Sir John Betjeman remains the most popular English poet of today. He has been termed a ‘national teddy bear’, and some commentary has addressed his work in rather such terms. However, it is evident that most of his key themes – the spirit of place (or ‘place-myth’), mundane lives (‘petit récits’) or historical continuity (the ‘presence of the past’) – have specific relevance to postmodern and, especially, environmental concerns. Dennis Brown’s book assesses Betjeman’s contribution in the light of this, emphasising its ironic self-reflexivity, its rendering of Englishness and a ‘soft’ masculinity, and its ecumenical Christian tolerance. The popularity of Betjeman’s lyrics, and his verse-autobiography Summoned by Bells, is considered as indicative of Britain’s post-imperial self-revaluation. It is shown how the poet’s technique offers an accessible alternative to more complex neo-modernist poetics. Overall, the book stresses Betjeman’s contemporaneity, and his relevance to an era of ‘contingency, irony, and solidarity’.


Organizing ideas is a vital first step in the writing process. New for Clicker 7, Clicker Board provides students with a built-in planning tool to help them prepare for writing.
"A lot of teachers are also using the new Clicker Board tool for whole class planning and mind mapping; all the students contribute ideas for a particular topic while the teacher collates them on the whiteboard. This can then be made available as a key word bank."Suzanne Lazarus, Inclusion Leader


20 Oct Psychiatric Nurse
Psychiatric nurses have one of the most challenging roles in healthcare helping patients with mental illnesses like schizophrenia, depression, psychosis and dementia.
As such, psychiatric mental health nursing is a specialist nursing role that requires a special kind of character and personality.
Mental health nursing requires good communication skills, an ability to manage others and physical endurance. Psychiatric nurses deal with patients of all ages whose mental health ranges from being emotionally fragile to extremely violent and dangerous.
With the rapid aging of America’s population and more and more elderly people succumbing to illness like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, psychiatric nurses are needed in greater numbers than ever before.
More Psychiatric Nurses Are Needed Than Ever
Not every registered nurse has the personality and aptitude for this demanding healthcare job. If you are interested in becoming a psychiatric nurse it is best to see what the job really involves before committing yourself.
While you are still in high school, it is a good idea to undertake volunteer work at a psychiatric hospital or an aged-person’s home so that you can see first-hand the type of patients you will be dealing with. And the types of conditions where you will spend your working day.
If you then still feel that a career in psychiatric nursing is right for you, you will need to get a nursing degree first. To undertake a nursing program at an accredited community college, university or nursing school you will need your high school diploma or GED with strong marks in math, biology, science and the humanities. You can then undertake a two-year nursing degree or a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
Psychiatric Nurses Require Special Training
Basic nursing programs often offer a basic rotation in psychiatric-mental health nursing that will introduce you to this specialty field of nursing. This can help you determine if you would like to get involved in this area. At the end of your basic nursing training you will need to sit and pass the state-run NCLEX-RN licensing examination before you can begin working as a full-time nurse.
Once you are working in a hospital, you can continue to pursue your interest in psychiatric nursing. This can be done either by obtaining an entry-level mental health nursing position in a hospital, asking for a psychiatric rotation or working as a psychiatric aide.
During this time you should also be acquiring the skills that psychiatric nurses need. At this stage of your career, you should also consider becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner or an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). All psychiatric nurses must undertaken additional mental healthcare training and sit examinations administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Not all states require that you sit this exam but this psychiatric certification can help you get a better paying job.
You will then be known as a Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (PMH-APRN) qualified to provide general mental health nursing acre. Psychiatric nurses can specialize in mental health care for children and adolescents, dug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, adult mental healthcare or caring for the elderly with dementia and other age-related illnesses.
As a practicing psychiatric nurse or PMH-APRN you will quickly learn that the reasons people develop mental health issues are varied and complex. Alcohol and drugs are often mitigating factors that can lead to mental illness. But stress, breakdowns in relationships, a loss of a job, home or close relative can all trigger cases of mental illness and depression ranging from minor to extremely serious.
Age-related dementia is on the increase across the Western world and this is going to have profound effects on the ability of hospitals, health authorities and psychiatric nurses to cope with millions more cases of psychiatric healthcare. Mental health issues are also common in particular section of our society and greatly affect people living under economic hardship and in poor living conditions. Disabled and homeless people are susceptible to health health problems. So are criminals and other offenders and all of this can lead to social stigmas and discrimination that only accentuates the problems.
Research has found that a great number of mental health issues are common to particular people and age groups. Women are very susceptible to anxiety and depression while men are affected by alcohol and drug addictions. Both groups are highly vulnerable to committing suicide because of these vulnerabilities. These are all the types of people that psychiatric nurses come into contact with everyday of their working lives. And it is why the job of a PMH-APRN is so emotionally and physically demanding. Psychiatric nurses are essential to provide the treatments, medications, counseling, psychotherapy and other day-to-day help that these highly vulnerable people require.
Many PMH-APRNs become consultants who specialize in lasing with patients and their families to help them try to understand and cope with particular psychiatric and mental illness. These issues are often complex, complicated and distressing which places a huge strain on many families. But for psychiatric nurses, their mental health education does not necessarily end there. Many psychiatric nurses go on to undertake a four-year master’s or doctoral degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing to qualify as a psychiatric primary care provider, psychotherapist, consultant, and university educator.
As a PMH-APRN with a master’s degree, psychiatric nurses have the knowledge to diagnose mental health disorder and provide the proper care, psychotherapy and psycho pharmacology medications to help manage and treat the patient’s illness. Your role at this stage will often overlay with that of a psychologist and psychiatrist both of whom you will work with closely.
Psychiatric mental health nursing is a tough and demanding job. It is not a career choice for everyone. But many psychiatric nurses thrive in their jobs because everyday brings a new challenge in one of the most specialized areas of medical healthcare.


A tiny springboard constructed from a carbon nanotube can weigh individual atoms as they fall onto its surface. The device could replace high-resolution mass spectrometers, which tend to destroy the samples they weigh.
Resonators, materials that naturally oscillate strongly at certain frequencies, help to enhance the sound of many musical instruments.
But physicists also take advantage of resonators to calculate tiny masses. When extra mass lands on the surface of a resonator, it alters the frequency of the resonator, which gives physicists a means to calculate the extra mass.
Existing mass sensors of this kind, however, are constructed from relatively dense materials, such as quartz.
When atoms, which generally have a mass under a zeptogram (a trillionth of a billionth of a gram) land on the quartz, they are too small to make any impression on its vibration frequency. To weigh individual atoms, physicists need a resonator of a much lower density.
Kenneth Jensen, Kwanpyo Kim and Alex Zettl at the University of California in Berkeley have discovered that carbon nanotubes are perfect for the task.
Because nanotubes are hollow, they have a mass four orders of magnitude lower than specially built micromachined resonators. That brings their mass into the attogram range (a billionth of a billionth of a gram), and means they respond to single atoms.
Jensen’s team took a multi-walled carbon nanotube roughly 250 nanometres in length and attached one end to an electrode while leaving the other end free, forming a tiny springboard.
They placed the device in an ultra-high-vacuum chamber and broadcast a radio signal to the nanotube, causing it to resonate. Next they added a few gold atoms to the vacuum chamber. As the atoms landed on the nanotube “springboard”, they altered its mass enough to change the vibration frequency.
The researchers calculated that the change was due to just 51 gold atoms, demonstrating that the device is sensitive enough to work on the atomic scale.
Further analysis suggested that the nanotube could respond to a change in mass as small as 0.13 zeptograms – more then sensitive enough to register individual gold atoms.
But measuring the exact change of mass is complicated, says Zettl. Just as a springboard bends further as the diver approaches the far end, so the carbon nanotube’s response to extra mass depends on where the atom lands along the nanotube’s length.
“The analysis would be much simpler if all the atoms landed on just one part of the nanotube,” Zettl says. “But we did not force this to happen.” Instead, they used a statistical analysis of the nanotube’s response to the gold. “Knowing that all gold atoms have the same mass, and assuming that they arrive randomly in time and land randomly along the nanotube lets us do the statistical analysis,” he says.
Zettl thinks that useable sensor platforms like this are an “exciting breakthrough” for the nanoelectromechanical systems field. “This device is more than a novelty,” he says.
Journal reference: Nature Nanotechnology (DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2008.200)


