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Charles Robert Darwin is one of the greatest naturalists who ever lived. He was not only the father of evolution but also a remarkable scientist whose ideas and discoveries about the earth's history resulted in new areas for ongoing research in geology, paleontology, biology, and anthropology. His contributions to science, particularly concerning organic evolution, were possible because he would eventually embrace the vast temporal framework that was being argued for in the emerging disciplines of historical geology and comparative paleontology. Taking both time and change seriously was crucial for the young Darwin, as it resulted in his rejecting the fixity of species and, instead, accepting the mutability of life forms throughout the biological history of this planet.
Darwin's intellectual life evolved from his being a part-time naturalist, interested especially in geology, to his becoming a full-time scientist devoted primarily to biology. He developed a comprehensive orientation in geobiology, and his life was a long series of fortuitous coincidences that collectively propelled him to make major discoveries in the natural sciences. Whether speculating on the formation of coral reefs or reflecting on the similarities between the human species and the apes, Darwin came to see both geological structures and biological forms slowly changing due to the influences of natural forces on them over immense periods of time. His conceptual revolution of organic evolution also challenged the entrenched ideas of Aristotelian philosophy and the dogmatic beliefs of Thomistic theology. Consequently, as a result of Darwin's dynamic worldview, the modern thinker would never again see the earth, life forms, or humankind itself in terms of eternal fixity.
Before Darwin
Aristotle, the father of biology who contributed to embryology and taxonomy, had taught that plant and animal species are eternally fixed within nature. In accordance with his claim that experience reveals reality, it appeared to him that forms of life are static. Likewise, for Aristotle, the same species have always been and always will be on this planet, with none of them ever changing into a different form of life or becoming extinct. He held that, because nature is forever the same, no new species will appear on the earth. However, Aristotle maintained that the human intellect is capable of organizing biological types into a natural hierarchy of ever-increasing complexity and sensitivity; he referred to this order of species as the Great Chain of Being. Although he classified hundreds of organisms and was interested in the embryonic and postnatal development of animals, it never occurred to Aristotle that, through time and change, one species could evolve into a new species. The idea that life forms are eternally fixed dominated Western thought until the scientific writings of Charles Darwin.
Organic evolution was glimpsed in the thoughts of the Roman philosopher Lucretius, geological history was pondered by the Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, and the fact that a species may produce varieties of itself was admitted by the biologist Carolus Linnaeus. Because these three thinkers held ideas that were outside the Aristotelian worldview, however, their concepts on time and change were not taken seriously.
The first major evolutionist was Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck (1744-1829). After long consideration of the geological column with its fossil record, he eventually concluded that the empirical evidence (admittedly incomplete) demonstrated that species had evolved throughout the earth's history. He presented his heretical interpretation of life in the book Philosophy of Zoology (1809), which first appeared in the year of Charles Darwin's birth. However, Lamarck was unable to give a satisfactory explanation for the mutability of species. His speculations on organic evolution were grounded in both the inheritance of acquired characteristics (through use and disuse), as well as a form of vitalism. However, there were no facts to support either explanation. As a result, Lamarck was unable to convince any other naturalist that species have evolved over time throughout the history of this planet.
Early Influences on Darwin
As a curious youngster, Charles Darwin had been interested in rocks and insects. He enjoyed taking nature walks into the English countryside, studying rocks, and collecting beetles. His inquisitive mind was inspired by these experiences, and it remained open to new ideas and challenging perspectives throughout his life. As a result of his activities in nature, Darwin continued to develop his acute powers of observation, description, and speculation. Years later, these mental powers would allow him to meticulously analyze organisms (e.g., barnacles, orchids, and worms) and synthesize vast amounts of empirical evidence. He was then able to derive both brute facts and those meaningful generalizations that are needed to explain complex phenomena in nature. Furthermore, over time, Darwin developed a disciplined imagination that would eventually allow him to envision the earth's history in terms of millions of years and, as a result, to accept the counterintuitive scientific truth of organic evolution.
Despite his studies in medicine at Edinburgh University and then in theology at Christ's College of the University of Cambridge, Darwin had no desire to become either a countryside minister or a medical doctor. He remained interested in geology and entomology. Like most naturalists at the time, Darwin thought that species were fixed and immutable throughout the earth's history. Although somewhat religious, he had not taken his theological studies seriously. Even so, Darwin found William Paley's Natural Theology (1802) to be intriguing in its argumentation. However, a few years later, he would reject its theistic premise in light of his own evolutionary explanation for life that replaced the assumed permanent design in nature. For Darwin, the alleged design in the world would be seen to be merely a temporary order rather than the manifestation of a preestablished divine plan. Of special consequence, Darwin was fascinated by the writings of the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (1729-1781), who had made extensive travels in South America. Within only 7 years, as a result of his own trip to the southern hemisphere, Darwin's early conceptions of time and life would be turned upside down: Pervasive change would replace eternal fixity.
A Voyage of Discovery
After having accepted an invitation to join the H.M.S. Beagle on its 5-year voyage around the world to survey and chart the coastlines of South America, Charles Darwin anticipated studying rock strata, collecting fossil specimens, and describing wild organisms in their natural habitats. He could not have foreseen how his own view of time would radically change during this exceptional scientific journey of extraordinary discoveries. The major influence on his conception of earth history came to Darwin as a result of his reading Charles Lyell's three-volume work Principles of Geology (1831-1833). Lyell claimed that this planet is millions of years old, and over vast periods of time, natural forces have slowly altered its geological structures. The empirical evidence was so compelling and the rational arguments so convincing that Darwin came to accept Lyell's new interpretation of geological history. Furthermore, as climates and environments are always changing, Lyell's dynamic view of the earth's history in terms of geology now suggested to Darwin a dynamic view of the earth in terms of biology.
If, for Darwin, his voyage on the Beagle was the single most important event in his scientific life, then his acceptance of Lyell's geological perspective was the pivotal moment during this trip. Over the coming years, Darwin's piercing insights and a convergence of evidence would result in a paradigm shift in natural science from fixity to evolution.
Giving priority to science and reason, Darwin eventually rejected the age for this planet that had been determined through a strict, literal interpretation of the biblical story of Genesis. He now held the age of the earth to be in the millions of years (rather than being only a few thousand years old). Within this extraordinary time framework, Darwin was able to imagine the sweeping process of organic evolution.
As the Beagle sailed along the coastlines of South America, it frequently made stops at major ports. Some landings offered Darwin the opportunity to explore inland. In Brazil, he was delighted by the lush tropical jungles with their incredible diversity of insects. Next, in Argentina, working with crew members, Darwin helped to unearth the fossil remains of now-extinct giant mammals. Yet, these fossil specimens resembled a few of those mammals that were still living on the continent. This uncanny resemblance between past and present forms of life suggested to Darwin that there had been a historical continuity in life from prehistoric organisms to extant species (with extinctions occurring throughout the history of life on Earth). He subsequently wrote about the complex web of evolving life.
Captain Robert FitzRoy of the Beagle, a biblical fundamentalist, dogmatically believed the age of the earth to be no more than 10,000 years old; despite growing evidence to the contrary, he never doubted his religious opinion. In sharp contrast, for Darwin, several crucial experiences gave scientific evidence to support Lyell's dynamic interpretation of historical geology. In Chile, Darwin saw those geological changes that had recently been caused by earthquakes, tiDalí waves, and volcanic eruptions. These alterations to rock structures gave credence to Lyell's immense temporal framework, as it would take enormous periods of time for natural forces to significantly change the geological surface of the earth. Furthermore, Darwin had found seashells and fossil fish in the top rock strata of the Andes. He correctly reasoned that these geological layers must have once been below the surface of the Pacific Ocean and that slowly, over millions of years, natural forces had elevated these rock strata to form the mountain range of today.
For Darwin, however, the most important event of the HMS Beagle voyage was a 5-week stay on the Galapagos Islands in 1835. This unique archipelago consists of 15 major volcanic islands located near the equator, about 600 miles west of Ecuador. In his journal, Darwin wrote: "Hence, both in space and time, we seem to be brought somewhat near to that great fact—that mystery of mysteries—the first appearance of new beings on this earth." He was able to explore several islands, carefully describing and interpreting their geology and biology. He was surprised to discover that different species of finches, mockingbirds, iguanas, and tortoises lived on this group of islands. Moreover, these species resembled species on the mainland of South America. Nevertheless, he did not appreciate the far-reaching implications of these facts for evolution until after he had critically reflected on all the evidence from these islands when he was back in England after the trip had been completed. He concluded that the ancestors of the Galapagos species had managed to reach this archipelago from elsewhere ages ago, where they then speciated over time into different forms for different habitats. It had become obvious to Darwin that there is a direct relationship between the biological characteristics and behavior patterns of an organism and its environment in terms of adaptation, survival, reproduction, and evolution (or extinction). Even the Galapagos Islands and their unusual life forms have been changing throughout time.
The Theory of Evolution
It is very unlikely that Darwin would have developed his scientific theory of organic evolution without having read Lyell and taken the voyage on the HMS Beagle. When Darwin returned to England, he was convinced that species are mutable. The overwhelming scientific evidence, especially from paleontology and biogeography, clearly attested to the adaptive evolution of life forms throughout organic history on the earth; Darwin's biological framework supplemented Lyell's geological perspective. Darwin acknowledged both the creative and destructive aspects of organic evolution. Unfortunately, he still lacked an explanatory mechanism to account for the dynamic divergence and often extinction of species over unimaginable periods of planetary time.
In 1838, by chance, Darwin read Thomas Robert Malthus's monograph An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798, 1803). Suddenly, Malthus's description of life as a "struggle for existence" gave to Darwin his primary principle of natural selection, which would help to explain biological evolution. Despite being elated, the ailing and introverted naturalist had no plans to rush a volume on his controversial theory of evolution into print. Instead, he focused on those notes he had written during his groundbreaking trip and published them in The Voyage of the Beagle (1839). Furthermore, he wrote a 35-page abstract on evolution in 1842 and expanded it into a 230- page manuscript in 1844. Neither the abstract nor the manuscript was published.
The scientific philosopher Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) referred to natural selection as "the survival of the fittest," a phrase that Darwin himself would use and come to prefer in his later writings. Unlike Darwin, however, Spencer extended the evolutionary framework to include everything from the history of the entire universe to the development of human societies and ethics.
As a scientific theory, organic evolution by natural selection had enormous explanatory power. It accounted for the diversity of species on the Galapagos Islands. Organisms in different habitats required different physical characteristics and behavior patterns in order to adapt, survive, and reproduce. Over time, from a common ancestry, species would radiate into different varieties (or new species) to fill different environments. If conditions suddenly changed, then organisms were threatened with extinction; the fossil record shows the complete demise of trilobites and dinosaurs after their millions of years of successful adaptive evolution. All plants and animals, including the human species, are products of biological history in terms of organic evolution. Darwin's own interpretation of this ongoing process was mechanistic and materialistic; it rejected vitalism, essentialism, teleology, spiritualism, and a divine plan, as well as the fixity of species. For Darwin, the process of biological evolution had no meaning, purpose, direction, or final goal. He was correct in fearing that a bitter controversy would ensue over his theory of "descent with modification" (as he called it). For 20 years, his attention focused on numerous research projects ranging from domesticated pigeons to insectivorous plants, while his theory of evolution remained in the background.
The Evolution Controversy
In 1858, Darwin received a letter and manuscript from Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), a naturalist who was living in Indonesia. Like Darwin, Wallace had read Lyell and Malthus and had spent time studying the biology of oceanic islands. Reading the manuscript, Darwin was shocked to learn that Wallace had independently discovered the theory of evolution by natural selection. Even so, on July 1, the members of the Linnean Society in London gave priority to Darwin for having fathered the scientific theory of organic evolution 20 years earlier.
Darwin finished his book on evolution On the Origin of Species, which was published on November 24, 1859. In this volume, he deliberately refrained from discussing human evolution and its disturbing ramifications. Darwin had only written: "Light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history." Nevertheless, anyone reading the Origin of Species could easily see that the theory of evolution should also be extended to account for the origin and history of the human species. As such, one may argue that the controversy over evolution was actually due to a topic that Darwin himself had consciously avoided including in his major work. As Darwin had feared, serious issues over evolution emerged in both academic and public circles. Of special significance was the 1860 confrontation held at the University Museum Library in Oxford (neither Darwin nor Wallace was present). Bishop Samuel Wilberforce ("Soapy Sam") pontificated on the biblical account of the 6 days of Creation, while the anatomist Thomas Henry Huxley ("Darwin's bulldog") defended organic evolution and its geological framework. Especially because of Huxley's informative and persuasive arguments, it was held that Darwin had won the day for evolution, science, and reason.
Along with Huxley in England, the biologist and philosopher Ernst Haeckel in Germany and the botanist Asa Gray at Harvard University in the United States championed the evolutionary perspective. However, interpretations of organic evolution ranged from materialism to spiritualism. Despite the ongoing controversy between science and religion, it was becoming increasingly difficult for other naturalists, as well as philosophers and theologians, to ignore the accumulating evidence for both the immense age of this planet and the great antiquity of the human species.
No radiometric dating techniques were available in the 19th century. Therefore, most naturalists did not share Darwin's sweeping geological perspective, which held that the earth must be at least 600 million years old. Darwin reasoned that his theory of evolution needed an awesome amount of time to account for the staggering diversity of life forms that had emerged throughout organic history. The slow evolution of vision, from a mere sensitive spot in a primordial organism to the complex eye in the human species, would take millions upon millions of years to accomplish through the gradual accumulation of slight but favorable individual variations and the mechanism of natural selection.
Human Evolution
Twelve years after his Origin volume appeared, Darwin published The Descent of Man (1871). Finally, the now world-renowned naturalist focused on the evolution of the human species; Huxley and Haeckel had already written on this contentious subject several years earlier. Darwin wrote that the human animal is closest to the two African great apes (chimpanzee and gorilla), with which it shares a common primate ancestor in the remote past. Furthermore, he reasoned that this common ancestor would be found in the fossil record of African rock strata. His rigorous consideration of comparative biology led him to claim that humans differ from apes merely in degree rather than in kind. For many thinkers, the philosophical implications and theological consequences of human evolution were disquieting. In fact, Darwin himself found his own pervasive materialism to be upsetting in its stark implications for human existence.
Darwinian evolution had dealt a serious blow to the alleged uniqueness of the human being; humans were now thought to be evolved apes rather than fallen angels. Consequently, as a result of scientific discoveries in the 20th century, the biological history of the human species was extended back millions of years to the apelike forms in the remote fossil record. Moreover, anthropologists also compared the genes, behavior patterns, and mental activities of humans with those of the living great apes. The results clearly demonstrated that humans are closer to the apes than Huxley or Haeckel or even Darwin himself could have imagined at the end of the 19th century.
For Darwin, even human feelings and emotions had their origin in the feelings and emotions of fossil apes. As such, he also grounded human morality in the distant past. Thus, from biology to psychology, humans are linked to the living apes through organic evolution. A remaining question about human evolution concerns when, in the early history of apelike forms, the successful split had occurred that resulted in a crucial distinction between the ongoing evolution of apes and the emergence of those proto-hominids that were ancestral to the appearance of true hominids, who were capable of both sustained bipeDalí locomotion and the making of stone implements.
After Darwin
After his return from the southern hemisphere, Darwin never made another trip outside of England. He spent his time thinking, writing, and doing research at Down House in Kent, near Bromley. Twice each day, Darwin would stroll the Sandwalk, a path through the woods and fields behind his residence. No doubt, during these walks, he reflected on his fortuitous voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle and his own theory of organic evolution. Lyell's persuasive thoughts had introduced the young Darwin to geological history with its awesome temporal framework. Subsequently, Darwin's own scientific theory had given the enlightened world an evolutionary perspective with its overwhelming views of time and change in terms of biological history. The complexity and unity of life on Earth are the result of organic evolution, and this ongoing process has encompassed millions of years. Even profound ideas, cherished beliefs, and social values have an evolutionary history. Nothing escapes the Darwinian revolution.
In his Autobiography, written in 1876 and published posthumously in 1887, Darwin admitted that his theory of evolution challenged the theology of Christianity. He did not speculate on the origin or the end of this universe. Furthermore, an explanation for the beginning of life eluded him, as did envisioning the distant future of the human species and the end of all life. Darwin's own mechanistic and materialistic interpretation of organic evolution was atheistic, while his cosmology remained agnostic. He simply left the philosophical questions and theological issues surrounding the fact of evolution for other thinkers to grapple with. One may argue that Darwin's crisis of faith, due to his own pervasive materialism, resulted in a failure of nerve, since he did not share his final thoughts on religion and theology during his lifetime. Unfortunately, not until 1958 was an unexpurgated edition of his Autobiography made available to the public; his devoutly religious wife had intentionally deleted all of Darwin's opinions on God and Christianity from the original manuscript before its first publication. For sure, there was a glaring contrast between Darwin's scientific understanding of evolutionary time and his wife's religious commitment to the biblical account of divine creation.
When Darwin died in 1882, he was buried in Westminster Abby near the tomb of Isaac Newton. Over the following years, his theory of evolution has been strengthened by ongoing advances in science and technology. New dating techniques have determined the age of the planet Earth to be 4.6 billion years old, and human-like fossils are now dated back over 4 million years. The discovery of endless specimens in the fossil record of the geological column has revealed both evolutionary patterns and periods of extinction throughout the vastness of biological history. Moreover, ongoing comparative studies in biology, from biochemistry and genetics to embryology and morphology, have shed new light on taxonomic relationships and common ancestries. Continuing studies in the biogeography of both plants and animals reveal the complex adaptive relationships between organisms and their environments. And, modern computers generate dynamic models of the phylogenetic histories of species, filling in the gaps of an admittedly incomplete fossil record. With all this growing empirical evidence, it is becoming more and more difficult for enlightened thinkers to ignore the fact of evolution and its obvious inferences for time and change.
Supplementing historical geology, organic evolution has greatly expanded the concept of time in terms of the origin and history of life forms on Earth (including all aspects of our own species, from religions to technologies). In the mid-20th century, with the discovery of the DNA molecule, scientists developed the so-called synthetic theory of organic evolution, which added genetic variations or mutations, found in dynamic populations, to Darwin's fundamental concept of natural selection. Furthermore, the evolutionary framework was extended to include the history of this universe. And, there is the probability that life forms, including intelligent beings, are evolving on planets elsewhere in other solar systems among the countless stars. In fact, the concept of time itself has come under rigorous scrutiny by scientists, philosophers, and theologians. No doubt, Charles Darwin would be surprised at, and delighted with, the modern awareness of time concerning both cosmic and biological levels of existence.
See also Critical Reflection and Time; Darwin and Aristotle; Earth, Age of; Evolution, Organic; Experiments, Thought; Fossil Record; Geology; Haeckel, Ernst; Huxley, Thomas Henry; Lyell, Charles; Malthus, Thomas; Paleontology; Paley, William; Uniformitarianism
Further Readings
Aydon, C. (2002). Charles Darwin. London: Robinson.
Birx, H. J. (1991). Interpreting evolution: Darwin &
Teilhard de Chardin. Amherst, NY: Prometheus. Browne, E. J. (1996). Charles Darwin: Voyaging.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Browne, E. J. (2003). Charles Darwin: The power of place. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Darwin, C. (1991). The origin of species. Amherst,
NY: Prometheus. (Original work published 1859) Darwin, C. (1998). The descent of man. Amherst, NY:
Prometheus. (Original work published 1871) Darwin, C. (2000). Autobiography. Amherst, NY:
Prometheus. (Original work published 1887)
Darwin, C. (2000). The voyage of the Beagle. Amherst, NY: Prometheus. (Original work published 1839)
Dennett, D. C. (1995). Darwin's dangerous idea: Evolution and the meanings of life. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Dupre, J. (2003). Darwin's legacy: What evolution means today. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Hodge, J., & Radick, G. (Eds.). (2003). The Cambridge companion to Darwin. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Keynes, R. (2003). Fossils, finches, and Fuegians: Darwin's adventures and discoveries on the Beagle. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Mayr, E. (1991). One long argument: Charles Darwin and the genesis of modern evolutionary thought. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Tort, P. (2001). Charles Darwin: The scholar who changed human history. London: Thames & Hudson.
Weiner, J. (1995). The beak of the finch: A story of evolution in our time. New York: Vintage.


