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Basic Guidelines for Diabetes Care (2009)
A user-friendly set of guidelines with explanatory notes designed for clinicians and their organizations. They are called "basic" because they include the essential or core components of diabetes care. In addition to the Guidelines, the packet includes references and implementation tools for clinicians.
Information About Diabetes
Facts about diabetes, information for health professionals, how to prevent and control diabetes, laws and regulations related to diabetes, data and surveillance, and other resources.
Contact the California Diabetes Program
Based in Sacramento with several local program representatives covering different regions of the state. Contact information for each staff member is detailed at this link as well as a one page pdf of staff contact information.
DIRC (Diabetes Information Resource Center)
An easy-to-use portal to help organizations exchange information and tools to support their work to prevent or control diabetes. Developed in response to the needs of stakeholders throughout California, DIRC includes an Event Calendar, discussion Forum, Resources, and Partner Profiles.
Diabetes Coalition of California
An independent organization consisting of individuals and agencies dedicated to the recognition and reduction of the adverse personal and public impact of diabetes in the state's diverse communities. The Coalition is comprised of representatives from the general public, local health departments, universities, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, and a variety of community-based, voluntary, health and professional organizations. | <urn:uuid:e8803ccf-bcf9-44ac-bf64-97976cb89fb8> | {
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Interactive Pivot Table Calendar & Chart in Excel!
Can we make a calendar using Pivot Tables?!?
Of course we can. Today let us learn a simple technique to create calendar style reports using Pivot tables.
Thanks to Rob for inspiration
Before making any progress, let me thank Rob from PowerPivotPro for the inspiration. Recently he wrote an article explaining how to use PowerPivot & DAX formulas to create calendar charts in Excel. I applied similar technique to Pivot tables.
Demo of Pivot Calendar
See a quick demo of pivot calendar chart before learning how to do this.
Creating a Pivot Table Calendar
Step 1: Set up an entire year of dates in a list
Lets assume, we want to make the calendar for year 2012. So write that in a cell (G3). Now, in a range of 366 cells, generate all the dates for the year (2012) using simple formulas.
- First date will be =DATE(G3,1,1)
- Next 365 dates will be previous date + 1
Step 2: Calculate Day, Month, Year and Weekday
Using DAY(), MONTH(), YEAR(), WEEKDAY() calculate the day, month, year and weekday for each of the 366 days.
Step 3: Determine the week number in a month
Now comes the tricky part. We need to find out which row each date should be displayed. First take a look at this illustration.
The logic for calculating row numbers is very simple:
- First day of a month is always in row number 1.
- If a day is not Sunday, we just use previous row number
- On Sundays, we just increment the previous row number and use it.
All of this can be expressed in a simple IF formula =IF(D7=D6,IF(F7=1,G6+1,G6),1)
- D7 contains this month, D6 is previous day’s month
- F7 contains weekday, will be 1 for Sunday and 7 for Saturday
- G6 contains previous row number (weeknum)
Step 4: Dealing with Leap years
So far we are good, except for a minor glitch. Certain years have 366 days (for example 2012) while others dont. That means, depending the year, we need to either use 365 rows or 366 rows of our data while generating the pivot report. To do this, we create a named range tblDates that refers to below formula:
Note: D3 is TRUE when an year is leap year.
Step 5: Create pivot table that shows calendar
Now, we need to create a pivot table from the range tblDates.
Set up your pivot table like this:
Step 6: Add a slicer
To enable users to select a particular month interactively, just add a slicer on months. For this,
- Select any cell in the pivot table and go to Options Ribbon > Insert Slicer
- Select Month as field to insert a slicer.
- Adjust slicer properties to show items in 6 columns (Slicer Options Ribbon > Columns)
At this point, you can interactively select a month & see the corresponding calendar.
Related: More examples on Slicers
Now that the basic Pivot Calendar is ready, try these ideas:
- Use a spin button / slider control to interactively adjust the year. Remember, when you do this, you need to refresh the pivot table in background using a simple macro.
- Adjust week start to Monday: Likewise, you can modify your formulas to adjust weekstart to Monday or any other day you fancy.
Using Pivot Calendar as a Chart
Of course, having a mere pivot calendar is not much fun. But you can apply this idea to create a calendar chart. See this:
Calendar Chart Demo:
How to create this Calendar chart?
To keep things simple, lets understand how to create this chart with just one metric – Employee productivity.
- Once the pivot calendar is ready, we add extra rows between each line in the calendar.
- Now, lets say, we have our employee productivity details listed by date in a table.
- Then, using lookup formulas, we fetch productivity for each day in the cell below.
- Once all the values are fetched, just select all these cells and add conditional formatting > color scale to them.
- Format the color scale settings so that you get desired colors.
- And you are done!
Video Explaining Pivot Calendar & Chart
Like this concept? Watch below video to understand how the whole thing is made.
Download Pivot Calendar Template
Click here to download pivot calendar & calendar chart templates. Play with them. Plug your own values and see what happens.
PS: You need Excel 2010 to view this file. Please enable macros to get full effect.
Do you like Pivot Calendar Idea?
I am very excited to try this out in a client project sometime soon. I think a set up like this can be used when analyzing monthly data like employee attendance, vacations, productivity, shipments, meeting schedules, project milestones etc. Since such data is represented in calendar format in real life, your audience would find calendar metaphor easy to understand. That said, any data like KPI trends, sales, visits, calls etc. should always be represented as a line /bar charts rather than calendar charts.This way, we can spot trends quickly and understand data better.
What about you? Do you like this idea? Are you planning to use a pivot calendar / calendar chart sometime in future? Please share your thoughts using comments.
Calendars & Similar ideas:
Please go thru below links to learn more about calendars & visualizing data:
- Project Milestone Chart template
- Perpetual Calendar in Excel – Template
- Employee Shift Tracker Template
- Visualizing Data Around the clock – Charting Technique
- More on Pivot Tables, Slicers & Conditional Formatting
Do you want to be awesome in Excel?
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|A Spreadsheet walks in to a bar … [open mic]||How many values are common in 2 lists? [homework]| | <urn:uuid:41d93b62-923b-4946-8418-60c3340711e7> | {
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Every week the editorial team at the BBC's Monitor blog page create three to four simple slides to illustrate the week's news in figures. You can mirror the simple techniques at play here to help you create clean, clear slides with a strong visual flow. Applied correctly they will make your slides look like a marketing team designed them. Here are 5 tips to get you started.
Tip 1 - Find your Image
Find a high-res image that illustrates your content. The video below demonstrates how you can use Google's advanced search to find the perfect image.
Don't go for the obvious - often your third or fourth idea moves an image further away from cliche territory. After all how many times have you seen a lightbulb used to represent 'a good idea' or a target symbol to show 'goals reached'? Ideally look for an image that has the space to insert a transparent box. In the example above, the lion's head is the key part of the image whilst the legs can remain happily behind the colour text box.
Tip 2 - Use Transparency & White Text
We often see images that have had their transparency levels increased to compensate for dark text overlays. This is not the best way to highlight your information. In the image below the BBC have used a technique which we think is far more compelling.
The transparent box enables us to see the remaining part of the image but also allows us to clearly read the content. A simple white font means we can easily digest the relevant data.
Tip 3 - Colour Match
It's important when using a coloured transparent box that it colour matches the image behind it. This is not as complicated as it may sound, even if you have little or no design experience. All you are looking to do is identify the tones within your image that can be mirrored in the box. Again in the case of the lion image, it's the red from the base of his teeth that were used. There are also a number of useful apps that can do this automatically for you. Below is a photo from my garden taken with the Color View Finder App
It's a great free app that takes out all of the work. All I now need to do is pick a colour to use.
Tip 4 - Text Size
A common issue with a lot of the presentations we see on our training courses is the many variations in text size. Unfortunately most of these inconsistencies stem back to PowerPoint templates. PowerPoint will by default increase or decrease text size to fill a box. We would recommend keeping strictly to two or three variations in your font sizes. In the example below the key data is larger and in bold.
Tip 5 - Condense your Content
Slides should always be there to support and assist the speaker. The speaker should always be the expert. If you are the lead singer then the slides are your backing group.
Slides must be simple to understand with the information easy to comprehend quickly. We should be able to glance at your slides and then get back to you, the expert, as you continue your presentation. The less distracting information there is behind you, the more informed you will appear. | <urn:uuid:ea40503c-1622-483e-a3e1-bf9948fce517> | {
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Note: This is a quickstart guide for absolute beginners with no background in music theory. I plan to gradually add links to resources, but in the meantime a quick Google search should land you useful info on all of these concepts.
A lot of aspiring songwriters/producers who don't have a strong background in music theory feel overwhelmed because it seems like there is so much to learn. While this is true, I actually think that by learning just a few things, you can get enough in your toolbox to be able to write your first songs and have a foundation that you can build upon. Here are those things:
1. Learn the C major scale and its relative minor (A minor)
2. Learn to extract the pentatonic scales out of those, and initially stick to those when writing your melodies
3. Learn basic rhythmic patterns and syncopation
4. Learn a couple of common 8-measure structures
5. Learn a basic song form (verse-prechorus-chorus-verse-prechorus-chorus-bridge-chorus is a good place to start)
6. Learn how to extract chords from the C-major/A-minor collection
7. Initially, stick to the following chords: C, Dm, F, G, and Am (you can play around with the order and with the number of chords in your chord cycle)
Getting a basic grasp on the above skills shouldn't take super long, especially if you already play an instrument, and should be enough to allow you to start playing around and write some songs. If you have a good enough ear you can actually write pretty good songs with only the above skills (sans lyrics, of course).
The next step would be to learn what Roman numerals are and how to transpose your melodies and chords to different keys.
After that there's a lot you can learn, but those are the things that I generally suggest to absolute beginners who feel intimidated by music theory.
Top40 Theory is a project aimed at providing advanced music theory knowledge and composition tools to pop songwriters and producers. Join the small but growing community of highly accomplished songwriters, producers, theorists, and composers at the Top40 Theory Facebook group. You can also follow Top40 Theory’s Twitter account and Facebook page, as well as join the mailing list via the form located in the sidebar, to receive updates about new posts and other pop music theory related musings.
About that Chorus in Bebe Rexha's "I'm a Mess"
Ariana Grande's "No Tears Left to Cry" - An Experiment by Max Martin and Co.
A Sonic Twist in the Plot: The Bridge in Modern Pop
Taylor Swift - "Delicate": Finding Out What Hooked Me
The Postchorus-Bridge Switcheroo
Asaf Peres is a music theory Ph.D. who researches and writes about pop music.
Top40 Theory Newsletter
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Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Jews are found in a bunker during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in May 1943.
Photo credit: National Archives, courtesy of USHMM Photo Archives.
A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust
Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology,
College of Education, University of South Florida © 1997-2013. | <urn:uuid:312b9686-b723-4228-9d8c-733ba23dba51> | {
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The Hypsilophodon dinosaur was covered in cool-looking stripes. Be creative when you’re coloring the Hypsilophodon dinosaur. Remember, scientists don’t have much information about what color dinosaurs were -- it can be the colors of your imagination!
In this section, we'll show you how to draw this Hypsilophodon dinosaur. You can draw it freehand while looking at your computer monitor, or you can print out this page to get a closer look at each step.
Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it. Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray.
Step 1: Start with a potato shape for the body. Draw a teardrop for the head, and connect it to the body with the neck.
Step 2: Draw a long, pointed shape for the tail. Add a narrow oval for the arm on the far side of the body. Draw a rounded rectangle for the shin and another rounded rectangle for the top part of the foot.
Step 3: To make the arm on the near side, draw a rounded rectangle for the upper arm and another for the forearm. Make a large, round triangle for the thigh, a round, oblong shape for the shin, and a thin, round rectangular shape for the top of the foot. This leg should be lower than the other leg to show the Hypsilophodon walking.
Step 4: Draw long, sharp claw shapes at the ends of the legs for fingers and more at the ends of the feet for toes. Outline the head with a shorter teardrop to show the jawline and forehead. Add a circle for the eye and a teardrop for the nostril. Sketch a curved line behind the nostril to show detail on the snout.
Step 5: Draw some pointed shapes down the back to make stripes. Finish the stripes with lines on the tail.
Step 6: Draw lines to form some detail on the body. Add the lines in the legs and tail to show muscles. Lines in the neck and belly will show skin folds.
Step 7: Draw over the pencil lines you want to keep with a felt-tip pen. Erase the extra pencil lines, and the dinosaur is ready to color.
Your dinosaur is finished! Even if you don't get it right the first time, keep practicing until you're happy with your drawing.
The Ankylosaurus dinosaur had it all -- clubbed tail, body armor, and sharp spikes. Learn how to draw this amazing dinosaur in the next section. | <urn:uuid:cb102058-b8d2-4782-93bf-8308ee34484d> | {
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Subscribe to Housecall
Our general interest e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.
This blood pressure chart can help you figure out if your blood pressure is at a healthy level or if you'll need to take some steps to improve your numbers.
Blood pressure readings fall into four general categories, ranging from normal to stage 2 high blood pressure (hypertension). The level of your blood pressure determines what kind of treatment you may need. To get an accurate blood pressure measurement, your doctor should evaluate your readings based on the average of two or more blood pressure readings at three or more office visits.
Here's a look at the four blood pressure categories and what they mean for you. If your readings fall into two different categories, your correct blood pressure category is the higher category. For example, if your blood pressure reading is 125/95 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), you have stage 1 hypertension.
*Ranges may be lower for children and teenagers. Talk to your child's doctor if you're concerned your child has high blood pressure.
†Note: These recommendations address high blood pressure as a single health condition. If you also have heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or certain other conditions, you may need to treat your blood pressure more aggressively.
If you're a healthy adult younger than age 60, or if you have chronic kidney disease, diabetes or coronary artery disease, your treatment goal is less than 140/90 mm Hg. If you're a healthy adult age 60 or older, your treatment goal is less than 150/90 mm Hg.
If your blood pressure is normal, maintaining or adopting a healthy lifestyle can prevent or delay the onset of high blood pressure or other health problems. If your blood pressure isn't normal, a healthy lifestyle — oftentimes along with medication — can help bring it under control and reduce your risk of life-threatening complications.
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic.
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised.
A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. | <urn:uuid:f58288f6-e670-49f8-ae2e-5d3b8cb46ef5> | {
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Marine Plastics Threat
Birds, fish and wildlife along Scotland's beaches and coastline are being threatened by the amount of dumped plastic which ends up in the sea.
Plastic was found in the nests and beaks of seabirds in internationally significant colonies on the Bass Rock, Isle of May and the Shiant Isles during a major scientific voyage.
Researchers also found plastic strewn on more than 30 beaches in remote areas, microplastics in the foraging grounds of basking sharks and seabirds, and animals entangled in rubbish. Read more here.
Find out more about how you can take action to clean up your local area by visiting our Clean Up Scotland pages. Read how Ullapool High School have reacted to the issue of marine plastics as a result of the Littoral art project.
28 June 2017 | <urn:uuid:e73014b5-2e12-42a1-a32d-628c614d73f0> | {
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Helping children and youth deal with tragic events
After a tragedy, our job as adults is to help children understand the events and manage their responses to it.
The recent tragedy in Connecticut at an elementary school resulting in the death of 27 people, 20 of them children between the ages of 5 and 10, has left many reeling with grief, sadness and a sense of bewilderment. From Michigan State University Extension, our hearts go out to those families who have lost their children to such a senseless act.
Although we want to protect our children from the all harsh realities of life, unfortunately this tragedy may have an effect on our children or the children in our care. Our job as adults is to help children understand the events and manage their responses to it.
One thing we can all do is to avoid talking about this with other adults in front of children. You may think children are not paying attention or are unable to understand the words we are saying. In fact, children are very good at sensing emotions in adults. While they may not understand what you are saying, if you are voicing concern, worry and sadness, they will get the message that something is wrong or unsafe in their little world.
Try to minimize their exposure to media coverage, especially with graphic or upsetting coverage. Provide them opportunities to talk about what they may see on TV and give them a chance to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t have answers to all of their questions. With a tragedy like this, it is difficult for anyone to come up with answers to explain why some things happen.
Be sensitive to clues your child knows something about the situation. If they bring up the topic with you, ask what your child knows about and ask what they are wondering about. That way, you can modify your answers and give your child only the information they want to know without having to talk about the entire very difficult issue. Provide ongoing opportunities for children to talk and express emotions about the event. They may have more questions as time goes on, and that is okay.
Remind them that there are no bad emotions and encourage them to express their feelings to you and other adults who are there to help them understand and deal with strong feelings. Sometimes, an event like this can trigger other fears or troubling emotions children might be having. Be prepared to help them through other issues that may arise.
Be sure to help children and yourself by focusing on some of good things, such as rescue workers other first responders who come to the aid immediately, families, and communities coming together to offer support and comfort. Give your children an opportunity to offer support if they are old enough and feel compelled to do so. Help them to draw pictures or write cards or letters to the families.
It is important to remember in times like these to remember that each and every day is precious. Take the time to express your love to your children, family members and friends. Extra hugs, snugs and kisses do help at times like these. Even better, continuous, reliable and pervasive demonstrations of love and caring can help provide a good base of support when bad things happen.
For more information: | <urn:uuid:0f7b6f41-da6b-4286-9ad8-ec7a74947ba5> | {
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9 Common Eye Problems
Eye problems often hide in plain sight, damaging your delicate visual system before you notice any symptoms. Regular eye exams can help your eye doctor spot common eye conditions and treat them before you lose vision. Here are some of the problems he or she seeks—and the therapies that relieve them.
1. Refractive Errors
Nearsighted, farsighted, or both, these vision-blurring disorders affect more Americans than any other eye problem. They occur when the shape of the eye interferes with the focus of light on the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. The loss of focus that comes with aging—presbyopia—also falls into this category. Refractive errors can be treated with glasses, contacts, or laser surgery.
2. Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes damage to your macula—a small part of your eye responsible for sharp vision. Blurriness and dark spots may appear in the center of your vision. In one type of AMD, called wet AMD, new blood vessels grow under the macula. This makes straight lines appear wavy. Supplements, injections, or laser treatment can slow AMD’s progress and preserve your remaining sight.
Also called “lazy eye,” amblyopia is the most common vision problem in children. Communication problems between the brain and the eyes reduce vision in just one eye. This can occur because of the eye’s position or because one eye has a more severe refractive error than the other. Patches or eyedrops can temporarily weaken the strong eye, restoring balanced vision. Amblyopia should be treated during childhood.
A normal eye continually produces and leaks out a small amount of fluid each day. For reasons doctors don’t understand, people with glaucoma develop a blockage in this drainage system. Pressure builds up in the eye, damaging the optic nerve. If left untreated, glaucoma can blind you. But comprehensive eye exams can catch it early and eyedrops or other treatments protect your sight.
5. Diabetic Retinopathy
Your retinas contain many tiny blood vessels. If your blood sugar stays high over time, these vessels swell and weaken, interfering with your vision. You might not notice this at first—that’s why everyone with diabetes should have a complete eye exam yearly. Over time, you might see spots, flashing lights, or lose part or all of your vision.
6. Eye Allergies
Allergies occur when the tissues in your eyes react to something in the air around you. Pollen, mold, and dust often trigger this response. Your eyes then produce a substance called histamine, which causes redness, itching, teariness, and burning. Avoiding allergens—for instance, by checking pollen counts before heading outside—and using special eyedrops can ease your symptoms.
Like the lens of a camera, your eye’s lens focuses your vision. Clumps of protein called cataracts cloud your lenses, blurring the images that reach your brain. Most cataracts occur with aging. But they can also develop after eye surgery, as a result of eye injuries, or even before birth. If cataracts interfere with your daily life, you can have surgery to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial one.
8. Pink Eye
Pink, itchy eyes serve as the hallmark sign of this common infection. More properly called conjunctivitis, it affects the conjunctiva, the thin, clear tissue that lines your eyelid and the whites of your eyes. Viruses, bacteria, allergens and irritants, such as smog, can cause pink eye. Viral and bacterial pink eye spread quickly from person to person. In most cases, the infection clears up over time. For severe cases caused by bacteria, you may need an antibiotic.
9. Dry Eye
With each blink, lubricating tears spread over the surface of your eye. But for a variety of reasons, some people don’t produce enough tears or their tears evaporate too quickly. Dry eye can feel like there’s something in your eye, or you may feel a scratching sensation. Drops, medications, and changes to your lifestyle—like cutting back on screen time—can help. | <urn:uuid:95520ad7-e19e-484f-bd78-134b1152ee70> | {
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Marcie Butcher from Marion, Ind.,
I understand Flight Dynamics 101, but I want to know the
actual process that takes place when the orbiter does the ˝ roll
after clearing the tower during the launch. What all has to take
place for this event to take place?
First of all, the reason for the roll is because we use the Apollo
launch pads for shuttle operations. And because of the way the
Apollo launch pads were constructed, the space shuttle has to
be on the launch pad with the back of it basically facing south.
And because we fly uphill inverted, we have to roll around to
get the back of the vehicle pointed in the direction we want to
go for ascent. The actual process that happens is the flight control
computers, or the flight control portion of the computers, commands
the roll and the roll is caused by the gimbaling of the solid
rocket motor nozzles as well as the shuttle main engine nozzles.
They move very slightly on their gimbals and create the rolling
moment force that is used to roll the vehicle around. It is quite
a fantastic feeling inside because besides rolling it gives you
a yawing feeling because we are above the axis of roll in the
cockpit. So it gives you a good swing around. And then when the
roll is complete it usually over shoots a little bit and comes
back and so it sort of feels like you are on the end of a rope
being swung around and it is a lot of fun.
Howard Leeming from Poulsbo,
Wash., age: 37
Why switch to manual control of the shuttle on descent
for the landing? Why not use the computers to handle the task?
It is done on commercial airliners and military planes, and it
removes any chance of human error.
We get asked this
question quite often. There is quite a bit difference between
a space shuttle landing and that of an airplane, whether it's
commercial or military. Airplanes have the ability for the pilot
to take over, and make a misapproach if anything goes wrong or
if they see any equipment malfunctions on the autoland systems.
In fact I have flown quite a few automatic landings to aircraft
carriers and it is true the automatic landing systems usually
make very precise landings. However it is also true that sometimes
they don't. Some little thing may go wrong or some sensor may
provide an input to the system that gives you a little bit of
a scary ride. And it is nice to be able to take over disconnect
the autopilot portion, add power and go around. That is something
that we can't do on the shuttle. In fact during testing of the
autoland system using our shuttle airplanes which model the behavior
of the shuttle, we found that there are some fairly large dispersions
between the planned touch down air speed and the touch down air
speed the autoland actually accomplishes and because we are landing
very close to the limit speed for our main gear tires we really
can't handle those kinds of dispersions. So, over the years the
program has come to the decision that it's best to let the pilots
actually make the landing for two reasons. One is we can't make
a go around if there is a system problem with the autoland. And
the second one being that we actually can do a slightly better
job at controlling the touch down air speed, which is important
for the main tires. So for the foreseeable future or at least
with the current autoland system we plan to land it manually.
That happens to be good news for the pilots because we enjoy doing
Carron Schweiger from De Pere,
Wis., age: 20
I am in the elementary/middle school education program
at St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wis. Our project for this semester
is to teach a 10-week unit on the space station/space travel to
a group of sixth-graders. One of the questions our group has is
how do the shuttles get back to the Earth? For example, when they
lift off, there is fuel and whatever else to get them started.
But how do they get that boost or whatever is needed to get back
We do have
a lot more fuel when we lift off, fuel that provides power to
the main engines and also the boosters are filled with solid rocket
fuel. But on board the shuttle there is quite a bit of fuel that
we use for maneuvering in orbit, including raising and lowering
our orbit. Returning to Earth is simply a matter of reducing your
speed. You don't have to reduce it very much either. Something
around the order of about 180 to 200 miles per hour reduction
of speed, is enough to make you lower the orbit to the point where
it'll descend into the upper reaches of the atmosphere and then
the drag from the atmosphere allows us to slow down and also change
our path and move from left and right to aim directly at the landing
site, and we can control ourselves with the atmosphere. But, the
answer to the question is that we just use some of the fuel that
we saved for the end of the mission to reduce the orbit speed
just a slight amount and that causes us to drop out of orbit and
into the Earth's atmosphere.
Mike from Smyrna, Del., age:
My class just did a little report on what it would be like to
be part of the crew for a space shuttle or space station, and
I figured I would ask the experts. What is it like to work in
a gravity free environment?
Being a new guy I will say it is just utterly fantastic, and there
are some differences of course. You float around a lot and the
new fliers sometimes go a little bit too fast, maybe you bump
off a wall or two. So you need to go slowly and you need to hold
onto things and use your hands and feet to sort of keep you in
place while you are doing work. On the other hand it's a lot easier
to work in space because you can get into lots of places you can't
get on the ground because you can work in any orientation whether
it is right side up, upside down or sideways. And so that makes
our task of building the space station and working inside the
lab a lot easier as we are trying to get tools in place. So there
are pluses and minuses about being in zero g for work but as far
as the experience it's just wonderful.
Zack from Atlanta, Ga., age:
I got a blue "flight suit" at Kennedy Space Center. Do astronauts
wear flight suits like mine? Do they get a new patch for every
Well, first of all we do wear flight suits similar to the one
you purchased. We wear them to fly in the T-38 airplanes which
we use to keep us proficient as pilots and as crewmembers in between
our space flights. And, yes, we do get a new patch for every flight.
In fact, the crew has a hand in designing the patch, and we put
pictures and emblems on the patch that are significant to what
we will be doing on that flight, and usually the patch carries
our names on it. And we're usually very proud of the patches that
we design, and we wear them on our blue flight suits when we go
flying in T-38s, and we also have a copy of the patch on most
of our flight data file, our checklist, and the patch is there
also on our space suits that we go space walking in, and also
the orange suits that we use for take off and landing in the shuttle.
Greggory Blunt from Memphis,
Tenn., age: 30
Congratulations on a model launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis. It
was a sight to see. Can you say how soon Destiny will be fully
As you probably know, Greg, we brought up just the minimum number
of racks needed to provide environmental control and also attitude
control in Destiny. And the next two flights will bring a total
of 11 more racks, bringing the number to 16 that will be installed
in Destiny. The laboratory holds 23 racks. There are slots for
24 but one of the spaces has a window in it so we're not going
to put a rack there. And as each flight comes up, there will be
a greater capability installed in Destiny. By Flight 6A, we'll
be running the Space Station robot arm from inside the lab at
what's called the Robotics Workstation, and then also science
will have begun and the medical facility will have been installed
by that flight, and subsequent flights will bring more and more
science. The concept of Destiny is one of adaptability and change,
and you'll see racks being traded out and maybe not always the
full complement of racks aboard. It just depends on what research
is scheduled at which time and what missions they can be fit on,
so you'll see the science complement of Destiny changing, and
the type of research that's done on board the laboratory changing.
Miller from Moss Beach, Calif., age: 13
Specialist Tom Jones
Tom Jones, you met my father when we were living in Baltimore.
His name is John Miller, who used to be the former baseball broadcaster
for the Baltimore Orioles. I am extremely interested in pretty
much anything at all about space, and in the future, I am greatly
hoping to become an astronaut myself. The question that I want
to know is what sensations do you feel when you exit the space
shuttle or space station for an EVA? Do you feel a sensation of
vertigo, a sensation of awe looking back at the beautiful sight
of Earth, or frightened at the reality that you are floating in
the vacuum of space?
I didn't feel a sense of vertigo when I went outside on our EVA.
But, I did sometimes feel after working in someplace for a few
minutes that I had a sensation of disorientation. Not knowing
which way was port or starboard, or which way was back to the
orbiter hatch, which way was to the front of the space station.
That's just because you get turned around while working and especially
when it is dark it is hard to locate yourself. So, you have to
take a moment to look around and reorient. You do have a stupendous
view of the Earth, it is much better out of the helmet than inside
the orbiter, just because the window frames are not in view and
your helmet permits you to see almost a full 180 degrees from
side to side. And, I wasn't frightened at being in the vacuum
because the spacesuit is a superb little spaceship in itself.
And it protects you from micrometeoroids and extremes in temperature
outside and of course keeps the pressure next to your body so
that you can breath and maintain the workload that you're keeping
up with outside. Thanks.
Jacco van Schaik from Almere,
The Netherlands, age: 35
I have a couple of questions about the re-entry procedure.
How far ahead of the landing site do you start the retros? How
long do you burn them? What's the delta-v resulting from the burn?
don't have separate engines called retros; we use sort of multi-purpose
engines known as the orbital maneuvering system engines. They're
used for everything from a little bit of assist during ascent
to the rendezvous burns that we conduct to adjust our orbit to
enable us to rendezvous with another space craft such as International
Space Station. And we use them also for deorbit. The only difference
is that we turn around and face backwards and fire them in reverse.
The burn usually lasts about three minutes, somewhere between
two minutes and 50 seconds and three minutes and 20 seconds or
so, and the change in velocity is very small compared to our 17,500
miles per hour. We probably change our speed…the number is usually
on the order of 300 to 330 or so feet per second, which is maybe
250 miles per hour or about 350 kilometers per hour. So it's not
a very big change in velocity at all; it's just a slight amount
that causes us to drop a little bit lower in the orbit and for
the atmosphere to capture us and bring us down to Earth.
Autz from White Bear Lake, Minn., age: 32
Specialist Tom Jones
How long do the astronauts usually wait to go on a space walk
to prevent getting sick in their space suits?
We usually wait on the basis of our experience till the third
day of a flight to conduct the space walk. It's not because of
nausea because we have medicines that can take care of that, but
your head is usually somewhat congested for the first few days
after launch. As the fluid in your lower body, your legs, shifts
to your chest and head and that makes your sinuses clog and that
can present a problem when you repressurize to cabin pressure
after a space walk. The lower pressure in the spacesuit comes
up to cabin pressure, and it can cause some ear pain or sinus
pain if you don't have good breathing passages and sinus passages.
And that is why we wait for the third day of a mission to conduct
our space walk, at least.
Davenport from Des Plaines, Ill., age: 28
Specialist Robert Curbeam
I have wondered about this for the past 15 years and have yet
to find an answer anywhere: What is the effect of lighting a match
in zero gravity? My assumption is that it would form a "ball"
of flame. Is this true, and why or why not?
Well, Jake, I have never lit a match in zero gravity because that's
not allowed here. But, I can tell you what happens when you light
a fire, because on my last flight we had a fire, a controlled
fire, on one of our experiments, and what happened is it does
form a ball of flame. But, because convection depends on gravity
it burns for a very short time and it burns very, very hot and
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The Tesla Turbine is not to be confused with the Tesla Magnet Motor. Both of these
inventions look similar and often get mentioned together but are not the same at
The magnet motor is a perpetual motion device which runs on magnetic energy, basically
creating a continuous supply of free energy. On the other hand, the tesla turbine
requires an external energy supply usually in the form of steam or some other fluid
supplied at pressure.
This article is going to discuss the Tesla Turbine in terms of how it works, it's
overall efficiency and the best place to get plans to build your own model.
The Tesla Turbine, also known as the bladeless motor, boundary layer turbine and
flat-disk turbine, was patented by Nikola Tesla in 1913 and is widely known to be
his most prized invention of all.
The main difference between the tesla turbine and the more common conventional turbines
is that the Tesla Turbine does not have rotor blades or anything which provides any
sort of resistance in order to turn the turbine.
Here's a quick breakdown of how it works.
Basically the design features a number of carefully packed smooth parallel disks
mounted on a shaft and arranged inside a sealed chamber. The dimensions and quantity
of the disks can differ depending on factors related to particular application.
Whenever any gas or fluid is permitted to go in the chamber and pass between your
disks, it causes the disks to turn by way of the boundary layer effect, which in
turn rotates the shaft. Since the fluid moves in natural pathways of least resistance,
free of the constraints and troublesome forces triggered by vanes or rotor blades,
it encounters gradual alterations in velocity and direction. What this means is more
energy is shipped towards the turbine.
This rotary motion may be used in a number of ways, from running pumps, blowers and
compressors to running cars and planes. Actually, Tesla stated the turbine was the
best and also the most simply designed rotary engine ever designed.
Tesla Turbine Kit Unfortunately there hasn't been any major commercial or government investment into the development of the Tesla Turbine. Many universities and government agencies have successfully built and constructed Tesla Turbine models, but there are not currently any models available for commercial sale. The two most popular and best models of the Tesla Turbine can be found at the Stanford University Tesla Boundary Layer Turbine page and the University of Washington Physics Department site. The Stanford site includes single and multi phase Tesla Turbine models with broad instructions and thumbnail pictures, which you can enlarge. The site design is one very long page and is quite basic. The UW site has steps to make your own tesla turbine from hard drive parts and includes instructions, pictures and a You Tube video.
Tesla Turbine Efficiency The turbine efficiency from the fluid or gas Tesla turbine is believed to be above 60%, reaching no more than 95 %. Tesla pointed out it would take 2-3 stages having a vacuum about the final stage to attain a greater than 90% efficiency. Since the price of creating this kind of turbine could be much greater compared to a (60%) single stage turbine, it does not make economical sense to create turbines of the efficiency in a commercial sense. Probably the most likely scenario would be that the first commercial turbines are going to be single stage models, most likely to be used in hybrid technology products..
Tesla Turbine Plans For domestic energy production the Tesla Turbine is not really the best choice. Tesla's perpetual motion magnet motor device is far easier to make and run for home made energy. But..... if you really insist on making your own Tesla Turbine there are two very good sites to help you and they are; the Tesla Engine Builders Association which provides free tesla turbine plans, drawings and photos but the site is difficult to navigate and not user friendly. The next best site is the Phoenix Turbine Builders Club which have plans for $90 plus $6 postage because it comes as a CD (Update: we don't recommend these plans because we've heard lots of negative comments about them, check out our top product reviews on this page). | <urn:uuid:ce919e3c-7349-4dc2-bf88-ff5fd5eeffc8> | {
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Historical Understandings of Depression Continued
During the late 1700s and early 1800s, there were a variety of complex explanations for depression. Some doctors and authors suggested that aggression was the real cause of depression. They suggested exercise, music, drugs and diet as treatments. They also stressed the importance of discussing problems with a close friend or a doctor. Others thought that depression was caused by an internal conflict between unacceptable impulses and a person's conscience. Advances in general medical knowledge caused other scientists to believe in and search for organic (physical) causes of depression.
Towards the beginning of the 1800s, new therapies for depression were developed. This included water immersion, which involved keeping people under water for as long as possible without drowning them. It also included a special spinning stool to cause dizziness in order to rearrange the contents of the brain into the correct positions. Benjamin Franklin introduced an early form of electroshock therapy. Horseback riding, special diets, enemas and vomiting were also recommended treatments.
Depression was first distinguished from schizophrenia in 1895 by the German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin. During this same period, psychodynamic theory was invented. Psychoanalysis, the psychotherapy based upon the psychodynamic theory, became increasingly popular as a treatment for depression. In a 1917 essay, Sigmund Freud explained melancholia as a response to loss. This was either real loss (such as the death of a spouse), or symbolic loss (such as the failure to achieve an important goal). Freud believed that a person's unconscious anger over loss weakened the ego, which resulted in self-hate and self-destructive behavior. Freud recommended psychoanalysis (the "talking cure") to resolve unconscious conflicts and reduce the need for self-abusive thoughts and behavior. Other doctors during this time viewed depression as a physical disease and a brain disorder.
Treatments during the late 1800s and early 1900s were usually not adequate for people with severe depression. Because of this, many desperate people were treated with lobotomy, which is the surgical destruction of the frontal portion of a person's brain. This had become popular as a "calming" treatment at this time. Lobotomies were often unsuccessful. They caused personality changes, the inability to make decisions, and poor judgment. Even worse, they sometimes lead to a coma or even death. Electroconvulsive therapy (discussed in a later section of this center), was a popular treatment for schizophrenia, but this treatment was also used for people with depression.
Influenced by hundreds of years of back and forth debate as to whether depression was best thought of as a mental or physical problem, and by increasing knowledge of the brain and brain chemistry, the medical community of the 1950s and 60's accepted a classification that divided depression into subtypes based on supposed causes of the disorder. "Endogenous" depression came from within the body and was caused by genetics or some other physical problem. People with endogenous depression were supposed to view themselves as the source of their own suffering and to think that everything was their fault. Their emotional pain was thought to be unaffected by the attitudes or responses of the people around them. In contrast, "neurotic" or "reactive" depression was caused by some significant change in the environment, such as the death of a spouse, or other significant loss, such as the loss of a job. Individuals with reactive depression were thought to feel isolated, victimized and abandoned. They were told to view the cause of their problems as something external to themselves. People with reactive depression were thought to develop bodily symptoms and to make suicide attempts as a means of getting support from the people around them.
The 1950s were also important in the search for organic causes and treatments for mental illness. In 1952, doctors noticed that a tuberculosis medication (isoniazid) was also useful in treating people with depression. Shortly after this significant finding, the practice of using medications to treat mental illness gained greater favor. Psychiatry, which had previously looked to psychotherapy as their therapy of choice, started to emphasize the use of medications as primary treatments for mental illnesses. During the same period, new theories in psychology added to the approaches of psychotherapy. Behaviorism, and the Cognitive Behavioral school of thought, as well as Client-centered (Humanistic) therapy, and Family Systems therapies joined Psychodynamic psychotherapy as popular treatment options. We will discuss these psychological theories, including what they have to say about the causes of and treatments for depression in more detail in a later section of this center.
Currently, rather than adopting either the mind or the body explanation of depression, scientists and mental health professionals recognize that depressive symptoms have multiple causes. In the current view, depression can be caused by both mental and physical causes at the same time. It is no longer necessary to choose a single cause. No single cause is going to be fully explain and account for all types of depression. Because it has become the accepted view that depression frequently has multiple causes, including biological, psychological and social causes, it has also become the normal belief that multiple professions and approaches to treatment have important roles to play in helping people overcome depression. | <urn:uuid:80123c38-d7cc-48d5-8b0f-9fd5c5181dcc> | {
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The -ed ending is used to change a verb into the past form. The pronunciation can be quite tricky, here we look at the three different types of pronunciation and how you should be pronouncing them. Although I’m not a fan of rule based learning, some students find it beneficial to have set of rules to determine on their own how they should be pronouncing words in English. Read about the rules here and find out the correct pronunciation of the -ed ending!
Everybody speaks their language with an accent and there are various accents for every language in the world. This blog post discusses exactly what is an accent. From the way that somebody speaks we can hear what country they are from, the region where they live and in some cases what social class they belong to. In fact, we can tell quite a lot about a person depending on the way in which they speak. Read this blog post to find out more!
Any language is hard to learn and English is particularly hard for a number of reasons. Can you tell the difference between read, read and red? Two are spelt the same and two are pronounced the same, yet they all are used in different ways. Why doesn’t the phrases “great meat” have the same vowel sound, what then about polish and Polish? As you can see there are many nuances in the pronunciation of words in English and this post seeks to explain why these things make the language very difficult to learn! | <urn:uuid:8be98f8e-0ba4-4bf6-af99-81e26a5eb6ec> | {
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29th May 2013 | International Women’s Peace Service | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine
Early on Monday 27 May at 1:30AM three Israeli border police jeeps entered the village of Kufr Qaddum. The border police made their presence known to the villagers by driving slowly through the town center. Additionally, the following night, Tuesday 28 May, at 02:00 AM around 60 soldiers on foot and four jeeps stormed the village. The Israeli military forcefully entered 10 homes, demanding the names and employment details of all the members in each household. The soldiers and jeeps left the village at about 04:00 AM, having collectively punished an entire community through nightly harassment but making no arrests.
Just a few days before that, residents reported that on the night of Thursday 23 May, the day before the weekly demonstration, the Israeli army entered the village and stole some 200 tyres that residents light up during the demonstrations to prevent Israeli military vehicles from entering the village. Moreover, on Saturday 18 May, one day after that week’s demonstration, Israeli soldiers in jeeps came to the house of one of the organizers at night and left some burning tires in his yard.
Kufr Qaddum is a 3,000-year-old agricultural village that sits on 24,000 dunams of land. The village was occupied by the Israeli army in 1967; in 1978, the illegal settler-colony of Qedumim was established nearby on the remains of a former Jordanian army camp, occupying 4,000 dunams of land stolen from Kufr Qaddum.
The villagers are currently unable to access an additional 11,000 dunams of land due to the closure by the Israeli army of the village’s main and only road leading to Nablus in 2003. The road was closed in three stages, ultimately restricting access for farmers to the 11,000 dunams of land that lie along either side to one or two times a year. Since the road closure, the people of Kufr Qaddum have been forced to rely on an animal trail to access this area; the road is narrow and, according to the locals, intended only for animals. In 2004 and 2006, three villagers died when they were unable to reach the hospital in time. The ambulances carrying them were prohibited from using the main road and were forced to take a 13 km detour. These deaths provoked even greater resentment in Kufr Qaddum and, on 1 July 2011, the villagers decided to unite in protest in order to re-open the road and protect the land in danger of settlement expansion along it.
Kufr Qaddum is home to 4,000 people; some 500 residents attend the weekly demonstrations. The villagers’ resilience, determination and organization have been met with extreme repression. More than 120 village residents have been arrested; most spend 3-8 months in prison; collectively they have paid over NIS 100,000 to the Israeli courts. Around 2,000 residents have suffocated from tear-gas inhalation, many in their own homes. Over 100 residents have been shot directly with tear-gas canisters. On 27 April 2012, one man was shot in the head by a tear-gas canister that fractured his skull in three places; the injury cost him his ability to speak. In another incident, on 16 March 2012 an Israeli soldier released his dog into the crowded demonstration, where it attacked a young man, biting him for nearly 15 minutes whilst the army watched. When other residents tried to assist him, some were pushed away while others were pepper-sprayed directly in the face.
The events of the past week are part of a continuous campaign by the Israeli military to harass and intimidate the people of Kufr Qaddum into passively accepting the human rights violations the Israeli occupation, military and the illegal settlers inflict upon them. | <urn:uuid:f952eb5d-46ea-4306-af2a-1d90c2aa2d74> | {
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A convection oven uses a fan to continuously circle hot air around the food, which means your food cooks faster and produces better chemical reactions. Consider how much faster your core body temperature drops as a result of wind chill on a chilly winter's day. Convection ovens operate the same way with food, except with heat instead of cold. When cooking beef, you want to reduce the temperature the recipe calls for by -3.89 degrees C and check the temperature of the beef throughout, as it will be done sooner than in a standard oven.
- Skill level:
Other People Are Reading
Things you need
- 3 to 3.5 pound rump roast
- Olive oil
- Meat thermometer
Preheat your convection oven to 177 degrees Celsius. In a traditional oven, you would need to preheat the oven to 375 degrees; however, the convection allows you to cook at a lower heat.
Take your meat out of the refrigerator while the oven is heating up. Make eight slits in the roast and insert a clove of garlic into each of the slits. Brush olive oil all over the roast, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
Put the roast directly onto the oven rack once the oven has finished heating. Place a tray beneath the roast to catch the drippings. The fat side of the roast must face upward so that the flavour of the meat drips down as the roast is cooking. Let the roast cook for 20 minutes or until browned.
Lower the heat of the oven to 200 degrees (conventional ovens would use 225 degrees). Cook for an hour and a half, then check the temperature of the middle of the roast. It should be at 135 to 140 degrees. If it hasn't reached that temperature yet, continue to cook it at 200 degrees, checking the temperature every 20 minutes.
Tips and warnings
- Let the roast sit for 15 minutes before serving.
- 20 of the funniest online reviews ever
- 14 Biggest lies people tell in online dating sites
- Hilarious things Google thinks you're trying to search for | <urn:uuid:205be44b-d310-4e73-b6b4-ee2654ddfc0e> | {
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Ebola virus - nhs choices home page. Ebola virus disease (ebola hemorrhagic fever) first appeared in 1976 with two concurrent outbreaks of acute viral hemorrhagic fever involving 284 cases (151 deaths. Ebola virus disease progression typically, ebola virus infection runs its course within 14 to 21 days infection initially presents with nonspecific flu-like.
Comprende las causas y síntomas de estos virus tropicales, y obtén consejos para prevenir la enfermedad. It has been stated that sufferers of ebola virus disease die from a heavy blood loss an introduction to ebola: the virus and the disease the journal of infectious. Webmd explains the latest info on the rare but deadly disease ebola, including how it's spread, symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention. (source: examinercom/getty images) musc center for global health answers some questions about ebola virus disease with facts from.
The ebola virus disease: problems, consequences, causes, and recommendations “ebola virus disease in west africa–no early end to the outbreak,” 1184 ibid. Ebola virus disease is a type of viral haemorrhagic fever (vhf), which are life threatening infections whose symptoms can include fever and bleeding. Ebola, previously known as ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the ebola virus strains ebola can cause disease in. Summary laboratory diagnosis of ebola virus disease plays a critical role in outbreak response efforts however, establishing safe and expeditious. The complex and unprecedented ebola epidemic ongoing in west africa has highlighted the need to review the epidemiological characteristics of ebola virus disease (evd.Slide #1: our presentation will be on the deadly ebola virus, which can cause ebola type hemorrhagic fever what is ebola:according cdc, ebola hemorrhagic fever is a. Declaration of the end of ebola virus disease outbreak in the democratic republic of the congo health emergency information and risk assessment 1 health emergency. The international health regulations (2005) emergency committee regarding ebola virus disease (evd) in west africa met for a ninth time on 29 march on the basis of.
