hops is native to a great part of the northern half of the world, customarily located in northern european, west central asian, and north american regions. the earliest reported case of growing hops was in central europe in 736, with the ensuing centuries seeing hops grown extensively in bavarian, bohemian and slovenian regions, and later in england. hops was first cultivated in north america in 1629 ; cultivation began in japan, china and korea in the 1860s. hops is produced in many different regions these days, but roughly three quarters of all hops originates from germany, north america, and china. traits and properties : the most widely recognized use of hops is to flavor beer, leading to its significance globally as a commercial agriculture product. while hops is a comparatively minimal component of beer, quantity - wise, it is a significant one since it imparts the unique bitter taste of beer, a property possessed uniquely by hops. initially, hops was utilized in making beer since it not only imparts taste, but acts to naturally preserve beer, keeping it from turning sour and increasing its shelf life dramatically. this permitted beer to be shipped a long way, instead of having to be used near the brewery, allowing brewers to greatly expand operations. the earliest reported use of hops for medicinal purposes was by ancient egyptians and babylonians who were convinced it safeguarded against leprosy and plague. european medicinal use of hops goes as far back as its ninth century use to treat ' melancholy ', acquiring the name vermifuge and effective for eradicating parasites. when the twelth century rolled in hops were recognized as an aperitif, a depurative, and a laxative and was applauded for its properties of sedating and relaxing. later this was used as a treatment for people with liver problems and any general digestive complaints. on the north american continent, hops was widely utilized in native remedies, especially among cherokee people who used it to treat rheumatism, swelling, pain, breast and female reproductive organ issues, kidney stones, and so on. in traditional chinese medicine, hops is used for all sorts of different ailments like sleeplessness, restlessness, and for bad cramps ; it is also used to treat lack of appetite. chinese lab research has documented effective results with hops for treating conditions of tb, leprosy, bacillary dysentery, silicosis as well as asbestosis. the ayurvedic ph


to treat lack of appetite. chinese lab research has documented effective results with hops for treating conditions of tb, leprosy, bacillary dysentery, silicosis as well as asbestosis. the ayurvedic pharmacopoeia of india suggests the use of hops for anxiousness related to nervous stress, headache, and poor digestion, reporting it works primarily for sedation, hypnosis, and fighting bacteria. nowadays, hops is used most often for its relaxing effect on nerves, and its properties of sedation to improve sleep habits. positive effects on the female endocrine system have been noted, specifically in europe, from hops. there is a high content of flavonoids, which is a form of phytoestrogens, and this has become a very common ingredient for natural breast enhancements. clinical studies have shown that consumption of hops alone promotes breast development. in fact, beer which has a high hop content, has even been touted by some doctors as being a breast enhancer if consumed in large quantities. yet other contemporary uses for hops are to treat ibs and premature ejaculation, along with its characteristics as a diuretic to help those retaining water or suffering excessive uric acid. hops tea is apparently a wonderful remedy for delirium tremens, and you can add honey to it to ease the symptoms of bronchitis. in order to reduce the pain due to the inflammation of abscesses, boils, swellings, and neuralgic and rheumatic complaints including easing skin infections, eczema, herpes, and ulcers, hops tea is used as an external application in the form of a poultice. dried hops has long been sewn into pillows to combat insomnia and nightmares. hops is used in shampoos to treat dandruff and oiliness due to its anti - septic and sebhorrheic traits, and has lately been considered beneficial for growing and conditioning hair and scalp, leading to its use in a lot of hair growth items. hops is actually good for the skin in general as it stimulates the cutaneous metabolism, so you ' ll often find it listed as an ingredient in toiletries and cosmetics. natural breast enhancement without surgery


email : email @ example. com pinguicula can be found in north, central and south america, in greenland, in most parts of europe, at the very north - western tip of africa and in some scattered areas in asia. they are not present in many parts of asia, the middle east, most parts of africa and southern asia including oceania. the two main centres of diversity are found in central america / caribbean and in europe. north and east siberia as well as far north east asia are home to a small group of species which are either endemic ( p. algida, p. ramose and p. variegata ) or widespread ( p. villosa, p. alpina, p. macroceras and p. vulgaris ). the himalaya in southern asia is also hosting p. alpina. large stretches of land in canada and the north eastern and western coats of the usa are colonised by 3 species that can also be found in europe or asia ( p. vulgaris, p. villosa and p. macroceras ). the south eastern tip of the usa is also host to a group of related and endemic species. a few additional and endemic species are scattered on the slopes of the andes mountains of south america from columbia to terra del fuego in argentina. even though pinguicula can be found on many continents, most species have very restricted distribution ranges and can actually exist as just a few isolated colonies. on the same way, plant density may be high on a limited surface of land but individual colonies may be separated by large distances. few species make exception to this rule. p. vulgaris has the largest distribution range, covering most of northern america, greenland, iceland, many parts of europe and north western russia. a closely related species, p. macroceras, covers the coats of north eastern asia and north western america. p. villosa can be found on most of the arctic circle ( except in western canada ). finally p. alpina can be found in several parts of europe, the himalaya, north western russia and northern siberia. species with mid - size distribution ranges include p. lusitanica and p. grandiflora in western europe. most pinguicula species originate from cold to very cold habitats at high latitudes or altitudes. only the south eastern usa and caribbean species live under warm climatic conditions. p. lusitanica on the western coast of europe, p. crystallina on the northern part of the mediterranean


cold to very cold habitats at high latitudes or altitudes. only the south eastern usa and caribbean species live under warm climatic conditions. p. lusitanica on the western coast of europe, p. crystallina on the northern part of the mediterranean ocean and some mexican species will be intermediate in their temperature requirements since they will need non - freezing winters and will appreciate warmer conditions during the summer. the only climatic conditions that are common to all pinguicula are a very humid air, air temperatures that do not change too fast and a very wet soil during their growing season ( often with flowing rather than standing water ). most pinguicula will be found growing in calcareous and rocky soils. however, some species are found in acidic bogs ( p. lusitanica, p. corsica ), some in sphagnum moss ( p. villosa ) and some on tree branches ( p. casabitoana, p. lignicola ). previously published groupings of pinguicula species distinguished species on their ability to form an hibernaculum in the winter ( temperate versus tropical types ). the species of each type were subsequently divided into two subgroups on their ability to produce different leaves early in the spring and in the summer ( homophyllous versus heterophyllous ). recent genetic studies do not totally support such views. nevertheless, such clustering of species translates well into individual growing requirements. the rosette of temperate species ( homophyllous and heterophyllous ) reduces to a tight bud made of scale - like non - carnivorous leaves in the winter. such buds bear no roots with the exception of p. alpina ( asian species still need to be examined for this criterion ). they should all be kept near or below freezing temperatures as long as they are formed. they indeed need to stay cold for a certain time before being able to sprout in response to higher temperatures. they are also sensitive to rotting if in contact with a non - frozen damp organic substrate. tropical species can either form carnivorous leaves all year long ( homophyllous group ) or develop a more or less compact winter bud made of succulent, non - carnivorous leaves ( heterophyllous group ). most tropical homophyllous species experience cold, even near, or periodically below freezing, temperatures in the winter. however, such cold periods do not last long and are quickly replaced by warmer conditions. rosette sizes rarely diminish during such times. growth


homophyllous species experience cold, even near, or periodically below freezing, temperatures in the winter. however, such cold periods do not last long and are quickly replaced by warmer conditions. rosette sizes rarely diminish during such times. growth may simply cease to resume as soon as temperatures warm up. plants keep their roots all through the winter season and need to be kept wet all year long. prolonged near - freezing conditions never result in healthy individuals. tropical heterophyllous species only form carnivorous leaves in the warm seasons. in the winter, they form more or less tight hibernacula made of succulent leaves. winter hibernacula contain few or no root. they are very sensitive to rotting and should be kept dry until they resume growth. they should also be kept cold ( below 10°c ) and can stand below freezing temperatures is their substrate is totally dry. carnivorous pinguicula leaves exhibit many tiny glands on their surface to glue, digest and eat insects and plant debris that are small enough not to escape. after catching a prey, the leaf rolls slowly around its catch to form a bowl below it or increase contact. pinguicula leaves harbour 2 types of glands : pedunculate glands that bear a drop of mucilaginous secretion ( these are the tiny ones we see on the surface of the leaves and that generate rainbows when the sun shines on them ), and sessile glands that lay flush on the leaf surface. the peduncles are made of only one cell and are therefore very small. the sessile glands do not generate large enough bodies of liquids to be seen by the human eye. for most species, the glands are only present on the upper surface of the leaves. but, in a few examples, they can be found on both sides of the leaves ( p. gigantea, p. longifolia subsp longifolia ). in that later case, the leaves are permanently erect or hanging in the air to prevent contact of the carnivorous underside of the leaves with the substrate. the density of glands on a leaf surface is purely related to the species and not to the state of feeding of the plant. the pedunculate glands are involved in mucilage production ( to glue preys ). they secrete few digestives enzymes that are mostly produced by the non - mucilaginous sessile glands. upon prey capture, the movement of the prey will trigger a large secretion of fluid from the peduncula


