playing mother hen to a flamingo chick thursday 5 august 2004 a caribbean flamingo chick, hatched on the 6 july, is being hand reared by keepers at whipsnade wild animal park standing at 10 inches ( 25 cm ) tall the leggy young bird will eventually grow as tall as 4 feet ( 1. 2 m ) and its creamy off white plumage will change to the familiar flamingo pink when it is a year old. flamingos lay their eggs in nests made of piles of mud which they carefully mould into a chimney shape, however the keepers noticed that the parents had abandoned one of the nests and so they collected the egg to see if it could be incubated. after 28 days the egg hatched, producing a long, pink - legged and very noisy chick! it has been a major achievement to hatch and rear the youngster as they are notoriously specialised feeders. the chick is fed 3 times a day on a special mixture of sprats, peeled prawns, two egg yokes, baby food cereals, vitamins, probiotic and calcium, which is liquidised in a food mixer and fed via a syringe. the keepers will continue to look after the chick for about 10 weeks after which it will be slowly integrated into the flock at whipsnade. for further information contact : debbie curtis 020 7449 6363 or email @ example. com notes to editors - the caribbean or rosy flamingo is found in central and south america and is the tallest flamingos - they have a unique way of feeding using their specialised beak as an upside down sieve to filter out invertebrates in the water — ends —


appendix 1 : multiple intelligences applied to years 5 to 8. describes adapted units of work from seven ways at once : book 2 ( mcgrath & noble, 1995 ). it provides a simple outline of how for example music, drama, art, and movement can be used to teach across the curriculum and across disciplines using different themes. | | application to various topics in years 5 8 | | story, poem, essay, article, definitions, crossword wordsearch letter, review, instructions, report, description, script, debate, recipe, poem about the beauty of a particular part of australia. ( australia ) write a story which features one running shoe, a stamp collection & final score. ( sport & leisure ) write a set of instructions for how to open a bank account. ( money, banking ) & maths intelligence | | maths problems, pattern, strategic plans, number puzzle, brainteaser, deductive reasoning, problem comparison, analysis, hypotheses, experiment, statistics, survey grid, matrix, scale data, categorisation the cost of a gym membership plus appropriate clothing & equipment ( for one year ). ( sport & leisure ) classify jobs undertaken in an antarctic base in as many ways as you can. then make a matrix. ( antarctica ) do a venn diagram to compare & contrast solar power & fossil fuel power. ( energy ) & vision intelligence drawing, cartoon, design, drawing plan, map, collage, symbol, logo, timeline, display, board game, card game brochure, sign, mobile, graph, front page of newspaper, book / record cover, film, photograph, chart, mind map, flow chart, magazine advertisement, diorama. doona cover with a flight theme. ( flight ) design the cover of a new magazine devoted to leisure. ( sport & leisure ) make a concept map about space. ( space ) draw diagrams to compare weapons from ancient greece with weapons from today ( ancient greece ) | | play, skit, mime, charades, game, exercise, dance, demonstration, construction, model, | | act out the process of blood clotting. ( blood ) in a group of three, create & perform a dance to show the positives & negatives of working on an antarctic base in a group create a 2 minute play about honesty in sport ( sport & leisure ) | | song, rap, sound effects sound story, tape recording, jingle, mood music | | make up a song which teaches the concepts in the


an antarctic base in a group create a 2 minute play about honesty in sport ( sport & leisure ) | | song, rap, sound effects sound story, tape recording, jingle, mood music | | make up a song which teaches the concepts in the healthy diet pyramid ( food & with a partner, tape record sounds of sports & leisure. see if the class can guess the sounds. ( sports & leisure ) with a partner make up & perform a rap about the difficulties of saving money ( money ; banking ) | | cooperative group work, advertising campaign, discussion, class presentation teaching other, leadership task, interviewing " famous people " survey, mock trial, negotiated decision. | | in a group of four negotiate to decide which two genetic blood disorders make the most negative impact on quality of life ( blood ; genetics ) in a group of three set up & perform a mock interview with ra & isis ( ancient egypt ) in a group of three list all the traits you can think of which a pilot would need to have. then negotiate to select the two most important ones. | | journal, personal time line, preferences, fears, opinions, self awareness, own experiences, self assessment, goal setting, self reflection on learning. personal time line to show how your interest in different leisure & sporting activities has changed as you have got older ( sport & what is your credit rating like? give reasons for your answer. how could you improve it? ( money ; banking ) assess your own refrigerator in terms of the health diet pyramid. what would you need to add ( make a shopping list ) to improve it? ( food & nutrition ) learning is an active process in which the learner uses sensory input and constructs meaning out of it. the learner needs to do something to learn. people learn to learn as they learn ; learning consists of both constructing meaning and constructing systems of meaning. we learn patterns of meaning. the crucial action of constructing meaning is mental ; it happens in the head. we need to engage the hands, the head, as well as the heart. learning involves language ; the language we use influences learning. we talk to ourselves as we learn. learning is a social activity : our learning is intimately associated with our connection with other human beings. it involves conversation, interaction with others, and the application of knowledge as an integral aspect of learning. learning is contextual : we do not learn isolated facts and theories in some abstract ethereal land of the mind separate from the rest of our lives : we learn in relationship to what else we know,


application of knowledge as an integral aspect of learning. learning is contextual : we do not learn isolated facts and theories in some abstract ethereal land of the mind separate from the rest of our lives : we learn in relationship to what else we know, what we believe, our prejudices, and our fears. we cannot divorce our learning from our lives. one needs knowledge to learn : it is not possible to assimilate new knowledge without having some structure developed from previous knowledge to build on. start where learner is. the more we know, the more we can learn. any effort to teach must be connected to the state of the learner must provide a path into the subject from the learner based on that learner ’ s previous knowledge. it takes time to learn : learning is not instantaneous. we need to revisit ideas, ponder them, try them out, play with them, and use them. what we learn is a product of repeated exposure and thought. insight can usually be traced back to longer periods of preparation. motivation is a key component in learning. unless we know the reason “ why, ” we may not be very involved in using the knowledge that may be instilled in us. no emotion, no attention ; no attention, no learning ; no intention, no retention!


this video is not intended to excuse the germans, but it does not hesitate to expose the victorious allies in their treatment of the enemy at the peace, for in most cases it was not the criminals who were raped, starved, tortured or bludgeoned to death but women, children and old men. what needs to be recognized here is the way that many people were allowed to exact revenge by military commanders, even by government ministers ; and that when they did so they often killed the innocent, not the guilty. it is true that some of the old men and a lot of the women had voted for hitler, but it should be recalled once again that he never achieved more than 37. 4 % of the vote in a free election, and in the last one he was down to 33. 1 %. this clearly indicates that even at his most popular, 62. 6 % of the german electorate were unmoved by adolf hitler ' s program. then why were the entire german people chastised and brutally punished in 1945 and later? some people are of the view that, given the wartime misdeeds of the nazis, some degree of vengeful violence against the defeated germans was inevitable and, perhaps, justified. a common response to reports of allied atrocities is to say that the germans “ deserved what they got. ” but however valid that argument might be, the appalling cruelties inflicted on the totally prostrate german people went far beyond any understandable retribution. during the last months of the war, the ancient german city of konigsberg in east prussia held out as a strongly defended urban fortress. after repeated attack and siege by the red army, it finally surrendered in early april 1945. soviet troops then ravished the civilian population. the people were beaten, robbed, killed and, if female, raped. the rape victims included nuns. even hospital patients were robbed of their possessions. bunkers and shelters, packed with terrified people huddling inside, were torched with flame - throwers. about 40, 000 of the city ’ s population were killed, or took their own lives to escape the horrors, and the remaining 73, 000 germans were brutally deported. the onslaught of rape by invading russian forces is, of course, infamous. in the russian zone of austria, rape was part of daily life until 1947 and many women were riddled with vd and had no means to cure it. conservative estimates place the number of berlin women raped at 20, 000. american soldiers were most instrumental in widespread sexual exploitation of starving women who


shale shocked : ‘ remarkable increase ’ in u. s. earthquakes ‘ almost certainly manmade, ’ usgs scientists report a u. s. geological survey ( usgs ) team has found that a sharp jump in earthquakes in america ’ s heartland appears to be linked to oil and natural gas drilling operations. as hydraulic fracturing has exploded onto the scene, it has increasingly been connected to earthquakes. some quakes may be caused by the original fracking — that is, by injecting a fluid mixture into the earth to release natural gas ( or oil ). more appear to be caused by reinjecting the resulting brine deep underground. last august, a usgs report examined a cluster of earthquakes in oklahoma and reported : our analysis showed that shortly after hydraulic fracturing began small earthquakes started occurring, and more than 50 were identified, of which 43 were large enough to be located. most of these earthquakes occurred within a 24 hour period after hydraulic fracturing operations had ceased. in november, a british shale gas developer found it was “ highly probable ” its fracturing operations caused minor quakes. then last month, ohio oil and gas regulators said “ a dozen earthquakes in northeastern ohio were almost certainly induced by injection of gas - drilling wastewater into the earth. ” now, in a paper to be deliver at the annual meeting of the seismological society of america, the usgs notes that “ a remarkable increase in the rate of [ magnitude 3. 0 ] and greater earthquakes is currently in progress ” in the u. s. midcontinent. the abstract is online. energywire reports ( subs. req ’ d ) some of the findings : the study found that the frequency of earthquakes started rising in 2001 across a broad swath of the country between alabama and montana. in 2009, there were 50 earthquakes greater than magnitude - 3. 0, the abstract states, then 87 quakes in 2010. the 134 earthquakes in the zone last year is a sixfold increase over 20th century levels. the surge in the last few years corresponds to a nationwide surge in shale drilling, which requires disposal of millions of gallons of wastewater for each well. according to the federal energy information administration, shale gas production grew, on average, nearly 50 percent a year from 2006 to 2010. i foresee a study in the near future, paid for by the oil industry, that concludes the increase in little earthquakes is actually serving to reduce the frequencies and magnitudes of large ones.


