even they believed that debts could be written off after a while. however, they had no concept of original sin, and no box of afterlife tortures to frighten those who didn ' t punch in on sunday. it is because work was formalized in biblical times that the economic terms surrounding work are described using yiddish. - work under the christians when the christians took over the roman empire, they legitimized the six - day work week, declaring sunday the day of rest. ( sunday was originally named for the sol invictus imperial cult. ) this was a change from the roman system, where they partied for a solid week, once a year, and then were on for 358 straight. of course, for the clerics, sunday was the god workday, which means they had the other six off. for aristocrats, work was a diversion for those less well - bred ; only the nobility had the right to leisure. god was fine with having peasants do your work, as long as you gave generously to the church to pay priests to do your praying. - christian reformers this was how it would be for the next 15 centuries. then martin luther marched to wittenberg and said he " had a dream " and that the road to salvation wasn ' t giving money to the pope but instead working your breeches off. in a speech he nailed to the bishop of wittenberg, luther said god actually approved of people working hard ; it would make them appreciate how lucky they were to be granted life in a wicked world. that this essay comprised 96 theses despite making only five or six solid points was because martin luther had stumbled onto the concept of overtime. much of the material was developed during late - night sessions with only candles for light. the true lesson, that your best work isn ' t done during the fourteenth hour of the workday even if you ' re being paid time - and - a - half, would remain undiscovered. in geneva, jean calvin went further and said that, even if god had predestined everyone for heaven or hell, hard work might grant you at least an interview with the divine authority before the eternal flames licked your ass. in england, where the anglican church became official, elizabeth ii tried to keep a balance between fun ( which she liked ) and work ( which she didn ' t ). she was opposed by the hard - line workaholics, the puritans. they eventually decided that england was too " lazy " and took ship to the


between fun ( which she liked ) and work ( which she didn ' t ). she was opposed by the hard - line workaholics, the puritans. they eventually decided that england was too " lazy " and took ship to the americas to make a fresh start and enshrine the idea that if you worked hard, god would reward you. or so it said on the tin. the united states was founded and grew westward under the dominance of the protestant work ethic, which held that you are less godly duded up and chanting latin in church than you are plowing the field in overalls and muttering small anglo - saxon words. ( for females, godliness involved both being a mother and being a virgin. ) the pinnacle of this ethic was america ' s hallmark twin institutions, child labor and the sweatshop, whose latter - day repeal epitomizes the nation ' s decline, a decline accelerated by uncontrolled immigration of people from places where work consists of looking up and waiting for lunch to fall out of a tree. work in the united states amount of work when the pilgrims colonized america, there were famously only several thousand jobs. currently, there are 190, 000, 000 jobs in the united states. no one knows how the number of jobs has increased, because for most of the history of the u. s., there were no jobs programs at all. during the bush administration, there were hundreds of jobs programs, but the number of jobs decreased. everyone knows why this happened ; jobs were being " outsourced " and sent " offshore, " though no one has ever seen a job pass through customs, and no one has ever gone to prison for being caught smuggling a job into or out of any country. even two people carrying a desk across the border would attract suspicion. now, the pro - labor obama administration has turned the tide. it has proposed higher business taxes, new rules for employer - provided health insurance, and certification of unions without those pesky secret ballots. his secretary of labor has touted her tighter enforcement of wage - and - hour and job - safety laws. and still no one is hiring. go figure! every government in the world believes that any job done by a foreigner results in exactly one fewer job for a voting citizen. this is why tourists are not allowed to do anything useful during their vacation, even in the case that one ' s wallet gets stolen, and the most prosperous countries in latin america throw a fit if you bring along a ga


job for a voting citizen. this is why tourists are not allowed to do anything useful during their vacation, even in the case that one ' s wallet gets stolen, and the most prosperous countries in latin america throw a fit if you bring along a gadget that might be used productively, such as a computer or a movie camera. both bush and obama have ministered to a weak economy with " stimulus programs, " where the government pays the schleps to do work that either would have been done anyway, or would not have been done anyway. whichever is the case, you can see the utility of stimulus programs. where does the pay come from? economists believe it is one of the following : - from our grandchildren - it is borrowed from red china, which will never call for repayment, or even for us to abrogate our defense treaties - the pay isn ' t real, but the schleps are too stupid to notice. another job - creation idea is that there would be more work for the unemployed if the productive people did less of it. the united states pioneered the 40 - hour work week ; later, france dealt with a recession by mandating a 36 - hour work week ( 18 hours, excluding time spent on smoking breaks and kissing co - workers on the cheeks ). it stands to reason that, if you stopped working late, the guy in the back office would put down the copy of hustler and instantly pick up the slack. labor unions apply this theory to improve the common good, by frequently ensuring that no one does any work at all. countries from zimbabwe to el humidor have extended this theory, believing that peasants will have more work if the government ensures that other people do not hoard all the work to themselves. both countries have broken up entire industries to redistribute work to the little guy ( notably, the little guy carrying a sign in support of the maximum leader ). this conveniently puts jobs under the control of people who know nothing about the business or even about work. " good jobs at good wages " michael dukakis was the first u. s. presidential candidate to advocate " good jobs at good wages, " as opposed to the jobs that would exist if he were not president. even though he never became president, the government has promoted this goal in the following ways : - it ensures that bad jobs at bad wages - - anything under $ 7. 25 an hour - - are illegal, even if you and your boss agree to it. - it sends inspectors


, the government has promoted this goal in the following ways : - it ensures that bad jobs at bad wages - - anything under $ 7. 25 an hour - - are illegal, even if you and your boss agree to it. - it sends inspectors into workplaces to ensure compliance, and that every job is safe and that none create a " hostile or threatening " work environment. this is judged by the prudish old maid who doesn ' t like the centerfold on your wall, the summer intern who is convinced that every sidelong glance means you hate him, the man who wears a dress to work and scares away the customers, and of course the young black man constantly inventing reasons why the rest of you are racists. - to know where to send the inspectors, it requires registration of all employers. radio commentator mark levin hired a professional from new york, and when the forms from new york state rolled out of his fax machine, regretted aloud that he had not tried pakistan instead. - certain professions are entirely regulated. notoriously, no one can become a licensed hairdresser in the district of columbia without taking a long course in grooming white people ' s hair, and no one can become a cabbie in new york city without certification that his dialect is inscrutable. the humphrey - hawkins act gives the federal reserve the duty to promote " full employment. " the only way it could do this is by making the value of the dollar go to hell. but don ' t worry, it also has the legal duty to defend the value of the dollar. when a person cannot find work, he ceases to be a schlep and becomes a client, eligible to receive unemployment compensation. he will live a lifestyle to which the british have assigned the excellent term, being on the suck. regularly, and especially leading up to an election, congress increases the amount of compensation available. in 2009, despite the immediate success of the obama stimulus, congress proposed 14 extra weeks of compensation for workers in states with high unemployment. this gave congressmen from low - unemployment states the chance to shed tears in the hearing room ; ultimately, they got 14 extra weeks, the high - unemployment states got 20 extra weeks, and the bidding ended. workers throughout america can now get pay for over a year without working, and your congressman proved he cares about your plight. if this seems like a perfect con, there is a catch. the former schlep must report to the unemployment office periodically to prove he is looking for a new job. in


year without working, and your congressman proved he cares about your plight. if this seems like a perfect con, there is a catch. the former schlep must report to the unemployment office periodically to prove he is looking for a new job. in most cases, he must prove he has gone to a certain number of job interviews every week. a typical job interview goes something like this : - employer : well, then, what are your skills? - schlep : i glue together phonograph records. - employer : we don ' t produce phonograph records. no one does any more. what else can you do? - schlep : i ' m very good with phonograph records. and my old job paid $ 15 an hour. that ' s what i ' m worth. oddly, most such interviews do not lead to employment, and the schlep has no choice but to continue receiving benefits. on the third of the month, a new check will arrive, the schlep will be buying everyone drinks at the bar, and they will have to listen to him complain that " there isn ' t any work. " work outside the united states economists analyze the phenomenon of work by dividing the world into regions : richie - bitches, european maggots, and sand - diggers. in canada, work is similar to work in the united states, because of the phenomenon of imitation. however, canadian workers tend to spend much of their work time throwing crumpled pieces of paper at each other and apologizing profusely. occasionally, a game of " balled - up vital document hockey " is started. the victors of these games often expect tickets to the next game of their favorite hockey team. in some enlightened european countries ( as well as britain and france ), work consists mostly of surfing the internet for pornography whenever the boss is not looking. for this, the workers expect health benefits and new snow scrapers. in japan, the activities constituting work are the same as they are elsewhere. however, the workers sit facing each other alongside very long tables. the boss sits at one end of the table and stares at all the workers ; only thus can he keep them all working. the arrangement is unimaginable to britons, except in boarding houses at mealtime. if an attack of " the giggles " breaks out, the boss frowns, and it stops. his boss appears from time to time. he usually sits in the corner and goes to sleep before long, but the


except in boarding houses at mealtime. if an attack of " the giggles " breaks out, the boss frowns, and it stops. his boss appears from time to time. he usually sits in the corner and goes to sleep before long, but the workers all feel honored by his presence. economists use the term second world to refer to the countries in which the second world war was fought ; roughly, the remnants of the old soviet union. in these struggling countries, which have at least cast off their yoke of central planning ( freeing up time from the former " day job " ), work consists mostly of scouring the black market for useful goods on the cheap, and reselling them for blue jeans or marlboros without keeping any paperwork. in the former soviet satellite countries in eastern europe, work involves moving rocks, spitting on uranium to make it decay faster, or herding chickens into a pen with no walls. the pay is in pieces of toilet paper with the russian currency sign on them. you can trade this paper for more of the same paper, and a stack of it was recently worth 3 american cents. in the third world ( or as they are now known, the developing nations ), work consists of various ways of combining utter absence of capital with total lack of job skills and dearth of usable raw materials. this takes the following forms : - dirt farming : scraping a monoculture cash crop out of drought - ridden soil for a multinational corporation - assembling products that the assemblers will never actually be able to buy. work here pays about us $ 1 per week, which is usually enough to either feed or clothe a family of four.


