You have been insulted, your ego is bruised, your
pride is hurt, you have been shown powerless and diminished in some way, and now you are hurt
and mad as hell! You have just
been humiliated, it is unfair, and you don't like feeling foolish. Humiliation often results
in violent retaliation and revenge.
Remember, at the end of the day, the only opinion of yourself that matters is
- Feeling disrespected.
- A loss of stature or image.
- An image change reflecting a decrease in what others believe about your
- Induced shame
- To reduce the pride or fail to recognize the
dignity of another
- An event perceived to cause loss of honor and induce
- Feeling powerless.
- Being unjustly forced into a degrading position.
- Ridicule, scorn, contempt or other treatment at the hands of others.
Root: from Latin humilis, low, lowly, from humus, ground.
Literally, “reducing to dirt”.
Synonyms include losing face, being made to feel like a fool, feeling
foolish, hurt, disgraced, indignity, put-down, debased, dejected, denigrated, dishonored,
disrespected, dis'ed, defamed,
humbled, scorned, slighted, slurred, shamed, mortified, rejected, being laughed
at. While humility is considered a strength, humiliation is hurtful; the
distinction pivots on autonomy.
Appreciation is the opposite of humiliation.
Humiliation involves an event that demonstrates unequal
power in a relationship where you are in
the inferior position and unjustly diminished. Often the painful experience is vividly
remembered for a long time. Your vindictive
passions are aroused and a humiliated fury may
result. There are three involved parties: 1) the perpetrator
exercising power, 2) the victim who is shown powerless and therefore humiliated,
and 3) the witness or observers to the event.
Because of the powerlessness and lack of control that it exposes, humiliation
may lead to anxiety.
Humility is recognizing and accepting our own limitations based on
an accurate and modest estimate of our importance and significance. The humble person
recognizes he is one among the six billion
interdependent people on this earth, earth is one planet circling the sun, and our sun
is one of a billion stars in
the presently known universe. Because of this broad and sound perspective on her
significance, the truly humble person cannot be humiliated.
Humility reduces our need for self-justification
and allows us to admit to and learn from our mistakes. Our ego
Humiliation and Shame
Shame is private, humiliation is public.
The essential distinction between humiliation and shame is this: you agree
with shame and you disagree with humiliation. Humiliation is suffering an insult. If you judge the insult to be credible,
then you feel shame. Others can insult and humiliate
you, but you will only feel shame if your self-image is reduced; and that
requires your own assessment and decision. A person who is insecure about their
genuine stature is more prone to feeling shame as a
result of an insult. This is because they give more credibility to what others
think of them than to what they think of themselves. This can result in
People believe they deserve their shame, they do not believe they deserve
their humiliation. Humiliation is seen as unjust.
Forms of Humiliation
Humans have many ways to slight others and humiliate them. For example:
- Overlooking someone, taking them for granted, ignoring them, giving them
the silent treatment, treating them as invisible, or making them wait unnecessarily for you,
- Rejecting someone, holding them distant, abandoned, or isolated,
- Withholding acknowledgement, denying recognition, manipulating
- Denying someone basic social amenities, needs, or human
- Manipulating people or treating them like objects (it) or animals, rather
than as a person (thou).
- Treating people unfairly,
- Domination, control, manipulation, abandonment,
- Threats or abuse including: verbal (e.g. name calling), physical, psychological, or sexual,
- Assault, attack, or injury
- Reduction in rank, responsibility, role, title, positional power, or
- Betrayal, or being cheated, lied to, defrauded, suckered, or duped,
- Being laughed at, mocked, teased, ridiculed, given a dirty look, spit on, or made
to look stupid or foolish.
- Being the victim of a practical joke, prank, or confidence scheme.
- False accusation or insinuation,
- Public shame, disrespect, or being dis'ed, downgraded, defeated, or
- Forced nakedness,
- Rape or incest,
- Seeing your love interest flirt with another, induced jealousy, violating
your love interest, cuckolding,
- Seeing your wife, girlfriend, sister, or daughter sexually violated,
- Poverty, unemployment, bad investments, debt, bankruptcy, foreclosure, imprisonment, homelessness, punishment,
- Denigration of a person's values,
beliefs, heritage, race, gender,
appearance, characteristics, or affiliations,
- Dependency, especially on weaker people,
- Losing a dominance contest. Being
forced to submit.
- Trespass such as violating privacy or other boundaries,
- Violating, denying, or suppressing
- Losing basic personal freedoms such a mobility, access, or autonomy; being
controlled, dominated, intruded on, exploited, or manipulated,
- Diminished competency resulting from being disabled, immobilized, tricked,
weakened, trapped, mislead, thwarted goals, opposed, sabotage, or let down.
- Diminished resources resulting from being defrauded, robbed, cheated,
evicted, or being deprived of privileges, or rights,
- Having safety or security reduced by intimidation or threat,
- Dismissing, discounting, or silencing your story,
- Being treated as an equal by a lower stature person.
The Paradox of Humiliation
An insult usually hurts, but it is important to resolve in your own
mind, based on evidence, why the insult hurts. What
loss does it represent to you? Decide if the insult:
- is an unjustified attack that does not decrease your stature, diminish your
self-image, nor tarnish your public image or reputation, or
- is justified and has diminished your public image or reputation, or
- is justified and has diminished or revised your self-image.
Begin the analysis by deciding if the insult is based on information
that accurately represents you. Then reflect and consider if your
image accurately represents your stature. If you decide the insult is unjustified
then you can simply ignore it (“don't take the bait”) or you can describe why it
is unfair and ask your offender for an
apology. If your public image exceeds your stature, then
the insult may a justifiable retaliation for your arrogance and
it may contain an important message you can learn from. If the insult is
justified it may cause you to feel
shame and then lead you to revise your
better align it with your stature. The insult is never
justified if it is an attempt to reduce your stature below the threshold of human
Public Image, Self-Image, Stature, and Revenge
For an insult to diminish your public image, the
public has to believe it is true. For an insult to diminish your
self-image or self-esteem, you have to believe it is
true. An insult cannot diminish your stature because
your self-image is not your self. An insult may cause you to reassess your
self-image or self-esteem.
Revenge is often sought as a remedy for
humiliation; perhaps using the phrase “protecting honor” as justification. But
revenge cannot be an effective remedy for humiliation, because it does nothing
to increase your stature.
Humiliation is more demeaning and hurtful than “taking offense” at something.
“Taking offense” is cognitive; you have questioned, disagreed with, or attacked
my beliefs and perhaps my values. We disagree, and I
think you are wrong. Offense is intellectual; it is about what I think.
“Humiliation” is visceral; you have attacked me, my being, my
self, and made me feel foolish about who I am. The attack is personal and
credible enough that you have caused me to doubt my own worth, and thereby
induced my shame. Humiliation is existential; it is
about who I am.
Humiliation has been linked to academic failure, low
self-esteem, social isolation,
conflict, delinquency, abuse, discrimination,
depression, learned helplessness, social
disruption, torture, and even death. People in power use humiliation as a form
of social control; it is a common tool of oppression. The fear of humiliation is
also a powerful motivating force.
Although shame and humiliation are
human universals, the particular circumstances
and events that cause humiliation can vary greatly from one culture to the next.
An event that is benign in one culture may cause great offense, shame, and
humiliation in another. For example:
- Under Islamic law a woman who spends time alone with an unrelated man
brings great shame to her family.
Victims of humiliation may be able to achieve resolution through either of
two paths. The first is to reappraise the
humiliating experience in some way that acknowledges the victim's strength and ability
to cope with a difficult situation. This approach
increases self-confidence and diminishes the fear of humiliation. The second
path is to leave the degrading environment and find a more appreciative
- “The most dangerous men on earth are those who are
afraid they are wimps.” ~ James Gilligan
- “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~
- “The truly humble person cannot be humiliated.” ~ Donald Klein
- “The fear of humiliation appears to be one of the most powerful
motivators in individual and collective human behavior.” ~ Donald Klein
- “Persistent humiliation robs you of the vantage of rebellion.” ~ M.
- “Ridicule is man's most potent weapon.” ~
- “The difference between how a person treats the powerless versus the
powerful is as good a measure of human character as I know.” ~ Robert I.
- “When you dismiss my story you dismiss who I am; you diminish me.” ~
Leland R. Beaumont
On Apology, by Aaron Lazare
Somebodies and Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank, by Robert W. Fuller
Violence, by James
The No Asshole Rule,
by Robert I. Sutton
Threatened Egotism to Violence and Aggression: The Dark Side of High
Self-Esteem, Psychology Review, 1996, Vol. 103, No. 1, 5-33, by
Roy F. Baumeister, Laura Smart, Joseph M. Boden
Humiliation and Assistance: Telling the Truth About Power, Telling a
New Story, by Linda M. Hartling, Wellesley College
The Humiliation Dynamic,
Donald C. Klein, Ph.D., The Union Institute
Humiliation: Assessing the Specter of Derision, Degradation, and
Debasement, Linda M. Hartling (1995) Doctoral
dissertation. Cincinnati, OH: Union Institute Graduate School.


