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On-line version ISSN 2304-8557
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Koers (Online) vol.80 n.1 Pretoria 2015
Education from a post-post-foundationalist perspective and for post-post-foundationalist conditions
JL van der Walt
Faculty of Education Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus
Viewed from a Western historical-philosophical perspective, there seem to be at least three broad philosophical orientations on the basis of which Christian educators could approach their pedagogical task. The first is to approach it from a modernist (foundationalist, rationalist) perspective in terms of which the principles and guidelines gleaned from the Bible are cast into a coherent and all-embracing theory that is deterministically applied to ensure certain pedagogical outcomes. The second is just the opposite, namely to operate post-foundationalistically on the basis of a loose collection of Biblical principles and values, and hence to expect the child or young person to muddle through in the postmodern maze in which they are growing up nowadays. The third, referred to in this article as a post-post-foundationalist orientation, an orientation that arguably also can respond appropriately to post-modern conditions, allows the educator to effectively steer through between these two extremes.
Keywords: Christian educators, foundationalist, post(post) foundationalism, postmodern conditions
Daar is, gesien vanuit Westerse histories-filosofiese perspektief, ten minste drie breë filosofiese oriëntasies op grondslag waarvan die Christenopvoeder sy or haar pedagogiese taak kan uitvoer. Die eerste is om vanuit 'n modernistiese (foundationalistiese, rasionalistiese) perspektief die beginsels en riglyne wat uit die Skrif verkry word te giet in 'n samehangende en alomvattende teorie wat deterministies toegepas kan word ten einde sekere uitkomste met die opvoedingshandeling te verseker. Die tweede is presies die teenoorgestelde hiervan, naamlik om post-foundationalisties op te voed aan die hand van 'n losse versameling Bybelse beginsels en waardes, en in werklikheid te verwag dat die kind of die jongmens maar deur die hedendaagse postmoderne doolhof moet voortstrompel. Die derde oriëntasie, waarna in hierdie artikel verwys word as post-post-foundationalisties en wat dalk ook gepas is vir die huidige postmoderne omstandighede, laat die opvoeder toe om effektief tussen hierdie twee uiterstes deur te stuur.
Sleutelterme: Christelike opvoeders, foundationalisties, post(post) foundationalisme, postmoderne toestande
The phrase "Biblical approach to education" simply means that an educator such as a parent or a teacher approaches his or her pedagogical interactions with another person, usually a child or a young adult, on the basis of certain principles and perspectives that have been gleaned from the Bible. The straightforwardness of this statement can be deceptive, however, because the explanatory phrase "on the basis of certain perspectives that have been gleaned from the Bible" elicits a number of further questions. Only one of those questions concerns us here, namely: on the basis of which philosophical orientation does an educator (or: should an educator) glean perspectives on education from the Bible, and from which philosophical orientation does (or should) he or she process and systematise such perspectives into an entirety or "whole" that makes sense to the educator and all other parties involved in the pedagogical experience? The question can also be phrased as follows: does the educator just select, in eclectic fashion, a number of loose perspectives and apply them as conditions dictate, or does she attempt to fuse all the different perspectives into a single cohesive pedagogical approach or view that can be systematically applied so that certain predictable outcomes can be reached? And if she fuses them into a systematic approach, on the basis of what fundamental or worldview perspective does she do this, or should she do this?
The questions above demonstrate that there are at least two avenues open to educators. On the one hand, an educator could avail herself of a plethora of disparate Biblical pointers with respect to education, act upon them, and hope for the desired pedagogical outcome. On the other hand, she could attempt to fuse them all together into a coherent framework, thought system or what has become known as a grand narrative, and apply this system systematically and conscientiously for the purpose of attaining certain predictable pedagogical outcomes. As will be argued below, the first approach could be seen as post-modernistic or post-foundationalist, and the second as modernistic or foundationalist. These terms will be explained in more detail as the argument unfolds.
There is a third possibility, however, and that is the main thrust of this article, namely an attempt could be made on the part of the educator who wishes to educate on the basis of Biblical principles to steer a course between these alternatives, a third way which we will refer to below as a post-post-foundationalist approach to education theory and practice based on Biblical principles. We live in times that are characterised by the coexistence of all three of these perspectives; it has therefore become necessary for educators working on the basis of Biblical principles to reflect on the viability of these possible orientations and to decide upon the one that would best suit an attempt to educate from a Biblical perspective.
The purpose of this article is to help with such reflection. In order to reach its goal, the remainder of this article is structured as follows. The next section contains an analysis of a recent contribution towards post-post-foundationalism in which two points are raised: the need to develop an approach appropriate for post-post-foundationalist times, and the need to develop a post-post-foundationalist Biblical worldview per se. The sections thereafter are devoted to discussions of foundationalism, post-foundationalism and post-post-foundationalism and their implications for education on Biblical grounds. The article concludes with a recommendation about the way forward for education from a Biblical perspective.
Olthuis (2012) recently made a noteworthy attempt to move the notion of a Biblical worldview into the arena of 21st century (postmodern) thought. He firstly asserted that there seems to be general agreement that "there are no innocent, unbiased ways of looking at the world, that everyone wears glasses and looks at the world through a particular lens, window or frame, the idea of worldview has become common currency" (Olthuis 2012:1). Postmodernism has vindicated the notion among Christian scholars that "all knowledge is perspectival, worldview-ish, rooted in a particular historical and cultural setting, rather than universal or absolute" (Olthuis 2012:1). None of us, he claims, begins from a position of innocence; prejudices are not all bad - they are the frames (worldviews) from which we see the world and make sense of it. We all begin and end in the surrender of faith. We all work from a certain spiritual vantage point (cf. Olthuis 2012:5). Postmodernism, he continues (Olthuis 2012:2), does not need to be seen as the enemy; he substantiates this by saying that in his article he "will be arguing that, in a number of important aspects, Postmodernism is more a boon than a bane to the cause of Christ. Indeed, as [he sees] it, there are a number of cardinal features of Postmodernism that deserve to be recognised, honoured and accounted for in a Christian worldview - even if, in terms of the Gospel, they will be revised, even radicalised, in what [he] calls a post-postmodern biblical worldview" (Olthuis 2012:2). In view of this, Olthuis (2012:12) made the bold move to seek for an alternative, which he formulates as follows: "How best do we advocate - and if necessary, rework or recalibrate - a biblical worldview in our postmodern world of the 21st century? Indeed, I will be working towards the formation of what I will be calling a post-postmodern Christian worldview."
Analysis of this intention shows that Olthuis has touched on two different problems. He firstly speaks of a Biblical worldview IN and FOR our postmodern world of the 21st century, and secondly, of the formulation of a post-postmodern worldview per se. These two formulations have implications for the future of a Biblical worldview in the modern world: (a) A biblical worldview IN and FOR a postmodern cultural dispensation may remain unchanged in itself; we only need to find ways to make it plausible and acceptable in order to stem the tide of secularism; the Biblical worldview itself remains in essence untouched. (b) The formulation of a post-postmodern Biblical worldview per se, on the other hand, would entail a change in and of the Biblical worldview itself; the Biblical worldview itself will be changed or adapted to postmodern conditions. The question then arises whether a Biblical worldview could be reworked in such a manner. Will it not lose its intrinsic Biblical character? Olthuis (2012:2) seems to think that such a change or adaptation is possible, hence his claim that "there are certain cardinal features of Postmodernism that deserve to be recognised, honoured and accounted for in a Christian worldview..." He then devotes the rest of the argument in his article to his effort to show how such recognition of postmodernism could be accounted for in a Christian worldview.
Although, as far as could be established, Olthuis (2012) has made a breakthrough with his effort to revisit the Christian worldview in order to move beyond foundationalism (modernism) and post-foundationalism (postmodernism), he was not the first to attempt such a move. As far back as the 1990s, certain scholars felt that something might be amiss with the current philosophical orientation, namely the choice that people had between two equally unacceptable coexistent orientations: foundationalism (modernism) and post-foundationalism (postmodernism) (Talin & Ellis 2002:36). In reaction, cultural philosopher Frederick Turner (1990a, 1990b, 1991a, 1991b, 1995), for instance, came up with the idea of a radical centre of values, a stance that according to him evades both the rigid formalism and moralism of foundationalism and the relativism of post-foundationalism.
Turner (2000: passim) was convinced that in postmodern circumstances people find it difficult to share the same value system, and he came up with the idea of a solvent in the form of a radical centre of values that could help people come to an understanding of a common medium for all kinds of cultural information, a set of values that all people potentially could agree to, and on which they could base their future interactions with one another (Turner 1990a:85, 97). He argued that as the human race recognised itself as a "we" it will be more and more surprised by the otherness of the other. Turner made this claim in the hope that moral values may one day be less arbitrary and thus more negotiable than they are today. In brief, Turner (1990b:745) hoped that it might be possible to develop some universal norms from an understanding of human nature. In his own way, according to Talen and Ellis (2002:36), Turner defined a position that "rejects ... the acute relativism of postmodernists and the rigid moralism of traditional conservatives" (i.e. modernists or foundationists, as we would refer to them today).
Turner's thesis of a radical centre of values has echoed in the thoughts of others (from a variety of religious, philosophical and life view perspectives), such as Hampshire (2003:133, 137139) who contended that the problem of different and frequently conflicting values can be resolved through arbitration in a rational and logical way by people intent on peacefully living together. Bower (2005: 225) also argued that values were largely universal, and Grayling (2002:8) that an informed mind will come out in favour of the truth. Harris (2010:70) searched for a structure that reflects and enforces our deeper understanding of human well-being. Wright (2009: 424-426) and Rée and Urmson (2005:125) depend on intuition to bring us to general moral principles. The core of the radical centre of values, according to Talen and Ellis (2002:36, 37), is the thesis that there are durable, lasting and time-tested truths, values and discoveries that might be gleaned from the value systems that all individuals hold. Needleman's (2008: 108-109) "ethics of the threshold" theory and Makrides' (2013:264, 266) trans-confessional theory are also akin to Turner's radical centre of values thesis. In Talen and Ellis' (2002:37) opinion, there is a need for such normative theorising in a world stripped of meaning by postmodernism and reductionist views of nature and society. Our view of the world, Needleman (2008:107) insists, should be based on our answers to the question who one is, what one ought to be and how one ought to behave. People need a society that is relatively free from unpredictability (Parekh 2000:145), something that is impossible in the fluid conditions of postmodernism.
A comparison of the post-post-modern approaches of Olthuis (see previous section) and Turner cum suis reveals that whereas the latter aimed at discovering a radical centre of values in a secular (non-religious, non-spiritual, non-faith) sense, Olthuis aimed at getting around the value fluidity of postmodernism by suggesting an overhaul of the Christian or Biblical worldview or at least a reinterpretation of certain basic tenets of the Christian worldview in terms that would make sense in postmodern conditions. Turner cum suis seemed to search for common ground in a set of shared secular values, which according to Swartz (2006), Zecha (2007) and Nieuwenhuis (2010) must unavoidably be minimalistic. This does not mean, however, that Christians cannot participate in a search for common ground in terms of shared values. Van der Walt (2007: 156), for instance, mentions the possibility of searching for common values through interactive dialogue, Powlinson (2003: 242) sought for a unifying perspective and Lategan (2010:152) suggests that "certain intellectual judgements" could perform this task.
While radical Christian thinkers such as Van der Walt, Powlinson and Lategan, including educationists such as the author of this article, understand the value of searching for a radical centre of values where people of different religious and worldview persuasion could meet and interact for the sake of peaceful coexistence, they find this solution to the problem of getting around both foundationalism and post-foundationalism unsatisfactory because of the thinness or minimalistic nature of the values in the radical value centre. The way shown by Olthuis is more satisfactory in that it conforms to Christians' calling as children of the Lord. The remainder of this article is, therefore, devoted to a tentative search for a post-post-foundationalist approach to education based on Biblical principles.
Foundationalism, in the "classical" sense, was part of the Enlightenment project: human reason was supposed to be able to attain certain knowledge based on self-evident foundational experiences or a priori propositions from which necessary and universal conclusions could be reached. Absolutism guided the definition of Reason (with a capital "R"). In some cases, foundationalists saw scientific language as attempting to re-present a meta-narrative System (with a capital "S") that corresponds precisely to reality, while others settled for a local-narrative system (with a lower case "s") that is merely internally coherent (Schults 1999:2). A modernist or foundationalist approach to life is characterised by the assumption that there are certain fixed and firm foundations in the form of widely accepted norms, principles or values, usually embodied in life and world views or in philosophical systems (Makrides 2013:253). It is also characterised by a systematic appeal to human reasoning to gain an understanding of reality (Makrides 2013:255, 271, 272). It assumes that we have foundational beliefs that are independent of the support of other beliefs (Schults 1999:2). In its quest for a totalizing knowledge of the truth, foundationalism privileges epistemology as the primary enterprise of philosophy (Schults 1999:8).
While Christian educationists reject the foundationalist deification of reason and the certainty sought within the modern project, inter alia in its positivistic guise (Makrides 2013:271-2), they also question, together with the postmodernists (post-foundationalists), the validity of all-encompassing narratives and absolute claims for capturing and understanding reality in an objective way. They do not, however, go as far as some post-, anti- or non-foundationalists as to take total leave of firm foundations in the form of the norms, principles or values that they glean or derive from the Bible and which are embodied in a Biblical life and worldview.
Generally speaking, post-foundationalists (postmodernists) tend to hold the belief that reality is more complex and multi-layered than one might at first glance think, and hence requires a more flexible and open attitude that allows for the existence of even contradictory perspectives (Makrides 2013:271-2). As mentioned, post-foundationalism has generally moved away from all-encompassing narratives and absolute claims for capturing and understanding reality in an objective way. Since humans are seen as forming an integral part of reality, intending to understand it not as outside or neutral observers but as involved persons, the attainment of final, precise, objective and perennial knowledge about things may be seen as rather illusory, undermining the optimism about correct knowledge, the necessity to control the world, the dream of absolute certainty and the making of universal claims that are supported in one or the other form in the modern context. Postmodernism as post-foundationalism stands rather for the relativity and the partiality of all human discourses, a pluralism of methods and approaches, the multidimensionality of reality, and the potential of mixing seemingly incompatible perspectives (Makrides 2013:273).
Postmodernists - post-foundationalists, as they will henceforth be referred to - see the world as multi-layered, plural and tolerant, allowing many, even mutually contradictory standpoints in their ranks. Post-foundationalism also has a relativising character that rejects notions of exclusivity, absoluteness (in the sense of thinking on the basis of firm and solid norms or life view foundations) (Makrides 2013: 253). Post-foundationalists not only question but also reject the systematic appeal to human reasoning but also relativise a systematic appeal to human reasoning and recognise the contingency and limitations of human discursive (verbal and non-verbal) potential and practices when attempting to gain an understanding of reality (Makrides 2013:255, 271, 272). They have relinquished the dream of controlling the world, of absolute certainty and the making of universal claims. They rather stand for the relativity and the partiality of all human discourse, a pluralism of methods and approaches, the multidimensionality of reality, and the potential of mixing seemingly incompatible perspectives (Makrides 2013:273). Post-foundationalists believe, says Schults (1999:3, 8), that we cannot get "behind" or "under" our beliefs to justify them; all we have are the criteria of coherence with other beliefs within our culturally conditioned web.
Educationalists and educators who base their pedagogical work on Biblical principles and norms find a radical post-foundationalist approach to education as unacceptable as a foundationalist approach, and indeed for the reasons discussed in the following section (with reference to Richard Rorty's post-, anti- or non-foundationalist views. Rorty's views are relevant in pedagogical context because of his ideas about edification. In developing his views regarding this subject, he tends not only towards a post-foundational view but also to an anti- or non-foundationalist stance.).
The need for a firmer "principiah1" foundation
According to Wright (2010:120-123), Rorty's views could mean the end of education as we know it because they imply a detachment of knowledge from reality; understanding could be equated with unconstrained imagination, solipsistic experience and interpretation, and education limited to the role of stimulating private desires. Education along the lines proposed by anti- or non-foundationalists such as Rorty could lead to students failing to obtain knowledge of reality because they might be led to believe that there is no such thing as objective reality, no actual order of things, and that the notion of "reality" only exists within the teacher and the students' conventions, linguistic constructions and personal experience. To educate along these lines, according to Wright (2010:123), is to fall into the epistemic fallacy of confusing reality with knowledge of reality - the fallacy of denying the reality of the universe simply because it is beyond our intellectual powers to fully comprehend it.
To deny the existence of foundations such as principles, norms and firm life and world view suppositions is likewise fallacious. The fallacy of such denial can be illustrated from the work of post-foundationalist Rorty himself, where he appeals to the norms and standards of neo-liberalism, social-democracy, a particular community, practice, experience and effectiveness in practice (does it work? as a norm). In one of his books, Rorty (1999:xxii-xxv) pertinently refers to norms such as "more useful and the less useful," its effectiveness in attempting "to serve transitory purposes and solve transitory problems," its efficiency in accomplishing a certain task, its ability to "achieve coordination of behaviour," its ability to "suit our purposes."
Elsewhere (Rorty 1996b:45) he makes statements that clearly refer to norms such as those referred to above, illustrating that it is indeed impossible for any person to think and argue without appeal to some or other foundation, whether this foundation is only superficial, as in Rorty's case, or deep and profound, as in the case of individuals who appeal to life and world view principles and even religious convictions. Lee (2007:163-164) is therefore correct in concluding that "Rorty drop[ped] the anchor of his epistemology of justification of knowledge not on a foundational proposition, but on society."