lateral epicondylitis is pain over the bone on the outside of the elbow. the piece of bone that can be felt on the outside of the elbow is called the lateral... lateral epicondylitis is pain at the elbow. the pain occurs over the bone on the outside of the elbow. there are several muscles and tendons that attach on this area of the bone. this condition is often called tennis elbow, but it is not restricted to people who play tennis. it can also occur in people with jobs that require repetitive motions such as roofers and carpenters. lateral epicondylitiscopyright © nucleus medical media, inc. lateral epicondylitis is caused by damage to a tendon. tendons connects muscles to bone. repetitive or stressful movements of the muscles causes strain and pain at the tendon. the tendons associated with lateral epicondylitis are connected to forearm muscles. these muscles are active when you grip something, such as a tennis racquet. actions that can cause irritation to the tendons of the elbow include : - improper technique for hitting a tennis ball - improper size of tennis racquet or tension of racquet strings - improper golf swing technique or grip of golf clubs - doing certain arm motions too much, such as : - tennis strokes - golf swings - using a hammer or screwdriver factors that increase your risk of lateral epicondylitis include : - playing tennis or golf - work that requires repetitive wrist extension and gripping with a closed fist - muscle imbalance - decreased flexibility - advancing age lateral epicondylitis may develop slowly over time. it may not be associated with a sudden injury. symptoms include : - pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow - possibly pain extending down the forearm - tightness of forearm muscles - stiffness or trouble moving the elbow or wrist - lack of full elbow extension pain may be most noticeable when doing activities like : - shaking hands - turning doorknobs - picking up objects with your palm down - hitting a backhand in tennis - swinging a golf club - pressing on the outside of the elbow the doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. you may also be asked about your recent physical activity. the doctor will examine your elbow for : - pain on the outside of the elbow when : - doing certain arm motions - pressure is applied on the outside of the elbow - stiffness of elbow and wrist movement x - rays are not usually necessary. however, an x - ray may be needed if the doctor suspects a problem


the elbow when : - doing certain arm motions - pressure is applied on the outside of the elbow - stiffness of elbow and wrist movement x - rays are not usually necessary. however, an x - ray may be needed if the doctor suspects a problem with the bones such as calcium deposits. - pain on the outside of the elbow when : avoid activities that cause pain. do not play sports or do repetitive motions until the pain is gone. you may need to alter how you do certain activities : - when lifting objects, lift with your palms up. - consult a sports professional to check your form when playing tennis or golf ice may help decrease some discomfort and swelling. apply ice pack to the outside of the elbow for 15 - 20 minutes. repeat for about four times a day for several days. do not apply ice directly to your skin. wrap the ice or cold pack in a towel. therapy you may be referred to a physical therapist. you will learn exercises that may help reduce your symptoms. medication the following medication may help reduce swelling in the tendon and pain : - ibuprofen ( motrin, advil ) - naproxen ( aleve, naprosyn ) - acetaminophen ( tylenol ) - topical pain medicines ( eg, creams, patches ) applied to the skin if medication does not decrease your pain, do not return to physical activity. check with your doctor. compression certain injuries may require a brace. it is placed on your forearm. this brace limits the force of your forearm muscles on the tendon. cortisone injection the doctor may inject cortisone into the tendon. this may help to reduce pain and inflammation in the short term. unfortunately the injection may not help in the long run. when you are ready to return to exercise - heat may be helpful when you are ready to return to physical activity. it can decrease the stiffness in the muscle or tendon. - start gentle stretching of the wrist and elbow. follow your doctor ' s recommendations. do not push the stretch to the point of pain. hold each stretch for about 10 seconds and repeat six times. - try strengthening exercises for your forearm muscles. follow your doctor ' s recommendations. - gradually return to your sport. talk to a sports professional to adjust your technique, if needed. to reduce your risk of getting tennis elbow : - keep your arm muscles strong. this will decrease the stress on the tendons. - after a short warm - up period, stretch out your arm muscles


antimicrobial use guidelines are currently used in human medicine to provide guidance to doctors when selecting drugs to treat a variety of conditions. these guidelines have been instituted to help counteract the rise in antibacterial resistance as well as lessen the overall impact of misuse on patient health. in 2010, the antimicrobial guidelines working group of the international society for companion animal infectious diseases began developing guidelines that may be used to treat dogs and cats with urinary tract diseases. these guidelines are given as general recommendations to aid in the decision - making process. an overview is provided here ; to read the complete guidelines, visit http : / / hindawi. com / journals / vmi / 2011 / 263768. andreas reh / getty images simple, uncomplicated utis by definition, these urinary tract infections ( utis ) occur in patients that are otherwise in good health and that have had fewer than three previous utis in a 12 - month period. clinical signs ( dysuria, pollakiuria, increased urgency ) as well as bacteriuria and pyuria should be present. a complete urinalysis along with sediment evaluation is recommended in all cases, along with aerobic bacterial culture and susceptibility testing. the urine sample should be kept refrigerated, and the culture should be performed within 24 hours of collection. interpretation of the urine culture results will vary based on the sample collection method ( table 1 ). table 1 : urine bacterial culture result interpretation based on sample collection method initial therapy in most of these patients should consist of amoxicillin or trimethoprim - sulfonamide while you await culture results ( table 2 ). clinicians should monitor changes in local resistance patterns in patients with uncomplicated utis that may necessitate a change in first - line drug choices. table 2 : general recommendations for first - line antimicrobial therapy if a patient demonstrates clinical improvement while receiving the initial therapy despite in vitro resistance based on sensitivity testing, the current treatment should be continued, and a follow - up urinalysis and culture should be performed after the treatment if there is no response to treatment and the isolate is resistant to the initial drug choice, an alternative drug should be treatment for seven days with appropriate antimicrobials is reasonable for these patients, and monitoring only requires resolution of clinical signs.


aquatic invasive species date published : october 2010 number of pages : 76 author ( s ) : allen pleus, eric anderson, jesse schultz, and larry leclair, wdfw and bill balcom, washington state patrol “ the dreissena [ zebra and quagga mussels ] is perhaps better fitted for dissemination by man and subsequent establishment than any other freshwater shell ; the tenacity of life, unusually rapid propagation, the faculty of becoming attached by string byssus to extraneous substances and the power of adapting itself to strange and altogether artificial surroundings have combined to make it one of the most successful molluscan colonists in the world. ” ( kew, h. w. 1893 ) the washington department of fish and wildlife ( department ) and the washington state patrol ( wsp ) continue to implement the legislative invasive species directives established since 1998. this report is submitted to the legislature for meeting the requirements of both chapter 43. 43. 400 ( 4 ) and 77. 12. 879 ( 4 ) rcw and describes the challenges found and actions taken to implement the program. the program is primarily funded through dedicated fees on resident recreational watercraft as provided through essb 5699 ( 2005 c 464 ). the legislation established the aquatic invasive species ( ais ) prevention and enforcement programs, which are managed by co - ais coordinators in the department fish and enforcement divisions and in collaboration with the wsp enforcement liaison in the commercial vehicles division. although the ais prevention and enforcement programs address many priority aquatic invasive species, the greatest focus has been on zebra ( dreissena polymorpha ) and quagga ( dreissena bugensis ) mussels. the environmental, economic, and social / human health risks of zebra and quagga mussels can be catastrophic. zebra and quagga mussels are ecosystem changers that are continuing to completely alter the aquatic communities in the great lakes and other watersheds where they have become established. health risks include contamination of water supplies, increased occurrences of blue - green and other toxic algae blooms, ability to concentrate contaminated sediments up to 300, 000 times ambient levels and then disperse these into the food chain through direct consumption or through fecal matter, which has then killed wildlife and could sicken humans. they are also a freshwater bio - fouler that can quickly reduce or stop flows in hydro and water supply systems, plug water cooling systems in watercraft motors, and create physical hazards to fish and humans as their shells are


