Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is a common cause of knee pain in both adolescents and adults.  It is especially prevalent in runners and is sometimes called “Runner’s knee”. PFPS is typically characterized by pain at the front of the knee.

b.pfsmlThe patellofemoral joint is comprised of the patella (knee cap) and the femur (thigh bone). The patella sits in a groove on the femur. When the knee bends, the patella moves along this groove. This is referred to as “patellar tracking”. A combination of dynamic (quadricep muscles and ITB)  and static (articular capsule, medial and lateral retinacula, bony structure and ligaments) stabilizers control patellar tracking.

  • Pain around or under the patella
  • Aggravated by activities such as squatting, going down stairs, kneeling, lunging, running and prolonged periods of sitting
  • Knee may feel stiff
  • May notice clicking or grinding with knee movement
  • Minimal swelling

There are 3 primary contributing factors that increase the risk of PFPS.

1) Muscular imbalance

  • Quadricep muscle weakness can impair patellar tracking. When the inner quadricep muscle is weak and the outer quadricep muscles and ITB are tight, the patella is pulled towards the outside, impairing its tracking. Tight hamstrings and calves can also contribute to PFPS. Furthermore, weak gluteus muscles decreases pelvic stability and increase the force placed on the knee which increases risk of PFPS.

2) Malalignment

  • Large Q-angle (wide hips), knock knees and asymmetrical kneecaps can contribute to PFPS. Additionally, over pronation (excessive rolling-in) of the feet can cause the lower leg to rotate inwards, increasing stress on the knee joint.

3) Overactivity

  • Increasing your running/training mileage, speed, intensity and hill work  too quickly without enough rest are common training errors that can cause PFPS.

Physiotherapy can effectively treat PFPS. The first step of treatment is identifying the cause of the problem. A treatment plan will then be created to deal with the cause and prevent injury recurrence. Initially, resting and icing the knee will be important to decrease pain and inflammation. A variety of soft tissue techniques, andjoint mobilization, as well stretching and strengthening exercises will be used to further rehabilitate the knee and surrounding structures. If necessary taping techniques, knee bracing and foot orthotics may recommended to deal with malalignment issues. It is important to note that addressing this issue early will promote faster recovery.

Muscle cramps: Why you get them and what you can do

calf-crampMuscle cramps are involuntary muscle contractions of one or more muscles. These spasms can be quite painful lasting a couple seconds to 15 minutes or longer. A muscle cramp can recur several times before it resolves.  Muscles of the feet, calves, thighs, hands, arms and abdomen are  prone to spasm. Whether you are out for a run, in the car or  going to sleep, muscle cramps come without warning.  A common question we get at our clinic is what causes these cramps and how can you relieve them?

Potential Causes of Muscle Cramps
Injury: Following an injury, muscle cramps can occur as a protective mechanism. Muscle spasms help to minimize movement, stabilizing the injured area.

Vigorous activity: Exercise related cramps are likely caused by muscle fatigue. In normal functioning muscles, inhibitory messages are sent to the muscle to prevent it from contracting too strongly. When the muscle fatigue, this inhibitory message is decreased causing overstimulation to the muscle. This results in a muscle cramp.

Dehydration: Dehydration can occur through excessive fluid loss when sweating and/or inadequate fluid intake. Dehydration increases the likelihood of muscle cramps.

Muscle cramps can also be caused by an underlying factor:
Mineral deficiency: Low levels of calcium or magnesium in the blood causes increased excitability of the nerves and the muscles that they stimulate. Increased muscle stimulation can result in muscle cramping.

Nerve compression: Spinal nerve irritation or compression can cause cramp-like pain.
This may be accompanied by weakness or sensory changes.

Poor circulation: If blood vessels become narrow due to arteriosclerosis, blood supply to the extremities become decreased. This can result in muscle cramps that are more likely to occur when you are walking or exercising but stops with rest.

Kidney, thyroid, hormone and liver disorders: Muscle cramps can be complications of an organ disorder. For example, hypoglycemia and anemia can cause muscle cramps.

Drug side effect: Various drugs such as those used for blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease, high cholesterol and others can cause muscle cramps.

What can you do?

Stretch: Most muscle cramps will relax if the muscle is stretched. This can sometimes be accomplished by standing up and walking around or changing positions. Stretching the specific muscle group in spasm may also be required. For instance, if your calf is in spasm, stretch is by performing these 2 stretches. CalfStretches

Massage: Gently massaging the muscle in spasm may help to relax the muscle.

Heat: Applying a heat pack to the muscle cramp or having a warm bath may also help to get the muscle to relax.

Prevent the cramp: There are a number of things you can do to prevent muscle cramps from happening in the first place:
a) Stay well hydrated
b) Ensure adequate dietary intake of nutrients and minerals
c) Stretch before and after physical activity
d) Rest: get enough sleep and allow sufficient time for muscles to rest and recover after exercise

Physical therapy: If your muscle cramp is the result of an injury, physical therapy can help to decrease muscle tone and spasm and rehabilitate underlying injuries.

Note: Cramps that are a result of organ disorders, nerve compression, poor circulation or drug complications may need further medical investigation for appropriate treatment.

Bronze with a Broken Rib

1297523994615_ORIGINALThe Sochi 2014 Olympics are now underway and it has been a great day for team Canada. The day started with a bronze medal finish by our very own, Mark McMorris, in Men’s Slopestyle Snowboard. Winning Canada’s first medal is quite an accomplishment, especially given the athlete’s injury.  McMorris fractured one of his ribs 2 weeks before the Olympics, which posed a big concern for the medal hopeful. However, with determination and intensive therapy, McMorris persevered  in order to fulfil his Olympic dream.  This is an incredible feat as most would be unable to compete with such an injury.

What is a rib fracture?
A rib fracture is a break of any of the 12 rib bones. The ribs form a cage around the torso, attaching to the spine at the back and traveling around to the front of the chest. Ribs 1-7 attach to the sternum, ribs 8-10 attach to the rib above via cartilage, and ribs 11-12 are considered ‘floating ribs’ because they do not attach to the chest.

Fractures are typically the result of trauma to the chest caused by a fall, direct impact to the chest, or motor vehicle accident. In serious cases, the rib can be become displaced, which may result in organ damage to the lungs, liver, kidney, spleen or blood vessels.

Signs and symptoms of a rib fracture can include:
-chest, midback, side pain that may radiate into the shoulder, neck or back
-pain with breathing
-pain in the chest with coughing and sneezing
-pain with movement, especially bending and twisting (McMorris was doing a lot of this)
-visible bruising on the chest
-tender to touch the area of the fracture

Rib fracture treatment:
Depending on the severity and presentation of symptoms, physiotherapists utilize a number of techniques to treat rib fractures. These include: advice on activity limitations/restriction, taping, postural correction, protective padding, soft tissue work, joint mobilization (post fracture healing), graduated return to sport/activity plan, electrotherapy, fall prevention programs and exercises to improve range of motion, strength and flexibility.

It is amazing the Mark McMorris fought through this injury today to bring home the bronze. We are so proud of all of our Canadian athletes and look forward to more inspiring stories to come. GO CANADA GO!

Easing Your Neck and Shoulder Tension

The neck and shoulders are often the victims of stress and pain.  Although there are multiple potential causes of neck and shoulder pain, symptoms are frequently the result of structural stress caused by our day-to-day activities. For instance, activities such as holding a phone between your shoulder and ear, doing repetitive overhead work (e.g. painting or lifting boxes), and typing at a keyboard that is too high can all cause muscle tension in the neck and shoulders. Additionally, sitting and standing in a poor posture with the head and shoulders forward and upper back slouched causes strain and tension in the muscles. Anxiety and chronic stress can also contribute to this problem as it can cause the body to adopt a self-protection posture with the shoulders raised, jaw clenched and neck jutting forward.

There are things you can do to decrease tension in your neck and shoulders:

1) Maintain good posture throughout the day. You can check out our previous post here for more information.

2) Drink plenty of water. Water is necessary for proper muscle and joint function. Try to drink at least 8, 8oz glasses of water a day.

3) See a physiotherapist. A physiotherapist can assess your neck and shoulders to determine the cause of your pain and develop a treatment plan to address any issues.

4) Stretch. Check out our newest video for an easy shoulder and neck yoga sequence that will help to decrease tension and stress.

Don’t Get Trapped in the Boom-Bust Cycle

Do you have a persistent injury that just does not seem to go away? Do you get better for a while but are plagued with set backs? Do you ever feel  like you are never 100% recovered from your injury? If so, you might be trapped in the boom-bust cycle.

Chronic injuries are undoubtably very frustrating and rehabilitation can feel painstakingly slow.  People with persistent injuries tend to ‘overdo’ an activity which causes a ‘pain flare’ and results in a set back.  This process is known as the boom-bust cycle.

Boom-Bust Cycle

So, what is the solution? How can you prevent this boom-bust cycle? Here is some advice:

We hope this advice will help you avoid the boom-bust cycle and lead you on the path to recovery.

For more information about Kinetic Physiotherapy, visit our website:  Contact Kinetic Physiotherapy via e-mail: or phone: 905-637-1414 to set up an appointment.

Successful New Year Resolutions

  • new-years-resolution-for-siteIt is hard to believe that 2014 is already here. With a new year just beginning, many people are thinking about self-improvement and the term “New Year Resolution” has been a popular topic of conversation. Everyone has high hopes of… getting  fit, losing weight, eating better, spending more time with family etc. Although motivation  is high right now, enthusiasm tends to dwindle as the month and year continues. The question is, how do we stay motivated to successfully accomplish our New Year’s Resolutions?  One way to succeed is by creating SMART goals. We use these types of goals in the physiotherapy setting to help people succeed in rehabilitation. However, the same principles can be applied to any goal you have and can help you succeed with your New Year resolution.

A “SMART” goal is:

Specific: Goals should be simplistically written and clearly state exactly what you want to achieve (who, what, where, when, which, why, how). You are more likely to accomplish a specific goal than a general one.
Example of a general goal: Get fit.
Example of a specific goal: Join a gym and work out 3 days a week.

