be in real trouble if the rate increases. canaries taken into mines in order to detect poisonous gases ; the idea being they would suffer the gas faster than the people and if the canary dropped, it was time to vacate. do we have systems that are hypersensitive to climate change? yes! there are many delicately balanced ecosystems that can can pushed over a tipping point with the lightest of touch. is there an increase in the rate of species loss, or an increase in desertification? yes! we can also look at how far north certain plants can survive, how high up mountains trees can live or how early the first buds of spring arrive. again, these indicators fail to give solace. everywhere we look we see changes, bleached coral, absent butterflies, retreating glaciers. the conservative approach is to ascribe these changes to the usual cut and thrust of life on earth ; some take solace from the fact that humankind has survived because we are the supreme adapters and that the loss of species is exactly how the stronger ones are selected. yes, we are great at adapting, however, to kill any complacency that may create, consider the following : for humans just ‘ surviving ’ is not the goal, that ’ s easy, we also need to minimize suffering and death, a much tougher aim. we ’ ve also just recently reduced our adaptability significantly by creating ‘ countries ’. countries may seem innocuous, but they come with borders – and mean we can no longer migrate with the climate. trade across border also needs to be of roughly the same value in both directions. while some countries will actually see productivity benefits from global warming, most will not, and without the freedom to move, famine will result. trade imbalances mean inequality will become extreme. the poorest will suffer the most. so for now changes are happening, and advances in agricultural technology are easily coping ; however, because ecosystems are often a fine balance between strong opposing forces, changes may be fast should one of the ropes snap. looking at the long history of the earth we have seen much hotter and much colder scenes. we have seen much higher and much lower sea levels. we are being wishful to assume we will stay as we have for the last 10, 000 years. it may last, or it may change. natural cycles could ruin us. and mankind is probably fraying the ropes by messing with co2 levels. can we predict if we are about to fall off of our stable plateau? no,


leila keene and pat kirke 3 august 1943 - subject : tolkien discusses runes, the common speech, and the adoption by the dwarves of erebor of the language of the men of dale. - publication : the letter was first reproduced in sotheby ' s illustrated books, children ' s books, ephemera, performing arts & related drawings 4 may 1995. christopher tolkien included a description and excerpts from the letter in the peoples of middle - earth. "... it was a sort of lingua - franca, made up of all sorts of languages, but the elvish language ( of the north west ) for the most part. it was called the western language or common speech ; and in bilbo ' s time had already passed eastward over the misty mountains and reached lake town, and beorn, and even smaug ( dragons were ready linguists in all ages ).... " - ↑ wayne g. hammond and christina scull ( 2006 ), the j. r. r. tolkien companion and guide : i. chronology, p. 261 - ↑ 2. 0 2. 1 2. 2 j. r. r. tolkien, christopher tolkien ( ed. ), the peoples of middle - earth, " the appendix on languages ", pp. 72 - 73 - ↑ " sotheby ' s 1995 catalogue? ", tolkien collector ' s guide ( accessed 08 july 2012 )


across legal and economic disciplines, there have been many arguments regarding the benefits of free trade on developing countries. at the heart of such discussion is the controversial result of the washington consensus “ describe [ ed ] a set of ten specific economic policy prescriptions that … constitute a " standard " reform package promoted for crisis - wracked developing countries by washington d. c based institutions such as the international monetary fund ( imf ), world bank and the u. s. treasury department. ” ( wikipedia ). according to dani rodrik ( 2006 ) the ten commandments of washington consensus were : 1. fiscal discipline 2. reorientation of public expenditures 3. tax reform 4. financial liberalization 5. unified and competitive exchange rates 6. trade liberalization 7. openness to fdi 10. secure property rights in an assessment of the literature on the theory and empirical research relating to the benefits of trade liberalization, deraniyagala and fine ( 2001 ) found that much of the works were flawed, and concluded that the extent to which free trade benefits economic development is unknown. as the result, the past three decades since 1980s found many political economists arguing for a better approach toward trade liberalization in order to minimize its negative impacts of economic backwardness as in the case of latin american or income distribution and regional polarization as the case of china. mexico is an example of a failed economy that followed the conventional wisdom of trade liberalization rigidly. here, we find that more than one lesson could be learned. the country started its economic reform in 1985. under tremendous pressure from the u. s. and the imf, mexico radically opened up its economy to the world market without sufficient institutional reform to accommodate the economic adjustment. “ import penetration increase from an average of 11. 3 percent in 1080 - 85 to 14. 5 in 1986 - 90. by 1990, import penetration had already reached 17 percent. ” ( dornbusch, 1992 ). the sharp rise in imports, which was not accompanied by immediate gain in exports and foreign direct investments damaged mexico ’ s domestic market and defy many infant industries. ( dornbusch, 1992 ). it is argued that mexico, as well as latin america as a whole, did worse than its pre - 1980s period, when import substitution, protectionism and macroeconomics populism were enforced. ( rodrik 2007 ). as rodrik asserts : “ that the region did better with these discredited policies than it has been under open - market policies is a fact that


substitution, protectionism and macroeconomics populism were enforced. ( rodrik 2007 ). as rodrik asserts : “ that the region did better with these discredited policies than it has been under open - market policies is a fact that is quite hard to digest within the conventional paradigm. ” such paradox reinforces the importance of a new approach to trade liberalization where country ’ s institutional and historical background are all too significant to be ignored and total trade liberalization alone may not generate the growth that its creator promised. here, the role of the government and some forms of targeted protectionism at the beginning of the reform may be useful. south korea and china offered excellent case studies for its usage of the new trade theory to their economic benefits. korea did not play by the orthodox wisdom ( nor it has ever accepted the washington consensus to be therapeutic during the asian crisis ) when it started to integrate into the world economy. in contrast, the country successful economic reform involves two major key strategies - market orientation coupled with central planning in developing and protecting infant industries while strategically opened up other industries to the world market. during the reform, korean government, indeed, acted as an entrepreneur to induce desirable private investments toward targeted industries. korean trade liberalization, therefore, was a selective process instead of being driven solely by global marketization. many major sectors were deliberately protected and excluded from trade. by using selective export strategy and heavy government intervention, korea was able to develop many highly competitive manufacturing industries such as automobile, electrical appliances and shipping which respectively hold their own names in the world market. china started its reform by first rejecting the conventional wisdom of global liberalization and calling its reform “ socialism with chinese characteristic. ” unlike latin america, chinese government moved cautiously from central planning to gradual adoption of institutional and mechanism of market economy. rodrik ( 2004 ) argues that china reformed its incentives in a “ two - track manner ” by grafting a market system on top of a central - planned system, rather than abandoning the latter altogether. the country also underplayed private property rights and relied instead on township - and - village enterprises owned by local governments as well as opened up to the world partially by establishing special economic zones. ( rodrik, 2004 ). without following the washington consensus blindly, the result of chinese economic progress has been impressive. china ’ s gdp performance has been consistently stayed at 8 - 10 % growth rate in the past 20 years. here, china ’ s success challenged the conventional wisdom total trade liberalization and market orientation. despite how countries have been benefit


has been impressive. china ’ s gdp performance has been consistently stayed at 8 - 10 % growth rate in the past 20 years. here, china ’ s success challenged the conventional wisdom total trade liberalization and market orientation. despite how countries have been benefiting from trade, there exist multiple issues created by export growth strategy itself such as income inequality and regional polarization. according to ocampo and taylor ( 1998 ), globalization has intensified the income gap and income distribution especially in countries with comparative advantage in skill - intensive products. the authors offer examples of african economies whose comparative advantage in peasant production has worsened income distribution. similarly, despite china ’ s conservative approach toward trade liberalization in accordance with government intervention, the country has been facing serious issues regarding income inequality and regional polarization. prior to the eruption of the global financial crisis, labor migration had moved rapidly to export processing zone set up mostly along the west coast region of the countries. as the result, wage labor and prosperity appeared to increase drastically faster than the interior regions in which agriculture remained to be the dominant means of production and income creation. here trade liberalization on its own cannot effectively solve social problems created by export - oriented strategy. don ’ t get me wrong. i am not against free trade or market liberalization. i am wholeheartedly against the imf ’ s “ one size fit all ” formula and see the importance of a thorough understanding of country ’ s historical and political background before any economic policy is prescribed. market failures are deeply embedded in economic system, which can ’ t plainly and ignorantly be corrected by washington ’ s 10 commandments. one may then ask : “ so, what is the imf doing these days given our ongoing financial crisis? has there been a “ new ” washington consensus? ” my next entry on this topic will follow. * bibliography with attached pdf files on hyperlinks deraniyagala, sonali, and fine, ben, “ new trade theory versus old trade policy : a continuing enigma, ” cambridge journal of economics, vol. 25, pp. 809 - 825, november 2001. dornbusch, rudiger, “ the case for trade liberalization in developing countries, ” journal of economic perspectives, vol. 6, issue 1, pp. 69 - 85, 1992. ocampo, jose and taylor, lance, “ trade liberalization in developing economies : modest benefits but problems with productivity growth, macro prices, and income distribution, ” economic journal, vol. 108, pp. 1523 - 46


