partnership for 21st century skills debuts ' 21st century skills and social studies map ' the partnership for 21st century skills has joined up with the national council for the social studies to produce the first - ever " 21st century skills and social studies map " - - a sort of fleshed - out framework for that includes resources for integrating 21st century skills into social studies curricula. the 21st century skills and social studies map is the first in a series of planned maps aimed at core subjects. the purpose is to provide a framework and resources for integrating technology and other 21st century skills into core subject studies. according to the partnership for 21st century skills, " the social studies map is the first in a series of core content maps designed for educators, administrators and policymakers. other maps will be available for mathematics, english, geography and science throughout 2008 and 2009. " the 21st century skills and social studies map includes lesson plans for integrating 21st century skills into existing curricula, as well as specific student outcomes. it also " provides project models that will result in enhanced student achievement in grades four, eight and 12, " according to the partnership. specific skills covered by the map include : - creativity and innovation ; - critical thinking and problem solving ; - information literacy ; - media literacy ; - information and communication technologies literacy ; - flexibility and adaptability ; - initiative and self direction ; - social and cross - cultural skills ; - productivity and accountability ; and - leadership and responsibility. each of these is broken into its own section within the map to provide outcomes with examples at each of the three grade levels covered ( 4, 8, 12 ). the map also provides a list of suggested tools that can be used to integrate the skills. " i am confident we have developed an invaluable resource for social studies teachers and educators in general as we move toward a 21st century education system, " said michael yell, president of the national council for the social studies, in a statement released thursday. " this map represents the intersection of 21st century skills and the social studies and provides an exciting tool for teachers and students. " " i want to commend ncss for their dynamic leadership in moving the social studies into the 21st century, " said ken kay, president of the partnership for 21st century skills. " this release highlights the partnership ' s work to develop innovative tools that both integrate 21st century skills into curriculum and positively impact student learning. " the new resource is free. further information can be found here. get daily news from the journal ' s rss news feed about the author


organic to play a role in reducing hunger by stephen leahy organic agriculture is a potent tool to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, but also to alleviate poverty and improve food security in developing countries, many experts now believe. organic agriculture ’ s use of compost and crop diversity means it will also be able to better withstand the higher temperatures and more variable rainfall expected with global warming. “ organic agriculture is about optimising yields under all conditions, ” says louise luttikholt, strategic relations manager at the international federation of organic agriculture movement ( ifoam ) in bonn, germany. ifoam is the international umbrella organization of organic agriculture movements around the world. for example, a village in the tigray region of northern ethiopia that had converted to organic agriculture continued to harvest crops even during a severe drought, while neighboring villages using conventional chemical fertilizers had nothing, luttikholt told ips. because compost is used rather than chemical fertilizers, organic soils contain much more humus and organic carbon - - which in turn retains much more water. “ they can also absorb more water faster which means they are less likely to flood, ” she said. it took more work to make the conversion to organic but it paid off when the drought stuck in the third year, according to tewolde berhan gebre egziabher, director general of the environmental protection authority of ethiopia. tewolde, who pioneered the organic revolution in a number of communities in northern ethiopia as a way of ensuring food security, reported that the early success has prompted government agricultural departments to adopt organic techniques. organic and other forms of sustainable agro - ecology do not depend on chemical fertilizers, so they must find other ways to enrich soil and keep it that way. that also means there are more minerals and other nutrients in the soil, so yields are generally good and food quality high. the added benefit is that organic soils hold much more carbon than soils farmed with conventional methods. rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels is the principal cause of global warming. plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air, and can put it more or less permanently into the soil under the right conditions. in a 23 - year side - by - side comparison, the carbon levels of organic soils increased 15 to 28 percent, while there was little change in the non - organic systems, according to the rodale institute farming systems trials conducted in pennsylvania. if just 10, 000 medium - sized farms in the


comparison, the carbon levels of organic soils increased 15 to 28 percent, while there was little change in the non - organic systems, according to the rodale institute farming systems trials conducted in pennsylvania. if just 10, 000 medium - sized farms in the u. s. converted to organic production, they would store so much carbon in the soil that it would be equivalent to taking 1, 174, 400 cars off the road, rodale reported in 2003. making chemical fertilizers like nitrogen requires huge amounts of energy, and tractors also consume large amounts of fossil fuel. in the united states, organic farming systems use just 63 percent of the energy required by conventional farming systems, david pimentel of cornell university in new york state found. going organic also offers a number of other environmental benefits, including waterways free of chemical pollution and improved biodiversity. in north america and european farming regions, expensive systems must be used to remove agricultural chemicals from drinking water. “ those external costs of conventional agriculture have to be paid by someone, ” said volkert engelsman, the ceo of eosta bv, a european distributor of organic fruits and vegetables. “ organic brings a wide range of social and economic benefits, making it a much better and more efficient way of farming, ” engelsman said in an interview from eosta ’ s head office in waddinxveen, holland. for low - income countries, that means more jobs because organic farming is labor - intensive. it also values local expertise and traditional knowledge. that makes more economic sense than being dependent on the technical expertise of western corporations, he said. engelsman has just returned from india where organic farming is undergoing “ explosive growth. ” faced with rapidly depleting soils, the indian government is now supporting organic techniques because no amount of chemical fertilizer can improve the soil. in addition, water shortages, increased disease problems and higher costs of chemicals and hybrid seeds have forced india to rethink its agricultural strategy, he said. “ it is more economically sustainable to invest in the soils of your land than to make the chemical companies richer, ” engelsman told ips. the problem of global hunger is not about food production – it is about poverty and food distribution, since the world already produces enough food, he said. engelsman agrees with the noted indian scientist and environmentalist vandana shiva, that research into ecologically - friendly agriculture has proved that it is highly productive and is the only solution to hunger and poverty. that view, once considered radical, is


. engelsman agrees with the noted indian scientist and environmentalist vandana shiva, that research into ecologically - friendly agriculture has proved that it is highly productive and is the only solution to hunger and poverty. that view, once considered radical, is beginning to gain wider acceptance as hunger has increased under the globalized food production system. ten years after the 1996 world food summit in rome, where countries pledged to halve the number of hungry in the world by 2015, there were more hungry people in the developing countries today, said the head of the u. n. food and agriculture organization ( fao ), jacques diouf, in a statement. “ far from decreasing, the number of hungry people in the world is currently increasing - - at the rate of four million a year, ” diouf said from rome. finally the fao is looking to organic to play a role in reducing hunger and alleviating poverty and will host a major conference in may 2007 in rome. many countries request fao ’ s assistance to develop organic agriculture, said alexander muller, assistant director - general of fao, in a statement. “ there is a need to shed light on the contribution of organic agriculture to food security, ” muller said. many countries are already moving in that direction. brazil ’ s minister of agriculture roberto rodrigues has said he wants organic farming to grow from three percent of the country ’ s agricultural output to 20 percent in the next five to six years. last month, 308 delegates from the philippines ’ farming sector agreed to shift to organic production, in part because it can help poverty alleviation in rural communities. studies done by international fund for agricultural development ( ifad ), a u. n. agency set up to assist the rural poor to overcome poverty, have shown that organic agriculture reduced poverty. in almost all of the countries where the ifad evaluations were carried out, small farmers needed only marginal improvements to their technologies to make the shift to organic production. “ everyone is embracing organic agriculture now. and climate change will only boost that interest, ” engelsman said. stephen leahy is an independent journalist based near toronto who covers science and environmental issues for the inter press news service ( ips ). for more of his work see : http : / / stephenleahy. wordpress. com /.


treasure can come in many different ways ; a good meal with friends, a quiet beautiful sunset, the laughter of children playing. one thing that i definitely treasure are any drops of wisdom that i can acquire on my life ’ s journey. they can more valuable than gold and silver. i wanted to infuse this thought in the board game treasure trove as players traverse the world collecting fabled treasures. we all fantasize about what it would be like to find lost treasure in an attic, or win the lottery, or what it what be like to have come up with facebook. it is human nature to wonder about such things. and yet, the important things of life are right in front of us, if we choose to see them. if we choose to search for them right under our noses. i choose to place within the situation cards drops of wisdom that have come from all religions that remind us of spiritual truths. i think it is god ’ s way of trying to teach us to search for the spiritual things of our lives, not just physical blessings. many truths about something of great value in god ’ s kingdom are often conveyed in the sense of something that would be of value such as gold or diamonds. one of the situation cards describes a large pearl, one of great value. most of you would recognize the saying as that of jesus, who often taught in parables. have you ever tried to define what a parable is? what is a fable? we have an idea what they are, basically, short stories with fictional characters that have a moral lesson. people love stories, and these are a great way to teach, which christ did. included within the game is a booklet that gives brief descriptions of the treasures on the game board. some real, some only myths, and some of the treasures i just made up. a footnote section at the back of the instructional booklet lists real treasure findings. there is also some discussion about things on the game board. what is an archeologist? who was dr. livingston? what is a herpetologist? where is shangri - la? the following comment was placed in the footnote section concerning the difference between a parable and a fable. “ a parable is a brief story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson. it differs from a fable that uses animals or inanimate objects as actors while parables generally feature human actors. jesus often taught his followers by use of parables. ” i don ’ t think people take the time to read the booklet given with