Measurable: Goals should be measurable so that you can evaluate when the goal has been met. To determine if your goal is measurable ask questions such as: how much, how many and how will I know when it is accomplished?
Example of a non measurable goal: Get healthy.
Example of a measurable goal: Become more healthy as measured by lowering my blood pressure to a healthy range (120/80 mmHg).

Achievable: Goals should challenge you but be achievable. This requires you to reflect on the strengths, weaknesses and resources that you possess that will enable you to reach your goal.

Realistic: Goals must represent an objective that you are both able and willing to work towards.

Time-Bound: Goals should be grounded within a time frame. This will provide a sense of urgency to help you start working towards your goal.
Example of a goal that is not time-bound: Learn something new.
Example of a time-bound goal: Take a cake decorating class within the next 3 months.

Reflect on your New Year Resolutions. Are they SMART? If not, revise them so that they are. Write your goals down and tell someone to help keep you accountable. We wish you all the best in this New Year and hope these principles will help you succeed with all of your New Year Resolutions.

4 Exercises You Can Do at Work

Many Canadians spend the majority of the work day sitting at a desk. Although sitting may not seem like a high risk activity, sedentary jobs can have a negative impact on overall health. These types of jobs contribute to obesity and can lead to various other health issues such as tendonitis and neck and back strain injuries. Fortunately, there is something you can do. Here are 5 exercises that you can do at work to help keep you active, healthy and injury free at work.

1. Stretch

Stretching regularly will help to decrease tension and tightness in your muscles. Here are 10 simple stretches you can do at your desk. Try to perform a few of these stretches, 3-4 times a day. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds. Stretching should be pain free. (If any of these stretches cause pain, numbness or tingling, contact a health care professional)

2. Strengthen Muscles

-Glute squeeze: while sitting at your desk, tighten your buttocks, hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 10 times

-Heel raises: if you are taking a standing break, raise up on the balls of your feet by lifting your heels off the ground. Repeat 20 times

-Chair Squat:  without using your hands stand up and sit back down in your chair. Repeat 10 times

-Leg raises: When sitting, tighten your thigh muscle and kick your leg out straight. Hold for 5 seconds, repeat 20 times.

3. Stand Up

Every 15-20 minutes, take a break and stand up. Standing helps to improve circulation and posture, relieves stress and can decrease low back pain.

4. Go for a Walk

On your lunch break, go for a walk. Walking for just 10 minutes can help to control blood sugar and cholesterol, burn fat, increase energy and decrease stress. If possible, change into walking shoes to ensure your feet are well supported.


ROI is a natural concept: I’ve no problems in spending 50€ for a book but I’ve been struggling for 2 years to buy a 10000€ bike. Why?? Because I can’t figure out a reason that’s good enough to convince me. I need it? May be. Could it help in some way? Probably. Is there a real value for me? Hard to say ….

We tend to use this Natura ROI concept only over a ‘certain level’ of effort / money / value. It’ a kind of ALERT system.

In our corporate life, all over the world, the ROI concept is often and often driving choices. And … it’s applied exactly in the same way: someone sets the bar high, and to spend above the bar you need to calculate it!

So what? Stay below the bar!

Split stuff and start working small: adjust, correct, small steps, small releases, small decisions, continuous feedback, small failures, adjust, small steps …. be driven by what’s good for your customer. The value will emerge!

Is this idea sustainable??? Give me your feedback!

(Thanks Roberdan for the great chat about this topic)


Funky, colorful Hotel del Sol is strategically located in the family-friendly Marina District, just a couple of blocks from the bustling thoroughfare of Lombard Street. Children will be thrilled to know they are not far from the Disney Museum, and hiking trails of the Presidio, as well as the noise and excitement of Fisherman’s Wharf. When little ones tire of touring, they can cool off in the hotel’s sparkling outdoor heated pool. Two-bedroom family suites are available; make sure to ask about the “Kids-are-VIP’s” program featuring books, toys, and movies. Rooms are light and airy, with colorful decor—think more 1970s funk than old world Victorian like most of the city. Though it’s built in the style of a mid-century motor lodge, it has all the style and amenities of a boutique hotel.


The foundation was formed as a means to thoughtfully extend support to greater Wilmington area non-profit organizations.  Our grant award process results in a valuable contribution to smaller organizations that are often underfunded, making a major impact on the vital needs of our community.

97% of donations go directly to grants and scholarships

$4.2 MILLION in grants

funded since it's inception in 1995 to small, local, nonprofit organizations.

awarded since 2006.

awarded to student employees since 2005 totaling $207,400.


Kenya Tourism Board Addresses Recent Violence; Tourist Sites Unaffected

lamu, kenyaViolent attacks in Kenya over the past two days reportedly left an estimated 65 people dead. According to the New York Times, militants killed at least 15 people people on Kenya’s coast overnight, a day after they conducted a nighttime raid on the coast that left at least 48 people dead.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta blamed the assaults on “local political networks,” and denied that they were carried out by the Shabab, a Somali extremist group that has claimed responsibility for the violence.

“The attack in Lamu [mainland] was well planned, orchestrated and politically motivated ethnic violence against the Kenyan community,” President said in an address to the nation. “This, therefore, was not an al Shabab terrorist attack. Evidence indicates local political networks were involved in the planning and execution of the heinous crime,” he said. “This also played into the opportunist network of other criminal gangs.”

He said police officers who had been unable to prevent the attacks had been suspended and would be immediately charged in court.

In a statement, the Kenya Tourism Board said that the raiders are believed to have invaded a police station before they attacked various business premises in the area. "This incident comes at the backdrop of heightened measures to enhance security throughout the country with the President currently leading a campaign that is asking all Kenyans to be vigilant as well as warning those perpetrating crime of the consequences," the statement continued.

The Tourism Board also claimed that Lamu Island, one of Kenya's primary tourist resorts, was "in no way" affected by the assault, and that the Kenyan coastline was also unaffected. "The majority of visitors traveling to Lamu arrive by air into the local airport," the statement noted. "All tourist activity continues as normal throughout the country with holiday-makers visiting the country for safari circuits and the popular coastal resorts of Diani, Malindi, Watamu, Kilifi and Lamu among others...We wish to give the Kenya Tourism Board's assurance that the Government considers the security of tourists and Kenyans alike to be of paramount importance."


Piaget's Theory: The 4 Stages of Cognitive Development

Background and Key Concepts of Piaget's Theory

Piaget's stages of cognitive development
Blend Images - JGI/Jamie Grill / Getty Images

Piaget believed that children took at active role in the learning process, acting much like little scientists as they perform experiments, make observations, and learn about the world.

As kids interact with the world around them, they continually add new knowledge, build upon existing knowledge, and adapt previously held ideas to accommodate new information.

How Did Piaget Develop His Theory?

Piaget was born in Switzerland in the late 1800s and was a precocious student, publishing his first scientific paper when he was just 11 years old. His early exposure to the intellectual development of children came when he worked as an assistant to Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon as they worked to standardize their famous IQ test.

Much of Piaget's interest in the cognitive development of children was inspired by his observations of his own nephew and daughter. These observations reinforced his budding hypothesis that children's minds were not merely smaller versions of adult minds. Up until this point in history, children were largely treated simply as smaller versions of adults. Piaget was one of the first to identify that the way that children think is different from the way adults think.

Instead, he proposed, intelligence is something that grows and develops through a series of stages. Older children do not just think more quickly than younger children, he suggested. Instead, there are both qualitative and quantitative differences between the thinking of young children versus older children.

Based on his observations, he concluded that children were not less intelligent than adults, they simply think differently. Albert Einstein called Piaget's discovery "so simple only a genius could have thought of it."

Piaget's stage theory describes the cognitive development of children. Cognitive development involves changes in cognitive process and abilities. In Piaget's view, early cognitive development involves processes based upon actions and later progresses to changes in mental operations.

A Look at Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

Through his observations of his children, Piaget developed a stage theory of intellectual development that included four distinct stages:

The Sensorimotor Stage
Ages: Birth to 2 Years

Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:

  • The infant knows the world through their movements and sensations.
  • They are separate beings from the people and objects around them.

A child's entire experience at the earliest period of this stage occurs through basic reflexes, senses, and motor responses.

It is during the sensorimotor stage that children go through a period of dramatic growth and learning. As kids interact with their environment, they are continually making new discoveries about how the world works.

The cognitive development that occurs during this period takes place over a relatively short period of time and involves a great deal of growth. Children not only learn how to perform physical actions such as crawling and walking, they also learn a great deal about language from the people with whom they they interact.

Piaget also broke this stage down into a number of different substages. It is during the final part of the sensorimotor stage that early representational thought emerges.

Piaget believed that developing object permanence or object constancy, the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, was an important element at this point of development. By learning that objects are separate and distinct entities and that they have an existence of their own outside of individual perception, children are then able to begin to attach names and words to objects.

The Preoperational Stage
Ages: 2 to 7 Years

Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:

  • Children at this stage tend to be egocentric and struggle to see things from the perspective of others.
  • While they are getting better with language and thinking, they still tend to think about things in very concrete terms.

The foundations of language development may have been laid during the previous stage, but it is the emergence of language that is one of the major hallmarks of the preoperational stage of development. Children become much more skilled at pretend play during this stage of development, yet still think very concretely about the world around them.

At this stage, kids learn through pretend play but still struggle with logic and taking the point of view of other people. They also often struggle with understanding the idea of constancy.

For example, a researcher might take a lump of clay, divide it into two equal pieces, and then give a child the choice between two pieces of clay to play with. One piece of clay is rolled into a compact ball while the other is smashed into a flat pancake shape. Since the flat shape looks larger, the preoperational child will likely choose that piece even though the two pieces are exactly the same size.

The Concrete Operational Stage
Ages: 7 to 11 Years

Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes

  • They begin to understand the concept of conservation; that the amount of liquid in a short, wide cup is equal to that in a tall, skinny glass, for example.
  • Their thinking becomes more logical and organized, but still very concrete.