output expanded robustly after 1933. between 1933 and 1937, the us economy grew by 8 % a year. between 1938 and 1941, growth averaged more than 10 %. rapid output growth without equally rapid capital - stock or employment growth must have reflected rapid productivity growth. this is the paradox of the 1930 ’ s. despite being a period of chronic high unemployment, corporate bankruptcies, and continuing financial difficulties, the 1930 ’ s recorded the fastest productivity growth of any decade in us history. how could this be? as the economic historian alexander field has shown, many firms took the “ down time ” created by weak demand for their products to reorganize their operations. factories that had previously used a single centralized power source installed more flexible small electric motors on the shop floor. railways reorganized their operations to make more efficient use of both rolling stock and workers. more firms established modern personnel - management departments and in - house research labs. there are hints of firms responding similarly now. general motors, faced with an existential crisis, has sought to transform its business model. us airlines have used the lull in demand for their services to reorganize both their equipment and personnel, much like the railways in the 1930 ’ s. firms in both manufacturing and services are adopting new information technologies – today ’ s analog to small electric motors – to optimize supply chains and quality - management systems. a similar argument has been made that extensive business restructuring around the time of the 2001 recession contributed to productivity growth in the following years. ( business sector output per hour - bureau of labor statistics ) eichengreen goes on to argue that policy support is necessary : but this positive productivity response is not guaranteed. policymakers must encourage it. small, innovative firms need enhanced access to credit. firms need stronger tax incentives for r & d. productivity growth can be boosted by public investment in infrastructure, as illustrated by the 1930 ’ s examples of the hoover dam and the tennessee valley authority. which sounds alot like the obama administration ' s recent initiatives to increase small - business credit, build more infrastructure and make the r & d tax deduction permanent. while a case can be made for the first two as short - run stimulus, the benefits of the research and development tax credit are almost entirely of the long run variety. in the long run, higher productivity is good news : it means more output per worker and, therefore, higher average wages. however, it also means less employment is needed for any given level of output, which means the increase in unemployment during the recession


you are here : geodatabases and arcsde an overview of the geodatabase the geodatabase is a " container " used to hold a collection of datasets. there are three types : - file geodatabases — stored as folders in a file system. each dataset is held as a file that can scale up to 1 tb in size. this option is recommended over personal geodatabases. - personal geodatabases — all datasets are stored within a microsoft access data file, which is limited in size to 2 gb. - arcsde geodatabases — stored in a relational database using oracle, microsoft sql server, ibm db2, or ibm informix. these multiuser geodatabases require the use of arcsde and can be unlimited in size and numbers of users. comparing the three types of geodatabases learn about creating geodatabases file geodatabases and personal geodatabases | | a collection of various types of gis datasets held as tables in a relational database this is the recommended native data format for arcgis stored and managed in a relational database. | a collection of various types of gis datasets held in a file system folder this is the recommended native data format for arcgis stored and managed in a file system folder. | original data format for arcgis geodatabases stored and managed in microsoft access data files this is limited in size and tied to the windows operating system. | number of users many readers and many writers arcsde can be licensed for use at three levels : - personal arcsde - workgroup arcsde - enterprise arcsde | single user and small workgroups some readers and one writer per feature dataset, standalone feature class or table. concurrent use of any specific file eventually degrades for large numbers of readers. | single user and small workgroups with smaller datasets some readers and one writer. concurrent use eventually degrades for large numbers of readers. - microsoft sql server - ibm db2 - ibm informix | each dataset is a separate file on disk a file geodatabase is a file folder that holds its dataset files. | all the contents in each personal geodatabase are held in a single microsoft access file (. mdb ). | up to dbms limits | | one tb for each dataset. each file geodatabase can hold many datasets each


contents in each personal geodatabase are held in a single microsoft access file (. mdb ). | up to dbms limits | | one tb for each dataset. each file geodatabase can hold many datasets each feature class can scale up to hundreds of millions of vector features per dataset. | two gb per access database effective limit before performance degrades is typically between 250 and 500 mb per access database file. | | fully supported across all dbmss ; includes cross - database replication and updates | | windows, unix, linux, and direct connections to dbmss that can potentially run on any platform on the user ' s local network | security and permissions | | provided by dbms | operating file system security | windows file system security | database administration tools | | full dbms functions for backup, recovery, replication, sql support, security, and so on | file system management | | windows file system management | requires the use of arcsde | allows you to optionally store data in a read - only compressed format to reduce storage requirements | often used as an attribute table manager ( via microsoft access ). users like the string handling for text attributes. file and personal geodatabases, which are freely available to all arcgis users ( i. e., users of arcview, arceditor, and arcinfo ), are designed to support the full information model of the geodatabase. this includes topologies, raster catalogs, network datasets, terrain datasets, address locators, and so on. file and personal geodatabases are designed to be edited by a single user and do not support geodatabase versioning. with a file geodatabase, it is possible to have more than one editor at the same time providing they are editing in different feature datasets, standalone feature classes or tables. the file geodatabase is a new geodatabase type released in version 9. 2. its goals are to - provide a widely available, simple, and scalable geodatabase solution for all users. - provide a portable geodatabase that works across operating systems. - scale up to handle very large datasets. - provide excellent performance and scalability, for example, to support individual datasets containing well over 300 million features and datasets that can scale beyond 500 gb per file with very fast performance. - use an efficient data structure that is optimized


provide excellent performance and scalability, for example, to support individual datasets containing well over 300 million features and datasets that can scale beyond 500 gb per file with very fast performance. - use an efficient data structure that is optimized for performance and storage. file geodatabases use about one third of the feature geometry storage required by shapefiles and personal geodatabases. file geodatabases also allow users to compress vector data to a read - only format to reduce storage requirements even further. - out perform shapefiles for operations involving attributes and scale the data size limits way beyond shapefile limits. personal geodatabases have been used in arcgis since their initial release in version 8. 0 and have used the microsoft access data file structure ( the. mdb file ). they support geodatabases that are limited in size to 2 gb or less. however, the effective database size is smaller, somewhere between 250 and 500 mb before the database performance starts to slow down. personal geodatabases are also only supported on the microsoft windows operating system. users like the table operations they can perform using microsoft access on personal geodatabases. many users really like the text handling capabilities in microsoft access for working with attribute values. arcgis will continue to support personal geodatabases for numerous purposes. however, it is also highly recommended to use the file geodatabase. it is ideal for working with file - based datasets for gis projects, for personal use, and for use in small workgroups. it has strong performance and scales well to hold extremely large data volumes without requiring the use of a dbms. plus, it is portable across operating systems. typically, users will employ multiple file or personal geodatabases for their data collections and access these simultaneously for their gis work. when you need a large multiuser geodatabase that can be edited and used simultaneously by many users, the arcsde geodatabase provides a good solution. it adds the ability to manage a shared, multiuser geodatabase as well as a number of critical version - based gis workflows. the ability to leverage your organization ' s enterprise relational databases is a key advantage of the arcsde geodatabase. arcsde geodatabases work with a variety of dbms storage models ( ibm db2, informix, oracle, and sql server ). arcsde geodata


databases is a key advantage of the arcsde geodatabase. arcsde geodatabases work with a variety of dbms storage models ( ibm db2, informix, oracle, and sql server ). arcsde geodatabases are primarily used in a wide range of workgroups, departments, and enterprise settings. they take full advantage of their underlying dbms architectures to support - extremely large, continuous gis databases - many simultaneous users - long transactions and versioned workflows - relational database support for gis data management ( providing the benefits of a relational database for scalability, reliability, security, backup, integrity, etc. ) - sql types for spatial when the dbms supports this capability ( i. e., oracle, informix, and db2 ). through many large geodatabase implementations, it has been found that dbmss are efficient at moving in and out of tables the type of large binary objects required for gis data. in addition, gis database sizes and the number of supported users can be much larger than with gis file bases. for information about the arcsde geodatabase architecture and how arcsde geodatabases leverage relational database technology, see architecture of the geodatabase there are three levels for accessing and using arcsde in arcgis arcsde geodatabases readily scale from personal, single - user geodatabases through workgroup geodatabases, and on up to extremely large enterprise geodatabases. arcsde geodatabase capabilities are available in the following esri software products : personal arcsde included with arceditor and arcinfo : beginning at version 9. 2, arceditor and arcinfo include the microsoft sql server express database free of charge. these desktops also include arcsde capabilities to support " personal arcsde " geodatabases for three simultaneous users — one of whom can edit data. sql server express is limited to run on one cpu ( or core within a socket ) and utilize 1 gb ram. the maximum database size for sql server express is limited to 4 gb. personal arcsde provides the ability to fully administer and manage arcsde geodatabases using sql server express within arceditor and arcinfo. this provides full arcsde geodatabase capabilities for a few users and one editor at a time. you set up and manage these arcsde geodatabases within arccatalog. no extra


