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You could say that Milwaukee's French Immersion School, located in the former Steuben Junior High School, 2360 N. 52nd St., has taken a grand tour – of Milwaukee school buildings, at least – over the course of its 35-year history.
"The Milwaukee French Immersion program began in 1978 as part of court-ordered desegregation," says recently retired principal Virginia McFadden.
"Anthony Gradisnik, curriculum specialist for foreign languages at that time, had the foresight to research and to develop the immersion schools in Milwaukee as an alternative to forced busing," says McFadden. "The French and German programs were housed at 68th Street School and then moved to 82nd Street School."
After some time at Lancaster School (only part of the program shifted to this school on 68th near Fond du Lac Avenue for a year due to space constraints at 82nd Street), the program moved to 88th Street School, near Morgan Avenue on the southwest side, before landing at its current location in 2004.
"The immersion schools proved to be very successful," says McFadden. "The French program continued to grow and thrive, eventually filling the 88th Street School site to capacity. Due to the desire to expand the program as well as for budgetary reasons, the program was again relocated."
That movement brought growing pains, but was also a sign of a successful and in-demand program.
"Relocating the school in and of itself had its challenges," McFadden recalls. "There were a number of people who were very opposed to the idea for a variety of reasons. Initially, the program 'lost' some families because of the move, but within a year the student population grew to surpass the population prior to the move.
"Although it was a very challenging time, the relocation allowed the program to continue to grow and to remain a vibrant part of MPS."
Enrollment stood at 338 when MFIS opened its doors in its current location. This September, it enrolled 448 students in grades K4-5.
MPS also offers immersion programs in German and Spanish – as well as immersion in numerous languages at the middle school and high school levels at Milwaukee School of Languages – and partial immersion programs in Italian (at Victory School), Mandarin (at Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language) and Spanish (at Morgandale School). The district also offers a range of bilingual and two-way bilingual Spanish programs.
These days, Milwaukee French Immersion School is a popular place for students and for teachers. McFadden told me in 2011 that very few teachers leave the program for reasons other than retirement or to stay home with a new baby.
"The unique language element of our program is definitely our biggest draw," says former teacher Gina Bianchi, who was appointed assistant principal in charge upon McFadden's retirement. "With over 220,000,000 people around the world speaking French as their first or second language, it is truly a global language. Being able to speak French opens career opportunities over the world. Families are drawn to the successful, research-based method of immersion as a natural way for students to acquire French."
In addition, Bianchi says students in the program outperform not only district but also state averages in reading proficiency, which demonstrates that students excel in English, as well as French, at the school.
"Another draw is that our central location allows for students to come from all over the city of Milwaukee," adds Bianchi. "Parents often cite the fact that we have such a diverse population as one of the reasons they chose our school. Our student body is representative of a variety of different walks of life, socioeconomic statuses, races and cultural backgrounds."
When I visited McFadden at MFIS in early 2011, the school was ranked an eight out of 10 by Great Schools (though certainly a single number cannot capture something as complex as a school). These days it's rated a seven and that dip is perhaps a function of the funding hit the program took during the 2011-12 school year when the state cut SAGE funding, which had helped to keep class sizes small. The result was the loss of teachers and a near-doubling of the number of students in some classrooms.
"The loss of SAGE was a challenge for the school," McFadden says. "Class sizes in kindergarten through third grade increased from a maximum of 18:1 to as high as 35:1. This increase in class size made it much more difficult for teachers to provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of the students in their classes."
McFadden, though, reorganized her resources, reassigning classroom paraprofessionals to focus on the youngest learners in the largest classes and drew in parent and community support to draw volunteers to help with student and staff support.
Now, Bianchi says things are back on track.
"There are a lot of exciting things happening right now this 2013-14 school year," says Bianchi, who was mentored by McFadden in recent years. "I am proud to say that our class sizes have reduced from the larger numbers we saw a few years ago. We have been able to add highly qualified paraprofessional assistants, some of whom are native speakers and one of whom is a certified teacher."
Bianchi says the school has a good student-to-fluent-speaker ratio, which helps boost student proficiency in French in all subjects. The school also offers a unique two-week exchange program for fifth graders at MFIS and at partner school Salon de Provence.
This year, MFIS has also added after-school sports, African dance lessons in French with a native speaker from Senegal, brought back art classes, is working with the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music to bring music instruction and created a parent resource room.
Parent and community support is another area in which MFIS has excelled. Along with German Immersion, it is one of just a handful of MPS schools that has an organized foundation to assist with fundraising.
"A group of very innovative and determined parents worked diligently to establish the Milwaukee French Immersion Foundation in order to support the K-12 French Immersion program in Milwaukee (at MFIS and Milwaukee School of Languages)," says McFadden
The foundation has helped set up language models from Francophone countries at MFIS and MSL, adds Bianchi.
"These individuals help bring the French 'alive,' working with small groups, providing a vital cultural element to our program and offering academic support to our students in the target language," Bianchi says. "We also have partnerships with several universities whose fluent French-speaking students earn credit to support instruction in the classroom."
These days, MFIS staffers are working with the district to find French-language materials that align with the Common Core standards that Wisconsin and 44 other states have agreed to follow.
"The district has been actively engaged in finding ways to help strengthen the immersion programs that do exist," Bianchi says. "The district is providing professional development tailored to the unique needs of our program. Most recently, the district connected us with a fluent French speaking mathematician to help us explore how we are meeting the new shifts in mathematics with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. The district is also helping us explore options of a new French reading series."
On Friday, Jan. 24, MFIS hosts an 35th anniversary celebration from 5:30 to 8 p.m. that includes an open house for the community. Bianchi says there will be door prizes, self-guided tours, live kindergarten and first grade demonstration classes, musical performances, cake and more.
She hopes former and current staff, alumni, current students, families and staff will join the celebration.
"It's also a perfect opportunity for the broader community to come and see what immersion is all about," Bianchi says. "Many members of the general public do not know that MFIS is a free, city-wide public school."
And where will MFIS be located in the future? Without a crystal ball, who could say, but Bianchi doesn't sound like she's planning on moving anytime soon.
"Our current location has allowed and continues to allow us to serve more students," she says.
Qu'est qu'on est bien chez soi! Home sweet home.


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ISLAMABAD, Sep 22 (APP): Chief of Baloch Rabita Ittefaq Tehrik (BRIT) and former federal minister, Prince Mohiuddin Baloch on Thursday asked Indian leadership to refrain from issuing statements about internal matters of Balochistan province.
In a statement issued here, he said, Baloch people and leadership played a pivotal role during Pakistan movement and rendered unmatched sacrifices for solidarity and integrity of their motherland.
Referring to statements of some Indian politicians regarding Balochistan, he said,there were solid evidences of Indian involvement in Balochistan affairs, adding, now Indian leadership was again interfering in the internal matters of Balochistan to divert attention of its aggression in occupied Kashmir.
Highlighting the history of sacrifices by Balochs for Pakistan, he said, Khan of Kalat hosted father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah during independence movement.
Later, Khan of Kalat voluntarily announced to merge Kalat state in Pakistan on the eve of independence in a bid to further strengthen the new state.
He said, Baloch people were patriot and supported all the efforts being made to Pakistan a developed and prosperous state.
Prince Mohiuddin offered that he would continue to work for betterment of Balochistan and make effort to unite the Baloch nation on the platform of BRIT.
He said, Baloch youth should be imparted technical training so that they could get appropriate jobs in the projects being implemented under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

subset: commoncrawl


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School boards urged not to expel problem kids
ODT 16 July 2012 The principal Youth Court judge is asking school boards of trustees to try to keep every child actively involved in education, before resorting to expelling or excluding troubled students. Speaking at a board of trustees (BOT) conference over the weekend, Judge Andrew Becroft called for BOTs to think very carefully about the effects of the expulsion and exclusion of students. "We know that about 35 per cent, we think, of young offenders before the youth court aren't at school – the research is clear that better than psychological intervention, better than counselling, better than most things is attendance at school," he told Radio New Zealand. Participation and being engaged was a huge protective factor, he said.


