Written by Cindy Neuschwander
Illustrated by Wayne Geehan
Published by Charlesbridge, 2006
Ages: 8 -13
Themes: math, geometry, medieval times, islands, riddles, adventure, legends, sea serpents,
Young Per sat with her uncle and aunt, Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter. Her cousin, Radius, was teaching her the game of Inners and Edges.
“Sir Cumference returns in this tale that introduces readers to the concepts of perimeter and area. As in the previous books, Neuschwander’s characters have names that play with mathematical terminology. In this adventure Per visits his uncle and aunt (Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter). After learning a game involving inners and edges, she and her cousin Radius become embroiled in a mystery with a secret message and a threatening sea serpent. To solve it, the youngsters must travel to the Isle of Immeter and use a series of geometric formulas to tame the sea serpent and bring peace to the area. Readers already familiar with these formulas will have the most ease understanding and solving the mystery.” SLJ
The book covers area and perimeter of rectangular shapes and derivation of the area of a circle.
Why I like this book:
Fabulous fun resource for teachers/parents introducing the concepts of perimeter and area to children. There four earlier books in the series that go well with this one. I love the choice of setting this in a medieval period. Apparently Neuschwander, an elementary teacher with a passion for math, got the idea while visiting medieval castles in England. I also find the combination of riddles and math a great one for kids. This was a great reminder of these math concepts for ME, too! Not only does this book teach students math concepts, but it is also engaging and interesting and full of adventure. The illustrations are bright and vivid, which will create a connection for the student to use when they need help. I do like the outcome for the dangerous sea serpent!
Have the children create and play Inners and Edges, the math game introduced on the first page of the story.
There are hands on activity ideas included in the story as well, so the teacher/parent can instruct students through the activity as they read the book.
The final page of the book explains how Per and Radius learnt about the formulae.
The Sir Cumference series is reviewed on the Living Math website.
Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.


Cellular phone calls: Do you know who is listening?
Cellular phone calls: Do you know who is listening?
The processing power in cell phones has increased to the point where today's smartphones would outpace high-end computers of just a few years ago.
As a result, they have become an essential tool in the way we communicate and conduct business while on the move.
Yet, while the role of IT security has focused largely on protecting data, computers and the perimeter of an organization's IT infrastructure, the security of voice calls is being under-resourced, overlooked or assumed safe — which has been shown to no longer be the case.
The encryption algorithms used to secure GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) networks today are very similar to those specified in the late 1980s. Although 3G networks often use a stronger cipher, 2G networks (or 3G networks that switch automatically to 2G in poor coverage) routinely use a much weaker algorithm. In some countries encryption is turned off all together.
However, the massive growth in everyday computing capability in the last 25 years means that networks are open to a degree of brute force attack that was never envisaged by the founding fathers.
This coupled with recent information coming from the hacker community and the ability of the internet to distribute ways of attacking phones globally has massively reduced the barrier to intercepting cell phone calls.
This change was demonstrated dramatically in February, when, at a conference in Washington, a hacker published what he claimed to be a viable cell phone hack using open-source software and $1,400 of equipment.
Videos of public demonstrations and out-of-the box open-source software have since been made freely available on the internet and gained widespread media attention.
It is tempting to think that one solution is to simply upgrade the standard of encryption in networks. At an individual device level this would be correct, but the sheer scale of the undertaking — four billion users plus billions of dollars of infrastructure worldwide — makes this at best a long-term project.
There is also some confusion regarding who should be held responsible — the GSM Association, network operators or device manufacturers.
So, the problem of cell phone interception is real, growing and unlikely to be eliminated in the foreseeable future.
For an organization, knowing that phone calls have been intercepted at all is difficult. There is rarely a test that can be done, other than looking at the consequences of a lost deal or secret information in the public domain. In fact, in 2010, the Ponemon Institute found that 80 percent of CIOs admitted they would not find out directly if they had been intercepted.
The problem shows a wide geographical variation, both in the number of instances and in the public perception of risk.
In the United States and mainland Europe, the perception of risk is relatively low. However, travel to Latin America or some parts of Asia, and the perception of an issue has reached the consumer with advertisements on mainstream television for protection equipment.
Yet few executives traveling around the world have taken special measures to secure their cell phone conversations.
Research from ABI shows that 79 percent of companies' cell phones were routinely used to discuss information that, if intercepted, would lead to material loss to the business. Yet less than one in five had in place adequate measures to address this risk.
Similarly, the Ponemon Institute found that the average cost of significant data loss in Tier-1 American corporations was $1.3 million per incident. Sixty-one percent of companies believed that such losses occurred at least monthly. Cell phones were cited alongside malware and viruses as key means of obtaining this sort of information.
Evidence of this threat is also growing.
The 2005 annual report to Congress on foreign economic collection and industrial espionage stated that 108 countries were involved in collection efforts against sensitive and protected U.S. technologies.
More recent examples include the discovery of a Mexican spy center, which was equipped with a mobile van unit, alleged to be used for intercepting politician, businessmen and journalist phone calls.
The trend for cell phone interception is becoming more widespread, and there is no simple measure on the horizon to fix the problem within the networks. We will all need to get used to the idea that conversations on cell phones are not secure.
Technology is a great benefit, but it only addresses a problem as part of a wider program of secure voice usage.
It is still surprising how many people are prepared to shout out all their credit card details, including security codes, on a crowded train. Similarly, leaving a phone lying around is an opportunity for a dedicated attacker to put a physical bug within the phone itself. Sometimes even taking the battery out is not enough — the battery may be a physical bug with its own built-in transmitter (yes, they do exist!)
Instead, it is a balance of risk.
The objective of any security system is to make the cost of breaking the protection higher than the expected return. A combination of awareness, policy and technology measures is the recommended way to ensure that business stay secure.


Microsoft’s cybersecurity (opens in new tab) researchers have noticed an uptick in the use of a malware (opens in new tab) delivery technique known as HTML smuggling in email campaigns that deploy banking malware, remote access Trojans (RATs), and other malicious payloads.
HTML smuggling enables attackers to conceal an encoded script within a specially crafted HTML attachment, which assembles the malicious payload right on the victim’s machine.
“This technique is highly evasive because it could bypass standard perimeter security controls, such as web proxies and email gateways (opens in new tab), that often only check for suspicious attachments (for example, EXE, ZIP, or DOCX) or traffic based on signatures and patterns,” note (opens in new tab) the researchers.
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Malware silk route
The researchers share that HTML smuggling has been popularly used in banking malware campaigns, against targets in Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Peru, and Portugal. Furthermore, beyond banking malware campaigns, sophisticated, and targeted cyberattacks have also been observed to incorporate HTML smuggling in their arsenal.
They note that between July and August, open source (opens in new tab) intelligence (OSINT) community signals showed an uptick in the use of HTML smuggling in campaigns that deliver remote access Trojans (RATs) such as AsyncRAT/NJRAT, followed by an email campaign in September that leveraged HTML smuggling to deliver the Trickbot malware.
“The surge in the use of HTML smuggling in email campaigns is another example of how attackers keep refining specific components of their attacks by integrating highly evasive techniques,” note the researchers, adding how Microsoft 365 (opens in new tab) Defender uses multiple techniques including machine learning (ML (opens in new tab)) to protect against such threats.


The True History of Labor Day
For most Americans, Labor Day conjures up images of barbecues, parades, and the wistful end of summer. Few give thought to the origin of the holiday, beyond perhaps a vague nod towards celebrating the “American Worker.”
The truth, however, is a bit more complicated. In this post, we’ll explore the history of Labor Day and the importance it holds for the American labor movement.
Where does the History of Labor Day begin?
When you think about it, it stands to reason that the history of Labor Day begins in New York City. In 1882, leaders of various unions organized a “monster labor festival” on Tuesday, Sept 5th. While few people showed up initially, the crowd snowballed, soon tallying over 10,000 people.
This “day of the people” wouldn’t become an official holiday in New York until 1887. Eventually, President Grover Cleveland signed the holiday into law in 1896.
Why is Labor Day held on the first Monday in September?
Before Labor Day, another holiday existed to celebrate worker’s efforts worldwide. The International Worker’s Day falls on May 1st. If an American holiday was to be established for this cause, it makes sense that we would choose the same date, right?
Unfortunately, just as the momentum was building for a recognized holiday, an unfortunate incident occurred. On May 4th, 1886 a peaceful demonstration of workers in Chicago, in support of an 8-hour work week, devolved into violence when a bomb was thrown into a group of police officers. The police responded by firing into the crowd, killing and wounding untold numbers of protestors. This event led to the execution of four labor leaders and became known as the Haymarket Affair.
In an attempt to avoid this sensitive date, President Cleveland selected the first Monday in September to mark the holiday.
What’s the difference between the two holidays?
International Worker’s Day was always intended to unify workers towards achieving collective goals, like shorter work weeks and better pay. Labor Day is a far more fluid holiday, celebrating the dignity of the American worker.
If this seems a bit wishy-washy to you, you’re right. Labor Day was intended to assuage some of the demands of a growing labor union movement in America. It’s a symbolic gesture, and as such, it soon lost its meaning for the majority of the workforce.
Is Labor Day still about… labor?
Sure! There’s still a major parade in New York City sponsored by the AFL-CIO, one of the largest unions in America. And while unions have been taking a hit in recent years, they’re still working to overcome challenges as old as the holiday itself.
How about wearing white?
We’re gonna defer to the masters of etiquette at Emily Post for this one.
So, is it wrong to hold a barbecue?
Not at all! The weekend you’re enjoying is just one of the many advancements that organized labor achieved. Enjoy that burger and potato salad, but perhaps take a moment to consider the journey of the American worker. As you celebrate the end of another beautiful summer, be thankful for the sacrifices made to better your work/life balance.
If your holiday plans include visiting New York City, the birthplace of Labor Day, consider one of our walking tours. Come experience the places where history happened with our expert guides.


