text:
Certified Organic Açaí Powder
Certified Organic Açaí Powder
An incredible superfood native to South America, açaí has a complex blend of antioxidants including vitamins A and C, as well as minerals and amino acids. It also has omega-3 essential fatty acids which may contribute to the maintenance of mental and visual function. The dark purple color of Sunfood açaí comes from pigments called anthocyanins which may contribute to antioxidant defense support. This nutrient dense fruit has become a favorite among athletes and the health conscious.
The Sunfood Difference™
Our organic açaí powder is not an extract or concentrate, and unlike other brands, it contains no fillers or additives. It is freeze-dried, which preserves more nutrients than other methods. Our açaí is gently wild-harvested, which contributes to the conservation of delicate rainforest areas.
Açaí has:
Vitamin A which may contribute to healthy immunity, vision, bone health and cell integrity
Vitamin C which may function as an antioxidant as well as contribute to healthy immunity and bone health
Omega-3 essential fatty acids which may contribute to mental function and hearth health
Calcium which may assist in supporting strong bones
Potassium which may help maintain healthy blood pressure in combination with a low sodium diet
Add açaí powder to smoothies, yogurt, fresh fruit or ice cream. Try a teaspoon of açaí in your next recipe!
Certified organic açaí powder
Note: Our açaí powder is flash pasteurized before the freeze drying process


text: Wow are we ever stuffed. We had good food, family and a day full of board games. Our family knows how to have fun. Not only did we have turkey with all but games galore.. We love us some family time gaming. I hope everyone had as much fun as we did. I don't think I have laughed as much as I did this day. My jaw hurts from so much laughing. Even though we tend to get together for family style events all the time this year just seemed different. Well time for the black friday shopping. Just make sure and have all your essentials for a hectic rush of customers and be careful.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Girls of Dark Sisters: Roxy, part 3
Character profile: Roxy
Roxy is a cheerleader at the same college as Caitlin. She also has an interest in the occult. She starts out as a rival to Caitlin, but they eventually become best friends (with benefits...) Roxy's magical talent is Life magic, over which she has not learned control. This sometimes result in her unintentionally casting seduction spells on those around her, leading to interesting consequences.


text:
On 11.18.11, In Inspiration, by Brad Zimmerman
Video Info:
Client: Simon Fraser University
Agency: Karo
Production: Giant Ant
Karo brought us in again this year to produce the video portion of their student recruitment campaign for SFU. Like last year, we spent some time with some awesome SFU students and used their student view book as the starting point for the overlaid graphics with a combo of 2D, 3D and cel animation. Fun, right?


text:
FAB Universal Board Reviewing Recent Agreements
Pittsburgh, PA – December 2, 2014 – Today, FAB Universal (OTC: FABU) released the following statement: Beijing FAB Cultural Dissemination Co. Ltd., a PRC Company (name translated from the Chinese), has entered into four agreements to acquire license rights to film and television content for distribution to consumers at a total cost of 525 million RMB paid over three installments. The Company's full board of directors recently became aware of the transactions and is taking steps to determine their circumstances. Read more


text:
Closures are one of the most powerful tools in JavaScript; they can help you write faster, cleaner, and safer code. No matter if you are using AngularJS, EmberJS, JQuery or another framework, closures are an invaluable tool you should be taking advantage of. Lets review the how and why of closures, and give you some examples to play with on your own.
First off, let's take a look at the word "closure". It was first coined in 1964 to refer to an anonymous function (lambda expression) or named function that has non-local variable references from outside it's own scope "closed in" to the function instance.
Confusing a bit? Take a look at a simple example:
Check it out and play around working in a JavaScript REPL:
Lets take a look at what happens in the example above:
1) We have the function "createClosure" that accepts input in the parameter "x"
2) The function "createClosure" has a function called "closure" that is inside the "createClosure" scope, that is to say: "closure" function has access to all it's parent's variables.
3) The inner function "closure" accepts input in the parameter "y"
4) This is where the magic starts to happen… Inside the "closure" function we reference "x", which belongs to "createClosure", the parent.
5) The "createClosure" function returns the function "closure" to the caller. The value of "x" is now enclosed within the "closure" function and will persist now that "createClosure" has finished executing.
6) We assign the result (function) of createClosure with the parameter "hello" to the variable "greet".
7) We assign a second variable "farewell" with another new instance of our "closure" function and a different parameter "goodbye"
Note the results; the value we passed to the function "createClosure" is retained by the instance of "closure" forever.
Run the session in the link above and try it for yourself. You are not limited to just one variable to enclose you can create a closure with as many objects as you want.
Syntax of a closure
There are two main ways you can create a closure either a single instance or multiple instances as we have illustrated above:
Multiple Instances: we want to create different closures based on some sort of input.
1) Create a function that contains your data to be enclosed
function createClosure(x) { }
2) Add any additional variables we want the closure to have access to
var separator = '-';
3) Create an inner function that gets returned, have it reference the outer variables you created.
return function(y){
return x + separator + y;
4) Every time you assign the result of createClosure() to a variable to create a new instance of the closure.
function createClosure(x) { var separator = '-'; return function(y){ return x + separator + y; } }
Call createClosure() to create new instances.
See it working: http://repl.it/YWi
Single Instance Closure: We only want to create the closure once
1) Assign an anonymous function to a variable
var closure = function(x) { };
2) Add any additional variables we want the closure to have access to
var separator = '-';
3) Create an inner function that gets returned, have it reference the outer variables you created.
return function(y){
return x + separator + y;
4) IMPORTANT: Execute the anonymous function instead of assigning it by calling it immediately. Without this step we assign the anonymous function that creates closures to the variable. (not good)
var closure = function(x){
var separator = '-';
return function(y){
return x + separator + y;
See it working: http://repl.it/YWh
You might ask yourself why would I want to do this. My code works just fine…
Lets look at a couple of scenarios:
1) I want to make sure my functions and variables doesn't get overwritten by some other code:
Let's look at an 'evil' function that overwrites an array we are depending on to have a set of information.
What's happening here:
1) We created an array named "animals"
2) We have a function called "randomAnimal" that picks a random animal from our array of 4 animals
3) Call the randomAnimal function and we get back an animal string from our list of 4 animals! yay!
4) Someone comes along and adds some code that accidentally overwrites our array animals with a new array that has 3 values
5) The new bad code gets executed….
6) Now when we call our function after the "someOtherBadCode" has been called it returns animals from the wrong list!! Not good.
Protect our data from being overwritten using closures.
What happened here? We protected ourselves.
1) We organized the code into public and private objects so we can keep track more easily of what we want to share and what we don't
2) The Animals array was created inside the private object as well as the randomNumber function
3) The variable pub (public) is a function that
2) I want to make my application efficient:
Well we hope that you always want to make your applications faster. Lets take a look at how we can do that with Closures:
In the following example, we show another option we could have used to protect our animals array from being overwritten:
This non-closure approach works, but the example above is slow. Why? Because EVERY time you call the function the array is allocated to memory, created used then destroyed. If this were a large array or JSON object we would have some pretty slow function calls happening..
Closures solve the problem of creating private expressions in an efficient way. We will create a single instance of the animal array that is completely protected from changes, with only a few updates to the code!
Take a look at the function randomAnimalClosure() below:
Closures are powerful tools to use when you create your JavaScript Applications. They can make the difference between mediocre performance and excellent performance in complex applications.
Closures can:
- Protect your code from the pollution that can happen in the global scope.
- Make your code more efficient by only creating single instances of objects.
- Allow you to create private objects that can not be accessed by other program code (encapsulation)
Regardless of the framework you use, closures can help you start right away encapsulating your data and methods and writing more efficient and faster code.