arceditor and arcinfo. this provides full arcsde geodatabase capabilities for a few users and one editor at a time. you set up and manage these arcsde geodatabases within arccatalog. no extra software or database administration expertise is required. workgroup arcsde included with arcgis server for workgroups : arcgis server for workgroups includes arcsde support for sql server express. with this level of arcsde, you can use sql server express for up to 10 simultaneous windows desktop users and editors ( for example, users of arcview, arceditor, arcinfo, a custom arcgis engine application, autocad, microstation, and so on ) plus any number of additional server connections from web applications. ( consult your license agreement for specific information on the number of connections for your implementation. ) sql server express is limited to running on one cpu or core with a maximum of 1 gb ram. database sizes are limited to a maximum of 4 gb. as with personal arcsde, you use arceditor or arcinfo to create, administer, and manage workgroup arcsde geodatabases. you set up and manage these workgroup arcsde geodatabases using sql server express within arccatalog. no extra database administration expertise is required. in this context, you can think of arcgis server for workgroups as being an extension for arceditor or arcinfo to help you manage and serve workgroup arcsde geodatabases. of course, arcgis server can perform many more functions and tasks. see an overview of gis services enterprise arcsde included with arcgis server for enterprises : this is the traditional arcsde technology that runs on oracle, sql server, ibm db2, and ibm informix and can scale to databases of any size and number of users, running on computers of any size and configuration. users provide their own dbms license for this level of arcsde use. the dbms is typically administered and managed by a database administrator ( dba ). to learn more about arcgis server, see an overview of gis services | you do not need to monitor and manage the use of your memory and cpu ' s for sql server express. the sql server express software will automatically limit computer use to 1 gb ram on a single cpu and to a database size of 4gb. | personal arcsde is included free as a part of arceditor and arcinfo. if you choose to install


sql server express software will automatically limit computer use to 1 gb ram on a single cpu and to a database size of 4gb. | personal arcsde is included free as a part of arceditor and arcinfo. if you choose to install sql server express, you can administer sql server express databases using arccatalog. | when you install the arcgis server for workgroups, you can install and use sql server express and arcsde. after installing sql server express, you can use arccatalog to administer sql server express databases on your computer. | these various levels enable users to take full advantage of arcsde geodatabases for any number of users, large or small. it allows organizations to have one scalable data architecture that works across their single user systems up into their large enterprise systems. arcsde provides long and short transaction management on the dbms transaction framework the arcsde geodatabase includes advanced support for managing edits and updates to a multiuser geodatabase. as gis increasingly adds users and the requirement to manage data from an array of sensor networks, the need for transaction management becomes more critical. in gis, long transactions are needed along with the more common, short database transactions that are orchestrated on the dbms ' s short transaction framework. often, gis users have specialized transactional requirements, one of which is the need for some transactions to span long periods of time ( sometimes hours, even days and months, not just seconds or minutes ). additionally, a single editing session in a gis can involve changes to multiple rows in multiple tables. users need to be able to undo and redo changes. users want to treat each edit session as a single transaction when they commit their changes. furthermore, the edits must often be performed in a system that is disconnected from the central, shared database. during these specialized gis data flow processes, the gis database must remain continuously available for daily operations, where each user might have a personal view or state of the shared gis database. in a multiuser database, the gis transactions must be orchestrated on the dbms ' s short transaction framework. arcsde plays a key role during these operations by managing the high - level, complex gis transactions on the simple dbms transaction framework. arcsde does this by storing change information as delta records in the database ; isolating multiple edit sessions using versions ; and supporting complex transactions, automatic archive, and historical queries. see an overview of editing and maintaining data for more


difference between revisions of " rocky mountain national park " revision as of 04 : 07, 5 august 2010 rocky mountain national park is a united states national park that is located in the front range region of the state of colorado. the park ' s borders lie within three counties, larimer, boulder, and grand and it is surrounded by roosevelt, arapaho, and routt national forests. the continental divide cuts almost directly through the center of the park, creating two areas with very different landscapes - a drier and heavily glaciated eastern side, and a wetter, more forested western side. both areas offer excellent spots for high altitude alpine hiking, backpacking and rock climbing as well as ample opportunity for spotting wildlife. the park is dominated by longs peak one of colorado ' s 54 " fourteeners " at 14, 259 feet, and dubbed the " monarch of the front range. " evidence of native american peoples visiting the park date back almost 10, 000 years, mainly from the ute and arapaho communities. several expeditions visited the area in the early to mid 19th century, including one by joel estes in 1859 after which he and his family established a homestead that would soon become estes park, the resort town that currently sits on the east side of the park. after a small mining rush on the western side of the park in the early 1880s, a 14 year old boy by the name of enos mills moved to the area and began to extensively document the region ' s geography and ecology through essays and books. he began to lobby congress to establish a national park in the area surrounding longs peak, a mountain he had climbed over 40 times by himself. on january 26, 1915, president woodrow wilson signed a bill that established the creation of rocky mountain national park. the 1930s brought a building boom to the park during the great depression, during which time the trail ridge road was constructed through the park, which remains today the highest continuous stretch of highway in the united states. rocky mountain national park sits on the continental divide, separating the park into two distinct regions. the eastern and more developed side of the park is dominated by striking valleys and cirques that were formed through heavy glaciation and is a good starting point for first - time visitors. the western side of the park is wetter, is heavily forested and is less developed, but still contains excellent trekking and backcountry opportunities. most areas of the park sit well above 9, 000 feet with mountains along the continental divide topping off at


side of the park is wetter, is heavily forested and is less developed, but still contains excellent trekking and backcountry opportunities. most areas of the park sit well above 9, 000 feet with mountains along the continental divide topping off at above 12, 000 feet. the 13, 000 foot mummy range rests on the northern side of rocky mountain national park with two roads skirting long it ' s southern edges ; a one - way, dirt road that winds up the fall river called the old fall river road ; and a section of highway 34 famously known as the trail ridge road. the never summer mountains sit on the western side of the park and consist of 10 distinct peaks, all rising well over 12, 000 feet, and contain the headwaters for the colorado river. one of the most dominating features in the southeast area of the park is longs peak at 14, 259 feet, which is surrounded on all sides by several peaks well about 13, 000 feet, including mt. meeker, mount lady washington, and storm peak. flora and fauna for wildlife seekers, rocky mountain national park offers some fantastic opportunities to view the variety of animals that live inside its borders. elk, deer, chipmunks, ground squirrels, beavers, porcupines, foxes, and coyotes are all commonly seen in meadows and in and around lakes and streams. marmots seem to be ubiquitous above the tree line, especially on well - hiked trails around longs peak. hawks and eagles are often seen soaring above the glacier gorges in search of critters that hide among the rocks and colorful tree birds such as blue jays and cardinals fly in the lower altitudes. hummingbirds have a tendency to close to where people - and their food - are sitting. less common animal sightings include black bears and the rare mountain lions, although the former will manage to hang out if human food is accessible. moose mainly stay on the western side of the park and bighorn sheep - a rare but exciting find - stay above the tree line and can sometimes be seen off the trail ridge road. wildflowers seem to be everywhere throughout the park, including the popular indian paintbrush and columbine, colorado ' s state flower. one of the most spectacular sights in the mid to late fall is to walk through a grove of aspen trees as their leaves change from green to gold. ponderosa and lodgepole pines are the dominate conifer trees in the area, although they have been recently dying in large numbers due to an outbreak of pine beetle infestation.


a grove of aspen trees as their leaves change from green to gold. ponderosa and lodgepole pines are the dominate conifer trees in the area, although they have been recently dying in large numbers due to an outbreak of pine beetle infestation. considering the park ' s high altitude, the weather trends closer toward moderate four - season climate than edging on the extremes. winters bring heavy snowfall, and although there is rarely a deep - freeze the park gets significantly less visitors. summer are the high season with warm temperatures ranging in from mid 70s - 80°f during the day, but dropping into the low 40s°f to near freezing. thunderstorms are constantly looming in the early to mid afternoon during the summer, but clear off quickly by evening, bringing crisp and cool weather. highway 34 connects grand lake and estes park across the continental divide, giving you awesome views of the western and eastern sides of the park. a great stopping point along the road is the alpine visitor center at the fall river pass, which sits at almost 11, 800 feet. colorado route 7 runs from estes park to the south, passing by several trailheads, including those for lily mountain, the twin sisters, the longs peak ranger station and the wild basin. many visitors use bear lake or glacier gorge as their starting point into the park, both of which can be accessed via the bear lake road. the beaver meadows and moraine park visitor centers are popular destinations for getting oriented with the park ' s layout, the former having been designed by students of american architect frank lloyd wright. from the east : the beaver meadows visitor center is three miles from downtown estes park near the terminus of us - 36 and can be reached via several roads. sr - 7 runs from boulder via lyons and allenspark along the east side of the park, passing the longs peak ranger station and intersects us - 36 in estes park. sr - 66 / us - 36 run from denver through longmont up the big thompson river canyon. us - 34 also intersects us - 36 in estes park via loveland and continues on into the park toward the fall river visitor center. rental cars are available at the denver international airport. if you aren ' t driving, the estes park shuttle offers reasonable one - way and round - trip rates from den to downtown estes park. note : while the park is open year - round, the trail ridge road closes in the winter and may not open until the late spring or early summer, depending on the snowpack. the


