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The Borden County Coyotes have been known for the past few years now as a team with a powerful run game. Take for example the leading rushers from the past two state title teams, Michael Cooley in 2009, and Corbin Sumners from last season's 14-1 1A DI champions.
Cooley, who rushed for 2,613 yards and 52 touchdowns in BC's undefeated 2009 title run, was described as "small and shifty" by head coach Trey Richey. Though Cooley rushed for 140 yards on 18 carries in the title game, the running back was "sick as a dog" during the contest, an anecdote not many are familiar with according to the coach.
Sumners, on the other hand, was bigger and bowled over defenders more often and was able to play in a system where the field was "opened up more," Richey said. The coach heaped praise on both however: "Every time they touched the ball, it was an opportunity for it to become a home run ball."
After opening the season with a shutout over Meadow and a 58-2 win over Lingleville, the Coyotes suffered their only setback in 2016 with a tough 62-60 loss to an always potent Calvert squad. From then on however, BC was dominant, shutting out Nazareth and Paducah. The Coyotes allowed a total of 64 points in those five games, while scoring an average of 55.4 points during this portion of the schedule.
"We started out the year banged up, but still played well at the start. The Calvert game was key to our whole season, it was our turning point," said Richey.
Borden County dominated 5-1A DI competition, allowing only six points to Hermleigh and shutting out Klondike, Ira and O'Donnell. The great play carried over into the postseason, beginning with a 56-6 win over Sterling City in bi-district, the game in which Richey felt the team was "at our healthiest all season." The Coyotes escaped the second round with a 40-32 win over Imperial Buena Vista, but followed it up with a 66-48 win over Garden City and a 92-58 shootout over Happy in the semifinals. BC's season was capped off with a 60-12 blowout over Jonesboro in the title game, a game in which the Coyotes never trailed.
Key Losses
RB Corbin Sumners, QB Hunter Jones, DE Braxton Coor
"Any time you're at a school our size and you graduate eight guys, that's a large class," said Richey of graduating a good portion of the 2016 team, including these top three talents. Sumners and Jones formed one of the more potent duos in six-man, having combined for 4,948 yards and 89 touchdowns in 2016.
The effort earned Sumners district MVP and Jones first team all-district at both spread back and safety, as well as first team all-state at safety. Coor was a defensive stalwart as well, racking up 99 tackles, five sacks and five forced fumbles and recoveries on his way to earning all-state honors on defense.
Key Returners
FB/LB Trace Richey, RB/DB Nick Proulx, WR/DB/K Easton Edwards
Richey will once again be coaching one of his sons, this time do it all fullback and linebacker Trace, who tallied 639 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns in 2016 along with 180 tackles and six interceptions en route to earning defensive MVP honors at the state level. The coach noted similarities between Trace and older brother Tanner Richey, a three time all-state finalist who suited up for the Coyotes from 2009 to 2012.
Proulx didn't receive many accolades from last season, but the senior running back is described by Richey as "phenomenal, the factor nobody's seen." All state kicker Edwards will see more time on the playing field in 2017, taking snaps at running back and at defense.
The Verdict
Borden County's schedule for 2017 has some differences, and more challenges. The Coyotes open up the season against Petersburg, the district 4-1A DII champions and area round finalists from last season. The two games to watch for are back-to-back matches against Austin Veritas, and a rematch against Calvert; Veritas won the TAPPS 6M-DI title last season, and return four offensive and defensive starters.
5-1A DI play this season features multiple dynamics, providing several tests for the Coyotes. Ira will be a very young squad, but there is reason for hope there as the JV went a perfect 9-0 last season, Hermleigh and Klondike will be under the direction of new coaches, and O'Donnell returns four starters on defense.
The Coyotes can have another excellent season in 2017; even though BC lost a handful of talented players from last season's team, the cupboard is far from bare. The Coyotes are the favorites to win district, and barring injuries could perhaps be even more potent in the postseason.
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Date:11 April 2018, Wednesday
Location:03:00pm - 04:00pm
Time:S16-06-118, DSAP Seminar Room
A Case Study Approach:
Retaining customers with high churn risk is one of the toughest challenges in the telecommunication industry today. The annual churn rate range for businesses in the telecommunication industry is 20% to 40%.In order to better manage high churn, companies need to understand the factors pertaining to customer churn.
We provide an overview of the research in customer churn analysis in the telecommunication industry and a framework for churn analysis. Methods for identifying the final churn model, together with the key factors that contribute to churn are presented.
Based on our churn analysis results, we describe how we develop a retention plan that may reduce churn and increases the business profitability. Different budgets were allocated to different customer segments, based on the customer segment spend.
An illustration of the effects of the marketing retention strategy, together with a demonstration of a "What-if" tool to help the business make decisions with respect to the management of churners for revenue maximization.

subset: commoncrawl


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Vlad the Vampire Costume
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This store bought costume for boys entered our 2019 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Emily, the 'Vlad the Vampire' costume creator:
Leopold Manns age 3 1/2 is wearing Vlad the Vampire costume! I love twilight so I got the inspiration from twilight more of the regal vampire and Leo wanted to be a vampire so bad this year! He really got into character!


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LR-308 80 Percent Lower (2-count) Features:
- Integrated, one-piece trigger guard
- Broached magwell for faster reloads
- 100% Made in the USA
- Lifetime Warranty
- No FFL required
- Caliber: .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO
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The LR-308 80% lower is not compatible with .308 80% lowers jigs from other manufacturers. These lowers are compatible with the Elite Builder 308 Jig and Router Jigs.
No FFL is required to purchase these 80 percent lowers. These .308 80% lower receivers are not considered firearms and are compliant with the Gun Control Act of 1968. Not classified as firearms as defined in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(3).
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Price: $14.95
Quantity: 93 available
Book Condition: New
A one-stop resource to assist Year 7 - 12 students to start and successfully complete assessment tasks. The aim of the innovative students' companion is straightforward - to assist students to get started and to successfully complete assessment tasks. It begins with a single task word, such as 'compare', 'analyse' or 'justify'. From this point the companion will guide students through a process to start and complete their assessment task; a clear definition of the task word, a thinking tool students could use to organise their research and thoughts and the companion will suggest the language students should use in their final assessment piece. The Innovative Students' Companion will assist students to learn whatever they are required to learn, efficiently and successfully. 120 pages.
Title: Innovative Assessment Skills for Students: Innovative Students' Companion Secondary Edition
Categories: Student Diaries & Planners, Student Diaries & Planners, Student Diaries & Planners,
Edition: 2nd Edition
Publisher: Australia, itc publications: 2016
ISBN Number: 0980659825
ISBN Number 13: 9780980659825
Binding: Spiral Bound
Book Condition: New
Type: Book
Size: 24.5 x 17.0 x 0.8 cm
Kg: 0.25 Kg
Seller ID: 9780980659825
Keywords: Assessment Skills for Students, Innovative Students' Companion, Primary Edition, where to start and how to succeed!, itc publications, 9780980659825, 0980659825, 2e, 2nd Ed, Second Edition, Edn, ,


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Chronic pain
3-minute read
Chronic pain is pain that lasts for more than three months, or in many cases, beyond normal healing time.
There are different types of chronic pain, such as nerve pain, pain from bones, muscles and joints, as well as cancer pain. Chronic pain can be anything from mild to severe. It is different to acute pain, such as pain from an injury, which happens quickly and doesn't usually last for long.
What causes chronic pain?
Chronic pain can be due to chronic illnesses like migraine, osteoporosis, arthritis and other musculoskeletal ailments, or after an injury or surgery. Sometimes there is no apparent cause.
Normally, if you get an injury, the nerves from that part of your body send signals to the brain that there's a problem. The brain reads these signals as pain.
But when someone has chronic pain, the nerves that carry pain signals to the brain or the brain itself are behaving in an unusual way. The nerves might be more sensitive than usual, or the brain might be misreading other signals as pain.
Living with chronic pain
Chronic pain can make it hard to work, take care of yourself and do the things you enjoy. It can also affect your sleep and mood. More than half of Australian adults with chronic pain become anxious or depressed because of their pain. It's important to treat this if it happens.
Just as pain can affect your mood, improving your emotional health and wellbeing can also help you manage your pain.
Managing chronic pain
Medicines alone are not the answer to chronic pain.
Medicines to treat pain are generally divided into opioids and non-opioid medicines. Opioids are strong painkillers like morphine, fentanyl or oxycodone or codeine. They might be prescribed for short periods but are not very effective in pain that is not caused by cancer. Long-term use of opioids has potentially serious harms, including accidental fatal overdose, dependence or addiction.
Non-opioid pain medicines, like paracetamol and ibuprofen, can be effective at relieving pain, but should generally be used only for a short period and in combination with self-management techniques.
People with chronic pain who actively manage their pain on a daily basis do better than those who rely on passive therapies, like medication or surgery. Most people benefit from a range of different treatments and self-management, such as:
- psychological techniques — you can see a psychologist or use online self-help sites
- pacing your activities
- physiotherapy
- relaxation techniques such as meditation
- exercise such as walking, swimming, cycling or tai chi
- improving your sleep
The aim of managing chronic pain is to allow you to resume do things such as socialise,work and be active generally. Reliance on medication is usually short term as you learn to regain function and cope with the symptoms of chronic pain.
Talk to your doctor about a plan for managing your chronic pain.
Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: September 2018


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Up and Away Airplane -- Classroom Valentines
Pear Tree
Up and Away Airplane -- Classroom Valentines
Item Number: PTG11320FC2-KT
Soaring straight from your child to his or her classmates, these classroom valentines take on an airplane shape to deliver a sweet message. The diagonal stripe pattern gives the edges an airmail look, and the greeting on each side can be personalized to say whatever you'd like. You can also choose from over 80 colors for the red text, background and striped edging. Gray stripes on the back cannot be changed. The fold lines are scored, so kids can have fun folding these classroom valentines to make paper airplanes that are sure to soar above the rest!
If ordered today, we estimate your order will be ready for shipment on Thursday, October 29.


