text
stringlengths 116
653k
| id
stringlengths 47
47
| edu_int_score
int64 2
5
| edu_score
float64 1.5
5.03
| fasttext_score
float64 0.02
1
| language
stringclasses 1
value | language_score
float64 0.65
1
| url
stringlengths 14
3.22k
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
'People Still Hate Each Other': Inside A Bosnian City That Hasn't Recovered From The Civil War http://www.businessinsider.com/mostar-bosnia-photos-2014-8/comments en-us Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 -0500 Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:44:40 -0500 Christian Storm http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ee7993ecad044e492f3634 Mostar heart Fri, 15 Aug 2014 17:20:19 -0400 http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ee7993ecad044e492f3634 Now, in 2014, there are only few buildings in ruins today and it is becouse of private problams, not political. Ofc there are some abandoned military buildings but outside the city. Yes, there is some hatred and national intolerance generated mostly by political structures before the elections; but war was just 20y ago, and few generations are needed to heal that if community would be healthy, wich is not at the moment; but generally speaking Mostar is now more tolerant than most of the cities in ex-yu and balkans. Today city is beautiful, amazing and has a lot of places to have fun. Politics are very complicated coz of involving EU and fking Sarajevo. Now it is a mess. Becouse of awkward political situation, economy and industry is not growing and that is main problam. For tourists btw Mostar is great destitation and its worthy to see it, especially when you get to know some local citizens. http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ed50ea6da811c872c340f2 Sanel Thu, 14 Aug 2014 20:14:34 -0400 http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ed50ea6da811c872c340f2 that is because ethnic cleansing of serbs in mostar never found place. most of the serbs fled from mostar before everything went off. i can say this because when i came to school the last day before they announced there will be no more classes, only to meet 6-7 of others from my class. guess who wasn't there. my aunt and her family are among those who fled just days before the city turned into a war zone. http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ec59c3eab8ea8936eb88c0 Mostarac Thu, 14 Aug 2014 02:40:03 -0400 http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ec59c3eab8ea8936eb88c0 Actually, Slobodan Praljak was not sentenced to 20 years in prison by International Criminal Tribunal for ordering the destruction of the Mostar bridge. During the trial it was clearly stated by the judge that "there was no clear evidence that S. Praljak ordered destruction of the bridge, nor that the Croat forces did that..." http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ec05946da811bc02ef17cd Johnny Canuck Wed, 13 Aug 2014 20:40:52 -0400 http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ec05946da811bc02ef17cd Casey Research produced a pretty good documentary that includes the story of what happened in Yugoslavia. Worth watching, if only to see the parallels between the former Yugoslavia and the US today. The link is <a href="http://www.caseyresearch.com/lg/meltdown-video" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" >http://www.caseyresearch.com/lg/meltdown-video</a>. http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ebf8746da8113f47ef17cd mandinka Wed, 13 Aug 2014 19:44:52 -0400 http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ebf8746da8113f47ef17cd This is just mischief. Bill Clinton said that these people wanted our action and we saved the day http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ebc80269bedd86751c3b48 Duke Wed, 13 Aug 2014 16:18:10 -0400 http://www.businessinsider.com/c/53ebc80269bedd86751c3b48 If you're trying to portray objective journalism how come there is no specific mention of the ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Mostar? Why do you leave that fact out yet mention Serbs and Croats are held in the prison because they committed atrocities? I don't think the Serbs ethnically cleansed themselves from Mostar. | <urn:uuid:31eddd32-9325-431d-825c-295812ece834> | 2 | 1.765625 | 0.02023 | en | 0.920762 | http://www.businessinsider.com/mostar-bosnia-photos-2014-8/comments.rss |
unc iowa state clock 2CBS
The officials made the right call in the bizarre ending of the Iowa State-North Carolina game on Sunday.
North Carolina lost 85-83. With 1.6 seconds left, the clock failed to start on time when UNC inbounded the ball to Nate Britt. After a review, the referees ruled that the clock would have expired before UNC called a timeout if it had started on time, and the game was over.
The controversy isn't with the call. Even with the clock delay, it's unclear if Britt got the timeout before time expired.
The controversy is with the rule itself, and there's no easy way to fix it.
The central problem is that Britt was behaving as if the time on the clock was legitimate.
He told the AP after the game, "When I looked up at the clock I saw one-point-something time left. I saw staff screaming and trying to call timeout."
He looked at the clock, saw his coaches clamoring for a timeout, and decided to call timeout under the assumption that UNC would still have a few tenths of a second to get a shot off.
Here's the full play:
unc isu endingCBS
His decision-making was based on the assumption that the clock was correct.
But NCAA rules are blind to that fact. By rule, when there's a clock malfunction, the referees can review it and retroactively apply the correct time. That's what happened here.
As the NCAA head of officials said after the game, "It's a math problem." The referees went to instant replay, calculated the time between when the clock should have started and when the timeout took place, realized that it was longer than 1.6 seconds, and declared the game over.
The loophole is that you can't predict what Britt would have done if the clock started on time. Maybe he would have still called a timeout after the clock had expired, and nothing would have changed. But maybe he would have heaved up a shot, or maybe he would have made an aggressive move to draw a foul.
We simply don't know how he would have behaved if he saw the right time on the clock.
Britt and UNC's downfall was assuming the clock was correct, which doesn't feel entirely fair. | <urn:uuid:63b57468-9a70-4906-a4c6-9aabeb643336> | 2 | 1.632813 | 0.477956 | en | 0.988719 | http://www.businessinsider.com/ncaa-clock-rules-unc-2014-3 |
Cuba: Snuff Out the Embargo
The U.S. should open up business opportunities by lifting its trade embargo against the island nation. Pro or con? Update! Podcast: Hear a lively discussion as Roger Johnson and José Azel respond to your reader comments
Pro: Free Up Economies
American policy toward Cuba is an abject failure. Nine U.S. Presidents have come and gone (and a 10th is about to depart); Fidel Castro has just resigned, yet his closest supporters remain in power.
The real victims of this misguided policy are the two generations of Cubans who have grown up under the U.S. embargo that has deprived them of access to U.S. consumer products. More important, it has isolated them from the ideals of democracy and freedom, the very things we most want for them.
In the meantime, other nations, including most of our closest allies, are openly trading with and sending tourists to Cuba. There is a substantial market there, especially for our agricultural products, and we are missing out on much of it. Embargoes are almost meaningless when the rest of the world ignores them.
Since 2002, North Dakota has exported nearly $40 million in agricultural commodities—mostly pulse crops (peas, chickpeas, lentils, etc.)—to Cuba, despite the competitive disadvantage imposed on us by our own government restrictions. Lifting those restrictions would mean greater trade opportunities.
Cuba’s government is much like those of China and Vietnam, Communist nations that enjoy trade, tourism, and even the friendship of the U.S. Yet we treat Cuba, a tiny nation with virtually no political, economic, or military power, as a pariah.
The U.S. should end the trade and business embargo with Cuba and move quickly to allow tourism between our two countries. Most important, we should restore full diplomatic relations with Havana. Only then will we have the leverage to press the new Cuban leadership to restore human rights, establish a free market-based economy, and move to democracy.
Until we do these things, however, we will watch as others enjoy the benefits of trade with Cuba and play an active role in the development of the island. The U.N. General Assembly has voted repeatedly for an end to the embargo against Cuba, most recently by a margin of 183 to 4. It is time to admit we are wrong; it is time to change our policy—for ourselves and for the people of Cuba.
Con: Restrictions Make Sense
The effectiveness of using economic sanctions for political influence is an often debated aspect of U.S. foreign policy. The practice, however, is not new or particularly American. Pericles’ decree banning the Megarians from the Athenian market and ports helped incite the Great Peloponnesian War in 431 B.C.
In the case of Cuba in 2008, after nearly five decades of economic sanctions, the debate continues. Critics of the U.S. embargo note that economic sanctions have failed to change the nature of the Cuban government and have allowed the country to use the embargo for propaganda purposes. Abandoning U.S. trade restrictions, they argue, would expose Cuba to the “American way of life” and help foment social pressures for economic reforms and political liberalization.
Regrettably, this outlook stems from a U.S.-centric vantage point extrapolated to the Cuban government. Embargo opponents make the flawed assumption that the current Cuban government is earnestly interested in close relations with its northern neighbor—and willing to jeopardize its total control and 50-year legacy of opposition to Yankee imperialism in exchange for an improvement in the economic well-being of Cubans. Raul Castro’s recent speech to Cuba’s National Assembly should put an end to that notion.
The embargo is not the cause of the catastrophic state of Cuba’s economy. Mismanagement and the fact that “command economy” models don’t work lie at the root of Cuba’s economic misery. Despite the existence of the embargo, the U.S. is Cuba’s sixth-largest trading partner and biggest food supplier.
Moreover, U.S. tourism will not bring democracy to Cuba. For years, hundreds of thousands of tourists from Canada, Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere have visited the island. Cuba is no more democratic today. On what mystical grounds do opponents of the embargo offer that American tourists will do the trick?
There are many negative unintended consequences to unilaterally lifting the embargo without meaningful changes in Cuba’s political and economic model. Most important of all, it would ensure the continuation of the current totalitarian regime by strengthening state enterprises that would be the main beneficiaries of currency inflows into business owned by the Cuban government.
Reader Comments
Steve L.
Economic sanctions against Cuba by the USA are wholly symbolic. The rest of the world has continued to tour and trade with Cuba this entire time--to what end?
Roger Johnson is an apologist for a brutal dictator. Cuba's problem is a dictatorial military-run Communist state, based on Soviet policies. Sadly, a situation very similar to Burma's. If something is to change, let it be Cuba's government, not American policy.
paul falcone
We trade with the Chinese and the Vietnamese, so why not trade with Cuba? The faster we do this, the faster we will have a free Cuba that would not go back to Communism. The only people who want to keep an embargo are a few big-shot Cubans who want to have all power in Miami.
Revolutions happen when the people see that things can get better. If we drop the embargo, Communism will be gone in six months. There is no sensible reason to continue the embargo. It's an old policy left from a time when Communism was a world threat. It isn't anymore. We're just inflicting pain on the Cuban people and letting the dictatorial government use us as a scapegoat.
Embargoes really do nothing but stir up more animosity within the confines of where the people who are already suppressed live. I believe we should be more open to trade with Cuba. After all, it will definitely make Miami boom.
If we can do business with China, we can do business with Cuba. Enough with the old hatred for Castro by the Cuban emigres who lost their wealth and power.
fadi ghosn
The embargo is directed against the Cuban people. Lift it, and play politics as much as you want.
Common Sense
I think it is time to try it without the embargo for 50 years--and then compare.
Economic sanctions only work when they're observed by more than one country. All the seething and growling about how Cuba is a totalitarian Communist state that doesn't deserve to have its trade embargo with the U.S. lifted until it changes, ultimately means nothing if Cuba gets what it needs from other countries. It's not being an apologist; it's simply noting that the trade embargo has no leverage since Cuba is freely trading with the rest of the world.
The idea that by trading with Cuba, the U.S. will lead the impoverished Cubans to forsake their dictators for a free market economy and a democratic government makes just as little sense. It's a quote from ideologues who made lofty speeches about how to win the Cold War, and current events show just how wrong they were.
In China, the world's capital of manufacturing trade, people have been getting ever wealthier for the past decade and a half and yet, they haven't had a revolution and overthrown their government in favor of free elections. Even in Russia and Ukraine, the most progressive countries of the former USSR and ones with the easiest access to U.S. and European goods, most elections are just ceremonial. The incumbent grooms a successor, nominates him, and people vote for the nominated successor. If there's an opposition, it's ignored because it doesn't have the power and presence to make its message heard. Even there, holdovers of the Communist system still persist.
If selling some microwaves and washing machines to the impoverished and the oppressed worked, the Middle Eastern dictatorships and autocracies wouldn't exist anymore. Similarly, if economic sanctions worked to unseat dictators, Iran would be holding free elections, its Supreme Council would've been just a bad dream, and the invasion of Iraq would've never happened because Saddam would've been ousted and jailed. Embargoes and sanctions are a tool to force a dictator to do something, but they're not going to unjam an autocrat from his seat of power. Only a populace with other choices for leadership can do that as we see in Pakistan.
Thomas Wieken
This is supposed to be a beautiful place to vacation. My parents were there just before Castro took over. The poverty was unbelievable. My mother always talked about the poor children. It didn't seem that trade with Cuba was helping anyone but Batista.
It really can't hurt to open trade with Cuba. What will we import? Tobacco and sugar? Why don't we build an ethanol plant there and use the sugar instead of wheat to make ethanol. Now that makes scientific sense.
In February, my wife and I stayed a week in a Cuban resort. I think dropping the embargo would be logical, particularly given U.S. trade with other dictatorial regimes. Just don't expect overnight miracles. Give it another 50 years or so, and everything will work out fine. Maybe the embargo should be retained for cars, though. It's great fun to see all those 1950s U.S. cars roaming the roads.
Alec B.
Could Steve L. please elaborate on where he draws a similarity between Burma and Cuba?
I have looked closely at the argument of José Azel above and I cannot, for the life of me, see any justification given for the continued implementation of an economic embargo. In essence, he argues that though the embargo has been unsuccessful, to lift it would not guarantee a successful change of government. That makes no sense.
Time heals all wounds, unless, apparently, you are a Cuban refugee. The beauty of the current Presidential race in the U.S. is that neither Obama nor McCain will be swayed by the interests of the Miami contingent. They have lost their wedge and not before time.
Steve M
The con argument presented is the usual Cuban exile rant: It denies that the embargo causes hardship, it denies that U.S. tourism would help democratize Cuba, and it cites "many" negative consequences of lifting the embargo, but doesn't explain a single one.
Cuban exiles dream of a devastated Cuba so they can roll back in with U.S. dollars and take over on the cheap.
The embargo, in my humble and unlearned opinion, is what has allowed Castro to maintain control by using the threat of the great evil empire of the U.S. Lifting the embargo would bring more democratic change to Cuba in a single generation than the last 50 years of failed U.S. policy.
Why is this even an argument? Even the Soviet Union collapsed. Allow Cuba to participate in the global market, and it will change, too. The only reason Cuba still exists as it is is because the U.S. keeps it that way.
Out of stubbornness, the United States government continues to support a failure: the economic embargo against Cuba. Imperial arrogance dictates that the U.S. continue with this stupid policy. But it cannot hide from the condemnation that was delivered at the United Nations General Assembly last September, when, by a vote of 184-4, it condemned what Cuba rightly calls a blockade. George W. Bush: Put that in you pipe and smoke it.
Interesting how the Cuban leadership and Western liberals blame Cuba's failure on the U.S. embargo. Cuba can do business with everybody else, but still Uncle Sam is responsible for:
1) The economic hardship there
2) The political system (because it would change if the embargo would be lifted)
Nobody is responsible for their actions these days, and failure is always Uncle Sam's fault.
The best thing about the liberal whining is that they seem to be saying that a Socialist utopia can't work without being able to trade with the evil capitalists in the U.S. This whole issue is twisted and stupid. Cuba should be left to rot along with all things Communist. Nobody has any obligation to keep them afloat. If they want democracy, how about doing it themselves?
I am not against the embargo of Cuba. I object to the uneven way in which we decide which nations we will embargo or not. There is a case to be made that China is a far greater violator of human rights than Cuba is. I would seek constructive engagement with Cuba, and I would take a harder line with China.
I've been to Cuba multiple times. Each time, I was amazed at how a person reacted when I presented him or her with some small token of Canadian culture, i.e., a lapel pin. The conditions they live in are pitiful, to say the least. Everything is cement. Very few buildings are wood, due to lack of it.
Back here, I always read that economic sanctions will not unseat a dictator if he can trade with other countries. Quite right. So why is the almighty King George insisting upon the economic blockade of Cuba? Does he simply not see this, point because he can't or he won't?
Democracy is not a fix-all Band-Aid. It didn't work for Russia, after all. I'm confused as to why the American government seems to think that its brand of democracy is the way to go. Because, frankly, it's hardly a shining example of everything right with the system. Every time I see a news article about American government corruption, I can't help but think about the former Roman Empire.
Oh, and Steve L.: Please elaborate on the Cuba-Burma connection. Please do. A dictatorship is not always so brutal; Cubans have some of the best health care in the world and free education through college.
I took an inexpensive all-inclusive tour to Cuba last October for a week. It is spectacular in many respects, but the most obvious is the lack of Americans. The world really hates them, and Cuba actually outlaws them. The best thing that ever happened to Cuba and its burgeoning tourist industry is the elimination of Americans with their money and superior attitudes combined with economy destroying overconsumption. The last paradise in the Western World would be polluted if the embargo was lifted, and Cuba would become another Puerto Rico or Jamaica. Who needs that?
Democracy, by definition, cannot be imposed. However, that doesn't mean we have to support dictators. But we do support--or turn a blind eye to--dictators who serve our interests. No matter who wins the U.S. election, the embargo will stay in place. If trade with the rest of the world has helped Cuba so much, why is it still in utter poverty? Cuba is a flawed system.
When the "U.S. interests" (meaning what the government wants) are such that it benefits itself, the U.S. will get involved to police others. Many countries do more harm than good to the majority of their people, and the U.S. government sits back. Let there be oil involved or other interests, and the U.S. will lie to have reason to invade. As soon as we need sugar for biofuel, watch what happens to Cuba.
There is nothing more "anti-American" and "anti-free-enterprise system" than an idea that does not work. That is supposed to be the kind of stuff that socialism is made of.
Looking at an embargo that has not produced anything positive in 50 years, I state that it is essentially "anti-American" and "anti-free-enterprise." The proof would be in trying the opposite. Why not try it? Why not be "pro-American" and "pro-free enterprise?"
Embargoes are morally wrong and against free market ideas, no matter how morally reprehensible the country. And Cuba is no Burma, silly goose. It's much more advanced. Have you ever been there?
Cannot believe the ignorance of the embargo. The embargo was instituted when the murderous Castro regime stole all the property, Cuban and foreign alike. Those who state that we trade with other Communist countries do not seem to know that those totalitarian regimes paid the debts for the stolen properties. It is not the embargo, stupid. It is the system that does not work. Venezuela, which is becoming another Cuba, thanks to the monkey king wannabe dictator Chavez, is implementing food rationing. Hey, there is not a U.S. embargo there. The only embargo is the one imposed on the Cuban people by the ruling oligarchy. Cannot believe you guys support the apartheid system.
As a Cuban-American, I believe it is time we drop the Cuban embargo since it has not accomplished anything other than helping Castro use nationalistic fervor to rally his nation and consolidate power. The USA needs to be smart and let all Americans travel to all countries they desire. Freedom for all Americans. Cuba will eventually follow.
Lawrence pretty much got to the bottom of it.
The U.S. hates Cuba because Cuba defies the American hegemony system. That's why "we do support--or turn a blind eye to--dictators who serve our interests." America never cared about tyranny per se; it just always wants the tyrants to pledge allegiance.
Jon Towne
Free up nothing. Until that murderer is dead, the United States need not lift a finger. Once that jerk is gone, then let's see if Raul or whatever his two-timing name is relents to the U.S. what it wants. Time is on our side--don't you think? We kept the nukes off the island, and we kept capitalism off the island. What do those poor people have? Nothing, except Fidel Castro. Castro is and was a horrible dictator who will go down in the annals of history as a foolish puppet of the Soviet empire (not). He should be buried at sea, in a swarm of great whites.
To keep doing the same and expecting change--some call that insanity. Well, for almost 50 years the "embargo" has accomplished nothing. If Cuba had not been forgotten in the last century maybe through trade, health organization, and more, the island could have been infiltrated a lot more easily. Sounds conspiratorial? Well, politics is full of that substance. Work from the inside out. All but the music has been blocked off from the rest of the real world. The oppression the Cubanos and Cubanas have endured should at least be helped along by providing them goods, medicine, and faith.
It's always seemed a tad hypocritical that, for decades, we have been trading with Communist China. If only Cuba wasn't so iconic in the cold war, perhaps all this nonsense could have been put to rest years ago. The prospects for oil and oil-related profiteering may well be the turning point in the Cuban embargo. There is money to be made in Cuba. Therefore there is reason to lift the embargo.
The embargo is stupid and should be ended. For one, I think we could use Cuba's sugar cane to make ethanol, which might free up some of the land we are currently using for the same purpose to grow food to feed people, instead of giving first priority to powering our automobiles. Of course, this will make Midwest farmers upset, so they will be heavily against any change.
Wai L. Chui
The embargo has nothing to do with any geopolitical arguments or reality. It is just an expression of the hatred of the American political establishment toward Fidel Castro personally. His refusal to die young or collapse with the Soviet Union is a source of endless annoyance. All these talks about how dismantling the embargo will not bring democracy to Cuba is just a smoke screen.
Any argument for maintaining the embargo applies to China. The difference is that Cuba is small enough that the price paid by the U.S. is low. It is low enough to be maintained decade after decade.
If the man living across the street is annoying to you, would you not be willing to pay an affordable price to get back at him in some ways?
gary reads
Ask Fidel to write a letter of reflection, an apology to the Cuban and American people for allowing his revolution to become a stage for the USSR in its play for violent global hegemony. If Castro, despite his expropriations and incarcerations and Che-revolutions and proxy wars, had not offered his country as a strategic nuclear base against the U.S., he would not have become so demonized as a watchword for Communist treachery. He was the present, demonstrable, and lethal threat to the security of the U.S. for an entire generation.
Fidel caused the alarm to be rung to the entire American electorate, and justified the massive expenditures of the 1960s defense against the projected remote threat of the USSR. In effect, America could not ignore the threat of the USSR due to the machinations of two brothers--disaffected children of the elite. Fidel Castro, Big Brother personified, did more to inspire the American defense of the West against global Communism than any other man on earth. There should be a Cold War monument to him on the Mall.
Raul is a relic and, despite his murderous past, ought, with brother Fidel, be finally relegated to the dustbin of history.
Negotiate foreign ownership of private property with Raul, promise him and his tottering henchmen retirement waterfront condos, and unleash the developers, casinos, cruise lines, and Donald Trump on the "Cuban Dream" Isle.
Ted Pert
It's ironic that Russia, which was a communist nation for years, has abandoned the idea and Cuba still follows this outdated and ludicrous system to the detriment of its people. Please abolish these barriers.
Bert Corzo
The United States government's embargo has had little effect on the Cuban economy, since it only represents 10% of Cuba's commerce with the rest of the world. The embargo only affects the American companies and their subsidiaries. The rest of the countries, at 152 since the last count in 2004, and companies are free to conduct business with Cuba and are doing so, as confirmed by imports surpassing $5 billion during 2004. In reality, there has not been such an embargo since the year 2000, when the United States Congress lifted the prohibition of the sale of agricultural products and medicines to Cuba, thereby allowing the Castro tyranny to buy everything it needs by paying in cash.
From December, 2001, to February, 2005, the Castro regime signed contracts for more than $1.26 billion with American companies for the purchases of their products in cash payments. The U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, based on analysis of official figures of the Castro regime, has estimated the import of U.S. agricultural products at $392 million during 2004, converting the United States to Cuba's sixth-largest business partner.
The remittance of the exile community has been estimated at $1.1 billion. The $1.1 billion a year sent by the exiles to Cuba correspond to 59% of the $1.85 billion of the island revenues during 2004.
What the Castro tyranny really wants are loans and lines of credit guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury Department, since it doesn't have hard currency to pay the interests on the lines of credit for the importation of merchandise. The European Union has suspended credits to Castro's regime due to lack of payment of the $500 million in loans. These credits will not be paid, and the American taxpayers will be the losers, the ones to pick up the debt, as it happens at the present time with the taxpayers of Spain, Argentina, Canada, Venezuela, and other countries.
The Cuban economy's bankruptcy is the sole responsibility of Castro's regime. Under this system, the economy will continue to slowly deteriorate without any hope of improvement. The economy is closely linked to the social development and standard of living of the Cuban people, which makes it very difficult for the improvement of those under the existing regime.
Cuba's problems are not the result of the embargo; they are due to the corruption and ineffectiveness of a system that is against private property and free enterprise. These and no others are the real reasons of the problems. Lifting the embargo and travel ban, without meaningful changes in Cuba, will:
1. Guarantee the continuation of the current totalitarian structures.
2. Strengthen state enterprises, since money will flow into businesses owned by the Cuban government.
3. Lead to greater repression and control since Castro and the leadership will fear that U.S. influence will subvert the revolution.
4. Delay instead of accelerate a transition to democracy on the island.
Robert J Todd
What I heard from the Cuban people was, "We like you; we don't like your government." Nary a word about not liking their government. What a lovely vacation I had--a bit worried when I ran very low on cash, but roaming the streets of Havana while broke proved to be the most educational part of the trip. I'd love to go back, but I'll have to wait until we get our freedoms returned. By the way, we are made poor by the high cost of education and health care. The Cubans are poor, but their education and health care are rights, not a burden. Did you happen to note that their infant mortality rate is superior to that of the good ol' USA?
Michael A Jamail
Yes, now open trade with Cuba. As a right-wing Republican, Bush can more easily open trade than a Democrat. Do it for the sake of Cuba's people, for the commerce of the USA. Free markets mean free people; more trade means less war. Yes, yes, yes.
Che Choi
Not sure if this is really about Communism/socialism vs. capitalism/democracy. There is a huge trade with China and great economic benefit with it. This sounds more like a "my way or the high way" type of mentality. Shouldn't the leading country in the world lead other countries with good acts rather than arrogance? Why so afraid of a failed form of government?
Moe Badderman
Just look at what a runaway success the embargo has been: in only 46 years (as of last month), it made Castro resign! Just imagine what it could accomplish in the next 46 years! We need not do business with the repressive Communist regime in Cuba--we have our trade partners in China for that!
"More important, it has isolated them from the ideals of democracy and freedom, the very things we most want for them." If our embargo didn't separate these Cubans from the ideals of democracy, Castro would have. It's not as though our embargo is the sole reason that these Cubans are separated from these ideals. I think the fact that many of them try to swim over to Florida (in rafts, etc.) shows they have the ideals of democracy. I think they've got a pretty good idea about what they're missing. Why else would they risk their lives swimming over here in rafts?
Come to think of it, what exactly does it mean to "separate someone from the ideals of democracy"? It's a very grandiose statement with, I'm afraid, little real meaning. It's a vague comment. Does it mean to separate someone from the privileges democracy grants? Does it mean to keep someone from the desires of democracy? I'm not exactly sure I know what the author is trying to say by this.
By the way, in reference to the comment about our missing out on the benefits of trading with Cuba: I really don't mean to sound like a snob--I really, really do not. But what kind of resources does that little country have to offer on a mass scale? Are we really missing out on that much?
Maybe we could cut a deal; we will drop the embargo if Castro will allow Cubans to freely travel. It's ironic that the revolution in Cuba was mainly against the political-industrial complex of the times and now Castro blames not having access to it as a major reason for Cuba's failed economy.
I believe we should open a line of communication with Cuba when Castro is dead and buried. If the post-Castro government is open to trade, tourism, free enterprise, and some sort of democratic principles for its peoples, we can negotiate and work toward ending the embargo and bringing the two countries closer. If not: status quo.
Scott D. Smith
No question, we should open up trade with Cuba. Only by trading with Cuba will the real benefits of capitalism be known to the people there. In addition, it really makes the flaws of socialism show.
There is an undeniable separation between touring a country and actually living there. During a mission trip last summer, I saw firsthand what help the country needed. On the streets there was always draining sewage and dirty stray dogs. I even saw a woman eat out of a trash can more than once. It is true that the Cuban government has hurt Cuba more than the embargo, but still, the embargo has put a cap on the recourses for the Cuban people. A house farm in the La Marina neighborhood in Matanzas was their solution to provide vegetables for the neighborhood (which had, by the way, the filthiest streets, and there was sewage everywhere). Despite the Communist government, if America ended the embargo, then that could potentially boost the Cuban economy. That will take time though.
Anyway, I would also like to point out that Cubans are very aware of their situation, and how two self-absorbed governments have pushed the beautiful Cuba into the mud. The Cubans push through with a natural perseverance though, despite any failed efforts to dig themselves out of poverty.
I would also like to note that the embargo also restricts travel, and is very tight on immigration. I met a Cuban Presbyterian minister who had not seen his grandchild since 2003, thanks to the embargo. So, keep the Cuban people in mind when you think about the consequences of the embargo.
Derek Pauley
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Johnson, and he is an intelligent man. The Cuban dictator is gone, and reform is imminent. Chinese geologists are working on found oil near Cuba, Cuba has a strong medical community, and it is 90 miles from the port of Miami.
Why not change the current currency regulations as a starting point?
Join the Debate
Participate More!
BW Mall - Sponsored Links
Buy a link now! | <urn:uuid:83d2e1dc-4d7c-4d59-b0f5-6932f17b577b> | 2 | 1.984375 | 0.262459 | en | 0.963037 | http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2008/02/cube_snuff_out.html |
Examples of Tertiary Consumers
The numerous food webs in Earth's ecosphere are made up of producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers. Examples of the latter are given in this Buzzle article. Read on, to know more.
Examples of tertiary consumers
Did You Know?
Since humans kill (though not necessarily predate on) animals on all trophic levels, humans are considered tertiary as well as apex predators.
Animals that consume carnivores are called tertiary consumers. This is the third level of consumers in a food chain. Plants, which produce their own food, are termed as producers. Herbivores, which feed on them, are known as primary consumers. Carnivores that prey on the herbivores are known as secondary consumers. Larger carnivores that prey on these carnivores are known as tertiary consumers. A tertiary consumer may also predate herbivores, and doesn't necessarily only eat carnivores.
Even though they may seem to be at the top rung, tertiary consumers are sometimes eaten by even higher carnivores. Thus, tertiary consumers aren't always apex predators, but apex predators are necessarily tertiary consumers. For example, a large snake may eat a fox, which is a secondary consumer. This makes the snake a tertiary consumer. However, snakes can be eaten by eagles, which are apex predators. However, it is worthwhile to note that preying on a tertiary consumer doesn't automatically make the predator an apex predator; the snake in the aforementioned example can also be eaten by a mongoose, but a mongoose is not an apex predator.
The term 'tertiary consumer' is relative to a particular food chain, since an animal in the wild eats various types of foods, and can be at varying trophic levels in the respective food chains. For example, a golden eagle can eat rabbits, which are primary consumers, as well as foxes, which are secondary consumers. So, though the eagle is a secondary consumer in the first food chain, it is a tertiary consumer in the second food chain. Thus, the term refers to the trophic level of an animal in a particular food chain.
Having seen what the term stands for, let's look at some examples of tertiary consumers from various ecosystems.
Commonly Seen Tertiary Consumers
Great White Shark
great white shark
One of the most famous and feared tertiary consumers in the world is the great white shark. An apex as well as tertiary predator in the ocean, great white sharks are hypercarnivorous, i.e., virtually all of their food is meat. They kill almost all fish that are smaller than them, including some that prey on other, even smaller fish. They also kill seals, which kill fish and penguins (which, incidentally, also kill fish).
Big Cats
All big cats are tertiary predators, since they kill herbivorous primary consumers as well as carnivorous secondary consumers. However, one of the four, the leopard, is not an apex predator, since it is sometimes killed by lions and tigers, with whom it shares its habitat. Smaller predators such as foxes, badgers, and 'smaller big cats' such as the lynx, bobcats, ocelots, serval are the most commonly killed carnivores. Tigers, in particular, regularly come in contact with Asiatic black bears and crocodiles, and some even specialize in hunting bears. Lions and tigers both come in contact with the leopard, and the smaller cat is almost always killed. Lions may also face off against crocodiles, and jaguars frequently encounter caimans.
saltwater crocodile
Crocodiles are the kings of the water. In its preferred habitat, they pack a punch that almost no animal can handle. Crocodiles have some of the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom, and, consequently, some of the most powerful bites. Even large and strong predators such as lions and tigers can't escape crocodiles if they enter the water, though they can overpower crocs if the latter ventures onto the land.
Pythons and Boas
ball python
Though pythons would struggle to overpower predators such as adult crocodiles and big cats, they can easily kill foxes and wild cats. They can also kill juvenile big cats or crocs. Anacondas are known to prey on caimans, which are smaller than crocodiles.
King Cobra
king cobra
King cobras are specialist snake-eaters. Since all snakes are carnivorous, king cobras are tertiary consumers. Kingsnakes, which also frequently feed on other snakes, are also tertiary consumers. The 'king' in both names signifies their common diet.
Killer Whale
killer whale
Killer whales, or orcas, are the only marine predator that can challenge large sharks. They are intelligent and ferocious killers, and frequently hunt seals and penguins, which feed on fish.
Polar Bear
polar bear
The top predator in the Arctic, the polar bear kills fish, penguins, and seals, making it a tertiary predator. The complexity and relativity of the term 'tertiary consumer' is best illustrated by the examples of the oceanic tertiary consumers―the great white shark, the orca, and the polar bear. Due to the presence of multiple aquatic food chains, a fish killed by a penguin may already be a tertiary consumer. If a polar bear eats a seal that has eaten the penguin in question, the bear cannot strictly be considered a 'tertiary' predator, since many more trophic levels have passed in the process. However, this needless complexity in nomenclature is usually ignored, and sharks, orcas, and polar bears are considered tertiary and apex predators.
Found in the deserts of southern North America, the sidewinder is the perfect example of a tertiary consumer in desert ecology. It feeds on various animals, including rats and spiders that kill insects such as grasshoppers and beetles.
bald eagle
All eagles are secondary consumers, since they are carnivorous. However, some eagles go one step further and prey on snakes, foxes, owls, etc., which makes them tertiary consumers. Some hawks and falcons, which also prey on similar prey, are tertiary consumers.
Secretarybirds are famous for being snake hunters. They kill and eat various reptiles and small mammals. Weirdly, venomous snakes such as cobras and adders are most commonly sought. Adult secretarybirds have terrifyingly strong legs that can break human bones with a single stomp. This formidable weapon makes them near-invincible (adults are almost never preyed upon). They are apex predators, though their young may be eaten.
These were some examples of tertiary consumers found in tropical rainforests, deserts, jungles, snow, and the oceans.
Published: April 23, 2014
Post a Comment | <urn:uuid:3dd313d7-3ad1-4b31-b5b9-849d85d99592> | 3 | 3.21875 | 0.31971 | en | 0.953538 | http://www.buzzle.com/articles/examples-of-tertiary-consumers.html |
PBS Troubleshoots Your Brew
| April 5, 2013
We sat down with Ross Beamish, lead trainer here at Vita who runs our Public Brewing School, a once-a-month workshop on home brewing methods that’s free to the public. Below, Ross offers his advice on picking your tools, sharpening your nose, and how we perceive bitterness in coffee.
Why does training your palate mater?
There is an array of grinders, brew methods, and water kettles that offer the coffee enthusiast a way to achieve greatness in the comfort of their kitchen. When you’re making the decision to purchase a great bag of coffee to complement your shiny new toys, it helps to know what’s affecting the overall flavor of your cup. Adjusting these variables to suit your personal taste will empower your purchasing decision, mature your palate, and have you brewing more confidently at home.
So what about bitterness?
We all perceive bitterness in coffee, and sometimes it’s balanced perfectly (like a piece of good dark chocolate) but sometimes it’s overwhelming (like a burnt marshmallow). It could be a combination of the level of roast on the coffee, the grind size or the water temperature. If you’re a black coffee drinker and bitterness is an issue, it might be time to try a lighter roast. Lighter roasted coffee boasts higher acidity and more pleasant aromas, which balance out bitterness. Taste experienced in the nasal passage as well as the tongue, so take a few quick sniffs of your coffee as you enjoy it. As you evaluate the coffee and begin to smell floral or fruit-like notes, you probably will not taste as much bitterness as before, or the bitterness will balance well with the increased acidity of a lighter or medium roasted coffee. By training your palate you’ll eventually you’ll know the difference between your varietals. Brazilians, Kenyans, Ethiopians, Indonesians.
What other factors determine bitterness?
Other factors influencing bitterness include mineral content of water, hardness or softness of water, and processing of the green coffee. Washed coffees and water processed decaffeinated coffees are known to be less bitter and complement full immersion methods. These methods include French Press, Clever, Eva Solo, or Aero Press.
Grind size also determines the amount of bitterness in a cup of coffee. In general, a coarser grind size will produce a less bitter flavor but will require a longer brew time (which correlates directly to increased bitterness) so tread carefully.
Ross explores each of these methods and more in our free monthly Public Brewing School sessions. For more information and to reserve your spot at our Capitol Hill location in Seattle, email [email protected].
| <urn:uuid:bee3df4e-6054-46c2-8620-8426694559d6> | 2 | 2.375 | 0.048441 | en | 0.918738 | http://www.caffevita.com/blog/2013/04/pbs-troubleshoots-your-brew/ |
Castleman Disease
+ -Text Size
Treating Castleman Disease TOPICS
Treatment of localized (unicentric) Castleman disease
Surgery is the recommended treatment for people with localized Castleman disease (CD) whenever possible. Removing the abnormal lymph node(s) usually cures the disease. Symptoms such as fever and fatigue that are caused by the CD go away when the lymph node is removed. Relapses are rare.
Sometimes if the diseased area is too large to be removed by surgery, medicines such as corticosteroids or rituximab might be given first. This can shrink the tumor and make it easier to remove.
Radiation can also be used to treat localized CD, either in people who can’t have surgery for some reason or if not all of the disease can be removed with surgery. But it’s not used as often as surgery as the main treatment.
Some patients with localized CD develop secondary amyloidosis, a condition in which abnormal proteins build up in the kidneys, skin, and some other organs. This protein build-up stops once the lymph node affected by CD is removed.
The outlook for localized CD is very good if the affected lymph node(s) can be removed with surgery (or treated with radiation). But sometimes not all of the disease can be removed or treated safely. This doesn’t necessarily mean it will continue to grow and get worse. Even partial removal may help, and the disease may not grow back.
Last Medical Review: 07/07/2014
Last Revised: 07/07/2014 | <urn:uuid:a8f527e9-5710-4bed-b658-e8a00815b185> | 3 | 2.578125 | 0.028551 | en | 0.946179 | http://www.cancer.org/cancer/castlemandisease/detailedguide/castleman-disease-treating-treating-localized |
UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Take the Jonsson Cancer Center Site Survey
Pancreatic Cancer: Treatments
Surgery may be used alone or in combination with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The surgeon may remove all or part of the pancreas. The extent of surgery depends on the location and size of the tumor, the stage of the disease and the patient’s general health.
• Whipple procedure: If the tumor is in the head (the widest part of the pancreas), the surgeon removes the head of the pancreas and part of the small intestine, bile duct and stomach. The doctor then reconnects the digestive tract and biliary system. The surgeon may also remove other nearby tissues.
• Pancreatectomy: A surgical procedure in which the surgeon removes the tail and body of the pancreas, as well as the spleen. In a total pancreatectomy, the surgeon removes the entire pancreas, part of the small intestine, a portion of the stomach, the common bile duct, the gallbladder, the spleen and nearby lymph nodes.
Sometimes before one of the above procedures, the surgeon may choose to start with a laparoscopy, in which several small holes are made in the abdomen while a patient is under anesthesia, through which a camera can can be passed. This allows the surgeon to assess whether the cancer has spread to other areas within the abdominal cavity, in which case undertaking the full operation to remove the primary tumor would not be beneficial.
If the tumor is blocking the common bile duct or small intestine, placement of a stent (a tiny tube that helps keep the blocked area open and can be either metal or plastic) can be performed to relieve the blockage using nonsurgical approaches, such as endoscope cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or endoscopy. In some instances, the patient may need surgery to create a bypass, even if the tumor itself cannot be completely removed. A bypass allows fluids to flow through the digestive tract. It can help relieve jaundice and pain resulting from a blockage.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. A large machine directs radiation at the abdomen. Radiation therapy may be given alone, with surgery, with chemotherapy or both. The most common type of radiation treatment is called external-beam radiation therapy, which is radiation given from a machine outside the body. Radiation therapy is also called local therapy. This method affects cancer cells only in the treated area.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Doctors also give chemotherapy to help reduce pain and other problems caused by pancreatic cancer. It may be given alone, with radiation or with surgery and radiation. Systemic chemotherapy uses drugs to target cancer cells throughout the body. It can be given orally or by injection, and can be done as an outpatient treatment at the hospital, doctor’s office or at home.
| <urn:uuid:46a0f1f5-ddfc-4bb3-a5cf-107f0fc83f46> | 3 | 3.15625 | 0.047232 | en | 0.924841 | http://www.cancer.ucla.edu/Index.aspx?page=745 |
Q&A Open Forum
Thursday, Sep 20, 2012 - 7pm ET
Jimmy Akin answers:
Where does confession come from?
Is it true that the Old Testament is just stories and the New Testament is more factual?
Why did the Church change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday?
How does Satan roam the earth while dwelling in hell?
Why did Jesus tell Mary Magdalen not to touch him after he rose from the dead, but allowed Thomas to touch him?
Was the soul of Jesus Christ created?
Why is joining the Freemasons considered a grave sin by the Catholic Church?
The public high school where I teach has a Christian prayer club made up of mostly Evangelicals -- would it be scandalous for me to participate?
Regarding the papyrus that was recently found, I heard someone say that Jesus was clearly referring to his wife, the Church -- what are your thoughts on this?
Does a person commit a mortal sin by converting from Catholicism to another religion?
Why does Tobit 2:10 talk about cataracts?
The Bible Answer Man Debate | <urn:uuid:75b2efdb-031d-40ed-bddc-b9a549bac663> | 2 | 1.867188 | 0.999979 | en | 0.96067 | http://www.catholic.com/radio/shows/qa-open-forum-7534 |
BVD-PI stands for Bovine Viral Diarrhea-Persistent Infection. BVD-PI occurs when an animal is infected with BVD before birth (in utero). The animal will remain infected with BVD for life and will shed virus continuously. BVD-PI animals often are poor doers but can appear healthy and normal in size.
Source: New York State Department of Agriculture
BVD Resources
03/24/2010 07:50AM
This week's Drovers TV episode takes a look at BVD, storm rations and marketing cattle.
03/15/2010 01:14PM
Cattle producers preparing to work spring-born calves should be taking steps now to protect their animals from the respiratory diseases, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and bovine viral diarrhea virus.
03/08/2010 02:58PM
IDEXX presents a series of bovine health webinars with available continuing education credits for veterinarians.
03/08/2010 09:09AM
There are a lot of different opinions regarding which antibiotics are best for treating common infections – for example, pneumonia and footrot. How can a cow-calf producer make the best decision about which product to use and when?
03/05/2010 03:06PM
| <urn:uuid:587b9305-6b79-49bd-ba8f-8ec4e9ca7991> | 2 | 2.296875 | 0.028913 | en | 0.904692 | http://www.cattlenetwork.com/cattle-resources/cattle-health/cattle-health-what-is-bvd-pi-114134714.html |
Summer is a bummer of a time for teen jobs
It is a rough summer to be an American teenager looking for a job.
The latest numbers show that 24-percent of 16- to 19-year-olds are unemployed. CBS News correspondent Seth Doane reports that their main competition is older workers who in these times are after the same jobs.
Not since world-war-two have as few teenagers been in the labor force. In 2000, teenagers were twice as likely to have jobs as those 65-69 years old. A decade later, there's been a reversal, with more older folks working, and fewer teenagers.
Alex Rodriguez, 17, thrives on competition, but not the type he's seeing in the job market. Nationally, three out of four teens cannot find work.
"I've applied to every store. I've called them. I've had my mom call them. I've had my teachers here helping me," Alex says.
Alex says that unending hunt is difficult.
"You can only apply to so many jobs and especially when you don't get the phone calls back. That gets you upset," Alex says.
His teacher, Mary Ellen Rafferty, says in last year's class of twenty students, 18 had jobs. This year, only four do.
"It's discouraging to want even a minimum wage job and be told those aren't available to you at this point. They can't even aspire to that next level of job because the entry-level jobs are the ones that aren't available," Mary Ellen says.
Rodriguez started in January looking for jobs ranging from a custodian to a clerk at a retail store.
The job market is especially tough for Hispanic teens like Rodriguez. Northeastern's Center for Labor Market Studies found just 21 percent of Hispanic teens were employed last summer, compared with 32 percent of whites the same age.
For Rodriguez, it seems even when he gets good news, it's bittersweet. Accepted to a community college, he doesn't know how he'll pay the $4,000 per year tuition.
"That's my fear for a lot of these students: If they don't get to go to school in the fall because of a lack of summer employment - or a part time job - they won't ever go back to college," Mary Ellen says.
For Rodriguez, that summer job may be the difference between a high school diploma or a college one.
• Seth Doane
Follow Us
Watch CBSN Live
Watch Now
On Twitter | <urn:uuid:625b19e2-74d5-4252-874f-c722e59b609f> | 2 | 2.0625 | 0.026852 | en | 0.977325 | http://www.cbsnews.com/news/summer-is-a-bummer-of-a-time-for-teen-jobs/ |
Copenhagen Contributes to Global Warming
Dean Baker
The Hankyoreh (South Korea), December 20, 2009
The international negotiations on climate change in Copenhagen this month ostensibly ended with an agreement. However, the reality is that the only thing that the parties really agreed to is that something should be done and to keep talking. There was nothing in the way of concrete commitments and timetables that could give anyone confidence that the major world powers are prepared to take the steps needed to limit the damage from global warming.
What is most disturbing is the complete failure to openly discuss the most basic issues that must be addressed in any sort of international agreement. At the most fundamental level, a serious agreement is going to require that the developing world seriously constrain its growth of emissions. There is no plausible set of emission reductions on the part of the United States and other wealthy countries that can accommodate the emissions growth path of the developing world without serious harm to planet (i.e. tens of millions of people get killed by flooding and other disasters associated with global warming).
The other inescapable part of the story is that the United States and the other wealthy countries will have to pay the developing countries to restrain their emissions. The reason is that it is absurd to demand that these countries will forever maintain their per capita emissions at one quarter, or even one-tenth, of the level of the people in the United States simply because we have already done great damage to the planet. There is no logic to such a demand, which is readily apparent to anyone who is not caught up inside of the conventional wisdom of the intellectual elite in the United States.
If the developing countries are going to restrain their emissions it will be because the U.S. and other wealthy countries are paying them to do so, effectively picking up the cost of imposing constraints on these countries that we ourselves did not have to abide by. This reality is not even seriously being discussed at this point.
At Copenhagen, there was a talk of a poorly specified commitment of $100 billion a year, by 2020, to help the developing world restrict its greenhouse gas emissions. This was not $100 billion in governmental aid. This money is presumed to include money from non-profits and will almost consist largely of investments from by companies looking for greater profit. In other words, the decision of a European or U.S. manufacturer to locate the production of solar panels in the developing world may count as part of this $100 billion. While the location of such facilities in a developing country may spur growth and help generate jobs, it does nothing to curtail their own emissions of greenhouse gases.
If the rich countries are serious about getting developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it will almost certainly require real spending that is several times larger. And, there is no way that the rich countries can avoid this sort of solution, first and foremost because of the growth of China.
In prior decades the rich countries could approach the developing world with a divide and conquer strategy. Relatively small amounts of money paid to a few key countries (or more accurately, the rulers of a few key countries) were sufficient to undermine any unified stand by the developing world. This meant that the rich countries, or more often just the United States, could get its way in international forums.
The rise of China makes this approach impossible. There is no divide and conquer strategy that can be applied to China. China is not going to agree to restrict its per capita emissions of greenhouse gases to one-third or one-quarter the U.S. level just because President Obama asks them to. If the United States and other rich countries want to keep China from continuing on its current emissions growth path, then they will have to pay much of the cost of getting them on a lower emissions growth path. This is of course fair. More importantly, China is powerful enough that there is no alternative.
It is not hard to develop mechanisms through which this transfer to China and other developing can be done in an orderly and non-disruptive way. The most obvious would be to simply give China and other developing countries emissions caps that are largely consistent with their baseline growth path, while imposing caps on rich countries that require sharp reductions from current emissions levels. The developing world can then sell its permits to the rich countries, giving them a powerful incentive to develop along a path that involves much lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The mechanics of this method for restraining greenhouse gas emissions are relatively straightforward, even if the politics are not. However, this sort of payment system to the developing world is the only way in which we can effectively limit the damage from climate change.
Until politicians are prepared to acknowledge this reality they are not being serious about global warming. In that context, the best thing we can do is simply refrain from having big international meetings (like those in Copenhagen), which cannot produce any meaningful results and simply emit greenhouse gases for no useful end.
| <urn:uuid:cdd172fa-1237-4d10-8789-272ae043f077> | 2 | 2.203125 | 0.233972 | en | 0.959387 | http://www.cepr.net/index.php/korean-op-eds/copenhagen-contributes-to-global-warming/print/ |
uploaded imageIntermittent windshield wipers use a variable resistor in an RC circuit to set the delay between successive passes of the wipers. A typical circuit is shown in the figure. When the switch closes, the capacitor (initially uncharged) begins to charge and the potential at point b begins to increase. A sensor measures the potential difference between points a and b, triggering a pass of the wipers when Vb =Va . (Another part of the circuit, not shown, discharges the capacitor at this time so that the cycle can start again.)
Part A
What value of the variable resistor will give 12 seconds from the start of a cycle to a pass of the wipers?
Part B
To decrease the time, should the variable resistance be increased or decreased?
(a) increased
(b) decreased
Detailed answers to tough
homework problems | <urn:uuid:7168d8ad-d0af-4aeb-ad81-d1f2589a0f6b> | 4 | 3.875 | 0.332214 | en | 0.907263 | http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions-and-answers/intermittent-windshield-wipers-use-variable-resistor-rc-circuit-set-delay-successive-passe-q1154345 |
<< Back
01/10/2013 02:39:27
H3CIO is the chemical formula for Hypochlorous acid, not Hydrochloric acid (that is HCl)
10/10/2013 16:25:43
Thank you for your feedback. The formula for hypochlorous acid is ClOH. The formula on this record (H3ClO) reflects that the structure has one molecule of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and one molecule of water (H2O). The main record for Hydrogen Chloride/Hydrochloric acid is here: http://www.chemspider.com/Chemical-Structure.307.html
Feedback Form | <urn:uuid:9c03df4a-59cd-4420-8e89-99333ec70035> | 3 | 2.78125 | 0.120313 | en | 0.75925 | http://www.chemspider.com/FeedbackDetails.aspx?fed_id=4962 |
Exile on Main Street
You won't find any Sinclair Lewis novels on the "regional" shelf at Tale of the Twin Cities, the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport bookshop, although you can select from a goodly number of more recent works by Garrison Keillor and Jon Hassler. The exclusion makes some sense: Lewis himself alleged that Main Street, his landmark satire of "Gopher Prairie," Minnesota, could be set anywhere. "The story would be the same," the Sauk Centre native claimed at the novel's outset, "in Ohio or Montana, in Kansas or Kentucky or Illinois, and not very differently would it be told Up York State or in the Carolina hills."
In fact, any rush to claim Lewis as our own would prove self-effacing, since the homegrown heretic advertised us with such ambivalence. Over the course of 21 novels, Lewis was unswerving in portraying Midwesterners as banal business boosters, religious hypocrites, and complacent consumers. So we alternately embrace and decry the Corn-Belt cosmopolitan who earned the first Nobel Prize in Literature awarded to an American (1930), along with the animosity of fundamentalist ministers, Republicans, Junior Leagues, and chambers of commerce nationwide. Lewis won the coveted Nobel for the "vigorous and graphic art of description" he displayed in his most famous novels: Main Street, Babbitt, Arrowsmith, Elmer Gantry. But for many locals, his thick descriptions, based on exhaustive, almost anthropological research in the field, were a little too personal.
Some readers--even those far afield of Minnesota--rushed to disassociate themselves from what Lewis called "the village virus." After Main Street's publication, merchants in Richmond, Virginia, petitioned the City Council to change the name of its Main Street in the belief that the name now exercised "a depressing effect" on business. In an ironic turn, Minneapolis bragged (as did Duluth) that it was the city satirized in Babbitt, while Twin Cities realtors publicly debated whether the novel's scathing portrait of a "zip and zowie" sales hustler constituted libel. And in 1960, the Sauk Centre chamber of commerce successfully lobbied to rename its central thoroughfare the "Original Main Street" in a bid for tourist dollars as much as for historic recognition. Yet the revolt against Main Street continues to this day: Kmart now advertises itself as the hip alternative to small-town stores and sensibilities with the slogan "Definitely Not Main Street."
Lewis, who left Minnesota in 1903 at age 18 bound for Yale, but who entertained perennial plans to return, reciprocated those mixed feelings. According to Virginia Woolf, Lewis waffled like a tour guide, equally divided between shame at what he had to show and anger at the outsiders who laughed at it. In one breath he might condemn Minnesotans' "naive boosting and fear of the unusual," and in the next praise them as the essence of "everything that is pioneer, democratic, realistic, American."
Typically, although Lewis said he intended a 1923 Nation article ("Minnesota, the Norse State") as a "flagrant boost meant to increase civic pride and the value of Minnesota real estate," he seized the opportunity to excoriate the state's "commerce-ruled barrenness," "standardized and formula-bound culture," and "Old Families," along with its social climbers and racists. ("A state like this needs more eccentrics and more Jews," he later complained of Minnesota and its lack of "soul.") Lewis distilled his love-hate relationship when he endowed a 1931 paean to Sauk Centre, commissioned for the high-school yearbook, with the title "The Long Arm of the Small Town."
So, if the state still feels the sting of Lewis's barbed tongue--the Coen Brothers' Fargo seems a recent embodiment of his legacy--the roving, red-haired writer couldn't escape the region's clutches, either. Critics frequently invoked his roots to belittle his rebellion. "Mr. Lewis is a half-baked metropolitan," journalist Walter Lippman pronounced. "The terrible judgements which he pronounces upon the provincial civilization of America flow from the bitterness of a revolted provincial." On the author's death in 1951, another critic confessed to holding "an uncharitable suspicion whether one reason Mr. Lewis could capture so neatly and pillory so mercilessly the U.S. provincial mind was that he himself was the quintessence of that mentality."
No wonder, then, that all of Lewis's characters strain to purge themselves of the oft-cited "provincialism," most of them ultimately realizing that the suffocating "home town mind" rules America and that resistance to the "army of complacency" is futile. Main Street's disillusioned protagonist hates her small-town neighbors, calling them "a savorless people, gulping tasteless food, and sitting rocking chairs prickly with inane decorations, listening to mechanical music, saying mechanical things about the excellence of Ford automobiles, and viewing themselves as the greatest race in the world." But still, she reconciles herself to an empty, repressed future among them. So does Babbitt--the original organization man and Truman Show archetype--who moves from rebellion (refusing to join the anti-labor vigilantes of the "Good Citizens' League") back to resignation.
Perhaps the author made the same move when he conceded that his revolt against the village came not from distaste, but from "a love of Main Street, from a belief in Main Street's inherent power....I like Gopher Prairie, all the G.P.s; I couldn't write about them so ardently if I didn't." The prodigal son explained the roots of his dilemma: "My father has never forgiven me for Main Street...[the book] condemned me in his eyes as a traitor to my heritage--whereas the truth is, I shall never shed the indelible 'Sauk-centricities' that enabled me to write it."
Sometimes this friend of H.L. Mencken did enjoy attacking pieties for the simple sake of shock. "He would be a heroic man who should dare to say publicly that dogs are frequently nuisances and loving mothers sometimes talk too much," he joked. But Lewis's radicalism ran deeper than parochial resentment or adolescent defiance. "America's Angry Man" directed his wrath at more significant targets. The self-described "nebulous radical" brooked no ambivalence on the American tyrannies he called "Polite Society, the Family, the Church, Sound Business, the Party, the Country, the Superior White Race."
Indeed, Lewis's rap on race was radical, although it has been largely whitewashed from memory. Although better known for his rage against Republicans and fascists--in such persons as "Lowell Schmaltz, Constructive and Nordic Citizen," and the demagogue "Buzz Windrip" and his right-wing "League of the Forgotten Men" (see The Man Who Knew Coolidge and It Can't Happen Here)--Lewis also mocked what he called "Inferior Race Theory." The "logic" of this theory Lewis outlined as follows: "An inferior race is one whose members work for me. They are treacherous, ungrateful, ignorant, lazy, and agitator-ridden, because they ask for higher wages and thus seek to rob me of the dollars which I desire for my wife's frocks and for the charities which glorify me. This inferiority is inherent. I know this is so, because all my university classmates and bridge-partners agree with me."
Racewise, Lewis's penultimate novel might suit today's Minnesota high-school curricula, not to mention students' interests, better than Main Street. Kingsblood Royal (1947) features Neil Kingsblood of "Grand Republic," Minnesota, who enjoys his smug existence as a "one hundred per cent normal, white, Protestant, male, middle-class, efficient, golf-loving, bound-to-succeed, wife-pampering, Scotch-English Middlewestern American" banker. When this respectable redhead learns he has African ancestry, he befriends local black citizens and in the process learns as much about white people and racism as about black folks. Ultimately he "resign[s] from the white race," followed by his wife Vestal, who up until then had believed "that God's purpose in creating the universe was to lead gently up to the Junior League." Alongside fellow blacks and a handful of white neighbors, Kingsblood takes up arms against a white mob.
Finally, Lewis had found a character who thoroughly rebelled, and who found community with "soul"--in Minnesota.
Show Pages
My Voice Nation Help | <urn:uuid:36fb473a-48c0-4fac-b7bd-a2b8da1a6062> | 2 | 2.015625 | 0.029677 | en | 0.962462 | http://www.citypages.com/1998-09-09/feature/sinclair-lewis/full/ |
Questions? Feedback? powered by Olark live chat software
Cloud Computing European Healthcare Industry
Cloud computing – the term that is no more an unfamiliar one, continues to shower it’s amazing beneficial offerings over one industry after another. This time it’s the Healthcare industry. Cloud Computing is all set to take on the European Healthcare Industry with a bang. The increasing adoption of cloud technology by several healthcare institutes across the Europe has largely been observed. This will greatly help in improving quality of service while minimizing the costs.
The healthcare industry feels that there is a dire need to figure out certain strategies that could help reducing costs and growing revenues. Different technologies have been adopted by hospitals and health institutes that make processes simpler by streamlining the workflows. These include radiology information systems (RIS), picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), clinical information systems (CIS) and healthcare information systems (HIS). But still, these technologies need to be integrated and all the patients’ information is required to be available at one single location that can be accessed from anywhere. This problem is solved by Cloud technology.
According to Raghuraman Madanagopal, the Healthcare Analyst at Frost & Sullivan,
.By using cloud computing, the expenditure on hardware and storage space would be cut down, as cloud storage can cost almost 10 times less than regular storage systems. In addition, cloud storage implementation may result in a drastic readjustment of the amount spent on training resources to manage the storage systems..
Cloud computing has turned into an enterprise-wide solution for healthcare industry that allows all crucial patient and imaging data to be stored at a single spot and accessible from anywhere. It will help the European healthcare professionals to enhance the efficiency of operations and quality of medical services, manage expenditures and share medical information across different geographic locations and access patient’s information whenever needed.
Madanagopal further added,
.Cloud service providers are constantly innovating themselves and improving their security standards in order to comply with different regulations and ensure high security. The advantages of cloud computing in terms of storage size and storage efficiency, data loss prevention and facilitating synchronized and authorized sharing of data can change the dynamics of the European healthcare informatics industry in the course of time..
We can elucidate the practical implication of this important concept by framing out an example of a situation where a patient’s information record is required to be shared in an emergency with other healthcare professionals working in a different location. The simple and fastest mode can then prove to be sharing the authorized access to the information stored in the cloud storage space. This means that a large amount of data can be stored and backed up as well using this technology.
Cloud computing implementation is, however, in its early stages, and there are still a few restraining factors such as security and compliance concerns, shortage of qualified personnel to shift data from hardware to the cloud, and poor broadband penetration or low internet speeds in many parts of Europe.
The implementation of Cloud computing is however in the initial phases. Certain restraining factors are there that include lack of sufficient qualified staff to shift data to the cloud, security and compliance issues and poor internet speeds in certain areas of Europe. However, we anticipate that Cloud Computing is going to rule the entire Healthcare industry across Europe in near future.
Haris Mumtaz [Rocker]
Stay Connected: Follow me on Google+
Share → | <urn:uuid:ad4268fc-2aaf-4c6e-bca8-9353f253ea7b> | 2 | 2.21875 | 0.020517 | en | 0.93903 | http://www.cloudreviews.com/blog/cloud-computing-moves-to-european-healthcare-industry |
Implications for banks as Madoff litigation grinds on
Bernard Madoff
Getty Images
Bernard Madoff
It has been nearly five years since the Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Bernard L. Madoff came to light, and litigation surrounding the case grinds on.
The trustee seeking to recover funds for defrauded investors, Irving H. Picard, asked the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision barring him from pursuing banks for their role in helping perpetuate the fraud.
Meanwhile, the prosecution of five former employees of Mr. Madoff's firm began last week. The criminal trial is likely to expose more tidbits about the operation of the long-running fraud, including lurid details about sexual liaisons among staff members involving perhaps even Mr. Madoff himself. Yet, despite the titillating aspects of the case, it is really more of a footnote to his scheme.
(Watch: Did Madoff act alone?)
The more important case concerns Mr. Picard's efforts to recover funds from a number of banks, including JPMorgan Chase, UBS, HSBC and UniCredit. He accused them of aiding in the Madoff scheme by ignoring warning signs about the fraud that allowed it to grow. As time went on, the scheme cost investors about $17 billion, and wiped out billions more, as they were led to believe the money was safely in their accounts.
The trustee's claim against JPMorgan alone seeks nearly $19 billion, so recovering even a portion of that amount could add significantly to the $9 billion Mr. Picard has already gathered to compensate investors.
As is frequently the case, the issue is not about the banks' role in the fraud—at least not yet. Rather, it focuses on whether certain arcane legal doctrines will permit the lawsuits to move forward. The banks have been successful in obtaining dismissals of the complaints on the ground that Mr. Picard does not have the authority to pursue claims on behalf of the defrauded investors.
The initial problem Mr. Picard faced is a doctrine called "in pari delicto," or mutual fault, which prevents a firm from suing others for their role in its own misconduct. The New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, explained in a 2010 decision involving the failed futures firm Refco that this "principle has been wrought in the inmost texture of our common law for at least two centuries."
More from The New York Times:
Legal bills rising, Cohen said to plan art sales
Spending dispute leaves a Senate deal elusive
World leaders press the US on fiscal crisis
As the trustee for Mr. Madoff's failed securities firm, Mr. Picard took over its claims—in a sense, "stepping into the shoes" of the entity. That also means any defenses that could be asserted against Mr. Madoff also apply, so his wrongdoing is attributed to Mr. Picard for the purpose of deciding any claim. The in pari delicto rule is usually invoked on the ground that a court will not decide a dispute between two thieves about who gets the loot.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit leaned heavily on this doctrine in upholding the dismissal of Mr. Picard's claims against the banks because the losses were equally attributable to Mr. Madoff. It found that the trustee's legal arguments to avoid the impact of the rule "are resourceful, but they all miss the mark."
In his petition to the Supreme Court to review the federal appeals court's decision, Mr. Picard tries to step out of Mr. Madoff's shoes and into those of the investors who can pursue claims against the banks for their role in the Ponzi scheme. He relies primarily on another legal principle called "subrogation," which allows one party to take over the claims of another. This is used most often in the insurance area, where the insurer pays off the policy holder and then seeks compensation from anyone who caused the harm.
Mr. Picard argues that a provision of the law under which he was appointed, the Securities Investor Protection Act, gives him the authority to pursue the investor claims. The statute provides that if payments are made to customers of a failed securities firm by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, then "in addition to all other rights it may have at law or in equity, [the trustee] shall be subrogated to the claims of such customers."
(Watch: Banks running out of tricks here: Pro)
According to the petition made to the Supreme Court, the appellate court misinterpreted the law by reading it too narrowly to prevent him from suing the banks. He argues that if the lower court's position is not overturned, then "when third parties collaborate with a broker to defraud its customers – something that is inevitable given a Ponzi scheme's unquenchable thirst for more investors and more money – there will never be enough funds available to compensate investors' losses."
Trying to figure out whether the Supreme Court will decide to review a case is almost always a guessing game. The court reviews a very small number of cases out of the thousands of petitions it receives, so the odds are against Mr. Picard's case being considered.
Mr. Picard's brief identifies conflicting decisions by other federal courts about whether a trustee can be subrogated to the claims of investors, which is one ground for the Supreme Court to step in to reconcile differing legal interpretations. But the issues in the case are narrow, so while the dollar figure from Mr. Madoff's fraud is significant, the legal issues may not come up with enough regularity to necessitate further review.
