called a semantic map or web, is a type of graphic organizer that uses lines to connect a central concept or main idea with related or supporting facts or ideas [ 11, 5, 12, 14, 18 ]. teaching students to use graphic and semantic organizers that differ depending on the category of expository text is one way to help students understand and use text structure to comprehend complex texts. a graphic organizer that lends itself to chronological order differs from an organizer that is useful for cause and effect. teachers can model the use of graphic organizers to show the different categories of expository text and then encourage students to use the various organizers to record and organize important information and concepts from their texts [ 2, 10 ]. develop critical analysis and reasoning skills to be fully literate students must be able to analyze critically the ideas and information they obtain from texts. the use of graphic organizers can contribute to the development of critical analysis and reasoning skills. - plan a topic and set of questions that can be answered in multiple texts. for example, a set of questions could be developed around the effect of the westward expansion of european americans on the native americans of the great plains. - identify several resources that address this issue from different perspectives. - construct a chart or graphic organizer that has one column for each question, a row for students ' prior knowledge relevant to the questions, additional rows equal to the number of sources used, and a final row for pulling together key ideas from prior knowledge and the various sources. - probe students to use their prior knowledge to answer the questions before reading the various text sources. summaries of students ' responses based on their prior knowledge are recorded in the first row. - help students during reading to attend to sections of each text that respond to the questions, to summarize this information, and to record it in the chart. - help students to examine the summaries of each text across the various rows to determine similarities and differences in how the texts address each of the central questions. - help students pull together the ideas from the different sources ( i. e., their prior knowledge and the information found in the various texts ) and resolve competing ideas from the separate sources. strategies such as the use of " i " charts help students understand how to integrate information by attending to the connections, biases, and contexts across different texts. use direct, explicit, and systematic instruction to teach students to use text comprehension strategies - explicit training and teacher modeling, - guided practice, and - independent practice [ 11, 5, 12, 14,


, biases, and contexts across different texts. use direct, explicit, and systematic instruction to teach students to use text comprehension strategies - explicit training and teacher modeling, - guided practice, and - independent practice [ 11, 5, 12, 14, 18 ]. phase 1 : explicit training and teacher modeling - the name of the strategy, - how to use the strategy, - explicit modeling of the strategy, - examples of when to use the strategy, - possible adjustments to the strategy for different tasks, and - the usefulness of the strategy [ 12, 18 ]. explicit modeling should be performed only after giving a thorough explanation of the strategy. the purpose of teacher modeling is to demonstrate the mental processes used by expert readers. teachers can do this by pausing and " thinking aloud " as they read. students observe as teachers verbalize their decision - making about which strategies to use and how they use them [ 12, 18 ]. phase 2 : guided practice - breaking the strategy into simplified steps, - giving cue cards or checklists for strategy steps, - reverting to explicit instruction and modeling as necessary, and - allowing students to work in small groups to practice a strategy together. supporting students in collaborative work to learn new strategies is a critical part of guided practice. phase 3 : independent practice and debriefing teachers can incorporate independent practice into instruction by providing opportunities for students to use strategies on their own. these opportunities may include reading assignments as homework or in - class individual reading. debriefing after independent practice is important. during debriefing, teachers ask about the strategies students used while doing their independent reading assignments, how they used those strategies, and how well the strategies worked for them. teach students to use multiple strategies good readers use strategies in clusters. for example, during reading, good readers question and clarify misunderstandings ; and after reading, they summarize and predict what will happen in the next part of the text. students need to learn and practice individual strategies, but they also need to learn how to use clusters of strategies to aid comprehension [ 11, 12, 14 ]. as with individual strategy instruction, use direct, explicit, systematic instruction to teach clusters of strategies that work together. instructional strategy packets such as reciprocal teaching encourage students to move toward higher levels of thinking and comprehension by utilizing clusters of strategies [ 19 - 22 ]. what do we still need to know? to increase understanding of how best to develop adolescent readers ' text comprehension, research should focus on investigating the effectiveness of interventions for improving comprehension of specific kinds


and comprehension by utilizing clusters of strategies [ 19 - 22 ]. what do we still need to know? to increase understanding of how best to develop adolescent readers ' text comprehension, research should focus on investigating the effectiveness of interventions for improving comprehension of specific kinds of text ( e. g., expository text using cause and effect structures ). for example, although there is evidence of the importance of having sufficient prior knowledge of the domain or topic of an academic text, it is not yet clear how best to instruct students to access this prior knowledge. research on whether certain interventions are more or less effective with specific populations of adolescent students ( e. g., english language learners with limited native language literacy ) is also needed. finally, explorations of the kinds of supplemental materials useful in enhancing content - area instruction in text comprehension would provide teachers with guidance in selecting such materials [ 2, 8 ]. more key literacy components click the " references " link above to hide these references. - snow, c. and g. biancarosa, adolescent literacy and the achievement gap : what do we know and where do we go from here? 2003, carnegie corporation of new york : new york. - kamil, m., adolescents and literacy : reading for the 21st century. 2003, washington, dc : alliance for excellent education. - underwood, t. and p. d. pearson, teaching struggling adolescent readers to comprehend what they read, in adolescent literacy research and practice, t. l. jetton and j. a. dole, editors. 2004, the guilford press : new york. p. 135 - 161. - alvermann, d. e. and a. j. eakle, comprehension instruction : adolescents and their multiple literacies, in rethinking reading comprehension, a. p. sweet and c. e. snow, editors. 2003, the guilford press : new york. p. 12 - 29. - ehren, b., k. lenz, and d. deshler, enhancing literacy proficiency with adolescents and young adult, in handbook of language and literacy, c. stone, et al., editors. 2004, guilford press : new york. - moje, e. b. and k. hinchman, culturally responsive practices for youth literacy learning, in adolescent literacy research and practice, t. l. jetton and j. a. dole, editors. 2004 : new york. p. 321 - 350. - stahl, s. a. and


responsive practices for youth literacy learning, in adolescent literacy research and practice, t. l. jetton and j. a. dole, editors. 2004 : new york. p. 321 - 350. - stahl, s. a. and c. shanahan, learning to think like a historian : disciplinary knowledge through critical analysis of multiple documents, in adolescent literacy research and practice, t. l. jetton and j. a. dole, editors. 2004, the guilford press : new york. p. 94115. - rand, reading for understanding : toward an r & d program in reading comprehension. 2002, rand : santa monica, ca. - snow, c. and g. biancarosa, reading next : a vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy. 2004, carnegie corporation of new york : new york. - santa, c. m., project criss : reading, writing, and learning in the content subjects, in bridging the literacy achievement gap, grades 4 - 12, d. s. strickland and d. e. alvermann, editors. 2004, teachers college press : new york. p. 183 - 199. - national institute of child health and human development, report of the national reading panel. teaching children to read : an evidence - based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. 2004, government printing office : washington, dc. http : / / www. nationalreadingpanel. org. - nokes, j. d. and j. a. dole, helping adolescent readers through explicit strategy instruction, in adolescent literacy research and practice, t. l. jetton and j. a. dole, editors. 2004, the guilford press : new york. p. 162 - 182. - jetton, t. and p. a. alexander, domains, teaching, and literacy, in adolescent literacy research and practice, t. l. jetton and j. a. dole, editors. 2004, the guilford press : new york. p. 15 - 39. - partnership for reading, put reading first : the research building blocks of reading instruction ( 2nd ed ). 2003, retrieved may 1, 2005, from http : / / www. nifl. gov / partnershipforreading / publications / pfrbooklet. pdf. - asimov, i., the fun they had, in earth is room enough. 1957, grafton : los angeles


from http : / / www. nifl. gov / partnershipforreading / publications / pfrbooklet. pdf. - asimov, i., the fun they had, in earth is room enough. 1957, grafton : los angeles. - meyer, m. s. and r. h. felton, repeated reading to enhance fluency : old approaches and new directions. annals of dyslexia, 1999. 49 : p. 283 - 306. - graves, m., theories and constructs that have made a significant difference in adolescent literacy - but have the potential to produce still more positive benefits, in adolescent literacy research and practice, t. jetton and j. dole, editors. 2004, the guilford press : new york. p. 433 - 452. - deshler, d. d. and j. b. schumaker, an instructional model for teaching students how to learn, in alternative educational delivery systems : enhancing instructional options for all students, j. l. graden, j. e. ains, and m. j. curtis, editors. 1988, national association of school psychologists : washington, d. c. - palincsar, a. s., reciprocal teaching, in teaching reading as thinking. 1986, north central regional educational laboratory : oak brook, il. - palincsar, a. s. and a. brown, reciprocal teaching of comprehension : fostering and comprehension monitoring activities. cognition and instruction, 1984. 1 ( 2 ) : p. 117 - 175. - palincsar, a. s. and a. l. brown, reciprocal teaching : activities to promote read ( ing ) with your mind., in reading, thinking and concept development : strategies for the classroom, t. l. h. e. j. cooper, editor. 1985, the college board : new york. - palincsar, a. s. and l. j. klenk, dialogues promoting reading comprehension, in teaching advanced skills to at - risk students, c. c. b. means, and m. s. knapp, editor. 1991, jossey - bass : san francisco. national institute for literacy. ( 2007 ). adapted from what content - area teachers should know about adolescent literacy. retrieved from http : / / www. nifl. gov / nifl / publications / adolescent _ literacy07. pdf comments and recommendations


