The Worst Thing That Colonialism Did Was To Cloud Our View of the Past

“No other continent has endured such an unspeakably bizarre combination of foreign thievery and foreign goodwill.” Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood

Have you ever wondered who invented glass? Somewhere in Mesopotamia, thousands of years before Christ, craftsmen made a little discovery that we now use for thousands of things. What I find most fascinating about glass is what my mother calls its “flowy state”. Although glass looks like a solid, it is in fact a liquid. It flows and changes.

History becomes much like glass when placed in human hands. It appears fixed and solid but in fact over time it evolves: a fact twisted here, a half lie printed there; the version that suits the majority and sometimes, the minority.

By now you have probably come to some conclusion about what this post is about and whose side I am taking. You might have realised that this is a follow up to my previous post The liberation struggle was about land.

I want you to imagine that you are sitting in a discussion about land reform in South Africa (specifically The Big Debate on eNCA), when someone stands up and declares:

“We are the rightful owners of this land!”

Give that person a body, clothes, a voice. Let’s play for points, who do you see?

Five points for you if you pictured a middle aged, khaki clad white man who describes himself as a Boer. For those of you who saw an angry black person with a foaming mouth and a raised fist, try again in the next round! I did a quick check to see if the speaker was Leon Schuster in disguise; the rightful owners of this land?! You must be joking!

A cloudy colonial past

Barack Obama

Many of you would not be able to read this but for the invention of glass. Some really smart people out there (no one knows when or where for sure) figured out that glass could be used to refract light into a defective eye in such a way that it corrected and improved your ability to see objects from a distance.

The further we move away from a certain point in history, the blurrier it appears. But perception is not reality and the Boer man who stood up at that debate stands corrected by history’s testimony.

I struggle to remember what I read of my continent’s history from the textbook when I was 13 years old. I know a tiny bit about the events leading to the wars of independence and even less about what life was like before colonialism, before “the men without knees” came; referring to the trousers wearing strangers.

And even with my family history, I can only squint into the past and imagine. I see my great-great-great grandmother walking down a dusty road, first as a little girl at her mother’s side and then an old woman, with many grandchildren underfoot. And then my great-great grandfather on the day he was born, the pride of his parents, I wonder: where was he laid to rest?

I ask myself what dreams they had, what prayers they prayed, the hidden desires of their hearts. I construct kraals and walls and cities breached by enemy clans. I see kings and queens, festivals and funerals. But none of it is real, it is all imagined. We lost our cultural legacy to colonialism.

The reality is that that my grandparents live in a little house on the outskirts of the city, a tiny two bedroomed unit, with a toilet and bathroom outside. I wonder how gogo must have felt when she walked through the pretty houses in the white suburbs that she worked in. And whether she wondered how “Fambeki” (Van Beek?) came to own his farmland. Could she conceive of the a day when her children could venture beyond the boundaries of the township, past the curfew, into the suburbs and buy houses of their own?

Wrongs don’t make a right

In a recent discussion about land reform one of the issues that came up was the unlawful occupation of farms and the violation of private property rights. The argument was something along these lines:

My grandfather bought the land X years ago for a fair price. We hold the title deed to the land and have held and farmed on it it lawfully for years. The invasion of our farm was illegal and unfair.

Firstly, as a matter of principle, I believe that anyone who can prove ownership of land today is entitled to protection of their ownership rights. In practice what that means is that issues of compensation become relevant when a government is implementing a land reform policy. That is the just thing to do. But before you wave your title deed around, you must ask yourself the question:

In a country where most of the people are black, how did so much land end up in the hands of white people?

After 1994 in South Africa “so much” amounts to just under 90% of the land. Do bear in mind that white people made up about 10% of the population. Various legislation was passed by the government, restricting ownership of land by black people and allocating the majority of the land and the best of the land to white people. Today, given the failure of South Africa’s land reform programme, the majority of land remains white owned.

In Zimbabwe too, most of the land was in the hands of white people. Decades after independence, the land invasions began which became the catalyst for the land reform policy.

Obama was right when he said that colonialism clouded our view our past. Because white people fail to see that their position of privilege today is the fruit of a seed of injustice that was planted generations ago. And because black people have adopted the means of their colonisers, forgetting that racism is a powerful weapon; but one that will ultimately destroy anyone who raises it against another, no matter what colour.

Africa’s past is distant, but not too distant for us to have gained the right forget that the rightful owners of this land were forced out of it by a law written in a language that they did not understand and by a people that they did not know.

There are many wrongs that must still be made right, including the issue of land. God says that those who sow in tears will reap in joy (Psalm 126:5) and in my imagination I see every tear cried by Africa’s people being counted by God and kept in a multicoloured bottle made of glass.

Thanks for reading.

This is not an academic article, it is a collection of my opinions on certain issues. If you are looking for a credible academic source of African history or current issues, this is not it.

Whose Lobola Is It Anyway?

For those of you who do not know, lobola is a dowry or bride price that is given to the bride’s family by the groom’s. The word encompasses a marriage custom that has been practised in Africa for generations and has evolved as society has changed.

I recently attended a relative’s lobola ceremony where we were representing the bride’s side of the family. It was only the second time that I had been a part of one and it was both a pleasant and an unpleasant experience. And it made me think. I want to raise some issues that the custom brings up and would love your engagement on them.

The benefit and cost of lobola

Every custom and traditional practice serves a purpose for that particular group of people that observes it. Or at least it is supposed to. Traditionally, lobola has been one of the ceremonies that forms a part of the process of solemnising a marriage as well as bringing the two families together. From beginning to end, there are steps that must be followed and ways of doing things that are very specific. For example, there are certain people who can attend the negotiation and presentation ceremonies and others who are excluded. The groom’s family should be especially careful to perform their obligations lest they offend the bride’s family.

There is a blessing and a curse in lobola. It is blessing because it provides a framework within which a couple can make their relationship official, before those closest to them and before the world. This, in contrast to the “hook up” culture that prevails amongst us today.  Very importantly, it makes sure that both people know the family that they are marrying into, which ensures that the couple will not be isolated.

On the other hand, the focus on the idea that two families are coming together, while promoting a sense of community, can take away from the fact that it is actually two people coming together. I have countless stories of people whose marriages were wrecked because of interference from parents, aunts and uncles. Every decision that the couple has to make must pass through the family council first and needs their approval.

The role of women and men

A very large number of women today have been raised in single parent households, usually by their mother. And yet the process today is still dominated by male family members who consult with other family members but ultimately are in charge of making the decisions. There is a share of the bride price and gifts that is given to the mother of the bride but the father as the head of the household, receives most of it on behalf of the the family.

I attended a ceremony where the father acted as the father of the bride even though he had made no contribution to the raising of his daughter. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. I think it is worth saying that I have no issue with a father occupying a position of honour per se but I think that, in that situation, he occupies a position that he is not entitled to. And it just looks like he is showing up at the end for the financial benefits. Surely there is something wrong with this?

I am also struck by the fact that in these kinds of ceremonies, women occupy a subservient position. And regrettably, it is not just at events such as this but is a prominent feature of our culture. The men sit in the house waiting to be served while the women slave away all day- peeling, chopping, cooking, cleaning and minding the children. The men discuss important matters and call for more beer every once in a while. Someone suggested that in times gone by, the men were probably in charge of slaughtering the livestock, chopping the wood etc, but convenience has changed things.

But if things have changed for men why do women still bear most of the burden?

Tradition for tradition’s sake?

There are so many more issues I could raise, like overcharging by families, made being delayed because families cannot agree and the culture clash that arises as a result of mixed marriages. What do you think?

Is lobola important to you?

Do you plan on observing it when you get married, do you have a choice?

Finally, has lobola lost it’s meaning or does it serve a legitimate purpose today?

Thanks for reading.


> Sightseeings in Bulgaria  >

Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Develt

Author: Стела Горова, 9 km From Drachevo.    , GPS coordinates: N 42.3874467    E 27.2841373
Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Develt, Picture
Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Develt, Picture 1Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Develt, Picture 2Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Develt, Picture 3Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Develt, Picture 4

Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Develt is located 10 km west of the city of Burgas, in the land of Sredetska Debelt village. Deultum is the only archaeological site in the country with "European cultural heritage." According to sources, the name of the ancient Thracian settlement has the root meaning "place between two swamps." Deultum ancient city was declared a national archaeological reserve in 1988 32 years ago for the first time began archaeological investigations of the region, which continues today. Deultum - Develt was an ancient settlement founded during the reign of the Roman Emperor Vespasian (69-79). the site of an ancient Thracian settlement from the seventh century. etc.. Chr. The Roman colony was settled military veterans August Legion participated in the suppression of the revolt in Judea. Veterans were rewarded for their excellent land between today's complex Mandra and Bourgas lakes. Because of its strategic location, Deultum quickly became an important commercial center, and during the Severan dynasty settlement was in its heyday. Its area reaches more than 250 acres, build road network and infrastructure are built numerous temples and at the time of Emperor Septimius Severus was built and the temple of the imperial cult. The town even had its own emissions of bronze coins, some of which have been found in archaeological excavations and can be seen in the museum part of the reserve. Deultum - Develt became a major economic center - developing fisheries, agriculture, many crafts, metallurgy and most - already trade in the Middle Ages and has established itself as one of the - largest ports of strategic importance. Deultum - Develt was conquered in 812 by the army of Khan Krum, who migrated population in the city is settled Bulgars. The settlement soon became an important border crossing between Byzantium and Bulgaria with ancient customs, which next 200 Bulgarian rulers received an annual tax of Byzantine emperors.   Archaeological finds in the area are numerous and invaluable - found the remains of a Roman bath, the foundations of the palace, many temples, several large coin treasures, statues, pottery, inscriptions, small finds, which can be seen both in the Archaeological Museum in the town. Burgas and on-site archaeological base in. Debelt.