round - trip rates from den to downtown estes park. note : while the park is open year - round, the trail ridge road closes in the winter and may not open until the late spring or early summer, depending on the snowpack. the nearest major airport is denver international airport ( iata : den ) located about 1 hour and 45 minutes away from the park, with connecting service to most major us cities. a smaller option is eagle county regional airport ( iata : ege ) located near the skiing resorts of vail and beaver creek ; however, service to this airport is usually seasonal and confined to the winter months. entrance fees are $ 20 per private vehicle or $ 10 for individuals on foot or on bicycle, valid for seven days. holders of the national park pass ( $ 80, allows entry to all national park areas for one year ) do not need to pay an entrance fee. in addition, there is a $ 40 pass available that allows entry into rocky mountain national park for one year. if you drive in early in the morning or late at night the fee booth will probably be unmanned. it is rumored that local larimer county and grand county residents can pass through the park without paying a fee if they mention that intention to the entrance guards. most of the major trailheads in the park are accessible by car and have parking lots depending on the popularity of the route. while parking is relatively ample in the early mornings, many lots are full by mid - morning during the peak summer months. the trail ridge road and old fall river roads are closed during the winter and usually don ' t reopen till late spring at the earliest. access to moraine park and bear lake via the bear lake road are open year - round and plowed. there are several entrances to the park which do not have fees on the east side of the park : starting around memorial day weekend and going through the end of september, rocky mountain national park operates a free shuttle bus service which enables you to access many destination and loop hikes along bear lake road, including sprague lake and glacier gorge to cut down on traffic congestion and limited parking. shuttle buses run between many trailheads, moraine park visitor center, and moraine park and glacier basin campgrounds. there are two routes : the bear lake route and the moraine park route. both routes are based at the park & ride shuttle bus parking area across from the glacier basin campground. the first bus departs from park & ride at 7pm. and the last bus leaves at 7pm. the


and the moraine park route. both routes are based at the park & ride shuttle bus parking area across from the glacier basin campground. the first bus departs from park & ride at 7pm. and the last bus leaves at 7pm. the last bus of the day leaves bear lake and fern lake trailheads at 7 : 30pm. the bear lake route shuttle makes the round trip between the park & ride and bear lake. these buses run every 10 to 15 minutes. the moraine park route shuttle makes the round trip between the park & ride and the fern lake trailhead bus stop. these buses run every 30 minutes. to experience the true beauty of rocky mountain national park means getting out onto some of the 355 miles of trail that wind in, around and over the continental divide, wild basin, mummy range, and more. cycling through the park offers riders a chance to take in some of the scenery and striking vistas at a casual pace ; however, some may be daunted by the high altitudes and steep climbs on the main roads. elevations range from 8, 000 feet to 12, 183 feet ( 2, 400 to 3, 700 m ). there are 60 miles ( 97 km ) of hard - surfaced road with a five to seven percent grade. most of the roads in the park have little to no shoulder, with the added challenge of dealing with heavy summer traffic. early mornings or late evening rides may minimize conflict with other vehicles. be vigilant for thunderstorms in the early to late afternoons, where lightning can create a serious hazard. winter cyclists will have access to upper beaver meadows road, moraine park campground, endovalley road, aspenglen campground and high drive. for a unique cycling experience, check with the park information office for specifics on the old fall river road ( gravel surface ) and trail ridge road ( paved ), which are open to bicycles early in the summer season, before they open to vehicles. off - road mountain biking is prohibited inside the park. the park offers 359 miles of trail to hikers, backpackers and horseback riders. difficulty levels range from the half mile wheelchair accessable jaunt around bear lake to the backbreaking ' mummy kill ', recommended only for those with years of mountaineering experience or a death wish. a few of the most memorable hikes are listed below. many of the trails in the eastern part of the park can be reached via shuttle buses. note that snow conditions should be considered before hiking as higher elevations will be snow - covered later


wish. a few of the most memorable hikes are listed below. many of the trails in the eastern part of the park can be reached via shuttle buses. note that snow conditions should be considered before hiking as higher elevations will be snow - covered later into the year. most of the visitor centers offer books and other items for purchase, and there is a gift shop located next door to the fall river visitor center. snacks are available for purchase at the alpine visitor center, and there is a snack shop located next door to the fall river visitor center. there are no sit - down restaurants inside of the park, but the neighboring towns of estes park and grand lake have numerous options. there is no wine or alcohol for sale anywhere in the park. beverages may be purchased at the snack bar next to the fall river visitor center or at the alpine visitor center. water is available at the entrance station and visitor centers, and during summer months at the campgrounds. there are five drive - in campgrounds and two group camping areas in the park ( one group campground is winter only, one is summer only ). three campgrounds, moraine park, glacier basin, and aspenglen, take reservations, as does the group - camping area at glacier basin. other park campgrounds are first - come, first - served, and fill on most summer days. there are no electric, water or sewer hookups at any campsites. the water is turned off in the winter at all year - round campgrounds but drinking water is available at entrance stations and open visitor centers. you must have a backcountry / wilderness permit to camp overnight in the park ' s backcountry / wilderness. you can pick one up at the headquarters backcountry office or at the kawuneeche visitor center. to minimize impacts on the park ' s resources, the number of permits issued is limited. you may obtain day - of - trip permits in person year round. you may make reservations by mail or in person anytime after march 1 for a permit for that calendar year. you may make reservations by phone from march 1 to may 15 and anytime after october 1 for a permit for that calendar year. backcountry / wilderness permits rocky mountain national park estes park, co 80517 you can also call the backcountry office at ( 970 ) 586 - 1242 to reserve a permit. for all reservations : during the busy summer months, if you have a permit reservation, you must pick up the permit by 10 am


can also call the backcountry office at ( 970 ) 586 - 1242 to reserve a permit. for all reservations : during the busy summer months, if you have a permit reservation, you must pick up the permit by 10 am on the first day of your planned backcountry / wilderness stay, otherwise, the permit will be cancelled in its entirety, and given to other backpackers. if you know you will not be using your permit, please cancel your reservation as soon as possible. the greatest danger to most park visitors is due to altitude. the entire park is above 7, 500 feet and ranges as high as 14, 259 feet, so it is important to take time to acclimate before undertaking strenuous activities. even driving at high elevation can affect sensitive individuals. altitude sickness symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat and insomnia. also note that high elevation increases the chance of dehydration, severe sunburn, and the aggravation of pre - existing medical conditions. drink several quarts of water per day to ward off dehydration. wear and reapply sunscreen often. if you begin to feel sick or experience any physical problems descend to lower elevations. in addition, be aware of the weather. a bright, sunny day can turn windy and wet within a matter of minutes with high winds and driving rain or snow. be prepared for changing conditions by dressing in layers and always carrying gear appropriate for both cold, wet weather and bright, sunny conditions. if caught in a lightning storm above treeline get away from summits and isolated trees and rocks and find shelter ( but avoid small cave entrances and overhangs ) and crouch down on your heels. other park dangers include wildlife - never feed wild animals, and always give them their space. animals are unpredictable, particularly if they feel threatened, and even a deer is capable of killing a human. to protect against larger predators like bears and mountain lions make noise while hiking to avoid startling an animal, and use bear - proof containers to store anything with a scent ; this includes food, toothpaste, deodorant, empty food wrappers, or anything else that might attract a bear ' s interest. park streams may contains giardia and other water borne diseases, so always purify water before drinking. be careful on snowfields, particularly on steep slopes where avalanche dangers may be high.


it ' s a pilot program that transports the past to the present at wyuka cemetery in lincoln. " the possibilities are endless, " said bill lopez who teaches a masters level education course at the university of nebraska lincoln. " there are more than 55 thousand souls buried here in wyuka and every one has a story to tell, " said lopez. his students are not placing flowers at grave sites, they are placing qr ( quick response ) codes. " why not have q - r codes where people can take their own tour of the cemetery just by scanning their smart phones to the q - r codes, " said lopez. the technology sounds complicated, but the process is easy, scan a smartphone to the qr code and read the information. " the students have been uploading all of the information and so a visitor scans it and it takes them to the student ' s websites with all the information on the person or the family, " said lopez. " and we found our information using ancestry. com and by also using the nebraska archives. so it was pretty interesting, " said katie mohr who is a student of the course. students will use the technology in future classrooms. " we are using a lot of i - pads and other technology and this is another great way to incorporate technology and history for the students, " said teresa ulrich, who is a student of the course. " we are learning ways to apply it in the classroom for when we become teachers which is really exciting, " said carly weber who is a student of the course. " i envision students all over the country adopting cemeteries like we adopt highways. each student tries to find out more about the history of the people in there, " said lopez. so present day technology, makes it possible for the future to reveal the past more accessibly.