One indicator of potential interest in the case is whether the Supreme Court seeks out the views of the Securities and Exchange Commission on the issues. The S.E.C. has oversight responsibility of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, and its views could carry some weight if it agrees with Mr. Picard that the federal appeals court misinterpreted the law.
(Read more: As DC deals, bank earnings get off to rough start)
The banking industry is sure to line up against further review, and will argue vehemently on behalf of the appellate court's decision that the case should not proceed further. If Mr. Picard is successful in being able to sue the banks, the potential liability of financial firms could be enormous because to succeed, every Ponzi scheme needs a bank account and other accouterments of financial legitimacy.
The banks have been successful so far in blocking lawsuits seeking to hold them responsible for the extensive losses Mr. Madoff inflicted on his investors. If Mr. Picard is able to switch to a new pair of shoes and pursue them, there is a good chance that he can obtain additional settlements on behalf of investors.
—By Peter J. Henning, The New York Times.
Contact Banks
Get the best of CNBC in your inbox
Please choose a subscription
Please enter a valid email address
To learn more about how we use your information,
please read our Privacy Policy. | <urn:uuid:f5ba2d5f-fe6c-4339-91db-bdfcfbac085c> | 2 | 1.585938 | 0.021524 | en | 0.957683 | http://www.cnbc.com/id/101110890 |
'Check here' to support the election on your IRS form? Maybe not for long
Story highlights
• Currently, taxpayers can direct $3 to support presidential elections and conventions
• That option may disappear if a bill passes the Senate
• Fewer than 7% of taxpayers took advantage of it in 2010
• The $600 million collected so far would be redirected to other programs
Remember the little box you can check off on your federal tax return to donate three dollars to pay for presidential campaigns? House Republicans voted that in this era of e-mailing or texting campaign contributions, it's time to get rid of the federal program, and remove taxpayer money from presidential elections and political conventions.
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that eliminates the "Presidential Election Campaign Fund" and uses the over $600 million it's collected since the end of 2010 to pay for other programs. However, a similar bill in the Senate appears to be stalled. The White House has said it opposes the measure, but has not yet threatened a veto.
The House passed a similar bill in January, but this new legislation pushed by Republicans also eliminates the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), an independent agency created after the 2000 presidential recount in Florida to help states meet minimum federal standards for voting equipment and administering elections.
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, sponsored both bills, and argues that public financing in presidential races is no longer necessary.
"Everybody is about one viral video away from becoming world famous around here. It's not hard to raise money. The Internet has totally revolutionized this. The American people have moved on," Cole told CNN.
Since the Presidential Election Campaign fund was created in 1976, the Internal Revenue Service reported that about 30% of taxpayers participated in 1980 -- the highest rate on record -- but in 2010 less than 7% of taxpayers checked off the box on their tax forms to direct money to the program.
When the program was created, it originally directed $1 from the Treasury to the fund for those who wanted to participate, but the amount was upped to $3 in 1994.
Taxpayers who participate do not increase their tax liability. Candidates who apply for public financing must adhere to overall spending limits. Those running for their party's nomination can apply for partial federal matching funds by raising at least $5,000 in 20 states. According to the FEC, every campaign since 1976 has included at least partial public financing.
But in the 2008 presidential campaign, both of the major political party candidates -- then-Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain -- opted out of the public financing system in the primary, and Obama decided against participating in it for the general election because he didn't want to be limited to the cap on campaign spending.
Cole criticized Obama for trying to have it both ways -- he didn't want to operate within the public financing system himself, but hasn't joined any efforts to eliminate it at a time when the money saved could be used for other priorities.
But Democrats say the fund and the Election Assistance Commission were put in place after two public controversies: Public financing was created after the Watergate scandal and the EAC was set up after the 2000 Florida recount. They worry that eliminating them would erode public confidence about private money having too much influence in campaigns.
Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pennsylvania, said the taxpayer funding is entirely voluntary, but that ending it now and closing down the EAC sends the wrong signal.
"When we give the impression that our policy choices will be influenced by campaign donations, we sell out the American people. When we try to deprive citizens of information about their rights and responsibilities as voters, we erode trust in our system. It is tantamount to legal corruption and has no place in our democratic system," Brady argued in testimony this week before the House Rules Committee.
The presidential election fund also helps pay for both parties political conventions. According to the Federal Election Commission the Democratic and Republican conventions planners have already received more than $18 million to plan their conventions in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Tampa, Florida, scheduled for the end of this summer.
Cole, who before serving in Congress was a top aide at the Republican National Committee, said both parties will spend more than $100 million on their conventions, but they don't need to rely on federal help anymore because they can raise the money from private sources.
"The president talks a lot about shared sacrifice. He should call up Debbie Wasserman Schultz [chair of the DNC], my good friend and colleague, and say you should give back that $17 million and then the Republicans I bet would feel they have to give it back," Cole said.
As for getting rid of the EAC, supporters of the bill argue that there once was a need for the agency to help states upgrade and meet standards after the 2000 election, but states stopped asking for federal guidance.
But Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer says doing away with the Election Assistance Commission only a year before a presidential election could lead to lower voter turnout.
"The Commission's primary mission is to provide states with the resources they need to ensure everyone eligible to vote can cast their ballots and have their voices heard. We ought to be making it easier for voters, not eroding our ability to protect them and their right to participate," Hoyer told CNN. | <urn:uuid:25c8c5ce-3eb3-42b8-b67e-57284640b671> | 2 | 1.679688 | 0.021272 | en | 0.971558 | http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/01/politics/presidential-check-off/index.html?_s=PM:POLITICS |
wood burning stoves
The moose likes Programmer Certification (SCJP/OCPJP) and the fly likes exceptions Big Moose Saloon
Register / Login
Bookmark "exceptions" Watch "exceptions" New topic
Jui Mahajan
Ranch Hand
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
Posts: 62
Consider the following code. What actually happens to the return statement in the catch clause ? If the catch block had been executed, there would then be two return statements. So is that not an error ? Pls help..
import java.io.*;
public class Ppvg{
public static void main(String argv[]){
Ppvg p = new Ppvg();
public int fliton(){
FileInputStream din = new FileInputStream("Ppvg.java");
}catch(IOException ioe){
return 99;
return -1;
-----jui<br />scjp1.4
Hanna Habashy
Ranch Hand
Joined: Aug 20, 2003
Posts: 532
only one return statement will be excuted. look at the code carefully. If an exception is thrown, and catch block is excuted, it returns (99) and end the method - after the finally block. However, if the catch block is not excuted, then the last return statemt (-1) will be reached and return the method.
if you ommit the last return statment, the code will not compile
subject: exceptions | <urn:uuid:79e853a5-c348-45ee-974f-13966d26c707> | 3 | 2.921875 | 0.088464 | en | 0.735671 | http://www.coderanch.com/t/242886/java-programmer-SCJP/certification/exceptions |
No recent wiki edits to this page.
Maltus, home planet of the Maltusians, a race so old, theirs was the apex of civilization when the first signs of life began appearing across planets of the universe. The blue skinned humanoids of Maltus were the immortal beings responsible for creating the scientific utopia that defined their planet. Eons of evolution and scientific discovery had gifted the Maltusian people with powerful telepathic and cosmic powers. The paradise the Guardians created seemed as though it would last forever, until the greedy ambitions of their finest scientist lead to its utter ruin. The Maltusian Krona, obsessed with gaining knowledge at any cost, had created a time machine against the wishes and warnings of his fellow Maltusians. Krona used his machine to gain the knowledge of creation itself, traveling back in
Ganthet With Green Lantern's Ring
time to witness the Big Bang, and the origins of the Maltusian race, something that had long been a taboo amongst his people.
In his hubris, Krona unleashed an explosion of anti-matter, erasing 1 billion years from the time-stream. The backlash of the devastation wrought by the explosion unleashed a new threat unto the cosmos. For the first time, evil had awakened in the Universe.
The vast amount of anti-matter released in the explosion coalesced itself into the Anti-Matter Universe, and from the shattered fragments of space and time the Multiverse was born. More seriously, the Maltusians knew that, as it had in the past, the universe would one day contract upon itself to be reborn by a new "big bang". Due to the anti-matter unleashed by Krona, the universe was deprived of sufficient matter necessary to ignite a new "big bang". As a result of Krona's actions, the universe and all existence would one day simply die out, never to be reborn.
Feeling responsible for this, a faction of the Maltusians relocated to the planet Oa, located at "the center of the Universe", and became the Guardians of the Universe. Their goal was simple: combat evil and create an orderly universe. And they acted quickly on that goal. During this transitory period, the Maltusians' appearance changed as they adapted to their new life as Oans. Ganthet, as one of them, also took on the responsibility of living to the end of time, and using his power along with his fellow Guardians to aid the universe in creating a new big bang.
Ganthet is the oldest living Guardian of the Universe, and last of the Maltusians that voyaged to Oa from Maltus. He is currently the eldest of his brethren, not because he was born first, but because they sacrificed the last of their energy during the events of Emerald Twilight to protect him from dying as a result of the Power Battery being drained. Displaying an uncharacteristic interest in the affairs of humans, Ganthet served alongside Zeus, Shazam, and the Highfather in the Quintessence to keep watch over the Earth. Ganthet also had the distinction of being one of the few Guardians with which the Corps members felt they could identify. Despite these differences, Ganthet began life much the same as any other Guardian. Ganthet has been known to be frequently at odds with his fellow Guardians, deviating from their usually rigorous diligence in rule following and adherence to the Greater Good.
Major Story Arcs
Ganthet's Tale
When a renegade Guardian Dawlakispokpok (Dawly) attempts to use a time machine to change history Ganthet must call upon the greatest Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, for help. Dawly, planning to use his own time machine to send Krona to the end of time, and prevent him from creating the Anti-Matter Universe, Hal and Ganthet arrive to stop him. In the ensuing battle, Hal discovers that it is in fact Dawly that was responsible for the universe being "born old". After his defeat, Dawly and his family are brought before the Guardians to stand trial, during which the Guardians erase the memories of all those involved. Ganthet, however, decided to shield Hal's mind, allowing him to retain his knowledge of one of the Guardians' darkest secrets.
Emerald Twilight
After losing their greatest Lantern (Hal Jordan) to insanity, and the destruction of the Central Power Battery, the Guardians decide transfer all of their power to Ganthet, leaving him as the last remaining
Ganthet, the last remaining Guardian
Guardian. Creating one last Green Power Ring from the remains of Hal Jordan's ring, Ganthet goes to Earth to find a new Green Lantern. After being turned down by his first choice, Guy Gardner, Ganthet settles for Kyle Rayner, a struggling artist, reluctantly bestowing him with the ring, saying "You shall have to do".
During Kyle's first few months as a Green Lantern, Ganthet is rather unimpressed with him and decides to take back his ring. Kyle is finally able to prove his worth by facing Parallax without his Power Ring.
Ion and Restoration of the Corps
After absorbing the residual energy of the sun after the Final Night, Kyle Rayner became the godlike Ion, a being even more powerful than Parallax. Soon coming to realize that continuing to wield Ion's power would cost him his very humanity, Kyle travels Oa and uses his power to recharge the Central Power Battery and restore the Green Lantern Corps. With the Central Battery restored, a new group of childlike Guardians are born, both male and female. Entrusting Ganthet to raise and care for the new Guardians, teaching them to use their great power, and to embrace emotion rather than purge themselves of it. One Guardian in particular, a small girl named Lianna, demonstrated a proficiency and aptitude for her powers that far exceeded that of her peers. When a peaceful world under the Green Lantern's jurisdiction comes under attack, Ganthet realizes that Lianna has disappeared and so sends Kyle and Jade to investigate while he searches her. Upon their arrival, Kyle and Jade come under attack from a female warrior, the missing Lianna. Arriving on scene, Ganthet qualms the fighting and take Lianna back to Oa, apologizing for his arrogance in thinking he could care for all the new Guardians himself. Deciding to seek aid in order to prevent such an event from occurring again, Ganthet sends for the Zamarons to aid him in raising the new Guardians.
Seeking knowledge of Parallax, Kyle Rayner travels to the end of the Universe. Upon his return Kyle relays his findings to Ganthet. Concluding that Parallax must have altered his memory after their last encounter, Ganthet tells Kyle the whole story behind the birth and imprisonment of Parallax. Realizing that their only hope my lay with Hal Jordan, Ganthet instructs Kyle to retrieve Jordan's corpse, so as to bring about his resurrection. Leaving immediately, Kyle is attacked by Kilowog, a fellow Green Lantern. Under Parallax's control Kilowog tried to kill Kyle, but is stopped by Ganthet. Releasing Kilowog, Guy Gardner, and John Stewart, Ganthet sends Kyle on his way. Discovering that Hal's corpse still holds remnants of Parallax, it takes the combined efforts of Hal and the Spectre to fully cleanse his soul. Purged from Jordan's body Parallax instead, bonds itself to Ganthet. Just before he is taken, Ganthet sends a beacon of energy to guide Hal Jordan's soul back to his body. Now fully purified and resurrected, Hal Jordan leads Kyle Rayner and the other Lanterns in defeating the Parallax-possessed Ganthet, returning Parallax to its prison in Central Power Battery.
In the aftermath of these events, all of the new Guardians are restored to adulthood, becoming as cold and manipulative as their predecessors. The only notable difference being addition of female Guardians to their ranks. Ganthet, as ever, maintains his belief that they should embrace their emotions.
Sinestro Corps War
As events are set in motion that will ignite the long awaited war between the Green Lantern Corps and the Sinestro Corps, Ganthet and fellow Guardian Sayd are their order for embracing emotion. During the war, the Guardians decide to rewrite the Book of Oa to include 10 new laws, the first of which is lethal force against the Sinestro Corps. Ganthet and Sayd vehemently protest against this, and are banished from the Guardian Council when the Guardians reveal that they are aware of Ganthet and Sayd's romantic relationship, which is taboo amongst the Council.
Having finally regained its true, monstrous form, Parallax attacks the Earth Lanterns for freeing Kyle Rayner from his control. Ganthet and Sayd arrive just in time to save them by banishing Parallax into their four power batteries (Hal Jordan's, Kyle Rayner's, John Stewart's, and Guy Gardner's, respectively). After revealing his and Sayd's expulsion from the order, Ganthet enacts his last act as a Green Lantern Guardian to forge a new power ring for Kyle, and asks that he step down as Ion, to which Kyle readily agrees. Taking up their power batteries, the four Earth Lanterns hear the Sinestro Corps oath echoing in the distance, and, as one, recite the Green Lantern Oath, and depart to confront the Sinestro Corps.
To prepare them for the battle ahead, Ganthet and Sayd reveal the emotional energy spectrum created at the start of the universe. The seven colors of the emotional spectrum: green (will), yellow (fear), violet (love), red (rage), indigo (compassion), orange (greed), and blue (hope) each derive their power from their respective emotions. Those colors closest to either end of the spectrum are far more dangerous and unwieldy, often corrupting those they empower after prolonged use. Ganthet also reveals that, in the very near future, each color will develop its own Lantern Corps of followers, all gathering to fight one another, culminating in a War of Light that will lead to the cataclysm known as the Blackest Night, the darkest secret concealed within the Book of Oa.
Birth of Hope
Seeking refuge from the Sinestro Corps War, Ganthet and Sayd settle on the planet Odym. Realizing that the Green Lantern Corps will not be able to save the universe alone, the two Guardians take it upon themselves to create the Blue Lantern Corps, to aid in the coming War of Light. Powered by the Blue Light of Hope, Ganthet and Sayd forge the first Blue Power Ring, and set out to Space Sector 1, seeking their first Corps member.
The first Blue Lantern Ring
They find one in the form of Saint Bro'dee Walker. Taking him back to Odym, they spend several days with him teaching him about the powers of the Light of Hope. They also explain the drawbacks if he were to join their corps, before finally giving the choice to him. He accepted and they set him forth to bring hope to the universe. Saint Walker would go on to search Sector 2 for a candidate, a process that would continue until their Corps was fully manned. When he brought Warth to them, Ganthet and Sayd then repeated the same training process.
While they were training Warth, Ganthet and Sayd became aware of the events in the universe. Knowing Sinestro's fate, he sent Saint Walker to save him from the combined forces of the Green and Red Lanterns. He also hoped for him to bring back Hal Jordan, whom Ganthet had explained was to lead the Blue Lantern Corps. When Saint returned with Jordan, it was just as Warth's education was finishing and he made the choice to join Ganthet's new corps. Ganthet then spoke with Jordan, attempting to explain why Sinestro needed to be saved and also spared. He was unsuccessful in swaying Jordan, though he agreed to work with his Corps. Ganthet then ordered Warth and Saint Walker to continue educating Hal during their mission, readying him for his future role.
War of Light and The Blackest Night
After the mission was done, Ganthet revealed to Jordan that the blue power ring - which Saint Walker placed on his finger to remove the red power ring - wouldn't leave him until it detected a sincere hope. Jordan left, but Ganthet said that he and Sayd were planning to create an alliance to those who wield the indigo power of compassion along with Oa. However, Ganthet, Sayd, and the Blue Lanterns found themselves being attacked by Agent Orange as the villain sought the powers they possess after the Guardians had successfully made peace with the glutton by informing him where to get a blue ring, which Larfleeze had desired since seeing the one Hal Jordan bore. They were eventually rescued by Hal Jordan, accompanied by Sinestro, Carol Ferris, and Indigo Tribe member Indigo, though it became apparent that what had actually caused Larfleeze to withdraw his Corps. was the rising of Black Lanterns on his homeworld of Okaara..
Ganthet and Sayd then sought Atrocitus and Larfleeze's aid to recreate the "white light of creation" with their saviors. In order to get Larfleeze to cooperate with them, Sayd offered her servitude to the Agent Orange, who expressed desire of having his own Guardian over Ganthet's protests. Ganthet and Sayd later arrived at Coast City with the Lanterns to aid Earth's heroes and tried to free the Guardians from the Black Central Battery. Failing that, Ganthet duplicated Hal Jordan's ring and placed it on his own finger, inducting himself into the Green Lantern Corps.
"I am Ganthet of Oa."
He and Sayd also duplicated the other Lantern Rings, allowing for a whole group of Deputy Lanterns to be created just before the Spectre arrived in Coast City. Ganthet and Sayd try to rescue Hal Jordan from the Black Lantern Spectre, though are nearly consumed by the being themselves but are rescued. They eventually defeat the Black Lantern Spectre by Ganthet summoning Parallax from the 4 Earth batteries, and allowing Hal Jordan to take it into his body. Parallax proceeds to defeat and release the Spectre from his Black Ring, but is quite suddenly pulled away across space by an unknown force. As the battle rages on, Nekron summons a "Trespasser", the Entity of Life. Ganthet told Hal that it was The Entity, a being that started all life in the universe, that life started not on Maltus, but on earth. Sinestro was outraged by the cover up and stabbed Ganthet, challenging the Guardian that he and his kind had hidden this fact in order to preserve their own authority, where as in fact they had formed the lie in order to deflect attention away from earth and the Entity, onto themselves, thus saving the Entity from exploitation and possible destruction. At the same time, Nekron proceeds to try and kill the Entity.
After Sinestro's failed attempt to control the Entity, and then Hal Jordan creating the White Lantern Corps. in order to resurrect Black Hand, thus cutting off Nekron's tether to the living realm.
After Nekron is vanquished, Sayd willingly goes with Larfleeze, as she had promised to serve him as his Guardian, much to Ganthet's protestation.
Brightest Day
Among his first acts during the Brightest Day, Ganthet officially resigns as a Guardian. He is no longer a Guardian of the Universe nor a Guardian of Hope. A formal request is issued to become the permanent Green Lantern of Space Sector 0. His fellow Guardians implore him to rejoin them, but he is stalwart in his decision, and his brethren finally agree to his proposal, asking him to inform them of his findings amongst mortals, and not to underestimate their ability to understand. Ganthet proceeds to forge himself a new green power battery and green power ring.
Prior to his induction, Ganthet informs Atrocitus and Guy Gardner of a new dire threat to the universe, and forms a pact between the three. The actual threat is not revealed, but told off-screen, but it is serious enough to interest Atrocitus and convince Guy to do something that will lead to an end to his friendship with Hal Jordan.
After he becomes the Green Lantern of Sector 0, he begins to notice the lack of Alpha Lanterns. He then gets Kyle and Soranik to help him investigate the matter. They discover that the Alpha Lanterns have betrayed them and the Guardians, and that John Stewart is in trouble. They travel to Grenda, where they last knew John Stewart to be investigating the disappearance of Stel, the Green Lantern of that Sector. They discover that the Alphas have in fact been subjected to the will of the Cyborg Superman, Hank Henshaw. In order to save John from becoming an Alpha, Ganthet engages the cyborg in a fight while Kyle and Soranik take John from the battle.
Ganthet Battling Cyborg Superman
Ganthet is drained of his rings power, and forced by the Cyborg under threat of killing the Alphas, to find a way of reversing Alpha Lantern status back to mortality. Ganthet protests, saying that he had no part in their creation, so did not know how to. The cyborg mercilessly orders one of the Alphas to blow its own head off, prompting Ganthet to try. Ganthet almost fails the first Alpha, but upon seeing that he is not going fast, the cyborg rips out the Alpha's organic heart, killing him. Ganthet wonders aloud what the ache is in his chest as tears streak his face. The cyborg informs him, dispassionately, that "it is grief, the most wonderful of emotions".
Other Media
Green Lantern: The Animated Series
Ganthet and other Guardians
Ganthet appears in Green Lantern: The Animated Series, still one of the Guardians of the Universe, yet to become a Blue Lantern. He subtly gives Hal and Kilowag the knowledge to go after the 'Lantern Killers'
This edit will also create new pages on Comic Vine for:
Comment and Save
| <urn:uuid:20f672bc-496c-44f8-818b-cf861c9b1c45> | 2 | 1.609375 | 0.06284 | en | 0.970794 | http://www.comicvine.com/ganthet/4005-6951/ |
The Piledriver wiki last edited by Txapote on 07/08/13 12:48PM View full history
Origin and Character Biography
Brian Philip Calusky, though born in Brooklyn, NY, was raised on a farm and eventually became a farmhand. Life on the farm was too slow for Calusky and he decided to enter a life of crime for excitement. His criminal activities eventually landed him in prison, where he met and became cellmates with Dirk Garthwaite, who was known as The Wrecker.
Garthwaite, together with Calusky and two other inmates at Ryker's Island Prison, Dr. Eliot Franklin and Henry Camp, made a successful jailbreak and managed to locate his crowbar. Willing to share his power with his allies, The Wrecker had the three other convicts join him in holding onto the crowbar outside during an electrical storm. Lightning struck the crowbar, magically distributing the enchanted strength bestowed upon The Wrecker among the four of them. The Wrecker's three allies then adopted costumes and aliases as well: Franklin became Thunderball, Camp became Bulldozer, and Brian Philip Calusky became Piledriver. As a result of his new-found powers, Calusky's hands became over-sized in proportion to his body. Together the four superhumanly strong criminals became known as The Wrecking Crew, who were led by The Wrecker himself. They battled the Defenders while attempting to locate the Gamma Bomb; Piledriver was defeated by Power Man in this encounter.
With the Wrecking Crew, Bulldozer next battled Captain America and Iron Fist while trying to lure Thor into battle. The Wrecking Crew then did battle Thor in a revenge attempt. The Wrecking Crew were among the various criminals taken to the Beyonder's Battleworld, including a number of super-powered criminals and superheroes. Bulldozer got the opportunity to face off against the Avengers, Hulk, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and other superheroes. Along with the Wrecking Crew, Piledriver next joined the fourth Masters of Evil, which attacked and took over Avengers Mansion. Piledriver helped defeat the god Hercules in combat, but was drained of his superhuman powers by Thor. He was freed from prison by the Wrecker, but without his superhuman powers he was defeated by Spider-Man and Spider-Woman. He regained his powers, and escaped from the Vault. He defeated Captain America and encountered Damage Control personnel. With the Wrecking Crew, Piledriver freed the Wrecker and Ulik from police custody, and battled Hercules and Thor They battled Thor, Excalibur, Code: Blue, and Ghost Rider . His powers were then again drained by Loki, but he escaped.
As part of the Hood's gang, he later joins the fight against the Skrull invading force in New York City. He joins with the Hood's gang in an attack on the New Avengers, who were expecting the Dark Avengers instead.
Story Arcs
Piledriver stayed with them all the time. He helped them fight the Defenders. He also went to the Beyonder's battleworld with them. They joined the Masters of Evil and helped bring down Hercules. Thor took their powers away and Piledriver was left with nothing.
Months later the Wrecker got their powers back. They became criminals again. They went to fight Hercules again but this time they were defeated. Later Arnim Zola hired them to battle the Thunderbolts.
Brian found out he had a son named Ricky. Since Brian was going to retire soon he wanted Ricky to take his pace on the team. So the Wrecking Crew went to find Ricky. But the Runaways didn't want Ricky to become a criminal. They defeated the Wrecking Crew. But later let Ricky go with his father. Ricky joined the crew as the Excavator.
Powers and Abilities
Thanks to Asgardian magic, Piledriver possesses superhuman strength and a high degree of imperviousness to harm. He can withstand high amounts of concussive force, and is virtually bulletproof. Piledriver's power augmented his entire body, strengthening his bone, muscle, and flesh. Because of this, he's capable of withstanding the impact of high caliber bullets. Piledriver is also super-humanly strong, though because of his particular talent, he has over-sized hands which are more powerful than the other members of the Wrecking Crew, with the exception of The Wrecker, himself. His superhuman abilities are currently four times greater than when he originally shared the Wrecker's power, making him somewhat stronger than an average well-trained Asgardian male.
This edit will also create new pages on Comic Vine for:
Comment and Save
| <urn:uuid:06e9f7ca-c2c4-49b7-a2d7-5563b6e59b22> | 2 | 1.585938 | 0.040319 | en | 0.983338 | http://www.comicvine.com/piledriver/4005-2251/ |
Industrial engineer Frederico Blanc recently floated down the Parana River on this recycled kayak pictured above. By collecting dozens of plastic soda bottles and gluing them together, Blanc was able to assemble this eco-friendly kayak that can carry up to two people inside. Hit the thumbs to check out Frederico's impressive sustainable kayak floating in Argentina. [Inhabitat] | <urn:uuid:78727115-9b57-496b-8446-f8f3dca85964> | 2 | 1.546875 | 0.027299 | en | 0.938719 | http://www.complex.com/style/2012/04/kayak-made-from-recycled-bottles |
Current Time
View As:
‹ Previous | Next ›
Editors' Pick
Save For Later
Domaine de Beauvois, Luynes
France 37230
Tel: 33 2 47 55 50 11
view web site ›'s insider take:
A country retreat hidden in the woods a few miles northwest of Tours, the historic manor of the Lords of Beauvois spans the 15th to 17th centuries in its architecture. Bedrooms come in two distinct styles and moods, so you can choose between Louis XIII baronial in the circular tower and older wing (massive chestnut beams, stone fireplaces, and heraldic upholstery) and the bright Louis XV–style rooms in the newer wing (large windows and flamboyant fabrics, some rooms with canopied beds). Service is superb and there's an excellent restaurant, serving cutting-edge cuisine in an ornate old-world setting. In addition, the hotel can organize wine tastings on the spot in cellars that extend deep into the bedrock. The other big plus here is the grounds: Beyond the decorative formal garden on the terrace, the swimming pool, the tennis court, and a fishing lake around which Louis XIII is said to have gone hunting, there are 345 acres of private woodland traversed by footpaths and cycle tracks (bikes are available to borrow).
User Reviews
write a review ›
Write a Review | <urn:uuid:4aa95fab-f67f-49f2-bc37-be7659b83d22> | 2 | 1.703125 | 0.01983 | en | 0.891983 | http://www.concierge.com/travelguide/laloire/hotels/41180?sortBy=name&sortOrder=desc |
From Conservapedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Uh, what if I wanted to write an article about biology, what am I suppose to do with this? Etaroced 19:44, 11 April 2007 (EDT)
You get authoritative sources, like college textbooks, and use them as a guide when you write your own article. The biology terms that are there can either be used for the article in some way, or deleted. Karajou 21:31, 11 April 2007 (EDT)
4. Evolution. By the processes of natural selection and genetic drift, the inherited traits of a population will change from generation to generation, sometimes leading to the arising of new, distinct populations from the 'parent population'. This is often included with common descent, but in most fields of biology the latter does not arise; however, evolutionary theory itself is invaluable in agriculture, study of disease and research on genetics.
Let's stick to facts and use terms everyone understands. Were you referring to mutation? I've heard that this has been observed in laboratories, and that there is a scientific theory about it.
As for common descent, I'm unaware of any proof having been offered for this conjecture. Let's make a bright distinction between scientific theories (which have been proved or are at least "falsifiable") and conjecture (see also Pseudoscience). --Ed Poor 10:29, 19 May 2007 (EDT)
Would the section be OK if the reference to common descent were omitted? Like I said - it's usually lumped in with evolution in the common mind, but most biology only uses evolution (with common descent a question of paleontology and such).--M 17:19, 19 May 2007 (EDT)
Biology is the study of life. I think we should stick to what is known about life. Everyone wants to jump into speculations about origins, but the Origins debate is complex and quickly gets heated. Can we please start with the basics?
I'd like to know what a cell is, and how the microbiology of it works. And does anyone know how a zebra's coat has striped patterns? Or why a starfish grows back a missing limb? Or how homing pigeons find their way back home?
Too hard? Okay, let's start with easier stuff like blood clotting. --Ed Poor 17:23, 19 May 2007 (EDT)
Ethical Implications
I'm utterly confused as to what you're talking about, Tester. Please elaborate.
ATang 15:58, 16 August 2007 (EDT)
Still no elaboration. If someone understands what that paragraph is trying to say, could he please re-write it in plain English?--Frey 16:29, 8 March 2008 (EST)
I fail to see the point of this deletion. --Ed Poor Talk 15:31, 18 January 2010 (EST)
Personal tools | <urn:uuid:b19576f2-22b1-4fd0-85ff-7b3ecd6ce6dc> | 3 | 2.515625 | 0.624372 | en | 0.963169 | http://www.conservapedia.com/Talk:Biology |
Barbara O'Neill's 9-year-old grandson, Tyler, has been fighting tuberous sclerosis since he was diagnosed with the disease at 18 months.
Tuberous sclerosis is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form in different organs, primarily the brain, eyes, heart, kidneys, skin and lungs.
O'Neill said Tyler has been taking anti-seizure medication since he was diagnosed. "He is one of the fortunate ones that hasn't had to have any major surgeries," she said. "He is mentally challenged, but he is in special ed classes and is doing well. His smile warms your heart and you just want to squeeze him. "
O'Neill is chairing the 8th Annual Step Forward for a Cure for Tuberous Sclerosis at 10 a.m. today at El Dorado Park East's Lakeview Grove, Area III. Registration for the 5K walk/run begins at 10 a.m. For information, call 562-262-1120. | <urn:uuid:e267262b-0779-4ec4-b1fa-1a824a242fda> | 2 | 2.328125 | 0.239785 | en | 0.97853 | http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_23270586/walk-today-will-hunt-rare-diseases-cure |
Study your flashcards anywhere!
Download the official Cram app for free >
• Shuffle
Toggle On
Toggle Off
• Alphabetize
Toggle On
Toggle Off
• Front First
Toggle On
Toggle Off
• Both Sides
Toggle On
Toggle Off
• Read
Toggle On
Toggle Off
How to study your flashcards.
H key: Show hint (3rd side).h key
A key: Read text to speech.a key
Play button
Play button
Click to flip
71 Cards in this Set
• Front
• Back
Comprises all fluid within body cells, in adults, it is approximately 40%of body weight.
Intracellular fluids (ICF)
Fluid outside the cell,makes up 20% of total body weight, which is divided into three smaller compartments: interstitial fluid, intravascular fluid, and transcellular fluid.
Extracellular Fluid (ECF)
This type of ECF contains lymph, and is the fluid between the cells and outside the blood vessels.
Interstitial Fluid
This type of ECF is blood plasma
Intravascular Fluid
This type of ECF consists of cerebrospinal, pleural, peritoneal, and synovial fluids.
Transcellular Fluid
As water moves through the compartments of the body, it contains substances that are sometimes called minerals or salts but are technically known as
An electrolyte is an element or compound that when melted or dissolved in water or another solvent, it separates into _____and is able to carry an electrical current.
Positively charged electrolytes are called
Sodium [Na] , potassium [K], and calcium [Ca] are what type of electrolytes?
Positively charged electrolytes, Cations. Sodium [Na+],potassium [K+], and calcium[Ca++]
Negatively Charged Electrolytes are called________. Name 3
1.chloride [Cl-],
2.bicarbonate [HCO-3]
3.sulfate [SO-4]
This value represents the number of grams of the specific electrolyte (solute) dissolved in a liter of plasma (solution)
The solution in which the a solute is dissolved is called a
These which are ingested as compounds are constituents of all body tissues and fluids and are important in maintaining physiological processes. These also act as catalyst in the nerve response, muscle contraction, and metabolism of nutrients in the foods. They also regulate electrolyte balance and hormone production and strengthen skeletal structures. eg. Iron and zinc
Fluids and solutes move across membranes by four processes:
Osmosis, diffusion, filtration, and active transport.
Because cell membranes separating the body fluid compartments are selectively permeable, water can pass through them easily. However _____and_________pass through them more slowly.
Ions and Molecules
The movement of a pure solvent, such as water, through a semipermiable membrane from an area of lesser solute concentration to an area of greater solute concentration in an attempt to equalize concentrations on both sides of the membrane is called. The membrane is permeable to the solvent, but is impermeable to the solute. eg. boiling a hot dog, water filling inside until it bursts
The concentration of a solution is measured in _______ which reflect the amount of a substance in solution in the form of molecules, ions, or both.
What is the drawing power of water and depends on the number of molecules in solution.
Osmotic Pressure
A solution with a high solute concentration draws water to itself and has a
High Osmotic pressure
Osmotic Pressure of a solution is called
Osmols or milliosmols per kilogram (mOsm/kg)
Osmularity is the measure used to evalute _____and______in a clinical practice.
serum and urine
Solutions are classified as these three...
Hypertonic, Hypotonic, or Isotonic.
A solution with the same osmolarity as blood plasma is called
A solution of higher osmotic pressure, such as 3% sodium chloride, pulls fluid from cells causing them to shrink is called
Hypertonic solution
A solution such as 0.9% sodium chloride, that expands the body's fluid without causing a fluid shift from one compartment to another is called
An isotonic solution(a solution of the same osmotic pressure)
A solution, such as 0.45% sodium chloride, moves fluid into the cells, causing them to enlarge.
Hypotonic Solution (a solution of lower osmotic pressure)
Osmotic pressure of the blood is affected by plasma proteins, especially________.
This is exerted by albumin which tends to keep fluid in the intravascular compartment by pulling water from the interstitial space back into the capillaries.
Colloid Osmotic or Oncotic Pressure
The movement of a solute (gas or substance) in a solution across a semipermiable membrane from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration is called_______. The results is an even distribution of the solute in a solution. eg.The movement of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and blood vessels in the lungs
The difference between two concentrations is known as a
Concentration Gradient
The process by which water and diffusible substances move together in response to fluid pressure, moving from an area of higher pressure to one of lower pressure is called
Filtration is active in capillary beds, where_________ __________differences determine the movement of water.
Hydrostatic Pressure
When there is an____________ in hydrostatic pressure on the venous side of the capillary bed, as occurs in congestive heart failure (CHF), the normal movement of water from the interstitial space into the intravascular space by filtration is reversed, resulting in an accumulation of excess fluid in the interstitial space, known as edema.
Excess fluid in the interstitial space is called
Unlike diffusion, osmosis and filtration, this type of transport requires metabolic activity and expenditure of energy to move materials across cell membranes.
Active Transport
Allows cells to admit larger molecules than they would otherwise be able to admit or move molecules from areas of lesser concentrations to areas of greater concentration "uphill" eg. sodium and potassium pump
Active Transport
This process makes it possible to keep a higher concentration of sodium in the ECF and a higher concentration of potassiuim in the ICF.
Active Transport
Active transport is enhanced by these within a cell that bind themselves to incoming molecules. eg glucose is able to enter cell after it binds with the transport vehicle insulin
Carrier Molecules
The mechanism by which cells absorb glucose and other substances to carry out metabolic activites.
Active Transport
Body Fluids are regulated by fluid intake, hormonal controls, and fluid output. This physiological balance is termed
The thirst control center is located within
the Hypothalamus of the brain
These receptors continually monitor the serum osmotic pressure and when osmolality increases, the hypothalamus (thirst center) is stimulated. eg. eating patatochips, salt increases osmotic pressure, and then thirst stimulation occurs.
This can occur with any condition that interferes with the oral ingestion of fluids, or it can occur with the intake of hypertonic fluids.
Increased plasma osmolity
The hypothalamus will also be stimulated when excess fluid is lost and excessive vomiting and hemorrhage also known as
Besides Osmoreceptors, stimulation of renin-angiotensin aldosteron mechanism, potassium depletion, psychological factors, and oraopharyngeal dryness initiate the sensation of
The average adult intake of fluids is about
2200-2700ml per day
The Average Adult Fluid intake is about 2200-2700ml, Oral intake accounts for
The Average Adult Fluid intake is about 2200-2700ml, solid foods account for
The Average Adult Fluid intake is about 2200-2700ml, oxidative metabolism accounts for
300ml /day
The by-product of cellular metabolism of ingested solid foods is
(Oxidative Metabolism) water oxidation
Infants, clients with neurological or psychological problems, and some older adults who are unable to perceive or respond to the thirst mechanism are at risk for
This hormone is stored in the posterior pituitary gland and is released in response to changes in blood osmolarity
Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH)
The osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus are stimulated when there is an increase in the osmolarity to release what hormone?
Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH)
This Hormone works directly on the renal tubules and collecting ducts to make them more permeable to water. This in turn causes water to return to the systemic circulation, which dilutes the blood and decreases its osmolarity. As the body attempts to compensate, the client will experience a decrease in urinary output.
Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH)
This hormone is released by the adrenal cortex in response to increased plasma potassium levels or as part of the renin-angiotensin-aldosteron mechanism to counteract hypovolemia. It acts on the distal portion of the renal tubule to increase the reabsorption (saving) of sodium and the secretion and excretion of potassium and hydrogen. Because Sodium retention leads to water retension, the release of this hormone acts as a volume regulator.
A proteolytic enzyme secreted by the kidneys, responds to decreased renal perfusion secondary to a decrease in extracellular volume. Also acts to produce angiotensin 1 which causes some vasoconstriction.
This is almost immediately becomes reduces by an enzyme that converts it into angiotensin ll.
Angiotensin l
Causes massive selective vasoconstriction of many blood vessels and relocates and increases the blood flow to the kidneys, improving renal perfusion. Also stimulates the release of aldosteron when the sodium concentration is low.
Antiotensin ll
Fluid output occurs through what four organs of water loss?
4.Gastrointestinal tract (GI)
What is the major regulatory organs of fluid balance.
The Kidneys
The kidneys receive approximately
180L of plasma to filter each day
How much urine do the Kidneys produce per day?
Water loss from the skin is regulated by what system which activates sweat glands
Sypathetic nervous system
Water loss from the skin can be
sensible and insensible water loss.
What is the average sensible and insensible fluid loss via the skin?
Water loss that is continuous and is not perceived by the person but can increase significantly with fever or burns is called
Insensible water loss
Water loss that occurs through excess perspiration and can be perceived by the client and the nurse through inspection is called
Sensible water loss
How much water do the lungs expire daily?
400mL. This insensible water loss may increase in response to changes in the respiratory rate and depth. In addition devices for giving oxygen can increase insensible water loss from the lungs.
Approximately how much isotonic fluid is moved into the gastrointestinal tract and then returned to the extracellular fluid?
How much fluid from the approximate 3-6L does the average person loose under normal conditions from the GI tract into feces per day?
In the presence of what disease will the GI tract become a site of a large amount of fluid loss? | <urn:uuid:be1ad32b-19ba-4015-8c03-d4947f661343> | 4 | 3.890625 | 0.350996 | en | 0.901003 | http://www.cram.com/flashcards/fluid-electrolyte-and-acid-base-balances-538150 |
Intersection of Life and Faith
<< A Word with You
A Word with You - Feb. 18, 2015
• 2015 Feb 18
Swallowing What You Eat
Listen to Audio (right click to save)
I was speaking at a youth conference, and we all had breakfast in the cafeteria together. And then when we got together for our morning session I said, "Now, I want you guys to imagine that somebody who was at breakfast with us comes in the room and his cheeks are all puffy and you ask him what's wrong, and he just goes, "uh...uh... uh..." And you go, "Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Here's a piece of paper." And you give him a piece of paper and he writes down, "I'm starved." Now I ask him, "Did you eat breakfast?" "Uh-huh." "And you're still hungry?" "Uh-huh." And then I would ask him, "Did you swallow it?" "Huh-uh." "Oh, maybe that's why you're still hungry." See, it isn't enough just to ingest your food; you've got to swallow it for it to do anything for you.
Now, our word for today from the Word of God is in Joshua 1:8. And you might say it's about spiritual eating and spiritual digestion, because ingestion is not enough to satisfy your appetite. Ingesting food is not enough to nourish you. Joshua 1:8 puts it this way in the biblical formula for personal success. It says this, "Do not let this book of the law (the Bible) depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night."
In other words, be saturated with the Bible. Take a Bible bath. You should be in it day and night, really knowing what it's saying. But listen, it says, "So that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."
Did you catch those words "careful to do"? It doesn't say, "I want you to read the Bible to just know what it says." I want you to read the Bible to do what it says. The purpose of being in God's Word is to memorize it, meditate on it, but then to do what you read. In other words, until the Bible gets into your real life; until you've found a change you're going to make because of what you've read, all you've done is sort of take it in, kind of hold it in your mouth spiritually, but it's not in your system.
So when you study the Bible, if you're going to read it to do something, that means before you close the Bible each morning when you're with the Lord, you say, "Lord, help me make a connection to something I'm going to face today." Always make that connection between what you're reading and what your life is doing right now. So, if you're reading about loving your brother, you say, "Okay, which brother am I having a hard time loving?" Okay, "Love your Ralph." Or whoever's the hard guy to love.
If it's talking about patience, you say, "Let's see, who do I need to be more patient with right now? Okay, Lord, help me be more patient with my Mom, or my wife." If it's talking about temptation, then you say, "Which temptation am I facing right now?" And you put that temptation into the verse. So if it says, "Do not let sin control your body." Then which sin? Okay, so you put in there, "Do not let gossip control your body (the one you struggle with, whatever it is)."
For example, in James 1. Let's try this. You're reading the book of James, and it says, "Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds." Now if you're just ingesting, you'd kind of go, "Today I read about trials." Now, wait a minute. No, no! Which trial are you facing right now?" You go, "Oh, man, my boss!" Or you might say if you're married, "My in-laws." Okay, then make it in the verse, "Whenever you face trials of many kinds (with your boss), (with your in-laws) because you know that the testing of your faith (by your boss), (your in-laws) develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
Now, that verse could just be about trials in general, or it could be about someone or something you're facing today. When you make that connection, you begin to swallow what you're eating. God's got a lot of fat children who've never put into use what they're reading.
Every day ask yourself the question, "What am I going to do because of what I read?" And once you do that and start to make those changes, you are well on your way to an exciting new you; one day, one change at a time.
Hey, don't be content to just ingest the Bible, digest it. That's the only way you grow.
© (c) Ronald P. Hutchcraft
Distributed by Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
| <urn:uuid:b50f871f-ad92-4e1d-8a8f-f1869bf19571> | 2 | 1.539063 | 0.305646 | en | 0.970594 | http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/a-word-with-you/a-word-with-you-feb-17-2012.html |
Intersection of Life and Faith
Walk the Land: The Final Footsteps of Jesus
• Rebekah Montgomery Contributing Writer
• 2005 22 Feb
Walk the Land: The Final Footsteps of Jesus
When sun shines on the limestone walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, the rocks emit a rosy golden hue as if the blood of life pulsated through stone capillaries. From a strictly geological point-of-view, it is because Jerusalem limestone contains flecks of mica and quartz. No matter: We have come to follow Jesus' footsteps to the cross and it is precisely the blood of Life we will follow in and around the Old City.
Outside the walls, near the base of the Mount of Olives, a grove of arthritic olive trees huddle together, their trunks gnarled and dimpled with grottos, their gray-green leaves shimmering in the light. This is one of two spots commemorating the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus' crushing struggle.
Dr. Paul Wright, president of Jerusalem University College on Mount Zion, said that although two churches have adjacent sites, none of these trees - although certain very old - can possibly be the trees under which Jesus prayed. Within a century, the area was denuded of every standing tree, which were piled around Jerusalem walls and set ablaze. This fire also destroyed Herod's magnificent temple.
However, suggests Dr. Wright, these trees could have grown up from the roots of the original trees when a Byzantine church was built there some 1600 years ago. "Today, there is really no way to know exactly where Gethsemane was located since no archeological evidence remains and no large X marked the spot when it was destroyed. But draw a big circle around the area at the base of the mount and it is somewhere in there."
Dr. Wright also explained that at the time of Christ, the entire hillside was likely a garden with olive trees that fed Jerusalem and the temple's heavy demand for lamp fuel. Today, few olive trees remain above a landscape nearly paved - poetically enough - with tombstones.
"We can assume some things about the garden where Jesus prayed by logic," said Dr. Wright. "We can assume that it was in an area with intense enough olive cultivation to have a press. In Hebrew, the first connotation of garden is 'bounded' or 'protected area,' so it would have had a wall boundary. It would be big enough to have oil production. Jesus could have had access because property rights were more casual. As long as people didn't take the resources, they could walk through there and sit. Or perhaps someone Jesus knew owned the garden."
The Bible tells us that somewhere on the hillside of the Mount of Olives grew a garden holding a vital piece of equipment: a gethsemane or gat shemanim, which means "oil press" in Hebrew. After the autumn harvest, raw olives were hauled to the base of the mountain, poured into a trough, and an animal-powered millstone rolled over them, bruising them to their core. The smashed olives were sandwiched between heavy stones and the oil expressed. This press of rock and olives was the gethsemane.
In this garden, wherever it is located on the Mount of Olives, while His nearest and dearest slept off a meal, the Jesus underwent a gethsemane of the soul as His will to live was crushed. He sweat great drops of blood as the weight of our sin was laid upon Him. By Divine design, His willingness to take that burden for us is the fuel that makes Him the Light of the World.
Dr. Wright noted that the Church of All Nations is built around a huge rock that tradition remembers as the rock were Jesus prayed. It is believed that a fourth century church was built over it to preserve it.
But wherever He prayed, He could easily see the Temple Mount across the Kidron Valley, where a conspiracy, led by one of His own, was being plotted. Coming down the very road into Jerusalem where He rode in on a donkey just a few days before, He could see an armed but appalling inept mob coming for Him with a slapstick clumsiness that under any other circumstance would be laughable. Certainly, Jesus could have slipped into the darkness and eluded them - if He had chosen to.
Judas kissed Him - a customary Middle Eastern mark of respect - and an odd sort of struggle ensued: The mob tripped over itself and fell to the ground giving Jesus yet another opportunity for escape. Peter, willing to fight, lashed out and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. Jesus told Peter to put his weapon away and then shook off restraining hands decisively enough to heal the man's ear. Peter's reaction would come back to haunt him as yet another of the high priest's servants would recognize him as a follower of Jesus, possibly from the description of the first servant who temporary lost an ear. The crowd tried to arrest another person, a young man - perhaps Mark - who fled naked leaving them holding his clothing. The scriptures don't say whether they eventually cast lots for his garment as they did Jesus' robe.
But because Jesus had already surrendered to the will of the Father, He allowed Himself to be taken prisoner in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the process, He took the first step to free us.
Next - Walk the Land: The Final Footsteps of Jesus
Jesus Before Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate
| <urn:uuid:e1413c19-98fe-4fe1-944d-3339dae69e4c> | 3 | 2.734375 | 0.037804 | en | 0.971729 | http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/walk-the-land-the-final-footsteps-of-jesus-1314240.html?p=2 |
2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds
Fossil range: Late Jurassic - Recent
Superb Fairy-wren, Malurus cyaneus, juvenile
Superb Fairy-wren, Malurus cyaneus, juvenile
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
(unranked) Archosauria
Class: Aves
Linnaeus, 1758
Many - see section below.
High-level taxonomy
Birds are categorised as a biological class, Aves. The earliest known species of this class is Archaeopteryx lithographica, from the Late Jurassic period. Modern phylogenies place birds in the dinosaur clade Theropoda. According to the current consensus, Aves and a sister group, the order Crocodilia, together are the sole living members of an unranked "reptile" clade, the Archosauria.
Phylogenetically, Aves is usually defined as all descendants of the most recent common ancestor of modern birds (or of a specific modern bird species like Passer domesticus), and Archaeopteryx.
Modern birds are divided into two superorders, the Paleognathae (mostly flightless birds like ostriches), and the wildly diverse Neognathae, containing all other birds.
Bird orders
Relationships between bird orders according the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy. "Galloanseri" is now considered a superorder Galloanserae.
This is a list of the taxonomic orders in the subclass Neornithes, or modern birds. The list of birds gives a more detailed summary of these, including families.
• Struthioniformes, Ostrich, emus, kiwis, and allies
• Tinamiformes, tinamous
• Anseriformes, waterfowl
• Galliformes, fowl
• Gaviiformes, loons
• Podicipediformes, grebes
• Procellariiformes, albatrosses, petrels, and allies
• Sphenisciformes, penguins
• Pelecaniformes, pelicans and allies
• Ciconiiformes, storks and allies
• Phoenicopteriformes, flamingos
• Accipitriformes, eagles, hawks and allies
• Falconiformes, falcons
• Gruiformes, cranes and allies
• Charadriiformes, gulls, button-quail, plovers and allies
• Pteroclidiformes, sandgrouse
• Columbiformes, doves and pigeons
• Psittaciformes, parrots and allies
• Cuculiformes, cuckoos, turacos, hoatzin
• Strigiformes, owls
• Caprimulgiformes, nightjars and allies
• Apodiformes, swifts and hummingbirds
• Coraciiformes, kingfishers
• Piciformes, woodpeckers and allies
• Trogoniformes, trogons
• Coliiformes, mousebirds
• Passeriformes, passerines
Extinct bird orders
A wide variety of bird groups became extinct during the Mesozoic era and left no modern descendants. These include the orders Archaeopterygiformes, Confuciusornithiformes, toothed seabirds like the Hesperornithes and Ichthyornithes, and the diverse subclass Enantiornithes ("opposite birds").
For a complete listing of prehistoric bird groups, see Fossil birds.
Shoebill, Balaeniceps rex
Shoebill, Balaeniceps rex
Snowy Owl, Bubo scandiacus
Snowy Owl, Bubo scandiacus
Although ornithischian (bird-hipped) dinosaurs share the same hip structure as birds, birds actually originated from the saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs (if the dinosaurian origin theory is correct), and thus arrived at their hip structure condition independently. In fact, the bird-like hip structure also developed a third time among a peculiar group of theropods, the Therizinosauridae.
An alternate theory to the dinosaurian origin of birds, espoused by a few scientists (most notably Lary Martin and Alan Feduccia), states that birds (including maniraptoran "dinosaurs") evolved from early archosaurs like Longisquama, a theory which is contested by most other scientists in paleontology, and by experts in feather development and evolution such as R.O. Prum. See the Longisquama article for more on this alternative.
Modern birds are classified in Neornithes, which are now known to have evolved into some basic lineages by the end of the Cretaceous (see Vegavis). The Neornithes are split into the Paleognathae and Neognathae. The paleognaths include the tinamous (found only in Central and South America) and the ratites. The ratites are large flightless birds, and include ostriches, cassowaries, kiwis and emus (though some scientists suspect that the ratites represent an artificial grouping of birds which have independently lost the ability to fly in a number of unrelated lineages). The basal divergence from the remaining Neognathes was that of the Galloanseri, the superorder containing the Anseriformes ( ducks, geese and swans), and the Galliformes (the pheasants, grouse, and their allies). See the chart for more information.
The classification of birds is a contentious issue. Sibley & Ahlquist's Phylogeny and Classification of Birds (1990) is a landmark work on the classification of birds (although frequently debated and constantly revised). A preponderance of evidence seems to suggest that the modern bird orders constitute accurate taxa. However, scientists are not in agreement as to the relationships between the orders; evidence from modern bird anatomy, fossils and DNA have all been brought to bear on the problem but no strong consensus has emerged. More recently, new fossil and molecular evidence is providing an increasingly clear picture of the evolution of modern bird orders. See also: Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy.
Anatomy of a typical bird
Anatomy of a typical bird
Bird anatomy
Birds have a body plan that shows so many unusual adaptations (mostly aiding flight) that birds have earned their own unique class in the vertebrate phylum.
Birds have one of the most complex lung system of all organisms. Air enters the bird and immediately 75% of the air bypasses the lungs and flows directally into a posterior air sac which extends from the lungs and connects with air spaces in the bones and fills them with air. When the bird exhales the air from the postirior air sac is forced into the lungs thus birds receive a supply of air during both inhalation and exhalation. The gas exchange then takes place in the capillaries.
The nervous system relative to the birds size is actually quite large. The most developed part of the brain is the one that controls the flight related function while the cerebellum coordinates movement and the cerebrum controls behaviour patterns, navigation, mating and nest building. A birds eyes are developed for taking off, spotting landmarks, hunting and feeding. Birds with eyes on the side of their head have a wide vision field while birds with eyes on the front of their heads like owls have binocular vision and can measure depth.
All birds lay amniotic eggs with hard shells made mostly of calcium carbonate. Non-passerines typically have white eggs, except in some ground-nesting groups such as the Charadriiformes, sandgrouse and nightjars, where camouflage is necessary, and some parasitic cuckoos which have to match the passerine host's egg. Most passerines, in contrast, lay coloured eggs, even if, like the tits they are hole-nesters.
The brown or red protoporphyrin markings on passerine eggs reduce brittleness and are a substitute for calcium when that element is in short supply. The colour of individual eggs is genetically influenced, and appears to be inherited through the mother only, suggesting that the gene responsible for pigmentation is on the sex determining W chromosome (female birds are WZ, males ZZ).
The eggs are laid in a nest, which may be anything from a bare cliff ledge or ground scrape to elaboratey decorated structures such as those of the oropendolas.
Social systems and parental care
These Redwing hatchlings are completely dependent on parental care.
These Redwing hatchlings are completely dependent on parental care.
The parental behaviour most closely associated with monogamy is male incubation. Interestingly, male incubation is the most confining male parental behaviour. It takes time and also may require physiological changes that interfere with continued mating. This extreme loss of mating opportunities leads to a reduction in reproductive success among incubating males. "This information then suggests that sexual selection may be less intense in taxa where males incubate, hypothetically because males allocate more effort to parental care and less to mating" . In other words, in bird species in which male incubation is common, females tend to select mates on the basis of parental behaviors rather than physical appearance.
Birds and humans
Chinstrap Penguin, Pygoscelis antarctica
Chinstrap Penguin, Pygoscelis antarctica
A birdbox is an artificial platform for birds to make a nest
A birdbox is an artificial platform for birds to make a nest
Besides meat and eggs, birds provide other items useful to humans, including feathers for bedding and decoration, guano-derived phosphorus and nitrogen used in fertilizer and gunpowder, and the central ingredient of bird's nest soup.
Humans have caused the disappearance of some bird species. The Passenger Pigeon and Dodo were hunted to extinction, and many others have become endangered or extinct through habitat destruction (e.g. by deforestation or intensive agriculture).
Some species have come to depend on human activities for food and are widespread to the point of being pests. For example, the common pigeon or Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) thrives in urban areas around the world. In North America, introduced House Sparrows, European Starlings, and House Finches are similarly widespread.
Other birds have long been used by humans to perform tasks. For example, homing pigeons were used to carry messages before the advent of modern instant communications methods (many are still kept for sport). Falcons are still used for hunting, while cormorants are employed by fishermen. Chickens and pigeons are popular as experimental subjects, and are often used in biology and comparative psychology research. As birds are very sensitive to toxins, the Canary was used in coal mines to indicate the presence of poisonous gases, allowing miners sufficient time to escape without injury.
Colorful, particularly tropical, birds (e.g. parrots, and mynas) are often kept as pets although this practice has led to the illegal trafficking of some endangered species; CITES, an international agreement adopted in 1963, has considerably reduced trafficking in the bird species it protects.
Threats to birds
According to Worldwatch Institute, bird populations are declining worldwide, with 1,200 species facing extinction in the next century. Among the biggest cited reasons are habitat loss, predation by nonnative species, oil spills and pesticide use, hunting and fishing, and climate change.
• The birds of a region are called the avifauna.
• Few birds use chemical defences against predators. Tubenoses can eject an unpleasant oil against an aggressor, and some species of pitohui, found in New Guinea, secrete a powerful neurotoxin in their skin and feathers.
• The Latin word for bird is avis.
Retrieved from "" | <urn:uuid:bea8e81f-43aa-4d7d-a088-e128e0d196b6> | 3 | 3.46875 | 0.101112 | en | 0.924887 | http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/b/Bird.htm |
China Backs Off Anti-Corruption and Reform Campaigns
CHINA'S campaigns against corruption and economic disarray, aimed at wiping out two major threats to Communist Party control, are losing steam.
Political infighting and resistance from independent-minded regional officials, influential party members, and wealthy entrepreneurs appear to be slowing the crusades that Communist officials launched on a war-footing only a few months ago.
In late June, Vice Premier Zhu Rongji, China's economic czar who has staked his political future on cooling off the economy without dampening the economic boom, announced a 16-point austerity program aimed at slashing inflation and curbing speculation on real estate and stock markets.
Recommended: Could you pass a US citizenship test?
But of late, officials have relaxed restrictions on credit and eased strident rhetoric targeting provincial and local officials who have been forced to put major projects on hold. Lines of credit were reopened for major infrastructure and energy projects and for manufacturers reeling under the squeeze on funds.
This week, Chinese officials of the State Statistical Bureau insisted they are winning the economic battle by trimming inflation and cooling rampant lending. But Western observers say that economic growth has slowed only slightly and worry that Beijing's softer approach could reignite provincial and local speculation.
The situation reflects what happened when General Secretary Jiang Zemin inaugurated the anticorruption campaign in August as an ``urgent struggle'' for party survival and the continuation of economic reforms.
While anticorruption campaigns have been a frequent, if unsuccessful, theme in Chinese history, what sets this one apart is the magnitude and pervasiveness of the graft, Western observers say. ``Corruption is seen as a life-and-death issue for the party and the extent of it today is being compared to the last days of the Kuomintang,'' says a Western diplomat referring to Chinese Nationalists who were overthrown by the Communists in 1949 and fled to Taiwan.
Defense Minister Chi Haotian traces corruption's influence in China: ``How was the Qing [dynasty] government toppled? How did the Kuomintang collapse? It was all caused by corruption.''
In the last two months, the government has dispatched investigation teams to ferret out guandao or official profiteering and launched a lurid drive to showcase corrupt officials. In August, model worker Yu Zuomin, head of what had been trumpeted as China's richest village, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in connection with a 1992 murder and its coverup. In September, eight accountants and bankers were executed in some of the largest cases of public embezzlement in more than four decades.
But with a party plenary meeting on the economy and corruption expected before the end of the year, the anticorruption drive poses the dilemma of deflecting public resentment by singling out a few high-rolling officials without indicting the entire regime and provoking a political crisis.
As market-style reforms have loosened the grip the party had on Chinese life under the command economy, officials worry that the anticorruption drive could spin out of their control.
People's Daily, the party mouthpiece, recently suggested that ``corruption is inevitable'' and that overzealouness could dampen reforms. ``Since the concrete steps and measures of reform and opening up cannot be expected to always be perfect ... loopholes and weak points are inevitable,'' a commentary in the paper stated. ``Thus corruption is hard to avoid.''
Share this story:
| <urn:uuid:94333cb0-576f-4c7e-b1c8-2c528b6d7f02> | 2 | 1.71875 | 0.118374 | en | 0.954935 | http://www.csmonitor.com/1993/1022/22072.html |
In Liberia, making a living pushing people into a taxi
The demand for shared taxis in Liberia is so great that 'car loaders' have built a job out of pushing as many people into a taxi as possible.
• close
This March 17, 2010 photo shows a taxi driving on a road in central Monrovia, Liberia.
View Caption
Forget the oshiya, the white-gloved “pushers” who cram people into Japan’s subways. Car loaders here could give them a run for their money.
Working with the shared taxis that ply the streets of Monrovia, car loaders shout destinations to potential passengers then help squeeze into the car more people than would seem possible.
A congregation point is Monrovia’s bustling “red-light” district named for its single traffic light (now gone). In a maelstrom of people and cars, the service can be useful but a fee is expected for the unrequested help. Loaders will bounce on the trunk until they are paid.
Recommended: Could you pass a US citizenship test?
In a country where formal employment is estimated at only 15 percent, creating new ways of making money is necessary. “Not good money, but it’s work,” says one loader.
Share this story:
| <urn:uuid:629d2ab3-8bd1-467b-8a5f-17c678875768> | 2 | 1.882813 | 0.047863 | en | 0.956935 | http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2011/0207/In-Liberia-making-a-living-pushing-people-into-a-taxi |
Fitness in terms of endurance activities like cycling is broadly determined by how much oxygen can be delivered to your working muscles.
This system starts with your lungs and heart and these work closely together in response to the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in your blood. As you begin to exercise, CO2 levels increase because CO2 is one
of the waste products from
burning fuel in your muscles.
When this is detected by your nervous system (which, if you use the earlier motor vehicle analogy, acts as an engine management system) your breathing deepens and quickens and your heart rate rises. Hormones released during exercise also play a role in this.
A cyclist’s heart
and lungs
The more oxygen your heart and lungs can deliver to your muscles, the faster you can ride. To a certain extent this is addressed by deeper, faster breathing and by increasing the heart’s rate of beating.
However, there is a limit to how deeply you can breath, the number of times you can breathe per minute, and the speed and frequency with which your heart muscle can contract.
So the body’s response to exercise is two-fold. Lung capacity increases, or they become more efficient, and heart chambers grow bigger and heart muscles stronger. This means more oxygen is taken in for the blood to carry, and a greater volume of blood is pumped per beat (the stroke volume).
72 beats per min – the average adult resting heart rate 4.8 litres – the average male adult lung capacity 25 litres per min – the cardiac output for a fit male cyclist
It’s worth noting at this stage that some people start out with bigger lung capacities and hearts than others, and that there is evidence that the lung and
heart’s response to training is genetically determined, too.
Evidence of these adaptations can be found by measuring lung capacity and resting heart rate. Heart rate in particular shows adaptation to exercise. Because
a well-trained heart pumps
more blood per beat, it doesn’t beat as often at rest as an untrained one. A low resting heart rate is evidence of this is.
Tune up
Increasing your lung capacity is quite difficult. There is evidence that it depends of genetics, and it’s influenced by how active you were in childhood and a number of other factors. One thing you can do to improve lung function is to get things that can hamper your breathing, like asthma, under control.
You can do a variety of simple exercises that will strengthen your diaphragm, which will help you exhale more powerfully. Swimming, so long as you remember to exhale under water, is very good for this.
Don’t worry too much, though, because the lung capacities of cyclists who have similar ability can vary widely. Yes, his huge lungs did help Miguel Indurain win five Tours de France, but the Tour has also been won five times by a variety of riders with far smaller lungs as well.
A well-conditioned, large heart is much more of an indicator of fitness than lung capacity.
Endurance training, like riding long distances, and interval training, where you make intense efforts, will increase the size of your heart chambers. So long as you allow sufficient recovery time for adaptations to take place, and you make whatever exercise you do progressively harder.
Interval training also increases heart muscle size, which is necessary to pump more blood per beat because a greater volume of blood is heavier.
28 beats per min – Miguel Indurain’s resting heart rate 7.8 litres – Miguel Indurain’s lung capacity 50 litres Miguel Indurain’s cardiac output
If you follow the training schedules in Cycling Fitness these will bring about the desired changes in your heart and make your lungs more efficient.
Four-chamber pump
Your heart is a double circulation pump with four chambers that are powered by muscular walls and separated by valves. The atria, at the top of the heart receive blood and the ventricles below them pump it out. The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs, where gas exchange takes place.
Oxygenated blood then returns to the left atrium, where a valve allows it into the left ventricle, which contracts, pumping the oxygenated blood around your body. De-oxygenated blood returns to the right atrium. Heartbeats are
controlled by electrical signals which respond to
levels of carbon dioxide in the blood.
Gas exchange
The primary function of your lungs is to transfer oxygen from the atmosphere to your bloodstream,
as well as expel carbon dioxide from your bloodstream into the
atmosphere.
