text
stringlengths 198
630k
| id
stringlengths 47
47
| metadata
dict |
|---|---|---|
The underworld was surrounded by a series of rivers. In the book The Everything Classical Mythology (Bolton 2002) describes the following rivers surrounding the Greek underworld:
Acheron: The River of Woe
Cocytuys: The River of Wailing
Lethe: The River of Forgiveness
Pyriphlegethon: The River of Fire
Styx: The river of Hate
To enter the underworld it was required to cross one of the rivers. A ferryman named Charon ferried the spirits of the dead across the rivers to the underworld. Both the Greeks and Romans buried their dead with a coin in the mouth to pay Charon for the trip. After crossing the river, the dead would pass gates guarded by a three-headed dog. Next the spirits came before one of the judges of the dead (one of the three sons of Zeus) who directed the soul to one of three areas of the underworld Elysium, the Asphodel Fields or Tartarus. Though in practice, it was only the gods or goddess who directed a person wither to Elysium or Tartarus.
Elysium was the island for a chosen few. The gods permitted only heroes or very good people to enter into this area.
The Asphodel Fields were for the spirits of the common Greek. The majority of the population would be directed to here after death. Those who went to the Asphodel Fields were people who were neither particularly good or evil during their lives.
Tartarus was an area for those who were to be punished. In this place punishments were severe and unending. It was to Tartarus that Zeus sent the Titans after winning the battles against them. Mortals also could end up in Tartarus for crimes such as raping a daughter, hording wealth, committing fraud, and other more severe crimes.
Charon Ferrying the Sades by Subleyras, Pierre Musee du louvre, Paris
Major Gods and Goddesses
Introduction | Creation Story | Olympians VS. Titans | Creation of Man | Revolt of Giants
Abduction of Persephone | The Underworld | Visitors to Underworld | Amzon Warriors
Ares vs. Athena | Daedalus and Icarus | Echo and Narcissus | Judgement of Paris
Perseus and Andromeda | Trojan War
Translate Link 101Continuous Translations for entire site
Please see Pictures Galleries for Royalty Free images for Educational uses.
Copyright © 2000-2012 All Rights Reserved History Source LLC.
Contact Us: Suggest a Site - General Comments
See Our New Photo Site HistoryPhoto101.com | <urn:uuid:22e309dc-e83e-4cee-a16f-2082ed27897c> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:32:08",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9435672163963318,
"score": 3.328125,
"token_count": 538,
"url": "http://www.historylink101.com/2/greece2/underworld.htm"
} |
Media Contact:Ginny Greenberg
Room 202 Hofstra Hall
Phone: (516) 463-6819
Fax: (516) 463-5146
Send an E-mail
Date: Sep 23, 2009
Hofstra University Part of NSF-Funded Consortium to Study Nationwide Spread of Lyme Disease and Its Prevalence in the Northern U.S.Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY … The National Science Foundation has recently funded Hofstra University and a consortium of five other universities to study why the risk of Lyme disease is much higher in the northern United States than in south. Lyme disease, first identified in Connecticut in the mid 1970s, has become a major public health issue in the northeastern United States. Associate Professor of Biology Russell Burke is representing the Hofstra on the research team.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by the bite of blacklegged ticks (otherwise known as deer ticks) These ticks are on the move, says Dr. Jean Tsao of Michigan State University, who is leading the four-year, $2.5 million study. As ticks expand into new areas, more people will likely become infected.
Findings from this study will help public health agencies develop better prevention strategies for Lyme disease, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports infects more than 20,000 people in North America each year. Blacklegged ticks occur in both northern and southern states. However, 93 percent of all Lyme disease cases occur in only 10 northern states. Researchers and public health providers are puzzled by the lack of human cases in the South.
Researchers worry that this situation could change with infected ticks moving south. A number of hypotheses have been put forward to explain why the disease agent at this time is rare in southern tick populations. Dr. Burke explains, "Two of the prominent theories are that the lizards on which ticks feed in the South are unsuitable hosts for the disease-causing bacteria. We also have evidence that the genetics of the ticks and the bacteria differ in the North and South. These hypotheses, however, need to be tested, and our research team has the complementary expertise required to gather the data and conduct the analyses needed to help resolve this debate."
Researchers plan to study ecological and disease factors affecting the Lyme disease cycle by applying standardized survey methods at 12 sites in states ranging from Georgia to Massachusetts. "We have a really intriguing scientific puzzle to solve - many factors change as we move from North to South, and we need to be smart with our study design to unravel these," says Dr. Tsao. "Our study also has practical goals - we aim to provide the health community and the public in the various states with some reassurance, or warning, about what their future will hold for spread of Lyme disease. Understanding the reasons why Lyme disease is such a problem in some areas will help us manage the disease better, and lower the risk to human health."
Dr. Burke has been investigating the role of lizards in the transmission of Lyme disease since 2002 as part of his research program on the ecology of native and non-native lizard and their parasites. Some of these lizards live in habitats ranging from natural woodlands to downtown urban areas, and thus could be important to human health issues in both positive and negative ways.
One goal of the project is to train the next generation of scientists specializing in wildlife and human disease issues. For this reason, student involvement is key, and the project includes funding for one or two Hofstra graduate students and several undergraduate students assistants over the life of the study.
The research team consists of:
Dr. Lorenza Beati (Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA)
Dr. Russell Burke (Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY)
Drs. Howard Ginsberg and Roger LeBrun (University of Rhode Island, Providence, RI)
Dr. Graham Hickling (University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN)
Dr. Nicholas Ogden (University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec)
Dr. Jean Tsao (Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI)
For more information, go to: http://wildlifehealth.tennessee.edu/Lyme_gradient.
Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 150 undergraduate and more than 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services; and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students’ interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations. The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future. | <urn:uuid:199eb4bc-3e4b-4b64-9bcf-fef7df6724fd> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:17:11",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9488189220428467,
"score": 2.703125,
"token_count": 1020,
"url": "http://www.hofstra.edu/home/News/pressreleases/Archive/092309_LymeDiseaseStudy.html"
} |
The Dream Factory
|• Introduction||• Hollywood Magic and Movie Premieres|
|• Los Angeles: Making and Protecting the Image||• Celebrities in the Pulpit|
|• Glamour Personified: Gloria Swanson|
Los Angeles: Making and Protecting the Image
Boosters energetically promoted the city of Los Angeles in the first decades of the twentieth century in attempts to lure tourists, new residents, and investment dollars. Real estate agents focused on the nearly constant warmth of the Southern California climate, and they portrayed attractive city streets, beautiful spacious homes, well-kept gardens, and bountiful citrus farms as the norm in the city and its surrounding areas. The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce used the phrase "Los Angeles—Nature's Workshop" to promote the city as a place filled with natural beauty that fostered good health.
Ultimately, postcards and booster publications coming out of Los Angeles relied on mass-produced and widely distributed images of a relatively small set of actual neighborhoods, homes, gardens, and orange groves that were deemed "typical" as part of promotional efforts. Events like relatively small outbreaks of smallpox and pneumonic plague in 1924 threatened the image of Los Angeles that had been disseminated throughout the rest of the nation. Boosters had to redouble their efforts to promote the city in their wake.
Click Image to Get a Closer Look | <urn:uuid:a311cbdd-e954-4c21-8a2f-74569846f35d> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:10:51",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9321929812431335,
"score": 2.984375,
"token_count": 283,
"url": "http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/educator/modules/teachingthetwenties/theme_viewer.php?theme=small§ion=dream&subsect=2&sov=2"
} |
Last week Nevada's Legislative Commission approved regulations allowing for the operation of self-driving vehicles on the state's roadways. This brings closer the day when roads will be full of driverless cars - a scenario that is examined in a thought-provoking infographic.
Nevada passed a bill in June 2011 requiring its Department of Motor Vehicles to draft rules for autonomous vehicles and this process has now been finalized, making Nevada the first US state where having a robot driver is completely legal.
To comply with new rules autonomous test vehicles will display a red license plate and when the technology is approved for public use, the cars will carry a green license plate making them distinct from Nevada's standard license plates which are are bluish-gray.
But what are the implications of the replacing car drivers by robotic systems. Here are some initial suggestions summarized in an infographic:
So, according to this analysis the downside of robot cars includes lost revenues and lost jobs while the overwhelming benefit is less carnage on the roads.
However, these are just the most obvious impacts. Consider the implications a bit further and you realize that we will all change our behavior and live our lives differently.
Even if driverless cars appear slowly on the roads and we have mixed human and robot drivers, things will change fairly quickly. If you have a robot car you don't need to park it you simply send it home and tell it to pick you up at a fixed time. If home is too far you simply tell it to "go park" and the car goes off on its own looking for a free space - which can now be a longish way from where you were dropped. If there are no parking spaces, the car can just circle the block.
Phrases that we will soon treat as perfectly normal:
"Car - go and pick up the kids after the game"
"Car - there is a takeaway meal ready for collection at...".
"Car - go to the garage and get an oil change."
and so on...
You see how radically the car changes its utility.
On a longer time scale, cars will no longer be extensions of the owner's personality.
Who cares which car they are driving when they aren't driving but being driven. The idea of car pooling suddenly becomes a no-brainer. As long as a car takes you from your home to work and then another picks you up from work and takes you home - who cares which car it is?
Come the day that robot cars are the norm and we ban human drivers because they are too dangerous, then things can change in an even bigger way.
Who needs road markings and controlled junctions. Cars can flow like particles in a pipe. Robot drivers have no need to be controlled by signals at an intersection they "know" where every other car is and can simply time things so that they pass through a clear space. The only issue is whether or not the passengers will be happy with the prospect of speeding toward a busy intersection with traffic seemingly playing chicken at the crossroads.
Of course we won't need to build many more roads because robot cars can simply drive closer and so pack more cars per road. They also do away with the braking wave effect that causes a slight slowdown in traffic flow to propagate back and become a complete halt for no obvious reason. Now cars can pack a road and move as a block, limited in speed only by the robot drivers' reaction times and the laws of physics.
If you think that building and accepting robot cars is just a way to make driving safer then think again.
It may be an over-used term but this really is a game changer. Once every car comes with its own chauffeur, things will never be the same again.
Accredible is a recent edtech service that helps you create certificates, or rather certificate portfolios, to demonstrate your achievements on any type of learning, including MOOCs and online courses [ ... ] | <urn:uuid:5629f6ee-8bd0-43af-bdad-014e8e67f63a> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:10:27",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9618592858314514,
"score": 2.78125,
"token_count": 801,
"url": "http://www.i-programmer.info/news/169/3673.html"
} |
Born: July 30, 1863
Died: April 7, 1947
Henry Ford did not invent the automobile, but he did masterfully develop the methods that made mass-production of automobiles possible. He is perhaps the person most responsible for launching the “car culture” in the United States.
Ford was born in Dearborn, Michigan, the son of Irish immigrants who fled the potato famine in the 1840s. As a child Ford attended a one-room school for eight years and helped his father work the family farm. At age 16, the industrious Ford walked to Detroit to find work in its machine shops. It was in these shops that he had his first contact with the internal combustion engine. In internal combustion engines, the engine produces power by sucking in a mixture of gasoline and air and igniting it with a spark. The force of this explosion provides power to operate a vehicle or other machine.
Ford married Clara Bryant in 1888 and five years later welcomed their only child, son Edsel. In 1891 Ford became an engineer at the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit. Within just a couple of years he was promoted to Chief Engineer. This promotion gave him enough time and money to conduct his own experiments on internal combustion engines. By the end of 1893 he had built his first working gasoline engine. Three years later he constructed his first horseless carriage, the Quadricycle. It was a four-horsepower vehicle with the chassis of a buggy frame mounted on four bicycle tires.
Ford dreamed of manufacturing automobiles, but his first two attempts at establishing a company failed. Financial backers pressured him to release a passenger automobile, but Ford insisted on waiting. Finally, in 1903, Ford was ready to market an automobile. The Ford Motor Company was incorporated with a mere $28,000 in cash put up by ordinary citizens, because Ford had already antagonized the wealthiest men in Detroit.
Ford’s idea of mass-producing a car affordable enough for the average worker met with resistance from the automobile industry. Nevertheless, Ford stuck to his goal, beginning production of the Model T in 1908. He gradually adapted the production line and in 1913 his plant incorporated the first moving assembly line, allowing for greater production. Demand for the affordable car soared; by 1927, fifteen million had been sold, and Ford was the leading auto manufacturer in the country. In addition to the moving assembly line, Ford revolutionized the auto industry by increasing the pay and decreasing the hours of his employees. During the Model T era, Ford bought out his shareholders so he had complete financial control of the now vast corporation. He continued to innovate, but competitors, growing more powerful though fewer in number, began to cut into Ford's market share.
The unprecedented scale of his competitor’s success, together with Ford's absolute control of the firm, set the stage for decline. Trusting in what he believed was an unerring market instinct, Ford refused to follow other automobile manufacturers in offering innovative features. When he was finally convinced that the marketplace had changed and was demanding more than a purely utilitarian vehicle, he shut down his plants for five months to retool. In December 1927, he introduced the Model A. The new model enjoyed solid, but not impressive, success. Ford's stubbornness had cost him his leadership position in the industry: the Model A was outsold by General Motors's Chevrolet and Chrysler's Plymouth and was discontinued in 1931.
A similar pattern of inflexibility and stubbornness marked Ford's attitude toward his workers. The $5 day that brought him so much attention in 1914 came at the cost of workers’ individualism and independence. It was, moreover, no guarantee for the future. In 1929 Ford instituted a $7 day, but in 1932, as part of the fiscal stringency imposed by falling sales and the Great Depression, that was cut to $4, below standard industry wages. Ford used company police, labor spies, and violence in a protracted effort to prevent unionization. He continued to do so even after General Motors and Chrysler came to terms with the United Automobile Workers. When the UAW finally succeeded in organizing Ford workers in 1941, he considered shutting down before he was persuaded to sign a union contract.
Henry Ford was an idiosyncratic and complex personality. Away from the shop floor he exhibited a variety of enthusiasms and prejudices. His dictum that "history is more or less bunk" was widely known. One of Ford's most publicized acts was his chartering of an ocean liner to conduct himself and a party of pacifists to Europe in November 1915 in an attempt to end the war by means of "continuous mediation." The so-called Peace Ship episode was widely ridiculed. In 1918, with the support of President Woodrow Wilson, Ford ran for the U.S. Senate. He was narrowly defeated after a campaign of personal attacks by his opponent and never ran for office again. Also in 1918, Ford bought The Dearborn Independent newspaper and used it to publish a series of anti-Semitic attacks. In 1927 he formally retracted his attacks and sold the paper. He expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler in the 1930s.
On the other hand, Henry Ford was also recognized for several civic contributions: he established small village factories; built one-room schools in which vocational training was emphasized; experimented with soybeans for food and durable goods; sponsored a weekly radio hour on which quaint essays were read to "plain folks"; and constructed Greenfield Village, a restored rural town. He also built what later was named the Henry Ford Museum and filled it with American artifacts and antiques from the era of his youth. In the 1920s, Ford decided to move his hero and friend Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park invention factory to the museum. He and Edison went to New Jersey to recover the buildings but found that most had been removed or were in disrepair. Ford then had his staff reconstruct the Menlo Park buildings from photographs and a few surviving original materials. Today the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village houses a vast collection of Edison artifacts.
After his death, Ford's stock holdings went to the Ford Foundation, which had been set up in 1936 as a means of retaining family control of the firm. The Ford Foundation has subsequently became one of the richest private foundations in the world. | <urn:uuid:f6247030-a9d4-4872-9ff8-7e12827840a6> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:18:35",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.984369158744812,
"score": 3.796875,
"token_count": 1278,
"url": "http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki6/index.php?title=Henry_Ford&oldid=69919"
} |
I've Never...But I'd Like to Someday
participant should be given three popsicle sticks. The first person begins by saying "I've Never (insert words), but I'd like to someday." Each person
in the group who HAS done that activity should through a stick into the middle. This continues around the circle as many times as necessary. The goal is for each person to run out of sticks. Examples:
I've never ___________, but I'd like to someday."
* Bungee jumped
* Make straight A's on a report card
* Rode a roller coaster
* Been to Disneyland
* Traveled outside the U.S.
* See the ocean | <urn:uuid:c01c3c13-7d92-46f4-822f-ba30ead78d86> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:09:01",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9474828839302063,
"score": 2.84375,
"token_count": 144,
"url": "http://www.in-themoment.com/exercises-item-print.asp?id=81"
} |
Healthy Living: Blogs
Story Updated: Mar 21, 2013
New study links sugar-sweetened beverages to tens of thousands of deaths each year.
No matter where you stand on efforts to ban super-sized sugary drinks a new study released by the American Heart Association is sure to get your attention.
The study concludes that about 180,000 deaths around the world each year are associated with sugar-sweetened sodas, sports drinks and fruit drinks!
Using data from the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases study, researchers linked the intake of sugary drinks to 133-thousand diabetes deaths, 44 thousand cardiovascular-related deaths and 6 thousand cancer deaths.
Sugary beverages contribute to weight gain... which increases the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
About 25,000 deaths in the U.S. were associated with sugary drinks.
Latin America and the Caribbean regions had the most diabetes deaths related to the beverages.
What country registered the lowest number of deaths related to sugar-sweetened sodas, sports drinks and fruit drinks? Japan, which also had the lowest per-capita consumption of the products. | <urn:uuid:6f2df2d0-f7f0-42f3-8480-f94786310c65> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:39:41",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9305163025856018,
"score": 2.859375,
"token_count": 236,
"url": "http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/lifestyle/healthy/?feed=bim&id=199262671"
} |
Ptosis Correction Surgery:
Ptosis Correction Surgery India offers information on Ptosis Correction Surgery in India, Ptosis Correction Surgery cost India, Ptosis Correction Surgery hospital in India, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad & Bangalore, Ptosis Correction Surgeon in India.
Ptosis is the medical term for drooping of the upper eyelid, a condition that may affect one or botheyes.
The ptosis may be mild - in which the lid partially covers the pupil; or severe - in which the lid completely covers the pupil.
When does Ptosis occur?
Ptosis can occur at any age. When present since birth it is called congenital ptosis. When present in the elderly it is called acquired ptosis.
What causes Ptosis?
While the cause of congenital ptosis is often unclear, the most common reason is improper development of the levator muscle. The levator muscle is the major muscle responsible for elevating the upper eyelid. In adults ptosis is generally due to weakening / dehiscence of the levator muscle. It may also occur following injury to the muscle as after lid injuries and eye surgeries. Rarely it may be due to myasthenia gravis ( a condition where there is progressive weakness of muscles).
Why should Ptosis be treated?
Children with significant ptosis may need to tilt their head back into a chin-up position, lift their eyelid with a finger, or raise their eyebrows in an effort to see from under their drooping eyelid. Children with congenital ptosis may also have amblyopia ("lazy eye"), strabismus or squint (eyes that are not properly aligned or straight), refractive errors, astigmatism, or blurred vision. In addition, drooping of the eyelid may result in an undesired facial appearance and difficult social life. In moderate ptosis there is a loss of the upper field of vision by the drooping upper lid.
How is Ptosis treated?
The eye condition Ptosis is trated by a specified sugery called ptosis surgery.
Ptosis is treated surgically, with the specific operation based on the severity of the ptosis and the strength of the levator muscle. If the ptosis is not severe, surgery is generally performed when the child is between 3 and 5 years of age (the "pre-school" years). However, when the ptosis interferes with the child's vision, surgery is performed at an earlier age to allow proper visual development. Ptosis repair is usually completed under general anesthesia in infants and young children and under local anesthesia in adults.
What to expect after surgery ?
Most patients will tolerate the procedure very well and have a rapid recovery. Cold packs may need to be applied to the operated eyelid for the first 48 hours following surgery. Antibiotic ointments applied to the incision are sometimes recommended. The elevation of the eyelid will often be immediately noticeable, though in some cases bruising and swelling will obscure this finding. Most patients will have sutures that need removing about a week following surgery. In children, absorbable sutures are often used.
The bruising and swelling associated with the surgery will usually resolve in two to three weeks. Some patients may need adjustment of the sutures to better align the lid height. This may or may not require additional anaesthesia or a trip to the operating room.
India Surgery Ptosis,Ptosis Correction, India Cost Price Ptosis, Ptosis Correction Surgery, Ptosis Correction, India Ptosis Correction Surgery, India Cost Ptosis Correction Surgery, Low Cost Mechanical Ptosis Correction Mumbai,, India Low Cost Ptosis Correction Surgery Hospital, Affordable Ptosis Correction Hospital Mumbai, Health Care, Ptosis Corrective Surgery, Eyelid Surgery, Drooping, Treatment On Ptosis Correction Surgery, India Ptosis Correction Surgery Surgeons, Ptosis Correction Surgery Doctors
Call: + 91 9029304141 (10 am. To 8 pm. IST)
Email : [email protected] (Preferred)
(Only for international patients seeking treatment in India) | <urn:uuid:5bf543a8-f7b4-40fe-ba47-2b49b4e5396f> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:24:40",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9267445802688599,
"score": 3.25,
"token_count": 847,
"url": "http://www.indiasurgerytour.com/india-eye-surgery/india-surgery-ptosis-correction.html"
} |
What Is It?
Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder, the small saclike organ located near the liver in the upper right side of the abdomen. It is attached to the main duct that carries bile from the liver into the intestine. Bile helps your body to break down and absorb fats. The gallbladder temporarily stores bile from the liver. When you eat, the gallbladder contracts and squeezes extra bile into the intestine to aid digestion.
There are two ways to remove the gallbladder:
- Traditional surgery. The surgeon cuts open the abdomen and removes the gallbladder through an incision that is about 6 inches long. The abdomen is then stitched closed again.
- Laparoscopic surgery. The surgeon makes four small (less than an inch) incisions for a laparoscope and instruments. A laparoscope is a tube-like instrument with a camera for viewing, and with it the surgeon can guide the surgical instruments to remove the gallbladder. The gallbladder is cut away from the liver and the bile duct and removed through one of the small incisions.
Surgeons remove about 500,000 gallbladders in the United States each year. About 90% of the time, laparoscopic surgery is used because it requires a shorter hospital stay, is less painful, and has a shorter recovery time compared to traditional surgery. In the remaining 10%, traditional surgery is used because the person has significant abdominal scarring from prior surgery, severe inflammation, unusual anatomy, or other factors that make surgery with a laparoscope very difficult and riskier.
Most people have no side effects from living without a gallbladder. Bile can still pass directly from the liver to the intestines, so the gallbladder usually is not necessary. Occasionally, people notice a tendency to diarrhea after the gallbladder is removed.
What It's Used For
Surgeons remove gallbladders to prevent complications from gallstones, which are rocklike lumps that form inside the gallbladder. Gallstones can cause symptoms as simple as intermittent crampy pain after eating, but they also can lead to cholecystitis cholangitis or pancreatitis. Cholecystitis is an inflammation or infection of the gallbladder that develops when a gallstone blocks the bile duct (or tube) that leads from the gallbladder to the main bile duct. Cholecystitis causes fever, nausea or vomiting, and pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. Cholangitis is an infection of the bile ducts that may occur when a gallstone passes out of the gallbladder and blocks the main bile duct between the liver and intestine. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that can be caused by a gallstone blocking the duct coming from the pancreas (this pancreatic duct is attached to the bile duct). This leads to pancreatic enzymes irritating and inflaming the pancreas. Cholecystitis is not usually a severe problem, but cholangitis and pancreatitis can be.
Your doctor will review your allergies and your medical and surgical history. If there is any chance that you may be pregnant or you are trying to get pregnant, tell your doctor before your surgery.
About one week before surgery, you will need to stop taking blood-thinning medications. Beginning at midnight on the night before your surgery, you must not eat or drink anything. This reduces the risk of vomiting during surgery.
You will need to have someone drive you home after surgery.
How It's Done
No matter which type of surgery you have, you will be put under general anesthesia, making you unconscious during your surgery. An intravenous (IV) line inserted into one of your veins will deliver fluids and medications.
- Traditional surgery. The surgeon cuts a 6-inch incision in the upper right side of your abdomen and removes your gallbladder. Often, a test called cholangiography is done during the operation to look for any stones that may have passed into the main bile duct (in this test, a dye is injected into the bile ducts and X-rays are taken). If stones are seen on the X-rays, they may be removed, and a tube may then be placed in the common bile duct (and coming out of the skin) for drainage, until some time after the surgery. After the gallbladder is removed, the incision is closed with stitches. While in the hospital, you gradually will resume eating a normal diet and get out of bed. Usually you stay in the hospital for two to five days.
- Laparoscopic surgery. The surgeon makes a small incision at the navel and puts air into the abdomen to make it easier to see. This help to avoid damaging any organs with the incisions or instruments. Next the laparoscope is inserted through the small incision at your navel. Once the laparoscope is inside your abdomen, a camera on the laparoscope transmits images to a viewing screen. Three smaller incisions are made, and the surgical instruments are inserted through these incisions. The surgeon cuts out the gallbladder, and removes the gallbladder through one of the incisions, usually the one at your bellybutton. All of the instruments are removed, and the surgeon closes the incisions with stitches or surgical tape. After you wake up from anesthesia, the IV line remains in place until you can drink fluids on your own, usually within a few hours after surgery. If you are having a same-day procedure, you can leave the hospital when you feel well enough to go home safely. You may be able to eat a light meal later that day (in the evening). Sometimes patients stay in the hospital until the next morning.
If there are any difficulties during a laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon will switch to a traditional cholecystectomy. This may happen if there is too much bleeding, if there is much scarring from previous surgery, if the gallbladder is difficult to remove, or if there is severe infection.
You will need to visit your doctor for follow-up sometime after you leave the hospital. This may be within a few days to a few weeks after you return home from the hospital. Your doctor will check the healing of your incisions and remove any stitches. After laparoscopic surgery, you usually can return to work within three to seven days. After traditional surgery, you may need to wait three to six weeks before going back to work. Check with your doctor before resuming specific activities, such as sports, heavy labor and lifting.
Possible complications of a cholecystectomy include infection, bleeding, blood clots, damage to bile ducts, retained gall stones, and injury to surrounding organs. Occasionally, people have diarrhea after cholecystectomy. A medication called cholestyramine (Questran) can help to treat the diarrhea.
When to Call a Professional
Once you return home from the hospital, call your doctor immediately if you develop a fever or if your incision becomes red, tender or swollen.
American College of Surgeons (ACS)
633 North Saint Clair St.
Chicago, IL 60611-3211
American Liver Foundation
75 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
National Institutes of Health Information about Digestive Diseases
2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3570 | <urn:uuid:0bb30839-2825-4b18-9cd6-7a79a2da7e46> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:46:33",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9321864247322083,
"score": 3.65625,
"token_count": 1549,
"url": "http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/9339/31166.html"
} |
February 15, 2013
(The New York Times News Service) -- Even moderate alcohol use may substantially raise the risk of dying from cancer, according to a study released Thursday offering the first comprehensive update of alcohol-related cancers deaths in decades.
"People don't talk about the issue of alcohol and cancer risk," said Dr. David Nelson, director of the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program at the National Cancer Institute and lead author of the study.
"Alcohol has been known to be related to causing cancer for a long period of time. We talk about cancer prevention, screenings and tests. This is one of those things that seems to be missing in plain sight."
Alcohol use accounts for about 3.5 percent of all U.S. cancer deaths annually, according to the study. The majority of deaths seemed to occur among people who consumed more than three alcoholic drinks a day, but those who consumed 1.5 beverages daily may account for up to a third of those deaths, the researchers found.
In 2009, 18,000 to 21,000 people in the United States died of alcohol-related cancers, from cancer of the liver to breast cancer and other types, the researchers said. That's more that the number of people who die every year of melanoma or ovarian cancer, which caused over 9,000 and 14,000 U.S. deaths respectively in 2009.
How alcohol causes cancer is not fully understood, the study notes. Previous research has shown alcohol appears to work in different ways to increase cancer risk, such as affecting estrogen levels in women and acting as a solvent to help tobacco chemicals get into the digestive tract.
The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, is the first major analysis of alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in more than 30 years. Researchers said the lack of recent research on the subject may contribute to a lack of public awareness of the cancer risks.
"People are well aware of other risks, like the impact of tobacco on cancer, and are not as aware alcohol plays quite a bit of a role," said Thomas Greenfield, one of the study's authors and scientific director of Public Health Institute's Alcohol Research Group, in Emeryville.
Researchers examined seven types of cancers known to be linked to alcohol use: cancers of the mouth and pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum and female breast. To link the cancer to alcohol use, they relied on surveys of more than 220,000 adults, 2009 U.S. mortality data, and sales data on alcohol consumption.
Breast cancer accounted for the most common alcohol-related cancer deaths among women -- alcohol contributed to 15 percent of all breast cancer deaths. Among men, cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus accounted for the most alcohol-linked cancer deaths.
The study drew some criticism.
Dr. Curtis Ellison, professor of medicine and public health at Boston University School of Medicine, said the study failed to take into account several important factors, such as the pattern of drinking rather than just the amount of alcohol consumed. He said consuming small, consistent amounts of alcohol is much healthier than occasional binge drinking.
"They're mixing alcohol abuse, which leads to all of these cancers as they've clearly shown, with the casual drinker, where the risk is very small," said Ellison, also co-director of the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research.
Dr. Arthur Klatsky, adjunct investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, said many studies have shown moderate drinkers in older age groups may be healthier than those who abstain. Klatsky has long researched the effects of alcohol on health, but declined to comment directly on the study because he had not yet read it.
"Advice needs to be individualized," Klatsky said. "The advice one would give to 60-year-old man who has no problem with alcohol but is at high risk of heart disease due to family history is quite different than the advice we give to a 25-year-old woman whose mother died of breast cancer."
The study's authors acknowledged alcohol can have health benefits, but claimed alcohol causes 10 times as many deaths as it prevents. There's no known safe level of drinking, they said.
"The safest level for cancer prevention is that people don't expose themselves to any potential risk," said Nelson of the National Cancer Institute. "The bottom line means for people who choose to drink, their cancer risk will be lower if they drink lower amounts."
Copyright 2013 The New York Times News Service. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:2526852e-3407-413c-970a-329f0e3e3bac> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:45:59",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9658252596855164,
"score": 2.53125,
"token_count": 943,
"url": "http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSRNM000/333/8896/1476968.html"
} |
Paget's Disease of Bone
What Is It?
Bones in your body continuously break down and form again in a natural and tightly balanced process called bone remodeling. This bone remodeling also occurs in response to stress or injury placed on the bone. For example, weight-bearing exercise leads to increased bone formation.
In Paget's disease, more bone breaks down than usual and more new bone forms than usual. These changes in the bone can lead to bone enlargement and deformity. The new bone growth tends to be softer and more fragile than normal bone, and can develop in a haphazard pattern. Because of this, the bone can fracture. The long bones, especially the legs, tend to bow, and the skull may enlarge, particularly over the forehead.
Paget's disease is the second most common bone disorder in people over 50, after osteoporosis. It is rarely diagnosed in young adults.
Although the cause is unknown, genetics may play a role because the disease sometimes runs in families. Research suggests a slow-growing virus may trigger the disease; some cells in the bone of people with Paget's disease look like they are infected with a virus. However, no virus has been identified.
The condition is rare in certain parts of the world, such as Japan, but more common in the United States and Australia. In the United States, an estimated 10% of people older than age 80 have Paget's disease.
In about 20% of people with Paget's disease, only one area of the body - the spine, pelvis, thighs, lower legs or skull - is affected. The rest have many areas involved. In serious cases, complications can include deafness, congestive heart failure (caused by the extra blood flow required by the diseased bone), an elevated calcium level and cancer of the bone.
An estimated 70% of people with Paget's disease do not have any symptoms. Symptoms are more likely to occur in people who have many areas of the body affected. Symptoms can include:
- Bone pain and warmth
- Head enlargement
- Bowing of the legs
- Hearing loss
Because many people with Paget's disease do not have symptoms, the condition often is not discovered until an X-ray or blood test (called the alkaline phosphatase) obtained for other reasons suggests the disease may be present. If your doctor thinks you may have Paget's disease, specific blood and urine tests can measure the levels of certain byproducts of bone formation and breakdown. More detailed X-rays or a bone scan also may be done. In rare instances, a doctor may recommend a bone biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and exclude other possibilities. In a bone biopsy, a small piece of bone is removed with a needle so it can be examined in a laboratory.
Paget's disease cannot be cured, but treatment can control the symptoms.
There is no way to prevent Paget's disease.
Treatment is generally reserved for people with symptoms. In rare cases, a doctor may recommend treatment even if you don't have symptoms if X-rays, blood tests and a bone biopsy detect enough disease.
Medications such as including aspirin, mild pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs can help treat pain and inflammation. In advanced cases, your doctor may recommend medications such as alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel), pamidronate (Aredia), zoledronic acid (Reclast, Zometa) or calcitonin (Miacalcin) to reduce the activity of cells that remodel bone.
Surgery to correct deformities is rarely necessary. If Paget's disease causes significant damage to a hip, hip replacement surgery may be considered. Hearing aides may be helpful if Paget's disease affects the bones inside the ear.
A person with Paget's disease will be monitored carefully for complications such as heart failure or an elevation in blood calcium, and these conditions will be treated if necessary.
When to Call a Professional
Contact your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms of Paget's disease for more than two weeks.
Paget's disease itself is not fatal, however, it is associated with an increased risk of a cancerous bone tumor, called osteosarcoma. Paget's disease is a long-lasting (chronic) condition. The outlook is generally good, especially if the condition is diagnosed and treated before major changes in bones have occurred and when there is no osteosarcoma.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
6300 North River Rd.
Rosemont, IL 60018-4262
The Paget Foundation
120 Wall St.
New York, NY 10005-4001 | <urn:uuid:97fd0ff9-28d7-4e9a-b355-862b8ca6ce7b> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:32:52",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9233493208885193,
"score": 3.796875,
"token_count": 991,
"url": "http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/c/9339/10386.html"
} |
Rising as the Barcoo on the northern slopes of the Warrego Range, Queensland, the Cooper Creek flows north-west to Blackall. Joined by the Alice River, it continues south-west past Isisford and receives its
principal tributary, the Thompson. At Currareva, with the catchment area of 150 220 km2, the mean annual flow is 3.35 km3 with a standard deviation of 3.45 km3 for 33 full climatic years between 1939 and 1984.
Crossing the South Australian border near Innamincka, Cooper Creek cuts through a range of hills and these, in a similar
manner to the slight constriction of the Diamantina at Birdsville, offer the only chance of accurately measuring the flow anywhere within the 500 km of its central reach. The location also provides a
potential major dam site, a feature almost entirely missing on the other rivers of the Lake Eyre Basin.
The catchment area at Innamincka is 236 700 km2, and the mean annual flow for the period 1973-83 is 2.06 km3 with a standard deviation of 3.63 km3. The highest annual flow was 11.47 km3 in 1974; the highest monthly flow 6.49 km3 in February 1974; and the highest instantaneous flow 3 740 m 3/s on 18 February 1974.
Immediately downstream of Innamincka in periods of high flows, water is diverted through a natural control into the Strzelecki Creek, which also has a
catchment of its own and can flow due to the effect of heavy localised storms. Flow in Strzelecki Creek fills Lake Blanche, Lake Callabonna and Lake Frome in that order. In 1974, overflow from Lake Blanche also
reached Lake Gregory. It appears possible - and on some occasions probably inevitable - that Lake Gregory may overflow in a northwestern direction to Cooper Creek. If this is the case, then Strzelecki water can
re-enter Cooper Creek in the vicinity of Lake Killamperpunna. This did not happen, however, in 1974-76.
Once Cooper Creek leaves the hills of Innamincka, it emerges on to a very wide floodplain in the Sturt
Stony Desert, interlaced with channels, billabongs and lakes, and intersected by lines of north-south dunes. These floodplains of its central reach are highly complicated. | <urn:uuid:03f54afe-65a1-48bb-8c7f-07998b7ca934> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:23:39",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9436064958572388,
"score": 2.828125,
"token_count": 512,
"url": "http://www.k26.com/eyre/The_Lake/Data/Tributaries/The_Cooper_Creek/the_cooper.html"
} |
One death, 15 new cases of West Nile in Louisiana
LOUISIANA — The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals uncovered 15 new West Nile cases this week, and reports one death from the disease. The State is experiencing its worst West Nile outbreak in a decade this year, and health care providers continue identifying new cases into the fall season.
"Not only do we continue to find more cases, this week, we have three parishes reporting their first human cases of West Nile for the year," said DHH Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein. "Clearly, this virus remains a threat, and it's important to protect your health and avoid mosquito bites even as the weather gets colder and drier."
Humans contract West Nile when they are bitten by mosquitoes infected with the virus. When people are infected with West Nile, the virus will affect them one of three ways. West Nile neuroinvasive disease is the most serious type, infecting the brain and spinal cord. Neuroinvasive disease can lead to death, paralysis and brain damage. The milder viral infection is West Nile fever, in which people experience flu-like symptoms. The majority of people who contract West Nile will be asymptomatic, which means they show no symptoms. These cases are typically detected through blood donations or in the course of other routine medical tests.
There are six new neuroinvasive disease cases reported this week, from Jefferson (1), Orleans (2), Tangipahoa (1) and Rapides (2) parishes. Five of these are newly identified cases, and one is a previously reported case that progressed into neuroinvasive disease.
There are 10 new West Nile fever cases reported this week, from Assumption (1), Catahoula (1), East Baton Rouge (2), Ouachita (1), Rapides (2), St. Landry (1) and Winn (2) parishes.
No new asymptomatic cases were reported this week.
Louisiana has had 371 West Nile cases, of which 152 are neuroinvasive disease, and 16 deaths, all of which occurred within two weeks of disease onset, thus far in 2012.
DHH issues a weekly Arbovirus Surveillance Report that details cases detected thus far by parish, which is published here.
West Nile virus has been present in Louisiana since 2002, when the state experienced 328 cases, of which 204 were neuroinvasive disease, and 24 deaths. For 10 years, state health officials have conducted robust surveillance year-round, which includes working with doctors, hospitals and health care providers around the state to track human cases and reminding people to be vigilant in avoiding mosquito bites. | <urn:uuid:8e78645d-b79d-418a-92e9-77562360e28d> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:13:13",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9516441822052002,
"score": 2.59375,
"token_count": 546,
"url": "http://www.kadn.com/news/one-death-15-new-cases-west-nile-louisiana"
} |
Envision Math Grade 5 Homeschool Bundle
Let the pictures to the talking! Envision Math develops math concepts through interactive and visual learning. Math concepts are taught with step-by-step purposeful, sequential illustrations along with learning activities and lesson exercises. Grades 3-6 use a hardcover student edition book which contains daily lessons that provide a Visual Learning Bridge.
The grade 5 homeschool bundle includes:
- Student Edition Worktext (hardcover)
- Mindpoint Quiz Show CD-ROM
- Teacher Edition CD-ROM
Macintosh/Windows Dual Compatibility System Requirements: Windows: Minimum Processor: Pentium II 233MHz; Minimum System: Windows 2000 (SP4)/XP (SP2); Memory: 256MB; CD/DVD Speed: 8X; Hard Drive Space: 40MB (20MB for Lite version). Macintosh: Minimum Processor: Power Mac 200MHz; Minimum System: OS 10.3.9 (Classic mode required. Will not work on Intel® based Macs.); Memory: 256; CD/DVD Speed: 8X; Hard Drive Space: 32MB (20MB for Lite version). | <urn:uuid:029aef17-c7b3-4872-a2b1-ca35ba701689> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:12:47",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.7262706160545349,
"score": 2.546875,
"token_count": 231,
"url": "http://www.kaplantoys.com/store/trans/productDetailForm.asp?CatID=12%7C%7C5&Page=1&Max=2&Seq=124%2E99&PID=141322"
} |
Hundreds of years ago, the Los Angeles Basin’s river and tributaries sat at the center of daily life for our first ancestors, the Tongvas Indians. They understood the river’s changing, mercurial nature and built their homes and town centers above its flood plains. Yangna, sitting just a few miles from the river near Spring Street, was the largest Tongvas village. It was a center for commerce, governance and religious ceremonies, and it is the birthplace of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles State Historic Park was once an industrial brown field. After much debate among real estate developers, community activists, and artists, the land is now available for public use and awaits transformation into a state park.
The Zanja Madre, or "Mother Ditch," is the original aqueduct that brought water to El Pueblo from the Los Angeles River. The remains of the Zanja where uncovered in the 1970's and can be seen sitting just behind a fence in the Los Angeles State Historic Park.
KCET is the nation's largest independent public television station. On air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. We offer a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world.
Are you a member of the media looking for information about KCET? Visit our press room for contact details, images and all the latest news. | <urn:uuid:457fab17-1620-4287-922b-08da84dc3951> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:09:51",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9496285319328308,
"score": 2.84375,
"token_count": 302,
"url": "http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/lariver/yangna/?entryid=29987"
} |
Deoxidation is the removal of excess oxygen from molten metal. The procedure involves adding materials with a high affinity for oxygen, the oxides of which
are either gaseous or readily form slags. The deoxidation of steel is usually performed by adding Mn, Si and Al, or rarely by adding
Cr, V, Ti, Zr and B.
The deoxidation of molten steel shows a paradox. By increasing the concentration of deoxidizer in the melt over some critical value reoxidation of steel
takes place. A few examples of the reoxidation of steel by adding the usual deoxidizers (Si and Al) are examined in this article.
Deoxidation is the last stage in steelmaking. In the Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) and other similar steelmaking practices the steel bath as the time of tapping
contains 400 to 800 ppm activity of oxygen. Deoxidation is carried out during tapping by adding into the tap-ladle appropriate amounts of ferromanganese,
ferrosilicon and/or aluminum or other special deoxidizers. If at the end of the blow the carbon content of the steel is below specifications, the metal
is also recarburized in the ladle. However, large additions in the ladle are undesirable, because of the adverse effect on the temperature of the metal.
Eight typical conditions of commercial ingots, cast in identical bottle-top molds, in relation to the degree of suppression of gas evolution are shown
schematically in Figure 1. The dotted line indicates the height to which the steel originally was poured in each ingot mold. Depending on the carbon
content and particularly of the oxygen content, the ingot structures range from that of a fully killed or dead-killed ingot N°1 to that of a violently
rimmed ingot N°8. Included in the series are indicated in figure 1 i.e. killed steel N°1, semikilled steel N°2, capped steel N°5,
and rimmed steel N°7.
Figure 1: Series of typical ingot structures
Rimmed steel usually is tapped without having made additions of deoxidizers to the steel in the furnace or only small additions to the molten steel
in ladle, in order to have sufficient oxygen present to give the desired gas evolution by reacting in the mold with carbon. The exact procedures followed
depend upon whether the steel has a carbon content in the higher ranges i.e. %C=0.12-0.15 or in the lower ranges, e.g. %C=max 0.10 .When the metal in the
ingot mold begins to solidify, there is a brisk evolution of carbon monoxide, resulting in an outer ingot skin of relatively clean metal low in carbon and
other solutes. Such ingots are best suited for the manufacture of steel sheets.
Capped steel practice is a variation of rimmed steel practice. The rimming action is allowed to begin normally, but is then terminated after a minute
or more by sealing the mold with a cast-iron cap. In steels with a carbon content greater than 0.15% the capped ingot practice is usually applied to sheet,
strip, wire and bars.
Semikilled steel is deoxidized less than killed steel and there is enough oxygen present in the molten steel to react with carbon forming sufficient
carbon monoxide to counterbalance the solidification shrinkage. The steel generally has a carbon content within the range %C=0.15-0.30 and finds wide
application in structural shapes.
Killed steel is deoxidized to such an extent that there is no gas evolution during solidification. Aluminum is used for deoxidation, together with
ferro-alloys of manganese and silicon; in certain cases calcium silicide or other special strong deoxidizers are used. In order to minimize piping, almost
all killed steels are cast in hot-topped big-end up molds.
