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Character Is Destiny
The late, great Sidney Bechet said in his autobiography that unhappy people blame the world for their problems, but most of them are just mad at themselves. Even some great musicianers were like that, the man said.
I'm a musicianer, but I had to give it up, because there's a terrible prejudice in the jazz world against people with no talent.
So now I write words instead of music.
Words are better and worse than music.
Better, because words can pin things down.
Worse, because so many things that are true for all of us on our planet are not reducible to words and numbers. We cannot skewer the truth like a moth on a pin. And many of the most valuable experiences we ever will have — things that make life worth living — may not be "true," though they are not false.
It is a meaningless statement, for example, to say that Beethoven's music is true — though we know it is not false.
After all, we don't know for sure what any of it means, do we?
Sure, we do. Just because we can't reduce it to words doesn't mean it is neither true nor false. We know it is true.
Is the guy who just asked you out on a date, or proposed marriage to you, a creep?
Can you prove it?
You don't have to prove it. Reject him and run away, even if you can't put it into words.
Think with your gut, as the Zen monks say.
Here we get into politics. William Blake said we can hold infinity in the palm of our hand and eternity in an hour. I do this through music. Perhaps you have done it too, if you're lucky.
The musicologist Leon Botstein, president of Bard College, wrote that very few composers — he mentioned Mozart and Beethoven — could begin a composition in repose — nothing happening here! Repose shows supreme confidence and competence — something most composers not only would not dare, but wouldn't even think of.
Seen any repose in the White House lately? Any confidence or competence?
Consider Mendelssohn. When he was 16, Felix Mendelssohn wrote a more sophisticated piece than Mozart had done at that age: his Octet for Strings in E-Flat, Opus 20. Mendelssohn also was a talented watercolorist and pianist, and the best letter-writer of his time. He "rediscovered" Sebastian Bach, and forced the major orchestras to play his works, and since then J.S. Bach has never gone out of style.
Now here is my point. Mendelssohn thought the world was a happy place. You can see it in his letters and in reminiscences of his contemporaries. Mendelssohn thought that people, especially his friends, were happy folks.
What Mendelssohn didn't understand was that they looked so happy because they were seeing Mendelssohn.
Who wouldn't be happy to see Mendelssohn? Such a charming, talented fellow.
OK, then. Why is the most powerful man in the world today, who happens to be our president, so unhappy all the time?
Why is he always bitching and moaning about how unfair the world is, and all the conspiracies against him, and how evil people are, how they lie about him and misunderstand him?
Could it be that, like Mendelssohn, this man sees the world through the prism of his own character? And that, unlike Mendelssohn, this man's character, his entire life, has been dominated by conspiracy, lies, evil actions, unfairness, whining and lack of understanding?
Just thought I'd ask.
Oh, in case you haven't heard it, here's a recording of Mendelssohn's Octet, with Jascha Heifetz on violin, Gregor Piatigorsky on cello and William Primrose on cello. Every note in it is true. I can't prove it, but I don't have to prove it.


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In the delicate and personal matters of the Spirit, you need a medium, pet communicator and spiritual guide who not only practices the trade, but also lives the art. Ana Maria R. Mena Alcala is being honest when she says, "It's what I do. It's who I am," in reference to her career as a psychic and spiritual guide.
Ana Maria R. Mena Alcala has learned to balance the many different facets of her trade to help others. She is a medium, animal communicator, spiritual coach, and a Karuna and Reiki Master. Aside from her ability to communicate with departed loved ones, Spirit, and pets, Ana Maria is equally proficient at communicating through technology, teaching, and seminars. She is also fluent in Italian, Spanish, and English.
Her many skills and expertise stem from a long and colorful career spent learning and training in the matters life and spirituality.
Experience and Training
Ever since she was young, Ana Maria has had dealings with spiritual matters. She was born with the ability to communicate with departed loved ones, Spirit, and pets.
At age three, she started conversing with a beautiful, glowing lady who would visit her at night. Growing up in a Catholic family, she was unable to talk about and process her experiences dealing with spirits as a child.
Years and decades after, Ana Maria pursued a different career and honed another set of skills that are still invaluable in her services today. She studied in different institutes, including Universidad de Lima, Instituto Internacional de Estudios Superiores, and the California State University. She gained proficiency in Italian and Spanish, and worked in marketing and sales as well.
She was brought back to the spiritual path by an experience relating to loss. Ana Maria was asked by a friend to come with her to the cemetery to visit her friend's deceased parents. It was there that her friend's parents appeared before her eyes, appearing alive. Ana Maria was able to describe her friend's parents accurately, even though she had never met them before.
Later on, her friend asked her to come back to California, to see a medium and act as the translator. Even before the session started, the medium told Ana Maria that her friend's parents were thankful for her help in bringing peace to their daughter.
With that experience, Ana Maria knew that her earlier encounters with Spirit were not crazy. She also realized and became inspired to pursue a path towards the spiritual.
Ana Maria went on to train with a Mediumship Center in Orange County.
Through her training, Ana Maria became certified in different healing modalities and spiritual services. She is a Reiki and Karuna Reiki Master, a Diksha Practitioner, a Certified Angel Card Reader, a Certified Spiritual Coach, a Certified Assertiveness Coach, a medium and an animal communicator.
How Ana Maria Can Serve You
Ana Maria offers key services that can help you along your spiritual journey, and to get in touch with your departed loved ones, Spirit, or pets. She provides a safe and sacred space that empowers your development and growth as a spiritual being.
Through mediumship, Ana Maria can relay messages that your loved ones, who are willing come to the session, would like to pass on.
*Animal Communication
Ana Maria is able to help you better understand your pets. As an animal communicator and pet psychic, she can help uncover and explore problems that may confuse you. She is also a missing animal specialist and a medium for animals who have crossed over.
*Certified Angel Card Reading
Through Angel Card Reading, you can receive the clear Divine Guidance that you need to discern and decide in your life.
*Spiritual Assertiveness Coaching
Ana Maria's techniques as a Certified Spiritual Coach and Certified Assertiveness Coach can help you grow as a spiritually assertive person. This enables you to set boundaries, defend your truth, heal better from pain, and break harmful patterns of co-dependency.
*Reiki or Karuna Reiki (humans and/or pets)
Through Reiki healing, Ana Maria can activate the natural healing process and the beneficial flow of energy in your body. Karuna Reiki Healing can also empower the healing of your heart and the diminishing of suffering.
Ana Maria provides these spiritual and healing sessions for groups of people as well. Each session and reading is tailored to the individual or group, as per your request, to provide the best possible entertainment, comfort, and peace.
When Should You Contact Ana Maria R. Mena Alcala?
Get in touch with Ana Maria:
– To have a few moments with your departed loved ones
– To gain a deeper and stronger connection with your pets and those who have crossed over into the spirit
– To arrive at a stronger and more spiritually-aligned understanding of yourself and your future
Ana Maria is the sole proprietor of Spiritually Growing (www.spirituallygrowing.com), lives in Los Angeles, and can be reached at 305.912.6714
- Address90039
- Phone
- Website
- CategoryAngel Card Reader, Angel Communicator, Animal Communicator, Animal Intuitive, Clairaudient, Claircognizant, Clairsentient, Clairvoyant, Intuitive, Intuitive Counselor, Medical Intuitive, Psychic, Psychic Medium, Remote Viewer, Spiritual Counselor
- LocationCalifornia
- TagsAnimal Communicator, Medium, spiritual counselor

subset: commoncrawl


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The descendants of America's Rockefeller family, whose name and vast wealth are both deeply rooted in Big Oil, have joined the global divestment crusade, after shifting their multi-million dollar fossil fuel investments into clean energy on the eve of the UN climate change summit in New York.
The heirs to the Rockefeller fortune withdrew their funds from oil, gas and coal investments on Monday, lending a high profile boost to the $56 billion global Divest-Invest campaign, which has drawn 650 individuals and 180 institutions to switch to renewables over five years using a variety of approaches.
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund – headed up Stephen Heintz, the great grandson of Standard Oil tycoon John D Rockefeller – controls about $860 million in assets, about 7 per cent of which is invested in fossil fuels.
As the Guardian has noted, the decision by the fund to cut its ties with oil has huge symbolic importance because of the Rockefeller's oil-drenched family history, while also lending serious business credibility to a campaign launched by activists on US college campuses.
"John D Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil, moved America out of whale oil and into petroleum," Heintz said in a statement. "We are quite convinced that if he were alive today, as an astute businessman looking out to the future, he would be moving out of fossil fuels and investing in clean, renewable energy."
Alongside the Rockefellers, the World Council of Churches – which represents some 590 million people in 150 countries – also pulled its investments from fossil fuels on Monday. About 30 US cities have also chosen to divest, including Santa Monica and Seattle.
A number of universities – the original targets of the divestment campaign – have also started to cut ties with fossil fuels, including, most recently, Stanford University, which dropped all of its coal holdings from its $18 billion endowment.
But even beyond the divestment campaign, the financial world is shifting its focus to the low-carbon future.
Last week, more than 350 global institutional investors representing around $24 trillion in assets called on world government leaders to put a price on carbon, to help redirect investment on the scale required to combat climate change.
In a statement published last Thursday in New York, a message drafted through a collaboration of six investor groups warned that while the global finance sector is starting to take action on climate change, stronger government action is needed to accelerate the low carbon transition.
The statement – which will be presented, along with a report, to the UN climate summit in New York next week – also calls on world leaders to forge an ambitious global climate deal, as well as develop plans to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels.
A further investor statement, this time committing to the development of a global market of Green Bonds and Climate Bonds to finance climate change solutions, is also expected to be presented at the New York Climate Summit.