To perform this gas exchange, air is first drawn through your mouth and nose and along
a network of constantly dividing tubes that end in thousands of
thin-walled sacks called alveoli. These are surrounded by ultra-thin blood capillaries, which is where
the gas exchange takes place.
You lungs work like bellows sucking in and blowing out air. When a thin sheet of muscle at their base called the diaphragm contracts, lung volume
increases and the pressure inside them decreases compared to the outside air. This causes air to rush into the lungs, and when the diaphragm relaxes, air is pushed out again.
Your rib cage can also expand and contract, powered by muscles surrounding it. You lungs never fully empty of air, and the amount you breath in and out (the tidal volume) that’s
usable is nowhere near their full capacity.
This article was first published in the Spring 2011 issue of Cycling Fitness. You can also read our magazines on your computer or tablet device via Zinio, or downloading from the Apple store and also through Kindle Fire. | <urn:uuid:37a2c4fb-7a6a-4041-a12b-c81defafe8c4> | 4 | 3.890625 | 0.304181 | en | 0.94099 | http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/fitness/miguel-indurain-vs-your-body-34288 |
Why HR Is Important
HR is one of the most important functions in your business. That's because you need people to run your business and human resource management looks after these valuable assets. Some people say that the staff are the most important aspect of any company, and it's true that these are the people who represent your company in different business areas. So how do you make sure that this area is handled efficiently.
Many people choose to have a person, or a few people within the company handle HR. However, it's important not to leave this important issue to chance. Human resources involves a number of key tasks, all of which affect the well being of your workforce, and it is essential to handle these properly. One key area for a lot of employees is pay. Being paid the correct amount, on time, does a lot to keep employees happy. On the other hand, if you deduct too much tax or fail to make the statutory maternity payment, then people will become unhappy. Working out the appropriate deductions is a specialist job, so if you can't handle it in-house, then consider outsourcing this function.
Outsourcing HR
There are other human resources tasks that can also be handled outside your premises. Recruiting new staff can take up a great deal of time. Even before you start, you need to make sure that your advertising fits in with all equality laws. Then there's the question of wading through CVs and doing first and second interviews. This all takes time which could be used elsewhere to make your business more profitable. Yet, getting the right staff is essential for the overall health of your business or company. That's why there are companies that handle staffing as a primary function. You say what you want and they get candidates down to a short list for you to choose from. You can't get out of the interviewing process - nor would you want to - but you can save time by doing it this way.
Once you have your staff in place, a key way to keep them happy and to benefit the company is to train them in any areas where there is a gap. You may know your business, but can you teach it? If the answer is no, then maybe you should get a professional firm to conduct your training. This HR function is one that you should leave to the experts.
Deminos are HR Outsourcing and employment law specialists. To find out more please call us on 020 7870 1090 or visit http://www.deminos.co.uk | <urn:uuid:390bc2f8-5c82-479b-85cd-d0da749048f3> | 2 | 1.664063 | 0.051645 | en | 0.97288 | http://www.deminos.co.uk/human-resources/60-hr |
Deported Mormon glass artists making new life in new country
By that time, though, they had been in the U.S. more than two years and an asylum petition must be filed within 12 months of arriving. An immigration judge ultimately denied their petition and subsequent appeal in 2006.
The Argentine couple moved to Utah to work on projects that reflect their deeply held religious beliefs. They found jobs with Lehi-based Holdman Studios, which does much of the glass work for LDS temples. Zalazar worked as an artist and designer and trained her husband, who was a professional photographer in Argentina, to do etching and other duties.
Over the years, the Correas received advice from various attorneys and others, some good and some bad. They said they were under the impression that immigration officials would reopen their case after 10 years, so they never left. They said they never received a written deportation order.
On Oct. 22, 2010, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents knocked on the door of their American Fork home and took Correa to jail. Zalazar scrambled to sell off the family's possessions and pack what she could into a few suitcases. Two weeks later, the family was on a plane for Buenos Aires.
Correa said maybe he made some mistakes, but he didn't purposefully try to skirt the law.
"We tried to do our best," he said.
Going back to Argentina felt like being on a sinking ship and having to swim for the nearest island, he said. Once he realized he was alive, he looked for a better island and landed in Chile.
"It's OK here, for now," he said.
Correa still wonders what might have been had the Obama administration's policy allowing illegal immigrants an opportunity to stay in the country and apply for a work permit come out before last August. He held a job, paid taxes and never received so much as a traffic ticket.
The Correas said the LDS Church has been the constant in their lives and that their family has grown closer together through their ordeal.
"Members of the church are your brothers and sisters wherever you go. I don't feel like an Argentinian. I feel like I'm LDS," Zalazar said.
"As you know, we're eternal," she said. "That is what is important to us."
The Correas have managed to maintain their stained glass shop, Debora Zalazar Studios, and have even been working with Holdman Studios on projects.
They recently returned from a month in Ghana working on the LDS temple there. They hope to get contracts for the new Concepcion Chile and Cordoba Argentina temples. They're trying to introduce their glass work to residences, malls and schools in southern Chile.
"We are making enough money to live on," Zalazar said.
They say they developed skills they didn't know they had.
"I never thought we could make our own business," Correa said.
The Correa children have adapted as well. They had only vague memories of Argentina, and Chile is new to them. They grew up American.
Kevin attended American Fork High School and was expecting his driver's license when the family had to leave. He misses snowboarding and BMX riding at the local skate park.
Magi was an honor student at American Fork Junior High School.
Their adjustment to Chilean schools was difficult. Kevin spoke Spanish but couldn't read and write it well. Magi at first translated all of her homework into English before completing it in Spanish.
Kevin, 18, graduated from high school this year. He'll begin serving as an LDS missionary next week in the Chile Santiago North Mission. He said it will be a "cool experience" but concedes he wanted to go farther away. He wants to enroll at BYU after he returns.
"I don't see myself here forever," he said.
Magi, 15, couldn't help but notice a lot of stray dogs running around the city. She spent her money on dog food and brought several puppies home, much to her parents' dismay. They finally let her keep a curly haired dog she named Lilo.
"It's just comforting to have an animal to help me out. She's a real blessing for me," she said.
Magi also discovered a talent for distance running. She belongs to a local track club and has won several races. "And I want to go to the Olympics," she said.
But which country would she represent? That's hard, she said, noting she was born in Argentina, grew up in the U.S., and Chile "saved us when we were sad."
The Correas said they don't know what's still in store for them.
"I think everything has a purpose in life," Correa said. "It's like a movie. We're in the middle of the movie. We don't know the end."
E-mail: [email protected], Twitter: dennisromboy
Get The Deseret News Everywhere | <urn:uuid:57cd4e5b-33eb-48a0-9ec7-3a908b50adf4> | 2 | 1.703125 | 0.024314 | en | 0.989903 | http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865560918/Deported-Mormon-glass-artists-making-new-life-in-new-country.html?pg=2 |
Tips for Keeping Your Smart Phone Data Safe
Like Boy Scouts everywhere, smart phone users will always be prepared in an emergency, since their devices have the ability to ensure that all of their health information can be accessed in an instant.
However, there are risks to having all that personal stuff so easily accessible.
That’s why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has put together a list of guidelines to keep personal information safe.
“Anyone with a mobile device can use our resources, available online. Everyone can use the materials to emulate good privacy and security practices,” said Kathryn Marchesini of the department’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
The office’s suggestions include:
1. Use a password or other user authentication. Using a password or PIN number will make it harder for unauthorized people to access your phone if you lose it.
2. Install and enable encryption. Encryption adds an extra layer of protection. If your smart phone or mobile device doesn’t have built-in capabilities, encryption tools are available to purchase and install.
3. Install and activate remote wiping and/or remote disabling. If you lose your device, you don’t want the person who finds it to be able to find out everything about you. Remote wiping will allow you to delete stored data if your device is lost or stolen, while remote disabling allows you to lock information until your device is retrieved.
4. Disable and do not install or use file sharing applications. File sharing makes it easier for unauthorized users to access your device with you none the wiser. Disable the application to reduce the risk of strangers knowing your secrets.
5. Install and enable a firewall. Just like on your PC, a firewall is a must. Firewalls are designed to stop incoming and outgoing connection attempts, blocking unauthorized users from accessing your mobile device.
6. Install and enable security software. Security software can protect your device against viruses, spyware, or malware attacks.
7. Keep your security software up to date. Staying on top of the latest in security software will ensure that your device is protected from the most current security breaches.
8. Research mobile applications before downloading. It may seem like an app you can’t live without, but check it out first before you download it. Make sure it does only what it says it does, and doesn’t have any unsavory tricks hidden up its sleeve.
9. Maintain physical control. By keeping a close eye on your device, it will be less likely to be stolen or tampered with.
10. Use adequate security to send or receive health information over public Wi-Fi networks. If you’re at an Internet café, make sure you’re protected from unauthorized users when sending or receiving private, personal information by using encrypted, secure connections.
11. Delete all stored health information before discarding or reusing the mobile device. Wipe your device clean, especially if you plan to recycle it. You want to be sure that there’s no personal information remaining on your phone or device. Visit www.healthit.gov for more information.
Click here to view/write comments
Diabetes Health Medical Disclaimer | <urn:uuid:1e4f50bd-50c7-494f-9a37-21d06e161821> | 3 | 2.859375 | 0.042452 | en | 0.901598 | http://www.diabeteshealth.com/blog/tips-for-keeping-your-smart-phone-data-safe/ |
What’s to Drink?
Staying Hydrated in the Heat
While water is a good choice for health reasons, many people enjoy beverages with a little more flavor, such as fruit juices, soft drinks, tea, or coffee. There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these beverages – and in fact, fruit juices, teas, and coffees contain beneficial antioxidants – but a high consumption of sweetened beverages has been identified as one of the reasons the United States is having an obesity epidemic. Part of the problem is that people tend to ignore the calories, carbohydrate, and fat in beverages. Studies suggest that calories from beverages don’t make a person feel full or satisfied the way calories from food do.
1. Water: 20—50 ounces (or 2 1/2 to 6 1/4 cups) a day
2. Unsweetened tea and coffee: 0—40 ounces, with a limit of 400 milligrams of caffeine (the amount in about 32 ounces, or 4 cups, of coffee)
3. Low-fat or skim milk and low-fat soy beverages: 0—16 ounces
4. Noncalorically sweetened beverages (such as diet soft drinks): 0—32 ounces
5. Caloric beverages with some nutrients: 0—8 ounces of 100% fruit juices; up to one alcoholic drink for women and two alcoholic drinks for men
6. Calorically sweetened beverages (such as nondiet soft drinks): 0—8 ounces
Bottled, flavored, or carbonated waters are other options that cost more but offer the same benefits as tap water (except, possibly, fluoridation) and may be preferable to some people. An inexpensive way to flavor water at home is to brew some caffeine-free herbal iced tea.
Plain tea contains no calories or carbohydrate, meaning it is a “free food” in a diabetes meal plan. When sugar, honey, or milk is added, however, a cup of tea can have enough carbohydrate to require its being counted as a carbohydrate-containing food.
Tea is believed to have various health benefits, largely because of the naturally occurring antioxidants called flavonoids in tea. Some studies have suggested that regular tea consumption may reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, protect against coronary heart disease, and improve bone and dental health. So far, however, the FDA has rejected the petitions of distributors of green tea to print health claims on tea package labels, saying there is insufficient evidence to claim that tea can help prevent heart disease or cancer.
Tea contains caffeine, which, in moderate amounts does not appear to affect blood glucose levels. However, some research suggests that consuming 500 milligrams (mg) of caffeine over a short period has the potential to raise blood glucose levels. Such large doses of caffeine enhance the effects of the hormones epinephrine and glucagon, which stimulate the release of glucose from the liver.
Luckily, it would be difficult to get that much caffeine from drinking tea. A cup of brewed black tea contains about 40 mg of caffeine, a cup of brewed oolong tea contains about 30 mg of caffeine, and a cup of green tea contains about 20 mg of caffeine. White tea, which is rarer and more expensive than the other types, contains about 15 mg of caffeine per brewed cup.
Even if it doesn’t raise blood glucose levels, caffeine can increase heart rate, a symptom that may be mistaken as a sign of low blood glucose. If you experience what feels like symptoms of low blood glucose after drinking tea or other caffeinated beverages, check your blood glucose level with your meter to see what effect if any caffeine has on it.
Like plain tea, black coffee contains no calories or carbohydrate and is a free food in a diabetes meal plan. However, many people add milk or soy milk to their coffee, in which case their coffee drink would count toward both their coffee and milk totals in the Beverage Guidance System. One-quarter cup of skim milk adds about 23 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrate, 1/4 cup of low-fat (1%) milk adds about 26 calories and 3 grams of carbohydrate, and 1/4 cup of unsweetened soy milk adds about 23 calories and 1 gram of carbohydrate.
One cup (8 ounces) of brewed coffee generally contains between 85 and 135 mg of caffeine. A serving of espresso, which is 1—2 ounces, contains about 100 mg of caffeine. Drinks that contain several “shots” of espresso, therefore, can contain quite a bit of caffeine.
Powdered dessert coffees sold at grocery stores come in many flavors in both regular and sugar-free varieties. Varieties sweetened with sugar provide 11—20 grams of carbohydrate (1 carbohydrate choice) per serving. Sugar-free varieties contain about 5 grams of carbohydrate per serving, making a single serving of this coffee a free food.
When you prepare coffee at home, it’s easy to figure out how many calories and grams of carbohydrate and fat you’re consuming. When you purchase coffee drinks in a coffee shop such as Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, it can be more difficult, since the nutrition information may not be posted next to the menu, and some menu terms may be unfamiliar. However, many restaurant chains now post nutrition information on their Web sites, so you can plan your purchases in advance by looking online.
As you peruse your options, keep in mind that the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that people with diabetes keep their saturated fat intake to less than 7% of total calories. For most women, that works out to 12—14 grams of saturated fat per day (based on 1,600—1,800 calories per day), and for most men, it works out to 14—16 grams per day (based on 1,800—2,000 calories per day). Selecting coffee drinks with no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving will help you stay within recommended limits.
The ADA also suggests limiting cholesterol intake from food or beverages to no more than 300 milligrams per day. If your low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol) is above 100 mg/dl, the recommendation is to limit your cholesterol intake to 200 milligrams a day. Many coffee drinks provide no cholesterol or only very small amounts. But drinks with whole milk, chocolate, or whipped cream added can contain quite a bit.
Even sodium can be a concern with some coffee drinks, with many containing 250—300 mg of sodium. If you are on a sodium-restricted diet, it pays to check the nutrition information before ordering.
When it comes to price, brewing your coffee at home has clear advantages. The average customer of a coffee shop spends about $50—$60 per month on coffee orders. Brewing a similar amount of coffee at home would total only $10—$20 per month, depending on brand and type of coffee brewed.
Milk and soy milk
Milk, fortified soy milk, and yogurt drinks can be important sources of protein, calcium, and other nutrients in the diet. Milk has the advantage over soy milk of being fortified with vitamin D, and its calcium may be more easily absorbed, as well. Until age two, children who drink cow’s milk should drink whole milk. After that, low-fat or fat-free milk is recommended. People who have trouble digesting lactose (milk sugar) may be able to tolerate low-lactose milk and yogurt and yogurt drinks, which are lower in lactose.
Noncaloric soft drinks
Most diet soft drinks contain 0—1 gram of carbohydrate per 12-ounce serving and are considered free foods in a diabetes meal plan. However, a few diet drinks may have as much as 5 grams of carbohydrate per serving. In that case, if more than one serving is consumed, the carbohydrate content must be counted.
While these drinks appear to be safe, the authors of the Beverage Guidance System recommend limiting their intake to no more than 32 ounces because of the possibility that the intense sweetness of many of these drinks conditions people to prefer very sweet tastes. Hypothetically, this could lead to overeating and weight gain; some animal studies have supported this hypothesis.
Fruit juices and fruit drinks
Fruit juices and fruit drinks pack a lot of calories and carbohydrate into a relatively small serving. Virtually all of the calories in these beverages come from sugar, whether natural or added. However, not all fruit juices are created equal: Unsweetened grapefruit juice has 22 grams of carbohydrate per 8-ounce serving (1 1/2 carbohydrate choices), orange juice has 25—27 grams (2 carbohydrate choices), apple juice has 28—29 grams (2 carbohydrate choices), cranberry juice cocktail has 35 grams (2 1/2 carbohydrate choices), Cran-Apple has 35—39 grams (2 1/2 carbohydrate choices), grape juice has 38—42 grams (2 1/2—3 carbohydrate choices), and prune juice has 43—45 grams (3 carbohydrate choices). “Light” versions of some of these drinks have less carbohydrate per serving.
Most bottled juices and juice drinks list the serving size as 8 ounces (1 cup) on the Nutrition Facts panel of the label, even if the bottle or can contains 12 or 16 ounces. In those cases, if you consume the whole can or bottle, you will need to multiply the number of calories and grams of carbohydrate by 1.5 (for a 12-ounce container) or 2 (for a 16-ounce container).
A cup of juice is plenty for some people but may not seem like much to others, especially if they’re thirsty. If a cup of juice leaves you wanting more, consider mixing the juice with seltzer or club soda to stretch the serving, or purchase lower-sugar or sugar-free juice drinks to help you control the amount of calories and carbohydrates in your diet.
Most fruit juices and juice drinks contain very little sodium, but tomato and vegetable juices can have quite a lot. The regular varieties of these drinks generally have between 440 and 990 milligrams of sodium per 8-ounce serving. Low-sodium versions have 140 milligrams of sodium per serving, and no-salt-added juices may have as little as 25 milligrams per serving. The latest recommendations regarding sodium intake from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science, the body that sets the recommended dietary allowances for both macro- and micronutrients, are that healthy Americans should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. A high sodium intake can raise blood pressure in some people. African-Americans appear to be particularly susceptible to its effects. High blood pressure, if left untreated, increases the risk of heart, eye, and kidney disease. If you are watching your sodium intake to keep your blood pressure normal, selecting the low-sodium versions of these drinks will assist in keeping your sodium intake in target range.
Soft drinks
Regular soft drinks may taste good, but most provide no nutrients other than sugar, and they provide plenty of that. A 12-ounce serving may provide anywhere from 90 to 200 calories and 23—52 grams of carbohydrate. On some meal plans, a single soft drink would supply the total goal amount of carbohydrate for a whole meal. Some carbonated soft drinks also contain caffeine, and some contain sodium.
Regular soft drinks can be useful to have on hand for treating hypoglycemia (but only drink an amount containing 15 grams of carbohydrate at a time) or for sipping when you have the flu and can’t tolerate any other foods. Otherwise, because they’re so high in carbohydrate and calories, it’s a good idea to reserve regular soft drinks for an occasional treat.
Sports and energy drinks
Sports drinks, such as Gatorade, that contain low amounts of sugar, sodium, and potassium can be helpful during or after workouts that last an hour or more. The carbohydrate in the drink helps replace fuel stores, called glycogen, in the muscles (glycogen is a storage form of glucose), and the sodium and potassium replace electrolytes (or salts) lost in sweat. For shorter workouts, sports drinks may not hurt but probably aren’t necessary. Water is usually sufficient to replace fluid lost through sweat.
Energy drinks are similar to sports drinks, but they tend to contain more sugar (unless they’re artificially sweetened), caffeine, and sometimes amino acids. They are typically marketed to young people as tools for increased mental capacity or physical performance. While sugar is an energy source, and caffeine can increase mental alertness and possibly athletic performance in the short term, energy drinks are no substitute for a following a good diet, getting a good night’s sleep, and doing regular training for either mental or physical performance. In addition, there’s no evidence that there’s any need to consume individual amino acids if a person consumes an adequate amount of protein in his diet. Energy drinks may also contain more sugar and caffeine than you wish to consume at any one time.
The serving size for sports and energy drinks is about 8—8 1/2 ounces. The carbohydrate content of these drinks ranges from 11 to 37 grams (1—2 1/2 carbohydrate choices). Many brands also have low-sugar or sugar-free versions of the drink, with 0—3 grams of carbohydrate per serving.
Swimming in choices
| <urn:uuid:41318c9a-323b-4d94-b848-f928ba9f8998> | 3 | 2.921875 | 0.033195 | en | 0.926293 | http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/nutrition-exercise/meal-planning/whats-to-drink/ |
Difference Between Objective and Subjective
Objective vs Subjective
The two terms objective and subjective differ in their sense. Any statement that is completely unbiased is called objective. On the other hand a statement that is characterized by the thoughts and the views of the speaker is called subjective.
Objective is not characterized by any previous experience of the speaker whereas a subjective is certainly characterized by the previous experience of the speaker. It is important to note that objective is verifiable whereas subjective is not subjected to verification.
It is interesting to note that objective is verified by carrying out mathematical calculations. Subjective on the contrary cannot be verified by applying what are called facts and figures. This is simply due to the fact that subjective reflects the standpoint by means of speakers’ views only.
When you are making any kind of balanced decision then you are objective in purpose. On the other hand when nothing concrete is at stake, you tend to be subjective in purpose. For example you tend to be subjective when you are watching a stunt movie and you become one with the character you like the most in the movie. Being subjective in fact makes your experience even more enjoyable.
On the other hand you tend to be objective when you are engaged in discussions with people and you are trying to keep your concentration focused on the central theme of the discussion. During such moments you would normally make statements that are unbiased in nature.
You tend to be objective when you are discussing some object or idea that is concrete and tangible. You tend to subjective when you are discussing an idea of subject matter that is not concrete and that lacks tangibility. It is quite important to note that the facts that make up the objective should also be solid and concrete.
As a matter of fact whatever is subjective is already in the domain of your experience and is a kind of past reminiscences. It is thus important to know that subjective findings are ephemeral in nature. Scientific facts and mathematical proofs are objective in nature. Opinions, versions, interpretations are all subjective in nature. You would find that marketing presentations are subjective in purpose. | <urn:uuid:c575e9da-eafa-4454-b4e3-b3a430b41cbd> | 4 | 3.78125 | 0.04938 | en | 0.967613 | http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-objective-and-subjective/ |
Gwynne Dyer commentary: Supervolcano blast would be bad news
The good thing about volcanoes is that you know where they are. If you don’t want to get hurt, just stay away from them. The bad thing about supervolcanoes is that you may know where they are, but there’s no getting away from them. They blow up very rarely, but when they do, the whole world is affected. They can cover an entire continent with ash and lower temperatures sharply worldwide for years.
“This is something that, as a species, we will eventually have to deal with. It will happen in the future,” said Dr. Wim Malfait of ETH Zurich (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), lead author of a recent paper in Nature Geoscience that says supervolcano eruptions don’t even need an earthquake as a trigger. “You could compare it to an asteroid impact,” he says. “The risk at any given time is small, but when it happens the consequences will be catastrophic.”
Supervolcanoes are a single massive explosion of magma rising to the surface over a huge area, and blasting at least 250 cubic miles of ash into the atmosphere.
How massive? The largest recent volcanic eruption was Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which blew about 2.5 cubic miles of ash and gas into the upper atmosphere in 1991. The result was a 0.7 degree drop in average global temperature for a year or so. But the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano 640,000 years ago was a hundred times as big.
It covered the entire North American continent with ash — and just like an asteroid strike, it threw massive amounts of dust and ash into the stratosphere, where it stayed for years, blocking out much of the sunlight. (It doesn’t rain in the stratosphere, so the debris stays there a long time.) As a result, the average global temperature fell by as much as 18 degrees for a number of years.
It was temporary, but while it lasted there was a steep fall in the amount of plant material growing on the planet, and a corresponding collapse in animal populations, as well. Not mass extinctions, so far as we can tell, and fairly soon the plant and animal species repopulated their former habitats, but it certainly spoiled the party for the equivalent of several human generations.
How many people would die if such a catastrophe happened now? It is unlikely that even half of the world’s 7 billion people would survive two or three years of severe hunger, and civilization itself would take a terrible beating. Nor is there anything useful you can do to prepare for such a catastrophe, unless you are able to stockpile two or three years’ worth of food for the entire world.
Eventually, the magma forces its way to the surface over an area of hundreds of square miles, expands and explodes.
On average, such an explosion happens once every hundred thousand years, but in practice it could happen at any time, with as little as a few weeks warning. Just thought you’d like to know. Sleep well.
| <urn:uuid:6434f850-b925-4a6b-8e75-9182210d0be5> | 3 | 3.421875 | 0.323339 | en | 0.966312 | http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2014/01/08/supervolcano-blast-would-be-bad-news.html |
Approaching comet may outshine the moon
Saturday, 29 December 2012 - 11:01am IST | Agency: Reuters
As the comet approaches, heat from the sun will vaporize ices in its body, creating what could be a spectacular tail that is visible in Earth's night sky without telescopes or even binoculars from about October 2013 through January 2014. If the comet survives, that is. Comet ISON could break apart as it nears the sun, or it could fail to produce a tail of ice particles visible from Earth.
Celestial visitors like Comet ISON hail from the Oort Cloud, a cluster of frozen rocks and ices that circle the sun about 50,000 times farther away than Earth's orbit. Every so often, one will be gravitationally bumped out from the cloud and begin a long solo orbit around the sun. On September 21, two amateur astronomers from Russia spotted what appeared to be a comet in images taken by a 16-inch (0.4-meter) telescope that is part of the worldwide International Scientific Optical Network, or ISON, from which the object draws its name. "The object was slow and had a unique movement. But we could not be certain that it was a comet because the scale of our images are quite small and the object was very compact," astronomer Artyom Novichonok, one of the discoverers, wrote in a comets email list hosted by Yahoo. Novichonok and co-discoverer Vitali Nevski followed up the next night with a bigger telescope at the Maidanak Observatory in Uzbekistan.
Other astronomers did likewise, confirming the object, located beyond Jupiter's orbit in the constellation Cancer, was indeed a comet. "It's really rare, exciting," Novichonok wrote. Comet ISON's path is very similar to a comet that passed by Earth in 1680, one which was so bright its tail reportedly could be seen in daylight. The projected orbit of comet ISON is so similar to the 1680 comet that some scientists are wondering if they are fragments from a common parent body. "Comet ISON?could be the brightest comet seen in many generations - brighter even than the full moon," wrote British astronomer David Whitehouse in The Independent. In 2013, Earth has two shots at a comet show. C
omet Pan-STARRS is due to pass by the planet in March, eight months before ISON's arrival. NASA's Mars Curiosity rover may be able to provide a preview. Comet ISON is due to pass by the red planet in September and could be a target for the rover from its vantage point inside Gale Crater. The last comet to dazzle Earth's night-time skies was Comet Hale-Bopp, which visited in 1997. Comet 17P/Holmes made a brief appearance in 2007.
Jump to comments | <urn:uuid:5e34d159-77c5-4736-a800-c9b22ac52e62> | 3 | 3.21875 | 0.092711 | en | 0.959413 | http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report-approaching-comet-may-outshine-the-moon-1782989 |
Learning Center
Plans & pricing Sign in
Sign Out
C_ .Net Interview Questions
VIEWS: 145 PAGES: 12
gaurav360's Mailbox
Inbox Compose Addresses Help
Inbox First | Previous | Next | Last
Move Selected To InboxDraftsSpam Bin
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 05:27:11 +0100 (BST) Printer Friendly Version
From: nikita sen <>
domainkeys has verified the mail as legitimate
To: ,
Subject: [ ] C# .Net Interview Questions, Good and realistic questions along with
answers !
Language Mail Full Headers
Interview Questions Home | Ask Questions | Interview Success Kit
C# .Net Interview Questions
Welcome to the exciting world of New Interview Questions. Here, you can read the existing answers,
provide your own answers, ask new questions, save your favorite questions and do much more!
1. In C#, which is not the correct way to declare a jagged array?
Select answer int[][] n = new int[2][] { new int[] {2,3}, new int[] {5,6} }; int[][] n = new
int[][] { new int[] {2}, new int[] {8,9} }; int[][] n = { new int[] {0,3,2}, new int[] {5,1,7,8,8}
}; int[][] n = new int[][] { {2,3}, {8,9} }; int[][] n = new int[5][];
2. Name some of the Microsoft Application Blocks. Have you used any? Which ones?
3. What is the difference between shadow and override
4. You have an event handler called MyEvent and you want to link the click event of control,
5. Which debugging window allows you to see the methods called in the order they were called?
6. Which debugging window allows you to see all the name and values of all the variables in scope?
7. What is wrapper class?is it available in c#?
8. What is protected internal class in C#
9. Which keyword is used of specify a class that cannot inherit by other class
10. Can u create the instance for abstract classes
11. Can we use Friend Classes or functions in C# the way we use it in C++
12. How we can use inheritance and polymorphisms in c# programming?
13. How to find exceptions in database
14. How can objects be late bound in .NET?
15. Where we can use DLL made in C#.Net
16. What Datatypes does the RangeValidator Control support?
17. Constructor is the method which is implicitly created when ever a class is instantiated. Why?
18. Why multiple Inheritance is not possible in C#?
19. Why strings are immutable?
20. This is a Regular expression built for parsing string in and passed to Regex class. Dim
regular expression.
21. How to convert ocx into DLL
22. What is the main difference between pointer and delegate with examples?
23. What is object pooling
24. How do i read the information from web.config file?
25. What is the default Function arguments?
26. What is XML Schema?
28. How can i check whether a dataset is empty or not in
29. Is it possible to inherit a class that has only private constructor?
30. How do you choose 1 entry point when C# project has more Main( ) method?
31. The compiler throws an error if XML comments is not well formed
32. Which of the following is not a C# reserved keyword
33. By declaring a base class function as virtual we allow the function to be overridden in
34. Which of the following can not be declared as virtual
35. Sealed class can be inherited
36. Which of the following statements is not true for interfaces
37. It is not permitted to declare modifier on the members in an interface definition
38. Interface members can not be declared as
39. Which method is implicitly called when an object is created
40. Which of the following statement is invalid with regards to constructor
41. Constructors can not be static
42. It is perfectly legitimate to throw exceptions from catch and finally blocks
43. It is not possible for a delegate to wrap more than 1 methos
44. In C# events are actually a special form of delegates
45. Which preprocessor directive are used to mark that contain block of code is to be treated as a
single block
46. How are the attributes specified in C#
47. For performing repeated modification on string which class is preferred
48. In order to use stringbuilder in our class we need to refer
49. Which of the following is not a member of stringbuilder
50. Which method is actually called ultimately when Console.WriteLine( ) is invoked
51. What happens when you create an arraylist as ArrayList Arr=new ArrayList()
52. What is the output of Vectors.RemoveAt(1)
53. GetEnumerator( ) of Ienumerable interface returns
54. How do you add objects to hashtable
55. If A.equals(B) is true then A.getHashcode & B.getHashCode must always return same hash code
56. The assembly class is defined in
57. What is the first step to do anything with assembly
58. How do you load assembly to running process
59. Assemblies cannot be loaded side by side
60. Application Isolation is assured using
61. Where does the version dependencies recorded
62. How do you refer parent classes in C#
63. Which attribute you generally find on top of main method
64. How do you make a class not instantiable
65. In a multilevel hierarchy how are the constructors are called
66. Which utility is used to create resource file
67. What is the extension of a resource file
68. A shared assembly must have a strong name to uniquely identify the assembly
69. Public policy applies to
70. Stream object can not be initialized
71. Which of the following has stream as the base class
72. Which class use to Read/Write data to memory
73. To Configure .Net for JIT activation what do you do
74. Which method is used by COM+ to ascertain whether class can be pooled
75. How do you import Activex component in to .NET
76. Net Remoting doesn’t allow creating stateless & stateful Remote objects
77. Windows services created by C# app run only
78. The C# keyword int maps to which .NET type
80. What is an indexer in C#
81. In the following cases which is not function overloading
82. How to implement multiple inheritence in C#
83. In C# a technique used to stream the data is known as
84. Can static methods be overridable?
85. What is the use of fixed statement
86. What is the order of destructors called in a polymorphism hierarchy
87. How can you sort the elements of the array in descending order
88. Is it possible to Override Private Virtual methods
89. What does the volatile modifier do
90. What is the C# equivalent of System.Single
91. A single line comments are implemented by
92. Code running under the control of CLR is often referred as
93. Platform specific code is obtained when
94. Intermediate Language also facilitates language interoperability
95. Which are the important features of IL
96. NET interfaces are not derived from IUnknown & they do not have associated GUID’s
97. Code written in C# can not used in which of the languages
99. It is not possible to debug the classes written in other .Net languages in a C# project.
101. Which of the following is not a subclass of Value Type class
103. Which of the following is not a subclass of reference type
105. Which is .NET s answer to Memory Management
New Interview
Flying to Bangalore or Bhopal? Search for tickets here.
We need your Resume, Post it Now at
Free & Useful Resources
<*> Interview Questions -
<*> Projects & Source Codes -
<*> Freshers Jobs -
<*> Free SMS -
<*> Free eBooks -
<*> Downloads -
<*> Share & Discuss -
<*> Free Student Resources -
<*> Online Exams -
5 GB Webspace (Windows / Linux) + Free .com Domain Name + 5,000 Templates Free + 10,000 Fonts F
= Rs. 1,250 per annum only. Start hosting now!
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
805New Members
Visit Your Group
Yahoo! Finance
It's Now Personal
Guides, news,
advice & more.
Real Food Group
Share recipes
and favorite meals
w/ Real Food lovers.
Yahoo! Groups
Beauty & Fashion
Connect & share
tips and advice.
Move Selected To InboxDraftsSpam Bin
Inbox First | Previous | Next | Last
Sify Home | Feedback | Advertise | Terms
© Copyright Sify Ltd, 1998-2004. All rights reserved. See Disclaimer,Privacy Policy.& Parental
Guidance on pornography
Site optimized for Internet Explorer 4.0 and above.
To top | <urn:uuid:f77ad635-f3f1-4ebf-a836-cacd30f1b5cb> | 2 | 1.578125 | 0.588928 | en | 0.803015 | http://www.docstoc.com/docs/46663826/C_-Net-Interview-Questions |
Previous page Next page
The E-P1 is an exercise in pared-down styling with a distinctly retro design that will appeal to anyone nostalgic for the salad days of 35mm photography, before the preponderance of plastics and auto everything operation. It's got more than a whiff of the 1950's and 1960's rangefinder about it, but the most obvious debt is - as the pre-launch marketing made clear - the Olympus Pen F, the world's first 'half frame' SLR, introduced in the mid 1960's (see page 1 for more on the Pen connection).
There's no doubting this is a handsome little beast, and the choice of materials, sleek, simple lines and lack of unnecessary ornamentation give it the same 'real camera' appeal that makes otherwise rational photographers lust after the similarly timeless Leica M8. The E-P1 is one of the most attractive digital cameras we've ever seen, and we can imagine there will be a lot of people looking to justify buying one even if they have little or no real need for one. The 'pride of ownership' factor is going to be very strong with this one.
The E-P1 has been designed first and foremost for size, which itself dictates to a certain extent the physical design; we're told that - using current technology - this is as small as the camera could be, and though it's considerably more bulky than compacts like the Panasonic LX3, the body itself is far smaller than any SLR, and is dwarfed by the Olympus E-450 (the smallest SLR on the market).
The desire for the smallest possible body does mean some compromises; there's no viewfinder or built-in flash (both are available as optional extras) and there's little in the way of a grip, but Olympus has done an excellent job on the overall handling. There are fewer external controls than you'd find on an equivalent SLR (and don't forget this camera has all the functionality of a 'semi pro' model like the E-30), but the buttons are large enough to use, there's two command dials (both on the back) and the level of customization is such that it's easy to get the E-P1 working exactly how you want it. It's really, really hard to find fault with the design, even if, like me, you wish there was a viewfinder and a flash...
The E-P1 is available in two equally retro color schemes; good old fashioned chrome (with black accents) and a surprisingly attractive white version with beige/tan accents. The zoom lens (14-42mm) comes in black or chrome (the 17mm pancake is silver only) and Olympus has kits containing every possible combination.
Side by side
Below you can see the E-P1 between the Sigma DP-2 and the Olympus E-450. The DP2 (along with the DP1) is the only 'big sensor' compact in the world today (its X3 chip is roughly the same size as the E-P1's) and the E-450 is the smallest digital SLR in the world (most competitor models are noticeably larger). The E-P1 sits between the two in both physical size and weight, and although it's much closer to the DP2 in size it is, thanks to the metal body, a lot closer to the E-450's weight. It's worth noting that the figures below for the DP2 include the fixed lens (the DP2's 'body' is about 50% thinner than the E-P1).
Camera Dimensions
(W x H x D)
Body weight
(inc. battery & card)
Olympus E-P1 126 x 70 x 36.4 mm (4.9 x 2.8 x 1.4 in) 410 g (0.9lb)
Olympus E-450 129.5 x 91 x 53 mm (5.1 x 3.6 x 2.1 in) 455 g (1.0 lb)
Sigma DP2 113 x 60 x 56 mm (4.5 x 2.4 x 2.2 in) 280 g (0.6 lb)
In your hand
Thanks to its size/weight ratio (this is a pretty dense camera) the E-P1 feels incredibly solid in a way that the vast majority of cameras just don't these days. It's beautifully constructed and even our pre-production model has an excellent fit and finish. The handling is, perhaps inevitably, slightly compromised by the shiny surfaces and the lack of a grip, meaning that unlike similarly designed compacts the E-P1 feels a lot more comfortable supported by both hands, something you're going to be doing anyway if you're using the zoom.
Once in the hand it handles pretty well - small cameras always demand some compromises (smaller buttons cramped together make using the controls fiddly), but the E-P1's design (which, if we're honest, is far more about style than utility) is surprisingly usable if you assign the exposure setting you most commonly use to the upper (vertical) command dial, which is perfectly positioned under your thumb. The other dial (the circular one around the OK button and four-way controller) is a little less easy to reach and requires a certain amount of thumb gymnastics if you try to use it without taking your finger off the shutter release. Unless you insist on shooting in manual exposure mode and changing settings for every shot the E-P1 offers a nice mix of compact camera handling and SLR control.
LCD Monitor
As a live view only camera - and one without an eye-level viewfinder (discounting the optional VF-1 attachment) the E-P1's LCD screen is a vital part of the picture taking experience, and it's one of the only (mildly) disappointing things about the whole package. It's by no means a bad screen - quite the opposite; the high refresh rate, excellent brightness/contrast, low lag, good sharpness and wide viewing angle are all to be praised, but we were surprised that a premium model like this doesn't have a higher resolution screen (230,000 dots on a 3.0" LCD is pretty low these days).
It's not a decision breaker but it's a bit of a let-down. We used the camera outside in bright direct sunlight and found that - whilst you can just about make out the preview image, it's still very difficult to see well enough for precise framing or exposure / color assessment (and forget manual focus in such conditions). We also found that the screen sometimes made images appear brighter than they actually were, leading to unecessary exposure compensation (though, given the E-P1's occasional clipped highlights, a little negative EV probably isn't a bad thing).
Optional viewfinder
If you can't stand the idea of relying entirely on the screen / live view for composition Olympus is offering an optional optical viewfinder (the VF-4), which is matched to the 17mm pancake. The lack of any kind of focus confirmation makes using the viewfinder a slightly unnerving experience, though you're unlikely to have problems on a sunny day with a 17mm lens on a sensor this size.
Compared to using the screen on a bright day, however, the viewfinder is a welcome relief from the squinting and guesswork involved should the sun fall onto the LCD. The feeling of being disconnected from the workings and settings of the camera takes some getting used to (it's like going back to film!) but for those of us who don't always like to compose our shots at arm's length, the viewfinder is an acceptable compromise for such a small camera. Why Olympus couldn't produce an optional electronic viewfinder I don't know, as that would transform the use of the E-P1 in bright daylight.
Battery / storage Compartment
The E-P1 uses the same BLS-1 battery as the E-420 and E-620. The battery fits into a combined battery/card compartment behind a door with a sliding lock, and has a small retaining clip to prevent it from falling out. Unfortunately the design of the camera means you can't change batteries - or get the card in or out - when it's mounted on a tripod.
The good news (as far as we're concerned) is that Olympus appears to have finally accepted the inevitable demise of xD-Picture card and has taken the eminently sensible decision to drop it in favor of an SD/SDHC card slot on the E-P1. Ever since xD took over from SmartMedia five or six years ago, Olympus users have been forced into using a slower, less capacious, more expensive and less reliable storage format. And since Fujifilm (the only other brand to use xD) dropped it last year the pressure has been rising on Olympus to finally kill off the unwanted and unloved format.
We're not there yet; Olympus compacts still use xD (and the SLRs offer dual xD/CF slots), but the E-P1 is, hopefully the first of many Olympus cameras to offer full compatibility with SD (though we suspect xD will stubbornly hang around for a while yet).
Previous page Next page
I own it
I want it
I had it
Discuss in the forums | <urn:uuid:1d292d2b-fa1b-4862-bdb9-476dc8992d7e> | 2 | 1.507813 | 0.048144 | en | 0.951785 | http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/OlympusEP1/5 |
Tuition rates at Duke have been rising steadily for a decade, averaging around a 4.5 percent increase annually. Along with similar tuition increases at peer universities, this phenomenon marks a tuition arms race among elite American universities. Michael Schoenfeld, vice president of public affairs and government relations, has claimed increases in tuition reflect increases in real costs. However, since tuition hikes outpace the inflation rate, there seems to be more to this story. Duke should provide explanations for tuition increases that are as specific and quantifiable as possible.
Given tuition is increasing faster than the rate of inflation, it follows that Duke is either purchasing absolutely more goods or goods whose prices are especially skyrocketing. It is not clear what sectors of the University consume the most resources, so we cannot know whether increased tuition is actually improving a student’s college experience. On the consumer side, students are willing to pay more for what they perceive as greater prestige. The demand for elite higher education is almost inelastic: Duke can exploit its position by charging ever-higher prices for an intangible prestige quotient without producing better educational outcomes.
Tuition increases are too dramatic for a responsible administration to ignore. Duke must address this issue honestly—preferably by informing students what particular costs drive up tuition the most. Although Schoenfeld cites energy, salaries and technological improvements as rising expenses, he does not provide enough detail for students and parents to make rigorous value judgments about what is and is not worth spending an extra $6,000—roughly the amount Duke tuition has grown over the last four years. The categories themselves, other than being too broad, are also suspect. For example, the pay freeze for Duke faculty and staff ended last March, yet costs still increased substantially during that period.
Greater transparency would not only help students and their families make informed college decisions. It would also benefit the University as a whole. Theories about a possible higher education bubble, espoused most famously by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, contend that eventually students will not be convinced that the quality of their university degrees justifies surging tuition costs. There is already a push to encourage middle-income students to consider community colleges and state institutions. The demand for a Duke degree seems inelastic now, but if traditional higher education goes bust, that will quickly change.
Of course, there remains the intractable affordability issue. The University’s financial aid system strives to increase grants by at least 4 to 5 percent each year to offset tuition increases. However, while this helps students already receiving grants, the percentage of students receiving any aid at all may stagnate. In the face of rising costs, the percentage of Duke students on financial aid must also steadily increase.
Greater transparency surrounding tuition hikes seems justified given the sheer amount of money a Duke degree seems to cost. We are not asking for a dollar-for-dollar breakdown but a clear budget that indicates where tuition markups are going within broad categories, such as energy and technology. Amid soaring prices, a barely recovering economy and whispers of overvalued degrees, Duke would be wise to have a frank conversation about costs. | <urn:uuid:8d899538-4b86-4058-93fa-f8f7e4b688e1> | 2 | 1.945313 | 0.310825 | en | 0.95882 | http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2012/04/17/dispel-tuition-black-hole |
1. Inhalt
2. Navigation
3. Weitere Inhalte
4. Metanavigation
5. Suche
6. Choose from 30 Languages
Slovakia's Kosice invests in the future
Kosice in Slovakia has a long multicultural tradition - and serious problems. As a European Capital of Culture in 2013, the city is now looking to make changes and redirect its future.
Guests at the Golden Royal Hotel are forced to use the back entrance since the street at the front of building has disappeared. The entire stretch has become a building site littered with trucks, cables, pipes and piles of gravel.
Kosice, a small city in eastern Slovakia, is undergoing a major revamp. Money has flowed into the city since it was announced that it is one of two European Capitals of Culture in 2013, along with Marseille. The European Union alone has contributed 60 million euros (nearly $80 million).
Streets, squares and green spaces have been created alongside new cultural projects, such as the transformation of a disused barracks into a culture and creative center and the conversion of a shabby swimming pool into multi-functional arts space.
Construction work on disused swimming pool in Kosice
This disused swimming pool is being turned into a multi-functional arts space
Few people believe these ventures will be finished in time. "No problem," says Jan Sudzina, director of the Society of the Preparation of Culture Capital Projects.
No major celebrations are planned for 2013. It's more about the long-term transformation of Kosice from a post-Soviet to a modern city.
In concrete terms, that means Kosice is using its year as a European Capital of Culture and the opportunities - including the funding - it brings to reinvent itself.
A city transformed
If everything goes as planned, the city should become a platform for creative collaborations between businesses and artists in the eastern Slovakian region. Transformed into a center of artistic and industrial production, Kosice should be a must-see destination.
But today it's hard to even get there. Whether by bus, car or train, the journey is incredibly long: 500 kilometers from Warsaw, 1,140 from Berlin and 1,550 from Brussels.
Direct flights to the city only go from Vienna, Bratislava and Prague. "Our" airport, says Iveta Ninajova from the Visit Kosice tourist board, is in Budapest, Hungary, a three-hour train ride away.
Dilapidated housing blocks in Košice
Thousand of Roma people in Kosice live without electricity in dilapidated housing blocks
Kosicewas once a wealthy and flourishing city. The imposing, late Gothic St. Elisabeth Cathedral, the historical, late 19th-century theater, and all the resplendent townhouses in the Old Town are a reminder of the past.
The upturn in the city's fortunes came due to its geographical location on a trade route and German settlers who made their mark on the town they called Kaschau.
For centuries, Kosice was one of the most important and largest cities in the Hungarian Empire. The cultural life of the city flourished and the transition to the modern period went without a problem.
In the 19th century, new factories and manufacturers sprung up. Good money was made, as evidenced by the erection of new buildings in the Wilhelminian style.
In the maelstrom of time
In December 1918, with the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kosice fell to Czechoslovakia. From 1938-1945 it was once again part of Hungary, and since 1945 part of Czechoslovakia.
In February 1948, the Communist Party took control of the country. Industry in Kosice was spurred on massively. With the establishment of the East Slovakian Ironworks, the economic importance of the city grew once again and more districts filled with socialist apartment blocks were built.
Then the Iron Curtain fell. In January 1993, Czechoslovakia was divided into the Czech and Slovakian Republics. Since then, the city of Bratislava, close to the Austrian border, has been the capital of Slovakia.
Bratislavahas boomed, with next to no unemployment. Kosice, on the other hand, has been cast to the sidelines.
An abadoned synagogue in Kosice
This abandoned synagogue is evidence of the 11,500 Jews who lived in Kosice before the Holocaust
The sale of the steelworks, a decrease in jobs, an unemployment rate of almost 30 percent, and the emigration of young people and creatives have taken their toll on the city.
Kosicenow has a population of around 240,000. Germans, Czechs, Hungarians, Ukrainians and Roma live alongside Slovaks.
But now the city has a big chance to turn itself around as European Capital of Culture in 2013. The city wants to overhaul its image away from industry and towards creativity.
Public spaces will be revitalized and the population is to be integrated in the process. That's why the cultural events planned for 2013 will take place in residential areas and in the area surrounding the city.
The projects are informed by the history of the city and raise up the forbidden and the suppressed, such as author Sandor Marai, who is revered in many countries but virtually unknown in his home city.
Tourist attraction
And naturally the city is hoping to attract countless visitors. It has good, hearty Slovakian food to offer. A host of diverse cafés to while away the time can be found in the Old Town. Accommodation ranges from student halls of residence to comfortable international hotels.
Bus trips from Krakow and Budapest will come to the city in 2013, says Iveta Ninajova from Visit Kosice. And it's possible that direct flights are established from Germany and Great Britain.
However, visitors to Kosice should be sure to pack a pair of sturdy shoes, since it isn't yet clear when the construction work will be complete.
DW recommends
WWW links
Audios and videos on the topic | <urn:uuid:a05a93e0-5b65-4b10-885a-d2baefec252d> | 2 | 1.726563 | 0.038481 | en | 0.953782 | http://www.dw.de/slovakias-kosice-invests-in-the-future/a-16468700 |
Do it yourself landscape lighting guide
Browse Categories
Outdoor Lighting
Portable Lighting
Ceiling Fans
Browse by Manufacturer
Types of Light Bulbs Used in Spotlights and Flashlights
There are three types of light sources in common use today in flashlights and spotlights:
1. Incandescent bulbs, which operate by providing an electric charge to a tungsten filament inside of a bulb. Krypton, halogen, and xenon bulbs are types of incandescent bulbs that use a filament; HID bulbs use a spark instead of a filament.
2. Fluorescent lights, which operate by providing an electric charge to a gas in a glass container. They come in a variety of shapes and are not limited to a "bulb" shape.
3. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which operate by providing an electric charge to a solid-state diode.
Incandescent Bulbs
The primary advantage of incandescent bulbs is that they are inexpensive because they require no external regulatory equipment and are inexpensive to manufacture. They have been in use for over 100 years.
However, incandescent bulbs have some serious drawbacks for flashlights and battery-powered spotlights. They can break if the flashlight or spotlight is dropped or jarred. Even if not jarred, they aren't designed to last more than 1,000 hours because the filament burns out. Some inexpensive bulbs are designed to last as little as 50 hours. Most of the energy produced is lost as heat rather than light; they are not very energy-efficient. The gas used in traditional incandescent bulbs is argon, nitrogen, or a combination. Small bulbs often have a vacuum instead of a gas.
Incandescent bulbs that are filled with krypton gas conduct less heat than the argon-nitrogen bulbs and are therefore more efficient. Krypton lights last longer and put out more light than argon/nitrogen bulbs.
Xenon gas conducts even less heat than krypton gas and therefore xenon lights are more efficient than krypton lights. Xenon lights last longer than argon-nitrogen lights and are the brightest of the three incandescent bulbs.
A halogen lamp also uses a tungsten filament but uses a much smaller bulb that is made of quartz instead of glass. It uses halogen gas instead of argon, nitrogen, krypton, or xenon. The chemical interaction between the tungsten vapor and the halogen gas keeps recycling the tungsten into the filament, strengthening it. A halogen lamp, therefore, lasts twice as long as a normal incandescent bulb. However, the halogen lamp gets extremely hot, up to 4,500 degrees F. Because of the extreme heat, the halogen lamp must be located away from human contact.
Some flashlights or spotlights are called "halogen" because they use a quartz bulb and a tiny amount of halogen gas; in these bulbs the gas used is primarily xenon or krypton. The amount of halogen gas used may be as little as one percent.
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
HID lights use electrical sparks instead of a filament surrounded by gases to create light. An HID flashlight can generate 3,500 or more lumens and can cost over $500.00. The brightest LED light "bulb," in comparison, generates less than 1,000 lumens. There is a danger of getting burned by a HID flashlight or spotlight because the lens gets very hot.
Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Fluorescent lamps work by exciting a gas with an electrical charge; since most of the energy is used to generate light instead of heat, a fluorescent bulb provides light several times more efficiently than an incandescent bulb. However, since a fluorescent bulb is made of glass, it is more fragile than an LED light. In addition, fluorescent bulbs use mercury, an environmental hazard.
Fluorescent lamps require a ballast to control the charge and so they are more expensive than incandescent bulbs. Compared to LED lights, they provide more diffuse light; this may be better for general lighting, such as in a tent, compared to hiking where more focused light might be more desirable.
LED Light Bulbs
LED (light emitting diode) is a semiconductor 'chip' that converts electrical energy directly into light. It has no gas or liquid components like the above mentioned bulb types.
Flashlights makers are rapidly converting over from Krypton, Xenon, and Incandescent bulbs to LEDs. There are several reasons:
1. LEDs have no delicatemechanical parts, glass bulbs, filaments and are resistant to vibrationand shock.
2. They put out no infrared(heat) radiation and, therefore, are much more efficient at producinglight compared to incandescent bulbs; a battery in a flashlight with anLED bulb will last 10 times or longer than an incandescent bulb.
3. LEDs can last decadescompared to 1,000 hours for an incandescent bulb.
4. LEDs do not use mercuryor lead and so are more environmentally friendly than fluorescent bulbs
The primary limitations of LED bulbs used to be cost, color, and brightness. Costs have come down dramatically for flashlights and spotlights so they are no longer expensive enough to change the overall cost of a flashlight or spotlight.
White LED lights were not available from a single diode until 1993 when Nichia invented a way to coat a chip with phosphor that then generates white light. LEDs are now available in "natural" light, matching sunlight on the color spectrum.
Another limitation of LED flashlights in the past was that they did not put out a very strong light. Now, for under $50, LED flashlights can be found that put out 200 lumens of focused light, similar to the output of a 40 to 60 watt incandescent bulb--but focused in one direction. An LED flashlight putting out 200 lumens is very bright and should not be shined in someone's face. Earlier versions of LED flashlights had very focused beams that did not provide much light away from the beams. For most uses, this was undesirable. Many of the newer LED flashlights have designs that place a "halo" of light around the focused light, a better design for most uses.
LED flashlights come in a variety of brightness levels and levels of energy efficiency. Small flashlights can yield as little as 10 lumens of light while the most powerful ones can provide 600 lumens or more. Some LEDs, especially those requiring 3 watts or more of power, can discharge the batteries in less than two hours. Some of the smaller LED's can allow the batteries to last over 100 hours. An LED flashlight providing good light, over 100 lumens, should be able to last six or more hours per charge, assuming three rechargeable AAA Ni-MH batteries or equivalent. | <urn:uuid:6455777d-11aa-48be-b02d-013566e0a980> | 3 | 3.375 | 0.759253 | en | 0.929606 | http://www.elightspot.com/flashspotbulbtypes.aspx |
Anything But Strong Lyrics
Why do you hurt yourself?
You do it very well
You do it so politely
That you couldn't even tell
When everything has changed
You think you're not to blame
How come you keep on talking
When the whole thing feels so strange?
But seeing
Is not the same as believing
When everything goes wrong
You're anything but strong
It's all bittersweet
Outside in the street
The grass is growing greener
Underneath your feet
We come and go
Deep water flows
Tiny leaves from small seeds
To tall trees do grow
But wanting
Is not the same thing as needing
There's no need to pretend
You can't turn back again
And loving
Is so different to keeping
The hurting that we send
Is so difficult to mend
Hold on to the good things
That keep you from falling down
Hold on to the good things
That keep you from falling down
How my heart aches
More than I can take
What are we really learning
When we make the same mistakes?
Where is your hope?
It's all gone up in smoke
You used to be so funny
Now it's just the same old joke
And laughing
Is so very close to crying
When there's nothing to defend
It gets you in the end
And living
Is so very close to dying
You struggle on and on
To find where you belong
Where do you belong?
Correct these lyrics
Watch Eurythmics Anything But Strong video
Songwriter(s): Annie Lennox, David Allan Stewart
Copyright: La Lennoxa Music Co. Ltd., Eligible Music Ltd.
Official lyrics powered by
Watch Video
Rate Anything But Strong by Eurythmics (current rating: N/A)
Meaning to "Anything But Strong" song text no entries yet
capthca required
Characters count
: min. 100 characters | <urn:uuid:83929783-b5d2-400a-b38c-11c03639e7e4> | 2 | 1.78125 | 0.92908 | en | 0.877529 | http://www.elyrics.net/read/e/eurythmics-lyrics/anything-but-strong-lyrics.html |
MCHP systems
What is Micro-CHP?
Micro-CHP (Combined Heat and Power) is a hybrid technology that combines an internal–combustion engine generator or fuel cell with a space and/or water heating device. The unit produces heat and electricity at the same time. This allows the home, multi family unit or small commercial business to self–generate a portion of its electricity. By capturing the waste heat from the electric generation and using it for space heating, less fuel energy is used when compared with traditional technologies. EPA estimates a typical home in a cold climate could reduce CO2 emissions by 20�30% with a Micro-CHP system by offsetting electricity purchases from the grid.
Would a Micro-CHP system be right for me?
Micro-CHP systems are most cost–effective in regions with colder climates and high electricity prices. Although initially more expensive than traditional solutions, micro CHP systems save you money while they operate by offsetting your electricity costs throughout the winter months. Cold areas of the country with longer run hours will get a better return on investment. If your state has net metering laws that allow you to sell electricity that you generate back to the grid, you can earn even more! Be sure to check with your vendor about system costs, maintenance, and estimated savings based on your home or office�s electricity rates and heating needs.
What criteria do recognized models meet?
Recognized micro–CHP systems meet strict criteria for efficiency, noise, emissions, and performance. In addition to submitting laboratory test results, products had to be monitored in the field for a minimum of one year to be eligible for recognition. �View the eligibility criteria PDF (66KB) | <urn:uuid:f07fde5d-f2fb-483c-a2ba-56ef47d829e8> | 3 | 2.71875 | 0.124654 | en | 0.933122 | http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=pt_awards.pt_emerging_technologies_chp |
Navigation Content
University of Wisconsin Madison College of Engineering
You are here:
1. Home >
2. News >
3. News archive >
4. 2012 >
5. Researchers explore a sustainable bio-based chemical economy
Researchers explore a sustainable bio-based chemical economy
Brian Pfleger
Chemical and Biological Engineering Assistant Professor Brian Pfleger
Funded through a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program, the team will develop and evaluate a systems-level biorefinery strategy for using photosynthetic methods to produce chemical compounds. "The real issue is how do we develop a sustainable chemical economy," says Brian Pfleger, a UW-Madison assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering and lead researcher on the grant.
Although the major products of crude oil refineries are fuels such as gasoline and jet fuel, approximately 20 percent of crude oil is refined, in several complicated, energy-intensive steps, into petrochemicals. These chemicals permeate our daily lives in products ranging from candles and perfume and to disposable diapers, toys, tires and plastic packaging, among many others.
As an alternative to crude oil, researchers around the world are studying ways to produce fuels and chemicals from renewable sources, including plant biomass and algae. Current production processes are energy-intensive and generate sugars or oils, which are "intermediate" products. "Then you would take those intermediates and do traditional processing, whether it's biological or chemical," says Pfleger.
Using cyanobacteria, which need only light, carbon dioxide and simple nutrients to thrive, Pfleger's team is aiming for an even more efficient, sustainable outcome.
Cyanobacteria in a Petri dish
Cyanobacteria in a Petri dish.
He and his colleagues will engineer a fast-growing species of cyanobacteria to skip the intermediate processing step and directly produce model chemical compounds such as 3-hydroxypropionate, a precursor to acrylic acid and one of the top-12 chemicals the U.S. Department of Energy has identified as potential building blocks of a sustainable chemical economy.
As part of that process, they will study whether biorefineries can draw on municipal wastewater to provide the cyanobacteria with essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus—and in the process, produce clean water suitable for release into the environment.
The researchers also will create computer models that enable them to explore issues related to scaling lab experiments up to industrial-scale chemical production processes. With these models, they will study the economics of a sustainable chemical industry, considering factors such as cost, supply structure, and whether a different set of core chemicals is feasible. "And that brings back this whole question of biorefineries," says Pfleger. "Can you use a biological system to make not just fuels, but a whole suite of different chemicals?"
The team will incorporate its research into introductory and senior-level undergraduate courses, as well as independent undergraduate research projects. Pfleger and his colleagues also will build on existing outreach partnerships, such as the international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition, to engage learners at all levels in their discoveries.
In addition to Pfleger, UW-Madison researchers on the grant include Christos Maravelias, an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering; Thatcher Root, a professor of chemical and biological engineering; Katherine McMahon, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and bacteriology; and Andrew Greenberg, an associate faculty associate in chemical and biological engineering.
Renee Meiller | <urn:uuid:35193e1b-2856-4419-bfbd-5a752ac7f01c> | 3 | 2.765625 | 0.425563 | en | 0.920155 | http://www.engr.wisc.edu/news/archive/2012/Aug23.html |
From the June 2007 issue of Entrepreneur
What: Clothes hangers made of recycled paper with ads on them
Who: JD Schulman of Hanger Network
Where: New York City
When: Started in 2005
Startup costs: In the six figures
They're everywhere. They're in your house, in your closet, in your clothes and in your children's clothes. What are they? Clothes hangers, of course, and one company has taken this everyday product and turned it into an innovative and eco-friendly marketing device.
In 2003, JD Schulman thought it would be a good idea to sell advertising space on wire hangers. Unfortunately, wire hanger manufacturers didn't agree, citing high production costs. So Schulman tried something else. "I was at home, trying to open a pack of soda cans," he says. "It was my 'aha' moment." At that moment, he decided to make hangers out of material similar to the soda cans' cardboard packaging.
What Schulman came up with was the EcoHanger, a hanger made entirely out of recycled, heavy-duty coated paperboard. The EcoHanger comes in different sizes for male and female clothing and is distributed to approximately 35,000 dry cleaners nationwide. In addition to being environmentally friendly, the EcoHanger doubles as a marketing platform for big-name companies such as Dunkin' Donuts, L'Oréal and Revlon, who can advertise their logos, coupons or even product samples on the hanger. The best part for dry cleaners is that the hangers are paid for by the advertisers and distributed for free.
Using his own funds, Schulman produced a model of the product and approached different packaging firms to see if they could help him build a prototype. The prototype helped him bring in outside investors, and he incorporated his business in 2005.
"It's been fun looking at something so simple that we all have in our homes and turning it into a really interesting product," Schulman says. With 2007 sales projected in the multimillions, it looks like these new hangers will hang around for a while. | <urn:uuid:cbb4e66f-9b9e-4f64-bf1f-408f04a28c31> | 2 | 1.703125 | 0.018114 | en | 0.973786 | http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/178564 |
Humanity has received many warning signs about economic growth and the associated negative impact on the environment. Among the first monitors was Thomas Robert Malthus, who in 1798 published “An Essay on the Principles of Population.” In that essay, he predicted that world population growth would outpace economic growth, which would be constrained by the limited amount of arable land. Consequently, he predicted this imbalance would lead to social misery. Nearly two centuries later, economist Nicolas Georgescu-Roegen in 1971 pointed out that economic processes, as generally assumed, are not cyclical at all, and will in the long run lead to exhaustion of the world’s natural resources. Then in 1972, the Club of Rome published the shocking report, The Limits to Growth, followed by another well known book in 1989 by Jeremy Rifkin, Entropy Into the Greenhouse World. In this article, we will show how the Second Law impacts the economic processes that affect our environment. Although in the last few years, ecological economists have paid increasing attention to the true impact of entropy on economics, the concept remains controversial within the mainstream economic community.
General environmental trends
caption Figure 1. Development of World Population over time. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
Over the last 50 years or so, awareness of the impact of human actions on the environment has increased. For at least 200 years, humanity has created large-scale economic activities in order to meet market demands. The overarching Western economic model is that of continuous growth, predicated on the idea that growth will come automatically from technological “progress.” There are many reasons or justifications for this glorification of growth, which perhaps is an inherent property of the economic process. For instance, some believe that growth is needed to eradicate poverty and maintain full employment. Some governments use economic growth to prevent their repressive political systems from being undermined. Others believe growth is the only way to keep long-term profits up, since in a steady state they tend to decline. Whatever the merits of these beliefs, however, it’s a fact that human economies impact the environment, and entropy is one method to describe that impact. But first, let’s consider a few facts about our economic system.
caption Figure 2. World Gross Domestic Product. (Source: World Trade Organization)
Undoubtedly, one of the most important factors that determines world economic activity is population. Figure 1 shows the growth of world population over time. Global population increased dramatically from 2.3 billion in 1950 to 5.7 billion in 1995. From there, depending on which growth scenario (low, medium, or high) is accepted, world population goes to as high as 11.2 billion people in 2050. With the proliferation of economic growth in developing parts of the world, one would expect that global economic activity also will increase greatly, as illustrated in Figure 2. The world’s economic output increased about threefold from 1970 through 2002, while world population grew approximately 50% in that same period. Such increased economic activity obviously needs natural resources such as energy (mainly from fossil fuels) and materials (for example, wood, iron, and copper). It should be noted here that natural resources can be characterized as renewable and non-renewable. Renewable resources, such as solar, wind, and hydro energy, are renewable in the sense that future generations and we theoretically have continuous access to them, although output at any one time is limited. Non-renewable resources include all fossil fuels and natural materials, such as minerals and the use of metals that are not recycled. The use of natural resources that are not recycled (such as using fossil fuels) are irreplaceable, and what we consume today will simply not be available for future generations.
caption Figure 3. Concentration of CO2 from 1250 onwards. (Source: data from Etheridge et. al., Division of Atmospheric Research, CSIRO, Aspendale, Victoria, Australia)
Apart from the need for natural resources (discussed later in this article), economic processes also bring waste production. One of the most intensely discussed topics in this area is air pollution, notably the impact of greenhouse gases on global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, and the phenomenon of acid rain. Greenhouse gases are relatively transparent to sunlight that strike the uppoer atmosphere, but are generally opaque to the thermal radiation energy that is re-radiated and emitted from the earth’s surface. Thus, greenhouse gases lead to a net energy gain on the earth surface. These gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, CFCl3), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (NO2). From concentration trend graphs, it is undeniable that air pollution is present today – and in fact has been with us for centuries! In Figure 3, we can see how the atmospheric concentration of CO2, produced from the combustion of fossil fuels, has increased over the years. Before 1750 the CO2 concentration hovers around 280 parts per million (ppm) but after 1800, we see a sharp increase, which of course coincides with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and its associated use of wood and coal as fuel.
