my baby is 3 - 1 / 2 months old and has a cold. we think it was due to exposure to cold weather because we had to go out in the snow just two or three days before she got it. the doctor told us that it ' s a virus and we can bathe her, take her out, or do whatever we want. will bathing her when she ' s having cold aggravate the condition, and was her cold caused by exposure to cold weather? doctors usually say that colds are caused by viruses and not by exposure to the cold, and parents often believe the other is true. to a certain extent, i think both are right. we ' ve learned a lot from the experience of scientists stationed in mcmurdo station in antarctica. there, they are very very cold and catch no colds at all... unless someone with a cold arrives. then it spreads very quickly. exposure to cold weather changes the way that our bodies fight off viruses. the protective mucus and cilia in the respiratory tract do not function as well. so if you get exposed to a virus in those conditions you ' re more likely to catch it. breathing cold air seems to be the toughest on the system. bathing your baby is okay, as long as she doesn ' t get too chilled. the information on this web site is designed for educational purposes only. it is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. you should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child ' s condition.


disney turns your body into a touch screen touching and swiping on your smartphone or tablet is so 2011. what if you could select a new song, craft a text message, or launch an app without ever touching your gadget? disney research has stepped away from creating animatronic creatures to investigate more complex uses for touch - based technology, and it landed on a system known as touche. a five - minute video ( below ) details some of the uses for touche, but one of the more interesting options is using the body as a touch screen of sorts. rather than pulling your mp3 player out of your pocket, for example, simply touch your finger to your palm to advance a playlist or increase the volume. the user would likely be wearing a wristwatch - esque sensor to pick up movement, according to a paper from disney researchers munehiko sato, ivan poupyrev, and chris harrison. the trio recently won best paper at the 2012 acm sigchi conference on human factors in computing systems. " for example, making a ' shh ' gesture with index finger touching to the lips, could put the phone into silent mode, " they wrote. " putting the hands together, forming a book - like gesture, could replay voicemails. " another somewhat hilarious ( though possibly traumatizing ) option the researchers laid out for touche was " food training. " the technology works with liquids, so let ' s say you were trying to get junior to eat his cereal with a spoon. did he stick his finger in the bowl? a buzzer signals that he ' s doing it wrong. chopsticks? nope, another jarring buzzer. trying with a spoon, however, prompts a soothing tone to signal that he is eating the cereal correctly. touche could also help people use their doorknobs as an away message in the office, researchers said. are you on the phone? anyone who touches your doorknob could see a " do not disturb " message illuminate on the door. if you step away, meanwhile, different pressure could produce different messages - a light touch means " back in 5 " but closing the door with a full grip on the doorknob signals that you ' re " gone for the night. " in the home, how about sensors in your couch? sit down and the tv turns on. lights dim the longer you watch, with the tv and lights turning off completely should you fall asleep. touche is still in the concept phase,


the revolutionary aquac protein skimmers do not use venturis, downdraft tubes, or air pumps ; they employ the patented " spray injection system. " this innovation allows the protein skimmer to efficiently draw in much more air than any other of the top protein skimmers. this coupled with the superiorly designed compact reaction chamber yields results that will literally blow the waste out of your water. how does spray injection work? in 1998, jason kim ( owner and founder of aquac ) developed a patented process of protein skimming which has come to be known as spray injection. unlike previous forms of skimming, our spray injection method enables huge amounts of air and water to be processed with a relatively small pump. although it is a simple process, there is still some confusion as to how the spray injector works. imagine that you ` re washing your car – you ` ve got a bucket full of soapy water and a garden hose with a fast - moving stream of water. by placing your thumb over the end of the hose, you can disrupt the stream into a turbulent, high – pressure spray. now direct that spray down into the bucket of water, and you ` ll generate a massive amount of bubbles and air flow. that is exactly how our spray injector works. the skimmer body acts as a water reservoir – the bucket in the example above. water is pumped through the spray injector, which has a special nozzle that fans the water out into a pressurized spray. this spray shoots into the skimmer body, generating millions of tiny air bubbles. as the bubbles are formed, more air is sucked into the skimmer as a result of the local drop in pressure and the process continues. most other forms of protein skimming rely on special valves or media to generate the air flow, and these parts quickly become clogged with salt, dust, or even mineral deposits. the aquac spray injector is a relatively large nozzle that resists clogging, and when combined with a pump prefilter, can be considered maintenance free. the redesigned and improved ev series skimmers raise aquac ` s spray injection skimming ( u. s. patent # 6, 156, 209, # 6, 436, 295 ) to a new level in terms of efficiency, performance, and value. a new baffling system combined with a significantly larger mixing box results in far less turbulence and increased contact time. the net effect is a dramatic increase in skimmer performance despite a


to a new level in terms of efficiency, performance, and value. a new baffling system combined with a significantly larger mixing box results in far less turbulence and increased contact time. the net effect is a dramatic increase in skimmer performance despite a drop in pump pressure requirements. aquac ` s molded spray injector now generates a significantly larger number of microbubbles, boosting overall performance to unbelievable levels considering such low pump pressure requirements. features : - flexible design for in - sump or external applications. - the new ev series skimmers are designed to run in sumps without being raised. the output gate valve has been increased to a height of 10 " ( ev - 120 / 180 models ), which means that as long as your sump level is 9 " or lower you will not need to worry about fluctuations having an impact on skimming consistency. the powerful ev - 120 can sit in water as deep as 9 ". - the addition of a precision ball valve for airflow control allows the aquarist to fine tune the skimmer ` s output. unlike most other high performance skimmers in this class, the ev is remarkably silent. the spray injection system does not generate the sucking noises typical of venturi and beckett units. - the john guest " speedfit " fitting is a great feature you will only find on aquac ozone - equipped skimmers. this fitting is standard on models ev - 240 and above, and can be ordered on the ev - 120 / 180. aquarists may also connect their calcium reactor effluent line to the skimmer ` s speedfit connection. the ph of a calcium reactor effluent typically falls between 6. 5 - 6. 9, and over time the addition of this low ph effluent can have a deleterious effect on the system ` s ph level. by dosing your effluent directly into the skimmer, excess co2 will be " blown off " into the atmosphere and the tank ph will remain unaffected. - the improved " twist - lock " collection cup and cap makes for a secure, flanged connection without the need for set screws or other locking type unions. simply twist to crack the seal ( epdm gaskets ) and removal requires a scant ¼ " clearance. the new ev series skimmers can be operated with aquac ` s auto - waste container, which are available in 2. 5 and 5 liter sizes. - increased contact time = more protein removal.


removal requires a scant ¼ " clearance. the new ev series skimmers can be operated with aquac ` s auto - waste container, which are available in 2. 5 and 5 liter sizes. - increased contact time = more protein removal. the size of the mixing box has been increased on all models by approximately 40 %. to accommodate the extra foam the skimmers now feature taller and wider reaction towers, as well. - height : 20 " - recommend pumps : mag drive 7 or rio 3100 - footprint : 5. 75 " x 9 " - foam tower : 5 " od - tank size : 75 - 180 gallons - jg fitting : optional 1 / 4 " jg fitting - bubble size :. 03 –. 05mm - water flow - thru rate : 275gph - volume of foam produced : 135cu. in. - 3 / 4 " hose barb water input - 1 " gate valve output - 5 / 8 " collection cup drain - 3 / 8 " threaded air inlet - gate valve exit is 8 " high | ev 120 / 180 skimmer | | ev 240 skimmer | aquac protein skimmers in use | this is one reef aquariums where the aquac prototypes are tested on. | at the time of the picture, this aquarium had been running with an aquac ev90. note that this aquarium is fairly heavily stocked. after this picture was taken, quite a bit more livestock has been added to this aquarium. currently, an aquac ev150 is running on this well - overstocked tank. aquac feels that this the ev150 is probably not neccessary for the tank, but they feed their tank quite aggressively to keep all the fishes that has been added healthy and wanted to keep maintenance at a minimum. according to aquac, maintenance on this aquarium has been extremely low. the aquac ev - 150 protein skimmer working on our aquairum : please note the dry consistency and quantity of the foam being collected by the aquac protein skimmer. this drain cup is being filled on a daily basis. there is a convenient collection cup drain connector that allows you to drain the the waste collected in collection cup into a waste container. this particular model stands only 20 " tall, so it is extremely easy to place this skimmer underneath most aquarium stands. even the model ev200 fits very easily under most aquarium stands. the aquac ev skimmer working in one of our customer ` s tank :


nama : ( lit. ' name ' ) : ' mind ', mentality. this term is generally used as a collective name for the 4 mental groups ( arupino khandha ), viz. feeling ( vedana ), perception ( sanna ), mental formations ( sankhara ) and consciousness ( vinnana ). within the 4th link ( nama - rupa ) in the formula of the paticcasamuppada ( q. v. ), however, it applies only to karma - resultant ( vipaka ) feeling and perception and a few karma - resultant mental functions inseparable from any consciousness. as it is said ( m. 9 ; d. 15 ; s. xii, 2 ) : " feeling ( vedana ), perception ( sanna ), volition ( cetana ), impression ( phassa ), mental advertence ( manasikara ) : this, o brother, is called mind ( nama ). " with the addition of 2 more mental factors, namely, mental vitality ( jivita ) and concentration ( samadhi ), here ' stationary phase of mind ' ( cittatthiti ), these 7 factors are said in the abhidhammattha sangaha to be the inseparable mental factors in any state of consciousness. for the complete list of all the 50 mental formations of the sankhara - kkhandha ( not including feeling and perception ), s. nama - kaya : the ' mind - group ' ( as distinguished from rupa - kaya, the corporeality - group ) comprises the 4 immaterial groups of existence ( arupino khandha ; s. khandha ). this twofold grouping, frequent in com., occurs first in d. 15, also in pts. m. ( i, 183 ) ; nama - kaya alone is mentioned in sn. 1074. nama - rupa ( lit. ' name and form ' ) : ' mind - and - body ', mentality and corporeality. it is the 4th link in the dependent origination ( s. paticcasamuppada 3, 4 ) where it is conditioned by consciousness, and on its part is the condition of the sixfold sense - base. in two texts ( d. 14, 15 ), which contain variations of the dependent origination, the mutual conditioning of consciousness and mind - and - body is described ( see also s. xii, 67 ), and the