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So we've got a lot going on over here but I'm still squeezing in swatches and reviews as I go! Most of it is manual labor, so I'm hoping my nails stay intact throughout this. Our living room became our empty box dumping ground, so it's been a lot of box breakdown – so if my cuticles are looking chewed up and gnarly, I apologize!
To kick off this lovely Sunday afternoon, I'll be sharing the upcoming Tonic Nail Polish Unicorn Pee Collection!
This is a 6 piece collection, 5 of which are filled with unicorn pee and 1 is a gorgeous creme that can be worn alone or under the unicorn pee topper (or any of the other shades)
These beauties will be releasing August 13 at 2:00pm CDT and because of the pigment needed – they will be limited. Since they are limited, Tonic is asking that customers only order one bottle of each shade they desire to spread the love around. If bottles are still available after the first 48 hours, then they will open it up for buyers to purchase multiples. The only shade that isn't limited is the gorgeous blue since it doesn't contain unicorn pee.
Hopefully this isn't Hunger Games style, but you know how it can be with limited releases so… may the odds be ever in your favor.
Let's jump right in!
Happy Beginning
Happy Beginning is a squishy royal cobalt blue. This is a crelly style shade, so you get better opacity like a creme, but the squishy look of a jelly. I used 3 thin coats for these photos – but 2 normal coats should work just fine. I didn't experience any staining with Happy Beginning.
Fair warning – because of the cobalt pigment used, this has a lighter skunky scent. A lot of shades like this have a similar scent, so it's normal, but if you aren't familiar with cobalts then this is your heads up.
Apotheke is the unicorn pee topper in the set. It has that beautiful red to green shift and I used 1 coat over Happy Beginning for these photos.
Aside from the topper – Uniporn is the sheerest shade in the collection. If you don't like visible nail lines, you might consider finding a red creme to layer it over.
This is a sheer, warm toned red jelly base with unicorn pee pigment. I used 3 coats and a glossy top coat for these photos.
Serendipity is my top pick of the collection. I feel like this stunning base color really brings out the fire in unicorn pee pigments (and it looks amazing on my skin tone IMO)
Serendipity is an ode to Tonic's best selling shade Lula… but with unicorn pee added, so if you loved Lula – you'll love this one. Serendipity is a warm toned plum purple jelly base with unicorn pee pigment. I used 2 coats and a glossy top coat for these photos.
Curio is my #2 pick of this collection. This is an ode to Huckleberry Sparkle with unicorn pee added. This is a cool blue toned purple with unicorn pee added. I used 2 coats and a glossy top coat for these photos.
Of all the shades, I did find this base to bring out the shift better in the unicorn pee pigment
Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe
While Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe is part of the collection, it's also a Tonic Facebook Custom. It isn't mandatory you join the group to purchase it, but it would be kinda awesome to have more of you join the Tonic tribe. Check it out HERE!
Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe is a gorgeous warm toned medium lavender violet creme packed with unicorn pee. Because this is a creme, the unicorn pee shimmer is still there, but slightly subdued. The shift is more obvious though. I used 2 coats and a glossy top coat for these photos.
This was slightly on the thicker side as well, but it self leveled beautifully.
Tonic Nail Polish Unicorn Pee Collection Overview
If you love Unicorn Pee then this is certainly the collection for you. I love the assortment of base colors used, and aside from Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe being a tad on the thick side – everything applied nicely.
As I mentioned, 5 of the 6 shades are limited, so I would recommend setting your alarms for August 13th at 2PM CST to be sure to grab what you want. For the first 48 hours it will be limited to 1 bottle per customer, after 48 hours you can go nuts and stock up on whatever is left over.
Happy Beginning will be the only shade that isn't limited from this collection.
As far as I'm aware, this collection will not be available at stockists who carry Tonic. If I hear otherwise, I will update this post.
My Top Picks: Serendipity, Curio & Uniporn
Price: $14.00 Each for Unicorn Pee shades | $10.00 for Happy Beginning
Release Date: August 13th at 2:00pm CST
Where To Buy: Tonic Nail Polish Shop
Tonic Nail Polish Social Media: Facebook | Facebook Fan Group | Instagram
So there you have it – the full Tonic Nail Polish Unicorn Pee collection. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!


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French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has urged China to use its influence with Burma's military government to help end the political and social turmoil in the Southeast Asian country.
Speaking with the French press agency (AFP) Wednesday in Thailand ahead of a visit to Beijing, Kouchner said China is pivotal to strengthening United Nations efforts to bring about reform in Burma. He said China must push the military junta in Rangoon to open real dialogue with the democratic opposition.
China -- a major supplier of weapons to Burma -- has been criticized by some diplomats for not taking a tougher stand toward Burma's military leaders after the September crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
Kouchner said it was largely due to Beijing's influence that U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari was able to travel to Burma at the end of last month.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.


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We love VBS! For those of you unframiliar with the program you can read our "What the Heck is VBS" post for a brief introduction. In nutshell, though, it's fun, it's typically free or low-cost and it's a great fun program for your kids over summer vacation!
Don't worry, this list can grow! If your church isn't listed, just email us or leave a comment and we'll get you added!
June 18-22
First Baptist Church of Woodbridge Check website for upcoming details
Potomac Crest Baptist Church (Dumfries/Montclair)"K.I.D.S. Backyard Club" 6:30-9pm daily. Ages 3-Grade 6
Fireside Church (Gainesville) "Sky" 6:30-9pm. Ages 3-Grade 5
Manassas St. Thomas "Sky" Completed K-5th grades
June 25-29
Trinity Episcopal Church "Sky"
All Saints Anglican (Multiple Neighborhood Locations) "Sky"
Hillendale Baptist Church
July 9-13
Old Bridge United Methodist (Woodbridge) "Operation Overboard" 6:30-8:30pm daily. Preschool-Grade 6
Dale City Baptist Church (Woodbridge) "Amazing Wonders" 5pm-7:30pm Sunday, 6:30-9pm rest of the week. Completed K-8th Graders
July 16-20
Grace Lutheran Church "Amazing Desert Journey" 5:30-8:15pm daily. PreK-Grade 8
St. Paul United Methodist Church (Woodbridge) "Operation Overboard" 9am-12pm Ages 4-Grade 5
Gainesville United Methodist Church "Operation Overboard" 9:00am-12:30pm
July 23-27
Grace Baptist Church (Woodbridge) "Amazing Wonders" 9am-12:15pm daily. 5 years old-5th Grade
August 6-10
Good Shepherd United Methodist Church (Dale City) "Sky" 9am-12pm daily. Ages 3.5-5th Grade. $15/child, $40/family max. Scholarships are available
Lake Ridge Baptist Church (Lake Ridge) Rising K-Completed 5th Grade


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Campsite photos
International Glamping Lago Di Bracciano ****
General information
International Glamping Lago Di Bracciano is a campsite with 100 touring pitches. During low season, between , the nightly rate is €16,- at one of the 100 touring pitches at International Glamping Lago Di Bracciano in Trevignano Romano (Rome). At this campsite you can not only use your CampingCard ACSI for inexpensive camping, you can also use your ACSI Club ID (as an alternative ID).
A quiet, friendly and well maintained campsite with a swimming pool, bar and restaurant. Close to Rome. Private beach on Lake Bracciano. Nice children's toilet facilities and a disabled toilet with shower. Private bus service to Anguillara station.
- 16
- 3325


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Undergraduate academic performance is based on a student's grade point average (GPA). Students are required to maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Students with a GPA under 2.00 will be placed on Academic Probation. Students who fail to achieve a 2.00 cumulative GPA at the end of their probationary semester may be academically dismissed, depending on their credit level.
If you feel that you are struggling academically (even if your cumulative GPA is above a 2.00), you should see your academic advisor as soon as possible to discuss the issues that may be affecting your academic performance and to begin planning how to get back on track. It is your responsibility to know your academic status at all times.


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Saint Petersburg Plumber
Whether it's a water pipe leak, toilet repair, or just a slow drain, if you're seeking a reliable St. Petersburg Plumbing company you've come to the right place. With over 50 years of plumbing experience, Olin Plumbing, Inc. can assist you with all your plumbing needs. We offer both residential and commercial plumbing services throughout Pinellas County as well as the Greater Tampa Bay Area. No matter if it's day or night, weekends or Holidays, if you need a St. Petersburg plumber we're here for you! Call (727) 443-2174 for more information and pricing on the plumbing services we offer in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Pick a plumber you can trust, Olin Plumbing, Inc. and experience the difference today!
St. Petersburg Plumbing Company
We understand that when it comes time for you to choose a Saint Petersburg plumbing company you have a wide range of plumbing companies to choose from in St. Petersburg, Florida. Why choose Olin Plumbing, because we send REAL PLUMBERS and NOT SERVICE TECHNICIANS! We also offer UP FRONT PRICING with NO HIDDEN CHARGES.
Still not convinced? Then be sure to check out the hundreds of 5 STAR REVIEWS we've received from customers just like you on Google, SuperPages, and Facebook. Once you've had a chance to do so, give us a call at (727) 443-2174. We here at Olin Plumbing, Inc. would welcome the opportunity to serve you and become the St. Petersburg Plumbing Company you turn to for all your plumbing needs!
St. Petersburg, Florida 24 Hour Emergency Plumbing Service
We offer 24 Hour Emergency Plumbing Service to both residential and commercial customers throughout Saint Petersburg, Florida. This service is available 7 days a week, 365 days a year, even on Holidays. And that's not all, there's No Overtime and No Trip Charges!