Although winter is fast approaching, disease-carrying deer ticks are still active and abundant in southern New England, where a University of Rhode Island researcher has been collecting adult deer ticks at a rate of more than 350 per hour while walking in the woods, along parkland paths, and even on local roadsides in recent weeks.
“It’s further evidence that the old rules about when and where ticks are active and how to avoid ticks don’t apply,” said Thomas Mather, URI professor of entomology and director of the Center for Vector-Borne Disease. “We are definitely seeing a continuing trend of finding more ticks in more places. That means that people are having more tick encounters than ever before, so more than ever they need to take precautionary measures.”
Mather has just been awarded an $875,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control to conduct studies and develop tools that will help residents choose the best tick control strategies for their needs. Part of the funding will be used to establish a series of test plots at the University’s East Farm that can be used to assess the effectiveness of various tick control products in a controlled setting but under natural conditions.
“Currently, there is no efficient system for assessing how effective existing or new tick control products are under field conditions,” Mather said. “What’s needed is a highly replicated testing ground where we can control for some of the variables but very rapidly collect efficacy data on a number of products all at once.”
He said that numerous tick control products are in development for yard use, including natural products; one containing a rosemary oil formulation, another containing a fungus, and others that are used to control lawn and garden pests. All of these products in the tick control pipeline could be easily evaluated in the new test plots.
“Our system should greatly accelerate the pipeline of product assessment and provide useful data for homeowners,” Mather added.
The CDC grant will also enable Mather to collaborate with tick control customers of The Bartlett Tree Experts and Ocean State Tick Control to compare the effectiveness of standard tick control treatments. The URI team also hopes to evaluate combinations of strategies to determine whether an integrated tick control plan “provides more bang for the buck.”
In addition to product testing, the grant will fund development of what Mather calls a “decision support tool” to help homeowners decide which product is most appropriate for their circumstances. His team is developing a TickEncounter Risk Calculator as a smart-phone application to enable landscapers and homeowners to more easily assess a property’s risk level based on factors like tick habitat, pets, geography, distance from a forest, and human activity. After calculating one’s risk, the application will provide users with a customized action plan for how best to reduce the risk of encountering deer ticks.
“We need to give people options and help them make decisions so they can take action to protect themselves and their families,” Mather said. “If we can increase the number of yards effectively treated for ticks by even 20 percent, I’m sure we’ll see a reduction in disease incidence in the area.”
U.S. Senator Jack Reed agrees.
“Lyme disease is a growing threat, and Professor Mather and the URI Center for Vector-Borne Disease have played a leading role in tick-borne disease prevention, research, and education efforts,” said Reed, a co-author of the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education and Research Act of 2011 and a member of the Appropriations Committee, who, in the past has secured over $1.3 million in targeted federal funds to help support the Center for Vector-Borne Disease’s efforts. “I congratulate Professor Mather and his team on this award. This CDC grant will enable URI researchers to test tick-control products to ensure they are safe and effective.”
For seasonally relevant information on tick-safe living, Mather recommends visiting www.tickencounter.org on a regular basis.


This article was taken from the June 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Andy Jones didn't panic when he dropped his beloved iPhone in a bowl of water. In fact, he left it there for 30 minutes, confident that it would emerge in full working order. Why? Because his phone had been coated with NeverWet, a silicon-based spray-on solution that renders almost any surface superhydrophobic -- extremely repellent to liquid. Water simply rolls off. The same goes for viscous fluids such as syrup and cooking oil. "It's just like any spray-can you'd buy at the local store," says Jones, president of Ross Nanotechnology in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where the product was developed. "But the stuff inside has magical properties." In addition to keeping things completely dry, the coating also keeps objects clean and free from ice and bacteria.
The spray contains millions of nanoparticles, each 20 nanometres across, that self-assemble into a particular pattern on a surface. "The chemistry is pretty funky, but it's also top secret," says Jones. Such alchemy creates a "nano-topography" with a high contact angle -- the angle at which liquid meets the surface or, put simply, the extent to which the droplet remains spherical rather than flattening out. Jones, 43, has already sold four licences to manufacturers and has more deals under discussion. The spray-on can will be on sale this summer. The time we can finally stop washing our clothes is nigh.


In the KJV Study Bible for Boys is designed especially for them, boys can discover God's truths and how to develop true Christian character. This red-letter edition Bible features study notes, profiles, and devotions designed for the interests of boys ages 8-12, such as:
Book Introductions: Descriptive features that highlight contents of each book of the Bible.
Good Morning, God: Brief devotionals tied to specific Bible passages that encourage children to read, think, and pray about their personal lives and relationships.
Genuine Heroes and Heroines: Biographical sketches of persons whose lives and actions display traits boys and girls can admire and emulate.
Men's World and Women's World: Details what life was like for men and women in Bible times.
Be All You Can Be: Challenges boys to act appropriately, make right decisions, and choose worthwhile values.
Drawings, illustrations, and maps: Supplements to assist understanding of the Bible in proper context.


Do you have a child who asks questions constantly? Do you want a way to channel the curiosity of your students and teach them basic research skills? Here is a great resource for elementary age children to use: a questions notebook to guide students to investigate their own questions. This free printable is a wonderful way of encouraging curiosity and laying the foundation for critical thinking and independent research.
Disclosure: I received complimentary copies of Zoey and Sassafras for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Encouraging Curiosity: Create a Questions Notebook
My kids are full of questions: Why do dogs hate cats? Why can’t I see myself in the mirror with the lights off? Why is the word “cough” in “coffee”? This natural curiosity is the foundation of scientific learning, yet I was finding it increasingly difficult to satisfy their endless questions when I was, for example, cooking dinner or changing a squirmy toddler. I needed a way of encouraging curiosity while maintaining my sanity.
Yet more importantly, I remembered how my mother had handled my own endless questions when I was a child. Rather than just give me answers, she always sent me to the bookshelf where we kept a row of heavy, dark green encyclopedias. (Does anyone have these anymore? The original Google!) She could have easily just answered my questions, but instead she gave me the greater gift of learning to investigate for myself. Through practicing these basic research skills, I built my confidence and discovered the importance of finding out the truth for myself rather than relying on anyone else.
I wanted to do the same for kids, so I created this questions notebook: simply right click on the images below to download and print your copies!
Printable Page 1
Printable Page 2
How to Use This Printable
Print out copies of the notebook pages above and keep them on hand for your child or students. Encourage them to not only write down a question but a hypothesis as well. Some may feel too shy or uncertain to do this at first, but you will see their confidence grow as they gain experience.
Subject: Have them try to decide which subject heading their question falls under. This will come in handy as they begin their research, to help them choose the appropriate sources.
Bookshelf: On the second page I have listed several types of sources they can use to research their questions. I like to start with what is on your own bookshelf, to combat the urge to simply do an online search. Your bookshelf is immediately available and can encourage further exploration of the resources you already have at home or in your classroom. We love Picturepedia, Children’s Illustrated Dictionary, and Science: A Visual Encyclopedia.
Related Post: How to Get Kids Excited About STEM
Online: Take some time to bookmark kid-friendly, reliable websites that they can use to do their research. For example, on our home computer I have bookmarked National Geographic Kids, Encyclopedia Britannica Kids, and kid-friendly search engines like Sweet Search and Kidotopia.
Library: If they would like to learn more, help them find more specific resources on your next trip to the library. Encourage them to ask a librarian if they need help finding relevant resources.
Expert/Field Trip/Experiment: If you can see that a topic has really fired up your students’ interest, you could arrange for a guest speaker, help them design an experiment, or facilitate a field trip (either as a class or as a suggested activity for home).
If You Are a Parent: Encourage your child to write her questions in her questions notebook. When you have some free time to sit with her, choose one or two to research together. As she gets the hang of it, she can do more of them independently, though you will still want to review the completed pages together when you can. These notebook pages can be the basis for science fair projects or school papers!
If You Are a Homeschooler: Researching these questions can be a regular part of your child’s independent work. Several times a week my son chooses a question or two to research while I’m working with his younger brother. This has become a favorite activity for both of us, as I love seeing what he discovers!
If You Are a Teacher: Again, this can be a great activity for independent work, or an enjoyable homework assignment. You may also choose several to investigate further as a class.
Related Post: STEM Fun for Kids
Get Inspired with Zoey & Sassafras
To help get your kids excited about conducting their own research, introduce them to Zoey & Sassafras, a dynamic duo of a science-loving girl and her faithful cat who help the magical creatures who come to them with their problems. For example, in the first book, Dragons and Marshmallows, they help a sick baby dragon, while in Monsters and Mold they help a monster get rid of embarrassing mold so he can go to a dance. (Don’t you love the idea of monsters having a big, friendly dance party?)
There is so much I love about this series: the lovable characters, the wonderful relationship Zoey has with her parents, and the fact that this incredible girl makes the scientific method look like so much fun! As Zoey tries to help her magical friends, she must experiment to figure out the best solution. And she has a trusty notebook where she tracks her observations and experiments! She not only hones her powers of observation and analytical thinking, she is also practicing persistence in the face of failures and learning to use her skills to help others.
These books help children see themselves as scientists and researchers and feeds their interests in the wider world. Merhorses and Bubbles, for instance, will stoke their curiosity about environmental issues, as Zoey investigates why the magical creatures in the stream are in danger. These are great books for encouraging curiosity and empowering children to discover answers for themselves.
What are your favorite ways of encouraging curiosity in your children or students?


Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar say that extreme rainfall events in India will become more prominent because of emissions caused by human activities
Here is more evidence why we need to worry about climate change. A new study says extreme rainfall events are on the rise in India and attributes the trend to man-made emissions, what scientists call anthropogenic warming. Not just this, the trend is likely to become more prominent by mid-century, particularly in southern and central India.
While previous studies have shown a rising trend of extreme rainfall events, this study has sought to link it with anthropogenic emissions.
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, used historical datasets about daily rainfall and temperature from about 7,000 meteorological stations of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), converted it into grids of one-degree spatial resolution.
An analysis of observed changes in yearly maximum rainfall for the period of 1979–2015, showed that it has increased over the majority of India except in the Gangetic Plain, northeastern India, and Jammu and Kashmir. The decline in the Gangetic Plain region can be attributed to a significant reduction in the monsoon season rainfall driven by increased atmospheric aerosols and warming of the Indian Ocean. The increase in precipitation is more prominent in Southern India than in North India during the 1979–2015.
Along with extreme precipitation, the study has found that dew point temperature - temperature at which air gets saturated with moisture - has also increased during the period 1979–2015. With warming, water holding capacity of the atmosphere increases by 6 per cent per degree rise in temperature, per Clausius-Clapeyron equation, the study says. The scaling relationship between extreme precipitation and dew point temperature shows over 7% per cent increase per unit rise in dew point temperature for the majority of south India.
Dew point temperature is a measure of atmospheric humidity, which affects extreme precipitation in the tropical regions. It is considered a better predictor of rainfall extremes than surface air temperature.
In addition to past weather data, researchers used simulations from two sets of models - Coupled Model Inter comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) and Climate of 20th Century Plus (C20C+) – to determine the impact of anthropogenic emissions on extreme rainfall events, under both ‘historic’ and ‘historic natural’ scenarios. This showed that anthropogenic warming leads more extreme rainfall events in India. While ‘historic natural’ scenario includes only natural factors, ‘historic’ included both natural and anthropogenic factors.
“We find that in south and central India, precipitation extremes are more sensitive to warming than north India, which means that south and central India may witness more rainfall extremes in response to climate warming,” explained Vimal Mishra, head of the Water and Climate Lab at IIT-G who led the study, while speaking to India Science Wire.
“Rainfall extremes in the 'historic' scenario are higher by 10-30 per cent than the 'historic natural' scenario, indicating the robust impact of anthropogenic warming on the intensity of extreme rainfall,” said Mishra. The frequency of precipitation extremes is projected to rise more prominently in southern and central India in the mid and end of the 21st century under the greenhouse gases concentration trajectory, RCP 8.5 (representative concentration pathway 8.5), which represents the highest emission scenario.
“Since there is a significant impact of climate warming on extreme rainfall over India, we can expect detrimental impacts of these on infrastructure as well as agriculture. This also highlights the need for initiating adaptation and mitigation to avoid the risk and damage due to extreme rain and flooding,” Mishra added.
Commenting on the study, Dr Roxy Mathew Koll, a scientist at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, agreed that extreme rainfalls were increasing over India under increasing temperatures, and that the trend was projected to continue in future. The study points out that this increase is very well linked with local increase in temperatures.
However, he said, a greater understanding was needed about possible impact of non-local factors. “The CMIP5 models respond to warming temperatures in a linear fashion (increasing temperature, increasing rainfall) while they do not represent the non-linear factors very well. This means that we need further monitoring of the changes in the region, and improve how local and non-local factors over the Indian region are simulated by the climate models,” he adds.
The research team included Sourav Mukherjee, Saran Aadhar and Viamal Mishra (all from IIT, Gandhinagar) and Daithi Stone (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab). The study has been published in journal Weather and Climate Extremes. (India Science Wire)
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By the end of today, all 19 government requests for bans of GM crop cultivation are expected to go unchallenged by biotech companies, pathing the way for two thirds of the EU’s farmland and population to remain GM-free. The growing opposition to GM crops coincides with a new Greenpeace report reviewing evidence of GM environmental risks, market failures, and increased pesticide use.
According to information obtained from the Commission, biotech companies have so far accepted all requests for opt-out bans, except for Denmark, Luxembourg and Malta, for which the deadline expires today.
Greenpeace EU food policy director Franziska Achterberg said: “Over the past 20 years, GM technology has only been taken up by a handful of countries for a handful of crops, so no wonder two thirds of Europe have decided to ban it. Where GM crops are grown, they lead to increased pesticide use and the entrenchment of industrial farming systems that in turn exacerbate hunger, malnutrition and climate change.”
Around 85 per cent of GM crops are cultivated in just four countries in the Americas (US, Brazil, Argentina and Canada), representing only three per cent of global agricultural land. The Greenpeace report – 20 years of failure – highlights the main problems associated with GM crops, including:
- GM crops increase pesticide use – Practically all GM crops are either engineered to produce a pesticide or to withstand the spraying of certain herbicides. Pests and weeds are developing resistance to these toxins, creating new superbugs and superweeds. This leads farmers to use even more chemicals.
- GM crops do not feed the world – Studies show that GM crops do no increase yields and can affect the livelihoods of small-scale farmers, representing a threat to food security.
- There is no scientific consensus about the safety of GM crops – Despite the biotech industry’s attempts to reassure consumers about the safety of GM crops, over 300 independent scientists dispute these claims . Genetic engineering remains a risky technology that can trigger unintended and irreversible impacts on the environment and human health.
While GM crops struggle to live up to the claims of the biotech industry, innovative sustainable farming methods offer a viable alternative. Modern ecological farming practices are a proven and sustainable solution to the challenges facing farming. They prevent soil erosion and degradation, increase soil fertility, conserve water quality and protect biodiversity. Moreover, scientific evidence shows that growing different crops and single crop varieties in one field, as is done in ecological farming, is highly reliable in increasing resilience to erratic weather changes.
Similarly, modern biotechnology, like Marker Assisted Selection (MAS), can produce crops which resist floods, droughts and diseases and presents limited safety concerns compared to GM crops. MAS is also faster than GM in delivering new crops onto the market . However, these alternatives will continue to be ignored if we get locked in the GM-industrial agriculture system, says Greenpeace.


|Ancient Region of Anatolia|
|State existed||Independent city-states from c.1100–c.560 BC|
The Doric or Dorian Hexapolis (Δωρικὴ Ἑξάπολις or Δωριέων Ἑξάπολις) was a federation of six cities of Dorian foundation in southwest Asia Minor and adjacent islands, largely coextensive with the region known as Doris or Doris in Asia ἡ Δωρίς η εν Ασία, and included:
- Kos, on the island of Kos
- Cnidus in Caria;
- Halicarnassus in Caria;
- Lindus, on the island of Rhodes;
- Ialysos on Rhodes; and
- Camirus on Rhodes.
The members of this hexapolis celebrated a festival, with games, on the Triopian promontory near Cnidus, in honour of the Triopian Apollo; the prizes in those games were brazen tripods, which the victors had to dedicate in the temple of Apollo; and Halicarnassus was struck out of the league, because one of her citizens carried the tripod to his own house before dedicating it in the temple of Apollo. The hexapolis thus became the Doric Pentapolis. (Herod. i. 144.)
Pliny (v. 28) says, Caria mediae Doridi circumfunditur ad mare utroque latere ambiens, by which he means that Doris is surrounded by Caria on all sides, except where it is bordered by the sea. He makes Doris begin at Cnidus. In the bay of Doris he places Leucopolis, Hamaxitus, etc. An attempt has been made among scholars to ascertain which of two bays Pliny calls Doridis Sinus, the more probable being the Ceramic Gulf. This Doris of Pliny is the country occupied by the Dorians, which Thucydides (ii. 9) indicates, not by the name of the country, but of the people: Dorians, neighbours of the Carians. Ptolemy (v. 2) makes Doris a division of his Asia, and places in it Halicarnassus, Ceramus, and Cnidus. The term Doris, applied to a part of Asia, does not appear to occur in other writers.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "article name needed". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.


Alexander and the Fishing Contest ~ by Emma Foster
Once there was a pelican named Alexander who lived near the beach. Every day, he would go fishing and he would always bring his favorite fishing pole. One day, as he was flying to the shore, he landed on a huge rock and noticed a sign on the beach. Alexander read the sign. The sign said in big, red letters:
FISHING CONTEST TODAY,
FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL AGES.
FIRST PRIZE FOR THE BIGGEST FISH IS A NEW BOAT.
Alexander decided he would join the fishing contest to see if he could catch the biggest fish. All day he practiced his fishing Every now and then Alexander would catch a fish, but he knew there was a bigger fish somewhere in the water. At noon, it was time for the fishing contest to start and many people had entered. There were people sitting on the beach fishing as far as Alexander could see. A referee blew a whistle and the contest began. Eventually fish started biting and Alexander caught a few, but he knew there was a bigger fish somewhere in the ocean.
And then, something started tugging on Alexander’s line. He had to pull so hard Alexander almost fell off the rock he was fishing on. Eventually, Alexander had to dive down and scoop part of the fish up in his beak and pull the fish out of the water and drag it onto the shore. The referee blew his whistle again to signal that the contest was over. The judges came over to look at Alexander’s fish and immediately agreed that his fish was the winner. Alexander’s fish was almost twelve feet long! From then on, whenever Alexander went fishing, he brought his favorite fishing pole and his new boat The End
Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. (Joh 21:11)
Well our young writer, Emma, has really come up with a “fish story” this time. She has such a great creative mind and even though the story is a little far-fetched, I like it very much. I wonder if Peter’s net contained any fish as large as Alexander’s? Humm? *


Helioseismology has enabled us to probe the internal structure and dynamics of the Sun, including how its rotation varies in the solar interior. The unexpected discovery of an abrupt transition - the tachocline - between the differentially rotating convection zone and the uniformly rotating radiative interior has generated considerable interest and raised many fundamental issues. This volume contains invited reviews from distinguished speakers at the first meeting devoted to the tachocline, held at the Isaac Newton Institute. It provides a comprehensive account of the understanding of the properties and dynamics of the tachocline, including both observational results and major theoretical issues, involving both hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic behaviour. The Solar Tachocline is a valuable reference for researchers and graduate students in astrophysics, heliospheric physics and geophysics, and the dynamics of fluids and plasmas.
Buy Solar Tachocline book by D. W. Hughes from Australia's Online Bookstore, Boomerang Books.
(247mm x 174mm x 22mm)
Cambridge University Press
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication:
Author Biography - D. W. Hughes
David Hughes is Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Leeds. Robert Rosner is William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, and Director of Argonne National Laboratory. Nigel Weiss is Emeritus Professor of Mathematical Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge.