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When I grow up, I want to be my sister-in-law. It's true that I am 53 but she has a few years on me. I am married to one of her husband's brothers who's 18 months older than him. Both husbands have a much younger brother who is actually my age. We are all mixed up in this way, which may be part of the reason I think I am still growing up.
In addition to her husband, my sister-in-law has seven children. First, though, she went to law school so that she would be prepared to raise so many little gifts from God. Then, she home-schooled some of them, here and there, and now she teaches school in a large city. Privately, she schools me.
I just spent three slow summer days with her. We were surrounded by whispering aspens and loud children, hers and mine and some others – mostly preteens and teens. This type of child does not need lap time or diapers changed or tears dried. They also require an extraordinary amount of juice and turkey sandwiches and popsicles and yogurt and donuts and peanut butter. They must be told repeatedly to change clothes, bathe and brush teeth. In the steady stream of fixing snacks, making meals and general nagging, I was blessed by time with this woman God gave me through marriage.
She is miraculously calm, like a deeply tranquil turquoise sea which cannot be bothered with wind, wave or weather. This is why I want to be like her. She does not break her tender gaze into my eyes and peaceful statement of opinion just because six largish boys run through the kitchen screaming, "Get the guns and water!" or our mother-in-law appears in the doorway urgently needing to know, "What and when is dinner, girls?"
"And so," she peacefully continues her story, "we spent time together praying that she might recover from her breast cancer and promising that we would not bake the poor dear any more chocolate chip cookies. Isn't it something how much we like to bake cookies for sick people?"
"Mmmm," I mumbled, chewing away on my sister-in-law's fresh batch of butterscotch sugar cookies. "Mmmm," I repeated, pointing a piece of the cookie at her. "I know just what you mean. It's either cookies or pasta, isn't it?"
"Why do we cook so much for the sad and the sick and the lonely?" I wondered as I rushed to my mother-in-law and said, "Spaghetti, Mom. We're doing spaghetti on deck for dinner at 6:00 pm," then, dashing out the back door to determine whether the guns or dearth of hygiene had yet injured anyone.
I am too intense, I realized, even as I shouted, "Helmets, boys! Helmets on those bikes! Don't ride with the guns in your hands! Don't shoot the neighbors' cars! Don't shoot each other! Drink the water. Have you each been drinking that water? Liam, that bike's too small for you. Get off of it. No, you may not come in and play Warriors Without Limits. No, it's not about to rain – but if it does, you will stay outside and I'll throw you toothbrushes and shampoo. Yes, dinner is at 6:00, spaghetti on the deck." I double-checked the cloud cover, intending to retrieve the computer I tossed that morning into the backyard before rain might ruin it.
I forgot to breathe between sentences and started feeling dizzy, gazing into the sky, suddenly confused.
"You are too intense," my boss Peter said to me decades ago.
"Intense, intense?" I demanded.
"Yes, Marjorie, we all find you a tad intense. You need to relax and let things flow a bit more easily," he added, smiling weakly, as I whipped out a pencil and small notebook.
"What do you mean intense?" I frowned, posing the pencil point on a blank page. "When was I intense, as you call it? What was the date and who was involved and what did I do wrong and what should I have done differently?"
Peter sighed.
I stared into thick cumulus, shook loose the memory and tried to recover my balance. I headed back toward the kitchen, hoping to find my sister-in-law so we could start dinner together. She was lounging on the porch, swinging gently in the soft breeze I had not noticed. Her book lay open and limp on her lap. I'd swear she was humming.
"Should we start dinner?" she asked happily, looking up like a sunning, good-natured iguana ready to call it a day.
"Oh my gosh," our mother-in-law burst onto the scene. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh," she continued, panting with emotion. "Nonie is dying. Her husband just called. Nonie is not going to make it." Mother wailed.
My heart missed a beat as doom and loss overwhelmed. "You're kidding?!?!?" was the best I could do in reply. My sister-in-law cocked her head Mom's direction, quizzical and interested.
Nonie's a relation of confusing genealogy who uncovered her ties to the Campbell Clan only with professional help. "Remember the name Campbell," her own mother had whispered on her death bed. Decades later, it proved the critical link when Nonie set in search of a wider family she knew existed.
I joined the Campbell Clan by marriage and have found it unique and often peculiar. Nonie joined ranks by jubilant discovery. She affirmed everything good and loving about each of us and we swept her and her husband and their children quickly into the bosom of the family. Not yet 60, a grandmother only within the last year, beloved. It was not possible that Nonie could be dying.
I was suddenly exhausted and disoriented. The moment felt stifling and crowded, though I was surrounded by sky.
My sister-in-law took over. She quizzed Mom about the circumstances, and I heard words like acid reflex, e-coli, unwashed lettuce leaves and induced coma. Still, as she absorbed these bits of fact and fiction, nodded with comfort and understanding and placed a reassuring arm, I could not still my anxiety. "Nonie," I thought, "cannot die."
Later, after Mom went restlessly to bed, and I'd begun negotiations with God, and the guns were put away and the last meal cleaned up and put into the dishwasher, I turned to my sister-in-law.
"Nonie could actually die? Be gone?" I pleaded.
"Oh," she calmly responded with a serene smile, "Her eulogy will be beautiful. Beautiful."
"Not yet," I begged, unwilling, "Not yet. Please not yet. What about a rosary. Like that rosary you did on the beach in San Diego for the Jubilee year? Can't we do that?" I said, as I ran from the house, screaming at the boys who'd resumed arms. "Put the damn things down. Now!"
The next day, we gathered on the deck. Mom, me, my sister-in-law and some number of reluctant children who all know and adore Nonie but could not fathom her end, and my sister-in-law led the Rosary with a mixture of mysteries and story-telling and well-wishing and explanation that only, only she could contrive.
I cried, to no one's notice. And we prayed, in this special woman's way, for the Lord's will to be done.
The next day, when we received word that Nonie suddenly had responded to a new antibiotic cocktail, I noted my sister-in-law's reaction: steady, calm, accepting. I asked God, with embarrassment, to set aside the deal I'd made with him – and I breathed with deep relief.
"Don't you love thinking about eulogies," my sister-in-law remarked to me idly that day when we knew Nonie was cleared for more living – when the boys were once again banished from video to make what they would of the outdoors with air soft guns and real trails and blazing, hot sunshine. "Don't you," she wondered aloud, "craft tributes to the deceased?"
"No," I said flatly, intensely. "No, I write stories."
"One thing only is required," Jesus said. My sister-in-law has found it, and shared it with me. Perhaps I can grow up and embrace it. When I grow up, I want to be my sister-in-law.
Postscript: Our beloved Nonie died a couple of weeks after I wrote this essay. We all gathered to honor and bury her. And my sister-in-law was right. The eulogy was beautiful.
Topics: Family , Friendship , Marriage , Personal Growth


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The following are links to a variety of information related to the Evangelical movement in France, French culture and politics, and France in general. We recommend Google Translate to translate French web pages.
French Evangelical Denominations
A complete listing of denominations representing approximately 70% of the Evangelical churches in France can be found by clicking here (in French)
Other denominations are as follows:
- Alliance Baptiste de France (ABF)
- Armée du Salut
- Assemblées des Frères
- Communauté des Eglises d'Expressions Africaines de France (CEAF)
- Eglise de Dieu en France (EDF)
- Fédération Protestant Française (FPF)
Directory of Evangelical Churches
Eglises.org (the most comprehensive directory of French churches on-line)
Other French Ministries
An extensive list of French para-church ministries can be found by clicking here (PDF in French)
Other ministries are as follows:
- Actes 6
- CIJEM (Congrès International de Jeunesse en Mouvement)
- Forum des Evangélistes
- Foyer Evangélique Universitaire
- Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship (France)
- Jeunesse Ardente
- Top Chrétien


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Hardboiled Corruptible Has a Soft Heart
- Susan Ellingburg Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- 2011 27 Apr
Author: Mark Mynheir
Title: The Corruptible: A Ray Quinn Mystery
Publisher: Multnomah
Fans of Robert B. Parker's Spenser and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer have a new hero to love: Ray Quinn. In many ways, Ray is the stereotypical private eye, a hard-drinking, hard-fighting, smart-mouthed gumshoe. But Ray is not just a not-so-pretty face. He faces up to hard questions about his new career, his former life as a cop, and his relationship (or lack thereof) with God.
A bullet destroyed Ray's hip and put an end to his career as a homicide detective. He's taken up a new life as a private investigator. It's not what you'd call a profitable endeavor so when a new (fabulously wealthy) client comes along, Ray is relieved. The job seems simple enough: find Logan Ramsey, an ex-cop turned security officer who absconded with highly sensitive corporate information. But even a whopping paycheck can't keep this case from turning into a whopping headache. When Logan turns up dead and the client starts acting shady, the line between the good guys and bad guys begins to blur.
Ray's not exactly a one-man show. He has a burly, young apprentice named Crevis. Ray has all but adopted this kid from the wrong side of the tracks and is busy training him for a future career as a cop. (Assuming Crevis can pass the written exam to get into Police Academy.) Ray's training methods may be unorthodox, but they are fascinating. Crevis also acts as Ray's bodyguard, though now Ray's taken up "Cane Fu" he's well on his way to self-sufficiency.
Except no man is really self-sufficient. Ray's friend (and Crevis's tutor) Pam Winters is quick to point that out. Pam is Ray's prayer warrior, whether he wants praying for or not ... and he's slowly beginning to think she might have a point about God. On the other hand, Ray is awfully tight with his "friend" Jim Beam.
A former narcotics agent, SWAT team member, and police detective, author Mark Mynheir makes good use of his experience, making the crime scene come alive (even when the victim isn't). No wonder his first novel (another Ray Quinn mystery) was nominated for a Christy Award.
But the best thing about The Corruptible—aside from deft plotting, believable characters, and a clear grasp of the workings of crime—is the wonderfully witty writing. Contrasting the client Ray thought he'd have "a leggy blonde wearing a sleek black dress sashaying through the door ... like something out of a Bogart film" with the real thing, he wryly observed, "A portly balding guy in his late forties carrying a briefcase and wearing a crumpled suit didn't quite satisfy that expectation." The very first line of the book made me smile and I kept a silly grin on my face until the last page.
So, in a nutshell: The Corruptible is a charming, funny, action-packed, well-crafted mystery with interesting characters on an authentic spiritual journey, and very bad guys who get a well-deserved comeuppance in the end. If Mary Poppins read detective stories, she would declare The Corruptible "practically perfect in every way."


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This dreams occurred on the morning of the 1st of may 2009.
I am in a room. It is made of clay, very yellow, very earthy. There are a few windows. It feels comfortable. An angry man behind me says, as long as you keep up this approach, it will continue to appear in the American Press.