The increase of CO2 (and of CFCs since about 1960) has been linked to global warming (also called the greenhouse effect), as is again clearly described in the Fourth Action Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Nevertheless, global warming is expected to raise average temperatures between 2 and 40 °C over the next 100 years, with ominous consequences – rising ocean levels, for example.
Meanwhile, CFCs are degrading the ozone layer in the stratosphere at heights between 12 and 70 kilometers (km). The ozone layer, a natural protector of life on earth which acts as a barrier to the extreme level of ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, is created when oxygen in the upper atmosphere (about 150 km high) absorbs energy from sunlight, which then breaks the oxygen molecules (O2) apart into single, reactive atoms. These atoms then recombine with oxygen molecules to form ozone (O3). Ozone absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and so protects plants and animals from an overdose of UV. CFCs are used in refrigerator systems in cars, homes, and industry. These chemicals eventually break apart, releasing chlorine that reacts with ozone to break it up. The result is that since about 1985, an increasing “hole” has developed in the ozone layer. Although measures have been taken to ban CFCs and replace them with less harmful agents as defined in the Montreal Protocol, it must be noted that CFCs can persist in the atmosphere for up to 400 years. Therefore, even a strict ban on CFCs cannot immediately reverse the damage that is now occurring to the ozone layer. Recent reports indicate that some areas of the ozone layer outside of Antarctica have stablized, and thus the benefits of enacting the Montreal Protocol may be beginning to be seen.
A group that has definitely put the environmental issue on the political agenda is the Club of Rome. Aurelio Peccei, an Italian industrialist, and Alexander King, a Scottish scientist, felt that something needed to be done to protect the earth’s environment from industrial destruction. In 1968, they called for an international meeting of 36 European scientists in Rome. In 1972, this group published a report, The Limits to Growth, which described the relationship between economic growth and damage to the environment. This report immediately had a tremendous impact on the public and political discussion of environmental issues (or perhaps it finally started a much-needed broad, environmental discussion in society) . The group developed a dynamic global model in which five major trends were incorporated: increase in industrial activity, escalating growth of world population, depletion of natural resources, extensive malnutrition, and finally, a fading environment. The model’s shocking conclusion was that, if nothing were done, exhausted natural resources would cause a global collapse well before the year 2100. Also, different economic scenarios and their impacts on resources were included in the report. The grim outlook was that even if we could add resources or implement new technologies, the collapse could not be avoided. This happens because the fundamental problem is an exponential growth in a finite and complex system. The group proposed a way out of this situation by going to a stable state where industrial output per capita is frozen at the 1975 level, and global population growth ceases. Today, the Club of Rome continues to exist, has members from 52 different nations, and still issues reports on environmental matters.
A slightly different way to put the ecological challenge in perspective is by introducing the concept of carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is the maximum persistent load that a given environment can support for a certain purpose (for instance, to continue human civilization). Human civilization needs energy, minerals, wood, food, etc. The carrying capacity can be calculated in terms of how much land area is needed to support our civilization. The resulting calculations of Reese and his co-workers yielded remarkable results. For instance, in 1995 there were 1.5 hectares of arable land per capita available if one takes into account the total available productive land on earth. However, the citizens of Vancouver, BC in 1991 for example needed about 4.2 hectares per capita to keep up with their consumption – which means that the city’s 472,000 inhabitants required a total of 1.99 million hectares of land, compared to the urban area of only 11,400 hectares. An even more dramatic example is found in the Netherlands. Because of its large population density, this country needs to draw resources from an area of land that is 15 times larger than the entire country. Looking at the situation globally, for the rest of the world’s population to live at the same level as North Americans do today, humanity would need another habitable planet at least as big as earth in order to support its overall lifestyle.
The considerations above are only meant to set the scene for the discussion in the rest of this article. Many more details about ecology can be found in a vast array of literature, but that exploration is beyond the scope of this article. However, the picture is clear: economic activity does impact our environment. In the following pages, we will discover how the concept of entropy can help us in understanding the interaction between the economic process and the depletion of terrestrial resources, as well as mounting pollution.
The concept of entropy
Before we continue we must introduce some background knowledge about the Second Law of Thermodynamics because as we will see it is this law that plays a decisive role in how to approach our environmental problems.
Entropy (S), a concept from thermodynamics, can be calculated from the amount of heat exchanged (Q) divided by the temperature (T) at which that heat exchange occurred (S = Q/T). Rudolf Clausius introduced this definition around 1865. His motivation was that something was missing as the First Law of Thermodynamics (conservation of energy) could not explain why heat flows always from hot to cold regions and that the opposite was never observed. While he studied the properties of this new concept he came to the conclusion that in an isolated system (a system that cannot exchange energy or material with its environment) the entropy always increases for processes that change the energy distribution within that system. This proved to an important conclusion as we are about to find out.
As mentioned before, in all the processes where we say that we are consuming energy, the only thing we are really doing is that we are transforming or redistributing energy. An example of energy transformation is when we are burning fossil fuels. We transform chemical energy stored in the chemical bonds between the atoms of the fuel into heat. That heat can then be put to a useful purpose, such as to power a car, and in doing that we transform (part of ) the heat into work. The net result of this process is that the fuel is completely gone (except for some ashes or soot) and is transformed into gaseous products (such as CO2 and water), and that we have traveled over a certain distance (that is where we used the work obtained from the heat for) and that the remaining heat that we could not convert into work is diffused into the air. Now, the question arises whether we could come up with a clever idea to get the energy back in its initial condition because then we could use it another time to power our car. If we would have to deal only with the First Law, then in principle this would be achievable since we have not “consumed” the energy, we have only transformed it into other forms (work and heat) and have distributed the energy into a larger volume (it was first contained in a condensed volume of fuel but is at the end all over the place). Unfortunately we know from experience that this idea has not yet materialized. In fact if we would be able to do this we would invent a sort of perpetual engine. So what is going on, why can we not do this?
Here it is that the Second Law or entropy of thermodynamics kicks in. If we would make an entropy calculation of the situation described above we would come to the conclusion that the entropy would have been increased. The Second Law forbids that the entropy can decrease for the universe as a whole. Every time that we transform (“use”) energy it comes automatically with an increase in entropy . The entropy level of a small system may indeed decrease, such as the entropy content of a pot of hot water as it is cooled. However, the total amount of entropy for the universe as a whole has increased as the heat energy went from the pot of water to the surroundings. Of course you could argue that we could catch all the evolved molecules from burning the fuel after we completed our car ride and restore them such that we get back to our original amount of fuel. Indeed that can be done (in principle at least) but in doing so you will need to transform even more energy (and thus produce even more entropy!). So we are trapped in this circle where we only can produce entropy and never be able to restore it.
Although we do not change at all the total amount of energy available to us, the Second Law forbids us from recycling the energy, so to speak. Energy is only useful to us when it is in a form that it is capable of doing work. This ability to do work is termed exergy. Another, more popular, way to put this is to say that the quality of the energy exergy degrades as work is done. Entropy can be used to determine the quality of energy. This we can summarize as:
High quality energy (capacity to do work) has a low entropy value
Low quality energy (no or less capacity to do work) has a high entropy value
To recap this: the Second Law teaches us that transforming energy always proceeds from a higher quality state to a lower quality state; another way of stating this is that the amount of exergy decreases. During the process of energy transformation there is always an inherent production of entropy that can never be reversed. There is a fundamental reason that the entropy only can increase and, in a way, makes our life miserable. It was Ludwig Boltzmann who around 1880 made a connection between entropy and the mechanical properties of molecules and atoms.
Around 1900 there was still a fierce debate going on between scientists whether atoms really existed or not. Boltzmann was convinced that they existed and realized that models that relied on atoms and molecules and their energy distribution and their speed and momentum, could be of great help to understand physical phenomena. Because atoms where supposed to be very small, even in relatively small systems one faces already a tremendous number of atoms. For example: one milliliter of water contains about 3x10²² atoms. Clearly it is impossible to track of each individual atom things like energy and velocity. Boltzmann introduced therefore a mathematical treatment using statistical mechanical methods to describe the properties of a given physical system (for example the relationship between temperature, pressure and volume of one liter of air). Boltzmann's idea behind statistical mechanics was to describe the properties of matter from the mechanical properties of atoms or molecules. In doing so, he was finally able to derive the Second Law of Thermodynamics around 1890 and showed the relationship between the atomic properties and the value of the entropy for a given system. It was Max Planck who based on Boltzmann results formulated of what was later called Boltzmann expression:
S = k ln(W)
Here is S the entropy, k is Boltzmann constant, ln is the natural logarithm and W is the amount of realization possibilities the system has. This last sentence typically encounters some problems when we try to understand this.
The value of W is basically a measure of how likely a system can exist given certain characteristics. Let me give an example. Imagine you have a deck of cards with 4 identical cards. The deck as a total can be described with parameters such as the number of cards, thickness of the deck, weight and so on. With four cards we have 4x3x2x1 = 24 possible configurations that all lead to the same (in terms of the parameters above) deck of cards. Therefore in this case W = 24. The Boltzmann constant, k, equals to 1.4 10-²³ J/K and the entropy S is then kln24 = 4.4 10 -²³ J/K. The more possibilities a given system has to establish itself, and with the many atoms we have in one gram of material, the more likely it will be that we will indeed observe that system and the higher the entropy will be. Now it is easier to understand the observation of Clausius that the entropy increases all the time. This is because a given (isolated) system will tend to become more disordered and thus more likely to occur. Unfortunately the more disorder a given system has the less useful such a system is from a human perspective. Energy is much more useful when it is captured in a liter of fuel than when that same amount of energy, after we burned the fuel, is distributed all over the environment! Clearly the entropy went up because the disorder after burning increased.
How entropy plays a role in the economic process and re-defines concepts such as efficiency and sustainability
Relationship between thermodynamics and economic processes
What is the “economic process?” Many definitions can be found, but here we would like to use the description by Nicolas Georgescu-Roegen in his seminal book, Entropy Law and the Economic Process: The main objective of the economic process is to ensure the long-term existence of the human species. Another way of putting it is to say that the output of the economic process is designed to maintain and increase the enjoyment of life. He defines three important partial economic processes: agriculture, mining, and industrial manufacturing.
caption Figure 4. Life cycle of a glass bottle. (Source: Author)
Sadi Carnot, a young French military engineer, was one of the first scientists to apply science to industrial problems. He wanted to understand the efficiency of the steam engine (i.e., how much coal was needed to deliver an amount of work) and accomplished that by a painstakingly detailed analysis of the cyclic nature of the steam engine. Only after that analysis did it become clear that the efficiency was only dependent on the temperature difference between the steam in the boiler and the vapor in the condenser. This ended an earlier belief that the efficiency of the steam engine was not limited at all. We learned that of the available heat at high temperature, only a portion could be used to perform work, and that the rest of the heat was wasted at the lower temperature of the condenser, and so could not be used anymore to deliver work.
Thus, in applying heat to do work, we don’t actually consume energy (or heat, for that matter). Indeed, the total amount of energy stays exactly the same. It is the qualitative aspect of the energy that changes: it transforms from the available form (i.e., available to perform work) to the unavailable form (cannot be used anymore to perform work). The amount of exergy decreases as useful work is extracted. Now we come to the heart of the matter. In typical economic models, the economic process is pictured as cyclic. This image is triggered (among other reasons) because money, a not unimportant item in an economy, goes basically from one hand to another without ever disappearing. Without further knowledge, one sees some parallels between money and energy . As mentioned, energy stays constant throughout the entire economic process, so why would we be worried? But we know better; we know what the fallacy is. We also know that the entropy of an isolated system increases and that this increase is irreversible. Thus, all this boils down to the Entropy Law, that says that there is only one direction we can go on this planet and that there is no way back: in all our processes we degrade the quality of the energy that is available to us. Therefore, the assumption that the nature of the economic process is cyclic is a serious misjudgement. More about this in the sections that follow.
Example of an economic process and the Entropy Law
In this section we want to analyze in more detail how the connection between the economic process and the Second Law comes about. To do this analysis, we need of course a description of the economic process. Although (as mentioned above) all economic processes can be categorized as agriculture, mining, and manufacturing, we cannot possibly analyze them all because of the immense amount of detail involved. For that reason, we’ll concentrate on a single manufacturing example: the life cycle of glass. Why glass? Well, I’ve always been impressed and intrigued by the art of glassblowing. But there are more practical reasons, too. Glass plays a role in many aspects of everyday life – tableware, windows, glasses, television tubes, and so on. And although glass itself does not contaminate our environment, the glass-making process certainly does, as we will see. Finally, glass is one of the best examples of a material that can be recycled almost forever, but we will see that its recycling behavior is somewhat misleading as well. Most glass production occurs in two forms, glass containers and flat glass. For this analysis, we will consider only glass bottles.
The life of a glass bottle starts with the gathering of the raw material, called silica (a chemical compound of silicon and oxygen, SiO2) that can be found as quartz sand, or in the case of recycling, crushed glass bottles. Quartz sand is in fact already glass, but in the form of very fine grains. The quartz sand is fed into a furnace for melting; sometimes small amounts of other materials are added to change the properties of the glass (for instance, lead oxide to produce lead crystal glass, iron to make brown or green colors, and cobalt salts to produce green or blue tints).
Now let’s go a step further and look at how the steps described in Figure 4 impact entropy in a qualitative sense (that is, the entropy increases or decreases). We’ll do this at the completion of each step, except for the raw materials step, since that is our starting point. Also, we will break down the entropy changes throughout the cycle for the glass components and for the impacted environment at all stages. We’ll call that environment the “World” and we’ll define the World’s boundaries so that outside them, no further impact of our manufacturing process can be detected. In other words, we’ll have an isolated system where we can see not only the entropy changes of the glass-making process, but also the impact of that process on its environment. We will arbitrarily assign an entropy to the raw materials and the World and estimate increases or decreases from that point onward.
caption Figure 5. Entropy changes in the glass life cycle. (Source: Author)
The next step is the melting furnace, which can run as hot as 1700 ºC. The silicate molecules are now in liquid state, and we know from the Boltzmann formula that the entropy will increase, because we now have more microstates available for the silicate molecules. But what will happen with the entropy change in the universe? Well, we will need lots of energy to heat the furnace and keep it at high temperature. For that, we can burn fossil fuels, which will cause another entropy increase by producing large quantities of CO2 and consuming big chunks of energy. In fact, each ton of glass melted in the furnace will use about 4 giga-joules! Thus, we expect that the entropy will increase for the glass as well as for the universe as a whole. In Figure 5, we can see this as an increase in the entropy bars.
Once the glass is melted in the furnace, the next step is to pour gobs of the liquid glass into a mold, where the glass will be shaped by mechanical action or compressed air into its final form as bottles. A well controlled cool down step follows to ensure that all the stress in the bottle is relieved and no cracks occur. As the glass goes from liquid state to bottle form, the entropy will drop because the material is going to a less chaotic state. But with respect to the universe as a whole, we need energy to compress the glass into molds, which will increase the entropy. In addition, cooling down the glass will release heat to the surroundings, leading again to a net entropy increase. The entropy decrease of the bottles is less then the entropy increase in the universe, and so the net result will be, once again, an entropy increase of the entire isolated system.
The next step is to fill the bottles with products such as water, beer, sodas, medicine, and so on. (We do not expect any substantial entropy change from how these products will be used.) Let’s assume next that all the empty bottles will be recycled. Making a bottle out of recycled glass, which does not reduce the quality of the glass, saves about 30% on the energy bill – or enough per bottle to let a 100 watt bulb shine for an hour! Recycling also brings a 20% reduction in air pollution. How about the entropy balance? Well, to do the recycling, people will have to drive to recycling centers to drop off their empty bottles, and trucks will have to transport the bottles to the glass factory. The entropy of the glass will not change that much, but spent fuel from the car and truck trips will increase the entropy of the universe and therefore the entropy of the entire isolated system. Thus the energy and pollutions gains noted above are at least counteracted.
In the glass factory, the bottles now must be crushed. We could argue that the entropy of the glass will increase a bit because the state of the crushed glass is more chaotic than that of the bottles. However, the entropy of the World will increase even more again because we will use electric power to run the crushing machine. To obtain electrical power we must burn more fossil fuel with an entropy increase, as indicated by the higher bar in Figure 5.
At this point we are back to the raw material for bottle production: the crushed glass will be mixed with silicate sand to feed the melt furnace, and the whole process will start again. Thinking only of the glass-making process, it looks like we have a closed cycle, as pictured in Figure 4. But when we examine Figure 5 from an entropy point of view, there is nothing like a closed cycle: the entropy has increased since we started production. We have to conclude that recycling glass bottles is not at all a cyclic process at all.
A plea for a redefinition of efficiency and sustainability
Efficiency and sustainability
The main point Nicolas Georgescu-Roegen made was that economists did not pay sufficient attention to the side effects of economic processes. Often, the situation was pictured such that there were no issues in obtaining world resources and that “better” technology eventually would solve all environmental problems. However, our analysis of the glass making process shows how wrong this worldview is. Yes, from a purely materials and theoretical point of view we can continue with glass recycling indefinitely (at least in theory), but we know now that from an entropy perspective, the process constantly increases the entropy of our world. Of course, the world’s entropy will increase as part of nature; but the point is that unchecked human industry will accelerate it at a much greater rate.
We have now established that the economic process transforms available energy and the world’s resources into a situation of high entropy, and at a much faster rate than natural processes would drive. (The increase in entropy is partly counteracted by a decrease of entropy caused by the solar radiation). This high entropy situation can be described as a continuous formation of waste by the economic process. This quite fundamental and mostly hidden mechanism is not recognized by society or mainstream economists. This deficiency has everything to do with the traditional definition of efficiency. Efficiency typically is seen as how much output a certain process can generate versus the amount of input required in terms of headcount, raw materials, or capital (among other resources). All effort is then focused on increasing output and decreasing input. This is called efficiency improvement but sometimes is also termed economic development. However, if we want to account for world resources, we must simultaneously consider how to decrease the amount of entropy production. Thus in our bottle-making process, that means considering not so much the entropy changes in the glass process itself, but also the entropy increase in the World. Given this approach, it would make sense to define something like an entropy efficiency, or the total amount of entropy produced per bottle. If we would incorporate that kind of efficiency into our general approach to improving processes, we would truly achieve a sustainable economy.
caption Figure 6. Simplified schematic of entropy production in the world. (Source: Author)
Let’s elaborate a little bit more on the issue of entropy production. We have seen that the entropy of an isolated system increases. We have also seen that ultimately the entropy will reach a maximum value and that everything will come to standstill. Of course, we hope that it will take quite some time before we reach that situation. The moment our economy comes to a standstill will be reached long before the entropy of the world assumes that maximum value. We also know that we need to transform energy every day to keep our economy going. But when all available energy has been transformed, there will be no human life (at least not as we know it today) left on earth and the rate of entropy production will slow down. In Figure 6, we have tried to capture the situation in a simplified version but it will do to make our point. What we see is how the entropy in the world develops with time.
Line A is our reference case. That is the rate of entropy production in the world if no human life (or any other “civilized” life form) is present. The entropy will steadily increase per the Second Law of Thermodynamics, and will go on till we reach time tA, where finally all available energy has been transformed into unavailable energy. This will likely take hundreds of millions of years to get there.
In case B, represented by arrow B, there is human life on earth, including the entropy-inefficient economic processes described above. The rate of entropy production is now increased compared to case A, and will go on until we have transformed all fossilized energy and other natural resources on the planet. At that time, represented by tB, virtually no economic (industrial) activity is possible, with serious consequences for human life. It is clear that tB can be much shorter than tA. This shows that we leave much less time for future generations to be able to live on earth regardless of all the recycling we do! We know now that the entropy cannot be recycled. After tB, the entropy production will continue at a rate approximately the same as for case A, since no significant human activity will be present. The only difference is that time tC, where the maximum entropy is achieved, occurs in a much shorter time than in case A.
Despite the fact that the concept of entropy reveals some severe limitations of our current way of life, it is fair to say that the concept of entropy has never caught on in mainstream economics literature. One can find both publications in favor or against the use of entropy in economic analysis. The ideas of Georgescu-Roegen, however, did find a lot of supporters in the ecological-economic literature. Mainstream economists believe that there will be a technological solution for the energy and materials scarcity problem, despite the entropy arguments of the former group. And it is truly difficult to predict the future of technology – as when Western Union declared in 1876, “The telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device has no value.” Indeed, it has been widely proposed to convert the sun’s energy into electrical power by utilizing solar devices based on semiconductors. This is an option to which we should give more thought, since the sun is a nearly inexhaustible source of energy. The energy that is radiated by the sun onto the surface of the US is 50,000 Quads per year. Per year, the US transforms about 100 Quads of available energy into non-available energy. Clearly, on paper we have a tremendous potential, a real bonanza. However, we must make a few caveats here. First, the conversion efficiency of a solar cell is at best 15% (although technology progress could raise that number by a factor of two). So the potential 50,000 Quads are reduced to about 7000 available Quads. Second, we cannot (and don’t want to) use the entire surface of the US for solar cell panels, so let’s say we use only about 1% of the available land area. Now the 7000 available Quads diminish to about 70 accessible Quads. Even so, that figures is still comparable to the yearly US consumption of energy! Thus, solar energy could become a viable renewable power source that would make our society more sustainable.
Transformation of terrestrial resources from available to non-available
An adult human must transform an average of about 8000 kilojoules (kJ) per day to survive physically. However, if we include all the other energy sources used to produce cars, electricity, processed foods, and other products for everyday living, each of us transforms about 800,000 kJ a day! Since everything in nature, even matter, is in essence energy (through the laws of relativity) we should not be surprised that the Second Law of Thermodynamics also rules economic processes. There is no escape: every time we transform energy, the exergy level (the amount available to do work) decreases. The Second Law describes the amount that becomes unavailable.
Thus while the total amount of energy will remain constant, does the same hold true for materials? For instance, let’s consider iron. Iron is a stable element, which means that the total number of iron atoms on earth will not change. Iron is mined from areas rich in iron ores, and then through a proper process is liberated from its bonds with other elements such as oxygen. Then the iron is used in all kind of goods, from screws to automobile bodies to train tracks. After these products have served their purposes, it would seem possible to recycle 100% of the iron — but in fact this is not true at all. For instance, in the case of train tracks, every time a train runs over the tracks or brakes on them, it wears down the rails and throws iron atoms into the air. This is a process comparable to gas diffusion, where gas atoms or molecules always will try to occupy the maximum space available. (This is another instance of entropy increase.) Thus, a certain amount of productized iron cannot easily be recycled, and in fact is lost to the economic process. This loss is very comparable to the transformation of available energy to non-available energy.
Summary of entropy and economy
Even if there were no humans on this planet, there would be continuous entropy production. So from that point of view the ecological system is not perfect, either; even the sun has a limited lifespan. The real problem for us is that, in our relentless effort to speed things up, we increase the entropy production process tremendously. In fact, you can see some similarity between economic systems and organisms: both take in low-entropy resources and produce high-entropy waste. This leaves fewer resources for future generations.
Further Reading
• Etheridge, D.M., L.P. Steele, R.L. Langenfelds, R.J. Francey, J.-M Barnola, V.I. Morgan, 1996. Natural and anthropogenic changes in atmospheric CO2 over the last 1000 years from air in Antarctic ice and firn. Journal of Geophysical Research, 101(D2):4115-4128.
• Etheridge, D.M., L.P. Steele, R.L. Langenfelds, R.J. Francey, J.-M. Barnola and V.I. Morgan, 1998. Historical carbon dioxide records from the Law Dome DE08, DE08-2 and DSS ice cores. In Trends: A Compendium of Data on Global Change. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn, USA.
• Georgescu-Roegen, Nicolas, 1971. The Entropy Law and the Economic Process. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2007. Fourth Action Report of the Working Group III.
• Mirowski, Philip, 1988. Against Mechanism, Protecting Economics from Science. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, MD. ISBN: 0847674363
• Rees, William E., 1996. Revisiting Carrying Capacity: Area-Based Indicators of Sustainability. Population and Environment: A Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 17(3).
• Rifkin, Jeremy, 1989. Entropy: Into the Greenhouse World. Bantam Books, New York. ISBN: 0553347179
• Schmitz , John E.J., 2007. The Second Law of Life. Energy, Technology and the Future of Earth As We Know It. William Andrew Publishing, Norwich, NY. ISBN: 0815515375 More information at [1].
Schmitz, J. (2012). Approaching the world’s environmental problems through the Second Law (Entropy Law) of Thermodynamics. Retrieved from http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150152
To add a comment, please Log In. | <urn:uuid:c7ba7841-5885-4ceb-b926-6db3f189b1d5> | 3 | 3.421875 | 0.197095 | en | 0.947518 | http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150152/ |
Once in a lifetime: the Venus transit 2004
The movement of Venus across the Sun on 8 June 2004
The movement of Venus across the Sun on 8 June 2004
3 June 2004
On 8 June 2004, you will be able to witness an astronomical event no living person has seen, a transit of Venus.
This happens when the planet moves directly between the Earth and the Sun. This will only be the sixth such event since the invention of the telescope - the most recent occurred in 1882.
The next Venus transit will take place in June 2012 but on this occasion it will already be in progress before the Sun rises in Europe. No one living today will see the one after that, as it will not take place until 2117.
Weather permitting, half of the Earth will have a view of the tiny black dot of Venus moving across the disk of the Sun (REMEMBER never to look at the Sun with unprotected eyes or through a telescope).
Venus in ultraviolet light
Past transits of Venus have enabled us to discover a lot about our Solar System and the Universe. In 1716 Edmund Halley proposed that the 1761 transit of Venus should test the concept of measuring distance using 'parallax'.
By observing the apparent shift in position of Venus against the background of the Sun as seen from two different places on Earth, observers could use trigonometry to calculate the distance from Earth to Venus.
Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion allowed the distances of the planets from the Sun to be calculated from measurements of their orbital periods. By knowing the distance to Venus we could calculate the distance from Earth to the Sun. In each successive transit, scientists have made better calculations of this distance.
Once the distance to the Sun was known, the distances to all of the other planets could be easily derived from our knowledge of celestial mechanics (the way things move in space) and from this, the size of the Solar System. ESA's Hipparcos mission has also measured the distance to 120 000 stars using this technique.
A transit of Venus causes a tiny reduction in light from the Sun. Knowing this, by careful observations from space starting with the COROT mission in 2006, scientists will search for Earth-like planets around distant stars by using highly sensitive instruments to observe tiny decreases in measured brightness.
Mysterious Venus
Much of our knowledge of Venus itself has come from just five observations of the transit of the planet. During the 1761 transit, Lomonosov used a telescope to observe that Venus had an atmosphere.
But although Venus is very similar to Earth in size and mass, it has evolved in a radically different manner, with a surface temperature hotter than a kitchen oven and a choking mixture of noxious gases for an atmosphere. Hurricane force winds permanently encircle the planet, and it has a very weak magnetic field.
In the past, both the Russians and Americans have sent spacecraft to Venus. As the closest planet to the Earth, it was a natural target. These studies revealed details about the surface of the planet but Venus has been out of the limelight during the last decade, despite several scientific puzzles remaining.
For example, what are the characteristics of the atmosphere? How does it circulate? How does the composition of the atmosphere change with depth? How does the atmosphere interact with the surface? How does the upper atmosphere interact with the solar wind? Why Venus rotates backwards and so slowly?
Enter Venus Express...
Artist's impression of Venus Express
Artist's impression of Venus Express
ESA is launching a mission next year to find out more about our enigmatic neighbour - Venus Express will be launched in November 2005. From idea in 2001 to launch, the Venus Express mission is one of the fastest ever to be developed.
The spacecraft is being built to the same design as Mars Express, using instruments originally built as flight spares for Mars Express and Rosetta, as well as two newly built instruments.
Venus Express will be the first spacecraft to perform a global investigation of the Venusian atmosphere and of the plasma environment, in an attempt to answer many of these still puzzling questions.
| <urn:uuid:35031243-94cd-4940-be53-6d156d88e2fc> | 4 | 3.625 | 0.450699 | en | 0.93696 | http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Once_in_a_lifetime_the_Venus_transit_2004/(print) |
Public Release: Alzheimer's risk gene disrupts brain function in healthy older women, but not men
Stanford University Medical Center
Both men and women who inherit two copies (one from each parent) of this gene variant, known as ApoE4, are at extremely high risk for Alzheimer's. But the double-barreled ApoE4 combination is uncommon, affecting only about 2 percent of the population, whereas about 15 percent of people carry a single copy of this version of the gene.
The Stanford researchers demonstrated for the first time the existence of a gender distinction among outwardly healthy older people who carry the ApoE4 variant. In this group, women but not men exhibit two telltale characteristics that have been linked to Alzheimer's disease: a signature change in their brain activity, and elevated levels of a protein called tau in their cerebrospinal fluid.
One implication of the study, which will be published June 13 in the Journal of Neuroscience, is that men revealed by genetic tests to carry a single copy of ApoE4 shouldn't be assumed to be at elevated risk for Alzheimer's, a syndrome afflicting about 5 million people in the United States and nearly 30 million worldwide. The new findings also may help explain why more women than men develop this disease, said Michael Greicius, MD, assistant professor of neurology and neurological sciences and medical director of the Stanford Center for Memory Disorders. Most critically, identifying the prominent interaction between ApoE4 and gender opens a host of new experimental avenues that will allow Greicius' team and the field generally to better understand how ApoE4 increases risk for Alzheimer's disease.
For every three women with Alzheimer's disease, only about two men have the neurodegenerative disorder, said Greicius, the study's senior author. (The first author is Jessica Damoiseaux, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Greicius' laboratory. They collaborated with colleagues at the University of California-San Francisco and UCLA.) True, women live longer than men do, on average, and old age is by far the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's, Greicius said. "But the disparity in Alzheimer's risk persists even if you correct for the difference in longevity," he said. "This disparate impact of ApoE4 status on women versus men might account for a big part of the skewed gender ratio."
To demonstrate this, the scientists first obtained functional MRI scans of 131 healthy people, with a median age of 70, to examine connections in the brain's memory network. They used sophisticated brain-imaging analysis to show that in older women carrying the E4 variant, this network of interconnected brain regions, which normally share a synchronized pattern of activity, exhibit a loss of that synchrony -- a pattern typically seen in Alzheimer's patients. In healthy older women (but not men) with at least one E4 allele, activity in a brain area called the precuneus appeared be out of synch with other regions whose firing patterns generally are closely coordinated.
The brain-imaging technique Greicius and his colleagues used is known as functional-connectivity magnetic resonance imaging, or fcMRI. Performed on "resting" subjects, who remain in the scanner awake but not focusing on any particular task, fcMRI can discern on the order of 20 different brain networks, each consisting of a set of dispersed brain regions that are physically connected by nerve tracts and whose pulses of activity are synchronized, or in phase. Greicius, Damoiseaux and their associates have previously shown that the synchronous firing pattern of one network in particular, critical to memory function and known as the "default mode network," is specifically targeted by Alzheimer's and deteriorates as the disease progresses.
To independently confirm their imaging-based observations, the scientists assessed records from a large public database compiled from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, a multi-site study of healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease. The Stanford study focused on the healthy 55- to 90-year-old volunteers who had agreed to undergo a spinal tap and have their cerebrospinal fluid analyzed.
From this database the Greicius team extracted the records of 91 subjects, with an average age of 75, and divided them into four groups representing women with or without a copy of the E4 variant, and men with or without a copy. For each group, they checked recorded concentrations of a protein named tau in these subjects' cerebrospinal fluid. Elevated tau levels in cerebrospinal fluid are a key biomarker of Alzheimer's disease. The results -- the CSF of women, but not men, who carried at least one E4 allele was substantially enriched in tau -- confirmed the brain-imaging findings.
The tau findings constitute another first. "It was only possible to see these differences in tau levels when we separated the patients by gender," Greicius said.
The Hillblom Foundation, the John Douglas French Alzheimer's Disease Foundation, the JNA Foundation and the National Institutes of Health funded the study. William Shirer, manager of the Greicius lab, and several collaborators at UCSF and UCLA co-authored the study.
| <urn:uuid:a1bcb12c-b58f-4f7f-84ca-4c06950c70ef> | 3 | 2.890625 | 0.026492 | en | 0.943397 | http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/sumc-arg060612.php |
Which Holiday Foods Are Crohn's-Friendly?
• Holiday foods are a tempting part of the season, but when you're trying to prevent Crohn's symptoms from spoiling the party, the cornucopia of choices can seem more like a minefield. Nuts and high-fiber, high-fat ingredients, which can be difficult to digest, are often standards. "Holiday foods are filled with extra fats," says Georgiana Gross, MPH, RD, LD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. And if you didn't prepare the dish yourself or if you're new to following a Crohn's diet, fats and other problematic ingredients might not be obvious at first.
What you can eat at holiday gatherings should depend on your personal food triggers and whether you're currently experiencing a Crohn's flare. If you know you're lactose-intolerant, skip dairy-based dishes, and if your Crohn's is in an active phase, steer clear of high-fiber foods and limit your gluten intake by filling up on cooked vegetables and lean protein rather than cookies or breads. The key is to keep your diet simple. Test your skill at choosing holiday foods now!
• Turkey or Ham?
Which of the two common holiday foods is your best protein option?
A) Roasted turkey
B) Holiday ham
• Answer: Turkey
People with Crohn's don't have to worry too much about either of these options, but Gross prefers turkey breast slices. "Turkey is lowest in fat," she says. It also might be lower in salt — important during the busy holiday season when you might not be drinking as much water. And though preparing turkey in a deep fryer has become trendy, avoid it. "No fried food!" Gross advises.
• Potato Pancakes or Kugel?
If you're sitting down for a Hanukkah feast, the better food choice for a Crohn's diet is:
A) Potato pancakes
B) Kugel
• Answer: Potato Pancakes
A small serving of potato pancakes should allow you to indulge without aggravating Crohn's symptoms. Why pass on the kugel? "All kugels are high in lactose and fat," Gross says. And although potato pancakes are traditionally cooked in oil, an easy alternative is to sauté rather than deep-fry them, which uses a lot less oil.
• Potato Side Dish
Your best bet for a side of potatoes is:
A) Plain sweet potato
B) Mashed potatoes
C) Sweet potato casserole
• Answer: Sweet Potato
Of these three holiday foods, a well-cooked sweet potato eaten without the skin is the most nutritious — and tastiest (if slow-roasted to release its sweetness) — for a Crohn's diet. In second place is a serving of plain mashed potatoes (skip the high-fat whip-ins like butter, cream, and cheese.) With sweet potato casserole, you run the risk of surprise ingredients such as cream, lots of butter, and even nuts, which could trigger Crohn's symptoms.
• Cranberries
The flavorful cranberry is a favorite among traditional holiday foods, but which is the better pick for a Crohn's diet?
A) Cranberry sauce made from fresh cranberries
B) Cranberry jelly
• Answer: Cranberry Jelly
People with Crohn's should avoid foods and sauces that contain the skin of cranberries, which can be hard to digest. So a dollop of cranberry jelly (which shouldn't contain any fruit parts other than juice and natural colorings) is fine. Avoid chunky homemade cranberry sauces.
• Vegetable Sides
Vegetables are a great source of nutrients, but you need to be selective. Which of these is the best veggie-based holiday food for a Crohn's diet?
A) Roasted root vegetables
B) Green bean casserole
C) Carrot and celery sticks with dip
• Answer: Roasted Root Vegetables
Harvest vegetables are hearty holiday foods, and are a good choice for a Crohn's diet. Roasted root vegetables are best well-cooked without the skins and without additional fats. Gross suggests staying away from dips, high-fat casseroles, and veggies with indigestible fibers, such as stringy celery, which can bring on Crohn's symptoms.
• Celebration Drinks
Planning to toast to the season at holiday parties? A Crohn's diet best favors:
A) Hot chocolate with peppermint
B) Cider
C) Champagne
D) Eggnog
• Answer: Cider
"Cider is the best option for someone with Crohn's," Gross says. A small, warm cup of cider is just the thing to take the chill off and toast the season, whereas eggnog and hot chocolate both have the potential to trigger Crohn's symptoms, particularly if you're sensitive to fat and dairy products. Champagne isn't an option for everyone, but if alcohol isn't a trigger for you and you don't overdo it, you could raise a glass to the new year if you choose.
• Pie
What's a holiday meal without pie? The best pie pick for a Crohn's diet is:
A) Apple pie
B) Pecan pie
C) Pumpkin pie
D) Lemon meringue pie
• Answer: Lemon Meringue Pie
Pecan pie contains too many nuts for people on a Crohn's diet; it's also very high in calories and fat. An added problem with most pies — even apple and pumpkin — is the crust, Gross says, which is fatty and could trigger gluten sensitivities. A small slice of lemon meringue, without the crust, still gives you two yummy layers — the filling and the egg white topping — which can be very satisfying.
• Last Updated: 12/07/12 | <urn:uuid:f45aeebc-8675-4c3f-921b-e136529da38e> | 2 | 1.898438 | 0.134196 | en | 0.941214 | http://www.everydayhealth.com/crohns-pictures/quiz-crohns-friendly-holiday-foods.aspx |
Skip to main content
See also:
Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek bump into each other on Venice Beach?
Doors fans and even the casual rock fan is familiar with The Doors origin story. Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek, who had known each other at UCLA film school bumped into each other on Venice Beach. Manzarek, who was meditating on the beach, had last Morrison at UCLA in May 1965 and thought Morrison had gone to New York, so he was surprised to see him walking along the beach. The two caught up with each other and Manzarek asked Morrison what he had been doing. Morrison volunteered that he had been writing songs. Manzarek encouraged Morrison to sing one, Morrison sang “Moonlight Drive” and Manzarek thought those were the greatest song lyrics he had ever heard and that they should start a rock band and make a million dollars.
But did it happen exactly that way? Was the meeting on the beach mere chance? I don’t think so, and there is some evidence to indicate this. While still at UCLA Jim Morrison had some pretty clear intentions to try and start a rock band. Under the guise of a joke Morrison floated out the idea of starting a band. He told roommate Dennis Jakob they should start a band called The Doors: Open and Closed. Clearly starting a band was on Jim Morrison’s mind.
Was the meeting on Venice Beach an accident? Jim Morrison knew Ray was in a band. He and other film school friends had gone to see Manzarek’s band Rick and The Ravens at The Turkey Joint West. Jim had even “performed” with the band on a couple of occasions, once an impromptu, drunken rendition of “Louie, Louie” with other college friends. The second, an occasion in which the guitar player for Rick and the Ravens didn’t show up and Ray needed a guitar player to fulfill the contract with the bar, so he got Morrison to be onstage and feign playing an unplugged guitar. Morrison later said “it was the easiest money he ever made.” Lastly, Morrison knew where Manzarek was living on Venice Beach. He had appeared in a party scene in Ray’s student film “Induction” which was filmed at Ray’s beach house so Morrison knew not only where Ray lived, but the general area of the beach where Ray might hang out. How many days, how many times had Jim Morrison walked passed that part of the beach hoping Ray would be out there?
Note: This article is an updated version that was published in “The Doors Examined”.
| <urn:uuid:ab9857c3-ef57-4642-a1a7-89149f05662e> | 2 | 1.601563 | 0.01939 | en | 0.978201 | http://www.examiner.com/article/jim-morrison-and-ray-manzarek-bump-into-each-other-on-venice-beach?cid=rss |
Do you have adblock enabled?
(Independent Science News) Undiscovered viral gene accidentally encoded in GM crops may have serious health impacts on humans, including RNA malformations that could turn us all in to purple-skinned tentacle-sporting, winged lizard people ( divider line 16
More: Scary, RNA, GM crops, European Food Safety Authority, gmos, impacts, mRNA, base pairs, gene accidentally
• • •
7567 clicks; posted to Main » on 23 Jan 2013 at 4:32 AM (2 years ago) | Favorite | share: Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook more»
Voting Results (Funniest)
View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest
Archived thread
2013-01-23 06:42:42 AM
6 votes:
2013-01-23 05:21:12 AM
3 votes:
I've been vaccinated with autism, so I'm immune.
2013-01-23 07:02:15 AM
2 votes:
2013-01-23 04:57:13 AM
2 votes:
2013-01-23 11:23:51 AM
1 votes:
Macs don't get viruses.
2013-01-23 09:47:39 AM
1 votes:
i guarantee you noone reading this article knows what 35S is, what a gene fragment is, the difference between a gene and a gene product is, what leaky expression is, or that mostly all genomes in all higher species are pretty much nothing but viruses already. 35S has been used in the lab for over 30 years, scientists have probably noticed how to include it without having extra gene bits expressing themselves (in a variety of genetic backgrounds). my only wish and hope is that Monsanto's HR will enact a little 35S-near-total-constitutive-promotion behind reading my resume and hiring me.
2013-01-23 09:22:49 AM
1 votes:
are the evil scientists who made the devil corn lighter than a duck or not? I know they played god with nature, and that's already terribad. I just need to know if they are lighter than a duck.
I could not tell from the article.
2013-01-23 08:42:10 AM
1 votes:
vinniethepoo: Hah, "Independent" Science News as in not peer-reviewed or even fact-checked (I'll bet.)
Basic background check: Neither author's name appears in a Scifinder or Google Scholar search.
Publication legitimacy check: Also, looking at the other articles on the site, yeah, this is a conspiracy theory site that focuses on making shiat up whole-cloth or scaremongering about GM food, nothing of actual substance, there.
Actual science check: the article seems confused as to the basic high-school biology level of how viruses work. Encoding viral DNA into other organisms is how viruses reproduce, they do it without any interference from human biologists, it's not terribly dangerous, and a substantial portion of your own genetic code consists of old viral DNA.
What they're talking about, if it's even true, is only of interest in establishing the pedigree of the crop in question, and has nothing to do with whether the crop is healthy/nutritious or not. Without the delivery system, i.e. the actual virus, DNA fragments don't have any way to get into your cells even if they _did_ survive the digestive tract.
2013-01-23 08:34:46 AM
1 votes:
NickelP: Is this basically the equivalent of saying if a chick blows someone with cancer she can get it too or am i missing something?
That's about it. It's fearmongering bullshiat, as you might expect from the anti GMO nuts.
Also, subby should have gone with one eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater.
2013-01-23 07:49:23 AM
1 votes:
Kaydub: Genetically antagonistic corn. Really?
2013-01-23 07:08:18 AM
1 votes:
knowless: so yall do realise that "viral genes" are like diseases that transmit interpersonally and irrevocably alter your genetic makep right? like, the worst kind of potentially nonlethal disease possible?
it's not like it will contaminate the entire world food supply right? oh wait, .. whatevr.
fark all of you.
No, no they don't. Thats really not easy to do at all. Do they insert their genome into yours? Yes, where they infect some of them do. But its not so simple as "well, this material is in corn, so obviously it can infect you JUST LIKE A VIRUS." Viruses aren't composed of single genes and it takes a several mechanisms to facilitate infection, insertion, replication, etc. You can't just ingest (or even inject...) pieces of random genes and expect them to be successfully inserted.
Plus, it doesn't "irrevocably alter your genetic code forever." To get permanent genetic changes you have to have a germ-line level infection. The cells of your body are constantly in a cycle of birth, use, wearing out, and death. Depending on the tissue, cell-type, cell-damage from various factors, how fast or slow this occurs changes. To get permanent change you have to infect these "growing areas." Considering this is just a piece of a single gene, without the rest of the infection machinery, thats incredibly unlikely. Its even more unlikely when you take into account the human digestive tract has evolved to resist foreign interlopers. Its one of the few internal places in the body regularly exposed to the outside world and is not exactly a cuddly happy environment for non-hardy organisms, let alone bits of random genetic material.
/basic explanation for basic misunderstanding.
//was my biggest pet peeve with Bourne Legacy.
2013-01-23 05:09:56 AM
1 votes:
LowbrowDeluxe: Every article on that website seems to be pants-wettingly afraid of SOMETHING. GMOs. Fracking. I saw something about the evil scientific community conspiracy 'excommunicating a heretic'. Pesticides killing our children, news after the jump. It just kept going on and on.
Just because every other article is fearmongering bullshiat doesn't mean this one shouldn't be paid attention to with the utmost diligence.
2013-01-23 03:07:12 AM
1 votes:
Is There a Direct Human Toxicity Issue?
2013-01-23 12:04:21 AM
1 votes:
As long as they don't repro---
Too late.
2013-01-22 09:59:16 PM
1 votes:
Kaydub: Genetically antagonistic corn. Really?
You mean making our crops poisonous was a bad idea?
2013-01-22 09:27:47 PM
1 votes:
some_beer_drinker: or, give some of us super powers. i want to be invisible, or be able to fly. eat up, everyone. there is only one way to be sure.
Oops, sorry you get cancer...
Displayed 16 of 16 comments
View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest
This thread is archived, and closed to new comments.
Continue Farking
Submit a Link »
On Twitter
In Other Media
1. Links are submitted by members of the Fark community.
4. Click here to submit a link. | <urn:uuid:23b24811-e80c-4282-818f-585ccd60aaa9> | 2 | 2.265625 | 0.088157 | en | 0.921043 | http://www.fark.com/comments/7550675?tt=voteresults1&startid=82066301 |
From the 1930s through the 1950s, Reinhold Niebuhr achieved a singular stature among twentieth“century American theologians. The son of a German immigrant pastor, Niebuhr (1892“1971) was not a popular evangelist but rather a philosopher of public life, bringing the insights of biblical truth to bear on the great issues of politics and social ethics. He spoke to and within the Church, but also to a broader educated public. Yet at the beginning of the twenty“first century, Niebuhr seems, at least to his disciples, a classic instance of the prophet who is without honor in his own country. This is not altogether surprising, for despite his stress on the possibilities for improving the temporal world, and, beyond that, his ultimate affirmation of hope and redemption, Niebuhr expressed a profoundly tragic sense of history that runs against the grain of American optimism.
An outspoken progressive and reformer from the start, Niebuhr was nonetheless always unhappy with the sentimentality and pacifism that pervaded the social program of liberal Christianity”especially mainline Protestantism”which (to oversimplify somewhat) sought to correct political injustices mainly through appeals to reason and conscience. In Moral Man and Immoral Society , Niebuhr broke decisively with this “social gospel” outlook, insisting that power is the principal ingredient in arbitrating the competing claims of nations, races, and social classes. According to Niebuhr, conflict and tension are permanent features of history. While social improvement is possible, the justice of this world is born in strife and is always provisional, fragmentary, and insecure.
Niebuhr’s pessimistic account was based not merely on observation of the world as it is, but also on a theology which emphasized that sin is endemic to the human condition in history. Man, as a creature whose existence paradoxically combines spirit and matter, can sense his own “finitude and fragility” in the universe; annihilation and meaninglessness threaten all of his hopes, achievements, and affections. Thus man is tempted to prideful assertions of his will that provide an illusion of control and meaning. While he can ease his anxiety and pretension through faith in God rather than self, that faith is always imperfect (imperfect faith being, for Niebuhr, the essence of “original sin”). Reason can sharpen ethical sensitivity and practice, but, ironically, it can also sharpen the capacity to rationalize selfishness and the will to power”and, doubly ironic, sometimes both at the same time.
The tendency to rationalize, Niebuhr argued, is especially pronounced in man’s “collective life.” While individuals in their personal dealings often transcend self“interest (hence “moral man”), nations dealing with other nations, or social classes with other social classes, have little or no capacity for self“transcendence (“immoral society”). Nations and classes have limited understanding of the people they harm by their unjust self“assertion; they lack appreciation for the often complicated laws and institutions through which such injustice is perpetuated; and they are more inclined to embrace rationalizations of self“interest than prophetic denunciations. These facts, for Niebuhr, explain why dominant groups rarely yield their privileges except when put under pressure by some countervailing social force.
Niebuhr’s “Christian realism” was not, however, a Darwinian or Machiavellian ethic of pure struggle and the will to power. Niebuhr stressed the relevance of agape , or Christian love, not as a directly practicable political principle, but as the ideal toward which justice strives and the standard of judgment on all political achievements in history. Moral, rational, and religious appeals might be subordinate factors in the struggle for justice, but Niebuhr still counted them as real: if rational and ethical considerations alone don’t make oppressors yield just concessions to the oppressed, they often do enable them to internalize rather than contest reforms once they are established.
Political power is necessary in politics, Niebuhr insisted, but it should be exercised by men and women who possess prudence, self“knowledge, forgiveness, and charity. Equipped with these faculties and theological virtues, they will be better able to fight for justice in a way that makes reconciliation possible. (Lincoln and Churchill were Niebuhr’s models in this respect.) There is already in Moral Man and Immoral Society a hint of the appreciation Niebuhr later developed for the American constitutional system, with its checks and balances and its genius for recognizing”and thereby channeling and containing”society’s inevitable conflicts.
For all that, the realism of Moral Man retains a tragic sense: the fear that struggles for justice can end up being destructive for all parties, that oppressed and oppressor can merely reverse roles, that even a relatively just peace can often sacrifice important values. Moreover, Niebuhr’s realism made it painfully clear that people of genuine good will, whether religious or not, sometimes have to employ distinctly unloving means in the service of love and justice. Most of all, Niebuhr in this book begins to recognize that our fondest hopes and ideals for society must inevitably be frustrated. To seek their enactment in history (or as others would say, to “immanentize the eschaton”) is to fall into utopianism and, ultimately, fanaticism.
What finally prevents Niebuhrian realism from becoming a dark or even cynical vision is the promise of God’s kingdom”and His forgiveness. In history, men and women can only do what is possible within the specific and concrete circumstances of their time. For people to live with this terrible limitation on their moral impulses, Niebuhr thinks, they must believe that at the end of history God will complete, and thus give meaning to, their partial and ambiguous achievements. Perhaps even more important, they must rely on God’s forgiveness to bear the evil and guilt that political action inevitably entails. As in Aeschylus’ tragic drama, the lesser evil may still be so bad that the guilt it brings can be lifted only through divine intervention.
In a sentimental and superficially optimistic culture, such gravitas often seems alien. It is perhaps ironic that Niebuhr’s most famous words, taken from a sermon given shortly after Moral Man was written, were intended as a guide for politics and history more than personal spiritual renewal”yet they have become a kind of national motto for individuals at their extremes: “God, grant us grace to accept with serenity that which cannot be changed, courage to change that which can be changed, and wisdom to know the difference.”
Matthew Berke is managing editor of First Things .
Articles by Matthew Berke | <urn:uuid:b9ef06a5-e688-43fa-9a63-0b5cc54286fa> | 2 | 2.34375 | 0.039032 | en | 0.953267 | http://www.firstthings.com/article/2000/03/reinhold-niebuhrmoral-man-and-immoral-society |
Delegating on the Job
Although situations vary with each job, there's almost always something crying out to be delegated to someone else. School teachers sometimes give extra credit to students who volunteer to help clean up the classroom or do other chores. This is a wonderful way to delegate and get home more quickly.
But certain work situations don't easily lend themselves to delegation. For example, take the case of the secretary who regularly washes the office dishes and buys the half-and-half — without compensation. Depending on the corporate culture, she may be able to negotiate a little extra time off and/or pay for herself if she can't get out of doing these things. How? By keeping a running log of exactly how much time she spends performing ancillary duties! If the time is substantial, any employer might decide it's better for the company's bottom line to provide paper cups, utensils and creamer. Or a supervisor may post a sign to remind everyone: "Your mother doesn't work here. If you use it, wash it, dry it and put it away! — The Management" (Yes, I've actually seen this note posted in an office kitchen.)
A more subtle but equally effective idea is for the company to order a personalized coffee mug for each person in the office and ask everyone to keep his or her mug clean. Thereafter, it'll be obvious who left his or her mug in the sink.
Finding Solutions
In a career situation where the workload is unbearable, it's necessary to find out exactly what is eating up so much on-the-clock time. Once you determine this, you can look for a solution or alternative to resolve it to the benefit of the company and/or your supervisor.
As soon as you approach your supervisor, it's imperative that you answer the WIIFM question. This is the question running through your supervisor's mind the entire time you're speaking. For your own sake, make sure how the company will benefit is the first thing out of your mouth. When you start a request for change by answering the WIIFM question, you are much more likely to get what you want. People make changes because there's something in it for them.
My son mastered this concept by the time he was five years old. Whenever he wants something, he will approach people with the benefits they will receive. Here's a sample conversation from his younger days:
"Mommy, if you let me have a piece of candy, I promise I'll eat all my dinner. One piece of candy for me right now will give you a nice, happy dinner."
"I don't know, sweetheart. You've got to practice writing your name, and I'm concerned the sugar will make it hard for you to sit still and concentrate."
"No it won't, Mom. I'll be so happy you gave me my candy that I'll go straight to the table and do my work. You won't have a hard time about homework — if you let me eat my candy."
Under the cross-examination from the master litigator, I begin to waffle. After all, a willingness to do homework and a happy dinner are hard to resist.
"Are you sure you won't spoil your appetite and you'll do your homework — with no hard time?"
"Positive, Mommy," he says, already sensing victory.
"Okay, Daniel. One piece. Please don't make me regret this."
"I won't, Mom. You're the best mother in the whole world!" he says emphatically, smoothing over my lingering doubts with lavish praise.
Notice how he never once talked about how badly he wanted or needed the candy? Could I see he was really motivated by his own benefit? Of course I could. Was I motivated to comply with his request anyway? You'd better believe it!
If you think your current workload should be split between two people, or you want to change your hours, condense your workweek or even work from home, think long and hard about what's in it for everyone else if your request is granted. Write it down. Refine it. Show it to your mentors. Then request a meeting with your supervisor to present an idea you've been working on to increase productivity.
I can't emphasize this enough: Don't go to your supervisor unless your solution has a strong benefit for the company, preferably with direct benefits to the person deciding whether or not to grant your request! Presenting a problem with no workable solution in the company's best interest is called a complaint, and managers/supervisors often don't respond well to complaints (or complainers). A complaint from a person reputed to be a complainer will seldom change anything. Bottom line: You won't get what you want by complaining.
1. {{ footnote.fullText }}
Next in this Series: Superwoman Doesn't Exist | <urn:uuid:77d24e8d-ccdf-44c2-a11d-1dd09c245fa3> | 2 | 1.640625 | 0.209334 | en | 0.967332 | http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/parenting-roles/working-moms-need-to-delegate/delegating-on-the-job?p=1 |
You are in: Home / Kitchen Dictionary Entry
Lost? Site Map
Kitchen Dictionary: chocolate
Chocolate is made by roasting and grinding cocoa beans. Unadulterated chocolate is called unsweetened chocolate, baking chocolate or bitter chocolate. Bittersweet, semisweet or sweet chocolate has been enhanced with different amounts of sugar, vanilla, or lecithin. Milk chocolate has added dry milk. White chocolate is not chocolate at all; it contains only cocoa butter from the cocoa bean with sugar and vanilla.
Season: available year-round
How to select: You can buy chocolate in chips, chunks and bars and in many flavors.
How to store: Tightly wrapped n a cool dark place, baking chocolate can last up to 10 years. In warmer temperatures the outside will turn grey as the cocoa butter rises to the surface. Milk chocolate and white chocolate will only last 9 months, due to the milk solids.
How to prepare: Melt slowly over a double-boiler or low heat or it will scorch. Remove from heat before completely melted and stir til smooth. You can melt chocolate WITH liquid, but adding moisture to melted chocolate will cause it to "sieze" into clumps and crack. Correct this problem by adding 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil for every 6 oz. of chocolate and remelt.
Matches well with: almonds, bananas, caramel, cherries, cinnamon, citrus, coffee, coconut, cream, ginger, lemon, liqueurs, maple, mint, mocha, nuts, orange, pecans, pistachios, raspberries, rum, vanilla, violets, walnuts
Substitutions: Unsweetened, baking and bitter chocolate can be used interchangeably. Bittersweet, semisweet or sweet chocolate can often be used interchangeably, just check the percentage of sugar or pure chocolate and adjust sugar as necessary. Milk chocolate cannot be substituted for the others because it contains milk.
More Chocolate Recipes
Popular Chocolate Recipes
No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Kittencal's Chocolate Frosting/Icing
Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie
Nutrition Facts
Calculated for 1 square
Amount Per Serving %DV
Calories 145
Calories from Fat 136 (93%)
Total Fat 15.2g 23%
Saturated Fat 9.4g 46%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 6mg 0%
Potassium 240mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 8.7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 4.8g 19%
Sugars 4.8g
Protein 3.7g 7%
How is this calculated? | <urn:uuid:9f16bd67-eac4-46f7-9c3a-4158e4872339> | 3 | 2.765625 | 0.029095 | en | 0.848205 | http://www.food.com/about/chocolate-224 |
Shake a Leg With Beautiful Liar by Beyonce
Shake a Leg With Beautiful Liar by Beyonce
‘Let’s not kill the Karma, Let’s not start a fight, It’s not worth the drama, for a beautiful liar,’ are words that not only lay the foundation for American singer Beyonce Knowles hit song with Colombian performer Shakira but they convey a deep meaning that goes beyond the album and the song. The words speak of female empowerment and stands for everything that symbolizes a female who has achieved her empowerment and knows what it means to be in control. Gone are the days when a woman would be completely shattered by the betrayal of her lover and life would come to a standstill. In the song Beautiful liar by Beyonce the change that has come over women across the globe becomes very evident. It reflects the emergence of the new age woman who refuses to be taken for granted by even the people she loves. She has the mentality and capacity to move ahead with life in spite of the challenges that life places in front of her.
Beautiful Liar by Beyonce brings together the two most popular commercial female artistes in the globe and has the distinction of the largest upward movement in the Billboard hot 100, moving up to the 3rd position from the 94th position, which is a remarkable feat in itself. Beautiful Liar by Beyonce is topping the popularity charts in different countries and has stormed the markets in versions like English, Spanish and even Spanglish which a combination of the two. The R&B/Latin pop song is gaining popularity with each passing day not just due to the dynamic duo Beyonce Knowles and Shakira but also due to the strong attitude that is evident in the song. It is also the first single song released from Beyonce’s second studio album B’Day, which makes it the fourth song released from B’Day.
Beautiful Liar by Beyonce that also features Shakira depicts the two women as being attracted to the same man. However instead of fighting over the guy the two women decide not to waste their time and create a drama that would be the expected outcome, and that is where the attitude has managed to attract and capture the attention of all Beyonce and Shakira fans. The original Spanglish version had featured Beyonce singing alone. Beautiful Liar by Beyonce is also one of the few songs to debut at the number one position on both the Hot Digital Tracks and Hot Digital Songs charts. The song has also done well according to International charts and has become yet another hit for both Beyonce and Shakira throughout Latin America and Europe. Beautiful Liar is also Beyonce’s biggest hit and number one in Latin America.
Beautiful Liar by Beyonce is the second most successful release of B’Day and has been certified Platinum that gives testimony to the tremendous popularity of not only this song in particular but of the artistes Beyonce Knowles at an International level. So for all you music lovers out there, Beyonce and Shakira have yet again managed to rock your world with their superb performance.
Tom Janison is a music fanatic. He loves downloading music of all his favorite artists. is one of his favorites sites for Beautiful Liar by Beyonce,Love Songs,free MP3 downloads and online music.
More Beyonce Articles | <urn:uuid:c631ccbd-9a0c-43a9-93ed-2eaa199adae7> | 2 | 1.59375 | 0.023526 | en | 0.963147 | http://www.freewebnews.com/2010/05/23/shake-a-leg-with-beautiful-liar-by-beyonce/ |
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
02/05/2015 > 4 patent applications in 4 patent subcategories.
20150034531 - Separating radioactive contaminated materials from cleared materials resulting from decommissioning a power plant: A cobalt coincidence radioactivity detector is used to separate radioactive concrete dust from uncontaminated dust resulting from dismantling a nuclear power plant. A suction air stream carries the dust through a vacuum line to a cyclone segregator. The dust falls into a smaller first container from the segregator, and the... Agent:
20150034532 - Zig-zag classifier and method for classifying for separating material to be separated: A zig-zag classifier for separating material to be separated, for example, plastic flakes, including two zig-zag-shaped plates which are arranged oppositely vertical to each other such that a channel is formed between them, where a central vertically disposed zig-zag-shaped separation plate between the two zig-zag-shaped plates is arranged such that... Agent:
20150034533 - Material separator: A system and method for separating mixed materials employing an angled screen that is moved through a vertically oriented circular path by a single drive element.... Agent:
20150034534 - Restricted access waste sorting system: A system for disposing of medical waste is generally configured to sort waste items into a plurality of containers according to applicable rules and regulations governing the handling and/or disposal of such items. In some embodiments, a system comprises sorting stations each of which houses a number of disposable containers.... Agent:
01/29/2015 > 4 patent applications in 4 patent subcategories.
20150027932 - Mobile screening apparatus: A mobile screening apparatus includes a support chassis. The support chassis is configured for carrying at least one screening assembly having a top screen deck and at least one further screen deck below the top screen deck. At least at least one primary feed mechanism is configured for arrangement in... Agent: Aaa Screens Pty Ltd
20150027933 - System for performing a magnetic separation procedure: A system for separating an analyte from other components of a sample contained in a receptacle, where the system includes a receptacle holding station and a magnetic separation station. The receptacle holding station is configured to receive and hold a receptacle and includes one or more magnets positioned to apply... Agent: Gen-probe Incorporated
20150027934 - Sorting system for damaged product: A sorting system having a plurality of sorting assemblies where each sorting assembly has an image device that transmits an image of product to a controller that then actuates a robotic sorting device to remove damaged product through a suction tube based upon the transmitted image.... Agent:
20150027935 - Sorting apparatus: A sorting apparatus comprising a frame, a sorting surface assembly, a roller control assembly, a first movable cam surface adjustment assembly and a drive assembly. The sorting apparatus is configured, through adjustment of the sorting surface by the roller control assembly, to separate small particles and articles, such as fruit... Agent: Lakewood Process Machinery
01/22/2015 > 7 patent applications in 7 patent subcategories.
20150021236 - Mineral ore flotation using carboxymethyl cellulose with different characteristics in different flotation cells: A flotation method for mineral processing is disclosed. The method for floating includes a first step of using a first carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in a first flotation cell, and a subsequent step includes using a second CMC in a subsequent flotation cell, the first and second CMCs having different characteristics.... Agent: Cp Kelco Oy
20150021237 - Underwater mineral sorting methods and systems: Provided are systems and methods for sorting crushed material by gravitationally separating components of the crushed material according to component densities in a liquid column having a bottom layer of a heavy water-immiscible liquid, an intermediate layer of an aqueous salt solution and a top layer of a light water-immiscible... Agent: S.g.b.d. Technologies Ltd.
20150021238 - Method and apparatus for sorting fibers: An apparatus and methods for sorting and determining the length distribution of fibers in a sample are disclosed. One method of sorting and determining the length distribution of fibers includes immersing the fibers in a liquid to form a mixture; placing the mixture into a stack of sieves; progressively applying... Agent:
20150021239 - Screen surface forming system: A screen system having a plurality of screen elements that can be readily removed and replaced to vary one or more characteristics of the screen surface formed by the screen system. The screen system includes a support system for supporting at least one screen element to prevent deformation of the... Agent:
20150021240 - Woven wire screening and a method of forming the same: A woven wire screening for use in classifying material flowing therethrough and a method of forming the same. The woven wire screening includes a plurality of warp wires and a plurality of weft wires. The plurality of warp wires and the plurality of weft wires are interwoven to form an... Agent: Lumsden Corporation
20150021241 - Screen frame: A screen support frame comprising, a perimeter disposed in a horizontal plane, defining a vertical direction normal to said plane, said perimeter reinforced by an arrangement of reinforcing wires, said arrangement comprising a first array of substantially parallel structural wires extending between opposing regions of the perimeter in a first... Agent:
20150021242 - Card handling devices and methods of using such devices: A card-handling device reads a suit and value of individual cards that are moved through the card-handling device. Reading of the cards is effected after the cards have been received into a card holding area and before the cards have been delivered into a card collection area from which cards... Agent:
01/15/2015 > 4 patent applications in 4 patent subcategories.