Last modified: 2005-03-19 by rob raeside
Keywords: northern ireland | ulster | united kingdom | ireland | red hand | cross: st george | crown | star: 6 points (white) |
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by Graham Bartram
The Union Jack is the only official flag of Northern Ireland. The well known red hand flag has not been used officially since 1973.
Dean McGee, 27 January 2002
This was a civil flag for Northern Ireland, but the status of this was abolished when the Belfast Stormont assembly was closed down in 1973. Thereafter, the Union Flag was made official for all purposes in Northern Ireland.
Stuart Notholt, 11 February 1996
What law was being changed when this flag was abolished?
Nathan Lamm 8 July 2004
No law as such was involved. The closing of the Stormont Parliament (and the consequent removal of official status from the flag of Northern Ireland) predates the 1995 amendment to the 1993 Regulations (which specifically refers to "National Flags") by over 20 years, and so the amendment simply did not (and does not) apply.
Christopher Southworth, 8 July 2004
My understanding is that the defaced St George's cross [bearing the red hand, white star and crown] was the arms of the Government of Northern Ireland and not Northern Ireland itself, nor the Royal Arms for use in Northern Ireland. This is why the Northern Ireland flag used by the Unionists [the red hand flag] is no longer official as that government was abolished and its arms went with it. I suspect this [issue of royal arms of Northern Ireland] is one of those issues that has just been fudged because no one wants to face the almost inevitable furore that would follow an official pronouncement of the arms of Northern Ireland, or rather of the Royal Arms for use in Northern Ireland. As far as I can see they should be quartered Ireland, England, Scotland, Ireland with the hart crest. As for supporters they could either both be the red lion and elk (as in the old Government of Northern Ireland arms) bearing the two banners, or they could be a combination of an elk and a English lion, although perhaps it should be a hart and a Scottish unicorn as the majority of Northern Irish are of Scots descent rather than English.
The Royal motto of Northern Ireland is "Quis separabit" (Who will separate us) - a motto that can be taken a number of ways.
Graham Bartram, 20 October 2004
Searching for information on the Governor of Northern Ireland's flag I noticed that on the Government flag (white field, red St George cross, red hand and crown above) that a few illustrations show a "Tudor" style crown as opposed to the Edwardian version. Is this a mistake I wonder? This flag was officially adopted in 1953, and this would seem to indicate that it should be an Edwardian crown. The flag is a "Banner of Arms" and although the Arms most certainly would have the Tudor-style crown, surely when the flag was officially adopted this would have been changed. The Tudor crown I noticed is of the same style in silhouette as the crown on the Governor's flag depicted in Flaggenbuch (1992), but with more pearls and a more intricate base.
Martin Grieve, 25 February 2005
Although authorized under the Warrant of 1924, I understand that the Government flag only received widespread use following the receipt of Royal Assent on 29 May 1953, it follows therefore, that the St Edward's Crown is the one to show, since any earlier flags (whilst perfectly legal under the Laws of Arms) were apparently not officially used?
Christopher Southworth, 25 February 2005
Although some versions of the flag of the Government of Northern Ireland have no doubt been made with St Edward's crown, I suggest that any 'correct' version should have the Tudor crown. As a general 'rule' flags that are banners of arms, or have seals as badges should not be modified unless the arms or seals are altered. When the Tudor crown was introduced with the accession of Edward VII, those flag badges based on seals that included a crown, were deliberately not modified until after the seal had been amended. The arms of Northern Ireland were not altered when the St Edward's crown replaced the Tudor crown. Therefore the crown on the flag should not have been changed.
David Prothero, 25 February 2005
We contacted the College of Arms to see what information they could provide. William Hunt (Windsor Herald) very kindly took the trouble to check through the ("somewhat dusty") records and to contact the Office of Garter King of Arms, so was able to report as follows:
"There is no illustration of either the original grant of arms of 1924, nor of the flag of 1953 on record, there is however, one of the arms as augmented by the addition of a compartment (ref. 183.321) on 6 January 1971, and this (as you would expect) shows the St Edward's Crown (which may be seen in Burroughs, 1971 Edition, p. 246.)"
Christopher Southworth, 28 February 2005
The red hand of Ulster comes from a legend from one of Ireland's many legendary invasions. The leader of a war party promised a prize to the first man to touch land with his right hand; so the winner, a left-handed man, cut off his right hand and threw it onto the shore.
James Dignan, 27 November 1995
I have read most of the pseudo-historical works that describe the mythological invasions of Ireland - 'Leabhar Gabhála Éireann', 'Foras Feasa ar Éirinn', 'Annála Ríochta Éireann', and I have not come across such a story.
The most recent and best study of Irish heraldry, Nicholas Williams, 'Armas: Sracfhéachaint ar Araltas na hÉireann' (Dublin, 2001), contains no mention such a legend either - although the author's 'day job' is as a university lecturer in Irish literature. This is what he has to say about the origin of the red hand (the translation is mine):
"It is not really known what the origin of the 'red hand' is but it is associated with various Ulster lineagaes. A poetic dispute from the 16th century is extant which indicates that Síol Rúraí (McGuinnesses) and the northern descendents of Niall Naoighiallach (O'Neills) claimed the exclusive right to use the red hand as a symbol. It is significant that the red right hand is widely found in Irish heraldry, especially in Ulster, e.g. in the arms of the O'Neills, McCartans, O'Donnellys, O'Dunlevys, and McGuinnesses. It is clear that the human hand was a basic element in pagan Irish imagery."
I might add that the ancestors of the McGuinnesses were displaced as rulers of Ulster by the ancestors of the O'Neills in the 5th century. The fact that they were disputing ownership of the red hand a thousand years later suggests that by the 16th century it was associated with the province.
Vincent Morley, 2 June 2002
by Mario Fabretto
A yellow flag with a red cross, bearing a white shield charged with the red hand of Ulster, is a banner of the arms of the traditional province of Ulster. Sometime after Northern Ireland was formed as a separate self-governing entity in 1922 it adopted arms based on, but not the same as, Ulster, with which it is not coterminous (three of Ulster's nine counties being in the Republic). Presumably the Northern Irish arms were deliberately made more "British" with the addition of the crown and the changing of field to make it look like the St. George's cross. Interestingly, when these arms were displayed on a flag badge in the Governor of Northern Ireland's flag, the disc was yellow, not the customary white.
Roy Stilling, 6 March 1996
The six-pointed star represents the six counties of Ulster that make up Northern Ireland. Other Ulster counties are in the Republic. The traditional flag of the province of Ulster is similar to the flag of Northern Ireland, but the field is yellow rather than white, and the red hand is on a white shield rather than a star, no crown.
Devereaux Cannon, 22 January 1998
The Ulster arms, of which the flag is a banner, has an upright red cross on a gold field - a design derived from the arms of the de Burgos who were earls of Ulster until the line became extinct. The flag is commonly seen in the Ulster counties of the Republic. It also has a certain currency among nationalists in Northern Ireland but has always been overshadowed there by the Irish Tricolour and is more likely to be seen as part of a display of all four provincial flags than on its own. It doesn't begin to approach the popularity which the Northern Ireland flag has among unionists and so is a relatively uncontentious and unpoliticised emblem and is used in sports in which Ulster teams compete.
by Nitesh Dave, 2 July 2000
The Northern Ireland flag was introduced in 1953 but it is a banner of arms which had been used by the government of Northern Ireland since 1925. Interestingly, the supporters of the shield in those arms each carry a banner: one is a crowned harp, gold on a blue field, the other is the red-on-gold cross of the de Burgos.
Vincent Morley, 24 January 1998
Northern Ireland has its own soccer team and the red-handed flag is used in all European and world football events. A few days ago the draw was held for the qualifying groups for the European championship in 2000 and there it was, used by UEFA (Union of European Football Associations).
Jorge Candeias, 23 January 1998
The official flag of Northern Ireland is the Union Flag. In 1924 the Government of Northern Ireland was granted arms by Royal Warrant and had the right to display these arms on a flag or banner. This right was exercised for the Coronation in 1953 and assent was given for the use of such a flag, known as the "Ulster Banner", on festive occasions. The Banner was
designed by Sir Gerald Wollaston, then Norray and Ulster King of Arms; a white flag carrying the cross of St George, with a white six pointed star carrying the red hand of Ulster in the centre of the cross, the star being ensigned by the imperial crown.
In November 1973 the College of Arms advised that it would be improper to use the Northern Ireland Coat of Arms after the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 had been passed. The effect of this has now been overtaken by The Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 which prohibits the flying of any flag on Government buildings, other than the Union Flag, and in certain circumstances, the Europe Flag, the Flag of a visiting Head of State, or the Royal Standard.
David Prothero, 28 January 2002
In 1970 the Ulster Defence Regiment was formed within the British Army to replace the B-Specials, Royal Ulster Constabulary auxiliaries, who were tainted with Protestant bias and a reputation for brutality (somewhat like the Black and Tans fifty years earlier). The UDR were a regiment of part-time soldiers much like the Territorial Army (reserves) in the rest of Britain. Like the rest of the Army each infantry battalion was entitled to carry a stand of two colours - Queen's (Union Jack) and Regimental.
The UDR also became slightly tainted since it was very hard to recruit Catholics. In 1992 the UDR was merged with a regular army regiment, once again to help boost its image and reputation. A year previously, as the unit faced extinction in the form it has known for 21 years, the Queen went to Northern Ireland to present the first ever colours to four of the nine UDR battalions.
The colours of the battalions are identical except for the battalion number in Roman numerals in the upper canton. In the center is a circlet inscribed with the regiment's name in gold. In the circle is the regimental badge, a rather plain harp (variations of which are common to most Irish regiments) surmounted by a crown. Around the circlet is a "union wreath" of roses, thistles and shamrocks (a uniform design for the whole army), the whole surmounted by another larger crown. The flags look very bare compared to the rest of the army's which are cluttered with battle honours on gold scrolls around the union wreath.
T. F. Mills, 3 March 1996
by Martin Grieve
Redrawn from Flaggenbuch (1939).
According to the Flaggenbuch (1939), the badge on the defaced Union Flag of the Governor of Northern Ireland was a gold disk with a shield. Three publications in my possession clearly state that it is an *orange* disc and not gold as suggested - this of course could be an error, although the version in Flaggenbuch looks orange to my eyes. Do we have any concrete evidence to nail this one down?
Pederson 1970 makes reference to this flag and leads the reader to compare the description given with an illustration of the Lt Gov of Jersey. The implication here is that it was a standard garland, although both Flaggenbuch and a scan sent to me by David suggest that it is most certainly different. A peculiar situation not too unlike
the Garland on British Palestine proposed Governor flag.
Martin Grieve, 25 February 2005
The disk looked and looks "orange" to me as well, and orange is the logical colour for a Northern Irish flag.
Christopher Southworth, 25 February 2005
The circle behind the shield on the Governors flag is gold instead of white for purely aesthetic reasons. Presumably some illustrators were unsure of the colour of the circle and wrongly assumed that it was orange because of the association of that colour with Ulster.
David Prothero, 25 February 2005
by Martin Grieve
by António Martins-Tuválkin
According to Carr (1961), p. 67, Northern Ireland had a Blue Ensign for government vessels, that was defaced with a white disc bearing the letters "GNI" (for "Government of Northern Ireland") in large black capitals.
Roy Stilling, 27 September 1999
Flaggenbuch shows this flag with red letters and describes it as the ensign and jack for vessels used by the Government of Northern Ireland.
Ivan Sache, 10 October 1999
I've just rechecked Carr (1961), p.67 and I note he doesn't explicitly say the colour of the letters. However, the accompanying black-and-white illustration shows the letters in heavy black type, and the convention used in that book is that where a black-and-white illustration contains black, it represents black in the original flag. If the letters were another colour they'd be shown in outline. I have found inaccuracies in Carr before, so I'm not saying he's right, just that I think that's what he's implying.
Roy Stilling, 12 October 1999
The flag was introduced in 1929 and withdrawn, I guess, in 1973 when the Northern Ireland Parliament was abolished. The letters G N I were in red.
In 1935 the Admiralty contacted the Home Office to ask if the drawing, in the German Flag Book, of a Government of Northern Ireland Blue Ensign was correct. The Home Office denied all knowledge of the flag and suggested that it might be the flag of the Great North of Ireland Railway. Later it was found that the flag had been agreed in 1929.
Officials of the new government in Belfast were not familiar with the procedures that had been followed by the previous Anglo-Irish government in Dublin and had sent the request for a Blue Ensign to the wrong department. The request finally reached the correct office, but because it had not gone through the proper channels, was not recorded by the Home Office nor by the department in the Admiralty responsible for producing the Flag Book.
The German Embassy in London had enquired about the flag of Northern Ireland vessels in 1932, pointing out that it was not shown in the British Flag Book, and asking if it was a Blue Ensign with the badge of the Governor in the fly. The enquiry had gone to the Foreign Office, who passed it to the Home Office, who sent it to Northern Ireland. Belfast sent a drawing of the flag to the Home Office, who seem not to have looked at it before passing it on to the Foreign Office who sent it to the German Charge d'Affaire.
Thus the drawing of an official British flag reached the editor of the German Flag Book four years before it reached the editor of the British Flag Book.
[Public Record Office HO 45/19278]
David Prothero, 19 April 2000
Some more details about the flag of the Governor of Northern Ireland.
14th February 1923. Governor of Northern Ireland requested a flag.
14th May 1924. He repeated his request, but was told by the Home Office that he should use a Union Jack until arms had been granted to Northern Ireland.
27th May 1924. In reply to an enquiry from the Home Office, the Admiralty replied that it was a personal flag for the Governor, and they therefore claimed no jurisdiction, but would like to be informed of the design.
17th June 1924. The Home Office informed the Governor that the King had agreed to a Union Jack with the arms of Northern Ireland. A gold circle had been inserted behind the shield as otherwise the red cross of the arms was indistinguishable from the red cross of the flag.
15th August 1924. Design approved.
9th September 1924. The Admiralty suggested that the governor's flag could be flown over his official residence, over any house in which he was residing, and at any ceremony he attended in his official capacity. It would be hoisted on any HM Ship in which he embarked, within the territorial waters of Northern Ireland.
[National Archives (PRO) HO 267/5]
The Admiralty view that the flag was the personal flag for the governor and they therefore claimed no jurisdiction is unusual. I do not see that it was any more personal to the governor of Northern Ireland than was the flag of any colonial governor; it went with the appointment. The Admiralty did not agree to colonial governor's flags being flown ashore until 1941.
David Prothero, 24 February 2005
There was the Flags and Emblems Act of 1954. According to Chris Ryder in The RUC: A Force Under Fire (London: Mandarin, 1992) this act:
'outlawed the display of a flag likely to cause a breach of the peace - clearly the Irish tricolour - and made it an offence to interfere with the display of the Union flag.' (p. 82).
Jan Oskar Engene, 8 March 1996
The act of the Northern Ireland Parliament (1922-1973) was repealed by the UK Parliament sometime in the 1980s.
Roy Stilling, 8 March 1996
In the last year there has been some argument over whether the Irish tricolour could be flown with the Union Jack over the Assembly building in Belfast. It turns out an act prohibits flying of flags where they are not wanted, with similar wording to that of the 1954 Act. It makes it an offence to fly the tricolour in a unionist area or to fly the Union jack in a nationalist one.
Adam McKenna, 24 June 2001