pros and cons about improvements to locks and dams some in congress ; much of the general public outside the mississippi river basin, and even some university ecologists and other professors aren ’ t convinced it is a wise idea to invest heavily in upgrading the locks and dams system of the mississippi river. earlier this month, robert criss, a professor of earth and planetary sciences at washington university, st. louis, wrote a commentary for the st. louis post - dispatch newspaper in which he argued against an “ infusion of federal funds for river engineering and maintenance projects ” for the mississippi river and missouri river. to condense and paraphrase, criss had six points of complaints : - river structures impede flow and destroy wetlands or isolate the channel from floodplains. - loss of shallow water and island habitat decrease fish, fowl and mussel type animal reproduction and volume. - river structures provide opportunities for invasive river species to spread such as asian carp. - barge traffic is not economical and requires constant taxpayer money to build and maintain locks and dams because barge companies don ’ t pay expense other than a fuel tax. - barge traffic is problematic because of river structures such as locks and dams and bridges can be easily damaged by barges. - weather instability is projected to cause high differences of water level from year to year. criss suggested rules to reducing the length and draft of barge tows on the upper mississippi river, make barge companies pay more costs and “ de - authorize ” barge navigation of the missouri river. what initiated the commentary from criss was a bipartisan group of senators sending a letter to the leaders of the senate environment and public works committee. the senators asked the committee to include funding and strong language for establishing a long - term strategy to expedite construction and operation of lock and dam projects along the mississippi river, with a long - term strategy in a new water resources development act ( wrda ). u. s. sens. dick durbin ( d - ill. ), mark kirk ( r - ill. ), claire mccaskill ( d - mo. ), roy blunt ( r - mo. ), tom harkin ( d - iowa ) and chuck grassley ( r - iowa ) sent the letter. " the system of locks and dams along the upper mississippi is in desperate need of modernization. the current system was built 70 years ago and updates are needed to fit the requirements of modern barge technology. many of the older locks are only 600 feet in length, while most current barge tows


along the upper mississippi is in desperate need of modernization. the current system was built 70 years ago and updates are needed to fit the requirements of modern barge technology. many of the older locks are only 600 feet in length, while most current barge tows using the waterway are twice as long. that means these goods take twice as long to get down river and into the marketplace, " wrote the senators. the senators contend the overall reliability and timeliness of using the inland waterways system is of significant national interest. use of the river is an economic trafficway of major importance to the nation, it was noted. after criss ’ letter, dean campbell of coulterville, ill., an american soybean association board member, “ defended the investments, highlighting the importance of the inland waterways system to the soybean industry and the contributions of the industry to the local and national economy, ” through an association news release. " dr. criss ’ presumption that locks only benefit the operators on the rivers ignores the importance of soybean exports to global markets, and the positive impact those exports have on our economy, " wrote campbell. citing increased efficiency and reduced impact, campbell added, " dr. criss suggests that we should instead use rail cars or trucks, ignoring the fact that more than 1, 000 trucks — or 216 rail cars pulled by 16 locomotives — are needed to move the same soybeans as just one typical barge tow. we rely on our inland waterways to move our product efficiently and effectively to market, while helping to sustain vital local economies. ” the published commentary by criss can be read by clicking here. the letter from the senators can be read by clicking here.


we ' re not the only ones who have emotions by marc bekoff - april 2007 as a scientist who ' s studied animal emotions for more than 30 years, i consider myself very fortunate. i love what i do. i love learning about animals, and i love sharing what my colleagues and i discover with others. whenever i observe or work with animals, i get to contribute to " science " and develop social relationships at the same time, and to me, there ' s no conflict between those activities. while stories about animal emotions abound, there are many lines of scientific support ( what i call " science sense " ) about the nature of animal emotions that are rapidly accumulating from behavioral and neurobiological studies ( from the emerging field called social neuroscience using fmris and pet scans ). common sense and intuition also feed into and support science sense, and the obvious conclusion is that at least mammals experience rich and deep emotional lives, feeling passions ranging from pure and contagious joy shared so widely among others during play that it is almost epidemic, to deep grief and pain. there also are recent data that show that birds and fish also are sentient and experience pain and suffering. emotions have evolved as adaptations in numerous species and they serve as a social glue to bond animals with one another. emotions also catalyze and regulate a wide variety of social encounters among friends and competitors and permit animals to protect themselves adaptively and flexibly using various behavior patterns in a wide variety of venues. in scientific research there are always surprises. just when we think we ' ve seen it all, new scientific data appear that force us to rethink what we know and to revise our stereotypes. for example, spindle cells, which were long thought to exist only in humans and other great apes, have recently been discovered in humpback whales, fin whales, killer whales and sperm whales in the same area of their brains as spindle cells in human brains. this brain region is linked with social organization, empathy, and intuition about the feelings of others, as well as rapid gut reactions. spindle cells are important in processing emotions. it ' s likely that if we seek the presence of spindle cells in other animals we will find them. neuroscientific research has also shown, using functional magnetic resonance imaging, that elephants have a huge hippocampus, a brain structure in the limbic system that ' s important in processing emotions. we now know that elephants suffer from psychological flashbacks and likely experience the equivalent of post - traumatic stress


functional magnetic resonance imaging, that elephants have a huge hippocampus, a brain structure in the limbic system that ' s important in processing emotions. we now know that elephants suffer from psychological flashbacks and likely experience the equivalent of post - traumatic stress disorder. furthermore, all mammals ( including humans ) share neuroanatomical structures ( for example, the amygdala and hippocampus ) and neurochemical pathways in the limbic system that are important for feelings. along these lines, who would have thought that laboratory mice actually are empathic rodents? but now we know they are. research has shown that mice react more strongly to painful stimuli after they observed other mice in pain, and it turns out that they are fun - loving as well. interestingly, mice, used in the millions in education and research, are not considered to be an " animal " under the federal animal welfare act in the united states, and aren ' t protected from harmful research. a quote from the u. s. federal register, volume 69, number 108, friday june 4, 2004 states : " we are amending the animal welfare act regulations to reflect an amendment to the act ' s definition of the term animal. " the farm security and rural investment act of 2002 amended the definition of animal to specifically exclude birds, rats of the genus rattus, and mice of the genus mus, bred for use in research. we know more about animal passions then we often admit, and we can no longer ignore the pain and suffering of other beings. many people are faced with difficult, challenging, and frustrating questions about the use of animals in their classrooms and research laboratories, and today we must accept that there are compelling reasons stemming from scientific research to limit, and perhaps stop using, animals in lieu of the numerous highly effective non - animal alternatives that are readily available. i often begin my lectures with the question : " is there anyone in this audience who thinks that dogs don ' t have feelings — that they don ' t experience joy and sadness? " i ' ve never had an enthusiastic response to this question, even in scientific gatherings, although on occasion a hand or two goes up slowly, usually halfway, as the person glances around to see if anyone is watching. but if i ask, " how many of you believe that dogs have feelings?, " then almost every hand waves wildly, and people smile and nod in vigorous agreement. using behavior as our guide, by analogy, we map the feelings of other beings onto our own emotional templates,


many of you believe that dogs have feelings?, " then almost every hand waves wildly, and people smile and nod in vigorous agreement. using behavior as our guide, by analogy, we map the feelings of other beings onto our own emotional templates, and we do it very reliably. recognizing that animals have emotions is important, because animals ' feelings matter. animals are sentient beings who experience the ups and downs of daily life, and we must respect this when we interact with them. while we obviously have much more to learn, what we already know should be enough to inspire changes in the way we treat other animals. we must not simply continue with the status quo because that is what we ' ve always done and it ' s convenient to do so. what we know has changed, and so should our relationships with animals. quite often, what we accept as " good welfare " isn ' t " good enough. " our relationship with other animals is a complex, ambiguous, challenging, and frustrating affair, and we must continually reassess how we should interact with our non - human kin. humans have enormous power to affect the world any way we choose. daily, we silence sentience in innumerable animals in a wide variety of venues. there ' s no doubt whatsoever that, when it comes to what we can and cannot do to other animals, it is their emotions that should inform our discussions and our actions on their behalf. emotions are the gifts of our ancestors. we have them, and so do other animals. we must never forget that. marc bekoff is professor emeritus at the university of colorado. some of this essay is excerpted from his book " the emotional lives of animal : a leading scientist explores animal joy, sorrow, and empathy and why they matter " ( 2007, new world library ).


