the department of geography at texas a & m university strives for a balanced program of research, undergraduate and graduate teaching, and outreach and service. our activities in these areas have, in recent years, self - organized five themes. physical geography emphasizes the study of surficial processes in the fields of geomorphology, biogeography, and hydrology. human geography includes cultural, historical, economic, urban, and political geography. one prominent theme is interpretation of places, and the cultural, economic, historical, political, and social factors determining the character and development of places. geographical information science is linked to the other themes. research is focused on applications of gis, remote sensing, and related technologies to problems in urban and transportation modeling, landscape ecology, geomorphology, hydrology, and environmental change. geography education investigates how geography is taught and learned. topics include spatial learning, effective use of information technology, assessment, and institutional factors in geography education. over the past three years the department has aligned its research and teaching efforts to emphasize the human - environment interactions. we have worked to emphasize study of spatially variable change in natural systems — most especially change engendered by human activities such as globalization — as well as actual or advisable adaptive responses and interactions of human societies to these transformations. click here to read a historical account of the department of geography at texas a & m, printed with permission from the southwestern geographer.


the final chapters of the geological history of the colorado plateau involve huge changes, and a true scrambling of the landscape by tectonic movements, and by erosional activity. volcanism has been an ever present entity during the cenozoic era. each of these elements can be seen in the photo above, the plateau ' s most famous gorge, the grand canyon. on the horizon is the san francisco peaks volcanic field, which includes what may have recently been the highest mountain in the contiguous united states. the canyon ( seen here from the less visited north rim ) is an obvious monument to erosional forces, and a more subtle monument to the work of tectonics. most discussions of the grand canyon emphasize the ancient nature of the rocks, but the very appearance of the canyon bespeaks geological youth. incredibly steep canyon walls lining the river for more than 200 miles, compared to an exceedingly flat canyon rim. the canyon is more than a mile deep in places which means the colorado river has quarried and carried away a tremendous amount of rocks, gravel, and silt. it becomes even more incredible when one realizes that something like two miles of additional sedimentary layers once mantled the flat surface making up the canyon rim. but the weird part of the whole story is : the grand canyon shouldn ' t be here. like the previous blog entry on the black canyon of the gunnison, the colorado plateau is replete with canyons that make no particular sense. and the grand canyon is the grand apotheosis of a canyon that should have formed somewhere else, in a far less dramatic manner. the colorado river changes character when it flows into the grand canyon region. for several hundred miles upstream, the river gorge winds back and forth in a series of entrenched meanders, which suggests that the original path of the river was over a relatively flat plain. then, in the marble canyon just east of grand canyon, the smaller tributary canyons do something strange : they flow into the canyon oriented upstream, as if the river once flowed in the opposite direction ( think of two tributaries coming together in the shape of a y. normally the two limbs of the y point downstream. in marble canyon, the main canyon is flowing the opposite direction ). then, the river suddenly plunges westward, crossing the kaibab plateau, which is more than 8, 000 feet high, making a number of ninety degree turns, and showing none of the meandering nature of the upper canyon. at the grand wash cliffs, just east of


westward, crossing the kaibab plateau, which is more than 8, 000 feet high, making a number of ninety degree turns, and showing none of the meandering nature of the upper canyon. at the grand wash cliffs, just east of las vegas, the river emerges into the desert environment of the basin and range province, eventually flowing into the ocean at the gulf of california ( at least it used to ; all its water is taken out and utilized long before any if it reaches the sea these days ). how did the river cross the kaibab plateau? it would be logical to assume that the river had already established a flow across the uplift before the region was lifted. then, trapped in a channel, the river carved the canyon as the land rose. a great idea, but the timing is wrong : the kaibab plateau is a laramide structure, which formed around 50 million years ago. but sediments west of the uplift show that the river did not exist there until less than 17 million years ago. and... the gulf of california is less than 5 million years old. so what the heck was going on? in my next post, i will try to unscramble this conundrum, but don ' t look forward to getting a satisfactory answer....


what is sexual violence? according to the world health organization, sexual violence is any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, or other act directed against a person ’ s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting. it includes rape, defined as the physically forced or otherwise coerced penetration of the vulva or anus with a penis, other body part or object. what is rape? rape is a form of violence in which sex is used as a weapon. rape occurs when a person engages in sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion or with someone who is incapable of consent. legal definition of rape : ( a ) a person commits the offense of rape when he has carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. carnal knowledge in rape occurs when there is any penetration of the female sex organ by the male organ. the fact that the person allegedly raped is the wife of the defendant shall not be a defense to change of rape. ( b ) a person convicted of the offense of rape shall be punished by death, by imprisonment for life, or by imprisonment for not less than ten nor more than 20 years. any person convicted under this code section shall, in addition, be subject to the sentencing and punishment provisions of code sections 17 - 10 - 7 - rape is an act of violence, power, and control. - rape is often planned or carried out by intimate partners, acquaintances, family members, or strangers. - rape is motivated primarily out of anger and / or a need to feel powerful by controlling, dominating, or humiliating the victim. - survivors are not responsible for causing their assaults ; only offenders are to be blamed for sexual assault and rape. - rape is the fastest growing violent crime in the united states. ( center for disease control and prevention, 1994 ) - in the united states, a woman is raped every 6 minutes. ( crime victims research and treatment center of the national victims center, 1992 ) - the rate of sexual assault in the united states is the highest of any industrialized nation in the world. ( reiso and roth, 1993 ) - 1 in 4 women will be a victim of sexual violence at some point in her lifetime. ( warshaw, r. 1988. i never called it rape. harper and row ) - 1 in 6 boys will be sexually assaulted by age 18. ( walker, l. 1988. handbook on sexual abuse of children ) - an estimated 92, 700 men are forcibly raped each year in the united states.


auto accidents happen... everywhere, everyday, to even the most careful drivers. the time to plan what you should do is now - before you ' re involved in one. no matter how cautious you may be driving, other drivers on the road still pose a threat to you. taking responsibility is your first step toward preventing an accident. know the rules of the road practice driving. it requires good hand - eye coordination and quick thinking. nascar drivers don ' t get in the car and drive only on race days. they practice daily right up to race time. you should do the same. look for an empty parking lot or open space where you have lots of room with no buildings, poles or other cars nearby. do this in challenging weather situations such as heavy rain, ice, and snow. by practicing in different environments, you can teach yourself how to react automatically when you have to brake and swerve to miss something. keep your car working never drive on a slick tire. also, blinkers, headlights, and taillights need new bulbs from time to time. check them often by turning them on and walking around the car to see if they ' re in good working order. always wear your seatbelt require all passengers to do the same. seatbelts can reduce accident fatalities by 45 %, and serious injury by 50 %. stay within the speed limit stay in the limit. faster isn ' t better when it comes to driving. sometimes people get caught up in the freedom of the open road, only to meet disaster. speeding can cost you hundreds of dollars in fines. it can also cost you your life. speed limits apply to ideal conditions. slow down when it ' s raining, snowing or foggy — or anytime the road is extra hazardous or your vision is limited.


when president obama announced a new program during the recent g8 summit to help bolster food and agriculture in developing nations through corporate “ pledges, ” i was most struck by his choice of partners in the effort. a reuters report on the announcement read : the initiative includes a new partnership with agribusiness giants such as dupont, monsanto and cargill, along with smaller companies, including almost 20 from africa, which will commit some $ 3 billion for projects to help farmers in the developing world build local markets and improve productivity. those three companies are the good food movement ’ s equivalent of the law firm dewey, cheatem & howe — not the folks it wants to see put in charge of anything, much less “ feeding the world. ” these companies believe that exporting western - style industrial agriculture to the developing world ( africa in particular ) is key to ensuring enough food for a growing population. and they maintain this position despite the growing evidence that industrial agriculture can ’ t solve the problem. as a recent report in the journal nature on the best way forward for agriculture explained, current models suggest that industrial ag just won ’ t cut it : … conventional approaches to intensive agriculture, especially the unbridled use of irrigation and fertilizers, have been major causes of environmental degradation. closing yield gaps without environmental degradation will require new approaches, including reforming conventional agriculture and adopting lessons from organic systems and precision agriculture. unfortunately, this “ unbridled use of irrigation and fertilizers ” is the form of agriculture that monsanto, dupont, and cargill know best. so i was concerned when i ran across this new study, which found that to date, human - caused groundwater depletion is a greater contributor to sea - level rise than climate change. the u. k. guardianexplains : trillions of tonnes of water have been pumped up from deep underground reservoirs in every part of the world and then channeled into fields and pipes to keep communities fed and watered. the water then flows into the oceans, but far more quickly than the ancient aquifers are replenished by rains. the global tide would be rising even more quickly but for the fact that man - made reservoirs have, until now, held back the flow by storing huge amounts of water on land. “ the water being taken from deep wells is geologically old – there is no replenishment and so it is a one - way transfer into the ocean, ” said sea level expert professor robert nicholls, at the university of southampton. “ in the long