Killed steels are generally used when a homogeneous structure is required in the finished steels. Alloy steels, forging steels and steels for carburizing
are of this type, when the essential quality is soundness. In producing certain extra-deep-drawing steels, a low-carbon (%C=max 0.12) steel is killed,
usually with a substantial amount of aluminum that is added in the ladle, in the mold or both.
Although the deoxidation of steel by aluminum suppresses the formation of carbon monoxide during solidification, and hence suppresses blow holes, there
are many steel processing operations where aluminum killing of steel is undesirable. For example, it is widely recognized that certain alloy steels to be
cast as large ingots should not be subject to aluminum killing, because of the piping and of deleterious effects of alumina inclusions on the subsequent
processing of ingots for certain applications, e.g. generator-rotor shafts.
It has been recognized from the early days of the continuous-casting operation nearly two decades ago that casting difficulties and poor surface conditions
are often experienced with aluminum-killed steels. It is for these reasons that other forms of deoxidation are often preferred in a number of steel-processing
operations, e.g. silico-managanese deoxidation and/or vacuum carbon deoxidation.
Deoxidation reactions can be described using the deoxidation equilibrium constant. A wide spectrum of deoxidation equilibria pertaining to the most common
deoxidants for steel is summarized in Table 1 as a log-log plot of the concentration of oxygen in solution in liquid steel against that of the added elements.
Table 1: Solubility of the products of deoxidation in liquid iron.
|Equilibrium constant K*
||K at 1600°C
||< 1 ppm Al
||1.1 x 10-15
||-71600/T + 23.28
||< 1 ppm Al
||4.3 x 10-14
||-62780/T + 20.17
||1.3 x 10-8
||> 0.02% C
||2.0 x 10-3
||-1168/T - 2.07
||> 3% Cr
||1.1 x 10-4
||-40740/T + 17.78
||> 1% Mn
||5.1 x 10-2
||-14450/T + 6.43
||> 20 ppm Si
||2.2 x 10-5
||-30410/T + 11.59
||< 0.3% Ti
||2.8 x 10-6
||> 5% Ti
||1.9 x 10-3
||< 0.10 V
||8.9 x 10-8
||-48060/T + 18.61
||> 0.3% V
||2.9 x 10-6
||-43200/T + 17.52
In all cases, the oxygen and the alloying element in solution are in equilibrium with the appropriate gas, liquid or solid oxide phases at 1600°C, e.g. 1 atm CO,
pure B2O3, pure Al2O3 etc. The curves for Mn, Si and C are from compiled data. The curves for
Cr, V, B, Ti and Al are based on the recent work done in this laboratory by Fruehan using the oxygen galvanic cell previously
described in measuring the equilibrium oxygen potentials.
- Activities are chosen such that aMn ≡ %Mn and aO ≡ %O when %M→O
- Square brackets [ ] denote component present in molten steel
- Temperature (T) is on the Kelvin scale.
Deoxidation reactions can be described using the deoxidation equilibrium constant. The reaction when the alloying element (M) is added to the steel can be represented by:
MxOy = xM + Yo .....(1)
The deoxidation constant assuming pure MxOy forms (i.e. unit activity for MxOy) is given by:
K = (hM)x(hO)y .....(2)
Where hM and hO are the Henrian activities defined such that activity of the components is equal to its weight percent at infinite dilution in iron.
Hi = fi(wt.% i) .....(3)
The activity coefficient fi can be corrected for alloying elements by use of the interaction parameter eji
(d log fi/d log wt%j) = eji .....(4)
Table 2 shows the coefficients of interaction for the common elements of carbon and stainless steels at 1600°C.
Table 2: The coefficients of interaction for the common elements of carbon and stainless steels at 1600°C
|Carbon steel 1600°C
|Stainless steel 1600°C
For most low alloy steels encountered in ladle metallurgy the activity coefficient can be taken as unity and equation 2 reduces to:
KM = (%M)x(%O)y .....(5)
To illustrate how to use these constants consider a steel containing 0.1%Si at 1600°C (2912°F) in equilibrium with SiO2.
The value of KSi is given by:
KSi = (%Si)(%O)2 .....(6)
KSi = 2.2 x 10-5
(%O)2 = 2.2 x 10-4
(%O) ≈ 0.015 or 150 ppm.
It is important to remember that these calculations are for soluble oxygen content; the total oxygen content which includes both the soluble oxygen and
the oxygen associated with inclusions could be much higher.
For single element deoxidation, the solubility of oxygen in liquid iron at 1600°C (2912°F) is given as a function of the concentration of
the alloying element. In each case, the melt is in equilibrium with the respective pure oxide; e.g. SiO2, Al2O3 etc.
It can be clearly seen that aluminum is the strongest of the common deoxiders followed by titanium. Rare earths are about as strong aluminum as deoxidizers
and will be discussed later in detail. | <urn:uuid:08853ea6-3d6a-4bfc-92e7-887f31da7105> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:44:08",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8677932620048523,
"score": 3.484375,
"token_count": 2194,
"url": "http://www.keytometals.com/page.aspx?ID=CheckArticle&site=kts&LN=FR&NM=216"
} |
Why Teach Kids Cooking Activities?
I started kids cooking activities and kids cooking lessons with my
children after my oldest son would create "something" in the kitchen
almost everyday. He would fill a pot with water, add sugar, salt,
apples, whatever he could find and ask me to cook it on the stove
top. He didn't want to follow a recipe. He just wanted to create
something using, whatever he could think of.
I came to understand how much kids love to cook and want to help in
the kitchen. When they are young they pretend to cook in the
kitchen, make mud pies in the sandbox, and what kid hasn't made
bubble cakes in the bath tub?
Kids do cooking activities all the time!
Why you should do kids cooking activities!
Here are 10 reasons why you should do cooking
activities with your children.
- Learning to cook helps children to learn about nutrition and
healthy eating. They are growing up with fast food and junk food
at their fingertips, which is part of the reason why child
obesity is on the rise! Teaching kids to cook will help
instill skills to last them a lifetime.
- Boost their self esteem. If your child needs a boost of
self confidence, (and who doesn't!) cooking in the kitchen will
do just that. They are accomplishing a task, learning something
important and contributing to the family.
- Create family time and bonding. Take time to cook with
your children and they will have memories that they, in turn,
can pass on to their families. It may take a longer time to get
the meal or snack done but the moments with your children will
be priceless. (Just remember to have patience. Don't worry about
flour on the floor or spilled milk).
- Kids will be more apt to eat what they make. Perhaps,
it is the enthusiasm of creating something themselves, but they
will be more likely to eat whatever they had a hand in making.
- Kids learn real lessons in science, language, math and
creativity. Cooking will help reinforce all these
subjects! Visit What
Children Learn While Cooking page for more information.
- What a great way to learn life skills. This can be
especially helpful when kids are on their own and won't have to
rely on fast food and junk food to sustain them.
- They can help contribute to the family and they can
feel the importance of helping.
- They are working together as a team, whether it is
with a parent or with a sibling to get the job done.
- Cooking teaches them planning and making choices.
- Practice creativity and imagination. Kids cooking
activities are a great way to express themselves and enjoy their
All of our kids cooking activities and ideas
are kid tested, doable and fun. They just need:
- A dash of time
- A pinch of originality
- A cup full of enthusiasm
So put on an apron and lets get started with Kids Cooking
Join our Newsletters and follow us on social media
We have several ways you can keep in contact with us. At the upper
right corner you'll see our links to follow our facebook, twitter
and pinterest groups.
We have a Get Cooking Newsletter
that goes out weekly with
advice, articles and tips on kids cooking.
As well as a weekly Kids Cooking Activities Club
introduce you to different sections and the highlights you'll find
in that area.
There is a lot of good information, cooking projects and children's
cooking activities on our site. Over 500 pages + hundred's of our
readers submitted recipes and ideas. You will get an email once a
week highlighting different areas on the site. | <urn:uuid:ff79b9e7-d4b7-45e1-a877-d3ee4b8d747b> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:25:25",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9459112882614136,
"score": 3.28125,
"token_count": 788,
"url": "http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/"
} |
hi, i was wondering does anyone know anything about egyptian uses of different herbs (perfuming,incense, medicinal etc.) im curious about herbs that were popularly used in ancient egypt, and what types of herbs they had connections to, either by native growth, or by trade with other countries.
Here are some remedies that the Ancient Eyptians used with herbs:
: Used as an incense to remove demonic possession. Used as an ointment to relieve headaches, or drunk to relieve stomach aches.
: Remedy for snake bites and fevers. Also used to heal broken bones and sores after being mixed with honey.
: Mostly used for stomach upsets.
: Uses included relieving toothache and headaches.
: Drunk to banish fevers. Also was used as an insect repellent.
: Mainly used for headaches.
Plants used in perfumary:
There is apparently
a perfume called Kyphi engraved on the temple walls of Edfu and Philae.
Cinnamon, Juniper Berries, Cyperus, Cardamom, Marjoram and Lotus, were among the many ingredients in perfume making. Along with animal fat, oil and sweet wine.
I believe that many of the Ancient Egyptians herbs and spices were imported from the Mediterranean, although in the later years the Egyptians attempted to grow many foreign plants in their land.
Frankincense and Myrrh were used as incense as offerngs in rituals to the gods. These resins were imported from Central Africa via Nubia. | <urn:uuid:6e662b5b-5b62-47b2-8c8c-ee727f55d04f> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:23:13",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9708774089813232,
"score": 2.515625,
"token_count": 326,
"url": "http://www.kingtutone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1915"
} |
An illustrated collection of poems celebrating those who have, as the title indicates, "changed the world."
While the individuals profiled here are undeniably inspiring, the biographical poem, brief text and topical poem intended to illuminate each person’s achievements don’t adequately convey personality or relevance, resulting in an uneven collection that, ironically enough, fails to live up to its potential. Thirty poets have contributed their work, from familiar, prolific authors such as Lee Bennett Hopkins, Jane Yolen and Marilyn Singer to those whose writing is less well-known. Subjects range from the contemporary (Temple Grandin, Steven Spielberg) to the historical (Jonas Salk), and from the well-known to the obscure (Father Greg Boyle). Unfortunately, the poems are uneven in quality, with many seeming forced or predictable. In general, the topical poems are the most successful, with particularly engaging verses by Singer (about the joys of flight) and Alice Schertle (pondering the mysteries of a mummy’s tomb). A variety of poetic forms are used; some feature rhyme and are composed of multiple stanzas, others seem more like prose portraits arbitrarily broken into short lines. Jepson’s vibrant collage-style illustrations incorporate a variety of patterns and textures. Complementary colors help to tie facing pages together and also serve as backgrounds to the text, further linking the concepts on each double-page spread.
Potentially useful in classrooms that include character education in the curriculum, this purposive anthology will likely find it hard to find an appreciative audience in less-structured settings. (Picture book/poetry. 8 and up) | <urn:uuid:b9cb08e8-2983-48d5-9045-2c39cf38e159> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:17:04",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9302486777305603,
"score": 3.0625,
"token_count": 339,
"url": "http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jill-corcoran/dare-dreamchange-world/print/"
} |
A wide-ranging study of language, including the various political dimensions involved in how and why certain languages gain prestige while others become extinct.
How have industrialization and nationalism shaped language variation worldwide? Is the writing system a natural outgrowth of speech, or can it simply be changed by government edict? Is there really one correct way of speaking English? Is the French language being threatened? Are Chinese characters really based on pictographs? These are just a handful of the many intriguing questions, issues and “linguistic myths” that Economist contributor Greene investigates in this fascinating glimpse at the global politics of language variation. Essentially, the book is a course in sociolinguistics and modern international language politics for the layperson. The author, who speaks nine languages, begins by dispelling a variety of language myths that are pervasive and, to the chagrin of many linguists, seemingly unshakeable—that some languages are more primitive than others, that the Qur’an cannot be translated from Arabic, or that the Maori of New Zealand have 35 words for dung. Greene also exposes grammar sticklers—people who are obsessively determined to “purify” language and who are nostalgic for a linguistic utopia that never existed—for the persnickety and curmudgeonly group they really are. The author blends personal narrative, reportage and humor with linguistic analysis, historical research and political punditry, and he surveys some of the most significant issues concerning language today, including the ethnocentrism involved in some English-only activism in America, as well as the draconian—and largely unsuccessful—measures of the French Academy to keep French free of English words. Greene correctly demonstrates that language change, language variety and cross-language borrowing are “highly regular” and, in fact, part of the natural evolution of all languages.
An insightful, accessible examination of the way in which day-to-day speech is tangled in a complicated web of history, politics, race, economics and power. | <urn:uuid:2a8fcfe6-7896-4871-9d23-af2a0c4431a0> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:37:58",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9431892037391663,
"score": 2.71875,
"token_count": 412,
"url": "http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/robert-lane-greene/you-are-what-you-speak/"
} |
In the middle of the mountain range of the mountain chain Gailtaler Alpen. Only a few km in the south-east of the Weißensee you can find the Farchtensee in about 985m above sea-level in a parallel valley of the Stockenboier Graben. In the south the basin of the lake is bordered by the Graslitzen, a 2.044 m high summit of the mountain chain Gailtaler Alpen. In the north it is limited by the mountain ridge of the Zlan Nock. The lake is situated in the central part of the mountain chain Gailtaler Alpen, which are formed by lime, dolomite and marl stones out of the Triassic. It is settled in young Quaternary sedimentation.
The shore zone has – with a few exceptions – natural vegetation. In the south forests reach the shore, the north is chiefly formed by wet meadows. In the west and east of the lake you can find earthy lime wet moors, with dense stocks of sedge and little amounts of reed and buck beans. Next to the banks there is a small belt of yellow water lilies.
Hardly populated surroundings. Except of a few houses the environment of the Farchtensee is nearly unpopulated. The Farchtenseestraße is running along the northern shore of the lake, separated from the lake by wet meadows. Only a small creek, coming out of an eastern valley, feeds the lake, but there is a strong runoff with about 140l/s that indicates a bringing in of groundwater out of the surrounding gravel hills. The runoff leaves the lake in the west, goes together with the Tscherniheimer Bach and flows into the Weißenbach, the runoff of the Weißensee.
Lake poor of nutrients. The Farchtensee belongs to the oligotrophic lakes of the Kalkalpen. Regularly high waters bring in dim limes that reduce the temporary visual range strongly. In times without high waters with minor production of algae the visual range can reach 8 m.
Summerlike water temperatures. In spite of being relatively high up, the lake reaches more than 21 °C during midsummer. In early summer the warming up happens rather slowly, the highest temperature is measured between the end of July and the end of August.
Landscape protection area. The Farchtensee and its surroundings of 120 ha were declared Farchtensee landscape protection area (LGBl. Nr. 85/1970).
Red fins are the most dominant species in the Farchtensee. Formerly there were also coarse fish in the lake, but their stock has reduced after the stocking of pike. And there can neither be proved brown trout or lake trout (SCHULZ, 1988), nor capital individuals of pike any more. It could be because of the decreasing food offer (FARKAS).
Highest lying stock of Astacus astacus in Carinthia. The Farchtensee offers the highest situated stock of crayfish in Carinthia. The partly generous vegetation of macrophytes (e.g. large water lily stocks) offers agreeable living space conditions for crayfish. As we know that the population is much larger than the natural area distribution, we must proceed from the assumption that the crayfish have come into the lake by having been set in. | <urn:uuid:0748c2e5-1e1a-4bd5-a0bd-87e8daff0b9a> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:31:28",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9444634914398193,
"score": 2.65625,
"token_count": 715,
"url": "http://www.kis.ktn.gv.at/188551_EN-Carinthian_Lakes-Seenseite.?seeid=6"
} |
EPA to review power plant rule
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing part of a controversial rule that sets the first federal standards to reduce toxic air pollution from power plants.
The rule was issued in December. It's aimed at curbing mercury and other toxic pollutants from coal- and oil-fired power plants. The Obama administration calls the rule a sensible step to reduce pollution, but Republicans have denounced it as a part of a "war on coal." The rule could force hundreds of the nation's oldest and dirtiest power plants to clean up or shut down. | <urn:uuid:c6d984f5-b73b-4849-8dc0-847e045c1c36> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:31:55",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9484871029853821,
"score": 2.65625,
"token_count": 117,
"url": "http://www.ktnv.com/news/national/163248236.html"
} |
Study Guide – Anthropology 104
NOTE: This is just a guide! Any material covered in class, class discussion, videos, or in readings and home work could be incorporated in the Midterm or Final. This is not a complete summary of all you will need to know in this course.
Chapter One: What is anthropology? What are the subfields of anthropology? In what way is anthropology holistic, comparative, field work based? What is a frame of reference? What is ethnocentrism? Cultural relativism? Who was one of the most influential founders of American Anthropology? What ethical concerns do anthropologists have? What is theoretical linguistics? How does linguistic anthropology differ from theoretical linguistics? Why are anthropologists interested in language?
Chapter Two: Why do the Inuit have so many words for seals, ice and snow? What is ethnosemantics? Cognitive anthropology? Ethnoscience? What is a semantic domain? What is “the new ethnography?” What is linguistic relativity? What is linguistic determinism? What is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis? What is a “mental map”? What are anthropologists interested in areas of linguistic emphasis? What does the Hanunoo color system tell us about the Hanunoo? Does language affect the way we respond to the material world?
Chapter Three: What is phonology? Phonetics? Phonemics? What are the differences between acoustic phonetics, auditory phonetics, articulatory phonetics and descriptive phonetics? What is voicing? Based on the place of articulation, what are the various ways consonants can be articulated? What are the various manners in which consonants can be articulated? What information do we need to know how a consonant is made or sounds? What information do we need to know how a vowel is formed? What is “rounding”. What is tongue height, tongue place? What are phonenes? What are allophones? What is “complementary distribution”? What does IPA stand for? What is the point of the IPA? What is a minimal pair.
Chapter Four: What is morphology? What is syntax? What is a morpheme? What is a word? What is a base? What is a root? Stem? Affix? What is a hierarchy in terms of affixes? How are new words created? What is inflection? What is derivation? What are transformational rules, what is generative grammar? What is prescriptive grammar? What is descriptive grammar? What are substitution frames? What are free morphemes? What are bound morphemes? What as an SOV language? Is English an SVO language? What is deep structure and what is surface structure? Who is Noam Chomsky?
Chapter Five: Why is context important in the study of language? What is the Ethnography of Speaking? Who was Bronislaw Malinowski? Who was Dell Hymes? What is communicative competence? What is linguistic competence? What is a speech community? What is a linguistic community? What is a community of practice? To what do the various letters of Dell Hymes’ mnemonic – S-P-E-A-K-I-N-G refer? What is a dialect? Why is it difficult to define a dialect? What is a register? What is a “rich point?” How can gender or ethnicity affect one’s language use? How does language communicate identity? What does M-A-R stand for?
Chapter Six: What is Proxemics? What is personal space? How does it vary from group to group? What percentage of communication is non-verbal? What is Kinesics? Can silence be a part of language? What are emblems, adapters, illustrators, regulators and affect displays? What are primes? Why shouldn’t American Sign Language be called non-verbal? Can anthropologists study the use of American Sign Language the way they study spoken language use? Can smell and taste be a part of communication?
Chapter Seven: What is writing? How old are complete writing systems? What is Logographic Writing, syllabic writing, logosyllabic writing, and alphabetic writing? How can reading and writing be at the heart of a crisis in education? How does that relate to social equality?
Chapter Eight: (also recall notes from class lectures on language acquisition). What are the design features of Arbitrariness, Displacement, and Productivity? How do children acquire language? What is Broca’s Area of the brain? What is Wernicke’s Area?
Chapter Nine: What are the various causes of language change? What is a dialect? What is a language? What is the origin of most European languages? How are new words developed (lecture)? What is a Pidgin? What is a Creole? Why did the Oakland School District want to teach in Ebonics? Why did that upset people? What is codeswitching? What was the Great Vowel Shift?
Chapter Ten: What is an endangered language? What is language extinction? What are marked forms, and unmarked forms? How can there be bias in grammar? In what ways can language be sexist or racist? Can language be sexist even if there are no negative words concerning women? Do anthropologists have many opportunities to study language and language use in their daily lives?
Don’t forget the readings in the work book, as well!
|3123||ANTHRO 104||M||03:30 PM - 06:40 PM||CMS 004||Closed||Syllabus||
No courses are available yet for this semester. Please check back later.
|3027||ANTHRO 104||M||03:30 PM - 06:40 PM||CMS 004||Open|| | <urn:uuid:e3f36184-94cc-4faa-82e9-8f8b425c957a> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:31:17",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.928604245185852,
"score": 3.796875,
"token_count": 1224,
"url": "http://www.lamission.edu/~cohenmm/1294"
} |
School district aims at boosting skills
Two out of every three Langley Grade 9 students can’t solve math problems by themselves, according to a just-released report prepared by Langley school district superintendent Cheryle Beaumont.
The numbers cited in the annual “Superintendent’s Report on Achievement” show just 31 per cent of Grade 9 students in the 2009-2010 school year met “numeracy” skills, which are defined by the provincial ministry of education as the ability to appropriately apply mathematical concepts and procedures without a teacher at their side.
That left 69 per cent who required some help or “close, ongoing assistance” by an instructor.
Beaumont, in her report, notes the district is trying to determine the impact poor Grade 9 math skills may be having on graduation rates, since students who have trouble with the more advanced math of secondary school may be less likely to finish Grade 12.
The report flags a number of other areas of concern.
It shows that roughly one out of every five Grade 1 Langley students finished the 2010 school year unable to read short, simple illustrated selections on their own.
That is based on numbers released by the school district and the provincial education ministry that show 246 of 1359 or 18 per cent of pupils “left Grade 1 still not reading at grade level.”
Provincial standards state a Grade 1 student will “fully meet expectations” for literacy when they can read short age-appropriate passages independently.”
The Grade 1 stats still represent an improvement from the previous school year when 364 of 1296 or 35 per cent of Grade 1 students failed to meet expectations.
“The district is committed to having all students reading at grade level by the end of Grade 3,” the Beaumont report states.
Langley Grade 10 students showed a drop in reading skills, with the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations falling from 93 per cent in the 2008-2009 school year to 85 per cent in 2009-2010.
The news is not all bad. In most categories, student performance is improving.
Overall, the number of students who graduate Grade 12 has increased from 78 per cent in 2008 to 83 per cent in 2010, the report states, better than the provincial average.
However, boys are lagging behind girls, with 78 per cent of male students gradating Grade 12 compared to 87 per cent of female students.
Langley First Nations students still have a relatively high drop-out rate, with four out of 10 failing to graduate Grade 12. That’s still better than the provincial average for aboriginal students.
Only one in two Langley graduates goes on to university or college-level studies.
“While 2009-2010 was undoubtedly a very challenging year, we have made remarkable progress,” Beaumont said in a written memo to district trustees.
“Much work remains to be done. However, the initial areas of the district that needed to be stabilized are being addressed and the work is underway.” | <urn:uuid:c39280fd-7499-4151-b418-5df8af4c168a> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:09:57",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9449869394302368,
"score": 2.875,
"token_count": 629,
"url": "http://www.langleytimes.com/news/115227924.html"
} |
NASA knew that in order to properly explore the moon, walking wouldn’t be enough.
Astronauts needed to drive.
This month marks 40 years since man has been to the moon. It also marks the last ride of the lunar roving vehicles that gave astronauts an enhanced ability to explore our nearest neighbor in space.
The four-wheel, lightweight rover carried tools, scientific equipment and lunar samples during the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions. NASA said it multiplied the amount of information the astronauts gathered by a factor of at least three.
To build the rover, NASA teamed with Boeing Co. and General Motors' Delco electronics division in Santa Barbara. The original contract to Boeing -- with Delco as a subcontractor -- was for $19 million and called for delivery of the first rover by April 1, 1971.
The first of three rovers was delivered to NASA March 10, 1971, but cost overruns led to a final cost of $38 million. To get to the moon, the rover was folded up and stored in the lunar module that landed the astronauts on the surface.
The 10-foot, 2-inch-long rovers were powered by two 36-volt batteries. The wheels, traction drive, suspension, steering and drive control permitted the rover to cross the moon’s forbidding rocky terrain.
“The rover handles quite well,” astronaut Dave Scott said while on the first drive. “We’re moving at an average of about 8 kilometers (5 miles) per hour.… The steering is quite responsive.”
A T-shaped hand controller between the two seats was used to control the rover. Moving the stick forward powered the rover forward, left and right. Flipping a switch on the handle before pulling back put the rover into reverse.
There is no GPS on the moon. Navigation was based on continuously recording direction and distance through use of a directional gyro and odometer, so astronauts knew how to return by the most direct route.
Each wheel was individually powered by an electric motor that provided about one horsepower.
With a smooth surface, the rover could hit a top speed of about 8 miles per hour. The longest trip was more than 12 miles.
During Apollo 17, the last mission to the moon, astronaut Gene Cernan accidentally hit the rover’s fender with a hammer and broke it off. This made for a picture-perfect burnout when moon dust was thrown on the astronauts and cargo during their first outing.
“This is quite a machine, I tell you,” Cernan said. | <urn:uuid:aa2064c6-676f-4663-9293-30e8ad830351> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:30:28",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.957832932472229,
"score": 3.640625,
"token_count": 536,
"url": "http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-autos-lunar-rover-40-20121214,1,157487.story"
} |
Planned Parenthood’s Fetal Development Info Lacks Major Facts
by Jennie Stone | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 9/29/11 12:24 PM
The following excerpts are from the Q&A section of Planned Parenthood’s website about fetal development, called “Pregnancy Week by Week.” It conveniently neglects some big milestones during prenatal life. If a pregnant girl were to look for facts about her unborn baby’s development on Planned Parenthood’s page, she would receive only a small fraction of the information she desires.
Planned Parenthood describes gestational age by LMP (last menstrual period); certain milestones appear as though they occur later after conception than they actually do. For example, when Planned Parenthood says “Weeks 5-6,” this simply defines when the woman’s last menstruation was, and her unborn baby is actually only 3-4 weeks old:
“The ball of cells develops into an embryo at the start of the sixth week. The embryonic stage of pregnancy will last about five weeks. During this time all major internal organs begin developing.
- The embryo is less than 1/5 inch (4–5 mm) long.
- A very basic beating heart and circulatory system develop.
- Buds for arms and legs develop.
- The neural tube begins forming. The neural tube will later form the brain, spinal cord, and major nerves.
- The bud of a tail develops.
- The umbilical cord begins developing.”
That “ball of cells” is scientifically and biologically a newly conceived human being, but don’t expect Planned Parenthood to ever admit such a thing. The “very basic beating heart,” which isn’t basic in any sense of the word, is pumping blood throughout the baby’s body just 21 days after conception—before the vast majority of women even realize they’re pregnant. By 28 days after conception, an unborn child’s heart is beating about 121 beats per minute.
Planned Parenthood claims that “the neural tube will later form the brain,” at 5-6 weeks of pregnancy when, in fact, the brain is the first organ to begin developing. By 3 weeks after conception, the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain can be identified.
- The embryo is 1/4 to 1/2 inch (7–14 mm) long.
- The heart has formed.
- Webbed fingers and toes develop.
- The arms bend at elbows.
- External ears, eyes, eyelids, liver, and upper lip have begun forming.
- The sex organs are the same — neither female nor male — in all embryos until the seventh or eighth week. If a gene triggers the development of testes, the embryo develops as a male. If there is no trigger, the embryo develops ovaries and becomes female.”
It’s interesting that Planned Parenthood’s website states that an unborn child’s heart has formed 7-8 weeks into pregnancy when their medical staff claims that there is “nothing there” at this age. Other staff members claim that the baby’s heart doesn’t begin to beat until 17-18 weeks into pregnancy. Fact is, both Planned Parenthood’s website and workers mislead on the development of the unborn, especially on their heart development.
This timeline conveniently neglects to mention the fact that an unborn baby’s brainwave activity can be recorded as early as 6 weeks, 2 days after conception via EEG, and by 7 weeks, he or she demonstrates reflexive movements if touched.
- The embryo develops into a fetus after 10 weeks. It is 1–1.5 inches (21–40 mm) long.
- The tail disappears.
- Fingers and toes are longer.
- The umbilical cord connects the abdomen of the fetus to the placenta. The placenta is attached to the wall of the uterus. It absorbs nutrients from the woman’s bloodstream. The cord carries nutrients and oxygen to the fetus and takes wastes away from the fetus.”
Around 8-10 weeks after conception, the preborn child has a very complex brain, practice his/her breathing motions, can grasp an object placed in the hand and respond to light touch, and begin thumb-sucking, and many demonstrate left- or right- hand dominance.
Why aren’t these fascinating details on Planned Parenthood’s fetal growth timeline? Where are the videos of unborn children in the womb on Planned Parenthood’s fetal development section? Where are the photographs? There are absolutely no detailed descriptions or images of preborn babies on Planned Parenthood’s website. If a pregnant girl were to look for facts about her unborn baby’s development on Planned Parenthood’s page, she would receive only a small fraction of the information and facts that she needs and deserves to know.
LifeNews.com Note: Jenni Stone writes for the Live Action blog and this column is reprinted with permission. | <urn:uuid:d8a33dcb-14a1-43ad-afd2-27e6b75d5e44> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:16:28",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9079002737998962,
"score": 2.890625,
"token_count": 1060,
"url": "http://www.lifenews.com/2011/09/29/planned-parenthoods-fetal-development-info-lacks-major-facts/"
} |
Who are internal medicine specialists and what do they do?
Internal medicine specialists focus primarily on treating adult medical disorders, and are especially skilled in multi-system illnesses or situations where several illnesses afflict a patient at once. Despite the name, they are trained to treat the whole body, not just internal organs, and see patients for a variety of conditions and complaints.
Also known as internists, these doctors often work as general practitioners, hospitalists, and primary care physicians. Patients see an internist for an annual checkup and diagnosis, as well as for treatment and management of acute and chronic illnesses. Preventive medicine and patient education are often emphasized, including annual physical examinations to monitor patients’ blood pressure, cholesterol levels and glucose levels and ensure other baseline tests are within normal levels for a patient’s age and gender.
Because internists’ patients often suffer from multi-system disorders, internists often work in hospitals where it is easiest to administer complex treatment and tests. Some internists also work in clinics or private practices, or split their time between a private practice office and a hospital.What subspecialties might an internal medicine specialist have?
Internal medicine specialists, while often practicing general internal medicine, may also undergo additional training to subspecialize in an area of internal medicine. There are more than a dozen different subspecialties recognized by the American Board of Internal Medicine, from adolescent medicine to hematology (blood), to rheumatology (arthritis) to sports medicine. Training in a subspecialty is typically called a fellowship and requires 1-3 years of training in addition to three years of internal medicine residency training.What symptoms and conditions are typically treated by an internal medicine specialist?
An internal medicine specialists’ scope of practice varies, but they typically provide basic diagnoses and non-surgical and surgical treatment of common medical conditions and illnesses. Internal medicine doctors will collect a patient’s history and review it to help inform the decision-making process when making a diagnosis. They review prior medical history, illnesses and other health information. A physical examination and basic medical testing helps them reach diagnoses, such as reading blood and other tests, electrocardiograms and X-rays.
Together with the patient, the internal medicine doctor forms a plan that can include additional testing if needed, a referral to see a specialist, medication prescriptions, therapies, changes to diet or lifestyle, additional patient education, or follow-up treatment. Patients also may receive advice or education on improving health behaviors, self-care and treatment, screening tests and immunizations.
Some common conditions treated by internists include:
Related ArticlesBuild a Better Doctor-Patient Relationship8 Things You Don’t Tell Your Doctor – But Should!Star Treatment – How to Get Top-Notch Medical CareShopping for a New Doc
- Gynecological complaints
- Infectious diseases
- Musculoskeletal complaints
- Respiratory system diseases
- Thyroid disease | <urn:uuid:51df7c0e-94bb-475f-a850-05a19d0c762e> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:26:15",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9280189275741577,
"score": 3.421875,
"token_count": 606,
"url": "http://www.lifescript.com/doctor-directory/internal-medicine/vero-beach-florida-fl-brad-matthew-grasman-md.aspx"
} |
Hacking Quantum Cryptography Just Got Harder
With quantum encryption, in which a message gets encoded in bits represented by particles in different states, a secret message can remain secure even if the system is compromised by a malicious hacker.
CREDIT: margita | Shutterstock
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — No matter how complex they are, most secret codes turn out to be breakable. Producing the ultimate secure code may require encoding a secret message inside the quantum relationship between atoms, scientists say.
Artur Ekert, director of the Center for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore, presented the new findings here at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Ekert, speaking Saturday (Feb. 18), described how decoders can adjust for a compromised encryption device, as long as they know the degree of compromise.
The subject of subatomic particles is a large step away from the use of papyrus, the ancient writing material employed in the first known cryptographic device. That device, called a scytale, was used in 400 B.C. by Spartan military commanders to send coded messages to one another. The commanders would wrap strips of papyrus around a wooden baton and write the message across the strips so that it could be read only when the strips were wrapped around a baton of matching size. [The Coolest Quantum Particles Explained]
Later, the technique of substitution was developed, in which the entire alphabet would be shifted, say, three characters to the right, so than an "a" would be replaced by "d," and "b" replaced by "e," and so on. Only someone who knew the substitution rule could read the message. Julius Caesar employed such a cipher scheme in the first century B.C.
Over time, ciphers became more and more complicated, so that they were harder and harder to crack. Harder, but not impossible.
"When you look at the history of cryptography, you come up with a system, and sooner or later someone else comes up with a way of breaking the system," Ekert said. "You may ask yourself: Is it going to be like this forever? Is there such a thing as the perfect cipher?"
The perfect cipher
The closest thing to a perfect cipher involves what's called a one-time pad.
"You just write your message as a sequence of bits and you then add those bits to a key and obtain a cryptogram," Ekert said."If you take the cryptogram and add it to the key, you get plain text. In fact, one can prove that if the keys are random and as long as the messages, then the system offers perfect security."
In theory, it's a great solution, but in practice, it has been hard to achieve. [10 Best Encryption Software Products]
"If the keys are as long as the message, then you need a secure way to distribute the key," Ekert said.
The nature of physics known as quantum mechanics seems to offer the best hope of knowing whether a key is secure.
Quantum mechanics says that certain properties of subatomic particles can't be measured without disturbing the particles and changing the outcome. In essence, a particle exists in a state of indecision until a measurement is made, forcing it to choose one state or another. Thus, if someone made a measurement of the particle, it would irrevocably change the particle.
If an encryption key were encoded in bits represented by particles in different states, it would be immediately obvious when a key was not secure because the measurement made to hack the key would have changed the key.
This, of course, still depends on the ability of the two parties sending and receiving the message to be able to independently choose what to measure, using a truly random number generator — in other words, exercising free will — and using devices they trust.
But what if a hacker were controlling one of the parties, or tampering with the encryption device?
Ekert and his colleagues showed that even in this case, if the messaging parties still have some free will, their code could remain secure as long as they know to what degree they are compromised.
In other words, a random number generator that is not truly random can still be used to send an undecipherable secret message, as long as the sender knows how random it is and adjusts for that fact.
"Even if they are manipulated, as long as they are not stupid and have a little bit of free will, they can still do it," Ekert said.
MORE FROM LiveScience.com | <urn:uuid:d0f6c11e-5d9a-4eac-8057-aad25b3d2613> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:16:58",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9593231081962585,
"score": 3.390625,
"token_count": 946,
"url": "http://www.livescience.com/18587-hacking-quantum-cryptography-unbreakable-code.html"
} |
Republican Sen. Rob Portman's flip-flop approval for same-sex marriage, is just the latest change of heart on the issue by conservatives.
Even Democrats like President Obama -- have turned around after opposing it. This change in attitude is just one of many milestones for the movement.
Here are five of the most important turning points in the same-sex marriage debate:
1993: In a landmark case, Hawaii's Supreme Court ruled that the state can't deny same-sex couples the right to marry unless it finds "a compelling reason" to do so. It orders the issue back to the state legislature, which then voted to ban gay marriage. This was one of earliest debates on the issue at the state level, and was a precursor to the legal battles nationwide. Today, domestic partnerships and civil unions for same-sex couples are legal in Hawaii.
1996: President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, -- which defines marriage as a legal union between a man and a woman. The law denies federal benefits to same-sex couples in the nine states where gay marriage is legal. Clinton said he signed it because it would have tamped down calls for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Only 81 out of 535 members of Congress opposed DOMA. Fast-forward seventeen years to March 2013, when Clinton urged the Supreme Court to overturn DOMA. He explained: "As the president who signed the act into law, I have come to believe that DOMA is contrary to those principles and, in fact, incompatible with our Constitution."
2004: President Bush championed a constitutional amendment that would outlaw gay marriage. It was needed, he said, to stop "activist judges" from redefining marriage. The idea found support among Senate conservatives, but its supporters couldn't gather enough votes. By the way, all this unfolded during a contentious presidential campaign. Democratic White House hopefuls Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards opposed the amendment, but they also were against creating a specific law making same-sex marriage legal.
2012: For the first time, voters approved same-sex marriage statewide at the ballot box. Similar measures had been rejected for years. Same-sex couples became free to marry in Maryland, Maine and Washington. Gay rights supporters also scored a smaller victory in Minnesota, where voters rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Interestingly, support for same-sex marriage came from a mixed coalition of voters. Before 2012, six states had already legalized gay marriage -- but via courts and legislatures -- not voters.
2013: For the first time, the Obama administration joined the legal battle against California's 2008 same-sex marriage ban. The Justice Department made it official in February when it filed a brief to the Supreme Court. The Obama administration urged the high court to invalidate the ban. Obama said that if he sat on the Supreme Court, he would vote to strike down Proposition 8. The court document expressed the president's evolution on the issue. In a short time he evolved from a backer of civil unions to a supporter of equality in marriage. Dozens of high-profile Republicans also argued in favor of same-sex marriage, in a court brief. | <urn:uuid:0b166cce-1528-4329-9b87-c0895d7f690d> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:38:46",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9651045203208923,
"score": 2.78125,
"token_count": 646,
"url": "http://www.localnews8.com/news/politics/5-turning-points-in-gay-marriage-debate/-/308336/19333102/-/15gewle/-/index.html"
} |
Introducing Dominican Republic
Much more than beach resorts, this is one of the Caribbean’s most geographically diverse countries, from stunning mountain scenery to desert scrublands, not to mention an evocative colonial architecture and warm welcoming people.
Coastal Culture The DR’s hundreds of miles of coastline – some of it picturesque white-sand beaches shaded by rows of palm trees, other parts lined dramatically with rocky cliffs or backed by wind-swept dunes or serene mangrove lagoons – define the country. Whether it’s fishing villages where the shoreline is used for mooring boats, indulgent tourist playgrounds with aquamarine waters, small towns where the social glue is all-night merengue blasting from modest corner stores, or cities like Santo Domingo, the Caribbean’s largest, the sea is the common denominator, symbolizing both limits and escapes. Even with their glory days behind them, former engines of industry like crumbling San Pedro de Macoris or Puerto Plata still see waves crash over their Malecóns. Some of the bays and coves where pirates once roamed are the temporary home of thousands of migrating humpback whales, and part of an extensive network of parks and preserves safeguarding the country’s natural patrimony.
Peaks & Valleys Beyond the capital, much of the DR is distinctly rural: driving in the vast fertile interior, you’ll see cows and horses grazing alongside the roads, tractors ploughing large fields, and trucks and burros loaded down with produce. Further inland you’ll encounter vistas reminiscent of the European Alps, rivers carving their way through lush jungle and stunning waterfalls, small towns where life revolves around the Parque Central, and villages ruled by the sun’s rhythms. Four of the five highest peaks in the Caribbean rise above the fertile lowlands surrounding Santiago and remote deserts extend through the southwest, giving the DR a physical and cultural complexity not found on other islands.
Past Present The country’s roller-coaster past, a history of migrations of various peoples, is writ large in the diversity of ethnicities, not to mention the physical design of its towns and cities. Santo Domingo’s Zona Colonial exudes romance with white-washed and pastel-colored buildings, flowers blooming through wrought-iron filigree, beautifully restored monasteries and cobblestone streets where conquistadors once roamed. The crumbling gingerbread homes of Puerto Plata and Santiago remain from more prosperous eras, and scars from decades of misrule are marked by monuments where today people gather to celebrate. New communities have arisen only a few kilometers from the ruins where Christopher Columbus strode and where the indigenous Taíno people left physical traces of their presence carved onto rock walls.
Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
Tips & articles
Check out all our reviewed and recommended accommodation and book online.
Going to Dominican Republic? Make sure you're covered.Get a quote | <urn:uuid:b2abe591-3c41-49df-b826-ebd28bd20742> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:39:58",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8943474888801575,
"score": 2.59375,
"token_count": 630,
"url": "http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dominican-republic"
} |
With the U.S. presidential election on November 6, we are presented with an ever increasing onslaught of political polls and their results. To make a proper interpretation of a poll’s results, three additional variables should be specified in addition to the proportion results: the poll’s margin of error, the desired level of confidence, and the sample size. In this brief essay, I will review the math behind the margin of error in polls to help you with interpretation of polls.
The purpose of a poll is to estimate the opinion or behavior of a population from a sample. We work with a sample since contacting the entire population is too time consuming, often too expensive, and can be physically impossible. Several methods of sampling are used, and simple random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified sampling, and cluster sampling are the most widely used methods.
After the sample is selected from the population, a statistic computed from sample information estimates a population parameter. The statistic computed from the sample that estimates the population parameter is called a point estimate. As an example, the sample mean, , is the point estimate of the population parameter, μ, the population mean. For polls, the sample proportion, ρ, is the point estimate of the population parameter, π, the population proportion.
How Close is the Point Estimate to the Population Parameter?
We now come to the essence of this essay–the confidence interval estimate (CI). A confidence interval estimate is a range of values constructed from sample data so that the population parameter is likely to occur within that range at a specified probability. The specified probability is called the level of confidence, and in most cases of poll results, the level of confidence is set at .95 (i.e., a pollster has a 95% confidence that the true measurement lies within the margin of error). Putting all of this together gives us the following equation: CI = point estimate ± margin of error
Accordingly, the CI is determined from the margin of error. You’ve seen the margin of error in some poll results, e.g., “The poll has a margin of error plus-minus 3.1 percentage points for the sample.” If the poll determined that ρ = .5, then the CI would be 50% ± 3.1% = 46.9-53.1, i.e., a pollster has a 95% confidence that the true poll results are 46.9% to 53.1%
I will now show how the margin of error is used to determine a poll’s CI and sample size.
How Is the CI Determined in a Poll?
To determine the CI in a poll, we will use the following formula to compute the margin of error: z * standard error. Mathematically, this formula is expressed as:
In this formula, z defines the level of confidence. In polls, the 95% level of confidence gives us a z score of 1.96. Also in polls, we determine the standard error as the maximum standard error by setting the proportion at 50% (ρ = .5).
We plug in these numbers to determine the margin of error at the 95% level of confidence:
Polls that we see in the media use the 95% level of confidence in determining the margin of error. However, statisticians also determine the margin of error using the 90% and 99% levels of confidence, although the 95% l.98evel of confidence is the most common. The margin of error for the 90% confidence level is calculated using a z score of 1.65:
For the 99% confidence level, the margin of error is calculated using a z score of 2.58:
How Is the Sample Size of a Poll Determined?
I noted above that the purpose of a poll is to estimate the opinion of a population from a sample. As researchers, we are interested in the generality of the data in terms of the number of subjects in the population to which the results apply. If a poll has a margin of error of 3.1%, we can use the formula for the margin of error to estimate the size of the sample:
A recent poll from NBC News/Wall Street Journal reported the following poll results:
Obama is ahead of Romney by five points, 49 percent to 44 percent. The full poll was conducted Oct. 17-20 among 1,000 registered voters. The poll has a margin of error plus-minus 3.1 percentage points for the sample of registered voters.
According to the formula above, we can see how the margin of error was calculated from the sample size of n = 1,000 registered voters.