Concubinage(redirected from Concubin)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal.
in Roman law, the cohabitation of a man and woman with intent to enter into matrimony, distinguished from formal marriage and regulated by law.
As a legal institution, concubinage arose under a law enacted in 18 B.C. establishing severe punishment for adultery. The law absolved from punishment only those men cohabiting with women whom they intended to marry but could not because of legal prohibitions. For example, marriages between men of senatorial rank and freedwomen were forbidden by law. Children born in concubinage had limited rights of inheritance and could be legitimized, unlike other children born out of wedlock, who were completely deprived of property rights.


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Transcript of Chemical Change
and heat energy How can you tell whether a change is a chemical change? Colour Changes The rusting of iron is a chemical change. The strong ductile iron metal is slowly transformed into a brittle, easily crumbled, red powder. This red powder is a new substance, and is quite different from the original metal. The new red material is non-magnetic, its density is less, and it is no longer a good conductor of electricity. As in the case of autumn leaves, a change in colour is a clue to indicate a chemical change.
Perhaps you have found a half eaten apple that turns brown. The reason is that a chemical change occurs when food spoils.
The process of combustion in which coal, wood or oil is consumed is another chemical change. The products of combustion of wood no longer resemble the original wood, these being largely a gas (carbon dioxide), water and ash.
The conversion of the food we eat to living tissues is also an example of chemical change. what is a chemical change?
A chemical change is when two or more substances chemically combine to form an entirely new substance Bonds are broken and formed between different atoms in a chemical change. When particles
of the original materials collide with one another the breaking and forming of bonds take place. change of odor change of colour change in temparature change of form light heat or sound is given off formation of gasses the decomposition of organic material All Chemical reactions have two parts
The reactants- the substances you have started with
The Product- the substance formed from the reactants In a chemical reaction The way atoms are joined is changed Atoms aren't created or destroyed when copper reacts with chlorine
copper chlorine is formed
The word equation for this is:
Copper+Chlorine Copper (11) Chloride
The chemical reaction for copper and chlorine is the change in temperature In order for a reactant to occur the particles must collide and they must collide with enough energy Examples of a chemical change Off-Gassing
A smell or fumes climbing up from the test solution is noticed if a gas is produced in the course of a chemical reaction. An example is mentos and coke (hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate) Heat
Energy is released when chemicals react. Heat energy is produced which makes for what is known as an exothermic reaction. When two things are mixed together in the kitchen heat is produced due to the act of mixing the substances together, and then a chemical change occurs. Heat decrease
Not every reaction can be illustrated by the expression of the increase of heat. Sometimes, when a reaction occurs, the test solution actually decreases in heat which is known as an endothermic reaction. An example of an endothermic reaction is the reaction of baking soda with calcium citrate. Precipitate
Sometimes chemists observe a chemical change in a test solution by watching for the formation of a precipitate, or a solid resulting when two liquids are added to each other. This occurs because one of the products of the chemical reaction is not soluble in the test solution. Colour Change
Sometimes, the solution changes colour when two chemicals react. One of the most popular applications of this chemical behaviour is in law enforcement, as investigators and chemists use colour changes in chemical spot tests to determine the identity of potential illegal substances.