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Last year, the President signed into law the widest-ranging tax reform legislation in decades. This legislation will impact the tax
liability of agents and brokers in 2018 and beyond. The centerpiece of the law is a lowering of the corporate tax rate
from 35% to 21%. The law also changes tax rates for individuals and creates a special 20% deduction for pass-through
businesses. The Treasury Department recently released draft regulations that outline how insurance agencies and brokerages
can benefit from the new pass-through deduction.
IIABA will host a webinar, on two different dates, to provide a brief introduction to the tax law and its impact on C-Corps and
changes made to individual tax rates. You will also get a comprehensive explanation of the new deduction for pass-through
entities and the draft regulations that directly address how insurance agents and brokers can use the new deduction.
The same webinar live on two different dates:
The first webinar will be held from 1:30pm to 2:30pm EST on Thursday, September 13. Use link to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3215066950696883202
The second webinar will be held from 1:30pm to 2:30pm EST on Wednesday, October 3. Use link to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4802060252786999554


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Username or Email Address
Remember Me
BCC school cluster close to downtown Bethesda.
Call for address
Here are a few homes ideal for this lot:
5527 Southwick St. Bethesda $1.59M. Whitman HS/Pyle - 9 blocks NIH Metro
Marcey New Home $1.134M
5814 Greentree Rd.
4524 Windsor Ln. Beth. New Home $1.491M


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Education in the Creative Economy
Allan DaviesAraya, D. and Peters, M. A. (Editors) (2010), Peter Lang .......... If there is one audience for this US authored book of 29 papers, then it is educational policy makers and, more likely, those who aspire to be so. Whilst these collective papers anticipate a particular future for us all, many also tell us that we are there already. We are, it appears, now post the digital age. Being a 'digita...
Editors: Daniel Araya and Michael A. Peters
Publisher: Peter Lang
Publication date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4331-0745-3 (paperback)
Price: £31.90
If there is one audience for this US authored book of 29 papers, then it is educational policy makers and, more likely, those who aspire to be so.
Whilst these collective papers anticipate a particular future for us all, many also tell us that we are there already. We are, it appears, now post the digital age. Being a 'digital native' or being 'born digital' is now only a prerequisite for the next era. In their introduction, Daniel Araya and Michael A. Peters observe that, '…we have moved from the postindustrial economy to the information economy to the digital economy to the knowledge economy to the "creative economy"'. It is an era, it is argued, which requires us to recognise the value and importance of innovation, imagination, creativity and the like. It is these that are seen to be the bedrock on which the new economic world is to be founded and the drivers for new forms of learning and teaching.
As with most edited volumes there is not one coherent discourse although there is a recognized consensus on the key concepts. The papers in Part One: Educational Policy, have a greater congruity, largely due to the influence of particular contemporary educational theorists such as Richard Florida. His joint paper with Brian Knudsen and Kevin Stolarick, 'The University and the Creative Economy', for instance, argues that the overselling of the university's role in the economy as its ability to transfer research to industry, generate new inventions and patents and spin off its technology in the form of startup companies misses the deeper and more fundamental contributions made by the university to innovation, the larger economy and society as a whole: '…policy-makers have somewhat neglected the university's…powerful role...in generating, attracting and mobilizing talent and establishing a tolerant and diverse social climate'. UK readers might wonder at this and consider whether we are passing our US colleagues in the academic dark! Daniel Araya's paper, 'Educational Policy in the Creative Economy', is very much the scene-setter, not just for this first section but also for the whole book, as he examines the creative economy discourse in the context of education and the changing dynamics of the global economy.
In Part Two: Technology and Economy, the new era is expressed in terms of technology's relationship with digital networks rather than the command-and-control systems of industrial society. The critical importance of digital networks now, we are told, is as platforms for collaborative innovation. The recurrent theme in this section is the perceived paradigm shift that appears to be occurring as digital networks become more embedded, what challenges they create and how they relate to an economic future. A central concern about creativity, innovation and collaboration in a commons-based peer production context, highlighted by John Howkins in 'Catalyst', is that of intellectual property rights. As he points out, 'The laws that regulate how we get access to other people's ideas and inventions, whether we can use them and share them, and how we can make money out of them, are obviously crucial'.
Part Three: Culture and Curriculum, looks to examine the need for a different model of education that goes beyond the one that has so successfully supported a Fordist economy. Paradoxically, we might consider the idea that, both in the US and the UK, schooling has moved more to an industrial model of production with the setting of attainment targets and regular testing the more that the economy has become reliant on skills related to imagination and innovation. Nevertheless, the capacity for schools to prepare students for an economy based on innovation is a central concern of a number of papers, particularly Tina Besley, in considering questions surrounding youth identity in a digital age, and Patrick Whitney, in Learning in the Creative Economy, who argues that schools need to become creative hubs at the centre of networks of learning and innovation. Ellen McColloch-Lovell, in more doubtful mood, challenges the idea that the 'creative campus' is genuinely creative.
Not every paper chimes with the thrust of the title but most, at least, provide a broader context. Charmingly, two authors who have no apparent background in design penned the only paper on design. Unfortunately, it shows.
Throughout the papers, several writers have a bash at articulating their own definitions of 'creativity'. None of them make much of a fist of it and we should be grateful for that. Indeed, definitions of the term, in most instances, have little or no bearing on the main thrust of their arguments. What we can learn about 'creativity' from this volume is that there are as many uses of the term as there are writers.
Those responsible for curriculum design in the art and design sector might also benefit from reading this collection of papers but I suspect, only if they are also committed to trans-disciplinarity and distributed learning networks in which learning is collaboratively generated and shared.
Allan Davies is a consultant in Higher Education Art and Design. Prior to this he was a Senior Adviser at the Higher Education Academy and before that he was Director of the Centre for Learning in Art and Design (CLTAD) at the University of the Arts. In the early days he was Head of Art and Design at what is now the University of Worcester and even further back he was programme leader for graphic information design at what was then Falmouth College of Art. During some of this he was a GLAD committee member. He is currently a QAA reviewer.


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Your day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Periyar
This morning, you'll leave Cochin and head for Thekkady which will be your base whilst you explore the Periyar National Park. You will be staying in a cosy guesthouse and the rest of today is free to spend as you wish. You can relax by the pool with a good book and take it easy.
If you would like to do something more active, you can arrange a boat safari independently and glide along the gentle rivers in search of wildlife.
Day 2
Today you will head on a walking tour in Periyar with a local guide, and you'll spot birds, butterflies and other wildlife as you walk. Periyar is home to several types of deer, otters, bison, monkeys and even wild bears. However, the most famous residents of Periyar are the wild elephants grazing in the tall grass along the lake. In the afternoon you will be shown around a spice garden where you can see different spices, and later you will be given a short cooking demo before heading back to your guesthouse.
Days 3-4
Periyar - Alleppey - Keralan Houseboat
This morning, you'll leave for Alleppey and you'll set sail into the backwaters on your charming houseboat. The labyrinth of tiny canals is fringed by palms on all sides and along the way, you'll pass villages, hidden temples, churches and traditional boats. Tonight you'll sleep aboard your houseboat, moored on the banks of the scenic Lake Vattakayal. The next day your trip will end in Alleppey.
Combine this trip with...
Where to next? This trip goes together perfectly with these:
Through Emerald Valleys to Kerala
5 days / 4 nights (flexible)
Bangalore - Mysore - Wayanad - Ooty - Coonoor - Coimbatore - Cochin