, as such, something empty, lifeless and inactive ; but by means of their mutual working together, this mental and bodily combination may move about, stand up, and appear full of life and nana : ' knowledge, comprehension, intelligence, insight ', is a synonym for panna ( q. v. ) ; see also vipassana. of knowledge and vision ', is the last of the 7 purifications and a name for path - knowledge ( magganana ), i. e. the penetrating realization of the path of stream - winning, once - returning, non - returning or arahatship. vis. m. xxii furnishes a detailed explanation of it ( s. visuddhi, vii ). in a. iv, 41 nanadassana apparently means the divine eye ( dibbacakkhu, s. abhinna ), being produced through concentrating the mind on light. nanatta - sanna : the ' variety ( or multiformity ) - perceptions are explained under jhana ( q. v. ). nana - vipphara iddhi : the ' power of penetrating knowledge ', is one of the magical powers ( iddhi, q. v. ). understanding ( or comprehension ) of the known ', is one of the 3 kinds of full understanding ( parinna q. v. ). natthika - ditthi : ' nihilistic view ' ( a doctrine that all values are baseless, that nothing is knowable or can be communicated, and that life itself is meaningless ), s. ditthi. is one of the 24 conditions ( paccaya, q. v. ). natural morality : pakati - sila navanga - buddha ( or satthu ) - sasana : nava - sattavasa : s. sattavasa. naya - vipassana : s. kalapa naya : ' right method ', is often used as a name for the noble eightfold path ( s. magga ), e. g. in the satipatthana sutta ( m. 10, d. 22 ). nekkhamma : ' freedom from sensual lust ', renunciation. though apparently from nir + o kram, ' to go forth ( into the homeless state of a monk ) ', this term is in the pali texts nevertheless used as if it were derived from kama, lust, and always as an antonym to kama. it is one of


, ' to go forth ( into the homeless state of a monk ) ', this term is in the pali texts nevertheless used as if it were derived from kama, lust, and always as an antonym to kama. it is one of the perfections ( s. parami ). n. sankappa, thought free from lust, or thought of renunciation, is one of the 3 kinds of right thought ( samma - sankappa ), the 2nd link of the noble eightfold path ( s. magga, 2 ), its antonym being kamasankappa, nesajjikanga : one of the 13 dhutanga neutral, karmically : avyakata ( q. v. ) ; n. feelings, s. vedana. ' sphere of neither - perception - nor - non - perception ', is the name for the fourth absorption of the immaterial sphere ( arupavacara ), a semi - conscious state, which is surpassed only by the state of complete suspense of consciousness, called ' attainment of extinction ' ( nirodha - samapatti, q. v. ). see jhana ( 8 ). n ' eva - sekha - n ' asekha : ' neither in training nor beyond training ', i. e. neither learner nor master. thus is called the worldling ( puthujjana, q. v. ), for he is neither pursuing the 3 - fold training ( sikkha q. v. ) in morality, mental culture and wisdom, on the level of the first 3 paths of sanctity, nor has he completed his training as an arahat. see sekha. - ( app. ). neyya : ' requiring guidance ', is said of a person " who through advice and questioning, through wise consideration, and through frequenting noble - minded friends, having intercourse with them, associating with them, gradually comes to penetrate the truth " ( pug. 162 ). cf. ugghatitannu. neyyattha - dhamma : a ' teaching the meaning of which is implicit, or has to be inferred ' as contrasted with a ' teaching with an explicit or evident meaning ' ( nitattha - dhamma ). in a. i, 60 ( pts ) it is said : " whoso declares a sutta with an implicit meaning as a sutta with explicit meaning ( and conversely ), such a one makes a


nitattha - dhamma ). in a. i, 60 ( pts ) it is said : " whoso declares a sutta with an implicit meaning as a sutta with explicit meaning ( and conversely ), such a one makes a false statement with regard to the blessed one. " - see paramattha. nibbana, ( sanskrit nirvana ) : lit. ' extinction ' ( nir + o va, to cease blowing, to become extinguished ) ; according to the commentaries, ' freedom from desire ' ( nir + vana ). nibbana constitutes the highest and ultimate goal of all buddhist aspirations, i. e. absolute extinction of that life - affirming will manifested as greed, hate and delusion, and convulsively clinging to existence ; and therewith also the ultimate and absolute deliverance from all future rebirth, old age, disease and death, from all suffering and misery. cf. parinibbana. " extinction of greed, extinction of hate, extinction of delusion : this is called nibbana " ( s. xxxviii. 1 ). the 2 aspects of nibbana are : ( 1 ) the full extinction of defilements ( kilesa - parinibbana ), also called sa - upadi - sesa - nibbana ( s. it. 41 ), i. e. ' nibbana with the groups of existence still remaining ' ( s. upadi ). this takes place at the attainment of arahatship, or perfect holiness ( s. ariya - puggala ). ( 2 ) the full extinction of the groups of existence ( khandha - parinibbana ), also called an - upadi - sesa - nibbana ( s. it. 41, a. iv, 118 ), i. e. ' nibbana without the groups remaining ', in other words, the coming to rest, or rather the ' no - more - continuing ' of this physico - mental process of existence. this takes place at the death of the arahat. - ( app. : nibbana ). sometimes both aspects take place at one and the same moment, i. e. at the death of the arahat ; s. sama - sisi. " this, o monks, truly is the peace, this is the highest, namely the end of all formations, the forsaking of every substratum of rebirth, the fading away of craving


of an ego, or as an eternal state of existence into which an ego or self enters or with which it merges. hence it is said : " mere suffering exists, no sufferer the deed is, but no doer of the deed is nibbana is, but not the man that enters the path is, but no traveler on it is literature : for texts on nibbana, see path, 36ff. - see vis. m. xvi. 64ff. - anatta and nibbana, by nyanaponika thera ( wheel 11 ) ; the buddhist doctrine of nibbana, by ven. p. vajiranana & f. story ' rebirth ', is a synonym for patisandhi ( q. v. ). - panna ) : ' morality ( concentration, wisdom ) connected with penetration ' ; s. hana - bhagiya - sila. of aversion ', is one of the 18 chief kinds of insight ; s. vipassana ( 4 ), samatha - vipassana ( 2 ), visuddhi ( vi, 5 ). perception ( or consciousness, or view ) of permanency, is one of the 4 perversions nihilistic view : natthika - ditthi ; exercise ' s. kasina. nimitta : mark, sign ; image ; target, object ; cause, condition. these meanings are used in, and adapted to, many contexts of which only the doctrinal ones are mentioned here. 1. ' mental ( reflex - ) image ', obtained in meditation. in full clarity, it will appear in the mind by successful practice of certain concentration - exercises and will then appear as vividly as if seen by the eye. the object perceived at the very beginning of concentration is called the preparatory image ( parikamma - nimitta ). the still unsteady and unclear image, which arises when the mind has reached a weak degree of concentration, is called the acquired image ( uggaha - nimitta ). an entirely clear and immovable image arising at a higher degree of concentration is the counter - image ( patibhaga - nimitta ). as soon as this image arises, the stage of neighbourhood ( or access ) concentration ( upacara - samadhi ) is reached. for further details, s. kasina, samadhi. 2. ' sign of ( previous ) kamma ' ( kamma - nimit


of neighbourhood ( or access ) concentration ( upacara - samadhi ) is reached. for further details, s. kasina, samadhi. 2. ' sign of ( previous ) kamma ' ( kamma - nimitta ) and ' sign of ( the future ) destiny ' ( gati - nimitta ) ; these arise as mental objects of the last karmic consciousness before death ( maranasanna - kamma ; s. karma, iii, 3 ). usages ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) are commentarial ( s. app. ). in sutta usage, the term occurs, e. g. as : 3. ' outward appearance ' : of one who has sense - control it is said - that " he does not seize upon the general appearance ' of an object ( na nimittaggahi ; m. 38, d. 2 ; expl. vis i, 54f ; see sila ). 4. ' object ' : the six objects, i. e. visual, etc. ( rupa - nimitta ; s. xxii, 3 ). also, when in explanation of animitta - cetovimutti, signless deliverance of mind ( s. cetovimutti, vimokkha ), it is said, ' sabba - nimittanam amanasikara ', it refers to the 6 sense - objects ( com. to m. 43 ), and has therefore to be rendered " by paying no attention to any object ( or object - ideas ). " - a pleasant or beautiful object ( subha - nimitta, q. v. ) is a condition to the arising of the hindrance of sense - desire ; a ' repellent object ' ( patigha - nimitta ) for the hindrance of ill - will ; contemplation on the impurity of an object ( asubha - nimitta ; s. asubha ) is an antidote to sense - desire. 5. in pts. m. ii, in a repetitive series of terms, nimitta appears together with uppado ( origin of existence ), pavattam ( continuity of existence ), and may then be rendered by ' condition of existence ' ( s. path, nimmana - rati : the name of a class of heavenly beings of the sensuous sphere ; s. deva. nine abodes of beings : s.