it differs from a fable that uses animals or inanimate objects as actors while parables generally feature human actors. jesus often taught his followers by use of parables. ” i don ’ t think people take the time to read the booklet given with the game. most of the time we are in too big of a hurry, including when we are playing the board game. such is the pace of our lives. consequently, we miss a lot of lot of little factoids, and truths. it takes time to search for those drops of wisdom and truth, but they can make the playing of the game that much more rewarding. i think our lives are often the same way. we are searching for life ’ s treasure often in the wrong places. early this morning i read from the book of matthew, chapter 5. not one of the parables of jesus, but his sermon on the mount, the beatitudes. now that is real treasure. i could read it ever day, and never get tired of it. if i had a large diamond, i suppose i would love looking at every day, but i don ’ t. instead, i will enjoy my treasure of living for christ, and holding onto those beatitudes. in 1862 mexico defaulted on some loans to france. napoleon iii was wanting to expand the french empire and used the excuse of mexico ’ s loan default to invade. neither britain nor spain offered protest and of course the united states was embroiled in conflict. the invasion and defeat of mexico took over a year and in 1864 an austrian named ferdinand maximilian was placed as emperor of mexico. his rule would not last long. during his short reign the upper class of the mexican populace lavished him with expensive gifts which he seemed to have a never ending appetite for. the american civil war ended shortly after he gained his throne and it was obvious the united states wanted the french out of mexico. he realized his time was short and that the mexicans may not let him get out of the country alive much less with his wealth. in 1866 he devised a plan to transport his riches by way of texas to galveston and form there back to france. the loot was hidden among barrels of flour on fifteen wagon loads as it crossed into texas near present day presidio. i live in west texas and have traveled it extensively and let me tell you presidio is way out in the middle of nowhere. it is west of big bend national park and east of el paso. a very remote area, and a long, long way


in west texas and have traveled it extensively and let me tell you presidio is way out in the middle of nowhere. it is west of big bend national park and east of el paso. a very remote area, and a long, long way from san antonio, much less galveston. the wagon train had the ill fortune of meeting a group of renegade confederates on the way to mexico. the confederates reported seeing indians so the austrians hired the confederates to protect them on the long journey from presidio to san antonio. during the trek the confederates noticed the austrian guards were over protective of the flour. as they headed east somewhere near the pecos river the curiosity of the confederates got them to spying into the flour barrels. after discovering the hidden treasure, you guessed it, they killed everyone who had traveled from mexico. they buried the jewels and most of the loot and made the wagons look like they had been attacked and destroyed. they then decided to carry with them as much of the coins as their saddlebags would carry, anxious to get to san antonio. they would of course return later to retrieve the buried riches. one of them fell ill and was thereafter shot and left behind to die in the texas sun. he survived only to catch up with the others who themselves had been killed by either comanche or outlaws, empty saddlebags strewn about. this lone survivor of maximilian ’ s expedition was picked up by some horse thieves who were then arrested by a sheriff. they need to make a movie about this if they have not already. the wounded man placed in jail told his tale to a doctor and an attorney shortly before succumbing to infection from his gunshot wound. he drew them a map on where to find maximilian ’ s treasure. several years passed until the indians were pushed further west before the doctor and attorney used the map to try and locate the loot, and once again as you probably guessed they found nothing. supposedly, the whereabouts is somewhere along the pecos river south of odessa. sounds easy enough but that is still a big area, even if the tale is true. i suspect there is some truth to the story but then again texans like to tell tall tales. as for maximilian, he never did get out of mexico, and was executed in 1867. so there you are, a little bit of history entwined with a treasure tale. those are some my favorite to share. when i hear the word, “ explorers, ” the first thing that comes to my mind are the spanish explorers. nowadays, i often think of archeo


little bit of history entwined with a treasure tale. those are some my favorite to share. when i hear the word, “ explorers, ” the first thing that comes to my mind are the spanish explorers. nowadays, i often think of archeologists such as indiana jones in the context of explorers with the adventure element. for the most part my mind is still captivated by the wooden ships of the high seas discovering unknown and exotic far away destinations during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. i love history and it began for me in early childhood during the 1950 ’ s with the davy crocket and daniel boone stories. then in fifth grade we studied world history and the chapter on the spanish explorers still rings in my mind. i recall memorizing names such as columbus, balboa, pizarro, cortes, ponce de leon, magellan and many others. the picture in our schoolbook introducing that chapter had a colorful picture of the spanish with their swords and muskets strapped to their belts standing on the sandy seashore with the masts of their ships in the nearby blue ocean behind them. one of the men held the spanish flag. they looked like they were about to embark on an adventure. they also had those cool helmets. we all know the wealth in gold, silver and gems that spain acquired from the new world and the fortunes to be found. stories of fabled gold such as el dorado in south america and coronado ’ s golden seven cities of cibolo in western texas continue to intrigue us. not to mention tales of pirate treasure that also emerged during that same period of european exploration in the context of world history. when i was creating the board game treasuretrove i wanted to give players an option of choosing a player token representing what they might want to be if they were searching the world for fabled treasure. for some, that might be like indiana jones and therefore they would want to be an archeologist. someone else may be fascinated with underwater diving and they might want to scuba for wealth such as a deep sea diver. others my think of an oil man exploring for black gold such as a wildcatter of the early 20th century. a tycoon with money to invest in treasure hunts is in many ways the adventuresome individual of modern times. for me though it will always be pirates and spanish explorers that come to my mind when treasure is to be found. player tokens representing each of these give participants a choice in what they would want to be if they could travel


individual of modern times. for me though it will always be pirates and spanish explorers that come to my mind when treasure is to be found. player tokens representing each of these give participants a choice in what they would want to be if they could travel the world hunting for treasure. i choose to use a purple helmet to represent the conquistador. you had to be of royalty to be given ships to explore the high seas and purple represents royalty. i thought the helmet more than anything represents the spanish explorer. i also think conquistador is a cool name. please visit our website at www. treasuretrovegame. com the fabled wealth of king solomon is legendary. he is thought to have been one of the richest men to have ever lived and many believe he was perhaps the wealthiest of all time. if what he possessed in his time was compared to today ’ s prices, his net worth would easily outpace the richest people living in modern times. he would have been richer than the oil baron john rockefeller at the turn of the 20th century or the computer billionaires of the early 21st century. his kingdom is written about in the old testament books of 1st kings and 2nd chronicles. the vastness of his wealth and how he managed the israelite empire he ruled over is quite detailed in these accounts. he lived almost three thousand years ago. he oversaw the building of the temple in jerusalem for the israelites to honor and worship god. it was probably one of the most expensive architectural accomplishments ever completed. rulers from distant places, such as the queen of sheba, traveled to visit him and marveled at his great wealth. it has been recorded that the utensils and drinking cups of his palaces were only of gold. it was plentiful enough in his household that silver was not considered of much value. ( 1st kings, chapter 10, verse 21 ) hundreds of years after king solomon lived, the babylonian empire ( located in present day iraq ) destroyed the temple and looted the treasures. archeologists discovered babylon in the mid 19th century but no treasures of king solomon. yet his greatest treasure remains with us to this day : his wisdom. he is regarded as the wisest man who ever lived. the recorded writings of his wisdom are in the book of proverbs of the old testament. the following is a sample of his inspired words : “ joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. for wisdom is more profitable than silver and her wages better than gold. wisdom is more precious than rubies ;


known as contour bias ( see this page from the book universal principles of design ), rounded corners make objects appear less harsh and more friendly. the book cites the seminal work on contour bias as being this article humans prefer curved visual objects by moshe bar and maital net however, note that rounded corners are not necessarily the right answer - the book also says : objects with pointed features, elicited stronger activations in the region of the brain related to associative processing, meaning that although angular objects were less liked they elicited a deeper level of processing than did the contoured objects - they were in effect, more interesting and more thought - provoking to look at so perhaps it is a question of whether you wish content to appear more friendly or more noticeable. as the book continues : angular objects are more effective at attracting attention and engaging thought ; contoured objects are more effective at making a positive emotional and aesthetic impression. i was thinking about what we find in nature - and subconscious interpretation. we are preconditioned over time to what we find in the natural world. curves are more likely found in nature, while square corners are pretty unlikely, and often where they might occur ( eg due to fractures, breaks or other forces ) they get worn down over time to make a natural curve again. square corners simply do not have a place in natural world. for this reason, when we try to create a natural looking page we create rounded corners rather than square corners. this helps the border or the frame to sit more comfortably in the content. however, if we use square corners, those sharper points become more noticeable ( the subconscious is hardwired to look for danger and threats ). square corners start to distance themselves from the content. the result being that square frames are interpreted more as a separate window - providing a view through into the content inside. little surprise then, that art is hung in a square frame - the frame doesn ' t get seen as part of the picture - which allows you to see the whole picture unhindered. it ' s about separation of figure and ground. for this reason, i ' d expect the message inside a square button to be more clearly perceived if inside a square cornered frame than a rounded one. indeed, a serious message or warning does seem to carry more importance and command more respect in a square shape than a friendly rounded one. and no surprise that even more pointy triangles are used for warning signs. so - it seems to me that both square and rounded