text:
Texts tabled :
Debates :
Votes :
Texts adopted :
to wind up the debate on the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
on the negotiations on the UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) (2012/2636(RSP))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the United Nations conference to negotiate an arms trade treaty (ATT), due to take place in New York from 2 to 27 July 2012,
– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolutions 61/89(1) of 6 December 2006 entitled 'Towards an arms trade treaty: establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms', supported by 153 UN member states and marking the formal start of a process towards an ATT, and 64/48(2) of 2 December 2009 on the arms trade treaty, supported by 153 UN member states, under which it was decided to convene a United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty to meet for four consecutive weeks in 2012 in order to elaborate a legally binding instrument on the highest possible common international standards for the transfer of conventional arms,
– having regard to Council Decision 2010/336/CFSP of 14 June 2010 and previous Council decisions on EU activities in support of the Arms Trade Treaty,
– having regard to EU Common Position 2008/944/CFSP defining common rules governing control of exports of military technology and equipment(3),
– having regard to the conclusions of the Council of the European Union, in particular those of 10 December 2007 and of 12 July 2010 on the Arms Trade Treaty,
– having regard to its resolutions of 21 June 2007 on an arms trade treaty and the establishment of common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional weapons(4), of 13 March 2008 on the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports(5) and of 4 December 2008 on the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports(6), which underline the urgent need for an arms trade treaty,
– having regard to the EU's reply to the UN Secretary-General's request for views on the elements of an arms trade treaty,
– having regard to the many civil society campaigns across the world in favour of a strong and robust arms trade treaty, including the Control Arms Campaign and the call made by Nobel Peace laureates,
– having regard to Directive 2009/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 simplifying terms and conditions of transfers of defence-related products within the Community(7),
– having regard to Article 34 of the Lisbon Treaty,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas there is no legally binding, global treaty on the regulation of transfers of conventional arms;
B. whereas UN General Assembly Resolution 64/48 urges UN member states to attain an effective and balanced legally binding instrument on the highest possible common international standards for the transfer of conventional arms and to achieve a strong and robust treaty;
C. whereas the UN General Assembly has defined the aim of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) as a 'legally binding treaty establishing common standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms'(8) and as being for states 'to ensure that their national systems and internal controls are at the highest possible standards to prevent the diversion of conventional arms from the legal to the illicit market, where they can be used for terrorist acts, organised crime and other criminal activities'(9);
D. whereas uncontrolled and unregulated arms trading poses a serious threat to local, national, regional and international peace, security and stability but also to democracy, the rule of law and sustainable social and economic development; whereas unregulated arms trading is a contributory factor in armed conflict, the displacement of people, organised crime and terrorism;
E. whereas the Arms Trade Treaty that will be negotiated in 2012 must include clear and binding provisions consistent with the highest international standards, including full compliance with international human rights law (IHRL) and international humanitarian law (IHL);
F. whereas a united, coherent and consistent EU approach is crucial for such a treaty to be adopted and effectively implemented at a global level;
G. whereas in the field of arms transfers there are no binding commitments which unequivocally safeguard international human rights and international humanitarian law;
H. whereas the Council has emphasised that no effort should be spared to ensure that the sessions of the Preparatory Committee are as inclusive as possible; whereas, to this end, on 14 June 2010 the Council adopted Decision 2010/336/CFSP on EU activities in support of the Arms Trade Treaty, in the framework of the European Security Strategy, with a view to promoting the ATT among UN member states, civil society and industry;
I. whereas, since its adoption, the EU Common Position defining common rules governing control of exports of military technology and equipment has contributed to harmonising the national arms export control policies of EU Member States and its principles and criteria have been officially endorsed by various third countries;
J. whereas the Arms Trade Treaty must strengthen accountability and its implementation must be open and transparent;
K. whereas the United Nations Charter confers rights and responsibilities upon UN member states, including under Article 51 the inherent right of all states to individual or collective self-defence;
Transparency and accountability – the key to a robust Arms Trade Treaty
1. Notes that the value of global exports has continued to grow despite the economic and financial crisis, and that EU Member States consistently account for approximately 30 % of all exports and are among the world's leading arms producers and exporters(10); stresses, therefore, that the EU has both a responsibility and an interest in developing and contributing to a regulated and more transparent and controlled arms trade at global level;
2. Acknowledges the contribution that the arms industry makes to job creation and economic growth; believes, however, that the poorly regulated, uncontrolled and opaque arms trade leads to irresponsible trading in weapons, has caused unnecessary human suffering, fuelled armed conflict, instability, terrorist attacks and corruption, undermined peace-building processes, good governance and socio-economic development and led to the overthrow of democratically elected governments and the violation of the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian law;
3. Calls, therefore, for the July 2012 negotiation of a legally binding international arms trade treaty to mark a historic step forward, through greater transparency and accountability, by establishing the highest international standards and criteria for making assessments of decisions on the transfer, import and export of conventional arms;
4. Calls on the international community to demonstrate its commitment to regulating the international arms trade by making full use of the Rules of Procedure to agree upon a comprehensive text that covers all the major issues necessary for a robust treaty to be agreed during the conference in July 2012;
5. Calls for the speedy negotiation, and urgent adoption and entry into force, of a global and comprehensive UN Arms Trade Treaty;
6. Stresses that an effective treaty should cover the widest possible range of activities in the trade in conventional weapons, including the import, export, transfer (including transit and transhipment as well as temporary import and export and re-export), manufacture under foreign licence, stockpile management, and all related services including brokering, transportation and finance;
7. Believes that an effective treaty should cover all aspects of the trade in conventional weapons including state-to-state transfers, state-to-private end-user transfers, commercial sales and leases, as well as loans, gifts, aid or any other form of transfer;
8. Believes that an effective treaty should also cover the widest spectrum of conventional weapons, including small arms and light weapons and munitions, intangible transfers, the components and technologies associated with their use, manufacture or maintenance, whether for use in military or other security and law-enforcement purposes;
9. Believes that proper attention should be given to the marking and traceability of conventional weapons and ammunition in order to strengthen accountability and prevent diversion of arms transfers to illicit recipients;
Criteria and international standards
10. Believes that the long-term success of the ATT is dependent upon the adoption of the highest, strongest and clearest possible set of standards;
11. Calls for the ATT to remind States Parties that all decisions to transfer arms should be fully consistent with their international commitments, in particular with regard to international human rights law, international humanitarian law and in accordance with the United Nations Charter, including the sanctions and arms embargoes of regional organisations and the UN Security Council; takes the view that States Parties should not transfer arms to countries where there is a substantial risk that they would be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes;
12. Urges the UN member states to adopt additional binding criteria (to be developed as international standards) to guide decision-makers on arms exports; considers that these should include, in particular, the destination country's track record on good governance, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, non-proliferation and the fight against corruption, the risk of diversion, the impact on the country's socio-economic development and the preservation of regional peace and security; takes the view that specific anti-corruption criteria should be laid down in the treaty;
13. Calls for these criteria to be set out in the form of guidelines for carrying out risk assessments as a basis for making decisions on arms transfers;
14. Calls on the European Union, irrespective of the outcome of the ATT negotiations, to continue to uphold the highest possible standards in the interpretation of the EU Common Position on Arms Exports (2008/944/CFSP) and its eight criteria, especially with regard to international human rights law and international humanitarian law;
Implementation and reporting measures
15. Stresses the importance of effective and credible implementation of the ATT, emphasising accountability, transparency, State Party responsibility and enhanced coordination among the competent authorities;
16. Stresses that a robust ATT must include provisions and benchmarks committing States Parties to adopt national legislation and to establish a national authority responsible for the control of all transfers of items covered by the treaty and for meeting all reporting and implementation requirements; takes the view that the implementation of the ATT should cover end-user controls and brokering activities, including registration of operators and the licensing of their activities, disclosure by applicants of necessary information and full supporting documentation prior to issuance of an export authorisation, as well as legislative measures to establish as criminal offences all transfers of conventional arms and ammunitions not licensed by the national authority or in accordance with the treaty;
17. Believes that the effective implementation of the treaty will depend on promoting transparency and the exchange of information and best practices between States Parties on arms exports, imports and transfer decisions;
18. Believes that the experience of the evolving UN Register on Conventional Arms will facilitate the building of such transparency and exchange of information, and calls for the further expansion of the categories of weapons in the register, including small arms and light weapons and munitions;
19. Calls for the ATT, therefore, to include strong and clear provisions for regular reporting by the States Parties on an annual basis on all arms transfer decisions, including information on types, amounts and recipients of equipment authorised for transfer, and on the implementation of the full scope and provisions of the treaty; calls for the ATT also to require State Parties to establish a system of detailed record-keeping, for at least 20 years, for all international trade and transactions processed through their national control systems;
20. Calls for the establishment of a dedicated ATT Implementation and Support Unit, the responsibilities of which would include compilation and analysis of States Parties' reports, and for the UN Secretary-General to publish an annual report with further proposals for the strengthening of the operational provisions of the treaty; calls for the ATT Implementation and Support Unit to be granted the right also to analyse data on arms transfers and to identify discrepancies and potential breaches of the treaty and report back to the assembly of State Parties;
21. Calls for all such reports to be made available to all the competent authorities;
22. Calls for the holding of annual assemblies of States Parties and a five-yearly review conference, in which civil society organisations would be encouraged to take part;
23. Believes that the long-term success of the ATT is dependent on full transparency and accountability to the competent national authorities, including parliamentary control bodies in exporting and importing countries; calls, therefore, for robust transparency mechanisms, including annual reporting, in order to strengthen the role of parliaments in holding their governments to account for decisions made on arms exports, imports and transfers;
24. Believes that any State Party requesting support for the implementation of its commitments under the Arms Trade Treaty should be provided with the necessary support and technical assistance; calls on the European Union to continue its activities in the area of outreach and to step up its assistance in areas such as legislative assistance, institution-building, administrative support and support for enhancement of national expertise in all bodies involved in the transfer control system, including civil society organisations and parliaments;
The role of the EU and EP
25. Recognises the coherent and consistent role played by the EU and its Member States in support of the international process to establish an arms trade treaty; calls for continued commitment and outreach ahead of the conference, including at the highest political level in démarches and summits leading up to the July conference and in the ratification and implementation processes;
26. Believes that the EU's reply to the UN Secretary-General's request for views on the elements of an arms trade treaty represents the appropriate basis for coordinated action by EU Member States at the international ATT Conference;
27. Urges the VP/HR to engage in intensive consultations and coordination efforts with all EU Member States in order to ensure that the EU speaks with one voice and promotes a strong position;
28. Calls for the Member States, in line with their Lisbon Treaty commitment, to uphold the Union's positions set out in reply to the UN Secretary-General at the Conference in order to ensure an ambitious outcome and a robust arms trade treaty; calls, therefore, on the EU Member States to openly and unequivocally declare their full support to the EU delegation taking part in the negotiations;
29. Welcomes the VP/HR's statement, in line with Article 34(1) of the Treaty on European Union, in which she will present to Parliament the EU's position ahead of the Conference;
30. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the United Nations and the national parliaments of the EU Member States.
OJ L 335, 13 December 2008, p. 99.
Texts adopted, P6_TA(2007)0282.
Texts adopted, P6_TA(2008)0101.
Texts adopted, P6_TA(2008)0580.
OJ L 146, 10.6.2009, p. 1.
UN General Assembly Resolution 61/89.
UN General Assembly Resolution 63/240.
Figures drawn from the SIPRI Trend Indicator Values (expressed in USD at constant 1990 prices) and accessible at: http://www.sipri.org/databases/armstransfers/background/explanations2_default


text:
Background: Within an area, habituation and sensitization represent well-established modulatory effects to repetitive noxious input. Less is known regarding the nociceptive conditioning effects between body sites – i.e., how stimulating one site may affect another. Therefore, we investigated the effects of nociceptive stimulation of anatomically distinct locations (shoulder and hand) on pain rating and evoked potentials (i.e., contact heat-evoked potentials).
Methods: The effect of stimulation order was assessed in eight healthy subjects. The shoulder was examined before the hand or the hand before the shoulder. All subjects underwent both conditions (shoulder before hand and hand before shoulder) on separate days. In an additional 30 subjects (total n = 38), between retesting the shoulder or the hand, conditioning stimulation in the respective other location (i.e., hand or shoulder) was applied. Both analyses focused upon changes in the magnitude of evoked pain responses in relation to the respective area being conditioned by heterotopic stimulation.
Results: When the shoulder was stimulated before the hand, N2P2 amplitude was significantly reduced. In contrast, stimulating the hand before the shoulder resulted in significant response increments (shorter N2 latency). Additionally, conditioning stimulation of the hand resulted in increased pain rating to shoulder stimulation.
Conclusions: Overall, these findings indicate that response modulation to noxious contact heat stimulation depends upon conditioning stimulus location. These effects represent changes beyond conventional habituation due to repeated stimulation in the same area.