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Come discover Brittany through the footsteps of its famous artists and the cités des peintres. The French Ministry of Culture has designated eight cities as national "cities of art and history" for their contributions of culture and beauty to France. An itinerary through these cities (Quimper, Auray, Vannes, Rennes, Fougères, Vitré, Dinan, and Saint-Malo) is the best way to experience Brittany's rich cultural heritage.
For more than two centuries, Brittany has inspired creativity from all walks of life, and today it remains one of the most popular French regions for artists. Surrounded by coastal landscapes and the charm of Breton customs and legends, artists founded colonies at Concarneau, Pont-Aven, and Douarnenez, to name a few. In the 1860s, the American artists Henry Bacon, Robert Wylie, and many others who had traveled from Philadelphia to Paris to Brittany in search of fresh inspiration, established Pont-Aven. Other cosmopolitan artists like Émile Bernard, Henry Moret, and Paul Sérusier boosted the status of Pont-Aven to a worldwide artist haven. The area has inspired many famous works, including Paul Gauguin's Portrait of the Yellow Christ at the Tremolo Chapel in Pont-Aven and Sérusier's Landscape at Pouldu.
Other painters like Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, and Henri Matisse fell in love with Brittany's diverse coastline and wild landscape. Picasso perfected his impressionism on the beaches of the Emerald Coast, and Monet immortalized the rocky coast of Belle-Île in nearly forty of his paintings. In all, some 160 artists have been seduced by the charms of Brittany, and their stylistic contributions to the art world are many. Gauguin's postimpressionistic methods and deliberate use of color helped to set the tone for the expressive artwork of the 20th century. Even today, those with less than impressive artistic talent flock to Brittany to try their hand at technique classes or see the sites.
But if painting alone is not enough of a passion, then the next best thing is to visit a few of the region's cities of art and history. These towns are bound by a common charter to preserve and enhance their architectural and cultural heritage, through tourist and cultural activities. The Corsair City of Saint-Malo, a renowned seaside resort, is breathtaking with its storied granite architecture and soaring ramparts that open up to the pounding ocean. Just south of Saint-Malo, another city of art and history awaits at Dinan, where visitors wander through medieval, narrow cobble-stoned alleys that rise high above the Rance River.
East of Dinan, the city of Fougères is known for its deeply religious history that has inspired generations of artists to capture its majesty. The artwork of Rennes is inspired by water, which has had a great effect in its sculptures and paintings. Vitré, in all its majesty high upon rocky cliffs, is another medieval city, where the castle's towers rise high above the city's other buildings. Vitré is where Madame Sévigné lived when she wrote her famous letters.
To the west, the city of Quimper lies in a valley at the junction of two rivers. Quimper is renowned for its impressive historic architecture and the deep influence that Breton culture has had on its pottery, or faïence. The port city of Auray boasts an attractive and charming old harbor with its stone bridge and many beautiful houses. Finally, a visit to Vannes rounds out the eight cities of art and history. Built in the shape of an amphitheater at the Gulf of Morbihan, Vannes is a picturesque old city with elegant shops, manicured gardens and traditional timbered houses.
A traditional artists' haven, Western France has no shortage of inspiration or entertainment for the creative, enthusiastic traveler. In Brittany the possibilities for travel are endless; with so many places to visit, it's not hard to plan a fun and exciting itinerary. Come experience life as Paul Gauguin and his contemporaries once did, in the welcoming region of Brittany.