may then be rendered by ' condition of existence ' ( s. path, nimmana - rati : the name of a class of heavenly beings of the sensuous sphere ; s. deva. nine abodes of beings : s. sattavasa. ninefold dispensation : s : sasana. nippapanca : s. papanca. corporeality ', is identical with rupa - rupa, ' corporeality proper ', i. e. material or actual corporeality, as contrasted with ' unproduced corporeality ' ( anipphanna - rupa ), consisting of mere qualities or modes of corporeality, e. g. impermanence, etc., which are also enumerated among the 28 phenomena of the corporeality group. see khandha, summary i ; vis. m. xiv, 73. niraya : lit. ' the downward - path ', the nether or infernal world, usually translated by ' hell ', is one of the 4 lower courses of existence ( apaya, q. v. ). the buddhists are well aware that on account of the universal sway of impermanence a life in hell, just as in heaven, cannot last eternally, but will after exhaustion of the karma which has caused the respective form of rebirth, necessarily be followed again by a new death and a new rebirth, according to the stored - up nirodha : ' extinction ' ; s. nirodha - samapatti, of extinction ', is one of the 18 chief kinds of insight ( vipassana q. v. ). see anapanasati nirodha - samapatti : ' attainment of extinction ' ( s. xiv, 11 ), also called sanna - vedayita - nirodha, ' extinction of feeling and perception ', is the temporary suspension of all consciousness and mental activity, following immediately upon the semi - conscious state called ' sphere of neither - perception - nor - non - perception ' ( s. jhana, 8 ). the absolutely necessary pre - conditions to its attainment are said to be perfect mastery of all the 8 absorptions ( jhana ), as well as the previous attainment of anagami or arahatship ( s. ariya - puggala ). according to vis. m. xxiii, the entering into this state takes place in the following way : by means of mental tranquillity ( samath


obstacles to the mind and blind our mental vision. in the presence of them we cannot reach neighbourhood - concentration ( upacara - samadhi ) and full concentration ( appana - samadhi ), and are unable to discern clearly the truth. they 1. sensuous desire ( kamacchanda ), 2. ill - will ( vyapada ), 3. sloth and torpor ( thina - middha ), 4. restlessness and scruples ( uddhacca - kukkucca ), 5. skeptical doubt ( vicikiccha ; in the beautiful similes in a. v, 193, sensuous desire is compared with water mixed with manifold colours, ill - will with boiling water, sloth and torpor with water covered by moss, restlessness and scruples with agitated water whipped by the wind, skeptical doubt with turbid and muddy water. just as in such water one cannot perceive one ' s own reflection, so in the presence of these 5 mental hindrances, one cannot clearly discern one ' s own benefit, nor that of others, nor that of both. regarding the temporary suspension of the 5 hindrances on entering the first absorption, the stereotype sutta text ( e g. a. ix, 40 ) runs as follows : " he has cast away sensuous desire ; he dwells with a heart free from sensuous desire ; from desire he cleanses his heart. " he has cast away ill - will ; he dwells with a heart free from ill - will, cherishing love and compassion toward all living beings, he cleanses his heart from ill - will. " he has cast away sloth and torpor ; he dwells free from sloth and torpor ; loving the light, with watchful mind, with clear consciousness, he cleanses his mind from sloth and torpor. " he has cast away restlessness and scruples ; dwelling with mind undisturbed, with heart full of peace, he cleanses his mind from restlessness and scruples. " he has cast away skeptical doubt ; dwelling free from doubt, full of confidence in the good, he cleanses his heart from " he has put aside these 5 hindrances, and come to know these paralysing defilements of the mind. and far from sensual impressions, far from unwholesome things, he enters into the first absorption, etc. " the overcoming of these 5 hindrance


hindrances, and come to know these paralysing defilements of the mind. and far from sensual impressions, far from unwholesome things, he enters into the first absorption, etc. " the overcoming of these 5 hindrances by the absorptions is, as already pointed out, a merely temporary suspension, called ' overcoming through repression ' ( vikkhambhana - pahana ). they disappear forever on entering the 4 supermundane paths ( s. ariyapuggala ), i. e. skeptical doubt on reaching sotapanship ; sensuous desire, ill - will and mental worry on reaching anagamiship ; sloth, torpor and restlessness on reaching arahatship. for their origination and their overcoming, s. a. i, 2 ; vi, 21 ; s. xlvi, 51. see the five mental hindrances, by nyanaponika thera ( wheel 26 ). niyama : the ' fixedness of law ' regarding all things ; cf. tathata. - panca - niyama is a commentarial term, signifying the ' fivefold lawfulness ' or ' natural order ' that governs : ( 1 ) temperature, seasons and other physical events ( utu - niyama ) ; ( 2 ) the plant life ( bija - n. ) ; ( 3 ) karma ( kamma - n. ) ; ( 4 ) the mind ( citta - n. ), e. g. the lawful sequence of the functions of consciousness ( s. vinnana - kicca ) in the process of cognition ; ( 5 ) certain events connected with the dhamma ( dhamma - n. ), e. g. the typical events occurring in the lives of the buddhas. ( app. ). niyata - micchaditthi : ' wrong views with fixed destiny ', are the views of uncausedness of existence ( ahetuka - ditthi ), of the inefficacy of action ( akiriya - ditthi ), and nihilism ( natthika - ditthi ). for details, s. ditthi ; and m. 60, com. ( wheel 98 / 99 ). - ( app. ) niyata - puggala : a ' person with a fixed destiny ', may be either one who has committed one of the 5 ' heinous deeds with immediate result ' ( anantarika


/ 99 ). - ( app. ) niyata - puggala : a ' person with a fixed destiny ', may be either one who has committed one of the 5 ' heinous deeds with immediate result ' ( anantarika - kamma, q. v. ), or one who follows ' wrong views with fixed destiny ' ( niyata - miccha - ditthi, q. v. ), or one who has reached one of the 4 stages of holiness ( s. ariya - puggala ). about the latter cf. the frequent passage : " those disciples in whom the 3 fetters ( of personality - belief, sceptical doubt and attachment to mere rules and ritual ; s. samyojana ) have vanished, they all have entered the stream, have forever escaped the states of woe ; fixed is their destiny ( niyata ), assured their final enlightenment. " noble abodes : s. vihara. noble family, passing from n. f. to n. f. : kolankola ; s. sotapanna. noble persons : ariya - puggala noble power : ariya iddhi ; s. noble truths, the 4 : ariya - sacca ; s. sacca. - the 2 - fold knowledge of the n. t. ; s. sacca - nana. noble usages, the 4 : ariya - vamsa is one of the 24 conditions ( paccaya, q. v. ). non - violence : s. avihimsa. not - self : s. anatta. corporeality ', designates the 4 primary elements ( mahabhuta or dhatu ), as distinguished from the ' derived corporeality ' ( upada - rupa ), such as the sensitive organs, etc. cf. khandha, i. nutriment : s. oja, ahara. - ahara is one of the 24 conditions ( paccaya, q. v. ) - n. - produced corporeality ; s. samutthana.


home > bank resources > bank resources publications > compliance corner > 2003 > second quarter soldiers ' and sailors ' civil relief act of 1940 the soldiers ' and sailors ' civil relief act of 1940 ( sscra, or the act ) ( 50 usc 501 ) is a reenactment of a statute originally passed in 1918. the intent of the act is to provide protection for individuals entering or called to active duty in the military service. the act is designed - enable service members to fight a war without having to worry about problems that might arise at home, and - help service members honor pre - service debts, since military income tends to be less than pre - service income. all members of the army, navy, marine corps, air force, and coast guard on active duty and all officers of the public health services authorized for active duty with either the army or navy are covered under the act. the act also covers members of the army and air national guard and u. s. military reserves called to active duty, as well as commissioned officers of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration on active duty. the sscra covers such issues as rental agreements, security deposits, prepaid rent, eviction, installment contracts, credit card interest rates, mortgage interest rates, mortgage foreclosure, civil judicial proceedings, and income tax payments. the following summarizes the relief provisions that might affect financial institutions. - interest rates. under the sscra, service members can cap the interest rates on all obligations that were entered into before beginning active duty at 6 percent. obligations include credit cards, mortgages, and non - federally guaranteed student loans. in order to invoke the 6 percent cap, military members must write the lender requesting relief and provide a copy of current military orders. in addition, service members must demonstrate that active duty materially affects their ability to pay. the cap is lifted a short time after active duty ends and the rate reverts to the rate in effect prior to the cap. - mortgages. a lender may not foreclose on a mortgage if the obligation originated prior to entry into active duty and the service member ' s ability to pay is materially affected by military - installment loans. a lender may not exercise any right or option under the contract to terminate an installment contract to purchase real or personal property or to assume possession of the property for nonpayment, if the obligation originated prior to entry into active duty and the service member ' s ability to pay is materially affected by military - leases.


| feb8 - 13, 06 : 53 am | | # 1 | friction conditions on contact point of disc i have some doubts regarding the friction force on a certain situation. imagine a disc over a fixed flat surface. like this : the disc has two motions, rotational and translational but these are independent of each other. i mean the translational motion does not come from the rotation of the disc, imagine an external force that moves the disc. now, with this in mind lets say that the disc is moving from left to right always keeping contact with the surface. at the same time the disc is rotating with an angular velocity clockwise. because of the different movements, at the contact point, there is slip. now to the question itself. what kind of friction do i have at the contact point? do i have rolling or sliding friction at the contact point? and what direction does the friction force have since the disc is moving to the right but at the contact point the direction of rotation is to the left? | similar threads for : friction conditions on contact point of disc | | help with point charges and charge by contact | | introductory physics homework | | 12 | | accumulation point unit disc | | calculus & beyond homework | | 4 | | movement of a point on the perimeter of a disc | | advanced physics homework | | 0 | | point contact diode | | atomic, solid state, comp. physics | | 0 | | contact friction | | introductory physics homework | | 3 |