El virus del ebola causa en el ser humano la enfermedad por el virus del ebola, cuya tasa de letalidad puede llegar al 90. Ebola is a virus that causes severe, often fatal disease it is a filovirus, meaning it looks like a thread when viewed with an electron. What is ebola the ebola virus causes the often fatal ebola virus disease (evd) previously known as ebola hemorrhagic fever it can be transmitted from wild animals. People get scared when they hear the deadly ebola virus disease after seeing the ebola virus disease pictures, you can have a better understanding of it.
(source: examinercom/getty images) musc center for global health answers some questions about ebola virus disease with facts from the centers for disease. Ebola virus disease (evd) is a rare and often-fatal infection caused by one of the five strains of the ebola virus. Ebola: a media induced frenzy what is ebola ebola is a disease that is fatal as well as very infectious it is known for causing a high fever and is linked to vast.Download | <urn:uuid:d2ee318b-5dfc-4dbe-bb71-08eb65e0fe99> | {
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While people continue to scramble to get their hands on the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccine, there is a concern that pet owners are forgetting to get their paws on the canine influenza vaccine. Just as people are facing one of the toughest flu seasons we have seen in a while, according to the Center of Disease Control, dogs are also battling the sniffles.
The CDC is recommending dogs get vaccinated against the canine strain of influenza “A” called H3N8 that has been detected in more than 30 states. The H3N8 strain of canine influenza is new and highly contagious – it is highly likely that if your dog is exposed to another that has the virus, they will come down with the flu.
Much like the H1N1, the symptoms of canine influenza mimic the classic human flu symptoms including fever, loss of energy, loss of appetite, sneezing, coughing and runny nose. Unfortunately, these symptoms are also similar to those of Infectious Canine Tracheobronchitis, or kennel cough, which is a contagious disease that affects the respiratory system of dogs. Both kennel cough and H3N8 canine influenza have the potential to progress into pneumonia if left untreated.
Since the symptoms of H3N8 are so similar to kennel cough, it is very important that pet owners do not assume that the earliest symptom – a hacking unproductive cough – is a sign of kennel cough. Should your dog develop sneezing, loss of appetite, purulent nasal discharge, or a soft, moist cough with a mild or low-grade fever that persists for more than a few days owners should contact their veterinarian immediately.
Most dogs recover from canine influenza within 2-3 weeks when the virus is caught early. The treatment can include broad-spectrum bactericidal antimicrobials that are used to combat secondary bacterial infections commonly attributed with the onset of pneumonia and maintenance of hydration via intravenous administration of fluids.
There are vaccines available for kennel cough and canine influenza. Since the vaccines are considered “lifestyle” vaccines, they are not recommended for every dog. Owners should consult with their veterinarian to determine whether their dog’s lifestyle includes risks for exposure to the canine influenza virus, and if the vaccine is appropriate for their dog.
Having a health insurance plan in place for your pet can help to ease the cost of such vaccines, in both dogs and cats. The PurinaCare® plus Preventive Care Plan not only provides benefits for vaccinations but also helps to cover the cost of routine lab tests and the treatment for illnesses, including diagnostic tests and medication. | <urn:uuid:1325c506-18e1-41d7-b0a0-0499d5b74f5b> | {
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Today marks the 90th Anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment. This amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits each state and the federal government from denying any citizen the right to vote because of the citizen's sex, specifically guaranteeing all American women the right to vote. It was ratified on August 18, 1920.
The amendment was over 70 years in the making. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the initial women's rights convention, the Seneca Falls Woman's Rights Convention, in July 1848, launching the woman suffrage movement.
President Woodrow Wilson announced his support on January 9, 1918 and the next day the House of Representatives passed the Amendment, sending it to the Senate for approval. The Senate did not act quickly, to say the least. They tabled the vote until October, and then failed to pass the amendment by three votes.
The National Woman's Party responded quickly to this Senate block and encouraged citizens to vote against the anti-suffrage Senators who were up for reelection. Following the midterm elections of 1918, most members of Congress were pro-suffrage, marking a real turning point for the woman suffrage movement.
The House passed the amendment again by a vote of 304 to 89, sending it back to the Senate. Two weeks later, on June 4, 1919, the Senate passed the Nineteenth Amendment by a vote of 56-25. The Tennessee General Assembly became the thirty-sixth state legislature to ratify the proposed amendment on August 18, 1920, meeting the constitutional requirement.
The remaining twelve states took over sixty years to add their ratifications of the 19th amendment. Mississippi was the last state to ratify the amendment, waiting until March 22, 1984! | <urn:uuid:1f6437d2-a824-469f-8172-9db71b87fa2c> | {
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On March 27, 2010, an estimated one billion people around the world came together to send a clear message that we, the inhabitants of Mother Earth, demand leadership from our elected representatives to enact progressive climate change legislation. The orchestrated demonstration was simple but effective as lights went off around the world for one hour – Earth Hour. For those of us who participated in the event, turning off all the lights for an hour was a symbolic act of solidarity with the 1.6 billion people around the world who have no electricity in their homes.
That’s right. There are over 1.6 billion people in this world without power who must use wood, coal or even dung to heat their homes and cook — resulting in indoor air pollution that kills 1.6 million people a year. These numbers are not expected to improve within the foreseeable future. The International Energy Agency estimates that the Earth’s population will top exceed 8 billion by 2030, 1.3 billion will still live without electricity. Of those, 700 million will be in Africa and 490 million in South Asia.
A recent MSNBC investigative report on Ghana, West Africa reveals the severity of the problem. A decade ago, the Ghanaian government launched a campaign intended to deliver electricity to the rural north. The campaign, which is seldom mentioned outside of an election season, has failed and three out of four people in the north live without power. There is no power to refrigerate food, warm or cool homes, to study or to start a business.
Watch the video report by MSNBC’s Peter DiCampo for a closer look at life without lights in Ghana — following residents into their darkness as well as their attempts to improvise. Mobile phones are widespread, and a growing local film industry allows northerners to see movies in a setting and language familiar to them for the first time. All of this exists despite the absence of a convenient outlet in which to plug basic electronic appliances.
You may be wondering if it is possible to provide electricity to the world, to bring light to those who live in the dark. The answer is yes and the cost is surprisingly low. According to the International Energy Agency, it would cost approximately $35-$40 billion a year from 2008 to 2030.
The United Nations has taken up the issue. A summit was hosted by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on April 28, 2010. According to Ki-moon and the United Nations: “Energy services are essential for meeting basic human needs, reducing poverty, creating and accumulating wealth and sustaining advances in social development. Access to adequate, affordable and basic modern energy services is thus crucial to achieving sustainable human development.” | <urn:uuid:973f3c0c-09b9-433f-ad06-0bf90d2cf707> | {
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Three Ways to Protect Your Family From Fire
I. Install Smoke Detectors:
Smoke is responsible for three (3) out of four (4) fire deaths. The loud siren (beep) at the first sign of smoke will give your family an extra few minutes to escape safely. Test the smoke detector once a month and change the batteries at least twice a year.
II. Establish an Escape Plan:
Have family meetings to establish escape routes from your residence. Each room should have at least two (2) means of escape. Rope ladders are recommended for upper floor windows. Have practice drills every three (3) months.
III. Place Fire Extinguishers Throughout the Home:
Fire extinguishers can help insure that a fire can be put our before it grow out of control. The basic types of fire extinguishers are:
- TYPE A: to extinguish wood, paper, and fabric fires. Keep one in the garage and the workshop if you have one.
- TYPE B: to extinguish grease, oil, gasoline, petroleum, and other flammable liquid fires. Keep one in the kitchen, the garage, and the workshop.
- TYPE C: to extinguish energized electrical fire. Keep one in the kitchen and laundry room.
- TYPE ABC: for extinguishing all three (3) types of fire.
If You Catch On Fire
STOP where you are. Moving or running feeds air to the flames and worsens the fire.
DROP to the floor. If you stand up, the fire can burn your face. Fold your arms high on your chest to protect your face.
ROLL slowly on the floor or ground, or in a rug or blanket if you can.
COOL off as soon as possible with water for first and second degree burns. For third degree burns or worse, seek medical attention immediately. | <urn:uuid:0c44cf69-f60c-4e21-9b12-a60d467a742d> | {
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No doubt, there is a limit to what the federal government can and should do. That is as it should be. But we believe strongly as did America’s founders that the principal object of government, certainly good government, is to protect property rights. That, according to President James Madison in Federalist No. 10, “is the FIRST object of government”. We believe this is a good time for Congress to refocus its direction accordingly.
To that end we believe minimally 3 things must change in the American patent system to stabilize and restore invention property rights and restart the patent system.
First, injunctions must be restored so that once infringement is found an injunction must issue against any infringer. To not do so as is presently the case only encourages theft. That is fundamentally unAmerican and contrary to the rule of law.
Second, a straightforward and predictable rule for what is patentable must be reestablished. Presently, no one knows what is patentable. If inventors and our investors cannot predict what is patentable, we will not invent as we cannot fund our inventions. We believe the founders had it right. As had largely been the law for over 100 years, if an invention is useful or advances the sciences, it should be patentable.
Third, Congress must end all post issue administrative reviews. Such reviews deprive us of our property rights without access to the courts and trial by jury which America’s founders acknowledged as a fundamental right of all Americans and a fundamental safeguard to property and liberty.
4. Ensure a minimum effective patent term of at least 17 years. Presently as the law is being applied by the PTO inventors commonly receive far less and some nearly no effective patent term after years of fighting the PTO to get our patents.
5. Restore the law so that settlements in the course of litigation are not considered in damages as had been the law for over 100 years. Otherwise, the uncertainty of trial and years of hardship places inventors in an all or nothing game in which they cannot risk any loss at trial so they must at least initially settle at values far below market which presently follows them through all their later commercialization efforts, thereby thereafter substantially depriving them of fair value to their inventions.
6. Provide that patent holders may bring suit in any venue where their patents are infringed and where the infringer has a meaningful connection or presence. This has been the law in America since its founding. To treat invention property different from any other property is unfair and encourages large multinational corps to infringe knowing they can move any action to their home turf where they may have a decided upper hand.
For the rest of our proposed measures and a more complete analysis of the above, please visit our position page at … | <urn:uuid:50c4f5ab-10f5-46fe-aa72-113e96c87790> | {
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The Myth and Reality of German Warfare: Operational Thinking From Moltke the Elder to Heusinger, by Gerhard P. Gross, University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, 2016, $50
Many military historians have addressed the course of German military campaigns from the mid-1860s to the mid-1940s as it emerged as a dominant power. But until now none had written a carefully thought-out study of the reasons why and how the nation came to develop the most formidable military machine of that era. The Myth and Reality of German Warfare examines the evolution of the German General Staff’s operational thinking from the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 through the modern Bundeswehr’s role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Written by a German historian, translated into English and edited by this magazine’s chief military historian, David T. Zabecki, the book examines the successes and failures of German operational planning in the management of five distinct armies.
For example, Prussian Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke’s general staff planned a string of crushing military campaigns that led to the defeat of Austria at Königgrätz in 1866. He was less successful when dealing with a “people’s war,” such as the one that followed the equally crushing defeat of the French army at Sedan in 1870. For while Königgrätz proved the decisive episode of its war and brought about Austria’s capitulation, even the capture of Emperor Napoléon III at Sedan did not result in France’s surrender. Instead, the defeat only stiffened French resolve, leading to a costly war of attrition that dragged on many months. The same pattern was repeated during both world wars, with the German army winning brilliant tactical victories but losing the broader strategic campaigns.
Gross suggests the Germans based their operational thinking on a geopolitical premise that hostile nations surrounded their country on all sides, making it mandatory they conduct military campaigns on multiple fronts at once. German planners’ realization their armies would inevitably be outnumbered under those circumstances in turn prompted their reliance on swift movement, maneuver and envelopment in hopes of bringing conflicts to a rapid conclusion. That objective was not always achievable.
The Myth and Reality of German Warfare is a scholarly work, directed as much toward students at military staff colleges as it is toward historians and laymen. It is in the end a fascinating study of how those at the highest levels of the German General Staff thought in the past—and still think today. | <urn:uuid:812f2b97-cee0-4609-8de4-a326f7c77019> | {
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The Hydrozoa are a class of the phylum Cnidaria. They are small predatory animals which mostly live in the sea. Their basic life form is the polyp. Some species live singly, others live in colonies. Their classification and evolutionary relationships are still under discussion. The hydroids may be best understood by taking some examples.
Hydra[change | change source]
The most widely-known freshwater hydrozoan is Hydra, which is found in slow-moving waters.
It is sessile, with a pedal disc which attaches it to substrate. Like all cnidarians, Hydra uses nematocysts, stinging cells which disable its prey. Hydra eat small crustaceans (such as brine shrimp), insect larvae, and annelid worms. It may reproduce sexually, or by asexual reproduction (budding).
Colonial types[change | change source]
The Portuguese Man o' War, Physalia physalis, is a large colonial marine jellyfish. It is composed of many tiny individual zooids, which are specialised polyps and medusae. The colony has an air bladder, and floats on the surface. It delivers a massive sting to its prey. Humans, if stung, may require medical attention. It is often accompanied by fish which are immune to the stings. This type of hydrozoan is called a siphonophore.
Freshwater jellyfish[change | change source]
These have a muscular velum on the ventral surface, which allows them to move about. Beginning life as a tiny polyp, attached to vegetation, they feed and reproduce sexually in the spring and summer. If the habitat has only one sex, they reproduce by budding. They overwinter as resting bodies.
Taxonomy[change | change source]
Nowadays the Hydrozoa is split into two subclasses:
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In the second half of the 20th century, the foundation of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) national map series was 7.5-minute topographic maps. This map series was declared complete in 1992. In the 1990s and early 2000s the USGS mapping program focused its attention on digital data for GIS. In late 2008, the USGS began defining a new general purpose, digital, quadrangle map series named US Topo. Although this series is deliberately modeled on the older 7.5 minute printed quadrangles, it is different in important ways. Some of these differences are aesthetic and therefore visually obvious. A common user reaction is that the new maps aren’t as good as the old printed topographic maps.
The original USGS topographic maps were handcrafted products created from primary data sources. US Topo maps are mass-produced from secondary data sources. While similar in some ways to the old maps, US Topo maps are a different product for a different time, and offer some important advantages over the older product.
The Original Topographic Mapping Program
In the original 7.5-minute topographic mapping program (circa 1945 - 1992), the USGS contracted aerial photography and sent government employees to the field to survey the map area. Field crews established horizontal and vertical control, located and classified cultural features, located permanent survey markers, hiked wilderness trails, classified natural features such as streams and swamps, collected boundary information from state and local governments, and investigated geographic names by interviewing local residents. This field intelligence, including heavily annotated aerial photographs, was returned to the regional mapping centers and compiled into standard maps. Control was added using aerotriangulation, contours were manually compiled from stereo aerial photography, almost all text was placed by hand, almost all lines were drawn by hand, and manuscripts would typically go through at least four edit cycles before being approved for publication.
Except for the use of aerial photography, this is basically how maps had been made since the mid-1700s. Quality maps were necessarily expensive due to this accepted practice. The cost of the 7.5 minute map series for the 48 conterminous states is estimated at about $3 billion, more than $50,000 per map (in 2007 dollars). The elapsed time from project planning to map printing was about five years, and it took more than 45 years to complete the series. At its peak in the 1960s and 1970s, the National Mapping Program employed more than 2,000 people. It is unlikely Congress would fund such a program today, or that today’s map users would consider these cycle times acceptable.
The US Topo Program
US Topo quadrangle maps are mass-produced using automated and semiautomated processes. The cartographic content comes from national GIS databases. In the two years from June 2009 to May 2011, the USGS produced nearly 40,000 maps, more than 80 maps per work day. Only about two hours of interactive work are spent on each map, mostly on text placement and final inspection. The USGS has not yet settled on a model for calculating the cost of US Topos, but they are probably cheaper than the original topographic maps by at least a factor of 100.
The feature content of a US Topo depends directly on the source GIS databases. This creates problems for map completeness and quality:
- These databases were not designed for producing general purpose maps. Regardless of the accuracy of individual databases, data from different sources have different resolutions and collection dates, and visual integration between feature classes is usually a very low priority for the data owners.
- Many features traditionally captured by direct field observation are not in any public domain national database. Examples include minor features such as windmills, water tanks, fence lines, local parks and recreational trails, but also more important features such as boundaries, pipelines, and power transmission lines.
- Using data gathered by other programs or organizations, instead of owning all phases of data gathering and map production, means responsibility for data quality is widely distributed, including organizations that are not stakeholders in USGS maps.
The high level of automation in US Topo production reduces cost and cycle times, but also contributes to lower visual quality. Current computer technology cannot reproduce the graceful appearance of a good hand-drawn map. Available software is especially weak at placing text, visually integrating different feature classes, and positioning crowded features while preserving clarity.
The Next Generation National Mapping Program
In the 1990s and early 2000s there was a consensus in the U.S. mapping community that the era of traditional quadrangle maps had ended. The belief was that GIS data would drive dynamic map systems, and so the USGS mapping program turned its attention to the design and construction of GIS databases. Though successful in many ways, these efforts did not lead to replacing the national map series. Building software systems to produce quality custom maps is more technically difficult than anticipated. GIS databases tend to be constructed for other purposes, with data models that are not necessarily friendly to map production. For some applications - including wildfire suppression, disaster response, homeland security, military operations, search and rescue, and recreational backpacking - GIS technology has not yet proved to be an adequate substitute for traditional maps.
US Topo represents a new type of national map series. The layout of the original 7.5 minute map series is iconic, and US Topo was deliberately modeled on the older maps in the belief that users would be comfortable with this design. Nevertheless, this similarity is superficial. It is no longer reasonable to create a national map series from primary sources, field inspection, manual data integration and manual drafting. The US Topo program is a test of the hypothesis that a standard, general purpose map series relevant to the early 21st century can be created and maintained by other means.
The Meaning of Quality
It is clear to most map users that the old topographic maps have higher visual quality than US Topo maps. The old maps show more features, have better text design and placement, better visual integration, and a more graceful overall appearance. A traditional hand-drawn map is a marvel of data presentation, facilitating human processing of large amounts of information quickly and accurately. US Topo maps, although superior in this regard to a typical GIS display or plot, fall short of traditional map presentation standards.
On the other hand, there are at least four important ways in which US Topo maps are superior to the old map series:
- The inclusion of a high-resolution orthophoto image. The technology and data for this did not exist during the original 7.5-minute mapping program. Even today, the US Topo is a unique source for a public domain image tile this large and conveniently packaged.
- Modern coordinate systems with standard presentation. More than 95% of the older, printed maps are cast on the antiquated North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27). None conform to the recently defined U.S. National Grid (USNG) standard, and only about 25% have Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid lines. Casual map users may not be aware of these shortcomings, but they present serious problems for military, emergency response and other professional uses.
- Map currency. The original USGS topographic program took decades to cover the conterminous 48 states, so at any given time large areas of the country either had no coverage or outdated coverage (figure 1). The primary strategic objective of US Topo is to refresh the map series for the 48 conterminous states on a three-year cycle. At a minimum, this cycle will provide current aerial photography in quadrangle format, and will allow other updated data to be published without delay.
- A digital product, freely downloadable. Digital files with features organized in layers allow more data to be included, and also allow customized viewing and printing by users. Free distribution over the Web reduces time and expense for map users.
Figure 1. At about the halfway point of the original 7.5-minute mapping program (1970), maps had been published for 43% of the conterminous 48 states, and only 12% of the country had coverage that was current to within 10 years. Incomplete and out of date coverage is the hidden cost of traditional mapping technologies. A goal of the US Topo program is to map the entire country on a three year cycle. Both the old and new programs include Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories; these areas introduce additional complexity, and are not discussed in this paper. Click for larger view.
The decision to revive the USGS quadrangle mapping program was made in November 2008. Production of relatively simple image maps began in June 2009. Contour and hydrography layers were added in October 2009. By May 2011, about 40,000 maps have been published.
The speed of this ramp-up is impressive. The rush to production and distribution of US Topos reflects the USGS commitment to a modern national map series, and a belief that making an up-to-date standard map widely available cannot wait for complete consensus on design or total availability of data.
Whereas the top priority of the program is to cover the conterminous United States in three years, another important goal is continuous product improvement, including adding other feature classes to reach the content level of the old map series. The degree to which this goal can be achieved, and how quickly, remains to be seen. However, even the basic US Topo maps published in 2009 and 2010 justify the low cost of the program.
US Topo product information and download links here. US Topos are published in Portable Document Format (PDF), and can be downloaded free of charge.
More historical information on the original USGS topographic map series here. | <urn:uuid:8ca09104-e21f-4079-9fa8-95a34abf24b6> | {
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April 14, 2015 | Posted in Uncategorized | Be the first one to comment
While you don’t have to wait to start eating right, March is the month the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics asks everyone to pay special attention to what goes into our bodies. The Academy has designated the month of March for focusing the public’s awareness on what they eat.
What Not to Eat
The academy points out that the foods you eat have a direct effect on the health of your teeth and specifically on tooth decay. Bacteria rely on carbohydrates to thrive. That is why Dr. Rhonda Savage and our team at Uptown Dental tell our patients to cut back on both candy and sweets. They consist of simple sugars that feed the bacteria in your mouth and enhance tooth decay.
It’s the hidden sugars that will cost you, though. Get in the habit of reading labels on food and looking for products with added sugar. This includes ingredients that end with the suffix “ose.” When it comes to nutrition, these foods offer little value beyond satisfying that sweet tooth.
What You Should Eat
Turn to foods that not only taste good but are good for your teeth too. Dairy products, for example, provide the body with nutritional items that support tooth enamel. Foods high in protein feature phosphorus, a nutrient critical to oral health.
You can’t really go wrong by adding color to your diet, either. Fruits and vegetables make for a colorful plate and a healthy meal. Use some caution with acidic fruits like oranges or even tomatoes, because the acid can erode tooth enamel. It is better to include these foods in a meal instead of eating them by themselves.
Remember, good nutrition is something you should worry about all year long, not just when celebrating National Nutrition Month. March just serves as a fun reminder that eating right is a proactive step in managing your dental health.
We encourage you to give us a call at our Gig Harbor, WA office to learn more! | <urn:uuid:b0ee2432-0a1d-415d-bad1-f11c275cd320> | {
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I'm going to use this as a lesson starter tomorrow with my S4 classes. We are looking at Tundra climate and quite a few large scale projects which at first glance seem impossible have been completed in such parts of the world.
I'm going to challenge a few people in the class to have a go at the task, show the solution and then relate this to how Tundra projects have coped with, for example, permafrost, earthquakes, threats to wildlife etc. Hopefully, we can draw quite a few of the solutions out before extracting them from our sources. After this, we can hopefully evaluate their successes.
Posted via email from Mr O'D's class posterous | <urn:uuid:58fdd5c2-dba2-430a-8e17-cf19f33dd32b> | {
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It is hard to completely eliminate all stress, though there is no reason for it to overwhelm your life. Stress can evolve into anxiety if not dealth with properly. Anxiety puts a lot of strain on a person’s body and mind, and in some cases, can lead to disease. To find out about anxiety’s effect on one’s body and what can be done to manage it, keep reading.
Limit the time that you spend reading the paper or watching the news if current events make you anxious. Make a little time to keep up to date, but avoid being totally engulfed in news events. With the constant influx of negativity, you can elevate your fears and doubts, thus bringing on anxiety.
You can effectively take back control of the disruption of your breathing by using a pattern to the intake and release of your breath. Count your breaths quietly, and focus on trying to relax. To get the most out of the technique, make sure that you choose a quiet place to begin practicing your controlled breathing.
Do not sit down during the day too much. It you have to sit at work, get up and move around when you can. Even just standing up can help get your blood moving. When you are home, take a walk, and reduce the time you are watching TV or sitting around. Anxiety is waiting to creep in if you let your lifestyle become too relaxed and inactive.
Say as many positive things as you can each day. State precisely how you want your day to proceed and what you expect to achieve that day. Then, do the best that you can to ensure that it happens that way.
It is not uncommon for heart attacks and anxiety attacks to be mistaken for each other. The most discernible difference is that while an anxiety attack passes, a heart attack does not. Do not attempt to make your own diagnosis, as you may never recover if you are wrong. If you fear that a heart attack is happening, get immediate medical help.
Keep in mind that you are not the only person struggling with anxiety. Searching through a health store’s large selection will help you see how many people have anxiety. Remember that you’re not alone and there are ways on how to treat it.
Listening to music is an excellent anxiety reducer. If you are experiencing anxiety, go ahead and listen to your favorite album. Try to follow along with every note. After a little while, it is quite likely that the source of your anxiety will slip from your mind. Keeping your mind busy really can be beneficial in dealing with anxiety.
As you have learned from this article, stress and anxiety are not desirable, but they are a part of life. Although we could not entirely eliminate them, we could manage them. By using this article’s advice, you can effectively reduce anxiety and stress. | <urn:uuid:e08d6aec-b3a4-49e0-beed-c2465663ad78> | {
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Bone cancer raises unique quality of life issues for patients. For one thing, most bone cancer patients are children who face a much different set of stresses and concerns than adult cancer patients. Also, many people with bone cancer must undergo intensive surgery that leaves them facing months of rehabilitation.
Parents will have to work hard to maintain a somewhat normal life for a child undergoing bone cancer treatment.
Impact of Bone Cancer Treatment on a Child's Life
A big challenge for children undergoing bone cancer patients treatment is fatigue.
“There's a lot of fatigue associated with cancer treatment — with chemotherapy and radiation therapy — and with the disease process itself," says Joyce Grader, PhD, a licensed clinical social worker who provides cancer counseling at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Cancer Centers. "People have to learn how to pace themselves and allow for a little extra rest."
The Parents’ Role
Parents of young bone cancer patients have to walk the delicate line of caring for their child while still enforcing discipline and providing structure for their lives. For example, they should understand that their child will sometimes truly be too tired to function, but also that the child might complain about being tired to avoid chores or other activities they dislike.
Parents also must be ready when an adolescent bone cancer patient undergoes normal rebelliousness that may be enhanced by frustration over disease-related dependence on authority figures.
It’s a good idea for parents to keep their child in school for as long as possible with bone cancer. It's the major activity for kids, and staying in school will help the child's sense of well-being. Teachers should be encouraged to give the child a typical amount of attention, outside of any concessions required by cancer symptoms and treatment. If the child is hospitalized or becomes too sick to go to school, parents should engage tutors to continue lessons and make sure the child knows this tutoring is meant to help ease the eventual return to school.
The most important thing is to try and maintain as near a normal routine as possible.
"It might be a little bit of a new routine," Grader says, "but getting into the rhythm of their life can help."
Challenges Following Bone Cancer Treatment
Researchers have found that certain issues tend to crop up in child bone cancer patients following treatment. These include:
- Dealing with amputation or disfigurement caused by bone cancer surgery
- Limits on activities and ability while undergoing rehabilitation
- Damage to soft tissues and bones by chemotherapy and radiation therapy that might cause scarring, swelling, or growth problems
- Health problems related to side effects of chemotherapy, such as hearing loss or kidney damage
- Fear of cancer recurrence
Children need to be prepared for the possibility that they may have to spend months relearning how to walk or how to use an arm that has undergone bone cancer surgery. Their moods may darken during this time, as rehabilitation can be a slow and frustrating process. Parents must plan for this, and be prepared to support their child and keep their spirits up.
Children might be anxious about returning to school, especially if they've undergone an amputation or still have a limp from bone cancer surgery.
Parents need to understand and accept their child's fear of being rejected by peers and try to help the child deal with it. For example, parents can anticipate questions classmates might ask and help their child come up with answers in advance. Those fears usually are unfounded, as classmates often accept their friend's condition. In fact, school can improve the child's self-confidence as he or she resumes the normal life of a student.
If you are having trouble coping with some of the quality of life issues that may occur as a result of your child's bone cancer, ask your child's doctor to recommend a therapist or counselor who can help you help your child. Also, there are support groups for parents with children who have cancer, such as Parents Against Cancer and The Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Group. Check online or contact your local hospital to learn more. | <urn:uuid:2dfe52ca-e214-4792-ac68-8c6c570fa055> | {
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Elizabeth 1 (1558-1603)
This was a time of great social and cultural change in England. There were rich new developments in literature, sciences, medicine and the arts.
England was sending increasing numbers of ships to voyage overseas into unknown areas. Sea captains like Drake and Hawkins took every opportunity to capture the ships of other countries, especially those of Spain and Portugal. These men may have been seen as pirates or profiteers, depending which side you were on. The Queen did little to stop them.
So when the idea of a company trading with the East was first put to Elizabeth I she hesitated. She knew what her seamen were like and thought they might attack traders from other countries, especially the Portuguese and Dutch who were England's main rivals. But, on 31 December 1600 she gave a charter to The Company of Merchants in the City of London, granting them a monopoly of all English trade in Asia and the Pacific. This meant that no other English company or people were allowed to trade in that area.
When the first voyage of the East India Company embarked in 1601, it took with it a letter written by Elizabeth to the Sumatran Sultan Alauddin Shah.
James I of England (1603-1625) and VI of Scotland (1567-1625)
New styles of architecture were introduced in James I's reign, the Queen's House in Greenwich being an example. Unfortunately the Globe burnt down in 1613, but the theatre had become established by then.
When James came to the English throne, he was already James VI of Scotland. He needed money, and the Company seemed at times to be a good money-making venture. At other times it stood in his way. In 1603 James acquired large stocks of pepper. When the Company brought back tons of pepper from its first voyage, he tried to stop them selling it, so that he could make money on his own stock first.
In 1609 he launched one of the Company's ships. In that year he also gave the Company a new and better charter. He continued to take a lively interest in the Company for the rest of his reign. In return he received 'loans' which were never repaid.
It was during his reign that the Company's relations with India's Mughal emperors began, starting with an approach to Akbar.
Charles I (1625-1649)
The Company provided Charles I with a useful income. Charles I needed this money to help him fight the Civil War - the Crown was at war with Parliament, and eventually lost (Charles was beheaded and replaced by Oliver Cromwell). In a good year he could get as much as 20,000 in customs duties through the Company's trade. He could also obtain 'loans' for granting favours to the Company - one of these in 1641 was for ?60,000.
This didn't mean he was always a friend to the Company. He granted a charter to one ship, the Roebuck, allowing it to continue piracy near India. The Indians, seeing an English ship attack their cargo ships, wrongly imprisoned Company servants in Surat. To get them released, Charles had to write an apology to the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahangir.
Charles II's reign brought in a change from the drabness of the time of Cromwell. Once again fashion became important as did the theatre. More impressive buildings were built.
Charles II (1660-1685)
Soon after coming to the throne, Charles II gave the Company a new charter. The charter allowed the Company to fortify and colonize its factories, sending people, stores and ammunition. This meant they could build up their factories in India, which laid the basis for the future rule of India by the British. In 1662 Charles II signed the Treaty of Breda in which the spice island of Run was exchanged for the island of Manhattan. It was during the reign of Charles II that tea started becoming popular.
When Charles I was beheaded a period called the Commonwealth, when there was no king or queen but a Protector, started.
Oliver Cromwell (1649-1659)
Life changed greatly during Cromwell's rule. The leading Puritans simplified much of English culture, believing that many aspects of existing culture went against the teachings of the Bible. As they dressed in plain clothes they did not have the need for expensive fabrics such as silk. This led to a decline in the Persian silk trade. It was during Cromwell's reign that 'coho seeds' (coffee) were introduced into England's, and the first coffee house opened. | <urn:uuid:ccfc3643-3c9a-4349-9d3a-3b25f211f08c> | {
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The second volume of William Manchester's biography of Sir Winston Churchill encompasses the eight-year period from the beginning of Churchill's longest period in the political "wilderness," to his rise to power as Prime Minister of Great Britain at the beginning of World War II. Manchester contends that the two decades between the two World Wars, and not his years as Prime Minister (1940-1945), were Winston S. Churchill's personal "finest hour."
Manchester combines a highly readable historical narrative with brilliantly insightful historical analysis. He asserts that much of the prevailing pacifist attitude in Britain during the 1930s was an outgrowth of the British experience in World War I, when British youth were nearly decimated on the battlefields of Europe and the Middle East.
The author also persuasively argues that the British government's policy of appeasement was not driven by weak-willed men who feared Adolf Hitler. Instead, the author paints Britain's political leaders as cynical and devious men who devised an almost Machiavellian political strategy founded upon the belief that a rearmed Germany would serve as a buffer against an expansionist Soviet Union. Only when it became painfully obvious that all attempts to placate Hitler were doomed to failure did the British nation turn to the one man who, for a decade, had consistently advocated standing up to the Nazi dictator: Winston Spencer Churchill.
The review of this Book prepared by Mike Powers | <urn:uuid:7b32a106-d3a3-4f1a-a09e-f12618207f18> | {
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In Antarctica, I watched Adélie penguins steal one another’s rocks, with which they build their nests, all of them fighting for the best real estate, the highest and driest ground. I saw gentoo chicks panting in unseasonable heat. I listened to our boat’s naturalists talk of illegal whaling vessels in the Southern Ocean and of fishing trawlers depleting the seas of krill, a major food source for penguins. For many of these 17 species, mere survival is becoming an ever-increasing challenge.
Two years later, I went to Patagonia as a volunteer for a penguin census at the Punta Tombo colony in Argentina’s Chubut Province. I walked alongside researchers with the University of Washington’s Center for Penguins as Ocean Sentinels as we looked into penguin nests—these birds burrow in the dusty ground rather than on rocky nests—and counted birds and eggs. While Punta Tombo is the world’s largest Magellanic penguin colony, conditions are worse for the penguins now than when this research began 30 years ago, due to overfishing, climate change, and oil pollution; the number of Magellanic nests has decreased by about one percent every year, with most chicks dying of starvation because their parents can’t find food close enough to the colony.
As a writer, I find myself channeling such environmental anxieties into stories and characters; seeing the ground zero of climate change in Antarctica and counting penguins in Argentina has caused me to view every word I write through an eco-focused lens, from how a story unfolds to how characters live and what they eat.
There’s no shortage of nonfiction about the environment and animal protection, but fiction has the power to open eyes and hearts in completely different ways. If you don’t believe the oceans are in trouble, for example, you’re not likely to pick up a nonfiction book that outlines exactly that. But if you like shipwrecks, maybe you’ll read a novel focused on a maritime disaster and in the process come to understand the plight of not only the people on the sinking ship but the penguins and other animals surrounding them.
Fiction humanizes the world around us, by contextualizing life into story—in the same way that, for me, one penguin came to represent not only the entire Magellanic species but the penguins of the world. At Punta Tombo, among the thousands of birds I counted, one of them stood out. His name is Turbo—so named because he’d inexplicably built a nest under a turbo truck instead of within a burrow, like the others of his species—and instead of looking for a mate, he preferred to hang out with the researchers.
Turbo has been tagged with a metal band, along with thousands of other birds in the colony. Yet while the other tagged birds have only five-digit numbers to identify them, Turbo has a name, a story. It’s been a decade since I met Turbo, and even now, whenever I receive updates on the colony, I look first for his name, for confirmation of his return from his months at sea. As long as he’s still with us, I feel a sense of hope.
As a reader, I like to feel the same glimmer of hope for our planet, and I’ve sought out books that share my passions and anxieties about animals and the environment. The fact that there are fewer than I’d hoped to find led to my co-founding a small press to help bring more of these books into the world. Great stories, well told, about environmental issues are vital to our literary culture and speak to the greatest challenge of our time: climate change and its effect on the planet and its wildlife.
I’m inspired by the writers on this list, who have woven environmental themes into their fiction, raising important issues without ever sacrificing story. These authors also see the myriad ways in which everything is connected and subtly and seamlessly allow readers to connect the dots as well. | <urn:uuid:cf0e2370-1f9d-4863-bd8e-ea1b1805c92c> | {
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Start Date: January 2004
Michael McGehee, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University
This project will involve making efficient photovoltaic (PV) cells with semiconducting polymers that could be deposited in reel-to-reel coaters. Careful analysis and optimization of each process that occurs in bulk heterojunction PV cells will be carried out and devices based on ordered interpenetrating networks of organic and inorganic semiconductors will be created. Specifically this research will lead to devices that will efficiently split excitons and carry charge to electrodes, that will have improved packing of the molecules in the organic semiconductor to enhance its ability to carry charge, and that will have a modified organic-inorganic interface to prevent recombination of electrons and holes. It is anticipated that charge recombination in the cells will be almost completely eliminated and energy conversion efficiencies in the range of 10-15% will be obtained.
Currently the best commercially available PV cells are made of crystalline silicon and have an energy conversion efficiency of 12%. The cost of these cells is $3 per Watt of power generated under solar AM 1.5 conditions. These costs need to be reduced by an order of magnitude to around $0.3 per Watt for PV cells to be competitive with other energy generation systems and be manufactured on a large scale. A revolutionary breakthrough in reducing the costs of PV cells may be achieved if the semiconductor were deposited from solution onto large flexible substrates in reel-to-reel coating machines similar to those used to make food packaging. Manufacturing costs would be much lower because reel-to-reel coaters use very little energy and have an exceptionally high throughput. Installation costs would be lower because lightweight flexible PV cells could be handled more easily than heavy silicon panels.
The processes involved in operating a bulk heterojunction PV device are shown in Figure 1. To optimize performance of these cells, the desirable processes (1. light absorption, 2. exciton diffusion, 3. forward electron transfer, and 4. charge transport) should be maximized, while the undesirable recombination processes (5. geminate recombination and 6. back electron transfer) should be limited. This can be achieved by improving charge carrier mobility and slowing down the rate of back electron transfer so that photogenerated charge carriers can escape from the film before recombination occurs, while maintaining a thick enough film to allow most of the light to be absorbed.
In this study, well-ordered interpenetrating networks of organic and inorganic semiconductors will be made to create bulk heterojunction PV devices instead of the disordered blends that have been used in the past. In these structures, electrons and holes will have straight pathways to electrodes. Consequently these charge carriers will travel the shortest possible distance and will never be trapped at dead ends. To make the interpenetrating nanostructures that are needed, nanoporous films or nanowire brushes will be fabricated using an inorganic semiconductor and the pores or brush will be filled in with a semiconducting polymer. There are many combinations of inorganic semiconductors and semiconducting polymers that have suitable energy levels for light absorption and electron transfer. The approach used requires addressing three different issues:
- Patterning of nanostructured films: The techniques used to pattern the inorganic films will include titania/block copolymer co-assembly (see Figure 2), growth of nanowires off of arrays of catalysts to create a nanowire brush, and stamping of sol-gel oxide precursors. In each case, the size of the polymer region will be approximately 20-nm so that all of the excitons in the polymer can diffuse to the polymer/inorganic semiconductor interface. The films will be approximately 300-nm thick so that they can effectively absorb light.
Only two layers of unit cells are shown. A typical film has more than 100 layers. The hydrophobic blocks are shown in green. The hydrophilic blocks are shown in blue. After a film is made, pores are created by burning out the block copolymer.
- Improving hole transport in organic semiconductors: Hole mobilities in pore structures may change dramatically from values in pristine films and may directly impact the ability to extract the holes in the polymer out of the PV cells before they recombine with electrons in the electron-accepting semiconductor. Several approaches will be used for filling nanoporous films and nanowire brushes with organic semiconductors. These include: modification of the chemical groups on the polymer chains and the inorganic semiconductor surface to optimize the interactions between the organic and inorganic materials; use of techniques to electropolymerize conjugated monomers directly in the pores which may lead to higher absorption cross-sections and better contact for improved charge transport; and use of discotic liquid crystals. With each approach, charge carrier mobility measurements will be made, and the molecular packing will be characterized in order to determine in a rational way, how to maximize hole mobility.
- Optimizing electron transfer: Electron transfer plays a critical role in bulk heterojunction PV cells. The forward transfer from the polymer to the electron accepting material must occur before the electron and hole in the exciton undergo geminate recombination, and back electron transfer from the electron acceptor to the polymer must be inhibited. Photoluminescence quenching will be used to determine the effectiveness of forward electron transfer for all of the organic-inorganic combinations developed and time-resolved photoinduced absorption to measure the rate of back electron transfer. Retardation of back electron transfer will be achieved by coating the inorganic surface with a thin, wide-energy-gap coating with appropriate energy levels.
By following these approaches, it is anticipated that the small prototype devices developed in this effort may be scaled up to allow manufacture of stable low-cost PV cells using reel-to-reel coaters with energy conversion efficiencies of 10-15% at a cost of around an order of magnitude cheaper than presently available. | <urn:uuid:079b08bd-7fc7-4528-8b8b-dda1509ebf29> | {
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What is Proposition 58?
Proposition 58, placed on the ballot by the state Legislature, was approved by voters with a 73.5 percent majority on Nov. 8, 2016. The proposition implements the California Multilingual Education Act of 2016, which was introduced in the Legislature by Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens. A full legislative digest is available here.
What will the new law do?
The California Multilingual Education Act will give California public schools more control over dual language acquisition programs. Proposition 58 effectively repeals the English-only requirement of Proposition 227 — the initiative approved by voters in 1998 that requires English learners to be taught in English immersion classrooms. Under the new law, students can learn English through multiple programs outside of English immersion classes. The old law required parents to sign waivers to enroll their children in bilingual or dual immersion programs; the new law does not.
When does the new law go into effect?
The law goes into effect July 1, 2017.
Is every school and district required to create new programs?
It is not mandatory that school districts create new programs. Schools have the flexibility to design their own programs to suit the needs of both English learners and students already proficient in English who want to learn another language. However, the initiative requires that districts discuss plans for new programs with community members and parents and offer such programs “to the extent possible.” Specifically, the initiative says that if more than 20 parents or guardians from any one grade level or 30 parents or guardians from an entire school make a collective request for a dual language or bilingual program, the school site is required to at least explore the possibility of creating one.
How will districts be held accountable for changes resulting from the new law?
As part of the public engagement requirement of Proposition 58, school districts have to seek parent and community input when they create any new language acquisition program. This falls in line with the requirement of districts’ Local Control and Accountability Plans, in which input from an English Learner parent advisory committee is also required and responses must be noted in writing. The LCAPS are a central feature of the Local Control Funding Formula, California’s funding system that grants districts greater decision-making powers over how to use state funds, and gives them additional funds to serve high-needs students: low-income children, English learners, and foster children. The new law also requires that districts provide information on the types of language programs available in an annual notice to parents.
Were there schools with bilingual or dual language immersion programs before the passage of Prop. 58?
Yes. Many schools have either bilingual or dual language immersion programs that were established while Prop. 227 was in effect. But these were created if enough parents signed waiver requests specifically giving consent for their child to be enrolled in bilingual programs. According to a California Association for Bilingual Education and Californians Together press release issued in November, only 425 public schools currently offer dual immersion programs.
Will there be enough teachers to meet the need for additional bilingual education classes?
Finding teachers to staff additional bilingual classes will be challenging in light of a statewide teacher shortage, which has been especially acute in the field of bilingual instruction. In order to teach bilingual or dual immersion classes, teachers are expected to be proficient in both English and the non-English language they will be teaching, as well as have a bilingual authorization or credential. To offset teacher shortages, some schools pair teachers with proficiency in different languages. Using this approach, students may spend half of their day learning in English from one teacher who is proficient in English and the other half learning in a second language like Spanish or Cantonese from another teacher who is proficient in that language.
What languages are most in demand for bilingual education?
Spanish is by far the most common language spoken among California’s approximately 1.4 million English learners in the state’s public schools. It is spoken by 83.5 percent of those students, followed by 2.2 percent who speak Vietnamese and 1.5 percent who speak Mandarin, but the percentages of students with different language backgrounds will vary from district to district. (For a list of the top 10 languages spoken in California schools, go here.)
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Yet, despite submitting official documents from his time as an employee of the Adayah nuclear plant, west of Mosul, showing that the contaminated utensils had been dug up, no action was taken.
Today, fears are growing that the dangerous radiation may be spreading.
Adayah is administratively part of Mahlabiyah district, 35 km to the west of Mosul city. During the 1980s a nuclear plant was established in the area. But, following strikes on the site during the 1991 war and subsequent visits by UN weapons inspectors, all the material and equipment used at the site was buried and the plant closed.
In 2005, however, local people dug up the site and took the buried materials to be sold in Mosul’s scrap markets. Tests conducted by the environment directorate proved that these materials contained uranium hydroxide used in nuclear facilities. This was the first official warning of the possibility of nuclear radiation from the Adayah site.
Some days later, the former governor of Ninawa provincial council, Major General Salem al-Haj Issa, demanded that the government act to prevent a “disaster”. In his statement, he stressed that “health institutions in the area have discovered the spread of cancerous diseases and congenital deformities among the newborn.”