20150014224 - High gradient, oil-cooled iron removal device with inner circulation: A high-gradient internal-circulating oil-cooled Magnetic Separator, includes magnetic system coils, an internal-circulating oil path system, an external-cooling system and an oil conservator. The magnetic system coils are used for generating excitation magnetic field to achieve the iron-absorption function, the magnetic paths of the magnetic system coils being an open magnetic... Agent:
20150014225 - Method for recovering chromite, and method for wet smelting of nickel oxide ore: A method for recovering chromite from ore slurry obtained by processing nickel oxide ore, the raw material, in a plant for the wet smelting of nickel oxide ore. In the method chromite is separated and recovered from an ore slurry obtained from a nickel oxide ore when nickel and cobalt... Agent: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
20150014226 - Apparatus for cleaning field crops: A cleaning apparatus is provided for cleaning crops, such as potatoes or beets, with adhering particles of soil and the like. The apparatus comprises a charging and or supply hopper with an opening at its underside from which the crops enter for cleaning; a housing with a cleaning region, wherein... Agent:
20150014227 - Sifter apparatus: A sifter attachment for a stand mixer that sifts directly into a mixer bowl. Sifting can be done simultaneously while mixing wet mix. The sifting attaches to and is driven by an auxiliary hub of the mixer. The hopper body is in close physical proximity with the mixer's mixing chamber,... Agent:
Previous industry: Mineral oils: processes and products
Next industry: Liquid purification or separation
RSS FEED for 20150205: xml
For more info, read this article.
Results in 0.29422 seconds | <urn:uuid:b66c3e90-d887-4515-8cf2-af877826a1fa> | 2 | 1.835938 | 0.019338 | en | 0.854684 | http://www.freshpatents.com/Classifying-separating-and-assorting-solids-dtnewntc209.php |
The Local Knowlege
Health & Fitness
A great piece of equipment for stability training
Perhaps the single-best thing you can do to improve your golf swing in the gym is improve your body's stability. Most trainers will tell you that stability is crucial to having the mobility to make a proper backswing, creating power, delivering the club on-plane and hitting the ball on the center of the face. You've probably heard the old adage that you can't fire a cannon from a canoe. In golf, any good shots that stem from an unstable, off-balance swing are almost always a happy accident.
activmotion-bar.jpgThere are many exercises you can do to improve your body's stability when you play. Strengthening the core muscles is a must. But also improving joint stability in places such as the shoulders and knees will do wonders in allowing you to swing harder, yet with full control of your body and club. Things like one-armed dumbbell bench presses, and one-legged Romanian deadlifts give you some idea of how to improve stability by working muscles starting in an unstable environment.
All the various plank exercises for your abdomen also will help improve stability when you swing.
But one product that takes the concept of stability training in a whole new direction and might be worth adding to your gym equipment is the ActivMotion Bar ( It looks like any other weighted bar, but inside its cylinder are mobile weights. As you move while holding one, the weights inside shift from one side of the bar to the other because of gravity, and that forces you to re-stabilize the body in order to maintain balance and perform the exercise functionally. This constant flux between being stable and unstable is the secret to ActivMotion's benefit for golfers. It mimics the relationship between your body and your club as you make a golf swing. Unless you preserve stability when you swing, you'll either lose your balance, or make an off-center hit—or both.
Although the company offers bars of various weights and sizes, the one that they say is best for golfers is the 4.5-pound model that fits into a golf bag ($120). If you want to see their products in action, click on the video below:
Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.
... Read
Health & Fitness
Fitness Friday: Two great exercises for your downswing
Synchronicity in the downswing—the kinematic sequence—is extremely important if you want to hit great golf shots. Most golfers know that the lower body should lead the action in the downswing—especially important is getting the hips moving before the torso starts to unwind. Get this order correct and your chances of hitting a powerful and straight golf shot improve dramatically.
Unfortunately, knowing this is one thing, but doing it is another. Whether it's a lack of coordination, ineffective muscle function, or simply an unfamiliarity with what a proper downswing feels like, many amateurs fail to get the hips rotating in the correct sequence and independent of the torso rotation.
You can train in the gym to correct this problem, which is especially good news in the winter months when it's too cold to work on it at the golf course. Click on the video below to see me demonstrate two great lower-body rotation exercises.
Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.
... Read
Health & Fitness
Fitness Friday: Is your backswing holding you back?
Most golf instructors focus on improving a player's backswing because a lot of flaws in the downswing occur as a result of starting from a bad position at the top, says Golf Digest teaching professional David Leadbetter (@davidleadbetter). "It's an attempt to recover from a poor backswing."
"Those muscles extend in a diagonal pattern from the left hip to the right shoulder during the backswing and in the opposite diagonal pattern during the follow-through," Shear says. "The problem is, a lot of golfers can't coil or maintain swing width because their muscles aren't used to working in those movement patterns. The majority of the time, their torsos are hunched over from sitting with poor posture, and this makes it really difficult to take the club
back properly."
If this sounds like you, Shear suggests trying this exercise demonstrated by LPGA Tour player Ryann O'Toole in the March issue of Golf Digest. It's called a reverse chop, and it trains the rotator and extensor muscles of the trunk to rotate and extend during the backswing and through-swing. This exercise should be done in both directions to maintain muscular balance and improve neuromuscular patterning.
1. Anchor an elastic tube and stand parallel to it. Grab the handle with your right hand so your palm is facing away from you. Then put your left hand on top of the right.
2. With your trunk turned toward the tubing, rotate the other way while pulling the tube across your body from hip height to over your left shoulder.
3. Feel your torso muscles stretching, but don't overextend to the point where you feel stress in your lower back. Feel your weight on your front side.
After completing two sets of 10 chops, repeat the exercise in the opposite direction. You can add speed to the chop or increase resistance for a greater challenge.
Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.
(Photography by Dom Furore)
... Read
Health & Fitness
Make The Turn Weekly Challenge #49: Mind Over Menu
Whether you're getting breakfast at a coffee shop, ordering lunch at the club, grabbing a snack at the turn or having dinner out on the town, there are healthier ways to enjoy yourself without compromising your health or game. Golf is a difficult sport as it is, the last thing you need are the sugar shanks or a beer belly killing your performance potential.
Golf is the ultimate lifestyle activity. When coaching participants through our MTT LEAN 18 nutrition program, our goal is always to use the game to activate a positive change that impacts all aspects of a person's daily performance. In addition to the tips in the video below, here are five "LEAN 18" eating essentials guaranteed to give you a leg up on the competition.
1. Plan Ahead
Look at the menu beforehand to make sure there are healthy options. Most establishments have their menu posted online for easy access. If you know you can't resist getting a pasta dish or having a dessert, pick your dining out day as a "cheat meal." We encourage our clients to allow themselves two cheat meals per week to help satisfy cravings without going overboard.
2. Drink Water
Stick with water as your main beverage. Unsweetened drinks such as sparkling water, iced/hot tea, and coffee can also be good options. Limit caffeine intake to two cups daily and avoid using caffeine as a replacement for sleep or food.
3. Load up on Veggies
Eating vegetables, leaves less room for refined carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, chips, and french fries. Go for green vegetables first, such as spinach, broccoli or asparagus. Starchy vegetables, such as red potatoes and sweet potatoes, can be healthier and more nutrient-dense alternatives to refined carbs such as bread, white rice, flour tortillas or pasta. When you hit the 19th hole, substitute the common sides for one these options and you'll be taking a huge step in the right direction.
4. Add Protein
Add protein to your meal to maximize nutrients, provide satiation, and reduce cravings. Best options are "wild" fish, "grass-fed" meats and "free-range" poultry/eggs for extra nutritional benefits. These choices won't always be available, but a lot of restaurants are moving towards providing these healthier items.
5. Get the Right Fat
Choose natural fats such as avocados, organic butter, olives, olive oil, nuts, seeds, cheese, cottage cheese, or sour cream. Fat provides essential nutrients, keeps you full, and reduces appetite. Most restaurant sauces and dressings, especially "low-fat" ones, have added sugar. Enjoy sugary dips and dressings sparingly or ask for olive oil and vinegar instead. Lastly, this goes without saying, but avoid anything deep-fried.
Sample Clubhouse Orders
• I'll have two fried eggs with applewood smoked bacon and rosemary redskin potatoes. Hold the toast and jam. Add a side of sautéed spinach and bell peppers.
• I'll have a french dip sandwich with sautéed onions and a mushroom jus for dipping. Hold the soft roll and french fries or potato chips. Add sourdough bread and a side of fresh fruit.
• I'll have a beef/turkey burger. Hold the cheese and burger bun. Add lettuce (for lettuce wrap), sliced avocado, tomato and onions. Add a side of freshly steamed veggies.
Eating better is all about building new habits. Try incorporating some of these healthier eating tips and you can count this week's challenge as complete.
Increase Energy
Boost Performance
Lose Weight
Cate Ritter is the Director of "THE LEAN 18" Nutrition program at MTT Performance. MTT Performance. The program operates out of Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif. Follow MTT on Twitter at @mttgolf
... Read
Health & Fitness
Tiger's deactivated glutes is a thing, but ...
When Tiger Woods withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday citing back pain, his third WD in his last nine tournaments, he made an interesting claim as to the reason for pulling out.
"It's just my glutes are shutting off," he said. "Then they don't activate and then, hence, it goes into my lower back. So I tried to activate my glutes as best I could, in between, but it's just they never stayed activated."
The glute (butt) muscles are key contributors to a good golf swing, providing power and stability. More importantly they support the torso, especially when you're standing. When the glutes are weak or inactive, the soft tissue around the lower back often becomes overly active as a compensation. And that can cause pain and inflammation around the lumbar disc of the spine, experts say.
Gluteal deactivation can happen, says Golf Digest fitness advisor Ralph Simpson (@ralphsimpsonpt). Subtle inhibition of the muscles' function is common, but true neurological deactivation is almost always associated with "some sort of nerve problem," he says. If it's both sides of the body, then the cause would be centrally located such as central spinal stenosis. When that occurs, the condition is so severe, the person suffering from it has trouble walking, much less swinging a golf club. Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal column to the point where pressure is put on nerves often causing extreme pain and muscle weakness.
"Even if a person could play golf with their gluteal muscles partially or completely deactivated, you'd usually notice huge compensations in their golf swing," says Simpson, a certified physical therapist who worked on the PGA Tour for several years. "Their hands and arms might do more of the work to compensate for a lack of core strength, or there might be a sway or slide with the body. It would look very awkward for a pro."
And perhaps the biggest issue would be a real lack of power, he added. Drives would be noticeably shorter and the ability to hack out of thick rough would be greatly diminished.
"For most people, it's difficult to feel if their glutes are deactivated during a dynamic activity," Simpson says.
Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.
... Read
Health & Fitness
Head-posture-test-bad.jpgHere's a quick test demonstrated by Simpson to check your head posture. Stand with your back to a wall and your feet about 12 inches away from it. Now lean back into the wall. You should be able to rest against it so your lower back, mid back, shoulder blades and the back of your head all touch the wall. And it should be fairly easy to stay in this position without straining. Note the difference in good head posture (bottom image) vs. forward head posture in the wall-test photos of Simpson.
Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.
(Photo by Dom Furore) ... Read
Health & Fitness
Stop doing that twisting thing!
It's bad enough to perform bad movement patterns in everyday life, but it's even worse to get in the gym and train in ways that emphasize those unnatural movements, says highly regarded strength coach Mike Boyle (@bodybyboyle). In other words, you might suffer from hunched-over (kyphotic) posture as a result of prolonged sitting, aging, and a lack of functional strength in your glutes and hips. But to actually go to the gym and perform exercises such as lacing your hands behind your neck and doing sit-ups are only going to reinforce the poor posture you should be trying to eliminate.
More examples would be exercises designed to increase range of motion at the bottom of your spine. The lumbar have some ability to flex and rotate, but push them beyond that limited range and you're on your way to a visit to an orthopedist.
Recently I asked Mike if there are any "golf" exercises he sees that are the definition of an unnatural movement pattern. There is one in particular that immediately came to mind, he said. Click on the video to see what you SHOULDN'T be doing in the gym.
Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.
... Read
Health & Fitness
Fitness Friday: Get a head start on your golf season
As the weather gets warmer and golfers return to the lesson tee, instructors often face two problems:
1. Having to remind students how to swing the club properly.
2. Dealing with students who aren't physically fit enough to swing the club properly.
inar01-winter-workout-intro-300.jpg"You can't deal with problem No. 1 until you fix problem No. 2," says Golf Digest fitness advisor Ben Shear (@ben_shear). Ben recently worked with noted golf instructor Darrell Kestner on an article that appears in our February issue tackling this annual dilemma. In the article they address common early-season swing issues and how they can be overcome in the gym. The two often work together at the Golf & Body (@GolfBodyNYC) fitness center in Manhattan.
The good news is that if you follow their workout plan, your swing will be much sharper when the ground thaws this spring. The bad news? You can no longer use the excuse of being rusty.
Click here to read the article, "Sweat Equity: Winter Workout."
Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.
(Photo by David Brandon Geeting) ... Read
Health & Fitness
Before you get that MRI...
When doctors suspect a patient might have a serious injury to joints such as the knees or shoulders—things like muscle, tendon or ligament tears—they often use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to confirm it. Although MRIs are considered extremely effective, a recent study published in BMI Health Services Research found that one out of every five done to detect tears of the medial meniscus in the knee registered a false positive. In other words, if they went solely by the MRI, doctors could prescribe rehabilitation procedures, including surgery, for tears that didn't exist.
Making MRI's even less attractive, and I know this from personal experience, is that many insurance companies are now refusing to cover their costs. That could mean a four-figure expense from your own pocket if you need one.
the-loop-mri-scanner-lg.jpgSince golfers are prime candidates for joint injuries, it's interesting to note that new technology exists to detect tears and soft-tissue damage that is more accurate and cheaper than an MRI. The procedure takes an estimated 10 minutes and you're not stuffed into a claustrophobic's nightmare—an MRI tunnel—to learn whether you need surgery or not.
It's called VisionScope Imaging, and the procedure is covered by many insurance carriers including Medicare. First, a doctor shoots novocaine into the injured area. Then a needle with a camera is inserted to inspect the damage. In the demonstration on the company's website, a soccer player's knee was inspected in just a minute to render a diagnosis of surgery. The testing is currently being offered by doctors in the Northeast, Chicago and Atlanta but a company spokeswoman says it will eventually be available nationwide.
For more information, visit
Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.
(Photo by Getty Images) ... Read
Health & Fitness
Fitness Friday: 42 ways to get fit
Being "fit" can mean a lot of things, says Golf Digest fitness advisor Ben Shear (@ben_shear), who trains many of the game's top players, including Luke Donald, Russell Henley and Webb Simpson. It can be anything from having your best blood-pressure reading in a decade to being able to slip into a decommissioned pair of jeans again. When he says "get fit," what he really means is get fitter. Below are 42 ways to do it (one a day for the next six weeks). Embrace as many of these as you can, and it won't be long before you look better, feel better and, yes, play better golf.
Drink more water. A lot more. That's still not enough.
2. Walk. Walk more rounds. Walk to work. Walk to the store. Walk around the block. Walk the dog. Stand up from reading this right now and walk.
3. Write down how much you sleep each day. Your goal is 60 hours a week.
4. Strengthen the most important muscles in the golf swing: your glutes (buttocks).
5. Constantly check your posture. In fact, stop right now and sit up straight. But don't arch your back when you do.
6. Take the stairs; two at a time if you can.
7. Buy a $10 foam roller, and knead the muscles of your body three times a week while you watch TV--especially your hips.
8. Eat low-glycemic fruit such as pears, grapefruits, cherries, peaches and apples.
9. Quit smoking. You can do it.
10. While sitting upright, rotate your upper body each way without letting your lower body move. Repeat for one minute.
11. When you're done with that, flex your ankles in and out, and back and forth. Make circles, too.
12. Cut your starchy-food intake by half. Start with white bread.
13. While waiting on the tee or in the fairway, extend your club in front of you, and move it up and down and side to side using only your wrists and forearms.
14. Breathe using your belly, not just your chest.
15. Make your lunch. You're much more likely to eat healthier when you control the ingredients--and you'll save money!
16. At least twice a week do a low-intensity physical activity that you enjoy. Who doesn't love a leisurely bike ride?
17. Eat more vegetables. Potato chips and carrot cake are not vegetables.
18. Tap into your inner Elvis. Get in your address posture, keep your upper body still and twist your pelvis back and forth. Do this for 30 seconds.
19. Put your back to a wall, and slide down it until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds.
20. Whenever you do a push exercise, immediately follow it with a pull exercise. No break.
21. Brace yourself against a planted golf club, and rotate one knee in toward the other. Switch it up and go the other way.
22. Strengthen your hamstrings. Pull your kid in a wagon.
23. Consume a lot more omega-3 fatty acid. You can get it from flaxseed oil, fish oil, mackerel, salmon and walnuts.
24. Stabilize the muscles of your core by raking leaves, paddling a canoe or sweeping floors.
25. Then strengthen them. Planks are great.
26. Make sure most of your protein comes from the best sources: eggs, beans, nuts, fish and poultry.
27. We like chocolate, too. Switch from milk to dark. The darker the better.
28. Do sprint/walk intervals. Shoot for 30 seconds of running followed by 30 of walking. Try the intervals six times or more.
29. Instead of downing pills, find food sources that supply those vitamins and minerals.
30. Get more good fats into your meals such as avocados, nuts, olive oil and egg yolks.
31. If you're going to drink alcohol, limit sugar every way you can. Example: Drink vodka and soda instead of vodka and tonic, or drink sauvignon blanc instead of Riesling.
32. Don't forget to do exercises that move the body laterally and/or rotationally.
33. Drop down and do push-ups whenever you can. Go slow, and strive for perfect form.
34. Let your body hang from a flexed-arm position. Can you do it for a minute? Then skip that and do pull-ups regularly.
35. Jump rope. It's great for your conditioning, coordination and golf posture.
36. Jump in general. Two legs, one leg, sideways. It will improve lower-body strength and tap into your inherent coordination. Yep, it's still in there.
37. Eliminate soda and fruit juice, especially ones with artificial sweeteners.
38. Buy a medicine ball. Find a sturdy wall. Throw the ball into the wall. Catch and repeat.
39. At the 19th hole, reach for nuts instead of pretzels.
40. Go out when the sun's out. Small doses of vitamin D will help keep your bones healthy and muscles functioning.
41. Don't skip breakfast. Ever.
42. Once in a while, ignore Nos. 1-41 and indulge.
Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.
(Illustration by Brian Stauffer)
... Read
Subscribe to Golf Digest
Subscribe today | <urn:uuid:2bc3fade-9144-45bd-8c38-612f2f3fe97f> | 2 | 1.664063 | 0.025327 | en | 0.94486 | http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/health-fitness/ |
Text size
related tags
"May you have a magical year," was the greeting I received from a young woman who called me on behalf of the HMO in order to convince me that I needed supplementary health insurance. Some time ago, she would make do with a simple "Happy New Year," but today everything is more extreme, more market focused. Regular words have given way to superlatives, and after all, more is better.
If you are asked "How are you?" and you dare answer "OK," all the antennae are immediately raised. "What's the problem?" they will ask. "There is no problem." But the person asking the questions remains unconvinced. These days the answer must be "Everything is 100 percent," "Everything is perfect," because in the age of ratings there no room for understatement.
The situation quickly becomes critical if you dare answer: "Everything is sort of OK." "What does 'sort of' mean?" will be immediately fired at you. "What is going on? Are there problems?"
If we examine the economic-security situation in which we are living in Israel, we will quickly reach the conclusion that we are living in a "sort of" country.
Indicators suggest the economic situation has never been better. Growth is on the rise and this year will reach about 5 percent. Per capita consumption is rushing forward, unemployment is in a downward trend (7.6 percent during the second quarter of 2007) and 372,000 persons found jobs in the past four years. They went from being in a condition of intentional and demeaning unemployment to employment with integrity. Wages have also increased in the past two years, and there is even a slight drop in poverty.
How then are all these beautiful figures reconciled with our security and political situation - and the high risk which surrounds them?
If any country in Europe had these wonderful figures to show in terms of growth and employment, everyone would be happy. The public would assume next year would be good, and businesspeople would take more loans and start more businesses, since there is a stable business environment in which there is no likely risk of attacks or death.
But in Israel the situation is different. There is no stability and there is no peace. The ground on which we stand is rumbling. The tension in the air leaves no one unaffected.
On Sunday, a 15-year-old Palestinian tried to cross an IDF checkpoint near Nablus. Corporal Guy Faraj suspected him and checked his harmless-looking black plastic bags, and discovered that he carried three pipe bombs and the switch to set them off. When questioned the teenager said that the bombs were meant to be part of a suicide bomb belt that was to be used in Tel Aviv.
During the cabinet meeting held that same day, Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin said that in recent weeks there have been incessant attempts to carry out attacks in the center of the country, and that last week, an attempt to sneak an explosives-laden vehicle into central Israel was foiled.
To this should be added the incident in Syria, which follows months of tensions over the Golan Heights.
"We will respond soon to the overflights of Israeli military aircraft over our territory," said Syria's vice president. No Western country is under such a threat, on so many fronts. There is no country where a city - Sderot - suffers missile attacks daily, its main urban areas are under constant suicide bomb threats, and where the state is under genuine existential threat.
In other words, the level of risk in Israel is several factors greater than that acceptable in Western countries, and still, our economy is growing at a faster pace. How can that be?
The answer depends on your point of view. We are impressed by a growth rate of 5 percent, but the truth is that Israel's potential for growth is much higher, closer to 10 percent per year. Like China and India. Like Israel in the 1960s. But because of the complex security situation, which raises the levels of risk and uncertainty, because of the enormous resources diverted to the IDF, the Shin Bet and the Mossad, we cannot manifest the real growth potential of the country.
All indicators suggest that salvation will not come from Ehud Olmert. He will carry on his media spins with Mahmoud Abbas, in rejecting Assad's initiatives, and will keep us also in this new year stuck with a high "Israeli risk" and with a "sort of" country. So, have a magical new year. | <urn:uuid:37c3be1a-f074-4823-869f-ce96262d62ff> | 2 | 1.703125 | 0.084513 | en | 0.975534 | http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/life-in-the-sort-of-country-1.229263 |
A Showcase of GPU Computing Beyond Gaming
Web Computing with GPU
Web Computing with GPU
Next up, NVIDIA had a couple of examples of web computing where GPUs can again play a part. The first is a lot closer to everyone's daily entertainment needs - watching flash videos. Now we know that the GeForce GPU helps accelerate conventional video formats to taxing Blu-ray dual-stream media. However they can't yet accelerate those HD flash videos. Fret not as Adobe and NVIDIA are working together on a GPU-accelerated Adobe Flash player to stream those HD videos off the web without issues that a netbook can truly fulfill its web usage needs and we've a few pictures and a video to showcase this:-
Over at the GPU Technology Conference, we had Johnny Loiacono, Senior VP of Creative Tools Business from Adobe who explained their workings while Jen-Hsun pulled out a head-to-head video demo to illustrate how the Intel Atom platform netbook matches up against an NVIDIA Ion based netbook.
And here's the HP Ion netbook using the NVIDIA Ion platform which Jen-Hsun is holding up. The larger chip on the module is the Ion chipset while the smaller chip is the Intel Atom processor.
Now for another example of web computing with the GPU's involvement is augmented reality. This is name given when a computer rendered overlay meshes with your real-world view and makes it appear as if everything really existed. Ludwig Fuchs, CEO of RTT came on stage to show off a Ferrari customization application that assists making any kind of alterations from accessories to colors on any parts of the car which reflects immediately on screen to visually help their customer.
He took this demo a notch up with an actual tire on stage without any rims, but on the computer screen, it looks complete with a rim set. To kick up the augmented reality factor, he shone a torch on the tire to simulate lighting around it while the PC screen accurately rendered the rims in real-time with lighting accurately. It was a surreal moment to behold.
Here we have Ludwig Fuchs, CEO of RTT and Jen-Hsun getting ready for the augmented reality demo.
And here we see on screen what the computer is rendering in real time with the rims accurately lit while the inset shows the actual video feed of duo with the empty tire. | <urn:uuid:a8ba279d-3fb0-4e25-810d-e34eaf0c863f> | 2 | 2.125 | 0.065728 | en | 0.93022 | http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/product-feature-showcase-gpu-computing-beyond-gaming/web-computing-gpu |
Influenza Issues
Pop Culture Icon Lee Majors and NCOA Educate People 65 and Older about Flu
Feb 10, 2014 - 3:06:35 PM
( - Everyone's immune system typically weakens with age, making it harder for us to fight infection and disease as we get older.
As a result, adults aged 65 and older-even those who are healthy and active-are more vulnerable to influenza (commonly known as the "flu").
To help raise awareness of the seriousness of the flu and the importance of flu prevention, actor and '70s pop culture icon Lee Majors is joining the Flu + You campaign.
Today, Majors, who is best known for his role on the iconic television show The Six Million Dollar Man, has a new mission: To urge everyone 65 and older to talk to their health care provider about the flu and what can be done to help prevent it, including selection of the most appropriate flu vaccine.
Flu Tips from Lee Majors:
1. People 65 and older should Get Vaccinated as soon as possible.
Get vaccinated as soon as possible because the body's immune system and its ability to fight illness decreases with age, meaning older adults are more vulnerable to the flu and its related complications.
2. There are a few vaccine options available, and some have been developed for specific stages of life.
In addition to the traditional flu vaccine (which helps protect against three strains of the flu virus), there is a quadrivalent vaccine (which helps protect against four strains), and a higher dose vaccine that is designed specifically for adults aged 65 and older. By improving the production of antibodies in older patients, the higher dose vaccine can provide a stronger immune response to influenza than traditional vaccines.
3. The flu can be easily passed from person to person, so it's important that those who spend time with older adults, such as family and caregivers, also get vaccinated.
An annual flu shot is a Medicare Part B benefit. This means that the vaccine is covered with no copay for Medicare beneficiaries 65 years of age and older. Talk to your health care provider today about the dangers of the flu, the benefits of annual immunization to help protect against the flu, and the best flu vaccine option to meet your needs.
Flu + You is an educational program from NCOA and Sanofi Pasteur.
- See more at:
© Copyright by | <urn:uuid:b74bfa13-6a71-47b0-ba9f-1b4855402f80> | 2 | 2.4375 | 0.143184 | en | 0.960447 | http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/influenza%20issues0/Pop-Culture-Icon-Lee-Majors-and-NCOA-Educate-People-65-and-Older-about-Flu_printer.shtml |
Cold Be Heart - A Hobbit Ghost Story: 1. Chapter One
Reader Toolbox Log in for more tools
1. Chapter One
Riding over the hills, and eating their fill, the warm sun and the scent of turf, lying and eating their fill, the warm sun and the scent of turf, lying a little too long, stretching out their legs and looking at the sky above their noses: these things are, perhaps, enough to explain what happened. However that may be: they woke suddenly and uncomfortably from a sleep they had never meant to take. --- "Fog on the Barrow-downs", The Fellowship of the Ring
They had made excellent time that morning, leaving behind Tom Bombadil's house early enough to reach the far-off Road by nightfall. Their ponies, well rested after several days in Tom's ample stables, gladly trod over hill until at last the hobbits could see the gates marking their goal, beyond the feared Barrow-downs. Perhaps a year, or even a week, further into their legendary journey the foolish hobbits might have pressed on and left the barrows behind before they even thought of stopping.
Yet Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, and Pippin Took had only just left the Shire a few days prior, and the Halimath sun was unreasonably warm. Stopping for lunch was honest enough; after all, a hobbit had to eat, and the sun was still rising in the sky. And after a morning of hard riding, surely a hobbit had earned a pipe and the right to smoke it in peace, and to stretch his legs a bit on the cool grass if he was of a mind.
He most certainly had not earned the leisure of a nap; but somehow the afternoon slipped away, leaving our hobbits better rested but no nearer the road. When at last they awoke from the respite that none had planned to take, the sun was setting behind the far-off hills, a blazing red. Blood red, they thought. Of course they couldn't stay where they were all night. Nothing to do but go on, so on they went.
They gathered their ponies and rode off as swiftly as they could, but it was slow going now. The fog swarmed thick around them, and they could scarcely see their noses in front of their faces. The gate they had seen so clearly at noon now was hidden by the dark dusk of that curséd fog. But Frodo remembered that the gate had stood perhaps a half mile off to the north, so he led his friends in that direction.
They hadn't gone far before Pippin decided he needed his cloak. It was only Halimath so by all measures he shouldn't have needed it at all, but there was an eerie chill in that valley, a chill that settled into your bones. What's more, the fog had a fair amount of mist in it, so that soon the hobbits' hair was wet, matted down against their heads. They dismounted and retrieved their cloaks and hoods, but soon the mist had soaked through the cloth. They were drenched, frozen to the bone, and still lost in the blinding fog.
Frodo saw a darkness far away in the direction where the gate ought to stand. Now he had a point to focus on, something to aim for. The hobbits led their ponies, one behind the next so as not to lose each other, through the mist toward that singular blackness.. None of them thought any further than reaching it, hoping that once they left these haunted barrows the fog might die with the memory of that curséd place.
But hope oft drives away caution, so they say. In their haste to leave the barrows the hobbits went forward a bit quicker than they should have, with nary a look to their left or right. All of a sudden Frodo saw pillars on each side of him, tall white posts, like the frame of a door but with no lintel. He wondered at that --this wasn't like what he had seen off in the distance -- but no matter. That dark beyond dark still gleamed before him, so he led his pony through the pillars and toward his goal.
Suddenly a wind pierced the fog, wrapping around him. Frodo thought he caught strange words in the wind. Sen ú-nâ ôl, perian... Those words seemed familiar somehow, their meaning standing just beyond the edge of memory, but before long he had no energy for such mysteries. His breath caught in his throat, and he felt as if he had been pushed through icy water; his whole body convulsed with horror as a ghostly pall settled around him. He found he had sunk to his knees on the muddy ground, dank from the mist. Where his horse had wandered to he did not know, but he heard a far-off nicker and guessed he was now alone, enshrouded in the sudden darkness that drove away the fog and blotted out the stars.
"Merry!" Frodo called out into the night. "Pippin! Sam!" No answer. And now more desperately: "Sam! Merry! Pippin! Sam, answer me!" Again, no answer. He crouched on the miry earth, placing one hand over his eyes and peering into the void. He heard a far-off call, not a horse's whinny or the shriek of the wind but a squall of frightened hobbit-voices. He forced himself to his feet and stumbled away toward the voices.
Then that same wind overtook him once again, wrapped round him, and blew under his cloak. Frodo found himself on the ground again, cradling himself. Dú sen, hain a le gwannathar... That Frodo understood: neither he nor his friends would live to see the light of day. Be that as it may, he would not leave his friends to die alone, so he pulled himself to his knees and, half crawling, half running, he took off toward the East.
"Hoy! Frodo!" He heard their voices again and, with the hope that they still drew breath, he hurried along as fast as his legs could carry him.
When Frodo had walked through the pillars, he had awoke something that should have slept. This thing smelled blood, warm blood -- living blood. Ah, meat; the best it had eaten in years. It swept from its barrow-haven and braved the almost-night, darkening the sky. But it did not dare cross through the white pillars, now that it had prey within its own dominion. It circled around the three hobbits, cackling maniacally. Then darkness reigned in their minds, as dark as the night's lightlessness, and for an endless moment they knew no more.
Some time later (he knew not when) Sam woke in a dark chamber and felt a cold stone pillow against the back of his neck. He tried to turn his head to see where he was and felt cold metal under his chin.
Now, who'd said that? Sam wondered. He tried to sit up but found he couldn't move nothing below his neck. He looked 'round as well as he could, trying to see where the light came from, and finally his eyes settled on the slab of stone on the other side of the room. There lay one of the Big People, long since dead, with a crown on his head and golden bands around his arm -- the one left to him; the other had rotted off -- his body wrapped in a white shroud, worms wriggling in and out of the holes in his face.
Sam had seen death before, when his grandfather Hobson had died years ago (Samwise being the son of Hamfast Gamgee the gardener). But he had never seen a corpse this decayed, and he turned away fast. A cold, menacing laugh penetrated the still air, and Sam looked back at the corpse, straining his neck to see better.
An arm slowly crept down the hall, pulling itself along with its gaunt fingers. Sam saw that the arm was gathering golden trinkets from the floor: rings, bracelets, and all manner of burial ornaments. At last the arm made its way toward Sam. He arrayed Sam's arms with rings and armbands fit for kings, and then made his way up the bed. As the hand passed Sam's head, a cold clammy finger rubbed against his cheek in an almost mocking embrace, placing a gold circlet over Sam's matted curls. Sam shuddered, and the half-decayed face across the room broke into a grin.
Slowly the corpse sat up, moving his decrepit legs to the floor, and walked toward the bed. Sam shuddered. "Sleep," the man whispered. "Endure the long sleep." He pulled a white sheet over Sam, and with him Merry and Pippin laying at his side. He leaned over Sam, his face just inches from the hobbit's, and kissed him, sucking out the hobbit's breath. "Sweet dreams, halfling," he hissed as the colour drained from Sam's face and his eyes closed heavily.
Just what was this creature, lordly once but now a loathsome corpse? None know the full tale, though half-guesses abound. Some think it one of the ancient kings of Arnor, perhaps a father's father's father of Aragorn, who became king of both Gondor and Arnor through the help of Frodo and his friends. But corpses don't just walk and talk for no reason. Those kings hated all evil things and fought against them their whole lives. Some say that, when the Witch-king's evil outlast them, those kings refused to give up their hold on this world.
Others say the Witch-king took the men who served him and bound them to him, so when they died their souls lingered, settling into other corpses. But perhaps some foul magic festered in those barrows. Living, bodiless evil from the spirit world, maybe, much more powerful than any man that ever lived. Whatever it was, that horrid, maggot-eaten carcass heard the patter of small feet above his roof and turned his attention from his already-sleeping victims to the one that walked free.
Up above, Frodo crawled on hands and knees up a barrow-mound. He heard a sharp hiss, as if the very earth he trod sucked in its breath, and pulled himself to his feet, peering into the dark that his eyes could not hope to penetrate. The wind returned, that damned gale that had let him be for the long hours he had crawled about but that now returned to haunt him anew;
He fell hard on his knees and a sharp pain shot through his whole body, but this was a pain he knew: torn skin, broken bone, ripped muscle. He saw he had speared his hand on a sharp stone lying on the ground. Closing his eyes in a grimace, he lifted his injured hand and quickly pulled the stone out, screaming into the deaf night. The blood dripped down his arm. Tearing off a strip of his cloak with his still good hand, he wrapped his injured one tightly to staunch the blood. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he crawled on.
"Sam! Merry! Pippin!" he called out. "Are you there?" A sinister chuckle filled the air around him. "They are here," the voice said. Frodo knew that his friends were still alive, and that he would soon be joining them, willing or no. "Living flesh I cannot cross," the wind hissed. "But blood flows out, and blood flows in." The gale blew round the hobbit, squeezing him like a snake until he could hardly breathe. It seeped through his cloak and tunic, under his bandage and through his cut hand. And then Frodo felt that icy terror. He felt weak and dizzy. By the time he hit the ground the darkness had took him.
Sometime later Frodo awoke. He lay on a cold stone slab, his arms folded across his chest. He had seen that pose before: his grandfather Gorbadoc Brandybuck had folded his father's arms like that after they had dragged him out of the Brandywine. Frodo had just stood there, watching. But he was just twelve years old then -- nearly forty years ago. Was he dead now? If this was death, it certainly wasn't pleasant. His blood chilled, and all around him a sickly green light coloured everything in the chamber. He felt limp, and his hand ached. Had his uncle been this afraid, when he faced death on his grand adventure? Frodo hadn't seen Bilbo in seventeen years; if this was death, he'd never see Bilbo again.
Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and blimey, if it doesn't look like mutton again tomorrer. Now where had he heard those words? Certainly no one in the Shire spoke like that. Bilbo! That was what the trolls had said. What's a burrahobbit got to do with my pockets, anyway? And can yer cook 'em? Frodo wished more than anything that Bilbo was here. If anyone knew how to get out of this mess it would surely be Bilbo, dragon-slayer and king of burglars!
Could you eat a hobbit? Frodo wondered. Yes, but we aren't very tasty; we're tougher than we look. The trolls had known that much, at least. No good roasting 'em now, it'd take all night. And no good boiling 'em, neither! We ain't got no water, and it's a long way to the well and all. Did this spectre or whatever know that hobbits were poor fare for a hungry monster, or would he find out too late?
But no one had said anything of roasting or boiling Frodo and his friends. And if Frodo was thinking of Bilbo and trolls... Well, it's like they say. There's a bit of courage in even the fattest, most timid hobbit -- often hid deep, it's true, but still there -- and that courage is always there, waiting for some desperate danger to make it grow. Just then, Frodo didn't feel dead, and he didn't feel like dying -- he felt very much alive. And if Bilbo could watch his friends bagged and listen to trolls talk of roasting them all night long, surely Frodo could handle a single corpse!
Enough day-dreaming, Frodo thought; this is neither the time nor the place to recall family history. With that, he looked around, taking in his surroundings. The greenish light shone through the room, casting a sickly glow over everything, but it did let Frodo see his friends lying together no more than a foot away. Their skin was pale, livid. He reached over, took Merry's hand in his own, and felt the faint pulse. They still lived.
Long-dead fingernails scraped their way down the corridor leading further back into the barrow. An evil, grating voice filled the too-still air.
Chill be wind o'er hills of death
That takes away your mortal breath
And drives all comfort from your mind
And brings on darkness, deaf and blind.
For death doth come for one and all,
Some in spring and some in fall,
For man and dwarf, and halfling too:
And on this day it calls for you.
Cold be hand and heart and bone,
And cold be long sleep under stone:
Ne'er more to wake on stony bed,
Till Sun doth fail and Moon lies dead.
In black chill wind the waters die,
And still on stone here let them lie,
Till Darkest Lord lifts up his hand
O'er lifeless sea and withered land.
The arm twisted its way around the room, approaching Sam, Merry, and Pippin on their deathbed. It grasped the hilt of the sword and turned the blade slowly so the broadside faced up. What am I to do? Frodo thought franticly. And suddenly, a thought came to him: the Ring. He felt its chill through his shirt pocket. It was colder than anything he had felt that night, and yet, it promised to bring him a warm morning of running over the grass, under the morning sun. Put on the ring, you fool! Escape! But before he could do anything a song formed in his throat, unbidden:
Cold be heart, and hard as stone,
Of he who'd leave his friends alone
To sleep fore'er in tombs of man,
So close yet far from native land.
Frodo unfolded his left arm, breaking the burial pose, and reached down. His hand chanced upon the hilt of a short sword, and he picked it up, looking it over. Slowly he whispered to the blade:
Cold be steel of men of old,
Yet stronger still than burial-gold?
I know not yet what strength you keep,
But we shall fight 'gainst that long sleep.
Later, much later, his friends asked Frodo where he had found the strength to fight. He never could answer them. He didn't remember springing across the room, but there he was. He brought his blade down, slicing through that hellish arm, and his sword split at the hilt. He dropped what was left of his weapon, heard the metal shards clang against the stone floor. Urukî! a harsh voice snarled, and the hand fell limp. A mist thicker than the afternoon's fog filled the chamber. Frodo tried to back away but fell face down on Merry. He pushed against the dank flesh and turned himself over. The mist pressed against him, and he struggled to breathe. Yet suddenly a song burst from his blanched lips, quiet at first but increasingly clear and sure:
Ho! Tom Bombadil, Tom Bombadillo!
Come, Tom Bombadil, for our need is near us!
A voice, light and cheery, penetrated the sallow air:
Old Tom Bombadil, he is a merry fellow,
Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.
None has ever caught him yet, for Tom he is the master:
His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster.
The corpse bolted upright as the roof fell around him, one piece landing where his head had lain. As the early light of the rising sun pierced his haven of shadow, a fire lit in the corpses eyes, and he looked to the gaping hole in his roof. "We meet again, Oldest!" he hissed. Tom Bombadil jumped through the hole: a curious creature, shorter than one of the Big Folk but bigger than us halflings, dressed in the most outrageous outfit imaginable. He looked right at the dead king and said, grinning, "Your time is over. Depart, and do not return!"
What was left of the corpse's mouth curled into a chilling grin. "My time begins, fool. I go now to join my master. But the darkness shall return, and I shall feast on you in this barrow."
Tom held the corpse's eyes for a long moment. His hat's feather danced in the soft morning breeze. Finally Tom broke his gaze, tilting his head toward the hole and laughing. His eyes danced again. "Namarië," he sang, and the corpse fell backward onto the stone bed and caved-in roof. The mist fled the barrow, and the wight let out one last blood-curdling scream. The cry gradually faded as that evil spirit returned to its home far in the North, but the Hobbits thought it never died -- just faded a little beyond hearing.
Slowly the colour in Merry's, Pippin's, and Sam's faces began to return. "Come, Frodo," Bombadil said in his cheery voice. "I think they will live, if we carry them into the fresh air. You must help me."
The three hobbits did indeed wake up, and they, with Frodo, went on to do many great things. But even after Merry breathed the Black Breath and Frodo was stabbed with a Morgul-blade, and after they crossed the many dangerous miles from Bree to Rivendell, still Gandalf said they had been in the most danger that cold night in the old king's barrow.
Story Information
Author: Marta
Status: General
Completion: Complete
Era: 3rd Age - Ring War
Genre: General
Rating: General
Last Updated: 07/06/04
Original Post: 10/19/03
Go to Cold Be Heart - A Hobbit Ghost Story overview
Cold Be Heart - A Hobbit Ghost Story
Agape4Gondor - 25 Nov 05 - 4:02 PM
Ch. 1: Chapter One
Delightful tale... wish I had seen it in time for Halloween - You should have shared it with us on the HA Yahoo site.
This was definitelyd delightful and I most enjoyed the thoughts about Bilbo and the trolls, etc.
Again - thanks for sharing this - stood my hair on end!
Read all comments on this story
Comments are hidden to prevent spoilers.
Click header to view comments
Talk to Marta
Reader Toolbox Log in for more tools | <urn:uuid:253e49ee-b9ab-4995-a90d-1acf7e50edbb> | 2 | 1.867188 | 0.212385 | en | 0.98424 | http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter_view.cfm?stid=2641&spordinal=1 |
Transforming the World <p>An ambitious and engaging narrative survey that charts the history of the world from a political perspective, from 1937 to the post-9/11 era. Providing a wide-ranging assessment of global interactions in peace and war since World War II, Robbins connects the crises, conflicts and accommodations that have brought us to the still-troubled present.</p> 2012-10-01T10:13:25Z 2012-10-02T09:51:09Z Transforming the World Robbins, Keith Robbins, Keith 9780333772003 Paperback | <urn:uuid:39d19094-4311-42c6-9411-4db1f4c88497> | 2 | 1.914063 | 0.731767 | en | 0.782617 | http://www.history.ac.uk/history-online/node/75809/rdf |
Subscribe to the FREE HistoryBuff.com Newsletter
Treatise on Whether it Be Advantageous
For France To Take Possession of Louisiana
This question presents itself in two points of view : -- First, in the relation of commerce and manufactures : Secondly, in those of the positive or relative force of France.
Colonies do not excite interest for their own fate, but only as respects the influence they may have on a nation ; & and one man alone is more useful by remaining at home, than two by removing at a distance, a wise nation does not seek to colonize, until she has a superabundance of population, which they usefully can not employ in any other way.
Though very considerable, the population of France is very far from having reached the term which renders colonies necessary : Her solid, climate, and local situation give her, as a commercial, and especially as a manufacturing nation, great advantages over all the nations of Europe. The spirit of invention, the taste and industry of its inhabitants, place her in the first rank. But those advantages are wonderfully abridged by the want of capitals sufficient to make use of them. A rival nation, greatly inferior in every one of these particulars, has, by the effect alone of an immense capital, obtained the superiority, not only in commerce, but also in manufactures ; and these advantages, by increasing the national fortune, furnish it with the means of maintaining that very superiority.
Capitals increase the number of manufactures, by the introduction of machines, by the regular payment of workmen, by the reduction of the interest money, and especially by the possession of new markets.
None but rich individuals can undertake those slow and expensive speculations, which often give the superiority to a manufacture. A poor merchant cannot undertake long voyages, returns from which are slow ; They are reserved for the wealthy, who can give credits long enough to tempt foreign nations to give his articles the preference over those of other nations, which expect a quick return for theirs. The want of capitals in France, is such that no manufacturer has at his command a quantity of articles sufficient to answer demands ; And consequently no foreigner can be sure to obtain from his French correspondent wherewith to make his returns without retarding his vessel in port, or, at least, without being obliged to take a considerable quantity of articles of inferior quality, picked up in a number of different manufacturers ; so that he commits any fraud, no one can be charged with it. This renders the character of of manufacture of very little importance in the eyes of a French workman.
Hence when a foreign vessel, especially if owned at a great distance, sells her cargo in France, she is ordered to take nothing but wines or brandies, because they are the only articles which the owner is sure to procure in sufficient quantities, in the fixed time.
In England, on the contrary, he will find all sorts of goods, in one hour, from one manufacture, the reputation of which would suffer, if the whole supply were not of the same quality with the sample. This consideration will ever induce a foreigner to apply to an English, in preference to a French merchant, for a purchase of goods of the same kind. Hence cargoes are sold in France, and the proceeds carried to England, there to be sold for articles which France might supply, if her manufacturers were rich enough to answer every demand, in a short time, without compelling the purchaser to have recourse to a number of manufacturers.
This inconvenience can only be removed by increasing the capitals of manufacturers. It would be too great a deviation from my subject to point out that the means of obtaining those capitals ; but it is evident, that they must be considerably lessened by the forming of a Navy at the expense of a manufactures, or by using the capitals of the nation in distant countries. it is beyond doubt, that capitals open new channels ; for nothing is more natural for merchants whose capital is small, than to content themselves with acting the part of Broker or Commission Merchants, to those who can supply them with goods on no credit ; and for this very reason, England lost nothing by the independence of America. Her immense capitals have created a monied dependence, which in a commercial relation, replaced the supremacy she had lost in the government. The increase of capital in America frees it in some degree from that dependency, and by furnishing her with the means of extending her commerce, and even to offer capitals to other nations which know how to calculate the value of the markets which the offers to manufacturers and to the luxury of Europe.
It will be readily granted, that Colonies seas add nothing to the force of a nation, there are, on the contrary, weak points, which are guarded at a very great expense, both in men and money, especially if they be in hot and unhealthy climates.
The question, therefore, is reduced to this: Has France a superiority of men and money great enough to supply the settling of a new colony?
Those which France already possesses in the West Indies and at Cayenne and more than sufficient for her wants, and even the wants of all Europe, if they were cultivated so as to produce all they were capable of. But how are they to be cultivated? Experience has proved that the inhabitants of hot climates never work from want : Force alone can supply the two great spurs to labour in Northern climates, hunger and cold, which nature has placed in those severe climates. Hence, slavery alone can fertilize those colonies, and slaves can not be procured but at a great expense.
The Spanish port of Hispanolia was almost uncultivated for want of slaves. It is now possessed by France ; and to render it of advantage, it will be necessary to lay out immense capitals in slaves, in buildings, and in improvements of uncultivated lands. Others will be necessary to make up for the losses of the French part of that, not to mention the Islands. Where are those capitals to be found? Men who travel into distant and unhealthy climates are seldom wealthy. Those riches must therefore be found in France, or in some country that has a superfluity of capital. If they are found in France, it can only be, to a certain degree, at the expense of internal manufactures. It may, however, appear advantageous, in a national point of view, to encourage the use of the riches of France for that object ; considering the extreme fertility of the French West Indies, and their present situation of culture, those funds which soon yield a profit. But so long as money will command so high an interest ; so long as the interior of the Republic shall offer monied men a source of speculations, and property shall lie in so few hands, it will be difficult to induce the majority of them dispossess themselves of this capital to send it at a distance, and run the risk of the integrity of their agents, and all those whom recent examples have taught them to dread.
The United States possess considerable capitals to money., and productions necessary to the restoration of the Islands. No great credit, in money, will probably be given to the planters ; but with suitable encouragements, there is no doubt they will be able to obtain those productions which must, were it not for circumstance, be paid for in cash and the commercial speculations of the United States will extend to the French Islands, when the public and private credit of France shall have been restored, and when experience shall have convinced unwise it is to establish a revenue upon foreign trade, while it is in fact collected from their own citizens. At Hispanolia, a duty of 20 percent is paid upon articles introduced by strangers. This duty is in fact paid by strangers, and it happens that fraud, and the bad administration of Custom-Houses is, as usual, a force of vexation for foreign merchants. But it is the planter who furnishes the money, for this tax is always added to the price, and even an interest is advanced upon it as compensation for the vexations which the Captaius experience in their commerce. What then is the effect of that operation, if not to take from the planter one-fourth part of the money which he had so much difficulty to get from France? Or otherwise to stop, by that means, partly the re-establishment of the capitals which alone can render the Islands productive? I say finally, for it is folly to believe that they will yield to France, a compensation for her actual outlets, unless it be after a good many years. I will even say that unless the ports of Hispanolia are open to every vessel loaded with articles of necessity, unless the inhabitants have the right of buying cheap and selling dear, by encouraging the rivalry between the sellers and and the purchasers, unless every sort of vexation is removed, and strangers receive every possible security for their capitals in the Islands, ages will pass away before Hispanolia will cease draining France of its riches and strength without offering her any equivalent return.
It is, therefore, evident that if France had no other possession beyond the seas, except her islands, it might finally place all the capital of which she now can and probably hereafter will be able to dispose in a long series of years.
But if to all this, we add the immense possessions of Guyana, her productions, and the capitals necessary to carry the whole of it to its full value ; if we add the settlements necessary to be made in India, if the design be to bring into the ports of France, that variety of articles which invite exchanges, and give commerce its due activity, we shall find that one century at least will pass away before France may want possessions of that kind.
But as France has, like other countries, but a confined capital, the only question is where shall this capital be placed? Shall it be here? In the West Indies? At Cayenne? In India, or at Louisiana? For it is obvious that what will be placed in one of those settlements will be at the expense of another ; it is equally so, that the national expenditures will increase with her colonies ; and that, in case of war, the points of attack and defense will be multiplied in the same ratio.
Able statesmen have mentioned whether colonies are useful to a country situated like France but my design is not to examine this theory. France has colonies ; -- she has invited her citizens to go and carry those riches to them ; honor requires that she keep and protect them; but she is under no obligation to create new ones ; to multiply points of defense ; to squander away the capitals she wants at home and abroad. How could the possession of Louisiana be useful to her? In the first place, its cultivation is to be carried on, as in all warm countries, by slaves ; the capitals spent in buying them, or the slaves themselves, would have been carried to the islands, if this new channel had not been opened. This rivalry will rise the price of slaves for the planters, and thus much retard the settlement.
On their arrival at Louisiana, the slaves will be employed in the barren occupation of the felling of large forests with which this immense country is covered, a labour but little suited for slaves, for it requires being long accustomed to the ax ; and force and activity are seldom found in slaves. They must be clothed, fed and maintained during whole years before profit can be derived from them. What I am about to relate may serve to determine that period. In the Northern and Middle States in America, the usual term of a quit-rent lease in the new hands is ten years free from rent, and after this the lease pays 12 bushels of wheat for every 100 acres forever. It is therefore obvious that the first ten years are considered as a time of expense, during which term the owner requires no payment. But in the Southern States, new hands can not be given out on those terms, because the White planter sets a higher value on his labour, and the clearing of forests requires too great outsets for any one but the owner of the land.
Who then will cultivate Louisiana with slaves? When is the citizen willing to bestow large capitals upon so precarious a property with the prospect of distant return.
It may be asked, why does it not happen in Southern States? it is answered , first because none are southerly enough enough to be wholly free from the colds of winter, which renders savage life very difficult to man, born in hot climates ; and secondly, because the Southern States, are mostly surrounded by the sea, and by mountains the whole population of which is white, and which cut off the communications between the slaves and the vast forests of the interior parts.
But let us suppose that these difficulties overcome, what commercial advantages can France derive from the settlement of this colony? -- The productions of Louisiana being the same as the whole West Indies, no advantage is to be reaped, for the islands, being well cultivated, will suffice for the wants of France, and even all of Europe. The introduction of those from Louisiana, would only lessen the price without adding anything to the value, and France would be obliged, to prevent the ruin of those who had employed their funds in the colonies, to imitate the Dutch, who destroy their spices and teas, when the quantity of these commodities in Europe is large enough to cause a depreciation of their value.
The productions of Louisiana, which do not grown in the West Indies, are only lumber, and perhaps rice ; but it is certain that those productions, considering their difficulties procuring them in a hot climate, will not cover the outsets, or, at least, will not yield the same profits as would be procured raising them in the Islands, in procuring the same or other more valuable articles.
The proof of this is found in the United States. It is not from Georgia, nor South Carolina, that the West Indies are supplied with lumber, but chiefly from the Northern States, where forests are more scare and more valuable in the South. The cause of this is, that the supplying of lumber, the mills necessary to prepare them for sale, all these are the work of free hands, which are satisfied with a moderate price.
I shall presume to further lay down, however paradoxical it may seem, that it is not advantageous for France to supply itself with lumber, even if she could procure it from Louisiana. -- I have two reasons to offer -- What lumber the Northern States supply her colonies is paid for in molasses and some rum. The first article costs the planter nothing, for were it not for that, this would be an useless production of his sugar, and the second is but a very moderate expense for distillation. if it were consumed in America, molasses would be thrown away as useless, and this was the case when America was a British colony, because French commerce does not offer any other market for that commodity.
It may, therefore, be said that colonies have from the United States, lumber for nothing. Should, on the contrary, a settlement be formed in Louisiana for the supplying of that article, every expense and outset of this establishment, all the labour necessary to cut, saw, and transport to the place where it is to be sold, would be a real loss for the nation, even admitting that the cutters and other men employed, should take, as payment, molasses and rum ; because their labor would produce nothing for the nation.
But it is certain that Louisiana could not furnish a market for molasses or rum. It is only in New England (Northern States) that those articles are consumed. -- The inhabitants of the South prefer ardent spirits, distilled from grain, apples, and peaches, to those distilled from molasses.
On the supposition, therefore, that the planters supply themselves with lumber in a French colony, exclusively at Louisiana, they would be forced to pay for it in money or objects of real value. If the right of supply is not exclusive, it is null, because the labourer of a southern climate cannot work as cheap as the robust son of the North.
It might be thought that molasses would still find a market in New England, though it will still no longer the price of lumber. -- It would be an error. They have no other reason to take it, than its being offered to them in exchange for an article which they have few other markets. Let the colonies refuse lumber, from the North, spirits from grain, apples, &c. will immediately be substituted to those from sugar, because the price of rum would immediately be higher. Then it will be that every fort of commerce between them and the colonies will cease unless it be for provisions which will only be paid for in money, or in which pass in foreign markets, for money.
The second reason why France might not get her lumber from Louisiana, even though she might do it, is, that in case of war, supposing England should preserve her naval superiority, no sure calculations could be made upon receiving provisions ; and they could not be supplied from the United States, for that commerce, having being abandoned since the peace, those whom it then employed have sought other objects of industry ; and saw mills, erected to prepare that lumber, are out of use, and will not easily be set up again, at the renewal of hostilities,, so that the misfortunes which are the consequence of it would be doubly distressing to the colonies.
It is, therefore very evident the colonizing of Louisiana would, in a commercial point of view, be very injurious to France, because it would employ capitals which would be more usefully employed in the other colonies ; because those capitals would lie dormant for several years, and admitting they should become productive for individuals, they would add nothing to the national mass, and would have no other effect than to lower the price of colonial produce, and lessen the profits of their labor.
It might however be thought that the possession of Louisiana would afford one more market to French manufactures, and thus compensate the expense of the nation for its settlement. This question deserves a particular examination, and the provisioning or the consumption of French manufactures may relate either to the free or bond population. | <urn:uuid:4f1183c4-e45c-4a7c-ac4a-430aa3853637> | 2 | 2.484375 | 0.056678 | en | 0.969953 | http://www.historybuff.com/library/ref7203.html |
We were never meant to be solitary souls
Published 29/10/2013 | 10:05
Jean-Paul Sartre was one of the most famous philosophers of the 20th century and his writings have sustained debate and conversation throughout his lifetime and indeed since his death in 1980.
He was a militant atheist for most of his life, although before his death he reputedly started gravitating towards Messianic Judaism. One of the quotes he is most famous for is "Hell is Other People", and it's generally taken to mean that Sartre didn't like other people very much, or that he might have preferred solitude.
In fact nothing could be further from the truth. Sartre spelled out the real meaning in a talk he gave in 1965: 'Hell is other people" has always been misunderstood. It has been thought that what I meant by that was that our relations with other people are always poisoned, that they are invariably hellish relations.
'But what I really mean is something totally different. I mean that if relations with someone else are twisted, vitiated, then that other person can only be hell. Why? Because. . . when we think about ourselves, when we try to know ourselves, . . . we use the knowledge of us which other people already have.
'We judge ourselves with the means other people have and have given us for judging ourselves. Into whatever I say about myself someone else's judgment always enters. Into whatever I feel within myself someone else's judgment enters. . . . But that does not at all mean that one cannot have relations with other people. It simply brings out the capital importance of all other people for each one of us.'
While I find a lot of Sartre's thought absurd, I do think that he hits on some truth in the words quoted above, albeit accidentally. I believe that hell isn't other people at all, in fact, I think it's more the case that hell is the absence of other people.
Hell, in the religious sense, is when we exile ourselves from God. We send ourselves to hell by our actions and our by own choice, we don't need to be sent to hell by God because we've put ourselves there.
It's a bit like excommunication, something which has been given a very wrong perception in Ireland of late. Even church leaders sometimes ignorantly preach the wrong message about excommunication, because the truth is that they actually don't have the power to excommunicate anyone.
Excommunication is an act of the person who is excommunicated - by their actions they choose to sever themselves from communion with the church.
But apart from the religious sense, I think that hell is the absence of other people. What can be more hellish than the absence of departed loved ones - spouses, children, parents or lovers. Absence of companionship in break up of a relationship or marriage; absence of true friends when you are at your lowest ebb; absence felt when you've been betrayed by someone.
Indeed, when we're isolated and alone, when we're bereft and down and feeling sad, that's when it seems like we're in hell.
Human beings are social beings by nature - it's part of our make-up. We need other people to give meaning to our lives, and we have an innate relational desire. Without other people we would struggle.
Throughout the centuries many people have tried to find happiness through solitude and silence, and while I agree that we all need some quiet time and some space to think and perhaps pray quietly; we were never made to be solitary individuals. It's only the very rare few who can find complete happiness in solitude.
Hell is the absence of other people - and as I've often said before – if you're going through hell, then the one thing you must not do is stop. You must keep going at all costs – there'll always be someone there waiting for you at the other side.
Gorey Guardian
Promoted articles
Read More
Promoted articles
GrabOne Deals | <urn:uuid:a369e687-0dc7-4bc8-a12e-9588eafc5aff> | 3 | 2.640625 | 0.057054 | en | 0.984592 | http://www.independent.ie/regionals/goreyguardian/lifestyle/we-were-never-meant-to-be-solitary-souls-29714574.html |
Science and EngineeringThe University of Edinburgh
informatics logo university logo
spacer spacer spacer
arrow Algorithms
arrow Report
arrow Slides
arrow Links
Parallel Data Mining
Data mining aims at finding meaningful patterns or rules in large datasets. It is an interdisciplinary field, which combines research from areas such as machine learning, statistics, high performance computing, and neural networks.
A common feature of most data mining tasks is that they are resource intensive and operate on large sets of data. Data sources measuring in gigabytes or terabytes are now quite common in data mining. For example, WalMart records 20 million transactions and AT&T produces 275 million call records every day. This calls for fast data mining algorithms that can mine huge databases in a reasonable amount of time.
However, despite the many algorithmic improvements proposed in many serial algorithms, the large size and dimensionality of many databases makes data mining tasks too slow and too big to be run on a single processor machine. It is therefore a growing need to develop efficient parallel data mining algorithms that can run on a distributed system. In this project, several parallel data mining algorithms, based on the famous Apriori algorithm, was implemented and their performance evaluated on a parallel machine.
Apriori employs a bottom-up, breadth-first search that enumerates every single frequent pattern in a database. It starts by finding all frequent patterns of size 1, which is then used to find all frequent patterns of size 2 etc.
What makes Apriori so popular is that uses the downward closure property of pattern support (all subsets of a frequent pattern must themselves be frequent) to prune the search space. Thus only frequent patterns of size k are used to generate patterns of size k+1.
This may seem trivial but using this observation can significantly reduce the search space. This is illustrated in the diagram below.
Pruning the search space
Parallel Algorithms
Many parallel data mining algorithms inherits this property from Apriori, which is why most parallel data mining algorithms are said to be a variation of Apriori.
Writing parallel data mining algorithms are a non-trivial task. The main challenges associated with parallel data mining include
- minimizing I/O
- minimizing synchronization and communication
- effective load balancing
- effective data layout (horizontal vs. vertical)
- deciding on the best search procedure to use (complete vs. greedy)
- good data decomposition
- minimizing/avoiding duplication of work
How we solved these challenges when writing our algorithms are described in our report.
Four Parallel Algorithms were used.
1. Count Distribution – parallelizing the task of measuring the frequency of a pattern inside a database
2. Candidate Distribution – parallelizing the task of generating longer patterns
3. Hybrid Count and Candidate Distribution – a hybrid algorithm that tries to combine the strengths of the above algorithms
4. Sampling with Hybrid Count and Candidate Distribution – an algorithm that tries to only use a sample of the database.
A brief comparison of the algorithms when running on various numbers of processors is shown in the graph below. A more detail performance evaluation and comparison can be found in our report.
graph figure
download algorithms (171kb)
The algorithms were implemented in Java. Instructions on how to run the algorithms are included in the compressed file.
The algorithms can run on any computer that has the java runtime environment installed, which can be downloaded from Sun Microsystems.
download reportpdf (274kb)
Abstract: This paper studies the performance of several parallel algorithms for finding frequent patterns in large data sets using different number of processors on a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) machine.
The experimental data consisted of several synthetic transaction databases of different sizes and with different average transaction length. Instead of using a hash-tree structure, binary databases were used to speed-up the task of counting itemsets and for easy comparison of different algorithms. Java was used as programming language for all algorithms.
The finding of the study is that the performance of various algorithms is highly dependent upon the database, especially as regards width of the transactions and the data distribution. No generic algorithm was found that was optimal for all database types.
download slidespdf (158kb)
The slides were used to give a short introduction on my research and complement my report.
The following links have been added to provide interested reader with more information about data mining.
Rakesh Agrawal's Publications
Lots of data mining articles by Rakesh Agrawal from IBM
KDD Cup 2003
Information and data about the KDD CUP, the most famous data mining competition.
Data Mining and Exploration
Course on data mining provided by the University of Edinburgh.
Valid HTML 4.01! | <urn:uuid:afaa5b4f-01b5-4ab8-a402-9a44ac2b0a45> | 3 | 2.96875 | 0.100247 | en | 0.898105 | http://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/projects/mathiasengvall/ |
English 中文 日本語
Images of the Journey to the West - by Chen Huiguan
Chapter 1.
The Divine Root Conceives and the Spring Breaks Forth,As the Heart's Nature Is Cultivated, the Great Way Arises
The Divine Root Conceives and the Spring Breaks Forth
As the Heart's Nature Is Cultivated, the Great Way Arises
Before Chaos was divided, Heaven and Earth were one;
All was a shapeless blur, and no men had appeared.
Once Pan Gu destroyed the Enormous Vagueness
The separation of clear and impure began.
There was once a magic stone on the top of a mountain. Ever since Creation began it has been receiving the truth of Heaven, the beauty of Earth, the essence of the Sun and the splendor of the Moon; and as it has been influenced by them for so long it has miraculous powers. It develops a magic womb, which bursts open one day to produce a stone egg about the size of a ball. When the wind blows on this egg it turns into a stone monkey, complete with the five senses and four limbs. On his mountain the monkey is soon able to run and jump, and he makes friends with other monkeys and apes. One day after bathing, they discover a waterfall suspended like a curtain. One monkey makes a suggestion: “If anyone is clever enough to go through the fall, find the source, and come out in one piece, let's make him our king.” The stone monkey leaps out from the crowd and answers at the top of his voice, “I'll go, I'll go.” Splendid Monkey leaps straight into the waterfall. After a while he comes out again, and tells the other monkeys to follow him. After they have all entered the cave, he says: “Gentlemen, A man who breaks his word is worthless. Just now you said that if anyone was clever enough to come in here and get out again in one piece, you'd make him king. Well, then. I've come in and gone out, and gone out and come in. I've found you gentlemen a cave heaven where you can sleep in peace and all settle down to live in bliss. Why haven't you made me king?” On hearing this all the monkeys bow and prostrate themselves, not daring to disobey. They line up in groups in order of age and pay their homage as at court, all acclaiming him as the “Great King of a Thousand Years.” The stone monkey then takes the throne, makes the word “stone” taboo, and calls himself Handsome Monkey King.