Putting it All Together
A new TIME Poll has Obama holding a 49% to 44% lead over Romney in Ohio. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points. How do we interpret the results of this poll?
First, we estimate the sample size: n = (.98/.03)² = 1,067.
Second, we estimate the CI around each point estimate at the 95% level of confidence. Obama: 46-52 Romney: 41-47.
Finally, we decide that according to the results of this particular poll, a sample of 1,067 people in Ohio are equally likely to vote for Obama or Romney 95 times out of 100 (because the CIs overlap).
I wrote this essay to provide some clarity and perspective on election polls by reviewing the statistics behind polls. I emphasized that the result of a poll must be interpreted along with the poll’s margin of error so that the sample size and CI can be determined.
For more information on the science of polls, check out Nate Silver’s book The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail-But Some Don’t, and Nate Silver’s blog FiveThiryEight | <urn:uuid:7709905c-7b0a-4441-a311-e7536772dcf8> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:31:27",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8942570090293884,
"score": 3.71875,
"token_count": 1207,
"url": "http://www.ltu.edu/blogs/management/index.php/2012/11/02/how-to-interpret-polls-dont-forget-the-margin-of-error-and-the-sample-size/"
} |
Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word
90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.
The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.more
Mike lost his job last year.
Register now and don't lose your right to vote.
The family lost everything when their home burned down.
An unreasonably high exchange rate lost them export markets.
They feared losing the sale to a rival company.
'How did you do in the quiz?' 'We lost.'
England lost 2–1 to Germany.
They lost by only one point.
Those comments may well have lost them the election.
The plane lost cabin pressure and everyone had to use oxygen masks.
a plan to reduce the amount of working time lost through sickness
He must realize that an outstanding opportunity has been lost.
There's no time to lose (=used for saying that it is necessary to do something as quickly as possible because the situation is urgent).
This is the British English definition of lose. View American English definition of lose.
a part of an atom that moves around the nucleus (=centre) and has a negative electrical charge
A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.global English and language change from our blog | <urn:uuid:d8eba2ca-c8a3-4df2-b653-62e5d9904595> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:31:50",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9426016211509705,
"score": 3.421875,
"token_count": 355,
"url": "http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/lose"
} |
Ragged Lake, ca. 1887Item 1023 info
Maine Historical Society
Charles Bullen Dunn, right, and Herbert Washington, both of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, represent the dilemma of Maine hunting in the late nineteenth century.
The state and many businesses promoted the image of Maine as a hunting paradise and sought to attract out-of-state sportsmen as a way to boost the economy.
Hunting and fishing regulations and their enforcement seemed to some Mainers to favor the out-of-state sportsmen over the Mainers who wanted to hunt for food or economic reasons of their own. | <urn:uuid:98e61ab7-b7dd-4bc0-849f-6f9a79fda8f8> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:24:14",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.943398118019104,
"score": 2.796875,
"token_count": 125,
"url": "http://www.mainememory.net/sitebuilder/site/182/slideshow/216/display?use_mmn=1&format=slideshow&prev_object_id=441&prev_object=page&slide_num=1"
} |
We all know that the essay on the GMAT is scored separately and that the schools don’t care as much about the essay score. We also know we have to write the essays first thing, before we get to the more important quant and verbal sections (or even IR), so we don’t want to use up too much brain-power on the essay. Still, we can’t just bomb this section; the schools do care about the essay somewhat. So how do we do a good enough job without expending so much energy that we’re negatively affected during the multiple-choice portion of the test?
We need to develop a template, an organizational framework on which to “hang” our writing. The template will not, of course, tell us exactly what to write. For that, we need the actual essay prompt, which we won’t see until we take the test. We can, however, determine how to organize the information ahead of time, as well as the general kinds of messages we need to convey at various points throughout.
The template should tell us:
- how many paragraphs to use
- the primary purpose of each of those paragraphs
- the kinds of information that need to be conveyed in each paragraph
The template will vary a little bit from person to person; the important thing is to have a consistent template for yourself that you’ve worked out in advance of the official test.
As a general rule, essays should have either four or five paragraphs total. The first paragraph is always the introduction, the last paragraph is always the conclusion, and the body (middle) paragraphs are for the examples we choose to use.
Each paragraph should contain certain things; these are listed in the below sections. The information does not need to be presented in the given order below, though; just make sure that each paragraph does contain the necessary information in some sort of clear and logical order. In addition, the information listed below is the minimum necessary info; you can certainly add more where appropriate.
First, read the essay prompt. It will look / feel just like the critical reasoning arguments we see on the Verbal portion of the test, so tackle it in the same way! The argument will most closely resemble Assumption Family arguments, so find the conclusion and make sure you understand how the author is trying to support his / her conclusion. Next, brainstorm any assumptions* that you can think of and jot these down (or type them into the essay response area).
*Note: if you haven’t started studying CR Assumption Family questions yet, assumptions are unstated pieces of information that the author is assuming must be true in order to draw his/her conclusion.
Next, articulate flaws. Any assumptions are automatically flaws, because the author hasn’t established that those assumptions are, in fact, true. You may also think of other flaws along the way.
Finally, pick your two or three best flaws; these will form the basis of your essay.
This whole process should take roughly 3 to 4 minutes. Many people find this the hardest part of writing an essay; you can practice by opening up the essay chapter of your Official Guide book and simply brainstorming for one essay prompt. Don’t write the whole essay – just do the brainstorming portion once a day (only 5 minutes out of your day!) for a week or two and you’ll become much more skilled at this step.
- summarize the issue
- state a thesis
- acknowledge that the other side does have some merit
- introduce your examples
- 3 to 5 sentences total
First, briefly summarize the conclusion of the given argument in one to two sentences. Make sure to write using your own words (don’t simply quote the exact language from the essay prompt, though using the same word here or there is fine).
The first paragraph should also contain a thesis statement. The thesis is typically one sentence and conveys to the reader your overall message or point for the essay that you wrote. For the Argument essay, you can write most of your thesis sentence before you get to the test! You already know that the Argument will contain flaws, and that you will be discussing how those flaws hurt the author’s conclusion. Guess what? That’s always your thesis!
“While the argument does have some merit, there are several serious flaws which serve to undermine the validity of the author’s conclusion that XYZ.”
DON’T USE THAT EXACT SENTENCE. They’re going to get suspicious if hundreds of people use the same sentence. (Besides, that’s my sentence. Come up with your own! :) )
Note the opening clause: “While the argument does have some merit.” This is what’s called “acknowledging the other side.” We don’t say, “Hey, your argument is completely terrible! There’s nothing good about it at all!” We acknowledge that some parts may be okay, or some people may feel differently, but our position is that the flaws are the most important issue (that is, our thesis is the most important thing).
Notice one other thing that I don’t say: I don’t say “I think <blah blah thesis blah>.” I state my thesis as though it is fact and reasonable people surely agree with me. That’s a hallmark of a persuasive essay.
Finally, the first paragraph needs to introduce whatever examples we’re going to use in the body paragraphs below. Don’t launch into the examples fully; that will come later. Do, though, mention the two or three flaws that you plan to discuss in the essay.
Each flaw gets its own paragraph, so you’ll write either 2 or 3 body paragraphs of 4 to 6 sentences each. (I personally pick my 2 best flaws, so I write 2 body paragraphs. Remember, we just need to be “good enough!”)
Your goal here is to support your thesis statement. In each paragraph:
- introduce one flaw (don’t repeat the exact language from the prompt)
- explain why it is a flaw (how does this make the conclusion less likely to be true?)
- suggest ways to fix the flaw (you’re fixing the flaw, not changing the conclusion; what could the author do to strengthen his/her argument?)
For example, let’s say that an argument claims that firing half of a company’s employees will help the company to reduce costs and therefore become more profitable. What’s the conclusion, what supports that conclusion, and what assumptions is the author making?
While it’s certainly true that chopping half of your payroll will reduce costs, it doesn’t necessarily follow that the company will become more profitable! That loss of personnel may negatively impact revenues, reduce productivity, hurt morale of the remaining employees, and so on. The author is assuming that no such adverse effects will result from this action; that’s a flaw in his/her thinking.
The author of such an argument could bolster the claim by, for example, presenting evidence that half of the employees are truly “dead weight” and firing them wouldn’t affect the company adversely. (Don’t worry about whether this is likely, whether such evidence actually exists, or even whether this is the best way to improve profitability. Your job is only to strengthen the author’s existing argument a little bit. If the author could actually produce evidence showing that there wouldn’t be adverse effects from such layoffs, then his conclusion would be strengthened. Period.)
- re-state your thesis (using new words)
- re-acknowledge the other side (using new words)
- briefly summarize how your examples supported your thesis (using new words)
- 3 to 4 sentences
Are you noticing a theme within the above bullet points? Basically, the conclusion paragraph isn’t going to contain much new information. It’s a conclusion; the major points should already have been made earlier in the essay. What you’re doing now is tying everything together in one neat package: yes, the “other side” has some merit, but here’s my point-of-view and, by the way, I proved my case using examples X and Y.
Before you go into the real test, you should have a fully developed template, so that all you have to do is come up with your two examples, and then “hang” your words onto your framework. This doesn’t mean pre-writing and memorizing actual sentences – but do know in general the kinds of points you want to make in each paragraph. Practice with the above as a starting point until you develop something with which you’re comfortable. Don’t forget to leave some time to proof your essay; it’s okay to have a few typos, but systematic errors will lower your score. | <urn:uuid:29e358c8-8d20-4535-8fdf-fa601050da5f> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:38:45",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9372762441635132,
"score": 2.671875,
"token_count": 1883,
"url": "http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index.php/2013/01/16/ace-the-essay-no-thanks/comment-page-1/"
} |
Google chips in to preserve endangered languages
A newly launched partnership between academic institutions and Google aims to preserve endangered languages.
There's a language known as Aragones, spoken in northern Spain. If you don't recognize it, that's understandable. The language has fewer than 10,000 native speakers.
Aragones is one of thousands of endangered languages worldwide. A newly launched partnership between academic institutions and Google aims to preserve those languages.
"A language is endangered when it's not being passed on to the next generation," says Antony Aristar. He directs the Endangered Language Project and says as the world becomes more connected, languages are getting left behind. "People typically want their children to live modern lives and that means wealth, and wealth means jobs. Jobs often require that you speak the dominant language in the area, and that means that some parents feel the best way to make sure the children actually have good lives is to have them abandon their own language."
Google's participation in the project stems from its nonprofit arm, Google.org. Jason Rissman, a project manager at Google, sees a future where a well-stocked web presence informs future generations. "If you are a language community member or a linguist, perhaps you'll actually be able to contribute recordings or other sorts of documentation of the language, or if you're involved in curriculum development or teaching, you might be able to help develop a teaching tool that could be useful for passing these languages on."
Languages like Munji in Afghanistan, Nez Perce in the United States, Koro in New Guinea. Tracking down the necessary data to preserve a language is not easy, says Aristar.
Aristar: You try to preserve narratives especially. You have field linguists that go out there and try to write the grammar and get a dictionary, things like that. That's one kind of preservation. The other kind is to try to pass all this back to the community so that they can use it to for example to teach children who aren't learning the language under normal circumstances.
Moe: What do you hope the legacy of this project will be?
Aristar: I am hoping we will have many more communities who realize it's perfectly possible to preserve their own language, and still speak the dominant language as well. So often, the cultural wealth that exists in a culture exists through the language itself. If that's gone, the cultural continuity is gone. So, we hope we see as many cultures preserved as well as languages.
You can find out more about the project at endangeredlanguages.com.
Twitter has deleted the account of someone posing as the actor Bill Murray.
Now, no one should ever pretend to be Bill Murray. Here with me to discuss that, is -- I can't believe we got him -- Bill Murray.
Bill Murray (from a promotional video for "Moonrise Kingdom") : Hello, I’m Bill Murray.
Moe: Bill, someone got on Twitter using the name Bill_Murray and proceeded to rack up tens of thousands of followers. THEN he stole tweets from other people, and passed off the jokes as his own. What did this guy do to your reputation?
Murray (from "Ghostbusters"): He slimed me.
Moe: Yeah, I think so. Really got a lot of people upset on Twitter too.
Murray (from "Ghostbusters"): Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria.
Moe: I don't know if it went that far. Fake Bill on Twitter did start asking people for money and people sent it to him or them.
Murray (from "Rushmore"): Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget that.
Moe: Anyway, he's been removed and your reputation will be fine.
Murray (from "Caddyshack"): So I got that going for me, which is nice.
Moe: It is nice. | <urn:uuid:70497188-2a9c-4763-82b0-02fa6e6ae6da> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:47:59",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9643101096153259,
"score": 3.21875,
"token_count": 823,
"url": "http://www.marketplace.org/topics/tech/google-chips-preserve-endangered-languages"
} |
The links below provide information, guidelines, and other documents describing initiatives to assess and promote the school readiness of Maryland's preschoolers and kindergarten students.
NEW! 2012-2013 School Readiness Report. Each year, MSDE publishes the report "Children Entering School Ready to Learn," which provides information about the school readiness skills of Maryland kindergarteners during the current year. School Readiness Reports from previous years can also be accessed through this link.
Achieving School Readiness: A 5-Year Action Agenda. This October 2002 report to the Subcabinet for Children, Youth, and Families by Maryland’s Leadership in Action Program details the goals, strategies and action steps identified as most critical for ensuring that all Maryland children are fully ready for school.
Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR Online) - Kindergarten Assessment Users Guide - A manual for the administration of the MMSR assessment tool and the interpretation of assessment results. Click here for the Teachers' Version of the Users Guide. Click here for an MMSR School Readiness PowerPoint presentation. (PDF of PowerPoint)
Healthy Beginnings: Supporting Development and Learning from Birth through Three Years of Age is a set of developmental and learning guidelines that was developed to ensure that those who live with or care for infants and young children have the knowledge and resources to support and encourage children during the ongoing process of growth and learning.
Early Childhood Curriculum Project – Guidance for child care and other nonpublic early childhood programs about curricular resources for three, four, and five year-olds. These resources are MSDE-recommended because they are aligned with the State’s prekindergarten and kindergarten curricular frameworks, also known as the Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR)/Maryland State Curriculum.
Maryland State Curriculum
Countdown to Kindergarten (CTK) - The statewide campaign to increase public awareness about the importance of a child's early experience as the basis for school readiness. | <urn:uuid:0bc894a4-35aa-4b1e-b06c-be3ea880369a> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:38:03",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9271191954612732,
"score": 3.390625,
"token_count": 414,
"url": "http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/child_care/ready.htm?WBCMODE=Presen%2525%2525%2525%252cPresen%2525%2525%2525%252cPresen%2525%2525%2525%252cPresen%2525%2525%2525%2525%253e%2525%253e%2525%253e"
} |
The purpose of Maryland's Environmental Education program is to enable students to make decisions and take actions that create and maintain an optimal relationship between themselves and the environment, and to preserve and protect the unique natural resources of Maryland, particularly those of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
What Is Environmental Education?
Environmental Education promotes environmental literacy and the development of the skills needed for life-long learning. Environmental Education refers to education efforts that increase public awareness, concern, and knowledge about environmental issues and provides the critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills needed to make informed and responsible decisions about the environment in all its complexity. Environmental Education promotes interdisciplinary integration of subject matter, problem-and issues-based learning experiences, and both cooperative and independent learning opportunities.
The Belgrade Charter, adopted by the United Nations, provides a widely accepted goal statement for Environmental Education:
The goal of environmental education is to develop a world population that is aware of, and concerned about, the environment and its associated problems, and which has the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivations, and commitment to work individually and collectively toward solutions of current problems and the prevention of new ones.
The Tbilisi Declaration followed the Belgrade Charter and established these objectives for environmental education:
To foster clear awareness of, and concern about, economic, social, political, and ecological interdependence in urban and rural areas;
To provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment and skills needed to protect and improve the environment;
To create new patterns of behavior of individuals, groups and society as a whole towards the environment.
EE In Maryland Schools Video
featuring Kennard Elementary School
Queen Anne's County Public Schools
Check out the new BayBackpack, the source for bay education resources for teachers!
From NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Program
Teachers! Add an Environmental Education endorsement to your teaching certificate!
Contact your School System Certification Department for details.
Nature & the Environment
Primary resources from the Library of Congress
Climate Change Kit from EPA &
Global Change Research Program.
Free, online resources for 11 biomes.
Instructional modules for high school students from NOAA. | <urn:uuid:10be53de-ef3e-4ce4-930f-374a0220d135> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:17:13",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9134944081306458,
"score": 3.5625,
"token_count": 447,
"url": "http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/environment/?WBCMODE=Presen%25%3E%25%25%25%25%25"
} |
BONElike Combined Transparent/Bony Skull, 8 Part
The new BONElike Skulls are made of a new material that allows an absolutely natural reproduction of even finest anatomical structures for the first time. Bones made of 3B BONElike look real, have an absolutely natural feel and almost exactly the weight of a natural bone.
By combining one transparent and one bony skull half this is the first model to allow especially teachers of anatomy a topographical juxtaposition of the structures that cannot be seen in other skull versions. The right, transparent skull half allows the study of important anatomical details, such as the location of the paranasal sinuses. Therefore, in combination with the left, bony skull half, a direct transfer of the otherwise invisible structures becomes easy and uncomplicated.
The transparency of the jaw allows an exceptional view onto the periodontal pockets and roots. The teeth are removable for detailed studies. In addition, the external masticator muscles (masseter and temporal muscles) are represented on the bony skull half. To demonstrate masticator movement, the lower jaw is mounted flexibly.
These features also make the skull especially valuable for dentists. The skull can be disassembled into both halves of the skullcap and base of skull, the nasal septum, the complete mandible and both masticator muscles. | <urn:uuid:f80a84e4-dbf8-45a5-b4e1-0a18f94039ed> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:39:24",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.907381534576416,
"score": 2.734375,
"token_count": 277,
"url": "http://www.massagewarehouse.com/products/combined-transparent/bony-skull-8-part/"
} |
Michael Rice in his Chapter 3 page 107-108 comments on the first register of the reverse side: "Reverse: inverted saucepan-like object as the red crown of Lower Egypt. Surmounted by the Hathor heads and the royal name in its enclosure, the king walks forward, wearing the red crown of the northern kingdom and carrying his war mace. Behind him the same boyish sandal-bearer, carries a bolas (hunting device) for large game, or a rope for hobbling animals, as the hieroglyph ’tt’. The King and his two attendants have symbols or devices, the ancestors of hieroglyphs. The sandal-bearer is now identified by a throwing stick and a six-petalled rosette. His colleague is shaven headed, but could also be a child, but wears a full and heavy wig. He is marked by another version of the object he carries in his hand, suspended above an inverted closed semi-circle."
Rice continues in Chapter 6 page 271 about the dualism of Egypt, "The duality of the ruler is based on the primitive belief that the placenta is the brother of the new born child which as such often accompanies him throughout life in ghostly fashion, since it dies early and is ceremonially buried. The Ka is probably descendant of the placenta."
Also on page 272, "In the New Kingdom, for example it was believed that the Sphinx represented Harmachis, another manifestation of Horus in the Horizon."
Also see the earlier section on The Warka Vase regarding its reed images as being similar to the Pharaoh staff.
Waddell on page 97-98 adds that Standard No. 4 refers to his universal Sea empire. Urash was the First Phoenician Dynasty for "Sea Lord," the sign of "the great Fish" or "Sea Serpent of the Deep." In the fourth standard he call himself "The Great Sea Lord of the Lands of the Seven Seas."
Rice claims in Chapter 3 page 110 that, "These four standards represent the chiefs who supported the King in his bid to unify the Two Kingdoms. They are leading the King to ten headless bodies, lying on their backs with their severed heads between their feet." See the following images.
The intertwined serpopards (long-neck creatures on the reverse side with intertwined necks) are probably related to an Elamite design.
Rice claims in Chapter 2 page 58 that, "Among these influences are the appearance of strange saurian creatures with heavy bodies and long necks on which are carried feline heads (Plate 30a, 30b, 30c pg. 78). These are depicted on some of the decorated palettes produced in Egypt and on cylinder seals from Mesopotamia and Elam at the end of the fourth millennium."
He continues in Chapter 3 page 106, "…of ‘The Exotic Animals’ palette is a very remarkable artifact. The entire surface, except for the kohl-grinding area, is filled with animals, some of a very strange appearance. Dominating both sides are two great dogs. A good cross-section of the larger fauna of Egypt is represented but the strangest, most mysterious figure is that of a dog, or jackal-headed creature, reared up on its hind legs, playing a sort of flute. Did Orpheus have his origins in Predynastic Hierakonpolis or is this some masked Master of the Beast? There can surely be little doubt that it is the enigmatic Set who pipes who knows what strange melodies to the whirling animals (and monsters) which attend him."
Michael Rice in Chapter 3 page 106 states, "The long-necked beast can also be seen on ‘The Exotic Animals’ or ‘The Oxford’ and ‘The Two Dogs’ palette from Hierakonpolis, is one of the most complex and strange of this type of artifact."
The obverse shows two long saurian necks are surmounted by a bird and seen undulating to hold off two jackals, from the animal between them. The creatures are licking a prone caprid, and have claws on their feet.
On the reverse are more fantastic creatures, including a griffin and another long necked beast.
Some see the above creatures as two mythological camel-leopard-like animals, with their necks enclosing the pigment basin.
Waddell on page 92 upholds, "Here we see the Bull, symbolizing Naram breaking down a fort, scattering the bricks and trampling upon a fleeing foe. The picture inside the fort is possibly the hieroglyph of the towns name (Sumerian pictograph Pisan-mat or Gur-mat)."
The Great Bear or The Greater Sheepfold comes on the Meridian on April 20. There are seven bright stars that form the asterism known as the Big Dipper, the Plough, and the Wain, or Wagon. Like Ursa Minor, Ursa Major is neither a dipper nor a bear, rather a greater sheepfold as pictured in most ancient zodiacs [Middle English, from Latin Ursa Major : ursa, bear + maior, comparative of magnus, great]. Al Naish is the Arabic name of the constellation of Ursa Major meaning "The Assembled Together."
To the Egyptians the stars of the dipper were the thigh of a bull. A Star in Ursa Major in Arabic is the name for the "thigh" of the bear. It is also called Phacda meaning "Visited," "Guarded," or "Number."
To the Egyptians the deity with the bull was Apis, the Bull of Memphis. Apis was an actual bull chosen to serve as the earthly vessel of the soul of Osiris, god of the Sun and of the Nile. On the death of each Apis, the spirit of Osiris transferred itself to a successor. The animal meant to inherit the divine duty was recognized by certain markings: when a bull fitting the description was found, he was called Apis and lived as an object of reverence and sacrifice. The living bulls were worshipped in Egypt.
Memphis (Heb. noph, moph, Copt. menphe, memphi, Gr. Memphis). The first capital of united Egypt (c. 3200 B.C.) south of modern Cairo. Legend ascribes the founding of the city to Menes, the traditional first king. The original name of the city was "The White Wall." Later it was called Men-nefer-Pepi, after the name of the pyramid of Pepi I of the Sixth Dynasty; it is from this name that "Memphis" is derived.
Historians divide ancient Egyptian history into 30 dynasties. A dynasty is a series of rulers belonging to the same family. Egypt's pre-dynastic era lasted until 3,100 B.C., when the dynasties began to rule. Sometimes two dynasties ruled different parts of Egypt at the same time. Groups of dynasties make up periods. Egypt (Gr. Aigyptos, Heb. mitsrayim).
Menes around 3000 B.C., was the King of Egypt who founded the first dynasty uniting Upper and Lower Egypt. | <urn:uuid:ed2a308f-8472-40db-9db6-bbc3dd7ff65f> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:44:52",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9580190181732178,
"score": 2.734375,
"token_count": 1514,
"url": "http://www.mazzaroth.com/ChapterFour/NarmersPaletteReverse.htm"
} |
Owning animals – specifically cattle – completely changes the meaning of a snow day. For most, snow is a welcomed sight as it means a day at home – away from the office or classroom – in their sweats enjoying daytime television and a warm fire.
But for cattle owners, snow days are some of the longest and hardest workdays they encounter each year. Cattle were created to withstand cold, snow and wind but that doesn’t mean they particularly enjoy the winter weather – especially after a streak of 50-degree temperatures. We have both heifers (first-time mothers) and cows (experienced mothers) calving right now. In fact we had about 20 calves born yesterday, five born overnight and another three this morning. More are expected throughout the day. This is peak calving season for our herd and while we never rule out the possibility of snow, snowfall like this doesn’t come along every year.
During storms like this, it’s important that we are out, among our cattle, checking to ensure mothers are doing fine, baby calves are staying warm and eating and expectant mothers get to shelter when possible. When we find a calf that looks like it just can’t get warm on it’s own, we will bring it inside and allow it to dry off and warm up before returning it to its mother.
Diet and proper nutrition are also very important for cattle in the winter. Like humans, cattle with a normal level of body fat are better able to withstand the cold and nursing mothers need all of the nutrition and calories they can get. Even on days like this, we make sure our cattle have all of the feed they need or want. But we are careful to not overfeed them so that all of their energy isn’t spent on digestion.
Derek was up most of last night checking on the cows and caring for a few calves. He and his father will spend the remainder of today and tonight making additional rounds, checking the animals as many times as possible. New calves could come at any time and we strive to be there to ensure all is going well. It’s not an easy job and the cattle don’t always express their appreciation the way a person would but it’s what we do, even on snow days. | <urn:uuid:6be2e638-1a20-479f-b2fd-ce3179dce5ff> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:24:44",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9771471619606018,
"score": 2.71875,
"token_count": 474,
"url": "http://www.mcphersonsentinel.com/article/20130221/BLOGS/302219962/0/ENTERTAINMENTLIFE"
} |
Definition of Single-blind
Single-blind: Term used to described a study in which either the investigator or the participant, but not both of them, is unaware of the nature of the treatment the participant is receiving. Also called single-masked.
Last Editorial Review: 6/14/2012
Back to MedTerms online medical dictionary A-Z List
Need help identifying pills and medications?
Get the latest health and medical information delivered direct to your inbox FREE! | <urn:uuid:b3dbf6db-abad-4163-90dd-365d7e741ff6> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:10:42",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8859546184539795,
"score": 3.0625,
"token_count": 97,
"url": "http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=38695"
} |
Nasal surgery includes any surgery performed on the outside or inside of the nose. A common type of reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, nasal surgery may be performed to accomplish the following:
- Improve breathing
- Correct congenital or acquired deformities
- Change size or shape of nose (cosmetic)
- Repair nasal injuries
The following are some of the different types of nasal surgery:
Septoplasty is the surgical correction of defects and deformities of the nasal septum (the partition between the nostrils). Examples of septoplasty include the following:
- Correction of a deviated septum
A deviated septum is a condition in which the partition (septum) between the nostrils is not in a straight vertical alignment. A deviated septum can cause obstructed airflow. A deviated septum can be caused by a birth defect or injury.
- Correction of cleft defects that affect the nose and nasal cavity
Rhinoplasty is the surgical repair of a defect of the nose, including reshaping or resizing the nose. Rhinoplasty may be performed to accomplish the following:
- Change the size of the nose
- Change the shape of the nose
- Narrow the nostrils
- Change the angle between the nose and lips
Possible complications associated with nasal surgery may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Anesthesia problems
The specific type of surgery will be determined by your physician based on:
- Your age, overall health, and medical history
- Severity of the deformity
- Your tolerance of specific medications, procedures, or therapies
- Your opinion or preference
Although each procedure varies, generally, nasal surgeries follow this process:
- Location options may include:
- Surgeon's office-based surgical facility
- Outpatient surgery center
- Hospital outpatient
- Hospital inpatient
- Anesthetic options may include:
- Local anesthesia
- General anesthesia
- Average length of procedure: about two hours
- Recuperation period:
- Usually up and around in a few days
- Usually return to school or sedentary work a week or so after surgery
- Surgeon will provide guidelines for resuming normal activities
- Some possible short-term side effects of surgery:
- A splint may be applied to nose to help maintain the new shape.
- Nasal packs or soft plastic splints may be placed inside the nostrils to stabilize the septum.
- The face will feel puffy.
- The nose may ache.
- You may experience a dull headache, swelling around the eyes, and/or bruising around the eyes.
- A small amount of bleeding is normal in the first few days.
- Small burst blood vessels may appear as tiny red spots on the skin's surface.
- Final results:
- Healing is a slow and gradual process. Some swelling may be present for months, especially in the tip of the nose. Final results of nasal surgery may not be apparent for a year or more.
- When a traditional open surgical technique is used, or surgery is performed to narrow flared nostrils, small scars will be located on the base of the nose. The scars usually are not noticeable. Scarring is not visible when rhinoplasty is performed from inside the nose.
Click here to view the
Online Resources of Plastic Surgery
Last reviewed: 6/10/2011 | <urn:uuid:92952cda-4163-4300-8e10-0db9202a2802> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:30:27",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9150367975234985,
"score": 2.859375,
"token_count": 713,
"url": "http://www.memorialhealth.com/tests-and-procedures.aspx?pgid=P01128"
} |
Myoclonus refers to quick, lightning-like jerks (contractions) of a muscle or a group of muscles.
Myoclonus may involve only one hand, a group of muscles in the upper arm or leg, or a group of facial muscles. Or it may involve many muscles at the same time. Hiccups are a type of myoclonus that involves only the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen.
Myoclonus may occur normally, often when a person is falling asleep. Or it may result from a disorder, such as the following:
Myoclonus can occur after a person takes high doses of certain drugs such as antihistamines, some antidepressants (such as amitriptyline), bismuth, levodopa, or opioids (narcotics).
Myoclonus can be mild or severe. Muscles may jerk quickly or slowly, rhythmically or not. Myoclonus may occur once in a while or frequently. It may occur spontaneously or be triggered by a stimulus, such as a sudden noise, light, or a movement. For example, reaching for an object or taking step may trigger jerks that disrupt the movement. In Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (a rare degenerative brain disorder—see see Prion Diseases: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)), myoclonus becomes more obvious when people are suddenly startled. If myoclonus is due to a metabolic disorder, it may persist and affect muscles throughout the body, sometimes leading to seizures.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The diagnosis is based on symptoms. Other tests may be done to identify the cause.
The cause is corrected if possible. For example, drugs that can cause myoclonus are stopped. A high or low blood sugar level is corrected, and kidney failure is treated with hemodialysis. If the cause cannot be corrected, valproate or levetiracetam (anticonvulsants—see Seizure Disorders: Drugs Used to Treat Seizures.) or clonazepam (a mild sedative) sometimes helps. When given with carbidopa, the dietary supplement 5-hydroxytryptophan (which is produced by the brain) may also help.
Last full review/revision August 2007 by David Eidelberg, MD; Michael Pourfar, MD | <urn:uuid:6b6072af-0a0e-4145-a3a0-d9bb03698b55> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:45:08",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8992586135864258,
"score": 3.734375,
"token_count": 499,
"url": "http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/brain_spinal_cord_and_nerve_disorders/movement_disorders/myoclonus.html"
} |
Watch a video to find out.
Stay logged in
Go to Navigation
Go to Content
Go to Search
Search the collections
Male Figure (Tiki)
Barkcloth Panel (Siapo)
Browse current and upcoming exhibitions and events.
This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 353
Although most Polynesian peoples appear to have made and used human images, few such objects have survived to the present day. Most were destroyed under the influence of Christian missionaries, who viewed such sculptures as "graven images." Small female figures in ivory were known from the Tongan archipelago as early as the late eighteenth century. Formerly referred to as goddesses, these figures are now thought to represent important female ancestors. A number of Tongan ivories were traded to the neighboring Fiji islands, where they were used during religious rites. This particularly expressive example was collected on the Fijian island of Viti Levu by the Reverend Cyril G. Hawdon in 1868.
Collected by Cyril G. Hawdon, Viti Levu, Fiji, in 1868; [John J. Klejman, New York, until 1957]; Nelson A. Rockefeller, New York, 1957, on loan to The Museum of Primitive Art, New York, 1957–1978
© 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:3aa85142-3d60-46e0-9851-920d538bb46c> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:26:14",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9598525166511536,
"score": 2.5625,
"token_count": 280,
"url": "http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/50006321?high=on&rpp=15&pg=1&rndkey=20120618&ft=*&deptids=5&when=A.D.+1800-1900&where=Tonga&what=Figures&pos=1"
} |
Receptive and Expressive Language
All communication has two aspects: receptive language and expressive language. Receptive language is what we hear and understand. Expressive language is what we say to others.
I believe that empathy is also a form of communication; one that is as essential to each of us as is spoken, written, or signed language in understanding the feelings of other sentient beings and in conveying our reaction to them. To oversimplify, one might think of language as the cognitive component of communication, whereas empathy is the emotional component. Of course, in reality, they overlap and complement each other.
Receptive empathy is the ability to perceive the feelings that others are experiencing. Expressive empathy is the ability to convey that understanding to others.
Definition of Empathy
“Empathy” is a complicated word — it means so many different things to different people. And, a discussion of whether autistic people have a capacity for empathy that is different from most other people further complicates the conversation.
A web search on the single word “empathy” produced for me these top 5 results, defining the word in 5 different ways:
- Empathy is the capacity to recognize emotions that are being experienced by another sentient or fictional being. (wikipedia)
- the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it (Mirriam-Webster)
- the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another (dictionary.com)
- Empathy is the experience of understanding another person’s condition from their perspective. (Psychology Today)
- Identification with and understanding of another’s situation, feelings, and motives. See Synonyms at pity. (thefreedictionary.com)
So, which is it? “recognize emotions” or “imaginative projection” or “intellectual identification” or “vicarious experience of understanding perspective” or “identification and understanding” or “pity”?
It is probably all of those things and more, including sympathy and compassion. Trying to understand what people intend to convey by using the word is a bit like Justice Potter’s infamous definition of pornography. Empathy is something you know when you experience it, even though it is hard to describe in words.
Are there “Types” of Empathy?
Modifying the word “empathy” with “cognitive” and “affective” represents an ill-advised attempt to deconstruct empathy, in my view . Much has been made of the idea that these two aspects of empathy (to the extent that this dichotomy has any validity at all, which I doubt) arise from different parts of the brain, and that one or the other is deficient in certain personality types. This kind of hair-splitting is a distraction, it seems to me, when it comes to understanding the role and functioning of empathy.
I’m sure there is a wide range of empathic capacity, both in terms of experiencing empathy (whatever it is) and in expressing it. Those with alexithymia may have empathic capacity but may not recognize what they are experiencing or be able to express it. And all of my discussion here so far has nothing directly to do with autism. Empathy is a universal human trait. And beyond. Clearly, many other animals have empathic capacity as well.
Empathy arises from, or at least is related to, mirror neurons. In the famous incident of the discovery of mirror neurons, a monkey watched an object being picked up, and his brain region for picking things up fired as if he were doing it himself. So, he experienced what it was like to pick up an apple (or whatever it was), but not from the perspective of the other monkey (he’s not inside that brain) but from the perspective of how he would feel if he were doing what he was observing.
And What Does All of This Have To Do With Autism?
Now comes the tricky part with respect to autism. It’s twofold. The descriptions that follow are experiential (my own experiences and those of other autistic people I’ve spoken with), and represent my own speculations. What I report here may or may not be generalizable to other autistic people. See the link in the previous paragraph for a discussion of some of the controversy surrounding the linkage (if any) between autism and mirror neurons.
Autism and Receptive Empathy
It may be (1) that the mirror neuron system in the autistic brain is impaired because of the usual sensory overload that is always going on. It’s not that the mirror neurons are defective, it’s just that their functioning is clouded by the brain having so much else to deal with at the same time. Distractions, if you will. So the autistic person will not have the receptive clarity that matches the neurotypical — what is being called by some “cognitive empathy.” The emotional state of another being is recorded, but not processed with the same clarity because of the other demands on attention. The TMS experiments I participated in at Beth Israel demonstrated this. The experiment involved suppressing activity in a small area in the right hemisphere of my brain. Neuroscientists know that, through a process called neuroplasticity, when one area of the brain is compromised, another area will attempt to take over the lost functionality. That often involves the equivalent region in the opposite hemisphere of the brain.
Broca’s area is heavily involved in language and (therefore) social cognition,and much more. It is a complex and important region of the brain that is somewhat imprecisely located in the part of the brain known as Brodmann’s areas 44 and 45. I say “it” although, in my understanding (I have no formal training in neuroscience), there are two equivalent areas, one in each hemisphere, and the lion’s share of language processing occurs in the dominant hemisphere (the left one for right-handed people like me). Broca’s area, besides its central role in language comprehension and creation, also seems to serve as a bridge between the prefrontal cortex (cognition), and regions that control motor and somatosensory (tactile and other sensory) systems of the body. It is also thought to be rich in mirror neurons.
For all of these reasons, the scientists in the TMS Lab hypothesized that by temporarily and artificially suppressing the right side of my brain in the area just described, the left hemisphere would be more strongly activated than usual, thereby improving language and social (empathic) cognition. How right (so to speak) they were! I experienced (both subjectively and in their computerized measurements) sharpened ability to interpret emotional content more accurately. The difference in clarity was astounding to me and to others I spoke with who were subjects in the experiment.
Caitlin, for example, was shocked to find that she could see emotional content in written sentences and in video clips which, with the benefit of hindsight, she had not been able to see before. My clarity was more intellectual. I was able to solve (computerized) tasks faster than the computer could feed them to me, whereas before I had struggled and was unsure of the answers. Subjectively, it was like night and day, although I’m sure that the difference in my performance was measured in milliseconds. The difference in what Caitlin and I experienced (and John had a musical revelation, among many other experiences) was probably a function of where we started. I was relatively better (compared with her) at emotional reception. She, for example, had once been floored to find out that her brother knew more (much more) about the personal life of her receptionist than she did, although he lived in a distant city. It was just that when he called to speak with Caitlin, he would chat with the person who answered the phone about vacation plans and the like. It never occurred to Caitlin to make that kind of emotional connection.
The Irrelevancy of “Cognitive” Versus “Affective” Empathy
Which brings me around to the other bit (2) about autism and empathy. Take the Psychology Today definition: “Empathy is the experience of understanding another person’s condition from their perspective.” Please. Think of the monkey. Picking up a banana is probably a pretty universal monkey experience, so it’s easy to imagine that the mirror neurons of monkeys allow them to experience watching another monkey and essentially experience (vicariously) a nearly identical experience. Now, take an autistic brain. Not mine, please. I need it. If I watch a neurotypical pick up a banana, I am likely to be less clear about how that feels to them because they experience the world in a way that is very different from mine. I’m being metaphorical here, in case you didn’t pick up on that (so to speak). A physical action is one thing, but a more complex emotional reaction is quite a different level of experience. How can I empathize what you are going through if your way of experiencing the world is vastly different from mine? This works both ways, of course. How can a neurotypical person empathize with me if they have no clue what my brain is experiencing? So, it’s not a lack of empathy, or a lack of empathic capacity, it’s a knowledge or experiential gap. I can tell when my horse is happy to see me, or when he is in a playful mood, or frightened; these are fairly universal emotions. But my empathy doesn’t go too deep because I don’t really know what it’s like to be a horse. Or, maybe at some fundamental level, I do. I don’t always grok why he’s upset, but I know when he is.
Now, all of that is about receptive empathy; taking in and appreciating the emotional state of another being. This may be what is meant by “cognitive” empathy. But I also think receptive empathy includes components (or maybe all) of what has been termed “affective empathy” or “pity” or “compassion” — not just understanding, but sharing the emotional state of another. I believe this must naturally flow via the mirror neuron system that enables us to take in the feelings of another. If one is truly understanding what another is experiencing, it naturally follows that one is experiencing their emotions, too. From an evolutionary point of view, the value of being able to understand how someone else is feeling is being able to predict their behavior. If someone picks up a banana and smiles, that’s pretty non-threatening, but if someone picks up a rock and scowls, it might be better to take protective action. To truly take in another’s emotions, in the process I’m calling receptive empathy, one must also experience an approximation of those emotions. Although I’m aware these emotions are yours, and not mine, I experience my version of your anger, your pain, and your joy. It can’t be any other way.
And yes, there are people who have difficulty comprehending what they are experiencing emotionally, and conveying it, too. But, as alluded to earlier, that is a condition called alexithymia, not autism. Although studies about this are scant, I’m not aware of any definitive study that shows that alexithymia is more prevalent in the neuroexceptional population than it is in the neurotypical one. In my work with neuroexceptional couples (in a support group setting), I observe a fairly high proportion of alexithymia among the partners who are not neurotypical, but my sample is a highly self-selected subgroup of all neuroexceptional people, and I don’t have a control group to compare with.
For me, when I experience high receptive empathy (which includes sympathy, compassion or pity), such an experience is likely to lead to an emotional state of shock that requires me to tone down my feelings, because the nerves are too raw and exposed. So, I withdraw, I put up barriers to keep the world out, to keep things from getting worse. I can only take so much. Most autistic people with whom I have talked about this agree. We have too much empathic capacity. It is paralyzing. Why is that? I’m not sure. Excess myelination? I’ll get back to you on that.
Autism and Expressive Empathy: The Challenge for Autistic People
The biggest complaint in my couples support groups is that the (typically) Asperger’s partner does not express empathy. I explain the bit that I’ve just gone through, that those of us who are autistic experience a high degree of understanding (what I have called here receptive empathy), and that our flat affect or silence does not mean we lack comprehension or sympathy. It’s just that dealing with these raw emotions is too frightening.Thus, we exhibit a lack of what I have come to call expressive empathy.
To partners who are feeling emotionally isolated, and are in need of validation, it’s not comforting to hear this. To them, there is no empathy if it isn’t expressed. And they have a good point. We autistics often stop one step short of what empathy is all about; connecting with another human being, to validate and comfort them. Without that piece, it does not serve its purpose. The result is, from the outside observers point of view, a “lack” of empathy. No reaction. Or an “inappropriate” (oh, how I hate that word) reaction. If fact, the reaction is an internal volcano that is about to erupt. Sometimes it does, and that is one form of meltdown. Sometimes it is contained, and the world is shut out.
I remember a time in my second marriage when things were not going well, and I was talking with my shrink about it. At one point, he said to me (in frustration), “Can’t you just tell her you love her? That’s what she wants to hear!” And, I realized (for complex reasons) that, no, I was not capable of that at that time. It seemed like lying to me. Yet, it would have been a harmless lie that could have made all the difference to her. I was empathizing with her distress, but I was not able to communicate that to her in a way that would have been helpful.
The terms I have used here, receptive and expressive, are often used to describe forms of language communication, which is where I started this post. And that’s really what empathy is, in its fullest expression; communicating emotional states. Autistics are really good at receptive empathy, but some of us fall short when it comes to using expressive empathy.
This is a failure of execution, not of cognition. Our brains work just fine, thank you. We just need to learn how to let other people know that. The good news is called neuroplasticity, and there is a way to use that, in neurally-inspired therapies and techniques that can change our patterns of behavior. Stay tuned. Much more to come on those subjects.
Meanwhile, I will be practicing my expressive empathy. | <urn:uuid:578a0c92-90e2-4207-b53a-45368d068939> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:17:51",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9650276899337769,
"score": 4.125,
"token_count": 3252,
"url": "http://www.mfw.us/blog/"
} |
By Mary Gallagher, Opinion Columnist
Published November 20, 2012
It’s hard to believe that within the past 100 years, issues like political participation of women and African Americans were controversial topics that divided the country. At this point, it seems absurd that anyone would believe women or African Americans didn't deserve the right to vote, but there were 42 years between the introduction of the 19th Amendment and its ratification in 1920. Now, if one political party was to oppose the suffrage of women or minorities, the opposing party would overtake them in a landslide victory, no matter how reasonable the anti-suffrage party’s views were on the economy or other issues.