and could sicken humans. they are also a freshwater bio - fouler that can quickly reduce or stop flows in hydro and water supply systems, plug water cooling systems in watercraft motors, and create physical hazards to fish and humans as their shells are capable of cutting skin. a recently released report by the independent economic advisory board at the request of the northwest power and conservation council found that it is likely zebra and quagga mussels will eventually colonize some of the large rivers of the columbia basin, and that there is much value in delaying this result for as long as possible. furthermore, there is a substantial economic risk in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually if these mussels become established in the columbia basin and that costs to mitigate for zebra or quagga mussels at hydropower facilities within this basin would be significantly greater than those incurred at other infested sites around the country due to their comprehensive fish passage facilities. they concluded that it would be a good economic investment to improve prevention programs to delay an infestation. it is important to note that the columbia river basin and the pacific northwest in general, are among the last large river or regional drainage basins in the continental united states that remain free of zebra or quagga mussels. this is due to a combination of increasing prevention measures and luck. within this area, the highest risk for introductions of zebra and quagga mussels and other aquatic invasive species is by hitchhiking on recreational and commercial watercraft that are being transported from other infested parts of the united states and canada. there is also a growing threat of interstate transportation through ballast water if freshwater ports in california become infested and are transported to columbia river ports. unfortunately, while the threat of zebra and quagga mussels and other aquatic invasive species increases, the resources to fight this threat have decreased over the past two years due to budget cuts and reductions in other revenue sources used to supplement this work. in addition, it has been recognized that limited regulatory authorities would not be sufficient to contain or eradicate a zebra or quagga mussel infestation if it happened today. recommendations are provided for establishing the resources needed to address this critical threat. the following is a brief summary of some ais prevention and enforcement accomplishments that have occurred since the department ’ s last report to the 2008 legislature. early detection actions : high - risk water bodies were annually surveyed statewide for juvenile and adult zebra and quagga mussels. during 2008 - 2009 alone, a


enforcement accomplishments that have occurred since the department ’ s last report to the 2008 legislature. early detection actions : high - risk water bodies were annually surveyed statewide for juvenile and adult zebra and quagga mussels. during 2008 - 2009 alone, a total of 662 plankton tows ( looking for free - floating juvenile stage of mussels ) were conducted and 177 artificial substrates ( looking for adult settling ) were deployed at 234 sites throughout washington. the sites were distributed over 108 different water bodies. to date, no zebra or quagga mussels have been detected. projections for the number of water bodies that can be surveyed during the 2011 - 13 season will depend mostly on volunteer efforts as funding reductions will direct most actions to rapid response and watercraft inspections. rapid response actions : twenty - two recreational watercraft have been intercepted in the state since 2006 with zebra, quagga, or other dreissena mussels attached – all were decontaminated. ten of these watercraft were carrying live mussels, eight were carrying mussels where it was not possible to determine if they were alive or dead, and four were carrying just the attached shells. an important lesson learned was that shells alone could trigger a rapid response watercraft decontamination or could trigger a large scale rapid response action if they were to drop off at a boat launch. unfortunately, the ability to fully remove all shells from an infested watercraft is still problematic. watercraft inspection actions : over 12, 500 watercraft have been inspected since 2007 through boater surveys, integrated ais / boater safety inspections, wsp port of entry weigh station inspections, and at mandatory ais check stations. of these, 22 were found to have zebra or quagga mussels ( see above ) and 200 watercraft were found to be infested with aquatic plants. mandatory ais check stations are staff - intensive, but provide very high direct and indirect value in watercraft owner appreciation for our state ’ s efforts to prevent ais introductions. projections for the number of watercraft that can be inspected during the 2011 - 13 season is likely to be reduced due to budget cuts. as a comparison, idaho has a budget of $ 1. 3 million and was able to inspect 44, 000 boats in 2010. nonresident watercraft analysis : approximately 10 % of all inspected watercraft were registered distributed over 24 other states and two provinces of canada. overall, idaho contributed by far the largest proportion of nonresident registered water


000 boats in 2010. nonresident watercraft analysis : approximately 10 % of all inspected watercraft were registered distributed over 24 other states and two provinces of canada. overall, idaho contributed by far the largest proportion of nonresident registered watercraft ( 378 ), followed by oregon ( 233 ), california ( 74 ), arizona ( 36 ), british columbia ( 22 ), utah ( 13 ), and montana ( 12 ). of these, california, arizona, and utah have known established populations of zebra or quagga mussels. when nonresident watercraft owners were asked what water body they last used, the result was 85 different water bodies distributed over 13 states and two canadian provinces. the ten most frequently visited were coeur d ’ alene lake, id ( 42 ) ; willamette river, or ( 18 ) ; dworshak reservoir, id ( 18 ) ; lake mead, az / nv ( 16 ) ; clear lake, ca ( 15 ) ; pend oreille lake, id ( 12 ) ; california delta, ca ( 11 ) ; shasta lake, ca ( 9 ) ; lake havasu, az / ca ( 9 ), and clearwater river, id ( 9 ). of those ten water bodies, lakes mead and havasu are known to be contaminated with zebra and / or quagga mussels. the remaining 75 water bodies are distributed over eight states and two provinces of which seven of the states are known to harbor infestations of zebra and / or quagga mussels. state and regional coordination : the department closely coordinates with the washington invasive species council, the aquatic nuisance species committee, the columbia river basin team, and the aquatic nuisance species western regional panel to address state and regional issues. for example, a hypothetical detection of zebra mussels at the two river ’ s marina at the mouth of the spokane river was this year ’ s annual table - top exercise for the columbia river basin team ’ s interagency invasive species rapid response plan. participants on site included department planning and enforcement staff, the u. s. fish and wildlife service, the pacific states marine fisheries commission, the u. s. bureau of reclamation, the lake roosevelt national park service, the u. s. army corps of engineers, the spokane tribe of indians, the confederated tribes of the colville reservation, the upper columbia united tribes, the columbia river inter - tribal commission, the washington invasive species council, and representatives from the


the objective of this research is to derive land surface temperature from goes data at hourly intervals for atmospheric model assimilation to improve short range weather forecasts and nowcasting applications. the rate of change of lst is sensitive to the characteristics of the land surface such as soil moisture, land use and vegetation. regions of high soil moisture content or dense vegetation which has access to a a source of moisture exhibit cooler lst than dry soil or vegetation which is stressed because a lack of available soil moisture. this is illustrated in the figures to the right. the retrieval of land surface temperature ( lst ) from goes measurements is accomplished with a physical split window algorithm and the 11 and 12 micrometer channels of either the imager or the sounder. the technique is derived from a perturbation form of the radiative transfer equation that is simplified through parameterization to retrieve the surface parmater corrected for atmospheric water vapor effects. the physical approach requires a priori information, which includes estimates of temperature and mixing ration profiles, precipitable water, and skin temperature. the guess information is used with forward radiative transfer code and goes spectral response information to calculate channel transmittances and brightness temperatures reuired for the solution equations. lst retrievals are only weakly dependant on the guess profile information. the quality of the lst degrades slightly under inversion conditions ( either in the first guess or retrieval environment ). under optimal observing conditions ( known surface thermal emissivity ), lst retrieval errors are as small as 0. 2 k. variations in surface thermal emissivity unaccounted for in the retrieval process will increase the magnitude of the errors. however, in this particular application the time rate of change of the lst is used rather than its absolute value. as a result, the effects of varying thermal emissivity are negligble. the geophysical parameter retrieval page provides more details into the retrieval process. a technique has been developed for assimilating goes - ir skin temperature tendencies into the surface energy budget equation of a mesoscale model so that the simulated rate of temperature change closely agrees with the satellite observations. the simulated latent heat flux, which is a function of surface moisture availability, is adjusted based upon differences between the modeled and satellite - observed skin temperature tendencies. for more information on the satellite data assimilation see the mm5 modeling page or the attached chart. several forms of validation are now under way. first, data from the arm / cart network is being used to assess the accuracy of the


extension educator, horticulture if you need a reason to get your overstuffed body out of your overstuffed chair, why not venture outside to appreciate the native trees of illinois. prairies and farm fields are the common images of illinois landscapes ; however, trees are also an integral part of our illinois heritage. just a few facts about illinois trees : this is a great time to get outside. once trees have shed their leaves each bony branch and twisted trunk in the forest tells a story. to make the journey even more fun consider getting involved in the illinois big tree register to locate and nominate champion trees native to illinois. initiated in 1962 the illinois big tree register fosters appreciation of illinois trees and provides a format to discover and record the largest native tree species in the state. the illinois big tree register is part of a cooperative effort between the university of illinois at urbana - champaign, the illinois department of natural resources, and the national register of big trees. a few of the state champions are nearby. the largest yellow buckeye ( aesculus flava ) is in danville. state champions white ash ( fraxinus americana ), chestnut oak ( quercus prinus ) and kentucky coffeetree ( gymnocladus dioicus ) are in springfield. state champion green ash ( fraxinus pennsylvanica ) is in clinton and charleston is home to the state champion hackberry ( celtis occidentalis ). i ' m sure there are plenty of undocumented champion trees just waiting for someone to notice their grandeur and nominate them. everyone is encouraged to submit their nominations to the illinois big tree register. for a complete list of champion native trees and their locations and how to get involved in the illinois big tree register http : / / web. extension. illinois. edu / forestry if trees as lumber is more your thing, join us for the workshop " recovering and utilizing hardwood trees " on thursday, december 1 from 8am - 4pm at the rantoul recreation center 100 east flessner avenue in rantoul, il. the workshop instructs municipal forest managers and arborists on how to obtain the highest possible use for the wood from their urban and suburban trees. this program deals with management issues such as markets, contracts and other removal considerations. a morning of classroom instruction is followed by hands - on outdoor sessions concerning log and standing tree grading, whole log removals, sawmill demonstrations, and insight into the lumber produced by urban trees. the program is offered thanks to : illinois emerald