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BICSI, Building Industry Consulting Service International

What is Kabbalah? : Kabbalah Centre

The Strength of Business Women Like Malini Saba

Malini Saba is one of the best when it comes to inspiring women in the business world. Her business life operation is twofold. She has a business for investing called Saban and a non-profit organization called the Stree Foundation. That right there should be all the inspiration that women would need, but she has even more things that inspire women.

In addition to starting two businesses, Malini Saba is a philanthropist. I have found myself trying to figure out how someone that grew up in a regular middle class household would become a multi-millionaire that could give away a million dollars to help start a hospital. How does someone that only has $200 to her name at the age of 19 become a woman that could pledge $10 million to the victims of the Tsunami when it occurred? That is the thing that puzzled me. I was inspired to read more and find out more about Malini Saba.

Saba has stated that she loves the commodities industry. She doesn’t shy away from the fact that she has lost a lot of money in the past from some investments that have gone horribly wrong, but these are all life lessons. Every investor – at some point in their life – will make bad investment decisions. What I know, however, is that she has made a lot more good investment decisions than bad. Otherwise, she would not be where she is today.

It is just interesting to see how she moved up the ladder in the corporate world when she didn’t have any real connections to any people in power. There are a lot of people that get to the top because of who they know. Malini moved from Malaysia to Australia to America all before she turned 20 years of age. She was never in a position to meet and build any important connections in her youth that would help her make her career advancement easier in her adult life. She was someone that knew that she would have to study hard at Stanford and make it on her own.

There is a lot of praise for her ability to lead in an industry where men are often taking the lead. Saba knows that she is good as what she does, but she is always striving to be a better boss. Her dedication to her businesses is quite inspiring to me.


In the old days, Gaelor Manghem raised an army so vast, it would take three days to see all of them march past. He took the continent of Daeren in less than two years. His armies marched into the kingdoms of Jadda, Laniveer, and Mobrin, knocking down castles and dynasties as he went. When the ash settled, Emperor Manghem was coronated at Crosswynd Castle by the remaining lords of the three kingdoms.

Thirty-three years later, when Gaelor Manghem lay on his death bed, he decreed that his eldest son would be named Emperor of Daeren, and King of Mobrin. He also decreed that his other two sons would be named kings, ruling in Laniveer and Jadda. For over fourteen hundred years, the empire stood.

228 years ago, everything changed. The Hammerfell clan in The Hills openly rebelled against the empire. Both Jadda and Mobrin were attacked by the unknown forces of Kundar, a desert people in the south. Pirates from the Finger Islands began raiding the coasts of Laniveer. Suddenly, the once glorious empire was crumbling. Other kingdoms rose up and rebelled and they fought in what is known as the great War. When the dust settled from the fighting, the Empire was no more, the Kingdoms of today forming out of the dust.

In the past decade, every Kingdom, nation, and tribe in the known world has been to war. Alliances have formed and fractured. Lands have been conquered and blood has been spilled in every corner ofDaeren.

Today War is brewing once more.

A new generation of rulers and leaders are prepared to assume control of Mobrin and Laniveer, while the old guard are not yet willing to relinquish their power to them. The gods are awakening from their long slumber and are awakening magic within mortals to prepare for the days ahead.

Mobrin is a kingdom located on the southern portion of the continent of Daeren. King Callem Kilgour is recently dead and his son, Prince Tyrel has been crowned the new King! They are rich in gold and silver and are seeking alliances. So far Prince Tyrel has two infant sons and his marriage secured an alliance with Aberdeen/Fairisle. They are fast becoming the strongest naval power in the land.

Laniveer is in northern Daeren. Their cultural and scientific contributions has been many. They have several large cities and many massive castles throughout the land. While they don't have as much gold or silver as Mobrin, their output of steel is double that of their southern neighbor. Their army is feared. They are ruled byEldwin Stewart. Whose children have reached adulthood.

Currently Kingdoms of Jadda and Laniveer are forming an alliance and are fighting tooth and nail to re-establish the old empire. The only thing standing between Mobrin and Laniveer is Jadda and the Sea. The gods are awakening and old religious fervor is awakening as the temple seeks to increase their power throughout both lands.

The Tales of Daeren are set in a time and place that would be somewhat similar to early 1390's - 1490s on Earth but without gunpowder. Please keep this in mind generally in your rp. The following tips are items that have come up during character creation and rp:

  • Modern conveniences do not exist - the public washrooms are outhouses in inns and tavern.
  • Communications between areas is relatively quick with the use of pigeons and ravens
  • Libraries are rooms in homes/castles of the very rich and noble, used for their private books; they do not lend books out and commoners are usually illiterate. Books are expensive.
  • Suspected witches are burned at the stake - often by a mob, rather than the king's justice
  • Government is a feudal system based on divine right to rule by the nobility.
  • The main story lines will center around the royal of Laniveer and Mobrin courts, with many subplots taking place in their midst.
  • Our Gods are real. Magic is real.

The staff of Tales of Daeren is aiming to have players write the story going forward - this means that every character is important. Will your character be the one to write the next chapter, to change the world?


Saturday, September 22, 2012

Uranium APEX Mineral

Uranium (U #92) is the next element on the periodic table for my APEX mineral collection.

I skipped Protactinium (Pa #91) which is radioactive and exists only in extremely trace amounts.

Wikipedia Uranium
Uranium Minerals - There are many
Uranium minerals.
Uraninite (UO2)(Uranium Oxide) with 88% Uranium is the obvious APEX Mineral.

Uranium is the LAST element for my APEX Mineral collection for MEOWSER.  All elements past Uranium are radioactive.  Except for rare natural transmutation reactions, they do not exist except in man made nuclear reactors.
Uranium has very high density, being approximately 70% denser than lead.  It reacts with almost all nonmetallic elements and their compounds

Uranium is weakly radioactive because all its isotopes are unstable.
  • 99% of Uranium ores contain Uranium-238 with 4.5 billion year half-life.
  • 1% of Uranium ores contains Uranium-235 with 700 million year half-life.
U-235 is the only natural element that is fissile (capable of sustaining a nuclear chain reaction).  The enrichment process to recover U-235 for nuclear weapons (90% U-235) and nuclear reactors (5% U-235) is quite complicated.  The unwanted enriched U-238 is called Depleted Uranium and is used as a metal for high density weapons.
In West Africa, about 2 billion years ago, many natural nuclear reactors commenced operation in a rich deposit of uranium ore deep underground.
U-235 concentration back then was 3.7 percent instead of todays 0.7 percent
These natural chain reactions continued for about two million years before finally dying away.  A study of these sites shows there has been little movement of radioactive waste in the 2 billion years since then.
Proponents of underground nuclear waste disposal cite this evidence to support their views.
Uranium was unknown until modern times.
Uranium is primarily used for fueling nuclear reactors.
Depleted Uranium is used by the military to create high-density armor penetrating ammunition.
Uranium has no known biological role.
The story of Uranium is the story of the Universe.  Here is my version of this story.

Most stars can only produce elements up to Nickel (#28) (which quickly decays to Iron (#26)).  All these primary stellar nucleosynthesis reactions OUTPUT energy (yes, the star is hot!) as the elements are produced.  That is why there is so much Iron in the Universe.  Iron is basically the lowest energy state (most stable) element in a sense.

A star that explodes as a supernova creates lots of elements greater than Nickel.  The massive amounts of explosive energy are captured into successively heavier elements during the brief period of the explosion.  All these secondary stellar nucleosynthesis reactions require the INPUT energy of the supernova explosion.  All these Iron+ elements are basically storing the energy of the explosion perhaps to be released later!

Any solar systems which later coalesce from this supernova blast cloud will then have lots of fancy elements greater than Nickel (e.g. Copper, Silver, Gold, Uranium, etc.).  Earth contains many elements greater than Iron so it was created from the gas cloud emanating from supernova explosion(s).

Earth is 4 billion years old.  Any of the Iron+ supernova elements which were radioactive are mostly long gone.  The only ones left are the most stable ones.

Uranium is one of the remaining supernova elements on Earth.  It's half-life is 4.5 billion years.  It is the ONLY remaining element, with all of it's stored supernova energy that is still available to us as a fissile material.  Mankind is very smart and has discovered the secret of unleashing this leftover supernova energy in very productive and destructive ways!
Uranium (and its brother Thorium) are the primary source of all radioactive materials on Earth.  Uranium itself is unstable and radioactive.  When it decays it creates a cascade of very nasty radioactive elements you don't want to mess with.  At some point the decay chain arrives at Lead (#82) and safety.  This is one of the reasons there is so much Lead.  Below are the 3 main decay paths creating all these elements.


Cairnwood Mansion

This was the home of John Pitcairn, a Scottish-born American industrialist and religious philanthropist who lived from 1841 through 1916.  Pitcairn rose through the ranks of the Pennsylvania railroad industry, and played a significant role in the creation of the modern oil and natural gas industries. He went on to found the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (now PPG Industries), an early industry innovator which quickly grew into the largest manufacturer of plate glass in the United States, and amassed one of the largest fortunes in the United States at the time.  Pitcairn was also the primary financial benefactor of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, evidenced by his funding of Bryn Athyn Cathedral which is located just next door to the mansion.  The Cairnwood mansion was designed by the firm of Carrère and Hastings and construction was completed in 1895.  The structure features 28 rooms and includes a chapel housed in the third story turret.  The house is modeled after a Beaux Arts style French country estate.  The property is now owned by Bryn Athyn College and serves as a special events facility and a prime spot for very high end weddings and corporate fundraising events.  The home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

For more of my work, please visit

Camera: Calumet CC-401 4x5 large format monorail view camera

Lens: Rodenstock Geronar 150mm F6.3 lens in a Copal 0 shutter.  I used a Cokin Neautral density filter in a 100mm Pro-Z holder to give the otherwise featureless sky, some definition.

