrids are expected for retail customers until 2012. questions to consider — how far do you drive? if you will be using the car only for running local errands or you have a relatively short commute, say 20 to 30 miles each way, a dedicated electric car with a 100 - mile range, such as the leaf, would probably fit your needs. with an extended - range ev, distance is not a factor if you don ’ t mind using gasoline. — will an ev save you money? depending on your electricity rates, driving an ev can be less expensive than filling up at the pump. electricity costs an average of 11 cents per kilowatt - hour in the united states. at about 3 miles per kwh ( the rough efficiency engineers estimate for most of today ’ s evs ), that ’ s about 4 cents a mile. with gas costing about $ 2. 80 a gallon, a car such as the toyota corolla, which gets very good fuel economy of 30 mpg, would cost about 9 cents a mile for fuel. — how will you charge your car? a standard 100 - volt outlet might work for charging the volt, but you could be hard - pressed to charge a dedicated ev overnight. you ’ ll also need a charger, which currently costs between $ 700 and $ 1, 200. filed under : consumer reports


as you stand around the bbq this australia day, savouring that quintessential aroma of grilling lamb, spare a thought for the selfless service of our unsung national heroes – our estimated 140 million plus sheep ( ovis aries ). and spare a thought for those that made them so tasty. the australian sheep meat industry has benefited from decades of dedicated scientific research by organisations such as state departments of primary industry and csiro. without that, it ’ s unlikely your grilled lamb chops would be quite as fresh, juicy, succulent, tender and deliciously flavoursome. these days the burnt offerings of the past are less acceptable, as people demand grilled meat with a nice pink middle. even sam kekovitch ’ s latest ( over - the - top ) effort to boost lamb consumption ( see below ) – a brave reinvention of the place of lamb in contemporary australia culture – indicates the messages from celebrity chefs are finally trickling down – we are taking more interest in the subtle flavour of our lamb, basting, marinating and, most importantly, not over - cooking it. the discovery of fire by our ancestors and its application to meat is probably the oldest form of food processing. during cooking, protein, sugars and unsaturated fats break down and react to form an array of intense flavour and aroma molecules. our olfactory ( smell ) receptors and brains are hard - wired to like the molecular signature of grilled meat – even dedicated vegetarians can find meat aroma delicious and almost irresistible. behind the scenes, a lot goes into getting the texture and flavour of your lamb chop right. genetics and breeding are important for meat texture ; but probably the most important variable affecting flavour is what the animal has been chowing - down on pre - slaughter. scientists are studying changes in gene expression at different life stages. a better understanding of key events in building up muscle meat can help identify how to produce meat that is nutritious, healthy, tender and flavoursome. these events occur in the embryo, during growth, in response to changes of food and even after slaughter. the laying down of intramuscular fat, which leads to better texture and flavour in the meat, requires a detailed understanding of the interaction of diet and animal metabolism. the palpable consequences of global warming and the whims of el nino and la nina are changes in rainfall patterns and drought. unlike many other meat - producing countries, in australia animals generally graze on pastures and are not fed in


metabolism. the palpable consequences of global warming and the whims of el nino and la nina are changes in rainfall patterns and drought. unlike many other meat - producing countries, in australia animals generally graze on pastures and are not fed in feed lots, although they may be fed during drought. pasture will vary over climate and seasonal cycles, sometimes lacking in nutrients and energy. a severe drought has an impact on the animal ’ s growth and wellbeing and, not surprisingly, the meat quality. insufficient protein or nutrients affect the growth of muscle tissue and the deposition of fat, impacting on meat tenderness and flavour. in a wet year, when pastures are lush, there may be other problems. some plants may introduce too much of a good thing into the diet, with high protein levels in the pasture resulting in off - flavours such as a “ metallic ” or “ barnyard ” in the final meat. on the grill, it is the rapid reaction of unsaturated fats and amino acids that creates the desirable mouthwatering aroma. subtle differences in the fat and protein profile due to diet have an impact on the meat ’ s flavour profile but this is an important area of ongoing investigation. researchers worldwide have long tried to understand the effects of various pasture diets on positive flavour notes and eating quality of lamb. anecdotal evidence from farmers and producers is always vital, but rigorous scientific feeding trials are the mainstay of agricultural progress. in a severe drought year, malnutrition and extensive animal mortality are always a threat to farmers. access to reliable and cost - efficient “ finishing feeds ” – such as lucerne ( alfalfa ), ryegrass and plantain – is essential to get through the extreme years. summer and autumn - active forages, such as brassica plant species, are increasingly being used to supply nutrient - rich forages during periods when pastures are low in nutrient availability. anecdotally, such forages produce offensive odours during cooking. more scientific evidence is required to support this, to enable the farmer to make informed decisions, without impacting negatively on meat flavour. most australians know we ’ re on to a good thing with lamb. slightly fatty, sweet and nutty, lamb aroma can be mouth - watering. if it ’ s too strong, it can be objectionable – especially to those from other cultures, unfamiliar with unique grass - fed australian lamb aroma. when “ mutton is dressed up as lamb ”, a strong unpleasant odour is often obvious —


