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Andrew Jackson: Love Him or Hate Him?

VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents.

His family was poor, he had little education, and he lived on what was then the western part of the country.

Andrew Jackson's birthplace

Andrew Jackson's birthplace

Jackson became nationally known in the early 1800s – first as a fighter against Native American tribes, and then as a general in the War of 1812 against the British.

Wild child

When the American colonies entered a war of independence, Andrew and his two brothers fought against the British – although Andrew was too young to be a regular soldier.

Andrew’s oldest brother soon died.

Then Andrew and his other brother were both captured by British soldiers. One cut Andrew’s face, leaving a scar that remained his entire life.

But Andrew, unlike his brother, survived captivity.

A short time later, Andrew’s mother became sick and died.

By age 15, Andrew Jackson had no living immediate family.

He had already stopped attending school, but taught himself enough to become a lawyer. He moved to what became Nashville, Tennessee, where he developed a successful law career.

In time, he bought land and slaves.

Jackson was tall and thin, with red hair and bright blue eyes. Sometimes Jackson was playful. He loved to dance, hold parties, and play games where he could win money.

Sometimes he was violent. He was known for getting angry easily. Jackson fought duels with several men. In one, he killed a man who insulted his wife.

Yet many people liked Jackson’s passionate, action-first personality. By the time the United States entered the War of 1812, Jackson had been a congressman, senator, and judge.

Three nicknames

Jackson did not have any officially recognized military training. But during the War of 1812, he volunteered in the Tennessee militia and quickly took control of troops.

Many of his soldiers came to respect him. Jackson refused to give up, even when the government ordered the militia to disband. And, when some of the men wanted to leave, he threatened them with a gun.

Because he was uncompromising and strong as a tree, soldiers called Jackson “Old Hickory.”

A group of Creek Indians gave him another name. After he defeated them in battle, Jackson negotiated a treaty that punished both his Native American enemies and his Native American allies.

The treaty was more severe than the U.S. government had asked. In time, it forced the Creeks – as well as several other tribes – off their land.

The move was popular with many white settlers. It was less popular with the Creeks, who called Jackson “Sharp Knife.”

His best-known military operation was in New Orleans, Louisiana. A large, experienced army of British soldiers moved to attack. Jackson defended the city with a small group of untrained soldiers. His group included volunteers, free blacks, Creoles, Native Americans, and pirates.

Jackson’s ragtag troops not only defeated the British force, but suffered only a few losses.

Jackson didn't know that the battle came after the British and Americans had already agreed to end the war. But his victory there gave many Americans a feeling of pride.

It also made Jackson famous. He became known across the country as the “Hero of New Orleans.”

Statue of Andrew Jackson in New Orleans, Louisiana

Statue of Andrew Jackson in New Orleans, Louisiana

A man of the people

Voters across the country supported Jackson, too. He was especially well-liked in the South and West.

Many Americans saw him as a man of the people. They believed his success came from experience and hard work, not wealth and family connections.

In the presidential election of 1824, Jackson received more popular and electoral votes than any of the other candidates. But, because no candidate had a majority, lawmakers in the House of Representatives decided the election.

Those lawmakers chose John Quincy Adams, the son of former president John Adams. They were persuaded, in part, because a leader in Congress, named Henry Clay, said Jackson did not have the temperament to be president.

Immediately after Quincy Adams won, he appointed Clay secretary of state.

The appointment angered Jackson. He believed Adams and Clay had entered into a “corrupt bargain.”

In the next presidential election four years later, Jackson defeated Quincy Adams in a landslide.

And in the presidential election after that, he crushed Henry Clay.

A powerful president

Jackson wanted to be a powerful leader who controlled a limited federal government. But he wanted that government to have power over state governments.

President Andrew Jackson

President Andrew Jackson

For example, Jackson refused to let the state of South Carolina nullify, or ignore, a federal law that state officials opposed. Jackson said if they failed to obey the law, he would consider them traitors and send in troops.

In time, South Carolina and Congress were able to reach a compromise on the law.

Jackson also refused to extend the charter of the National Bank. He believed the bank helped industrialists and businesses more than farmers and settlers. His move was popular with many voters – especially farmers and settlers.

But Jackson’s opponents warned against the bank veto. They disagreed with his economic plan, and they objected to how he had operated outside of Congress. Senators censured Jackson for acting as if he did not have to follow the law.

Jackson’s supporters fought back. They removed the official criticism from the Senate records.

Indian Removal Act of 1830

Jackson vetoed more bills than the first six presidents combined. He actively worked for only one major law: the Indian Removal Act of 1830.

Jackson believed Native Americans occupied land that should belong to white settlers. He also thought Native Americans would be destroyed or lose their culture to white people anyway.

So he offered several tribes what appeared to be generous treaties to move onto land west of the Mississippi River.

But the treaties were often unfair or illegal. The tribes who accepted rarely received the benefits Jackson promised them. And some tribes, such as the Cherokees, simply refused to go.

Empowered by Jackson’s Indian Removal Act, U.S. government officials eventually forced 15,000 Cherokees off their land. They were made to march over 1,600 kilometers. About 4,000 died on the march. It is remembered as the “Trail of Tears.”

During the Trail of Tears, about 16,000 members of the Cherokee nation were forced from their land and moved west of the Mississippi River. About one-quarter of them died on the journey.

For white settlers, Jackson’s Indian removal policies resulted in over 100,000 square kilometers of new land to farm. Thousands of cotton planters moved west with their enslaved workers.

The Indian Removal Act served not only to aid an economic boom in cotton, but to spread slavery further in the United States. Jackson had no objections.

Final years

In 1837, Jackson officially moved out of the White House – but he did not really leave the presidency. He advised the presidents who followed him from his home in Tennessee.

Andrew Jackson at age 78

Andrew Jackson at age 78

Jackson had particular influence over two future leaders: Martin Van Buren, his former vice president; and James Polk, who shared Jackson’s beliefs so closely that he was called “Young Hickory.”

Jackson’s beloved wife, Rachel, had died before he took office. They did not have any children together, but they raised two boys: a Native American orphan who died as a teenager; and a nephew, whom they called Andrew Jackson, Jr.

The younger Andrew Jackson and his wife lived with the former president in his final years.

He died in his bed at 78 of old wounds and old age. But his legacy remains very much alive.

Jackson changed the U.S. presidency. After him, presidential candidates had to show they could connect with voters, not just lawmakers.

He also increased the power of the chief executive. Jackson often questioned – or dismissed – the power of Congress, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court.

And, he began the custom of replacing experienced government officials with people whose main qualification was their loyalty to him.

"King Andrew Jackson" political cartoon

"King Andrew Jackson" political cartoon

Critics added to Jackson’s nicknames. They called him King Andrew, King Mob, or American Cesar. The opposition to Jackson led to a new political party called the Whigs.

Part of Jackson's legacy is the two major party system that exists in the U.S. today.

But those who loved Jackson really loved him. His humble beginnings, rise to power, and defense of the common man inspired them.

In the U.S., the name of Andrew Jackson is still often used as a positive symbol of American democracy.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

Words in This Story

man of the people - n. a politician who understands and is liked by ordinary people

temperament - n. the usual attitude, mood, or behavior of a person

nullify - v. to make something legally null

charter - n. a document issued by a government that gives rights to a person or group

generous - adj. providing more than the amount that is needed or normal : abundant or ample

legacy - n. something that comes from someone in the past

chief executive - n. the president of a country

qualification - n. a special skill or type of experience or knowledge that makes someone suitable to do a particular job or activity

See how well you understand the story and develop your listening skills by taking this listening quiz.

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Coalition ready to debate SDE proposals ({{commentsTotal}})

The Social Democrat leadership has drawn up a list of 15 coalition agreement amendment proposals, with an idea of doubling the tax free minimum monthly rate to 400 euros.

Reopening the coalition agreement is a move by new SDE leader Jevgeni Ossinovski, who was vocal on the three-party coalition in the first place, and was left without a ministerial position.

University of Tartu political scientist Rein Toomla said a wish to show themselves more to the public may be behind the proposals, or a first step in breaking up the coalition, or just to pressure IRL and the Reform Party, the other two coalition members.

“To sum it up, Jevgeni Ossinovski, as a head of a party, is not part of the government and this is a fairly exceptional case in our political history,” Toomla said.

Besides increasing the tax free minimum, the sum in a person's monthly income which is not subject to income tax, the proposals aim to tackle urbanization with support for electricity and communications' network expansions, moving some state offices out of Tallinn and offering work-from-home plans for state officials. The proposals also include limiting political campaign expenditure, with the Social Democrats usually the thrifty of the four large parties, when it comes to election campaign spending, and an additional audit to state bureaucracy.

Ossinovski said increasing the tax free minimum rate would cost the state 400 million euros, which could be found by increasing the income tax rate by 3-4 percent.

IRL and the Reform Party have signaled willingness to talk, but both remain skeptical on the tax free minimum issue.