soya & health - poison or panacea? sandra hood, dietician published in the vegan, summer 2006 soya continues to exercise the minds of many in the media, who extol its virtues or bewail its impact on both the environment and health. as soya is a food many vegans eat regularly, it ’ s hardly surprising that it raises a lot of questions. most of the attention is focused on soya bean isoflavones, a class of phytoestrogens - hormone - like chemicals that occur in small amounts in many plants, seeds and grains. as more is learned about the biological activity of these isoflavones, concerns are raised as to whether they are harmful or helpful. these phytoestrogens can act in a similar way to the human hormone oestradiol but have a weak oestrogenic effect. accordingly, the most notable concerns are around infants consuming soya and women with oestrogen positive breast tumours. evaluating the health benefits of phytoestrogens is complex as these compounds have been shown to have many different effects. the problem comes when trying to determine whether it is safe to eat and if so, how much. unfortunately, there is lack of data on the effect of intake of soya in the uk and although internationally populations consuming high intakes of soya have a lower prevalence of certain diseases, there is insufficient data to attribute this protective role to soya. however, neither is there enough evidence to suggest that soya is harmful to health. in 2002 the british nutrition foundation produced a comprehensive briefing paper entitled ‘ soya and health ’ which looked at the various health scares and claims surrounding this food. it concluded that ‘ soya beans are a useful source of a range of nutrients and the beans themselves and foods derived from them can be useful components of a healthy diet. ’ what is soya? the soya bean belongs to the legume family, which includes all types of beans, peas and lentils, the edible seeds that come from pod - bearing leguminous plants, also known as pulses. a staple food in asian countries for centuries, soya is a nutritious alternative to meat in that it provides a high quality source of protein. naturally low in fat, it is also rich in fibre and provides essential fatty acids, mostly omega - 6 and some omega - 3, as well as a variety of vitamins and minerals including iron, potassium and folic acid. a portion of soya counts towards the


, it is also rich in fibre and provides essential fatty acids, mostly omega - 6 and some omega - 3, as well as a variety of vitamins and minerals including iron, potassium and folic acid. a portion of soya counts towards the recommended five portions of fruits and vegetables per day. it is now well established that soya as part of a healthy eating diet has a cholesterol lowering effect and that people with raised cholesterol can benefit from 25g of soya protein per day as part of a diet low in saturated fat ( british nutrition foundation 2002 ). as a guide, 200ml of soya milk provides around 6g of protein, 200ml soya yoghurt around 10g and 100g of tofu around 8g. the cholesterol lowering effect of soya is not caused by the presence of phytoestrogens alone but is likely to be the result of a combination of the components in soya which affect cholesterol metabolism ( jenkins et al 2006 ) and the overall composition of diets with a high soya content ( rosell et al 2004 ). the safety of soya for infants and children concerns have been expressed regarding the suitability of soya infant formula or soya milk for children because it contains isoflavones. in 2003, the controversy surrounding phytoestrogens led the uk committee on toxicity of chemicals in food ( cot ) to produce a 440 page report considering the exposure to phytoestrogens generally in the diet, including those in soya. when it researched soya - based infant formulae it concluded : ‘ studies do not provide definitive evidence that phytoestrogens present in soya - based infant formulae can adversely affect the health of infants. ’ allergies aside, there has not been a single study demonstrating adverse effects of soya in infants. in addition, soya - based infant formulae have been used in the uk since the 1960s and during this time there have been no reports of abnormal growth or reproductive problems. soya foods, particularly fortified versions, make a useful contribution to vegan diets, providing convenient alternatives to animal foods. in the uk the average vegetarian eats around 5 grams of soya protein per day and the average vegan around 15 grams. daily intakes of soya in asian countries are about 10 grams. with 25 grams necessary to lower cholesterol, any intake between 10 and 25 grams can be considered safe and healthy ( scott 2004 ). soya contains several components that traditionally have


daily intakes of soya in asian countries are about 10 grams. with 25 grams necessary to lower cholesterol, any intake between 10 and 25 grams can be considered safe and healthy ( scott 2004 ). soya contains several components that traditionally have been considered to be anti - nutritional e. g. phytates and trypsin inhibitors. phytates are said to act as anti - nutrients because they have the ability to bind to minerals and possibly reduce the assimilation of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc. trypsin is an enzyme needed to break down proteins to make them available ; therefore inhibitors prevent this happening. however, research suggests that this may be an oversimplification. for example, boiling beans removes most of the trypsin inhibitors and these are also inactivated by sprouting and fermentation. there is suggestion that the human digestive system is stimulated to reject anti - nutrients and the body can adequately deal with these ‘ non - nutritive ’ components without any detriment to nutritional states. there are many factors affecting the absorption of nutrients but few will alter the body ’ s normal mineral status if a person is physically well and following a balanced diet. effects on the thyroid the thyroid gland is responsible for the production of hormones necessary for growth and development and for regulating metabolism. it has been hypothesised that phytoestrogens interact with the thyroid gland by a number of potential mechanisms, raising concerns that the phytoestrogens in soya may affect thyroid function. this has only been suggested in adults where iodine intake was inadequate. these concerns remain theoretical and there is no evidence that soya foods adversely affect thyroid function in healthy, iodine - replete children and adults. dairy products provide about half the iodine consumption in the uk. vegan sources include seaweeds and foods made from them such as kelp, vecon, a vegetable stock, and iodised salt. numerous studies continue to suggest that soya isoflavones help with improved mental processes and a reduction in hot flushes. however, the results are inconclusive. the isoflavones found in soya bind to oestrogen receptors and prevent the binding of the body ’ s own oestrogen to the receptor and may help replace oestrogen in postmenopausal women. in the american family physician journal this year an article appeared suggesting patients who do not wish to take hormonal medicines should try other options including soya, red clover and black cohosh ( carroll


oestrogen in postmenopausal women. in the american family physician journal this year an article appeared suggesting patients who do not wish to take hormonal medicines should try other options including soya, red clover and black cohosh ( carroll 2006 ). many tumours, especially breast cancers, are stimulated by human oestrogen. therefore the fact that isoflavones act in a similar way to mammalian hormones supports a potential role in breast cancer prevention. it is believed that these phytoestrogens may counteract some of the hormone ’ s cancer - causing potential. on the other hand, there are also concerns that these phytoestrogens may have a negative effect in relation to breast cancer risk. again this is hypothetical and there is a lack of studies to conclusively support either of these theories. women should be reassured that, whatever their health status, there seems no reason to avoid a moderate intake of soya ( cot 2003 ). the influence of diet on bone health is complex. there are intriguing suggestions that phytoestrogens may have the potential to protect bones ( arjmandi et al 2002 ) but studies remain controversial and no conclusions can be drawn. whilst too much protein can be detrimental to bone health, too little can also be damaging. the most important dietary aspect in bone status is a healthy balanced diet with adequate calcium ( found in nuts, seeds, pulses, figs, grains and fortified non - dairy milks ), vitamin d ( from the action of sunlight on skin and found in margarines and fortified non - dairy milks ) and vitamin k and potassium ( for which green leaf vegetables are an excellent source ). soya is a good source of protein and can reduce cholesterol levels. other claimed effects, both positive and negative, remain controversial and unproven. we all know that diet and lifestyle impact on our health and that it is unlikely that any one food is the panacea of all health and disease. a balanced vegan diet, with or without soya, will always be preferable to one based on animal foods for a multitude of reasons – nutritional, ethical and ecological. • arjmandi, b. h. and smith, b. j. ( 2002 ) ‘ soy isoflavones ’ osteoprotective role in postmenopausal women : mechanism of action ’. j nutr biochem 13 130 - 337 • british nutrition foundation ( 2002 ) soya and health briefing paper, november 2002 •


##avones ’ osteoprotective role in postmenopausal women : mechanism of action ’. j nutr biochem 13 130 - 337 • british nutrition foundation ( 2002 ) soya and health briefing paper, november 2002 • carroll, d. g. ( 2006 ) ‘ non - hormonal therapies for hot flashes in menopause ’, am fam physician feb 1 73 ( 3 ) 396, 398 • cot committee on toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment ( 2003 ) phytoestrogens and health. the food standards agency • jenkins dj et al ( 2006 ) assessment of the longer term effects of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol - lowering foods in hypercholesterolemia am j clin nutr mar 83 ( 3 ) 582 - 91 • rosell ms, appleby pn, spencer ea, key tj ( 2004 ) soy intake and blood cholesterol concentrations : a cross - sectional study of 1033 pre - and postmenopausal women int he oxford arm of the european prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition am j clin nutr 80 1391 - 6 • scott, l ( 2004 ) the great soya saga in veggiehealth viva spring 4 16 - 17 • acknowledgements : tanya carr rd r nutr. plant based nutrition & health by stephen walsh – available from the vegan society.