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The birthday of Lucille Clifton, world-renowned poet and human being, is almost upon us. As most of you know, she passed on February 13 of this year, but she is still with me everyday, strong.
This upcoming Sunday she would have been 74-years-old. In honor of Miss Lucille's birthday, I will conduct a special celebration podcast of Miss Lucille and her life on Sunday at 7:30 PM EASTERN on Talkshoe.com with a gathering of Black women who loved her.
There will be five of us on the podcast: Sidney Clifton (Miss Lucille's first-born child), and Sister-poets Elizabeth Alexander, Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, Kelly Norman Ellis, and me.
Sidebar: Now, I hope you don't think that by only having five women that I'm saying we are the only folks who knew how to love Miss Lucille! There were literally thousands of people whose lives she touched. It's just, we'd be on that podcast for a whole month if we had everyone who loved her testifying.– I just want to say that, because I don't want nobody's feathers to be ruffled.
We five will read poems by Miss Lucille and/or poems that we have written for her, and we will give remembrances of her, and talk about what she meant to each of us individually.
More importantly we plan to have a really, really good time remembering this special lady, because Miss Lucille surely liked to have a good time herself. We want to show the human side of Miss Lucille, not just the side that everyone knew, which is the famous poet.
That's why that picture of her by photographer extraordinaire Rachel Eliza Griffiths is included above. (Click on this for Rachel's website). Isn't that such a pretty picture? Rachel captured the giggling girl in Miss Lucille, the one that is having a ball, even if only inside herself—the girl that lives in all women of all complexions. That's the Miss Lucille I know and still love—and still talk to on a regular basis.
I want to say that this podcast is about Miss Lucille the person, and so I won't give a long author bio. But if you would like to read one, here are links to her obituary in The New York Times, a bio of her on Wikipedia, another bio on the Poetry Foundation Website , and a bio on the Academy of American Poets , an organization for which Miss Lucille served as the very first African American Chancellor they ever had.
But HERE is the most superlative obituary that I have read, written by Elizabeth Alexander for the The New Yorker. If you really want to know about the works of Lucille Clifton and what she meant to other poets, this is the only article you really need to read.
Below is a short bio of Miss Lucille, as well as the bios of the ladies who will be joining me for the podcast.
Lucille Clifton was born Thelma Lucille Sayles on June 27, 1936 to Thelma and Samuel Sayles. In 1958, she married the professor Fred James Clifton and they had six children: Sidney, Channing, Fredericka, Gillian, Graham, and Alexia. In 1966, Ishmael Reed took Miss Lucille's poetry to Langston Hughes who included them in his anthology The Poetry Of The Negro. Her first poetry collection Good Times was published in 1969, beginning a long, distinguished career as the author of poetry books and children's literature. She won many awards—too numerous to mention here—but in addition to her human, empathetic and supremely-crafted poetry celebrating the African American and woman's experience– and her approachable personality, no matter how many accolades she won–what separates her from the rest of American poets that she is the only poet EVER to hold the distinction of being nominated for two books in the same year for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, for her books Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir and Next. Miss Lucille passed into the realm of the ancestors on February 13, 2010, leaving behind four living children and ten grandchildren and countless fans of her poetry.
Sidney Clifton is an Emmy-nominated animation and multimedia writer-producer, mother of four, and Lucille Clifton's firstborn child. Born in Buffalo, NY and raised in Baltimore, MD; Sidney currently resides in Woodland Hills, CA where she is developing and producing multiple television, film, book and online projects. She is honored to be part of this celebration.
Elizabeth Alexander is a poet, essayist, playwright, and teacher and current chair of the African American Studies Department at Yale University. She has published five books of poems; her book American Sublime (2005) was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. She has won numerous other awards, including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and a Guggenheim fellowship. Most recently, she delivered her original poem "Praise Song for the Day" at the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Kelly Norman Ellis is an associate professor of English and associate director of the MFA in Creative Writing program at Chicago State University. Her work has appeared in Sisterfire: Black Womanist Fiction and Prose, Spirit and Flame; The Ringing Ear, and Essence Magazine, among others. Her first collection of poetry, Tougaloo Blues was published by Third World Press. She is a Cave Canem Poetry Fellow and founding member of the Affrilachian Poets.
Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon is assistant professor of English at Cornell University. She is the author of ]Open Interval[, finalist for the 2009 National Book Award, and Black Swan, winner of the 2001 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, and coauthor, with Elizabeth Alexander, of the chapbook Poems in Conversation and a Conversation. Her poems have appeared in African American Review, Callaloo, Crab Orchard Review, Rattapallax, Shenandoah, and in several anthologies, including Bum Rush the Page and Role Call.
Nikky Finney is the author of three books of poetry, On Wings Made of Gauze, Rice, which won a PEN America Open Book Award, and The World is Round; she is the editor of The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South. She also the author of Heartwood, a collection of short stories, and is working on a novel. She has been published in several anthologies and was the scriptwriter for the documentary "For Posterity's Sake," the story of Harlem photographers Morgan and Marvin Smith. She is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Kentucky.
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers–that's me! And why take up space telling you all about me; this is my blog, so wouldn't that would seem rather conceited?:-) If you don't know about me, you can just click this link here to read my bio or click the "About" button above!
I hope you will tune in for this special celebration of Lucille Clifton on Sunday, June 27 at 7:30PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME! Here is the link to the podcast on Talkshoe.com!


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MINDCHAMPS TANJONG PAGAR Connected Articles
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Leigh Griffiths' winner adds to urgency to keep him at Hibs
Last updated on .From the section Football
Manager Pat Fenlon admits his bid to keep on-loan striker Leigh Griffiths at Hibernian is no nearer a resolution.
Griffiths scored the only goal in the Scottish Premier League win over Celtic at Easter Road, his 14th of the season.
"We're no clearer. I've left it to the chairman and Wolves to get something sorted out," said Fenlon as the striker nears the end of his loan spell from the English Championship side.
"We'd love to keep him and he wants to stay, but it's out of our control."
Griffiths scored from a tight angle in the ninth minute to put Hibs in front and they survived a late onslaught to lift spirits at the club after last weekend's home defeat by Ross County.
"We've had some hiccups along the way and last week was one of them," added the manager.
"It's difficult to get to that level every week, but I thought we were magnificent today from start to finish and we deserved to win.
"I know Celtic put us under a lot of pressure in the second half, but I thought we had the better chances in the game.
"My two centre-halfs were different class and the goalkeeper behind them did really well for us.
"To a man, you have to take your hat off to them; their work-rate was fantastic.
"People were beginning to doubt us over the last few weeks and I am delighted for the players and the supporters."
Griffiths was replaced with David Wotherspoon with 18 minutes remaining at Easter Road and Fenlon acknowledged that, with Eoin Doyle playing in a wider position, he had never expected the goalscorer to last the full match.
"It's difficult, that role, on your own up front. We thought, if we got 70 minutes out of him, it would be a good shift for him," explained the Irishman.
"He took his goal really well. I am delighted for him."
Now fourth in the SPL, Fenlon hopes the players will be boosted by the result against the league leaders when they travel to the west of Edinburgh to take on Hearts on 3 January.
"We've got to take great belief and confidence out of that," he said.
"The key now is to rest them. We are looking forward to it.
"We've got to start going to Tynecastle and picking up something there. We haven't done that enough over the years. It's a big game for us.
"We know we are going to have to work really hard. Hearts are a decent side; they are a big, physical side.
On-loan Manchester City defender Ryan McGivern was missing against Celtic but could return for the Edinburgh derby.
"Hopefully Ryan might have a chance of being back for that," added Fenlon. "His hamstring is a bit sore, but he hasn't torn it or pulled it.
"But it will be difficult to change the team, I suppose."


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Curator's pick: The Gallantry Paintings
Curator's Pick: The Gallantry Paintings
As REME Museum prepares to open its doors to visitors, Curator Jennifer Allison has compiled ten of her personal favourite objects from the Museum that sum up the story and spirit of REME.
The new Museum displays have been organised into seven galleries. One of these focuses on remembrance and includes items from the medals collection and a large model of the Lenham Gates which was created to mark the biggest loss of life of REME soldiers during World War II.
Also included in this gallery are four paintings of some of our gallantry award recipients. These are Corporal Adam Miller, Conspicuous Gallantry Cross; Corporal Craig Comber, Military Cross; Corporal Richard Street, Military Cross; and Sergeant Michael Dowling, posthumously awarded the Military Medal.
All of the paintings are very different in style but all created by contemporary artists. This modern element is one of the reasons why I think they are such a key part of the Museum collection as they help to show a modern aspect of the Corps.
With my Art History background, I've enjoyed the process of how we'll arrange them and how we'll draw out the key message. I also enjoy them as works of art: some of the details which have been included have their own story and make them more engaging, such as figures and animals in the background.
One of the most interesting parts of working as the Curator for the REME Museum is that while the key mission is to preserve the heritage and history of the Corps, there is also a contemporary aspect to it. Within this gallery, by having the juxtaposition of medals awarded during World War II with the paintings of gallantry awards given in the 2000s, this brings home that REME is still an existing and developing Corps, with soldiers facing the same risks and showing the same strength of character as their predecessors.
The paintings were commissioned by the Corps and then donated to the Museum so that they can be seen by as many people as possible. They help to show some of the contemporary history of the Corps, and something which they and the individuals can be very proud of.
The gallery also gave us a chance to look at other gallantry award recipients of which the Corps has over 50. And while we don't have paintings for all, they also deserve recognition and we have been able to include citations which visitors will be able to read.
All four paintings will be on display in the Museum and prints of three are available via the REME Shop and will be available in the Museum Gift Shop once open to the public.