the water being taken from deep wells is geologically old – there is no replenishment and so it is a one - way transfer into the ocean, ” said sea level expert professor robert nicholls, at the university of southampton. “ in the long run, i would still be more concerned about the impact of climate change, but this work shows that even if we stabilize the climate, we might still get sea level rise due to how we use water. ” chalk this up alongside dead zones, superweeds, superbugs, antibiotic resistance, and nitrogen pollution as yet another unintended consequence of industrial agriculture. how does this water study relate to the g8 agriculture initiative? well, drilling into deep and ancient aquifers using techniques borrowed from oil production is currently a favored technique for improving agricultural productivity in the developing world. and the new g8 program appears designed to do much more of it. as the institute for agriculture and trade policy noted in a post on its blog, these “ tube wells ” have already been said to cause “ an environmental disaster ” in asia. an agence france - presse report from several years back noted that : in the case of india, smallholder farmers have driven 21 million tube wells into their fields and the number is increasing by a million wells per year. “ nobody knows where the tube wells are or who owns them. there is no way anyone can control what happens to them, ” tushaar shah, head of the international water management institute ’ s groundwater station, based in gujarat, said. “ when the balloon bursts, untold anarchy will be the lot of rural india. ” half of the country ’ s traditional hand - dug wells have already run dry, as have millions of shallower tube wells, causing some despairing farmers to commit suicide, he said. in china ’ s north plain, that country ’ s breadbasket, 30 cubic kilometers ( 1. 059 trillion cubic feet ) more water are being extracted each year by farmers than are being replaced by the rain, new scientist said. groundwater is used to produce 40 percent of the country ’ s grain. in june, the state paper china daily admitted that the nation “ may be plunged into a water crisis ” by 2030 when its population is scheduled to peak at 1. 6 billion. it just seems that regardless of the evidence that practices like these cause destruction, the u. s. insists on continuing a form of ecological arbitrage which offers short - term gains in productivity that won ’ t be paid for until long


tag archives : flexibility training the usa gymnastics tops program has expanded to add a new state level of skill and physical abilities testing, but the program overall has been watered down continue reading while a common phrase, it is incorrect to call very flexible gymnasts double jointed especially if you want to appear knowledgeable. continue reading gymnasts and coaches could learn some things about toe and foot strength and flexibility training from ballerinas who take great care of their toes and feet continue reading shoulder flexibility is a hidden safety problem in gymnastics that usa gymnastics has not done enough to publicize and eradicate. learn what needs to be done to keep gymnasts safe. continue reading flexibility is the key to looking good looking leaps and jumps. learn what scientific studies have discovered are the fastest ways for gymnasts to improve their flexibility. continue reading subject : daughter / flexibility vs strength my daughter is 7 years old and is training level 4 at this time. her coaches are amazed with her flexibility, however, her strength needs a lot of work. she seems to have fallen behind in … continue reading flexibility is fortunately one of those physical attributes that can be improved simply by spending time working on it. most top level training programs require that you meet minimum gymnastics flexibility ( and strength ) requirements because it speeds the learning process … continue reading straddle split : a split in which the legs are extended to the left and right, until a 180 degree angle between the legs is reached. static stretching : a type of stretching in which a relaxed position is held without moving for a significant period of time. as opposed to dynamic stretching in which the limb is moved vigorously to stretch.


the idea in brief the idea in brief there has never been as much interest in business models as there is today ; seven out of 10 companies are trying to create innovative business models, and 98 % are modifying existing ones, according to a recent survey. however, most companies still create and evaluate business models in isolation, without considering the implications of how they will interact with rivals ’ business models. this narrow view dooms many to failure. moreover, companies often don ’ t realize that business models can be designed so that they generate virtuous cycles — similar to the powerful effects high - tech firms such as facebook, ebay, and microsoft enjoy. these cycles, when aligned with company goals, reinforce competitive advantage. by making the right choices, companies can strengthen their business models ’ virtuous cycles, weaken those of rivals, and even use the cycles to turn competitors into complementary players. this is neither strategy nor tactics ; it ’ s using business models to gain competitive advantage. indeed, companies fare poorly partly because they don ’ t recognize the differences between strategy, tactics, and business models. artwork : damian ortega, controller of the universe, 2007, found tools and wire, 285 x 405 x 455 cm strategy has been the primary building block of competitiveness over the past three decades, but in the future, the quest for sustainable advantage may well begin with the business model. while the convergence of information and communication technologies in the 1990s resulted in a short - lived fascination with business models, forces such as deregulation, technological change, globalization, and sustainability have rekindled interest in the concept today. since 2006, the ibm institute for business value ’ s biannual global ceo study has reported that senior executives across industries regard developing innovative business models as a major priority. a 2009 follow - up study reveals that seven out of 10 companies are engaging in business - model innovation, and an incredible 98 % are modifying their business models to some extent. business model innovation is undoubtedly here to stay. that isn ’ t surprising. the pressure to crack open markets in developing countries, particularly those at the middle and bottom of the pyramid, is driving a surge in business - model innovation. the economic slowdown in the developed world is forcing companies to modify their business models or create new ones. in addition, the rise of new technology - based and low - cost rivals is threatening incumbents, reshaping industries, and redistributing profits. indeed, the ways by which companies create and capture value through their business models is undergoing a radical transformation


the rise of new technology - based and low - cost rivals is threatening incumbents, reshaping industries, and redistributing profits. indeed, the ways by which companies create and capture value through their business models is undergoing a radical transformation worldwide. yet most enterprises haven ’ t fully come to grips with how to compete through business models. our studies over the past seven years show that much of the problem lies in companies ’ unwavering focus on creating innovative models and evaluating their efficacy in isolation — just as engineers test new technologies or products. however, the success or failure of a company ’ s business model depends largely on how it interacts with models of other players in the industry. ( almost any business model will perform brilliantly if a company is lucky enough to be the only one in a market. ) because companies build them without thinking about the competition, they routinely deploy doomed business models. our research also shows that when enterprises compete using business models that differ from one another, the outcomes are difficult to predict. one business model may appear superior to others when analyzed in isolation but create less value than the others when interactions are considered. or rivals may end up becoming partners in value creation. appraising models in a stand - alone fashion leads to faulty assessments of their strengths and weaknesses and bad decision making. this is a big reason why so many new business models fail. moreover, the propensity to ignore the dynamic elements of business models results in many companies failing to use them to their full potential. few executives realize that they can design business models to generate winner - take - all effects that resemble the network externalities that high - tech companies such as microsoft, ebay, and facebook have created. whereas network effects are an exogenous feature of technologies, winner - take - all effects can be triggered by companies if they make the right choices in developing their business models. good business models create virtuous cycles that, over time, result in competitive advantage. smart companies know how to strengthen their virtuous cycles, weaken those of rivals, and even use their virtuous cycles to turn competitors ’ strengths into weaknesses. “ isn ’ t that strategy? ” we ’ re often asked. it isn ’ t — and unless managers learn to understand the distinct realms of business models, strategy, and tactics, while taking into account how they interact, they will never find the most effective ways to compete. what is a business model, really? everyone agrees that executives must know how business models work if their organizations are to thrive,


as you note, the term, “ participatory culture, ” can be seen as emerging from the cultural studies tradition, but there is also a strong history of writing about “ participatory politics. ” are these separate conversations? what might these two strands of research have to say to each other? the participation conversation is a very broad one, and rightly noted, one that has ebbed and flowed across the centuries. rather than the concept of participation, it is the dominant focus of the participation that is unique to the time period – political participation, economic participation, social action. of course, even when one topic dominated the push for participation, thousands of smaller participatory cultures also thrived around issues such as crafting, gamesmanship, agriculture, and invention. the communication technologies of this century have simply divided and amplified the topics allowing many more participatory cultures to flourish in unison. some have argued that all cultures are by definition participatory. what distinguishes contemporary forms of participatory culture from their predecessors within, say, folk culture? participatory cultures are not new. they are simply the most recent manifestation of human ’ s desire to be a part of something. one of the reasons there is so much attention placed on participatory cultures now is that they are starkly contrasted by the postmodern theories that immediately preceded them. postmodern theorists valued resistance, disruption and divergence, while participatory cultures value contribution and collaboration. today ’ s participatory cultures are both uniquely new and comfortably traditional venues – like returning to your family home for thanksgiving to find your bedroom is the new home office. writing about participatory culture poses a different set of questions than writing about audience resistance, a concept that dominated cultural studies a few decades ago. resistance to what? participation in what? what are some of the current models for describing what people “ participate ” in when they are part of a participatory culture? is participatory culture necessarily a collective phenomenon or does it make sense to talk about participating as an individual? the concept of audience resistance played an important role in cultural studies, but the notion of resistance seems almost quaint when one considers the nature of political, economic, and cultural power in the early 21st century. as individual citizens, each one of us is situated within multiple power networks. in many instances ( e. g. the physical borders of the nation - state, the globally dispersed contours of global capitalism ),