What students should learn in school?
While the academic side of things remains primary and, to me, clear—students should learn rigorous math, reading and other academic content, along with music and art—a group of teachers, school leaders and parents raised some questions that have stuck with me about the challenge and importance of developing non- …
What do you learn in school answer?
1. we learn how to be unity. 2. we learn how to face any problem.
What are learning skills?
“Learning skills” is a term that describes the tasks involved in learning, including time management, note-taking, reading effectively, study skills, and writing tests. Learning styles are a description of how you prefer to learn and interact with information.
What are some lessons learned?
10 Important Life Lessons to Learn Early on in Life
- Money Will Never Solve Your Real Problems.
- Pace Yourself.
- You Can’t Please Everyone.
- Your Health Is Your Most Valuable Asset.
- You Don’t Always Get What You Want.
- It’s Not All About You.
- There’s No Shame in Not Knowing.
- Love Is More Than a Feeling; It’s a Choice.
How can students develop life skills?
Five steps to developing students’ skills for tomorrow’s challenges
- Teach collaboration as a value and skillset.
- Build on evaluation and analysis.
- Teach tolerance and resilience.
- Help students learn through their strengths.
- Use learning beyond the classroom.
What makes a good language learning experience?
Good language learners recognize and learn from their own mistakes and the mistakes of others. Here good listening and self-awareness come into play. You can’t correct mistakes you don’t know you’re making, so good language learners pay attention and adjust accordingly.
What are the 5 approaches to learning?
Approaches to Learning (5 elements)
- Thinking skills. critical thinking. creativity and innovation. transfer.
- Communication skills.
- Social skills.
- Self-management skills. organisation. affective. reflection.
- Research skills. information literacy. media literacy.
What are examples of learning skills?
Examples of learning skills
- Time management.
- Strategy development.
- Information management.
- Cleaning workspace.
- Schedule planning.
What life skills do schools teach?
It is important to teach research based life skills such as happiness skills, strength skills, resolution skills, emotional skills, skills for being present, interaction skills, relationship skills, self-management skills as well as empathy skills at school.
How can I develop learning skills?
Here are the tips:
- Vary your learning routine, locations and material.
- Get a good night’s sleep.
- Space your study time.
- “Cramming” for an exam can work….
- Use self testing.
- Take notes in class and review them.
- Don’t worry about short breaks or distractions while you’re studying.
What has my school taught me?
Yes, the school taught me how important is it to stay fit, to run in this race called life, but not just the bad race, it taught me that while a lot of people would be running after something, it is okay to run in a different race, it’s okay to walk too, but just keep moving, slowly and steadily and you never know, the …


Don’t Sabotage Your Nutritional Efforts With Unhealthy Tap Water or Unreliable Pitcher Filters
You’ve made the decision to live a healthy, active lifestyle. You’ve researched nutritional options and found the right diet for your needs. You’re already ahead of the pack when it comes to vitality and longevity.
However, many people who have invested their time and resources into a nutritious diet forget to consider the type of water they drink. According to PaleoLeap.com, tap water, regardless of your city’s efforts to keep you safe from bacteria, contains harmful toxins.
After putting so much time and effort into eliminating toxins from your food and your environment, you don’t want to just get all the same bad guys from a different source! Toxic chemicals in the water supply are unfortunately very common – a 2009 report on water quality across the US found that tap water contained 97 agricultural pollutants, 204 industrial chemicals, 86 chemicals connected with urban runoff, and 42 toxic chemicals added during the water treatment process. Some (like agricultural pollutants) are there by accident, but others (like chlorine) are actually added deliberately as purification agents. Disinfectant chemicals prevent bacteria from contaminating the drinking water supply, but unfortunately, they can’t differentiate between you and E. Coli. The concentration of chlorine in your tap water might not be strong enough to kill you the way it does bacteria, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t harmful.
Common tap water disinfectants include chlorine, chlorine dioxide, chloramine, and ozone. None of these chemicals are good for you as it is, but to make matters even worse, they can also react with minerals and organic materials in the source water to form Disinfection By-Products, or DBPs. DBPs include several different types of chemicals, depending on which disinfecting agent was used in the original water. For example, chlorine (the most widely used disinfectant chemical) reacts with organic materials like decaying plants to form various different DPBs. Several of these unsavory characters are suspected carcinogens, and regulated as toxic, but not all of them are even identified, much less studied in any detail, regularly measured, or regulated at all.
And bottled water isn’t much healthier than tap water – not to mention very expensive.
Also, many pitcher filters with activated carbon only reduce chlorine for a limited time at which point they can actually put more harmful contaminants into your water than was in the water to begin with! You have to be extremely diligent about changing these filters and even then, they don’t reduce contaminants like fluoride, lead, arsenic, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals.
The best, most cost-effective way to regulate the quality of water you put in your body is through a process called reverse osmosis. At Culligan of Brazosport, we offer 5 and 6 stage drinking water systems that remove up to 99.9% of contaminants while also giving you the option to add back in minerals like calcium and magnesium if you so desire.
For pennies/per day, you can have high-quality, great-tasting water that compliments your paleo lifestyle and helps keeps you and your people healthy & happy.
To learn more about the affordable rental and purchase options call us today or fill out the form below. After serving tens of thousands of local the Brazosport residents since 1950, you can be sure we’re here to help and not to sell you something. Our deepest desire is to ensure our customers have the best water for their entire home.