text:
Marriage Equality: June 2011
Watch: Obama's LGBT Pride Reception SpeechFiled by Adam Polaski | June 30, 2011 | 6:00 PM |
Obama spoke last night at the LGBT Pride Reception he hosted at the White House, where he continued to deflect questions about how far along his evolution on marriage equality is. Read More
Washington Gov. Candidate Supports Marriage EqualityFiled by Don Davis | June 30, 2011 | 3:00 PM |
Congressman Jay Inslee is running for the gubernatorial position in Washington state. He's pro-marriage and supports legalization of medical marijuana.Read More
Maine Launches Pro-Marriage Equality Ballot InitiativeFiled by Adam Polaski | June 30, 2011 | 1:00 PM |
LGBT advocates in Maine announced plans today to pursue a 2012 ballot initiative for marriage equality. They are confident that despite the state's previous failures in citizen ballot initiatives, voters will approve marriage equality in 2012. Read More
Marriage Equality: How We Won New YorkFiled by Marc Solomon | June 30, 2011 | 10:00 AM |
How did we pull this historic victory off? With lessons from my work in marriage battles from Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and California to draw on, I want to share my best thinking on what enabled us to win and what this means for the future.Read More
NY Town Clerk Says She Won't Sign Marriage LicensesFiled by Adam Polaski | June 30, 2011 | 9:00 AM |
If town clerk Barbara MacEwen had her way, she wouldn't be signing any marriage licenses for same-sex couples in Volney, NY.Read More
Twitter Hashtags that Promoted NY Marriage EqualityFiled by Leone Kraus | June 30, 2011 | 8:00 AM |
#NY4M and #ssm, among other terms celebrating marriage equality in New York, were tweeted thousands of times in the past week. Here's a closer look at the power of Twitter in spreading word about marriage equality.Read More
Rhode Island Senate Grants Civil UnionsFiled by Adam Polaski | June 29, 2011 | 8:30 PM |
The Rhode Island State Senate has approved a bill allowing civil unions for same-sex couples. But LGBT organizations are urging the Rhode Island governor to veto the bill, citing a discriminatory, counterproductive amendment in the bill.Read More
White House Hosts Briefing with Pride Reception AttendeesFiled by Bil Browning | June 29, 2011 | 2:45 PM |
The Obama administration hosted a briefing for LGBT leaders who will be attending this afternoon's pride reception at the White House. I asked two questions of Matt Nosanchuk, the Senior Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice. Read More
LGBT Groups Protest AR Paper's Obituary PolicyFiled by Adam Polaski | June 29, 2011 | 2:00 PM |
Despite agreeing to review their obituary policies that discriminate against same-sex couples, the Arkansas newspaper The Daily Guard has insultingly reiterated its policy, which makes a distinction between grieving life partners. Read More
GetEqual Livens Up Ho-Hum White House LGBT Pride ReceptionFiled by Dr. Jillian T. Weiss | June 29, 2011 | 1:15 PM |
Pride Reception at the White House. Ho-hum boring, right? Not this year. Read More
13 Senators Release Group "It Gets Better" VideoFiled by Adam Polaski | June 29, 2011 | 12:40 PM |
13 U.S. Senators, all co-sponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act and most co-sponsors of the Safe Schools Improvement Act, have released a group "It Gets Better" video. Read More
Lawsuit Filed for Marriage Equality in New JerseyFiled by Adam Polaski | June 29, 2011 | 11:00 AM |
Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit today for marriage equality in New Jersey on behalf of Garden State Equality and seven same-sex couples. The state currently offers "civil unions," which the organization says fail to offer an equal status to marriage.Read More
Unbinding the Spirit: Mobilizing Pro-Equality ClergyFiled by Rev. Emily C. Heath | June 29, 2011 | 10:00 AM |
During the next vote for marriage equality, I'd like for progressive, pro-equality clergy to stand up against religious bigotry with a voice that is heard loud and clear. The question is: How do we do it?Read More
Should We Forgive Ken Mehlman?Filed by Dr. Jillian T. Weiss | June 29, 2011 | 8:00 AM |
Ken Mehlman was the gay architect of the national move towards constitutional bans against marriage equality. Now that he's evolved to support gay marriage, we ought to forgive him. Read More
Gays Under the Cover of Darkness?Filed by Adam Polaski | June 29, 2011 | 7:45 AM |
"We saw a massive betrayal of marriage by a number of legislators, but most importantly, by the Republican party. On Friday, under the cover of darkness, the legislature voted to redefine marriage, a tragic day for New York. What this...Read More
When Your Gay Doesn't CooperateFiled by Bil Browning | June 29, 2011 | 7:00 AM |
What's a fag hag to do when her gay doesn't seem as excited about marriage as she does? The entire "Disappointing gay best friend" series is really funny....Read More
'Natural Marriage' and MonkeysFiled by Bil Browning | June 28, 2011 | 7:00 PM |
This short spot from Second City has more truth to it than most rightwing nutjob talking heads or the newscasters who let them spew their crap without challenge.Read More
NY's Marriage Equality Republicans May Face BacklashFiled by Adam Polaski | June 28, 2011 | 6:00 PM |
Since the vote on marriage equality in New York, the Republicans who voted in favor have faced opposition from conservatives, who have said they would pull funding from the senators and seek to unseat them during reelection campaigns.Read More
We Have Fangs? What About Horns?Filed by Bil Browning | June 28, 2011 | 9:15 AM |
"For taking a principled, religiously-rooted stand for the institution that undergirds all of human civilization, Diaz has become the latest in a long, sad string of victims of the true hatemongers in America, homosexuals activists. Their hate crime against him...Read More
Christianists, the Bible and Tyranny of the MajorityFiled by Michael Hamar | June 28, 2011 | 9:00 AM |
The arguments against marriage equality are disingenuous and brazenly ignore the U.S. Constitution's protections afforded to minorities. Read More
An Animated Look at NY Marriage EqualityFiled by Ed Team | June 28, 2011 | 7:00 AM |
NMA World Edition has a new video out that takes a look at the marriage equality debate in New York. The animated emotion, failed elephant wrangling, and fire-breathing lesbian activists make us smile at Bilerico....Read More
Mass Dems Blast Brown Over Marriage StanceFiled by Bil Browning | June 27, 2011 | 5:00 PM |
Oh, what a different world the east coast is... I can't imagine this happening in Indiana where the Democratic party sends out mailers attacking same-sex couples and the minority leader votes for a marriage amendment.Read More
Pride in NY & Turkey, Trouble in Chicago & SF, and NOMFiled by Karen Ocamb | June 27, 2011 | 3:00 PM |
It was a big, successful Pride weekend after NY's passage of marriage equality. But that doesn't mean there weren't some roadblocks along the way. Read More
New FRC 'Documentary' Continues Fear-MongeringFiled by Adam Polaski | June 27, 2011 | 1:00 PM |
The hate group is releasing a new 30-minute propaganda-full documentary called The Problem with Same-Sex Marriage.Read More
Comment of the Week: Stricter Enforcement of TOS PolicyFiled by Dr. Jillian T. Weiss | June 27, 2011 | 12:00 PM |
TOSed comments and commenter bans. Time for the Sheriff to ride into town. Read More
Catholics Ban Pro-Marriage NY LegislatorsFiled by Bil Browning | June 27, 2011 | 11:00 AM |
Not only are the beliefs of Catholic leaders still stuck in the Middle Ages, but their leadership style seems to still be glued there too.Read More
Lessons from Albany: The Role of Everyday ActivistsFiled by Rev. Emily C. Heath | June 27, 2011 | 10:00 AM |
I can count on one hand the number of times this week in Albany that I saw a paid staffer from an LGBT group thank an unpaid activist. Sometimes, I think they believe they don't need anyone else. Read More
Google's Pride Doodle ControversyFiled by Adam Polaski | June 27, 2011 | 8:00 AM |
Google's rainbow Doodle is drawing criticism from the LGBT community for being too safe. But is the animated decision really enough to discredit what the company has done to actually make a difference for gay rights? Read More
Reopening For Business: What? No Flying Cars?Filed by Don Davis | June 26, 2011 | 4:30 PM |