the biggest concern with all exotic animals under anesthesia is hypothermia. other main concerns include airway access, intravenous access, pain management, and hemorrhage. their body mass to surface area ratio is so small that they become much colder than the average small animal patient. warming devices include heating pads, warming disks ( snugglesafes ), warm bags of fluids, warm blankets, heating lamps, and forced air warmers ( bair huggers ). some exotic species are very difficult to intubate, and instead of spending time attempting to intubate, a mask is used to maintain inhalant anesthesia. the specific benefits of intubation are a reduction of waste gas exposure for employees, the ability to administer positive pressure ventilation, and less bulky equipment around the patient ' s face. each patient should have the options considered and a decision made about attempting intubation or not. many exotic animals are so small that intravenous access is very difficult to accomplish and may not be possible in some cases. depending on the procedure and the species, it may be beneficial or even necessary. iv access during a procedure is helpful for administration of fluids, antibiotics, analgesics, and cpr drugs. keeping iv catheters in place as long as possible after a procedure is recommended for continued administration of fluids, or to reverse anesthetic drugs if necessary. if intravenous catheterization is not possible, intraosseous catheterization may be considered. drugs and fluids can be administered intraosseously. care should be given when administering large volumes through this route. subcutaneous fluid administration is another option for animals in which we are unable to get an iv catheter. pain management is another consideration in these species. we are limited with how much knowledge we have of certain species, and sometimes it is very difficult to assess pain status because certain species are especially good at masking their pain. consideration should be given to drugs that are able to be reversed. hemorrhage is much more significant with exotic animals due to their small blood volume. for more invasive procedures, blood volumes should be calculated for each patient. blood loss should be replaced with crystalloids ( lactated ringer ' s solution ) at approximately 2 – 3 times the volume lost or with colloids ( hetastarch or oxyglobin ) one to one with the volume lost. in some cases the clinician may want to consider having another animal of the same species


approximately 2 – 3 times the volume lost or with colloids ( hetastarch or oxyglobin ) one to one with the volume lost. in some cases the clinician may want to consider having another animal of the same species ready to donate blood if needed. sevoflurane is our inhalant anesthetic of choice for exotic animals because it allows for rapid changes in anesthetic depth. isoflurane is also a safe choice for inhalant anesthetic in exotic animals and less expensive than sevoflurane. use of sevoflurane is only possible with sevoflurane compatible vaporizers. monitoring of exotic animals can be more difficult than in most small animals. due to their small size, many monitors are unable to give accurate measurements and readings. we generally try to monitor hr, rr, and temperature in all animals. electrocardiogram ( ecg ) can be measured by attaching clips to the skin. however, some exotic animals have very friable skin so we use gauze to pad the ecg clips or even needles through the skin with ecg clips attached to the needles. pulse oximeters are very helpful, however often they will not read, because the pressure of the probe compresses the blood flow through the tissue at that point. small probes are available but can sometimes be hard to obtain. blood pressure monitoring is definitely recommended when possible. most exotic animals are too small to make this possible. applying a doppler to a foot or even attaching it near the patient ' s heart can serve as a good heart rate monitor. temperature should be monitored even if just occasionally throughout a procedure to facilitate appropriate warming. the recovery period for exotic animals is especially critical. temperature, respiratory rate, and heart rate should be monitored throughout recovery until after extubation. if recovery is prolonged, a blood glucose level should be checked in order to supplement if necessary. all exotic animals should be offered food as soon as possible once awake ( procedure allowing ). fluid administration may be required during this period. reversal of certain anesthetic drugs may allow for a smoother and quicker recovery in some cases.


throughout art history, the use of drapery has been a fundamental expressive tool of the artist. many periods can clearly be delineated by how the artists handled drapery, or the clothed figure. this series of lessons is designed to give you the basic knowledge and skills needed to use drapery in an authoritative and convincing way, either working from imagination or from life. first we will discuss the basic elements that affect how drapery looks and hangs. second, we will make a detailed study of the seven basic folds. the final part of this series will deal with the use of folds for expression and defining the action. before we get started discussing drapery, i would like to make a few general remarks. if you have not studied the basic drawing lessons in my book, the vilppu drawing manual, it would be a good idea to do so. many of the elements discussed in the lessons are taken for granted, especially those lessons that deal with the rendering of form. i would like to repeat again some of the basic concepts i have discussed so often. first : there are no rules just tools! folds have patterns that are created by fundamental elements that have a cause and effect relationship. as such, they are not rules, but the laws of nature itself. in categorizing the folds and giving them names we acquire recognition and control. there are three distinctly different elements in using drapery. the first is understanding how drapery naturally appears and is affected by the real physical world, i. e. gravity, the type of material and the forms it is in contact with. the second is the way we use the drapery to further our artistic intentions. the third element is the basic technique used to render the drapery. i will discuss these elements separately, but in practice they all come into play simultaneously. in studying, it is important to see these elements separately so that you will have a greater flexibility in how you use them. the careful building of one element upon another is the surest way of achieving a mastery and true freedom of expression. gravity is the first basic element that you need to take into consideration in drawing drapery. without gravity drapery would have no real form. gravity, in conjunction with the type of material being used, is what creates a large portion of the folds we see. in the drawing above, notice how the folds start at the points that the fabric leaves the underlying supporting form. these points are the points of origin of the fold and define the form that is underneath. this brings us to the next


norfolk - earlier this month the fourth - grade k - kids service organization from norwood - norfolk central school took part in a tobacco use prevention activity. led by k - kids advisors lee mittelstaedt and carrie french, with help from ben todd, st. lawrence county tobacco program coordinator, the activity included a brief presentation, scavenger hunt, and writing assignment. the group learned about the tactics the tobacco industry uses to lure young people into experimenting with tobacco products. companies put candy flavors in tobacco to trick little kids and teens to smoke and chew it, wrote taegan labrake. this point is supported by the following quote taken from tobacco industry files : it is a well know fact that teenagers like sweet products. so why would tobacco companies add candy flavors to their products? adding flavors like orange, grape, and cherry doesnt make tobacco products safer. it only makes them more appealing to youth. in march 2008, a poll found that one in five youth between the ages of 12 and 17 had seen flavored tobacco products or ads in stores, while only one in ten adults reported having seen them. these products are widely considered to be starter products, establishing smoking habits that can lead to a lifetime of addiction. the k - kids also learned about the chemicals that can be found in cigarettes. i dont think anyone should smoke or buy tobacco products, wrote emma wells. i didnt know cigarettes have so many chemicals. the students learned that cigarettes have thousands of chemicals in them, some of which are deadly. when asked what she learned, hillary filios wrote, cyanide is in rat poison and in cigarettes. the focus of this event was to help these fourth - grade students understand the importance of resisting the temptation to experiment with tobacco products. a 2007 study in the archives of pediatric and adolescent medicine found that some youths experience tobacco dependence within a day of first inhaling. evidence also shows that smoking can be a first step toward other substance abuse. stopping or delaying that first step will reduce the risk that kids will progress to using other harmful substances. this activity was scheduled in conjunction with kick butts day, march 20. kick butts day, organized by the campaign for tobacco - free kids, is a national day of activism that empowers youth. there will be more than 1, 000 events in schools and communities across the united states and around the world. in st. lawrence county there will be events in potsdam, lisbon, canton, heuvelton, and clifton - fine. k - kids, sponsored by ki


story submitted by jens raunsø jensen the ipcc dismisses in its ar4 report of 2007 natural climate variability as a major reason for the global temperature increase in the second half of the 20th century. the basic arguments are “ greenhouse physics ”, increasing and accelerating temperatures in the second half of the 20th century, and the inability of climate models to reproduce the temperature changes if only natural processes are considered. however, many local, regional and global temperature curves for 1960 - 2010 may be summarised as consisting of step changes, coinciding with one or more major enso - related events ( el nino ) and separated by periods of near constant temperature. thus, the temperature increase ( proxy for global warming ) in the second half of the 20th century could have taken place in steps driven by major enso events. this challenges ipcc ’ s notion of increasing and accelerating temperatures and ipcc ’ s modelling argument for accepting the anthropogenic global warming ( agw ) hypothesis as the major explanation for the observed temperature changes. temperature curves have been analysed with many different tools to establish a perceived underlying pattern for statistical and / or for attribution purposes : smoothing, linear regression, waves and periodicities, break points, shifts etc. they all have their merits and limitations, and there is no general agreement on the pattern except as consisting of a relatively cold period from the mid 1940s to mid 1970s, followed by a warmer period during the 1980s and 1990s. this post analyses temperature data using a tool for identifying step changes in the mean temperature, focusing on the period 1960 - 2010. this analysis complements many other similar analyses in the peer reviewed literature and on this and other blogs ( see eg. bob tisdale here ). the focus is on the land - based temperature record, the use of data up to 2010, and the application of a statistical tool that does not require a priori assumptions of the time or number of step changes. it is noted, that 1960 was selected as the start year for the analysis in order to cover the main period of interest from a global warming perspective. the step changes presented below remain the same when the entire historical observational records are analysed. the tool, i have relied upon, is available from noaa ’ s homepage and has been documented in the peer - reviewed literature ( www. beringclimate. noaa. gov / ). trial runs on different annual temperature datasets suggest, that a robust solution ( maximum correlation and low sensitivity to parameter setting ) is