Many people have seen sinkholes at some point in their lives, whether that be from real-life experience or because they saw one in the news. They are fascinating, yet dangerous, works of nature, and the aftermath of a sinkhole can be devastating. You want to do what you can to prepare for if a sinkhole were to form somewhere near you. Knowing when a sinkhole is forming is imperative to preserving people’s safety. To help determine if you have a sinkhole forming, try watching for these warning signs.
Round Circular Depressions On The Ground
A sinkhole won’t suddenly form. Before the ground gives way, the earth will start to depress. The depressions in the ground will often be in a circular shape. Also, compare that depression in the ground with the rest of the landscape. If the circular area is significantly lower than other spots in the area, that should signal to you that a sinkhole is forming.
You Noice Circular Lakes
While not all lakes serve as a warning sign for sinkholes, you should be wary of circular lakes. Sometimes, lakes can form as a result of a sinkhole that caused the ground to collapse and then fill up with water.
A Foundation Settling
A sinkhole doesn’t have to form under uninhabited land. Sometimes, they can begin forming right under your residence. If you notice that your building is starting to drop and crack, it’s possible that a sinkhole is forming right underneath it.
You See Cracks in Roads and Pavement
Cracks in roads and pavement can appear for many different reasons. One of those reasons could be that a sinkhole is beginning to develop.
A Sudden Drop of Well Water Levels on a Site
A sinkhole can also influence the level of well water in a given area. It’s possible that a sinkhole could be changing the water table underneath the site.
Rainwater Starts Disappearing into Ground Openings
If you start noticing that rainwater suddenly starts vanishing, this should raise an eyebrow. This is because that rainwater could very well be going into an underground void.
Concrete Visions Will Get The Job Done Right
Concrete Visions has been working with clients for over 25 years. Our G&M Services installers are certified with the industry’s major firestop product manufacturers. As part of our firestop service, we can assess abnormal field conditions and, with the manufacturer’s technical support assistance, provide engineering judgments in a timely fashion to comply with contract specifications. Our Field Mechanics undergo ongoing training, including mandatory monthly safety meetings, weekly Toolbox Talks where safety and equipment information is shred, and trainings on safe work standards and safety best practices.


Changing Attitudes to Hearing Aids
The historical and often hysterical stigma attached to deafness and hearing loss may work as a deterrent that puts people off getting their hearing checked. However, attitudes are changing as digital technologies decrease the size and improve the look and effectiveness of modern hearing aids.
Dealing with Hearing Loss
Hearing loss occurs in one of two areas: a conductive hearing loss, which is due to a mechanical problem within the outer or inner ear known as CHL, or sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), which has to do with the tiny nerve cells in the ear experiencing injury, disease or malfunction.
Sudden Hearing Loss
Sudden sensorineural (inner ear) hearing loss (SSHL), commonly known as sudden deafness, is an unexplained, rapid loss of hearing either all at once or over a few days.
Sometimes, people with SSHL put off seeing a doctor because they think their hearing loss is due to allergies, a sinus infection, earwax plugging the ear canal, or other common conditions.
Sudden hearing loss in one ear is rare, but when it happens it should be considered a medical emergency and attended to by a hearing medical expert immediately.
Sudden hearing loss can strike at any age, but it is most common in people who have reached their fifties.
If a sudden sensorineural hearing loss is diagnosed and treated within 24-72 hours of onset, the odds of all or some of the hearing returning are best. Strong steroids are employed, however, only around 30% of recipients report restoration or partial restoration of their hearing following this medical intervention.
Although the hearing loss seems to strike suddenly—as when a patient experiences a sudden pop and hearing is gone—in actuality, as patients look back, some recall ﬂuctuating ear symptoms: tinnitus (noises in the ear), transient hearing loss, or dizziness for a week or two before the SSNHL really hits. Earache is not a common symptom of sudden hearing loss.
Gradual Hearing Loss
While gradual hearing loss in both ears may seem insignificant now - something you can deal with by simply turning the TV louder or asking friends to repeat themselves – its impacts are far greater than first thought.
Noise causes sound waves that make our ear drums vibrate. These vibrations are received by hair cells in the inner ear, which flatten according to the frequency and loudness of the sound and stimulate nerves that pass messages to the brain.
Very loud sounds make the hair cells collapse and flatten temporarily, resulting in temporary deafness. This is referred to as a temporary threshold shift and may last hours or longer depending on the degree of noise exposure.
This temporary hearing loss may also be accompanied by a ringing sensation called tinnitus. If this severe noise exposure is repeated over many years, the hair cells in the inner ear become permanently damaged resulting in permanent hearing loss.
Noise-induced hearing loss occurs gradually over a long period of time and unfortunately, hearing loss is permanent and usually in both ears. Historically, noise-induced hearing loss is often due to unsafe industrial practices on construction sites or in factories and the music industry.
Understanding an Audiogram
The most common type of hearing loss is a high frequency hearing loss. When someone is speaking to you, low-pitched vowels can be made out, but high-pitched consonants such as "ss" and "th" are missing. This makes speech sound muffled and hard to understand.
The first sign of noise-induced hearing loss is often indicated by difficulty in hearing high-pitched sounds, such as consonants (e.g. 't', 'd', 's') and the voices of women and children. When more than one person is speaking or there is a background noise, the problem becomes worse.
The Effects of Hearing Loss
- Hearing loss can have a negative impact on the ability to learn, socialize and enjoy life.
- Untreated patients are more likely to miss important information in meetings and phone calls, and make mistakes at work.
- Hearing problems can lead to avoidance or withdrawal from social situations, social rejection and loneliness.
- Friends often avoid talking to people with hearing loss because of the difficulty communicating.
- People with uncorrected hearing impairment earn less than people who hear normally.
Studies have also shown that the effects of hearing loss are cumulative. Just as muscles grow weak from lack of use, the brain loses its ability to process sounds and recognize speech without regular auditory stimulation (Auditory Deprivation). By the time you finally acknowledge that your hearing loss is real, you may have already lost the full appreciation of sounds and the music you once enjoyed.
Everyone has different reasons for putting off seeking help for hearing loss, from price issues and vanity concerns to preconceived and often outdated ideas of how hearing aids perform and how they look.
Today's hearing aids - like all high-tech devices - have come a long way in terms of looks and performance. And independent research shows that hearing aid usage has a positive effect on:
- Earning power
- Communication in relationships
- Intimacy and warmth in family relationships
- Ease in communication
- Emotional stability
- Sense of control over life events
- Perception of mental functioning
- Physical health
Everybody's Hearing is Unique
A clinician determines the requirement for a hearing aid and will help select a device that best compensates for your specific hearing loss and suits your lifestyle.
Everybody's hearing is unique, and a particular hearing device that is appropriate for one person's hearing loss and lifestyle may not be appropriate for another person.
A hearing test determines the extent of hearing loss in each ear. When both ears are impaired, studies have shown that two hearing aids improve comprehension of speech in the majority of listening environments, particularly in the presence of background noise. It also ensures that both ears stay active to reduce hearing deterioration and enhance the ability to localise a sound source. Generally, the benefits of using two hearing aids outweigh the additional costs.
The First Step to Combat Hearing Loss
The first step is making an appointment to be examined by an audiologist, who will identify the extent and type of your hearing problem.
Audiologists are health-care professionals who evaluate, diagnose, treat, and manage hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disorders in newborn, children, and adults. An audiologist is a clinician who has completed an undergraduate university degree and a two-year master's degree in audiology.
A full diagnostic hearing assessment is easy, painless and non-invasive. The assessment is conducted by a skilled clinician and takes about 30 minutes.
A hearing assessment includes an ear examination and specialised testing to evaluate hearing sensitivity and response to speech. If hearing loss is detected the audiologist will guide you through your options.
A hearing assessment should be done in a sound insulated room. Your audiologist will ask you questions and examine your ears and then check your ears by playing tones through earplugs or a headset.
Your audiologist will explain the hearing assessment results to you and chat about possible solutions, like whether or not hearing devices are needed.
Hearing Aids and Digital Technology
Digital technology has revolutionised the way hearing devices process sound, providing superior listening comfort, speech clarity, and user control. Most digital hearing devices are programmable to individual requirements. Generally speaking, digital hearing devices are the most sophisticated amplifying devices currently available.
The latest devices have background noise cancellation software and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies that can connect the wearer to the TV, iPhone or Android devices for streaming and calls. Check the features of the latest Phonak Marvel Hearing Aid
Phonak Marvel Hearing Aid
All hearing devices use batteries. Hearing device owners are able to change batteries in most models and some hearing devices function on rechargeable batteries.
There are four types of digital hearing aids to provide different hearing solutions – Behind-the-ear (BTE), Receiver-in-the-ear (RITE, RIC), Invisible-in-the-canal styles (IIC), Canal styles (CIC, ITC, ITE)
Should hearing aids be required, the audiologist will help select the best device for effectiveness, look, size, affordability and lifestyle.
The audiologist may take an impression of your ear to capture an exact duplicate of its contours for the best fit, and will order the selected hearing aids. Delivery normally takes one to two weeks. Your audiologist then fits your hearing devices and teaches you how to use them.
Getting the best from your hearing devices takes time and practice as your brain acclimatises to hearing more. Your audiologist monitors your progress and fine-tunes the hearing devices for optimum performance.
Once it's up and running, your new hearing devices should last at least five years.
Overcoming the Stigma of Wearing Hearing Aids
An estimated 10 per cent of the world's population is to some degree, deaf. That is, 700 million individuals, ranging from those who have mild hearing loss and may or may not rely on hearing aids or lip-reading, to those who communicate using sign language and are part of a diverse Deaf Culture.
When diagnosed recently with sudden permanent hearing loss, Robert investigated his options:
'I did some research online and was relieved to find that the latest technologies included small in the canal devices that were almost completely hidden in the outer-ear canal and shaped from a mould of the wearer's ear canal to fit firmly and comfortably into the ear. These small hidden devices cannot house all the software and Wi-Fi technology of a pair of ‘behind the ear' devices but owing to my SSHL hearing loss in only one ear, I required only one hearing aid.
I have discovered that no hearing aid can ever replace the quality of sound that a fully functioning human inner ear (cochlear) can provide in conjunction with the human brain; however, our quality of life can be enhanced through the use of hearing aid devices.'
Read full article Sudden Hearing Loss
(from an interview, April 2019)
So thankfully attitudes towards hearing aids and the historic stigma associated with using them is changing as the new digital technologies allow for the wearing of discreet, affordable and highly effective devices. After all, one in every ten of us suffers some form of hearing loss.
Researched, Compiled, Composed and Written by Dr Steven Gration. May 2019