Now, fear of nuclear radiation haunts the people of Mosul with new statistics revealed by doctors confirming an increase in the numbers of people suffering skin and cancer diseases. In an emergency meeting held at Ninawa province to discuss the matter, Ninawa’s environment director said that the number of cancerous diseases has risen by two third compared to previous years.
Majeed Rasheed al-Nuaimi, head of Ninawa’s health committee, confirmed to Niqash that the figures were correct and said that a crisis group was formed in August 2008 to deal with the issue. The investigations have revealed “the existence of deposition basins of radioactive heavy water usually used in nuclear facilities,” he said. “Information collected during the last two years from the site, indicates that 370 barrels of nuclear waste were secretly transported to the site and buried there prior to the second Gulf War of 1991.” He said that other burial sites may also exist.
Al-Nuaimi did not hide his concerns, stressing that “investigations are expanding and government and international intervention will perhaps be needed because the dangers may affect huge areas. They may even impact areas beyond Iraq’s borders and extending to neighboring countries.”
An official source in Ninawa’s environment department, speaking on conditions of anonymity, told Niqash that “the dangers of radioactive materials may remain in the region for thousands of years.” The source revealed that “hundreds of barrels, utensils, basins, metal pipes and iron rods used in construction and sanitary appliances were extracted by villagers who live near the site after the fall of the regime. Some of the materials found their way to the markets. They are all contaminated by dangerous radioactive materials and will pose serious risks in the future.”
To date the crisis group has met with various experts and officials in an attempt to contain the emergency. They have also investigated the possible existence of several contaminated pipes which are said to be used in village water networks. According to al-Nuaimi, the “crisis group ordered technical committees to close the holes. The operation started on October 26 and will be concluded within a maximum of 20 days.”
However, according to the source at Ninawa environment department not enough is being done. He said that certain steps are urgently required, including “fencing off the whole area, putting up warning signs, warning villagers against grazing their animals in this area, fixing ruptures in the water basins to prevent leakages, using the media to spread awareness among citizens to return utensils and pipes taken from the site and investigating where these materials are stored in order to collect them and bury them in a scientific way.”
Al-Nuaimi agrees that all the materials urgently need to be tracked down and reburied in sealed drums according to international standards.
Touring the local village, Niqash spoke to one inhabitant who said that he contracted a skin disease after using a pipe stolen from Adayah in 2003. Observers now fear that unless urgent action is taken many others may also suffer radiation-linked diseases. | <urn:uuid:92cda01d-9317-4f95-a5d4-f1bf65ac32f8> | {
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Charts / free printable worksheets – worksheetfun, Content filed under the charts category. comment. easter worksheets – letter chart – a to z – alphabet chart -small letters – lower case – one worksheet. Second grade curriculum online – free curriculum ideas , Second grade curriculum. the curriculum for 2nd graders builds heavily from the 1st grade curriculum. from new science concepts to more complex math operations, it. Free disney frozen inspired worksheets kids, Free frozen themed worksheets for kids! these super cute olaf, anna and elsa themed learning pages will help toddler, preschool, prek, kindergarten, first grade kids.
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The Church – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain, popularly know as the Mosque of Cordoba or the “Mezquita”, stands over a Christian church built in the Visigothic period (5th C).
In 711, after Moorish conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, it was used as a Mosque. In 786, Abd al-Rahman I tore down St Vicente church and erected the first section of the Great Mosque in its place, re-using much of the church’s materials. His descendants expanded the building twice towards the river, and the ruler Almanzor made a final enlargement in 988. In 1236, following Cordoba’s fall to Ferdinand of Castile and after over 500 years of use as a mosque, the site was re-consecrated Christian. The Cannons decided to erect a cathedral in the center of the mosque in 1523, tearing down the center to make room. The enclosed choir area now blocks some of the original views, yet the Mosque remains sublime. With the richest areas still untouched and its extensive vistas of columns and double arches, it is the foremost Islamic monument in Spain and a unique example of the inter-play of Christian and Moslem cultures in Spain.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Abd Al-Rahman I section
This is the oldest section of the Mezquita, ordered built by Abd Al-Rahman I. Notice the great selection of columns taken from San Vicente church (whose floor was recently revealed beneath the Mezquita’s floor) and other ruins. The ceiling was raised by means of using a double arch, which some say was inspired in Segovia’s Roman aqueduct. The extra height, together with the open arches facing the patio, provided light. In the background, the butresses of the 16th-century cathedral.
Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Double arches
Double arches and ceilings of Abd al-Rahman I’s great mosque.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Abd al-Rahman II section
The second section of the Mezquita, built by Abd al-Rahman II, continued to use salvaged Roman and Visigothic columns and capitals, but also capitals especially made by local artisans for the mosque. Notice the horseshoe shape of the lower arches and the semi-circular shape of the upper arches recurrent in all the mosque. The horseshoe arch was borrowed from Visigothic architecture. Original ceilings have been restored.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Dome above Mihrab
This elaborate octagonal dome rises above the mihrab and the maqsura, which is flanked by columns with enterlaced multi-lobed arches and surrounded by Byzantine-style mosaics with Arabic inscriptions. Built by al-hakam II, this is one of the rare jewels of the Umayyad dynasty.
Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Front View Mihrab and Inscription
Front view of Al-Hakam II’s mihrab, at the center of the back wall of the 2nd expansion of the Great Mosque of Cordoba. The mihrab had been moved twice previously, as the Mezquita expanded to the south. Columns from the previous mihrab were re-used. Almanzor’s later expansion to the east would put this jewel of the Ummayyad Caliphate out of center with the rest of the building, but to demolish it and build a new one was out of the question.
The inscirption in large letters reads: “(Allah) He is the knower of things hidden and manifest. He is the powerful one, he that is full of pity, the living one. There is no other god than him. Invoke him offering him a pure heart. Praised be Allah Lord of the Universe. Blessed be Iman Al-Mostainsir Bil-lah, favored by Allah, and the servant of Allah, Al-Hakam, Prince of Believers. Make him prosper, Allah, for the work of this sacred temple, which exceeds all other memorable constructions in its size, comfort and adornment. And the construction was concluded by his virtue and command. The blessing of Allah be upon Mohammed. And the peace. – The Iman Al-Mostansir Bil-lah, servant of Allah, Prince of Believers (May Allah favor him) commanded his freedman and Hachib Chafar-Ben-Baderraman (mercy on him Allah) carry out the construction of this temple and it was finished with the help of Allah under the supervision of Mohamed-Ben-Tamlih, Ahmed Ben Nasar, Jayd-ben-Haxim of the prefect’s guard and of Motharrif.”
Nearby, another inscirption reads: “In the name of Allah, the Merciful. Praise to Allah, who guided us to this place; we could not have been guided if it had not been by Allah! For this reason was sent the legate of our Lord with the truth. He commanded the Iman Al-Mostarsin Bil-lah, the servant of Allah, Al-Hakam, Prince of Believers (Allah protect him), his freedman and Hadrib Chafar Ben Abd-al-Rahman (may Allah be pleased with him) to add to these, and this was built with the fear of Allah and with his aid. This was concluded in the moon of Dhu al-Hijjah of the year four and fifty and three hundred.” (Hijri calendar: year 354, Justinian: 965 AD). [source: Orti Belmonte, p.26].
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Al-Hakam and Almanzor sections
View from the Al-Hakam II expansion of the mosque into the large Almanzor section. The altars between columns are built against the remaining sections of Al-Hakam II’s eastern mosque wall.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Almanzor expansion
Almanzor’s expansion was the largest of all, and although it is rather plain in comparison with the others, there are some excellent vistas of the forest of pillars and arches.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Double arches
View of Al-Hakam’s phase of the Mosque of Cordoba with horseshoe and semi-circular arches.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Almanzor’s expansion
Here a marvellous contrast between Almanzor’s last expansion of the Mosque and Christian architecture, in the row of columns adjacent the 16th-century cathedral.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/View of transept and high altar
An excellent view of Cordoba Cathedral’s renaissance high altar, its gothic ceiling, the baroque lectern and pulpit, and the renaissance walls of the north and south transept, which blend into Islamic arches from Almanzor’s final expansion of the Mosque at the end of the 10th century.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Sagrario Chapel
The Sagrario Chapel Parish (Capilla del Sagrario) is in the southeast corner of the former mosque and is full of vibrant frescos.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Villaviciosa Chapel Arches
Front view of intertwined, multi-lobed arches in Villaviciosa Chapel, looking toward Al-Hakam II’s mihrab.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Nave Old Cathedral
West view of the old, 13th-century Cordoba Cathedral (Capilla Mayor) built within Al-Hakam II’s section of the Great Mosque. At the east end stands Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel. Villaviciosa Chapel was used as the cathedral’s sanctuary until the construction of the 16th-century cathedral. The king who oversaw its construction, Alfonso X the Wise, was once enterred at the east end of this nave in the Royal Chapel. This ceiling is a rare example of gothic carpentry in Spain.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Maqsura, Mihrab
A front view of the Al-Hakam II’s maqsura, reserved for his royal highness, and the rich mihrab of the Mosque of Cordoba.
Mosque – Cathedral of Cordoba Spain/Mihrab Mosaics
View of Byzantine mosaics on the qibla wall above the mihrab of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, framed by a multi-lobed arch and showing inscriptions in Arabic. | <urn:uuid:52e4d74b-a697-4c8e-8d41-bbf568e17a81> | {
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This is a Greek word that means “knowledge”; it is a kind of understanding that leads to spiritual salvation. Clement of Alexandria, an early Christian, defined Gnosis as knowledge of God, and regarded all mature Christians as “Gnostics”. After Clement the Christian Church identified Gnosis with a heretical understanding of Christ’s teaching. Gnosticism spread in the Mediterranean region during early Christianity.
The Valentinian Gnostics defined Gnosis in two ways. First, they said that Gnosis is self-knowledge but it is also “the redemption of the inner spiritual man”. As a result the Gnostics believed that self-knowledge leads directly to salvation, or redemption. The orthodox Christians decided that Gnosis, defined this way, is a heretical belief as faith in God, and not only knowledge led to salvation.
The various Gnostic sects define the content of Gnosis in different ways, but all of them agree that the direct discovery of oneself is divine, as gnosis is “self knowledge as knowledge of God”. For the orthodox Christians this is heretical as the individual-self is part of God’s creation and, therefore, cannot be identified with the Creator Himself. The Gospel of Philip, a Gnostic book, states that the man who reaches Gnosis is “no longer a Christian, but a Christ”. This is again contrary to the orthodox Christian doctrine that states that Christ is unique and cannot be duplicated. Moreover Gnosticism, implicitly, is against the attempt to unify the Christian Church under the authority of the bishops. This cannot be expected from somebody who is a Christ.
The Gnostic school taught many practices involving meditation and ritual in order to bring on the experience of Gnosis. The idea that self-knowledge alone can lead to spiritual liberation is heretical to the orthodox Christians, but it is central to Buddhism that believes than the root to suffering is ignorance concerning the true nature of the self. This could mean that Buddhist monks brought Gnosis to the West from India in the first century AD, but there is no historical evidence to prove it. Many esoteric belief systems state that the true nature of the self is divine, and it can be said that the Gnostic movement had a powerful influence on spirituality in the whole world. (7)
Gnosticism came from man’s desire to know God, his secrets, and the mysteries of the creation. Gnostics start with the sacred word, the texts of the religion to which they belong, and decipher them as if they included a secret message or an esoteric meaning. Gnosticism is a kind of hermeticism, and the Gnostics believe that the religious languages and writings are made of sentences, words, images, and structure that have deeper hidden meanings that appear at first. By analysing them correctly, the word of God becomes clear.
Gnosticism aims to reach at the heart of the matter and to search for “roots” and “secrets”, and this lead to meeting evil. The Gnostics combat evil that they find in themselves and in the world. Elucidation of inner misunderstanding leads to elucidation of cosmic misunderstanding. Gnostics are not puritanical or fanatical, but they are looking for the light, which, although invisible, is always present. It is said that they try to identify themselves with God but it is not true. Gnostics only want to discover divinity within them. They believe that man is made of two principles and, to realise its potential, he must try to contribute to the triumph of God. Gnostics do not try to illuminate the mystery of God, but they seek to illuminate themselves. This illumination is not only intellectual, but it is focused on the body of the mystic who is then sanctified.
As a kind of mystical existentialism, Gnosticism is the mother of freedom and it proclaims to be the ally of creative divinity. Man needs to overcome his misunderstanding to get rid of the devil or, in other words, when men find themselves again, evil will be transcended on earth and in heaven. In short, mankind is not the source of evil although it is responsible for its existence, arrogance, and permanence. Gnosticism is the philosophical base of hermeticism. It is part of the quest for the secrets of the universe, it is elaborated in myth, it develops through symbols, and swings between love and despair. The Gnostic wants to become the “Son of God” whereas the alchemist, for instance, wants to be the “son of his own work”, and owns everything for himself alone. Initiation is an individualistic form of existentialism, and Gnosticism is its collective manifestation since the mystic is a member of a group in a community of believers. (6)
It is generally believed that the origin of Gnosticism is Pagan with some Jewish influence. It first came to life in Babylon then spread to Asia Minor and Syria. The early Gnostic books were written sometime before Christ was born, and this leads some experts to say that Christianism is a branch of Gnosticism. They say that Jesus Christ was an “Essenian initiate”, that the Essenes were Gnostics, and that the Bible is a coded text telling of the creation of the world and the coming apocalypse. Like the Manichaeans they believe that good and evil are in conflict, and their “Master of Justice” was a figure like the Gnostic Jesus, a spirit living in an illusory body. However Gnosticism, that reflects man’s physical and spiritual history, could also be compared to most religions since all of them are based on ancient beliefs.
At the beginning of the Gnostic quest the postulants are driven by terrible despair and, at the same time, by a powerful upsurge of love. Gnosticism, like initiation, is not a conversion to goodness but, rather, the transmutation of evil into good and, from despair, to solidarity with other men. Gnostics were against sharing secular power with politicians, this compromise being seen as another kind of evil. They also believed that reality passes through dreams, and that the invisible is made present through myth. In this line of thinking Satan symbolises the mystic’s lack of inner understanding, Mary his virginity, Eve his femininity and the crucifixion his sadomasochism. Souls fell from heaven and are imprisoned in matter; in this way they sanctify matter and make the visible world sensitive to the invisible. The Gnostic quest consists in taking responsibility for the fall and as a preparation for resurrection. (6)
Many ancient manuscripts have been found in this century, especially the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, Israel, and the “Gnostic Gospels” at Nag Hammadi in Egypt. It is believed that the Templars discovered some documents too, and that they kept them secret. Modern Freemasonry has often been described as “Gnostic” but very few people understand why.
The word “Gnostic” (from the Greek word “Gnosis” or knowledge in the spiritual way) is used to day to describe documents classified as heretical by the Christian Church in the past, and outlawed as coming from other religions. This is not exactly true. Christian Gnostic documents include those with Indian, Persian, and other influence as well as those from more traditional Jewish sources. Others are clear and philosophical messages attributed to Jesus. Awareness of oneself, appreciation of nature, and natural sciences are the right way to God for the Gnostic. The Christian Gnostics saw Jesus Christ not as God but as the man who showed the way to reach Him.
Gnostic Gospels date from the same period than the New Testament, but they have been revealed to the modern general public with the publication of the fifty-two papyrus found at Nag Hammadi. These documents date from around 350-400 AD, but many are copies of manuscripts written three hundred years before. Among them was the oldest version known of the Gospel of Thomas that was bought by Professor Quispel of the Young Foundation in Zurich. The other papyrus are now the property of the Coptic Museum in Cairo. Many of the documents were unknown and had been buried 1,600 years ago at a critical time in the formation of the Roman Catholic Church that suppressed them as heretical. At that time Christianity, as we know it to day, was threatened by these Gnostic Christians, and the Orthodox Roman Catholic Church, in order to save itself, banned these heretics and destroyed their writings.
Orthodox and Gnostic Christians interpreted the resurrection of Jesus in two different and opposite ways. The Gnostics described human existence as spiritual death, and the resurrection as a moment of enlightenment that reveals the real truth. Those who understand this concept become spiritually alive, and can be resurrected immediately from death. (this is found in the “Treatise on Resurrection” and in the “Gospel of Philip”). This living resurrection is, of course, similar to the Masonic Third Degree ceremony. The Orthodox Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus’ body followed by its ascension to heaven was witnessed by his Apostles, and then closed to newcomers as His body had left the earth for heaven. As a result the leadership of the Church was restricted to the Apostles and their direct successors who, alone, had the authority to run the Church. Even today the Pope derives his authority directly from St Peter, the first among the Apostles. By accepting the resurrection as a truth, the early Church made certain to keep the religious authority for itself since no one, later on, could have direct access to Christ and be given the same power. The Gnostics called this view of the resurrection the “faith of fools” as, for them, those who believed in this physical resurrection confused a spiritual truth with a physical event. The Gnostic theory of secrets acquired through one own labour had political implications as those who claim to have seen the Lord through inner vision can claim that they have the same, or even better, authority than the apostles and their successors, the bishops, and the priests. Irenaeus the father of the Catholic theology saw it clearly in the second century. The Gnostics also claimed to have access to their own sources of apostolic tradition and, in doing so, their undermine the power of the Orthodox Church. As we can see the interpretation of the resurrection had been a source of controversy in the early Christian Church with the Orthodox believing in physical resurrection. On the opposite part of the Christian Gnostics believed only in a spiritual resurrection and the others in a living one, as do the modern Freemasons in their ceremony of the Third Degree. In this last case it is mixed with a murder and the recovery and burial of the dead body of Hiram Abif. There are many other examples of a direct connection between the Gnostics and the modern Freemasons. | <urn:uuid:02004846-fa71-4eb2-8112-1c75cad6669d> | {
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At the Louis Braille School, dance, music, theatre, and visual/tactile arts are integrated into all subject areas giving students opportunities to use body, mind, and heart to express the ideas and feelings they encounter in their learning.
Visual/tactile arts help students learn about the shape of the world around them. They learn about form, line and texture as they examine works of art like pottery, sculpture and fiber arts. They create their own three-dimensional artworks using materials such as clay, beads, seeds, and shells. They learn math patterns as they string beads of different shapes in repeating patterns.
Dance is taught as movement to music in PE and as part of the Social Studies curriculum as students learn folk dances from the regions they study. Even simple dance movements contribute to balance, coordination, and rhythm.
Music is part of each school day and may include listening, singing, instrument playing, song writing and the basics of music theory. Students write jingles to help learn math facts; they incorporate singing and instrument playing, and rhythm into theater productions. They experience music of different cultures and learn to identify the sounds of specific instruments styles and composers.
Rhythm instruments, a two-manual organ, drums, a violin, guitar, ukulele, flute, trombone, and other instruments are part of our lively music program. | <urn:uuid:9fe95fd8-573e-4044-b114-84679474cf83> | {
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5:59 AM Gabriella Brianna , 0 Comments
Antares rocket successfully launched on Sunday (13-07-2014) at 12:52 pm, from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, U.S.A. This mission is the second cargo delivery flight to the station. Total amount spent for this mission is $1.9 million. This mission carries overall 3,300 pounds of supplies to the station, including crew food and supplies, hardware and scientific equipment and experiments. For research investigations Planet Labs of San Francisco developed, a flock of nanosatellites designed to make images of Earth. NASA’s Ames Research Center (Moffett Field, California) built a new experiment called TechEdSat-4; it’s used for satellite-based investigation. Another experiment called SPHERES by Ames, it contains some features like sensor, multiple cameras to enable 3d-mapping and finally a robotic navigation inside the space station.
Expedition 40 Commander Steve Swanson of NASA with the help of his partner Alexander Gerst (European Space Agency) is a flight engineer, will use the station’s robotic arm to take hold of Cygnus at 6:39 am on Wednesday. It will take one month to be filled with trash and burn up during reentry in Earth’s atmosphere.
For more information about Orbital-2 mission, visit | <urn:uuid:ffa492a0-41ec-41c5-a41b-57fad8a967c0> | {
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Scott Joplin (between July 1867 and January 1868 – April 1, 1917) was an African-American composer and pianist, born near Texarkana, Texas, into the first post-slavery generation. He achieved fame for his unique ragtime compositions, and was dubbed the "King of Ragtime." During his brief career, he wrote forty-four original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first pieces, the "Maple Leaf Rag", became ragtime's first and most influential hit, and remained so for a century.
He was "blessed with an amazing ability to improvise at the piano," writes opera historian Elise Kirk, and was able to enlarge his talents "with the music he heard around him," which was rich with the sounds of gospel hymns and spirituals, dance music, plantation songs, syncopated rhythms, blues, and choruses.:190 After he studied music with several local teachers, his talent was noticed by a German immigrant music teacher, Julius Weiss, who chose to give the 11-year-old boy lessons free of charge. He was taught music theory, keyboard technique, and an appreciation of various European music styles, such as folk and opera. As an adult, Joplin also studied at an all-black college in Sedalia, Missouri.
"He composed music unlike any ever before written," according to Joplin biographer Edward Berlin. Eventually, "the piano-playing public clamored for his music; newspapers and magazines proclaimed his genius; musicians examined his scores with open admiration.":3 Ragtime historian Susan Curtis noted that "when Joplin syncopated his way into the hearts of millions of Americans at the turn of the century, he helped revolutionize American music and culture." | <urn:uuid:fa728856-a25f-45ff-a743-28f35c0978e6> | {
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County Treasurer[Record group 2]
- Agency History
- This office was created under the Frame of Government which directed that the Provincial governor appoint a treasurer for each county annually, a function transferred by an Act of November 27, 1700 to the assessors of each county. An Act of 1718 directed that the County Commissioners share in this appointive power; in 1780, with the abolition of the county assessors the Commissioners alone appointed the treasurer. During the period 1776-1789, while the Corporation was in suspension, the County Treasurer also served as the City Treasurer. In 1786 his term was increased to three years; it was returned to one year, still at the Commissioners' appointment, in 1799. At the consolidation of the City and County in 1854 the office of County Treasurer was in effect abolished in Philadelphia, its powers and duties being distributed between the City Treasurer and the newly-created Receiver of Taxes. Under the terms of the Constitution of 1874 the City Treasurer was designated a County officer, although he retained the title of City Treasurer.
- Archival Records
- 2.1 Accounts (1777-1803, 1848-1854)
2.2 Weekly Reports of Tax Receipts and Orders Paid (1853-1854)
Click on a folder or file to return to that level...
Current Agency Information Sheet. (Text-only version of this page)
Send your comments to [email protected]
Last updated on November 8, 2000 | <urn:uuid:e4fd0ad4-40bb-451f-8e37-184808292ba6> | {
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We went over this many years ago in 1000’s of test photos. Some members here myself included set up test standards and even made still images that had area removed to project pure white and best black into an image. We could then measure an ANSI contrast of sorts within the photo doing an A vs. B comparison. The white area were also used to illuminate a known and calibrated color and grey scale test card and the colors and intensities could then be measured in the photo with a color sampling tool (software) and that eliminated the monitor and our eyes from comparing screen to screen. We also went thru careful steps to have the projector calibration known as you can’t calibrate a projector to two samples at once and that difference had to be taken into account. We then took photos in a manner that disallowed the influence of the digital camera to correct the image based around how the new cams have different ways to center balance an image for example. We also did A, B, C tests where we rotated the samples from side to side and center to remove variability. Because a big factor in what we were seeking was ambient lights influence on the image and some methods that help with that also use angular gain we would do the test at many angles right to left across the screen. We also had established sources of ambient light so we could repeat a known problem light and see how different paints and screen surfaces dealt with it under control.
The forum broke into two schools those looking at scientific approaches to what was going on and those that went by what the eye saw. To complicate matters more everyone has a different room, different projector and a different screen size. Then people were using different throw distances and at different points in bulb life and also different projector heights with keystone adjustments set different. We did a lot of measurements that looked at central warm spots in the image and at what level the eye couldn’t pick up on them.
Keep in mind when watching a split image like the projector can’t be adjusted to both images your eyes can’t either. The pupil adjusts to control the overall light entering the eye and allowing the brain to see the most contrast possible. I forget how many f-stops the eye adjusts I think it’s 22 f. Each f stop doubles from the one before 2, 4, 8, 16, 32,……..22 times. That’s how we can walk around in almost total darkness or bright noon sun.
Google something like “color picker tool” some free ones are on line. You can then take one of your test photos and use the picker tool to see what the RGB value is of any pixel. 0, 0, 0 is pure black and 255, 255, 255 is the full white of the monitor turned on. Someplace in your image go to each side or the split line and do a sample find a bright spot and a dark spot. You will find that the image you see is cranked up on both ends of the spectrum most likely a brighter white but also a brighter black in the same sample. If that’s the case both screens are equal just the one is over calibrated. This is a little over simplified but basically what you need to understand. The next step is the eye and the perception of contrast. When there is some brightness in the image your eyes f-stop closes and set the reference for white and grays on the screen will become inky black. We view an image that is some part real and some part processed by our brain and improved. The projector companies are building better and better machines producing better native contrasts but you have to understand what those numbers mean in terms of lumens also and then factor in the room and ambient light to get the full picture. | <urn:uuid:3dd6c870-fc17-4506-9df5-e5a691d95373> | {
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Series: Evolution Basics (50 entries)
Written by BioLogos Fellow of Biology Dennis Venema, this series of posts is intended as a basic introduction to the science of evolution for non-specialists.
Nazarenes on Evolution
The Nazarenes Exploring Evolution poll of religion scholars reveals that most scholars in science, Bible, and theology are open to the possibility that Christian faith is compatible with the idea that God creates through evolution.
Intelligent Design and Common Ancestry, Part 1
Would those genuinely interested in learning about evolution benefit from a careful explanation of why these common objections don’t hold water? Here the answer seemed to me to be “yes.”
Origins News Roundup
Astrobiology is the field of inquiry about the origin of life on our planet and the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. Making a comeback is the theory that life began on Mars and emigrated from there to Earth via meteorites dislodged by collisions with asteroids. | <urn:uuid:5a010445-1f70-406c-aa5f-53d502f9f1dd> | {
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And now they use just the laser beam itself to listen to distant conversations. Such a system will be able to listen to your heart beating even from a distance.
Unlike the development system described in the article, future systems won't need to use a visible laser beam to perform their magic. Instead they will use an infrared laser, invisible to the eye (but not the camera).
Some technically savvy people know that light can be used as a tool for eavesdropping: if a beam from one arm of an optical interferometer is reflected off a window, the interferometer can sense sounds—including human voices—that make the window vibrate. But not only is it hard to separate voices from other sounds sensed by the interferometer; the setup must also be very precise, and in many cases there is no window conveniently nearby.
Researchers from Bar-Ilan University (Ramat-Gan, Israel) and the Universitat de València (Burjassot, Spain) have developed a different way to sense sound remotely—one that doesn't rely on either an interferometer or a window. Instead, a single laser beam is shone on the object to be monitored (for example, a human or a cellphone) and the speckles that appear in an out-of-focus image of the object are tracked, producing information from which a spectrogram or temporal sound signal can be constructed.
Am I worried about the government listening in on my conversations? No. Well, maybe. Kinda. Oh, heck, yeah I am. But what concerns me even more is ordinary people listening in on their friends, neighbors, and adversaries. The phrase “out of earshot” could become meaningless.
I'm not sure I'm ready for anyone desiring to do so becoming privy to my private conversations. I doubt you are either.
But still, it's neat technology. | <urn:uuid:df56f1e2-3b17-4edc-be32-df347d1b6702> | {
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What is a migraine headache?
A migraine headache is a type of headache that tends to recur in an individual and causes moderate to severe pain. The pain is often described as throbbing or pulsing and usually begins on one side of the head. Migraine headaches are worsened by physical activity, light, sound, or physical movement. The pain typically last from 4 hours up to 3 days. The person experiencing a migraine headache may be sensitive to light, sound and even smell. He or she may also experience nausea and/or vomiting.
Who is affected by migraines?
The National Headache Foundation estimates that nearly 12 percent of the population experience migraine headaches. This means that nearly 40 million people in the United States have migraines. Women are about three times more likely than men to experience migraines.
Are migraines hereditary?
Yes, migraines have a tendency to run in families. As many as four out of five people with migraine have a family history of migraines. If one parent has a history of migraines, the child has a 50 percent chance of developing migraines, and if both parents have a history of migraines, the risk jumps to 75 percent.
What causes a migraine?
Migraine headache pain results from signals interacting among the brain, blood vessels, and surrounding nerves. During a headache, specific nerves of the blood vessels are activated and send pain signals to the brain. It’s not clear, however, why these signals are activated in the first place.
There is a migraine “pain center,” or generator, in the mid-brain area. A migraine begins when overactive nerve cells send out impulses to the blood vessels. This causes the release of prostaglandins, serotonin, and other substances that cause swelling of the blood vessels in the vicinity of the nerve endings, resulting in pain.
What are the symptoms of migraines?
The symptoms of migraine include:
- Headache pain. Pain is described as a pounding or throbbing. It can begin as a dull ache that develops into throbbing pain. The pain worsens with physical activity. The pain can begin as mild, moderate or severe. If left untreated, the headache will become moderate to severe. The pain can shift from one side of the head to the other, or it can affect the front of the head or feel like it’s affecting the whole head. Most migraines last about 4 hours, although severe ones can last much longer and even become daily. Having two to four migraine headaches per month is common. However, some people have headaches daily; others only get a migraine once or twice a year.
- Sensitivity to light, noise and odors
- Nausea and vomiting, stomach upset, abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling very warm (sweating) or cold (chills)
- Pale color (pallor)
- Feeling tired
- Blurred vision
- Tender scalp
- Diarrhea (rare)
- Fever (rare)
About 30 percent of people who have migraines develop symptoms several hours up to 2 days before the headache starts. This early stage of migraine is called a prodrome. During this stage, the person can experience vague symptoms including anxiety, mood changes (depression, hyperactivity, irritability, euphoria), tiredness, increased thirst, food cravings, and neck stiffness and pain
What triggers a migraine?
Migraine attacks can be triggered by a variety of factors. Triggers include:
- Emotional stress , worry. Emotional stress is one of the most common triggers of migraine headache. During stressful events, certain chemicals in the brain are released to combat the situation (known as the "flight or fight" response). The release of these chemicals can bring on a migraine. Other emotions such as anxiety, worry, and excitement can increase muscle tension and dilate blood vessels, which can make the migraine more severe.
- Sensitivity to specific chemicals and preservatives in foods. Certain foods and beverages, such as aged cheese, alcoholic beverages, chocolate, and food additives such as nitrates (in pepperoni, hot dogs, luncheon meats), monosodium glutamate (MSG, commonly found in Chinese food) and fermented or pickled foods may be responsible for triggering up to 30 percent of migraines.
- Caffeine . Having too much caffeine or withdrawal from caffeine can cause headaches when the caffeine level abruptly drops. The blood vessels seem to become sensitized to caffeine, and when caffeine is not ingested, a headache may occur. Caffeine itself is often helpful in treating acute migraine attacks.
- Changing weather conditions such as storm fronts, barometric pressure changes, strong winds or changes in altitude.
- Bright light, fluorescent light, flashing lights, sunlight
- Tension, anxiety
- Being overly tired
- Missing meals, dieting or not drinking enough liquids
- Changes in normal sleep pattern
- Loud noises
- Exposure to smoke, perfumes or other odors
- Certain medications that cause blood vessels to swell
- Hormonal changes in women (brought on by menstrual periods, birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy)
- Overuse or daily use of headache-relieving medications
What is an aura?
An aura is a symptom or “warning signal” that a migraine is about to begin. An aura can also appear during or after the headache pain. Auras can last from 15 to 60 minutes. About 15 to 20 percent of people who experience migraines have auras. Auras can affect vision, producing symptoms such as:
- Bright flashing dots or lights
- Blind spots
- Distorted vision
- Temporary vision loss
- Wavy or jagged lines
Auras can affect other senses. Other auras may include ringing in the ears (tinnitus), tingling in the arm or face, speaking difficulties, changes in smell (such as strange odors) or taste, or simply having a “funny feeling.”
Some rare migraines, with specific neurological auras, include:
Hemiplegic migraine. A person experiencing this migraine has with temporary paralysis (hemiplegia) or neurological or sensory changes on one side of the body. The onset of the headache may be associated with temporary numbness, dizziness or vision changes.
Retinal migraine. A person experiencing this migraine has temporary, partial or complete loss of vision in one eye, along with a dull ache behind the eye that may spread to the rest of the head.
Migraine with brainstem aura. This migraine is accompanied by vertigo, slurred speech, double vision or loss of balance, which occur before the headache. The headache pain may affect the back of the head. These symptoms usually occur suddenly and can be associated with the inability to speak properly, ringing in the ears, and vomiting.
Status migrainosus. This is a rare and severe type of migraine that can last longer than 72 hours. The headache pain and nausea can be extremely severe. Certain medications, or medication withdrawal, can cause this type migraine syndrome. | <urn:uuid:bc4b6de9-522f-4954-8b01-29495def92dc> | {
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- contact sites A
Developmentally-regulated adhesion sites that appear on the ends of aggregation-competent Dictyostelium discoideum (see Acrasidae) - at the stage when the starved cells begin to come together to form the grex. Originally detected by the use of Fab fragments of polyclonal antibodies, raised against aggregation-competent cells and adsorbed against vegetative cells, to block adhesion in EDTA-containing medium. (Cell-cell adhesion mediated by contact sites A, unlike that mediated by contact sites B, is not divalent cation-sensitive). The fact that a mutant deficient in csA behaves perfectly normally in culture is puzzling.
Dictionary of molecular biology. 2004. | <urn:uuid:5e7720f3-78e5-4114-976b-2d47efbb6636> | {
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much of this comes from Socrates Cafe by Christopher Phillips
To understand absolute truth, one must start with what exactly is the world and our location in it. Thomas Hobbes inthe Leviathan states that the "world is the whole mass of all things that are" but is never very clear on what he means by "all things."
Immanuel Kant talks about 'two worlds' which are very Platonic in formation. He talks about thephenomenal world and the noumenal world. Phenom: knowable by senses and interpreted by the mind. Noum: that which lies beyond the world of space and time, cause and effect. Kant talks about this is where Absolute Truth exists.
Plato talked about the world we see, like shadows and reflections on the wall of a cave. the absolute truth is beyond the walls of the cave and very few ever make it out, and those who do, it hurts their eyes and no one believes them.
John Locke talks about how truth can best be known through science and religion, namely that Christianity is the most reasonable and natural choice (duh, cause you're a Christian Locke...). nature holds the absolute truth but reason is the only means in which to interpret it and gain it.
Ludwig Wittgenstein stated that the world is "the totality of facts" which contain a logical structure that shape and delimit our world. facts are inherently knowable but "we must be silent" about the so-called unknowable until it is revealed.
Aristotle stated that the world we speak of, the universe as a whole is always being talked about through our relation with it. there is no such thing as objectivity or a "view from no where" but all views are a "view from somewhere."
in his novel The Manticore, Robertson Davies talks about the "view from elsewhere" which states that the best we can do is seek to embrace views besides our own. this is echoed my Parker Palmer in the statement "The truth is between us." meaning that truth is relational and exists solely through interaction and relationships with others and the wider world (nature, animals, etc).
so which is it? where do you fall? i see the merit in many of these views but fall more with Aristotle, Davies, and Palmer than the others. any views you can think to add? | <urn:uuid:0fe1f219-bee2-4e56-a167-6dade2d4d385> | {
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Culture is a wonderful word, isn’t it? It’s one of those words which means different things to different people and in different contexts, from opera to the microbes that turn milk into yoghurt.
For our purposes, the relevant definition from the Oxford English Dictionary is “[t]he ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society”. American artistic activist Arlene Goldbard defines it more poetically as “the fabric of signs and symbols, customs and ceremonies, habitations, institutions, and much more that characterize and enable a specific human community to form and sustain itself.”1
Culture is a magnificent, ever-changing mess of overlapping layers, with each of us belonging to many different aspects. We have ethnic cultures, socio-economic cultures and identity cultures. We have workplace cultures and family cultures. And we have the glorious interplay between them all that makes up national and global culture.
Culture drives the way we vote, the music we listen to, the way we deal with conflict and the way we make love.
Culture guides us as we make the myriad decisions that we make each day. Culture guides what we eat, whether we wear jeans, a skirt or laundered trousers, the words we use, the way we work and commute, how we engage with our children and our parents. Culture sits behind our desire to follow social mores or our willingness to break the law, whether by jay walking or shoplifting or locking on to mining equipment in an act of civil disobedience. Culture drives the way we vote, the music we listen to, the way we deal with conflict and the way we make love. And each of our actions feeds back on and influences culture as it continues to evolve.
We often forget that cultures change. Sometimes they’re changed by natural events such as earthquakes. Sometimes they are changed by disruptive technology like agriculture, iron tools or telecommunications. Sometimes they evolve incrementally as populations grow, pushing people into closer proximity, or as waves of migrants influence a host culture. Sometimes cultures are deliberately changed by a group of people adding intentional impulses to the bigger evolutionary process they form a small part of.
Culture can be benign, influencing whether we prefer eggs or congee for breakfast. But culture can become hegemonic, driving unhealthy consumption, blocking certain groups of people from access to services, limiting democratic choice.
Culture is at the heart of everything.
Culture and politics
What does this understanding of culture mean for how we do politics? It starts with this:
“Politics is the art of the possible”.
That old dictum used to be the bane of my existence. I would get deeply frustrated when people told me that it meant we couldn’t set targets for deep pollution cuts or 100% renewable energy. But, having extracted myself from day-to-day politics and spent time researching widely, discussing broadly and thinking deeply, I now believe it’s true – it’s just utterly misinterpreted.
If we accept the limits of what is currently possible – and the vast majority of our politicians, media, and environmental and social activists broadly do – we will never successfully face up to the deep challenges we face as a society, from preventing catastrophic climate disruption to building genuine social and economic equality to true Indigenous liberation.
But neither can we just baldly declare we are going to do the impossible. Within the confines of the existing socio-political culture, it is literally impossible.
Our job is to change what is possible.
And “what is possible” is fundamentally a cultural question, wrapped up in how we collectively and individually conceive of the world around us and our place in it. And culture changes all the time, and can be actively and deliberately changed through reprioritising cultural values, modelling different behavioural norms, and telling new culture-defining stories.
We need to acknowledge that we didn’t get here by accident.
The “right” has spent a generation redefining “what is possible” to suit their ends. Meanwhile, many of the “left” have ceded the ground on the basis of a failure to understand that “what is possible” is changeable. Thanks to that imbalance, the heterogeneous mesh of cultures that makes up any society has come to be dominated to an extraordinary extent by one world view – a materialist, consumerist, individualist world-view, permeated by values of wealth and status, subjugating and pushing to the margins values of community, compassion and care for the environment. Subcultures are still expressed through minority voices, but the governments we are able to elect and the policies we are able to implement, even the stories we can get reported, are limited by what that narrow culture deems “possible”.
Consequently, working to phase out coal or abolish tax breaks for the rich or close the gap or any other deep change from within the dominant culture, without attempting to change the culture, is doomed to fail.
The clearest articulation of this I have seen is from American activist, Daniel Hunter: “Politicians are like a balloon tied to a rock. If we swat at them, they may sway to the left or the right. But, tied down, they can only go so far. Instead of batting at them, we should move the rock.”2 I would expand that to say it’s not just politicians – it’s all decision-makers. And we all make decisions. We are all balloons tied to the rock of our culture. To build power and truly create change, we have to move the rock.
Culture and power
Culture has long been seen as critical to social and political change and control. Its role has been instinctively understood by many rulers and change-makers since time immemorial, but it was in the 20th century that political science began to grapple with it.
The central concept is that culture, by framing the way we understand our world and our place in it, by limiting or expanding our social and political discourse, consequently underlies and circumscribes our behaviour. As Goldbard expresses it, “our capacity to act is conditioned on the story we tell ourselves about our own predicament and capabilities.”3
In societies where force is not the primary means of social control, cultural power is what replaces it. Antonio Gramsci, for example, considered culture central to his conception of hegemony. He developed Marx’s theory of class dominance to cover a critical point of power dynamics – that those in power will seize control of the arena of ideas as much as they will the traditional arms of coercive power. Power is held by controlling the discourse, and the deepest way to contest power is to contest those ideas at the cultural level.
Noam Chomsky writes that power is held over us only with our consent, and powerholders actively manipulate and ‘manufacture’ consent.
In writing that “[t]he smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum,”4 Chomsky could have been describing ABC’s QandA.
Naomi Klein flips the perspective and argues that “if there is a reason for social movements to exist, it is not to accept dominant values as fixed and unchangeable but to offer other ways to live – to wage, and win, a battle of cultural worldviews.”5
As a fascinating aside, many climate scientists are way ahead of campaigners in recognising that culture is key to climate change, driving the social norms that create it and holding back the necessary social, political and economic change to address it.
Climate scientist, Kevin Anderson, quoted in the RSA’s A New Agenda on Climate Change, says that the numbers are so stark that what we have to do is “develop a different mind-set – and quickly.”6 Similarly, Former Director of CSIRO’s Division of Atmospheric Research, Professor Graeme Pearman, told my research that “Climate change is really a human question, it’s not primarily a physical science question at all. It’s about what humans perceive they want or need.”
I really like how the RSA explores that idea:
“[E]nergy demand is driven by perceived ‘need’, but this sense of need is highly contingent from a historical or cultural perspective. Global perception of energy demand is driven by the social practices … we come to view as normal (eg two hot showers a day, driving short distances, regular flying), features of life relating to contingent norms of cleanliness, comfort and convenience rather than inherent features of human welfare.”7
If what we perceive to be necessary in our lives is culturally driven, then any solutions must also grapple with culture and seek to change it.
It is no accident that culture has artistic connotations as well as deep political meanings. If culture is about our understanding of our world and where we belong in it, art is one of the first and best ways in. Art is how we make sense of our world and how we find our place in it. Art, including music, is one of the earliest human impulses. Actually it predates humanity, and is found in many other species, from mating calls to territorial marking to group bonding. Musical instruments are some of the earliest discovered tools, found in some of the oldest archaeological digs.
This instinct for music as a way of finding and cementing our place in the world developed into hymns and other religious music, ethnic musics which still bind many of us so deeply, national anthems, and protest songs.
One of the early deliberate attempts to create change using artists was taken by union organisers in the USA, bringing in musicians to recruit supporters. Most famously, the Industrial Workers of the World, better known as the Wobblies, saw folk music as central to their project, publishing their Little Red Songbook with regular updates throughout the last century, and directly inspiring songwriters such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Later, the Highlander Centre, one of the first activist training centres in the world, involved a substantial focus on music, recruiting and training musicians and workshopping campaign songs. “We Shall Overcome” is the most famous of many protest songs of the 1960s that had its origins there. Spirituals and blues became a key part of the fight for civil rights in the USA just as Jimmy Little, Yothu Yindi and many others made their art a part of their fight for Indigenous self-determination here in Australia.
A clear lesson from history is that not only can artists play a pivotal role in social change, but that such change is unlikely to occur unless cultural processes are at play, because social change is cultural change. The ability of arts and artists to draw people together around a new conception of the world is second to none – and without such a shift, change will not come.
“Identity processes are inherent in all movements,” Rob Rosenthal and Richard Flacks explain in their excellent book Playing for Change, “[a]nd music is the way many first try on that identity… Indeed, music is a major resource for identity construction in contexts that are remote from the political”.8
Possibly one of the most powerful tools for social and cultural change, then, is the ability of artistic work infused with that sense of identity to spread ideas wider. As Rosenthal and Flacks say:
“What begins percolating isn’t a coherent ideology, but… “structures of feelings”, part emotional, part rational, a heady brew of social ideas, fashions, music, and so forth, both precursor to a developing ideology and more than simply an ideology, involving “meanings and values as they are actively lived and felt” by each individual.”9
Eyerman and Jamison, in their seminal work Music and Social Movements, describe the interaction between arts and social change activism as a “source of cultural transformation”:
“[B]y combining culture and politics, social movements serve to reconstitute both, providing a broader political and historical context for cultural expression, and offering, in turn, the resources of culture – traditions, music, artistic expression – to the action repertoires of political struggle.”
This concept of art and social movements becoming a melting pot in which we reconstitute our broad culture to create deep change has deep resonances beyond the specifically ‘artistic’. It brings to the surface the point that, in order to achieve the change necessary to prevent climate catastrophe, we need to address issues that lie very deep indeed – at the level of culture.
I dug into this question through a series of interviews undertaken as part of my research in establishing Green Music Australia. Guy Abrahams, CEO of CLIMARTE, reflected:
“Most of the time we’re not even aware that we’re enmeshed in a cultural fabric that is… both persuasive and sometimes restrictive in terms of where we think we can go. And so if you can move that net, move along that net, or put in new threads, that’s when you give people the opportunity to move along.”
Graeme Pearman, told me: “For each of us, the vast majority of our understanding of how the word is is based on culture, is based on religion, is based on hearsay. These are story lines that are very powerful and hard to move.” As Anna Rose, co-founder of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, says, “[c]ulture is so crucial… in shaping the way people think about things, and normalising certain ways of being and certain ways of thinking.” Culture, says Tipping Point Australia’s Angharad Wynne-Jones, is “where change happens.”