In his first post in a few weeks, Don Davis shares his thoughts and commentary on a host of progressive issues and non-progressive scandals. Read More
Bachmann Responds to NY Marriage EqualityFiled by Adam Polaski | June 26, 2011 | 3:00 PM |
Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswoman who plans to run for president, reiterated her opposition to marriage equality while also saying that New York's decision was valid on the grounds that she supports states' rights.Read More
Does Gay Marriage Endanger Queer Community?Filed by Jessica Max Stein | June 26, 2011 | 10:30 AM |
An eyewitness perspective from Friday night's celebration at the Stonewall Inn. Gay marriage in New York state is a great step forward for many families; but let us never forget that we are family. Read More
A Look at LGBT Inclusion in Conservative JudaismFiled by Adam Polaski | June 26, 2011 | 9:30 AM |
Three years after being the first openly gay person accepted to a Conservative Jewish rabbinical school, Aaron Weininger says that the movement is continuing its tradition of acknowledging and accepting necessary change.Read More
Gillibrand and Democracy for America Target DOMA RepealFiled by Adam Polaski | June 25, 2011 | 11:30 AM |
Democracy for America and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand are looking to capitalize on the momentum of marriage equality passage in New York by making a renewed push to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. Read More
70 Years Ago: Bayard Rustin Built Foundation for ENDAFiled by Guest Blogger | June 25, 2011 | 11:00 AM |
Guest blogger Tico Almeida takes a look at Bayard Rustin, who helped organize a 1941 march on Washington so successful that it never even took place and create the foundations for Obama's proposed ENDA executive order.Read More
Marriage Equality in New York PassesFiled by Adam Polaski | June 25, 2011 | 8:30 AM |
In case you missed the Senate proceedings last night, here are some of the highlights - without, of course, all of the rumblings from Sen. Ruben Diaz....Read More
White House Response to NY MarriageFiled by Adam Polaski | June 25, 2011 | 8:00 AM |
"The President has long believed that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and legal protections as straight couples. That's why he has called for repeal of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" and determined that his Administration would...Read More
History at the Stonewall InnFiled by Cathy Renna | June 25, 2011 | 8:00 AM |
There was a huge celebration in front of the Stonewall Inn on Friday night. The crowd grew. And grew. And grew. I knew I was standing in the right place at a moment when history was about to be made.Read More
New York Senate Passes Marriage Equality 33-29Filed by Adam Polaski | June 24, 2011 | 10:45 PM |
After a week of deliberations, the marriage equality bill finally went to a vote tonight in the New York State Senate and passed by a vote of 33 to 29. The law will take effect 30 days after Gov. Cuomo signs the bill. Read More
Weekly Reader: Glittering, Southwest Airlines, & Obama's EvolutionFiled by Bil Browning | June 24, 2011 | 6:00 PM |
You weren't able to read every post on Bilerico Project last week? Don't worry! Every Friday I round up the best Bilerico posts from the past seven days to help you stay up to date on the latest queer news and analysis.Read More
How Target & Two Sofa Salesmen Liberated My Inner Harvey MilkFiled by Patrick J Hamilton | June 24, 2011 | 1:00 PM |
Guest blogger Patrick Hamilton is an accidental activist. Target and two sofa salesmen made it happen.Read More
Live Updates on NY Marriage StatusFiled by Rev. Emily C. Heath | June 24, 2011 | 12:00 PM |
Rev. Emily Heath is spending the day in Albany to monitor New York's proposed legislation to legalize marriage equality. She'll be sending in dispatches throughout the day and this post will be updated as news comes in.Read More
Powerful #EvolveAlready VideoFiled by Dr. Jillian T. Weiss | June 24, 2011 | 11:00 AM |
GetEqual created a powerful video based on Joe Sudbay's #EvolveAlready campaign that's taken Twitter by storm. Read More
Obama Says Nothing New at DNC FundraiserFiled by Adam Polaski | June 24, 2011 | 8:00 AM |
During a speech at an LGBT-specific fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee, Obama repeated past LGBT victories and reiterated that marriage equality decisions be left to individual states. Read More
35 Years Ago Anita Bryant Waged War: We've Not Come A Long WayFiled by Guest Blogger | June 23, 2011 | 4:00 PM |
As we wait to see if marriage equality will become a reality in New York, it was 34 years ago this month that Anita Bryant caused the lesbian and gay citizens of Dade County, Florida to lose their rights and protections.Read More
Time For Direct Action In New York TodayFiled by Dr. Jillian T. Weiss | June 23, 2011 | 10:00 AM |
Direct action today in NYC at Pres. Obama's LGBT fundraiser, complete with elaborate floral centerpieces and authentic Moroccan finger foods. Read More
Marriage: Live Updates From NY StatehouseFiled by Rev. Emily C. Heath | June 23, 2011 | 8:45 AM |
Rev Emily Heath is spending the day in Albany to monitor New York's proposed legislation to legalize marriage equality. She'll be sending in dispatches throughout the day and this post will be updated as news comes in.Read More
Evolution Debate Divides Miss USA ContestantsFiled by Adam Polaski | June 23, 2011 | 8:30 AM |
Miss California, the night's winner, was one of only a few contestants who responded that she would teach evolution in schools. Many of the rest qualified that evolution should be given balanced weight with creationism. Read More
Tony Perkins: Excuse Me, I Have a Log in My EyeFiled by Bil Browning | June 23, 2011 | 7:30 AM |
"This incident exposes the seamy relationship between homosexual activists, government, and big business. For example, activist groups have persuaded some liberal jurisdictions to adopt 'equal benefits ordinances,' forcing corporations to offer 'domestic partner benefits' to homosexuals or forfeit government contracts....Read More
NY Marriage Vote Unlikely TonightFiled by Adam Polaski | June 22, 2011 | 9:30 PM |
As finalized language is reached and bills are printed for several measures in the state senate, it's looking more and more likely that the vote on marriage equality in New York won't occur until Thursday. Read More
IL: Troubling Tax Loophole with Civil UnionsFiled by Waymon Hudson | June 22, 2011 | 5:30 PM |
Opponents of full marriage equality for same-sex couples often ask why the LGBT community can't simply be happy with separate institutions and groupings of rights like civil unions and domestic partnerships. It seems pretty straightforward, but it's not.Read More
Celebrity Power Brokers Coming Out For Marriage EqualityFiled by Dr. Jillian T. Weiss | June 22, 2011 | 3:00 PM |
The Atlantic Wire has the scoop on Lance Bass, Cynthia Nixon, Michael Strahan, and Sean Avery, with videos. Read More
GOP's Huntsman Courts Gay VotesFiled by Bil Browning | June 22, 2011 | 1:00 PM |
After announcing his run for the presidency yesterday, Republican candidate Jon Huntsman told reporters that he would respect New York's marriage equality law and launched a fundraising campaign to win gay dollars.Read More
6 GLAAD Board Members Resign; Coronado RemainsFiled by Adam Polaski | June 22, 2011 | 11:00 AM |
Resignation letters from six GLAAD board members now join that of president Jarrett Barrios. But Troup Coronado, the former AT&T lobbyist at the center of the corporate controversy, remains on the board as new information about him surfaces. Read More
Live Updates from Albany: NY Marriage VoteFiled by Rev. Emily C. Heath | June 22, 2011 | 8:30 AM |
Rev Emily Heath is spending the day in Albany to monitor New York's proposed legislation to legalize marriage equality. She'll be sending in dispatches throughout the day and this post will be updated as news comes in.Read More
NY Celebrities for MarriageFiled by Ed Team | June 22, 2011 | 7:00 AM |
HRC has been running a series of web videos showing celebrities, politicians, and other prominent New Yorkers expressing their support of marriage equality. On the eve of the vote (or no vote at all!), they've released this last video...Read More
Famous For ReproducingFiled by Terrance Heath | June 21, 2011 | 5:00 PM |
Quelle suprise. Bristol Palin took the "fall down drunk, get up pregnant" route to parenthood. I'll just repeat what I said around the time the whole Jon & Kate mess exploded. Why are people famous just for reproducing?Read More