text:
edited Feb 2011: A new way of running PC VSTs on OSX is discussed over here
More than half of the messages I receive from readers of this site are requests to provide mac versions of my plugins. Unfortunately I neither have the time nor the knowledge to do that.
A particularly interesting message arrived today (cited below). Apart from pointing out his generosity by stating that he "was actually thinking about sending a donation" (That surely helps to pay the rent ) this person asked for mac plugins that could replace my delay plugins. Since I don't use a mac I would like to pass this question on to you dear readers.. Does anybody have suggestions?
Hey Mr. Interruptor!
I mainly make more house oriented stuff but I tend to use some dub influences now and than.
Anyways, I while ago i discovered your analogic and bionic delay vst's which I love!! I was actually thinking about sending you a donation (although I don't have a clue how paypal works..).
The thing is now, I switched to a mac osx system in my studio and now I can't use your beloved vst's anymore. I have a shitload of other delay vst's but they don't do it for me.
So now my question is; Do you know if there are mac based delay vst's which sound and pretty much work the same as yours? If not, are you planning on building vst's for mac??
Thanks man!! Peace out


text: Kimberly McOwen Yim is the author of Refuse To Do Nothing: Finding Your Power to Abolish Modern Day Slavery and founder of the San Clemente Abolitionists in San Clemente, California. She is the executive director of The SOCO Institute, a charitable arm of The SOCO Group where she has supports and advocates for a variety of organizations such as CURE International, Opportunity International, International Justice Mission and World Relief. With a MA in Christian Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary Kimberly writes and speaks on issues related to human trafficking. She blogs at www.abolitionistmama.blogspot.com. Kim Yim, Senator Chris Smith, Shayne Moore


text:
Reindeer riddle: How do you tell caribou apart?
Studying indigenous names for the animals may help us clear up a decades-long mix-up over caribou classification and reverse population decline
LEON ANDREW was out hunting with his father when he first encountered the raw power of a herd of caribou. He could see them moving as a vast, dark, almost unbroken mass over the Mackenzie mountains. He was awestruck. "It woke me up to see how many caribou there were," he says.
Andrew is now an elder of the Dene people, one of Canada's indigenous First Nations communities, who lives in Délıne, a town in the Sahtú (Great Bear Lake) region of the Northwest Territories. The Dene have long hunted caribou. But the days of those vast herds are threatened. Caribou habitat is being lost, degraded and fragmented by mining operations, forestry, roads and oil pipelines. And all that is compounded by a decades-long confusion over the way different types of caribou are classified – with disastrous consequences for conservation. At least two relocation efforts have ended in tragedy because subtle differences between animals were not recognised. But it looks like a breakthrough is ahoof. Andrew has been involved in a project that aims to resolve the mix-up by drawing on the richness of the Dene language – and by collecting caribou droppings.
The antlered ungulates Europeans know as reindeer and North Americans call caribou are in fact a single species, Rangifer tarandus. But go one level down the taxonomic tree and things get messier. The one name hides an enormous diversity of habitat use, behaviour, size, colour and antler shape. Until about 50 years ago, there were thought to be 55 caribou species and subspecies worldwide. There have been several attempts …
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text:
PowerSpout PLT
A highly-efficient Pelton turbine which on a suitable site can produce up to 1.6kW 24/7, 365 days a year.
PowerSpout PLT
The PowerSpout PLT is a Pelton turbine which on a suitable site can produce up to 1.6kW 24/7, 365 days a year.
This model is great for flows with a large head drop and a low flow rate. It is designed to directly charge 12v 24v or 48v batteries or connect directly to a grid-tied inverter. A good choice for off-grid installations where the turbine is within 100ft (30meters) of the battery bank or a grid-tied installation where the turbine is less than 2000ft away from inverter location. If off-grid, turbine will Require a load dump charge controller to protect the battery bank. This turbine can reach power output of up to 1500 watts.
- 2 Jets and 2 valves (2" BSP standard - NPT optional)
- A mid-range oil filled pressure gauge
- Manual grease fitting as standard
- 2m of 4mm2 tinned PV wire for +/-/earth
- 2 x MC4 cable connectors
- 4 x Tek screw fixing kit
- 4 spare jet inserts
- Rotor packing set kit included if we consider them likely to be required
- 3 year warranty on standard (under 1200W) and 2 years on turbines over 1200W power output.
Common version available are PLT 14/28/40/56/80/170/200/350. The number refers to the operating voltage, cable voltage or "MPPV". The runaway voltage off load or "Voc" can be as much as 3 x higher. So for example the PLT200 will work well with a grid tied inverter at 200V but may produce voltage approaching 600V when the inverter is not drawing power from the turbine.
- Up to 1300W continuous production (production dependent upon resource head)
- Units are designed to be installed in parallel to capture very large flowrates
- Operates from 3meters of head up to 100m (10ft-328ft)
- Over 6 years continuous field operation with zero maintenance.
- Grease Zerk fitting for easy bearing maintenance.
- Large-diameter direct-drive permanent magnet generator.
- 68% Recycled materials use in manufacturer
- 100% Renewable energy used in production.
- No exposed rotating parts or electrical connections.
- Fully protected from the elements - weatherproof.
- 3 year warranty
- Static head range: 3 to 160m (10 – 525 feet)
- Dynamic head range: 3 to 130m (10 – 430 feet)
- Maximum flow/turbine: 8-10 l/s (130 – 160 gpm)
- Minimum flow/turbine: 0.05 l/s (0.8 gpm) at maximum head
- Dimensions: 470 x 400 x 430 mm (18.5 x 15.7 x 17 inches)
- Maximum power: 1200W (Standard) or 1600W (HP)
- Common version available PLT 14/28/40/56/80/170/200/350 (the number refers to the operating voltage Vo, the runaway Voc can be 3 x higher)
- Maximum current rating 32 amp (optional upgrade to 50 amp possible for PLT14 or PLT28 turbines)


text:
Aquila del Torre
Aquila del Torre's aim is to promote the wine territory of Savorgnano del Torre by producing wines that embody its key sensory characteristics of freshness and minerality. The primary focus is on quality. That quality begins in the vineyard. Near obsessive attention is lavished on all manual procedures among the rows in order to coax the grapes to full, uniform ripeness & health. A further guarantee for the consumer is provided by the release of wines that are organically, ethically and environmentally certified by ICEA. The path to quality continues in the cellar. Grapes are processed in full respect of work in the vineyard to highlight the sensory features of the site climates & imbue each wine with its own personality.
Friuli, Italy


text:
Professional Membership
Join Directly on-line with ADHA
Membership in your professional association has never been more important. The last three years have shown us that we must stay vigilant for challenges from the outside. We all need the strength that membership brings and we need YOU to maintain influence where it counts on the important challenges that face dental hygiene as a profession and for many individual members. We need members to secure the future of the profession and to grow into a future that improves the oral health of everyone.
- You can count on us to be there: you can call the office and contact the officers any time: firstname.lastname@example.com
- You will stay informed on the challenges through the quarterly Newsletters, this website and Constant Contact Emails.
- You will get a discount on first rate continuing education events and skill enhancement seminars
- You will create your own future along side your colleagues - support what you rely upon - it is only fair.
Description of Membership Options:
- Supporting: licensed hygienist not employed in a dental hygiene related career (50% of professional dues) $106.50 + state - (WA: $40.00, Assessment $27.5 plus 50% component dues)
- Member with Disabilities: member who has a disability and prohibited from employment in any of the fields of dental hygiene due to disability. Application to ADHA and proof of qualification $159.75 + state - (WA: $20.00, Assessment $13.75 plus 25% component dues)
- Retired/Senior: Age 65. 66. 67 depending on birth date and been a professional member for 30 years or 25 consecutive years $159.75 + state - (WA: $20.00, Assessment $13.75 plus 25% component dues)
- Professional Member: $213 + state - (WA: $80.00, Assessment $55 plus component dues)
- List of Dues Payment Options
All dental hygienists in the state of Washington can receive the WDHA Quarterly Newsletter to keep up on what is happening that impacts the profession through purchasing an annual subscription if you are not a Professional Member of the Association. Please email email@example.com if you would like to subscribe.