power in the early 21st century. as individual citizens, each one of us is situated within multiple power networks. in many instances ( e. g. the physical borders of the nation - state, the globally dispersed contours of global capitalism ), power relationships are imposed upon us at birth. we might be proud to be americans ( or chinese or canadians ), but our national pride is a lucky accident. the physical coordinates of our birthplace and the citizenship status of our parents determine our initial location in the networks of state power. financial power networks are also imposed upon us ; we are born into capitalism. we might choose to remedy the shortcomings of the economic status quo by building alternative exchange networks ( e. g. farmers markets, cooperatives, gift economies, remix culture ), but it is almost impossible to completely subtract ourselves from the domination of global capital. the good news is that we can also situate ourselves in political, economic, and cultural power networks of our own choosing. this is hardly a new phenomenon – alexis de tocqueville celebrated free associations in democracy in america as far back as 1835 – but the emergence of the global internet and affiliated communication technologies has accelerated our ability to create alternative networks from the ground up at the same time that we work to transform dominant institutions. is participation necessarily a collective phenomenon? to the extent that we participate in networks with other human beings, there is always a collective dimension. we engage, we share, we mentor, we feel connected, and we care about what other members of the community think. this is necessarily social. however, the decision about which networks we select as meaningful outlets for participation is almost always an individual decision. if we truly value participatory culture, we must recognize the right of individuals to choose to not participate. pedagogical concerns remain central to these discussions, if we are to insure that the widest possible range of people have access to the skills and resources they need to meaningfully participate. what insights might the book offer to educators who want to bring more participatory practices to schools, libraries, and other public institutions? the difficult part about participatory pedagogy is that educators must be willing to relinquish absolute control over the conversation. for a very long time, especially in western educational settings, teachers were situated at the top of hierarchical learning models. in educational participatory cultures, learning does not necessarily happen quickly, it is not delivered in a tidy, self - contained package, and it


long time, especially in western educational settings, teachers were situated at the top of hierarchical learning models. in educational participatory cultures, learning does not necessarily happen quickly, it is not delivered in a tidy, self - contained package, and it certainly does not conform to government standards. learning emerges from the conversational and collaborative journey ; it is not located in “ the correct answer to the teacher ’ s question. ” members of participatory cultures find their own way to solutions, often not by the most direct or conventional paths. your book discusses practices such as participatory budgeting which involve the interface between citizens and governments. what has been the track record so far for such initiatives? what are the biggest challenges in opening existing institutions to greater forms of democratic participation? neither of us are experts in participatory budgeting, but we were encouraged to see related panels at the sxsw interactive conference this year in austin. for example, one panel focused on participatory budgeting and the use of crowdsourcing to determine how government funds should be spent. to date, most of the successful initiatives have taken place in latin america and europe. it was heartening to see similar discussions in the united states. aaron alan delwiche ( ph. d., university of washington ) is an associate professor in the department of communication at trinity university. his research interests include participatory culture, intergenerational gaming, and wearable computing. in 2009, with support from the lennox foundation, he organized the lecture series reality hackers : the next wave of media revolutionaries. in 2010, he delivered a talk titled “ we are all programmers now ” at tedx san antonio. he is also co - editor of the the participatory cultures handbook ( 2012 ). dr. jennifer jacobs henderson ( ph. d., university of washington ) is an associate professor and chair of the department of communication at trinity university in san antonio, texas. her research addresses the boundaries of speech in media and participatory cultures as well as the ethics of this speech. jennifer is the author of the 2010 book defending the good news : the jehovah ’ s witnesses and their plan to expand the first amendment and co - editor of the the participatory cultures handbook ( 2012 ).


" intelligent, provocative, and well researched, with delightful writing throughout. blackford has a grasp on the ways in which global developments manifest themselves in american fisheries on a number of different levels : economic, environmental, cultural, and political. indeed, blackford demonstrates that all of these local manifestations of globalization are connected to each other. " — arthur f. mcevoy, southwestern law school in the spring of 2007, national geographic warned, " the oceans are in deep blue trouble. from the northernmost reaches of the greenland sea to the swirl of the antarctic circle, we are gutting our seas of fish. " there were legitimate grounds for concern. after increasing more than fourfold between 1950 and 1994, the global wild fish catch reached a plateau and stagnated despite exponential growth in the fishing industry. as numerous scientific reports showed, many fish stocks around the world collapsed, creating a genuine global overfishing crisis. making seafood sustainable analyzes the ramifications of overfishing for the united states by investigating how fishers, seafood processors, retailers, government officials, and others have worked together to respond to the crisis. historian mansel g. blackford examines how these players took steps to make fishing in some american waters, especially in alaskan waters, sustainable. critical to these efforts, blackford argues, has been government and industry collaboration in formulating and enforcing regulations. what can be learned from these successful experiences? are they applicable elsewhere? what are the drawbacks? making seafood sustainable addresses these questions and suggests that sustainable seafood management can be made to work. the economic and social costs incurred in achieving sustainable resource usage are significant, but there are ways to mitigate them. more broadly, this study illustrates ways to manage commonly held natural resources around the world — land, water, oil, and so on — in sustainable ways.


in the geography books of the 17th and 18th centuries, kansas was labeled the “ great american desert. ” coronado may have stepped foot on stafford county soil when he explored northward from mexico in 1541. ( or he may not have … but we like to think he at least saw us from the top of pawnee rock! ) county was within the area of the louisiana purchase made in 1803 from france by pres. thomas jefferson. the following year, lewis and clark started on their famed expedition going west across the “ desert ” plains. caravans of covered wagons followed in their footsteps and settlements developed around the way stations, trading posts and mission headquarters. the southwest territory became a part of the united states and in 1854 congress created the territory map of kansas, published by the wichita beacon, indicates kiowa indian chief, satanta, known as the “ terror of the santa fe trail, ” used the stafford county area as his base of operations. at the close of the civil war, what would later become stafford county was part of marion county, which extended west to colorado. to family heritage album ( family heritage society, 1975 ), stafford county was first established feb. 26, 1867, but was “ unstable. ” the boundary lines of stafford county were defined by the legislature of 1870, but the county remained unorganized. the legislature of 1875, with the intention of obliterating the county from the map, partitioned the territory off to surrounding counties. however, a strip six miles wide and 12 miles long remained as stafford county. 25, 1879, the supreme court declared the legislature ’ s act of dividing the county unconstitutional and the county was restored to its original boundaries. there were just two non - native migrants residing in stafford county. in may, 1874, w. r. hoole resided in a dugout in the extreme northwestern part of stafford county. also in may, 1874, a caravan of 20 covered wagons led by george c. ardrey arrived in the western part of reno county. four families crossed the line into stafford county and took up homesteads. this settlement in eastern stafford county became known as the ardrey settlement. 1874, james neelands arrived from canada and started a settlement in albano township. others who settled in stafford county in 1874 were james o ’ connor, r. m. blair, edwin hadlock, w. z. nutting, mr. and mrs. j. d. green as well as the missouri settlement in the eastern part of the county including jim graves, sam clifton


o ’ connor, r. m. blair, edwin hadlock, w. z. nutting, mr. and mrs. j. d. green as well as the missouri settlement in the eastern part of the county including jim graves, sam clifton and john groves. 25 ox - drawn wagons brought settlers from west virginia and pennsylvania. they were under the leadership of william bickerton of the church of jesus christ. their settlement was known as zion valley and became the town of st. john. settlers were e. c. johnson, william and a. c. glasscock and m. p. chambers. four homesteads taken by e. b. crawford, jess moreland, jess vickers and s. r. estle became the town of stafford in 1885. the four corners of their homesteads met at what is now main who arrived in 1876 were john shotton, s. e. peacock, j. j. cox, j. t. askew, george w. bousman, harry bunting, edwin r. durham, charles a. brown, joseph waddle, george breckenridge, milo a. yoder, j. g. smiley and s. w. mccomb. d. n. young lived near what would become the town of macksville. a group of danish settlers settled in york township, in the extreme southeast corner of the county. also in 1877, jacob hahn homesteaded in what would become seward in the northeast part of the settlers were james w. harris, h. s. crawford, j. t. mcmillan, ezra p. metz, w. m. mcmillan, charles n. waters, j. l. spickard, jay w. mcfadden and mr. and mrs. andrew hohner and sons will, fred and george ( who settled in cleveland township ). there was also a mr. hitz who settled near what would become hudson. and 1880, about 20, 000 african - americans, mostly ex - slaves, migrated to kansas. these migrants became known as “ exodusters ” because their migration resembled the israelites ’ exodus from egypt in the hebrew bible. a colony of these exodusters settled in ohio township in 1878. election was held august 18, 1879 and the first elected officials were : g. m. detwiler, f. r. baumgartner and j. c. towsley. of the court : geo. w. of deeds : frank gilmore. of schools : n. l. d. the peace


we can! parent tips : making healthier food choices keep the beat™ recipes : deliciously healthy family meals was developed jointly with the national institutes of health ( nih ) we can! ® program. we can! ( ways to enhance children ' s activity & nutrition ) is a national education program designed to give parents, caregivers, and entire communities a way to help children stay at a healthy weight. nih and the nhlbi recognize that children ' s adoption of healthy food habits at a young age can help them maintain a healthy throughout life. as a parent, you want to give your family the best food you can. serving healthier foods in the appropriate servings per food group and calorie level is one of the best ways to ensure that your children are getting proper nutrition without eating too many calories. the simple tips provided here can help you plan and prepare meals and snacks to help your family get the most out of the calories they consume. what is a " healthy " diet? the u. s. dietary guidelines for americans describes a healthy eating plan as one that : - emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat - free or low - fat milk and milk products - includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts - is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium ( salt ), and added sugars - stays within your calorie needs we can! ' s go, slow, and whoa foods focus on food choices go foods are the lowest in fat and added sugar. they also are " nutrient dense " ( which means they are a much better source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients important to health ) and relatively low in calories. enjoy go foods almost any time. examples of go foods are fruits ( fresh, frozen, or canned in juice ), vegetables ( fresh, frozen without added fat, canned without added sodium ), whole grains, fat - free or low - fat milk products, lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, egg whites, or egg substitute. slow foods are higher in fat, added sugar, and / or calories than go foods slow foods include vegetables with added fat, white refined bread flour, low - fat mayonnaise, and 2 percent low - fat milk. have slow foods sometimes or less often. whoa foods are the highest in fat and / or added sugar. they are " calorie dense " ( which means a small portion is relatively high in calories ) and