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Volume 8 // Number 2 & 3 // Article 1
Innovation and Dynamic Efficiency in Plant Biotechnology: An Introduction to the Researchable Issues
Carl Pray
Rutgers University
James F. Oehmke
Michigan State University
Anwar Naseem
International Food Policy Research Institute
The agricultural biotechnology industry is characterized by heavy investment in research and development, dynamic technical change, and increasing concentration in both the output market and the ownership of intellectual properties that support ongoing innovation. This raises questions about the industry's ability to continue to deliver path-breaking innovations. This paper lays out these questions, describes the relevant data (including the newly available agricultural biotechnology intellectual property database), and provides a conceptual framework for addressing the questions. The empirical discussion and conceptual framework in this paper constitute a structure upon which the remaining articles in this issue build to address the overall question of how best we can maintain socially desirable rates of innovation and dynamic efficiency in plant biotechnology.
Key words: agriculture, agricultural biotechnology, concentration, industry structure, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, patents, patent policy, research and development.The unprecedented consolidation of the agricultural plant biotechnology and seed industries in the late 1990s raised concerns about the development and control of agricultural biotechnologies for farmers. Patent applications increased exponentially, and their concentration in the hands of a few corporations was ominously dubbed "the problem of the anticommons" (Heller & Eisenberg, 1998). The 1990s witnessed legal challenges to many key patents, complaints by scientists and industry that they could not commercialize products that relied on intellectual properties patented by private firms, record numbers of mergers and acquisitions to integrate the biotechnology and seed industries, and complex thickets of interwoven patents that prevented even the most skilled negotiators from obtaining rights to disseminate innovative technologies. Industry responded by aggressively consolidating, so that enabling intellectual properties were owned by the same company, which could then move forward with the commercialization of new agricultural technologies.
This introductory paper has two objectives: (a) to describe the data available for analysis of the plant biotechnology industry, including the introduction and application of a new agricultural biotechnology patent dataset, and (b) to provide a conceptual and empirical background on topics relevant to plant biotechnology that are covered in this issue. We begin this paper with a description of the available data, because the data condition our presentation of empirical background on topics relevant to plant biotechnology.
Background on Available Data
The Research Process
Plant biotechnology research is not a single activity but a sequence of activities that covers the continuum from generating ideas to testing these ideas, developing them into commercial products, and marketing the products. The process of producing a transgenic variety uses public knowledge, proprietary knowledge, and technology protected by intellectual property, money, and other inputs (Figure 1). These inputs are used to hire scientists, build laboratories, purchase equipment, and so on, which are in turn inputs to later stages of the research process. The research produces genetically modified (GM) plants, possibly along with patents on improved research protocols such as new genetic sequences, transformation techniques, or new promoters. These intermediate products are then inputs into a commercialized variety.
Figure 1. The biotechnology research process.
Expenditure Data
Data on biotechnology research expenditures at various stages of the research and development process would be ideal for many purposes—especially for benefit-cost applications. It would allow calculations of research concentration and the flow of research expenditures over time. However, there is no regular process of reporting biotechnology research expenditure. Nor are research budgets an ideal measure: Money is an input into the research process and hence not a perfect measure of research activity. Moreover, dollars are fungible. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to associate expenditures with particular aspects of the research process. Finally, most private-sector firms will not reveal research expenditure data in any detail, and so other data are needed to measure research activity.
Field Trial Data
Scientists in a research program start with basic knowledge about plants, pests, the environment, and market needs. To develop GM plants, scientists insert promising genes and promoters into available plant lines using plant transformation technology. Once the plants have been transformed, they are first tested in greenhouses. The varieties that survive this round of testing are then tested outdoors in fields.
Before firms can conduct field trials, they must obtain permission from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Under the authority of the Federal Plant Pest Act, APHIS regulations provide procedures for obtaining a permit or for providing notification prior to introducing a regulated article1 in the United States. Companies or research institutes that are conducting research to develop genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must apply to APHIS for a permit or notification2 to do a field test (a "release into the environment").
Field trial data, available at http://www.nbiap.vt.edu/cfdocs/fieldtests1.cfm (Information Systems for Biotechnology [ISB], 2005b), can be used as a measure of research activity near the end of the research process, as shown in Figure 1. These data provide an indicator of biotechnology research by individual firms over time (Ollinger & Pope, 1995). Field trial data can be disaggregated by firm, crop, gene (e.g., Cry1Ac or Cry2A) phenotype characteristics (e.g., insect resistance or herbicide tolerance), and several other variables. Importantly, the APHIS data set is a census of all field trials conducted in the United States, so that the researcher does not have to worry about sample selection or if the sample is representative.
Previous applications of field trial data to understand the structure of the biotechnology industry include Brennan, Pray, and Courtmanche (2000), Oehmke (2001), Fulton and Giannakis (2001), Oehmke and Wolf (2003), and Oehmke, Wolf, and Raper (2005), each of which uses the data to help describe the structure of the industry.
Data on Deregulation
Once the firm has completed field trials and selected a genetically improved plant(s), the firm then moves to developing a variety based on that plant and commercializing that variety. A standard practice is to then produce a sufficient number of clones to introduce the new gene into traditional breeding programs. To obtain legal approval to use the new gene in breeding programs, the firm applies to the USDA for deregulated status; if the USDA grants the application, the new plant is no longer a regulated article and can be treated as a non-GM plant for commercialization purposes. Deregulation marks the end of the GM research process.3
APHIS maintains a publicly available database of deregulated crops at http://www.nbiap.vt.edu/cfdocs/biopetitions1.cfm (ISB, 2005a). As with the field trial data, this database contains information on petitioning firm and crop characteristics (including genetic modification) and constitutes a complete census of all deregulated crops.
Utility Patent Data
The US Supreme Court decision in Diamond v. Chakrabarty (1980) allowed patenting of living tissue or components thereof. Ensuing case law has allowed patenting of genetic sequences, and ex parte Hibberd (1985) extended patent protection to new plant varieties. These decisions have led the agricultural biotechnology industry to rely heavily on utility patents for intellectual property (IP) protection.
Although a perfect measure of innovation has yet to be found, historically patent statistics have proven adequate to that end (Acs & Audretsch, 1989; Griliches, 1990). Patents as a measure of innovative activity have a long history in the economics literature, with seminal contributions by Griliches, Pakes, and Hall (1986), and Hausman, Hall, and Griliches (1984). Griliches (1990) wrote that patents are appropriate for measuring innovation output as they "are available, they are by definition related to inventiveness, and they are based on what appears to be an objective and slowly changing standard." The emphasis of much of the previous work has been to examine the relationship between research dollars spent on inventive activity and innovation. Griliches et al. (1986), for example, found a strong relationship between the number of patents granted and R&D expenditures in a firm-level cross-sectional data analysis, leading to the conclusion that patents are a good indicator of differences of inventive activity. In agricultural biotechnology, patents (at least of genetic constructs and transformation tools) tend to indicate activity at the earlier stages of the research process (Figure 1). Utility patents of novel plants would indicate activity at a late stage of the research process.
Using patent data is difficult. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) makes available the text of all patent applications that are granted. From 1976 to 2000, about two million applications are in this database. Although the USPTO classifies patents by category, agricultural biotechnology patents can appear in at least eight extant and one defunct category. The complexity of patent applications creates further difficulties. For example, a word search of patent applications for the phrase bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) reveals more than 3,100 patents, including several hundred patents seemingly related to the development and application of Bt sprays with no apparent connection to biotechnology or genetically modified plants. Until recently, the number of patent applications and the complexity of the USPTO database made it extremely difficult to use patent data for agricultural biotechnology.
This issue of AgBioForum introduces a new agricultural biotechnology patent dataset to the literature. A consortium of University and USDA researchers has filtered the USPTO database to create a database of agricultural biotechnology patents (details are available at http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/AgBiotechIP/filtering.htm). The first step in this filtering was to use the USPTO classification system to eliminate patents in categories that were clearly unrelated to agricultural biotechnology. This reduced the number of possibly relevant patent applications to about 130,000. Using new linguistic software, these applications were then parsed to determine if they were indeed agricultural biotechnology patents. A total of 11,740 agricultural biotechnology patents were identified. These patents were then classified into seven main technology headings and 58 subtechnologies that are designed to be research friendly. (A detailed description of the classification scheme is available at http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/AgBiotechIP/classification.htm.) This database is searchable by entity (organization), entity type, technology heading, and technology subheading. The database is publicly available at http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/AgBiotechIP (USDA Economic Research Service [USDA ERS], 2004).
The papers in this issue, for the most part, rely to some degree on this new database to address issues of industry evolution, intellectual property rights, the level and productivity of inventive activity, the role of the public sector, and public policy in the agricultural biotechnology industry.
Conceptual and Empirical Background on Topics Covered in This Issue
Industry Evolution and Structure
The first measure used to quantify the evolution of an industry is how the number of firms in the industry changes over time. Because in a typical year less than half of the patent applications show the assignee, it is difficult to get an accurate count on the number of firms who are engaged in agricultural biotechnology research that leads to patented outcomes. Consequently, to identify the firms in the agricultural biotechnology research industry, we need field trial and deregulation data, which give accurate counts at the later stages of the research process, although they may not be representative of firm numbers at earlier stages of the process.
Figure 2 shows the number of firms engaged in field trials from 1987 to 2004. This number climbed rapidly between 1987, when the first transgenic field trial was conducted, and 1994, when 51 firms conducted field trials. The number of firms peaked in 1996 at 55, then declined slightly, and for the past six years has been hovering in the low to middle 40s.
Figure 3 shows the number of firms petitioning for deregulation from 1992 to 2004. In 1992 Calgene filed the first petition for deregulation, of a genetically modified tomato. The number of firms that petitioned for deregulation peaked in 1995 (nine firms), and declined through 2004 when only two firms filed petitions.
The second important measure of industry evolution is the level of R&D activity in the industry. Figure 4 shows the level of agricultural biotechnology patenting activity by year from 1976 through 2000. The data represent the total number of patents granted, with the year representing the date of application. The number of agricultural biotechnology patents has grown exponentially over the sample period. The proportion of agricultural biotechnology patents increased from about 1% of all US patents in 1976 to over 10% in 2000.
The number of field trials represents the level of inventive activity at a later stage in the research process. Figure 5 shows that the number of field trials increased steadily until 1998, then fluctuated somewhat, and finally declined in the past two years.
Figure 2. Number of firms enganged in field trials of genetically modified crops, 1987-2004.
Note. Data from ISB (2005b).
Figure 3. Number of private-sector firms petitioning for deregulation of a genetically modified crop, 1992-2004.
Note. Data from ISB (2005a).
Figure 4. Number of patents granted, by date of application (public and private).
Note. Data from USDA-ERS (2004).
Figure 5. Total number of transgenic field trial notifications and permits approved, by year of application.
Note. Data from ISB (2005b).
Industry Structure
Two important measures of industry structure are concentration and merger-and-acquisition activity. Concentration brings to the foreground the underlying economic tradeoff between static efficiency and dynamic efficiency that is inherent in any R&D-based industry. Static efficiency—the maximization of social welfare in the market (for agricultural biotechnology products such as seeds) at a specified point in time—occurs when the market structure is competitive and no firm has market power. However, the absence of market power prevents firms from recovering investments necessary to enter the market, such as the R&D investment necessary to enter the transgenic seed market. That is, if Monsanto's Roundup Ready technology were available free of charge to all comers, then Monsanto would not be able to recoup its R&D costs and/or have funds available for further research. Thus, some degree of market power and monopoly rents—and hence a degree of concentration in the industry—appears to be necessary in order to provide corporations with the profit incentives to invest in R&D. It is less clear whether market power is necessary in the innovation market, that is, in the market for the insertion techniques, promoters, and other intermediate research products.
During the late 1990s, there was growing concentration in the ownership of agricultural biotechnology patents. Scientists became concerned that private firms would not allow their competitors or the public sector permission or licenses to use the research tools and/or to commercialize their research products. The high transaction cost of tracking down and licensing the multiple patents required to be able to commercialize the products was also a concern. There is anecdotal evidence that some universities and private-sector companies have abandoned patenting, commercialization, or even research programs due to this problem (see Pray & Naseem in this issue). This problem is described as "the problem of the anticommons" (Heller & Eisenberg, 1998) or as "patent thickets" (Shapiro, 2001).
Consolidation in the biotech industry has increased the concentration of ownership in intellectual property rights. Because the largest firms in the industry have the largest R&D budgets, it is not surprising that they possess the greatest number of patents. However, mergers and acquisitions (M&As) by larger firms have increased the concentration of patent ownership much more than R&D alone. Table 1 shows the growth in agricultural biotechnology patenting and the effect of M&A activity. Column 2 in Table 1 shows the number of patents that can be matched with the firms that own the patents (assignees). Columns 3 and 4 show the number and the share of all biotech patents held by the companies with the ten greatest numbers of patents. Column 5 and 6 show the number and share of biotech patents after accounting for mergers and acquisitions. Column 6 shows that the top ten firms increased their control of biotech patents to over 50% in 2000. This could be a response to the anticommons/thicket problem: instead of negotiating for the rights to a competitor's technology, it might be simpler, cheaper, or more advantageous to acquire the competitor outright. It is possible that this concentration also imposes barriers to entry by elevating the level of complexity necessary to compete effectively.
Table 1. Concentration of US agricultural biotechnology patent awards among top 10 patent holders, 1976-2000, including adjustment for mergers and acquisitions, 1988-2000.
As the technology has developed, patenting has become increasingly widespread in every major area of agricultural biotechnology. Every successive five-year period has seen more patented innovation than the last period—in every technology. It is unclear whether this supports the anticommons/patent thicket concern.
It is worth noting that the area with the greatest intensity and a rapid increase is genetic transformation (see Figure 6). This is one of the key research tools and thus potentially an area of great concern. Other areas with a strong likelihood of containing research tools—DNA-scale metabolic pathways and genomics—have fewer patents but perhaps a greater rate of increase.
Private companies own the largest share of patents, but other entities are also performing R&D and obtaining patents in significant amounts (Figure 7). Universities and national research centers have been active in this area. Although the public and university patenting that occurred is smaller in size, it has increased at a similar rate of growth. This activity may be effective in combating patent thicket issues if public research is targeted towards research tools, enabling technologies, or areas conducive to the creation of startup firms.
Figure 6. Number of plant biotechnology patents by technology category, 1976-2000.
Note. Data from USDA ERS (2004).
Figure 7. Biotech patents by institutional type.
Note. Data from USDA-ERS (2004).