“To propose as fundamental political decision – it is a brave move,” IRL Deputy Chairman Marko Mihkelson said.

Hanno Pevkur, Mihkelson's Reform Party counterpart, and a government minister, said the Social Democrats did not push the tax free minimum issue at the initial coalition negotiations, and it was the Reform Party's idea to increase the rate in the first place, although by a far smaller percent. The rate was 144 euros per month in 2014, increasing to 154 this year and going up to 205 euros.

Pevkur said the Social Democrats have also arrived at the conclusion, adding that he is yet to see financial cover for the idea.

Editor: J.M. Laats

Estonia’s Easter Monday time loop: Discussing an additional day off


Percentages of responding farm managers to questions related to the management of late lactating cows (n=93)

Survey question and answer categoryPercentages
What kind of milking system are you using?
 Milking parlour89.2
 Rotary parlour5.4
 Milking robot3.2
 Pipeline milking system2.2
How often are cows milked per day?
 Once daily1.1
 Twice daily96.7
 Three times daily or more2.2
What do you feed cows in late lactation?
 Total mixed ration49.5
 Roughage mix+concentrate50.5
 Concentrate per hand41.1
 Concentrate per automat8.8
Do you feed cows individually according to milk yield?


Data Integrity Rules 1

By   /  June 5, 2014  /  No Comments

rules x300by Michael Brackett

Developing formal business rules is an excellent concept that must be followed by both business professionals and data management professionals to ensure high quality processes and data. However, developing formal business rules is often oriented toward processes, procedures, and policies rather than toward data resource quality.  Formal business rules must be developed to ensure a high quality data resource and high quality information from that data resource to support an organization’s business information demand.

A rule is an authoritative, prescribed direction for conduct, or a usual, customary, or generalized course of action or behavior a statement that describes what is true in most or all cases; a standard method or procedure for solving problems.  To provide a foundation for developing formal data rules for an organization’s data resource, business rules are divided into six categories representing the six columns of the Zachman Framework, specifically data rules, process rules, network rules, people rules, time rules, and motivation rules. The first three categories are referred to as architectural rules and the last three categories are referred to as behavioral rules. (Adapted from Data Resource Design).

The emphasis for data resource design and development is on data rules.  A data rule is a subset of business rules that deals with the data column of the Zachman Framework.  They specify the criteria for maintaining data resource quality.  They are not the same as data requirements, just like business rules are not the same as business requirements, and network rules are not the same as network requirements, following the principle of independent architectures.

Data rules are divided into five groups representing data integrity rules, data source rules, data extraction rules, data translation rules, and data transformation rules.  Data integrity rules are important for ensuring data resource quality during data resource design, development, and use.  The other four groups are important for data resource integration and won’t be described in the current article.

Data integrity is one component of the relational model, but no formal criteria were provided for specifying the data integrity.  The data integrity that was developed was largely oriented toward physical development and implementation of database management systems and seldom toward logical data integrity from a business perspective.  The physical data integrity was usually placed on the data structure since the structure and integrity components were for database development and the manipulative component was for database use.  However, that practice often overloaded the data structure, which led to paralysis by analysis, brute force physical development, and brute force implementation.

Precise data integrity rules need to be developed to resolve these problems.  Integrity is the state of being unimpaired, the condition of being whole or complete, or the steadfast adherence to strict rules.  Data integrity is a measure of how well the data are maintained in the data resource after they are captured or created.  It indicates the degree to which the data are unimpaired and complete according to a precise set of rules.  Data integrity rules specify the criteria that need to be met to insure that the data resource contains the highest quality necessary to support the current and future business information demand.

Precise means clearly expressed, definite, accurate, correct, and conforming to proper form.  Precise data integrity rules denotatively specify the criteria for high quality data and reduce or eliminate errors in the data  resource.  Precise data integrity rules are short statements about constraints that need to be applied or actions that need to be taken on the data when entering the data resource or while in the data resource.

Precise data integrity rules are separate from comprehensive data definitions, although they must be in synch with the data definitions.  A data definition explains the data and is not a data rule.  A data definition, by definition, is a data definition.  Treating a data definition as a data rule directly impacts the development of comprehensive data definitions.  Similarly, precise data integrity rules are separate from proper data structures, although they must be in synch with the data structure.

Precise data integrity rules do not state or enforce accuracy, precision, scale, or resolution.  They can only verify the validity of the data.  Data accuracy is a measure of how well the data values represent the business world at a point in time or for a period of time.  Data precision is how precisely a measurement was made and how many significant digits are included in the measurement.  Scale is the ratio of a real world distance to a map distance.  Resolution is the degree of granularity of the data, indicating how small an object can be represented with a specific scale and precision.  Data accuracy, precision, scale, and resolution are documented either in the comprehensive data definition, or as data values.

Precise data integrity rules do not pertain to completeness or suitability.  Data completeness is a measure of how well the scope of the data resource meets the scope of the current and future business information demand.  Data suitability is how suitable the data are for a specific purpose, which varies with the use of the data.  Data completeness and suitability cannot be documented in data definitions, data structure, or data integrity rules.

Precise data integrity rules do no pertain to volatility or currentness.  Data volatility is a measure of how quickly data in the business world changes.  Data currentness is a measure of how well the data values remain current with the business.  Note that currentness is used rather than currency to prevent any confusion with monetary amounts.  Data volatility and currentness are best stated in comprehensive data definitions rather than as precise data integrity rules.

Precise data integrity rules are formally and uniquely named according to the data naming taxonomy and supporting vocabulary (A Suitable Descriptive Component).  A data integrity rule name is designated with an exclamation mark (!), such as Student. Name, Change!.  Data integrity rule versions are designated with left and right carets, such as Student. Name, Change! <1990 – 1998>.

Data integrity rules are normalized to the data resource component which they represent or on which they take action.  Formally naming data integrity rules requires that the data integrity rules be normalized, the same as formally naming data requires that they be normalized.  For example, an account balance data integrity rule takes action on the balance, not on the individual transactions, such as Account. Balance, Derivation!.  When the data are properly normalized and formally named, the development of normalized data integrity rules is relatively easy.

Data integrity rules can be stated in narrative form or as a formal notation.  The narrative form is often unclear and could easily lead to connotative interpretation and low quality data.  Also, data integrity rule engines are becoming more prominent and a specific format is needed so those engines can process data integrity rules.  Therefore, precise data integrity rules must be stated with a formal notation that provides a denotative interpretation and can be processed by data integrity rule engines.

The When – Then notation with no Else condition is used for precise data integrity rules because it is more acceptable to business professionals.  The If – Then notation often implies a mathematical structure, and also implies an Else condition which could lead to low quality data because it may not check for all possible situations.  The When notation should state every possible condition and the Else notation should only be used as an error condition for situations that are not valid.

The symbols used in a formal notation must be acceptable to business professionals and data management professionals.  It must be based on accepted mathematical and logic notation, and must use symbols readily available on a standard keyboard, such as < for less than, > for greater than,  = for equals, <> for not equal to, >< for must equal, & for logical and, | for logical or, || for concatenation, { } for a set, and so on.  A special symbol table should not be needed to create precise data integrity rules.

Precise data integrity rules use a set of common words, much like the common words for formal data names.  A few of the common words are Cardinality! for specifying data cardinality, Change! for specifying actions when data values change, Derivation! for specifying the data derivation algorithm, Domain! for specifying a domain of valid values, Need! for specifying the need, such as Required, Optional, or Prevented, and so on.

Data management professionals must keep data rules separate from other business rules.  They may need business decisions about the development of data rules, but that is not the same as developing other business rules. They must recognize the difference between the types of data rules, and must keep data integrity rules separate from other data rules.  They must understand the need for precise data integrity rules as one of the primary components of the organization’s data resource, and must develop and use precise data integrity rules to ensure high quality data in the organization’s data resource.

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Letter: Barbaric treatment of Dayak tribes

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Sir: Richard Lloyd Parry has missed the much greater tragedy in West Kalimantan (report, 9 June). The indigenous Dayaks, like millions of other tribal peoples throughout the Indonesian archipelago, have been dispossessed of their forests, land and resources in the name of "development". The Indonesian government policies are responsible for the destruction of tropical rainforest and local communities' traditional livelihoods on a massive scale through logging, mining, transmigration and plantations.

All over Indonesia, explosions of violence are becoming more common as people have no other means of expressing their resentment against a corrupt, oppressive, military regime which receives support from Western governments, aid programmes and companies, including the UK. The Dayaks are a peaceful people who are struggling to survive in their traditional lands. Shocking though your correspondent's report is, to focus on headhunting and cannibalism misrepresents the violence which is being done to them.

Down to Earth

Campaign for Ecological Justice

in Indonesia

London SE15


Friday, June 24, 2016

more Chladni figures in R

Following on from an earlier post, the Chladni images here are made using a slightly modified version of the same R script (source here), which uses cosines instead of sines. If you imagine the square of the vibrating surface to be fixed at the center (as depicted below), using cosines seems the natural choice. When modeling standing waves, cosines are used to model open-ended pipes, while sines are used to model fixed-end strings.