one of four species louis leakey saw knm - er 1470 only days before his death, and, believing the skull to be a million years older than it was, classified it as an “ indeterminate species of homo. ” when scientists later dated the skull to 1. 9 million years old, the same age to when homo habilis lived, the scientific community thought knm - er 1470 must then belong to homo habilis - but the mandible ( jaw ) and teeth just didn ’ t seem to fit within acceptable limits of variation or differences for h. habilis. even if knm - er 1470 was considered a large h. habilis male, the size difference would be too great compared to knm - er 1813, an established h. habilis female, for the two to both belong to the same species. over several weeks following its discovery, scientists meave leakey and bernard wood reconstructed knm - er 1470 ’ s skull from more than 150 fragments, revealing a large cranium with a long, wide, flat face. while tooth roots show that this early human had large teeth, the skull lacked the massive jaw muscle features characteristic of robust australopithecines. today, most scientists now accept knm - er 1470 as belonging to homo rudolfensis - - as species that co - existed in the turkana basin, northern kenya, with three other species sometime between 2. 0 and 1. 5 million years ago : homo habilis, homo erectus, and paranthropus boisei.


gates of hazor, plan ( based on keel p. 122. ) in the ancient near east city gates were neither merely entrances, nor only used for military protection. as a potentially weak point in the defenses, the gates of israelite walled cities typically had three chambers giving four sets of " doors " and defended spaces between. the gates of hazor ( left - plan above ) and gezer from the time of solomon show this triple construction. in the reconstruction ( on the right ) notice that the chambers are roofed and so available for use as public buildings. it is likely that these chambers served as " offices " for city administration. among the few hebrew administrative documents archaeologists have unearthed from the old testament period are the lachish letters most of which were found in a room in the gate complex. in the space outside the gate, market stalls would have been erected, as they are today. the " gate " was therefore the marketplace where traders and peasants met with city folk to sell and exchange goods. inside the gateway too, a space was left without buildings, this served as a communal area for meetings and public justice. just inside the gate at dan there is a raised dais that had provision for a canopy to be erected. this would have served for the judge ' s throne. ( left, mcmath ) so, when the bible talks of the " gate " it may mean : in amos the hebrew word for gates ( sha ' ar ) occurs three times 5 : 10, 12, 15. in verse 15 the gate is explicitly the place of justice. in the other verses this is likely ( and some translators render it by " courts " ) though more general public gatherings could possibly be in view. amos ' speeches address each of the three main locations of israelite life : yet, although the word " gate " only appears three times, the sorts of business conducted in the gateway is most often the setting his words suggest. this page is part of the hypertext bible commentary - amos, © tim bulkeley, 1996 - 2005, tim bulkeley. all rights reserved.


the impact of the global financial crisis on poverty in the philippines abstractthe recent global financial and economic crisis which started in the united states and expanded to other developed countries has, to some extent, affected developing countries as well. given the vulnerability of most developing countries, it is important to monitor the impact of this global crisis on poverty. this study, therefore, aims to assess the impact of the crisis on poverty in the philippines. the result of this study would serve as inputs to policymakers in prioritizing mitigating measures that would address the impact of the crisis. in this study, monitoring is done primarily through the conduct of cbms surveys in selected sentinel sites. household - and community - level data were collected to capture the different dimensions of poverty. in addition to the cbms core indicators, specific indicators ( including the outcome and impact indicators ) were monitored to determine the impact of the global crisis. these indicators were identified based on the relevant key transmission channels for the philippines including overseas employment and remittances, and local employment. the study also looked at the different coping mechanisms adopted by the households in response to the crisis. the study also attempted to identify who are able to access the programs which were being implemented in the community. ten ( 10 ) barangays all over the philippines were selected to serve as poverty observatories or sentinel sites for monitoring the impact of the global crisis. selection of these sites was also based on the relevant transmission channels for the philippines. results reveal that although the impact of the crisis is generally minimal, the crisis has affected some specific sectors in the economy. the degree of impact also varies among different groups of households. hence, policies should be designed to mitigate the impact of the crisis on these affected sectors and groups of households. download infoif you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. in case of further problems read the ideas help page. note that these files are not on the ideas site. please be patient as the files may be large. bibliographic infopaper provided by east asian bureau of economic research in its series finance working papers with number 22808. date of creation : jan 2010 date of revision : contact details of provider : postal : jg crawford building # 13, asia pacific school of economics and government, australian national university, act 0200 web page : http : / / www. eaber. org more information through edirc global financial and economic crisis ; poverty impact ; community - based monitoring system ( cbms )


school of economics and government, australian national university, act 0200 web page : http : / / www. eaber. org more information through edirc global financial and economic crisis ; poverty impact ; community - based monitoring system ( cbms ) ; impact transmission channels ; cbms indicators ; household - coping strategies ; program targeting ; leakages and exclusion ; find related papers by jel classification : - g10 - financial economics - - general financial markets - - - general ( includes measurement and data ) - o10 - economic development, technological change, and growth - - economic development - - - general - g39 - financial economics - - corporate finance and governance - - - other you can help add them by filling out this form. citec project, subscribe to its rss feed for this item. - isabel ortiz & jingqing chai & matthew cummins, 2011. " escalating food prices : the threat to poor households and policies to safeguard a recovery for all, " working papers 1101, unicef, division of policy and strategy. for technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact : ( shiro armstrong ). if references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.


see the ancient ruins that gave zimbabwe its name, a city of such size and sophistication that europeans tried to deny that that black men had built it. zimbabwe is a country awash in natural beauty and wildlife, but at least one of its greatest historic treasures is man - made. i ’ m old enough to remember when this nation cast off the name rhodesia — the name imposed upon it by gold - hungry british colonists — and adopted the name zimbabwe. but i never knew where the name had come from. now, i know. it came from this place. an ancient city of nearly 2, 000 acres, with a population that may have been as large of 18, 000, built by the shona people. it was first built some time around 1200. the country whose adventurers would later colonize this land didn ’ t even exist yet. five hundred years before there was a great britain, there was great zimbabwe. the name “ zimbabwe ” is believed to be derived from a shona word meaning “ houses of stone. ” it was called “ great zimbabwe ” to disinguish it from the many smaller stone settlements that dotted the region, in modern - day zimbabwe and beyond. this city stood for 300 years, a city of stone walls and high towers, held together without mortar, built with such skill and sophistication that those same colonists were uncomfortable acknowledging that black men had built it. in later years, long after great zimbabwe had been abandoned and fallen into ruin, the racist white government of what was then rhodesia made denial of great zimbabwe ’ s black african origins a matter of national policy. ian smith, who led the creation of a white supremacist government in rhodesia, went so far as to commission a fake history of great zimbabwe to make it a creation of whites. that policy is gone now, as are smith and his government. and when the country ’ s new rulers looked about for a new name for this ancient land, they didn ’ t have far to look. today, great zimbabwe is a un world heritage site. it has survived centuries of weather, neglect and ill - advised attempts at excavation — not to mention official denial. this historic site gave the country more than its name. the ancient bird found on the national flag is based on soapstone carvings found at great zimbabwe, like the one pictured above. ancient ruins like this are a natural draw for anyone with an interest in history or anthropology in general, or just a curiosity about life in the mother continent before the european colonists got hold of


##stone carvings found at great zimbabwe, like the one pictured above. ancient ruins like this are a natural draw for anyone with an interest in history or anthropology in general, or just a curiosity about life in the mother continent before the european colonists got hold of it. do you enjoy a good mystery? you ’ ll find a good one here. who were the people who built this place? we don ’ t have much specific information about them. what caused them eventually to abandon it, long before the europeans came? we don ’ t really know that, either. when i look at a place like great zimbabwe, i see neither ruins nor mystery. i see what black men are capable of when we focus our creative energy on a positive purpose. when i look at great zimbabwe, i don ’ t see a lost past. i see a shining future, waiting for us to reach for it. what will you see when you visit great zimbabwe? if you go great zimbabwe is located outside the town of masvingo, 182 miles south of zimbabwe ’ s capital city, harare. it ’ s about a four - hour drive down highway a4. there is lodging nearby, including the great zimbabwe hotel, and several tour companies conduct tours or safaris that include a visit to the ruins. next : the urban side of zimbabwe