How Obama's 'Evolution' on Marriage May Help UsFiled by Jerame Davis | June 21, 2011 | 3:00 PM |
Have we stopped to consider how Obama's "evolution" on marriage has benefitted us in media and public consciousness? By having this process of "evolving" on marriage, the media has kept a spotlight on the marriage debate in a way they likely would not have otherwise.Read More
Liechtenstein Approves Civil UnionsFiled by Bil Browning | June 21, 2011 | 1:00 PM |
The itty-bitty country of Liechtenstein has approved civil unions for gays and lesbians, but stopped short of including adoption rights. The measure was put up to a public vote and passed overwhelmingly.Read More
NY Marriage Vote: Live Updates from AlbanyFiled by Rev. Emily C. Heath | June 20, 2011 | 11:30 AM |
Rev Emily Heath is spending the day in Albany to monitor New York's proposed legislation to legalize marriage equality. She'll be sending in dispatches throughout the day and this post will be updated as news comes in.Read More
Larry Kramer's Tony Awards BlessingFiled by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer | June 19, 2011 | 4:00 PM |
Many of us owe our very lives to the awareness Larry Kramer fostered, the movement he started, the fear he instilled. AIDS and our community's response to it pushed the gay rights movement into warp speed.Read More
Social Media: Helping Us Win the Fight for Marriage in NYFiled by Leone Kraus | June 19, 2011 | 10:00 AM |
As close as we are to winning marriage equality in New York, we're not there quite yet. There's still work to do and voices that senators need to hear from, which is why I love the power of social media.Read More
Michele Bachmann Glittered To Protest Anti-Gay RhetoricFiled by Dr. Jillian T. Weiss | June 18, 2011 | 12:15 PM |
LGBT Activists glitter Michele Bachmann to protest anti-gay rhetoric today at the Right Online conference of conservative activists in MinnesotaRead More
Senate's Proposed Defense Bill Leaves Out Antigay AmendmentsFiled by Adam Polaski | June 18, 2011 | 12:00 PM |
Three antigay amendments that appeared in the House defense bill were cut from the Senate's version, which included proposed elimination of the military's ban on sodomy.Read More
White House Backs Off Forgery Response to 1996 Obama Marriage SupportFiled by Joe Mirabella | June 17, 2011 | 7:15 PM |
At Netroots Nation on Friday, White House Communications Director Dan Pfifer received boos from the audience for insinuating a pro-marriage equality questionnaire Obama filled out years ago during state legislative election was a forgery. The White House would like to clarify.Read More
Obama Aide Dismisses 1996 Pro-Marriage Equality QuestionnairesFiled by Adam Polaski | June 17, 2011 | 3:00 PM |
At Netroots Nation, White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said that two questionnaires from 1996, in which President Obama supported same-sex marriage, were not filled out by Obama.Read More
Video: TSA Fires Trans EmployeeFiled by Bil Browning | June 17, 2011 | 2:30 PM |
When Ashley Yang worked for the TSA as an airport screener, they insisted that she cut her hair or wear a "male wig" and would only let her pat down male passengers who regularly sexually harassed her.Read More
Gay Rights Protesters Make Pawlenty DazzleFiled by Adam Polaski | June 17, 2011 | 10:45 AM |
At a book signing in San Francisco, activists from CODEPINK threw pink glitter on Republican presidential nominee hopeful Tim Pawlenty, demanding, "Where's your courage to stand for gay rights and women's reproductive rights?" Is it effective?Read More
Why the Umbrella FailedFiled by Mercedes Allen | June 17, 2011 | 9:30 AM |
Evaluating the balance between sameness and shared advocacy and the decolonization of trans in this follow-up to "The Death of the Transgender Umbrella."Read More
Why Athletes Don't Make Good SpokespeopleFiled by Bil Browning | June 16, 2011 | 5:00 PM |
That's the thing with ignorance and prejudice. They tend to go hand in hand.Read More
California Marriage Equality's 3rd AnniversaryFiled by Adam Polaski | June 16, 2011 | 2:00 PM |
Similar to last year, this year's anniversary of the first legally-recognized same-sex marriages in California coincides with an important development in the Proposition 8 case. Read More
Quantifying the Impact of Marriage Equality in NYFiled by Adam Polaski | June 16, 2011 | 11:00 AM |
A new study from The Williams Institute demonstrates just how many people stand to be positively affected by marriage equality in New York, which is under further consideration today. Read More
We Are Making History TogetherFiled by Ed Team | June 16, 2011 | 7:30 AM |
"Once again the State Assembly made an important and courageous stand in passing marriage equality legislation that brings us closer than ever to equality for LGBT New Yorkers. I want to thank Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell for...Read More
New York Marriage Equality May Face Vote This WeekFiled by Adam Polaski | June 15, 2011 | 7:30 PM |
In the New York state senate and assembly, the marriage equality bill, submitted by Gov. Cuomo on Tuesday, was debated and its future - whether it would be put to a vote - was considered. Read More
The Pastor of Saint Cecilia's in Boston Is Not a Pro-LGBT HeroFiled by Father Tony | June 14, 2011 | 8:00 PM |
There was snow in June at Saint Cecilia's Church in Boston, but the miracle was a contrived hoax. Read More
GOP Debate's LGBT Rights RecapFiled by Waymon Hudson | June 14, 2011 | 3:00 PM |
If there was any doubt about where the Republican field of presidential candidates stand on LGBT issues, last night's CNN debate should have cleared things up. When it came to basic rights for our community, there was really no debate at all.Read More
The 'Religious Liberty' Straw ManFiled by Rev. Emily C. Heath | June 14, 2011 | 2:30 PM |
As New York state prepares for a probable vote on legalizing same-gender marriage, a familiar argument from the anti-equality crowd is being raised: religious liberty.Read More
Bill Clinton Supports Marriage EqualityFiled by Ed Team | June 14, 2011 | 7:30 AM |
"Our nation's permanent mission is to form a 'more perfect union' - deepening the meaning of freedom, broadening the reach of opportunity, strengthening the bonds of community. That mission has inspired and empowered us to extend rights to people previously...Read More
An Open Letter to Tracy MorganFiled by Michelle Marzullo | June 13, 2011 | 10:30 PM |
I have found that a truism running through all advocacy around LGBT issues has been the way that face to face conversation performed with the honest intention of communication transforms hate into compassion and reflection, if not true understanding.Read More
A Look at #NY4M & Other Social MetricsFiled by Leone Kraus | June 13, 2011 | 4:00 PM |
As we head into our final days of pushing for gay marriage in New York, I wanted to take a moment to look at some of the metrics.Read More
Rep. Allen West Fires Intern for Pro-Gay RetweetFiled by Adam Polaski | June 13, 2011 | 1:30 PM |
The anti-gay Republican representative from Florida, has "corrected" a Twitter misstep by firing the intern who retweeted a pro-gay statement from the Scissor Sisters. Read More
NY Marriage Equality Vote Next Week?Filed by Dr. Jillian T. Weiss | June 13, 2011 | 1:30 PM |
HuffPo reports on high level negotiations and back room discussions on marriage equality in New YorkRead More
What Sucks About Most Privileged Gay MenFiled by Jake Weinraub | June 11, 2011 | 12:00 PM |
"The Grid" contributor Paul Aguirre-Livingston writes about his experience as post-modern homosexual, and is critiqued by many.Read More
Virtual Infidelity?Filed by Terrance Heath | June 10, 2011 | 2:00 PM |
Does the fact that Anthony Weiner didn't actually have sex with any of the women he's admitted to tweeting at mean that it doesn't "count"? Is it cheating if it's all online?Read More
IL: Catholic Charities Sues for Right to DiscriminateFiled by Waymon Hudson | June 09, 2011 | 4:30 PM |
Catholic Charities in Illinois continues to make news in the wake of the state's passage of the state's civil unions bill. They've made good on their threat to pull out of foster and adoption services in three dioceses.Read More
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders Endorses Lesbian ReplacementFiled by Jake Weinraub | June 09, 2011 | 4:00 PM |