osprey publications produces history books covering a broad span of historical events in differing levels of depth ; this is one of the books with depth and focus. it focuses on the second crusade ( hattin 1187 ), and examines it from a top - down, and a bottom - up point of view. this battle returned control of jerusalem to the muslims and sparked the third crusade ( lead by richard the lionhearted ). the first part of the book discusses the opposing leaders and armies, the military plans and campaigns, and the after - effects of the battle. the second part of the book digs into the opposing armies themselves, from the level of the soldier - what he thought, why he fought, how he trained, what he wore for protection and carried for weaponry, how he fit into his culture and was regarded by it. outside of this look from the soldier ' s point of view, the book does not go extensively into the culture, peoples, and religions of the time - the reader should bring that knowledge with him. the brief conclusion of the book alludes to the effects of the crusades evident in our day, but this is not the point of the book. a tripartite appendix gives further content regarding traveling to the site of the battle, the location of remaining artifacts or sites of departure for the european crusaders. the book contains a good number of pictures of art, artifacts, and geography. the maps enliven the textual descriptions of terrain and campaigns. several tables provide relevant timelines for the events of the second crusade, for the events of the crusades in toto and for the world at large. any reader of this book should bring to it a broad picture of the history of the times, the overall history of the crusades and the peoples and religions involved in them. as with any period of history, it is helpful to read books from more than one point of view, this is especially true of the period of the crusades. current scholarship is providing new insights into the crusades ; students who read their last history of the crusades 30 years ago could benefit by a brush with current writings about this part of the story of western civilization. this book is appropriate for a college - age or adult history buff whom wants to dig deeper into the second crusade or into the mind and life of a soldier of the times. a high school student or advanced junior high student could use the book for reference, but probably not as a " required reading " text for this period of history. the writing itself is accessible to


swim down under hawaiian waters with pbs digital studios ’ underh20 team to watch how lava from the rumbling kilauea crater bursts into the pacific ocean, and then quickly cools to form what ’ s called pillow lava. showing 10 posts tagged swimming like an elusive, caped creature in the ocean, a female blanket octopus glides through the water. we know this video is of a female of the species because she is around two meters ( 6. 6 feet ) long. in contrast, the male blanket octopus is less than 3 centimeters wide. yes, centimeters! differences in males and females of a species is called sexual dimorphism, and can include size, coloring or ornamentation, form or structure, and behavior. a few examples of this include peacocks, peacock spiders, birds of paradise, lions, elk, and even humans. the bbc is a good start for further viewing. karl sims is a digital media artist, computer graphics research scientist, and software entrepreneur. his influential artificial life computer animations, like this one from 1994, were programmed as virtual creatures that simulated evolution through genetic algorithms : this video shows results from a research project involving simulated darwinian evolutions of virtual block creatures. a population of several hundred creatures is created within a supercomputer, and each creature is tested for their ability to perform a given task, such the ability to swim in a simulated water environment. those that are most successful survive, and their virtual genes containing coded instructions for their growth, are copied, combined, and mutated to make offspring for a new population. the new creatures are again tested, and some may be improvements on their parents. as this cycle of variation and selection continues, creatures with more and more successful behaviors can emerge. the creatures shown are results from many independent simulations in which they were selected for swimming, walking, jumping, following, and competing for control of a green cube. ‘ tis the season for scary creatures with toothy grins. from the team at mbari, deep - sea fish with some serious teeth! listed in the order they appear : aristostomias scintillans ( shiny loosejaw ), anoplogaster cornuta ( fangtooth ), tactostoma macropus ( longfin dragonfish ), chaenophryne, chauliodus macouni ( viperfish ), tactostoma macropus ( longfin dragonfish ), chauliodus macouni ( viperfish ), tactostoma macropus ( longfin dragonfish


every hour, at least one person in this country dies because he or she did not buckle up. failure to use a seat belt contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety - related behavior. more than 60 % of vehicle occupants killed in crashes in tennessee were not wearing safety belts. research shows it is almost nine times safer to wear your safety belt. unrestrained children are 4. 2 times more likely to die in a crash than restrained children. less than 1 % of children properly restrained were killed. tennessee ’ s local and state law enforcement officials work strenuously to educate every tennessean through the click it or ticket campaign as to the necessity of seat belt usage by utilizing safety checkpoints and public information messages. sponsored by the governor ’ s highway safety office, tennessee ’ s law enforcement agencies and public health officials, click it or ticket aims to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on tennessee ’ s roadways by reminding everyone to buckle up! what is click it or ticket? click it or ticket is a high - visibility education and enforcement campaign of tennessee ’ s seat belt laws. sponsored by the governor ’ s highway safety office, tennessee ’ s law enforcement agencies and public health officials, click it or ticket aims at reducing serious injuries and fatalities on tennessee ’ s roadways by reminding everyone to buckle up. who is covered by the law? all drivers and front seat passengers are covered by the seat belt law and must have a seat belt properly fastened about their bodies at all times when the vehicle is in a forward motion. children less than age 18 are covered under the tennessee child passenger safety ( cps ) and graduated driver licensing ( gdl ) laws. all occupants in all seating positions should ride buckled up to help protect all occupants. unbuckled rear seat occupants can injure buckled up front seat occupants as well as themselves when they are thrown around or out of a vehicle in a crash. can i be ticketed for unbelted passengers? drivers are responsible for themselves and for all child passengers less than age 18 in the front or back seat. licensed passengers 16 or older are responsible for themselves and will be ticketed instead of the driver. the 2004 law allows law enforcement to stop a vehicle if the driver and passengers are not properly restrained, whereas previously, they would have to be stopped for another offense before being ticketed. when does click it or ticket happen? the click it or ticket enforcement blitz is scheduled for periods surrounding memorial day, independence day and labor day. drivers and passengers are always subject to the law when in moving vehicles