While children are still very concrete and literal in their thinking at this point in development, they become much more adept and using logic. The egocentrism of the previous stage begins to disappear as kids become better at thinking about how other people might view a situation.

While thinking becomes much more logical during the concrete operational state, it can also be very rigid. Kids at this point in development tend to struggle with abstract and hypothetical concepts.

During this stage, children also become less egocentric and begin to think about how other people might think and feel. Kids in the concrete operational stage also begin to understand that their thoughts are unique to them and that not everyone else necessarily shares their thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

The Formal Operational Stage
Ages: 12 and Up

Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:

  • At this stage, the adolescent or young adult begins to think abstractly and reason about hypothetical problems.
  • Abstract thought emerges.
  • Teens begin to think more about moral, philosophical, ethical, social, and political issues that require theoretical and abstract reasoning.
  • Begin to use deductive logic, or reasoning from a general principle to specific information.

The final stage of Piaget's theory involves an increase in logic, the ability to use deductive reasoning, and an understanding of abstract ideas. At this point, people become capable of seeing multiple potential solutions to problems and think more scientifically about the world around them.

The ability to thinking about abstract ideas and situations is the key hallmark of the formal operational stage of cognitive development. The ability to systematically plan for the future and reason about hypothetical situations are also critical abilities that emerge during this stage.

It is important to note that Piaget did not view children's intellectual development as a quantitative process; that is, kids do not just add more information and knowledge to their existing knowledge as they get older. Instead, Piaget suggested that there is a qualitative change in how children think as they gradually process through these four stages. A child at age 7 doesn't just have more information about the world than he did at age 2; there is a fundamental change in how he thinks about the world.

Important Concepts in Cognitive Development

To better understand some of the things that happen during cognitive development, it is important first to examine a few of the important ideas and concepts introduced by Piaget.

The following are some of the factors that influence how children learn and grow:

A schema describes both the mental and physical actions involved in understanding and knowing. Schemas are categories of knowledge that help us to interpret and understand the world.

In Piaget's view, a schema includes both a category of knowledge and the process of obtaining that knowledge. As experiences happen, this new information is used to modify, add to, or change previously existing schemas.

For example, a child may have a schema about a type of animal, such as a dog. If the child's sole experience has been with small dogs, a child might believe that all dogs are small, furry, and have four legs. Suppose then that the child encounters an enormous dog. The child will take in this new information, modifying the previously existing schema to include these new observations.

The process of taking in new information into our already existing schemas is known as assimilation. The process is somewhat subjective because we tend to modify experiences and information slightly to fit in with our preexisting beliefs. In the example above, seeing a dog and labeling it "dog" is a case of assimilating the animal into the child's dog schema.

Another part of adaptation involves changing or altering our existing schemas in light of new information, a process known as accommodation. Accommodation involves modifying existing schemas, or ideas, as a result of new information or new experiences. New schemas may also be developed during this process.

Piaget believed that all children try to strike a balance between assimilation and accommodation, which is achieved through a mechanism Piaget called equilibration. As children progress through the stages of cognitive development, it is important to maintain a balance between applying previous knowledge (assimilation) and changing behavior to account for new knowledge (accommodation). Equilibration helps explain how children can move from one stage of thought into the next.

A Word From Verywell

One of the most important elements to remember of Piaget's theory is that it takes the view that creating knowledge and intelligence is an inherently active process.

"I find myself opposed to the view of knowledge as a passive copy of reality," Piaget explained. "I believe that knowing an object means acting upon it, constructing systems of transformations that can be carried out on or with this object. Knowing reality means constructing systems of transformations that correspond, more or less adequately, to reality."

Piaget's theory of cognitive development helped add to our understanding of children's intellectual growth. It also stressed that children were not merely passive recipients of knowledge. Instead, kids are constantly investigating and experimenting as they build their understanding of how the world works.

Fancher, RE & Rutherford, A. Pioneers of Psychology: A History. New York: W.W. Norton; 2012.

Santrock, JW. A Topical Approach to Lifespan Development (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill; 2016.

Piaget, J. The Essential Piaget. Gruber, HE; Voneche, JJ. eds. New York: Basic Books; 1977.

Continue Reading


Xiaomi signs with Warner Music to expand its music library

xiaomi with warner music

Xiaomi and famous music company Warner Music has signed an agreement to expand its music library.

The Warner Music is the world third largest recording company that owns Atlantic Records, Warner Bros. Records, Parlophone Records.

With three top listed record company, Xiaomi’s new agreement with Warner Music will enable users to access to this large digital music library.

With this agreement, millions of Xiaomi fans will allow accessing songs from a wide range of foreign and local musicians.

xiaomi with warner music

In addition, both companies have also shared agreement to access to songs from Universal Music, Sony Music, Decca Records and more than 30 others.

Moreover, Xiaomi has recently updated MIUI music app with a bunch of new features.

The new music app adds an immersive mode, advanced search mode, cloud sync, artist’s info page, lyrics feature, and lots more.

The deal with Warner is considered as a big deal for Xiaomi in the profitable music industry.


Saturday, December 24, 2011

Monuments of Delhi - Humayun tomb

Monuments of Delhi – Humayun’s Tomb
Humayun the gentle Mughal Emperor was known for his knowledge & his penchant for books. He had regained his empire from Sher Shah after much struggle & tribulations. He is credited with the creation of the Mughal style of painting and was a lover of Astronomy & Astrology. His life & works is detailed in his biography ‘Humayun Nama’ written by his sister Gulbadan Begum on request of his son Akbar. Humayun was known to be a religious person and one of the most moderate & tolerant of the Mughal Emperors and he is credited with starting his own religion known as Din-e-Ilahi. He died on 25th February, 1556 having succumbed to his injuries sustained while descending the steps of his library at Purana Quila. The story surrounding his death goes that being a deeply religious person, while descending the steps of his library with armful of books, consequent upon the evening prayers calls given by the nearby Mosque’s Muezzin, he knelt down on the stairs as a sign of reverance and his robe got entangled and he tumbled down the stairs which resulted in his untimely death.
Subsequent to his death, the present day masoleum situated in Nizamuddin area in New Delhi was ordered to be built by his wife Hamida Banu Begum in 1562 and completed in 1569. This masouleum, which is now known as the ‘Humayn Tomb’ has since been declared as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. It is said that his body was initially buried in the Purana Qila, later moved to a temporary burial tomb in Sirhind, due to the invasion of Hemu in 1556. His body was again brought back to Delhi and buried in the Sher Mandal when Akbar defeated Hemu and thereafter shifted to its present location when the mausoleum was competed in 1569. The building style is a combination of Persian architecture and indigenous building styles and said to be modeled on the lines of the famous Gur-e-Amir mausoleum at Samarkhand, which is also known as the precursor of the Taj Mahal also.
The Humayun tomb is located at the centre of a garden complex, which can typically be divided mainly into four compartments in the famous Mughal Char-bagh style, with causeways, water channels and water pavilions at regular intervals. The tomb complex is enclosed by a high rubble wall and entered through an entrance gateway on the west side of the complex. The tomb proper is constructed over a huge and elevated platform 6.5 m in height, the outer façade of which is covered by a series of arched openings on all four sides, except four entrance stairs, one each at the centre of four sides. The ascending stairs at the centre of each of the four sides of the elevated platform leads to an open platform, at the centre of which is located is the main tomb. The main tomb akin to Taj Mahal is located below the monument and is approached through a horizontal passage located to the east of southern stairway. The main tomb is octagonal in plan and rises to a level of two storeys and at the four diagonal corners of the octagon are placed four chambers.
The octagonal central tomb is surmounted by a double dome which in turn is supported by a series of supporting arches. This employment of double dome architecture in a mausoleum is the first of its kind in this tomb and this adaptation provides the architect the advantage of building an imposing dome structure of enormous height, tactfully concealing the presence of the double domes from the outside. While the exterior height gives an imposing look, the low ceiling of the lower dome provides for a proportionate height for the interior features. T he exterior of the mausoleum is veneered with white marble stones in contrast to the largely red sandstone building, the interior on other hand is also furbished with different kinds of stone and the white marble as the bordering inlay laid out in decorative patterns. The red sandstone jali (filigree work in sandstone) decorations can be seen at the middle level arch openings which in turn are placed at its lower dome level.
The Humayun’s Tomb complex also houses many other small buildings which are examples of architecture style prevalent during the period preceding and succeeding Humayun. The prominent amongst them are detailed as under -
Barber’s Tomb
The tomb is located at the southeast corner in the garden complex. The person interned in this tomb is unknown, the local name of the tomb is Barber’s Tomb (Nai ka Gumbad).

Nila Gumbad
The monument is located outside the eastern enclosure wall, which is locally known as Nila Gumbad, due to the blue coloured dome. It is believed to contain the remains of one Fahim Khan, the attendant of Abdur Rahim Khan, who lived during the reign of Jahangir. The attendant died in 1626 A.D.
Afsarwala Mosque
The mosque is located to the southwest of the west gate of the main mausoleum. Prayers are offered by the local populace during Fridays when specific gates are opened to felicitate the offering of Namaz/prayers.

The sarai was built by the widow of Humayun in 1560-61 to house the three hundred Arab priests, who were said to have been brought with her from her pilgrimage to Mecca. Another version is that the building housed the Persian workers and craftsmen who were actually engaged in building the Humayun’s Tomb.

Garden of Bu Halima
The visitor entering the Humayun Tomb complex first enters into a garden complex, known as the Bu Halima garden. However, the origin of the name is not known.
Tomb and Mosque of Isa Khan
The tomb and mosque of Isa Khan who was a noble in the court of Sher Shah is located to the south of the Bu Halima garden. An inscription on a red sandstone slab indicated that the tomb is of Masnad Ali Isa Khan, son of Niyaz Aghwan, the Chief Chamberlain, and was built during the reign of Islam Shah, son of Sher Shah, in 1547-48 A.D. This structure pre dates of the Humayun Tomb by about 20 years.