has been documented in the peer - reviewed literature ( www. beringclimate. noaa. gov / ). trial runs on different annual temperature datasets suggest, that a robust solution ( maximum correlation and low sensitivity to parameter setting ) is obtained when using the following settings : a cut - off length parameter in the interval of 8 to 14 years ( 12 selected ), a correction for autocorrelation by the ipn4 method, and an outlier definition of 3 s deviation in order to effectively give equal weight to all observations. the fig. 1 below shows the result for two of the many cases i have looked at : global ( crutem3gl ; ) and denmark, dk ( t _ dk _ k, from danish meteorological institute dmi ; the t - anomaly is with reference to 1961 - 1990 ( note : the dk curve has been shifted upwards by 2 oc to avoid overlap ). at the bottom in the figure, the warm ( red ) and cold ( blue ) state of the pacific decadal oscillation ( pdo ) is shown together with major volcanoes ( squares ) and el ninos ( triangles ). vertical lines show the pdo shift in 1976 and the start of el ninos in 1986 and 1997. notwithstanding the confounding influence of anthropogenic forcings, it is hard not to see this figure as suggesting, that natural processes have had a major influence on the course of the global warming in the second half of the 20th century, contrary to the assessment of the ipcc. the identified steps are statistically highly significant, and 85 % of the variation in the global land temperature during 1960 - 2010 may be explained by 3 upward steps, separated by periods of near constant temperature and with a lack of warming ( insignificant trend ) during the most recent 13 years. the step curve for denmark explains 40 % of the variance ( as compared to 30 % by the gauss - filtered smoothing model of dmi ), with a lack of warming during the most recent 23 years. the three steps in the global curve occur at 1977, 1987 and 1998. this could be a statistical coincidence as eg. any curve with a true linear trend may be summarised as a step curve. however, the three years have a documented physical significance : 1977, the great pacific shift, with the pdo turning to the warm mode, and 1987 and 1998 being years of major enso activity. thus, in terms of the accumulated nino3. 4 anomaly, the el


have a documented physical significance : 1977, the great pacific shift, with the pdo turning to the warm mode, and 1987 and 1998 being years of major enso activity. thus, in terms of the accumulated nino3. 4 anomaly, the el ninos of 1997 / 98 and 1986 / 88 were the most extreme on record ( noaa data, 3 - month average nino3. 4 - anomaly ). furthermore, the linear trends of the four periods separating the change points are all non - significantly different from zero, but the power of this test is of course reduced in the periods of shorter length. ( it is noted that the hadcrut3 and the giss land - ocean datasets give essentially the same result, with steps at 1977 / 1990 / 1997 and 1977 / 1987 / 1997, respectively ). local and regional temperatures are generally known to be differently affected by enso events. accordingly, many local temperature curves across the globe can similarly be summarised by the step model, with one or more steps at or close to one or more of the steps identified above in the global record. for example, the denmark curve in fig. 1 displays one step in 1988 ; alaska curves display only one but very significant step in 1977 ( ghcn data, 4 stations analysed, not shown ) ; usa have steps in 1986 and 1998 ( giss, contiguous 48 states, not shown ) ; and australia have steps in 1979 and 2002 ( bom data, not shown ). finally, sidestepping a bit with some food for thoughts : inspired by the current discussion on the role of natural causes for the changes in the atmospheric co2 concentration, it may be mentioned, that the annual change in ppmv co2 at mauna loa displays significant upward shifts in 1977 and in 1998, on average increasing the annual concentration increment by 58 % and a further 33 %, respectively. it seems that there could be a strong influence of enso also on the annual increment on the co2 curve during 1960 - 2010. it is demonstrated above that the temperature increase in the second half of the 20th century could have taken place in steps driven by major enso events. the significance of the finding does not mainly rest on the statistical significance of the model fit, but on the physical support of the enso observations for the step changes, identified without making a priori assumptions on the timing or number of steps. if this was indeed the case – and it could be, unless proven otherwise – then the following


, but on the physical support of the enso observations for the step changes, identified without making a priori assumptions on the timing or number of steps. if this was indeed the case – and it could be, unless proven otherwise – then the following implications arise : 1. natural processes in the ocean - atmosphere system may have had a major influence on the global temperature change in the second half of the 20th century. if so, then something must be wrong with ipcc ’ s climate models, as the models according to the ar4 can not at all reproduce the observed temperature curve by considering natural causes only. this could question the climate sensitivity of the models and the models ability to adequately describe the natural processes in oceans and atmosphere ( eg. enso phenomena ). while it is generally accepted, that enso events can produce abrupt changes in global temperatures, the ipcc considers such effects to be short lived ( albeit based on a poor ability to model enso processes ), whereas the observational data when summarised as step changes imply a longer term effect on both local and higher - level average temperature curves. 2. the linearity assumption underlying the use of linear regressions for trend analysis of the temperature records is in principle violated by the presence of steps. thus, the global temperature should not be considered as simply uniformly increasing or accelerating, and claims of average temperature increases and accelerations may be erroneous and misleading. the use of linear regression for analysing temperature ( and other climate - related ) curves should be reconsidered. 3. regional and global temperature anomaly curves are “ apples and oranges ”, as they average over locations differently influenced by natural processes and in different states of the climate system. there is a need to emphasise more on the analysis of local temperature curves. 4. it was recently suggested, that the lack of warming during 1998 - 2008 was driven largely by natural factors ( kauffmann et al., 2011 ). referring to fig. 1, then what is the explanation for the apparent lack of increase in global temperature during 1977 - 1986 and 1987 - 1997? and what is then the conclusion for the overall cause of global warming during 1960 - 2010? finally, i want to make it clear, that i do agree with the presence of an anthropogenic greenhouse effect. but i find reasons in the observational data to doubt, that the ipcc, in its current analysis ( ar4, including only data up to 2005 ), has assessed the relative importance of natural and anthr


strategic forces command the indian strategic forces command ( sfc ), sometimes called the strategic nuclear command forms part of india ' s nuclear command authority ( nca ). it is responsible for the management and administration of the country ' s tactical and strategic nuclear weapons stockpile. it was created on january 4th, 2003. it is the responsibility of the sfc to operationalize the directives of the nca under the leadership of a commander - in - chief of the rank of air marshal ( or its equivalent ). it will have the sole responsibility of initiating the process of delivering nuclear weapons and warheads, after acquiring explicit approval from the nca. the exact selection of the target area shall be decided by the sfc through a calibrated, cumulative process involving various levels of decision - making, and with formal approval by the nca. the sfc manages and administers all strategic forces by exercising complete command and control over nuclear assets, and producing all contingency plans as needed to fulfil the required tasks. since its inception, the sfc ’ s command, control and communication systems have been firmly established, and the command has attained a high state of operational readiness. v • d • emilitary of indiabranches indian army indian air force indian coast guardhistory · academies · ranks and insignia ( army · air force · navy ) · special forces · indian peace keeping force · paramilitary forces · strategic forces command · strategic nuclear command · ballistic missiles · weapons of mass destruction conflicts indo - pakistani wars of 1947 · 1965 · 1971 · operation polo · operation vijay · sino - indian war · chola incident · siachen conflict · 1987 sino - indian skirmish · operation cactus · kargil war this article about the military of indiais a stub. see the indian military history task forcefor article coordination. you can helpwikipedia by expanding it.


search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. if you are not sure what you are looking for, try the combination search or our recommended species lists. search native plant database : miller, holmes o. calochortus luteus dougl. ex lindl. yellow mariposa lily usda symbol : calu9 usda native status : native to u. s. the slender stems of this plant bear a few narrow leaves and at the top 1 - 4 large, deep yellow, bell - shaped flowers in an umbel - like cluster. this species and some others frequently reproduce asexually by means of small bulblets in the leaf axils, which drop to the ground and grow into new plants. bloom informationbloom time : apr, may, jun ca native distribution : california coast ranges and western foothills of the sierra nevada. native habitat : heavy soil in grassland and open forests at low elevations. usda native status : l48 ( n ) benefituse food : bulb consumed by indigenous peoples. conspicuous flowers : from the national organizations directory according to the species list provided by affiliate organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following : santa barbara botanic garden - santa barbara, canative seed network - corvallis, or recommended species lists find native plant species by state. each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search. view recommended species page record modified : 2008 - 10 - 20 research by : twc staff


overview. this act was the first federal effort to regulate grazing on federal public lands. it establishes grazing districts and uses a permitting system to manage livestock grazing in the districts. grazing districts. the secretary of the interior ( secretary ) is authorized to establish grazing districts of vacant, unappropriated and unreserved land from any parts of the public domain, excluding alaska, which are not national forests, parks and monuments, indian reservations, railroad grant lands, or revested coos bay wagon road grant lands, and which are valuable chiefly for grazing and raising forage crops. whenever grazing districts are established, the secretary shall grant adjacent landowners, upon application, rights - of - way over the lands for stock - driving purposes to provide access to marketing facilities or to lands not within the district but owned by the person with stock - grazing rights. as adopted in 1934, the act requires that a hearing be held in the state before grazing districts are created. there must be public notice and the location is to be convenient for state officials, settlers, residents and livestock owners of the vicinity. the publication of notice has the effect of withdrawing the lands within the exterior boundary of the proposed district from all forms of entry of settlement pending the hearing. the act does not alter or restrict the right to hunt or fish within a grazing district. § 315. the secretary must : provide for the protection, administration, regulation and improvement of the grazing districts ; adopt regulations and enter into cooperative agreements necessary to accomplish the purposes of the act ; regulate occupancy and use ; preserve the land and resources from destruction or unnecessary injury ; provide for orderly improvement and development of the range. the secretary may continue the study of erosion and flood control and perform work to protect and rehabilitate areas subject to the act. willful violations of the act, or of its rules and regulations, are punishable by fine. § 315a. grazing permits. the secretary is authorized to issue permits to graze livestock in grazing districts to settlers, residents and other stock owners upon the annual payment of reasonable fees. permits must be for a period of not more than ten years, with renewal subject to the discretion of the secretary, who shall specify numbers of stock and seasons of use. during periods of range depletion due to severe drought or other natural causes, or during epidemics, the secretary may remit, reduce, refund in whole or part, or postpone payment of grazing fees for the time the emergency exists. grazing privileges must be safeguarded adequately but must not create any right,