Sanders says that he trusts District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, claiming that she is the only candidate with "experience as a chief executive of a public agency."Read More
Target: We're Undecided About You, But Come Shop HereFiled by Dr. Jillian T. Weiss | June 09, 2011 | 1:00 PM |
Confused much, Target?Read More
Will Rob McKenna's Anti-Gay Past Come Back To Haunt Him?Filed by Joe Mirabella | June 09, 2011 | 10:00 AM |
Attorney General Rob McKenna (R) announced his candidacy for Governor of Washington State on Wednesday, but will his past anti-gay slurs come back to haunt him?Read More
A 'Thank You' Note After Reassignment SurgeryFiled by Drew Cordes | June 08, 2011 | 4:00 PM |
Upon completion of my sex reassignment surgery, I want to thank publicly all those who helped make my gender transition happen. Transitioning is not something one can do alone.Read More
Meneses-Sheets Lands New Job With Gay GroupFiled by Bil Browning | June 08, 2011 | 2:45 PM |
Morgan Meneses-Sheets, the former Executive Director of Equality Maryland, has landed a new job as Development Director with gay labor org Pride At Work.Read More
How Marriage Equality Can Save the Black FamilyFiled by Guest Blogger | June 07, 2011 | 6:00 PM |
Guest blogger Maya Rupert points out how this summer has the potential to dredge up the familiar false dichotomy that pits the black community against the LGBT community.Read More
Stonewall at 42: 'Why Don't You Guys Do Something?'Filed by Rev. Emily C. Heath | June 07, 2011 | 2:00 PM |
Whatever happened to the working class group of butches and other visibly queer and trans folks who ignited the Stonewall riots? And what would they think of the modern LGBT rights movement?Read More
Loving Our LGBT KidsFiled by Annette Gross | June 06, 2011 | 7:00 PM |
Why should someone thank me for doing what a parent should do in the first place - which is to love your child unconditionally? Read More
Santorum Throws Frothy Hat In RingFiled by Bil Browning | June 06, 2011 | 9:15 AM |
Rick "Frothy Mix of Lube & Fecal Matter" Santorum has joined the presidential clown car.Read More
Fred Karger's Proclamation for Gay Pride MonthFiled by Jake Weinraub | June 03, 2011 | 3:45 PM |
Fred Karger is excited for Pride month, reiterating that he's the "only full equality candidate running for President in 2012." Who's skeptical?Read More
Dan Savage & Fatphobia: It Gets WorseFiled by Jessica Max Stein | June 03, 2011 | 12:30 PM |
The fat hits the fire in Savage's latest sex column. If your partner gains weight, do you lose desire? And if so, is it okay to stray? Read More
Refuting NOM's Talking PointsFiled by Guest Blogger | June 02, 2011 | 1:00 PM |
Bloggers Jeremy Hooper and Alvin McEwen dismantle the National Organization for Marriage's deceptive talking points one by one.Read More
Art Toward Queer UtopiasFiled by Toshio Meronek | June 01, 2011 | 4:00 PM |
A new exhibit in San Francisco explores colorful, utopian queer art that challenges the norms of mainstream art and offers something distinct from traditional queer art. Read More
Barbers, Gender, & Why $5 MattersFiled by Rev. Emily C. Heath | June 01, 2011 | 12:00 PM |
We may dismiss them as trivial, but even small demonstrations of gender discrimination - like price differences based on gender for a haircut - are significant. Read More
Australian Safe Sex Billboards Are BackFiled by Bil Browning | June 01, 2011 | 10:30 AM |
After realizing they'd been the target of a religious right campaign, the Australian agency responsible for placing ads in Brisbane bus stops has decided to reinstate a safe sex billboard showing two gay men embracing and holding an unopened condom.Read More


text:
AKA Maui Farmer's Union Meeting 11-22-11: Gardening Questions Answered - Lychees, Figs, Avocados, Artichokes, Tomatoes... and all manner of other topics
Is it better to do one long post or several short posts? I don't know.
The Farmer's Union meeting has so many segments, that I am experimenting with breaking the information from the meeting into shorter posts instead of one super-long post.
This will still be a somewhat long post... but covering one topic: the gardening questions asked by the audience at this past meeting. I didn't take notes on all the questions, but here's what I have. Others are welcome to contribute, or make corrections in the comments.
Is it better to do one long post or several short posts? I don't know.
The Farmer's Union meeting has so many segments, that I am experimenting with breaking the information from the meeting into shorter posts instead of one super-long post.
This will still be a somewhat long post... but covering one topic: the gardening questions asked by the audience at this past meeting. I didn't take notes on all the questions, but here's what I have. Others are welcome to contribute, or make corrections in the comments.
Q. I have white mold on my collard greens. What do I do?
Vincent Mina said it could be soil issues. Need to feed the soil, not just the plants.
Q. How do I make a garden that can produce enough to live off for 1 year?
One answer is to go to the Mother Earth News website. There is a link to help plan a garden – also available as an iphone application.
Another answer: There's a method one farmer observed in
: farmers moved their planting from one bed to the next over the course of a year. Peru
Another answer: Find the wet borders or wet sections of your yard, to grow taro and yacon and plants that require less care and take a long time to grow. If your garden is tilted, plant these at the bottom area of the garden, where it's wetter.
(My thought - Craig Elevitch of http://www.agroforestry.net/ has been doing some research on this question, and will be making it public later. He did a fantastic talk a few years ago on food security and growing food in a Pacific Bio-Region kind of style, meaning a Polynesian food forest.)
Q. Why is my avocado tree not producing?
Jayanti's answer: there are A type and B type flowers. One pollinates at night, one during the day. Need both types ideally to get fruit.
It could be from a root stock that is used for grafting, but does not produce a productive tree. One can re-graft it with any variety. It could also be a lack of pollinators or lack of nutrition. Also if a tree is grown from a seed, seedlings don't grow true to the fruit.
Q Why is my lychee not producing?
Jayanti's answer: Get the right variety that fruits each year. Some varieties don't produce. A seedling lychee that's 30 years old may not fruit. You can keep it and graft it.
Glenn Martinez's answer: In Hilo, a UH group planted 50 acres with lychee, then waited 12 years for them to fruit. There was no fruit. Eventually, the researches asked around, and learned that the Chinese living in
always have a good luck lychee in the front yard. They dig about a shovel's worth of soil from the dirt around their good luck lychee, a tree that is fruiting. Then they put that dirt into the new hole before planting the baby tree. They are inoculating the soil with the microorganisms from the good tree. This puts mycorrhizae around the baby tree roots. Hilo
Q. What if it's an adult lychee tree?
A: Go to a fruiting lychee tree, and get some soil from it, as in the directions above, and give it to the barren tree. Also make worm compost tea when the tree is blossoming, and spray it on the tree. Once the tree successfully fruits, you're in!
Use worm compost tea and
EMs (effective microbes) on the bottom of the leaf, the soft underbelly. The top of the leaf is hardened by sun and wind, so you want to spray the underneath of the leaf. Glenn bent his backpack sprayer tube so he doesn't have to bend his back.
Glenn likes to alternate
EMs and worm tea in his sprayer. It's about $5/wk. He doesn't know which one is more effective, but says for $5/week, he doesn't want to wait 6 months to find out.
Glenn urges that if you have any garden problem, find out who has solved that problem or who doesn't have that problem. Copy what they are doing. They usually have a routine that works. They may not know even what part of what they are doing works, but you don't have to know. Glenn says he tried adding a little molasses to the worm compost tea to spray and the plants loved it. He thought it was the worm tea, but later tried a little molasses in plain water, and it still worked. So he says, even though this tip goes counter to what his logical brain thinks: adding sugar to a plant would attract bugs, but it works.