text:
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
The National Institute of Open Schooling(NIOS) with approximately 1.6 million learners on roll has emerged as the largest open schooling organization in the world. It offers open and distance learning programme ranging from basic education to senior secondary education and a large number of vocational education courses. It provides opportunities to interested learners by making available the courses/programmes of study through open and distance learning mode
For more details, click here: www.nios.ac.in


text:
What Do We Do When the Cathedral Burns?
When Paris's Notre Dame caught fire on April 15, the flames threatened more than eight centuries of culture and history. The fire evoked shock, horror and grief worldwide. While the cathedral burned, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed determination to rebuild what the French regard as a sacred site.
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
When Does Plant and Animal Species Loss Become a Societal Crisis?
It's heartening, in the midst of the human-caused sixth mass extinction, to find good wildlife recovery news. As plant and animal species disappear faster than they have for millions of years, Russia's Siberian, or Amur, tigers are making a comeback. After falling to a low of just a few dozen in the mid-20th century, the tigers now number around 500, with close to 100 cubs — thanks to conservation measures that include habitat restoration and an illegal hunting crackdown.
Winter Weather Doesn't Disprove Global Warming
Weather and climate aren't the same. It's one thing for people who spend little or no time learning about global warming to confuse the two, but when those we elect to represent us don't know the difference, we're in trouble.
For a U.S. president to tweet about what he referred to as "Global Waming" because parts of the country are experiencing severe winter conditions displays a profound ignorance that would be embarrassing for an ordinary citizen, let alone the leader of a world power.
Support Ecowatch
Climate Change Is an Existential Crisis—It Should Be the Top Political Issue, Too
Global warming isn't a partisan issue—or it shouldn't be. The many experts issuing dire warnings about the implications of climate disruption work under political systems ranging from liberal democracies to autocratic dictatorships, for institutions including the U.S. Department of Defense, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and numerous business organizations and universities.
In 1988, when NASA scientist James Hansen reported to Congress that evidence for human-caused global warming was near undeniable, conservative politicians including the UK's Margaret Thatcher, U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Canada's Brian Mulroney agreed that action was needed. In my home province of British Columbia, a right-leaning government, the British Columbia Liberal Party, introduced a carbon tax in 2008.
Major Health Study Shows Benefits of Combating Climate Change
During the holiday season, people often drink toasts to health. There's something more we can do to ensure that we and others will enjoy good health now and into the future: combat climate change.
Decades of Denial and Stalling Have Created a Climate Crunch
In a 1965 speech to members, American Petroleum Institute president Frank Ikard outlined the findings of a report by then-president Lyndon Johnson's Science Advisory Committee, based in part on research the institute conducted in the 1950s.
- What's in the Climate Report the Trump Administration Doesn't Want ... ›
- Brace Yourselves for El Niño Likely in 2019 ›
Tackling Climate Change Requires Healing the Divide
Canadian climate change opinion is polarized, and research shows the divide is widening. The greatest predictor of people's outlook is political affiliation. This means people's climate change perceptions are being increasingly driven by divisive political agendas rather than science and concern for our collective welfare.
People in Canada discard about 57 million plastic drinking straws every day. In my hometown of Vancouver, we toss out 2.6 million disposable cups every week. It's a global problem. Plastic products are choking landfills and waterways and causing devastation in the oceans. In 2014, scientists even found a new kind of stone in Hawaii, made of sand, shells, coral, volcanic rock and plastic.
We Can't Hide From Global Warming's Consequences
Over the past few months, heat records have broken worldwide.
In early July, the temperature in Ouargla, Algeria, reached 51.3°C (124.34°F), the highest ever recorded in Africa! Temperatures in the eastern and southwestern U.S. and southeastern Canada have also hit record highs. In Montreal, people sweltered under temperatures of 36.6°C (97.88°F), the highest ever recorded there, as well as record-breaking extreme midnight heat and humidity, an unpleasant experience shared by people in Ottawa. Dozens of people have died from heat-related causes in Quebec alone.
Fake Grassroots Campaigns Deserve Uprooting
AstroTurf looks and feels like grass—in an all-too-perfect way. But it's not grass.
Now the well-known artificial turf's brand name has taken on a new meaning, referring to purported "grassroots" efforts that are actually funded and supported by industry and political entities.
Assessing Seafood Retailers' Progress Helps Consumers and Industry
A warm summer day, a cold drink and fish on the grill. It doesn't get much better. But how do you know if your fish is sustainable? It can be a challenge—especially considering SeaChoice found just 11 per cent of seafood available in Canada in 2016 was rated as a "best choice." Many retailers have sustainable seafood policies, but how good are they?
Caribou Science Denial Cripples Conservation Efforts
To its credit, the Forest Products Association of Canada recognizes climate change is a serious threat to forests and habitat, and has vowed the sector it represents "is doing its part to fight climate change through work in our forests, at our mills and through the products we make."
Energy Efficiency and Technology Squeeze the Carbon Bubble
The carbon bubble will burst with or without government action, according to a new study. That will hurt people who invest in fossil fuels.
As energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies improve and prices drop, global demand for fossil fuels will decline, "stranding" new fossil fuel ventures—likely before 2035, according to the study in Nature Climate Change, "Macroeconomic impact of stranded fossil fuel assets."


text:
Environmental Defense Fund v. Mathews
ELR Citation: 6 ELR 20369
Nos. No. 75-1811, 410 F. Supp. 336/8 ERC 1877/(D.D.C., 03/26/1976)
The court grants summary judgment to plaintiff in a suit challenging a Food and Drug Administration regulation which states that the agency has no authority to take regulatory action solely on the basis of environmental considerations not enumerated in its enabling statutes. The challenged regulation, which was promulgated in connection with FDA's decision to authorize the use of nonreturnable plastic beverage containers, violates NEPA's mandate to federal agencies to take environmental considerations into account in their decision making "to the fullest extent possible." NEPA supplements present agency enabling authorities, and compliance with NEPA cannot be excused unless its requirements directly conflict with existing statutory duties. The FDA is mistaken in claiming that such a direct conflict exists between its duties under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and NEPA's mandates. The FDCA merely lists a number of criteria that the FDA Commissioner must consider in taking regulatory actions. Since the statute does not clearly exclude environmental considerations, NEPA provides FDA with supplementary authority to consider all relevant environmental factors in making substantive decisions under the FDCA and its other statutes.
For information relating to documents filed by the parties in this litigation, see ELR 65264, 65288.
Counsel for Plaintiff
John F. Dienelt
Caplin & Drysdale
1101 17th Street, NW
Washington DC 20036
(202) 293-3900
Counsel for Defendants
William M. Cohen
Eric S. Gould
Department of Justice
Washington DC 20530
(202) 739-2775
Jerome H. Heckman
Peter T. Smith
Keller & Heckman
1150 17th Street, NW
Washington DC 20036
(202) 296-2700


text:
Nonlinear Electromagnetics
1st Edition
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Nonlinear Electromagnetics is a collection of research papers from different areas of study related to the nonlinear phenomena in electromagnetism. The book, after giving a short introduction to some mathematical techniques for nonlinear problems, covers related topics such as the history of particle physics; a physical description of the spectral transform; solitons in randomly inhomogenous media; and localized wave fields in nonlinear dispersive media. Also covered in this book are topics such as non-linear plasma-wave interaction; Lagrangian methods; electromagnetic problems in composite materials in linear and nonlinear regimes; and stationary regimes in passive nonlinear methods. The text is recommended for physicists and engineers interested in the development and applications of nonlinear electromagnetic and the mathematical expressions behind it.
Table of Contents
An Introduction To Some Mathematical Techniques For Nonlinear Problems
The Birth of A Paradigm
A Physical Description Of The Spectral Transform
Solitons in Randomly Inhomogeneous Media
Quasiparticle View Of Beam Propagation in Nonlinear Media
The Nonstationary Evolution of Localized Wave Fields in Nonlinear
The Nonlinear Resonant Plasma Wave Interaction in A Collisional Magnetoplasma
Lagrangian Methods in Nonlinear Plasma Wave Interaction
Electromagnetic Problems In Composite Materials in Linear and Nonlinear Regimes
Stationary Regimes in Passive Nonlinear Networks
Nonlinear Oscillations (Limit Cycles) in Physical and Biological Systems
Nonlinear Interactions Of Electromagnetic Waves with Biological Materials
- No. of pages:
- 436
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- © Academic Press 1980
- Published:
- 28th January 1980
- Imprint:
- Academic Press
- eBook ISBN:
- 9780323150392
About the Editor
Piergiorgio Uslenghi
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The Colorado Mountain College Board of Trustees voted unanimously Friday in favor of a resolution to endorse immigration reform and in support of CMC students who have benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
The board stated in its resolution, "The CMC Board of Trustees stands with the nation's leaders to express its strongest support for meaningful and permanent immigration reform, including legal status and citizenship opportunities for our Dreamer children who know no other home outside the United States of America, and authorizes college management to join in local, regional, state and national efforts urging for such a solution."
This was the first electronic vote the trustees have held since the 2017 passage of legislation permitting electronic voting among elected boards of local district colleges. Trustees chose this method of voting for this resolution because they wanted to ensure that it could be sent to the Colorado congressional delegation and the general assembly in advance of 2018 discussions on DACA.
"This month we honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the contributions he has made to critical inquiry and access for all," said Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, president and CEO of Colorado Mountain College. "If Dr. King were still alive today, I like to think that he would be heartened by the CMC Board of Trustees' unanimous vote to support immigration reform and in support of CMC students who have benefitted from the DACA program."
"Through our unanimous vote on the resolution, the CMC trustees demonstrated we stand together to express our strongest possible support for our nation's elected leaders to implement permanent and meaningful immigration reform," said Patty Theobald, president of the CMC Board of Trustees. "This reform should include legal status and citizenship opportunities for young people like our students who, under DACA, have found it more affordable to receive a college education and to then give back to their hometown communities here on the Western Slope."