epiphany can be defined as the sudden realization of the essence or meaning of something, as well as the understanding of the truth of certain situations or one ’ s life as a whole. in death in venice, gustav von auschenbach ’ s recognition of his love for and obsession with tadzio is a kind of epiphany that, while not exactly beneficial or positive marks a point in which the character experience complete clarity and begins to express honesty about his previously rejected desires. gustav von auschenbach, having led a life of dedication to his craft, prides himself on disciplined perfectionism and dignity. his life up to the point at which the novel takes place has been largely uneventful. many ominous occurrences help to illustrate gustav ’ s state of mind at the story ’ s opening. his exchange with a strange gondola rower who turns out to be a criminal, as well as his sighting of a disturbing old man dressed to look youthful are both v aguely perilous encounters which serve to establish gustav ’ s uneasiness. upon discovering tadzio, gustav slowly allows his principles and dignity to erode as his obsession expands. tadzio seems to tap into the lifelong desires that gustav has repressed in the interest of being fully committed to his work. the end result of this obsession, however, is the writer ’ s death. while not necessarily in the dark before this epiphany, von auschenbach was certainly very repressed. after feeling a vague need for a vacation, he travels to venice completely unaware of what waits for him. the obsession is something that, given his principles, is extremely hard to verbalize. however, when he finally declares, “ i love you, ” it is clear that he has accepted the truth about his feelings and desires. though neither overtly religious or spiritual, von auschenbach ’ s epiphany marks a change in his profound change in his state of mind and worldview and could therefore be seen as spiritual. this epiphany was solely brought on by the travel experience, before which von auschenbach had lived a stable and principled life. his deeply ingrained longings were awakened through his trip to venice and his sighting of tadzio. while von auschenbach ’ s venetian experience led him to a greater freedom and honesty, which is not to be ignored, his travels ultimately resulted in his mental torture and death. epiphany is not always positive, as indicated by death in venice. discovery, especially self - discovery


experience led him to a greater freedom and honesty, which is not to be ignored, his travels ultimately resulted in his mental torture and death. epiphany is not always positive, as indicated by death in venice. discovery, especially self - discovery, can be quite painful and sometimes thoroughly detrimental. gustav von auschenbach, having lived a monotonous and increasingly stagnant life was unable to process the hard truths of his dangerous desires, considering them foreign, unpleasant, and sinful ; his inability to ever speak or reach out to tadzio being proof of this. while it was certainly a moment of complete honesty, von auschenbach ’ s revelation and declaration of his love led him to further introversion. the downward spiral that began with the first time he laid eyes on the young boy grew from a preoccupation to a complete obsession leaving him unable to focus on anything else and changing his worldview and philosophy to suit his festering desires. this epiphany of his uncontrollable lust led to his bizarre death but allowed him to gain a deeper knowledge of himself. in the biography of naguib mahfouz it is mentioned that the 1919 revolution in egypt greatly affected the author. while mahfouz wrote a novel more directly related to the revolution ( palace walk ) elements of revolution can be seen in the journey of ibn fattouma. ibn fattouma sets out on his journey to find gebel, a promise land of sorts. he makes his way through different societies along the way, and encounters many different lifestyles. he flees his home city because of the corruption that exists there, but as he travels through the different lands, he finds that problems exist in all societies. the idea of revolution can easily be seen in the first place fattouma settles, mashriq. the whole society is based on a free love, free thought foundation, a stark contrast to more rigid societies. even though this culture is open and free spirited, it is not without rules and regulations, and fattouma rebels against these guidelines by trying to raise his family in the ways of islam. the other lands reflect revolution through their insistence on upholding freedoms and security, and in the final land that he enters, the importance of self awareness. the majority of ibn fattouma ’ s resistance is passive, relating directly to the egyptian revolution, which was a non - violent effort to stop the british occupation of the country. the interesting aspect of the story lies in the final pages when ibn fattou


majority of ibn fattouma ’ s resistance is passive, relating directly to the egyptian revolution, which was a non - violent effort to stop the british occupation of the country. the interesting aspect of the story lies in the final pages when ibn fattouma finally catches a glimpse of the land of gebel and the book ’ s ending before we learn about the secrets the place may hold. gebel is ibn fattouma ’ s chance to create a better existence for the people in his homeland. he travels for years in order to find this elusive land, and we never find out if he finds what he ’ s looking for. people travel to see new places and things and gain new experiences that will help them change their view of the palce they call home. fattouma travels for exactly this reason, to find something in a distant land that will change the place he came from. as readers we don ’ t see the final leg of his journey because this secret that he seeks is unattainable. there is no one secret to perfection in life, and we do not see gebel because ibn fattouma has already learned what he needs to know to make his homeland a better place. through his travels he has learned to accept other cultures and is able to embrace their strengths and weaknesses. it is the skill, not the instant life perfection supposedly housed in gebel, that will potentially help him make his home a better place. i really like ian mcewan ’ s novels. before reading the comfort of strangers i had read atonement, and found both to be interesting and engaging. mcewan ’ s stories are often dark and sinister, turning everyday moments into tragic events. there is something about the way he describes chaos and violence that is almost poetic, however disturbing the situation might be. as i began reading the comfort of strangers, i was instantly drawn in by mcewan ’ s style, but i was waiting to stumble across the story - altering twist, the piece of information that would drastically change the meaning of everything before it. with twelve pages left in the book, the twist came on page 115 when caroline shows mary the wall of pictures of colin. i ’ m not usually the type of person to yell at the characters in horror movies or books, i don ’ t usually tell them to leave the dark, scary basement, but mcewan made me care about colin and mary, and as mary saw the pictures on the wall, i wanted her to run as fast as she could away from the crazy woman


’ t usually tell them to leave the dark, scary basement, but mcewan made me care about colin and mary, and as mary saw the pictures on the wall, i wanted her to run as fast as she could away from the crazy woman next to her. even though i had expected things to go badly for colin and mary, when everything went downhill i wasn ’ t expecting how horribly wrong it would become. i was expecting some sort of confrontation between robert, caroline and colin, but i was not expecting it to end in death, or at least not death in such a gruesome manner. colin ’ s murder removes any of the romanticism that sometimes accompanies death in fiction ; there are no dramatic final words, no tearful goodbyes. because the story shifts to mary ’ s perspective, we drift in and out of consciousness with her and miss colin ’ s final breath, making his death even more sinister. i think mcewan ’ s main accomplishment in the comfort of strangers is the message he presents regarding the dangers of travel. his characters go off to italy to rediscover the strength in their relationship, and instead find themselves facing down death. it is this idea, that any traveler at any time in any place could easily fall victim to a dark and sinister death at the hands of someone more familiar with their surroundings that adds a truly chilling overtone to the entire story. anyone could take a wrong turn and end up in a dark alley with an unsavory character, but that ’ s not exactly highlighted in any of the travel brochures that promise fun times and beautiful scenery. colin and mary wanted an authentic experience so much that they were unable to see the danger their new authentic acquaintances represented. i took a trip to england once. i had always wanted to travel there, and i had finally gotten my chance with a trip through school. i was very excited, ready to see all the sights and hear all the british accents. without actually visiting, i had decided that england was my favorite country, though i couldn ’ t tell you why. perhaps it was something about the way the rolling hills looked in pictures of the english countryside, although it could just as easily been the funny hats the queen ’ s guards wear, i was always intrigued by the little things. in any case i had never been so excited for a trip in my life. after a plane ride that seemed to take forever we landed at heathrow airport in london. we stumbled out of the terminal and onto our little bus, perfect


little things. in any case i had never been so excited for a trip in my life. after a plane ride that seemed to take forever we landed at heathrow airport in london. we stumbled out of the terminal and onto our little bus, perfect for our group of ten people. i ’ m not sure how long it took, be we ended up in the tiny town of frome. our hotel was small, but the sliding door in my room opened onto the lawn overlooking a perfect set of rolling english hills. we spent the next ten days taking day trips on our bikes to all sorts of beautiful and exciting places like stonehenge and the historic bathhouses in bath. we saw caves and monuments and lots of rolling hills. i actually spent some time getting very lost on one of those hills, surrounded by tall grass and sheep. all these experiences were enjoyable and interesting, but they weren ’ t as life altering as i had wanted them to be. about halfway through the trip we spent a day off schedule. this was the first day that we didn ’ t have every moment planned out, and it turned out to be the most interesting. our bike trip for the day took us to a beach. it was july, but the air was cool and the water was cooler and the beach was deserted. instead of sand the entire beach was made up of smooth, beautiful rocks and pebbles. we spent about two hours just having fun, running around over the shining rocks, trying to skip stones and some of us even dared to brave the chilling water. it was on that rocky beach that i began to feel like this trip was going to be something unbelievably important in my life. there was something about sitting on the smooth rocks, staring out to the horizon that spoke to me better than a guided tour of stonehenge ever could. i can ’ t say exactly why that moment was so important to me, but it was the moment my trip really began. i sat on that beach and stared out at the ocean, thinking that if only i could see far enough, i could see america, i could see the east coast that i called home. to be fair if i had seen any big mass of land it most likely would have been ireland, but the idea of seeing my home from a completely different angle was fascinating to me. we left the beach, but i took a part of it with me, using the feeling of looking at things in different ways to enhance the rest of my trip. i ’ ll never forget the feel of