In this conception of the term, culture is the key to social control and change.
If culture is central to power, what are the implications of that for how our movement currently works to build power?
Firstly, it is not to say that campaigns focused on community organising and mobilising aren’t crucial in building power. Rather it is to argue that we cannot mobilise people effectively for long term change if we do not engage at the level of culture. We may win individual local campaigns, but we cannot create the deep change we need to tackle the deep crises of our current era unless we use mobilisation to challenge, undermine and replace the dominant culture.
Equally, it is not to say that engaging with day to day politics is pointless. Rather it is to contend that culture is central to enabling or blocking law reform because culture restricts or expands the terms of our political debate. Engaging in politics in a way which emphasises or buttresses the existing culture may win in the short-term, but will damage our long-term interests.
Finally, this is not to deny the reality of economic power and the barriers to action it creates. Rather it is to question whether that power is held primarily through structures and institutions or through culture. We can seize power back from those who currently hold it to our detriment, but most of the time most of us choose not to even try.
Rather it is to question whether that power is held primarily through structures and institutions or through culture.
While the dominance of the current culture persists, none of the individuals involved – political or business leaders, journalists and editors, ordinary citizens – are able to envision a reality outside it. We know this from theory, but also from practice. We are all used to hearing phrases like “but we can’t do that, it would mean a different world”, or “that’s not how we do things”, or “politics is the art of the possible”.
Consider that this same culture has a strong hold on all of us. Not just those of us we’re campaigning on. Us too. We all tend to live our lives as though nothing will change. Having children, putting money into super funds, buying property – none of this makes sense, given what we know about the climate crisis.
I argue that those in power have shaped contemporary culture as an aedifice which supports them, and they hold on to it with every ounce of their strength. Subcultures are not allowed access to the mainstream – witness everything from The Australian’s stated aim to “destroy the Greens at the ballot box” to Tony Jones’ contention that a protest disrupting #QandA was not a legitimate democratic expression.
This is not to suggest some Illuminati-style conspiracy. Rather it is to say that, through some two millennia and more, power holders have consistently manipulated the discourse to suit their interests. There have been ebbs and flows in this tide, but I see a progression from the Ancient Greek separation of “man” from “nature”, through the Enlightenment’s ideal of the rational “homo economicus”, via the colonial frontier notion that the Earth’s vast bounty is ours for the taking, into the baby boom’s cementing of materialism, all leading to Francis Fukuyama’s “End of History”, Margaret Thatcher’s declaration that there is “no such thing as society”, and what Naomi Klein calls “triumphal capitalism”.
Much of this was a slow evolutionary process, with the intentional impetuses of those in power manipulating circumstances that technological and population change were already creating. But aspects of it, particularly in the decades following World War II, were part of a very deliberate “culture war”, waged by the right in order to embed their political agenda so deeply that it became difficult to shift.
At the heart of this post-war strategy was Friedrich von Hayek’s Mont Pelerin society. These right wing economists, shut out of mainstream debate in the 1940s by the dominance of Keynesianism, very deliberately set about a process of cultural change. Leveraging the support of wealthy businessmen, they created bulkheads in academia, in the media, and in politics from which to prosecute their case, enter the debate, and eventually dominate the discourse. It was their effort which brought psychological skills and insights to advertising. It was their actions which served as the template for both Rupert Murdoch and the Koch Brothers’ exercise of power.
Hayek’s work is in no small part responsible for creating our current culture. But it also points to how we can change culture again and make another world possible.
Values, narrative, behaviour and culture
Before we change culture, it is vital to understand the key drivers of culture, and that is primarily a question of values.
Values are central to culture as it is largely through values (and the stories and behaviours that embed them in our consciousness) that we establish our conception of the world and our place in it. Do we prioritise personal wealth or generosity; status or fairness; hedonistic pleasure, creativity, compassion or care for the environment? And how do these values interact and guide the decisions we make?
In mainstream society, for example, virtually everything we do directs us towards the value-laden belief that consumption drives happiness. Our media is filled with ads urging us to consume more; our shopping centres are designed to make us buy more (things we didn’t come to buy); our news bulletins always include market reports; perhaps most fundamentally, we are referred to as consumers far more often than as citizens or people.
The story of modern life has become the story of consumption. It has attained the power of a creation myth.
This is a prime example of how values embed certain behaviours and practices in our culture, how narratives develop to cement those values in place, and how behaviour in turn entrenches the culture. But how does it work?
We’ve known for a long time that values are at the heart of politics and campaigning. If we haven’t learnt this from theory, we should have picked it up from the success of right wing values politics, not just in winning elections but in dragging our entire polity to the right. We should have recognised how anti-environmental commentators such as Andrew Bolt, Miranda Devine and The Australian’s editorial writers consciously use values and cultural norms to their advantage. They deliberately portray concern for the environment as a “luxury of the rich”, as contrary to “more important” needs, and ridicule those who express such concern as outside the norm.
The most sophisticated work going on in this area, in my opinion, is the research undertaken by the Common Cause project. Here, psychologists involved in values mapping – analysing the way values relate to each other in our minds – have shown that emphasising “extrinsic values” such as wealth, status and security undermines and suppresses “intrinsic values” of sustainability, compassion, creativity and universalism, and vice versa.
Consider what that means for our society, where we are constantly bombarded with advertising and financial reporting, being addressed as consumers and shoppers, with our governments and corporations focussed on popularity polls and profits. How can we hope that people will actively support a carbon tax, or even a renewable energy target, when they are constantly being told that wealth and status today must be prioritised over everything else?
Culture is often established through narratives, from creation myths to fairy tales, which embed values and norms.
We need to tell a new story. And we need that story to be so compelling that it trumps and subordinates the existing story of modern life.
In order to change culture, we first need to identify the narratives that underpin our current culture.
This is, of course, very much up for debate, but I suggest the following:
“It’s the economy, stupid”
That we can consume our way to happiness. That greed is good. That everything can be boiled down to money and the economy.
“Me, myself and I”
That there is no such thing as society. That hyper-individualism is king. That if every person is enabled to seek their own benefits, everything will work out for the best.
That the Earth and all its creatures and resources are “man’s dominion” (from a one-eyed reading of the Bible), there for us to make use of as we please.
“This is just the way it is”
That change is impossible. That politics is the art of the possible, so we have to adjust our goals to match what is currently possible.
These four cultural narratives emphasise values of wealth, status, material possessions, and a narrowing of the value of security to the smallest scale – protecting me, my family, my culturally homogenous white bread country, and excluding the broader conception of security as a universalist need for us all to work together to learn to share this tiny planet.
Put these four value-laden stories together and you find out why we are not tackling climate change, why we accept dehumanising brutalisation of refugees, why we desert public schooling, why we no longer join unions, why we fail to face up to our past and present mistreatment of Indigenous Australians, and so much more.
Here is my attempt at creating a new set of stories to replace those four cultural drivers:
“Can’t buy me love.”
Readdressing what makes us happy is at the heart of it. We need to demonstrate through modelled behaviour, through experiential programs and through new stories, that consumption and materialism do not make us happy. There is reason to believe that if some of us stopped campaigning for climate action and started campaigning towards greater happiness, we might be more successful.
Critical aspects of this are limiting advertising, especially in public spaces, refusing to be called “consumers”, and getting off the treadmill.
“We are one, we are many”
To overcome hyper-individualism, we need to rebuild the power of community as stronger than the individual, through modelling, story and experience.
There are important cultural processes in this realm already underway, sometimes referred to as the empathy revolution and the sharing revolution.
“Living on a pale blue dot”
We need to rebuild a culture that understands that human civilisation is one small part of, and entirely dependent upon, the natural world. We need to rekindle our sense of wonder, rediscover our humility.
An obvious part of this is to heal the nature deficit that Richard Louv and others have written about.
Another aspect is to embrace the biomedical understanding that each of us is, in fact, an ecosystem, rather than an individual member of an individual species! We have an entire biome within and surrounding ourselves, living in our guts and on our skin, sustaining us as we sustain it.
A third is to tell the powerful stories of how ecosystems work, not just tales of collapse but also of re-wilding. George Monbiot’s beautiful description of how wolves heal rivers is a perfect example of this.
“Change or be changed”
In order to move from a culture of stasis to a culture of transition, we need to tell stories that explain that “change is coming – whether it’s positive or negative change is our choice”.
Individual experience is central to this process – the idea of “being the change”.
Narrative is, of course, not just about telling stories. Often narratives are conveyed, and values embedded, through behaviour. Personal experiences, empathic encounters, immersive experiences and modelled behaviour are very powerful ways to embed new narratives and reprioritise cultural norms.
Climate communications expert, Susanne Moser, focusses on behaviour in discussing the goal of “bring[ing] about changes in social norms and cultural values”. As she notes:
“through efforts to influence behavior not just situationally, but fundamentally—via early education, effective interventions later in life, and pervasive modelling of certain behavioral norms—it is possible to set new or change existing social norms, portray less consumption-oriented, energy-intensive lifestyles, promote new values and ideals around family size and reproduction, and lay a foundation for broad acceptance of policy interventions…”10
Moser notes that, where narrative can be seen as an externally imposed driver, leadership by example and behaviour change are most effective when interactive, enabling a deeper engagement with the issues.
Supportive, if not essential, here are dialogic forms of interaction, which can be used to involve audiences in shaping the new lifestyles and visions of a more sustainable society rather than simply ‘deliver’ them from some external, higher authority to the public for implementation.
So, how do we put these theories and ideas into practice?
“Changing what is possible”
If we understand the political, social and ecological situation we find ourselves in as a cultural phenomenon rather than purely an economic one;
If we understand power as exercised through culture, and our capacity to act as mediated and limited by culture;
If we see cultural narratives embedded into our world through news and entertainment media and the narrowing of political discourse, through advertising, through urban design, through public policy decisions made incrementally so as to be less obtrusive, and much more;
Then we find ourselves at a moment of astonishing opportunity.
Right now, with the collapse of confidence in politics, with the collapse in news media consumption, with the rise of the internet and social media, and with over-reach by governments, the whole aedifice is at risk of collapse.
If we now systematically and systemically seek to reprioritise cultural values, model different behavioural norms, and tell new culture-defining stories, we can, as Naomi Klein calls us to do, Change Everything.
So what will this entail?
Much of the task will simply be about challenging ourselves to ensure that our campaigns, outreach and communications are helping to create a culture more conducive to caring for the environment, rather than buttressing the old culture. But we should also look to new ways of leading by example, creating experiences, involving people in participatory processes.
There are numerous models which can be brought in as tools in the broader movement for climate action if we embrace the need for deep cultural change. Some are well-understood ideas that take on new importance through this understanding of cultural politics – ideas like downshifting and reducing working hours; replacing Gross Domestic Product as our measure of national success; introducing new governance models around bioregionalism, worker owned cooperatives and deliberative and participatory democracy.
Some fantastic thinking is going on at the moment, bringing together suites of ideas like these into new systemic proposals by groups like the New Economics Foundation. I would go deeper than some of these, such as The Next System, launched in the USA in March, which still frames the world around ideas of ownership and exchange instead of social interaction and ecology. If we are to achieve deep change, that too must shift.
A number of ideas mentioned in the section on new narratives above deserve more exploration.
One of the most promising is the identification of and response to what Richard Louv describes as Nature Deficit Disorder.11 The fact that we are bringing up generations of children who have less and less direct experience of playing in nature has serious implications for how we understand our relationship with nature. How can we love nature, how can we fear and mourn its loss, if we have no direct experience of it? Fascinatingly, it goes a lot deeper than this. Louv points to medical and psychological research attributing all sorts of problems to a lack of connection with the natural world, from obesity to depression.
There are now several organisations, including Nature Play, Natural Change, and Project Wild Thing, dedicated to driving broad cultural change through engaging children and adults with nature. Through modelling and immersive experience, these projects can make a significant contribution to the fourth thread of narratives above – the story that our society is a small part of, and entirely dependent on, the natural world – and shifting deep cultural values expressing our place in the world.
Alongside this thread is the recognition that, as a society, we are losing our vocabulary of the natural world. This discussion was triggered by a decision by a British publisher of a children’s dictionary to remove “blackberry” the fruit but include “Blackberry” the communications device. There is now an active movement to reclaim old vocabularies, driven by the recognition that, if we cannot describe the natural world we cannot truly value it.
The development of the sharing economy is also an important part of the picture. And I do not mean the peer-to-peer rental economy of Uber, Airbnb and others. More radical versions such as the Buy Nothing Project, where people offer things to others in their local community to use or take, and ask for goods and services they need, go far deeper. Ideas such as mini free libraries and recreating commons with community orchards and gardens similarly build a more interconnected, mutually supportive world.
Connected to sharing rather than consuming is the reinvigoration of repair. Free bicycle repair workshops have been springing up, as have “repair cafes”, where you can go to learn skills for fixing damaged goods rather than throwing them out and buying new ones. Practical workshops around installing insulation or establishing garden beds are another way to embed values of community and ecology and tell new world-describing stories through active behaviour change.
Taking on advertising will be crucial. Tim Kasser and the Common Cause project have demonstrated a clear link between advertising and suppression of intrinsic values because advertising boosts extrinsic values such as wealth and status. Working to limit advertising, through regulation of public space, restricting advertising targeting children, civil disobedience campaigns against public space advertising and more, will be a vital part of addressing climate change culture.
The concept behind Green Music Australia is that, if we musicians can start to convincingly walk the talk, if we can green up our own industry through cutting waste streams, by using LED stage lights, efficient refrigeration, and on site renewable energy, and by tackling transport to and from gigs, we can become very powerful cultural leaders. By tying together modelling of behaviour, experience and participation, both for the musicians themselves and for their surrounding industry and audience, and the cultural power of the music itself, the idea is that this will drive change at a deeper level than has yet been achieved by the environment movement.
Bringing these threads together is a most fascinating idea, filled with opportunity for the role of the arts in driving climate action. That is contained in a recent paper published by Common Cause suggesting that engagement in arts & culture in and of itself can encourage values of compassion, social justice, and sustainability.
The value of care for the environment sits on the map close to values of creativity and curiosity, amongst the values collectively referred to as “intrinsic”, and opposite “extrinsic” values, such as desire for more material possessions, social status and power.
“If we accept the sensible proposition that engagement in arts and culture activates values such as “curiosity” and “creativity,” then the implication from the research … would be that the intrinsic portion of the human motivational system could be encouraged and strengthened, while the extrinsic portion could be suppressed, as a result of participating in arts and cultural activities… As such, it may be that the more that one engages in artistic activity for these kinds of intrinsic reasons, the more the intrinsic portion of the motivational system will be strengthened, and thus the weaker extrinsic values will become.”12
It may well be that, beyond their role in helping to most effectively communicate messages and support social movements for change, the arts may in and of themselves change our culture to one more conducive to tackling the climate crisis.
There is more research to be done in this area to confirm the link in practice. Indeed all of these ideas are yet to be demonstrated.
But what I believe is beyond doubt is that, if we continue to attempt to solve the ecological, social and political crises we face from within the current socio-political culture, we are attempting to do the impossible.
It’s time we changed what is possible.
For further discussion on the ideas presented in this essay, see the following responses:
Arlene Goldbard, The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists and The Future (Waterlight Press, 2013), loc 113 ↩
Daniel Hunter, Strategy and Soul: A Campaigner’s Tale of Fighting BIllionnaires, Corrupt Officials, and Philadelphia Casinos, Smashwords, 2013, Chapter 10 ↩
Arlene Goldbard, The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists and The Future, Waterlight Press, 2013, loc 193. ↩
Noam Chomsky, The Common Good, Odonian Press, 1998, 43. ↩
Naomi Klein, This Changes Everything, Allen Lane, 2014, 61. ↩
Rowson, Jonathan, A New Agenda on Climate Change: Facing up to Stealth Denial and Winding Down on Fossil Fuels, A report for The RSA, December 2013, 18. ↩
Rowson, Jonathan, A New Agenda on Climate Change: Facing up to Stealth Denial and Winding Down on Fossil Fuels, A report for The RSA, December 2013, 25. ↩
Rob Rosenthal and Richard Flacks, Playing for Change: Music and Musicians in the Service of Social Movements (Paradigm Publishers, 2012), 165. ↩
Rob Rosenthal and Richard Flacks, Playing for Change: Music and Musicians in the Service of Social Movements (Paradigm Publishers, 2012), 100. ↩
Susanne Moser, ‘Communicating Climate Change: History, Challenges, Process and Future Directions’ (2010) 1(1) Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change 53, 38. ↩
Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods, (Algonquin Books, 2005), 335. ↩
Professor Tim Kasser, in Mission Models Money & Common Cause, The Art of Life: Understanding How Participation in Arts and Culture Can Affect our Values (2013) 10-11. ↩ | <urn:uuid:f2b147fa-a9c5-449b-b7b4-7be42d06f3d5> | {
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By Matthew Taylor
Childhood and Family
Affects of Childhood
Benedict was not Well Educated
It is possible that maybe Benedict didn't quite see what the consequences of betraying his nation would be. Benedict was also know as a drinker, so alcohol definitely didn't help his decisions.
Benedict was not a Fan of Congress
Benedict and His Short Temper
Benedict naturally had a short temper. While this helped with his leading abilities, some people disliked Benedict because of it. Some thought he was too harsh and too hard on his soldiers. Benedict had a mixed reputation. Some praised him and some wanted him out of the military all together. His temper didn't help his reputation. Alcohol also affected his mood. With all the stress and responsibility that came with being a military leader, Benedict was often found in a bar. His temper and drinking habits most likely didn't help his thinking, and he could have easily not been thinking right when he made the decision to trade plans with the British. | <urn:uuid:93325c20-e51b-4e91-b2fa-e8cc980edd7d> | {
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Definition of Polarization
What does the term "polarization" mean? What is meant by the term "polarization"?
"Polarization", in the world of politics, occurs when public opinion goes to two extremes, and there is no real middle ground or moderates.
For instance, the United States is very polarized when it comes to politics. You have two parties - the Republicans and the Democrats, and there is basically no common ground between the two of them. Conservatives have seemingly pushed even more to the "right" over the past few decades, while liberals have seemingly moved even further to the left. The two sides disagree vehemently on practically every major subject, from the economy to managing the debt to military spending to abortion. Centrists have become relatively rare in the United States as the country has become increasingly polarized.
Factions within an individual political party can also become polarized as well. For instance, there are some politicians in the Democratic party who advocate a more centrist approach, while there are others who are far, far left. The same thing with the Republican party - there are your Republican politicians who are far right, while there are others who tend to drift more towards the middle.
It is human nature that people tend to argue more ferociously if they verbalize a position. This leads to increased polarization, as people tend to not switch or even reconsider their positions, due to not wanting to look as though they are "weak" and prone to flip-flopping.
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Vince Cable opens Bristol carbon fibre research centre
It makes aircraft save fuel. It makes wind turbines produce more power. It makes Formula 1 cars go even faster.
Across industry, this material is gradually replacing steel and aluminium.
They call it "composite", because it has multiple layers. The most common form is carbon fibre, and it is changing the face of engineering.
Now a national composites research centre has opened in Bristol's Science Park, to develop the technology.'Age of Composites'
I first had my eyes opened to the impact of composite technology by the chairman of the South West Regional Development Agency. Sir Harry Studholme was announcing plans for the National Composites Centre (NCC) two years ago and he put a grand scale on it all.
He said: "We've had the iron age, and the industrial age. Now we are entering the age of composites."
End Quote Sir Harry Studholme Chairman, SW Regional Development Agency
We've had the iron age. Now we are entering the age of composites”
A grand statement, but not ridiculous. Boeing's new passenger plane, the so-called Dreamliner, is made almost entirely from composites. Airbus will unleash their own rival in 2014, the A350.
Why? Quite simply, because composite materials are lighter than metal. Making these aircraft from composites cuts fuel bills by a third.
Already, Airbus has a composite military cargo plane in the skies. The wings, made entirely from composites, are manufactured in Filton. It may be lightweight, but it can lift 37 tonnes.
The wings that can lift an armoured car start off as light floppy black tape and are made at the new GKN factory at Avonmouth, where they make parts for the Airbus A350.
And it is not just plane makers who love composites. Wind turbines use it, for the same reason in reverse. A lighter blade will spin faster in the same breeze, generating more power.
Rolls Royce are now plunging composite blades underwater, searching for a material that will stand the salt and the pressure, and drive tidal turbines.
For years, Formula 1 cars have used super light composites to gain speed. Now electric car makers are experimenting with composite bodies. Save a kilogram in the body, they say, and you save another kilo in battery weight.
Almost everywhere you look, metal is on the way out, and composites are coming.
The NCC's director, Peter Chivers, said: "Anywhere that if we make things lighter, we save fuel and cut carbon, composites are valuable."
Until now, research for this new technology had all been done in-house, by huge multi-nationals like Airbus, Rolls Royce and GKN. This made it hard for small firms to develop innovation, and industry leaders believed it held back UK manufacturing.
At the same time, the science of composites was advancing in universities like Bristol.
The National Composites Centre was built to bridge that gap.
Here, scientists from universities can collaborate with industrial engineers, and develop new composite materials.
Lightweight composite bodies for everyday cars are being explored. Huge 80-metre-long turbine blades, made in a single span, for vast wind farms out at sea. And tiny precision-engineered materials for medical applications and prosthetics.
Mr Chivers believes the benefits to the UK will be huge.
He said: "Composites is a high-growth sector. We're seeing 8% a year, even 15% in some sectors. If the UK can be part of that growth, that has to be good for us."
Hi-tech, high growth, low carbon, this is exactly the kind of industry ministers are desperate for. Which is why the NCC will be opened by Dr Vince Cable, the business secretary.
He said: "Here in the UK we are very good at invention but we need to do more to innovate and turn our ideas into products and jobs."
Dr Cable described the South West as "a real hub for composite and aerospace manufacturing".
It is perhaps ironic that the NCC was conceived, created and delivered by the SW Regional Development Agency, a body now axed by Dr Cable and the coalition. Industry insiders point out that this kind of research takes years to produce results. Some wonder how the next generation of research will be funded, without the support of bodies like the regional development agencies.
But nobody will mention those arguments at the launch party, focussing instead on the opportunities this brave new world of composite engineering offers.
Mr Chivers said: "The West Country has a fabulous array of small firms designing and producing composite technology. This centre will give them access to the very latest machines and research, and put them on a world stage." | <urn:uuid:2c8c3b68-e5d7-491e-a3a9-e2a85203ca7b> | {
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Precipitation of liquid water drops with diameters greater than 0.02 in. (0.5 mm). When the drops are smaller, the precipitation is usually called drizzle. Raindrops may form by the coalescence of colliding small water droplets or from the melting of snowflakes and other ice particles as they fall into warm air near the ground. Hawaii's Mount Waialeale, with a 20-year annual average of 460 in. (11,700 mm), is the Earth's wettest known point; the driest areas are in parts of deserts where no appreciable rain has ever been observed. Less than 10 in. (250 mm) and more than 60 in. (1,500 mm) per year represent approximate extremes of rainfall for all the continents. | <urn:uuid:e5beb8db-ce26-4920-8eb6-fbcdee3b2804> | {
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Enter a grandparent's name to get started.
Few men can recite the story of Kansas since statehood from their own recollection. One of these men is George W. Dailey, now a resident of Topeka. Mr. Dailey is a true pioneer of Kansas. He arrived when this and all the country west of the Missouri River was a wilderness. He bore the hardships and difficult circumstances of the frontier settler. He helped defend the country when there was danger, and a public spirit and willingness to sacrifice himself for the benefit of others had been one of the distinguishing traits of his character.
In March, 1860, he arrived in Topeka on horseback, he having traveled that way from Marshall, Missouri. He went direct from Topeka to Mission Creek, now called Dover, and with his cousin Charles W. Dailey acquired 800 acres of land in Wabannses county, just across the Shawnee County line. Thus he entered upon his life in Kansas on a comparatively large scale even for those days. After two years on that land he moved to Mission Creek and bought the Doty farm, now known generally as the Dailey farm. On March 7, 1862, Mr. Dailey married Eliza J. Doty.
For a quarter of a century Mr. Dailey found all his time and energies absorbed in the management of his extensive farming and stock raising interests in the vicinity of Dover. In 1885 he moved to Topeka, and that city had since been his home, though his interests are still represented in the country districts of Shawnee County.
George W. Dailey was born April 6, 1835, in Monroe County, New York, and grew up and received his early education there. His parents were Thomas and Lydia L. (Whitney) Dailey, and his grandfather Thomas Dailey was a native of County Tyrone, Ireland, where he was a weaver. Going from Ireland to to Scotland, he became a shepherd. was Mason, after coming to America He arrived in this country just prior to the Revolutionary war.
While living in New York state George W. Dailey acquired more of an education than most boys of the time and place enjoyed. He attended the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary and College and for four terms was a teacher in New York state. In March, 1857, he went to Albia, Iowa, where he followed teaching and also clerking in a store. Two years later he came to Kansas, and in this state found the arena of his serious efforts, which have been attended with a generous degree of prosperity.
In 1864 Mr. Dailey enlisted in Company D of the Seventeenth Kansas Volunteer Infantry, serving as commissary sergeant of his company. He was on duty as a guard at Lawrence immediately following the asking of that town. His business success had come from farming and cattle raising. For a time he operated a store at Dover with Harvey Loomis, and was also interested in a creamery. He is a charter member of the Doyer cemetery. Mr. Dailey is a member of Lincoln Post, No. 1, Grand Army of the Republic, of Topeka; had been member of the Masonic order since 1866; was a notary public while living on the farm; and had been a member of the school board for several years.
After a happy married life of almost fifty years, Mrs. Dailey died in February, 1912. She was the mother of seven children: Belle, now deceased, who married John Christian; Addie, who married James Riley and lives in Shawnee County; Thomas C., a resident of Topeka; Mattie and Hattie, twins, the former the wife of Frank McClelland and the latter the wife of William F. Riley, living near Dover; Lizzie, who died at the age of twenty-five; and Charles, of Topeka. | <urn:uuid:ea9e8f36-8327-43c5-b9c3-dfe6089eea59> | {
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Over this holiday season I’ve been traveling around Tanzania with my sister who has been volunteering here as a health educator. Though she has been primarily working on HIV/AIDS issues, I of course have been more interested in how this particular African country has been dealing with waterborne diseases. And the fact of the matter is that – just as Tanzania’s economy is experiencing relatively solid growth while Mali is left watching on the sidelines - Tanzania is steadily improving its indicators of water and sanitation while my beloved Mali remains mired in stagnation and disease.
Statistics vary according to the respective methodologies of the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control, UNICEF, etc.; and public health statistics are notoriously difficult to measure in the hardly-functional states of sub-Saharan Africa. But the broad picture is clear; though health indicators in Tanzania remain generally abysmal, they are considerably less abysmal in Tanzania than in Mali. Here in Tanzania there is a significantly lower prevalence of diarrhea, giardia, dysentery and cholera; Tanzania has a lower prevalence of death by diarrheal disease, a lower infant mortality rate, a lower child mortality rate, and a slightly greater life expectancy overall.
And in many of the same reports, you will find that only 24 percent of Tanzanians have “access to adequate sanitation facilities” i.e. toilets or latrines. This statistic too is prone to wild estimation and subjectivity, but I think that it may be the most telling. A Westerner might look at this figure and read it to mean Tanzanian sanitation infrastructure is atrocious – I think that would be a fair statement – but they don’t know the meaning of atrocious until they read that only 1/6 of that fraction, a mere 4 percent of Malians have “access to adequate sanitation”. The blunt truth is that beyond the likes of Niger, Mauritania, Haiti, Afghanistan and the very nadir of the most-underdeveloped countries of the world, it is difficult to exceed the sheer disarray of sanitation in the Republic of Mali.
Confined to the realm of pure statistical analysis, one might be inclined to assume that that is the whole story; Tanzanians have more latrines and soak pits than Malians, latrines and soak pits reduce the chance of fecal contamination of the drinking water, therefore Tanzanians have less prevalence of giardia and dysentery and greater life expectancies than Malians. Q.E.D.
But there’s more to it than that. In addition to the existence of water and sanitation infrastructure of the lack thereof, the prevalence of diseases transmitted via the fecal-oral cycle is tied to sanitation practices. Loyal readers of this blog are probably familiar with the fact that Mali’s appalling prevalence of gastrointestinal disease is largely caused by the country’s traditions which entail that the people of that country clean their respective anuses with their respective left hands, they “wash” their hands before eating by mushing their left and right hands together in a tin can of water used by every member of the eating party, and then they eat from a communal food bowl with their respective right hands. Popular Tanzanian anal-cleansing and eating practices are not much better; they generally eat their corn ugali with their hands, very few ever adequately wash their hands with soap, and even fewer use toilet paper or a bidet.
However, there are a few subtle differences. Most notably, when Maasai herders “wash” their hands without soap, they don’t dip their hands into a container of increasingly-filthy water. Instead, the eating rituals of the Maasai culture involve the youngest boy bringing a pitcher of hot water to his elders and pouring it over their hands. Even if they’re not doing a very thorough job of washing their hands, at least they’re not making them even dirtier as the Miniankas are wont to do.
And even though the Maasai maintain the uncouth tradition of eating with their hands, they do not eat with their hands from a communal food bowl. You see, in addition to drinking tea and eating fried potato “chips”, Tanzanians adopted from their former British colonial overlords the practice of eating from individual plates. This – I believe – makes a world of a difference. Even if someone is going to eat ugali with fecal matter-tainted hands and unwittingly practice coprophagy, there is relatively little risk of contracting giardia, dysentery or cholera by ingesting one’s own fecal matter – if there are amoebas in your stools, then you already have amoebic dysentery. The only way to contract fecal-oral cycle-transmitted disease is to ingest someone else’s poo particles – a risk significantly downgraded by a culture that shifts from eating from one shared bowl of food to multiple, individualized bowls of food.
I can only assume that the hygienically-superior eating habits of Tanzanians and their hand-washing practices which at least are not counterproductive probably provide a partial explanation of why this society is significantly less mired in disease than the people of Mali. Of course, this hypothesis would be quite daunting to prove as 1) there is no control group; and 2) if compilations of data on disease prevalence are shaky and “access to adequate sanitation facilities” is much too subjective to ever be analyzed scientifically, any statistic like “the prevalence of adequate hygiene practices” is 100-percent subjective and therefore epidemiologically-useless.
Nevertheless, I suppose that the conclusions are quite clear: cultures that are receptive to amending their cultural practices at least stand a chance of improving their public health and their general standard of living. Conversely, cultures which exhibit little genuine interest in learning how to swim are more liable to sink. If the people of Mali want to sully their hands in each other’s filth and eat with their hands from the same food bowl, then they are going to remain forever mired in gastrointestinal disease.
“Human rights barrister” Amal Clooney - Yet another occasion to note that what passes for human rights advocacy is often nothing of the sort: famous “human rights barrister” Amal Clooney, alas,... | <urn:uuid:2d0e6ea5-bd2e-4a8a-8d8f-6a52ccfa92f5> | {
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File Copy Protocol, commonly known as FTP assists us to communicate and share information by means of digital data from between two remote computers. If you are searching for a reliable as well as protect communication process, then go for FTP hosting service. Folks are taking finished advantage of FTP hosting in order to keep all their information secure from not authorized third party.
Shifting files over the Internet
In this age of Internet technology, communications are taking place on The net, a network (Internet), which can be spread across the world. Transferring files in digital format may be a part of Net communication. Generally speaking, the term Internet Communication identifies sharing details (text or image) through traditional Email from one laptop to another located at remote place.
However , Email is not regarded as the right moderate to share information in the form of digital files. A number of limitations can there be like, scale the data files and sort of the documents. Apart from the productivity of the connection protocol and setup in the network, we must think about the secureness measures to keep the information from Internet predators.
Protocols to transfer information
Primary purpose is to choose an efficient connection protocol, that enables us to talk about information and transfer digital files irrespective of file size and type. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol) is considered as a standard communication process for sending data over a given network. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a credit application protocol that is included with TCP/IP and supports copying files on the internet.
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The dimensions of the record that you are moving through FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL server likewise depends upon the velocity of Internet. Consequently , you have to guarantee fast Net speed designed for efficient conversation. FTP providers have nothing to do with Internet accelerate. FTP Hosting Service and internet Service are two separate things. Net speed only depends upon the world wide web service provider. It can be observed that for publishing large document (e. g., 300MB or perhaps more) Dial Up interconnection is not really sufficient, it should take more time and could collapse in the middle of the process. In this case FTP is most likely the right option.
Security is another issue that you must maintain through the communication procedure. It is recommended to continue for Safeguarded FTP hosting service to be sure the personal privacy of the content material. Secure FTP hosting assistance comes with the features like SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), TLS (Transport Level Security) or SSH (Secure Shell) that allow you to encrypt this article of the documents. Files happen to be encrypted through the help of keys and you could allow the certified user to decrypt the information by providing the key. A beneficiary, without having an effective key cannot decrypt the content.
Though basic FTP hosting service doesn’t always provide security features like SSL or SSH but helps to keep the level of privacy by maintaining split FTP keep an eye on each customer. FTP hosting services not merely provide you free of charge space in the FTP server to upload or download files nevertheless also permit you to create multiple FTP bill to access the allocated space in the web server. Each FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL account includes a unique group of user term and username and password. Only the licensed user of that account can easily upload or download documents from the web server.
FTP Hosting Service basic features
FTP hosting system comes with an FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL server by which information are transferred from a computer to a new. FTP service agency will designate some space for you based upon the requirement. By using FTP hosting service you are able to store digital files on the server and let only the permitted people to gain access to the information. The complete procedure is fairly simple and easy to use.
Initially you have to register for totally free space in the FTP web server. FTP hosting service provider www.shoponfestival.com is going to allocate the space. Next comes the question of planning FTP Client. Each remote control computer acts like FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL client during the transmission process. In other word it can be said that FTP Client is another component of FTP hosting service. For every FTP Client you will have different set of user name and password. Documents are published from FTP client to FTP Hardware. Uploaded data files are stored in the FTP server for the given period (that is dependent upon the FTP service owner). Another person diagnosed with the guru to access the uploaded data file can down load them from the FTP web server through a further remote pc or FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL Client. | <urn:uuid:c6d25058-1cb6-48ce-ac5a-bbe536365a43> | {
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Elementary students' critical examination of characters in children's literature depicting social justice page: title page this dissertation is part of the collection entitled: unt theses and dissertations and was provided to digital library by the unt libraries. Elementary school child spends 30 hours a week in front of the television set (utley, kozleski, smith, & draper, 2002 lickona, 1991) because these other trends in conduct imply disturbing changes in youth character, they too have attracted the attention of the public. School of education dissertation implemented in a rural elementary school located in south central pennsylvania implementation character education programming may be the tool educational leaders need to make an impact both on moral development, academic achievement, and building health.
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Environmentthatsupportsthe growthofapupil's character classroomstudentsshould nolongerspendtimein surroundingswherecharactertakesabackseat (lickona, 1989. The effectiveness of character education programs in middle and high schools a person’s character is a culmination of his behaviors, qualities and attitudes (battistich, 2000 josephson institute, 2011. Character education and student discipline in selected elementary schools bonita j senior-gay this dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by [email protected] w woodruff library, atlanta university center senior-gay, bonita j, character education and student discipline in selected elementary schools (2004)etd. Character dissertation elementary in student character dissertation elementary in student electronic theses and dissertations doctoral dissertation character education: examining the perceptions overview of character education in elementary, pivotal factor that determines the success of many elementary learners including the students in this study.
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And dissertations by an authorized administrator of stars for more information, please [email protected] stars citation ampel, jason, character education: examining the perceptions of elementary, middle, and high school teachers in a central florida school district (2009)electronic theses and dissertations 3885. The findings show that older elementary students are capable of seeing multiple perspectives of an issue and can explain characters' power from born from privilege and fueled by fear and how a shift in power may occur through solidarity. Implementation of character education programs in elementary schools character education should be an integral part of the curriculum, not taught as a separate subject this includes not only academi c subjects but also specialty areas such as art, music, and physical education.
An applied dissertation submitted to the an evaluation of a character education program at an elementary school king, joyce ann, 2008: applied dissertation, nova southeastern university, fischler school of student assignment and how the district could best meet the academic and social needs of the children.
Confessions-of-a-nomadcom dissertation doctrine of election research paper free apa format sample essay blogussion skin thesis outline including thesis development process of a formal essay free samples persuasive essays hamlet sane essay radford admission essay social cultural anthropology extended essays definition essay success thesis. We know all too well that students prefer to buy essays online for cheap prices we also know you have to look out when you buy an essay – cheap online services often provide low-quality works luckily, that is not the case with essay usa – with us you can easily buy essay, cheap yet top-level. | <urn:uuid:36ffefab-298b-4756-a458-bcadd3e9d3e8> | {
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Green Tea May Prevent Kidney Stones
Study Shows Compound in Green Tea Extract May Block Formation of Kidney Stones
Nov. 20, 2009 -- Drinking green tea may help prevent painful kidney stones. A new study shows compounds in green tea extract make it more difficult for certain kidney stones to form.
Kidney stones affect about 5% of the world's population. They occur when abnormally high concentrations of minerals, such as calcium, accumulate in the urinary tract and clump together to form crystals and potentially painful stones.
Most kidney stones contain calcium, and the most common stone type is calcium oxalate. Chinese researchers found that green tea extract bonds to calcium oxalate and makes the resulting crystals a different shape, which makes them less likely to clump together and form large kidney stones.
The smaller crystals and stones are then passed harmlessly through the urine.
In the study, published in CrystEngComm, Xudong Li of Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, and colleagues examined the effects of green tea concentrate on calcium oxalate crystallization using a variety of advanced scanning and imaging techniques.
The results showed that as the amount of green tea extract applied increased, the calcium oxalate crystals became flatter and flatter.
Researchers say flatter crystals form less stable kidney stones that break up more easily. | <urn:uuid:f7fcd6ca-dd44-4819-9304-140cfa466f51> | {
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In philosophy of the mind, most of the debate during the past century has turned on the materialist and the dualist perspectives. Materialists have argued that physical things are really the only things that exist, and that the mind is a physical thing, and dualists have argued that the mind and body are immaterial and material things, respectively. Both materialism and dualism have their well-trod problems-- materialism seems to explain away, rather than explain, mental states, and dualism notoriously suffers from the interaction problem-- how does an immaterial mind interact with a material brain?
I believe that materialism has more problems than dualism, as you might have guessed, but neither is satisfactory and there are other ways to understand the mind.
Idealism is the view that everything is immaterial mind and physical things qua physical don't actually exist. It has had venerable defenders, but is hard to take seriously. Famously, Dr. Samuel Johnson, when asked how he could refute Berkeley's idealism, said "I refute it thus" and kicked a rock.
Another explanation for the mind is provided by Thomistic dualism, which presupposes Aristotelian and Thomist metaphysics and proposes that the mind bears the same relation to the body that form bears to matter. I believe that it is the most satisfactory explanation for the mind.
A fifth approach to understanding the mind is neutral monism, championed by Bertrand Russell. Russell was, as you probably know, an atheist, but not a materialist. His observations on philosophy of the mind are cogent, are of surprising relevance to our modern debate on scientism.
Russell began with affirmation of indirect realism. He posited that our sensory perceptions do not necessarily present us with the world as it is. We have no reason to think that red things have "redness" in them. Atoms have no intrinsic color. We perceive red because of the way our perceptive system processes light of a certain frequency. We perceive phenomena- things as they appear, not noumena-- things as they are.
But Russell pointed out that the scientific investigation of the natural world-- which would seem to present us with a much more secure picture of reality-- has its own problem. It's a serious problem. Russell pointed out that scientific knowledge of the physical world entails causal explanations of particles-- electrons and protons and photons are described in terms of how they interact with other particles. Substances are described by science according to what they do. Science does not describe substances-- electrons, protons, photons and aggregates composed of them-- by what the are.
Russell holds to structural realism-- the view that science tells about the causal relations (the causal structure) of real things, but does not tell us exactly what those things are, in themselves. For example, the brain is understood under scientific investigation as matter related by a complex simulacrum of causal events-- atoms and molecules and action potentials. But science is silent-- must be silent-- on what the brain is in itself. Science describes relations we understand in nature, just as perceptions describe sensations we have of nature. Neither perceptions nor scientific understanding provide us with an understanding of nature as it actually is.
Is our quest for direct reliable knowledge of nature-- nature as it really is-- hopeless? Russell says no, and he makes a remarkable observation. Perception and scientific investigation do not exhaust our ways of knowing. We can also use introspection to know certain things. And unlike perception and scientific investigation of natural things like mental states, introspection is direct knowledge of mental states. It is the only kind of knowledge we have that is not mediated by sensory organs or conjured from scientific study of causal relations. By introspection we know our mental states as they are.
Russell argues that, in philosophy of the mind, the materialists have it exactly backwards. Materialists reduce the mind to the brain, trying to explain the mind in terms of appearances and causal relations of brain tissue. But the reality is that it is the mind that we directly experience-- the brain is reducible to the mind, so to speak, not the mind to the brain.
By neutral monism, Russell means that there is one kind of substance and it is neutral, in the sense that it is neither wholly mental nor wholly physical. This one kind of substance-- he called it qualia-- can be introspected, and can be perceived, and can be understood via scientific investigation of causal relations. But only introspection lets us know this monist substance (our mind/brain) as it actually is. Perception and scientific study merely give us indirect knowledge of our mind/brain.
Russell observes that if you want to know what the brain is like intrinsically, in itself, neuroscience won't help you. You can know what the brain is like intrinsically only by contemplating your own thoughts. In a very real sense, you know more about your brain than any neuroscientist knows about it, because you know your brain (mind/brain) first-hand, not in a perceptual or abstract scientific way.
Russell proposed that qualia are the ultimate substance of which everything is composed. Qualia are neither intrinsically mental or physical. When organized into neural structures, qualia are mental. When organized into non-neural structures (rocks, chairs, etc) qualia are physical.
Russellian identity theory-- neutral monism-- has obvious strengths. In my view, its greatest strength is that it flips materialists' arguments. It is the mind, not the brain, that is known directly and with certainty, and materialist theories that try to reduce the mind to the brain or eliminate the mind altogether (eliminative materialism) are fundamental errors.
The obvious weakness of Russellian neutral monism is the implication of pan-psychism-- the notion that there is or at least can be a little bit of "mind" in everything, including inanimate objects. That seems to me to be a bit too much to accept as is, despite the significant strengths of the viewpoint.
In addition to refuting materialism, as Russell's theory nicely and decisively does, neutral monism makes scientism, which is the view that scientific investigation is the ultimate arbitrator of our understanding of nature, a difficult proposition to defend. The scientific endeavor, laudable and effective as it undoubtedly is in some circumstances, is sharply limited. Science can only investigate causal relations between things, not the things in themselves.
And the only things we can know directly, in themselves, are our own mental states.
Introspection, not perception nor science, provides the only direct kind of knowledge.
(NB: Ed Feser's Philosophy of Mind--a Beginner's Guide is an excellent introduction to these philosophical conundrums. He provides a balanced discussion of the broad range of philosophical approaches to the mind-brain question.)
Cross-posted at Evolution News and Views | <urn:uuid:229124a5-6841-4930-b958-d45c4b25a662> | {
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Part of ESA’s proud family
Ten years in development and a one-year launch postponement is a long time, and certainly long enough to start a family...
In Rosetta’s case, one brother has already left home, and younger sister is soon to be born.
When Rosetta lifted off on 2 March 2004, no one watching could have done so without feeling just a little tension.
Rosetta cost around one thousand million Euros and was at its most vulnerable in those minutes and hours following launch.
This is not the most costly space mission ever launched, but a thousand million Euros is still a lot of money. That is why, in 1996, the challenge was set to develop a mission to re-use the Rosetta technology and expertise to send the most cost-efficient spacecraft to Mars, all in the shortest time possible.
Rosetta’s brother, Mars Express, was conceived on 30 March 1999. The contract was signed and in February of the following year, construction began. The spacecraft launched in June 2003 and is now in orbit around Mars, collecting fantastic scientific data.
The success of Mars Express benefited a lot from the development work ESA and its industrial partners performed on Rosetta. However, Rosetta’s year-long delay did cause a few uncertain moments for Mars Express.
Rosetta should have been the first flight of the critical ‘core units’ of this type of spacecraft. When it was delayed, the Mars Express team had no rehearsals for learning how to fly Mars Express and had to gain their own experience.
They had to learn everything they needed to know about the way Mars Express handled during the six short months between launch and the critical orbit insertion. In the event, the orbit insertion was perfect.
In March 2001, ESA began to develop a second spin-off mission, Rosetta’s sister, Venus Express. The go-ahead was given in November 2002 and the mission will launch in 2005. Venus Express may become the record holder for speed from contract to launch.
Mars Express and Venus Express started out as exceptions but it is likely that in the future we will see more large missions with sophisticated technology giving birth to smaller ones.