causes, or during epidemics, the secretary may remit, reduce, refund in whole or part, or postpone payment of grazing fees for the time the emergency exists. grazing privileges must be safeguarded adequately but must not create any right, title, interest, or estate in or to the lands. § 315b. fences, wells, reservoirs and other improvements for the care and management of permitted livestock may be constructed on public lands within grazing districts under permits issued, or cooperative agreements approved, by the secretary. permittees are to comply with state law with respect to the cost and maintenance of partition fences. no permit entitles the permittee to use improvements constructed and owned by a prior occupant until the applicant has paid the prior occupant the reasonable value of the improvements, as determined under the secretary ' s regulations. § 315c. use of district lands. the secretary must permit free grazing of domestic livestock within districts. nothing in the act is intended to prevent the use of timber, stone, gravel, clay, coal and other deposits by miners, prospectors, settlers and residents. further, the act must not restrict : the acquisition, granting or use of permits or rights - of - way within grazing districts under laws existing before the adoption of the act ; ingress or egress over public lands in these districts ; prospecting, locating, developing, mining, entering, leasing or patenting mineral resources of grazing districts under applicable law. § 315d and 315e. the secretary is authorized to identify lands which are more valuable or suitable for the production of agricultural crops than for the production of native grasses and forage plants, or more valuable for other uses, and to open these lands to entry, selection or location for disposal, except that tracts for homestead entries may not exceed 320 acres in area. § 315f. the act directs the secretary to promote cooperation among those interested in the use of the grazing districts, such as local associations of stockmen, state land officials and official state agencies engaged in the conservation or propagation of wildlife. the secretary also must provide for local hearings on appeals from decisions of the administrative officer, and may accept contributions toward the administration, protection and improvement of lands within a grazing district. § 315h. use of funds received. money received under the act shall be deposited in the u. s. treasury as miscellaneous receipts, except that 12 1 / 2 percent of the money collected from grazing fees shall be paid to the state in which the grazing district is located and 50 percent of the money


under the act shall be deposited in the u. s. treasury as miscellaneous receipts, except that 12 1 / 2 percent of the money collected from grazing fees shall be paid to the state in which the grazing district is located and 50 percent of the money collected for the leasing of isolated tracts under § 315m will be paid to the state in which the leased lands are located. the states ' legislatures are expected to spend the funds for the benefit of the counties in which the districts or leased lands are situated. in addition, when appropriated by congress, 33 1 / 3 percent of grazing fees received from grazing districts on indian lands ceded to the u. s. for disposition under the public land laws are to be paid to the state, to be expended by the state legislature for public schools and roads in the counties in which the grazing lands are located. the other 66 2 / 3 percent is to be deposited to the credit of the indians pending final disposition under applicable laws, treaties or agreements. § 315i and 315j. leasing. the secretary is authorized to lease for grazing purposes vacant, unappropriated and unreserved lands which are so situated as not to justify inclusion in grazing districts. preference must be given to owners, homesteaders, lessees or other lawful occupants of contiguous land to permit proper use. when public lands are restored from a withdrawal, the secretary may grant a preference right for a grazing lease, license or permit to users of the land for grazing purposes. § 315m. the secretary may lease, and determine lease rates for, state, county, or private lands valuable for grazing and lying within the exterior boundaries of a grazing district, where the leasing will promote the orderly use of the district and aid in conserving the forage resources. no lease shall run for more than ten years, and grazing fees paid to the u. s. for grazing privileges on the land shall not be less than the rental paid by the u. s. for the land. § 315m - 1. agency cooperation. the secretary is authorized to cooperate with other federal agencies to carry out the purposes of the act and coordinate range administration, particularly where stock grazes part time in a grazing district and part time in a national forest or other reservation. § 315k. the president may reserve by proclamation and place under national - forest administration unappropriated public lands lying within watersheds forming a part of the national forests which are best administered with the national forests. similarly, the president can place under interior department administration those national forest lands which


where to find your e ‑ mail account information your e ‑ mail service provider should provide you with the information you need to sign in to your e ‑ mail account. if you don ’ t have this information available, contact your e ‑ mail provider. your e ‑ mail provider is typically your internet service provider ( isp ), but might also be your employer, school, or an independent provider that offers pop3 or imap e ‑ mail accounts. to set up your e ‑ mail account, you will need to provide the following information : display name. this is the name you want to appear at the top of your e ‑ mail messages. this is not provided by your e ‑ mail provider, and can be any name you choose, such as john smith. you can choose to leave this entry blank. e ‑ mail address. this is the e ‑ mail address you chose or were given when you signed up for your e ‑ mail account, such as firstname. lastname @ example. org. e ‑ mail server names. mail is stored on your e ‑ mail provider ' s server until you download it. you ' ll need to know whether your e ‑ mail provider stores mail on a pop3 or imap server. for more information on e ‑ mail server types, see pop3, smtp, and other e ‑ mail server types. you ' ll need the names of both your incoming e ‑ mail server ( such as pop. example. com ) and outgoing e ‑ mail server ( such as smtp. example. com ). it ' s also helpful to know if your server requires a user name and password when sending mail in addition to when receiving it. if so, select the outgoing server requires authentication check box when setting up your account. e ‑ mail username. this is the name you use to sign in to the e ‑ mail server. for many e ‑ mail services, this will be your entire e ‑ mail address ( such as email @ example. com ), but some e ‑ mail services might use only the portion before the at sign ( @ ), while others might assign a different id for sign - in purposes. password. this is the password you chose or were given when you created your e ‑ mail account.


viticulture - n. : the cultivation or culture of grapes enology - n. : a science that deals with wine and wine making the v & e department combines the sciences of viticulture and enology in a single research and teaching unit that encompasses all of the scientific disciplines that impact grape growing and winemaking. for over one hundred years the university of california has maintained an active and productive program in research and education in viticulture and enology. the continuing excellence of the department has enabled california growers and vintners to develop practices that have allowed the golden state to achieve its potential and become a premier wine - producing region. d. r. bennion memorial fellowship david r. bennion was a research scientist at stanford research institute along with his ridge vineyards co - founders, hewitt crane, charles rosen, and howard zeidler. he made wine from their grapes from 1959 - 1970 ; it was in 1967 that bennion left research to pursue his passion as a winemaker on a full time basis. ridge vineyards placed fifth at the 1976 judgement of paris wine tasting. on the 30th anniversary, a retesting was held. in this blind tasting, the us and uk judges ranked ridge monte bello number one among all the wines tasted. bennion spearheaded the drive to have the santa cruz mountains declared an appellation. he was instrumental in bringing the zinfandel grape to prominence in california by searchin...


mark wilson may 15th, 2011 in advance of my next field trip to israel ( watch this space! ), our highlighted fossil this week is the scleractinian coral microsolena, a genus named by the french naturalist jean vincent felix lamouroux in 1821. the specimen above was collected from the matmor formation in hamakhtesh hagadol in the negev desert. it is callovian in age, specifically the athleta zone. ( i know a lot of details about this area! ) this coral is thus roughly 160 - 165 million years old. scleractinian corals appeared first in the triassic and are the primary coral in today ’ s oceans. unlike their extinct paleozoic cousins, scleractinians have skeletons made of aragonite rather than calcite. aragonite is relatively unstable and easily dissolves over geological time. our specimen above has been replaced with the more stable calcite. this means that the exterior is preserved well enough to identify to the genus level, but details in the interior necessary for species determination have been recrystallized beyond recognition. a nice oyster is still attached to the coral surface. oyster shells are made of calcite and so are usually preserved very well. you can also see holes in the coral made by boring bivalves and given the name gastrochaenolites. one of the bivalve borings is in a raised lump of the coral ( center top of the image ). this is reaction tissue built by the coral in response to the invading bivalve, a clear indication that some of the boring took place while the coral was alive. most of the corals in the matmor formation are heavily bored by bivalves. the matmor formation is exposed only in the cavity of hamakhtesh hagadol. here it is about 100 meters thick and consists mostly fossiliferous marls and sponge - coral patch reefs. ( one of the previous fossils of the week is a thecideide brachiopod attached to corals like the one above. ) the matmor sediments were deposited on a shallow marine ramp near the middle jurassic equator. it is this equatorial deposition that makes the matmor such an interesting subject for paleoecological analysis. most other described jurassic faunas are in europe and north america, and they were all formed under more temperate conditions. pandey, d. k., ahmad, f. and fursich, f. t. 2000. middle jurassic sc