a completely different angle was fascinating to me. we left the beach, but i took a part of it with me, using the feeling of looking at things in different ways to enhance the rest of my trip. i ’ ll never forget the feel of those wet rocks beneath my bare feet, and i ’ ll never forget how my trip to england forever changed the way i travel. while many of the novels we read had elements of epiphany, there were a few that stood out the most. i think that the epiphany in sputnik sweetheart is perhaps the most unique epiphany that we read about. when sumire realizes that in order to be happy with miu, she has to seek out a part of miu that no longer exists in their current reality. in many ways this relates directly to why most people travel in the first place. in many cases, travel is a tool for discovering another part of or way of life that is not evident in one ’ s everyday life. people travel to escape the banality of the day - to - day, and they go searching for something more. in comfort of strangers for example, colin and mary go to italy to search for a new strength that will help them improve their relationship. they too, embark into an alternate type of reality, a reality parallel to their own that is only accessible to them because they are traveling. the realization that sumire comes to is life altering, not only for sumire, but for miu and the narrator as well. by seeking out something completely different and leaving behind everything she knows, sumire leaves the people she cares about in the dark. they are greatly affected by her departure and go to great lengths trying to find her. the question is, was sumire ’ s epiphany a good thing or a bad thing? because we don ’ t follow sumire on her journey, we aren ’ t really aware if she found what she was looking for, but we do see the damage her disappearance does in the lives of miu and especially the narrator. in the comfort of strangers, colin and mary experienced a moment that seems to help them realize a goal of their trip. much of this class has been based around the idea of finding the authentic experience through travel. while in the bar with robert, colin and mary “ began to experience the pleasure, unique to tourists, of finding themselves in a place without tourists, of making a discovery, finding somewhere real … they in turn asked the serious, intent questions of tourists


while in the bar with robert, colin and mary “ began to experience the pleasure, unique to tourists, of finding themselves in a place without tourists, of making a discovery, finding somewhere real … they in turn asked the serious, intent questions of tourists gratified to be talking at last to an authentic citizen. ” ( mcewan, 29 ) they manage to find a small sliver of authenticity amid the normal tourist culture, and while this is important in the story, what comes of this discovery is perhaps more pertinent. later in the story, the couple realizes that their authentic encounter with robert has actually caused a great detriment to their ability to completely enjoy their trip. they spent so much time searching for something authentic that once they found it failed to notice how dangerous it could be. the epiphany here lies in the idea that while authentic experiences are welcome, it is important to realize that the safety and familiarity of tourist experiences are indispensably valuable. i don ’ t believe in god. not the god of my catholic school classmates, the one who didn ’ t exist when they were out partying on saturday nights, drinking and sleeping around, but who loved them on sunday mornings and forgave them for their sins, even if they were still hung over. this god hasn ’ t appealed to me since i was twelve, when i decided i didn ’ t want to be confirmed in my parents ’ church. i guess i believed in god before that, but i can ’ t remember. i know i liked going to church on sundays and baking the bread for communion in my sunday school class. i have never been to europe and been inside the duomo in florence, or the siena cathedral or walked around the cathedral complex at pisa, but i do study art history, so i know what they look like. they are impressive, especially when you think about how they were built. they didn ’ t have modern technology. these immense buildings, all the more impressive as they move towards high gothic, towards the sky, were built by hand. many workers, stonemasons and artists and sculptors, put their entire life into a building that wasn ’ t completed in their lifetime. the first time i walked into the cathedral of st. john the divine in morningside heights, near columbia, i got goosebumps. it is huge ( it is, after all, the largest cathedral in the world, and the third largest church ). like, jaw - dropping huge. bobst is overwhelming in its own


he is seen as a role model, and many teenagers and young adults have the desire to embody his lifestyle and to go on the road as he did. i think what is missing here is what he discovers at the end. how do his journeys change him, or inspire him to change ; what does he learn? i read the book before, and i remembered nothing about it. i think that says something. the novels we love the most we may forget, but when we start to read them again it comes back to us. on the road stayed a mystery all the way through. i didn ’ t learn anything from sal or his friends, except maybe what not to do. a concise chinese - english dictionary by xiaolu guo suggests a kind of epiphany very different from what an epiphany is traditionally thought to be. the oxford english dictionary defines epiphany as “ a manifestation or appearance of some divine or superhuman being, ” and this is typical : a religious experience. but xiaolu guo makes the idea of an epiphany a very ordinary, everyday experience, without removing the sacred from it. in the novel zhuang is living in a foreign country, learning about both the culture she is trying to become a part of and about love. the book is set up as both a dictionary and a journal. each entry is a new word : it contains the definition, provided by a dictionary, and her experiences of the word. each new word, and each new entry, is a kind of epiphany. she is not just learning words but she is learning what they mean, and how their meaning affects her life. in learning these new words and their meanings she is learning the difference between her culture at home in china and the western culture. one entry is entitled “ future tense, ” and in it she discusses love, as a chinese concept and as a western concept : ‘ love, ” this english word : like other english words it has tense. ‘ loved ’ or ‘ will love ’ or ‘ have loved. ’ all these specific tenses mean love is a time - limited thing. not infinite. it only exist in particular period of time. in chinese, love is ( ai ). it has no tense. no past and future. love in chinese means a being, a situation, a circumstance. love is existence, holding past and future. if our loved existed in chinese tense, then it will last for ever. it will be infinite. she explains that chinese does not have past


love in chinese means a being, a situation, a circumstance. love is existence, holding past and future. if our loved existed in chinese tense, then it will last for ever. it will be infinite. she explains that chinese does not have past, present, or future tenses. everything is in one tense : this makes learning english very difficult because the chinese speaker must learn that things exist “ in a particulr period of time : ” she must learn this about love as well, but not in the abstract way in which she learns is school. she is not learning about love from a teacher in a classroom, but from a lover in the world. she must learn as she experiences. every new experience she has and every new word she learns is an epiphany. even though these epiphanies become commonplace, i think they are sacred experiences, if not in a religious sense. love is a sacred thing, and so is everything else that she learns about. everything she learns is taken for granted by those who already know it, but for her each word is something completely new, and her joy in learning words is expressed to other people. frank took my hand. “ thank you god … ” i tried to keep my eyes closed, but the urge to examine the table, the people, brian – who i had looked at many times before, but was somehow different – was overwhelming. the prayer droned on and i closed my eyes again and waited for something terrible to overtake me. the plane ride had been filled with admonitions about what i shouldn ’ t say and shouldn ’ t do and shouldn ’ t be. without saying anything at all, he had transmitted these fears through the stale, chilled air of the coach cabin. my hair felt too short against my neck. i couldn ’ t free my hands to adjust my sweater to hide my androgyny. i was stuck exposed with what i was sure was atheist, feminist whore written on my forehead. an itch began to creep up my arm. i breathed deeply and practiced acceptance. jesus looked down from above the mantle, chiding me for my feeble attempt at buddhist practice. “ … and thank you jesus for bringing brian and marisa safely from new york to be with us on this special day. amen. ” brian squeezed my hand. it was the first time he had acknowledged my presence since we ’ d arrived. the drive from milwaukee was the first indication that i would be spending the holiday alone with his family. his mother


special day. amen. ” brian squeezed my hand. it was the first time he had acknowledged my presence since we ’ d arrived. the drive from milwaukee was the first indication that i would be spending the holiday alone with his family. his mother nervously asked him to drive. the humming silence of the engine and the tires on the road was broken only occasionally by church gossip and exits fast approaching on the left and right. i sat quietly passing judgment about the infrequency of his calls home and the wayward brother he never talked about and the religion he had so wholeheartedly forsaken in exchange for anger and regret. his childhood home was unassuming. the siding matched the sparse lawn and said nothing of the trauma contained within its boxy four walls. i couldn ’ t remember why we ’ d come here. i thought maybe after five years some of the pain would have washed away. selfishly, i wanted to see where he ’ d come from. i wanted to tell him that it actually wasn ’ t so bad. i wanted to erase his memories. f rank finished eating and got up without a word. the television flickered back on and, beer in hand, he faded away. i asked margie about her job and about the renovations in the basement, but the words seemed hollow. i washed the dishes while they looked up cell phone plans and black friday sales on the internet. the kitchen felt cold. rather than argue in the house, we went out and cranked up the heat in the car. i wanted to tell him to come back. i wanted him to know how much it hurt to be in the same room with him and feel alone. i wanted to shake him and see the light come back on behind his eyes. but we didn ’ t speak. we didn ’ t say a word. the radio clicked on and we sat staring straight ahead listening to the christmas music they erroneously play before thanksgiving. i glanced over at him and he was looking back. the tears ran down his face. i took his hand and we waited for the words that could, however inadequately, express the moment. several days and at least 3 or 4 drafts later, i ' m still struggling to communicate my ideas. i was quite interested in the " inexpressibility topos ". hence the struggle. i actually picked up a book about montale by clodagh brook that specifically tackles the inexpressibility topos in montale ' s work. while much of it was irrelevant, it developed a