Indeed, when BepiColombo launches to Mercury around 2012, ESA plan to spin off another mission to re-use that technology. Solar Orbiter will be Bepi-Colombo’s younger brother and will take the closest ever look at the Sun.
With this approach, ESA Science plan to squeeze every possible drop of science from every single Euro spent. | <urn:uuid:f4aa4161-ed7d-45a9-b094-c106d01a994b> | {
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By Estelle Riché, PhD, Julien Bôle and Stéphane Mabic, PhD
Millipore Corporation, Bioscience Division, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
Water is a ubiquitous solvent used throughout cell isolation and culture. Therefore, water contamination may affect experimental outcomes. The use of ultrapure water is advisable for culturing of cells sensitive to environmental contaminants, such as endotoxins and bacteria. Cardiomycyte isolation experiments showed that using water contaminated with bacteria and endotoxins decreases cell viability, while using freshly produced ultrapure water dramatically increases it. Additionally, an ultrafiltration cartridge will efficiently remove large molecules that may be present in water.
Tissue and cell culture are important tools in numerous fields of biomedical research. Water is used in many steps of the tissue culture process, including buffer and media preparation as well as glassware washing. Thus, water quality may play an important role in experimental outcomes. Cardiomyocyte isolation and culture are presented here as an illustration of the potential impact of water contamination on tissue culture experiments.
What are Endotoxins?
Endotoxins are major components of the outer membrane of most Gram-negative bacteria. They are a class of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The endotoxin molecule consists of a long polysaccharide chain that carries the endotoxic feature of the molecule (O-antigen) and a lipid component (Lipid A) (Figure 1). Depending on the bacterial strain, LPS molecular weight may range from 5 kDa to 20 kDa. In aqueous solution, LPS form micelles or vesicles as large as one million Da1, 2 (Figure 2). Endotoxins stimulate macrophages and phagocytes to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines. They also affect the growth, function and cloning efficiency of many other cell types, including cells lacking endotoxin receptors.3
How to Remove Endotoxins from Water
Although ultrapure water often is considered to be an inhospitable environment, it nevertheless can harbor some endotoxin-producing bacteria. Bacteria may be removed by filtration or autoclaving, but few methods of sterilization can destroy the remaining endotoxins. BioPak™ ultrafiltration cartridges (Millipore Corporation, Billerica, MA, U.S.A.) contain thin polysulfone hollow fibers designed to remove endotoxins and other macromolecules from water (Figure 3). Ultrafiltration is a pressure-driven purification process in which water and low-molecularweight substances permeate a membrane while particles, colloids and macromolecules are retained. Figure 4 shows how endotoxins spiked into water are retained by the ultrafiltration cartridge. Large amounts of endotoxin were added to ultrapure water (up to 1,000 EU/ml). Both the “challenge” water and the purified water (“output”) were analyzed using the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate assay (QCL-1000® Chromogenic LAL Endpoint Assay, Cambrex Corporation, Walkersville, MD, U.S.A). Most of the endotoxin (more than 99.9 %) was removed from the water by the ultrafiltration process. When the BioPak cartridge was used under normal conditions (without an endotoxin challenge), no endotoxin activity was detected.
Cardiomyocyte Culture - A Practical Illustration of the Effect of Endotoxins on Tissue Culture
Congestive heart failure, often caused by myocardial infarction, is characterized by a significant loss of cardiac myocytes, the muscle cells of heart tissue. Strategies for heart repair using cardiomyocytes are currently being studied.4 Isolated cardiomyocytes are a valuable tool for studying the heart muscle.
Cardiomyocytes were isolated from adult rat cardiac tissue after perfusion with Liberase™, a blend of collagenase and neutral protease (Blendzyme 3, Roche Applied Science, Mannheim, Germany) in Krebs-Henseleit buffer (Sigma- Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A.). The freshly dissociated ventricular cardiomyocytes were washed in a HEPESbased buffer containing 25 mM HEPES, 0.13 mM sodium chloride, 4.5 mM potassium chloride, 5 mM glucose, 1.2 mM potassium phosphate monobasic, 20 g/l bovine albumin and 10 mM 2,3-butanedione monoxime (all from Sigma-Aldrich). Cells were suspended in Minimum Essential Medium and plated on laminin-coated plates.
Ultrapure water, containing very few ions (resistivity 18.2 MΩ.cm) and an extremely low level of organic contaminants (total organic carbon ≤ 15 ppb) was used to prepare the buffers for the extraction procedure and the culture. Two types of water were used:
› Water A: Water purified by ion exchange and activated carbon, followed by ultrafiltration at the point of use [with a Simplicity® water purification system and a BioPak ultrafiltration cartridge (Millipore Corporation, Billerica, MA, U.S.A.)]. Only freshly produced water was used.
› Water B: Water purified by reverse osmosis, ion exchange and activated carbon [with a Milli-U™ water purification system (Millipore Corporation, Billerica, MA, U.S.A.)]. This water was stored in a carboy before use and was not treated by ultrafiltration.
Cardiomyocytes are sensitive to endotoxins both in vivo (as in the case of systemic infection) and in vitro.5 Bacteria and endotoxin levels in the carboy-stored water were measured. The concentration in bacteria was approximately 4,000 CFU/ml and the endotoxin concentration was 8 EU/ml. The endotoxin level present in freshly produced ultrapure water is below the detection limit of commercially available endotoxin test kits.
When buffers were prepared with freshly purified and ultrafiltered water (Water A), many viable cardiomyocytes were obtained, as shown by their elongated and striated shape (Figure 5). However, when ultrapure water was stored before use and not treated with ultrafiltration (Water B), few viable cells were obtained. Therefore, the levels of endotoxin present in Water B were high enough to have a deleterious effect on cardiomyocyte cells during the isolation process.
High resistivity purified water (18.2 MΩ.cm) with low organic content (total organic carbon ≤ 15 ppb) and no endotoxins should be used when performing tissue culture experiments. Storage of the water after purification should be avoided as the water quality may degrade and bacterial contamination may occur, which leads to the production of endotoxins. Endotoxins may cause obvious changes in cell growth and morphology, as was the case for cardiomyocytes. They also may have more subtle effects and only influence cell function. Unknowingly working with endotoxin-contaminated cultures may lead not only to inaccurate or erroneous results, but also to loss of time, money and effort. Placing an ultrafiltration cartridge at the water purification system’s point of use will eliminate this potential risk.
Dr. C. Plin and Dr. R. Zini., INSERM U660, Créteil School of Medicine, France.
1. Sweadner, K.J.; Forte, M. and Nelsen L.L. “Filtration removal of endotoxin (pyrogens) in solution in different states of aggregation,” Appl Environ Microbiol. (1977) 34(4):382-5.
2. Anspach, F.B. “Endotoxin removal by affinity sorbents,” J Biochem Biophys Methods. (2001) 49(1-3):665-81.
3. Raetz, C.R.; Ulevitch, R.J.; Wright, S.D.; Sibley, C.H.; Ding, A. and Nathan, C.F. “Gram-negative endotoxin: an extraordinary lipid with profound effects on eukaryotic signal transduction,” FASEB J. (1991) 5:2652-60.
4. Fukuda, K. “Progress in myocardial regeneration and cell transplantation,” Circ J. (2005) 69(12):1431-46.
5. Panaro, M.A.; Amati, L.; Sisto, M; Caradonna, L.; Lisi, S.; Mitolo, V. and Fumarola, D. “Embryonal cardiotoxicity of the Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide,” Curr Drug Targets Immune Endocr Metabol Disord. (2001) 1:31-44. | <urn:uuid:38131e6f-b792-4bdb-929f-96fd9f682160> | {
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Inspired by the Jewish commitment to justice, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) works to realize human rights and end poverty in the developing world.
Our Commitment to Making a Difference
We combine the power of our grants to human rights advocates in developing countries with our efforts to persuade the United States government to adopt laws and policies that benefit people in the developing world.
Through our grants, AJWS provides financial support to 450 local advocacy organizations in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean that are working to end poverty and advance the rights of some of the poorest and most oppressed people in the world. Unlike most funders, AJWS recognizes the central role of local people in solving the problems they experience. We trust local advocates to develop and carry out their own solutions to build more just societies.
In the United States, AJWS mobilizes its supporters to persuade the United States Congress and the President of the United States to adopt policies and laws that improve the lives of people in the developing world.
While AJWS is a Jewish organization, the people and communities we support come from a wide array of religious and ethnic backgrounds and are united in promoting human rights in the world’s poorest countries. We work with communities and populations that are oppressed, neglected or persecuted, including women and girls, indigenous groups, LGBT people, and religious and ethnic minorities.
As a result, the AJWS community is a diverse network of people around the world, including people of all faiths, world views, ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations. It includes our grantees and their communities in developing countries; our board, donors, activists and staff; Jewish leaders and Members of Congress.
No matter who we are, the AJWS community is committed to making a difference by:
- Ending poverty and defending human dignity and rights
- Grasping that our historical experiences of oppression require us to stand up for the rights of others
- Pursuing the imperative to repair the world or tikkun olam
- Donating money to achieve justice or tzedakah
- Believing in the inherent dignity of every person or tzelem elohim
- Understanding that international human rights law is part of the global response to the Holocaust and promises a better world for all
- Furthering the work of earlier generations of Jewish activists for justice and equality | <urn:uuid:a6ae58e6-a15a-4ff5-b421-e66e91bfd3b2> | {
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General Sherman at Vicksburg
MEMOIRS OF GENERAL W. T. SHERMAN
By William T. Sherman
VICKSBURG—JANUARY TO JULY, 1863
JANUARY TO JULY, 1888
The campaign of 1863, resulting, in the capture of Vicksburg, was so important, that its history has been well studied and well described in all the books treating of the civil war, more especially by Dr. Draper, in his "History of the Civil War in America," and in Badeau's "Military History of General Grant." In the latter it is more fully and accurately given than in any other, and is well illustrated by maps and original documents. I now need only attempt to further illustrate Badeau's account by some additional details. When our expedition came out of the Arkansas River, January, 18,1863, and rendezvoused at the river-bank, in front of the town of Napoleon, Arkansas, we were visited by General Grant in person, who had come down from Memphis in a steamboat. Although at this time Major-General J. A. McClernand was in command of the Army of the Mississippi, by virtue of a confidential order of the War Department, dated October 21, 1862, which order bore the indorsement of President Lincoln, General Grant still exercised a command over him, by reason of his general command of the Department of the Tennessee. By an order (No. 210) of December 18, 1862, from the War Department, received at Arkansas Post, the Western armies had been grouped into five corps d'armee, viz.: the Thirteenth, Major-General McClernand; the Fourteenth, Major-General George H. Thomas, in Middle Tennessee; the Fifteenth, Major-General W. T. Sherman; the Sixteenth, Major-General Hurlbut, then at or near Memphis; and the Seventeenth, Major-General McPherson, also at and back of Memphis. General Grant when at Napoleon, on the 18th of January, ordered McClernand with his own and my corps to return to Vicksburg, to disembark on the west bank, and to resume work on a canal across the peninsula, which had been begun by General Thomas Williams the summer before, the object being to turn the Mississippi River at that point, or at least to make a passage for our fleet of gunboats and transports across the peninsula, opposite Vicksburg. General Grant then returned to Memphis, ordered to Lake Providence, about sixty miles above us, McPherson's corps, the Seventeenth, and then came down again to give his personal supervision to the whole movement.
The Mississippi River was very high and rising, and we began that system of canals on which we expended so much hard work fruitlessly: first, the canal at Young's plantation, opposite Vicksburg; second, that at Lake Providence; and third, at the Yazoo Pass, leading into the head-waters of the Yazoo River. Early in February the gunboats Indianola and Queen of the West ran the batteries of Vicksburg. The latter was afterward crippled in Red River, and was captured by the rebels; and the Indianola was butted and sunk about forty miles below Vicksburg. We heard the booming of the guns, but did not know of her loss till some days after. During the months of January and February, we were digging the canal and fighting off the water of the Mississippi, which continued to rise and threatened to drown us. We had no sure place of refuge except the narrow levee, and such steamboats as remained abreast of our camps. My two divisions furnished alternately a detail of five hundred men a day, to work on the canal. So high was the water in the beginning of March, that McClernand's corps was moved to higher ground, at Milliken's Bend, but I remained at Young's plantation, laid off a due proportion of the levee for each subdivision of my command, and assigned other parts to such steamboats as lay at the levee. My own headquarters were in Mrs. Grove's house, which had the water all around it, and could only be reached by a plank-walk from the levee, built on posts. General Frederick Steele commanded the first division, and General D. Smart the second; this latter division had been reenforced by General Hugh Ewing's brigade, which had arrived from West Virginia.
At the time of its date I received the following note from General Grant:
This letter was instantly (8 a.m.) sent to Colonel Giles A. Smith, commanding the Eighth Missouri, with orders to prepare immediately. He returned it at 9.15, with an answer that the regiment was all ready. I went up to Milliken's Bend in the tug, and had a conference with the general, resulting in these orders:
On returning to my camp at Young's Point, I started these two boats up the Yazoo and Steele's Bayou, with the Eighth Missouri and some pioneers, with axes, saws, and all the tools necessary. I gave orders for a part of Stuart's division to proceed in the large boats up the Mississippi River to a point at Gwin's plantation, where a bend of Steele's Bayou neared the main river; and the next day, with one or two stag-officers and orderlies, got a navy-tug, and hurried up to overtake Admiral Porter. About sixty miles up Steele's Bayou we came to the gunboat Price, Lieutenant Woodworth, United States Navy; commanding, and then turned into Black Bayou, a narrow, crooked channel, obstructed by overhanging oaks, and filled with cypress and cotton-wood trees. The gunboats had forced their way through, pushing aside trees a foot in diameter. In about four miles we overtook the gunboat fleet just as it was emerging into Deer Creek. Along Deer Creek the alluvium was higher, and there was a large cotton-plantation belonging to a Mr. Hill, who was absent, and the negroes were in charge of the place. Here I overtook Admiral Porter, and accompanied him a couple of miles up Deer Creek, which was much wider and more free of trees, with plantations on both sides at intervals. Admiral Porter thought he had passed the worst, and that he would be able to reach the Rolling Fork and Sunflower. He requested me to return and use all possible means to clear out Black Bayou. I returned to Hill's plantation, which was soon reached by Major Coleman, with a part of the Eighth Missouri; the bulk of the regiment and the pioneers had been distributed along the bayous, and set to work under the general supervision of Captain Kosaak. The Diligent and Silver Wave then returned to twin's plantation and brought up Brigadier-General Giles A. Smith, with the Sixth Missouri, and part of the One Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois. Admiral Porter was then working up Deer Creek with his iron-clads, but he had left me a tug, which enabled me to reconnoitre the country, which was all under water except the narrow strip along Deer Creek. During the 19th I heard the heavy navy-guns booming more frequently than seemed consistent with mere guerrilla operations; and that night I got a message from Porter, written on tissue-paper, brought me through the swamp by a negro, who had it concealed in a piece of tobacco.
The admiral stated that he had met a force of infantry and artillery which gave him great trouble by killing the men who had to expose themselves outside the iron armor to shove off the bows of the boats, which had so little headway that they would not steer. He begged me to come to his rescue as quickly as possible. Giles A. Smith had only about eight hundred men with him, but I ordered him to start up Deer Creek at once, crossing to the east side by an old bridge at Hill's plantation, which we had repaired for the purpose; to work his way up to the gunboat, fleet, and to report to the admiral that I would come, up with every man I could raise as soon as possible. I was almost alone at Hill's, but took a canoe, paddled down Black Bayou to the gunboat Price, and there, luckily, found the Silver wave with a load of men just arrived from twin's plantation. Taking some of the parties who were at work along the bayou into an empty coal-barge, we tugged it up by a navy-tug, followed by the Silver Wave, crashing through the trees, carrying away pilot-house, smoke-stacks, and every thing above-deck; but the captain (McMillan, of Pittsburg) was a brave fellow, and realized the necessity. The night was absolutely black, and we could only make two and a half of the four miles. We then disembarked, and marched through the canebrake, carrying lighted candles in our hands, till we got into the open cotton-fields at Hill's plantation, where we lay down for a few hours' rest. These men were a part of Giles A. Smith's brigade, and part belonged to the brigade of T. Bilby Smith, the senior officer present being Lieutenant-Colonel Rice, Fifty-fourth Ohio, an excellent young officer. We had no horses.
On Sunday morning, March 21st, as soon as daylight appeared, we started, following the same route which Giles A. Smith had taken the day before; the battalion of the Thirteenth United States Regulars, Major Chase, in the lead. We could hear Porter's guns, and knew that moments were precious. Being on foot myself, no man could complain, and we generally went at the double-quick, with occasional rests. The road lay along Deer Creek, passing several plantations; and occasionally, at the bends, it crossed the swamp, where the water came above my hips. The smaller drummer-boys had to carry their drums on their heads, and most of the men slang their cartridge-boxes around their necks. The soldiers generally were glad to have their general and field officers afoot, but we gave them a fair specimen of marching, accomplishing about twenty-one miles by noon. Of course, our speed was accelerated by the sounds of the navy-guns, which became more and more distinct, though we could see nothing. At a plantation near some Indian mounds we met a detachment of the Eighth Missouri, that had been up to the fleet, and had been sent down as a picket to prevent any obstructions below. This picket reported that Admiral Porter had found Deer Creek badly obstructed, had turned back; that there was a rebel force beyond the fleet, with some six-pounders, and nothing between us and the fleet. So I sat down on the door-sill of a cabin to rest, but had not been seated ten minutes when, in the wood just ahead, not three hundred yards off, I heard quick and rapid firing of musketry. Jumping up, I ran up the road, and found Lieutenant-Colonel Rice, who said the head of his column had struck a small force of rebels with a working gang of negroes, provided with axes, who on the first fire had broken and run back into the swamp. I ordered Rice to deploy his brigade, his left on the road, and extending as far into the swamp as the ground would permit, and then to sweep forward until he uncovered the gunboats. The movement was rapid and well executed, and we soon came to some large cotton-fields and could see our gunboats in Deer Creek, occasionally firing a heavy eight-inch gun across the cotton field into the swamp behind. About that time Major Kirby, of the Eighth Missouri, galloped down the road on a horse he had picked up the night before, and met me. He explained the situation of affairs, and offered me his horse. I got on bareback, and rode up the levee, the sailors coming out of their iron-clads and cheering most vociferously as I rode by, and as our men swept forward across the cotton-field in full view. I soon found Admiral Porter, who was on the deck of one of his iron-clads, with a shield made of the section of a smoke-stack, and I doubt if he was ever more glad to meet a friend than he was to see me. He explained that he had almost reached the Rolling Fork, when the woods became full of sharp-shooters, who, taking advantage of trees, stumps, and the levee, would shoot down every man that poked his nose outside the protection of their armor; so that he could not handle his clumsy boats in the narrow channel. The rebels had evidently dispatched a force from Haines's Bluff up the Sunflower to the Rolling Fork, had anticipated the movement of Admiral Porter's fleet, and had completely obstructed the channel of the upper part of Deer Creek by felling trees into it, so that further progress in that direction was simply impossible. It also happened that, at the instant of my arrival, a party of about four hundred rebels, armed and supplied with axes, had passed around the fleet and had got below it, intending in like manner to block up the channel by the felling of trees, so as to cut off retreat. This was the force we had struck so opportunely at the time before described. I inquired of Admiral Porter what he proposed to do, and he said he wanted to get out of that scrape as quickly as possible. He was actually working back when I met him, and, as we then had a sufficient force to cover his movement completely, he continued to back down Deer Creek. He informed me at one time things looked so critical that he had made up his mind to blow up the gunboats, and to escape with his men through the swamp to the Mississippi River. There being no longer any sharp-shooters to bother the sailors, they made good progress; still, it took three full days for the fleet to back out of Deer Creek into Black Bayou, at Hill's plantation, whence Admiral Porter proceeded to his post at the month of the Yazoo, leaving Captain Owen in command of the fleet. I reported the facts to General Grant, who was sadly disappointed at the failure of the fleet to get through to the Yazoo above Haines's Bluff, and ordered us all to resume our camps at Young's Point. We accordingly steamed down, and regained our camps on the 27th. As this expedition up Deer Creek was but one of many efforts to secure a footing from which to operate against Vicksburg, I add the report of Brigadier-General Giles A. Smith, who was the first to reach the fleet:
On the 3d of April, a division of troops, commanded by Brigadier-General J. M. Tuttle, was assigned to my corps, and was designated the Third Division; and, on the 4th of April, Brigadier-General D. Stuart was relieved from the command of the Second Division, to which Major-General Frank P. Blair was appointed by an order from General Grant's headquarters. Stuart had been with me from the time we were at Benton Barracks, in command of the Fifty-fifth Illinois, then of a brigade, and finally of a division; but he had failed in seeking a confirmation by the Senate to his nomination as brigadier-general, by reason of some old affair at Chicago, and, having resigned his commission as colonel, he was out of service. I esteemed him very highly, and was actually mortified that the service should thus be deprived of so excellent and gallant an officer. He afterward settled in New Orleans as a lawyer, and died about 1867 or 1868.
On the 6th of April, my command, the Fifteenth Corps, was composed of three divisions:
By this time it had become thoroughly demonstrated that we could not divert the main river Mississippi, or get practicable access to the east bank of the Yazoo, in the rear of Vicksburg, by any of the passes; and we were all in the habit of discussing the various chances of the future. General Grant's headquarters were at Milliken's Bend, in tents, and his army was strung along the river all the way from Young's Point up to Lake Providence, at least sixty miles. I had always contended that the best way to take Vicksburg was to resume the movement which had been so well begun the previous November, viz., for the main army to march by land down the country inland of the Mississippi River; while the gunboat-fleet and a minor land-force should threaten Vicksburg on its river-front.
I reasoned that, with the large force then subject to General Grant's orders-viz., four army corps—he could easily resume the movement from Memphis, by way of Oxford and Grenada, to Jackson, Mississippi, or down the ridge between the Yazoo and Big Black; but General Grant would not, for reasons other than military, take any course which looked like, a step backward; and he himself concluded on the river movement below Vicksburg, so as to appear like connecting with General Banks, who at the same time was besieging Port Hudson from the direction of New Orleans.
Preliminary orders had already been given, looking to the digging of a canal, to connect the river at Duckport with Willow Bayou, back of Milliken's Bend, so as to form a channel for the conveyance of supplies, by way of Richmond, to New Carthage; and several steam dredge-boats had come from the upper rivers to assist in the work. One day early in April, I was up at General Grant's headquarters, and we talked over all these things with absolute freedom. Charles A. Dana, Assistant Secretary of War, was there, and Wilson, Rawlins, Frank Blair, McPherson, etc. We all knew, what was notorious, that General McClernand was still intriguing against General Grant, in hopes to regain the command of the whole expedition, and that others were raising a clamor against General Grant in the news papers at the North. Even Mr. Lincoln and General Halleck seemed to be shaken; but at no instant of time did we (his personal friends) slacken in our loyalty to him. One night, after such a discussion, and believing that General McClernand had no real plan of action shaped in his mind, I wrote my letter of April 8, 1863, to Colonel Rawlins, which letter is embraced in full at page 616 of Badeau's book, and which I now reproduce here:
This is the letter which some critics have styled a "protest." We never had a council of war at any time during the Vicksburg campaign. We often met casually, regardless of rank or power, and talked and gossiped of things in general, as officers do and should. But my letter speaks for itself—it shows my opinions clearly at that stage of the game, and was meant partially to induce General Grant to call on General McClernand for a similar expression of opinion, but, so far as I know, he did not. He went on quietly to work out his own designs; and he has told me, since the war, that had we possessed in December, 1862, the experience of marching and maintaining armies without a regular base, which we afterward acquired, he would have gone on from Oxford as first contemplated, and would not have turned back because of the destruction of his depot at Holly Springs by Van Dorn. The distance from Oxford to the rear of Vicksburg is little greater than by the circuitous route we afterward followed, from Bruinsburg to Jackson and Vicksburg, during which we had neither depot nor train of supplies. I have never criticised General Grant's strategy on this or any other occasion, but I thought then that he had lost an opportunity, which cost him and us six months' extra-hard work, for we might have captured Vicksburg from the direction of Oxford in January, quite as easily as was afterward done in July, 1863.
General Grant's orders for the general movement past Vicksburg, by Richmond and Carthage, were dated April 20, 1863. McClernand was to lead off with his corps, McPherson next, and my corps (the Fifteenth) to bring up the rear. Preliminary thereto, on the night of April 16th, seven iron-clads led by Admiral Porter in person, in the Benton, with three transports, and ten barges in tow, ran the Vicksburg batteries by night. Anticipating a scene, I had four yawl-boats hauled across the swamp, to the reach of the river below Vicksburg, and manned them with soldiers, ready to pick up any of the disabled wrecks as they floated by. I was out in the stream when the fleet passed Vicksburg, and the scene was truly sublime. As soon as the rebel gunners detected the Benton, which was in the lead, they opened on her, and on the others in succession, with shot and shell; houses on the Vicksburg side and on the opposite shore were set on fire, which lighted up the whole river; and the roar of cannon, the bursting of shells, and finally the burning of the Henry Clay, drifting with the current, made up a picture of the terrible not often seen. Each gunboat returned the fire as she passed the town, while the transports hugged the opposite shore. When the Benton had got abreast of us, I pulled off to her, boarded, had a few words with Admiral Porter, and as she was drifting rapidly toward the lower batteries at Warrenton, I left, and pulled back toward the shore, meeting the gunboat Tuscumbia towing the transport Forest Queen into the bank out of the range of fire. The Forest Queen, Captain Conway, had been my flag-boat up the Arkansas, and for some time after, and I was very friendly with her officers. This was the only transport whose captain would not receive volunteers as a crew, but her own officers and crew stuck to their boat, and carried her safely below the Vicksburg batteries, and afterward rendered splendid service in ferrying troops across the river at Grand Gulf and Bruinsburg. In passing Vicksburg, she was damaged in the hull and had a steam-pipe cut away, but this was soon repaired. The Henry Clay was set on fire by bursting shells, and burned up; one of my yawls picked up her pilot floating on a piece of wreck, and the bulk of her crew escaped in their own yawl-boat to the shore above. The Silver Wave, Captain McMillan, the same that was with us up Steele's Bayou, passed safely, and she also rendered good service afterward.
Subsequently, on the night of April 26th, six other transports with numerous barges loaded with hay, corn, freight, and provisions, were drifted past Vicksburg; of these the Tigress was hit, and sunk just as she reached the river-bank below, on our side: I was there with my yawls, and saw Colonel Lagow, of General Grant's staff, who had passed the batteries in the Tigress, and I think he was satisfied never to attempt such a thing again. Thus General Grant's army had below Vicksburg an abundance of stores, and boats with which to cross the river. The road by which the troops marched was very bad, and it was not until the 1st of May that it was clear for my corps. While waiting my turn to march, I received a letter from General Grant, written at Carthage, saying that he proposed to cross over and attack Grand Gulf, about the end of April, and he thought I could put in my time usefully by making a "feint" on Haines's Bluff, but he did not like to order me to do it, because it might be reported at the North that I had again been "repulsed, etc." Thus we had to fight a senseless clamor at the North, as well as a determined foe and the obstacles of Nature. Of course, I answered him that I would make the "feint," regardless of public clamor at a distance, and I did make it most effectually; using all the old boats I could get about Milliken's Bend and the mouth of the Yazoo, but taking only ten small regiments, selected out of Blair's division, to make a show of force. We afterward learned that General Pemberton in Vicksburg had previously dispatched a large force to the assistance of General Bowers, at Grand Gulf and Port Gibson, which force had proceeded as far as Hankinson's Ferry, when he discovered our ostentatious movement up the Yazoo, recalled his men, and sent them up to Haines's Bluff to meet us. This detachment of rebel troops must have marched nearly sixty miles without rest, for afterward, on reaching Vicksburg, I heard that the men were perfectly exhausted, and lay along the road in groups, completely fagged out. This diversion, made with so much pomp and display, therefore completely fulfilled its purpose, by leaving General Grant to contend with a minor force, on landing at Bruinsburg, and afterward at Port Gibson and Grand Gulf.
In May the waters of the Mississippi had so far subsided that all our canals were useless, and the roads had become practicable. After McPherson's corps had passed Richmond, I took up the route of march, with Steele's and Tuttle's divisions. Blair's division remained at Milliken's Bend to protect our depots there, till relieved by troops from Memphis, and then he was ordered to follow us. Our route lay by Richmond and Roundabout Bayou; then, following Bayou Vidal we struck the Mississippi at Perkins's plantation. Thence the route followed Lake St. Joseph to a plantation called Hard Times, about five miles above Grand Gulf. The road was more or less occupied by wagons and detachments belonging to McPherson's corps; still we marched rapidly and reached Hard Times on the 6th of May. Along the Bayou or Lake St. Joseph were many very fine cotton plantations, and I recall that of a Mr. Bowie, brother-in-law of the Hon. Reverdy Johnson, of Baltimore. The house was very handsome, with a fine, extensive grass-plot in front. We entered the yard, and, leaving our horses with the headquarters escort, walked to the house. On the front-porch I found a magnificent grand-piano, with several satin-covered arm-chairs, in one of which sat a Union soldier (one of McPherson's men), with his feet on the keys of the piano, and his musket and knapsack lying on the porch. I asked him what he was doing there, and he answered that he was "taking a rest;" this was manifest and I started him in a hurry, to overtake his command. The house was tenantless, and had been completely ransacked; articles of dress and books were strewed about, and a handsome boudoir with mirror front had been cast down, striking a French bedstead, shivering the glass. The library was extensive, with a fine collection of books; and hanging on the wall were two full-length portraits of Reverdy Johnson and his wife, one of the most beautiful ladies of our country, with whom I had been acquainted in Washington at the time of General Taylor's administration. Behind the mansion was the usual double row of cabins called the "quarters." There I found an old negro (a family servant) with several women, whom I sent to the house to put things in order; telling the old man that other troops would follow, and he must stand on the porch to tell any officers who came along that the property belonged to Mr. Bowie, who was the brother-in-law of our friend Mr. Reverdy Johnson, of Baltimore, asking them to see that no further harm was done. Soon after we left the house I saw some negroes carrying away furniture which manifestly belonged to the house, and compelled them to carry it back; and after reaching camp that night, at Hard Times, I sent a wagon back to Bowie's plantation, to bring up to Dr. Hollingsworth's house the two portraits for safe keeping; but before the wagon had reached Bowie's the house was burned, whether by some of our men or by negroes I have never learned.
At the river there was a good deal of scrambling to get across, because the means of ferriage were inadequate; but by the aid of the Forest Queen and several gunboats I got my command across during the 7th of May, and marched out to Hankiuson's Ferry (eighteen miles), relieving General Crocker's division of McPherson's corps. McClernand's corps and McPherson's were still ahead, and had fought the battle of Port Gibson, on the 11th. I overtook General Grant in person at Auburn, and he accompanied my corps all the way into Jackson, which we reached May 14th. McClernand's corps had been left in observation toward Edwards's Ferry. McPherson had fought at Raymond, and taken the left-hand road toward Jackson, via Clinton, while my troops were ordered by General Grant in person to take the right-hand road leading through Mississippi Springs. We reached Jackson at the same time; McPherson fighting on the Clinton road, and my troops fighting just outside the town, on the Raymond road, where we captured three entire field-batteries, and about two hundred prisoners of war. The rebels, under General Joe Johnston, had retreated through the town northward on the Canton road. Generals Grant, McPherson, and I, met in the large hotel facing the State-House, where the former explained to us that he had intercepted dispatches from Pemberton to Johnston, which made it important for us to work smart to prevent a junction of their respective forces. McPherson was ordered to march back early the next day on the Clinton road to make junction with McClernand, and I was ordered to remain one day to break up railroads, to destroy the arsenal, a foundery, the cotton-factory of the Messrs. Green, etc., etc., and then to follow McPherson.
McPherson left Jackson early on the 15th, and General Grant during the same day. I kept my troops busy in tearing up railroad-tracks, etc., but early on the morning of the 16th received notice from General Grant that a battle was imminent near Edwards's Depot; that he wanted me to dispatch one of my divisions immediately, and to follow with the other as soon as I had completed the work of destruction. Steele's division started immediately, and later in the day I followed with the other division (Tuttle's). Just as I was leaving Jackson, a very fat man came to see me, to inquire if his hotel, a large, frame building near the depot, were doomed to be burned. I told him we had no intention to burn it, or any other house, except the machine-shops, and such buildings as could easily be converted to hostile uses. He professed to be a law-abiding Union man, and I remember to have said that this fact was manifest from the sign of his hotel, which was the "Confederate Hotel;" the sign "United States" being faintly painted out, and "Confederate" painted over it! I remembered that hotel, as it was the supper-station for the New Orleans trains when I used to travel the road before the war. I had not the least purpose, however, of burning it, but, just as we were leaving the town, it burst out in flames and was burned to the ground. I never found out exactly who set it on fire, but was told that in one of our batteries were some officers and men who had been made prisoners at Shiloh, with Prentiss's division, and had been carried past Jackson in a railroad-train; they had been permitted by the guard to go to this very hotel for supper, and had nothing to pay but greenbacks, which were refused, with insult, by this same law-abiding landlord. These men, it was said, had quietly and stealthily applied the fire underneath the hotel just as we were leaving the town.
About dark we met General Grant's staff-officer near Bolton Station, who turned us to the right, with orders to push on to Vicksburg by what was known as the upper Jackson Road, which crossed the Big Black at Bridgeport. During that day (May 16th) the battle of Champion Hills had been fought and won by McClernand's and McPherson's corps, aided by one division of mine (Blairs), under the immediate command of General Grant; and McPherson was then following the mass of Pemberton's army, disordered and retreating toward Vicksburg by the Edwards's Ferry road. General Blair's division had come up from the rear, was temporarily attached to McClernand's corps, taking part with it in the battle of Champion Hills, but on the 17th it was ordered by General Grant across to Bridgeport, to join me there.
Just beyond Bolton there was a small hewn-log house, standing back in a yard, in which was a well; at this some of our soldiers were drawing water. I rode in to get a drink, and, seeing a book on the ground, asked some soldier to hand it to me. It was a volume of the Constitution of the United States, and on the title-page was written the name of Jefferson Davis. On inquiry of a negro, I learned that the place belonged to the then President of the Southern Confederation. His brother Joe Davis's plantation was not far off; one of my staff-officers went there, with a few soldiers, and took a pair of carriage-horses, without my knowledge at the time. He found Joe Davis at home, an old man, attended by a young and affectionate niece; but they were overwhelmed with grief to see their country overran and swarming with Federal troops.
We pushed on, and reached the Big Black early, Blair's troops having preceded us by an hour or so. I found General Blair in person, and he reported that there was no bridge across the Big Black; that it was swimming-deep; and that there was a rebel force on the opposite side, intrenched. He had ordered a detachment of the Thirteenth United States Regulars, under Captain Charles Ewing, to strip some artillery-horses, mount the men, and swim the river above the ferry, to attack and drive away the party on the opposite bank. I did not approve of this risky attempt, but crept down close to the brink of the river bank, behind a corn-crib belonging to a plantation house near by, and saw the parapet on the opposite bank. Ordering a section of guns to be brought forward by hand behind this corn-crib, a few well-directed shells brought out of their holes the little party that was covering the crossing, viz., a lieutenant and ten men, who came down to the river-bank and surrendered. Blair's pontoon-train was brought up, consisting of India-rubber boats, one of which was inflated, used as a boat, and brought over the prisoners. A pontoon-bridge was at once begun, finished by night, and the troops began the passage. After dark, the whole scene was lit up with fires of pitch-pine. General Grant joined me there, and we sat on a log, looking at the passage of the troops by the light of those fires; the bridge swayed to and fro under the passing feet, and made a fine war-picture. At daybreak we moved on, ascending the ridge, and by 10 a.m. the head of my column, long drawn out, reached the Benton road, and gave us command of the peninsula between the Yazoo and Big Black. I dispatched Colonel Swan, of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, to Haines's Bluff, to capture that battery from the rear, and he afterward reported that he found it abandoned, its garrison having hastily retreated into Vicksburg, leaving their guns partially disabled, a magazine full of ammunition, and a hospital full of wounded and sick men. Colonel Swan saw one of our gunboats lying about two miles below in the Yazoo, to which he signaled. She steamed up, and to its commander the cavalry turned over the battery at Haines's Bluff, and rejoined me in front of Vicksburg. Allowing a couple of hours for rest and to close up the column, I resumed the march straight on Vicksburg. About two miles before reaching the forts, the road forked; the left was the main Jackson road, and the right was the "graveyard" road, which entered Vicksburg near a large cemetery. General Grant in person directed me to take the right-hand road, but, as McPherson had not yet got up from the direction of the railroad-bridge at Big Black, I sent the Eighth Missouri on the main Jackson road, to push the rebel skirmishers into town, and to remain until relieved by McPherson's advance, which happened late that evening, May 18th. The battalion of the Thirteenth United States Regulars, commanded by Captain Washington, was at the head of the column on the right-hand road, and pushed the rebels close behind their parapets; one of my staff, Captain Pitzman, receiving a dangerous wound in the hip, which apparently disabled him for life. By night Blair's whole division had closed up against the defenses of Vicksburg, which were found to be strong and well manned; and, on General Steele's head of column arriving, I turned it still more to the right, with orders to work its way down the bluff, so as to make connection with our fleet in the Mississippi River. There was a good deal of desultory fighting that evening, and a man was killed by the aide of General Grant and myself, as we sat by the road-side looking at Steele's division passing to the right. General Steele's men reached the road which led from Vicksburg up to Haines's Bluff, which road lay at the foot of the hills, and intercepted some prisoners and wagons which were coming down from Haines's Bluff.
All that night McPherson's troops were arriving by the main Jackson road, and McClernand'a by another near the railroad, deploying forward as fast as they struck the rebel works. My corps (the Fifteenth) had the right of the line of investment; McPherson's (the Seventeenth) the centre; and McClernand's (the Thirteenth) the left, reaching from the river above to the railroad below. Our lines connected, and invested about three-quarters of the land-front of the fortifications of Vicksburg. On the supposition that the garrison of Vicksburg was demoralized by the defeats at Champion Hills and at the railroad crossing of the Big Black, General Grant ordered an assault at our respective fronts on the 19th. My troops reached the top of the parapet, but could not cross over. The rebel parapets were strongly manned, and the enemy fought hard and well. My loss was pretty heavy, falling chiefly on the Thirteenth Regulars, whose commanding officer, Captain Washington, was killed, and several other regiments were pretty badly cut up. We, however, held the ground up to the ditch till night, and then drew back only a short distance, and began to counter-trench. On the graveyard road, our parapet was within less than fifty yards of the rebel ditch.
On the 20th of May, General Grant called the three corps commanders together, viz., McClernand, McPherson, and Sherman. We compared notes, and agreed that the assault of the day before had failed, by reason of the natural strength of the position, and because we were forced by the nature of the ground to limit our attacks to the strongest parts of the enemy's line, viz., where the three principal roads entered the city.
It was not a council of war, but a mere consultation, resulting in orders from General Grant for us to make all possible preparations for a renewed assault on the 22d, simultaneously, at 10 a.m. I reconnoitred my front thoroughly in person, from right to left, and concluded to make my real attack at the right flank of the bastion, where the graveyard road entered the enemy's intrenchments, and at another point in the curtain about a hundred yards to its right (our left); also to make a strong demonstration by Steele's division, about a mile to our right, toward the river. All our field batteries were put in position, and were covered by good epaulements; the troops were brought forward, in easy support, concealed by the shape of the ground; and to the: minute, viz., 10 a.m. of May 22d, the troops sprang to the assault. A small party, that might be called a forlorn hope, provided with plank to cross the ditch, advanced at a run, up to the very ditch; the lines of infantry sprang from cover, and advanced rapidly in line of battle. I took a position within two hundred yards of the rebel parapet, on the off slope of a spur of ground, where by advancing two or three steps I could see every thing. The rebel line, concealed by the parapet, showed no sign of unusual activity, but as our troops came in fair view, the enemy rose behind their parapet and poured a furious fire upon our lines; and, for about two hours, we had a severe and bloody battle, but at every point we were repulsed. In the very midst of this, when shell and shot fell furious and fast, occurred that little episode which has been celebrated in song and story, of the boy Orion P. Howe, badly wounded, bearing me a message for cartridges, calibre 54, described in my letter to the Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War. This boy was afterward appointed a cadet to the United States Naval Academy, at Annapolis, but he could not graduate, and I do not now know what has become of him.
After our men had been fairly beaten back from off the parapet, and had got cover behind the spurs of ground close up to the rebel works, General Grant came to where I was, on foot, having left his horse some distance to the rear. I pointed out to him the rebel works, admitted that my assault had failed, and he said the result with McPherson and McClernand was about the same. While he was with me, an orderly or staff-officer came and handed him a piece of paper, which he read and handed to me. I think the writing was in pencil, on a loose piece of paper, and was in General McClernand's handwriting, to the effect that "his troops had captured the rebel parapet in his front," that, "the flag of the Union waved over the stronghold of Vicksburg," and asking him (General Grant) to give renewed orders to McPherson and Sherman to press their attacks on their respective fronts, lest the enemy should concentrate on him (McClernand). General Grant said, "I don't believe a word of it;" but I reasoned with him, that this note was official, and must be credited, and I offered to renew the assault at once with new troops. He said he would instantly ride down the line to McClernand's front, and if I did not receive orders to the contrary, by 3 o'clock p.m., I might try it again. Mower's fresh brigade was brought up under cover, and some changes were made in Giles Smith's brigade; and, punctually at 3 p.m., hearing heavy firing down along the line to my left, I ordered the second assault. It was a repetition of the first, equally unsuccessful and bloody. It also transpired that the same thing had occurred with General McPherson, who lost in this second assault some most valuable officers and men, without adequate result; and that General McClernand, instead of having taken any single point of the rebel main parapet, had only taken one or two small outlying lunettes open to the rear, where his men were at the mercy of the rebels behind their main parapet, and most of them were actually thus captured. This affair caused great feeling with us, and severe criticisms on General McClernand, which led finally to his removal from the command of the Thirteenth Corps, to which General Ord succeeded. The immediate cause, however, of General McClernand's removal was the publication of a sort of congratulatory order addressed to his troops, first published in St. Louis, in which he claimed that he had actually succeeded in making a lodgment in Vicksburg, but had lost it, owing to the fact that McPherson and Sherman did not fulfill their parts of the general plan of attack. This was simply untrue. The two several assaults made May 22d, on the lines of Vicksburg, had failed, by reason of the great strength of the position and the determined fighting of its garrison. I have since seen the position at Sevastopol, and without hesitation I declare that at Vicksburg to have been the more difficult of the two.
Thereafter our proceedings were all in the nature of a siege. General Grant drew more troops from Memphis, to prolong our general line to the left, so as completely to invest the place on its land-side, while the navy held the river both above and below. General Mower's brigade of Tuttle's division was also sent across the river to the peninsula, so that by May 31st Vicksburg was completely beleaguered. Good roads were constructed from our camps to the several landing-places on the Yazoo River, to which points our boats brought us ample supplies; so that we were in a splendid condition for a siege, while our enemy was shut up in a close fort, with a large civil population of men, women, and children to feed, in addition to his combatant force. If we could prevent sallies, or relief from the outside, the fate of the garrison of Vicksburg was merely a question of time.
I had my headquarters camp close up to the works, near the centre of my corps, and General Grant had his bivouac behind a ravine to my rear. We estimated Pemberton's whole force in Vicksburg at thirty thousand men, and it was well known that the rebel General Joseph E. Johnston was engaged in collecting another strong force near the Big Black, with the intention to attack our rear, and thus to afford Pemberton an opportunity to escape with his men. Even then the ability of General Johnston was recognized, and General Grant told me that he was about the only general on that side whom he feared. Each corps kept strong pickets well to the rear; but, as the rumors of Johnston's accumulating force reached us, General Grant concluded to take stronger measures. He had received from the North General J. G. Parker's corps (Ninth), which had been posted at Haines's Bluff; then, detailing one division from each of the three corps d'armee investing Vicksburg, he ordered me to go out, take a general command of all, and to counteract any movement on the part of General Johnston to relieve Vicksburg. I reconnoitred the whole country, from Haines's Bluff to the railroad bridge, and posted the troops thus:
Parke's two divisions from Haines's Bluff out to the Benton or ridge road; Tuttle's division, of my corps, joining on and extending to a plantation called Young's, overlooking Bear Creek valley, which empties into the Big Black above Messinger's Ferry; then McArthurs division, of McPherson's corps, took up the line, and reached to Osterhaus's division of McClernand's corps, which held a strong fortified position at the railroad-crossing of the Big Black River. I was of opinion that, if Johnston should cross the Big Black, he could by the favorable nature of the country be held in check till a concentration could be effected by us at the point threatened. From the best information we could gather, General Johnston had about thirty or forty thousand men. I took post near a plantation of one Trible, near Markham's, and frequently reconnoitred the whole line, and could see the enemy engaged in like manner, on the east aide of Big Black; but he never attempted actually to cross over, except with some cavalry, just above Bear Creek, which was easily driven back. I was there from June 20th to the 4th of July. In a small log-house near Markham's was the family of Mr. Klein, whose wife was the daughter of Mrs. Day, of New Orleans, who in turn was the sister of Judge T. W. Bartley, my brother-in-law. I used frequently to drop in and take a meal with them, and Mrs. Klein was generally known as the general's cousin, which doubtless saved her and her family from molestation, too common on the part of our men.