writing your story “ write your story as it needs to be written. write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. i ’ m not sure that there are any other rules. not ones that matter. ” ~ neil gaiman i borrowed this quote for today ’ s post. we all have a story ( stories ) to tell. many of us need to tell this / these stories, especially those of us who consider ourselves writers. although we can tell stories in other mediums, for this post we will focus on writers. writers, especially in the beginning, tend to experiment with ways of telling the stories locked inside them. they have to find their own voice before they can truly share their inmost parts. while imitation is flattering, it does not really help us find ourselves. it merely helps us find who we are not! the thing is that writers tend to have too many rules. grammar rules, their own rules, the rules they perceive from others, etc. fill us with dread as we face the story. we want to do it right, but fear we will do it so wrong! our perfectionism, list of rules, and fear keep us from telling our story or at least help us to procrastinate the telling. mr. gaiman reminds us that telling the story is more important than how we tell it. we can always edit later, but we must get the story down first. the only rules you need are : 1 ) write it honestly. and 2 ) write it the best you can. i think i can handle those two rules. how about you? do you have a story to tell? do you have many stories to tell? have you told them? are you making it harder than it needs to be? in telling stories about my adventures lately with my dad and more, i have begun to realize i have stories to tell and i need to tell them. whether gram, imma, or both have a hand in the process, it needs to happen. will i take my own advice? tune in later to see. - neil gaiman ’ s commencement speech ( fensalirfiber. wordpress. com )


search tags : potomac river while the number of american shad is at a historic low in some areas, the fish that migrate from the ocean to fresh water to spawn every year are making a slow recovery in the potomac river. the potomac river ' s drinking water is safe, but chemicals in the river are raising concerns among water quality experts. ten years after the discovery of the first intersex fish in the potomac river, leading researchers are closing in on the chemicals and sources producing fish with immature eggs in the sex organs of male smallmouth and largemouth bass. the research suggests the cause is not what researchers initially thought - - the flushing of prescription drugs. potomac river fishing guide steve chaconas takes wtop out on the river for a closer look at the health of the fish and the health of the river. blue plains advanced wastewater treatment plant in southeast is the largest plant of its kind anywhere in the world, treating about 370 million gallons of water every day. spring is here and nature is coming alive, but something that should be living in the potomac river is not. a new study finds climate change could cut stream flows in the potomac river basin, a major source of drinking water in the washington region. tags : potomac river authorities are investigating after a man ' s body was pulled from the potomac river near the 14th street bridge.


for those families new to soccer, and those who still feel new regarding the rules, the following “ simplified rules of soccer ” should be a handy guide through the many years of soccer enjoyment ahead. the information is drawn from publications of the united states soccer federation ( ussf ). in soccer, by - the - way, they are not called rules, but laws. law # 1 the field of play the soccer field ( commonly known as the “ pitch ” ) should always be rectangular with a maximum length of 130 yards and a minimum length of 100 yards. the width should be a maximum of 100 yards and a minimum of 50 yards. the field must be longer than it is wide. with the proportions correct, junior fields can be smaller depending on the age level. the longer boundary lines are called touch lines, and the shorter boundary lines are called goal lines. a goal is centered on each goal line. law # 2 the ball the ball must be round with a circumference of 27 ″ - 28 ″ for regulation adult play. the weight should be 14 - 16 oz. this is a “ size 5 ″ ball. for medium sized children size 4 is often used ( age 7 - 12 ). the circumference is 25 ″ - 26 ″ and the weight is 12 - 14 oz. for very small children a size 3 ball is often used ( ages 4 - 7 ). the circumference is 23 ″ - 25 ″ and the weight is 10 - 12 oz. law # 3 number of players in a regulation match, each side is composed of 11 players, with the number of subs to be no more than 3 for competitive matches, or the number agreed to for a “ friendly ” match. younger youth levels often use fewer players ( u - 7, u - 8 = 7 vs 7 : u - 9, u - 10 = 8 vs 8 ). a player who has been replaced cannot come back into the match. the number of substitutions can be modified for youth play at u16 and below. the substitution part of the law is widely ignored in the u. s. anyway. a complete roster of players and subs must be presented to the referee before the game starts ( player passes are sometimes used instead ). the referee must be notified and must indicate his permission to enter before a substitution can step onto the pitch. players must leave the field before the substitute can enter. any player sent off ( red carded ) may not be replaced and the team must play short for the remainder of the match


indicate his permission to enter before a substitution can step onto the pitch. players must leave the field before the substitute can enter. any player sent off ( red carded ) may not be replaced and the team must play short for the remainder of the match. law # 4 players ’ equipment the usual uniform of the soccer player is a jersey, shorts, calf socks, shin guards and shoes. nothing potentially injurious to another player may be worn. all jewelry is considered dangerous. referees do not have any leeway on jewelry below the highest level of professional play. no jewelry should be allowed, period, in any youth or amateur play. cleats are normally rubber, plastic, aluminum or leather. the goalkeeper must wear a different color than the other members of the team. shin guards must give a reasonable degree of protection. law # 5 the referee the referee is in charge of all game activity and is to make sure each team abides by the laws of the game. he is to stop, suspend, or terminate a match as appropriate. his decisions are final. it is the referee ’ s responsibility to keep the game clock, and enforce proper game conduct by players, substitutes and team officials. he can send off players or others who commit an act of misconduct. his authority extends from the time he arrives in the area of the field to the time he leaves the area. cards can only be shown to players and substitutes, and only during the match. other cautions and send offs are done without showing a card, but count the same is if a card had been shown. law # 6 assistant referees there are usually two assistant referees ( ars ), one for each touch line. their main responsibility is to assist the referee by indicating ball out of bounds, offside, corner kicks, and goal kicks ; and to assist in enforcing the laws by indicating fouls the referee cannot see. ars assist the referee by indicating their opinion, but the decision is still the referee ’ s, if he saw the event or incident. ars do not have whistles and cannot stop play. when no registered referees are available for this function, club linesmen are used. the referee can only use club linesmen for out of bounds indications. law # 7 game duration u8 games have four 10 minute quarters. u10 games have 25 minute halves, u12 games 30 minute halves, u14 games 35 minute halves, u16 games 40 minute halves, and all higher level games 45 minute halves. the referee is to add time for time wasting, injuries


. u10 games have 25 minute halves, u12 games 30 minute halves, u14 games 35 minute halves, u16 games 40 minute halves, and all higher level games 45 minute halves. the referee is to add time for time wasting, injuries, substitutions, and any other cause. law # 8 start of play to start play there is a kick off. this happens at the start of the game, halftime and after a goal has been scored. a player standing near the halfway line kicks the ball to a fellow player. opposing players must stay outside the center circle until the ball has been kicked. after the ball is touched and moves forward the game is officially started. the kicker may not touch the ball again until it has been touched by another player. law # 9 ball in and out play after the whole ball completely crosses the touch line or goal line, either on the ground or in the air, it is out of play. any ball striking a referee, goal post, or corner post and remaining on the field is in play. the line itself is in bounds, and the ball is out of play ( or a goal is scored ) only when all of the ball is completely past the outer edge of the line. if any part of the ball is still touching any part of the line ( extended from the ground up into the sky ), it is still in play. law # 10 goal scoring a goal is scored when the whole ball completely crosses the goal line, between the goal posts and under the cross bar. the winner of the game is determined by the most goals scored. law # 11 offside a player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponents ’ goal line than both the ball and the second - to - last opponent ( counting the keeper, if he is one of the two defenders closest to the goal line ). a player is not offside when in his own half of the field of play. it is not an offense to be in an offside position. the referee is to call an offside infraction only if, in his judgement, the player in an offside position when the ball is played or touched by a teammate interferes with play, interferes with another player, or gains an advantage by being in that position. there is no offside offense if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, a throw - in or a corner kick. when offside is called, the defending team is awarded an indirect free kick from where the infringement occurred. law # 12


is no offside offense if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, a throw - in or a corner kick. when offside is called, the defending team is awarded an indirect free kick from where the infringement occurred. law # 12 fouls and misconduct fouls can only be committed on the field of play ( i. e. inside the boundary lines ) and while the ball is in play. there are two categories of foul, penal and technical. except for handling, penal fouls can only be committed against an opponent. fouls are dealt with by awarding a free kick to the opposing team. misconduct can be an included part of some fouls, or can be unrelated to a foul. misconduct is dealt with by issuing a caution ( yellow card ) or sending the player off ( red card ). a. for penal fouls, the referee awards a direct free kick to the other team from where the infraction occurred : 1. kicking opponent 2. tripping opponent 3. jumping at opponent 4. charging opponent 5. striking opponent 6. pushing opponent 7. making contact with the opponent before the ball when tackling. 8. holding opponent 9. spitting at an opponent 10. deliberately handling ball ( deliberately touching ball with hands or arms from the shoulder on down ) the first six are to be called only if the referee considers that they were done carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force. a penalty kick is awarded if any of these 10 penal fouls are committed in the offending team ’ s own penalty area. b. an indirect free kick shall be awarded when a player commits these technical fouls. the first three can only be committed against an opponent. 1. dangerous play adversely effecting opponent ’ s play 2. preventing the opposing goalkeeper from releasing the ball 3. impeding an opponent 4. a goalkeeper taking more than 6 seconds to release the ball while controlling it with his hands 5. wasting time 6. a goalkeeper handling a ball that has been intentionally played with a teammate ’ s foot, or thrown in by a teammate, or that he has controlled with the hands and returned to or allowed to fall to the ground. 7. any offense not mentioned above for which play is stopped to caution or send off ( yellow or red card ). c. cautionable offenses : a player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following seven offenses : 1. is guilty of unsporting behavior 2. shows dissent by word or action 3. persistently infringe