all these down on paper, i realize something vital is missing. it doesn ’ t crystallize – no crystals, just pebbles. ” in response, k recounts the story of the chinese gates built with the bones of soldiers who had died in war. “ when the gate was finished they ’ d bring several dogs over to it, slit their throats, and sprinkle their blood on the gate. ” the ritual was thought to revive the soldiers ’ souls and complete the gate. although murakami returns several more times to the baptismal blood bath, its meaning is never revealed. through his use of metaphor, murakami extends the practice of elevating the ineffable. the very thing that would make sumire ' s writing complete and perhaps, because of her sense of the inextricable link between her idea of self and her capacity to express, would sumire herself whole is " some form of truth harboured beyond the word " ( brook 1 ). ( 3 ) all of these themes come to a head with sumire ’ s last words, so to speak. sumire ’ s epiphany at the end of the document that k reads on her computer is simultaneously revelatory and dissatisfying for the reader. it on the one hand offers an acknowledgment of the coexistence of two worlds and hints at an explanation for sumire ’ s disappearance ( which would be an epiphany for the reader ) and on the other hand denies the reader closure by ending with an unanswered and perhaps unanswerable question. “ i ’ m in love with miu. with the miu on this side, needless to say. but i also love the miu on the other side just as much. the moment this thought struck me it was like i could hear – with an audible creak – myself splitting in two. as if miu ’ s own split became a rupture that had taken hold of me. one question remains, however. if this side, where miu is, is not the real world – if this side is actually the other side – what about me, the person who shares the same temporal and spatial plane with her? who in the world am i? ” there is an incapacity of language to answer the question of her own reality. the novel is ultimately just an ellipsis, a sort of meta - aposiopesis, “ pointing towards it without voicing it ” (


singapore, the tropical city - state situated off the southern tip of the malaysian peninsula, is a carefully managed combination of western progress and eastern and colonial history. clusters of skyscrapers and malls dominate the island ' s downtown but restored colonial buildings lay beneath singapore ' s modern veneer. singapore ' s downtown core is the colonial district, where public buildings, hotels and cricket grounds were the domain of british residents. singapore ' s appealing ethnic quarters of little india, chinatown and arab street retain their own distinct flavor. equatorial singapore ' s high humidity, abundant rainfall and uniform temperature of 27ºc - 31ºc, ( 81ºf - 88ºf ) encourages the abundance of tropical greenery found throughout the island and in it ' s first - rate nature and wildlife reserves. shaped like a flattened diamond, singapore is 42km / 26mi across and 23km / 14mi north to south. most of the four million inhabitants are descended from those arriving from china, india, malaysia and europe. singapore thrives financially and has minimal unemployment ; a result of singapore ' s compliant population agreeing with their government to put the interest of society ahead of the interest of the individual, in return for once unimaginable levels of prosperity. some of the ensuing regulations seem extreme : jaywalking, chewing gum and eating on public transit all carry significant fines. the outcome is that singapore is a clean, safe place to visit, and its public places are smoke - free and hygienic. since the 13th c the island has been named singapore ( singapura ) or lion city when a sumatran sultan sheltering on the island sensed that the lion he sighted was a good omen and decided to build a new city. singapore remained a sultanate until 1819, when the astute stamford raffles of the british east india company arrived and quickly struck a treaty with local rulers to set up a british trading post. an influx of malays, chinese, indians, arabs and europeans arrived at the british port and singapore ' s population grew. singapore ' s progress declined during world war ii when the island fell into the hands of the japanese. after the war citizens started lobbying for independence from britain, achieving it in 1965. singapore receives over a million visitors annually. international cruise - ships call at the singapore cruise centre on the south end of the island. changi international airport is situated in the east. singapore is connected by causeway to malaysia. well - paved roads, on which drivers stay left, connect all parts of the island. singapore has an excellent public transportation system


let ' s talk about : cosmic collisions share with others : it has been almost 100 years since edwin hubble measured the universe beyond the milky way galaxy. today, astronomers believe that as many as 100 billion other galaxies are sharing the cosmos. most of these cosmic islands are classified by shape as either spiral or elliptical, but stargazing scientists have discovered galaxies that don ' t quite fit these molds. common to this " irregular " category are galaxies that interact with other galaxies. these gravitational interactions are often referred to as mergers, and their existence invites the question : is the milky way collision - prone? to evaluate the probability, look to the andromeda galaxy. located more than 2. 5 million light - years away, andromeda appears as a small fuzzy patch in the sky. however, there is nothing miniature about it. similar to the shape ( spiral ), size and mass of the milky way, andromeda is home to a trillion other stars. astronomers have known for decades that our galactic neighbor is rapidly closing in on us - - at approximately 250, 000 miles per hour. they know this because of blueshift, a measured decrease in electromagnetic wavelength caused by the motion of a light - emitting source, in this case andromeda, as it moves closer to the observer. recently, data collected from the hubble space telescope has allowed astronomers to predict a merger with certainty, in 4 billion years. our sun will still be shining, and earth will most likely survive the impact. reason being, galaxies, although single units of stars gravitationally tied together, are mostly gigantic voids. one can compare a galaxy - on - galaxy collision to the pouring of one glass of water into another. the end result is a larger collection of water, or in the case of a cosmic collision, a larger galaxy. future earth inhabitants, billions of years from now, could look up and observe only small portions of such an event because it will take 2 billion years for these cosmic islands to become one. first published november 29, 2012 12 : 00 am


modeling is the process of taking a shape and molding it into a completed 3d mesh. the most typical means of creating a 3d model is to take a simple object, called a primitive, and extend or “ grow ” it into a shape that can be refined and detailed. primitives can be anything from a single point ( called a vertex ), a two - dimensional line ( an edge ), a curve ( a spline ), to three dimensional objects ( faces or polygons ). using the specific features of your chosen 3d software, each one of these primitives can be manipulated to produce an object. when you create a model in 3d, you ’ ll usually learn one method to create your model, and go back to it time and again when you need to create new models. there are three basic methods you can use to create a 3d model, and 3d artists should understand how to create a model using each technique. 1. spline or patch modeling : a spline is a curve in 3d space defined by at least two control points. the most common splines used in 3d art are bezier curves and nurbs ( the software maya has a strong nurbs modeling foundation. ) using splines to create a model is perhaps the oldest, most traditional form of 3d modeling available. a cage of splines is created to form a “ skeleton ” of the object you want to create. the software can then create a patch of polygons to extend between two splines, forming a 3d skin around the shape. spline modeling is not used very often these days for character creation, due to how long it takes to create good models. the models that are produced usually aren ’ t useful for animation without a lot of modification. spline modeling is used primarily for the creation of hard objects, like cars, buildings, and furniture. splines are extremely useful when creating these objects, which may be a combination of angular and curved shapes. when creating a 3d scene that requires curved shapes, spline modeling should be your first choice. 2. box modeling : box modeling is possibly the most popular technique, and bears a lot of resemblance to traditional sculpting. in box modeling, one starts with a primitive ( usually a cube ) and begins adding detail by “ slicing ” the cube into pieces and extending faces of the cube to gradually create the form you ’ re after. people use box modeling to create the basic shape of the model. once practiced, the technique is very quick to get acceptable results. the downside is


the cube into pieces and extending faces of the cube to gradually create the form you ’ re after. people use box modeling to create the basic shape of the model. once practiced, the technique is very quick to get acceptable results. the downside is that the technique requires a lot of tweaking of the model along the way. also, it is difficult to create a model that has a surface topology that lends well to animation. box modeling is useful as a way to create organic models, like characters. box modelers can also create hard objects like buildings, however precise curved shapes may be more difficult to create using this technique. 3. poly modeling / edge extrusion : while it ’ s not the easiest to get started with, poly modeling is perhaps the most effective and precise technique. in poly modeling, one creates a 3d mesh point - by - point, face - by - face. often one will start out with a single quad ( a 3d object consisting of 4 points ) and extrude an edge of the quad, creating a second quad attached to the first. the 3d model is created gradually in this way. while poly modeling is not as fast as box modeling, it requires less tweaking of the mesh to get it “ just right, ” and you can plan out the topology for animation ahead of time. poly modelers use the technique to create either organic or hard objects, though poly modeling is best suited for organic models. a workflow that works the workflow you choose to create a model will largely depend on how comfortable you are with a given technique, what object you ’ re creating, and what your goals are for the final product. someone who is creating an architectural scene, for example, may create basic models with cubes and other simple shapes to create an outline of the finished project. meshes can then be refined or replaced with more detailed objects as you progress through the project. this is an organized, well - planned way to create a scene ; it is a strategy used by professionals that makes scene creation straightforward. beginners, on the other hand, tend to dive in headfirst and work on the most detailed objects first. this is a daunting way to work, and can quickly lead to frustration and overwhelm. remember, sketch first, then refine. likewise, when creating an organic model, beginners tend to start with the most detailed areas first, and flesh out the remaining parts later, a haphazard way to create a character. this may be one reason