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Nottingham High School, Waverley Mount, Nottingham, UK
18th April 2021 To 25th October 2020
11:00 am To 3:00 pm
Tying the Nott is an alternative wedding fair for the unique, quirky, colourful and creative. Based in the heart of Nottingham, our venue, Nottingham High School is inspiring but not your stereotypical wedding venue. Read more…


text: To finish the term students completed a personal reading project, where they selected a book to read and review and created a beautiful folder showcasing highlights from their chosen novel. It was great to see so many different texts enjoyed by our Stage 3 students. The best from each class are displayed on the boards in our upper hall. So many great books!


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For the past seven years, I have been working as a Knowledge Manager and have assisted companies in establishing their Support strategies and building their Help Centers from the ground up. I have also had the honor of being involved with a major Knowledge Base Platform, in a Knowledge Manager Round Table in which we discussed the best strategies and industry standards. In my experience, I have noticed that there is a gap in the market and that information on how to Support Customers effectively is lacking.
I am in the process of putting all my research and experience regarding Web Development and Knowledge Management together into a well-organized eBook. It will feature strategies and best practices to build your Help Center. My eBook will talk you step-by-step through the setup process regardless of what platform you choose. I will also teach you how to monitor it, measure it's effectiveness, find missing content and tweak your strategies based on the needs of your customers. In addition to this, I will help you determine your success and show you how to save thousands of dollars in customer service costs every year.
If you would like to be among the first to hear when this eBook is available, please join my mailing list to stay up to date on its release.


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Works of Web Design / SEO / SEM / SMO…
Below is our partial works over years
Below is our partial works over years
Technical support includes: Website maintenance, back-ups, hosting, emails, digital asset storage.
Website updates and upgrades on a regular basis to meet the latest software's requirements and search engines.
All websites we created are mobile-friendly and all meet requirements with search engines for the best of SEO performance.
Search Engine Optimization includes on-page, off-page optimization, back-links' strategies, local directories.


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imdb page
click here
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Local 44 member. Entertainment Firearms permit holder. Dangerous Weapons permit holder.
Check out Joey's shop to see the fabrication side of life. Click HERE.
Voted Best Trick and Fancy Gun Handler by "True West" Magazine.


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High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell underlined the importance of this step forward for Albania and North Macedonia, offering support to both countries in their continued efforts to deliver on democratic reforms on their EU path.
The draft negotiating frameworks include principles governing the accession negotiations, the substance of the negotiations as well as the negotiations procedure. The aim of the negotiations is that Albania and North Macedonia fully adopt the EU acquis and ensure its implementation and enforcement upon accession.
Credibility is strengthened through an even stronger focus on fundamental reforms, starting with the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions and public administration as well as the economy of the two countries.
As a next step, once the Member States have adopted the negotiating frameworks, the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union will present the agreed General EU Position in the first inter-governmental conference with each country, marking the formal start of the accession negotiations.


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Career Event
Warrior Wednesday | DECEMBER 4, 2019
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Then it is quite a surprise.
lets say only 1 min is missing out of 5 needed (most likely cause no trade was actually made in that time, which happens very frequently)
I don't understand why a resample won't happen with 4 out of the 5 minute?
for me, it make more sense to work with the missing values (first price available is open, last for close, min-max for high and low, and sum for volume) instead of disregarding them completely
for the case when we are missing the whole 5 min, I agree 'no data no bar'
I would have expected that if i have at least one bar available I can resample to higher time frame
say we have the following data:
min |
the smaller the timeframe the higher the chance of gaps in the data


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- Phone
- 804-652-0500
- 888-236-2427 (central reservations)
Welcome to the beautiful Courtyard By Marriott Richmond Airport. We are conveniently located just 1 mi. from Richmond International Airport, 5 miles from Dorey Park and within 10 miles of Historic Downtown Richmond. Enjoy the free high speed wireless internet throughout the hotel. Some of our other amenities include 32" Plasma tv's, business center, fitness room, indoor heated pool and spa. All rooms also come equipped with fridge and microwave! Our 24/7 Market features freshly made sandwiches or salads along with other snacks and beverages. Please feel free to take your beverage out into our gazebo which is located outside in the beautifully landscaped courtyard. After relaxing out under the stars, retire to our spacious rooms which features the luxurious Marriott bedding. Don't forget to ask about our many packages! Our Bistro is open for Breakfast and Dinner 7 days a week. Renovation in 2010. Proudly Serving Starbucks.
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- Restaurant on Site
Last Updated: 05/21/2014
What's Nearby
5300 Airport Square Lane
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5408 Williamsburg Road
Sandston, VA 231500.09 MI
5240 Airport Square Lane
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5110 Williamsburg Road
Richmond, VA 232310.21 MI
5203 Williamsburg Rd.
Sandston, VA 231500.22 MI


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Dentistry is one of very few
NHS services you have to pay for. This section explains what you will have to pay for and when you may not have to pay.
All the treatment that your dentist believes is necessary to achieve and maintain good oral health is available on the NHS. This means that the NHS provides any treatment you need to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy and free of pain.
Depending on what you need to have done, you should only ever be asked to pay one charge for each complete course of treatment, even if you need to visit your dentist more than once to finish it. You will not be charged for individual items within the course of treatment.
There are three standard charges for all NHS dental treatments:
If you're referred to another
dentist as part of an existing course of treatment, you should only pay one charge. However, if your dentist refers you to another dentist, this is generally regarded as a separate course of
treatment and you will have to pay a second charge. The amount you need to pay will depend on the treatment you need.
If you have completed one course of treatment but you need another treatment, you do not have to pay again if:
Different dental surgeries have different requirements. Some may ask for the whole payment for your treatment up front, while others will ask you to pay after it has all been completed. Check with your surgery when you come for your initial check-up.
Tel: 01603427500
08:45 - 17:30
08:30 - 13:00
I have been a patient here for 10 years and regretfully leaving due to relocation across the border to Suffolk. During this time I have received excellent treatment from the dentist, their assistant, reception staff and the hygenist and their assistant. I have had some major dental work undertaken and given that I was cautious of dentists given previous experience, I can't recommend Friends Dental practice enough. I have recommended the practice to others on many occasions. Whilst I am pleased to be relocating to Suffolk, I am sad to be losing such a good dentist! But hey, if I can't find another good dentist then I will be back every six months!
- N. Andrews
I had to have a lot of work done to my teeth, as 39 years since I last visited a dentist. Everyone were so kind and helpful. I now have a good smile again and eating is so much better . Brilliant service in every respect, thank you so much.
-B. Allens
Very welcoming friendly & pleasant staff on arrival & check in at reception. The Dentist & assistant were very welcoming in the surgery and worked well together. Explained everything to me, & my options & prices of treatment. Didn't feel pressured at all, as I have previously been elsewhere. Treatment I received was faultless, both in the surgery & at reception & everything completed smoothly & confidently. Highly recommended & very pleased I changed practice.
Always had a phobia of the dentist since school. But have been going to
Friends dental for 4 years and always see the same smiling dentist. Not like a previous dentists when there was a different dentist every 6 months.
Now I walk into the surgery with confidence and I even get a free sample of toothpaste for being a good boy!


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This black tea is harvested from Yunnan's ancient tea trees. Yunnan black tea leaves have been expertly oxidized to reveal a malty, raisin finish.
60 mg caffeine per serving
Yield: 25 Cups
Yunnan Black tea leaves
Brewing Instructions: 1 teaspoon tea per 8 ounces of boiling water. Infusion time: 3-5 minutes.


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Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Ham
A slow cooker ham that is juicy, flavorful, and so simple! The maple, brown sugar and pineapple flavors are the perfect combination for a tasty glaze.
I used to always bake my holiday ham in the oven according to package directions, occasionally using the sugary glaze that comes with the ham and sometimes not.
That's what my sweet momma did, and I'm not one to veer too far from tradition.
However, when I decided to live on the edge and try my hand at a slow cooker ham years and years ago, I had no idea it would revolutionize my life.
It was fantastic. Really fantastic.
And it has since taken the internet world by storm! This is one of my most popular recipes all year, and it absolutely blows up during Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas (this Sweet Baked Ham is a very close second).
This slow cooker ham is more flavorful than so many other hams I've made before, and the flavors are so perfect – maple, brown sugar and pineapple.
Delicious – not to mention super simple.
I've noted this in the recipe below, but over the years, the only change I've made is to reduce the amount of time in the slow cooker.
My ham was slightly overdone after cooking for 7 hours, so for me and my slow cooker, 4-5 hours on low is the sweet spot.
I'm definitely not the only one who loves this simple, life-changing slow cooker ham! A quick glance through the comments and you'll see there are a lot of fans of this best-ever slow cooker ham.
It is simple and delicious, and perfect for any time of the year, not just on holidays.
Tender biscuits like these Buttermilk Biscuits or Cream Biscuits
Homemade Baked Tater Tots
Classic Deviled Eggs
Slow Cooker: if you think your slow cooker may cook on the hot side, reduce the cooking time as needed. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Ham
Recommended Products
Slow Cooker: if you think your slow cooker may cook on the hot side, reduce the cooking time as needed.
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.