January 18, 1813
Joseph Farwell Glidden: The Father of Barbed Wire
Joseph Farwell Glidden was born on January 18, 1813, and became known as the "Father of Barbed Wire." In 1874, Glidden was issued patent #157,124 for the first wire technology that was capable of restraining cattle. While his barbed wire was neither the first nor the last, it was ruled the best after a three year legal battle.


By Margaret Southern
For many people in the United States, food comes from the grocery store. Most Americans would be hard pressed to determine the real origins of much of the food we eat. But residents of the Cayos Cochinos islands off the northern coast of Honduras know exactly where their food comes from: the ocean outside their doors.
Here, it’s not just their stomachs that rely on the bounty of the ocean—it’s almost their entire economy. But overfishing and industrial fishing continues to put pressure on their marine resources. The Nature Conservancy is working with partners and locals to protect their reefs through education, conservation and income-generating projects.
In 2007, the Conservancy and the Cayos Cochinos Foundation identified almost 20 income-generating projects with the goal of increasing income for households that depend heavily on the reef.
One of these projects was the construction of a small tourist complex managed by the East End community. The community hopes to attract tourists with two eco-friendly cabins, which were built with outside funding, and an ocean-view restaurant serving traditional Garifuna meals, funded by the Conservancy. The Conservancy is connecting the community with tourism service providers to promote best practices and ensure the protection of conservation targets.
The Cayos Cochinos Foundation, along with the Conservancy and other groups, has also worked with the communities to establish management plans that encourage no-take zones and the construction of artificial reefs that serve as nurseries for small fish. And through other partnerships, laws have been passed that will eventually prohibit industrial fishing around the marine protected area.
All of these initiatives are important in creating sustainability in the reefs and communities of Cayos Cochinos. According to Francisco Velasquez, a school teacher in East End, if it weren’t for the Conservancy, they wouldn’t still be living on that island.
“Our livelihood depends on fishing, but in the past large ships would come in and sweep the whole ocean clear of fish. There was nothing left for us to eat,” Velasquez said. “But now with the conservation of this area the fish are returning, and through the tourism project we are creating new solutions to increase our income and improve our lives.”
In Cayos Cochinos, these projects would not have been possible without Anthony Ives. A former San Francisco stock trader who at one point was managing 50 billion dollars for the state of California, Ives found his way to Honduras after Sept. 11 through the Peace Corps. He created the Foundation Heart Ventures-Grupo de Apoyo al Desarollo (IHV-GAD) to have a focus on education, conservation and job creation, with the idea that it is not possible to separate the three objectives.
“We have found that an integrated approach is much more sustainable, and we’re very happy that the Conservancy shares our long-term vision to sustainable conservation,” Ives said. “We hope to convince other organizations that through an integrated approach that involves education, we can achieve sustainable development while focusing on the environment.”January 03, 2011


Docs On Call: Blogs
Multiple Sclerosis in Children
Story Updated: Feb 1, 2013
A new study suggests obese girls may be at increased risk for multiple sclerosis.
Researchers in California identified 75 children, aged 2 to 18, who had been diagnosed with MS. Records of body mass index before symptoms appeared were also accessed.
The children with MS were then compared to more than 900-thousand children without the disease.
All were grouped by weight - normal, overweight, moderately obese or extremely obese.
Nearly 51-percent of the children with MS were overweight or obese, compared to 37-percent of the children who did not have MS.
The risk of developing MS was more than 1-and-half times higher for overweight girls compared to normal weight girls nearly 1-point-8 times higher in moderately obese girls- and nearly four times higher in extremely obese girls.
The same association was not found in boys.
Once considered rare in children, multiple sclerosis
has become more common, especially in teenage girls. Researchers say an increase in childhood obesity may be one cause.
I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV with the news doctors are reading health news for healthier living.


1938 Buick Y Job
Concept cars have been a mainstay of automotive design and marketing for more than a century. While Henry Leland's Osceola is considered the world's first concept car that actually made it into production, the 1938 Buick Y Job is another early example of a true concept car.
Built under the direction of General Motors' first design director, Harley Earl, the Y-Job was never intended for production but instead foreshadowed the styling and engineering cues Earl and his team hoped to use on future GM vehicles. In its day, the Y-Job earned praise for its modern style that included integrated fenders, hidden headlamps, and no running boards. The positive reaction helped several of its design cues to make it into production, including the stubby tail fins that would appear on the iconic 1948 Cadillacs and the grille design that continues to influence Buick design.
Although the Y-Job didn't make production, it remains an example of the good a concept car can do for a company and the industry. We can't help but wonder what would have happened, though, if Buick put the Y-Job into production. The company would have been in an even better position postwar.