- Discipline is essential for self-management;
- Disciplines are different from habits;
- Following disciplines requires training;
- After kids have grown up, they can self-discipline and achieve goals with ease.
Based on my years of coaching experience, many issues we see in our lives can all boil down to one essential character: discipline. For adults, we follow disciplines that we impose on ourselves for different purposes. These disciplines make us waking up early at 6am to train for a marathon. These disciplines could sustain us over two years studying part time in numerous evenings for a Masters degree while joggling with works and kids. These disciplines keep us working on a big project over an extended period of time, so we could see our dream coming true.
Success is always built on efforts and disciplines. So, if you want your kids to be successful when they grow up, then train their ability to follow (self) disciplines when they are young. This is gonna be the best gift you can give your children (and they will thank you in the future!).
The ability to persistently follow disciplines is not born naturally. Being a parent, how many times are you frustrated by messy floors of your kid’s bedroom because things are everywhere? You must have had arguments with your kids over homework; kids all want to play video games and not to do homework. If you have teenagers at home, then you must come across these challenges often. You may even doubt whether you are a good parent because kids don’t listen?
Don’t be confused between ‘disciplines’ and ‘habits’. A habit is something that you do without thinking. For example, adding sugar to your coffee, or switch on TV when sitting on a sofa at home. A discipline, on the other hand, tends to be in the form of ‘rules’ and people are often trained to follow these disciplines for a particular purpose.
Well, I always tell my kids that I have about 10 years to train them and shape them into real humans before they are “released” to the wild. It’s ideal that this training could start around the age of 10 when a child can understand an important concept: causes and effects. So, when your children grow up, they can impose disciplines on themselves for a particular purpose.
After years of observing and educating university students, the most important disciple a successful student has, according to my view, is time management.
Time management is not a skill; instead, it’s the ability to self-discipline. A typical university student will have a few courses running at the same time with multiple assignments and assessments due during a short period of time. Sounds familiar? ^_^ The ability to allocate sufficient time for study and not too much time for fun stuff relies on the student’s discipline; self discipline.
I had a student a couple of years ago. She was constantly late for my 10-am lecture and usually popped in the lecture room around 11am during the short break. I noticed her because she always sat in the front row! I never check student attendance, so I didn’t mind. Out of curiosity, I asked her one day why she was constantly late (I thought she must be a ‘night-party animal’!). To my surprise, she said she worked as a check-in agent at a local airport and she always did morning shifts which started at 4am! By doing morning shifts, she could still attend lectures, although she would be late. (Wow… OMG…)
The discipline to wake up at 3am and go to work is so essential to her work and study life. She knew that and she could do that due to self-discipline. I was amazed and I thought “this kid is going to be someone soon!“. Indeed, she picked up a great job opportunity with an airline soon after graduation, and has been performing very well, according to her manager (who was my former student, too).
Waking up at 6am every morning can be a habit, but waking up at 3am for work while studying is not a habit. It’s a discipline that is so strong that this ability can drive a person to success in the future. What can be harder than waking up at 3am, go to work. Then, after work, go to university to study, while trying to engage in social activities. Even I found it hard!
Train your kids on disciplines. For example, finish daily homework first before watching TV and play video games. Plan the week ahead on Sunday nights and discipline self on leisure activities and study times. Choose healthy foods as much as you can, when you have a choice. And, go to gym on a regular basis. For teenagers, impose on no-drung and no drink driving disciplines.
In particular, these two disciplines will save their lives when they grow up. They won’t hop on a friend’s car at 1am knowing the driver has been drinking during the night. They won’t try drugs in a birthday party knowing that drugs can harm them. Disciplines can help them say No and stay safe, because they are trained to do so. And, training on disciplines pays off in the future.
Dr. C. Richard Wu @ REEAConsulting.com
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Memorial Walls, Pioneer Walls and Honour Rolls In the Mid Gippsland Area of the Latrobe Valley
1. Blue Rock Lake Pioneer Wall - Transcriptions
2. St Johns Anglican Church TRAFALGAR
3. MOONDARRA and District Roll of Honor
Blue Rock Lake Pioneer Wall
Tangil was a gold mining settlement about three miles due north of the present township of Willow Grove. In the year 1848 F. Brodribb, W. Pearson and H. Reoch were granted leases of two cattle runs, one of which, Tanjil Hills, gave the town its name. Tangil is an aboriginal name meaning 'the place of snow or frost'.
Gold was first discovered in this area in 1858. This area is now being covered by the waters of Blue Rock Lake. Gold was first discovered by Hugh Massey Stewart, but first officially reported at Alberton by Edward William Gladman. Most gold was alluvial, but some nuggets were found in the surrounding gullies and hills, the largest being 37 ounces. Other recorded nuggets were from Blue Rock, 12 ounces; Californian Gully, 17 ounces; Klondike, 14 ounces.
The reefs and leads in the hills were rich in gold, the Empire Reef yielding five and a half ounces to the ton. Other reefs were Gumsucker, Golden Crown, New Year, Moonlight, Blue Rock, Cement Hill. The last machinery was moved from Blue Rock to Tasmania in 1910.
Tangil township was founded in 1867 and soon there were houses, two stores, two hotels, a post office, a school, a police station and a recreation reserve to service the needs of the miners and their families.
One facility which has been impossible to locate is the Tangil Cemetery, supposedly containing about 30 graves, though there is only positive evidence that 6 children and 3 adults were buried there.
Other lone graves are known to be scattered throughout the area.
Tangil and other residents were serviced by vehicles travelling on a track through Shady Creek to Walhalla bringing goods from Melbourne. Other dray and bush tracks criss crossed the district bringing goods from Port Albert and other places.
After the mining boom, farming was the main occupation, and the name Tangil had now become Tanjil.
Further evidence of progress is now seen with the waters of Blue Rock Lake covering a place where many years ago people once worked and lived.
This plaque is to commemorate the pioneers of old Tanjil and surrounding districts, who cleared the forests on these hills and opened up the area for mining and farming in the latter part of the eighteen hundreds, and whose efforts to survive, through many hardships, will not be forgotten.
In recognition and appreciation of GEORGE & ISABELLA BELL and family settled in the Tanjil Valley 1879
In recognition of CHARLES & MARGARET BLOYE arrived at Russells Creek 1879. Settled at Hill End mid 1880s.
In recognition of the contribution made by the BURGESS & MOORE families in pioneering the Tanjil Valley.
In recognition of EDWARD & JANE CRONIN and family selected property known as Bon Hill at Fumina South approximately 1885.
In recognition of DAVID & HARRIET ESPIE arrived at Russells Creek early 1860 s settled at Hill End 1880.
True pioneers PATRICK, LIZ. FARRELL selected 1885 Killarney Blue Rock. Remembered by all descendants.
In recognition of ERNST WILHELM & AUGUSTE HULDA FECHNER who settled in Willow Grove 1878.
In appreciation of the contribution of JESSE & ESTHER HASTHORPE Arrived at Russells Creek 1860s. Later selected land at Tanjil South
In recognition and appreciation of PETER & MARY HUNTER and family , who selected land on the Tanjil River 1879.
In recognition of THOMAS & MARGARET BAIRD IRVINE and family who settled in Willow Grove 1865.
In recognition of the achievements of FARQUHAR & ELLEN LAMONT and HECTOR & MARY LAMONT who settled in the Hill End area during the 1880's.
In recognition of the services of ANDREW & RACHAEL LECKEY and family settled in the area 1870's.
In recognition of MR JOHN GEORGE LUDWIG and family who settled in the Willow Grove district in 1880 and opened the first Post Office.
In recognition and appreciation of JOHN & FRANCES MacPHERSON who selected land on the Latrobe River 1886.
In recognition and appreciation of the achievements of THOMAS & ANN NEEDHAM and family who settled in Willow Grove 1872.
In recognition of JOHN PAUL & family arrived at Russells Creek early 1860's. In recognition of HENRY & JESSIE CAMPBELL ROBINSON and family who settled in Willow Grove 1884.
In recognition and appreciation of the achievements of HENRY GEORGE and VICTORIA MARGARET STAFF who settled on land at Westbury 1875.
To commemorate the achievements of WILLIAM JEFFREY & VIOLET McNEIL TURNBULL and family whose association with the Tanjil Valley dates back to 1867.
In recognition of the achievements of JOSEPH SAMUEL & CLARA VARNEY and family who settled at Russells Creek 1862.
In recognition of CORA E. VARNEY and family. Early settlers of the Tanjil Valley.
To commemorate the achievements of CHARLES JAMES & ESTHER WALKER and family settled on the Latrobe River 1870.
To commemorate the achievements of THOMAS WEBB & family who selected land at Hill End 1883.
In recognition of the pioneering family of WILLIAM HAMILTON WHITTAKERS of Tanjil Hills Station 1884.
In recognition of CHARLES HENRY & ELIZABETH WILLIAMS and family settled at Tanjil 1875.
In recognition of JOHN & ANN WILSON and family settled in Tanjil East (Becks Bridge Road) 1879.
|ADAMS||IN LOVING MEMORY/ OF/ ERIC ADAMS/ 29.6.1918 - 22.1.1989/ DEAR HUSBAND OF SYBIL/ LOVED DAD OF MARJ, REG & PAM/ FATHER-IN-LAW OF PADDY, MERLE & ROB/ GAR & GRANDPA TO TRAVIS, KRISTEE, ANNE,/MATTHEW, CARLY, BROOKE & STACEY/ AT PEACE|
|ANDREWS||LILLIAN EDITH MABEL / ANDREWS (CLEAVERS) / 1910 - 1995 / REUNITED WITH HER LOVED ONES / ”UNTIL WE MEET.”|
|ASHBY||HAZEL ASHBY (LESTER)/ WIFE OF IVOR (DEC.) & GEORGE (DEC.) / MOTHER OF SHIRLEY & RAYMOND (DEC.)/ GRANDMOTHER OF LINDEN & ALLAN/ GREAT GRANDMOTHER OF REESE/ SADLY MISSED/ 9.9.1921 - 27.1.2003|
|BORGHMANS||BORGHMANS /ADRIEN JOHANNES / 12.5.'22 - 27.10.'84|
|CHAPMAN||CHAPMAN / NORMAN HAROLD / LOVED HUSBAND OF / LORNA / 14TH OCTOBER 1984 / AGED 66 YEARS|
|HILL||BRUCE WESTWOOD HILL / HUSBAND OF BEVERLY / FATHER OF STEPHEN / DEBRA, SHARON, MICHELLE / DARRON & BRENDAN / 15.7.1939 - 17.7.1981|
|HILL||(A.I.F. BADGE)/ VX51350/ CPL. GEORGE WILLIAM HILL/ 10.11.1907 - 16.8.1967/ LOVED HUSBAND OF SYLVIA/ LOVED FATHER OF GRAHAM & LYNETTE,/ RONALD, BRUCE & CHERYL/ LOVED GRANDPA OF CHERIE, JODIE, KYLIE & JACKIE/ IN GOD'S CARE|
|INGRAM||RUBY MAY INGRAM/ 26-11-1985 AGED 86YRS/ LOVED MOTHER OF/ JIM, VERNA, BILL,/ JACK & BETTY/ REST IN PEACE|
|LENZ||EDGAR RUPERT LENZ/ HUSBAND OF PEARL/ FATHER OF JOHN,/ NOLA, CORAL, ELAINE,/ BARBARA, BRIAN,/ EILEEN & RHONDA/ 1907 - 1976|
|LESTER||(AIF EMBLEM) / GEORGE LESTER / 48 YEARS / HUSBAND OF HAZEL / FATHER OF SHIRLEY & / RAYMOND, G/FATHER / OF LINDEN & ALLAN|
|LESTER||LESTER/ RAYMOND GEORGE/ 15YEARS. BELOVED SON/ OF GEO. (DEC.) & HAZEL/ BROTHER OF SHIRLEY|
|McCULLOCH||MATTHEW DAVID/ McCULLOCH/ (STILLBORN) 9- 7- 1987/ DEARLY LOVED SON OF/ BRENDA & DAVID/ IN GOD'S CARE|
|MADDICKS||W. T. (DICK) MADDICKS / LOVED HUSBAND OF / MOLLY, FATHER OF / CORAL, DAWN AND MARGERY / 6. 7. 1907 - 15. 8. 1978 / AT REST|
|MATTHEWS||EVELYN MARGARET/MATTHEWS/LOVED WIFE OF TOLLY/MOTHER OF TERRI, MAUREEN,/PAM, GARY, DOUG,/JACQUI & MICHAEL/ 30.8.24 TO 19.9.88|
|MOFFATT||MOFFATT / FREDA RUBY / 1906 - 1989 / WIFE OF THEO (DEC.) / MOTHER OF FRED (DEC.) / DOREEN, KEVIN, VALDA, / AND JEANETTE|
|MOFFATT||MOFFATT / WILLIAM THEODORE / 1906 - 1983 / HUSBAND OF FREDA / FATHER OF FRED (DEC.) / DOREEN, KEVIN, VALDA / AND JEANETTE|
|NEILSON||ILA MAY NEILSON / LOVED WIFE OF KEITH / LOVED MOTHER OF DON / 2ND SEPTEMBER 1989|
|NEILSON||KEITH ARTHUR NEILSON / LOVED AND LOVING / HUSBAND OF MAY / FATHER OF DON / 12TH APRIL 1982|
|NEWMAN||GARY WALTER / NEWMAN / BORN 26.7.66 - DIED 1.2.95 / ALWAYS REMEMBERED|
|PETERS||BRIAN PETERS/ 21-2-81/ AGED 47 YEARS/ LOVED HUSBAND OF FAYE/ DAD OF CRAIG, DEBBIE / & ROBBIE|
|PETERS||CRAIG PETERS/ 16.12.85/ AGED 23 YEARS/ DARLING SON OF/ FAY & BRIAN (DEC.)/ LOVED BROTHER OF/ DEBBIE & ROBBIE/ CHERISHED UNCLE OF/ ASHLEY & CHRIS|
|TATTERSON||DAWN LORRAINE/ TATTERSON/ LOVED WIFE OF KEN,/ MOTHER OF JAN,/ LYNN, DALE, STEVEN/ 7.9.33 - 21.4.87|
|TAYLOR||(CROSS INSIGNIA) (R.A.A.F. INSIGNIA) ERN TAYLOR / 7TH APRIL 1983 / AGED 84|
|TUENA||THOMAS ALAN TUENA/ BORN 13-1-1912/ DIED 27-7-1986/ BELOVED HUSBAND/ OF MYRA|
|TUENA||MYRA LAURA TUENA/ WIFE OF/ THOMAS ALAN TUENA/ 1916 TO 1991/ REST IN PEACE|
|WEYMOUTH||IN LOVING MEMORY OF/ DULCIE WEYMOUTH/ DIED 22ND MAY 1972/ AGED 57 YEARS/ LOVED WIFE OF JOHN/ MOTHER OF JOHN & HELEN / AT PEACE|
|WEYMOUTH||IN LOVING MEMORY OF/ JOHN H. WEYMOUTH/ DIED 17TH APR. 1981/ AGED 66 YEARS/ LOVED HUSBAND OF DULCIE/ FATHER OF JOHN AND HELEN/ LOVING GRANDFATHER OF / JOHN, MARK, REBECCA, JESSICA,/ LINCOLN & ALEXANDER/ AT PEACE|
|AITKEN, K.||MARKS, A.|
|AITKEN, T.||MARKS, R.|
|BLACK, A.||MARKS, S.|
|BOYD, H.||MORRISON, F.|
|BOYD, J.||MURIE, W.|
|COATES, T.||NELSON, A.|
|COLLETT, T.||NELSON, W.|
|CUNNINGHAM, H.||NICHOLLS, F.|
|GATTI, O.||RICHARDSON, J.|
|GLOZ, L.||SENINI, J.|
|GLOVER, L.||SENINI, L.|
|HEHIR, W.||SENINI, S.|
|JAMES, A.||SMITH, J.|
|LEVERIDGE, E.||TALBOT, A.|
|LUNDY, A.||WALLACE, R.|
|MALONEY, J.||WILLIAMS, C.|