water saving tips : for residential water use, indoors and out click here to download a graphically designed pdf of the following residential water saving tips. replace toilets installed before 1994 ( 1992 in tx & ca ) with high - efficiency toilets ( hets ). - replacing an older toilet that uses 3. 5 gallons per flush ( gpf ) with a het that uses 1. 28 gpf will save 2. 22 gpf. the epa watersense program labels efficient toilets that use a maximum 1. 28 gpf. - if the toilet is flushed an average of six times each day it will save about 13 gallons per day or 4, 745 gallons per year. some older toilets use as much as 7 gallons per flush. - for more information and resources : see awe toilet fixtures introduction page and watersense labeled toilets page check toilets to verify they are working properly. - make sure the water level is not too high, the fill valve is working properly, and the flapper is not leaking. a running toilet can waste hundreds of gallons of water per day. - for more information on checking a toilet : see water saver home toilet page when it ' s time to replace the clothes washer, choose a high - efficiency washer with a low water factor. - the smaller the water factor the more efficient the clothes washer. - energy star models currently have a maximum of 6. 0, although many well - performing machines are available with lower water factors. look for the lowest water factor available to achieve the highest water savings. - for more information and resources : see awe residential clothes washer introduction when doing laundry, always wash full loads. - conventional washers built before 2011 typically use about 40 gallons per load ; resource - efficient washers may use as little as 15 gallons per load. - adjust the water level in the washer to the amount needed for the load. some of the new efficient washers will do this automatically. install efficient faucets and / or faucet aerators. - the u. s. epa ' s watersense program labels efficient faucets and aerators that use a maximum of 1. 5 gallons per minute. - look for the watersense label when selecting new faucets or aerators. find and fix any leaky faucets. - a faucet leaking 60 drops per minute will waste 192 gallons per month. that ' s 2, 304 gallons per year. turn off the faucet. - when lathering hands, shaving, or brushing


faucets. - a faucet leaking 60 drops per minute will waste 192 gallons per month. that ' s 2, 304 gallons per year. turn off the faucet. - when lathering hands, shaving, or brushing teeth. replace showerheads that have a flow rate greater than 2. 5 gallons per minute - - the current national energy policy act standard. - if the showerhead is not labeled, the flow rate can be checked by catching the water in a 1 - gallon bucket. if it takes less than 24 seconds to fill up, the showerhead flow rate is more than 2. 5 gallons per minute. the epa watersense program labels efficient showerheads that use a maximum 2. 0 gallons per minute. - for more information and resources : see awe residential shower introduction page and watersense labeled showerheads page take shorter showers. - reducing a 10 - minute shower to 5 minutes saves 12. 5 gallons of water if the showerhead has a flow rate of 2. 5 gallons per minute - - even more if the showerhead has a higher flow rate. if it takes a long time for the hot water to reach the shower, use it as an opportunity to collect water for other uses, e. g. watering houseplants. install an efficient dishwasher. - technological advances in dishwashers make it possible to use less water to achieve the same goal. a new dishwasher that uses less water per cycle will reduce household water use. - dishwashers use less water than handwashing, particularly if you limit pre - rinsing. - for examples of dishwasher models and their water use : see energy star qualifying residential dishwasher list only wash full loads of dishes in the dishwasher. if washing dishes by hand, fill the sink with water rather than continually running the tap. avoid using running water to thaw frozen foods. - instead, defrost in the refrigerator overnight. composting food waste saves water. - it reduces the water needed to run a garbage disposal. check water bills for any instances of high water use - - this may be an indication of a leak. - leaking faucets, leaking toilets, and leaking pipes all have something in common, they waste a lot of water! your water bill will often show abnormal water consumption if there is a leak. many water utilities have information on how to read your water bill online. - for more information and resources : see awe household leaks page landscape with water - wise landscaping principles : - use


water bill will often show abnormal water consumption if there is a leak. many water utilities have information on how to read your water bill online. - for more information and resources : see awe household leaks page landscape with water - wise landscaping principles : - use native plants or other plants that require little water to thrive in your region. - plant turf grass only in areas where people will use it actively for recreation. - organize your landscape into hydrozones. hydrozones are areas of landscape with plants and vegetation that have similar water requirements. this prevents over - watering some plants and under - watering others. - keep soil healthy and add mulch to prevent water loss through evaporation. - if watering with a hose, make sure it has a shut - off nozzle. - water in the morning to prevent water loss due to evaporation. avoid watering when it is windy. - use a rain barrel to collect water for use in the landscape. - add a graywater system to collect water from your washing machine or shower and bath, and use it in the landscape. if a sprinkler system is used, make sure it is properly set - up and maintained. - irrigate hydrozones based upon the plants ' water needs. - install a weather - based smart irrigation controller. it is essential that smart controllers are properly programmed and maintained. - install and maintain a rain sensor, either wireless or wired, on the irrigation controller if it does not have one built - in. - regularly inspect the sprinkler heads to make sure they are not damaged or malfunctioning. - adjust sprinklers so they are not spraying water on paved surfaces such as the sidewalk or driveway. - for more information : see awe landscape, irrigation, and outdoor water use page, and xeriscape council of new mexico xeriscape principles page sweep outdoor surfaces with a broom instead of using a hose. wash vehicles at a carwash that recycles its water. - if washing at home, make sure the hose has a shut - off nozzle. pool owners, use a cover to reduce water loss through evaporation. - a pool cover also saves energy and reduces the need for chemicals. * * click here for cii water saving tips * *


the western diamond back rattle snake the western diamond back rattle snake lives in the badlands and semi desert areas of north america, where its tough skin prevents it fromlosing too much moisture. it conserves water by excreting thick paste urine. it adjusts its daily behavior to regulate body heat, alternately basking in the sun and shade. water is scarce in the diamondback ’ s arid habitat, but the snake has a tough skin that conserves moisture and a behavior pattern that helps it avoid the worst of the heat. the rattlesnake ’ s heat sensing pit organ guide the snake toward its prey, allowing it to strike with deadly accuracy even in total darkness. the western diamondback rattlesnake lives in arid, scrubby semi deserts of the southwest u. s. from california to arkansas. usually found in dry, sandy, or rocky terrain, the rattlesnake sometimes ventures onto cultivated land. the diamondback is adapted to surviving in a barren landscape where less than 1 ” of rain falls a year. lack of water in its dusty range poses no problem for the diamondback. it can go for months without drinking, obtaining all the moisture it needs from its prey. the rattlesnake recycles as much of its body fluids as possible and when it does urinate, it excretes the waste as concentrated uric acid crystals rather than as a fluid. this takes the form of a white paste and is passed with the feces. in hotter areas the diamondback is most active at night, moving around in the open sunshine all day would cause it to overheat. like other snakes, the rattlesnake can not generate enough body heat to operate its organs. the diamondback often spends the hottest daylight hours dozing beneath a rock. when hunting, the snake investigates every cranny, its forked tongue flicking in and out to taste the air for scent of prey. it preys mostly on rodents, but may eat small birds, lizards and larger animals, such as prairie dogs, ground squirrels and rabbits. as the snake strikes, long, hollow fangs swing down to stab into the prey and inject a lethal dose of venom. the jaws dislocate and skin stretches as the mouth engulfs the victim. the snake can not swallow, it walks its jaws over its prey to ingest it. the female diamondback can breed only once every two years, so there is intense competition among males. in spring, males are drawn to receptive females by scent.


• includes important additions about the prophet ’ s spread of islam into syria and its neighboring states • contains original english translations from 8th and 9th century biographies, presented in authoritative language • represents the final updates made on the text before the author ’ s death in 2005 martin lings ’ biography of muhammad is an internationally acclaimed, comprehensive, and authoritative account of the life of the prophet. based on the sira, the eighth - and ninth - century arabic biographies that recount numerous events in the prophet ’ s life, it contains original english translations of many important passages that reveal the words of men and women who heard muhammad speak and witnessed the events of his life. scrupulous and exhaustive in its fidelity to its sources, muhammad : his life based on the earliest sources is presented in a narrative style that is easily comprehensible, yet authentic and inspiring in its use of language, reflecting both the simplicity and grandeur of the story it tells. this revised edition includes new sections detailing the prophet ’ s expanding influence and his spreading of the message of islam into syria and its neighboring states. it represents the final updates made to the text before the author ’ s death in 2005. the book has been published in 12 languages and has received numerous awards, including acknowledgment as best biography of the prophet in english at the national seerate conference in islamabad.


- historic sites native americans first view whites from the shore new york indians discover dutchmen spring 2009 | volume 59, issue 1 in hindsight, these first encounters were asymmetrically momentous events, presaging catastrophic consequences for the native peoples of north america. europeans wrote accounts of these meetings ; indians did not. nevertheless, memories of such meetings passed from generation to generation within the tribes. some traditions recalled dreams, premonitions, and prophecies that foretold the coming of powerful strangers, stories no doubt retold with increasing bitterness as europeans kept coming. in some accounts people looked from the shore and thought the awesome approaching ships were giant white seabirds or floating islands. the hairy men onboard had firearms, armor, and metal goods. but, contrary to what european explorers frequently asserted, there is little evidence that indians regarded them as gods. early europeans lacked the power and dominance they would later amass, and they did not always seem to pose an immediate threat. they relied on indian guides, indian foods, and indian technology ( birch - bark canoes, for instance ) to travel inland. to native eyes, their pale skins made them look sickly. henry hudson and his dutch crew met people who were probably from the munsee branch of the delaware or lenni lenape at manhattan in 1609, and they met mahican farther up the hudson. the moravian missionary john gottlieb ernestus heckwelder ( 1743 – 1823 ), who lived for many years among delaware and mahican displaced into ohio, recorded a native account of the meeting in 1765, in which hudson features as a figure dressed in red. heckwelder kept journals and wrote about native life, most notably his account of the history, manners and customs of the indian nations, who once inhabited pennsylvania ( 1819 ). by the time he transcribed this tradition sometime in the 1760s, the indians knew all too well the consequences of meeting europeans who peddled alcohol, infected them with new diseases, waged war against them, denigrated their cultures, and stole their lands. indian tradition of the first arrival of the dutch at manhattan as related to john heckwelder the following account of the first arrival of europeans at york island, is verbatim as it was related to me by aged and respected delawares, momeys, and mahicaanni, ( otherwise called mohigans, mahicanders, ) near forty years ago. it is copies from notes and manuscripts taken on the spot. they say