Film: Arista EDU 100 Ultra 4x5 B&W sheet film which I shot at 64 ISO

Settings: Shot at F32, 1/4 second shutter speed. Metered with a Pentax 1 degree spot meter.

Development: Self Developed film in Kodak Xtol 1:2 in Paterson Universal Tank using the Taco Method.  9 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.  Tap water stop bath.  Ilford Rapid Fixer.  Photo-Flo.  Hung on shower curtain to dry on film clips.

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two parts and merged in Photoshop CS5 since the V600 doesn't natively support scanning 4x5 sheet film and I haven't stepped up to the V700 yet.    Cropped to 16x10 in Lightroom 4.

I probably could have used some tilt with the front standard of the camera and perhaps some other movements to correct the lean of the tower and the vertical lines on the left side of the building.  Notes made for next time.


Monday, May 5, 2014

Brighton Dam Azalea Garden

As you may have noticed, most of my posts recently involve nature. That is because there are so many amazing things to see and share this time of year. Here's another one.

The azaleas in our yard have just started to bloom, so I thought it was time to check in on the Brighton Dam Azalea Garden which has five acres and over 20,000 azaleas to see. Although the garden was in the beginning stages blooming, there were still several varieties providing a beautiful show. Here are a few of the sights.

One of these pictures is not an azalea. Can you pick which one?

Answer: The lower left white flowers are dogwood blooms.


References in classic literature ?
Meantime I rolled bread pills and remembered my sins; M'Leod considered his own reflection in a spoon; his wife seemed to be praying, and the girl fidgetted desperately with hands and feet, till the darkness passed on--as though the malignant rays of a burning-glass had been shifted from us.


ESTEM “\i-ˈstēm\”
Equity in
Engineering &

ESTEM is a project, which has been designed to address gender equity in education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). This project offers opportunities for SFSU undergraduate and graduate students to learn and to contribute to gender equality and social justice in STEM with a focus on applying basic theory-based research on stereotype threat to inform interventions.

ESTEM team:

Katlyn Milless is an undergraduate research assistant in the Complex Cognition Lab. Katlyn is an integral member of the ESTEM team. Her interests lie primarily in uncovering cognitive mechanisms underlying stereotype threat effects, in women in STEM, and exploring possible intervention strategies for mitigating gender disparities in STEM fields.

Liz Scharnetzki is a recent graduate of the Mind, Brain, & Behavior Master's Program, as well as the Complex Cognition Lab Manager and the ESTEM Project Coordinator. Liz is dedicated to understanding the role of social context (e.g., what environmental cues signal threat versus safety) in women in STEM’s intellectual performance and sense of belongingness.

Dr. Avi Ben-Zeev’s research focus on stereotype threat over the

            past several years has been on understanding, in part, the

            failure of large groups of students to perform to their

            potential, such as women in math and science. His stereotype

            threat studies have been designed to identify a set of

            contextual factors that might profoundly affect the

            performance of devalued group members, pointing to the

            power that social context has in creating, perpetuating, or

            eliminating stereotyped individuals’ underperformance.

Women in Science collage (from The San Diego Supercomputer Center)


This concerto turns the double bass into the most virtuosic and melodic of instruments

5 July 2016, 13:44

bottesini double bass

If you’ve always seen the double bass as the great lumbering engine room of the orchestra, think again - this concerto makes it a melodic, lyrical giant.

Giovanni Bottesini was a bit of a bass legend, occasionally referred to as the Paganini of the double bass. But he wasn’t just about fireworks.

He wrote incredibly challenging works, but they were works that placed the importance of melody at the forefront - making a successful performance an exceptionally difficult and understated thing.

Here’s his Concerto No. 2 in B minor, in a piano reduction with virtuoso Rinat Ibragimov taking the lead.

Classic FM Apps

Mozart or Drake?

Quiz: Are you more like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or Drake?

Tetris accordion

dinosaur conducts jurassic park

Jurassic Park conducted by an actual dinosaur is hilarious


Icebreaker opens up to the public

Click to follow

The new owners of the Japanese icebreaker Shirase have opened the refurbished vessel up to the public and plan to use it as an exhibition center and a venue for conferences examining such issues as climate change and the environment.

Launched in December 1981, the 11,786-ton vessel was the third Antarctic observation ship to be operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force until it was decommissioned in July 2008. Initially scheduled to be scrapped, the weather forecasting company Weathernews Inc. stepped in at the last moment to buy the ship.

Since being handed over to Weathernews in November 2009, the company has installed a range of observation equipment to keep track of environmental and meteorological changes.

Within the vessel, the Global Ice Center monitors sea ice around the world - particularly looking for signs that ice on potential polar routes is thinning sufficiently for the opening of shorter sea routes, which will in turn reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is released by ships.

Similarly, the Terrestrial Center monitors global seismic activity - particularly important in the world's most earthquake-prone country - while the Weathernews Satellite Center controls an orbiting satellite that gathers information in conditions around the world and monitors the density and distribution of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

In addition, the Shrase has been fitted with radar that is able to detect meteorological phenomena in the lower troposhere, enabling it to predict and warn of so-called "guerrilla thunderstorms" and extreme wind gusts.

Visitors to the ship, which is moored at Funabashi, to the east of central Tokyo, are able to watch some of these functions and explore the vessel, including in her aft helicopter hangars, the engine room and bridge.

The Shirase - which is named after a glacier discovered by explorer Nobu Shirase - completed 25 Antarctic expeditions and was able to break ice up to 1.5 meters thick. It has been replaced by a new ship bearing the same name that was commissioned in 2008 and recently returned from her first voyage to the Antarctic.

Further information (in Japanese) - or telephone +81 43 274 5504.


One set of chopstick, one crisp toothpick, and a loom band. What have you got to lose?

-Enough power to make your older sister chase you around the house.
-Super simple
-15 ft.+ in range

-Single shot

Step 1: Materials

1-Pieces needed. Each name is above or below the object shown.

Step 2: Toothpick

1-Break off about... Emm... 1/4 of the toothpick as shown.

Step 3: ...Everything Else?

1-Slide the larger part of the toothpick through the chopsticks as shown.
2-Wrap a loom band 7 times around the end as shown. Slide the smaller part of the toothpick in between, and you're done.
3-To fire, take your left pointer finger and push up on the green dot, then, with your right hand, take another loom band for ammo and stretch it from the red dot to the yellow dot. Release your left hand to fire. Enjoy!

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More by cjester2:RBG's of War-The Bandit (Knex) RBG's of War-The Wild Wooden Rifle (Household)
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Dialectical behavior therapy provides tools

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) teaches people to better regulate their emotions to serve their goals, increase their sense of personal identity, improve their judgment, sharpen their observational skills and reduce the sense of crisis in their life. DBT is a psychosocial treatment developed by Marsha M. Linehan, a psychologist at the University of Washington, for individuals with borderline personality disorder, but it has been proven effective as a therapy for people with other diagnoses, such as depression, bipolar and anxiety disorders, as well.

In Depressed and Anxious–The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Workbook for Overcoming Depression and Anxiety, Thomas Marra, Ph.D.., (2004 New Harbinger Publications Inc) provides a blueprint anyone can follow to put this therapy to work in their life.

In the book, Marra teaches you to identify dialectics: competing demands that require different and incompatible responses. For example: You want to feel good, but you don’t have the initiative to take part in activities that could be enjoyable. He focuses on the dialectics we respond to with contradictory reactions:

Activity: I don’t let my momentary feelings interfere with my long-term plans.
Passivity: When I’m anxious or depressed, I stop and wait for a better day.

If you’re depressed, you may be passive out of a sense of incompetence, hopelessness or lack of energy. But sometimes passivity is appropriate, for instance, as a way to tolerate feelings while you wait for a more propitious time to act.

DBT invites you to consider balance and strategy on a continuum at any particular moment. Balance means that your responses aren’t always extremes. The strategy is to change your responses along the continuum depending on your goals, not on your mood.

DBT is about learning to regulate and tolerate your feelings, to change your feelings and their intensity and learn how to endure unpleasant feelings when appropriate.

Emotions, Marra emphasizes, just like sight, hearing, taste and touch are a form of information processing vital to our quest for survival. Sometimes our senses fail us. What we thought we saw turns out to be something else. Yet, if our emotions are invalidated, we feel ourselves invalidated. “Feelings,” says Marra,” are never wrong. They just are.”

With anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder, meaning shrinks. We avoid potentially meaningful situations as our interpersonal world shrivels, notes Marra. Depression causes us to question the meaningfulness of our lives. But the engagement in meaningful activities and relationships reduces depression. Marra’s asks us to search for the things that are important in our lives:

What would I miss if it were taken from me?
Where do I go when I need comfort?
Does this speak to both my heart and my head?

Mindfulness, an important element of dialectical behavioral therapy, is the ability to improve your observational skills and enhance your interaction with your environment. Mindfulness comes from the Buddhist tradition. Emotional regulation begins with identifying the emotion, what thoughts are accompanying the emotion, what prompted it, what behavior results from it, and what, if any, consequences resulted.