China has worked actively and seriously to tackle global climate change and build capacity to respond to it. We believe that every country has a stake in dealing with climate change and every country has a responsibility for the safety of our planet. China is at a critical stage of building a moderately prosperous society on all fronts, and a key stage of accelerated industrialization and urbanization. Yet, despite the huge task of developing the economy and improving people’s lives, we have joined global actions to tackle climate change with the utmost resolve and a most active attitude, and have acted in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities established by the United Nations. China voluntarily stepped up efforts to eliminate backward capacity in 2007, and has since closed a large number of heavily polluting small coal-fired power plants, small coal mines and enterprises in the steel, cement, paper-making, chemical and printing and dyeing sectors. Moreover, in 2009, China played a positive role in the success of the Copenhagen conference on climate change and the ultimate conclusion of the Copenhagen Accord. In keeping with the requirements of the Copenhagen Accord, we have provided the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change with information on China’s voluntary actions on emissions reduction and joined the list of countries supporting the Copenhagen Accord.
The targets released by China last year for greenhouse gas emissions control require that by 2020, CO2 emissions per unit of GDP should go down by 40% - 45% from the 2005 level, non-fossil energy should make up about 15% of primary energy consumption, and forest coverage should increase by 40 million hectares and forest stock volume by 1.3 billion cubic meters, both from the 2005 level. The measure to lower energy consumption alone will help save 620 million tons of standard coal in energy consumption in the next five years, which will be equivalent to the reduction of 1.5 billion tons of CO2 emissions. This is what China has done to step up the shift in economic development mode and economic restructuring. It contributes positively to Asia’s and the global effort to tackle climate change.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Green and sustainable development represents the trend of our times. To achieve green and sustainable development in Asia and beyond and ensure the sustainable development of resources and the environment such as the air, fresh water, ocean, land and forest, which are all vital to human survival, we countries in Asia should strive to balance economic growth, social development and environmental protection. To that end, we wish to work with other Asian countries and make further efforts in the following six areas.
First, shift development mode and strive for green development. To accelerate the shift in economic development mode and economic restructuring provides an important precondition for our efforts to actively respond to climate change, achieve green development and secure the sustainable development of the population, resources and the environment. It is the shared responsibility of governments and enterprises of all countries in Asia and around the world. We should actively promote a conservation culture and raise awareness for environmental protection. We need to make sure that the concept of green development, green consumption and a green lifestyle and the commitment to taking good care of Planet Earth, our common home are embedded in the life of every citizen in society.
Second, value the importance of science and technology as the backing of innovation and development. We Asian countries have a long way to go before we reach the advanced level in high-tech-powered energy consumption reduction and improvement of energy and resource efficiency. Yet, this means we have a huge potential to catch up. It is imperative for us to quicken the pace of low-carbon technology development, promote energy efficient technologies and raise the proportion of new and renewable energies in our energy mix so as to provide a strong scientific and technological backing for green and sustainable development of Asian countries. As for developed countries, they should facilitate technology transfer and share technologies with developing countries on the basis of proper protection of intellectual property rights.
Third, open wider to the outside world and realize harmonious development. In such an open world as ours, development of Asian countries and development of the world are simply inseparable. It is important that we open our markets even wider, firmly oppose and resist protectionism in all forms and uphold a fair, free and open global trade and investment system. At the same time, we should give full play to the role of regional and sub-regional dialogue and cooperation mechanisms in Asia to promote harmonious and sustainable development of Asia and the world.
Fourth, strengthen cooperation and sustain common development. Pragmatic, mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation is a sure choice of all Asian countries if we are to realize sustainable development. No country could stay away from or manage to meet on its own severe challenges like the international financial crisis, climate change and energy and resources security. We should continue to strengthen macro-economic policy coordination and vigorously promote international cooperation in emerging industries, especially in energy conservation, emissions reduction, environmental protection and development of new energy sources to jointly promote sustainable development of the Asian economy and the world economy as a whole.
Fifth, work vigorously to eradicate poverty and gradually achieve balanced development. A major root cause for the loss of balance in the world economy is the seriously uneven development between the North and the South. Today, 900 million people in Asia, or roughly one fourth of the entire Asian population, are living below the 1.25 dollars a day poverty line. We call for greater efforts to improve the international mechanisms designed to promote balanced development, and to scale up assistance from developed countries to developing countries, strengthen South-South cooperation, North-South cooperation and facilitate attainment of the UN Millennium Development Goals. This will ensure that sustainable development brings real benefits to poor regions, poor countries and poor peoples.
Sixth, bring forth more talents to promote comprehensive development. The ultimate goal of green and sustainable development is to improve people’s living environment, better their lives and promote their comprehensive development. Success in this regard depends, to a large extent, on the emergence of talents with an innovative spirit. We need to build institutions, mechanisms and a social environment to help people bring out the best of their talents, and to intensify education and training of professionals of various kinds. This will ensure that as Asia achieves green and sustainable development, our people will enjoy comprehensive development.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We demonstrated solidarity as we rose up together to the international financial crisis in 2009. Let us carry forward this great spirit, build up consensus, strengthen unity and cooperation and explore a path of green and sustainable development. This benefits Asia. It benefits the world, too.
In conclusion, I wish this annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia a complete success.


There is new scientific evidence to support the time-honored advice to students cramming for exams to get themselves a good night's sleep after studying.
Researchers who analyzed brain activity in sleeping volunteers who had learned to navigate through a computer-generated virtual town have discovered evidence that spatial memories are consolidated during deep sleep.
Also, the researchers say that they have shown for the first time that the activity level in the brain's learning center, the hippocampus, correlates with the improvement in memory performance when the subjects are tested the next day.
According to Philippe Peigneux and his colleagues, "A growing body of experimental evidence shows the influence of sleep on the consolidation of recent memory traces. The underlying hypothesis posits that the information that is acquired during wakefulness is actively altered, restructured, and strengthened during sleep."
However, they said, exploring this consolidation process was difficult because of the complexities of both sleep and memory. For example, sleep consists of two major stages -- rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Evidence from animal studies of learning and sleep indicated that spatial memories seem to be replayed in the hippocampus during the deep "slow wave sleep" (SWS) during the NREM sleep stage.
Peigneux and his colleagues explored the memory consolidation process by asking volunteers to learn the layout of a virtual town that the researchers adapted from a popular computer game. They then tested the subjects on their knowledge of the town by challenging them to quickly find routes through the town to specific locations.
The researchers divided the subjects into three experimental groups:
- one that underwent training in the virtual town and whose brains were scanned during testing while they were awake;
- one that underwent training and testing and whose brains were then scanned during sleep;
- one that did not undergo any training and whose brains were scanned.
The researchers measured the subjects' brain activity using positron emission tomography (PET) to measure blood flow in the subjects' brain regions. In PET, test subjects receive a harmless dose of radioactive tracer, and their brains are scanned as the tracer infuses through the brain. Blood flow through specific brain structures constitutes a measure of activity in that structure.
The researchers found that the first group -- compared to the non-trained group -- showed greater activity in their hippocampus and an adjacent learning-related region as they took the route tests, with greater activity correlated with better performance. The group scanned during sleep after testing also showed greater hippocampal brain activity during sleep, compared to the non-trained group.
Importantly, when the researchers compared the hippocampal activity during SWS sleep in the trained group and the non-trained group, they found that the first group showed higher activity.
Next, the researchers tested the trained group after their sleep session and compared their performance with the brain activity measured during sleep. They found that the higher the gain in post-sleep performance, the higher had been their NREM brain activity during sleep. No such correlation was found in REM brain activity.
To ensure that they were, indeed, measuring brain activity due to spatial processing, Peigneux and his colleagues also compared brain activity data from the spatially trained group with data from a fourth group that had only taken a reaction time test. In that test, the subjects' brains were scanned as they pressed a key as fast and accurately as possible corresponding to the location of a dot on a computer screen.
Thus, the data from the fourth group allowed the researchers to distinguish brain activity changes due to spatial processing from those due to general mental processing. The researchers' comparisons of the brain activity in the groups confirmed that the hippocampal activity they detected was due to spatial processing.
"Our results provide critical evidence that spatial memory traces are processed during NREM sleep in humans," wrote the scientists. "Moreover, the hippocampal activity during sleep is shown to correlate with the improvement in memory performance on the next day. To the extent of our knowledge, this effect has not yet been reported in the animal hippocampus."
Source: Eurekalert & othersLast reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 21 Feb 2009
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.
-- Emily Dickinson