for another offense before being ticketed. when does click it or ticket happen? the click it or ticket enforcement blitz is scheduled for periods surrounding memorial day, independence day and labor day. drivers and passengers are always subject to the law when in moving vehicles. where is the enforcement? click it or ticket takes place statewide in tennessee and throughout an eight state region that also includes north carolina, south carolina, georgia, florida, mississippi, alabama and kentucky. why is click it or ticket necessary? don ’ t law enforcement officers enforce this law all the time? seatbelt laws are enforced regularly along with many other safety laws. however, during regular enforcement activity, often the only person who knows that seat belt laws are being enforced is the person receiving the ticket. aggressive, coordinated, highly publicized enforcement campaigns send a strong message that everyone must be buckled up. it also enhances the perceived importance of seat belt usage and, in turn, leads to greater compliance why devote state resources to click it or ticket? traffic crashes are a leading cause of death in tennessee and the united states. therefore, they are a significant threat to public health. failure to buckle up contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety - related behavior. increasing seat belt usage is the most effective and immediate way to save lives and reduce injuries on roadways. crash data analysis indicates that seat belts used properly reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers. isn ’ t it my personal right to choose to buckle up or not? all traffic laws impose some limitation of choice on individuals. it is important to remember that driving is not a “ right, ” but a privilege, granted and controlled by the state of tennessee. citizens often accept the legitimacy of traffic laws because it is apparent to them that failure to obey the law could result in harm to the motorist or others. opponents of the seatbelt law often claim that no one else would be hurt if they do not use seat belts. this is not true. unrestrained occupants often injure others in crashes, and unbelted drivers have less control during a crash, often increasing the severity. increased injuries result in increased costs to all tennessee citizens. what are the penalties for non - compliance? if you are unbuckled or have children in a vehicle who are not properly restrained, and you are stopped by law enforcement, you will be ticketed. a person charged with a violation may, in lieu of appearance in court, submit a fine of $ 10. 00 for a first violation, and $ 20. 00 on second and


and you are stopped by law enforcement, you will be ticketed. a person charged with a violation may, in lieu of appearance in court, submit a fine of $ 10. 00 for a first violation, and $ 20. 00 on second and subsequent violations to the clerk of the court which has jurisdiction of such offense within the county in which the offense charged is alleged to have been committed. are both lap and shoulder belts required? the law requires the proper use of whatever seat belt system the seating position provides. vehicles equipped with air bags also provide lap and shoulder belts that must be worn. some vehicles have automatic shoulder belts with lap belts that are fastened manually. these manual lap belts must be used for compliance and for maximum protection. how is the law that covers children different? children less than 18 years of age are covered under the child passenger ( cps ) law. children younger than 18 years of age may be buckled in the rear seat of the vehicle as well as the front seat. a child who is under one year of age, and weighs less than 20 pounds, must ride in a rear - facing safety seat that meets federal standards until they are at least 1 year old and weigh at least 20 pounds. it is best to ride rear - facing as long as possible. any person transporting a child between the ages of 1 and 3, who weigh more than 20 pounds must ride in a forward - facing safety seat. any driver transporting a child between the ages of 4 through 8 who is less that 4 ' 9 " tall is responsible to see that the child ride in a belt positioning booster seat. it is recommended that all child restraint systems be installed in the rear seat of the vehicle when available. my car doesn ’ t have seatbelts. do i have to install them? cars manufactured after 1967 and vans, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles manufactured after 1971, are required by federal standards to have belts. belts must be installed in these vehicles if the original seat belts have been removed. vehicles brought in from other countries must be upgraded to conform with applicable federal motor vehicle standards. this means that passenger vehicles, light trucks and vans brought in from other countries must be fitted with belts if they were manufactured after the above date. our pickup truck only has three seatbelts, but there are four in our family. what do we do? the bottom line is that there is no safe way to carry more people than you have belts to accommodate. if room allows, extra belts can be installed to protect more people. as far as the seat belt