11 September 2023
Model reveals role of pungent gas in seagrass ring patterns
Published online 18 January 2023
The accumulation of hydrogen sulphide influences the dynamics and growth of seagrass meadows.
A mathematical model shows that special vegetation patterns in seagrass meadows – featuring rings, arches and spirals – are mediated by hydrogen sulphide, which is toxic to the plants.
Seagrasses play a vital role in the coastal ecosystem, acting as carbon sinks. In certain conditions, they form interesting patterns that have not been fully explained. For example, circular bands of seagrass vegetation have been observed in the Mediterranean Sea and in other locations, where they move a few centimetres each year. Hydrogen sulphide has been proposed as a possible cause of this phenomenon: it derives from the bacterial decomposition of dead plants, and can also be introduced by human pollution.
A research team, including marine ecologist, Carlos Duarte of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, derived a mathematical model to simulate the growth patterns of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica in the presence of hydrogen sulphide. The model takes into consideration seagrass branching rate, its mortality, which increases with sulphide concentration, and the plant sensitivity to sulphides. The model showed that a dense-enough round patch of seagrass can experience decay in its centre, where sulphides accumulate, and growth at its edges. As a result, the round patch becomes a ring that moves outward and can break down into spirals. Bare soil with a high concentration of sulphide is left in the ring’s centre.
The simulated patterns are consistent with aerial photos and samples of seagrass and sediment taken on the shores of Mallorca, Spain over the last 50 years. The model also simulated the merging of two expanding seagrass rings, which was observed in the most recent photos from 2021.
“These findings are now ready to be applied to diagnose the state of endangered meadows or to design strategies to maximize the success of restoration projects. Such a mechanism is likely to be present also in many other ecological contexts and species, so the results of this work can be extended to other ecosystems,” says Damià Gomila from the Universitat de les Illes Balears (Spain), who led this study.
“This work goes a step further than most ongoing work in the area because it empirically tests some of the pattern-forming feedbacks assumed by the model. It also includes the patterns’ temporal dimension, which is often neglected in many studies due to the impossibility of observing ecosystems over a long timescale,” says Ricardo Martínez-García from the Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS) in Germany, who was not involved in this study.
Ruiz-Reynés, D., et al. Self-organized sulfide-driven traveling pulses shape seagrass meadows. PNAS 120(3), e2216024120 (2023).