picture on [ ( h1, v1 ) ] [ - ( h2, v2 ) ] picture off [, picthandlevar & ] picture on statement initiates " picture recording " for the current output window. the picture off statement turns off picture recording. while picture recording is on, all drawing commands and text - display commands which are sent to the window are " recorded " in a special data structure called a picture. the internal format of a picture is identical to that of a resource of type " pict ". after picture recording is turned off, you can display or print the picture, or attach it to a picture field, or save it to disk ( as a " pict " resource or a " every picture has a frame, an imaginary rectangle which is stored as part of the picture ' s data structure. usually, but not always, the picture itself is contained within the frame. the frame is used as a reference to determine how the picture should be scaled and positioned when the picture is later displayed or printed. the picture recording is cropped to the recording window ' s clip region, which may or may not be the same as the frame rectangle. picture on statement, the ( h2, v2 ) parameters specify the upper - left and lower - right corners of a rectangle. if you specify both ( h2, v2 ), they define the picture ' s frame. otherwise, the frame is determined as follows : if you specify only ( h1, v1 ), it becomes the frame ' s upper - left corner ; the frame ' s lower - right corner is set to the current lower - right corner of the window. if you specify only ( h2, v2 ), the picture ' s frame is set to the rectangle ( 0, 0 ) - ( h2, v2 ). if you specify neither ( h2, v2 ), the picture ' s frame is set to the window ' s current rectangle. picture off statement, a handle to the recorded picture is returned in picthandlevar &, if it ' s specified. picthandlevar & must be a long - integer variable, or a handle variable. the value returned in picthandlevar & is the same as the value returned by the by default, drawing commands are not visible on the screen while they ' re being recorded. if you want the picture to be visible while you ' re recording it, you must call the toolbox procedure showpen after you start


the value returned by the by default, drawing commands are not visible on the screen while they ' re being recorded. if you want the picture to be visible while you ' re recording it, you must call the toolbox procedure showpen after you start recording. if you do this, showpen must be " balanced " by a call to the hidepen procedure, before you turn off picture recording. for example : call showpen ' show while recording ' [ execute drawing commands here ] call hidepen ' balance the call to showpen only one window can have picture - recording enabled at any given time ; you cannot " nest " picture on / picture off pairs. if you switch output windows while picture recording is on, any drawing commands sent to the new output window will not be recorded. you cannot " temporarily " turn off the recording of a picture. each call to picture off completes a picture, and each call to picture on starts a brand new picture. however, it is possible to effectively " append " one picture to another, by " inserting " an old picture inside a new one. for example : picture off, circlepict & ' " append " more drawing commands : picture on ' start a new picture picture, circlepict & ' this gets recorded in new pict box 20, 20 to 50, 50 picture off, picthandle & ' contains circle & box your program is responsible for releasing the memory occupied by pictures created with the picture on / picture off statements. use the kill picture statement to do this, once you ' re finished using the picture handle. drawing commands which plot icons are not recorded in pictures. picture function ; picture statement ; kill picture


drug addiction is scary when it lives in your home and takes over your family. assistance in recovery ( air ) is a national organization of counselors, professional intervention specialists, and consultants that provide fast and effective crisis management services through a proven protocol of education, action and healing. one simple phone call to air will put in place the proper resources to dissolve the crisis and put the family or organization and the drug addicted individual on a solid course of recovery. “ drug addiction is a result of brain changes that, over time, get translated into behavior changes, ” says the national institute for drug abuse director, alan leshner. it is the “ use of a drug or substance for a reason other than which it was intended or in a manner or in quantities other than directed. drug and alcohol dependence is a compulsion to take use substances to produce a desired effect or prevent unpleasant effects when they are withheld. risk factors for drug and alcohol abuse include : low self esteem, inability to deal with stress and emotional instability. ” if a person uses drugs or abuses alcohol at a high enough dose, frequently enough and for a long period of time, these substances change the way the brain functions. george koob, m. d., a professor of neuropharmacology at scripps research institute believes that addiction is linked to the brain ’ s pleasure - reward system. drug abuse and addiction reduce the brain ’ s ability to function normally. people who are addicted initially take a drug because it makes them feel good. over time they take it just to return to feeling “ normal. ” the essence of addiction is that a person has created an artificial state and after a while the system has become so compromised that they are taking the drug to return to a normal state. in effect, the addict spends most of his / her time just trying to feel normal. scientists and medical experts now consider the disease of drug addiction and alcoholism to be chronic and relapsing ; understanding why addicts and alcoholics are so prone to relapse is a major area of research. the phenomenon of craving can linger months or even years after an addict quits using. scientists have discovered evidence that craving may be partly a physiological phenomenon, related to the long - term changes in brain function that addiction causes. what are the differences between a drug user, a drug abuser, and a drug addict — or social drinkers vs. alcoholics? many people assume that addiction is simply an overuse of drugs, and that the drug addict is just a drug user who chooses to


between a drug user, a drug abuser, and a drug addict — or social drinkers vs. alcoholics? many people assume that addiction is simply an overuse of drugs, and that the drug addict is just a drug user who chooses to use or drink too much. but research has shown that addiction, unlike casual use, is no longer a matter of free choice. “ functionally you ’ ve moved into a different state, a state of compulsive drug use, ” says leshner. “ people have a lot of trouble understanding that addiction is not an issue of choice or will or morality. ” the national academy of sciences ’ institute of medicine, the american psychiatric association, and the american medical association all define this state of driven, compulsive use as the essence of addiction. someone who abuses drugs or alcohol may suffer negative consequences from using, as the addict does, but generally can and does stop when these consequences become too severe. the addict may be unable to stop, even after massive negative consequences, without medical and / or behavioral help. says steven hyman, m. d., director of the national institute of mental health, “ an alcoholic taking a drink looks like anyone else engaged in that behavior, but what ’ s happening in his or her head is different. ” what is the difference between someone who can dabble in illicit drugs without developing dependence or many negative consequences, and someone who becomes an addict? researchers believe that there is a great variability among individuals when it comes to their vulnerability to becoming addicted. “ the more stress, the more likely it is you will get addicted, ” says leshner. risk of addiction, however, is also driven by genetic, biological, environmental and social factors. help! i have a loved one that needs help with his or her drug addiction. learn more about our intervention services, or for more information on drug addiction - related crisis interventions, call our national call center at 800 - 561 - 8158. firshein, janet. excerpts from “ moyers on addiction, close to home. ” pbs online http : / / www. pbs. org / wnet / closetohome / home. html leshner, alan i. “ addiction is a brain disease. ” issues in science and technology, spring 2001. http : / / www. nap. edu / issues / 17. 3 / leshner. htm learn more about :


many of you will remember the predecessor of the suv as the family friendly station wagon. many of us grew up in the back of one! i remember going to the drive - in with my parents and falling asleep in the back of our station wagon in sleeping bags that my dad brought along for my sister and me. have you ever wondered where the term station wagon came from? well i did! back in the old west, wagon trains, stagecoaches and trains were the basic modes of transportation for the masses. trains were by far the most comfortable and first choice for people whenever possible. the city of denver was a mere " wide spot in the road " until the mighty locomotive starting bringing people to town by the thousands. there were train stations throughout the west. once passengers arrived at a local train station, they had to find a way to get their trunks and luggage to their respective hotel. as a courtesy, hotels would provide passenger buggy ' s with large cargo areas in the rear to carry their guests baggage. so, what you had was a passenger buggy with a wagon in the back for luggage. this wagon would make trips back and forth from the train station. thus, becoming known as the station wagon! with the invention of the horseless carriage ( now known as the car ) vehicles were built with a wagon in back to carry luggage ( or kids ) and the term station wagon remained intact. so... now you know!


national numismatic collection - introduction the national numismatic collection ( nnc ) of the smithsonian institution is one of the largest numismatic collections in the world and the largest in north america. with over 1. 6 millioin objects, the nnc contains many great rarities in coins and currency, from the earliest coins created 2, 700 years ago up to the latest innovations in electronic monetary exchange, as well as fascinating objects such as beads, wampum, dentalia, and other commodities once used as money. the collection emphasizes the development of money and medals in the united states. the core of the u. s. collection, consisting of more than 18, 000 items, including coins of great rarity, came to the smithsonian in 1923 from the united states mint. exceptional rarities include the brasher half doubloon, the 1849 double eagle ( first of the gold 20 dollar pieces ), and two 1877 fifty dollar patterns. other rarities are include the 1913 liberty head nickel as well as all three types of the 1804 dollar, and two of three known examples of the world ' s most valuable coin, the 1933 double eagle, the third of which recently sold for 7. 6 million dollars. learn more about the collection. below you will find a selection of over 350 objects from the collection. we are working to expand and improve online access to additional objects in the near future, so stay tuned.