Taking control of your life takes energy, courage, patience, humility and sensitivity, says Marra. But dialectical behavioral therapy is a tool that can bring about improvements to anyone’s life.

Depressed and Anxious–The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Workbook for Overcoming Depression and Anxiety, Thomas Marra, Ph.D.., (2004 New Harbinger Publications Inc) can be used as a self-help tool, or ask your doctor for a recommendation to a DBT therapist or program.

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International Society of Primerus Law Firms

Low Liability vs. High Demand: Overcoming the Aggressive Plaintiff Attorney’s Delusions of Grandeur for Policy Limits

Written By: Joshua A. Golembe, Esq.

Nicklaus & Associates, P.A.

Coral Gables, Florida

Today many Claimants hire aggressive attorneys who make unreasonably high demands for big dollars in cases that have low, to no, liability.  In turn, insurance providers are forced to spend a lot of time and money defending these low exposure claims.

The question is, “what are efficient and effective strategies for defending these claims?”  The answer is simple, a strong pre-suit defense.  Yet, this begs another question.  What constitutes a strong pre-suit defense?  Is it the claims representative calculating the cost of a defense budget versus a potential settlement amount analysis to determine a settlement range, and attempting to resolve the matter in pre-suit without defense counsel? Is it requesting documentation from Plaintiff’s counsel, sending that documentation to Defense counsel for legal evaluation and requesting a settlement range? Or does it include a short and simple denial of the claim and then wait for the lawsuit to be filed?

There is no set methodology or formula for dealing with these low exposure/high demand cases.  Every law firm and client has its own specific way of dealing with aggressive attorneys in low liability cases. I am fairly certain that these firms and insurance carriers are wrinkling their eyebrows as they read this article.  Therefore, this commentary is not so much about what must be done, but rather what should be done.

So what comes first?  Usually, it’s a threat of litigation that generally comes in the form of a demand package advocating and revealing to you everything that your insured did wrong.  The facts almost always portray the Plaintiff as a model citizen who was, for lack of a better word, victimized by your insured.  These demand packages are generally supplemented with volumes of medical records (or maybe none), medical bills and pictures of injuries.  Okay, now what is the next move? How can you help the insured and stop the aggressive claimant attorney in their tracks?  The answer is obvious and simple; retain Defense counsel right away.

Why right away?  Let’s use the difference between conviction rates of federal criminal prosecutions and state criminal prosecutions as an example. In Florida, the conviction rate for a federal crime is approximately 93%, as opposed to 59% for state crimes.  One reason for this disparity is that federal prosecutors and their respective agents work together on the criminal investigation from its inception.

Similarly, the Plaintiff’s attorney and injured party have formed a relationship and have been working together before sending out a demand package or contacting the insurance company.  Most likely, way before the insurance company has been contacted, the aggressive attorney has already discussed the facts of the case with the client, interviewed potential witnesses and obtained documentation from both medical and liability experts and has referred the Claimant to hand picked doctors for diagnosis and treatment.  Defense counsel should be retained immediately to level the playing field.  The worst decision is to retain counsel several months and/or years after learning of a potential suit after the Claimant attorney’s frustration has peaked.  Bringing in Defense counsel quickly serves several purposes: (1) Protects the insured’s interest; (2) Allows the claims adjuster to work the new claim in conjunction with Defense counsel; (3) Enables the defense to conduct cost efficient pre-suit discovery to solidify future defenses; and (4) Provides an equalizer in the form of a member of the bar.

More importantly, once Defense counsel is retained, the course of the case is now changed.  When a demand package is received from the Plaintiff’s attorney, they are on the offense.  Many attorneys will assemble all of their one-sided information and documentation into one large demand package, attach an arbitrary demand deadline and justify the necessity of your “prompt” response in the guise of a usually inappropriate “bad faith” letter.  Now is the time to put the aggressive attorney on the defense by accurately evaluating the demand package and requesting further documentation from the attorney and diffusing the “bad faith” assertions.  These suggestions can of course be accomplished by a claims representative, and in the event that Defense counsel has not been retained, should be utilized.  However, due to the voluminous caseloads that most claims representatives, and/or corporate counsel handle, (which can range from 150-200 cases, or more, per adjuster) back up is usually needed.  Therefore, in the majority of low value/high demand cases, the inclusion of the Defense attorney affirms to Claimant’s counsel that the case is not just “one on the list,” but is important and warrants an aggressive defense.

Next, it is important to discuss some basic strategies to put the aggressive Claimant attorney on the defense.   As stated above, the general demand letter is geared towards getting an insurance carrier to pay out quickly.  Inherently, these letters are composed by depicting the insured as the villain and the injured party as the innocent victim.  This is not acceptable!  Most demand letters neither acknowledge nor discuss any of the defendant’s strong points against liability, do not include a full and unbiased evaluation, and do not make mention of any potential third-party defendants and/or co-defendants.  How many times have you seen and/or heard the expression, “liability is clear?”  Any attorney who does not discuss these points in their initial demand letter will have a difficult time proving a “bad faith” claim.  Use this to your advantage. Many claims representatives will request additional documentation, but not to the extent necessary.  Put pressure on the Claimant’s attorney to disclose any and all information relevant to your defense.  Make them work! Follow-up!

Carefully examine the demand package and issue detailed correspondence requesting the information that has been excluded, particularly MRI’s and x-rays (not just the reports, but actual films).  This information can include additional documentation from medical experts detailing injuries, other expert reports, employment records and pre-suit statements from the injured party. Remember, it is the Plaintiff’s burden of proof if a claim proceeds to litigation.  Any information obtained early is beneficial, and the more information you obtain pre-suit, the better position you will be in if a lawsuit is filed.  Moreover, by starting the investigation early you can limit discovery costs later.  Use the pre-suit defense as a means of obtaining discovery from the Plaintiff.  Also, put yourself in the role of the Plaintiff.  Don’t just send a letter and casually wait for the attorney to respond.  Provide the aggressive attorney with a reasonable deadline to respond and follow-up with written correspondence.  In the event the aggressive attorney attempts to make a bad faith claim, use these letters to evidence how they slowed down your investigation and hindered your ability to provide a thorough evaluation of the claim.

Also, take this opportunity to begin formulating your defense.  Most claims representatives have access to private investigators.  This is the time to get them working.  Even though you are not able to take depositions at this time, a private investigator should be utilized to locate important witnesses and obtain their statements.  If the claim involves a motor vehicle accident, obtain statements from all of the witnesses listed on the accident report.  Do not limit your investigators to surveillance detail only; actively use them to help build a defense.  If surveillance is utilized, it needs to be carefully monitored.   Remember, the aggressive attorney has already begun the process of conducting their own pre-suit discovery.

Now that some basic defense strategies have been put into place, it’s time to pursue the next step.  At some point during the pre-suit investigation, settlement negotiations may normally arise.  When dealing with the Claimant attorney, the settlement demand most probably will be for the policy limits or slightly below or just too high.  How do you control an unreasonably high demand in a low liability case?

Unlike the world of sports, the best defense is a good offense.  Use what you have learned in your pre-suit defense and share that information with the Claimant’s attorney.  For example, if you have an expert that rendered a strong defense opinion, present this material.  Remember, behind every attorney there is usually a client who has the vision of making a substantial amount of money from this claim.  So, not only do you have to convince the attorney of the futility of this aspiration, you also have to indirectly convince his/her client.  The lesson being, “Do not be afraid to share.”  If the claim is not settled, or no offer is made at all, the aggressive attorney will most likely file a lawsuit, and this material may become discoverable.  Anyway, if it is adverse, you do not give it up of course.  Now, for all of the attorneys out there shouting, “What about attorney-client privilege?”  Relax, you may be waiving a work-product privilege, but any information that is beneficial to the defense will most likely be disclosed at some point during discovery anyway.  This is the time to share this information!  Show the strength of your case to the opposing attorney and consequently that attorney will have to share the knowledge that the case is less than ideal with their client.  Hopefully the lawyer already promised his client too much.  Many make that mistake.

Once a thorough pre-suit investigation has been done, it is time to formulate an appropriate settlement range. Each party has an expectation about what the pre-suit settlement should be.  Do not choose a settlement amount that you just assume the attorney will take or a “cost of defense” type of amount.  The settlement range should take into consideration your entire pre-suit investigation, and evaluation, in order to make a strong yet realistic offer.  Let the aggressive attorney know that you have done your homework and that your offer is firm.  Then hold fast!  Let it be understood that the case has been worked up properly, and even if they choose to file a lawsuit the numbers will not change.  Be clear that even if the client refuses, the offer will remain the same throughout litigation.

Similar to a game of chess, each move needs to be carefully calculated. Submitting your offer early sets up the next crucial step in the event that the adverse attorney files a lawsuit.  So, if a lawsuit has been filed, make an Offer of Judgment at the beginning of the litigation.  Each state has its own laws and rules for offers of judgment, or proposals for settlement.  In the State of Florida, it is codified in Florida Statute Section 769.79 and Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442.  Basically, it states that when a Defendant files an offer of judgment which is not accepted by the Plaintiff within thirty (30) days, and the Plaintiff recovers a judgment in an amount that is at least 25% less than the offer, the Defendant shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred from the date of the offer.  This usually ends up as a set-off to any judgment that qualifies because most Claimants do not have the funds to pay anyway.  Therefore, given that a thorough pre-suit investigation has been done, and a realistic pre-suit offer has been made, file an offer of judgment immediately (of course take into consideration when the rules of procedure in the applicable state permit).  The aggressive attorney should be aware of the fact that if they recover less than 25% of your offer, they will be on the hook for all of your costs and fees from the date the offer expires.