Despite a record level of people suffering from hunger, food aid is at a 20-year low due to the poor global economy, United Nations officials said today. The result: More than 1 billion people across the world will face hunger this year.
"For the world's most vulnerable, the perfect storm is hitting with a vengeance," said U.N. World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director Josette Sheeran. So far this year, the agency has received less than half of the $6.7 billion it needs to feed 108 million people in 74 countries, Sheeran said.
While we're all familiar with the stomach grumblings and the pangs that come with a skipped or late meal, most people, especially in the developed world, know little about the more critical problems that prolonged hunger can cause.
What hunger does
For people who face chronic hunger, the effects can be measured in different ways, including under-nourishment and malnutrition.
Under-nourishment occurs when people don't take in enough calories to provide them with the energy just to meet their minimum physiological needs. Malnutrition is more of a measure of what people eat, versus how much. Malnourishment occurs when people don't get the levels of protein, micronutrients (such as vitamins) or other critical components in their food, according to the WFP.
Malnutrition is measured by looking at physical measurements of the body, such as height and weight at a given age.
Malnutrition can have serious effects on the body:
- Chronic malnutrition can stunt the growth of children.
- It can also cause children to be underweight for their age.
- An acute case can cause wasting, or severe weight loss.
- It can cause deficiency in key vitamins and minerals, such as anemia, or iron deficiency.
- The weight problems and deficiencies can increase susceptibility to disease.
Malnutrition can become a secondary issue when the body can't take up the nutrients in food because of diarrhea or other illnesses.
Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals exact their own toll on the human body:
- Iron deficiency, the most common form of malnutrition, affects billions worldwide. It can impede brain development.
- Vitamin A deficiency affects 140 million pre-school children in 118 countries. It is the leading cause of child blindness and can make people more susceptible to diseases. It kills one million infants a year, according to UNICEF.
- Iodine deficiency affects 780 million people worldwide. Babies born to iodine-deficient mothers can have mental impairments.
- Zinc deficiency results in about 800,000 child deaths a year. It weakens the immune systems of young children.
Who is hungry
While enough food exists to feed the world's entire population, the WFP estimates that the number of hungry in the world tops 1 billion, or about one in every six people — more than the populations of the United States, Canada and the European Union combined.
"We urgently need an additional $3 billion to meet those needs, which is less than 0.01 per cent of what was put on the table to stabilize the world financially," Sheeran said.
While disasters, such as floods or droughts, might cause temporary cases of hunger in populations, emergencies only account for about 8 percent of the world's hungry. Those who are most likely to face severe hunger are women, children and those living in rural communities, the WFP says.
Of the total amount of hungry people in the world, half are in Asia and the Pacific and one quarter are in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the WFP. Sixty-five percent live in just six countries: India, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia.
The statistics (from the WFP) on those facing the results of hunger can be stark:
- An estimated 146 million children in developing countries are underweight.
- Every six seconds a child dies because of hunger and related causes.
- More than 60 percent of chronically hungry people are women.
Trends in hunger
While aid programs made inroads in combating hunger at the end of the 20th century, rising food prices have been negating those efforts, causing the number of hungry to rise again everywhere except in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The rising cost of food caused the number of hungry to jump by 75 million people in 2007 and 40 million people in 2008.
War, climate change, unshakeable poverty, poor farming practices, and over-exploitation of farming resources also contribute to the persistence of hunger, experts say.
Ways to prevent malnutrition include: improvement of water supplies, sanitation and hygiene; health education; improved access to healthy food for the poor; and insurance that industrialization and agricultural advancements don't contribute to the problem, according to the World Health Organization.
- What Causes Hunger Pangs?
- Radical Science Aims to Solve Food Crisis
- Nutrition Quiz


Diabetes is a health problem that bothers a lot of people all throughout the world, and it is quite common to see people that struggle to cope with them. For the most part, it is simply because of the lack of knowledge that most people have when it comes to dealing with such a health problem. So, if you are someone that wants to have a much better time coping with diabetes, here are a few helpful pointers that you should keep in mind. Read more great facts on blood glucose meters, click here.
The very first thing that you should do, is to make sure that you don’t panic at all, which is usually the case for people that just recently got diagnosed with such a health problem. If you panic, you will end up missing a lot of important tasks in terms of managing your health problem. Above everything else, it will make you miss out on a lot of important details about what you should do to cope with your health problem more effectively. For more useful reference regarding blood sugar test, have a peek here.
Secondly, you should always make sure that you listen to what your doctor says, especially in terms of the important restrictions that you have to follow with your diet. This is often the area where many people fail to properly handle, and that is why they end up having a really hard time coping with diabetes. Always keep in mind that what your doctor has to say can really help guide you on how to properly handle the health problem that you have.
Last but not the least, don’t sit around all day and make sure that you do start moving. Exercise is a very important part of coping with diabetes, and that is why you should really be willing to do it. It will after all, play a huge part in helping you keep your sugar levels in check all throughout your life.
Overall, if you are knowledgeable enough in terms of the important things that you should do as a diabetic, you will be able to cope with it more effectively. If there is one thing that is hard in terms of the task of coping with such a health problem, it would be the discipline that you’ll need to watch the food that you eat, and exercise in a regular manner. So with that said, hopefully you are able to take these tips into consideration and have a more rewarding time coping with such a health problem. Please view this site http://www.ehow.com/how_5442_treat-diabetes.html for further details.


Thomas Howard Norfolk, 2d duke of
Norfolk, Thomas Howard, 2d duke of, 1443–1524, English nobleman, son of John Howard, 1st duke of Norfolk. He fought at the battle of Bosworth (1485) in which his father was killed. He himself was captured, attainted, and placed in the Tower of London. He was released (1489) by Henry VII and restored to the earldom of Surrey, which he had received in 1483, but not to the dukedom of Norfolk. He was entrusted by Henry VII with the care of the northern borders and in 1501 was made lord treasurer. Recognized as the leading general in England, he commanded the army that defeated (1513) the Scots at Flodden and was created (1514) duke of Norfolk. Although an influential member of Henry VIII's privy council, he was gradually forced to relinquish much of his power to the ascending Thomas Wolsey. He served as guardian of the realm during Henry's absence in 1520. In 1521, acting as lord high steward, he was compelled to sentence his friend Edward Stafford, 3d duke of Buckingham, to death.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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Intercooler – What is it and what are its working principles?
Intercooler is an intake air cooling device that usually we see on supercharged and turbocharged engines. Intercoolers, as their name suggests, cool the intake charge of forced induction engines.
Due to the cooling of the intake air, the air gets denser and thus, has more oxygen. As a result to this, the engine is allowed to burn more fuel in each cylinder, while increasing its power.
As with many such parts, there are quite a lot of types of intercoolers. In the video below, you’ll be checking a plate Yonaka intecooler and air-to-air bar. Enjoy!
Check it out!


From 1 September 2012, anyone who keeps or owns livestock in NSW is required to ensure the land on which the livestock are kept has a Property Identification Code or PIC. 'Livestock' includes one or more cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, deer, bison, buffalo, camelids, equines (i.e., horses and donkeys), 100 or more poultry birds or 10 or more emus or ostriches.
A PIC is a unique identifier for land. PICs are assigned to individual properties and are allocated by Local Land Services.
In NSW a PIC is assigned by Local Land Services for the purpose of identifying land used for agricultural purposes. Local Land Services maintain PIC registers which keep PIC information, such as property name or address and PIC manager details, up to date. PICs are usually renewed every three years and landholders, or the person using the land to run their livestock, such as a lessee or person with stock on agistment, pay a fee to renew the PIC, unless the fee is included in the annual LLS rates for that property.
Each property has its own PIC. However, one PIC may be used to amalgamate more than one property or holding, provided the properties are worked as a single property and are proximate. The PIC assigned to the amalgamated properties should be the PIC of the major land holding, The PIC(s) for the other holding(s) is made inactive.
PICs are fundamental to the operation and integrity of the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for cattle, sheep, goats and pigs because movements on the NLIS database are recorded between PICs. PICs provide traceability to specific properties.
Every livestock producer should have a PIC because:
You can obtain a PIC by contacting your district Local Land Services.
For PIC procedures please see under Property Identification Codes.


As reported this week in the journal PLOS ONE, a team of paleontologists from the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas first discovered the fossilized remains of the new tyrannosaur species when preparing for a dig in 2006 at northern Alaska’s Kikak-Tegoseak quarry. On a rocky bluff overlooking the Colville River, almost 400 miles north of Fairbanks, they uncovered the bones of Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum, a new species of horned dinosaur. Back in their laboratory, however, the scientists realized they had also unearthed fragments of the skull, lower and upper jaw bones of a tyrannosaur.
Though Tyrannosaurus rex is by far the most famous, many different species of tyrannosaur roamed Asia and North America during the Late Cretaceous Period, some 70 million years ago. Through analysis of its remains, the scientists determined this particular one was much smaller than other tyrannosaurs: It probably measured around two meters tall at the hips and seven meters from nose to tail, around half the size of a T. rex. They were also able to identify the bones as belonging to a full-grown adult, thanks to the distinctive sockets along the edge of the upper jaw, only seen in jawbones of other adult tyrannosaurs.
According to Ron Tykoski, fossil preparator at the Perot Museum, “It wasn’t until the past few years, with more work being done on growth rates, that we were able to look at these pieces in finer detail and realize that they weren’t a youngster of a known species, but a mature individual of something new”: a pygmy tyrannosaur. Tykoski and his colleagues named the new species Nanuqsaurus hoglundi; “Nanuq” means polar bear in the language of the local Inupiat people, and “hoglundi” is a nod to Forrest Hoglund, a Dallas businessman who helped raise funds to build the Perot Museum.
Certain similarities, including a distinctively shaped ridge on its head, indicate that N. hoglundi was a close cousin of T. rex. When they looked back at the bones of the horned dinosaur species uncovered in 2006, the scientists found tooth marks and deep grooves on some of them, indicating that N. hoglundi preyed on local plant-eating dinosaurs. According to Tony Fiorillo, the Perot’s curator of earth sciences, “We feel pretty confident that this pygmy tyrannosaur was eating the herbivorous dinosaurs around at the time.” Such discoveries, Fiorillo says, shed new light on what life might have been like in the prehistoric Arctic. “By seeing tooth marks, it makes them the animals that they really were,” Fiorillo said, “instead of just a cool collection of objects.”
Yet the question remained: why was N. hoglundi so small compared to other tyrannosaurs? According to Fiorillo and Tykoski, the answer lies in the cool climate and high latitude of its Arctic home. While the weather above the 70th parallel in Alaska would have been warmer during the Late Cretaceous than it is today, there still would have been far less sunlight and fewer resources than the typical T. rex climate, and long seasons during which food might not have been readily available.
Still, such a conclusion seems to contradict a common evolutionary axiom, which holds that animals closest to the poles tend to be larger (as larger mass to surface area ratio helps them keep warmer). As this so-called “Bergmann’s Rule” doesn’t hold true in the case of the pygmy tyrannosaur, the new species remains something of a mystery–one that scientists will undoubtedly continue to explore. “We’d certainly like to know more about this animal,” said Fiorillo. “And whatever else might be out there.”