The Monkey King and other monkeys have an enjoyable life but one day the Monkey King says: “Although I'm happy now, I'm worried about the future. That's what's getting me down. The time will come when we are old and weak, and the underworld is controlled by the King of Hell. When the time comes for us to die, we won't be able to go on living among the Blessed, and our lives will have been in vain.” A gibbon jumps out from their ranks and shrieks in a piercing voice, “If Your Majesty is thinking so far ahead, this is the beginning of enlightenment. The Buddhas, the Immortals and the Sages are free from the Wheel of Reincarnation. They are not born and they do not die. They are as eternal as Heaven and Earth, as the mountains and the rivers.” “Where do they live?” the Monkey King asks. “Only in the human world,” the ape replies, “in ancient caves on magic mountains.” The Monkey King is delighted to hear this. “I shall leave you all tomorrow,” he says, “and go down the mountain. The next day he leaves his friends in search for a teacher.
Chapter 2.
He Becomes Aware of the Wonderful Truth of Enlightenment,
By Killing the Demon He Realizes His Spirit-Nature
After a ten-year search, Monkey finds a teacher who gives him the name `Sun Wukong`, which means `Monkey Awakened to Emptiness'. Monkey studies language and deportment under his spiritual elder brothers, expounds the scriptures, discusses the Way, practices calligraphy, and burns incense. Thus six or seven years slip by without his noticing them. One day the Patriarch takes his seat on the dais, calls all the Immortals together, and begins to explain the Great Way. Monkey learns spells, magic and a somersault with which he can cover one hundred eight thousand miles from his teacher.
True spells, revealing secrets and all powerful,
Are the only sure way of protecting one's life.
Grasp all the Five Elements and turn them upside down,
On a day when spring is giving way to summer, and all the students are sitting under some pine trees listening to lectures for a long time, they say, “Sun Wukong, in what life did you earn your present destiny? The other day our teacher whispers to you how to do the transformations to avoid the Three Disasters. Can you do them all yet?” “It's true, brothers,” says Sun Wukong with a grin, “I can do them all.” “This would be a good time for you to give us a demonstration.” At this suggestion Sun Wukong braces his spirit to show off his skill. “What's it to be, brothers? Tell me what you'd like me to turn myself into.” “Turn into a pine tree,” they all say. Sun Wukong clenches his fist, says the magic words, shakes himself, and changes into a pine tree. When the students see it they clap their hands and chuckle aloud, saying, “Good old monkey, good old monkey.” They do not realize that the row they are making disturbs the Patriarch, who rushes out through the door, dragging his stick behind him. “Who's making a row out here?” he asks. The students hurriedly pull themselves together, straighten their clothes and go over to him. Sun Wukong, who has now resumed his real appearance, says from the forest, “Master, we were holding a discussion here, and there were no outsiders making a din.” “Yelling and shouting like that,” the Patriarch angrily roars, “is no way for those cultivating their conduct to behave. If you are cultivating your conduct, the subtle vapors escape when you open your mouth, and when you wag your tongue, trouble starts. What was all the laughing and shouting about?” “Just now Sun Wukong did a transformation for fun. We told him to turn himself into a pine tree, and he did. We all praised and applauded him, which was why we disturbed you with the noise, master. We beg you to forgive us.” The Patriarch sends them all away except for Sun Wukong, to whom he says, “Come here. Is that a way to use your spirit? To change into a pine tree? Is this a skill you should be showing off in front of people? If you saw somebody else doing that, wouldn't you ask him to teach you? If other people see you doing it, they're bound to ask you to teach them, and if you want to keep out of trouble you'll have to do so; otherwise they may do you harm, and then your life will be in danger. ”Sun Wukong kowtows and says, “Please forgive me, master.” “I shan't punish you,” the Patriarch replies, “but you'll have to go.” Sun Wukong's eyes fills with tears. “Master, where am I to go?” “Go back to where you came from.” Sun Wukong has a sudden awakening, and he says, “I came from the Water Curtain Cave on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit in the country of Aolai in the Eastern Continent of Superior Body. " “If you hurry back there,” the Patriarch replies, “you will be able to preserve your life. If you stay here it will be absolutely impossible to do so.” Sun Wukong accepts his punishment.
Wukong goes back to the water curtain cave to live with the other monkeys again. Because a monster had been making life difficult for them, Wukong goes to fight him. He pulls out one of his hairs, pops it in his mouth, chews it up, and blows it out into the air, shouting, “Change!” It turns into two or three hundred little monkeys, who all crowd aroung him. Sun Wukong now has an immortal body, and there is no magic transformation of which he is not capable. Since he has followed the Way he can change each of the eighty-four thousand hairs on his body into anything he wants. The little monkeys are too quick and nimble for sword or spear. Look at them, leaping forwards and jumping backwards, rushing up and surrounding the demon king, grabbing him, seizing him, poking him in the backside, pulling at his feet, punching him, kicking him, tearing his hair out, scratching at his eyes, twisting his nose, all picking him up together and throwing him to the ground. They go on until they have beaten him to a pulp. Sun Wukong snatches his sword from him, tells the little monkeys to get out of the way, and brings it down on the crown of his head, splitting it into two. “Where did you learn such arts, Your Majesty?” the monkeys ask insistently. “When I left you,” Sun Wukong replies, “I followed the waves and the currents, and drifted across the Eastern Ocean to the Southern Jambu Continent. Here I taught myself to take human form and to wear these clothes and boots. I swaggered around for eight or nine years, but I never found the Way, so I sailed across the Western Ocean to the Western Continent of Cattle-gift. After long enquiries I was lucky enough to meet a venerable Immortal, who taught me the True Result, which makes me as immortal as heaven, and the great Dharma Gate to eternal youth.”
Chapter 3.
The Four Seas and Thousand Mountains All Submit,
In the Ninth Hell the Tenth Category Is Struck Off the Register
Monkey is worried about attacks by some human monarch or king of birds or beasts, so he procures weapons for the monkeys. Monkey decides he needs a weapon himself and visits Ao Guang, the Old Dragon King of the Eastern Sea and ask him for a weapon. Not wishing to refuse this request, the Dragon King shows him several weapons, but Monkey doesn`t like them saying, “They`re too light, far too light; and they don't suit me. I beg you to give me another.” The Dragon King gives him another weapon which weighs three thousand six hundred pounds, but it is still not good enought for Monkey. The Dragon King, now really terrified, says, “Exalted Immortal, I really have nothing else.” As he was speaking, his dragon wife and dragon daughters come in from the back of the palace and say, “Your Majesty, by the look of him this sage must be really somebody. The piece of miraculous iron that anchors the Milkey Way in place has been shining with a lovely rosy glow for the last few days, and creating a most auspicious atmosphere. Perhaps it has started to shine to greet this sage.” The Dragon King takes Monkey into the middle of the sea treasury, where all of a sudden they could see ten thousand rays of golden light. Pointing at it, the Dragon King says, “That's it, where all the light is coming from.” Sun Wukong hitches up his clothes and goes to give it a feel. He finds that it is an iron pillar about as thick as a measure for a peck of grain and some twenty feet long. Seizing it with both hands he says, “It's too thick and too long. If it were a bit shorter and thinner it would do.” As soon as these words are out of his mouth this precious piece of iron becomes several feet shorter and a few inches thinner. Sun Wukong tosses it in his hands, remarking that it would be even better if it were thinner still. The precious iron thereupon becomes even thinner. Sun Wukong is taking it out of the sea treasury to have a look at it when he sees that it had two gold bands round it, while the middle part is made of black iron. There is a line of inlaid writing near the bands which says that it is the AS-YOU-WILL COLD-BANDED CUDGEL: WEIGHT 13,500 POUNDS. Monkey takes the weapon and shows it to the other monkeys. He clasps his `As You Will Cudgel` and uses heaven and earth magic to become as tall as a mountain.
One day the Handsome Monkey King has a dream. In the dream, Monkey`s soul is taken to the Underworld the Underworld by two fetchers of the dead because his life in the world above is due to end. The Monkey King loses his temper and smashes the two fetchers of the dead to pulp. Since he has cultivated the Way of Immortality and will live as long as Heaven he is no longer under their control, so he tells the Ten Kings of Hell to show him the Register of Life and crosses out his name from the Register of Life and Death. Some time later Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea visits the Supreme Heavenly Sage the Jade Emperor in Heaven and complains that recently one Sun Wukong, bullied him and occupied his watery house by force. The Jade Emperor also receives a memo from one of the ministers of the Underworld that the Heaven-born Monkey of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit killed the devil messengers of the Ninth Hell with his magic, and terrified the Ten Benevolent Kings of the Underworld with his power.
Chapter 4.
Dissatisfied at Being Appointed Protector of the Horses,
Not Content with the Title of Equal of Heaven
It is decided that Monkey is to be invited to Heaven to be given office as an Immortal to keep him from further misdeeds. Monkey is made Protector of the Horses, but after finding out it is a bottom grade job, Monkey feels insulted, leaves Heaven and returns to the Mountain of Flower and Fruit. The monkeys ask him what office he held. “It hurts me to tell you,” replies the Monkey King with a wave of his hand. “I feel thoroughly humiliated. That Jade Emperor doesn't know how to use a good man. A man like me—'Protector of the Horses'. “Your Majesty has such miraculous powers: you should never have been feeding his horses for him. You should have been made a 'Great Sage Equaling Heaven,' shouldn't you?” The Monkey King is beside himself with delight at this suggestion and keeps saying how splendid it is. “Get me a banner made at once with the words 'Great Sage Equaling Heaven' in big letters on it, and put up a pole to hang it from,” he orders. “From now on I am to be called 'Great Sage Equaling Heaven,' not 'Your Majesty' or 'King'. Pass this order on to all the other kings of the monsters.” The Jade Emperor is told that Sun Wukong, the new Protector of the Horses, has left Heaven because he thought his office was too humble. On hearing this the Jade Emperor commands, “ we shall send heavenly soldiers to capture this devil.” He appoints the Pagoda-bearing Heavenly King as Demon quelling High Marshal, and Prince Nezha as Great God of the Seas. He tells them to take their forces down to the lower world at once. Heavenly King Li and Nezha kowtows, take their leave, go straight back to their own palace, and assemble their troops, commanders and officers. They put the Mighty Miracle God in charge of the vanguard, and General Fishbelly in command of the rear, while General Yaksa was made adjutant. Within an instant they are outside the Southern Gate of Heaven, and they go straight to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. They choose a piece of level and open ground on which to construct a fortified camp, and order the Mighty Miracle God to issue the challenge to battle. The Mighty Miracle God is no match for his opponent. He hastens to block the Monkey King's first blow with his axe, which brakes in two with a crunch. He flees for his life as fast as he can, and the Monkey King says mockingly, “You bag of pus, I'll spare you this time. Hurry back with my message, and look sharp about it.”
The Mighty Miracle God returns to his camp, goes straight to the Pagoda-bearing Heavenly King Li Jing, kneels before him, and says with an awkward laugh, “The Protector of the Horses has really tremendous magic powers. I was no match for him. He beat me, and now I have come to take my punishment.” “This fool has ruined our morale,” explodes the Heavenly King Li in a fury. “Take him away, and off with his head.” Prince Nezha, who is standing to one side, steps forward, bows, and says, “Do not be angry, Your Majesty. Forgive the Mighty Miracle God, and let me go and do battle; then we'll see who's boss.” The heavenly king accepts his advice, and tells Mighty Miracle God to go back and look after the camp while he awaits his punishment. When he has put on his armour and helmet, Prince Nezha charges straight out of the camp to the Water Curtain Cave. Sun Wukong, who was just going to pull back his troops, sees the ferocity of his onslaught. “Change,” yells Nezha in a passion, and at once he has three heads and six arms, which make him look most ferocious. In his hands he holds six weapons, a demon-beheading sword, a demon-hacking cutlass, a demon-binding rope, a demon-quelling pestle, an embroidered ball, and a fire-wheel—and wielding all these he rushes straight at Sun Wukong. At the sight of him Sun Wukong exclaims with astonishment, “Well, my boy, you certainly know a trick or two. But just behave yourself and watch what I can do.” Our dear Great Sage shouts “Change,” and he too has three heads and six arms. He shakes his gold-banded cudgel, and it turns into three cudgels, which he grips with his six hands to ward off Nezha's blows. It is a great fight, and it makes the earth shake and the mountains tremble. Nezha is in the middle of performing a spell when he hears the whistle of the cudgel through the air and twists away as fast as he could. But he is unable to avoid the blow and has to flee wounded. He brings his magic to an end, puts his six weapons away, reverts to his true appearance, and abandons the field of battle in defeat Prince Nezha reports to the Heavenly King Li Jing, “Father, the Protector of the Horses is very powerful. My magic was outclassed and he has wounded me in the shoulder. Outside the gates of the cave, there is a banner on a pole that reads 'Great Sage Equaling Heaven'. He bragged that if the Jade Emperor gave him this title he would call everything off; otherwise he said he would attack the Hall of Miraculous Mist.” “In that case,” said the Heavenly King, “we'll disengage now, go back to Heaven, and request that more heavenly troops be sent to capture this wretch. However, it is now decided that Monkey will be invited to Heaven again, in order to keep him from his wicked behavior, and can keep the title `the Great Sage Equaling Heaven`, which he gave himself. This time he will be given a high rank and salary.
Chapter 5.
After Chaos Among the Peaches the Great Sage Steals the Pills,
In the Revolt Against Heaven the Gods Capture the Demons
Since Monkey is idle and has nothing to do in Heaven, he is to administer the Peach Orchard. Anyone who eats of the peaches becomes an Immortal and understands the Way and one day Monkey tries some of the peaches. That same day, seven fairies come to pick peaches for the Queen Mother`s Peach Banquet and Monkey finds out that he is not invited. Feeling insulted, Monkey changes himself into the likeness of the Bare-foot Immortal who is invited to the banquet, and goes to Hall of Universal Brightness. The guest haven`t arrived yet and Monkey grabs rare delicacies and exotic foods and drinks from the vats and pots until he is completely drunk. He then goes to Lord Lao Zi's palace in the Tsushita Heaven and there eats up his five gourds of pills of immortality. Quickly becoming sober because of the pills, Monkey realizes the colossal disaster of what he has done, leaves Heaven, and goes straight down to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.
The Jade Emperor, now furiously angry, orders the Four Great Heavenly Kings along with Heavenly King Li, and Prince Nezha to mobilize the Twenty-eight Constellations, the Nine Bright Shiners, the Twelve Gods of the Twelve Branches, the Revealers of the Truth of the Five Regions, the Four Duty Gods, the Constellations of the East and West, the Gods of the North and South, the Deities of the Five Mountains and the Four Rivers, the star ministers soldiers of all Heaven, and a total of a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers. They are to descend to the lower world with eighteen heaven-and-earth nets, surround the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, and capture that wretch for punishment. First the Nine Bright Shiners fight Monkey but have to flee from the battlefield, unable to defeat him. Heavenly King Li then sends the Four Heavenly Kings and the Twenty-eight Constellations into battle, but they are also forced to withdraw because the Monkey King is so ferocious.
Chapter 6.
Guanyin Comes to the Feast and Asks the Reason Why,
The Little Sage Uses His Might to Subdue the Great Sage
Guanyin sends down his senior disciple Prince Moksa to fight Monkey but after some fifty or sixty rounds, he can resist the Great Sage no longer and turns away and runs. Next the Illustrious Sage and True Lord Erlang are asked to fight Monkey but after fighting over three hundred rounds the outcome of the fight is still undecided. Erlang braces himself, and with a shake becomes ten thousand fathoms tall; in his hands his two-bladed trident look like the peaks of Mount Hua. His face is black, his fangs are long, and his hair is bright red: he looks ferociously evil. He hacks at the Great Sage's head. The Great Sage, also resorting to magic, gives himself a body as big as Erlang's and a face as frightening; and he raises his As-You-Will gold-banded cudgel, which is now like the pillar of Heaven on the summit of the Kunlun Mountain, to ward off Erlang's blow.
The Emperor, Lao Zi, the Queen Mother, Guanyin and all the immortal ministers are observing the fight from the Southern Gate of Heaven. The Bodhisattva addresses Lao Zi and asks, “What do you think of the god Erlang I recommended? He really does have divine powers. He's just got that Great Sage cornered, and all he has to do now is to catch him. I’ll give him a little help and drop my pure vase of willow twigs on the monkey's head. Even if it doesn't kill him it will knock him off balance and enable the Little Sage to catch him.” “That vase of yours is made of porcelain,” Lao Zi replies, “and if you hit the target that will be fine. But if it were to miss his head and smash into his iron club, it would be shattered. Just hold your hand while I give him a little help.” He pulls up his sleeve and takes a bracelet off his right arm. “This weapon,” he says, “is made of tempered steel to which I have added the magic elixir. It preserves my miraculous essence, can transform itself, is proof against fire and water, and can snare anything. One of its names is Diamond Jade and the other is Diamond Noose. Just watch while I throw it down and hit him.” Then Lao Zi throws his Diamond Jade bracelet from heaven to hit the Monkey. Monkey is too preoccupied with fighting, to notice the bracelet falling and it strikes him on the forehead. He loses his balance and is finally caught.
Chapter 7.
The Great Sage Escapes from the Eight Trigrams Furnace,
The Mind-Ape Is Fixed Beneath Five Elements Mountain
To the ape's immortal body is matched a human mind:
That the mind is an ape is deeply meaningful.
It was quite true that the Great Sage equaled Heaven:
The appointment as Protector of the Horse showed no discernment.
Horse and ape together make mind and thought;
Bind them tightly together, and do not seek elsewhere.
When all phenomena are reduced to truth they follow a single pattern;
Like the Tathagatha reaching nirvana under the two trees.
It is decided to put the Great Sage in Lao Zi`s Eight Trigrams Furnace, to refine out the elixir of the immortal pills that he stole and reduce him to ashes at the same time. After forty-nine, days Lord Lao Zi's fire has reached the required temperature and burned for long enough so the furnace is opened. Since Monkey is of the element fire himself, fire cannot harm him and he leaps out of the Furnace unharmed and escapes.
The Jade Emperor then asks Buddha to help subdue Monkey and Buddha has a wager with Monkey. If Monkey is clever enough to get out Buddha`s right hand with a single somersault, he is the winner, and there will be no more need for weapons or fighting and the Jade Emperor will abdicate the Heavenly Palace to Monkey. But if he cannot get out of the palm of his hand he will have to go down to the world below as a devil and train himself for several more kalpas before coming to argue about it again. Since Monkey can cover one hundred and eight thousand miles with a somersault he thinks that Buddha is a complete idiot to suggest the wager. The Buddha, who is watching him with his wise eyes, sees the Monkey King whirling forward like a windmill and not stopping until he sees five flesh-pink pillars topped by dark vapors. “This is the end of the road,” he says, “so now I'll go back. The Buddha will be witness, and the Hall of Miraculous Mist will be mine.” Then he thinks again, “Wait a moment. I'll leave my mark here to prove my case when I talk to the Buddha.” He writes THE GREAT SAGE EQUALING HEAVEN WAS HERE in big letters on the middle Pillar and makes a pool of monkey piss at the foot of the pillar. Then he turns his somersault round and goes back to where he has started from. “I went, and now I'm back. Tell the Jade Emperor to hand the Heavenly Palace over to me,” he says, standing in the Buddha's palm. “I've got you, you piss-spirit of a monkey,” roars the Buddha at him. “You never left the palm of my hand. ” “You're wrong there,” the Great Sage replies. “I went to the farthest point of Heaven, where I saw five flesh-pink pillars topped by dark vapors. I left my mark there: do you dare come and see it with me?” “There's no need to go. Just look down.” The Great Sage looks down with his fire eyes with golden pupils to see the words “The Great Sage Equaling Heaven Was Here” written on the middle finger of the Buddha's right hand. The stink of monkey-piss rose from the fold at the bottom of the finger. “What a thing to happen,” exclaims the Great Sage in astonishment. “I wrote this on one of the pillars supporting the sky, so how can it be on his finger now? He must have used divination to know what I was going to do. I don't believe it. I refuse to believe it! I'll go there and come back again.” The dear Great Sage hurriedly braces himself to jump, but the Buddha turns his hand over and pushes the Monkey King out through the Western Gate of Heaven. He turns his five fingers into a mountain chain belonging to the elements Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, renames them the Five Elements Mountain, and gently held him down. Monkey will have to stay under the mountain for five hundred years as punishment.
Chapter 8.
Our Buddha Creates the Scriptures and Passes on Perfect Bliss,
Guanyin Obeys a Decree and Goes to Chang'an
The story continues with Buddha observing that in the Southern Jambu Continent the people are greedy and lecherous and delight in the sufferings of others; they go in for a great deal of killing and quarrelling. The continent can with truth be called a vicious field of tongues and mouths, an evil sea of disputation. Buddha has Three Stores of True Scriptures with which they can be persuaded to be good. Bodhisattva Guanyin volunteers to go to the East, choose a worthy believer and bid him to make the arduous crossing of a thousand mountain and ten thousand rivers to receive the Scriptures from Buddha. Buddha tells Guanyin:
“Give this cassock and staff to him who will come to fetch the scriptures: they are for him to use. If he is determined to come here, he can avoid the Wheel of Reincarnation by wearing this cassock,
and he will be free from evil if he carries this staff.”
If you try to ask about the dhyana
Or investigate the innumerable
You will waste your life and achieve nothing.
Polishing bricks to make mirrors,
Or piling up snow to turn it into grain— However many years have you wasted like that?
A hair can contain an ocean,
A mustard-seed can hold a mountain,
And the golden Kasyapa only smiles.
When you are awakened you will surpass the Ten Stages and the Three Vehicles,
And stop the four kinds of life and the six ways.
Buddha also tells Guanyin that if he meets any devils with great magic powers on his journey he should persuade them to reform and become the disciples of the pilgrim who will come to fetch the scriptures. Along the Journey to Chang`An Guan Yin encounters an ogre who is actually the Curtain Raising General, who was exiled to the lower world for accidentally smashed a crystal dish at a Peach Banquet. Guanyin converts him to truth, gives him the Buddhist name of Wujing (“Awakened to Purity") and tells him to wait for a pilgrim and accompany him on a journey to fetch the scriptures.
Guan Yin encounters another monster who used to be Marshal Tian Peng in the Milky Way and was exiled in the mortal world because he took some wine to seduce the moon maiden. Guanyin also converts Marshal Tian Peng to truth, gives him the Buddhist name of Zhu Wuneng (“Pig Awakened to Power") and tells him to wait for a pilgrim and accompany him on a journey to fetch the scriptures. Next Guanyin converts a wicked Dragon who is to turn into a white horse when a pilgrim comes on a journey to fetch the scriptures. Guanyin then meets the Great Sage who has been crushed under the Five Elements Mountain for almost five hundred years. Monkey agrees to accompany the man who will fetch the Scriptures and will be freed from under the mountain by the monk when he comes.
Chapter 9.
Chen Guangrui Comes to Grief on His Way to His Post,
The Monk of the River Current Avenges His Parents
At that time in Chang'an city, Emperor Taizong holds an examination in accordance with the practice of the ancients. All the Confucian scholars on the civil or military rolls in every prefecture, district and county who have distinguished themselves in the three-stage examinations for their understanding of literature are to go to Chang'an for a final test. Chen Guangrui achieves the highest grade in the exam and the emperor rewards him with an appointment as prefect of Jiangzhou. After finding a wife, they depart for their new appointment. However, along the way a boatman who lusts after his wife, kills him and throws him overboard. The boatman takes Guangrui`s wife, pretends to be Guangrui, and assumes his job as prefect. Guangrui`s wife Miss Yin, wants to kill herself, but being pregnant with an unborn child, she forces herself to go with him. After she has delivered the child she hears an invisible voice say, “Man-tang-qiao, you must do as I tell you. I am the Lord of the Southern Pole Star, and I have come to give you this son on the orders of the Bodhisattva Guanyin. One day he will be extraordinarily famous. When the villainous Liu comes back he will certainly want to kill this boy, so you must look after him with great care. Your husband has been rescued by the dragon king; one day you will be reunited with him and your son, and your sufferings will be at an end. Remember my words. Wake up, wake up!” Miss Yin decides to abandon her son in the river as soon as possible and let fate determine whether he is to live or to die. She ties the child to a board with her sash, and pushes him out into the stream to go where he will. The boy floats downstream on the plank until he comes to a stop under the Jinshan Temple. The abbot of this temple, a monk called Faming, finds the child, gives him the milk-name Jiangliu, “River Current,” and arranges for him to be fostered. Time passes like an arrow, and the days and months move as fast as a shuttle. When Jiangliu reaches the age of seventeen the abbot tells him to have his head tonsured and enter the religious life. Giving him the Buddhist name Xuanzang he lays his hands upon his head and instructs him to observe the monastic discipline. Xuanzang is determined to cultivate the Way.
The story continues with the Dragon King of the River Jing, who visits a soothsayer, transformed as a scholar. The Dragon king is in charge of making rain and has a wager with the sooth-sayer that he can`t predict the right time of rain. The sooth-sayer gives him the time of the next rain and to his great surprise the Dragon king receives an Imperial Decree from Heaven to make rain at the exact same time. In order to win the wager the Dragon King flouts the degree from the Jade Emperor, which is a crime against heaven that will cost the Dragon King his life.
In a dream the Dragon King visits Emperor Taizong of Chang`An to ask him for help to spare his life. The dragon king takes human form, goes up to him, kneels and bows before him, crying, “Save me, Your Majesty, save me.” “Who are you, that we should save you?” asks Taizong. “Your Majesty is a true dragon,” replies the dragon king, “and I am a wicked dragon. As I have offended against the laws of Heaven, I am due to be beheaded by Your Majesty's illustrious minister Wei Zheng, the official in charge of personnel, so I have come to beg you to save me.” “If you are supposed to be beheaded by Wei Zheng, we can save you, so set your mind at rest and go along now,” says the Tang Emperor. The dragon king, who is extremely happy, kowtows in thanks and leaves. The Tang Emperor sends a personal aide with a decree summoning Wei Zheng to court. Wei Zheng enters the emperor`s private quarters, where they discuss the policies to bring peace and stability to the country. At about noon he orders the palace ladies to bring a large weiqi chess set and says, “We shall now have a game of chess.”
Chapter 10.
With a Stupid Plan the Dragon King Breaks the Laws of Heaven,
Minister Wei Sends a Letter to an Officer of Hell
As sovereign and minister play their game of chess it is half past one. Although the game is not over, Wei Zheng slumps down beside the table and starts to snore, fast asleep. “Worthy Minister,” says Taizong with a smile, “you have exhausted your mind in strengthening the country and tired yourself out building the empire; that is why you have fallen asleep without realizing it.” The Emperor says no more and lets him sleep. Not long afterwards Wei Zheng wakes up, prostrates himself on the floor, and says, “Your subject deserves ten thousand deaths. I fell asleep without knowing what I was doing, and I beg Your Majesty to forgive your subject's criminal discourtesy to his sovereign.” “What criminal discourtesy have you committed?” the Emperor asks. “Rise, and take the Pieces off the board so that we may start again.” Wei Zheng thanks him for his grace, and is just taking the pieces in his hand when he hears shouting outside the palace gates. Qin Shubao, Xu Maogong and some others bring in a dragon's head dripping with blood, throw it to the floor in front of the Emperor, and report, “Your Majesty, this dragon's head fell from a cloud at the crossroads at the end of the Thousand Yard Portico, and your humble subjects dared not fail to report it,” says Qin Shubao and Xu Maogong. “What does this mean?” the Tang Emperor asks Wei Zheng in astonishment. “Your subject beheaded it in a dream just now,” replies Wei Zheng, kowtowing. “But I never saw you move your hand or body when you were dozing,” says the shocked Emperor, “and you had no sword, so how could you have beheaded it?” Emperor Taizong's feelings on hearing this are mixed. On the one hand he is happy, because he is proud of having so good a minister as Wei Zheng; for with a hero like that in his court he needs to have no worries about the safety of the empire. On the other hand he is distressed, because although he had promised in his dream to save the dragon, it has been executed.
When he returns to the palace that evening, the Emperor is depressed as he remembers how the dragon had wept so bitterly in his dream, begging to be saved. That night, as he lies in a fitful sleep, the Dragon King reappears, this time holding his head dripping with blood in his hands. “Emperor Taizong of the Tang,” he shouts, “give me back my life, give me back my life. Last night you were full of promises to save me, so why did you double-cross me yesterday and order Wei Zheng, the official in charge of personnel, to behead me? Come out, come out, and we shall go to the King of Hell's place to have this out.” He pulls at the Emperor's clothes and won't stop shouting. The dragon then goes down to Hell to submit a full report. The next day a decree is brought out that reads, “As our mind is not at ease all the officials are excused court.” Six or seven days quickly pass, and the Empress issues a decree summoning the royal doctors to the palace to administer medicine. However, he Emperor's condition deteriorates day by day. One day the Empress Dowager issues an edict summoning the officials to discuss funeral arrangements. Taizong sents for Xu Maogong and gives him orders about affairs of state, instructing him to look after the heir to the throne. When he has finished speaking he is bathed and puts into clean clothes. All he has to do now was to wait for the end. The disease reaches his heart and the Emperor`s life comes to an end.
Chapter 11.
After Touring the Underworld, Taizong Returns to Life,
By Presenting a Pumpkin Liu Quan Continues His Marriage
Emperor Taizong`s soul is taken to the underworld and meets the Ten Kings of the Underworld. Taizong finds out that the ghost dragon of the River Jing has brought a case against him, saying that he was executed despite his promise to save him. The Ten Kings decide that it was not the Emperor`s fault that the dragon was beheaded. They look in the Register of Life and Death and see that the Emperor still has twenty years to live, so they sent him back to the world of light. Taizong bows to express his thanks to the Ten Kings. “When we return to the daylight we shall have nothing with which to show our gratitude except for fruit and melons,” he says. “We have gourds, Eastern melons and Western melons, or water-melons, here, but no pumpkins, no Southern melons,” say the Ten Kings. “When we return to the world of the living we shall send some,” replies Taizong, and with that they raise their clasped hands to each other, bow, and part. On his way back to the World of Light, Taizong meets the ghosts of the kings and chieftains of the sixty-four groups of rebels and the seventy-two troops of bandits who were all killed unjustly and cannot be reborn. Taizong promises to hold a Great Mass when he is back in the world of light to enable all of them to be reborn. After Taizong has returned tp the world of the living, he issues a notice calling for a worthy man to take pumpkins to the underworld. Some days after the notice has been issued a worthy man called Liu Quan from Junzhou comes forward to deliver the pumpkins. He came from a family worth ten thousand strings of cash. When his wife Li Cuilian had taken a gold pin from her hair to give as an offering to a monk at the gate, Liu Quan had cursed her for being a loose wife who would not stay in the women's quarters. Li Cuilian, bitterly resenting this, had hanged herself, leaving a little boy and girl who had been crying night and day ever since. Liu Quan, unable to bear it any longer, wanted only to end his own life and abandon his family and his children. For this reason he has volunteered to deliver the pumpkins in death and comes to the Tang Emperor with the imperial notice in his hand. The Emperor orders him to go to the Golden Pavilion, where he is to put a pair of pumpkins on his head and some gold in his sleeve and drink poison. Liu Quan drinks the poison and dies. In an instant his soul appears at the Devil Gate with the pumpkins on his head. The demon officer at the gate asks, “Who are you, and how did you come here?” “I have come on the orders of Emperor Taizong of the Great Tang to present some pumpkins to the Ten Kings of Hell.” The officer is only too pleased to let him in, and he goes straight to the Senluo Palace, and when he is given audience with the Kings of Hell he presents the pumpkins to them and says, “I have brought these pumpkins a great distance in obedience to the decree of the Tang Emperor, who wishes to thank Your Majesties for their great mercy to him.” “How splendid of the Tang Emperor to be as good as his word,” exclaim the ten delighted kings as they accept the pumpkins. Then they ask him what he was called and where he was from.
On hearing his story, the Ten Kings order a search for Liu Quan's wife, Miss Li. The devil messengers soon bring her to the Senluo Palace, outside which Liu Quan is reunited with her. They thank the Ten Kings for their kindness. On consulting the Registers of Birth and Death, the kings find that they are fated to become Immortals, so they order demon officers to take them back at once. The demon officers, however, ask in a report, “As Li Cuilian has been dead for some time her body has perished, so what is her soul to be attached to?” “Li Yuying, the sister of the Tang Emperor, is due to die a sudden death today,” says the Kings of Hell, “so we can borrow her body to put Li Cuilian's soul back into.” On receiving this order the demon officers take Liu Quan and his wife out of the underworld to be brought back to life. When the devil officers leave the underworld with Liu Quan and his wife, a dark and whirling wind blows them straight to the great capital Chang'an, where Liu Quan's soul is sent to the Golden Pavilion and Li Cuilian's to an inner courtyard of the palace, where Princess Yuying can be seen walking slowing beside some moss under the shade of some blossoming trees. Suddenly the devil officers strike her full in the chest and knock her over; they snatch the soul from her living body and put Li Cuilian's soul into the body in its place. With that they return to the underworld.
Chapter 12.
The Tang Emperor Keeps Faith and Holds a Great Mass,
Guanyin Appears to the Reincarnated Golden Cicada
“Why are you only talking about the doctrine of the Little Vehicle, monk? Can you preach about the Great Vehicle?” “That doctrine of the Little Vehicle of yours will never bring the dead to rebirth; it's only good enough for a vulgar sort of enlightenment. Now I have the Three Stores of the Buddha's Law of the Great Vehicle
and free souls from the eternal coming and going.”
Great are the Three Jewels, and honoured be the Way;
The Four Kinds of Life and Six Paths are all explained.
Whoever knows and teaches the law of Man and Heaven,
It protects the body and makes it a world of gold,
Ever since Buddha made his cassock.
Chapter 13.
He Falls into the Tiger's Den and Is Saved by the Planet Venus,
On Double-Forked Peak Boqin Entertains the Priest
Sanzang starts the journey in the company of two attendants. While they travel in the early morning when it is still dark, his horse stumbles and all of them fall into a pit and are captured by a thoroughly evil demon king. The demon king eats his two attendants and keeps Sanzang for later. Just when all seems lost, an old man appears, walking towards Sanzang with the help of a stick. He comes up to Sanzang, breaks all his bonds with a wave of his hand, and revives him by blowing into his face. Sanzang falls to his knees and bows low to him, saying, “Thank you, venerable ancient, for saving my humble life.” “The reason they did not eat you was because your fundamental nature is enlightened. Come with me and I'll show you the way.” Overcome with gratitude, Sanzang puts the packs on his horse and leads it by the bridle as he follows the old man out of the pit and on to the main road. Tying the horse to a bush beside the road, he turns round to bow low to the old man and thank him, but the old man changes into a puff off wind and rises into the sky on the back of a red-crested white crane. All that could be seen was a piece of paper drifting down in the wind with four lines of verse written on it:
I am the Planet Venus of the Western Heaven,
Who came to save your life.
In the journey ahead you will have divine disciples:
Do not in your troubles feel angry with the scriptures.
Sanzang continues his journey alone when a ferocious tiger appears in front of him. Being by himself and unable to think of a way out, Sanzang prepares to abandon his mind and body and let Heaven do as it will. However the tiger runs away when a man comes across the hillside with a steel trident in his hand who introduces himself. "My name is Liu Boqin and I am known as the warden of the mountain. I came along here because I wanted a couple of animals for the pot. You must come with me to my hut, and your horse can rest. I'll take you on your way tomorrow.” Sanzang, who is delighted to hear this, thanks him and goes along behind him, leading the horse. After they arrive at the hut Sanzang is introduced to Liu Boqin`s mother. She says; “Tomorrow is the anniversary of your father's passing away, and I would like to trouble the venerable monk to say some prayers and read a sutra for him; you could take him on his way the day after.” The next day, Sanzang recites first a prayer to purify his mouth, then a holy spell to purify his body and mind, and finally the Sutra to Deliver the Dead. When he has finished, Boqin asks him to write out a letter of introduction for the dead man and also recite the Diamond Sutra and the Guanyin Sutra. Sanzang recites them in a loud, clear voice and then ate lunch, after which he reads out the several chapters of the Lotus Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra. The soul of Boqin's father, now delivered from being a drowned ghost, comes to the house that night and appears in a dream to everyone in the family. “I suffered long in the underworld, unable to find deliverance,” he says, “but now that the saintly monk has wiped out my sins by reading some scriptures. King Yama has had me sent back to the rich land of China to be reborn in an important family. You must reward him generously, and no half measures. Now I'm going.” The next day Sanzang is thanked for recommending their father for delivery from sufferings and rebirth. Sanzang refuses to accept any gift of gratitude. He simply asks Boqin to escort him for the next stage of his journey. The warden accompanies Sanzang for a while and then says: “Venerable monk, I must ask you to take yourself on from here. I have to go back.” On hearing this Sanzang tumbles out of his saddle to say, “Please, please, take me another stage, High Warden.” When Sanzang is bowing repeatedly to the hunter, a shout like thunder comes from under the mountain: “My master's come, my master's come.” “That must be the old monkey who lives in a stone cell under this mountain shouting,” says the high warden. “What old monkey?” asked Sanzang, and the high warden replies, “This mountain used to be called Five Elements Mountain. I once heard an old man say that in the days when Wang Mang usurped the Han throne, Heaven sent down this mountain and crushed a monkey under it. It must have been him shouting; there's nothing for you to be afraid of, venerable sir. Let's go down and have a look.”
Great is the significance of the majestic Law,
That saves the dead from suffering and the morass.
Chapter 14.
The Mind-Ape Returns to Truth, The Six Bandits Disappear Without Trace
Sanzang has to follow him, leading his horse down the mountain. A mile or two later they see that there really is a monkey poking out his head out of a stone cell, and making desperate gestures with his outstretched hands as he shouts, “Master, why didn't you come before? Thank goodness you're here, thank goodness. “I am the Great Sage Equaling Heaven who wrecked the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago. The Lord Buddha put me under this mountain for my criminal insubordination. Some time ago the Bodhisattva Guanyin went to the East on the Buddha's orders to find someone who could fetch the scriptures. When I asked her to save me she told me that I was to give up evil-doing, return to the Buddha's Law, and do all I could to protect the traveler when he went to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and fetch the scriptures; she said that there'll be something in it for me when that's done. Ever since then I've been waiting day and night with eager anticipation for you to come and save me, Master. I swear to protect you on your way to fetch the scriptures and to be your disciple.” Sanzang, delighted to hear this, said, “Although you now have these splendid intentions and wish to become a monk thanks to the teaching of the Bodhisattva, I've no axe or chisel, so how am I to get you out?” “There's no need for axes or chisels. As long as you're willing to save me, I can get myself out,” the monkey replied. “I'm willing to save you,” Sanzang said, “but how are you going to get out?” “On the top of this mountain there is a detention order by the Tathagata Buddha written in letters of gold. If you climb the mountain and tear it off, I'll be straight out.” Accepting his suggestion, Sanzang turns round to ask Liu Boqin if he will go up the mountain with him. When they have reached the summit, they see a myriad beams of golden light and a thousand wisps of propitious vapor coming from a large, square rock on which is pasted a paper seal bearing the golden words Om mani padme hum. Sanzang goes up and knelt down before the rock, then read the golden words and bowed his head to the ground a number of times and gently tears the paper seal off. A scented wind blows in his face and carries the paper up into the sky as a voice calls, “I am the Great Sage's guard. Now that his sufferings are over I am going back to see the Tathagata and hand in this seal.” Then there is a great noise as the mountain split open. As they are all shaking with terror, the monkey appears kneeling stark naked in front of Sanzang's horse and saying, “Master, I'm out.” He bows four times to Sanzang.
Sanzang and Monkey are attacked by six bandits, but they are no match for Monkey and he kills them all. Sanzang thinks that even though Monkey said that he would be his disciple and observe and uphold the faith, he hasn`t actually given up his evil-doing and becomes angry with him. Monkey, who has never let himself be put upon, flares up and leaves the Monk to continue the journey alone. Before he has been traveling for long he sees an old woman on the mountain path in front of him. “Where are you from, venerable monk,” the old woman asks, “traveling all alone and by yourself?” “I have been sent by the great King of the East to go to the West to visit the Buddha and ask him for the True Scriptures,” he replies.“The Buddha of the West lives in the Great Thunder Monastery in the land of India, one hundred and eight thousand miles away from here. You'll never get there, just you and your horse, without a companion or disciple.” “I did have a disciple, but his nature was so evil that he would not accept a little reproof I administered to him and disappeared into the blue,” says Sanzang. “I have here an embroidered tunic and a hat inset with golden patterns that used to be my son's,” the woman says, “but he died after being a monk for only three days. I've just been to his monastery to mourn him and say farewell to his master, and I was taking this tunic and this hat home to remember the boy by. But as you have a disciple, venerable monk, I'll give them to you.” “Thank you very much for your great generosity, but as my disciple has already gone, I couldn't accept them.” “Where has he gone?” “All I heard was a whistling sound as he went back to the East.” “My home isn't far to the East from here,” she says, “so I expect he's gone there. I've also got a spell called True Words to Calm the Mind, or the Band-tightening Spell. You must learn it in secret, and be sure to keep it to yourself. Never leak it to anyone. I'll go and catch up with him and send him back to you, and you can give him that tunic and hat to wear. If he's disobedient again, all you have to do is recite the spell quietly. That will stop him committing any more murders or running away again.” Sanzang bows low to thank her, at which she changes into a beam of golden light and returned to the East. He realizes in his heart that it must have been the Bodhisattva Guanyin who has given him the spell. Monkey returns, notices the tunic and hat and asks Sanzang if he can wear it. As soon as he has them on, Sanzang recites the Band-tightening Spell, giving Monkey a terrible headache. “Master,” says Monkey, “What a curse you put on me to give me a headache like that.” “I didn't put a curse on you, I recited the Band-tightening Spell,” Sanzang replies. “Say it again and see what happens,” says Monkey, and when Sanzang does as he asked, Monkey's head aches again. “Stop, stop,” he shouts, “the moment you started reciting it my head ached. Why did you do it?” “Will you accept my instruction now?” Sanzang asks. “Yes,” Monkey replies. “Will you misbehave again in future?” “I certainly won't,” says Monkey.
Chapter 15.
On the Coiled Snake Mountain the Gods Give Secret Help,
In the Eagle's Sorrow Gorge the Thought-Horse Is Reined in
Sanzang and Money reach Eagle's Sorrow Gorge in the Coiled Snake Mountain. As master and disciple watch they hear a noise in the gorge as a dragon emerges from the waves, leaps up the cliff, and grabs at Sanzang. In his alarm Monkey drops the luggage, lifts Sanzang off his horse, turns, and flees. The dragon, unable to catch him up, swallows the white horse, saddle and all, at a single gulp, then disappeares once more beneath the surface of the water. Monkey makes his master sit down on a high peak and goes back to fetch the horse and the luggage. When he finds that the horse has gone and only the luggage is left, he carries the luggage up to his master and puts it down before him. “Master, that damned horse of ours must have been eaten by the dragon—I can't see it anywhere.” Monkey fights the dragon but can`t capture the dragon and goes to Guanyin for help. Guanyin tells the dragon that Monkey is the disciple of the monk he was waiting for, who is going to fetch the scriptures and changes him into a horse.
Monkey, and Sanzang on his dragon-horse, continue their journey.
Chapter 16.
The Monks of the Guanyin Monastery Plot to Take the Treasure,
The Monster of the Black Wind Mountain Steals the Cassock
Sanzang and disciples stay overnight at the Chan Monastery of Guanyin. The abbot of the monastery offer them tea and food. Everything is beautifully arranged in exquisite porcelain. When Sanzang sees all this he is full of praise. “What splendid things,” he says, “what splendid things. Wonderful tea in wonderful vessels.” “They're not worth looking at,” the old monk replies. “After all, sir, you come from a superior and heavenly court, and have seen many rare things in your wide travels; so how can you give such exaggerated praise to things like that? What treasures did you bring with you from your superior country that I could have a look at?” “I'm afraid our Eastern land has no great treasures, and even if it did, I would have been unable to bring them on so long a journey”, Sanzang replies. “Master,” puts in Monkey, who was sitting beside him, “isn't that cassock I saw in our bundle the other day a treasure? Why don't I take it out for him to see?” Monkey shows Sanzang`s cassock to the Abbot. When the aged monk sees how rare a treasure it was, his heart is indeed disturbed. He goes up to Sanzang and kneels before him. “Sir,” the aged monk says, “it is already evening, so my eyes are too dim to see it clearly. Would you let me take it to my room to examine it closely during the night, I will return it to you in the morning to take to the West. What do you say to that?” This request startles Sanzang, but Money assures him that everything would be fine, and that he would be responsible.
The Abbot wants to keep the cassock and tries to kill Sanzang by setting fire to the monastery. Monkey finds out about the Abbot’s plan and steels back the cassock. He then keeps the Tang Priest, the dragon horse, and the luggage, safe from the fire with his magic. However, during the fire a monster of the black wind mountain, who notices the fire and comes to see what it is all about, sees a magic glow and propitious vapors coming from one of the rooms. When he sees it is a rare treasure of the Buddhist religion, he grasps the cassock and makes off with it. When Monkey wants to go off to find the cassock, Sanzang is afraid that there will be no one to protect him. Monkey replies: “Don't worry, gods are watching over you in secret”.
Chapter 17.
Brother Monkey Makes Trouble on the Black Wind Mountain,
Guanyin Subdues the Bear Spirit
Monkey finds the demon but can`t defeat him and asks Guanyin for help. “What have you come for?” the Bodhisattva asks. I beg you in your mercy to help me catch that evil spirit, get the cassock back, and carry on towards the West”, replies Monkey. “That monster's magical powers are certainly no weaker than yours,” the Bodhisattva says. “Very well then, out of consideration for the Tang Priest I'll go there with you.” As they were on their way, a Taoist priest appears on the mountain slope. He is carrying a glass salver on which were two pills of the elixir of immortality. Monkey is immediately suspicious of him, so he strikes straight at his head with the iron cudgel, sending blood splattering out from brain and chest. “Are you still as wild as this, you ape?” the shocked Bodhisattva asks. “He didn't steal your cassock, you didn't even know him, and he was no enemy of yours. Why kill him?” “You may not know him, Bodhisattva,” Monkey replies, “but he was a friend of the Black Bear Spirit. Yesterday they and a white-clad scholar were sitting talking in front of the grassy mountainside. Today is the Black Spirit's birthday, and tomorrow he is coming to the 'Buddha's Robe Banquet'. That's why I recognized him. I'm sure that he was coming to greet that monster on his birthday.”
I have got a plan to catch the monster,” says Monkey. “Tell me about it,” the Bodhisattva says. “The two pills of immortality you see on that salver will be the present we take to visit him with,” says Monkey, “and the words inscribed underneath—'Made by Master Emptiness-reached'—are the bait we'll set for him. You change yourself into that Taoist. I shall eat one of those pills and then change myself into a pill, though I'll be a bit on the big side. You are to take the tray with the two pills on it and go to wish the fiend many happy returns. Give him the bigger of the pills, and when he's swallowed me, I'll take over inside him. If he doesn't hand the cassock over then, I'll weave a substitute out of his guts.” The Bodhisattva can only nod her agreement. “What about it then?” says the laughing Monkey, and at this the Bodhisattva in her great mercy uses her unbounded divine power and her infinite capacity for transformation to control her will with her heart and her body with her will—in an instant she turns into Master Emptiness-reached. “Great, great,” exclaims Brother Monkey at the sight. “Are you a Bodhisattva disguised as an evil spirit, or a Bodhisattva who really is an evil spirit?” “Monkey,” she replies with a laugh, “evil spirit and Bodhisattva are all the same in the last analysis—they both belong to non-being.” Suddenly enlightened by this, Monkey curls up and turns himself into a pill of immortality. The pill he changed himself into is indeed a little larger than the other one. The Bodhisattva notes this and goes with the glass salver to the entrance of the fiend's cave. She offers the pills to the monster and as soon as he swallows them, Monkey resumes his true form and strikes up some acrobatic postures, at which the fiend falls to the ground. “Beast, will you return to the truth now?” asks the Bodhisattva. “I swear to, I swear to, if only you spare my life,” the monster repeats over and over again. The Bodhisattva places her hands on his head, and administers the monastic discipline to him; then she tells him to take up his spear and accompany her. “Sun Wukong,” orders the Bodhisattva, “go back now. Serve the Tang Priest well, don't be lazy, and don't start trouble.”
Chapter 18.
The Tang Priest Is Rescued in the Guanyin Temple,
The Great Sage Removes a Monster from Gao Village
Sanzang and Monkey arrive at a village where a monster has taken Old Gao`s youngest daughter for his wife. Old Gao shows Monkey the building where the monster has shut up his daughter, who hasn`t been seen for six months. Monkey frees the girl and uses his magic powers to turn himself into the likeness of the girl. He tells Old Gao and his daughter to leave and sits down in the room to wait for the evil spirit.
The monster comes home, put his arms around Monkey and wants to kiss him. Monkey thrust his hand up under the monster's long nose to throw him off balance and the monster falls off the bed. The girl (Monkey) tells the monster that her father said that he'd asked that fellow by the name of Sun, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven who made such trouble up in the Heavenly Palace some five hundred years ago, to come and capture him. The monster somewhat taken aback on hearing this name, decides to leave immediately.
Chapter 19.
In the Cloud Pathway Cave Sun Wukong Wins over Zhu Bajie,
On Pagoda Mountain Xuanzang Receives the Heart Sutra
Monkey changes back into his real form and challenges the monster to fight him. During the fight, Monkey tells him that he is now protecting the Patriarch Sanzang on his journey to the Western Heaven to visit the Buddha and ask for the scriptures. When he hears this, the monster drops his rake to the ground and asks Monkey to take him to meet Sanzang. He tells him that Guanyin converted him and told him to obey the monastic rules and eat vegetarian food, till he could go with the pilgrim who's going to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and ask for the scriptures. Sanzang meets Pig and takes him as his disciple.
Sanzang and disciples reach the Pagoda Mountain where there's a Rook's Nest Hermit cultivating his conduct. The hermit tells Sanzang that although the journey is a long one, he is bound to get there in the end. But there will be evil influences that he'll find hard to dispel. The Hermit has a Heart Sutra, a total of 270 words in 54 sentences, and if one recites it when one encounters evil influences one will come to no harm.” Sanzang prostrated himself on the ground and begs the hermit to tell him to teach him the Heart Sutra. The hermit teaches Sanzang the Prajna-paramita Heart Sutra and the Prajna-paramita Spell: Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi, svaha! This sutra is the kernel of the cultivation of the truth, and it is the gateway to becoming a Buddha.
Chapter 20.
The Tang Priest Meets Trouble on the Yellow Wind Ridge,
Pig Wins Mastery Halfway up the Mountain
The Dharma is born in the mind,
And in turn is destroyed by the mind.
Who do life and death come from?
Decide for yourself,
If it is all from your own mind.
Sanzang and disciples have been going for half a day and reach a mountain. As they look at the mountain they hear a whirlwind blowing up. It certainly isn't a good wind,” Monkey remarks. “It smells like either a tiger wind or a monster wind. There's definitely something suspicious about it.” Before the words are out of his mouth, a ferocious striped tiger leaps out at the foot of the slope, slashing with its tail and rushing towards them. Pig throws down the luggage, grabs his rake and roars, “Animal, where d'you think you're going?” The tiger stands up on its hind legs, and with a swing of its front left claws rips at its own chest and tears off its skin, then lays it over a rock that is shaped like a crouching tiger. Then it abandons its real body, turns into a hurricane, goes to the path where Sanzang is reciting the Heart Sutra, grabs him and carries him away on the wind.
Chapter 21.
The Protectors of the Faith Build a Farm for the Great Sage,
Lingji from Sumeru Pacifies the Wind Devil
The monster takes Sanzang to the Yellow Wind Cave of the Yellow Ridge, ties him up and offers him as a dish for the table of his chieftain, the Yellow Wind Monster. Monkey discovers where Sanzang is kept prisoner and challenges the Yellow Wind Monster. After some thirty rounds of combat between the old fiend and the Great Sage the issue is still not settled. Monkey uses an “extra body” trick: he plucks a hair out, chews it into little bits, blows them all out, and shouts, “Change!” They turn into well over a hundred Monkeys, all dressed like him and wielding iron cudgels.
The Monkeys surround the monster in mid-air, and in his fright he counters with a trick of his own. He turns his head sharply to the Southeast opened his mouth three times, and blows. A yellow hurricane suddenly arises. It is really terrible. The hurricane that the monster had summoned up made all the little Monkeys that the Great Sage had produced from his hair whirl round in mid-air like so many spinning-wheels, and, far from being able to use their cudgels, they could not even control their own bodies. After Monkey recovers he finds out that the only one who can suppress The Yellow Huricane wind is the Bodhisattva Lingji. The Bodhisattva comes down from Little Mount Sumeru and captures the monster by dropping his Flying Dragon Staff on him which makes him revert to his real form—a brown marten. The marten had obtained the Way underneath the Vulture Peak, and once he stole some of the pure oil from a crystal lamp. When the lamp went out he was so afraid of being caught by a Vajrapani that he ran away and became a spirit monster.
Chapter 22.
Pig Fights a Great Battle in the Flowing Sands River,
Moksa Obeys the Dharma and Wins Friar Sand Over
Sanzang and disciples reach the three hundred miles wide Flowing Sand river. As the three of them approach the water they hear the waves make a roar like a collapsing mountain as a most hideous evil spirit emerges from the water: Pig fights the monster several times since monkey can`t fight in water, but he can`t beat it. Finally Monkey decides to use his somersault and goes to Potaraka Island in the Southern Sea to see Guanyin and tells her that his master can`t cross the Flowing Sand river because there's an evil monster in the river who is blocking their way.. Guanyin tells him that the ogre of the Flowing Sands River is the mortal incarnation of the Great Curtain-lifting General and a believer whom she converted herself and instructed to protect those who would be coming to fetch the scriptures.
The Bodhisattva sends for her disciple Huian and produces a red bottle-gourd from her sleeve. She tells Huian to take the gourd and go with Sun Wukong to the Flowing Sands River. Then he should shout 'Wujing'—'Awakened to Purity'—and he will come out. First he should take him to submit to the Tang Priest, and then make him thread his nine skulls on a string like the Sacred Palaces. If he puts this gourd in the middle of them, it will make a dharma boat to ferry the Tang Priest across the river. Huian does as he is told and Sanzang and his, now four disciples, continue their journey.
Chapter 23.
Sanzang Does Not Forget the Basic,The Four Holy Ones Have Their Piety Tested
As they are travelling along one day they see a farm in the distance. The house is inhabited by a widow and her three beautiful daughters. The widow wants to remarry and is also looking for husbands for her daughters and thinks Sanzang and disciples would suite them nicely. When Sanzang hears this he pretends to be deaf and dumb and keeps his eyes shut and his mind calm. He makes no reply as Pig tugs at his clothes, and says, “Master, why are you paying no attention to what the lady is saying ? Sanzang then politely declines her proposal. In the face of his refusal the woman turns round, goes out through the door leading to the back of the house, and slams it behind her, leaving master and disciples outside with neither food nor tea. Nobody else comes out to see them. Pig becomes upset and thinks Sanzang should have been more flexible and given her some noncommittal answer, then they would have got some food out of her. Besides he thinks they've all been thinking the same thoughts anyway. It's always said that 'a monk among pretty women is a hungry ghost.
Under the excuse of going to feed the horse, Pig leaves the room. He goes to the back of the house, where he sees the woman and tells her he wants to marry one of her daughters. The woman calls her daughters and says: “I have a handkerchief here. Tie it round your head to cover your face, and we can let Heaven decide which one you'll marry. I'll tell the girls to walk in front of you while you stretch your arms out. The one you catch, will be yours. The idiot gropes about to his left and his right, without being able to catch any of the girls when he falls to the ground with a thump and finds himself tightly bound with many ropes. He is in great pain, and the women have all disappeared. The next morning, when Sanzang, Monkey, and Friar Sand wake up, they see none of the lofty buildings that had been there. They had all been sleeping in a grove of pine and cypress. The woman and the girls last night were Bodhisattvas who appeared to them in disguise, and went away in the middle of the night. They see a piece of paper hanging from a cypress tree and fluttering in the breeze. Friar Sand hurries over to fetch it and shows it to their master, who sees eight lines of verse on it:
“The Old Woman of Mount Li had no yearning for the world,
But the Bodhisattva Guanyin persuaded her to come.
Samantabhadra and Manjusri were both present
Disguised as pretty girls among the trees.
The holy monk were too virtuous to return to lay life,
But the unreligious Pig was worse than worldly.
From now on he must calm his mind and reform—
If he misbehaves again, the journey will be hard.”
Chapter 24.
On the Mountain of Infinite Longevity a Great Immortal Entertains an Old Friend,
In the Wuzhuang Temple Monkey Steals Manfruit
Sanzang and disciples arrive at the WuZhuang Temple on the Mountain of Infinite Longevity. The temple has a rare treasure, a miraculous tree that has been formed when primeval chaos was first being divided, before the separation of Heaven and Earth. The fruit of the tree is known as “Grass-returning Cinnabar” or “manfruit.” It takes three thousand years to blossom, three thousand years to form the fruit, and another three thousand years for the fruit to ripen, so that very nearly ten thousand years has to pass before the fruit can be eaten. Only thirty fruit are formed each ten thousand years, and they are shaped just like a newborn baby, complete with limbs and sense organs. Anyone whose destiny permits him to smell one will live for three hundred and sixty years, and if you eat one you will live for forty-seven thousand years.
That day the Great Immortal Zhen Yuan of the Wuzhuang temple was invited to the Miluo Palace in the Heaven of Supreme Purity to hear a lecture and instructed the two youngest disciples Pure Wind and Bright Moon, to look after the temple. He told them that an old friend of him would be coming to the temple and they should pick two manfruits for him as a token of their old friendship. After Sanzang arrives, they offer him the manfruit, but at the sight of it Sanzang recoils some three feet, shaking with horror. “Goodness me!” he exclaims. “How could you be so reduced to starvation in this year of plenty as to eat human flesh? And how could I possibly quench my thirst with a newborn baby? Since the fruit does not keep for long without becoming hard and unedible, the boys each eat one. Pig overhears the boys talking about the manfruit and persuades Monkey to pick some for them. Pig told him that a golden rod is needed to obtain the fruit so Monkey steals it from the disciples' room, goes shooting up the tree and with one blow from the golden rod sends the manfruit tumbling down. He jumps down to fetch it, but it is nowhere to be seen. He searches the grass all around, but can find not a trace of it. He makes some finger magic and utters the sacred sound “Om,” which forces the garden deity to come forward, bow and say, “You summoned me, Great Sage. What are your orders?” Monkeys asks him why the manfruit has disappeared and the deity answers: "These fruit fear only the Five Elements.” “What do you mean, "fear only the Five Elements?” Monkey asks. “If they meet metal,” the deity says, “they fall; if they meet wood they rot; if they meet water they dissolve; if they meet fire they are burnt; and if they meet earth they go into it. If you tap them you have to use a golden rod, otherwise they won't drop; and when you knock them down you must catch them in a bowl padded with silk handkerchiefs. If they come in contact with wooden utensils they rot, and even if you eat one it won't make you live any longer. Monkey goes up the tree again, holds the rod in one hand while he undoes the lapel of his cloth tunic and makes it into a kind of pouch. He pushes the leaves and branches aside and knocks down three manfruits, which he catches in his tunic. Monkey goes straight to the kitchen where hem Pig and friar sand each have one of the manfruits.
Chapter 25.
The Immortal Zhen Yuan Captures the Pilgrim Priest,
Monkey Makes Havoc in the Wuzhuang Temple
When the boys discover that some manfruit is missing they accuse Sanzang`s disciples of stealing the fruit. After Monkey admits taking the fruit the Taoist boys become very angry and curse and swear at Sanzang and his disciples. This in turn makes Monkey angry and he pulls a hair out from the back of his head, breaths a magic breath on it, says “Change,” and turns it into an imitation Monkey. The imitation Monkey goes straight to the garden and strikes the manfruit tree with his gold-banded cudgel. Then he uses his supernatural strength that can move mountains to push the tree over with a single shove. After pushing the tree over Monkey searches through the branches for manfruit, but he can`t find a single one. These treasures drop at the touch of metal, and as Monkey's cudgel was ringed with gold, while being made of iron, one tap from it brought them all tumbling down, and when they hit the ground they went straight in, leaving none on the tree. Early in the morning Sangzang and disciples leave the temple.
When the Great Immortal returns to the temple the boys tell him what happened. The Great Immortal pursues Sanzang and disciples on a beam of auspicious light. It takes him but an instant to cover three hundred miles and after catching up with them he does a “Wrapping Heaven and Earth in His Sleeve” trick, and gathers up the four pilgrims and their horse in it. Back at the temple the Great Immortal agrees not to punish them if Monkey can find a way to revive the tree.
Chapter 26.
Sun Wukong Looks for the Formula in the Three Islands,
Guanyin Revives the Tree with a Spring of Sweet Water
Monkey visits the Star of Longevity, the Star of Blessings and the Star of Office but none of them know how to revive the tree. He next visits an immortal called `the Lord Emperor of Eastern Glory` to ask for a formula that will bring the manfruit tree back to life, but has no luck there either. After he visits the Nine Ancients in Yingzhou without getting any result, he finally goes to Guanyin. Guanyin has 'sweet dew' in her pure vase, which is an excellent cure for magic trees and plants.
Guanyin goes down to the temple on her cloud, meets the three stars who also came down and revives the tree. The Great Immortal, now extremely happy, knocks down ten of the fruits with his golden rod. He invites the Bodhisattva and the Three Stars to come to the main hall of the temple to take part a Manfruit Feast to thank them for their labors. Sanzang who realizes at last that this is an Immortal's treasure, and his disciples, are also offered a manfruit.
Chapter 27.
The Corpse Fiend Thrice Tricks Tang Sanzang,
The Holy Monk Angrily Dismisses the Handsome Monkey King
There is a saying that goes, “If the mountain is high it's bound to have fiends; if the ridge is steep spirits will live there.” Sanzang and disciples reach a mountain which has an evil spirit. It strides through the clouds on a negative wind, and on seeing the venerable Sanzang on the ground below thinks happily, “What luck, what luck. At home they've been talking for years about a Tang Monk from the East who's going to fetch the 'Great Vehicle'; he's a reincarnation of Golden Cicada, and has an Original Body that has been purified through ten lives. Anyone who eats a piece of his flesh will live forever. And today, at last, he's here.” Seeing the Tang monk`s disciples the evil spirit decides to try a trick on them and see what happens. The splendid evil spirit stops its negative wind in a hollow and changes itself into a girl with a face as round as the moon and as pretty as a flower. Her brow is clear and her eyes beautiful; her teeth are white and her lips red. In her left hand she holds a blue earthenware pot and in her right a green porcelain jar. She heads East towards the Tang Priest.
Sanzang cannot see through the evil spirits disguise but Monkey does and hits it with his gudgel. The fiend, who knows a trick or two, uses magic to aband its body. Shortly after, the evil spirit returns disguised as an old woman and again Monkey kills the demon, who is able to escape in time. The third time the evil spirit returns disguised as an old man. This time, it is not quick enough to abondon it`s body when Monkey hits it and the demon is killed. Each time Monkey kills the demon Sanzang becomes angrier, because he can`t see it`s actually a demonn. Sanzang dismisses Monkey who returns to the Mountain of Flower and Fruit.
Chapter 28.
On the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit the Devils Rise,
Sanzang Meets a Monster in the Black Pine Forest
After Monkey returns to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, he finds out that the number of monkeys living on the mountain has been reduced from forty seven thousand to about one thousand. The monkeys tell him that after the Great Sage left, every season hunters came and shoot them with arrows, speared them, poisoned them, and beat them to death. They took them away to skin them and cut the flesh from their bones before boiling them in soy sauce, steaming them with vinegar, frying them in oil, or stir-cooking them, with salt. Monkey goes out to find the hunters and kills them all.
Without Monkey, Sanzang is quickly captured by a demon. Pig and Friar, who had gone looking for food, return to find Sanzang has disappeared. After discovering the cave where Sanzang is held, they fight the old monster Yellow Robe.