Van Niekerk (2005:22, 24, 26, 28, 31, 33, 35, 39) also launchedseveral points of criticism against Rorty's anti- or post-foundationalism: his unwillingness to strive for certain knowledge and grounded facts; his derivation of norms from certain communities and traditions; his search for generally acceptable "truths" (which is reminiscent of Turner's radical value centre theory); his Darwinian-pragmatistic view that knowledge claims only make sense in relation to functions and purposes, and that knowledge acquisition is nothing more than a set of coping mechanisms in terms of which we survive; the fact that he seems to say that intellectual discourse should only occur for ethical (utilitarian) and not epistemological reasons; that he does not search for foundations but merely wishes to explain "how things hang together", and also that he avails himself of standard philosophical discourse while denying doing it.
The turn to a post-post-foundationalist orientation to life in general, and to education in particular
Christians in general, and Christian educators in particular, clearly find it difficult, if not impossible, to live and educate in the midst of the values patchwork characteristic of postmodernism (post-foundationalism). They are willing, on Biblical grounds, to examine the possibilities of living and educating on the basis of a radical centre of values which can be universally shared, as Turner suggested (see above). They regard, for instance, Chapter 2 of the Constitution of South Africa (the manifest of human rights) as a radical centre of values on the basis of which South Africans have entered into a social contract with one another. However, as indicated, they regard these values as minimalist, needing to be filled with life and worldview content to make them meaningful to the individuals of which South African society is made up.
The Christian approach as such differs from a minimalist social contract approach in that the former rests on distinctive Biblical principles such as the recognition of creation by the triune God, the fall into sin by humanity, human depravity, redemption in Jesus Christ and sanctification through the Holy Spirit. These principles are so uniquely Christian that they cannot be shared by non-Christians and hence cannot form part of the radical centre of values. The question that now faces us is how Christians can adhere to these unique Biblical principles in the values-patchwork society in which they live and work in the early 21st century. One solution to this problem, not only for Christians, but for all people who entertain a life and worldview characterised by such unique principles, is to live in accordance with a post-post-foundationalist orientation. This contention will be substantiated in the remainder of this section. The final section of this article will be devoted to a brief discussion of the pedagogical implications of such a post-post-foundationalist orientation.
Whereas Turner and others experienced problems with the divisions brought about by the grand narratives associated with foundationalism and by the values-patchwork of post-foundationalism and hence resorted to the search for a radical centre of values, and whereas Rorty questioned foundationalism as such and hence resorted to a wholesale rejection of foundations (cf. his anti-, post- or non-foundationalist stance), Wilber (2000:ix-x, 37), Wright (2010:131) and Olthuis (2012:2) went in search of an orientation that would acknowledge the possibility of built-in convictions to play their role in the background and hence enable one to steer through between claims regarding universal and absolute truths and an "anything goes" type of relativism (as embodied in, for instance, ludic postmodernism). A post-post-foundationalist approach will enable a thinker to steer through between modernism (foundationalism) "with its faith in reason, science and technology as the singular, linear, inexorable and progressive forces for health, knowledge, continual growth and success" on the one hand (Olthuis 2012:2), and postmodernism's (post-foundationalism's) desire to embrace difference (mutual recognition, attunement and empowerment), deference for the other, difference, pluralism and love for the other.
In line with a post-post-foundationalist2 orientation, Van Huyssteen (2004:10) argues for the abandonment of modernist notions of rationality typically rooted in foundationalism and the quest for secure foundations for the various domains of knowledge while on the other hand he rejects all forms of deconstructive postmodernism and the adoption of relativist forms of non-foundationalism or contextualism as reactions against universalist notions of rationality. His post-post-foundationalist stance is clear: over against the objectivism of foundationalism and the extreme relativism of most forms of non-foundationalism, Van Huyssteen's post-post-foundationalist notion of rationality helps to acknowledge contextuality, the shaping role of tradition and of interpreted experience, while at the same time enabling scholars to reach out beyond their own groups, communities, and cultures, in plausible forms of inter-subjective, cross-contextual, and cross-disciplinary conversations.
Scholars, as rational agents, are always socially and contextually imbedded. On this view, Van Huyssteen (2004:11) claims, rationality is alive and well in all the domains of human life. He argues that all the many faces of human rationality relate directly to a pre-theoretical reasonableness, a "common-sense rationality" that informs and is present in our everyday goal-directed actions. From these everyday activities in ordinary time we can identify epistemic values like intelligibility, discernment, responsible judgement, and deliberation, which guide us when on an intellectual level we come to responsible theory choice and commitment. It is in the pursuit of these goals and ideals that we become rational persons as we learn the skills of responsible judgement and discernment, and where we articulate the best available reasons we have for making what we believe to be the right choices, those reasons we have for holding on to certain beliefs, and the strong convictions we have for acting in certain ways. For this reason we cannot talk abstractly and theoretically about the phenomenon of rationality anymore; it is only as individual human beings, living with other human beings in concrete situations, contexts, and traditions, that we can claim some form of rationality, Van Huyssteen avers. He then correctly argues that a person always relates to his or her world through interpreted experience only (Van Huyssteen 2004:46, 118).
Olthuis's (2012) arguments in favour of a post-postmodern worldview can similarly be construed to be post-post-foundationalist. Olthuis (2012: 1) says, for instance, that in future worldviews need not be seen, in the first place, as conceptual systems but rather as faith-oriented, sensory expectancy filters operating implicitly and largely beneath our conscious awareness, i.e. somewhere in the background of our consciousness. It is now widely acknowledged that everyone comes outfitted with a wide array of pre-judgements, that everyone has built-in biases, and that all of these built-in convictions et cetera help us to gain our own peculiar perspective on what we experience in life. There are no innocent, unbiased ways of looking at the world; everyone looks at the world through a particular lens, window or frame. There is a limit to knowledge, and knowledge is never disinterested, neutral, a-temporal or a-spatial. There is, on the other hand, no such thing as Universal Reason to which one could authoritatively appeal; reason is always qualified and partial, in the service of wider and broader interests. There are no knock-down, airtight logical arguments that are universally valid, proving a certain position as unassailable. Grand narratives that purport to explain everything do not exist; no theory will ever be able to explain reality in all its facets (Olthuis 2012:3). Rather, Olthuis (2012:4) argues, from a post-post-foundationalist perspective worldview should not be seen as static, explicit and conceptually based but rather as a host of non-rational, unconscious and implicit ways of knowing and understanding that play their respective roles in the formation and function of worldviews. It is these implicit ways of knowing that require more and focused attention in a post-post-foundationalist world: a panoply of senses - an intuitive sensorium - aids our orienting in the world. He correctly observes: "... even if it is implicit, operating largely beneath our conscious awareness, we sense our way through the world as much, if not more, than we think our way through. Thus, what we have called a worldview is as much a matter of the imagination as of the intellect, as much unconscious as conscious, involving world-feeling, world-touching, world-smelling and world-hearing. It is by our implicit, often inarticulate awareness of our intuition . by our bodily attunement, by our learned physical, emotional and moral reflexes, that we make our way in the world." Post-post-foundationalism "attends to and makes room for the invisible, the unconscious, the emotional, all the non-rational ways of knowing; not as second-rate, subservient, irrational forces to be repressed, feared or discounted, but as necessary, indispensable co-contributors in the multidimensional process of human development. [.] everything is relational and contextual. The invisible and non-rational, as we have indicated, is just as important as the visible and the rational. What is not said is just as important, if not more so, than what is said" (Olthuis 2012:4-5).
What are the implications of a post-post-foundationalist orientation for Christian education? Olthuis (2012) has given a few, which can be summarised as follows. Firstly, the Christian educator with a post-post-foundationalist orientation should accept that the Christian life and worldview is only one among many. Although we share many of the same values with people of different persuasion, we fill those values with different life and worldview content, namely Biblical content. Although we share certain values with them, we fill them Biblically (Olthuis 2012:3). We secondly recognise the need for the dethronement of reason (with a capital "R). We henceforth apply reason as common sense rationality and not as a divine principle. Life is more than just thinking and logic (Olthuis 2012:3-4). In the third place, we should adapt to post-modern circumstances, among others by accommodating difference. A post-post-foundationalist Biblical worldview needs to be hospitable to and respectful of difference. That is a Biblical mandate (Lv 19:33), Olthuis (2012:2) says. The main thrust of Olthuis' article is, in the fourth place, that educators should understand that "world-viewing and worldviews are about much more than seeing and vision. All of our senses are involved. We see, but also feel, touch, smell our way through the world. An intuitive . panoply of senses develops which implicitly aids our orienting. Indeed, even if it is implicit, operating largely beneath our conscious awareness, we sense our way through the world as much, if not more, than we think our way through. Thus, a worldview is as much a matter of the imagination as of the intellect, as much unconscious as conscious, involving world-feeling, world-touching, world-smelling and world-hearing. It is by our implicit, often inarticulate awareness of our intuition . by our bodily attunement, by our learned physical, emotional and moral reflexes, that we make our way in the world. Recognising the role of all our senses in finding our way in the world suggests that we would do well to talk of world-orienting rather than world-viewing" (Olthuis 2012:4). In view of this, education becomes a process of world-orienting or world-viewing (Olthuis 2012:5).
A post-post-foundationalist approach to education also has implications for the style of educating. If, in a pedagogical situation, the educator might attempt, in an authoritarian manner, to inculcate his or her values in the child,3 the very characteristics that makes a child unique are bracketed, denied or ignored. The differences between educator and child tend to be denied in this scenario. Reason denies the otherness of the other (in this case, the child). The credo of foundationalism was/is totalised mastery and control: educators tend to pass off their own pedagogical and value agendas on the (powerless) children as the voice of reason and authority (Olthuis 2012:3). A post-foundationalist approach, in contrast, purports not to depart from any a priori assumptions, in extreme cases, the attitude of "anything goes". An educator with this theoretical attitude might be tempted to allow the child to follow its own head. The educator's refusal to acknowledge the existence of pedagogical values in his life might lead him or her to let the child have free reign and to follow its own whims.
A post-post-foundationalist approach, as the "new" option for the future, steers a course between these two extremes. A problem is approached with the understanding and realisation that assumptions and convictions indeed play their respective roles in the background, but should not be imposed on any other party, for instance a child. Solutions should be discovered in a socially constructive and interpretive manner during discussions and deliberations with the various parties involved. The pedagogical implications of this "new" approach are clear: pedagogical guidance takes the form of interaction with the child in which both consider the values concerned, and in which the child is allowed to freely adopt those values that make sense to him or her, not only on rational grounds, but also on the basis of intuition, under the guidance and influence of educators, and just plain common sense.
It is clear from the foregoing that from a post-post-foundationalist perspective, all educators do work from some or other philosophical or life and world view foundation. The difference between a foundationalist, a post-foundationalist and a post-post-foundationalist orientation lies in the degree to which the educator allows his or her philosophical or life and world view foundation to determine the course of the pedagogical process. In a foundationalist approach, the foundations will be applied deterministically to the pedagogical process; in a post-foundationalist approach, the pedagogical process will be allowed to play itself out indeterministically, without direction or guidelines, as it were. A post-post-foundationalist pedagogical orientation steers through between these extremes by employing a post-post-foundationalist view of human reasoning, by leaving room for imagination, interpretation, experience, creativity, openness (open conversation), flexibility, inter-subjectivity and a willingness to adapt to circumstances. In terms of Christian education, this means that Biblical principles will be present in the pedagogical process but will play a role in the back of the educator's mind; they will not be "up front" and "in your face", as would have been the case in traditional (foundationalist) Christian education. The educator will occasionally deal consciously with the reasons for entertaining certain firm beliefs and strong convictions, but will try to restrict them to playing their role in the background of his or her thinking. Reflection of this nature will help the educator to interact purposefully and intentionally with the child, to act intelligently, wisely and on the basis of moral imagination. It will help him or her to forward reasons for doing things in a certain way.
Instead of authoritatively imposing certain forms of knowledge, understanding and principles on the child, the educator with a post-post-foundationalist orientation will accompany the child in a process of understanding the world on the basis of interpreted experience (on the basis of presuppositions, principles and convictions that subtly play their roles in the background). Through interpreted experience the child will build a life and worldview that is not static but constantly develops and unfolds, able to keep up with a world that is constantly changing and "sliding". Education then becomes the process of helping the child understand his or her role as a rational agent in a changing world, as a person with the responsibility of dealing with contextuality, tradition, interpreted experience and reaching out to others (of the same and also of different life and world view persuasion).
Educators in general and Christian educators in particular, have reached a cross-road. The children that they teach and educate nowadays, both at home, in the church or at school, live in the context of a postmodern or post-foundationalist orientation to life and to personal existence, in particular. The time has gone for educators to educate from an authoritative foundationalist perspective. Since it would not do justice to the education of children and young people to allow them to just muddle through in a world characterised by a patchwork of values, another pedagogical orientation should be considered. A post-post-foundationalist orientation to pedagogy seems to be most likely to succeed at the present juncture since it entails accompaniment of the child or young person through the postmodern maze.
Competing interests
The author declares that he has no financial or personal relationship(s) that may have inappropriately influenced him in writing this article.
Bower, C., 2005, Open minds, closed minds and Christianity, Aardvark Press, Valyland. [ Links ]
Grayling, A. C., 2002, The meaning of things, Phoenix, London. [ Links ]
Hampshire, S., 2003, Justice and conflict, in Baggini, J. & Stangroom, J., What philosophers think, pp. 133-142, Continuum, London. [ Links ]
Harris, S., 2010, The moral landscape: How science can determine human values, Bantam, London. [ Links ]
Lategan, L. O., 2011, Research ethics and integrity: What should be on the agenda? Journal for Christian Scholarship , 47 (2), 72-89. [ Links ]
Lee, H.M., 2007. Postmodern Epistemology and Schooling, North-West University, Potchefstroom. [ Links ]
Makrides, V. N., 2013, Orthodox Christianity, Modernity and Postmodernity: Overview, Analysis and Assessment, Religion, State and Society , 40 (3-4), 248-285. [ Links ]
Needleman, J., 2008, Why can't we be good? Jeremy P Tarcher / Penguin, New York. [ Links ]
Nieuwenhuis, J., 2010, Social justice in education revisited, Örebro-Unisa Confer ence, 1-3 February, Pretoria. [ Links ]
Olthuis, J.H., 2012, A vision of and for love: Towards a Christian post-postmodern worldview, Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship , 77 (1), 1-7. [ Links ]
Parekh, B., 2000, Non-ethnocentric universalism, in Dunne, T. & Wheeler, N. J. Human rights in global politics, pp. 128-159, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. [ Links ]
Powlinson, D., 2003, Seeing with new eyes, P & R Publishing, Phillipsburg. [ Links ]
Rée, J. & Urmson, J. O., 2005, The concise Encyclopaedia of Western Philosophy, Routledge, London. [ Links ]
Rorty, R., 1996, Relativism: finding and making. In J. Niznik & J. T. Sanders, eds, Praeger, Westport and London. [ Links ]
Rorty, R., 1999, Philosophy and Social Hope, Penguin Books, London. [ Links ]
Schults, F. L., 1999, The veritable ideal of systematicity: a post-foundationalist construal of the task of Christian Theology, Paper presented to the Systematic Theology Group of the AAR, Boston, Ma. [ Links ]
Swartz, S., 2006, A long walk to citizenship: morality, justice and faith in the aftermath of apartheid, Journal of Moral Education , 35 (4), 551-570. [ Links ]
Talin, E. & Ellis, C., 2002, Beyond relativism: Reclaiming the search for good city form, Journal of Planning Education and Research , 36-49. [ Links ]
Turner, F., 1990a. The universal solvent: Meditations on the Marriage of World Cultures, Performing Arts Journal , 12 (3), 75-98. [ Links ]
Turner, F., 1990b, The meaning of value: An economics for the future, New Literary History , 21 (3), 747-762. [ Links ]
Turner, F., 1991a. Beauty: The value of values, University of Virginia Press, Charlot-tesville. [ Links ]
Turner, F., 1991b, Rebirth of value: Meditations on beauty, ecology, religion and education, State University of New York Press, Albany. [ Links ]
Turner, F., 1995, The culture of hope: A new birth of the classical spirit, Free Press, New York. [ Links ]
Turner, F., 2000, Stealing "beauty", American Arts Quarterly , 17 (1), 30-34, 43. [ Links ]
Van der Walt, B. J., 2007, Transforming Power: Challenging Contemporary Secular Society, Institute for Contemporary Christianity in Africa, Potchefstroom. [ Links ]
Van Huyssteen, J. W., 2004, Alone in the world? Human Uniqueness in Science and Technology, William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids. [ Links ]
Van Huyssteen, J. W., 2012, In gesprek met Fritz Gaum, in Claassen, G. &. Gaum,F., eds., pp 113-132, Tafelberg, Cape Town. [ Links ]
Van Niekerk, A., 2005, Contingency and universality in the Habermas-Rorty debate, Acta Academica (2), 21-41. [ Links ]
Wilber, K., 2000, Sex, Ecology, Spirituality. The spirit of evolution, 2nd revised. ed., Shambalala, Boston & London. [ Links ]
Wright, A., 2010. Dancing in the Fire: A deconstruction of Clive Erricker's Postmodern Spiritual Pedagogy, Religious Education: The Official Journal of the Religious Education Association, 96(1), 120-135. [ Links ]
Wright, R., 2009, The evolution of God, Little, Brown and Company, New York. [ Links ]
Zecha, G., 2007, Opening the road to values education, in D. N. Aspin & J. D. Chapman, eds., Values education and lifelong learning, pp. 48-60, Springer, Dordrecht. [ Links ]
JL van der Walt
Private Bag X6001
Potchefstroom Campus
North-West University
Potchefstroom, 2520
South Africa
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Accepted: 01 Jun. 2015
Published: 01 Sep. 2015
1 This neologism embodies the idea of a foundation consisting of definite principles or points of departure.
2 Van Huyssteen himself refers to this orientation as post- foundationalist. Since postmodernism can be regarded as post-foundationalist, we refer to this orientation as post-post- foundationalist, i.e. post-postmodernist.
3 The "banking" approach to education that Paulo Freire so vehemently rejected.