design thinking is a creative process of thinking backwards from people, that leads to design a service, a product or else, based on the conclusions of the knowledge gathered in the process. design thinking starts and ends with people, their needs and problems. thinking backwards from people leads to major rethinking of processes along the way. design thinking is a kind of problem detector and problem solving process. thinking backwards from people requires a through an exhaustive application of logic to all available threats and creativity in the finding of new possibilities. it also requires a systems thinking and vision that ultimately provides ways to anticipate possible futures. thinking backwards from people it ' s a mindset that naturally evolves to innovation : it is in fact choosing to move forward. thinking like a designer is a point of no return : everything a design thinker sees around comes up with this question : how could i improve it?, what if..?. i wouldn ' t call it an obsession, i believe is a extreme passion for ideas that it ' s got something to do with challenging your own capacities. capacities such as : thinking - in - action systems thinking decision making rational analysis empathy - able to connect emotional intelligence creativity applied to any context conceptualize emotions awareness of the world passion for details caring for people fond of chaos market & business & management teamwork long - term vision ultimate question designers must ask to themselves : what is the difference between designing a brochure and designing a dna? and between designing an app and designing a communication plan? designing a website and designing a business strategy? what is the difference between designing a brand and designing a life? not much... it all starts and ends with people. a beautiful, overwhelming, never - ending scenario full of... dots. and you share one of those dots with millions of others like you. are you feeling a little overwhelmed?. who are you? who is with you? what do you want to accomplish? billions of people feel just the same. the big picture above holds together because of known and unknown connections among dots... what if the so called " flow " is about stepping from one dot to another? a never ending effort to connect and let the world connect back to you? a design thinking attitude : so this year, why don ' t you think about re - designing your life by building empathy from within and finding ways of connecting with others? " as a style of thinking, design thinking is generally considered the ability to combine empathy for the context of a problem, creativity in


cart : 0 items the power of the stop shot ( part 2 ) the power of the stop shot ( part 2 of 2 ) in part 1 of this 2 - part series, we defined the stop shot and all its wonderful benefits. you learned to use the stop shot to calibrate your stroke, stop the cue ball, and control the slide in the early stages of position play. i promised you that once you were able to execute the stop shot from any distance at any speed, then you would always be able to predict which direction the cue ball is going. by now, i ’ m assuming you ’ ve had the opportunity to shoot hundreds, maybe thousands of stop shots. have you mastered it yet? are you able to consistently get that cue ball to slide and stop at the point of contact? if you ’ ve grasped the concept of a sliding cue ball then you ’ re ready for part 2. in this lesson, we will use the same speed and tip position that we learned, to execute a stop shot, to cut shots. before, when the shot was lined up straight in, the cue ball had nothing to do but to stop. it transferred 100 % of its energy into the object ball. now, if you apply that same speed and tip position to cause a sliding ball at the point of contact, you can predict which direction the cue ball will be traveling. where is whitey going? as a basic rule of thumb, when the cue ball is sliding at the point of contact with the object ball, you can trust it will travel at an imaginary perpendicular line from the line of which the object ball is traveling. this diagram illustrates the direction the cue ball slides when it contacts the object ball. obviously, the more extreme the cut angle, the less energy the cue ball transfers to the object ball. therefore, the cue ball will come off at a greater speed. to keep that cue ball on the perpendicular line while controlling the speed, the same theory applies that we used with the stop shot. to achieve the same results, lower speed = lower tip position. all position play begins with understanding the slide zone. when you know which direction the neutral cue ball is going, you can manipulate that line simply by aiming higher or lower. aiming above center causes a rolling cue ball and moves the line forward, above perpendicular. aiming lower to cause backspin brings the cue ball backward below the perpendicular line. when you ’ re able to control the rock, not only does it mean you can play better position for your next shot, but think


the line forward, above perpendicular. aiming lower to cause backspin brings the cue ball backward below the perpendicular line. when you ’ re able to control the rock, not only does it mean you can play better position for your next shot, but think how handy it will be when you need to avoid a scratch or break out a group of balls. these fine points are what keep players from finishing a run out. things to consider - how clean are the balls? if the balls are dirty they will act as gears upon contact and cling together for a fraction of time before the cue ball slides on the perpendicular line. likewise, if the balls are newly washed, they can become much more responsive. if the balls were just cleaned, you may want to aim a little higher than you would think or bring your speed down. - how worn is the cloth? slippery, new cloth will also make a surprising difference. when a table is freshly recovered, the cue ball tends to slide in place, even though it may be rolling. therefore, this will shift the slide window. you ’ ll need to bring your speed down to achieve the desired results. - is the cue ball actually sliding at the point of contact? playing with the aramith pro cup measle cue ball helps you see exactly where the cue ball is sliding at various speeds and distances. you can also easily identify if you ’ ve inadvertently hit too high or low based on the cue ball ’ s response after it contacts the object ball. - did you cheat the pocket? object balls can still go in even if they don ’ t enter the center of the pocket. whichever side of the pocket the object ball enters will shift the perpendicular line of the cue ball. this can be used to your advantage when you need to create more or less angle but always be specific with exactly where you intend to pocket the ball. understanding how to adjust your speed and tip position to manipulate the slide zone will help you predict the path of the cue ball. the next time you ’ re in the mile high area and looking for a denver billiard instructor, be sure to look me up.


march 11, 2013 a ubiquitous chemical found in plastics, soup can linings, and receipts, bisphenol - a is just one health - compromising substance that has been under fire for many years. while the scientific community has gathered ample evidence regarding bpas toxic effects, the chemical is still widely used today. adding to this evidence, recent research has found that bpa could negatively impact brain development by disrupting a gene responsible for proper nerve cell function. for the study, which was published in the journal proceedings of the national academy of sciences and conducted by duke university researchers, it was discovered that bpa could negative effect central nervous system development by disrupting a gene called kcc2. with the disruption of this gene, it can no longer properly produce proteins partly responsible for removing chloride from neurons. if chloride can ’ t be removed, then the functioning of brain cells is hampered. “ our study found that bpa may impair the development of the central nervous system, and raises the question as to whether exposure could predispose animals and humans to neurodevelopmental disorders, ” study researcher dr. wolfgang liedtke, m. d., ph. d., an associate professor of medicine / neurology and neurobiology at duke university, said. “ our findings improve our understanding of how environmental exposure to bpa can affect the regulation of the kcc2 gene. however, we expect future studies to focus on what targets aside from kcc2 are affected by bpa. this is a chapter in an ongoing story. ” the study abstract concludes with : “ overall, our results indicate that bpa can disrupt kcc2 gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms. beyond increase in basic understanding, our findings have relevance for identifying unique neurodevelopmental toxicity mechanisms of bpa, which could possibly play a role in pathogenesis of human neurodevelopmental disorders. ” unfortunately, avoiding bpa is quite as easy as it should be. despite the endocrine - disrupting chemical being linked to reproductive problems, obesity, diabetes, and now negatively altered brain development, the fda rejected bpa ’ s ban back in march 2012 – so now consumers need to look out for the chemical for years to come. but there are still many tips for avoiding bpa and even reversing the negative effects sparked by the chemical. here are a few tips : this post originally appeared at natural society no related posts. this article was posted : monday, march 11, 2013 at 6 : 31


healthed academy report reveals many patient languages not supported by healthcare system one respondent in 3 cites communication and language barriers as key challenges to reaching diverse patient groups clark, n. j., feb. 5, 2013 / prnewswire / - - despite ongoing efforts, healthcare providers looking to meet the needs of culturally diverse patient populations face significant barriers, including a lack of resources in the appropriate languages. the findings come from a report published monday by healthed academy — the research arm of healthed, a healthcare solutions company rooted in education. healthed academy surveyed almost 200 healthcare extenders — non - md health professionals who work directly with patients and whose numbers include nurses, dietitians, health educators, nurse practitioners, patient navigators, and social workers. because of their position on the front lines of healthcare, healthcare extenders have unique perspectives into the realities of meeting the needs of multicultural patient audiences. report highlights include : - when asked about the challenges of reaching culturally diverse patient groups, 29 % of respondents cited communication and language barriers - almost half of respondents lack access to patient education materials in the languages they need. just as many respondents ( 18 % ) cited a need for chinese - language materials as for spanish / spanish creole materials - 42 % of respondents translate patient education materials into other languages the report, engaging patients from multicultural backgrounds, also depicts hurdles and approaches that extend beyond language barriers. of the 192 respondents : - when asked about strategies for engaging patients from diverse backgrounds, only 35 % said they use community health workers - only a small minority ( 1 % ) deliver patient education at local pharmacies / drugstores — this despite a provision in the affordable care act that emphasizes the role of pharmacies in medication therapy management - 51 % of respondents are comfortable with their knowledge of the health beliefs of the cultural groups with which they work " these findings show that diversity in the united states has a very real and tangible impact on healthcare. there is a lot of work that still needs to be done to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all patients, " said katherine margolis, phd, director of health behavior strategy and research for healthed. to download a free excerpt or learn more about purchasing the full report, visit www. healthedacademy. com. healthed is committed to creating a healthier world. we foster better health and business results through innovative solutions that are rooted in education. so learning becomes doing. our clients include pharmaceutical brands, medical device companies, health plans, and government organizations. healthed also supports


article from : 3 / 9 / 2007 modern machine shop, derek korn, senior editor click image to enlarge a picosecond laser was used to machine this micro - mold that measures 2 mm long by 500 microns wide by 600 microns deep. here are four common laser drilling techniques. single - pulse and percussion offer fast material removal rates, but trepanning and helical drilling provide better hole roundness and accuracy. the ability to produce holes and other features measuring mere microns in size is only one piece of the micromachining puzzle. tiny machined elements on components such as fuel injector nozzles, micro - molds, spinnerettes and masks for electronics production must also have clean edges and burr - free finishes to function properly. it is often important that the machining process does not introduce heat into a workpiece, which could alter the material ’ s properties. laser technology has long been capable of machining metals on such a small scale. however, the words “ laser micromachining ” paint with a broad brush. these systems vary in cost, complexity, robustness and capability to keep pace with industrial production requirements. the picosecond laser is one machining tool that has proven effective for accurately micromachining metals with sufficiently high material removal rates. this laser combines the ease of use and throughput of less - accurate systems with the control and precision of laboratory instruments. chuck ratermann, president of rmpc lasers inc., sheds light on some of the differences between a few of the main laser systems that are used to micromachine metals. to be sure, these devices are appropriate only for select machining applications. but shops serving the medical, electronics and even automotive industries that are looking to set themselves apart from the rest are well - served to know what laser micromachining can bring to the table. three laser types are commonly used for micromachining metals — nanosecond, picosecond and femtosecond lasers. these lasers are named based on the duration of their beam pulses. for example, each pulse emitted by a femtosecond laser lasts femtoseconds ( a femtosecond is one millionth of a nanosecond, or 10 - 15 of a second ). the beam pulse duration, in addition to the repetition rate ( the number of emitted pulses per second ), are two factors that influence laser usefulness for industrial micromachining applications. nanose