Growth in research on plant breeding and plant biotechnology by private firms has followed a path consistent with the argument that in the early years patents induced research, but later too many patents and too much concentration slowed down research. Agricultural biotechnology research increased very rapidly in the late 1980s and 1990s in response to the technological opportunities offered by the breakthroughs of cellular and molecular biology and stronger IP rights. Some of this change was due to companies shifting research resources from chemical research to biological research. Since the late 1990s, however, several of the largest firms have reduced their agricultural biotechnology research, and in the aggregate agricultural biotechnology research expenditures probably stagnated. Monsanto reduced its research expenditure, which is about 85% agricultural biotechnology and plant breeding, from $588 million in 2000 to $510 million in 2003 before increasing it 6% this year (Monsanto, 2005). Syngenta's total agricultural research, of which about 21% is biotech and 15% plant breeding, declined from $745 million to $727 million from 2000 to 2003 (Syngenta, 2005). In 2003 they closed their Torrey Mesa Research Institute in California. Dow Agrosciences reduced its research expenditure, although we do not know how much that budget is.
In contrast, Pioneer's research budget declined about a year after the 1998 merger with DuPont, when DuPont's plant biotechnology and Pioneer's agricultural biotechnology units were unified and rationalized. However, since then the seed and agricultural biotechnology research budget of DuPont has increased steadily, according to former Pioneer scientist Anthony Cavalieri (personal communication, October 14, 2004). Two unknowns are the trends in Bayer and BASF. Bayer's seed and biotech research budget now compares with the research budgets of Bayer (which did almost no biotech research) and Aventis, which they bought. BASF bought American Cyanamid, which may have increased its agricultural biotechnology research temporarily, but these research expenditures declined from $285 million in 2002 to $239 million in 2003 (BASF, 2005).
There were also concerns that patents were leading to concentration in the agricultural biotechnology and seed industry. Large chemical companies were thought to be buying up agricultural biotechnology companies in part to acquire research tools and traits such as Bt genes for insect resistance and in part to get control of the most productive plant germplasm, which could be the varieties that would carry the transgenic characteristics to the market. The concern about the concentration of the industry in a few hands was that this would reduce the amount and the productivity of research and as a result it would slow the development of new technology for farmers and consumers. This problem could work through several pathways. First, the merger of two large firms almost always leads to the consolidation in R&D expenditures in the name of rationalization or efficiency. Whether consolidation results in greater efficiency is an empirical question. Second, if existing firms in a concentrated industry use their market power to create barriers to new firms entering the industry, creative startup firms with intellectual roots in the universities or spinoffs from major firms could be substantially reduced. This could reduce the effort of some of the most creative and potentially valuable research in the seed and biotech industry.
A final concern about concentration is that it would allow the large biotech firms to capture most benefits from agricultural biotechnology rather than passing on some of these benefits to farmers and consumers. For this to happen, there would have to be substantial monopoly power in the seed/biotech industry and few substitutes for the concentrated products of the biotech industry.
Mergers and Acquisitons
The plant biotechnology R&D industry now consists of six large firms, a varying number of smaller firms, and public-sector research organizations such as land-grant universities. Consolidation in the seed industry has been ongoing since at least 1970, but even in the early 1980s there were more than two hundred different seed companies (Butler & Marion, 1985), many agricultural chemical companies, and few companies that had both seeds and agricultural chemicals. In the early 1990s, the industry had a vision of the integrated life-sciences company, which sold high-value products ranging from pharmaceuticals to pesticides to transgenic seeds. This vision led to a consolidation and then reorganization within the agricultural industry.
At first, pharmaceutical and chemical companies sold off their bulk chemicals businesses and bought up or merged with other pesticide and pharmaceutical companies. The major life-sciences companies each purchased smaller biotechnology companies that had promising new genes and seed companies that owned efficient seed distribution networks and/or traditional varieties into which novel genes could be inserted (Table 2). Monsanto, for example, transformed itself into a company driven almost exclusively by the promise of genetically modified crops, herbicides, food products, and pharmaceutical products.
The integrated life sciences companies proved unwieldy, and when the European Union shunned genetically modified crops, much of the luster rubbed off. This led to a sequence of divestitures and rearrangements, such as Aventis's sales of its Crop Science Unit to Bayer in 2001 and Monsanto's 2000 merger with Pharmacia only to separate the agricultural and nonagricultural businesses in 2002 (Table 2).
Table 2. Selected mergers and acquisitions in the US and European agricultural chemicals, biotechnology, seeds, and food/feed industries.
The effect of these mergers on innovation market structure can be seen by an examination of M&A activity among firms who are conducting transgenic field trials in the major crops. In Figure 8 the line represents the aggregate number of M&A events in the five major US transgenic crops (corn, cotton, potato, soybean, and tomato). The industry was most actively in M&A events from 1994 through 2000, with a peak of 22 in 2000 and a notable decline thereafter. This aggregate pattern is largely determined by M&A activity where at least one firm had conducted transgenic corn or cotton field trials. For M&A events involving at least one firm that had conducted transgenic corn field trials, peak activity occurred in 2000 with nine events. Cotton M&A activity also peaked in 2000 with six events. Soybean activity peaked in 1996 with six events, contributing to a secondary peak in aggregate M&A from 1994 to 1998 relative to other years. There were never more than two potato M&A events in any year, although M&As involving at least one firm that had conducted transgenic potato field trials were most common from 1994 through 2000.
The picture painted by the M&A data is one of an industry that went through a period of significant consolidation from 1994 through 2000 with minor adjustments to company organization in 2001 and 2002. This picture is consistent with the evidence on increasing concentration since 1995.
Figure 8. Numbers of M&A events by crop and total of five crops, 1988-2002.
Public Policy
The role of public policy is to generate the socially optimal industry structure and level of research. The government has a selection of interventions at its disposal, from tools for controlling the structure of the output market to tools for controlling the structure of the market for intermediate R&D products (the innovation market) to sponsoring or even conducting research.
Patent Policy
The first set of policy tools are patent policies. Patent laws themselves can be changed, but that is a monumental task. The USPTO policy guidelines on what it takes to patent something can be changed, but perhaps more important is that the courts' interpretation of the patent law might be changed by well-argued academic and legal papers. Finally, private firms themselves can be encouraged to conduct their research, publishing, patenting, and licensing policies in such a way to make the knowledge and research tools that they develop more accessible to the public sector and small private firms.
Antitrust Policy
Antitrust policy can be used to ensure that none of the agricultural input firms has too much market power in the product market. Less frequently, antitrust power is used to prevent too much concentration of patents on important research tools in the hands of one firm. There are two primary roles for antitrust policy: to prevent mergers or acquisitions that would create a noncompetitive market structure, and to prevent or punish the use of monopoly power. (For a review see Kovacic & Shapiro, 2000.)
The Role of Public-Sector Research
The third type of policy tool is public research institutes' research, patenting, and licensing policies. Universities and governments can develop technologies that provide alternatives to the tools controlled by the large firms. There are a number of reasons why universities may wish to patent or otherwise protect their intellectual property, not all of which are incompatible with making this property available for society (Maredia et al., 1999). The patenting and licensing policies of universities can also be influenced by the government agencies that provide money for research. For example, these agencies could require that universities provide nonexclusive licenses on research tools developed with government funding to ensure that scientists in the public and private sector get access to them.
To a large extent, the existing agricultural biotechnology R&D industry structure has been influenced by public policies regarding intellectual property. The most notable influences have been the Chakrabarty decision and ensuing case law that allowed utility patenting of genetic material and novel plants, the Bayh-Dole Act that encouraged universities to patent intellectual property developed with federal monies, and the university mandate of making such intellectual property available the private sector even if on an exclusive basis. Few if any of these public policies were designed with agricultural biotechnology in mind. Coupled with rapid advances in biotechnology, this has generated an intricate and dynamic set of relationships among firms and organizations in the agricultural biotechnology industry.
The plant biotechnology industry has a complex and changing structure that raises a variety of interesting research issues. Among the most important researchable questions are: Who is doing what in the industry, and how does that affect industry structure? What are the effects of industry structure (including intellectual property rights) on both the level of innovation and on the output (seed) market structure? Where is plant biotechnology research going in the future? The remainder of this issue addresses these questions.
1 Regulated articles are considered to be organisms and products altered or produced through genetic engineering. The act of introducing includes any movement into (import) or through (interstate) the United States, or release into the environment outside an area of physical confinement. APHIS regulates GMOs that may pose a plant pest risk, including almost all genetically modified plants.
2 Firms can either apply to conduct a field test or for a notification, which is a simplified procedure. If a field trial is requested, APHIS reviews the permit application and prepares an environmental assessment of the potential environmental impact of the release. A field test that involves tomato, corn, tobacco, soybean, cotton, or potato and meets other criteria can be granted a notification, which does not involve an environmental assessment.
3 One could consider development of a variety as the last step in the research process, and variety data is certainly important when examining the adoption and impact of biotechnology research. However, because deregulation allows the genetic modification to be crossed into a number of varieties using traditional breeding techniques, even transgenic variety data carry limited information about biotechnology research activity.
Acs, Z.J., & Audretsch, D.B. (1989). Patents innovative activity. Eastern Economic Journal, 15(4), 373-376.
BASF Corporation. (2005). BASF group: Corporate publications. Ludwigshafen: BASF Aktiengesellschaf. Available on the World Wide Web: http://berichte.basf.de/en/2005/.
Brennan, M., Pray, C.E., & Courtmanche, A. (2000). Impact of industry concentration on innovation in the US plant biotech industry. In W.H. Lesser (Ed.), Transitions in agbiotech: Economics of strategy and policy. Storrs, CT: University of Connecticut Food Marketing Policy Center.
Butler, L.J., & Marion, B. (1985). The impacts of patent protection on the US seed industry and public plant breeding (North Carolina Regional Research Publication 304, North Central Project 117, Monograph No.16). Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
Diamond v. Chakrabarty, 447 US 303 (1980).
ex parte Hibberd, 227 USPQ 443 (1985).
Fulton, M., & Giannakas, K. (2001). Agricultural biotechnology and industry structure. AgBioForum, 4(2), 137-151. Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.agbioforum.org.
Griliches, Z. (1990). Patent statistics as economic indicators: A survey. Journal of Economic Literature, 28(4), 1661-1707.
Griliches, Z., Pakes, A., & Hall, B.H. (1986). The value of patents as indicators of inventive activity (NBER Working Paper No. 2083). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Hausman, J., Hall, B., & Griliches, Z. (1984). Econometric models for count data with an application to the patent-R&D relationship. Econometrica, 52(4), 909-938.
Heller, M.A., & Eisenberg, R.S. (1998). Can patents deter innovation? The anticommons in biomedical research. Science, 280(5364), 698-701.
Information Systems for Biotechnology. (2005a). Crops no longer regulated by USDA [database]. Blacksburg, VA: Author. Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.nbiap.vt.edu/cfdocs/biopetitions1.cfm.
Information Systems for Biotechnology. (2005b). Field test releases in the U.S. [database]. Blacksburg, VA: Author. Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.nbiap.vt.edu/cfdocs/fieldtests1.cfm.
Kovacic, W.E., & Shapiro, C. (2000). Antitrust policy: A century of legal and economic thinking. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 14(1), 43-60.
Maredia, M., Erbisch, F., Naseem, A., Hightower, A., Oehmke, J., Weatherspoon, D., & Wolf, C. (1999). Public agricultural research and the protection of intellectual property: Issues and options. AgBioForum, 2(3&4), 247-252. Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.agbioforum.org.
Monsanto Company. (2005). Investor information. St. Louis, MO: Author. Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/investor/.
Oehmke, J. (2001). Biotechnology R&D races, industry structure, and public and private sector research orientation. AgBioForum, 4(2), 105-114. Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.agbioforum.org.
Oehmke, J.F., & Wolf, C.A. (2003). Measuring concentration in the biotechnology R&D industry: Adjusting for interfirm transfer of genetic materials. AgBioForum, 6(3), 134-140. Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.agbioforum.org.
Oehmke, J.F., Wolf, C.A., & Raper, K.C. (2005). On cyclical industry evolution in agricultural biotechnology R&D. Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, 3(2). Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.bepress.com/jafio/vol3/iss2/art1.
Ollinger, M., & Pope, L. (1995). Strategic research interests, organizational behavior, and the emerging market for the products of plant biotechnology. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 50(1), 55-68.
Pray, C.E. & Naseem, A. (in press). Intellectual property rights on research tools: Incentives or barriers to innovation? Case studies of rice genomics and plant transformation technologies. AgBioForum.
Shapiro, C. (2001). Navigating the patent thicket: Cross licenses, patent pools and standard setting, in innovation policy and the economy. In A. Jaffe, J. Lerner, & S. Stern (Eds.), Innovation Policy and the Economy (v.1). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Syngenta Corporation. (2005). Syngenta investor relations. Basel: Author. Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.syngenta.com/en/investor/.
United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. (2004). Data: Agricultural biotechnology intellectual property [database]. Washington, DC: USDA ERS. Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/AgBiotechIP/.
Suggested citation: Pray, C., Oehmke, J.F., & Naseem, A. (2005). Innovation and dynamic efficiency in plant biotechnology: An introduction to the researchable issues. AgBioForum, 8(2&3), 52-63. Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.agbioforum.org.
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All across Europe communities are responding creatively to the global challenges of our time. From growing food to generating energy, nurturing local economies to strengthening social connections, communities are building a better world.
The European Day of Sustainable Communities, on 19th September 2020, is a time to applaud and celebrate the local communities taking action for a more regenerative, just and inclusive Europe.
We invite any community who is taking action for a better world to join us in celebrating the European Day of Sustainable Communities. Previously the day has been celebrated by community gardens, energy cooperatives, cafes, churches, ecovillages, housing associations, permaculture gatherings, arts festivals, schools, universities, Transition town groups, to name but a few.
Some of the awesome people and organisations co-creating the European Day of Sustainable Communities
They are registered users of this website. The only one missing here is you!
In 2019 communities in 27 countries organised hundreds of events to celebrate the European Day of Sustainable Communities. They hosted conferences, open days, apple harvests, tours, concerts, shared meals and much more.
This year we know that things have changed radically. We don't know whether public gatherings will be possible. Maybe we will only be able to host online events. So we invite you to register your intention to join us in September 2020!
One thing we know for sure – now is a golden opportunity for change. And that we will be launching Communities for Future, a new action programme to inspire and support communities to take action.
The European Day of Sustainable Communities is on 19th September. To mark the day we welcome events organised between 12th and the 26th September 2020. Registration opens in June.
All across the world communities are taking action for a better world. Thousands of community initiatives across Europe are demonstrating how to live more sustainably.
All the research shows that such initiatives are highly effective in reducing ecological footprints, building social capital and enhancing local economies.
#EDSC shines a light on these initiatives. It builds support for such community-led action from policy makers and inspires the wider public. It also provides a moment for communities to celebrate their work, knowing that they are part of a growing wave of transformative action.
Plan your event for September and from June 2020 you can register it. By doing so you become a co-creator of the European Day of Sustainable Communities.
Who's behind the European Day of Sustainable Communities?
ECOLISE, the European Network for Community-led Initiatives on Climate Change and Sustainability, is the initiator and main organiser of the European Day of Sustainable Communities. It has 42 member networks and organisations across Europe. They include the ecovillage, permaculture and Transition town movements, LEADER Local Action Groups, and educators and researchers.
Find our partners and contact points in your country
Our partners, and national and regional contact points
Not in your country yet?
Let's talk!