Playing around with cosine-based formulas led to some images that seemed very close to Chadni's own diagrams, which can be found in an appendix to his book on Google books.

For a few of these I've uploaded the scripts that produced them.

Chladni image 40 b
Source here.

 Chladni image 41
Source here.

Chladni image 53
Source here.

Chladni image 58
Source here.

Chladni image 63
Source here.

And of course, many more are possible. Try a few yourself :)

Rascal Triangle

A few early iterations of something produced by a short script in R. What is it? You may see it more clearly in some of its later stages of development.

Yes, it is Pascal's Triangle modulo 2 - I knew you would recognize it :). The R source for generating these images is here. Like other recent posts, this is another example of using R in some simple programming exercises, pretty much completely unrelated to its intended purpose as a language for statistical computing. A wile back, there was a post about using TinkerPlots, a data management software tool for young folk, to do something similar (more detailed instructions on drawing a general Pascal Triangle in TinkerPlots can be found in this article),

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

chladni-esque figures in R

some Chladni-esque figures

Continuing on from this post, I am playing around with some unusual R language programming activities by creating some simplified Chladni figures.

some more Chladni-esque figures

Chladni was not the first to study these, but his text is an early systematic treatment (several French and German versions are on Google Books, the German text has the best figures, in an appendix). A more recent contributor, Mary Desiree Waller, published a book Chladni Figures, a Study in Symmetry in 1961, which I would love to get a look at someday. In the 1970s, Chilandi figures were sucked down the rabbithole of Cymatics, and seem now seem to appeal equally to students of actual physics and metaphysics. It is probably fitting that these figures are embraced by romantics as much (or more) as they are by scientists. Chladni's study appeared at the end of the Enlightenment, almost at the beginning of the 19th century, and I imagine his demonstrations occurring in parlors similar to those where seances were held. The mysterious formation of these figures must have seemed to some as the manifestation of a hidden world.

Chladni's sketches of some nodal patterns on a vibrating surface
Why use R for this? My motivation was not to select the best tool for exploring this topic, but to learn a bit more about programming in R. It was also not to try and produce exact Chladni figures, but something that reasonably resembled them. It turns out that R isn't such an unreasonable choice for this particular programming exercise, if you consider how easy it turns out to be to generate the figures using R. As an educational exercise, it makes some instructive use of R's vectorized methods, for loops, and the image function.On the other hand, we are not going to use any of R's statistical functions, so in some respects R remains an unusual (or maybe even bizarre) choice for this.

In any case, we can create simple Chladni-esque figures by thinking of a rectangular metal plate as a matrix in R (each cell being a point on the metal plate).Each entry in the matrix will receive values that represent the displacement of the plate at those coordinates at some snapshot in time.The matrix is plotted using R's image function, using a grey color range (try experimenting with other color ranges, or with the contour function).

The source code is here.

The idea is that a vibrating square surface whose edges are fixed (not moving) can be modeled as a product sine waves - one going in the horizontal direction, the other going in the vertical direction. Essentially, the displacement caused by a standing wave at a point x,y on the square is modeled as sin(kfx)*sin(kfy), where f is pi/2L, L being the length of the side of the square. and k is an integer. If k = 1, we get the 'fundamental' wave (first harmonic) for the square surface, and if k = 2 we get the first overtone (second harmonic). If we plot each wave separately we end up with a grid that gets finer and finer as we increase k values. However, things get more interesting if we form the sum of different harmonics. The images below show what we get forming the image for waves with = 1 and k = 2 separately, and then what we get when we sum them together.

fundamental, first overtone, and both together
Including or excluding overtones gives a wide variety of images, and if you increase the amplitude of particular overtones (by multiplying the corresponding term by some integer greater than 1), you can get even more patterns, some of which bear a striking resemblance to Chladni's original hand-drawn figures.

See this post for some additional chladni figures.


The Dawn of the Nuclear Age

Today marks the 65th anniversary of the detonation of ‘Little Boy’, the first nuclear warhead in the U.S. arsenal to be used as an act of war, and changing the world upon its use. The bomb, which was followed by ‘Fat Man’ on August 9th, caused casualties in the hundreds of thousands, with its effects lasting far into the present day. The United States marked a change in policy earlier today when Ambassador John Roos attended the reemergence ceremony earlier today. The onset of nuclear warfare marked a massive change in the structure and hierarchy of the world.

The culmination of the Manhattan Project and the subsequent implementation of nuclear arms into the U.S. arsenal was the result of years of work and research on the part of the United States, and one that remains fiercely debated to this day. The first, and only use of the weapons over Japan sparked much attention, but in and of itself was a single element in a larger strategy that was used to extend U.S. military power abroad. Earlier bombing runs, notably with the switch from conventional explosives to incendiary explosives on the part of the Army Air Force over Japan yielded similar results to the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings: a high number of civilian casualties and military targets were directly attacked, killing hundreds of thousands. The nuclear warheads are in and of themselves notable because of the sheer destructive force, and the ease to which an opposing force can destroy a comparable target when examined alongside prior methods. Previously, it required a large bombing force over enemy territory, where planes were susceptible to anti-air craft fire and mechanical breakdown. With a single air craft, the ability to do the same appeared.

It would seem that with the smaller force, and ease of destruction, that nuclear warfare would be an inevitable end to civilization as we know it. Large military forces require far more expenditure, logistics and manpower to accomplish their goals, with steep casualty costs, as seen in the casualty rates of the airmen who ventured over Axis-occupied territory during the Second World War. This misses the point, I believe, of the ease of destruction often predicted by science fiction authors. The scary thing itself isn’t the bomb itself, but the system in which deploys it. The Second World War industrialized warfare to an incredible degree due to military necessity, and as a single nation almost untouched by war on its own borders, the United States found itself with the manpower, equipment and weapons in which to enforce its will across the world. When the Soviet Union joined the nuclear club, it acted as a balance of power, but one that tread upon very uneasy ground, as the potential for nuclear warfare grew immensely, and teetered on the edge at such moments like the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Fortunately, the fears of apocalypse never came to pass: cooler heads prevailed, and the implimentation of strategy that was designed to deter, rather than to destroy outright came to pass, but the introduction of nuclear weapons demonstrated that the balance of power had changed in a profound way: nations could enforce their will through the threat of force, and advances in science and technology allowed for a continued strategy on the part of the countries that were involved in the Cold War. In a real sense, with such advances, the world became a truly global, interconnected place, and affairs that had once been inconsequential now became important to the world as a whole.

The Nuclear age arguably never began with the Japan bombings, but earlier, as military strategy attempted to find ways in which to end the threat to U.S. interests. In doing so, unprecedented measures were undertaken: cities were destroyed, in what can be looked at as the closest thing to apocalypse and speculative fiction one has ever seen, and examining the aftermath provides for some almost surreal accounts: it is no wonder that people believed that the world would end with a flash of light, and it is uncomforting to realize that this sort of threat is one that is ongoing: the Cold War has since ended, but the threat of nuclear power is still one that will exist while such weapons exist, and will undoubtedly continue to influence those who look towards the future. What needs to be determined from policy makers and strategists as to the true risk, and to determine if the stakes are high enough.


Dellekamp Arquitectos

Gosan Park Library . Daegu

Dellekamp Arquitectos

The ground floor glass-skin visually welcomes the park into its interior atmosphere and promotes the library’s engagement with community activities. Private and public spaces smoothly conjoin; the park visually running unhindered beneath the library.
The scale of the building achieves a pedestrian friendly character, and its axial ratio modulates to the building fronts across the street. The spiral structure designed around a dome, brings light inside the building and forwards the interplay of the different areas in the program and articulates the four stories of the building towards a XXI century evolved ethos of relaxed self-initiated learning.
We believe that to guarantee that this library becomes a major city and neighborhood destination it must become a continuation of the existing park and community activities, to fully revitalize the Daegu-Gosan area.
The ascending ramp articulates as a series of platforms with universal access. The furnishing elements along the gradually ascending platforms and ramps prompt various study-work experiences around different programmatic clusters. It’s Culture and Life-long Learning Area, located at ground level, has an independent access suitable for conferences, screenings, workshops, shopping, lounging, all past library hours.
The Children Book Section, on the third floor, enjoys a roof garden which permits children to interact freely without noise considerations. The Preservation Room is in the basement and the Offices are distributed on the top and bottom floors to enhance performance.
This Continuum Library preserves the maximum park area to promote an attractive cultural hub and hang-out center in the city. The two pancoupe corners in the library respond in one case to the elongated park where the entrance is created and in the other side to face the church as well as to contextualy eco the various pancoupe buildings in the area.
The building is designed under sustainable, bioclimatic standards and the wooden plank façade organically integrates its raising structure to the park creating a harmonious relationship between knowledge, community and nature.