You asked, and we listened! Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions about dairy foods.
Which type of milk is the healthiest to drink — fat free, low fat, reduced fat or whole milk?
The primary difference between these milks is the amount of fat they contain, which is reflected in the calorie amounts you see on the label. What doesn’t change — from whole to fat free, organic or lactose-free — is the package of thirteen essential nutrients they all provide.
While the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) continues to recommend low fat and fat free dairy foods, they also allow for up to 10% of calories coming from saturated fat. So, whole milk dairy foods can be a part of a healthy eating pattern, you will want to be mindful of other food choices to balance saturated fat and calorie intake.
Why does milk have sugar?
No sugar is added to regular white milk, regardless of fat content. The 13g of total sugars in an 8 oz. serving of milk you see listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel comes from a naturally occurring carbohydrate called lactose. Milk has just three simple ingredients: milk, vitamin A and vitamin D, making it one of the most naturally nutrient-rich beverages you can drink.
How is cow’s milk different from milk alternatives?
Although cow’s milk and plant-based alternatives sit side-by-side in the dairy case, non-dairy alternatives often do not provide the same nutrient profile as cow’s milk. For example, an 8 oz. glass of cow’s milk provides eight times more naturally occurring protein (8g) than a glass of almond beverage (1g).
The DGA does not include alternative beverages (other than soy beverages fortified with calcium, vitamin A and D) in the dairy group because their overall nutritional content is not similar to dairy milk and fortified soy beverages. The DGA recommends three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy foods per day for people nine years and older.
National health organizations do not recommend plant-based, non-dairy milks for children ages 1-5 years old because they are not an adequate nutritional substitute for dairy milk (except for fortified soy beverages). The nutrient content of plant-based beverages varies widely, while cow’s milk contains many nutrients essential for healthy growth and development.
Be sure to read food labels, non-dairy alternatives may contain added ingredients such as sugar, salt, syrups and thickeners.
How many servings of dairy do adults and kids need each day?
Dairy foods can play an important role in every stage of life. The DGA recommends 3 servings of low fat or fat free milk, cheese or yogurt daily for those nine years or older, 2 1/2 servings for those four to eight years old, and 2 servings for those two to three years old. One serving of dairy is equal to an 8-ounce glass of milk, a 6 or 8-ounce container of yogurt, or 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese.
Is Greek yogurt healthier than regular yogurt?
Some people choose Greek yogurt because of the thicker and more tart taste. Greek yogurt also contains about twice the protein and 14% less lactose (naturally occurring sugar) than regular yogurt, although this can vary depending on the brand. While regular yogurt has about 15% more calcium than Greek yogurt. So, choose whichever yogurt you prefer — they’re both healthy options!
What dairy products have probiotics?
Both fermented and probiotic foods are made with microorganisms. However, not all fermented foods are considered probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when consumed in adequate amounts may deliver health benefits.
Yogurt can be a probiotic food because the traditional cultures, or good bacteria, in yogurt have been studied for their ability to help with lactose digestion. These live cultures can help digest lactose, the naturally occurring sugar in milk. You may see a “live and active culture” seal on the package of some brands of yogurt. This indicates that the good bacteria remained alive after the fermentation process is complete. The use of this seal is voluntary, so yogurt brands that do not list this seal may still contain an adequate number of live cultures.
What is A2 milk?
A2 milk is a type of milk from certain dairy cows that produce milk highly concentrated in A2 beta casein. All milk contains beta casein, a protein that has two common forms: A1 and A2. A2 milk only contains the A2 beta casein, which is thought to be easier to digest, however, the science to support this theory is preliminary. When it comes to the dairy case, you have many options to choose from, but rest assured, all cow’s milk contains the same essential nutrients in an 8oz serving.
Do you have more questions about dairy foods? Comment below or ask an expert!


This Origami Microscope Costs Just $3, but It Can Diagnose Malaria
Many of the world’s most fatal and gruesome infectious diseases can be detected with a simple microscope. Doctors, though, often skip this step, as the $1,000 to $10,000 needed for a microscope can be prohibitive. As a result, people often live with diseases that could be cured, or they take drugs that might not be tailored to their specific parasites, leading to the development of drug-resistant strains.
But what if you could create a microscope that could be mass manufactured for pennies and be durable enough to survive a curb stomp? That’s the question Stanford University researcher Manu Prakash’s lab has been wrestling with over the last couple of years. Their answer is the Foldscope, a kind of microscope constructed out of greeting card paper, a watch battery, and a cheap lens that can diagnose roughly 20 infectious diseases, including malaria.
The cost: Between 50 cents and $3, depending on the Foldscope you want. And if you need to make your image bigger, projection Foldscopes can throw your magnification onto the wall.


Cold weather is approaching, which means planning for indoor recess when temps reach low numbers. Indoor recess can become sedentary day after day, but it doesn’t have to be with a bit of planning and creativity. Use these 4 tips and ideas for your next indoor recess day!
Implementing Technology-Free Days
It’s easy for students to grab a laptop, iPad, or phone for indoor recess, leaving less room for movement during their school day. Encourage your students to put down the technology by setting specific technology-free days, or even a whole month when they have indoor recess.
Indoor Recess Activity Ideas
Creating movement mazes indoors is a great way for students to get creative and select their movements. Students can easily move arrows, spots, and dice to make up a movement maze for themselves or their peers to try.
Encourage your students to bring in their favorite games from home or supply a selection of board games they can choose from. Large board games can amplify the entertainment without getting unwieldy for students to set up and put away.
Students can bring snowball fights indoors with fleece balls! It’s a safe and mess-free way to add some fun when you can’t get outside.
It’s Your Move
Students take turns rolling the dice and then will perform the locomotor movements that it lands on. Each side of the 12-sided die depicts a locomotor movement to perform, such as running, hopping, sliding, jumping, galloping, skipping, etc. Perfect for increasing fitness and movement throughout the school day!
Adding active furniture to your classroom is a fantastic way to add movement throughout the school day! To get active furniture in your classroom, you can: 1) talking with your principal or administrator to advocate for a few pieces or 2) apply for active classroom grants. Start small to see how your students engage with the furniture and take a bit of time to plan out how to manage a classroom with active furniture. For example, a small reading space with beanbag chairs, floor seating that rocks or tilts, and active chairs will not take up too much room.
Break the Seasonal Slump with Brain Breaks
You can also use the tips and activities mentioned above during brain breaks throughout the day! Movement shouldn’t be limited to a couple of times a day. This blog talks about how to break that seasonal slump with brain break ideas and implementation.
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Lesson # 2 - Rectangles
One of the most often used shapes in
quilting is the rectangle. Rectangles are easily modified to make other
shapes, like the flying geese, and star points.
Pictured above is a rectangle make
of pieced strips cut from 4-inch squares.
We are going to practice making rectangles,
and then we are going to cut them down to squares.
If you have 4-inch squares, use your ruler
to cut them into 1 1/4 inch wide strips. You will be able to get three strips
out of each 4-inch square, with only 1/4 inch going to waste.
If you are cutting your squares out
of fat quarters, practice cutting 1 1/4 inch strips.
If you sew four 1 1/4 inch
strips together, you should end up with a piece that is 3 1/2 inches
wide. ( 1 1/4 times 4 is equal to 5 inches. Take away
1/2 inch for each seam allowance, and that equals 3 1/2 inches).
Again, this is a good test for
your 1/4 inch seam. If your rectangle is not 3 1/2 inches, you
need to adjust your seam width and check your cutting.
It is quicker to cut multiple
layers of fabric at the same time, but when you are learning, just do
one layer at a time.
One of the uses for rectangles sewn
together is to make what is called a "piano key" border on a quilt.
As you can see from the picture on the left, the border is made of of joined
rectangles. It looks like a keyboard, hence the name.
In the picture below, a 4-inch square is
being cut down to a 3 1/2 inch square. If you have 4-inch squares,
practice cutting them down.
Join 4 of your strips of fabric
cut 1 1/4 " wide.
Then trim these to 3 1/2
inches so they will be a square.
Do not throw away fabric, unless it is
very, very small! Quilters save every bit and piece of fabric possible
for use in other projects.
Practice until you get them right, and then set the good ones aside for future use.
You can now combine the whole squares with the squares made from the
Challenge Block for what you can do with just
On to Lesson
#3 - Triangles