the framers of the united states constitution so highly valued free speech that they enshrined it in the document ’ s very first amendment. india, the world ’ s other mammoth democracy, has a first amendment too, but its intent and meaning are quite the opposite. lawrence liang, a legal expert and co - founder of the alternative law forum, a legal collective based in india focused on social justice, has written a sharp legal analysis of the ways in which the fundamental right to free speech in india is limited. he remarks on the irony of the phrase “ the first amendment : ” in the united states, he notes, the first amendment refers to the right to free speech, a right that has been held almost absolute, while in india, the first amendment refers to the attempt to “ strengthen state regulation over free speech. ” that distinction is worth remembering when considering the dustup over communications minister kapil sibal ’ s call for “ pre - screening ” of the internet, in response to what he sees as a problem of offensive and abusive speech online. while he faced accusations of censorship, his controversial and probably impractical proposal is in keeping with india ’ s ambiguous relationship with the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. india certainly allows more freedom of expression than countries like iraq, malaysia, afghanistan, china and north korea. but the two organizations that rank press freedom, an important indicator of free expression in any society, have consistently ranked india lower than you might expect. india doesn ’ t even make the top 50 in freedom house ’ s freedom of the press 2011 ranking : it comes in at number 77, along with bulgaria and east timor, behind south africa, south korea and lithuania. reporters sans frontieres ranks india even lower on its press freedom index for 2010. the country is at number 122, below congo, indonesia and nepal. the intention behind article 19 ( 1 ) a, which guarantees citizens the right to freedom of speech and of expression in india ’ s constitution, was inspired in some measure by the u. s. constitution, which made a profound and lasting commitment to free speech. in its original form, the fundamental right to free speech and expression in india lasted for two years. by 1951, the first serious curbs and limitations had been placed on free speech, reflecting not just political expediency, but perhaps a larger and very indian discomfort with the idea of untrammeled freedom of expression. in 1951, the section of the constitution that dealt with restrictions on free speech was expanded to include threats to


reflecting not just political expediency, but perhaps a larger and very indian discomfort with the idea of untrammeled freedom of expression. in 1951, the section of the constitution that dealt with restrictions on free speech was expanded to include threats to public order as a possible restriction. the state ’ s control was extended to “ reasonable restrictions, ” a vague provision that would be debated for decades to come. this was also the decade when the state set a certain direction for book bans. the 1940s carry the stamp of british prudery and paranoia. among the books banned by the raj government in its final years were “ the perfumed garden, ” an erotic manual ; incendiary pamphlets on kashmir ; and a potentially inflammatory article that dealt with the life of “ codijah, first and devoted wife of mahomet. ” the blanket protection that the u. s. constitution allotted to free speech — “ congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ” — had little counterpart in india. by the mid - 1950s, prime minister jawaharlal nehru ’ s government had shifted direction. the political book ban was the most common : a play from pakistan ( agha babar ’ s “ cease - fire ” ) and the newspaper hamara kashmir were barred from entering india. the decade saw two book bans that would greatly narrow the definition of what was acceptable in terms of free expression. the 1955 ban on aubrey menen ’ s “ rama retold ” revealed a discomfort with religious parody and inquiries into faith. a ban in 1959 on alexander campbell ’ s “ heart of india ” was an early indicator of a very indian prickliness about “ outsider ” histories that show the country in a bad light. it is one of the ironies of the history of free speech that the leaders of free india who, often reluctantly, endorsed the growing encroachment of the state on this particular right were those, like mr. nehru and congress party leader sardar patel, who had spent decades fighting for the indian right to free expression before 1947. “ the first amendment, ” mr. liang writes, “ signaled the kinds of battles that would take place between the project of nation building and the sphere of the media. it marked the rather premature end of the vision of a ‘ seamless web ’ with the promotion of national security and sovereignty being prioritized over the promotion of democratic institutions. ” perhaps no one, not even mr. nehru, realized how much of a turning point the


premature end of the vision of a ‘ seamless web ’ with the promotion of national security and sovereignty being prioritized over the promotion of democratic institutions. ” perhaps no one, not even mr. nehru, realized how much of a turning point the first amendment would be to the fundamental right of free speech. his government had a choice, in independent india, to walk away from the fear - driven bans of the british raj, where officers scanned books, plays, pamphlets, popular songs and periodicals for any sign of sedition or offensiveness. but they chose a path that privileged the idea that we are a nation of delicate sensibilities that must not be offended over the idea that a democracy is better built on a robust foundation of free expression. mr. sibal ’ s proposal to pre - screen the internet is in practical terms impossible, born of a lack of understanding of the nature of the internet. the only way to filter it of all undesirable and objectionable material is to go down the labor - intensive route that china has followed, where censorship is a thriving economic industry, employing thousands. but mr. sibal ’ s demands to be shielded from abuse, and his belief that the state has the right to impose controls, is no knee - jerk response to a new problem. it goes back to the time when mr. nehru ’ s government made a deliberate decision to pick up the imperial burden of censorship, and it has its roots in a deep unease with the implications of a society based on the belief that free expression is a valuable, non - negotiable commodity.


mother earth takes bite out of strawberry moon in partial lunar eclipse it ’ s no transit of venus, but the so - called strawberry moon will be an eye - catching sight as mother earth ' s shadow falls across it in a partial lunar eclipse just before sunrise on june 4. the strawberry moon is supposedly so named in algonquin lore because it signals the start of the short harvest season of the oxidant - rich fruit, according to the farmers ' almanac. this eclipse will be visible in north and south america, australia, eastern parts of asia and across the entire pacific ocean, nasa said in a media release. atlantic viewers in the united states will see the eclipse just as the moon is setting, which will give it that uber - plump, bigger - than - life look against the horizon. this will occur at about 3 : 00 a. m. pacific daylight time, nasa said, meaning about 6 a. m. on the east coast of turtle island, with the maximum effect occurring about 7 : 04 a. m. edt, when 37 percent of the moon ' s surface will be darkened by mother earth ' s shadow. that aside, everyone ' s waiting with bated breath for the transit of venus that ' s taking place on june 5 – 6, which will be visible all over turtle island. so stay tuned. meanwhile, whet your moon appetite with this video explaining the phenomenon.


a simple moving average is an average price for a security over a specified period of time. the chart tracks the change in the average over time. you can select up to three time periods on this chart, based on the intervals show in the chart. the average smooths out the data to help investors more easily identify trends. traders tend to sell when a stock trades above an average and buy when it falls below an average. line 1 period line 2 period line 3 period an exponential moving average is similar to a simple moving average of a security ’ s prices over a defined period of time, but it gives greater weight to more recent data. you can select as many as three time periods. an ema chart allows investors to spot and respond more quickly to recent trends that might take more time to appear in an sma. standard deviations offset bollinger bands are used to compare volatility and relative price levels over a period of time. the chart shows two lines that define the upper and lower boundaries of a stock ’ s normal price range as determined by recent volatility, measured by standard deviation, and a moving average of the security ’ s price. bollinger bands are often used to identify a period of low volatility and to prepare for a move above or below a trading range. moving average convergence - divergence charts show how two moving averages move together and apart over time. they are used in similar fashion to other momentum indicators to help identify overbought and oversold conditions. the macd is calculated by taking the difference of the two averages and plotting it as a line, known as the macd line. a moving average of that difference is also plotted to serve as a buy / sell signal and is called the signal line. in a rally, rally will cause the difference between the two lines will increase until some extreme value is reached, signaling an overbought condition. conversely, in a down market, the difference will become large but in the negative direction until an extreme is reached, signaling an oversold condition. max step period the parabolic sar, also referred to as the stop - and - reversal indicator, is most often used to set trailing price stops for long or short positions. the sar is calculated in steps marking each change in trend ; you can vary steps in this chart. generally, when the stock price falls below the indicator, you should sell or sell short ; when it is above, you would buy or stay long. money flow index is a momentum indicator based on price and value that measures the


steps in this chart. generally, when the stock price falls below the indicator, you should sell or sell short ; when it is above, you would buy or stay long. money flow index is a momentum indicator based on price and value that measures the strength of money flowing in and out of a security. this creates an indicator that can be used to identify the strength or weakness of a price trend. the mfi is measured on a 0 - 100 scale and is often calculated based on a 14 - day period ; a security is considered overbought if the reading is 80 or above and oversold at 20 or below. the fast stochastic measures the price of a security relative to its high / low range over a set period of time. the indicator moves between 0 and 100, with readings below 20 considered oversold and readings above 80 considered overbought. a 14 - period stochastic oscillator reading of 30 would indicate that the current price was 30 % above the lowest low of the last 14 days and 70 % below the highest high. this can be used like any other oscillator by looking for overbought / oversold readings, positive / negative divergences and centerline crossovers. the slow stochastic measures the price of a security relative to its high / low range over a set period of time, applying a 3 - day moving average to one of the parameters to smooth the results. the indicator moves between 0 and 100, with readings below 20 considered oversold and readings above 80 considered overbought. the stochastic oscillator can be used like any other oscillator to look for overbought / oversold readings, positive / negative divergences and centerline crossovers. the relative - strength index ( rsi ) is a widely used momentum indicator that measures the price of a security against past performance. typically, stock traders use a 14 - day rsi, which focuses on how fast prices have been moving over a 14 - day period. the rsi value ranges from 0 to 100 ; values above 75 indicate a possible overbought situation and values below 25 indicates a possible oversold condition. many traders use it to determine if a stock is overbought or oversold. roc ( rate of change ) shows the difference between the closing price of that day and the close n days ago. a momentum indicator that is often used to spot overbought and oversold signals, much like stochastic. readings of 0 to - 20 are considered over