text:
Do you want to feel more confident in expressing your opinions—to be able to "hold your own" in an argument or class discussion? Do you want to be able to express your feelings (whether positive or negative) in a genuine fashion? Or do you want to limit your tendency to lose control and get angry at those who may not deserve it? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may benefit from reading this brochure and learning how to become more assertive.
What is Assertiveness?
Assertiveness is the ability to express yourself openly and honestly while also reflecting a genuine concern for others. It is about having the confidence to be yourself, to be true to your values and beliefs, and to be courageous enough to speak up when needed. Acting assertively can increase your chances for honest relationships, help you to feel better about yourself, and give you a sense of control in everyday situations. However, asserting yourself will not necessarily guarantee you happiness or fair treatment by others. Just because you assert yourself does not mean you will always get what you want. Nonetheless, by developing an ability to express yourself, you may be able to reduce your stress, increase your feelings of self-worth, improve your decision-making abilities, and feel more self-confident in relationships.
When confronted with difficult situations, people can sometimes respond passively or aggressively. Passive people tend to be distrustful of their own thoughts and feelings. Therefore, they often think about appropriate "comebacks" or "what I should have said" long after the situation has ended. This person often feels inhibited, anxious, and allows others to depreciate their value. Other individuals may respond aggressively to difficult situations. Aggressive individuals express their rights but often at the expense, degradation, or humiliation of others. Consequently, the aggressive person may get what they want, but they may lose the respect of others in the process. Assertiveness falls in between these two responses. And if being assertive does not come naturally, it can feel like being between a rock and a hard place, or what has been bluntly described as "a middle ground between being a bully and a doormat" (Barnette, 2000). We hope that this brochure demonstrates some of the subtleties and nuances of acting in an assertive manner.
This brochure focuses on assertive communication that allows you to express your wishes, thoughts, and feelings in ways that show respect for the others' wishes, thoughts and feelings. It also addresses potential barriers to being assertive and how assertiveness may look different across cultures.
Components of Assertive Behavior
There are several important aspects that contribute to assertiveness – it involves not only what you say but also how you say it. Keep in mind that there are cultural variations in what is considered appropriate for assertive communication. Many of the components listed below are embedded in a Western context, where self-assertion is considered valuable in developing more direct and open communication and a greater sense of equality in relationships. We list some cultural considerations in the sections that follow.
What To Say
There are ways to express the content of your message such that the other individual will be more likely to hear you. Express yourself and your feelings, and take responsibility for them rather than labeling or blaming the other person. You do not need to put someone else down to express yourself. Remember that assertiveness includes the expression of affection as well as feelings of anger or frustration. Specifically:
1. Be as specific and clear as possible about what you want, think, and feel. Vague or tentative statements will likely lead to misinterpretation. The following statements project this preciseness:
"I feel…"
"I don't want to…"
"I have mixed reactions. I agree with these aspects for these reasons, but am distressed about these aspects for these reasons."
2. "Own" your message. Acknowledge that your message comes from your frame of reference and your perceptions. You can acknowledge ownership with personalized ("I") statements such as "I don't agree with you" (as compared to "You're wrong"). Blaming statements such as this, rather than a statement of ownership, will likely foster resentment and resistance rather than understanding and cooperation.
3. Ask for feedback and then listen carefully to the other person. "Am I being clear?" Does that make sense? How do you see this situation? What do you want to do?" Asking for feedback can make it clear to the other person that you are expressing an opinion, feeling, or desire rather than a demand. Listening to their feedback and engaging in a discussion can correct any misperceptions either of you have. Encourage others to be clear, direct, and specific in their feedback to you.
How to Say It
1. Eye Contact: Looking directly but comfortably at the person to whom you're speaking helps communicate your sincerity and interest. Looking away or staring too intently can be uncomfortable for the other person.
2. Body Posture: Turning towards an individual feels much more personal than turning away or to the side. A slumped, passive stance makes it difficult to stand up for oneself – both literally and figuratively.
3. Physical Contact and Distance: Closeness is a nonverbal form of communication that varies greatly across cultures. In western cultures, standing or sitting closely or touching suggests intimacy in a relationship (unless you are in a crowded space). Being too close or too far away may offend someone and have an impact on his or her ability to listen openly to you.
4. Facial Expression and Gestures: Your expression should match your message. When you are angry, the most effective way is to deliver your message with a straight, non-smiling facial expression, not with a big smile and jovial gestures.
5. Voice: A level, even tone of voice is both clear and convincing without being intimidating or ignorable. Consider your tone, inflection, and volume when speaking.
6. Timing: Generally, the best practice is to respond in the moment. It will allow you to focus on your feelings at the time. However, it is never too late to return to a person at a later time to share your feelings about an interaction.
7. Listening: Actively listening and attending to another person is a reflection of assertive listening. It reflects a commitment to understanding and respect for another individual's needs and wishes. It may mean that you avoid expressing yourself right away so that you can fully listen.
Cultural Variations in Assertiveness
The components of assertive behavior listed in this brochure are provided to facilitate appropriately assertive communication in a Western-based cultural setting. And while we hope these tips will enhance your assertiveness while living, socializing, and communicating in U.S. culture, we recognize that there are important variations in interpersonal communication across cultures that impact the "what" and "how" of being assertive. For example, traditional Asian cultures value subtlety and indirectness in communication. More direct or confrontational styles may be viewed as disrespectful and lacking in finesse.
Nonverbals, an important aspect of communication, may also vary. For instance, individuals from Latino, African/African American, Arab, South American, or French backgrounds may tend to stand much closer together when conversing than do European Americans. In terms of facial expressions, while demonstrating congruence between your inner feelings and outward expressions is generally helpful, it is important to consider that in some cultures (e.g., Japanese
and Chinese), restraint of strong emotions such as anger and sadness is considered to be a sign of wisdom and maturity. Tone of voice, too, can show considerable variation. Many Europeans Americans tend to speak more loudly and charismatically than people from Asian countries, but may be considered soft-spoken compared to Arabs. Finally, behaviors used to show that one is listening may also vary by culture. African Americans may not always look at their conversation partner, nod their head, or say "uh huh" to indicate that they are listening. The "take-home" message is that what is considered appropriately assertive can vary by culture. Be thoughtful about how your own cultural background and those of others may play a role.
Barriers to Assertiveness
Many people struggle to develop assertiveness because they believe that they do not have the right to be assertive, lack the skills to express themselves effectively, or feel highly anxious or fearful about asserting themselves. They may also struggle due to social and cultural factors. Since assertiveness tends to require a sense of safety and belonging, individuals who feel
different or that they cannot be themselves, may be less apt to act in an assertive manner. In other words, when people are afraid or uncomfortable, they often hold back. For instance, individuals who are a member of a cultural minority group (whether ethnic, gender, or sexual orientation) may fear being judged or rejected and thus keep their views or other important parts of
themselves hidden. Women, for example, are not taught to directly communicate their wants and needs the same way that men are. And when they do communicate their needs, they are more likely to be viewed as aggressive rather than assertive. Assertiveness thus extends beyond individual skills and into the community. Ultimately, being assertive is about creating an open
and accepting environment that welcomes a diversity of styles and perspectives, thereby enabling others to live and act in an authentic, assertive manner.
Examples of an Assertive Student
Scenario 1: Your roommate is driving you up a wall—she never cleans up her messes, she uses your things without asking, and often has her boyfriend over without asking you first. What do you do? Instead of shooting her dirty looks (that don't seem to work) or complaining endlessly to your parents and friends, try talking with her in an assertive manner. Consider the following possibilities:
Passive response: Say nothing, but get upset when you clean up her messes.
Aggressive response: "You're such a rude person to leave your filthy clothes and dishes all over the place! I wish I had a single room."
Assertive response: "I was hoping we could talk about keeping our room clean. I get frustrated when you don't do your dishes. Maybe we could come up with a reasonable solution together."
Scenario 2: The partner you have been assigned for a group project is frequently late to meetings and doesn't seem to do his share of the work. He just showed up 15 minutes late for your
meeting at the library. What do you do?
Passive response: "Hi, let me show you what I've been working on so far" [while inside you're thinking: once again, I'm doing all the work!].
Aggressive response: Late again?! I wish I hadn't gotten paired with someone so irresponsible. Assertive response: Before we start, I'd like to talk to you about our meetings. I have been irritated when we don't start on time. We were supposed to meet at 8:30 and now it's 9:00. Can we discuss this, so that we can work well together?
Learning to Become More Assertive
As you learn to become more assertive, it may be helpful to work with a therapist, friend, or family member whom you trust. Remember to use your assertive skills selectively. It takes time and practice, as well as a willingness to accept yourself as you make mistakes, to reach the goal of acting assertively. It can be helpful to keep a special notebook and log entries including self- examination, readings, goals, etc., as well as the situations, people, attitudes, behaviors, and obstacles you encounter as you practice expressing yourself. Observe your own behavior, keep track of your progress, and set realistic goals. As you practice your techniques, it is often helpful to have accepting relationships and a supportive environment. People who understand and care about you are your strongest assets. Once again, becoming assertive is a process that unfolds over time, and practice and patience will help you on your journey to become more assertive.
Additional Resources
Alberti, R. E., & Emmons, M. L. (2008). Your Perfect Right: A Guide to Assertive Living (9th ed.). Atascadero, CA: Impact Publishers, Inc.
Barnette, V. (2000, September). Assertive Communication. Retrieved June 3, 2008, from The University of Iowa University Counseling Service Web site: http://www.uiowa.edu/~ucs/asertcom.html
Bishop, S. (2006). Develop Your Assertiveness (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Kogan Page Publishers. Dryden, W. & Constantinou, D. (2005). Assertiveness Step by Step. London: Sheldon Press. McClure, J. S. (2003). Communication with Backbone…Not Bite. Denver: Albion Street Press. Paterson, R. J. (2000). The Assertiveness Workbook: How to Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and in Relationships. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Great Squirrel-Chipmunk War
|Dolphin Uprising
|Date: March 1743
|Place: Some dirty shithole
|Outcome: A bunch of varmints die
|Some Squirrel
|Some Chipmunk
The great squirrel-chipmunk war was sparked by the increasingly growing population of squirrels in Deerfield during the time of 1743. These squirrels, who held nightly bacchanals, soon disturbed the previously peaceful, nurturing neighborhood that had been established by the chipmunks. The resident chipmunks, alarmed by the wild, raucous behavior exhibited by the squirrels, soon organized social action groups and committees which would later serve as the models for human revolutionary groups such as the 1st Continental Congress in America.
The Tension Builds[edit]
Many attempts to keep the peace were led by famous chipmunk rights activist Cashew McNutterbutter, such as the 300 foot march. Considering how difficult it is to keep the interest of hundreds of chipmunks for more then 12 seconds, this distance is truly remarkable. However, despite efforts such as these, the bulk of the population wanted a war, and with the help of General Chuby-Cheeks, this was made possible.
The Dawn Of War[edit]
The first battle was held on a bird bath next to the house of Miss Petunia Collins, a charming pediatric gynachologist who loved collecting stamps and knitting, on March 2, 1743. At 6:00 in the morning, 75 chipmunks and 35 squirrels met at the bird bath. At 6:03 and 45 seconds, just as the military leaders had done the customary bow to one another and the referee had flipped the coin, they were all scared away by a "small but ferocious looking chickadee", states Private Snickers. He continued to say, "we could have taken him, we just didn't want to..."
War Continues[edit]
The second battle of the war was fought at the apple tree, now called the memorial tree. The battle was short and bloody. The Chipmunks were outmanned and outgunned.
The Tragic Conclusion[edit]
The third and final battle was fought on the great old cherry tree that once had been common ground, and had even, in times of peace, been the site of a popular shopping center. Sadly, as the fight was about to start, an "immature punk named Cesar Garcia" decided he wanted to try out his new saw and proceeded to cut down the tree despite the soldiers cries of mercy. He was later questioned about his actions; he responded "How am I supposes to understand what 'Help!' sounds like in chipmunk?" Although the punk claimed that he "could not tell a lie", the victims' family members doubt the validity of his claims of innocence to the squirrels' and chipmunks' plight, and legal proceedings are underway. The only survivors of the great axing were two chipmunks and one half-dead squrrel. But those two chipmunks were scaredy-cats (Or is it that they were scared of the cats who had began investigating the carnage? History is vague here...) and promptly ran away, making the squirrels the victors. The great war ended at 6:47, even though the public and the majority of the press had lost interest by 6:00 and 42 seconds.
Sadly, until this time, humanity has not for the most part known of the Great Squirrel-Chipmunk War. For some odd reason, history classes tend to focus on the Revolution, the Civil War, and the World Wars. Just another sign of our failing educational system...
Or Is It?[edit]
Recent rumors of the deveopment of a new breed of super squirrel called a peruvian nerve squirrel by Kushan, Galactic conquest's leading mad scientist, have sparked an arms race between the forces of squirrel and chipmunk. It is believed that the chipmunks are developing Nukular Bombs, but since the UN can't find weapons inspector's small enough to investigate, no one knows for sure.