by aged and respected delawares, momeys, and mahicaanni, ( otherwise called mohigans, mahicanders, ) near forty years ago. it is copies from notes and manuscripts taken on the spot. they say : a long time ago, when there was no such thing known to the indians as people with a white skin, ( their expression, ) some indians who had been out a - fishing, and where the sea widens, espied at a great distance something remarkably large swimming, or floating on the water, and such as they had never seen before. they immediately returning to the shore apprised their countrymen of what they had seen, and pressed them to go out with them and discover what it might be. these together hurried out, and saw to their great surprise the phenomenon, but could not agree what it might be ; some concluding it either to be an uncommon large fish, or other animal, while others were of opinion it must be some very large house. it was at length agreed among those who were spectators, that as this phenomenon moved towards the land, whether or not it was an animal, or anything that had life in it, it would be well to inform all the indians on the inhabited islands of what they had seen, and put them on their guard. accordingly, they sent runners and watermen off to carry the news to their scattered chiefs, that these might send off in every direction for the warriors to come in. these arriving in numbers, and themselves viewing the strange appearance, and that it was actually moving towards them, ( the entrance of the river or bay, ) concluded it to be a large canoe or house, in which the great mannitto ( great or supreme being ) himself was, and that he probably was coming to visit them. by this time the chiefs of the different tribes were assembled on york island, and were counseling ( or deliberating ) on the manner they should receive their mannitto on his arrival. every step had been taken to be well provided with a plenty of meat for a sacrifice ; the women were required to prepare the best of victuals ; idols or images were examined and put in order ; and a grand dance was supposed not only to be an agreeable entertainment for the mannitto, but might, with the addition of a sacrifice, contribute towards appeasing him, in case he was angry with them. the conjurors were also set to work, to determine what the meaning of this phenomenon was


the mannitto, but might, with the addition of a sacrifice, contribute towards appeasing him, in case he was angry with them. the conjurors were also set to work, to determine what the meaning of this phenomenon was, and what the result would be. both to these, and to the chiefs and wise men of the nation, men, women, and children wre looking up for advice and protection. between hope and fear, and in confusion, a dance commenced. while in this situation fresh runners arrive declaring it a house of various colours, and crowded with living creatures. it now appears to be certain that it is the great mannitto bringing them some kind of game, such as they had not before ; but other runners soon after arriving, declare it a large house of various colours, full of people, yet of quite a different colour than they ( the indians ) are of ; that they were also dressed in a different manner from them, and that one in particular appeared altogether red, which must be the mannitto himself. they are soon hailed from the vessel, though in a language they do not understand ; yet they shout ( or yell ) in their way. many are for running off to the woods, but are pressed by others to stay, in order not to give offence to their visiters, who could find them out, and might destroy them. the house ( or large canoe, as some will have it, ) stops, and a smaller canoe comes ashore with the red man and some others in it ; some stay by this canoe to guard it. the chiefs and wise men ( or councilors ) had composed a large circle, unto which the red - clothed man with two others approach. he salutes them with friendly countenance, both as to the colour of the skin ( or these whites ) as also to their manner of dress, yet most as to the habit of him who wore the red clothes, which shone with something they could not account for. he must be the great mannitto ( supreme being, ) they thing, but why should he have a white skin? a large hockhack [ their word for gourd, bottle, decanter. ] is brought forward by one of the ( supposed ) mannitto ’ s servants and from this a substance is poured out into a small cap ( or glass ) and handed to the mannitto. the ( expected ) mannitto drinks ; has the glass filled again, and hands it to the chief


implements ; and had borne with the weight of such heavy metal hanging to their necks for such a length of time. they took every white man they saw for a mannitto, yet inferior and attendant to the supreme mannitto, to wit, to the one which wore the red and laced clothes. familiarity daily increasing between them and the whites, the latter now proposed to stay with them, asking them only for so much land as the hide of a bullock would cover ( or encompass, ) which hide was brought forward and spread on the ground before them. that they readily granted this request ; whereupon the whites took a knife, and beginning at one place on this hide, cut it up into a rope not thicker than the finger of a little child, so that by the time this hide was cut up there was a great heap. that this rope was drawn out to a great distance, and then brought round again, so that both ends might meet. that they carefully avoided its breaking, and that upon the whole it encompassed are large piece of ground. that they ( the indians ) were surprised at the superior wit of the whites, but did not wish to contend with them about a little land, as they had enough. that they and the whites lived for a long time contentedly together, although these asked from time to time more land of them ; and proceeding higher up the mahicanittuk ( hudson river ), they believed they would soon want all their country, and which at this time was already the case. [ here ends the relation. ]


we are remembered by our exaggerations. so at a recent reunion of my former research - group members, several recalled my saying " when you see a standard deviation in an x - ray crystal structure, multiply it by pi [ π, 3. 141... ], or if the structure is done by friends, by e [ 2. 718... ]. " i was talking about structures of molecules — details of their geometry, also of a particularly fruitful way to gain knowledge of these structures. and of the error estimates in such studies. there is no more basic enterprise in chemistry than the determination of the geometrical structure of a molecule. such a determination, when it is well done, ends speculation and provides us with the starting point for understanding every physical, chemical and biological property of the molecule. indeed, the chemical sciences ( only modestly imperialistic, i take them to range from materials science through molecular biology ) are what they are today largely as the result of careful structure determination. we ' d be still waiting in ignorance if we believed the hype of various microscopies. a few very accurate structures have come to us through ingenious use of electron diffraction and various spectroscopies. but the vast majority of what we know about shapes and metric detail of molecules and extended materials derives from studies of the diffraction of x rays by single crystals of molecules, a technique popularly called " x - ray crystallography. " » post comment


from ancestry. com wiki | institution and organization records this article is part of a series. | civilian conservation corps | | coroner or medical examiner records | | prisons and penitentiary records | this article originally appeared in " business, institution, and organization records " by kay haviland freilich, cg, cgl, and ann carter fleming, cg, cgl in the source : a guidebook to american genealogy the records of schools, colleges, and universities in the united states have gradually developed into valuable sources of genealogical information. school records provide a more personal glimpse of our ancestors than many other types of records. they are available from the 1700s until current day and include everything from elementary education through college, professional school, military academy, or special education training. any of these facilities may have records that provide information about your ancestor. among the types of school records available are report cards, class photos, class lists, administrator ’ s records, and rosters of teachers. as with most other records in the united states, school records became more comprehensive after the turn of the twentieth century. primary and secondary schools a review of historic school records will quickly show the changes in education over the years. children from rural farm areas may have attended school only during the winter or nongrowing time. some schools moved their more advanced students up a grade or even two ; today such students are more often offered enrichment courses. most commonly found are school board minutes. while board minutes deal primarily with administrative and financial matters involved in operating the school, they may include such potentially valuable information as the names of administrators and teachers, and reference to other records that might be useful. for instance, these 1873 minutes from mcduffie county, georgia, refer to a school census. does that census still exist in the files of the county school district or the county clerk? teachers ’ salaries were set by the number of students in attendance rather than by the number of school days taught. in many cases, school records are held at the state ’ s archives. while a large percentage of the records deal with the business of running a school or school district, records involving individuals are also available. for example, the wisconsin state archives holds teachers ’ contracts from brown deer, granville, and river hills among other towns. records of durham hill school include teachers ’ registers with dates, names, ages, and attendance of students. one good starting point when searching for school records is the family history library catalog using the topic “ schools ” in a known location. another is a web search that


hill school include teachers ’ registers with dates, names, ages, and attendance of students. one good starting point when searching for school records is the family history library catalog using the topic “ schools ” in a known location. another is a web search that focuses on the place of residence, the known name of a school, or the catalogs of the state or local archives or historical societies. researchers should remember to check sources at the local public library, where they might find newspaper articles about school activities and a collection of yearbooks from the local public schools. the county clerk or the current school board may be able to tell a researcher what records still exist and where they are housed. many colleges, universities, prep schools, and boarding schools have directories, while listings of local primary schools are more difficult to locate and usually pertain only to a specific area. county histories often mention the early county schools and sometimes list students of a particular graduating year. local or state historical societies may also have information about an area ’ s early schools. internet sources may lead you to useful records. the website called southern california yearbooks has posted images from many high school and college yearbooks from throughout the twentieth century online. modern school records are protected by privacy laws, but family members are sometimes able to obtain the information or photocopies of the documents in the files. because state, local, and school policies govern the availability of school records, you should write to the local school of interest to determine what procedure to follow. among family heirlooms and papers, a researcher might find an old report card. from this, the researcher can determine an approximate age, based on the grade level indicated on the report card, as well as learn what subjects the ancestor studied — and how well the student did in his studies. in addition, the school may also have maintained a record book of all grades issued. student lists come in a variety of forms. teachers might have kept a list of their pupils that includes courses studied and grades achieved. a school census might include the student ’ s age as well as a birthplace. see for example, the custer county, colorado, pupil register for district # 3, 1891 – 96 at http : / / www. colorado. gov / dpa / doit / archives / online. htm # school. many metropolitan and rural schools received funds from the local government to cover the cost of educating poor children. records of children receiving an education at government expense can be found in court records, school board minutes, or town meeting records. the