More like this
The Nov. 6 election has shown us that a new group of issues may be making the leap from controversial and partisan to accepted facts of life in the United States. Of these, the most obvious is same-sex marriage. The battle for gay rights began to gain steam in the late 1960s and has made significant strides since, with same-sex marriage legal in nine states and Washington D.C., and the ubiquity of realistic and progressive portrayals of the LGBT community in the media.
However, there’s still a lot of progress to be made: 41 states continue to reject the validity of same-sex marriage. Though, in this election cycle, gay marriage won battles in every single state where it was in question: Maine, Maryland, Washington and Minnesota.
Each of these was a ballot initiative, which means every state voter had a say. Because of this, it can’t be argued that this is a case of the government usurping popular opinion, as organizations like the National Organization for Marriage have maintained about similar court rulings or legislative decisions. The people spoke, and they spoke overwhelmingly in favor of same-sex marriage.
Another oft-publicized point of contention during this campaign was the argument over abortion and access to birth control. Although Roe v. Wade was passed nearly 40 years ago, there’s still a significant number of Americans who believe that abortion should be made illegal except in cases of rape or incest — some even believe that it should be altogether outlawed no matter the circumstances. However, it seems that most of the population is hesitant to make it completely illegal. In a May 2012 Gallup poll, 77 percent of Americans responded that abortion should always be legal or sometimes legal. Despite this fact, the Republican Party continued to stand behind their position, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they now represent a minority of the population.
In a democracy like ours, the government should be ruled by the people, not the other way around. It’s easy to lose faith in the system and to believe that individual voices and opinions don’t really matter. But then an election like this comes around and reminds us that changing the minds of the voting public really can make an impact on the government.
It seemed like the way many people framed this election was around the issues of gay marriage and abortion, rather than on more complex subjects such as the economy or the environment. I prefer these Democratic economic models to that of the Republican Party. However, I’d rather hear an election that was a debate between two different plans to actually make the United States a better place to live, rather than bickering over subjects that the majority of the country has come to agree upon. Rachel Maddow said it best on election night, saying that if the Republican Party continues to focus on outdated issues, “we are all deprived, as a nation, of the constructive debate between competing, feasible ideas about real problems.” | <urn:uuid:4f08ef3f-6a0f-4f3d-89f5-51736eb50d85> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:25:23",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9733890891075134,
"score": 2.6875,
"token_count": 740,
"url": "http://www.michigandaily.com/opinion/12-mary-gallagher-suffrage-and-gay-marriage-34"
} |
Henry Levinson established a small family company in 1933, named Permanent Pigments Company. He initially only made artist oil colors. In 1955, Permanent Pigments invented the first water-based acrylic gesso. Levinson tried to think of a name that aptly described this new invention, a medium that could go from fluidity to heavy texture. He decided on the name Liquid Texture, or Liquitex.
Mr. Levinson’s idea soon took off, and in 1956, the first commercially available fluid acrylic colors, known as Soft Body paints, were developed. The first heavy bodied, water-based acrylic colors, called Heavy Body, followed in 1963.
Liquitex has a long history of creativity, but creativity doesn’t always begin in a laboratory. With this in mind, the company created a Lecture Demonstration Program that still continues to this day. In 1965, it was the first program of lectures and demonstrations given by practicing artists to students at colleges and universities throughout the United States. This program is known today as the Artist Outreach Program. [ visit manufacturer website ] | <urn:uuid:2e700371-551f-4f00-a4e1-16df75784704> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:18:18",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9703784584999084,
"score": 2.765625,
"token_count": 225,
"url": "http://www.misterart.com/more-ways-brand-names/fb~liquitex~c1~canvas~fp~0-7~"
} |
This mathematically oriented introduction to the theory of logic programming presents a systematic exposition of the resolution method for propositional, first-order, and Horn-clause logics, together with an analysis of the semantic aspects of the method. It is through the inference rule of resolution that both proofs and computations can be manipulated on computers, and this book contains elegant versions and proofs of the fundamental theorems and lemmas in the proof theory of logic programming. Advanced topics such as recursive complexity and negation as failure and its semantics are covered, and streamlined setups for SLD- and SLDNF-resolution are described.
No other book treats this material in such detail and with such sophistication. Doets provides a novel approach to resolution that is applied to the first-order case and the case of (positive) logic programs. In contrast to the usual approach, the concept of a resolvent is defined nonconstructively, without recourse to the concept of unification, allowing the soundness and completeness proofs to be carried out in a more economic way. Other new material includes computability results dealing with analytical hierarchy, results on infinite derivations and an exposition on general logic programs using 3-valued logic. | <urn:uuid:7527a459-a691-41a0-ab75-6956ab19a1e6> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:16:38",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9226469397544861,
"score": 2.71875,
"token_count": 244,
"url": "http://www.mitpress.mit.edu/books/logic-logic-programming"
} |
Make a Splash with a Water Workout
Use water as your medium for an effective workout and you'll be joining a diverse group of young and old, male and female, beginners and professional athletes alike who are all wet when exercising.
Range of goals
Pregnant women, teenagers, and baby boomers take classes to get in shape, cross-train, or train for a specific sporting event. In fact, people who are at many different levels of fitness can be in the same class; the advanced participants simply do more repetitions or use equipment that increases resistance.
Water exercises can use a range of equipment to increase the challenge and difficulty of a basic workout, including flotation belts, water weights, foam noodles, and webbed gloves.
Work it out
Although many people enjoy water aerobics classes, you don't have to be in a group to work out. You can go solo by walking forward and backward in the pool or doing jumping jacks and other aerobics moves.
When exercising in the water, follow these pool rules:
Exercise in navel- to chest-deep water.
Keep your abdominal and gluteal muscles tight and your spine neutral, with your hips slightly forward and your back straight, but not arched.
Wear water shoes for better traction and to protect your feet from rough pool surfaces.
Work at your own level.
Always warm up before and cool down after your workout.
Add equipment, such as weights or water gloves, water paddles, or aquatic hand buoys if the exercise is too easy. Because of the water’s resistance, traditional weight-lifting exercises, such as bicep curls, triceps extensions, and chest presses are more challenging in the pool. | <urn:uuid:d134ec95-ee54-4298-93ea-b91e2041aca1> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:23:19",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9426932334899902,
"score": 2.546875,
"token_count": 359,
"url": "http://www.mmhospital.org/Taxonomy/RelatedDocuments.aspx?id=0&ContentTypeId=1&ContentID=4127"
} |
Micro-algae, which is highly nutritious and an excellent source of protein, chlorophyll, vitamins and minerals and amino acids. It has 26 times the calcium of milk, contains phosphorus, B12, RNA and DNA, and easily digested. It is a safe food with no side effects. It would be good for survival purposes as it is easy to store. Has sometimes been called “Manna of the future.” It has been tested in Japan and Europe and found to benefit people who suffer from many ailments including: anemia, cataracts, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, glaucoma, hepatitis, physical imbalances, aids weight loss.
Blue-green micro algae, and its cousins Spirulina and Chlorella, grow on inland waters throughout the world – visible as greenish scum on still lakes and ponds. The Aztecs of Mexico ate it as a staple food, dried and spread on tortillas. Africans of the Sahara region also use dried spirulina with grains and vegetables.
These algae are high in protein, carotenoids and minerals. Beware, however, of claims that they can provide vitamin B12 in vegetarian diets. Nevertheless, the high mineral and protein content of the various algae make them an excellent superfood, a good supplement to the diet and a useful product for the treatment of a variety of health problems.
Of the three main types of algae, spirulina is said to be the easiest to digest and absorb, because its cell walls are composed of mucopolysaccharides rather than indigestible cellulose. Chlorella needs special processing to improve digestibility of a tough outer cell wall, but it is valued for its ability to bind with heavy metals and carry them out of the body.
Today, spirulina is consumed as a health food and nutritional supplement. It is a highly concentrated source of protein, vitamins and minerals but its price is commensurately high. It contains high quantities of bioavailable iron and all minerals generally. The drawback of spirulina supplements is that you have to consume 10 or more grams daily to get a reasonable amount of nutrients. Ten grams is only two teaspoonfuls, which makes spirulina a very concentrated food source.
Spirulina is an exceptionally potent nutrient substance that has shown strong activity in many areas. It is the source of one of the most easily digestible forms of protein; it is 85 percent protein, compared with 20 percent in beef. It contains all the essential amino acids and most of the nonessential ones. In addition, it is extremely high in vitamins and minerals.
Spirulina has been found to be hepatoprotective and antihepatotoxic in several in vivo studies, protecting the liver against CCl4 – induced hepatoxicity. Spirulina also contains phycocyanin, a blue-pigment biliprotein that has been shown in scientific studies to inhibit formation of cancer cell colonies.
Preparation and Dosage: 1-2 tsp. (5-10ml) powdered Spirulina per day, more for chronic or acute disease. Suggested minimum dosage for hepatitis is 4 tsp (20ml) per day. Consume as much as desire; it may be used as the primary protein source in the diet. | <urn:uuid:ca8bd4c7-221e-4ad4-b1d8-46d710a765ba> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:31:26",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9481611251831055,
"score": 2.796875,
"token_count": 679,
"url": "http://www.morethanalive.com/Spirulina-powder?id=rGYtipNX"
} |
Local Extension Agent discusses “Salmonella in songbirds”
By: Bobby Smith
I have received several calls the last few weeks with clients who are distraught over dead songbirds in or around their bird feeders. Earlier this spring I received an e-mail from a fellow agent in a county north of Morgan County with the same issue. He had observed the same problem in his county. He submitted three birds to Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) to be tested for Salmonella, and all three birds tested positive.
If you are seeing dead birds in or around your feeders or birdbaths, I just wanted to make you aware of the problem and share some suggestions from the SCWDS.
The researcher at the SCWDS lab offered the following information about the outbreak:
•Salmonella bacteria are naturally found in many wild and domestic bird species
•Stress from severe weather and high concentrations of birds during spring (such as those found around bird feeders and bird baths) contribute to outbreak and disease spread.
•Because of large congregations of birds at feeders this time of year, this is when we usually see Salmonella outbreaks
•Cats that eat dead birds can pick up the Salmonella and possibly spread it to the humans that are caring for them.
To help stop the spread of the disease, there are several steps that you can take if you believe the Salmonella outbreak has affected your area:
1. Remove all bird feeders and bird baths and clean up residual seed. It's important for the birds to disperse to help control the spread of disease.
2. Disinfect all bird feeders and bird baths with 1 part bleach and 9 parts water
3. Do not place the bird seed back out for at least one month after you see the last sick or dying bird on your property
4. Clean out feeders at least every two weeks when you start feeding again to help prevent buildup of bacteria and fungi that can contribute to diseases in birds.
For information on this and other problems, contact your local UGA Cooperative Extension Office or call 1800ASKUGA1 or 18002758421.
Printed in the May 28, 2009 Edition. | <urn:uuid:856b03fb-5d4c-4ea1-a58e-826582b4d926> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:10:59",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9475985765457153,
"score": 3.0625,
"token_count": 459,
"url": "http://www.morgancountycitizen.com/?q=node/9955"
} |
Submitted by: Kelly Miller
Added: September 23, 2008
Duration: 5-10 minutes
Have students turn to a hymn that you have directed them to. Have them tell you which scripture mastery verse(s) match and why. For example:
Lead, Kindly Light [Hymn # 97] could go with Matt. 5:14-16
Choose the Right [Hymn #239] could go with Matt. 6:24
We're Not Ashamed to Own Our Lord [Hymn #57] could go with Romans 1:16
The kids will probably come up with ones you haven't thought of. | <urn:uuid:6b2cf4b3-6709-4172-a86a-63638eb9bc17> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:30:40",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.955200731754303,
"score": 3.0625,
"token_count": 134,
"url": "http://www.mormonshare.com/node/22530/hymns"
} |
A depressive disorder is a whole-body illness, involving the body, mood, and thoughts, and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, feels about himself or herself, and thinks about things. It is not the same as being unhappy or in a blue mood. Nor is it a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better.
Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression. During any one year period, nearly 19 million American adults suffer from depressive illness. Yet, treatment can alleviate symptoms in nearly 80 percent of cases.
Women experience depression about twice as often as men. Many hormonal factors may contribute to the increased rate of depression in women--particularly such factors as menstrual cycle changes, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), pregnancy, miscarriage, postpartum period, perimenopause, and menopause. Many women also face additional stresses such as responsibilities both at work and home, single parenthood, and caring for children and aging parents.
Many women are also particularly vulnerable after the birth of a baby. The hormonal and physical changes, as well as the added responsibility of a new life, can be factors that lead to postpartum depression in some women. While transient "blues" are common in new mothers, a full-blown depressive episode is not a normal occurrence and requires active intervention. Treatment by a sympathetic health care provider and the family's emotional support for the new mother are prime considerations in aiding her to recover her physical and mental well-being and her ability to care for and enjoy the infant.
Depressive disorders come in different forms, as do other illnesses, such as heart disease. Three of the most prevalent types of depressive disorders include the following:
- Major depression. A combination of symptoms (see symptom list) that interfere with the ability to work, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. These disabling episodes of depression can occur once, twice, or several times in a lifetime.
- Dysthymia. Long-term, chronic symptoms that do not disable, but keep people from functioning at "full steam" or from feeling good. Sometimes, people with dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes.
- Bipolar disorder (manic-depression). A chronic, recurring condition that includes cycles of depression and elation or mania.
Within these types, there are variations in the number of symptoms, their severity, and persistence.
The following are the most common symptoms of depression. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. In general, nearly everyone suffering from depression has ongoing feelings of sadness, and may feel helpless, hopeless, and irritable.
The American Psychiatric Association suggests that professional help is advisable for those who have four or more of the following symptoms continually for more than two weeks:
- Noticeable change of appetite, with either significant weight loss not attributable to dieting or weight gain
- Noticeable change in sleeping patterns, such as fitful sleep, inability to sleep, early morning awakening, or sleeping too much
- Loss of interest and pleasure in activities formerly enjoyed
- Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
- Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
- Restlessness, irritability
- Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Persistent feelings of hopelessness
- Feelings of inappropriate guilt
- Inability to concentrate or think, indecisiveness
- Recurring thoughts of death or suicide, wishing to die, or attempting suicide (Note: Individuals with this symptom should receive treatment immediately!)
- Melancholia (defined as overwhelming feelings of sadness and grief), accompanied by the following:
- Waking at least two hours earlier than normal in the morning
- Feeling more depressed in the morning
- Moving significantly more slowly
- Disturbed thinking--for example, severely depressed people sometimes have beliefs not based in reality about physical disease, sinfulness, or poverty
- Physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain
Specific treatment for depression will be determined by your health care provider based on:
- Your age, overall health, and medical history
- Extent of the depression
- Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
- Expectations for the course of the disorder
- Your opinion or preference
Generally, based on the outcome of evaluations, depressive disorders are treated with medication or either psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy, or a combination of medication and therapy.
You can also help yourself. Depressive disorders can make a person feel exhausted, worthless, helpless, and hopeless. Such negative thoughts and feelings make some people feel like giving up. It is important to realize that these negative views are part of the depression and typically do not accurately reflect the actual circumstances. Negative thinking fades as treatment begins to take effect. In the meantime, consider the following:
- Set realistic goals in light of the depression and assume a reasonable amount of responsibility.
- Break large tasks into small ones, set some priorities, and do what you can as you can.
- Try to be with other people and to confide in someone; it is usually better than being alone and secretive.
- Participate in activities that may make you feel better.
- Mild exercise, going to a movie, a ball game, or participating in religious, social, or other activities may help.
- Expect your mood to improve gradually, not immediately. Feeling better takes time.
- It is advisable to postpone important decisions until the depression has lifted. Before deciding to make a significant transition--change jobs, get married or divorced--discuss it with others who know you well and have a more objective view of your situation.
- People rarely "snap out of" a depression. But they can feel a little better day-by-day.
- Remember, positive thinking will replace the negative thinking that is part of the depression and will disappear as your depression responds to treatment.
- Let your family and friends help you.
Click here to view the
Online Resources of Women's Health | <urn:uuid:f005b074-a9cf-4354-a1ab-15ec7db4b733> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:25:05",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9449301958084106,
"score": 3.765625,
"token_count": 1284,
"url": "http://www.muschealth.com/gs/HealthTopic.aspx?action=showTopic&pageid=P01512"
} |
3-D Paper Snowflakes Are a Hit
January 16, 2013
Smithville's Homeschoolers @ the Library made 3-D snowflakes this December. Before the class, branch staff made a few to help the instructor determine what steps might be the most difficult. We hung these staff "flakes" over our circulation desk. Whoa! Everyday a patron would ask, "Did you make those? They're great! Do you have a pattern I could copy?" So, we thought we would share our snowflake fun with everyone.
All you need is 6 sheets of paper, a ruler, pencil, scissors, glue or tape, and a stapler.
This square is easily accomplished by folding regular printer paper - fold one corner down to the opposite side, creating a folded triangle. Then cut off excess. Fold again to create a smaller triangle, then mark 4 cutting lines (parallel to the long open edges) from the short edge with 2 folds almost across to the solid folded edge - but stop short by 1/2 inch. Leaving the triangle folded, cut on those lines BUT NOT all the way across. This process must be done for all 6 pages.
Open up your cut piece of paper slowly, as it is a little delicate at this point. Lay the paper flat. Fold the two most center slits together and glue or tape. Skip the second slit and glue or tape the points of the third slits together. Now leave the fourth and tape or glue the 5th slits together. At this point, turn your piece over and tape or glue the points of the 2nd slits together. Finally, tape or glue the points of the 4th slit together. This is 1/6th of your snowflake. Repeat this process for the remaining five pieces.
Use a stapler to staple one tip of all 6 pieces together. Then fan them out and tape or glue the edges of each piece where it touches the next piece. You are done! Here is a link for a great tutorial on how to make these snowflakes. Enjoy! | <urn:uuid:3d037051-b94b-4650-8398-80a8d952ade4> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:36:57",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9295685887336731,
"score": 2.5625,
"token_count": 427,
"url": "http://www.mymcpl.org/blog/3-d-paper-snowflakes-are-hit"
} |
You are hereThe Written Stone, Dilworth
The Written Stone, Dilworth
A large inscribed stone measuring eight feet long, two feet wide and one and a half feet deep was placed beside a old road (now known as Written Stone Lane) in Dilworth during the 17th century. The reason why the stone was placed is unknown, though several stories have grown up around it. The following account was published in 'Lancashire Legends' (1873) by John Harland & T T Wilkinson.
'The anonymous author of "The New Clock" mentions, in his "Curious Comers round Preston," that, having heard of a farm called "Written Stone," from an ancient stone bearing an inscription which stands near it, and that the place was reputed to be the haunt of boggarts, he determined to visit it. It is in the township of Dilworth, and parish of Ribchester, about two miles from the village of Longridge, and seven miles N.E. of Preston. Turning down a narrow lane, or old bridle-road, it soon plunged the searcher into a deep ravine, with a rapid mountain rivulet coursing through it, and a tall hedge of holly and hazel making the place a grove. For half a mile he walked and waded through mud and water, and on emerging from this long and tedious lane, turning to his right into a neat farmyard, he espied in a comer the object of his search. He describes it as a huge stone, a foot thick, nine feet long, two feet wide, and apparently from the adjacent rocks, placed like a gravestone on the cop. The inscription is on the side facing the road : — Ravffe : Radcliffe : laide : this : stone : TO : LYE : FOR : ever : a.d. 1655." *
The characters (he adds) are not the raised letters so prevalent in the seventeenth century, but deeply cut in the stone. He found the farmhouse tenanted by a young woman of very respectable appearance, the daughter of the owner of the estate, who, in this romantic spot, leads almost the life of a recluse. She had no dread of supernatural visitants, having never been disturbed by ghost or hobgoblin; and her theory on the subject was pithily summed up in the declaration, "that if folks only did what was right in this world, they would have nothing to fear." The date on the stone speaks of the days of sorcery and witchcraft, and of the troubled times of Cromwell's protectorate. Tradition declares this spot to have been the scene of a cruel and barbarous murder, and it is stated that this stone was put down in order to appease the restless spirit of the deceased, which played its nightly gambols long after the body had been "hearsed in earth." A story is told of one of the former occupants of Written Stone farm, who, thinking that the stone would make a capital "buttery stone," removed it into the house and applied it to that use. The result was, that the indignant or liberated spirit would never suffer his family to rest. Whatever pots, pans, kettles, or articles of crockery were placed on the stone, were tilted over, their contents spilled, and the vessels themselves kept up a clattering dance the live-long night, at the beck of the unseen spirit. Thus worried out of his night's rest, the farmer soon found himself compelled to have the stone carefully conveyed back to its original resting-place, where it has remained ever since, and the good man's family have not again been disturbed by inexplicable nocturnal noises. Well may they say with Hamlet, "Rest, perturbed spirit!"
*In Baines's "Lancashire" (vol. iii. p. 383), there is a somewhat different version of this inscription : — "Rafe Ratcliffe laid this stone here to lie for ever. a.d. 1607." He adds, that this Rafe was owner of the estate. It will be seen that neither christian name nor surname nor date agrees with the text, which latter, however, we believe to be correct. | <urn:uuid:e6999be7-da79-4afe-8da9-e6341f27df9f> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:12:02",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9771830439567566,
"score": 2.671875,
"token_count": 872,
"url": "http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/lancashire/folklore/the-written-stone-dilworth.html"
} |
NPP launched Oct. 28, 2011. It is a first step in building the next satellite system to collect data on climate change and weather conditions.
Teachers to put science to the test in a microgravity environment aboard the agency’s reduced gravity aircraft.
01.25.12 - NASA Explorer Schools held a live video chat on Jan. 25, 2012 with Josh Willis who answered questions about sea level rise and global climate change.
01.12.12 - NES held a video webchat Jan 12, 2012 with Dr. Bill Cooke and Rhiannon Blaauw. They answered questions about meteors, meteorites and comets and their potential danger to spacecraft.
12.13.11 - Danielle Margiotta joined NES on Dec. 13, 2011 and answered student questions about how NASA engineers prepare satellites to endure the harsh environment of space.
11.23.11 - NASA Explorer Schools held a video chat on Nov. 23, 2011 with Zareh Gorjian for a look at NASA's computer graphics area.
11.03.11 - On Nov. 3, 2011, NASA's Deputy Director of Planetary Science, Jim Adams answered student questions about NASA's recent planetary mission discoveries and upcoming launches. Adams discussed his career path and some of the most rewarding moments in his 22-year career with NASA.
10.13.11 - In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Dr. Félix Soto Toro joined NES on Oct. 13, 2011, for our first live bilingual video chat. Students asked questions of this astronaut applicant and electrical engineer and found out what it was like for Soto to grow up in Barrio Amelia Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, with few advantages. They also learned what inspired him to pursue a career with NASA. A video or transcript of this chat will be posted at a later time.
02.17.11 - Being a scientist doesn't always mean spending your days in a lab. For NASA microbial ecologists, going to work might mean climbing aboard a research vessel, or collecting marine and soil samples in the Andes, Mexico, or even in Europe and Africa! Students were able to find out what it's like to hunt microbes around the globe with Angela Detweiler and Dr. Lee Bebout. Chat transcripts are now available.
03.29.11 - The NES project invited all K-12 students to participate in a one-hour-long NASA career panel video webchat on March 29, 2011. This year's panelists were three outstanding women who have chosen to pursue careers in science and engineering. A transcript and/or video will be posted at a later time. | <urn:uuid:dd7f67ea-0969-440f-8e56-c9e1e3d6d1aa> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:24:58",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9391012787818909,
"score": 2.765625,
"token_count": 543,
"url": "http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/nes2/home/new-promo-coll_archive_5.html"
} |
South Shetland Islands
61° 00' to 63° 37'S, 53° 83' to 62°
- A 540 km chain of four main island
groups, some are volcanic, including eleven major islands (Elephant
and Clarence Islands; King George and Nelson Islands; Robert, Greenwich,
Livingston, Snow, and Deception Islands; Smith and Low Islands)
and several minor ones with many islets and rocks. Located about
120 km north of the Antarctic Peninsula in the Southern Ocean.
- Area: 3687 km².
- Highest elevation: 2105 m (Mount
Foster, Smith Island).
- About 80 % glaciated.
- Sighted and first landing 1819,
sealers arrived 1820.
- Permanent occupation (scientific
station) from 1944 (previously sealers and a scientific expedition
wintered unintentionally, and a garrison was deployed briefly).
Whaling station operated at Deception Island 1912-31.
- British territory, part of British
Antarctic Territory; also claimed by Argentina, part of 'Antartida
Argentina'; and Chile, part of 'Territorio Chileno Antartico' (under
the aegis of the Antarctic Treaty). | <urn:uuid:0bd56d8b-73a8-4100-8dce-fe66d0d06751> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:11:29",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8383246064186096,
"score": 3.109375,
"token_count": 262,
"url": "http://www.ndsu.edu/subantarctic/south_shetland_islands.htm"
} |
Football Behavior Program
January 12, 2011
Years ago, Poquoson Primary School used sports to create a school-wide behavior incentive program for January. We used a die-cut machine to cut footballs. Each teacher was given a stack. We were asked to carry a few with us at all times. When we saw another class (not our own) that was well-behaved in the hallway, cafeteria, at the bathrooms, or the like, we handed a football to a student in the class. They could also earn a football for an individual act of good citizenship. Upon returning to the classroom, the teacher talked about what the class did to earn the football and would post it on a paper football field that was displayed outside of her door in the hall. Each time the class earned a football their “team” would advance ten yards on the field. (This was great for teaching counting by 10’s.) When the team reached the goal post, they would earn a touchdown and start over. Tally marks were used to display and track points earned.
When it was time for the Super Bowl, the totals were given to the principal. We then had a culminating assembly and everyone wore sports-related clothing to school. The principal and assistant principal dressed like football players, complete with helmets and pads! The top scoring classes got to do cheers, and all classes were praised for their behaviors. Examples of especially good deeds and behaviors were announced for all to hear. This activity was extremely popular and allowed us to “catch ‘em being good” rather than give out reprimands. | <urn:uuid:ba4b4467-c7ab-4360-8856-858ed05e4149> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:38:49",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.98776775598526,
"score": 3.1875,
"token_count": 328,
"url": "http://www.nea.org/tools/tips/football-behavior-program.html"
} |
Most southern women did not publicly express a desire for equal rights with men until well after the Civil War (1861-65), and suffrage, or the right to vote, came later to women in Georgia than to women in most other states.
The American Equal Rights Association (AERA), dedicated to human rights, black suffrage, and woman suffrage, was formed in 1866, the same year Georgia passed legislation giving married women property rights. In 1869, when a woman suffrage amendment was introduced in the U.S. Congress, the AERA split into two factions. The American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) was a moderate group led by Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe, and the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) was a more radical faction formed by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. While the former campaigned to accomplish a state-by-state right to vote, the latter sought a constitutional amendment for the vote and worked for a variety of reforms. The passage in 1870 of the Fifteenth Amendment, stating that citizens could not be denied the vote because of race, color, or former status as a slave, granted black males the right to vote and to hold office. The belief that women also deserved this right not only increased membership in the pro-suffrage organizations but also led to tension over how best to achieve this in the South.
Organizing for Suffrage
The AWSA and the NWSA reunited in 1890, into a group known as the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). In Columbus, Georgia, Helen Augusta Howard formed a branch of the organization she called the Georgia Woman Suffrage Association (GWSA). In 1892 the NAWSA established the Committee on Southern Work, and by 1893 the Georgia chapter had members in five counties. In 1894 the Equal Suffrage League formed in Atlanta as a chapter of the GWSA. Further impetus for the suffrage movement in Georgia came in 1895, when the NAWSA held their annual meeting in Atlanta, the first held outside of Washington, D.C. The organization's headquarters was at the Aragon Hotel, and meetings were held at DeGive's Opera House. Susan B. Anthony and ninety-three delegates from twenty-eight states, together with visitors and reporters, attended.
African American women were excluded from these meetings, but Anthony did speak on the campus of Atlanta University, an all-black school. In the audience was alumna Adela Hunt Logan, a Georgian who taught at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute. Logan published several suffrage articles and became the NAWSA's first lifetime member. For African American women, support of NAWSA efforts was seen as a further step toward reenfranchisement for black men, as well as enfranchisement for themselves. In 1896 several African American women's organizations formed the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) in Washington, D.C. In the next several years, many members, like Lugenia Burns Hope, wife of John Hope, the first president of Atlanta's Morehouse College, became suffrage advocates through their work in the NACW.
The GWSA held its first convention in November 1899 in Atlanta. Speakers from Georgia as well as from other southern states attended. Under president Mary Latimer McLendon, the association passed several resolutions, including a statement that Georgia women should not pay taxes if they did not have the vote and a request that the University of Georgia be opened to women. At the November 1901 GWSA convention, Atlantan Katherine Koch was chosen president. In 1902 Atlanta women petitioned to vote in municipal elections but were rejected.
National and State Events
The 1906 Atlanta race riot further intensified the question of woman suffrage and how to achieve it in the South, where attitudes on gender and race became a defining issue. The year 1908 was a presidential election year, and suffragists asked both parties to include the issue in their platforms, but neither did. The Prohibition Party of Georgia, however, did adopt woman suffrage as part of its platform. The Georgia Federation of Labor had endorsed woman suffrage in 1900. They called for local unions to support it, and events outside the South encouraged them to do so. In 1907 Harriet Blatch, daughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, formed the Equality League of Self-Supporting Women to reach out to working-class women. In 1909 the woman suffrage–connected strike of 20,000 women garment workers and a boycott by the wealthy women who purchased clothing was coordinated by the Women's Trade Union League in New York City. After California gave women the vote in 1911, there were six suffrage states.
In 1913 the Georgia Woman Equal Suffrage League was formed, with many teachers and businesswomen as members. The league's president was an Atlanta teacher and principal of Ivy Street School, Frances Smith Whiteside, and the sister of U.S. senator Hoke Smith. The Georgia Men's League for Woman Suffrage, formed by Atlanta attorney Leonard J. Grossman, was a chapter of a national organization. With few members outside Atlanta, its formation was mostly a symbolic one for the movement. The Equal Franchise League of Muscogee County as well as a Macon suffrage association were formed by the end of 1913.
In 1914 women who wanted the GWSA to work more aggressively for suffrage formed the Equal Suffrage Party of Georgia, which by 1915 had member branches in thirteen Georgia counties. In the first five years of the party's existence its presidents were from Atlanta, Augusta, and Savannah. Several Georgia cities and counties had branches of both suffrage organizations working simultaneously for the same goal but with a different focus.
Anti-suffrage Movement and Pro-suffrage Groups
In the spring of 1914 a Georgia chapter of the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage, founded in 1895, was formed in Macon. Three months later, it claimed to have 10 state branches and 2,000 members, far more than the pro-suffrage organizations. The leadership included Mildred Lewis Rutherford, head of the Lucy Cobb Institute in Athens and president of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. When the Georgia legislature first conducted hearings on the subject in 1914, sisters Mary Latimer McLendon of Atlanta and Rebecca Latimer Felton of Cartersville, Leonard J. Grossman, James L. Anderson, and Mrs. Elliott Cheatham of Atlanta all addressed the house committee for suffrage. Speaking for the opposition were Rutherford and Dolly Blount Lamar of Macon. The vote was five to two against suffrage, and the resolution did not pass. Hearings were conducted again the following year before committees of the senate and house, and both voted against it.
In March 1914 pro-suffrage women held their first rally in Atlanta, with urban reform leader Jane Addams as speaker. In 1915 a May Day celebration was cause for Atlanta suffragists to gather on the steps of the state capitol. The following November, a significant event in the movement occurred when pro-suffrage groups marched after Atlanta's Harvest Festival celebration. Patterned after parades held in New York and Washington, D.C., the march included more than 200 students in caps and gowns, marchers wearing "votes for women" sashes and carrying banners, and decorated automobiles, all led by a brass band. Mary McLendon led the vehicles in Eastern Victory, an automobile sold by Anna Howard Shaw to pay "unjust" taxes. A pony cart filled with yellow chrysanthemums carried a large sign reading "Georgia Catching Up." On horseback, representing the herald leading women "forward into light," was Eleanore Raoul, organizer of the Fulton and DeKalb Equal Suffrage Party. All of Georgia's suffrage groups, including the Georgia Young People's Suffrage Association, were represented. The following year the Atlanta woman suffrage organizations were the first nonlabor group to be included in Atlanta's Labor Day Parade.
In 1917 Alice Paul formed the National Woman's Party. Because of the party's protest of Democratic president Woodrow Wilson's lack of support for a federal suffrage amendment, their attempts to organize in the South as early as 1915 had failed. In 1917, feeling that the "antis" were gaining too much of the South, the National Woman's Party increased efforts to recruit in the South, and a Georgia branch was formed. Considered radical by other southern suffrage groups, the National Woman's Party was a relatively militant organization. Although they did nothing unusual in Georgia, they were the first group ever to picket the White House for a political cause.
Two 1917 events were significant to the suffrage movement: the United States entered World War I (1917-18), and New York women won the right to vote. Although the NAWSA endorsed the war effort, not all suffrage organizations were in agreement. The same year, Georgia suffrage supporters again presented their resolution to the senate committee. Endorsement was finally achieved by a vote of eight to four in favor, but the senate did not act on that support. Elsewhere in Georgia, the city of Waycross allowed women, many of them property owners, to vote in municipal primary elections. In May 1919, women were allowed to vote in Atlanta municipal primary elections, by a vote of twenty-four to one.
Passage of the Amendment
On June 4, 1919, with the support of only one southern senator, Georgia's William J. Harris, the U.S. Congress passed the Woman Suffrage Amendment, and it was submitted to the states for ratification. In response, Alabamians formed the Southern Women's League for the Rejection of the Susan B. Anthony Amendment (Southern Rejection League), and Rutherford became one of its few out-of-state members. On July 24 Georgia became the first state to reject the ratification of the amendment, and both houses adopted resolutions to that effect.
By August 1920 thirty-five states had ratified the Nineteenth Amendment. One more state was needed for full ratification, and the state of Tennessee ratified it on August 18. Although many in Tennessee and the South continued to challenge it, the amendment became effective on August 26. Women finally had won the vote, but Georgia's women still could not vote in that year's November elections. Georgia, along with Mississippi, cited a requirement that one must be registered six months before the election in order to vote. Because the legislature refused to pass an "enabling act" to make voting immediately possible, Georgia women did not vote until 1922.
Assured that women had won the vote, the League of Women Voters organized in February 1920 to carry on the work of the NAWSA. In Georgia all branches of the various suffrage societies and leagues merged into the League of Women Voters of Georgia. Through this organization and others, women sought to address the many issues important to them that had been raised, including employment, education, and health care. The Nineteenth Amendment remains a milestone from which women could begin to do this through political means.
Elna C. Green, Southern Strategies: Southern Women and the Woman Suffrage Question (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1997).
Elizabeth Gillespie McRae, "Caretakers of Southern Civilization: Georgia Women and the Anti-Suffrage Campaign, 1914-1920," Georgia Historical Quarterly 82 (winter 1998): 801-28.
Marjorie Spruill Wheeler, New Women of the New South: The Leaders of the Woman Suffrage Movement in the Southern States (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993).
Marjorie Spruill Wheeler, Votes for Women! The Woman Suffrage Movement in Tennessee, the South, and the Nation (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1995).
E. Lee Eltzroth, Georgia State University
A project of the Georgia Humanities Council, in partnership with the University of Georgia Press, the University System of Georgia/GALILEO, and the Office of the Governor. | <urn:uuid:556ab7eb-d8d4-425f-badd-cb6d162ae57c> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:25:05",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9702219367027283,
"score": 4.0625,
"token_count": 2460,
"url": "http://www.newgeorgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-643"
} |
Living With Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond
Katrina Exhibit Opens in Louisiana State Museum
Five years after the most devastating Hurricane ever to hit the United States and the massive destruction that followed, an exhibit has opened at the Louisiana State Museum documenting that destruction.
"Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond," a $7.5 million, 6,700 square-foot exhibit on the ground floor of the historic Presbytere in the French Quarter's Jackson Square tells the stories of real people caught in the hurricane's wrath. It documents their rescue, recovery, rebuilding and renewal of New Orleans in a way certain to move both those who survived the storms of 2005 and those who watched the events unfold on TV.
Combining eyewitness accounts, historical context, immersive environments and in-depth scientific exploration, "Katrina and Beyond" enables visitors to understand the 2005 storms, Katrina and Rita, and their impact on Louisiana, the Gulf Coast and the nation. It is a story of how a culture – the rich, varied world of New Orleans and coastal Louisiana – has learned to live with the fragility of its environment and how the storms of 2005 gave rise to a new vision for the region.
When it hit southeastern Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast on the morning of August 29, 2005, the storm caused fearsome destruction. But the disaster wasn't entirely the result of natural causes. Levees and floodwalls – the man-made barriers built to protect New Orleans from the water surrounding it – failed. Their collapse in a dozen or more locations, plus tidal surges from the the low-lying eastern edge of New Orleans, flooded 80 percent of the city. By the time the waters receded and the survivors regrouped, Katrina, and then Hurricane Rita, had claimed more than 1,400 lives and caused billions of dollars worth of property destruction.
Designed by the Boston-based firm ExperienceDesign that worked with the Museum's historians, curators and exhibit designers, "Living with Hurricanes" stretches across four galleries, each telling one aspect of the story using artifacts and rich media – sound, video and computer graphics.
Gallery One illustrates Louisiana's history with water, from the Mississippi River's benefits to the threats of coastal storm surges and floods. Visitors will move through the "Evacuation Corridor," overhearing residents' voices weighing their options as Katrina approaches. A state of the art "Storm Theater" shows Katrina's full fury with moving and dramatic footage of the hurricane's onslaught.
Gallery Two takes visitors past a leaking floodwall and into an attic and onto a roof of a house surrounded by rising floodwaters where they can view the inundated city surrounding them. They'll hear a firsthand account of a St. Bernard Parish family's rescue and view artifacts, histories and photographs.
Throughout the galleries are compelling artifacts, including music legend Fats Domino's baby grand piano found in his flooded Ninth Ward house, a Coast Guard rescue basket and seats from the heavily damaged Louisiana Superdome where thousands of people sought refuge and rescue. The objects serve as touchstones in recalling the days after the storm.
The forensics of Katrina unfold in Gallery Three where science and innovative displays come together. A large interactive table map shows the paths of Katrina and Rita and the sequence of floods that overwhelmed the region. Visitors will discover how the levees failed through digital animation. Additional displays illustrate the realities of eroding wetlands, disaster management, engineering and the science of predicting and tracking hurricanes and tropical weather patterns and phenomena.
Gallery Four celebrates recovery and promotes preparedness and showcases the ingenuity of Louisianans in rebuilding their lives and communities. The gallery will be updated regularly to reflect advancements in flood protection and coastal restoration and new strategies for living with hurricanes.
In addition to the running videos throughout the exhibit there will be interviews with a number of key individuals who had a part in the rescue and recovery efforts, including National Guard Commander Gen. Russel Honore whose troops helped restore order after a week of chaos.
Founded in 1906 with a mission to collect, preserve, interpret and present the state's rich history and diverse cultures, the Louisiana State Museum's collection now totals more than 450,000 artifacts and works of art. These provide an authentic experience of Louisiana to visitors from around the world while enhancing the quality of life for residents. The Museum is part of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
The exhibit will be located at The Presbytere on Jackson Square, at the corner of St. Ann and Chartres streets. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. No closing date for the exhibit has been announced.
Admission fees are $6 for adults and $5 for senior citizens, students and active military. Children under 12 and school groups with reservations are free. Groups with 15 or more get a 20 percent discount; 10% off for AAA members.
For more information, please call 800-568-6968 or visit www.KatrinaAndBeyond.com. | <urn:uuid:0bccf4c4-b786-4cb4-be22-433373462d8c> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:38:36",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9334962964057922,
"score": 2.671875,
"token_count": 1020,
"url": "http://www.neworleansonline.com/news/2010/Nov/katrina.html"
} |
Zoologger is our weekly column highlighting extraordinary animals – and occasionally other organisms – from around the world
Step from a sunlit hillside into the darkness of a cave, and you immediately have a problem: you can't see. It's best to stand still for a few minutes until your eyes adjust to the dimness, otherwise you might blunder into a hibernating bear that doesn't appreciate your presence.
The same thing will happen when you leave again: the brightness of the sun will dazzle you at first. That's because your eyes have two types of receptor: one set works in bright light and the other in dim light. Barring a few minutes around sunset, only one set of receptors is ever working at any given time.
Peters' elephantnose fish has no such limitations. Its peculiar eyes allow it to use the two types of receptor at the same time. That could help it to spot predators as they approach through the murky water it calls home.
Peters' elephantnose fish belongs to a large family called the elephantfish, all of which live in Africa. They get their name from the trunk-like protrusions on the front of their heads. But whereas the trunks of elephants are extensions of their noses, the trunks of elephantfish are extensions of their mouths.
To find a Peters' elephantnose fish, you must lurk in muddy, slow-moving water. Look closely, because the fish is brown and so is the background.
It finds its way through the murk using its trunk, which generates a weak electrical field that helps it sense its surroundings and even discriminate between different objects. The fish's electric sense allows it to hunt insect larvae in pitch darkness.
The fish has paid a price for its electrical sensitivity. Processing the signals takes brainpower, so it has an exceptionally large brain. As a result, 60 per cent of the oxygen taken in by the fish goes to its brain. Even humans, with our whopping brains, only devote 20 per cent of our oxygen to them.
Now for its eyes. Most vertebrates, including humans, have two types of light receptors on their retinas: rods and cones. Rods can sense dim light, but become bleached in bright light and stop working. Cones can't see in dim light, but given enough light they can see fine details and colours.
Most animals' eyes are specialised for one or the other. Animals that are active during the day tend to have more cones than nocturnal animals such as foxes. In the human eye, the cones are clustered in a central region called the fovea, where the light is sharply focused, and the rods are outside it. As a result, we have excellent daytime vision and rather poor night vision.
The retina of the Peters' elephantnose fish looks completely different. It is covered with cup-shaped depressions. Around 30 cones sit inside each cup, and a few hundred rods are buried underneath.
Because of the peculiar design of the fish's retina, it was thought to be blind until about 10 years ago, says Andreas Reichenbach of the Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research in Leipzig, Germany. Reichenbach has now worked out what the cups are for.
Each cup has a layer of massive cells that are full of guanine crystals. These form a mirrored surface that amplifies the light intensity within the cups, ensuring that the cones have enough light to work with.
At the same time, because the cups are eating up so much of the light, only a small amount reaches the cones. As a result, both sets of receptors are supplied with the right amount of light.
Yet when Reichenbach tested the fishes' vision, they didn't seem to do very well. For instance, they could only see objects that covered a big swathe of their visual field. If humans had vision that bad, we would miss any object whose width was less than one sixth of a full moon.
However, the Peters' elephantnose fish were very good at spotting large moving objects against a cluttered background – essential for fish that live in dirty water. Presented with a monitor displaying a black stimulus on a white background, they took as long to spot it as goldfish. But when a grey noise pattern – like an untuned TV – was superimposed, the elephantnose fish spotted the stimulus faster than the goldfish.
The fish's ability to see the wood for the trees probably helps it spot incoming predators like catfish. So Reichenbach thinks its oddball visual system isn't a mistake. "It's the right type for this fish," he says.
Journal reference: Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.1218072
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.
Have your say
Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.
Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article
Thu Jun 28 22:15:54 BST 2012 by Freederick
If I understand correctly, each cup-shaped depression serves as a single aggregate receptor, combining the output of all the individual light-sensitive cells comprising it.
In effect, the fish is trading resolution for sensitivity. This is the same sort of effect as used to be employed in high-ISO photographic film, where the larger, flattened grains of photosensitive chemicals resulted in high sensitivity, at the cost of a coarse-grained image.
The fish employs an even more effective method, effectively combining many smaller "grains" into one huge hypersensitive receptor.
All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.