text:
- FamiTracker users will be able to enjoy the user interface extensions in 0CC-FT, without needing to worry about compatibility issues;
- Similarly, they can receive bug fixes for the vanilla branch, some of which are rather severe and have been present for many years;
- They can more easily transition to 0CC-FT once they get used to the workflow in this build;
- Such a build can prevent 0CC-FT itself from maintaining too much legacy code and checking version compatibility during run-time;
- It will serve to highlight the interface features of 0CC-FT that I believe are underrated compared to its module features.
Announcing 057-FamiTracker
Questions and information regarding the source & NSF driver.
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Announcing 057-FamiTracker
057-FamiTracker is a suspended version of 0CC-FamiTracker; it is a special build that supports only the vanilla FamiTracker subset of module features, but otherwise shares all the improvements in 0CC-FamiTracker. I realized that such a build would have many benefits:
refactoring 0cc-famitracker
Re: Announcing 057-FamiTracker
+1 2 this post
Re: Announcing 057-FamiTracker
Cool. I like to see the release!
I'm Sky Yoshi and I'm a Japanese Tracker.
I am back from 5 months of absent!
Check out my Links to see what I do!
Do you wanna be pointless? Click here!
I am back from 5 months of absent!
Check out my Links to see what I do!
Do you wanna be pointless? Click here!
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text: Search Search Effective Health Care website Submit search Search Tip: Use double quotes around phrases to rank exact matches higher in the result list. 267 results Sort search results by Sorted by relevance Sort by date Antinuclear Antibody, Rheumatoid Factor, and Cyclic-Citrullinated Peptide Testing for the Evaluation of Musculoskeletal Complaints in Pediatric Populations Research Protocol September 29, 2010 Diagnosis of Gout Research Protocol July 17, 2014 Noninvasive Treatments for Low Back Pain Research Protocol October 8, 2014 Addressing Social Isolation To Improve Health of Older Adults: A Rapid Evidence Review Research Protocol June 14, 2018 Treatment of Acute Pain: An Evidence Map Research Protocol February 12, 2019 Depression in Children: Systematic Review Research Protocol August 24, 2018 Long-Term Drug Therapy and Drug Holidays for Osteoporotic Fracture Prevention Research Protocol April 12, 2018 Adverse Effects of First-line Pharmacologic Treatments of Major Depression in Older Adults Research Protocol February 7, 2018 Management of Gout Research Protocol November 3, 2014 Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage Research Protocol June 11, 2014 Interventions Addressing Children Exposed to Trauma: Part 2 – Trauma Other Than Child Maltreatment and Family Violence Research Protocol March 26, 2012 Recurrent Nephrolithiasis in Adults: A Comparative Effectiveness Review of Preventive Medical Strategies Research Protocol June 15, 2011 Impact of Community Health Worker Certification on Workforce and Service Delivery for Asthma and Other Selected Chronic Diseases Research Protocol June 12, 2019 Protocol: A Rapid Evidence Review of Retention Strategies for Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) in Adults with Opioid Use Disorder Research Protocol May 8, 2019 Characteristics of Existing Asthma Self-Management Education Packages Research Protocol April 16, 2019 Can Physical Activity Improve the Health of Wheelchair Users? A Systematic Review Research Protocol April 12, 2019 Systematic Review Update: Noninvasive Nonpharmacologic Treatments for Chronic Pain Research Protocol March 1, 2019 Nonopioid Pharmacologic Treatments for Chronic Pain Research Protocol March 1, 2019 Opioid Treatments for Chronic Pain Research Protocol February 27, 2019 Maternal and Fetal Effects of Mental Health Treatments in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women: A Systematic Review of Pharmacological Interventions Research Protocol January 11, 2019 Diagnosis and Treatment of Clinical Alzheimer's-type Dementia (CATD) Research Protocol November 27, 2018 Skin Substitutes for Treating Chronic Wounds Research Protocol November 27, 2018 Pharmacologic Management of Acute Pain by EMS in the Prehospital Setting Research Protocol October 30, 2018 Interventions for Substance Use Disorders in Adolescents: A Systematic Review Research Protocol October 29, 2018 Pharmacologic and Non-pharmacologic Therapies in Adult Patients with Acute Exacerbation of COPD: A Systematic Review Research Protocol October 10, 2018 Antipsychotics for the Prevention and Treatment of Delirium: A Systematic Review Research Protocol September 6, 2018 Achieving Health Equity in Preventive Services: Systematic Evidence Review Research Protocol August 31, 2018 Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Treatments of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Research Protocol July 10, 2018 Mobile Health Technology for Diabetes Research Protocol July 12, 2017 Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Patients: A Systematic Review Update Research Protocol July 7, 2017 PreviousPage 1 of 9Next