Discovered in 1988, the Roman Hippodrome in Beirut is situated in Wadi Abou Jmil, next to the newly renovated Jewish Synagogue in Downtown Beirut. This monument, dating back for thousands of years, now risks to be destroyed.
The hippodrome is considered, along with the Roman Road and Baths, as one of the most important remaining relics of the Byzantine and Roman era. It spreads over a total area of 3500 m2.
Requests for construction projects in the hippodrome’s location have been ongoing since the monument’s discovery but were constantly refused by former ministers of culture of which we name Tarek Metri, Tamam Salam and Salim Warde. In fact, Tamam Salam had even issued a decree banning any work on the hippodrome’s site, effectively protecting it by law. Salim Warde did not contest the decree. Current minister of culture Gabriel Layoun authorized constructions to commence.
When it comes to ancient sites in cities that have lots of them, such as Beirut, the current adopted approach towards these sites is called a “mitigation approach” which requires that the incorporation of the monuments in modern plans does not affect those monuments in any way whatsoever. The current approval by minister Layoun does not demand such an approach to be adopted. The monument will have one of its main walls dismantled and taken out of location. Why? to build a fancy new high-rise instead. Minister Layoun sees nothing wrong with this. In fact, displacing ruins is never done unless due to some extreme circumstances. I highly believe whatever Solidere has in store for the land is considered an “extreme circumstance.”
The Roman Hippodrome in downtown Beirut is considered as one of the best preserved not only in Lebanon, but in the world. It is also the fifth to be discovered in the Middle East. In fact, a report (Arabic) by the General Director of Ruins in Lebanon, Frederick Al Husseini, spoke about the importance of the monument as one that has been talked about in various ancient books. It has also been correlated with Beirut’s infamous ancient Law School. He speaks about the various structures that are still preserved and only needing some restoration to be fully exposed. He called the monument as a highly important site for Lebanon and the world and is one of Beirut’s main facilities from the Byzantine and Roman eras, suggesting to work on preserving and making this site one of Beirut’s important cultural and touristic locations. His report dates back from 2008.
MP Michel Aoun, the head of the party of which Gabriel Layoun is part, defended his minsiter’s position by saying that: “there are a lot of discrepancies between Solidere and us. Therefore, a minister from our party cannot be subjected to Solidere. Minister Layoun found a way, which is adopted internationally, to incorporate ancient sites with newer ones… So I hope that media outlets do not discuss this issue in a way that would raise suspicion.”
With all due respect to Mr. Aoun and his minister but endangering Beirut’s culture to strip away even more of the identity that makes it Beirut is not something that should concern him or Solidere. What’s happening is a cultural crime to the entirety of the Lebanese population, one where the interests of meaningless politicians becomes irrelevant. Besides, for a party that has been anti-Solidere for years, I find it highly hypocritical that they are allowing Solidere to dismantle the Roman Hippodrome.
The conclusion is: never has a hippodrome been dismantled and displaced in any parts of the world. Beirut’s hippodrome will effectively become part of the parking of the high-rise to be built in its place. No mitigation approach will be adopted here. It is only but a diversion until people forget and plans go well underway in secrecy. But the time for us to be silent about this blatant persecution of our history cannot continue.
If there’s anything that we can do is let the issue propagate as much as we can. There shouldn’t be a Lebanese person in the 10452 km2 that remains clueless about any endangered monument for that matter. Sadly enough, this goes beyond the hippodrome. We have become so accustomed to the reality of it that we’ve become very submissive: the ancient Phoenician port is well behind us, there are constructions around the ancient Phoenician port of Tyre and the city itself risks of being removed off UNESCO’s list for Cultural Heritage Sites.
The land on which ancient monuments are built doesn’t belong to Solidere, to the Ministry of Culture or to any other contractor – no matter how much they’ve paid to buy it. It belongs to the Lebanese people in their entirety. When you realize that of the 200 sites uncovered at Solidere, those that have remained intact can be counted with the fingers of one hand, the reality becomes haunting. It’s about time we rise to our rights. Beirut’s hippodrome will not be destroyed.


The effect of monocular depth cues on the detection of moving objects by a moving observer
As observers move through the environment, they must detect moving objects. Previously, we showed that observers can use 2D image speed to detect moving objects in the radial optic flow field generated by a moving observer. However, a difference in image speed may signal either a moving object or a depth difference between stationary objects. Adding depth information may remove this ambiguity. We tested observers' ability to detect a moving object in scenes that contained increasingly salient monocular depth cues. We simulated observer motion in a straight line at a speed of 3 m/sec toward a scene that consisted of a textured ground plane with 8 objects located 12 m from the observer. In two conditions the objects were featureless red disks (diameter: 0.4 m) located on the horizontal midline that were either separate from the ground plane (condition 1) or connected to it with a thin line, giving a cue to distance (condition 2). In condition 3, the objects were textured blocks (width: 0.55 m; height: 1.6 m) located on the ground plane, giving further cues to depth. In half the trials one object moved faster (or slower) than the other objects in the scene. The speed differences ranged from 10% to 100% of the image speed of non-targets. Each trial lasted 1 sec. Observers indicated with a key press whether or not the scene contained a moving object. Thresholds were computed by fitting the data with a sigmoidal curve and determining the percent speed difference that led to 75% accuracy. For the 6 subjects tested, the results show a significant effect of scene condition, with average threshold speed changes of 43%, 37% and 25% for conditions 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Thus, monocular depth cues aid the detection of moving objects by moving observers.


Basics: What is the GRE®?
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE®) is a standardized test used by graduate programs to help determine who gets in and who receives grants and fellowships. The exam comes in two types: the general exam, which covers a range of non-specific skills developed over a long period of time and years of schooling, and the subject tests, which test depth of knowledge in eight different fields. Worldwide, about half a million people take the general test each year, while a much smaller number takes the subject exams.
The general test is computer-based and consists of three sections, verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing. Verbal and quant are each scored on a scale of 130-170, in 1-point increments, plus a percentile rank. The writing section is scored on a scale of 0-6, in half-point increments. The test does not cover specifics in any field of study, but rather a set of skills thought to be important for prospective grad students.
The subject tests, on the other hand, are paper-based and administered 3 times a year. Unlike the general test, the subject test assumes extensive knowledge. Tests cover the following areas: Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology; Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Literature in English; Mathematics; Physics; and Psychology. To determine whether you should take the general test or one of these subject-specific exams, you’ll need to check with the programs where you’re applying. For any field without a subject test, you’ll take the general exam.
Next Basics article: GRE® Test Format