Chapter 29
Sanzang, Delivered, Crosses a Border,
A Grateful Pig Tours Mountains and Forests
Meanwhile, as Sanzang is fretting and wailing in the cave, he sees a woman come out from the innermost part of the cave. After asking Sanzang some questions, she explains him that she`s the third daughter of the king of Elephantia, and her childhood name was Prettier-than-a-flower. Thirteen years ago, on the fifteenth night of the eighth month, an evil monster came and snatched her away in a whirlwind while she was out enjoying the full moon. She has been his wife all these thirteen years and borne him sons and daughters, but she`s never been able to send any message home. She tells Sanzang that if he takes a letter to her parents for her, she`ll make the monster spare his life.
With a clever story, the Princess persuades the monster to release Sanzang. Sanzang travels to Elephantia, meets the King and gives him the letter from his daughter. After the king reads the letter and weeps loudly, he asks for volunteers to rescue Princess Prettier-than-a-flower for him. When Pig volunteers, the king is thoroughly delighted, and orders nine of his Royal Consorts to fetch a bottle of his own royal wine with which to send the venerable Pig off. After he drains the cup in one gulp clouds sprout under Pig's feet and he shoots up into mid-air. Friar Sand follows Pig and together they take on the monster. While Pig goes off for a shit Friar is captured by the monster.
Chapter 30
An Evil Monster Harms the True Law, The Mind−Horse Remembers the Heart−Ape
The old Monster Yellow Robe decides he wants to get to know his relatives better, transforms himself into a handsome young man, and visits the King in Elephantia. He tells the King that thirteen years ago as he was out hunting saw a ferocious striped tiger carrying a girl on its back down the mountainside. He fitted an arrow to his bow and shot the tiger, then took the girl home and revived her with hot water, which saved her life. "When I asked her where she was from she never mentioned the word 'princess'— had she said that she was Your Majesty's daughter, I would never have had the effrontery to marry her without your permission. I would have come to your golden palace and asked for some appointment in which I might have distinguished myself. As she said she was the daughter of ordinary folk I kept her in my home. With her beauty and my ability we fell in love, and we have been married all these years. When we were married I wanted to kill the tiger and serve him up at a banquet for all my relations, but she asked me not to. When she said that I untied the tiger and spared its life. Little did I realize that after escaping with its life it would have spent the past years making itself into a spirit whose sole intention is to deceive and kill people. I believe that there was once a group of pilgrims going to fetch scriptures who said that they were priests from the Great Tang. The tiger must have killed their leader, taken his credentials, and made himself look like the pilgrim. He is now in this palace trying to deceive Your Majesty. That man sitting on an embroidered cushion is in fact the very tiger who carried the princess off thirteen years ago. He is no pilgrim.” The feeble-minded king, who in his mortal blindness can not recognize the evil spirit, believes that his tissue of lies is the truth and says, “ turn him back into his real form to show me.” The monster does an Eye-deceiving Body-fixing Spell. He recites the words of the spell, spurts a mouthful of water over the Tang Priest, and shouts “ Change!” Sanzang's real body is hidden away on top of the hall, and he is turned into a striped tiger.
The king then orders his household department to lay on a large banquet to thank his son-in-law for saving his daughter from being killed by the monk. That evening, after the court has been dismissed, the monster drinks until the second watch of the night and becomes too intoxicated to restrain his savagery and longer. He jumps up, bellows with laughter, and turns back into his real self. A murderous impulse comes upon him, and stretching out his hand as big as a basket he seizes a girl who was playing a lute, drags her towards him, and takes a bite from her head. The seventeen other palace women flee in panic and hide themselves. While the monster is enjoying himself inside the palace the news is being spread outside that the Tang Priest is really a tiger spirit.
Chapter 31
Pig Moves the Monkey King Through His Goodness,
Sun the Novice Subdues the Ogre Through Cunning
When Pig hears the rumor, he decides that the only way to save Sanzang is to ask help from Monkey. He visits Monkey, but rather than telling him his master is in trouble, he simply asks if Monkey won`t return and continue the journey with them. Monkey refuses and the idiot does not dare press Monkey harder in case he loses his temper and hits him a couple of blows with his cudgel. All he can do is mumble a farewell and be on his way. As Monkey watches him go he details two stealthy young monkeys to follow him and listen to anything he says. The idiot has gone hardly a mile down the mountainside when he turns round, points towards Monkey, and starts to abuse him. “ That ape,” he says, “ he'd rather be a monster than a monk. The baboon. I asked him in all good faith and he turned me down. Well, if you won't come, that's that.” Every few paces he cursed him some more. The two young monkeys rush back to report, “ Your Majesty, that Pig is a disgrace. He's walking along cursing you.” “ Arrest him,” shouts Monkey in a fury. The monkey hordes go after Pig, catch him, turn him upside-down, grag his bristles, pull his ears, tugg his tail, twiste his hair, and thus bring him back. As Pig finally tells the truth, the Great Sage jumps down from the cliff, rushes into the cave, and takes off all his devil clothes. He puts on an embroidered tunic, ties on his tigerskin kilt, seizes his iron cudgel, says goodbye to his subjects and mounts a cloud with Pig.
Monkey goes to the demons cave, tell the Princess who he is, and that he has a plan to capture the monster. The Monkey King turns himself with a shake of his body into the very image of the princess and waits for the ogre. Yellow Robe returns but soon finds out his wife is an imposter and takes on Monkey . After they fight fifty or sixty rounds without issue, the Monkey King raises his cudgel and does a “ Reaching Up to a Tall Horse” movement. The monster, not realizing that this is a trick, and imagining that he sees a real opening, takes a tremendous swipe at Monkey with his sword. Monkey at once does a high swing to avoid the blow, then strikes at the monster's head with a “ Stealing a Peach from under the Leaves” movement and knocks him so hard he vanished without a trace. Monkey can`t find the ogre anywhere and decides to go up to heaven to ask for help. They investigated outside the Palace of the Dipper and the Bull, and find out that one of the Twenty-eight Constellations, the Strider, is missing. On receiving an edict from the Jade-Emperor, the twenty-seven other constellations go out through the gates of Heaven and startle the Strider as each chant his own spell. As the monster is now captured, the Great sage goes to the Kings palace and tells him what happened. He then takes some water in his hand, says the words of a spell, and spurts it at the tiger's head. The evil magic is dissolved, and the tiger-aura is dispersed. Sanzang is seen in his true form once more and is full of gratitude and towards Monkey.
Chapter 32
On Flat−Top Mountain, the Duty God Delivers a Message,
In Lotus Flower Cave, Pig Runs into Trouble
The Duty God, disguised as a woodcutter warns the Monk and company for demons on the mountain. As they traveled along they realized that woodcutter had disappeared some time back. “Why can't we see the woodcutter who gave us the message?” asked Sanzang.“He must have gone into the forest to look for some more firewood,” said Monkey. “I'll take a look.” Opening wide his fiery eyes with their golden pupils, the splendid Great Sage searched the mountain, but no sign of the woodcutter was to be seen. Then he looked up into the clouds and saw the Duty God of the Day there. He sprang up there himself and cursed him for a hairy devil several times before saying, “Why didn't you tell me straight instead of transforming yourself and putting on that act for me?” The Duty God bowed to him anxiously and said, “Please forgive me for being so late with the warning. Those monsters really have enormous magic powers and can perform all kinds of transformations. You'll need all your skill and cunning to protect your master. You won't possibly reach the Western Heaven if you are at all slack.”
Monkey sends Pig to investigate the mountain. After two or three miles of walking, Pig drops his rake, turns back to look at the Tang Priest, and begins to curse at him, gesticulating widely. “Soft-headed old monk,” he says, “vicious Monkey, and weak-minded Friar Sand. They're all enjoying themselves back there while they fool me into walking off here. We're all going to fetch the scriptures and we all want our reward, so why should I be the one to reconnoiter these mountains? Hm! If they know there are monsters around we should hide up for a while. But that's not even half good enough for them. They have to send me off by myself to find them. What lousy luck. I'll go and have a sleep somewhere. When I go back I can give him some kind of vague answer and say I've reconnoitered the mountains. That'll pay them back.”Feeling pleased with himself for the moment Pig grasps his rake and sets off. When he sees a reddish grassy slope in a mountain hollow he goes straight to it, makes himself a bed with the help of his rake, and lays down to sleep, saying as he stretched himself out, “This is the life. Not even Monkey can be as comfortable as I am.
Chapter 33
Heterodoxy Confuses the True Nature,The Primal Deity Helps the Original Heart
Pig is captured by two demons, Silver and Golden Horn. “Brother,” said Gold Horn the senior demon king to Silver Horn the junior demon king, “as you've captured Pig we can be sure that the Tang Priest is here." "In my opinion we must catch him by cunning, not by being vicious, says Silver Horn, I`ll go and try to capture him. Silver Horn changes into an aged Taoist with a broken leg and sits down beside the path. Sanzang, not realizing it is a demon, tells Monkey to carry him. The demon recites spells and puts monkey under three mountains, so he cannot move, pulls Sanzang from his horse with his right hand, then grabs Friar Sand and uses his magic to levitate them and carry them in a puff of wind back to the Lotus Flower Cave.
"We can't eat the Tang Priest before we get Sun the Novice. That Monkey King has enormous magical powers and can turn himself into all sorts of things", says Gold Horn. “I can get Monkey without lifting a finger," Silver Horn replies, "I just need to send two little devils with a couple of treasures to bring him back in.” “What treasures?” “My gold and red gourd and your vase of mutton-fat jade.” The older monster fetches the two treasures, hands them to him, and asks which two little devils were to be sent. “Send Dexterous Ghost and Skillful Beast,” replies the younger monster. He then instructs them, “Take the two treasures straight to the top of a high mountain, put them there upside-down and call out to Sun. If he responds he'll go straight inside. You must immediately paste this label on: 'Supreme Lord Lao: to be dealt with urgently in accordance with the Statutes and Ordinances.' Within three and a half hours he'll just be pus.” The two little devils kowtow and go off with treasures to catch Monkey. Meanwhile the local Gods and mountain spirits free Monkey from under the mountains. Monkey changes himself into an old Taoist, meets the two devils and tricks them into giving him their treasures the gourd and the vase, into which they can catch people. He then follows them to the cave of Silver and Golden Horn.
Next >>
The Fourth Way and Esoteric Traditions⎟ The taoist I Ching ⎟ Being Presence First⎟ Living Presence
The Secret of the Golden Flower ⎟ Japanese symbols of Presence⎟ Gurdjieff - Becoming Conscious | <urn:uuid:ed2d68c5-2139-42da-8291-5c7b01d04899> | 2 | 1.929688 | 0.021948 | en | 0.970228 | http://www.innerjourneytothewest.com/english/en-resource.html |
University Startups – Why health insurance is the ultimate regional economic development
University Startups - Why health insurance is the ultimate regional economic development I’ve watched many a promising startup sprout in a university research lab. Many startups languish in the “great idea” phase — their founders graduate or get busy with something else. Some, however, actually thrive. The graduate students finish their dissertations and then become full-time entrepreneurs. One of their biggest challenges may surprise you. It’s not coming up with a business plan or understand their target markets. It’s getting good health insurance.
It’s a strange and unfortunate fact of life in the U.S. that without health insurance, your financial future (not to mention your health and well being) is at risk. Even if you are perfectly healthy but are hit by the proverbial bus while uninsured, the resulting medical bills would mean financial catastrophe. It’s possible to purchase health insurance on the open market but if you’re a solo entrepreneur trying to launch a small business or a cash-strapped startup, health insurance is prohibitively expensive.
This is why universities should help cover health insurance costs for startups based on university research that sign a contract for use of a university-owned patent. Now is the perfect time to do this. The U.S. Congress has passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and health care reforms are underway.
Before health care reform, solo entrepreneurs or small businesses did not have the negotiating power enjoyed by large organizations, hence their health care plans have tended to not be as good. As a result, startups have had trouble competing with bigger companies for good employees. Yet, good health insurance remains a make or break factor for prospective employees in choosing their employer.
In Geekwire, Marcelo Calbucci writes:
“As someone who has interviewed dozens of people over the last few months, I’m surprised how many candidates really care about the healthcare coverage we offer. Unless the candidate is unemployed, he or she has some kind of healthcare coverage, and although you can convert any kind of health insurance into a dollar value, some people feel the downgrade in health plan is a significant turn-off, even if the job includes better salary, bonus or a stock option plan with significant upside.” That’s where universities and states come in.
University Startups - Why health insurance is the ultimate regional economic development The PPACA covers lot of ground.* Much of it is controversial. Not all entrepreneur and small business communities are optimistic about the Act’s new mandates. One of the most contentious mandates of the Act is a requirement that any company with at least 50 full-time employees must provide its employees with health insurance to staff or pay fees.
The reality is that most new university startups won’t be affected by the mandate to provide health coverage — they’re just too small, nowhere near 50 people. In fact, smaller businesses, those with fewer than 25 employees, seem to be more optimistic that health care reform is good news. The Act will offer very small businesses tax breaks and other provisions that may make it easier for entrepreneurs and startups to buy reasonable health care for their employees and families.
Make being local a good thing
It’s clear that entrepreneurs and startups would benefit from some help paying their health insurance costs. What’s in it for the universities?
First, states already look to their regional universities to pitch in to help build the local economy. Startups headed by graduate students to bring university research to market are a cornerstone of many regional economic development strategies. Second, startups need health insurance. Third, startups will flock to regions that offer better health insurance plans.
Health insurance benefits are very local. Doctors, hospitals and prescription plans are handled near where the health insurance subscriber lives. Entrepreneurs and startups will gravitate to regions that offer entrepreneur-friendly health care plans and resources. In fact, just being able to give employees a good deal on health insurance will not only keep startups in a particular region, it will help them attract talented more workers and high quality jobs to the region.
How much would this cost?
All this sounds great, but like any wonderful plan, it involves somebody else’s money.
How much money are we talking here? First, let’s look at how much health insurance costs if you’re not snuggled into the warm and secure embrace of a large organization. Of course monthly payments vary by a person’s age, pre-existing health conditions, location and family situation. But on average, a solo entrepreneur can expect to pay about $500 a month (and much more if she or he has any complicating factors such as lots of children or a pre-existing health condition).
This adds up fast.
How about the health insurance costs for a startup with ten employees? At $500 a month per individual employee, $5,000 a month total, a ten-employee startup would have to pay roughly $60,000 a year to cover everyone’s health insurance.
For a 20-person startup, at $500 a month per person, the total monthly bill to cover everyone would be $10,000 a month. Typically, most small employers pay 80% and let their employees pick up the remaining 20%. So a 20-person startup burns through $8,000 a month just paying for health insurance. It would have to come up with $10,000 a month if it were to cover 100% of insurance costs. That’s about $96,000 a year if the startup pays 80% of the cost, or $120,000 if it pays the full bill.
Ouch. These are steep bills for small — sometimes tiny — tech companies that are just getting started. It’s pretty clear that startups would benefit from university help. But here’s where things get tricky: where is the university going to find an extra hundred thousand dollars a year to do this? …crickets…
Funding this
If I were the person setting this up, here’s how I would do it. The first tough decision would be to set some parameters. I would start small. The university startups that would be first in line for health insurance funding would be the really small ones, say those with five or fewer employees. Next, I would set a time limit of two years total support.
To pay half the health insurance costs of ten five-employee startups a year, the total annual bill to the university would be about $150,000 a year. It could be lower if startups have fewer employees, or it’s a slow year for the launch of new startups.
Here’s how I calculated this. A startup employing five people would have to pay a total of $2,500 a month to take care of everybody’s health (assuming it’s $500 a month per employee). The annual bill for five people would be $2,500 times twelve months, or $30,000 a year. If a university were to subsidize half a startup’s health insurance costs, the resulting bill for a year of coverage would be about $15,000 a year.
How many new university startups are there each year? With the exception of a few outliers on either side of the curve, a typical research university spins off about five to ten new real startups a year. Let’s assume that half of these new startups employ five or fewer people, hence would qualify for this wonderful new program. So each year, the university would cover costs for five new startups, plus continue to fund five of last year’s startups.
Looked at another way, the costs of paying half the health insurance costs for new university startups is about as much as the annual cost of paying salary and benefits for a senior-level, full-time university employee. If a university decided to go big and cover all of the costs of health insurance for ten small startups, the annual bill would double — roughly $300,000 a year. That sort of money would be harder to find.
The good news is that many universities and states already spend money or offer resources to help local university startups grow. Some universities give new startups web support and legal services. Many universities give local startups low-cost office space in a university incubator. Business plan competitions that offer winners small cash prizes are another staple offering on the entrepreneur circuit.
Sometimes the offerings involve real money. Some states offer small businesses fund matching if they get a federal small business grant. Other states and university actually invest real money, either in exchange for equity in a startup, or just to be helpful. The state of Arizona and Arizonta State University plus some other partners just launched a startup accelerator program that offers startups built on university technology a package of $50,000 in cash and services. This is a bold step. Imagine if programs such as these were to add yet another option to the package: $15,000 worth of health insurance support per startup.
How many would-be entrepreneurs stay in their secure jobs in large organizations for the health insurance? The big leap into a startup involves not just giving up a secure paycheck, but can mean putting your life (and your family’s lives) on the line. Literally. It’s laudable that so many universities are building new programs to help local startups thrive. Why not offer startups the ultimate incentive? Some funding to help pay for health insurance.
*Note: I should point out that the PPACA is a broad and sweeping act that addresses a broad range of health-related issues. It will expand Medicaid coverage, mandate that big chain restaurants publish the caloric counts of their entrees, mandate that health insurance companies cover the cost of contraceptives and more. It also mandates that states set up a health care exchange to make it easier for people to compare and contrast the features and costs of different plans. I will take this opportunity to jump up on my soapbox and say that everyone (not just people working in startups) deserves good health insurance; but any step forward is a good step.
image credit:
Follow @ixchat on twitter
This entry was posted in Culture & Values, Entrepreneurship, Government, Industry, Innovation and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.
3 Responses to University Startups – Why health insurance is the ultimate regional economic development
1. Pingback: Today’s Insurance News September 6, 2012 | Individual Health Insurance
2. Pingback: Articles of Interest – 9/7/2012 « National Creativity Network
3. I think rather then fixing the benefits for all the employes in the same, the company should provide them some plans which they can choose according to there needs.
Leave a Reply
Keep Up to Date
• FeedBurner
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Slideshare
• Email
• YouTube
• IPhone
• Amazon Kindle
• Stumble Upon
Innovation Authors - Braden Kelley, Julie Anixter and Rowan Gibson
| <urn:uuid:817573d7-7107-49b0-a5c3-763a59cbb062> | 2 | 1.65625 | 0.064186 | en | 0.9336 | http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/09/06/university-startups-why-health-insurance-is-the-ultimate-regional-economic-development/ |
More On
Of wild dogs and wildebeests: What litigators can learn from the wilderness
3 tips gleamed from a trip in the African sunshine
Recently, my family and I traveled to South Africa for vacation and spent part of the time there in a game preserve in the Sabi Sands region viewing the extraordinary animal life and shooting lots of pictures. It was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend a trip there. While the whole point of any vacation is obviously to get away from the office, as always, I couldn’t help thinking about work, at least some of the time. There was one moment in the trip I found particularly instructive.
One morning, we found ourselves watching a pack of wild dogs lazing about in the African sunshine. These are magnificent creatures—lithe, graceful, intelligent and highly endangered. They hunt collaboratively and have the highest success rate of any of the great African predators; more than 80 percent of their hunts result in a kill. But, at that moment, hunting seemed the furthest thing from their minds.
Suddenly, the pack began to stir. It was time to eat. They spotted a potential quarry, a wildebeest calf, part of a small herd of wildebeests not far away. They began their attack. Thrilled, we followed the pack as it approached the herd.
Wild dogs are not particularly large animals. Wildebeests are far larger and stronger. But the dogs are relentless and will chase an animal down until it can run no farther. In this instance, the pack sought to create panic in the herd and induce the herd to run in the hopes of separating the calf from its mother.
This time, however, despite their self-evident fear, the herd did not run. Instead, the adults formed a protective shield around the calf with their formidable horns facing out toward the dogs, ready to fight them off. The dogs hesitated and then decided not to attack. They withdrew to look for easier prey. The fortunate calf lived, for the time being. Whew.
1. If under attack, do not panic. The wildebeests won this particular encounter because they behaved contrary to the expectations and hopes of the wild dogs. They did not succumb to their fears but stayed calm and organized themselves into the best possible defensive position and held their ground. This is a fundamental tenet of litigation that companies learn and forget and relearn all the time. No good comes of panic, nothing but recriminations, missteps and failure.
2. If attacking, be bold. Though the wild dogs lost this particular encounter, there was nothing flawed in their initial plan. The fact is that this approach usually works. Certainly a more cautious approach would have been even more likely to fail. So, if you are going on the attack, then attack. “Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war.” (Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 1)
3. If your attack fails, move on. The wild dogs attacked, but they were not foolish about it. The point of their hunt is to secure the means of living. It is not to lose precious members of the pack to pointless death. So, when they saw there was no opening and that their plan had failed, they just withdrew. For them, as for us litigators, there is always another quarry.
PD Villarreal
PD Villarreal is senior vice preisdent of global litigation at GlaxoSmithKline.
Bio and more articles
Join the Conversation
Advertisement. Closing in 15 seconds. | <urn:uuid:27d89393-633c-4f82-a3d0-abec9bb52e58> | 3 | 2.5625 | 0.04808 | en | 0.968179 | http://www.insidecounsel.com/2014/01/27/of-wild-dogs-and-wildebeests-what-litigators-can-l |
Join Login Stock Quote
Extraordinary Politicking
December 28, 2012 09:36 AM
Fiscal cliff and debt ceiling histrionics hit fever pitch Wednesday after Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner notified Congress the US would reach the "debt ceiling" on December 31. The letter, which theatrically coincided with President Obama's early return from vacation, cautioned the US would "default on its legal obligations" were it not for the Treasury's "extraordinary measures"—and even those might only buy a few months' time. We've detailed our views on the purely political debt ceiling before, like here, here, here and here. However, the curious-minded might ponder Geithner's extraordinary measures to buy Congress additional time to reach accord afford politicians time to politick. What exactly do these entail? Mask and cape? Or something decidedly less heroic?
Secretary Geithner specifically outlined four actions to keep the US under the $16.4 trillion debt ceiling: suspend Treasury sales to state and local governments (SLGS), redeem existing and suspend new investments in the Civil Service Retirement and Disability and Postal Service Retirees Heath Care Funds, suspend reinvestment in the Government Securities Investment Fund (G Fund) and suspend reinvestment of the Exchange Stabilization Fund. All told, the measures free up approximately $200 billion in headroom under the limit. (The space between Uncle Sam's couch cushions is wide, indeed.) But with the US accruing new debt at a pace of about $100 billion per month, the measures alone likely only buy the US time until February. Of course, US debt accrual varies significantly from month to month, so the Treasury's measures might not last as long as expected or might last a little longer.
[Related -Aversion to the Mean]
Generally speaking, the measures amount to a little budgetary trickery and accounting gimmickery, allowing the Treasury to buy back its own debt or sidestepping requirements for the Treasury to issue new debt, reinvest proceeds into debt or make new investments when existing debt expires. For example, SLGS securities are issued (as their name implies) to state and local governments to invest cash proceeds of any bond measures issued for local projects. Once the Treasury suspends the sale of these securities, state and local governments will have to find an alternative investment meeting IRS guidelines. Likewise, the G Fund is basically a money market fund for federal employees' thrift savings plans. In extraordinary times, the Treasury is allowed to suspend the daily reinvestment of the fund into new treasury securities and dip into the fund. Payments from the fund (to government employees, etc.) continue to be made, so long as extraordinary measures haven't been exhausted. Once a bill to raise the debt ceiling is passed, the G Fund is made whole (saving government employees from taking any losses on account of their employer).
According to the Treasury, other measures used in the past are expired, not effective or not advisable this time around. For example, in 1995, instead of simply raising the debt ceiling, Congress created some additional time for the Treasury by passing legislation that temporarily allowed certain debt issuance without counting the bonds against the limit. The Treasury's mandate to issue such securities expired in 1996. But this highlights the all too made-up and political nature of the debt ceiling—Congress can set an arbitrary cap on the absolute amount of debt but can also circumvent its own cap by passing legislation that exempts some new debt from counting against that cap.
At the end of the day, politicking on the debt ceiling and fiscal cliff is likely to continue. Thanks to the Treasury's extraordinary measures, politicians likely have a few more months of debt-ceiling grandstanding on this go-round. But when it ceases to be politically expedient (perhaps that'll be near February), it's likely politicians will likely find a way to kick the can down the road (raise the debt ceiling) just long enough until the next politically convenient time. And with so much on the line for both parties in 2014's mid-term elections, we wouldn't be too surprised if we revisited this issue right around then.
source: Market Minder
iOnTheMarket Premium
Post Comment -- Login is required to post message
Alert for new comments:
Your email:
Your Website:
rss feed
Latest Stories
article imageAversion to the Mean
article imageStocks Break Out Again But May Be Running On Fumes
Popular Articles
Daily Sector Scan
Partner Center
| <urn:uuid:68715d74-2c7c-4c88-857c-3880646b65bb> | 2 | 1.78125 | 0.114803 | en | 0.92211 | http://www.istockanalyst.com/finance/story/6211923/extraordinary-politicking |
How the U.S. can clear Guantanamo’s name
by Cesar Chelala
TUCUMAN, Argentina — The U.S. Senate decision allowing terror suspects held at the U.S. Navy’s Guantanamo Bay facility to be brought to the United States for trial is a significant development toward resolving the human rights issue surrounding their detention.
If this facility is finally closed, the next logical step is to return Guantanamo to its rightful owners, the Cuban people. More than almost any other, this measure would assuage the climate of antagonism that now exists between the U.S. and Latin American countries.
Guantanamo has a convoluted history. Initially, the U.S. government obtained a 99-year lease on the 120-square-km area in 1903. The resulting Cuban-American Treaty established, among other things, U.S. jurisdiction and control of the area for the purpose of operating naval and coaling stations at Guantanamo. It was also recognized that the Republic of Cuba retained ultimate sovereignty of the area.
In 1934, a new treaty reaffirmed most of the lease conditions, increased the lease payment to the equivalent of $3,085 per year, and made the lease permanent unless both governments agreed to end it or the U.S. decided to abandon the area.
In the confusion of the early days of the Cuban revolution, the Castro government cashed the first lease-payment check but left subsequent ones uncashed. Since these checks were made out to the “Treasurer General of the Republic,” a position that ceased to exist after the revolution, they are technically invalid.
The U.S. has maintained that the cashing of the first check implied acceptance of the lease conditions. But the fact that, at the time of the new treaty, the U.S. sent a fleet of warships to Cuba to strengthen its negotiating position fuels the counterargument that the lease conditions, imposed on Cuba under duress, would be void if tested under modern international law.
In denying basic U.S. constitutional guarantees to detainees, the U.S. has argued that Cuban sovereignty applies at Guantanamo as it is not under U.S. jurisdiction. If the Cuban government indeed has sovereignty over Guantanamo, then its claims over the area are legally binding and the U.S. is obliged to return Guantanamo to Cuba.
Since 1959, the Cuban government has informed the U.S. government that it wants to terminate the lease on Guantanamo. The U.S. has consistently refused the request on the grounds that it requires agreement by both parties.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, an American lawyer and professor of international law at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations, cites Article 52 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties: “A treaty is void if its conclusion has been procured by the threat or use of force in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations.”
He added that the conditions under which the treaty was imposed on the Cuban National Assembly, particularly as a precondition to limited Cuban independence, left Cuba no other choice than to yield to pressure.
A treaty can also be void by virtue of a material breach of its provisions, as indicated in Article 60 of the same Vienna Convention. According to the original terms of the lease agreement, the Guantanamo Bay territory was to be used only for coaling and naval purposes. Its use as a site for interning Haitian and Cuban refugees and, more recently, as a torture center by the U.S. military, counts as a significant breach, thus fully justifying the immediate termination of the lease agreement.
President Jimmy Carter courageously returned the Panama Canal to the Panamanians, setting an important precedent. Carter did what was legally correct and thus lifted U.S. prestige not only among Panamanians but throughout the hemisphere. Similar action by President Barack Obama is needed now.
Returning Guantanamo to the Cubans will enable the U.S. to close one of the most tragic chapters in its legal and moral history. And it will compensate Cubans for the miseries they have had to endure for decades because of Washington’s misguided policies.
Cesar Chelala, M.D., a cowinner of the Overseas Press Club of America award, writes extensively on human rights issues. | <urn:uuid:b3066fc2-097a-41f8-aecf-df3449ab5345> | 3 | 2.71875 | 0.042844 | en | 0.953337 | http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2009/11/02/commentary/how-the-u-s-can-clear-guantanamos-name/ |
Boston: No excuses, high performance
About Joanne
1. Mike in Texas says:
I found one Match charter school listed on the Great Schools website:!/test-scores
Their scores are quite good, HOWEVER, their 6th grade class goes from 84 kids to 56 in the 10 th grade class, which is quite a large attrition rate.
2. Roger Sweeny says:
When a student goes to a “no excuses” charter, at least one person, perhaps the student, perhaps one or both parents, perhaps everyone, has bought into the no excuses idea. And if the student turns out not to do well with the idea (or to have never really bought into it in the first place), the student can leave–perhaps with some pushing by the school.
But regular public schools get whoever they get, and are largely stuck with them, no matter how little effort the students want to put in. The school could have a no excuses policy anyway but they would then have lots and lots of students repeating grades and/or dropping out and/or being behavior problems.
3. The assumption in your post is that parents are running towards the charter. That isn’t necessarily true. Given the poor educational quality and chaotic atmosphere of some district schools it might just as easily be a case of anything but the district school.
Not that I’m dismissing the value of high expectations. We are, to a significant extent, creatures of our environment so when the environment says education doesn’t matter who are the tykes to disagree? | <urn:uuid:7fd8b9f8-8933-4db5-ae3f-ce252f7cb3a5> | 2 | 1.726563 | 0.044677 | en | 0.960062 | http://www.joannejacobs.com/2014/06/boston-no-excuses-high-performance/ |
Jo Freeman
top Return to Main Women's Political History page
Shirley Chisholm's 1972 Presidential Campaign
by Jo Freeman
February 2005
Shirley Chisholm button In July of 1971 Shirley Chisholm, Member of Congress from New York's Twelfth District, began to explore the possibility of running for President. When she formally announced her candidacy the following January 25, she became the first woman and the first African-American to seek the nomination of the Democratic Party for the nation's highest office. A few other women and other blacks had run on minor party tickets, and Sen. Margaret Chase Smith (R. Me) had campaigned for the Republican Party's nomination in 1964, but Chisholm's candidacy was a double first for the Democrats.
As soon as I heard that she might run, I knew that I had found my candidate. I quickly learned that Chisholm was running a grass roots campaign, in which it was up to the grass roots to figure out what needed to be done and to do it. What was needed in Illinois, where I lived while attending grad school at the University of Chicago, was to get her name on the ballot for the March primary.
Shirley Chisholm
That was easier said than done. Not liking the Daley machine which ran the Democratic Party in Chicago, I had not been active in the local Democratic Party. I soon found out that Illinois would not have a Presidential preference primary in 1972; individuals would run for delegate to the Democratic Convention from each Congressional District, committed to a specific candidate or uncommitted. Only those Presidential candidates who had delegates running in a specific District committed to that candidate would appear on a District ballot. The Daley machine would run a complete slate of 59 in all of Chicago's Congressional Districts that was officially uncommitted. Unofficially, the Daley delegates would vote the way Mayor Daley wanted them to; controlling a bloc of votes gave him a lot of power at Democratic Conventions.
Shirley Chisholm- Ready or Not
Shirley Chisholm had been breaking barriers and challenging conventions for many years. Born in Brooklyn, NY of West Indian parents, she was the first black woman to sit in Congress. Prior to her election in 1968 she had served in the New York Assembly for four years, following a professional career in child care and early childhood education. To be elected from her mostly black Brooklyn district, she had defied what was left of the Brooklyn Democratic machine. "Unbossed and unbought" was her slogan. On entering the House she had refused a place on the Forestry Subcommittee of the Agriculture Committee because she thought it was irrelevant to someone with her background from a poor, urban district. She was reassigned to Veterans Affairs; eventually she added a seat on her Committee of choice, Education and Labor. She deliberately hired a staff of young women, half of whom were black, for all of her office positions, not just the lower level ones usually occupied by women. Her first term she sponsored a bill to finance day care facilities; it passed Congress only to be vetoed by President Nixon.
It's unusual for any Member of the House to run for President, especially after serving only three years, but Chisholm was used to doing the unusual. Of course, she didn't run with the expectation of being nominated, or to increase her clout in Congress. She ran "to give a voice to the people the major candidates were ignoring."
Although Chisholm made a point of saying that she was not the women's candidate, she had always been a strong supporter of women's rights. Shirley ChisholmOne of the four founders of the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971, she often said that during her twenty years in local politics "I had met far more discrimination because I am a woman than because I am black." Indeed Shirley Chisholm was so outspoken in favor of women's rights that she was often criticized for not paying enough attention to black issues.
I encountered this negative attitude toward Chisholm by black leaders when I went to Operation PUSH, headed by Rev. Jesse Jackson, for help getting on the ballot. Its headquarters was in the First Congressional District, on the other side of the University of Chicago from where I lived. I found no support, just mild disdain.
Relying largely on my fellow grad students for help in petitioning, I was one of four people in the state of Illinois to get enough signatures to appear on the primary ballot committed to Shirley Chisholm, and the only one from a majority black district. When our campaign wrote her that she would be on the ballot in the First District of Illinois, she sent us 100 buttons, 20 bumper stickers and nine position papers on foreign affairs. Everything else we created ourselves. We used an initial $200 in contributions to buy 1,000 buttons, and the money from selling those to pay for ads and to print literature.
Florida was the first state where Chisholm actively campaigned, largely because it had "blacks, youth and a strong women's movement" and there were a lot of people in Florida eager to organize for her. However, she didn't have enough money to hire professionals and the volunteers often competed against each other rather than working together. Since she also had to attend to Congressional duties in Washington, Chisholm could only make two campaign tours in Florida before the March 14 primary. A Southern state, the big issue was busing "to correct racial imbalance" in the schools, an issue about which the candidate was ambivalent. Despite large and enthusiastic crowds wherever Chisholm spoke, she got only four percent of the vote.
Chisholm for all the people Chisholm continued her campaign wherever she could get on the ballot and had enough volunteers to set up speaking events. She campaigned in New York, New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan and North Carolina. There were some states in which Chisholm was on the ballot but never had time to visit (e.g. Wisconsin). And others in which she won delegates despite a single appearance (Minnesota). And still more in which she received write-in votes, or votes via delegate candidates (e.g. Illinois). Overall, people in fourteen states voted for Shirley Chisholm for President, in some fashion or other. After six months of campaigning in eleven primaries she had twenty-eight delegates committed to vote for her at the Democratic Convention.
California was a special case, because state law gave all of the delegates to the winner, despite national Democratic Party rules requiring that they be apportioned. McGovern won California; Chisholm came in third with a tenth of his votes— enough to entitle her to twelve of California's 271 delegates under the national rules. The primacy of state law would be challenged at the convention.
Chisholm made only one appearance in Chicago, where she spoke at Malcolm X Junior College on the west side of the city on March 6. Her two Chicago delegate candidates were running in districts on the north and south sides of the city, but no free venue could be found in either place. Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH, which owned its own building (a former synagogue) on the South Side, had declined to invite her to speak there, even though it regularly had some of the best speakers of a liberal persuasion (black and white) in the country.
The Illinois primary was one week after Florida's. Of course I didn't win; the Daley machine's uncommitted candidates won all eight delegate slots in the First District. But in a field of 24 I came in ninth, beating people committed to Sens. George McGovern and Edward M. Kennedy. The next day I read about a challenge to the Daley delegation, which had made no attempt to comply with new Party guidelines requiring that delegations reflect the composition of their districts by race, sex and age. I immediately joined in.
Meeting in June, the Credentials Committee voted that national rules trumped state law in both California and Illinois; the challenge delegations would be seated. However, when the Committee report and recommendations went before the full convention on Monday night in July, the recommendation on California was reversed and all of the McGovern delegates were seated. That decision gave McGovern a lock on the nomination. All the candidate nominations and speeches after that were just window dressing.
Shirley Chisholm-Jo Freeman
I was not a delegate at this convention, but an alternate. Since the election could not be held over again, the decision about who the Chicago challenge delegates should be was made at meetings of the people who had run for delegate in each District. When I arrived prepared to argue that Chisholm was entitled to at least one delegate because she had received more votes in the First District than anyone else, I found that a pre-meeting had been held and the delegates already agreed upon. Under the affirmative action rules only one of the eight First District delegates could be white, and that slot had been given to the head of the McGovern slate. Six of the seven blacks chosen had run committed to different candidates. One, Jesse Jackson, had not run at all. However, the three alternates had not been pre-selected, so I became the first alternate from the First District.
At the convention I lobbied the eight First District delegates to give one vote to Chisholm, but without success. All eight wanted to feel like they were part of the winning team, and a token vote for a losing candidate was not the way to do that. When the role call was held on Wednesday, Shirley Chisholm received 151.95 votes, including 4.5 from Illinois. None came from Illinois' First District, even though she had received more votes in the primary from those voters than had McGovern, who got all eight delegate votes. Many of Chisholm's 151.95 votes came from people who had come to the Democratic convention committed to other candidates, and become disenchanted when the race for the nomination ended on Monday. Ohio delegates gave her 23 votes, even though the Ohio voters hadn't given her any.
Don't blame me- I voted for Chisholm
In the primaries and at the convention Chisholm received stronger support from grassroots feminists and blacks than she did from those identified as leaders. Reps. Ron Dellums (CA) and Parren Mitchell (MD) supported her. Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem ran as Chisholm delegates in New York, but lost. Other Members of Congress and prominent people, both blacks and feminists, ignored her candidacy or opposed it. When Chisholm spoke at a National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana in March, she felt like she was treated like an intruder. However, at the Democratic Convention in July, the Chisholm meetings were full of feminists and the final meeting of the caucus of black delegates voted to support her. Most of those attending and voting were not delegates; those who were, were not bound by a caucus decision.
After it was over Chisholm said that if she had to do it over again, she would, but not the same way. Her campaign was under-organized, under-financed and unprepared. She calculated that she raised and spent only $300,000 between July 1971 when she first floated the idea of running, and July of 1972, when the last vote was counted at the Democratic Convention. That did not include the $2,000 that my campaign raised and spent on her behalf, and a lot more by other local campaigns.
By the next Presidential election Congress had passed the campaign finance acts, which required careful record keeping, certification and reporting, among other things. This effectively ended grass roots Presidential campaigns like those in 1972.
Chisholm quotes from her book on the campaign The Good Fight, Harper and Row, 1973.
Please click on thumbnails to view the complete image
Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm sign
Shirley Chisholm speaks at
Malcolm X Jr. College
Chisholm supporter at the
Democratic Convention
1972 Democratic Convention Photo
Shirley Chisholm sign
Shirley Chisholm addresses
the Democratic Convention
while her supporters cheer
Click on this image to download a print-ready PDF file
Chisholm leaflet
delegate leaflet
To Top
Home | Search | Links | Contact Jo | Articles by Jo | <urn:uuid:5dd7a6cd-2439-4efd-aaa1-bdc133bc8894> | 3 | 2.765625 | 0.02238 | en | 0.984506 | http://www.jofreeman.com/polhistory/chisholm.htm |
Interpreting statistics
From Matt Briggs:
I challenge you to find me in any published statistical analysis, outside of an introductory textbook, a confidence interval given the correct interpretation. If you can find even one instance where the [frequentist] confidence interval is not interpreted as a [Bayesian] credible interval, then I will eat your hat.
Most statistical analysis is carried out by people who do not interpret their results correctly. They carry out frequentist procedures and then give the results a Bayesian interpretation. This is not simply a violation of an academic taboo. It means that people generally underestimate the uncertainty in their conclusions.
Related posts:
17 thoughts on “Interpreting statistics
1. I’m pretty sure that professional statisticians use confidence interval in the right way. And many econometricians as well.
Don’t they?
2. Manoel: I don’t know about econometricians, but I assure you many professional statisticians don’t understand what they’re doing.
3. If you think the confidence interval gets misinterpreted, you should ask a random scientist what a p-value means.
4. I thought statisticians were random scientists …
For the example perhaps most familiar to most people, consider the +/- 3% given to most polling estimates. Most people don’t have the foggiest idea where it comes from or what it means, and even if they are sure they do, they probably do not.
The root cause is not some fundamental mystery, it is that the correct description is ugly and awkward.
5. I assure you many professional statisticians don’t understand what they’re doing.
I don’t suppose you know any choice excerpts? I could use some for my classes.
6. This accusation that frequents invariably misinterpret confidence intervals is absurd, and can only seem plausible to those who themselves hear every confidence interval report through Bayesian ears (and thereby beg the question)!
7. There are a billion balls in a bag, 95% of which are of one color, 5% another. You pull a single ball out at random. What is the probability that the ball is of the majority color? I say it’s 95%. It seems this gives Bayesians the vapors! “No!” they say, “the probability is either one or zero, because the ball, now chosen, either is or is not of the majority color. We can say nothing more!”
Bah humbug, says I.
8. Steve: A Bayesian would say that our knowledge of the ball’s color is uncertain, and that it is appropriate to model that uncertainty by a probability distribution. If you look at the ball but won’t let me see it, your probability distribution has collapsed to a point (much like an observation in quantum mechanics) but mine has not. We have different subjective probabilities because we have different information.
9. Oh, come on Mayo, you can’t possibly believe that if you’ve read any of the research on the subject.
Surveys show that professors teaching stats err on the side of Bayesian interpretations of frequentist statements a full third of the time, and other professors (who presumably use or at least encounter frequentist statistics every day in their work) are even worse. (section 4 in this PDF: )
This style of argument makes you look like an ideologue. You can say whatever you like about how science should be done, but don’t make these flippant accusations when the facts are against you.
10. I agree, I think. Does Mr Briggs? We know a priori that 95% of the balls are colored the same. Neither of us can look in the bag, but we both see a single drawn ball, say it’s red. I say there is a 95% chance that the majority color is red. Mr Briggs seems to say otherwise. He seems to say that pulling a red ball out does not give us any useful information regarding the probability that the majority color is red.
Ninety-five percent of confidence intervals contain the mean. I take a random sample and produce a confidence interval. I say there is a 95% chance that the mean is in there. Briggs says otherwise, no? Isn’t my interpretation “wrong” in his eyes?
“But what about the interval I calculated with the only sample I do have? What does that interval mean? Nothing. Absolutely, positively nothing. The only thing you are allowed to say is to speak the tautology, “Either the true values of µ and s lie in the calculated intervals or they do not.”
11. John, as an economics student, maybe I’ve been spared this mistake. I’ve not seen the interpretation as stated in your comment, but this could be a symptom of (1) my being ill-read in the econometric literature or (2) my being ill-read in Bayesian inference.
Do you mean one such misinterpretation is “A 95% confidence interval about a point estimate means the true population parameter would lie outside the interval 5% of the time.”?
Paraphrasing Kennedy (2008, 6th edition) in what follows.
A CI is a region or area that, when constructed in repeated samples, covers the true estimate in, say, 95% of the samples. (p. 54; similar to above)
The CI can be interpreted as being such that the probability that the estimate falls in that interval is 95%. When this is the shortest possible such interval, Bayesians refer to it as the highest posterior density interval. This is the way in which many clients of classical/frequentist statisticians want to and do interpret classical 95% CI, in spite of the fact that it is illegetimate to do so.
12. Wrote a longish response earlier that disappeared, and perhaps this one will as well. So I won’t go back through it, but I just want to assure David that I’ve more than read the literature—I’ve actually even written some of it! Gigerentzer has written some interesting things, but his claims about the radical differences between Fisher and N-P statistics is quite unfounded and very misleading.
13. I think confidence intervals are useful things to have, but their “objective interpretation” doesn’t mean much. I’d rather have likelihoods plotted over the domain in question, comparing the plausibility of one hypothesis over another. I understand that likelihoods don’t always exist. I also understand that the fraction of the space that one posterior is greater than another is not necessarily a useful input for decision-making.
I think it is useful, when, say, concluding if an event of significance has happened in some interval, to have estimates of location, and estimates of dispersion. Practically speaking, I don’t much care what these are. I like being independent of models, of assumptions on distributions. With my work, inadequate amounts of data are typically not an issue, but they are an issue some of the time, when I can’t have enough data about a particular subject of inquiry.
I’d like to think my purpose to to expose to people the uncertainty in their inferences, whether my techniques are resampling or importance sampling or other methods.
I do agree, even if I might disagree with the methodological critique, that such appreciation of uncertainty and range is at the heart of our art, and of our key responsibilities.
14. Here was the gist of my erased point: With a properly computed CI, or well-tested there is a well-warranted statement corresponding to the stated interval. It is only by viewing every such statement through a Bayesian lens that claims such as :
hypothesis H is well corroborated or warranted by the data are invariable interpreted Bayesianly. And so, the person is interpreting the CI correctly, but the Bayesian who views every claim to having evidence as a posterior probability will say, aha, you’re misinterpreting your CI Bayesianly! But that’s certainly not what people mean. The English word “probability” can be equivocal, but that’s no excuse to insist only a Bayesian construal is correct.
Many make the same mistake as regards the word “likely” and so mistakenly think people are ignoring base rates that should be considered—but that’s another story.
For some relevant blogposts (, see Oct 30, 31; Nov. 8.
Lots of papers on my homepage discussing how to interpret relevant error probabilities as claims of how well-corroborated a claim is (how consistent the data are with a hypothesis, and which discrepancies were sufficiently well-probed to infer they are absent). This is the severity interpretation of tests. Sorry to be writing this quickly, ….
They make the same mistake with construing
15. Mayo:
I presented you with some data that contradicted a claim you made. There are several responses you could have provided that would have made for an interesting discussion.
For instance, you could have argued that the six-question surveys described in the section I linked to were ambiguous or invalid. You could have argued that the people being surveyed were, in fact, correct, and the authors were wrong. You could have argued that my surveys were about p-values and not about confidence intervals, so the point didn’t apply (although that might have been a stretch). You could have presented other surveys or reviews of the literature that showed that people correctly interpreted frequentist confidence intervals.
But neither of your posts actually does any of that. Instead, you lashed out at Gigerenzer for a supposed error that wouldn’t even have been germane to the discussion if he had conducted the surveys himself (which he didn’t), and reiterated your original accusations agains unnamed Bayesians in a remarkably garbled post.
The original post by Briggs only asked for a single example of a frequentist correctly interpreting their results. I had assumed that was an absurdly low bar, but you haven’t even provided that much, let alone a response to the data I’ve presented corroborating him. If the survey questions and methodology are valid, then the argument you’ve reiterated is simply false, no matter how much your ideology wants it to be true.
What exactly are you trying to accomplish with your online presence?
Leave a Reply
| <urn:uuid:c2547d3e-f601-48da-8585-cfd87bca3a9b> | 2 | 2.140625 | 0.069214 | en | 0.953643 | http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2012/01/13/interpreting-statistics/ |
Focus - Bottled water in the UK
In spite of pressure from campaigners over the environmental impact of rising bottled water sales, per capita consumption continues to rise in the UK. And, writes Annette Farr, the recent mains water contamination scare in Northamptonshire provided an opportunity for some subtle point-scoring in the ‘tap versus bottle’ debate. | <urn:uuid:75f56325-ded9-4d9f-89bb-b85368dc3222> | 2 | 1.671875 | 0.040686 | en | 0.858087 | http://www.just-drinks.com/hot-issues/focus-bottled-water-in-the-uk_id288.aspx |
[TT] Dominion: An ABC Economy
The basic play of Dominion is as simple as ABC:
• Play an Action (optional)
• Buy a card (optional)
• Clean up by discarding everything in your hand and in play and drawing 5 cards>
Actions are where the fun is, and the real excitement happens when you chain them together. Several actions give you extra actions, so you can play several in one turn. Sometimes this is spectacularly awesome, other times just a spectacle that ends with your buying a Silver (which you can do with half a handful of Copper). If you are the sort of player who lives for big combos, big single turns, and winning big on a good roll of the dice, actions are the most important part of the game for you.
You also get one buy per turn, which is usually all you want. The value of having buys is tied to having coins. If you can buy six cards but have no money, all you can buy is some Copper, which dilutes the value of your deck. If you have a lot of money, you will probably be better served by buying one expensive thing than a few smaller things. On the other hand, there are certainly times when it is useful to buy several cards at once, especially when your chain of actions has netted you a lot of money. As mentioned last week, using money to buy money is one of the more valuable steps in building your deck, and this will be discussed next week in the strategy of Big Money.
To me, the economy of cards is the most exciting part and really the point of the whole game. As I suggested under buying cards, I would rather buy nothing than dilute the value of my deck. That is the between-turn card economy. Within a turn, your goal is usually to have as many cards as possible. More cards means more actions and money, some of which will get you more cards again. You get more cards via more actions, and your extra actions are also cards, so you can get a nice cycle going here.
That synergy comes together in non-terminal cards. Some cards give you at least one more action and at least one more card and then do something else. Village is the simplest of these (and again a future topic for an entire post): +1 card, +2 actions. A village is effectively a free action, because it gives you back the action you used to play it and gives you another card to replace itself and lets you play a third action. For that to be valuable, of course, you need to have two more actions in your other five cards; otherwise, the Village did nothing for you.
The simplest combination is Village and Smithy (+3 cards). If you play both, you now have seven cards in your hand and one action remaining. Effectively, you are back to the start of your turn but with two more cards in your hand. This is a good place to be. Note, however, that you need to play Village first. If you start your turn with a Smithy and four Coppers, play the Smithy, and draw three Villages, you cannot play any of those Villages because you used your one action to play the Smithy. Being allowed to play more actions is valuable only if you have more actions to play, and getting more cards is valuable only if you can play those cards (but either is still better to have, all things being equal).
Market is the simplest card to summarize all of this. Market gives you +1 action, +1 card, +1 buy, and +1 coin. You get one of everything. It is non-terminal, like Village, so you effectively get the buy and the coin for free that turn. Whatever you want to do, Market will give you a little more of it.
Players will tend to focus on whatever is most interest to them, and any path can lead you to victory because they all interact. Some people like having lots of money; money buys you cards, including actions and more money. Some people like having lots of actions; actions get you more cards and money. Some people like having lots of cards; cards are your money and actions.
Part of advanced play is trying to get the most value from each of these. To explain with a parallel, one of the most exciting design ideas late in Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition was working with the economy of actions. When a move is just a move, you can move or not; when there are a variety of things you can do as a move-equivalent action, the potential value of a move action is much higher. The same was done with minor actions, which were almost nothing in the original Player’s Handbook but were a valuable source of optimized actions several years later. If you want to get the most out of your turn in Dominion, you need to think about how you can make best use of your action, buy, and cards to get the most value, both for this turn and to set up future turns. We will later discuss the Chapel strategy that uses turns with negative value to improve your deck.
Next week, we start talking strategy with Big Money.
: Zubon
3 thoughts on “[TT] Dominion: An ABC Economy”
1. It’s great to see others take a liking to this game. I’ve tried a variety of other deckbuilders, but this is the one my group goes back to time and again. No single strategy will win every set up. There’s always room for improvement in execution (building an efficient deck) and/or reacting to opponent strategy. Truly a game of outstanding balance and replayability.
Comments are closed. | <urn:uuid:a970377d-df06-45f8-b114-ce66344cb1e9> | 2 | 1.976563 | 0.066604 | en | 0.971927 | http://www.killtenrats.com/2014/02/18/tt-dominion-an-abc-economy/ |
Humidity: 23%
Pressure: 30.18 in
Shortage of YPD officers could mean longer response times
Shortage of YPD officers could mean longer response times
YAKIMA, Wash. -- The police department is still facing an uphill battle to becoming fully staffed. KIMA has learned YPD is operating with a shortage of 18 officers.
Sunny Lee Johnson knows what it's like to be stuck waiting for help from the police. A gang shooting left people in his neighborhood worried they were in danger.
"A neighbor called the cops and they didn't show up for a good 30, 45 minutes instead of, you know, normally a gang fight, they're there in two minutes," he said.
YPD currently has openings for eight officers. An additional ten are in the academy or field training. That's 18 openings that aren't currently filled. The patrol division feels the shortage the most. KIMA asked if fewer officers means longer response times.
"If they're all tied up then, yes, we respond by priority to calls," said Capt. Rod Light, a Yakima Police Department spokesperson.
An example of a priority case would be last month, when two people were shot at a concert outside the Seasons Performance Hall. Police say lower-priority cases can take up to two to three hours to respond to. A less serious case could be finding your house was burglarized, but that the burglar already left.
"It's not because we're not doing our job or not wanting to do our job, it's they don't have the available free unit to respond. It's because they're handling more serious matters," said Capt. Light.
Police say officers on their way to serious cases also have to prioritize, meaning they might not be able to give traffic violations they might normally stop for.
"I'm the one that has to ultimately look over my shoulder and protect myself," said Johnson.
YPD says they've learned to operate on a shortage without compromising your safety. Still, neighbors like Sunny Lee can't help but be more aware of their surroundings.
Full staff for the Yakima Police Department is 147. Finding qualified candidates is the biggest challenge, especially as more officers are retiring. When an officer retires it can take two and a half years before a replacement is hired, trained, and ready to work alone.
Tiger Oil stations in Yakima to be demolished Tiger Oil stations in Yakima to be demolished | <urn:uuid:d693d2c4-7747-42e0-8c1c-560fca184804> | 2 | 1.578125 | 0.044213 | en | 0.979257 | http://www.kimatv.com/home/video/Shortage-of-YPD-officers-could-mean-longer-response-times-for-some-calls-254304461.html?mobile=y |
Calibrated Lazy Associative Classification
Adriano VelosoWagner Meira Jr.Mohammed Zaki
Classification is an important problem in data mining. Given an example x and a class c, a classifier usually works by estimating the probability of x being member of c (i.e., membership probability). Well calibrated classifiers are those able to provide accurate estimates of class membership probabilities, that is, the estimated probability p(c|x) is close to p(c|(c|x)), which is the true, p empirical probability of x being member of c given that the probability estimated by the classifier is p(c|x). Calibration is not a necessary property for producing accurate classifiers, and thus, most of the research has focused on direct accuracy maximization strategies (i.e., maximum margin) rather than on calibration. However, non-calibrated classifiers are problematic in applications where the reliability associated with a prediction must be taken into account (i.e., cost-sensitive classification, cautious classification etc.). In these applications, a sensible use of the classifier must be based on the reliability of its predictions, and thus, the classifier must be well calibrated. In this paper we show that lazy associative classifiers (LAC) are accurate, and well calibrated using a well known, sound, entropy-minimization method. We explore important applications where such characteristics (i.e., accuracy and calibration) are relevant, and we demonstrate empirically that LAC drastically outperforms other classifiers, such as SVMs, Naive Bayes, and Decision Trees (even after these classifiers are calibrated by specific methods). Additional highlights of LAC include the ability to incorporate reliable predictions for improving training, and the ability to refrain from doubtful predictions.
Biblioteca Digital Brasileira de Computação - Contato:
Mantida por: | <urn:uuid:ed4b1013-764c-43e8-b20e-e899b4429a0c> | 2 | 2.015625 | 0.223486 | en | 0.899211 | http://www.lbd.dcc.ufmg.br/bdbcomp/servlet/Trabalho?id=7505 |
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage
Topic: WATER
1 verb
sail1 S3
1 [intransitive always +adverb/preposition, transitive]TTW to travel on or across an area of water in a boat or ship
sail across/into/out of etc
the first Europeans to sail across the Atlantic
Three tall ships sailed past.
She always wanted to sail around the world.
sail the Pacific/the Atlantic etc
We're taking two months off to sail the Caribbean.
2 [intransitive]TTW to start a journey by boat or ship:
We sail at dawn.
sail for
They're sailing for Antigua next week.
3 [intransitive and transitive]TTW to direct or control the movement of a boat or ship that has a sail:
Blake sailed the ship safely through the narrow passage.
My father taught me to sail.
4 [intransitive always +adverb/preposition] to move quickly and smoothly through the air
sail through/over/into etc
A ball came sailing over the fence.
5 [intransitive always +adverb/preposition] to move forwards gracefully and confidently:
She sailed into the room.
sail close to the wind
British English to do or say something that is nearly wrong, illegal, or dishonest
sail through something
phrasal verb
SE to succeed very easily in a test, examination etc:
Adam sailed through his final exams.
Word of the Day
Word of the Day is:
Other related topics | <urn:uuid:2f33da07-674e-4dbe-bdde-4ed3e4b1448b> | 3 | 2.96875 | 0.50364 | en | 0.916452 | http://www.ldoceonline.com/Water-topic/sail_1 |
The End of Neoconservatism
James Nuechterlein
Copyright (c) 1996 First Things 63 (May 1996): 14-15.
Everybody, it seems, is pronouncing the death of neoconservatism- including, most significantly, the two people most responsible for its existence in the first place, Irving Kristol and Norman Podhoretz.
Kristol has done so in his recent Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea (Free Press) and Podhoretz follows suit in the March issue of Commentary with his essay "Neoconservatism: A Eulogy." In neither case does the eulogy take on the character of an elegy: for both men, neoconservatism departs the scene not because it has failed but because it has, in large part at least, succeeded in what it set out to accomplish.
Putting the question of success or failure aside for the moment, is it true to say that neoconservatism is dead? I suspect it is-it would seem impertinent, to say the least, to argue with the founding fathers on the point-but I do want to complicate the argument just a bit.
First, some history is in order. Neoconservatism came into being mainly as a byproduct of the disintegration of the left in the late 1960s. The neocons were for the most part disillusioned liberals (or radicals) who broke with their former allies over what they considered the febrile, guilt-ridden anti-Americanism embraced by much of the left in the wake of the anti-Vietnam War movement. (A great many neoconservatives- Podhoretz notable among them-participated in the early days of the antiwar movement but parted from it in its latter radical stages.) As Podhoretz puts it, "Neoconservatism came into the world to combat the dangerous lies that were being spread by the radicalism of the sixties and that were being accepted as truth by the established liberal institutions of the day." The neoconservatives, one might say, established themselves as the adversaries of the adversary culture.
The neocons (most of whom came to accept the term only under duress) brought to the right a measure of the intellectual recognition it had previously lacked. Prior to the neoconservatives' emergence, liberals for the most part dealt with intellectual challenges from the right by not dealing with them, by ignoring conservative arguments and the people who made them. It was harder for liberals to disregard the neoconservatives, who had gained intellectual recognition while still on the left and who therefore could not so easily be treated as if they were not there. Neoconservative critiques of the left achieved a visibility and thus an influence that earlier criticisms-notably those of William F. Buckley, Jr. and his colleagues at National Review-had not.
Relations between the Buckley conservatives and the neocons were, at first, often distant and uncomfortable. The two groups had different histories, different intellectual styles, different preoccupations. Many in the Buckley group (though not Buckley himself) treated the neoconservatives as interlopers and tended to suspect them of closet liberal sympathies-which, given the way the National Review of those days defined such things, was not an entirely unfounded suspicion. Many neoconservatives, for their part, could not accustom themselves to regarding as allies people whom all their lives they had considered beyond the bounds of intellectual respectability.
Neoconservatives differed with traditional conservatives on a number of issues, of which the three most important, in my view, were the New Deal, civil rights, and the nature of the Communist threat. On the New Deal, neoconservatives wanted not to dismantle the welfare/regulatory state, as did most traditionalists, but simply to prevent its infinite expansion, as in the programs of the Great Society. On civil rights, all neocons were enthusiastic supporters of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, while the National Review was suspicious of King and opposed to federal legislation forbidding racial discrimination.
As to communism, traditionalists and neocons were both ardent anti- Communists; but where neocons focused on the danger of external aggression, traditionalists worried more about the threat of internal subversion-and, as Podhoretz notes, "They were not, to put it gently, always scrupulous in distinguishing among the various factions on the left." The National Review conservatives were, in most cases, zealous defenders of Senator Joe McCarthy; the neoconservatives considered him a political thug whose demagoguery had severely damaged the anti-Communist cause.
Over the years, the distance between the two camps on these (and other) issues has narrowed considerably. On the New Deal and the role of government, the movement has come mainly from the neoconservative side. As Podhoretz says, "By now most neoconservatives have pretty well given up on the welfare state." (Though I have yet to meet a neoconservative who considers himself a libertarian.) On civil rights, it is the traditionalists who have shifted ground. They mostly support, in retrospect, the early Civil Rights Acts, and they join with the neoconservatives in favorably contrasting Dr. King's vision of a color- blind society with the balkanizing quota schemes of today's civil rights establishment. Finally, of course, divisions among anti-Communists have long since disappeared and McCarthyism remains an issue only in textbooks.
This pattern of convergence means that neoconservatism has lost its ideological distinctiveness. As Kristol observes, the children of neocons-the non-rebellious ones at least-think of themselves simply as "conservatives without adjectival modification." Neither Kristol nor Podhoretz finds grounds for regret in that. Neoconservatives have lost their particularity but won their war. Communism is dead and the left is in disarray. Podhoretz happily concludes: "I think we can claim that the defense the neoconservatives mounted of American society and its traditional values against the frontal assaults of the counterculture ended with a victory that in its own modest way resembled the victory of the West over communism in the Cold War."
It is not surprising, in retrospect, that things should have turned out as they did. Although neoconservatives originally hoped to exercise influence among liberals-their first institutional incarnation, after all, was as the Coalition for a Democratic Majority-the direction of their movement, from the time it targeted the New Left as the enemy, was always to the right. And once Ronald Reagan won the presidency and made conservatism the political establishment, traditionalist conservatives dropped their sectarian mentality and met the neocons coming the other way.
Podhoretz somewhat misreads Reagan's role in all this. Podhoretz says that "Reagan can . . . be considered one of the first neoconservatives." In fact, few if any neoconservatives were early supporters of Reagan, whom they correctly viewed as a traditionalist conservative with strong libertarian leanings. Prior to 1980, most neoconservatives regarded him with a combination of condescension and mistrust. Once he was nominated, however-and even more once he was elected-virtually all of them drifted, at varying rates of speed and with varying degrees of enthusiasm, to his support. It was the Reagan presidency that, in its continuous warfare with the left, consolidated the various schools of conservatism into a more-or-less unified, and more-or-less successful, ideological coalition. And in the process eliminated neoconservatism's reason for being.
Not everyone concedes the death of neoconservatism. The so-called paleoconservatives-an odd amalgam of extreme libertarians, isolationists, anti-Vatican II Catholics, and unreconstructed defenders of the Southern Confederacy-find their reason for being in endless denunciations of the neoconservatives, and of the National Review traditionalists for having sold out to them. The idea of neoconservatism as a liberal plot to highjack conservatism for the left might seem hopelessly dated-the social democratic wing of neoconservatism disappeared long ago-but it remains vibrantly alive in the pages of journals like Chronicles and in the imaginations of ideologues attracted to the candidacy of Pat Buchanan.
I find myself in the perverse position of wishing the paleocons were more right than they are in insisting on neoconservative distinctiveness. And I suspect I am not alone.
More than a few of us who came of intellectual age in the late 1950s and early 1960s found ourselves politically isolated. We did not identify comfortably with either the liberal or conservative communities of the time. We were, in shorthand terms, neither New Republic nor National Review. Then along came Kristol's new Public Interest and, a few years later, Podhoretz's reconfigured Commentary, journals that redefined the possibilities of American politics and offered intellectual shelter to those of us who had been ideologically homeless.
The 1990s are not the 1960s, and Kristol and Podhoretz are right to emphasize the differences. Their journals are still there, but they no longer stand alone. Commentary and National Review are far more alike than they were then, and the differences that remain do not fit neat ideological categories.
Still, it is more than nostalgia that prompts the wish that the neoconservative impulse might remain alive. The neoconservatives were appalled by what had become of liberalism, but they understood that to break entirely with the liberal tradition would be to break with the American experiment. They were combative but not sectarian. They quarreled with modernity without supposing they could act as if modernity had not occurred. Perhaps most importantly, they fought the utopian illusions of the left without succumbing to a counter- utopianism. They were principled, but they resisted the notion that politics consists mainly of maintaining an ideological paradigm.
These elements of the neoconservative temper retain their relevance even if neoconservatism as a program does not-and any conservatism worth defending will want to hold on to them even when neoconservatism exists only in memory. | <urn:uuid:5c261b9a-43f8-4442-a2f7-9d2a495d1086> | 2 | 1.726563 | 0.02862 | en | 0.969451 | http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9605/opinion/thistime.html |
My child becomes upset when I can't guess what he's drawn. Help?