One day, as I was riding the line near a farm known as Parson Fog's, I heard that the family of a Mr. Wilkinson, of New Orleans, was "refugeeing" at a house near by. I rode up, inquired, and found two young girls of that name, who said they were the children of General Wilkinson, of Louisiana, and that their brother had been at the Military School at Alexandria. Inquiring for their mother, I was told she was spending the day at Parson Fox's. As this house was on my route, I rode there, went through a large gate into the yard, followed by my staff and escort, and found quite a number of ladies sitting on the porch. I rode up and inquired if that were Parson Fox's. The parson, a fine-looking, venerable old man, rose, and said that he was Parson Fox. I then inquired for Mrs. Wilkinson, when an elderly lady answered that she was the person. I asked her if she were from Plaquemine Parish, Louisiana, and she said she was. I then inquired if she had a son who had been a cadet at Alexandria when General Sherman was superintendent, and she answered yes. I then announced myself, inquired after the boy, and she said he was inside of Vicksburg, an artillery lieutenant. I then asked about her husband, whom I had known, when she burst into tears, and cried out in agony, "You killed him at Bull Run, where he was fighting for his country!" I disclaimed killing anybody at Bull Run; but all the women present (nearly a dozen) burst into loud lamentations, which made it most uncomfortable for me, and I rode away. On the 3d of July, as I sat at my bivouac by the road-side near Trible's, I saw a poor, miserable horse, carrying a lady, and led by a little negro boy, coming across a cotton-field toward me; as they approached I recognized poor Mrs. Wilkinson, and helped her to dismount. I inquired what had brought her to me in that style, and she answered that she knew Vicksburg, was going to surrender, and she wanted to go right away to see her boy. I had a telegraph-wire to General Grant's headquarters, and had heard that there were symptoms of surrender, but as yet nothing definite. I tried to console and dissuade her, but she was resolved, and I could not help giving her a letter to General Grant, explaining to him who she was, and asking him to give her the earliest opportunity to see her son. The distance was fully twenty miles, but off she started, and I afterward learned that my letter had enabled her to see her son, who had escaped unharmed. Later in the day I got by telegraph General Grant's notice of the negotiations for surrender; and, by his directions, gave general orders to my troops to be ready at a moment's notice to cross the Big Black, and go for Joe Johnston.
The next day (July 4, 1863) Vicksburg surrendered, and orders were given for at once attacking General Johnston. The Thirteenth Corps (General Ord) was ordered to march rapidly, and cross the Big Black at the railroad-bridge; the Fifteenth by Mesainger's, and the Ninth (General Parker) by Birdsong's Ferry-all to converge on Bolton. My corps crossed the Big Black during the 5th and 6th of July, and marched for Bolton, where we came in with General Ord's troops; but the Ninth Corps was delayed in crossing at Birdsong's. Johnston had received timely notice of Pemberton's surrender, and was in full retreat for Jackson. On the 8th all our troops reached the neighborhood of Clinton, the weather fearfully hot, and water scarce. Johnston had marched rapidly, and in retreating had caused cattle, hogs, and sheep, to be driven into the ponds of water, and there shot down; so that we had to haul their dead and stinking carcasses out to use the water. On the l0th of July we had driven the rebel army into Jackson, where it turned at bay behind the intrenchments, which had been enlarged and strengthened since our former visit in May. We closed our lines about Jackson; my corps (Fifteenth) held the centre, extending from the Clinton to the Raymond road; Ord's (Thirteenth) on the right, reaching Pearl River below the town; and Parker's (Ninth) the left, above the town.
On the 11th we pressed close in, and shelled the town from every direction. One of Ords brigades (Lauman's) got too close, and was very roughly handled and driven back in disorder. General Ord accused the commander (General Lauman) of having disregarded his orders, and attributed to him personally the disaster and heavy loss of men. He requested his relief, which I granted, and General Lauman went to the rear, and never regained his division. He died after the war, in Iowa, much respected, as before that time he had been universally esteemed a most gallant and excellent officer. The weather was fearfully hot, but we continued to press the siege day and night, using our artillery pretty freely; and on the morning of July 17th the place was found evacuated. General Steele's division was sent in pursuit as far as Brandon (fourteen miles), but General Johnston had carried his army safely off, and pursuit in that hot weather would have been fatal to my command.
Reporting the fact to General Grant, he ordered me to return, to send General Parkes's corps to Haines's Bluff, General Ord's back to Vicksburg, and he consented that I should encamp my whole corps near the Big Black, pretty much on the same ground we had occupied before the movement, and with the prospect of a period of rest for the remainder of the summer. We reached our camps on the 27th of July.
Meantime, a division of troops, commanded by Brigadier-General W. Sooy Smith, had been added to my corps. General Smith applied for and received a sick-leave on the 20th of July; Brigadier-General Hugh Ewing was assigned to its command; and from that time it constituted the Fourth Division of the Fifteenth Army Corps.
Port Hudson had surrendered to General Banks on the 8th of July (a necessary consequence of the fall of Vicksburg), and thus terminated probably the most important enterprise of the civil war—the recovery of the complete control of the Mississippi River, from its source to its mouth—or, in the language of Mr. Lincoln, the Mississippi went "unvexed to the sea."
I put my four divisions into handsome, clean camps, looking to health and comfort alone, and had my headquarters in a beautiful grove near the house of that same Parson Fox where I had found the crowd of weeping rebel women waiting for the fate of their friends in Vicksburg.
The loss sustained by the Fifteenth Corps in the assault of May 19th, at Vicksburg, was mostly confined to the battalion of the Thirteenth Regulars, whose commanding officer, Captain Washington, was mortally wounded, and afterward died in the hands of the enemy, which battalion lost seventy-seven men out of the two hundred and fifty engaged; the Eighty-third Indiana (Colonel Spooner), and the One Hundred and Twenty seventh Illinois (Lieutenant-Colonel Eldridge), the aggregate being about two hundred.
In the assaults of the 22d, the loss in the Fifteenth Corps was about six hundred.
In the attack on Jackson, Mississippi, during the 11th-16th of July, General Ord reported the loss in the Thirteenth Army Corps seven hundred and sixty-two, of which five hundred and thirty-three were confined to Lauman's division; General Parkes reported, in the Ninth Corps, thirty-seven killed, two hundred and fifty-eight wounded, and thirty-three missing: total, three hundred and twenty-eight. In the Fifteenth Corps the loss was less; so that, in the aggregate, the loss as reported by me at the time was less than a thousand men, while we took that number alone of prisoners.
In General Grant's entire army before Vicksburg, composed of the Ninth, part of the Sixteenth, and the whole of the Thirteenth; Fifteenth, and Seventeenth Corps, the aggregate loss, as stated by Badeau, was:
Whereas the Confederate loss, as stated by the same author,
Besides which, "a large amount of public property, consisting of railroads, locomotives, cars, steamers, cotton, guns, muskets, ammunition, etc., etc., was captured in Vicksburg."
The value of the capture of Vicksburg, however, was not measured by the list of prisoners, guns, and small-arms, but by the fact that its possession secured the navigation of the great central river of the continent, bisected fatally the Southern Confederacy, and set the armies which had been used in its conquest free for other purposes; and it so happened that the event coincided as to time with another great victory which crowned our arms far away, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. That was a defensive battle, whereas ours was offensive in the highest acceptation of the term, and the two, occurring at the same moment of time, should have ended the war; but the rebel leaders were mad, and seemed determined that their people should drink of the very lowest dregs of the cup of war, which they themselves had prepared.
The campaign of Vicksburg, in its conception and execution, belonged exclusively to General Grant, not only in the great whole, but in the thousands of its details. I still retain many of his letters and notes, all in his own handwriting, prescribing the routes of march for divisions and detachments, specifying even the amount of food and tools to be carried along. Many persons gave his adjutant general, Rawlins, the credit for these things, but they were in error; for no commanding general of an army ever gave more of his personal attention to details, or wrote so many of his own orders, reports, and letters, as General Grant. His success at Vicksburg justly gave him great fame at home and abroad. The President conferred on him the rank of major-general in the regular army, the highest grade then existing by law; and General McPherson and I shared in his success by receiving similar commissions as brigadier-generals in the regular army.
But our success at Vicksburg produced other results not so favorable to our cause—a general relaxation of effort, and desire to escape the hard drudgery of camp: officers sought leaves of absence to visit their homes, and soldiers obtained furloughs and discharges on the most slender pretexts; even the General Government seemed to relax in its efforts to replenish our ranks with new men, or to enforce the draft, and the politicians were pressing their schemes to reorganize or patch up some form of civil government, as fast as the armies gained partial possession of the States.
In order to illustrate this peculiar phase of our civil war, I give at this place copies of certain letters which have not heretofore been published:
General Halleck, on receipt of this letter, telegraphed me that Mr. Lincoln had read it carefully, and had instructed him to obtain my consent to have it published. At the time, I preferred not to be drawn into any newspaper controversy, and so wrote to General Halleck; and the above letter has never been, to my knowledge, published; though Mr. Lincoln more than once referred to it with marks of approval.
Site Copyright 2003-2014 Son of the South. For Questions or comments about this collection, contact [email protected]
Are you Scared and Confused? Click Here to read My Snake Story, a story of hope and encouragement, to help you face your fears. | <urn:uuid:20921332-8a08-4d58-9bf2-871aa415843a> | {
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This is a simple solution that takes a list of nodes and
outputs a graph as a list of tuples representing edges between
nodes that have an Eulerean tour.
def edge(x, y): return (x, y) if x < y else (y, x) def create_tour(nodes): # a very simple solution could just connect # the first node with the second node # second with third... and the last with the # first tour = l = len(nodes) for i in range(l): t = edge(nodes[i], nodes[(i+1) % l]) tour.append(t) return tour
From Udacity-cs215 Intro to algorithms by Michael Litman. | <urn:uuid:dc913353-6cdb-4429-9229-58d79c720f20> | {
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Dear Peggy: Could you explain the difference between baking powder and baking soda? —S.B., Jordan, Montana
Baking soda and baking powder both produce carbon dioxide gas, which helps leaven baked goods, but they react differently. Baking soda is made up of sodium bicarbonate, which must come in contact with an acidic ingredient—such as buttermilk, cocoa, brown sugar, sour cream, vinegar, molasses or cream of tartar—to work. Baking powder is made up of baking soda, an acid and cornstarch. Cornstarch keeps the baking powder and acid separate and moisture-free until ready to use.
Sometimes, a recipe has both baking soda and baking powder, which seems redundant, but there's a good reason. Baking powder is a reliable leavener because it already includes the perfect amount of acid. Baking soda can help neutralize acidic ingredients.
Keep in mind, baking soda is more powerful than baking powder. Usually, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda is needed to leaven 1 cup of flour, but you'd need 1 to 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder to leaven the same amount. Quick breads, muffins, pancakes and waffles and batters with heavy ingredients—like candied fruit, bananas or pumpkin—may require more soda or powder. | <urn:uuid:176f03a6-d88f-4e93-92fd-d529bf0a0d69> | {
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- What constructs are similar between TRA / TPB and IBM?
(ans: Refer to "Similarities in constructs across TRA / TPB, IBM" table)
- What is an elicitation study?
(ans: An effort to collect information about the behavioral, normative, efficacy, and control beliefs for the behavior and population under study. The findings should be used to inform appropriate measures within the theoretical framework)
- What are the constructs that contribute to intention?
(ans: Attitude, Subjective norms / Perceived norms, Perceived control, Personal agency)
- Why does IBM incorporate constructs similar to so many other health behavior theories?
(ans: Refer to Introduction. A culmination of factors lead to the development of an integrated model in the early 2000s. Several individuals and organizations had called for consideration of the similarities and differences in commonly used health behavior theories to identify a critical set of variables that may serve as key determinants of behavior (Fishbein et al 1992: NIMH sponsored workshop, IOM 2002)
- What are the limitations to TRA / TPB, IBM?
(ans: Refer to Critiques page. TRA on its own is not sufficient for behaviors in which volitional control is reduced. The role of past behavior may vary for different behaviors, and attention should be noted to how behavior is measured.)
- What are the strengths to TRA / TPB, IBM?
(ans: The theories are well supported in the literature, they present a relatively simple way to study and understand where to effect behavior change, and unlike other theories, they include social norms)
- What are the four other components with direct effect on behavior, according to IBM?
(ans: Salience, Knowledge and skills to perform the behavior, Environmental constraints, Habit)
- Where has TRA / TPB, IBM been applied?
(ans: In a variety of health behaviors among a variety of populations, including: smoking, drinking, health services utilization, exercise, HIV and STD prevention, etc.)
- Who developed TRA and who later added TPB?
(ans: Fishbein (TRA)and later Ajzen (TPB)
- How are constructs typically measured?
(ans: Refer to measuring constructs page. Essentially, indirect measures typically use bipolar scales, and direct measures also use bipolar and semantic differential scales.) | <urn:uuid:1ddea77e-9308-417a-912b-939b46449d2e> | {
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Footprints in Faith: Take-Home Leaflets for Every Sunday of the Catholic Lectionary for Ages 7-12
Number of pages: 368
Each double-sided activity sheet reinforces the Sunday gospel message with pictures and number puzzles, word games, quizzes and codes. Wherever practical, the back page looks ahead to the following Sunday and motivates the children to explore the readings on their own.
The sheets are ideal for use by catechists, teachers, group leaders, and parents. Introduce them as an additional resource in children s liturgy celebrations; use them to produce a children s newsletter or include them in the parish newsletter or magazine; use them in religion classes, parish groups, or at school. Simply photocopy as many as you need, one for each child.
Together with its companion book, Step by Step (for children 3-7 years old) Footprints in Faith will be a valuable resource for your parish religious education program or school. 104435 Katie Thompson
Printed version available
Forthcoming: Order it now. This product will be available on the 2010/09/30. | <urn:uuid:1e371f43-69cf-43af-85ec-4ef02744d42f> | {
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- Roll of drawing paper
- Pen or marker
- Old sheet
- Sewing machine or needle and thread
- Cotton batting
- Fabric paint
- Have your child lie down on a large piece of drawing paper and trace around her body.
- Cut out the outline and use it as a pattern to cut two body outlines out of an old sheet.
- Sew them together around the edges, right sides in, leaving enough of the edges unsewn to turn the right sides out.
- Turn, stuff with cotton batting, and sew the hole closed.
- Decorate with fabric paint and dress in your child's clothes.
More on: Activities for Toddlers
Copyright é 1999 by Patricia Kuffner. Excerpted from The Toddler's Busy Book with permission of its publisher, Meadowbrook Press.
To order this book visit Meadowbrook Press. | <urn:uuid:d4660fa1-cf10-416e-a581-8cfc69dc081f> | {
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Sicard of Cremona
Sicardus of Cremona (Latin: Sicardus Cremonensis; Italian: Sicardo) (1155–1215) was an Italian prelate, historian and writer.
Sicardo was born into a Cremonese family, probably the Casalaschi. He studied law in Bologna and Mainz, then returned to Cremona where he became a subdeacon in 1183 and bishop of Cremona in 1185. (Sichardi episcopi Cremonensis).
In 1203 he followed the Pontifical legate Cardinal Peter of Capua to the East and during the Fourth Crusade he was found in Constantinople. In 1205 Sicardo returned to Cremona where he supported Frederick II against the Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV of Braunschweig.
Sicardo died in Cremona in 1215.
- Chronica Universalis (1213) – covers universal history from the creation to 1213 and was used extensively by Salimbene de Adam in his Chronica.
- Summa Canonum (Magonza 1179-1181) – a digest of canon law.
- Apologia Sichardi – a defence against his detractors.
- Mitrale (in 9 books) - a work on ecclesiastical liturgy. Recently this work was published in a new edition: Sicardi Cremonensis episcopi Mitralis de officiis, ed. Gábor Sarbak and Lorenz Weinrich (Turnhout: Brepols, 2008).
- Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Latina with analytical indexes
- "Sicard". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. | <urn:uuid:411eb266-f4ba-4b45-9ce6-5dab2527570d> | {
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Growth disturbance in childhood and adolescence can be a harbinger of serious problems. Some disease processes such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, thyroid disease, growth hormone deficiency, etc. can present with disorders of height velocity or adequate weight gain.
Detecting growth abnormalities requires accurate and routine measurements at well care and other visits. Parents are not likely to pick up on growth abnormalities by casual observation until the problem becomes severe. Unfortunately once growth delay has progressed too far it can cause permanent stunting or irreversible permanent decrease of height potential.
Following accurate height and weight measurements is one of the most important elements of routine well care. Our offices and staff and computer systems are designed to accurately measure and track your child’s growth. Pediatricians at Canyon View Medical Group are trained to track and manage many illnesses that can cause growth problems. We also know the subspecialists than may be needed to deal with more complicated problems.
Please have your child and adolescent follow the recommended well visit schedule to detect growth problem and the illnesses they may harbor to avoid detrimental complications. | <urn:uuid:2484fee0-bd6c-41fd-b8f2-19fed1d7a7b4> | {
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What is a Therapy Dog?
Therapy dogs are dogs who go with their owners to volunteer in settings such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.
From working with a child who is learning to read to visiting a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people.
Therapy dogs are not service dogs. Service dogs are dogs who are specially trained to perform specific tasks to help a person who has a disability. An example of a service dog is a dog who guides an owner who is blind, or a dog who assists someone who has a physical disability. Service dogs stay with their person and have special access privileges in public places such as on planes, restaurants, etc. Therapy dogs, the dogs who will be earning the AKC Therapy Dog™ title, do not have the same special access as service dogs.
It is unethical to attempt to pass off a therapy dog as a service dog for purposes such as flying on a plane or being admitted to a restaurant.
The Purpose of This Program
The purpose of this program is to recognize AKC dogs and their owners who have given their time and helped people by volunteering as a therapy dog and owner team.
- The AKC Therapy Dog™ program awards official AKC titles to dogs who have worked to improve the lives of the people they have visited.
- AKC Therapy Dog titles can be earned by dogs who have been certified by AKC recognized therapy dog organizations and have performed the required number of visits.
- AKC does not certify therapy dogs; the certification and training is done by qualified therapy dog organizations. The certification organizations are the experts in this area and their efforts should be acknowledged and appreciated.
Why Did AKC Start A Therapy Dog Title?
AKC has received frequent, ongoing requests from dog owners who participate in therapy work to “acknowledge the great work our dogs are doing.” Many of our constituents are understandably proud of their dogs. Earning an AKC Therapy Dog title builds on the skills taught in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy® and Canine Good Citizen® programs which creates a sound and friendly temperament needed by a successful therapy dog.
Therapy Dog Titles
- AKC Therapy Dog Novice (THDN)
Must have completed 10 visits.
- AKC Therapy Dog (THD)
Must have completed 50 visits.
- AKC Therapy Dog Advanced (THDA)
Must have completed 100 visits.
- AKC Therapy Dog Excellent (THDX)
Must have completed 200 visits.
- AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished (THDD)
Must have completed 400 visits.
How to Earn the Title: Qualifications
To earn an AKC Therapy Dog™ title, you and your dog must meet the following criteria:
- Certified/registered by an AKC recognized therapy dog organization.
- Perform the required number of visits for the title for which you are applying. For your convenience in helping you track your visits, you can use the Therapy Dog Record of Visits Sheet.
- NOTE: A VISIT IS ONE DAY PER FACILITY/AGENCY.
- FOR A SINGLE FACILITY: As an example, if you see multiple clients over a 2 hour time period on the same day, that is ONE VISIT. [In a hospital, you visit Mr. Jones, Ms. Smith, Mr. Roberts, Ms. White, this is ONE VISIT, not 4 visits].
- For each day/date at a facility, no matter how many clients one sees, this counts as 1 visit. If you take a break and return to the same facility on the same day, this counts as ONE VISIT.
- For MULTIPLE FACILITIES: Example: You do therapy work on your day off. In the morning, you go to an assisted living facility. You take your dog home at lunch to rest. In the afternoon, you go to a school. THIS IS 2 visits, no matter how many clients you saw per facility.
- AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished (THDD). Must have completed 400 visits.
- AKC Therapy Dog Excellent (THDX). Must have completed 200 visits.
- AKC Therapy Dog Advanced (THDA). Must have completed 100 visits.
- AKC Therapy Dog (THD). Must have completed 50 visits.
- AKC Therapy Dog Novice (THDN). Must have completed 10 visits.
- The dog must be registered or listed with AKC.
All dogs are eligible to earn AKC Therapy Dog titles, including purebreds and mixed breeds. To earn an AKC Therapy Dog title, dogs must be registered or listed with AKC and have a number. This includes any one of these three options:
- AKC Registration Number (purebreds with registered parents)
This is often known as the “AKC papers” provided to a dog owner by a breeder. If you have received a registration paper from your breeder or previous owner you can register online.
- PAL Number (purebreds not registerable)
PAL is Purebred Alternative Listing. PAL (formerly called ILP) is a program that allows unregistered dogs of registerable breeds to compete in AKC Performance and Companion Events. PAL dogs include the many wonderful purebred dogs who may have come from shelters or rescue without AKC registration.
- Canine Partners Number (for mixed breeds or non registerable)
Used by mixed breed dogs (and dogs otherwise not registered with AKC such as some purebreds from other countries). A special Canine Partners Therapy Dog Enrollment Form is available for mixed breed Therapy Dogs needing to obtain a dog number in order to receive their Therapy Dog Title. This form must be submitted together with the Therapy Dog Title Application.
Apply for an AKC Therapy Dog Title
If your dog meets the criteria and you would like to apply for an AKC Therapy Dog title, please complete this AKC Therapy Dog Title Application and mail to the AKC address shown on the application with a $20 recording fee.
AKC accepts the following forms of payment: Check or money order made out to “American Kennel Club” and Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express.
If your application is not approved due to not meeting the qualifications, you will be notified and your fee will be refunded.
To earn the AKC Therapy Dog™ title, you and your dog must have completed at least 50 therapy visits. These visits must be documented with time, date, location, and a signature of a staff person at the facility (e.g., school, hospital, etc.). This documentation can be achieved by submitting one of the following:
- Therapy Dog Record of Visits Form (you may use the AKC form or one of your own), or,
- Certificate or wallet card from a certifying organization indicating the dog has made 50 or more visits or,
- Letter from the facility (nursing home, school, hospital, etc.) where the dog served as a therapy dog. Letters must be on facility letterhead. Contact information for verification purposes should include facility name, address and contact person’s name, phone number and/or email address. For a sample letter, click here.
Add Canine Good Citizen to Therapy Dog Titles
Effective July 2015, dogs who are registered with an AKC recognized therapy organization and have earned an AKC Therapy Dog Title may receive the official Canine Good Citizen Title when the owner submits the CGC Therapy Dog Grandfather Application.
American Kennel Club
Performance Events Dept – Therapy Dogs
8051 Arco Corporate Drive
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Well-intended initiatives that fail (over and over … again)
The extent of stress, anxiety and depression among students has reached alarming levels.
It goes without saying that schools have to be environments that foster the well-being of our children. Thankfully, in most schools, this holds true: teachers tend to take their role of ensuring the wellbeing, safety and health of their students ‘in loco parentis’ very seriously. In my experience of ensuring my own students’ wellbeing, ‘prevention’ has proven to be better than ‘cure’. I refer particularly to the widely-prevalent bullying-prevention programs, which often try to mitigate the damage of bullying after the fact. Far more effective are the numerous preventative approaches which are intrinsically tied to the core of education, and serve as invaluable components of it: physical education and training, health and career courses, driver safety programs, and service initiatives, to name but a few.
The rationale of such preventative programs are to provide students, teachers and parents with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be able to make healthy and safe choices. Such initiatives provides opportunities to:
- think critically about a variety of health and safety issues;
- acquire strategies to facilitate sound decision-making and goal-setting;
- develop pro-active attitudes in ensuring personal and communal health;
- allow students to become knowledgeable of their personal skills, abilities and interests, and of how these can relate to a variety of contexts; in school and beyond;
- acquire the skills necessary to develop and maintain healthy relationships; and
- become aware of the sources of assistance that are available to students, teachers and parents on education, health, and safety issues.
A broad-based education therefore endeavours to allow teachers to assist students and parents in identifying possibilities/issues (intellectual, human, social, health- and safety-related), to maintain and reinforce healthy habits, and to develop the necessary management skills to deal with complex, ongoing change.
Unfortunately, we seem to fail in achieving a number of these goals, mainly due to the fact that preventative programs often lack dynamism and can be tedious, are boring and one-dimensional, or sometimes don’t even exist at all. Essentially, in being ineffective, they fail to serve those entrusted into our care.
“How do you know this?”, you may ask. Well, I ask and students tell me …
The importance of asking students for their honest responses, enabling them to do so safely and discreetly, cannot be over emphasised. In fact, the very first points raised by the National Institute of Mental Health in helping children and adolescents deal with trauma is “listen to them” and “Accept/do not argue about their feelings”.
Unfortunately, very few schools (none that I know of) actually survey their constituents on these issues; nor do they conduct a longitudinal study of any nature to determine whether preventative programs actually have the desired effect. Over the past 20 years, I have made a point to talk to students and parents about these issues, both conversationally and in surveys (even if lacking in scientific approach and data). I have found, on the whole, that the main concerns from the students’ perspective are: a lack of activity (P.E. excluded); the lack of effective threat assessment; and measures to ensure personal safety, including ergonomics of daily functioning (e.g. ‘The chairs make my back hurt.’) and the necessities of mental health and well-being. More importantly, students seem to feel that the situation is not improving.
While our focus on personalisation is justified, it is important that we remain aware of the ‘other’ concerns that students are facing. Even more importantly, we should begin to devise plans of action that actually address the issues with a degree of success.
The first example that probably comes to mind would be bullying prevention (so-called ‘anti-bullying’) programs, which requires various ongoing and engaging initiatives to be successful. Trying to anti-bully after the fact does only limited good; let us instead build physical and social skills into various classes, and develop a personal environment in which teachers actually listen to what their students say, and act upon it. A community that works like this will probably not need an anti-bullying program; for a community that works like this roots out the anxieties, distrust and imbalances from which bullying springs in the first place. Indeed, dynamic preventive programs on the whole (and programs that address anxiety and ergonomics in particular) need and deserve much more attention than we have yet given them, so that we can better ensure the wellbeing, health and safety of our students. | <urn:uuid:227ef7f7-70fd-439a-94cd-5fe20a7831be> | {
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On September 7, 2008, James Lockhart, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were being placed into conservatorship of the FHFA. The action is "one of the most sweeping government interventions in private financial markets in decades". As of 2008, Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) owned or guaranteed about half of the U.S.'s $12 trillion mortgage market
Fannie Mae was founded as a government agency in the wake of the Great Depression in 1938, as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal in order to facilitate liquidity within the mortgage market. In 1968, the government converted Fannie Mae into a private shareholder-owned corporation in order to remove its activity from the annual balance sheet of the federal budget. Consequently, Fannie Mae ceased to be the guarantor of government-issued mortgages, and that responsibility was transferred to the new Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae). In 1970, the government created the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), commonly known as Freddie Mac, to compete with Fannie Mae and, thus, facilitate a more robust and efficient secondary mortgage market. Since the creation of the GSEs, there has been debate surrounding their role in the mortgage market, their relationship with the government, and whether or not they are indeed necessary. This debate gained relevance due to the collapse of the U.S. housing market and subprime mortgage crisis that began in 2007. Despite this debate, Fannie Mae, as well as Ginnie Mae and later Freddie Mac, has played an integral part in the development of the most successful mortgage market in the world which has allowed U.S. citizens to benefit from one of the highest home ownership percentages in the world.
In 1999, Fannie Mae came under pressure from the Clinton administration to expand mortgage loans to low and moderate income borrowers. At the same time, institutions in the primary mortgage market pressed Fannie Mae to ease credit requirements on the mortgages it was willing to purchase, enabling them to make loans to subprime borrowers at interest rates higher than conventional loans. Shareholders also pressured Fannie Mae to maintain its record profits.
In 2000, due to a re-assessment of the housing market by HUD, anti-predatory lending rules were put into place that disallowed risky, high-cost loans from being credited toward affordable housing goals. In 2004, these rules were dropped and high-risk loans were again counted toward affordable housing goals.
The intent was that Fannie Mae's enforcement of the underwriting standards they maintained for standard conforming mortgages would also provide safe and stable means of lending to buyers who did not have prime credit. As Daniel Mudd, then President and CEO of Fannie Mae, testified in 2007, instead the agency's responsible underwriting requirements drove business into the arms of the private mortgage industry who marketed aggressive products without regard to future consequences: "We also set conservative underwriting standards for loans we finance to ensure the homebuyers can afford their loans over the long term. We... | <urn:uuid:9198a43a-6bf6-4757-9634-9a17d936e189> | {
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Mathnium is a program for interactive numerical computations. With its comprehensive library of functions for a variety of problems in applied mathematics, and with its facilities for the definition and manipulation of arrays of numbers as basic data objects, Mathnium allows you to solve numerical problems rather painlessly and without a great deal of programming effort.
You can also extend the capabilities of Mathnium by using it as a programming
language. While it is not a general purpose language, its facilities are
more than sufficient for you to be able to implement your algorithms in
a manner which is not only extremely concise but also very close to the
mathematical description of the algorithms.
Mathnium is written in Java, and it provides convenient language constructs that enable you to use existing Java classes without additional programming. As a result, very large number of existing libraries of Java classes, most of them available from open source projects, can be very easily used within the Mathnium environment.
Mathnium is inspired by Matlab, a very successful and versatile language for scientific computing. Although it should be possible to execute within the Mathnium environment a Matlab program that does not use any functions that are not in the Mathnium library, no attempt has been made (or is planned) to make Mathnium completely compatibile with Matlab.
The current version of Mathnium, Community Edition 1.053, released on 11/30/08, is distributed as a freeware. If you are interested in technical support or solution of specific problems using Mathnium please contact us at admin at mathnium.com
You need Java SE 1.5 or later to run Mathnium.
- Download mathn1.053.zip and unzip it into a directory of your choice. This will create a subdirectory named mathnium within the directory where the zip file is unzipped.
- With mathnium as the working directory, run the batch file mathn.bat in MS Windows.
- In other other systems that support the unix shell sh, run the file mathn.sh. | <urn:uuid:6dbaf96d-978c-4600-b263-4c903107069e> | {
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What Are The Different Types Of Cancer Fighting Foods?
By: Jasmine Marfatia
Published On: October 23, 2018
If you or a loved on is suffering from cancer, here are some foods that can help in fighting the disease. Read on...
It’s time to include some foods into your diet, that have been known to help fight certain types of cancers.
Cancer as you know, is, and continues to be a glaring cause of mortality world over, and has been on the rise in India too over the last few decades. A very recent statistic suggests that cancer is the second most common disease in India, and it claims 0.3 million lives each year.
You may have heard that certain types of cancers are associated with obesity and excess weight gain. What you may not know is that obesity too, is on the rise in India, and is now being considered as an epidemic.
Cancer cannot simply be attributed to one cause alone, but rather a combination of multiple factors including race, age, genetics, occupation, exposure to radiation, exposure to chemical carcinogens, viruses, lifestyle habits, and dietary factors.
This article will discuss the nutritional and dietary aspect of cancer prevention and treatment.
There have been several researches and studies conducted over the years, studying the relationship between cancer and food. Researches have been proved and dubunked many a times, leaving several unanswered questions and conflicting results in this area.
That said, a general understanding points towards the inclusion of a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients through either food sources or dietary supplements.
This may be achieved by maintaining a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, fibre and a limited amount of animal foods. On the other hand, certain foods associated with an increased risk of obesity and cancer must be avoided or kept to a minimum. These include processed foods, alcohol, and foods that are high in trans fats.
When speaking of diet and nutrition with regards to cancer, there are two approaches that one must focus on - prevention and therapy.
Prevention: The aim is too create an environment that supports and strengthens the body’s immune system, so that it is strong enough to fight off and destroy cells or antigens (carriers of diseases like, but not limited to cancer)
Therapy: Therapy, or nutritional therapy relates to a dietary approach that supports medical treatment and rehabilitation for those who are already suffering from cancer.
Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery, can have a major impact on a person’s health. It could potentially compromise the integrity of one’s immune system and could even cause other complications. A good dietary approach may help combat these issues related to treatment, and support recovery.
With regards to cancer, food can largely be divided into two categories:
Inhibitors: Inhibitors include foods that are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals that help fight and inhibit dietary carcinogens.
Enhancers: Enhancers on the other hand include foods like red meat and trans fats, that could potentially contribute to cancer causing factors.
Cancer fighting foods
You have have heard in the past, that you must ‘eat the rainbow’. This means you should include a variety of colourful foods into your diet each day. Well, there is a reason why this has been said.
The colour of a fruit or vegetable can actually tell you about the phytochemicals that are present in it. To make it simple, have a look at this table below of fruits and vegetables that are categorised into their colours and the phytochemical that is dominant in them.
FRUITS & VEGETABLES
Tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon
Anthocyanin & polyphenols
Berries, grapes, red wine, prunes
Carrots, mangoes, pumpkins
B-cryptoxanthin & flavonoids
Cantaloupe, peaches, oranges, papaya, nectarines
Lutein & zeaxanthin
Spinach, avocado, honeydew, collard and turnip greens
Sulforaphanes & indoles
Cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower
Leeks, onions, garlic, chives
Include a small portion of raw foods
Raw foods have most of their vitamins and minerals intact. They foods can be consumed in the form of fruits and salads, and should amount to at least 3-4 cups a day.
However, it is important to wash the fruits and vegetable thoroughly before consuming. That said, if a person suffers from digestive issues, it is better to cook the food before consuming.
Avoid overcooking your food
Overcooking or over boiling you food can cause all the nutrients to get leached off the actual vegetable. Lightly steaming them until they are just tender enough to chew, is the perfect way to cook them.
If you are boiling the vegetable to make a soup, you can consider using the broth as well, which contains some of the nutrients.
Use herbs and spices in your cooking
Indian cooking includes a wide variety of herbs and spices that offer valuable nutrients that can help fight cancer. Some good options are turmeric, ginger, coriander.
Have a diet rich in fibre
Fibre is necessary to keep the digestive tract functioning smoothly. It is an efficient way to remove wastes from the body, which can produce carcinogenic compounds. Fibre may help prevent certain types of cancer like stomach cancer, mouth cancer, and colorectal cancer.
Additionally, fibre is also beneficial in reducing bad cholesterol or LDL in the body. Good sources of fibre include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, whole pulses, and nuts.
Include sources of good fats
Include a variety of good fats in your diet such as nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, and oily fish line salmon and tuna. Good fats will provide omega-3, which helps reduce inflammation.
Limit your meat consumption
Researches have shown that vegetarians are less likely to develop cancer than those who consume meat. The reasons for this have been attributed to lack of fibre in meat, high levels of saturated fats, and the use of antibiotics, hormones, and non-nutritious feed that poultry animal are raised on.
However, this doesn’t mean that should never eat meat. Here’s how to go about it:
Limit meant to 2-3 times a week
Consume red meat only occasionally
Opt for organic, grass-fed, and free-range meat and poultry foods whenever possible
Consume leaner meats like chicken, fish, and turkey
Opt out of processed, cured, and deli meats like sausage, bacon, hot dogs etc
Limit charred meats and barbeques, as they could produce carcinogenic compounds
Avoid packaged foods
Packaged foods, even the ones that are seemingly healthy, are usually extremely high in sugar, trans fats, sodium, artificial colour, essences, and preservatives. They are also very easy to overeat. In short, its best to eat fresh and whole food, rather than food that comes out of a plastic package.
Avoid overheating or reusing oil
Overheating or reusing cooking oil can change the structure of the oil, and even healthy oils can become trans fats. For that reason, it is better to use oils that have a high smoke point, and also to avoid deep frying, or baking at high temperatures.
Beware of mouldy foods
Foods that may not seem fresh should be avoided. If they taste and smell funky, you must avoid eating it because it may have gone rancid. Rancid or mouldy smelling foods have a compound called aflatoxin, which can be carcinogenic.
Hopefully these tips will help you include foods into your diet, that have been known to help fight cancer!
We suggest you also read:
If you have any feedback or comments related to this article, reach out to us at [email protected] | <urn:uuid:e6fccb13-1df2-43f1-8363-72d9fc9cc90c> | {
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4 points about the U.S. Constitution
1) Symbol of national identity 2) Describes basic structure of govt. 3) Limits power and authority of govt. 4) Supreme Law of the land.
Basis of American Revolution
Liberty/Freedom rather than equality. Put forth in the Declaration of Independence.
Declaration of Independence
Written by Thomas Jefferson. Based on ideas from British philosopher John Locke.
British Philosopher that believed people inherently bad; natural human state leads to a war-like world. Government necessary to keep people from killing each other.
British Philosopher that believed people inherently good; smart people naturally create govt. to promote laws, rules and harmony.
2 Philosophical notions that are combined in the Declaration of Independence
Natural Rights and Social Contract Theory
Social Contract Theory
People agree to set up govt. But if that govt becomes abusive, people should rise up and overthrow it.
Written in 1215 by British Philosopher Sir Edward Coke. First Bill of Rights. First time document spells out the power of Kings is not absolute. Turning point - power begins to move away from Monarchs to the People.
Articles of Confederation
Written 1781. (First U.S. Constitution). First document from govt. then known as the "League of Friendship". Most power given to states, weak national govt. Ultimately failed: no ability to tax and no modification w/o all 13 states agreeing.
Farmers unable to pay Massachusetts tax. State would no negotiate or delay payment. Created uprising. Significant because it initiates fear of Civil War.
Who attended the Constitutional Convention?
55 Delegates from 13 states attended. The delegates known as "Founding Fathers". Convention was secret and closed to the public.
What is a Federalist?
Someone who advocates strong national govt. and National Constitution. Political elite, w/ law experience. Big Business, lived in cities. Supports Virginia Plan.
What is a Anti-Federalist?
Someone who advocates a strong state govt. Wanted to preserve Articles of Confederation, only modified. Small farmers/ranchers living in rural areas. Supports New Jersey Plan.
3 Major Compromises in The Great Compromise
1) Compromise between large/small state representation. 2) U.S. Govt. split into 3 branches (Legislative, Executive, Judicial). 3) Legislative branch would have 2 houses. House of Reps based on population and Senate (2 for each state, selected by state legislators)
Legislative body based on two houses ie. U.S. Congress (House of Representative and Senate)
Biggest Stumbling Block of Constitutional Convention?
How to elect the President and who should vote. One man one vote was popular, so the Electoral College created.
How Many Electoral College Votes Are There?
538 total. One for each Representative and Senator and 3 for Washington DC.
Collection of 85 Essays written by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. Written during Convention to gain support for ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
Bill of Rights
Amendments 1-10, added to U.S. Constitution 4 years after ratification. Spells out the rights of the people.
2 Ways to Propose an Amendment
1) 2/3 Vote of the House & Senate in U.S. Congress. (Easy) 2) Convention called by Congress at request of 2/3 vote of State Legislature (Never been used)
2 Ways to Ratify an Amendment
1) 3/4 vote of State Legislature. (Easy) 2) Convention and obtain 3/4 vote of all 50 states. (Used only once)
The main power of the U.S. Supreme Court to decalre the laws of Congress and the actions of the Executive Branch void and unconstitutional if they are in contrast to the U.S. Constitution.
Marbury v. Madison
Supreme Court case in 1803 which established Judicial Review. Created for Thomas Jefferson, who was strong w/ States Rights.
Article 6 of the Constitution. Federal laws and Federal Treaties are supreme over any state or local laws.
4 Principles of U.S. Constitution
1) Republicanism 2) Separation of Powers (3 branches) 3) Division of Powers (3 levels -National, State and Local) and 4) Checks and Balances
Separation of Powers
Government in the U.S. separated into 3 branches: 1) Legislative (makes laws) 2) Executitive (enforces laws) and 3) Judiciary (interprets laws)
Division of Powers
AKA Federalism. Govt. in the U.S. has been divided into 3 levels: 1) National 2) State and 3) Local. (NSL)
Checks and Balances
Any branch of government in any level can check the other one creating a balancing force.
Several govts have power and authority at the same time, over the same people within the same territory.
3 Reasons for U.S. Federalism
1) Brings people and the govt closer together (if one level is not responsive to your need, you can try another level. 2)States = testing ground for new Federal Programs. 3) States are training ground for future national leaders.
For Federalism to be effective, there must be cooperation between the Federal govt and all 50 states including local govts.
Regardless of ideology every government must be 1) Unitary, 2) Confederal or 3) Federal.
Type of govt where all powers are concentrated in the hands of the National Govt, therefore states depend on the will of National govt. (most govts fall into this category)
Type of govt where all powers are concentrated in the hands of the State govts, leaving a weak National govt. (ie Russia or the U.S. under Articles of Confederation)
Type of govt where powers are shared in some matters (such as Defense) at a National level and for other matters with the State (Criminal Justice)
AKA Delegated Powers or Expressed Powers. Powers delegated or expressed by the Constitution. Powers given exclusively to the 3 branches of Federal govt by the Constitution in order to carry out its business. ie Defense.
Powers given exclusively to the Federal govt by the Constitution in order to have Enumerated Powers you must have Implied Powers. ie Creation of military.
Necessary and Proper Clause
Article 1, Section 8, Paragraph 18. Congress shall make any law necessary and proper in order to carry out it's enumerated powers. ie Justification of Invasion of Iraq
Reserved Powers (10th Amendment)
Powers not mentioned in the Constitution for the Federal govt are reserved for the states and their people. (U.S. govt never honors this) ie Gay Marriage
Many states added an amendment to their constitution indicating if Federal govt passes a law they disagree with the state could void/nullify it. (Also never worked). ie Brady Law
McCulloch v Maryland
Federal govt creates a bank in every state to generate income. McCulloch wants to tax it. Supreme Court rules against him, result is Federal Supremacy over State's Rights.
2 McCulloch v Maryland Questions Supreme Courted Addressed
1) Does Federal govt have the right to open a banks? YES. 2) Can a State govt tax a Federal bank? NO
Grant in Aid
Earliest Federal money going to the states and local govts for educational purposes in the form of land grants. e State sponsored University System
Federal money going to State and Local govts for SPECIFIC purposes requiring Federal Rules/Regulations.
A combination of several categorical grants into one general block grant, which reduces or eliminates restrictions of Categorical grants. Created by Ronald Reagan.
Federal Law or Court Ruling imposed on the states by the Federal govt. ie Brady Law. States stuck the cost. | <urn:uuid:dabc73bd-32fe-4d0c-8a66-4d66f7bff6f5> | {
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The controversy continues over hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’ , to enhance recovery of oil and gas.
Some places, such as France and the state of New York, have banned fracking because of fears that it might harm ground water, or possibly cause an earthquake.
Meanwhile, much of the world continues to rely heavily on coal as a source of energy.
Coal mining is more dangerous than fracking, and the burning of coal produces harmful emissions, including mercury and sulfur dioxide.
Fracking has been around for decades, but it can now be done horizontally and not just vertically.
This is positive news for the environment.
A single horizontal well can replace the need to drill a dozen or more vertical wells to access the same amount of resources.
This results in dramatically less impact on the surface than before.
Horizontal wells are especially useful to reach gas deposits that are under developed areas with roads and buildings.
Given its past record of success and these positive changes in the process, Canadians should promote fracking as a safe source of energy and a healthy alternative to mining and burning coal.
I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.
For more on energy and the environment, visit our website www.fcpp.org. | <urn:uuid:fbecbc84-a0ff-40d1-ad25-ef0575aa19df> | {
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Written by Miranda Huey
|Wednesday, 15 October 2008|
CFLs vs LEDs
BENEFITS for the environment: LEDs are significantly more energy efficient than both incandescent light bulbs and CFLs, which reduces their carbon footprint on the environment. Also, unlike CFLs, LEDs don't have any mercury, so there is no risk of pollution and contamination of water, fish, and food supplies.1
BENEFITS for your wallet: Because LEDs are actually about 20-50 times as efficient as incandescent light bulbs, they can save you many times more money on your electrical bill than CFLs in the long run.2
BENEFITS for you: Many people are wary of using CFLs because of their mercury content, however this is a non-issue with LEDs! CFLs must be disposed of carefully if not recycled, and you can read more about disposal options in the Greeniacs Guide to CFLs . Although CFLs don't usually pose a health hazard, if they happen to break, you might be susceptible to mercury exposure if you are not careful.3
Replacing a simple 25 watt incandescent with an LED bulb can cost around $40.4 However, a recent breakthrough in the production of LEDs may bring down the price of LEDs to the level of CFLs within a couple of years. So for only a few more dollars than incandescent bulbs, LEDs should be coming our way shortly!5
Time and Effort: Low
Switching to LEDs is literally as easy as changing a light bulb. LED arrays can fit into standard light bulb sockets, replacing your incandescent bulb.6 You can find LEDs at your local stores, chain stores such as Target, and online.