subset: commoncrawl


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Google has released a new course "Learn Online Marketing", which is free and has the potential to be really beneficial for small business owners who are struggling to get the exposure needed to grow their business.
We know that running your own business can be time-consuming and leave you without time to do much else. So, we're reviewing each topic so you can tell if they are going to be useful for you.
Before we start it's important to note that you don't have to complete the learning in every section. If you already know enough about a certain topic you can skip the learning videos and go straight to the quiz, or if you already know enough about 'Online Marketing' you can skip to the final test to get the course completed
The Setup:
To get started you are required to answer a few generic questions to determine why you have chosen to the course and what you want to get out of it. This is so you can be provided with a 'tailored plan' that meets your specific needs. The range of options are large so you shouldn't have any difficulty finding one that explains why you're doing the course.
Topic 1: The Online Opportunity
Topic 1 has two lessons within it that focus on digitization and being online. Lesson 1 is very basic, it gives a brief overview and explanation of the digital industry over the last few years. It then continues on to explain why the digital industry is important for businesses and why they have to be online. Lesson 2 is on actually 'getting online' so it's for those who have no online presence. If you have no social media (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram), no website or any reviews for your business this section will be really good for you! The lesson then explains ways to improve your online presence.
The Tests
The tests were both very generic with a couple of questions on topics included in the video learning component of the lesson. They both took less than 5 minutes and were easy to complete. The end of topic assessment was slightly longer but still simple and quick to complete.
There is an extensive glossary of key terms called a 'Jargon Buster' that is included. The 'Jargon Buster' had clear explanations of the terms used and was a great resource.
Overall, including setup and all the different components, this task took around 30 minutes to complete.
So far so good! This course has the potential to be really beneficial. We'll keep you updated and now onto Topic 2.


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I often write when I feel sentimental. I write tributes to people who have touched my life, I write gratitude lists. Sometimes I write funny things, silly things, cute things that make people go "awwwww…" with a little head tilt. Rarely do I write when I am supremely pissed off. But today is one of those days. Lucky you. Read on.
I love to laugh. When I am laughing so hard my cheekbones feel stuck in a smile, my stomach hurts and I'm having trouble breathing, well that is just *the* BEST. People put funny "posters" on facebook, they share cartoons & crazy out-of-context quotes. There are tons of funny things out there. And if you do an image search (try goodsearch before those other search engines– money gets raised for good causes) you can surely find enough pictures to crack you up for a good hour or two.
Today I did an image search for "autism funny" and you know what? It made me angry. Apparently, the people who think they have a sense of humor when it comes to autism like to post pictures of kids who look like mine with terms like "a$$hole" in the caption. Or "joke" quotes degrading or humiliating people with autism and their families.
Or maybe it's the search engines who just don't freaking get it. When I type "autism funny" I want Big Daddy's cartoons or Autism Army Mom's photos. I want stuff that is fun, that we all can laugh at, that's not insensitive, intolerant junk. Is that too much to ask??
Sheesh :S … and Grrrrrr…. and all that.
Soooooo…. Here's what I'm asking for today:
Send me something that is "autism funny" to you. Find me things that celebrate kids like mine, that will make me smile or belly laugh, that are *specifically* under the category "autism funny." Because let's face it… if we can't laugh through this strange world we're all navigating… then what's it really about?
Okay, enough reading my rant. Go search, find & report back. Post in comments or email please (firstname.lastname@example.com).
… What are you still doing here? Go find stuff– go now!
Oh yeah… and wishing you all a Happy New Year with plenty of things to smile about!


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5,500 Schools Use Our HR software
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"Based upon our success with our employees and applicants using ApplyToEducation, we are now in the process of moving our LTO process onto ApplyToEducation. We look forward to our continued relationship with ApplyToEducation and additional integration projects in 2017. The ApplyToEducation staff objectively listen to our requests and concerns and have always met and exceeded our expectations. It has been a pleasure to work with the ApplyToEducation staff."


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Three Bears Alaska
Three Bears Alaska is a family owned and operated Alaskan grocery store with so much more. It was started in Tok, AK in 1980. There are now multiple locations to include Convenience Stores throughout Alaska, from Ninilchik to Tok and even one in Butte, MT. We offer a full line of groceries, fresh meat, fresh produce, health and beauty aids, pharmacy department, pet needs, office supplies, seasonal, and bulk buy items. The Three Bears Outpost carries sporting goods ranging from guns, ammunition, knives, apparel to fishing, hunting, and camping gear. We also have hunting and fishing licenses available at most locations.
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We are, "Alaskans Serving Alaskans, Since 1980"
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Three Bears Alaska Newsletter
To receive our weekly sales specials, sign up for our exclusive email subscription list. You will receive an email newsletter with sale items, new products, promotional events, and exciting Three Bears news sent exclusively to our e-mail subscribers. We do not share or sell our subscriber list to other entities.