a lucid account of the suffolk bank system which operated in massachusetts between 1825 and 1858. dr trivioli shows that during this period a free enterprise central bank and clearing system operated with great success, bringing stability to a stuation where competing banks issued their own notes. synopsis : in tracing the history of the leading ideas of the social market economy in germany to their various intellectual roots, konrad zweig offers some pertinent insights into the fundamentals of german economic thinking and policies, little known in the english – speaking world. in his foreword to this work, professor christian watrin of the university of cologne comments : " i see great merit in dr. konrad zweig ' s essay in clarifying and describing the leading ideas of the german position to an english – speaking public. his paper shows a profound knowledge of the historical roots, but at the same time, his aim is to show the compatibility of a competitive market and social protection. a report looking at the transport problems in the uk, and at one potential solution to it. michael forsyth provides the solutions for the abject failure of public services in the late 1970s and early 1980s : " local authorities seeking to make cuts in expenditure and increase benefits to ratepayers must now undertake extensive privatization of their services. the best method is just to do it, to put out services for private contract. the arguments of theory against the success of such action melt away in the practical results gained wherever it is done. the british people have come to expect that public services will become lower in quality and ' more expensive to provide. this need not be so. privatization has its part to play, therefore, not only in re – servicing britain, but in helping to restore the country ' s faith in itself. " a critical analysis of britain ' s planning system. not much has changed positively in the years since 1982 making this report still relevant today. it also outlines solutions that would free up the planning system.... to the economic and political thought of our time. this book, written by dr eamonn butler, gives an introduction to the great austrian economist and political philosopher friedrich a. hayek. the book covers the themes of hayek ' s work, which consists more than 25 books and numerous articles. the topics include hayek ' s understanding of the market process ; his critique of socialism and the meaningless term of social justice, and hayek ' s suggestions for the constitution of the liberal state. an indepth look at the options available for the process of privatizing britain


akamba people alongside other central bantu speaking people are believed to have originated in the current democratic republic of congo and migrated to east africa across tanzania border. they settled around mount kilimanjaro before migrating further to the settle in the plains of nithi at a place called kiima kya kyeu ( mountain of white ). due to frequent conflicts in the 16th century with the neighboring maasai people, the akamba further migrated to chyulu hills a place they purported to be safe. due to persistent drought, they further moved to kibwezi plains. the akamba live in the semi - arid eastern province of kenya stretching east from nairobi to tsavo and north up to embu. this land is called ukambani. the oldest form of kamba artistic expression have been engraving and painting of calabashes or gouards. this art, mainly done by women, served both to embellish and imbue the vessels with the mystic or spiritual meaning. the kamba are nowadays most known for african black wood carvings, although this is a very recent art form. they were introduced to wood sculpturing by mutisya munge who had served in the colonial carrier corps in tanzania during world war i. there, he came into contact with zaramo carvers, who had themselves been influenced by the makonde carvers. munge collected zaramo models, and on returning to kenya, took up carving as a full time occupation. following munge ’ s efforts, a booming trade in carving developed at a small town of wamunyu along the machakos - kitui highway. it is estimated that about three thousand people many of them of youthful age, eke out their living from wood carving. many more carvers are located throughout ukambani, and at the coast where they sell to tourists. akamba are the most highly organized and productive art movement in kenya and east africa region. they produce an enormous line of hand made artifacts. at the carving centre, labour is divided between wood merchants, carvers and finishers. wood is usually purchased ready cut into logs of 4 to 15 inches or more. carving is executed with tools local tools from scrap metals and timber. some artists work on order but many simply mass - produce carvings and stock them hoping to sell eventually. workers who work in assembly lines of productions often receive set wages for producing a number of carvings per day. the first step on production line is to select a chunk of wood considering the


many simply mass - produce carvings and stock them hoping to sell eventually. workers who work in assembly lines of productions often receive set wages for producing a number of carvings per day. the first step on production line is to select a chunk of wood considering the approximate size and shape of the figure to be created. the shape of the wood may also influence the choice of the figure to be designed. hard wood are more difficult to shape but have better luster and longevity whereas soft wood are easier to curve but less resistant to damage. detailed figures require hard wood with fine grain such as african black wood. once the wood has been selected, a sculptor begins with general shaping process using hand made gouges of various sizes. for harder wood, a sculptor use saws, chisels and mallets, while on smaller ones, knives of different sizes are used. sculptors always carve across or with the grain of the wood as a basic principal. once the general shape has been achieved the sculptor uses a variety of tools for creating details. a veiner or fluter may be used to make deep gouges in the surface. a v - tool is used for making fine lines or decorative cuts. the method used on finishes depends on the required quality of surface required. the texture may be left by shallow gouges to give life to the sculpture surface. many carvers, buyers and collectors prefer this tooled finish. if completely smoothened surface is priority, it is done using tools such as rasp, a flat blade with a surface of pointed teeth. rifflers are similar to rasps but smaller, double ended and of various shapes for working in folds or crevasse. the finer polishing is attained using filing and abrasive paper which comes in various sizes of grain. a finished sculpture is then sealed and coloured with a variety of natural oils such as walnut or linseed oil. these protect wood from moisture and dirt. it also imparts a sheen to the wood, which by reflecting light, helps the observer appreciate the form. glossy varnishes are rarely used. objects made out of wood are frequently finished with a layer of wax which protects the wood and gives it a softer sheen. a wax finish is comparatively fragile though and is only suitable for indoor carvings. the most common materials used in akamba carvings are locally available woods from trees such as african black wood ( delbergia melanoxylon ), african ebony, rose wood, mahogany, teak and jacaranda ( jacaranda mimosifolia ).


materials used in akamba carvings are locally available woods from trees such as african black wood ( delbergia melanoxylon ), african ebony, rose wood, mahogany, teak and jacaranda ( jacaranda mimosifolia ). finishes are always coated with wax, oil colour and varnishes. other sculptors may require adornment with beads, leather metallic decorative pins, metallic clips, fibers and ivory. akamba carvings range from figures of various sizes and shapes. the figures are carved keenly detailing basic curves but maintaining accurate shapes and proportions. very accurate lines and textures are shown giving the figures life. natural colours of materials are maintained when a thin layer of wax and oil is applied giving the product a natural aesthetic value. the carvings maintain laws of art and design. most akamba carvings are in proper shapes and proportions that are enhanced by harmonious movement and rhythm created by lines, shapes and decorations. a scene of a predator killing a prey can be depicted with very accurate movement and energy involved. such scenes at times are left on unrefined wooden ground and backdrop but concentrate emphasis and finishes on the subject, which brings unity that controls the perception of the sculpture. akamba wood carvings have very strong denotative messages. a mask for example carries a clear spiritual message just like a stool may portray elderly values from the way it is decorated. connotative values are scanty in most of the akamba carvings because of the direct imitation from nature and the environment. most of the reproduced forms do not communicate much about the period in which the carvings are created. they are not influenced by cultural trends, in either music, culture or even dance. they do not respond to any social or political change. mass production destroys individual styles and gives rise to unscrupulous business. middle business dealers claim ownership and even claim to employ akamba artists who produce the work. since akamba carvers are inspired by the arid semi arid region in which they live, most of their subjects are prominent animals such lions, elephants, giraffes and other cultures exposed to them like the maasai people. they are further inspired by the market demands of such kind of carvings since most of the buyers are people visiting kenya. repetitive production of carvings lowers their values and quality. buyers, collectors and general audience need a variety of subjects, styles and messages and meanings. every carving should tell its own story. replication of these carvings is good for mass demand but dilutes the very intricate value of akamba art for prosperity. the


, collectors and general audience need a variety of subjects, styles and messages and meanings. every carving should tell its own story. replication of these carvings is good for mass demand but dilutes the very intricate value of akamba art for prosperity. the kamba sculptors have formed cooperative societies for purposes of proper management and improved product. the management sources for raw materials, markets and supports artists with loans for personal development. some societies have over 350 members all working in the same shade. ten percent of the proceeds from individual work once sold is retained by the society management for administrative purposes and also part of it retained by the society account to be issued out to members in form of soft loans. some societies get some grants from the government to enhance operations and products. small scale kamba sculptors who run small cottage workshops in towns and cities often use mobile communication technologies to transact business. it is now common for artists to receive orders, make purchases and receive payments through mobile phone money transfer services available locally. akamba sculptors have evolved into huge companies that manufacturer and export fine wood carvings, animal sculptures, decorative accessories, and fancy customized goods mainly to foreign markets. this is in the effort to diversify into other areas of craft to be able to remain in business. the companies have developed websites where they market and sell their carvings online. amongst the most popular products are the " big five " ( lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino, and leopard ) ; a variety of human sculptures ; realistic and abstract african art, masks, stools, and decorated african wooden utensils ( bowls, spoons, stools, walking sticks ) that are fancied by both local and foreign markets. akamba handicraft cooperative society ltd has 3000 members and 2000 sub - contracted sculptors in their in - house workshop and showroom located on airport road, mombasa. it exports 30 % of their products to europe, japan, north america, and south africa and sells 30 % in their mombasa showroom. the remaining 40 % is sold to other curio vendors in kenya. shipment is done using currier companies and payments received through telegraphic money transfers keeping abreast with competitors in the global market through information communication technologies available. by adams namayi wamukhuma, comment on this article!