Asperger’s Syndrome is often thought to be the same thing as Autism. Both disorders can be very distressing for the children who have them and their parents. For this reason, it’s very important to get yourself educated about Asperger’s Syndrome, so you know what you’re up against. And as they say, education is a good weapon. This article will give you all the information you need to start assessing whether your child has Asperger’s or Autism.
Autism is a collection of related developmental disorders. Most frequently, they involve impaired social skills, along with marked difficulties with communication. Interestingly enough, Asperger’s Syndrome is often confused with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Asperger’s has a set of symptoms that are almost identical to ADHD, but the similarities stop there. Below are some points to understand Asperger’s vs Autism.
Lots Of Social Interests
Children with Asperger’s Syndrome will have lots of social interests. But they will not be able to perform the same tricks or “give-offs” typical of ADHD sufferers. This is because Asperger’s involves impairment in nonverbal behavior – the non-verbal aspects of communicating that kids with ADHD do. Children with Asperger’s will not be easily distracted by non-verbal cues, and they will not have great imaginations. They will not engage in repetitive behaviors or show great technological skills.
Asperger’s Syndrome is also marked by a marked absence of social skills. Children with Asperger’s will be unable to reciprocate when others make gestures or offer words of guidance. They may not respond to humor and will not naturally engage in conversations about things they find interesting. They may be prone to barking, and general irritability.
Display Above Average
The majority of people with Asperger’s Syndrome display above average intellectual functioning. That’s rather typical, but they will likely struggle with tasks that require fine motor skills, as well as those requiring higher levels of concentration. They will also likely have problems with learning one particular language. In adults, this can lead to a pronounced lack of fluency in such areas as English, and a tendency toward working in one specific language (for example, into a new one rather than switching back and forth between two).
Linked To Prenatal
The causes of Asperger’s are still largely unclear. There is some speculation that it may be linked to prenatal hormone deficiencies during the time of conception, which could account for a significant percentage of Asperger’s cases. There is also some evidence that suggests genetics may play a role. However, there is no conclusive evidence linking Asperger’s symptoms to autism, and there are many cases of children diagnosed with both disorders living normal lives, exhibiting no noticeable differences in IQ, personality, or behavior.
If you’re worried about your children, take some time and consider all of your options. Autism doesn’t have to mean that your children will have Asperger’s or become autistic. There are plenty of other ways to address the issue. You may need to change your approach to your children. If they seem truly incapable of communicating in any way, try to work with them one-on-one to develop a more high-functioning relationship.
Don’t Lose Hope
Don’t lose hope if your child displays some Asperger’s-like symptoms. There is treatment out there for kids who suffer from autism, and some of it can even help them not exhibit all of the classic autistic characteristics. If you suspect that your son or daughter may have autism, take some time and consider all of your options. Take the necessary precautions so that you can be assured of getting on the right path as soon as possible. The sooner you can get on top of the situation, the sooner you’ll have your child and family back together and on the road to normal, happy life!