1 comment:

  1. Delhi is full of many monuments which are very awesome and mesmerizing, same as Delhi, Agra is the another city which holds some beautiful monuments like Taj Mahal.
    taj mahal private tour
    india private tour packages


How an Autoimmune Disease Changed My Perspective

Ten years ago, at the young age of 29, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.  Graves’ Disease affects less than 3% of the population and occurs when the immune system attacks the thyroid. While it’s treatable, there’s no cure. It took almost 2.5 years and two treatments before I was on my way back to wellness.

Besides the health aspect giving me quite the scare, it also made me view my future a little differently.  Both my endocrinologist and GP confirmed that once you have one autoimmune disease, you are at a slightly higher risk to develop another. Graves’ is bad, but the thought of getting MS, RA, or lupus terrifies me. Those are degenerative and can be truly debilitating. My doctor has downplayed this connection but it’s still a very real possibility.

By no means do I live my life in fear. I try to take good care of myself (although I could do better, if I’m being honest) and I see my doctor annually. But after one health scare, I’m fully aware of what can happen and just how hard on the body it is. What if I get sick and can’t work until I’m 67? Sure, there’s disability via Social Security, but would that be enough?

Being sick is not something I’m planning on but it’s certainly something that I want to be prepared for. By setting a goal to be financially independent by the time I’m 50, I feel much better about what may come. Knowing that I wouldn’t have to deal with a full time job while battling an illness brings me peace of mind. I’ve done it once and definitely don’t want to do it again. Even if I don’t have enough saved to officially retire, I know that I could take a couple years off and return to the workforce once I’m healthy again.

Having an autoimmune disease hasn’t made me fear for my health or my future. But it has definitely opened up my eyes and made me determined to be better prepared for whatever the future may hold. It’s my responsibility, and mine alone, to ensure a secure financial future. I have the benefit of dealing with an illness while being covered by comprehensive medical insurance, where other people have not been so lucky. This has allowed me to recover without suffering financially, and has given me time to prepare for the future.

Have you ever faced an illness that changed your perspective, for better or for worse?

3 thoughts on “How an Autoimmune Disease Changed My Perspective

  1. Hi Kate! I’ve been thinking about your post all week, and raring to reply! My mom has Hashimoto’s, so I always knew there was a chance I’d get diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, too, though I assumed it would be hypothryroid, too. (Turns out my thyroid is still working just fine at age 36, so yay.) The scary thing was that the AI I first got diagnosed with was… MS. For years I had tingling and numbness in my hands and feet, and then I started getting more stumbly. My feet just didn’t seem to be working right, and my balance was getting worse. It was pretty terrifying to be only 30 and feel like my mobility was going to be gone soon. I’ll spare you all the middle details, but I also had restless legs syndrome, and in trying to improve that, I inadvertently stumbled upon gluten as a potential agonist, which led to a celiac disease diagnosis. At first I thought I had two AIs, but over the course of the first two years of going gluten-free, my MS symptoms totally disappeared. Lesson: figure out all potential causes! My neurologist now thinks that I never had MS (or it’s possible that I do have it but have slowed it dramatically by going GF), but instead had a form of celiac that impacts nerves. I feel SO lucky to have an AI that is treatable with food choices alone, doesn’t require drugs and doesn’t require surgery. I still have an elevated risk of developing other AIs, along with intestinal lymphoma, but given the choice of AIs, I feel really fortunate. So now I am pretty evangelical about trying a gluten-free diet. I don’t think gluten is evil or that everyone should be GF, but I certainly think anyone with an AI should at least *try* it for a few months to see if it helps. Worst case, no change, and then you can eat all that delicious gluten to your heart’s content. But best case, it might actually help or even completely pause the disease. It’s worth a shot!

    Like you, I feel like the AI stuff has given me a renewed sense of urgency in getting our finances in order to be free sooner rather than later. If the MS does come back, I want to know that I still have a few good years of climbing mountains before I’m stuck in a chair!

    1. Wow, thank you so much for sharing your experience! I tried for 2 years to go into remission, but we couldn’t get it to happen so I had to do the radioactive iodine treatment, which was really easy and painless. But I’m relieved to have an AI that is easily treatable, although it means that I have a non-functioning thyroid and will need to take synthetic hormone for the rest of my life. Things could be so much worse.

      Totally agree with you on the diet aspect. Once I was diagnosed I cut out all soda, drinking only water, coffee, and tea (with nothing added to any of them). A few years later I switched to a vegetarian diet, concerned about the chemicals and disease in factory farms. I still eat meat on rare occasions — holidays or at a relative’s farm only. It’s a diet that has worked well for me.

      It’s crazy that we were both around 30 when we were diagnosed. I often wonder what is driving the increase in autoimmune diseases. Part is probably more awareness, especially with celiac’s, but I wonder if there’s something in our environments triggering the disease.

    2. Interesting. You may enjoy a book called ‘Grain Brain’ which implies gluten as a trigger for many neurological diseases including Alzheimer dementia, depression, MS, migraines, etc.

      It is so easy to go gluten free it seems almost silly not to experiment with it to determine if you have celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

      I feel so much better off of gluten (cognitive function, GI, allergies, energy levels, headaches). When I did the experiment I was absolutely shocked at the change (I linked to the article in my name). I thought the way I felt on gluten was just normal, turns out it was not. Going into the experiment I thought the gluten free movement was crazy, now I’m a believer.

Comments are closed.


Collusion is an experimental add-on for Firefox and allows you, for the first time, to see all the third parties that are tracking your movements across the Web. It will show, in real time, how that data creates a spider-web of interaction between companies and other trackers.


Security has always been a major focus of computer science research, and with the explosion of Internet use by commerce, the need for secure transactions has taken on more urgency. Most recently, cyber-thieves demonstrated that true security on the Internet is going to require a new level of understanding of how to protect personal data, and more importantly, financial transactions. This lesson introduces two important concepts: public key encryption and one-way functions. It provides an opportunity for students to understand the underpinnings of almost all Internet security: they will come to appreciate that any lock can be eventually broken, and that theoretical computer scientists study ‘hard’ problems to lengthen the time it will take to break a lock. Note that this is not a lesson in encryption, but in how mathematics is used to secure information.
With the mass production and availability of low cost and robust head-mounted displays (HMDs), there has been increasing interest in virtual reality technologies - for example the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung VR Gear, Microsoft HoloLens, and Sony’s PlayStation VR. These display technologies are based around artificial stereo images, and provide a view with illusions of 3D depth in virtual environments. Students will use the scientific method to study ‘anaglyph’ (movie 3D) technologies to model computer science design and learn how stereo images create the illusion of 3D.
Is it true or false that Discrete Structures and Discrete Mathematics are the same thing? This is the kind of question that is asked in this field – or both fields if they are indeed different. Most Middle School students see a mix of discrete and continuous math without ever noticing the difference. This lesson introduces them to areas of mathematics that computer scientists use to do computational problems. Search techniques through discrete structures are illustrated through graph traversal and graph coloring.
For a half century computing technology has played an increasing role in how we create visual imagery. Vector graphics was the original method for rendering images on a display screen. It fell out of favor in the 1990s as increasing memory size allowed raster, or bitmap images, to be stored. Within the last decade there has been a resurgence of vector graphics to efficiently support graphic displays as large as billboards and as small as postage stamps. Vector graphics are dependent upon functions. This lesson introduces vector graphics and functions through a collaborative design activity.
Lesson focuses on how mathematic models help to solve real problems and are realized in computers. Students work in teams to build a graph model of their city map while learning how mathematic models work. Student should be encouraged to use this model to solve real problems.
This lesson allows students to playfully understand algorithms and complexity.
Lesson focuses on exploring how the development of search engines has revolutionized Internet. Students work in teams to understand the technology behind search engines and explore how they can retrieve useful information using search engines.

Search Lesson Plans


Meet the Staff: Heather Gill, Educational Aide

December 7, 2017

Following the success of our introductions to our new staff members with the "Meet the New Staff" feature stories, we would now like to take time to introduce the community to all of our staff members throughout the district! Each week, we will feature members of the Deer Park family with a short question and answer session.  We hope this allows everyone to become familiar with all of the wonderful faculty and staff around Deer Park!

Heather Gill, Educational Aide
Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School

Five years ago...My family and I were living in Fairfield until we moved to Reading.
Five years from now...I will be living in Harrison and working at Deer Park High School.
The farthest I have ever traveled from home is...Cancun, Mexico
My favorite place in the world is...Spending time with my husband and boys in Florida or the beach.
What is the last book you have read? Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen
What is the last movie you've seen? Lego Batman
What is your favorite kind of music? Country
Who is your favorite sports team? Cincinnati Bengals
What is an activity you do in your free time? I love to work on pallet projects and play sports with my kids.
What excites you most about the start of a new school year? Meeting new friends
You are given $5,000. How do you spend it? I would give it to homeless veterans.
What three words best describe you? Outgoing, talkative, giggles
The title of a book about my life would be... I'm in the Same Room. I Can Hear You Talking.


Test test

Presentitis Self-Assessment

Presentitis Risk Assessment (PRA)

The PRA measures the probability that you will suffer, or already are suffering, significant symptoms of presentitis. Knowing this important information, you can then take the appropriate steps to prevent or treat the condition.

After responding to the questions below, you will be told your PPRSS (Potner Presentitis Risk Scale Score). This score corresponds to four levels of presentitis risk (no risk, mild risk, moderate risk, severe risk) and you will learn which of these categories you fall into.