) shows the difference between the closing price of that day and the close n days ago. a momentum indicator that is often used to spot overbought and oversold signals, much like stochastic. readings of 0 to - 20 are considered overbought, while - 80 to - 100 are considered oversold. volume by price is an indicator that shows the amount of volume for a particular price range. volume by price bars are shown horizontal on the left side of the chart to match up with price points. these color - coded bars divide volume based on up periods ( green ) and volume on down periods ( red ). volume by price can be used to identify high volume price points that may provide support or resistance. volume accumulation indicator combines volume and a price - weighting that shows the strength of conviction behind a trend ; the volume accumulation indicator is a helpful tool in uncovering divergences. moving average period volume is number of trades in a security over a period of time, represented as a histogram ( vertical bars ) below the price chart. the optional moving average line shows the change in average volume over the time period selected. the average directional index ( adx ), minus directional indicator ( - di ) and plus directional indicator ( + di ) represent a group of directional movement indicators that form a trading system. adx was designed with commodities and daily prices in mind, but these indicators can also be applied to stocks. the average directional index ( adx ) measures trend strength without regard to trend direction. the other two indicators, plus directional indicator ( + di ) and minus directional indicator ( - di ), complement adx by defining trend direction. used together, can be used to determine both the direction and strength of the trend. keltner channels are volatility - based envelopes set above and below an exponential moving average. this indicator is similar to bollinger bands, which use the standard deviation to set the bands. instead of using the standard deviation, keltner channels use the average true range ( atr ) to set channel distance. the channels are typically set two average true range values above and below the 20 - day ema. the exponential moving average dictates direction and the average true range sets channel width. keltner channels are a trend following indicator used to identify reversals with channel breakouts and channel direction. channels can also be used to identify overbought and oversold levels when the trend is flat. to share this chart, copy the link below or send it in e -


great american authors : since 1650 program 8 : 1958 - present ( # 108 ) this generation of writer witnessed and participated in wwii... korea... the cold war... the civil rights movement... and vietnam. these experiences shaped the intellectually, spiritually and emotionally in ways that were translated into their writing. [ 28 minutes ] information for teachers - grade levels - curricular areas - literacy & languages - series length - 8 episodes - average episode length - 28 minutes - record rights - recording / duplication allowed as long as iptv broadcasts the series. if you miss the broadcast, contact your aea for copies. - visit the website for teacher resources visit the iptv education website to access timely, relevant resources for your classroom. series description : this new series presents the lives and literary output of over 60 of america ' s most read authors. designed for literary enthusiasts and history buffs alike, great american authors is a must for every 21st century library and classroom. authors are presented chronologically in concise, stand - alone clips. all upcoming episodes there are no broadcasts currently planned. please check back for future broadcast dates. these episodes of great american authors : since 1650 aired in the last few months on iowa public television. - program 8 : 1958 - present ( # 108 ) - program 7 : 1950 - 1957 ( # 107 ) - program 6 : 1940 - 1949 ( # 106 ) - program 5 : 1926 - 1939 ( # 105 ) - program 4 : 1907 - 1925 ( # 104 ) - program 3 : 1856 - 1906 ( # 103 ) - program 2 : 1846 - 1855 ( # 102 ) - program 1 : 1650 - 1845 ( # 101 )


carmine, a red dye extracted from cochineal insects, is an example of a chemical product created in nature ’ s laboratory. used as a vibrant red dye by the mayan and aztec civilizations, cochineal became a prized and protected export after the spanish conquest of the aztecs during the colonial period. frenchman theirry de menonville became determined to discover the secret source of this dye and in 1777, he voyaged to cuba and mexico, posing as a physician and botanist, to advance his scheme. after four years of plotting and adventure, de menonville obtained specimens of the white insect that when crushed, revealed the coveted cochineal. ironically, his smuggled mexican cochineal samples failed to thrive in his cultivation attempts, but one afternoon on a walk around his house on santo domingo, he discovered healthy white insects of indigenous cochineal. cochineal extract may be made by heating the cochineal insects in an oven, immersing them in hot water, or exposing them to steam or sunlight. each process results in a different shade of scarlet or orange. the more pure carmine is produced by boiling the dried insects in either ammonia or sodium carbonate followed by the addition of alum to induce precipitation. a purple material can be produced if lime is added along with the alum. cochineal ’ s popularity as a dye increased rapidly when sheep were introduced to latin america since the red dye binds more tightly to animal - based fibers such as wool or silk than to plant - based fibers such as cotton. although water - soluble cochineal dye could be adhered to an insoluble support to produce red lake pigment, these colorants were notoriously susceptible to the bleaching effects of light and did not maintain their integrity either in paintings or on the artist ’ s palette. more recently, cochineal and carmine experienced a resurgence of use as a natural food coloring when health questions were raised about the safety of a few synthetic red dyes used in food products. in food applications it is one of the most stable reds for light fastness, heat resistance and stability to oxidation and reduction. carmine is also used in a number of cosmetics such as lipstick, blush, and face powder. more information about cochineal may be found at http : / / www. npr. org / templates / story / story. php? storyid = 1302796


it was good to hear from fed duay, a two - year veteran of my ap summer institute at manhattan college * * which, for the uninitiated, is in the bronx. no, i don ' t get it, either. i have two questions. we are doing the " b field of a straight wire lab ", where we can use a compass aligned to the earth ' s magnetic field and trigonometry to find b ' s value ; then we graph " b vs. 1 / r " and use the slope to find the " vacuum permeability " value [ or should we find the current as compare to the ammeter reading? ]. however i have come across two values for the earth ' s field : 2x10 ^ - 5 t and 5x10 ^ - 5 t ( or 20 microt and 50 microt respectively ). what do you use for the earth ' s field value? i actually do the experiment the other way - - i use the ammeter reading and mu naught to find the magnetic field. i like either of the two ways you suggested. that ' s one of the beautiful aspects of the graphical approach to laboratory... depending on what you measure or what you look up, a single experiment can be done in a wide variety of ways. as for the value of bearth : you ' re only finding the horizontal component of the earth ' s magnetic field. along the east coast, the magnetic field points more down than north, at a " dip angle " that can be close to 70 degrees off of horiontal. the site http : / / www. ngdc. noaa. gov / geomag / magfield. shtml will tell you the local magnetic field, including all components. i find at woodberry forest the northward magnetic field component is 2. 0 x 10 ^ - 5 t. ( fed continues with his second question : ) also, i see that last year you covered part of waves before finishing magnetism ; i am guessing that you needed to do the " standing wave lab on a string " before finishing em. is this the reason or is there something else i should be aware of? nothing other than personal preference is in play here. the intricacies of electromagnetic waves aren ' t included on the ap physics b exam. certainly students are expected to know the em spectrum, the visible wavelengths, which colors of light have higher frequencies, and so on ; but the fact that electric and magnetic fields oscillate


sure, we have the x - games and x - treme cheese nachosplosion doritos now in our modern age, but the extreme skateboarders and snowboarders and parkourists and whomever aren ' t fit to boil parrafin for the extreme sportsmen of a century ago. take these fellows here, who, as a 1912 copy of popular mechanics tells us, rode railroad tracks down a freaking mountain at 120 miles per hour. oh, but don ' t be too impressed. if you look at the protective gear they had, you can see they were wearing hats, and their rail - sleds were made of advanced materials like wood, or as they called it " tree pork. " as the article says, the formula to make a sport attractive is " two parts novelty and one part danger. " i suspect the exchange rate of danger must have changed dramatically over the past century, since sliding on a cogged railroad track down pike ' s peak ( now pikes peak ) is a hell of a lot more than one part danger. the toboggans used appear to be composed of a sitting board with a steel cleat to engage the center, cogged rail, and a long perpendicular bar for hand grips and to rest on the rails on either side. oh, and what looks to be a foot rest. no belts, seats, padding or any kind of protection at all, and these are used on nine miles of track, which drops nearly a mile. it ' s not surprising top speeds of around 120 mph, two miles a minute, were recorded on the steepest sections of the track. rail tobogganing was started by railroad employees looking for a more exciting, lazier way to get down the mountain rapidly, and as their balls transformed into spheres of tempered steel, became a sport of sorts. another article from the september 9, 1911 telegraph shows that " shooting the peak " had been popular for a while, but railroad officials wanted to stop it because " the fool killer got on the job too often. " so the next time you ' re impressed by some bonkers skateboarding jump or see a moron train sledding, remember : barely - literate badasses were doing crazier shit a century ago. and in dress shoes. ( hat tip to our old friend ben wojdyla! )


hypophosphatemia is common in hospitalized patients and occurs under a variety of circumstances other than parathyroid hormone excess. charts of 100 inpatients with hypophosphatemia were reviewed and the patients divided into five groups on the basis of serum phosphate level : 18, 2. 1 to 2. 4 mg / dl ; 49, 1. 6 to 2. 0 mg / dl ; 20, 1. 1 to 1. 5 mg / dl ; 12, 0. 6 to 1. 0 mg / dl ; 1, 0. 1 to 0. 5 mg / dl. the effect of glucose ingestion on serum phosphate level was shown in one normal patient. whenever carbohydrate was administered intravenously ( 45 cases ), this was considered the primary cause of the hypophosphatemia. other causes were as follows : diuretics, hyperalimentation, alcoholism, respiratory alkalosis, dialysis, insulin, corticosteroids, diabetic ketoacidosis, vomiting, phosphate - binding antacid, gram - negative sepsis, primary hyperparathyroidism, saline, epinephrine, gastrointestinal malabsorption, and unknown. hypophosphatemia in hospitalized patients may have multiple causes. ( jama 242 : 163 - 164, 1979 )