Again, most readers are probably thinking that insurance companies, et al., already know how to manage these types of cases and that offers of judgment are utilized often.  The lesson learned is to not delay filing until the Offer of Judgment until you have been litigating for months, or even years.  Do it early so it is effective, and when you win that summary judgment, or the case comes in at your evaluation, get your litigation expenses back!

These measures will most often allow for efficient and effective strategies for defending the low exposure/high demand case.

For more information about Nicklaus & Associates, P.A., please visit or the International Society of Primerus Law Firms

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Insight into the dazzling impact of insulin in cells

in medicine

Nano-messenger opens way for new cancer treatment

in technology, environment, medicine

in medicine

Studying sharks and fossilized teeth gain insight into sharks' ancient ancestors

in biology

The lasting legacy of the great white shark is sharp, strong and pointy: its teeth.

Not only is it the part of the creature that resonates most strongly with people, it's usually the only part left behind after death, as the rest of its skeleton is cartilage.

Newfound gene may help bacteria survive in extreme environments

in biology

New device may inject a variety of drugs without using needles

in medicine

Getting a shot at the doctor’s office may become less painful in the not-too-distant future.

India the Queen of Internet Spam? Most junk emails originate in India

in technology

According to a news report from BBC, India has become the top spam-spewing nation on the planet. This was measured by determining the amount of emails routed through computers in different countries.

SpaceX Dragon capsule, the private spaceship, launch delayed

in technology


Technological Advancements in Architecture and Product Development

Technological Advancements in Architecture and Product Development

Technology has been making our lives easier and more efficient for as long as humans have been alive. Specifically, programs like AutoCAD have been making architecture and product design more practical.  Where architects and designers used to have to hand draw their houses or inventions, requiring painstaking work and left much of it up to human error they are now able to effortlessly create and duplicate objects.  With the invention of 3D printing, people are able to create prototypes for a relatively low startup fee.

The true concept of architecture began in Egypt where buildings became more than about survival, they started to become aesthetically pleasing and had some form of design. Pyramids were some of the first geometrically designed, accurate structures erected.  Following that the Greeks began constructing buildings using pillars, which led into the Romans building structures designed for large gatherings of people.  Creation of the Arch and the Vault.  Medieval ages invented the domes to roof large spaces, which spawned the creation of skeleton framing.  The renaissance was a time of refinement leading into the industrial era which called for the creation of large factories and warehouses.  In modern architecture strength and sleek appearance has become at the forefront.  Clean lines with polished surfaces and smooth finishes reign supreme.  With the increase of the population in recent decades buildings have begun expanding upwards to increase city densities.  The buildings we take for granted today are the result of centuries of technological advancements and refinement.

Many traditionalists in the architecture field feel that powerful technologies are stifling creativity; however, in my opinion, what it is doing is allowing a wider base of people to use this tool.  This may create a feeling of mediocrity among the elitist architects or design obsessed, in reality the software is simply a tool for creation, the end result is achieved faster and easier with more precision, it is up to the artistic abilities of the architects to push this medium to new boundaries which many are capable of doing.

Creating prototypes used to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, required teams of designers and manufacturers to

Top Architectural Rendering Services

Top Architectural Rendering Services

6 Best Services for Architectural Rendering

When creating an architectural render there are some must-have programs to help you put together the best 3d rendering scene you possibly can.  They make the work easier, faster and higher quality.

  1. Xfrog Vegetation packs are premade, gorgeous 3d models of trees, shrubs, and flowers, although they are very realistic, they present a problem of computing resources.  Architectural Rendering Studio, RealSpace 3d utilizes premade, high-quality 3D models with their high-end architectural rendering services.  They are able to put a high number of models into their scene because of an auto distribution tool which saves them time.  In addition to time savings from not having to individually place single trees, RealSpace is able to save computing resources by instancing the models.  Because of RealSpace’s use of Octane, they are able to instance hundreds of trees and not impact the rendering time greatly.  Most architectural rendering companies are forced to cheat their images with 2D tree images photoshopped on top of their render, this typically works reasonably well; however, when moving to animation projects this technique falls flat.  Because RealSpace uses 3-dimensional trees in their scenes animations can occur fluidly and are created with relative ease.Architectural 3d rendering
  2. Octane Render provides a fantastic unbiased, physically correct 3d rendering engine.  They were the first company who utilized graphic card’s untapped potential in the rendering world.  Up to 50 times faster than conventional CPU-based rendering software.  In addition to providing a fast, realistic, rendering engine Octane is easy to learn and easy to use.  Despite these benefits I have found that it’s integration into Maya is less than ideal.  I believe the initial architecture of Octane was wonderful, especially the standalone.  They then hired another company to work on creating the plugins for programs like 3Ds Max, Blender, and Maya.  I’ve personally only used the Max and Maya versions, in my experience they are not logically setup and riddled with bugs, the quality and speed of the backbone of the rendering engine keeps me around though.
  3. realspace3d renderingRender Farm Services one of the struggles with 3D rendering is the render time.  A single image can take days to render.  If you are working on an animation project with a deadline the solution may lie in render farm services.  Imagine a service which allows the speed of your render to only be limited by the size of your checkbook.   Cloud computing is becoming increasingly viable and it makes sense as data transferring improves.
  4. 3D Warehouse if you’re in need of a quick model which doesn’t need to be overly detailed 3d warehouse provides a huge library of 3d models.  The models are created using SketchUp and are typically not the cleanest meshes to work with, especially if moving to another program like Maya or 3ds Max; however, I tend to use them as filler meshes when creating a scene.  There is a large amount of appliances which, when textured and lit properly, are more than sufficient for background pieces in an architectural rendering.  The 3d mesh isn’t overly clean though so don’t expect to be able to do too much modification.
  5. Turbo Squid if it is high-quality 3d models which you’re after but on too tight of a time constraint to model it yourself, purchasing models from turbo squid are a great solution.  I’ve bought high-quality architectural visualization packages which allowed me to quickly populate a scene with extremely detailed models which fit the scene perfectly.  It is important to choose models which are compatible with your personal 3D software as it makes editing significantly easier.
  6. Textures Creating high-quality textures is arguably one of the biggest keys to creating realistic 3d renders.  Creating each texture from scratch or searching through google can be time-consuming. offers high quality, seamless textures ready to use.

5 of the Biggest Tech Advances for the Month of November

Tech News for the Month of November 2016

  1. Microsoft has reached human parity for speech recognition.  Speech recognition has been around since the 1970’s but this is the first time speech recognition has been on par with that of humans.  This does not mean that the recognition is perfect but it is a monumental step.  Microsoft says their next step in this development will be to pursue speech understanding.  Microsoft already uses the somewhat creepy “Cortana” as  their robot listening device.  Their goal is to develop Cortana into a more effective assistant, and likely a better robot at understanding what your advertisements should look like.
  2. Edward Snowden is growing increasingly concerned about the number of people who rely solely on facebook for news.  The main concern isn’t the plethora of fake news which consumes facebook, but rather, the limited alternative sources people are seeking.  Many people are beginning to exist in an echo chamber politically, it is easy to tailer your google searches and article titles to suit your political views with no regards for facts.  Snowden’s greatest concern seems to be the monopoly companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter have on providing people with new, especially news which contains misleading headlines.  People were inundated with politcal content leading up to the election, lots of which was untrue or mis represented at the least “To have one company that has enough power to reshape the way we think, I don’t think I need to describe how dangerous that is,” Snowden said.
  3. Elon Musk unveiled the new Tesla Solar Roofs this month.  This complete’s the 3 step plan to generate (solar roof) store, (powerwall) and transport (motors).  As per usual, Elon Musk’s company has present an obvious solution to a very apparent problem.  There is no doubt Elon is one of the greatest minds of our generation, but this is not a terribly complicated problem.  The obvious question is why hasn’t this been done for decades.  There have been a number of examples of electric cars being squashed by big oil companies, for example, those features in “who killed the electric car”
  4. Finland could become the first country to ban coal use for energy.  Finland is looking to put forth a ban on all coal usage for energy.  The country has been working towards this goal for years now and it seems it is finally taking shape.  In addition, France has said they are planning to go coal free by 2023.  Canada has said it will aim to be coal free by 2030. The chips are starting to fall with regards to archaic, polluting fossil fuels but is it too little too late.  The earth has crossed 400 parts per million for CO2 recently, Toby from the office seems to think it’s already hopeless.

Scientific Research

Scientific discoveries have been around, dating back to the Stone Age. The improvement of straightforward apparatuses from wood or shards of shake demonstrate a portion of the primary uses of information to produce innovation to determine an issue.

Innovation investigate is the branch of learning that agreements with the development and utilization of specialized means and their interrelation with life,society, and the earth, drawing upon such subjects as mechanical expressions, designing, connected science, and unadulterated science.

Innovation research is a mechanical procedure, development, strategy, or the branch of information, managing designing or connected sciences and may been craftsmanship, science, and so forth.; specialized terminology.

Advances research center conveys the world’s most exceptional advances, imaginative thinking and trained research to the organizations of Technologies in aviation drive, building foundation and administrations, warming and ventilating, fire and security frameworks and power era.

Talking about the most recent advancements in innovation look into has been a clasp of the Internet people group since the start. Buyer gadgetry, the car business, the military, and the space office are a portion of the numerous territories given quirky dismemberments in the Web’s top science-and-innovation.