and copper. this also enables the laser to machine non - metals such as teflon, diamond, ceramics and glass without microcracking or chipping their surface. the minimal thermal and mechanical effects associated with cold ablation allows for a high repetition rate, which translates to high ablation ( material removal ) rates. the repetition rate of the rapid laser is 500 khz, which means ablation rates for steel can be as much as 1 mm³ / min for an 8 kw laser. for most micromachining applications, the spot size made with the rapid picosecond laser is between 4 microns and 50 microns, depending upon the feature to be machined. in production situations, the laser can drill through metals as thick as 0. 5 mm or create blind holes or cavities for micromolds as deep as 0. 5 mm. it can be used for surface structuring in the micron range and removal of thin coatings on components without piercing or damaging the underlying substrate. in addition, the laser can be used to “ hone ” a workpiece to a better surface finish. laser drilling methods there are four common techniques for laser micromachining of metals. these are single - shot, percussion, trepanning and helical drilling. single - shot and percussion are the two fastest drilling methods. because these methods use the raw laser beam for machining, the hole they create is roughly the same as laser beam ’ s spot size. these two methods can deliver aspect ratios ( the ratio of a hole ’ s length to its diameter ) as large as 10 : 1. however, in trepanning and helical drilling, the beam spot size is smaller than the hole to be machined and the workpiece or beam is maneuvered to create the hole. special beam delivery systems are required for these latter two techniques. during simple trepanning, the laser beam pierces through the material and cuts the hole in one circular movement. helical drilling, a variant of trepanning, does not pierce through the material. in this case, the beam follows a helical path, ablating layers of material gradually with many spiraling passes. although this is the slowest of the laser machining methods, it creates the most accurate holes and crisp edges on beam entry and exit sides. it is also the best option for drilling holes with high aspect ratios, which can be as large as 20 : 1. in addition, trepanning optics allow the beam to create


the most accurate holes and crisp edges on beam entry and exit sides. it is also the best option for drilling holes with high aspect ratios, which can be as large as 20 : 1. in addition, trepanning optics allow the beam to create either positive or negative wall tapers. workpiece fixturing and positioning for laser micromachining systems can be simple or elaborate, depending on the application. new fuel injector nozzle designs that have tapered and angled holes, for example, require multi - axis positioning ( both linear and rotary ) to produce the holes. other sophisticated systems may use a vacuum chuck for flat workpieces. in some instances, though, a basic x - y can be used to position workpieces for laser machining. in addition, double - sided tape or frames might suffice for fixturing thin workpieces. for shops currently using nanosecond lasers with success, mr. ratermann doesn ’ t recommend switching to a picosecond laser. although a picosecond laser is more accurate than a nanosecond laser, it is also more costly. for shops considering the addition of a picosecond laser, mr. ratermann suggests sending part samples to a laser supplier to determine the speed and quality the laser can deliver. shops might also consider visiting the laser supplier to determine whether basic workpiece and beam manipulation methods, or a more complex setup, would best suit their particular metal micromachining applications.


a regular expression ( regexp ) is a text string that describes some set of strings. functions that handle regular expressions, based on gnu regexp - 0. 12, have been implemented ( for more details, see the gnu documentation about regexp rules ). the functions available from search menu provide search forward or backward and replace. each of them prompts a dialog box to get the target regexp. regular expressions are composed of characters and operators that match one or more characters. here is an abstract of commons operators : | matches one of a choice of regular expressions. [... ] matches one item of a list. [ ^... ] matches a single character not represented by one of the list items. (... ) treats any number of other operators ( i. e. subexpressions ) as a unit. \ digit matches a specified preceding group. ^ matches the beginning of line. $ matches the end of line. smac provides the following functions : returns the position of the next regular expression regexp, or - 1 if regexp has not been found, or - 2 if regexp is not valid. returns the position of the previous regular expression regexp, or - 1 if regexp has not been found, or - 2 if regexp is not valid. returns the beginning position of the substring n of the regexp found by the previous search call to a regexp. returns the end position of the substring n of the regexp found by the previous search call to a regexp. replaces the regular expression regexp with the string newstring. if the argument regexp is ommited, the previous search call to a regexp is used. it returns 1 on success else 0.


the ground in your garden has been holding moisture all winter. let ' s see if the soil is ready. preparing your garden plot we will want to perform a ' ball test ' to see if it ' s ready to be worked. pick up a handful of soil and squeeze it firmly into a ball. if it sticks together, it ' s still too wet or it may be the clay variety. if you try to work wet clay it will compact hard as a rock. let the garden dry out for a few days longer, especially if it ' s been a wet spring, and test if the ball falls apart easily then the soil is dry enough to be worked. once it passes the ' ball test ' you ' ll have to check it ' s temperature to see if it ' s warm enough for the seeds. - dig 8 " down ( 20 cm ) at a point near the middle of the garden and put your hand in you can feel if the soil has warmed up or is still chilly to the touch. - refer to the back of your seed packets to see if they prefer to be planted in warm or cool weather. - if you have seeds that are okay to plant in cool weather, you can get started just as spring equinox approaches, march 21. - for seeds that need warmer soil wait a few days and do the test again. - if you want to help the soil warm up faster, put down a layer of thin black plastic. - after a few sunny days, roll back the cover and do the same test again - once your soil is warm to the touch you can prepare your garden plot ready for planting. to prepare your garden plot you will need : your garden plan, a measuring tape, a ball of garden twine, a garden fork and a metal rake. - refer to your garden plan to find the exact location of your garden. - use the measuring tape to mark out the length and width of your plot. - put a stake in the ground at each corner and tie the twine around them to surround your garden on all 4 sides. - use a shovel to remove grass, weeds and rocks from your garden plot inside the twine - if you wish, you can remove the twine. - use the garden fork to turn over the soil and break up any big lumps. - if you have clay, don ' t dig it over, just break up the lumps. - work from the back of the garden toward the front so you don ' t compact the soil you just - now is


upgrade to the flash 9 viewer for enhanced content, including the ability to browse & search through your favorite titles. click here to learn more! st. jago - cape de verd islands porto praya - ribeira grande - atmospheric dust with infusoria - habits of a sea - slug and cuttle - fish - st. paul ' s rocks, non - volcanic - singular incrustations - insects the first colonists of islands - fernando noronha - bahia - burnished rocks - habits of a diodon - pelagic confervæ and infusoria - causes of discoloured sea. after having been twice driven back by heavy southwestern gales, her majesty ' s ship beagle, a ten - gun brig, under the command of captain fitz roy, r. n., sailed from devonport on the 27th of december, 1831. the object of the expedition was to complete the survey of patagonia and tierra del fuego, commenced under captain king in 1826 to 1830 - to survey the shores of chile, peru, and of some islands in the pacific - and to carry a chain of chronometrical measurements round the world. on the 6th of january we reached teneriffe, but were prevented landing, by fears of our bringing the cholera : the next morning we saw the sun rise behind the rugged outline of the grand canary island, and suddenly illuminate the peak of teneriffe, whilst the lower parts were veiled in fleecy clouds. this was the first of many delightful days never to be forgotten. on the 16th of january, 1832, we anchored at porto praya, in st. jago, the chief island of the cape de verd archipelago. the neighbourhood of porto praya, viewed from the sea, wears a desolate aspect. the volcanic fires of a past age, and the scorching heat of a tropical sun, have in most places rendered the soil unfit for vegetation. the country rises in successive steps of table - land, interspersed with some truncate conical hills, and the horizon is bounded by an irregular chain of more lofty mountains. the scene, as beheld through the hazy atmosphere of this climate, is one of great interest ; if, indeed, a person, fresh from sea, and who has just walked, for the first time, in a grove of cocoa - nut trees, can be a judge of anything but his own happiness. the island would generally be considered as very uninteresting ; but to anyone accustomed


sea, and who has just walked, for the first time, in a grove of cocoa - nut trees, can be a judge of anything but his own happiness. the island would generally be considered as very uninteresting ; but to anyone accustomed only to an english landscape, the novel aspect of an utterly sterile land possesses a grandeur which more vegetation might spoil. a single green leaf can scarcely be discovered over wide tracts of the lava plains ; yet flocks of goats, together with a few cows, contrive to exist. it rains very seldom, but during a short portion of the year heavy torrents fall, and immediately afterwards a light vegetation springs out of every crevice. this soon withers ; and upon such naturally formed hay the animals live. it had not now rained for an entire year. when the island was discovered, the immediate neighbourhood of porto praya was clothed with ' rees, 1 the reckless destruction of which has caused here, as at st. helena, and at some of the canary islands, almost entire sterility. the broad, flat - bottomed valleys, many of which serve during a few days only in the season as water - courses, are clothed with thickets of leafless bushes. few living creatures inhabit these valleys. the commonest bird is a kingfisher ( dacelo iagoensis ), which tamely sits on the branches of the castor - oil plant, and thence darts on grasshoppers and lizards. it is brightly coloured, but not so beautiful as the european species : in its flight, manners, and place of habitation, which is generally in the driest valley, there is also a wide difference. one day, two of the officers and myself rode to ribeira grande, a village a few miles eastward of porto praya. until we reached the valley of st. martin, the country presented its usual dull brown appearance ; but here, a very small rill of water produces a most refreshing margin of luxuriant vegetation. in the course of an hour we arrived at ribeira grande, and were surprised at the sight of a large ruined fort and cathedral. this little town, before its harbour was filled up, was the principal place in the island : it now presents a melancholy, but very picturesque appearance. having procured a black padre for a guide, and a spaniard who had served in the peninsular war as an interpreter, we visited a collection of buildings, of which an ancient church formed the principal part. it is here the governors