the experimental evidence collected during the last few years has strongly supported the view that the α particle is a charged helium atom, but it has been found exceedingly difficult to give a decisive proof of the relation. in recent papers, rutherford and geiger have supplied still further evidence of the correctness of this point of view. the number of α particles from one gram of radium have been counted, and the charge carried by each determined. the values of several radioactive quantities, calculated on the assumption that the α particle is a helium atom carrying two unit charges, have been shown to be in good agreement with the experimental numbers. in particular, the good agreement between the calculated rate of production of helium by radium and the rate experimentally determined by sir james dewar, is strong evidence in favour of the identity of the α particle with the helium atom. the methods of attack on this problem have been largely indirect, involving considerations of the charge carried by the helium atom and the value of e / m of the α particle. the proof of the identity of the α particle with the helium atom is incomplete until it can be shown that the α particles, accumulated quite independently of the matter from which they are expelled, consist of helium. for example, it might be argued that the appearance of helium in the radium emanation was a result of the expulsion of the α particle, in the same way that the appearance of radium a is a consequence of the expulsion of an α particle from the emanation. if one atom of helium appeared for each α particle expelled, calculation and experiment might still agree, and yet the α particle itself might be an atom of hydrogen or of some other substance. we have recently made experiments to test whether helium appears in a vessel into which the α particles have been fired, the active matter itself being enclosed in a vessel sufficiently thin to allow the α particles to escape, but impervious to the passage of helium or other radioactive products. the experimental arrangement is clearly seen in the figure. the equilibrium quantity of emanation from about 140 milligrams of radium was purified and compressed by means of a mercury - column into a fine glass tube a about 1. 5 cms. long. this fine tube, which was sealed on a larger capillary tube b, was sufficiently thin to allow the α particles from the emanation and its products to escape, but sufficiently strong to withstand atmospheric pressure. after some trials, mr. baumbach succeeded in blowing such fine tubes very uniform in thickness. the


b, was sufficiently thin to allow the α particles from the emanation and its products to escape, but sufficiently strong to withstand atmospheric pressure. after some trials, mr. baumbach succeeded in blowing such fine tubes very uniform in thickness. the thickness of the wall of the tube employed in most of the experiments was less than 1 / 100 mm., and was equivalent in stopping power of the α particle to about 2 cms. of air. since the ranges of the α particles from the emanation and its products radium a and radium c are 4. 3, 4. 8, and 7 cms. respectively, it is seen that the great majority of the α particles expelled by the active matter escape through the walls of the tube. the ranges of the α particles after passing through the glass were determined with the aid of a zinc - sulphide screen. immediately after the introduction of the emanation the phosphorescence showed brilliantly when the screen was close to the tube, but practically disappeared at a distance of 5 cms. such a result is to be expected. the phosphorescence initially observed was due mainly to the α particles of the emanation and its product radium a ( period 3 mins. ). in the course of time the amount of radium c, initially zero, gradually increased, and the α radiations from it of range 7 cms. were able to cause phosphorescence at a greater distance. the glass tube a was surrounded by a cylindrical glass tube t, 7. 5 cms. long and 1. 5 cms. diameter, by means of a ground - glass joint c. a small vacuum - tube v was attached to the upper end of t. the outer glass tube t was exhausted by a pump through the stopcock d, and the exhaustion completed with the aid of the charcoal tube f cooled by liquid air. by means of a mercury column h attached to a reservoir, mercury was forced into the tube t until it reached the bottom of the tube a. part of the α particles which escaped through the walls of the fine tube were stopped by the outer glass tube and part by the mercury surface. if the α particle is a helium atom, helium should gradually diffuse from the glass and mercury into the exhausted space, and its presence could then be detected spectroscopically by raising the mercury and compressing the gases into the vacuum - tube. in order to avoid any possible contamination of the apparatus with helium, freshly distilled mercury and


into the exhausted space, and its presence could then be detected spectroscopically by raising the mercury and compressing the gases into the vacuum - tube. in order to avoid any possible contamination of the apparatus with helium, freshly distilled mercury and entirely new glass apparatus were used. before introducing the emanation into a, the absence of helium was confirmed experimentally. at intervals after the introduction of the emanation the mercury was raised, and the gases in the outer tube spectroscopically examined. after 24 hours no trace of the helium yellow line was seen ; after 2 days the helium yellow was faintly visible ; after 4 days the helium yellow and green lines were bright ; and after 6 days all the stronger lines of the helium spectrum were observed. the absence of the neon spectrum shows that the helium present was not due to a leakage of air into the apparatus. there is, however, one possible source of error in this experiment. the helium may not be due to the α particles themselves, but may have diffused from the emanation through the thin walls of the glass tube. in order to test this point the emanation was completely pumped out of a, and after some hours a quantity of helium, about 10 times the previous volume of the emanation, was compressed into the same tube a. the outer tube t and the vacuum - tube were removed and a fresh apparatus substituted. observations to detect helium in the tube t were made at intervals, in the same way as before, but no trace of the helium spectrum was observed over a period of eight days. the helium in the tube a was then pumped out and a fresh supply of emanation substituted. results similar to the first experiment were observed. the helium yellow and green lines showed brightly after four days. these experiments thus show conclusively that the helium could not have diffused through the glass walls, but must have been derived from the α particles which were fired through them. in other words, the experiments give a decisive proof that the α particle after losing its charge is an atom of helium. we have seen that in the experiments above described helium was not observed in the outer tube in sufficient quantity to show the characteristic yellow line until two days had elapsed. now the equilibrium amount of emanation from 100 milligrams of radium should produce helium at the rate of about. 03 c. mm. per day. the amount produced in one day, if present in the outer tube, should produce a bright spectrum of helium under the


of helium was then spectroscopically looked for in the usual way. using this method, it was found possible to detect the presence of helium in the lead which had been exposed for only four hours to the α rays from the emanation. after an exposure of 24 hours the helium yellow and green lines came out brightly. these experiments were repeated several times with similar results. a number of blank experiments were made, using samples of the lead - foil which had not been exposed to the α rays, but in no case was any helium detected. in a similar way, the presence of helium was detected in a cylinder of tinfoil exposed for a few hours over the emanation - tube. these experiments show that the helium does not escape at once from the lead, but there is on the average a period of retardation of several hours and possible longer. the detection of helium in the lead and tin foil, as well as in the glass, removes a possible objection that the helium might have been in some way present in the glass initially, and was liberated as a consequence of its bombardment by the α particles. the use of such thin glass tubes containing emanation affords a simple and convenient method of examining the effect on substances of an intense α radiation quite independently of the radioactive material contained in the tube. we can conclude with certainty from these experiments that the α particle after losing its charge is a helium atom. other evidence indicates that the charge is twice the unit charge carried by the hydrogen atom set free in the electrolysis of water. university of manchester, nov. 13, 1908 proc. roy. soc. a. lxxxi, pp. 141 - 173 ( 1908 ). proc. roy. soc. a. lxxxi. p. 280 ( 1908 ). the α particles fired at a very oblique angle to the tube would be stopped in the glass. the fraction stopped in this way would be small under the experimental conditions. that the air was completely displaced was shown by the absence of neon in the final spectrum.


like the contractions previously studied, these contractions are not used where part of the letters of the contraction fall into a prefix and the rest into a root or base word. thus, the sign for ed is not used in reduce, deduce, edict, predict, or predate. similarly, the sign for er is not used in derogatory, prerogative, erect, erupt, rerun, or derail. the sign for ble is not used in sublet, nor the sign for ar in infrared. in a few words, the beginning letters se constitute a prefix meaning " apart. " when that prefix is followed by the letter d, as in seduce and seditious, the ed contraction cannot be used because it would overlap between the prefix and the root word. an exception to this rule occurs in a few familiar words that begin with the letters ar. in the easily read words around, arise, and arose the ar contraction is used, even though in these cases the a is a prefix. [ x. 34. c ] • note : remember the very strong rule that says that when all of the letters of a contraction fall into the same syllable, the contraction is used. although the er contraction cannot be used in derive because de is a prefix, it is used in derivation because both the e and the r fall into the same syllable.


groundbreaking new research has linked sodium fluoride to cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. researchers found that fluoride consumption directly stimulates the hardening of your arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis that is highly correlatedwith the # 1 killer. sodium fluoride is currently added to the water supply of many cities worldwide, despite extreme opposition from health professionals and previous studies linking it to decreased iq and infertility. in their research, scientists examined the relationship between fluoride intake and the hardening ( calcification ) of the arteries. studying more than 60 patients, the researchers found a significant correlation between fluoride consumption and the calcification of your arteries. published in the january edition of the journal nuclear medicine communications, the research highlights the fact that mass fluoride exposure may be to blame for the cardiovascular disease epidemic that takes more lives each year than cancer. in 2008, cardiovascular killed 17 million people. according to the authors of the study : “ the coronary fluoride uptake value in patients with cardiovascular events was significantly higher than in patients without cardiovascular events. ” amazingly, this is not the first report to come out on the dangers of water fluoridation, however the united states government along with other nations have allowed for the continued fluoridation of the public water supply despite these key findings. in fact, the u. s. government has even gone on record stating that a reduction in water fluoridation needs to occur following the results of a massive study that found water fluoridation affected cognitive function to the point of lowering the iq of children. it turns out that the announcement was little more than a public relations stunt to curtail the massive wave of activism that followed the findings. government admits dangers yet continues to pump fluoride into your water supply over 24 other studies have unanimously concluded that fluoride negatively impacts cognitive function. in addition to these 24 studies focusing on cognition, over 100 animal studies have linked fluoride to an increase in male infertility, diabetes, and a whole host of other health problems. in the latest study on cognition, it was found that that 28 % of the children who lived in an area where fluoride levels were low achieved the highest test scores. this means that the children exposed to less fluoride scored normal or advanced, while only 8 % of fluoridated children did the same. in fact, the safety precautions regarding sodium fluoride are quite telling themselves : risk and safety phrases. - r25 –