##geneas. com / library / schoolrosters / tuskegee1915. html. colleges and universities the institutions of higher education offer many useful records, and in fact, colleges and universities are excellent sources of genealogical information compared to early primary school records. records document admission, registration, course of study, and graduation. additionally, many alumni associations and school archivists have compiled biographies and histories of former students. many schools have preserved applications for admission containing valuable family information. yearbooks document the attendance of an individual at a given time and provide some biographical information ; these are usually on file with alumni associations and in college and university libraries. alumni directories offer subsequent addresses and work history ; many also include such personal information as names of spouse and children. if the student had to write a thesis as part of his course work, a copy likely resides in the library. a large number of colleges and universities participate in the national union catalog of manuscript collectionsnucmc, thus helping to identify which sources they might hold. the 1890 biographical register of west point graduates includes civil war generals from both sides. not surprisingly, information about confederate officers is sparse or nonexistent after they resigned from the union army. in contrast, entries of some of the union leaders cover several pages, providing detailed information about military assignments throughout a career and often an extensive biography. if you know or suspect that an ancestor was a student at england ’ s cambridge university, you will definitely want to search the alumni database. alumni cantabrigieness was compiled by j. a. venn, a former president of queen ’ s college and offers information from the university ’ s earliest records of about 1261 through 1900. many of those students later immigrated to america. each entry offers biographical information including birth date and place, parents ’ names, siblings ’ names, occupation, and notable accomplishments. some of the best early primary school records were kept by private preparatory and boarding schools whose students were from the region ’ s wealthy families. references to children ’ s parents, residence, curriculum, and activities, as well as individual and class photographs, can more often be found in these school records. some private schools are operated by religious institutions, and these records may appear with the church records.


check availability of bunnies on the adoption chart rabbits are extremely hardy and occasionally delicate. years may go by without infirmity, and one day that energetic ball of fur becomes a limp puddle of depressed bunnyhood. oh, no! an interesting species ( meant by nature to be low on the food chain ) can be a mass of contradictions in the health arena. as an adaptation of nature, rabbits have a high pain threshold. nature protects them from feeling much pain, especially when they are about to become a meal. another common occurrence is for rabbits to suffer heart attacks upon confrontation, and they pass out to avoid the unpleasantness of being eaten. of course, pet rabbits do not have to face the realities of nature ' s savagery. nevertheless, they are genetically wired to not show pain ( so the predator will not see their weakness ). this causes a problem for both the pet rabbit and their human caretakers - - when problems strike, illness or pain can be hidden until all the bunny ' s internal resources are exhausted, and they quietly collapse. rabbits rarely get sick, but when they do, you only have 12 to 24 hours to start treatment and two to three days to get on track with the corrections. don ' t delay! when a rabbit is sick, it will be overly quiet, depressed, and you will notice a reduction in eating and drinking. their eyes may be glazed, their respiration increased or, as the illness progresses, they may become limp. they may also grind their teeth in pain. a healthy bunny will be active, curious and bouncy, especially when allowed to play in the house or yard while being observed. rabbits actually have very hardy systems, and in some ways, recuperate rapidly, such as after being cut. a veterinarian should be called immediately if your first aid efforts do not get fast results. rabbits are considered exotic animals, and many vets refuse to treat them. do research ahead of time. to find a vet that treats rabbits, ask them about their experience or for a recommendation. an attentive family of a house rabbit will notice unusual behavior sooner than owners of a caged rabbit. house rabbits tend to live longer than their caged brethren because of this attention ( along with other advantages such as love, a varied healthy diet and more vet care ). owners of caged rabbits ( unless they play with it regularly ) may not notice a change in behavior in the 30 seconds it takes to throw in some food and check the water. the most important rule for


varied healthy diet and more vet care ). owners of caged rabbits ( unless they play with it regularly ) may not notice a change in behavior in the 30 seconds it takes to throw in some food and check the water. the most important rule for the care and first aid of a rabbit is to pay attention to your bunny! when you are familiar with all your rabbit ' s mood and quirks, you are more likely to notice if they are " off. " because of their non - revealing nature, the signs start subtly, then either self heal or multiply into a full - fledged disaster. fortunately, disasters rarely happen, but if they do, these are some signs to look for and the measures to deal with the possible problems. is your bunny eating? first, check the water supply. because their food is dry, rabbits cannot eat without a large, clean water source. is the water bottle broken? does your rabbit frequently tip over the water bowl? get a big crock. are the kids forgetting to give the bunny water? remember, a bunny can only survive a day or so without water, and if their water supply is irregular or dirty, they become thin and unhealthy. does your bunny have droppings in the litter pan? a sure sign that the rabbit is not drinking or eating, has an internal blockage or a " sour stomach " is a lack of droppings in the pan. if the tray is dirty, change it so you can get a fresh look at their droppings. if you keep your rabbits outdoors, put newspaper under their cage. if food or the water source is the problem, fix it by getting clever. test the bottle to see if it works. use a different feeder ( especially if the bunny throws its food out ) - - give them a crock instead of a bottle or a huge crock that they can ' t throw the food out of. put a rock in the bottom of the crock so they cannot dig but can eat. young and small bunnies may need a lower food / water source that they can reach. be resourceful. this problem can have different causes. have your rabbits been chewing on rags or plastic items like a cat box? if so, remove the item and give your rabbit a cat hairball remedy by mouth or syringe with the needle removed. this lubricant will help the blockage through your rabbit ' s system. rabbits cannot throw up, so it is important to use toys and equipment around them that are safe for them


remedy by mouth or syringe with the needle removed. this lubricant will help the blockage through your rabbit ' s system. rabbits cannot throw up, so it is important to use toys and equipment around them that are safe for them to chew. some blockages must be handled by a vet, it ' s understandably expensive, so it is more prudent to prevent the problem. sometimes long - haired breeds and molting rabbits of any breed can get fur or wool stuck in their stomach. the best way to prevent hairballs or impactions is to feed loose hay regularly. feeding hay only ( removing all other food ) one day a week is very effective in preventing hairball formation. as i said before, rabbits cannot expel hairballs by vomiting so we need to use roughage to drive fur through the system. if you suspect a fur blockage, remove all regular pellets and offer hay only, especially if you see their droppings strung together by strands of hair. if they do not eat the hay, buy a fresh pineapple, cut some up and put it in the blender, and see if they will drink it. if not, force feed 1 / 4 cup ( for a medium - sized rabbit ) of strained pineapple juice to the bunny twice a day using a feeding syringe until they willingly eat a considerable amount of hay a day. if they do not start eating within a day, visit your vet. you can purchase a feeding syringe from your dentist, it is used to irrigate teeth. rabbits ' stomachs are very sensitive. it seems to be their weak point. a large ingestion of fruits or vegetables, a new brand of food or a day grazing on grass can cause severe diarrhea or even death. to prevent this, blend new brands of food with the old feed for a few days. slowly introduce fruits and vegetables. avoid foods that are dangerous or of no nutritional value. for example, head lettuce is nutritionally useless and can cause diarrhea ; cabbage creates gas ; and celery strings can tie up the intestines. other foods and grass grazing should be introduced slowly. poisonous plants are eaten with enthusiasm by rabbits, so you need to identify and eliminate them from your house and yard. remove all fruits and vegetables. put a large serving of quaker oats on top of your rabbit ' s pellets and offer hay, this will firm up their droppings. if diarrhea continues, antibiotics like


from your house and yard. remove all fruits and vegetables. put a large serving of quaker oats on top of your rabbit ' s pellets and offer hay, this will firm up their droppings. if diarrhea continues, antibiotics like terrimycin powder can be mixed in their water. a product called dri tail for hamsters works pretty well, it is not ok ' d for rabbits so i only use it in an emergency once or twice ' till i can get an antibiotic like terrimycin powder from the pet or feed store. i do not put the balance of the dri - tail bottle in their water, i only use the eyedropper once when the problem is discovered and again12 hours later then go buy terrimycin.. i ' ve also had good luck with benebac, a highly concentrated yogurt paste to help replace the good flora and fauna in my rabbits ' intestinal tract. i ' ve also used vanilla yogurt that has natural cultures, although opinions vary about milk products for rabbits. i recommend keeping a mild antibiotic, such as dri tail or terrimycin powder on hand. it is important to give it to the rabbit as soon as you notice a problem. if diarrhea doesn ' t clear up within a few hours, see a vet immediately. note : rabbits are allergic to pennicillin products - do not use them. trim toe nails regularly so they don ' t get caught on the carpet and on your clothing. never hold a rabbit exclusively by the ears. the cartilage in the ear can break or bend and is not repairable. don ' t catch your rabbit by the tail! always hold your rabbit ' s whole body as carefully as you would hold a baby. if your rabbit sustains an injury to its toes, ears or tail, keep it contained for a few days so nature can heal the best it can. broken ears do not heal. toes and tails can be bound to the body to knit, but it is difficult - - consult your vet. if you noticed it too late to fix ; the injury is only cosmetic, your bunny is still your cute pet, and it doesn ' t matter to them. don ' t startle your rabbit because it may move quickly and break its leg. don ' t let your dog chase your rabbits because your bunny may get hurt trying to get away. always chaperon dogs and bunnies. a dog must have an excellent response to " down " and " stay " commands