text: Welcome to our New Media Links. For our legacy content feed, you can find it linked here in our Classic Media Gallery.NEW PHRC MEDIA: 2019 and ForwardThe Women's Pelvic Health Podcast — Episode #20: "My Pelvic Pain Story", Living with Painful Sex (Vaginismus)What Causes Interstitial Cystitis? How 10 Women Got To The Root Of Their Bladder PainWhy I'm Done Being Ashamed Of Using Medical Marijuana To Treat My Chronic Pain


text:
Art of Fighting Series
a.k.a. Ryuuko no Ken 2 (JPN)
Art of Fighting
Art of Fighting 2
Art of Fighting 3
[Create New User]
Astral Revision
Bigger Badder Better
British Bear Boy
Cyborg Fanatics
Double D
Dust Loops
Goenitz Megashock
Higher Voltage
K' Taisen
Like the old time...
Mudman's Cafe
Ora Ora Orange
Shoryuken Sunset
Take No Prisoners
Fighter Select
Jack Turner
Prefight vs. Eiji
Jack: Pack up your stuff and go home, muzzle face!
Eiji: Thanks for the advice, smelly. But I'm stayin'! Coronary!
Prefight vs. Jack
Jack 1: Oh my god! My evil twin! Wait a minute, am I that ugly?!
Jack 2: Who are you calling ugly, Jack? I got the looks, dude.
Prefight vs. John
Jack: Oh no, a former marine. I eat marines for breakfast.
John: Well, then come and get it, lard butt!
Prefight vs. King
Jack: King! You look more and more feminine with each year.
King: Feminine? Why, you really know how to hit a nerve, you pig!
Prefight vs. Lee
Jack: The flying monkey man comes back. How about some peanuts?
Lee: Kee, kee. How about a talon up your strap, pal?! Kee! Kee!
Prefight vs. Micky
Jack: Ohhh, tricky Micky the boxer boy. Eat my shoe... boob boob bedoo.
Micky: Read a lot of Yeats, huh? The poet of Southtown, pansy!
Prefight vs. Mr. Big
Jack: What do you want to do with such a big stick?
Mr. Big: It's a weapon, fatty. That only I can handle!
Prefight vs. Robert
Jack: Oh, relax. I'm not gonna kill you. Well, maybe won't!
Robert: Who's nervous? I just had too many cups of the ol' joe today.
Prefight vs. Ryo
Jack: Well then, which bone shall I rip off first? The arm? The leg?
Ryo: That's which limb should I rip off first, idiot! Limb...!
Prefight vs. Takuma
Jack: Karate artist... Sounds not much strong!
Takuma: You don't seem to know the art of Karate or grammar.
Prefight vs. Temjin
Jack: Oh, you! Well, this should be a breeze.
Temjin: I like a man with confidence. Lightly broiled, that is!
Prefight vs. Yuri
Jack: Oh boy, dessert! I don't wanna hurt you. So why not submit now?!
Yuri: This story seems to get darker with each guy I meet... grim city!
Win Quote
Cake walk, dude. Go back to your mother's apron strings.
Win Quote
I thought you had guts, kid. But you only have a lousy wardrobe.
Win Quote vs. Jack
Will the phoney Jack please lie face down on the pavement.
Since 2006