using static and non static synchronized method for protecting shared resource is another java mistake we are going to discuss in this part of our series “ learning from mistakes in java ”. in last article we have seen why double and float should not be used for monetary calculation, in this tutorial we will find out why using static and non static synchronized method together for protecting same shared resource is not advisable. i have seen some times java programmer mix static synchronized method and instance synchronized method to protect same shared resource. they either don ' t know or failed to realize that static synchronized and non static synchronized method lock on two different object which breaks purpose of synchronizing shared resource as two thread can concurrently execute these two method breaking mutual exclusive access, which can corrupt status of mutable object or even cause subtle race condition in java or even more horrible deadlock in java. static and non static synchronized method java for those who are not familiar static synchronized method locked on class object e. g. for string class its string. class while instance synchronized method locks on current instance of object denoted by “ this ” keyword in java. since both of these object are different they have different lock so while one thread is executing static synchronized method, other thread in java doesn ’ t need to wait for that thread to return instead it will acquire separate lock denoted byte. class literal and enter into static synchronized method. this is even a popular multi - threading interview questions where interviewer asked on which lock a particular method gets locked, some time also appear in java test papers. bottom line is that never mix static and non static synchronized method for protecting same resource. example of mixing instance and static synchronized methods here is an example of multithreading code which is using static and non static synchronized method to protect same shared resource : here shared count is not accessed in mutual exclusive fashion which may result in passing incorrect count to caller of getcount ( ) while another thread is incrementing count using static increment ( ) method. that ’ s all on this part of learning from mistakes in java. now we know that static and non static synchronized method are locked on different locks and should not be used to protect same shared object. other java thread tutorials you may like :


it may not surprise you to learn that the old formula of cutting 500 calories a day to lose a pound a week does not work for every person. now scientists have come up with a new formula — all you have to do is convert your bmi into furlongs per fortnight, divide it by the circumference of the earth in centimeters, and then add the total number of hairs on your scalp. easy! okay, not quite. according to livescience, the new formula, unveiled at this year ' s american association for the advancement of science meeting, goes like this : for every 10 calories you cut per day, expect to lose one pound over the course of three years. so if you eat 100 calories less every day, you should weigh 10 pounds less three years later. weight loss researcher kevin hall says this new formula takes into account the fact that weight loss tends to slow down over time. if you want to lose more weight after three years, he says, you ' d need to cut more calories. also, he acknowledges that weight loss isn ' t the same for everyone — he has a more complicated model for doctors and researchers that also takes into account factors like age, height, and start weight. perhaps this will put to rest the idea that losing weight is a simple subtraction problem. also challenging this notion : doctors aren ' t especially good at predicting whether their patients will lose weight. livescience reports on another study, in which 40 doctors predicted that 55 % of their patients would follow their weight - related recommendations. but after three months, just 16 % of the patients they thought would lose weight did so. only 19 % improved their diets, and 6 % added an hour or more of walking to their weekly schedule. given that there are tons of incentives for people to lose weight, not least the ever - present stigma against fat people, i ' d bet that most of these patients wanted to follow their doctors ' recommendations. what these dismal numbers speak to is that losing weight is hard, and it takes more than a doctor ' s say - so to change eating and exercise habits. and of course, even changing those habits might not actually result in weight loss. the study didn ' t seem to include doctors who followed a health at every size approach, so we don ' t know if this would ' ve been more effective. what we do know is that just telling people to lose weight doesn ' t make them do it — especially since even the supposedly simple science of calori


why is road safety in the u. s. not on par with sweden, the u. k., and the netherlands? lessons to be learned source : university of michigan transportation research institute this study compared road safety and related factors in the u. s. with those in sweden, the united kingdom, and the netherlands, in order to identify actions most likely to produce casualty reductions in the u. s. the reviewed topics were basic country statistics, road fatalities and various fatality rates, national road - safety strategies, and selected road - safety issues. the main differences concerned structural and cultural factors ( such as vehicle distance driven ), and procedural factors ( such as road - safety strategies and targets, alcohol - impaired driving, exceeding speed limits, and use of seat belts ). the main recommendations for improving road safety in the u. s. are as follows : ( 1 ) lower states ’ bac limits to 0. 5 g / l and introduce effective random breath testing, ( 2 ) reexamine the current speed - limit policies and improve speed enforcement, ( 3 ) implement primary seat - belt - wearing laws in each state that would cover both front and rear occupants, and reward vehicle manufacturers for installation of advanced seat - belt reminders, ( 4 ) reconsider road - safety target setting so that the focus is on reducing fatalities and not on reducing fatality rate per distance driven, and ( 5 ) consider new strategies to reduce vehicle distance driven. - improving road safety : lessons from europe ( ns. umich. edu ) - 4 reasons the u. s. trails the world in road safety ( theatlanticcities. com ) - us road safety : deaths lowest in more than 60 years. how we got there – yahoo! news ( coralvillecourier. typepad. com ) - aaa study : drivers who use cell phones probably have other bad habits ( thecarconnection. com ) - road safety snafus ( ask. metafilter. com )


the australian state of south australia occupies an arid part of the country. it has borders with the state of western australia to the west ; the northern territory to the north ; the states of queensland, new south wales, and victoria to the east ; and the great australian bight of the indian ocean to the south. its land area is 379, 725 square miles ( 983, 482 square kilometers ) roughly four times the size of the u. s. state of michigan or the united kingdom. adelaide is the state capital and chief port, and about three fourths of the state ' s people live in its metropolitan area. the state ' s land is generally low and flat, lying mostly less than 1, 000 feet ( 300 meters ) above sea level. the flinders and mount lofty ranges, with forests of eucalyptus and pine, are in the south. the great victoria desert covers the northwestern part of the state. scrub vegetation, grasses, and cacti dot much of the outback ( inland area ), where rainfall is too limited to support forests or large settlements. yet underlying the northeast is a portion of the great artesian basin, the world ' s largest region of accessible groundwater. kangaroos and wallabies are common animals. south australia ' s mixed economy has especially large service and manufacturing sectors. agriculture, fishing, and mining are secondarily important. among the major products are motor vehicles, processed foods and drinks, paper, chemicals, and metal products. irrigation has been extensively developed in the southeast, along the fertile plains of the murray river. south australia produces much of the country ' s wine ( from vineyards ) and brandy. wheat, barley, oats, figs, olives, and vegetables are grown, and sheep are raised for wool and meat. the state is australia ' s leading producer of opals. uranium, copper, zinc, and iron ore are also mined. the moomba fields in the northeast produce natural gas, ethane, crude oil, and liquefied petroleum. whyalla, just northwest of adelaide, has iron and steel smelters and once was famous for its shipyards. institutions of higher education include the university of adelaide, the university of south australia, and flinders university. the art gallery of south australia and the adelaide festival centre, both in adelaide, are among the state ' s cultural institutions. the state ' s parliament has two houses. the political party or coalition that wins the most seats in the lower house chooses a premier, who runs the state government.


toxic shock syndrome ( tss ) is a serious but uncommon infection caused by either staphylococcus aureus bacteria or by streptococcus bacteria. originally linked to the use of tampons, especially high - absorbency ones and those that are not changed frequently, it ' s now also known to be associated with the contraceptive sponge and diaphragm birth control methods. tss also can arise from wounds secondary to minor trauma or surgery incisions where bacteria have been able to enter the body and cause the infection. tss also can affect anyone who has any type of staph infection, including pneumonia, abscess, skin or wound infection, the blood infection septicemia, or the bone infection osteomyelitis. most often, streptococcal tss appears after bacteria have invaded areas of injured skin, such as cuts and scrapes, surgical wounds, and even chickenpox blisters. symptoms of tss can include sudden high fever, a faint feeling, diarrhea, headache, a rash, and muscle aches. if your child has these symptoms, call your doctor right away. toxic shock syndrome starts suddenly, often with high fever ( temperature at least 102° f [ 38. 8° c ] ), a rapid drop in blood pressure ( with lightheadedness or fainting ), vomiting, diarrhea, headache, sore throat, or muscle aches. a sunburn - like rash may appear anywhere on the body, including the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. a person also might have bloodshot eyes and an unusual redness under the eyelids or inside the mouth ( and vagina in females ). the area around an infected wound can become swollen, red, and tender, or may not even appear infected. other symptoms may include confusion or other mental changes, decreased urination, fatigue and weakness, and thirst. if tss is untreated, organs such as the liver and kidneys may begin to fail, and problems such as seizures, bleeding, and heart failure can develop. the bacteria that cause toxic shock syndrome can be carried on unwashed hands and prompt an infection anywhere on the body. so good hand washing is extremely important. girls can reduce their risk of tss by either avoiding tampons or alternating them with sanitary napkins. girls who use only tampons should choose ones with the lowest absorbency that will handle menstrual flow, and change the tampons frequently