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Hastings Police Foundation
The Hastings Police Foundation was created in 2001 as a non-profit organization to support the special programs of the Hastings Police Department. The Foundation is a non-profit corporation and has been determined to have 501(C)3 tax-exempt status from the IRS.
Donations to the Foundation may be made to:
Hastings Police Foundation
317 S. Burlington Avenue
Hastings, NE 68901
You may specify a specific program for your donation to benefit.
The Board of Directors consists of members of the community, with representation from the Hastings Police Department.
Social Links
Contact Us
City of Hastings Hastings Police Department
317 S. Burlington Avenue(402) 461-2380 • Contact Form
Hastings, NE 68901
Hastings, NE 68901


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Karayan, H.S. and Gandilyan, S.V. (2016) Several Issues of Generalized Physical and Mathematical Modeling of Micro- and Nano-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS and NEMS). Armenian Journal of Physics, 9 (3). pp. 244-259. ISSN 1829-1171
Kryuchkyan, G.Yu. and Karayan, H.S. and Chibukhchyan, A.G. and Shahinyan, A.R. (2017) The Impact of the Pulse Phase Deviation on Probability of the Fock States Considering the Dissipation. Armenian Journal of Physics, 10 (1). pp. 64-68. ISSN 1829-1171


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Citrus is brilliant at brightening up recipes all year long, but it's especially nice in the summer. Think tangy marinades for the grill, salad dressings, angel food cupcakes, or use it to keep your guacamole from turning brown. Here are some quick tricks to getting the most from your lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits.
Before I juice I always zest, because the oils in the zest contains concentrated flavor of the fruit without a lot of the sourness (it can keep, covered air-tight in the fridge for a couple days). I never know when I will need some to add pizazz to a dish – for example, stir a little zest into plain old steamed rice and it will transform the
rice from bland to exciting. Larger citrus like oranges and grapefruits are usually pretty easy to juice, but rolling a lemon or lime before cutting helps loosen up the fruit, so it releases the juice a little easier. If it still feels
hard when I give it a little squeeze in my hand, I like to throw it in the microwave for a quick zap (about 15-20 seconds on high). Let the fruit cool a minute or two, then slice and squeeze – the juice should release easily. How do you use citrus to liven up your dishes?
Summer entertaining screams guacamole to me. It's quick and easy to make, and goes great with a cold beer in the hot sun by the pool. Serve it as an appetizer with chips or crudités; as a component of grilled fish or chicken, or slathered over a juicy burger straight off the grill.
Servings: 8
4 very ripe avocados
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce (more or less depending on how hot you like it)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 ripe vine tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1). Slice the avocados in half, remove the pits and slice into a medium size bowl. Add the lime zest and juice immediately (the acid stops the air from turning the avocados brown).
2). Add the garlic, hot sauce and cumin, then smoosh the ingredients together, mixing well while using the back of a fork to mash, keeping a little texture in the mixture.
3). Stir in the red onion, tomato and cilantro, and season to taste.
Serving Suggestions:
For an pretty presentation, I like to serve the guacamole in half an avocado skin surrounded by chips, and/or crudités for the figure conscious. It is also delicious served with grilled fish, chicken, or slathered over burgers.


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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Putting out milk and cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve is almost as old a tradition as the bearded jolly man himself.
That said, if you've been too focused on shopping to figure out a plan for fueling St. Nick's journey round-the-world, then here's our present to you: last-minute recipes for Christmas Eve goodies.
They're relatively easy, enormously festive and pretty darn tasty — perfect to set out for Kris Kringle or, ahem, enjoy yourself.
Brownie Christmas Trees
Brownie Ingredients:
1 (19.8 to 21.5-ounce) package plain brownie mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
Frosting Ingredients:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
3 to 4 drops green food color
Decoration Ingredients:
Edible glitter and/or dragees, if desired
28 (1 to 1/2-inch) plain pretzel nuggets
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package except substitute 1/2 cup melted butter for oil. Line 9-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, extending foil 2 inches over short ends. Grease foil; spread batter over foil. Bake for 30 to 33 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, combine powdered sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter, vanilla and enough milk for desired spreading consistency in small mixer bowl. Stir in enough food color for desired color.
To remove brownie from pan, invert pan onto cutting surface; carefully remove foil. Frost cooled brownie. Cut long side into four (3-inch) rows. Cut each row into seven triangles. (The base of each brownie tree should be about 1 3/4 inches.) Decorate with glitter and dragees as desired. For each tree attach pretzel, using small amount of frosting, into 1 3/4-inch side to resemble tree trunk.
— Recipe from www.landolakes.com.
Holi-date Nut Cookies
1 pound pitted dates (chopped)
8 ounces candied fruit like pineapple or cranberries (chopped)
2 ounces crystallized ginger (chopped)
1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts (coarsely chopped)
2 cups slivered almonds (lightly toasted)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment. Combine dates, candied fruit, crystallized ginger and nuts in bowl. Add 1/2 cup flour and mix to separate pieces. Combine remaining 2 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until light. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Fold dry ingredients into butter mixture. Mix in fruits and nuts.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake until cookies are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets. Transfer to rack and cool. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container.)
— Recipe from www.organicvalley.coop.
Cinnamon Hazelnut Cookies
8 ounces butter, very soft
3/4 cup plus two tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Scant 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Beat butter until it is pale. Gradually add sugar and beat until smooth, 5-7 minutes. Stir in flour. Briefly knead batter until soft dough forms. Roll into small balls; place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten each ball on one side so that half of the cookie is flattened and the other is not. Press a hazelnut into middle of the higher side. Bake 20 minutes. Cool completely before serving.
— Recipe from www.organicvalley.coop.
Buttery Crystallized Ginger Shortbread Hearts
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup candied ginger root, finely chopped
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl cream together (with an electric mixer) the butter, brown sugar, and ground ginger until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the flour and sea salt. Blend the dough until it is just combined. Mix in the vanilla extract and chopped crystallized ginger.
Divide the dough in equal parts, roll out each half 1/4-inch thick between sheets of wax paper. Freeze the dough on baking sheets for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is very firm.
Working with half the dough at a time, remove the top sheets of wax paper and cut out cookies with a 2 1/4-inch heart-shaped cutter.
Please note: The dough should be chilled enough that the cookies retain their shape.
Arrange the cookies 2 inches apart on large baking sheets. Place baking sheet in the middle of the oven, and bake for 20 minutes, or until they are pale golden, and transfer them to a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely and decorate them as you wish.
— Recipe from www.organicvalley.coop.
Almond-glazed sugar cookies
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 to 5 teaspoons water
Sliced almonds
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all cookie ingredients in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten balls to 1/4-inch thick with bottom of buttered glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.
Combine all glaze ingredients except almonds in small bowl with wire whisk. Decorate cooled cookies with glaze and sliced almonds as desired.
— Recipe from www.landolakes.com.
Buttery Cut-Out Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
Combine all cookie ingredients except flour in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (3 to 4 minutes). Reduce speed to low; add flour. Beat until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes).
Divide dough in half; wrap in each half in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-half at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.
— Recipe from www.landolakes.com.
Choco-Pecan Pie Bars
1-1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup (1 stick) organic unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup agave nectar
3/4 cup sucanat
2 tablespoons organic unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-3/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the chopped pecans for 5 minutes or so on a cookie sheet. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Using your fingertips or a pair of forks, blend the flour, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, butter and brown sugar together until crumbly. Press evenly into the baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly brown. Cool completely.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Beat together the eggs, sucanat, agave, butter and vanilla. (The sucanat will dissolve during this process.) Mix in the chocolate chips and remaining 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans.
Pour over the baked crust and bake for 35-45 minutes or until set.
Cool the pan on a wire rack. When completely cooled, cut into bars.
— Recipe from www.wholesomesweeteners.com.
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Quick Strippie pattern from Mary Quilts web site. This was an easy one to use up stash. It will be a donation quilt. The backing is actually from a twin sheet. 44″ x 55″
Category: Baby Quilts
Getting It Done in March/April Goals
My March goals were:
- Complete the blocks for 9-Surrounded at retreat in Danville
Not only did I complete the blocks, I got them all sashed with cornerstones, ready for borders.
- Complete the blocks for Picnic at retreat in Danville
Didn't touch this one. I had too much fun making Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks instead.
- Sandwich Orca Bay
Not only did I get this one sandwiched, but it is now quilted (as of yesterday) and the binding is half sewn down. I had it in my head that my goal was to finish this quilt. Silly me.
- Finish the baby quilt started in February
Done and delivered.
In addition, to these goals, I:
- Sandwiched Easy Street, Asian Splendor, and Roll Roll Cotton Boll.
- I found a layout I like for the Pink Roll Roll Cotton Boll blocks I have finished.
- Made a Topponcino for my niece who is expecting a girl in August.
- Started a black and white quilt for my grandson.
- Did quite a bit of hand quilting on the Christmas quilt that has been hanging around for way to long.
I'll post pics of these accomplishments in another post.
For April, I'd like to:
- Sandwich Monster Bash (Need to choose and make a backing first.)
- Quilt Easy Street (Sandwiched and ready to go)
- Quilt Roll Roll Cotton Boll Blue. (Sandwiched and ready to go)
- Border one of the Key Hole quilts. (Decisions, decisions….)
Hooking this up to Judy's Getting it Done in March post.
February UFO Challenges
It's the end of February already. And, time to report on our UFO completions.
This month, Heather at Peachy Pages chose number 10. That's this preemie quilt for me. I actually finished it in January.
And, Marti from 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks chose number 4, Orca Bay for me. While I didn't finish Orca Bay, I did finish the top and that was huge for me this month.
Check out both blogs to see what everyone else completed this month.
Design Wall July 11
I do have something new to post today. I finished this top on Saturday.
This is the baby quilt for my friends second granddaughter. A Double Hour Glass. It's also on my UFO Challenge list for this year.
Check out what everyone else has on their wall here.
Another finish for me…
This is my first attempt at the Square Dance or Twister pattern. I made my own template so I could use some pre-cut 6″ charms from a swap a few years ago and not have any waste between the secondary cuts. As you can see, I used the left over squares in the border.
This one is goes to new baby boy, Roy Peter, born on Thanksgiving. He weighed in at 10 pounds 3 ounces. Wow!
I really like making this pattern and it is such a great use for those odd 6″ squares that I can't figure anything else to do with.
Design Wall Monday
Here's what's on my design wall right now. Blocks I've been putting together for a Double Hour Glass baby quilt.
These were made from my 1.5″ scrap bin and some white muslin 1.5″ strips. I have three baby quilts to make this summer and these are for one of them.
I got the idea from a tutorial on the Cluck Cluck Sew blog. My blocks are much smaller finishing at just under 4″ square. I'm not sure how big this will be or what kind of borders I'll use yet. It's just developing as I go along.
For more Design Wall Monday links, visit Judy's blog.
What's on my wall today?
These are blocks I've been making over the last four weeks or so, all from scraps. They are laid out in Bonnie Hunter's Patches and Pinwheels pattern. So far I'm really liking it. Very scrappy.
I need to make lot's more 16 patches and a few more pinwheels. They won't all fit on my wall, but this gives a good idea of what they will look like when sewn together.
I had a three day weekend this past weekend, and here's what I accomplished.
A Trust Me or Square Dance top. Started on Friday morning, cut apart and sewn back together on Saturday, and borders added on Sunday.
I didn't have a pattern. I searched on Google and found a couple of web shot albums that showed in progress pictures. So I calculated how big the template needed to be to work with my 5.5″ finished squares and away I went. The inner border is made up of all the squares left over from cutting the pinwheels. It really was a "Trust Me" project. I was very doubtful that it would come out right. I took pictures along the way so I can write a tutorial for when I want to make this one again.
This will be perfect for one of the baby quilts I need to make between now and November. The top finishes at 45″ x 53″.
Want to know what everyone else is up to? Visit Judy's blog today.
2009 Finishes!
It's time I caught up with my blogging. Now that 2009 is rapidly coming to a close, I need to take stock of what I accomplished this year!
The most important completions for me recently are the two Quilts for Kids quilts that I finished and sent off before Christmas. The blue one was made from the quilt kit that Quilts for Kids sent to me. The Roman Stripes pink quilt is one I whipped up from scraps and sent along with the blue one.
These were so much fun to make and a great way to improve my machine quilting skills. I have so much fabric that I want to make a few more of these from my own stash to send in early 2009. I think I'll set myself a goal to complete two Quilts for Kids quilts per quarter in 2010.
In addition, this year I completed two baby quilts for my two co-workers. You can read more about those quilts here and here.
I also made a set of 4 quilted place mats for my good friend, Kathleen. She chose the fabric from my florals and I backed and bound them in a green blender so they are reversible.
And, I completed 30 quilted pot holders for my Zonta Holiday Party gift bags.
Oh, and I almost forgot the wall hanging that I made for my mother's birthday in January. You can read about it here.
I think that's all that I actually started and finished this year. Tomorrow I will list all of the quilts that I've started this year but remain WIPs. When you see that list, you'll know why I haven't had time to finish anything else. 🙂
Couple of Finishes Added
I know it's been a long time since I've posted here. But it's not because I haven't been busy. I have a three finishes to add to the list.
- A Baby Boy quilt for Gavin Pan
- A Baby Girl quilt for Eleanor Hsu
- My first Quilt for Kids quilt (Photo at right)
All in all it's been a pretty productive Fall. And, I've got a couple more quilts that just need some final quilting and binding. I hope to get those done in the next couple of weeks.
I've also got my Christmas Lights quilt on my design wall ready to have the corner triangles added to the rows so I can sew the rows together. I'd like to get the rows together before I start Bonnie's new challenge, which will begin the day after Thanksgiving.
Busy Quilty Weekend
You can tell my grandkids are still in Louisiana with their other grandparents. My weekends are full of quilting at least for another couple of weeks. Here's what I got accomplished yesterday. I got out all my 1930's prints (of which there were more than I realized) and some scrap muslin and put this little baby quilt together using Mary's Roman Stripes pattern.
I ran out of the white so I couldn't put the narrow white border before the pink. I think it is so cute. It's all sandwiched and ready to be quilted. I'll do something simple like a serpentine grid.
I also got the back ready for the wild baby quilt I've been piecing. It will get sandwiched today and hopefully I get some of the quilting done.
I've also added my name to the list for the Shipshewana 2010 Retreat that Ruthie is organizing. I'm so excited. I think I've even found a roommate already. I just wish it was this year instead of 2010. I love Amish country. I spent a couple of days in Lancaster County last year after a conference in Philadelphia and I came home with 65 yards of fabric. I actually had to ship some of it home. 🙂 You can see some of what I got here.
It's a beautiful day here in the Bay Area today and I've just returned from an expensive trip to Target. Among other things, they had rolling storage bins on sale. The one with three big drawers for $8.99. I couldn't resist. I won't mention the brand but it starts with an S. I work for the company that makes Rubbermaid so I shouldn't be buying the competition. But they are so cheap. What's a girl to do!