1.Has your frustration about working on a presentation project ever led you to refer to PowerPoint as... (select all that apply)
2.Do you have several versions of a PowerPoint presentation with files names that resemble any of these? (select all that apply)
3.Have you ever found yourself in any of the following situations while working on an important presentation project? (select all that apply)
4.Which best describes the frequency with which you use PowerPoint?
5.Family history may play a role in presentitis. Which of your relatives have a habit of violent vocal or physical reactions to uncooperative computers or software? (choose all relationships that apply)
6.Which of the following best describes the concept of version control for you?
7.Which of the following best describes who you email presentations to?
8.I know the keyboard shortcut in PowerPoint for the following action. (select all that apply)
9.With which of the following statements do you agree? (select all that apply)
10.When I work from home, my primary method of connecting to the internet is...


skip navigation

U 10 Evaluations

U10 Step 1, 2, 3 Evaluations

Ringette Alberta has provided the following document to help determine where an athlete is placed in the U10 program.

Those associations with 1-2 teams may need to combine their athletes and place them in a Step where the team will have competitive games throughout the year.


A Little Nudge

The Government’s Nudge Unit (or, to give it its correct title, the Behaviour Insights Team) has been in the news again recently. Their latest investigation involves an attempt to reduce the number of inappropriate calls to the 101 number (the number where one can report crimes, traffic accidents and minor offences). The problem which they are addressing is that 20% of calls to this number are classed as inappropriate and involve matters which are not of police concern, such as failure of the local council to empty the bins, or the high price of a restaurant meal. They found that delaying answering for 6 seconds reduced inappropriate calls by 75%.

Nudging people to behave takes many forms but one of the most successful is to make things easy for people. Thus healthy options are at the front in the cafeteria, many streamed TV programmes automatically go on to the next episode and, more importantly, British workers are automatically enrolled in work-place pensions unless they opt out.

The Nudge Unit was established in 2010 to help government departments improve their success rates in diverse areas by taking account of the way people behave. For example an experiment in vending machines in Australia resulted in a 20% switch from the most sugary drinks to alternatives simply by labelling the most sugary ones in red. Writing letters to the GP surgeries prescribing the most antibiotics, telling them that neighbourhood surgeries prescribed less, resulted in a 3% fall in prescriptions.

Port Talbot & A’level economics

A’level economics students frequently moan  that what they have been taught is not relevant to what is going on around them while economics teachers complain that students do not relate what they have been taught to the real world!

The recent events at Port Talbot provide an ideal example to use economics concepts.

The multiplier can be used in assessing the costs to the area should Port Talbot close since not only will steel jobs be lost if the plant closes, additional jobs will also be at risk as steel workers suffer lower disposable income and cut back on expenditure,  particularly in non-essential areas.

In considering the type of unemployment created, one can use the idea of structural unemployment since many of the steel workers affected will not have the skills needed in newer, growing industries.

The possible closure of the plant is relevant to the arguments about the benefits of free trade and the theory of comparative advantage whereby UK steel purchasers benefit from cheaper steel imports from China which need to be set against the  job losses among UK steel producers. This aspect can be expanded to consider whether the Chinese are dumping steel on the world market and, if so, what action should be taken, especially in the light of the tariffs on Chinese steel imposed by the USA and those imposed by China on imports of steel from the EU and elsewhere.

A final example is in the  field of market failure where Tata have complained that the UK Government’s environmental policies have raised energy prices and helped make UK produced steel (and heavy industry generally) uncompetitive. UK electricity prices are almost double those in the rest of the EU and more than double those in China and while these high prices help to subsidise renewable forms of energy, they make life difficult for UK firms.

The market for legal advice in the UK – competitive market or cozy cartel?

A report in today’s Independent newspaper suggests that the cost of legal advice from one of small number of well known firms in the UK, collectively known as the “Magic Circle”, has risen by around 100% in real terms since 2003.  The market structure for this industry seems to display all the hallmarks of an oligopoly, and one which might tend towards some form of collusion; demand is inelastic, there are a small number of interdependent firms and customers have difficulty collecting good information about substitutes.

In addition, beyond these largest firms a form of price leadership structure may be in operation.  As these large firms ratchet up their charges smaller firms outside the Magic Circle take the opportunity to increase their fees in a clear example of what is commonly referred to as Stackelberg equilibrium.  The economic rents enjoyed by these firms in the form of supernormal profits may be quite considerable.

The question is, as economists should we care, and if so, what can be done?  The availability of good legal advice at a reasonable price may well have positive externalities as it protects the functioning of a market economy and also allows smaller firms to compete in all markets with larger ones as they do not face the barrier to entry in any market of very high legal costs associated with operating in the market.  In short, high legal costs may make a host of markets much less contestable.

This suggests some government action is necessary.  Everyone with a knowledge of economics should be able to recommend lots of policies to make any given market more competitive, and the market for legal advice is no exception.  A reduction of barriers to entry, a requirement for transparency in pricing, an investigation into possible anti-competitive practices and the use of large fines for those found guilty might all be relevant.  However, as we have seen in the energy market action by consumers may also be needed.  A willingness by customers to shift their business to cheaper firms and an attempt to make firms move to a fixed price model by supporting those firms which do will certainly give the Magic Circle something to think about.

Ultimately, a combination of government action and consumer action will be needed but nobody should be under any illusion; the legal profession generally and the “Magic Circle” will fight against it tooth and nail.  Economic history suggests that those enjoying economic rent seldon give it up easily.

Paying for flood defences – an example of the public good problem?

At some point during each year everyone studying microeconomics will come across the idea of public goods, usually in connection with market failure.  The concept is pretty simple; a public good is non-excludable.  This means that people can benefit from the product or service whether they have paid for it or not.  This means that nobody pays for it as they will wait for everyone else to do so, allowing them to benefit for free.  This is known as the free-rider effect and means that the product or service is never provided.

So much for the theory.  Examples of public goods tend to revolve around things such as national defence, lighthouses and flood defence.  As you may have noticed, flooding is very much in the news and large numbers of people have recently been adversely affected by flooding, in some cases very adversely.  Understandably they are keen that more flood defences are provided, but who should pay for them?

As a public good it is clear that taxes need to have a key role in this.  If individual households are asked to voluntarily pay then each will refuse, reasoning that if all the other households in the flood risk area agree to pay then they can benefit from the defences for nothing as the defences are non-excludable.  As everyone thinks this then no money will be collected and no defences will be built.  Some kind of tax is needed, but who should it be extended to?  Just the people in the flood risk area?  Everyone in the country?  The government has considered this problem and come up with an idea related to council tax, which is a tax paid to local authorities by residents of an area based, very roughly, on the value of their houses.  This article from the Daily Telegraph explains:

The question which the government needs to consider is simple.  Who pays for the flood defences and how much?  It will be interesting to see how this develops.


Summer Salad

This salad is super easy, very quick and so yummy!

1 large head broccoli

4 slices bacon

2/3 cup 0% Greek yogurt

1/2 cup light cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup raw pepitas (sunflower seed centres)

Salt & pepper to taste

broccoli salad

BBQ Pizza

Pizza sauce of choice (we love Unico garlic and basil)
Dried oregano to taste
Your favourite pizza toppings
Olive oil
Mozzarella cheese, grated

– J.

Smokey Burgers with Lattice Bacon and Donkey Sauce

What is Donkey Sauce you ask? I said the same thing the first time I was introduced to it. It is (not surprisingly) a product of Guy Fieri’s culinary genius – and he says he called it Donkey Sauce because, “You’re an ass, if you don’t like it!”. It was stumbled upon by my husband when he was reading Maxim…for the article of course. Turns out, there was actually a pretty good article that had this gem of a sauce in it. I would put this stuff on damn near anything!

Donkey Sauce:

one large head of garlic, roasted

1 cup mayo (I used light, olive oil based)

5 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1t yellow mustard (yup just standard French’s)

1/4 salt

pepper to taste

To start preheat your oven to 400F then cut the top off of a clove of garlic and drizzle with oil.

Wrap the garlic in tinfoil and throw it in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. When it’s done, it’ll look like this, all warm and golden and fragrant:

Let the garlic cool until you can handle it, then you’re going to need to squeeze it into out of its skin and into a food processor. Or, if you have a Kitchenaid immersion blender that came with one of these attachments, I highly reccomend using it:

It’s my favourite thing ever for making sauces and marinades. Once you’ve squeezed in your garlic, add the rest of the ingredients and blend!

Lattice Bacon:

One package applewood smoked bacon (I like President’s Choice)

Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil. I usually cover it with heavy duty BBQ strength tinfoil, and then again with a layer of the Alcan Slide tinfoil.

Cut three strips of bacon in half and lay three of the halves down parallel to one another:IMG_0446

Then pull the centre piece back just a tiny bit at one end and lay another of the halves perpendicular to the first three:

Put the middle piece back and pull the outside pieces up about half way on the opposite end and lay another piece perpendicular to the first three:

Finally, put the outside pieces down and pull up the centre piece from that same end, putting your final piece of bacon in perpendicular to your first three again before putting the centre piece down:

Put the cold pan in a cold oven, and turn it on to 400F, then just walk away for twenty minutes! When you come back, your bacon should be getting crispy. Keep a close eye on it, and when it’s as crispy as you like it, take it out of the oven. Let it cool on the pan for a few minutes then transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Smokey Burgers:

750g medium/regular ground beef

2t liquid hickory smoke

1T Worcestershire sauce

1/4c finely chopped red onion

1 egg

1T minced garlic (I cheated and used jarred)

1/2c (ish) seasoned breadcrumbs (enough to make the mix not too wet)

extra old cheddar cheese

red or green leaf lettuce

roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

garlic dill pickles, thinly sliced

Put the ground beef, egg, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, minced garlic and red onion in a bowl until combined.

Put the formed burgers on a plate and cover with plastic wrap, then put them into the fridge for firm up for a bit while you heat up your BBQ. Guy Fieri says you can use a grill pan but I love to barbeque 🙂

Spray the burgers with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Once the barbeque is at medium low, put your burgers on sprayed side down and close the lid. Once the burgers start to form grill mark, turn them 180 degrees to get a pretty cross hatch pattern (and to make sure they get cooked through).