as a nurse practitioner at the oxford adult care and weight loss center, kanina crosen sees alabama ' s obesity problem firsthand. to her, obesity is more than a condition that 30 percent of adult alabamians live with every day, according to centers for disease control and prevention. it is a disease. the american medical association, the largest physician group in the country, agrees, and officially recognized obesity as a disease monday during its annual meeting in chicago. but while the organization has no legal authority to dictate how obesity should be treated, some local health experts say the decision could spur physicians to more aggressively attack the problem and encourage insurers to offer more coverage for treatments and prevention. " i honestly do think it ' s a disease, " crosen said. " we try every possible angle to prevent it, the same way we might treat someone who has high blood pressure... it ' s a problem we ' re trying to prevent. " the ama, specifically its house of delegates, voted to categorize obesity as a disease during its annual meeting in chicago monday. the decision went against the conclusions of the association ' s council on science and public health, which studied the issue the past year. the council determined obesity was not a disease since the body mass index, the measure used to define obesity, is overly simplistic. statistics from the cdc show that obesity is a growing epidemic, with more than one - third of american adults being categorized as obese. about 17 percent of u. s. children are obese, the statistics show. the situation is particularly dire for alabama, which is among the three states with the highest rates of obesity for adults. obesity can lead to a variety of conditions, from diabetes to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. dr. lewis doggett of anniston pediatrics, who focuses on childhood obesity and is working to create a childhood obesity clinic for the area, said obesity has been treated like a disease for some time. " i think whether they call it that or not, we certainly treat it like it ' s a disease, " doggett said. " it ' s got obvious medical morbidity attached to it and there ' s definitely prevention efforts with it. " doggett said he hoped ama ' s decision will lead to more intervention and prevention of obesity among the medical community. at anniston pediatrics, doggett tells parents to feed their children five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, cut out sweets and sugary beverages and


' s decision will lead to more intervention and prevention of obesity among the medical community. at anniston pediatrics, doggett tells parents to feed their children five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, cut out sweets and sugary beverages and encourage them to engage in one hour of activity each day. crosen said she hoped the disease designation will encourage insurers to cover more treatments for obesity. " i hope insurance will cover more things like appetite suppressants, weight loss treatment and even gym memberships, " crosen said. crosen said prevention of obesity is the key to dealing with a host of other diseases that many americans have, such as diabetes. " you ' ve got to start at the root of the problem, " crosen said. dr. jeff terry, chairman of the alabama delegation to the ama and past president of the medical association of the state of alabama, said he was not sure what, if any, effect ama ' s decision will have on the medical community. " we want to acknowledge that obesity is a terrible problem affecting over 30 percent of our population, however, the council felt it did not meet the true definition of disease, " terry said. " this does not affect how we take care of obesity... it is not important as far as how physicians take care of the patient. " don williamson, alabama ’ s state health officer, who attended the ama meeting, said he had mixed feelings about the decision. " if it encourages insurance companies to cover preventive care, that ' s a positive development, " williamson said. however, he added that the disease label could encourage some people to take less responsibility for their own fitness. dr. timothy garvey, chairman of the department of nutrition sciences at the university of alabama at birmingham, said he considered obesity to be a disease with genetic, behavioral and environmental causes. " i very enthusiastically welcome this decision, " garvey said. garvey said the ama decision could accelerate changes in society ' s understanding about obesity, and he hopes it will improve coverage offered by insurers. garvey said insurers will cover bariatric surgery, a procedure involving the removal of a portion of the stomach to treat obesity, but not many lifestyle interventions like weight - loss programs. " we need to use all the weapons we have to treat this disease and it would help if insurers help cover prevention, " garvey said. staff writer patrick mccreless : 256 - 235 - 3561.


president barack obama has been making the rounds of college campuses, making much ado of some advice his republican opponent, mitt romney, has been dispensing to students concerned about paying for college. “ borrow from your parents, ” romney said at one event. shop around, he counseled at another. and to one student he cautioned : “ don ’ t expect the government to forgive the debt that you take on. ” nothing romney has said is wrong. parents with savings can be a great low - interest lending source. students and families do have to be realistic about the price tag of the schools they choose. but neither are romney ’ s prescriptions especially helpful. most families have figured out they need to hunt for bargains, scrounge for scholarships and still borrow money from the federal government or a private lender. obama has the advantage in this debate because he isn ’ t averse to proposing government help. he has initiated a tax credit for families paying tuition, an increase in pell grants and a program that caps monthly federal student loan repayments for some borrowers. student debt has entered the political fray because there is so much of it. its accumulated amount has topped $ 1 trillion, and stories abound of college graduates indentured by their loan payments. but not all college debt is created equal and not all of it is a trap. total student debt has mounted not so much because students are borrowing more than they did a decade ago, but because more people are going to college. despite the abject failure of state legislatures to uphold their commitments to public colleges and universities, the average debt of someone graduating from a four - year state school is $ 12, 300, according to the college board. ten years ago it was $ 10, 700. a graduate with the right major should be able to find work at a salary high enough to pay off that amount fairly expeditiously. and a college graduate is expected to earn $ 570, 000 more over the span of a working life than someone with only a high school diploma. the race to get into expensive private colleges has played a bigger role in driving up debt. the costs of attending some of these schools is bumping up against $ 60, 000 a year and the average debt after four years is $ 18, 300. a redeeming factor is that graduation rates at private schools are higher than at public colleges and universities, and a degree in hand increases the chances of getting a decent - paying job and whittling down debt. the biggest driver


18, 300. a redeeming factor is that graduation rates at private schools are higher than at public colleges and universities, and a degree in hand increases the chances of getting a decent - paying job and whittling down debt. the biggest driver of student debt is the for - profit sector. this galaxy of universities, career colleges and technical schools educates 12 percent of students who seek education beyond high school, but it accounts for 25 percent of federal student aid. 96 percent of for - profit students take out loans and more than half of those who graduate from a four - year for - profit college owe $ 30, 000 or more. for - profit colleges aggressively recruit students with few resources, offer them little in the way of financial aid and too often leave them with no leg up in the job market. don ’ t look to romney for reforms. he has promoted for - profit schools at a couple of campaign stops. obama ’ s administration has attempted to cut off federal grant money to for - profit schools whose students have poor records of repaying loans. its efforts have been watered down in congress and the courts. but any prescription for the student debt crisis has to start with reining in the for - profit sector. pressure from consumers and politicians may serve to slow down the rising cost of college some. but we won ’ t be returning to the good old days when a college degree sometimes cost less than the family car. practical advice, like what romney dispensed, is fine as far as it goes. he might want to add the wisdom of investing early in college savings accounts to his list of practical suggestions. but tough - love advice is no substitute for sound public policy. and on that front obama is


aros is a multitasking operating system. this essentially means that multiple programs may be run at the same time. every program running is called a task. but there are also tasks that are not user - programs. there are, for example, tasks handling the file - system and tasks watching the input devices. every task gets a certain amount of time, in which it is running. after this time it ' s the next task ' s turn ; the system reschedules the tasks. plain tasks are very limited in their capabilities. plain tasks must not call a function of dos. library or a function that could call a function of dos. library ( this includes openlibrary ( ) for most cases! ). processes don ' t have this limitation. a task is described by a struct task as defined in exec / tasks. h. this structure contains information about the task like the its stack, its signals and some management data. to get the address of a task structure, struct task * findtask ( strptr name ) ; the name is a pointer to the name of the task to find. note that this name is case - sensitive! if the named task is not found, null is returned, otherwise a pointer to a struct task is returned. to get a pointer to the current task, supply null as name. this can the task structure contains a field called tc _ userdata. you can use this for your own purposes. it ' s ignored by aros. a task must be in one of following states ( as set in the field tc _ state of the task structure ) : - this state should never be set! - the task is currently running. on single processor architectures, only one task can be in that state. - the task is waiting for its activation. - the task is waiting on some.. fixme : signal. as long as this does not occur, the program doesn ' t become active ; it is ignored on rescheduling. most interactive programs are in this state most of the time, as they wait for user input. - the task is in an exception. do not set these states yourself, unless you know exactly what you are the field tc _ node. ln _ pri of the struct node embedded in the task structure ( see exec / nodes. h and the.. fixme : : section about exec lists specifies the priority of the task. possible priorities reach from - 128 to 127. the