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(Sorry for poor picture quality)
The first nappy I'm reviewing is : Miosolo Rosie Posie
I had seen the Miosolo in stores many times but I always put off buying it due to bad reviews and because it only comes with a micro fibre insert.
I ordered the Miosolo along with 3 other brands from http://clothnappiesni.co.uk/bambino-mio-c-22.html/?referrer=CNNI_591420405345 (affiliate link) during their New Year sale.
When it arrived I was really pleased with the quality of the printed fabric and the stay dry fleece they use inside the nappy.
In my opinion the fabric & fleece are the best quality I've seen & we have tried quite a few different nappies.
I pre washed the nappy before trying it.
The insert can be pulled out so the nappy is quick drying.
I boosted it with a bamboo insert as I knew my daughter wouldn't last long
with just 1 micro fibre insert.
The fit was much better than expected, Miosolo comes up wider & longer than most other birth to potty nappies.
My daughter is 10 months old and she could wear it on the smallest popper rise setting where on other nappies she is on the middle rise setting.
She wore the nappy for 3 hours, there were no leaks but the bamboo insert waswet so I'm happy I boosted.
Pros :
Great quality soft fabric, fleece and elastic
Generous sizing
Good fit
Unique pull out tab system
Cons :
Low absorbency
Overall the nappy is great but I think for the price they should consider adding a bamboo layer with the micro fibre or a pop in bamboo booster so you have a choice of absorbency as some other brands have done.


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Look at the way every person in this photograph is grinning, like film stars being mobbed by paparazzi on the red carpet, about subverting the will of the German people. If there is a hell, surely each of these belongs there.
Look at the way every person in this photograph is grinning, like film stars being mobbed by paparazzi on the red carpet, about subverting the will of the German people. If there is a hell, surely each of these belongs there.
Delivered at the Students for Liberty conference last weekend in Philadelphia by Dr Alan Kors, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania. My brother was there, and he and a friend of his provided the link.
This paper brought me to tears.
Some highlights:
The intellectual manifestation of this pathology was and is a collective delusion that ignores both history and ethology. It is a belief that goodness, stable order, justice, peace, freedom, legal equality, mutual forbearance, and kindness are the default state of things in human affairs, and that malice, disorder, violence, coercion, legal inequality, intolerance, and cruelty are the aberrations that stand in need of historical explanation. Getting the defaults precisely and systematically wrong, Western intellectuals fail to understand and appreciate the form of society that has given us the ability to alter them. The pathology is also the demented belief that evolved successful societies may be redrawn at will by intellectuals with political power and that the most productive human cultures are almost wholly dysfunctional.
Rousseau and all the Marxisizing intellectuals who have cast their darkness over the past one hundred years and more have had it all backward in this domain. It is not aversion to difference that requires historical explanation —aversion to difference is the human condition. Rather, it is liberal society's partial but breathtaking ability to overcome tribalism and exclusion that demands elucidation, above all in the singular American accomplishment. Tyranny and abuse of power have also been the human condition. It is, in contrast, the limitation of power and the recognition of individual rights that demand historical explanation. It is not slavery that startles, because slavery is one of the most universal of all human institutions. Rather, it is the view of self-ownership, liberty, and voluntary labor that requires historical explanation, the values and agencies by which the West identified slavery as an evil, and, to what should be our wonder, abolished it. Western intellectuals write, dramatically, as if it were relative pockets of Western poverty that should occasion our astonishment, when in fact the term until recently for almost infinitely worse absolute levels of poverty was simply "life." What generally remains unaddressed by our secular intellectuals is the question of what values, institutions, knowledge, behaviors, risks, and liberties allowed the West to create such prosperity that we even notice such relative poverty at all, let alone believe that it is eradicable. Tragically, the very effort to overturn the evolved systems and values of the West has produced the most extreme examples in history of, precisely, malice, disorder, violence, coercion, legal inequality, intolerance, and cruelty.
There is no revivification of the principles that separated us from the socialists in power. "You put private property ahead of people" remains a potent malediction, as if we had not learned sufficiently and amply that the former is essential to the well-being, dignity, liberty, and lives of the latter. "You put profits ahead of people" remains of equal force, as if we had not learned sufficiently that profits are the measure of other people's satisfactions of want and desire. Indeed, it is precisely to avoid the revivification of classical liberal principles that our teachers, professors, information media, and filmmakers ignore the comparative inquiry that the time so urgently demands.
Indeed, it is precisely because of the lessons that would be taught by knowledge and truth that no revision of the curriculum occurs. For at least a generation, intellectual contempt for liberal society —as a civilization, a set of institutions, and a constellation of ideals —has been at the core of the humanities and soft social sciences. This has accelerated, not changed, despite the fact that now there is no intellectual excuse for ignoring certain verities. We know that voluntary exchange among individuals held morally responsible under the rule of law creates both prosperity and an unparalleled diversity of human choices. Such a model also has been a precondition of individuation and freedom. By contrast, regimes of central planning create poverty and occasion ineluctable developments toward totalitarianism and the worst abuses of power. Dynamic free-market societies, grounded in rights-based individualism, have altered the entire human conception of liberty and of dignity for formerly marginalized groups. The entire "socialist experiment," by contrast, ended in stasis, ethnic hatreds, the absence of even the minimal preconditions of economic, social, and political renewal, and categorical contempt for both individuation and minority rights. Our children do not know this true comparison.
As for the mea culpas, we await them in vain from those who claim not to have known or who still choose not to learn. When Eisenhower heard that the German residents of a nearby large town "didn't know" about a death camp whose stench should have reached their nostrils, he marched them, well dressed, through the rotting corpses, and made them help dispose of the dead. We lack his authority. Milan Kundera, the dissident Czech novelist during the Communist period, stated the moral reality with reference to its only appropriate genre, tragedy. Take the extreme case, he suggested. What about those with good intentions? he asked in The Unbearable Lightness of Being. What about those who didn't know, and who acted in good faith? Kundera wrote of Oedipus:
Little did he know that the man he had killed in the mountains was his father and the woman with whom he slept his mother. In the meantime, fate visited a plague on his subjects and tortured them with great pestilences. When Oedipus realized that he himself was the cause of their suffering, he put out his own eyes and wandered blind away from Thebes. . . . Unable to stand the sight of the misfortunes he had wrought by "not knowing," he put out his eyes and wandered blind away from Thebes.
How not to be tempted by this? For me, I would offer one indulgence. Let the socialists, fellow travelers, apologists, and revisionists acknowledge the dead, bury the dead, teach what they have learned, and atone for the dead. Otherwise, given the enormity of what has occurred, let them indeed be forgiven only when they have put out their eyes and wandered blind away from Moscow, Beijing, or Thebes. Let Western intellectuals repeat the phrase of "Requiem," a work written during the Stalinist terror by Anna Akhmatova, the greatest Russian poet of the twentieth century: "I will remember them always and everywhere, I will never forget them no matter what comes."