sketch first, then refine. likewise, when creating an organic model, beginners tend to start with the most detailed areas first, and flesh out the remaining parts later, a haphazard way to create a character. this may be one reason why box modeling has grown to be so widely popular. a modeler can easily create the complete figure before refining the details, like eyes, lips, and ears. perhaps the best strategy is to use a hybrid workflow when creating organic models. a well planned organic model is created using a combination of box modeling and poly modeling. the arms, legs, and torso can be sketched out with box modeling, while the fine details of the head, hands, and feet are poly modeled. this is a compromise professional modelers seek which prevents them from getting bogged down in details. it can make the difference between a completed character, and one that is never fleshed out beyond the head. beginners would be wise to follow this advice. another aspect of proper workflow is creating a model with an ideal 3d mesh topology. topology optimization is usually associated with creating models used in animation. models created without topology that flows in a smooth, circular pattern, may not animate correctly, which is why it is important to plan ahead when creating any 3d object that will be used for animation. the most frequently discussed topology is the proper creation or placement of edgeloops. an edgeloop is a ring of polygons placed in an area where the model may deform, as in the case of animation. these rings of polygons are usually placed around areas where muscles might be, such as in the shoulder or elbow. edegeloop placement is critical when creating faces. when edgeloops are ignored, models will exhibit “ tearing ” when animated, and the model will need to be reworked or scrapped altogether in favor of a properly - planned model. the next step to creating great models is simply to practice and examine the work of artists you admire. some of the best 3d modelers are also fantastic pencil - and - paper artists. it will be well worth your time to practice drawing, whether you ’ re a character creator or a wanna - be architect. good modeling requires a lot of dedication. you ’ ll need to thoroughly understand the software you ’ re using, and the principles of good 3d model creation laid out above. character artists will need to learn proportion and anatomy. by understanding these basics of modeling you ’ ll save yourself a lot of frustration and discouragement, and you


is there such a thing as too much money? by fred e. foldvary, senior editorwhat is inflation? there are two economic meanings of inflation. the first meaning is monetary inflation, having to do with the money supply. to understand that, we need to understand that the impact of money on the economy depends not just on the amount of money but also on its rate of turnover. we all know that money circulates. how fast it circulates is called its velocity. for example, suppose you get paid $ 4000 every four weeks. you are circulating $ 4000 13 times per year. then suppose you instead get paid $ 1000 each week. your total spending is the same, but now you are circulating $ 1000 52 times per year. the velocity of the money is 52, but the money you hold has been reduced to one fourth its previous amount, although the money held times the velocity is the same. the effect on the economy is the money supply times the velocity. monetary inflation is an increase in the money supply, times the velocity, which is greater than the increase in the amount of transactions measured in constant dollars. simply put, if velocity does not change, monetary inflation is an increase in money that is greater than the increase in goods. price inflation is an on - going increase in the price level. the level of prices is measured by a price index, such as the consumer price index ( cpi ). usually, price inflation is caused by monetary inflation. so let ’ s take a look at recent monetary inflation. the broadest measure of money is mzm, which stands for money zero maturity, funds which can be readily spent. the federal reserve bank of st. louis keeps track of various measurements of money. its data show that on an annual basis, mzm increased by 13 percent in january 2008, 36 percent in february, and 23 percent in march. these are huge increases, since gross domestic product, the total production of goods, increased at an annual rate of only. 6 percent during these months. in 2006, mzm grew at an annual rate of only 4 percent. high monetary inflation results in high price inflation. indeed, in may 2008 the consumer price index rose by 4. 2 percent from the level of may 2007. for the month, the increase for may was. 6 percent, an annual rate of 7. 2 percent. the “ consumer price index for all urban consumers ” ( cpi - u ) increased 0. 8 percent in may, before seasonal adjustment, for an annualized


, the increase for may was. 6 percent, an annual rate of 7. 2 percent. the “ consumer price index for all urban consumers ” ( cpi - u ) increased 0. 8 percent in may, before seasonal adjustment, for an annualized increase of 9. 6 percent. the “ consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers ” ( cpi - w ) increased 1. 0 percent in may, prior to seasonal adjustment, for a whopping annual increase of 12 percent. the rapid rise in oil prices fueled the increase in the price of gasoline, while the greater demand for grains made food prices rise, but beneath these rises is the monetary inflation that creates a higher demand for goods in general. the government reports that “ core inflation, ” not counting gasoline and food, is lower, but what counts for people is everything they buy, including food and fuel. if you have to pay much more for food and gasoline, there is less money for other things, so of course these will not rise in price as much. in making monetary policy, the federal reserve targets the federal funds interest rate, which banks pay when they borrow funds from one another. during the financial troubles during the first few months of 2008, the fed aggressively lowered the federal funds rate to 2 percent and also indicated that it would supply limitless credit to banks that borrowed directly from the federal reserve. the fed lowers the interest rate by increasing the supply of money that banks have to lend ; to unload it, banks charge borrowers less interest. to start, the fed buys u. s. treasury bonds from the public. the fed pays for the bonds not by using old money it has lying around but by increasing the reserves held by the banks in their accounts at their local federal reserve bank then using that new money. this increase in reserves or bank funds is a creation of money out of nothing. actually, this does not violate the law of conservation, because this creation of money is at the expense of the value of all other money holdings. every extra dollar created by the fed decreases the value of the dollars you hold by a tiny amount. most monetary reformers stop there, but that is not enough. the current financial instability is also caused by the real estate boom - bust cycle, since even with sound money, an economic expansion would spark a speculative boom in land values. in a competitive market, when produced goods rise in price, producers usually supply more, bringing the price back down or limiting the rise. but land is not produced, so with increased demand,


an economic expansion would spark a speculative boom in land values. in a competitive market, when produced goods rise in price, producers usually supply more, bringing the price back down or limiting the rise. but land is not produced, so with increased demand, the price has nowhere to go but up. speculators drive the price of land based on expectations of even higher future prices, but at the peak of the boom, the price becomes too high for those who want to use the land. real estate stops rising and then falls, and that brings the financial system down with it, as we have witnessed during the past year. to prevent the inflation in land prices, we need to remove the subsidy, the pumping up of land value from the civic benefits paid by returns on labor and capital goods. we can remove the land subsidy by tapping the land value or land rent for public revenue. land - value tapping or taxation plus free - market money and banking would provide price and financial stability. only the free market can know the right money supply. some people think the government could just print money and spend it. that is what is happening in zimbabwe, which has an inflation rate of one hundred thousand percent. much of the population has fled the country. once government can create money at will, there is really no way to limit it, and if there is some limiting rule, then the money supply becomes too rigid. only free market competition and production can combine price stability with money - supply flexibility. - - fred foldvary copyright 2008 by fred e. foldvary. all rights reserved. no part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, which includes but is not limited to facsimile transmission, photocopying, recording, rekeying, or using any information storage or retrieval system, without giving full credit to fred foldvary and the progress report. part iii, the trouble with money and its cure a better way to pay for railways? how economic systems really work email this article sign up for free progress report updates via email what are your views? share your opinions with the progress report : page one page two archive discussion room letters what ' s geoism?


the most romantic way i have ever heard chaos theory described is, “ there are patterns, and even great beauty, in seemingly chaotic events. ” formally, chaos theory is defined as a sub - discipline of mathematics that studies complex, or dynamic, systems. these complex systems contain so many moving parts that it takes computers to calculate and model all of the movements of the system. in fact, it has been said that the emergence of this theory could not have happened without the invention and proliferation of the computer. up until what is called the quantum mechanical revolution, “ people believed that things were directly caused by other things. ” in latin it is referred to as post hoc ergo propter hoc, or after, therefore, because of it. in essence, if one thing follows another, it must have been caused by it. it is the basis of freudian psychoanalysis, “ a belief that malfunctions in the mind are the results of traumas suffered in the past ” and that regression therapy — pinpointing when and how these traumas occurred — would allow us to heal. it is called linear cause and effect. chaos theory, however, tells us that it is less about linear effect and more the existence and production of patterns caused by many different forces, the most important of which are initial conditions, popularly referred to as the butterfly effect. the butterfly effect posits that the flapping of a butterfly ’ s wings in south america could affect the weather in texas, meaning that the smallest, seemingly inconsequential part of a system can have a huge effect on all the other parts. simply said, “ unless all factors can be accounted for, large systems would be impossible to predict with total accuracy because there are too many unknown variables to track. ” the study of chaos theory has helped us understand simple, or everyday, phenomena such as water boiling on a stove and complex events such as how birds migrate, how vegetation spreads and the structure of stars in the night sky, but its origins stem from the study of weather systems. it all started in 1960 when edward lorentz created a weather - model on his computer at the massachusetts institute of technology. lorentz ’ s weather model consisted of an extensive array of complex formulas that successfully modeled, and later helped predict, the weather and turned a large, unpredictable system into one of those everyday phenomena, the daily weather forecast. this month ’ s quality continues in the tradition of mr. lorentz with michelle bangert ’ s analysis of our annual spending study, “ quality spending stays strong