pri of the struct node embedded in the task structure ( see exec / nodes. h and the.. fixme : : section about exec lists specifies the priority of the task. possible priorities reach from - 128 to 127. the higher the priority the more processor time the task gets from the system. to set a task ' s priority use the function : byte settaskpri ( struct task * task, byte newpri ) ; the old priority is returned. every task has a stack. a stack is a piece of memory in which a tasks stores its temporary data. compilers, for example, use the stack to store variables, you use in your programs. on many architectures, the stack is also used to supply library functions with parameters. the size of the stack is limited. therefore only a certain amount of data can be stored in the stack. the stack - size of a task is chosen by its caller and must be at least 4096 bytes. tasks should generally not assume that their stack - size is bigger. so, if a task needs more stack, the stack can be exchanged by using the function : void stackswap ( struct stackswapstruct * sss ) ; the only argument, sss, is a pointer to a struct stackswapstruct as defined in exec / tasks. h. struct stackswapstack must contain a pointer to the beginning of the new stack ( strk _ lower ), to the end of the new stack ( stk _ upper ) and a new stack - pointer ( stk _ pointer ). this stack - pointer is normally set either to the same address as stk _ lower or to the same address as stk _ upper, depending on the kind of cpu used. when calling stackswap ( ), the stackswapstruct structure supplied as sss will be filled with information about the current stack. after finishing using the new stack, the old stack must be restored by calling stackswap ( ) a second time with the same stackswapstruct. normally, only compilers need this function. handle it with great care as different architectures use the stack in different ways! a process is an expanded task. different from a task, it can use functions of dos. library, because a process structure contains some special fields, concerning files and directories. but of course, all functions that can be used on tasks can also be used on processes. a process is described


a task, it can use functions of dos. library, because a process structure contains some special fields, concerning files and directories. but of course, all functions that can be used on tasks can also be used on processes. a process is described by a struct process as defined in dos / dosextens. h. the first field in struct process is an embedded struct task. the extra fields include information about the file - system, the console, the process is connected to, and miscellaneous other stuff. most functions of dos. library set the secondary error - code of the process structure on error. this way the caller can determine, why a certain system - call failed. imagine, the function open ( ), which opens a named file, fails. there can be multiple reasons for this : maybe the file named doesn ' t exist, maybe it is read protected. to find this out, you can query the secondary error - code set by the last function by using : dos - functions return one of the error _ definitions from dos / dos. h. applications can, of course, process these error - codes as well ( which is useful in many cases ), but often we just want to inform the user what went wrong. ( applications normally need not care if a file could not be opened because it did not exist or because it was read protected. ) to output human - readable error messages, dos. library provides two functions : long fault ( long code, strptr header, strptr buffer, long length ) ; bool printfault ( long code, strptr header ) ; while printfault ( ) simply prints an error message to the standard output, fault ( ) fills a supplied buffer with the message. both functions take a code argument. this is the code to be converted into a string. you can also supply a header string, which will prefix the error message. the header may be null, in which case nothing is prefixed. fault ( ) also required a pointer to a buffer, which is to be filled with the converted string. the length of this buffer ( in bytes ) is to be passed in as the last argument. the total number of characters put into the buffer is returned. you are on the safe side, if your buffer has a size of 83 character plus the size of the header. examples for the use of these functions can be found in later chapters, especially in the chapter about.. fixme : : files and directories. secondary error


biologists at san francisco state university are tagging radio trackers onto zombie - like bees infected with a fly parasite to find out more about species population decline. bees that are infected with the apocephalus borealis fly abandon their hives and congregate near outside lights, moving in erratic circles on the ground before dying. this parasitic infection was discovered last year by sf state biology professor john hafernik and described in a plos one paper. hafernik and his colleagues are trying to find out how much of a threat the emerging fly parasite might be to the health of honey bee colonies, or if the parasite is linked to the colony collapse disorder that has devastated bee populations in the united states and europe. the team is tagging infected bees ' thoraxes with transmitters the size of " a fleck of glitter " and then monitoring their movements in and out of a hive on the biology building. laser readers at the entrance to the hives interact with individual trackers. they are also monitoring other hives nearby to check for signs of the parasite. they are inviting members of the public to get involved through the zombeewatch website. visitors can upload photos of suspected infected bees to help track the spread of the parasite. it ' s important to monitor the comings and goings of bees to understand the progression of the parasitic infection, particularly how long it takes for affected bees to abandon the hive. the original paper found bees disoriented and dying at night, but researchers are keen to find out whether the infected bees only leave the hives to fly in the dark. christopher quock, an san francisco state graduate biology student, said : " hopefully in the long run this information might help us understand how much of a health concern these flies are for the bees, and if they truly do impede their foraging behavior. we also want to know whether there are any weak links in the chain of interactions between these flies and honey bees that we could exploit to control the spread of this parasite. " the team also wants to study how the infected bees are treated by uninfected bees. are they expelled from the hive? or treated with aggression by other workers? biology professor andrew zink explained : " if enough of the parasitized bees do the wrong ' waggle ' dances to send unparasitized foragers off in the wrong directions for food, or distract unparasitized foragers through antagonistic interactions, the hive ' s productivity could falter. "


- published : 13 jan 2013 - views : 28 - author : infogarden with so much information in how to, i started my garden and ill keep you updated in what works or not. in to days episode how to make your own mulch! and a q... a christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer such as pine or fir, traditionally associated with the celebration of christmas. an artificial christmas tree is an object made to resemble such a tree, usually made from polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ). the tree was traditionally decorated with edibles such as apples, nuts or dates. in the 18th century, it began to be illuminated by candles, which with electrification could also be replaced by christmas lights. today, there is a wide variety of traditional ornaments, such as garland, tinsel, and candy canes. an angel or star may be placed at the top of the tree, to represent the host of angels or the star of bethlehem from the nativity. the custom of the christmas tree developed in early modern germany with predecessors that can be traced to the 16th and possibly the 15th century. it acquired popularity beyond germany during the second half of the 19th century. the christmas tree has also been known as the " yule - tree ", especially in discussions of its folkloristic origins. while it is clear that the christmas tree originates in renaissance and early modern germany, there are a number of speculative theories as to its ultimate origin. its 16th - century origins are sometimes associated with martin luther. alternatively, it is identified with the " tree of paradise " of medieval mystery plays that were given on 24 december, the commemoration and name day of adam and eve in various countries. in such plays, a tree decorated with apples ( to represent the forbidden fruit ) and wafers ( to represent the eucharist and redemption ) was used as a setting for the play. like the christmas crib, the paradise tree was later placed in homes. the apples were replaced by round objects such as shiny red balls. the first evidence of decorated trees associated with christmas day are trees in guild halls decorated with sweets to be enjoyed by the apprentices and children. in livonia ( present day latvia and estonia ), in 1441, 1442, 1510 and 1514, the brotherhood of blackheads erected a tree for the holidays [ clarification needed ] in their guild houses in reval ( now tallinn ) and riga. on the last night of the celebrations leading up to the holidays, [ clarification


to vienna in 1816, and the custom spread across austria in the following years. in france, the first christmas tree was introduced in 1840 by the duchesse d ' orleans. in denmark a danish newspaper claims that the first attested christmas tree was lit in 1808 by countess wilhemine of holsteinborg. it was the aging countess who told the story of the first danish christmas tree to the danish writer hans christian andersen in 1865. he had published a fairy - tale called the fir - tree in 1844, recounting the fate of a fir - tree being used as a christmas tree. in britain, the christmas tree was introduced in the time of the personal union with hanover, by george iii ' s queen charlotte of mecklenburg - strelitz in early 19th century, but the custom hadn ' t yet spread much beyond the royal family. queen victoria as a child was familiar with the custom and a tree was placed in her room every christmas. in her journal for christmas eve 1832, the delighted 13 - year - old princess wrote, " after dinner … we then went into the drawing - room near the dining - room … there were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. all the presents being placed round the trees … " after her marriage to her german cousin prince albert, by 1841 the custom became even more widespread throughout britain. in 1847, prince albert wrote : " i must now seek in the children an echo of what ernest [ his brother ] and i were in the old time, of what we felt and thought ; and their delight in the christmas - trees is not less than ours used to be ". the tradition was introduced to canada in the winter of 1781 by brunswick soldiers stationed in the province of quebec to garrison the colony against american attack. general friedrich adolf riedesel and his wife, the baroness von riedesel, held a christmas party at sorel, delighting their guests with a fir tree decorated with candles and fruits. a woodcut of the british royal family with their christmas tree at windsor castle, initially published in the illustrated london news december 1848, was copied in the united states at christmas 1850, in godey ' s lady ' s book. godey ' s copied it exactly, except for the removal of the queen ' s tiara and prince albert ' s mustache, to remake the engraving into an american scene. the republished godey ' s image became the first widely circulated picture of a decorated evergreen christmas tree in america. art historian karal ann marling called prince albert and