If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support. | <urn:uuid:af338612-8df7-49f3-953a-3be7407dfe41> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:45:03",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9520600438117981,
"score": 3.390625,
"token_count": 1252,
"url": "http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21990-zoologger-fish-with-elephants-nose-and-crystal-eyes.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news"
} |
- 1 hammer
- something hard and resonant (and inanimate) to bang it on
- 1 clock with a second hand
- 1 measuring tape
- 1 helper
- 1 pair of binoculars
Sound travels at 344 metres per second in air at 20 °C. This is slow enough for noises to be noticeably delayed when heard from even quite a short distance. You can use this effect to measure the speed of sound.
Ask your helper to a hit a wall or a piece of metal repeatedly with the hammer, about twice every second. The exact frequency of the beat doesn't matter; it can be measured later. But the beat should be regular.
Now start walking away, looking back from time to time to watch your helper pounding away as you listen to the sound of their hammering. As the distance increases, the delay after each beat before the sound arrives will become longer and longer.
Eventually the delay ...
To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content. | <urn:uuid:b9c9157d-c12e-4d9b-b2f0-ad73f0197497> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:17:18",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9412491917610168,
"score": 3.703125,
"token_count": 218,
"url": "http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15520925.800-take-sixteen-elastic-bands--if-you-can-turn-skies-blue-using-only-water-milk-and-a-flashlight-justthink-what-you-could-do-with-a-cup-of-paprika-and-a-window---.html"
} |
Implant chip will improve care
A local doctor has developed a chip that can be implanted in artificial knees, hips or other prosthetics that will relay medical information about the patient.
Dr. Lee Berger, an orthopedic surgeon, developed the technology after frequent experiences with patients who did not remember the information needed to get proper follow-up care.
"Ortho-Tag" is a wireless chip imbedded in the prosthetic that contains information about a patient, implant, and procedure. A handheld receiver allows physicians to access information about their patient.
"A patient could just have all information necessary for care available in their implant," said Berger, who has been affiliated with St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center for 25 years and The Valley Hospital for 15 in addition to having his own private practice in Fair Lawn.
The Ortho-tag still has to be approved by the FDA.
"We hope to have it out between six months to a year" said Berger.
Berger described the possibilities available with this technology, including accelerometers which measure movement of the implant for use during physical therapy. No longer will doctors have to deal with inaccurate results.
"Instead of being subjective, we can be objective," Berger said.
The tags will also contain information that the patient wants included. Each tag holds "as much as a book" according to Berger.
The handheld probe was invented by Berger and designed in the laboratory of Marlin Mickle, Professor and Director of the University of Pittsburgh RFID Center of Excellence. | <urn:uuid:17c1dff3-2695-4dd4-8ca9-4251d547ff85> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:45:07",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9629943370819092,
"score": 2.96875,
"token_count": 312,
"url": "http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/125793113_Implant_chip_will_improve_care.html"
} |
Keynote address: Research Agenda and Policy Perspectives on Agriculture for Development
The keynote address of the conference, by Justin Lin, the chief economist at the World Bank, focuses on future research priorities and the process of implementing the policy objectives of the 2008 World Development Report, "Agriculture for Development." Justin Lin is the Chief Economist of the World Bank.
This lesson plan should be used for grades 5-7 to help practice, learn, and implement the scientific method, using a self-directed study.
Try Dutch! : Dutch Language Taster
Interested in Dutch? Curious how Dutch sounds? Wondering how difficult or easy it is? Perhaps you are thinking of studying Dutch? Then here is your opportunity to have a go at the language yourself and experience what it is like to learn Dutch from scratch. You can work through the pack all by yourself. No knowledge of Dutch is required.
UCL Grant Museum of Zoology Eutherians image collection
This is a set of images taken from a teaching resource created at University College London, in collaboration with their museum of zoology. They are primarily along the themes of phylogeny (evolutionary history) and functional anatomy. The images are hosted in the UK Centre for Bioscience's ImageBank.
From Ideas to Intellectual Property (materials)
This zipped file contains all of the materials that made up the "How to extract value from Intellectual Property pt 1". Inside the file is a narrative, the full PowerPoint slide and cc licence information for all the clip art and materials that have been used. There are audio files that also can be used under the creative commons. The relevant attribution and sources for the materials can be found in the .ppt of the lecture.
Nuclear and Particle Physics
A third year course in Nuclear and Particle Physics. Could do with a few LHC updates. Contains lecture notes, examples, ... as well as the files used to create these resources. Also has some movies of nuclear collective motion. Discusses: 1 Introduction 2 A history of particle physics 3 Experimental tools 4 Nuclear Masses 5 Nuclear models 6 Some basic concepts of theoretical particle physics 7 The fundamental forces 8 Symmetries and particle physics 9 Symmetries of the theory of strong
HumBox: Keywords/Tags matches "oerprs"
HumBox: Keywords/Tags matches "oerprs" Feed 1
Introduction to microeconomics
This is a module framework. It can be viewed online or downloaded as a zip file. As taught Semester 1 2009/2010. There are no pre-requisites to taking this module and in particular there is no assumption of any prior knowledge of economics. For those who have taken A-level economics or any other version of economics some of the module content will appear familiar to you. However, the methods of analysis and the approach to teaching will quite probably be very different to anything experienced be
HathiTrust Digital Library Homeopathy The Meanings of Timbuktu Lolita with Imraan Coovadia The Wager Lost By Winning: on the 'Triumph' of the Just War Tradition Duke on Demand Highlights for the Week of November 7, 2010 CK-12 Biology (CA Textbook) Private Universe Project in Mathematics: Workshop 5. Building on Useful Ideas 'Til the Last Drop: Johns Hopkins Addresses the Global Water Challenge Education 320: Teaching PE & Health, Elementary Education - Group Presentations cont. Learn about US President Theodore Roosevelt 1858 - 1919
This volume authored by leading international scholars begin s to sketch the meaning of Timbuktu within the context of the intellectual history of West Africa in particular and of the African continent in general The book covers four broad areas Part I provides an introduction to the region outlines what archaeology can tell us of its history examines the paper and various calligraphic styles used in the manuscripts and explains how ancient institutions of scholarship functioned Part II begins t
Acclaimed novelist Imraan Coovadia spoke at UCT Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts GIPCA Great Texts Big Questions public lecture on Thursday 1 April He discussed How to read Lolita. Written by Vladimir Nabokov Lolita was first published in Paris in 1955 It is one of the best known and most controversial books of 20th Century literature Coovadia says I will be talking about the Lolita problem How do we respond to a book which is a first person narrative by a man who is trying to s
Lecture delivered on the 19th of October 2010, part of the ELAC/CCW Seminar Series on War and Armed Conflict. Delivered by Professor Nicholas Rengger (St Andrews). Introduced by Jennifer Welsh
This week in Duke on Demand, during a session in Duke's Baldwin Auditorium, Duke alumnus Yizheng He gets a "Master Class" lesson from concert pianist and visiting artist Awadagin Pratt. Professor Misha Angrist discusses the science behind -- and experience of -- having his entire genome sequenced. A conversation at Duke's John Hope Franklin Center on the local food movement in Durham. And, an "Office Hours" webcast conversation on prison and African-American literature.
As a teacher, have you ever felt that your textbook was not thorough or up-to-date? Do you have to use other resources, such as on-line resources, to teach your lessons? As a student, do you believe you can get current information from sources such as the internet rather than your textbook? The answer to these questions is usually a resounding yes. So what do school districts do? They spend millions of dollars every year to buy “current,” “up-to-date” textbooks. CK12 believes we can do
One of the strands of the Rutgers long-term study was to find out how useful ideas spread through a community of learners and evolve over time. Here, the focus is on the teachers role in fostering thoughtful mathematics.,EnglewoodFourth Grade: Towers Fourth-grade teacher Blanche Young attempts the Towers activity for the first time with her students. She feels that their work is valuable, but questions how much time these open-ended activities are taking away from the standard curriculum.
Johns Hopkins University scientists and policy makers evaluate key factors contributing to the global water issue.
Class Session 7, recorded November 5, 2010. Note: Class Session 6 was not recorded.
President Theodore Roosevelt biography. This is a very short video that gives some data about his assuming of the presidency.
The Meanings of Timbuktu
Lolita with Imraan Coovadia
The Wager Lost By Winning: on the 'Triumph' of the Just War Tradition
Duke on Demand Highlights for the Week of November 7, 2010
CK-12 Biology (CA Textbook)
Private Universe Project in Mathematics: Workshop 5. Building on Useful Ideas
'Til the Last Drop: Johns Hopkins Addresses the Global Water Challenge
Education 320: Teaching PE & Health, Elementary Education - Group Presentations cont.
Learn about US President Theodore Roosevelt 1858 - 1919 | <urn:uuid:cf03611a-6112-405f-b726-f306a2d9b68c> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:13:45",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9170997738838196,
"score": 2.875,
"token_count": 1454,
"url": "http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/xpert/scoreresults.php?keywords=Politics%20in%2060%20seconds.%20History%20and%20th&start=7480&end=7500"
} |
John Keiling (active 1720), Known as 'Blind Jack'; played the flegeolet with his nose
Sitter associated with 1 portrait
After losing his sight John Keiling, known as Blind Jack, ensured his livelihood by learning to play the flageolet. He conceived the notion that by playing on the instrument in a novel way to that generally practised, he should render himself more noticed by the public, and be able to levy larger contributions on their pockets. The manner of Blind Jack's playing the flageolet was by obtruding the mouth-piece of the instrument up one of his nostrils, through practice he could produce as much wind as most others with their lips into the pipe but the continued contortion and gesticulation of his muscles and countenance rendered him an object of derision and disgust, as much as that of charity and commiseration. | <urn:uuid:0bc37070-cc62-43d2-939e-056e53259369> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:27:28",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9898093938827515,
"score": 3.296875,
"token_count": 183,
"url": "http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person.php?LinkID=mp92928"
} |
A combine harvests rice near Tucker, Ark., as consumer groups pressure the FDA to set federal standards on arsenic in rice.
A combine harvests rice near Tucker, Ark., as consumer groups pressure the FDA to set federal standards on arsenic in rice. Danny Johnston/AP
Scientists have known for a long time that rice — often babies' first food and the staple of much of the world's diet — is good at absorbing inorganic arsenic from soil during the growing process.
Two separate analyses, one by Consumer Reports and one by the Food and Drug Administration, have raised concerns that we might be getting too much of this known human carcinogen in our diets.
Based on its findings, Consumer Reports is calling on the FDA to set federal standards of arsenic in rice. And the agency is weighing its options.
One of the issues is that there are no federal standards for arsenic in food, although the federal government does impose a 10 parts per billion (ppb) limit for arsenic in drinking water.
Consumer Reports found varying levels of arsenic in more than 200 samples of rice products, from cold cereals like Rice Krispies, where researchers found 85 to 90 ppb, to crackers, to rice-based beverages and infant rice cereals, where traces of arsenic were in the 150-250 ppb range.
"There's no question that one serving of a lot of the rice products that we looked at would give you 50 percent to 90 percent of what you would get from drinking a liter of water at the 10 ppb drinking water limit," explains Urvashi Rangan, director of consumer safety and sustainability at Consumer Reports.
So what's a concerned consumer to do?
Based on the available data, the FDA says consumers don't need to change their consumption of rice and rice products right now.
"We believe it would be premature for the FDA to recommend modifying diets because of arsenic levels until a more thorough analysis is completed," FDA spokesperson Carla Daniels told us in an email.
The USA Rice Federation, which represents growers, says it supports the federal government's effort to look at this issue. But, according to Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd, senior communications director, there is not enough scientific information to form the basis for a standard.
"At this point, we need to gather more scientific evidence in order to determine what the standard should be," she says.
The Rice Federation points out that there is no documented evidence of health problems from exposure to arsenic in U.S.-grown rice.
But this does not negate concerns about long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic. Studies in other countries, including Chile and Argentina, found links between high levels of arsenic in drinking water and lung and bladder cancer.
Researchers at Dartmouth Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center have begun looking into possible health effects. As my colleague Nancy Shute reported earlier this year, Dartmouth researchers found particularly high amounts of arsenic in brown rice syrup — a sugar substitute used in foods aimed at young children and vegans.
So, as the FDA suggests, don't stop eating rice or rice-based products. It may be wise to mix up your diet, though, and if you're concerned, you can change the way you cook rice.
Consumer Reports says you may be able to cut exposure to inorganic arsenic by using LOTS of water when you cook it. It recommends six parts water to one part rice, and draining the excess water off.
The Environmental Working Group suggests trying different grains and introducing babies to foods like sweet potatoes and squash instead of rice cereals.
Some governments are going even further. In the United Kingdom, the parents of toddlers and preschool children are advised to limit rice milk due to the levels of arsenic. | <urn:uuid:29743c6d-12d6-434f-a769-cc8f65c8cb93> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:38:03",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9568977355957031,
"score": 3.125,
"token_count": 762,
"url": "http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/09/19/161403235/fda-weighs-federal-standard-to-limit-exposure-to-arsenic-in-rice?ft=3&f=1053"
} |
Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings
Situated in the ruggedly beautiful Nez Perce country, which encompasses 12,000 square miles of northern Idaho, this new and unique park allows today's traveler to see the land almost as Lewis and Clark described it well over a century and a half ago. Scene of many colorful and significant events in the history of the Rocky Mountain frontier, the park interprets the prehistory, history, and culture of the Nez Perce Indians, including their religion; missionary efforts among them; the Lewis and Clark Expedition; the invasion of fur traders, miners, and settlers; and the Nez Perce War (1877).
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, on their westward journey in 1805, were the first white men to contact the hospitable Nez Perces. In 1811 they also aided a small group of Astorians, a section of the overland party, who passed through the area on their way to found a fur post near the mouth of the Columbia River. The next year, personnel from Fort Astoria established trade relations with the Nez Perces, and other American and British traders soon visited them.
In 1836 the Reverend and Mrs. Henry H. (Eliza) Spalding, the first U.S. missionaries to the Nez Perces, arrived. On Lapwai Creek they founded a sister mission to the Whitman (Waiilatpu) Mission. The latter had been established the same year among the Cayuse Indians, about 110 miles farther west, in present Washington, by their fellow American Board missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. Two years later the Spaldings moved their mission about 2 miles down the creek to its juncture with the Clearwater River.
The Spaldings made only limited progress in converting their charges to Christianity and persuading them to abandon nomadic hunting in favor of sedentary farming. Jeopardizing their efforts was Spaldings defensively critical attitude toward the other missionaries, especially the Whitmans. The personalities of the two men clashed, and Spalding's philosophy of missionary work resulted in arguments with his fellow workers.
Spalding nevertheless built the first white home, church, school, flour mill, sawmill, blacksmith shop, and loom in Idaho. In 1839 the mission received the first printing press in the Pacific Northwest, donated by American Board missionaries in Honolulu. This press, today in the museum of the Oregon Historical Society, printed the first books in the Nez Perce language, as well as one in the Spokan tongue. For this purpose, the missionaries devised phonetic renderings of the languages.
At the time of the massacre at the Whitman Mission, in November 1847, Spalding closed his mission and he and his wife moved to the Willamette Valley. In later years they returned to the Nez Perce country, where he taught school and preached until he died in 1874.
Despite the Cayuse animosity, relations between the Americans and the Nez Perces remained good until the 1860's, when miners and settlers poured into their ancestral homeland of north-central Idaho, northeastern Oregon, and southeastern Washington. In 1863 most of them reluctantly agreed to a major reduction in their reservation, to north-central Idaho. But for years several bands, known as the nontreaty Nez Perces, lived outside the reservation and resisted Army and Indian Bureau attempts to confine them with their acquiescent brethren. In 1876 a committee appointed by the Secretary of the Interior met with representatives of the two factions at the Lapwai Agency, Idaho, and later recommended to the Government the use of force if necessary to move the recalcitrants onto the reservation. Finally, under duress, in 1877 they began to migrate there. En route in June a few revengeful warriors murdered some settlers along the Salmon River south of the reservation. Brig. Gen. Oliver O. Howard, in charge of the relocation, sent two companies of cavalry under Capt. David Perry, from Fort Lapwai, Idaho, to restore order.
The warriors who had committed the murders belonged to a group camped on Camas Prairie, who subsequently moved to White Bird Canyon. As the troops rode down the canyon on June 17 toward the camp, about 60 or 70 of the Indians took cover at a point between the camp and the approaching soldiers, and the Battle of White Bird Canyon broke out. Assaulted vigorously on the flanks, Perry's men retreated in disorder up the canyon. Thirty-four of them died, but not a single one of their opponents. The victory here proved to be the Indians' undoing, for it emboldened them to follow a course of defiance that eventually resulted in the destruction of their power. A series of skirmishes ensued between troopers and various Nez Perce bands that culminated in the Battle of the Clearwater, on July 11-12.
That battle was indecisive, but it marked the beginning of an epic fighting retreat by the Indians in an effort to find a haven in Montana or, as they knew Sitting Bull had done, in Canada. The episode is one of the more dramatic in the long struggle of the U.S. Government to force the Indians off lands coveted by white settlers and confine them to ever-diminishing reservations.
The leaders of the march were Chief Joseph, later the statesman-diplomat of his people; Frog (Ollokot), his brother; Chief White Bird; Chief Looking Glass; Chief Sound (Toohoolhoolzote); and Chief Rainbow. They guided 700 people with their possessions, transported by thousands of horses, across the Bitterroot Mountains over the Lolo Trail, the route of their past annual treks to the buffalo range in Montana. In 2-1/2 months they were to travel 1,700 miles, trying to avoid conflict whenever possible, either dodging or fending off the 2,000 troops trying to catch them. Although impeded by many women and children, they evaded General Howard's pursuing party of cavalry and hopelessly outdistanced his slow-moving infantry and artillery. Once across the trail, the Indians headed southward and then slightly eastward. Losing men and resources at the Battle of the Big Hole, Mont., they passed through Yellowstone National Park and turned northward but met disaster at the Battle of Bear Paw Mountains, Mont., in the fall of 1877.
During the campaign about 120 Indians had died and 88 had been wounded. They killed about 180 whites and wounded 150. Confined at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., between November 1877 and July 1878 and enduring much suffering because of the abysmal conditions, the Nez Perces were then exiled to a reservation in Indian Territory and not allowed to return to the Pacific Northwest until 1885.
Nez Perce National Historical Park, authorized by Congress in 1965 and in the initial phase of development when this volume went to press, represents a new concept in a national park. It is a joint venture of the National Park Service, other governmental agencies, the State of Idaho, the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee, private organizations, and individuals. Of the 24 sites involved, 20 will remain in the hands of their present owners or under a protective scenic easement. Folders available to visitors at National Park Service units give exact locations of all sites and routing information.
The National Park Service administers four major sites: Spalding, East Kamiah, White Bird Battlefield, and Canoe Camp. At Spalding are a Nez Perce campsite of archeological significance; the remains of the Spalding (Lapwai) Mission (1838-47), consisting of traces of the millrace and ruins of two chimneys; site of the original Lapwai Indian Agency (1855-84) for the Nez Perces; a Nez Perce cemetery, where a large tombstone marks the graves of Henry and Eliza Spalding; and Watson's Store, a typical general store of the 1910-15 period that served the Nez Perces until only a few years ago. Extensive archeological excavation is planned at Spalding.
In 1992 an additional 14 sites were added in the adjoining states of Oregon, Washington, and Montana. The 38 sites of Nez Perce National Historical Park have been designated to commemorate the stories and history of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) and their interaction with explorers, fur traders, missionaries, soldiers, settlers, gold miners, and farmers who moved through or into the area.
A prominent feature at East Kamiah is the "Heart of the Monster," a rocky hump protruding from the level valley to a height of 50 to 60 feet that figures strongly in Nez Perce mythology. Also situated at East Kamiah is the McBeth House, a small framehouse that was the residence of missionaries Susan and Kate McBeth in the 1870's. White Bird Battlefield was the site of the first battle of the Nez Perce War, on June 17, 1877. Canoe Camp, a 3-acre roadside park along the bank of the Clearwater River, was the location of a Lewis and Clark campsite in 1805.
Many of the 20 sites (expanded to 38 sites in 1992) among the non-Park Service group are related to the phases of history treated in this volume. Fort Lapwai, the Army's major post in Nez Perce country, was founded by Volunteers in 1862 about 3 miles south of the Clearwater River in the Lapwai Valley. The post prevented clashes between Indians and whites on the Nez Perce Reservation, and played a prominent role in the Nez Perce War. Made a subpost of Fort Walla Walla. Wash., in 1884, Fort Lapwai was abandoned the following year and became the headquarters of the Nez Perce Indian Agency. In recent years this agency was replaced by the Northern Idaho Indian Agency, which serves all the northern Idaho tribes. The parade ground may still be seen, as well as a frame officers' quarters on its southwestern corner, now used by the Indian agency staff, and the stables.
Two natural formations east of Lewiston, Coyote's Fishnet and Ant and Yellow Jacket, are associated with Nez Perce legend and mythology. Weippe Prairie, a National Historic Landmark because of its relationship with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was a favorite place for the Nez Perces to gather camas roots, an important part of their food supply. At this place Lewis and Clark, descending the Bitterroots in 1805, first encountered the tribe.
At the site of the city of Pierce, a prospecting party headed by E. D. Pierce made the first significant gold discovery in Idaho in 1860. The ensuing gold rush brought thousands of miners and settlers onto Nez Perce lands and within 3 years resulted in the creation of Idaho Territory. Two engagements of the Nez Perce War are commemorated at other cooperative park units; the site of the Cottonwood Skirmishes and Clearwater Battlefield. On the steep bluffs overlooking the Clearwater River are remains of stone breastworks used by Indians and soldiers during the Battle of the Clearwater. Also associated with the Nez Perce War and Nez Perce culture is Camas Prairie, a plateau-valley in the heart of the Nez Perce country, indicated by a highway marker. Once a sea of blue-flowered camas and grass, it was the place where the warriors who murdered the settlers on the Salmon River were camped with their group before it moved to White Bird Canyon.
The Lolo Trail, Idaho-Montana, a National Historic Landmark described separately in this volume, was the traditional route of the Nez Perces across the Bitterroot Mountains to their buffalo hunting grounds in Montana and the avenue of the non-treaty faction of the tribe in 1877. It was also the westward and eastward route of Lewis and Clark in 1805 and 1806. Some other sites in the park area, much of which is located within the boundaries of the historic Nez Perce Indian Reservation, are associated with missionary activities among the tribe.
Last Updated: 19-Aug-2005 | <urn:uuid:307056fa-dc6d-476a-9d07-3cba985824fe> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:12:14",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9602420926094055,
"score": 3.125,
"token_count": 2522,
"url": "http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/soldier/sitea12.htm"
} |
Historic Hudson River Cleanup to Begin After Years of Delay, But Will GE Finish the Job?
Under the EPA's unusual agreement with General Electric, the company could escape full responsibility for cleaning up the toxic mess it made in the Hudson River.
After 30 years of struggle, it seemed that the concerns of local people had finally triumphed over corporate interests in one of the signature battles of the modern environmental movement -- the fight to remove toxic PCBs from New York's Hudson River. In 2002 a landmark EPA decision spurred General Electric, the company that had dumped as many as 1.3 million pounds of cancer-causing PCBs into the Hudson, to create a plan to remove its toxic mess from the river. This historic victory is now tinged with uncertainty, as the EPA and GE have reached a settlement that allows the company to back out after removing only 10 percent of the contaminated sediment targeted for removal, leaving the remainder of the cleanup in doubt.
PCBs are still leaching into the Hudson from GE's Hudson Falls plant.
Polychlorinated biphenyls, the cancer-causing chemicals commonly known as PCBs, were used in a number of industrial processes until the federal government banned them in 1977. PCBs have been linked to reproductive problems and developmental disorders as well as cancer. Humans are exposed to PCBs primarily through eating contaminated fish. Once consumed, PCBs remain in the body, accumulating in fatty tissues.
From 1947 to 1977, GE dumped as many as 1.3 million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson, turning a 197-mile stretch of the river into the nation's largest Superfund site. Even today, PCBs still leak into the river from GE's Hudson Falls plant. Under Superfund law, polluters are responsible for cleaning up the messes they make. Yet for years, GE fought the development of a cleanup plan with every tool it could buy, lobbying Congress, attacking the Superfund law in court, and launching a media blitz to spread disinformation about the usefulness of the cleanup, claiming that dredging the river would actually stir up PCBs.
But advocates for the Hudson River stood firm, exposing the scientific holes in GE's claims; the public relations campaign failed to sway residents of the valley, and GE's lobbying efforts failed to move the EPA. The 2002 decision, which spurred GE to design a plan to remove 800 Olympic swimming pools worth of toxic muck from the river, was a landmark victory for the environment, and a blow to corporate polluters hoping to evade their cleanup responsibilities.
GE, however, has been dragging its feet on carrying out the cleanup. Dredging was slated to begin in 2005, but GE has repeatedly requested delays, pushing the start back to 2009. And in October of 2005, the EPA changed tack, rewarding GE's foot-dragging by striking a backroom deal that allowed GE to commit only to completing the first phase of cleanup -- a mere 10 percent of the job. Environmental advocates and government scientists expressed concerns that the agreement would not even ensure adequate performance of that initial phase of the cleanup. Under the Freedom of Information Act, NRDC obtained records spelling out the detailed bases for these scientists' concerns, and filed suit against the EPA and the Department of Justice to compel them to release additional records they had refused to provide.
Despite the controversy, top federal officials pressed ahead with the agreement and, at their request, a federal court formally signed off on the EPA-GE settlement in late 2006. Although GE has now begun some of the preparatory work for the cleanup, it continues to challenge the EPA over important details, and to press a federal lawsuit challenging the EPA's authority to require GE in the future to complete the second phase of the cleanup. If GE ultimately backs out of Phase 2, taxpayers would have to foot the bill to clean up GE's mess, face protracted legal battles with GE to require the company to complete the job (delaying any eventual cleanup by many years), or else be forced to live with a polluted river indefinitely. Much of the upper Hudson is already closed to fishing, and south of Troy, New York, women of childbearing age and children are advised not to eat fish at all. And the pollution is spreading, continually moving downriver from Albany.
NRDC and its coalition partners continue to track the situation, and remain prepared to take all available steps to ensure that GE conducts a full and thorough cleanup of the river it polluted.
last revised 3/23/2007
Sign up for NRDC's online newsletter
Water on Switchboard
NRDC experts write about water efficiency, green infrastructure and climate on the NRDC blog.
Recent Water Posts
- New Draft Fracking Rules Give Industry a Free Pass
- posted by Frances Beinecke, 5/17/13
- Voices for America's Wildlife - Fishermen Know that Protecting Endangered Salmon Protects Fishing Jobs
- posted by Doug Obegi, 5/16/13
- How Are California's Existing Water Management Issues Impacted by Climate Change?
- posted by Ben Chou, 5/15/13
NRDC Gets Top Ratings from the Charity Watchdogs
- Charity Navigator awards NRDC its 4-star top rating.
- Worth magazine named NRDC one of America's 100 best charities.
- NRDC meets the highest standards of the Wise Giving Alliance of the Better Business Bureau. | <urn:uuid:86cdce28-4a65-499f-af2c-9ad88f376937> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:32:11",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9493073225021362,
"score": 3,
"token_count": 1098,
"url": "http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/hhudson.asp"
} |
MAT670 Theory Best Practice Teaching
Lead Faculty: Dr. Linda Ventriglia-Nava
Covers theories and research on Best Practices in education. Best Practice research on effective schools emphasizes: classroom instructional practices, classroom management, school organization and planning, strategies for linguistically and culturally diverse students to access the core curriculum, instructional leadership, teaching environment, teaching strategies, peer assistance, peer review process and parent and community support.
- Explain the difference between expert teachers and experienced teachers.
- Explain How to Teach More Faster and Teach for Transfer.
- Discuss the research on Best Practices and the implications for optimum learning and accelerated achievement.
- Implement Best Practice teaching strategies in their classrooms across subject areas.
- Apply Best Practices to standards-based content instruction.
- Discuss how teaching for transfer helps English language learners.
- Create an interactive lesson using the strategies reinforcing, nonlinguistic representations, cooperative learning, generating and testing hypotheses, higher level questioning, cueing, using advanced organizers, summarizing and taking notes.
- Create a lesson plan using the nine Best Practices outlined in Classroom Instruction that Works. | <urn:uuid:12dd593f-ae2d-406e-8d89-875dafb266ed> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:32:45",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8406075239181519,
"score": 3.109375,
"token_count": 228,
"url": "http://www.nu.edu/OurPrograms/SchoolOfEducation/TeacherEducation/Courses/MAT670.html"
} |
|National Weather Service|
Contents: About, Graph, Status Maps, History Button, Credits
To use this website, click on the appropriate REGION. This will update the list of STATIONS and show a "Status Map" for that region. Click on your desired station, either on the map or in the list of STATIONS. This will bring up a graph of the total water level, as well as a text file that contains the numbers used in the graph.
The graph combines several sources of data to produce a total water level prediction. To do so, it graphs the observed water levels in comparison to the predicted tide and predicted surge before the current time. This allows it to compute the "Anomaly". The "Anomaly" is the amount of water that was not predicted by either the tide or the storm surge model. This "Anomaly" is averaged over 5 days, and is then added to the future predictions of the tide and storm surge to predict the Total Water Level.Example:
The first thing one notices is that there are two magenta vertical lines. The earlier one is when the storm surge model was run. It is run at 0Z and 12Z every day and the text form is available at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/marine/etsurge.htm. The later magenta line is when the graph was generated. It is currently being generated 15 minutes after the top of every hour. (This is also the date that follows the label.)
The next thing one notices are the horizontal lines labeled MLLW, MSL, MHHW, and MAT. These stand for the Mean Lower Low Water, Mean Sea Level, Mean Higher High Water, and Maximum Astronomical Tide. MAT was computed using our tide model, by computing the maximum of the predicted value for every hour (on the hour) for 19 years. The thought is that there is probably flooding if the total water level crosses MAT. The other datums came from http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/data_res.html.
One might next notice the red observation line. This is based on data attained from Tides Online . Please see their Disclaimer for information as to the quality of these observations. If there is no red line, then either Tides Online does not have data for that station, or there has been a communications break down. In this case, the graph computes an anomaly based on what data it has, or sets it to 0. Then it predicts the total water level for all hours, or after the last of any observations it does have.
The next thing of interest is the blue Tide line. This is the astronomical tide at every hour. The Harmonic Constants used were obtained from http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/data_res.html.
We then note the gold storm surge curve, which is created by "pasting" one 48 hour prediction to the next 48 hour prediction. That is, using 12 hours from each prediction until the last prediction where we use 48 hours. The result is that we may generate kinks in the curve every 12 hours, where the model adjusted its prediction based on new data from the GFS wind model.
Next we note the green curve, which is the "Anomaly" referred to above. This is simply the observation - (tide + storm surge). Preferably it is constant. The amount of deviation from a constant is an approximation of our error. Since we add the 5 day average of this value to our prediction, the perfect forecast does not have to have a zero Anomaly.
Finally we see the black forecast curve. This is what we are really interested in, which is the total water level created by adding the 5 day average anomaly to the predicted tide, and the predicted storm surge.
The history button allows one to see how the model has done over the last day or so. It displays 3 graphs. The first one is the current graph based on the current model run, and the current observations. The second graph is the last graph generated using the last model run. The third graph is the last graph generated using the next to last model run. This gives a view of the model over the last 24 to 36 hours depending on when the current time is.
To print this page out (Netscape instructions) it is recommended that you right click on the history frame and choose "Open Frame in New Window". Then choose page setup, and set the top and bottom margins to 0. Then choose print, and preferably send it to a color printer, (although a black and white does work). The result should be 3 graphs on the same page.
We would like to thank the following people/organizations: | <urn:uuid:2ef9c003-396e-4752-b9a6-dcc3dae7c434> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:44:21",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9218428730964661,
"score": 3.171875,
"token_count": 985,
"url": "http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/etsurge/index.php?page=manual®ion=wc&datum=msl&list=&map=0-48&type=map&stn=valews"
} |
Historical events were always very important in Tintin’s stories. During his first adventure, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (1929), Tintin travels to Russia. After the October Revolution in 1917 and a five-year civil war, Stalin had succeeded Lenin in 1924. He accelerated industrialization and his political police terrified the population. Moreover, the country was ravaged by famine. At that time, Westerners were frightened of “Bolsheviks” and Hergé worked for a right-wing Catholic anticommunist newspaper, Le XXè Siècle. Tintin in the Land of the Soviets only reflected people’s mentality of that time. Hergé denounced fake factories that misled western journalists, arbitrary arrests, false elections,1 torture in prison, abandoned children, and so on.
Five years later, in 1934, Tintin went to China which was the victim of Japanese imperialism. Since 1931, Japanese troops had occupied parts of the Chinese mainland. Hergé based his story upon the events of the time. For example, in The Blue Lotus, he found his inspiration in the blowing-up of the South Manchurian railway, which brought about the Japanese invasion of China and ultimately Japan’s resignation from the League of Nations in 1933. Hergé reproduced all these events in The Blue Lotus. He had been made aware of China’s situation by Chang and he opposed Japan, which was in opposition to the pro-Japanese western position. It was the first time he has taken so much interest in international events. Less partisan, the presentation of Palestine is different in the three versions of Tintin in the Land of Black Gold. Hergé never finished the first which takes place entirely in Palestine, because the Second World War broke out. In the second version, published in 1949, he referred to the struggle of Jewish organizations against the British occupier. But in 1969, British editors put pressure on Hergé and he removed these allusions. This last version thereby lost its historical aspect.
Thanks to his narrative techniques, Hergé referred to events that are normally not treated in comic strips. His method was complex, nevertheless one of his favorite tools was the imaginary country. Tintin travels twice to the first imaginary country created by Hergé, San Theodoros. Here, in The Broken Ear, the political context was inspired by the Gran Chaco War, a bloody conflict - resulting in 100,000 deaths - between Bolivia and Paraguay, which began in 1932,2 then in Tintin and the Picaros, Hergé illustrated the economic and political situation in South America.
Syldavia and Borduria are the most successful of Hergé’s imaginary countries. These “East European metaphors” recall two critical periods of the twentieth century.3 The two countries first appeared in King Ottokar’s Sceptre, in 1938. Since 1933, Germany had threatened Austria, and on March 11, 1938, German troops had invaded the little country. These events were recent when the serialization of King Ottokar’s Sceptre began. In fact, Syldavia is the synthesis of three real countries. First, the conspiracy and the “fifth column” infiltrated into Syldavia represent the conspiracy against Austria. Second, its old conflict with Borduria, its architecture and its language have Polish characteristics. And third, geography and history resemble these of Romania. Likewise, Borduria is similar to Germany. For example, they both invaded their neighbour, Syldavia and Poland on several occasions. Moreover, the name of the pro-Bordurian party’s leader, “Müsstler”, seems to be a synthesis of Mussolini and Hitler.4 Uniforms that look like SS uniforms, and planes that are very similar to Messerschmit 109E fighters,5 are other signs of Hergé’s aim: to describe and denounce an Anschluss. Sixteen years later, Syldavia and Borduria were back in The Calculus Affair (1954-1956) during the Cold War. In Europe, the situation had been very tense since 1946, a situation worsened by the Berlin blockade, the Korean war and the Warsaw Pact. The arms race speeded up and the first H-bomb was exploded in 1953. Spying was intense. In The Calculus Affair, many elements refer to the events of the period. Tensions between the two countries appear to have been inspired by the situation between the two Germanys. Moreover, the personality cult of Plekszy-Gladz, the Bordurian president, resembled Stalin’s personality cult.6 Finally, with its architecture and the methods of its police, Borduria is similar to a country of the eastern bloc. Syldavia and Borduria could easily represent the confrontation between the two blocs, as they represented in the past the conflict between western democracies and Germany.7
Through imaginary countries, like Syldavia and San Theodoros, and direct allusion to real events, Hergé showed a concern for accurate explanations that had consequences in the perception of Tintin stories. Many adults read Tintin a long time after they discover his adventures, maybe because they did not completely understand the historical context during their childhood. But some questions about the perception of Tintin stories still exist. How would a child who does not know anything about history interpret the context of King Ottokar’s Sceptre, for example? How would a young Japanese interpret the political situation in The Blue Lotus? Nevertheless, enormous sales of Tintin’s stories - more than 120 million copies in 40 languages8 - show that allusions to historical events do not affect the success. Events were seen through Belgian eyes, but the hero travels the whole world and he is extremely open-minded. Nationality, language and religion have little significance, because a reader of Tintin’s adventures can always identify with the reporter. Hergé said “There are clearly reasons for this success since it has lasted so long and continues to grow. Well then?… It’s like a flowing stream, but what is its nature?… I receive, for example, a lot of mail from India. Here in the office are two letters from Calcutta. Now, what can there be in common between a boy in Calcutta and myself?… That’s something I am still asking myself without finding an answer.”9 His allusions to historical events may be one of the explanations. | <urn:uuid:4e91899b-903f-4eee-9e39-0e6efc0fe4f2> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:25:07",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.967259407043457,
"score": 3.03125,
"token_count": 1369,
"url": "http://www.oberle.org/tintin/history/historian/"
} |
|Antiques Digest||Browse Auctions||Appraisal||Antiques And Arts News||Home|
The Art Of Conversation:
Introduction To Conversation
Principles Of Conversation
If You Can Talk Well
Culture By Conversation
Rules For Conversation
Reflections On Conversation
Happiness Through Conversation
Conversation And Courtesy
( Originally Published 1913 )
Several epochs in modern history have been productive of brilliant conversationalists. In Shakespeare's time, for example, we know that congenial spirits found greatest pleasure in conversing and it may be taken for granted that a keen wit and ready response characterized the sparkling flow of language.
Dr. Johnson and his coterie of friends passed many delightful hours in interchange of ideas at the coffee houses; if it be said that it happened frequently that Johnson talked and the rest listened, it must be remembered that good conversation presupposes sympathetic listeners as well as clever talkers. Johnson's expression for having spent a pleasant evening invariably was: "We had a good talk." To a friend who would lead him away to inviting country scenes, this lover of men had an answer ready: "When you have seen one lane, you've seen all lanes. I like men. Come, let us walk down Piccadilly." This profound interest in humanity doubtless accounts for the delight he found in mingling with them and extracting their differences and similarities of thought.
During the empire in France, the salons were filled with men and women who talked well. Madame de Stael, although never looked upon favorably by Napoleon, was always the center of brilliant conversation.
It is frequently said that this art is passing away. One who scans the prevalent articles written to advise debutantes upon entrance into society would think it might. Their bur den is: "Talk, talk, talk-no matter whether you say anything or not." The cynic might well observe that one generation of adherence to such counsel would bring to all conversational efforts a well deserved end. But not so; the old maxim about not being able to mislead all the people all of the time prevails; there are those remaining who have matters to talk about and who can talk of them acceptably on any occasion. However, it must be admitted that the profusion of light literature and circulating journals have removed the necessity of finding easiest diversion in discussions and in chat.
Selfishness lies at the bottom of present day disinclination to enter often into converse with others; intent upon personal concerns, each has less desire to make himself agreeable than was the case before life became so strenuous and competitive. Unless men can talk with some hope of gain, for the promotion of business interests or personal advantage, they evince less eagerness to carry on prolonged conversations than did the men of Johnson's generation.
The present ebb in the conversational tide has drawn out much timely criticism which has its attraction for the opening years of the new century. | <urn:uuid:0b4044a6-2bd3-40a2-81f7-1e482630802b> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:30:52",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9587027430534363,
"score": 2.859375,
"token_count": 599,
"url": "http://www.oldandsold.com/articles04/conversation1.shtml"
} |
Unix Power Tools
by Jerry Peek
Trapping Exits Caused by Interrupts
If you're running a shell script and you press your interrupt key (like CTRL-c), the shell quits right away. That can be a problem if you use temporary files in your script because the sudden exit might leave the temporary files there. The trap command lets you tell the shell what to do before it exits. A trap can be used for a normal exit, too. See Table 1.
Here's a script named zpg that uses a temporary file named /tmp/zpg$$ in a system temporary-file directory. The shell will replace $$ with its process ID number. Because no other process will have the same ID number, that file should have a unique name. The script uncompresses the file named on its command line, then starts the pg file viewer. The script uses traps -- so it will clean up the temporary files, even if the user presses CTRL-c. The script also sets a default exit status of 1 that's reset to 0 if pg quits on its own (without an interrupt).
There are two traps in the script:
The first trap, ending with the number 0, is executed for all shell exits -- normal or interrupted. It runs the command line between the single quotes. In this example, there are two commands separated with a semicolon (;). The first command removes the temporary file (using the -f option, so rm won't give an error message if the file doesn't exist yet). The second command exits with the value stored in the stat shell variable. Look ahead at the rest of the script - $stat will always be 1 unless the pg command quit on its own, in which case stat will be reset to 0. Therefore, this shell script will always return the right exit status -- if it's interrupted before it finishes, it'll return 1; otherwise, 0.
The second trap has the numbers 1 2 15 at the end. These are signal numbers that correspond to different kinds of interrupts. On newer shells, you can use signal names instead of the numbers. There's a short list in Table 1. For a list of all signals, type kill -l (lowercase "L") or see your online signal(3) reference page.
This trap is done on an abnormal exit (like CTRL-c). It prints a message, but it could run any list of commands.
Table 1: Some UNIX Signal Numbers for trap Commands
|Signal Number||Signal Name||Explanation|
|1||HUP||When session disconnected|
|2||INT||Interrupt -- often CTRL-c|
|3||QUIT||Quit -- often CTRL-\|
|15||TERM||From kill command|
Shell scripts don't always have two traps. Look at the nom script for an example.
I usually don't trap signal 3 (QUIT) in scripts that I use myself. That gives me an easy way to abort the script without springing the trap (removing temporary files, etc.). In scripts for general use, though, I usually do trap it.
Also, notice that the echo commands in the script have 1>&2 at the end. That tells the Bourne shell to put the output of the echo command on the standard error instead of the standard output. This is a good idea because it helps to make sure that errors come to your screen instead of being redirected to a file or down a pipe with the other standard output text. (In this particular script, that doesn't matter much because the script is used interactively. But it's a good habit to get into for all of your scripts.)
If your trap runs a series of commands, it's probably neater to call a shell function than a list of commands: | <urn:uuid:69f2528c-8cee-4dae-a1bf-dc49caf59549> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:16:36",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8875328302383423,
"score": 3.25,
"token_count": 793,
"url": "http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/linux/lpt/44_12.html"
} |
A Brain System for Procedural Memory
Researchers have divided procedural memory into two general types. One type involves the acquisition of habits and skills, the capacity for a very broad variety of stereotyped and unconscious behavioral repertoires. The other type of procedural memory involves specific sensory-to-motor adaptations, that is, adjustments of reflexes, such as changing the force exerted to compensate for a new load, or acquisition of conditioned reflexes that involve novel motor responses to a new sensory contingency. This chapter analyzes the brain systems that support these two types of unconscious learning. It shows that procedural learning is mediated by a complex circuitry involving the motor cortical areas and two main subcortical loops, one through the striatum and another through the cerebellum.
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian. | <urn:uuid:72edfb3b-87a3-408c-b90a-654f0c62bc84> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:38:09",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9338783621788025,
"score": 2.796875,
"token_count": 212,
"url": "http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/viewoxchap/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195141740.001.0001/acprof-9780195141740-chapter-10"
} |
A new study by the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research has uncovered a significant decline in the risk of birth defects amongst WA children born using Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).
The study, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, showed a large decrease in the rate of birth defects between a similar Telethon Institute study carried out using data from the mid-90′s and that of the updated study which looked at a larger collection of data.
The more recent study, which included data up until 2002, showed the risk of birth defects amongst single babies born using Assisted Reproductive Technology in WA dropped from 10.9% between 1994 and 1998 to 7.5% in the four years following (1998-2002), compared with a rate of 5.2% in the naturally conceived group.
Twins born via assisted pregnancies also showed a similar pattern of decreasing risk from the first time period to the second.