The revelation of flame, which gave an approach to cook nourishment and make warmth and light, was additionally a stage along the street of innovation.

The Bronze Age demonstrates the developing capacity of man to work with metal and the capacity to shape more grounded apparatuses. The presentation of the wheel permitted individuals more noteworthy capacity to travel and talk.

Propels proceeded with similarly as quickly into the Iron Age where individuals built up the capacity to work with harder metals than copper and tin. They built up the craft of refining iron and expelling it from mineral found in the earth.

Technology Science In Your Life

Technology SCIENCE

Development Of Science Technology Alluring Your Life

Today science and innovation have come to a matchless stature. As a matter of first importance I might want to get out the significance of innovation to all of you, so what is innovation? Innovation is alluded to the alteration and use of old machines to help the general population. Presently we go to another question that what is the need of the improvement of innovation? This question has an extremely basic answer the need of improvement of innovation is just to help the general population in their everyday work. Every one of the advancements of innovation science are just to give helpful to people.

It will get to be clearer to you after a case, for example let us take the development of the immense researcher Albert Einstein the electric however before the creation of electric globule individuals used to complete their work before the sun set and they dispensed with their home with candles yet after the innovation of the electric knob this turned out to be much less demanding individuals can work till late night and this offered ascend to the utilization of power in making distinctive sorts of contraptions and this offered ascend to another innovation which comprised the utilization of power. Presently as one path prompts to another route in a similar way one innovation takes you to the method for another innovation, thinking about how? See when we concocted the innovation of utilizing power then another innovation of creating this power took birth yes, you are correct the innovation of dams like hydrological dams; those dams which deliver power utilizing the force of water, tidal dams; these are those dams and wind processes; these are those dams which create power by the force of winds .so it`s very easy to comprehend that how the development of one innovation brings forth another innovation. I will give you another case to make this unmistakable as a matter of first importance when the innovation of PC was presented then PC innovation offered ascend to another innovation called web innovation and gradually and gradually this prompted to the production of the virtual world and today these advancements have grown today and web innovation and PC innovation are exceptionally created which are helping us in our day today life and we ought not overlook that if today you are perusing this substance it has got to be conceivable just because of the PC and programming innovation . Presently the hypothesis that how one innovation prompts to the development or generation of new innovation must be clear to all of you.

Presently let us discuss the significance of the advancements. The first and the premier significance of the innovations is that innovation furnish us with persuade of doing any work, it can likewise be said that innovation is vital on the grounds that it acts as our assistance and help us in doing are straightforward day by day works, another significance of innovation is to get advancement the country innovation has helped us incredibly to make a created world innovation permit us to research and discover the truths of this and the realities of this universe.


Daily Om ~ The Truth of Interdependence

autumn leavesEarth is home to a web of living things that are connected to each other through a kaleidoscope of relationships. Picking a leaf off the ground and contemplating it as an object in and of itself is very inspiring. Its shape and color, the way it feels in your hand, its delicate veins and the stem that once held it fast to the branch of a tree—all of these qualities reveal a leaf to be a miniature work of natural art. As we contemplate this small object more deeply and consider where it came from and what purpose it has served, we find that the leaf is one small but essential part of a system that harnesses the energy of the sun, plumbs the depths of the earth, and in the process brings into being the oxygen many living things rely on to live.

One of the many gifts that nature offers us is a clear demonstration of the interdependence between all living things. The person who exhales the carbon dioxide, the clouds that produce the rain, the sun that gives light, the leaf that transforms all these things into sustenance for a tree—not one of these could survive without being part of this cycle.

Source: Daily Om

Daily Om ~ Silent Change

Source: Daily Om

Daily Om ~ Acknowledging Our Pain

Source: Daily Om

Daily Om ~ Waking Up

Source: Daily Om

Daily Om ~ Value Your Own Wisdom

universe-within-2Your very own inner wisdom should be valued more than any other and will always guide you in the direction you need to travel. Throughout our lives, we will encounter individuals who presume to know what is best for us. The insights they offer cannot compare, however, with the powers of awareness and discernment that already exist within us. From birth we are blessed with wisdom that cannot be learned or unlearned. It exists whether or not we acknowledge it because it is a gift given to us by a loving universe before we chose to experience existence on the earthly plane. Yet for all its permanence, it is vital that we value and honour this incredible element of the self. It is when we do not use our inborn wisdom that we begin to doubt our personal truths and are driven to outside sources of information because we are afraid. What we know to be true in our hearts is invariably true, and we discover how intensely beautiful and useful self-trust can be when we recognize the power of our wisdom.

Inner wisdom is not subject to the influences of the outside world, which means that it will never demand that we surrender our free will or counsel us to act in opposition to our values. We benefit from this inspiration when we open ourselves to it, letting go of the false notion that we are less qualified than others to determine our fate. The wisdom inside of us is the source of our discernment and our ability to identify blessings in disguise. When we are unsure of who to trust, how to respond, or what we require, the answers lie in our inner wisdom. It knows where we are going and understands where we are coming from, taking this into account though it is not a product of experience but rather a piece of our connection to the universal mind.

In the whole of your existence, no force you will ever encounter will contribute as much to your ability to do what you need to do and be who you want to be as your natural wisdom. Through it, you reveal your growing consciousness to the greater source and discover the true extent of your strength. If you heed this wisdom with conviction and confidence, the patterns, people, and fears that held you back will be dismantled, paving the way for you to fulfill your truest potential.

Source: Daily Om

Daily Om ~ Finding Deep Strength

Source: Daily Om

Daily Om ~ A Magical Potion

untitledOur very own lives can be magical like the fleeting morning dew on a flower tip.
The world awakens each day from its nightly slumber, transformed by a sparkling layer of morning dew on the grass, on flower petals and leaves, on cars and car windows. These glistening droplets last only a little while, an integral part of what imbues the early morning with its aura of magic. If we sleep too late, we miss the magnificent display of sunlight playing upon an infinite amount of tiny crystal balls. To step onto the dew-covered grass is to anoint our feet with a form of water that comes only once a day for a short time, a rarefied gift of the night air that will soon evaporate in the full light of the sun. If we inhale slowly and consciously enough, it is almost as if we are drinking in this magical elixir formed in the boundary between darkness and light.

In one myth, morning dew is believed to be tears from heaven, and in another, the droplets are poured from the vessel of the goddess of dawn. When we see the earth draped with these shimmering drops, it is easy to imagine fairies bathing in the water, or a sky god weeping from a longing to be closer to his beloved earth goddess. Seeing the sparkling beauty of the earth emerging from darkness, we may understand this longing in terms of our own gratitude; how blessed we are to be here.

Perhaps heaven really does long to be here on earth, and perhaps that is why we are here—as conduits between the divine and the earthbound. As we drink the morning dew in with our eyes, our skin, our breath, it is easy to imagine that it really is a magical potion, a gift from heaven, a reminder of our true purpose, and a daily opportunity to be transformed.

Source: Daily Om


Reply to Criticism on my EA Post

Structurally, what I did in my previous post was

  • quote some EAs making comments on forums and Facebook
  • interpret what I think is the attitude behind those quotes

There are three possible points of failure to this argument:

  • The quotes don’t mean what I took them to mean
  • The views I claimed EAs hold are not actually bad
  • The quotes aren’t evidence of a broader problem in EA.

I’m going to address each of these possibilities separately.

Case 1: Ben Todd’s Quotes on Criticism

I said,

Hi Sarah,

Case 2: Robert Wiblin on Promises

Case 3: Robert Wiblin on Autism

Case 4: Jacy Reese on Evidence from Intuition

Holly Elmore:

Gleb Tsipursky:

  • Dishonesty will predictably damage your life.

I also believe consent is really important.

Possibility 4: My point stands, but my tactics were bad

I did not handle this post like a pro.

I definitely think these were mistakes on my part.

EA Has A Lying Problem

Why hold EA to a high standard?

Lying for the greater good

Criticizing EA orgs is harmful to the movement

He also said:

Keeping promises is a symptom of autism

“Because I Said So” is evidence

Reese continues:

In the midst of this debate somebody commented,

So what? The issue of exploitative marketing

which is a perfect description of Tsipursky’s behavior.

What do I mean by that?

Ain’t Gonna Study War No More

Epistemic Status: Personal

People are often confused when I say I’m an anarchist, and it takes a while to explain what I mean, so I think it may be worth posting about.

The thing is, I believe in peace.

Yep, this is the old-fashioned non-aggression principle.  Consent. Voluntariness. Mutual benefit. Live and let live. All that jazz.

For me, it’s not an abstract formalism set up to justify why taxes should be lower or something.  Peace is a state that you can be at, or not, with others. Peace is what happens when two cats take a nap next to each other in a square of sunlight, and they don’t bother each other, but are okay in each other’s company. Peace is a state of deep, secure, calm nonintrusion.  Peace is what my husband and I try to practice in our marriage, for instance.

Peace means that nobody is giving orders, implicitly or explicitly. It means when you speak to a person you’re saying “I think you would value hearing this”, not “I’m going to try to alter you.”  It’s a kind of politeness and respect for privacy.  To get it exactly right takes a lot of work, and everyone makes mistakes at it.  But it’s a beautiful thing when it can be achieved.

Peace is the precondition for individual perception or creation. You have to be left alone for long enough to have a mind of your own. A child who gets enough time to play and dream will start making things. Poking and prodding interrupts that process.

Adults also have to be left alone to make things, if we are ever going to have nice things.  If you don’t let people make factories or houses or drugs, we won’t have any.