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In the aftermath of the singer's passing at the age of 27, a different number has hovered into view: three.
Three would be the number of albums the British musician will ultimately have to her name if an unfinished last record receives a posthumous release. The album could then be added to her 2003 debut, Frank, and the sublime Grammy-award winning 2006 follow up, Back To Black.
In this day and age where careers don't seem to be hampered by death (Tupac Shakur has arguably put out more music from beyond the grave than while on this mortal coil), the odds must point toward Winehouse's third record eventually coming out.
(PHOTOS: The Life and Times of Amy Winehouse)
A year ago, she told the British tabloid newspaper, Metro, that, "The [new] album will be six months at the most … It's going to be very much the same as my second album." Even more recently, in April, her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield (who was the person Winehouse made her final ever public appearance with at the Roundhouse in North London last week) told Digital Spy that, "I have heard it, and it's very good!"
As with so much surrounding Winehouse right now, it's difficult to ascertain the actual truth. When the Daily Telegraph reports that "Winehouse had spent the past two years working sporadically on a third album. Sources said that the songs were at demo stage but there was 'a lot of material' available," this appears as accurate an account as there may well be. One wonders whether the producer du jour, and the man who helped helm Back To Black, Mark Ronson, will get involved as it didn't seem as if they had necessarily been seeing eye to eye.
The British newspaper is also claiming that Winehouse's parents, Janis and Mitch (who is a singer in his own right) will have the final say on the release, though the music industry is of the opinion that it would outsell Back To Black's five million copies.
If iTunes is anything to go by since Winehouse passed away on Saturday, you'd have to agree. Within hours of Winehouse dying, Back To Black had gone back to the top of the iTunes chart, with sales of "Rehab" doing gangbusters business. But perhaps her parents want creative control for fear of the finished product getting lukewarm reviews, as was the case with the late Michael Jackson's recent Michael album.
And if you look past the thought that Russell Brand's letter of support may have done wonders for Winehouse's own brand, the most important consideration is surely that, when you consider her relatively small body of work (you can pretty much listen to everything Winehouse ever recorded in the space of two hours), protecting her precious material is the key to ensuring that Winehouse isn't forgotten about in the future. (via Vulture)
(MORE: Amy Winehouse and the Pain of Addiction)
Glen Levy is an Executive Producer at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @glenjl. You can also continue the discussion on TIME's Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.


text: Culture Holidays Celebrating May Day! By Jenn Savedge Writer University of Strathclyde Ithaca College Jenn Savedge is an environmental author and lecturer. She's a former national park ranger who has written three books on eco-friendly living our editorial process Jenn Savedge Updated April 30, 2019 A bright red door makes this May Day basket sing. (Photo: Susan Reimer/Flickr) Share Twitter Pinterest Email Culture History Travel Sustainable Fashion Art & Media Holidays Community After the longest and hardest winter in the history of civilization (at least that's how I'll always remember this past winter), spring is finally in full bloom! May 1st, or May Day is a great day to celebrate spring by surprising your neighbor with a basket of flowers or dancing around a May pole with your kids. Here are some great ideas for celebrating May Day in your neck of the woods: Give May Day baskets: One of the most popularly known May Day traditions is to hang a basket full of spring flowers or other small gifts on a neighbor's doorknob. You can pick a simple arrangement from your garden, or whip up an eco-basket from recycled paper in your craft box, like this paper plate May basket. But whichever version you choose, just remember to move quickly! The trick is to leave the May Day basket without your neighbor seeing you. If you get caught, you are supposed to get a kiss. Dance around the maypole: Another popular May Day activity is to decorate a pole with brightly colored streamers or ribbons, flowers, and balloons to dance around. Traditionally, the pole is carried in a parade and then placed in the ground at a designated area. People then dance around it, holding the ends of the streamers or ribbon in their hands. Our town has a maypole as part of their annual MayFest celebration. But if yours doesn't why not make your own like this cute tabletop maypole version? Make a Hawaiian lei: On May 1st, people in Hawaii celebrate their own version of May Day called Lei Day. They exchange leis with one another and sometimes give a traditional kiss. We can't all live in Hawaii (sigh) but we can celebrate Lei Day by making crepe paper lei versions of this Hawaiian tradition.


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Friendly, Personal Care for Every Pet in Hillside, Elmhurst & Westchester IL
Hillchester Animal Hospital provides complete services for dogs and cats in a friendly, caring environment. From reasonable rates for basic health care to comprehensive veterinary services and surgery, we address every pet care need.
A Positive Pet Care Experience
Bring your pets to Hillchester for personal attention in an intimate setting. Our positive pet care experience includes:
- A warm, friendly environment that supports pets and people
- Health care options for every budget
- High-end medical services
- Advanced technology and skilled professionals
- Compassionate care for every stage, puppies and kittens to senior pets
We take the time to listen, tailoring our service to you and your pets.


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Representatives of African nations in Delhi have registered their strongest protest yet over the recent killing of a Congolese national in the national capital.
In a joint statement, the envoys of African countries have demanded concrete steps against racism and what they termed Afro-phobia seeking deferment of the celebrations of Africa Day by India.
The envoys of the African nations also warned that they will not attend the "Africa Day" celebrations scheduled for demanding India take "concrete steps" to guarantee the safety and security of African nationals.
Masonda Ketada Oliver was beaten to death last week in Vasant Kunj area following a brwal over hiring of an autorickshaw. .
According to PTI, Dean of African Group Head of Missions and Ambassador of Eritrea Alem Tsehage Woldemariam said the envoys of 42 African countries met and deliberated extensively on recent attacks against its nationals.
"The Indian government is strongly enjoined to take urgent steps to guarantee the safety of Africans in India including appropriate programmes of public awareness that will address the problem of racism and Afro-phobia in India," he said in a statement.
He also said that the African envoys have asked for a postponement of the ICCR-organised event to mark Africa Day tomorrow because the African Community in India, including students, are in a "state of mourning in memory of the slain African students in the last few years, including Oliver.
Responding to the concerns of the African envoys, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that government had directed concerned authorities to take stringent action against the culprits involved in killing of the Congolese national.
"When I came to know about the unfortunate killing of a Congo national in Delhi, we directed stringent action against the culprits. I would like to assure African students in India that this an unfortunate and painful incident involving local goons," she tweeted.


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Australia (AUD)
We have a new Carhartt WIP website for customers in the US and Canada. Now offering domestic shipping and returns. Check it out.
Big Kisses will present a series of photographs showing their love for the street culture worldwide along with handmade limited printed silkscreen female & a few male T-shirts and DJ set with a give-away mixtape exclusively for the exhibition in the Carhartt Store Amsterdam.
The opening is on friday, starts at 18:30 untill 21:30.


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Carbohydrate supplements for performance
Overlooking carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are often overlooked when creating a meal plan. In this guide you will learn about carbohydrate supplements and how they can benefit your goals. Also how to use them for optimal results.
Carbohydrates have received somewhat bad reputation. Low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets have gained popularity. At the same time athletes tend to come equipped with masses of protein powders and carbohydrates tend to get left behind.
If used properly, carbohydrates have the ability to increase performance by :
- Increased muscle mass
- Increased endurance
- Increased recovery
Carbohydrates and performance
To understand the effect that carbohydrates have on our body, we must first understand how our body uses different forms of energy.
To lift a weight if sprint a few meter, our bodies requires energy. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), is the only source of energy that can drive muscle to contract. Unfortunately our muscles only stores enough ATP, to support a few seconds of muscle contraction and thus the need to be replaced. If not replaced your set is over. However the body replace ATP by breaking down creatine phosphate (CP) which release energy fast for ATP replenishment. The body stores enough CP for 8-12 seconds of maximal effort, thereafter the body switch to glycolysis. Glycolysis is where stored glycogen (from carbohydrates) and blood sugar replace ATP stores to be used as energy.
Irrespective if your a bodybuilder, athlete or just trying to make improvements in your physique, your results depends on how well you perform during training sessions. Carbohydrates ensure that you can train to your maximum potential for maximum results. When training at high intensities for shorter durations its recommended to consume medium-high GI carbohydrates pre and post exercise. For rapid energy release. Where low intensity training, with a longer duration will benefit from low GI carbohydrates for gradual energy release.
Supplements vs. food
The answer on the question supplements or food is simple… BOTH.
Supplements and food both have advantages that make them ideal in certain situations. Supplements shine in the light of being faster digested, therefore rapid energy release and quick recovery. Where food is slower digestible releasing energy slower and prevent hunger cravings. Therefore a supplement or high GI food source is advisable pre exercise, where a supplement post exercise is crucial for maximum recovery as soon possible. Low GI food is excellent pre endurance exercise of <1 hour OR if the availability of consuming a supplement during the endurance event ( >1 hour) is possible.
Carbohydrate timing
When to have you carbohydrates are very important in some cases:
- Breakfast: After an entire night of sleep (more or less 8hour fast), liver and muscle glycogen are depleted. It is important to eat whole wheat, low GI, complex carbohydrates to restore glycogen stores. Examples are fruit from the low GI list, oatmeal, high fibre cereal, whole wheat grains and low fat milk
- 2-3 Hours pre training: Eating carbohydrates before training will allow glucose to be set free in your bloodstream by the time of training. This will be rapid fuel for a productive, intense workout. Low GI carbohydrates will be beneficial at this time. Whole grains like whole grain low GI bread and whole grain cereal.
- Immediately before training, during and after exercise: These carbohydrates will not only fuel intense training but restock liver glycogen stores as they are depleted by heavy training. These carbohydrates will also serve to protect muscle tissue from breakdown by increasing insulin levels. High GI carbs will be beneficial, specifically in the form of supplements for rapid absorption.
- 1-2 hours after training: Low GI carbohydrates is very important at this stage to keep blood sugar levels stable.
Carbohydrates are most definitely not considered as one of the most cutting edge supplement, however is is one of the most effective in some situations.
However it is important to distinguish if your goals fall within this situation:
Argon & Schoenfeld, 2013