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Visit the Northern Beer Blog site
Birthdays always seem to equate to beer, and a good amount of it when it comes to adult birthdays. *I'm one year away from the third big occasion, my 40th, after the big gap between the first two at 18 and 21. *It was my wifes latest turning of indeterminate age last weekend and over the two days I got to visit a number of my favourite pubs across Calderdale and Huddersfield. *Nothing can quite beat a blowout of great beer and good food and probably too much was partaken of both.
Starting out of town, it's always a pleasure to get to visit the Huddersfield beer triangle which is the Grove, Hand Drawn Monkey and the Sportsman. *The Grove lived up to all expectations with a first taste of Magic Rock Salty Kiss (5%), a sour but delicious raspberry gose beer. *Gose beers originate in Northern Germany and the Low Countries, belonging to the family of sour wheat beers which were traditionally and still are made to a lesser degree in that area of Europe. *The same beer was sampled again later at Hand Drawn Monkey and was just as good there.
The second beer at the Grove was Toccalmatto Oceania, an Italian Saison beer. *Saison beers originated in southern Belgium during the 19th century. They were typically brewed during winter months and stored until summer months when they were given to farm workers in lieu of water. *The long storage means the flavours have variety as the different strains of yeast develop differently and are typically brewed dry with lots of hops and spices to prevent bacteria infection. *The Oceana was an excellent example of the variety and at 7.7% was not lacking in flavour at all, only the call of the curry house stopping a second being ordered.
As a side note, for those that like their curries I can well recommend the Chilli Lounge in Huddersfield for both portions and quality of food, don't let the apparent size put you off, it is a tardis of a building once inside. *The following day we returned to collect our car and a pint of Black Jack Brewery "Play your Card Rye't" (4.9%) at the Sportsman was an excellent way to relax after watching the St Patricks Parade. *Its refreshing citrus taste leaving you wanting more if you didn't have a car to get home.
http://www.seanliquorish.co.uk/blog/...-1-225x300.jpgCloser to home was a visit to the Cross Keys, Siddal on Saturday afternoon to see the presentation of the SPBW Yorkshire Winter Pub of the Year 2014. *The SPBW (Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood) is a real ale organisation which predates CAMRA by nearly 10 years. *The award was accompanied by a 14lb pork pie which lasted barely 30 minutes before disappearing into the assembled drinkers and dogs. *The plaque now takes pride of place next to the bar and is well deserved for a pub which has only been open less than 18 months and has assembled a great team behind the bar, which has seen it become one of the best in Calderdale for the range and quality of its beer. As a note I have to say that the SPBW bring a lot of drinkers with them, all proudly sporting the logo on their chest and ensuring they sampled as many of the beers as possible on offer.
Not strictly a real ale pub although they do stock a couple of Ilkley beers most of the time, but one which gets my business purely down to stocking Mahou, a favourite spanish beer is Jeremy's in Brighouse and a couple of pints of this beer went down well at Saturday tea time as a warm up for the evening in Huddersfield, although the 2 pints I had at the Cross Keys as well maybe warmed me up a bit too much come the end of the night as we returned there for a jug of sangria before heading home. **Add in a quick Friday visit to the Commercial / Railway in Brighouse to catch up with Jason over a nice pint of ale, another pub I'm visiting more and coming to really like. **Decent range of beers, friendly staff and feeling like you are in the landlords front room makes this one of my preferred haunts in the town now. *After a long hiatus I popped into the Ship Inn a few weeks ago and things are looking better, the beer was good, the staff welcoming and friendly and the banter seems to have returned between customers and staff, something which was missing on my last visit.
For a town of Brighouse's size to have at least 4 pubs worth visiting (inc Wetherspoons) is important, and adds to the attraction for visitors. *Lets hope its kept up.


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Premier, multi-specialty ophthalmology group seeks fellowship trained glaucoma specialist to join our well-established practice. We are physician owned with a state-of-the-art four room ASC, eleven MD's and five optometrists with a strong referral base.
Maine Eye Center boasts affiliation with a large local hospital as well as Tufts Medical School and opportunity for participation in clinical trials, research and teaching.
Maine Eye Center has an outstanding reputation for high standards and excellence and are looking for an applicant whom we anticipate will work well in an established tradition of collaborative, ethical and compassionate care with our physicians and staff to best serve our patients and community.
Our two locations are within two miles of each other, located in Portland on the beautiful coast of Maine, readily accessible to the ocean, pristine lakes, and ski mountains. Portland is located just 90 miles from Boston with renowned restaurants, concert venues, craft breweries, biking and hiking trails, museums and a myriad of other cultural and recreational activities.
In addition to a competitive salary, we offer an excellent benefits package including 401K plan with match, professional dues, malpractice, medical, life and disability insurance, with opportunity for equity partnership.
If interested in this highly coveted position, please send your CV to our HR & Project Manager, Katrina Boyer at [email protected]


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This is a mini-unit that is part of the NSTA Publication " Science for the Next Generation". It is a 5 E model unit with each activity ranging in time needed from 30-90 minutes. In the Explore section, students observe a thunder drum and wine glass "singing" to form questions. As they move into Explore, they have 8 "sound centers" where they look for patterns in the ways various kinds of matter vibrate and what happens when they do. In Expain, students look at waves in particular, using a salt-drum and slinky. They then make tin-can phones in the Elaborate phase and finally, in Evaluate, they make an authentic communication device using all of their knowledge. A rubric is provided for the evaluation portion.
1-PS4-1 Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.
Clarification Statement: Examples of vibrating materials that make sound could include tuning forks and plucking a stretched string. Examples of how sound can make matter vibrate could include holding a piece of paper near a speaker making sound and holding an object near a vibrating tuning fork.
Assessment Boundary: none
This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this performance expectation.
Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
This full unit addresses this performance expectation in full, as well as provides background knowledge for teachers prior to teaching the unit.
This unit addresses the full performance expecations using the 5-E unit model. In the Engage phase, students make observations about sound in their environment, asking questions about a teacher- led activity involving a salt drum. In the Explore phase, students are able to make the connection between sound, vibration and matter by visiting 8 "sound centers" where they observe the way various objects make sounds by interacting with the materials. They conduct investations at each of these centers. In the Explain phase, media is introducted to help explain the phenomena they encountered in the prior lesson as well as a slink demonstration to model waves. Using all they have learned, students then create an make a tin-can telephones in the Elaborate phase. Finally, in the evaluate phase, they are provided a variety of materials used in prior lessons to make an authenitc model that is able to communicate over a distance.
This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this science and engineering practice.
Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
The Engage portion of this lesson is explicitly designed to address this practice. Students observe several demonstrations designed to elicity questions they can explore further. These include a "wine glass signing" ( in person or via media links) and a "thunder-drum". Students are given time to share and record their questions and ideas. The teacher is to use these to guide the choices made during the Engage session of the unit.
Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
The practices are explicitly addressed, including background information for the teacher to support implementation.The Elaborate and Evaluate portions of this unit allow students to develop and use models using their knowledge of how sound travels. In the Elaborate section, they make tin cans, use slinkies to show sound waves and then make an authentic model to use sound to communicate over a distance.
To meet the full practice, teachers would need to allow students to use models to represent amounts. In the case of this lesson, there is a lesson about pitch and volume so a teacher could expand this section to make comparisons of sounds with observations about vibrations.
This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this disciplinary core idea.
Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
The first three lessons in this 5-E model explicitly address this core idea. In Engage, students observe a salt-drum, in Explore, they conduct investigations with various kinds of matter to build evidence about the core idea and in the Elaborate, they test this knowledge by building a cup phone. All of these lessons truly ensure that students have had multiple ways to engage with the relationship between matter and vibrations and fully understand it.
Teachers should note that there are specific demonstrations in this unit about physical sound waves (as modeled by a slinky). While this is above the expectation for this grade level, teachers may find it helpful to use for students needing a challenge or who are ready for a more detailed explanation of the vibration movement.
This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this crosscutting concept.
Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
The Explore portion of this unit explitly allows student to explore cause and effect relationships through 8 "sound centers". They use cause and effect to strengthen their understanding that sound can make matter vibrate and vibrating matter can make sound. There are many suggested teacher questions for this unit including a follow up activity specificalyl looking at how students might explain what they saw and heard. One suggested question is, : How might you explain this?". Teachers could provide students an answer stem that forces them to look at the cause and effect relationships as their evidence. For example, the teacher could use a model answer of, " When I plucked the ruler, it caused it vibrate and the effect was that I heard a noise." but if a teacher wanted to have students use the language of the Crosscutting Concept, they could include an answer stem such "When I _________________, ____________ happens." or some variation of that statement.
This resource appears to be designed to build towards this crosscutting concept, though the resource developer has not explicitly stated so.
Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
Students are asked to make observations about the way objects are create sound and move in the Engage section of this unit. A suggested teacher question in this lesson is " What did you see adn hear in each case?" Teachers could make the Cross Cutting Concept of patterns more explicty by following up or changing this question to " What patterns did you see/hear?"