Salter said her grown children arent sure they will allow their children to get vaccinated for H1N1 once a serum becomes available in mid-October.
Nearly 100 people gathered at the Chandler YMCA to hear Dr. William K. Green, an associate professor in the division of infectious diseases at the University of South Alabama, talk about H1N1, also called swine flu, and seasonal flu and vaccines created to combat them.
Green talked about the differences between seasonal flu and H1N1, noting that children and adults should be vaccinated against both, even if they think they already had either flu this year.
Alabama marked its eighth swine flu-related death this week, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. A woman in her 50s from Dale County who died tested positive for the H1N1 influenza strain. Other details about the womans case were not immediately available Thursday.
The widespread incidence of H1N1 in Alabama, health officials said, should serve as a reminder of the need for everyone to take steps to prevent spreading the disease.
While health officials say Alabama is in the middle of a swine flu season now, they predict the state will also have a typical flu season that peaks in February and March.
A third swine flu outbreak, health officials have said, could occur in the spring of 2010.
Private doctors offices and drug stores in Mobile and Baldwin counties are already offering flu shots for seasonal influenza, Green said.
Health officials expect serum for a second vaccine, one that protects against H1N1, to be ready for use by Oct. 15.
The H1N1 strain was first detected in April and quickly spread around the world. It was not detected early enough, however, to be included in the seasonal flu vaccine.
Green said there have been 10 recorded pandemics in the past 300 years, with the last coming in 1976: Weve been well overdue.
Mobile resident Gayla French, who is a nurse, said she also came to the meeting to hear about possible side effects of the H1N1 vaccine. The most frequent side effect in clinical trials, Green said, has been pain at the injection site.
Because most flu vaccines are created using eggs, people who are allergic to eggs should ask their doctor before getting any influenza vaccine, Green said.


With these characteristics: None
Locust, New Mexican
Fabaceae - Legume
Leaves: Alternate; once pinnately compound; 6" to 10" long; deciduous; 9 to 21 oblong, oval leaflets, 1" to 1-1/2" long, with entire margins, a bristle tip, and no stalks, covered with gland-tipped hairs; dark green in summer; yellow fall color.
Twigs/buds: Twigs moderately stout; often zigzag; covered with glandular hairs (hairs with small swellings at the tips); generally with medium-length, stiff spines, 1/2" long, in pairs at bases of leaves. No terminal bud; lateral buds hidden under cracks of bark near leaf scar.
Flowers/fruit: Flowers perfect, pink to white, 1" wide, pea-like; arranged in 4" to 8" long groups; attractive and fragrant; blooms in late spring. Fruit a brown, flat legume; 3" to 4" long; containing 4-8 flat brown seeds; covered with bristly hairs.
Bark: Light gray to brown; thin; shallowly furrowed.
Wood: Little information available; unimportant. Growth rings distinct; ring-porous.
General: A small tree or shrub native to the southwestern U.S., including Utah. Nitrogen fixer. Browsed by wildlife and livestock. Readily produces sucker sprouts. Shade intolerant.
Landscape Use: Seldom used but could be used more, especially in naturalized landscapes and tough situations. Very drought tolerant and able to withstand tough conditions, though susceptible to locust borer damage. Zones 5(4?)-9.
Comments & Limitations: Thorns or spines that can be dangerous; use thornless varieties if possible.
- Fabaceae - Legume
- Cultivar Availability:
- Hardiness Zone:
- Utah Native:
- Growth Rate:
- Mature Height:
- Is Good Under Power Lines:
- Crown Shape:
- Fall Color:
- Poor Drainage:


by Suzanne Labry
Quilts of Southwest China
Woman in the La Ma Village anxious to demonstrate her quilt making skill. Here she is cutting out a paper pattern. She has
a bamboo stick topped with sticky rice ready to glue the cloth
to the stiffen paper. Photo courtesy of Pam Najdowski.For those of us in the West, the quilts and quiltmaking traditions of China remain relatively unknown.
That fact is changing quickly, however, with the first China International Quilt Festival having occurred in Beijing in 2015 and now with a remarkable traveling exhibition put together by a bi-national consortium of U.S. and Chinese museums and sponsored
by the Henry Luce Foundation.
The exhibit, Quilts of Southwest China, has been displayed at Michigan State University Museum, East Lansing, Michigan; the International Quilt Study Center and Museum, Lincoln, Nebraska; Mathers Museum of World Cultures, Bloomington, Indiana; and is currently showing at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico until January 21, 2018.
The quilts (and other items such as aprons, needle cases, and baby carriers) date mostly from the 20th century, with some contemporary pieces. They were made in several of China’s Southwestern provinces—a mountainous area populated by rural villages and farms of ethnic minorities such as the Yao, Dai, Hui, Maonan, Zhuang, Bouyei, and Miao (the Miao are also known as Hmong in the U.S.) that remained isolated until relatively recently.
Dowry quilt made by Luo Si Mei in the Zhaung village of Ladong. It is still framed in hand-woven indigo cotton, padded with thick cotton batting, and encased in white cotton creating a duvet. Photo courtesy of Pam Najdowski.
The works in the exhibit are made of cotton, wool, and silk, and display the makers’ excellent needle skills in piecing, appliqué, quilting, and embroidery. Iconography is
an important element of the quilts, with butterflies, frogs, fish, centipedes, fruit, flowers, and animals symbolically representing such things as fertility, abundance, good luck,
health, and wellbeing.
China is rapidly changing from a rural to an urban society; it is said that by the end of 2015, 56% of the population was living in urban areas, up from 26% in 1990. Such a dramatic transformation can profoundly alter cultural practices and folkways, particularly among ethnic minorities.
The traditions that gave rise to the majority of the quilts shown in the Quilts of Southwest China exhibit are casualties of the new reality in that country. When roads and factories began being built in China’s Southwestern provinces after the Communist revolution in 1949—making mass-produced goods more accessible and affordable—the quilting tradition there began to die out, in much the same way that quilting in the U.S. fell out of widespread practice after World War II.
Iconography is an important element of the quilts of Southwest China.Photo courtesy of Pam Najdowski.
Pam Najdowski, who owns the import company Textile Treasures in Santa Fe, was a consultant for the Quilts of Southwest China exhibition and helped to acquire many of the items on display.
In 2003, Pam was living in China and working as a counselor at an international school. She became interested in Chinese minority textiles such as festival outfits and baby carriers and began buying them from people she met. “The people were subsistence farmers with no wages. Their average annual earnings were probably less than $500, and when they realized they could sell a jacket, for example, for what would amount to six-months’ worth of income, they began offering things to sell,” she explains. “Not until 2010 did I ever see a vintage quilt being offered for sale, but I loved them at first sight. Later, I was thrilled to find out that the consortium of museums were seeking to develop an exhibit about these fabulous quilts of southwest China.”
Guangxi Province is one of the areas where many of the
quilts featured in the exhibition were found. Photo courtesy
of Pam Najdowski.The current Chinese government has begun placing emphasis on cultural heritage and there is new interest in preserving the traditions, including quilting, of the country’s minority ethnic groups. The 21st-century quilts in the Quilts of Southwest China exhibition were made by artists who are reviving ethnic craft traditions. Tourism is also contributing to a renewed interest in keeping cultural heritage alive.
The exhibition is the culmination of a three-year project of the United States–China Intangible Cultural Heritage Initiative of the American Folklore Society and the Chinese Folklore Society. Researchers from both countries learned to work together to study textiles as a means to understanding the cultural implications of the changing dynamics in China today. Another three-year grant has been secured to continue that effort.
The Quilts of Southwest China exhibition is accompanied by a catalog edited by Marsha MacDowell and Lijun Zhang.
The beautiful mountainous terrain of Southwest China. Photo courtesy of Pam Najdowski.


As previously stated, your dog can eat asparagus raw or cooked. Because dogs’ digestive systems are designed to break down and absorb meat, raw vegetables can be difficult for them to digest. When they eat food that is hard on their stomach, it causes diarrhea, vomiting, gas, and even a stomachache. It is not advisable to feed raw asparagus to your dog, just as it is not advisable for humans. This has nothing to do with taste (though if your dog’s taste buds are highly developed, expect them to literally stick their nose up in the air). Because the stalks are tough and chewy when they’re raw, this is the case. Dogs are more likely to swallow them whole rather than chewing them. Choking could occur as a result of this. Raw asparagus has its own set of health benefits. This vegetable is packed with vitamins and minerals, some of which may be broken down by heat during preparation. Asparagus, for example, can lose up to 52% of its Vitamin C content when cooked. Furthermore, blanching asparagus in water can degrade the vegetable’s essential amino acids.


Teachers! Did you use this instructable in your classroom?
Add a Teacher Note to share how you incorporated it into your lesson.
Step 1: Bricks
There are 25 black pipe things and you will have five left over for any symbiote sludge that leaked!
Dump all but five of the pipes into this half of the tube
Step 9: Congrats!
Now you have a lego venom symbiote of your own!