life of the virginia tidewater, minnigerode introduced the german custom of decorating an evergreen tree at christmas at the home of law professor st. george tucker, thereby becoming another of many influences that prompted americans to adopt the practice at about that time. the lyrics sung in the united states to the german tune o tannenbaum begin " o christmas tree ", giving rise to the mistaken idea that the german word " tannenbaum " ( fir tree ) means " christmas tree ", the german word for which is instead " weihnachtsbaum ". | | this section may require cleanup to meet wikipedia ' s quality standards. no cleanup reason has been specified. please help improve this section if you can ; the talk page may contain suggestions. ( january 2012 ) | in russia, the christmas tree was banned shortly after the october revolution but then reinstated as a new - year fir - tree ( новогодняя елка ) in 1935. it became a fully secular icon of the new year holiday, for example, the crowning star was regarded not as a symbol of bethlehem star, but as the red star. decorations, such as figurines of airplanes, bicycles, space rockets, cosmonauts, and characters of russian fairy tales, were produced. this tradition persists after the fall of the ussr, with the new year holiday outweighing the christmas ( 7 january ) for a wide majority of russian people. the tv special a charlie brown christmas ( 1965 ) was influential on the pop culture surrounding the christmas tree. aluminum christmas trees were popular during the early 1960s in the us. they were satirized in the charlie brown show and came to be seen as symbolizing the commercialization of christmas. the term charlie brown christmas tree, describing any poor - looking or malformed little tree, also derives from the 1965 tv special, based on the appearance of charlie brown ' s christmas tree. an unsheared christmas tree from 1951, in a home in new york state. a soviet - era ( 1960s ) new year tree decoration depicting a cosmonaut a makeshift cardboard christmas tree in kabul, afghanistan ( 2010 ) a " globalized " christmas tree in hong kong ( kelly chen 2010 ) since the early 20th century, it has become common in many cities, towns, and department stores to put up public christmas trees outdoors, such as the rich ' s great tree in atlanta ( since 1948 ), the rockefeller center christmas tree in new york city, and the large christmas tree at victoria


common in many cities, towns, and department stores to put up public christmas trees outdoors, such as the rich ' s great tree in atlanta ( since 1948 ), the rockefeller center christmas tree in new york city, and the large christmas tree at victoria square in adelaide. the united states ' national christmas tree has been lit each year since 1923 on the south lawn of the white house. today, [ clarification needed ] the lighting of the national christmas tree is part of what has become a major holiday event at the white house. president jimmy carter lit only the crowning star atop the tree in 1979 in honour of the americans being held hostage in iran. the same was true in 1980, except that the tree was fully lit for 417 seconds, one second for each day the hostages had been in captivity. during most of the 1970s and 1980s, the largest decorated christmas tree in the world was put up every year on the property of the national enquirer in lantana, florida. this tradition grew into one of the most spectacular and celebrated events in the history of southern florida, but was discontinued on the death of the paper ' s founder in the late 1980s. in some cities, a festival of trees is organized around the decoration and display of multiple trees as charity events. in some cases the trees represent special commemorative gifts, such as in trafalgar square in london, where the city of oslo, norway presents a tree to the people of london as a token of appreciation for the british support of norwegian resistance during the second world war ; in boston, where the tree is a gift from the province of nova scotia, in thanks for rapid deployment of supplies and rescuers to the 1917 ammunition ship explosion that levelled the city of halifax ; and in newcastle upon tyne, where the main civic christmas tree is an annual gift from the city of bergen, norway, in thanks for the part played by soldiers from newcastle in liberating bergen from nazi occupation. norway also annually gifts a christmas tree to washington d. c. as a symbol of friendship between norway and the us and as an expression of gratitude from norway for the help received from the us during world war ii. view of the christmas tree in madison square park in new york city ( circa 1910 ) the monumental arvore de natal milennium bcp / sic at the praca do comercio in lisbon ( 2006 ), at 75 metres the tallest christmas tree in europe. christmas tree in st peter ' s square, vatican city in 2007 christmas lights near kryvyy ri


stand, while a skirt is placed over it, having a hole in the middle for the trunk, with a slot cut to the outside edge so that it can be placed around the tree ( beneath the branches ) easily. a plain mat of fabric or plastic may also be placed under the stand and skirt to protect the floor from scratches or water. a christmas tree stand is an object designed to support a cut, natural christmas tree or an artificial christmas tree. christmas tree stands appeared as early as 1876 and have had various designs over the years. those stands designed for natural trees have a water reservoir to hydrate the live tree. artificial christmas trees usually have a plastic or metal stand, with 3 legs shaping like a y. in the 1940s and 1950s flocking was very popular on the west coast of the united states. there were home flocking kits that could be used with vacuum cleaners. in the 1980s some trees were sprayed with fluffy white flocking to simulate snow. typically it would be sprayed all over the tree from the sides, which produced a look different from real snow, which settles in clumps atop branches. flocking can be done with a professional sprayer at a tree lot ( or an artificial tree ' s manufacturer ), or at home from a spray can. this tradition seems to be most popular on the west coast and southern parts of the united states. because flock contains flame retardants, a flocked tree can be placed in a public building in accordance with local fire codes. in the late 1800s and, most probably, long before, home - made white christmas trees were made by wrapping strips of cotton batting around leafless branches creating the appearance of a snow - laden tree. this family tradition eliminated killing and care of a live tree and needle drop in the house while providing a beautiful way of displaying ornaments. after christmas, the cotton batting was unwrapped and stored with the christmas presents and the branches were burnt or discarded. it is thought these home - made white trees at least, in part, inspired flocking popularized by hollywood films in the late 1930s. each year, 33 to 36 million christmas trees are produced in america, and 50 to 60 million are produced in europe. in 1998, there were about 15, 000 growers in america ( a third of them " choose and cut " farms ). in that same year, it was estimated that americans spent $ 1. 5 billion on christmas trees. the most commonly used species are fir ( abies ), which have the benefit of not shedding their


them " choose and cut " farms ). in that same year, it was estimated that americans spent $ 1. 5 billion on christmas trees. the most commonly used species are fir ( abies ), which have the benefit of not shedding their needles when they dry out, as well as retaining good foliage colour and scent ; but species in other genera are also used. in northern europe most commonly used are : several other species are used to a lesser extent. less - traditional conifers are sometimes used, such as giant sequoia, leyland cypress, monterey cypress and eastern juniper. various types of spruce tree are also used for christmas trees ( including the blue spruce and, less commonly, the white spruce ) ; but spruces ( unlike firs ) begin to lose their needles rapidly upon being cut, and spruce needles are often sharp, making decorating uncomfortable. virginia pine is still available on some tree farms in the southeastern united states, however its winter colour is faded. the long - needled eastern white pine is also used there, though it is an unpopular christmas tree in most parts of the country, owing also to its faded winter coloration and limp branches, making decorating difficult with all but the lightest ornaments. norfolk island pine is sometimes used, particularly in oceania, and in australia, some species of the genera casuarina and allocasuarina are also occasionally used as christmas trees. but, by far, the most common tree is the monterey pine. adenanthos sericeus or albany woolly bush is commonly sold in southern australia as a potted living christmas tree. hemlock species are generally considered unsuitable as christmas trees due to their poor needle retention and inability to support the weight of lights and ornaments. some trees, frequently referred to as " living christmas trees ", are sold live with roots and soil, often from a nursery, to be stored at nurseries in planters or planted later outdoors and enjoyed ( and often decorated ) for years or decades. others are produced in a container and sometimes as topiary for a porch or patio. however, when done improperly, the combination of root loss caused by digging, and the indoor environment of high temperature and low humidity is very detrimental to the tree ' s health ; additionally, the warmth of an indoor climate will bring the tree out of its natural winter dormancy, leaving it little protection when put back outside into a cold outdoor climate. often christmas trees are a large attraction for living animals, including mice and spiders. thus, the survival rate of these trees


will bring the tree out of its natural winter dormancy, leaving it little protection when put back outside into a cold outdoor climate. often christmas trees are a large attraction for living animals, including mice and spiders. thus, the survival rate of these trees is low. however when done properly, replanting provides higher survival rates. european tradition prefers the open aspect of naturally - grown, unsheared trees, while in north america ( outside western areas where trees are often wild - harvested on public lands ) there is a preference for close - sheared trees with denser foliage, but less space to hang decorations. in the past, christmas trees were often harvested from wild forests, but now almost all are commercially grown on tree farms. almost all christmas trees in the united states are grown on christmas tree farms where they are cut after about ten years of growth and new trees planted. according to the united states department of agriculture ' agriculture census for 2002, 21, 904 farms were producing conifers for the cut christmas tree market in america, 180, 897 hectares ( 447, 006 acres ) were planted in christmas trees, and 13, 849 farms harvested cut trees. the life cycle of a christmas tree from the seed to a 2 - metre ( 7 ft ) tree takes, depending on species and treatment in cultivation, between 8 and 12 years. first, the seed is extracted from cones harvested from older trees. these seeds are then usually grown in nurseries and then sold to christmas tree farms at an age of 3 – 4 years. the remaining development of the tree greatly depends on the climate, soil quality, as well as the cultivation and tendance by the christmas tree farmer. the first artificial christmas trees were developed in germany during the 19th century, though earlier examples exist. these " trees " were made using goose feathers that were dyed green. the german feather trees were one response by germans to continued deforestation in germany. feather christmas trees ranged widely in size, from a small 2 - inch ( 51 mm ) tree to a large 98 - inch ( 2, 500 mm ) tree sold in department stores during the 1920s. often, the tree branches were tipped with artificial red berries which acted as candle holders. over the years, other styles of artificial christmas trees have evolved and become popular. in 1930, the u. s. - based addis brush company created the first artificial christmas tree made from brush bristles. another type of artificial tree is the aluminum christmas tree. the trees were manufactured in the united states, first in