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This week, Michel Barnier, the European Commission's designated Brexit negotiator gave his first press conference in his new role. He was suitably blunt.
Anyone who knows the former internal markets commissioner, who was charged with reforming Europe's banking system and championed capping bankers' bonuses will not be surprised.
Hand picked by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, M. Barnier was unambiguous on the 'options' open to the UK. Access to any benefits derived from the EU is dependent on appropriate contributions. Moreover, the EU intends to negotiate as one single 27-nation bloc.
Any hope that Britain's negotiators had of peeling off more sympathetic nations and lobbying them for a more lenient approach to future trading arrangements looks forlorn at this stage.
M. Barnier is adamant that there will be no discussion about any future engagement between the EU and the UK until the Brexit process is officially triggered by the prime minister.
The foreign secretary's preferred Brexit policy of "having our cake and eating it" looks an ever diminishing probability.
The reality is our European partners don't bluff publicly. They don't need to, they hold all the cards.
As Janesh Ganesh points out, when will British politicians actually listen and realise that we are the only the ones playing the game by our rules. Everyone else is on a different page.
If only we could switch off our Wildean irony radar and accept words at face value. When Donald Tusk says the "only real alternative to a hard Brexit is no Brexit", there is nothing in history to suggest the European Council president is giving us his smoking lounge repartee. When Angela Merkel, German chancellor, talks up the indivisibility of the four freedoms, a good time-saving exercise is to believe her. When in the summer EU leaders rejected informal talks with Britain in advance of Article 50 being tabled, ministers in London smiled at the charade and waited for the European line to waver. They still wait.


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Tips On Buying Clothes For Your Newborn
A newborn is with no doubt a delight to the parents. It is normal for new parents to dress their babies up with various clothes and shoes because they want to make memories and babies just grow fast within the first year of their lives. Therefore, you need to know what exactly to buy and how to choose what is suitable for your little one. Most of the parents tend to buy clothes as other necessities for the newborn while he or she is still in the mother's womb.
Go for different kinds
There are so many beautiful newborn clothes. Try not to buy a multiple number of pieces from the same colour or same pattern of clothing. For an instance if it is a girl, instead of buying only dresses you can buy onesies, little shorts or skirts. These are even found in shops selling baby products online. This will help in creating a variety in terms of the newborn's wardrobe.
The climates
It is important to keep the climate in mind when you go for baby products shopping. Otherwise, the clothes might cause discomfort for babies. As an example, if it is warm you can pick clothes with soft materials which don't cover too much of the newborn's body.
Know what is ahead
Changes among seasons affect certain countries more than the others. Therefore, it is important that you know the seasons ahead because this will help you in preparing better. If winter is ahead it would be the best if you start buying clothes that would help in keeping your little one warm. If you disregard the seasonal changes your newborn might not be able to wear the clothes you buy because by the time the season is ready for those clothes your newborn will not fit in them.
Buy what you need
There are adorable newborn clothing items, each priced at different amounts. If the items you pick are pricey check if you definitely want to buy them. It is useless to buy very expensive newborn clothes for your newborn to wear at home. So, if it is not useful you can spend the money you are willing to spend on buying something better for your newborn.
Babies grow fast
Growth rate of babies during the first year is high. Baby clothing sizes are classified according to months. Therefore, buy clothing items that are at least one month ahead of your newborn's actual age. This will help in making the most of the bought clothes. These are a few important tips to help with shopping for baby clothes. Other than these, go with your instinct because when your child is regarded you can never go wrong with it.


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Bumper year for East Devon lifeboat supporters
PUBLISHED: 09:33 20 February 2012
Seaton, Beer and District Branch of the RNLI raised more than £50,000 to help keep the vital service afloat
LIFEBOAT supporters in East Devon are celebrating a bumper year for fund raising.
Members of Seaton, Beer and District Branch of the RNLI will be congratulated for raising more than £50,000 in 2011, when they hold their annual meeting next month.
The gathering, on Tuesday. March 6, at 7.30pm in the function room at the Dolphin Hotel, Beer, will hear that a record £39.000.83 was raised in souvenir sales along with a further £11.534.40 from branch events, donations and collection boxes.
Now more volunteers are being sought to join the sales crew from April to October at thesouvenir kiosk at Jubilee Gardens, Beer, and to help man the stall at events across the area.
Secretary Wendy Cummins said: "A warm welcome awaits anyone wishing to join us with our 2012 fundraising programme or join our committee that includes a vacancy for an assistant secretary. Volunteers should please come to our annual general meeting or telephone 01297 23040 for our branch information letter and application form.
The branch area covers Seaton, Axmouth, Musbury, Whitford, Colyford, Colyton, Branscombe and Beer.
* Last week Mrs Cummins presented a certificate of thanks to the manager of Seaton Tesco, Ian Dyer, following the branch collection there in December when they collected £355.38.
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Midweek Herald. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