Forty years ago, the Navajo Nation and Southern Ute tribes languished side by side, mired in high unemployment and poverty.
Today, worth billions, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe is one of the richest in the United States, while the Navajo still suffer as one of the most impoverished communities in the country.
The difference? Energy.
While the Southern Utes have natural gas, the Navajo Nation has coal, which has for decades been extracted to feed various large-scale power plants, including in the Four Corners. But that revenue has come under threat by tightening air-quality regulations. At the same time, natural gas, a cleaner fuel source for generating electricity, has grown cheaper and more abundant because of hydraulic fracturing.
The shift has left Navajo leaders in a quandary: either continue investing in coal in the hopes it will remain a significant fuel source, or cut their losses and choose another investment.
The tribe is staking its future on coal.
The Navajo Nation is in negotiations to buy the Navajo Mine from BHP Billiton in 2016 when BHP's lease expires.
Opponents say all the deal will do is saddle the tribe with a huge environmental cleanup. Tribal leaders say coal is a viable fuel source, and buying the Navajo Mine will save jobs and provide a foundation for the tribe to build a formidable energy portfolio similar to the Southern Utes.
Tribal leaders' plans will have far-reaching effects, not only for members – some of whom still live without electricity or plumbing – but also for residents throughout the region, who have seen haze cloud their views and threaten their health.
“We see how Southern Ute is using natural resources to advantage the tribe. We think they're doing well as far as adapting with the times,” said Navajo member Dailan Long, whose family lives near the Navajo Mine that is close to Fruitland on Navajo land.
“I definitely see a much older mind-set managing our economy, which has gotten us to the point where we are now. I think they (the Navajo leaders) could take a much more rational and logical approach to energy alternatives,” said Long, who formerly worked for Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment, a Navajo environmental-activist organization.
The fossil fuel of the future
Dust billows at the Navajo Mine as a dragline excavator scoops dirt into its bucket and transfers it into a pile nearby, exposing coal for a bulldozer to grab.
Workers pour an ammonium-nitrate fuel-oil mixture into holes dug into the side of the mine to later blow up sections to reveal more coal in its depths.
The coal mine accounted for $53.6 million in direct revenue in 2012, about $110 million when taking into account lease and royalty revenue.
The 33,000-acre surface mine supplies the Four Corners Power Plant, about nine miles north, with about 8 million tons of coal a year.
BHP and Arizona Public Service approached Navajo Nation this summer about buying the Navajo Mine after the two entities failed to reach an agreement over coal prices, said Erny Zah, spokesman for the Navajo Nation president.
Under the preliminary negotiations, the tribe would give any federal and state tax revenue to BHP until 2016, when BHP's lease ends to pay for the mine, Zah said.
It's unclear who would take on the legal liabilities associated with eventual mandatory cleanup of the mine. The Navajo Nation emphatically says the tribe will not be responsible, and BHP says the issue is still part of the negotiations.
Going against the national energy tide
While global demand for coal remains high, coal production in the United States dropped about 7 percent in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Coal still provided 42 percent of the nation's electricity in 2011, but just four years ago, it was providing nearly half.
“If we're talking about coal development and revenue as a major source of funding for the tribe, why didn't they negotiate this (sale) decades ago?” Long said.
He believes BHP wants to walk away from the cleanup responsibilities and leave the tribe with the bill.
“I think that it's definitely an exit strategy on behalf of BHP,” he said.
In contrast, the Southern Utes have focused on energy sources that will likely grow.
In 2008, the Southern Utes formed a separate company to manage its new-energy investments that include wind farms and biofuel projects.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects coal power to decline to 35 percent of total American electricity generation by 2040. Natural gas is expected to generate 30 percent of the nation's electricity within three decades.
Navajo Nation tribal officials acknowledge the new energy realities and have invested in alternatives, especially natural gas. Oil and gas contributed $48 million in revenue to the tribe in 2012.
The tribe also has invested in an 850-megawatt wind farm.
But coal will nonetheless remain the centerpiece of Navajo Nation's energy portfolio moving forward.
“We want to make sure coal is part of the picture for at least another couple of decades, if not longer,” Zah said.
But tightening environmental regulations that shutter coal-fired power plants could further strangle coal production.
Mike Eisenfeld and other environmental activists don't anticipate the Four Corners Power Plant will remain open for more than 10 years, as federal scrutiny of its environmental impact increases.
“I don't think they're sustainable now, and the sooner we figure out a transition plan to wean ourselves from big coal plants the better,” said Eisenfeld, New Mexico energy coordinator for the San Juan Citizen's Alliance.
APS is decommissioning its three oldest generating units at the Four Corners Power Plant rather than install new equipment to meet EPA regulations. This will result in a 30 percent reduction in production at Navajo Mine and layoffs at both the mine and power plant.
For a tribe with a roughly 50 percent unemployment rate and more than 50 percent of its members living below the poverty level, the closure will be a painful blow.
“One of the reasons we're exploring the possibility of taking over Navajo Mine is we're looking at saving jobs at the mine and also at the power plant because one cannot exist without the other,” Zah said.
If the power plant closes, Navajo Mine may have to shut its doors. This was the fate of the Black Mesa Mine in 2006 after the Mohave Generating Station, near Laughlin, Nev., which it supplied, shut down.
Navajo Nation's other plans to secure a future for its coal haven't been met with much success.
In 2003, The Navajo Nation proposed a new coal-fired power plant called the Desert Rock Energy Project, which would be supplied by an expanded Navajo Mine.
Under the project, international energy developer Sithe Global Power would have built a new 1,500-megawatt power plant on Navajo land about 25 miles outside Farmington. The plant would have been among the largest in the country, and it would have provided electricity for 1.5 million customers.
The tribe heralded the power plant as an economic victory, saying it would provide 400 jobs at the Desert Rock power plant, 200 additional jobs at Navajo Mine and $50 million in annual revenue – almost half of Navajo Nation's current total coal revenue.
The EPA approved Desert Rock in 2008 and touted it as “state-of-the-art,” but the agency reconsidered the project's air permit after New Mexico joined environmental groups in appealing the EPA's initial approval. In 2009, the EPA reversed its decision and revoked the air permit.
For the Navajos, losing the project was a crushing blow.
“(Navajo Nation) viewed Desert Rock as a huge economic opportunity,” said Tom Shipps, an Indian law lawyer who works for Colorado's Southern Ute tribe. “The technology employed at Desert Rock could have been great improvements. Concerns about the environment drove a lot of the criticism, especially around here.”
The project remains in the back of tribal leader's minds, Zah said. One idea is to convert it to a natural-gas plant.
Still, the question of what to do with the Navajo Mine would remain if a new power plant were to run on natural gas.
In the meantime, coal is the focus of the tribe's energy strategy.
BHP gives a qualified endorsement of that strategy.
“Coal will continue to be an important part of meeting the energy needs of the U.S.,” Norman Benally, spokesperson for BHP, said. “Granted there are mandates coming from the EPA that are limiting the use of coal and in some areas shutting down power plants that generate electricity. But we believe coal will be part of the energy portfolio, though limited, until such time that renewable energies have or will become viable.”