their risk of tss by either avoiding tampons or alternating them with sanitary napkins. girls who use only tampons should choose ones with the lowest absorbency that will handle menstrual flow, and change the tampons frequently. on low - flow days, girls should use pads instead of tampons. between menstrual periods, store tampons away from heat and moisture ( where bacteria can grow ) — for example, in a bedroom rather than in a bathroom closet. because staphylococcus bacteria are often carried on hands, it ' s important for girls to wash their hands thoroughly before and after inserting a tampon. if your daughter has her menstrual period, talk to her about taking these precautions. any female who has recovered from tss should not use tampons. clean and bandage all skin wounds as quickly as possible. call your doctor immediately whenever a wound becomes red, swollen, or tender, or if a fever begins. tss is a medical emergency. if you think your child has tss, call a doctor right away. depending on the symptoms, a doctor may see you in the office or refer you to a hospital emergency department for immediate evaluation and testing. if doctors suspect tss, they will probably start intravenous ( iv ) fluids and antibiotics as soon as possible. they may take a sample from the suspected site of the infection, such as the skin, nose, or vagina, to check it for tss. they may also take a blood sample. other blood tests can help monitor how various organs like the kidneys are working and check for other diseases that may be causing the symptoms. medical staff will remove tampons, contraceptive devices, or wound packing ; clean any wounds ; and, if there is a pocket of infection ( an abscess ), a doctor may need to drain pus from the infected area. people with tss typically need to stay in the hospital, often in the intensive care unit ( icu ), for several days to closely monitor blood pressure, respiratory status, and to look for signs of other problems, such as organ damage. tss is a very rare illness. although it can be fatal, if recognized and treated promptly it is usually curable. when to call the doctor call your doctor immediately if your child has any signs or symptoms of toxic shock syndrome. once you realize that something is wrong, it ' s important to get medical attention right away. the sooner your child gets treatment,


as much as parents may not like to think about it, the truth is that many kids and teens try alcohol during their high school and college years, long before it ' s legal for them to drink it. research has shown that nearly 80 % of high school kids have tried alcohol. although experimentation with alcohol can be common among kids, it ' s not safe or legal. so it ' s important to start discussing alcohol use and abuse with your kids at an early age and keep talking about it as they grow up. the effects of alcohol abuse alcohol interferes with a person ' s perception of reality and ability to make good decisions. this can be particularly hazardous for kids and teens who have less problem - solving and decision - making experience. short - term effects of drinking include : distorted vision, hearing, and coordination altered perceptions and emotions impaired judgment, which can lead to accidents, drowning, and other risky behaviors like unsafe sex and drug use long - term effects include : cirrhosis and cancer of the liver loss of appetite serious vitamin deficiencies heart and central nervous system damage an increased risk of impotence high risk for overdosing long before your kids are presented with a chance to drink alcohol, you can increase the chances that they ' ll just say " no. " childhood is a time of learning and discovery, so it ' s important to encourage kids to ask questions, even ones that might be hard to answer. open, honest, age - appropriate communication now sets the stage for your kids to come to you later with other difficult topics or problems. although 3 - and 4 - year - olds aren ' t ready to learn the facts about alcohol or other drugs, they start to develop the decision - making and problem - solving skills they will need later on. you can help them develop those skills in some simple ways. for instance, let toddlers choose their own clothing and don ' t worry if the choices don ' t match. this lets them know you think they ' re capable of making good decisions. assign simple tasks and let kids know what a big help they are. and set a good example of the behavior that you want your kids to demonstrate. this is especially true in the preschool years when kids tend to imitate adults ' actions as a way of learning. so, by being active, eating healthy, and drinking responsibly, parents teach their kids important lessons early on. ages 4 to 7 kids this age still think and learn mostly by experience and don ' t have a good understanding of things that will happen in the


active, eating healthy, and drinking responsibly, parents teach their kids important lessons early on. ages 4 to 7 kids this age still think and learn mostly by experience and don ' t have a good understanding of things that will happen in the future. so keep discussions about alcohol in the present tense and relate them to things that kids know and understand. for example, watching tv with your child can provide a chance to talk about advertising messages. ask about the ads you see and encourage kids to ask questions too. kids are interested in how their bodies work, so this is a good time to talk about maintaining good health and avoiding substances that might harm the body. talk about how alcohol hurts a person ' s ability to see, hear, and walk without tripping ; it alters the way people feel ; and it makes it hard to judge things like whether the water is too deep or if there ' s a car coming too close. and it gives people bad breath and a headache! ages 8 to 11 the later elementary school years are a crucial time in which you can influence your child ' s decisions about alcohol use. kids at this age tend to love to learn facts, especially strange ones, and are eager to learn how things work and what sources of information are available to them. so it ' s a good time to openly discuss facts about alcohol : its long - and short - term effects and consequences, its physical effects, and why it ' s especially dangerous for growing bodies. kids also can be heavily influenced by friends now. their interests may be determined by what their peers think. so teach your child to say " no " to peer pressure, and discuss the importance of thinking and acting as an individual. casual discussions about alcohol and friends can take place at the dinner table as part of your normal conversation : " i ' ve been reading about young kids using alcohol. do you ever hear about kids using alcohol or other drugs in your school? " ages 12 to 17 by the teen years, your kids should know the facts about alcohol and your attitudes and beliefs about substance abuse. so use this time to reinforce what you ' ve already taught them and focus on keeping the lines of communication open. teens are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, and their increasing need for independence may make them want to defy their parents ' wishes or instructions. but if you make your teen feel accepted and respected as an individual, you increase the chances that your child will try to be open with you. kids want to be liked and accepted by their peers,


to defy their parents ' wishes or instructions. but if you make your teen feel accepted and respected as an individual, you increase the chances that your child will try to be open with you. kids want to be liked and accepted by their peers, and they need a certain degree of privacy and trust. avoid excessive preaching and threats, and instead, emphasize your love and concern. even when they ' re annoyed by parental interest and questions, teens still recognize that it comes with the territory. teach kids a variety of approaches to deal with offers of alcohol : encourage them to ask questions. if a drink of any kind is offered, they should ask, " what is it? " and " where did you get it? " teach them to say " no, thanks " when the drink offered is an alcoholic one. remind them to leave any uncomfortable situation. make sure they have money for transportation or a phone number where you or another responsible adult can be reached. teach kids never to accept a ride from someone who has been drinking. some parents find that offering to pick up their kids from an uncomfortable situation — no questions asked — helps encourage kids to be honest and call when they need help. times of transition, such as the onset of puberty or a parents ' divorce, can lead kids to alcohol use. so teach your kids that even when life is upsetting or stressful, drinking alcohol as an escape can make a bad situation much worse. kids who have problems with self - control or low self - esteem are more likely to abuse alcohol. they may not believe that they can handle their problems and frustrations without using something to make them feel better. kids without a sense of connectedness with their families or who feel different in some way ( appearance, economic circumstances, etc. ) may also be at risk. those who find it hard to believe in themselves desperately need the love and support of parents or other family members. in fact, not wanting to harm the relationships between themselves and the adults who care about them is the most common reason that young people give for not using alcohol and other drugs. fortunately, parents can do much to protect their kids from using and abusing alcohol : be a good role model. consider how your use of alcohol or medications may influence your kids. consider offering only nonalcoholic beverages at parties and other social events to show your kids that you don ' t need to drink to have fun. educate yourself about alcohol so you can be a better teacher. read and collect information that you can share with kids and other


we ' ve all heard a lot about bullying. but did you know that in high school ( and middle school ), some bullies use sexual messages or actions to make a person feel intimidated, small, or uncomfortable? this sexualized type of bullying is called sexual harassment or sexual bullying. here ' s what you need to know and what you can do if you or someone you care about is being sexually harassed or bullied. what are sexual bullying and harassment? just like other kinds of bullying, sexual bullying involves comments, gestures, actions, or attention that is intended to hurt, offend, or intimidate another person. with sexual bullying, the focus is on things like a person ' s appearance, body parts, or sexual orientation. sexual bullying includes spreading gossip or rumors of a sexual nature. sexual bullying or harassment may be verbal ( like making rude comments to or about someone ), but it doesn ' t have to be spoken. bullies may use technology to harass someone sexually ( like sending inappropriate text messages or videos ). sometimes harassment and bullying can even get physical. sexual bullying doesn ' t just happen to girls. boys can harass girls, but girls also can harass guys, guys may harass other guys, and girls may harass other girls. sexual harassment isn ' t limited to people of the same age, either. adults sometimes sexually harass young people ( and, occasionally, teens may harass adults, though that ' s pretty rare ). most of the time, when sexual harassment happens to teens, it ' s being done by people in the same age group. sexual harassment and sexual bullying are very similar — they both involve unwelcome or unwanted sexual comments, attention, or physical contact. so why call one thing by two different names? sometimes schools and other places use one term or the other for legal reasons. for instance, a school document may use the term " bullying " to describe what ' s against school policy, while a law might use the term " harassment " to define what ' s against the law. some behaviors might be against school policy and also against the law. for the person who is being targeted, though, it doesn ' t make much difference if something is called bullying or harassment. this kind of behavior is upsetting no matter what it ' s called. like anyone who ' s being bullied, people who are sexually bullied or harassed can feel a great deal of emotional stress if the situation continues without relief. some images, jokes, language, and contact are