text:
Follow Us On:
Click on the links below to view the following election results:
2010 Primary Election
2010 General Election
Tammy Jones, Supervisor of Elections, Levy County
OFFICE: 421 S. Court Street, Bronson, FL 32621 * PHONE: (352) 486-5163 * FAX: (352) 486-5146
Hours of Operation: M - F 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Under Florida law, email addresses are considered public record. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send email to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.


text:
Back in 1995, Don Estes of CM Welding invented the Disrupter, a set of steel lugs installed inside the rotor separator section of Case IH and John Deere rotary combines to cut up corn shucks, green stem soybeans, and wheat straw, which can otherwise lead to rotor loss. This year, Estes has come out with a second product to reduce grain loss in rotors, this time caused by an overloaded separator.
"The two main reasons for grain loss in rotors are crop residue and an overloaded rotor," Estes says. "If you want to stop rotor overload, you must start removing grain in the concave section before it gets to the separator section."
Estes says in Case IH combines, there are wires you can remove in the concave to open up the area prior to separation to allow more grain to flow into the tank. The John Deere STS, by comparison, uses round bars in the concave with 5/8-in. openings that are not removable.
"The grate used in the concave of John Deere STS combines, in my opinion, is not large enough or open enough to get eight rows, let alone 12 rows, through the combine without sacrificing ground speed," he says. "Try pouring either 29% or even 13% of the corn through the 5/8-in. slot with two round openings."
To fix the problem, Estes has designed a replacement grate for the concave in John Deere STS combines. The grate is made up of ½-in. square rods that have a 1 1/4-in. space between the rods to allow for more grain to pass through before reaching the separator. He says the new grate, installed in the rear section of the concave, will allow for 68% greater crop flow.
"The more crop volume you can get out of the concave section, the less that has to be separated in the separator section," Estes says.
List price is $749.00 You can also buy an entire kit that includes the grate along with a set of STS Disrupter lugs for $1,098.
For more information, contact CM Welding Inc., Dept. FIN, 4496 N. Co. Rd. O E-W, Frankfort, IN 46041, 765/258-4024 or 765/891-1722, or visit www.cmweldinginc.com.