popular. in 1930, the u. s. - based addis brush company created the first artificial christmas tree made from brush bristles. another type of artificial tree is the aluminum christmas tree. the trees were manufactured in the united states, first in chicago in 1958, and later in manitowoc, wisconsin, where the majority of the trees were produced. most modern artificial christmas trees are made from plastic recycled from used packaging materials, such as polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) or other plastics. approximately 10 % of artificial christmas trees are using virgin suspension pvc resin ; despite being plastic most artificial trees are not recyclable or biodegradable. other gimmicks have developed as well. fiber optic christmas trees come in two major varieties ; one resembles a traditional christmas tree. one dallas - based company offers " holographic mylar " trees in many hues. tree - shaped objects made from such materials as cardboard, glass, ceramic or other materials can be found in use as tabletop decorations. upside - down artificial christmas trees became popular for a short time and were originally introduced as a marketing gimmick ; they allowed consumers to get closer to ornaments for sale in retail stores and opened up floor space for more products. artificial trees became increasingly popular during the late 20th century. users of artificial christmas trees assert that they are more convenient, and, because they are reusable, much cheaper than their natural alternative. they are also considered much safer as natural trees can be a significant fire hazard. between 2001 and 2007 artificial christmas tree sales in the u. s. jumped from 7. 3 million to 17. 4 million. the debate about the environmental impact of artificial trees is ongoing. generally, natural tree growers contend that artificial trees are more environmentally harmful than their natural counterparts. however, trade groups such as the american christmas tree association, continue to refute that artificial trees are more harmful to the environment, and maintain that the pvc used in christmas trees has excellent recyclable properties. live trees are typically grown as a crop and replanted in rotation after cutting, often providing suitable habitat for wildlife. in some cases management of christmas tree crops can result in poor habitat since it sometimes involves heavy input of pesticides. concerns have been raised about people cutting down old and rare conifers, such as the keteleeria evelyniana, for christmas trees. real or cut trees are used only for a short time, but can be recycled and used as mulch or used to prevent erosion. real


down old and rare conifers, such as the keteleeria evelyniana, for christmas trees. real or cut trees are used only for a short time, but can be recycled and used as mulch or used to prevent erosion. real trees are carbon - neutral, they emit no more carbon dioxide by being cut down and disposed of than they absorb while growing. an independent life - cycle assessment study, conducted by a firm of experts in sustainable development, states that a natural tree will generate 3. 1 kg of greenhouse gases every year ( based on purchasing 5 km from home ) whereas the artificial tree will produce 48. 3 kg over its lifetime. some people use living christmas or potted trees for several seasons, providing a longer life cycle for each tree. living christmas trees can be purchased or rented from local market growers. rentals are picked up after the holidays, while purchased trees can be planted by the owner after use or donated to local tree adoption or urban reforestation services. most artificial trees are made of recycled pvc rigid sheets using tin stabilizer in the recent years. in the past, lead was often used as a stabilizer in pvc, but is now banned by chinese laws. the use of lead stabilizer in chinese imported trees has been an issue of concern among politicians and scientists over recent years. a 2004 study found that while in general artificial trees pose little health risk from lead contamination, there do exist " worst - case scenarios " where major health risks to young children exist. a 2008 u. s. environmental protection agency report found that as the pvc in artificial christmas trees aged it began to degrade. the report determined that of the 50 million artificial trees in the united states approximately 20 million were 9 or more years old, the point where dangerous lead contamination levels are reached. a professional study on the life - cycle assessment of both real and artificial christmas trees revealed that one must use an artificial christmas tree at least during 20 years to leave an environmental footprint as small as the natural christmas tree. a small amount of real - tree material is used in some artificial trees. for instance, the bark of a real tree can be used to surface an artificial trunk. the christmas tree ' s origins are secular, but it is associated with the celebration of the christmas holidays, so there has been some amount of debate as to whether it should be considered a secular or a religious custom. [ clarification needed ] pope john paul ii introduced the christmas tree custom to the vatican in 1982. although at first disapp


, so there has been some amount of debate as to whether it should be considered a secular or a religious custom. [ clarification needed ] pope john paul ii introduced the christmas tree custom to the vatican in 1982. although at first disapproved of by some as out of place at the centre of the roman catholic church, the christmas tree has become an integral part of the vatican christmas celebrations, and in 2005 pope benedict xvi spoke of it as part of the normal christmas decorations in catholic homes. in 2004, pope john paul called the christmas tree a symbol of christ. this very ancient custom, he said, exalts the value of life, as in winter what is evergreen becomes a sign of undying life, and it reminds christians of the " tree of life " of genesis 2 : 9, an image of christ, the supreme gift of god to humanity. in the previous year he said : " beside the crib, the christmas tree, with its twinkling lights, reminds us that with the birth of jesus the tree of life has blossomed anew in the desert of humanity. the crib and the tree : precious symbols, which hand down in time the true meaning of christmas. " the catholic church ' s official book of blessings has a service for the blessing of the christmas tree in a home. in 2005, the seattle - tacoma international airport removed all of its christmas trees in the middle of the night rather than allow a rabbi to put up a menorah near the largest tree display. officials feared that one display would open the door for other religious displays, and, in 2006, they opted to display a grove of birches in polyethylene terephthalate snow rather than religious symbols or christmas trees. in 2005, the city of boston renamed the spruce tree used to decorate the boston common a " holiday tree " rather than a " christmas tree ". the name change drew a poor response from the public and it was reversed after the city was threatened with several lawsuits. | wikimedia commons has media related to : christmas tree | | wikisource has the text of the 1913 catholic encyclopedia article christmas. | the world news ( wn ) network, has created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to user privacy. the following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for wn. com, as well as e - mail newsletters. we do not collect personally identifiable information about you, except when you provide it to us. for example, if you submit an


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new delhi : a new report suggests that 175 million children will be affected every year by frequent natural disasters caused due to climate change. painting a grim future, a report by child rights ngo save the children said climate change was the biggest global health threat to children that could increase risk of deaths due to diarrhoea, malnutrition, malaria and other diseases because of reduced community access to clean water, nutritious food and hygienic surroundings. the report — ' feeling the heat : child survival in a changing climate ' — links access to basic facilities with climate change. it said that 2 million children under 5 years of age die each year in india. pointing out that this was the highest number anywhere in the world, the report said children were dying from a small number of preventable diseases, such as diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia. " climate change will make these conditions worse, placing children at greater risk, because it will reduce poor communities ' access to clean water, reduce their ability to grow nutritious food, increase food prices and allow malaria mosquitoes to spread, " the report said. the average number of natural disasters has increased from 200 a year to more than 400, and this is predicted to increase by as much as 320 % in the next 20 years. the report said climate change disasters would also continue to increase malnutrition and certain diseases that often kill children. it estimated that malnutrition, which affects 178 million worldwide and is associated with up to 3. 2 million child deaths each year, would affect 25 million more children by 2050. already, one - third of all malnourished children live in india. calling for world leaders to sign a deal at copenhagen, save the children ceo thomas chandy said, " climate change has put india at risk of not meeting the millennium development goals, and even taking several steps backwards from what has been accomplished to date. children, who are not responsible for climate change, will be the ones who are hardest hit. " the report added that india lagged behind in its commitment to reducing under 5 mortality by 2015. given present trends, india will not meet mdg 4 until 2020, five years after the promised date. " we fear that any progress india makes in reducing child mortality will be further slowed down by the effects of climate change, " chandy said.


the impulse to save and conserve artwork – particularly older art - might seem beyond question ( witness worldwide outrage of the taliban ’ s destruction of art [ artsjournal. com ] ). yet art conservation has increasingly become a set of interlocking paradoxes, unanticipated consequences, and counter - intuitive procedures that defy easy understanding or simple defense. unpleasant surprises and occasionally acrimonious disputes like these provide public glimpses of the state of mind of a discipline whose self - examination just now is wide, deep, and intense. at the risk of gross oversimplification, that self - examination centers on two major issues. - is it fair to say that leonardo ’ s last supper still exists after an expensive 20 - year restoration? the images are still so faded out [ u of chicago press ] and the dim conditions under which they can be seen in person so uncomfortable, that the painting scarcely resembles what leonardo must have intended. - after the louvre restored a prominent painting by veronese last year, an expert despaired [ the times ( london ) ] at what had been done : " clothes that were originally red were now green. the whole spatial and wonderful chromatic harmony is distorted. when you look at the painting... black, red and blue colors seem to be floating among other colors like pieces of a broken puzzle. the light is now a cold, artificial, modern one. " - india ' s ajanta paintings, which easily rank among the world ’ s most precious heritage sites, are being restored [ the art newspaper ]. but a leading expert warns that " the cleaning methods employed at the caves and the level of skills of the workers engaged in the cleaning have seriously damaged the ajanta paintings and led to a demonstrable loss of pigment. " - when the vatican ' s st. peter ' s got a facelift two years ago, restoring some original color to the facade, critics decried the job as a post - modern hash, born out of a “ desire to transform everything into a movie set. " - last year a minor scandal of sorts erupted at the british museum when it was revealed [ the art newspaper ] that when the museum ’ s experts cleaned the elgin marbles back in the 1930s they irreparably damaged them. 1. quality of conservation among the matters that conservators disagree about is who should be regarded as a conservator in the first place [ the telegraph ]. in italy, despite a decades - old law to the contrary, “ any