“Our study suggests an encouraging decline in major birth defect prevalence in children born as a result of assisted pregnancies in Western Australia,” said Telethon Institute researcher Michele Hansen. “Changes to clinical practice may be largely responsible with improved culture media and better culture and storage conditions leading to the transfer of ‘healthier’ embryos.
“Whilst our study does still show that babies born using Assisted Reproductive Technology remain at a higher risk of birth defects, couples seeking to use these treatments can be reassured that the vast majority of infants are born healthy and do not have a birth defect.” Ms Hansen said.
“We believe that providing parents with as much information as possible so that they can make informed decisions is important and we would encourage them to talk to their specialist about the prevalence of birth defects in ART pregnancies.”
The Telethon Institute research team hope to continue monitoring birth defects to evaluate the impact of more recent changes to ART laboratory practice such as extended blastocyst culture and vitrification (rapid freezing of eggs and embryos).Date Created: October 5, 2012 | <urn:uuid:800bd4ff-61b8-4fcf-9e0b-876b84be4121> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:23:27",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9545325040817261,
"score": 2.5625,
"token_count": 420,
"url": "http://www.parenthub.com.au/news/pregnancy-news/good-news-assisted-pregnancies/"
} |
Fetuses, infants, and toddlers, as well as older children and teens are particularly susceptible to environmental insults due to their rapid rate of growth, development and reproduction of cells. This vulnerability makes children a specific focus of environmental health research on the effects of lead, chemical dump sites, pesticides, PCBs, benzene, environmental estrogens, and outdoor and indoor air contaminants. Scientists want to know which substances pose significant health risks, how to identify susceptible children, and how to intervene to prevent illness.
The following are some of the studies conducted or financed by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, one of the National Institutes of Health, which focus on children:
Lead (commonly found in old paint, household dust, soil, pipe solder and some ceramics) has long been known to cause severe health problems at high doses, including muscle and abdominal pain, mental impairment, paralysis, and even death. Recent studies supported by the NIEHS suggest that a young person's lead exposure is linked not only to lower IQs and lower high school graduation rates but to increased delinquency. Preliminary data from two other grantees' studies indicate that young girls exposed to lead store the metal in their bones. This lead can be released when they become pregnant years later, exposing their fetuses. Until recently, however, we have not appreciated the devastating effect of low exposures early in life.
Basic research financed by the NIEHS has shown the adverse effects of lead on children's IQ and physical development at levels previously considered safe. Based on these and other findings, public health officials declared lead the number one environmental hazard to American children and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lowered the acceptable blood lead level.
Research by the NIEHS grantees has helped identify sources of lead in the environment, design public health prevention efforts, and develop treatment to remove lead from exposed children, a process called chelation.
To help improve treatments, the NIEHS supported the study of dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) as a chelating agent. Known generically as Succimer and the trade-name Chemet, DMSA binds with the lead, hastening its removal from the body and can be administered orally without hospitalization, an improvement over previous intravenous therapies.
Succimer is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat lead levels that exceed 45 micrograms per deciliter of blood. However, adverse effects of lead are evident at levels between 10 and 25 micrograms per deciliter, making treatment necessary for these lower concentrations.
Next Page >> | <urn:uuid:950cb454-439b-4ffd-b172-772a04004634> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:32:44",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9537093043327332,
"score": 3.65625,
"token_count": 528,
"url": "http://www.parentingweekly.com/baby/baby_health_safety/kids_vulnerable.htm"
} |
For a new and different perception of pivotal Soviet events, read on...
PROPAGANDA IN THE PROPAGANDA STATE
hen the Bolshevik party came to power in the October 1917 revolution it immediately began creating the world's first modern propaganda state. This is not at all surprising. Before 1917 many Bolsheviks lived the life of underground agitators. As underground men they devoted their days and nights to propaganda. They operated by avoiding the tsar's secret police and by stirring up factory workers with leaflets, slogans, songs, and speeches. Bolshevik leaders toiled as journalists, pamphleteers, and lettered instigators long before they seized state power. As revolutionaries, making messages gave their lives meaning. As human beings hackwork gave them the means to buy bread i.e. to live. Many a professional revolutionary who lived outside of Russia, most in European cities (Paris, Geneva, Warsaw, London, Berlin, Krakow) wrote about revolution long before he or she dirtied their hands making one---let alone running the new state born of revolutionary upheaval.
In a series of newspapers, Lenin hammered out party doctrine. Political debates, challenges to his ideas and emerging cannon filled the papers. Swift and savage ideas flew like sharp arrows. Newspapers written abroad, away from the heavy hand of Tsarist censorship substituted for free exchange in a common civic space. Revolutionaries printed illegal newspapers on thin almost tissue paper for easy smuggling across poorly guarded borders into mother Russia. In cities and towns those who reported back on local events and those who distributed papers, Iskra, Pravda, became party organizers. Readers became party members. Factory workers paid attention to party papers. At the front in World War I trench newspapers-highly illegal and highly prized (once read they could be ripped up and rolled into cigarettes) cleverly fomented dissent, disobedience of officers and demoralized discontent with the 'overlong imperialist war.' A repressive regime made an easy target. The acid pens of the properly dressed Bolshevik gentlemen (Lenin preferred a three piece suit, tie-even if it was stained and stale) promoted a popular strategy: overthrow the old lords of the old order. The best party pressmen (and a few women) developed a keen sense of how turn a tactic into an effective slogan. To find the lowest common denominator was a mission, not a mistake. If a rival radical group coined a catchy phrase, the Bolshevik took the highroad of their revolutionary creed-highway robbery. Steal it and spread it, make it the Bolshevik's own operated as the operative unprincipled principle. The end justified the means.
The Bolshevik banners read simply: BREAD, PEACE & LAND. All Power to the Soviets. As they rode waves of radical spirit and popular support, notably in Petrograd, Lenin pushed for bolder action. Impatient, unwilling to wait out the polite democratic discussion he marshaled his words to put nerve and backbone into the Bolsheviks leadership. Lenin wanted determined, violent action to seize power. He avowed himself a scientific socialist. Yet at crunch time he felt the moment. Succinct when it counted he explained, "The government is tottering. We must deal it the deathblow at any cost. To delay action is the same as death." The means of communication-the telegraph office, the telephone exchange, and the radio gear on the cruiser Aurora, the telephones at the Winter Palace-were ordered seized as a priority. The Military-Revolutionary Committee moved swiftly to take over printing plants, too. To hold the means of communication denied them to enemies. Public opinion mattered; making sure rivals could not get their message out mattered more. The only fairness doctrine was the Bolsheviks retaining state power. The Bolsheviks understood the power of the mass media. Their problem would not be the media, but the masses.
Communism, whose by-word was "Workers of the World Unite!", surprised itself by coming to power in a backward, peasant-dominated country. The scientific plan of Karl Marx and its endless elucidation by Marxists envisioned the proletariat taking power in an advanced Capitalist country. Even its workers had the stench of peasant mud on their boots. Ties to village life, the village way to find a wife, and not so sober vices remained strong. Soldiers who went Bolshevik at the front to get away from the frozen hell that was WWI largely were just peasants in uniform. Those who did not vote with their feet against the status quo (fleeing home as soon as discipline broke down) soon wanted to leave their Red leaders for the joys of raiding manor houses near their native village, too. 1917 was, the Bolsheviks soon realized just an incredible year; in the heat of revolution they forged amazing partnership with workers, with peasants-turned soldiers. But in their heart of hearts the Bolsheviks knew it just was not supposed to happen this way in this country. Yes, Russia had pockets of advanced industry concentrated in a few dense cities. Indeed the most technologically sophisticated metalworking plants, perhaps because of their scale and alienating organization produced some of the most revolutionary working class men. The peasants simply outnumbered everyone else. The people in whose name the Bolsheviks took over needed-well to put it bluntly they needed culture; they needed to overcome ignorance, superstition, stupefying traditionalism. The Marxist handbooks may have said otherwise, but the men atop the one country where revolution had triumphed looked out at a land tired, drained by five years of WWI. They could only realize their propaganda challenge in overthrowing the old order was the easy part. Propagandizing the citizen of the would-be socialist society, winning over the people of the people's republic would require a massive effort.
The utopian streak in Marxist thought impelled the founders of the world's first socialist state to create a new kind of society, a new kind of country inhabited by new kinds of people. This first-ever kind of social order would need new kinds of glue, new myths, new gods, and new beliefs to hold it together. Because they wanted to realize a radiant future on earth, the Bolsheviks really were future oriented. They wanted to do new things in new ways. Cutting edge technology in and of itself spoke of progress. So they were eager to show off whatever glimpses of a future world that they could. Cutting edge in 1918 was Edison's invention the gramophone. Newer yet was film. Movie houses had sprung up in Moscow and other cities before WWI. The vast majority in the countryside hadn't even heard about movies. So the Bolsheviks, who knew they had to win a broader base of support, marshaled their few technical resources to take their message to the people.
As practiced propagandists the Bolsheviks had mastered the notion - KISS - keep it simple stupid. They believed most ordinary Russians thought in images. Exposure to European culture forced them to recognize that Russian lives were drab. Communist visionaries were willing to experiment with bold artists. Graphic masters of new kinds of art embraced the liberation revolution brought. Art enlisted in the cause. Brightly colored propaganda trains carried the city based idea that "the times they were achangin'" across the land.
Stark contrasts served the Bolsheviks well. New=good; old=bad. Reds meant progress-most anything else equaled a return to a hellish existence. In the civil war that quickly followed Lenin's rise to power, the Bolsheviks did reach the masses. The idea of the fighters for human justice and equality, the Bolsheviks, were battling against all odds, against all the world's armies that had come to destroy them received widespread attention. The theme of the new kind of socialist life form doing anything it could to survive in a hostile encirclement of enemies was created during the civil war. This theme would be revived periodically as a leitmotif. To survive a civil war the Bolsheviks acted ruthlessly. Again, the end justified the mean. Equally important, their enemies, former tsarist admirals, generals, counts and liberal politicians (backed by British, French, American, and Japanese troops) refused to court public opinion with any kind of effective attempt to persuade mass groupings to side with them. White disdain proved fatal. The Bolsheviks with the propaganda field to themselves got a message out that opposition armies, the Whites, wanted to return the country to the old order. Most who would decide, decided to risk the promise of the unknown over a return to the past. (Some of course exhibited total cynicism: A well-know civil war anecdote relates that in a village one peasant shouts: "hurray for the incoming troops." Then a neighbor asks the question "whose side are you on?" he answers: "The ones riding IN.") The propaganda campaign, plus of course some brilliant military leadership and absolute ruthlessness in dealing with any perceived enemy won the Bolsheviks an against all odds victory.
The civil war created the idea that Bolshevism could do the impossible. It gave rise to a slogan "there is no fortress Bolshevism cannot storm", that embodied a 'can do' mentality like that of the U.S. Marines. Also as a formative experience the civil war (1918-1921) provided the seed bed for new images of heroes and all the metaphors of war campaigns, fronts, volunteers, even vanguards issuing commands, dictating what was needed to stave off destruction by the hostile bad guys. The incredible result of the civil war validated for masses of people, the Bolshevik's political power grab in 1917. Moreover, it created a matrix for how propaganda makers shake and shape attitudes. It reinforced the idea, if it needed any reinforcing, that propaganda was a powerful tool for protecting the newborn proletarian state in an aggressively anti-Soviet Russia world.
Another trait the propagandists called on was a pre-Revolutionary role that the well educated had played with the masses: as teachers, ENLIGHTENMENT-providers. Well before Marxism marched east, Russian radicals had a long established a tradition of "going to the people", the peasants as volunteer teachers. Latter in cities how did believing Marxist intellectuals make friends with real workers? Factory hands, after all, lived in different parts of town, worked long hours, and enjoyed different habits of life from those whose heads swam with a sea of abstract ideas. Before the revolution it was not easy; the Tsar's secret police, street police, and factory police kept keen eyes out for agitators, especially those trying to incite the masses. They met first in adult education classes for workers. After the revolution the empowered Bolshevik wanted to repeat their role as ENLIGHTENMENT-providers on a grand scale.
Equally important, propagandists realized that if they wanted to build a new society, one imbued with new myths, new rituals, new icon Communists had to do away with the old. To make room for the new they had to tear down the old. Sometimes this entailed the most literal meaning of the word: iconoclasm-old icons were torn down. Churches lost their bells. To change the very soundscape of Moscow (think of the 1812 Overture-the piece of music played on 4th of July and other times when fireworks are displayed--Tchaikovsky wrote it to include the sound of Moscow's many church bells) radicals tore down church bells; later some would try to create a new 'proletarian orchestra' sound by setting off factory whistles everywhere.
The church was a prime target for the 'tear down the old' campaign. It offered an alternative faith to Bolshevism. Communists brooked no competition in the struggle for hearts and minds. The new officially atheistic state hated the Orthodox church for its long subservience to the Tsars. Russian radicalism, long before Lenin and company had a strong atheistic streak. From the mid-nineteenth century on radicals embraced science against faith. There was a practical side to be considered, too. Churches had gold in a country racked by WWI, then a revolution, and then a civil war. Plus going after church buildings could be construed as a 'new campaign', a heroic battle like the civil war. This 'religious front' approach gave those too young to have a role in the earlier battles a chance for glory...not to mention an outlet for youthful energies harnessed by propagandists.
At the very same time that the new regime began pulling down longstanding institution, it co-opted fundamental elements of the way Russians believed the world was ordered. A concept of political authority seen in personal terms, a wise Tsar taking care of his little people transmuted easily. Popular sayings held:
"Without the Tsar, the country is a widow" or "the people are the body, the Tsar is the head." After the revolution trust in the wisdom of the party became paramount. Seven decades of Soviet socialism only changed the forms of how fundamental ideas are expressed. In his interview, Boris Efimov said, "we simple people, we didn't do politics. Those who sat at the very top did politics." Those on top drew authority from the sacred symbol of the new faith, Lenin. He became the center of a cult, not only as a replacement for the Tsar but as a selfless Communist, one who exhausted himself to bring the revolution into being. Lenin died in 1924. His passing gave a new kind of regime a chance to create new rituals. Following all those traumatic years, the passing of the man who guided "Ten Days that Shook the World" was a cathartic experience. Mass mourning created as well as vented extreme emotions. Organized ceremonies took place across the land-the first mass mobilization in peacetime of ordinary citizens. By preserving Lenin's body for veneration Soviet science created a sign that it could overcome nature, the decay of death. Lenin's resting-place became the central showplace, ground zero for the Communist movement uniting workers of the world.
Lenin lived as the man who brought the future into backward Russian homes. Before he died the revolutionary decided a great symbol for what communism could deliver would be creation of a nationwide electrical system. Naturally, the propagandist in him made a slogan out of his techno-idea: "Communism=Soviet Power+Electrification of the Whole Country." When the Soviet Union became wired up with light bulbs, called by one his nicknames-"Ilych lamps" enlightened and changed millions of peasants' lives. It was a change and a propaganda coup that won many over as loyalist of a new state, one that drastically changed things. Lenin's idea transformed lives and became a foundation myth of the scientific regime.
Parts of a 1924 poem by the Blue Blouse Workers' Theater gloried:
We, the workers and the peasants
In the hut of the widow Natalka
Electricity and steam
Teachers of new generations built on the cult of Lenin as a tool for shaping the minds to a new Soviet way of thinking. Indoctrination came in the guise of school age "young pioneer" organizations. Pioneers pledged to fulfill his legacy. That legacy proved very malleable. Lenin slogans, praise of the proletariat, love for the red socialist-cause were memorized. Sugary poems about his pure spirit and dedication to Communist revolution go adorned classroom walls, community centers, even the toy stores. Lenin's ruthless critical approach to thinking quickly passed into the dustbin of history. Just as many American school children know just a formula about their founding father George Washington (wooden teeth, could not tell a lie, chopped down a cherry tree, fought the British, maybe owned slaves) Soviet children internalized limited notions of how the 'revolutionary genius" behaved. A Lenin code of conduct became the model to be copied. Potted histories of the Communist party where Lenin always played the lead role served as primers for understanding history. Lenin associated rituals regulated daily behavior.
Children pinned on badges depicting an angelic "baby Lenin." Boys and girls raised their hands above their faces vowing to be "always ready" as Lenin had been (as heroes in the civil war, too had been) to defend and to extend the revolution. Lenin-centric Pioneer activities organized children's lives. The best emulators of the best Lenin earned a summer at the best-equipped, most prestigious summer camps. Of course, as a socialist country summer camp, like many things for kids, including medical care was free. Still prestige counted: so did a sense of belonging, a sense of place among peers, a sense 'you had made it'...you were normal and accepted. The social and development psychology played a very important part in the lives of Soviet school children. Pioneer rituals marked important turning points in the lives of generations of youngsters who did believe that they were building a new kind of society, a socialist society. Receiving the Pioneer's symbol the red tie, mixed joy in growing up and pride in joining the ranks of patriots of the new kind of state-the Communist state. Tatiana Vorontsova explained the pride: "Once you had the tie you had well, pride, it was like a flag. It is like when the flag flies. When you see the Olympics and they start to raise your flag, you feel proud. And that pride is what we felt as children. You felt, "you've got the tie!"
In the massive social experiment that was the Soviet Union raising a new kind of person, Soviet man (Homo Sovieticus), remained of paramount importance. New generations held the key to realizing 'a radiant Communist future.' For those Marxists who insisted on creating the world's first classless society children meant everything. Adults would repeat, "Under communism there is only one privileged class-the children."
Collective responsibility to a party (comparative) elder was learned from more senior classmates, the best teachers of Lenin dogma proud to assert correct-thinking leadership that would keep others in line and bring them privileges. Well-indoctrinated kids brimming full of propaganda could be mustered to help the Bolshevik leaders deal with their fundamental problem-that the masses, the older generations, remained backwards. Pioneers and members of the more select older Young Communists League (Komsomol) became agents of change. Propaganda put images of the glorious fight for revolution and against the enemies of the state in the heroic period, the civil war in many heads. When Stalin, having consolidated power in the 1920's decided to launch a 'revolution from above' to mark a new decade, to collectivize agriculture, he tapped the energies of young 'true believers' as well as those who went along simply with the well-organized pressure of their peers. Agriculture represented the worst hang-overs from the old regime. Inefficient, tradition-bound, manpower intensive, the peasant agrarian world represented the drag of the Russian past on the Soviet present. Stalin and his circle declared a war (as in the civil war) against the counter-revolutionary forces, traditional peasants, and called the young to the front lines. Often Pioneers confronted a familiar enemy: their parents.
As during the civil war, the Communist party decreed, in effect: desperate times require desperate measures---the ends justify the means. The evilness of the means shifted the Soviet propaganda and mythmaking apparatus into overdrive.
The result was a new cult especially created for Pioneers. Propagandists knew they needed a simple story, something bold, stark and memorable. They conjured up the legend of a Soviet secular saint for kids-Pavlik Morozov
The story of little Pavlik Morozov (or affectionate versions of his name Pasha, Pavlushka, Pash) or more precisely the legend of Morozov is emblematic of Stalinist times in the Soviet Union. The Pioneers taught generations of Soviet school children about Pavlik, the boy who informed on his father, a rich peasant. Pavlik denounced his dad to the NKVD, the secret police for hoarding grain (most likely next year's seed for crops). The rich (read: bad, counter-revolutionary) endured a quick show trial, then disappeared into the GULAG. Soon there after, all this is in 1932, his uncles murdered Pavlik in an act of revenge for squealing. Propagandists for party newspapers reported the tale. A cult of the maniac denouncer received the top culture stamp of approval in a speech by Maxim Gorky (1868-1938) at the 1934 Soviet Writers Congress. Gorky, the one-time foe of Bolshevik excesses cited Pavlik as a paragon of Soviet virtue. He became T.H.E. model of correct orthodox behavior. School children adulated him, adults especially those inclined to stray from prescribed party orthodoxy feared his very name.
Part of "A Poem about Hate" that Pioneer's Pravda published in 1933 conveys a flavor of the Morozov cult:
Pavlushka won't be going
Portraits, statues, and badges of Morozov became omnipresent. Under the sly smile of treacherous Pasha a psychosis of denunciation took firm hold in Stalinist USSR. Propagandists built the cult on a base of distortions and lies. Recent research shows that Pavlik, who was not a pioneer by the way, did not report on his father for hoarding grain as the story went. Reality was rooted in the quarreling Morozov family. Pasha had got back on his dad for abandoning his family. Pavlik lived with his mother. He ratted on his dad, who was chairman of the village Soviet for taking a bribe so as NOT to deport a family as rich peasants!! Pavlik may have been put up to the classical denunciation by his uncles who couldn't stand their brother-in-law and wanted to be chairman themselves. Pavlik's father was arrested in late 1931 and disappeared into the Gulag. A few months later in '32 someone found Pavlik and his brother murdered in the forest. Exactly who dispatched the two lovely little devils isn't clear. Those accused included his paternal grandfather and grandmother, a young Morozov cousin and two of his uncles. Nice Soviet family values. Until the fall of the Soviet Union almost no one knew this. Generations venerated the model young Communist who did his duty, turned in an enemy of the state and became a Soviet martyr.
By the way some young pioneers in the 30s were attacked by Orthodox (believing children) for wearing red scarves (devil's whiskers) and (less often) for violating the commandment to honor thy father and mother. The more Stalinism took hold, the fewer such cases of suspect behavior are known. To survive people conformed. They kept silent. And the continuous propaganda worked.
As a schoolgirl in the 1950s Tatiana Vorontsova remembers she learned the Morozov lesson in the fourth grade. "So he died like a hero. We, of course, would also have liked to be heroes and at that time if I had been in the same situation, and my father had done something against the Soviet state, of course, I would simply have gone and reported him, just like that."
In the terror filled days of his most ruthless rule Stalin kept his own cult going. As he signed the death warrants for uncounted large numbers of his comrades and countrymen, the newspaper writers hailed him as the gentle wise leader. Stalin ordered the party purged. Professionals and leaders from all walks of life, army officers, astronomers, engineers, rocket scientists, writers, painters, were exiled to the GULAG if they were not shot. Terror filled whole apartment buildings, whole streets, whole towns as the NKVD suddenly appeared to drag people away to unknown fates.
The very irrationality, unpredictability, and illogic of arrests, beatings, executions and exile made people feel the terror pervasively. State violence defined the Stalinist State. Denunciation or the possibility of denunciation even by one's own children plus the suspicion that devices such as radios could listen as well as transmit through wired speakers were daily reminders of the possibility of terror visiting a family, a neighbor, a friend. Of course, by plucking off so many top leaders and lieutenants in most every field of endeavor Stalin created a huge number of job openings. The new generation of people coming of age and education since the revolution seized (and loved!) the chance for upward mobility. Yet through it all Stalin encouraged worshipful respect of his portrait-it was everywhere-as Lenin's heir and wise interpreter of scientific socialism.
Stalin had himself depicted by artists, writers, and propagandists as the knowing caring lover of Soviet children and virtual equal of the Soviet deity, Lenin. Those who knew about the terror, even prisoners themselves as true believer took comfort in thinking that Stalin couldn't know. The arrests, the GULAG, the shots at KNVD headquarters were deemed an aberration.
Makers of mass media messages faced special problems. Individuals praised one day, were in Lubyanka, the dreaded secret police headquarters the next. One brilliant Bolshevik who Lenin had once praised as the party's fair-haired boy went from being editor of government newspaper Izvestiya, to being branded an "enemy of the people", then put on display in a elaborate show trial and executed. The campaign to hunt out "enemies of the people" signaled a time of Communist party cannibalism. Stalin's Communist party killed off the Communist elite. Old Bolsheviks lauded as righteous fighters in the underground struggle against tsarism suddenly were listed as foreign spies. Communists lauded on the front pages of Pravda and bedecked with prestigious medals for exceptional work in building that key to a workers' state, heavy industrial plants, suddenly landed on page one accused of "treason, wrecking, and preparation of terrorist acts against industry." Everyone everywhere, in Pioneer meetings, in neighborhood organization, in work-place gatherings, began searching out "hidden enemies." "A pillar of socialism one day, an exposed evil agent the next" mania swept the USSR.
To survive propagandists, especially those engaged in providing news to the masses of the mass media, the big newspapers, the newsreels, and the radio learned to tack and to jibe quickly in the Stalinist wind. Pravda's masterful cartoonist, Boris Efimov, who had a long career as the Soviet equivalent of Herb Block, understood the capriciousness of terror. His brother, the newspaper's editor, had been purged-i.e. dragged from Communist party's top press organization, accused, and shot. Boris Efimov survived by not questioning, by following orders, "…my job as a political cartoonist was also to expose or make fun of or brand as a disgrace whichever of our enemies the given occasion demanded."
Historians constantly had to rewrite history books to take out people who were no longer people; people made unpersons-made unmentionable in public after being purged. Because political arguments and political legitimacy rooted itself in history, the past had to be rewritten frequently. The suppression of unpleasant truths-- such as Lenin's 1923 'testament' where he said, "Stalin is too rude" and should be shifted to a less essential position in the leadership-became a major industry. George Orwell based his idea of "the memory hole," in the novel 1984 on this quintessential feature of Stalinism.
Stalinism forced photographers to master retouching skills. Image manipulation became as important to camera totting journalists as picture taking. Falsification by airbrushing (a pre-digital age technique for deleting) is a hallmark of Stalin era photography. Other simple methods, including taking a scissors to a negative helped erase visual memories of Stalin's victims.
A photograph of leaders might appear in a newspaper one day and then when one of people was purged, a photographer's trick would erase him from visual memory-he was quite literally put out of the picture. And it wasn't just a Stalinist art form to change representations of those engaged in current events. In a land where intellectuals bitterly noted, "you cannot predict the past" retrospective retouching was equally, if not more important. As the two photographs below show how comrades could be removed from the pantheon of Lenin's closest collaborators.
Soviet school children grew up with schoolbooks filled with photographs of Lenin. Many of the most famous and familiar depictions were falsified photographs. Stalin's archrival, Lev Trotsky was taken out of the picture. Generations of Soviet Pioneers for whom this photograph is as familiar as Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington, never knew that a man they had been taught was an 'enemy of the state' in fact had stood by Lenin in this shot as Lenin's left-hand man.
In painting, of course, it was even easier to make representational art lie. A few deft brush strokes and in the phrase of David King, the great expert on this Stalinist phenomenon, the Commissar vanishes. This Stalinist retouching of reality had a long half-life. The author of this essay saw a huge oil painting of the Soviet leadership in an important art museum when he lived in Moscow during 1977-78. A week after intrigues forced a veteran member of the Politburo to "retire", the same painting showed freshly dried paint where more background covered the old comrade. Note too, that in the first few years after the last general secretary of the Communist party, Mikhail Gorbachev, came to power his official photographs-hung throughout the country-- lacked any trace of his trademark birthmarks that are prominent on his bald head.
During the forty odd years before Mikhail Gorbachev together with President Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, the view from Red Square promoted by the Kremlin's propagandists emphasized the evil image of America as a aggressive Capitalist enemy of mankind and the Soviet Union. Psychological warfare may have compelled Communists always fighting off a bad rival, but the "bade" was not always the United States. True, the infant Bolshevik government resented the actively hostile policies the US government took against the new revolutionary regime. American soldiers landed in Russian Ports, as one of the foreign armies that tried and failed to overthrow the Bolsheviks. More irritating, Washington played 'Ostrich' for 16 years (1917-1932) refusing to recognize the new Soviet government. During the formative years of the Soviet Union there was no American embassy, no ambassador, no American consulate in Moscow. Most other industrialized nations already had busy official relations with the Kremlin. Nevertheless there were Americans in the country. During the horrific famine of 1921 and for the next two years American Relief Administration under Herbert Hoover brought in enough food to feed some 11 million starving socialist citizens.
Absent an official US presence until 1933, Americans still made a showing in the Soviet Union. Even as Soviet filmmakers grew into world famous cinema pioneers, inventing techniques such as montage (Sergei Eisenstein) American movies and movie stars dominated Soviet screens. Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Buster Keaton were incredibly popular. Lenin called film, "the most important art," but until 1928 the most popular movies in his country were made in the U.S.A. Many captains of industry, finance, and business (Henry Ford, W.Averell Harriman, Armand Hammer) came looking for resources and in doing so helped the new land that opposed their capitalism by building factories there. Capitalists endured ridicule in the press. Yet, Americans often represented efficient ways of working, modernity, and technological progress. Russians, especially those in the cities greatly admired American inventiveness-Thomas Edison, George Eastman, Alexander Graham Bell were held up as paragons of applied creative virtue. American made cars and trucks were copied and cherished.
Energetic factory workers sometimes got written up in local papers as our Russian-Americans. These propaganda terms of praise encouraged others to copy the "Americanisms": speedy, efficient work skills and willingness to adapt to new ways of doing things. Pravda, long the written propaganda bellwether noted in 1935, "Comrade Stalin teaches us to combine the broad scope of the Russian Revolution with American efficiency…For us America ought to be that standard according to which we can constantly test our technical attainments." By Communist conviction Soviet citizens believed that their nation's approach which stressed equality and social justice always overshadowed morally America's selfish, exploitative Capitalist system. After the Wall Street collapse of 1929 and the great depression of the 1930's, those in the rapidly growing land of the Soviet Union's economic miracle believed they were well on their way to catching up and overtaking oppressive America. To many disillusioned Americans--including unemployed automobile workers, black sharecroppers, leftwing activists who moved to the Soviet to find jobs-the Soviet Union represented a better way of organizing an economy and a society. However mixed the message about American achievements and inherent evils (especially racism and capitalism) before World War II, on the propaganda front, the news front, and in the mass media the far off US was merely a sideshow. Propaganda focused on problems at home and essential foreign issues in the Soviet backyards, Europe and to a lesser extent China.
The atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima also shook the Kremlin. Propagandists who had lauded the Soviet Union's great ally in the battle against Hitler--its helping hand with Lend Lease, its talented General Dwight D. Eisenhower, its manufacturing prowess---changed course quickly with the Cold War changing party line. Soviet propagandists emphasized the Soviet Union's encirclement in and by a hostile world. Rapacious America that had tried overthrowing the Bolsheviks after the 1917 revolution, the propagandists reminded their people as well as foreign audiences. America, they stressed was at it again. Under the "petty shopkeeper" President Harry Truman the US was trying to roll back the post WWII spread of socialism. The former ally America quickly became the warmonger of the world.
Dollar signs came to represent death signals. Stalin banned that very American music form jazz. Censors curtailed showing of American films (even though Stalin loved cowboy movies); contact with foreigners was outlawed. In the last years of Stalin's life a Soviet citizen could be arrested for talking to the few American citizens left in that land. More than ever under the autarky, the economic isolation of the 1930s, late Stalinist Soviet society was cut off by the Iron Curtain and by its iron fisted "Man of Steel" leader (that is the translation of Stalin's name) from the rest of the world. Instead of admiring American inventiveness the propaganda apparatus cranked up immense lies. Moscow reporters claimed that baseball, the electric light, telephones, television and submarines had all been invented in the Soviet Union.
As a typical teenager in the 1950s Tatiana Vorontsova remembered going to the movies as a school girl where she watched a newsreel before the main feature, "You would see this big globe, on the globe appeared the words, Soviet Union...the narrator said, "...there was a lot of milk [here]…Always the best was told, the best always....everything was good...And then suddenly [the narrator] would say, 'In the United States, for example, people are starving' and there was a strike somewhere, and something else somewhere else-but it was all bad. So there everything was bad, but we had it all good. So we went to the movies and I watched it ...and was proud that in my country, my homeland everything was good and everything was great."
In the 1950s and on into the 1960s the propaganda worked pretty effectively. The facts of real achievement helped. Propagandists made sure everyone knew what millions could see for themselves: the state rebuilt housing destroyed by the Nazis. The mass media bragged of a Soviet Atomic bomb, an H-bomb, Sputnik, the fact that the first man in space was a Soviet man, and that the first man to do the amazing-walk or float in space as Alexei Leonov did in March 1965-was another cosmonaut. These accomplishments buttressed political pride in the spread of socialism to China, Vietnam, Cuba and not to mention Eastern Europe. In the 1950s and 1960's Soviet citizens felt, "the future is ours comrades!"
However, sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970's the "new Soviet man", more urban than his father or grandfather, more likely to catch some western propaganda more eager for things instead of promises, turned pessimistic. The Soviet State started by Lenin was running out of gas. New generations, the grandchildren and great grandchildren of those who made the revolution did not want to wait for "the dictatorship of the proletariat" to deliver the radiant future of communism. What they wanted Brezhnev's Soviet Union could not deliver. No amount of bombast, lies, or distortions could mask failings. Those trying to reform the Propaganda State brought about its destruction.
© 1999 Abamedia, unless otherwise indicated. | <urn:uuid:4bdad93c-aad5-4dae-89bb-5a99a796fd40> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:12:16",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9686312079429626,
"score": 3.390625,
"token_count": 7649,
"url": "http://www.pbs.org/redfiles/prop/inv/prop_inv_ins.htm"
} |
Overview - BASIC ENGLISH TEACHER'S EDITION
Emphasize skills students need every day.
Basic English builds and reinforces basic language skills. The high-interest,
easy-to-read lessons keep students involved as they learn parts of speech and
sentence construction. Frequent examples and activities throughout offer abundant
Basic English is ideal for students who need extra help with language
concepts, or those who are learning English as a second language. The program
provides clear instruction with the building-blocks of English usage. Clearly
written explanations and relevant examples make learning easy. Plenty of skills
practice reinforce lessons on parts of speech, writing skills, and advanced
skills such as developing themes and ideas.
Colorful pages, high-interest graphics, and life-relevant examples and exercises
keep students engaged. Short lessons, along with Goals for Learning and Chapter
Reviews, reinforce and link new concepts.
Easy-to-read text and engaging content holds students attention
Aligns with state and national standards
Goals for Learning helps students focus on major chapter objectives
Writing practice activities reinforce skills and focus on practical applications
Chapter Reviews and Test-Taking Tips reinforce lessons and offer advice
on applying knowledge in testing formats
Key vocabulary terms defined in page margins offer immediate reinforcement
and build language skills
Over 300 additional activities on the Teachers Resource Library CD-ROM
Writing Sentences, Using Nouns in Sentences, Using Pronouns in Sentences, Using
Adjectives in Sentences, Using Action Verbs in Sentences, Using State-of-Being
Verbs in Sentences, Using Adverbs in Sentences, Using Prepositional Phrases,
Using Conjunctions and Interjections, Recognizing Sentence Patterns, Identifying
Verbs and Verbal Phrases, Writing Compound and Complex Sentences, Repairing
Sentence Problems, Understanding Paragraph Basics, Writing Better Paragraphs,
Preparing to Write a Report, Includes a special section on the Writing Process.
Wraparound Teacher's Edition includes the full student text plus teaching
strategies, lesson overviews, application activities, ideas for classroom projects,
and tips on learning styles
Teacher's Resource Library on CD-ROM contains the Student Workbook offering
dozens of reinforcement activities (also available in print), Self-Study Guide
for students who want to work at their own pace, two forms of chapter tests,
plus midterm and final tests. Just select and print out the materials as needed.
Everything is reproducible. For Windows and Macintosh.
Teaching Strategies in English Transparencies stimulate learning and
discussion in the classroom. Graphic organizers present concepts in a meaningful,
visual way and help you teach students how to manage information. Comes with
instruction book and blackline masters.
Curriculum Class Set includes 10 Student Texts, 1 Teacher's Edition,
and 1 Teacher's Resource Library CD.
Inclusion Class Set includes 3 Student Texts, 1 Teacher's Edition, 1
Teacher's Resource Library CD, and 1 Student Workbook. | <urn:uuid:a2e114e2-7ace-42f7-b783-7a4ab748a57f> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:45:55",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8856076002120972,
"score": 3.421875,
"token_count": 647,
"url": "http://www.pcieducation.com/store/item.aspx?CategoryId=35&TypeId=12&ItemId=47531"
} |
What is A Disciplined Life®?
Well before the value of social emotional learning became widely recognized in 2003, Perspectives Co-Founders Diana Shulla-Cose and Kim Day had already realized how critical this kind of learning was to their students' success. Fifteen years ago, they embraced the idea that social emotional learning would be an integral part of the Perspectives education model. They understood that the right foundation would help them provide children with safe, caring and well-managed learning environments.
Believing that character development and academic achievement are interdependent, they began brainstorming ideas for creating a school culture of both personal and academic excellence. They knew that providing their students with instruction in life skills, such as self-discipline, perseverance and good communication, would help them succeed. Together, they identified a set of principles that would guide Perspectives and called them A Disciplined Life®.
Social emotional learning standards have since been developed in accordance with Section 15(a) of Public Act 93-0495. This Act calls upon the Illinois State Board of Education to "develop and implement a plan to incorporate social and emotional development standards as part of the Illinois Learning Standards." Since the day Perspectives opened the doors to its first school, A Disciplined Life® has been in place, helping our students to succeed.
Today, the 26 principles of A Disciplined Life form the foundation of our culture at Perspectives Charter Schools and help prepare our students for success in college, the workplace and in life. Over time, A Disciplined Life has become integral to every aspect of Perspectives, informing our behavior, communication and productivity, while being cornerstone for our curriculum and professional development. It serves as a common language for our students, staff and parents as we work to achieve a culture of success.
A Disciplined Life translates into success for our students. Of our 2010 graduates, 97 percent were accepted to college. They have learned what it takes to succeed and understand that character, self-discipline and personal responsibility can change what the future holds for them.
We integrate the principles of A Disciplined Life in all aspects of our school community. From the classroom to the playground, from the front office to staff meetings – it is our common language and practice. A Disciplined Life ensures that we are focused and intentional about creating a culture of success for our students and we have recently begun developing assessments to measure impact.
How do we measure A Disciplined Life? | <urn:uuid:b78ec73c-e5ae-4a8b-8f69-81867f6a3b89> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:24:54",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9679667353630066,
"score": 2.84375,
"token_count": 509,
"url": "http://www.pcsedu.org/adl/what-is-a-disciplined-life"
} |
Children’s safety plan
Children can participate and learn some strategies to stay safe during violent episodes in their homes. The goal is for them to seek safety and to know where and how to get help. It is not their role to stop the violence. Before engaging in a conversation with your child, remember to consider what are the best age-appropriate actions they can take. Children are more likely to follow through with a plan when they have been part of creating it themselves. | <urn:uuid:14989708-93db-4b5e-8a5d-59935f8babf5> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:38:24",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9832995533943176,
"score": 3.0625,
"token_count": 96,
"url": "http://www.pcusa.org/resource/childrens-safety-plan/"
} |
This year, more than 12,000 U.S. women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer. And more than 4,210 will die.
Now, Take the Pearl Pledge and help protect yourself and other women from this preventable disease!
Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix, which is the opening from the vagina to the uterus. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide. In the United States, 12,200 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2010, and 4,210 women will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
Cervical cancer is caused by "high-risk" types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a very common sexually transmitted infection. In fact, about 3 of every 4 adults will have had HPV at some time in their lives.
Most HPV infections go away without treatment. Infections that do not go away can cause cells on the cervix to change and become abnormal. Over time, abnormal cells can slowly develop into cervical cancer.
The good news is with proper screening and vaccination, almost every case of cervical cancer can be prevented.
Cervical cancer does not cause any symptoms until it has advanced to a very late stage. That’s why it’s important to get screened regularly even if you feel healthy.
There are 2 tests used for cervical cancer screening:
The Pap test looks for abnormal cells that can develop into cervical cancer.
If the Pap test finds abnormal cells, your healthcare provider will probably recommend a colposcopy, an exam in which your cervix is viewed more closely. If necessary, the abnormal cells can be treated. Keep in mind: abnormal cells are not yet cancer. If abnormal cells are effectively treated at an early stage, they will not develop into cervical cancer.
When to have the Pap test: Current U.S. screening guidelines recommend women have their first Pap test at age 21.
The HPV test looks for the high-risk types of HPV that can cause abnormal cervical cells and cervical cancer. If your HPV test is positive, it does not mean you have abnormal cells or cervical cancer. It just means that you have HPV and that your healthcare provider will want to follow-up more closely.
When to have the HPV test: Current U.S. screening guidelines recommend that women who are 30 or older get an HPV test along with their Pap test. (HPV testing is not recommended for women under the age of 30 because HPV infections in younger women are very common and usually disappear on their own.) If both the HPV test and Pap test are normal, women can wait 3 years before their next screening.
HPV vaccination protects against the two most common types of high-risk HPV – 16 and 18 – that cause about 70% percent of all cervical cancers.
When to have the HPV vaccine: HPV vaccines are most effective when given to girls and young women who are not yet sexually active. The HPV vaccines are recommended for girls 11 and 12 years old, and are approved for girls and young women up to age 26.
Because HPV vaccines do not protect against all high-risk HPV types, they do not eliminate the risk of cervical cancer. Even women who have been vaccinated must still be screened to prevent cancer developing from HPV types not covered by vaccination.
Speak with your healthcare provider about what cervical cancer prevention methods are right for you and how often to get screened. | <urn:uuid:dcbc8a45-5d79-4675-81c9-2eae0adbfe97> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:12:04",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9598059058189392,
"score": 3.03125,
"token_count": 706,
"url": "http://www.pearlofwisdom.us/pledge/hpv-and-cervical-cancer"
} |
Filling out one college application form after another can be daunting, especially when you're trying to make a good impression upon the admission committees and get everything done on a deadline. This list should help you get the job done well — and on time!
The college application: what to do
- DO read college applications and directions carefully.
- DO make sure that everything that is supposed to be included is enclosed.
- DO fill out your own applications. Type the information yourself to avoid crucial mistakes.
- DO start with the simple applications and then progress to the more complex ones.
- DO make copies of college applications, and practice filling one out before you complete the original.
- DO type or neatly print your answers, and then proofread the applications and essays several times for accuracy. Also ask someone else to proofread them for you.
- DO describe how you can make a contribution to the schools to which you apply (if you're asked).
- DO be truthful, and do not exaggerate your accomplishments.
- DO keep a copy of all the forms you submit to colleges.
- DO be thorough and turn things in on time.
The college application: what NOT to do
- DON'T use correction fluid. If you type your application for college, use a correctable typewriter or liftoff strips to correct mistakes. Better yet, fill out your application online.
- DON'T write in script. If you don't have access to a computer or typewriter, print neatly.
- DON'T leave blank spaces. Missing information may cause your application to be sent back or delayed while admission officers wait for complete information.
- DON'T be unclear. If the question calls for a specific answer, don't try to dodge it by being vague.
- DON'T put it off!
One way to save time when filling out applications is to use the college common application form for the schools you're applying to that accept it. This way, you only have to fill out the form once and it can be sent to multiple colleges! | <urn:uuid:ca0a06d9-c14c-4620-a88d-aa5dae7368d5> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:25:42",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9087626934051514,
"score": 2.609375,
"token_count": 427,
"url": "http://www.petersons.com/college-search/college-application-form-tips.aspx"
} |
European Decorative Arts and Sculpture
Drawing Room from Lansdowne HouseMade in England, Europe
Designed by Robert Adam, Scottish, 1728 - 1792. Painted decoration by Giovanni Battista Cipriani, Italian (active Florence and England), 1727 - 1785, and Antonio Zucchi, Italian, 1726 - 1795. Gilded by Joseph Perfetti, Italian, active London from 1760 - 1778.
1931-104-1Gift of Graeme Lorimer and Sarah Moss Lorimer in memory of George Horace Lorimer, 1931
This drawing room is an archetypal example of the work of Robert Adam, a Scottish architect and designer whose name has become synonymous with this style of neoclassical decoration. The room was originally situated on the ground floor of the grand London house that Adam designed for the third Earl of Bute in the early 1760s. Adam's original plans refer to it as the "Organ Drawing Room," the large recess being intended for Lord Bute's vastly expensive mechanical organ.