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7 Winter Vegetables To Help Your Health
I recently ran across this really good article about winter vegetables and the benefits in your health. It is also important to remember that a healthy diet helps your body run more efficiently and can help you feel warmer during these brutally cold winter days. Larger fatty meals may make you feel warm for a short time but long term can actually make you feel colder.
Here's the list of 7 veggies you should be getting more of:
- Turnips
- Sweet Potatoes
- Squash
- Rutabaga
- Ginger
- Carrots
- Beets
Check out the original article giving good explanation to why these boost your health.
– Julia


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How to Tie Your Running Shoes (Video)
Demonstrating how to tie running shoes to prevent slipping or blisters. Videography and video editing was doing by me. It was published on Red Rover Camping's facebook page. Link: https://www.facebook.com/redrovercamping/videos/1138929702788342/
Other Projects
Rebranding of Red Rover Camping
How to Choose the Best Backpacking Boots (Infographic)
Craft for Kids: Animal Leaves (Video)
The Traveler Kit
Red Rover Camping Facebook Covers
Camping in the United States (Infographic)
Halloween Candy S'mores (Photography)
How to Actually Pack Your Backpack (Infographic)
Wish List: 20 Gift Ideas Under $25 (Infographic)
10 Darkest Parks in the U.S. (Infographic)


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First POST: Ownership
BY Micah L. Sifry | Thursday, April 23 2015
"Tell us more about your bog"; the shrinking role of public participation on campaign websites; "Aaron's Law" has been reintroduced in Congress; is the Comcast-TimeWarner merger on its last legs?; and much, much more. Read More
Striking Similarity Between Obama and Putin Campaign Videos Raises an Eyebrow (or two)
BY Lisa Goldman | Friday, October 26 2012
An Obama campaign video starring Lena Dunham employs suggestive language that is strikingly reminiscent of a video created for Vladimir Putin's campaign last year. Read More
We're All Journalists, Indeed: Obama Campaign Guests Checked Mobile Phones at the Door
BY Nick Judd | Tuesday, May 15 2012
Zeke Miller at Buzzfeed, studiously reading pool reports from President Barack Obama's recent campaign fundraisers, catches something: the Obama campaign, per Washington Post pooler David Nakamura, appears to be collecting mobile phones from event attendees at the door, and storing them in plastic bags. At least, that was the case at a Monday event in New York City.Read More
Democrats Say "GutsyCall.com" Wasn't Them
BY Nancy Scola | Friday, May 6 2011
The Democratic National Committee tells the Huffington Post's Sam Stein that the Obama campaign apparatus had nothing to do with the redirection of GutsyCall.com to the Obama campaign website, despite speculation floated ... Read More
Videoing the President
BY Nancy Scola | Friday, November 12 2010
Arun Chaudhary has been following Barack Obama since he ran for president all the way to the White House, and that's "following" rather literally. Chaudhary was the on-staff videographer for the 2008 Obama ... Read More
Valley VC on the Closing of the Obama "Movement"
BY Nancy Scola | Tuesday, July 20 2010
Well-known Silicon Valley figure Chris Sacca sits down with Internet skeptic Andrew Keen to discuss technology, politics, and the future of innovation in both realms. Read More
Rospars: The Failure of Britain's Post-Obama "Internet Election"
BY Nancy Scola | Tuesday, May 4 2010
In a piece for the Guardian, Joe Rospars, the Obama campaign's web director, makes the case that the British election has fallen fall short of any standard or ideal set by the 2008 election in the U.S. on the Internet ... Read More
MyBO Creator Launches Jumo
BY Nancy Scola | Thursday, March 18 2010
Credit: Jumo.com Read More
The Launch of "Year One of Organizing for America: The Permanent Field Campaign in a Digital Age"
BY Editors | Thursday, January 14 2010


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I am an International student from India that left my home and family, hungry for experiences that would help me learn, grow and push boundaries. Being the baby of the family (the youngest of three girls), I was both excited and terrified to embrace the biggest change in my life. What made all the difference was having the support of an extended family. Not just in my aunt and cousins, but academically in Sheridan College and professionally in Halo PR and Coco and Cowe. The last 10 months wouldn't have been the same without the influence of this great big family I am now a part of. I feel incredibly blessed to have experienced what I have so far and to share what I am looking forward to this summer.
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is just so breathtaking that you can (if you're a marshmallow like me) be very easily moved to tears taking it all in. There are more than enough ways to experience it with 'Hornblower' and 'Maiden of the Mist' rides being very popular, but I highly recommend the 'Zip line to the Falls'.
Niagara Falls, photo source – WikiCommons
Canada's Wonderland
For someone who's never been on a roller-coaster ride until Canada's Wonderland the rush of every single ride from 'Ghoster-coaster' to 'Behemoth' had my heart racing and adrenaline pumping. It truly is wonderland and I can't wait to go back and pluck up the courage to get on Leviathan. If you aren't a fan of the rides – you can always hang out at the water park and then treat yourself to funnel cake!
City attractions – R.O.M., Casa Loma, Ripley's Aquarium, CN Tower – Edge Walk
I've never understood why people shy away from 'tourist attractions' because in my opinion that's exactly what they are – attractive and fun. I've done all of the above, but hopefully I'll get a chance to do the Edge Walk at CN tower this summer.
Casa Loma, photo source – WikiCommons
High Park
If I wasn't already convinced about how beautiful Canada is, walking through High Park made up my mind. I have no shame in admitting that I took over 300 pictures at least. Whether you walk, hike, read a book or all of the above, it's the best spot in Toronto to do it.
National Parks
Canadians have the most wonderful sense of national pride I've witnessed. They not only celebrate their history and cultural diversity that is so part of their fabric but also their land and parks. To celebrate 150 years all entry into National Parks is free and I hope to explore as much of them as I can.
Toronto Markets
Making my way through Kensington Market and exploring little treasures in street shops transported me to somewhere surprisingly similar to the bustling street of Colaba in Mumbai city. The charm of the Distillery District is just as alluring with the cobblestone pedestrian streets.
Distillery District, photo source – WikiCommons
The best pick-me-up to my initial whirlwind of emotions was relishing a delicious packed lunch from St. Lawrence Market at the waterfront near Sugar Beach while gazing out across the Lake. The sheer size of Lake Ontario, the view of the island and the planes taking off and landing at Billy Bishop airport still has me starry-eyed.
Toronto Waterfront, photo by – Tara Anderson
Cottage country
If you are lucky then your summer in Canada is synonymous with a trip to cottage country. In some special spots (like Grand Bend) you get the best of both surrounded by the woods and the beach.
I'm a sunshine child always hungry for the complete Canadian experience and cannot wait to knock off everything on my bucket list of forgotten summer clichés. What's on your bucket list this summer?


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For example, you could use it to:
- Refinance an existing mortgage or consolidate debt, to reduce your monthly bills
- Gain more financial flexibility and control
- Pay for large purchases, like a new automobile
- Fund major home renovation projects
- Establish a standby line of credit you can tap into as needed
- Buy a home
- Must be age 62 or older.
- Maintain and live in the home as your primary residence.
- Continue to pay for property related charges such as property taxes, homeowner's insurance, etc.
- Participate in a consumer information session given by a HUD-approved HECM counselor.
- Subject to credit and underwriting approval.
Watch our short videos to learn more about a home equity conversion mortgage (HECM)


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In this channel episode Neal combines major and minor for a southern fried rock lick in A. This lick sounds great in a country style with clean guitar or also with a dirty tone for rock and blues.
The tip of the Week is how to use licks you already know to create a riff. Try a lick an octave lower to turn it from a lead lick to a rhythm riff.
This week's lesson is how to use some simple note choices and techniques to get a Southern rock sound.
If you like this lesson, then GT has a lot more that cover ideas on how to play in this style!
Neal's latest Rock tutorials
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- Guitar Tricks 85: Volume Swells
- Guitar Tricks 95: Santana Lick in C Minor
- Guitar Tricks 99: Intro to GT Ch 94
- Guitar Tricks 79: Jeff Beck Style
- Guitar Tricks 82: Blues Rock Lick
- Guitar Tricks 113: David Gilmour Style Lesson
- Guitar Tricks 119: Easy Blues Rock Licks
- Guitar Tricks 126: Southern Rock Lick
- Guitar Tricks 141: Unison Bends
- Guitar Tricks 150: Pentatonic Shred in A
- Guitar Tricks 154: 4-Note Rock Lick
- Guitar Tricks 165: David Gilmour Style Lead
- Guitar Tricks 170: Classic Rock Lead
- Guitar Tricks 116: Rockabilly In 3 Mins
Congrats on a WONDERFUL site! -Sue
More Reviews
I find it quite easy (so far!) to navigate, and found the "where do I start" to be very helpful! I'm getting there!!
I LOVE the forum, too. I've never been one to use forums, but the GT forum is full of great people and helpful information at ALL levels! Congrats on a WONDERFUL site!!Good job!