exposed to less fluoride scored normal or advanced, while only 8 % of fluoridated children did the same. in fact, the safety precautions regarding sodium fluoride are quite telling themselves : risk and safety phrases. - r25 – toxic if swallowed. - r32 – contact with acid liberates very toxic gas. - r36 / 38 – irritating to skin and eyes. - s1 / 2 – keep locked up and out of reach of children. - s22 – do not breathe dust. - s36 – wear suitable protective clothing. - s45 – in case of accident or if you feel unwell, seek medical advice immediately ( show the label whenever possible. ) but what about cavity prevention? since 1962 the government has recommended fluoride levels between 0. 7 and 1. 2 milligrams per liter in the nations drinking water. toted as an excellent cavity blocker, fluoride has been praised for its alleged power to prevent tooth decay and boost oral health. research has now revealed that fluoride, the very substance that is supposed to prevent tooth decay, actually does nothing to prevent against cavities. in fact, vitamin d has been found to be significantly more effective in cavity prevention without the extreme side effects. instead of damaging your body, vitamin d slashes your risk of just about everything fluoride consumption causes. according to the latest numbers, over 72 percent of americans drink water treated with fluoride. is it any wonder that cardiovascular disease rates are off the charts? perhaps most concerning is the fact that fluoride does not even prevent cavities, which is the very reason legislators have pushed to keep it in the public water supply despite the links to deadly disease. even if fluoride was found to prevent cavities, would it be worth the adverse effects? fluoride should be completely removed from the international water supply as it is a threat to public health. until the proper legislation is passed, acquiring a high - quality water filter that removes fluoride is vital for the health perseverance of you and your family. poor man ’ s water purifier if you read the “ consumer confidence report ” that comes from your water company …. it may have the following information on it : “ some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. immune - compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with hiv / aids or other immune system disorders


“ some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. immune - compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with hiv / aids or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infection. these people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. ” i ’ d say that we have a problem. we start out with water that “ immune - compromised ” persons and babies should not drink and the water becomes acidic as it flows through the city ’ s pipes. acidic water flowing through pipes picks up lead and other contaminants directly from the pipes it runs through. so the water that we started with might have been adequately safe for the general public, but now what about the water that actually comes out of the faucet? the following cheap, home treatment that improves the taste. i cannot prove that it does anything else. i think it may be healthier based on the following : “ dr. earp - thomas added a handful of wheatgrass to fluoridated water for several minutes. when the grass was removed and the water tested, no fluorine was traceable. later, an official of the water department of new york city tested fluoridated water in which a small sprig of wheatgrass had been swished. he could find no trace of fluorine. evidently, the presence of wheat grass in fluoridated water renders the inorganic chemicals harmless. dr. earp - thomas found that an ounce of grass in a gallon of fluoridated water would turn the fluorine into harmless calcium - phosphate - fluoride compounds. alfalfa seeds will not grow in treated water [ means city - treated water not wheatgrass - treated water - bfg ] but will merely rot in treated tap water. one - half ounce of wheatgrass, added each morning to ordinary tap water, softens it and makes it positive …. “ dr. earp - thomas further discovered that fruits and vegetables contaminated by sprays were thoroughly cleansed and the negative food transformed by wash water with a wisp of wheatgrass placed in the water. in pasteurized milk, baby foods, pet foods, etc. wheatgrass changes the toxic orbit of electrons to positive. wheatgrass placed in the drinking water of pets and cut up over their food helps prevent ailments in your pets. ” from pages 43 - 45 be your own doctor by ann wig


archive for the ‘ george bancroft ’ category george bancroft. by russel b. nye. new york : washington square press, inc. 1964. bibliography. pp. x, 212. $. 60. if biographies written in the twenty - first century tend toward tomes, russel nye ’ s 1964 work on george bancroft, the most acclaimed american historian of the nineteenth century, demonstrates how to impress with a modicum of words. though bancroft ’ s life spanned almost a century, nye skillfully paints a portrait of the man against the sweeping landscape of the united states ’ passage from fledgling country at the turn of 18th century to battle - scarred nation ninety years later, all in fewer than two hundred pages. nye ’ s book is part of the washington square press “ great american thinkers series, ” targeting an audience of general readers as well as serious secondary and college students who want readable history. george bancroft as subject is in good company among other well known americans included in the series, like thomas jefferson, benjamin franklin, and john c. calhoun. series editors provided a general outline for nye to follow, which included a short biography of the subject, a critical evaluation of his central ideas, and his influence upon american thought as a whole. nye approaches the task in a somewhat unconventional manner. he begins and ends with reasonably standard material. a chronology of key events in bancroft ’ s life is placed in the front matter of the book, beginning with his birth in 1800 and ending with his death in 1891. end materials include a list of bancroft ’ s extensive published works and a complete bibliography and index. it is in the book ’ s narrative that nye shows structural creativity. he reveals bancroft by coming at the subject from six different directions : life history, views on education, artistic and cultural perspectives, formation as a politician, views on humanity and the divine, and bancroft ’ s contribution to historiography. the first chapter, titled “ the pattern of a life, ” provides a highly readable narrative overview of bancroft ’ s ninety - one years. nye begins with the family and culture into which bancroft was born, and then explores his passage through school years, including entry into harvard at the age of 13. his formative years studying abroad are covered next, and insight is provided into the effects that european intellectuals and artists had on the now young man. nye brings bancroft home to the united states, doctorate in hand, and traces his quest for direction in life that leads him away from ministry and into politics and


insight is provided into the effects that european intellectuals and artists had on the now young man. nye brings bancroft home to the united states, doctorate in hand, and traces his quest for direction in life that leads him away from ministry and into politics and writing. his life as politician and as an emerging and then accomplished historian are described, as well as the events that bring a close to bancroft ’ s life. nye devotes the entire second chapter, “ experiment at round hill, ” to bancroft ’ s daring project as schoolmaster of a preparatory school for boys in new england. partnering with a colleague from harvard, bancroft incorporates in the endeavor the progressive concepts in education he observed while in europe. but bancroft has a love - hate relationship with teaching, and gradually realizes that his destiny lies elsewhere. as the chapter closes, he has sold his interest in the school to his partner and moved on, having left his mark on the history of american education as the creator of the first high school and a modeler of educational reform. in the third chapter, “ the anatomy of culture, ” nye explores the romantic movement ’ s impact on bancroft and his contemporaries, and makes good use of the subject ’ s actual writing. excerpts of bancroft ’ s early attempts at poetry are presented by way of showing that, while his own poetic work was amateurish, he was able to channel his love for art into the role of literary critic, becoming quite adept at it. nye does a masterful job of showing, through excerpts of bancroft ’ s reviews and critiques, not only his appreciation of the artistic, but his gift for seeing broad themes like democracy in art. he also shows how bancroft was able to bring his interest in artistic judgment and creation to his growing preoccupation with history. instead of losing touch, “ he absorbed his interest in art into the larger context of his theory of culture and his concept of history. to him, as to his contemporaries, the boundaries of intellectual specialization were fluid ” ( 63 ). this fusion of the literary with history defined bancroft ’ s historical writing. nye ’ s ability to correlate the cultural milieu of early 19th century with bancroft ’ s growth as philosopher, theologian, artistic critic, and historian is particularly well done. chapter 4, “ the fabric of american political life, ” guides the reader through bancroft ’ s life as a politician, and his metamorphosis into a jacksonian democrat and political thinker. again, nye identifies themes from bancroft ’ s writings and personal correspondence


the fabric of american political life, ” guides the reader through bancroft ’ s life as a politician, and his metamorphosis into a jacksonian democrat and political thinker. again, nye identifies themes from bancroft ’ s writings and personal correspondence, including the idea that political figures are heroes to the populations they serve. nye closes the chapter with a moving description of bancroft ’ s role as eulogizer of lincoln, a man who bancroft grew to consider as a hero of some stature through the course of the civil war. he also traces bancroft ’ s evolving views on slavery. in chapter 5, “ nature : human and divine, ” nye explores how bancroft came to his religious beliefs and his philosophical stand on the nature of humanity and the divine. this is an important topic because bancroft ’ s theological thinking informed much of his historical writing and speaking. nye shows bancroft as a man of his times, influenced by the enthusiasm of a country running toward a bright future, and yet a man who contributed much to that nation because of his study abroad and exposure to many of the world ’ s foremost thinkers. nye does a good job of showing how bancroft reconciled his belief in man ’ s free will as long as it was exercised within the larger will of the divine. in his final chapter, “ the shape and meaning of history, ” nye looks as bancroft the historian and the influence of his historiography. he provides an excellent overview of the state of historical study at the turn of and into the early 19thcentury, contrasting rationalistic historical theory against romantic history a la rankian zeitgeist. his review of the expectations of historical writers in bancroft ’ s generation is excellent. but most important in this chapter are the selections from bancroft ’ s own essays, illustrating how he conceived of his own calling. his personal philosophy, which he put to paper not long after returning from studies in europe, placed the office of the historian second only to the poet in its noble call to find god within history. this perspective, nye informs, pervaded the first three volumes of bancroft ’ s most famous work, the history of the united states of america from the discovery of the continent, in which it was clear “ that he was convinced that the united states was the creation of divine providence ” ( 158 ). the second theme was that of man ’ s right to pursue freedom. nye takes the reader through the completion and then revision of the seven volumes which took place over the course of most of bancroft ’ s remaining life