In 1765, Lord Bute sold the unfinished house to William Petty Fitzmaurice, second Earl of Shelburne and later first Marquess of Lansdowne, with the provision that Adam be retained to continue work on the home. Adam was already well known to Lord Shelburne, whose father had employed the architect to remodel Bowood, his family's country estate in Wiltshire. (Shelburne, who served as Secretary of State and in 1783 concluded the Treaty of Paris granting independence to the United States, entertained Benjamin Franklin at Bowood on several occasions.) Lord Shelburne and his wife moved into the house in 1768, when it was in what Lady Shelburne described as "so unfurnishd a State." Yet by the time of Lady Shelburne's death and the end of Adam's employment by Lord Shelburne in 1771, the decoration of the drawing room remained incomplete and was evidently abandoned.
Although the room's original furnishings do not survive today, it is known that Adam provided designs for a pier-glass and a semicircular pier-table, executed by John Gilbert; circular picture frames, executed by Sefferin Nelson; and a carpet, the design for which is in the collection of Sir John Soane's Museum in London.
In 1929, Lord Shelburne's heirs sold the house to a group of investors. The room was acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1931, when the front of the house, including the drawing room and the dining room (now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art), was slated for demolition to make way for a new street.
Social Tags [?]adam [x] drawing room [x] georgian [x] lansdowne house [x] neoclassical [x] period room [x] robert adam [x] the adam style [x] [Add Your Own Tags]
* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. | <urn:uuid:c7a9a5fb-efea-4536-9bf8-80ff9ff57eb2> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:10:57",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9596299529075623,
"score": 2.796875,
"token_count": 657,
"url": "http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/44332.html?mulR=17426%7C2"
} |
The associative array -- an indispensable data type used to describe a collection of unique keys and associated values -- is a mainstay of all programming languages, PHP included. In fact, associative arrays are so central to the task of Web development that PHP supports dozens of functions and other features capable of manipulating array data in every conceivable manner. Such extensive support can be a bit overwhelming to developers seeking the most effective way to manipulate arrays within their applications. In this article, I'll offer 10 tips that can help you shred, slice and dice your data in countless ways.
1. Adding Array Elements
PHP is a weakly typed language, meaning you're not required to explicitly declare an array nor its size. Instead you can both declare and populate the array simultaneously:
Additional array elements can be appended like this:
$capitals['Arkansas'] = 'Little Rock';
If you're dealing with numerically indexed arrays and would rather prepend and append elements using an explicitly-named function, check out the array_push() and array_unshift() functions (these functions don't work with associative arrays).
2. Removing Array Elements
To remove an element from an array, use the unset() function:
When using numerically indexed arrays you have a bit more flexibility in terms of removing array elements in that you can use the array_shift() and array_pop() functions to remove an element from the beginning and end of the array, respectively.
3. Swapping Keys and Values
Suppose you wanted to create a new array called $states, which would use state capitals as the index and state names as the associated value. This task is easily accomplished using the array_flip() function:
Suppose the previous arrays were used in conjunction with a Web-based "flash card" service, and you wanted to provide students with a way to test their knowledge of worldwide capitals, U.S. states included. You can merge arrays containing both state and country capitals using the array_merge() function:
Suppose the data found in an array potentially contains capitalization errors, and you want to correct these errors before inserting the data into the database. You can use the array_map() function to apply a callback to every array element:
The Standard PHP Library (SPL) offers developers with quite a few data structures, iterators, interfaces, exceptions and other features not previously available within the PHP language. Among these features is the ability to iterate over an array using a convenient object-oriented syntax:
$capitals = array(
'Arizona' => 'Phoenix',
'Alaska' => 'Juneau',
'Alabama' => 'Montgomery'
$arrayObject = new ArrayObject($capitals);
foreach ($arrayObject as $state => $capital)
printf("The capital of %s is %s<br />", $state, $capital);
// The capital of Arizona is Phoenix
// The capital of Alaska is Juneau
// The capital of Alabama is Montgomery
This is just one of countless great features bundled into the SPL, be sure to consult the PHP documentation for more information.
About the Author
Jason Gilmore is the founder of the publishing and consulting firm WJGilmore.com. He also is the author of several popular books, including "Easy PHP Websites with the Zend Framework", "Easy PayPal with PHP", and "Beginning PHP and MySQL, Fourth Edition". Follow him on Twitter at @wjgilmore. | <urn:uuid:8d9d41d5-5f23-454d-95a8-8abc57ab3eae> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:17:56",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8752075433731079,
"score": 3.046875,
"token_count": 722,
"url": "http://www.phpbuilder.com/print/columns/associative-array-manipulation/Jason_Gilmore12092010.php3"
} |
Estimates and assumptions
6. Estimates and assumptions
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions which, in some circumstances, are based on difficult and subjective judgments and estimates derived from historical experience and assumptions which, each time, are believed to be reasonable and realistic under the circumstances. Such estimates affect the reported amounts of some assets and liabilities, costs and revenues, as well as the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date.
The estimates and assumptions will generally refer to the measurement of the recoverable amounts of intangible assets, the definition of the useful lives of property, plant and equipment, the recoverability of receivables and the recognition and measurement of provisions. The estimates and assumptions are based upon data which reflects the current state of available knowledge.
Accounting policies of particular importance requiring a higher degree of judgment
The accounting policies involving a higher degree of judgment by management in making estimates and for which a change in the conditions underlying the assumptions could have a significant impact on the consolidated financial statements are the following:
In accordance with the accounting policies applied in the preparation of the financial statements, goodwill is tested annually in order to assess whether there is an impairment that should be recorded in the income statement. In particular, the test involves the allocation of goodwill to cash-generating units and the determination of the relative recoverable amount, understood as being the higher of fair value and the value in use.
If the value in use is lower than the carrying amount of the cash-generating units, an impairment on the goodwill allocated to them should recognized. The allocation of goodwill to cash-generating units and the determination of their value in use involves estimates which depend on subjective valuations as well as on factors which could change over time with consequent and possibly significant effects on the assessment made by management.
Impairment of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets
In accordance with the accounting policies applied, property, plant and equipment and intangible assets are tested to ascertain if there is an impairment, which should be recognized, when there are indications that would imply difficulties in recovering the net carrying amount through the use of the asset. The verification of the existence of these indications requires management to make judgments based on available internal or external information and historical experience. Moreover, when it has been determined that there could be a potential impairment, that impairment must be determined by reference to suitable valuation techniques. The proper identification of elements indicating the existence of a potential impairment and the estimates used to determine it depend on subjective judgments and factors which can vary over time and influence the assessments and estimates made by management.
Deferred income taxes
The recognition of deferred tax assets is made on the basis of expectations of future income. The measurement of future income for purposes of recognizing deferred income taxes depends on factors which can vary over time and determine significant effects on the measurement of deferred tax assets.
Provisions for other liabilities and charges
Accruals are made for legal and fiscal liabilities and charges that will probably require an outflow of resources. The amount of the provisions recorded in the financial statements relating to such liabilities and charges represents the best estimate at that time made by management. This estimate involves assumptions which depend on factors which can change over time and which could therefore have significant effects on the current estimates made by management in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements. | <urn:uuid:f9e66b03-ecb7-4302-8042-44c5bd9255d5> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:09:54",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9523780345916748,
"score": 2.921875,
"token_count": 677,
"url": "http://www.pirelli.com/investor/2007/eng/pages/63/"
} |
Planet News in 2025
One of the best ways to prevent a crisis from happening is to make projections about what will happen if nothing is done; if the present course of action is continued. Planet News 2025 brings you the stories of the future. This is not fiction. It is science fiction - only the science is true and thus the predictions must also be true if the variables have been accurately ascertained and fitted into a model. It is better to describe Planet News 2025 as science faction.
Energy Consumption in 2025
In 2025 energy consumption will increase by 50% from the present rate in 2012 ("Growing Demands for Energy," Mapping the Global Future - Report of the National Intelligence Council's 2020 Project). Despite improvements in energy efficiency the continued rate of growth of the Indian, Chinese, Brazilian and Russian economies will require a doubling of the current amount of energy consumed. The present small percentage of energy generated from renewable resources does not bode well for the environmental impact of doubling energy consumption.
World Population in 2025
By 2025 the world population will reach 7.9 at the current exponential growth (U.S. Census Bureau, "Total Midyear Population for the World: 1950-2050," International Data Base). In America the population will reach 350 million. Not only America but countries around the world will suffer serious urban overcrowding, shortages of housing (and consequent rises in house prices). There is likely to be an increase in the number at the bottom of societies that will cause increases in crime and a fast erosion of civil liberties as governments seek to enact draconian measures to counter the rising wave of crime.
It is also likely that the movement of people both through legal and illegal immigration will greatly increase as people from developing countries seek to go to developed countries with more employment opportunities and less dense populations. Scandinavia and Australia will be targeted in particular.
In 2007 one third of the world lived in areas identified as having a water shortage. By 2025 over half the world population (5 billion people) will suffer water shortages. This will lead to human disaster zones where many die of drought. The price of water will become so high that a certain percentage of the world population will not be able to afford clean water. Wars will be fought over fresh water supplies. The world will rush to bring out better desalination technology, and world leaders will have to fight corporations who seek to profit from the patents on this new desalination technology.
Although water conservation in the home (http://www.greeninteriordesign.info/water.html) will be an everyday part of life in 2025 the average person won’t have the luxury of taking long baths or showers every day. Only the very rich will be able to afford fresh water swimming pools.
The scarcity of water will also severely hamper the production of energy as without water cooling systems power plants cannot operate. Energy production will move to coastal regions where sea water can be used for cooling. This will be a double edged sword because with rising water levels due to climate change it will be harder to secure the power plants from sea encroachment.
Social Upheaval in 2025
By 2025 conditions will have deteriorated so much that social upheaval will happen across the developed world. Just as the Arab spring of 2011 saw north African dictatorships crumble under internal dissent and international action, so the supposed ‘democracies’ of the West will face open revolt against short-sightedness that has got their nation in the present parlous state. Militant green movements will replace Marxism as the ideology forcing change. This movement will seek to remove Wall Street lackeys from the corridors of the White House. Economic growth for the first time will be superseded in terms of priority by seeking to limit environmental health decline.
Greenhouse gases in 2025
By 2025 the permafrost will melt. This will release 190 gigatons of trapped greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This will signal the end of our window of opportunity to stop climate change. By 2025 temperatures around the world will rise by several degrees. This will result in certain areas of the world becoming uninhabitable. Formerly cold and unattractive areas such as northern Canada will become desirable places to live.
That is the news in brief for 2025. Read on to discover more about what will happen in 2025 if nothing is done now. Naturally, none of us want the predictions above to come true. The purpose of planet2025news.net is to make people think about what they can do now to make this website defunct in 2025, instead of a chillingly accurate forecast of death, destruction, unrest, shortages and misery.
It is widely recognized that production of foods for a meat based diet use up more resources – land, water, energy – than a plant based diet. In this sense, we know that as the world population continues to increase, we cannot keep on eating meat in such large quantities. In actual fact, it would be beneficial for the health of the planet (as well as ourselves), if we could base our diets on whole plant foods.
Looking around the world, there are more people who consume a plant based diet rather than a meat based diet. It is only Westerners who consider eating the quantities of meat that we do, as normal. In Asian countries for example, when eaten, meat is used mainly for flavor, so much less is eaten per person.
Throughout Asia, rice is a staple food. We might see it as boring, but without this grain the survival of millions would be called into question. It is a food for the masses. It is interesting to note that looking at countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and China, any fat people are ones eating a more Western style, meat based diet. Those who consume a traditional, high carbohydrate, rice based (plant food) diet are much slimmer and healthy looking.
Maybe it would be a good idea for Westerners to eat more rice as part of their diet. This, how to cook rice website, talks about various easy to cook rice dishes and how to prepare them. Rice cookers are in fact an efficient way to prepare rice and provided the ‘keep warm’ function isn’t used for a long period of time, they don’t use a great deal of electricity.
Further reading: Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment by David Pimentel and Marcia Pimentel in the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition
Posted: October 15th, 2012 under Resources.
Tags: Asia, rice, staple foods
Some very brave Greenpeace activists have just staged a daring protest on board a coal ship leaving Australian waters. They were from several countries and got on board the Korean ship MV Meister two days ago. The cargo is mostly coal which has been picked up in Queensland from Abbot Point.
The reason the activists are targeting Australian cargo ships is the huge growth in coal exports the country is experience. Some estimates suggest that the export of this fossil fuel will more than double over the next few years. Their act is to try and bring the ’coal boom’ issue to the table, despite many green agendas none of the political parties have even suggested possible solutions to this issye.
The issue is very real, the export growth of coal will lead to increased climate change. It’s easy to duck the issue by gaining income from exporting it and pretending that the emissions are the problem of someone else. The fact is that Australia is one country that is at huge risk from climate change with some extrme temperatures already in many areas.
Australia has pledged it’s part to reduce global emissions, these huge exports of one of the most polluting energy sources are a direct contradiction to that policy. There has been no response from the Governments Climate Change department which was specifically set up to promote cleaner energy and to reduce global emissions.
The protest has certainly promoted some important debate within the Australian media. There are several shows on the mainstream media highlighting this huge contradiction in government policy – unfortunately you might need an Aussie proxy server to watch some of these shows though. One thing it also highlights is the fantastic job done by the brave activists of Greenpeace.
Posted: May 2nd, 2013 under Soutions.
Tags: environment, activists, coal, energy, politics, Australia
All across the world people want to censor the internet. In places like Iran and Syria, there’s a desperate need to control the internet primarily social media. For protestors, the internet is a place to meet, to plan or to rouse support for the opposition it’s a place to trap dissent and block free speech. But it’s not just obvious cases like these where there’s a drive to control what you can do and see online. In Australia, there’s a huge drive to block access to all sorts of websites using state of the art content filters. In Iceland they’ve decided to wage a war on internet pornography and stop sex based websites from being access from their country.
In other countries the censorship is a little more subtle but arguably just as dangerous. You would have thought in the land of the First Amendment, where free speech is valued like nowehere else – that the US would be one land where the internet continues to be unfiltered. Here though it’s big business and commerce which is the risk, through proposed legislation like SOPA. Here the threat is that anyone who owns a website becomes responisble for content that appears on it. So anyone for example who runs a discussion forum they could be liable for any statement or link posted to an illegal site or one which breaches a companies copyright. Instantly websites like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook for example become a litigation nightmare. People will be scared to post, scared to host and scared to discuss anything online for fear of stepping into a legal minefield.
The censorship via this method would be much more subtle, but arguably more encompassing. Slowly the internet would turn into a collection of big web sites with legal backing, hosting preapproved content. Smaller, unmoderated sites would slowly disappear, they would simply be not worth the risk and the options for free speech would be slowly eroded. Thankfully SOPA was defeated, but it was a close call, the mobilisation of millions through organisations like Wikipedia and Google helped block the bills progress. Next time we may not be so lucky, there’s big business online and powerful lobbying funds seek to dictate the internets direction.
The attack will continues from all these sources, it is up to us to defend the neutrality of the internet. For some protestors like Aaron Swartz the battle has cost them their lives. It is up to us to ensure that politicians, big business and dictators cannot control the internet. Make sure that we use proxies and VPNs to demonstrate that technical controls can be circumvented. When you use a proxy server to watch Iplayer in the US, you are not only getting to watch great TV – but you’re showing that content is accessible to all whatever restrictions are implemented.
The other battles will happen in places like Congress, Parliament and of course the market places. Any of these places could enforce control over the internet, we should ensure that our voices make sure that this never happens.
Posted: March 31st, 2013 under Soutions.
Tags: proxies, SOPA, censorship, Internet, Swartz
When I left University some 20 plus years ago, I had what I thought was a rather large overdraft. I was not alone and at the time a couple of thousand pounds seemed a huge amount of money to pay back, however this is nothing compared with what todays youngsters have to endure. It might be different in other countries but nowadays in the United Kingdom most students leave with an enormous amount of debt. They have to pay their fees, tuition plus all the other living expenses that go with being a student. I had a grant, paid no fees and a part time job at the student union and I still managed to stagger out with a big overdraft.
But by 2025 I think education will change massively. The standard model is school, college and the some sort of degree at a University or college. This last bit usually involves living away from home and paying lots of money for tuition. This model works reasonably well in times of plenty, sure the bills rack up but graduates can expect to earn much more and paying them off is no big worry. However we’re now seeing students who can’t find any job and little prospect of paying off their various loans.
However in the future things could have changed considerably, I’m talking of course about the MOOCs that appeared last year. These are Massive Open Online Courses that are taking the world by storm. The University Lectures are delivered across the planet using the medium of the internet. A brilliant professor is no longer restricted to teaching a handful of students in his lecture room, but literally tens of thousands across the world.
At the moment nearly all the leading Universities in the world are getting involved. It will be interesting to see where it leads, particularly how it’s funded, currently all the courses are pretty much free. However Universities need fees to survive so this model won’t scale up. Perhaps the costs will lower and you’ll be charged a fee and can study anywhere. Maybe you’ll need to be located in a certain place, perhaps to study in Oxford or Cambridge you’ll need to prove you’re in the UK or at least use a fake IP address!
It may not stop there, perhaps all other levels of learning could follow this route? Whatever happens, opening up world class education to the world not based on where you are born has got to be a positive thing for the human race.
Posted: January 18th, 2013 under Resources.
Tags: Mooc, education, online learning
A really important aspect of this overall subject is handicap mobility and the needs of those people that are affected by physical disabilities.
There are several arguments about the benefits and drawbacks of a variety of mobility solutions for the physically challenged and what folks can and cannot do in certain circumstances. Don’t let this cloud your view, but when you think about it, vehicles customized for use by the physically handicapped are highly beneficial.
If you were ever scared of using or felt intimated by motorized scooters for instance, this may go some way to allay those fears. You know it is not always easy to comment on something that describes the needs of people with disabilities so well.
If you want to feel confident about getting up and down stairs, then based from reports of mobility issues along with the social and public aspects, installing a stair lift in your home can increase your access considerably. These amazing yet simple devices provide important and often essential access to parts of the home that would otherwise be off limits to a person with mobility limitations.
It helps to be at the right place to learn a lot of new things. Knowing where to find definite information is important. Most people with disabilities are not so fragile that can’t navigate some obstacles, but stairs often represent an unassailable barrier for many. Being able to ascend or descend easily, safely and without aid can be liberating and dignifying.
How would you know if a handicap ramp exists in every building that needs it? While that probably varies from place to place, any specialized form of transportation such as wheelchairs or motorized scooters will find it a whole lot easier to gain access to public buildings with carefully placed ramps as an alternative to stairs.
If you really want to learn some in-depth facts about his, a trip to any municipal building will reveal what you need to know graphically. The truth is you can do this for next to nothing, but you can learn much from the exercise.
When a handicap vehicle is provided to those who follow the well worn transportation path, it could turn out that you’ve stumbled upon a great benefit. There are many kinds of specialist vehicles that cater to the needs of those with physical mobility issues that provide useful transportation to places they may not otherwise have access to.
In general, it is worth using knowledge about the many aspects of handicap mobility to see how it works from a different perspective. The issues surrounding handicap mobility can be immense but well worth taking on board.
You can learn more about the issues facing people with physical disabilities by visiting this excellent website: handicapeasylife.com. There seems to be little or even no independent thought at all on many of the issues that concern people with disabilities, but attitudes are changing for the better.
Posted: December 15th, 2012 under Soutions.
Tags: handicap access, mobility issues, people with disabilities
A conference scheduled to last 11 days has begun in Dubai with the intention to try and agree a direction for the furture of the internet. The goal sounds quite simple – to agree some common standards for the future of the internet. However the UK organisers were quoted as mentioning that they expect a certain amount of friction within the debates.
It’s been a long time since such talks have taken place, the last global conference on the future of telecoms across the planet took place in 1988. Obviously the world has changed a lot since then! One of the key concerns of the organisers is that today still over 4 billion people have no access at all to the internet, this can only lead to inequalities in knowledge and opportunity.
Some are concerned that censorship and filtering are going to be high on the conference agenda. Google has started advertising on their search page asking people to support the principles of a free and open internet. They seem to be worried that governments are intending to impose strict regulations on a global scale on the free use of the internet. The United Nations who are driving this conference are keen to deny this allegation.
It will be interesting to see where Google go with this campaign, they obviously have the potential to leverage enormous power globally simply through their search page. The meetings at this conference are closed to the public however Google will be well represented there anyway.
We would hope that some of the increasing restrictions and filtering that is happening throughout the world can be addressed. The internet is increasingly being used as a tool either for oppression by denying access like the Syrian Government or artificial blocks put up by commercial organisations keen to carry on with their global price discriminations. The sad truth is to operate on anything like a free and open internet then you need to use some sort of proxy or VPN service like something detailed here - http://www.proxyusa.com/. However this require money and not all people are lucky enough to be able to afford such services to protect their online freedom.
Posted: December 10th, 2012 under Resources.
Tags: ITU Meeting, internet freedom, censorship
One of the most poignant aspects of the future has to be progressive advances made in personal health. It may have taken a long time to finally get people educated to the facts about nutrition and diet, but the obesity epidemic that swept through western civilization in the early part of the century had finally been brought under control.
People at last realized that their excessive consumption of sugar and processed foods were largely responsible for their expanding waistlines and the food industry was forced to change. The way that food was presented finally changed and the emphasis switched from high fat, high sugar comfort foods to healthy, fresh produce
Big Companies Go Under
It cost some of the biggest processed food manufacturers their business and huge losses were seen as one household name company after another fell into receivership through the sudden drop off in sales. The survivors were the companies that saw the writing on the wall and changed with consumer eating habits.
The biggest casualties were the big name fast food restaurants that failed to come up with completely healthy alternatives to their high fat, cholesterol promoting unhealthy food. Consumers saw through the many futile attempts to hoodwink them with healthy looking food that on closer inspection was really no better than the junk they had been serving up for decades before.
A Long Time Coming
It took several years for the changes to come about. Obese people started losing weight once they came to realize that they could still enjoy good food and not load up on so many calories. The nation’s statistics for overweight citizens fell steadily year after year until it reached levels not seen since the middle of the 20th Century!
The lesson learned by millions of people may have been a harsh one in the beginning, but the blow was satisfactorily cushioned by the subsequent loss of weight. Clothing manufacturers specializing in outsize garments had to rapidly par down their sizing to reflect the shrinking girths of their customers.
By the year 2025, populations had become healthy, slim and much happier. It may have been a long time coming, but the lessons learned about the eternal health concepts such as can be seen at http://eternalhealthconcepts.com of sensible eating and drinking were well worth learning. People are now living longer on average than they did only a decade ago with far fewer hospital admissions for weight related diseases and conditions. This surely has to be the best time to be alive ever!
Posted: October 31st, 2012 under Soutions.
Tags: health, sensible diet, health concepts
While the current trend seems to be a rapidly expanding world population with an equally rapidly expanding collective waistline, this simply cannot be sustained in the long term. Attitudes toward diet and the way we eat must and will change over time as people are better educated in the ways of sensible eating and by having a greater awareness of what is in the food and drinks that they are consuming.
The year 2025 is not such a long way off that our current generations will be able to enjoy the many benefits that more widespread health education will bring. A more realistic diet awareness will take over from the current widespread ignorance of what nutritional constituents are in all foods that are consumed. This means that the stranglehold the food industry and manufacturers currently have over people will be dissolved as it cannot be sustained under the weight of greater consumer awareness of what is in the food they buy in stores.
So what will this global rise in nutritional awareness mean for the average person on the street?
A Diet Revolution
It will mean that all foods that are processed and packaged for convenience will have to be totally transparent as to their constituents and full documentation as to the properties of every single additive must be not only available but proofs that they have been acknowledged and understood by the consumer will be mandatory before they can be purchased. Of course, in a changed new world of infinitely more widespread and comprehensive education that ensures that all children leave school with a high level of knowledge of diet and nutrition, consumers will already be completely aware of what all additives can potentially do to their health.
Advances in medical science and nutritional understanding will also play a part in further highlighting the health impact from certain food additives. Those additives that are currently unsafe or that have a high potentiality to initiate damaging health consequences will not be allowed to be added to any foods.
The great hope is that these advances in knowledge and understanding will lead to a healthier population that knows what it should and should not eat or drink. The resulting effect will be a healthier, slimmer population less dependent on health services to treat weight related illnesses. This will be a hugely positive development that will happen gradually over the years. Certainly by 2025 the results will speak for themselves just by looking around and seeing a world full of healthier, better informed and happier people.
Posted: August 3rd, 2012 under Soutions.
Tags: diet, diet awareness
As advances have come in the medical and chemical industries, the cosmetic and beauty industry has become somewhat akin the Wild West. Ingredients aren’t regulated, so it’s very possible for untested products to hit the shelves at the expense of eager consumers. Sites like the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database aim to educate consumers on the dangerous chemicals that lurk inside of their favorite cosmetics.
In 2025, however, things will be different. There won’t just be online databases that warn only the most interested of consumers about the dangers of chemicals in their favorite products. Many more government regulations will be in place by then that will ban companies from using carcinogenic ingredients in the products they produce. Although many of the government regulations that will be in place in 2025 will have a negative impact on the social and economic structure of the world, these regulations will have a positive impact on the health of citizens.
Some products that exist today will thrive in 2025. The products that will thrive are the ones produced by companies that are already aware of the dangers of chemicals in beauty products. Products like Aubrey Organics Shampoo, Nature’s Natural, and Mira hair oil will increase greatly in popularity as consumers are forced to abandon the dangerous products that they once (unknowingly) used.
Although there is much to fear in 2025, there are some things to look forward to as well. We have no choice but to be alive in that year, so it is important to look for the positives where they exist.
Posted: April 18th, 2012 under Resources.
By the year 2025 the travel industry will have changed considerably. At the moment (in 2012) the travel industry accounts for 5% of the total GDP of the world. This revenue goes to big travel companies but also to developing countries such as Thailand, India, Brazil and the Caribbean. A lot also goes to the second tier of the developed world such as Italy, Greece and Spain.
It is hard to make predictions about whether people will have more or less leisure time in the near future. Certainly the wave of money seems to have left the west coast of America and is cresting in China. Chinese employers are notorious, like their Japanese and Korean counterparts, for making their employees work 6 or 7 days a week and severely restricting public holidays. If China holds the economic reins in 2025 then it can be expected that the average length of holidays will decrease. However, it can be expected that those with lots of money will still go on foreign holidays. It is likely that high-end hotels and resorts in Koh Samui, the Bahamas and Italy will continue to do good business.
With the releasing of the green house gases caught in the perma-frost caused by the melting of the polar caps world average temperatures will rise. This will result in two outcomes. One, places like Fiji and the Maldives will be underwater and their tourist trade will vanish along with their islands. And secondly, countries that were formerly too cold to attract many tourists such as Scandinavia and Canada will see an upsurge in tourist numbers, especially from tourists traveling in their own country.
Finally, with dwindling supplies of petrol, energy costs will be higher. Plane tickets will cost more. Air-con will cost more. As fewer people can afford to go to the tropics, and as they become hotter their will be initially a price war. This competition will be most strongly felt among mid-range and budget places.
To sum up, it looks like less holidays in 2025. There will still be a travel industry, but there will be clear winners and losers.
Posted: March 28th, 2012 under Energy.
Tags: travel in 2025, energy, price wars, less holidays | <urn:uuid:a03f0ad0-8230-474f-8c09-548a61f48c1e> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:10:54",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9639305472373962,
"score": 2.765625,
"token_count": 5594,
"url": "http://www.planet2025news.net/"
} |
The shape-memory alloy actuators might power minimally invasive surgical devices or tiny laptop cameras
Shape-memory alloys that change shape when heated could become tiny mechanical muscles for electronic devices. New mechanical devices based on the alloys produce three to six times more torque than electric motors, and weigh just one-20th as much.
Such devices, known as actuators, can be cut from a flat sheet of metal just a fraction of a millimeter thick. They emerged from a roject that aims to build printable robots, where the robots would consist of both the metal actuators and plastic components that could be built layer-by-layer through a process similar to inkjet printing. | <urn:uuid:445f2943-2c46-4a0d-a7fc-003ee5c0c754> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:39:15",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.95082026720047,
"score": 3.140625,
"token_count": 140,
"url": "http://www.popsci.com/category/tags/mechanical-devices"
} |
Researchers at UCLA have built a cheap, optics-free holographic microscope capable of detecting bacteria like E. coli in things like water, food, and blood. And by cheap, we mean really cheap. The researchers say it costs less than $100 to build.
The microscope has two ways of analyzing samples: a transmission mode and a reflection mode. The transmission mode is good for transparent media, like thin slices of a sample or clear liquids. In this case, the microscope’s laser can easily penetrate and analyze microscopic objects. For denser, more solid samples the microscope uses holography to generate a 3-D image of the sample that can be beamed to remote computers for further analysis if necessary.In reflection mode, the microscope basically splits the laser beam using a mirror. It then uses one half of the beam to illuminate the sample. On the other side the sample beam and the control beam are recombined. Some “clever mathematics” can then use resulting the changes in the beam to generate a 3-D image of the object sampled.
But while that may sound fairly high-tech, there are no expensive optics or other pricey components required. The photo sensors are of the variety often found in smartphones, and small lasers like the one used in the device are really inexpensive these days as well. That all means that these holographic microscopes could be widely deployed at little cost.
And that’s the idea. Places that don’t have access to high-tech diagnostic equipment could use these devices to sample food and water--or even human blood--for harmful bugs and beam the images to more powerful computing devices elsewhere for analysis or diagnosis. That could help contain contaminations and outbreaks faster, saving lives while keeping costs down.
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more. | <urn:uuid:bbb7aa65-c191-461e-a3b7-5d90d73beae4> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:27:45",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9175647497177124,
"score": 3.125,
"token_count": 413,
"url": "http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-09/hundred-dollar-holography-microscope-detects-bacteria-cheap"
} |
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Barrie Hunt, says 'Despite 2010 being a very warm year globally, the severity of the 2009-2010 northern winter and a wetter and cooler Australia in 2010 relative to the past few years have been misinterpreted by some to imply that climate change is not occurring.'
'Recent wet conditions in eastern Australia mainly reflect short-term climate variability and weather events, not longer-term climate change trends. Conclusions that climate is not changing are based on a misunderstanding of the roles of climatic change caused by increasing greenhouse gases and climatic variability due to natural processes in the climatic system.
'These two components of the climate system interact continuously, sometimes enhancing and sometimes counteracting one another to either exacerbate or moderate climate extremes.'
Mr Hunt says his climatic model simulations support what is clear from recent observations – that in addition to the role of climate change linked to human activity, natural variability produces periods where the global climate can be either cooler or warmer than usual. Mr Hunt’s results were published in the latest edition of the international journal Climate Dynamics.
He says some such natural temperature variations can last for 10 to 15 years, with persistent variations of about 0.2°C.
'Such natural variability could explain the above average temperatures observed globally in the 1940s, and the warm but relatively constant global temperatures of the last decade.'
Mr Hunt also found that seasonal cold spells will still be expected under enhanced greenhouse conditions. For example, monthly mean temperatures up to 10°C below present values were found to occur over North America as late as 2060 in model simulations, with similar cold spells over Asia. Variations of up to 15°C below current temperatures were found to occur on individual days, even in 2060, despite a long-term trend of warming on average.
'These results suggest that a few severe winters in the Northern hemisphere are not sufficient to indicate that climatic change has ceased. The long-term trends that characterise climate change can be interpreted only by analysing many years of observations.'
'Future changes in global temperature as the concentration of greenhouse gases increases will not show a simple year-on-year increase but will vary around a background of long-term warming. Winters as cold as that recently experienced in the Northern Hemisphere, however, will become progressively less frequent as the greenhouse effect eventually dominates,' Mr Hunt said.
This underlying warming trend, reflected in the projections of future climate and the observation that the past decade has been the warmest in the instrumental record, underline the need to both adapt to what is now inevitable change and mitigate even greater changes.
Photographs are copyright by law. If you wish to use or buy a photograph you must contact the photographer directly (there is a hyperlink in most cases to their website, or do a Google search.) with your request.
Please do not contact
as we cannot give permission for use of other photographer’s images. | <urn:uuid:df0d3c64-9bd5-4d02-98f8-7a7c217e5a58> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:44:25",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9397305250167847,
"score": 3.40625,
"token_count": 601,
"url": "http://www.powerboat-world.com/index.cfm?Nid=78813&ntid=57&subid=&nlid=460644"
} |
The first example (Fig. 1) was a great way to look at finger
independence, which is our first left-hand technique. Having your fingers do independent
things is one of the most challenging aspects of playing the guitar. If you had trouble
changing chords fast enough when you started playing guitar, you were dealing with finger
independence issues. It turns out that out hands aren’t built equally. There’s an
individual tendon for each of your individual fingers, except the ring finger and pinky.
Those unfortunate digits have to share one, and now you know why most guitar players only
use three fingers on their left hand: The pinky is a bit weak, short, and it’s sharing a
tendon with the ring finger.
For a great example of this, place your fingertips on a table and make them all touch
at the same time. Now, try to lift up just your third finger, making sure your pinky stays
down. Hard, isn’t it? Have no fear—while the pinky may be weak and muscularly challenged,
it can be beefed up! Fig. 2 is the first of our “spider” exercises. I
learned these in college and when you do it fast enough, you look like a tarantula walking
across the fretboard. It’s creepy and awesome at the same time.
Fig. 2 is all about pairs of fingers: first and third, and second and fourth. By moving
them together, first in parallel, and then in opposing motion, you’re making sure that
each finger can work independently from each other. While the exercise sounds pedantic,
the motion is just what you need to get from chord to chord with ease. In the audio
example, I’m keeping my fingers down as long as I can, forcing the other fingers to work
If we break up the fingers and play them one by one, we get Fig. 3,
which proves that you can apply finger independence drills to enhance your lead playing as
well. I’ve added a string skip to each finger pair to make it a little more
I’ll do one last exercise based on the spider drill with Fig. 4. This
time, I’m adding a string skip each time I use all four fingers. This one is tricky, but
it really shows how wimpy most people’s fingers are.
Now let’s take the finger independence idea and make all four fingers play at the same
time—you know, like you do with chords. These shapes are called mirrors because they are
mirror images of each other. Much like Fig. 1, I’m intentionally making the fingers do
something pretty unnatural here in Fig. 5.
Fig. 5 clearly sounds like gibberish, and that’s the point—it’s a pure exercise that you
can do unplugged while watching the game. You can take it and really go to town with it by
adding string skips between any of the fingers, or moving it to different strings. Fig. 6
ups the ante by only changing the two middle fingers every other chord. This one is really | <urn:uuid:99467c6f-2c6b-4c86-aa89-8e81b6ee2c36> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:43:58",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9286514520645142,
"score": 3.265625,
"token_count": 679,
"url": "http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2013/Mar/Style_Guide_Left_Hand_Techniques.aspx?Page=2"
} |
Researchers develop edible 'peels' for variety of liquid, semi-solid foods
Imagine getting your yogurt from a little ball with an edible skin. Or your ice cream. How about your soda coming from a vending machine not in a recyclable can, but rather with a peel you can bite right into. It's closer to reality than you might think.
Editor's Note: This report is part of a collaboration between PRI's The World and NOVA.
A team of chefs, chemists and designers has come up with a way for you to eat a cocktail, to hold a mouthful of juice in your hands.
They’ve created a biodegradable shell that can enclose ice cream, mousses, cheeses and liquids. Take an orange, for example.
David Edwards, an inventor and engineer at Harvard University, slices one open.
“Now look at that,” he said, pointing to the pulp. “Obviously the orange is full of water and moisture. And then you’ve got the orange peel.”
The peel is a kind of durable, biodegradable packaging. Few people eat an orange peel, but it is edible. And, of course, we do eat the peels of other fruits, like peaches and apples.
The fact that these fruits come in their own built-in packaging is convenient. It means they do not have to be sold in boxes or bags.
This idea is the inspiration behind a company that Edwards has founded. He wants to change the way we package and eat food.
Making His Own Peel
This is where things start to get less familiar.
Edwards fetches a plate of what look like red rubber balls. He picks one up between his thumb and forefinger.
“I’m going to bite into it just to show you what’s going on here,” he said.
Edwards bites it in two and holds up the half still in his fingers. Greek yogurt sits inside. He squeezes the yogurt out.
The innovative part is what is on the outside. It is a protective, biodegradable skin — like an orange peel. And it’s edible.
“That skin keeps moisture inside, and it keeps germs and other things outside,” Edwards said.
He won’t reveal the exact recipe, but he says in this case the raw ingredients come from raspberries and algae.
And it is not just yogurt that Edwards is wrapping in this kind of edible peel. His vision is that one day you will go to the supermarket and, instead of buying cartons of juice and cans of soup, you will fill your cart up with balls of food and drink.
“I get home, and I hand (the food) to my son, and he hands it to his friend,” Edwards said. “And then the friend says, ‘But did you wash your hands?’ At that point, I clean it as I do fruit and vegetables today. I can run water over it, and it doesn’t dissolve, actually. And it can be cleaned, and then I can eat it.”
A Curious Display of Food
It may sound like something from Star Trek, but Edwards is already trying these products out on the public. His company recently organized a tasting at its test kitchen in Paris.
Just before the event, the company’s research and development manager, Heloise Vilaseca, was eager to hear what the taste testers would say.
“Would they like it?” she wondered. “Would they understand the product? Would they want to share it with friends?”
On this day, four volunteers had arrived to try the new foods. Maëva Tordo was one of them. She works in business innovation, and her eyes were wide with anticipation.
“I’m really, really curious about it because I always dreamed about being able to eat the cap of my yogurt,” she said. “So I can’t wait.”
Before long, the group was brought into a room where the food had been laid out. White spheres of frosty ice cream and brown orbs of mousse rested in shallow bowls. Yellow and green cheese marbles huddled on little plates. The gelatinous balls of yogurt were on display, as well.
The taste testers plucked them up with their fingers and popped them into their mouths like grapes. They seemed to be loving it, though someone did mention that the ice cream could be improved by making it smaller.
Perhaps the strangest things on the table were the beverages – colorful globes of liquid. Some contained orange juice. Others held a cocktail made with blue Curaçao, wrapped in a transparent spherical skin flecked with orange rind and placed in martini glasses.
Chris Tallec, a designer, poked a straw through the skin of his turquoise cocktail and slurped the liquid inside. Then he held up the skin and ate it.
“It’s really tasty because it has the flavor of the orange,” he said.
Tallec said he enjoyed this new way of eating.
“It’s playful. Also, it’s seducing — you know, you’re curious about it," he said.
Before the tasting ended, Maëva Tordo’s curiosity got the better of her. She reached for one more ball of yogurt, but the contents had warmed up to room temperature. So when she bit it in half to admire how it was created, the yogurt squirted out and splattered her hair.
“That’s what happens when you play too much with food,” she said, laughing.
The Future of Edible Packaging
The taste testers seemed to be sold on the concept, but is the general public really ready to buy edible balls of soda or coffee at the grocery store and from vending machines? Is it realistic to think we can bundle much of our food into this kind of packaging?
Edwards thinks so.
“Interest from leading multi-national food and beverage companies has been great,” he said.
Still, there is a lot to do before he licenses this technology to major food brands. He has patent applications in the pipeline, and he has to make sure the technology can scale easily from a small test kitchen to mass production.
As Edwards continues to refine this new kind of food, he is relying on the public to tell him what works and what doesn’t. In fact, he calls his company WikiCell Designs, because, as he sees it as a collaborative effort.
The next step in that collaboration will come soon when the world’s first Wiki Bar opens, in Paris.Consumers will be able to purchase these balls of yogurt, mousse, and juice, and offer feedback. Edwards says if all goes well, he plans to roll out his products in the United States next year.
"PRI's "The World" is a one-hour, weekday radio news magazine offering a mix of news, features, interviews, and music from around the globe. "The World" is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston. More about The World. | <urn:uuid:b1476567-dad6-4738-bb3d-ae513130326e> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:45:59",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9668043851852417,
"score": 2.828125,
"token_count": 1536,
"url": "http://www.pri.org/stories/science/researchers-develop-edible-peels-for-variety-of-liquid-semi-solid-foods-11979.html"
} |
Shots - Health News
Wed February 27, 2013
How Guinea Pigs Could Help Autistic Children
Originally published on Thu February 28, 2013 12:18 pm
Feeling a little awkward? Consider skipping the alcohol and grabbing a pet instead.
As any dog walker knows, it's easy — unavoidable, even — to strike up conversations with strangers when accompanied by a canine friend. Smaller animals like rabbits and turtles can also lubricate social interactions.
Given this effect, Maggie O'Haire, a doctoral candidate in psychology at the University of Queensland, wondered if animals could also help children with autism spectrum disorders connect with other people.
As it turns out, they can.
In a study described in the latest PLOS ONE, O'Haire and her colleagues introduced two guinea pigs into 15 different classrooms and looked at how the presence of these furry creatures affected the interactions of autistic children with adults and non-autistic kids.
The researchers found that autistic children were significantly more talkative and cheerful in the presence of guinea pigs than in the presence of toys. The children were also more likely to look at faces, make physical contact, and interact with other children and adults.
O'Haire has several theories as to why animals might have this effect.
First of all, animals facilitate social interaction by giving people a common focus of attention. "There's something about having an animal present that gets people talking," says O'Haire.
Additionally, animals have a calming effect. For children with autism, the classroom can be a stressful environment, and O'Haire says an animal may relax them enough to make them feel comfortable interacting with peers.
Animals also make people look better. "If you have an animal with you, people actually perceive you as friendlier, happier, and less threatening," O'Haire says. "Having an animal there may have changed the children's perceptions of their peers in a more positive light."
O'Haire thinks animals could aid autistic children with social interactions in a many places, including classrooms and therapists' offices. "I certainly think that in any situation where there's rapport that needs to be built, this data seems to show that having an animal would really help," she says.
But is it practical? More research needs to be done to figure out how to implement so-called animal-assisted interventions, but O'Haire doesn't think that it's far-fetched to hope that animals could be useful.
She points out that fish tanks are already commonplace in doctor's offices and that some other workplaces allow pets because of their demonstrated benefits for both social interaction and stress reduction.
Take two guinea pigs and call us in the morning. | <urn:uuid:81f7cb19-e032-4d58-a42c-6be0e1451d34> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:33:33",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9736217260360718,
"score": 3.390625,
"token_count": 556,
"url": "http://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/how-guinea-pigs-could-help-autistic-children"
} |
Try the following RSS feeds for books and magazines:
|CSIRO PUBLISHING New Books & CDs|
|ECOS: Towards a Sustainable Future|
And research journals:
What are RSS Web Feeds?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a standard file format for syndicating information on the web. There is a wide range of applications that support RSS feeds including newsreaders and personalised homepages available.
What is a newsreader?
A “news” or “feed” reader is a special application that aggregates and displays multiple feeds. Your choice of reader will depend on a number of factors including cost (some are free and some have a fee) and suitability with your computer’s operating system. Getting advice from a colleague experienced with RSS is recommended. Two popular examples are:
Getting Started with RSS
Once a reader is installed, select a feed from the list above or look for RSS feeds on your favourite web sites which are usually indicated by an orange or RSS (or XML) button. You then simply copy the URL address into your reader (hint: right click on the feed button, select Copy Shortcut and paste into your reader). Your reader will regularly check for new information from all sites selected and alert you to any new items found.
Adding RSS feeds to a personalised homepage
To place a RSS feeds on a personalised homepage, choose a feed from the list above by clicking
and follow the simple instructions to sign-up. | <urn:uuid:d96722bc-6cfb-4f50-a078-9bcc0d136e7f> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:25:13",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8706619143486023,
"score": 2.859375,
"token_count": 311,
"url": "http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/208.htm?nid=50&aid=3704"
} |
The Magic String Game #4 (Schnurspiel mit sechs W
Object: Remove the metal piece from the string
Difficulty: Level 8 - Demanding
Brand: Logika Spiele
Warning! The instructions are in German.
Colors may vary.