Flip the burgers and cook a few minutes more until you start to get grill marks on the opposite side, turn 180 degrees again and put on your cheese and bacon lattice. Close the lid again and cook until the cheese has melted and the burger is cooked through. All-in-all, it takes about fifteen or twenty minutes to cook the burgers.

To assemble, put some of the Donkey Sauce on a pretzel bun (we also like bakery ciabatta-type buns if you’re not into baking them yourself) and then layer on the burger, lettuce, tomato and pickles (plus whatever out you like…maybe some sliced onion?)

And that’s it! My little brother-in-law said he loved me when he ate his, so I guess they must be good! Coming sometime this week (or maybe next) Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins…and Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes!


Busy. Please wait.

show password
Forgot Password?

Don't have an account?  Sign up

Username is available taken
show password

Already a StudyStack user? Log In

Reset Password

Remove Ads
Don't know
remaining cards

Pass complete!

"Know" box contains:
Time elapsed:
restart all cards

  Normal Size     Small Size show me how

Autism - Language and Communication Module Assessment

What is language? Language is a formal symbol system that has structural qualities, including morphology, semantics, and syntax.
What is speech? Speech is one means of expressing language. It is the ability to use all the speech sounds in a particular language.
What is communication? Communication is an interactive exchange between two or more people to express needs, feelings, and ideas.
Name some of the unique communication characteristics of individuals with autism. -Difficulty understanding nonverbal communication -Difficulty with reciprocal interaction -Difficulty understanding how to point out things of interest -Impaired ability to initiate and maintain conversation -Ritualized communication
What is autism? Autism is a complex disorder characterized by three core symptoms: social impairments, communication impairments, and repetitive behaviors.
What are examples of nonverbal communication? Eye gaze, gestures, and facial expressions
What is linked to an increase in language competence? A child's ability to integrate his or her personal experiences, social experiences, and knowledge base in a flexible way.
What is receptive language? Receptive language is the ability to comprehend the meaning of what others say.
What is expressive language? Expressive language is the ability to use oral and written language in a conventional way.
What do children do in the absence of understanding how to communicate in conventional ways? -use a range of positive and negatives behaviors to communicate their needs and feelings -seek to communicate with others in routine, ritualized ways
What is reciprocal interaction? Reciprocal interaction mean "back-and-forth interaction," "taking turns" and "sharing experiences."
What is joint attention? Joint attention is communicating to share.
What is communicative function? Communicative function refers to the many purposes or reasons to communicate a single message.
Give examples of what is required in a conversation. Conversation requires: paying attention to another's verbal and nonverbal message, interpreting the meaning of another's verbal and nonverbal message, understanding the perspective of another, expressing ideas related to the topic of conversation,etc.
Name some reasons communication rituals occur in individuals with autism. -the communication rituals are social and the individual's best effort to interact -the communication rituals are used to express anxiety -the communication rituals are calming -the communication rituals show poor inhibition
Name some of the benefits of using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)for non-speaking individuals. -Increased communication competence -Increased rate of developing speech -Decreased rate of problem behaviors associated with poor communication skills
What are verbal rituals? Verbal rituals are any use of language that is repetitive, insistent, and often expressed with intense emotion.
How should echolalia be viewed in individuals with autism? -a way to learn syntax/grammar -a way to learn language meaning -a way to maintain social interaction -a way to communicate with you
What is echolalia? A repetition of other's speech that may our immediately after hearing a message or significantly later.


MACD and Inside Bar

Forex strategy on the MACD and Inside Bar

Forex strategy on the MACD and Inside Bar - a simple strategy of following the trend movement already formed in the forex market, currency pair - either by a time interval can be chosen so as desired, as these patterns are formed on all ranges.

Formation Inside Bar (inside bar) - the case when there is a bar chart (candlestick) with a lower high and also a higher low than the previous bar graph. Usually, this pattern is interpreted as a small respite in the forex market, at a time when the market is in a state of uncertainty of further price movement. The breakdown is this "inner bar" is usually quite volatile movement.

Conclusion deal to buy :

MACD indicator located above the zero line - above the maximum price formed the "inner bar" have a pending order buy stop (+ value spread). Ie From this it follows that we expect the breakdown of the prices up, because MACD indicator is currently in the shopping area.

In cases when the MACD indicator is below zero and there is an "inner bar", then we only sell order at the lowest price + value spread.

safety stop-loss hosts a minimum of "Inside Bar" for the transactions for the purchase and a maximum of "Inside Bar" for the transactions for the sale. Although this value is usually small, but it is quite sufficient for trading on the forex strategy and the ratio of risk to reward ratio is very good.

Go on the strategy recommended by the trailing stop.

important addition: should only be used inside bars in the trend direction . In the case of lateral motion of the "inner bar" should be ignored

Forex strategy on the MACD and Inside Bar.

Consider the examples in the picture:

1) MACD histogram are below a zero line, and so we have a bullish moving average MACD, besides they are the same rasspolozheny below the zero line. Correspondingly, when an inside bar, we count with a pending order to sell below the low of the inner bar. Safety stop-loss - over a maximum of the inner bar.

2) We notice that the MACD crossing happens from the bottom up and closes the histogram above the zero line. This indicates upward momentum. Correspondingly, in this case we place a pending order to buy the appearance of the inner bar. Safety stop-loss - a minimum of the inner bar.

3) in this case was set buy stop, according to all rules of the forex strategy, which also worked out nicely in this case.


Health Benefits Of Soursop

Some of the most impressive health benefits of soursop include its ability to kill off parasites, reduce inflammation, improve respiratory conditions, sedate the body and mind, heal the skin, treat certain kinds of cancers, boost the immune system, soothe the stomach, and relieve pain.

If you have traveled extensively in Mexico, the Caribbean, and parts of South America, then you have likely seen the soursop tree, which is an evergreen tree with the scientific name Anonna muricana. The taste of the soursop fruit is a delicious combination of strawberry and pineapple, with other sweet and citrus notes that make it very popular in these parts of the world. It is also cultivated in Africa, and occasionally in Southeast Asia, and even in Florida. However, it is most popularly grown for individual consumption as a garden fruit. The soursop is only one type of Annona, and one of the largest as well, with a number of different uses. The soft pulp and fiber of the fruit is used for beverages, desserts, smoothies, and candy, as well as a wealth of traditional medical treatments that are used in many parts of the world.

While the flavor is enough to make this a popular fruit, the rich vitamin and nutrient content within the fruit includes vitamin C, vitamin B, and a number of antioxidant compounds. The juice from soursop has been usedtopically, while pulverized seeds and decoctions made of leaves are also popular forms for natural remedies. You can also use the leaves and pulverized seeds to brew a powerful tea, that also has a number of impressive effects on the human body. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the many health benefits of soursop.

Health Benefits Of Soursop


Friday, August 20, 2010

It is already the end of sixth week of the semester in UTM. This time, I have been given a group of students from "Fakulti Kejuruteraan Awam" - translate: the Faculty of Civil Engineering. My class comprises of 34 students, and there are more international students. There are people from Somalia, Turkey, Ethiopia, Palestine etc. One good thing about this faculty is it is easy to find a parking space even in the bright daylight. But the negative side of it, if for example, I need to have a replacement class at night and need to book a room, I have to write in and ask for permission which is definitely a tedious task to do.

a few minutes before 8 in the morning, my car is the only one visible at the parking lot

There is a big change for the course taught this semester. Students have to use new textbooks and there is a change in the course outline, content and evaluation. Therefore, I have to do some homework before going to class. There are also listening activities which require the teacher to carry the notebook, speakers (and extension wire) to class but I enjoy this session a lot because in a way someone else is reading for me from the CD. I wanted to shift the classes at night like what I used to do before but the students insisted to carry out the lessons in the morning. Nevertheless, the irony of it, attendance up until now is very poor (if compared to my previous classes) and people always come late every time.

We are almost halfway through the semester but I am still hoping for things to improve. Or perhaps, should I be a stricter teacher, like I am in school?


22 May 2017

World's largest Muslim youth organisation calls for re-examination of Islamic text

The world’s largest Muslim youth organisation Gerakan Pemuda Ansor (GP Ansor) - the youth wing of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisation Nadlatul Ulama (NU) - on Monday (May 22) called for a re-examination of Islamic text to adapt it to modern civilisation.

.... “A wide discrepancy now exists between the structure of Islamic orthodoxy and the context of Muslims’ actual reality," said Luthfi Thomafi, a member of GP Ansor's board. "(This is) due to immense changes that have occurred since the teachings of orthodox Islam, which became largely ossified towards the end of the medieval era.”

“Civil discord, acts of terrorism, rebellion and outright warfare - all pursued in the name of Islam - will continue to plague Muslims and threaten humanity at large, until these issues are openly acknowledged and resolved,” Thomafi added.


Panel on national security ends day of remembrance

One year after the terrorist attacks on New York City, Washington, D.C. and aboard United Flight 93, three speakers addressed a somber Chapin Hall audience on Wednesay. The discussion – moderated by Robert Kavanaugh, professor of psychology – focused on the causes and aftermath of last year’s attacks.

The panel consisted of John Gannon, a former deputy director of the CIA; Rohan Gunaratna, senior fellow at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at St. Andrew’s University in Scotland and Bruce Lawrence, chair of the religion department at Duke University. Each panelist was allotted fifteen minutes to deliver prepared remarks, after which the floor was opened for audience questions.

Gannon began the program by discussing al-Qaida’s ability to carry out such a massive operation. He argued that using planes as missiles was not a particularly advanced strategy, but that the ease with which the terrorists were able to infiltrate and live within our society was remarkable. Accordingly, Gannon praised the new laws that make it easier for law enforcement to track the correspondence and finances of suspected terrorists.

He made it clear, however, that the government should not be given limitless authority. “As an American, I believe we need to debate,” Gannon said. “We cannot allow terrorists to force us to reevaluate our constitution.” He expressed concern that many detainees were being denied rights that are crucial to democracy: the right to counsel, the right to call witnesses and, in some cases, the right to a trial.