and break its leg. don ' t let your dog chase your rabbits because your bunny may get hurt trying to get away. always chaperon dogs and bunnies. a dog must have an excellent response to " down " and " stay " commands before you let it be a pal to your rabbit. i suggest keeping your bunny on a cat harness and leash ( also the dog ) during the first few months of getting to know the yard, house or other pets. keep your bunny quiet if you suspect its leg is broken. a vet will need to set it. bring your rabbit to the vet wrapped in a towel. setting a leg is very expensive. i " bunny sat " a male english angora that broke his leg jumping off a table. the owners were first - time rabbit owners who had just adopted the angora, and they thought the rabbit was just sore. it turned out the leg was broken, but it was too late to set. the rabbit is beautiful and enjoys the love of the whole family. they dropped him off for bunny sitting late at night and left the country. imagine my agony the next day when i saw the broken leg. i couldn ' t afford to set it ( way over the $ 100 i had been authorized for vet fees ), and there was no phone number where i could reach the family. for two weeks i worried and agonized over my decision not to fix it. when they got back, they told me it had been broken since he was 10 weeks old. they were so used to his infirmity that they forgot to tell me! the moral of this story is to see a vet right away if you suspect your rabbit has broken a limb. ( and don ' t forget to tell your bunny sitter about any disabilities you have become blind to - - please! ). in nature, rabbits are burrowers, and they go underground to avoid heat. they are happiest in cool temperatures. in an outdoor cage, a rabbit is highly susceptible to heat stroke. it is by far the largest killer of bunnies in our area. rabbits are covered with fur and do not pant to cool off like a dog would. if left uncooled in a cage, car or out in the sun, their brain can swell, resulting in a painful death. the best way to avoid heat stroke is to have an indoor cage where you can keep your rabbit when hot weather reaches over 85 degrees f. this is extremely important if you work during the day! if your rabbit must


, resulting in a painful death. the best way to avoid heat stroke is to have an indoor cage where you can keep your rabbit when hot weather reaches over 85 degrees f. this is extremely important if you work during the day! if your rabbit must stay outdoors, a frozen two - liter soda bottle can be placed in the cage to keep your pet cool. i highly recommend keeping two additional frozen bottles in the freezer so that one is always available. if temperatures reach over 90 degrees, a fan is essential to keep air circulating. point the fan at half the cage so your rabbit can move in or out of the breeze. wet burlap sacks can be suspended from the cage sides, along with the fan for a swamp - cooler effect. better yet, get a misting system - - they are available at hardware stores during the summer. attached to a hose and timer, misters cool the surrounding temperatures by as much as 15 degrees. a warm bunny will lie flat on the floor of its cage, and have higher respiration. a very hot bunny will develop a wet area around their nose and could be limp. cool warm rabbits by wetting their fur with a spray bottle and getting them out of the heat. immediately cool hot bunnies by soaking their fur in a bathtub or sink full of lukewarm water. put them in front of a fan to lower their temperature quickly and to stop the swelling of the brain. they will show signs of recovery by brightening up and becoming active again. let them dry naturally and watch for signs of depression. give them lots of attention after they are cool. if you have experienced the opposite of heat stroke - - a wet bunny in cold weather - - here ' s what you should do. dry the rabbit and warm it up gently. use a low, slow, warm setting on your hair dryer. introduce the hair dryer slowly, so you don ' t frighten the rabbit. keep your hand inside the stream of warm air so that you will not burn the rabbit ' s skin. to prevent any back injuries, never startle your bunny as you round the corner to their cage. a startled rabbit can break their back as they bounce around frightened inside their cage. always announce your arrivals. also, keep an eye on your bunny when they are loose. our new french lop yard rabbit fell in our pool within 10 minutes of her first unleashed foray in the yard. i rescued her within seconds, but she pinched her back in the fall. how did i know it wasn


when they are loose. our new french lop yard rabbit fell in our pool within 10 minutes of her first unleashed foray in the yard. i rescued her within seconds, but she pinched her back in the fall. how did i know it wasn ' t broken? she had use of and feeling in her hind legs, but it was difficult for her to move. i found a chiropractor who worked with a vet. only two sessions improved her mobility. she ' s a little crooked, but she can run as fast as ever, and she just had her first litter. on the other hand, we adopted a rabbit that was raised in the country. he broke his back running circles around his cage when he was frightened by an ice cream truck the first day he was at our rabbitry. he had no feeling in his legs and couldn ' t move them. sorrowfully, we had to put him to sleep. bunny cuts heal amazingly fast. clean the cut if it is dirty and apply neosporin or a similar ointment. use cat flea powder only. never flea dip a rabbit. they are very susceptible to poison. a flea dipped rabbit can die within minutes. flys lay eggs in the soiled area under a rabbits tail if he has diarrhea. within hours the eggs hatch and start to eat the rabbit alive. gross! within one day the skin can part and a huge hole is created in the rabbit. and it hurts! make an appointment with your vet asap, but before you go, print this out and bring it with you. if you cannot get an appointment right away, then follow this : emergency care if you cannot get to the vet : pick off the maggots and wash the area under water. go to your local feed store and buy ivermectin paste, a horse wormer. give the rabbit a q - tip sized bit of ivermectin in the mouth. rub ivermectin in the wound. dry the rabbit and keep him in the house. by the next day the maggots will have died and dropped dead into the bottom of the cage. if you caught it in time, the wound won ' t be too big. do not wait an extra day to deal with this! the hole will double and triple in size in the matter of hours. if it ' s small just put neosporin on it and keep them in the house ( for weeks ) until the wound closes. the vet may choose to stitch it. if


the hole will double and triple in size in the matter of hours. if it ' s small just put neosporin on it and keep them in the house ( for weeks ) until the wound closes. the vet may choose to stitch it. if the wound is large you ' ll need to wash his skin and fur out with a wound wash available from your vet or local pharmacists. keep the skin moist with a product that your pharmacist will recommend until the wound closes. i have used duct tape as an emergency butterfly bandage when needed. mitox or whatever your vet prescribes, works well. keep it on hand. completely disinfect the cage using diluted bleach ( do not use pinesol or other strong cleaners - - they are poisonous to rabbits ) and rinse thoroughly. do it again one week later, use cat flea powder for two weeks and wash all bedding when disinfecting the cage. ear mites or fur mites also may be responsible for excessive loss of fur. terramycin eye ointment is available at feed stores. wash the eye with warm water, and carefully trim wet fur around the eye. follow directions on terramycin ointment. oops! your bunny jumped and missed. check those teeth! top teeth should overlap the bottom. if one is missing or broken, check every day to be sure they are growing back in correctly. gentle pressure, after a week or so, can be applied three times a day to guide the tooth to the correct alignment. incorrectly aligned teeth can grow into the nose or into the mouth and prevent eating. misaligned teeth need to be trimmed frequently. your vet or groomer can teach you how to trim them. here is a video i made about trimming teeth : trimming a rabbits teeth - malocclusion video : 1 min, 48 sec. i am not a veterinarian. these suggestions are from my experience with rabbits, as well as from personal research and stories i have heard. i highly suggest you get several good books from the library and learn as much as you can about rabbits - - they are unique creatures. rabbits are a relatively new pet, so not much is known about their care. through publications like rabbits annual, i try to pass along helpful information about caring for your rabbit, but my word is not gospel. many people and organizations are attempting to fill the gaps so that our pets get the best of care. however, the responsibility for the care of your pet rests


[ antlr - interest ] what do. ( period ) and tokens mean in tree grammars? harald m. muller harald _ m _ mueller at gmx. de sat dec 29 14 : 16 : 13 pst 2007 sorry that i ask - but i did not find it on the wiki and not in the antlr book : what do. and tokens mean in tree grammars? afaik,. means " any complete subtree. " - although this seems not to work in some current builds, if i understood some email of yesterday correctly? question number two : does a single token also match a complete tree with this token at the root, or only a " childless tree " ( i. e. the token as a tree node alone )? question number three : what sort of lookahead is used over.? for example, would the following work - assume here that the subtrees can be arbitrarily large subconditions ( as is usual in expression trees ) : condition : ^ ( and. ^ ( not. ) ) - >... rewrite1... | ^ ( and.. ) - >... rewrite2... the intention of this is to rewrite an and tree which has as second child a tree with a not root to rewrite1 ; whereas all other trees are supposed to be rewritten as rewrite2. if antlr tree parsing works the way i assume it - namely the whole tree is flattened to a node sequence, on which " one - dimensional " parsing techniques ( even ll ( * ) ) are applied, then the not will be " too far " away even for an ll ( * ) analysis, because there will be recursively nested expressions on the way between the and and the not. however, if antlr goes for real " two - dimensional " parsing, or does some lookahead over arbitrarily large subtrees ( to the readily available " later " children! ) - which i would call " 1. 5 - dimensional lookahead computation / parsing ", then the above two patterns could be disambiguated. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - next part - - - - - - - - - - - - - - an html attachment was scrubbed... more information about the antlr - interest