divine providence ” ( 158 ). the second theme was that of man ’ s right to pursue freedom. nye takes the reader through the completion and then revision of the seven volumes which took place over the course of most of bancroft ’ s remaining life. he touches upon the influences of the american civil war on his writing, and particularly on the volumes having to do with the revolutionary war. nye gives insight into bancroft ’ s work style and ethic, as reflected in a two - volume work on the american constitution. he interjects some deserved criticism of bancroft who, he suggests over simplified the events surrounding the constitution ’ s creation, ignoring “ the whole tangled skein of economic and political rivalries, conflicting interests, and clashing personalities ” ( 170 ). nye leaves the reader with a sense for bancroft ’ s brilliance across a broad range of diverse interests. he paints him as a man who enjoyed the privileges of an education well beyond the norm of his day, and earned by an innate drive and love for scholarship. nye ’ s bancroft was comfortable with life choices that went against the norm, an indication of independent thought. but he was also a man of his times, influenced by the great thinkers of his era and yet contributing one of the most important voices of the nineteenth century. he brought to his generation a better sense of the american story, and to a large degree, popularized history with the first complete treatment of the united states through its inception as a nation. he was guided by a strong belief in divine providence and its hand upon america. but at his core, he was, as depicted by nye, a scholarly man of letters – a distinction i suspect would have pleased mr. bancroft. his legacy is a remarkable body of work sadly forgotten by most citizens of the 21st century because of changing standards in historiography. nye does a masterful job of identifying bancroft ’ s core beliefs and the influences that formed the man and his career. he also shows a considerable grasp of the nuances of both history and historiography that were in play in the 19thcentury – worth noting because nye ’ s training is in literature rather than history. like all series authors, nye brings to the work a ph. d. an english professor at michigan state university, he might seem like an odd choice to profile a historian, but he proves himself equal to the task, perhaps because biography straddles both history and literature. his obvious mastery of the large collection of papers bancroft left behind for his biographers is


, he might seem like an odd choice to profile a historian, but he proves himself equal to the task, perhaps because biography straddles both history and literature. his obvious mastery of the large collection of papers bancroft left behind for his biographers is impressive. russel nye was awarded the 1945 pulitzer prize for biography for this work. is there a better recommendation? american military university photo credit : einstein at 42 from wikipedia commons. public domain i ’ ve recently added elektratig to my blogroll. he and i have cross - referenced several posts on topics like the inevitability of the american civil war ( available here ) and he has always provided thoughtful comments. today, he has a post on george bancroft that you can read here which speaks to the special relationship that bancroft had with president james polk. bancroft was instrumental in polk receiving the democratic nomination in 1844 because he was able to swing the massachusetts vote his way. bancroft became, as a result, the most powerful democrat in massachusetts. [ i ] as elektratig mentions, today not a lot of people know of bancroft but for citizens of the nineteenth century he was, as biographer robert canary put it, “ one of the first great american historians and one of the most widely read american historical writers of his time. ” [ ii ] naval historians will know that it was bancroft who founded the united states naval academy at annapolis while serving as secretary of the navy under president polk. ( below is bancroft hall at annapolis ). [ i ] russel b. nye, george bancroft, ( new york : washington square press. inc., 1964 ), 10. [ ii ] robert h. canary, george bancroft, ( new york : twayne publishers, inc., 1974 ), i. i realize this won ’ t be for everyone but i wanted to post the academic book review i finished yesterday on the paperback version of russel blaine nye ’ s 1945 pulitzer prize winning biography george bancroft : brahmin rebel. sadly this book is out - of - print and available only via library or used book markets. it is a fascinating work filled with insights into an uncommon man who was once this country ’ s most revered historian – but whom most of us have no memory. it also provides considerable information about our country - and indeed the world - in the period leading up to, during and after the civil war. it was enlightening to put this post together in that i discovered some great sources of information about many of the people, places and


about our country - and indeed the world - in the period leading up to, during and after the civil war. it was enlightening to put this post together in that i discovered some great sources of information about many of the people, places and times in which bancroft lived. kudos to http : / / www. harvardsquarelibrary. org for their information on important persons in that university ’ s history. by russel b. nye. new york ( washington square press, inc. ). pp. 212. 1964. $. 60 if biographies written in the twenty - first century tend toward tomes, russel nye ’ s work on george bancroft, easily the most acclaimed american historian of the nineteenth century, demonstrates how to impress with a modicum of words. bancroft ’ s life spanned a period of epic change in the fledgling american nation. nye skillfully paints a portrait of the man against the sweeping landscape of the united state ’ s passage from fledgling country at the turn of 18thcentury to a battle - scarred nation ninety years later. bancroft helped to make american history as politician and statesman. he also became one of the country ’ s most gifted historiographers and the first popular historian, a title that was, by the end of the century, not unlike his literary writing style, considered “ passe. ” george bancroft came from a legacy of northeastern conservatism. bred squarely into the center of the american calvinistic farming culture of worcester, massachusetts, his grandfather samuel bancroft was both strict calvinist and independent of mind. bancroft ’ s father, aaron bancroft, had a noteworthy career as one of the first leaders of the unitarian movement. this step toward liberalism directed him to the pastorship of a small second congregational church of worcester and modest means to support his growing family. but it also positioned him with the intellectual elite of new england. the bancroft home was a place where books were plenty and reading and discussion encouraged. independent reason was also valued. aaron bancroft authored one of the more popular biographies of george washington, a man who young george bancroft would eventually count as among the most influential hero - leaders of the country. george stood out among his siblings and opportunities were given to him to attend preparatory school at a young age even though it caused strain on his father ’ s finances. he excelled and passed entrance exams to harvard college at the age of 13. bancroft graduated harvard at 17 and, with the assistance of college president john thornton kirkland ( pictured right and papers here ),


it caused strain on his father ’ s finances. he excelled and passed entrance exams to harvard college at the age of 13. bancroft graduated harvard at 17 and, with the assistance of college president john thornton kirkland ( pictured right and papers here ), was provided both financial support and the necessary letters of introduction to follow a select few harvard graduates to gottingen, one of the top universities in germany ( brief history of the town and university here ). his goal was to follow his father into the ministry. he began a rigorous course of study including a self - imposed schedule of sixteen hour days. by the age of twenty, bancroft had a gottingen doctorate and the respect of some of germany ’ s most noted professors. but he had also developed a considerable interest in philosophy, history and literature and began to doubt whether a career in the ministry remained his passion. he continued with post doctorate studies in berlin and by the end of his four years in europe had met many of its influential writers, artists and academics. bancroft returned home filled with ideas about educational reform and exhibiting mannerisms and dress inspired by his time abroad. bancroft spent the next several years trying to find his calling. trained in philology ( the study of languages ) as well as theology, he tried on the role of greek tutor at harvard but became frustrated with the college ’ s lack of interest in adopting the new educational techniques he brought from abroad. he was also unpopular as a teacher, which is not to say that he was a bad teacher ; rather a demanding one. by mutual consent, he left harvard after a year and with fellow harvard and gottingen graduate joseph cogswell, opened the round hill school for boys near northampton, massachusetts in 1823. it became a phenomenon of sorts due to the melding of the latest methods of european educational reform with those of american boarding school. “ it was one of the earliest and most successful efforts of the nineteenth century to raise the level of american secondary education by absorbing the new european experimentation, and served as a powerful influence in the diffusion of new ideas on discipline, individual attention, and stimulation of student interest ” ( 45 ). a student was treated as an individual with unique learning patterns and cooperated as an equal with his teacher rather than as an inferior with his master. despite the demanding program, the elite of new england clamored to enroll their sons. with bancroft as the primary teacher and cogswell managing administration, the school grew in both size and reputation. it was at round hill school that bancroft met his wife, sarah dwight. her status as the


england clamored to enroll their sons. with bancroft as the primary teacher and cogswell managing administration, the school grew in both size and reputation. it was at round hill school that bancroft met his wife, sarah dwight. her status as the daughter of a wealthy new england family would ensure his financial independence. bancroft also continued to work on his poetry ( he had published poems while at harvard ) and found opportunity for preaching. but he was successful at neither. his poetry was labeled amateurish and his oration at the pulpit “ too consciously learned, too pretentiously oratorical ” ( 5 ). interestingly, bancroft would become a gifted literary critic. a man of many interests, he became bored with the life of a country school teacher and bowed out of the venture in 1831. the round hill school failed three years later. bancroft discovered while at round hill a growing interest in politics. he began to write for prominent journals and even spoke in a political forum in northampton at the behest of town leaders. in 1830 he was nominated for the massachusetts ’ s senate by the workingmen ’ s party. although he declined, his voice as a political philosopher began to emerge. it was firmly centered on the premise that the will of the many outweighed that of the few, a principle that he considered foundational to democracy. he clearly identified himself as a jacksonian democrat in 1836, a fact that surprised a number of his whig harvard colleagues including friend edward everett ( pictured right ). his allegiance was with the common, agrarian masses rather than the privileged minority. his political position became all the more public with bancroft ’ s growing involvement in the democratic party. he wrote several journal articles in support of jackson ’ s position on the national banking issue which he attributed to the long struggle between capitalists and laborers. in 1838, his party work was rewarded with the position of collector of the port of boston. by 1844, he was a prominent player in the massachusetts democratic delegation and played a key role in securing the presidential nomination for james k. polk ( pictured left ). polk appointed bancroft secretary of the navy the following year and he found himself acting secretary of war during the months that opened the mexican war. but bancroft was after a diplomatic post and between 1846 and 1849 he served as united states minister to england. it was during this time that he amassed a huge collection of historical notes from british archives, utilizing scribes and secretaries to copy copious amounts of data. these he brought home to america for use in future historical writing. the