text:
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Today the SCAC office
announced a promotional tour of the conference in which conference
office personnel will visit all eight member campuses over eight
consecutive days.
The tour, which will be promoted via the twitter hashtag #SCAC8in8, will begin Saturday, October 12 on the campus of Texas Lutheran University and conclude on Saturday, October 19 on the campus of Southwestern University.
"Although the SCAC has been around since 1962, the league almost feels new with the recent membership changes, so we wanted to reach out to the membership to promote the SCAC name on our member campuses and to celebrate our student-athletes," said conference commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. "We hope this will create some buzz on each campus and that students will come out to the events and have some fun with it."
SCAC assistant commissioner James Hill, along with sports information assistant Krista Billingsley, will attend various athletics competitions for eight consecutive days on the eight member campuses. The event will be promoted via twitter (@SCAC_Sports) as well as a daily blog which will be posted on the conference website (www.scacsports.com). The SCAC will also enlist the assistance of a student-athlete representative from each campus to shoot video and take pictures, which will be posted on the conference's Instagram and YouTube accounts.
The #SCAC8in8 schedule is listed below:
Oct. 12 – Texas Lutheran University / Seguin, Texas
Oct. 13 – Schreiner University / Kerrville, Texas (Men's and Women's Soccer)
Oct. 14 – Trinity University / San Antonio, Texas (Women's Soccer)
Oct. 15 – University of Dallas / Irving, Texas (Volleyball)
Oct. 16 – Colorado College / Colorado Springs, Colorado (Volleyball)
Oct. 17 – Austin College / Sherman, Texas (Volleyball)
Oct. 18 – Centenary College / Shreveport, Louisiana (Men's and Women's Soccer)
Oct. 19 – Southwestern University / Georgetown, Texas (Football)


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I think it would be a good idea if the person who invites someone into a game could retract the invite. I have recently sent an invite in error so now faced with the wrong partner joining the team, also i have sent invites and then realised they are not active online at the time and wish to change but cant as any pm is not going to reach them, so there is then a frustating 24hr wait for it to expire, this will sometimes lead to other players dropping out especially if they are limited to 4 games. also if you are organising several different games as people join or decline you realise that some of your invites would be better placed for a more balanced game particulary doubles games. obviously if someone has accepted the invite it should remain. But i feel this change could improve the management of games.
I await your thoughts.
Robert The Red


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New satellite inventory management system keeps tabs on input supplies.
If you store feed additives or other inputs in a bulk tank or silo out on the back forty and are tired of driving out to check product levels, there's help. A new inventory management system by Electronic Sensors will monitor the levels for you and have new product shipped without your having to make a single phone call to your supplier.
Eye in the sky. Electronic sensors installed on the tank or silo measure product levels. That information is sent to your input supplier by way of satellite signals. Solar panels and a transmitter on the tank send the signals to the satellite.
In the past, telephone lines were the only way to transmit inventory information, which limited inventory management to those areas that had telephone connections or cellular service, according to Marsh Martin, spokesperson for Electronic Sensors.
"Now we can monitor tanks and silos that are remotely located, where you can't get to a phone line or other power source to transmit data," Martin says.
Using satellites also is cheaper than having a dedicated phone line. And it allows you to move your storage tanks without losing monitoring capability. "You can put [a receiver] on a railroad car, for instance, and can have a GPS signal that tells the vendor where the car is," says Mac McCurdy, product specialist with Electronic Sensors.
Daily checks. Your input suppliers can have access to information about product levels in your tanks on a daily basis so they will know when it is time to schedule a new shipment.
Martin says that vendor-managed inventory is a fairly new concept to agriculture. Vendors generally offer it as a free service to customers. If your suppliers do not offer this service, Electronic Sensors can help them get set up. Contact Electronic Sensors, Dept. FIN, 1611 W. Harry, Wichita, KS 67213, 800/886-2511.