These games are thinking- and cleverness-games out of recycled-plastic. A magic string game consists of a string and several stones. These stones have holes of different dimensions. There are 3 different string games: with one cube and 2 rectangular solids, with 2 cubes and 1 rectangular solid and with 6 cubes and one rectangular solid.
The origin of these games was found in the distant Africa. Modifications of these were also found in Guinea and China and they are also used for the conversation today. The object of the magic string games is to transport the stones from one string to another, or to take away the string completely from the stones. | <urn:uuid:8dbb5104-26ad-4ebe-b623-e4dc3c730a42> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:45:00",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9160640239715576,
"score": 2.6875,
"token_count": 193,
"url": "http://www.puzzlemaster.ca/browse/new/otherwire/1580-the-magic-string-game-4-schnurspiel-mit-sechs-w?image=6634"
} |
Jesus and His disciples were reclining at their Passover meal. Jesus blessed the matzoh bread
Then He blessed the wine and passed around His cup."Drink this, for this is my blood."
Then Jesus looked at each of his disciples. His face was full of sorrow. "One of you sitting here will betray me."
Jesus answered, "The one to whom I shall give this bread." Then Jesus took a piece of bread from the loaf, dipped it in the dish of wine and handed it to Judas Iscariot. "Do whatever you have to do, but do it quickly." Jesus said. With a start, Judas got up from the table, left the room, and walked out into the night.
photo from Greg Olsen
When Jesus and His disciples ate the "Last Supper" it was on the first night of the Passover festival, or during the Seder Meal. During this meal Jesus explained to His Disciples that The Bread was His body and the wine was His blood of the new covenant, shed for the remission of our sins. Jesus instructed us to "Do This in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19)
The example Jesus set in washing the feet of His disciples is sometimes still done today on Maundy Thursday before the Passover supper. Most Churches offer a Maundy Service in which they end the service with Communion, Breaking the Bread and Drinking the wine in remembrance of Jesus' death.
God commanded the Israelites to remember the Passover as a festival to the Lord for generations to come (Exodus 12:14).
Most Jewish families continue to observe the feast of Passover Seder (supper) on the first day of Passover. Passover is a week long celebration.
Today, the meal in the Upper Room has become part of Holy Week. Each ingredient in a Passover Meal has a special meaning.
As Christians we can explain that we are all "chosen people" if we have been "born" into God's family by believing in His Son, Jesus, as our Messiah. We can share the cup of joy with other Christians out of thanksgiving that Jesus became the final "Lamb" to be sacrificed in order that our "joy may be full".
Below are the Passover foods and the explanations of the meanings from the Old Testament Exodus story
(and the New Testament story of Jesus' as our Messiah.)
*Three whole Matzos (unleavened bread).
A reminder that the Israelites did not have time to wait for the yeast bread to rise because they had to be ready to move when God said. A piece of the middle one is hidden for a child to find.
(New Testament represents the Body of Jesus Christ broken for our sins. As Christians it is a reminder to live so that we are always "ready to go" when Jesus returns. Also yeast sometimes represents the evil in the world. God wants His people to be pure.)
*A roasted lamb ~ placed to the host's right ~
in memory of the lamb sacrificed by Israelites the night before their flight from Egypt.
(Jesus is our final perfect Lamb sacrificed for us.)
*A roasted egg ~ to the left ~
in mourning for destroyed temple.
(Symbol of the free-will offering that was given with the lamb. This represents giving more to God than just what is demanded. This is a gift of love. Jesus is God's ultimate gift. God's law demanded justice, but with the gift of Jesus, God gives us more than justice; He gives us mercy, love and forgiveness.)
* Maror (bitter herbs) ~ placed in the middle
A reminder of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.
(As Christians we remember that many suffered so that we may know the joy of the good news of Jesus.)
*Charoseth (chopped almonds, apple, wine, sugar and cinnamon)~
Symbolizes the mortar which the Jews had to mix in making bricks for the king of Egypt.
*Salt water ~
to signify the Red Sea which miraculously parted to let the Israelites across.
(Represents the tears of all of God's Saints)
* Karpar (celery, parsley, greens)-
The Hebrew word means 600,000 the recorded number who left Egypt.
(These plants stay green all year and represent the everlasting life because of Jesus Christ's Ressurection.)
*Wine or grape juice ~
Wine represents JOY.
As the service proceeds, as each plaque is mentioned, each person sips a little of the wine. This means that until we were totally free and out of bondange, joy was incomplete.
(At the Last Supper Jesus said that the wine represented His own life's blood, poured out for us. He had to die so that we could know the total joy of freedom and forgiveness.)
*Elijah's cup ~ usually a treasured one filled with wine ~
is placed on the table to await the arrival of the Messiah.
(Jesus said in Matthew 11:14 that John the Baptist was the promised Elijah who was to announce the Messiah's coming. For Christians this cup does not remain untouched. It is shared by everyone at the table in the joy that our hope had come true. The Messiah has come to us and is alive to give our lives eternal joy.
The youngest son or male asks the same question 5 times, and the father answers explaining why. Here is the question, and the answers.
Why is this night different from all other nights?
On all other nights we eat either leavened bread or matzah.
On this night, only matzah.
On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs.
On this night, only bitter herbs.
On all other nights we do not dip even once.
On this night, we dip twice.
On all other nights we eat either sitting up or reclining.
On this night we all recline.
On all other nights we eat in any ordinary way.
On this night we dine in special ceremony.
To start we Read Exodus 7 - 12. Dad starts reading from Ex. 7:1-13. Then each of our children take turns reading the 10 plagues. We start with the oldest to the youngest. To represent each plague the younger children painted wooden cutouts, which I found at the craft store. (A Red Heart to represent the River Nile turning to Blood, A Green Frog, A Fly, Locust, etc.) After the child reads the plague from the Bible they place the wooden object in a basket that is set in the center of the room. After everyone reads Dad explains the seder food and what each represents. The youngest son or grandson asks the question 5 times as explained in the Seder Ceremony above. After the meal is eaten we move the table back to the dining room clear the dishes. To remember Jesus' washing the Disciples feet we preform a foot washing ceremony. This year I wrote everyones name and placed the names in a jar. Starting with the youngest, the person draws a name out and washes that persons feet, and drys their feet with a towel. We continue until everyone has had their feet washed.
To concluded we watch either The 10 commandments or the Prince of Egypt animated movie. After the Ceremony it is fun for the family to make Jelly Bean Prayer Jars, and address Easter Cards for friends and elderly people. This craft is really easy to make. You won't need a Masters Degree in Special Education or an Information Assurance degree to show your children how to make these prayer jars.
After the feast Jennifer, Jonathan, and Jamie preformed a play on the "Ten Plagues and Passover". The three grandchildren especially enjoyed the little frogs, flies etc that were tossed towards them during the play. It was a wonderful way to teach the story of Moses and the ten plagues and the Passover to the kids.
to Your Family
May the Joy of Jesus Christ be with you and your family every day!
to Your Family
Passover LinksUncle Eli's Site Be sure and click on the story about the 10 placgues and the Passover Seder. They are both great for kids.
and for parents here is a detail Passover and Seder explanation at US Israel.org
Bitsela.com Free Art - Provided the Jewish Art
ENTER EMAIL TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE MAGAZINE
Email us atjust4kidsmagazine.com
Would you like to recommend this site to a friend???
Just For Kids Magazine ~ April's Issue | <urn:uuid:e6f0b462-536c-421b-be12-47bb89d35b8f> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:24:37",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9474194645881653,
"score": 2.890625,
"token_count": 1794,
"url": "http://www.rainbowcastle.org/maundyth.html"
} |
Southern Polar Cap
Mars has a seasonal southern polar cap composed of carbon dioxide (CO2, commonly known as dry ice), that overlies a permanent polar cap which is a mixture of CO2 ice, water ice and dust. As the CO2 evaporates in the spring the escaping gas carves channels in the permanent cap below. Often these channels radiate outward (or converge inward), giving them a spider-like appearance.
In this false color image the seasonal frost is whitish-lavendar. The tan areas starting to show through are where the frost has already evaporated (sublimated is actually the correct term, when ice changes directly to a gas). Tan-colored dust blows around and accummulates in the bottom of some of the channels.
This is truly other-worldly terrain, with exotic landforms with no earthly analogs. | <urn:uuid:b8b666a2-3c95-422e-8fa4-e9ccd35c4602> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:11:47",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9380541443824768,
"score": 3.375,
"token_count": 173,
"url": "http://www.redorbit.com/images/pic/14006/southern-polar-cap/"
} |
The British Agricultural Revolution describes a period of development in Britain between the 18th century and the end of the 19th century, which saw a massive increase in agricultural productivity and net output. This in turn supported unprecedented population growth, freeing up a significant percentage of the workforce, and thereby helped drive the Industrial Revolution. How this came about is not entirely clear. In recent decades, enclosure, mechanization, four-field crop rotation, and selective breeding have been highlighted as primary causes, with credit given to relatively few individuals.
Prior to the 18th century, agriculture had been much the same across Europe since the Middle Ages. The open field system was essentially post-feudal, with each farmer subsistence-cropping strips of land in one of three or four large fields held in common and splitting up the products likewise.
Beginning as early as the 12th century, some of the common fields in Britain were enclosed into individually owned fields, and the process rapidly accelerated in the 15th and 16th centuries. This led to farmers losing their land and their grazing rights, and left many unemployed. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the practice of enclosure was denounced by the Church, and legislation was drawn up against it; but the developments in agricultural mechanization during the 18th century required large, enclosed fields in order to be workable. This led to a series of government acts, culminating finally in the General Inclosure Act of 1801.
While farmers received compensation for their strips, it was minimal, and the loss of rights for the rural population led to an increased dependency on the Poor law. Surveying and legal costs weighed heavily on poor farmers, who sometimes even had to sell their share of the land to pay for its being split up. Only a few found work in the (increasingly mechanised) enclosed farms. Most were forced to relocate to the cities to try to find work in the emerging factories of the Industrial Revolution.
By the end of the 18th century the process of enclosure was complete.
Joseph Foljambe's Rotherham plough of 1730, while not the first iron plough, was the first iron plough to have any commercial success, combining an earlier Dutch design with a number of technological innovations. Its fittings and coulter were made of iron and the mouldboard and share were covered with an iron plate making it lighter to pull and more controllable than previous ploughs. It remained in use in Britain until the development of the tractor. It was followed by John Small of Doncaster and Berwickshire in 1763, whose 'Scots Plough' used an improved cast iron shape to turn the soil more effectively with less draft, wear, or strain on the ploughing team.
Andrew Meikle's threshing machine of 1786 was the final straw for many farm labourers, and led to the 1830 agricultural rebellion of Captain Swing (a probably mythical character comparable to the Luddite's Ned Ludd).
In the 1850s and '60s John Fowler, an agricultural engineer and inventor, produced a steam-driven engine that could plough farmland more quickly and more economically than horse-drawn ploughs. His ploughing engine could also be used to dig drainage channels, thereby bringing into cultivation previously unused swampy land. Although faster than horse-drawn ploughing, the capital costs of a pair of engines would often be too much for a single farmer to purchase for his own exclusive use, which lead to the development of an independent contracting industry for ploughing.
During the Middle Ages, the open field system had employed a three year crop rotation, with a different crop in each of the three fields, eg. wheat and barley in two, with the third fallow. 'Fallow' is a term which means that the field is empty, there is nothing growing there. Over the following two centuries, the regular planting of nitrogen-rich legumes in the fields which were previously fallow slowly increased the fertility of croplands. The planting of legumes (leguminosae, plants of the pea/bean family) helped to increase plant growth in the empty field because they used a different set of nutrients to grow than the grains. The legumes put back nutrients the grains used, nitrates produced from nitrogen in the atmosphere, and the grains put back the minerals the legumes used. In a way, they fed each other. Other crops that were occasionally grown were flax, and members of the mustard family. Medieval record keepers did not distinguish between rape seed or other mustards grown for animal feed and mustard grown for mustard seed for condiments. When the pastures were brought back into crop production after their long fallow, their fertility was much greater than they had been in medieval times. The farmers in Flanders (current day Belgium), however, discovered a still more effective four-field rotation system, introducing turnips and clover to replace the fallow year. Clover was both an ideal fodder crop, and it actually improved grain yields in the following year (clover is part of the pea family, leguminosae). The improved grain production simultaneously increased livestock production. Farmers could grow more livestock because there was more food, and manure was an excellent fertilizer, so they could have even more productive crops. Charles Townshend learned the four field system from Flanders and introduced it to Great Britain in 1730.
The increase in population led to more demand from the people for goods such as clothing. A new class of landless labourers, products of enclosure, provided the basis for cottage industry, a stepping stone to the Industrial Revolution. To supply continually growing demand, shrewd businessmen began to pioneer new technology to meet demand from the people. This led to the first industrial factories. People who once were farmers moved to large cities to get jobs in the factories. It should be noted that the British Agricultural Revolution not only made the population increase possible, but also increased the yield per agricultural worker, meaning that a larger percentage of the population could work in these new, post-Agricultural Revolution jobs.
The British Agricultural Revolution was the cause of drastic changes in the lives of British women. Before the Agricultural Revolution, women worked alongside their husbands in the fields and were an active part of farming. The increased efficiency of the new machinery, along with the fact that this new machinery was often heavier and difficult for a woman to wield, made this unnecessary and impractical, and women were relegated to other roles in society. To supplement the family's income, many went into cottage industries. Others became domestic servants or were forced into professions such as prostitution. The new, limited roles of women, dubbed by one historian as "this defamation of women workers", (Valenze) fueled prejudices of women only being fit to work in the home, and also effectively separated them from the new, mechanized areas of work, leading to a divide in the pay between men and women.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the substantial gains in British agricultural productivity were rapidly offset by competition from cheaper imports, made possible by advances in transportation, refrigeration, and many other technologies. From that point, farming in Britain entered a period of economic struggle which continues to the present day.
Prior to the Agricultural Revolution, perhaps half of land was kept in an open-field system, which included the village commons, where such activities as wheat threshing and animal grazing might take place. Parliamentary enclosures saw much of this being taken into private plots of land. With the elimination of the manor court, private property laws prevailed over what had once been land for common usage. | <urn:uuid:f7476dd3-0ecd-49bd-b9b6-0229520328e2> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:32:25",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9789881706237793,
"score": 4.125,
"token_count": 1559,
"url": "http://www.reference.com/browse/agricultural-worker"
} |
The story explains how Huey, Dewey and Louie originally joined the Junior Woodchucks. Years ago, when the boys were still very small, they were up to so much mischief that Donald finally got fed up with it and decided that something must be done. By chance, he ran across a scout group of the Junior Woodchucks, and this inspired him to send his nephews to join the organisation.
At the annual grand jamboree of the Junior Woodchucks, the boys discovered that their own grandmother is the daughter of the organisation's founder. Thus interested, the boys wanted to join the Junior Woodchucks immediately. The chiefs originally didn't want to accept them, but when they learned they were the great-great-grandchildren of their original founder, they accepted them immediately. They never had descendants of their founder before, even though Huey, Dewey and Louie weren't the first ones to try; Donald had also tried to join them, but was rejected because of his bad temper.
As novices in the Junior Woodchucks, the boys' first task was to find the remains of the Fort Duck, which was demolished to make room for Scrooge McDuck's Money Bin. The trail led the boys, accompanied by Major Snozzie, to a wood pulp factory owned by Scrooge, where the logs from the fortress were about to be made into pulp. But when the worker responsible for the pulp making learned of the logs' origin, as a former Junior Woodchuck himself, he immediately stopped the machines, to avoid destroying the historical remains.
The story ends with the boys being promoted to full members of the Junior Woodchucks and Donald being awarded an honorary medal. | <urn:uuid:0ef8cc2b-82a9-4641-8adc-836daa4d3db5> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:32:53",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9902912974357605,
"score": 2.96875,
"token_count": 351,
"url": "http://www.reference.com/browse/j.g.r.+de+francia"
} |
United States Department of State, U.S. Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 1993 - Vietnam, 30 January 1994, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aa54c.html [accessed 21 May 2013]
This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
VIETNAM The Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) is a one-party state ruled by the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP). A 13-member Politburo and a Party Central Committee are nominally elected by a party congress held about every 5 years. The Politburo provides guidelines, often in the form of specific directives, that shape government policies. Despite the adoption of a new Constitution in 1992 that provides for the rule of law and respect for human rights, in practice the Government continued to restrict individual rights on national security and other grounds. In addition, the Constitution contains references to "democratic centralism" and "the leading role of the Communist Party" that have been used to justify limits on civil liberties. In addition to the military and police force, Vietnamese security forces monitor internal movements and activities of the general population. The Ministry of Interior has units that monitor persons suspected of involvement in political or religious affairs. Also, government surveillance through informants, household registration, and party-appointed block wardens continued in 1993. The Government continued the market-oriented economic reforms begun in 1986. These reforms have boosted Vietnam's predominantly agricultural economy and improved the lives of Vietnamese citizens. Goods and services are more widely available, and the general population is freer to engage in entrepreneurial activity. Although some senior SRV officials have publicly asserted the profound commitment of the Vietnamese people and State to the cause of human rights, the Government continued to violate human rights in 1993. The authorities continued to limit severely freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association, as well as worker rights and the right of citizens to change their government. The Government continued its longstanding practice of not tolerating dissent and reacted sharply to efforts by Buddhist activists to assert their independence from the government-sponsored Buddhist church. However, restrictions on travel eased, and contact with foreigners is more widely accepted. There appears to be increasing separation between the party and the State.
RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from:
a. Political and Other Extrajudicial Killing
In 1993 there were no known executions of political prisoners or politically motivated extrajudicial killings. There were also no known cases of deaths of political prisoners while in detention in 1993.
There were no documented incidents of political abductions by government security organizations or by antigovernment forces.
c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
The law prohibits physical abuse, and released reeducation camp detainees report that camp conditions have improved since 1989. Although there were no credible, consistent reports of police brutality during interrogation of suspects, reports of severe conditions for those confined in prisons continued. There have been reports of coercion to elicit confessions. After their release in 1993, American citizens held on political grounds reported that they were threatened with violence several times in attempts to coerce confessions, although they were not actually beaten.
d. Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, or Exile
In 1993 Vietnam continued to arrest and imprison people arbitrarily. The 1989 Criminal Procedure Code and subsequent amendments provide for various rights for detainees, including time limits on pretrial detention, the right of the accused to be informed of the charges against him or her, a ban on coercion or corporal punishment, and the right to have a lawyer present during interrogation. In practice, however, the authorities frequently ignore these safeguards. Credible reports indicate that detainees continue to be held incommunicado for indefinite periods without formal charges, with authorities using old administrative procedures in contravention of the new legislation. The retention and continued use of these administrative procedures appear to be a deliberate government policy. The Government continued its efforts to implement Party Directive 135, which calls for the arrest of those who incite opposition to the Government or advocate political pluralism. Some intellectuals, clergy, journalists, and foreigners have been arrested and detained. For example, Doan Viet Hoat, a scholar who before 1975 had been Vice President of the Van Hanh Buddhist University in Saigon and had been incarcerated in Chi Hoa prison from 1976 to 1988, was rearrested in 1990 and in March 1993 was sentenced to 20 years for counterrevolutionary activity, apparently related to the "Freedom Forum" case. Dr. Hoat is said to be in poor health. In July the local press reported that an Appeals Court had reduced his sentence to 15 years. According to reputable international nongovernmental organizations (NGO's), Doan Thanh Liem is currently serving a 12-year labor camp sentence after being convicted of spreading anti-Socialist propaganda. Truong Hung Thai, arrested with Liem, continues to serve an 8-year sentence. Do Ngoc Long, also arrested in April 1990, was never tried and was released from prison in April 1993 after serving an 3-year administrative sentence. Nguyen Dan Que, sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment in 1991, was recently transferred to a labor camp in Dong Nai Province; he is reportedly in poor health. Legislation designed ostensibly to prevent inordinate delays in charging suspects is often, if not routinely, ignored in political cases. In April and May 1992, two American citizens of Vietnamese origin were arrested along with numerous Vietnamese for attempting to organize two separate political movements. Both were held until 1993 without ever being formally charged with a crime. No official statistics are available on the number of detainees held for alleged antigovernment activities, and an accurate account is impossible since arrests are not publicized and secret detentions, trials, and sentencing are common. In June 1993, American citizen Nguyen Sy Binh, arrested in April 1992 for training members of the "Peoples' Action Party", a group he founded, was released from custody and deported. On November 11, four Catholic priests and brothers of the Coredemptrix order were released from prison in Vietnam. Reverend John Doan Phu Xuan, Reverend Hilary Do Tri Tam, Brother Luke Vu Son Ha, and Brother Mark Tran Khac Kinh were all freed before the expiration of their sentences. Search and arrest warrants are provided for in law, but they can be issued by branches of the security apparatus without judicial review. Law enforcement and security personnel appear to be able to arrest and incarcerate people without presenting warrants for their arrest. Each province and city has a "security committee" under direct party control. This committee includes both central and local security officials and does not coordinate its activities with the judicial process. Exile is not used as a means of political control.
e. Denial of Fair Public Trial
The Vietnamese court system consists of local people's courts, military tribunals, and the Supreme Court. The last may review cases from either of the lower courts. Both the National Assembly and State Council have the authority to establish special tribunals which may be superior to the Supreme Court. In addition, local mass organizations are empowered to deal with minor breaches of law or disputes. Judges in all regular courts are appointed after the party organization selects all candidates. Article 130 of the Constitution provides for the "independence" of judges and jurors. However, this is negated at all levels by a political system that is closely controlled by the VCP and by a selection process that puts a premium on political reliability. The Penal Code consists of the Criminal Code and a Criminal Procedures Code, which was amended in 1990. Vietnam has a long-established body of family law but lacks civil law codes. There is virtually no evidence that legislative improvements promulgated in 1990 have been implemented. Prison sentences are frequently imposed by administrative procedure, without benefit of due process or judicial review. In addition, such sentences are imposed on persons for the peaceful expression of their views. The SRV criminalizes certain forms of peaceful expression, including, for example, "anti-Socialist propaganda." Over the years people have been sentenced to long prison or reeducation camp terms for such "crimes." For example, after a demonstration in May by approximately 300 Buddhists, including monks, several Buddhist monks were arrested for inciting antigovernment unrest. The Government tried four of the monks in November, and the court announced sentences ranging from 6 months to 4 years in prison. Accurate statistics on the total prison population, including pretrial detainees, political prisoners, and persons held arbitrarily are not available due to the secrecy surrounding these procedures.
f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence
In 1993 the Government continued to operate a nationwide system of surveillance and control through household registration and party-appointed block wardens who use informants to keep track of individual activities. In general, reports suggest that the system is unevenly implemented throughout the country and that local caprice and corruption are significant factors in its application. Urban dwellers appear to be increasingly relaxed about sending mail overseas and meeting foreign visitors. It appears that the Government is combining stricter surveillance, designed in part to intimidate potential critics, with some relaxation vis-a-vis the general population. While the Government continued to censor mail and confiscate packages in 1993, it seems to have done so on a more selective basis than in the past. The party expects people to belong to one or more mass organizations, which exist for villages, city districts, school, work (trade union), youth, and women. However, these organizations which disseminate party propaganda, support party-sanctioned activities, and play a watchdog role have become increasingly ineffectual. While membership in the VCP remains an aid to advancement in the state sector, recruitment of new party members has become more difficult, and many older party members have ended their participation in party activities. Membership in the youth union the normal path to VCP membership has dropped sharply over the past few years.
Section 2 Respect for Civil Liberties, Including:
a. Freedom of Speech and Press
The Constitution provides for freedom of speech and press, but in practice such freedoms are severely limited. A pervasive network of informants chills free speech considerably, although the party continued to tolerate (and at times invite) criticism concerning its own performance and that of persons deemed to be corrupt or incompetent. Questioning the legitimacy of the VCP or its exclusive vanguard role is not tolerated. The Communist Party line and policies are disseminated regularly from the Party Central Committee to provinces, cities, and districts through memorandums for internal distribution only. Only party members are privy to this information, which covers the issues of freedom of speech and press for the citizenry and economic policy, as well as party interpretations of changes to the status quo (i.e., dynamic interpretations to fit current conditions). Short of clearly proscribed writing, such as advocacy of a multiparty system, the limits of criticism are not clear. Some ideas may be expressed in internal party meetings and in internally circulated documents but not publicly. The movements and activities of foreign journalists are monitored but seldom interfered with. Criticism is occasionally expressed publicly within established forums, such as National Assembly proceedings broadcast over the national radio service. The Government does not use systematic prior censorship to control the media, but guidance from party watchdogs is pervasive, and national security legislation is sufficiently broad to ensure effective self-censorship. The Government controls all broadcast media and does not normally permit the broadcast of opposing views, though it has broadcast reports of debates during National Assembly meetings. In addition to government controlled radio (both domestic and international), television stations, and the Vietnam news agency wire service, Vietnam has five mass daily newspapers and many smaller newspapers. Party organizations and the Ministries of Culture, Information, Sports, and Tourism control the newspapers as well as other publications and cultural exhibits. Western and other publications are widely available in stores frequented by Vietnamese, without obvious restriction on their sale or distribution.
b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association
The right of assembly is restricted in law and practice. People wishing to gather in a group are required to apply for a permit, which local authorities can issue or deny arbitrarily. In practice, large informal gatherings in public, like market areas or parts, are commonplace especially in urban areas. There is little evidence to suggest that informal public gatherings are restricted. However, demonstrations or meetings that could be seen as having a political purpose are not permitted and are sometimes forcibly suppressed. For example, the Government refused to permit a conference on democracy that was to be held in Ho Chi Minh City in November. The existence of NGO's is permitted, but they may meet only for approved and narrowly defined objectives. Opposition political organizations and activities are not permitted.
c. Freedom of Religion
Vietnam has no state religion, and adherence to a religion is not permitted for party members. According to some estimates, nearly three-fourths of the population of 70 million people are Buddhists, but the Government has claimed that only 6 million of these actually practice their religion. The Vatican believes that some 6 million Vietnamese are Catholic; a much smaller number are Protestant. Virtually all foreign clergy remaining in the south in 1975 were expelled at the end of that year. While the SRV has permitted visits by foreign clergy, it has not been willing to permit them to reside permanently for religious purposes in Vietnam. Reports indicate that religious groups are allowed freedom in their activities to the degree that they cooperate with the Government. Buddhism was afforded increasing tolerance until the Unified Buddhists (An Quang sect) began to protest government control through 1992. The tension increased in early 1993 when the arrest and confinement of numbers of middle- and low-level leaders sent a clear signal to the Buddhist hierarchy that they cannot challenge the Government. While restrictions on religious organizations are usually severe, they vary widely by locality. This is also true of church attendance. Many people report they have generally been free to attend worship services since 1975, and, during the past few years, visitors to Vietnam have reported that attendance at religious services is growing. Churches in and around Ho Chi Minh City and elsewhere have been observed overflowing during Sunday services. Buddhist temples and edifices of the Hoa Hao and Cao Dai sects in several towns of the south appear active and prosperous enough to be well maintained. Freedom of worship is provided for in the Constitution, along with the proviso that no one may use religious adherence or belief to violate state laws and policies. The Government, concerned that religious groups might become competing centers of influence within the society, has consistently attempted to divide and control religious groups, in part by establishing government-controlled policymaking bodies such as the Catholic Patriotic Association to which clergy are obliged to belong. The Government has also attempted to prevent the growth of religious groups by inhibiting the publication of religious materials and the training of new clergy. The Government exercises approval authority on the content of speeches and sermons by clergy, but reports continue to indicate that approval is generally granted as long as the content cannot be construed as a challenge to the legitimacy of Vietnam's one-party system. Also, Buddhist monks have reported that permission is usually given to young people wishing to study to become monks, if they register with the authorities. Several hundred are reported to be enrolled in Buddhist instruction in Ho Chi Minh City. The Government has regularly detained, arrested, and restricted the activities of religious figures of all faiths on political grounds. Authorities leveled charges of "possessing and disseminating counterrevolutionary propaganda," "fomenting unrest," or "anti-Socialist propaganda" against Buddhist monks and nuns and Catholic, Protestant, and other religious leaders. A number of Catholic and Buddhist clergy remained in prison or confined to home villages. In September an American citizen reported that an informal prayer meeting involving approximately 30 Vietnamese and 3 foreigners was broken up by the police, who detained the Vietnamese and seized the foreigners' passports. There have been some releases this year (see Section 1.d.), and, with the exception of members of the An Quang sect, few new arrests. The Buddhist Patriarch, Thich Huyen Quang of the Unified Buddhist Church, has been under house arrest in Quang Ngai province since 1982, reportedly because he refuses to submit to the government-dominated Vietnam Buddhist Church. In May, after a self-immolation at the Linh Mu Pagoda (supporters of Quang) in Hue and the police interrogation of the abbot, Thich Tri Tuu, there were large protest demonstrations by Buddhists (see Section 1.e.). Thich Duc Nhuan, a former Secretary General of the Unified Buddhist Church, was released in January, after receiving a 1-year reduction in his sentence. Vietnam has in recent years expanded its dialog with the Vatican. In 1993, however, the Government continued to prevent the return from Rome to his archdiocese in Ho Chi Minh City of Archbishop Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan (a nephew of Ngo Dinh Diem) to succeed the ageing Archbishop Nguyen Van Binh. In September the Government rejected the Vatican's appointment of Bishop Huynh Van Nghi to administer the Roman Catholic church in Ho Chi Minh City. While the Government now permits Catholic seminarians to be admitted to seminaries every 3 years instead of 6, it still places sharp limits on the recruitment, training, ordination, and assignment of new seminarians, priests, monks, and nuns. The selection of both students and teachers is subject to government veto, and there are continuing difficulties in obtaining teaching materials and in expanding religious training facilities. Father Dominic Tran Dinh Thu, founder of the Mother Coredemptrix, was released in May. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987 for "propagandizing against the Socialist system." In November four more clergy affiliated with the Mother Coredemptrix order were freed (see Section 1.d.). In 1993 the first foreign religious community received government approval to work in Vietnam; Mother Theresa's Sisters of Charity began work in Hanoi at the end of the summer. After a Vatican-based cardinal admonished Vietnamese Catholics not to join the government-sponsored union of Vietnamese Catholics, observers noted that fewer priests attended the annual meeting of this organization. At last report the only Protestant seminary had not been permitted to take in new students since 12 were admitted 6 years ago. Some religious leaders believe that the Government's goal is to weaken the churches as a social force by limiting personnel and restricting their ability to move their clergy around the country. For example, only 15 priests in Haiphong serve over 150,000 Catholics there, and no religious women have been allowed to establish convents or novitiates there. Most property of religious institutions remains under government control, including temples, churches, convents, seminaries, former religious schools, libraries, and orphanages. Sharp restrictions are exercised on the use, repair, or extension of those facilities that are returned to religious control.
d. Freedom of Movement Within the Country, Foreign Travel, Emigration, and Repatriation
During 1993 the Government continued the trend of recent years of allowing freer movement within the country for most citizens. Vietnamese are required technically to obtain permission to change their residence, but it appears that obtaining permission has not been difficult during the past few years. Large numbers have changed residence without official permission, apparently without adverse consequences. Areas that have previously been off-limits to foreigners were reportedly opened. Since April 1, foreigners have been permitted to travel without permits to all areas except islands, border, or highland areas. Private travel abroad is usually restricted to 3 months, except travel for education or medical treatment. Violators of this limitation may be barred from further travel for 3 to 5 years. The Government continued its program of relocating people into sparsely populated New Economic Zones (NEZ's), but we have no reports that these relocations are forcible. There are reports of some people voluntarily moving to the NEZ's to gain access to land or remaining in the NEZ's to which they were sent earlier. The state-run radio has said that, of more than 2 million people who were moved from their homes in cities or crowded areas, only a quarter had substantially improved their living standards. The report admitted that many of the NEZ's were unfinished or short of basic facilities. The Government's rationale for relocating people to the NEZ's is to reduce urban crowding, exploit little-used land, and thereby help develop the economy. There have been no reports in recent years of banishment to the NEZ's as a form of punishment. The Government continued to permit emigration for family reunification and for Amerasian Vietnamese and their close family members. The U.S. Orderly Departure Program, including Amerasians, former reeducation detainees, and family unification cases, continued to resettle beneficiaries at the rate of about 4,700 persons per month; a total of 57,000 immigrants and refugees in 1993. Other nations operate smaller resettlement programs for Vietnamese nationals. There are some concerns that members of minority ethnic groups, particularly highland peoples, might not have ready access to these programs. Vietnamese who emigrate are generally free to return. The Government regards overseas Vietnamese both as a valuable potential source of foreign exchange and expertise and as a potential security threat. Thus, the Government generally grants visas to overseas Vietnamese and encourages them to visit Vietnam, whether they emigrated legally or had been granted permanent resettlement after illegal departures from Vietnam. At the same time the public security police monitor them, especially those who come under suspicion as a result of their actions or associations. During 1993 some overseas Vietnamese were arrested, detained, and deported for activities deemed to be subversive, as described in Section 1.d. In 1988 Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to increase acceptance of voluntary repatriates, provided there was financial assistance. This agreement included a commitment by Vietnam to waive prosecution and punitive measures for illegal departure from Vietnam of persons who return under the UNHCR voluntary repatriation program. Vietnam also agreed to permit the UNHCR to monitor the returnees through direct visits. This agreement has resulted in a substantial flow of repatriates from several countries back to the SRV. Although there were suspicions that Vietnamese who decided to repatriate to Vietnam voluntarily would face discrimination, the evidence indicates they do not. More than 55,000 Vietnamese have returned voluntarily. The UNHCR, which monitors them extensively after they return, says they do not face retribution or discrimination. Although the source of refugees itself, Vietnam has also been the country of first asylum for between 15,000 and 20,000 Cambodian refugees (mainly ethnic Chinese) who have fled to Vietnam since 1975. Repatriation of these refugees, who have been cared for by the UNHCR in well-organized camps, began in 1992. Atrocities committed against ethnic Vietnamese residents of Cambodia resulted in substantial refugee flows into Vietnam in 1993. The SRV has moved to absorb ethnic Vietnamese refugees from Cambodia, and there have been no reports of political problems. Some 30,000 are receiving international assistance.
Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens to Change Their Government
Citizens are not free to change their government. All authority and political power is vested in the VCP; political opposition and other political parties are not tolerated. The Central Committee of the VCP is the supreme decisionmaking body in the nation; its 13-member Politburo is the locus of policymaking. The Secretariat of the Central Committee oversees day-to-day implementation of leadership directives. Debate and criticism is limited to certain aspects of individual, state, or party performance determined by the party itself. No challenge to the legitimacy of the one-party state, or even debate on this subject, is permitted. Citizens elect members of the National Assembly, ostensibly the chief legislative body, but it is still constrained by party guidance. The 395 delegates were elected in the summer of 1992. Candidates for the National Assembly election were carefully screened, and credible reports indicate that many people who wished to become candidates were not permitted to run because their views were not considered reliable. Although candidates are screened by party front groups, they are not required to be party members themselves, and multiple candidates contest each seat. The law provides for equal participation in politics by women and minority groups, but in practice minority groups and women are underrepresented. The Government has claimed that women hold 46 percent of the senior posts in government and that 18 percent of the members of the Ninth National Assembly are women. A woman was elected Vice President of the country in 1992. The most senior leadership, however, is predominately male as can be seen, for example, in the all-male Politburo and Council of Ministers.
Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights
Vietnam does not permit private human rights organizations to form or operate. Moreover, it generally prohibits private citizens from contacting international human rights organizations. Since 1989, however, the Vietnamese Red Cross has been permitted expanded cooperation with the American Red Cross in assisting persons seeking missing relatives, including those in reeducation centers. The SRV has permitted international visitors to monitor implementation of its repatriation commitments under the Comprehensive Plan of Action and carried on a limited dialog with human rights organizations. The SRV has allowed some human rights organizations to visit. For example, it received a delegation from the U.S.-based human rights group Asia Watch. In addition, the SRV has shown some willingness to discuss human rights issues bilaterally with other governments if such discussions take place under the rubric of "exchanges of ideas" rather than "investigations." The SRV refused, however, to grant a U.S. Senator access to Nguyen Dan Que (see Section 1.d.). The Government has on occasion granted consular access to third-country nationals imprisoned in Vietnam. In November SRV authorities for the first time allowed a U.S. consular official to visit an American citizen in a Vietnamese prison.
Section 5 Discrimination Based on Race, Sex, Religion, Disability, Language, or Social Status
Varying levels of discrimination have been reported by people released from reeducation camps in the areas of housing or education. Those released from reeducation camps generally are not eligible to regain their citizenship rights until 1 year after their release date. They and their families are not allowed employment with the Government, which restricts their access to housing and other benefits given to state employees. Priority in social services is given to families of party members and families of soldiers who fought for the Government. Testing standards of university entrance examinations are reportedly lower for children of party officials. Arbitrarily high standards are set to keep the children of suspect background out of a university. Study abroad is also restricted to politically acceptable persons. Women In general women do not appear to face discrimination in employment and are treated equally under the law. However, they face problems competing with men for higher status positions owing to attitudes deeply ingrained in traditional Vietnamese society. Such problems persist in spite of government efforts to mold popular attitudes to conform with the Constitution, legislation, and regulations mandating equal treatment before the law in virtually all respects. Article 63 of the new Constitution provides that women and men receive equal pay for equal work, and a large body of legislation and regulations is devoted to the protection of women's rights in marriage as well as in the workplace. Government statistics indicate that approximately 50 percent of the primary school students are girls and that women represent about 39 percent of university students. Although Vietnamese law does address the issue of domestic violence, there is no information readily available on how comprehensive the law is in this area. Limited anecdotal evidence indicates that violence occurs (although its extent is unclear) and that law enforcement is somewhat limited. There are no official or unofficial statistics on domestic abuse.
Reputable international NGO's reported that the Government's interest in children's issues and promoting child welfare was commendable. For example, the Government began a nationwide immunization campaign for children.
Gradual assimilation appears to be the Government's long-term strategy for ethnic minorities. A member of a northern highland minority is currently serving as President of the National Assembly. The Government has created special schools in the Hanoi area for the education and indoctrination of members of minorities to be the "eyes and ears of the party" among their own people. Highland minorities in central Vietnam are subject to repression if suspected of ties with resistance groups. Officially programmed resettlement of ethnic Vietnamese into the highlands is designed in part to increase government control over minority groups. At the same time, the Government appears to be trying to narrow the gap in the standard of living between highlanders and lowland ethnic Vietnamese.
People with Disabilities
There is little official protection or government support for the disabled, and, apparently, no laws mandating access for the disabled.
Section 6 Worker Rights
a. The Right of Association
Vietnamese workers are not free to form or join unions of their own choosing. If working for the state sector, all workers automatically become members of the union in their workplace, and dues are deducted from their pay. These unions are organized by the Party and belong to the Party-controlled Confederation of Vietnamese Workers (CVW). Strikes are considered unpatriotic and are officially forbidden. Nonetheless, authorities have tolerated a few peaceful strikes at foreign-owned factories.
b. The Right To Organize and Bargain Collectively
Vietnamese workers do not have the right to organize unions of their own choosing or to bargain collectively. However, the Chairman of the CVW is empowered by legislation to attend conferences of the Council of Ministers and raise issues on behalf of labor that cannot be resolved at lower levels. SRV officials have stated that wages are set by a bureaucratic system and that the wage scales provided for existing state corporations are also imposed on newly formed enterprises. With a growing private sector, local market forces played a greater role in wage determination. The question of antiunion discrimination on the part of employers against employees seeking to organize does not arise.
c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor
Compulsory labor is permitted by the Constitution, which states in Article 80 that "citizens must pay taxes and labor in the common interest as provided by law." Refugees report that every Vietnamese citizen is required by law to contribute 15 days of work per year to the State or pay a fee. A number of government projects have used forced labor provided by reeducation camp prisoners.
d. Minimum Age for Employment of Children
According to regulations inherited from the former French colonial administration, the minimum age for employment of workers is 17. There is no reliable information concerning the enforcement of these regulations, but refugees report that they are not enforced. There are no statistics available on the number of child workers in Vietnam. Refugees report that children under 15 are exempt from compulsory labor requirements. Compulsory elementary education laws exist but appear to be honored mostly in the breach for the children of the poor. Vietnamese culture holds education in high regard, however, and families send their children to school if they can afford to do so.
e. Acceptable Conditions of Work
The Government adopted the former French colonial administration's system of regulations pertaining to working conditions, including a minimum wage; a maximum workday of 8 hours; a workweek of 6 days; and safety standards. Existing standards do not appear to be widely enforced. Wages are generally low in Vietnam, inadequate to provide the cast majority of workers and their families a decent living. The minimum wage for employees at joint venture (Vietnamese and foreign) companies is $35 per month (VN Dong 367,500), which is higher than the average wage paid by Vietnamese firms. In August workers at a foreign-owned factory staged a peaceful strike for improved labor conditions, which was tolerated by the authorities. Vietnamese unions are not legally free to, and do not in practice, join, affiliate with, or participate in international labor bodies. However, in 1992, the SRV rejoined the International Labor Organization, from which it had withdrawn as a member state in 1985. | <urn:uuid:3627cec6-98ab-4ded-98d5-0fb056ff5b2b> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:43:54",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9681491255760193,
"score": 2.78125,
"token_count": 6577,
"url": "http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?page=topic&tocid=4565c22535&toid=4565c25f42b&publisher=&type=&coi=VNM&docid=3ae6aa54c&skip=0"
} |
You are here: REHACARE Portal. Up-to-date. Archive. Research.
Testing Sign Language by Cell Phone
Testing students are positive about
its quality for fast communication;
© University of Washington
Engineers are developing the first device able to transmit American Sign Language over U.S. cellular networks. The tool is just completing its initial field test.
"This is the first study of how deaf people in the United States use mobile video phones," said project leader Eve Riskin, a University of Washington (UW) professor of electrical engineering.
The MobileASL team has been working to optimise compressed video signals for sign language. By increasing image quality around the face and hands, researchers have brought the data rate down to 30 kilobytes per second while still delivering intelligible sign language. MobileASL also uses motion detection to identify whether a person is signing or not, in order to extend the phones' battery life during video use.
Transmitting sign language as efficiently as possible increases affordability, improves reliability on slower networks and extends battery life, even on devices that might have the capacity to deliver higher quality video.
This summer's field test is allowing the team to see how people use the tool in their daily lives and what obstacles they encounter. Eleven participants are testing the phones for three weeks. They meet with the research team for interviews and occasionally have survey questions pop up after a call is completed asking about the call quality.
In the first two and a half weeks of the study, some 200 calls were made with an average call duration of a minute and a half, researchers said. A larger field study will begin this winter.
"We know these phones work in a lab setting, but conditions are different in people's everyday lives," Riskin said. "The field study is an important step toward putting this technology into practice."
Most study participants say texting or e-mail is currently their preferred method for distance communication. Their experiences with the MobileASL phone are, in general, positive.
"It is good for fast communication," said Tong Song, a Chinese national who is studying at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. "Texting sometimes is very slow, because you send the message and you're not sure that the person is going to get it right away. If you're using this kind of phone then you're either able to get in touch with the person or not right away, and you can save a lot of time."
Some students also use video chat on a laptop, home computer or video phone terminal, but none of these existing technologies for transmitting sign language fits in your pocket.
REHACARE.de; Source: University of Washington
- More about the University of Washington at www.uwnews.org
( Source: REHACARE.de ) | <urn:uuid:3a434906-5cd1-4f8e-9a2c-be3089052fb4> | {
"date": "2013-05-21T17:25:09",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2013-20",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9428125023841858,
"score": 3,
"token_count": 580,
"url": "http://www.rehacare.com/cipp/md_rehacare/custom/pub/content,oid,25943/lang,2/ticket,g_u_e_s_t/mcat_id,7752/local_lang,2/~/Testing_Sign_Language_by_Cell_Phone.html"
} |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.