states minister to england. it was during this time that he amassed a huge collection of historical notes from british archives, utilizing scribes and secretaries to copy copious amounts of data. these he brought home to america for use in future historical writing. the scholar in bancroft had found new voice shortly after leaving round hill. in 1834, he published the first of what would become his multi - volume treatise, a history of the united states from the discovery of the continent ( set of all volumes to right ). ( a full listing of bancroft ’ s works available online can be found here. ) he chose to focus not on contemporary history but rather on the formation and evolution of the nation. bancroft believed that the creation of the united states of america was part of a divine plan. it was a demonstration for all the world of the efficacy of a nation built on the principles of liberty. pivotal to the country ’ s success was the quality of its leaders. “ the secret of the science of governing, bancroft decided, lay in the quality of a nation ’ s leaders – those great men who personify the people ’ s ideals, act out their interests, and crystallize their needs in laws and institutions ” ( 82 ). nye found that bancroft valued two types of hero - leaders. the first was the agrarian nobleman best exemplified in andrew jackson ( pictured below ). his gift was an innate perceptiveness gained from long connection with nature. the second was the classic wise man whose traits bancroft found in george washington, a man for whom he had a lifelong admiration. abraham lincoln eventually became bancroft ’ s third hero - leader. while initially unimpressed with lincoln, his respect for him grew to such a degree that he eventually thought him representative of the genius of the american people. bancroft ’ s regard for lincoln was no doubt one reason that he was chosen by congress to deliver his eulogy. it was considered his best oration. like the nation, bancroft had to come to terms with slavery. he blamed the english for its introduction to the colonies and thought it a temporary evil gone array. its conflict with the principles of liberty was always obvious. while never a flaming abolitionist, bancroft considered slavery the primary cause of the civil war and spoke out about it primarily in his writing. he was a resolute unionist and had little sympathy for arguments for state rights and for the succession movement. bancroft happily finished his diplomatic career in germany where he became a favorite of politicians and intellectuals. he returned to a quite life, still writing and active for most of his


american historians in the 18th and 19th centuries. george bancroft, pictured right, ( see my earlier post on bancroft here ) is a topic of discussion not only because of his status as the preeminent american historian of the 19th century, but because he was heavily influenced by german thought on – among other things – historiography. one topic led to another and eventually to a discussion about bancroft ’ s views on slavery. as it turns out, a review of bancroft ’ s then upcoming work literary and historical miscellanies, was published in the new york times on june 12, 1855 and titled “ bancroft on slavery. ” this was easily found using google search. one can preview the article here and read it in its entirety in pdf format ( see snippet below ). how cool is that? i ’ m sure the new york times derives benefit from the advertising placed even in their archives section. i ’ ll put up with a few ads to not have to travel to the library and look up articles on microfiche. thank you to the good folks ( whoever you are ) who made this decision at the new york times. oh and thank you google books for making bancroft ’ s literary and historical miscellanies available online in its entirety as well. now if we can only get more dissertations into google scholar. the class is historiography so the research isn ’ t to be about the development and proof of a thesis. it ’ s more about research into the history of how history was written. for my research paper, i plan to explore the influence of historian george bancroft ( right ) on antebellum, civil war, and postbellum american history. i may need to shave this down a bit depending on how much material i find. bancroft was one of the best known american historians of the 19thcentury. while harvard educated ( he entered at 13 and graduated at 17! ), he is considered a “ literary historian, ” who wrote in a style popular with the public. his primary work was the multi - volume history of the united states from the discovery of the american continent, which he began writing in 1830. [ picture left of remaining vhe published the first three volumes over that decade. the final set would be ten volumes. a first revision was completed and published as six volumes in 1876 as part of the national centennial. perhaps less known is that bancroft, while secretary of the navy, created the naval academy. he was also chosen by congress to eulogize abraham lincoln. the new york times


completed and published as six volumes in 1876 as part of the national centennial. perhaps less known is that bancroft, while secretary of the navy, created the naval academy. he was also chosen by congress to eulogize abraham lincoln. the new york times reprinted that eulogy on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the event in 1915. it, along with drawings of the event, can be seen in their entirety here. i have located the index to his papers housed on microfiche at cornell university and two biographies which leverage that material. the first, a two volume set 1971 reprint of m. a. dewolfe howe ’ s 1908 work the life and letters of george bancroft, i was able to find on the amazon marketplace in almost pristine shape. the second, george bancroft : brahmin rebel, was written by russel b. nye and published in 1945. it ’ s on order. there are other large collections of bancroft materials in holdings by the massachusetts historical society, the library of congress and the new york public library. i ’ m beginning in earnest a search for articles that deal with his contributions to american history as well. as a follow - up at some later point, i think it would be very interesting to contrast the style and impact of george bancroft with charles and mary beard. as a historian friend of mine said, “ you ’ d be hard pressed to find two more different expositors on the american experience than bancroft and beard. bancroft was an unabashed patriot and advocate of democracy, to a degree that would be considered embarrassing in most academic settings today. still, he was indeed the most articulate and widely - read of our early historians, and his writings both reflected and helped to create the sense of american exceptionalism that has prevailed for most of our history as a nation. ” you might recall that charles and mary beard were the first to suggest that the civil war was the second american revolution as was mentioned in my previous post here. the exceptional oil on canvas portrait above of bancroft in later life was painted by gustav richter, a german painter ( 1823 – 1884 ). it is a part of the harvard university portrait collection and is on display at memorial hall. more as i get into my research. photo of george bancroft in middle age taken by mathew brady, courtesy of the library of congress. photo of painting above : the president and fellows of harvard college.


difference between revisions of " papua " revision as of 21 : 18, 14 july 2008 originally a dutch colony like the rest of indonesia, west papua held elections in 1959 and the elected council took office in 1961, in preparation for full independence. however, the dutch handed the area over to a un temporary administration, who in turned gave it over to indonesia in 1963. the controversial plebiscite known as the act of free choice, held in 1969, resulted in an improbable 100 % vote in favor of joining indonesia. the region, renamed first as irian barat ( west irian ) and then irian jaya ( glorious irian ) has been under heavy indonesian military control ever since, with the outgunned free papua movement ( operasi papua merdeka or opm ) fighting for independence. the name papua was restored in 2000 in a sop to the nationalists. a controversial decision to divide the province into three parts was met with violent riots and remains stalled in legal confusion. papua is incredibly diverse and different from the rest of indonesia ( or, for that matter, anywhere else in the world ). despite of a population of under three million, papua is home to over 800 languages and has cultures that are technologically still in the stone age. cannibalism was practiced until the 1970s and there are still whispered rumors of the practice continuing. nearly all travellers arrive by plane. the main gateways are biak, manokwari and jayapura, although there are also limited flights to fakfak and sorong. only garuda has direct flights from jakarta to capital jayapura ; all other carriers, including air efata, batavia air and lion air, fly circuitous routes with stops at intermediate cities like makassar ( ujung panjang ). pelni boats also stop at jaypura and farfak, amoungst other destinations. this is a relaxing and interesting way to arrive if you have the time. there are no buses to the papuan border. car or motorbike hire for some of the distance is required. wear a koteka - the traditional dani dress for men. the free papua movement ( operasi papua merdeka or opm ) continues to operate throughout papua and all of papua ' s major cities have seen violently suppressed riots. the opm has also kidnapped western hostages on two occasions, although their targets are mining company employees and indonesian security personnel, not tourists. travel permits ( surat jalan ) are required for travel beyond the


here ’ s a great article from evolution news that explains the trouble that darwinian evolution has in building up to functional new biological information by using a process of random mutation and natural selection. casey luskin takes a look at a peer - reviewed paper that claims that darwinian evolution can do the job of creating new information, then he explains what ’ s wrong with the paper. in wilf and ewens ’ s evolutionary scheme there is a smooth fitness function. under this view, there is no epistasis, where one mutation can effectively interact with another to affect ( whether positively or negatively ) fitness. as a result, any mutations that move the search toward its “ target ” are assumed to provide an immediate and irrevocable advantage, and are thus highly likely to become fixed. ewert et al. compare the model to playing wheel of fortune : the evolutionary model that wilf and ewens have chosen is similar to the problem of guessing letters in a word or phrase, as on the television game show wheel of fortune. they specify a phrase 20, 000 letters long, with each letter in the phrase corresponding to a gene locus that can be transformed from its initial “ primitive ” state to a more advanced state. finding the correct letter for a particular position in the target phrase roughly corresponds to finding a beneficial mutation in the corresponding gene. during each round of mutation all positions in the phrase are subject to mutation, and the results are selected based on whether the individual positions match the final target phrase. those that match are preserved for the next round. … after each round, all “ advanced ” alleles in the population are treated as fixed, and therefore preserved in the next round. evolution to the fully “ advanced ” state is complete when all 20, 000 positions match the target phrase. the problem with this approach is that a string of biological information that has only some letters that are part of a useful sequence has no present function, and therefore cannot survive and reproduce. thus, wilf and ewens ignore the problem of non - functional intermediates. they assume that all intermediate stages will be functional, or lead to some functional advantage. but is this how all fitness functions look? not necessarily. it ’ s well known that in many instances, no benefit is derived until multiple mutations are present all at once. in such a case, there ’ s no evolutionary advantage until multiple mutations are present. the “ correct ” mutations might occur in parallel, but the odds of this happening are extremely low. ewert et al. illustrate