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The Riemann Zeta Function and Tuning
Suppose x is a variable representing some equal division of the octave. For example, if x = 80, x reflects 80edo with a step size of 15 cents and with pure octaves. Suppose that x can also be continuous, so that it can also represent fractional or "nonoctave" divisions as well. The Bohlen-Pierce scale, 13 equal divisions of 3/1, is approximately 8.202 equal divisions of the "octave" (although the octave itself does not appear in this tuning), and would hence be represented by a value of x = 8.202.
Now suppose that ||x|| denotes the difference between x and the integer nearest to x. For example, ||8.202|| would be .202, since it's the difference between 8.202 and the nearest integer, which is 8. ||7.95|| would be .05, which is the difference between 7.95 and the nearest integer, which is 8. Mathematically speaking, ||x|| denotes the function |x - floor(x+1/2)|.
For any value of x, we can construct a p-limit generalized patent val. We do so by rounding log2(q)*x to the nearest integer for each prime q up to p. Now consider the function
[math]\xi(x) = \sum_2^p (\frac{||x \log_2 q||}{\log_2 q})^2[/math]
This function has local minima, corresponding to associated generalized patent vals. The minima occur for values of x which are the Tenney-Euclidean tunings of the octaves of the associated vals, while ξ for these minima is the square of the Tenney-Euclidean relative error of the val - equal to the TE error times the TE complexity, and sometimes known as "TE simple badness."
Now suppose we don't want a formula for any specific prime limit, but which applies to all primes. We can't take the above sum to infinity, since it doesn't converge. However, we could change the weighting factor to a power so that it does converge:
[math]\sum_2^\infty \frac{||x \log_2 q||^2}{q^s}[/math]
If s is greater than one, this does converge. However, we might want to make a few adjustments. For one thing, if the error is low enough that the tuning is consistent, then the error of the square of a prime is twice that of the prime, of the cube tripled, and so forth until the error becomes inconsistent. When the weighting uses logarithms and error measures are consistent, then the logarithmic weighting cancels this effect out, so we might consider that prime powers were implicitly included in the Tenney-Euclidean measure. We can go ahead and include them by adding a factor of 1/n for each prime power p^n. A somewhat peculiar but useful way to write the result of doing this is in terms of the Von Mangoldt function, an arithmetic function on positive integers which is equal to ln p on prime powers p^n, and is zero elsewhere. This is written using a capital lambda, as Λ(n), and in terms of it we can include prime powers in our error function as
[math]\sum_1^\infty \frac{\Lambda(n)}{\ln n} \frac{||x \log_2 n||^2}{n^s}[/math]
where the summation is taken formally over all positive integers, though only the primes and prime powers make a nonzero contribution.
Another consequence of the above definition which might be objected to is that it results in a function with a discontinuous derivative, whereas a smooth function be preferred. The function ||x||^2 is quadratically increasing near integer values of x, and is periodic with period 1. Another function with these same properties is 1 - cos(2πx), which is a smooth and in fact an entire function. Let us therefore now define for any s > 1
[math]E_s(x) = \sum_1^\infty \frac{\Lambda(n)}{\ln n} \frac{1 - \cos(2 \pi x \log_2 n)}{n^s}[/math]
For any fixed s > 1 this gives a real analytic function defined for all x, and hence with all the smoothness properties we could desire.
We can clean up this definition to get essentially the same function:
[math]F_s(x) = \sum_1^\infty \frac{\Lambda(n)}{\ln n} \frac{\cos(2 \pi x \log_2 n)}{n^s}[/math]
This new function has the property that [math]F_s(x) = F_s(0) - E_s(x)[/math], so that all we have done is flip the sign of [math]E_s(x)[/math] and offset it vertically. This now increases to a maximum value for low errors, rather than declining to a minimum. Of more interest is the fact that it is a known mathematical function, which can be expressed in terms of the real part of the logarithm of the Riemann zeta function:
[math]F_s(x) = \Re \ln \zeta(s + 2 \pi i x/\ln 2)[/math]
If we take exponentials of both sides, then
[math]\exp(F_s(x)) = |\zeta(s + 2 \pi i x/\ln 2)|[/math]
so that we see that the absolute value of the zeta function serves to measure the relative error of an equal division.
Into the critical strip
So long as s is greater than or equal to one, the absolute value of the zeta function can be seen as a relative error measurement. However, the rationale for that view of things departs when s is less than one, particularly in the critical strip, when s lies between zero and one. As s approaches the value s=1/2 of the critical line, the information content, so to speak, of the zeta function concerning higher primes increases and it behaves increasingly like a badness measure (or more correctly, since we have inverted it, like a goodness measure.) The quasi-symmetric functional equation of the zeta function tells us that past the critical line the information content starts to decrease again, with 1-s and s having the same information content. Hence it is the zeta function between s=1/2 and s=1, and especially the zeta function along the critical line s=1/2, which is of the most interest.
As s>1 gets larger, the Dirichlet series for the zeta function is increasingly dominated by the 2 term, getting ever closer to simply 1 + 2^(-z), which approaches 1 as s = Re(z) becomes larger. When s >> 1 and x is an integer, the real part of zeta is approximately 1 + 2^(-s), and the imaginary part is approximately zero; that is, zeta is approximately real. Starting from s = +∞ with x an integer, we can trace a line back towards the critical strip on which zeta is real. Since when s >> 1 the derivative is approximately -ln(2)/2^s, it is negative on this line of real values for zeta, meaning that the real value for zeta increases as s decreases. The zeta function approaches 1 uniformly as s increases to infinity, so as s decreases, the real-valued zeta function along this line of real values continues to increase though all real values from 1 to infinity monotonically. When it crosses the critical line where s=1/2, it produces a real value of zeta on the critical line. Points on the critical line where ζ(1/2 + i g) are real are called "Gram points", after Jørgen Pedersen Gram. We thus have associated pure-octave edos, where x is an integer, to a value near to the pure octave, at the special sorts of Gram points which corresponds to edos.
Because the value of zeta increased continuously as it made its way from +∞ to the critical line, we might expect the values of zeta at these special Gram points to be relatively large. This would be especially true if -ζ'(z) is getting a boost from other small primes as it travels toward the Gram point. A complex formula due to Bernhard Riemann which he failed to publish because it was so nasty becomes a bit simpler when used at a Gram point. It is named the Riemann-Siegel formula since Carl Ludwig Siegel went looking for it and was able to reconstruct it after rooting industriously around in Riemann's unpublished papers. From this formula, it is apparent that when x corresponds to a good edo, the value of ζ(1/2 + i g) at the corresponding Gram point should be especially large.
The Z function
The absolute value ζ(1/2 + i g) at a Gram point corresponding to an edo is near to a local maximum, but not actually at one. At the local maximum, of course, the partial derivative of ζ(1/2 + i t) with respect to t will be zero; however this does not mean its derivative there will be zero. In fact, the Riemann hypothesis is equivalent to the claim that all zeros of ζ'(s + i t) occur when s > 1/2, which is where all known zeros lie. These do not have values of t corresponding to good edos. For this and other reasons, it is helpful to have a function which is real for values on the critical line but whose absolute value is the same as that of zeta. This is provided by the Z function.
In order to define the Z function, we need first to define the Riemann-Siegel theta function, and in order to do that, we first need to define the Log Gamma function. This is not defined as the natural log of the Gamma function since that has a more complicated branch cut structure; instead, the principal branch of the Log Gamma function is defined as having a branch cut along the negative real axis, and is given by the series
[math]\Upsilon(z) = -\gamma z - \ln z + \sum_{k=1}^\infty \frac{z}{k} - \ln(1 + \frac{z}{k})[/math]
where the lower-case gamma is Euler's constant. We now may define the Riemann-Siegel theta function as
[math]\theta(z) = (\Upsilon((1 + 2 i z)/4) - \Upsilon((1 - 2 i z)/4))/(2 i) - \ln(\pi) z/2[/math]
Another approach is to substitute z = (1 + 2i t)/4 into the series for Log Gamma and take the imaginary part, this yields
[math]\theta(t) = -\frac{\gamma + \log \pi}{2}t - \arctan 2t + \sum_{n=1}^\infty \left(\frac{t}{2n} - \arctan\left(\frac{2t}{4n+1}\right)\right)[/math]
Since the arctangent function is holomorphic in the strip with imaginary part between -1 and 1, it follows from the above formula, or arguing from the previous one, that theta is holomorphic in the strip with imaginary part between -1/2 and 1/2. It may be described for real arguments as an odd real analytic function of x, increasing when |x| > 6.29. Plots of it may be studied by use of the Wolfram online function plotter.
Using the theta and zeta functions, we define the Z function as
[math]Z(t) = \exp(i \theta(t)) \zeta(1/2 + it)[/math]
Since theta is holomorphic on the strip with imaginary part between -1/2 and 1/2, so is Z. Since the exponential function has no zeros, the zeros of Z in this strip correspond one to one with the zeros of zeta in the critical strip. Since the exponential of an imaginary argument has absolute value 1, the absolute value of Z along the real axis is the same as the absolute value of zeta at the corresponding place on the critical line. And since theta was defined so as to give precisely this property, Z is a real even function of the real variable t.
Using the online plotter we can plot Z in the regions corresponding to scale divisions, using the conversion factor t = 2π/ln(2) x, for x a number near or at an edo number. Hence, for instance, to plot 12 plot around 108.777, to plot 31 plot around 281.006, and so forth. An alternative plotter is the applet here.
If you have access to Mathematica, which has Z, zeta and theta as a part of its suite of initially defined functions, you can do even better. Below is a Mathematicia-generated plot of Z(2πx/ln(2)) in the region around 12edo:
The peak around 12 is both higher and wider than the local maximums above 11 and 13, indicating its superiority as an edo. Note also that the peak occurs at a point slightly larger than 12; this indicates the octave is slightly compressed in the zeta tuning for 12. The size of a step in octaves is 1/x, and hence the size of the octave in the zeta peak value tuning for Nedo is N/x; if x is slightly larger than N as here with N=12, the size of the zeta tuned octave will be slightly less than a pure octave. Similarly, when the peak occurs with x less than N, we have stretched octaves.
For larger edos, the width of the peak narrows, but for strong edos the height more than compensates, measured in terms of the area under the peak (the absolute value of the integral of Z between two zeros.) Note how 270 completely dominates its neighbors:
Note that for one of its neighbors, 271, it isn't entirely clear which peak value corresponds to the line of real values from +∞. This can be determined by looking at the absolute value of zeta along other s values, such as s=1 or s=3/4, and in this case the local minimum at 271.069 is the value in question. However, other peak values are not without their interest; the local maximum at 270.941, for instance, is associated to a different mapping for 3.
Zeta EDO lists
If we examine the increasingly larger peak values of |Z(x)|, we find they occur with values of x such that Z'(x) = 0 near to integers, so that there is a sequence of edos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 19, 22, 27, 31, 41, 53, 72, 99, 118, 130, 152, 171, 217, 224, 270, 342, 422, 441, 494, 742, 764, 935, 954, 1012, 1106, 1178, 1236, 1395, 1448, 1578, 2460, 2684, 3395, 5585, 6079, 7033, 8269, 8539, 11664, 14348, 16808, 28742, 34691 ... of zeta peak edos. This is listed in the On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences as OEIS:Sequence A117536.
Similarly, if we take the integral of |Z(x)| between successive zeros, and use this to define a sequence of increasing values for this integral, these again occur near integers and define an edo. This sequence, the zeta integral edos, goes 2, 5, 7, 12, 19, 31, 41, 53, 72, 130, 171, 224, 270, 764, 954, 1178, 1395, 1578, 2684, 3395, 7033, 8269, 8539, 14348, 16808, 36269, 58973 ... This is listed in the OEIS as OEIS:Sequence A117538. The zeta integral edos seem to be, on the whole, the best of the zeta function sequences, but the other two should not be discounted; the peak values seem to give more weight to the lower primes, and the zeta gap sequence discussed below to the higher primes.
Finally, taking the midpoints of the successively larger normalized gaps between the zeros of Z leads to a list of zeta gap edos. These are 2, 3, 5, 7, 12, 19, 31, 46, 53, 72, 270, 311, 954, 1178, 1308, 1395, 1578, 3395, 4190 ... Since the density of the zeros increases logarithmically, the normalization is to divide through by the log of the midpoint. These edos are listed in the OEIS as OEIS:Sequence A117537. The zeta gap edos seem to weight higher primes more heavily and have the advantage of being easy to compute from a table of zeros on the critical line.
Optimal Octave Stretch
Another use for the Riemann zeta function is to determine the optimal tuning for an EDO, meaning the optimal octave stretch. This is because the zeta peaks are typically not integers. The fractional part can give us the degree to which the generator diverges from what you would need to have the octave be a perfect 1200 cents. Here is a list of successively higher zeta peaks, taken to five decimal places:
Removing primes
The Euler product for the Riemann zeta function is
[math]\zeta(s) = \prod_p (1 - p^{-s})^{-1}[/math]
where the product is over all primes p. The product converges for values of s with real part greater than or equal to one, except for s=1 where it diverges to infinity. We may remove a finite list of primes from consideration by multiplying ζ(s) by the corresponding factors (1-p^(-s)) for each prime p we wish to remove. After we have done this, the smallest prime remaining will dominate peak values for s with large real part, and as before we can track these peaks backwards and, by analytical continuation, into the critical strip. In particular if we remove the prime 2, (1-2^(-s))ζ(s) is now dominated by 3, and the large peak values occur near equal divisions of the "tritave", ie 3.
Along the critical line, |1 - p^(-1/2-i t)| may be written
[math]\sqrt{1 + \frac{1}{p} - \frac{2 \cos(\ln p\ t)}{\sqrt{p}}}[/math]
Multiplying the Z-function by this factor of adjustment gives a Z-function with the prime p removed from consideration. Zeta peak and zeta integral tunings may then be found as before.
Removing 2 leads to increasing adjusted peak values corresponding to the division of 3 (the "tritave") into 4, 7, 9, 13, 15, 17, 26, 32, 39, 45, 52, 56, 71, 75, 88, 131, 245, 316 ... parts. A striking feature of this list is the appearance not only of 13edt, the Bohlen-Pierce division of the tritave, but the multiples 26, 39 and 52 also.
The Black Magic Formulas
When Gene Smith discovered these formulas in the 70s, he thought of them as "black magic" formulas not because of any aura of evil, but because they seemed mysteriously to give you something for next to nothing. They are based on Gram points and the Riemann-Siegel theta function θ(t). Recall that a Gram point is a point on the critical line where ζ(1/2 + ig) is real. This implies that exp(iθ(g)) is real, so that θ(g)/π is an integer. Theta has an asymptotic expansion
[math]\theta(t) \sim \frac{t}{2}\log \frac{t}{2\pi} - \frac{t}{2} - \frac{\pi}{8}+\frac{1}{48t}+ \frac{7}{5760t^3}+\cdots[/math]
From this we may deduce that θ(t)/π ≈ r ln(r) - r - 1/8, where r = t/2π = x/ln(2); hence while x is the number of equal steps to an octave, r is the number of equal steps to an "e-tave", meaning the interval of e, 1200/ln(2) = 1731.234 cents.
Recall that Gram points near to pure-octave edos, where x is an integer, can be expected to correspond to peak values of |ζ| = |Z|. We can find these Gram points by Newton's method applied to the above formula. If r = x/ln(2), and if n = floor(r ln(r) - r + 3/8) is the nearest integer to θ(2πr)/π, then we may set r⁺ = (r + n + 1/8)/ln(r). This is the first iteration of Newton's method, which we may repeat if we like, but in fact no more than one iteration is really required. This is the first black magic formula, giving an adjusted "Gram" tuning from the orginal one.
For an example, consider x = 12, so that r = 12/ln(2) = 17.312. Then r ln(r) - r - 1/8 = 31.927, which rounded to the nearest integer is 32, so n = 32. Then (r + n + 1/8)/ln(r) = 17.338, corresponding to x = 12.0176, which means a single step is 99.853 cents and the octave is tempered to twelve of these, which is 1198.238 cents.
The fact that x is slightly greater than 12 means 12 has an overall sharp quality. We may also find this out by looking at the value we computed for θ(2πr)/π, which was 31.927. Then 32 - 31.927 = 0.0726, which is positive but not too large; this is the second black magic formula, evaluating the nature of an edo x by computing floor(r ln(r) - r + 3/8) - r ln(r) + r + 1/8, where r = x/ln(2). This works more often than not on the clearcut cases, but when x is extreme it may not; 49 is very sharp in tendency, for example, but this method calls it as flat; similarly it counts 45 as sharp.
Computing zeta
There are various approaches to the question of computing the zeta function, but perhaps the simplest is the use of the Dirichlet eta function which was introduced to mathematics by Johann Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet, who despite his name was a German and the brother-in-law of Felix Mendelssohn.
The zeta function has a simple pole at z=1 which forms a barrier against continuing it with its Euler product or Dirichlet series representation. We could subtract off the pole, or multiply by a factor of (z-1), but at the expense of losing the character of a Dirichlet series or Euler product. A better method is to multiply by a factor of (1-2^(1-z)), leading to the eta function:
[math]\eta(z) = (1-2^{1-z})\zeta(z) = \sum_{n=1}^\infty (-1)^{n-1} n^{-z} = \frac{1}{1^z} - \frac{1}{2^z} + \frac{1}{3^z} - \frac{1}{4^z} + \cdots[/math]
The Dirichlet series for the zeta function is absolutely convergent when s>1, justifying the rearrangement of terms leading to the alternating series for eta, which converges conditionally in the critical strip. The extra factor introduces zeros of the eta function at the points 1 + 2πix/ln(2) corresponding to pure octave divisions along the line s=1, but no other zeros, and in particular none in the critical strip and along the critical line. The convergence of the alternating series can be greatly accelerated by applying Euler summation.
Relationship to Harmonic Entropy
The expression
[math]|\zeta(0.5+it)|^2 \cdot \overline {\phi(t)}[/math]
is, up to a flip in sign, the Fourier transform of the unnormalized Harmonic Shannon Entropy for [math]N=\infty[/math], where [math]\phi(t)[/math] is the characteristic function (aka Fourier transform) of the spreading distribution and [math]\overline {\phi(t)}[/math] denotes complex conjugation.
Note that in the most common case where the spreading distribution is symmetric (as in the case of the Gaussian and Laplace distributions), the characteristic function is purely real and hence the conjugate is unnecessary. In particular, when the spreading distribution is a Gaussian, the characteristic function is also a Gaussian.
More can be found at the page on Harmonic Entropy, including a generalization to Renyi entropy for arbitrary [math]a[/math].
X-Ray of Riemann zeta-function by Juan Arias-de-Reyna
Selberg's limit theorem by Terence Tao Permalink
Favored cardinalities of scales by Peter Buch
Computational estimation of the order of ζ(1/2 + it) by Tadej Kotnik