Turning his attention to why the terrorists chose the United States as a target, Gannon offered three thoughts. He suggested first that many in the Arab world are upset by the U.S. role in the Middle East peace process. Second, he contended that many believe that the U.S. supports oppressive governments in the Arab world and thereby “perpetuates a crisis of government.” Finally, Gannon argued that many see globalization as a process that helps the U.S. and harms everyone else, contributing to the growing economic, technological, educational and healthcare gap between the developed and undeveloped worlds.

Gannon closed his remarks by discussing the future of the war against terrorism. “We will fail if we try to do it by ourselves,” Gannon said, adding we would be foolish to try to win the war in a conventional fashion. Rather, he contended that if the government continues to improve at gathering high-quality intelligence, “terrorism will not defeat the United States.”

Gunaratna, the second speaker, discussed the ways in which al-Qaida differs from other terrorist organizations and its current ability to carry out terrorist objectives.

Al-Qaida is not like most Islamic terrorist organizations, Gunaratna said, in that it is not primarily concerned with the liberation of certain group of people within a well-defined geographic border. Comparing al-Qaida to terrorist organizations like Hamas, Gunaratna explained that it was not necessary for al-Qaida to strike more than one or two targets a year because its goal is to inspire other people and organizations to action.

Gunaratna then looked to the future, questioning whether al-Qaida still had the ability to carry out a mission similar in scale to the attack on the World Trade Center. Though “their infrastructure has been seriously damaged,” Gunaratna said, “the leadership is still intact.” The U.S. destruction of training facilities in Afghanistan makes it difficult for al-Qaida to carry out large missions but, according to Gunaratna, they maintain the ability to strike small to medium targets.

Gunaratna closed his remarks by discussing what steps are necessary to defeat al-Qaida. Gunaratna said al-Qaida’s seemingly limitless ability to recruit new terrorists make capturing Osama bin Laden a crucial aspect of the War on Terrorism. Bin Laden, because of his charisma and renown, has a unique ability to inspire young Muslims. “The ideology is still appealing,” Gunaratna said. “We need to counter their ideology.”

The final panelist, Lawrence focused on President Bush’s foreign policy in the wake of Sept. 11. Specifically, Lawrence expressed his concerns about the simplistic assumption that Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Libya, Cuba and Syria constitute an “Axis of Evil.”

Lawrence mentioned several objections to the above terminology. Focusing his attention on Iran, he reminded the audience that Iran assisted the U.S. in the war in Afghanistan, handing over a number of terrorists to Saudi Arabia.

Given that the U.S. is now considering declaring war on Iraq, Lawrence questioned the wisdom of alienating a nation whose support we would almost certainly need.

In a broader sense, Lawrence contended that that the term “Axis of Evil” makes it too easy to view Islam as the enemy. “For many evangelical Christians,” Lawrence said, “Islam becomes evil by association.” Lawrence stressed that in many of the countries President Bush has singled out, there exists a mass of silenced citizens who are desperate for democracy.

After the opening remarks by the panelists, the audience was given the opportunity to question the panel. Asked what foreign policy recommendations they had for President Bush, the panelists produced a variety of responses.

Lawrence, arguing that terrorists are often motivated by the extreme poverty by which they are surrounded, suggested a “war on poverty and misery.” Gunaratna argued that the most important goal should be to reform education systems in the Arab world, where education is often only Koranic. Finally, Gannon contended that it was crucial to “follow foreign trends to help detect threats.”

Another question pertained to how effective a job the U.S. had done of cutting off the money supply of terrorist organizations. Gunaratna explained that though $120 million was taken in the first three months after Sept. 11, only $10 million had been confiscated since then. Making things even more difficult, he added, is the fact that terrorist organizations have infiltrated one fourth of all Islamic-interest charities.

Despite the challenges facing the U.S. in its campaign to eradicate al-Qaida, all three panelists seemed reasonably optimistic about the nation’s future.

“If we compare the United States to the countries from which these terrorists came,” Gannon concluded, “we should be confident.”


Amie B. is a classically trained actress and musical theater performer. She has worked on the stages of Britain, off-off-Broadway in New York and throughout the Southern United States. She has a passion for Shakespeare, Sondheim, Restoration Theater, the cinema and creating new works alongside traditional brilliance.

Twitter/Instagram: @Official_AmieB

Now appearing: Sister Hubert in "Nuncrackers" at Desert Stages, Scottsdale, AZ  1-24 December 2017

Amie Bjorklund

Actress, Singer, EmCee


Screening of Thyroid disease

Evaluation of thyroid hormone levels is essential for the treatment of infertility patients.

TFTs may be requested if a patient is thought to suffer from hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) or hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), or to monitor the effectiveness of either thyroid-suppression or hormone replacement therapy. It is also requested routinely in conditions linked to thyroid disease, such as atrial fibrillation and anxiety disorder.

A TFT panel typically includes thyroid hormones such as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH, thyrotropin) and thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) .


Jon Foreman - The 25 IN 24 Tour: May 1
NS2 & The Carolina Theatre of Durham present

Jon Foreman - The 25 IN 24 Tour

Tuesday, May 1 | 8PM

It's easy for a surfer to lose focus and fall into the steady pull of the crashing waves, and it's easy for a musician to forget where they came from under the glaring lights before a sea of adoring fans screaming their name. On a surfboard or on a stage, the ground is made of different matter, and truth defers to the engulfing chaos. Jon Foreman has treaded these waters for nearly 20 years, moored by the truth he carries in his bones.

Back in 1996, he started his music career heading an unassuming SanDiego-based band, now known all over the world as the multi-platinum Grammy-winning alt-rock group Switchfoot. A lifelong quest for divine answers translated effortlessly through Jon's gritty vocals, which mediated between a lost self and an unseen higher power. Echoing an early oughts American existential crisis of faith, his spiritually-oriented rock band tapped into the cultural zeitgeist, and endured as defining sound-makers for a generation filled with unanswerable questions of their own. He later went on to form a long-term collaboration with Sean Watkins, releasing their first home-brewed collection of love ballads in 2009 under the name Fiction Family.

A devout disciple of rock & roll, Jon was intent on tapping into the sacred space from where his words flow to find its purest expression. When the venue empties at the end of the night, and when the tide drops low at sunset, whether you're an internationally renowned rockstar, or one man a few hundred meters into the Pacific Ocean, all that remains is you and your instrument, and truth inevitably returns with the silence. In the death of the day, the unanswered questions coalesce into the raw matter of tomorrow. In the place between sets and sleep, he discovered what would become a foray into a solo project.

On Sunlight, Jon surrenders to the wipe-outs of an unpredictable world, articulating in the dappled harmony of his vocals and acoustic guitar, the feeling of regaining bearings under saltwater, and floating back up towards the sun. Answers once forcefully demanded yield to the peaceful acceptance of the unknown. "In songs you can have all these metaphors to hide behind, but there's a strength in honesty that can't be found in cynicism or detaching from an emotional element."

Born from solitary introspection, then opened to the world, The Wonderlands' 24 tracks blossom with the diverse yet cohesive contributions of 24 different producers, each interpreting the meaning of Jon's vocals through their own instrumental vision.

"Through song, I'm trying to explore the physical space of music. I wanted to create a place that would exist only when you press play; a place of light and shadows, tension and release, things that you know and things that you don't know. It's incredible that you can create a mood, almost a structure of feeling. All 24 songs will correspond with different moods of the day. At the end I'm going to do 25 concerts in 24 hours."

Jon's collection is his sanctuary where questions don't need answers, where money doesn't matter and translating inner truth into song is an end in itself.

No Cameras
No Outside Food or Drink
No Backpacks
No Video Recording Devices
No Weapons

Website developed by DesignHammer LLC, a Durham web design company.


RHYL suffered their first defeat of the season in the North Wales Women’s Hockey League when they went down 2-0 against Llanfair Caereinion.

Despite dominating the game, Rhyl struggled to connect as a unit with only a straight 11 at their disposal and three regulars unavailable.

Llanfair scored in the first half from the top of the D with no defenders in sight. Rhyl had several chances but were unable to score from short corners or close range.

The hosts were reduced to 10 when Adele Gregory received a knock to the knee.

After a rousing half time team talk Rhyl came fighting back, boosted by good work in midfield from Lucy Edwards and Laura Houlston with Amy Morris going close.

Sue Pennington made some fine saves in the Rhyl goal but was unable to prevent the Mid-Walians scoring a second before the end.


Is there any possibility that we O Negs are in fact Avatars? Or perhaps all the Negs are Avatars and the Positives are Sims? What do you think?
Maybe all of us have different Alien Avatars running us and Humans and Humanity is a test programme? Dr Bruce Lipton suggests that all humans are Earth Rovers transmitting & receiving data. I like this idea.
I saw photos of red blood cells from humans & you can see that our red blood cells have a different pattern. Cymatics shows us sounds made visible & I'm wondering what the frequency is of our universal blood. I noticed we don't have shields on our cells just stumps, does this mean that we can absorb all types of information faster? I wonder if anyone knows? Let me know what you think.
Do you wonder if there exists a subliminal O neg programme? Do you feel like your being watched?
Is this to do with psychotronic mind control or is this a natural phenomenon?