A surprising amount of what we think we know about the brain comes from neuropsychology; famous case studies such as HM have informed theories of memory so that they include short and long term storage, which are separable, and so on. These case studies can have a profound effect on research; my favourite story, though, was about a memory researcher who had a skiing accident and temporarily developed retrograde amnesia - he couldn't remember anything except that there was this guy in Connecticut (HM) who couldn't remember things either!
I always enjoyed classes in neuropsychology; the case studies are always fascinating. But they are deeply limited in what they can actually tell us about the brain. First, they are typically single patient case studies, which restricts how general the conclusions are. Second, they are data from damaged brains; the fairly linear assumption that some localised function has been subtracted out is simply not true, and the damage will have had complex effects on distributed functional networks.Third, the damage is never straight-forward, because these almost all come from accidents or strokes (HM's surgery being a rare example of more detail being known). This has not stopped the field being very excited by these cases, though, and from basing a lot of theory on these patterns of deficits.
In movement research, the most famous neuropsychology case study is Patient DF She suffered bilateral damage along the ventral stream of visual processing (James et al, 2003). The effect was visual form agnosia: she is able to control her actions with respect to objects, but cannot describe or recognise these objects verbally. Crucially, her accident did not damage her parietal lobe; specifically, the dorsal stream of visual processing was left intact. These two streams are well defined anatomical pathways leading out of primary visual cortex, and were first described by Ungerleider & Mishkin, 1982). DF's pattern of deficits led Mel Goodale and David Milner (Goodale & Milner, 1992) to suggest functional roles for these streams. The ventral stream, they suggested, was for perception - things like object and scene recognition. The dorsal stream, in contrast, was for perception-for-action, and used visual information for the online control of action. This perception-action hypothesis has been hugely dominant in the field, and the theory rests heavily on DF's shoulders.
Recently, Thomas Schenk (2012a) published some data which claims to show that DF's visually guided reaching is not normal if she doesn't have access to haptic feedback about the object. His data suggests that the only reason she succeeds at reaching while failing judgment tasks is that haptic information is only normally available in the former case. If correct, this is actually quite a shot across the bow of the perception vs perception-for-action work; naturally Goodale and Milner don't buy it, and have published a reply to which Schenk has then replied.
I like seeing these arguments happen in the literature; but to be honest, the time scale is too slow. Schenk publishes, then Milner et al get to reply and Schenk gets right of reply to that. They may or may not iterate again and it's always left as 'we agree to disagree'. But these critiques have answers, and I think a blog comment feed might be the right place to work through the various cycles of suggestions and rebuttals until the obviously wrong things have been weeded out. It would also provide a place for other interested parties to weigh in. So if Schenk, Milner and Goodale (and anyone else!) feel like using the comments for this post or another made to purpose to bang around ideas until an obvious experiment or analysis pops out, please feel free!
Schenk (2012a): Patient DF and haptic feedback
The classic result from DF that inspired the Goodale and Milner account has two parts (a dissociation). When DF is asked to reach for an object, she can do so well and she shows appropriate pre-shaping of her hand which scales correctly with the size of the object. This suggests she has intact visual perception-for-action. However, if you ask her to judge the size of the object without reaching for it, she cannot do it; she has selectively impaired visual perception. Schenk ran the following experiments on DF and to demonstrate that her unimpaired reaching is not because of intact visual perception-for-action, but rather because of haptic feedback from real objects.
'Perception': these are the tasks DF typically fails due to her visual form agnosia, and she fails them here too.
- Size discrimination: Choose the largest of two objects
- Manual estimation: Judge the size of an object by shaping your hand correctly
- Standard grasping: Reach to grasp an object in the mirror and there is actually an object there (vision + haptic information match)
- Grasping without haptic feedback: Reach for the reflection but there is no actual object there.
- Grasping with intermittent haptic feedback: there was an object present on half the trials; these were scattered randomly throughout the session and a light cued participants when the object would be present.
- Grasping with dissociated positions: participants saw an object in the middle location, were asked to reach for an object at the far position, and there was a real object there.
|Figure 1. Grip performance for controls (open circles) and DF (red diamonds).|
Milner, Ganel & Goodale (2012)
Unsurprisingly, Milner et al (2012) do not agree that these data cast doubt on the perception-action hypothesis about the function of the dorsal and ventral streams. They make the following criticisms:
- They suggest that "so-called 'haptic feedback'" (to quote the paper) from trial n could only inform a reach on trial n+1 if the objects were the same size in both trials; object size was randomised across trials, however.
- They then claim that Schenk's interpretation means he thinks DF's reaches are prepared on the basis of previous haptic, rather than current visual information. Therefore, they suggest, Schenk must make 'the inescapable prediction' that a reach on trial n+1 should be appropriate for what happened on trial n, regardless of what is presented on trial n+1.They allow that there may be some 'minor intrusion' of haptic information from previous trials.
Again unsurprisingly, Schenk (2012b) does not agree with Milner et al's evaluation.
- He claims that the Milner et al critique assumes that prehension requires the visual computation of an object's size. He then cites recent work by Smeets & Brenner (1999) who claimed to show that prehension involves the independent targeting of the thumb and forefinger, and thus you don't need object size.
- He then suggests that DF is generally able to reach successfully because she has access to the necessary egocentric information (in hand-centred coordinates) about the location of object edges. This information requires regular calibration (Bingham et al, 2007) to remain accurate.
- He therefore predicts that if DF has egocentric information about the object, and this information has been calibrated recently, she can reach successfully, otherwise she fails. His 2012a data then support this pattern.
- Regarding the pantomime problem: Schenk tested this in Task 5 with the trials with no objects. DF knew there would be no object on these trials (the light cue) but still produced normal reaches because of the calibration on other trials.
There is a lot that is weird about the replies. Milner et al make some odd claims, and Schenk goes to strange places in his defence. Let's address those first.
1. "So-called 'haptic feedback'"
Milner et al want to keep claiming that DF reaches on the basis of current visual information, and not on the basis of previous haptic information. But there's a problem for them - this is the claim Schenk's data actually refutes! So they make an odd move, and simply claim that earlier haptic information does not affect reaches, and that even if it could, it won't here because the size changes from trial to trial.
However, Coats, Bingham & Mon-Williams (2008) have demonstrated (using a mirror rig similar to Schenk's) that if you systematically change the size of the grasped object while leaving the visual object the same size, people happily recalibrate their reach actions and change their grip apertures. Bingham et al (2007) have also shown that even occasional calibration allows stable reach behaviour to persist; calibration lasts some time. So even when the visual size remains unchanged, people's grip behaviour reflects the haptic calibration of the visual perception of size and if this calibration changes, so does grip.
Milner et al's second point - that haptic feedback can't help because the object size changes randomly - is actually addressed by Schenk's control data, which shows that neurologically intact people can happily scale their grips appropriately under these conditions (albiet slightly more noisily).
2. Reaching and the need for visual size
Schenk centres his reply on the idea that Milner et al assume you need to compute (or perceive) the size of objects in order to scale your grasp. He then cites Smeets & Brenner (1999) who claim that instead, you simply control your thumb and forefinger independently and bring them into alignment with the edges of the object.
The problem here is that Smeets & Brenner's work is highly controversial, and in fact more recent work from Mon-Williams & Bingham (2011) tested the predictions of this account in great detail and found no support for this claim. Instead, they showed that the unit of control is an opposition axis (Iberall, Bingham & Arbib, 1986). This is the space between the thumb and forefinger, and Mon-Williams & Bingham (2011) demonstrated that prehension is about aligning this space with the object. You do still therefore need to perceive object size, specifically the maximum object extent. I'll blog this paper in more detail sometime, it is a master class in affordance research.
I think Schenk had it basically right in the first paper; the explanation for his data is that in tasks 3 and 5, DF has sufficient access to haptic information about the object's size to allow her to bypass her visual perceptual deficit. She can therefore successfully reach to grasp. In all other tasks, she can't go round the problem and she fails. This suggests that her visual deficit is not simply restricted to 'perception'; the visual system involves both anatomical streams working in concert and these are not functionally independent of each other. What Schenk needs to do is treat haptic information as perceptual information for size in it's own right, not simply feedback or an 'egocentric cue'. DF has unimpaired access to this information and when it's available, she can reach-to-grasp.
Bingham, G. P., Coats, R., & Mon-Williams, M. (2007). Natural prehension in trials without haptic feedback but only when calibration is allowed. Neuropsychologia, 45, 288 –294. Download
Coats, R., Bingham, G.P. & Mon-Williams, M. (2008). Calibrating grasp size and reach distance: Interactions reveal integral organization in reaching-to-grasp movements. Experimental Brain Research, 189, 211-220. Download
Goodale, M. A., Jakobson, L. S., & Keillor, J.M. (1994). Differences in the visualcontrol of pantomimed and natural grasping movements. Neuropsychologia, 32(1), 1159-1178.
Goodale, M. A., & Milner, A. D. (1992). Separate visual pathways for perception and action. Trends in Neuroscience, 15(1), 20 –25. Download
Iberall, T., Bingham, G. P., & Arbib, M. A. (1986). Opposition space as a structuring concept for the analysis of skilled hand movements. In: Heuer H, From C (eds) Experimental Brain Research Series 15. Springer, Berlin, pp 158–173. Download
James, T.W., Culham, J., Humphrey, G.K., Milner, A.D, & Goodale, M.A. (2003). Ventral occipital lesions impair object recognition but not object-directed grasping: an fMRI study. Brain 126, 2463–2475. Download
Milner, A., Ganel, T., & Goodale, M. (2012). Does grasping in patient D.F. depend on vision? Trends in Cognitive Sciences DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2012.03.004
Mon-Williams, M. & Bingham, G.P. (2011). Discovering affordances that determine the spatial structure of reach-to-grasp movements. Experimental Brain Research, 211(1), 145-160. Download
Schenk, T. (2012a). No Dissociation between Perception and Action in Patient DF When Haptic Feedback is Withdrawn. Journal of Neuroscience, 32 (6), 2013-2017 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3413-11.2012
Schenk, T. (2012b). Response to Milner et al.: Grasping uses vision and haptic feedback Trends in Cognitive Sciences DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2012.03.006
Smeets, J.B.J., & Brenner, E. (1999). A new view on grasping. Motor Control, 3, 237-231. Download
Ungerleider, L.G., & Mishkin, M. (1982). Two cortical visual systems. In Analysis of Visual Behavior (Ingle DJ, Goodale MA, Mansfield RJ, eds). Cambridge, MA: MIT.