pediatric regime of chemotherapy proves more effective for young adults monday, june 18, 2012 leukemia patients 16 to 39 have higher long - term survival rates, finds tau researcher acute lymphoblastic leukemia ( all ), usually found in pediatric patients, is far more rare and deadly in adolescent and adult patients. according to the national marrow donor program, child all patients have a higher than 80 percent remission rate, while the recovery rate for adults stands at only 40 percent. in current practice, pediatric and young adult all patients undergo different treatment regimes. children aged 0 - 15 years are typically given more aggressive chemotherapy, while young adults, defined as people between 16 and 39 years of age, are treated with a round of chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant. but a new study has revealed that it may be time to rethink this strategy, says dr. ron ram of tel aviv university ' s sackler faculty of medicine and the davidoff cancer center at the rabin medical center. dr. ram and his fellow researchers have determined that a pediatric treatment regime for young adult patients with all improves their chance of long - term survival, and decreases the mortality rate itself by 40 % — all without the additional complications of a bone marrow transplant. their findings have been published in the american journal of hematology. avoiding the transplant list there are a number of reasons for the differing treatment regimes, including physical stress, psychological preparedness, and prevalence of the disease. pediatric oncologists, who see dozens of cases of all a month, treat their patients with aggressive chemotherapy because there is a consensus that young children can better cope with the treatment — their heart, liver, and lungs are better able to repair themselves after exposure to the toxic cancer - fighting drugs, and they have better psychological support systems to deal with their situation. adult oncologists, on the other hand, proceed with more caution, believing that the older body has less ability to heal itself and that adults are not as psychologically well - adapted for the hardships of intensive chemotherapy. in addition, the smaller number of young and mature adult all patients means that fewer studies and clinical trials have been done on adolescents and adults with the disease, so less information is available. for their study, dr. ram and his fellow researchers conducted a systematic review of 11 comparative studies comparing the outcomes of 2, 489 individuals aged 16 - 39. they completed an analysis to determine how the young adult regime compared to the pediatric treatment for this age group. they discovered that at three years, mortality was significantly


review of 11 comparative studies comparing the outcomes of 2, 489 individuals aged 16 - 39. they completed an analysis to determine how the young adult regime compared to the pediatric treatment for this age group. they discovered that at three years, mortality was significantly lower when the patient was treated with the pediatric regime than with the adult chemotherapy / transplant combination, with a remission rate closer to that in children. relapse rates were also significantly lower. " the long - term survival of these young adults increased significantly when following the pediatric treatment, " concludes dr. ram. the results disproved the assumption that with the more aggressive chemotherapy, young adult patients would have higher toxicity rates. " there was a worry that the patients might suffer or even die from the toxicity of the treatment, but toxicity rates remained the same. with the pediatric treatment, patients were more frequently in remission and had prolonged survival without bone marrow transplantation — which itself is hard on the body. " more trials needed though the comparative studies have pointed researchers in the right direction, dr. ram says that this study is limited by a lack of randomized controlled trials, which could give more insight into whether the pediatric regime should be adopted as standard for young adult patients. still, the results are persuasive, leading to the conclusion that patients in this age group can be treated as pediatric patients in terms of the level of chemotherapy they can handle. " for a 16 - 20 year old, i would push them towards a pediatric regime, " dr. ram says. this study was conducted in collaboration with profs. ofer shpilberg and pia raanani and drs. ofir wolach, liat vidal and anat gafter - gvili. for more cancer research news from tel aviv university, click here.


moving people toward compassionate living your letters and calls do help! | originally posted : 23 may 2011 | help save hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks tell national oceanic and atmospheric administration fisheries service ( nmfs ) it ' s time to stop catching hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks in u. s. waters! prohibiting the retention of these species in all highly migratory species ( hms ) fisheries will allow for straightforward enforcement and implementation of the proposed ban and help to safeguard these species in u. s. waters. please add the oceanic whitetip and scalloped, great and smooth hammerhead sharks to the prohibited species list under hms management in the atlantic. sign an online petition and / or make direct contact : noaa fisheries service information / talking points oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks are some of the most amazing creatures in the world ' s oceans, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. these top predators play a critical role in maintaining the balance of life in the sea, and their loss could cause irreversible damage to the oceans. up to 73 million sharks are killed every year for their fins, valued for the asian delicacy shark fin soup. sharks grow slowly, mature late and produce few offspring over long life spans, making them particularly vulnerable to overexploitation and slow to recover from overfishing. this is particularly true for oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks, which have an even lower ability to recover from decline compared to most shark species. the iucn red list of threatened species classifies oceanic whitetips as critically endangered and hammerhead sharks as endangered. caught primarily for their fins for exports and generally not used for their meat, these lions and tigers of the ocean need special protection now. the united states has an opportunity to demonstrate global leadership for sharks by permanently protecting these threatened species in our waters. the national marine fisheries service ( nmfs ) governs the management of sharks in u. s. ocean territory, and has supported proposals for global trade restrictions to ensure the future of these sharks. while the world deliberates, the u. s. should act now to permanently protect these species in our waters. thank you for everything you do for animals!


jewish vegetarian - vegan articles god - bible - intent - love - compassion - faith - peace - people - animals - animal rights - diet - nutrition - health - non - violence - ecology - environment - sacrifices | home page | rosh hashanah and by richard h. schwartz rosh hashanah is the time when we take stock of our lives and consider new beginnings. perhaps the most significant and meaningful change that jews should consider this year is a shift away from diets that have been having devastating effects on human health and the health of our increasingly imperiled planet. while many jews seem to feel that the holiday ' s celebration can be enhanced by the consumption of chopped liver, gefilte fish, chicken soup, and roast chicken, there are many inconsistencies between the values of rosh hashanah and the realities of animal - centered diets. consider these points : 1. while jews ask god on rosh hashanah for a healthy year, non - vegetarian diets have been linked to heart disease, strokes, several forms of cancer, and other illnesses. while we implore " our father, our king " on rosh hashanah to " keep the plague from thy people ", high fat, meat - based diets are causing a plague of degenerative diseases that have resulted in total u. s. medical costs soaring from $ 80 billion in 1970 to an estimated $ 1, 106 billion in 1994. 2. while jews pray on the jewish new year that god " remove pestilence, sword, and famine ", over 70 % of the grain grown in the united states is fed to animals destined for slaughter, as 20 million people die annually because of hunger and its effects. flesh - centered diets, by wasting valuable resources, help to perpetuate the widespread hunger and poverty that often lead to instability and war. 3. while jews commemorate the creation of the world on rosh hashanah, livestock agriculture is a major contributor to many global threats, such as soil erosion and depletion, air and water pollution related to the production and use of pesticides and chemical fertilizer, and the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats. 4. while jews pray on rosh hashanah for god ' s compassion during the coming year, many jews, as well as most other people, partake in a diet that involves animals being raised for food under cruel conditions, in crowded, confined cells, where they are denied fresh air, exercise, and any emotional


compassion during the coming year, many jews, as well as most other people, partake in a diet that involves animals being raised for food under cruel conditions, in crowded, confined cells, where they are denied fresh air, exercise, and any emotional stimulation. 5. while judaism teaches that people ' s fate for the new year is written on rosh hashanah and sealed on yom kippur and that repentance, prayer, and charity can cancel a stern decree, the fate of farm animals is determined before they are born and there is no way they can change it. while the torah and prophetic readings on rosh hashanah describe the great joy of both sarah and hannah after they were blessed with sons after it seemed that both were destined to be barren, meat - based diets require the taking of animal babies from their mothers after only one day of nursing, to spend the rest of their lives in small pens where they are fattened up for slaughter. 6. while rosh hashanah is a time when we are to " awake from our slumber " and mend our ways, the consumption of meat on rosh hashanah means that we are continuing the habits that are so detrimental to our health, to animals, to hungry people, and to ecosystems. while we symbolically cast away our sins at tashlich during rosh hashanah, the eating of meat means a continuation of the " sins " associated with our diets, with regard to treatment of animals, protecting our health, polluting the environment, and wasting food and other resources. while rosh hashanah is meant to be a time of deep contemplation when we carefully examine our deeds, most meat eaters ignore the many moral issues related to their diets. 7. while we speak of god " s " delighting in life " on rosh hashanah, the standard american diet annually involves the brutal treatment and deaths of billions of animals, as well as many human deaths, due to insufficient food in poor countries and too much rich food in the wealthy countries. 8. while rosh hashanah has a universal message and involves the prayer that " all the world ' s people shall come to serve ( god ) ", many of the world ' s people suffer from chronic hunger which denies them the necessary strength and will for devotion, while meat and fish from the choicest land and most bountiful waters of their countries is exported to meet dietary demands in the united states and other developed countries


' s people suffer from chronic hunger which denies them the necessary strength and will for devotion, while meat and fish from the choicest land and most bountiful waters of their countries is exported to meet dietary demands in the united states and other developed countries. 9. while rosh hashanah is a time of joy ( along with sincere meditation ), animals on factory farms never have a pleasant day, and millions of people throughout the world are too involved in worrying about their next meal to be able to experience many joyous moments. in view of these and other apparent contradictions, i hope that jews will enhance their celebrations of the beautiful and spiritually meaningful holiday of rosh hashanah by making it a time to begin striving even harder to live up to judaism ' s highest moral values and teachings by moving toward a vegetarian diet. richard h. schwartz, email address : schwartz @ postbox. csi. cuny. edu. author of judaism and vegetarianism, judaism and global survival, and mathematics and global survival. patron of the international jewish vegetarian society. my articles on judaism and vegetarianism are on the internet at http : / / schwartz. enviroweb. org / | home page | jewish articles : table of contents | thank you for visiting all - creatures. org.