our increasing dependence on machines for everyday activities has made them indispensable. therefore many - a - times, if not always, we all tend to go overboard with their usage. but we forget that everything comes at a cost and for this luxury we all have to pay electric bill. if facts are to be believed then every month a person spends almost one third of its salary paying up the bill. however, taking a few careful steps we all can reduce our monthly bills. to find out what they are, continue reading : 1. switch off the lights who says small deeds never pay, a simple habit of switching off lights whenever not required would surely go a long way in reducing your monthly bill. try it for a month and you would be surprised with the returns. 2. fridge management can save a lot fridge is one of the major appliances that consume the maximum energy. efficient handling of fridge can reduce that consumption by a lot. small task like checking that the door is properly closed with no gaps, setting the correct temp range for freezer and fridge and switching to second fridge if and only if ultimately required are the steps that one needs to keep in mind. 3. using energy saver bulbs switching to energy saver bulbs is economical for both long and short term. these bulbs being very energy efficient consume less power but lighten up the room well. also they have a long life because of which one need not worry about changing bulb regularly. 4. controlling gadget use just by switching off the power button on your gadget does not mean that it is not taking up electricity. neither is removing your phone charger from the phone. all the gadgets tend to use electricity as long as they are connected to the socket. however by plugging the plug or switching off the main electric socket can ensure that no electricity is being wasted. 5. keeping doors and windows closed whether one is heating or cooling the room constant opening and closing of doors should be avoided since it leads to additional strain on the thermostat or ac. also while leaving the room the doors should be closed so that the heating or cooling effect remains. 6. cold water washing using cold water for washing clothes and also while washing dishes can help save up to $ 115 dollars per year. also using the washing machine and dishwasher only when they are fully loaded can help increase this saving. 7. smart meter installing a smart meter in the house is not only a smart move ( economically ) but it also helps to keep track of your energy usage. you can even


nature offers ample of opportunities to capture the patterns. patterns contribute to a composition aesthetically. human beings aren ’ t usually accustomed to these patterns and arrangements in their day - to - day lives ; and when these arrangements are presented graphically with blend of colors, shades, tones and heightened effects of lines, curves and textures ; they naturally draw the human eye. patterns are integral element of capturing interesting photographs. they can implicitly be portrayed as the subject itself or can complement the subject as well. here are 10 tips to compliment your compositions with gorgeous patterns. anything which repeats itself forms pattern. you can observe patterns in each and every aspect of nature — from clump of trees standing at the countryside to the rowing hills and mountains and from man - made landscapes to the skins and textures of flora & fauna. even a small number of repetitions gain focus ; as the number of repetitions grows it creates an illusionary effect. capturing the textures of the objects being photographed adds a tactual aspect to it. all types of textures, be it smooth, soft, harsh or rough, generate interesting patterns when observed carefully. you can observe textures on the surface of plants, barks of trees, old and ruined architectures and so. consider light as the major factor while portraying textures as the subject. use harsh and hard light to bring about the effect of rough and irregular surfaces and prefer to capture regular and smooth textures in soft light. symmetry can be adjudged as the essence of patterns. it can make or break the photographic composition. symmetry offers organized and well balanced proportions to an image and thus heightens the sense of perfect synchronization among the elements present in the scene. include lines and curves the arrangement of multiple lines and curves on the frames lead the viewer ’ s eye to your center of interest. these lines and curves offer an additional dimension to the otherwise plain looking 2 - d image. the vertical lines emphasize the depth and draws the eye upward whereas the horizontal lines lead your eyes into the photograph to the center of focus. when you are portraying patterns as the subject, try to fill the entire frame with the patterns to emphasize its effect. exclude the background clutter ; zoom - in the lines, curves or textures and isolate them from the rest of the scene. consider using a telephoto lens or crop the final image to highlight the final result — the patterns. depict varying tones repetitions at times can be monotonous. introduce attractiveness to your captures by playing with the effects of lights and shadows. some patterns are


##ephoto lens or crop the final image to highlight the final result — the patterns. depict varying tones repetitions at times can be monotonous. introduce attractiveness to your captures by playing with the effects of lights and shadows. some patterns are at their best when the bright light falls on them ; with some of the areas getting highlighted with the soft and subtle shades while some areas immersing in the brighter tones. try to portray contrasting colors to bring about the mesmerizing effect. try to focus on the patterns and fill the entire frame with zoomed - in patterns — leaving behind the cluttered background and defining edges to give an impression of infinite repetitions. the cropped images are devoid of distractions and thus hold viewers attention. highlight one and blur the rest to break the monotony of patterns you can always try something creative and interesting. when capturing crop fields ( or floral fields ), try to focus on one of the flowers and blur the rest of the cluster to add your perspective to the frame. this way you can represent the voluminous aspect of the patterns merged with close - up view — a perfect way to exaggerate the distinction of one instance from rest of cluster. to capture the patterns you need to exercise some of the tips of macro photography. take the close - ups and zoom - in your subject to bring out beholding patterns and textures. a zoomed - in frame ultimately catches the eye to the things which remain unnoticed in our day - to - day lives. observe carefully and discover the patterns around you. have an imaginative and creative outlook to the world around you. notice the minute details attached to the subject or otherwise. you can creatively capture lined up pillars and trees, patterned windows of a huge office building, scattered clouds, textured ground and walls around you or drifting sands, delicate skins of flowers and elegant texture of leaves — to highlight the patterns. do you use patterns to make your composition more interesting?


sickle cell anemia is a blood disease that causes abnormal red blood cells. africans, african americans, and east indians have a high risk of the disease. this is also true for people from the mediterranean ( italian or greek ), middle east, caribbean, and central or south america. in the us, 1 of every 12 african - american newborns carries the sickle cell trait in his or her genes. about 1 of every 500 african american newborns has this lifelong disease. sickle cell anemia is inherited. if a baby ' s parents have the disease or both are carriers, the baby may inherit the sickle cell genes. if a child inherits a sickle cell gene from each parent, the child has 2 genes and will have sickle cell anemia. if the child inherits the gene from just one parent, the child will not have the disease. however, he or she is a carrier and could pass the gene to his or her children. the red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. a chemical in the red blood cells called hemoglobin helps the cells carry oxygen. if you have sickle cell anemia, most of your red blood cells have an abnormal type of hemoglobin called hemoglobin s. the abnormal hemoglobin can change the shape of the red blood cells. instead of being soft and round, the cells are a stiff crescent ( sickle ) shape. this shape makes it harder for the cells to pass through small blood vessels. the cells can get stuck in blood vessels and block the flow of blood and oxygen to parts of the body. the lack of oxygen can damage the body tissues. it can also cause severe pain and fever. the abnormal blood cells are fragile and have a much shorter life than normal red blood cells. your body may not be able to make new red blood cells fast enough. this can cause a shortage of red blood cells. the shortage of red blood cells is called anemia. sickle cell anemia is one of 3 common types of sickle cell disease in the us. the other 2 types are called hemoglobin sc disease and sickle thalassemia. the 3 conditions differ in the types and amounts of abnormal hemoglobin in the blood. babies are born with a kind of hemoglobin that protects the red blood cells from sickling. around 4 to 5 months old, this hemoglobin is replaced by " adult " hemoglobin and the cells start to


blood. babies are born with a kind of hemoglobin that protects the red blood cells from sickling. around 4 to 5 months old, this hemoglobin is replaced by " adult " hemoglobin and the cells start to sickle. after 4 months of age, symptoms are often brought on by an infection. the symptoms may include : toddlers and children may have frequent pain with or without any other signs of illness. most children and adults with sickle cell anemia have times when they have symptoms and times when they do not have symptoms. crises are the times when abnormal red blood cells block the flow of blood, causing symptoms. the most common symptom of a sickle cell crisis is pain. the pain is usually felt in the part of the body where the sickling cells are blocking blood flow. crises may start suddenly and last from a few days to several weeks. times when you have no symptoms are called remissions. sickle cell anemia can cause your skin to look pale as the anemia worsens. the paleness may be most obvious on the inside of your eyelids, under fingernails, and in the creases of the palms of your hands. your skin may also turn yellow ( become jaundiced ). one of the life - threatening complications of sickle cell anemia can be anemia that is sudden and severe. a severe shortage of normal red blood cells may cause weakness, shortness of breath, or even heart failure. the symptoms of shock caused by heart failure are low blood pressure, rapid pulse, and decreasing consciousness. in the us, sickle cell anemia is usually diagnosed at birth after an abnormal result from a newborn screening test. another blood test called hemoglobin electrophoresis is then done for final diagnosis. this test can also find people who carry the gene for sickle cell anemia. if sickle cell anemia is suspected in someone who did not have a newborn screen, a blood test called a complete blood count ( cbc ) may be done. the cbc looks for anemia and sickle - shaped red blood cells. then a hemoglobin electrophoresis test may be done. sickle cell anemia can be diagnosed before birth with dna testing of a baby ' s cells. the cells can be obtained with amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling during pregnancy. if you have a sickle cell crisis, you will be given iv fluids and pain medicine. you will need to rest. if