1. quality of conservation among the matters that conservators disagree about is who should be regarded as a conservator in the first place [ the telegraph ]. in italy, despite a decades - old law to the contrary, “ any italian citizen can be registered as a restorer, and get working on ‘ improving ’ a supreme work of art — whether he or she has had any training or not, ” according to distinguished ( and distressed ) art historian and restorer bruno zanardi. the result : italy, with the world ’ s greatest concentration of master works in need of conservation and with a comparably large pool of conservation expertise, is a scene of conservation chaos. but disagreement scarcely stops at the question of credentials and qualifications. when five conservators met for a conversation [ getty conservation newsletter ] about surface cleaning sponsored by the getty conservation institute, the results were revealing. what counts as best practice in old masters painting conservation may not be so regarded in antiquities conservation. similarly, a conservator of fine furniture may draw the line between restoration and preservation very differently than do his colleagues either in antiquities or in painting. ( getty conservation institute newsletter ). the layman may assume that in a painting soil is the top layer, shellac or varnish the middle layer ( s ), and paint the bottom layer ( s ), but scientific cross - section studies by richard wolbers show clear and sobering layer - to - layer vertical migration [ getty ]. it might not be possible, then, to remove the shellac without removing some of the paint. furthermore, though dirt may have no rights, shellac does. the older the work, the more art - historical information is to be recovered from whatever may have been applied to its surface in the past. patinas and glazes have a story to tell, in short, and paintings that show signs of conservation are less valuable, other things equal, than those that show none. the research science of conservation clearly complicates rather than simplifies the lives of working conservators. research chemists told a meeting ananova ] of the american chemical society that the solvents which many collectors and curators use to clean paintings often damage the paint, first softening and deforming it, then — when the solvent dries — rendering it more brittle and fragile. the chemists proposed using sophisticated computer models to predict paint behavior under cleaning. but how many museums can afford computer modeling, and where does this


of the scrovegni chapel, she reports “ talk of erecting a facsimile of the chapel and the frescoes — rather like the faux version of the cave paintings at lascaux — that tourists could visit in lieu of the real thing. but why would anyone want to? wouldn ’ t most people prefer just to stay home [ the atlantic ] and contemplate, at their leisure, reproductions of the frescoes in an art book or on a computer screen? ” good question. but what serious art lover would suggest that a poster or book or computer - screen representation of a work of art compares to experiencing the original? just how many tourists would visit a full - size scrovegni chapel facsimile remains to be seen. perhaps a great many would. theme park operators such as disney have made billions proving there is a vast audience for places that are supposed to be other places. such recreations, architecture critic ada louise huxtable has pointed out, often seek to recreate an experience that probably never existed – instead substituting our imaginings of what an idealized place or thing might have been. worse, the theme - park mentality as applied to conservation can be downright dangerous. “ restoration ” of sites such as ephesus in turkey, old samarkand, and now old bukhara [ cnn ] risks turning them into little more than walkabout fantasies for the tourist trade, in the process destroying the historical ( as distinct from artistic ) value of what was originally there. a more contemporary example is the perpetually cash - strapped barnes collection outside philadelphia. one proposal to revive the barnes ’ fortunes is to recreate it downtown in a more tourist - friendly location. that, it has been pointed out, [ philadelphia inquirer ] might be good for the bottom line, but the distinctive experience of the barnes as directed by its founder would most certainly be lost. on the other hand, the case for facsimiles may be strong for books and precious manuscripts. while the technology for the preservation of, for example, j. s. bach autographs is progressing dramatically [ cnn ], so is digital photography that can sometimes “ see ” more than the naked eye can. cd - rom facsimiles provide, on the one hand, a uniquely private and functional experience of rare books or manuscripts and, on the other, minimize damage to fragile works that, uniquely, cannot be seen without being touched. paradoxically, however, the very iconization of original objects, monuments and buildings which


welcome to the may 2007 episode of blueshift, from nasa goddard space flight center. we ’ ll discuss our search for earth - like planets outside of our own solar system. we ’ ll also look into gamma ray bursts, and how the swift satellite team is working to solve their mysteries. this episode includes a brain teaser and mailbag question. - introduction ( 0 : 00 – 1 : 20 ) - brain teaser ( 1 : 21 – 2 : 12 ) - interview : jennifer wiseman and the search for other worlds ( 2 : 13 – 8 : 11 ) we ’ re finding new planets almost every day – find out what ’ s out there and how we ’ re finding them. - featured story : solving the puzzles of gamma - ray bursts ( 8 : 12 – 14 : 26 ) these mysterious events have had scientists asking questions for years, but now we have some answers. - mailbag : what kind of rays are cosmic rays? ( 14 : 27 – 17 : 40 ) get the facts on these fast - moving particles … and old movies. - james webb space telescope story update ( 17 : 41 – 18 : 17 ) new information about the story featured in episode 1. - brain teaser – answer ( 18 : 18 – 19 : 06 ) - closing ( 19 : 07 – 20 : 00 ) the search for other worlds in our interview with jennifer wiseman, we heard about the technology and methods behind the discovery of other planets outside of our solar system. for more information about these discoveries, visit : - planetquest : the search for another earth - california & carnegie planet search project - press release : astronomers find first earth - like planet in habitable zone ( april 25, 2007 ) solving the puzzles of gamma - ray bursts the swift satellite is regularly detecting gamma - ray bursts all over the universe, powerful events of great interest to astronomers. to find out more about swift and gamma - ray bursts, take a look at these sites : - nasa ’ s swift mission - press release : gamma - ray burst challenges theory ( march 10, 2007 ) - press release : gamma - ray bursts active longer than thought ( may 22, 2007 ) | trivia master | | louis barbier | | interview with jennifer wiseman | | anita krishnamurthi | | featured story | | ilana harrus | | theme music | | naked singularity | | other music | | outta scope | | executive producer | | anita krishnamurthi | | responsible nasa official | | kim weaver | no comments yet.


there seems to be an amount about mamluk heraldry, from egypt after the overthrow of the fatimids by salah al - din. dr murray eiland wrote this website on islamic heraldry and the problems associated with it. here is the site on st gabriel about islamic heraldry and the article on mamluk heraldry by da ’ ud ibn auda ( david appleton ) is available as a pdf on st gabriel ’ s or here as an article. david appleton is also repeated on medievalists. net. this is an article in military review which talks about islamic symbolism. this site is the royal heraldry society of canada ‘ s site on jewish heraldry. this is a site that gives you the meaning of arabic names. please be aware that the names may not be period and can cause people to laugh hysterically when you refer to it! please check!!. for names that can be taken to your local herald, please check out this site on st. gabriel and this site on st. gabriel which covers jewish names from many regions and time periods. here is a link to the book “ iranisches namenbuch ” by fernand justi which has over 9, 500 names is available here for download. this site, named names of the middle east cover many names, as well as ancient, medieval and modern cities, all over the middle east. some nasrid or late period al - andalus heraldic textile is mentioned on heraldic frocks by merouda. this is a small mention, but has a picture of the textile.


objectivity is both a metaphysical and an epistemological concept. it pertains to the relationship of consciousness to existence. metaphysically, it is the recognition of the fact that reality exists independent of any perceiver ’ s consciousness. epistemologically, it is the recognition of the fact that a perceiver ’ s ( man ’ s ) consciousness must acquire knowledge of reality by certain means ( reason ) in accordance with certain rules ( logic ). this means that although reality is immutable and, in any given context, only one answer is true, the truth is not automatically available to a human consciousness and can be obtained only by a certain mental process which is required of every man who seeks knowledge — that there is no substitute for this process, no escape from the responsibility for it, no shortcuts, no special revelations to privileged observers — and that there can be no such thing as a final “ authority ” in matters pertaining to human knowledge. metaphysically, the only authority is reality ; epistemologically — one ’ s own mind. the first is the ultimate arbiter of the second. the concept of objectivity contains the reason why the question “ who decides what is right or wrong? ” is wrong. nobody “ decides. ” nature does not decide — it merely is ; man does not decide, in issues of knowledge, he merely observes that which is. when it comes to applying his knowledge, man decides what he chooses to do, according to what he has learned, remembering that the basic principle of rational action in all aspects of human existence, is : “ nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed. ” this means that man does not create reality and can achieve his values only by making his decisions consonant with the facts of reality. objectivity begins with the realization that man ( including his every attribute and faculty, including his consciousness ) is an entity of a specific nature who must act accordingly ; that there is no escape from the law of identity, neither in the universe with which he deals nor in the working of his own consciousness, and if he is to acquire knowledge of the first, he must discover the proper method of using the second ; that there is no room for the arbitrary in any activity of man, least of all in his method of cognition — and just as he has learned to be guided by objective criteria in making his physical tools, so he must be guided by objective criteria in forming his tools of cognition : his concepts. it is axiomatic concepts that identify the precon