Architects: Dellekamp Arquitectos | Derek Dellekamp
Project Leader: Jachen Schleich

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A sore throat is the primary symptom of pharyngitis which is the inflammation of the throat (pharynx). But the terms “sore throat” and “pharyngitis” are often used interchangeably. Symptoms of a sore throat may vary depending on the cause. Sore throats can be painful and annoying, causing fever and chills, as well as general discomfort. Other signs and symptoms may include: pain or a scratchy sensation in the throat that worsens with swallowing or talking, difficulty swallowing, dry throat, sore and swollen glands in your neck or jaw as well as red swollen tonsils. White patches or pus can appear on your tonsils and a hoarse or muffled voice may be present.

Tonsillitis, viral pharyngitis, mononucleosis, and streptococcal infection (strep throat) are among the most common causes of sore throats. Viral illnesses that cause a sore throat are common colds, flu (influenza), mononucleosis (mono), measles, chickenpox, and also croup a common childhood illness characterized by a harsh, barking cough. Bacterial infections that can cause a sore throat include: Strep throat, which is caused by a bacterium known as Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A streptococcus and Whooping cough, a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. Determining if it is viral or bacterial is important as strep infection can cause other more serious illnesses. Testing can determine strep infection often referred to as a rapid strep screen a swab of the throat is done and tested. A blood test can indicate mononucleosis or an elevated white blood cell count due to infection. Viral infections can be treated symptomatically; strep and other bacterial infections require treatment with antibiotics.


Rolf Langebartels
Internetproject Soundbag

update from May 12th, 2015
minute 33:
   Unbroken surrounding sound distorts all other sounds present: changeable tone-full sounds, sometimes high, sometimes low in tone, shrill long lasting resounding sound pulses and deep low outbursts.
   All of this has little influence on the rhythmic series of clear, very short, strictly delineated little sound pulses.
   The presence of this harsh series gradually becomes more pronounced.
Occasionally, the little pulses sound so sharp and are so clearly audible that another sound can be heard preceding each pulse. At its highpoint, the tempo starts to decline.
   They now sound less clear and weaker and partially merge into the diminishing movements of fine sound elements. Then the series stops.
   Very different sounds now break the silence: stable, long held, full, pure sounds in which the tone varies, without the sound itself being interrupted as a result.
   The different tones are clearly delineated and do not sound at the same time.
   Although their sound level is slight, these sounds have a strikingly clear presence due to their harsh sequence of pure, even tones.
   After a few successive changes of pitch, the sound stops.
   All other sounds are heard irregularly.
   The shrill sound pulses still succeed each other varying tempo.
   At the same moment, short-lasting sounds in a slow rhythm are heard, so high and thin that they are barely audible.
Toine Horvers
minute 33
from the book "Toine Horvers, Chartres, one hour of sound in a Gothic cathedral", Onomatopee Eindhoven, NL 2013, translated by Simon Benson
In the introduction to his book Toine Horvers writes,
"As an artist I work with spoken and written language in performances, drawings and books.
My material consists of the results of observations of situations and processes which I see or hear occurring in reality.
On a weekday in 1999, from a fixed point inside Chartres cathedral, I made an hour long sound recording. The recording formed part of my sound installation Silence Gothique for the exhibition Gothische Reflexies in Stadsgalerij Heerlen NL.
At the time of recording, no organized religious activity was taking place. The building was being visited by tourists and groups of believers who were talking, praying or singing.
In 2010 I began to translate this universe of sounds into words and sentences, without stating the source of the sound or referring to the physical space of the cathedral.
In order to be able to approach sound as autonomous energy, I further stripped my language of the styles and tools which are often used in describing sound: sound imitating words, words derived from seeing, words conveying human feelings, poetic/expressive phrases, technical sound- and musical terms, similes and metaphors.
Wherever possible, I replaced words of Latin or French origins with words that I felt were more descriptive in nature.
All these restrictions and interventions were important in my attempt to come closer to the fundamental nature of both language and sound through listening and writing."
More about the work of Toine Horvers
Information about the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres
| Deutsche Version | Top of SOUNDBAG


Google Doodle Celebrates Women’s World Banking Co-Founder Esther Afua Ocloo

Apr 18, 2017

On what would have been her 98th birthday, Google Doodle is celebrating self-made business woman Esther Afua Ocloo.

Ocloo was born on April 18, 1919 in Ghana, where she made a living making marmalade and orange juice, according to Google. While she eventually landed a supply contract that provided her with enough money to start her own company, Nkulenu Industries, it's Ocloo's advocacy for fellow female entrepreneurs in under-developed counties that Google Doodle is highlighting on her birthday.

Google Doodle celebrates what would have been Esther Afua Ocloo's 98th birthday.Google Doodle celebrates what would have been Esther Afua Ocloo's 98th birthday. Google

MORE: The 2016 Most Innovative Women In Food and Drink

Ocloo is considered a pioneer of microlending, or giving low-income women small loans when they couldn't get loans from banks. She also taught other Ghanian women what she knew, including the food processing techniques she picked up during a trip to England.

Deeply aware of the impact supporting women in this way could have on both their lives and their communities, Ocloo helped co-found Women's World Banking in 1979—a non-profit organization that provides low-income women in 29 different countries with small loans to start or further their businesses. The organization is still working to empower women around the world through financial inclusion to this day.


Kerry Football

Summary: Played 4 Championship games using 22 players; Won 69th Munster title; Lost All-Ireland Semifinal.

Total Scored: 2 goals and 63 points by 13 different players
Total Conceded: 4 goals and 42 points points

Radio Kerry - The Voice of the Kingdom


Sardinia, the Nuraghi island

Dating back thousands of years, the origin of Sardinia’s Nuraghi continues to be a mystery to this day. What these monumental constructions were built for and why is still unknown, but they stand together with the island’s wild landscape as a symbol of the power and importance of local traditions, such as the cultivation of indigenous Sardinian vines that has also withstood the test of time.

Nuragico is Alma’s tribute to Sardinian culture, and its determination to protect the authenticity of a terroir offers a range of strikingly distinctive wines. The Grenache (better known as Cannonau) and Vermentino grape varieties have flourished in this region, and are used to produce wines that are both locally and nationally enjoyed. This line captures all the complex flavors of this unique land whose coastal microclimate adds a hint of sea salt to these wines’ distinctive bouquet.


Orb weaver spiders - abundant in late summer and early fall along the Texas coast - construct huge circular webs a yard in diameter at wooded understories where birds often make a direct flight path. It's easy for a bird to get caught in one of those massive webs.

If the bird's mass and wing length is large like that of a blue jay, it may extricate itself from a web. But small birds such as vireos and hummingbirds may need people to come to their rescue.

Dan Brooks, curator of the Department of Vertebrate Zoology at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, documents cases of birds ensnared in spider webs in the June issue of the Wilson Journal of Ornithology.

"Sixty-nine cases of birds representing 54 species in 23 families were reported trapped in spider webs," Brooks wrote in the journal.

He found that 31 out of 33 birds that were helped out of web traps by people survived.

Twenty hummingbirds from nine species were among the 69 cases of bird-entrapment in spider webs. Six of the 20 were ruby-throated hummingbirds that migrate through the Texas coast from July to October. Migrant birds such as Empidonax flycatchers, vireos, kinglets and thrushes also were reported being caught in spider webs.

Brooks discovered that about nine out of 10 entrapped birds had a mass no greater than a half ounce. That could explain the vulnerability of the ruby-throated hummingbird, which has a mass of only 0.07 ounces.

Birds often feed on spiders to gain protein and use web material to line their nests. However, "birds in these situations are likely aware of the web and do not become entangled," Brooks noted.

In most cases, spiders do not dine on small birds caught in their webs and may even cut the web to drop the load a web-encased bird imposes on their intricate, gossamer-threaded insect traps.

Also, a bird is normally too big a morsel for the mouthparts of a spider. Nonetheless, Brooks found 18 cases of small birds being web-encased for a spider's consumption. Some of those birds were rescued by people.

But don't go out cutting down spider webs. Spiders eat insects. And birds, especially hummingbirds, love to eat spiders.


Definition of: digital CRT
digital CRT

A CRT monitor that accepted digital signals from the computer's graphics card (display adapter) and converted them to analog right before the electron gun stage. The earlier CGA and EGA display standards for PCs were examples of digital systems. Although they provided sharper images than an analog monitor at the equivalent resolution, they still generated more internal radiation than a digital flat panel display, which has no electron gun. See analog monitor, CGA and EGA.

Encyclopedia Banner


user6936797 user6936797 - 6 months ago 53
C Question

Connect C with MongoDB

I need to connect MongoDB(database) with C language. I searched for it but I could not understand them. I am using c in netbeans. Is there any driver to connect or header files to be included. If it is then how can we do this.

Here is an open source libary for MongoDB in C language, you can check it on GitHub


Forging into the unknown.. a path of our own.

Life is..