Try responding with, “Tell me about your picture.” My mom, a former first grade teacher, passed along this very useful phrase as I started teaching and would have students proudly present their latest masterpieces that were often hard to identify. I’d learned the hard way that exclaiming “oh, what a wonderful elephant” when the child had, in fact, drawn his grandmother’s new kitten, could result in downcast eyes or words of understandable indignation. Simply saying “tell me about your picture” not only avoids such blunders, but it often does something powerful in terms of literacy development as well. It invites children to clarify—and often expand upon—the messages they intended to convey with their drawings. For children who are not yet writing, or who struggle to get words on paper, using drawings or other forms of graphic representation is an essential springboard for communicating thoughts and ideas that may be more complex than what they are currently able to capture in sentences and paragraphs. So rather than guessing what a picture is meant convey, you can turn these occasions into language development opportunities.
Jennie Ito, Ph.D.
Child Development Expert
Submit a question for our learning experts. | <urn:uuid:c0df2f48-371d-4fa4-b684-70ed9954de6a> | 3 | 3.375 | 0.020783 | en | 0.970798 | http://www.leapfrog.com/en-us/learning-path/discussions/child-becomes-upset-cant-guess-what-drawn.html |
Finding your way at the command line.
Last month, I closed this column with a script that can return latitude/longitude values for two addresses, with the intent ultimately being to have the script calculate the distance between those two points. As an example:
$ "union station, denver co" \
"union station, chicago il"
Calculating lat/long for union station, denver co
= 39.75288, -105.000473
And calculating lat/long for union station, chicago il
= 41.878658, -87.640404
The formula to calculate distance actually is pretty complicated. Here's a JavaScript implementation of the math I showed last month:
var R = 6371; // kilometers
var dLat = (lat2-lat1);
var dLon = (lon2-lon1);
var d = R * c;
This is going to be a wee bit tricky to convert into a shell script, needless to say, but because we have to use a more sophisticated math tool than the built-in capabilities of Bash anyway, this also means we have a number of options to work with, including Perl, awk and bc. For that matter, we also can just write a quick C program that solves this equation given four variables, but really, why make it easy when I can make it complex? If I wanted easy, I would whip out some Perl, right? Last month, I promised some bc, so let's see if we can make that rusty old app do the heavy lifting.
Degrees to Radians
The first step mathematically is to convert the lat/lon values we get from the mapping system from degrees to radians. This turns out to be straightforward:
Radians = degrees * ( pi / 180 )
Pi, of course, is 3.1415926535897932384.
Given values like:
41.878658, -87.640404
The radians equivalent of those is then:
0.7309204767, -1.529613605
To warm up with bc, here's a simple command-line way to calculate one of these values:
echo "scale=8; -87.640404 * ( 3.14159265 / 180)" | bc
That's all well and good, but it turns out that the different equations I explored for calculating the distance between two points requires the atan2() function, which isn't part of bc.
Rather than beat my head against the old-school wall until the bits are bloodied, I'm going to throw in the towel and admit that this might just be a bit too complex a mathematical problem for a shell script and bc.
Dave Cries Uncle!
Having spent way more hours than I want to admit trying to get this to work properly in bc, I'm going to “cry uncle” and switch temporarily into a different programming language. I'm going to jump into C for a few lines and whip out a simple program that, given two lat/lon pairs in degrees, calculates the distance between them in miles (Listing 1).
Does it work? Let's find out:
$ distance 39.75288 -105.000473 41.878658 -87.640404
That seems reasonable. The great circle distance between those two points is 917 miles. Google Maps, of course, shows about 10% greater distance, but perhaps that's because there is no direct-as-the-crow-flies route via roads?
Of course, there also are errors with this formula too, because Earth isn't a perfect sphere but rather an oblate spheroid that has a different diameter depending on where you're measuring. But for our purposes, let's just gloss over that problem. You can Google it to learn about things like the Vincenty formula, but that's beyond the scope of this ridiculous sidetrack.
Now we have all the pieces we need: location to lat/lon and distance between two lat/lon points. Let's put it all together.
Comment viewing options
Problem of distance variation
DrLove73's picture
Hopes this helps.
in all the code samples
Anonymous's picture
listing 1 link fix
Anonymous's picture
It is actually and not as mentioned above :)
great article! Thanks! - Israel Torres
No bugs I believe, just works as it should
Claudio's picture
Remember, when talking about earth you have to think 3D!
$R = 6371;
$lat1 = $lat1 * 3.14159265359 / 180 ;
$lat2 = $lat2 * 3.14159265359 / 180 ;
$d = $R * $c;
return $d;
$LAT1 = $_REQUEST["lat1"];
$LON1 = $_REQUEST["lon1"];
$LAT2 = $_REQUEST["lat2"];
$LON2 = $_REQUEST["lon2"];
You can either call it via POST or via GET.
In fact _REQUEST is magic. :)
take care,
gayatri's picture
//convert degrees to radians float dtor(float degrees)
return(degrees *pi/180);
//convert radians to degrees float rtod(float radians)
return(radians *180.0/pi);
//returns float distance in feet
float dlon,dlat,a,c;
float dist=0.0;
Learn More
Sponsored by Bit9
Linux Backup and Recovery Webinar
Learn More
Sponsored by Storix | <urn:uuid:a4f3c386-3d03-4e94-bf59-e18ad06a3c9f> | 2 | 2.140625 | 0.328299 | en | 0.875817 | http://www.linuxjournal.com/magazine/work-shell-calculating-distance-between-two-latitudelongitude-points?quicktabs_1=2 |
Need help on Pride and Prejudice?
• Profile Photo
Peter G. (Princeton)
• Profile Photo
Alice B. (Chicago)
• Profile Photo
Katie C. (Cornell)
Talk to a tutor who can help right now.
Find an Online Tutor
powered by Chegg Tutors
Chapter 35
Analysis & Themes
The next day, Elizabeth takes a walk. She finds Darcy waiting for her. He gives her a letter of explanation. In the letter, Darcy answers Elizabeth's charges of misconduct toward Jane and Wickham. He knew that Bingley was in love with Jane, but he detected no affection on her part and, given that, thought it unwise for Bingley to become attached to Elizabeth's family, with its improprieties and lack of wealth. In London, he joined with Caroline in convincing Bingley to give up the attachment. Darcy also confesses, with regret, to keeping Bingley from finding out that Jane was in London, too.
In Chapter 6, Charlotte warned Elizabeth that Jane needed to show her affections for Bingley. It turns out she was right, and that Darcy interpreted Jane's reserve as a lack of love for Bingley. In conjunction with the Bennets' tastelessness at the ball, he believed that the marriage was not in Bingley's interest. However, he does not admit he crossed the line by lying to Bingley.
Regarding Wickham, Darcy says that after Darcy's father died, Wickham resigned his opportunity with the church in exchange for money for law school. Rather than using the money to attend law school, though, he spent it on partying. When the money ran out, he asked Darcy for more money, and was furious when Darcy refused.
Wickham turns out to be a classic example of a corrupt, directionless opportunist. In this case, Darcy's pride meant that he refused to meet Wickham's demands. In other words, he wouldn't let Wickham use him.
Years passed. Wickham saw an opportunity with Darcy's sister Georgiana, who was both rich and, at age 15, naÏve. Wickham charmed her into eloping with him, but Darcy discovered their plans and sent Wickham away. To protect his sister's reputation, Darcy has kept everything a secret. He refers Elizabeth to Colonel Fitzwilliam to confirm the story.
Wickham tried to seduce and marry Georgiana merely for her money. Darcy keeps it secret because even Georgiana's willingness to run off with Wickham could ruin her reputation and wreck her own chance at a good marriage. | <urn:uuid:e5afad29-e6da-464f-be66-aa79d7bc526b> | 2 | 2.1875 | 0.021294 | en | 0.964513 | http://www.litcharts.com/lit/pride-and-prejudice/chapter-35 |
You are here
When Computers Were Human
David Alan Grier
Princeton University Press
Publication Date:
Number of Pages:
[Reviewed by
Amy Shell-Gellasch
, on
Though many human computers toiled alone, the most influential worked in organized groups, which were sometimes called computing offices or computing laboratories. These groups form some of the earliest examples of a phenomenon known informally as “big science,” the combination of labor, capital, and machinery that undertakes the large problems of scientific research.
When Computers Were Human, p. 5.
David Alan Grier started his study of human computers as a labor of love. A simple comment by his grandmother, that she had taken calculus in college, made him curious. Out of that curiosity has come a history of computing before computers that is a must read for anyone interested in early computing or the history of mathematics. Starting with the appearance of Halley’s Comet in 1758, Grier traces the maturation of hand computing and its ultimate displacement by electronic computers.
Even though long calculations had been done by mathematicians in the course of their work for centuries, the laborious calculations required in the determination of celestial orbits and the preparation of tables of ephemerides for use in navigation were the first calculations taken on by groups of computers in a formal way. The first calculations described by Grier are those of the small “computing group” of Clairaut, Lalande and Lepaute on Halley’s Comet in the 1750s. By the 1800s, groups employing tens of computers were working for national observatories and almanac offices in Britain and by the end of the century, in the United States. In the 1900s, the largest computing groups added the compilation of tables to their burgeoning workloads. In the first half of the 20th century, larger computing groups of more than one or two hundred computers started working on matters of defense, such as ballistics. These groups were more and more aided in their endeavors by the simple mechanical calculating devises constructed starting in the late 1800s. By the close of the Second World War, electronic computers were being constructed, and within two decades of the war, the large computing offices that had been a fixture of scientific research for over a century had been replaced by electronic computers. And with the closing of these computing offices, a whole segment of the scientific community went out of existence
Grier brings to life these men and women who, for the most part, have been forgotten by history. They worked long hours doing repetitive calculations for some larger project they knew little or nothing about. In the large computing offices, calculations were broken down into individual steps by planning teams made up of people with some background in mathematics. The workers were for the most part not mathematicians. Most were high school graduates in need of work.
The strength of this book is its breadth of research and its human touch. However, this is also its greatest weakness. In making this book accessible to the general public, which it very much is, the author has included no mathematics. The names of mathematical functions and the like are mentioned, but no description at any level is made of the actual calculations performed by the computing groups. No example of a computing sheet is given so the reader can get a feel for the work done. I believe that anyone interested in this topic would be able to handle a brief description of the work done. So even though I feel that I learned a lot about the lives of these men and women, and the politics that shaped the computing community, I have gained no knowledge of the actual work done. That said, this is still a well written, informative and enjoyable work. One that should take its rightful, and long empty, place on the shelf next to the myriad volumes on the history of the computer.
The table of contents is not available. | <urn:uuid:4480551d-8d34-455a-851f-f2be651880dc> | 4 | 3.609375 | 0.155015 | en | 0.96931 | http://www.maa.org/publications/maa-reviews/when-computers-were-human |
Review: The Malice of Fortune
By Michael Ennis
Fictionalizing historical figures is a tricky business. With audience expectations high, the tone can switch from delight to skepticism with just a few ham-fisted character development choices. It’s the difference between Tracy Chevalier’s Vermeer in Girl with a Pearl Earring and America’s 16th president in Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. It’s delicate work.
The Malice of Fortune opens with Pope Alexander VI (the Borgia one) convincing Damiata, his son’s favourite courtesan, to track down his son’s murderer. She soon teams up with Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli. Oh yes, you read that correctly: the crime fighting dream team of reasonable scientist and ambitious philosopher is the Cagney and Lacey of Renaissance Italy.
The research necessary to construct the detailed world in which these events take place must have been enormous. When Ennis gracefully balances the cadence of his prose with his knack for historical detail, the reader can feel transported: the frescoes are clear in your mind’s eye, and you can smell the elaborate banquets. But often the author’s desire to showcase rhetoric muddles the story arc. And with a complex plot such as this one, rhythm and pace must be paramount lest the reader drown in an avalanche of tropes.
The book has all the elements of a murder mystery page-turner: serial murderer, political power plays, sexy courtesan and two maestros-cum-sleuths. One gets the feeling Ennis wrote Malice with a silver screen translation in mind. And, honestly, having geniuses da Vinci and Machiavelli partner to catch a baddie really does smell like a blockbuster.
The Malice of Fortune attempts to mimic the style of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose but lands somewhere in the territory of a convoluted Da Vinci Code with a better vocabulary. But maybe he’s just getting warmed up—Ennis shows hints of greatness here.
Sign in to comment. | <urn:uuid:347b6ed1-1cea-46ae-a23e-80d011adccaa> | 2 | 1.820313 | 0.046966 | en | 0.914301 | http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/the-malice-of-fortune/ |
The Presidential Elections in May 2014 were won by Arthur Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The incumbent president, Joyce Banda, resigned. But after the sudden death of Bingu wa Mutharika, Joyce Banda took over the presidency in her capacity as vice-president. Arthur Peter Mutharika is the brother of Bingu wa Mutharika; he is a lawyer and has also lectured as a professor in Tanzania, Ethiopia, and the USA.
history of the association
In Malawi a classroom is shared by 125 children – because there are not enough schools, not enough teachers, and not enough money for teaching materials. However, education is the key to a brighter future. People with knowledge, who are able to read, to write and to calculate, who are able to inform themselves, are less dependent on others, are less vulnerable to being exploited, and are able to free themselves from poverty. This explains why we prepare children from Malawi with selective projects for their future. Our focus is integration, primarily by enhancing their confidence in their abilities. They should be proud of their culture, their knowledge, and their abilities. We want to make them aware of what they are able to and what they can achieve. We all benefit from these intercultural and shared projects. We are different and that is why we permanently learn from one another and we grow closer to the other culture through personal contact.
The Republic of Malawi lies in South East Africa, on the borders to Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia. The country is mainly famous for two things: its beautiful and diverse nature; and its hospitality. The greatest wealth of this small country is Lake Malawi, which spreads from the far north-eastern tip of the country deep down to the South.
The former British Protectorate gained independence in 1964. Since 2014, Malawi has been ruled by Arthur Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. A majority of its 15 million inhabitants live on less than 1 US$ a day. The majority of the population depends on subsistence economy. | <urn:uuid:8ee538c5-4eef-40e0-a104-e7a23bf1b4d6> | 2 | 2.46875 | 0.213167 | en | 0.97675 | http://www.martinschaer.ch/association/ |
what :
Home > Search > change
Objectspage : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
16step-seq Abstraction rythmical sequencer
A 16-step sequencer which patterns can be created by random or by supplying a list (see below) - the pattern can be changed gradually by applied operations.
3D_Label External Add bevel-edged labels with complete control of font, style, size, font color, label colors, text, etc. change text on the fly - use to display changing values, etc.
3D_Pict_Button External Display 2 different PICTs on the in/out positions of a bevel-edged button.
Display 2 different PICTs on the in/out positions of a bevel-edged button. change PICTs on the fly, in addition to all the features of 3D_Text_Button above.
a-change External output i,f,l only if change within fuzzy
output i,f,l only if change within fuzzy
active External Notify when a Patcher window is the active window
active will output a 1 when the Patcher window becomes active (i.e., it is the front-most window and its title bar is hilited), and output a 0 when the Patcher window becomes inactive. You can use this to change the user interface of your window. For example, in this patcher, messages from the key object are turned off when the window is made inactive. Make the Max window the active window and type, and you will notice that numbers are no longer printed in the Max window when you press a key.
aka.jit.gl.snhandle Abstraction 3D Navigation using 3Dconnexion\\\'s SpaceNavigator
This object (abstraction) handles a 3D object/space using 3Dconnexion\\\'s SpaceNavigator.
You have to install the driver before you use it.
This object acts like jit.gl.handle with SpaceNavigator.
Left button changes the mode. Right button resets the position and/or rotation.
aka.mouse External Mouse control utility
This object executes several mouse operations (move, click, hide, show, cursor-change, etc.).
am-gol External Flexible implementation of Conway's Game of Life with different output possibilities.
A 2D celluar automaton evolves in a graphical window. Data (which squares are alive/dead/changed) is output at each iteration. User can define grid-size and rules of evolution.
apass1~ Abstraction basic all-pass filter
This basic all-pass filter is equivalent to the standard MSP allpass~ object, albeit with an additional inlet to control the smoothness of changes to the feedback gain coefficient.
apass3~ External all-pass filter
This is an external object version of apass2~ which is designed specifically for dynamic parameter changes.
au.delta External output data on the way the image changes
au.softcut External automatic change of hard-cut transition to dissolve
bbcomment.js Javascript (jsui) pseudo-BBcode comment object
binop1 + - * / External Arithmetic operators + - * /
The arithmetic operations: addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), and division (/), can be defined as either floating point or integer following the argument's type. The argument is optional for integer arithmetic. The right inlet acts to change the argument value but causes no output. The left inlet introduces the other operand and causes output to be produced. Bang (at left) causes output without changing either value.
bogus External non-existent object
The bogus object is created when Max cannot find the definition of an object in a patch being read from a file. The object has as many inlets and outlets as are needed to preserve existing connections, in case the name of an object has changed or the file that defines the object can be moved to a folder where Max can find it. You can retype the name to try to recreate the object again.
André Sier
Eric Singer
Wesley Smith
Based on Simon Fraser's implementation of Craig Reynolds' Boids algorithm.
Boids is free for non-commercial use.
Boids is a bird flight and animal flock simulator. It is based on the same algorithm which was used in Jurassic Park for the herding dinosaurs.
Boids takes an integer argument which is the number of boids. Each time Boids receives a bang, it calculates and outputs the new positions of the boids. The output consists of thew coordiantes for each boid, the number and type depending on the mode.
The flight parameters can be changed with messages. Use the 'dump' message to output a list of the current parameter settings.
For more information about the Boids algorithm, see Craig Reynolds' Web site at "http://reality.sgi.com/employees/craig/boids.html".
Wesley Smith
Graham Wakefield
ISPW Compatibility Library
Zack Settel This library provides a set of abstractions which allow a certain degree of compatibility between MSP and Miller Puckette's Max0.26/FTS for the ISPW/SIM (Ircam Signal Processing Workstation/Station d'Informatique Musicale). It contains abstractions for all of the ISPW (signal) objects whose name has changed in MSP, and some additional abstractions to replace objects found in the "lib" and "ISPW jimmies".
Trond Lossius
Timothy Place
Matt Aidekman
John Hudak
Pelado the p.jit.gl tools are designed to provide for easier learning of and experimenting with the many attributes that are available to jitter's gl objects by making them a whole lot more transparent and accessible. patches expose jitter gl object's attributes to interfaces that allow you to immediately edit and change an attribute's value. many of the parameters are attached to blines, which provide smooth changes while rendering, and all settings can be saved and recalled as presets using the pattrs that are embedded in the patches.
Matt Wright SDIF (Sound Description Interchange Format) support in Max/MSP
Zack Settel
Jean-michel Dumas
Parts of the nSLAM audio suite.
The "xjimmies" library included with nSLAM v2.0 offers new functionality not defined in the original "jimmies" running under Max/MSP.
Specifically, a number of new objects have been added for working with multichannel sound, sound source simulation and immersive audio. The name of the library, formerly "jimmies", was changed to "xjimmies", since the "X"-platform library runs in both PD (Windows/OSX/Linux) and now, in Max/MSP (Windows/OSX).
Site under GNU Free Documentation License page generated in : 0.0621 s | <urn:uuid:c1751099-6113-40f4-a0d9-d00560a97818> | 2 | 1.671875 | 0.026915 | en | 0.864233 | http://www.maxobjects.com/?request=change |
FTC Pushes Up Hearings On Environmental Marketing Guides
The increase in false green marketing and advertising claims has prompted the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to initiate a regulatory review of its environmental marketing guidelines, Green Guides, more than a year ahead of schedule.
While the review had been scheduled to begin in 2009, the FTC chose to accelerate the process to ensure that the guides reflect today's marketplace. The guides that detail principles for environmental marketing claims and provide specifics on green claims, such as degradability, compostability, recyclability, recycled content and ozone safety, were last updated in 1998.
In a Federal Register Notice, the FTC requests comments on the guides, including standard questions about costs, benefits, effectiveness of the guides, and questions on topics such as sustainable and renewable claims.
The workshops will review potential consumer protection issues in marketing claims that have surfaced in the last two years, according to Laura Koss, attorney for the division of enforcement in the bureau of consumer protection of the FTC.
"We encourage marketers to make very specific claims and substantiate them," she says. During the very comprehensive review, we will give the public an opportunity to comment throughout the process before making recommendations on the changes to make to the Green Guides."
As part of the review, the FTC will hold a series of public workshops through 2008 on green marketing topics. The first, scheduled for Jan. 8, will address marketing of carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Carbon offsets fund projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in one place to counterbalance or "offset" emissions that occur elsewhere. For example, a carbon offset provider might use offset proceeds to pay for landfill methane collection activities or tree planting in an effort to reduce greenhouse gases.
Google reported Tuesday that it will spend hundreds of millions of dollars to develop renewable energy as part of an ambitious strategy to clean up the environment and reduce the company's power bill. The Mountain View, Calif.-based search engine aims to foster innovation in solar, wind and geothermal technology to make green energy cheaper.
The push isn't limited to companies in the United States. The U.K.'s ABTA travel association, along with the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AiTO), have also begun to review carbon offsetting in a campaign operated by Carbon Offsets Ltd. called Reduce My Footprint. The initiative doesn't claim to absolve the guilt of travelers, but encourages them to reduce emissions across every aspect of life--not just air travel--and to offset what can't be reduced.
Reduce My Footprint ensures that money raised goes to projects to improve the lives of people who live in vacation destinations to sustain the beautiful environments they visit and contribute to government-approved offsetting schemes. <[> The FTC's announcement came days before Greenpeace released the sixth edition of its "Guide to Greener Electronics" that now includes television and computer games. The guide ranks consumer electronics companies based on the removal of toxic chemicals from their products and company recycling initiatives.
Microsoft, Nintendo, Philips and Sharp rank at the list's bottom for environmental performance, with Nintendo becoming the first company to score zero out of a possible 10 points. Philips and Microsoft performed little better--scoring 2 and 2.7, respectively.
Firms that improved their ranking this year manufacture entire products, or major components, that are entirely free of hazardous ingredients. Companies that only commit to eliminating harmful chemicals sometime in the future earn a lower score.
Nokia, Motorola and Sony Ericsson each received penalty points for not fully honoring their own recycling take-back policies in the Philippines, Thailand, Argentina, Russia and India. As a result, Nokia fell from the top position to ninth, and Motorola dropped from ninth position to 14th.
Apple, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony and Toshiba have recently indicated that they now produce personal computers, lighting LCD panels, camcorders and digital cameras--or at least major components of these items--free of PVC and/or BFRs.
Recommend (2) Print RSS | <urn:uuid:79289718-c08f-4b9d-98e7-ff7ac0c1826e> | 2 | 1.820313 | 0.026237 | en | 0.926583 | http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/71725/ftc-pushes-up-hearings-on-environmental-marketing.html |
Taking supplements or eating yogurt that includes one of two new strains of probiotics may help reduce body fat by as much as 4 percent, even if you don't change your diet or exercise. That's the conclusion of a new study from the University of Manitoba, which found that people who ate yogurt that contained two novel strains of probiotics (not yet found in commercial products) every day experienced a boost in metabolism and a body fat drop of up to 4 percent in a remarkable six weeks. What's more, most of the weight lost was belly fat, which is more harmful to heart health than other forms of body fat. How can healthy bacteria cause such rapid, significant weight loss? Lead researcher Peter Jones explains that these strains of probiotics block bile salts, which help the intestines absorb fat from food. "Without proper bile-salt concentrations, fats that would otherwise be absorbed into the body are excreted," he says. You can't find these strains in foods currently on the market, but not surprisingly, several companies are working to create a supplement that contains them. | <urn:uuid:c278d337-6077-4fff-abe6-fa8dd68386bf> | 2 | 2.421875 | 0.288144 | en | 0.973971 | http://www.mensjournal.com/essential/print-view/the-yogurt-that-helps-you-lose-weight-20130623 |
Click photo to enlarge
A car crosses the Newell Road bridge, which spans the San Francisquito Creek and connects Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013. Residents met Tuesday night to discuss a proposal to replace the Palo Alto bridge as a part of an effort to reduce flooding risks along the creek. (Kirstina Sangsahachart/ Daily News)
Residents of East Palo Alto and Palo Alto still aren't seeing eye-to-eye over a plan to replace the 102-year-old Newell Road Bridge that connects their cities.
On Thursday night, officials from the two communities held a meeting at Palo Alto City Hall to announce their decision to study four options in an upcoming environmental impact report. The bridge is being eyed for replacement as part of a flood protection project along San Francisquito Creek.
Two of the options call for a two-lane span. One would be built along the current alignment while the other would position the bridge so that the offset between Newell Road on either side of creek is less severe.
A third option would see the 28-foot-wide bridge replaced with a one-lane span with bi-directional traffic.
Finally, the environmental impact report would examine the possibility of leaving the existing bridge in place.
Several residents of East Palo Alto expressed disappointment that an option for a full realignment had been taken off the table, but appeared willing to accept the two-lane option. Bob Allen said fears of increased traffic in the Crescent Park neighborhood of Palo Alto were driving the decision.
Oleta Proctor, another East Palo Alto resident, said she doubted such a bridge would result in more traffic, because it would still connect to a part of East Palo Alto that is relatively isolated. She also raised safety concerns in voicing her support for a two-lane span.
"For those of you who are going west, if there's a sedan or a child on the bridge, you cannot see that person if you are coming south on Woodland (Avenue)," she said. "It's very dangerous."
Residents of Palo Alto, meanwhile, appeared more willing to support the one-lane bridge option. Richard Yankwich said he wanted a span that offers greater flood protection, discourages speeding and doesn't increase or displace traffic.
"If you build a bigger, wider, straighter, flatter bridge, I can't believe that it won't generate more traffic at higher speeds," said Yankwich, also to applause.
Rita Tetzlaff, another Palo Alto resident, raised different safety concerns. She said streets around the bridge are used by children.
"The kids unfortunately don't obey the laws and we're not going to get them to obey the laws because we put in a two-lane bridge," she said. "They are riding two or three abreast. They are texting. They are talking. They are not paying attention. You add in more traffic, you are just inviting disaster."
Palo Alto City Manager James Keene stressed that a decision regarding the bridge would not be made without a full vetting of all the options and input from both cities. But he made it clear that the span would ultimately have to be replaced because it constricts the creek.
"The bridge belongs to both communities and a decision about the bridge really lies in the hands of both communities," he said. "This is a collaboration that has to lead to a solution that's going to work for all of us."
Keene was quick to inject some humor into the lack of unanimity over what to do with the span.
"We're trying to get everybody unhappy with us for different reasons," the city manager quipped.
Email Jason Green at; follow him at | <urn:uuid:eeb575a4-8174-44f5-a053-ae44703de505> | 2 | 1.65625 | 0.043693 | en | 0.970821 | http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_25246038/bridge-replacement-plan-continues-divide-palo-alto-east |
Theory claims that democracies don't go to war with each other, yet despite this the world has feared democracy coming to the Islamic world for far too long.
This fear is not completely unfounded. Hamas, the de facto elected government of the Gaza Strip, has frequently shown itself to be willing to use random violence in its ongoing conflict with Israel.
More importantly, the specter of Islamic Fundamentalism has been a constant worry in the minds of western governments.
However revolution has finally come to North Africa and the Middle East bringing hope of democratic reform and showing this fear to be hollow.
Why did these fears prove to be so misguided?
Demographically, the protestors who dethroned strong men in Egypt and Tunisia are younger and more urban then any pervious generation. And they are the first generation to be predominately raised in a household with satellite television.
For starters, this rural to urban shift plays a much bigger role then previously understood. Though conservative ideologies still hold sway amongst the elderly rural population, the urban centers have been rapidly developing as cities with western liberal ideals.
This shift has been coming for a while as the migration from rural to urban gains pace. Its influence can be felt throughout civil society. For example, in Morocco rural women still wear the hijab and are rarely seen out in public. However, their wealthier urban counterparts tend not to cover their hair, preferring to mimic the styles seen on 2M and MTV Arabia.
They also take much greater advantage of public spaces, eating in restaurants and meeting friends in cafes. As more of the population leaves the agrarian countryside, the pace of this trend will quicken.
The modernizing affects of urban migration are well documented, however in this case they are supplemented by technological changes.
As previously stated the young people who are sounding the charge for change throughout the Middle East and North Africa are the first generation to be raised with television, primarily with programming produced in Europe or America.
Twitter and Facebook have played their parts in organizing and directing forces, but these tools can be shut down and taken away all too easily.
While the Internet reinforces the social norms of its youthful users, television is responsible for bringing in norms that were, until recently, foreign.
There is still a risk that, though it was the new generation that pushed for reform, older, more conservative forces could take control through the ballot box and not let go. But to the new generations these revolutions are seen as one step on the path toward becoming a rich and influential nation along the lines of the United States or Turkey. It is hoped that when that day comes, things will finally be as seen on TV.
Brendan Moroso is a Terra Nova High School graduate and Eagle Scout from Linda Mar's Troop 264. He earned his BA in history from UC-Santa Cruz and his MA in War Studies from King's College London. He is currently working in Morocco with the U.S. Peace Corps. You can follow his story at His parents live in Vallemar. | <urn:uuid:f2cf79f8-b6a2-410a-935a-2d54ac3a3933> | 2 | 2.4375 | 0.020004 | en | 0.964289 | http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_17675767?nclick_check=1 |
verb pos·sess \pə-ˈzes also -ˈses\
: to have or own (something)
: to have or show (a particular quality, ability, skill, etc.)
of spirits : to enter into and control (someone)
Full Definition of POSSESS
transitive verb
a : to have and hold as property : own
b : to have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill
a : to seize and take control of : take into one's possession
b : to enter into and control firmly : dominate <was possessed by demons>
a obsolete : to instate as owner
b : to make the owner or holder —used in passive construction to indicate simple possession <possessed of riches> <possessed of knowledge and experience>
pos·ses·sor noun
Examples of POSSESS
1. nations that possess nuclear weapons
2. The defendant was charged with possessing cocaine.
3. The ruby was once possessed by an ancient queen.
4. He dreams of someday possessing great wealth.
5. He possesses a keen wit.
6. The drug possesses the potential to suppress tumors.
7. Do dolphins possess the ability to use language?
8. What would possess seemingly sane people to treat concrete walls like trampolines? —Alice Park, Time, 16 Apr. 2007
Origin of POSSESS
Middle English, from Middle French possesser to have possession of, take possession of, from Latin possessus, past participle of possidēre, from potis able, having the power + sedēre to sit — more at potent, sit
First Known Use: 14th century
Next Word in the Dictionary: possessablePrevious Word in the Dictionary: possentrieAll Words Near: possess
March 03, 2015
thanatology Hear it
The study of death and grieving
Take a 3-minute break and test your skills!
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears | <urn:uuid:62ff9995-5a9d-4e2a-a044-b4e81f3007a3> | 3 | 2.96875 | 0.053957 | en | 0.899926 | http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/possessing |
[Metroactive Books]
[ Books Index | North Bay | Metroactive Home | Archives ]
[whitespace] [line]
Fall Lit Issue
Steve Hockensmith
Pirate's Prom
Local Lit
YA Lit
Mess Market Media
A short lesson on why the existential void (and good writing) shouldn't just be for kids
By Hannah Strom-Martin
Pop-culture analysts and members of the PTA have long been rattling the bars, swearing that children are being talked down to, taken advantage of, and otherwise cheated by purveyors of entertainment. It's a fair assumption--just look at the kiddie-centric, late-stage career of Ice Cube. What these same people and, indeed, the entire viewing or reading public often fail to take into account is that adults have it far worse; the entire reality TV oeuvre, for example, is aimed at people old enough to wear Jessica Simpson cosmetics.
One would assume, given the moral sewer that currently passes for television, that literary-minded adults would fare much better. Literature has always been the last refuge of complex, original ideas, right? Well, it depends on what sort of literature you're talking about. Because frankly, my dear, when it comes to pop-lit, the adults are getting the soggy end of the stick.
Not only do the most popular authors of adult-oriented fiction talk down to their audience, in some cases their words can actually warp your perception of reality. Lead by books like Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code (coming soon to a multiplex near you) and the still-chugging, ultra-right-wing Left Behind series, pop-lit demonstrates a remarkable lack of faith in the individual. More to the point, these abysmally conceived tales continue to sell millions of copies a year, making their deficiencies all the more worth examining. The dumbing down of popular entertainment ain't just for kids anymore.
Take for example the biggest literary behemoth of the last decade: The Da Vinci Code. Yes, it presents some interesting if not entirely surprising ideas (the Catholic Church had it in for matriarchal paganism? Who knew!), but it also stands as a perfect example of what is wrong with popular literature. The story of one religion essentially wiping out the other is a compelling one--hell, it really happened!--but instead of creating equally compelling characters with which to populate his landscape, Brown opts for reducing his cast of zealots and goddess worshippers down to the least common denominator. His Catholic characters are classic stock villains, leaving the reader in no doubt as to which side of the struggle the author is on.
Brown's enterprising atheist scholars, Robert Langdon and Sophie Sauniere, are stock heroes: he, forthright and American; she, the clay with which he can mold another believer. It's a formula we have seen repeated since Buck Rogers, complete with a tacked-on romantic ending--and writing as bland and rehashed as yesterday's leftovers:
"When we possess the keystone," the Teacher said, "we will only be one step away."
"Paris? Incredible. It is almost too easy."
That's three stock phrases in as many lines, and is a typical example of Brown's flair for words. If we wanted something this lifeless, we could have just paid $10 to see The Island. But several million copies and as many dollars later, Brown is pop-lit's hottest ticket, begging the question: What passes for writing these days?
Still, the worst that you can really say about Brown is that he's the New York Times bestsellers' equivalent to Dick and Jane. He may not challenge you to think past the turn of the page, but at least he doesn't provide a zealous core audience with more fuel for their fire. That task is left to authors like Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, whose Left Behind series (the first book alone has sold, to date, a frightening 60 million copies) provides as much fodder as any zealot could want.
The sheer volume of Left Behind books sold is enough to validate it as a topic of study--or, at least, concern. After 12 books, the series came to an end with Glorious Appearing in 2004, but demand has been so great that a prequel series is in the works. At least 60 million people have read these books, meaning that their message has reached at least 60 million minds. And what a message!
In this tale of life on earth after the Rapture, porn equals purgatory, a few drinks can cost you your soul and liberals are personified in the character of Hattie Durham, a bubble-headed stewardess who worries that her Planned Parenthood friends will have no more babies to abort since the Rapture has swept up everything in a diaper. This would all be slightly amusing if the text itself weren't (a) dead serious and (b) mind-numbingly boring.
The tale of life after the Rapture and the ensuing examination of personal beliefs could be the occasion for a great work of fiction. But in the hands of LaHaye and Jenkins, it is rendered about as exciting as Sunday school. The rise of the anti-Christ and his series of murders all happen offscreen, and most of the action consists of bad dialogue between characters. This is all to the detriment of the series, for if LaHaye and Jenkins' apocalyptic vision included something more than mere plane crashes and the obnoxious brown-nosing of an intrepid reporter, their religious bias might be rendered ignorable. It is not. Like Brown, LaHaye and Jenkins are guilty of viewing life from one side of the glass with no attempt to explain such things as what happened to Muslims or Hindus during the Rapture, or why a man like hero Rayford Steele would want to embrace his wife's religion after she sex-iled him during their marriage.
This, then, is the world of adult pop-lit. The writing is tepid, at best. Well, thank God for young adult (YA) lit, for while Brown and company have been fannying about in the brain department, the struggle between good and evil, sacred and profane has migrated to the children's section.
Read to Your Adult
Truth be know, we have been given the keys to our own salvation. It comes in the form of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, a YA novel that lovingly recreates Paradise Lost, and in Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy, in which a boy and his djinn tackle such issues as classism, political corruption and slavery with characterizations in five blazing colors. Lead by trailblazing series like Daniel Handler's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and Eion Colfer's Artemis Fowl books, both of which have new installments published each year, YA has become the last refuge of intelligent entertainment in a sea of pop-culture offal--and a genre that trusts its audience to think for themselves.
The lack of faith in the individual that typifies adult pop-lit is utterly absent here, and yet, sadly, because these books come bearing shiny, fantastic covers and reside in the children's section of the bookstore, they are largely, and ironically, ignored by the people who watch Survivor. This is, perhaps, the greatest tragedy in modern literature, for while never sacrificing the intellect that challenges readers both young and old, the new brat pack of YA authors provide enough adventures to please the most critical of excitement-seeking readers.
Tonight, when Mom comes home and tries to settle down for a few hours of stupefying mass-market tripe, I charge the kid in the house to pick up one of his own books, and start reading to her. In fact, I hereby declare the next 30 days Read to Your Adult Month. It's a public service that desperately needs to be rendered by any children who care about the intellectual fate of their parents.
Easy Power
Consider Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy. It began last year with The Amulet of Samarkand and continues with The Golem's Eye (the third in the trilogy, Ptolemy's Gate, is slated for January release). A perusal of the back cover will give you a vague idea that this is the story of a boy and his genie. This is already miles beyond the stilted imagination of The Da Vinci Code, but never mind. It's kid stuff, right? Ha! Not even this pusher of kid-lit was prepared for the richness of prose and idea I discovered once I had opened its pages.
Bartimaeus, told in first person by the charming djinn of the title and in third person when concerning his 12-year-old master, Nathaniel, is a story of class war, slavery and revenge. In the world of Bartimaeus, magicians acquire all their power by enslaving imps, demons, djinn and even each other into their service. Nathaniel, brought up as a lowly magician's apprentice, summons the djinn Bartimaeus not to make friends, but to exact revenge on an elitist wizard who has humiliated him.
Bitter and powerful beyond the expectations of his elders, Nathaniel is more Anakin Skywalker than Harry Potter. Even in the first volume, one senses that Nathaniel's vengeful tendencies will push him toward a fall from grace. Because he has been mistreated by other characters, we sympathize with him, but Stroud never lets us forget the boy's dark side; watching a crowd of commoners, Nathaniel feels "the lazy exhilaration of easy power." Stroud's world, like that of Lemony Snicket, is all the richer for its refusal to coddle young readers. Who would expect to find this description in a children's book:
The state address continued for many minutes, liberally punctuated with explosions of joy from the assembled crowd. What little substance it contained soon degenerated into a mass of repetitive platitudes about the virtues of the Government and the wickedness of its enemies. After a time, Nathaniel . . . could almost feel his brain turning to jelly.
Put aside the fact that there are many adults who don't know what "platitude" means, this nod to political corruption will go over the heads of most eight-year-olds. But that doesn't stop Stroud--or any of his fellow children's authors--from using complex themes and language to strengthen his world-building and enhance his vision. By refusing to simplify, he encourages the mind to expand, trusting his readers to use their smarts, which in this day and age, must be some kind of miracle.
No One Over 14
Themes of governmental discord--indeed, of the failings inherent in all figures of authority--are particularly popular in YA literature. Snicket's Baudelaire orphans are continually let down by the cluelessness of their guardians. The landscape of Pullman's Dark Materials is rife with corrupt governmental and religious institutions. In the days of Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, the hobbits or children were never without a reliable authority figure (Aragorn steps in for Gandalf when the wizard falls; Aslan rises from the dead before any serious harm can come to Lucy, Susan, Edmund or Peter).
Now the title character of young Christopher Paolini's first novel, Eragon, must struggle on in the wake of his guardian's death with no guide but his own 14-year-old moral compass. These portraits of abandonment and self-reliance are no accident. Unlike Jenkins and LaHaye, who spoon-feed their audience every emotional plot point, writers like Paolini trust their readers to form their own opinions when their characters fall into dire straits.
At one point, Eragon--his family murdered, his path uncertain--questions the existence of God. This is a risky thing to do when you are writing for an audience who, unlike the Left Behind crew, isn't necessarily dialed in to such philosophical dilemmas, but by deciding to chance it, Paolini challenges his readers to examine their own beliefs. Like Eragon himself, they are made independent and must face hard questions without a guiding hand.
Perhaps the most powerful example of an existential void in YA lit is found in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, a children's trilogy based audaciously on Milton's Paradise Lost, which should, if only for the richness of its language, be prescribed reading for anyone languishing under the tyranny of John Grisham.
The world Pullman creates in His Dark Materials is so complex it would require a small volume to explain. It begins in a world not unlike our own where everyone possesses a daemon, a manifestation of the soul in animal form. If you are prepubescent, your daemon can be any animal it wants, but once you become an adult, it chooses a single form that tends to reflect the sort of person you are; servants, for example, tend to have dog daemons, whereas a warrior's daemon might be a wolf.
The story centers around a 12-year-old girl named Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon. A mysterious cosmic phenomenon called Dust, which seems to settle around adults, is judged by the religious leaders of her world to be the physical manifestation of original sin, and in an attempt to eradicate it, a sinister organization called the Oblation Board, begins to separate children from their daemons. When Lyra's best friend, Roger, disappears, Lyra sets off to rescue him and discovers she is the key player in a prophecy that could lead to the second fall of man--or the destruction of God Himself.
In a sense, His Dark Materials is the modern successor to Lewis' Narnia series, with the heavily Christian message simply turned on its head. But the more one reads, the less simple it becomes. It is a sprawling work, packed with enough armored bears, witch queens and malevolent specters to delight any child, yet with a meaty subtext that is by turns audacious, erotic, frightening and, depending on your religious views, blasphemous. It is a book daring enough to let a character proclaim, "[E]very church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling," and yet clever enough to balance the author's views with a simple human story.
Even if you violently disagree with Pullman's take on religion, you will still have your heart ripped out when Lyra must abandon a treasured friend and journey, like Milton's narrator, into the world of the dead. Pullman's prose is sensual and affecting as wine, and once more, provides an example of how YA lit is an imaginative force to be reckoned with.
His description of purgatory is some truly disturbing stuff, and it challenges the child reader not only with its concepts, but with its language as well. Here in the realm of YA, the cookie-cutter prose of The Da Vinci Code would is a sin and the dogged preaching of LaHaye and Jenkins is truly left behind. In the beauty of its language and its willingness to tackle difficult issues of faith and belief, YA literature has become the repository of our most compelling and complicated modern themes, and a genre in which the reader is encouraged to form her own opinions.
Pullman's series (the movie rights were recently purchased by New Line Cinema, who produced the Lord of the Rings series) is a literary feat that will endure long after its adult-lit contemporaries have run out of steam, so long as children and adults continue to discover it. In these dark times of audience passivity, this mission might be easier said than done, but Pullman and company's message continues to be clear: Come on, adults! Put your faith in worthy idols, and get thee to a children's section. There's no reason on earth why kids should have all the fun.
[ North Bay | Metroactive Central | Archives ]
Copyright © Metro Publishing Inc. Maintained by Boulevards New Media.
Foreclosures - Real Estate Investing
San Jose.com Real Estate | <urn:uuid:093596b8-07b7-4059-b373-69054124d530> | 2 | 1.703125 | 0.045717 | en | 0.95655 | http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/10.19.05/ya-lit-0542.html |
pulp (2006-10)
A Literary Friendship
Breaking Point tackles Hemingway and Dos Passos
by Jeanne McDonald
Murder, assassins, infidelity, war, lies, spies, idealism, machismo, politics. All fascinating subjects, but a little confusing when tossed together in one literary salad bowl, which is exactly what Stephen Koch has done in The Breaking Point: Hemingway, Dos Passos, and the Murder of Jose Robles (Counterpoint/Perseus, $24.95).
In this nonfiction book based on true events, Koch recounts several events in the Spanish Civil War, including the political assassination that obliquely shattered the once-close relationship of Ernest Hemingway and John Dos Passos. This is a complicated book about a complicated period and a complicated character—Hemingway—and Koch has created too many story lines. As he jumps back and forth between the personal lives of the protagonists and international political events, the reader often gets lost.
Copious footnotes help explain some of the confusion, but the book might have been better focused on the relationship of the two men rather than the war and political intrigue. Although Koch’s research is impeccable and his academic style highly readable, in instances when he presumes to guess the inner emotions of his real-life characters, he goes overboard. In employing the literary device of “faction,” he stretches scenes to the point of over-writing. For instance, as artillery shells smash into the hotel Florida in Madrid, journalist Josie Herbst is portrayed as clutching “her blankets, rigid with panic. The thing tearing loose inside her…was like some alien animal assaulting her from within, palpable and violent, ripping up her very being with a strength she had not imagined possible.”
Such examples of historical invention are highly distracting, and often could pass as bodice rippers. Or notice the authorial assumption in this paragraph: “The shell was sundering the fabric of the night...”or “[The] giant was tearing the silky sky to tatters…and fear finally got to Dos, clutching his throat and yanking him out of bed.”
Dos Passos is in Spain for two reasons—first, to try to find Jose Robles, an old friend who has suddenly disappeared in the horrendous purge of former radicals who no longer serve their purposes for the Soviets or the Fifth Column (covert Franco sympathizers in Madrid), and secondly, to work on a film, The Spanish Earth , supposedly a collaboration with Hemingway, but in reality a ploy to mislead the two celebrities into legitimizing a Communist propaganda project. Dos Passos, who has always thought of himself as a radical, sees the film as a way to change the world. Hemingway is in Spain in order to be with his new girlfriend, Martha Gellhorn, and to get publicity for work on The Spanish Earth . Hemingway and Dos Passos had first met in Italy as ambulance drivers during WWI and renewed their friendship in postwar Paris in 1922. The city was crowded with expatriates like Sherwood Anderson, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein and James Joyce, all caught up in the “moveable feast.” Dos’s highly acclaimed novel, Three Soldiers , published a couple of years before, had made him an important figure on the American literary scene, while Hemingway, a journalist, was still struggling to write what he terms “one true sentence.”
Koch portrays Hemingway as a braggart, misogynist, and poseur, all of which is validated by history; yet, Koch’s heavy leaning on these points makes Hemingway seem like the villain in this story, rather than Stalin or the Comintern, or the war itself. And under Koch’s hand, Dos Passos comes off as one-dimensional and naive.
Although all the authorities Dos Passos consults assure him—falsely—that his friend Robles is alive, he at last discovers that Robles has been murdered by secret police. But when Dos Passos meets him in his hotel room, Hemingway explodes: “Don’t put your damn mouth into this Robles business…. The fifth column is everywhere. Just suppose your professor took a powder and joined the other side.” The depression, anger and jealousy from which Hemingway suffers reaches fever pitch in Spain and worsens when he returns to his wife, Pauline, in Key West. But before they leave Madrid, with Hemingway raging and Dos Passos grieving, the two follow through on the charade of The Spanish Earth , although the Russians have already finished the picture without their input.
A few years before his death, in a moment of lucidity, Hemingway expressed regret at “my self-righteous period in Spain” and the alienation of old friends. By 1938, Stalin lost interest in Spain, and Hemingway lost interest in Martha Gellhorn and became increasingly psychotic, paranoid and suicidal. His brilliant career and complicated life ended in Ketchum, Idaho, in June 1961, when he killed himself with a double-barreled shotgun. But his short stories and novels have continued to inspire readers and writers alike.
Dos Passos, always the gentleman, kept silent about the breakup until long after Hemingway’s death and continued to write until his death at the age of 70. | <urn:uuid:7c9d13a4-b57b-4787-aceb-2ad7ccc23683> | 2 | 1.664063 | 0.057993 | en | 0.964785 | http://www.metropulse.com/a-e-reviews/books/pulp-2006-10 |
BCI Plants and Their Pests
By Fran Zak
After hiking on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) for two full days, we met Bert Leigh. Bert is the "senior scientist" of this amazing research island. BCI became an island less than 100 years ago when the Americans dammed the Chagres River to create a lake that supplies all of the necessary water for the running of the locks of the Panama Canal. Shortly after the creation of this rainforest island, the Smithsonian Institute decided that BCI would make an ideal tropical rainforest research island and so the Smithsonian protected and preserved it for scientists to study wildlife and enjoy the beauty of a natural, protected rainforest. For more information about this amazing island, click on www.stri.org/F_speak/en/index2.htm
Bert knows what every scientist on BCI is studying and keeps tabs on most of the research projects on BCI. The scientific coordinator, Oris Acevedo, also knows what the scientists are doing and provides assistance through the staff and guards that report to her. The guards protect the island's animals from poachers.
Bert gave a talk to us on the ecology of tropical rainforests. He compared BCI and other rainforest ecosystems to other biomes; and he related such facts as amount of rainfall, amount of diversity of species, amount of fruit and leaf production, how seeds are dispersed, flowering and fruiting cycles, and most importantly, how specialized (vs. generalized) plants and their pests co-exist in the rainforest compared to the temperate forest.
As I listened to Bert's talk (it was a welcome change of pace since the room was air conditioned and it was the only time I was cool and comfortable during my stay on BCI), I thought about the forest ecosystem. I remembered a passage from Tapir's Morning Bath by Elizabeth Royte where a young researcher named Bret was making an analogy about generalists and specialists and their survival in different ecosystems. Bret said, "Imagine two travelers in the temperate zone. One, dresses in heavy winter clothing and carries a sleeping bag, tent, and stove. The other wears running shorts and carries no gear. In the summer, the light traveler will get to food sources far quicker than his encumbered competitor, and he'll possibly spread around more genes as a result. But, come winter, the gear-laden competitor will easily outpace his scantily clad cohort-who may even my now, be dead. Put the two competitors in a warm, stable climate", he continued, "and the speed specialist will crush the ponderous, ready-for-anything generalist. Unless, of course, the generalist finds a way to shed his unnecessary gear or exploit some empty niche with no competitors in it. In other words, unless the generalist learns to specialize." From this analogy, it seems reasonable that evolutionary pressures have selected for specialists in this consistently warm environment of the Panama rainforest. This would also mean that species of pests would co-evolve into specialists as their host species evolved in a similar fashion.
So, now lets return to Bert's talk about tropical rainforest ecology, specifically on BCI, where he has spent many years gathering ecological information.
Here are some staggering figures Bert shared with us:
• It rains approximately 2.6 meters (about 8 feet) per year
• The average annual temperature is 27 C, with a range of only 8 C from warmest to coolest temperature during any single day
• Only about 1% of the sunlight coming in from above the canopy reaches the forest floor
• BCI produces: o 7 tons of leaves per year
• 5 tons of wood per year
• 1 ton of fruit (dry weight)
• 3 tons of twigs
• half of the pest insects' total weight is eaten by birds on BCI, so the birds are keeping the pests under control. In turn, the pests are keeping the trees under control.
BCI shows much less tree diversity than other tropical rainforest biomes, such as those in southeast Asia or in the Amazon in South America. This seems to be because there are sharp dry seasons in Panama, not the relatively evenly wet climates in some other forests. Even though BCI shows less diversity than some other rainforests, it still shows much more diversity in tree species than a typical temperate forest. This seems to support the quote by Bret in the beginning of this article. The tropical rainforest is a warm stable climate where the specialist (the runner in shorts with no gear) can thrive and reproduce. The temperate forest has much greater fluctuations in temperature and amount of sunlight during the four seasons in any year and so the generalists (in Bret's story, these would be the travelers carrying warmer clothes and more gear) would survive better in this more variable climate. So, the theory says, temperate forests have more generalist plants and animals and less diversity in types of species than tropical forests.
Pests can grow all year around in the warm rainforest, so they also keep their host trees under control. As a result, not very many of one species can thrive in a given area. Young leaves of plants from tropical rainforests could not grow at all without defenses against pests, so many young leaves are more toxic than mature leaves. Plants produce toxins to kill or damage pests that would eat their leaves. In the temperate forest, mature leaves produce more toxins than young leaves. Trees in a temperate forest produce toxins effective in deterring several types of pests, whereas trees in a tropical forest typically make toxin specific to their specialist pest. The production of toxins costs energy, so a tree needs to be able to limit this expensive production of toxins.
The pests in the tropics will become specialized and each pest will be specific for a certain species of tree. A generalist pest in a temperate forest is able to feed on several species of hosts, but only in the warm months. In the tropics, specialized pests attack only one species of tree, and the individual trees are spread out in the forest among many other species. These specialist pests search hard for their host tree, and may fail to find another, dying before they reproduce. So the greater diversity that is seen in a tropical rainforest is a natural defense against specialist pests, spreading the trees far apart from others of their own species. Sometimes they are far enough to thwart their pests from reaching them from other "sick" trees.
So, comparing different biomes, the greater diversity in plant species seen in a tropical rainforest as compared to a temperate forest can be explained using the concept of specialization vs. generalization. The more constant temperatures of the rainforest allow specialists not only to survive but to thrive and reproduce rapidly. Specialist plants in the temperate forest would not be able to survive and reproduce as well since the temperature variations during the seasons varies much more drastically in a temperate forest. So, rainforest trees have had evolutionary pressures to co-evolve along with their ever-specializing pests, causing these tropical organisms to become specialized for their specialized partners.
Click here to see photos for examples of plant pests and their effects on their hosts
Leigh, E.G. Jr. Lecture on the Ecology of Barro Colorado Island. July 25,2002.
Royte, Elizabeth. Tapir’s Morning Bath. 2001:New York, Houghton Mifflin Co.
Windsor, D.M. 1990. Climate and Moisture Variability in a Tropical Forest: Long-term Records from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences 29: 1-145.
Submitted by:
Fran Zak
Pascack Valley HS
Hillsdale, NJ | <urn:uuid:cb947021-384a-42bc-8d0b-4828eeb43645> | 3 | 2.75 | 0.214604 | en | 0.956113 | http://www.montclair.edu/csam/prism/rainforest-connection/panama/bci-plants-pests/ |
Nature and Environment
Because at 160,000 years, the party is just getting started.
Add to My MSN
Global Warming, Weather and Climate Change
7/31/2011 7:08:34 PM
Tags: Heat Wave, Weather, Climate, atmospheric carbon dioxide, the future, Richard Hilderman
The United States is currently experiencing an extreme heat wave! At one time 32 states were under either a heat advisory or heat warning covering about 100 million square miles and affecting about 141 million people. At least 12 deaths have been attributed to this heat wave. Furthermore, parts of the midwest and southeast are experiencing severe drought conditions. What is the relationship between heat waves, weather, climate change and global warming? To address this question we must understand the link between weather and climate.
Weather is comprised of temperature, wind speed, humidity, precipitation, etc that occurs over only a few days. Climate, on the other hand, is the average weather patterns that occur over decades. In other words weather is concerned about the immediate whereas climate is more focused on the long term. The climate is currently evolving because of the human induced burning of fossil fuel that releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This release of carbon dioxide is responsible for the current atmospheric carbon overload which triggers the current global warming trend (my postings entitled Fossil Fuel and Atmospheric Levels of Carbon Dioxide and Solar Activity, Greenhouse Gas Levels and Climate Change on Our Earth). Since global warming occurs over decades, it represents a shift to a warmer climate. This shift to a warmer climate increases the frequency of powerful storms and extreme weather events which is something we have experienced in the past several years.
Since climate change represents what is happening in the future, there is only one possible future if we continue in our use of fossil fuels. The continued burning of fossil fuel is triggering climate change by shifting the global temperature to a higher level. Some people believe we don’t have to worry about global warming until climate change triggers events that are harmful to us personally. Unfortunately this will be too late! The climate system has a time lag because it will take thousands of years to remove the excess carbon dioxide we are pumping into the atmosphere by burning of fossil fuel (my posting entitled Carbon Cycle). Thus, when we see the effects of global warming in the weather on a daily basis it will be too late to fix the problem!
If we want to see an increase in the frequency of heat waves like the one we are currently experiencing, all we have to do is continue our use of fossil fuel.
More information on the relationship of weather and the climate can be found in the book entitled THE WEATHER OF THE FUTURE: Heat Waves, Extreme Storms and Other Scenes from a Climate-Changed Planet by Heidi Cullen.
Related Content
California Carbon Offset Program Flounders
Climate Crisis: Is the Climate Reaching a Tipping Point?
Weatherize Your Home, Collect Stimulus Money
Fossil Fuel and Atmospheric Levels of Carbon Dioxide
We discuss the concept that carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels is partly respo...
Content Tools
Post a comment below.
First Name: *
Last Name: *
Address: *
City: *
State/Province: *
Zip/Postal Code:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget
| <urn:uuid:ec68dbe6-0556-4538-864f-b1893af71b57> | 3 | 2.671875 | 0.026692 | en | 0.888159 | http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/global-warming-weather-climate-change.aspx |
Login Register
The Scorpion King
Continuity mistake: When Memnon is talking to the sorceress in his palace, he talks about the dangers of her being outside "his care." Memnon takes some meat and throws it to the tigers. The next shot shows his hand empty, then holding meat again, and then empty again.
Factual error: All swords in this movie are made from steel, and in the beginning it's said that the film takes place years before the Pyramids were built (they were built around 3200 BC). Steel wouldn't be around for 2000 more years.
Revealing mistake: One of the first times you see Balthazar (Michael Clarke Duncan) you can clearly see the adhesive for the fake scar on his right cheek and that it is coming loose.
The Scorpion King mistake picture
Continuity mistake: After the fight scene between Mathyus and Balthazar and the tribe celebrating, you see Jesup arm wrestling a woman. In the first shot he is wrestling with his left arm and in the next shot he is wrestling with his right arm and loses.
Continuity mistake: The handlers place four snakes in the pots without putting the lids back on. Then Memnon steps forward and covers the two empty pots - suddenly the snake pots are covered.
The Scorpion King mistake picture
Revealing mistake: When Mathayas is chasing the kid who stole his rupees, he crawls into a hole that's just big enough for him to fit through. But when Mathayas crawls in, the hole has grown - he should have only been able to fit on his stomach, but he goes through on his knees.
Continuity mistake: When The Rock first enters the scientist's room, the scientist explains to the child about his magic powder. This is on a device that's slowly turning and sifting off a little of the powder at a time, yet during one cut away and back, a lot more powder seems to have disappeared off the mechanism than it would have pushed off itself.
Factual error: When the guards go into the cave to find Mathayus, and after a guard says "stay on the rocks," a shot shows the feet walking along the rocks. One of the guards is clearly wearing white laces in his shoes. The other is wearing leather laces.
Continuity mistake: At the end, when Mathayus is battling Memnon, he is punched and falls off the little ledge they are on. you can clearly see him falling face first, but in the next shot he lands on his right side breaking a table.
Factual error: During the final fight in the palace, the traitor Takmet wears chainmail, more than 2000 years before it was invented. This movie takes place before the Pyramids were built (ca. 3200 BC), and chainmail was not invented until 1000 BC.
Factual error: During Memnon's training session, at least one of his opponents uses a Japanese training sword known as a shinai. You can see this most clearly after the fight, when one of the weapons lying on the ground comes into view. Not only did the Egyptians and Japanese not have any contact with each other at this time, but this particular training weapon had not yet been invented.
Revealing mistake: When Cassandra first swishes her way out of the water, a circular plaster is visible on her left breast, making sure she does not expose her nipple.
Jon Sandys
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Cassandra and Mathayus get out of the well after falling through the tub. When they are showing Mathayus from the back of his head his hair looks wet all over but when they show his face, the hair on his head looks dry while the long parts of the hair is still wet. His face has also been dried off when last seen.
Factual error: The scientist claims that he is working on a magic powder (gunpowder) that was devised by the Chinese. Firstly, the Egyptians had no knowledge of the Chinese in those times and secondly, the Chinese didn't invent the gunpowder for at least another 4,000 years.
Continuity mistake: The morning after The Rock rescues Kelly Hu, the two get on his camel. The position of her 'dress' and shawl change, showing more skin, back and forth between long and close-up shots.
Audio problem: When Matthias and his friends are attacking Mennon's palace, there is a scene where Mennon's general rides at Balthazar on a horse, but then falls off. Balthazar holds a spear at his neck. The shot then changes so we can't see the general and he stabs him and he screams loudly. But if the spear went through his neck (as it should have, as it didn't move anywhere but down)he should not have been able to scream.
Other mistake: When the guards are breaking into Cassandra's bathing room, we see a guard's arm reach through a hole in the door to unlatch it. However, you can see the door has come off the jamb, with a big gap, before he reaches down to pull the latch.
The Scorpion King mistake picture
Continuity mistake: When Mathayus is stabbed with the poison arrow, it clearly goes into the side of his thigh, but when he removes his bandage after Cassandra has healed him, he checks the front of his thigh just above his kneecap for the injury.
Other mistake: In the rebel village toward the end of the movie, Balthzar's scar on the left side of his face keeps changing. Sometimes the scar is barely there and others it is only partially there.
Factual error: In this movie, camels seem to be a common sight in Egypt. However, these animals did not appear in the Nile valley until ca 8-900 BC - more than 2,000 years after this movie takes place.
You may like...
Submit something
Log in Register
You may like...
The Rock holds the record with this movie for the highest salary paid to an actor for his first starring role.
Latest trailers | <urn:uuid:c80f2c9f-d2f3-4fbd-9ac7-91f828fb649d> | 2 | 1.585938 | 0.025946 | en | 0.975011 | http://www.moviemistakes.com/film2178 |
Moon and Women
Celebrating the new moon has special significance for women.
Print this page Print this page
Reprinted with permission fromThe Tapestry of Jewish Time: A Spiritual Guide to Holidays and Lifecycle Events (Behrman House).
Rosh Chodesh is a holiday for everyone, but women have a special attachment to the day. For at least 2,000 years, Jewish women have celebrated the appearance of the New Moon in their own way, most notably by refraining from sewing, spinning, weaving or doing any needlework. It was a day on which women were free of family chores, a one- or two-day vacation they honored every month. In some communities, women would gather to light candles (perhaps recalling the bonfires of Israel), tell one another stories, enjoy one another's company.
the moonMany societies associate women's bellies with the moon. In Judaism, the rabbis offered the following explanation for the special relationship between women and the new moon: After the Exodus, while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Torah from God, the Israelites, impatient and worried, succumbed to idolatry. They pooled their gold and made the golden calf. But in this case, the rabbis tell us, "the Israelites" means only the men. The women refused to participate; they refused to offer up their gold and jewelry for such an abomination. Yet when the time was right, they proved themselves generous, for upon Moses' return and the building of the Tabernacle, they gave abundantly of their mirrors and other prized belongings to help make the sacred instruments of the Temple. God rewarded the women for their devotion and their generosity by granting them the New Moon as their holiday.
In the 1970s, Jewish women around the world began to reclaim Rosh Chodesh. Once again women are celebrating the day, alone or together, as they light candles afloat in pools of water in crystal bowls. They sing songs, share stories, study Torah, comfort one another in response to recent losses, or rejoice at one another’s successes and pleasures, large or small. It is a time of caring and connecting, of knowing that they belong. And for some, it is a moment of reconnecting to a tradition that they had thought had no place for them.
The celebration for Rosh Chodesh--for both men and women--continues with the kiddush halevanah, the sanctification of the New Moon, on the first or second Saturday night of the month. After the evening service, if the skies are clear and the moon can be seen, the congregation goes outdoors. Congregants turn their faces skywards and say:
Halleluyah. Praise God from the heavens, praise God from the heights. . .. Blessed are You, God, Sovereign of the universe, who with but a word created the heavens and who said to the moon that she will be renewed as a crown of splendor for all God's children, just as they are destined to be renewed like her.
A private prayer for those in need of healing or seeking to have a child is sometimes inserted here.
Kiddush halevanah cannot be said after the moon has reached its zenith. That time belongs to next month's New Moon.
Please consider making a donation today.
Rabbi Nina B. Cardin
| <urn:uuid:69c5adb6-9537-4780-899a-75088a896bad> | 4 | 3.5 | 0.021439 | en | 0.959531 | http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Rosh_Chodesh/Women/Moon.shtml?p=2 |
@techreport{NBERw14248, title = "HIV and Fertility in Africa: First Evidence from Population Based Surveys", author = "Chinhui Juhn and Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan and Belgi Turan", institution = "National Bureau of Economic Research", type = "Working Paper", series = "Working Paper Series", number = "14248", year = "2008", month = "August", doi = {10.3386/w14248}, URL = "http://www.nber.org/papers/w14248", abstract = {The historical pattern of the demographic transition suggests that fertility declines follow mortality declines, followed by a rise in human capital accumulation and economic growth. The HIV/AIDS epidemic threatens to reverse this path. A recent paper by Young (2005), however, suggests that similar to the "Black Death" episode in Europe, HIV/AIDS will actually lead to higher growth per capita among the affected African countries. Not only will population decline, behavioral responses in fertility will reinforce this decline by reducing the willingness to engage in unprotected sex. We utilize recent rounds of the Demographic and Health Surveys which link an individual woman's fertility outcomes to her HIV status based on testing. The data allows us to distinguish the effect of own positive HIV status on fertility (which may be due to lower fecundity and other physiological reasons) from the behavioral response to higher mortality risk, as measured by the local community HIV prevalence. We show that HIV-infected women have significantly lower fertility. In contrast to Young (2005), however, we find that local community HIV prevalence has no significant effect on non-infected women's fertility.}, } | <urn:uuid:5511718d-a8a5-4d86-9c90-f5350f13a041> | 2 | 2.1875 | 0.081312 | en | 0.910451 | http://www.nber.org/papers/w14248.bib |
Subsets and Splits