c. cautionable offenses : a player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following seven offenses : 1. is guilty of unsporting behavior 2. shows dissent by word or action 3. persistently infringes the laws of the game 4. delays the restart of play 5. fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a kick off, corner kick or free kick 6. enters or re - enters the field of play without the referee ’ s permission 7. deliberately leaves the field of play without the referee ’ s permission d. sending - off offenses : a player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following seven offenses : 1. is guilty of serious foul play 2. is guilty of violent conduct 3. spits at an opponent or any other person 4. denies an opponent a goal or an obvious goal - scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball ( this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area ) 5. denies an obvious goal - scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player ’ s goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick 6. uses offensive, insulting or abusive language or gestures 7. receives a second caution ( yellow card ) in the same match the referee is to refrain from calling fouls that are trifling or doubtful, or when stopping play for the foul would give an advantage to the offending team or take one away from the fouled team. law # 13 free kicks the types of free kick awarded by the referee are the : a. direct free kick – a goal can be scored by kicking the ball directly into the goal b. indirect free kick – the ball must touch another player before a goal can be scored ; if the ball goes into the goal without being touched by another player, it is just out - of - bounds, and the defensive side gets a goal kick. in either case, the kicker is free to simply pass the ball to a teammate. when a free kick is taken, the opposing team must stay at least 10 yards away from the ball until it is kicked. a team cannot score against itself directly ( i. e. without another player besides the original kicker touching the ball ) on any free kick. any free kick taken from inside the kicker ’ s own penalty area cannot be touched by any other player until it has passed outside the penalty area into the playing field. it is not in play until that happens. no opposing player can enter the penalty area until the ball


taken from inside the kicker ’ s own penalty area cannot be touched by any other player until it has passed outside the penalty area into the playing field. it is not in play until that happens. no opposing player can enter the penalty area until the ball has passed out of it. law # 14 penalty kicks a penalty kick is awarded after a penal foul ( law # 12, part a ) takes place in the offending team ’ s penalty area. it is a direct kick taken 12 yards from the goal line. all players except the goalie and kicker must stay outside of the penalty area, behind the penalty mark, and at least 10 yards from the ball until it is kicked. the goalie must stand on the goal line and may not move forward off of it until the ball is kicked. law # 15 the throw - in when the ball completely crosses the touch line, a throw - in is awarded to the opponents of the player who last touched the ball, from the point where the ball crossed the line. the ball must be thrown by both hands from behind and over the head. at the moment the thrower releases the ball : a. the thrower must be facing the playing field. b. both feet must be outside or on the touch line. any part of the foot touching the line makes it legal. c. both feet must be touching the ground. on incorrect throws, a throw in is awarded to the opposite team. the thrower may not touch the ball a second time until it has been touched by another player. it is not unusual in youth soccer for the throw to not enter the field, that is, the ball goes up the touch line and never breaks the plane of the outside edge of the line. this doesn ’ t count as a throw at all. the thrower just picks it up and throws again. if the referee believes this is intentional and to waste time, he may caution the player and must add on time. law # 16 goal kicks a goal kick is awarded when the ball crosses the goal line but a goal is not scored, and it was last touched by an attacking player. the ball can be kicked from anywhere in the goal area. the ball must travel outside the penalty area into the field of play before it is in play. if it is touched before it leaves the penalty area, the kick is retaken. the attacking team must stay out of the penalty area until the ball is in play. once the ball is in play, the kicker may not touch the ball a second time until it


webmd health news brunilda nazario, md nov. 11, 2011 ( chicago ) - - people with gout should make sure their uric acid levels are under control - - even if they ' re not experiencing symptoms of the painful arthritic disorder. " many people are walking around with uncontrolled uric acid levels and we used to not worry about it - - if they ' re not having symptoms, who cares? " says eric matteson, md, mph, head of rheumatology at mayo clinic in rochester, minn. but new studies show that high uric acid levels in the blood are associated with a nearly 20 % increased risk of developing diabetes and a more than 40 % increased risk of developing kidney disease. uric acid is a chemical substance that can build up in the blood to a higher than normal level and lead to gout. for the new studies, researchers reviewed the records of about 2, 000 men with gout in a veterans administration database. none had diabetes or kidney disease at the start of the study. eswar krishnan, md, assistant professor of rheumatology at stanford university, presented the findings here at the american college of rheumatology ' s annual meeting. krishnan consults for takeda pharmaceuticals international, which makes a gout medication and funded the study. over a three - year period, 9 % of men with gout who had uncontrolled uric acid levels developed diabetes, compared with 6 % of those whose uric levels were under control. after taking into account other risk factors for diabetes, this corresponded to a 19 % higher risk of diabetes in those with uncontrolled uric acid levels. a blood uric acid level greater than 7 is considered uncontrolled. the risk for an individual person might not be much. but the national institutes of health estimates that 6 million u. s. adults have had gout at some point in their lives, many with uncontrolled uric acid levels. that translates to tens of thousands of people at risk of diabetes and kidney disease, matteson says. a second study, conducted by the same researchers using the same database, showed that over a three - year period men with gout who had uncontrolled uric acid levels had a 40 % greater risk of kidney disease compared to men with controlled uric acid levels. the studies do not prove that uncontrolled uric acid levels cause the health problems but show an association of elevated levels to


##lled uric acid levels had a 40 % greater risk of kidney disease compared to men with controlled uric acid levels. the studies do not prove that uncontrolled uric acid levels cause the health problems but show an association of elevated levels to these health problems. " gout is a vastly undertreated disease, " matteson says. " now we ' re finding that elevated uric acid, by itself, even if you have no gout, is associated with higher rates of heart attack, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, even death due to cardiovascular disease. " still, it would be advisable to get uric acid levels under control, through diet or medication, he says. most importantly, maintain a healthy weight, matteson says. obesity is a major risk factor for all these conditions. these findings were presented at a medical conference. they should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the " peer review " process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal. sources : american college of rheumatology ' s 75th annual scientific meeting, chicago, nov. 4 - 9, 2011. eric matteson, md, mph, head of rheumatology, mayo clinic, rochester, minn. eswar krishnan, md, assistant professor of rheumatology, stanford university, palo alto, calif. the health news section does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. see additional information.


8. we ' re all americans. it took the war between the states to make us one nation, indivisible. before 1861, the united states were loosely tied entities and always described as a plural noun, as in, " the united states are in trade with france. " the war ' s bloodiest battle came at gettysburg in 1863, with 51, 000 casualties in just three days. although the union stopped confederate gen. robert e. lee ' s northern invasion, young men ' s bodies littered the farms and gardens that had turned into a battleground. was the preservation of these united states worth the cost in blood? at a memorial for the dead, lincoln intentionally called on the union to persevere for a single national ideal : " [ t ] hat we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under god, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. " the effect of lincoln ' s gettysburg address, just 272 words from beginning to end, was radical and immediate. " by accepting the gettysburg address, its concept of a single people dedicated to a proposition, we have been changed, " wills writes. " because of it, we live in a different america. " but the shift was more than a statesman ' s creation. it was also forged in the experience of hunger, disease, blood and death shared for four years by the union and confederacy alike. tellingly, the tradition of civil war reenactments began even before the conflict had ended, as returning soldiers recreated battlefield scenes at home to educate the citizenry and pay tribute to their fallen comrades. ken and ric burns, in their introduction to the book the civil war, write : " some events so pervasively condition the life of a culture that they retain the power to fascinate permanently. they become the focus of myth and the anchor of meaning for a whole society. " the civil war became our anchor. ever since, whether big government or small government, whether doves or hawks, black or white, we have all been one thing : americans. betsy towner lives in california.


information contained on this page is provided by newsusa, an independent third - party content provider. worldnow and this station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. / american society of mechanical engineers ) - although the change is gradual, the u. s. is gaining ground on a more sustainable future. energy experts and environmentalists can argue it ' s not occurring fast enough, but from transportation to engineering, improvements are being made. the prius is toyota ' s third most popular car. each year brings a new round of hybrid vehicles, making over 30 different hybrid cars at the start of 2012. eco - friendly building options are becoming more affordable, and alternative fuels are being put to use. for instance, green mountain college in vermont operates off a biomass plant that heats the entire campus using green woodchips, a local, renewable and sustainable fuel source. more city engineers are adding bike lanes and wider streets as commuter biking grows in popularity. in fact, each year the american society of mechanical engineers ( asme ) holds a human powered vehicle challenge where top engineering students design sleek pedal - powered vehicles capable of road use. by creating new prototypes for a road - friendly, human - powered vehicle, these engineering students are working toward a sustainable world. eventually, many engineers think further developments in human - powered vehicles could lead to a transportation alternative that will reduce the consumption of traditional fuels. according to a comparison calculation by business insider using data from copenhagen ' s huge cycling community, we would add $ 46 million to the economy if the same number of americans biked to work. the coming generations of engineers have a large burden on their shoulders to compete in the global market and thrive in a technology - driven workforce. plus, demand for high - tech, high - wage engineering jobs is only growing. a study by georgetown university center on education and the workforce noted that 8 million american jobs will require a degree in science, technology, engineering and mathematics ( stem ) by 2018. for aerospace, agricultural, mechanical, civil and electrical engineers, environmental protection and preservation are central to the job. with each year ' s human powered vehicle competition, asme is grooming the next generation of engineers to be innovative, socially conscious and forward - thinking. for more information, visit www. asme. org