a world first study has found smoking prevention advertisements sponsored by tobacco companies targeted at parents do not work and may encourage teenagers to take up smoking. the study published online today by the american journal of public health in the united states examined youth exposure to tobacco company television advertising campaigns and how that exposure influenced smoking - related beliefs and behaviour. the study ' s lead author, professor melanie wakefield, from the cancer council victoria and an nhmrc principal research fellow, began the u. s. funded research while working at the university of illinois at chicago ( uic ). professor wakefield and her team of researchers from bridging the gap, a policy research program based at the university of illinois at chicago ( uic ) and the university of michigan, found that among 16 to 18 year olds, higher youth exposure to parent - targeted ads was, on average, associated with lower perceived harm of smoking, stronger approval of smoking, stronger intentions to smoke in the future, and a greater likelihood of having smoked in the past 30 days. they also found that 14 to 18 year olds were generally not influenced by increasing exposure to tobacco industry youth - targeted ads, which stressed that it is not cool for young people to smoke. the final sample size for the report was 103, 172 students. " this research provides the clearest evidence to date that tobacco industry - sponsored smoking prevention ads don ' t work and that they are acting as a marketing smokescreen to promote tobacco to youth, " professor wakefield said. " tobacco - sponsored ads targeted at youth have no impact and those targeted at parents seem to have an adverse effect on students who are in their middle and later teenage years. the ads give the impression that youth should not smoke because they are too young - and that ' s not a good enough reason. there is no mention in these ads of the serious health risks of smoking, " she said. quit and vichealth centre for tobacco control director, mr todd harper, said despite the tobacco industry ' s attempts at an image makeover, they remain the perennial wolf in sheep ' s clothing. " the tobacco industry claim to do all they can to discourage youth smoking, but these tobacco industry sponsored advertisements appear to be priming teens to take up a habit that will eventually kill two out of three lifetime smokers. " the tobacco industry admit they are simply trying to delay youth smoking as opposed to preventing uptake all together, implying young people are fair game in a deadly recruitment drive for customers. " we must not forget that this is an industry whose objective is to sell more


the danone fund for nature after a 10 - year partnership with ramsar, another major environmental milestone was achieved in 2008. during the conference of the parties to the ramsar convention in changwon, south korea, the ramsar convention, iucn and danone signed an agreement : the “ danone fund for nature ”. this agreement is intended to combat climate change through field projects for the restoration of specific wetlands that make a non - negligible contribution to carbon sequestration. this restoration programme focuses on mangroves, plants with a strong potential for carbon capture and which play a vital role for biodiversity. indeed, in addition to absorbing co2, mangroves act as fish “ nurseries ”, produce fruit, honey, etc. they are also a source of ecotourism, filter water, and provide protection against flooding. a pilot mangrove replanting project was initiated in senegal. four years later, three further field projects in india and indonesia demonstrated the success of this initiative and, in their wake, a new collaboratively developed methodology was approved by the united nations framework convention on climate change ( unfccc ). photos © j - f. hellio and n. van ingen for more information about this methodology, which evaluates the impact of mangrove restoration on efforts to combat climate change, see : http : / / cdm. unfccc. int / methodologies / db / cksxp498iaciqhxzpevrjxqkz3g5wq. from the “ danone fund for nature ” to the “ livelihoods fund ” thanks to the “ danone fund for nature ” the danone group has developed a new approach to the carbon economy by creating the “ livelihoods fund ”, an investment company with variable capital ( icvc ) enabling it to develop carbon sequestration ( like the mangrove restoration project ) or energy efficiency projects in developing countries. this fund works by using the carbon absorption capacity of certain ecosystems, such as mangrove wetlands, to finance economic development of village communities through the restoration of these key environments. watch the video clip : http : / / www. youtube. com / watch? v = cjaeqeajht4 the livelihoods fund includes the following components : livelihoods venture : a company which includes all the operational project management, engineering, economic and sustainable development skills. it mission is to identify local programmes with strong ecological, economic and social potential, and replicability ; and to implement them in collaboration with local ngos and rural communities. livelihood


slavery ' s effects live on as of the 1860 census, the last before the american civil war, 2. 3 million slaves lived in the lower southern states — nearly 50 percent of the entire lower southern population at that time. the numbers for the upper south didn ’ t fare much better, with 1. 2 million slaves, about a third of the population. all told, southern and border states totaled four million slaves, or half the population of today ’ s new york city. these mind - boggling numbers reveal the tremendous effect of slavery on the african population in the 19th century. slavery continues to effect today ’ s african american population, as dr. patricia newton ’ s presentation for african - american heritage month on post - traumatic slavery disorder will attest. newton wants to explore the long - term effects of the chattel slavery experience on african populations. chattel, as defined on dictionary. com, is “ another form of cattle ; any item of movable or immovable property except the freehold. ” while post - traumatic slavery disorder may be a new term to many of us, newton is an expert on the topic and makes an interesting case for the correlation between the disorder and emerging patterns in african - american life. with control groups in the caribbean and the north american continent, newton explores clinical case histories and makes comparisons between the trauma experienced by africans forced into the united states and slavery, jewish holocaust victims, and veterans of the gulf and vietnam wars. in addition, neurological data relative to the effect of trauma on the brain, psyche, and body will also be explored. identification of the problems and suggestions for healing will be discussed in an attempt to clarify the direction that african - americans must take in the 21st century. newton ’ s speech is a prestigious one during african - american heritage month and investigates an important and timely topic. but slavery in its many forms occurs around the world each day, and must be recognized and fought against year round. dr. patricia newton will present on post - traumatic slavery disorder on tuesday, february 19 at 7pm at uva ’ s clark hall, room 147. the event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the office of african - american affairs. please call la tasha levy at 924 - 7923 for more information.


network with us join us on facebook to get the latest news and updates. lauren boulden ' s story using think - alouds to get inside langston hughes ' head over my past few years of teaching, there have been multiple occasions where i have been stumped on how to present a particular concept to my students. i ' ve always been able to turn to readwritethink. org for hands - on, engaging lessons. for example, i knew i wanted my students to develop their skills when it came to interacting with text, particularly with poetry. while searching through the myriad options on readwritethink, i came upon " building reading comprehension through think - alouds. " at first, i planned to use the lesson exactly as written : read langston hughes ' s poem " dream variation " and model a think - aloud with students ; then have the students try their hand at some think - alouds using other poetry. after working out all of the details, i realized i could develop some additional skills, which would fit perfectly into the scope and sequence of my class. after completing the think - aloud to " dream variation, " i broke students into selected groups. each group was given a different langston hughes poem and asked to complete a think - aloud. the next day, the students were put into a new jigsaw group where they were solely responsible for sharing what their langston hughes poem conveyed. based on the meanings behind their group mates ' poems, along with using the knowledge of both their poem and " dream variation, " students were asked to figure out who langston hughes was as a man. what did he stand for? what were his beliefs? what did he want out of life? students used clues from the various poems to fill in a head - shaped graphic organizer to depict their understanding of who hughes could be. this simple lesson of working with poems and think - alouds turned into a few days of group communication, text deciphering, inferences, and even an author study! without great lessons available on readwritethink. org, such as " building reading comprehension through think - alouds, " my students would never have been able to tackle so many key reading strategies in such a short amount of time. grades 6 – 8 | lesson plan | standard lesson students learn components of think - alouds and type - of - text interactions through teacher modeling. in the process, students develop the ability to use think - alouds to aid in reading comprehension tasks. lauren describes how she used readwrite


from spoiled sausage to faces in 200 years : happy birthday, botox! makenzie on 25 apr 2012 at 3 : 30pm botox turned 10 years old on april 15th. or rather, the fda approval for cosmetic use had its 10 year anniversary. however you want to look at it, this injectable, reverser - of - time has transformed the medi - beauty industry. the number of botox procedures has jumped 67 % since 2002, according to statistics from the american society for aesthetic plastic surgery. and 6. 4 out of 10 reviewers say it ' s worth a shot. in honor of this occasion, the folks over at in your face, a column for the orange county register, created an in - depth timeline of the origins of botox. from being discovered in spoiled sausages to inhabiting the faces of huge hollywood stars, it has come a long way. 1820s : german doctor justinus kerner identifies a toxin in spoiled sausages that causes food poisoning. the paralytic illness caused by kerner ' s " sausage poison " earns the name " botulism, " from a latin word ( " botulus " ) for sausage. kerner speculates that small doses of the toxin might be used to treat nerve disorders and excessive sweating. 1895 : belgian bacteriologist emile pierre van ermengem discovers that clostridium botulinum bacteria produce the botulism toxin. 1920s : botulinum toxin type a is first isolated from the clostridium botulinum bacteria in a purified form as a stable acid precipitate by dr. herman sommer at the university of california, san francisco. 1940s : during world war ii, american scientists explore potential use of botulinum toxin as a weapon. the u. s. produces botulinum toxin capsules for chinese prostitutes to drop into the food of high - ranking japanese officials. the plan is not put into effect because the military found it to be ineffective as a weapon. 1946 : researcher edward j. schantz, ph. d. succeeds in purifying botulinum toxin type a into crystalline form, for the first time providing scientists with the raw material necessary to study the molecule in greater detail. 1949 : researcher dr. arnold burgen and colleagues in london discover that botulinum toxin blocks communication between nerves and muscles. 1960s : ophthalmologist alan scott in san francisco injects botulinum toxin into monkeys to see whether it relaxes muscles that cause crossed eyes.