' s cells. the cells can be obtained with amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling during pregnancy. if you have a sickle cell crisis, you will be given iv fluids and pain medicine. you will need to rest. if too many red blood cells are destroyed during the crisis, you may need a blood transfusion. hydroxyurea is a medicine that may be used to try to prevent sickle cell crisis. taken daily, it decreases how often you have crises. it can also shorten how long each crisis lasts. it is still being studied, especially to see if there are any long - term side effects. researchers are looking for other medicines that may treat the symptoms of sickle cell anemia. they are also studying bone marrow and stem cell transplants and other techniques as possible ways to cure sickle cell disease because abnormal red blood cells are circulating throughout your body, problems can occur in any part of your body. possible problems are : high blood pressure in the lungs is a common complication of sickle cell anemia. this problem is called pulmonary hypertension. it can cause trouble breathing and heart damage. acute chest syndrome is another possible problem. acute chest syndrome happens when there is sickling of red blood cells in the lungs. the usual symptoms are fever and chest pain and sometimes shortness of breath. like infections and stroke, it can be life threatening and needs medical care right away. if you have sickle cell anemia, it is very important for you to have a healthcare provider who is familiar with sickle cell disease — someone who knows how to treat it and how to prevent complications. you should see your provider regularly. you need to develop a good working relationship with your provider to learn how to care for yourself at home. you also need to learn which symptoms need medical care right away. people with sickle cell anemia are more likely to have serious infections, ranging from flu to pneumonia. prevention of infections is an important part of the treatment because they can cause a sickle cell crisis. to help prevent infections you should check with your provider to : one of the most important things to do for children under the age of 5 is to give your child antibiotics every day to prevent infection. pneumonia and other infections caused by bacteria can be deadly to a child with sickle cell disease. it also helps to keep your child away from people who have infections and to teach your child to wash his or her hands often. to try to prevent sickle cell crises, avoid conditions that lower the blood oxygen


a child with sickle cell disease. it also helps to keep your child away from people who have infections and to teach your child to wash his or her hands often. to try to prevent sickle cell crises, avoid conditions that lower the blood oxygen, such as : also try to avoid dehydration. a loss of too much fluid from your body can cause sickling. for more information, contact : sickle cell disease association of america phone : ( 800 ) 421 - 8453 web site : http : / / www. sicklecelldisease. org. sickle cell information center phone : ( 404 ) 616 - 3572 web site : http : / / scinfo. org / because sickle cell anemia is inherited, it can be prevented if couples who each carry the sickle cell trait gene do not have children. screening tests can show if you are a carrier. when both parents are carriers, each child has a 25 % risk of having sickle cell anemia and a 50 % risk of being a carrier. if you are thinking about having a child and have sickle cell anemia or are a carrier, it is a good idea to seek genetic counseling. if you are african american or a member of one of the other racial or ethnic groups where the gene is common and don ’ t know if you are a carrier or not, you and your partner should consider being tested if you are thinking of having children.


comet ison will light up the sky this interplanetary visitor may be the brightest comet ever. september 25, 2012 about a year from now, comet c / 2012 s1 ( ison ) probably will become the brightest comet anyone alive has ever seen. how bright it could get is currently the subject of vigorous discussion among planetary scientists and everyday comet - watchers. comet c / 2012 s1 ( ison ) appears as a faint blob in this image taken at the remote astronomical society observatory near mayhill, new mexico. / / credit : e. guido, g. sostero, and n. howes two astronomers, vitali nevski from vitebsk, belarus, and artyom novichonok from kondopoga, russia, discovered the comet on images they obtained september 21. they used the 16 - inch ( 0. 4 - meter ) santel reflector of the international scientific optical network, whose abbreviation — ison — is now the comet c / 2012 s1 ’ s common name. when the two scientists found the comet, it glowed weakly at magnitude 18. 8. as a comparison, it would take the light from more than 100, 000 such comets to equal the faintest star visible to the naked eye from a dark site. according to predictions, the comet will approach to within 0. 012 astronomical units ( 1. 1 million miles [ 1. 8 million kilometers ] ) of the sun at the end of november 2013. one astronomical unit ( au ) equals the average distance between the sun and earth, about 93 million miles ( 149. 7 million km ). then, in january 2014, the comet will approach to within 0. 4 au ( 37. 2 million miles [ 59. 9 million km ] ) of earth. regarding visibility, comet ison — currently 6. 5° due east of the 1st - magnitude star pollux in gemini the twins — is now bright enough for amateur astronomers with large telescopes to image. that said, the comet itself will not show much in the way of detail for several months. by late summer 2013, observers at dark locations should be able to spot the comet through small telescopes or possibly even binoculars. and sometime in late october or early november, c / 2012 s1 should cross the naked - eye visibility threshold. from there, it may reach — or even exceed — the brightness of the full moon. currently, comet ison glows around 18th magnitude in front of the stars of cancer the crab. in the second week of


the naked - eye visibility threshold. from there, it may reach — or even exceed — the brightness of the full moon. currently, comet ison glows around 18th magnitude in front of the stars of cancer the crab. in the second week of december, it will enter gemini the twins. astronomy : richard talcott and roen kelly when the comet is closest to the sun ( a moment astronomers call perihelion ), it may shine a dozen times as brightly as venus, normally the brightest “ starlike ” object in the sky. unfortunately, on that date it will lie only 4. 4° north of our daytime star, and the sun ’ s glare may hide it from the view of casual observers. immediately after reaching perihelion, comet ison heads north. and while the comet fades as its distance from the sun increases, it still should be as bright as venus, but with a spectacular tail. its position will allow observers all over earth to see it, but those in the northern hemisphere will get the better views as christmas approaches. in fact, on january 8, 2014, the comet will lie only 2° from polaris — the north star. astronomy will cover earth ’ s encounter with comet c / 2012 s1 ( ison ) in great detail in the coming year. stay tuned!


" keep an open mind – but not so open that your brain falls out " - unknown " extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. " - - carl sagan " what can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. " - - christopher hitchens what is a logical fallacy? all arguments have the same basic structure : a therefore b. they begin with one or more premises ( a ), which is a fact or assumption upon which the argument is based. they then apply a logical principle ( therefore ) to arrive at a conclusion ( b ). an example of a logical principle is that of equivalence. for example, if you begin with the premises that a = b and b = c, you can apply the logical principle of equivalence to conclude that a = c. a logical fallacy is a false or incorrect logical principle. an argument that is based upon a logical fallacy is therefore not valid. it is important to note that if the logic of an argument is valid then the conclusion must also be valid, which means that if the premises are all true then the conclusion must also be true. valid logic applied to one or more false premises, however, leads to an invalid argument. also, if an argument is not valid the conclusion may, by chance, still be true. for a more thorough discussion of logical fallacies and how to structure a logical argument, see the new england skeptical society ' s article, how to argue. top 20 logical fallacies ( in alphabetical order ) taken from - " the most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not " eureka! " ( i found it! ) but that ' s funny... " - isaac asimov the scientific world view is full of awe and wonder. understanding how truly awesome the universe is – in its elegant complexity, its staggering beauty, and the many intricate systems of which it is comprised – gives a profound feeling of connectedness and sparks the imagination. and it has the advantage of being real. - steven novella the glory which is built upon a lie soon becomes a most unpleasant incumbrance. how easy it is to make people believe a lie, and how hard it is to undo that work again. — mark twain " i wish the rcc would reform itself along with the main branch of the lds church, the sda ' s and the jw ' s ( they desperately need reform, none of the eighty something splinter groups can be called liberal in all actuality ). … " " i ' m


severe ozone air pollution in the persian gulf region 1energy, environment and water research centre, the cyprus institute, 20 kavafi street, 1645 nicosia, cyprus 2max planck institute for chemistry, becherweg 27, 55128 mainz, germany 3observatoire midi - pyrenees, cnrs – laboratoire d ' aerologie, 14 avenue e. belin, 31400 toulouse, france abstract. recently it was discovered that over the middle east during summer ozone mixing ratios can reach a pronounced maximum in the middle troposphere. here we extend the analysis to the surface and show that especially in the persian gulf region conditions are highly favorable for ozone air pollution. we apply the emac atmospheric chemistry - climate model to investigate long - distance transport and the regional formation of ozone. further, we make use of available in situ and satellite measurements and compare these with model output. the results indicate that the region is a hot spot of photochemical smog where european union air quality standards are violated throughout the year. long - distance transports of air pollution from europe and the middle east, natural emissions and stratospheric ozone conspire to bring about relatively high background ozone mixing ratios. this provides a hotbed to strong and growing indigenous air pollution in the dry local climate, and these conditions are likely to get worse in the future.


the tragedy of the missing at fromelles resonates once more 90 years after the battle. in june 2008 a further search for bodies began. it was initiated by a melbourne school - teacher, lambis englezos. he was one in a group who became increasingly convinced that there were australian and british bodies that had been buried by the germans in mass graves who had not been recovered and re - interred after the war. such claims needed to be backed up by careful research and this took some years to complete. it was hard to imagine how a large number of casualties could have been missed during post - war searches. however, englezos eventually compiled such a weight of evidence that an official investigation was launched. it was known that the germans had conducted mass burials of allied troops after the battle of fromelles. they had been thorough, recording the names of those they buried and usually gathering their identity disc. through international resources, including the red cross, many families eventually received advice that their soldier son, husband or brother had been killed and buried by the germans. although there could be no expectation that after the war these bodies would be identified, it was presumed that they had been recovered from the burial pits and placed in british commonwealth war graves under headstones bearing no names. there are many such burials in the war cemeteries around fromelles. arising from englezos ' s research it became the australian army ' s task to investigate a series of burial pits at pheasant ' s wood close to fromelles to see if bodies might still be there. wartime aerial photographs revealed that a series of large pits had been dug there. the germans records suggested that there could be at least 170 australians and a greater number of british troops in them. digging, by skilled archaeologists, commenced. everyone involved was determined that the utmost dignity and respect be applied to the task. by the time the initial work was completed on friday 13 june it had been clearly established that the pits did contain bodies. the discovery of the burials so long after the events of 1916 aroused wide interest and once again brought the battle of fromelles to the forefront of public attention. experts will now gather to discuss what further steps should be taken and how these men will be commemorated. there is an australian department of defence media release from the 31 july about the decision to have the remains of the world war 1 soldiers - buried in mass graves near fromelles in 1916 - exhumed and given individual burials with military honours.