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The Idiots Podcast: Kasparoza rebuttal of John Alite
The Idiots Podcast/Ray Anthony and Andy Julia host Chris Kasparoza who discusses mob rat John Alite and the website he built, JohnAliteFacts.com, exposing hundreds of Alite's lies and the book full of rat fiction he wrote with George Anastasia.
Alite was on this show previously.
Full show: http://wildfireradio.com/idiots-episode-64/


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Huawei Honor Note 8 User Manual Pdf
Huawei Honor Note 8 User Manual Pdf
REVIEW Huawei Honor Note 8
Huawei is reportedly preparing a new smartphone that carries the big screen. Based TENAA information sourced from China, Huawei Honor Note 8 comes with a screen measuring 6.88 inches and with the specifications in its class.
Based on the information circulated, Huawei Honor Note 8 large relies on a touch screen measuring 6.6 inches with Quad HD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels with a density of 445 pixels per inch reach using the panel IPS-NEO technology (In-Plane Switching), as well as protected Gorilla Glass 4. this smartphone has been carrying the Android 6.0 operating system with a bandage Marshmallow Emotion UI 4.1 interface.
In terms of performance, Huawei Honor Note 8 offers performance far more powerful than its predecessor because it is powered by Hisilicon Kirin 955 chipset that carries carrying octa-core processor consisting of a quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 at a speed of 2.5 GHz and a quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 with speed of 1.8 GHz with 4GB of RAM memory support LPDDR4 and graphics of the Mali-T880 MP4.
Note 8 phone connectivity is quite complete with the presence of WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE Cat.6, 3G HSPA, GPS, USB Type-C, and NFC. The Chinese manufacturer Huawei equip Note 8 to the extensive internal memory capacity, which is still supported 64GB microSD slot for external memory expansion up to a maximum of 128GB hybrid slots.
Side of the camera, smartphone Huawei Honor Note 8 equipped with a powerful 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus supported BSI sensor that is supported by a dual LED flash to help you take pictures in low light. While the front camera, Huawei Honor Note 8 carries a resolution of 8 megapixel fixed focus for selfie photos and video calls, and its battery capacity is equal to 4400 mAh
User Manual Pdf s not available yet


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It's Girl Scout Cookie time- one of the best times of the year! I am on the hunt for a girl scout in my area . . . and until I find her, I have been making recipes like this one and our Samoa Brownies to tide me over.
These blondies are so rich and brown sugar-y . . . and with the cute M&M's on top, you can't resist them. I don't think that they taste too much like a Samoa Cookie, but don't let that stop you from making them. I definitely think that they are one of the best blondies I have made!
Serves: 9
Valentine M&M Samoa Blondies Recipe
10 minPrep Time
30 minCook Time
40 minTotal Time
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 1/4 cups mini M&Ms
- a few extra M&Ms
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8x8-inch pan with nonstick spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it browns and begins to smell nutty (watch it closely so it doesn?t burn). Let the butter cool for a few minutes, until just barely warm.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars. With a wooden spoon, stir in egg, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour, coconut and M&M?s until batter is blended.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a few additional M&M?s on top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let the blondies cool before turning them out onto a cutting board and slicing into squares (chilling them will make that process even easier).
- Side Notes:
- *Use chocolate chips in place of M&M?s if you?d like.
- *For slightly gooey, underbaked blondies, bake for 25 minutes. For fully baked blondies, bake the entire 30 minutes (I baked mine for about 27 minutes and I thought that they were perfect!).
Six Sisters Stuff
Recipe source: Recipe Girl


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The Magnet Mother
"I saw and approached the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet."
Dorothea Lange
Dorothea Lange
Florence Owens Thompson is surrounded by three of her children in a makeshift shelter. They have recently arrived just inside of a pea-pickers camp near Nipomo, California. The family's car lost its timing belt and coasted inside the camp. Florence's second husband, Jim Hill, and two of her boys removed the car's radiator and headed to town to get it fixed. Florence and the rest of her seven children (excluding the baby) set up this makeshift shelter to wait the mens' return.
Dorothea Lange was finishing up a month-long assignment of photographing field workers in this region of California when she saw a sign for the pea-picking camp. She drove for twenty miles before she bowed to the urge to return to the camp and photograph the workers. This decision would bring the iconic photograph and encounter of Florence and Dorothea. The photographs Lange snapped of Florence would be the only ones taken by the photographer on that day.
Florence Leona Christie was born in September 1903 in Oklahoma Indian Territory. Her mother would remarry two years after Florence was born, her father gone before that birth. Florence married Cleo Owens when she was seventeen and would have six children by the time Cleo died of tuberculosis in 1931. By this time, they were living in California working in saw mills and farms. Without a husband to provide for the family, Florence worked the fields and in restaurants to support her family. Florence would have her seventh child in 1933 and then met and marry Jim Hill. Jim and Florence would have three children of their own. She would work wherever she could find employment; cotton fields, hospitals, tending bar, cooking in restaurants. They would move around this area of California throughout the depression. Although it is not stated what happened to Hill during this time, Florence would marry George Thompson, a hospital administrator sometime after World War Two.
Her identity as the person in the photograph would mostly remain a mystery. It would not be until the late 1970s, just a few short years before Florence's death in 1983. Although her family had purchased her a home a few years before, she preferred to live in a mobile home. Florence was quoted with saying "I need to have wheels under me."
On the day that Lange photographed Florence, there were somewhere between 2,500 and 3,500 workers in the camp. Florence and her family had just arrived and were not actually part of the work. Langue would make the following comment about seeing Florence Owens Thompson, "I saw and approached the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet." This "magnet mother" would draw people to the plight of the migrant workers even today.
Florence was 32 years old at the time of the photograph. Her eyes and her facial features would camouflage that fact, giving the appearance of someone beyond that age. Little communication occurred between the two women and for years the photo would serve as a symbol of shame for Thompson and her children. She never received any profit from the images and was led to believe that Lange would not publish the photos. Florence Owens Thompson would work in the fields until the early 1950s, acting as a straw boss, negotiating wages for her fellow pickers.
This photograph has been parodied and modified many times throughout the years. One of the earliest images was one used by the Black Panthers in the early 1970s in which Thompson is displayed as an African-American woman. Others are more contemporary in humor. Some do express similar feelings and situations in modern society as is the case with the image of Thompson in a Walmart uniform or ones where various cultures are displayed.
Sources cited:
"Migrant Mother," Dorothea Lange, 1936
Migrant Mother, 1936
Florence Owens Thompson, Wikipedia page
Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother" Photographs in the Farm Security Administration Collection: An Overview
"Migrant Mother," Dorothea Lange, 1936
Migrant Mother, 1936
Florence Owens Thompson, Wikipedia page
Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother" Photographs in the Farm Security Administration Collection: An Overview


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Young Daddy and I had that conversation last night. No, not that conversation (we'll be remaining a family of four for the foreseeable future). The conversation about discipline and boundaries, and how to police those boundaries.
Ez and Fonz are firmly in tantrum territory, and we've agreed that we need to present a united front, and show consistency in how we deal with diva behaviour. Young Daddy favours a stricter approach, whereas I'm a little more of the 'anything for an easier life' school, so it's going to be interesting trying to come up with an approach that will suit both of our styles.
My concern is that Fonz and his dad are both very strong-willed and are already butting heads with an increasing regularity. I'd like to find ways to diffuse the situation before the battle lines are drawn, so that we can avoid what I can see might become a tempestuous relationship, and a fierce clash of wills. Rather than fight about every little thing, I'd prefer to pick the issues that are most important to us, and concentrate on those.
Basically we're all over the place at the moment. We're unsure what Ez and Fonz's level of understanding is, and how much we can expect of them at this age. Before we make any decisions about how we'd like to manage challenging behaviour, I'd like to do some research and reading. So if you've read a book on toddlers that you'd recommend, please leave me a comment below. I know that TAMBA (Twins And Multiple Births Association) runs parenting workshops focusing on parenting with multiples in mind, so that may also be an option. And I'd love to hear any pearls of wisdom you have to share.
And just look what turned up on my doorstep last week! All courtesy of the very kind Fairy Hobmother from Appliances Online who sell cookers, fridges and other white goods. It cheered me up no end in what was a bit of a low week, so huge thanks to them.


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When Apple announced iBook Author, the text book arrangements with publishers for iBooks, and the changes to iTunes U, Gregg Festa from the ADP Center and AJ Kelton from the CHSS Emerging & Instructional Technology Lab, both at MSU, decided that a simple test pilot would be useful. Faculty members were identified and asked to review some text books, which were paid for, and test out the iBook Author tool. The only requirement was that they needed to produce some sort of tangible product at the end of the semester. The faculty members involved who will be at the conference session are Jerry Fails (Computer Science), Ting Ho (Music), and Gina Miele (Italian). This session will briefly detail the pilot project and each faculty member will provide input on their observations.
The Social Network of Early English Drama: A Digital Humanities Lesson Plan
By Adam Rzepka The Folger Shakespeare Library's recently launched Digital Anthology of Early Modern English Drama (DA) provides searchable, encoded, digital editions of 403 English plays first staged in London between1576 and 1642. A central Read more…