the book of job, especially chapter 39, implies that god created the nephesh creatures ( “ soulish ” animals like birds and mammals ) to serve and / or to please human beings. they are termed soulish because god has endowed each of them with a mind, a will, and the capacity to express and experience emotions. these animals are equipped and motivated to emotionally bond with and to nurture, serve, and please other members of their species and human beings. moreover, these nephesh species were evidently endowed with this capacity before any human even existed, a characteristic that appears problematic for evolutionary or naturalistic scenarios. recently, a british team of research psychologists has published a paper announcing the discovery of a new bonding feature between humans and nephesh creatures. their study demonstrates for the first time that human yawns are contagious to domestic dogs. for their experiment they tested twenty - nine dogs from twenty - four different breeds spanning ages two to fifteen. 1 twenty - one of the dogs yawned when they observed a human do so. some dog breeds were better at catching human yawns than others. for example, the labrador breeds, known to form especially strong bonds with humans, seemed especially adept. such behavior indicates that dogs possess the capacity for empathy towards humans. however, the yawning response may reveal more. in human - human interactions contagious yawning is known to modulate levels of arousal. thus, in the words of the researchers, “ yawn contagion [ between humans and dogs ] may help coordinate dog - human interaction and communication. ” the study provides yet one more piece of scientific evidence that birds and mammals really were pre - designed before humans even existed to form emotional relationships with human beings in such a manner that they could enhance humanity ’ s well being. these animals serve and please us. more amazing still, each soulish species appears designed to serve and / or please us in a manner distinct from all others. - m. ramiro et al., “ dogs catch human yawns, ” biology letters 4 ( october 23, 2008 ) : 446 - 8.


©infothe british red cross has supported health clinics offering life - saving advice and treatment in balochistan, northern pakistan since 2000. these clinics, run by the pakistan red crescent society, are in areas that lack access to even the most basic health services. many people live in semi - desert, rural communities where coal mines provide the main source of income. the mines offer little protection to workers, so breathing problems and injuries related to mining are common. saving lives and changing minds the british red cross supports two mobile clinics operating from the towns of quetta and mastung, and two static health centres in quetta and nushki. in the first six months of 2012, these four clinics provided basic health care services to over 35, 000 vulnerable people, with a special focus on helping women and children. the clinic teams include male and female doctors and health workers, as well as nurses and a pharmacist. a lot of the clinics ’ work is related to pregnancy. in some areas, literacy levels are low and cultural values don ’ t encourage women to make independent decisions. counselling sessions tackle the beliefs that stop some people using family planning services – 3, 955 took place in the first six months of 2012. in the same period, 1, 984 children were immunized against serious diseases and 7, 467 people took part in health and hygiene education sessions – most of them women. what do the clinics offer? family planning services these include advice, counselling and check - ups as well as access to contraceptives. treatment for diseases people can get help for illnesses like pneumonia and malaria, and referral to other clinics and hospitals for tuberculosis treatment. help during and after pregnancy support includes check - ups and home visits. sessions cover issues like hygiene, the importance of boiling water, breast feeding and vaccinations. people also learn about health problems like worms and diarrhoea, and first aid for emergencies like broken bones, burns and snake bites. find out about our health care work in sierra leone


adopting a new flight plan whooping crane migration route shifted west into safer air space by len wells courier & press correspondent ( 618 ) 842 - 2159 or firstname. lastname @ example. org the route of the annual 1, 250 - mile migration of endangered whooping crane juveniles, led by an ultralight aircraft, has been shifted this fall to a more westerly route because of concerns about pilot and bird safety. the route, from the necedah national wildlife refuge in central wisconsin to a closed area of the chassahowitzka national wildlife refuge on the west coast of florida, will bring the birds through parts of the tri - state. it will take the birds the entire length of illinois and across western kentucky, with overnight stops in wayne county, ill., and union county, ky. “ the route was shifted west because the easterly route was pretty scary, ” said liz condie, director of communications for operation migration, the group that works to ensure the birds ’ survival. “ going over the cumberland ridge, there was no place to set down to retrieve a bird if there had been a problem, ” she said. officials hope, too, for better weather along the westerly route by picking up more favorable winds. “ for the safety of the birds, we cannot divulge the exact location of each stopover other than down to the county level, ” condie said. “ at each stop, the birds will be housed overnight in portable pens to protect them from predators and to keep them far away from human contact. ” while the stopover locations are kept secret, operation migration officials try to schedule gathering sites for local residents to catch a glimpse of the birds as they lift off to continue their southerly trek. “ a few days before the scheduled stopover, we try to alert the local residents of where they can congregate to watch a flyover, ” condie said. because of fluctuating weather conditions, those interested in tracking the birds should check operation migration ’ s web site at www. operationmigration. org for a more specific date and time. the whooping crane chicks that take part in the reintroduction project are hatched at the u. s. geological survey ’ s patuxent wildlife research center in laurel, md. there, imprinting begins with the chicks still inside their eggs being exposed to ultralight aircraft sounds. once hatched, the young chicks are reared in total isolation from humans. to ensure the impressionable cranes remain wild, each handler and


, md. there, imprinting begins with the chicks still inside their eggs being exposed to ultralight aircraft sounds. once hatched, the young chicks are reared in total isolation from humans. to ensure the impressionable cranes remain wild, each handler and pilot wears a crane puppet on one arm that can dispense food, or by example, show the young chicks how to forage as would their real mother. at 45 days of age, the young birds are transported by air, in individual containers, to the reintroduction area at the necedah national wildlife refuge in wisconsin. because of differing age ranges, the birds usually are moved in three shipments and housed at three separate locations within a closed area of the refuge. over the summer, the operation rescue crew of pilots, biologists, veterinarians and interns conditions the birds to follow the aircraft, which, along with its pilot, has been accepted as a surrogate parent. once the birds ’ dominance structure has been established and their endurance is sufficient, the migration begins, typically in october. using four ultralight aircraft, operation migration ’ s pilots, along with a ground crew consisting of biologists, handlers, veterinarians and drivers, cover up to 200 miles a day, depending on weather conditions. this year ’ s migration to florida has been scheduled to begin oct. 17. the shortest migration has taken 48 days to complete. the longest, 97 days, was recorded last year. because of destruction of habitat and overhunting, whooping cranes were on the verge of extinction in the 1940s when their population was reduced to only 15 birds. since falling under the protection of the endangered species act of 1973, the only naturally occurring population of migrating whooping cranes has grown to more than 200 birds. named for their loud and penetrating unison calls, whooping cranes live and breed in wetland areas where they feed on crabs, clams, frogs and aquatic plants. an adult whooping crane stands 5 feet tall, with a white body, black wing tips and a red crest on its head. anyone encountering a whooping crane in the wild is asked to avoid approaching it, staying back at least 600 feet. in all cases, officials ask that people remain concealed and not speak loudly enough for the birds to hear them. especially during the migration, residents are warned not to trespass on private property in an attempt to view the cranes. ( c ) 2008 evansville courier & press. provided by proquest llc. all rights reserved.


internal displacement : global overview of trends and developments in 2010 - timor - leste | publisher | | internal displacement monitoring centre ( idmc ) | | publication date | | 23 march 2011 | | cite as | | internal displacement monitoring centre ( idmc ), internal displacement : global overview of trends and developments in 2010 - timor - leste, 23 march 2011, available at : http : / / www. refworld. org / docid / 4d932e121e. html [ accessed 23 may 2013 ] | | disclaimer | | this is not a unhcr publication. unhcr is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of unhcr, the united nations or its member states. | | number of idps | | undetermined | | percentage of total population | | undetermined | | start of current displacement situation | | 2006 | | peak number of idps ( year ) | | 150, 000 ( 2006 ) | | causes of displacement | | generalised violence | | human development index | | 120 | an estimated 150, 000 people were displaced in 2006 within timor - leste, as their homes and property in the capital dili were seized or destroyed during violence between rival army and police factions and among the wider population. they sought refuge either in the city, in government buildings, schools or churches and subsequently in makeshift camps, or else with families or friends in rural districts. the causes included political rivalries and land disputes dating back to the struggle for independence from indonesia, divisions between " easterners " and " westerners ", and also chronic poverty and the lack of prospects of the youth population. in 2008, around 30, 000 idps were still in the camps, and the government distributed cash compensation to people agreeing to leave. partly due to the lack of available land, the government only supported idps returning home. during 2010, a last group of 1, 000 idps received the compensation and the last transitional shelters were closed. most land and property disputes involving returnees were usually resolved locally, with squatters often agreeing to leave in exchange for some of the idps ' compensation money ; but cases involving conflicting ownership claims could not be resolved in the absence of a national framework. a new land law has been drafted, but some civil society organisations have highlighted the potential of further conflict, as the law does not enable people who have moved into homes abandoned