Cougar sightings in Louisiana not that long ago were considered figments of the imagination of spooked hunters, hikers and others in the outdoors.
A citizen sent LDWF a trail camera picture taken Aug. 13, 2011. LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager Maria Davidson and biologist Brandon Wear conducted a site investigation that confirmed the authenticity of the photograph.
“It is quite possible for this animal to be captured on other trail cameras placed at deer bait sites,” Davidson said. “Deer are the primary prey item for cougars; therefore, they are drawn to areas where deer congregate.”
It is unlikely this cougar will remain in any one area longer than it would take to consume a kill. Cougars do not prefer to eat spoiled meat and will move on as soon as the Louisiana heat and humidity take its toll on the kill.
“It is impossible to determine if the animal in the photograph is a wild, free-ranging cougar, or an escaped captive,” Davidson added. “Although it is illegal to own a cougar in Louisiana, it is possible that there are some illegally held ‘pets’ in the state.”
LDWF has documented several occurrences since 2002. The first cougar sighting was in 2002 by an employee at Lake Fausse Point State Park. That sighting was later confirmed with DNA analysis from scat found at the site.
Three trail camera photos were taken of a cougar in Winn, Vernon and Allen parishes in 2008. Subsequently on Nov. 30, 2008, a cougar was shot and killed in a neighborhood by Bossier City Police Department.
The mountain lion, cougar, panther or puma are names that all refer to the same animal. Their color ranges from lighter tan to brownish grey. The only species of big cats that occur as black are the jaguar and leopard. Jaguars are native to South America and leopards are native to Africa. Both species can occur as spotted or black, although in both cases the spotted variety is much more common. Although LDWF receives numerous calls about black panthers, there has never been a documented case of a black cougar anywhere in North America.
The vast majority of these reports received by LDWF cannot be verified due to the very nature of a sighting. Many of the calls are determined to be cases of mistaken identity, with dog tracks making up the majority of the evidence submitted by those reporting cougar sightings. Other animals commonly mistaken for cougars are bobcats and house cats, usually seen from a distance or in varying shades of light.
The significant lack of physical evidence indicates that Louisiana does not have an established, breeding population of cougars. In states that have verified small populations of cougars, physical evidence can readily be found in the form of tracks, cached deer kills, scat and road kills.
The recent sightings of cougars in Louisiana are believed to be young animals dispersing from existing populations. An expanding population in Texas can produce dispersing individual cougars that move into suitable habitat in Louisiana. Young males are known to disperse from their birthplace and travel hundreds of miles seeking their own territories.
Cougars that occur in Louisiana are protected under state and federal law. Penalties for taking a cougar in Louisiana may include up to one year in jail and/or a $100,000 fine. Anyone with any information regarding the taking of a cougar should call the Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511. Callers may remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward.


by Gerry Everding
St. Louis MO (SPX) Feb 12, 2013
Nominated early this year for recognition on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which includes such famous cultural sites as the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu and Stonehenge, the earthen works at Poverty Point, La., have been described as one of the world's greatest feats of construction by an archaic civilization of hunters and gatherers.
Now, new research in the current issue of the journal Geoarchaeology, offers compelling evidence that one of the massive earthen mounds at Poverty Point was constructed in less than 90 days, and perhaps as quickly as 30 days - an incredible accomplishment for what was thought to be a loosely organized society consisting of small, widely scattered bands of foragers.
"What's extraordinary about these findings is that it provides some of the first evidence that early American hunter-gatherers were not as simplistic as we've tended to imagine," says study co-author T.R. Kidder, PhD, professor and chair of anthropology in Arts and Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.
"Our findings go against what has long been considered the academic consensus on hunter-gather societies - that they lack the political organization necessary to bring together so many people to complete a labor-intensive project in such a short period."
Co-authored by Anthony Ortmann, PhD, assistant professor of geosciences at Murray State University in Kentucky, the study offers a detailed analysis of how the massive mound was constructed some 3,200 years ago along a Mississippi River bayou in northeastern Louisiana.
Based on more than a decade of excavations, core samplings and sophisticated sedimentary analysis, the study's key assertion is that Mound A at Poverty Point had to have been built in a very short period because an exhaustive examination reveals no signs of rainfall or erosion during its construction.
"We're talking about an area of northern Louisiana that now tends to receive a great deal of rainfall," Kidder says. "Even in a very dry year, it would seem very unlikely that this location could go more than 90 days without experiencing some significant level of rainfall. Yet, the soil in these mounds shows no sign of erosion taking place during the construction period. There is no evidence from the region of an epic drought at this time, either."
Part of a much larger complex of earthen works at Poverty Point, Mound A is believed to be the final and crowning addition to the sprawling 700-acre site, which includes five smaller mounds and a series of six concentric C-shaped embankments that rise in parallel formation surrounding a small flat plaza along the river. At the time of construction, Poverty Point was the largest earthworks in North America.
Built on the western edge of the complex, Mound A covers about 538,000 square feet [roughly 50,000 square meters] at its base and rises 72 feet above the river. Its construction required an estimated 238,500 cubic meters - about eight million bushel baskets - of soil to be brought in from various locations near the site. Kidder figures it would take a modern, 10-wheel dump truck about 31,217 loads to move that much dirt today.
"The Poverty Point mounds were built by people who had no access to domesticated draft animals, no wheelbarrows, no sophisticated tools for moving earth," Kidder explains. "It's likely that these mounds were built using a simple 'bucket brigade' system, with thousands of people passing soil along from one to another using some form of crude container, such as a woven basket, a hide sack or a wooden platter."
To complete such a task within 90 days, the study estimates it would require the full attention of some 3,000 laborers. Assuming that each worker may have been accompanied by at least two other family members, say a wife and a child, the community gathered for the build must have included as many as 9,000 people, the study suggests.
"Given that a band of 25-30 people is considered quite large for most hunter-gatherer communities, it's truly amazing that this ancient society could bring together a group of nearly 10,000 people, find some way to feed them and get this mound built in a matter of months," Kidder says.
Soil testing indicates that the mound is located on top of land that was once low-lying swamp or marsh land - evidence of ancient tree roots and swamp life still exists in undisturbed soils at the base of the mound. Tests confirm that the site was first cleared for construction by burning and quickly covered with a layer of fine silt soil. A mix of other heavier soils then were brought in and dumped in small adjacent piles, gradually building the mound layer upon layer.
As Kidder notes, previous theories about the construction of most of the world's ancient earthen mounds have suggested that they were laid down slowly over a period of hundreds of years involving small contributions of material from many different people spanning generations of a society. While this may be the case for other earthen structures at Poverty Point, the evidence from Mound A offers a sharp departure from this accretional theory. Kidder's home base in St.
Louis is just across the Mississippi River from one of America's best known ancient earthen structures, the Monk Mound at Cahokia, Ill. He notes that the Monk Mound was built many centuries later than the mounds at Poverty Point by a civilization that was much more reliant on agriculture, a far cry from the hunter-gatherer group that built Poverty Point. Even so, Mound A at Poverty Point is much larger than almost any other mound found in North America; only Monk's Mound at Cahokia is larger.
"We've come to realize that the social fabric of these socieites must have been much stronger and more complex that we might previously have given them credit. These results contradict the popular notion that pre-agricultural people were socially, politically, and economically simple and unable to organize themselves into large groups that could build elaborate architecture or engage in so-called complex social behavior," Kidder says.
"The prevailing model of hunter-gatherers living a life 'nasty, brutish and short' is contradicted and our work indicates these people were practicing a sophisticated ritual/religious life that involved building these monumental mounds."
Washington University in St. Louis
All About Human Beings and How We Got To Be Here
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Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A sea-duck of the subfamily Fuligulinœ and genus Clangula; a garrot. The common goldeneye is C. glaucion or C. clangula of Europe and Americn. Barrow's goldeneye is the Rocky Mountain garrot, C. barrovi. See cut under
- n. A fish, Hyodon chrysopsis, having a large eye with yellow iris. —
- n. One of various neuropterous insects of the genus Chrysopa: so called in allusion to their golden or bronze-colored eyes. The larvæ are often called aphis-lions. Also called golden-eyed fly.
- n. Melithreptus lunulatus, a small species of honey-eater.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Zoöl.) A duck (Glaucionetta clangula), found in Northern Europe, Asia, and America. The American variety (var. Americana) is larger. Called
whistler, garrot, gowdy, pied widgeon, whiteside, curre, and doucker. Barrow's golden-eye of America (Glaucionetta Islandica) is less common.
- n. a variety of green lacewing
- n. large-headed swift-flying diving duck of Arctic regions
“One winter day, in prowling along the beach, I approached the spot where a day or two before I had been shooting whistlers (golden-eye ducks) over decoys.”
“The software can also automatically detect and remove red - and golden-eye defects.”
“OptiML Red-Eye uses embedded image processing automatically detects and corrects red- and golden-eye imperfections without the need for a PC or editing software.”
“The CMC golden-eye team comprises 15 people who look primarily at HD services and evaluate video quality in six categories of digital defects on a scale of one to five (one being unwatchable and five being spectacular).”
“In addition, Comcast is working to establish local golden-eye programs in at least two markets.”
“My two dogs are part wolf … they have that golden-eye of the wolf and the sharp nose … those animals look very much like two of my best friends … plwalsh: I'm glad it wasn't just us who saw the poor editing.”
‘golden-eye’ hasn't been added to any lists yet.
Looking for tweets for golden-eye.