How to choose between CFLs and LEDs:
Generally, LEDs are significantly more energy efficient, durable, and long-lasting than CFLs, making them even more friendly for the environment than CFLs. However, there are two major drawbacks. First, they cost significantly more than CFLs. Secondly, the light is much more directional and focused, limiting it as a valid replacement for diffused lighting. Here is a chart-to-chart comparison of their respective characteristics:
Only registered users can write comments.
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Live from Abu Dhabi Connect the World takes you on a journey across continents, investigating the stories that are changing our world.
Every day, 100 African elephants are killed for their ivory. In an unprecedented move, China destroyed more than 6 tonnes of it last week in an attempt to clamp down on this predominantly illegal trade.
On the Chinese black market ivory can fetch up to $3,000 per kilogram. It’s not just elephants that are affected. Believed to have healing properties, rhino ivory is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
On Friday, Becky spoke to Heather Sohl, the World Wildlife Fund’s chief species adviser in the UK, about the actions of the Chinese government.
“It was absolutely a fantastic sign to see. It shows that they are wanting to address this as a serious issue, recognizing that most of the illegal ivory that is coming from Africa is heading to China where it’s used in carvings and sold as ornaments, jewelry, and very often requested as gifts.”
“It’s making huge amounts of profits for these criminal syndicates, and yet the risk of being caught is very low.”
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In a post-September 11 world, one point seems undeniable: The most harmful force known to humanity is not high-tech weaponry but raw anger. Anger is lightning in a bottle, and the bottle is us. If we fan anger’s embers inside us, the heat can consume our
love, rationality, and emotional and physical health. If we direct the heat at others, it scorches everything in its path—friendships, work relationships, marriages, and families. At its worst, anger even maims and kills. Rwanda, Northern Ireland, the Middle East—beneath the issues in each case lies anger burning out of control.
We know that we’re saner and healthier when anger isn’t igniting our thoughts and actions. But anger can’t be wished away; sometimes it flares up inside us as spontaneously as hiccups. Other times, we feel justifiably provoked—by a lover who betrays us, a work partner who lets us down, injustice in society. So the real question is: How can we deal constructively with this potentially destructive emotion?
For thousands of years, spiritual traditions such as yoga and Buddhism have offered detailed anti-anger prescriptions because anger undermines their main goal: attaining happiness and freedom. More recently, psychologists and medical researchers have studied anger to help prevent the damage it causes to both the perpetrator and the target. This accumulated knowledge
makes clear that anger can indeed be tamed, because despite its destructive power, anger barely has a toehold in reality.
Anger comes in several forms, including outrage, frustration, jealousy, resentment, fury, and hatred. It also masquerades as judgment, criticism, and even boredom. Like all emotions, it is a complex, ever-shifting state involving thoughts, feelings, and
The physiological effects, which include a two-stage jolt from the class of neurotransmitters called catecholamines (e.g., adrenaline), do for anger what gasoline does for fire. The first surge lasts just minutes but energizes the body for immediate
action—either fight or flight depending on how we suss out the situation. Our fight-or-flight response is usually biochemical overkill, a holdover from the days when the main threats to our daily equanimity were sabertooth tigers, not telemarketers calling at dinnertime. This may explain why we sometimes act all out of proportion to whatever provoked our anger. The second surge of catecholamines lasts longer, from hours to days. It puts us in an extended state of arousal and may account for why, when we’re already having a bad day, we’ll strike out at anything that moves—our kids, our spouse, the dog—for behavior that normally wouldn’t bug us. It also underlies the seductive, sometimes enthralling power of anger—high on catecholamines, we feel strong, clear, and purposeful, dark though that purpose may be.
Beyond this, anger is tough to categorize because first, different people respond differently to it, and second, researchers don’t agree where it fits on the emotional spectrum. All emotions have variations and some emotions include blends of others. For instance, jealousy combines anger, sadness, and fear. So, is anger a primary emotion from which other emotions spring or a secondary effect of more basic feelings? While the research community continues to argue about anger’s qualities, however, many who counsel angry people believe that not just jealousy but all anger conceals more fundamental human responses. Sylvia
Boorstein, the noted mindfulness teacher and licensed psychotherapist, says, “When I work with angry clients in a psychotherapeutic venue, I ask them: ‘What frightened you and what saddened you?’ These feelings aren’t mutually exclusive.”
Laughing, Boorstein recalls a decade-long grudge with a colleague over a comment he made to her. “Every time I thought about him, I got a wave of fury: ‘How can he have said that about me?’” she says. Then while driving to a meeting she knew her antagonist would also be attending, it hit her: “He said it because it was true, and it had taken me 10 years to be able to say that about myself.” In other words, the anger had obscured the fear that this person might be right. By the time she arrived at the meeting, she had lightened up and was glad to see her former accuser, as he was to see her.
Ven. Thubten Chodron, an American-born Buddhist nun and author of Working With Anger, finds similar insights into anger from traditional Tibetan Buddhist sources. Besides unhappiness and fear, she lists habit, inappropriate attention, and attachment as key sources of anger. Sometimes we get angry because we’ve developed the habit of reacting angrily instead of with patience and compassion, she
says. We become angry through inappropriate attention, by exaggerating negative aspects of people, situations, or other objects of our ill feelings. Our attachments lead to anger, she suggests, because the more attached we are to something or someone, the angrier we get if we can’t have it or it’s taken away
Stephen Cope—psychotherapist, senior Kripalu Yoga
teacher, and author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self—finds the ancient yogic view of
anger equal to anything he learned in his professional
training. Yogis understand anger as an energy existing, like all emotions, halfway between a physical and mental experience. Like heat or other energies, anger wanes naturally, says Cope, if we don’t hold it back with psychological defenses—say, denying or repressing it: “Anger tends to arise in a very visceral wave. It arises, crests, and then passes away.”
Anger may be superficial and transitory, but that takes nothing away from its real and present dangers. Angry people hurt themselves and others, sometimes grievously and indiscriminately.
Brian Hanrahan, who lives in the Pacific Northwest, admits that failure to manage his anger cost him his marriage. In the early ’90s, his wife, Sheila (not their real names), began meeting with a man from work in the evenings before coming home. They weren’t having sex, she insisted, but Brian still stewed over
someone else occupying her attention.
As Sheila began spending more time with her friend, Brian’s anger heated to a boil. His outbursts, sometimes in front of the kids, made their home life so unpleasant that Sheila finally moved out. Meanwhile, her other relationship crescendoed and then ended, just as Brian suspected it would. But his marriage had ended too. “If I had let her fascination run its course, she might have come back,” Brian says slowly, his shoulders slumped as he tells the story.
Obsessed with what he perceived as Sheila’s rejection of him, Brian started a daily journal to address his pain. The entries documented that he had put the marriage on hold well before Sheila did. It was a recipe for marital disaster, but he didn’t get it until it was staring at him in his own words on paper.
Exercise helped Brian process his anger; so did a friend who reflected Brian’s thoughts back to him without taking sides. In addition, Brian began reminding himself to ask, “What result do I really want here?,” instead of letting anger dictate his
actions. All of these methods blunted the edges of Brian’s emotionality and enabled him to reconcile with Sheila as a co-parent, if not as a husband. When Brian gets angry these days, he’s more likely to “recognize my anger as hurt and then sit with that hurt a bit,” rather than acting from rage.
The wreckage from Arjun Nicastro’s fury couldn’t be so easily fixed, but that made his turnaround all the more remarkable. Imprisoned at age 17, he escaped and, while out, shot and killed a man during a drug theft gone awry. Back in prison, this time with a life sentence, he tried to escape again. He was caught once
more and sent to solitary confinement for more than a year. But the man who walked out was different from the one who had been locked in.
Anguished about a future that seemed as limited as his six-by-eight-foot cell, Arjun was floored one day by the realization that his predicament was entirely self-created. For the first time, he felt the weight of the suffering his behavior had caused others, his parents, those he had robbed, the family and friends of the man he had killed. He also realized that if he had ruined his life, he had the power to fix it. He started the repair job on the spot, by committing to stop reacting thoughtlessly to his anger. “I didn’t have any methods to help me live differently, but I had the intent,” he says.
A series of fortuitous circumstances then equipped him with the psychospiritual tools he previously lacked. A new therapist at the prison introduced him to Gestalt therapy, which helped him release anger through focused awareness on its thoughts and physical sensations. A fellow inmate handed him a copy of Bo Lozoff’s book We’re All Doing Time, distributed free to prisoners via the Lozoff-led Human Kindness Foundation. The book taught Arjun basic yoga,
meditation, and Pranayama, wrapped in a prisoner-friendly condensation of universal mystical wisdom.
Arjun began practicing Lozoff’s teachings daily. His new spirituality turned an incorrigible hothead into a model inmate. Lozoff, who had begun corresponding and meeting with Arjun as part of the Foundation’s Prison-Ashram Project, convinced the parole board that Arjun’s efforts were sincere and offered to house and employ him in the Foundation’s spiritual community if
the board would grant Arjun his release. Arjun was paroled in 1998 at age 40, after 23 years behind bars. Today, Arjun oversees much of the Foundation’s work with prisoners, sits on the Foundation’s board, and is married to a Foundation staffer. Anger, he says, “is not what I want to put out in the world. There’s enough already. I don’t need to be adding to it.”
Turning Heat Into Light
Does anger ever serve us? Some insist it does. Anger, they point out, alerts us to wrongs that demand redress, for instance, when our rights are violated. In sports, some argue, anger helps fuel the desire to win. Anger fuels our efforts to correct social
injustice, others say.
Chodron disagrees with all these notions. She says anger can be an unreliable barometer of wrongdoing: Sometimes our wants are frustrated or others disagree with our values or ideas, and we resentfully brand our reaction as something nobler, like moral outrage. On competition, she reminds us that former UCLA
basketball coach John Wooden, who led his teams to more championships than any other coach in college history, never pushed his athletes to win. Instead, he urged them always to give their best effort; winning was the after-effect.
Chodron also thinks that compassion is a far better approach to social action than anger. A compassionate mind looks at a situation more broadly, seeking a solution that’s acceptable to everybody.
Michael Nagler, a noted scholar and author on nonviolence, observes that Mahatma Gandhi’s effectiveness against the British in India came largely from his ability to convert the raw power of anger into something more creative and positive, like turning heat into light. Gandhi developed the ability, Nagler says, from a pivotal insight he had as a young attorney in South Africa in 1893. While traveling on a train, he was thrown out of a first-class compartment after a European passenger complained about letting a “coolie” travel in the first-class coach. Rather than take the offense personally or direct his rage at the individuals involved, Gandhi decided—after an epic inner battle—to dedicate himself to changing the social conditions that gave rise to the incident.
Gandhi found no problem with feeling anger, only with how it was expressed. That is a crucial distinction that many spiritual practitioners miss. Many people believe anger is “unspiritual,” a damaging misconception that leads them to stuff the emotion,
trapping it inside themselves, says Cope. Sylvia Boorstein says that those who think their own spiritual practice will erase anger are terribly mistaken: “I’m continually telling people, we don’t get to be different people—we have the same neurology and physiology and, actually, the same neuroses all of our lives—but we do get to be wiser about how we put them out in the world.”
Mastery Over Anger
If we’re stuck with our anger, what’s the trick to mastering it? The ancient yogis didn’t have access to the sophisticated knowledge of anger’s biochemistry that researchers do today. But their mind-body-energy concepts are a fairly good analogue
for the model that researchers apply to anger now; that partly explains why yoga is such an effective approach to dealing with it.
In yogic theory, asanas, pranayama, and meditation comprise a comprehensive toolkit for freeing up blockages at the mental, physical, or energetic level.
In fact, with a growing body of research backing yoga’s effectiveness as an anger “de-fuser,” physiologist Ralph LaForge regularly advises physicians to recommend yoga to their hostility-prone cardiac patients. LaForge is managing director of the Lipid Disorder Training Program at Duke University Medical Center’s Endocrine Division in Durham, North Carolina, where groundbreaking research has taken place on “hot reactive” personality types—that is, people who react to anger more explosively than most. When these same people have cardiac risk factors such as high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, and
central weight gain, to which they are statistically prone, an angry episode could trigger a catastrophic heart attack or other life-threatening coronary event. Yoga, particularly therapeutic forms like restorative yoga, says LaForge, has proven to be a valuable method of cooling hot-reactives down.
Stephen Cope suggests that asanas may be in fact the best yogic antidote for anger “because asanas allow you to move the energy.” He cautions against meditation for folks in an explosive state because meditative awareness just feeds the flames once the temperature has reached a certain point.
Cope’s observations underscore the fact that anger manifests differently in each person, and must be treated differently as well. Some of us get so revved up by our catecholamines that we can’t think straight. In those cases, experts have found that methods such as deep breathing, moderate exercise, or walking away
from a provocative situation are the best way to lower the arousal level. But for those who are milder by nature, awareness can accelerate anger’s rush through, and out of, the body. “Yoga helps people stay with the wave of anger all the way to the other end,” explains Cope.
Besides asanas, Cope touts a yoga-based technique taught at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, Massachusetts, for integrating emotional experiences. The technique, called “riding the wave,” employs five sequential steps: Breathe, Relax, Feel, Watch, Allow. To begin the process, Breathe from the diaphragm, thereby switching your focus from your physical body to the world of energy. This switch can lead to dramatic insights and emotional release, as the prana carried in the breath penetrates blocked areas of the body and their associated blockages in the psyche.
Next, Relax your muscles as much as possible to help remove physical blocks to feeling the wave of energy. The wave’s spontaneity and intensity can be frightening, spurring you to defend yourself by tensing up, Cope notes. Cueing yourself to relax enables the wave to continue doing its psychically liberating work.
Then, Feel, which here means focusing on the wave’s
sensations and investigating their qualities. What’s their mood, color, texture, shape? Where do you feel them most intensely in your body? After answering these questions, Watch—that is, engage what yogis call the Witness. “If you can stand in the Witness—what Freud called the observing ego—and stay present with the wave of sensation, then it moves through you and you can make discerning choices about how to respond to it rather than reacting to it,” says Cope.
The final stage of the technique, Allow, simply involves trusting the intelligence and positive outcome of the wave and not resisting it. The brilliance of riding the wave, Cope says, is that you stay with the raw feeling without acting on it “until you’re really clear.”
Classical Buddhism approaches anger in much the same way, says Chodron: “In Buddhism, we are constantly practicing the mindful observance of ourselves, including the arising, abiding, and subsiding of destructive emotions like anger. We don’t stuff our anger down, but we don’t buy its storyline either. Sometimes we can just watch it, and it will lose its power and dissipate. Other times we apply an antidote to it—a more realistic or beneficial way of looking at the situation so that the anger evaporates.”
To illustrate the latter, Chodron points to the explosive tensions between the Israelis and Palestinians, a tragedy she finds especially painful because she was born Jewish. The anger each side feels stems largely, she says, from being so obsessed with the insults and injuries to their own people that they forget human concerns on the other side. “To correct injustice and harm, you have to take into consideration the feelings and needs of everyone in the situation,” she says.
Chodron’s unspoken implication: What holds for Middle Eastern political tensions also holds for individuals everywhere. The havoc anger wreaks can make taming this terrible force look almost impossible. Yet the task is paradoxically simple if we remember our cues: Take the compassionate view of things. Wait out the biochemical surge. Ride the wave. | <urn:uuid:0853d0d9-83a1-4f8e-a1de-c32e517632c7> | {
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Insecure Web Servers
This article is dedicated to a very important topic: Security of webservers.
- If you are a server administrator, you can find tips on how to secure your server.
- If your website is on a public webhosting, you can make a security check.
- If you are programming web applications, you can find tips about secure programming.
This article covers 3 main topics:
- How to remove threats by malicious users on shared environments (Hostings)
- How to protect efficiently against malware
- How to learn secure web programming and defeat hackers
Security Check with Shocking Results
On the one hand, there are the hackers which try to invade into a server from outside.
But another very important topic is nearly always neglected by server admins:
What if a user on a Domain Hosting Server uploads a malicious script via FTP to manipulate the sites of other users or even the server configuration itself?
Above, you can download a PHP script and an equivalent ASP script which you can run on your web server to check the security.
Both scripts do the same: They list directories and show the contents of text files.
Additionally, you can try to execute Shell commands. Read on for more details....
The PHP script runs on PHP 4 and PHP 5 and has been tested on Windows and Linux.
The ASP script has slightly less functionality because the ASP scripting language is ultra primitive.
A server which is configured correctly should show an "Access denied" error if you try to do this outside your own home directory.
But I tried these scripts on some public webhosting servers and the results are shocking:
On a Windows server, I could read and write C:\Windows and C:\Program Files.
On a Linux server, I could execute any Shell command and read and write nearly the entire harddisk.
The script output may look like this:
On both servers, I had read and write access to the homepages of other users and even to administrative sites as you see above.
I had full access to these folders without needing any FTP password.
If you see "RW" in a row, this means that the script has read and write permission for that file.
Do you want to host your private database on such an insecure host?
Even if a malicious person does not damage the files of other users: simply being able to READ files is a risk.
Threats by Being Able to Read Other User's Files
It is common practice to store the password for database access unencrypted in a config.php or config.asp file.
Even if a malicious user has only read access to the source files of your Joomla, Typo3, Drupal, Mambo, Wordpress or CRM installation, he will also have the passwords to access your database. This way, he can read the database and find the administrator password and take full control over your site.
Or maybe a malicious user searches in the Temp folder for session files which store all session variables unencrypted on disk.
A session file may look like this:
As you see: You should never store passwords in the session! (You should not even transmit them in plaintext to the server.)
Threats by Insecurely Configured Servers
Run this script on your server and if you find vulnerabilities, immediately write an email to the administration with a link to this article where I explain some ways to make the server more secure!
If the server is configured correctly, the script will neither be able to access other user's sites nor write into system directories.
How to check the security:
- The script first shows your home directory. Try to navigate to the parent directory with the link
[..]. This should not be possible:
opendir(nfs/c24/h15/mnt/67909/domains): failed to open dir: Permission denied
- All drives that the script show are accessible:
This is OK as long as system directories don't grant write permission and as long as subdirectories with sensible content cannot be read. But you can also configure the server so that none of these will appear in the script output.
- If you can list the contents of a directory, this means that you have READ permission for that directory. Nevertheless on Linux, it may happen that you cannot access some of these files if they are links (marked with a "?") into a forbidden directory.
- If you can view the contents of a file, this means that you have READ permission for that file.
- If you can upload a file from your harddisk into the current directory, this means that you have WRITE permission. This should not be allowed for system directories:
move_uploaded_file(/usr/bin/test.gif): failed to open stream: Read-only file system
Don't forget to DELETE all test files that you have uploaded afterwards!
- Finally check if you can execute Shell commands. For example
DIR C:\ or
ls /home should not be allowed on a secure server.
You will be surprised by the results!
How to Secure PHP on Apache
phpinfo() and check the line
open_basedir. With this setting, you can define the base directory for all users. After setting this value, they will no longer be able to open files outside this root folder or its subfolders (like for example C:\Windows).
If you have the above directory structure and define
www_root as the base directory, then the user
web_214 will also be able to read and write the files of the user
web_215. But this is what we want to prevent! So what can we do? Unfortunately there exists no setting in PHP.ini to prohibit that one user can access the data of another user. It would be so nice to have a PHP.ini setting which defines a root folder for all users whose direct subfolders cannot be accessed by scripts running in one of their neighbour folders. Such a setting sadly does not exist.
But there is an awkward way if PHP runs on Apache.
phpinfo() you find two columns: The "Master Value" is the value defined in PHP.ini. The "Local Value" is the actual one which matters at the end.
Mostly the Master Value can be overridden in a script with the function
ini_set(). But this does not apply to
open_basedir because it is a value critical for security which can only be set by the administrator.
In the Apache configuration file httpd.conf you can specify a per-directory Local Value for
You can specify multiple directories separated by colon on Linux or separated by semicolon on Windows.
In the above example, the access of the web_214 site is restricted to his home directory /web_214/ and additionally it has permission to access /usr/bin/.
For Windows, httpd.conf could look like this (note the mixed use of slashes and backslashes!):
<Directory "C:/Program Files/Xampp/htdocs/web_214">
php_admin_value open_basedir "C:\Program Files\Xampp\htdocs\web_214;D:\Temp"
After setting this, try the security check script again! Now you will see an error when opening a file outside the basedir:
open_basedir restriction in effect. File(C:\Program Files\Xampp\htdocs\web_218) is not within the allowed path(s)
It works, but the disadvantage is that for every new user in the future, you have to reconfigure
httpd.conf and restart Apache!
If you have a script which adds new users, you can do this automatically.
It is NOT possible to define any
php_ADMIN_value in a
.htaccess file. This would be fatal: A user could modify his own basedir permission in a file that he uploads via FTP!
Please note that the basedir restriction does NOT apply to the
You can still execute
The reason is that the basedir restriction is a PHP setting which is only applied to native PHP commands like
fopen() but shell commands are executed by the operating system.
Other PHP Security Settings
With this PHP.ini setting, you should disable functions which are potentially dangerous.
But think thoroughly about what you are doing! Disabling functions means that some scripts will stop working!
Some functions are really dangerous and normally not needed for scripting. Others might be indispensable for some purposes.
So don't simply disable all functions that !MIGHT! eventually be dangerous. You will end up with a crippled useless server!
Think about this setting:
disable_functions = exec, shell_exec, system, passthru, popen, proc_open, pcntl_exec
Don't believe that
safe_mode = On will be helpful! It disables some useful functions and does not solve the security problem described above. So don't even waste time thinking about it! Turn it OFF! Safe Mode is deprecated in PHP 5.3.0 and is removed in PHP 6.0.0.
How to Secure IIS
IIS uses a Windows account IUSR_SERVERNAME that defines the permissions for web applications.
You can restrict the NTFS permissions for this account so it can only access the web root directory.
But the problem will be the same as described above for Apache: The site A will have full access to the files of site B - but that is what we want to prevent!
You can do a simple trick: Rename the directories!
Now you remove the NTFS permissions of
IUSR_SERVERNAME from all folders so it doesn't have any permission at all.
Then you give it permission to all the subfolders but NOT to the domains folder.
Now the site
petshop.uk theoretically can access the files of
pizzarunner.com because it has the same permissions as all the others.
But as it neither knows the other folder names nor has permission to enumerate the subfolders of domains. It has no chance to manipulate another site's files.
The more complex way is using application pools which isolate the sites (IIS 6.0). Each pool must run under its own Windows user account.
The advantages are:
- For each pool, individual NTFS permissions can be defined.
- The web applications are isolated, so if one website crashes, the others keep running.
- A pool can be configured to allow a maximum amount of CPU usage.
- If one pool has a memory leak, it will not affect the others because each pool has its own resources.
Setting the anonymous login account: (website settings):
Setting the application pool account: (application pool settings):
Before starting, you must assure that the HTTP service is running in worker process isolation mode (default), otherwise pools are not available.
For each website you must:
- Create a new website
- Create a new pool and assign the website to this pool!
- Create two new Windows user accounts (e.g.
LOGON_PETSHOP for the site petshop.uk)
- Set "Password never expires"
- Restrict both user's NTFS permissions to the www home directory
- Add the pool user account to the group
IIS_WPG (Worker Process Group) which gives it the required permissions like for example starting an application pool. But do NOT modify the permissions of the group
- Add the Logon user account to the Guest group.
- Configure the settings according to the above screenshots.
Obviously the disadvantage of application pools is that each time you add a new website, you have to repeat all these steps which is extremely awkward.
If your server only requires PHP, the easiest solution would be to turn off IIS and install Apache.
Otherwise, you may want to write a VBS script or a C# application which automates this complex process.
Here are some tips to ease the administration via VBS script:
- Create a new website:
IIsWeb.vbs /create D:\InetPub "Petshop" /b 80
- Create a virtual directory inside a website:
IIsVdir.vbs /create "Petshop"/OnlinePay D:\InetPub\Petshop\OnlinePay
- Set permissions for a folder:
Cacls.exe D:\InetPub\Petshop\ /E /G LOGON_PETSHOP:F
- Web applications run under a MetaPath like "W3SVC/553851221/Root/AppName" The magic number is calculated from the name of the website (Microsoft likes it complicated!)
Register a web application to run under .NET Framework 2:
%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Aspnet_Regiis.exe -sn MetaPath
- Assign a web application to a pool:
Const POOLED_PROCESS = 2
Set IIsWebVDirObj = GetObject("IIS://localhost/" & sMetaPath)
IIsWebVDirObj.AppCreate3 POOLED_PROCESS, "PoolName", true
If you want to write an application (EXE) which calls external scripts like IIsWeb.vbs, download my CaptureConsole.DLL which allows to call any script or console program from an application written in C++, C#, Visual Basic, Delphi, Java,... and get the outputs
stderr which the console application or script has printed.
CGI, ColdFusion, Java, COM...
Obviously it is not enough to secure your server only against malicious scripts written in PHP and ASP. These are only examples.
Don't think that the work is done when the PHP and ASP scripts you have downloaded here are successfully restricted to the home directory!
CreateObject("RegisteredName") ASP scripts can load any kind of COM objects that are installed on the server. Some of them may be dangerous or may have security holes. The best would be to completely turn off ASP support. Who needs this ugly primitive scripting language of the stone age?
If you write a similar script like mine for example for Java or ColdFusion, send it to me in an email! If it is a cleanly written code (please don't send me spaghetti code), I will publish it here on CodeProject together with my scripts.
Threats by Naive Programmers
There are multiple errors that a web developer can make which result in an insecure website.
For example, if you program a blog and allow users to upload images, this may be a severe vulnerability if the code is written by a beginner. Also there are several errors which a programmer can make on the Login page, on the "Password Lost" page, etc.
Read more about this important topic at the end of this article!
The important point is that one insecure website on a public hosting is a threat for the entire server!
Also installing Open Source projects like e.g. PHP-Nuke may be a risk because several security vulnerabilities have been found in the past.
Threats by Trojans, Backdoors and Botnets
The internet is full of insecure servers.
Criminal gangs use these servers as Command and Control Servers (C&C Servers) to control their Botnets.
A Botnet is a network of bots. (like P2P)
A Botnet server group may contain between 20 and 20.000 cracked machines linked together.
The Bots (robots) of theses networks are Trojans / Backdoors which run on the PCs of ordinary people.
These infected computers are called "Zombies".
A Bot may be used to send Spam, steal email addresses or bank and credit card accounts or execute Denial of Service (DOS) attacks.
A Botnet is controlled by a Botmaster, a person who sends encrypted commands to all his bots like for example: "DOS attack IP address X.Y.Z" or he sends a spam template to be mass mailed by his bots. Via a special command, the Bot Master can even instruct all the bots to update themselves to a new software version or deliver a new list of servers. Bots which run on an ordinary infected PC send stolen passwords, bank accounts, TAN numbers or email addresses to the C&C server where the Bot Master collects them.
Sounds like science fiction or paranoia?
To show that I'm not talking about peanuts, here are some facts:
The Dutch police found a 1.4 million node botnet.
It has been estimated that up to one quarter of all personal computers connected to the internet may be part of a botnet.
The Kraken Botnet has grown to over 400,000 bots and sends 9 billion spam messages per day.
The Kraken Botnet is apparently virtually undetectable to conventional anti-virus software.
90% of the spam comes from botnets.
Via Trojans with built in Key Loggers or directly reading browser content or via Form Injection cyber criminals spy out the passwords you use to log in into your bank account. The bot sends the spied data to his C&C Server. Cyber criminals (for example in the Ukraine) then transfer money from your bank account to the account of a so called "Dropper". This is a person who receives the money and then delivers it to his "boss" (the one who controls the botnet) and the dropper is paid with a certain percentage of the stolen money. The police may afterwards catch the "dropper" but does not know who organizes this "business". If the transfer is made into a corrupt country, the police may even be part of this "business". It's a mafia! So you will never get back your stolen money.
Read more: McColo - Who was behind it?
Koobface Attacks Facebook
The Koobface bot installs itself into Internet Explorer and parses the content of Facebook and MySpace sites and transmits the collected data to its C&C server. When the user is logged into Facebook, the worm uses the current cookie to capture the session and connects to Facebook without needing credentials. The worm reads the user's Facebook profile and the list of friends which it sends to his C&C server. The worm then receives a message from his C&C server to be send to the Facebook contacts invisibly in the background. Facebook requires a captcha image to be resolved which Koobface sends to his C&C server. The server is able to resolve these captcha images within a few seconds. (How it manages that can be read here.) Then the worm sends to the contacts something like: "Look at this video! http://geocities.com/....". When the other person goes to this URL which is a Phishing site, the page tells that a new version of Flash player must be installed to see the video. But the downloaded file "flash_update.exe" is infected and installs Koobface on the computer of the other person and converts it into a Zombie.
Kraken Registers Domains
The Kraken/Bobax Bot connects to its C&C servers via subdomains which it registers on dyndns.org, dynserv.com, yi.org and others. The dynamically constructed host name is followed by a random resource name built from English syllables and an extension like asp, php, shtm, pl, cgi. The bot sends encrypted data with a random mime type to its C&C server. Kraken constantly registers new subdomains. This randomness makes it impossible to block traffic to its servers.
Rustock Spams via Hotmail
The Rustock bot injects itself into WinLogon.exe and connects to Hotmail to send spam. It receives commands from his C&C server like: "Wait 15 minutes then download a spam template, harvest email addresses on the local computer and start 60 threads which send the spam". Rustock installs a Rootkit diver which allows it to operate invisibly on the system.
Understanding the Rustock rootkit driver is like solving a puzzle. The code is packed in many layers like an onion. The first decoder unpacks code with a myriad of fake instructions, blocks of code that do nothing, random jumps from one place to another – a huge maze to obfuscate and hide the truly malicious code. The spaghetti code has several traps to crash debuggers. Each layer allocates a buffer into which it decrypts the next layer - it's like unpacking a nested doll.
These operate on sites for singles where they chat with multiple persons at the same time. They intelligently analyze the answers so the chat partner will not notice that he/she is flirting with a robot. They can switch to a romantic lover or a sexually addicted conversationalist. The purpose is to invite the victim to enter another webpage where e.g. a script tries to install malware through an Active-X security hole.
These are only some examples. There are other bots which attack PayPal, Twitter, MySpace, or download and install Scareware.....
As you see clearly: malware today has other dimensions than in 2002 where people had temporary and slow modem connections and worms written by script kiddies spread via email attachments. Today the infrastructure allows organized criminals to earn money with their bots which are written by !very skilled! programmers. The first generation of viruses in the 90's was made to damage computers. The new generations of bots want to take control invisibly in the background!
An Insecure Server is a Threat Not Only for the Users it Hosts
You see how important it is to make your server secure.
If your server has been converted into a Command and Control Server, it is a risk for the entire internet and helps cyber criminals to do their dirty business.
Maybe your server is already a part of a botnet, who knows...?
Can you swear that it is not infected?
Do you still trust virus scanners?
And if you think that on your Linux server, this can not happen: You are wrong! Many C&C servers are written in PHP.
As Linux is used on more and more servers, the risk of infection is increasing and cannot be ignored.
For example, the Linux trojan OSX/Hovdy-A has been designed to open firewalls.
The operating system which is free of bugs and security holes simply does not exist. Also Apache has flaws.
And even without a security hole, a Linux server can be compromised if weak passwords are used.
Or if the
shell_exec command is not disabled on a public hosting, any user can abuse it.
And last but not least: If a user installs buggy software like PHP Nuke, this may be an entrance for hackers.
Often the core of a botnet is a Linux IRC server. And even if a Linux server - without itself being infected - is only used by the botnet to provide malware for download to infect Windows computers, it also supports cyber criminality.
On all Linux servers which I tested with my script, I had more access to the harddisk than I should have - even on renowned big hosting companies with plenty of users.
Many Linux administrators feel unvulnerable. This attitude alone is dangerous (and arrogant)!
An administrator should always follow the principle: Trust is good, control is better.
It is indispensable to always have your server patched with the latest security patches.
A good example is the worm Conficker (Downadup) which between January and May 2009 infected 10 millions of computers worldwide - many of them were servers. It installed itself automatically via network making use of a security hole in the RPC service.
But the interesting point is this: Microsoft released the security patch KB958644 long before: already in October 2008.
How was it possible that this worm could infect so many computers?
Clearly because the majority of these computers was not patched!
It is important to install a Virus Scanner on your server.
But you should never rely on a Virus Scanner!
In March 2009, a friend of mine had the Conficker worm on his computer which is quite intelligent. I tried five different well known virus scanners to remove it. After hours of scanning, they all told me that the computer was !clean! A sixth one found the worm, but was unable to remove it. Finally Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool removed the infected DLL.
This clearly shows that you can NOT rely on a Virus Scanner.
If you have a suspicious file, you can upload it to VirusTotal.
The advantage of this free service is that it scans your file with about 30 virus scanners at the same time:
The Autorun worm in this screenshot is quite old and so it is detected by nearly all scanners.
But if the malware is very new, you will notice that there are many scanners which do not detect it.
The reason is that the virus scanners use signatures (fingerprints) which must be generated by the employees of the Antivirus company and this may take some weeks. But new malware is produced much faster.
Another point is that bots can be remotely updated to a new version. So when the Antivirus software starts to recognize a malware, the botmaster has already released a new version and updated all his bots! The Antivirus industry is always limping after. This is the reason why botnets like Kraken are virtually undetectable to conventional anti-virus software.
Additionally some worms successfully disable antivirus software.
Lots of bots use Rootkits to hide themselves on the operating system.
Or (like Conficker) they block the infected DLL in which they are running by opening it without sharing Read permission (
FILE_SHARE_READ) to other processes. So a virus scanner cannot read and analyze the file contents.
And there are cyber criminals which re-compile and re-pack their malware every few minutes with little variations and release the new mutation into the wild making it nearly impossible for Antivirus companies to generate fingerprints which are able to detect all these hundreds of versions of the malware.
The problem is very similar to the AIDS virus which permanently changes its surface structure and so plays a trick to the immune system which looks for certain surface proteins. The AIDS virus is virtually undetectable to the immune system.
A very interesting alternative to a signature based Virus scanner is ThreatExpert.
You can upload a suspicious file to the ThreatExpert Online Submission.
They will EXECUTE your file immediately and analyze all actions the malware is doing.
After running the file for some minutes they publish the results and send you an email with a link to your personal report.
- the Registry keys that the file has created,
- what system files it has manipulated,
- what system settings it has manipulated,
- to which C&C servers it has connected and
- which additional files it has downloaded and installed.
This is a snippet of a report of a file "My little baby.mp3.exe" which was received via Windows Messenger.
In a cyber cafe a trojan automatically sent a text message to all Messenger Contacts of the person who has chatted on an infected computer: "Hello, listen this song! I like it very much." together with the file with the extension *.MP3.EXE
Often a malware does not exist for very long time on your PC. It may download other executables, start them and exit as you see in the above sample.
Maybe the file you found is not active anymore. Maybe it was only a "Dropper" which has already downloaded 5 other executables like trojans, keyloggers, worms, browser plugins and spam bots.
So if you find a suspicious file, disconnect your computer from the internet while you try to clean it to prevent further infections!
Do not expect to see malware in Taskmanager!
The first worms in the year 2003 were that primitive. But today malware is more intelligent and injects a DLL into a system process or installs a rootkit driver which hides the malicious file completely.
If you don't see anything suspicious in Taskmanager this does not mean that your computer is not infected!
This sample also shows that public computers like in a cyber cafe, university or in a library are a high risk. Most of them are infected and if you enter any password it is very probable that your password will be logged and abused. NEVER do online banking on a public computer or on a friend's computer!!
If you are sick of downloading megabytes of daily updates for your virus scanner which does not even protect you well, you will ask yourself:
Isn't there anything that can prevent in real time that a malware can do a malicious action like installing a driver or hooking into another program?
The answer is: YES. There is!
Install ThreatFire which is a very intelligent addition to your Virus Scanner and free for personal use!
ThreatFire detects malicious behavior, such as capturing keystrokes or stealing data, instead of only looking for already known threats like normal antivirus software does. It protects against spyware, adware, keyloggers, viruses, worms, trojans, rootkits, buffer overflows, and other malware.
Other messages will pop up when:
- a program tries to directly access raw disk sectors.
- a program tries to inject data into another program.
- a program tries to inject a thread into another program.
- a program tries to install a network interface.
- a program tries to monitor another process.
- a program tries to modify the startpage of Internet Explorer.
- a program tries to copy itself to different places on your computer.
- a program tries to modify user permissions.
- a program tries to turn off Antivirus software.
- a program tries to remove a functionality from Control Panel.
- a program tries to hide a process from Task Manager.
- a program tries to take a snapshot from the screen or a window.
- a program tries to change the exception list of the firewall.
- a program tries to modify the hosts file.
- a program tries to create an Autorun entry.
- a program tries to install a Keylogger.
- a program tries to camouflage itself in a PIF or CMD file.
- .......and many, many more.......
Let's ask Microsoft why this kind of protection is not built in into Windows!
What we know from Microsoft since the first days is nothing than PSEUDO security like the thousand confusing "security" settings in Internet Explorer or the ridiculous User Account Control (UAC) in Vista which pops up when you want to adjust your Windows clock but stays silent if a malicious program installs a rootkit driver.
The only reason why there is so much malware "in the wild" is that Windows grants unlimited permissions to a process once an EXE has been double clicked. As you cannot know if a downloaded program is "good" or "bad" and also cannot trust antivirus software, the only chance you have is to execute it - Good Luck! It's like lottery.
An intelligent operating system should offer to execute a suspicious application in a sandbox where it can do no harm. But we will never experience that such a feature is integrated by Microsoft: not in Windows 8 and not in Windows 13.
ThreatFire even protects you if a worm like Conficker installs itself through a security hole via network automatically and invisibly in the background without the need to ever having double clicked any EXE file.
ThreatFire is a very good protection for future infections. But what to do if your computer is already infected?
If you have read the above article, you will have understood that a Virusscanner that is installed and running on the infected Windows is not very helpful, because:
- The Trojans update themselves faster through their C&C Servers than the Antivirus industry is able to detect them. The Antivirus companies need some days to add the new fingerprints of all the new malware to their databases. When your Antivirus software is downloading another update, your Trojan has already downloaded a new version which is not yet detectable. So the Tojan is always faster and stays undetected.
Today's Botnet Trojans work exactly like the AIDS virus: While the immune system needs quite a long time to produce sufficient antibodies, in the mean time the AIDS virus has already changed his surface proteins that the immune system requires to detect and eliminate it.
- Some Trojans hide themselves using Rootkits and not all Antivirus Software is able to detect them.
- Some Trojans hold the infected file open without giving sharing permissions to other processes, so a Virusscanner cannot analyze the file without killing the process that holds the file opened. But the process into which the malicious DLL has been loaded may be a system process like "Services.exe" or "Smss.exe" that cannot easily be killed. So when a Trojan injects a DLL into a system process and holds his file open, the majority of Antivirus software are not able to scan this file.
- Some Trojans simply kill or disable all Antivirus software that they find running.
Due to all these problems, you will understand that a computer that is ALREADY infected cannot be cleaned by an Antivirus program running on the same computer.
So, how to disinfect a computer?
- Completely disconnect the infected computer from the internet for AT LEAST ONE WEEK. Disconnect the network cable and disable all network adaptes! (LAN + WLAN) !This is the most important part of all the procedure! You must stop the Trojan from downloading new versions from the internet.
- After at least one week has passed, you will have a Trojan on your harddisk that has probably already been added to the fingerprint databases of the antivirus software.
- Now boot the infected computer with the F-Secure Rescue CD. This gratis CD contains a Linux with Antivirus Software.
- When the Linux has bootet, the CD will tell you that it wants to connect to the F-Secure server. Now and !not before this moment! you connect the network cable.
- The F-Secure Rescue CD will now download the latest virus definition database. This takes about 10 minutes.
- Then you can scanning all your harddisks - and don't forget to also scan your USB sticks! When this CD scans your harddisk, there will be no rootkit active and no file held open by any process. This Linux can see all your files - as they really are - without any hiding techniques or access denials.
- To close security holes and avoid reinfection, install at least all Windows Updates that are marked as critical.
- As many Trojans spread themselves via USB sticks, it is VERY important to disable the Autorun Feature to avoid that just plugging in a USB stick will reinfect the computer:
Nessus is a vulnerability scanner. It scans one or more computers remotely via network:
- It does a port scan and tries various exploits on the open ports
- It searches for misconfiguration, (e.g. open mail relay, database)
- It checks for missing security patches
- It searches for trojans and backdoors that are listening on a port
- It tries to provoke buffer overflows
- It searches default passwords and blank passwords
- It tries DOS attacks sending mangled packets
- It can remotely detect the version of installed antivirus software
- It can check for improper network segmentation
- The scanner can be scheduled to scan the company network every night
- and many many more....
Nessus uses a 250 MB database and 30.000 NASL test scripts which include individual tests for aix, apache, backdoors, centos, debian, dns, fedora, firefox, firewalls, freedb, ftp, gentoo, iis, itunes, macosx , mandriva, mandrake, mysql, netware, openssh, oracle, p2p, php, realplayer, redhat, rpc, safari, samba, services, skype, slackware, smtp, solaris, suse, trendmicro, ubuntu, vmware, webspere, windows, xerox, and many many more.....
For each security flaw that it finds, it prints very detailed information.
Some Nessus's tests may cause vulnerable services or operating systems to crash!
See Demo Video | Download Nessus Installer | Request Activation key for non-professional use (free).
Are You Able to Write Secure Web Applications?
You are programming websites in PHP, ASP, ASPX, Java, Perl, CGI, CFM,...?
If you never invested time to learn how hackers attack a website, your code will be simply naive. A naive code does not assume a malicious user connecting to the site. As a naive programmer, you can not even in your dreams imagine with how much intelligence and creativity the hackers will attack you and how much time they invest and what powerful tools they use to hack your site!
Even if you are programming websites since many years but never learned how to defeat hackers, you are definitely unable to write secure code!
If you cannot answer the following questions, your code will be full of vulnerabilities:
- How should posted data be sanitized?
- What is the risk when storing cookies on the client computer?
- What attacks do hackers try on the Login page?
- What mechanisms are discouraged for the recovery of a "forgotten password"?
- What threats may arise on a badly programmed "change password" page?
- What is XSS?
- How do hackers try to bypass role based permissions?
- What do you have to be aware of when storing data in hidden input fields?
- What is "SQL injection" and how can it be defended?
- What is "second order SQL injection"?
- What is "XPath injection"?
- What is "Header injection" used for?
- What is "IFrame injection"?
- What are "Path traversal" vulnerabilities?
- How can a hacker get access by using a network sniffer?
- How can Email forms be abused to send Spam?
- Why is the lack of strong password policies a risk for the entire website?
- What is a session fixation attack?
- What is very important when using Ajax?
- What are integer vulnerabilities?
- How can buffer overflows be produced by a hacker?
- How can you avoid sending the plain text password via network?
- What considerations must be made about the web server's cache?
- What does "Replay" mean and how to defend it?
- How do you protect sensitive files not to be downloaded by a hacker?
- What risks must be defeated on pages where users can upload files?
- How should exceptions be handled and displayed to the user?
- What should be written into a Logfile and what should not?
- What tools will hackers use to attack your site?
You find the answers to these questions and more in the "Hacker's Handbook" (740 pages). This book is written by very experienced authors who analyzed many websites for security risks. They often found severe vulnerabilities even on internet banking websites.
If you cannot buy this book for any reason, you can find very similar information for free on the OWASP website. This project is dedicated to programmers to improve security.
There you can download A Guide to Building Secure Web Applications, a PDF with 290 pages.
But that's not all: Besides a huge amount of information, you can download the OWASP Live-CD which is a CD that boots Linux with a lot of hacker tools already installed (many of them are Firefox plugins). One application on this CD is "Web Goat". This is an insecure webserver written in Java which can also be downloaded separately. It comes with a manual that teaches you how to hack Web Goat. In several lessons, you learn to use different hacker tools and compromise Web Goat.
With this knowledge, you can then start to write secure web applications..... | <urn:uuid:e251759d-18b1-4a21-85f3-4915ba2fc8b2> | {
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Boot firmware architecture for asymmetric cores
Traditionally, a processor supporting different computing cores in symmetric/asymmetric architectures typically boots from a specific core generally designated as either master or core 0. In this era of economic slowdown, semiconductor companies have been innovating different approaches to be more cost effective and improve their gross margins.
SoC solutions are designed to meet the requirements of multiple domains. Allowing asymmetric booting enables the companies to expand the targeted range of the SoC to various markets using the same lithographic masks. For example, if an SoC has an AP (Application Processor) and an RTC (Real Time Controller) core, then allowing SoC to boot from either AP or RTC enables the same SoC to be used both in high performance applications using AP boot and mission-critical low latency, time critical application using RTC boot.