Here's Glenn on video with gardening advice:
Q. Where can I get dwarf fruit trees to grow in big buckets or pots?
Jayanti has some dwarf mango trees and will later have some dwarf avocado trees. There's also a farmer in
who has dwarf varieties and is usually at the Kula Longs Farmer's market. His farm is "Aloha Honua." (Or that's what it sounded like.) Go to the http://www.mauifarmer'sunionunited.weebly.com/ comments site if you need to contact Jayanti. Olinda
Q. Figs are not fruiting much.
Vince's answer: After it fruits, cut the tree to the ground. Put compost on it, and new shoots will come up. It will do 1 fruiting cycle that year not two. When it starts fruiting, you can take a ti leaf, remove the spine from it and wrap it around the figs to fool the birds. Also fig trees need good food in the soil.
Chef Justin Pardo of Market Fresh Bistro had some funny tips to share about birds:
Q. Where to get
A. Feed store, agricultural supply store, online, on Fridays at Eco Island Supply in Haiku, they offer free bokashi. Click here to see Jenna Tallman talk about bokashi.
Q. Has anyone used seawater to mineralize their soil?
Yes, as a 1 to 100 ratio. Evan Ryan uses fresh unwashed seaweed in Haiku, since there's good rainfall. But if in Kula or elsewhere, then wash it first. Vince uses Seacrop since he is concerned about adding sodium to the soil, and this product has the sodium taken out. Evan offers some popular gardening classes.
Q. I have white stuff on my tomato leaves and also the leaves are turning brown.
A. Sounds like powdery mildew. There are some sprays that can be used on the leaves. But it may also be a case of growing them in too moist a place.
Q. My artichokes are not producing in Haiku, but they did last year.
A. Artichokes need a long time to grow and they need some cool weather. Sounds like a case of growing plants in a location not suited to them. (They do better higher and dryer.)


text:
Parkwalk Opportunities EIS
UK universities are amongst the world's leading. Four of the world's ten best are in the UK, unsurprisingly including Oxford and Cambridge. As well as seats of learning, many of these top universities are also innovation hubs. In the past, this innovation tended to go uncommercialised but universities are starting to wake up to the value they could potentially generate. The University of Cambridge, for example, has spun out 15 companies that are today valued at more than $1 billion. Two are now worth more than $10 billion. This specialist area of university spinouts is the focus of the Parkwalk Opportunities EIS.
- University spinout portfolio with high growth potential
- Proven management team
- Investors will hold between five and eight portfolio companies
- Co-investment opportunities with institutional investors, including parent company IP Group and Woodford IM
- Minimum investment £25,000
Important: The information on this website is for experienced investors. It is not advice nor a research or personal recommendation to invest. If you're unsure, please seek advice. Investments are for the long term. They are high risk and illiquid and can fall as well as rise in value, so you could get back less than you invest.
Read important documents and apply
Our review
The manager
Parkwalk was founded by Alastair Kilgour and Moray Wright, both experienced capital markets managers advising on takeovers, acquisitions and fundraising. In 2009 they discovered a compelling company in which they wished to invest. The company was Xeros and the brainchild of a Leeds University professor. It had developed a "waterless" washing machine. It had found a way of washing clothes that used about 90% less water and about 15% of the usual levels of detergent. Parkwalk invested in 2010 and Xeros listed in 2014.
In January 2017 Parkwalk was acquired by IP Group plc, a leading intellectual property commercialisation company listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IPO. As at July 2018 the group has net assets of £1.4 billion and a market capitalisation in excess of £800 million. The involvement of IP Group should considerably strengthen Parkwalk's hand in accessing deal flow and negotiating terms, as well as providing another possible exit route for investors.
Further strength could be provided by IP Group's recent acquisition of Touchstone Innovations plc. Touchstone has its roots in Imperial College London. It creates, builds and invests in technology companies and licensing opportunities developed from scientific research from the 'Golden Triangle', the geographical region broadly bounded by London, Cambridge and Oxford.
Watch an exclusive video interview with Enrico D'Angelo of Parkwalk:
The offer
Parkwalk's niche is UK university spinouts, especially knowledge-intensive ones. In other words, it invests in technology or intellectual property developed in a university by a team or an individual professor that the university then tries to commercialise. Universities are starting to cotton on to how valuable this can be.
More notable UK university spin-outs include:
|Acquired by SoftBank in 2016 for $32bn
|$290m stock market valuation
|Vocal IQ
|Acquired by Apple in 2015
|Oxford Nanopore
|Raised $125m in 2016 at $1.25bn valuation
|Cambridge CMOS
|Acquired by ams AG in 2016
Parkwalk has investments in companies spun out of twelve Universities. In addition to the Opportunities EIS fund, it manages funds in conjunction with the tech-transfer departments of the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and the University of Bristol.
As well as sourcing deals straight from the universities, Parkwalk generally co-invests alongside other large investors, including (in alphabetical order) Amadeus, Baillie Gifford, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Touchstone (Imperial) Innovations plc, Invesco Perpetual, IP Group plc, Oxford Sciences Innovation plc and Woodford Investment Management.
This makes the tie in with IP Group, which now includes Touchstone, such a strategic one. Neil Woodford, now of Woodford Investment Management and previously Invesco Perpetual, has over the years been a big investor into both IP Group and Touchstone as well as in some of their underlying deals. Indeed, Woodford IM is IP Group's second largest shareholder.
Parkwalk generally invests when the technology has been proven, but products have yet to be sold, and well before commercialisation.
A typical investment is between £1 million to £1.5 million which will buy a 15%–20% stake in a business. When looking at a deal, one of Parkwalk's team sponsors the deal and pitches it to the investment committee, who all have to agree for it to proceed. Each investor will have between five and eight companies in their portfolio with a mix of different technology and different stages of maturity.
Investee companies will typically have deeply-embedded IP and are given freedom to operate. Parkwalk will usually bring in experienced, relevant management to commercialise the product.
Whilst companies invested in have to be knowledge-intensive ones, they don't always have to be early stage. Parkwalk will also invest in later-stage companies even as late as just before an AIM listing.
It is anticipated that investors' subscriptions will be invested over a period of between nine and eighteen months from the final receipt of subscriptions.
Target return
The fund's target return is unspecified, but every company invested in has to have the potential to return five times the original investment. Clearly not all will do that. The performance fee is linked to a return of an investor's original capital overall, not the performance of an individual deal.
Exit strategy
The backgrounds of Parkwalk's management team are in capital markets, introducing companies to later-stage investors and/or helping the company float is second nature to them.
As well as the more traditional routes for EIS investment – such as IPO or trade sale – Parkwalk's new relationship with IP Group plc could provide additional exit opportunities and liquidity for investors, although this is not guaranteed.
Portfolio company examples
Investors should be aware the companies described here are unlikely to form part of a new investor's portfolio. They are outlined to give a flavour of the types of companies an investor might expect.
Xeros – a spinout from Leeds University
Xeros is best described as an almost waterless washing machine. Polymer beads replace about 90% of the water used in conventional washing machines. Not only does it use about 10% of the usual energy required and 15% of the typical detergent needed, the machine also gives a superior clean. In 2010 it came second in 100 Best Inventions by TIME magazine and was cited in the WWF's survey of global "Green Game-Changers".
Fuel3D – a spinout from Oxford University
Fuel3D has developed a "point-and-shoot" 3D scanning system which captures extremely high resolution 3D shapes and colour pictures. It is the first 3D scanner to marry pre-calibrated stereo cameras with photometric imaging to take and process images in a matter of seconds. The company was spun out of the renowned Department of Engineering Science at Oxford University for use in the medical imaging sector. Hardware and software engineers are working to bring the benefits of the scanner to consumers and professionals.