text:
Have your say on making the health service more open
The Department of Health is currently working through its response to the Inquiry into Hyponatraemia-related Deaths.
It has recently published a series of research papers to help determine the best way to implement a Duty of Candour and has asked for feedback from the public and any organisation with an interest.
The inquiry was established in 2004 to examine the deaths of five children in Northern Ireland hospitals as a result of low sodium levels in their blood. It found significant failings and ruled that three of the deaths were avoidable.
When Mr Justice O'Hara launched his report he made 96 recommendations on how the system needed to change to help avoidable deaths in the future. He said the key one was a statutory Duty of Candour and said bringing one in was a "matter of urgency."
He said it was imperative that when mistakes are made in treatment that they are faced up to and the families told. He went on to give a devastating critique of the system.
"The unfortunate truth to be drawn from this Inquiry is that there are too many people in the Health Service who place reputation before honesty and avoidance of blame before duty. All that is required is that people be told honestly what has happened and a legally enforceable duty of candour for individuals will not threaten those whose conduct is appropriate."
He went on: "I recommend that a duty of candour attach to individuals as well as organisations in the event of death or serious harm and that criminal sanctions should apply."
The Department is extending the remit to cover social care as well, so all those Third Sector bodies involved in this area will also be affected by change.
It has gone about preparing its response in the spirit of openness that the report calls for. The workstream looking at Duty of Candour is chaired by policy expert Quintin Oliver, the sub group looking at the broader cultural issue of Being Open is led by Peter McBride chief executive of Inspire. They are joined by service users and carers and a wide range of experts, not just departmental civil servants.
Scope has previously discussed this co-production approach to policy-making. What is also really important about it is that the rest of us get an precedented insight into how policy is shaped – and how implementing what appears to be a straightforward proposition can be much more complex than it first appears. The research papers shed light on this.
Few would disagree with Mr Justice O'Hara's recommendation. Back in 1987 one of Britain's most distinguished judges Lord Donaldson stated: "I personally think that in professional negligence cases, and in particular in medical negligence cases, there is a duty of candour resting on the professional man."
Yet it has not worked out like that in England.
Between 2005 and 2009 between 400 and 1,200 patients died as a result of poor care at Stafford Hospital. What became known as the Mid Staffordshire Scandal prompted the Francis report which contained 240 recommendations, including one which called for a Duty of Candour for organisations and individuals.
However when a duty of candour was included in legislation it only applied to healthcare providers. The duty was not imposed upon healthcare professionals in England on the basis that they are already placed under an "ethical duty" of honesty by their professional organisations.
Mr Justice O'Hara did not seem overly impressed by this approach, saying: "The duty was not imposed upon clinicians in England on the basis that they are already placed under an 'ethical duty' of honesty by their professional organisations. I consider that such an argument would be stronger, had the evidence to this Inquiry not revealed obvious weakness in the call of 'ethical duty'."
However the research just published suggests that full implementation of Mr Justice O'Hara's recommendations would result in Northern Ireland having the most rigorous candour legislation in the world.
This is not without risk. Sir Liam Donaldson and others have argued that the threat of litigation against individuals would have a "chilling effect" on the reporting of adverse incidents. We need to be alert to all the potential unintended consequences of new legislation. This is just one area that needs thorough debate. If we want to have a truly open and honest service we will need to support staff through that. This will involve changing behaviours, indeed the entire culture of the health service, and that cannot be achieved by sanctions alone. The end result should be a willingness to admit to mistakes and a determination to learn from them.
What they will need to avoid will be a situation where a "watch your back" culture becomes entrenched and that tighter regulation increases defensiveness rather than removing it. This will involve winning over hearts and minds within the system. The duty of candour should not be seen by health professionals as a stick to beat them with, but a shift from a blaming to a learning culture.
There are also legal barriers to achieving candour. Another of the papers examines the legal and human rights implications of introducing the duty.
For example, criminal investigation takes precedence over public inquiries. This is because they cannot determine someone's guilt and will often involve the same witnesses. Some may not be able to give testimony to an inquiry because they would risk incriminating themselves. This is a serious matter. Making a statement about a matter under police investigation could lead to self-incrimination and or seriously prejudice the investigation.
It is worth pointing out that in 2005 a PSNI investigation led to the hyponatraemia inquiry having to be suspended for three years. So the inquiry itself was affected by this matter.
There are other potential barriers too, all grounded in sound legal principles. For example if a matter is before the courts contempt law bans the media from publishing or broadcasting any comments or information which might seriously prejudice active proceedings. This is especially important where jurors are involved so that they do not see or read anything that could affect their decisions.
And there is also the fundamental right for anyone charged with an offence to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.
So therefore in the most serious of cases there remains the risk that the process of sharing the facts of a case with service users or their loved ones may be delayed by other legal processes and the rights of individuals under investigation. And comments made before a trial carry the risk of being deemed to prejudice investigations or court hearings.
These sort of cases will be rare, but the research report points out that when they do occur there is a risk that it will look as if the organisations and individuals concerned are being defensive and lacking candour.
Therefore the Duty of Candour team has the formidable task of exploring how it can maximise openness whilst respecting the human rights of the individuals concerned and any other legal processes taking place.
All those wishing to give their views should send them to [email protected]
The research papers can be downloaded from the department's website here.
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text:
Q. My 10-year old son takes trumpet lessons; my 13-year old daughter plays flute. Sometimes they blank out at recitals and forget the notes. Why do I get so embarrassed?
A. Let's start with the second part of your question. Embarrassment can be defined as an acute reaction to the perception that we have not met expectations. What are your expectations for your children in relation to studying music? Is your goal to stimulate brain function, to provide them with a wide range of learning opportunities, and to enrich their lives? Or are they taking lessons and playing in recitals because of your veiled need to feel okay about yourself as a parent? Are you trying to make up something you missed in your childhood? Do you expect your child to performperfectly? If so, you may be creating a stressful situation for your child, as well as yourself.
As to the first part of your question, emotional stress has been found to temporarily interfere with receptors in brain synapses. This can help to explain why a child can memorize a piece of music (or a poem), and under the stress of the performance, goblank. Confidence and the ability to recall memorization may go hand-in-hand. If you are very anxious about their performance, they will likely pick this up and internalize your expectations as stress.
Of course, other factors influence the quality of one's performance: brain lead, level of extroversion, amount of practice, and a balanced high-level-wellness lifestyle to name just a few.
You may want to explore personal growth aspects in your own life, and learn to reward effort as well as outcome, your own as well as that of your children. In an environment where excellence is encouraged, but where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for learning, embarrassment becomes less of an automatic reaction.
Finally, I believe that in most cases embarrassment is a choice and I choose to avoid going there....