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BP has very poor quarterly report. The ongoing saga of the Mat-Su ferry continues. Debates over the coastal zone management initiative heat up. Alaska Native suicide rates remain high. A Valdez couple admits to failing to pay $190,000 in income taxes and penalties. Around 4,000 summer fisheries workers in a government-sponsored program won't be returning next year. The Fisheries Board throws a lifeline to set netters. The state of Alaska puts out new regulations dealing with one aspect of abortion.
HOST: Michael Carey
- Paul Jenkins, The Anchorage Daily Planet
- Steve MacDonald, KTUU Channel 2 News
- Scott Christensen, Anchorage Press
KSKA (FM 91.1) BROADCAST: Friday, August 3 at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 4 at 6:00 p.m.
KAKM (Channel 7 TV) BROADCAST: Friday, August 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, August 4 at 5:00 p.m.
SUBSCRIBE: Get Alaska Edition updates automatically — via e-mail, RSS or podcasts


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News 10/04/2018
Here's a look back on the media and marketing news over the last month.
Lidl Goodness Gang
As part of Lidl's marketing strategy, Lidl transformed several Bus Shelters around Dublin into arcade style claw machines containing the retailer's 'Goodness Gang' teddies, a range of colorful and cuddly food heroes designed to help parents teach, motivate and reward children for healthy eating. A great way to pass the time while waiting for the bus, the hugely popular claw machines were installed on George's Street, Baggot Street and Drumcondra Road. They were free to use and each location was topped up with new toys every day until the 11th of February.
The toys were exclusively available in Lidl stores around the country until April 1st. To collect the whole Goodness Gang, customers spending €20 got a collector card along with two stickers. For every €10 after that, customers received one additional sticker and once all 10 stickers had been collected, customers could buy a food hero teddy for only €3.99. With every 20 stickers collected, customers could get a food hero teddy for free.
The activation was developed by Lidl, planned by Mediaworks and Source Out of Home and built by Eclipse Media. PML Group's iQ research intelligence found that 80% of respondents agreed that specials make an advertisement much more memorable.
As Irish Rugby fans eagerly awaited Ireland's 6 Nations matches, Guinness was counting down on digital screens across Ireland.
PML Group's Dynamic platform enables digital campaigns to run seamlessly across multiple networks. The countdown can be seen on screens including Clear Channel's new Tesco Live units, JCDecaux's Digipole in Ballsbridge, Orbscreen and in-bar. Research has shown that OOH using dynamic digital content boosts overall effectiveness by an average 19%.
The dynamic element of the campaign will be running for all five matches.
Supplementing the dynamic digital is a heavyweight OOH campaign planned by Carat comprising 48 Sheets, Golden Squares, Metropoles and Commuter Squares and the Green Screen located at Stephens Green shopping centre.
Source: sourceooh.ie
BoyleSports Agree OffTheBall Sponsorships
Boylesports will take over as the title sponsor of the football and GAA coverage on OffTheBall.com, with a new 12 month contract.
The deal will see Boylesports integrated into OffTheBall's content across the company's social and video channels, as well as appearing on-air and at several OffTheBall events throughout 2018.
Lawrence Lyons, a spokesperson for Boylesports, said: "We're delighted to be getting involved with OffTheBall and believe the partnership reaffirms our commitment to Irish sport and cements BoyleSports' position as one of the biggest supporters of GAA and Football in Ireland."
"We have been long-time fans of OffTheBall's output so it's an exciting time for us to be getting on board. We can't wait to take part in their inventive content and provide a little bit of extra engagement for their audience."
€74,533 Raised by Radio Nova's Charity Event
Radio Nova has brought in €74,553 for Focus Ireland Charity by running this year's Radiothon.
Nova CEO Kevin Branigan said, "We are completely blown away by the generosity of our listeners. Raising over €74,000 shows how important this issue is to the average Dubliner. This amount of money will go a long way to changing lives."
Money was raised from the 45 Applegreen stores based in Wicklow, Dublin, Meath and Kildare, organising collections in store for the two days.
A host of celebrities offered their support to the charity event including, Simon Delaney, celebrity chef Derry Clarke, professional snooker player Ken Doherty, TV3 Presenter Glenda Gilson, Rugby Pundit Brent Pope, comedians Ed Byrne, Kevin McGahern, Fred Cooke and Karl Spain.
Source: radiotoday.ie & chooseradio.ie
Instagram Introduces Shoppable Posts
Instagram will now allow brands to tag products in content allowing a straight forward post to purchase experience.
This new 'shopping' feature will allow brands and businesses to tag up to five products in organic posts which customers can then tap on the product to find out more info and make a purchase.
Instagram, will act like a shop window so that users can explore products from businesses they follow. Similar to the current tagging option but instead of tagging people they will be able to tag products. Here they will be able to click on a post and immediately see the name and price of the product; if they then click on the tag consumers will be brought to a more detailed page – with more product details, similar items and other shoppable posts from the brand – all without going into the product website. Then, if the consumer taps the 'Shop Now' link from the product details view, they'll go directly to that product on the business's website.
This will be extremely valuable to brands from an ecommerce strategy which has huge potential.
Shopping is only available to those with Instagram business accounts and, after launching in the US in 2016, will now be available in the Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, Brazil and The UK.
For shopping to work, businesses must sync a product index with their Facebook Shop so that Instagram can pull in all product index information from Facebook, including a link back to the website.
Instagram has trialled the feature with three UK brands: luxury swimwear brand Heidi Klein, slipper company Mahabis and Marks and Spencer. Instagram has always been a great platform to engage with people and showcase products.
In addition to the current insights that Instagram offers for businesses, brands will be able to see what posts gain the most product clicks and which product tags were the most popular.
Shopping is currently free although there are plans to offer a paid feature to promote posts beyond a brand's followers in the future.
Source: techcrunch.com
Facebook to Add Tracker-Based AR to It's AR Studio
AR efforts on social media such as selfie filters, animations and 3D items have been relatively static…up until now as Facebook is planning to add tracker-based AR to it's AR Studio next month. They tech giant is currently testing AR experiences using movie posters for "Wrinkle in Time" and "Ready Player One". Facebook users can point their phones at the movie poster to see a virtual world and other effects that jump out at the screen.
Facebook's new tool allows brands to have a wider range of AR content with potentially better user experience. Marketers might value the tool most when tailoring location-based or experiential activations that tie together digital elements with the real world as well as using the content to engage audiences.
Always trying to surpass it's competitors such as Apple and Snapchat, Facebook acquired FayTeq in August, a a German startup that tracks objects in video content and allows for the objects to be manipulated or removed. With FayTeq's ability to virtually edit video to add or remove objects along with the new new location-based markers Facebook marketers will have new tools to demo products or provide interactive product information. Facebook are allowing marketers to create AR experiences for brands that are more dynamic, allowing deeper social interactions with consumers.
Source: marketingdive.com
March TV Viewership
In March we saw impacts down across most key audiences, however Adults made a strong improvement with an increase of 3% compared to 2017. Adults 25-44 is down 1% on last year, it has stayed relatively stagnant which was good to see. Housekeepers with Kids and Adults 15-34 saw the biggest drop with Adults 15-34 down 6% and housekeepers with kids down 4%.
This information is illustrated in the below graph:
RTE had one of its best months so far, this year, with impacts up across all audiences. March saw Adults 25-44 up by an impressive 11% followed by broad Adults who were up by 8% and Adults 15-34 by 9%. HK+CH finished the month also strongly with a rise of 3%.
TV3 too had a very strong month, with impacts up across every audience. Adults 15-34 saw a slight increase of 2%. Adults 25-44 also showed a great increase, finishing the month up with an increase of 3% closely followed by Adults at 7% and HK+CH at 7%.
TG4 has once again continued its strong resurgence and finished the month with rising impacts across most audiences. The most notable performers were ADS 15-34 achieving double digits with 25%, Adults was up by a very respectable 17%. Adults 25-44 was also very impressive coming in with 23% compared to February. HW+CH seemed to have a very difficult month with TG4 coming in with a decline of 36%.
Sky continued to have a difficult run of months with March, which saw a fall of impacts across all demographics. We will continue to monitor this. Adults 15-34 fell by 8% and Adults 25-44 by 6%. HW+CH came in with also a disappointing result of 14%. Adults even though performing the best didn't do great, coming in with a fall of 5%.
Medialink had a relatively good month. HW+CH saw a decrease of 3%, which was good considering the difficulty there was with that audience across the stations. Adults 15-34 was a little disappointing seeing a fall of 10%. Adults and Adults 25-44 both maintained impacts coming in with 0%.
In NI, both UTV and C4 had a poor March with a decrease across all audiences compared to this time last year. Adults 25-44 saw the largest fall coming in at 17%. HW+CH came in with a decrease of 15%, with Adults 15-34 coming in with a fall of 11%. Adults alone came in the strongest however still saw a decline of 8%.