text: Hawkins & Scuffelll have come to the end of their lease on Jervois Road but the website is current and we are always available. A representative selection of our stock is exhibited at The Vivian Gallery on Omaha Valley Road just north of Matakana. If you cannot find what you are looking for please e mail us and we will be able to send you images of items that may suit. We can be contacted via this website or by our mobile 021 478 499


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Today's vehicles feature more safety-oriented technology than ever before. These devices, including Bluetooth hands-free mobile technology, high-tech navigation systems, GM's OnStar and Ford Motor Co.'s Sync, all have been promoted as tools to help motorists stay safer on the road.
And you may be surprised at who thinks all this new car safety is actually dangerous: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. In fact, he seems intent on waging a campaign against technology that's ostensibly meant to improve safety.
Continue Reading Below
In January, The Washington Post reported that "LaHood has said he believes motorists are distracted by any use of mobile phones while driving, including hands-free calls made while using vehicle information and entertainment systems such as Ford Motor Company's Sync and General Motors' OnStar."
Could advanced vehicle technology actually be causing more crashes?
Jose Alberto Ucles, spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), says, "Anything that takes your eyes off the road or your hands off the wheel is a distraction, and people need to make sure they are completely focused on the task of driving safely. We're aware of the rapid growth of these types of technologies, and are currently evaluating the impact on driver distraction. Based on our research, we plan to establish guidelines for manufacturers to address distraction risks. Secretary LaHood has also been meeting with automakers to discuss these matters."
One of the organizations with a stake in the issue is the Itasca, Ill.-based National Safety Council.
"We've taken a look at the broad subject for the last two or three years," says David Teater, senior director of transportation initiatives. "We think the evidence is overwhelming that all cell phone conversations, regardless of whether they're taking place hands-free or not, are both distracting and a safety hazard. We have not found a single credible study that shows there's any safety improvement using hands-free devices. And at the same time, we have more than 25 peer-reviewed, published studies showing no safety improvement from using a hands-free device while driving," he says.
The council identifies three types of driving distractions:
*Visual. "If you're taking your eyes off the road to input destinations into a navigation system, that's a significant safety hazard," he says.
*Mechanical. That involves taking your hands from the wheel, causing a potentially hazardous situation. "But we've been doing that for years with manual transmissions," Teater admits.
*Cognitive distraction. Possibly the most dangerous of the three, this results when people's minds are not fully engaged in the task of driving. "That leads to what some researchers refer to as inattention blindness," Teater says. "You're looking at the road, but you're not seeing it because your mind is engaged in another task."/li>
The brain cannot truly multi-task. "It toggles tasks," he says. "It goes back and forth and switches between different tasks. That's why hands-free conversations are not safer. [With hands-free devices], you put one hand back on the wheel. But if you make a mistake, you can hurt or kill somebody."
Teater recommends that you drive without multi-tasking. In other words, don't use a cell phone when driving.
Just look at these numbers
The implications of using cell phones or other devices while driving are borne out in compelling statistics, says Teater. Car crashes are the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. People under age 35 are more likely to die in a car crash than for any other reason, including disease. Approximately 35,000 people die annually in car crashes on highways. That's 100 people a day on average, Teater says.
Two components cause crashes. It depends on the dangerousness of the distraction and how often drivers are exposed to it. Cell phones are "off the charts" in frequency, he says, noting that NHTSA estimates that roughly 10% of drivers are talking on cell phones at any given moment.
There's an additional cost to all this distraction: Frequent accidents will increase your car insurance rates.
"So all that said, drivers need to focus on driving," Teater says. "They shouldn't be on the phone, and shouldn't be updating Facebook. They should be driving."
For more on information on distracted driving and its risks, visit NHTSA's distraction.gov.
The original article can be found at CarInsurance.com:"Is your car distracting you?"


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You've heard of Beauty Diary face masks, right?
Well there's also Beauty Story – this range is from Japan whereas Beauty Diary is from Taiwan.
I do like sheet masks a lot, although they can get in the way of…well, eating! That's why I love eye only sheet masks. They don't get in the way at all and treat me no. 1 tired spot under my eyes.
I bought two boxes, called Platinum eye masks. One is Bird's Nest and the other is Gold Leaf Anti-Aging. You get 5 pairs in each pack, and they are individually sealed.This box opens up like this:
Here are the two masks. Both are really handy sized for carrying around.
The Platinum Gold Leaf Anti Aging eye mask is a clear, jelly type mask. It is very wet feeling with a lot of liquid in the pack. This is held in a two sided container so that it keeps its shape – the mould is really useful to keep if you are interested in making your own masks at some point.
This mask is supposed to help hydrate and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It contains some gold foil (but you can't see this!) and glycerine.
I loved this one. It sticks on to the skin nicely and stays 'wet' for a while. I think it left my skin refreshed, hydrated and brighter.
The Platinum Bird's Nest mask is not a clear jelly type – it's a jelly type with a fabric backing (like the DHC masks). These are still extremely thick, good quality masks you don't usually get (a lot of sheet masks are just one sheet of thin cotton, not a jelly).
This one is supposed to moisturise and improve elasticity. I don't know what Bird's Nest is supposed to do for skin, when applied, but the Chinese believe it is healthy.
I liked this mask too – it's less 'drippy' and refreshes the eye nicely. If I were using a mask in a public place (such as on a plane) I would use this one because it's less messy than the former.
It really just looks and feel like a white jelly patch – you have to be careful not to leave these on until they dry – then they seem to pull at the skin when you remove it.
However, overall I prefer the Gold Leaf one – it just feels so nice on the skin and provides more hydration!
Two great eye masks from Beauty Story! Really handy for a little pick me up. I highly recommend them especially the gold leaf. I paid about £5.50 for these so they cost just over £1 each from eBay.


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When it comes to finding gift ideas for coworkers and office friends, make us your first and last stop. We'll help surprise them with one of our amazing, moist cakes for delivery, that surely you won't find in a store. Can't decide what kind of cake to send? We've got all kinds of wonderful options from which to choose. Start with a customizable cake in dreamy, rich chocolate cream that is layered between moist cakes and then topped with additional cream frosting for exceptional flavor. Or try one of our creamy and irresistible vanilla bean cakes, toppe doff with buttercream frosting. And finally, we have an absolutely delectable red velvet cake that will just melt in your mouth. You can add the birthday guy or gal's name to any of these for a thoughtful and wonderful office presents around!
Perhaps you're looking for a gift that everyone at the office can enjoy. We load our cookie baskets with all of their favorites like chewy chocolate chip, creamy peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, and much more. Treat her to a lovely handmade and hand-decorated sugar cookies bouquet. And the best part is we have cookies decorated for any and every theme and holiday imaginable – from Valentine's Day to birthdays, get well, and more. Shop for and buy cookie bouquets all year long. Other fabulous options are colorful fresh fruit basket delivery. Filled with crisp and juicy fruit such as pears, apples, pineapple, oranges, banana, and more, these baskets are fantastic to present to office for every to enjoy. Many of our baskets come with additional tasty snacks like crackers, cheese, nuts and much more.
Another customer favorite is our cake pop delivery. Rich and chocolaty, they decadent bites are certain to be a big hit. Satisfy the afternoon hunger with a satisfying selection of snacks like trail mix, cinnamon almonds, honey roasted peanuts, rice cracker mix, roasted salted cashews and more. You'll find a delightful snack gift basket for every in the office.
Another great work incentive is our customer favorite, chocolate strawberries chocolate strawberries . We hand dip each berries for the ultimate in decadence. Need a prize gift idea for the annual office Halloween costume party? A box of Halloween cake pops are sure to get everyone into the spirit.
Show your appreciation for the person who has gone above and beyond on a big project this year, with a selection of decorated decorated cookies.


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Tech titans go on NSA offensive
After days of fielding criticism about the government's surveillance programs, tech titans went on the offensive Tuesday.
Google started the wave, writing the government and asking to make federal requests for national security information more transparent. That call was quickly followed by statements from Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter. On its face, the missive allows Google and other big tech names to lobby Washington for more transparency — something they've long done — but it also kicks things up a notch in the public relations game, where consumer confidence will be crucial for Internet companies going forward.
Story Continued Below
Last week's media reports on the National Security Agency's PRISM program raised significant questions about how easily the government is getting its hands on users' data. Google and other Silicon Valley heavyweights — Apple, Facebook, Yahoo — swiftly and vigorously pushed back on the allegations that it gave the government direct access to its servers.
( Also on POLITICO: 10 things to know about Snowden)
But Silicon Valley hit a new gear Tuesday when the Mountain View, Calif.-based search giant — which sends out its own transparency report twice a year — fired off its letter to the office of the attorney general and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The company asked the government to allow it to include more information in reports about how frequently it is asked to give up user data under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
"Assertions in the press that our compliance with these requests gives the U.S. government unfettered access to our users' data are simply untrue," Chief legal officer David Drummond wrote.
In Silicon Valley offices and tech circles, initial shockwaves about the NSA program have turned into a discussion about what companies can do to disclose more about the data requests they receive.
( PHOTOS: 10 famous/infamous whistleblowers)
"The Valley is absolutely absorbed by this story," said Paul Saffo, a longtime Silicon Valley technology forecaster. "It's the perfect confluence of tech geeks, privacy hawks and Libertarians. The discussion is to put it bluntly, 'Is Google evil?' The consensus so far is that no they aren't, and Google and Facebook and the others will not get swept up in this."
Drummond's letter on Tuesday follows a Friday message to Google users from CEO Larry Page that said the government doesn't have a back door into the company's servers.
The top lawyer at Twitter, a company often talked about as the privacy shining star in Silicon Valley, quickly backed the push for more transparency — tweeting the company's support.
Soon after, Microsoft also made its own call for more transparency.
"Permitting greater transparency on the aggregate volume and scope of national security requests, including FISA orders, would help the community understand and debate these important issues," a Microsoft spokesman said in a statement.
( See full Edward Snowden coverage)
Facebook went as far to say that government gag orders have given them pause in the past when it comes to publishing a transparency report of its own, lest they not be able to paint the full picture.
"In the past, we have questioned the value of releasing a transparency report that, because of exactly these types of government restrictions on disclosure, is necessarily incomplete and therefore potentially misleading to our users," Facebook general counsel Ted Ullyot said in a statement. "We would welcome the opportunity to provide a transparency report that allows us to share with those who use Facebook around the world a complete picture of the government requests we receive, and how we respond."