And cruelty hurts. Harshness hurts. Normal sympathy tells us that.  All things being equal, being mean is bad. I don’t care that it sounds childish, that’s what I actually believe.

Ok, but non-peace is everywhere. The world contains wars and governments, and pushy assholes, and probably always will as long as there are people. And there may be necessary evils, situations where aggression is unavoidable. Isn’t it naive of me to just stand here saying “peace is good”?

This is the point when I have to make clear that I’m talking about a stance rather than a system.  The question is always “what do I do?”, “where do I place the Sarah in the world?”  I don’t have a God’s-eye view; my understanding literally comes out of my own brain, which is embedded in one person, who exists in the world.  So there’s no real principled separation between believing and doing.

What defines you, as an agent with bounded computation, is what you focus on and what simplifying heuristics you use. Defining the “typical case” vs “outliers” is a form of frame control that is inevitable, an ineluctable form of choice, so you may as well do it intentionally.

My stance is that my attention belongs on the win-win, peaceful, productive parts of the world. My stance is to place myself on the side of aspiring to higher standards and aiming for joyful wins.  I think that outlook is both well suited to me and significantly undervalued in the public.  We may need people in this world who are all about making harsh tradeoffs, protecting against tail risks, guarding the worst off, being leaders or guardians or sheepdogs — but that’s a completely different frame, a different stance, and I don’t think it’s really possible to see the world through both simultaneously.

In the frame I find healthiest, the “typical case” is that people are individual persons who fare best when their consent is respected, that by default “doing well” and “doing good” correlate, that “do your own thing, seek growth and happiness, don’t aggress upon others” is usually the best bet, and that cases where that’s not possible are the exceptions and aberrations, to be worked around as best as possible.  Peace is the main course, force is a bitter condiment that we must occasionally taste.

This is the lens through which Leopold Bloom sees the world:

— What? says Alf.

I’ve often noticed a hope deficit — people are very quick to try to decide which necessary evil they have to accept, and it doesn’t occur to them to ask “what would it look like if things were just straightforwardly good?”  There’s a creative power in optimism that people don’t seem to appreciate enough.

I think I’m not going to do that much more digging into social-science topics, because they aren’t as amenable to finding peaceful wins.  The framing puts me in the position of asking “do I support inflicting this harm or that harm on millions of people?”  And this is ridiculous; I, personally, will never do such a thing, and don’t want to.  If I ever make a valuable contribution to the world it will almost certainly be through making, not ruling. So anything that sets things up as the question of “what would I do, if I were a ruler” is corrosive.  The world is a mixture of peace and war, but I want my part in it to be peaceful.

Haidt-Love Relationship

Epistemic status: personal, exhortatory, expressive

Jonathan Haidt has an ideology.  In his academic life, he poses positive questions, but he definitely has a normative position as well. And you can see this most clearly in his speeches to young people, which are sermons on Haidtism.

Here is an example.

In it, he contrasts “Coddle U” with “Strengthen U,” two archetypal colleges. He’s clearly arguing in favor of psychological resilience, and against fragility. Let’s leave aside the question of whether feminists and other activists are actually oversensitive weenies, and whether trigger warnings are actually coddling, and engage with his main point, that it is better not to be an oversensitive weenie.

Haidt seems to see this as self-evident. The emotionally weak are to be mocked; the emotionally strong are to be respected.

I don’t find it as obvious.

Fragility can have a certain charm. Sensitive, romantic, tender spirits can be quite attractive.  The soft-hearted can be quick to show kindness. The easily-bruised can be alert to problems that more thick-skinned folks ignore.  We usually trust people’s sincerity more when they are moved to strong emotion.  A frail, innocent person is often a lovable person.  And who wouldn’t want to be lovable?

“Do you want to be strong or do you want to be fragile?” takes us back to Nietzsche’s old conflict of Herrenmoral and Sklavmoral.  Is it good to be successful, skilled, strong, powerful (as opposed to weak, cowardly, unhealthy, contemptible)?   Or is it good to be innocent, pure, gentle, kind (as opposed to oppressive, selfish, cruel)?

Of course it’s possible to be both kind and strong.  Herrenmoral and Sklavmoral are both pre-rational viewpoints, more like aesthetics than actual ethics.  It’s a question of whether you want to be this:

or this:

Ultimately, the consideration in favor of strength is simply that the world contains threats.  Fragility may make you lovable, but it can also make you dead.  You don’t get to appreciate the benefits of sensitivity and tenderness if you’re dead.

Being strong enough to do well at the practicalities of the world — physical safety and health, economic security, enough emotional stability not to put yourself or others at risk — is, up to a point, an unalloyed good.

Think of it as a gambler’s ruin situation. You have to win or save enough to stay in the game.  Strength helps you stay in the game.

And because strength is necessary for survival, there’s something to respect in the pro-strength aesthetic.

From the outside, it can seem kind of mean and elitist. You’re scorning people for failure and pain? You think you’re better than the rest of us, just because you’re pretty or smart or tough or happy?

But another way of looking at it is having respect for the necessities of life.  If you consider that starvation is a thing, you’ll remember that food is valuable, and you’ll feel gratitude to the farmers who grow it. In the same way, you can have respect for intelligence, respect for competence, respect for toughness, respect for all skills.  You can be glad for them, because human skill drives out the darkness of death, the hard vacuum of space that surrounds us, and excellent humans are pinpricks of flame in the dark.  You can love that hard brilliance.

And if respect can tinge into love, love can shade into enjoyment. You can enjoy being awesome, or knowing people who are awesome.  It can be exhilarating.  It can be a high and heady pleasure.

And from that vantage point, it’s possible to empathize with someone who, like Haidt, scorns weakness. Maybe, once you’ve been paying attention to the high points of human ability, anything else seems rather dingy.  Maybe you think “It’s so much nicer here upon the heights, why would you want to be down in the valley?”  Maybe some of the people who seem “elitist” actually just want to be around the people who light them up, and have developed high standards for that.

Not to say that there doesn’t exist shallow, vindictive status-grabbing.  But there are also people who aren’t like that, who just prefer the excellent to the mediocre.

Or, on a smaller scale, there are those who seek out “positive people” and avoid “toxic people” — they’re orienting towards success and away from failure, towards strength and away from weakness, and this is an understandable thing to do.

An addict trying to get her life together would try hard to avoid weakness, temptation, backsliding — and this would be a good thing, and any decent person would cheer for her.  That kind of motivation is the healthy thing that drives people to choose strength over fragility.

So Haidt’s basic premise — that you want to be more strong than fragile — is believable.

His prescriptions for achieving that are risk tolerance and minimizing the negative.

I’m going to reframe his ideas somewhat so they refer to individuals.  He’s talking about a top-down perspective — how schools can make students stronger. I have an issue with that, because I think that “improving” people against their will is ethically questionable, and especially trying to “make people tough” by exposing them to adversity, if they have no intrinsic desire to toughen and no input into the type of “adversity” involved, is probably counterproductive.  However, people self-improve all the time, they make themselves tougher, and that’s a more fruitful perspective, in my opinion.

Risk tolerance is the self-motivated version of “we’re not going to coddle you.” It would mean seeking out challenges, looking for criticism, engaging with “hard truths”, going on adventures.  Trying things to test your mettle.

It’s pretty obvious why this works: small amounts of damage cause you to develop stronger defenses. Exercise produces micro-tears in muscle, so it grows back stronger.  Vaccines made of weakened virus stimulate immunity to that virus.  Intermittent, all-out efforts against fear or failure are good for you.

(You’re still playing to stay in the game, so an adversity that takes you out of the game altogether is not good for you. This is why I think it works much better if the individual’s judgment and motivation is engaged.  Voluntary choice is important. Authorities trying to “toughen kids up” against their will can kill them. )

Minimizing the negative means mentally shrinking the sources of your distress. Haidt cites Marcus Aurelius, Boethius, the Buddha, and the tenets of cognitive behavioral therapy as pointing at the same universal truths.

Now, of course, Stoicism, Buddhism, and modern psychology have very different visions of the good life. The ideal Stoic is a good citizen; the ideal Buddhist is an ascetic; the ideal psychological subject is “well.”  The ideal Stoic is protective of his soul; the ideal Buddhist is aware that his “self” does not exist.  Trying to be a serious Stoic is quite different from trying to be a serious Buddhist, and it’s not clear what it would even mean to try to be the “ideal person” by the standards of cognitive behavioral therapy.

What these philosophies have in common is a lot simpler than that: it’s just “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Don’t freak out over trivial shit. Remember that it’s trivial.

Stoicism and Buddhism both use meditation as a tactic; both suggest focusing on impermanence and even death, to remind oneself that trivial shit will pass.  CBT’s tactic is disputation — arguing with your fears and frustrations, telling yourself that the problem is not that big a deal.

Marcus Aurelius in particular uses pride a lot as a tactic, encouraging you to view getting upset as beneath the dignity of your soul.

Of course, “Don’t sweat the small stuff” imposed from without is a bit insulting.  Who are you, authority figure, to say what is and isn’t important?  Aren’t you telling me to ignore real problems and injustices?

But seen from within, “don’t sweat the small stuff” is just another perspective on “focus on your goals and values.”

You want to stay in the game, remember? So you can win, whatever that means to you.  So survival matters, robustness matters, because that keeps you in the game.  Freaking out takes you hors de combat.