Arkivum – a spinout from Southampton University
Arkivum has developed a safe and straightforward process to manage data security. The business provides data archiving for a number of industries. Companies in healthcare, heritage and culture, and life sciences are among its clients. Backed by indemnity insurance, Arkivum gives 100% data integrity guarantee irrespective of the length of time the data needs to be held.
Source: Parkwalk Advisors. Valuations as of 1 Nov 2018, on all investments made across all funds per tax year. Total Return includes realised returns and unrealised returns. Performance figures exclude performance fees and tax relief. Returns calculated using Parkwalk's own valuations. Please note, data for the 2017/18 tax year is not yet available. Past performance is not a guide to the future.
Risks – important
This, like all investments available through Wealth Club, is only for experienced investors happy to make their own investment decisions without advice.
EIS investments are high-risk so should only form part of a balanced portfolio and you should not invest money you cannot afford to lose. They also tend to be illiquid and hard to sell and value. Before you invest, please carefully read the Risks and Commitments and the offer documents to ensure you fully understand the risks.
Tax rules can change and benefits depend on circumstances.
This EIS fund invests in early-stage businesses which are more likely to fail than larger ones. So you should expect a number of failures in the portfolio.
The manager believes that if a company fails, the intellectual property it owns could still have some resale value, but there are no guarantees.
A summary of the fees and charges is shown below. Please see the provider's documents for more details.
|Initial charge
|Annual charge
|Annual custodian fee
|Dealing fee
|Performance fee
More detail on the charges
Our view
This is an interesting high-growth, high-risk EIS offer investing in technology-related spinouts from the UK's leading universities. Parkwalk has access to deals many others cannot see. Parkwalk's links to large institutional investors that also invest in this area sets this offer apart – and the recent acquisition by IP Group and potentially a tie in with Touchstone could considerably strengthen Parkwalk's hand. We think this is a quality offer for wealthy or sophisticated investors keen to have access to the exciting world of university spinouts.
Wealth Club aims to make it easier for experienced investors to find information on – and apply for – tax-efficient investments. You should base your investment decision on the provider's documents and ensure you have read and fully understand them before investing. This review is a marketing communication. It is not advice or a personal or research recommendation to buy the investment mentioned. It does not satisfy legal requirements promoting investment research independence and is thus not subject to prohibitions on dealing ahead of its dissemination.
The details
- Type
- Fund
- Sector
- University spinouts
- Target return
- Unspecified
- Funds raised / sought
- £44.0 million / £60.0 million
- Minimum investment
- £25,000
- Deadline
- Discretionary


text:
Life & Times
The Custom House Sketch
Faith and Religion
Native Americans
Women in Hawthorne
Three Women in
House of the Seven Gables
"Old Esther Dudley"
"Rappaccini's Daughter"
"Lady Eleanore's Mantle"
The Scarlet Letter
Related Literature
Critical Commentary
Scholars' Forum
The Blithedale Romance
Quakers and Accused
Melville and Hawthorne
Hawthorne's Circle
Buildings and Houses
Scholars' Forum
Introductory Video
Facebook Page
Critical Commentary Related to Female Characters in
The Scarlet Letter
"Hester at her needle"
(courtesy of
Nathaniel Hawthorne Collection, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine)
Criticism Related to Hester Prynne
The Salem World of Nathaniel Hawthorne
, Margaret Moore comments upon
Hawthorne's sympathy
toward and admiration of women, as shown in his treatment of Hester Prynne.
In her lecture "Hawthorne and 'the sphere of ordinary womanhood,'" Melinda Ponder considers the relationships with
women from Hawthorne's personal life
that influenced his treatment of female characters in fiction.
In "Hawthorne and 'the sphere of ordinary womanhood,'" Ponder also looks at the experiences of
Hawthorne's mother
and how they influenced his shaping of Hester's character.
In her lecture "Work and Money in Hawthorne's Fiction," Claudia Johnson remarks on
Hester's role as an artist
and the guilt both she and Hawthorne feel from taking pleasure in their artistic creations.
In his lecture "The Meanings of Hawthorne's Women," Richard Millington suggests that Hawthorne's
"heroic women,"
such as Hester Prynne, explore the possibility of an ethical life through both engagement with the community and challenges to its values.
In the essay "Discord in Concord: National Politics and Literary Neighbors" in
Hawthorne and Women
, Claudia Durst Johnson draws connections between
Hester Prynne and Christie Devon
, the protagonist of Louisa May Alcott's novel Work.
In the essay "'Such a Hopeless Task Before Her: Some Observations on the Fiction of Hawthorne and Gilman" in
Hawthorne and Women
, Denise D. Knight links the author and feminist
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
to Hawthorne's Hester Prynne.
In the essay " Bourgeois Sexuality and the Gothic Plot in Wharton and Hawthorne" in
Hawthorne and Women
, Monika Elbert links Hester Prynne to Gothic elements in
The Scarlet Letter
and explores how
Hawthorne desexes Hester
by making her "shadowlike" and ghostly.
In an 1850 review of
The Scarlet Letter
The Saturday Visiter
(reprinted in
Hawthorne and Women
), Jane Swisshelm praises the character of Hester Prynne,
highlighting her strength
and her moral stature.
In another 1850 review of
The Scarlet Letter
that appeared in the
Massachusetts Quarterly Review
(reprinted in
The Recognition of Nathaniel Hawthorne
), George Bailey Loring also praises
Hester's strength and her superiority
to those around her.
Hawthorne: A Critical Study
, Hyatt Waggoner explores the connections between
Hester and the natural landscape
Nina Baym, in her essay "Thwarted Nature: Nathaniel Hawthorne as Feminist" in
American Novelists Revisited: Essays in Feminist Criticism
, explores
Hester's role as a mother
and the way it empowers her and redefines her in the novel.
Criticism Related to Pearl
Excerpts from chapters from
Understanding The Scarlet Letter: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents
by Claudia Durst Johnson (courtesy of
Greenwood Press
In "A Literary Analysis of
The Scarlet Letter
" (pp. 4-6, 8), Johnson explores how
Pearl and her reactions to the scarlet letter
clarify the meaning of the symbol. "Creativity, passion, and joy" as well as nature, truth and honesty are elements that embody the letter A as shown by Pearl's behavior, curiosity, and personality. Unlike Pearl, the elders of the community see the letter as "red and devilish."
In "A Literary Analysis of
The Scarlet Letter
" (pp. 17-19), Johnson indicates that
Pearl recognizes Chillingworth's connection with Satan
and that Pearl (despite her Satanical reputation) is not physical deformed like Chillingworth but beautiful. Johnson insists Pearl is not a daughter of Satan.
In "
The Scarlet Letter
and the Puritans
," "Crime and Punishment," and "Issues in the 1980's and the 1990's" (pp. 36-37, 76-77, 200-202), Johnson reveals how the powerful political and religious figures try to control where Hester and Pearl live and who should have custody of the child.
Johnson discusses in "
Crime and Punishment
" how Pearl is in defiance of the Puritanical laws which deny "mirth," "independent thinking," and "sexuality."
In "
Issues in the 1980's and 1990's
," Johnson indicates that contrary to what powerful Puritanical authorities believe that Pearl "saves Hester from abandoning herself to the darkest elements of human nature."
Also in "
Issues in the 1980's and 1990's
," Johnson also cites several recent custody cases that show how today's courts still decide on who is the most fit custodian of a child.
In "
Anne Hutchinson and Hester Prynne
" (p. 93) Johnson connects "how both women are accused of delivering children fathered by the devil."
In "
The Scarlet Letter
and the Puritans
" (pp.39-40) Johnson describes how Hester and Pearl are always outside civilization on the edge of the wilderness and how this causes Pearl to be wild and "uncontrollable."