Here’s a question – Ever wonder whether you should eat before you exercise or not?
If you are trying to lose weight, research from the University of Bath in the U.K. suggests the answer might be not. When weight loss is the main fitness goal, decreasing the amount of adipose (fat) tissue with regular exercise and a good diet has been shown to be the best way to a healthy body composition.
Researchers of this study found that a group of overweight men who did not eat before exercising had an increased expression of two genes in adipose tissue, whereas the men who did eat before exercise had a decreased expression of the same two genes. These genes were increased in the men who fasted because the adipose tissue was better utilized during exercise in a fasted state, meaning they were burning fat instead of carbs.
So should you eat or not before exercise?
The research shows that when you have not eaten, your body is more likely to use stored fat tissue as its energy source for exercise, as opposed to normally utilizing stored carbohydrates as its fuel. For those people who are overweight or trying to lose a few more pounds this is great news! You can try incorporating exercise into your morning routine before having that well-rounded breakfast.
While fasted exercise may be a great technique for people trying to lose those last few inches around their waist, I do not recommend this if you feel shaky or lightheaded while exercising. In this case, your blood sugar could be low, so having a small amount of carbohydrates before exercise should be fine to give you that extra boost.
Try exercising before you eat to get the most out of your weight loss plan and to stay Happily Ever Healthy!
If you would like to read the whole article on Science Daily, please follow the link below:
American Physiological Society (APS). “To eat or not to eat (before exercising): That is the question.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 April 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170406152651.htm>.


Shakespeare's use of language is a rich, fascinating source of clues for how English was spoken in the 16th century. Reconstrucing older forms of English can yield equally interesting results.
To say we're directing you to the latest scholarship on the sound of English from the time of Shakespeare, Chacuer and King Arthur (not really "English" for the last one, but, you get the picture) sounds rather dry. It's not.
Click through and have a listen to the how Shakespeare's words may have sounded when they were brand new!
Things we know:
We have created a new Shakespeare in the Park Summer Sponsor donor category that offers you the opportunity to avoid waiting in line to claim a space for your blanket or lawn chair at our performances.
For the 2015 season, one space may be reserved for each increment of $50 given.
Here’s what you need to know:
You may also be interested in:
We have added a Corporate Sponsorship page to our website for those businesses interested in supporting the arts to make Milwaukee an even better place to live and work.
And, was everyone to beware of them, or just Caesar?
The short answers are: the conclusion of the the new year's festivities and, really, mostly just Caesar...and some of his enemies.
Across the millenium or so of Roman history, the significance and observation of the Ides of March varied. It's believed that the earliest Roman calendars were lunar, and the Ides of March would have been the first full moon of the new year.
In general terms, the Ides of any month woud be the 13th or 15th, depending upon the length of the month -- essentially, the midpoint. Held sacred to Jupiter, the Ides of each month were observed by the monthly sacrifice of a sheep. March's Ides coincided with the feast of the goddess of the year (Anna Perenna), to wrap up the two-week celebration of the new year. Eventually, by the later part of the Roman Empire, the week of the Ides accumulated various other religious days commemorating mythical entities of Rome's past.
Now, as for Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, the way Plutarch tells it, a seer warned him that some harm would befall him by the Ides. As the story goes, Caesar passed the seer that day on the way to the Curia of Pompey, the location of his doom, and teased him that the Ides had come and he was fine. The seer purportedly responded, "Aye, Caesar; but not gone." This record is probably what gave rise to Shakespeare's "Beware" warning. Note that Shakespeare moved the scene of the assassination to the capitol.
Four years later, Julius Caeser's successor Octavian (later Augustus) executed 300 prisoners of the civil war that followed the assassination -- on the Ides of March, at the site of an altar that had recently been dedicated to Julius.
Beware the Ides of March, indeed.
Sourced from Wikipedia
We give you, THE BEATLES! In Pyramus and Thisbe (the play within A Midsummer Night's Dream), from 1964:
COA Youth & Family Centers, our hosts at Kadish Park, recently held their annual fundraiser. Part of that event included the video below, created to show the organizations supporters the great work that their donations are doing.
At around the 4:00 mark, you'll find that the presence of Shakespeare in the Park is offered as one of their recent achievments! It goes by quickly -- but, of course, they have a lot of ground to cover in a short time.
When we conceived of free Shakespeare in the Park, it was always with the expectation that it would bring the entire community together, people from all walks of life, to enjoy a cultural/educational/entertainment experience, regardless of the ability to pay. To play an active part in the revitalization of a neighborhood is icing on the cake!
So, enjoy. And thank YOU, COA for the opportunity to partner with you toward the common good! #WeAreCOA!
A taste of what's to come this summer at Shakespeare in the Park, courtesy of the outrageously charming Shayne Steliga who will portray Lysander.
Warm weather events like the annual UPAF Ride for the Arts seem a long way off, still...but it's only about six weeks away. The ride is on May 31 this year, so it's time for volunteers to offer their services to make this impressive fundraiser happen.
Why should fans of Shakespeare in the Park care?
Aside from some of them being cyclists, the event raises funds for arts organizations in Milwaukee AND raises the profile of the arts. For those of us who already recognize the importance a thriving art community to the life of our city, it may be easy to forget that this isn't a universal level of awareness. So, a highly visible (and fun!) event that reminds people through both it's pre-ride advertising and the ride itself that art is all around, but that it requires funding helps us all out.
But, here's the crux of it for us. We are a UPAF Affiliate organization. That means that we receive additional grant funds from them for each volunteer hour that we are credited with contributing. There are loads of opportunities, a few of them before the ride and many of them on the day of. Look over the list and register yourself as a volunteer, being sure to pick Optimist Theatre from the drop-down menu of Affiliate Organizations (not corporations, which is the box below Affiliates). In addition, please let Susan Fry know that you have registered. In keeping a master list at our end, we can ensure that every registration (and, therefore, every volunteer hour) counts in our favor! The route sentry opportunities are super choices for groups/teams, so grab a buddy and register today!


What is alkaline hydrolysis or aquamation?
Alkaline hydrolysis, also known as aquamation, is a method of final disposition for human remains that involves the use of water, alkali, and heat to accelerate the break down the body. This process is sometimes referred to as "water cremation" or "resomation".
During the process, the body is placed in a sealed chamber that is filled with a mixture of water and alkali. The chamber is heated and pressurized, which causes the body to break down into its basic components, including amino acids, peptides, sugars, and salts. The resulting liquid is then drained from the chamber and can be further processed into a sterile liquid that can be used as a fertilizer or disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
The process of alkaline hydrolysis is considered to be more environmentally friendly than traditional cremation, which involves the use of fossil fuels and can release pollutants into the atmosphere. It is also considered to be a more gentle process than cremation, as the body is not exposed to high temperatures and flames.
While the use of alkaline hydrolysis is currently legal in some jurisdictions, it is not yet available in British Columbia.


In 2000, Congress created the federal State Wildlife Grant Program to help states conserve imperiled wildlife species, particularly those that are not traditionally hunted or fished. The grant program required states to develop State Wildlife Action Plans identifying "Species of Greatest Conservation Need" (SGCN), their habitats, threats to their survival, and conservation actions to address these threats. This resulted in the development of New Jersey's first Wildlife Action Plan in 2006, a minor revision to that plan in 2008, and now the first full revision to the plan in 2017. The following sections describe the purpose and intent of the Plan, guide the reader through its various components, and generally serve as an introduction to the 2017 update to New Jersey's State Wildlife Action Plan (pdf, 32mb).
(Note: The following links will navigate the reader to the cover of the 2017 Plan. The plan document itself is extensively bookmarked and hyperlinked for convenient navigation.)
Executive Summary (see page i)(pdf, 32mb): A general summary of the purpose, foundation, goals and objectives of the 2017 plan.
Roadmap to the Eight Required Elements (see page ix) (pdf, 32mb): A section detailing for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service review committee how New Jersey addressed each of the "eight required elements" necessary for Plan approval.
Guide to New Jersey's State Wildlife Action Plan (see page xiii) (pdf, 32mb): A concise overview of the Plan and its different sections to help readers navigate the document and find the information they need. It includes an inventory of the appendices or attachments that support each section.
Introduction (see page 1) (pdf, 32mb): The formal beginning of the Plan, comprehensively discussing the background and purpose of New Jersey's 2017 State Wildlife Action Plan update, the changes between New Jersey's original 2006 and 2008 plans and the current 2017 update, and a summary of Wildlife Action Plan implementation successes over the past decade.
The formal comment period for the revised NJ State Wildlife Action Plan has closed. We intend, however, to ensure that the Plan is a living document, and we welcome your continued input. The Plan will remain on our website with the ability to accept comments, which will be considered as we continue the process of assessing threats and developing and prioritizing appropriate conservation actions, for Conservation Focal Areas, focal species and their habitats.
Please use the form below to submit comment on this Introduction
only; there are separate
comment forms for each aspect of the Plan.