Then I look back and stand in awe of the many giants that came before me.   People like Thomas Jefferson, who before the age of 40 had already been the governor of Virginia and written the Declaration of Independence.   Isaac Newton had already developed the Theory of Color and developed the blueprint for what became the modern refracting lens telescope.  Shortly before turning 40 Nicolaus Copernicus developed the concept of a heliocentric universe (meaning the earth was not the center of the universe).  So for all intents and purposes, I have a bit of catching up to do if I want to achieve greatness.

Life is a gift.  When we consider the number of people who have lived before us and especially when we consider the countless numbers that never even had the chance to live.  Our bodies are constantly producing the ingredients to produce life and when that is taken into consideration the birth of a human being is a rare event.

Life is fragile.  So many things can go wrong during the day that can cut our lives short and any number of things can prevent us from waking up in the morning, so we should make the most of each and every day.  We should also be very conscious of how we take care of ourselves.  We can’t expect to live long lives if we don’t take care of ourselves.

Life comes with a price.  Throughout the course of humanity there have existed many religions.  All of which have taught in some form or fashion that we owe our existence to the gods.  Some have taught that sacrifices, whether animal or even human, have been required to appease the gods or atone for our transgressions.  In a less subtle way of putting it, in order for all of us to live somewhere something else had to die.  Whether it was a cow that became a steak dinner or a carrot that was uprooted to be a side dish, something has to die for you to live.

Life is a quest.  Like all quests there a peaks and valleys, easy paths and rough terrain.  I often wonder what the point of it all is.  We are born, we live a little while, and then we die.  The overwhelming majority of people who die are eventually forgotten no matter how famous or how great their accomplishments were.  We all struggle and we all should strive to continue the quest and not give up.  Even if there doesn’t seem to be a point in it at all.  In this quest it is important to not be self-centered or use a winner-take-all approach.  For some reason we have an altruistic nature that when tapped into can be very fulfilling and very rewarding.

We are all one; one with each other and one with the universe.  The more we neglect our connection the more distant we become from our true reality.   If more people took a walk along the beach or hiked along a mountain stream more often they would be able to reconnect more to that essence of life and rediscover their very source and essence of being.  With all the pain and suffering in the world over whose interpretation of God is right, I often wonder the last time anyone really tried reconnecting with God.  Many people turn to religious texts and prayer, but why rely on ancient interpretations of God and morality or the automatic recitations of old poems?  The True Word of God lies within the greatest expression of Divine Intervention.  You find this all around you, from the drunken man in the streets to a waterfall in a secluded forest.   Some things are obviously more desirable than others, but all that exists came from one source.  Whether you accept the evidence that supports the Big Bang Theory or whether you believe that “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” the fact remains the same.  All that exists has a common origin and as such all is one.   This can even be loosely expressed that we are all of one body and while the right hand may not control what the left hand does, our eyes still water if we touch a hot stove.

Ineffable Truth

Let me open with a few definitions:

Ineffable –
1 a : incapable of being expressed in words : indescribable
   b : unspeakable
2: not to be uttered : taboo

Truth –
1 a (archaic) : fidelity, constancy
   b : sincerity in action, character, and utterance
   c : the body of true statements and propositions
    b (chiefly British) : true 2
    c : fidelity to an original or to a standard

Theory –
2 : abstract thought : speculation

Strength in Faith

Life at times seems meaningless and uninspiring. This is especially the case when one demystifies the realities of nature and views the laws and order of the cosmos as if they are random acts of chaos. With little tangible evidence for a Prime Mover or Heavenly Father our mere existence, while biologically amazing, seems relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of things and while science provides us with a wealth of information and facts, it lacks the poetic beauty required to inspire and give humanity a sense of hope or inspiration.

I am a firm believer in the essence of the human soul. It is the soul that connects one to another. Those who can master the art of meditation are capable of truly connecting with that eternal essence that perpetuates all of existence. Now I am aware that to some people the term “meditation’ is taboo and that there are certain pockets of Christianity that believe it to be dangerous. This is a misguided belief. When a Catholic prays the Rosary and really focuses on the prayer and what is being said – it is a form of meditation. When a Jew recites the Shema and focuses exclusively on what is being said – it is a form of meditation. When anyone prays any prayer and is truly focusing on their prayer – it is a form of meditation. By now I hope you get my point on how meditation takes many forms and it is not exclusive to sitting “criss-cross apple sauce” with your palms up while repeating the word “Aum/Om”.

So why did I bring up meditation? It is not my intent to go on an Eastern Philosophy push to anyone. I was merely pointing out that when a person is able to filter out the “noise” of the day (the technological and completely unnatural obstructions that surround us) they can reconnect to the soul within and with a little more effort the Eternal Soul of all that exists. Some may call this connecting to God, some may call it “being one with nature”, and some may view this as mere figments of an overactive imagination. It is the later that many find to be the uninspiring view and while I agree that it might be the reality, who cares? While to some it may be irrational, our perceptions are our realities. If a person finds strength in faith, then their beliefs have merit and no one should denigrate the beliefs of another. One cannot deny the power of the human mind. Those with deep faith and convictions are not necessarily receptive to facts and observations that are contrary to what they believe and while this is viewed as a threat to our intellectual future by the militant arm of the Atheist movement, I need only remind them that the majority of their heroes still believed in either a Prime Mover or Spinoza’s pantheistic view of the cosmos. It is human nature, whether warranted or not, to have a purpose and to have someone or something that they can reach out to in times of despair and that keeps them in line and humble.

The idea that a physical manifestation of God is necessary for there to be any validity to faith is a fallacy. At the risk of being overly hyperbolic, a comparison can be made that the mere thought of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny stirs excitement and anticipation to children all around the globe – real excitement and real anticipation. The same is true with faith in any sense of deity. If a person believes that there is a god, then there is a god and only they are capable of changing that. The same is true for those who do not believe. There are no Bible passages or testimony of personal revelation that will convince a skeptic that a god exists. I believe that even the most rigid atheists hold something in the utmost esteem whether it be science, nature, or the mere act of discovery and inquiry itself. While that pinnacle of inspiration may not be god to them in the sense of the term, there is very little difference when taken into context of how it affects them.

Perception is often reality and to those that truly believe, there is strength in faith.

The faith of Thomas Jefferson

I recently participated in a debate on the faith of the founders of the United States.  I must say it is somewhat entertaining to see the lack of knowledge many have on this topic.  There is this misconception that they were all “good Christian men.”  The fact is – they weren’t.  Most of them were deists and would likely (by today’s standards) ended up as atheists given the advancements of science since their deaths as well as the pangs of history like the Holocaust and other genocides that have occurred since their deaths.  So maybe I will do a little series on the faith of the founders and since it was Jefferson that I spoke of this week, I may as well use the same subject here.  Thomas-Jefferson

For starters Thomas Jefferson rejected the divinity of Jesus, the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible, and the relevance and authenticity of the church at the time (imagine what he would think now)

It is an indisputable fact that although Jefferson was critical of the Bible and the Church, he did admire the moral code of Jesus but also acknowledges that it was not a moral code that Jesus invented as it was one that early non-temple cult rabbis had (like Hillel) as well as a number of other moral philosophers that predate the writings of the nomadic tribes of the Hebrews.

Jefferson was a man of his own sect – he thought for himself. At best he was a Unitarian and in reality a deist or universal theist who was just a skeptic who liked to read.

Here is a nice nugget he wrote as well which in my opinion is spot on and can be found as a preface to the “Jefferson Bible” (more on that a little later):

  1. Like Socrates and Epictetus, he wrote nothing himself.

Note the words “wee little book”… To Jefferson the Bible was so bad that he literally cut out the only worthwhile portions of Jesus’ life and teachings and compiled his own “wee little book”. Copies of this book were given to Members of Congress shortly after it was discovered up until the 1950’s when the evangelicals seized control of the government out of fear of the Soviets and us needing “god on our side” (as if the little children in Ethiopia could wait – we were more important).  I own a copy and I recommend it to anyone.  A side note – “In God we Trust” became the motto in the 1950 and “Under God” was added in the 1950’s as well – so this “God and country” thing is not our heritage.

Here is a link to the Jefferson Bible (with actual pictures of it):

Any questions?

The Divine Mystery

There are mysteries that have puzzled the minds of all who take time to think about anything beyond the mundane and menial tasks of our day-to-day lives.  The more we advance (or evolve) the more questions we answer and the smaller the enigmatic box of mysteries becomes.   It has been human nature to perceive the concept of a divine being with attributes and emotions much like our own that governs our existence and the laws and order of the cosmos.  We call this mystery of mysteries, this supreme entity – “God” and while we conceive a loftier and more immense being then ourselves, anything we do to define god with “authority” in essence puts a human box around that which is infinite, not human, and possibly completely unknowable. Thus, humanity has created a god in their own image and in a manner of their own understanding.  This perception is limited to an individual’s own experiences and knowledge which is often influenced by mentors, parents, and time immemorial.  Humanity has grappled with purpose and the enigmas of natural phenomena and while there is far more knowledge of biology, geology, and astronomy now than we had even a century ago, the mythical explanations of ancient times still influence society today. For example, it is an indisputable fact that the earth revolves around the sun, yet we still say sunrise and sunset.  Some still say the “stars come out at night” when they are actually “out” all the time and it is only when we rotate away from the direct rays of our sun that the light from the others become visible.