approximately 66 seeds per gram seed - counts are only a guide, not to be used for accurate calculations. b and t world seeds ' reference number : usda average, annual, minimum temperature zone : 9 type of plant - annual or perennial, depending on climate flower : - 23x15cm., wide funnelf., very pale violet shading darker at edge ( white ) fruit : caps. - 3. 5cm. dia., glob., 5mm. spines, yellow - brown seeds foliage : ovate, entire or lobed... stem grey toment... tuber. root height in meters : 0. 4 - 1. 5 parts of datura wrightii are considered toxic. is included in the following b and t world seeds flowering plant categories : 6 : bulbous and rhizomatous plant seed list 19 : everlasting and dried flower seeds australian and other 31 : house and container plant seed list 43 : herbaceous border plant seed list 44 : cut flowers commercial and other recommended varieties 53 : bedding plant seed list 62 : mexican native and introduced plants 76 : californian native plant seed list 85 : natives of u. s. south west ( arizona texas new mexico ) 719 : north american native ethnobotanicals datura wrightii seeds will usually germinate in 7 to 45 days, even under good conditions germination may be erratic. sow seeds about 3mm deep in a rich and sandy seed sowing mix at about 25°c. soak in warm water for a day and a night, sow just below the surface of a sandy - peaty mix, keep at about 25°c, dark and moist ( not damp ) gibberellic acid ( ga 3 ) is often recommended. vernalized seeds will germinate better if surface sown ( ie with sunlight ).


draw your own controller. the beatsurfing app has 4 objects available : the line, the polygon, the fader and the circle. each of them has special features ( direction detection, counter, etc. ). you use those objects to create swarms, groups of objects that you can arrange in layers, duplicate, etc. enabling you to create unique midi controls taht would not occur if you had to prototype them physically. as you can link objects together and create interactions between them ( “ behaviours ”, of which an example is available here : https : / / vimeo. com / 40236917 ), there ’ s also more to a scene than what meets the eye. how does it work? using the multi - touch ipad gestures to bring the objects on the surface, position, resize, color and orient them. - everything can be modified seemlessly through the ipad gestures. - each object can be positioned on a 3 - dimensional space ( through layers ), allowing you to create swarms, controls that won ’ t exist in any physical controller in the world. all four objects are very simple operators if you consider them separately. it is also important to highlight that each operator has a concept of “ behaviors ” they can be assigned with. - the line can trigger a unique midi note defined as the “ root note. ” each time your finger collides a line, the midi note message is sent. then you have the notion of directional detection that you can enable or not. when enabled, it will detect in which direction you pass through the line and trigger the root note if you slide your finger from right to left, or the next note relative to the root note if you slide your finger from left to right. - the polygon is very similar to the line, where each segment of the polygon has the same characteristic as the line operator. - the circle is more or less a sequencer. you can define from 1 to 16 steps. each step triggers a midi note. each time you collide a circle, the current step is increased and as a result triggers the next midi note. other objects in the scene can be configured to reset or set a particular step on the circle. - the fader sends midi control change or pitch wheel messages.


cosmetics magnate ronald lauder listens during an interview, as he stands in front of his latest acquisition of gustav klimt ' s portrait " adele bloch - bauer 1, " at new york ' s neue galerie museum for german and austrian art, wednesday july 12, 2006. lauder p " the portrait and the nazis " op - ed, the atlantic february 14, 2011 author : ben heineman, senior fellow, belfer center for science and international affairs on a quiet friday morning, my wife and i came face to face with history. the face was a portrait, painted by gustav klimt in 1907, of adele bloch - bauer, the spouse of a wealthy austrian businessman. it is one of the iconic paintings of the 20th century. a heavy - lidded, red - lipped, enigmatic 26 - year - old woman is sheathed in a body - hugging gown of gold leaf punctuated by blue triangles and emblazoned with obscure byzantine, greek, egyptian, and modernist symbols. she merges into darker gold leaf with swirling designs, and her long fingers are delicately intertwined below a shimmering necklace. klimt was a leader of vienna ' s art nouveau movement ( or jugendstil, " youth art, " in german ). his unique decorative style and his erotic sensibility made him a controversial painter of the time and a widely popular artist as sexual mores changed. although he painted portraits of wealthy women to earn a living, even those works had strong hints of sensuality. and, although he touched on a variety of subjects, many of his best known works were quite explicitly sexual. reproductions of " the kiss " decorate dorm rooms of college students everywhere. the portrait hung originally in the palatial summer home of adele and ferdinand bloch - bauer. and our viewing a century later was in another mansion, a beautiful home built in 1914 in beaux - arts style by the architects of the new york public library ( carrere & hastings ) for an american industrialist — and occupied later by mrs. cornelius vanderbilt. located on 86th and fifth avenue in new york city, the home is now the neue galerie, a small museum of early 20th century german and austrian art and design, founded by art dealer serge sabarsky and businessman, ronald s. lauder. even on the weekend, the neue galerie was not crowded. we could view the remarkable portrait in the mansion - gallery as if we were would - be residents, slowly observing the decorative detail, trying to understand what the


, ronald s. lauder. even on the weekend, the neue galerie was not crowded. we could view the remarkable portrait in the mansion - gallery as if we were would - be residents, slowly observing the decorative detail, trying to understand what the expressive hands were telling us, looking at the young face and imagining her feelings and her character, speculating about her relationship with the artist. unhurried. alone with our thoughts in a light filled family room overlooking the street. but the history of the painting is not so serene, and our thoughts could not just be of the portrait. in 1938, it was confiscated by the nazis when they occupied austria, as ferdinand bloch - bauer fled to switzerland ( adele had died in 1925 at age 44 ). members of the family perished in the concentration camps. after the war, the austrian government claimed that adele had left the portrait to the state. it hung for years in the belvedere, an austrian government museum in vienna, surrounded by many other klimts, who had now evolved from artistic rebel to national tourist attraction. the austrian possession was symbolic of its improper retention of property confiscated from jews by the nazis. but ferdinand, not adele, owned the paintings. when he died in 1946, he bequeathed them, not to austria, but to his nephews and nieces, including maria altmann. she had escaped to england and the america before the war and ultimately settled in los angeles. in the late 1990s, ms. altmann began a determined and tortuous legal battle to regain five klimt paintings : the world famous 1907 portrait of her aunt, another 1912 portrait of adele and three landscapes. her effort became a symbol of the attempt of families, long after the fact, to regain property confiscated by the nazis during the terror of world war ii. after proceedings bounced from austria to the united states and back to austria, an arbitration panel awarded her the paintings in january, 2006. the story of maria altmann ' s perseverance has been told well both in print and in film. in a june 2006 auction, ronald lauder bought the 1907 portrait of adele bloch - bauer for the neue galerie at the then record price of $ 135 million. ( the 1912 portrait of adele was sold to a private buyer for a reported $ 88 million. ) we had long - planned to see the portrait in its quiet home in new york because on a trip to vienna five years ago we had been stunned by its singular beauty among the other klimts in the belvedere but


message from the chief science officer regarding the institute of medicine ’ s report on adverse effects of vaccines geraldine dawson, ph. d., autism speaks chief science officer on thursday, august 25, the institute of medicine ’ s committee to review adverse effects of vaccines board on population health and public health practice released its report on the scientific evidence related to adverse effects of vaccines. the institute of medicine ( iom ) is a non - profit, non - governmental organization which is part of the national academy of sciences. iom members are scientific and medical experts who serve as pro bono as advisors to the u. s. congress and other policy - makers. they are periodically asked to provide a review of the evidence on matters of public concern and welfare. among several other topics, the iom committee specifically reviewed the evidence regarding whether the mmr vaccine or the dtap vaccine is causally linked to autism. in addition to reviewing epidemiological evidence, they reviewed case studies and research on biological mechanisms that might explain a connection between a vaccine and an adverse outcome, such as autism. they specifically assessed the evidence that vaccines could alter neuronal development resulting in autism symptoms, arising from chronic encephalopathy, mitochondrial disorders or other underlying disorders. the committee reviewed 22 epidemiological studies that evaluated the connection between risk for autism and the mmr vaccine and concluded that the evidence does not support a causal link between the mmr vaccine and autism. the committee only found one study on the relationship between the dtap vaccine and autism and concluded that the data were insufficient to assess an association. the committee noted that reports of case studies linking the onset of autism to infectious diseases such as encephalitis and malaria suggest that infection or inflammation may underlie some cases of autism. furthermore, evidence from postmortem brain tissue suggests that autism may involve inflammatory processes affecting the brain. the authors argue that, at a minimum, prior to ascribing autism to vaccination it would be important to rule out chromosomal and single - gene defects, including a variety of metabolic ( e. g. mitochondrial disorder ) and inflammatory or infectious diseases that may exist prior to vaccination. the iom report is consistent with autism speaks ’ policy statement on vaccines. given the present state of the science, the proven benefits of vaccinating a child to protect them against serious diseases outweigh the hypothesized risk that vaccinations might cause autism. autism speaks continues to support research that explores the relationship between innate or acquired