Amanuel Biedemariam (9 Feb. 2009) In her young existence the US recorded a colorful history with a constitution and documented legacy full of heroism that can inspire, nurture, guide, anchor, and console. It is the envy of millions around the world for its vision, ideals and openness. The history is cemented in the form of monuments carefully preserved historical landmarks, buildings, towns and archived treasures. These picturesque representations relate history to in a unique way. The Marine Corps War Memorial depicts the brave men and women in Mt. Suribachi while they raised American flag after a hard fought victory of Iwo Jima; FDR Memorial evokes emotions about the great depression, World War II, the mood of this nation at the time, the Fire-Side Chats, the breadlines, unemployment, and the hardship Americans endured. Americans feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when they visit these monumental representations of their history. History that bases its foundation on freedom, liberty and justice for all; intended, stated, understood and applied in all aspects of the daily life of every American.
However, outside this view and contrary to the beliefs of the American public the US discards these rights and values when dealing with Africans and African nations. There is disconnecting between what the US government does and how Americans perceive and view US actions abroad. There is a notion that America is the good guy that always bases African policies on charitable causes. Americans are bombarded with messages geared at reinforcing that notion. America sends her biggest celebrities to Africa as UN Ambassadors, human rights activists and humanitarians such as Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Madonna and George Clooney. President George W Bush cited his biggest achievement to be PEPFAR an aid program geared to fight AIDS in Africa. It is powerful to see leaders like Bill Gates and President Bill Clinton talk about philanthropy and how they work to change the lives of millions in Africa and other impoverished parts of the world. It is powerful because it reinforces Americans view of America that projects their values and good nature that wants to do good for goodness sake.
While that is true reflection of the American heart, the actions and policies of the US government fail to reflect it. Americans for far too long have given Presidents, the State Department and foreign operatives carte blanche to execute foreign policies matters as they may. That is a result of a brilliant and sustained public relations campaign by the US governments that assured Americans into submission. In addition the US media failed to report and educate Americans about African matters and their implications.
Ultimately, it is failure of the American people to see the importance of engagement and unwillingness to take responsibility for US actions in Africa. Americans lost desire and the need to make efforts necessary that can establish bridges for future generations. Americans failed to understand their place in the world and the relationships that needed to be established. America based her relations on self interest greed and world domination. America let go of the respect they have to the world and allowed politicians and various parties with interests to create circumstances and pathways that distanced US from the world. Time and the oceans distanced US from her values such us the call to serve for greater good President Kennedy entrusted (Peace Corps), and let those values to fizzle.
America has always been engaged in Africa and African affairs for geopolitical and economic interests. America is and has been a party to many conflicts in Africa outside the view of the American people; this has been true throughout US history. However, the Bush Administration took it to another level using the War-on-Terror mantra to forward US agenda. President Bush went militarily after nations he perceived unfriendly by openly stating “You are with us or against us.” He propped sham governments everywhere by promoting phony elections to legitimize them even when these governments trampled the rights and the will of people in the worst ways. He used the illegitimate minority regime in Ethiopia to invade Somalia so he can put a sham government that did not represent the interest of the people of Somalia. In the process; millions of Somali’s were displaced, over 30,000 people killed thousands wounded. President Bush destroyed the opportunity of Ethiopians to have a peaceful democratic transformation by propping a government that is unaccountable to the people of Ethiopia.
Ethiopians conducted a legitimate election but they were denied twice with the help of US State Department operative that gave every justification to excuse the criminal acts perpetrated by Meles Zenawi and changed election results. As a result Ethiopians lost hope to bring change peacefully. He encouraged the breach of constitution by Yoweri Museveni (unlimited term for his presidency) to accommodate a Client-State in Uganda. President Bush disrespected sovereignty and encouraged his client state Ethiopia to disregard treaties, break and flaunt the rule of law against Eritrea and became a party to a conflict that took the lives of tens of thousands of people. Thus, perpetuating conflict cycles synonymous with African nations.
America needs no evidence of her long involvement in Africa; a visit to the historic home of President George Washington in Mt. Vernon will give one the link in the form of living quarters and graves of African Slaves. The plantation in Arlington Cemetery will tell the story of African Slaves in unmarked graves. These are historic sample evidences of US African links based on the exploitation of African Human and natural resources.
Unfortunately, even when Americans are handed overwhelming evidences of the wrongs perpetrated in Africa, Americans deny and choose the feel good side of history. George Washington’s slave ownership is glossed over and exonerated because historians chose to romanticize history by stating Washington wanted to free the slaves after the death of his wife Martha Custis Washington. Historically America always finds reasons to distance from risponsibilities.
The world however likes to see the good side of America and always separated Americans from US foreign policies and stood with America no matter how it may have impacted their lives. The international community expresses affection for Americans in many ways. After the September 11 attacks that left many victims, the World felt for the United States of America, sympathized with Americans and stood ready to support America in any way. The anguish of the mothers and the wives of the victims elicited strong feelings. As a result people felt a sense of responsibility, duty and obligation to stand with Americans and to help safe guard America in any way possible. But that goodwill was dashed by George W Bush’s belligerent hegemony that reeked havoc around the globe.
President Bush was destructive and used all means necessary to achieve quickly his ill-conceived hegemony. In addition to the proxy wars he ignited everywhere, he used a weak UN to push agendas; he bullied African Union and other international organizations into submission. He dictated the weak UN to pass unnecessary resolution after resolution to accomplish goals. The diplomatic bullying conducted by his representative Dr. Janday Frazer was like attacks by a vicious Pit-bull. In the process he weakened IGAD, AU, Arab League and many international organizations further killing their credibility and effectiveness. As a result, there is no trust for US actions and intentions. The US is not the beacon of hope that it once was, to the contrary it is feared and loathed around the world. American image is tarnished and wherever American travel receives negative feedback.
The election of President Barack Obama has renewed the good will for America one more time albeit guarded for good reasons. The world is looking forward to work with the new president and a renewed spirit. In his inaugural speech President Obama stated,
“To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” In reality however, the United States has been on the wrong side of history more than one can count. The United States is and has been responsible to put or keep despots in power in many countries in Africa for centuries. That is true in Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Djibouti, Nigeria, Liberia and the list is long.
If President Obama withdraws aid to Ethiopia, the despotic minority regime led by Meles Zenawi will collapse immediately. That means, with a stroke of a pen, President Obama can unclench many hands. Moreover, the President has unprecedented opportunity to create a new direction for US African relations by focusing on PEACE, respecting sovereignty, by allowing Africans to decide their own fate.
Fact: the US has and will always play a role in Africa; and historically America has not played cleanly. For that to change Americans must play an active role by taking time to understand the issues and demand change. The time to give carte blanches to political operatives and the State Department must end. It is incumbent upon the American people to demand change from the government, the media and themselves for the sake of PEACE, stability and the environment. If Somalia is beset with piracy world trade will suffer and the Indian Ocean will be free for industrial toxic dumping thus impacting the environment.
Clearly, Africans have shown to be susceptible to Western (outside) influence. Africa is controlled by outside forces to the point of paralysis. Most leaders in Africa don’t represent the people and interests of Africa. They represent the interests of the West with China making headways.
Africa is on a path of destruction culturally and musically. The history, way of life and social infrastructures are being altered indefinitely. Africans are loosing every human capacity to develop and to have a normal life. Africans are experiencing crimes against humanities in much greater scale in numbers, magnitude and impact compared to the holocaust or any calamitous disaster that inflicted humanity in recorded history. However, the silence of the world and Americans against these crimes is horrid. This is ironic because the West is on major PR offensive to spare the planet from environmental degradation. However, it is impossible to focus on environmental causes when the custodians of the environment are attacked from every angle.
President Obama’s rise to power was based on the vision of a united America. Here is a quote from his keynote speech in 2004, “There is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America — there’s the United States of America.” President Obama correctly put the responsibility of change back on American people. He empowered Americans and they responded with a grass roots effort to elect him in order to bring change. That bottom-up movement is required to bring an attitude of change regarding Africa. Americans must take responsibility to push for change on US-African relations. They must actively engage with the people of Africa directly outside US governmental interest and make people to people relations as they have with the European countries such as student exchange programs and the like.
The international community always gave Americans a break from US policies abroad by saying: it is US foreign policy, George W. Bush, Nixon, Reagan or Clinton… but never the American people. However, with the election of President Obama Americans have taken ownership and they will be held to account for the first time. That is a fact that should never escape the American psyche! In other words, the world clearly knows and understands it is not the Blue States, Red States, it is not Black, White, Red, Latino, Asian Americans, and it is not US foreign policies, America or the US; it is the UNITED STES OF AMERICA.
To sum it up, here is a quote from a speech, June. 4, 2005 by President Obama; “The true test of the American ideal is whether we’re able to recognize our failings and then rise together to meet the challenges of our time. Whether we allow ourselves to be shaped by events and history, or whether we act to shape them. Whether chance of birth or circumstance decides life’s big winners and losers, or whether we build a community where, at the very least, everyone has a chance to work hard, get ahead, and reach their dreams.”
Africans have dreams as well.
May wisdom prevail!


Novel green chemical technologies will play a key role helping society move towards the elimination of waste while offering a wider range of products from biorefineries, according to a University of York scientist.
Professor James Clark, Director of the University's Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, will tell a symposium at the Annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) that the use of low environmental impact green chemical technologies will help ensure that products are genuinely and verifiably green and sustainable.
He says the extraction of valuable chemicals from biomass could form the initial processing step of many future biorefineries.
"We have shown that wax products with numerous applications, can be extracted from crop and other by-products including wheat and barley straws, timber residues and grasses, using supercritical carbon dioxide a green chemical technology that allows the production of products with no solvent residues," he says.
"The extracted residues can be used in applications including construction as well as in bioprocessing."
Low-temperature microwaves can also be used to pyrolyse biomass, allowing greater control over the heating process. The process results in significant energy savings and produces high quality oils, and oils and solids with useful chemical properties.
Professor Clark says that combining continuous extraction with microwave irradiation, it is possible separate an aqueous phase leaving the oils cleaner, less acidic and with lower quantities of other contaminants such as alkali metals. The oils have significant potential as feedstocks for making chemical products as well as for blending into transport fuels.
"Our microwave technology can also be tuned to produce bio-chars with calorific values and physical properties that make them suitable for co-firing with coal in power-stations," he adds.
|Contact: David Garner|
University of York


Join Timothy Pintello for an in-depth discussion in this video Understanding Windows Firewall, part of Windows Server 2012: Create and Manage Group Policy.
- The final topic we want to discuss is Windows Firewall.…A firewall is a program that protects…a computer or a network.…The firewall protects the computer or network…by allowing or disallowing certain types of network traffic.…The firewall uses a series of filters…to examine packets and traffic…passed into the firewall, to determine if that traffic…or packet is to be allowed or denied.…There are three criteria that Windows Firewall…is able to use to filter packets.…The first criteria is IP addresses.…
IP addresses are used to uniquely identify…every computer and device on a network.…Based on a packet's IP address,…Windows Firewall is able to allow…or deny packets from that computer.…The second criteria Windows Firewall…can use is protocol numbers.…Protocol numbers are contained within packets,…and are used to identify the types…of protocols that are within that packet.…By examining the protocol number in a packet,…Windows Firewall is able to determine…if it will allow traffic based on…what type of protocol is located in that packet.…
- Configuring the Group Policy central store
- Configuring Group Policy settings
- Setting GPO states
- Setting up security policies
- Configuring user rights
- Configuring local users and groups
- Configuring software restriction rules
- Configuring Windows Firewall
Skill Level Intermediate
1. Managing Group Policy Objects
2. Configuring Security Policies
3. Configuring Application Restricting Policies
4. Configuring Windows Firewall
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The oldest known recording in the world has been heard again after it was converted digitally.
The recording, made on Thomas Edison's sound recording machine in 1878, is now little more than a flimsy piece of tinfoil.
Originally a hand crank would have turned the cylinder under a stylus, which would create the recording. After a few listens the foil would usually be torn, and the pieces would be handed out as souveniers.
Very few of these recordings remain, and none can be played without destroying them.
But the bumps and grooves on the recorded were able to be mapped optically and turned into a digital file - meaning it can now be heard for the first time in decades.
"We couldn't touch it," said John Schneiter at the Museum of Innovation and Science in New York. "To touch it is to destroy it."
The recording features 78 seconds of sound, including a cornet solo and a man reciting two nursery rhymes - and actually getting the words wrong to "Old Mother Hubbard".
"Look at me, I don't know the song," the man says in the recording, thought to be a political writer from St Louis - Thomas Mason.