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This one is an M4. I know this one, have held it many times, in many different worlds. A Colt M4 Carbine, gas-operated, with selective fire options and a telescoping stock. Widely used by the U.S. Military. Very popular.
I turn over the one now in my hands, inspect its contours, its engineered curves, the hard, metallic faces. Carbines are shorter than typical rifles, trading accuracy at long-range for increased flexibility and manoeuvrability.
This one is so real. I wonder how much the developers have paid Colt for the privilege of replicating their designs, their brand name. There'll be the monetary costs, fees for licensing the model and its official designation — and then there'll be those other, hidden charges as well. Stipulations set down by Colt, not to show the weapon underperforming, not to allow it to be held by enemies of the free and the brave. The developers have, ultimately, relinquished creative control of their work to corporations whose motives are ulterior to the purity of that work.
But it's worth it, right? For the increase in verisimilitude, to ensure a truer depiction of reality in all its authenticity, all its naked honesty. That's what the boys in their bedrooms are craving. Right?
A bullet richochets from the wall beside me, and I remember myself. My sergeant is shouting for me to hold this position. I am in a desert town in … Well, does it matter? Somewhere that harbours enemies of the free and the brave. There is a small square. There are fruit stalls in the square. Earthenware pots, upended, disgorge their contents onto the cobbled ground. An abandoned car sits in an alley to the north, light glinting from a bent wing mirror. Our squad has found cover to the south. The sun is high. The sky is brilliantly blue.
We are under fire.
The shots come intermittently. We hear a crack, then the pop of a bullet lodging in a crumbling wall, or else a puff as a small cloud shoots up from a hit skidding across the ground.
I glance out. The rest of my squad are defending their positions, kneeling behind walls and makeshift barricades, occasionally firing forwards loosely to the north. They are not helping much.
I search for the source of the enemy fire. I hear the crack of the shot, look for the flash but don't see it — and a geyser of fruit pulp and splintered wood explodes out from the stall inches from my face. I duck back and pull my legs in close to me.
There is the stall in front, a stretch of emptiness to the right, then the next stall. The stretch is maybe three metres. I gather myself onto the balls of my feet, my head low, gripping my weapon tightly, and I wait.
The crack comes, then barely a moment, then the thud of the bullet. I push myself out from cover, springing off my toes, and dash across the empty space. There are dates scattered over the ground, they squash as I run but I do not slip. I charge low while looking up — I see the flash, hear the crack, I try to dive, everything is very slow, there is a shattering, and then I am behind the stall on my belly and my face is pressed into the cobblestones which are warm from the sun.
There is a ringing in my ears. I open my eyes. My legs feel wet, there is heaviness on the back of one knee. I lie for a moment and listen to the ringing and wait for the pain to come. There is no pain yet only the heaviness and the wet sensation. This is what it is like then, I think.
I turn onto my back slowly and the heaviness rolls away. I look down. A basket is lying upside down beside my legs. Apricots are strewn around the basket. Some are squashed beneath me and the juice is soaking into my legs.
I find my weapon, hoist myself up, lean against the stall.
I saw the flash. I peer just over the top of the stall, then back down. Yes. A figure in the ground floor window, the house by the alley, next to the abandoned car.
I take an M67 grenade from a pouch in my gear. I hold the grenade into my abdomen, grip the body and the safety in my right hand, use the index finger of my left hand to hook into the pin, then, with force, I wrench the grenade from the pin. I arc the grenade high and hard over the stall, ensuring a bounce and roll to decrease the chance of it being thrown back. I drop and hold my hands over my helmet and listen to the roll of the grenade over the cobblestones. The roll lasts a long time.
The explosion when it finally comes is dull and fast. A patter of dirt falls, and already I am up, between stalls, racing forwards. I grasp my M4 in both hands. There is a tangle of metal on the ground, a bicycle frame, and I leap it. Halfway across the square I see movement in the ground floor window. I pump with all my energy. Forwards, forwards; I clear the square, I reach the window; there is movement; I vault the windowsill and I am inside, there is a rug, there is a television set, there are pictures in cracked frames and there is the shooter. He is retrieving his AK-47, he tries to raise the rifle but it is unwieldy, I turn my carbine on him and squeezing the trigger in burst-fire mode I drive three bullets in quick succession into the man's chest.
He sits down. He isn't blasted by an awesome force, he just sits down. He sits down bodily. He makes a noise. It is a gasp. It might be a gasp or it might be air escaping a punctured lung.
I look at the man. He has a soft face and smooth skin. He has a mole on one cheek. His face is that of a boy I was in middle school with, though this man wears the long beard that is traditional in Islamic countries. There is sweat and dirt on his face. His eyes are brown, they look surprised. He is wearing shalwar kameez and the shalwar are torn on one knee. The kameez is white but there are three circles of red blossoming where the bullets have entered, and underneath the kameez his chest is ragged and open.
The man lies down. He makes the small movements of an animal in pain. I look at him. He is lying in dust. There is much dust and debris scattered from the battle. The man is going to get dust inside his chest. Doesn't he see all the dust? He is going to get dust in his wounds and then it will be harder for the surgeons to operate.
I keep looking at him. There is some blood. It is underneath him. He has smudged some under his legs where he is squirming gently. I look at the smudged blood and I feel very much that I am here. I am here and the man is here and so is the blood and the dust and all of this. The cracked pictures, the faded rug. Existence is very much here. I think about asking the man if he knows this but I notice he is not moving any more so I go over and bending down I see that he is dead so I stand up and go outside.
The sun is still shining. The day is calm. I walk to a broken wall and sit on the rubble. I adjust my helmet, it has slipped to one side and I set it back on top of my head. The strap of the helmet is itchy under my chin.
I just killed that guy, I think. That guy is dead.
There is none of the horror. Everything is ordinary. Except the sunlight is very bright. The brickwork of the wall is very real. And there is a vibration coming from somewhere, from inside me; it builds and builds, everything inside is vibrating and there is nothing in the middle to hold it, there is an emptiness between my skin, everything is coming out. The sunlight is very bright. I breathe and breathe and I am alive like I have never known it, my fingers, my intestines, even my bones are reverberating with life; I take deep breaths and suck life down into me.
I look at the red of a car door and it curves magnificently.
My squad mates arrive and we continue on and complete the level. I earn a gold medal and many points and there are upgrades I can buy but I can't concentrate on them because there is this thought that fills me up and I cannot get past it and the thought is that I just killed that guy, that guy is dead.
Later on I still don't know if I want to add an M203A1 grenade launcher or an M26 under-barrel shotgun to my M4, but I'm glad the money has been spent to include all these real-world weapons. It's the little details like this that help make the game so true, don't you think?
[This work of fiction was partly inspired by an excellent piece of investigative journalism by Simon Parkin, which explored the links between arms manufacturers and the games industry.]


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© 2010 THQ Inc. Developed by 4A Games. 4A Games Limited and their respective logo are trademarks of 4A Games Limited. PhysX © 2002-2010 NVIDIA Corporation. All Rights Reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, PhysX, the PhysX logo are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the United States and other countries and used under license. PathEngine and its logo are trademarks of PathEngine. Facial animations powered by FaceFX © 2002-2009, OC3 Entertainment, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Metro 2033 is based on a book by Dmitry Glukhovsky. THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners.


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U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Woman Fired Because of Prior Back Injury and Age, Federal Agency Charges
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – DXP Enterprises, Inc., doing business as DXP Safety Alliance, Inc., violated federal law by subjecting a Farmington, New Mexico woman to disability and age discrimination. In its lawsuit, filed on Sept. 22, 2011, the EEOC said the company fired Connie Brooks because it regarded her as disabled because of a prior back injury, and references were also made to Ms. Brooks' age, 52.
Such alleged conduct violates Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, which prohibit employment discrimination based on disabilities, perceived disabilities and age (over age 40). The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (EEOC v. DXP Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a DXP Safety Alliance, Inc., Civil Action No. 1:11-cv-00849) after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement through its conciliation process.
"Firing employees because of their age or because the employer regards the employee as disabled is against the law," said Regional Attorney Mary Jo O'Neill of the EEOC's Phoenix District Office, which has jurisdiction over Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah. "We will vigorously prosecute cases where it appears that employment decisions are based on myths, fears or stereotypes about an individual's ability because of their age or disability."
The lawsuit asks the court to order the employer to provide Brooks with appropriate relief, including back wages, an equal amount of back wages as liquidated damages, compensatory and punitive damages, and a permanent injunction enjoining the company from engaging in any further disability or age discrimination. The EEOC also asks the court to order the company to institute and carry out policies and practices that eradicate and prevent disability or age discrimination in the workplace.
EEOC Deputy District Director Elizabeth Cadle said, "We will not tolerate discrimination because of disability or age, employees should be judged on the merit of their work, not unlawful perceptions about their abilities."
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.