the federal budget and appropriations process the budget and appropriations process are the steps through which the u. s. decides annual spending. learn about these inter - related process. federal budget process step 1 : president ’ s budget request the budget process begins with the president ’ s submission to congress of the administration ’ s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, which begins on october 1. the budget must be submitted by the first monday in february. the president ’ s proposal does not have the force of law, but includes detailed spending levels for all programs. though only input to the budget process, it generally sets the tone for the process in three ways : - it reveals the president ’ s beliefs about how much money the federal government should spend ( not only in the coming fiscal year, but also in the following five years or more ) as well as how much it should tax. - it sets the president ’ s priorities for spending, such as how the president would like to fund issues including education, defense, and health. - it suggests changes to spending and tax policies. the president ’ s proposal is formally written up by the white house ’ s office of management and budget ( omb ), and it usually includes thousands of pages of supporting information, such as historical tables of past budget statistics. step 2 : congressional action the congressional budget act of 1974 directs that, following the submission of the president ’ s budget proposal, the house and senate budget committees ( with assistance from the congressional budget office, a nonpartisan body ) create the budget resolution. a budget resolution serves as the general framework within which congress will make its decisions about specific spending and taxing levels. budget resolutions are concurrent congressional resolutions — they do not have the force of law and they do not require the president ’ s signature. they do not directly provide funding to any organization or program, but establish the structure of the budget. to create a budget resolution, the budget committees gather reports and hold public hearings to question administration officials about the budget as a means of gaining input. they also receive “ views and estimates ” from congressional committees regarding details on budget issues that relate to each committee ’ s particular area of focus. this information usually takes the form of letters submitted to the chairman and ranking member of the budget committee within 6 weeks of the president ’ s budget proposal ; these letters provide the budget committees with general direction and advice. each budget committee then compiles all of this information to formulate the budget resolution, which it does in a series of meetings called “ markup ” sessions ; these sessions allow


proposal ; these letters provide the budget committees with general direction and advice. each budget committee then compiles all of this information to formulate the budget resolution, which it does in a series of meetings called “ markup ” sessions ; these sessions allow for discussion and consideration of the information, while committee members may offer their own input into the budget framework being created. upon completion of the markups, the budget committee will present its budget resolution to its respective house, “ on the floor. ” a rule under the congressional budget act of 1974 requires the full senate to consider the budget resolution by april 1 each year. the house and senate independently proceed to debate, offer amendments, and vote upon their respective budget resolutions ; amendments may be enacted by a majority vote. the house and senate pass budget resolutions that differ from each other, so the two versions of the resolution go to a conference committee that meets to resolve differences and formulate a single budget resolution. the committee sends this version back to the house and senate as a conference report. both chambers consider the report, and once they have agreed to it through a majority vote ( which they generally do, without making changes ), the final version of the budget resolution takes effect. this is supposed to happen by april 15, but the process often takes longer to complete. step 3 : the budget resolution — a closer look the budget resolution is a crucial component of the budget process because it lays out the plan for spending and taxes for the following fiscal year. while the president ’ s budget proposal is very detailed, the budget resolution simply consists of a set of numbers dictating the specific amounts of money that congress is permitted to spend in each of the 20 “ budget functions ” or “ functional allocations, ” categories of spending including transportation, agriculture, and health. thus, the budget resolution does not set the annual spending levels for specific programs ( this is done by the committees on appropriations — see the appropriations process ), but rather sets targets. the budget resolution also distributes among the congressional committees the total spending figures that it has laid out for each budget function. the budget resolution lists these figures in a table called the 302 ( a ) allocation. within the budget resolution, congress also includes directions as to how it wishes to appropriate ( spend ) the money, either through discretionary or mandatory spending : discretionary spending refers to the funds allocated each year in the annual appropriations bills that are set by congress for the purpose that it chooses. results global focuses most of its efforts upon influencing discretionary spending through the appropriations process.


discretionary or mandatory spending : discretionary spending refers to the funds allocated each year in the annual appropriations bills that are set by congress for the purpose that it chooses. results global focuses most of its efforts upon influencing discretionary spending through the appropriations process. see the next step in the federal budget process, discretionary spending and the appropriations process, for more information. the discretionary budget accounts for about one - third of the federal government ’ s total spending. money in this category of spending is generally used for such programs as housing, education, and foreign aid. the president and congress must act each year to ensure that spending on these programs continues. the house and senate appropriations committees determine the discretionary spending levels for the programs funded by the federal government on an annual basis. mandatory spending is enacted by law and does not depend on any annual appropriations bill. this type of spending makes up two - thirds of the total federal budget per year. it mostly includes entitlement programs that are consistently funded each year based upon the rules set forth by them. when congress creates a program, such as medicaid, it determines who will be eligible to receive financial benefits under the program, often determined by such criteria as age or income. congress then estimates the number of people each year that will be eligible for the program, using this number to formulate its spending for the program. the president and congress can change the level of mandatory spending for a program by altering the criteria for eligibility or the formula for payment. however, the government does not need to take action annually to ensure that the program continues to be funded. the committees that set policy and the maximum funding levels allowed for these types of entitlement programs are called authorizing committees. measuring federal spending : the government measures the amount of money it spends each year in two ways : budget authority and outlays. budget authority ( ba ) refers to the amount of money that congress will authorize the government to spend on certain activities or programs. outlays, also known as expenditures, are what the government actually spends in any given year. for instance, a bill could be passed that appropriates $ 75 million to build a hospital — this $ 75 million is provided in budget authority. however, the hospital may take several years to build and therefore, the money would not all be spent in the year during which it was originally appropriated. thus, $ 75 million in outlays would not be used until the following year or more, when the hospital is built. note : in addition to setting spending levels,


would not all be spent in the year during which it was originally appropriated. thus, $ 75 million in outlays would not be used until the following year or more, when the hospital is built. note : in addition to setting spending levels, the budget resolution determines how much money the government will collect in revenue ( the income of the government from taxation and other sources ) for the following five years. the difference between the spending and revenue levels resolves whether there will be a surplus or a deficit, for which the budget resolution sets target levels as well ; these targets are detailed in the “ budget aggregates ” section of the resolution. step 4 : discretionary spending and the appropriations process after the plan for the budget has been laid out in the president ’ s budget request and the budget resolution, the appropriations process — whereby money is finally distributed through appropriations bills — must take effect. appropriations bills provide the funding that governmental programs such as national defense, education, homeland security, and foreign aid need to continue their activities. thus, while the budget resolution has set goals for spending levels, appropriations bills actually provide this money to agencies. spending through the appropriations process is considered discretionary spending. appropriations bills are created by the house and the senate appropriations committee under the general direction of the budget resolution. there are 12 appropriations bills considered annually in the committees on appropriations for fy 2008 ( this number can change from year to year ). both the house and the senate committees on appropriations include 12 subcommittees, each of which has the responsibility of developing one appropriations bill. the appropriations committee determines its spending levels for its appropriations bills based upon the 302 ( a ) allocation it receives from the budget resolution ( the budget resolution divides the money it is appropriating to each of the 20 budget functions among the congressional committees ). in other words, the allocation sets the limit of the funding level allotted to the appropriations bills. the 302 ( a ) allocation is mandated in section 302 ( a ) of the congressional budget act of 1974. the congressional budget act of 1974 also includes a section 302 ( b ), termed the 302 ( b ) sub - allocation. under this section, the house and senate appropriations committees must divide among its 12 subcommittees the total funding allotted to its programs ; i. e., it must sub - allocate the money it has received in the 302 ( a ) allocation. view the sub - allocations for the appropriations process of fy 2010. subcommittees on appropriations set funding levels for the 12 appropriations bills when the subcommittees have received directions


allocate the money it has received in the 302 ( a ) allocation. view the sub - allocations for the appropriations process of fy 2010. subcommittees on appropriations set funding levels for the 12 appropriations bills when the subcommittees have received directions about the total amount of money that has been sub - allocated to them, they may proceed with work upon their respective appropriations bill. the subcommittees base their determinations of funding levels upon information gathered through public hearings, while also considering the previous year ’ s funding levels and the president ’ s budget request. the appropriations subcommittee members weigh in on their priorities and provide essential input to their subcommittee ’ s key decision makers — the chairman and ranking minority member — through “ wish list ” letters. the chairman and ranking minority member use these letters to determine funding levels for the agencies under their subcommittee ’ s jurisdiction. the subcommittee proceeds to vote upon these levels. when its members have come to an agreement, the subcommittee sends these bills to its appropriations committee ( either for the house or the senate ). this committee begins a markup session to discuss, consider, and offer amendments ( alterations ) to the bill. appropriations committees send bills to full chambers ( the house or the senate ) once the appropriations committee has completed its work upon a bill, this legislation must be sent to its full chamber, either the senate or the house. traditionally, the consideration of the appropriations bills begins in the house of representatives. therefore, the appropriations committee will present the appropriations bill along with its report to the house of representatives for floor consideration. the budget act of 1974 sets june 10 of each year as a target date to have completed the house appropriations committee ’ s work on its appropriations bills ; however, the committee usually begins to report its bills in may or june, finishing all or most of the bills by july or by the annual recess in august ( the senate ’ s committee on appropriations works to follow the same timetable ). when the appropriations bill is “ on the floor, ” representatives debate the bill and offer amendments after hearing opening statements from the chair and the ranking minority member of the subcommittee for which the bill applies. after the bill is passed in the house, it is sent to the senate, which also considers the bill and amendments it wishes to make. once the senate has made its changes, a conference committee must be formed to reconcile the differences between the house and the senate versions of the bill. these negotiations usually take place between the chair and ranking minority members of the full appropriations committees, as well as the members of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over