picturesque appearance. having procured a black padre for a guide, and a spaniard who had served in the peninsular war as an interpreter, we visited a collection of buildings, of which an ancient church formed the principal part. it is here the governors and captain - generals of the islands have been buried. some of the tombstones recorded dates of the sixteenth century. 2 the heraldic ornaments were the only things in this retired place that reminded us of europe. the church or chapel formed one side of a quadrangle, in the middle of which a large clump of bananas were growing. on another side was a hospital, containing about a dozen miserable - looking inmates. we returned to the venda to eat our dinners. a considerable number of men, women, and children, all as black as jet, collected to watch us. our companions were extremely merry ; and everything we said or did was followed by their hearty laughter. before leaving the town we visited the cathedral. it does not appear so rich as the smaller church, but boasts of a little organ, which sent forth singularly inharmonious cries. we presented the black priest with a few shillings, and the spaniard, patting him on the head, said, with much candour, he thought his colour made no great difference. we then returned, as fast as the ponies would go, to porto praya. another day we rode to the village of st. domingo, situated near the centre of the island. on a small plain which we crossed, a few stunted acacias were growing ; their tops had been bent by the steady trade - wind, in a singular manner - some of them even at right angles to their trunks. the direction of the branches was exactly n. e. by n., and s. w. by s., and these natural vanes must indicate the prevailing direction of the force of the trade - wind. the travelling had made so little impression on the barren soil, that we here missed our track, and took that to fuentes. this we did not find out till we arrived there ; and we were afterwards glad of our mistake. fuentes is a pretty village, with a small stream, and everything appeared to prosper well, excepting, indeed, that which ought to do so most - its inhabitants. the black children, completely naked, and looking very wretched, were carrying bundles of firewood half as big as their own bodies. near fuentes we saw a large flock of guinea - fowl -


to do so most - its inhabitants. the black children, completely naked, and looking very wretched, were carrying bundles of firewood half as big as their own bodies. near fuentes we saw a large flock of guinea - fowl - probably fifty or sixty in number. they were extremely wary, and could not be approached. they avoided us, like partridges on a rainy day in september, running with their heads cocked up ; and if pursued, they readily took to the wing. the scenery of st. domingo possesses a beauty totally unexpected, from the prevalent gloomy character of the rest of the island. the village is situated at the bottom of a valley, bounded by lofty and jagged walls of stratified lava. the black rocks afford a most striking contrast with the bright green vegetation, which follows the banks of a little stream of clear water. it happened to be a grand feast - day, and the village was full of people. on our return we overtook a party of about twenty young black girls, dressed in excellent taste ; their black skins and snow - white linen being set off by coloured turbans and large shawls. as soon as we approached near, they suddenly all turned round, and covering the path with their shawls, sung with great energy a wild song, beating time with their hands upon their legs. we threw them some vintems, which were received with screams of laughter, and we left them redoubling the noise of their song. one morning the view was singularly clear ; the distant mountains being projected with the sharpest outline on a heavy bank of dark blue clouds. judging from the appearance, and from similar cases in england, i supposed that the air was saturated with moisture. the fact, however, turned out quite the contrary. the hygrometer gave a difference of 29. 6 degrees, between the temperature of the air, and the point at which dew was precipitated. this difference was nearly double that which i had observed on the previous mornings. this unusual degree of atmospheric dryness was accompanied by continual flashes of lightning. is it not an uncommon case, thus to find a remarkable degree of aerial transparency with such a state of weather? generally the atmosphere is hazy ; and this is caused by the falling of impalpably fine dust, which was found to have slightly injured the astronomical instruments. the morning before we anchored at porto praya, i collected a little packet of this brown - coloured fine dust, which appeared to have been filtered from the wind


impalpably fine dust, which was found to have slightly injured the astronomical instruments. the morning before we anchored at porto praya, i collected a little packet of this brown - coloured fine dust, which appeared to have been filtered from the wind by the gauze of the vane at the masthead. mr. lyell has also given me four packets of dust which fell on a vessel a few hundred miles northward of these islands. professor ehrenberg3 finds that this dust consists in great part of infusoria with siliceous shields, and of the siliceous tissue of plants. in five little packets which i sent him, he has ascertained no less than sixty - seven different organic forms! the infusoria, with the exception of two marine species, are all inhabitants of fresh - water. i have found no less than fifteen different accounts of dust having fallen on vessels when far out in the atlantic. from the direction of the wind whenever it has fallen, and from its having always fallen during those months when the harmattan is known to raise clouds of dust high into the atmosphere, we may feel sure that it all comes from africa. it is, however, a very singular fact, that, although professor ehrenberg knows many species of infusoria peculiar to africa, he finds none of these in the dust which i sent him. on the other hand, he finds in it two species which hitherto he knows as living only in south america. the dust falls in such quantities as to dirty everything on board, and to hurt people ' s eyes ; vessels even have run on shore owing to the obscurity of the atmosphere. it has often fallen on ships when several hundred, and even more than a thousand miles from the coast of africa, and at points sixteen hundred miles distant in a north and south direction. in some dust which was collected on a vessel three hundred miles from the land, i was much surprised to find particles of stone above the thousandth of an inch square, mixed with finer matter. after this fact one need not be surprised at the diffusion of the far lighter and smaller sporules of cryptogamic plants. the geology of this island is the most interesting part of its natural history. on entering the harbour, a perfectly horizontal white band, in the face of the sea cliff, may be seen running for some miles along the coast, and at the height of about forty - five feet above the water. upon examination, this white stratum is found to consist


perfectly horizontal white band, in the face of the sea cliff, may be seen running for some miles along the coast, and at the height of about forty - five feet above the water. upon examination, this white stratum is found to consist of calcareous matter, with numerous shells embedded, most or all of which now exist on the neighbouring coast. it rests on ancient volcanic rocks, and has been covered by a stream of basalt, which must have entered the sea when the white shelly bed was lying at the bottom. it is interesting to trace the changes, produced by the heat of the overlying lava, on the friable mass, which in parts has been converted into a crystalline limestone, and in other parts into a compact spotted stone. where the lime has been caught up by the scoriaceous fragments of the lower surface of the stream, it is converted into groups of beautifully radiated fibres resembling arragonite. the beds of lava rise in successive gently - sloping plains, towards the interior, whence the deluges of melted stone have originally proceeded. within historical times, no signs of volcanic activity have, i believe, been manifested in any part of st. jago. even the form of a crater can but rarely be discovered on the summits of the many red cindery hills ; yet the more recent streams can be distinguished on the coast, forming lines of cliffs of less height, but stretching out in advance of those belonging to an older series : the height of the cliffs thus affording a rude measure of the age of the streams. during our stay, i observed the habits of some marine animals. a large aplysia is very common. this sea - slug is about five inches long ; and is of a dirty yellowish colour, veined with purple. on each side of the lower surface, or foot, there is a broad membrane, which appears sometimes to act as a ventilator, in causing a current of water to flow over the dorsal branchiæ or lungs. it feeds on the delicate sea - weeds which grow among the stones in muddy and shallow water ; and i found in its stomach several small pebbles, as in the gizzard of a bird. this slug, when disturbed, emits a very fine purplish - red fluid, which stains the water for the space of a foot around. besides this means of defence, an acrid secretion, which is spread over its body, causes a sharp, stinging sensation, similar to that produced by the physalia


red fluid, which stains the water for the space of a foot around. besides this means of defence, an acrid secretion, which is spread over its body, causes a sharp, stinging sensation, similar to that produced by the physalia, or portuguese man - of - war. i was much interested, on several occasions, by watching the habits of an octopus, or cuttle - fish. although common in the pools of water left by the retiring tide, these animals were not easily caught. by means of their long arms and suckers, they could drag their bodies into very narrow crevices ; and when thus fixed, it required great force to remove them. at other times they darted tail first, with the rapidity of an arrow, from one side of the pool to the other, at the same instant discolouring the water with a dark chestnut - brown ink. these animals also escape detection by a very extraordinary, chameleon - like power of changing their colour. they appear to vary their tints according to the nature of the ground over which they pass : when in deep water, their general shade was brownish purple, but when placed on the land, or in shallow water, this dark tint changed into one of a yellowish green. the colour, examined more carefully, was a french grey, with numerous minute spots of bright yellow : the former of these varied in intensity ; the latter entirely disappeared and appeared again by turns. these changes were effected in such a manner, that clouds, varying in tint between a hyacinth red and a chestnut - brown, 4 were continually passing over the body. any part, being subjected to a slight shock of galvanism, became almost black : a similar effect, but in a less degree, was produced by scratching the skin with a needle. these clouds, or blushes as they may be called, are said to be produced by the alternate expansion and contraction of minute vesicles containing variously coloured fluids. 5