There is an unfortunate debate that somehow science is atheistic and that scientists work against the belief in a god.  This is unfortunate given the fact that it is science that enables us to see just how incredible it is to merely exist.  Especially when one considers the incredible odds stacked against each one of us during the process of conception through gestation and eventually to our birth.   The fight is one that has been going on for centuries and while many like to point to the scientists as being the culprits, history tells us a different story.  Galileo, Copernicus, Newton, and Bruno are all men who had faith and through research uncovered scientific facts that went against the common beliefs and positions of the church.  The church took the ignorant and intolerant position of branding these men heretics and in the case of Bruno – burning him at the stake for teaching facts.  When human inquiry and discovery uncovers facts that go against the common beliefs then we must reconsider what we believe rather than reject the facts.

How humanity has grappled with the mystery of existence has evolved.   Whether one relies on empirical evidence as their sole source of finding answers or not, it can really only satisfy the questions around the mere existence of physical things.  We still have the epistemological enigmas that are the basis of going beyond empirical evidence and beyond physics (metaphysics).  There was a time when man worshipped fire and then we began to understand it thereby stripping it of its divinity. The gods of ancient Greece and Rome were replaced by the invisible god of the Hebrews.  Humanity has now ventured into space and found no celestial palace in the skies that would have been the destination of Elijah’s flaming chariot or an ascending Jesus.

So now what?

Are we to revert to the Platonist philosophy of a Prime Mover?  Is existence random or is there perhaps a Pater Agnostos (unknown father)?  Perhaps this is the mystery of the Ineffable Divine Name of the Jewish tradition.  That even within a book claiming to tell “His” story, we are still incapable of knowing “His” name thus our conceptions are limited by our knowledge and our knowledge by our own experiences.

Perhaps to know God requires one to first know them self, thus making the mystery personal.

Thoughts on the essence and existence of God


This is what Jesus promised and this is why we invest so much in our small group ministry.

There are two key arenas in which personal growth and discipleship take place: in the “rows” of Sunday services and in the “circles” of face-to-face community that happens in small group life.


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Who we are

Who we are

Practical strategists. Collaborative by nature. Sleeves rolled up. Committed to our clients’ success.

In our history, we were involved in some of the most celebrated business episodes of their day, including the dawn of the contract system for Hollywood movies, the merger of the National and American football leagues, and the rescue of the Chrysler Corporation from bankruptcy.

We developed the concept of human capital in the 1940s, product life cycle in the 1950s, supply chain management in the 1980s, smart customization in the 1990s, organizational DNA in the early 2000s, and capabilities-driven strategy in the current decade.


Monday, 23 June 2008

Tagging Reality - Enkin has huge learning potential

Great submission for the upcoming Google Android mobile platform. The rather dense description is:

But watch this video summary to get a real feel for the possibilities of tagging the reality around you with a mobile device:

Enkin from Enkin on Vimeo.

Imagine being able to provide real-time embedded support that is contextual to what a learner sees in the world around them. Any mobile worker who moves into a physical space that is initially unfamiliar could now access real-time commentary from a valued peer group or expert panel. The potential for the utility, telecoms and construction industries who have large numbers of staff working on our streets is enormous.

Saturday, 21 June 2008

Home schooling - the future?

The Financial Times has run a feature - A Class Apart (warning: you may need to register) - which reports on the continuing rise in families opting for home schooling. These statistics caught my eye:
  • 17%: The estimated annual increase in children who are home-schooled in the UK (presently 50,000)
  • 10%: The proportion of home-educating families in the UK who use textbooks on a frequent basis
  • 42%: The proportion of home-educating families in the UK that earn less than the national average wage. Despite perceptions that learning at home is a middle class phenomenon, 17 per cent of families live on incomes of under £10,000 per year
    Source: Mike Fortune-Wood
  • 1.1 million: The lowest estimate of the number of children being home-schooled in the US. (17 US presidents were educated at home.)
    Source: Fraser Institute
In the overall scheme of things 50,000 families may not be huge but given that The Guardian reported just last year (2007) that the figure was 16,000 (which represented a three fold increase since 1999) the growth is not linear. Something that was once regarded as fringe and alternative may rapidly become mainstream.

As the FT reports:
Since there is no legal duty on parents to inform local education authorities that they are home schooling their children, the government has no idea how many children are in this position. Only if a child starts school and is then withdrawn is there an official record. But this misses out the thousands of children who never start school in the first place.

School is not compulsory in the UK - which may come as a surprise to many parents.

Section 7 of The Education Act 1996 (England and Wales) states that: "The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable: (a) to his age, ability and aptitude, and (b) to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

This "otherwise" gives us a surprising amount of freedom as the FT summarises:

They don’t have to follow the national curriculum, enter their children for exams, observe school hours, give formal lessons, or mark work. Local authority inspectors can ask annually for written information on how a child is being educated, but they have no right to meet the child or visit the home. Should a local authority decide a child is not receiving a “suitable” education it does have powers to send him or her back to school. In practice, though, courts rarely rule in the authority’s favour.

This, I feel, may open the flood gates. There is growing pressure and dissatisfaction in the education system from all sides - from parents, students, teachers and education professionals. Like the proverbial boiling frog, the temperature is at a level which is already causing real damage to the very foundations of the system.

Research conducted by the University of Durham looked at the motives for home schooling. Top of the list is disappointment with "education", schools, ideology, school bullying, lack of personal attention. But putting negativity aside, when asked what home education meant to them the breakdown of descriptors was as follows:

These descriptions reflect a lot of current thinking around effective learning strategies at all ages, in education and in the workplace. Technology now enables this model to work far more efficiently than ever before. We can have highly individual learning experiences, be geographically dispersed and yet actually maintain a larger, more diverse set of social connections while simultaneously reinforcing family bonds. Interhigh is just one example of an "internet based school" that provides some structure and support for home-schooled kids.

Of course the key to this working is the shape of the family unit, having parents/carers interested and motivated to support children in their learning experiences. Time and money are issues but with increased mobility and flexibility around how we work and learn, the increasing accessibility of technology, and harnessing of our innate desire to self-learn it starts to become practical to stop "schooling" and instead support learning as a constant activity throughout our lives.

The traditional school experience will inevitably undergo radical change - perhaps sooner than we all expect.

Thursday, 5 June 2008

Movement and Memory

Well I'm back from vacation in sunny southern Spain. The majority of time was spent relaxing, gazing at the view above, a bit of swimming, reading and generally moving as little as possible. One day, my son Gus (aged nine) and I (a lot older) decided that the mountain needed climbing. So we did. Took us seven hours and required lots of moving...up and down rocky trails mainly. We were fortunate to bump into Ibex, numerous lizards of various sizes and shapes, and thousands of butterflies and, on arriving at the top, were rewarded with some tremendous views across the Spanish coast and even out to North Africa. We had a great day - it was hard work at times but were left with a real sense of achievement (especially for Gus as that was his first proper mountain). We will recall many memories of that journey for years to come.

So it was particularly resonant for Cognitive Daily to re-post an article citing how body position affects the memory of events.

According to the study:

Holding your body in the right position means you'll have faster, more accurate access to certain memories. If you stand as if holding a golf club, you're quicker to remember an event that happened while you were golfing than if you position your body in a non-golfing pose.

Regardless of their age, the study volunteers' memories were reported significantly sooner when the volunteers' body position matched the memory being asked for.

Dijkstra's team believes that the effect may be due to the way memories are stored in the brain: one theory of memory suggests that memories are composed of linked sensory fragments -- odors, sights, sounds, and even body positions. Simply activating one or more of those fragments makes the entire memory more likely to be retrieved. In any case, if you're trying to recall a particular incident in your life, putting your body in the right position might help you remember it faster and more accurately. The key appears to be your body position when the memory occurred.

The implications for effective learning transfer are significant. To speed memory recall the learning event should closely mimic the context and physicality of the environment in which that learning is put into actual practice. Learning through doing, that closely simulates a real situation means that the experience gained (the memory of the practice) can be readily and meaningfully recalled when a similar situation occurs.

It follows that the multisensory experience of games and virtual simulation are much more likely to achieve meaningfull recall if you are free to move about in the way that mimics the "real" environment you will perform these skills in. So until the Wii came along, sitting still in front of screen, in a largely sedentary and still position is not congruent with achieving effective recall of practice memories to use in real world situations. The military, aerospace and the world of sport all know the value of consistent, spaced, repetitive practice that closely simulates the real often highly stressful (and in some cases life threatening) situations in which they need perform.

A lot of face to face training and e-learning fails to take this into consideration. But that will change as we become less and less bound by walls and desktop PCs and become fully mobile learners. It will be intriguing to see how we then design learning experiences that effectively align our physical and cognitive performance.