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I come from a live Christmas tree kind of family.
This means that every year, usually the day after Thanksgiving, we load up the mini van and head out to the Christmas tree farm. And we walk around all the trees and choose the best of the best of all the Douglas Firs. And we load it up, on the roof of our car, bring it home, and listen to the Steven Curtis Chapman Christmas album as we hang our extremely home-made ornaments complete with macaroni hot-glued onto pictures of us in 3rd grade.
Today is no exception. And the traditions remind me of the great story written for me, the one I don't deserve, but one that begs for celebration.
And today, after a bumpy season of transition in so many ways, the tradition is especially powerful to my heart. And though I'm tempted to question it and wonder why I was given so much when so many have so little, I am reminded over and over that it's ok to just take it for what it is. It's ok to laugh with my siblings, to take pictures with my sister, to enjoy the day given to me.
And so today, I drink hot chocolate and watch Elf with the people that mean the most to me, and I draw the line at anything short of celebration. It's not my job to understand. It's my job to celebrate.
Sometimes, I get really caught up in everything I can't control or change, and therefore wonderful realities and gifts are overlooked because I'm so caught up by my lack of control. But I'm learning, my lack of control is a gift, because I can't bear the load. It's not my job to control things, but to appreciate the way God does.
I asked a mentor of mine recently for one sentence of advice. If she could give me one nugget of wisdom in this season, what would it be? She told me that where I am, whatever season of life and whatever situation I find myself in, to trust the One who brought me there. To trust that He knows what He's doing, that He really has the best for me.
And that's what I remember this tree-cutting day. I remember that I'm a part of something bigger than me, and that the Great Author is writing the story. And I rest into that, no matter how impossible it seems at times.