a short history of the permanent diaconate the early church traditionally, the beginning of the order of deacons is traced back to the story in acts of the apostles, acts 6 : 1 - 6. whether this pertains to the history of the ordained order of deacons as they developed in the early centuries of the church is in dispute, but it is very much in the spirit in which the diaconate was and has been understood ever since. very early in the history of the church, deacons were understood to hold a special place in the community, along with bishops and presbyters. the role of all ordained ministries is to be modeled on the life of christ, and that of deacons especially was and still is, that of christ the servant. perhaps the earliest reference to deacons in this sense ( ca. 53 a. d.? ) occurs in st. paul ' s letter to the philippians in which he addresses " all the saints in christ jesus who are at philippi, with the bishops and deacons ". however, it would be a mistake to interpret the servant role too literally as one of " waiting on tables ". one of the seven first deacons, stephen, was stoned to death because of his bold preaching of the gospel, acts 6 : 8 - 15, 7 : 54 - 60. he is the first recognized martyr of the church, and his feast day is celebrated on december 26. of the remaining seven, those of whom we have historical knowledge, it is clear that their ministry also quickly broadened to preaching and spreading the gospel message. the deacon became the eyes and ears of the bishop, his " right hand man ". the bishop ' s principal assistant became known as the " archdeacon ", and was often charged with heavy responsibilities, especially in the financial administration of the local church, above all in distribution of funds and goods to the poor. one measure of the importance of the deacon in the early church is the number of deacons elected pope in the early middle ages. of the thirty - seven men elected pope between 432 and 684 a. d., only three are known to have been ordained to priest before their election to the chair of peter. ( llewellyn ) during the first christian millennium deacons undertook, as the bishops ' assistants, the functions that are today those of the vicar general, the judicial vicar, the vicar capitular, the cathedral chapter and the oeconome, or finance officer. in current canon law these are almost


undertook, as the bishops ' assistants, the functions that are today those of the vicar general, the judicial vicar, the vicar capitular, the cathedral chapter and the oeconome, or finance officer. in current canon law these are almost exclusively priests ' functions. ( galles ) john collins, writing in pastoral review, has this to say about the meaning of " diakonia " as understood in the early church : " two final segments : firstly my description of the semantic character of diakon - as applied to deacons in the early church ( from appendix i, diakonia, p. 337 ). as is well known, vatican ii cited this “ not unto the priesthood, but unto the ministry ” in lumen gentium. thus it was understood that deacons were ordained not for any specific set of duties for serving the needy but to serve the bishop in whatever set of duties he would determine. the circumstances today are, of course, far different than in the early church. the size and complexity of the modern diocese makes such an intimate relationship with the bishop impractical. although deacons serve in a wide variety of settings, including hospitals and prisons, the focus for today ' s deacon is normally parish based. however, he retains the historical tie with his bishop, whose " servant " he remains. the major point we should take from a study of early church history and the witness of the early fathers of the church is that they acknowledge the importance of the diaconal ministry. saint ignatius of antioch, about 100 ad, says that it would be impossible to have the church without bishops, priests and deacons. he explains that their task was nothing less than to continue ‘ the ministry of jesus christ '. beginning as early as the fifth century, there was a gradual decline in the permanent diaconate in the latin church, although it remained, right to the present, a vital part of the eastern churches, both catholic and orthodox. one important factor was simply a failure on the part of both presbyters and deacons to understand the unique value of the diaconate as a distinct order in its own right. deacons with too much power were often self - important and proud. presbyters, on their part, were resentful at the fact that often deacons had power over them! st. jerome demanded to know why deacons had so much power – " after all, deacons could not preside at eucharist, and presbyters were really the same as bishops ".


that often deacons had power over them! st. jerome demanded to know why deacons had so much power – " after all, deacons could not preside at eucharist, and presbyters were really the same as bishops ". by the early middle ages, the diaconate was perceived largely as only an intermediate step toward the reception of ordination to the priesthood. it was this prevailing attitude of the " cursus honorum " that was most responsible for the decline of the diaconate. the " cursus honorum " was simply the attitude of " rising through the ranks ", following a tradition of gradual promotion, inherited from practices of secular government of the roman empire. most older catholics will be familiar with the many levels of " minor orders " and " major orders ". first came the liturgical rite of " tonsure " which conferred upon a man the status of " cleric ", and made him eligible for ordination. then came the minor orders of porter, lector, exorcist and acolyte. these were ordinations but they were not sacraments. finally came the major orders of sub deacon, deacon and priest. sub diaconate, although a major order, was not a sacrament. the sub deacon did not receive a stole. deacon and priest were, of course, sacramental in character. the whole process is well illustrated in a drawing ( thanks to dr. william ditewig ) : " then, in 1972, paul vi, following the direction of vatican ii, issued ministeria quaedam, which realigned these things for the latin rite. tonsure was suppressed, and now a person becomes a cleric through sacramental ordination as a deacon ; this was a change to a pattern of more than 1000 years standing! the pope also suppressed the minor orders altogether, converting two of them into " lay " ministries no longer requiring ordination ; he also suppressed the subdiaconate, shifting the promise of celibacy to the diaconate. that left only two orders, both sacraments, from the old schema. since vatican ii itself had taught about the sacramental nature of the bishop, we wound up with the three - fold ordained ministry that we have now, all of which are conferred by ordination and all of which confer a sacramental " character. " finally, the three orders are further subdivided by those orders that are sacerdotal ( bishop and presbyter ) and the orders that are diaconal ( bishop and deacon ). yes,


which confer a sacramental " character. " finally, the three orders are further subdivided by those orders that are sacerdotal ( bishop and presbyter ) and the orders that are diaconal ( bishop and deacon ). yes, right now, presbyters are also deacons because they were ordained transitional deacons on their way to the presbyterate, but, as guiseppe points out, this could be easily changed, and many are arguing for that ( it ' s not likely anytime soon, but the case still needs to be pushed! ) " ( ditewig ) the time finally came during deliberations of the second vatican council in 1963, calling for restoration of the diaconate as a permanent level of holy orders. in june 1967 pope paul vi implemented this decree of the council when he published the apostolic letter diaconatus ordinem, in which he re - established the permanent diaconate in the latin church. the council in its dogmatic constitution on the church ( lumen gentium ) returns to the roots of the diaconate which we have previously discussed, roots going back to the new testament and the early church fathers : at a lower level of the hierarchy are deacons, upon whom hands are imposed " not unto the priesthood, but unto a ministry of service ". for strengthened by sacramental grace, in communion with the bishop and his group of priests they serve in the diaconate of the liturgy, of the word, and of charity to the people of god. it is the duty of the deacon, according as it shall have been assigned to him by competent authority, to administer baptism solemnly, to be custodian and dispenser of the eucharist, to assist at and bless marriages in the name of the church, to bring viaticum to the dying, to read the sacred scripture to the faithful, to instruct and exhort the people, to preside over the worship and prayer of the faithful, to administer sacramentals, to officiate at funeral and burial services. dedicated to duties of charity and of administration, let deacons be mindful of the admonition of blessed polycarp : " be merciful, diligent, walking according to the truth of the lord, who became the servant of all. " ( lumen gentium para. 29 ) and so we have come full circle. the permanent diaconate has proved to be a resounding success, growing at an astounding rate throughout the


2008 findings on the worst forms of child labor - honduras | publisher | | united states department of labor | | author | | bureau of international labor affairs | | publication date | | 10 september 2009 | | cite as | | united states department of labor, 2008 findings on the worst forms of child labor - honduras, 10 september 2009, available at : http : / / www. refworld. org / docid / 4aba3ed937. html [ accessed 26 may 2013 ] | | disclaimer | | this is not a unhcr publication. unhcr is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of unhcr, the united nations or its member states. | | selected statistics and indicators on child labor | | population, children, 5 - 14 years, 2004 : | | 1, 941, 242 | | working children, 5 - 14 years ( % ), 2004 : | | 5. 4 | | working boys, 5 - 14 years ( % ), 2004 : | | 8. 2 | | working girls, 5 - 14 years ( % ), 2004 : | | 2. 6 | | working children by sector, 5 - 14 years ( % ), 2004 : | | minimum age for work : | | 14 / 16 | | compulsory education age : | | 15 | | free public education : | | yes * | | gross primary enrollment rate ( % ), 2007 : | | 116. 8 | | net primary enrollment rate ( % ), 2007 : | | 96. 4 | | school attendance, children 5 - 14 years ( % ), 2004 : | | 84. 7 | | survival rate to grade 5 ( % ), 2006 : | | 66. 5 | | ilo convention 138 : | | 6 / 9 / 1980 | | ilo convention 182 : | | 10 / 25 / 2001 | | ilo - ipec participating country : | | yes | * in practice, must pay for various school expenses incidence and nature of child labor a may 2008 census by the national statistics institute of honduras reported that the majority of working children in honduras work in agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing. children, especially boys, predominantly work in rural rather than urban areas. children work in melon, coffee, lime, limestone, and sugarcane production, and as deckhands and divers in the lobster industry. children work in mining, selling goods