Wii Fit may be leading the way...


This is a very simple mod for improving Planetary Annihilation casts. This adds a button to the upper right hand corner, when clicked, this button hides the visibility of various things that aren’t visible when casting.

When clicked, the button is invisible, but still there. Click that spot to return the UI to its original state.


BBC Street Science 1: Human-animal embryos

This past week BBC Radio 4 did a daily show called Street Science. Each was a short (approximately 15 minutes) programme wherein a leading UK scientist would have a discussion on a controversial area of science with members of the public. That public would be specifically chosen to be a group that would likely have an opinion at the other end of the controversy.

The first programme had the unfortunately-named Professor Stephen Minger, an expert in stem cell research, explaining what he does to some members of St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Kent. It’s a very calm, straightforward discussion, with very little controversy at all. Stem cell research is a good thing, and very strictly regulated here.

I think the lack of controversy is a symptom of a meeting of reasonable minds, one-on-one, rather than of sensationalist reporting through headlines and non-experts.

Playback is only in RealAudio, but it’s worth a listen. I’ll be blogging about the rest of the series throughout the next five days.


Congressman Juan Vargas

Representing the 51st District of California

Op-Ed: Here's How We Can Help Religious Minorities Persecuted by ISIS

Sep 18, 2015
In The News

I watched in horror as more than 10,000 Iraqi Christians, Yezidis and other religious minorities packed their belongings and fled to neighboring communities. This mass exodus represented the largest forced displacement in the Middle East since the Armenian genocide in Turkey more than 100 years ago. The persecution continued as the Islamic State burned churches and other religious sites, conducted summary executions, abused women and children and looted properties.

The Nineveh Plains, first settled in 6,000 B.C., have been inhabited by Christians for more than two centuries. In the Bible, the Prophet Jonah was ordered by God to "arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee." With the Tigris River to the east, the Nineveh Plains is rich in cultural history and religious diversity.

Before the fall of Saddam Hussein, the number of Christians in Iraq had been estimated to be between 800,000 and 1.4 million. This included Armenian Catholics, Chaldean Christians, Assyrian Church of the East members and Protestants. In 2013, the Christian population was estimated at 500,000, around half the size of the pre-2003 level. Today, with ongoing violence and forced displacement, the Christian population continues to decline. Pope Francis recently declared that ''in this third world war, waged piecemeal, which we are now experiencing, a form of genocide — and I stress the word genocide — is taking place, and it must end.''

San Diego County is home to the second largest concentration of Chaldeans in the United States. Many were resettled after the recent Iraq war and have been fully integrated and are productive members of our community. I have had the pleasure of working with key Chaldean leaders throughout the years, and when the crisis started, we immediately went into action.

I introduced and passed House Resolution 683, which reaffirmed our nation's longstanding commitment to protecting religious freedom both here and abroad, and outlined concrete steps the administration should take to provide relief to religious minorities facing persecution. Despite American leadership in providing humanitarian assistance as events unraveled, I continue to believe that more needs to be done to protect these vulnerable populations.

Religious minorities in Iraq are in a state of crisis. In total, according to the International Organization for Migration's Iraqi Displacement Tracking Matrix, there are more than 2.25 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) across Iraq, with almost a million based in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Religious and ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented in these numbers as The Islamic State's continued expansion forces more people to flee.

Once displaced, many lack key assets and legal documents, and have limited services at the IDP camps and informal settlements. As a follow-up to House Resolution 683, I recently introduced the Protecting Religious Minorities Persecuted by ISIS Act (H.R. 1568), which would provide members of religious and ethnic minority communities and those facing gender-based violence in Islamic State-controlled territories Priority 2 processing to allow them to apply directly to the United States Refugee Admission Program.

The U.S. has a strategic and moral imperative to protect religious freedom around the world, and should be doing more to provide relief to minority groups under siege by the Islamic State. As a country with a proud history of welcoming those seeking to practice their faith without fear or discrimination, the U.S. is well-suited to resettling these refugees into existing faith communities. I look forward to working with my colleagues in a bipartisan fashion as we advocate for those facing mass atrocities and crimes against humanity simply for their religious beliefs.


TENNESSEE town fighting construction of new mega-mosque

For the second time in two months, in Murfreesboro, a mosque is facing opposition from local residents who don’t want the monster-sized mosque constructed in their small, farming community.

With a growing Muslim community in Rutherford County, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro wants to build on Veals Road. The project done in phases could take years to finish: a 52,000-square-foot mosque, with a community center and athletic fields.

Terrorist Front Group CAIR says this "NOT WELCOME" vandalism is a hate crime

“I believe this has been approved and run through without public notice,” resident Kevin Fisher said. “Why have a mosque nine times the size of Nashville’s in the middle of a farming, residential community?”

Last month, plans for a separate mosque in Brentwood were soundly defeated when residents who were against rezoning the land mounted a campaign that raised suspicions about the mosque and its leaders. Opponents encouraged residents to write letters to the city commission, and stirred more controversy by questioning links to terrorist groups.

The Muslim community is confused over the opposition. They have been good neighbors and residents in Rutherford County, they said. “No one really comes out to speak against people, using traffic, which is malleable, to manipulate to the detriment of those applying for the property,” he said.

Delbert Ketner, a retired resident who opposes the mosque, questions the goals of those who practice Islam.
“If their goal is to advance Islam, advance their culture, then there is no real affection for our Constitution and the precepts we were founded on,” Ketner said.

Local Muslims have no idea why people don't want a giant mosque in their town

Imam Ossama Bahloul wants to dispel any worries, and said any disagreements should be worked out. He had to answer tough questions from his own as well. A child asked, “Why do they hate us?” (Oh, please, don’t get me started)

When they announced their plans to build their dream facility, they also invited residents. They didn’t expect a backlash. Now they are answering to rumors of polygamy, Islamic doctrine and whether they will adhere to the U.S. Constitution, said Essam Fathy, a physical therapist who has lived in Murfreesboro since the 1980s.

“We have nothing to hide,” Fathy said. “We do not have a hidden agenda. We’re not affiliated with anyone. Where is the tolerance?” (TOLERANCE? When you let us build churches or synagogues in your Muslim countries, we’ll consider your request)

Muslims need room (Saudi Arabia has lots of room) Fathy said the Muslim community, with 250 families, has outgrown its digs at 862 Middle Tennessee Blvd. (Who cares?) TENNESSEAN H/T herr OLAY


Shooter Templates

This set of templates includes all the functions and actions that are needed in order to get you started on creating a first or third person shooter action game. The shooter templates are supported by the Project Manager, and can be added, removed, or customized.

Here's an example of a simple main script that was created with the project manager by adding all of the shooter templates:

#include <acknex.h>
#include "t_player.h"
#include "t_weapons.h"
#include "t_enemies.h" #include "t_elevators.h" #include "t_doors.h" function main() { level_load("shooter.wmb"); }

A ready example of a simple shooter using the shooter templates can be downloaded from

You can include one or more of the .h scripts depending on your needs; all of them are either standalone, or include the extra files automatically.

This script file contains player's code; as soon as you include it in your main script file, an action named t_player will appear in WED's action list and can be attached to a player model. Right click the t_player.h file in WED's Resources / Script Files tab and then choose "Customize" if you want to edit player's script properties.

The script allows you to customize player's health, the movement parameters and the keyboard controls that are used for movement and weapon firing. Click the question mark in the upper right corner of the window, and then click any of the customizable fields to get more information about each one of them.

This template will allow you to customize the player's weapons: a pistol (t_handgun), a machine gun with autofire (t_mgun), a sniper gun (t_sniper), a bazooka (t_rocket) and a laser (t_laser), as well as their ammo packs (t_ammo_...), health packs (t_health) and armor packs (t_armor). Right click the t_weapons.h file in WED's Resources / Script Files tab and then choose "Customize".

All weapons have parameters that can be individually customized in WED's Entity Properties panel; their default values can be set up by customizing t_weapons.h. You can set the default weapon at startup (valid values are 0...5, with 0 = no weapon), the number of initial bullets for each weapon, as well as for the ammo packs. The corresponding actions that can be attached to your weapon models from within WED are listed below.

Each weapon allows you to set the initial number of bullets that come with it. In addition to this, you can attach the actions below to your ammo pack models.

The number of bullets that will be added to player's ammo is set individually for each weapon using the "t_shooter_ammo_hgun", "t_shooter_ammo_mgun" and "t_shooter_ammo_sniper" actions.

The weapon template also includes ammo and health packs.

The amount of health points or amor that will be added to player's health or armor can be set by script or from within WED.

This script adds two enemy types to our levels: a turret that can fire bullets or rockets (t_turret) and a biped enemy (tr_enemy). "Smooth breadcrumb paths" allows you to adjust the smoothness of the paths followed by the enemies while they are chasing the player. The default value works OK, but feel free to play with this value if you need to; bigger values generate smoother enemy paths for larger values, but if this value is too big the enemy might not be able to discover player's tracks anymore.