The desire for building a connected world has created unique system architecture designs. These designs range from unicore systems to multi-core architectures using homogeneous or heterogeneous computing architecture. Complex applications designed today require support for specific hardware accelerators performing a dedicated function in the system. These are implemented in the form of ASICs, FPGAs, GPUs, and the like. These different functional units mostly follow different ISAs (Instruction Set Architectures).
What are asymmetric cores?
Asymmetric cores refer to a system with two or more processing elements or units having different ISAs. These cores provide specific functionality to the overall system such as improvement in the processing power or improvement in the reaction time of the system.
Figure 1. An asymmetric multicore SoC boosts system performance but can present challenges in creating a suitable boot architecture.
Consequently, system software design with asymmetric cores becomes a challenge. The problem is further complicated when the SoC supports booting from multiple cores.
Design criterion for boot architecture
Various challenges are encountered when defining the boot architecture in such systems. Not every problem has a generic solution, and sometimes a solution also requires support from hardware. The next sections describe are few design challenges encountered in defining a suitable boot architecture:
- ISA compatibility
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Why does it take millions of ejaculated sperm to fertilize one egg?
Because they don't ask for directions. Ba-da-boom.
Seriously though, the short and sweet answer is this: the 200 to 600 million sperm normally found in ejaculate increases the chance that some will reach a mature egg, eventually with just one being able to enter and fertilize it. Evolution likely accounts for the high sperm count in a typical ejaculate — a male who is able to produce more sperm obviously has a better likelihood of fertilizing a female than his competitors. In some species, this male may be the one with the largest testicles, which produce more sperm than smaller sized balls.
So, what happens to most of the released sperm on their journey to the egg? Well, as sperm swim through the vaginal canal and into the cervix, they hit a "fork in the road," so to speak. At this juncture, some sperm travel to one fallopian tube, while the rest move on to the other. However, only one fallopian tube has a fertile egg at a given time. The sperm that do not reach an "impasse" surround the mature egg and compete with the other sperm in trying to penetrate it. If a woman's sexual and reproductive health are in good working condition, the first sperm to cross the finish line (enter the egg) succeeds in fertilizing it. "Helper" sperm can also be credited for easing fertilization by allowing this particular sperm access to and contact with the mature egg during its trip. With conception initiated, the now fertilized egg sets off some mechanisms, such as thickening of cervical mucus and hardening of its outer surface (zona pellucida), to block all other sperm from entering the egg.
Interestingly, some researchers have theorized that sperm have adapted to take on certain roles, other than for fertilization. For example, abnormal sperm that cannot fertilize may instead function to find and destroy or block competing sperm from other males that also may be making the rounds through a female's reproductive tract. This hypothesis is not without controversy. Alternatively, other researchers have argued that abnormal sperm are simply abnormal. Regardless, it's agreed that more research needs to be done on sperm structure and function before greater consensus can be made.Alice! | <urn:uuid:2c780217-a35e-4e6a-a87e-93df74c3eddc> | {
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My mother deliberately wore a colourful sari on the day of our nursery interview. “It just helped you to remember the colours better” she says. But nowadays preparing your child for the pre-school or nursery interview can be a very nerve wrecking experience. Most parents get very anxious thinking about their child entering into the real world. However by preparing and thinking ahead, it makes the experience a little less scary for both you and your child.
Most of the schools have key developmental milestones that they assess the child on while they interview. Generally, there are a few pre-school staff members also present at the time of the interview observing your child on how they interact. How this experience can be made a little less jumpy? Read on.
**Communication**- Speaking in English is the first tip I share with all my fellow parents. Start conversing with your child in simple English sentences. Also inculcate the habit of listening. Give them small instructions like- “Please get me a glass of water” or “Let’s tidy up your toys”. This ensures basic following of instructions and ensuring discipline. Enhance the oral /written skills of the child by asking questions like “What is your favourite colour?”, “Can you draw a circle for me?”, “What do you like to eat?” or “Which is your favourite cartoon character?” This enhances the child’s ability to think and gives the opportunity to answer. Needless to say, encourage courtesy words like ‘Thank you” and “Sorry”.
**Concepts**- Apart from attitude and behaviour, a child’s concepts are also gauged. So keep revising letters, colours, shapes, numbers, birds, animals, topics like helpers and transport on a daily basis. Make visual charts and paste them in the room. Instead of memorising, use practical examples to explain to the child. For eg, talk about the helpers in your society.. Discuss how their help is invaluable.
Create- as many situations for the child to perform at home to revise such these concepts and appropriate behaviour. Children learn everything from your parents hence make sure you are well read and are exhibiting the right attitude and behaviour. Encourage sharing as a habit which usually is lacking in children especially who are the only ones in the family.
**Calm & Confident**- Focus on maintaining your calm throughout the interview even if the child falters or is unable to speak or respond. Motivate the child to interact however do not pressurise or force to behave or a respond in a certain way. Even at home, praise the child for trying and boost the morale if they go wrong somewhere.
Co-partners- Okay, both parents have equal responsibility of preparing the child for the interview. The interviewer also judges the team work that parents portray while answering questions pertaining to the child’s daily routine. Take turns in answering so that it is evident that both parents are spending quality time with the child. Be extremely patient and avoid creating panic attacks for you as well as the child. Try avoiding coaxing answers out of your child at the time of the interview. Sit back and let the child speak for themselves.
Keep these simple tips in mind and your child will crack the interview effortlessly.
Already registered? Log in here | <urn:uuid:14e43e30-5269-467f-8fe5-1a4dec3fd3e9> | {
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Note: this page links to assignments and assessment tools. For information about how to use specific software applications, check Technology Integration.
5 Ways To Enhance Instruction with Digital Narratives
Tips for success as teachers integrate digital storytelling in the classroom.
10 Tips for Dramatically Improving Your Videojournalism Stories
Many of these tips also apply to digital storytelling.
Students are required to read a novel of their choice. Students will then demonstrate an understanding of that novel by creating a book talk. In the book talk, students will be required to give an overview of the book, read two passages, and give an overall critique of the book. Students will create a Photostory for the presentation.
An outstanding example of digital storytelling.
The Clues to a Great Story
One-page handout with 5 essential elements for good storytelling. Uses "The Ugly Duckling" and more contemporary stories for examples.
Everything you need to help students craft a digital story is here: models, procedures, rubrics.
This collection of links includes classroom applications and an FAQ list.
This site offers practical tips with wit and insight.
Digital Storytelling Finds its Place in the Classroom
A teacher talks about digital storytelling in his classroom and offers step-by-step advice for those who'd like to try it in theirs.
Digital Storytelling with the iPad
Follow the links on the left for a list of resources.
Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling
It's all here: introduction, getting started, examples, resources, and more.
Get Started with Digital Storytelling
An overview of the process.
This 5-page handout includes tips for a good interview and includes a model. It is designed for grades 6-12 and requires Adobe Reader for access.
Personal Narrative and Digital Storytelling
A teacher details her planning for a classroom multimedia unit on personal narrative. Adobe Reader required for access.
Use the art on the site to illustrate or inspire student storytelling. Good for elementary students or those writing for them.
Tell a Story, Become a Lifelong Learner
A handbook for beginners to digital storytelling and veterans alike. Rationale, models, tips for topics. 28 pages, requires Adobe Reader. Downloadable.
That's the Story of My Life: Creating Storyboards for Graphic Novels About Adolescence
Students consider stories about adolescence and adolescents, and then fictionalize a scene from their lives in storyboards for graphic novels.
YouTube Audio Library
A variety of royalty-free music tracks for background music. Requires Google account for access. | <urn:uuid:353ee722-1059-481c-9c19-72bce07219c0> | {
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The delegate model of representation is a model of a representative democracy. In this model, constituents elect their representatives as delegates for their constituency. These delegates act only as a mouthpiece for the wishes of their constituency, and have no autonomy from the constituency. This model does not provide representatives the luxury of acting in their own conscience. Essentially, the representative acts as the voice of those who are (literally) not present. | <urn:uuid:40ae7fc2-3eae-4e97-9f6e-142161a28d60> | {
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Overview of Reconstruction
Digital History ID 2915
The twelve years following the Civil War carried vast consequences for the nation's future. Reconstruction helped set the pattern for future race relations and defined the federal government's role in promoting racial equality.
This section describes Presidents Lincoln's and Johnson's plans to readmit the Confederate states to the Union as well as the more stringent Congressional plan; it also describes the power struggle between President Andrew Johnson and Congress, including the vote over the president's impeachment. This section also identifies the groups that ruled the southern state governments from 1866 to 1877 and explains why Reconstruction ended in 1877.
Immediately following the war, all-white Southern legislatures passed black codes which denied blacks the right to purchase or rent land. These efforts to force former slaves to work on plantations led Congressional Republicans to seize control of Reconstruction from President Andrew Johnson, deny representatives from the former Confederate states their Congressional seats, and pass the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and draft the 14th Amendment, extending citizenship rights to African Americans and guaranteeing equal protection of the laws.
In 1870, the 15th Amendment gave voting rights to black men. The freedmen, in alliance with carpetbaggers and southern white Republicans known as scalawags, temporarily gained power in every former Confederate state except Virginia. The Reconstruction governments drew up democratic state constitutions, expanded women's rights, provided debt relief, and established the South's first state-funded schools. Internal divisions within the Southern Republican Party, white terror, and Northern apathy allowed white Southern Democrats known as Redeemers to return to power. During Reconstruction former slaves and many small white farmers became trapped in a new system of economic exploitation known as sharecropping. | <urn:uuid:1ff4556f-4709-46ea-b435-813eab281a52> | {
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With the rise of social media, there is no longer a traditional “reasonable expectation of privacy” in publicly available information. The average social media user must always assume that what they say is “on the record.” The risk of defamatory content reaching millions has increased immensely, and the only way to protect yourself is to understand which personal remarks are acceptable and which cross the line into defamation.
The term “defamation” covers any untrue statement that damages another’s reputation. A defamatory statement that is made in writing and published is referred to as “libel.” On the other hand, if the statement is only made orally, it is considered “slander.”
Defamation is categorized as a civil wrong, a tort. Therefore, any individual who suffers damage caused by a defamatory statement may sue the person who made the statement. For as long as defamation law has existed in the United States, both freedom of speech and the right of an individual to avoid defamation have been of great concern. Defamation law attempts to ensure the right of individuals to speak the truth about others while also offering recourse to those who suffer damage as the result of false statements made about them.
Elements of Defamation
Although defamation laws vary among states, there are accepted standards common to all defamation laws. Generally speaking, in order to prove defamation, an individual must show the following elements:
- Statement: The statement must be spoken, written, or otherwise expressed in some manner. Spoken words often fade more quickly from memory, and for this reason, slander is often considered less harmful than libel.
- Publication: In order for a statement to be published, a third party must see, hear, or read the defamatory statement. A third party is someone other than the person making the statement and the individual subject of the statement. Contrary to the traditional meaning of the word “published,” a defamatory statement does not necessarily need to be printed in a book. Rather, a statement made on television or written on someone’s door may be considered published. Similarly, blog comments and social media missives are also considered published.
- Injury: To succeed in a defamation lawsuit, one must prove the statement has caused injury. Specifically, the statement must have hurt the reputation of the subject of the statement. For example, a statement has caused injury if the subject of the statement has lost their job as a result of the statement.
- Falsity: A statement cannot be defamatory unless it is false. A true statement, no matter how harmful, is not considered defamation in the eyes of the law. Additionally, statements of opinion are not considered false because they are the subjective ideas of the speaker.
- Unprivileged: Finally, to be considered defamatory, the statement must be unprivileged. Whether a statement is privileged or not is a policy decision determined by lawmakers. Lawmakers must weigh the need to avoid defamation against the importance of allowing the statement to be freely made. For example, statements made while testifying at trial are classified as privileged. Therefore, when a testifying witness makes a false and injurious statement, the witness will be immune from a defamation lawsuit.
Our government places high priority on the public being allowed to speak freely about elected officials and other public figures. Therefore, people in the public eye receive less protection from defamatory statements and face a higher burden of proof when attempting to prove their defamation case. In addition to the elements listed above, a public figure who pursues a defamation claim must also prove that the statement was made with “actual malice.”
“Actual malice” was defined by the Supreme Court in Hustler v. Falwell. In Falwell, the Court held that certain statements that would otherwise be defamatory were protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The Court reasoned that “the sort of robust political debate encouraged by the First Amendment is bound to produce speech that is critical of those who hold public office or those public figures who are intimately involved in the resolution of important public questions….” The Court’s decision effectively means that public figures can win a defamation suit only when the statement made against them is not an honest mistake and is in fact published with the actual intent to harm the public figure.
Bianca Ybarra is a Staff Writer for GetLegal.com. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Law Center and a member of the State Bar of Texas. | <urn:uuid:2dcbdd81-3e3c-44c1-92a9-2213071f4145> | {
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In order to become a licensed driver in the United States, present proper identification to the Department of Motor Vehicles, confirm your vision, and take written and road tests. The exact requirements and eligible ages differ by state.Continue Reading
The minimum age to get a general license to drive a vehicle that is not a motorcycle or commercial vehicle varies from 14 to 17, depending on the state. Those under age 18 must generally attend driver's education classes either at their schools or independent driving schools. Some states also require adults looking for a first-time license to attend driver's education schools before applying.
Different states have different rules concerning immigrants, underage drivers and new drivers over age 18. For example, in Washington State anyone with an out-of-state license can get a Washington State license by simply passing the vision test. Foreign persons can get licenses by passing the vision test and possessing valid licenses from British Columbia, Germany, South Korea or Taiwan. In both cases, the person must have a Washington street address to prove that he is a current resident of the state.
In Washington State, non-US citizens can drive in the state for one year with a valid foreign driver's license.Learn more about DMV & Records | <urn:uuid:7e6dd301-db74-40d6-890b-c182c590837c> | {
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Because of the way its camera depicts what it sees, Kinect is being used by researchers to monitor elderly patients for their risk of a fall while still respecting their privacy. The device is helping the University of Missouri's independent living community predict health risks 10 to 14 days before their most serious symptoms manifest.
TigerPlace, the university's residential community that also conducts applied research on elderly care, had been using motion-sensing technology for years to monitor changes in residents' health. Kinect provides a more complete look by capturing data that is easy for MU researchers to analyze. And because it produces a silhouette image, not a full picture, residents don't feel as though their lives are being video recorded.
It's another application of a device whose modifications aren't limited to entertainment experiences. Researchers have found uses for Kinect in assisting the blind, studying mental disorders, and developing search-and-rescue technology for use in disaster recovery.
MU Researchers Use New Video Gaming Technology to Detect Illness, Prevent Falls in Older Adults [University of Missouri News via Gamasutra] | <urn:uuid:c6e2c785-81f4-448e-be75-c3b1f785f460> | {
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Neurotoxin Found in Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals
HONOLULU, Hawaii, June 7, 2011 (ENS) – A potent toxic chemical that affects the nervous system has been identified in the bodies of Critically Endangered Hawaiian monk seals.
Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, have found that Hawaiian monk seals are exposed to ciguatoxin, a toxin produced by marine algae common on coral reefs.
“This work provides first confirmation that Hawaiian monk seals are exposed to significant levels of ciguatoxins and first evidence of transfer of ciguatoxin to marine mammals,” the researchers write in their report.
Monks seals rest on shoreline rocks, Molokai, Hawaii, February 2011 (Photo by Gail Koza)
Ciguatoxins are potent neurotoxins that concentrate in fish preyed upon by the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal, Monachus schauinslandi.
“Based upon this study, we believe that ciguatoxin exposure is common in the monk seal population,” said Charles Littnan, study co-author and scientist with NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.
The scientists suspect ciguatoxin exposure might be linked to the ongoing decline of these seals, whose numbers are estimated at between 1,100 and 1,200.
“This study is an important first step. However, we still need to understand more clearly how widespread exposure is and more importantly what role it may be playing in the decline of the species,” said Littnan.
Monk seals were sampled throughout the Hawaiian Islands, including in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. The samples were then shipped to NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina for toxin analyses.
Tissue analysis from dead stranded animals revealed ciguatoxin activity in brain, liver, and muscle, while analysis of blood samples from 55 free-ranging animals revealed detectable levels of ciguatoxin activity in 19 percent of the animals.
The chemical threat could pose “management challenges” for this endangered marine mammal species, which has been dwindling at four percent annually due to poor foraging success and other environmental and human factors, the researchers write in their report.
The only previous report for Hawaiian monk seal ciguatoxin exposure occurred during a 1978 mortality event when two seal liver extracts tested positive by mouse bioassay.
The Hawaiian monk seal is considered to be a special treasure in the Hawaiian islands. Native to the islands, they are one of the most endangered animal species in the world.
The research results are prompting ciguatoxin investigations of other marine mammals in the state.
Ciguatera, the human disease caused by ciguatoxin, affects thousands of people worldwide every year. Symptoms include acute gastrointestinal and neurological illness and chronic fatigue. | <urn:uuid:d48f0190-33d1-46f7-8974-f944edcd566a> | {
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Educating a child in today’s public schools may not be as beneficial as it once was. Many people are losing faith in public education and want to pursue new options. This is where homeschooling comes in. The ability to control and monitor your child’s education, while constantly challenging them to do better is what homeschooling is all about. Learn more about how homeschooling works with the tips you will find ahead.
You don’t have to be perfect! Even teachers make mistakes, and it’s all a part of the learning process for yourself and your children. Take your time, relax and know that you can teach your kids a lot when you do flub. The more mistakes you make, the better a teacher you will become.
Check the web to find all the days in which local attractions offer free admission. For example, the museum will often have free events available on a certain day of the week, month or year. Check their calendar of events and pencil it into your schedule to ensure you don’t miss it.
Before you even begin your child’s homeschooling year, decide how many weeks you would like to accomplish the school year in. You can then break your courses up into weeks to set even tighter schedules. Do not forget to pencil in any vacation time that you will be taking so you do not forget to account for it.
Figure out what motivates your children. The same thing will not motivate all children, so find a motivational tool for each child and use it. Keep your rewards age appropriate and reward your children for accomplishing each of their school goals for the year. They will work hard for the things that make them happy.
Create your own flash cards. There is no need to waste money on expensive sets of flash cards when you can do it yourself. All you need to make your own are some index cards and a marker. Besides saving money, this technique also allows you to tailor the flash cards to your child’s specific needs.
If you have kids in the home that are not yet school age, spend some quality time with them prior to starting the day’s lessons with the older kids. If they can get their fill of attention time before you get busy with the older kids, they are likely going to be able to entertain themselves while you work.
The curriculum you choose should not put restrictions on what your kids are learning. Use the books as tools to guide you in the direction your kids need to go in schooling. Take the information from the books and build a learning platform that your kids will do well with. If that means that you are skipping a non-critical lesson or two that is fine.
There is a lot of good being done in public schools; however, when it is not enough, consider homeschooling. The suggestions and information you have read in this article should give you a better understanding of the process and what you can do to make the most of your child’s school time. It is one of the best ways to get the best out of your child. | <urn:uuid:b87c5fba-dd37-4953-97d8-319d41fa9bb3> | {
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Imagine a garden that is thriving during the drought, bursting with colorful blooms, delicious fruit, the melodies of song birds, and healthy bees. The following landscape elements will help ensure that your garden is slowing, spreading, and sinking as much water as possible rather than wasting it and causing runoff. The result? Lush gardens that use less to do more.
THE RIGHT PLANTS
Every water-wise garden needs the right plants grown in theright places. Native plants are always a good choice, as theyare adapted to California’s seasonally dry climate. Many non-native plants from locations with similar Mediterranean climates will also do well. Arranging plants so they have appropriate shelter from drying winds and hot afternoon sun can also help reduce water requirements. Hardy perennial food plants provide multiple benefits, and even annual fruit and vegetable plantscan be grown with water efficiency in mind. See our ‘Water-wise Plants we Love’ resource for more details on good selections for your water-wise garden.
Increase the living sponge of your site with a thick layer of mulch. Mulch reduces erosion, slows evaporation and builds better soil over time. Better soil (ie. soil with more organic matter) in turn absorbs and holds more water. A nice layer of mulch also creates a prime canvas to display your gorgeous plants. Cover any bare soil with fallen leaves, wood chips made from tree trimmings, or rice straw. Just be sure that mulch isn’t piled up around the stems or trunks of plants.
Swales are essentially thoughtfully designed ditches that enable rainwater to slow, spread and sink into the soil. Capturing water in the soil is the cheapest and easiest way to harvest large amounts of rain, hydrating your landscape and recharging groundwater. Rain gardens are one form of swale. Berm and basin swales, built along the contour of a hill, help infiltrate water flowing down a slope and create a lens of water underground available to plants downhill. Infiltration basins can be either deep narrow ditches or simply holes, which are then filled with mulch to help hold water on flatter surfaces. Much more detail about swales can be found in out rainwater harvesting resources.
Remove hardscape to maximize rain absorbing garden space. Permeable pathways of gravel, mulch, and even brick allow more water to soak into the ground. Consider installing permeable pavers or vegetative planting strips in place of concrete in driveways or plant rain gardens in parkway strips along sidewalks to increase permeability and reduce runoff at your site.
Forget sprinklers. A simple system of tubing and emitters delivers the right amount of water right where it’s needed. You can also easily convert a sprinkler head to feed your drip system, which makes setting up irrigation for your lawn-to-garden transformations very simple. An automatic timer can be added to ensure consistent watering. If you don’t have an irrigation system, get in the habit of hand watering. Either way, you’ll use less water and get better results because you’ll be giving each plant just what it needs.
RAIN TANKS AND BARRELS
Did you know that over 600 gallons of water can be captured for every 1” of rain falling on a 1000 ft2 roof? That’s a lot of water, even in a dry year! Rain tanks and barrels use your gutter system to harvest the precious gift of rain, preventing waste, erosion,and flooding. With tanks and/or barrels, you can hold on to the ample water that lands on your roof and then release it slowly into your landscape through irrigation, keeping your landscape looking lush well into the dry season
A great way to supplement landscape irrigation is by reusing the gently used water from your laundry machine, shower, and/or bathroom sink. Greywater is perfect for watering trees, shrubs, and even smaller annuals and perennials, and is easy to set up. Laundry systems do not even require a permit in most CA cities. Appropriate soaps are easy to come by, and the system is very easy to turn off if you ever wanted to. Greywater helps you get double duty out of the water you’ve already paid for, and reduces the need for fresh drinking water for irrigation. Lots more info is available in our greywater resources. | <urn:uuid:fbbbaa85-ea4d-4354-a6bb-ddbdb8855b18> | {
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PANEL 1: Federal infantry and
artillery hurry toward the fighting at The
Angle. Major General W.S. Hancock is shown
with his staff at the left center and
beyond, at the top of the picture, is
Little Round Top.
PANEL 2: Pickett's Charge reached
its climax when the Confederates, dressed
in brown, followed their red battle flags
into the Union line at the Copse of Trees.
These trees seen in the upper left, mark
the Union center, the objective of
Pickett's Charge. Confederate General
Armistead falls mortally wounded to the
right of the flags.
PANEL 3: Pickett's Charge reaches
its climax at The Angle. Union troops, in
the foreground, meet the advancing
Confederates and hurl them back. The
Codori buildings may been seen at the top
of the card.
PANEL 4: The
Angle, in the foreground, and the field of
Pickett's Charge. The Confederates, beyond
the exploding ammunition chest and
advancing across the fields, have come
from Seminary Ridge marked by the trees
and smoke in the background.
PANEL 5: Tradition holds that
French artist, Paul Philippoteaux,
identified himself with the Cyclorama by
portraying himself as the Union officer
standing beneath the tree to the right. He
watches Pettigrew's Division advancing
from Seminary Ridge.
PANEL 6: The
stone wall north of The Angle and the
Bryan barn. Wounded are being evacuated on
PANEL 7: Arnold's Rhode Island
Battery in action north of The Angle and
Copse of Trees.
PANEL 8: Hospital. A surgeon
amputates the leg of a wounded man in the
shed on the right.
PANEL 9: A
New York battery gallops towards the
fighting near the Copse of Trees.
PANEL 10: Major General George
Meade, commander of the Army of the
Potomac, as shown with his staff on the
right at the edge of the Wheatfield.
Meade's Chief of Artillery, Brigadier
General Henry J. Hunt, watches the
fighting in The Angle from the gray horse
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Summary: A psychology text that you'll actually want to read! PSYCHOLOGY: A JOURNEY is guaranteed to spark your curiosity, insight, imagination, and interest. Using the proven SQ4R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Relate, and Review) active learning system to help you study smarter, Coon leads you to an understanding of major concepts as well as how psychology relates to the challenges of everyday life. Each chapter of this book takes you into a different realm of psychology, ...show more such as personality, abnormal behavior, memory, consciousness, and human development. Each realm is complex and fascinating, with many pathways, landmarks, and detours to discover. Take the journey and find yourself becoming actively involved with the material as you develop a basic understanding of psychology that will help you succeed in this course and enrich your life. ...show lessEdition/Copyright: 3RD 08
40 more offers below. | <urn:uuid:9adf5062-bb13-4f90-8275-ce1f7520bad6> | {
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Page breaks mark the end of one page and the beginning of another. There are two different types of page breaks: automatic page breaks (also called soft page breaks) and manual page breaks (also called hard page breaks).
As you move onto another page in a document, Word automatically inserts a page break. If you have not quite filled up one page but need to insert another, you can add a manual page break.
To insert a manual page:
- Place the insertion point where you want Word to start a new page.
- On the Insert tab, in the Pages group, click Page Break.
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Cardiac Arrest Management: Part 1
You've just finished renewing your CPR card at the firehouse, and now you're sitting in the day room with your classmates. One of them is frustrated that the guidelines keep changing. "First it's five compressions to one breath," he says. "Then it's 15 to two, and now 30 to two. And what about shocking first? They just can't seem to make up their minds." You liked the class, but you can't help thinking about all the cardiac arrests you've been on over the years. For all the changes in CPR and the new toys and drugs paramedics use now, very few patients seem to get pulses back and walk out of the hospital. You wonder if things will change with the new guidelines.
Despite advances in care over the years, survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remains low, averaging about 6% worldwide.1 It's easy to get cynical about all the changes recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) and wonder if the latest ones will make any difference. However, there are several things that make this revision of the AHA's Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) guidelines different.
First, the science behind cardiac arrests is more robust and the pathophysiology is better understood now. An international committee of experts met and closely scrutinized studies of cardiac arrests to see what works, what might work and what doesn't.1 Second, there is new insight into what happens to patients in cardiac arrest, which helps determine what treatment options are most likely to work.2
Looking at what has worked in the past and understanding what's happening to the body during cardiac arrest, it is clear that EMS must rethink its approach to managing these cases. The key is to prioritize our interventions and perfect the ones that are most important.
THE THREE PHASES OF CARDIAC ARRESTS
The vast majority of sudden cardiac arrests begin with ventricular fibrillation (v-fib), where electrical impulses chaotically fire from all parts of the heart instead of the normal pathways. This causes the heart to "quiver," and no blood can be pumped from it. An AED will deliver a shock if this rhythm (Figure 1) is detected. The heart may also have electrical activity conducted through normal pathways and appear normal on a monitor when it's really not pumping in response to the electrical impulses. This is known as pulseless electrical activity, or PEA (Figure 2). Finally, there may be no electrical activity in the heart at all, and subsequently no pumping. This is known as asystole, and appears as a flat line on a monitor.
Previous cardiac arrest treatment guidelines focused only on the rhythm displayed. Upon detection of v-fib, shocks were delivered immediately. Now it appears that simply defibrillating anytime v-fib is seen may be not be helpful. A three-phase model of the body's changes during cardiac arrest has been proposed, and the appropriate treatment now depends on the patient's time of collapse or which phase they're in.2
I. Electrical phase (0–5 minutes)—For the first five minutes of a cardiac arrest with v-fib, the best treatment is immediate defibrillation. Because the patient's time down usually isn't known, the only patients who should be defibrillated immediately are those whose arrests were witnessed by EMS.2,3
II. Circulatory phase (5–10 minutes)—If a patient has been in v-fib longer than five minutes, defibrillation is more likely to be successful after a period of CPR. Defibrillating without doing CPR first is more likely to convert the rhythm to asystole or PEA, making the chances of survival even smaller. For most patients in arrest on EMS arrival, it is safe to assume that more than five minutes have passed since collapse.2,3
III. Metabolic phase (after 10 minutes)—The metabolic phase, beginning approximately 10 minutes after the collapse, is the least understood phase. At this point toxins have begun to circulate throughout the body, and systemic cell death has occurred. So far few interventions appear to be effective to help this, and medications currently used for cardiac arrests may actually make cell death worse. The most promising intervention to slow the process of cell death is induced hypothermia, which is currently being tested in some EMS systems.2,3
CPR, DEFIBRILLATION AND VENTILATION
In addition to a better understanding of what happens to the body in cardiac arrest, the latest AHA guidelines reflect a better understanding about how CPR works.
When done perfectly, CPR will circulate a small amount of oxygenated blood to the heart and brain.1 Chest compressions create pressure changes that allow blood to flow through the heart's chambers. With this, blood enters the coronary arteries to perfuse heart muscle. The amount of blood perfusing heart muscle is known as the coronary perfusion pressure (CPP, or "good" pressure). CPP increases with each compression, and we want to get it as high as possible. Each chest compression builds on the last, and any break will rapidly lower CPP. Several compressions will then be needed to get it back to where it was. This is why there's new emphasis on continuous CPR.
Conventional wisdom says that breathing is as important as a heartbeat. While oxygenation is important, it appears that many patients are ventilated too often and too forcefully during CPR. This is very harmful.
First, many patients still breathe on their own for a period after their hearts stop, which appears as gasping respirations.1,3 These are known as agonal respirations, and the guidelines emphasize the need to recognize cardiac arrest in patients who have them. These patients need chest compressions to help their hearts much more than ventilation to help their breathing.3,4 Also, chest compressions create pressure changes that draw air into and out of the lungs.
Remember that less blood is circulated though the lungs with CPR than when the heart is beating on its own, and the goal of CPR is to get oxygenated blood to the heart and brain. This requires much less oxygen than a person who is alive and has oxygen delivered to all their organs.1 The air exchange produced from gasping respirations and chest compressions may be adequate in the beginning of the arrest.
Many problems have been associated with positive-pressure ventilation delivered during CPR. First, the break in chest compressions to ventilate lowers CPP. Second, forcing air into the lungs increases intrathoracic ("bad") pressure—pressure within the chest that the heart must pump against.
That said, patients in whom cardiac arrest was caused by a respiratory arrest, such as drowning, will benefit more from positive-pressure ventilation than those whose arrests were caused by cardiac events. The AHA has recommended a compromise for this by increasing the compression-to-ventilation ratio to 30:2 and minimizing breaks in compressions to ventilate. It also stresses ventilating the patient for only one second, to limit the increase of harmful pressure in the chest.
A higher compression-to-ventilation ratio is an attempt to balance delivering enough oxygen to the lungs with keeping intrathoracic pressure as low as possible.1
Defibrillation is the most effective way to stop the electrical chaos going on in the heart during v-fib. It works by depolarizing all myocardial cells, which stops all electrical activity in the heart. This gives the heart's natural pacemaker the opportunity to reset an organized rhythm. Defibrillation is considered successful when it stops ventricular fibrillation for five seconds or more, even though there may not be a perfusing rhythm after v-fib is stopped.
What has changed is when we believe the best time to defibrillate is, and how many shocks should be delivered. Again, if the arrest is witnessed by EMS, it is best to defibrillate immediately. If the down time is not known or more than five minutes have passed, it is best to perform two minutes or five 30:2 cycles of CPR before defibrillation. To limit interruptions in chest compressions, deliver one shock instead of stacked shocks.
There are two types of defibrillators used today: biphasic and monophasic. Virtually all those manufactured today are biphasic. These deliver shocks from two directions and have been shown to terminate ventricular fibrillation with less energy than their monophasic counterparts. The optimal biphasic energy setting is still being studied, and each manufacturer will provide a recommendation for its model.
Monophasic defibrillators can still be found on many ambulances, though they are being phased out. They deliver energy from one direction, and the recommended setting is 360 joules on all models.
The AHA now recommends two minutes of CPR immediately after defibrillation. Resist the urge to see what rhythm the patient is in or check for a pulse; in this case it's OK to do CPR for a short time even if they have one. Unless the patient wakes up after defibrillation or has been down for a short time, an organized rhythm and pulse immediately after defibrillation aren't likely to last long without some help. It is also likely that the patient will be hypotensive and can be helped by two more minutes of CPR.
ALTERNATIVES TO CPR
The role of artificial ventilation in cardiac arrests is controversial. The AHA acknowledges that the ideal compression-to-ventilation ratio is not known, and determining it is subject to more research. Dr. Gordon Ewy, of the CPR Research Group at the University of Arizona's Sarver Heart Center, advocates an alternative method of CPR known as cardio-cerebral resuscitation. Here the breathing portion of CPR has been eliminated, and people are taught to deliver chest compressions alone at a rate of 100 a minute. Support for this approach comes from studies done on pigs in a laboratory setting and one done with EMS systems in rural Wisconsin. The EMS study showed significantly improved long-term survival in humans receiving compression-only CPR.4
CPR doesn't seem difficult—it's just pumping and blowing. However, studies have shown that many healthcare providers, both in and out of hospital, perform CPR poorly.1 On average, as many as 40% of compressions aren't deep enough, performance is subject to long pauses, and patients are hyperventilated.1 That has led to several points of emphasis in the latest guidelines.
To perform chest compressions most effectively, the rescuer must place the heel of one hand on the lower half of the sternum (between the nipples on males) and the heel of the other hand over it (Figure 3). The chest should be compressed 1½–2 inches. There is a new emphasis on allowing the chest to completely recoil, or return to its normal position, between compressions. The compression and recoil times should be equal, which allows blood to fill the heart before being pushed out.1
While it's important to deliver oxygen to the lungs during CPR, many problems have been found with use of positive-pressure ventilation (usually done with a bag-valve mask connected to 100% oxygen). The goal of positive-pressure ventilation is to get oxygen to the lungs and keep it out of the stomach. This is best accomplished by maintaining the head-tilt/chin-lift position and using oral and nasal airway adjuncts. The mask should be held tight on the patient's face so that no air leaks out the side. This is so important that one rescuer should be dedicated solely to holding the head in position and maintaining a good mask seal. The bag should be squeezed just enough to see a visible chest rise (about 500–600 ml).1 Each breath should be delivered over one second, so count "one-one thousand" to yourself as you squeeze.
Before an advanced airway is placed, ventilation must be coordinated with breaks in compressions. Ideally, compressions should be stopped for no more than four seconds to deliver two ventilations. When an advanced airway is placed, ventilation should be delivered 8–10 times a minute with no break in chest compressions. Do not hyperventilate!
Everyone knows that the rate of chest compressions is 100 a minute, but it can be challenging to keep track of that in the excitement of working an arrest. The last time I recertified with my agency, we all did compressions much too fast. Devices are available that monitor compression and ventilation rates, and metronomes can be purchased and set to 100 beats per minute. Another method of pacing yourself is to choose a song that has a bass line of 100 beats per minute and sing it to yourself as you do compressions. Ironically, two such songs are the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" and "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen.
An important issue in CPR is rescuer fatigue. It is believed that rescuers begin to get fatigued after one minute of chest compressions, though they may not feel it until several minutes have passed.1 When fatigue sets in, the relaxation phase of CPR is compromised first. Because there must be a pause every two minutes to analyze the rhythm, it's a good idea to use this pause to change positions, even if the rescuer doing compressions doesn't feel tired.
A great deal of research has demonstrated the importance of high-quality BLS care for cardiac arrests. Like many procedures in EMS, performing high-quality CPR requires teamwork, attention to detail and lots of practice.
Next Month: The Role of Advanced Life Support
1. American Heart Association. 2005 American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Circ 112 (suppl): IV1–IV211, 2005.
2. Weisfeldt M, Becker L. Resuscitation after cardiac arrest: A 3-phase time-sensitive model. JAMA 288: 3,035–38, 2002.
3. Ewy G. Cardiocerebral resuscitation: The new cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Circ 111: 2,134–42, 2005.
4. Kellum W, Dennedy K, Ewy G. Cardiocerebral resuscitation improves survival of patient with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Am J Med 119: 335–40, 2006.
Robert E. Sullivan, NREMT-P, is a paramedic with New Castle County (DE) EMS and is a CPR and ACLS instructor. Contact him at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:7ab6db8d-a412-4724-873b-d939b4eb80fe> | {
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Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
|Eastern diamondback rattlesnake|
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) is a species of venomous pit vipers, found in southeastern United States of America. It is the largest rattlesnake, and the heaviest venomous snake in the Americas. There are currently no subspecies found.
Description[change | change source]
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the heaviest venomous snake in the Americas, and the largest rattlesnake. The heaviest eastern diamondback rattlesnake ever found weighed 15.4 kg (34 Ib), and was 7.8 ft (2.4 m) long. This eastern diamondback rattlesnake however, was not the longest ever found, for there have been reports on seeing some which were 8 feet long. An eastern diamondback rattlesnake's actual length is usually around 3 to 5 feet long. They usually weigh 2.3 kg (5.1 Ib), but some that have been found can weigh 5.12 kg (11.3 Ib), or even 6.7 kg (15 Ib). They usually are brown, brownish yellow, brownish gray, or olive ground in color. There skin is covered with 24-35 dark brown or black diamond-shaped blotches, which have a lighter center. The belly is yellow or cream in color.
Common names[change | change source]
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is also called the "diamond snake", the "common rattlesnake", the "diamond rattler", the "Florida diamondback snake", the "lozenge-spotted rattlesnake", the "southern woodland rattler", and the "water rattler".
Habitat[change | change source]
They live in dry pine forests, salt marshes, swamp forests, and cypress swamps of United States of America. The U.S.A's states which it lives in are southeastern North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, southern Alabama and Mississippi.
Behavior[change | change source]
Like most rattlesnakes they live on land, and are not good climbers. They have, however, been reports on some eastern diamondback rattlesnake being in bushes and trees, probably looking for a prey. Even though they are not good climbers, they are very good swimmers. These rattlesnakes have been seen many times hiding in mammal burrows. hawks, eagles, and other snakes eat eastern diamondback rattlesnakes.
Diet[change | change source]
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake catches its prey by ambushing it. It eats small mammals like rabbits and rats, birds and sometimes lizards. Since of adults large size they can easily attack and eat adult rabbits, there have also been reports on some eating turkeys. Young eastern diamondback rattlesnake eat mainly small rodents like mice, rats and squirrels. Sometimes they also eat large insects.
Reproduction[change | change source]
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake, like all rattlesnakes, are ovoviviparous. A female is pregnant for around five to six months before giving birth to her young. The young stay with their mother for a few hours (up to a few days at most) before leaving on their own to go and hunt for food. Because of this, many of the young snakes die quickly. Females give birth to around 7 to 21 young at a time; they give birth to their young in July to early October. Young are born to be about 12 inches (30 cm) long. When they are born they look similar to adults, but have a small button on their tail, unlike adults who have rattles on their tail. | <urn:uuid:8c0fdf84-f4da-4f9d-adce-8ef32a89a32a> | {
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“BO – Come!”
Exodus 10:1–13:16; Jeremiah 46:13-26
This week’s Torah portion speaks about the last three plagues over Egypt, where God showed the mighty Pharaoh His great power. The final plague follows with the triumphant Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt, from slavery into freedom.
Jewish scholars explain that the first nine plagues are divided into three-year cycles. Before each three-year cycle, the LORD commanded Moses early in the morning to stand before Pharaoh in the presence of many (7:15; 8:16; 9:13) to forewarn him of what was coming (7:17; 8:17). The third time Moses stood before Pharaoh, at the beginning of the third cycle, it came without warning (8:12).
In the beginning, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, he refused to let the people go, but then he did allow the people to sacrifice to the God of Israel. Then he said it was okay for the men, women and children to leave Egypt, but without the livestock and finally God had the victory, calling the children out with wealth and blessings.
Even Pharaoh’s advisors told him to let God’s people go, but Pharaoh’s pride and selfish ambitions kept him from listening to counsel. May we also be careful to recognize our pride early on, willing to humble ourselves and surrender all. The punishment for Pharaoh and “all who trusted him” came later through Nebuchadnezzar when he ruled Babylon (Jeremiah 46).
Remember, it took only three days for the children of Israel to leave Egypt once Pharaoh told them to go, but it took 40 years for Egypt and her cults and idols to leave the minds and hearts of Israel – this required heart surgery!
In order to know the exact timing of the Exodus we must begin with the Babylonian exile, which we know happened in 586 BC. If we add another 390 ‘day-years’ mentioned in Ezekiel 4:4-13 we come to the year King Solomon divided the two kingdoms into Israel and Judea in 976 BC. Take another 36 years (40 less 4) of Solomon’s reign and the 480 years between his throne and the time of the Exodus described in 1 Kings 6:1 and the date comes to 1492 BC!
Commandments were given, still used today, which commemorates the Exodus from Egypt. A blameless lamb should be kept on the 10th of Nissan and on the 14th slaughtered and eaten at the last supper on the 15th of Nissan on the last night.
The Exodus also foreshadows the sacrificial atonement of the Lamb of God, Yeshua the Messiah, who, although blameless, was slaughtered on the cross. For the children of God, celebrating the evening before brought salvation, but to those who opposed Him, it brought death. A lesson to us!
Messianic Rabbi Yohanan Kemper makes a comparison between Moses and Yeshua, the first and the last deliverers. Moses fled from Egypt and Jesus fled to Egypt until those seeking their death, died. Yeshua was in Egypt until 4 BC when Herod died (Matthew 2:14-15). The Talmud says, that the first redemption will equal the last redemption! Also, Pharaoh killed every male child and Herod did the same some 1,500 years later.
Concerning the final plague, the Lord had the final say. While Pharaoh was guilty of murdering all the Hebrew newborns, even calling Israel, according to Exodus 4:22, the “first-born son,” God went and killed Pharaoh’s first-born child who was known in Egypt as a “son of God”!
Those of us who are believers should see ourselves in the same way. Redeemed of God, called out of Egypt (the world) through the eternal sacrifice of Yeshua who made it possible once and for all to free us from the bondage of sin. Hallelujah! | <urn:uuid:49bf7e73-09ff-4b7a-829b-67e826cebe0d> | {
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From the tiniest terrier to the largest Irish wolfhound, hunting dogs follow their noses, ears and eyes to potential prey. This instinct has made these animals a valuable asset to hunters throughout history and to police, military and search-and-rescue organizations. The same intelligence, perseverance and courage bred into these dogs sometimes spells trouble for pet owners who don't understand a hunting dog's mental and physical needs.
Man has hunted with dogs for thousands of years. Each breed of hunting dog was developed to detect, track, catch and retrieve the particular prey animal in its location. For example, Labrador retrievers were trained to retrieve caught fish in Newfoundland waters, while Rhodesian ridgebacks were bred to hunt African lions. Over the millennia, each breed became more and more specialized according to the hunter's needs. The dachshund began as a medium-sized dog farmers used to unearth the large badger, but later was miniaturized to tunnel after the smaller weasel or rat. Today, most hunting dogs are family pets and rarely fulfill their ancient hunting roles.
Hunting dogs were developed to hunt by scent---e.g., basset hounds and bloodhounds--or sight---e.g., greyhounds and Salukis. Other hunting dogs were bred to retrieve the hunted quarry, like Portuguese water dogs and Labrador retrievers. The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association opts for an all-around hunting dog that can "dependably hunt and point game, to retrieve on both land and water, and to track wounded game on both land and water."
Scent hounds typically have bodies low to the ground and long ears that funnel the prey's scent into their sensitive noses. Their large, deep-nostriled snouts and moist loose lips help scent hounds process the odors they detect. Sight hounds are tall and have large eyes with sharp acuity. They are long-legged and swift so they can keep their quarry in their sights. Scent hounds can be much slower than sight hounds, since they can detect prey long after it has passed by, even over water.
Many breeds have been developed to help humans hunt large and small game. Dachshunds and terriers hunt small to medium burrowing game like badgers, weasels and rats. Beagles and foxhounds chase foxes and rabbits. The Saluki was used to hunt the swift gazelle in Egypt. Labrador and golden retrievers are adept at retrieving shot birds from the water. Pointers and setters show hunters where game is located and then flush the prey out to be killed.
Dogs bred for a job like hunting companion are sometimes difficult to keep as pets. They generally have high energy and a need to be doing something useful. Their instincts can lead to behavior problems if they are not kept busy. Some need to be watched very carefully. Greyhounds, for example, should always be kept on a leash when not in a fenced yard. They often bolt after anything moving---a bicycle, car, another animal---and get lost or injured. Dachshunds will tunnel out of an insecure yard. Terriers can chew on their squeaky toys or your favorite slippers. Obedience training and plenty of mental and physical exercises are essential to keep hunting dogs calm and happy.
- North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association: Versatile Hunting Dog
- American Kennel Club: Saluki
- American Kennel Club: Irish Wolfhound
- Dachshunds for Dummies; Eve Adamson; 2001.
- sad percy image by Miyazaki from Fotolia.com | <urn:uuid:e574acda-c3f4-4317-9ae6-07a430f5ddcb> | {
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