By Pauline Hammerbeck
It's been a doozy of a wildfire season (Colorado's most destructive ever), leaving homeowners wondering what safety measures they can put in place to stave off flames in the event of a fire in their own neighborhood.
Landscaping, it turns out, can be an important measure in wildfire protection.
But fire-wise landscaping isn't just something for those dwelling on remote Western hilltops. Brush, grass and forest fires occur nearly everywhere in the United States, says the National Fire Protection Association. Here's how your landscaping can help keep you safe.
Create 'defensible' space
Most homes that burn during a wildfire are ignited by embers landing on the roof, gutters, and on decks and porches. So your first point of action should be creating a defensible space, a buffer zone around your home, to reduce sources of fuel.
Start by keeping the first 3 to 5 feet around your home free of all flammable materials and vegetation: plants, shrubs, trees and grasses, as well as bark and other organic mulches should all be eliminated (a neat perimeter of rock mulch or a rock garden can be a beautiful thing). Maintenance is also important:
- Clear leaves, pine needles and other debris from roofs, gutters and eaves
- Cut back tree branches that overhang the roof
- Clear debris from under decks, porches and other structures
Moving farther from the house, you might consider adding hardscaping - driveways, patios, walkways, gravel paths, etc. These features add visual interest, but they also maintain a break between vegetation and your home in the event of a fire. Some additional tasks to consider in the first 100 feet surrounding your home:
- Thin out trees and shrubs (particularly evergreens) within 30 feet
- Trim low tree branches so they're a minimum of 6 feet off the ground
- Mow lawn regularly and dispose of clippings and other debris promptly
- Move woodpiles to a space at least 30 feet from your home
Use fire-resistant plants
Populating your landscape with plants that are resistant to fire can also be an important tactic. Look for low-growing plants that have thick leaves (a sign that they hold water), extensive root systems and the ability to withstand drought.
This isn't as limiting as it sounds. Commonly used hostas, butterfly bushes and roses are all good choices. And there are plenty of fire-resistant plant lists to give you ideas on what to pick.
Where and how you plant can also have a dramatic effect on fire behavior. The plants nearest your home should be smaller and more widely spaced than those farther away.
Be sure to use a variety of plant types, which reduces disease and keeps the landscape healthy and green. Plant in small clusters - create a garden island, for instance, by surrounding a group of plantings with a rock perimeter - and use rock mulch to conserve moisture.
Maintain accessible water sources
Wildfires present a special challenge to local fire departments, so it's in your interest to be able to access or maintain an emergency water supply - particularly if you're in a remote location.
At a minimum, keep 100 feet of garden hose attached to a spigot (if your water comes from a well, consider an emergency generator to operate the pump during a power failure). But better protection can come from the installation of a small pond, cistern or, if budget allows, a swimming pool.
Good planning and a bit of elbow grease have a big hand in wildfire safety. In a year with record heat and drought, looking over your landscape with a firefighter's eye can offer significant peace of mind.
- Are You Properly Insured for Your Real Estate?
- The Ins and Outs of Homeowner's Insurance
- Tips for Fire Safety in Your Home
Guest blogger Pauline Hammerbeck is an editor for the Allstate Blog, which helps people prepare for the unpredictability of life.
Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.


Long Term Player Development
What is LTPD?
Long Term Player Development (LTPD) is a systemic approach being developed and adopted by Golf Canada in partnership with the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association to maximize a participant's potential and involvement in our sport. The LTPD framework aims to define optimal training, competition and recovery throughout an athlete's career to enable him / her to reach his / her full potential in golf and as an athlete. Tailoring a child's sports development program to suit basic principles of growth and maturation, especially during the 'critical' early years of their development, enables him / her to:
- Reach full potential
- Increase lifelong participation in golf and other physical activities
The LTPD model is split into stages in which a player will move from simple to more complex skills and from general to golf related skills. For example, a beginner may start by learning basic swinging actions and then once this has been mastered he / she will progress onto more advanced skills.
This framework will set out recommended training sequences and skills developments for the participant from the Active Start stage (6 and under) to the Active for Live Stage (adult recreational). It will address the physical, mental, emotional and technical needs of the athlete as they pass through each stage of development.
Where has it come from?
A combination of recent research and the knowledge of coaches from around the world are being used to write the LTPD model. The program will be sport-science supported and based on the best data and research available. Our work will be based on the work of Canadian sport scientists, such as Istvan Bayyi, and focuses on key, common principles of individual development, which many sports organizations consider good practice in long-term planning for athletes.
Many leading sports stars have also attributed part of their success to participating in different sports and activities at a young age by giving them a wider base of sports skills. Our goal will be to develop our players to their maximum potential by training and enhancing all the athletic skills that contribute to their success.
What will this mean for your child?
During your child's first few years of golf, the emphasis will be on physical literacy. Time should be spent learning the ABC's of athleticism (Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed) to teach them how to control his / her own bodies. For this reason, your child may take part in exercises that do not look relevant to golf but are supporting their development. Games and other sports will teach your child to throw the ball (basic hitting actions), catch it (hand-eye coordination), and run properly. At each stage the child will be trained in the optimal systems and programs to maximize his / her potential as a golfer and as a long-term participant in sport.
What has this got to do with golf?
It is thought that taking part in golf-specific training too early can lead to an early drop out rate, create muscle imbalances and also neglect teaching the fundamental skills needed for most sports. In fact, research shows that early specialization in most late maturing sports results in these outcomes.
Research has also shown that it is during childhood that people are best at learning physical skills. For this reason we are advising coaches and parents to teach transferable skills first that will allow your child to become proficient in a number of different sports and therefore increase their chances of being physically active throughout their lifetime.
Who else is using LTPD?
The Council of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for Sport have endorsed and established the goal of the implementation of a Long Term Athlete Development program throughout the sport community in Canada. Sport Canada has been working with National Sport Organizations to development sport-specific programs according to an overall framework established by an expert group of sport scientists.
To date, over 57 sports in Canada have started the process of designing and putting into place LTAD programs. There has been a sharing of best practices among resource personnel and National bodies and the overall program is gaining momentum.
Golf Canada is in the second wave of sports to start the LTPD process and is following closely the work of such groups as Rowing Canada, Athletics Canada, Speedskating Canada and Soccer to create the best opportunities for all children.
Various national sporting groups in the UK and Ireland are approximately 18 months ahead of their Canadian counterparts in the development of LTPD programs and we are using their experiences and best practices in process development to ensure we have the most comprehensive and effective system possible.
Where will Golf's LTPD model come from?
We will be consulting with a wide range of coaches, sports scientists and experienced volunteers from across Canada to represent the views of the whole golf community. Their knowledge and expertise will be used as input to form the LTPD framework for golf in Canada. We will be assisted in this process by the LTPD Resource paper and research of the expert group, in particular Stephen Norris (see www.ltad.ca for resource paper).
In developing this model and framework, Golf Canada is currently in the process of reviewing our programs in line with LTPD principles. Our competition program, coach education system, elite play structure and development initiatives will all evolve to be consistent with the principles established within this underpinning model.
One of the principles to be adopted will be a continuous improvement regime where the system will be benchmarked against the most current developmental principles and upgraded regularly. It will be a living document that provides a planning framework to enable us to always deliver the most appropriate training.
Golf Canada LTPD resources
Golf Canada will continually update this section to provide access to the most current materials and programs as they are developed.
We will add a range of LTPD resources designed to help all Coaches, Teachers, Players and Parents understand the stages that each player goes through and also the training principles and activities at each stage.
Please click here to download complete LTPD Guide (2.13 MB)