Haidt tends not to push too hard on Christianity, perhaps because his audience is secular, but it is a very common source of comfort that does, empirically, make people happier.  My impression of Christian positivity, from a non-theological perspective, is that it says the good outweighs the bad. The bad exists; but the good is stronger and bigger and wins in the end.  And this is another way of not freaking out over trivial shit, which is quite different in aesthetic from the others, and maybe underappreciated by secular people.  Instead of trying to shrink your troubles by minimizing or disputing them, you can make them seem less important by contrast to something vast and Good. In a similar, albeit secular, spirit, there’s Camus’ famous line, “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.”

Stripped of the sneering and the political angle and the paternalism, what we have here is a pretty solid message.

It’s a good idea to become stronger; in order to do that, try hard things, and don’t freak out about trivial shit.

Now, I immediately imagine a dialogue with my Weenie Self resisting this idea.

But…that sounds AWFUL!  I don’t want to!

Well, the thing is, “I’m not currently doing X” is not a valid argument against doing X. If it were, nobody would ever have a reason to change their behavior.  We’d all just follow the gradients of our current stimuli wherever they led.  There’s no choice in that world, no deliberate behavior. “But I’m currently freaking out about trivial shit!” doesn’t actually mean that you shouldn’t want to freak out less in future.

I know. It’s weird.  This is a way of thinking about things consciously and explicitly, even when they feel kind of awkward and wrong.

How can it be right when it doesn’t feel right?!  I am currently experiencing a sense of certainty that this is a bad idea! You want me to trust a verbal argument over this overwhelming feeling of certainty?

This, believe it or not, is what people mean when they talk about reason!

Trusting an argument that is correct as far as you can tell, over your feelings, even very strong feelings.  Being consciously aware that a thing is a good idea, and doing it, even when it’s awkward and unnatural and feels wrong.  You’re not used to doing things this way, because you usually discipline yourself with more feelings — guilt or fear, usually.  But there’s a way of making yourself do hard things that starts, simply, with recognizing intellectually that the hard thing is a good idea.

You can make yourself like things that you don’t currently like!  You can make yourself feel things that you aren’t currently feeling!

This bizarre, robotic, abstract business of making decisions on the basis of thoughts rather than feelings is a lot less crazy than it, um, feels.  It’s a tremendous power.

Some people luck into it by being naturally phlegmatic. The rest of us look at them and think “Man, that would suck, having practically no feelings.  Feelings are the spice of life!”  But we can steal a bit of their power, with time and effort, without necessarily becoming prosaic ourselves.

My overall instinctive response to Haidtism is negative.  The ideology initially comes across as smug and superficial.  But upon reflection, I have come to believe that it is right to aim towards self-transcendence, to do hard things and not sweat the small stuff. And I’m resolving to be more charitable towards people who support that creed even when they rub me the wrong way stylistically.  Ultimately, I want to do the things that are good ideas, even when that means awkward, deliberate change.


State Championship Game Times Announced

The Arkansas Activities Association released the times and dates for all championship games.

All games will be played at Barton Coliseum in Little Rock

3:30 - Jessieville vs Greenland, 3A Girls
5:15 - Concord vs Bay, 1A Boys
7:00 - Norphlet vs Marmaduke, 2A Girls
8:45 - Dollarway vs Pottsville, 4A Boys

3:30 - Harding Academy vs Episcopal Collegiate, 3A Boys
5:15 - Northside vs Southside, 7A Girls
7:00 - Alma vs Jacksonville, 5A Boys
8:45 - Paragould vs Jacksonville, 5A Boys

11:00 - Prairie Grove vs Malvern, 4A Girls
12:45 - East Poinsett County vs Cedar Ridge, 2A Boys
2:30 - Weiner vs Nevada County, 1A Girls
4:15 - Fayetteville vs North Little Rock, 7A Boys
6:00 - Little Rock Hall vs Little Rock Parkview, 6A Girls
7:45 - Little Rock Hall vs Joneseboro, 6A Boys


November, 2003

Martha Schwendener

Over the course of his career, Lyle Ashton Harris has moved among installation, video, and photography, often combining the three. His most recent show found him focusing on a single medium, however, and his favorite subject: himself. The twelve large-format Polaroid photographs on view (all works 2002) were all titled “Memoirs of Hadrian, after a novel by Marguerite Yourcenar that takes the form of a letter from Emperor Hadrian to Marcus Aurelius. In eight of the photographs, Harris poses as a pugilist, bruised and bloodied, wearing boxing gloves and a white jockstrap. (Signifiers of imperial Rome are nowhere in sight.) In the rest he appears as a shadowy figure, photographed behind a sheet of Plexiglas covered with drips and smears. Tacked to the Plexi in the photo are smaller Polaroids of objects (mouthpiece, boxing gloves).

Each large-scale Polaroid bears a distinct painterly quality. The surfaces are smooth, but from a short distance they look like expressionist canvases of some kind. The Polaroids within the large-scale Polaroid create a collage effect in the final product that mimics the layering of pigment on canvas. But unlike a painting, each successive layer is transparent, because a photograph of a photograph adds rather than conceals visual information.

Taut and lean and lustrous, these images of Harris call up historical shots of black athletes, and the evident reflexivity-shading-into-narcissism signals an ongoing engagement with a set of issues the artist has explored before: black male and/or black gay identity. But-aside from homosocial/sexual considerations of hand-to-hand combat-somehow those issues were not explicit enough in this body of work. Clues that Harris has often included elsewhere (from family photos to references to Jeffrey Dahmer) are absent here, and a greater load is placed on the shoulders of Harris as subject.

In three of the works, Harris appears almost as if shot through a sheet of rain. This blurring or semi-erasure is reminiscent of whole bodies of work that strive to address issues of visibility vis-à-vis race and gender. Just as Yourcenar’s letter recipient is never given a voice, Harris’s opponent in the ring is never shown. But in fact, naming the project after Yourcenar’s text hinders rather than helps, and the putative imperial Harris/boxing/Rome connection never justifies itself at all. (Learning that Harris spent a year in Rome as an American Academy fellow adds nothing.) The idea of the artist as battered boxer is at once imprecise and heavy-handed; the works leave us to wonder how the images relate either to their stated inspiration or to Harris’s project more generally.


 Alzheimer's disease - Atlas of pathophysiology, 2 Edition

Atlas of pathophysiology, 2 Edition

Part II - Disorders

Neurologic disorders

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative disorder of the cerebral cortex, especially the frontal lobe. It affects approximately 4 million Americans; by 2040, that figure may exceed 6 million.

Age Alert

Alzheimer's disease typically affects adults older than age 60, but some cases have been reported in individuals as young as in their late 30s.

The disease has a poor prognosis. Typically, the duration of illness is 8 years, and patients die 2 to 5 years after onset of debilitating brain symptoms.

Exact cause unknown

Possible contributing factors

·         Genetic patterns

·         Beta-amyloid plaque development

·         Inflammatory and oxidative stress processes

·         The role of estrogen in the brain

The brain of a patient with Alzheimer's disease has three characteristic features: neurofibrillary tangles (fibrous proteins), neuritic plaques (composed of degenerating axons and dendrites), and neuronal loss (degeneration).

Neurofibrillary tangles are bundles of filaments found inside neurons that abnormally twist around one another. Abnormally phosphorylated tau proteins accumulate in the neurons as the characteristic tangles and ultimately cause neuronal death. In a healthy brain, tau provides structural support for neurons, but in patients with Alzheimer's disease this structural support collapses.

Neuritic plaques (senile plaques) form outside the neurons in the adjacent brain tissue. Plaques contain a core of beta-amyloid protein surrounded by abnormal nerve endings or neurites. Overproduction or decreased metabolism of beta-amyloid peptide leads to a toxic state causing degeneration of neuronal processes, neuritic plaque formation, and eventually neuronal loss and clinical dementia.

Tangles and plaques cause neurons in the brain of the patient with Alzheimer's disease to shrink and eventually die, first in the memory and language centers and finally throughout the entire brain. This widespread neuron degeneration leaves gaps in the brain's messaging network that may interfere with communication between cells, causing some of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

Signs and symptoms

·         Disorientation to date

·         Impaired recall

·         Diminished insight

·         Irritability

·         Apathy

·         Increased disorientation (time and place)

·         Fluent aphasia

·         Difficulties with comprehension

·         Impaired recognition

·         Poor judgment

·         Trouble performing activities of daily living (ADLs)

·         Aggression

·         Restlessness

·         Psychosis

·         Sleep disturbances

·         Dysphoria

·         Unable to use language appropriately

·         Memory only to the moment

·         Needs assistance with all ADLs

·         Urinary and fecal incontinence

Diagnostic test results

·         Neuropsychologic evaluation shows deficits in memory, reasoning, vision-motor coordination, and language function.

·         Magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scan reveals brain atrophy at later stages of the disease.

·         Positron emission tomography scanning shows decreased brain activity.

·         EEG shows evidence of slowed brain waves at later stages of the disease.

·         Cholinesterase inhibitors, such as tacrine, donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine

·         Behavioral therapy

·         Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

·         Cholesterol-lowering drugs

·         Estrogen


Representing a state-wide trade association, ESP work with rule-making and Executive Branch leadership to prevent passage of regulations that would have had a significant negative impact upon this industry. Recognizing that some level of increased regulation appeared inevitable, ESP set up meetings with key State leadership to assure that the regulations would meet the State’s goals without destroying the industry’s ability to prosper.  ESP’s leadership led to a result that all sides could support.


Repository Listing

To provide a better understanding of the regional biodiversity found throughout the Kimberley, identify and characterise in finer detail the major habitat types in selected coastal areas such as Camden Sound Marine Park.
PreviewBaited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS (TM)) were deployed to census deep water fish communities (30-70 m) at 19 sites in South Scott Reef lagoon in November and December 1999.