Excerpts from chapters from
Student Companion to Nathaniel Hawthorne
by Melissa McFarland Pennell (courtesy of
Greenwood Press
In "
Hawthorne's Career and Contributions
" (p. 21) Pennell describes how critics have connected Hester and Pearl to Sethe and Denver in Toni Morrison's novel Beloved, with significant differences. All four live as outcasts, and both children are "a source of pain and comfort" to their mothers.
In "
The Scarlet Letter
" (p. 74) Pennell contrasts Hester's drab outfits with Pearl's blood red clothes, suggesting that Pearl "is a living version of the letter." Like Johnson, Pennell demonstrates how the "A" has multiple interpretations.
In "
The Scarlet Letter
" (pp. 77-78) Pennell paints a portrait of Pearl, "the most complex character of the romance." She highlights Pearl's name, her supposed connection to Satan, her spontaneity and mischievousness, and her isolation and truthfulness, both disconnecting her from the Puritan values and community.
In "
The Scarlet Letter
" (p. 82) Pennell explains how thematically Nature plays a complex role in
The Scarlet Letter
; specifically, Pennell shows nature both as comfort to lonely Pearl and a reflection or mirror of Pearl's untamed, "heathen" spirit.
In "
The Scarlet Letter
" (p. 83) Pennell, like Johnson (above) explores Pearl's symbolic relationship to and fascination with the letter A, whether it is scarlet or a natural green.
In "
The Scarlet Letter
" (pp. 85-86)) Pennell explores feminist criticism of the
The Scarlet Letter
as it relates to the propriety of Hester's custody of Pearl, which is challenged in the scene at the governor's mansion. Pennell reveals an enduring relationship between Hester and Pearl. Hester can openly love her daughter and find purpose in her life through raising her daughter. Pearl finds a strong role model in her mother.
In "
The Scarlet Letter
" (p. 72-73) Pennell shows how Hawthorne casts Pearl in the role of forcing Hester and Dimmesdale to face the reality of their situation as they taste freedom in the forest scene. In the second scaffold scene Pearl confronts Dimmesdale, saying, "Thou wast not true." In the final scaffold scene, Dimmesdale publicly acknowledges Hester and Pearl while confiding that their sufferings "served God's purpose."
In "
The Scarlet Letter
" (p. 80) Pennell demonstrates how Dimmesdale relates to Pearl as a minister not a father.
Excerpts from
Hawthorne and Women: Engendering and Expanding the Hawthorne Tradition
edited by John L. Idol, Jr. and Melinda M. Ponder (courtesy of
University of Massachusetts Press
Jane Swisshelm, in her review of
The Scarlet Letter
published in
The Saturday Visiter
in 1850 (pp. 289-291), describes Pearl as "a wild, fitful, impulsive little sprite" (289) who is obsessively attracted to Hester's scarlet letter and cruelly shunned by the contemptuous Puritans.
Swisshelm summarizes the final scaffold scene and Pearl's future in a former land (289-290).
Finally, Swisshelm mocks Hawthorne's suggestion that Pearl was sent to punish her sinning mother. She suggests Hester deserves all respect while "it would scarce be worth while throwing a mud-ball at the best of [the other characters]" (290-291).
Page citation: http://www.hawthorneinsalem.org/page/10187/


text:
Despite a slow and unsteady start at the beginning of the decade, the healthcare industry is gradually advancing for the best due to machine learning. Precisely, the industry is now more comfortable with the idea that embracing big data is the only feasible way to realize financial and clinical success in the future. Prior to the evolution of machine learning, the healthcare system was a mess.
There was no diversity in the system's infrastructure, especially when it came to healthcare provision. However, in a move to transform private practices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities, a new innovative field of science and technology came about referred to as machine learning (ML).
In its simplest term, machine learning defines the extraction of knowledge from data that leads to providing intelligence. It focuses on establishing algorithms and software of a machine's past experiences. Machine learning is of two kinds: supervised and unsupervised. With supervised learning, the aim is that you have some data and an outcome of interest.
In this case, the interest in learning dwells on how the data is related to the results. Alternatively, with unsupervised machine learning, there is no target or outcome in mind. Therefore, the machine learning model is able to sort and separate the data into categories of choice. Contrary, supervised learning has specific groups that the data must fit into.
The Role of Machine Learning in Healthcare
Before ML, a stack of papers and clusters of pencils were a welcoming site to almost every healthcare setting. Today and in the future ML's basic use will entail data analysis. A patient's bulk information of X-ray results, blood samples, DNA sequences, current medications and medical history will all be easy to manage and retrieve. In this case, machine learning will effectively apply to patient diagnosis and treatment procedures like:
- Predicting mortality and length of life remaining using physiological patient vitals and other equipment like blood test results.
- Machine learning models will assist physicians to diagnose patients with a rare disease or predict hard outcome tests. A practical example may involve the use of electronic health records to forecast heart failures.
- Determining the most effective medication dosage by minimizing healthcare costs for both patients and healthcare providers.
- In more advanced settings machine learning models could be developed for robotic surgeries in order to increase the probability of successful surgical outcomes.
Challenges and Controversies
Although machine learning bears great promises, it is far from clear how it will change health and health care in the short to mid-term. Currently, the biggest challenge for policy makers and industry executives lies in deciding when and how to invest in machine learning to optimize organizational efficiency and effectiveness in the most economical manner. Adapting artificial intelligence that is associated with machine learning in the healthcare system is not easy. It is difficult shifting from the old system of pen and papers for those who have been in the industry for decades.
Additionally, many healthcare facilities lack the motivation and incentive to allocate their budget in adequate research, resources and staff for machine learning models. Starting from the global leader in health care industry, United States, much effort is needed to boost machine learning adoption, in order to start a ripple effect.
Similar to the rise of most new technologies, machine learning also brings about a heated debate on ethics. Programming machines to think for themselves might end up being risky if the machines get out of control. Nevertheless, advancements in machine learning may reach a point where human physicians are no longer required. This would in return affect the economy and ultimately destroy patients' experience in hospitals.
Undoubtedly, machine learning is the future. Refined automation of data collection and replacement of jobs in all industries besides healthcare is inevitable. In as much as machine learning may take away jobs from physicians, it is imperative to continue changing the quality of healthcare for it is more beneficial for the future.


text:
How to replace the battery in your Ergorapido?
In general you do not replace the battery – even if you really want to due to the batteries epedemic failures. The batterypack is integrated into the hand unit of the 2-1 battery vac, and it usually simpler to replace the entire hand unit.
This seems like a rather bad solution, especially since there seems to be almost an epedmic issue with bad batteries and low run time on Ergorapido. There are many comments and many issues reported on failing batteries, and the vacuum losing power after very short usage.
This should of course not be accepted – and best is to go back to the retailer or directly to Electrolux and demand your money back – or a new vacuum. It seems as Electrolux is aware of the issue, and quickly will give you a replacement (but why haven't they fixed the problem?) [Australia call +61 1 300 363 640, UK +44 (0) 3445 610 643, andmany more of course]
Most battery deterioration would be on one of the older models with NiMH-batteries, which gets decreasing performance over extended use. That is unfortunately a feature of this battery type.
Newer models use Lithium batteries (18V), and they shouldstay powerful for longer, and you would hopefully not need to look at replacing those batteries, unless you are a heavy user. That is the same battery technology used in power tools etc, and in Tesla's Powerwall. For example, the latest versions are only availale with Lithium batteries. They also have better performance, and some other improvements over previous models. See here, e.g.. However, there are also still a lot of problems reported on the Li-batteries.
[Note, the all batteries could also wear out quicker if you expose them to extensive heat or sunlight, see table 3 here]
Secondly, the cost for replacing the hand unit is not a huge saving vs. getting a brand new Ergorapido. (Bad engineering solution…)
See here for a historical overview of the models.
But it is still possible to replace the batteries in your Ergorapido if you want to. It is not something I would try myself, but you can see how it is done in the below video, if you want to give it a try. Or you can buy a new handunit only.