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This year, in addition to monitoring progress on key indicators, Report Cards include selected state actions to improve maternal and infant health. Premature birth and its complications are the largest contributors to infant death in the U.S., and preterm birth rates have been increasing for four years. Prematurity grades are assigned by comparing the 2018 preterm birth rate to March of Dimes' goal of 8.1 percent by 2020. While it's not yet possible to assign grades for maternal health indicators given the available data, it's clear that rates of maternal death and morbidity are unacceptably high. Maternal health complications, and the social determinants of health, affect the health and survival of both mom and baby. Highlighted on the second page are selected actions available to states to help improve maternal and infant health.
The March of Dimes disparity ratio measures and tracks progress towards the elimination of racial/ethnic disparities in preterm birth. It's based on Healthy People 2020 methodology and compares the group with the lowest preterm birth rate to the average for all other groups. Progress is evaluated by comparing the current disparity ratio to a baseline disparity ratio. A lower disparity ratio is better, with a disparity ratio of 1 indicating no disparity.
Disparity Ratio
Change from baseline
Click on the underlined counties to view more data in PeriStats.
Our unequal society has negative consequences for health. Factors such as these are linked to adverse maternal and infant health outcomes overall. Many other structural factors and inequities influence the health of mothers and babies, especially for Black, American Indian and Alaska Native women. For example, income, health insurance status and prenatal care access are traditionally considered protective factors, but if they are held constant, racial and ethnic disparities persist. March of Dimes is collaborating with others to confront social and structural determinants of health, while identifying solutions that help alleviate the negative impacts of such inequities.
*The Healthy People 2020 goal is for all women (15-44) to be insured.
The estimated societal cost per preterm birth includes medical care for premature children, maternal delivery costs, early intervention services, special education services and lost productivity. State estimates reflect 2016 adjustments to underlying national estimates developed in 2005�(see technical notes for additional details). Adjustments per state include birth and infant mortality rate and incidence by gestational age, service bundle composition and costs and cost inflation.�
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant is one source of federal support for states to improve the health of moms and children. States have some flexibility in allocating funds, which can be used to increase access to quality health care for pregnant women. State MCH block grant amounts provide an example of the limited amount of available funds in comparison to the costs of prematurity and other complications.
Medicaid expansion to cover individuals up to 138% of the federal poverty level can play an essential role in improving maternal and infant health. A growing number of studies indicate that Medicaid expansion has reduced the rate of women of childbearing age who are uninsured, improved health outcomes and helped to reduce disparities, including lower rates of premature birth and low birthweight for Black infants in expansion states.
March of Dimes recommends key policy actions to improve maternal and infant health in all states. Future Report Cards will assess these actions at the state level.
Premature or preterm birth is a birth with less than 37 weeks gestation based on the obstetric estimate of gestational age. Data used in this report card came from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) natality files, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program.1 This national data source was used so that data are comparable for each state and jurisdiction-specific report card. Data provided on the report card may differ from data obtained directly from state or local health departments and vital statistics agencies due to timing of data submission and handling of missing data. The preterm birth rates shown at the top of report card was calculated from the NCHS 2018 final natality data. Preterm birth rates in the trend graph are from the NCHS 2008-2018 final natality data. County preterm birth rates are from the NCHS 2017 final natality data. Preterm birth rates for bridged racial and ethnic categories were calculated from NCHS 2015-2017 final natality data. Preterm birth rates were calculated as the number of premature births divided by the number of live births with known gestational age multiplied by 100.
Expanded grade ranges were introduced in 2019. Grade ranges remain based on standard deviations of final 2014 state and District of Columbia preterm birth rates away from the March of Dimes goal of 8.1 percent by 2020. Grades were determined using the following scoring formula: (preterm birth rate of each jurisdiction ? 8.1 percent) / standard deviation of final 2014 state and District of Columbia preterm birth rates. Each score within a grade was divided into thirds to create +/- intervals. The resulting scores were rounded to one decimal place and assigned a grade. See the table for details. Grade Preterm Birth Rate RangeScoring Criteria A Preterm birth rate less than or equal to 7.7 percent A- Preterm birth rate of 7.8 percent to 8.1 percent B+ Preterm birth rate of 8.2 percent to 8.5 percent B Preterm birth rate of 8.6 percent to 8.9 percent B- Preterm birth rate of 9.0 percent to 9.2 percent C+ Preterm birth rate of 9.3 percent to 9.6 percent C Preterm birth rate of 9.7 percent to 10.0 percent C- Preterm birth rate of 10.1 percent to 10.3 percent D+ Preterm birth rate of 10.4 percent to 10.7 percent D Preterm birth rate of 10.8 percent to 11.1 percent D- Preterm birth rate of 11.2 percent to 11.4 percent F Preterm birth rate greater than or equal to 11.5 percent
Preterm birth rate less than or equal to 7.7 percent
Preterm birth rate of 7.8 percent to 8.1 percent
Preterm birth rate of 8.2 percent to 8.5 percent
Preterm birth rate of 8.6 percent to 8.9 percent
Preterm birth rate of 9.0 percent to 9.2 percent
Preterm birth rate of 9.3 percent to 9.6 percent
Preterm birth rate of 9.7 percent to 10.0 percent
Preterm birth rate of 10.1 percent to 10.3 percent
Preterm birth rate of 10.4 percent to 10.7 percent
Preterm birth rate of 10.8 percent to 11.1 percent
Preterm birth rate of 11.2 percent to 11.4 percent
Preterm birth rate greater than or equal to 11.5 percent
Report cards for states and jurisdictions, except District of Columbia, display up to 6 counties with the greatest number of live births. Counties are not displayed if the number of premature births is less than 20. Counties are ordered alphabetically. Grades were assigned based on the grading criteria described above. Change from previous year was calculated by comparing the 2017 county preterm birth rate to the 2016 rate.
Report cards for states and jurisdictions, except District of Columbia, display the city with the greatest number of live births. Cities are not displayed for Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming due to limited availability of data. Grades were assigned based on the grading criteria described above. Change from previous year was calculated by comparing the 2017 city preterm birth rate to the 2016 rate.
Mother's race and Hispanic ethnicity are reported separately on birth certificates. Rates for Hispanic women include all bridged racial categories (white, black, American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander). Rates for non-Hispanic women are classified according to race. The Asian/Pacific Islander category includes Native Hawaiian. To provide stable rates, racial and ethnic groups are shown on the report card if the group had 20 or more premature births in each year from 2015-2017. To calculate preterm birth rates on the report card, three years of data were aggregated (2015-2017). Preterm birth rates for not stated/unknown race are not shown on the report card.
The March of Dimes disparity ratio is based on Healthy People 2020 methodology and provides a measure of the differences, or disparities, in preterm birth rates across racial/ethnic groups within a geographic area.2 The disparity ratio compares the racial/ethnic group with the lowest preterm birth rate (comparison group) to the average of the preterm birth rate for all other groups. To calculate the disparity ratio, the 2015-2017 preterm birth rates for all groups (excluding the comparison group) were averaged and divided by the 2015-2017 comparison group preterm birth rate. The comparison group is the racial/ethnic group with the lowest six-year aggregate preterm birth rate (2010-2015) among groups that had 20 or more premature births in each year from 2010-2015. A disparity ratio was calculated for U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the total U.S. A disparity ratio was not calculated for Maine, Puerto Rico, Vermont and West Virginia due to limited availability of data. A lower disparity ratio is better, with a disparity ratio of 1 indicating no disparity. Progress toward eliminating racial and ethnic disparities was evaluated by comparing the 2015-2017 disparity ratio to a baseline (2010-2012) disparity ratio. Change between time periods was assessed for statistical significance at the 0.05 level using the approach recommended by Healthy People 2020.2 If the disparity ratio significantly improved because the average preterm birth rate for all other groups got better, we displayed "Improved" on the report card. If the disparity ratio significantly worsened because the lowest group got better or the average of all other groups got worse, we displayed "Worsened" on the report card. If the disparity ratio did not significantly change, we displayed "No Improvement" on the report card. The report card also provides the percent difference between the racial/ethnic group with the 2015-2017 highest preterm birth rate compared to the combined 2015-2017 preterm birth rate among women in all other racial/ethnic groups. This percent difference was calculated using only the racial/ethnic groups displayed on the state or jurisdiction-specific report card. This difference was calculated for each U.S. state with adequate numbers and the District of Columbia.
March of Dimes recognizes the importance of certain risk factors that are associated with premature birth. Three of these contributing factors are highlighted for each state. These risk factors are poverty in women (age 15-44 years), lack of health insurance in women (15-44 years) and inadequacy of prenatal care. A woman was considered uninsured if she was not covered by any type of health insurance.3 The uninsured percent is calculated among women ages 15-44. Persons in poverty are defined as those who make less than 100% of the poverty threshold established by the US Census Bureau.4 The Federal poverty threshold for a family of three was $19,749 in 2017. Poverty is reported for women 15-44 years. Adequacy of prenatal care is measured using the Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index, which classifies prenatal care received into 1 of 4 categories (inadequate, intermediate, adequate and adequate plus) by combining information about the timing of prenatal care, the number of visits and the infant's gestational age.5
Estimates of the national societal economic burden of preterm birth in 2005 generated for the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) report6, Preterm Birth:� Causes, Consequences and Prevention served as the foundation for updating costs to 2016 and for providing separate estimates for each state and the District and Columbia (see https://marchofdimes.org/peristats/documents/Cost_of_Prematurity_2019.pdf for details)7. Costs were updated adjusting for price changes over time and for variation in prices of services between states. Changes in the rate of preterm birth, the distribution of preterm birth by gestational age (GA), and the rate of infant mortality by GA at the national and state levels were also incorporated. This cost of preterm birth estimates are the most comprehensive national estimates to date, and provide the first profile of such costs by state for every state and the District of Columbia. Medicaid expansion is provided as not adopted, adopted and adopted but not implemented. Medicaid expansion has reduced the rates of uninsured. Increased access and utilization of health care are significantly associated with Medicaid expansion.8 Maternal and child block grant totals are available from Fiscal Year 2019 for each state. The Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant, Title V of the Social Security Act, is a federal program devoted to improving the health of all women, children and families. Title V provides funding to state maternal and child health (MCH) programs, which serve 76 million people in the U.S.9 Maternal and child (MCH) block grants are a key federal source of support for states to improve the health of moms and babies. Other funding sources and strategies are also available to states to make an impact on prematurity.
All natality calculations were conducted by the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center. Calculations for the cost of premature birth were conducted by the University of Utah .
1 National Center for Health Statistics, final natality data 2015-2018.
2 Talih M, Huang DT. Measuring progress toward target attainment and the elimination of health disparities in Healthy People 2020. Healthy People Statistical Notes, no 27. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2016.
3 IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, ipums.org. American Community Survey, US Census Bureau.
4 PUMS-CPS, University of Minnesota, ipums.org. Current Population Survey, US Census Bureau.
5 Kotelchuck M. An evaluation of the Kessner Adequacy of Prenatal Care Index and a Proposed Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index. Am J Public Health 1994; 84: 1414-1420.
6 Behrman RE, Stith Butler A, eds. Institute of Medicine, Committee on Understanding Preterm Birth and Assuring Healthy Outcomes. Preterm Birth: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2007.
7 Waitzman NJ and Jalali A. Updating National Preterm Birth Costs to 2016 with Separate Estimates for Individual States. Salt Lake City, UT: University of Utah; 2019.
8 Kaiser Family Foundation, https://www.kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/state-activity-around-expanding-medicaid-under-the-affordable-care-act/. Retrieved on June 30, 2019.
9 Health Resources and Services Administration. Title V Maternal and Child Block Grant Program. Available at: https://mchb.hrsa.gov/data-research-epidemiology. Retrieved on September 12, 2019.