science fair project encyclopedia southern american english southern american english is a dialect of the english language spoken throughout the southern region of the united states, from central kentucky and northern virginia to the gulf coast and from the atlantic coast to eastern texas. southern american english can be divided into different sub - dialects ( see american english ), with speech differing between, say, the appalachian region and the coastal area around charleston, south carolina. the south midlands dialect was influenced by the migration of southern dialect speakers into the american west. the traditional dialect of african americans, popularly called " ebonics ", shares many similarities with southern dialect, unsurprising given that group ' s strong historical ties to the region. speakers of southern american english have been stereotyped as uneducated or stupid commonly due the slower rate of speech and intertextualization of cultural factors of the region. since the use of the dialect is stigmatized, educated speakers often attempt to eliminate many of its more distinctive features from their personal idiolect, settling for a more " neutral - sounding " english, though more often this involves changes more in phonetics than vocabulary. well - known speakers of southern dialect include united states presidents jimmy carter and bill clinton along with playwright tennessee williams and singer elvis presley. few generalizations can be made about southern pronunciation as a whole, as there is great variation between regions. one phenomenon that is probably found throughout the region is the merger of and [ ɪ ] before nasal consonants, so that " pen " and " pin " are pronounced the same. this sound change has spread beyond the south in recent decades and is now quite widespread in the midwest and west as well. other typical ( sometimes stereotypical ) aspects of the southern accent : - [ z ] becomes [ d ] before [ n ], e. g. [ wʌdnt ] wasn ' t, [ bɪdnɪs ] business - the diphthong / aɪ / becomes monophthongized to [ aː ]. some speakers have this feature before voiced consonants but canadian - style raising before voiceless consonants, so that ride is [ raːd ] and wide is [ waːd ], but right is [ rəɪt ] and white is [ hwəɪt ] ; others monophthongize / aɪ / in all contexts. - the diphthongization or triphthongization of the traditional short front vowels as in the words pat, pet, and pit : these develop a glide up from their original starting position to


fell, and fool / full homophones. - the distinction between w and wh, as in wine and whine is preserved for some speakers. - the distinction between / ær /, / ɛr /, and / er / in marry, merry, and mary is preserved. - yod - dropping is not found among many speakers, thus / dj /, / nj /, / tj /, in due, new, tune is preserved. - the distinction between / 3 ` r / and / vr / in furry and hurry is preserved. - in some regions of the south, there is a merger of [ ɔr ] and [ ɑar ], making cord and card, for and far, form and farm etc. homonyms. - the distinction between / ir / and / i : r / in mirror and nearer, sirius and serious etc. is preserved. - the distinction between pour and poor, more and moor etc. is lost in many regions. - use of double modals ( " might could ", " might should ", " might would ", etc. ) - " you " may be " ye " ( " did ye get yer car? " ) - occasional preservation of the aspirative " h " for the third person singular neuter ( " hit " ). - use of " y ' all " as the second person plural pronoun ( less commonly " you - all, " " all - y ' all " ) - some appalacian and ozark dialects prefer " you ' uns ", and by extension " we ' uns " and " they ' uns ". - use of " fixin ' to " or " a - fixin ' to " as an indicator of immediate future action. for example : " he ' s ' fixin to eat, " or " we ' re ' a - fixin to go. " - use of the word " done " in place of " already " or " did ", such as in " we ' done ' did this " ( we already did this ). - use of the emphatic definite article ( frequently abbreviated to the dental fricative / ð / ) : " he went to the wal - mart. " " i ' ma go to th ' iga. " - use of " over yonder " in place of " over there " or " in or at that indicated place, " especially when being used to refer to a particularly different spot, such as in " the house


to th ' iga. " - use of " over yonder " in place of " over there " or " in or at that indicated place, " especially when being used to refer to a particularly different spot, such as in " the house over yonder " - use of " the grocery " in place of " the supermarket " or " the grocery store. " for example " i went to the grocery earlier today " or " we ' re fixin ' to go to the grocery " - use of a quasi - reflexive pronoun " me " or " him ". for example, " i ' m fixin ' to paint me a picture. " - use of " to love on someone or something " in place of " to show affection to " or " be affectionate with someone or something. " for example : " he was lovin ' on his new kitten. " - word use tendencies from the harvard dialect survey : - a carbonated beverage in general as " coke " ( likely influenced by the coca - cola company being headquartered in atlanta, georgia and the resultant dominance of coca - cola in the region ). - the small land crustaceans that roll when you touch them as " roley - poleys " rather than " pill bugs " or " woodlouse " - the push - cart at the grocery store as a " buggy " - the small freshwater crustacean in lakes and streams as a " crawdad, " " crawfish, " or " crayfish " depending on the location the contents of this article is licensed from www. wikipedia. org under the gnu free documentation license. click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details


montenegro was part of the former yugoslavia at one time. illyrians originally settled the area, followed by the greeks, celts, byzantines, romans and the slavs. the nation was eventually christianized under nicholas i and later united with serbia to fight the turks of the ottoman empire. nicholas oversaw the expansion of montenegro ’ s borders and led it toward independence in 1878. italy occupied the country during world war ii, and montenegro adopted socialism as part of yugoslavia during the cold war. in 1992, montenegro joined with serbia as yugoslavia began to break up, leaving behind a truncated federal republic of yugoslavia. while serbia became involved in the war in bosnia, montenegro remained largely out of the conflict. the democratic party of socialists of montenegro became the dominant political force in the country throughout the 1990s. during this time montenegro became a hotspot for smuggling due to its location on the adriatic sea. in 2003, the federal republic of yugoslavia renamed itself serbia and montenegro. this lasted until june 2006 when montenegro became completely independent. the united states soon thereafter established diplomatic relations with montenegro. lay of the land : montenegro occupies an area slightly smaller than the state of connecticut, and lies between bosnia and herzegovina, serbia, kosovo and albania. its terrain is varied, from the mountainous regions with thick forests to central plains and the adriatic coast, with a few small islands off the coast. the climate is generally continental, and mediterranean off the coast. the area now known as montenegro was originally settled by the illyrians before the 6th century. subsequently, the greeks and celts formed settlements to enhance trade in the region. the romans eventually conquered the illyrian kingdom and divided the territory with the byzantine empire. the socialist federal republic of yugoslavia was a conglomeration of six regional republics and two autonomous provinces that was roughly divided on ethnic lines. following a string of violent conflicts during the 1990s yugoslavia split into several independent countries, including serbia and montenegro,. in 2009, the and the united states ’ leading export to montenegro were new and used passenger cars ( $ 3. 3 million ) and drilling / oilfield equipment ( $ 2. 3 million ). other major exports included unmanufactured agricultural goods ( $ 2 million ), medicinal equipment ( $ 1. 3 million ), generators and accessories ( $ 1. 1 million ), plastic materials ( $ 1. 1 million ), and household appliances ( $ 1. 1 million ). montenegro accused of caving to us pressure on kosovo according to the u. s. state department, montenegro ’ s government has been


million ), plastic materials ( $ 1. 1 million ), and household appliances ( $ 1. 1 million ). montenegro accused of caving to us pressure on kosovo according to the u. s. state department, montenegro ’ s government has been accused of “ allowing police mistreatment of suspects in detention, substandard prison conditions, abusive and arbitrary arrests, police impunity, lengthy pretrial detention, delayed and inefficient trials, widespread perception of corruption in law enforcement agencies and the judiciary, physical assaults on journalists, excessive monetary judgments against the media for slander, denial of public and press access to information, mistreatment and discrimination against the large number of refugees and internally displaced persons, sectarian intolerance and homophobia, discrimination against women, trafficking in persons, and discrimination against ethnic minorities, ”. note : the united states recognized the republic of montenegro on jun 13, 2006 and established relations with it on aug. 15. the us consulate in podgorica became an embassy oct 5, 2006, with arlene ferrill as charge d ’ affaires ad interim. montenegro ’ s ambassador to the united states since november 2010, srdjan darmanovic knows a thing or two about strategy, both the diplomatic kind and that used on a chess board. sue k. brown, a career member of the senior foreign service, was appointed in november 2010 by president barack obama to serve as ambassador to montenegro. she was sworn in on april 27, 2011. a native of rhode island, roderick w. moore served as the first - ever us ambassador to montenegro. he was sworn in on september 12, 2007. moore attended brown university where he received his ba in russian studies and international relations in 1986. he also earned an ma in slavic linguistics in 1987 and has studied serbian, croatian, bulgarian, russian, macedonian, montenegrin, czech, french, spanish and haitian creole.


1997 - 1999 : children ' s book completed ae projects when someone is suffering from dementia, the whole family is affected. it can be difficult for everyone, but particularly for children who do not always understand what is going on. in 1999, alzheimer europe ( in collaboration with the association luxembourg alzheimer ) produced a book aimed at helping children understand more about alzheimer ’ s disease and possibly come to terms with it. the book is aimed at children between the age of 8 and 11 and is suitable for those who have a relative with dementia, as well as those who do not. participants from eight of our member associations were involved in the project : - france : association france alzheimer - greece : greek alzheimer association - iceland : f. a. a. s. - luxembourg : association luxembourg alzheimer - portugal : apfada - switzerland : association alzheimer suisse - the netherlands : alzheimerstichting - united kingdom : alzheimer scotland - action on dementia funding and duration the european commission granted the necessary funds for the “ alzheimer children ’ s book project ” to the association luxembourg alzheimer. alzheimer europe worked in close cooperation with the association luxembourg alzheimer on this project which started in december 1997 and finished in june 1999. the main aims of this project were to produce a book about alzheimer ' s disease which would provide children with basic information about alzheimer ' s disease ( though the story ), answer some of the questions they may have, remove some of the stigma associated with having a relative with alzheimer ' s disease and provide a tool for the topic to be discussed in schools, at home and amongst friends. moreover, it was our aim to write a book which would be directly accessible to a young audience rather than the parents of children with a relative with dementia. the first stage of this project involved collecting copies of existing information in order to analyse its content, produce a summary and compile an inventory. before starting to write the story, alzheimer luxembourg association, in close collaboration with alzheimer europe, organised interviews with young children in order to assess their real needs with regard to information about alzheimer ' s disease and their preferences concerning the style of the book. these interviews enabled us to analyse the language used by young children in order to write a story in a style which was understandable and adapted to the needs of the target group. finally, two meetings were held with the project participants in luxembourg. these meetings enabled the participants to define guidelines for the book, the overall structure of the story, the audience, the specific aspects of the disease to be dealt with, the characters, the setting,