. children, especially boys, predominantly work in rural rather than urban areas. children work in melon, coffee, lime, limestone, and sugarcane production, and as deckhands and divers in the lobster industry. children work in mining, selling goods, begging, and scavenging in garbage dumps. children, predominantly girls, also work as domestic servants, where they are sometimes subject to abuse by third - party employers. commercial sexual exploitation of children is especially problematic in border areas, in major cities, such as tegucigalpa, and in tourist areas, such as san pedro sula and the bay islands. honduras is a transit and source country for children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. honduran children are trafficked internally, usually from rural to urban settings. children are also trafficked internationally to neighboring countries, often while en route to the united states. child labor laws and enforcement honduran laws governing the minimum age for work are conflictive. although the constitution and the labor code both set the minimum age for work at 16 years, children may be authorized to work with parental consent when it is indispensable for the subsistence of the family and does not interfere with the child ' s education. furthermore, a 2007 government analysis of the legal minimum age for employment placed the minimum age at 14 years. additionally, the childhood and adolescence code and the child labor regulation assert that no child under 14 years will be authorized to work. all minors between 14 and 18 years of age must receive authorization to work from the secretary of state or the office of labor and social security, and businesses employing children must have a child labor registry. the legal work hours for adolescents are also in conflict. while the constitution prohibits children under 17 years from working more than 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week, the childhood and adolescence code states that minors between 14 and 16 years cannot work more than 4 hours per day, and minors 16 to 18 years of age cannot work more than 6 hours per day. night work is prohibited for children under 18 years. the child labor regulation and the childhood and adolescence code prohibit children from work that is unhealthy or dangerous, even when completed as part of a program of study. minors, except adolescents 16 to 18 years with authorization from the office of labor and social security, cannot engage in work in static positions or on high scaffolding ; underwater diving ; work in tunnels or underground ; agricultural work that implies health risks ; work with heavy machinery, ovens, smelters, heavy presses,


labor and social security, cannot engage in work in static positions or on high scaffolding ; underwater diving ; work in tunnels or underground ; agricultural work that implies health risks ; work with heavy machinery, ovens, smelters, heavy presses, or glass ; or in work that involves exposure to toxic substances, vehicular traffic, loud noise, high - voltage electric currents, or garbage. furthermore, in august 2008, the government published a list of specific activities and occupations that are considered hazardous for children under 18 years of age. individuals who violate child labor laws may receive prison sentences of 3 to 5 years and fines. however, according to usdos, child labor laws were not effectively enforced outside of the apparel sector, despite frequent child labor law violations. the child labor regulation prohibits all forms of slavery and practices analogous to slavery, such as the sale of adolescents, debt bondage, and forced labor, including the forced recruitment of adolescents for use in armed conflicts. trafficking in persons under 18 years of age, inside or outside the national territory with the goal of " commercial exploitation " is sanctioned by 12 to 19 years in prison and a fine. peacetime military service in honduras is voluntary, and the age of enlistment is 18 years. the law also penalizes the use of children for the production or trafficking of drugs. the penal code criminalizes procuring, especially the recruitment and submission of children to commercial sexual exploitation, as well as domestic and international trafficking of children for commercial sexual exploitation, with penalties of 9 to 15 years of imprisonment. honduran law also prohibits the use of children under 18 years for exhibitions or performances of a sexual nature and in the production of pornography. sexual tourism is punishable by 12 to 18 years of imprisonment and a fine if the victim is a minor. according to usdos, law enforcement officials collaborate with neighboring countries and the united states on anti - trafficking efforts and child sex tourism investigations. current government policies and programs to eliminate the worst forms of child labor the government of honduras launched a national plan of action for the eradication of child labor in may 2008 that will last 7 years. the plan builds upon the work accomplished through the first plan of action ( 2001 - 2005 ) and involves the coordination of many government agencies. honduras is also implementing a 5 - year national plan of action to eradicate commercial sexual exploitation of children, which was introduced in 2008. the plan aims to promote inter - institutional cooperation, justice, and assistance for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. the government continues to refer child victims to


year national plan of action to eradicate commercial sexual exploitation of children, which was introduced in 2008. the plan aims to promote inter - institutional cooperation, justice, and assistance for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. the government continues to refer child victims to ngos for care. as a member of the central american parliament commission on women, children, youth, and family, the government is participating in a regional plan to support the prevention and elimination of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. the government of honduras participated in regional projects funded by usdol, including a 7 - year usd 8. 8 million project implemented by iloipec which concluded in april 2009 and sought to combat commercial sexual exploitation through a variety of activities, including capacity building and legal reform. in addition, the project targeted 713 children for withdrawal and 657 children for prevention from commercial sexual exploitation in central america. the government also participated in the 4 - year usd 5. 7 million child labor education initiative regional project implemented by care that worked to strengthen the government and civil society ' s capacity to combat child labor through education and withdrew or prevented 4, 105 children from exploitive child labor. during the reporting period, the ministry of education adopted one of the project ' s piloted educational models, nino tutor ( " child tutor " ), to implement in every school with the purpose of eliminating child labor and improving the educational attainment of children who have worked or are at risk of working. the government of honduras participated in a usd 550, 000 ilo - ipec project that ended in august 2008 and was funded by the government of canada that focused on combating child labor through strengthening labor ministries. during the reporting period, the government also participated in a phase iii usd 3. 3 million regional project to eradicate child labor in latin america, funded by the government of spain and implemented by iloipec. additionally, with the assistance of unicef, the national commission for family and childhood publishes materials outlining the definitions, dangers, and legal regulations of child labor in honduras.


anatomy of future gold & silver bubble in recent commentaries we ’ ve written about the three phases of a bull market and how and why the final phase evolves as it does. valuations, sentiment and market structure all explain why markets take a dramatic upward turn in the final phase after relatively stagnant performance in the previous phase. these are the “ micro ” behind why a bubble emerges in the final phase. today we want to look at the intermarket driving forces behind the emergence of a bubble. we often write about intermarket analysis, which is an incredibly useful and actionable form of technical analysis. the greater the bubble, the greater role intermarket relationships play in the formation of the bubble. essentially, for a large market to form a bubble, capital needs to flow out of various asset classes and into that particular market. here is a quick example of the technology bubble in the 1990s. we plot the nasdaq, bonds and commodities ( the three major asset classes ). the nasdaq accelerated from 1994 to 2000. in the same time period, bonds were volatile but didn ’ t make much progress. commodities were in a nasty bear market from 1996 to 1999. note that bonds surged from 1990 through 1993, a period in which the nasdaq climbed slowly. furthermore, from 1993 to 1996, commodities experienced a very strong bull market. the takeaway is bubbles cannot occur when the asset classes are challenging each other for supremacy. let ’ s quickly review the parabolic move in gold, silver and mining equities from 1976 until 1980. interest rates soared in that period ( bond prices declined ) stoking greater fears of inflation. meanwhile, the s & p 500 peaked in q3 1976 and didn ’ t bottom until q1 1978. overall, precious metals faced little competition in the late 1970s from conventional heavyweights : bonds and stocks. presently, the strength in each major asset class is holding gold back. with both performing well, who needs gold or commodities? however, the long - term outlook for stocks and bonds is not good. the s & p 500 is nearing major resistance at 1500 - 1600. also, the shortest bear market on record was 13 years ( 1929 - 1942 ). the current bear market looks far more similar to the 1966 - 1982 and 1900 - 1915 bear markets. furthermore, the current pe ratio is 14. the bear market will not end until that reaches single digits in the coming years. moving to bonds, we note a powerful breakout from a two and a half year base. bonds can move quite a


markets. furthermore, the current pe ratio is 14. the bear market will not end until that reaches single digits in the coming years. moving to bonds, we note a powerful breakout from a two and a half year base. bonds can move quite a bit higher from here but we ’ d be wary of a blowoff top in the next 12 - 18 months. we believe there is plenty of legitimate demand for bonds. the economy is slowing and people are generally scared. also, if you are part of a large institution managing millions, you rely on treasuries for their safety and liquidity. however, consider that foreign purchases are declining and supply will balloon in the coming years. as chris puplava shows, supply is going to increase dramatically in the coming years as debtor nations have to rollover trillions in debt. chris writes : looking at the outstanding debt for the top 10 combined shows that just between now and the end of the year more than $ 5 trillion in debt will mature, or 17 % of their total outstanding debt, and by 2015 nearly 50 % of the top 10 debtor nations total outstanding debt will come due. that is more than $ 15 trillion in debt coming due in the next two and half years! one important point we need to remember is that the majority of gains in a bull market come in the last phase. the nasdaq gained 5 - fold from 1982 to 1994 and then surged more than 7 - fold in the last six years. gold and silver in the late 1970s is another example. there are a handful of data points that support ( on a historical basis ) a parabolic move in the coming years. the following chart shows how much gold would have to rise to back the monetary base. however, an updated calculation puts this at $ 10, 000 / oz! moving along, we see that gold relative to equities ( s & p 500 ) has significant room to advance if it is going to near the 1980 bubble level. note where the ratio was in 1977. presently, gold is struggling to find demand as bonds and the s & p 500 remain in bull markets. however, we believe the cyclical bull market in equities will soon come to an end and that the secular bull market in bonds could form a major peak in the next 12 - 18 months. gold and hard assets have been in a bull market for nearly 13 years. barry bannister ’ s research shows that bull markets tend to average 16 - 18 years. steven j williams at cycle pro shows that adjusted


june 2004 sky from the keeble observatory we will be unable to view the june 8th " transit of venus " from the keeble observatory - the event will be over before the rising sun clears our obscured eastern horizon. you will, however, be able to view it from several global web sites : the exploratorium, in san francisco will carry links to the penteli observatory, near athens, greece. nasa will offer links to several observatories around the world. the european southern observatory will have live coverage, as well. may weather was not kind to comet watchers in the center of the universe. haze on those evenings when it wasn ' t actually cloudy, and clouds and rain on other days, meant that it was unlikely that anyone actually saw comets neat and linear. june weather, typically, will not be any improvement, and the comets are fading rapidly as their orbits carry them away from the sun. there will be others in the future, hopefully more fortuitously positioned. bright comets, like hale - bopp of several years ago, are roughly once per decade. comets have long fascinated humankind. regular meteor showers and the stately motion of the planets through the zodiac could be anticipated. but, what to make of these " hairy stars " which persist for months, seemingly at random? ( our word " comet " comes from the latin " coma " - which means hair! ) aristotle assumed they were atmospheric phenomena, describing them in his treatise on weather. tycho brahe used geometry to show that they were in the realm of the planets ( but not the stars ). it was once church doctrine that these represented harbingers of evil - firebrands hurled by an angry god to warn sinful humankind. indeed, halley ' s comet was high above the battle of hastings, which was certainly bad luck for the english. it might have been considered good luck for the norman victors! tycho got it right, of course. comets are part of our solar system, just as much as are the planets, asteroids, and meteoroids. indeed, meteor showers are residue from comets, which provides us a clue to their origin and makeup. some 5 billion years ago, comets were among the first large aggregate objects to condense out of the cloud of gas and dust which formed our solar system. far from the growing heat source at the center, which was to become our sun, they contain dust and frozen ices of water, methane, and ammonia. we believe these represent the oldest und