are present all at once. in such a case, there ’ s no evolutionary advantage until multiple mutations are present. the “ correct ” mutations might occur in parallel, but the odds of this happening are extremely low. ewert et al. illustrate this problem in the model by using the example of the difficulty of one phrase evolving into another : suppose it would be beneficial for the phrase to evolve into the phrase what phrase do we get if we simply alternate letters from the two phrases? under the assumptions in the wilf and ewens model, the “ fitness ” of this nonsense phrase ought to be exactly half - way between the fitnesses of “ all the world is a stage ” and “ methinks it is like a weasel. ” such a result only makes sense if we are measuring the fitness of the current phrase by its proximity to the target phrase. but the gibberish of the intermediate phrase doesn ’ t cause any problem under wilf and ewens ’ s model. not unlikerichard dawkins, they assume that intermediate stages will always yield some functional advantage. and as more and more characters in the phrase match the target, it becomes more and more fit. this yields a nice, smooth fitness function — rich in active information — not truly a blind search. not only is there that first problem, but here ’ s a second : wilf and ewens endowed their mathematical model of evolution with foresight. it is directed toward a target — an advantage that natural selection conspicuously lacks. and what, in our experience, is the only known cause that is goal - directed and has foresight? it ’ s intelligence. this means that once again, the evolutionary informatics lab has shown that simulations of evolution seem to work only because they ’ ve been intelligently designed. this is worth the read. if darwinian mechanisms really could generate code, then there would be no software engineers. the truth is, the mechanisms don ’ t work to create new information. for that, you need an intelligent designer.


racial gap in life expectancy shrinking gap between life expectancy of african - americans and whites at an all - time low june 5, 2012 - - the life expectancy gap between african - americans and whites in the u. s. has hit an all - time low. a new report shows the racial gap in life expectancy rates declined by about a year for both men and women between 2003 and 2008. the results showed the difference in life expectancy at birth between whites and african - americans decreased from 6. 5 to 5. 4 years among men and 4. 6 to 3. 7 years among women. " these racial inequalities among men and women in 2008 are the lowest ever recorded in the united states, " write researcher sam harper, phd, of mcgill university, montreal, canada, and colleagues in the journal of the american medical association. " understanding the causes of black - white differences in mortality has important consequences for interventions to reduce health inequalities, " they write. african - americans in the u. s. have traditionally had significantly lower life expectancy rates compared with their white counterparts. researchers say the results continue a trend first reported in 1993 that shows the racial gap in life expectancy is narrowing. racial gap narrowing in the study, researchers used federal statistics to compare life expectancy rates among men and women between 2003 and 2008. the results showed the average life expectancy at birth increased for both non - hispanic white and african - american men, from 75. 3 to 76. 2 years and 68. 8 to 70. 8 years, respectively. similar gains were found among women. life expectancy rates increased from 80. 3 to 81. 2 years for non - hispanic white women and 75. 7 to 77. 5 years for african - american women. researchers say differences in heart disease, diabetes, homicide, hiv, and infant mortality rates remain the chief causes behind the racial gap in life expectancy rates. " however, in contrast to 1993 - 2003, homicide has not played an important role in reducing black - white differences among men since 2003, " write the researchers. " rather, changes in unintentional injury deaths were a major reason, along with heart disease and hiv, for the narrowing gap among both men and women. " the study suggests a large increase in accidental poisoning deaths among whites has contributed to narrowing the racial gap in life expectancy. since 2003, the results show poisoning deaths have eclipsed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of injury death and have affected middle - aged white men more


genova - italy is waging war on a group of american invaders that are threatening the existence of their european peers. american grey squirrels, which were first introduced into europe in 1948, have thrived in the parks of the northeastern region of liguria since the 1960s. with 10 - inch - long bodies, equally long tails and a weight that can reach 21 oz., american grey squirrels are bigger than european red squirrels. these strong americans invaders steal the europeans food and carry diseases that are lethal to locals. to defend the indigenous squirrel population, liguria, piemonte and lombardia regions, as well as the italian environment ministry, have launched a project aimed at uprooting the estimated 300 american grey squirrels living in the levante genovese park. the cost of the war against american squirrels nearly 2 million euros is partially covered by the european union. this squirrel war has its general, andrea balduzzi, a professor of natural sciences at the university of genoa. at dawn, the professor and his student troops go after the invaders, armed with traps and cages. once caught, the animals are transferred to vets to be sterilized before being released in natural parks. and it seems all is fair in love and war : squirrels caught outside the park are executed by euthanasia. * this is a digest item, not a direct translation. read the full article in italian by alessandra pieracci photo - il conte di luna


on sunday, nasa will launch its most sophisticated mission to mars yet, and a sorrento valley company is playing a huge role in the venture. » sign up for breaking news alerts » like us on facebook » follow us on twitter malin space science systems developed and built the four main cameras on the mars rover " curiosity, " which will help gather important data to bring back to scientists for analysis. once curiosity gets past the so - called " seven minutes of terror " - - the moments leading up to the complicated landing on mars - - pictures of the red planet ' s landscape will come to life. it ' s not the company ' s first mission to mars, but it is definitely one of the more publicized. " we ' ve worked on these when they succeeded, we worked on them when they failed, but it ' s really a lot more fun when they succeed, " said mike ravine, the advanced projects manager for malin space science systems. the company won the bid to build the cameras for the rover back in 2004. the cameras took eight years of work with lots of challenges, including dealing with extreme weather on mars. " we had to build a prototype and we had to put it in a chamber and we had to cycle it over these very wide temperature swings 2, 000 times, " ravine said. despite the cameras ' high - tech abilities, there are some parts of it not as sophisticated as some may think. " the cameras have 2 - megapixel detectors and have 8 gigabytes of flash, " ravine said. " my phone [ now ] has a bigger format and a lot more flash in it than that. " the entire nasa project cost $ 2. 5 billion. copyright do you have more information about this story? click here to contact uscopyright 2012 by 10news. com. all rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


while responsibility and commitment are inherent to owning any animal, exotic pets ( certain species of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates ) and wild animals ( raccoon, deer, bear, and all other species that, whether or not raised in captivity, are normally found in a wild ) may have special requirements or pose risks that owners might not be aware of or truly appreciate until it ’ s too late. many regulations pertaining to possession of wildlife and exotic pets exist to protect these animals, as well as people, ecosystems, and other animals. all who own or are considering owning such animals should educate themselves about the husbandry, welfare, and safety requirements of the animals, as well as the risks the animals may pose to humans, other animals, and ecosystems. measures should then be taken to reduce those risks. people who won ’ t do this shouldn ’ t own these animals. download our poster featured teacher resourcesknow any aspiring vets? our vet school admission 101 provides advice for junior high through pre - vet students. - lepto risk factors and research musings - veterinary professionals from ukraine participate in training workshop - protocols for contagious diseases at horse shows - another australian bat virus in horses - beware the mongoose - cat scratch disease info sheet - don ' t always blame the dog - chicken diapers... even i couldn ' t make this one up - methicillin - resistant staph in animals meeting - equine herpesvirus in ontario


in the final installation of this week ’ s theme ( dare we say this week ’ s blog ’ s swan song? ) in celebration of abbeville press ’ reissue of the stunning baby elephant folio edition of audubon ’ s birds of america, we ’ re taking a closer look at the trumpeter swan. the swan has a long history in literature, with roots going back to greek mythology, where we find the story of leda and the swan, in which zeus takes on his notorious guise as swan to seduce ( or, depending on who ’ s telling the story, to rape ) the young nymph leda. this subject has been recounted often ( and by often, we mean basically ad infinitum ) in art — in paintings, sculpture, music, dance, and in poetry — and one of the most notable versions is w. b. yeats ’ poem, “ leda and the swan. ” in yeats ’ version of the tale, he foresees the tragic consequences of the scene, and we witness the fall of troy : a shudder in the loins engenders there the broken wall, the burning roof and tower and agamemnon dead. — — — — — — — — — — – being so caught up, so mastered by the brute blood of the air, did she put on his knowledge with his power before the indifferent beak could let her drop? why the fall of troy? because leda subsequently gives birth to helen ( yes, that helen, helen of troy, whom we commonly know to have had the face that launched a thousand ships ). the force and the violence, not to mention the indifferent beak, of the swan yeats depicts is a far cry from the swan of popular culture that we ’ ve come to recognize as a symbol of love and fidelity. audubon places his trumpeter swan in repose on a lake, and the only apparent threat he presents is directed at an unsuspecting butterfly. but in his writings, audubon acknowledges the muscular power of the swan, and he reports : when wounded in the wing alone, a large swan will readily beat off a dog, and is more than a match for a man in four feet water, a stroke of the wing having broken an arm, and the powerful feet almost obliterating the face of a good - sized duck - shooter. perhaps we should take this as a warning, as even well - intentioned wildlife appreciators ( such as the young bride in this video )