find out what ’ s on your pet ’ s mind or work with your pet on a behavior problem have you ever wondered what lucy has on her mind? how she feels about that new litter or why she is peeing outside the box? have you ever wanted to explain to max that you ’ re going to be adding another dog friend to the family? or a new baby? that you ’ re moving to a new neighborhood? would you like to know what would make your hamster more content? what your dog thinks of his trainer or his doggy day care? how your horse feels about the new groomer? why your cockatiel gets a little grumpy right after laying an egg? these are the kinds of things you can learn through a session of animal communication. animals are thinking, feeling beings who greatly enjoy expressing themselves. they are individuals with their own inner lives. they appreciate your desire to find out how they ’ re feeling and to ask what would make them happier. they value the respect you show in preparing them for changes ahead. sometimes their thoughts are simple and expected, sometimes complex, and sometimes light - hearted and amusing. occasionally they will reveal a health condition of which you were unaware. they will tell you who and what they like and don ’ t like. they will tell you what is on their mind and may be more willing and able to change their behavior after hearing your requests and point of view. they might even surprise you with the reasons for their behavior that change your own perspective on the problem and guide you to a more effective solution. when you contact us to arrange a conversation with your pet, we prefer to have limited information so that whatever we receive during the conversation comes from your pet, not from what you told us. that will help validate for you that we are in touch with your pet.


asclepsis tuberosa or butterfly weed is a wonderful addition to the summer garden. its bright orange flowers are irresistible to butterflies, especially the monarch. although the flowers lure the monarch butterfly, the monarch caterpillar eats nothing but the foliage of this particular plant. one morning i discovered that the caterpillar had eaten every single leaf. normally i would be heart sick to see a plant damaged but the presence of a monarch in the garden is a gift. despite being called a weed ( milkweed more specifically ), i do not consider it a weed. as a matter of fact, it is a well - behaved, easy - to - grow, beautiful perennial in the garden. after the blooms fade, green seedpods take their place. the seeds do eventually migrate through the air ; this plant, however, seems only to have spread in my garden by forming larger clumps. butterfly weed prefers full sun, although mine is doing very well in part sun. it is not a drought tolerant plant, but enjoys water during dry times. ascelpsis tuberosa provides a double gift for the gardener. it not only attracts flights of butterflies to the garden, but it also brightens any flower bed. although the name ‘ endless summer ’ ( hydrangea macrophylla ‘ endless summer ’ ) could suggest the title of a cable tv show or a soap opera, it is actually the name of a wonderful mophead hydrangea. what makes this hydrangea with its brilliant blue flowers so special is that it reblooms. it blooms on old and new wood in the same season, often blooming in early summer and then in fall. another positive about ‘ endless summer ’ is that if a late frost kills the early blooms there will be more to follow. this easy - to - grow hydrangea likes the same things that other mopheads do : ample water ( at least an inch per week ), morning sun, and afternoon shade. give it a good home in rich organic soil. if your soil is heavy, consider making a planting bed instead of just a single hole. planting a hydrangea high as you would an azalea also will improve drainage. just because a plant likes shade, planting it right next to a large tree is not often a good idea as the plant has to compete with the trees roots for nutrition and moisture. high shade in a yard is a blessing. a nice layer of mulch is always a good idea as it will help to conserve moisture and keep the soil


often a good idea as the plant has to compete with the trees roots for nutrition and moisture. high shade in a yard is a blessing. a nice layer of mulch is always a good idea as it will help to conserve moisture and keep the soil cooler in the summer. pruning techniques for ‘ endless summer ’ are not difficult. prune mopheads immediately after flowering. because ‘ endless summer ’ reblooms, pruning it should occur in late summer to early fall. however, flower buds for the next season may begin to form from august to october so if yours needs pruning, you may have to sacrifice a few late flowers to get this garden task accomplished at the right time. it is a good idea to prune out all the dead canes and even to cut about one third of the older stems to the ground every year. this will encourage your hydrangeas to grow stronger, have a nicer shape, and have more flowers. my mature ‘ endless summer ’ is about 5 feet high and almost that wide. it is a joy in the garden as the flowers look like jewels. with so many gorgeous hydrangeas on the market it is often difficult to choose a new one, but those that rebloom are a necessity for the summer garden, guaranteeing you a summer full of endless flowers. these are hard days for gardeners. we have talked about the heat to everyone we meet and we are suffering through it as i write these words. i can ’ t remember days of continual 100 plus temperatures, this kind of heat probably has happened in other years, but, like many other bad memories, i have forgotten those times. i have not, however, forgotten the drought of a few years ago when my town of jacksonville imposed watering restrictions. for a plant person this can spell disaster. we saved water from every possible indoor source and carried it outside in buckets. hope we do not face that same situation this year. by now, unless you have been watering your grass, it has turned an ugly shade of brown and is pretty crispy. it is not really dead, only dormant. as soon as it rains, it will green back up ( unless it is a newly sodded lawn in which case the color may be a cry for help ). should you decide to water, please remember to water deeply and less often. grass needs about an inch of moisture a week to look like a golf course. you can judge how much water your lawn is getting by setting empty tuna cans around


help ). should you decide to water, please remember to water deeply and less often. grass needs about an inch of moisture a week to look like a golf course. you can judge how much water your lawn is getting by setting empty tuna cans around to catch the water. the best time to water your lawn is between 4 and 9 am. although your lawn will bounce back from this drought and heat, these same conditions are much harder on many annuals and perennials, trees and shrubs, especially newly planted ones. many or most annuals are water hogs. the sun coleus i planted are begging for a drink at least twice a day. the pentas are hanging their heads. if you put in new ornamental plants or trees last spring, they must have water to survive until they are settled in. even those planted last winter need to be watered. again water deeply and less often, early in the morning if possible. watering at night may encourage the development of fungus and disease. by watering early you allow the foliage to dry. a good layer of mulch surely helps keep the soil from drying out as quickly ( and keeps down the weeds ). overhead watering is never the best choice ; drip irrigation wastes less water and gets the water where it is needed most – to the roots. many of us, however, have the traditional over head irrigation systems in our yards – either through in ground sprinkler systems or rotating sprinklers. some soaker hoses added to the mix will help. now is not the time to fertilize - - struggling plants don ' t need encouragement to grow. they need to use their strength to survive. good soil helps plants to be strong. layers of compost mixed in the soil next winter will improve the structure of the soil and make it easier for water to reach the roots. the use of drought tolerant plants in the landscape is certainly a solution to reducing our water usage. there are so many to choose from : sedums, agaves, yuccas, and even cactus. these laugh at the drought and the heat. these drought tolerant beauties also make wonderful container plantings. ( note to myself ; do not plant three dozen sun coleus in pots and beds next year ). be kind to yourself on these sweltering days. for us humans working in the garden in the early morning or early evening will be the healthiest for us. with a little patience we will survive another alabama summer. june 27 th hayes jackson, aces dates / speakers subject


using scientific techniques and cutting - edge equipment, researchers at the indianapolis museum of art conservation science laboratory have recently solved mysteries about paintings by vincent van gogh and giorgio de chirico. since opening in early 2011, the conservation science laboratory has undertaken multiple projects that have provided the museum world with new research, techniques and advances in the field of conservation. a partnership between the ima conservation science laboratory and the cincinnati art museum ( cam ) has shed new light on the colors that vincent van gogh used in his 1890 painting undergrowth with two figures. van gogh was known to use vibrant colors in his paintings but many of his works today have lost this original vibrancy. undergrowth with two figures is one such work and during a cleaning of the work, former cam paintings conservator per knutas unearthed miniscule traces of bright pink colorant in areas where the frame covered the edge of the painting. this discovery prompted knutas to contact dr. gregory d. smith, the ima otto n. frenzel iii senior conservation scientist. smith agreed to help identify the paint colorant used by van gogh and worked with visiting researcher dr. jeffrey fieberg, associate professor of chemistry at centre college in danville, ky, to examine the painting and solve the mystery. i gladly accepted the challenge to identify the colorant, knowing this project would allow the conservation science laboratory to build ongoing partnerships within the museum community, contribute useful research on paint fading and fully utilize the state - of - the - art instruments available in the lab, smith said. this project is a shining example of the type of research the lab is equipped to conduct. van gogh painted undergrowth within the last five weeks of his lifea period when he was known to have used a bright geranium lake organic dye and the brilliance of geranium lake is short lived when exposed to light. a helpful clue in the process came from a letter written by van gogh to his brother, theo, while he was painting the work stating it contained... undergrowth, lilac trunks of poplars, and underneath them some flower - dotted grass, pink, yellow, white and various greens. since the pink flowers rapidly faded to white, the question addressed by the ima lab was which flowers were white because of the fading, and which ones were always white. the painting was brought to the ima for an in - depth, nondestructive analysis. smith utilized a small broken paint chip found lodged in the varnish to analyze the dye by raman