text:
Get The Light Exposure and Depth-of Field Every Time You Shoot
This instructional exercise will give you a fundamental comprehension of aperture and shutter speed. This enable to get the right exposure and depth-of field each time you shoot stock photography.
Aperture And Shutter Speed Introduction
The amount of light that reaches the sensor of your digital camera so as to take a picture is called exposure. Without enough light your photograph will be underexposed (dim). With an excessive amount of light, your photograph will be overexposed (too splendid).
Two basic camera settings combination results to exposure. These settings are shutter speed and aperture. They both control the amount of light that reaches the sensor of your camera.
To get an immaculate exposure you can use different blend of shutter speed and aperture. Different blends will bring about distinctive depths of-field (DOF) however.
Our discussion will concentrate on shutter speed and aperture for the concern of keeping this instructional exercise basic. Toward the end of this instructional exercise, we will touch on ISO.
There is an opening in every camera lens. This opening is called the aperture. It works in the same way as the pupil in a human eye works. It can open to a wide distance across that will let in a considerable measure of light, or near to a tight diameter that lets in less light.
The diameter of the aperture is measured by a number, alluded to as a 'f stop'. A steady source of disarray for amateurs to photography is the way that a littler f-stop number speaks to a more extensive aperture distance across. This permits in more light. A higher f-stop number demonstrates a smaller aperture diameter. This lets in less light. Common aperture numbers are f2.0, f2.8, f4.0, f5.6, f8.0, f11, f16, f22, f32.
The diameter of the Aperture And Shutter Speed and f-stop number
A vital thing to learn is that these f-numbers are spaced one 'f-stop' separated. This implies by moving one f-stop up or down, you either twofold or split the measure of light the aperture concedes into the camera.
In addition to controlling the measure of light that reaches the picture sensor of your camera, opening additionally decides the depth of field of your photograph. The measure of the scene which is in focus is the depth of the field.
A picture with an obscured background and sharp background or area of focus will be delivered by a wide aperture. That is one with a small s/stop. A little aperture, that's one with a large f/stop will create a picture with sharpness across more of the picture.
Shutter Speed
Shutter speed controls the period of time that the shutter of your camera is open, permitting light to reach the sensor of your camera. Numbers for example, 4000 (1/4000th of a second), 60 (1/60th of a second), 1″ (1 second), and 30″ (1/30th of a second) indicated customary shutter speeds. These shows the amount of time the shutter stays open to permit light in. Less light will be let in a quick shutter speed than in a slower shutter speed.
The most widely recognized shutter speeds are between 1/500 to 1/60. You can't use shutter speeds much slower than 1/60 if you need sharp photos while grasping the camera. This is because it's difficult to hold the camera consistent.
By and large, a quick shutter speed will stop activity. For example, a hummingbird drifting over a blossom. A moderate shutter speed will show movement obscure. For example, the delicate obscure of water in a waterfall.
Getting the Perfect Exposure
Light Meter
To locate the ideal exposure, your camera's inherent light meter measures the measure of light that is reflected off the subject you are concentrating on.
Look in viewfinder of your camera when in any mode other than automatic and you will see a line or bar.You have the ideal exposure when the pointer is on the center hash mark as per the count of your camera.
Picking the Right Combination of Aperture and Shutter Speed
Aperture and Shutter Speed are Directly Connected
In the event that you open or close your aperture setting, you will need to remunerate by either splitting or multiplying your shutter speed setting. This is if you need to keep up an immaculate exposure. Then again, if you raise or lower your shutter speed, you should remunerate by changing your aperture setting correspondingly. That is f/8 at 1/125 sec = f/5.6 at 1/250 sec = f/4 at 1/500 = f/2.8 at 1/1000 = f/2 at 1/2000.
Things being what they are, while there are numerous mixes of aperture diameter and shutter speed that will give you an all around uncovered photograph, which would it be advisable for you to pick? That depends totally upon the kind of photograph you are trying to take. A flower close-up with the background obscured? A scene shot with everything in focus? A shot of a bird solidified in action?
A more extensive aperture that is little f number lowers the depth-of-field. Normally, it will toss the background out of focus. This is frequently utilized for pictures and close-up photographs where you don't need the background to meddle with your subject. A wide aperture that is permitting a considerable measure of light in means you will have to utilize a speedier shutter speed.
A smaller aperture, that is vast f number increases the depth-of-field. For this situation, everything from the frontal area to the background will be in focus. This sort of aperture setting is usually utilized for scene photography. This to ensure that the majority of the landscape in the photograph is in focus. You will need to utilize a slower shutter speed when you have a smaller aperture setting. This is so as to avoid an underexposed shot.
A Brief Word About ISO and Noise
The ISO setting of your camera controls how delicate the picture sensor is to the measure of light present. The higher the ISO number, the more touchy the picture sensor is to light. This permits you to take photographs in low-light circumstances.
Assume the light meter of your digital camera cautions you there is insufficient light to effectively expose a scene. You can raise your ISO until your light meters demonstrates that the expanded affectability will permit you to acquire an accurately exposed photograph.
The increment in affectability got by expanding the ISO has the undesirable consequence of presenting clamor (like "grain" in film) into your picture. Commotion created by a picture sensor is undesirable and shows up as diverting hued specks in areas of your picture where there ought to be none.
The best picture quality is generally gotten at the most minimal ISO setting on your digital camera. Ordinarily, this implies an ISO of 100 or 200. For best picture quality, dependably shoot at the most minimal ISO conceivable.


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13-08-2019, 12:58 #1
The Ambition to being Top 10 club.
I Love tony Bloom's ambition and vision for our club. I know the subject of our ground expansion is sometimes a subject that may sound like a broken record.
But, after Bloom revealed his plans for the future and Paul Barber mentioning the fact we have over 8,000 members on the season ticket waiting list.
Surely expansion cannot be ruled out indefinitely. Grounds grow to match the identity of the team.
The day Tony's dream becomes a reality. And that can't be far away given our progress.. I'm just feeling a bit shut out by the situation..
Is the club going to become just an expensive exclusive business. Only for those who have managed to be one of the lucky 27K or so STH.
The club pride themselves on being able to cater for as many supporters as they can. Is that philosaphy going to slowly become not possible as the club grows.
Any thoughts on Tony's ambition, and what we need to become to be a recognised top 10 club.
North Stand Chat
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: Lots
13-08-2019, 13:05 #2
I think it already is13-08-2019, 13:05 #3
We need to buy the site at Black Rock and get planning permission for a 50,000 seater stadium. Then we need to expand the Volks Railway to cope with the increase in demand and re-route the park and rides. It would be easier to get people ferried directly to Brighton station post match, you could line buses up on the a259 and plenty of people could just walk back to town. It's sustainable, it uses up the wasteland down there, reduces the demand on the trains and when it comes to the big European nights we can really intimidate the opposition coach on its approach to the stadium. Anfield Road style!13-08-2019, 13:10 #4
If we have serious ambitions of establishing ourselves as a top 10 club, we would need to be playing in a bigger stadium, simple as.
An expansion to 40,000 would be great if possible... but if we are a top half Premier League side in 10 years time, we would want to be playing in a 50-60k stadium ideally.
A significant expansion of the Amex is surely possible... but presumably it's a huge, expensive project. Not going to happen anytime soon. I suppose the plan is to try become a top 10 team first, and then worry about expanding.13-08-2019, 13:12 #5
I'm just feeling a bit shut out by the situation.
Was pretty easy to get them for the Man City game at the end of last season too.I listen to bands that don't even exist yet.13-08-2019, 13:16 #6
If only you had Tony's money.13-08-2019, 13:18 #7
- Join Date
- Jul 2003
- Posts
- 17,435
One of the problems with expansion (even if it were possible), is that we'd end up with a, say, 50,000 capacity stadium that we couldn't always fill - especially if we dropped back into the Championship and Peterborough came calling on a Tuesday night in January. Nothing worse than a big ground that's less than 20% full.
However I have the ideal and totally practical answer to the expansion problem - build two stadiums! Let's build a huge great ****-off 50,000 capacity stadium at Waterhall, complete with train station and underground car parks, for when we're doing well, but keep the Amex which we can switch back to if we struggle. Makes perfect sense! In fact, let's make it 60,000 capacity, no point in half-measures.
13-08-2019, 13:29 #8
The simple solutions are always the easiest.
Tunnel under the stadium, back excavate under the current stands and build 4 new stands.
Hydraulically drop the pitch, 50,000 stadium when things are good.
Raise the pitch to its current position for the fallow years.Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling. James E Starrs
Rarely serious, frequently taken seriously.
"The Venerable Bede is full of shit".13-08-2019, 13:29 #9
I'd pump a lot of cash into the local economy in other ways. Overall, it's better in Tony's pocket than mine. I have nothing like his self control.13-08-2019, 13:33 #10
Usually Tony, Paul or Martin would just dismiss it as an impossibility, further down the line they would say maybe we can put in 100 or so extra but no more (which they already did).
At this year's fan forum, it seemed as if PB was intimating that we might be able to squeeze a hell of a lot more than a couple hundred in, but dismissed a second tier on the north.
In regards to the op's question, you say we're not far away but Tony has specifically stated that just reaching 10th once (which would be fantastic enough already) is not the aim. The aim is an ambitious one, to be perceived and recognised as a consistent top half club. That will take a long time and is extremely challenging.
If we get anywhere near that goal, you can absolutely guarantee we will look into serious investment to expand. People taking the 'impossibility' of the structure/roof issue a bit too literally, it will just take tens of millions of pounds with not much in the way of immediate return.
Last edited by Nixonator; 13-08-2019 at 13:39.