Definitions of shoe

  1. restraint provided when the linings of the brake shoes are moved hydraulically against the brake drum to stop its rotation
  2. nailed to underside of horse's hoof
  3. furnish with shoes
  7. U- shaped plate nailed to underside of horse's hoof
  8. furnish with shoes; " the children were well shoed"
  11. Anything resembling a shoe in form, position, or use.
  12. A plate or rim of iron nailed to the hoof of an animal to defend it from injury.
  15. The part of a railroad car brake which presses upon the wheel to retard its motion.
  18. An inclined trough in an ore- crushing mill.
  19. An iron socket or plate to take the thrust of a strut or rafter.
  20. An iron socket to protect the point of a wooden pile.
  23. A plate, or notched piece, interposed between a moving part and the stationary part on which it bears, to take the wear and afford means of adjustment; - called also slipper, and gib.
  24. A covering for the foot, usually of leather; anything used for the protection of the foot, or the part touching the ground, as the metal plate protecting the hoof of an animal, the strip of steel fastened on a sled- runner, etc.; the outer covering of a rubber tire for automobiles.
  25. To furnish with a shoe or shoes; to protect or strengthen by putting on a rim, etc.
  26. Shod.
  27. Shoeing.
  28. A covering for the foot: a rim of iron nailed to the hoof of an animal to keep it from injury: anything in form or use like a shoe:- pl. SHOES ( shooz).
  29. To furnish with shoes: to cover at the bottom:- pr. p. shoeing; pa. t. and pa. p. shod.
  30. A covering for the foot; iron rim fastened to an animal's hoof.
  31. To furnish with shoes.
  32. A covering or protection for the foot.
  33. Shoemaker.
  34. A covering for the foot, usually of leather, of a thick species for the sole and a thinner for the uppers; a plate or rim of iron nailed to the hoof of a horse to preserve it from injury; anything like a shoe in shape or use.
  35. To furnish with or put on shoes; to cover at the bottom.
  36. A covering for the foot, made of leather, and consisting of a sole and an upper; a rim or plate of iron fastened on the bottom of a horse's hoof for protection; the bend or crook at the bottom of a water- pipe which discharges the water from a building; a sort of drag placed under the wheel of a loaded vehicle on going down a steep part of a road; in mech., a notched piece on which something rests; a kind of trough.

Quotes of shoe

  1. If the shoe fits, it is probably worn out. – Craig Bruce
  2. Stiletto, I look at it more as an attitude as opposed to a high -heeled shoe – Lita Ford
  3. If the shoe fits, it's too expensive. – Adrienne Gusoff
  7. So now I'm left with cigarettes, and I'm trying to scrape that off my shoe and then I'll be done. – Diane Lane
  9. Sex and the City changed New York -New York's become a big shoe store now, unfortunately. – Chris Noth
  10. You want to fall in love with a shoe go ahead. A shoe can't love you back, but, on the other hand, a shoe can't hurt you too deeply either. And there are so many nice -looking shoes. – Allan Sherman
  11. If the shoe doesn't fit, must we change the foot? – Gloria Steinem
  12. Later the Administration wanted me to actually sell all remaining surplus by running the War Assets Corporation. I said I couldn't do it without some shoe leather. – Stuart Symington
  13. Shoe Suede Blues is ten years old this year. The Band consists of four members. – Peter Tork

Usage examples for shoe

  1. I will get to work and make my final shoe – Martin Pippin in the Apple Orchard by Eleanor Farjeon
  2. It is a young lady's walking- shoe – A Tale of Two Cities A Story of the French Revolution by Charles Dickens
  3. I remember one in particular, a thin, nervous little man, a shoe clerk in a department store. – The Harbor by Ernest Poole
  4. Take your ol' shoe – Sube Cane by Edward Bellamy Partridge
  5. She sprang at a bound on the bed, seized a little bag of money from a hiding- place, took the hand of the astonished little boy, and dragged him after her without giving him time to put on his shoe and was on her way to Fougeres rapidly, without once turning her head to look at the home she abandoned. – The Chouans by Honore de Balzac
  6. And he a shoe clerk! – In a Little Town by Rupert Hughes
  7. Some of the fish had a familiar look, and Winthrope turned them over with the tip of his shoe – Into the Primitive by Robert Ames Bennet
  8. It gives me a great deal of pain to stand, and, since Uncle Jack has my other shoe in his pocket, how am I to walk? – Erlach Court by Ossip Schubin
  9. " A young lady's walking shoe he muttered, without looking up. – A Tale of Two Cities A Story of the French Revolution by Charles Dickens
  10. Though a shoe was occasionally lost, as they had to be tied on loosely, the feet of the dogs were well protected. – True Tales of Arctic Heroism in the New World by Adolphus W. Greely
  11. Shoeing the animal with a special shoe is sometimes necessary. – Common Diseases of Farm Animals by R. A. Craig, D. V. M.
  12. Stir it up with a stick every time it is used; and put it on the shoe with a brush when wanted. – The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, by Mary Eaton
  13. Granted he was in wine, granted he followed me, granted he had my shoe in his possession- what then? – 54-40 or Fight by Emerson Hough
  14. In the shoe industry this process did not do away with competition. – A History of Trade Unionism in the United States by Selig Perlman
  15. I'd marry a shoe black to- morrow if I thought I could make him happy, and he could make me happy. – Miss Mackenzie by Anthony Trollope
  16. The theatre is a huge open- air one of horse- shoe shape with stone seats rising like steps above each other, and with a row of private boxes at the top. – Young Knights of the Empire by Sir Robert Baden-Powell
  17. He rode and he rode to town and castle, and made all the ladies try to put on the shoe – More English Fairy Tales by Various
  18. " It is thin," she thought, pushing her shoe through it, " it can't prevent the boat from crossing the river." – The Happy Foreigner by Enid Bagnold
  19. It was one evening on a long flat Dutch road- the evening he had tied Julia's shoe – The Good Comrade by Una L. Silberrad
  20. The eldest went with the shoe into her room and wanted to try it on, and her mother stood by. – Household Tales by Brothers Grimm by Grimm Brothers

Rhymes for shoe

Idioms for


Launch Complex 1

The team here at Mitten Space labs took last weekend off to celebrate Christmas, but this weekend we’re back with more rockets and airplanes.

Propulsion Experiment 1

Since Captain Obvious has a never ending supply of hot air, today’s experiment involved stringing a line across the basement (this is winter in Michigan after all) and seeing how well we could propel makeshift rockets across the room.

Space Cadet on the other hand decided to show up dressed as a dinosaur.Space Cadet

We Are Building A Space Agency

I’m determined to give those NASA nerds a run for their money, why do those guys get to have all the fun?

It is day three of Thanksgiving break and Captain Obvious and Space Cadet need to get out of the house for a while. I explain to Captain Obvious that one of the primary missions of any space agency is Earth sciences, and that a lot of Earth based science is actually done by balloon not by rockets (much to his immediate disappointment).

It is obvious from today’s experiment that I was not thinking as far ahead as I could have. For one thing I learned that the local party store will not sell me a canister of helium, instead for $6.30 they’ll fill up six balloons for me to stuff into the car. Live and learn.

Much fun was had experimenting with drag and lift and afterwards when I asked Space Cadet what the weather observations where his reply was Not Cold.


Smart. Sharp. Funny. Fearless.
Saturday, December 16, 2017

On Tuesday morning, less than an hour after U.S. officials deported Guadalupe Olivas Valencia to Mexico, the 45-year-old man leapt to his death from a bridge that connects our two countries.

BBC News reported witnesses describing Olivas as distressed and saying he shouted that he did not want to return to Mexico before he jumped. He was from Sinaloa, one of the most violent states in the country.

If you’re inclined to point to Olivas’ three attempts to live here illegally as evidence of his unwillingness to follow the rules, consider recasting the indictment as a question: Why would this man have tried three times to escape Mexico?

As of Tuesday afternoon, we still knew little about Guadalupe Olivas Valencia beyond the circumstances of his death. But anyone paying attention to the news and capable of even a whisper of empathy knows there is more to his story. It is not difficult to imagine his death as a harbinger of more tragedies to come.

Olivas died on the same day the Department of Homeland Security released sweeping new guidelines that will most likely target for deportation millions more undocumented immigrants living in the United States. No matter how much they pay in taxes and Social Security and regardless of what they contribute to their communities, they are now more vulnerable. Something as simple as failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign can lead to one person’s deportation and the devastation of an entire family.

When I read about Olivas’ suicide, I immediately thought of another family of immigrants I wrote about in December 2010. The parents — I called them Mary and Joe to protect their identities — and their two elder children were born in Mexico. They fled for their lives, crossing the border illegally and then paying strangers $6,000 to ride in windowless vans from Arizona to a small town in northeast Ohio. They found full-time work and brought three more children into the world.

They lived in constant fear of discovery, but they were willing to take the risk to improve the lives of their children — an American value, I was raised to believe.

As I wrote at the time, one foggy evening in 2010, Joe was driving home from work, when police pulled him over for using high-beam headlights. He was gone before his wife and children could even visit him at the police station.

His 11-year-old daughter, Emma, took his deportation the hardest. She was a bright student, but her light burned out in her father’s absence. The longer he was gone the more morose and combative she became. Mary shared her concern in phone calls with her husband, but she was trying to keep her family afloat. One afternoon, Mary left Emma to watch the younger children so that she and her eldest daughter could run errands.

By the time they returned, Emma was gone. She had coiled a cord around her neck and tied it to the banister and then slid down the stairs until she suffocated.

I learned about Emma only after she had died, in an interview with Veronica Isabel Dahlberg, who is a co-founder and the executive director of HOLA, an advocacy group for the large Latino community in northeast Ohio. After reading about Olivas’ suicide on that bridge, I called Dahlberg to see how Emma’s family is doing now.

After his daughter’s suicide, Joe made it back to his family, but only for a while. He was arrested in 2012 after he was pulled over for another traffic infraction. This time, the charge was more serious because he’d already been deported. For months, he languished in a detention cell in Youngstown, awaiting his fate. On the day of his court hearing, Feb. 28, 2013, his wife of 20 years called Dahlberg.

“I could barely understand her at first,” Dahlberg said. “She was so upset.”

Joe had hanged himself in his cell. He was 40 years old.

Days after he died, Joe’s family — including his parents — and friends and colleagues gathered at a local funeral home to say goodbye. His death notice described him as a man who read the Bible every day and who tried to live his life by its teachings.

“His greatest joy,” it read, “came from being with his family.”

He is buried next to his daughter Emma, in the small American town where he once dared to believe that his family would be safe.

IMAGE: Mexican immigration officers talk with a man whom they suspect to be an illegal immigrant during a search operation in Zapopan near Guadalajara, Mexico July 29, 2014. REUTERS/Alejandro Acosta/File Photo