Enemies and turrets have parameters that can be individually customized in WED's Entity Properties panel; their default values can be set up by customizing t_enemies.h.

- "Rockets" sets the firing ammo for the turret (0 = bullets, 1 = rockets);
- "Turret_armor" sets the initial armor of the turret;
- "Turret_angle" sets the horizontal scanning angle; small values will ensure that the player can sneak without being noticed, provided that he doesn't step right in front of turret;
- "Turret_range" sets the player detection range;
- "Rocket_vertex" is the turret's vertex that will be used as a starting point for the rockets;
- "Mgun_vertex1... Mgun_vertex6" give the vertices that will be used as starting points for the bullets. If your turret model doesn't have several barrels you can use the same value for all these vertices.
- "Bullet_damage" gives the damage produced by the turret while it is firing bullets;
- "Rocket_damage" gives the damage produced by the turret while it is firing rockets.

- "Alert_dist" sets the alert distance. If the player comes closer to Alert_dist to the enemy and the enemy can see the player, it will attack the player;
- "Crumb_range" gives the enemy's sensitivity to player's invisible footprints; if one of player's footprints is closer than 1,000 quants to the enemy (default value), the enemy will chase the player using its invisible footprints;
- "Running_speed" sets enemy's running speed, used when it chases the player;
- "Walking_speed" sets enemy's walking speed, used when it patrols on its path;
- "Dist_to_ground" sets the distance between enemy's feet and the ground; you might need to change this value, depending on the origin of your enemy model;
- "Health" sets the number of health points (default = 100) for the enemy;
- "Bullets_freq" sets the frequency of the bullets; a smaller value will make the enemy fire more often;
- "Bullets_vertex" sets the firing vertex for the enemy. The default value makes the enemy fire bullets from its 700th vertex (the shotgun, for my model);
- "Falling_speed" gives the speed with which the enemy falls from a higher area to a lower area.
- "Shotgun_damage" sets the amount of health points that are lost by the player each time the enemy uses its shotgun and manages to hit the player.

The elevators and platforms have parameters that can be individually customized in WED's Entity Properties panel; some values common for all elevators and platforms can be set up by customizing t_elevators.h.

- "Elevator_height" tells the elevator at which height (in quants) to stop; set this value as needed.
- "Elevator speed" sets the vertical speed for our elevator.
- "Elevator_wait" gives the waiting time after reaching the destination. With the current value of 4 seconds, the elevator will move until it reaches the destination point, and then it will wait for 4 seconds before returning to its initial position.

- "Platform_offset" will give the horizontal distance that must be covered by the platform.
- "Platform_speed" sets the movement speed.
- "Platform_wait" tells the platform the number of seconds that it must wait before returning to its initial position.
- "X_axis" tells the platform to move along the x axis (if X_axis is set to 1) or along the y axis (if X_axis is set to 0). The shooter template level comes with a platform that moves along the x axis, as well as with a platform that moves along the y axis.

The doors / keys template allows you to use an unlimited number of doors that will open when the player approaches them and work with or without a key, sliding along the x, y or z axis. In fact, you can even create special bridges that slide horizontally, and then move vertically, allowing the player to access hidden areas of the level, etc without editing the door / key template code at all.

The door and key parameters can be individually customized in WED's Entity Properties panel; their default values can be set up by customizing t_doors.h.

Attach the action named "t_door" to your door model, and then you will be able to set its parameters. Here's an example with parameters for a door that opens without using a key and slides vertically.

- "Speed" gives the door sliding speed;
- "Key" tells the door which key must be picked up in order to open the door. With key = 0, the door opens without using a key;
- "Offset_x", "Offset_y" and "Offset_z" set the sliding direction for the door. In this example, the door will open by moving 110 quants vertically.

Here's another example that opens the door only if the player has got the "1" key. The door will slide horizontally along the y axis, moving until its y position is 94 quants smaller than the initial position. All you need to do in order to open this locked door is to have the proper key - here's how you can set it up:

Attach the "t_key" action to your key model, and then set its "Key" parameter to the desired value - that's all! A "Key" value of 1 will open all the doors that have their "Key" value set to 1, a "Key" value of 2 will open the door / the doors with a "Key" value of 2, and so on. As you know, you can have an unlimited number of doors and keys in your level.

► latest version online


The League of Nations was initially nicknamed the “League of Victors” since its founding members were all members of the World War I alliance.

But throughout the turbulent 1920s, the League grew and strengthened. By 1928, even Germany was admitted into membership – albeit briefly – before Hitler ordered Germany’s withdrawal in 1933.

In 1935, over the vehement objection of the League of Nations, Benito Mussolini’s Fascist forces invaded Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) in North Africa. The Abyssinians were quickly overrun by the Italians in a vicious campaign against largely undefended villages and towns.

The Italians captured Addis Ababa in 1936, forcing Emperor Haile Selassie into exile, from which he pleaded with the League of Nations to come to his nation’s aid.

The League instead devised a sellout plan whereby it would divide Abyssinia into two parts: an Italian sector and an Abyssinian sector.

The plan was leaked and, although its British and French sponsors were forced to resign, the League of Nations never recovered. Within three years, the world was again at war.

After the war, it was decided that the League failed because it had no teeth to back up its collective decisions, and in 1948, NATO was created as a military bulwark against Soviet aggression. During 40 years of Cold War peace, NATO prospered. After the Cold War, NATO floundered. When the Serbs began conducting ethnic cleansing on its own borders, fearful of antagonizing the Russians, NATO hesitated until the U.S. finally took the lead.

When NATO member Turkey refused to allow the U.S. permission to cross its territory during the 2003 Iraq war, it was because NATO member states warned they would not support Ankara if Saddam retaliated by attacking Turkey.

Under Article 5 of the NATO Charter, an attack on any NATO member is deemed to be an attack on the entire alliance. The U.S. invoked that article against Afghanistan, which is why Afghanistan is a NATO operation.

Article 5 is why Georgia and the Ukraine have been seeking membership in NATO. And it is probably why NATO has withheld membership from them. It is widely assumed that, had Georgia been a NATO member state, the Russians would not dared to have invaded. In reality, there’s no real basis for that assumption.

NATO is no more likely to take on Russia over Georgia than the League of Nations was to take on Italy over Abyssinia. The Europeans already know that. Now so does Washington. If the Russians show up, NATO won’t.

According to the prophet Ezekiel, there will rise in “the latter times” an alliance of nations – led by Gog (Russia) and consisting of Magog (the breakaway republics now under discussion), together with an Islamic coalition of nations led by Iran – will eventually launch a sneak invasion of Israel.

This is how Ezekiel pictured the West’s reaction to the Gog-Magog invasion:

Ezekiel says that the Gog-Magog alliance will get much the same reaction from the West as the Kremlin is getting over its invasion of Georgia.

The first domino has already been pushed over. Now, its just a matter of time until the rest of them start to fall.

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The Truth Teller profile image 60

characters and situations are not isolated behind from 4 elements ????

little or more of the knowledge that we have, a question arises do the elements have some visualizing the situations of every day life by humans to provide their fate ????? can we discuss ..................

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There aren't any answers to this question yet.


It is never an easy but always a brave decision to join the U.S. Military. Joining either of the five branches consisting of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force is much more than a short term commitment to the great nation that these branches protect. The brave men and women willing to sacrifice for their country commit to it for a life time. Especially during such hard times with multiple oversees destinations that require the American armed forces to protect the freedom of the people living in these countries.

Many people forget that to serve and protect means much more than putting one’s physical health in danger. In many cases the men and women serving are forced to leave their friends and family behind in order to protect their loved ones and others in need. This may include travelling unimaginable distances, lonely mornings and sleepless nights. It can take an emotional toll that requires just as much care as physical damage does. Therefore seeing these men and women as individuals, for whom exiting the U.S. Military can be just as big of a step as joining, is very important.

The veterans that have protected their country need to be put into a position in which they can build a new life outside of the U.S. Military. This requires the ongoing support of the people surrounding them. This includes not just friends and family members but society as a whole. These veterans striving to support their families as civilians, with a lifestyle they are used to, deserve the same amount of respect as members of the U.S. Military on active duty. Respect they earned during the time of sacrifices they willingly committed to, to not only protect their fellow soldiers but also their nation and people. It is something the men and women of the United States proudly do, because they understand the importance of freedom. A freedom not only for themselves, their family and children, but also for you, your children and future generations of our brave nation.

While it does not matter whether their new life is built as a chef at a restaurant, as a cattle farmer on a ranch or as an investment banker on wallstreet. The transition is difficult no matter what the choice is. So supporting the veterans of the United States Military should not just come as a courtesy but rather as the duty of everyone they have served. A duty that should not be taken lightly, just like freedom cannot be taken lightly.

So the next time you cross paths with a veteran, think about what they have done for you and your family. Think about how it could make this persons day to hear a simple “thank you” or to receive a hand shake in appreciation of their former body of work. It can mean the world to somebody to know that they are appreciated for what they have done.