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Tony Time: More 2013 Tony Award Winners (Photos)
The 2013 Tony Awards may have come and gone but Luner on Theatre is continuing it's coverage of Broadway's biggest night! We have a few final notes before the 2012-2013 Broadway season comes to an end! Early today, we brought you the 2013 Tony Award Winners right here on our Blog! Wanna know who is behind this season's biggest hits? Well, don't worry! We want to help you put faces to the names behind this season's biggest winners! Today, Luner on Theatre brings you the faces of the 2013 Tony Award Winners!
Congratulations to all of these people and those nominated alongside them! All of these people were truly driving forces in helping create such another magical season on Broadway. Their hard work and dedication is a motivation for those working behind the scenes just showing how far one can go when they committee themselves entirely to a project.
Just because the 2013 Tony Awards is over doesn't mean our coverage is! Luner on Theatre will be bringing you 2013 Tony Awards coverage through this week as we bring an end to the 2012-2013 season on Broadway! Look for Tony related posts all week and some of our final thoughts as another amazing theatre season in New York comes to an end. Visit Luner on Theatre's Tony Time Page for all of our 2013 Tony Awards Coverage so far! For more information, check out The Tony Awards Official Website! Be sure to check Luner on Theatre on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter as well! We are constantly updating these pages with information! And of course, check out the rest of Luner on Theatre for all your theatre news you don't only need but want to know!


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Location: Gaylord Opryland, Nashville, TN
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WIN-911 is a logic engine that integrates with leading SCADA platforms, OPC servers, and other devices, allowing users to create flexible schedules and send prioritized alarm message details to workers, no matter where they are. WIN-911 delivers process alarms, machine alarms, and other critical data over phone call, mobile app, SMS, PA systems, and email, giving users visibility into events before they affect production and ultimately consumers.
Brands: WIN-911 Software ; WIN-911 Mobile ; Mobile-911


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First woman White Helmets rescuer killed in Syria
The White Helmets rescue force suffered its first woman fatality on Saturday, after air strikes hit a rebel-held town in the battered Idlib province of northwest Syria, the group said.
It said rescue worker Sobhiya al-Assad was killed along with several members of her family when bombing raids hit their house in the town of Kafr Sejna.
"She's the first female #WhiteHelmet volunteer to be killed. Her service will never be forgotten," the rescue group said.
Idlib, most of which is held by militants and allied rebels, has been regularly battered by Syrian government air strikes in recent months.
The White Helmets have rescued thousands of civilians trapped under the rubble after air strikes or caught up in fighting along various fronts of Syria's conflict.
A vast majority of its 3,700 members are men, but it does include woman rescuers.
The group emerged in 2013, when Syria's conflict was nearing its third year, and operates in battered opposition-held zones.
Since their founding, more than 200 of their volunteers have died and another 500 have been injured.
The group's motto - "To save one life is to save all of humanity" - is drawn from a verse in the Koran. The White Helmets insist they treat all victims, regardless of religion.
Trained abroad
Some members have received training abroad, returning to instruct colleagues on search-and-rescue techniques.
The group receives funding from a number of governments, including Britain, Germany and the United States, but also solicits individual donations to purchase equipment, including their signature hard hats that cost $145 each.
Last year, a Netflix documentary called The White Helmets won an Academy Award for best short documentary.
A second film on the group, named Last Men in Aleppo, was nominated for an Oscar in 2018.


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WKU Events
Thursday, April 4th
Campus Conservation Nationals - Bluegrass Unplugged
- Location: Main Campus
- Time: All Day
This date marks the begining of WKU's three week participation in the nationwide residence hall energy and water reduction competition for college campuses called Campus Conservation Nationals 2013. It is also the begining of a statewide energy reduction competitioin between WKU, UofL, UK, and Berea. All WKU students, faculty, and staff who use the residence halls are highly encouraged to make a conscious effort to turn off and unplug all unnecessary lights and electronic devices during this time.
WWE Tickets On Sale
- Location: Diddle Box Office....TicketMaster
- Time: All Day
Spring Break Art Camp
- Location: Kentucky Museum
- Time: 8:00am - 12:00pm
firstname.lastname@example.com or 270-745-2594
WKU Night with the Nashville Predators
- Time: 7:00am
LGBT Social Equality Event
- Location: Outdoor - OD CentenMall A
- Time: 10:30am - 4:00pm
Alpha Xi Delta Info Table
- Location: Downing University Center - DUC Patio 2
- Time: 11:00am - 2:00pm
- Location: Downing University Center - DUC 0226
- Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
ME Search meeting
- Location: Engineering & Biological Sciences - EBS 2134
- Time: 1:00pm - 1:30pm
Future Educators Association
- Location: Gary A. Ransdell Hall - College of Education - GRH 2003
- Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
- Location: Gary A. Ransdell Hall - College of Education - GRH 2005
- Time: 4:30pm - 8:00pm
- Location: Finley C. Grise Hall - GH 0235
- Time: 5:00pm - 11:00pm
Meteorology Club Meeting
- Location: Environmental Sciences & Tech - EST 0350
- Time: 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Miss Black Western Pageant Practice
- Location: Gary A. Ransdell Hall - College of Education - GRH 1074
- Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
"Curiosity: Drilling Into Mars' Past"
- Location: Hardin Planetarium
- Time: 7:00pm
The "Curiosity: Drilling into Mars' Past" show uses the Planetarium's new digital technology to move through the solar system as we look in on the new evidence from the Mars Science Laboratory rover ("Curiosity") that, in the distance past, Mars had a habitat conducive to life. Combining full dome videos, the simulation potential of our new digital projector, amazing images shot right on Mars, and stirring music, our current show is suitable for all ages and airs every Tuesday and Thursday nights at 7 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. For more information, call 270-745-4044.
Planetarium Show
- Location: Hardin Planetarium
- Time: 7:00pm
For further information, email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 270-745-4044.
Delta Tau Delta
- Location: Downing University Center - DUC 0226
- Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm
SGRho - Mr Blue & Gold practice
- Location: Downing University Center - DUC 0224 - Auditorium
- Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm
BCM Thursday Night Live
- Location: Outdoor - OD South Lawn
- Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Alpha Delta Pi
- Location: Thompson Complex, North Wing - TCNW 0130
- Time: 8:30pm - 9:30pm
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.


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Name 'em whatever you like, I still ain't down with this 'Ren' jive
The character videos just keep a-comin' for Atlus' rhythm-action games Persona 3: Dancing Moon Night and Persona 5: Dancing Star Night.Now that most of the friends, lovers and confidants have been revealed, it's time for our leads, with videos dedicated to the respective games' protagonists.
The two new trailers feature Persona 3's male protagonist, canon name "Minato" "Makoto", and Persona 5's head Phantom Thief "Akira" "Joker" "Ren". Both cool dudes strut their stuff before being joined by two of their best pals, namely Aigis for Makoto and Ryuji for Ren.
As a bonus, we also get to see the recently revealed Sega franchise and cross-dressing outfits in action, with Makoto taking to the dancefloor as Virtua Fighter's Akira, then in a cute maid getup. Meanwhile, Ren steps out briefly in the iconic suit of Yakuza's Kazuma Kiryu.
Persona 3: Dancing Moon Night and Persona 5: Dancing Star Night are set for release in Japan May 24 on PS4 and PS Vita.


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Teaser Tank 2016-2017
Ski film trailers are the first true sign of winter. When the trailers come out, we know the movies aren't far behind, and when the movies come out, winter is here. Here are all the trailers we could muster up for the 2016-17 season. Enjoy getting slapped in the face with epic.
Matchstick Productions - Ruin and Rose
Teton Gravity Research - Tight Loose


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Cliffs of Moher Boat Tour with
The Original Doolin Ferry Est. 1970
Bill O'Brien &https://www.cliffsofmohercruises.ie Family
Our Aim
Doolin Ferries was established in 1970 by Bill O'Brien. Since then he has grown his single currach into a fleet of four. His goal is to provide the best service to The Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher from Doolin Pier.
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We are so lucky to have such a wonderful environment to work in. We are a proud member of the Burren Ecotourism Group. We strive to provide an eco-friendly and sustainable service to secure our local environment with all its wonders for generations to come.
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With any diet plan, you need to see how your weight loss is progressing – has it leveled off at times or revved up at other times? An hCG chart will help you plot your progress when you embark on the hCG hormone and weight loss plan.
Online guides that explain how you can lose weight by following the hCG plan are available both to purchase and to download free. Of course, the guides and information that you purchase may have more data you can use, but the free downloadable guides work just as well most of the time.
It's important that you keep track of exactly how your weight loss is affected as you follow the path of injections or oral drops of the hCG hormone. The hCG chart might also have room for remarks. There, you can jot down what you've eaten and the caloric intake for the day, week and month.
Promoter of the hCG weight loss program, Kevin Trudeau, used a journal and chart to plot his remarkable progress on the diet and hormones. The late, Dr. Simeon, creator of the hCG diet plan also charted the weight loss of his patients over 30 years ago when he was conducting research.
Simeon's patients' weight loss was amazing, but it wasn't until Trudeau came across the charts and information the late doctor had chronicled that the weight loss plan became known to millions. The hCG weight loss plan was very controversial at the time Trudeau released Simeon's findings because the FDA hadn't approved the synthetic hormone.
At that time, the hormone had to be given by doctors by injection or in the form of a prescription for the shots. Today, the synthetic hormone has been approved and formulated into oral drops that anyone can purchase and insert under the tongue to receive the same benefits as the injections.
Online information on the hCG diet plan is abundant now. You can read how others kept an hCG chart and how it helped them stick to the diet and reap the benefits. You can also purchase other supplies from the online sites such as pre-packaged salad dressings and other seasonings and food that help you with portion size.
Supplements are also available to enhance the hCG diet plan and ensures that you're getting the nutrients you need while going through the low-calorie diet phase of the plan. Trudeau suggests that you prepare your body for the hCG hormone and diet by a cleansing technique, and you can also find information for that procedure online.
Keeping an hCG chart can be a mental catalyst for you to continue on the hCG hormone and diet plan. It's easy to forget how much you've progressed and what you did to get there, so glancing at a meticulously kept chart can help you realize what worked and what didn't and give you a mental boost to keep on going.


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As a group, Nazis are not well-regarded, especially in the movies. They seem to be forever plotting to steamroll over the peaceful, fun-loving nations of the Earth in their quest for global domination, with only whip-wielding anthropologists and the armies of the free world to stand in their way. Nonetheless, Nazis were people, and likely suffered from the same basic ailments most people endure—like mosquito bites, the common cold, and serial killers. And now that last one will be the focus of Blackout, a movie about a serial killer who terrorized Nazi Berlin during the early years of World War II.
The killer in question is Paul Ogorzow, a member of the Nazi party who committed his crimes on and around a section of railway called the S-Bahn, earning him the nickname of "S-Bahn Murderer." While Ogorzow was at large, Berlin was under forced blackout conditions. After sunset, the only light came from the phosphorous paint on street corners, buses, and commuter trains (a fact sure to keep the film's director of photography up late into the night, agonizing about the sets). A railway worker himself, Ogorzow took advantage of the situation to carry out his murders. Blackout will revolve around a detective assigned to hunt the S-Bahn Murderer down.
Movies about serial killers are nothing new, but the choice to make one set in a remote time and place could prove interesting. The film also comes with a good pedigree: Blackout is being developed by Brad Fischer and James Vanderbilt of Mythology Entertainment. The pair previously produced David Fincher's Zodiac, so they come loaded with know-how about how to adapt serial killer stories for the big screen.
[via Variety]


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Azerbaijan says it fully meets own demand for oil, gas (UPDATE)
Details added (first version posted on 11:34)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 12
Azerbaijan fully meets its own demand for oil and gas, the country's Deputy Energy Minister Natig Abbasov said.
Abbasov made the remarks at the Argus Azerbaijan International Petroleum Summit 2017 in Baku Oct. 12.
According to him, thanks to the OPEC+ agreement on the reduction of oil production, it was possible to stabilize oil prices on the world market.
"Of course, the fall in oil prices slows down the economic development of its producers and affects long-term plans. However, the fact that so many producing countries could agree on cutting production is a historic achievement. This decision significantly stabilized oil prices," noted Abbasov.
Even despite the decline in production in Azerbaijan under the agreement, the country fully meets its own demand for hydrocarbons, added the deputy minister.


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A Guide to the Blacksburg Vertical Files (List of Subjects), 1960s-present
A Collection in
Special Collections
Collection Number
Special Collections, Virginia TechSpecial Collections, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Phone: (540) 231-6308
Fax: (540) 231-3694
Email: email@example.com
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu/
©2013 By Virginia Tech. All rights reserved.
Processed by: Special Collections Staff
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Blacksburg Vertical Files must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [Item-specific information], Blacksburg Vertical File, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Acquisition Information
Newman Library staff began collection materials for vertical files during the 1960s. Special Collections staff add to existing files and continue to create new files as the need arises.
Scope and Content
In general, vertical files at Special Collections include newspaper clippings, photocopies, ephemera, unpublished and/or informal publications, and other papers relating to a specific subject area. Files in this collection relate to Blacksburg and its history. Each topic below has at least one folder and many include cross references.
Vertical files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Related Material
Index Terms
- Vertical files
- Blacksburg (Va.)
- Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
- Montgomery County (Va.)
- Women -- History


text: They say when the student is ready the teacher will appear. Regardless of what you are learning or whom you are learning from, the right teacher can make a mundane subject seem exciting or give a light topic more depth. Yoga is no exception to the rule. When teaching a yoga class, you must be part showman, energetic-but calm, aware of all your students yet keeping a class on pace and most of all have a passion for Yoga. A prime example of the ideal teacher is Rob Candelario Jr. Whether its Power Yoga or his famous Yin class, there is something distinct about Rob's class that gives off a clear indication of his love and knowledge of Yoga. He can explain the asanas and value of yoga in a way that resonates with the advanced and the beginner student all in the same class. He was kind enough to be apart of this month's Tales From the Mat: Rob Candelario Jr. Hi Robert! Tell us about yourself. My name is Robert Candelario Jr. and I was born in San Antonio, Tx and have lived in South Florida the past 14 years, currently I live in Boca Raton. I'm a 500 hr Certified Yoga teacher trained in Vinyasa Krama and Yin Yoga and I teach on average about 20 classes a week of Power Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Yin Yoga, Hatha Yoga, and Meditation, between Delray and Ft Lauderdale. I also do privates with many different body types, needs, and challenges like anything from athletic types working on advanced postures to helping people that have dealt with strokes. I embrace the challenge and know that the bottom line is we are all looking for either a healing or some type of break through and Yoga is a great vehicle for that kind change and transformation to take place. Why is Yoga such an important part of your life? What makes Yoga so important to me is the transformation that took place in my life that I never thought was possible. I was very reluctant to start as I thought it was not going to do anything for me physically, that the gym wasn't already doing for me. But I was wrong. The first class I did was the toughest thing I ever did in my life and pretty much-stayed in child's pose for 1/3 of the class but I loved the way I felt in that room. As time progressed about 4 years later I had dropped 75lbs and was in the best health of my life. My posture was corrected, my foot shrunk from a 11 to a 9.5 in due to my arches lifting again, and my skin cleared up, and I became fit. Mentally I became calmer and things just didn't bother me like they used to and I felt so lite, the weight of the World came off my shoulders. I was sold, feeling better than I ever did I wanted to share this amazing experience with everyone so that's when I decided I wanted to share the Miracle of Yoga by becoming a teacher. That's was the best thing I ever did because I have been blessed to meet so many amazing people and share in their miraculous breakthroughs, I feel like the luckiest person alive. Doing what I do brings me so much joy that I'm often told I'm the happiest person they have ever seen. When you have found your passion and purpose in life honestly, how can you not smile and be beaming. What advice would you give to someone new to Yoga? If your new to Yoga and you would like to try it, the advice I would tell you is to show up for yourself, do the work, stay kind to yourself, learn to push and to let go in a balanced manner, while releasing attachments to outcome. Everyone comes to Yoga for the stretch, if you look at the word stretch, it means to open, to expand, pulling away from tightness, tension, constriction and limitation, see if you can find that opening in every pose and maybe in time you can bring that opening off the mat and incorporate it in your daily life. And of-course never judge your 1st chapter with someone's 20th chapter, wherever your at in your practice of yoga, it is perfect because in that point you can grow and expand both physically and mentally, that's the perfection of it. Favorite quote to live by? My favorite Quote that I live by is actually the definition of Yoga found in the ancient text The Sutras of Patanjali 1:3." Yoga is the ability to hold on to focus and concentration without being disturbed and distracted from internal (mind, body) or external influence (people, events, etc)". This quote reminds me that when we are living in our purpose connected to our highest self, disturbances and distractions stop having power over us. We sometimes get confused thinking that we are our problems, but we are not, we are bigger than that. Are natural state is peace, calm and blissful! What we do in Yoga is let go of all the disturbances and distractions that have us pulled away from our "self'. SO when we say rise up to the high self we mean the "You" that is no longer disturbed or distracted. Where can we catch one of your classes? I teach at Yoga Aura, LIV Yoga Institute, Barkan, Pilates of Boca, The Yoga Joint South, Juliana's Art of Yoga. Check out David Ramoy's website for class times and more. www.davidramoy.com firstname.lastname@example.com